Lot 152: From The Ground Up.

2010-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Weazie's Mighty Life List

Maggie Mason started a life list. I've been inspired by this. I started noting things in my head that I'd like to do in my lifetime, but it's getting hard to remember them all. So this blog will take yet another turn and be a place to document my list and to cross things off as I do them. Actually, instead of crossing them off, I'm going to highlight them. Here's to the memories...

1. Participate in a flash mob
2. Live in another country for a month or more.
3. Run a 5K
4. Run a 10K
5. Take my kids to their first theme park for their first rollercoaster ride
6. Live in the country
7. Start an organic farm
8. Raise chickens
9. Learn to knit
10. Learn to crochet like my Grandmother did
11. Make dresses for Eulie
12. Coach a team
13. Meet somewhere fun for a girls' weekend
14. Play ice hockey
15. Grow my own tomatoes
16. Lose this baby weight
17. Take Ted to Ireland
18. Take Ted to London
19. Pay off my student loans early
20. Take the kids camping
21. Take the kids to at least 5 National Parks
22. Go fishing in Alaska
23. Be in a play as an adult
24. Go to NYC on our anniversary
25. Do something with our current backyard
26. Participate in a protest against Monsanto
27. Switch to all green cleaning products
28. Switch to all green cosmetics/toiletries
29. Know how to make pierogi by heart
30. Train for and finish a sprint triathalon

2009-10-14T17:01:00.001-07:00

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2009-10-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

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2009-10-14T16:41:00.001-07:00

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2009-08-25T14:52:00.001-07:00

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2009-08-25T14:51:00.001-07:00

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2009-07-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Beach Trip 2009

We took Brind'Amour on his first vacation to the beach last week and had an absolute riot. He loved the ocean and the sand and we also spent some quality time in the pool. He's really loving swimming these days...I think he thinks he can do it all himself now because he pushes you away if you try to snuggle him on your shoulder...he only wants you to hold him on his belly in front of you so he can kick and paddle! Too cute.

We also celebrated Ted's 40th birthday while we were there. It was so nice to have a long relaxing family vacation together. Our first and only before we become a family of 4! Gah!

Brind'Amour is doing more and more every day. He can climb the stairs by himself without a problem. He's cutting his first tooth. He prefers the same food Ted and I are having for dinner rather than pureed baby food. He's babbling constantly and gesturing. You can tell he's trying so hard to communicate with us. His vocabularly consists of Da Da, Na Na (that's me), Kitty Cat, Oh my Goodness, Uh oh, Oh, and Oh God. It's hilarious. I think he tried to say chicken last night too, which was funny. He's not walking on his own, but loves to tool around with some assistance. He's preferring that to crawling these days. I'm looking forward to when he can walk unassisted...my back!

He just gets cuter and cute and more and more fun. We're having a blast with him.

2009-06-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

28 weeks

I'm 28 weeks along with our little baby girl and we went for some 3D ultrasound pictures. She was very cooperative and even was showing off smiling at us. She is going to be a cutie just like her brother...we can see the same full lips and cheeks that Brind'Amour has. She also appears to have a trait from Ted and his Mom...her first toe is longer than her big toe on both feet! The tech also pointed out that she has some hair. Not much at this point, but it's visible and she has 12 more weeks to pile it on, so I think she'll have a head of hair on her as well. We're getting pretty excited and can't wait to meet her!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-06-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-06-02T06:54:00.001-07:00

9 Months Old!

Our little guy will be 9 months old in a couple of days...can you stand it? He's still as good-natured as ever. He's getting to the age where he gets frustrated when he can't have/do what he wants and will throw a quick tantrum consisting of banging his hands on whatever flat surface he's hanging onto, but he's still pretty easily distracted and comforted which is nice. We're loving the crawling/cruising stage because he can easily entertain himself and it gives us a chance to get some things done while he's playing. He still eats like a horse and has the rolls to prove it. We've been making his food for him instead of buying jars of food and it is a riot. He's got quite the little palate! We just introduced him to yogurt and he's loving it. I thought he might barf a bit with yogurt because I wasn't sure if he had a lactose/milk protein issue, but I think his barfing has more to do with thin consistency at this point. Since we changed him to the Enfamil AR formula he doesn't spit up much at all, and so far he has kept all of his yogurt down. He's had some meat here and there and I want to get more of that into his diet. I'm also trying to get him to get used to finger foods such as cheerios, but he hasn't quite grasped the idea yet.

With all the cruising he's doing I think he'll be walking soon...lately he's been content to hold onto things with one hand, and I even saw him take the one hand away for a second the other day. He promptly fell, but still. He's getting here.

Here's some recent videos for your enjoyment.

Brindy Eats Camera from Eilis B on Vimeo.

Brindy walks with Daddy from Eilis B on Vimeo.

In pregnancy news, I'm 24 weeks along and doing pretty well. Starting to get achy and uncomfortable, but chalking it up to "same old, same old." We've got Brindy in his "big brother room," and the nursery is almost restocked and ready to go for Baby Girl B's arrival. We are getting really excited to meet her and get this whole "family unit" thing rolling. :)

2009-05-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

Someone was supposed to be napping...instead, I found THIS:

Good thing we lowered the crib recently. Crazy kid.

2009-05-07T13:31:00.001-07:00

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2009-04-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I haven't updated this site in forever. Most of you probably don't care because you can follow every step of our lives on facebook. Some of you still aren't using facebook and are all "Why don't you ever update anymore?"

So I thought it was time to check in. Mr. Brind'Amour is fabulous. He's almost 8 months old and is just as adorable and squeezable as ever. He's crawling now, which is a new development that occurred a week or two ago. He just *got it* one day. It was really awesome to watch. And now he pulls himself up on you a little bit and you can see him making the movements to try to push himself into a standing position from a crawl...so I don't think it will be long before he toddling all over the place. I am loving this age...he's so interactive, and still so sweet. He loves to get a good snuggle in the morning and when he's sad or frustrated. When he's winding down at night he likes to just sit on a lap and veg. Sometimes he can be a whiny pain, but it's rare and usually short-lived. Overall, he's an absolute joy and Ted and I still sit and stare at him in amazement.

In other news, as most of you know, we are expecting baby #2 in September and have recently found out that it's a GIRL, which we are thrilled about. We are quickly becoming a "unit," as Ted says, and we are very excited. Sure, we look at the bank account and wonder if it's all going to work out okay, but we're glad to be having them close together because I think they'll grow up to be great friends. I have an ultrasound today, so perhaps I will post some pictures of our little girl soon.

2009-04-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

Sacked.

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2009-02-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

Rolling!

