A weighty issue

I probably should have taken guesses on how much Charles would weigh at his 8 week "well baby checkup" (they call it that so that you don't get scared about it also being the "stabbing the baby with 5 needles for immunizations checkup"). But I didn't, so I'm just gonna lay it on you: Charles now weighs 14 pounds, 14 ounces. In case you don't know your ounces and pounds, that's just two ounces away from 15 pounds! My guess is that if he hadn't pooped and peed right before getting weighed, he would have made it.

He is also 24 inches long, and may have to have surgery on his umbilical hernia sooner than 12 months of age because it is quite large. We continue to go without sleep here, but my hope is that it will get better over the coming month. After all, you have to have something to look forward to, right?

Update: Apparently, no doctor will do surgery on an umbilical hernia before the age of 4 unless there is infection or another major problem. So, we're hoping that it goes away on its own!

It's a bit melty...

but, damn, it's exquisite.

Getting home to a melted, mostly snow-free city, that is. If you ever have the chance to take a 6+ hour car ride with an infant, I advise you to pass.

Actually, Charles did quite well, considering that it can't possibly be comfortable to be strapped into a carseat for that long. I think the trip down to Long Beach was tougher, as there were no defined stops to visit relatives, and really, Charlie the ham loves to be held by his admirers. We stopped lots, fed him lots, and have vowed not to take another trip of that magnitude for a couple of months.

We had a wonderful Christmas - I have a feeling next year will be more hectic and more endearing with a toddler, but we were very happy to be able to spend Christmas with both of our immediate families. As it turned out, most of Tony's extended family could not make it over the mountains and through the snow, and my brother opted to stay in Mount Vernon with his girlfriend (who had to work), so we had Christmas morning with both of our parents and the dogs. It was fabulous! I don't enjoy splitting Christmas into two days (I'm a traditionalist, and while I understand that Christmas can happen wherever, whenever, I would much rather a big present-opening party on Christmas morning with all the family at once), so I was thrilled we all got to be together on Christmas morning. We all spent just about every meal together as well, which was great because I got a chance to eat hot food while others took care of Charles. Charles mostly slept through presents on one grandparent's shoulder or another, which was probably the best gift they got this year.

We also made a trip to the frigid beach in the wind and rain to run the dogs, visited our friends Kelli, Rick, and Ruary, as well as Carole, Jarrod, Michael, and new baby Jenna, and spent a lovely evening with the Grub Club for their Christmas event. Good times were had by all. We stopped twice to visit family on the way back to Mount Vernon yesterday, and Charles got to meet his great aunts and uncles, cousins once removed, and even a second cousin! No joke, though, he wound himself up so much in his carseat at one point that he was completely soaked with sweat. He was not happy with having a wet diaper and being stuck! Buster has found all of his toys in the yard again, thanks to the melt, and I am working on getting the house back in order. It's amazing to me, whether it be the birth of a child or Christmas, how fast time sometimes goes and how quickly big events come and go. On to tax season now!
Buster sez, "Ahh, a rare moment with my mom... thank goodness someone decided to take that naked, squirmy puppy away, I hardly ever get loves anymore. Seriously, though, if that thing just grew some fur, I am sure it wouldn't squeal so much."

Charlie sez, "I LOVE Christmas!"

Relapse

Gar! We've got red, seepy butt rash again. Will it never end?

Happy Christmas

Ours is. We've already received the most wonderful gift this year, but Santa has also been bringing us glorious smiles all day long. We'll try to capture a couple on film. Until then, Merry Christmas!

Also, a hearty congratulations to Carole, who just gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Jenna June! We can't wait to meet her.

I started writing this at 5 am...

We finally left the house yesterday... the snow here is downright nuts! But then, prompted by a question from my dad, we got to thinkin' (a dangerous game around here). We have had a pretty major snowstorm up here 4 out of the last five years. At this point, I am thinking we should buy a snow shovel and some sleds so that next year, when Charles is a bit older and bigger, we can really enjoy it! Which is really not to say that we haven't enjoyed the snow - watching Buster tear through it is pure mirth. Also, we made cookies! What has made being cooped up most bearable, though, is that Charles has really changed lately. For one thing, we are about to get off of the Diaper Rash Party Bus. Plus, he is more alert when he is awake, and has been sleeping A LOT during his most recent growth spurt (still up every two hours to eat, and he ABHORS a wet or dirty diaper, but nonetheless, it means lots of precious cuddle time with mommy and less overall sleep deprivation), which makes it easy for me to get things done. He has done this funny thing where he chubs up real good for a few days and then grows, getting all skinny (relatively) again. His feet are now reaching the bottoms of his 3-6 month pyjamas! I wonder if early growth is any indicator of later height? It would be fun to have a tall son. Oh, yeah, and Charles is holding his head up and I even got a real smile this morning! Only one, but still, it was sooo amazing!

