Oh the weather outside is frightful

We're leaving for Bethesda tonight for Christmas and while I'll try to make one final post before 2009 concludes, these days, I make no promises.

The Harvills (north) survived the first "blizzard of the century" from last week. After two days of waiting, Joel and I estimate that we got about 9-11 inches of snow which doesn't really qualify as a blizzard in my book. For Connecticut winters, it was nothing major to us. We paid some guys to shovel our driveway, we made a fire and thanks to our new Jeep, we weren't even locked in the house for too long.

We did have our first Cosby kids moment with Brice during the snowstorm. My parents sent us spiffy new snow pants for Brice so we figured we'd test them out by taking him out in the snow. My theory has always been that I dress my kids as I dress myself. For snowy conditions, this means pants, socks, snow pants, long sleeved shirt, sweater, jacket, gloves, hat and boots. I really feel for people who live in chilly conditions year round with children. It took me and Joel approximately 30 minutes to get Brice into his various layers and then it took another 15 minutes of me, sitting in the floor with my back up against a wall and Joel pushing with all of his might to get my snow boots on. How I manage to be swollen when its 10 degrees outside is beyond me. So, we finally got Brice out into the snow, made it halfway around the block and he started to cry. His nose was running, his cheeks were rosy and he was clearly not happy. By the time we got back to the house, he was hysterical. Its amazing how it can take 30 minutes to get a kid fully dressed and only take 30 seconds to get them back down to a diaper. As soon as he was back in the warmth in normal clothes, he was happy again. Joel made it all better by taking him in the bubble bath with the jets on. Brice is definitely my child. He could have played in the tub all day!

I had my 32-week check up appointment with Dr. Pendyala on Monday. We've tentatively scheduled the c-section for Monday, February 8 although I could go into labor earlier or an emergency could push us back. Regardless, its nice to have an end date to look forward to and as of this Monday, we'll have 6 weeks to go until we meet baby H2. The 50-day mark never looked to good! I miraculously gained another 3lbs putting me at parity to where I was with Brice at the 32-week mark. I guess the weeks of throwing up that I suffered through during the start of this pregnancy were no match for my keen ability to eat and gain. Sigh. I lost the weight once and I guess I'll have to do it again! Otherwise, we listened to H2's heartbeat (fast and strong), measured my belly (perfect) and scheduled our last ultrasound for January 20. Its weird to think that I'm in the home stretch now and that we'll be a family of four in just over one month.

Last night we drove up to Brewster to pick up our new car. A shiny used Ford Edge! Woo hoo! We are now a 2-SUV family. The Ford is only on lease to us for one year so by next Christmas, we'll determine what our needs really are. All I know is, I'm happy to be getting rid of the Saab. While it was my favorite car to drive from a sportiness perspective, it sure is uncomfortable to sit in with this damn belly in my way.

When we got home last night, Graciela was waiting for us to tell us the bad news. The gutter in our TV room had frozen and created a dam of ice. The melting ice and snow had nowhere to go so instead of running down the gutter and into the yard, it was running over the side of the gutter, into our window and all over our floor. The entire sliding door looked like a waterfall and had already soaked through the floor mat and several towels. Joel once again donned 35 layers of clothing, grabbed the ladder and went out into the ice and snow with a hammer and a chisel to attempt to remove the block of ice from our gutter. Ah, the joys of home ownership are never-ending.

So, we're outta here tonight. As I've mentioned on Facebook, I am praying for the following:

• Brice sleeps the entire car ride
• We can find a Wendys or a McDonalds with luke warm (at least) french fries
• By some miracle, I am able to hold my bladder for longer than 30 minutes at a clip, otherwise I fear Joel will make me attempt to pee in a Gatorade bottle (long standing Happy Harvill joke).

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas or Happy Festivus (for the rest of us) and may your nog be eggy, your stocking runneth over and your canes be made of candy!

We've come a long way, baby.

Joel and I took Brice for his one-year check-up with Dr. Lialios on Monday. He weighed in at 26lbs and was 31.5 inches long, putting him between 90-95th percentile for both height and weight. We saw the nice curve on Brice's growth chart, which let us know that he's pretty much remained consistent in his growth throughout the year. We were given the go ahead to start the transition from formula to whole milk (yay!). Dr. Lialios also recommended that we give Brice the swine flu shot as the children that he had seen to date that had been given Tamiflu to combat the swine flu were coming back at a high rate with pnemonia and bronchitis or other issues. So, minor hysteria from Brice and a few minutes later and our child had his two shots and we were on our way with our next checkup scheduled for early March.

We brought Brice home, dropped him off with Graciela and headed off to work. When I arrived home around 5:30 p.m., I sent Joel and text message letting him know I was feeling a little nauseous and I asked him to come home quickly to help with Brice. The waves of nausea came and went, and I was able to keep food down despite a couple of close calls. Joel put Brice to bed and we took up our normal places on the couch for some Monday Night Football-watching.

At around 10:30pm, we heard it. The lights on our baby monitor lit up and then we started hearing loud, bizarre noises coming from Brice's room. Since I was sitting and these days it takes me about 10 minutes to get to my feet, Joel went to investigate. I stayed comfy and assumed that it was just a bad dream and our little guy would be back to sleep in a few minutes. Then, I heard Joel's voice thru the monitor.

"Mommy, we're going to need your help in here. Throw up central."

Ugh. Let me just note that my child is not a puker. He was never a big spitter-upper (except for some reason whenever people were dressed in expensive suits or coats). The last time he spit-up was when he was still predominantly taking the bottle and some purees, so the liquid is relatively easy and painless to clean up. Not the case anymore. I went in and we found Brice pretty much covered in vomit. His blankets, sheets, pajamas... everything needed to be changed. He was hysterical and scared. Joel and I undressed Brice and he took the little man into our bedroom to try to calm him down while I filled the laundry basket with the soiled items and did the first in a series of laundry runs for that evening. We re-pj'ed him, gave him a little water and I snuggled with him in bed while Joel went upstairs to get some rest. We thought the worst was over... how wrong we were.

At about 2:00 a.m., Brice started to get restless again. He pulled his binky out and started rolling around. I thought that maybe he was hungry, so I grabbed his bottle. He took about an ounce or two and the proceeded to throw up again, this time all over my pillow, up my arm and down my leg. By the time I got him out of bed and into the bathroom we were both totally covered. Brice was less scared this time around and when I put him down on the bathroom floor, he quickly stood up, grabbed his favorite new toy - the electric toothbrush - and started to play. I'll admit, that after his pukey-ness, I wasn't going to stop him from brushing his teeth! I got us both undressed and called to Joel to come help take the sheets and pillows off the bed. Laundry run #2.

Joel suggested that I take Brice upstairs. We were quickly running out of places to sleep! We both put on new pjs and I brought him upstairs and put him down in the bed. Within five minutes, I recognized the tell tale signs. Binky came out, hands started thrashing around. With my pregnant and yet extraordinarily cat-like reflexes, I grabbed Brice and ran him into the bathroom before he spewed, Exorcist style, all over me. If nothing more, I was getting pretty good at this. I brought him back downstairs, changed us both again and brought him over to the couch where at this point, Joel was sleeping with both of our dogs.


It was now 3:00 a.m. Joel commented that I had a piece of green bean in my hair and we both laughed with exhaustion as we realized I hadn't eaten green beans. I sat down on the couch, put my poor baby on my belly and snuggled him tight until he fell asleep. Joel fell asleep. The dogs passed out. I sat there, awaiting the next puke-fest. I sat there until 6:00 a.m. with Brice asleep on me. At that point, I woke Joel up, handed our little guy over and passed out for an hour.

By 7:00 a.m. he seemed to be back to normal. No fever, no more puking and ready to play. Joel and I gave one another a wink as we realized that we had somehow survived the night without yelling, fighting or freaking out. We tolerated the sleep deprivation like champs. The last year had transformed us from novices into true parents, ready and willing to accept any challenge at any hour. I will admit, that over the last few weeks I've been lying awake nights wondering how we were going to manage with Brice and a new baby, but our capabilities demonstrated put many of my concerns to rest. Sure, I'm certain we'll have a tense moment (or year) as we try to figure out how to manage two children but I've got to give it up to the Happy Harvills. We've come a long way, baby.

