Settling In

week three

On our own... and survived to tell about it.  I don't mean to be dramatic - or even say that I'm doing something spectacular here (heck, we have multiple friends with quite a few more than one child in their care so clearly I'm just barely breaking ground), but rather documenting that the day when my super duper helpful parents abandoned us (ha!) has come and gone.

The first day of week three also marked Miller's first Easter... and it was sadly uneventful, noticeably without a visit to church, even, as these newbie parents were too chicken to make Easter our first showing back in the pews.  Miller was the recipient of a small Easter bucket from his parents and a beach bucket from his grandparents - both containing adorably small versions of very useful items like a shovel, Trumpette socks (they really are the best although Jeffries are a close second!), an Easter-story book, and sunglasses for an appearance at the beach later this summer. 

Not to be overshadowed by such a Holy holiday was Miller's first nap with Granddad.  Since Granddad is the expert in all things 'nap', it was only fitting that he introduce the young lad to the world of "watching TV with your eyes closed" (minus the TV).

We also marked week three with the less photogenic event of Miller's umbilical cord (stump... the larger part has been long since gone) finally saying its last goodbyes.  And with that, came daily bouts of tummy time and the start of a (diapering) lifetime of cloth diapers (which have already been an adventure, should anyone care to hear about it).

And I'd be remiss not to include an outtake from our very impromptu and unprofessional photo shoot that I staged in the backyard.  Not quite announcement (or frame) worthy but we happen to think this guy gets cuter each and every day - mouth-open (fly-catching) and all.

Trading Places

week two

Moving right along seemed to be the theme of week two.

It was off to a great start with Miller's first Easter egg hunt - and boy, was he good at watching the older kids chase down those eggs... it must have been soothing to the little guy because he saw about 0.3 seconds of the festivities before falling into a deep sleep for the rest of the afternoon.  

He also made his first official appearance in our local Target.  I dare say he doesn't remember much as we ran there mid-nap time, but we did show him the $1 aisle to get him started on learning about frugality. 

Then we hit Thursday.  This time it was the new momma's turn to be sick.  Thursday night brought light-headedness and feverish feelings which apparently were the precursor (God's warning?) to Friday morning's 101.9 degree temperature.  Parenthood apparently gives a sense of urgency so it didn't take more than 5 minutes for yours truly to be on the phone with the doctor and shortly after a quick appointment, antibiotics and Tylenol started working their magic.  Crisis averted. 

Just as fast as week one started, week two was over.  I can already tell this is going to go by way WAY too quickly.  I may or may not have asked Chris a few times how to make sure our little man stops growing and never wants to leave home but gotten less than adequate answers so I guess I'm left to continue soaking it up for as long as I can.

Triumphant

week one

Miller Joseph joined our little family April 9, 2011 at the early hour of 3:07am.

Our first week together was quite eventful - perhaps not exactly how I saw week one of parenting going but we made it.

After arriving home from the hospital, we soon learned that our sweet little one was jaundiced and would require daily pediatrician visits.  Along with those visits came a whole new set of vocabulary including "bilirubin" and "bili-blanket"...

Miller was more or less quarantined to his nursery attached to his "space suit" and affectionately named our "blue light special".

Along with the bili-blanket came daily heel pricks - which, we think, he took like a champ.

Thankfully, on the morning of his seventh day - our doctor delivered Miller's news of freedom.  His bilirubin levels had fallen completely and he weighed in above his birth weight.  Must be a new parent thing because we literally high-fived and I almost hugged the doctor. 

And so went Miller's first week.  Doctor's appointments and all, we couldn't be happier that he's finally arrived.  Parenthood is already the hardest job I've ever had but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

*looking for less words and more pictures?

Barnyard Bash

Sick of unrecognizable black and white pictures of random baby body parts?  And before that, some less than fantastic pictures of a girl documenting the sad state of her belly (although maybe good for a laugh?)?

Trust me when I say that you're not the only one(s?) ready for pictures of more than just a piece of paper with a black and white image (although for clarification's sake, I feel it necessary to say that I don't mean we are ready for the baby... au contraire).  It's just that I have pictures of faraway lands, cute kids, and even some tasty concoctions - yet week after week, I've failed to share them.  That all changes today.  

Back in (ah-hem) October, a certain (not-so) little boy turned five and the occasion was celebrated with a backyard, barnyard bash.  And a bash it was... I think I may have mentioned before that my sister-in-law doesn't hold back when it comes to her babies' birthdays - and really, can you blame her?

Aren't I nice and thoughtful, too... sharing pictures of a clear, crisp fall day when you are most certainly looking out upon a sea of white (or once-white, now gray slush).  This might also be known as my very poor excuse for being a coupla' months behind.

As is (hopefully) evident, not a single detail was left out of this birthday celebration.  The kids were decked out in barnyard-related costume, there was a pig pen, chicken coop and feeding area (not to mention a needs-no-explanation precious chickie, Miss Sarah Taylor, herself), stuffed scarecrows, hay bales as seats, more cookout fare than you can imagine to go around, and a huge cake aptly decorated with everything farm-related that one can imagine (and believe me, Charlie "imagined").