The reason we left the house yesterday? A friend of ours is on bedrest at 33 weeks. It reminds me how extremely fortunate I was in my pregnancy - all gigantor-ness aside, I was happy to make it to full term and not have to deal with any problems.

Here are some recent photos:

Snow Day

Here I am, typing with a baby sleeping on my chest. He didn't sleep last night, so he is making up for it now, and I am sitting in a very awkward position. Oh, well. At least he's quiet.

Anyhow, I am writing to tell you all, "Holy Crap! It's really snowing!" AGAIN. Like, a lot. It is just coming down now, has been off and on all day long, so we are up to about a foot of accumulation. My dear neighbors came and shoveled our walk this morning without telling us (so sweet, I am baking them cookies... which I shove in the oven every time I have a free hand), but it is all covered with snow yet again. I haven't been out of the house today, but really, where would I go? Baby, it's cold outside. However, this means that Christmas shopping is postponed once again. Should have done it online.

Buster is our constant source of entertainment in this weather - now he has to search for his toys under a fresh layer of snow and it is pretty funny! Okay, so I am not sure anymore what I was going to post about, and I am sure it was awesome, but now Charlie is awake and we are going to have playtime, during which I will try to coax that ever elusive smile from him. Happy white Christmas, everyone!

New Pro Photos

We had another set of photos done the other day... check them out!

www.millersalbums.com
event code: 67150P5weeks

Charles is one cute kid!

Update

My goodness, I sounded pretty pathetic, didn't I? I had a rough day on Monday, and I am really thankful for all of you who wrote or called with your good wishes and advice. This IS the hardest thing I have ever done, being a mom, and I do sometimes feel like I just plain suck at it. But I do love Charlie, and hopefully that will be enough to carry us through. I worry sometimes that I am missing the wonderful parts about him being a baby because he has been so uncomfortable lately.

The good news is that his poor, sore bottom is improving... the rash is not gone, but somewhat diminished. I hope that he will sleep well again when his butt is totally better - after that one night of great sleep, he has been consistent with the waking every two hours thing.

Oh, but he is still mega cute, and today he spent most of the day awake! It is awesome to see his little eyes taking in anything that is six or ten inches in front of his face. He got a good look at Grandpa Roger while he was here for the past couple of days, and had fun over at Uncle Leland's tonight looking at his goofy mug, too. The Holeman men make such weird faces at babies!

So, in all, we are doing a bit better and I am hopeful for tomorrow. Perhaps it was all your prayers and well wishes that helped us to turn the corner. Thank you.

FAIL!

From the moment we walked out of the hospital, poor Charles has been besieged by pain and suffering: gas, blisters on his newly-exposed winkie (post c-i-r-c), and horrible, horrifying diaper rash. I am now convinced that if there were tests or certification courses to determine eligibility for parenthood, I would not have made the cut. Disregarding my ridiculous weight gain (still can't wear my wedding rings) and stress during pregnancy, my overall performance as Mom has been abysmal. And truly, I have been afforded every luxury: a husband and extended family to care for me and Charlie, friends to bring us dinner (I haven't cooked a meal since delivery... how's that for useless around the house? Don't even get me started on the sad state of laundry and other chores), and enough money to buy what we need. All signs point to "Should Be Able to Effing Do This." But I can't, apparently. Instead, my baby cries because he's hurting and I can't do anything about it, other than offer him a bloody, blistered breast and hope that causing myself boob pain will somehow take his pain away. Except that it doesn't, because the more he eats, the more he dirties his diapers, and the more his butt hurts.

So I called his doctor today and we have yet another prescription paste to put on his rash, with instructions that if things aren't drastically better by Wednesday, we are to go in so I can be chastised by the nursing staff for DOING IT ALL WRONG.

So why have I painstakingly typed this post out with one hand while holding a dozing infant (he hasn't napped more than 20 minutes at a time today)? To implore you to pray, wish upon a star, or hope that Charles will get some relief from his suffering and there will be less crying in this household (by the both of us). Because I can't fix it, even though I would gladly suffer through cracked nipples and thirty extra pounds for THE REST OF MY LIFE if he would just be okay. And I suppose that I might have just cursed myself there, so, in the future, if Charles does get better and I complain about my fat ass, will someone please remind me that I traded looks for the health of my baby? Totally worth it, but I might never leave the house again. Oh, and if you're looking for a cute wardrobe, size 6, cheap, just let me know.

It's a good thing the doctor put me back on birth control, because I can't fathom subjecting another child to my ineptitude.

Hallelujah!