Some updated photos

It has been awhile since I posted any photos. Here's a sneak preview of the Happy Harvill holiday card photo. Yes, I use my child to hide my 30 week bump! Thanks to Meredith for snapping this one on Brice's first birthday!

Another family photo down by our beach. Brice is practicing his serious face.

Doing what he does best: messing with the dogs and making funny faces.

Another one from Brice's first birthday. I can't believe how big my little man is!

Orange you glad I didn't say sheet cake?

I went to the doctor on Friday for my 30 week update. Instead of seeing Dr. Pendyala, per usual, I went to Dr. Garratano. The office policy is that during a pregnancy, you have to see more than one doctor. I figured, since the 30 week appointment is typically a non-event, I would use this one to check the box and see someone else in the practice.

I'll admit, I'm a pretty easy patient. I don't ask many questions, I don't have many concerns. Despite my ease, Dr. Garratano did NOT make a good first impression. My appointment was slated for 10:20. It was Brice's birthday, so I figured I'd be in and out and we could continue our day of lunching, playing and celebrating. I arrived at 10:10 to check in. By 10:30, the nurse brought me back to do the routine. Pee in a cup, check my weight (up 6lbs in four weeks?!?) and check my blood pressure (low and steady, as usual). The nurse told me the doctor would be right in to see me. And then I waited... and waited... and waited. I read People magazine, and American Baby and Good Housekeeping. I checked my blackberry. I reorganized my purse. At 11am, the nurse returned to tell me that the doctor would be with me. Didn't she do that thirty minutes ago? I read Vogue from June. I sent emails.

Finally at 11:20, Dr. Garratano arrived. An hour late. She quickly flipped through my file. She listened to H2's heartbeat. "Active baby!" She said. Thanks genius. I couldn't tell that she was active from the eleventy billion bladder punches I sustain on a daily basis.

"I think she's feet down," she said with a look of displeasure.
"I'm having another c-section. It doesn't really matter," I said.
"She can always turn," Dr. Garratano responded.
"Yeah, I figured that considering I still have 9 weeks to go." Was this woman for real?

She asked if I had taken my glucose test. "Yes, last month. I passed. I failed the one hour with Brice so I'm happy!" She responded, "You're up 6lbs in 4 weeks and this time you don't have a glucose intolerance to blame. Time to get the weight under control. What's your weakness?" I thought about it. My weakness? Shoes? Mani/pedis? Looking at real estate I can't afford? I responded, "Oranges. I've been eating about five a day. My son loves them so we share." I was proud. She gave a quick tsk-tsk under her breath like I was a five-year-old getting caught with my hand in the cookie jar. "If you don't want to gain 50lbs like you did the first time around, I recommend putting down the fruit and picking up a cheeseburger."

Seriously? Here I was thinking I was being good. Aside from my morning bagel, I pretty much stayed off the carbs. I hadn't even baked a single sheet cake this time around! I ate low fat frozen yogurt for crying out loud. You are an hour late to see me and now you're going to take away the one yummy item that I've been enjoying and replace it with cheeseburgers? For a brief minute I envisioned myself rolling up the outdated Vogue and whacking the doc across the head.

I regained my self control and nodded. "I'll lay off the fruit," I said. "We'll see you in two weeks," she responded as she ushered me out of the room. The entire meeting had lasted approximately five minutes. I walked out to the receptionist and told her that I needed an appointment in two weeks. "With Dr. Garratano?" she asked. "Dr. Pendyala," I responded with a smile.

I finally made it home as Joel, Brice and his sister were returning from a trip to Costco. They were unpacking the car and as I came around to help, Joel handed me a crate of clementines. "Your favorite!" He was so proud of himself for picking up oranges for me. "Got any cheeseburgers in there?" I asked. Sigh. I just can't win.

A letter to my son on his (almost) birthday

Dear Brice,

Tomorrow morning when you wake up, I'm going to come into your room, sit you down on my lap and tell you the story of what happened the day that you were born. In case you don't feel like listening, I decided to write it down for you as well.

December 4, 2008 was a cold day and despite the chill, when the alarm went off your father and I nearly sprung out of bed with excitement. Somehow we were able to get sleep the night before. I'm still not really sure how. We knew we would be meeting you that day. Daddy cleaned up a little bit around the house while I took a shower, got dressed, blew my hair dry and put on makeup. I wanted to make sure that I looked perfect when we first saw one another. Once we were ready, we grabbed a pillow, kissed Shamus and Lucy goodbye and headed off in the car to the hospital. The sun was just coming up creating a beautiful pink hue on the horizon and there was frost on the ground.

We walked into the labor and delivery section of the hospital, let the nurses know that we were there for a c-section and they led us down the hall to a room. We passed a couple of women in labor along the way and daddy and I gave one another a quick hi-five because we knew that we had made the right decision. The nurses made me change into a gown and they hooked me up to a machine so that they could monitor your heartbeat. Even then we knew you were so active! The nurses also gave daddy a funny outfit to wear over his clothes. It was tight and we were worried that if he bent over, he would split it right down the backside!

Finally, Dr. Pendyala came in and told us that were ready to go. They had me walk down the hall to the operating room. They asked daddy to wait outside while they gave me the epidural. I guess the were afraid he might faint! My tummy and legs started to numb and they put up a screen so I couldn't see what they were doing. Daddy was allowed to join me and he had a beautiful photo album with him. They started the c-section and we looked at pictures from when we first met, our vacations, our wedding and of course, pictures of Shamus and Lucy.

Dr. Pendyala told Joel to get the camera ready and all of a sudden, we heard your first mighty cry. It was the most wonderful sound in the whole world. She brought you around the screen so that I could see you. You were big and pink and perfect and from that first moment, I was so in love. You were born at 8:10 a.m. and you weighed 8lbs, 14oz. The nurses took you to get you cleaned up and the doctors finished the procedure. I told daddy to go with you to the nursery and he did. He looked so proud and I could see tears in his eyes.

The doctors brought me in to the recovery room for an hour, where I rested and waited impatiently to see you again. Finally they said that the room was ready and they wheeled me down the hall. We stopped in front of a button on the wall and the nurse instructed me to push it. When I did, it played nursery music for the whole hospital so that everyone would know that a baby had been born. They brought me to our room and then a few minutes later they brought you in. It was so nice to hold you. You were all bundled up in blankets and you just snuggled in very tight. I still remember you looking up at me with your big, brown eyes and you sighed. My heart was filled with joy and pride and I just wanted to hug you and never let you go.

Since that chilly day last year, you have grown up so much and have learned so many things. You have turned into a sweet little boy. I fall in love again every time I hear you laugh, see you smile, watch you interact with the dogs or other kids. I revel in your love for music and to watch you dance is the true definition of joy. I know that every parent must think this, but I truly believe that you are a very smart little boy. From 9 months old you were walking. These days you can kick the soccer ball by yourself. You are a wonderful sharer and are always offering toys, bites of food and kisses. You have learned to share your dinner with the dogs which has resulted in my newly painted wall being covered with cheese, carrots and pasta sauce. The dogs have gained about 10lbs each. My favorite time is when you snuggle on the couch. You seem to love watching football as its the only moment when you sit still. You can't get enough of bubbles. We blow bubbles in the kitchen almost every night when I get home from work. Our floor is perpetually sticky as a result. You are mesmerized by your daddy and I can see you growing up to be a fine and respectable man, just like him. You talk a a lot and seem to understand even more. My favorite thing to hear you say is, "mom."

So, my sweet boy, I wish you a very Happy First Birthday! I can't wait to see what this next year holds in store for us Happy Harvills. I love you with all of my heart.

Love,
Mom

We survived Thanksgiving and Brice's First Birthday Party...

...and all I got was this lousy t-shirt. Just kidding. We had a great long weekend.

Last year at this time, we were preparing for my c-section and the birth of baby Brice. For Thanksgiving, Simon, Joel and I ordered some food from Boston Market and sat around on the couch watching football and playing video games. We didn't want company and quite frankly, at 38 weeks pregnant, I couldn't really travel anywhere. One week later, Brice was born. That night may have been the last "quiet and relaxing" evening we would have... ever.