Brind'Amour rolled over today on his own! I know it may not be big news to most people, but for some reason I'm so excited! He was on his back on our bed and I was drying my hair in the bathroom. He could hear me talking to him and wanted to see me, so he started turning his head in my direction (I was behind him) and just rolled himself over! He laid there looking at me for a few minutes before he completed the roll by untucking his arm from under him and Ted and I cheered for him when he made it the whole way. He kind of looked at us like "What now, crazies?"

We also took him to the park today and put him on the swings for the first time...he seemed to have a riot! Not only swinging, but looking at all of the other kids playing.

We had a dinner party the other night and he was terrified of all of our guests. It was really weird to see since he goes to daycare every day and sees new people there quite a bit. But as soon as anyone tried to pay him any attention last night he started crying. True, he's been sick and had had a rough day, and it was bedtime, but I have a feeling he's entering some sort of stage where he's not too keen on strangers. He cried when a nice old man tried to talk to him the other day at Home Depot too. I hope it will just be a phase...

So, that's it on this end...I'm so proud of our little guy! He's getting so big and strong!

2009-01-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Going on 5 Months:

January is coming to a close and that means that our little punker is going to be 5 months old soon! I think I've mentioned this before, but it's continuing to be true...it feels like we've known him forever. Time is flying by...but also seemingly slow. It's very odd. Anyway, the little guy is at the best stage yet. He's really animated and loves to giggle and smile--especially at Dad when he's being a goofball. Ted has some sure-fire ways to make Brind'Amour laugh...one being a pirate voice. He asks Brindy if he wants to be his "first mate" and gets a big dimple grin every time. It's hilarious. He's also enjoying his bouncing toy that Grandma and Grandpa B got him for Christmas. He goes nuts in that thing.

He's still sleeping pretty well at night, though he has gotten up the past couple of nights because he got himself caught in the corner of the crib. I don't know what the kid does...he must kick his legs like crazy and push himself up into the corner of the crib. I've found him like that 3 times now. And he doesn't cry, he just sort of yells out for a bit until we go in to check on him. And he always goes right back to sleep after a diaper change and a bottle, so that's pretty nice.

He's still enjoying his veggies--spaghetti squash, zucchini, and yellow squash are the favorites so far. We've been really busy lately and haven't established a good eating routine yet, but I usually try to get him some type of veggie at dinner. He's still drooling up a storm and gnawing on his fingers, but no teeth so far. He's also a chatty Cathy these days, babbling like crazy. It's so adorable to watch because he even has his eyebrows involved and you can tell his is telling you quite the tale. It will be amazing when actual words come out of his mouth one of these days!

In other news, Teddy is in his last full semester of grad school! If he can get everything done, he'll actually graduate this spring, but will have one more course to take in the first summer session. Yay Teddy! He'll be so happy when it's done...he has been so busy with the baby and schoolwork. It will be nice when he can just come home and relax.

Brindy through the weeks...(click to enlarge)

One of my recent favorites.

2009-01-10T16:26:00.001-08:00

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2009-01-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

4 Months!

The boy had his 4 month check up today and weighed in at a healthy, yet hefty 17 pounds. 90th percentile. That's my boy. He was a TROOPER and only cried for about 45 seconds after his shots and then was back to his old smiley self. He was extra snuggly tonight as a result which of course we don't mind one bit. He's snoozing away as I type...still sleeping well through the night. He goes to bed anywhere between 7 and 8 and sleeps until about 7am. It's so fabulous...

He's really animated now and totally knows where his hands are and how to get them in his mouth. He's smiley and drooly and simply adorable. He's been getting the hang of "dinner time" with the family. We put him in his high chair and give him some rice cereal and/or veggies while we eat dinner. It's quite fun...I'm really loving this "family" gig.

He loves to listen as I read him stories and is a big music fan. He'll be quick to tell you what music he doesn't like too (Van Halen is a sure fire way to make him scream). His favorite song (to be sung) is "Lollipop" and will make him smile every time. His favorite song to listen to is "LA Woman" by the Doors. Bless his heart.

Showing off his gams and his band-aids from today's traumatic doctor visit.

2009-01-02T06:14:00.001-08:00

The First Eating Session:

Brind'Amour will be 4 months old on January 4th and we've been dying to get him started on eating solids. When we got back from our Christmas trip we decided to let him have a whack at rice cereal. He's had it 3 times so far and is starting to get the hang of it! I'm looking forward to introducing him to new foods and watching his reaction. He's a trooper!

Wait for it...

Post-eating mess complete with crazy hair.

2008-12-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

End of the Year Roundup:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Had a baby. A BIG baby. I thought he was turning into a stone baby, but he was just fat.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? To be honest, I can't remember what my NYR was last year. This year Ted and I are embarking on the totally unoriginal "lose weight and stop eating crap" resolution.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Uhh. Me, myself, and I. Along with Jaime Alvarez. A billion people got pregnant in 2008 too. It was a fertile year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Not necessarily "close," but my Uncle Frank passed away.

5. What countries did you visit? Hmmmm. Just the US I guess.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A non-pregnant summmer. Skinny jeans. Other than that, life is pretty good.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Trip to Pensacola, FL in May just because it was fun and our last "just us" trip before the baby. August 27th, which was my due date, which came and went and made me want to cry. September 3rd, 2008...when I went into the hospital to be induced. September 4th was a horrific day with a wonderful ending. September 5th was a painful day. I also enjoyed Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with the new boy.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Geesh, I feel like I could answer "I had a baby" to so many of these questions. I was pretty proud of myself when all was said and done though. I had a baby. I pushed it out. It was hard, but I did it. The rest of the year I sort of just laid around. :)

9. What was your biggest failure? Gagging during birth. And yelling in pain. I wish I hadn't done those things.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? See above.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My laptop. And our new phones.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Ted has been an awesome husband, father, and best friend.

14. Where did most of your money go? Oh man, let's not talk about it. Baby clothes? Gadgets? There was some responsible spending in there somewhere, I swear.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Adorable baby clothes. Christmas. David Cook winning American Idol.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Ugh.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer in money, richer in life.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating junk.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With most of our family in NY.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I suppose I did.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Grey's, ER, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Little People, Big World. When I was pregnant, anything with babies. Now I'm digging Biography.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? What an awful question! There is no one that I truly HATE.

24. What was the best book you read? The Secret Life of Bees. I'm digging the Twilight series now.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Reel to Reel players.

26. What did you want and get? Everything.

27. What did you want and not get? Nothing.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Wall*E

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29. We went to see a comedian named John Pinette. Hilarious.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Nothing. It was a great year.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Elastic waistbands.

32. What kept you sane? Teddy.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I didn't really "fancy" anyone. After Hilary was out of the running I was pretty stoked about Obama.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Obama's election night speech. I've never been moved by anything in politics. That moved me.

35. Who did you miss? My grandparents, Tianne, Donald.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Cana.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. I learned how much my parents must have loved me when I was born. You can't really fathom it until you have one of your own. It was a pretty cool realization.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "When you walk the streets you will have no cares if you walk the lines and not the squares. As you go through life make this your goal: Watch the doughnut not the hole." ~Burl Ives

2008-12-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

Congrats Jaime and CJ!