Charlie slept last night. From 2 am until 6:30 am. FOUR AND A HALF HOURS. Then, he ate for an hour and went back to sleep for another THREE HOURS. I cannot begin to explain what a difference this makes in the attitudes of the adults in this house. As I said to Tony this morning, even if he doesn't sleep like that again tonight, at least I know he CAN and that someday, he WILL. For parents of a newborn, the promise of four hours of uninterrupted sleep at some point in the future is a revelation.

We continue to get used to life with a baby 'round here. Charles and Buster and I take at least one walk every day (this has done nothing, so far, for my poochy tummy, but I am hopeful). I think Buster enjoys this the most, since we usually meet up with my friend, Deanna, and her dog, Lucy, to play in the park. The Baby Bjorn frontpack has become our favorite baby item (thanks, Mer!), since Charles instantly falls asleep in it and it allows me both hands free to do WHATEVER I WANT. Including eat, which seems to be the thing I forget to do most often. The weekends have been great because Tony is here, and I get to do a few more personal things, like do the dishes, take a longer shower, do laundry... okay, so those aren't really personal and they don't sound like much fun, but when you have an infant, a leisurely shower is like Christmas.

Charles still fusses a fair amount, especially between 11 pm and 2 am. He isn't really colicky- that is to say, he is not inconsolable when he is fussy, he just doesn't want to sleep. So, I feed him, change him, bounce him, rock him, shush him (we have been reading The Happiest Baby on the Block - the advice about calming a baby is awesome. We have discovered that Charles likes REALLY LOUD white noise, such as the vacuum, the stove fan, or the hair dryer), and then repeat the process until he falls asleep. He is still sleeping with us. Every time we put him in his bassinet, he wakes up. We think the mattress is just too hard. We should receive his new crib this week (it was back ordered) and we hope that will work out better for him.

I am still totally in love with this squishy little guy (not that I expect that to ever change). And by little, I mean big. He is already in 3-6 month clothes... the 0-3 month outfits won't even zip up now. Sigh...

Photo Extravagaza!

We have a friend/business associate who is a stellar photographer and who cut us a great deal on baby photos to expand his "family" portfolio (our photos are even in his brochure!), and we wanted to share the first couple rounds with you. We will have photos taken all year of our little dude, so we'll let you know when to check back at this link. The event code is 67150PCharlie08. You will be asked to give an email address, go ahead and use captcook at hotmail dot com to save yourself the spam.

Note to grandparents: these photos have not been retouched and we would prefer that you order prints from Larry, if you so desire. His info is on the welcome screen.

big baby boy

11 pounds, 10 ounces at 3.5 weeks... if Charlie continues at this rate, he'll weigh over 50 pounds by his first birthday!

I suppose this explains why my boobs constantly hurt: it's tough to keep up with the feeding demands of such a large child.

Our screamer is healthy, except for some troublesome diaper rash and a belly button that is bordering on herniated. Mom and dad, however, are exhausted.

Cute Baby Photos

We won't hold out on you... we know you don't want to hear from us and you only want photos of Charles. It's cool. We can handle it.

Now that Charlie's demanding public is placated, we just want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Three days late. Because we roll on baby time now :-)

We had a wonderful week filled with lots of family. Charles got to meet his cousin Claire and his Aunt Sarah and Uncle Andy, as well as spend time with both sets of grandparents. He even got to meet his daddy's aunt and cousins on Friday! We still aren't sleeping much around here, but I understand that is pretty normal for a 3-week old baby. Charles is growing by leaps and bounds, and it is amazing how different he looks from day to day, almost. He opens his eyes more and more each day, too. We are truly blessed with a wonderful addition to our family, and we are thankful every day for his safe arrival and his continued growth and good health.

adorable

typing with one hand, because mr. adorable is in the other, nursing. almost as cute as Charles? these puppies.

And then all hell broke loose...

Who needs an oven and a washer anyhow?

Two or three days ago (time having become relative to the last feeding), the washer broke. Just great when you have an infant in the house and laundry coming out your ears. Every time we set it to wash warm or hot, it would just turn off. Now, our washer is new, a ginormous gift from my parents when we moved into this house, broke after plunking our savings and graduation gifts and grandma gifts into a down payment. Seriously, thing should not break. And, in fact, it didn't, the washer repair guy was just here, flipped a few switches back and forth (just turn it off and on real fast!) and it is fixed. But that's a different story that didn't end in tears, only extreme frustration and, oh, okay, a few tears at having to shell out 80 bucks for something we'd TRIED doing ourselves multiple times. Gar.