Fast forward to this year. At 29 weeks pregnant, Thanksgiving was a little bit different. My parents and my brother, Steven, came to stay at the Harvill household and we were joined by George and AJ, who stayed in a hotel nearby. My sister, Allyson, hosted and my other sister, Jill, traveled in from London with Andy and baby Grace. Eric's parents, sister, his sister's husband and sister's husband's parents also joined. Oh, and did I mention it was also my nephew, Zach's 17th birthday? Needless to say with the birthdays and the babies, we had a lot of celebrating to do.

I have to report that despite the criticism and threats to have the Westport fire department on standby, Joel and George's Cajun deep fried turkey was a major hit (and no eyebrows were lost during the cooking process). Its amazing what men can do with a deep fryer and gallons of peanut oil.

The day after Thanksgiving, we celebrated Brice's first birthday since our families were in town. We had 35 people at our house including six kids under 3. The bagels, etc. were a huge hit with the crowd that was still working to digest the previous night's turkey dinner and I still giggle when I think of everyone walking around with blue teeth due to my selection of turquoise cupcake frosting. Brice cried hysterically through the singing of "Happy Birthday" which only made me and Joel laugh harder as we were not surprised at all. Needless to say, the second everyone left, he happily played with all of his new loot. To date, his favorite toys seem to be the music table from Aunt AJ, the singing helicopter from Graciela and of course, the Winnie the Pooh card that plays the Winnie the Pooh song (Joel and I attempted to download it off iTunes this morning because we know the birthday card battery will only last so long!).

Now we're gearing up for Elaine and Meredith to arrive on Thursday. They'll be spending Brice's actual first birthday with us on Friday. I'm thinking we need to do something special... lunch out? A trip with the family to the Children's Museum? An extra long bubble bath? We'll see what the day holds in store for us.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm still having a difficult time grasping the fact that my little boy is one. Where did the year go? I fear that I'll close my eyes for a brief second and Brice will be in kindergarten. Another blink and he'll be graduating from high school. Blink again and he's moving to some faraway city for his first job. Part of me wants to put him in a little shoebox in the hopes that he'll stay little and innocent forever. This morning, Joel and I couldn't help but laugh when I asked Brice for a kiss and he responded by chomping down on the tip of my nose.

The other side of me can't wait to see what an amazing man Brice will grow up to become. Graciela told me yesterday that while they were at the library for singalong time, several of the kids, including Brice, were playing with a set of Thomas trains. Apparently a "fight" ensued between a couple of the other one-ish year olds. Graciela beamed as she told me that Brice picked up one train and handed it to one boy, then picked up another to hand to a little girl and then sat down to play with the remaining train himself. Perhaps a future career with the U.N.? Maybe a hockey referee? Who knows. Needless to say, the story made me very, very proud. Brice got extra chicken nuggets for dinner :)

Tarzan Boy and The Trimester That Time Forgot

Its been awhile since I've written so I thought I owed an update on all of the recent Brice and H2 happenings.

We had a WONDERFUL Halloween. Brice dressed up as a lion in the costume given to us by Fro and George, Joel's parents' neighbors. I was shocked and astounded at the fact that he loved the outfit. He hung out with cousin Lila (who was dressed as a very pretty ladybug) for a bit before heading back to our house for trick-or-treating. Brice actually did the entire loop with Joel and a bunch of our neighbors as the older kids got candy. I think Brice was just excited to be along for the ride. I stayed back at the house to give out candy and believe it or not, we went through the enormous amount of candy that we had by 8:30 pm.

At eleven months, Brice is now walking like a crazy man. He still likes to hold my hand as he goes, but its more for security than necessity. He walks back and forth across the room unassisted and "cruises" all of our furniture like he's playing a game of Hot Lava.

His other big development is that he figured out how to pull up in his crib. He was in the dark (no pun intended) on this for awhile, so Joel and I had avoided lowering the crib because its hard for me to reach in with this baby belly in the way. On Monday, I heard a loud noise at about 2am. Joel went to go and check on the dogs and I went to Brice's room to see what was going on. What I found was Brice, standing up in the corner of his crib with both hands clutching his curtains and one foot on the top bar of the crib. He looked like he was getting ready to Tarzan his way onto the floor. Needless to say, by 8am his crib was lowered all the way to the ground. Now I basically need to chuck him in after his bottle since I can't reach the mattress! Last night I sang Brice a couple of lyrics from the song "Tarzan Boy." Perhaps I have an idea for next year's Halloween costume?

Our little guy is also quite the talker. He's constantly babbling and its very fun to have pretend conversations with him. I wish there was a way to translate so that I could know what he was talking about. Joel and I taught him how to laugh like The Count from Sesame Street (ah, ah, ah) so now we do that about a million times a day. I keep trying to get him to say "dog" but I think we're a long way off from that. For now, Shamus and Lucy will just have to know to come whenever they hear a series of raspberry type noises or a shout of BA-BA-BA!

In H2 news, I had a great 26 week check up with Dr. Pendyala. Our little girlie's heart rate was 150, my blood pressure was low and my belly measured right as it should. I somehow managed to miraculously pass my one hour glucose test as well (the lemon/lime flavor is only mildly better in taste than the orange). The one shock was when I got on the scale! Up ten pounds in only six weeks. Yikes! I knew the weight was going to come on at some point, but I was surprised to see it that high. I'm hopeful that I can keep it under control to avoid another 50lb total, as I had with Brice. I'm getting uncomfortable but overall, I feel pretty good. I looked at the calendar this morning and I realized that I am now just about 27 weeks (as of tomorrow) and am officially in the third trimester or "The Trimester That Time Forgot." I know that the next 13 weeks will DRAG by at a snails pace as it becomes increasingly difficult to shave my nether regions, keep myself from peeing in my pants and catch my breath as I walk up a simple flight of stairs. For now, I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving followed by Brice's first birthday party and the myriad of holiday milestones that are upcoming. I've already talked to Dr. Pendyala about scheduling the c-section for February 8, so hopefully we can get that on the calendar!

I promise to post some photos and videos this evening!

Order returns. My child sleeps. Bloodbath at work. 24 weeks.

Its a cryptic rhyming title of this week's blog, but its so true.

Our home renovation projects are finally coming to a close. I'll post some pics tonight of the progress we've made and I have to say, it really looks wonderful. The bathroom is all fresh and clean with new paint, tile, tub, vanity and mirror (and our plumber even fixed the leaky pipe today). The kitchen got new paint, tile, floor, lighting and cabinets (and as of tonight, we should have our sink back). The painter is painting. The built-ins are... well... built in. Its amazing how personalizing our house ties us to it more and more. In the beginning, Joel and I were keenly aware of all of the things that were wrong with it. The kitchen was just a mess. We knew the people that lived there previously hadn't cared much for upkeep or cleanliness. They weren't handy. They weren't in for the long haul. Now, I'm happy to say that our house feels like home. Ahhhhhhh.

Brice continues to grow like a weed. We've completely taken him off the baby food purees (except for the peaches... he really likes them) and now he eats pretty much whatever we eat. Last night he had chicken, rice, peas, mandarin oranges, half an English muffin, a couple of animal crackers and an 8oz bottle. He slept from 7:30-5:30, woke up for a quick bottle and then passed out again until 8am. I love it. He's very talkative now too. Obviously he's not using real words but his babble is just totally lovable and hilarious. Oftentimes, Joel and I wake up to Brice talking to his toys in his crib. I wonder what sort of crazy story he's telling them. I'm sure it has something to do with wrangling Lucy and giving her big kisses (he's a little obsessed these days).

Work has been...interesting. We'd heard rumors of layoffs coming for a few weeks now and yesterday, the ax fell. Today it continues as HR calls people in to conference rooms one by one to tell them their fate. We've lost four fabulous people from our communications team thus far and we've heard that more are coming for other teams around the organization. The sad thing is, there is no apparent rhyme or reason. The layoffs are not related to poor performance, poor attitude or poor standing within the company. They just are. I guess that's the new economy for you. I'm taking the advice of our former colleague before HR called him. "Keep working, keep your head down and pray."

