Cityretreat

I've Moved

2011-03-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's time for a change! Come find exciting content at my new address....

Cityyretrreat.posterous.com

Naples with Grandparents

2011-03-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

While there were at least 100 pictures taken of the kids during their visit with the grandparents in Naples, I have just a few...

In between all the coming and going, we celebrated Ben's birthday with all the grandparents this weekend in FL. A few pictures of the visit before I took off for JAX.

The beach on a chilly day, though Ben still jumped in the big drink. Another of Ben walking the property in nothing but his PJs shirt and Thomas undies. Gigi and grandpa Joe.

They had the best time ever. Of course.

Enjoy the pics :)

Quail Hunting

2011-03-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

The boys went quail hunting while we were on vacation. Put aside the inhumanity of hunting for a minute while I tell you about the fantastic dinner we had as a result...

30 quail, prepared by a local JAX chef. Grilled and fried. With an andouille sausage sauce, and buttermilk cream sauce. Cheesy grits. Asparagus. Collard greens. Bread pudding for dessert.

Pictures are a little blurry, likely due to heavy wine consumption as a part of my relaxation therapy.

It. was. amazing.

My Personal Vacation

2011-03-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

I had a meltdown in Florida.

In hindsight, the signs of it coming were pretty obvious.

For days on end I was desperately seeking an infusion of patience, as the kids were pushing my every button. That never happens. I found myself frustrated with everyone, even the cat, who's biggest offense is breathing. I was totally at the end of my rope.

Probably a result of several weeks of going at it too hard. The flu, the half marathon, a pretty bad cold, sick kids, hubby traveling, work, whatever. Life is busy but it had gotten the best of me.

I landed in Florida and totally broke down. Huge fight with hubby. Once he was gone, I took it out on my parents and sister.

Ick. It was not a pretty side of me. I've apologized, but frankly am still a little embarrassed.

Hubby must have anticipated it too, long before the signs even started appearing, because he sent me on this trip to Jacksonville. A night alone in a hotel, with a morning of spa treatments before he joined me following a hunting adventure with some guys from work.

And I was pissed. It was a logistical pain in the ass. I was already sooooooo tired.

And then I was leaving the kids with my parents (who couldn't have been more thrilled), when I really just wanted to play with them at the pool and relax.

It wasn't until I was flying there that I realized the brilliance of his plan (so annoying, he is always right).

It was so quiet. I napped on the plane.

I desperately needed a break.

To have no where to go. Nothing to wake up for. No one needed me. It has honestly been years.

I slept in. I found a little boutique in town and bought some cute stuff. I laid at the pool. I hung out with a wife of hubby's colleague and swapped notes on all the crazy, exhausting, amazing, ridiculous things about being a mom. I got a massage. And a facial.

Hubby got to the hotel and we went to an amazing dinner party (separate post).

It was simply glorious.

24 hours later I was completely refreshed and ready to go at it all over again.

Oh, and we flew back to Naples on his boss' private plane, pictured here. I am officially ruined from flying commercial.

(a few more) joys of breastfeeding

2011-03-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

We're going on vacation while on vacation. The itinerary is so complex, I'd have to convince you it will be relaxing, and frankly I'm not yet sure myself.

However the trip involves almost 24 hours of alone time for me which sounds equal parts ridiculous, selfish, and glorious.

In order to pull off this insane agenda, I am leaving the kids with my parents for 2 days. Weeks ago I thought I'd just feed Gigi formula for a couple days but since she's proven so flexible in her feeding (not) I conceded to the fact that I'd need to bring milk with me.

Planning how many ounces she'll eat while we're apart, translated into 4 oz storage bags, requires college-level mathematics which I do NOT have.

So here we are at airport security, the line has already been unforgivably slow and we're going to have to run to the gate anyway when the agent pulls the cooler off the line and indicates it needs extra screening. Fine. Whatever.

But she then proceeds to unpack every. single. carefully. packed. bag (all18 of them) to wipe each down. Then she wipes me down. Then she wipes the cooler down. And then Litmus tests the fresh milk.

Really?

(We made the plane but not without me running ahead, Juliet in Bjorn, as they were calling final boarding)

Today I'm at a different airport, flying out to meet hubby somewhere else in FL and I'm standing in the bathroom stall pumping...thinking for the millionth time how unglamorous this all is.

Someone is smoking in the bathroom. Seriously. People still do that? And then someone knocks on my stall door to see if I'm OK.

Frankly I'm surprised this hasn't happened much sooner given the heightened airport awareness and all the weird noises the pump makes.

But more concerning than the broad across the isle lighting up?

And as I was cleaning all the pump parts in the sink, someone hurried into a bathroom stall while catching vomit in her hands. At that moment I decided to stop keeping all this great content to myself and start sharing.

The joys of breastfeeding they don't mention in the books...

Monday morning

2011-03-07T07:44:00.001-08:00

Everyone sleeps in. Glorious start to the day.

Get Ben out of bed and into cutest new outfit I just got him from Gilt. Pick up Gigi, change diaper.

Ben pees his pants. We’re fully potty training now, so this actually happens all the time, but I’m sad because he had his adorable outfit on for 5 minutes tops. I strip him down to just (clean) Thomas undies.

I start to nurse Gigi. It’s the only time of the day she’ll still do it, presumably because she’s so hungry and even then she barely eats.

Ben comes in and points to his bottom, which means poop. I try to get him to walk up the steps to sit on his potty. He won’t. Unlatch Gigi, put her on the floor (is it any wonder she doesn’t want to eat with me?), scoot Ben upstairs. He sits. No poop.

Get Gigi upstairs, try to get her to eat more. Moment has passed, she's all smiles and no longer interested in eating. I start to pump.

Ben pees on the floor. I wipe up, while pumping.

Ben, now completely pantless plays at train table.

Pees on the floor again. I wipe up, still pumping. Points to bottom. Goes to sit on potty. Nothing.

Gigi spits up all over herself (thankfully I at least had the foresight to not yet put her in the cute outfit I picked out because this is very predictable). Clean her face, still pumping.

Ben points to his bottom, turns red in the face. Poops on the floor. About six inches from the potty.

Pick up poop. Deliver to toilet. Talk about how we like to poop IN the potty, rather than next to it.

He sits. He poops and pees in the toilet.

It’s 7:25. I’ve been up for 35 minutes and this is already the longest day ever.

Trickery

2011-03-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

Why, why, why has it taken me so long to get creative with mealtime?

Ben used to eat everything.

Like cuddle-fish-in-Chinatown-everything. It was awesome. Mainly because he was so entertaining to take out, and waitresses marveled as he sucked down bowls of clam chowder, ate salsa with a spoon, shoveled in hummus, there was literally nothing he wouldn't try.

Then somehow we slipped into the cheese phase. Where for probably two months all he would eat was cheese. Not macaroni and cheese, or grilled cheese, just cheese. Slices, cubes, spreads. As long as it was cheese.

Thankfully we've landed somewhere in between now, but I still long for my adventurous little eater. And of course there are the nutritional concerns too. Docs say view the week, rather than day, so you don't obsess over fruits and veggies constantly. But I struggle in pretty much every category outside of dairy (he's a milkaholic and still loves his cheese).

So why did it take me so long to figure out that I could strategically plan my meals with a little trickery in mind?

Last week, after a total bust on steamed broccoli and cheese, I decided to smash steamed broccoli into his mashed potatoes. He loved them. No questions asked.

Imagine the possibilities here...I can totally mask fruits and vegetables into all kinds of things with a little focus.

How do you get your kids to eat their fruits and veggies?

Loving LIfe

2011-03-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

With two kids, I've found there is a little less time (ha!) to actually stop and enjoy how awesome they are. We're always rushing from one thing to the next, eating, napping, cleaning.

I've found, the best opportunity is when the other is sleeping. Here's a little video from my date with Juliet on the couch this afternoon.

I heart you iphone

2011-03-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

I've been writing this post in my mind since walking out the door of the Verizon store on Friday, with increasing enthusiasm every minute I play with my new iphone.

And then today I read this post from Cool Mom Tech and she really summarizes things far better than I will so feel free to head there now and skip my thoughts...

BUT, if you're still here, I'll add my own color.

AT&T and I had a pretty horrible breakup in the late 90's and I honestly never recovered. Unless personally, aggressively and persistantly woo'd back, we will never talk again. So the iphone has remained outside of my consideration set all this time. Period.

I bought an ipad a few months ago, really to familiarize myself with apps and the technology because I'm talking so much about it at work it seemed careless not to better understand the landscape. And then I downloaded 50 kid apps and completely lost control of it to Ben. Another post to follow on how swiftly he picked up the functionality and mastered the device...

So when the iphone became available on Verizon, I started thinking. And really the keypad situation was the only thing holding me back. I type A LOT of emails on my bberry. And I love the keyboard. I would knock the socks off my 8th grade typing teacher with the skills I have on my bberry.

But the gamble seemed worth it. The pay off was SO HUGE. So I pulled the trigger on Friday. In a rush to get it before taking off for the Princess Half so I could take pictures during the race (yes, seriously. I'm an impulse shopper)

I haven't looked back. In fact, I can't seem to seperate myself from it. This will be one of one million posts about it, I'm guessing.

