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.
Monday, July 02, 2007
New furniture
We're committed! After months of shopping, we've actually ordered new furniture. No, not from a garage sale or a scratch and dent store. No, not unfinished pieces that would take me a month to finish. No project pieces this time!!! We have, for the first time ever, shopped for exactly what we want and special ordered it. (We did, however, do some serious shopping around to get the best price once we settled on the line.) Yes, cheapskate Erin actually consented to springing for new stuff!
In two or three weeks, we should receive a king sized bed, two nightstands, a tall chest, dresser and mirror.
We're very excited. We chose the American Drew Edinboro line, which is beautiful, very well constructed furniture (dovetails joints, dustcovers, wood drawer slides, solid wood drawer sides, etc.). It has beautiful crotch mahogany veneers over hardwoods. And, lest you think these projects are winding down -- it's now time to shop for a king sized mattress (and bedding, curtains, a ceiling fan, bathroom fixtures, etc., etc., etc.)!
Also, after living in our guest room for five weeks, we finally moved back into our bedroom and boy, are we glad to be home! The guest room is very nice, don't get me wrong, but we had emptied the entire content of our master closet in there as well and thing were just too chaotic. We'll be very happy to have all of this wrapped up before the baby arrives! That's been the big motivation to do these projects this summer. Hey, the old roof can last us a little while longer.
In two or three weeks, we should receive a king sized bed, two nightstands, a tall chest, dresser and mirror.
We're very excited. We chose the American Drew Edinboro line, which is beautiful, very well constructed furniture (dovetails joints, dustcovers, wood drawer slides, solid wood drawer sides, etc.). It has beautiful crotch mahogany veneers over hardwoods. And, lest you think these projects are winding down -- it's now time to shop for a king sized mattress (and bedding, curtains, a ceiling fan, bathroom fixtures, etc., etc., etc.)!
Also, after living in our guest room for five weeks, we finally moved back into our bedroom and boy, are we glad to be home! The guest room is very nice, don't get me wrong, but we had emptied the entire content of our master closet in there as well and thing were just too chaotic. We'll be very happy to have all of this wrapped up before the baby arrives! That's been the big motivation to do these projects this summer. Hey, the old roof can last us a little while longer.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Backyard Fun and (Threatening) Sun
Ever since our trip to Myrtle Beach, one of Brooke's favorite things in the world is a baby pool. (It even ranks up there with Choo Choo [Thomas], Baby Choo Choo [the train at the zoo], babies [dolls], and Babies! [Brooke's friends]).
I've discovered some peace and quiet in our own backyard. Set up the baby pool and just add water (a.k.a., "juice," in Brookese). I'm working on this post in the backyard now, with the laptop on the picnic table watching Brooke pour water from cup to cup and wash her baby. Yesterday her friend Grace came over and the girls filled cups with "coffee" and played happily while I sat in the shade and read a magazine. This is a good thing, indeed!
Here's an example of how Brooke has mastered the "Cheese!"-y smile for the camera. The funny thing is, that half of the time she doesn't even bother to look at the camera when she smiles and says "Cheese." She also has started cheesing even when the camera isn't around. Sometimes -- particularly at the dinner table -- she'll throw her head back, start squealing and being silly. I usually take that as a clue that she wants to participate in the conversation more.
Unfortunately... we have an axe looming over our backyard shade. Last year we were informed that the power company was planning to remove about half of the trees on the hill in our backyard. We protested, nothing ever came of it, and that was that. Brad has met with them this week, though, and not only are they back, but they say they need to remove ALL of the trees on the hill. We are NOT happy, especially since most of them obviously pose no threat to the power lines. They say that a new law has been passed, though, that subjects them to large fines if they don't remove all trees over 15' tall within 50' of the middle of the lines -- which for us, means all of our trees all the way up to our back door. If anyone has any advice on how to save our trees (and our shade and privacy), please let us know!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Who would have thought?
Wonders never cease! Being born to a family of three girls from a mother who is one of four girls, and only having a daughter and a niece born to our generation, the shocker of the year is that we are expecting a boy!!!
As many of you know, Brad and I had a LOT of discussion over whether or not to find out this time. When we were expecting Brooke, I wanted to know and he didn't. Apparently I did too good of a job convincing him last time because when I wanted to keep this one a suprise, he absolutely wanted to find out! In the end, I figured that if he wanted to know, he had the right to. So at the sonogram, I asked the doctor to write it down and fold it up. I gave him the folded-up paper for his birthday a few weeks ago, and amazingly, by his own choice, he even kept it safe and didn't look for weeks! It may have had something to do with my request to be in the room with him when he opened it....