And in Baby H2 news, we've hit the 24 week mark. Yay for viability. At 24 weeks, a baby has a chance of surviving outside of the womb in the event of premature labor or some other incident. It's a good milestone to reach. One of my co-workers gave birth to her daughter at 27 weeks. From the photos, her little girl looks like a very rambunctious child. I'm feeling good overall. Just tired. I'm not sure if that's pregnancy related or if it has to do with the stresses of work and home reno. Needless to say, I'm ready for a weekend when I can just kick back, snuggle with my two favorite men and relax.

I promise to put up some pics this weekend!

23 Week Update

How far along? 23 weeks exactly
Total weight gain: According to my doc, I'm up somewhere between 14 and 16lbs. She was very pleased as I was up 25lbs at this point with Brice. I'm sure that the ballooning effect will take place momentarily.
Maternity clothes? Yes. With Brice, I managed to avoid "business attire" events throughout my pregnancy, so I survived in what I call "business casual" or sweaters and pants. I have to go to an event in NYC on Tuesday and it looks like I'm going to have to buy something more appropriate. Sigh. So unfair. Does anyone really want to see a pregnant lady squeezed into a suit?
Best moment this week: When the cleaning ladies came and magically removed the layer of dust that coated our entire house. Even our nanny was excited about this. Brice also learned how to give kisses which is now my favorite request. He especially likes delivering kisses to Lucy. Its sort of one-sided.
Symptoms: I'm starting to get my waddle on. Sexy!
Movement: H2 is still a low kicker. She seems to enjoy dancing on my bladder. Joel sat with his head in my lap the other day and said she feels like a dragon. I have no idea what that means.
Food cravings: Butter continues. Also raisins, chocolate pudding and sushi.
Gender? Our little girlie cooperated! It was so nice to see her again at the ultrasound.
Sleep: Off and on. Brice sleeps great some nights and other nights, he wants to party. I would say we're good with getting sleep from 10pm-5am. Everything else is a crap shoot.
Belly Button in or out? Booooo. Totally out. It looks like a gross, weird nose.
What I miss: I'm going to stick with my dishwasher, my downstairs toilet and warmth. Its snowing in October. Why do we live in Connecticut again?
Weekly Wisdom: Hmmm. This week I'm going to steal a line from Abe Lincoln: "You can't please all the people all of the time." Nuff said.
Milestones: Next week we hit viability, which is pretty cool. Also, we're looking forward to dressing Brice up for his first Halloween (he's going to be a lion) and my nephew, Jake, is being bar mitzvah ed. Many October milestones!

I now sleep two feet from my toilet

That's right folks. My bathroom has been demolished and for the time being, my toilet has been relocated to our bedroom. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and rolled over to see Shamus asleep in a pile of blankets and towels that once occupied our linen closet in the hallway. Just beyond the pile is our toilet. It is empty and to my best knowledge, it is pretty clean. You can't use it, which totally sucks because the second I see it, it reminds me that I have to go to the bathroom. The closest toilet is now a flight of stairs away. That's really far at 5:00 a.m. Nonetheless, its a little nasty to wake up and have that clear of a view of our porcelain throne. I'm ready for this toilet to get moved back across the hall to its usual bathroom resting place.

Thankfully Brice hasn't noticed the toilet in the bedroom yet or we'd be in big trouble. Last week he learned how to flush and now spends the bulk of the evening unrolling the toilet paper and flushing it. Its a cheap thrill so I don't stop him, but now that our toilet isn't attached to any water supply, I have to keep him away from it for as long as possible. The last thing I want to come home to is an entire roll of toilet paper and God only knows what else shoved in there.

So, we've survived phase one of the kitchen renovation project. The kitchen was demolished, new floors installed, new ceilings and drywall on the walls, new recessed lights, new cabinets, new paint. We're just waiting for the lovely people at Viking to install our countertops with our new sink and faucet. I can't wait to have water back so that I can use my dishwasher again. Washing dishes in the upstairs bathroom sink or tub is just totally uncool. I never thought I'd say it, but I also really miss cooking. Since we have no ability to wash dishes, we've been eating frozen dinners or ordering out and I swear, we're on a first name basis with the folks from NPP and Nagoya.

Now we begin on the bathroom. This weekend we gutted the joint. Tub is out. Vanity is gone. Toilet, as I mentioned has been relocated. Tiles have fallen. Joel spent the majority of the day rebuilding the walls and floor so that our tile guy can get to work today. Our plumber came in to hook up the new 300lb tub that was installed yesterday thanks to Joel and some friends. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can be back to having a functional bathroom by the weekend. We still have to paint, put up the wainscotting and replace the vanity, mirror and light fixture. Did I mention how thankful I am to have a handy husband? Well, I am.

Brice has done great through all of this. He somehow sleeps through the bulk of the construction work and he's now taken to carrying the broom around the house. Perhaps he's trying to tell me something. He's getting really good at sleeping through the night and we usually don't hear a peep out of him until about 5:30 a.m. at which point Joel and I are content to bring him into bed with us for some snuggles. He's also totally infatuated with Shamus and Lucy, so if you find any bald spots on our dogs... well, we're trying to teach him how to pet.

As far as Baby H2 goes, we had a great 22 week ultrasound on Friday and a good visit with Dr. Pendyala. After TWO HOURS of drinking coffee, soda and water and doing laps around the block and the office, H2 decided to flip over onto her back and let us get the measurements that we needed. The heart, lungs, bladder and brain all looked perfect and our little girl is now measuring about 1lb, 2oz. She's been happily dancing on my bladder since then and seems to be rolling along with the massive construction work we've been doing. Dr. Pendyala told me that I'm not up 14lbs total for this pregnancy, a whopping 16lbs less than where I was at this point with Brice (yikes!). She's adamant about me getting the H1N1 shot so I guess I'll be the first one waiting in line when it finally comes out in Connecticut. I'm still torn on how I feel about it, but I guess if it reduces the risk of hospitalization, count me in. I'm done with ultrasounds for the next 14 weeks or so and the next thing I have to look forward to is the glorious glucose test at 26 weeks (yuck).

I'll post some pics tonight of the kitchen and bathroom!

21 week update

How far along? 21 weeks exactly
Total weight gain: Still no clue, due in part to the kitchen construction that is keeping me from my upstairs bathroom. Yeah, that's it.
Maternity clothes? Yes and thank goodness. October 1 brought true fall weather here so I was happy to have some comfy pants and sweaters for work.
Best moment this week: It was technically last week, but my best moment was taking a sledgehammer to my ugly white counter tops. Man, what a great way to blow off some steam!
Symptoms: Metallic taste continues!
Movement: Flutters are turning into kicks. She's a low kicker, unlike Brice who spent his days elbowing and kicking me in the upper ribcage. I'm just waiting for the day when she gives me a swift kick to the bladder and I wet my pants.
Food cravings: Salted butter. The kind my grandma used to buy to spread on challah bread.
Gender? We have a follow-up ultrasound one week from today, so I'm still going girlie!
Sleep: None to speak of. Between home renovation projects, Brice teething and general discomfort, I feel like I'm probably maxing out somewhere around 4 hours per night.
Belly Button in or out? Almost totally out. I hate this.
What I miss: Summer (yeah, its gone already), sleeping with the windows open, Brice sleeping through the night, my kitchen, running water, cooking without use of the microwave oven, using a dishwasher instead of my bathroom sink, the general feeling of calm instead of chaos in my house.
Weekly Wisdom: Hire a contractor if you work full time or buy a brand new house. While it feels great to say, "I did that" I also have to assume that it feels pretty good to not be coated in three different colors of paint, have a gutted kitchen and appliances sitting in my front foyer and being able to sleep at night without worrying about if the counter tops will be too light, the floors will be too dark or the dry-wall taping job on the ceiling is going to show. Invest in Home Depot stock. I can't walk into that place without dropping $200.
Milestones: Looking forward to seeing little H2 on the ultrasound next week. Just 5 short weeks away from the third trimester. Hurray!

Some updated photos - Nate's Baptism Weekend in Maryland

I wanted to share a couple of photos from Nate Lydem's Baptism weekend in Maryland. We had a great time with the Lydem and Amato families. Unfortunately, due to miles in between, rambunctious children and chaotic work/life schedules, we don't get to see one another nearly enough and one weekend just couldn't make up for the months of catching up that we need to do!
Me, Kelly and Heather enjoying the beautiful weather and the view from Kelly's backyard.