I took pics throughout the race as planned, posted them to Facebook and here. I read a book on the flight home. I have taken almost 50 pictures in 6 days. I've downloaded runner tracking apps, recipe apps, organizational apps. I'm considering switching my blog to a new platform so I can more easily update from my phone.

I can't get enough. And it is SO EASY. There is an app for EVERYTHING.

Yes, I realize I'm eons behind everyone else. But it doesn't deminish my enthusiasm...

More to come. But for now, I have apps to explore.

Gigi's Stats

2011-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, to answer the previous question regarding smell - perhaps?

She slept till 5AM today which is great, though of course not nearly as dreamy as her performance for dad. Sigh.

We will get there, in time. Last night marked her first night down in the nursery for the full night. Relatively painless for all. I actually can't believe how long I allowed her to stay with us...or that I'm admitting it here.

I was crazy with Ben (let me count the ways), kicking him out at 8 weeks. I think I was afraid I'd become a co-sleeper. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just know myself and once he was in our bed, soft and snuggly, I know I wouldn't let him leave until he was 20.

In retrospect there was really no logic to getting him out so soon since he was still feeding at night. And as mentioned, I was CRAZY. I vividly recall moving myself (and hubby, and Stella) downstairs into our spare bedroom at the time, "sleeping" with the monitor on my pillow, which really meant staring at that stupid screen ALL. NIGHT. LONG. making sure he was still breathing.

For a month. And after two days I was alone.

Thank God I'm more relaxed this time around. Seriously. I couldn't handle that level of insanity another six months. I was out of my mind.

Anyway, back to Gigi. We had her 4 month appointment today, here are her stats:

- weight - 14lbs, 13oz (75%)
- length - 25.5 inches (90%)
- head circumference 16 (75-90%)

No sign of the VSD!

At the risk of going on a boring diatribe, who the hell cares about head circumference? I don't. Nor have I yet figured out why it matters. I guess if they had a flat head? Otherwise, seriously, what does head size have to do with anything?

But I am thrilled that she is already proving to be very tall. Thank goodness for our collective genes on that one. Being tall means only one thing to me - being able to eat more. Seriously. More room to spread out those calories.

I guess we can staring dreaming about basketball scholorships too, but I'm a foodie at heart and feel comforted in the fact that she's off to a good start :)

Can She Really Smell Me?!

2011-03-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Inevitably hubby has it easier than me. I share stories of my trials with the kids at the end of each day. He hits the road for stretches at a time and I get the colds and the freak outs.

On the rare occassion that he has them on his own, they seem to nap longer, eat more, generally behave perfectly.

So while out of town for the half marathon, I wasn't entirely shocked to hear Juliet slept through the night that first night. She had proven capable before I left, so a repeat performance, while unexpected wasn't totally shocking.

But two nighs in a row??

@foodmomiac joked (I think) that Juliet could smell me, or my absence, and that was why she was sleeping through the night, which I laughed off...but later her comment got me thinking. While I didn't entirely buy into it, the experts do suggest when bottle training that the mom leave the house because the baby can smell 'the real deal' near-by.

Could Juliet be waking up at night simply based on proximity to me?

(Is the princess still sleeping in our room? GASP. She is.)

So tonight she is sleeping in her room all night, all by herself...what do you think the outcome will be?

My Princess Posse

2011-02-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Ben, a friend suggested we plan a trip after he was born for just hubby and me. Something we'd look forward to and also to kind of force us to get away. At the time we decided on Hood to Coast. I liked it because while achieving the above, it also gave me a something to get back in shape for.

It proved to be one of our favorite trips in recent memory, so when I was pregnant with Juliet I decided to do something similar. A friend at work mentioned the Princess Half Marathon and it seemed perfect. Perhaps a bit aggressive just 16 weeks after Jules was born, but most likely attainable.

So off we went, my sis and @foodmomiac, to tackle the Princess Half. While none of us felt particularly well trained, we went at it will full enthusiasm, including tutus (courtesy of Tutus for Tanner - from Catherine who I've yet to meet but can't wait for NO where I will!)

Inspite of a 4AM DEPARTURE from the hotel (ACK!) we had the best day ever! I can't remember the last time I ran with friends, women, with no music, 13 miles, and felt fantastic.

Seriously, as a runner this is the nirvana that we're constantly seeking but rarely find.

And speaking of nirvana, while I missed those little faces dearly, it was so nice to get away and just be myself for a couple days. No kids to feed, or diaper, or entertain. It's a luxury I rarely offer myself, and never for more than an hour or two, and it proved to be a wonderful treat.

By the end, I couldn't wait another minute to see them again. And I can't even explain the look of relief, gratitude, excitement and enthusiasm that greeted me immediately upon walking in the door tonight; everyone from hubby, to Stella, to Paula and the kids...making all the work I do at home seem much more appreciated than any ordinary Monday.

2011-02-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

Juliet slept through the night last night!!

Of course I did the obligatory spring from bed in a panic at 5:30AM fearing the worst but she was just fine :)

Hopefully a sign of great things to come...

4 Months Young

2011-02-22T17:46:00.000-08:00

Juliet is four months old today. Where does the time go?

Took a couple pics of the kids today for the first time in way too long.

Life has been busy. Am I a broken record? But when you stop and take it all in, it doesn't get much better than this.

The kids are great, funnier and more full of energy every day. Juliet has taken up sing/screaming, much like Ben, in her crib in the morning. She's proving to be a big talker, just like her mom.

Ben adores her (as long as she isn't gumming a toy he hasn't paid attention to in 18 months, in which case his interest is immediately renewed when she has it).

The cabin fever is palpable, but we were able to get outside a bit this weekend which was glorious. We took a couple big walks with Juliet cashing out while Ben pointed 'this way,' and 'that way' navigating our course all around the neighborhood.

Tonight I formalized Ben's position as my sous chef, setting him up with a chair counterside to assist me in making spaghetti sauce and noodles. Which he then cheerfully ate for his dinner. Brilliant.

It's the end of February ... we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a trip to FL in March, I know we'll make it to spring.

What are you doing to pass the time at your house these days?

Happy Birthday Baba!

2011-02-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite pics - Happy Birthday Baba! Can't wait to celebrate with you in a couple weeks in sunny Florida.

xo

Happy Birthday Hubby

2011-02-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

To my gorgeous hubby, wonderful father and love of my life - happy birthday to you. Thank you for all the smiles you bring to our lives. XO

Baba's Visit

2011-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

Much delayed, but here are a few pics from Baba's visit. As I looked through them today, I realized she was here three weeks ago and that was literally the last time the kids were outside. Sigh. Winter.

But today it is sunny and a balmy 35 degrees! As soon as everyone wakes up from their naps we're going on a big walk to soak in some Vitamin D and fresh air.

Check out Ben's awesome pancake from Baba - she rocks!

And Ben totally get's Skype now so we talk to my parents once a week, and now hubby too since he's been traveling so much. It is awesome, and a great way to keep everyone close even when they are far away.

Happy weekend!

Goldie Locks

2011-02-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

Glimpses of my sweet girl's personality are starting to shine through, and she's proving to be a stubborn, high maintenance little lady.

Ironically she went straight from reluctance to drink a bottle to preferring them over eating from me. It's less work. I'll call it efficiency versus laziness :) But she takes things a step further by requiring the milk to be warmed to the perfect temperature.

And just like Goldie Locks, if it's a bit too cool, she refuses to eat until I've reheated the bottle.

I can't make this stuff up. It's happened two feedings in a row.

She flat out refuses, cries and spits the milk out. Warm up the bottle, and down the hatch the ounces go.

It would be funny if I weren't pumping before every feeding to give her this delicious, fresh milk!

Ok, it's still funny. Look at that face. She is seriously the sweetest thing breathing in this house. But I can't even imagine where we're headed if she's this finicky with her bottles. God help us :)

Drowning

2011-02-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

So I've been snowed in, figuratively and literally. I feel like everyone is looking at me with disappointed, sad eyes wanting more from me and there just isn't time...

Ok, Stella is the only one giving me actual sad eyes but between a ton of work (hopefully just a confluence of events that I've told myself will be resolved by March 1st), all this freaking snow, hubby traveling the last 2 weeks, all this freaking snow (which incidentally means I can't get out of my garage, every day is a guess as to whether Paula in her little Toyota will be able to find her way here), computer issues at home and at work, a root canal, and now sick kids, I can not seem to get ahead of the game.

I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, we're actually getting along pretty well, all things considered, but blog updates aren't even on the radar right now.

I have pics from Baba's trip two weeks ago and stories of white whale's with aunt Carrie but they are still days away at best.

I'll repeat my matra for this week...doing the best I can, and SORRY!

Snowpocolypse, Blizzaster, Snowmagedon

2011-02-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

Finder? Ugh, meant fonder on previous post obviously...

So the Blizzard of 2011 delivered. I was begging for it as weatherman were hyping this storm all week, assuming it was just another media blitz.

It wasn't.

And as the wind howled on Tuesday night, I cheered; while also charging my eletronics and bracing for the worst.

It was really hard to tell if it was amassing into anything because there was so much wind. Even when we woke to snow piled high on the front door it was tough to tell.

But when I went to brush off our steps (we have no shovel, hubby usually brooms as it comes down??) and it was up to my knees, my waist, oh my!