So, anyhow, at first I called Sears, since that's where it came from, and even though I have my mom's receipts for the dang thing, Sears has NO RECORD OF IT EVER BEING PURCHASED. Which translates to: We can't help you. No, seriously. I finally, after speaking to three people and crying, literally, on the phone to the third, got a service appointment set, when they hit me with the payment options. Minimum $109 charge just to have the repairman come out, on top of any fees s/he might charge for a service call, plus parts and labor. I guess this is Sears' fee for the "service" they render over the phone. Some service. I cried again. Then, they offered me a DEAL, the bastards: Pay $214 now and we'll cover all service for the next year. What a deal, especially considering that, as I said before, the washer is new as of 18 months ago. Likely, we won't need any service on it for another ten years. So I did what any woman with crazy just-pushed-a-nine-pound-baby-out-her-you-know-what would do. I cried and passed the decision to Tony. He wisely said "up yours, Sears" and made a service appointment with the local appliance company that outfitted our entire kitchen.

Then the oven broke. Only the oven is really broken, not just flip-switches-back-and-forth-to-miraculously-fix-it broken. All those meals I prepared and froze for "when the baby comes"? Useless to me now. The repairman comes for that on Tuesday. At least it is solidly under warranty. There were tears involved in the discovery that we had no working oven, as well.

Then, on Thursday, we took Charles to his c-i-r-c-you-fill-in-the-rest appointment (there are crazies out there who have that term on permanent Google Search just so they can leave blog comments about how hundreds of American men - is that even statistically relevant? - try to reverse theirs every year with disgusting weights and tape. My thought is that they obviously need something to blame for their stupid lives, and looking to their actions or morals just seems too difficult, so they focus on some physical ridiculous-ness that all men I have talked to, Tony included, say isn't even a choice. It's just what you do with sons). I didn't stay in the room for the procedure, I made Tony do it, but I was thoroughly traumatized by the bloody aftermath. I now understand, I think, what it is to be a mother: wanting, wishing, praying to do anything to take away all suffering of your child. That and a bunch of other stuff. Anyhow, that whole thing ended in tears for me as well. Aren't hormones awesome?

My folks are here this weekend, which has helped me to be a bit more sane today (funny what taking a shower and brushing your teeth will do for a girl... now if only I could find time to eat) and my mother-in-law comes on Monday to help out. Such a blessing. In the immortal words of Britney Spears, "Parenting is hard, y'all." It has taken me hours just to finish this post.

The little chomper is doing well and eating lots (my porn-star-sized breasts are sore as all get-out), mostly sleeping well, too. I am so in love, I can't even describe it. Here are some of the latest photos:

That's a big yawn for such a little face :-)

Halloween

As you could probably surmise, I have spent my 27 Halloweens in a variety of places and a variety of costumes. This year perhaps wins the "Best Costume Ever" award. Outshining Elvis, a Barrel of Toxic Waste, a Librarian (Tony's request... like you needed to know that), many witches, Madonna, 80's Career Barbie, and more, I give you the grown-up version of what our baby would be like if we actually named him or her Cletus:

Yes, that's me on the left, complete with PBR Tall (that my friend Sheran drank for me) and AC/DC tattoo. As you can see, Tony did not let me go out of the house alone in this getup, but he also refused to go with me. Hmm. I know you can't tell from the photo, but I have enough makeup on to give me a five o'clock shadow and a happy trail up my exposed belly. I had more strangers take photos of me than ever before on Halloween and lots of compliments. Really, it comes down to working with what you've got, and what I've got is a large belly. So, I guess you could say that for Halloween, I was a hick and the baby was a beer gut. Good thing the Boobs of Fury are prominent enough that no one actually mistook me for a dude ;-)

Where did we go dressed like crazies, you might ask? Why, the local theatre for the annual showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," of course. And let me assure you, we were tamely dressed compared to some...

We've got the biggest balls of them all

I would like to preface this blog entry by saying that I support the concept of public art and installation art. I think it is important to support the arts and I think that municipal installation art is a great way to expose the public to great works of art.

I also think that there are reasons to not purchase art, especially using hotel/motel tax funds. Hotel/motel tax funds are designated for endeavors that will promote and enhance tourism in the city. These funds are often used to run visitor's centers, advertising campaigns, and city beautification projects. Occasionally, I suppose, public art falls under that last category. For example, Renee O'Connor's lovely tiles in the sidewalk in Long Beach - they have a historical message and are beautiful and I think they enhance the tourist experience. But sometimes, art for art's sake just doesn't work for me. And the whole town of Mount Vernon is up in arms over what I (and many people) think is a particularly ugly and inappropriate piece of installation art for which the city paid $30,000 in hotel/motel tax funds and then decided to put in front of the building in which I work. Why here? Because the downtown association thought it was too ugly to put downtown, and the Mayor did not want it in the part across from his office because he didn't want to look at it every day, either.

So, what comes to mind when you see our lovely new sculpture?

I think it looks like sperm. And so do lots of other people. Notice that it is white. We are taking bets on how long it will be before it is tagged with graffiti. You know, since it now lives outside of the freakin' bus station.