How things change in three years. We went from three single ladies to three married ladies to three moms. Here's a great picture of the Lydem, Harvill and Amato families. Yeah, its impossible to get all kiddos looking at the camera (or any kiddos for that matter).

Our three sons. Brice at 9 months, Nate at 6 months and Alexander at 20 months. How three brunettes end up with three fair-haired boys is beyond me.

Mommy at 19 weeks pregnant and briefly dressed up for the occasion. Brice sported his favorite "crab" shirt since we were at a true Maryland crab feast!

Halfway point and Brice 9 month update (late, as always)

I took Brice for his 9 month checkup yesterday. We're a little late as he's 9 months and 3 weeks, but hey, I'll give you the rundown anyway. We walked into the office and signed in. Brice was immediately infatuated by the fish tank in the waiting area so we spent about 10 minutes practicing our fish faces. He thinks mine is super cool, by the way. He was fine and dandy until the monster of monsters came to usher us into the examining room. Brice took one look at him and burst out into tears. You know who I'm talking about. The shot guy.

I'm not talking about the busty bimbo selling test tubes full of alcohol at Senor Frogs, people. I'd call him a nurse and I probably should, but he's not. He's an overweight, long haired hippy. He's the nicest guy ever, but he carries a plastic box with him everywhere he goes. The shot box. The box of hysteria.

It took Brice 9 months to figure this out. One look at the shot guy and we were in big trouble. Brice was suddenly defying gravity and had climbed up my chest and was perched on my shoulder clinging to my t-shirt and a fist full of hair. I'm probably bald on one side. I fought him down onto the table, removed his clothes and held him down while the shot guy weighed and measured him. The stats: Brice now weights 23lbs and is 30 inches long, putting him in the 95th percentile for both.

The shot guy left the room and told us that Dr. Lialios would be in momentarily. Brice was instantly calm and I believe that he somehow thought he would avoid further poking and prodding. Dr. Lialios walked into the room and the hysteria started up again. Once again, I held him on the table while Dr. L examined his eyes, ears, listened to his heart, etc. Dr. L explained to me that they would give Brice the first half of the regular flu shot and they would prick his finger to take blood for an anemia/lead poisoning test. He told me to get Brice dressed and shot guy would return.

I put Brice's clothes back on, calmed him down and offered him a bottle. He snuggled into my chest as we sat in the chair waiting and within five minutes, my little guy was sound asleep. Shot guy came back into the room and gave me an apologetic look as he knew that Brice would soon be awake, alert and very, very angry. He opened his shot box, pulled out the needle and pricked Brice's finger. We looked at one another. He slept. Shot guy filled the vial and quickly pulled out the flu shot. He rolled up Brice's pant leg and quickly jabbed him in the thigh. We looked at one another. He slept. Shot guy told me we were free to go, so I picked up my bag and walked out. He slept. Basically, I have the only kid on the face of the planet that screams bloody murder through the regular exam and then sleeps peacefully through the painful shots. I love my little weirdo!

In current pregnancy news, we have reached (almost) the halfway point. Here's the weekly update:

How far along? 19 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain: I'll be honest, Joel took the scale to work (lord only knows why) so I haven't weighed myself.
Maternity clothes? I finally went shopping and now have new fall wear. A couple of pairs of pants and a few sweaters will hopefully last me until the chilly days of winter.
Best moment this week: Finishing up a couple of home improvement projects. We've got many to go but the new recessed lights and the baseboard heat look great.
Symptoms: None really. Just the metallic, penny taste in my mouth that exists ALL THE TIME. Heartburn.
Movement: Minor flutters only.
Food cravings: Curry. Peanut Butter. Apples.
Gender? I haven't had another ultrasound to tell me otherwise, so I'm hoping she's still a little girl!
Sleep: Hello coma. I could fall asleep sitting up in my officle with three people talking to me.
Belly Button in or out? Slowly moving out. Damn.
What I miss: Having a glass of white wine at the end of a difficult workday. Having a second glass of white wine because I can. Ankles instead of cankles. Having a third glass of white wine.
Weekly Wisdom: A friend of mine posted this on her blog. For the most part, I totally agree.

So this is the advice no one ever told me:
1. Babies don’t sleep through the night – for years! That’s right people, some babies don’t sleep through the night FOR YEARS! I was prepared for a rough start. No one warned me it would be years.
2. A baby crying, and a baby crying for you are two different experiences. Which brings me back to #1. I was always told that you just let the baby “cry it out” and then they sleep through the night. Well, if you’ve ever had a baby who cries, “mama!” – Crying it out really isn’t a great alternative.
3. The first year of having children is the toughest for a marriage. People used to tell me that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Ours was a cake walk. The first year of having a baby – well, that’s a different story. Its not like its bad, but having a baby has thrown us curve balls that I never expected. And it doesn’t help when one, or both of you, haven’t slept in about 1.5 years.
4. Sleep deprivation starts before the baby even arrives. I was up about 4 times a night during the first trimester – often for several hours at a time, and I think I only slept through the night once while I was pregnant.
5. Postpartum recovery is worse than delivery. It was for me anyways – it lasted months. At least labor and delivery were over with in a day, and you can get an epidural for that.
6. Motherhood is competitive. Even if a mother had a baby 30 years ago, some will still compare themselves to you. If you want to brag about your kids, brag to your parents (because they still have a genetic stake) or to your friends without kids.
7. You really don’t know anything about being a parent until you are one. If someone had told me this, I wouldn’t have believed them. Things that I said, “I will never…” to, I am now doing.
8. In the beginning, do whatever you have to do to stay sane. If the baby has to sleep on your 24/7 – then go for it. You can worry about the details later.
9. Having kids is fun. I don’t know if anyone told me this. I thought it sounded like fun, but I mostly hear people complain about kids. I absolutely love having my baby and spending time with him.

Milestones: HALFWAY POINT! 20 weeks to go! WOOOOO HOOOO!

Weekly Update... a little early!

How far along? 18 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain: Dr. Pendyala told me that I gained 5lbs since my last appointment 4 weeks ago. I really have no idea how much I gained before that so lets just call it 10lbs total to date.
Maternity clothes? Still maternity pants and unfortunately, I haven't had a spare second to go shopping for anything new. Perhaps this weekend?
Best moment this week: Brice walking! No doubt about it. He goes back and forth between two people, walks between the ottoman and the tv and is in general, a crazy man. I love it!
Symptoms: I'm tired. Even with Brice sleeping, I still feel as though I need another couple of hours.
Movement: Still flutters and still few and far between.
Food cravings: Buffalo wings... still.
Gender? We had our big ultrasound yesterday and we can now confirm H2 is a GIRL! Joel was totally right. Our little girlie was sleeping on her tummy (just like Brice). She weighed in at 9 oz and the doctor told us all the measurements came back just fine. She's in the 75th percentile for size at this particular moment, however they did tell us that the size fluctuates so much at this point so we shouldn't really read into it. We're so excited to be having a little girl. One of each! How wonderful!
Sleep: I'm totally sleeping. Last night I dreamt that I was going to the prom with Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights but that I was dressed in some crazy leopard print dress and hairdo ala Mrs. Robinson. Weird!
Belly Button in or out? Half out now. I hate this. T-shirt wearing becomes difficult.
What I miss: Knowing what in my closet will fit on any given day. Sushi. Eating slowly at a restaurant.
Weekly Wisdom: Smooch your kiddos and your significant other every day if you can. Last week I spent a lot of time watching and reading clips from the 9/11 memorials. Just makes me want to reach out and give Joel and Brice a SQUEEZE!
Milestones: Its not baby related but we've got major construction working going on at our house. If the electricians can finish the heat and recessed lights by Friday, I'll consider that to be a major milestone!

09.09.09 Brice Update.... yeah, a little late.

When I got home from work last night (late, of course because I was stuck in back to school traffic for over an hour) Graciella came RUNNING to the door to greet me. She had Brice in her arms. She told me to take a couple of steps backward and get down on my knees. I'm daring, so I did it. She put Brice down on the floor and turned my little man toward me. A big grin appeared on his face (like he had done something really, really bad). He stretched out his arms, let go of Graciella's hand and took four steps toward me. I was amazed. This, my little non-crawling, non-pulling up, non-sleeping baby was suddenly a toddler. I couldn't believe it so I turned him back toward her, let go of his hands and off he went.