Our friends Jaime and CJ have welcomed a son, Cooper Luis, to the world! Congrats guys!

2008-12-17T06:21:00.001-08:00

The Nappers

2008-12-10T09:48:00.001-08:00

Brind'Amour's Skills

Brind'Amour has been growing like a weed and it is so amazing to watch him change. He learns new things so quickly, but it seems like so long ago that he wasn't in control of his hands at all...but he's only 3 months old. It's really strange, this weird time warp that we are in. At any rate, he is able to grab purposefully now...when he wants to grab a rattle or toy, he will, when he wants to grab a blanket or your hand he will. He also tends to hold the bottle up to his mouth when he's eating too. The other day he had a kung fu grip on it and I totally couldn't get his fingers unwrapped from it. It was hilarious.

He's also babbling up a storm. One of his daycare "teachers" said yesterday that "he likes to eat and talk." One of the other babies started crying in his bouncer while I was there and I asked if Brind'Amour fusses much during the day. She said that, no, he doesn't fuss. "He looks at all the other kids like 'What's your deal? This isn't so hard.'" That cracked Ted and I up because it's totally him...pretty mellow little fellow.

He smiles every morning when we peek our head over the crib to wish him a good morning. It's rare that he cries when he wakes up. I'll just hear him in there talking to himself and when I check on him he's wide awake staring at his mobile and kicking his legs. During the week when we have to wake him up to get ready he makes some hilarious faces and may whimper a bit, but then he's back to his old smiley self.

Here's a video of him taken yesterday. He's showing off his skills...and his Christmas socks for Aunt Becky to see!

Brindy Shows Off His Skillz from Eilis B on Vimeo.

2008-12-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Let the Holidays Begin!

2008-12-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Giving Thanks and Such.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving this year...my side of the family was in town and we had a great time together. Ted and I haven't been with family for the past couple of Thanksgivings, so it was a nice change. And of course it was Brind'Amour's first Thanksgiving...and we are so thankful to have him in our lives!

We spent a lot of time just hanging around the house and being goofy. It was really great to see everyone and we are looking forward to heading home for Christmas to see more family and friends.

Hangin' with Dad
Just hangin'

With his cousin Bella

Laughing with Uncle Johnny

Grandpa W sings to him

The W-F-B Clan

2008-12-01T07:45:00.001-08:00

Brind'Amour can hold onto things now. And shake them.

2008-11-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

So much to be thankful for...

2008-11-24T08:20:00.001-08:00

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2008-11-24T06:28:00.000-08:00

Still Growing Over Here:

2008-11-17T14:34:00.001-08:00

I like to move it, move it from Eilis B on Vimeo.

2008-11-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks Babcie!

My mother just finished her two weeks of babysitting Brind'Amour and the two of them had a time together! Thanks for everything...we miss you already!

Commissioned Watercolor Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-11-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

Commissioned Watercolor Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-11-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

Brind'Amour Dances to the Classics:

He is so much fun!

2008-11-11T06:12:00.001-08:00

For Grandma A:

He looks so cute in the outfit you made him!

2008-11-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

13 Pounds of Love.

The boy had his 2 month check up today and is 13lbs 8oz of pure adorableness. He's in the 95th percentile for height and weight and has graduated to the 75th percentile for head circumference. He's meeting his developmental milestones and the doctor was pleased with what he saw...he's a healthy little guy. He also got his first shots today, poor thing. Ted and I were both able to be there today so we held his little hands and talked to him as the nurse stabbed him with needles that went "to the bone" per Ted's recollection. The little guy cried but took it all like a champ and was back to his old smiley self shortly after.

I can't believe how fast time goes and how big our little boy is getting:

Grandma W. is in town for two weeks and they are having a blast together! It's been gorgeous down here this week so they've been able to take walks and hang out in the yard. He's getting more and more animated these days and is really loving it when you talk and sing to him. It's a riot.

Playing with Grandma W.

Last but not least, a preview of how adorable holiday pictures are going to be:

Gotta love this kid...

2008-11-01T17:21:00.001-07:00

Our Little Caterpillar

Brind'Amour was a caterpillar for about 5 minutes last night. He was NOT diggin' on his costume, much to my dismay. But it's a good lesson in parenting...Halloween isn't always going to go as you had it in your mind...but it will be fun regardless.

We had to go with our back up "festive" outfit instead:

Ted's Dad and Step-Mom are in town this weekend and we all hit a hockey game today-Brind'Amour's second! He's getting so big and can hold his head up so well these days...it was much different than his first game when he was just a month old. He loved sitting on our laps and watching the lights this time...

2008-10-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall!

Love,

Eilis, Ted, and Brind'Amour

2008-10-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Giant 8 Week Old Baby

2008-10-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Grandma B.

Thanks to Maggie for spending two weeks with us and watching the boy while I transitioned back to work. They've been two peas in a pod...

2008-10-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Parenting.

Ted's Step-Mom Maggie is in town watching the boy while we work and she still can't get over seeing Ted as a Dad. We've been documenting a bit to show his father, 'cause apparently he won't believe it either.

2008-10-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

First Wedding Anniversary

Teddy and I were married one year yesterday! We celebrated by having a nice dinner at The Melting Pot, which is where Ted proposed. It was a great evening...and we both had chocolate fondue for the first time, which rocked our worlds. It's been a wonderful first year...

The Threesome

My Love and I

A shout out to Geri for saving the cake for us in her freezer all year!

Enjoying some wedding cake...it was actually really good still!

2008-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Back To Work.

I'm back at work today and thinking of the wee one. I took two pictures of him last night to print out and bring to work, but then I forgot to print them. So I'll post them so I can look at him. I miss him, but it's good to be back at work and using my brain. Thanks again to Grandma B for coming to town to watch him!

2008-10-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Making Up For Slacking.

As The Boy is getting bigger he spends less time sleeping during the day and I haven't been posting as regularly...but today I'm making up for it with some extra posts. Enjoy!

2008-10-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

The Professional Sleeper: A Boy After My Own Heart

Make sure you've got your volume up!

2008-10-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Diary of a Snuggler.

Ted's family was in town this weekend and Brind'Amour was in snuggle heaven. As you'll see, he slept most of the weekend and was quite content! Thanks to Grandma Pam, Great Grandma Norma, and Great Aunt Patti for coming to visit and keeping the boy occupied!

Four Generations

2008-10-08T06:05:00.001-07:00

The One Month Old Boy.

Brind'Amour was a month old on October 4th and we celebrated by packing him in the car and forcing him to sleep for hours on end as we drove to NY. He was a trooper though and we had a riot. Ted played in his alumni lacrosse game at Morrisville on Saturday...the old fogies beat the young whipper snappers 5-4!