Fortunately for Mount Vernon, we are not short on creativity, and this has sparked a new interest in coming up with a "fresh" slogan for Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon: We've got the biggest balls of them all

Mount Vernon: Get it on!

Mount Vernon: Come rub our balls

I just don't get it. How does this giant sculpture (which, by the way, the artist has been trying to sell since 1999 and didn't have any takers until he found some suckers on our city council, who did as many politicians do and didn't listen to the constituency - basically the entire town - when we said that we didn't want to buy this monstrosity) attract tourists or enhance their tourism experience?

All I can say is that I think I am going to go kick Mount Vernon in the balls when I leave work today.

Failure

It's funny how things can feel like they're going so great, and then you can hit one day, just one 24 hour period, and things seem to fall apart. Worried, scared, frustrated, tired, sad... just some of the many emotions I am experiencing right now. Oh, and I am trying not to wallow in self-pity, I really am, but geez, things are no good, you know? Tony spent some time ripping up the floor last night where the contractor said he didn't think the floor needed to come up. It was soaked, the contractor is full of crap, but I will surely be holding my tongue around him because, hey, he is fixing this all for free (as well he should - it was his screw up). So things smell bad, there is black mold, a large dehumidifier machine makes a ton of noise, I have no working dishwasher or oven, I can't reach the microwave, and my house is a mess. To top off my fears of poisoning my whole family with this fiasco (seriously, black mold is BAD and that many Clorox fumes can't be good either), I know my blood pressure is getting worse. I can feel my face all hot and throbby. So, all in all, Monday was not a good day and it has sort of screwed the entire week.

I feel like I am failing this child already. Okay, so I have felt that all along. I have gained waaay too much weight (who's a big, fat whale?) and now I have high bp and am breathing spores. Due to the bp, I am no longer doing even the minuscule housekeeping items I was doing before, like the few hand wash dishes we have and feeding the dog, because every time I move, my heart freaks out. What makes it worse is that this child is no closer to coming out and I will likely have to go through another five weeks of miserable, swollen ankles and clothes that don't fit (even large maternity shirts!) before I bring this baby into the world. And then, what if it's deformed or has some horrible disability?

Thanks for reading my rant, internet friends. I am trying to believe it will all get better, but I have a real hard time seeing past the dust and detritus in my kitchen and living room, or the dirt in my bathroom, or the laundry piles, or the overflowing garbage cans, or... I could go on, but you get the picture. Even without the kitchen torn up, things are dirty enough that I wouldn't want to invite friends or family over to visit. So don't come over! Gah!

PIH

So the throbbing in my ears and the pink cheeks? Pregnancy-induced hypertension. Scary!

I had another checkup yesterday and my BP was a bit high. High enough that I am under strict orders to attend no more meetings and to "take it easy." No more Crazy for me! And this comes at a time when our house is about to get ripped up AGAIN. Yes, the contractor screwed up and connected our dishwasher to our garbage disposal incorrectly, so we have been unknowingly leaking water into our floor everytime we run the dishwasher. We only noticed when our beautiful new flooring started to swell and buckle. So, for the next few days, it's all ripped to pieces and drying before the contractor will put it back together. Gar!

Wish us luck over the next few days... I think it might take more than just rest for my BP to calm down!

The Crazy

Lacking only a few items one might deem "good ideas" for a baby room (i.e., a diaper pail and perhaps a few more receiving blankets - I hope to avoid doing laundry that first week), the baby room is done! Now, before I share photos, let me just preface with a few comments. Tony and I are not designers, and we're not matchy-matchy type people. I guess we're what you'd call "eclectic," and as such, our baby room is probably not nearly as Winnie-the-Pooh, flowers-and-butterflies, color-coordinated gooey baby themed as most other nurseries. But we like it.



As you can see, we finally purchased a dresser and it is already full. We have lots of newborn clothes and blankets, so I figure if we have a really "spitty" baby, we are set for a few months. The bottom drawer has lots of clothes for later in the munchkin's career as a baby, including many adorable sets of footy pyjamas. Why don't they make footy pyjamas for adults?


The painting is a print from Goodnight Moon, my favorite child's book ever. We have three copies for the baby to chew on and love. The blue wall is also adorned with a painting of Buddha, I believe, given to me back in college by my good friend, Dave, who spent a year in Sri Lanka. The bassinet is going to be great in the baby room for the first month or more while we wait on our backordered crib (which matches the changing table... there, we were matchy-matchy about something). Then, I plan to move the bassinet downstairs so baby has somewhere to sleep whilst I am cooking or whatever on another floor of the house.

