Yesterday, when I wrote about how we're doing, I left out quite a crucial quarter of "we".
Daddy has been wonderful. He went back to full days at work about a week ago, while my mom was here.
He ended up doing Blake's first bath at home entirely by himself, while I took pictures. That was after I was the one complaining that she needed to be bathed.
He has really made sure that Hollie is getting the attention that she needs, taking her out for walks and trips to the park when she needs to let off steam.
Blake is so content with him. I can't let him hold her too long in the evenings, because she sleeps so well that she won't be tired at bedtime!
Without getting into the gory details, he has been gentle and endlessly supportive through my hormonal postpartum mood swings and new-mom-of-two worries.
Okay, done bragging. But really, he's the best.
Showing posts with label Daniel is the best. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel is the best. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Revise
So, we didn't leave this week. Now it's looking like May 19th at the latest (but possibly earlier).
We had a little scare - almost immediately after getting the green light to go on this trip, Daniel found out about a little wrench in the works that might prevent him from leaving Wichita. There's another project that might need him. Put a little damper on our excitement for a moment, but on the other hand - flattering that my husband is in such high demand at work! Anyways, it seems to have been worked out, and we've been told, again, that we are going to Seattle as planned...but there is a meeting next week to decide for certain what's going to happen. From what I understand, everyone's aware that this trip will be a great opportunity for him and they won't keep him here unless they really really need him.
So, after being given a 100% affirmative, an "out-of-the-blue" negative, and a 99.9% affirmative all in a short time, we're just going to sit tight and wait. It's been nerve-wracking at times, but thankfully it's in our nature (as a couple) to stay relaxed, wait and see, and make the best of whatever happens. But that doesn't mean that Daniel's been twiddling his thumbs. He's been hounding them to commit to travel and start dates and just make decisions about this...possibly relaying the stress he's been getting at home from a certain pregnant someone. Preliminary details (housing arrangements, new facility clearances, etc) are starting to fall into place, and he feels like these things wouldn't even be happening yet if he wasn't staying on top of it. He's taking care of us. :)
Whew! I know everyone who reads this has probably already heard it from us in person anyways, but still feels good to unload.
I've been keeping myself occupied by making mental packing checklists. Since we don't have to take furniture, it seems like we're actually bringing very little: clothing (for all four of us!), Hollie's toys and books, baby gear, stuff like that.
After a pleasantly short search for good OBs in the area, there are several so far that will be willing to see me. That's a huge weight off my shoulders.
Looking forward to a huge weight off my midsection, too! I was 32 weeks yesterday, and saw Dr. J earlier this week, for (hope I don't jinx it!) the second-to-last time. Everything is good, as usual, and baby's head seems to be down.
For a while now I've been having sciatic nerve pain that has been almost constant, but of course that pretty much comes with the territory and there's not much you can do about it, anyway, aside from taking Tylenol and applying heat. Always frustrating to me to be unable to fix the cause, and only treat the symptoms. However, I've found that sitting cross-legged and keep my back straight really helps...even reduces the pain for a few hours afterward!
The very bottom of my belly button is now out in the open, in case you were wondering. So cool. :)
<---Two new belly pictures up...
I haven't told you much about what Hollie's up to these days, and I will be sure to fix that. She continues to amaze us daily with the things she says and does.
Example: I gave her a bowl of blackberries for a snack. I usually stay with her when she's eating anything that could result in a bad stain (like blackberries), but this time I got distracted. Later I saw her without the bowl and freaked out, started running around the house, imagining an overturned bowl and blackberries smooshed into the carpet somewhere. Looked everywhere...couldn't find it. Don't know why I didn't just ask her where the bowl was.
She had put it in the sink.
We had a little scare - almost immediately after getting the green light to go on this trip, Daniel found out about a little wrench in the works that might prevent him from leaving Wichita. There's another project that might need him. Put a little damper on our excitement for a moment, but on the other hand - flattering that my husband is in such high demand at work! Anyways, it seems to have been worked out, and we've been told, again, that we are going to Seattle as planned...but there is a meeting next week to decide for certain what's going to happen. From what I understand, everyone's aware that this trip will be a great opportunity for him and they won't keep him here unless they really really need him.
So, after being given a 100% affirmative, an "out-of-the-blue" negative, and a 99.9% affirmative all in a short time, we're just going to sit tight and wait. It's been nerve-wracking at times, but thankfully it's in our nature (as a couple) to stay relaxed, wait and see, and make the best of whatever happens. But that doesn't mean that Daniel's been twiddling his thumbs. He's been hounding them to commit to travel and start dates and just make decisions about this...possibly relaying the stress he's been getting at home from a certain pregnant someone. Preliminary details (housing arrangements, new facility clearances, etc) are starting to fall into place, and he feels like these things wouldn't even be happening yet if he wasn't staying on top of it. He's taking care of us. :)
Whew! I know everyone who reads this has probably already heard it from us in person anyways, but still feels good to unload.