Teddy in action

A picture with my favorite lacrosse player

Then it was a family fun-fest with a party at Ted's sister's house on Saturday and a party at my Mom's house on Sunday. Brind'Amour got to meet oodles of family members and had a great time snuggling with anyone that would have him.

With Grandpa B

With his cousin Amanda

Snuggling with Aunt Erin

With Great Aunt Mary

With Great Aunt Millie

Happy One Month Birthday Buddy! Thanks for letting us sleep! You're the best.

2008-10-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Snugglesaurus

The boy and I are up and out of bed earlier than "usual" today. I've got a lot I want to get done, but it seems Mr. Lazy Bones is wishing we were back in bed...

2008-09-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time and Other Photos

You're apparently supposed to put newborns on their tummy every day for "tummy time" to help them build the muscles in their necks. He gets frustrated, but looks adorable anyway!

Kickin' it in "tummy time"

All of that exercise wore him out. He's such a snuggler!

Guy Smiley

2008-09-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday!

2008-09-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Weekend Outing

First things first, a better look at Brind'Amour's outfit from the other day because it's so adorable I can't stand it:

Today was a fun family outing day. We packed the boy up and took him to a huge used book and music warehouse and then we went to dinner. He was a trooper!

Enjoying the din of the restaurant

The proud parents...

Some things will never change.

2008-09-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

A trip to Mom's Work:

I took Brind'Amour over to meet all of my co-workers today and we had a great time. It was fun to show off the little guy to all of the people that saw me carrying him the past 9 months!

All dressed up to show off at work!

2008-09-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Pictures for Grandma Pam!

2008-09-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

Ready For Work!

Brind'Amour is all dolled up in his scrub gear that Becky got him and ready to save some lives!

Time has been flying by over here! It seems like the day is half over by the time I can get in the shower and get dressed! Yesterday we took a trip to see Ted in his office and show the little guy off--he was a hit!

Other than that we've been hanging around doing housework and yard work. Ted did some great landscaping over the weekend and I planted some flowers, so the yard it looking pretty nice. The weather is starting to cool down to "tolerable" down here, so we're definitely more interested in being outside.

Grandma Pam is looking for some more pictures of the little guy, so I'll make a point to take some today to post. In the meantime, here's one from yesterday that we sent to Ted at the office:

Also, here's one that Ted wanted to send to one of his crazy friends:

"My Boy's First Kielbasa"

2008-09-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

First Bath

You're only allowed to give newborns sponge baths until their gross little umbilical stump falls off. Brind'Amour's finally came off a couple of days ago and so we finally were able to give him his first real bath tonight! He took it like a champ, though I figured he would as he has tolerated the sponge baths pretty well. He just sat in there staring at us as we tag teamed him with warm water and Burt's Bees baby wash. Then we got to wrap him in his little piggy towel to dry off. He was exhausted after the whole ordeal and is now sound asleep in his crib. Come to think of it, I'm pretty exhausted now too! Off to sleep...

2008-09-18T12:25:00.001-07:00

Totally Cruel or Totally Genius??

We think it's genius.

2008-09-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Baby Programming...

The big lug is 2 weeks old!! We call him "Stosh," a nickname given to him by my great Uncle Matt. When told his complex full name, Uncle Matt just wrote back in an email "We'll just call him Stosh." Everyone loved it...and he looks like a Stosh.

He was a Guy Smiley yesterday and I tried to catch him in action, but he was often too quick or too wiggly for a clear shot:

And this one was taken just moments ago:

Stosh Sleeps

We can't get enough of this little guy!

2008-09-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sent to Dad at Work Today:

2008-09-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

Shout Out to Grandpa B!

We saw these jammies and had to get them in honor of Grandpa B:

It says "To the Rescue" under the little fire truck. Too cute.

2008-09-15T09:14:00.001-07:00

Busy Weekend

We had a fabulously busy weekend! My sister flew into town on Friday afternoon and was finally able to meet the little guy. My brother lives down here, so it was great to have both of them around at the same time. Saturday morning we hit the Farmer's Market, which I can't believe I've never been to before! It's awesome!

Brind'Amour gets some R&R after searching endlessly for the perfect eggplants

We went to dinner on Saturday night which would have been smooth sailing if it didn't take so long to get a table and to get our food. By the time our food arrived it was time for feeding and diaper attention for the little one, which left me looking a little disheveled...but it was still great to get out of the house and get a little dolled up. Sunday we hung out by the pool and did some shopping, then had eggplant parmesan made from the eggplants I got at the Farmer's Market. All in all a great weekend--I was sad to see it end. This is my first full week home alone with the tyke...so far so good! He's still sleeping great at night, so I feel fairly rested, and he weighed in at 9lbs 6 ounces yesterday! Beefcake!

My boy and I

Aunt Dria finally gets to meet her new nephew

2008-09-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Brind'Amour Wakes Up!

This is EXACTLY what I look like first thing in the morning...

2008-09-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Almost 1 Week!!

It's hard to believe that a week ago right now I was preparing for the worst and greatest time of my life. The whole giving birth gig was pretty much the most difficult thing I've ever done, but never has pain been forgotten so quickly. Today was my first day home alone with my little guy and we've been busy beavers, starting with a nice walk this morning so Mom could get some exercise:

Then it was off to run some errands, and now we're back at home maxin' and relaxin.' His napping skills are inspiring...and this compliment comes from a "professional sleeper" herself!

And here's a shout out to Dad, who had to return to work today. We're looking forward to the weekend!

2008-09-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Day 6

It's hard to believe it was only a week ago that I was still very pregnant and on the way to the hospital to get the ball rolling. The time flies by...it seems like we've had this little guy home longer than just a few days. All is going well on this end. We're getting some good sleep the past couple of nights and the days are spent taking quick outings and starting at his mug. We had a professional photo shoot this morning and decided to take some pictures of him ourselves after it was over. I want to play around with them in photoshop when I get a chance, but here's a cute one:

We started using cloth diapers on Monday and things are going really well on that end. We came home with a few disposables from the hospital and had a few on hand that we had been given and had nothing but blow-outs and were not impressed. Now we're using Gerber Birds Eye prefold cloth diapers with Bumkins diaper covers and it rocks our world. Just as easy as disposables, as far as we're concerned and we're not changing as many sheets. :)

2008-09-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Inherited From Mom:

Crooked toes. Poor little guy.

2008-09-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Healthy As a Horse

We had an appointment this morning with the pediatrician to check on his weight and jaundice. They made both seem like he was teetering on "problem," so we've been a bit anxious over the past 24 hours and were getting nervous that he wasn't getting enough milk. I barely slept last night and I won't get into details, but let's just say my night involved two strippings of all sheets, blankets, and clothing from the baby, one unbelievably poopy diaper, and witnessing my son peeing in his own hair. This was all, of course, after his first sponge bath earlier in the night.