In case you were wondering, most of the things one purchases for a baby room come in packages marked "Assembly Required." That was so with the bassinet as well as with the lovely white changing table (and I imagine will be the case with the crib). Tony did a magnificent job putting the pieces of the changing table together, and he didn't even have that many left over at the end! I'm sure we didn't need those parts, anyhow. As you can see, my station at the rocker is all set and ready with my boppy in place (a side note: the competitor to Boppy is called My Breast Friend. I find this a little disturbing).

Lastly (well, other than the closet, which is really just a closet with that adorable whale-shaped laundry hamper inside), I present to you "The Fun Wall." We have baskets of toys, a well-stocked bookshelf, maps, and a patient dog who is probably wondering, "what the hell? There's a whole room of junk in here that smells all weird where before there was an awesome guest bed on which I loved to sleep!" (Buster occasionally has impeccable grammar. Other times, I could swear if he could talk, he would say "Durpa durpa durp..." like the happy idiot he is.)

So now that the baby room is finished, The Crazy that is nesting has turned me to other parts of the house to fulfill my nesting urges. This afternoon, Buster and I went to Lowe's for the express purpose of purchasing a squeegee because I COULD NOT GO ONE MORE DAY with dirty windows. There's still one I can't reach, so Tony will be pressed into service when he gets home from work (Tony's version of nesting is to work on Saturday to try to get things buttoned up before baby). Buster enjoyed a trip through the drive-through (as soon as I even think of drive-through, I think of that ridiculous SNL skit with NSync... "Why don't you drive through my heart/can I take your order...") of Dairy Queen for a small vanilla cone. I think the gal at the window was amused when I immediately held the cone out to Buster in the passenger's seat for him to start licking. I think it only took him about a minute to devour the whole thing, but it sure was funny to watch that big, splotchy tongue lick the cone and his eyes roll back in his head with delight.

I also cleaned the oven today. Because we've had it since March or so, and I have never cleaned it. For shame. The garden has been weeded, each night I make and freeze a meal for later this year, and now I am about to go tackle the ironing. The Crazy sure makes me productive.

Shower with love...

A bit late in posting this, but I owe a big, gigantic THANK YOU to the lovely ladies who put on and attended my second baby shower in Mount Vernon... wow! I had a ton of fun, and I was totally exhausted by the end of the day! The highlights were that my Aunt Lisa and my Aunt Cindy (pictured with a friend's baby) both drove up to attend; it was wonderful to see them!

We played some interesting games, including one where everyone had to "birth" a small, plastic baby from an ice cube. Our new friend Janin, wife of a new hire at Tony's firm, won!

Everyone also had to guess how large my belly was by cutting a piece of string. Janin, who is also pregnant, won that one as well. Most people WAAAY overestimated. Including my own mom! I guess I look a lot bigger than I am? I don't know, is that a good or bad thing?

This is my boss, Kristen, who threw the shower:

All in all, we had a fun time, and little baby cook received many gifts from his/her adoring fans, including a crib from my mom, a bassinet from my mother-in-law, and a changing table from my Aunt Lisa! Holy cow, we might be ready for this baby after all!

Last night, we purchased a dresser, and Tony put the changing table together. The crib is backordered until December, but we have the bassinet for the baby to inhabit for the first month or so. I will take some photos of the baby room this weekend, after I clean it a bit better.

I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, but the office called and rescheduled me to Monday due to an emergency. In my last-weeks-of-pregnancy hormonal anxiety state, I was a little bit peeved. After all, people are starting to tell me that I have dropped (and oh, can I feel it-- pregnancy is painful, people!) and I really want to know what my status is. An aquaintance of mine, who was due on November 21, gave birth this weekend! Yikes, that totally made me realize how close we are!

Oh, and here are the new standings in the pool:

10/31 - Mom

11/10 - Amanda

11/11 - Cris

11/14 - Kelli

11/15 - Maggi

11/17 - Jeanne-Marie

11/18 - Monica

11/19 - Loris

11/20 - Keleigh

11/21 - Carole

11/22 - Sarah

Swim Lanes

So here are the standings as of now for the baby pool:
11/10 - Amanda
11/11 - Cris
11/14 - Kelli
11/17 - Jeanne-Marie
11/19 - Loris
11/20 - Keleigh
11/21 - Carole
11/22 - Sarah

So, plenty of time for anyone else to weigh in. I promise to send the winner something cool after the baby comes, but don't expect it to come right away. I'm not planning on much sleep during those first few weeks.

In other news, I had another great shower this weekend with lots of friends and family up north... I will post about that with photos later. Also, Braxton-Hicks, yay! (not.) It is a pretty weird sensation for your belly to get all hard for a few seconds, then relax... and not be controlling it whatsoever! I am thinking pregnancy is all about letting go of control...

Jump in the Pool!

So, my office started a baby pool, and I thought I would get one going here...