I've been keeping myself occupied by making mental packing checklists. Since we don't have to take furniture, it seems like we're actually bringing very little: clothing (for all four of us!), Hollie's toys and books, baby gear, stuff like that.
After a pleasantly short search for good OBs in the area, there are several so far that will be willing to see me. That's a huge weight off my shoulders.
Looking forward to a huge weight off my midsection, too! I was 32 weeks yesterday, and saw Dr. J earlier this week, for (hope I don't jinx it!) the second-to-last time. Everything is good, as usual, and baby's head seems to be down.
For a while now I've been having sciatic nerve pain that has been almost constant, but of course that pretty much comes with the territory and there's not much you can do about it, anyway, aside from taking Tylenol and applying heat. Always frustrating to me to be unable to fix the cause, and only treat the symptoms. However, I've found that sitting cross-legged and keep my back straight really helps...even reduces the pain for a few hours afterward!
The very bottom of my belly button is now out in the open, in case you were wondering. So cool. :)
<---Two new belly pictures up...
I haven't told you much about what Hollie's up to these days, and I will be sure to fix that. She continues to amaze us daily with the things she says and does.
Example: I gave her a bowl of blackberries for a snack. I usually stay with her when she's eating anything that could result in a bad stain (like blackberries), but this time I got distracted. Later I saw her without the bowl and freaked out, started running around the house, imagining an overturned bowl and blackberries smooshed into the carpet somewhere. Looked everywhere...couldn't find it. Don't know why I didn't just ask her where the bowl was.
She had put it in the sink.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Seattle
Remember when I talked about my head being somewhere else lately? I'm so excited to be able to write about it now.
We're relocating temporarily to Seattle. For five months. Leaving in a matter of weeks. As in, Daniel's leaving in two weeks, and Hollie and I will follow a week or so after that.
Yeah, we first heard of this great opportunity for Daniel's career only a few weeks ago. We're feeling spontaneous, adventurous... definitely more excited than stressed at this point (i.e.- it hasn't hit yet). I'm expecting panic to arrive any minute now. :) If at all, really. You might remember that we relocated about two months before Hollie was born, too...and that was a permanent move! It's just how we do it. When I get pregnant again, you can all start putting in your votes for where we go next!
We're so lucky that Daniel's company provides a nice relocation package for this kind of temporary move...flights (for all of us), furnished housing, a rental car, etc. It would certainly not be possible without that kind of help. The only part I'm kind of stressing about is finding a new OB. They all want to see your medical records before they decide how soon they'll be able to get you in, and if they'll see you at all. Already got the ball rolling on that though, so there's no reason that won't be squared away well before we arrive.
So...now there's forwarding addresses to provide, medical releases to sign, baby clothes and gear to pack up (nesting on a grand scale here!), utility turn-offs to schedule, yard work to hire out, and so on...
Speaking of yard work...
We have a new tree, and I'm proud to say it's doing beautifully! A Shumard Oak, if you were wondering.
Also, we finally started our garden a few days ago. Soon we will have onions, carrots and lettuce...we hope our neighbors thoroughly enjoy them while we're 1,800 miles away. Yeeeeah, we didn't really think that one through, did we?
Today, I saw my OB here in Wichita for my 30 week check-up, and broke the sad news that I won't be delivering here. He said I'm the second one this week to tell him that! Everything looks normal and right on schedule. I will see him again in two weeks...probably the last time. :( It figures...just when I find an OB I really like...!
I'm pretty sure baby's lying diagonally. I'm feeling the kicks on the right side under my ribs, and around my left hip. So silly. Big kicks, too...holy moly, this baby's trying to break free!
Two new belly pictures up! 29 weeks and 30 weeks.
Updates might be few and far between for awhile...but you're used to that by now, huh? I'll do my best.
We're relocating temporarily to Seattle. For five months. Leaving in a matter of weeks. As in, Daniel's leaving in two weeks, and Hollie and I will follow a week or so after that.
Yeah, we first heard of this great opportunity for Daniel's career only a few weeks ago. We're feeling spontaneous, adventurous... definitely more excited than stressed at this point (i.e.- it hasn't hit yet). I'm expecting panic to arrive any minute now. :) If at all, really. You might remember that we relocated about two months before Hollie was born, too...and that was a permanent move! It's just how we do it. When I get pregnant again, you can all start putting in your votes for where we go next!
We're so lucky that Daniel's company provides a nice relocation package for this kind of temporary move...flights (for all of us), furnished housing, a rental car, etc. It would certainly not be possible without that kind of help. The only part I'm kind of stressing about is finding a new OB. They all want to see your medical records before they decide how soon they'll be able to get you in, and if they'll see you at all. Already got the ball rolling on that though, so there's no reason that won't be squared away well before we arrive.
So...now there's forwarding addresses to provide, medical releases to sign, baby clothes and gear to pack up (nesting on a grand scale here!), utility turn-offs to schedule, yard work to hire out, and so on...