Hubby was stuck in LA and Paula was stranded at home so it was a snow day for all...PJ party for Ben. We had a great day, and I managed to squeeze in a good amount of work too.

It wasn't till the kiddies went to bed bed and I ventured into the alley that I really understood the full weight of the storm. Pics from the alley -- before Stella and I ran back and forth over and over in snow deep enough to swallow her up.

Amazing. And fun to see how everyone bands together. My neighbors stopped by on their way to the grocery (on foot) to see if we needed anything. People, armed with shovels, helping others dug out their cars.

Today, another neighbor snow blowed (?) the ENTIRE alley. A miracle really given we may have been stuck in our respective garages until March otherwise.

Even sidewalk edicate is decidedly nicer when there is only room for one person to pass. Everyone smiles and nods and makes room for strangers. Small town niceities come out in everyone.

What wonderful acts did you see during the snow storm?

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Finder?

2011-02-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

My lack of posts is simply reflective of trying to find time being back to work...compounded by the fact that since returning I've been out for a root canal, traveled to NYC, lost my computer for a day due to technical issues and now Blizzard 2011!

Never fear, I have thoughts to post, pics from a great weekend with my mom and more to come soon, promise!

Constantly Seeking Balance

2011-01-21T07:52:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a text book type A personality. A scheduler. And I have trouble starting something new if I can't plan time to continue doing it for the foreseeable future.

For example, I wouldn't work out on a Wednesday if I knew I couldn't do it Thurs, Fri and Sat, simply because the lack of continuity would bother me. Not logical, but I'm just rigid that way.

One of my biggest challenges in going back to work is balance. And as much as I'm missing the time with the kids being out of the house 9 hours a day, I'm also missing time to work out, do pilates, etc. These selfish things are really important to keeping me happy with myself, and happier overall.

So today is one small victory in that I successfully got up early and hit the gym before work. Friday's are easier b/c I work from home, therefore can come home sweaty and don't have to budget in time for shower, make up, etc.

Hubby watched the kids before Paula got here, and I plan to go during nap time Sat and Sun.

While not yet ideal -I'd really like to get up to 5 days a week - it's a start. And with Juliet still getting up at night, it's likely all I'll realistically be able to squeeze in for now.

But it feels like a major achievement to make some time for myself.

Last of Naples

2011-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

Could I stretch this update out any further? Returning to sub 20 degree temperatures, can you blame a girl for relieving the vacation over and over each night?

We had such a fantastic trip down there - staying almost a full week, something I don't think we've ever done before. Hubby put on his out of office, also something I can't remember him doing in forever. He has been working so hard and traveling so much, it was really nice to see him relax a bit.

Seeing the kids with their grandparents is a joy you don't really understand until you have kids of your own. It's just so nice to see our parents love them so much.

Ben and grandpa Joe had a big breakfast together every morning, both waking up at the crack of dawn long before anyone else cares to. They drank fresh Florida OJ and Ben proceeded to then bounce off the walls for the next hour after main-lining all that sugar.

Juliet, born at the onset of one very cold winter, was able to go outside without 18 layers of clothing on and we actually saw her legs for the first time :)

Grandma Marsha and I took her on her first big trip to Waterside, the luxury mall in Naples.

We hit Randy's, our very favorite seafood restaurant. And my sis surprised us with an amazing date night at Tru Lucks, where we had delicious stone crab. Hubby got his fill of Skyline Chili (there aren't any within 6 hours of us up north), and Mama Mia's pizza.

I ran every day and managed to squeeze in a 10 miler in advance of our half marathon at the end of Feb.

Overall it was just the perfect visit with the grandparents, a great way to end my maternity leave, and allowed us a nice break from all this cold and snow.

Thanks to Joe and Marsha for putting up with all the ruckus immediately upon arriving down there yourselves. We loved every minute of it!

Ben and His Dad

2011-01-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

I think I have two more picture posts from Naples. There are really a lot of cute shots, and I know everyone likes the photos so we'll just keep them coming.

Truth be told, my hubby really hates the beach. When we were dating he took me there a lot, in retrospect probably because he knows I loved it. But once married, he gave up the charade and stopped coming down with me but for a sunset or two. The only one able to get his feet back in the sand is little Ben of course.

A couple pictures from our trips to the ocean. And one from the pool. Heated to a balmy 80 degrees, they went swimming almost every night even though it was pretty brisk out. Ben loves blowing bubbles with his dad and did a really great job flapping around in the water...

Potty Training

2011-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

As anyone with little ones will tell you, a lot of time is spent talking about pee and poop between baby blow outs, diaper changes, and of course potty training.

With boys, everyone says it is much easier to tackle potty training in the summer.

Apparently b/c they just run around naked for a few days and learn to pee outside?? This is really weird and incomprehensible to me but given that everyone also says it isn't something you should try to tackle with a newborn, I've pretty much put it out of my head for now.

Until I walked in on bath time one night and hubby was trying to get Ben to pee on his frog in the bath tub.

Essentially teaching him to pee on command.

Amazing.

So they've been quietly working on this project every night - and we've been talking a lot more about the potty throughout the day.

Tonight, Ben stepped up on his stool and PEED IN THE TOILET!

Wow.

I'm sure we're eons away from ditching diapers, but we're celebrating the milestone never the less. We cheered and screamed and high fived. Hopefully we didn't scare him out of ever repeating this feat.

Pretty exciting.

Any tips on how to expedite this process??

Jumping Waves

2011-01-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

A few pics of Ben jumping waves...

Sirens and Fire Trucks

2011-01-17T11:07:00.001-08:00

How do you impress upon your soon-to-be-two-year-old that a personal visit from the fire station, sirens and all, isn't awesome?

Ben's highchair sits just under our ADT security system and this morning, when I ran upstairs to grab the baby, he stood up and pushed the fire button.

You'd think the piercing alarm that immediately went off would scare the diaper off of him.

Or the fact that Stella totally freaked and started howling like crazy.

Nope. Sure didn't. He was laughing.

And due to a glitch in the call-back system, they called hubby's fax line and got no response and immediately dispatched a truck.

So while I was explaining that pushing that button was VERY BAD, a fire truck came screaching down the street and a full crew charged up our stairs.

At this point Ben was on the couch squealing with delight about the personal visit from the fire house.

All before 9am.

Awesome.

Naples Zoo

2011-01-17T02:35:00.000-08:00

Finally able to head outside without freezing our bums off, we were eager to find a few fun activities (besides Skyline Chili) to do with the kids. Naples Zoo is a place we've passed a thousand times but never ventured inside.

It's awesome!

They have a new giraffe exhibit, which as you may know is one of Ben's all time favorite animals, so we headed there first. We also saw lions and tigers and bears :)

And seemingly unassociated with the zoo, "Mickey," a little white bird that followed Ben around for at least 25 minutes provided the most entertainment of all...

Naples pics

2011-01-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

The fact that everyone is so pooped today is evidence of the great time that we had. More details to follow but a few cute pics of the kids until then...

Packing Up the Crew

2011-01-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

Preparing for a week away with two kids is seriously a job in and of itself, but alas I think we're there. Bags are packed, strollers, Bjorns, bottles, geez.

We've been hyping the trip to Ben all week. He is really excited, though I'm not sure he knows exactly for what.

Airplane entertainment is a top priority for hubby and me so we planned to bring a few of Ben's favorite books, toys, and of course the ipad.

So tonight hubby comes up after putting Ben down and says "OK, we decided on...Toby, Bertie, Thomas, Harold, Percy and the icecream truck."

Thinking about the two of them planning all the toys we'd bring melts my heart in a thousand ways. And the simple fact that Ben is allowed to bring five trains and a truck speaks volumes considering in the same breathe hubby warned me about going over the 50lb weight limit with our suitcase and started critiquing specific items I packed.

We've never had a full week in Naples and I am so excited I am sure I won't sleep tonight...

The Flipper (2)

2011-01-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

...as it turns out, rolling over (one way) is totally normally at this age. But don't tell her that, I'm sure she is still an over-achiever :)

The Flipper!

2011-01-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

Juliet flipped over in her crib yesterday!

It's always funny (at least initially) when they do this for the first time b/c they are so startled by the action and then immediately go into turtle mode, flapping arms and freaking out to be stuck on their back.

(yes, my kids are tummy sleepers. check here for initial post on that. I tried to get Juliet to sleep on her back, but she hated it, just like Ben. Choices you make and then have to live with/worry about).

I thought it was a fluke b/c she is much too young to be flipping, right? But then she did it again today, twice.

I looked it up and the only thing I could find on flipping in my trusty baby bible was listed in the six month chapter. Another over-achieving child :)

The downside of this is that it occurs during nap time and then she is all fired up, even if I go down right away to right the situation. But I just can't beleive she is flipping over. I am off to do some more investigating in my books...

Thomas! (part 2)

2011-01-04T02:36:00.000-08:00

Signifying the best day in Ben's life so far, we found a Thomas T-shirt and matching sweatshirt set today at Target.

I'm already anticipating having to wrestle it off of him tonight.

He has spent the day chin down, pulling at his shirt picking out Thomas, Percy and James, surprised to see them each and every time.

Simple pleasures my friends.