So fresh and so clean...

A-dor-able

At any rate, the big beefcake had gained 5 ounces and the pediatrician was actually surprised and impressed by how much he had gained. His jaundice is only mild, and coupled with his weight gain is not an issue at all. So we were able to breathe a sigh of relief and return home with the hopes of trying to get some sleep at some point during the day.

Home from the doctor

A shout out to the NC Medical Foundation!

Zonked.

2008-09-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Brind'Amour Gives a Shout Out to New York

We made this video the day after Brind'Amour was born in the hopes that we could post it for friends and family to get an action view of the little guy, but I was unable to get it uploaded at the hospital. Better late than never!

2008-09-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

Home!

The three of us finally got to come home today and it has been wonderful. It's a much more relaxing environment and we have spent the day settling in...

First Family Photo

Dressed to kill for the car ride home!

Brind'Amour and Mom

Ready to roll out...

Brind'Amour and Dad

In the cradle Grandpa W. made

Sacked out with Dad

Lovin' being home...

2008-09-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

Getting Reacquainted with 3 A.M.

It's after 3 a.m. and am wide awake while the two fellas are sleeping. Haven't seen this hour in a long time! Once college and PA school were over it was rare that I was up at this hour of the night...

There's been a request for some pictures of Brind'Amour in all of his leggy glory, and we were happy to oblige:

As you can imagine, one of his favorite things to do seems to be kicking himself out of his little burrito swaddles with those long legs. He doesn't like getting his diaper changed and is usually screaming bloody murder at this point in the process, but tonight was fairly content to just look around and stretch.

And here he is, freshly burritoed:

2008-09-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Brind'Amour: Day 2

All is well here at Camp Baby B. I've been discharged from the hospital, but little Brind'Amour has to stay another day. They've moved me to another room that we can stay in tonight, but are basically on our own. No more ringing for the nurse to bring some ice water...
I spiked a fever during labor and they drew blood cultures on the little guy to make sure he does not have an infection. It appears only cautionary at this point, as he has not had a fever or a white count, nor have I, and he is doing very well. If the blood cultures are negative in the morning, I expect we'll be able to take him home. I'm disappointed that we weren't able to go today, but at least they aren't making me drive to the hospital every 3 hours for feedings.

He's been a little sleeping burrito today, so there aren't many action shots to share, but there is plenty more to come once we get him home I'm sure! We have a video of him to post, but I haven't been able to upload it here at the hospital yet, so that will be coming soon too.

Thanks to all who have checked in and have been thinking of us...

2008-09-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

More Pictures!

2008-09-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Summing It All Up:

2008-08-28T10:59:00.001-07:00

Overdue.

2008-08-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Just discovered a fabulous blog called Grosgrain Fabulous. This very talented woman makes the most adorable outfits and gives them away...check her out! Apple Orchard Overalls Giveaway

2008-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Not Cool, Baby.

39 weeks today and still pregnant. Yesterday they threw around words like "Induction" and "At 41 Weeks," which means that nothing is happening and no one seems interested in holding their breath waiting. Which also means that I'm still pregnant and that the terrible pain I've been having seemingly has nothing to do with this baby preparing to make an appearance. I didn't know this was how it went. I figured I'd be a bit uncomfortable towards the end...tired and cranky mostly...and then I would start having pain and we'd get the bag and head to the hospital where I would have terrible horrible pain and then we'd have a baby. Not so, ladies! I have thought I was going into labor 4 times now, and basically this past weekend was spent in so much pain that I thought FOR SURE it was labor starting. So sure, in fact, that I contemplated calling my parents who are on standby and telling them to throw their suitcases and pills in the car and head on down south! But it was 7am, so I figured I'd let them sleep until I knew for sure and then I fell asleep finally and did not have a baby.

The point of my story? I'm still pregnant and it's starting to look like this may not be an August baby after all. I'm getting a sneaking suspicion that it will NEVER come out and will turn into one of those stone babies you see on the Discovery channel.

2008-08-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Latest.

38 weeks today and no baby yet. We're not talking about that anymore. Must. Concentrate. On. Something. Else.

So, some pictures of what we've been up to the past month or so:

We saw Dave Attell at the local comedy club and he was high-larious. We love this comedy club because if you go and have dinner before the show you get priority seating...in a super small venue. So basically you get to sit a few feet away from the comedian. It's so much fun.

Teague & Mindy

The T-Bone and I

I have also managed to pack my bag for the hospital, but not without the help of our inspector Mortimer. He made sure I had enough socks and undies and that I wasn't forgetting anything.

Thaaaaaat's pretty much it. At all other times I can be found on the couch eating watermelon or pacing the house in the middle of the night wishing for an early labor. But we're not talking about that anymore.

2008-07-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday T-Bone!

Ted's birthday was last week, so this post is a bit late, but I've been busy being lazy so I'm just getting to it. We had a nice evening and celebrated by going out to dinner. Ted really wanted a toaster oven and nothing is too good for my T-Bone, so a toaster oven he did receive. Since then we've been toasting everything we eat. :)

My baby-face hubby is another year older

I'm going to backtrack a little bit as well here...on July 12th we saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert. We saw them 2 years ago and it was one of the best concerts ever, so we had to go back to see them again this year. It was a good time, although I was definitely reaching the point of "I don't want to leave the house until this baby is out." I couldn't stand for long periods of time but figured it would be fine because we sat almost the entire time when we saw him last. It was a wild and crazy crowd this time around though and they all stood the entire time. So I sat on the blanket and clung to Ted's leg most of the night and caught glimpses of Tom on the big screens between people's torsos in front of me. I'm still glad we went though because they do totally rock. Every song is just so great!

Pregnant Weazie

We've been up to other things lately as well, but the couch is calling my name, so I'll save it for another post.

2008-07-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

Mug Shot

Can you make out the adorable face on this little creature?? 6 weeks left! 4 if I'm lucky!

2008-07-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Kids' Books that Rock.

My bag is not packed. There is no mattress in the crib. I only have 2 bottles. But damn it, the library is stocked. This week I'm obsessing about having all of the books I loved as a little kid on the shelves so we can read them to Baby B. I was looking at a bunch online today at work and my co-worker, who is my age, and I kept exclaiming over and over about the same books we loved. Here's a small taste of some of my favorites:

1. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

2. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel

3. Blueberries for Sal

4. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

5. The Amazing Bone

The list goes on and on! I'm so excited to read these again!

What were some of your favorite books as a kid??

2008-07-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's Not A Compliment, People.

The next person who tells me I look "puffy" gets a swift kick.

2008-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Stop Thief!