Speaking of yard work...
We have a new tree, and I'm proud to say it's doing beautifully! A Shumard Oak, if you were wondering.
Also, we finally started our garden a few days ago. Soon we will have onions, carrots and lettuce...we hope our neighbors thoroughly enjoy them while we're 1,800 miles away. Yeeeeah, we didn't really think that one through, did we?
Today, I saw my OB here in Wichita for my 30 week check-up, and broke the sad news that I won't be delivering here. He said I'm the second one this week to tell him that! Everything looks normal and right on schedule. I will see him again in two weeks...probably the last time. :( It figures...just when I find an OB I really like...!
I'm pretty sure baby's lying diagonally. I'm feeling the kicks on the right side under my ribs, and around my left hip. So silly. Big kicks, too...holy moly, this baby's trying to break free!
Two new belly pictures up! 29 weeks and 30 weeks.
Updates might be few and far between for awhile...but you're used to that by now, huh? I'll do my best.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Uncchris!
This has been the broken record playing in our house the past week. Daniel's brother Chris (Uncle Chris or Uncchris!) has come to see us for a little while before he starts a new job! Hollie adores him. She took a little while to warm up to him, especially since he arrived late (after bedtime) and when Hollie woke up in the morning she found him in the kitchen instead of her daddy, but ever since then she has been like a second shadow.
A few updates:
I'm feeling good. Big, but good. When I sit too long my legs start feeling super heavy (which I don't remember from last time), but getting out for walks and exercising as often as possible have been helping with that. And my back huuuurts...but what else is new, right? It's a brief, shooting pain...sometimes even when I put a foot wrong. Youch! I recently started feeling hungry all the time, which didn't happen until much later with Hollie (and when it did I put on weight fast), so I'm like, oh crap! I'm trying to have healthy snacks, or see if I'm actually just thirsty, or even just wait to see if the hunger goes away in a minute or two (which it does sometimes!)(not starving myself, don't worry). As far as I can tell, my weight gain has been right on track, so I'm thankful for that.
I guess the reason I haven't written at all lately is because my head has been somewhere else, and I can't write about our mundane family life when this kind of stuff is on my mind. Wish I could tell you more, but we're waiting to find out something definitive. All I want to do is sit by the phone and sweat bullets, but I have a toddler who pulls my attention away occasionally. Daniel has a great opportunity at work. If he doesn't get it (or decides not to take it) it's no big deal, so don't worry - we're not stressing over anything potentially bad. If it does happen and I get to tell you about it, then it will make sense why I'm going crazy over it.
Speaking of toddler, we've got a full-fledged one around here lately. Some days (becoming most days), man, Hollie will fight tooth and nail about something...anything...and then later, fight about the opposite. Like she really really really wants juice. And then she really really really wants water. Or NOOOO I don't want a shirt on!!! And then later NOOOO don't you DARE take my shirt off!!! Unfortunately, Daniel and I appear to be slow learners in this game. We've found that by being patient, catching her in the right mood at the right moment (some pre-planning on our part helps), not fighting fire with fire, and the big one - choosing our battles, we've been able to avoid the meltdown...sometimes. Still learning, yes, we are. The not-fighting-fire-with-fire and the not-staying-mad-after-tantrum's-over parts have been the toughest for me, but I feel like I'm learning a little everyday and making improvements (to my own mindset) one step at a time. I do have all the motivation in the world, after all. She is sooo loving, when she wants to be! She even pats your back when she gives a big hug...I love it!
Another big one - we've been making an effort to give her what she wants when she asks nicely (even if it's something that not ordinarily allowed)(but within reason). I guess that falls under choosing your battles. It's funny how we complain that her answer to everything is no-no-no! but sometimes we're just as bad. Hoping this strategy has some long-term effect. Also, we try to turn our no's into yes's: No, we're not going to have a bath now, but we're going to have one right after dinner. And 9 times out of 10, she does remember...and reminds you!
Toddlerhood really is amazing, though. She's become so demanding, but in a cute way! She completely takes the lead: tells you where to sit, what toy to hold, what to do with it, etc. She has a pretend blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, and one of her favorite things to do is have you lay down so she can put the cuff on you and "listen" to you everywhere! It blows my mind sometimes.
Another funny thing: when we're getting dinner ready, she sees all the food out and tells us she's hungry (hungee!), and we tell her don't worry, dinner will be ready soon! Then she immediately climbs up in her chair, buckles herself in, and tells us about every 30 seconds that she ready to eat (ready eat!).