Back to Reality (almost)

2011-01-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

With my return to work fast approaching, I feel the panic beginning to settle in. If only I could be a stay-at-home-mom WITH a nanny :)

Weeks ago when still-sleep deprived and bleary eyed, heading back to work seemed like a welcome relief. Now of course we're (kind of) on a schedule. I'm working out. Ben is more awesome every day, and it feels tough to leave them.

And there is my self-important concern that they will not possibly survive without me...which couldn't be farther from the truth, but we've had so much fun the last few weeks!

I know it'll be fine, and it will be easier this time. I will like being back at work, being really useful - and when I say that not immediately thinking of Thomas the Train - I'll know what is going on in the world again and enjoy conversing with adults about things going on in the industry.

I do like my job, very much in fact. It will just take a little time to remember after this 'break.'

And nevermind that Ben will soon be speaking to me strictly in Polish.

I will miss them. Sweet, warm Juliet. Funny, sing-songy Ben.

Cherish the days, hold a little tighter, run a little harder. Reality is coming our way, time to get excited about it!

Eve of the Eve

2010-12-31T09:03:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the eve of the eve last night with great friends ... my sis is in town, along with Scotty, Ade, and of course Uncle John and hubby.

We finally checked out ROOF at the Wit Hotel, pretty awesome. I can see how in the summer time it would be totally jammed.

So fun to get out and enjoy a night on the town. Tonight is much more low key with dinner at the house.

Happy New Year to all! Hope you have a great, safe night.

Thomas!

2010-12-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

I can't recall if I've mentioned our great affection for Thomas the Train here...even if so, it's worth another post.

Ben LOVES Thomas. Loves.

He spent the last month carrying around the product catalogue picking out his favorite characters. He makes hubby read to him every. single. night from a 500 page Thomas story book. He sleeps with his trains. He has stickers. Motorized engines. A train conductor hat and whistle. And countless books.

So for Christmas my parents bought him the ultimate gift - a train table.

When I tell you he hasn't moved more than 3 feet from it, outside of naps, since it was revealed Sunday, I am not exaggerating. Round and round he goes. And the trains go. And he laughs, and cheers. He brings his other toys over to see how they co-exist within Sodor Island (not well for most of them, it's hard to drive a giant fire truck on the little rails).

Today he started singing the Thomas song. Over and over and over and over. And I confess, I find myself singing it fairly frequently as well. It's a catchy little jingle.

More pictures of the train table to follow...

Our Little Family

2010-12-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

So family pictures are pretty hard to come by as you might imagine, with Ben running a hundred miles an hour at all times. But here are a couple we were able to snap in record time this weekend.

Apologies to Stella who was outside during the 90 seconds that this photo shoot took place.

Christmas Eve pictures

2010-12-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

Finally, a few pictures from Christmas Eve and our Sandusky family members...it was such fun to see everyone and of course everyone made Juliet and Ben feel welcome and adored.

Juliet wore the most adorable of all Christmas outfits, from her aunt Brenda, complete with tutu. It was hands down a winner. I only wish we had a few more occasions to wear it while it still fits. We may pull it out on NYE just for fun.

Ben sporting his new Patagonia. He got one last year and wore it straight through this fall. This one is sure to be another hit.

Baba and her cute sisters, Barb and Brenda, and aunt Tracy too.

Enjoy!

Juliet as Jesus

2010-12-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

(technical difficulties are keeping these updates from posting sooner. I'm not sure I have them worked out so if these photos look terrible, apologies)

Sister Deb scored Juliet a starring role in the Christmas mass at Gesu last weekend (while not actually a sister, she is the closest thing many of us will ever know to a saint). The priest was looking for a baby to use during his homily to talk about the birth of Christ.

We of course jumped at the chance - how often is one asked to play Jesus after all? Its quite an honor.

And Jules showed off her angelic demeanor to all those in the church that morning. From the moment the priest picked her up, to the time she was returned, not a peep. She rested quietly on his shoulder, catching a little nap.

Somehow Ben too was angelic, thanks to a 6-man support team. It was the very best way to start Christmas day.

Thanks Deb!

Shaker Christmas

2010-12-26T19:25:00.001-08:00

Again, not in order, but a few great pictures from our Shaker Christmas...

Christmas '10

2010-12-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

Wow.

The holidays were amazing. Totally amazing.

We knew they'd be fun this year b/c Ben has been circling the tree at home looking at presents and gets the whole idea a bit more this year, but it was a thousand times better than we could have even imagined.

And to see him with all the family - really makes me wish we lived closer.

From the moment we crossed into OH, it's been a non-stop Ben show and he's loved every minute of it. From his babas to his aunts and uncles, to his cousins, he's had the best time ever.

And the presents, people were far too generous. We have the LC packed to the ceiling with trucks, trains and books.

Pictures will be coming through somewhat in pieces as various cameras and computers were used throughout the weekend.

This picture is Ben and Juliet with cousins Kelly, Jennifer and Jack.

Hope your holiday's were full of family and fun!

Minnie Mouse

2010-12-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

The kids and I hit my work holiday party last week to introduce Juliet to the crew and load Ben full of sugar and attention :)

We stopped by my office and Ben immediately ran over to a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal I had on my shelf (have done some work for them in the past). He picked her up and pretty much hasn't let go of her since.

She is the perfect size for him to carry around. She loves to jump into the mountain of pillows in the basement, just like Ben. She loves to sleep in his crib with him. And apparently she also loves to sit in the highchair and watch Ben's favorite train show.

It's pretty cute. He's never really gotten attached to anything in his life, has no special blanket or binkie, so it's fun to see him hold tightly on to Minnie...

Sleeping Baby

2010-12-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Just a picture of sweet Juliet napping on her play gym in her Christmas PJs....

Winter Crafts

2010-12-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

We have been on the hunt for new activities as we're all trapped in the house this winter. The gingerbread house project was such a success we moved on to sugar cookies. Perhaps you can tell from the picture, it was very well received. Ben loved decorating cookies and especially enjoyed the frosting. He bounced off the walls for an hour afterwards, but it was totally worth it.

Paula thought of the snowman and built an awesome one in the backyard yesterday. No thanks to Ben who was really put out by the snow on his gloves...his OCD continues to be funny, assuming he can eventually grow out of it (and to love the snow).

We're big into building pillow mountains for jumping too...

Any other in-door projects you can think of that we haven't tried?

For Adoption

2010-12-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I've already written this post too, but hear me out.

We moved Bisco (our troubled cat) down to the annex. She is an alley cat through and through and ultimately just couldn't live peacefully with Stella and our other cat. Paula is afraid of her, as is the cleaning lady.

So when we bought the apartment down the street to serve as hubby's office and our guest quarters since the kids have squeezed everyone out, we moved her down there too.

I hung out there this week with Juliet for a couple hours and Bisco was awesome. So nice and friendly. The poor thing doesn't see many people in her new digs. But she was the old kitty we used to know and love. Super affectionate and happy. She was purring and begging for a spot on my lap.

I posted an ad on Craig's list this week to see if we can't find a good home for her, but I felt it was worth mentioning again here since she really does seem a lot happier. I would recommend a single-pet home for her but if you know of anyone looking for some company, I think she really would make an awesome addition to any home.

Sweet Juliet

2010-12-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

My dear baby only woke up for one feeding last night. That makes her mom very, very happy. Oh glorious sleep, how I've missed you.

And then she upped the ante by taking a five ounce bottle today without a fuss.

Two major milestones we've been anxiously awaiting in one day.

In other news, she also graduated to size 2 diapers today and barely fits into any of her 0-3 month clothes anymore.

It goes by so fast, doesn't it?

Happy Birthday Aunt Carrie!

2010-12-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my dear sis...who celebrates her big day today.

More beautiful on the inside than the out, she is not only the best friend and sister a gal could ask for, she is the very best aunt around.

Can't wait to celebrate with you in the coming weeks :)

XO!

The Other Love of My Life - Pilates

2010-12-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

I have said it before but I feel the need to repeat this post. I love pilates.

Like 'you complete me' love pilates.

It's spiritual for me. It just feels so good.

I started going periodically again during pregnancy but really got back into it once I was cleared to work out. In part it is because I'm a terrible stretcher (as in I never stretch) and given all the running I do, that sucks.

So pilates forces me to elongate. Pull out my legs and rehab them a bit from the running.

But there are also so many important things you practice in class that should be carried out and practiced all day long. Your posture, your breathing, engaging your core.

And when I remember, and do it, ahhh I can feel a difference immediately.

Not to mention, the teachers at the studio I go to (Frog Temple in Bucktown) are awesome. They understand the body, especially a post baby body, and help me focus on my core and all the stuff that is currently out of whack.

I've been going a couple times a week and have decided to treat myself to a few private lessons (with Randi who rocks, especially if you've had a kid b/c she just did too and totally gets it) and hope to continue to make time for it once I go back to work b/c every time I go it sets my whole day off better.

Kids Update

2010-12-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

Simply put, the kids are awesome. The house is really noisy and cluttered, we're averaging 2-3 loads of laundry a day, and hubby and I have two hours of quite a day once everyone is down, but we wouldn't change a thing.

These pictures admittedly aren't great, but I know I need to get an update posted so this is what we've got.

