Roosevelt Island

Between Virginia and DC, in the middle of the Potomac River, sits a small island. Frank and I couldn't decide if it was in VA or DC, but we decided it doesn't matter anyway since it is federal land.

Theodore Roosevelt Island is a living memorial to the conservationist President. There is large statue of him in the midst of a few fountains and pillars with his quotes.

The woods on the island are pretty dense, but the foot paths are wide. On occasion we've seen wildlife, but the day we went it was too cold for critters.

Well, some critters. Hamilton came with us, he didn't seem to mind the cold.

Such a fun little adventure, right outside our doorstep! I highly recommend it, and while we've seen strollers there I would suggest using a carrier - the terrain is uneven and there are plenty of muddy areas...I'd hate to try to clean off a stroller after a jaunt around the island.

Baby Food

I had my first adventure in making baby food last week. It was pretty easy and really truly took about 20 minutes. Granted, our nanny was here so I was able to focus solely on my task the entire time, but it was quick enough that I think I could manage to do it once LM is down for the night or even just napping.

We started with carrots. Frank brought home a bag of baby carrots and I got to work. I boiled the carrots (you can also steam them but that would require an additional trip down to the basement and back and another thing to clean...so I boiled them) for about 12 minutes, until they were soft. (gross)

Then I threw them into the food processor and....processed them. That is it! I added a little bit of the carrot water to the mix to help break things down while processing, then I used a spoon to divide the carrots into serving size containers for freezing.

Now I have 14 servings of carrots in the freezer, just waiting to be thawed and consumed. All for about $2.00.

Our next try will be sweet potato (we already know he likes them), then maybe something green...can't wait!

Our First Rough Night

Well, we made it. The first rough night is officially behind us, and it wasn't all that bad!

Little Man had his second dinner around 10:30 and went down around 11:15. I went to bed at the same time, hoping to get as much sleep as possible. He woke up for his 2am feeding (third dinner? first breakfast?) and went back down without much fuss.

Then things went a little wacky. LM didn't eat again until 7:40! That is 5 hours, friends. Normally, I'd be excited about a 5 hour stretch except that while he was not interested in eating he was very VERY focused on his other major task (the other end) for that entire 5 hour stretch.

Translation: Frank and I didn't sleep much due to the random cries and nearly constant grunting coming from our tiny roommate.

The good news is, LM is sleeping now and seems to have 'worked out' his issues for the most part. I'll aim for a nap this morning and hopefully Frank can make it through the day without falling asleep in court...

Happy to have the first rough night behind us, though I'm sure there are many more (and many worse) to come.

Also - another first, while having his breakfast (from a bottle), I sat LM up to burp him and milk began coming out of his mouth AND NOSE. I freaked! Luckily, Frank saved the day with the aspirator and we got everything cleared out. Not cool, Little Man, not cool.

The New Normal

For the next 9 and 1/2 weeks (so few already??), this is the new normal. I'm sitting downstairs, ignoring a fresh pile of clean laundry, watching my son nap on the baby monitor. He just stirred a bit, but he has about 9 more minutes before he wakes up and realizes that he is HUNGRY.

Yes, my awesome kid is already on that much of a schedule. I love it.

I'm going to try to get better about posting now that he is here and life is beginning to slow down again. If nothing else I can at least throw up a picture or two on occasion. Forgive me if I fail, I promise I'm trying!

So, here are some pictures - these are from the past 20 days and mostly taken by my mom since I was too preoccupied with feeding him and getting as much sleep as I could while mom was here.

I swore I'd never post the "I just had a baby" picture, but thanks to Little Man's 10 minutes of active labor, I think I can confidently say that I do not look like I just got hit by a truck as I crossed the finish line of a marathon....so, here it is.

Here is the part where I get to fall in love with Frank all over again as he begins his new role of "Daddy."

At home and napping in the moses basket made by Grammie.

He makes awesome faces.

Already a tradition, LM's first I would say - passing out on Dad while watching baseball. Here's to a summer full of these kinds of naps!

The Arrival

Our little one breezed past his due date with comfortable ease, leaving me a little sad and quite tired of being pregnant. So, at my appointment the following Tuesday I signed up for an induction on Wednesday morning at 8am.