It's pretty clear that I have a lot to learn in the world of childrens' parties - as I've learned that they just don't appreciate a nice blue-cheese appetizer or pork tenderloin as much as an Oreo-crusted, barnyard-decorated, yellow sheet cake.  No one mistakes me for Martha as it is but this could take some getting used to.

So in the meanwhile (i.e. the next less than three months!!), I'm happy to sit back and watch and (try and) learn while enjoying (others'!) kids... and of course, play resident (amateur... very amateur) photographer.

No Show

Both in an effort to (finally) get those awful pictures of me from staring back at you (and me, too!) and well, to move on... in the spirit of the new year and all... I present you with the latest in our baby adventures 'round here. 

What we have for you today is a riveting picture of two little (hopefully pudgy - or soon-to-be) feet... one flexed and one with what are sure to be the most adorable little toes curled up.  And, if you're thinking... really, you had a sonogram and chose a picture of the feet to share with us?  In fact, this is actually all we got (although our baby was kicking up a storm throughout the appointment, he/she remained face down the entire time and wouldn't budge) - so... that's all you get!

Lest you are (yaaawnnn) growing weary of all the baby talk... I can promise more and better (looking) and even tastier things... soon. Or kinda soon.

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like...

Hope you're prepared for a wild calamity of self-portraits.  It seems that while no one told me it was so hard to take a decent "belly shot", the fact that I stayed so far from them for the past 25+ weeks would indicate that perhaps this is just one of those "motherly instincts" (insert laughter here... oh, and when exactly do those motherly instincts kick in?). 

Not only will these be the absolute worst pictures (from an aesthetic and technical standpoint - double whammy!) that I'll be forced into sharing, they will also serve as the content for the post with the most pictures of myself included. And very quickly you will discover why I'd much rather take pictures of faces like these, than my kinda-sorta (?) expanding mid-section... and equally fast, you will be thanking me.

Here we start with the horribly off-centered picture... the picture with Kara making a weird face (that's my "how in the heck do people take these pictures?" face)... let's try it with the hand down... or is the key to pull a 180!?!  

Maybe it's having the hand on hip... and black and white?

At last, something semi-reasonable... after I called for reinforcement... 

Yup, that's all I've got to show for 25+ weeks of growing our little one.  And with that, I will stumble back into the kitchen to take pictures of inanimate objects... or maybe just drown myself in the massive amount of dust I must clean before family arrives.

PS - it's true, shame on us... we haven't done a darn thing with that guest room I begged for suggestions on eons ago

PPS - if you expect to receive a Christmas present from us, please don't study the items on the bed too carefully as that was our staging ground for gifts... which are all beautifully wrapped and waiting under our tree now (or they were in my vivid pregnancy dream last night)

A New Tradition

If you've been around here longer than a day or two, you are probably expecting to hear all about another one of our family's recent weekends in Philly... watching Navy pummel (sorry to any Army fans... but it's the truth) Army for the 9th year in a row.

For the first time in ages... and I won't even attempt a quick count... no members of my family were in attendance.  No Jim's cheesesteaks (provolone, mushrooms and onions for mom and me... Cheez-Whiz and onions for Chris and dad) Friday night... no inhumanely freezing cold game Saturday... and sigh, no La Viola (weep... Carolyn, I know you feel our pain) post-game heavy Italian delicious-ness.  Aside from all the food that we (clearly) very sorely missed, I must admit within the first 5 minutes of the televised broadcast, I had commented no less than twice that perhaps this game was better watched from the comfort (read: warmth) of our own home.  The video intros were well thought-out, touching and patriotic, I could multi-task - in and out of the kitchen pulling Christmas cookies out of the oven, and did I mention, it was so warm.

Warm at gametime, I should clarify.  Where we found ourselves very early Saturday morning, however, was decidedly not warm.  I'll blame my wishy-washiness on pregnancy and hormones but in the moment, I may have even said "I'd rather be in Philly," though we all know how that would have worked out in the end.  Cold or warm, there aren't many places I would have rather been than with the other thousands of volunteers at Arlington National Cemetery, laying wreaths on around 24,000 graves of our veterans and their family members.  

Chris had read about this wonderful volunteer opportunity through our alumni group, CAN, and we jumped at the chance once we realized that for the first time in ages, we'd actually be in town on the big weekend.

Never say never, of course, but I'm tempted to declare that we've found a new tradition, even possibly in the face of missing our beloved Army-Navy... the idea of bringing our kid(s) with us, having them lay their own wreaths and explaining the sacrifice and courage that these men and women put forth for the freedoms that we enjoy each and everyday, is all but decided upon (though the jury is still out on how we will best be able to participate next year... wear the 8-month old or push him/her in the stroller?). 

**I'm not in anyway affiliated with Wreaths Across America, but just in case you are interested (there are tons of non-DC wreath laying ceremonies and donation opportunities), in helping out, click here.

So You're Saying There's a Chance...

Someone assure me that my brother didn't get all the cute baby-making genes in this family. There's gotta be some smidgen of a percentage that our baby might look like this. Right... right??

Or at least this... I mean, there's no denying that one of the (main) reasons I'm carrying around this (shockingly only 1 lb.) bebe is for a chance at cheeks like these...

 
**You think this one is cute? There's more where she comes from...