Ben is funnier than ever. I'm biased but I really think it's true. He still isn't saying a ton (hence postponing our Wednesday Words), but he understands everything. In English and Polish. This picture is Ben at his happiest - in dad's chair, with his ipad playing games, milk, and fire truck. He loves to sing songs, which basically just means singing his favorite words (baba, dada, mama, gigi, stella, water). We sing to stay awake when we're driving and he is really tired.

He loves, loves, loves his dad. They do bath and story time together at the end of every day and I love to listen to all the laughter upstairs. There is still no better sound than his little laugh, and no one makes him laugh like his dad.

Juliet, who has officially been nicknamed Gigi by Ben, continues to be an angel. She is just the sweetest. She smiles and smiles and smiles. She is increasingly more alert, likes her playmat, loves the Christmas tree, adores Ben, and seriously just smiles at anyone who gives her a second glance.

Our biggest challenges of late have been that she seems to be holding her ground on not taking a bottle. Good times, especially for poor Paula. We're also tackling sleep training, which means a lot of crying but I'm confident she'll have it mastered shortly. Her nursery is almost finished and looks SO cute. She'll start napping down there during the day, and probably make the move down after Christmas. Pictures will be posted when we're finished.

Ben is cutting FIVE teeth right now, which sucks for him. And he seems to have a perpetually runny nose. I guess that is just part of it once they start hitting classes and playdates but it's crappy. We literally had three days of a clean nose and yesterday the rosy cheeks reappeared and his nose is a mess again. Poor guy.

But overall, things are awesome. Christmas is going to be a blast. We've been talking a lot about Santa but have yet to meet the big suited character. I promise lots more pictures from the holidays. Lots of outfits to show off :)

Hope all is well with you and yours. The holiday cards have started arriving and they are so cute!

Alinea

2010-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

While hubby and I are pretty good about getting ourselves out for a neighborhood burger and beer pretty frequently, we also like to treat ourselves to something spectacular every now and again.

Alinea has been on the list for some time, but between difficulty to get reservations, being pregnant for what seems like three straight years, and the need to find four free hours in order to do dinner, it has taken awhile to come to fruition. But, without further ado, we ate there last night...

20 courses, plus the wine pairing. It was amazing.

A few highlights included here, though my explanation of what they are will pale in comparison to our servers.

As Asian dish...the item on the left was a cracker of sorts, with a shrimp and some pickled vegetable wrapped around it. The sauce in the bowl was outstanding. On the right was a piece of sugar cane, beautifully adorned with flowers and herbs. To be chewed, sucked and then spilt out.

The white course I will butcher horribly so I'm reluctant to say anything at all other than that there were countless flavors and textures mixed beautifully here.

The Christmas trees arrived covered in what looked like snow. They sat at our table through numerous courses. Then, when all the snow had melted, the tree was removed and we were presented with a peppermint tasting shot. Adorable.

Finally, the dessert. Which was actually the final of three dessert courses, required it's own table cloth, approximately eight side dishes, a blow torch, a pitcher full of some sort of cream, and many other things I'm forgetting.

It was all dropped off and then we waited. And waited. And the table next to us was doing the same, attempted to touch something on their table and were scolded. Finally, with a smoking, freeze dried brick that was chopped table side with what looked like a mallet was some sort of blueberry cake. We were given spoons and dove right in.

Another dish I wish I had taken a picture of was a venison, tempura battered with oatmeal on a stick. Delicious. And they also had a version of one of my favorite dishes ever - the quail egg ravioli at Schwa - this was slightly different but coined "explosion in your mouth" was very similar in taste and experience.

Oh, and how could I forget the white truffle risotto? You can't even imagine...

It was an amazing experience and so very delicious. @GAchatz is as amazing as the critics say...get there!

Updates (or lack there of)

2010-12-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

It is amazing, and admittedly a bit pathetic, how busy a person can be in spite of not working and having part time child care (and doing nothing notable to save the world).

Posts have been too infrequent. My apologies. I have a lot in store though, so stay tuned.

(And I know most of you just want more kid pics, but you're going to have to suffer through a few other misc posts as well)

2010-12-13T12:52:00.001-08:00

We got the gang back together this weekend while celebrating KJ's birthday Saturday night.

We all (my girlfriends and I) had boys, beginning a little over two years ago...from left to right (youngest to oldest) it's Ryan, Ben, Daniel and Gage.

They are all pretty hilarious little guys in their own ways. And under the title of 'misery loves company' I can't tell you how reassuring it is to hear their stories of tantrums, being hit in the face, screaming for no reason.

At least temporarily, it makes me less concerned that Ben is possessed. OK, maybe not possessed but he certainly has had his fair share of less than steller performances lately - always in public of course. And it's nice to know it happens to others and that there isn't an easy answer I'm missing to resolve things, though that would make it so much easier!

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Brrr...

How can you complain? It is winter afterall. But the walls are already closing in and it's just the first week of December.

This weekend we made a ginger bread house. Something my mom, sis and I used to do years ago. Ben was actually surprisingly into it - that is it captured his attention for 5 whole minutes.

Take a look at our masterpiece!

We're starting a class tomorrow at MyGym. Me and the little guy. I'm looking forward to the time together and a little burning of his endless energy :)

Smiles

2010-12-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

A few smiles captured by Baba while she was here this week...enjoy :)

First Snow!

2010-12-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

We woke up to white everywhere this morning, our first real snow fall of the season.

Thanks to one of Chris' colleagues, who lives in MN and has a boy about two years older than Ben, we're geared up for the blizzard of the century (and/or ice fishing).

We piled on layer after layer and plopped the little guy in the backyard. He really wasn't sure what to make of it all. Stella was pouncing, Hubby making snow balls, I was trying to get him to taste it. And he mostly just looked at us all like we were idiots.

Hopefully he'll warm up to the idea b/c he looks really cute in his snow suit. And it really just boils down to wardrobe, doesn't it?

Sniffles, Smiles and Sleeps

2010-12-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

Poor Juliet had bout of sniffles this week, likely from her big brother. It's pretty sad to see her all stuffed up and not sure why she can't breathe. And it made for two very long nights of crying...that was sad for everyone.

But in spite of not feeling great, she pulled off a day full of her first smiles yesterday which is priceless.

Amazing how far a little smile goes after six weeks of not much more than crying and sleeping.

She looks even more beautiful :)

And then last night she slept 6 hours. Probably b/c she was so tired from a couple tough days but it's proof she can do it, and hopefully just a glimpse of what's ahead for us.

I was given clean bill of health at my 6 week appointment today and am heading to the gym this afternoon.

Pretty unbeatable Friday and it's only noon!

Have a great weekend (smile pictures coming soon)

Success!

2010-11-29T05:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone made the most of this eating holiday, including my sweet girl.

We are officially on the bottle!

To be introduced at 4-5 weeks, it took her longer to grasp the idea than I remember the first time around. But never the less, with a little persistence and patience (thank you hubby and mom), she's got it.

I fed her a bottle myself tonight, which they really don't recommend (b/c she can smell my milk up to 20 feet away??) and she sucked down 3 ounces without a second thought.

What does this mean?

Freedom, my friends. Freedom.

It means date nights with hubby, pilates classes and the gym once I'm cleared (six days and counting), quite simply the ability to leave the house for more than 2 hours at a time.

Aside from sleeping through the night, this is the single biggest milestone we're working towards in her young life.

To celebrate, hubby, sis, Gaston and I went out Sat night to a post-Thanksgiving pub crawl organized by some friends. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to be in a bar full of carefree people again. Sad but true, it's like a breath of fresh air...a glimpse of our old lives.

Not that we'd trade, don't get me wrong, but it's very nice to be able to visit again.

Great job little eater. I'm so proud of you.

2010-11-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving recaps

2010-11-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

We sent the family off this afternoon after a long, wonderful visit. Not too restful for my parents I fear.

Ben loves his grandpa Ted, and didn't give him a moment alone once he walked through the front door. As you can see a bit here, they read every book in Ben's extensive library (at least five times each), along with playing trucks, cars and trains.

My mom took Juliet upon walking through the front door and didn't let go except to cook and do laundry.

They are the perfect guests!

Sis was allowed a little time with the kids and we squeezed in some shopping too.

Overall a great few days of family, eating and relaxing (and yet we're all exhausted).

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families!

A few pictures from their visit...

Life Is Good...

2010-11-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

Not much breaking news to report on our end...Juliet is doing great, sleeping longer between feedings at night which is about the only milestone new parents really care about (or me anyway). She is already breaking all the rules, more on that later, but I can't figure out if it's because she is a girl, or because she is #2. Probably a combination of both, plus that little VSD thing made me think she was more fragile, which isn't the case, but certainly has weighed into her already lenient parenting.

In fact, now that I think about it, the whole house has pretty much gone on vacation since late Oct. Ben is sleeping in until 8, playing with the ipad and watching TV at least once a day. He eats all of his fruits covered in some type of confection (strawberries = Reddiwip; banana = nutella; apples = peanut butter). And last week he asked for candy from his Halloween bucket after breakfast.

Crap, I really need to get back on the clock.

Well, at least everyone is happy for the most part.

Hubby and I actually went on a date Sat night and were reflecting about how much easier it is the second time. A lot of which is b/c Jules is so good and Ben was colicky, but I don't want to kill my hubby and he has yet to find me crying in the bathroom with any screaming children so we're leaps ahead of our previous situation.