Ted (also known as "Captain Obsession") has apparently been wanting to get a copy of an old board game that he loved as a kid. I wasn't really aware of this quest until his precious copy arrived on the doorstep, courtesy of some Ebay sniping.

He was very excited to play a round and we brought it to Teague and Mindy's last weekend to see if we could entice them. True to Ted's word, it's a totally rad game and I feel myself becoming obsessed with it as well. We played again this weekend and had a riot. I hope everyone else had a great 4th of July!

2008-06-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Baby B Makes A Move!

Most of you probably were not aware, but Baby B has been breech for some time now. They say that they can flip themselves at any time, but I was starting to become concerned (and also secretly hoping there would be some need for a c-section and I could have the baby early. Terrible, I know, but the suspense is killing me). I had a lot of pain on Monday and thought that perhaps the baby was flipping itself around, but alas, when I had the girls scan me at work we noted that the baby was even more breech than usual with its butt way down where the head should be and its little legs all smushed up by its head, which was under my right diaphragm. This was 2 hours before my OB appointment, so I intended to ask when we should become concerned that this little person had not flipped around yet. The midwife examined me and did not mention any abnormalities, so I brought it up, stating that the baby is breech (which I had just seen with my own eyes).

"No it's not" she said, defiantly.

"Uhhhh, yes it is" I replied.

"No it's not" she insisted.

"Yes it is. I just saw it on ultrasound about 2 hours ago."

She poked and prodded my belly again and insisted that the head was not where I had just seen it.

I left thinking she was a nutjob and wondering if I really should just find another OB center (there have been a number of things that I've had problems with when dealing with them during this pregnancy).

For the record, Ted believed her and couldn't believe that I wouldn't believe her. I was siding with what I had seen with my own eyes, however, instead of what some woman claimed she could feel.

I was telling the story at work today with a nice hint of sarcasm in my voice indicating that I thought this lady was crazy for thinking that the baby wasn't breech.

"Let's look again today" said my co-worker in a "We can prove this lady wrong and laugh about it" tone.

As soon as the probe touched my belly? BAM! Head down. Not slightly down. Not sort of down. DOWN. Ready for travel.

So I guess the midwife knows what she's talking about after all. Oops. I'm glad I only picked on her behind her back. :)

And the good news? Baby B has finally made it into the correct position and I can stop obsessing over it and move on with my life.

9 weeks to go! Any guesses as to dates I'll deliver and whether it's a boy or a girl? Winner gets all time holding privileges whenever they are around the baby! Or wait, all time diaper changing privileges? Better yet, winner gets to pay for college! What fun!

2008-06-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Race For the Cure

Teddy had his race this morning and did great! We are in a "Code Red" air pollution situation down here due to the wildfire, but they went ahead with the race anyway (you couldn't smell or see the smoke at all today, despite the "code"). Ted rocked it out and finished strong...

Go Teddy!

Check out the lady next to him. Looks like she's glad it's over.

Re-hydratin'

Thanks to everyone who sponsored him! We had a great time and I'd like to run it with him next year.

It's a pretty big "to do" down here...thousands of people were there and they had all sorts of booths to walk around to and check out. One booth was giving away pink capes. Guess who had to have one? He's been wearing it all day.

As you can see, it was a fun day.

2008-05-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

3D Goodness.

Ted and I have been getting really excited over here. Even though there are 3 months left until the wee one's due date, we feel like we are in the homestretch and are spending more and more time lying around talking about what we think parenthood will be like. We had a 3D/4D ultrasound done today and got a really good look at the mug we've created. We're trying to decide whose nose that is and we're pretty sure that those lips are from neither one of us! Anyway, introducing Baby B in 3D. You can click on the pictures to make them larger. I think Ted said it best today when he said "There are three of us now." This is so neat.

2008-05-14T20:18:00.001-07:00

25 Weeks!

Here's the latest pictures and videos of the almost 2 pounder I'm growing. I'm getting kicked as I type this...probably with THIS LEG:

Okay, take my word for it: this is a little miniature version of Ted's leg. Look at the musculature! The shape! I swear I'm looking at one of T-Bone's gams. So cool.

A nice profile shot with a little arm up by the face.

This is video I took with my camera today. It's just like the profile picture above, but video of it. At the beginning you'll see the baby's mouth opening and closing...probably taking big drinks of amniotic fluid. Then she'll scan down and show the feet. Toward the end you'll see some movement and hear me comment about how I felt it. Good times.

2008-05-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Quilt Bindings are Torture.

I caught a sewing bug this weekend. I was reading some blogs online this past week and saw some really cute quilts that people had made. I ordered a book on machine quilting from Amazon, but then found seemingly simple quilt instructions in Amy Karol's "Bend the Rules Sewing" book that I had on hand. Mindy got me some adorable owl fabric for my birthday and I've been trying to think of a way to utilize it for the baby. Once I saw those quilts online I knew I had found my answer. I made a trip to Joanne's on Saturday and got the supplies I would need. The book also had a pattern for some baby bibs and I have tons of cute fabric lying around that was just the ticket, so I got the rest of the supplies I would need for those too.

I started off simple with the bibs. They were super easy to make and Ted had to finally tell me to stop for fear I would fill up the house with bibs. I figure you can never have enough bibs, however, so I'll probably make more in the near future. Behold:

Adorable, no?

I got rolling on the quilt soon after and was exclaiming about how much fun it was and how easy it was turning out to be! "I should have been quilting for years!" I would yell from my sewing area, to no one in particular. Then I got to the binding. Oi. The binding. I couldn't understand the directions in the book, but thought that I was on the right track. I finally got frustrated around 11:30pm and called it quits. I picked back up today and decided to do some research on the subject. I found more written instructions that made no sense. Then, I stumbled across a video from Expert Village that actually shows you how to do it. Eureka! But I realized I had done it ALL wrong and had to rip the whole thing off and start over. Since then I've been sticking myself with pins, burning myself with the iron, and cursing. It's still not a very well done binding, but it's done and I don't think it's half bad for my first try. I don't think I'll quit my day job though. :)

The finished product

A close up of the owl fabric Mindy got me

My favorite part! I made that big owl all by myself! I love him!

2008-05-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

The Getaway

When we found out I was pregnant in December we started planning our last getaway as a couple before the baby comes and ruins everything. Ted has been dying to take me to Pensacola, Florida because he used to live there and really loved it. We decided to take a long weekend trip and had been looking forward to it for months. Time was taken off from work, bags were packed, the gas tank was filled. I was just waiting for Ted to get home and throw his stuff in the back so we could head out. As we did a double check of the cats, we realized Mortimer hadn't been around in an hour or so. I saw him when I got home from work, but hadn't seen him since I had packed up the car. We started the house search, as he usually gets himself locked in a closet or hides under a bed. He was nowhere to be found. I had been closing the door as I went in and out packing the car, or so I thought. We checked the back yard, his usual hangout. No Morty. We tore the house apart. We drove around the neighborhood. We went into the woods in the back yard calling for him. We got the neighborhood kids involved. Still nothing. We had hoped to get on the road by 6pm with dreams of making it to Atlanta for the night. Around 8pm it was starting to get dark and we had no idea what else to do. After posting on the neighborhood web group that he was lost, calling the animal shelter, and leaving some provisions and instructions with our neighbors, we left town. I was really sad and felt so horrible knowing that it was me who left the door open enough for him to escape. Poor Ethel was crying for him when we left.

