Here's a mini-post:
Just this morning Brooke set up a corner in my office for her to "work". She was playing with her toy laptop (and dancing to the music), but now she is reading her Bible! Life is really tough! :)
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Sourwood Inn
A few weeks ago Erin and I snuck away for a final getaway before Erin's doctor could impose a "no-travel" policy on us. Following a recommendation from our good friend Anne Marie we went to the Sourwood Inn in Asheville, NC. It was fantastic!
Situated just off the Blue Ridge Parkway on top of a mountain ridge, the views were spectacular and the natural mountain air-conditioning was a relief from Hotlanta.
No TVs, no internet, barely had cell-phone reception - ahhhhhhhhhh...
A big back porch was the typical evening gathering spot. Ideal for family get-togethers! (hint hint)
Beautiful dining room. We never used it, choosing instead...
...the outdoor patio. We ate all our meals here and it was wonderful!
Only 15 mins from downtown Asheville, the drive is spectacular! I would love to have a house here someday.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
D-day
We have some likely days for delivery! If I seem ready to go into labor, Dr. Garcia will induce on Friday, September 21st. If I look like I can hold out for a while longer, the backup induction date is Tuesday, October 2 (yes, Uncle Dave's birthday!). Of course, I could also go on my own sometime in between. As my original due date was October 9, hopefully we're still in the range of being able to control things in time for me to have an epidural this time around. (If not, I know to head south at the first signs of labor!)
Dr. Garcia seems optimistic that, given my history, she may be able to just have me prepped, break my water, and that the baby will come without much more prompting.
Of course, there's lots of room for the baby and my body to act otherwise, but that's the plan for now! Right now, the next big date on the calendar is September 19: the day I go in to see if I'm ready to be induced. That will determine what happens next.
I love my new OB and am so glad that I switched! I have been so thoroughly impressed with Dr. Garcia. She's a young, very peppy Indian lady with two kids of her own who has practiced obstetrics for 10 years. She seems incredibly competent and is so encouraging and approachable. She came very highly recommended and I'm looking forward to the possibility that she'll deliver our baby. She works in a rather large practice, so if it weren't for Brooke's fast labor (which is prompting the induction) I would be at the mercy of whoever happened to be on call when this baby decides to come (of course, that still may happen if he comes between Sept. 21 and Oct. 2). Hopefully, though, he'll cooperate with the doctor's schedule.
On a funny note, Dr. Garcia says she gets lots of hispanic women who request her because of her last name... and who then are very disappointed to learn she doesn't speak any Spanish!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Brooke Becomes a Do-It-Yourselfer
We've had a few home improvement projects lately (to say the least). I'll post the results of some of those later. Brooke has picked up on this as well, and when she sees my camo work shorts (and usually an old orange work shirt from Home Depot) she points and says "Daddy work!"
And then one day she added "Brooke work!" and "Brooke help!" - very enthusiastically! And if we said "no" she would cry just as enthusiastically. She really wanted to help me work! She has turned into my little assistant, and challenges me to find ways for her to help.
So, if I'm going to have an assistant then she has to have skills! One night we had a little training session. I really needed these 4 scrap pieces of wood connected into a rough square, and it was Brooke's job to do it!
And then one day she added "Brooke work!" and "Brooke help!" - very enthusiastically! And if we said "no" she would cry just as enthusiastically. She really wanted to help me work! She has turned into my little assistant, and challenges me to find ways for her to help.
So, if I'm going to have an assistant then she has to have skills! One night we had a little training session. I really needed these 4 scrap pieces of wood connected into a rough square, and it was Brooke's job to do it!
I believe that the heavy-duty Dewalt worksite radio behind us is playing "The Man on the Flying Trapeze!" Everyone (including Brooke) knows you have to have something to listen to while you work!
She learned how to hammer (mine was a little heavy so she used hers. Hint: predrill the nail hole!)
She learned how to drill holes and drive screws, using both with a screwdriver and a screwgun.
Then she had to sand it smooth...
And give it a coat of paint (water-based paint minus the paint!)
She was very pleased with her work!
She did a great job and was really into it. Not once did I have to drag her back to finish or keep her attention. I love my little helper! Do you think she is ready for a Miata engine-swap? :)
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Alive and busy
Yes, we're alive! Sorry for the hiatus, but we've been trying to do way too much and several things just had to give -- blog posts being one of them, for a while.
The last month has had some great highlights, including visits from Granddad and Granny Pat and another with Gran, Aunt Katie and Elizabeth. Brad and I also snuck away to Asheville last weekend for an early anniversary celebration and had a wonderful time. We're also still trying to wrap up house projects, including our master suite and window repairs. We're also gearing up for a huge garage sale this coming Saturday, not mention needing to make room for baby in the art studio (his temporary room until he's sleeping well through the night and will share the nursery with Brooke).
In the midst of all that we're trying to accomplish, the third trimester has really slowed me down. I'm back to needing naps every day (you know, sleep when the baby sleeps).