Frank and I arrived at the hospital, almost on time, and were sent straight up to Labor and Delivery. It was a little surreal being there since I was not in labor, but knowing that we wouldn't be leaving without our baby on the outside anyway.

Here is the final picture of me before our little one arrived. I'm not sure how I was able to stand upright...

They started me on a saline IV at 8:30, then started the pitocin shortly thereafter. The contractions got stronger and closer together, but as of 10:30 I hadn't made much progress.

I asked for the epidural (part of the plan all along) around 12/12:30 as the contractions were getting too strong and close together for me to catch my breath. The first attempt only took on my right side, but the anesthesiologist came back quickly and redid it, and the second time worked like a charm.

I was then able to take a good nap from about 2-4pm. We dimmed the lights, closed the blinds, and I really got some great rest.

At 4pm I woke up to let the nurse know that while I had never given birth before I was pretty sure the kid was trying to come out. She did a quick check and said, "Yep, I'll call the doctor!"

Thats right, I went from 3-4cm to 10cm in two hours WHILE I SLEPT. sweet!

Dr. Elliott arrived, did a quick check and let me know that I was ready to start pushing. After a couple of practice pushes we were ready, and so was our little one! I pushed hard through three or four contractions and out came Little Man!

I'm not kidding, this was the shortest labor I've ever heard of, we started pushing at 5pm and he was born at 5:11pm.

So, without further ado, here he is!

Wait, I'm the Mom?

Uh oh. I know it sounds crazy to say, but this whole baby thing seems to have snuck up on me. Yeah yeah, I knew I was pregnant from day 1 (technically it was day 14, but you can't know any sooner than that) but as the due date gets closer it all becomes a little more 'real' that I'm going to be some one's mother.

Good thing I have one to help me out! I'm glad I am lucky enough to know that I can call with questions and get good counsel. I'm grateful that even though my mom is 400+ miles away, she is really only a phone call away. And I'm really grateful that I know she won't lose patience with me when I call her for the third time in one day asking if I should use children's tylenol or children's motrin depending on what I think the current problem is!

And behind my mother is her mother, another woman I could not be more grateful to have in my life. I can't wait to hand our Kiddo over to Nana - her first great-grandchild! - I'm so glad that they'll get to know each other. I was blessed to know 3 of my great-grandparents, and our Kiddo is in line to have the same privilege! How amazing is that?!

And don't forget my Godmother! She might get to field some of my late night calls since she is 3 hours behind, making my midnight call just a 9pm call for her! Study up Atie! You're going to get to practice being a grandmother - your girls can thank me later. :)

We're blessed to have a fantastic network of friends in the area who are also moms, and I have every intention of leaning on them for support, too.

I guess you're never really 'ready' until it happens, so I guess I'll be ready when the time comes. And until then I'll remind myself of all of the moms around that are ready and waiting to help me become the best mom I can be for my kid!

*Random story: When I was little, I went through a phase where I called my mom, my aunt, and my grandmother all "Atie." That is the name that my brother gave to our aunt when he couldn't say "Kathy." These three women love to tell this story, and the favorite example was a time that I stood at the top of the stairs and was calling for "Atie" - Atie came to the bottom of the stairs, but it wasn't the Atie I was looking for. In time, both my mother and grandmother also appeared in response to my calls for Atie. I'm not sure which one I wanted, but I am rather amused that they all responded! And in my defense, I'm sure I knew the difference between all three of them but they did all look very much alike, especially to a toddler.

Something about Cherryblossoms

I can't tell you why, and I promise it isn't on purpose, but for some reason Frank and I plan major life events that are set to coincide with the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Three years ago we were married on March 29th - the same day that the 2008 Festival kicked off.

This year, the festival kicks off on March 26th, my due date.

Maybe in three years we'll close on a house on March 29th, which should be the first day of the 2014 Cherry Blossom Festival.

I guess for now I'll hope that kiddo comes a little early and perhaps I can make it out to the tidal basin while the blossoms are still out. (because every good DC Metro area resident knows you don't go into the city at very beginning of the festival - too many tourists!)

I'm Excited About: Birthday Parties

Frank and I have two birthday parties to attend this weekend - one is for a little one's first birthday, and the other is a birthday party for a soon to be mom who is about my age!