Her speech is growing in leaps and bounds. Starting to string words together and everything! However, she does tend to repeat things without really knowing what they mean, so it's tough to really gauge what she knows. She also tends to use the same pronunciation for similar words, like monkey and blanket (mankie) and kitchen and chicken (just chicken, but ending with -on instead of -en: chick-ON!). Her counting has taken two steps forward and one step back...she started repeating "one" and then weeks later added "two" (and she would sing "one-two-one-two-one-two!") and just recently added "three"...except that now sometimes it's "two-three-one"! Uh-oh. She knows and recognizes the music of Glee, one of our favorite TV shows (she calls is gee!). The soundtrack for season one is the most requested CD in our collection! Yeah, we might be kind of proud of that. :)
If we're talking about more traditional kids' music, The Itsy-Bitsy Spider song (neebee spider) is her favorite, with the hand motions, of course. Second favorite would be the Elmo song (youtube video here), rewritten to include Hollie's song, Mommy's song, Daddy's song, and lately Uncchris's song. She will start singing that one all on her own!
Long update! I will try to write more often. I did add a new belly photo last week, and I'll have another one tomorrow (27 weeks!).
I've got it stuck in my head now: la-la la-la, la-la, la-la, Hollie's song...
A few updates:
I'm feeling good. Big, but good. When I sit too long my legs start feeling super heavy (which I don't remember from last time), but getting out for walks and exercising as often as possible have been helping with that. And my back huuuurts...but what else is new, right? It's a brief, shooting pain...sometimes even when I put a foot wrong. Youch! I recently started feeling hungry all the time, which didn't happen until much later with Hollie (and when it did I put on weight fast), so I'm like, oh crap! I'm trying to have healthy snacks, or see if I'm actually just thirsty, or even just wait to see if the hunger goes away in a minute or two (which it does sometimes!)(not starving myself, don't worry). As far as I can tell, my weight gain has been right on track, so I'm thankful for that.
I guess the reason I haven't written at all lately is because my head has been somewhere else, and I can't write about our mundane family life when this kind of stuff is on my mind. Wish I could tell you more, but we're waiting to find out something definitive. All I want to do is sit by the phone and sweat bullets, but I have a toddler who pulls my attention away occasionally. Daniel has a great opportunity at work. If he doesn't get it (or decides not to take it) it's no big deal, so don't worry - we're not stressing over anything potentially bad. If it does happen and I get to tell you about it, then it will make sense why I'm going crazy over it.
Speaking of toddler, we've got a full-fledged one around here lately. Some days (becoming most days), man, Hollie will fight tooth and nail about something...anything...and then later, fight about the opposite. Like she really really really wants juice. And then she really really really wants water. Or NOOOO I don't want a shirt on!!! And then later NOOOO don't you DARE take my shirt off!!! Unfortunately, Daniel and I appear to be slow learners in this game. We've found that by being patient, catching her in the right mood at the right moment (some pre-planning on our part helps), not fighting fire with fire, and the big one - choosing our battles, we've been able to avoid the meltdown...sometimes. Still learning, yes, we are. The not-fighting-fire-with-fire and the not-staying-mad-after-tantrum's-over parts have been the toughest for me, but I feel like I'm learning a little everyday and making improvements (to my own mindset) one step at a time. I do have all the motivation in the world, after all. She is sooo loving, when she wants to be! She even pats your back when she gives a big hug...I love it!
Another big one - we've been making an effort to give her what she wants when she asks nicely (even if it's something that not ordinarily allowed)(but within reason). I guess that falls under choosing your battles. It's funny how we complain that her answer to everything is no-no-no! but sometimes we're just as bad. Hoping this strategy has some long-term effect. Also, we try to turn our no's into yes's: No, we're not going to have a bath now, but we're going to have one right after dinner. And 9 times out of 10, she does remember...and reminds you!
Toddlerhood really is amazing, though. She's become so demanding, but in a cute way! She completely takes the lead: tells you where to sit, what toy to hold, what to do with it, etc. She has a pretend blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, and one of her favorite things to do is have you lay down so she can put the cuff on you and "listen" to you everywhere! It blows my mind sometimes.
Another funny thing: when we're getting dinner ready, she sees all the food out and tells us she's hungry (hungee!), and we tell her don't worry, dinner will be ready soon! Then she immediately climbs up in her chair, buckles herself in, and tells us about every 30 seconds that she ready to eat (ready eat!).
Her speech is growing in leaps and bounds. Starting to string words together and everything! However, she does tend to repeat things without really knowing what they mean, so it's tough to really gauge what she knows. She also tends to use the same pronunciation for similar words, like monkey and blanket (mankie) and kitchen and chicken (just chicken, but ending with -on instead of -en: chick-ON!). Her counting has taken two steps forward and one step back...she started repeating "one" and then weeks later added "two" (and she would sing "one-two-one-two-one-two!") and just recently added "three"...except that now sometimes it's "two-three-one"! Uh-oh. She knows and recognizes the music of Glee, one of our favorite TV shows (she calls is gee!). The soundtrack for season one is the most requested CD in our collection! Yeah, we might be kind of proud of that. :)
If we're talking about more traditional kids' music, The Itsy-Bitsy Spider song (neebee spider) is her favorite, with the hand motions, of course. Second favorite would be the Elmo song (youtube video here), rewritten to include Hollie's song, Mommy's song, Daddy's song, and lately Uncchris's song. She will start singing that one all on her own!