Official due date: November 19th (LMP method)
9 week ultrasound due date: November 17th
19 week ultrasound said BIG BABY
Doc says I'm healthy and doing great
I'm not waddling yet, but I am feeling lots more pressure down there, if you know what I mean... the baby could be dropping a bit.
My poor little fingers are swelling, and I have taken to wearing my wedding rings on a necklace to save myself any unfortunate loss-of-finger incidents.
I have a hair appointment on October 31st, so I am counting on at least making it that far.


And here are the most recent photos, taken this evening:

So, friends and family, here are the rules: choose a date (and a sex, if you dare... my office pool is much more complicated with weight and length as well, but I am not suggesting you buy into such insanity) and put your guess in the comments. If someone else has that date, pick a different one. Maybe by the time I have this baby, I'll come up with a cool prize for the winner :-)

By the way, I will admit that I am impressed that I am so large! I mean, I guess it doesn't look weird on other pregnant women, and I am totally within the realm of normalcy (for the pregnancy, I mean), but dang! When it's your own body, it's a different thing. What I really can't believe is how small my boobs look next to that belly, even though they have taken on gigantic proportions compared to their pre-pregnancy size. What a crazy adventure, huh? It's pretty cool, despite the uncomfortable madness and loss of control. I started to think today that I might be sad when it's all over... *sigh* I am trying to really enjoy these last few weeks of belly jabbing from little legs and arms before I never again feel this baby inside of me.

Okay, sorry for the sappiness... on with the guessing (side wagers are up to you, you crazy gamblers)!

Ohmigosh, THANK YOU!

Cleetus the Fetus is so blessed, and I am convinced that he or she will have an amazing network of support and people who love him/her! As you know, we spent the weekend at the beach, and my lovely sister-in-law, along with loads of help from my mom and mother-in-law, threw me an excellent baby shower! Some of my favorite people were there, and I now have lots of baby stuff to begin filling dresser drawers, play boxes, cribs, bathtubs, and more...

First, Sarah and I stopped by Kelli's shower, which was held the same day as mine. Our children could be born on the same day, that's how close our due dates are!


Isn't she beautiful? Her little boy is going to have such a fun mom!

Well, I just want to say a heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who came to the shower. I know you are all excited for the arrival of our little one, and I can't wait for him or her to meet all of you. I had a lot of fun being showered with gifts and I was so happy to have seen all of you!

Thanks, too, to mom and Loris for making tons of wonderful food. Mom, I don't care what you say, your cupcakes were adorable. But your cake tasted awesome, so I opted to look at the adorable cupcakes and eat the lemon confection.

In news, I am 35 weeks pregnant! Hooray, only 3 to 7 more weeks to go! We are working on the baby room and getting things prepared from this end... hmm, do you think I should pack a hospital bag just in case? My guess is we still have at least a couple more weeks.

Aaaand, we're off

To the beach, that is. Which probably means that I'll be seeing half of this blog's readership this weekend, hooray!

Had a checkup yesterday, and the doctor said, "Wow. That's a big kid." No kidding. Anyhow, everything is fine with me and the baby and I even got a flu shot this morning. You should, too; there are no shortages of the vaccine this year and then I'll be sure that when you touch my preshus baybee that you won't be infected.

The weather is beautiful but cold, and I am looking forward to a few days of relaxing with friends and family. We started working on the baby room last weekend and I meant to post about that, but then we didn't really get to a point that seems post-worthy. With any luck, I will find a crib that I love and then we will finish the room and you can all see the glorious photos. Glorious photos of beach time to come on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

The View from up Here

Do you see toes?

Neither do I.

We have hit that magical 33-week mark. Actually, it isn't magical, but it does seem as though every pregnancy book has some snippet of info to make you feel as though you've really done something each week you are still pregnant. So at 33 weeks, I am fairly certain that the child in my belly is long and large, at least 4 pounds, and we are slowin' down, folks. The child does not have as much room to squirm and play in utero, so I get fewer fast-paced belly-rolls and more frequent slow stretches of feet into my ribs. I can't eat as much in one sitting as I used to, and I am so fatigued by the end of the day, it's impossible to think of doing anything so strenuous as taking Buster for a walk. Thank God for Tony, he takes care of me and the dog. And my parents were up this past week, and if it weren't for them, there wouldn't be a clean dish in the entire house.

So here is the full-body view this week. The photos aren't that great, I think the flash was off. I'm standing in what used to be our guest room, so I guess these also qualify as the "before" photos of our baby room. Junk on the floor, white walls... all of this will mysteriously disappear in the next couple of weeks to be replaced by new paint, furniture, etc. I call it a mystery because I will likely sleep on the couch while fairies do the work. Or Tony, take your pick. Hmm, at the moment, I suppose it is also a mystery because we don't technically have anything to put in the room other than books. And while I am sure the baby will love reading at some point in his or her life, he or she probably won't want to sleep on books. We'll be working on acquiring baby gear over the next few weeks.