I love birthday parties because I love birthdays! I really enjoy the opportunity to celebrate a loved one on their special day.


I'm also looking forward to the hilarity that is a 1 year old's party. I love the parents of this child, and knowing them this event will be a fantastic combination of baby chaos and adult fun times! Frank has asked if bringing the gift of bourbon would be appropriate....I'm not entirely sure, but seeing as the birthday girl's daddy is from Alabama, it might be the favorite gift of the day.


The other neat thing about this little one's birthday party is that I so clearly recall the day she was born. It was two days after the baby shower for her mom, two weeks ahead of schedule! She decided to come in the midst of last year's crazy winter storms, setting up what is likely to be a dramatic life from day 1.

Happy birthday to both birthday girls! We're looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend!

Wordless Wednesday: Getting There...

Wordless Wednesday

I'm Excited About: Owls & Apples

I decided to make my own nursery bedding after fruitlessly looking for a set that appealed to me (that was not insanely expensive). So far I've chosen the fabric, purchased the bumper pads, and gone over the pattern for all of the pieces.

I was originally looking for a bright green gingham to be the complimentary fabric, but after scouring three different fabric stores I decided to go a different route. I chose yellow gingham! I even took a picture of it next to the main fabric, but somehow I deleted it just now. Cool.

Since our housing situation is still somewhat up in the air, the only plans we're making for the nursery involve the items that would move with us if we moved. I'll paint the walls back to a neutral/sand color to satisfy both the colors in the nursery and the possibility that we'll be moving again in early 2011.

The owls & apples will be the bumper cover, with the yellow gingham used for the ties. The yellow gingham will be the bed skirt, possibly with a line of owls & apples a couple inches up from the bottom (if I have enough fabric). The curtains will be a combination of the two, as will a throw pillow or two (for me in the rocker, not for the crib). And lastly, I've decided to make a ribbon board with the owls & apples - somewhere to keep all of the cards and things we've been receiving.

Halloween

This little owl showed up on our doorstep tonight - what a fun Halloween surprise! I just cannot get enough of this little girl and her amazing parents. We are sure going to miss them when they move to Cameroon!

Waiting

I'm waiting for:

1. The anti-bark collar we ordered for Hamilton. It sprays citronella at his face when he barks. This would be mean if he only barked to come inside, go outside, alert us to something, etc, but he doesn't do that. He stands in the back yard and barks at (wait for it.....) NOTHING. So, yeah, he's getting an anti-bark collar.

2. The prong collars we ordered for both hounds. These are the ones that look mean and scary, but in reality are perfectly safe (when used properly) and are a great training tool. The hounds have to learn to walk like gentlemen on their leash if preggo me is going to be able to walk them, not to mention being able to walk them with a baby strapped to my chest/in a stroller.

3. My bumper form I ordered this week. I decided a little while ago that I would be making my own crib bedding, and since I have the bumper fabric picked out all I'm waiting for is the form (stuffing). I still need the complimentary fabric, but that will have to wait.

4. Our 20 week anatomy scan next Friday. We aren't finding out the sex of the baby, but it will be nice to see the little one again!

5. And finally, our first day care tour and interview. I stumbled upon a place pretty close by to our house and we're going to check it out next week. The wait list isn't too long, actually seems to be just about right for our due date and my return to work!

I'm Excited About: Baby Stuff

This weekend I'm attending a baby shower for some friends of ours, then on Monday I'm going in for my 2nd trimester screenings appointment and hopefully another sonogram (or at least a doppler).

The baby shower rush that hit me during the last 12-18 months slowed down a few months ago so it has been a while since I've attended one. I'm really looking forward to this shower as it is a different group of people than usual - not that I don't love the 'usual' crowd, I'm just excited to see and meet new friends, too!

Speaking of the 'usual' crowd, I just have to mention that they are some of the coolest and kindest ladies you could ever hope to call your friends. As the news of our pregnancy made the rounds, I got calls, emails, and even cards from many of the women whose babies we've celebrated in this past year and a half. And the advice is priceless! They are all too sweet to offer advice, and they are right there for me with my endless list of questions and concerns.