Long update! I will try to write more often. I did add a new belly photo last week, and I'll have another one tomorrow (27 weeks!).
I've got it stuck in my head now: la-la la-la, la-la, la-la, Hollie's song...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
How cruel of me
...to tell you we've been having fun, and there are even pictures...and then disappear for a week and a half.
Other newfound skills include:
There have been epic technical difficulties, which you have to ask Daniel about because I don't have a clue. It only impacted me because we lost the use of our hard drive (got everything off first, don't worry) while we used an old laptop for internet usage in the meantime. But we are, along with our new hard drive and half a dozen other computer bits which we apparently needed (yep, talk to Dan), back in business and I have my photos again (yay!).
There's a new photo over there,
<-----
and I don't even have a good excuse for why I took it four days late, either.
And now, Miss Chocolate-face...
[still good]
Are you wondering if we have the world's tallest almost-two-year-old? Nope. Just an almost-two-year-old with a brand new stool...
New favorite hobby: rearranging (and closely examining) the silverware.
Other newfound skills include:
- Washing her hands. At first she always wanted like a gallon of soap in each hand, but after I tried to show her that we only use this much, she decided she doesn't want to use any at all. She loves looking in the mirror. She plays a solo version of peekaboo by crouching down on the stool and jumping up, saying "kah-boo!"
- Turning on all the lights and fans in the house.
- Using a fork to stab all the fruit in the bowl on the counter, repeatedly. This has only happened twice, thankfully. Both times she gave up and brought me the fruit, and told me she was "hungee".
Friday, February 4, 2011
More snow, 19 week belly, and...the haircut!
Nice, huh? The last one wasn't nearly as windy, allowing for a short outdoor excursion. This one had the 40 mph winds, and snow drifting around like sand.
For some unfathomable reason, Hollie got upset that we weren't going out in this.
Took this the next morning, when the sun finally came out. The wind had been coming from the left, really hard, hence the awesome snowdrift.
19 weeks (yesterday)! It's in the slideshow, too.
Yikes, I need to clean that mirror.
And last Sunday, this happened...
After Hollie's bath, we put on "Horton Hears A Who", which none of us have seen, but I figured there would be enough animated silliness to keep her entranced.
And Dad got to work...
Thank goodness he works quickly, because after about five minutes Horton became less interesting than
Momma-with-a-camera!!!
I was determined to get an "after" picture, but Hollie was determined to not let than happen.
So instead we got these...
I tried again the next morning at breakfast, but that wasn't happening either.
So, I got a good picture the only way I know how...
...while she napped.
:)
It came out really really cute. I told Daniel I want him to cut my hair now, too! I'm really glad we decided to do it ourselves instead of taking her somewhere.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Very last Christmas photos!!!
I did it!
Merry Christmas.
---------------------------------------------
Merry Christmas.
Waiting patiently
Another new Christmas tradition:
Pepere reads "The Gas We Pass"
The girls and their Abuelita
<3
(and their Parmesan??)
Yay! Perfect.
(too bad it took 10 minutes to get one with Hollie's thumb out of her mouth!)
...and by that point they were leeeeaning!
So after all that, gift-opening commenced, and the camera was set down somewhere and forgotten about. You can imagine. Hollie had to play with each gift before opening another, so it would have taken all day had we not helped her along! And we really didn't have all day, because that same afternoon we hopped a plane for...
...Phoenix! Quite a change of scenery. As we stepped off the plane, I think all three of us took a simultaneous deep breath of the cool, dry air, and our lungs cleared as the allergies we'd been battling the past five days just disappeared.
But not really. While we were there, we would occasionally have a good cough, and say, "Sorry, I'm still getting Portland out of my chest!" We loved Oregon, but we're just not used to all that green-ness.
PHX kept us pretty busy, as usual. It's still home to us in many ways, so over our four-day stay, there were a million restaurants to revisit (a few, twice - In N Out!), thousand friends to catch up with, and beautiful warm weather to enjoy, not to mention Christmas dinner, which was postponed a day just for us (thanks again Mom!) and Daniel's birthday (24 - holy moly!). Poor guy had to make his own cake: tres leches (yummmm)!
Okay, no more parentheses (I promise).
Unfortunately, the camera got taken out a grand total of ONE time while we were there. I took what would have been a beautiful photo of my dad and Hollie lying outside in the hammock, but it just didn't turn out. Sorry, Dad. :(
So, by the end, we were ready to be home. Hollie did great on all the flights, even, I might add, on the way home when Mr. Grinch's nasty-wastier twin sister happened to be sitting in the row in front of us. I'm not gonna give you the whole story here. Got a little bruise on my mama heart, and someday when I can stop kicking myself for not giving that woman a piece of my mind, then we'll be able to laugh about it. And maybe wonder if she regrets what she said - who knows?