Now let me be honest here. He looks like a drunken Frankenstein at best. What I'm calling walking is more like controlled falling to a non-parent. The fact of the matter is, he's loving it. Every time he walks, he falls into our arms with hysterical laughter which is totally contagious. Even Graciella's boyfriend who came over last night couldn't help but get down on his hands and knees to experience the B-man at eye level.

In other news, we have had three consecutive nights of sleep! Hooray! We haven't even had to endure hours and hours of crying to get this sleep. At 7:30pm I put Brice down in his crib, smooch his little forehead and walk out. I hear him on the monitor playing with his blanket and babbling but he doesn't cry and after fifteen minutes or so, he's typically asleep. Mommy usually follows about an hour and a half later (and yes, I did sleep until 4:30am on the couch the other night because Joel was too afraid to wake me or move me).

Finally, because walking and sleeping aren't enough for our kiddo, Brice accomplished the most amazing feat yet. He turned to me while we were snuggling in bed the other morning and said, "mom." He said it with a sweet, childlike feeling that made me think that he knew he should be saying it just to me. That feeling lasted about 10 minutes because as soon as he got up he also referred to Shamus, the desk chair, the remote control and a kitchen pot as "mom." I guess I'm not as special as I thought! Needless to say, its great to hear our little guy talking up a storm. Whomever told us, "Girls talk and boys walk" was totally wrong. Our Brice does both!

Weekly update

How far along? 17 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain: Okay, I'm going 8lbs total.
Maternity clothes? Still maternity pants only. Actually, some of my regular jeans still fit too. I'm thinking I need to go shopping this weekend to buy a couple of items for fall since its getting chilly.
Best moment this week: Brice sleeping through the night last night! It was such a fantastic feeling to wake up this morning and feel rested. Also introducing and re-introducing Brice to Nate and Alexander. They all seemed to have a great time at the zoo and playing together. Hopefully they'll be friends for years to come!
Symptoms: Still a little nauseous this week. I'm hoping that the dreaded morning sickness isn't making a return. Thankfully I still have my appetite and as long as I keep gum or a sucker in my mouth, I can get by.
Movement: The flutters have started! I forgot what it feels like in the beginning when the kicks aren't hard jabs.
Food cravings: Buffalo wings, Mexican food.
Gender? I had two dreams over the past week that it was a boy so I'm going with my gut and saying BOY! We'll see on Monday.
Sleep: Yay sleep! I can sort of still sleep on my stomach if I have a pillow to lean on but side and back sleeping prevail.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: The economy being strong. The sweltering (albeit short lived) heat of summer. Fall came too quickly! Not feeling perpetually nauseous.
What I am looking forward to: The start of home improvement work. We have signed contracts with a carpenter and an electrician and we're going this weekend to pick our our new kitchen cabinets. I think our house will look so wonderful with all of the work done!
Weekly Wisdom: With children, never say, "I'm never going to..." because chances are, you will. I recall saying, "I'm never going to be an over-protective mother." Wrong. I recall saying, "Joel and I will get a babysitter and have a night out every week!" Wrong. I recall saying, "I'm going to make sure that Brice's schedule fits our lifestyle. We won't change our lifestyle to fit him." Wrong. Once the doctor places that wonderful bundle of joy in your arms, trust me people, unless you are a pillar of salt, all bets are off. Its better to face facts now. Your life WILL change. Your relationship with your significant other WILL change. Your priorities WILL change. I absolutely love the way that Brice has changed my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Milestones: Big ultrasound on Monday, September 14! Just in time for my mom's birthday!

Weekly Update

How far along? 16 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain: Hard to tell. Some days the scale says I'm up 10lbs and other days I'm up 5. Let's go with a nice happy medium and say 7lbs.

Maternity clothes? Maternity pants but regular shirts, skirts and dresses.

Best moment this week: Joel taught Brice how to Hi Five! It is so cute. He gets a total kick out of doing it.

Symptoms: Off and on nausea. Exhaustion. I sleep for about 8 hours a night and still feel like I could sleep another 10. Joel and I joke that even if we were afforded the opportunity to stay in and sleep all day we'd probably wake up at 9am bored and hungry.

Movement: Still nothing! I keep waiting for a good hard kick!

Food cravings: Naked Baked Chicken from Stew Leonards. Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream from Sweet Ashleys.

Gender? Who knows!

Sleep: Sleep is happening but its still not enough.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Greys Anatomy (I know its not pregnancy related but I'm really excited for the new season to start). Financial freedom (did I ever experience this?). Not being house poor.

What I am looking forward to: We're leaving for Bethesda tonight and I am so excited to see Kelly, Torry, Nate, Heather, Chris and Alexander. The last time I saw Kelly was 4th of July last year when we were both newly pregnant. The last time I saw Torry was... I have no idea... their wedding?!? And even though I only live 30 minutes from NYC, I can't even remember the last time I saw Heather, Chris and Alexander. I'm also looking forward to catching up with Catherine and David Ladd and meeting their sweet new puppies. Also, if there is no arrival of baby Pfeister, hopefully we'll get a chance to see Sarah, Rick, Buckley and Olive.

Weekly Wisdom: Okay, this one is a shoutout to all the neurotic pregnant mommies out there. If you THINK its an issue, call your DOCTOR. That's what they are there for. If you think you are the craziest woman they have ever come in contact with, ask them. I'm sure your OBGYN will be happy to reenact some previous mommy that called 13 times per day for the duration of her pregnancy. You have paid your health insurance premiums for years. Go ahead, make an appointment, get an ultrasound. If it gives you peace of mind and enables you to sleep at night, there's no harm done. Plus, an extra chance at catching a glimpse of your little one or being able to hear their heartbeat is always a wonderful opportunity.

Milestones: Brice turns 9 months tomorrow! Yay for big boys!

Going into battle...

Last night, Joel and I put on our helmets and our flack jackets. We donned our camouflage pants and our steel-tipped boots. We packed our MREs and canteens full of water. We were going to war. The was a war against an intelligent enemy. An enemy well versed in mental as well as physical combat tactics. An enemy not willing to back down. Our enemy? A 23-pound baby named Brice Samuel.

If you read my post yesterday and have keeping up with this blog in general, you probably are aware of the sleep issues that we have encountered with Brice since... well... birth. He has never been a good sleeper. Never been a self soother. All that changed at 9:30pm on Wednesday, August 26. Brice would be a bad sleeper no more.

Joel and I settled into bed at about 9pm as we were exhausted from the sleepless Tuesday night we suffered through. At 9:30, Brice started to cry. I waited about 10 minutes. The crying persisted. I went in to check on him. Diaper was on, binky was in, blankies were in hand. He was fine. I knew he wasn't hungry as he'd had a full dinner of oatmeal, pears, peas and cheerios at 6pm followed by an 8oz bottle at 7pm. I gave my little man a smooch on the forehead and I did the unthinkable. I walked out and closed the door.

Joel and I sat in bed for another two hours listening to Brice cry, talk, moan, kick the mattress, whatever. He didn't cry the whole time which made the process a bit more tolerable. He would quiet down for a good 20-30 minutes before starting to sob again. At around 10:30 I thought that I might break. The stress of listening to him was giving me severe heartburn and I'll admit, I was under the impression that it would never end. The sun would rise and we would still be there, awake, listening to him.

At 11pm Joel tapped me on the shoulder. Silence. Brice was asleep. He gave a fist pump to the heavens (we had both been praying to God for about an hour by that point), rolled over and fell asleep. I would say that it took me another hour or so to really believe that Brice was down for the count before I too drifted off to bed.

My eyes opened and as I rubbed the sleep away, I realized that the sun was out. I fumbled for the clock and when I look at it, I nearly did a double back flip off the bed. It was 6:15am! Brice was awake and talking to his toys in his crib. No tears. No flesh wounds. Hopefully no therapy when he's 40 to help him cope with childhood abandonment issues caused by his parents letting him cry it out.