I'll let you know how the next appointment goes, but don't hold your breath hoping to find out if we're having a boy or a girl - we're waiting for the birth to find out ourselves!

All Clear

Frank and I just got home from my first follow up appointment and we got a really great all clear! We heard BW's heartbeat for the second time. Dr. Elliot let us listen for a little longer than was 'medically necessary,' which was nice.

So, back to life as normal - at least as normal as normal is around here.

Progress Report: 13 weeks, 3 days pregnant. 1 less appendix than 8 days ago.

My Amazing Day

There is a reason I chose that photo for yesterday's Wordless Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, that is how I felt! Want to know why?

1. USA soccer won

2. I scored a major victory at work, or at least scored a potential for a major victory! I'm getting to put together a proposal for changes that I think need to be made to a certain system tha we use. It is a pretty big opportunity for me to step up and address a major function of our office and I am very excited!

I think there were more reasons, but shortly after I came home and posted that picture (from my friend Catherine's wedding) Frank and I left for small group and my Amazing day took a different turn. Our car was super overheating and we were still a few miles from where we needed to be, and the dealership was closed, and no one carried the right kind of coolant, and I did my best to laugh it off and maintain my Amazing day.

It is funny now that it is over; we'll take the car in for service and only be out $100 or so and the entire thing will be forgotten. But what won't be forgotten is my Amazing day! And if I remember the other great things that happened, I'll let you know.

*update: 3. after car trouble I got to snuggle with a 3 week old baby girl 4. the Porters make a mean corn casserole

Advice

Everyone loves to give advice, few people actually like to hear it. I usually count that to be true for me, but as I've been to my zillionth baby shower and I'm still learning things, I think I'll be glad to have a gaggle of women in the area that have 'been there, done that' and already tried all of the brands of all of the swaddles and diapers and butt pastes.

Baby showers take up a lot of my time, I guess that comes with the territory of being friends with late 20's-something couples, almost all of whom are married. A friend recently had her shower and a few months ago she had the brilliant idea to gather all of the tidbits she could from the moms and compile them into a book.

I've decided that I'm going to get my hands on it, package it, and start giving it as a gift to my pregnant friends both here and elsewhere. I know there are millions of books on parenting and pregnancy and babies and baby products, but what could be better than true blue "I tried this and it was awful" or "I tried this and it saved my sanity" from someone you know?

I can't tell you which baby bottle is best for weening, or which cloth diaper brand is best for nursing babies, but I can certainly point you to the women who can - and I know I'll be knocking down their doors one day with questions and looking for hand-me-downs!

What a gift to have such great fellowship and to have the luxury of so many of them going first!

Oh, and another benefit: I just received a great stash of gender neutral baby gift bags from a pregnant friend - it will save us some money for a while, but I bet you $20 I'll run out by the fall!

The Pictures I Tried to Post Yesterday

And here is a one minute video of the squirmy-wormy!

Wordless Wednesday, Fail

I was going to start "Wordless Wednesday" this week, and I even had an awesome selection of pictures to choose from....but, the internet is down at home and I can't load pictures on my phone or at work.

Sorry.

I'll try to load them again today, but for now just picture my dog wearing sunglasses and a 8 week old baby chillin' on my lap.

Our friends, the Connallys, came over to hang last night which meant lots of treats for Hamilton - to keep him occupied - and lots of baby lovin' time for me! Their little Ayden is 8 weeks old now, I can't believe how quickly time has flown!

We also did some major cleaning and lawn-mowing yesterday in preparation for our trip to the beach tomorrow. I do love coming home to a clean house!

I'm Excited About: Party and a (friend's) Baby Edition

First - this weekend I'm off to celebrate my friend Mary Eileen. She is such an awesome lady that I'm getting on a plane to NC to hang with her and some of her best friends for the weekend as we excitedly celebrate her upcoming wedding. I'm so very happy for her and thrilled to be able to count her as my friend.

We're all going to have a blast and I'm hoping that this weekend only comes in a close second to her wedding weekend in July.

Second - I get to meet a sweet little girl this weekend and I can't wait to get my hands on her! She belongs to a sweet friend of mine that I don't get to see nearly as much as I'd like. What a treat to get to celebrate two huge life changing events with two different friends in one weekend!

Off to the airport, what a great trip!