Sorry to end on that note! Really, we brushed it off and we're okay :)
---------------------------------------------
In other news...we did Hollie's FIRST HAIRCUT last night and it was a beautiful success! There are pictures, but I hear little lady waking up from her nap, so watch for those...later.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
More Christmas photos
I think one more post after this one will just about "wrap up" (haha!) the Christmas photos. If I get it done before the end of January, that's still respectable, right?
So, we had a belated birthday celebration for Daniel's mom, Abuelita, which consisted of an original song written and performed by her three sons...a complete surprise - for her!
They came up from the basement one by one...
(this is how they normally dress...I promise)
So, we had a belated birthday celebration for Daniel's mom, Abuelita, which consisted of an original song written and performed by her three sons...a complete surprise - for her!
They came up from the basement one by one...
(this is how they normally dress...I promise)
Our favorite...but we're biased. :)
Somewhat nervous (but intrigued) audience.
Solo!
The birthday girl herself!
Soliciting donations...typical!
One of them was a little more peristent!
Afterward, as per [new] Christmas Eve tradition, the girls each opened one gift...
Christmas pj's...to be worn the next morning! Thank you Aunt Bekah :)
----------------------------------
Sorry for the absence of pregnancy updates. Over just the last few days I think I have felt a few little kicks! I feel like since this is my second pregnancy I should remember exactly what it feels like, but at this point they are so few and far between, and nothing more than tiny nudges, so I have to wonder if they're not just gas. I know that if it's the real thing, it won't be long before they're unmistakable. I'll be at 18 weeks tomorrow, so it's about time!
I love the second trimester. :) Nausea disappeared after Christmas, and my appetite is great. I'm a little tired, and my back hurts, and I haven't been sleeping well, but all "minor" complaints (haha...minor as in baby...is that too much of a stretch?).
We have an appointment with our OB and our first ultrasound tomorrow! I'll be letting you know how it goes...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Details
So...we're pregnant! It feels great!
When we were pregnant with Hollie...wow...is there any bigger shock than a surprise first pregnancy two seconds after you get home from the honeymoon? Looking back, I think we were pretty much in that state of shock until the moment she was born, and then we said well okay, here we go, and slid easily into parent life. Maybe we got a little excited about it toward the end of the pregnancy, but in the back of your mind is still this horrifying sense of your life being turned upside-down and saying goodbye, at twenty-one, to all the fun and freedom of young adulthood.
Sorry, I shouldn't talk about it like that (we obviously fell head-over-heels for Hollie and haven't looked back). It's just that the contrast between that pregnancy and this one could not be greater. We're excited to be excited about this! We're a family now and it's working for us, and we can't wait to add to the mix.
So...it feels great. Except for a few things...
Morning sickness. I got up to about week 7 or so without feeling sick at all, until BOOM, I'm suddenly losing my dinner. Prescription zofran in helping, and my appetite is coming back. I still have this slight queasiness that's pretty much constant, but at least I can function.
I am tired. Wiped out. All the time. Poor Hollie is has been so patient but I know sometimes she gets bored to tears, and then this happens...
Occasionally I get these little bursts of energy, and I run to the store for some groceries and get Hollie out for a walk and put away some laundry and some dishes and clean the house up a little, and then collapse.
I know everyone always wants to know what pregnancy women are craving, so here you go:
Buffalo wings (just took a break to go get some...I'm back now, and typing with my pinkies)
Cheetos
Ice cream
Onion rings
That's pretty much it. Can't wait to get some energy (and appetite for healthy foods) back in the second trimester...
I don't know if Hollie senses what's happening or what, but she has become very interested in my belly. She always wants to lift my shirt to see it, and touch it, and even kiss it. Daniel tried to tell her that there's a baby in there, so sometimes she points to it and says "baby!" but I don't know if she really understands. She will, soon enough.
Daniel has been incredibly helpful. When Hollie wakes up early, he makes breakfast for her before he leaves for work, to give me time to shower, because I cannot do anything in the morning until I shower. So far he's been obliging my cravings for really unhealthy dinners. He's the best. :)
We went to see our new OB, Dr. J., at 8 weeks. He didn't want to try and get a heartbeat yet (it might still be too early), but after a quick feel of my belly he said, "Well, something's growing in there!" He is an older guy, pretty laid-back, and he flat-out told me that he won't induce my unless he sees a real need to, and I'll be in control of my labor. He said (more or less), "Heck, you can run laps, get in the bath, squat in a corner and meditate, or you can get an epidural and watch TV, whatever you want." He's a little strange, but I like him.
That's all for now! We go back to the OB at 12 weeks, so we'll update then, if not sooner.
Also, see this edit to my last post...
