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!