We made it to Atlanta at 2am, checked into a hotel, and got some shut eye. We both woke up with Morty on the brain but figured all we could do was wait. Just as we were getting on the road we got a call that he was found: he had made his way back home and was staring at Ethel through the back door window crying. Our neighbors scooped him up and returned him to his sister. We were so happy he was found and that we could stop worrying about the big lug.

Anyway, the point of my story? When we were in Pensacola we went to a book sale and found ourselves in the children's section. I picked up a random book to flip through it, and guess what page it opened up to?!

How hilarious is that? We cracked up.

Anyway, Pensacola! It was fabulous. We had such a great time hanging out together and just enjoying a little time away. We stayed at a gorgeous Victorian Bed & Breakfast, which I highly recommend if you are taking a trip like this sometime. We always stay in hotels and, though they are fine, there was something so much more satisfying and fun about staying at a B&B. The woman in charge was super nice and made a mean breakfast.

We kept ourselves busy the few days we were there: we went to the Naval Aviation Museum, the beach, a crawfish festival, out to lunch and dinner, a flea market, a book sale, took a walk on the pier and watched the fishermen, walked around downtown, met up with some of Ted's friends, and saw a movie. It was a really great trip. I'll leave you with some pictures:

Ted enjoys 3 pounds of crawfish. For real.

Sorry for the gross kissing picture, I just think this is so cute.

We loved this old school Pensacola Beach sign that greets you

For those of you bugging me for pregnant pictures, here's a "not so embarrassing" one. :)

T Bone on the beach

2008-04-19T15:56:00.001-07:00

John Pinette is Hilarious.

For my birthday we went to see John Pinette perform at our local comedy club. My sides hurt from laughing so hard. Ted and I remember him from his "Chinese Buffet" joke back in the day. He didn't even do that bit last night and we were rolling the entire hour. This comedy club is an awesome venue to see comedians because it is fairly small...we were about 10 feet from the stage...and John came out to the bar afterwards to sign DVDs and chat. He's is super friendly and was kind enough to take a picture with us, which I'll proudly display below. If you ever get a chance, be sure to see his show. He has quickly risen into my top 5 favorite comedians of all time.

Ted, John Pinette, Eilis

Eilis's birthday dinner

John Pinette: "Chinese Buffet"

2008-04-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Spoiled.

We have been getting an abundance of beautiful and thoughtful gifts for the baby in the past couple of months. Thanks to everyone who has thought of us! After a long debacle with my sewing machine I have finally finished hemming the curtains for the nursery and we are almost done putting it together. The one last thing I'd like to get is a nice fuzzy white rug, so I've got my eye out for that addition. We've added some wall stickers, the curtains, and a glider since our last photo session, so here's some updated pictures. It's nice and cozy and relaxing in there...I just spent some time in the glider looking out the window and it was very peaceful. Baby B was punching me while I rocked, so I think he/she was feeling at home as well.

My 29th birthday was yesterday and I was spoiled with more gifts for Ted and I and the baby. My family chipped in and got me the glider you see pictured above...thanks guys! In lieu of a card this year, my parents sent me my old newborn footprints from when I was born. They are framed and on display in the nursery...can't wait to compare feet with Baby B...though I'm really hoping that he/she has Ted's adorable box feet instead of my crooked toes. :)

You can also see some adorable knitted blankets that Ted's Mom made for the baby. There is nothing like those homemade gifts, you know? Thanks to Pam for all of her wonderful work. She also included an adorable sweater, hat, and booties for Baby B! Can't wait until he/she is here to wear them!

Ted's sister also surprised us recently with a package of cute outfits for the baby...including a shout out to the 'Cuse! Thanks Erin!

So, that's it on this end. I'm feeling the baby punching me all the time now, and Ted has even felt it! Pretty awesome. We're going to be 22 weeks on Wednesday. Over half way there!

2008-03-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

18 Weeks Down...

We had our anatomy scan on Tuesday and everything looks great with Baby B. Two eyes, two ears, a cute little button nose...all of the bits and pieces are in order. Ted came to this one with me and we had a riot watching the scan together...it's pretty amazing how the baby has grown. I'm getting quite the little belly at this point and it seems to be getting bigger by the day. The baby is about the size of a bell pepper and weighs half a pound at this point. It's crazy how much more growing still needs to be done and how far we've come already. I can't get over the profile shots. We can't wait to meet this little creature and steal that little button nose and squeeze that little chin!

This one is my favorite. There's the chin I'm raving about.

The 2D pictures are always a bit freaky looking. I'm in love with the second one, however. Doesn't it look like the baby has little goggles on and is geeking it out or something?

2008-03-22T20:02:00.003-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEEKEE!!

It's my best friend's 30th birthday today. I hope she's kicking up her heels...

2008-03-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Nursery!

Teaguer came down last week for a visit as well as to build a wall and door on the loft so it can function as a nursery. We had a riot and I can't believe how quickly he got it done. He was even a trooper and painted the room when he realized that I'm not good at doing trim. Thanks Teague! Anyway, Ted and I have been working all day getting things decorated and organized and are finally at a point where we can show some pictures. There are still some fine details we'd like to take care of, but need to wait for another payday to get the rest accomplished. Below are the progress pictures for your enjoyment. We go for another ultrasound this Tuesday...I'll be 18 weeks on Wednesday! It's all about maternity clothes these days...

A "Before" Shot

2008-03-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

I still have 5 more months of this?

Baby B is growing steadily and is getting more difficult to distinguish on ultrasound because not all of the parts fit on the screen at once! Here's a nice recording of the heartbeat--a healthy 145 beats per minute.

I ate a sugar cookie just before we did this ultrasound today and Baby B was on a sugar high moving all over the place. It's just amazing how big it's getting. Measured almost 9cm from head to butt...so add a bit more for the feet!

Apparently our baby is being delivered from outer space:

And is a giant...look at the size of that arm!:

And finally, something that truly resembles a baby:

Well, I'm in my second trimester now. 15 weeks along tomorrow and Baby B is right on track. In my case, it's true what they say: you start to get some energy back in the second trimester. Case in point: it's 8:23pm, and I'm still awake. Another example? I got on the treadmill Sunday for the first time since January. I'm so sore I can barely walk, but it did feel good to get some exercise. We went to Babies R Us on Saturday and started getting some ideas about what, in fact, the difference is between a "car seat" and an "infant carrier" and to try to figure out how to operate a stroller. It was pretty fun. I think we'll get the hang of it.