When we were pregnant with Hollie...wow...is there any bigger shock than a surprise first pregnancy two seconds after you get home from the honeymoon? Looking back, I think we were pretty much in that state of shock until the moment she was born, and then we said well okay, here we go, and slid easily into parent life. Maybe we got a little excited about it toward the end of the pregnancy, but in the back of your mind is still this horrifying sense of your life being turned upside-down and saying goodbye, at twenty-one, to all the fun and freedom of young adulthood.
Sorry, I shouldn't talk about it like that (we obviously fell head-over-heels for Hollie and haven't looked back). It's just that the contrast between that pregnancy and this one could not be greater. We're excited to be excited about this! We're a family now and it's working for us, and we can't wait to add to the mix.
So...it feels great. Except for a few things...
Morning sickness. I got up to about week 7 or so without feeling sick at all, until BOOM, I'm suddenly losing my dinner. Prescription zofran in helping, and my appetite is coming back. I still have this slight queasiness that's pretty much constant, but at least I can function.
I am tired. Wiped out. All the time. Poor Hollie is has been so patient but I know sometimes she gets bored to tears, and then this happens...
Occasionally I get these little bursts of energy, and I run to the store for some groceries and get Hollie out for a walk and put away some laundry and some dishes and clean the house up a little, and then collapse.
I know everyone always wants to know what pregnancy women are craving, so here you go:
Buffalo wings (just took a break to go get some...I'm back now, and typing with my pinkies)
Cheetos
Ice cream
Onion rings
That's pretty much it. Can't wait to get some energy (and appetite for healthy foods) back in the second trimester...
I don't know if Hollie senses what's happening or what, but she has become very interested in my belly. She always wants to lift my shirt to see it, and touch it, and even kiss it. Daniel tried to tell her that there's a baby in there, so sometimes she points to it and says "baby!" but I don't know if she really understands. She will, soon enough.
Daniel has been incredibly helpful. When Hollie wakes up early, he makes breakfast for her before he leaves for work, to give me time to shower, because I cannot do anything in the morning until I shower. So far he's been obliging my cravings for really unhealthy dinners. He's the best. :)
We went to see our new OB, Dr. J., at 8 weeks. He didn't want to try and get a heartbeat yet (it might still be too early), but after a quick feel of my belly he said, "Well, something's growing in there!" He is an older guy, pretty laid-back, and he flat-out told me that he won't induce my unless he sees a real need to, and I'll be in control of my labor. He said (more or less), "Heck, you can run laps, get in the bath, squat in a corner and meditate, or you can get an epidural and watch TV, whatever you want." He's a little strange, but I like him.
That's all for now! We go back to the OB at 12 weeks, so we'll update then, if not sooner.
Also, see this edit to my last post...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Speaking of...
...everything.
Hollie's been a little talking machine! It has happened very gradually, but over a fairly short time (a couple of weeks or so). The first few were...
Baby - pronounced correctly now (as opposed to then) but with the most unbelievably cute inflection.
More - just mo. Still accompanied by her sign language.
Bath - her most favorite activity lately, especially since we started using the shower at the end to rinse her hair (the cup of water over the head routine was just not cool). Pronounced bah or bass.
Uh-oh - when she or anyone else drops something, also adorable (and with spot-on pronunciation)
Some others are...
Plane - she is always on the look-out for planes when we're outside, and there are plenty to see, what with a few aircraft companies plus an air force base practically in our backyard. Pronounced bay or bane.
Birds - always watching for birds too! Abuelita helped figure this one out...it sounds like bus.
Bye-bye - always with a little wave. So cute!
Ducks - quack
Eyes - oz
Belly/belly button, Book, and Bear - all of these are generally just a "b" sound followed by a random syllable. Hard to distinguish from baby, bath, bird, and bye-bye (I think she likes b words).
and our favorite...
No - nonononononononono!
I love it!
And I promise to try to get some of these on video soon.
Also, Daniel and I started dating five years ago today. <3
Hollie's been a little talking machine! It has happened very gradually, but over a fairly short time (a couple of weeks or so). The first few were...
Baby - pronounced correctly now (as opposed to then) but with the most unbelievably cute inflection.
More - just mo. Still accompanied by her sign language.
Bath - her most favorite activity lately, especially since we started using the shower at the end to rinse her hair (the cup of water over the head routine was just not cool). Pronounced bah or bass.
Uh-oh - when she or anyone else drops something, also adorable (and with spot-on pronunciation)
Some others are...
Plane - she is always on the look-out for planes when we're outside, and there are plenty to see, what with a few aircraft companies plus an air force base practically in our backyard. Pronounced bay or bane.
Birds - always watching for birds too! Abuelita helped figure this one out...it sounds like bus.
Bye-bye - always with a little wave. So cute!
Ducks - quack
Eyes - oz
Belly/belly button, Book, and Bear - all of these are generally just a "b" sound followed by a random syllable. Hard to distinguish from baby, bath, bird, and bye-bye (I think she likes b words).
and our favorite...
No - nonononononononono!
I love it!