Just for funsies, here's what I looked like at 8 weeks...

Let this also be a lesson to pregnant women about what they should not do in the third trimester. Look at that belly! And I was feeling pudgy and had gained 6 pounds at that point! Look a that butt! Okay, you don't really have to look at my butt, but I'm just saying, damn, I looked good compared to now. I don't think my thighs would be able to fit into half a leg of those pants at this point! I am so tired of being fat, and internet, I think my biggest fear is not about being a good mom or having a crazy demon child, but of never looking good again. Given the current state of my ass, I would say that fear is well-founded. So, does anyone have any great advice on how to accept the fact that you will never be beautiful again and instead forever pudgy? Cuz I'm pretty sure that giving birth will only get rid of so much weight... the rest of this nasty forty pounds I'm stuck with (forty pounds today... but what about in seven weeks when I actually push out the child? I might have surpassed the ridiculous and gone on to just horrifying weight gain by then!). Baby boy or girl, you might get to be an only child if momma stays this unsexy.

Tri, tri again

Last weekend, Tony did another triathlon, this time in Kirkland (my cousin calls it Jerkland. But I guess he has the right. After all, he lives there) with our buddy E.P.. We left late the night before and finally got to sleep around midnight. Buster was all freaked out in a new place and didn't sleep so much, so we were all pretty tired by the time we woke up around 5:30 am.

There were 1300 participants in this triathlon... 1300!

Tony did excellently in the swim. Can you spot him in this photo? I'll give you a hint: his cap is purple (he threw it out after the event... apparently, a purple swim cap is not a great memento).

Tony did equally well on the bike and run portions of the triathlon... I am very proud of him!
My God, that is one good looking man!

Three Years Ago Today

Three years ago today, we made a lifelong commitment, and I have to say... I have not regretted that once, not even a bit. Which, in marriage, is probably the best one could hope for.

The last three years have included two moves, numerous parties, new jobs, graduations, a new house, a pet, a pregnancy, road trips, plane trips, hospital visits, illnesses, family member deaths, late night discussions, thousands of whispered I love you's, and approximately 1,096 days of waking up next to one another (there was a leap year in there). It has never been boring or routine, and the challenges we have faced were all the easier and more meaningful because we faced them together. I'm looking forward to many, many more years.

Sweetheart, you light up my days and nights, and I can't think of anyone with whom I'd rather experience the adventure of life than you. The words "I love you" will never be enough, but that's okay, because I know you know what I mean.

Carole Calls This "Hard Core Nesting"

I call it paying someone else to do a job better than you would ever be able to do in your life. And, of course, still criticizing every aspect of the finished product. After all, this is America, and I can be annoyed at the lack of caulk on my tiles if I want to.

So, yeah, our friend Carole calls it hard core nesting when you have to hire a contractor. And spend thousands of dollars. You see, we are not just talking about the piddly re-organizing stuff. Oooh, no, that will come later. Right now, I am doing my best to ignore the dirty floors that I am not allowed to vacuum because, hey, the baby is still two months away, right? Except that everyone who sees me seems to think I am about ready to pop any second now. Which would not be cool.

On to the photos of our new house (old house, actually, with new floors and an island)! First, the pre-remodel, torn to shit, photos:

There it is, the old wall that was ripped out! I'll only provide you with this one photo because I just can't bear to relive that week in pictures right now... it might have been the most exhausting, emotionally challenging week in this entire pregnancy. Remodeling is not for the weak, people.

Buster has been very cuddly lately. Who's my cuddlebug? Buster's my cuddlebug. Note the shiny new floors. He has sort of figured out how to run on them. He now seems to have two styles of running in the house: gingerly, and bat-out-of-hell with excellent potential to knock things over or bean his brains out on something hard. Claws don't work on laminate, my dear.Behold the island. And see how shiny the floor is in this photo! So lovely. Oh, and note the new frigo in the back there... French doors and a freezer on the bottom, it is my friend.

I'll have you know I don't usually look like this much of a slob... these photos were taken at night and really, when you are this pregnant, there are no clothes that feel good to wear. So you are lucky I wear them at all.

And here you can sort of see all the stuff we have put back in the house... almost normal, now! Tony has been a champ, hanging photos and shelves, moving furniture, running with the dog, sweeping, unloading the dishwasher... all those things that this increasingly large belly make it inadvisable for me to do. I am getting so big, I have to wear stop-gaps with some of my maternity shirts. That's right, maternity shirts are too short, so I wear a belly band to cover up the bare skin. Crazy! I never thought I could be this huge! We are slowly starting to collect more baby stuff, though we are nowhere near ready for this kidlet to be born. Sometime next week we might start working on a baby room, though, and I will faithfully keep the internet updated.