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
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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 :)
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 :)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, October 23, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, October 16, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, October 12, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, October 2, 2009
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!
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!
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