And I promise to try to get some of these on video soon.
Also, Daniel and I started dating five years ago today. <3
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Nerds and power tools
Daniel is good at bowling. Really good - he bowled for his high school varsity bowling team and he was kind of the team captain. He knows about lane patterns and finger grips and he can make the ball do that magic curve halfway down the lane like a pro.
I, on the other hand, took bowling as a summer class in high school to get out of regular phys-ed. I'm not what you'd call...good at sports. Or anything requiring more coordination than showering. But I figured, hey, bowling is inside in the air-conditioning, and mostly based on luck anyways, right? Plus any class that lasts six weeks rather than a whole semester is fine by me. I finished that class satisfied that I had dodged the PE requirement, and certain that I would never bowl again for the rest of my life. Seriously. Most awkward sport ever.
Ever since he and I met, I have not been able to give up teasing him for his choice of nerdy, awkward hobby (never mind the fact that we were both in college marching band). This hasn't been enough to keep him from doing bowling leagues and weekend tournaments because apparently there are a LOT of people in Wichita who love bowling (need more proof there's nothing to do in Wichita?).
Anyways. This weekend was another such one-day tournament. I would have gone to watch, but Hollie wanted a nap instead, and refused to be reasoned with (I admit I didn't try very hard).
Out of 37 participants, Daniel came in...
FIFTH!!!
I've abruptly gone from teasing to the proudest wife in history. This is so cool!!! It doesn't hurt that he won a little money, too. But that's beside the point. :)
Honestly, though, it's nothing less than I expected. ;)
You're wondering, what does this have to do with power tools? Nothing, but I do have something to say about them. Daniel did something cool this weekend, and so did I.
Back story - We're in the process of finishing our basement. When we moved in, there were walls framed in, and some of the electrical work was done, but that was it. We're going to have a contractor help us out with the bathroom and installing some carpet, but we are doing a lot ourselves.
Actually, Daniel is doing a lot of it himself. So far my only contribution has been going to Lowe's with him a few times. I felt really bad about this, because when he's home he's rather be relaxing, and here I am itching to help out. But he's the one who knows how to use tools and what kind of wood we need and which walls are load-bearing and all of that, and for most tasks it would take just as long to explain to me as it would to just do it himself.
This weekend I finally got to do something. And yes, it involved power tools. I got to measure eleven (11!) two-by-fours to various lengths and cut them using a circular saw. Oh my goodness, it was fun!
Never mind that this afternoon I realized I had measured three of them incorrectly and cut them too short. I called Daniel at work and told him my mistake, but he said he could fix it.
Honestly, though, it's nothing less than I expected. ;)
I, on the other hand, took bowling as a summer class in high school to get out of regular phys-ed. I'm not what you'd call...good at sports. Or anything requiring more coordination than showering. But I figured, hey, bowling is inside in the air-conditioning, and mostly based on luck anyways, right? Plus any class that lasts six weeks rather than a whole semester is fine by me. I finished that class satisfied that I had dodged the PE requirement, and certain that I would never bowl again for the rest of my life. Seriously. Most awkward sport ever.
Ever since he and I met, I have not been able to give up teasing him for his choice of nerdy, awkward hobby (never mind the fact that we were both in college marching band). This hasn't been enough to keep him from doing bowling leagues and weekend tournaments because apparently there are a LOT of people in Wichita who love bowling (need more proof there's nothing to do in Wichita?).
Anyways. This weekend was another such one-day tournament. I would have gone to watch, but Hollie wanted a nap instead, and refused to be reasoned with (I admit I didn't try very hard).
Out of 37 participants, Daniel came in...
FIFTH!!!
I've abruptly gone from teasing to the proudest wife in history. This is so cool!!! It doesn't hurt that he won a little money, too. But that's beside the point. :)
Honestly, though, it's nothing less than I expected. ;)
You're wondering, what does this have to do with power tools? Nothing, but I do have something to say about them. Daniel did something cool this weekend, and so did I.
Back story - We're in the process of finishing our basement. When we moved in, there were walls framed in, and some of the electrical work was done, but that was it. We're going to have a contractor help us out with the bathroom and installing some carpet, but we are doing a lot ourselves.
Actually, Daniel is doing a lot of it himself. So far my only contribution has been going to Lowe's with him a few times. I felt really bad about this, because when he's home he's rather be relaxing, and here I am itching to help out. But he's the one who knows how to use tools and what kind of wood we need and which walls are load-bearing and all of that, and for most tasks it would take just as long to explain to me as it would to just do it himself.
This weekend I finally got to do something. And yes, it involved power tools. I got to measure eleven (11!) two-by-fours to various lengths and cut them using a circular saw. Oh my goodness, it was fun!
Never mind that this afternoon I realized I had measured three of them incorrectly and cut them too short. I called Daniel at work and told him my mistake, but he said he could fix it.
Honestly, though, it's nothing less than I expected. ;)
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