In other baby news, I got some test results back and it does not appear that baby B has any neural tube defects, so that's good. In bad news, the paint I ordered for the nursery looks more like "my old neon green windbreaker" than "Bok Choy." Hmmm. We appear to be back at square one in regards to room decor, which makes my nesting side go bonkers because I JUST WANT TO DECORATE ALREADY! The fam arrives on Friday, however, and Teaguer will be building the nursery wall/door, so that will be the biggest first step.

What else do we do with ourselves? We're still pretty much the same old Ted and Eilis, I just sleep more than usual. We have been laying low lately because I haven't felt the greatest and Ted has been super busy with school. We are starting to fill up our calendars with activities though.

2008-02-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Are You Sick of Baby Pictures Yet? You Better Buckle Up...

I know, I know, the kid's not even out of the womb. What can I say? We're excited over here! I had another doctor's appointment today with an ultrasound. This ultrasound tech was the coolest. She spent about 2 minutes taking the pictures I was there for and then about 30 minutes messing around showing me the baby from every angle possible. She was taking awesome 3D pictures which blew my mind...and then? She turns it up a notch with some 4D images...which are 3D pictures in live motion! I saw Baby B rockin' and rollin' and whatnot in there. It was so awesome. I tried to get her to let me take video on my phone but it's not allowed. T-Bone is totally jealous. BUT, she burned me a cd of about 30 images, some of which you can see below. Baby B is looking great and growing a mile a minute. Measuring right on time he/she was over 6cm long today! Crazy talk! I will be 12 weeks along tomorrow. Happy day!

2008-02-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Growing Like A Weed.

Baby B was rockin' and rollin' in there today. Ted says it looks like he/she is using a typewriter...he's already decided we have a novelist on our hands. You can see the wee one flick the umbilical cord a couple of times and then kick a foot out. Apparently my womb is good times. Who knew?

2008-01-26T19:41:00.001-08:00

Finally Off the Couch.

I finally got up off the couch long enough to put the leaves from our wedding in a scrapbook. As you may remember, in lieu of a guest book we had guests sign pretty paper leaves and write messages on them for us. We got really great results with wonderful messages from friends and family as well as a few hilarious ones from anonymous nutballs. It's going to be so fun to look back at these years from now and read them again.

2008-01-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

9 Week Old Prodigy

In the following video, taken today, you can see Baby B move his/her arms and head. How cool is that?? Wait for it...wait for it...it happens right at the end of the clip. The head is on the right side of your screen with arms and legs as you move to the left.

In this one you can distinctly see two little eyes peering at you. Borderline creepy? Yes. But oh so cool just the same. We're really growing something in there!
(We're really doin' it buddy!!--that's for Bek)

Here's a breakdown of what you are looking at:

I almost started crying when I saw those little arms move. I suppose that's not a good judge of emotion, however, because I cry when I hear a rap song with a good hook these days. :)
Kidding. We are so stoked over here.

2008-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Adorable!

My friend Becky sent me a belated National PA Week (October 6-12) present in the mail today. I was obviously not pregnant when she bought this, but it has arrived at the perfect time. How adorable?? It comes with a little pen so you can fill in the blanks. Love it! Thanks Bek!

2008-01-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Baby On Board!

Let's get up close and personal with my uterus, shall we? Ted and I have a "legume" growing. The new addition resembles an alien and is the size of a lentil bean. That little heart is going a mile a minute...as are ours.

2007-12-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Eilis's Daemon

2007-12-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Decorating Lot 152

I love Christmas. I love the music, the decorations, the gathering of friends and family, the symbolism. I love it all. Ted has a strict "no Christmas music or Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving" policy which I find quite reasonable. Once Thanksgiving is over, however, it's no holds barred. We got our Christmas tree on Friday night from a cute little nursery around the corner. We intended to tie it to the top of Ted's car like we did last year, but the guy offered to just drive it to our house for us since w were right around the corner. Sweet. We dragged all of the decorations out of our little storage attic and got to work. I was super excited to decorate our very first house together for our first married Christmas and I must admit it was everything I had hoped and dreamed. The house looks adorable and festive and we had a lot of fun listening to Christmas music and wrapping some presents to tuck under the tree.

Our fabulous little tree

We got a starter nativity set as a wedding gift and combined it with my Grandmother's old nativity pieces.

Inspector Morty makes sure the tree is within code this year.

I had the idea for a craft project about a month ago when I saw some really cute displays for a porch at Target. I had a feeling I could make them for a lot cheaper than the asking price, so I set up shop in the living room last night as we watched hockey and got to work. I used our old planters (which have been housing dead crispy flowers since this summer) and decorated them for Christmas. We also put out some simple white lights on the bushes and two trees in the front yard.

Starting my project

The finished project

Our cute front porch all decorated

Lot 152 all decked out!

We're having a Christmas party in a couple of weekends so I went all out decorating the inside of the house as well.

I hope everyone else is enjoying getting ready for the Christmas festivities!

2007-11-28T20:10:00.001-08:00

Depicting the Latest.

Here's an update as to what we've been up to lately...in picture form:

First of all, a few weeks ago Ted had a boys' trip to Myrtle Beach with his boyfriends from hockey. Those crazy cats decided that it was a "mustache required" event this year, so they all set out to grow a juicy 'stache. Ted hadn't shaved since the wedding, preferring to kick it with a full beard at work and then shave down to the mustache once he arrived in Myrtle Beach. Shave he did, and when he returned home on Sunday I couldn't help cracking up and snapping this shot. The 70's cop throwback sunglasses really complete the look, don't you think??

We rented a cabin in the mountains of Asheville, NC with our neighbors for Thanksgiving. It was rad--3 bedrooms, full kitchen, fireplace, big screen TV, and a hot tub. Sweet. We got up there Wednesday night and stayed until Sunday. No one wanted to leave and we even contemplated putting our deposit down for next year.

A view of the gorgeous scenery:

Sign on the door of the corner store:

We took a drive one day and came across this pretty overlook:

Ted enjoys reading the graffiti on signs and we all got a kick out of this particular nugget as we looked closer:

The weather was perfect fall weather...a sweater and light coat was perfect for being outdoors. We found a great place to hike and got some cute shots along the way:

When we weren't out exploring we were playing games. Board games? Yes. But mostly? Nintendo. Yup. Old school NES. Paul and I got to reminiscing about the old Power Pad and the Olympic Track Meet game. All that's left to say is that we happened upon a used video game store and I'm about $60.00 poorer. The Power Pad? 8 bucks. Deal of the century. It works like a charm too...except I think I've gotten a bit too old for these shenanigans as I seem to have thrown my back out doing hurdles...