In fact, while I walked out the front door the other day to walk the dog with both of them yelling at the top of their lungs and I barely heard it over the breeze...I guess we've all learned a lot over the last two years.

In all seriousness, we hit mass on Sunday for the second weekend in a row. I think the last time we pulled that off was a Lenten season years ago when it was just hubby and me. With Juliet on one shoulder, Ben reading a book next to me, and hubby at the end of the pew, I nearly choked up thinking about how very blessed we are. Suddenly we are a family and a happy, healthy one to boot. With all we've experienced around us, it's hard not to reflect and be so very thankful for that, no matter what the season.

A couple recent pics - Ben showing Gigi (what he calls her, Polish for 'baby' and it's really stuck around here) what's up with her playmat, a pic of him at Lincoln Park Zoo before she arrived that I love with the skyline in back, and a picture of Juliet wearing her Super S shirt.

Enjoy! (and Happy early Thanksgiving to you all!)

Just Another Saturday Morning...

2010-11-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

As I was going to the bathroom this morning -- with Juliet on one shoulder, Ben at my knees putting trucks down my pants, and Stella whining outside the door to be taken for a walk -- I was reminded of the ad that ran years ago for Calgon ("Take Me Away").

The creative director really nailed that one, didn't he?

I haven't taken any bathes(who in the world has time for that ??), but I have thought numerous times in the last couple weeks how amazingly well those three little words capture so many emotions of trying to tackle something as simple as getting out the door to walk the dog, or even just to pee...

Grandparents!

2010-11-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

Grandma Marsha and Grandpa Joe blew into the Windy City this week to meet the little lady and catch up with our star performer.

We had a great visit with them, filled with lots of delicious wine, food and dessert. Of course, Ben adored all the special attention and especially grandpa Joe.

A few of the best pics here...

2010-11-14T19:51:00.000-08:00

Just two more of the sweetheart. Her first lady's brunch with grandma a couple weeks ago, and a picture Aunt Carrie captured last weekend...

Our Little Lady

2010-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Pictures have been few and far between of our little lady. I'm working on resolving that, but in the meantime had to share the latest gift that arrived this week.

To start, it was her first package from Neiman's. I think I can say with confidence that I didn't own anything from NM before I turned 30. And mini pink UGG boots? You can't be serious. And yet, here they are and I can't wait to get them on her tiny little feet.

Thanks to Mary for the extravagant gift. It is completely over the top and I adore them!

Little Lion

2010-11-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

As promised a while back, we had a couple funny videos from Halloween. The other is actually significantly funnier but I'm nursing the baby in the background and I just can't bring myself to get over it and post (even though you can't see anything).

Sadly you are missing out on his new laugh, we'll work to get it on film again...

Big Boy Haircut

2010-11-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

My little guy is growing up before my eyes. Last night we went to get a hair cut and hubby was meeting us there. We had to get started before he arrived so we tried the booster seat (Ben usually sits in one of our laps). Not only did he do fine, he kicked up a leg, requested a pretzel and watched CNN.

And he doesn't waste the opportunity to ham it up with Bridget, his official hair dresser whom he adores.

Hangin' in our PJs

2010-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)

2010-11-04T01:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning Juliet and I were waiting for her final check up from the pediatrician in order to be released from the hospital when the attending doc said he heard an abnormality in her heart.

He ordered up several tests and ultimately diagnosed her with a ventricular septal defect, or VSD. In layman's terms, a hole in her heart. We scheduled a follow up appointment with a cardiologist at Children's for more testing and a consultation.

While certainly not what you're hoping to hear about your sweet baby moments before taking her home, the doctor assured us it was fairly common and there is no hospital I'd rather have her treated at than Children's...

We met with the doctor on Tuesday and he seemed confident that our little lady will be just fine. After laying patiently through nearly an hour of an echocardiogram test, and of course stealing the heart of the woman conducting the exam, the doctor read the results and said she should be just fine. Apparently these VSDs are fairly common and in most cases end up closing on their own.

We'll keep an eye on her, make sure she continues to put on weight (the little pork chop is exceeding weight forecasts for her age like it's nobody's business - proving beyond just the hair that she is my daughter), and doesn't experience any problems breathing, otherwise we aren't scheduled to see him again for another year. At that point we'll get another echo and an EKG to make sure everything is operating as it should.

A major relief to be sure. After watching a colleague go through open heart surgery on her four month old, it was not something I wanted any of us to experience.

Cheers to a big, healthy heart Juliet. XO.

Update from Project "Family of Four"

2010-11-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Team S was hit with a stomach bug earlier this week (apparently a different flu than the one you get the shot for??) which was an unexpected, temporarily crippling blow. I guess that is what I get for bragging about how easy things have been :)

I think, make that PRAY, we are out of the woods with little Juliet spared. I'm guessing if we make it through today without her getting sick we should be through the germ cycle. Yikes, it was UGLY.

On a brighter note, a few pictures and an update about the crew...

There is little better in the world than napping with a newborn on your chest as hubby is doing here. It defines yummy...

A picture of the lady clad in pink. She had her first bath today and actually faired pretty well considering she doesn't like to be naked and seems constantly cold. A few tears but overall she proved to be the calm, relaxed little bundle we love.

And Ben relaxing on the couch with his trucks. He has developed into quite the little performer in the last two weeks as he pulls out all of his tricks for visitors coming to meet Juliet.

He is obsessed with his cars and trucks, has "garages" all over the house where he stores them, and drags his dinosaur book (thanks ba ba) out for every new person to read it to him.

He has been AMAZING with Juliet - curious when she cries, alerting everyone when her sock falls off, gently touching her head while she is sleeping. There was one incident of toy-to-face contact, thankfully it was with the foam finger and no damage was done :)

Paula has been coming in the morning to help with Ben, allowing me to run errands. She usually heads home around Ben's nap time and our little crew hangs together in the afternoon. We've got a pretty good rhythm going.

With that, you're pretty much up to speed on the exciting details of our progress. More pics to come soon!

Halloween II

2010-10-31T19:46:00.001-07:00

By the way, Ben was a lion and Juliet a pea pod :)

2010-10-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

Halloween I

2010-10-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

This sequence of photos isn't nearly as entertaining without the corresponding screaming and whining that we heard live, but it definitely gives a sense of how rocky our Halloween started this afternoon. Everyone in the house was a big crabby pants today so getting out the door for trick or treating proved to be more difficult than anyone would have guessed.

Thankfully things got A LOT better once we were pounding pavement for candy. I'm posting a few different updates b/c there are several pictures and a video. Enjoy.

Ba Ba

2010-10-29T02:55:00.000-07:00

As promised, she jumped on a plane the minute we called and was walking into my hospital room just hours after Juliet was born.

My mom, who had been circling Cleveland Hopkins for the past 10 days, waiting for her call, arrived on the scene ready to help in any way needed.

And did she ever.

She relieved Paula Friday afternoon and powered through the entire weekend basically on her own with Ben while I was at the hospital and hubby bounced between home and visiting Juliet and me.

She spoiled him rotten (could he look any happier in this pic?), and was rewarded with the one thing she's wanted most since he arrived on earth, a name. "Ba Ba" (Polish for grandma, thanks Paula!) is what he's landed on for grandma Es and boy does he love her. 'Ba Ba' this and 'Ba Ba' that, he even has a 'Ba Ba' song.

He shouts her name when she walks in the room and won't go to bed without climbing upstairs to kiss Ba Ba nite nites.

It is absolutely adorable to see how much he loves her. And we are endebted to her for all the time spent with us this last week. We never could have held down the fort without her help.

And in her spare time (??) she did a thousand loads of laundry, cooked meals for the next week and broke down my entire garden and all my planters in the backyard (can't even go into how or where she gets all this energy, aren't you feeling like a slacker just reading this?).

A big thanks to you mom, for dropping everything and coming to our rescue this week. I know there is little you'd rather do than spend time with Ben and Juliet, but never the less we appreciate it tremendously and quite literally could not have done it without you.

We've got Ben coaching Juliet now so hopefully you won't have to wait another 19 months for her 'Ba Ba.'

Love you bunches.

Shades of Pink

2010-10-28T18:47:00.001-07:00

With the arrival of our first tutu (thanks aunt Brenda!), I realized I'm overdue on a blog post.

How different the response is with a girl. It's amazing. Of course everyone is genuinely excited for the arrival of a boy, but a girl brings out something more giddy in nearly all. An extra gush, a warmer coo, and of course, clothes.

Where blankets were delivered by the bolt for Ben, instead we've received shoes, and tights, skirts, and yes even tutus. Each item cuter then the next, literally.

I knew from shopping for Ben that there were more options for girls, but I had no idea just how insane.

And the shades of pink!

Even if you tried to resist (though why would you?), it would be impossible.

It will take all of my strength not to photograph and post every outfit, but here's just one since I haven't posted any since we've been home from the hospital. Not the most flattering of dear Juliet but you had to see the outfit and bow.

Falling in Love All Over Again

2010-10-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hubby snapped this yesterday and I think it's beautiful.

Two days ago she was just an idea, waiting to make her way into the world. Today she holds my whole heart.

It's amazing how quickly one can fall completely in love...

I had forgotten just how small they are, and warm, and miraculous.