I ran to his room and scooped him up out of his crib, lifted him atop my shoulder and carried him back into our bedroom, humming them Rocky theme music. Our son was victorious! He was a champion! We smothered him with kisses and told him how proud we were of his wonderful night of sleep. He rewarded Joel by popping his drooly binky into Joel's mouth. At least he knows how to share.

As we were walking out of the house this morning for work, Joel turned to me and said, "maybe he'll only cry for an hour tonight!?!" We know that it begins again this evening. The fight continues on until we have a tear free night. But for today. we rule. In Joel's mind the scoreboard reads:

Mom and Dad: 1
Brice: 225

Brice has learned to crawl, wave and cruise, but forgotten how to sleep!

Thank goodness my child is incredibly handsome. I mean, people tell me that he's a good looking kid and all but I have to say, I think that he's one of the best looking little boys I know. And thank god. Because if my child was not the cutest, sweetest thing on the face of the Earth, I probably would have locked him outside in the backyard last night.

Okay, obviously I'm joking. I would never leave him outside or anywhere for that matter, but for all of the wonderful steps forward he has taken over the last couple of weeks, we seem to have taken one ENORMOUS step in reverse.

Sleep. He just doesn't want to do it. Joel and I actually pondered this morning whether or not they have sleep camp for babies. If they did, we'd take him there.

Brice goes down pretty easily. He's worn out from play and by 7pm, he's rubbing his eyes. I change him into his PJs, take him into his room and give him a bottle. Within 30 minutes, he's zonked out. The problem begins sometime between 1am-5am. We're not really sure why he wakes up. Sometimes it seems like he's having a bad dream. Other times he's starving. No matter how long we let him cry, he will not settle back down. We used to be able to get him to go back to bed by rocking him and giving him a bottle or the binky. These days, the only way to get him back to sleep is to bring him in bed with us.

Let's take last night for example. Brice went to bed happy as a clam at 7:30pm. At 2:30am we woke up to Brice babbling. By 3:00am it was a full on cry. Joel tried the bottle. Fail. Binky. Fail. Rocking. Fail. Finally, by 3:30am we gave up and brought him into bed. He babbled, played with my nose and his blanket and crawled around in circles in bed for another HOUR before he finally passed out at 4:30am. At 5:45am he was wide awake again! How is this possible?

Here's something to remember before you start commenting on how well the Ferber method worked for you. 1) Joel and I both work full time and we are exhausted. 2) I am 15 weeks pregnant and I am exhausted. 3) There is no location in our house remote enough to escape the sound of Brice crying and we are exhausted. I have actually considered sleeping in my tub upstairs, but I can hear him crying through the floor.

On a positive note, we've made several strides! Brice is on day three of an alimentum/regular formula mix. His tummy seems to be adjusting well to the normal formula and we're hoping that in a matter of weeks we can make a complete switch. Brice is cruising. He really loves walking along the couch and the ottoman with no help. He's also rocking on all fours. I'm assuming that he'll be moving from an army crawl to a regular crawl in no time. His favorite thing to do is to crawl in circles in his crib. Joel thinks he likes to talk to ALL of his stuffed animals so he has to make his rounds (no pun intended). One final note, Brice waved bye-bye to Joel yesterday. He hasn't done it again but we're working on it!

I'll take and post some pictures tonight of our sleepless boy!

Weekly update

How far along? 15 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain: I weighed myself this morning and it appears that I am up 5lbs. Not sure how I gained 3lbs in a week. Perhaps it has something to do with all of the food that Elaine left behind. Mmmmm. Brisket!
Maternity clothes? I am officially wearing maternity pants. I made it 3 weeks longer with this pregnancy than with Brice. I can still squeeze into my regular pants, but by the end of the day, the bloat just makes elastic waistbands more comfortable.
Best moment this week: Seeing Brice with Elaine, AJ and Meredith. He was a little afraid at first, but he quickly warmed up to Nana and Aunties.
Symptoms: Exhaustion. I'm ready for bed at around 9pm.
Movement: I thought I felt something but I can't be certain.
Food cravings: Salad with blue cheese dressing. Blueberries. Milk Duds.
Gender? This week I'm praying for a girl. See the post above for my reason why.
Sleep: What is this sleep thing that you speak of? I'd be sleeping fine except my child doesn't want to so therefore, nobody sleeps.
Belly Button in or out? In still.
What I miss: Having a never-ending supply of energy. Not having to eat every two hours. Feeling sexy.
What I am looking forward to: Graciela is watching Brice Saturday night so that we can go out to the lobster/steak bake with Eleana and Dan. After 5 years of missing it, we're finally in town! Also looking forward to our playdate with Kirsten and Lucas!
Weekly Wisdom: Okay, this one is sort of a stretch but I'm going to say it. Buy a house that fits you five years from now and not right this instant. Find a realtor that has a lifetyle/family situation modeled after your lifestyle. They'll help you see positives/issues in a house that you may not be aware of. We bought our current house before I was pregnant with Brice and it was perfect for me and Joel. The two of us. And Shamus and Lucy. Fast forward a year and a half and two is now turning into four. Our house is no longer appropriate. We live in a FANTASTIC neighborhood with wonderful views and neighbors but the problem is, our house doesn't work for us. We have a bedroom upstairs that is useless. Bathrooms that are outdated. A kitchen that is too tiny. Our realtor is also wonderful but she is single and has no kids. I have to think that if we had someone with babies, they may have been able to point out to us the potential issues. In hindsight, I would have passed on our house and its fabulous location and kept looking.
Milestones: Less than 3 weeks until the big ultrasound. Brice turns 9 months next week! I can't believe he's such a big boy!

Weekly Update

How far along? 14 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain: According to the doctor, I am now up 2 lbs total.
Maternity clothes? I have busted out one pair of maternity pants and I'm wearing them today. They keep falling down and are clearly way too big. I guess I should give it another week or so.
Best moment this week: Taking Brice for a swim in our neighbor's pool. He's so cute!
Symptoms: the nausea and exhaustion remain but still haven't thrown up. At least I'm back to eating protein!
Movement: None yet! I'm thinking perhaps another week or so.
Food cravings: Hummus and naan bread. Buffalo chicken wings (even though I've refrained from eating them). Iced coffee.
Gender? I'm starting to think girl but who knows.
Sleep: I'm totally sleeping. Joel and I take turns waking up with Brice (he only wakes up once a night now) so I feel pretty rested and I an still sleep on my stomach.
Belly Button in or out? In still.
What I miss: My size 6 jeans that I had successfully gotten back into up til we went to London. My waistline. I hate this part of pregnancy because I don't really look pregnant. I look pudgy and round.
What I am looking forward to: Elaine, AJ and Meredith's arrival on Friday! I can't wait to see their faces when they see Brice for the first time.
Weekly Wisdom: I have a lot of friends that are pregnant with their first babies. Here is my wisdom for them as they are starting on the nursery and registry. Do not buy silly items like wiper warmers or diaper pails that require pricey trash bags. Wiper warmers will only train your child that the wipes should be warm. It will be a sad reality for you when you are out at the store with chilly wipes and a shocked baby. Also, there are diaper pails available that take standard kitchen garbage bags. I swear they work just as well and will save you money. Put the money aside and spend it on the things you actually need like batteries for the swing or massive boxes of diapers.
Also, don't waste money on cutsey newborn outfits. Your baby will wear them for ONE WEEK and trust me, they poop and spit up perpetually at this point. Buy a bunch of onesies and swaddling blankets instead that are cotton and can be washed.
Milestones: We scheduled the big ultrasound for Monday, September 14. Let the countdown begin!

Weekly pregnancy check in

A friend shared this with me. A good way to keep tabs on this pregnancy since it feels like the time is passing so quickly.