Standing up, bending over, and walking across a room all make my leg muscles burn and leave me breathless. So, for those of you who call, please stop sounding surprised if I'm of breath when I answer the phone. I get out of breath just sitting and lying down these days, so given our big house and the effort of locating one of our ever-wandering cordless phones, just expect that if I actually manage to pick up before the answering machine, I will sound like I've just run a marathon!
Brooke sailed pretty smoothly into her latest venture tonight: a night in her big girl bed! We decided to switch her directly to the twin bed in her room instead of fooling with multiple transitions. Brad replaced the boxspring with a board to lower the height and we have toddler rails for good measure. She's very excited and proud! I gave her the choice of the big bed or her crib, and she chose the bed. We had an extra-long story time lying on the bed tonight and put books on her nightstand for her to read in the morning. I expect that she'll be excited and wake up early tomorrow. We'll see how long she'll stay in her room in the morning! I may have a very early wake-up call....
I've heard that some kids don't realize that they can get out of the bed (e.g., Brooke's friend Grace, who has spent about six months of being lifted in and out of her toddler bed). Not Brooke! She is up and down in a flash, as I knew she would be. She did come out of her room once tonight, but we marched her right back to bed and told her she needed to stay there. She cried and I quickly offered to put her back in her crib (which she heartily refused). She seemed to get the message! She played for a little bit and fell asleep.
One great thing is that she has absolutely no concept of sleeping in our bed. She hasn't done that once since she was a newborn and I don't think that possibility will even occur to her, so I'm not anticipating any night visits. I'm just hoping that she'll continue her tradition of playing in bed or her room once she wakes up! Our worst case scenario with this is that it will wreak havoc with naptime.
I am, however, a bit nervous about nap times. Most afternoons she's down for a minimum of three hours, sometimes stretching to four and a half. (I know -- blessed am I among women!) She plays a good bit before and after she sleeps. We'll see what happens when she's not confined!
She has a big changes coming up in the next six weeks. She'll start preschool and get a new brother. We're still working on potty training, too. I wanted to try to clear this hurdle now before things really shake up around here (and before we need the for the new baby).
She's such a great sleeper; I'm hoping this venture will go smoothly. What I didn't expect was how proud I would feel tonight watching her sleep peacefully in her new bed. It's a milestone and I'm happy for her.
The last month has had some great highlights, including visits from Granddad and Granny Pat and another with Gran, Aunt Katie and Elizabeth. Brad and I also snuck away to Asheville last weekend for an early anniversary celebration and had a wonderful time. We're also still trying to wrap up house projects, including our master suite and window repairs. We're also gearing up for a huge garage sale this coming Saturday, not mention needing to make room for baby in the art studio (his temporary room until he's sleeping well through the night and will share the nursery with Brooke).
In the midst of all that we're trying to accomplish, the third trimester has really slowed me down. I'm back to needing naps every day (you know, sleep when the baby sleeps).
Standing up, bending over, and walking across a room all make my leg muscles burn and leave me breathless. So, for those of you who call, please stop sounding surprised if I'm of breath when I answer the phone. I get out of breath just sitting and lying down these days, so given our big house and the effort of locating one of our ever-wandering cordless phones, just expect that if I actually manage to pick up before the answering machine, I will sound like I've just run a marathon!
Brooke sailed pretty smoothly into her latest venture tonight: a night in her big girl bed! We decided to switch her directly to the twin bed in her room instead of fooling with multiple transitions. Brad replaced the boxspring with a board to lower the height and we have toddler rails for good measure. She's very excited and proud! I gave her the choice of the big bed or her crib, and she chose the bed. We had an extra-long story time lying on the bed tonight and put books on her nightstand for her to read in the morning. I expect that she'll be excited and wake up early tomorrow. We'll see how long she'll stay in her room in the morning! I may have a very early wake-up call....
I've heard that some kids don't realize that they can get out of the bed (e.g., Brooke's friend Grace, who has spent about six months of being lifted in and out of her toddler bed). Not Brooke! She is up and down in a flash, as I knew she would be. She did come out of her room once tonight, but we marched her right back to bed and told her she needed to stay there. She cried and I quickly offered to put her back in her crib (which she heartily refused). She seemed to get the message! She played for a little bit and fell asleep.
One great thing is that she has absolutely no concept of sleeping in our bed. She hasn't done that once since she was a newborn and I don't think that possibility will even occur to her, so I'm not anticipating any night visits. I'm just hoping that she'll continue her tradition of playing in bed or her room once she wakes up! Our worst case scenario with this is that it will wreak havoc with naptime.
I am, however, a bit nervous about nap times. Most afternoons she's down for a minimum of three hours, sometimes stretching to four and a half. (I know -- blessed am I among women!) She plays a good bit before and after she sleeps. We'll see what happens when she's not confined!
She has a big changes coming up in the next six weeks. She'll start preschool and get a new brother. We're still working on potty training, too. I wanted to try to clear this hurdle now before things really shake up around here (and before we need the for the new baby).
She's such a great sleeper; I'm hoping this venture will go smoothly. What I didn't expect was how proud I would feel tonight watching her sleep peacefully in her new bed. It's a milestone and I'm happy for her.
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