Ben came to meet his little sister last night, all went very well. He had many kisses for her and didn't seem to mind her feeding from mom, as long as he still had his place on my lap, and my attention for a story. All of us piled into my hospital bed.

Life is good my friends, very good indeed.

Juliet Francis

2010-10-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

At last she is here and absolutely worth the wait.

Please join us in welcoming Juliet Francis. She arrived at 4:30AM after a very quick delivery, at 7lbs 5 oz.

She shares her middle name and initials with our very-much missed brother in law John.

She is amazing, and looking forward to meeting her big brother Ben this evening.

Can't wait to introduce her to the world!

big news...

2010-10-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

still pregnant.

A few things I've learned this week:
- it is not a medical fact that your second baby will deliver earlier than your first. that is actually categorically false.
- you CAN carry a baby in your shorts for a week without any appendages busting through.
- sulking does not bring on labor.
- ...nor do cookies, brownies or cake (but all are yummy and make me feel better)
- people (read: strangers on the street) can not help themselves from looking at me with deep sympathy at this point.
- blackberries do not like to swim in coffee (while not directly related to pregnancy, thought I'd share).

Doctor's appointment this morning revealed I'm dialated to 3CM.

Induction scheduled for 10/28, though she predicted babes will be here this weekend.

If I've learned anything at all this week, it's that I'm not going to pin my hopes on that guess. I'll see this kid next Thursday and if it arrives sooner, so be it.

in other news, still pregnant

2010-10-17T18:38:00.001-07:00

(potential for TMI)

seriously, how could I have not had this kid yet?

is going into labor one of those things in life where if you think about it too much, it delays the process? would be really great to get an answer on that question stat b/c if yes, we're definitely looking at Thanksgiving.

since Sat afternoon I feel like I've been carrying this thing in my shorts. It couldn't be positioned any lower and still have all of its appendages inside.

I've walked, I've bounced, I've brewed strange teas, I've done nearly everything on this list (from foodmomiac) and yet this baby remains stubbornly inside.

it must be a girl. my girl. this sounds like just the type of cruel behavior I'd subject my own well-intended mother to as a youngster.

i'm averaging about 6 hours of sleep between bathroom breaks, heartburn episodes, repositioning all my body pillows, crazy somersaults from babes, and just generally lying awake wondering WTH???

and while I am certain there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it seems to be shifting further into the distance rather than moving closer.

sigh.

(if not immediately apparent, i'm clearly a delight to be around right now. if I'm not returning your calls, or only responding via text, consider it a blessing)

Friday Night at the Playground

2010-10-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

We had a big time at the playground Friday evening, running, sliding, and playing. A few final pics of the little man...

Fall Pics

2010-10-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin patch with our buddy Gage, enjoying a warm day on the patio with Grandma S, and our new favorite thing - the slide.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

2010-10-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks sis for reminding me it's been too long since I posted some pics of the little dude. Here's a few with more to following tomorrow...

I can't tell you how many trips we've taken to Black Dog Gelato, sighting Ben's insistence on getting some salted peanut/mexican hot chocolate deliciousness. While a bit of a white lie, he has gotten quite good at enthusiastically eating it :) A picture of 'give baby a hug,' as well as shaggy hair snap shot I liked. Enjoy!

Babes, Where Are You?

2010-10-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

I keep trying to remind myself that the baby isn't actually even due until Thursday, yet I spent so much time worrying she would come early, she now seems late.

And at my appointment this week the doctor made me schedule an induction for Nov 1 in case I hadn't delivered yet. Talk about crushing an emtional, expecting mother's optimism. Geez.

Nothing more to share but compliants so I'll keep it short.

Thankfully little Ben is getting funnier with every day. He is pretty much the only thing keeping me going these days, though at the same time is more exhausting than ever.

Last night at about 10PM he woke up and turned on his sound machine in his room. That never happens, he is a really good sleeper. When the song ended, he hit the button again.

I went down to check on him and his eyes were open. He popped right up and lept into my arms, holding on with a death grip. Not really sure what was going on but we snuggled and rocked for a bit (he tried to charm me into reading a story too) and he eventually went back down. Maybe all the scary skeletons and witches we saw on our walk? Who knows but man he's a good hugger. It's about the most delicious thing ever.

Run Forest, Run!

2010-10-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Congrats to all the marathon runners who raced today!

We love marathon day at our house, it such a wonderful, positive energy to be out on the course, watching people grit through the pain to (hopefully) get through to the other side and remember it as one of the greatest day ever. Never fails, it chokes me up every time.

We took the crew out in support of hubby today who ran a fantastic race (at least his sixth year in a row). This pic of him, taken at mile 22, makes him look like he's just out for a casual stroll. He amazes me year after year as he tackles this beast with a confident ease.

And to our friends (Tracy, foodmomiac, Shan, Blaine and Courtney), and all the others who tackled 26.2, amazing job to you all!

Pa-few!

2010-10-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been sweating bullets all week, and literally drove myself to tears Tuesday, certain that I was going to deliver this kid while hubby was in Vegas this week.

I don't remember ever feeling this big with Ben, though I weigh slightly less (and when I say slightly I mean 5 lbs which is minimal but certainly made me happy enough to mention here). I feel pressure everywhere, my back is killing me, I can barely pick up Ben, I'm so tired, the list goes on.

And then I went to my doctor on Tuesday and she said the baby had dropped, I'm 2cm dialated (more than I ever was with Ben before my water broke), and to be prepared for a fast delivery.

That was the night before hubby left for a three day trip to Vegas. (WHO CLEARED THAT GENIUS IDEA?? you might be wondering...I'm sure months ago it seemed like a fine plan).

I freaked. Certain I'd be delivering this baby alone at the hospital after being forced to abandon Ben at home alone. Tuesday night I had a dream that I gave birth to a liter of (6) raccoons. Raccoons!

Geez.

But now it's Friday evening. My sis is an hour away, and hubby is due back later tonight. Phew. We made it.

And I'm sure I've increased the odds of this babe being induced a week past my due date just for being so neurotic, but I swear it feels like it's going to fall out any minute...

(is this the same relaxed, confident new mom that posted those sunny sentiments earlier this week?)

Sayin' Is Believing

2010-10-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'm really looking forward to how easy things are going to be this time around.

Now a confident mother, who isn't concerned she could potentially kill her newborn with one sideways glance, I won't need to keep vigil over the baby monitor minute after minute, night after night.

Having successfully kicked my old nemisis 'worry' out the door with no signs him returning, I won't feel compelled to work through every potentially morbid scenario and develop a plan of attack just in case.

Surviving a colicky baby and coming out on the other side with more love in my heart for my little man than I knew existed on earth in total, I'm now armed with every nursury song, swaddle technique and bob and sway known to womenkind, so I'm eons ahead of myself last time around.

And having mastered breastfeeding to boot...

How could it not be easier this time (she says with the blindly optimistic attitude she is known for)?

So with that, I've set my sights even higher.

I'm going to take advantage of having Paula here, and go to the gym the minute I'm cleared to do so. I'm going to sign up for classes to take with Ben: music and Bubbles and maybe even dance. I'm going to go out with hubby and get trashed, more than just one night every six months.

It feels liberating, and exciting, to welcome this little babe to our family...who still has no name, no room, no clothes, and potentially no ride to the hospital.

We've got it nailed this time, I'm sure of it :)

Thoughts brought to you by the soon-to-be-skinny, well-rested new mother of two...

All Grown Up

2010-10-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought, all those years ago, we'd still be getting together, swapping stories about dark bars, boys we crushed, dorm rooms we trashed...but also books we've read, races we've completed, promotions we've earned, babies we've birthed, deals we've signed, kids we've fed (and in Beth's case, that means actually feeding kids around the world).

A wonderful weekend with Beth in town from DC - thanks for making the trip and giving us an excuse to get together, a luxury that we indulge in too infrequently.

Good food, good wine, and many, many laughs. It feels like yesterday we were all together at Miami...and we've come so far and accomplished so much in our own rights, it's really quite awesome.

Congrats my friends, on being the amazing ladies you are.

I can't wait to do it all again soon!

Wednesday's Words

2010-09-29T20:07:00.001-07:00

First, I keep forgetting to mention this kid has a whole vocabulary of Polish words that are lost on me. For ages he has said 'czah czah' which means 'boo boo.' Everytime he bumps or scrapes, it's a 'zah, zah.'

He also responds to 'how old are you?' with a Polish "One!" coupled with his pointer finger extended. Who knows what else he knows, maybe I'll get details and next week we'll highlight his Polish words.

Also on the list is to capture "moon" on video for the blog. It's on my list of top three words (along with 'mom,' and 'giraffe').

Our evening walks of late consist of the following conversation: 'moon,' 'stella,' 'mom,' 'plane,' and 'water,' pretty much on repeat for 30 minutes.

But it's the way he says 'moon' that gets me...

I'm not even sure we have any new words this week. Is that possible??

Let me give it some thought and get back to you.

In other news I'm still pregnant :) Was I ever this big with Ben? Ugh.

My doctor's response today when I told her my back is killing me: "how old is your first?" {me: one and a half} "well, there you have it."

Gee, thanks.