How far along? 13 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain: I weighed myself this morning and I was finally up 1lb from where I was when I found out I was pregnant with Brice. So basically down 5 and up 1. Yay!
Maternity clothes? Nope and quite frankly, I'm happy to stay out of them for as long as possible.
Best moment this week: Brice sleeping until 7:15 a.m. this morning and therefore, mommy sleeping until 7:15am.
Symptoms: still perpetually nauseous but I haven't thrown up for about 5 days now. I'm hoping my relationship with the toilet bowl is behind me.
Movement: If you consider gas bubbles movement, then plenty. No actual baby movement however.
Food cravings: I think I had a dream the other night about a food craving but when I woke up, I couldn't remember what food I was supposed to want to eat. This would only happen to me.
Gender? Joel continues to guess girl. I have no clue. For this week, I'll guess boy just to keep the argument alive.
Sleep: Seriously crazy dreams about being in the war in Iraq, working at ABC but being invisible and accidentally rolling over Brice in my sleep. At least I'm sleeping, right?
Belly Button in or out? In. For now.
What I miss: Feeling great and having energy. I could care less about the foods I can't eat and the drinks I can't consume. I want my LIFE back.
What I am looking forward to: Friday. Dinner with Kristin and Lawrence on Sunday. My 14 week doctor's appointment next week.
Weekly Wisdom: I say it again. Summer is too short. Congress should pass a law to lengthen the summer by like, three or four months. I mean, fall is kinda over-rated and the kids would be much happier if they could trick-or-treat in bathing suits. I got an LL Bean catalogue in the mail yesterday and it had a winter coat section (as well as Ugg flip flops which are still a mystery to me. I'm wearing wool sandals? I don't think so). I'm seriously not ready to face snow again.
Milestones: Crossing over to the second trimester. 1/3 of the way there, baby!

Brice 8 month photos!

It has been awhile since I've updated photos, so here are some of Brice from our trip to London. We still can't believe that he's already eight months old!

Here's Joel pushing Brice on the swing at Corum's Field, which was down the street from our flat. This particular park had a wonderful sign that read, "No Unaccompanied Adults."

Brice walking on the train heading back to London from Cambridge.
Always enjoying his evening bath!
We took Brice to the London Aquarium. He LOVED the sharks!
Daddy was a big fan of the sharks too!
In a London Black Cab. There's no law requiring car seats in cabs in London and Brice enjoyed the new forward-facing freedom.
Brice finally met Winston McShee, Don and Claire's wonderful son. The two had a great time playing together.

What we did for our summer vacation...

Yes, it has been far too long since I have posted an update so here we go. We are home from our wonderful vacation to London. It was so nice to see my sister Jill, her husband Andy and their new baby, Grace. I swear, Grace is the sweetest little girl I have ever met. She is absolutely tiny but very rugged! She came with us everywhere and was content simply sleeping in her pram or resting in anyone's open arms.

Brice is now eight months old! We don't have a doctor's appointment until next month so I don't have an exact weight and height, but if I had to estimate, I'd say he's pushing 22lbs. The height is a little difficult for me to gauge... he actually seems slightly short to me. Who knows. While in London, Brice accomplished several feats worth mentioning:

1. Three new teeth! We have the addition of a new lower tooth and the two toppers have pushed through bringing the tooth grand total to five. I keep promising him that a hamburger is in his future.

2. He babbled DaDa for the first time. Granted, he has no idea what it means and pretty much says it to anyone and everyone, but I have to say, its the most wonderful sound! Perhaps MaMa is on the horizon!

3. He is finally taking the first steps toward crawling. He can move his way along the floor army crawl style. It takes a long time for him to get anywhere and he's clearly frustrated at the process. He still prefers to walk with someone holding his hands and has the most fun going up and down the one step to our living room. I'm going to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame by the time this kid learns how to walk!

4. Brice has mastered Cheerio consumption. Every morning in London we would share a bowl of cereal and he really enjoyed eating the Cheerios one by one.

5. He now is able to cruise along the back of the couch or any other furniture that rests on carpet. Our boy loves to walk!

On Tuesday we went to Norwalk Hospital for our 12 week NT scan for baby H2. Basically at this appointment, they take a bunch of measurements of the baby's head, neck and spine to determine the risk for things like Downs Syndrome, etc. The measurements came back fine and we should get the final test results early next week. It was nice to see H2 moving and bouncing around in there. This baby certainly is an active one! S/he was happily showing off the tush, playing with its hands and rolling over and over. Unfortunately, due to all the movement, we weren't able to get any good photos from the scan so we'll have to wait two months to see if we can get some quality pictures. Seeing H2 actually look like a baby for the first time made the fact that we're having a second child seem much more real. I think I hadn't really grasped the concept that I would soon be a mother of two. The thought makes me proud and paranoid. Excited and afraid. Its such a wide range of emotions. I'm thankful that I have another two trimesters to process this and figure out a way to explain it to Brice so that he'll understand.

So now we're back to work. I'll admit that this summer passed by far too quickly and I hate seeing the back to school ads on tv already. I enjoy the late summer afternoons, taking a walk around the block and down to the beach with Joel, Brice, Shamus and Lucy, being able to wear shorts and flip flops, sleeping with a light blanket. I'm not ready for waking up when its dark and coming home from work when its dark. I'm certainly not looking forward to long pants, sweaters and boots. I think that for the remainder of the month or two that we have left of this glorious weather, I'm going to try to make each day last for as long as possible! Too bad I can't do it with a cocktail in hand. Sigh. Next summer.

Since I haven't done it in awhile, here's my new list of music I've got on heavy rotation, just in case you're looking for something to add to your ipod:

Damien Rice - Volcano

Maxi Priest - Wild World (cover)

Kasabian - pretty much anything. Their music rocks.

Ziggy Marley - Cry, Cry, Cry

Gossip - Cruel World

Glen Hansard and Markita Irglova- Falling Softly

Kris Allen - Heartless (cover)

The Happy Harvills Get Happier!

It has been almost a month since we got the news. I have waited, not wanting to put any information out there too soon. Joel and I have always been mildly superstitious.

I'm ready to do it. Ready to share some new news with the masses. Joel and I are expecting Baby #2! We still can't believe it and at times, I can't even say the words because I'm still partially in shock.

The answers to your questions:
1. No, we were not trying. Honestly, we always knew we wanted a second child, but we thought we'd wait another year or so before trying again. Apparently our timing was really, really, really good. My doctor informed me that the body has an interesting way of "remembering" how to get pregnant. Its much easier the second time around (so beware!).
2. We're about 8 weeks along. Baby 2 is due 2/12/10. Yes, another winter baby. Brice and Baby 2 will be 14 months apart.
3. I feel like absolute shit. There's really no way to disguise it at this point. I have thrown up every day for the last 3 weeks and have already spent one fine afternoon in the hospital hooked up to an IV for fluids. Everyone that told me that the second pregnancy is easier than the first is a liar in my book. I'm not going to lie to you. Its extremely difficult considering the fact that I have a seven month old and work full time. Joel has been a champion father and husband and really deserves some sort of "Oscar" award for men that do it all and get nothing in return (okay, he gets to play video games while I'm in the bathroom throwing up, but that's not even that great).
4. Yes, we realize that we are in a recession. We know that babies are expensive. We know that this is crazy. We understand that we are already strapped incredibly thin given the fact that we own a home, a condo, make car payments, pay a nanny and so on. But, babies happen and we Harvills roll with it. We figured it out with Brice and we'll do it again.
5. Yes, we're going to find out the sex of this baby. We'll probably be able to do that sometime in late September.

So, that's the news. For my friends and family out there that keep getting my voicemail and no return call, now you know why. I spend the majority of my evenings on the bathroom floor or asleep. I promise that I'll come out of this... probably sometime in the next 2 months. I will begin to answer my phone again. I will begin to go out for dinner again. For now, not so much.

In Brice news, our little man is doing very well. He hit the seven month mark and continues to grow like a weed. We had a great trip to Boston for the Fourth of July and Brice enjoyed getting out and seeing the town that Daddy called home for five years. He was quite the little trooper and did a great job in the hotel too. These days Brice has become quite alert and talkative. He babbles constantly. He loves to walk (with help from mom and dad... or whomever else is willing to bend over) and is a huge fan of the beach. We've been doing daily trips down to the water to dip our toes, splash around and toss some rocks. Brice is now eating three solid meals a day. His favorites are peaches, carrots, peas and sweet potatoes. He's also big into drinking water out of adult glasses... it usually results in more water going on him or the floor, but I love the fact that he wants to do it. I just keep a towel handy!

Brice has really turned into a little boy and I love him more and more with every passing day. I look forward to coming home from work and giving him a big hug and a kiss. I'm glad that the love that I feel for him never wanes or falters. It always grows.

I took some great pictures and video yesterday. I'll post them once I get home tonight!