Costume Update

2010-09-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

So I got my $5 back for the aforementioned pumpkin pacifier. And actually a much more valuable lesson in customer service that I look forward to sharing with my clients in the future.

As much as it pains you (client, company, customer service rep), you don't need to get the last word in, or reiterate your point. My buddy handling my case opened with a paragraph on the website policy, along with a history of how things with my order went down, all before saying "as a one time courtesy, we are refunding you for the Little Pumpkin Pacifier."

Frankly I would have been happier with that one line alone.

One of my colleagues always says 'less is more,' when dealing with media statements and consumer responses and this email really drove that point home to me. Nice that they gave me the credit, definitely, but to go the extra length to explain why I was still in the wrong, and that they were doing me a favor, not really necessary.

It's a good lesson to clients who are stuck on including the corporate language, or their point of view. The consumer just wants to hear their issue has been resolved to their liking. So if that is the course of action, you/company has decided on, just let them have it and be done.

Speaking of being done, I'm getting off my soapbox on this issue and will carry on with Halloween now.

Wait until you see the adorable costume...a LION!

Only problem is Ben refuses to put the head on. Naturally, I've been wearing it around the house myself trying to make it look more appealing. So far he hasn't taken the bait, though Stella is quite curious as to what's going on.

Wednesday Words

2010-09-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

This was a busy word week, busy overall for Ben.

He is so hilarious, I need to start posting more videos.

His little "yah" in response to questions is the best and changes throughout the day. In the morning, "do you want some milk?" get's an enthusiastic, loud "YAH!" ... and at night, "do you want to take a bath?" gets a quiet, slow, almost pained, "yeeaahh."

"Mom" melts my heart, every time. But especially when I get home from work and it's usually coupled with a running leap into my arms. Seriously.

It doesn't get better than that my friends. Not to mention he is a seriously good hugger.

Anyway, enough from the obnoxious mom. Here are our latest words. He's getting progressively good at repeating, so some of these are one-hit wonders. Others, like "moon," and "this way," "that way" are said over and over throughout each evening walk.

moon
this way, that way
please
all gone
gage
josh
banana
duck
flag

We've been practicing "grandma" all week - my mom is coming on Friday and I'm pretty sure she will not get back on the plane until he's mastered that one so we're getting a head start :)

Happy hump day.

BuyCostumes - Scary Costumes and Customer Service

2010-09-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ok - I finally made a decision on our Halloween costume, more on that later.

I ordered the costume one night after work this week on buycostumes.com. After clicking 'purchase' I get a prompt for an offer to buy face paint and a pumpkin pacifier. I actually pause and think about what a BS move this is to get you to buy more stuff...and then, in spite of myself, I buy the face paint. It's less than $2 and I'm thinking whiskers.

But when I click through, ii realize it also defaults to add the pumpkin pacifier to my order. I notice immediately on my receipt and email customer service, notifying them of the error. A real person responds in less than 15 minutes (impressive), however tells me my order has already shipped (at 10:30 pm) and therefore can't be changed.

Forgive me, I'm reluctant to believe this is really true.

I'm manipulated into a purchase, that can't be reversed, so my only course of action is to spent $7 (an estimate) to return something I didn''t order. Instead, I will keep the costume and pacifier (which I'm dying too return, but in the end it really only negatively impacts me - I'm out shipping costs, need a replacement costume, and obviously my point will be lost on them as they don't care about my business).

Instead I encourage you to shop elsewhere. There are many great options (try here, or here) for costumes online. Not to mention lots of great stuff at the Gap and Target.

I never bitch about this kind of stuff, but this crappy customer service really got under my skin. I don't know how in this day and age it's even possible.

Scary - and not in a good Halloween way.

Kiss the Baby

2010-09-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

I taught Ben this really cute new trick, or so I thought, called "kiss the baby."

Given how much he has been picking up on things lately, I thought it made sense to start talking about the soon-to-arrive baby. The baby is super active in the morning so lately, when we're all hanging out in bed before I hop in the shower, I'll let him touch my belly. Sometimes he feels it move, but mostly he just likes to give my belly a kiss, and a hug.

He always lifts my shirt to do so, I think b/c my belly button looks really funny and makes him laugh.

Anyway, its super cute and makes everyone smile.

So while at dinner in a packed restaurant Sat night, Ben decides he wants to kiss the baby.

Those of you wiser folks likely saw this coming...and of course he doesn't want to kiss the baby through my shirt, he wants to lift it up.

The naked pregnant belly is a beautiful site to a very small minority, and even those don't likely want a glimpse of it while eating dinner. Yet, he would not be dissauded, so up the shirt went and he gave the baby a big kiss and hug.

Tonight while walking Stella, right around the time everything went to pot and I had to start carrying him far from our house, you guessed it. He wanted to kiss the baby. And I was wearing a dress. So we spent half a block wrestling and crying, while he tried to disrobe me on a major street in our neighborhood.

Seriously?

It's like a non-stop charlie fox trot these days. Image what a mess I'll be with another strapped to me. Haha.

Wednesday Words

2010-09-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please.....

I think we may have nailed "mom!" I received a couple big, warm "moms" last night and this morning, we'll see if they stick around long term.

Also added to the list: cat.

(for the record, I think 'mom' came first, barely)

Grrrr

2010-09-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

For some reason the grrrr continues to amuse everyone, perhaps even more so. Last night Ben practiced his sneak attack up to the lion statues in our neighborhood, quietly approaching and then growling.

This is just a snapshot of his performance.

Wednesday Words

2010-09-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

We're picking up words at a pretty good pace these days, and I read somewhere recently that in a couple months he'll be learning 20 words a day! So I thought I'd try to commit to a weekly update of new words he can say, on Wednesdays...forgive me if there are any repeats from the previous list.

- giraffe (my favorite word of his yet - no one would be able to translate this without assistance but it is a very excited "Geeeaaaaf!"
- train
- whale
- plane

...potentially "Carrie" after his favorite aunt spent the weekend with him.

Still no 'mom.'

In other news of note, he understands quite a bit of what we say to him. He can throw things away in the garbage, deliver things from person to person in the room, get down the stairs by himself (backwards, finally!), knock on the door to get inside, and knows we walk Stella out the front door but run her in the mornings out the garage (back door).

He has also become quite the little performer.

Last night at Club Lucky he had hubby, sis, Tracy and I in tears over a couple of random tricks he is working on. Nothing earth shattering - but he hams it up and knows he is on stage, which makes it all the funnier. And he laughs when we laugh, and so on and so on.

He's pretty entertaining to hang out with these days.

Needless to say, we enjoyed the long weekend together.

Tee Time

2010-09-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hubby took the little camper out for his first golf lesson today. He showed serious potential, as long as there wasn't an airplane flying overhead or a train on the el tracks, he was pretty interested.

We'll probably have to practice a couple more times before he's ready for the tour but I'm sure he'll be be out there in no time...

Sweet Discoveries

2010-09-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Given that I've overshared details with all those physically in my presence recently, I thought I'd take my dessert campaign to the blog. Only fitting on the heels of my Stay Puft Marshmellow post, right?

I've been trying new sweet spots in the hood, justifiably under the umbrella of my 'exploring new things' campaign mentioned awhile back. What's wrong with a little focus?

I wasn't the first to find Black Dog Gelato, but I'm certainly in contention for giving it the most free PR. This little shop, conveniently located just a couple blocks from me, serves up the most AMAZING gelato with creative flavors like sweet corn lavendar, vanilla malt, and oreo mint. My favorite pairing, however, is the salted peanut and mexican chili chocolate. Oh my. I literally dream of it every day.

Another place I was recently turned on to is Bake. Featured in the photo here are the smores brownie, the pretzel chocolate chip cookie and the OREO (two delicious chocolate patties with an unbelievable white frosting in between). Hubby and I actually took the Oreo down in one afternoon, sneaking visits into the kitchen to cut off small pieces, thinking the other wasn't watching until suddenly there was nothing but a little white frosting left (if you'll notice the artist positioning in this photo, 2/3 of it is already missing).

Who do I think I am?

A wreckless pregnant lady, limiting herself to just one dessert a day in the hopes that somehow that demonstrates a little self restraint, that's who.

Buddies

2010-09-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Cute pic I had to share. Uncle Frank has been visiting periodically for our evening family walk. Always nice to see him and Ben loves him :)

Stay Puft Marshmellow (wo)Man

2010-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Suddenly my shoes don't fit. My rings are tight. Wearing jeans is unbearable torture.

I'm fat and swollen and periodically catch myself waddling.

I'm the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man.

Thinking (longingly) back to the last pregnancy when I was (mis) diagnosed (in my opinion) with pre-eclampsia and was put on moderate bed rest the last month.

At the time I thought it was wildly inconvenient and annoying. In retrospect, it meant I could wear my Lululemon Be Still pants every-single-day without worry.

I may start working on faking high blood pressure to raise the red flags. Kind of like finishing a marathon with roller skates on but at this point, does it really matter?

Seven weeks to go my friends...remind me of this when I'm complaining about my extreme fatigue in seven weeks and two days :)

A message from society

2010-08-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

sometimes things speak to you...this is one of those instances for me

credits

Happy Monday

2010-08-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

Aunt Carrie took this gem - she said best ever, she may be a little biased...but she does have a good subject.

Happy Monday. It's the last week of summer, can you believe it?