Over those weeks, I realized that it would be a lot more fun for both of us if he wasn't trying to hide it from me and the world. I also didn't want to put him in the position of me being mad at him if he slipped to me or someone else. So Saturday night we were out on a date and opened the paper. Talk about suspense! It's like opening a fortune cookie that you know is TRUE and will determine a course for the rest of your life!
Even though I suspected it was a boy (from a few of the pregnancy factors), when we read "male" on the paper I was in absolute shock for the rest of the night! (Remember, boys are very rare in our family, as are mixed-gender siblings.)
We are keeping the name quiet until he arrives, though, so don't bother asking unless you want a very unsatisfactory answer. You know me -- I like to keep my options open!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Yay, Baby Brooke!!!
Potty training is going extremely well! Miss Brooke has only been wearing panties and has kept them dry for FIVE days!!! My approach was making the switch quick and intense. No pull-ups for us. For the first two days everything in our house revolved around her learning to use the potty. Here's a picture of her "practicing" while watching a potty-themed video. Notice how even the little potty needs a step stool! 
She's kept herself dry since Friday afternoon, and we've had lots of outings (including to the zoo, church, the lake, and lots of shopping and errand-running). She's consistently telling me when she has to pee, so I'm only prompting her before we leave the house. I'm so proud of her... and the fun part is seeing how proud she is of herself! She loves to say, "Yay, Baby Brooke!!!" (Even with all of the big-girl talk lately, she still wants to be a baby. Of course, all children under the age of 8 are babies in her language.) The jellybeans are a big incentive, too!
Speaking of babies, it's been cute to see Brooke helping her babies go potty. She loves to take off their clothes, help them walk up the step stools, go, wipe, and wash their hands. With her new step stool, she's tall enough now to give her baby a bath (a very fun and messy project!). The biggest problem with it is that our sink doesn't have a overflow drain, so I have to constantly monitor the water level. That, and she seems to want to wash the baby all of the time, especially when I want us to eat lunch or go somewhere!
I still put her in a diaper at night and for her nap. (She's still in a crib, which doesn't give her any other options if she has to go.) However, she's been keeping her diaper dry during most naps (a very sudden change) and even for a night or two.
(For those who don't want potty details, skip this paragraph.) We still have to clear the #2 hurdle, but I'm hoping that a few more days will help her figure that out. I've offered to put her back in a diaper so that she can do that business, but she doesn't want that, either. I'll give it a little more time and then come up with a strategy if it doesn't work itself out. I've read that it's pretty common for kids to master either one function or the other first. She's doing so well staying dry that I'm okay if this aspect takes a little longer. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often!
The part I didn't plan on is how much time this all takes! Brooke loves to go potty and wash her hands. She'll do it two or three times in a row sometimes. I need to adjust my schedule to allow for all of that. (It's starting to become a stalling technique, too, so I have to discourage that.)
On another note, we've done a lot of gardening this week. She loves digging with the trowel, finding worms, and pushing dirt back in the holes. She's also very good about making sure that all of the plants have "juice" (water). We've planted tomatoes and annual herbs, re-potted houseplants and outdoor flowers, and relocated some ferns. Yesterday we bought okra, squash, and grape tomatoes and will have another planting session today or tomorrow.
She's kept herself dry since Friday afternoon, and we've had lots of outings (including to the zoo, church, the lake, and lots of shopping and errand-running). She's consistently telling me when she has to pee, so I'm only prompting her before we leave the house. I'm so proud of her... and the fun part is seeing how proud she is of herself! She loves to say, "Yay, Baby Brooke!!!" (Even with all of the big-girl talk lately, she still wants to be a baby. Of course, all children under the age of 8 are babies in her language.) The jellybeans are a big incentive, too!
Speaking of babies, it's been cute to see Brooke helping her babies go potty. She loves to take off their clothes, help them walk up the step stools, go, wipe, and wash their hands. With her new step stool, she's tall enough now to give her baby a bath (a very fun and messy project!). The biggest problem with it is that our sink doesn't have a overflow drain, so I have to constantly monitor the water level. That, and she seems to want to wash the baby all of the time, especially when I want us to eat lunch or go somewhere!
I still put her in a diaper at night and for her nap. (She's still in a crib, which doesn't give her any other options if she has to go.) However, she's been keeping her diaper dry during most naps (a very sudden change) and even for a night or two.
(For those who don't want potty details, skip this paragraph.) We still have to clear the #2 hurdle, but I'm hoping that a few more days will help her figure that out. I've offered to put her back in a diaper so that she can do that business, but she doesn't want that, either. I'll give it a little more time and then come up with a strategy if it doesn't work itself out. I've read that it's pretty common for kids to master either one function or the other first. She's doing so well staying dry that I'm okay if this aspect takes a little longer. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often!
The part I didn't plan on is how much time this all takes! Brooke loves to go potty and wash her hands. She'll do it two or three times in a row sometimes. I need to adjust my schedule to allow for all of that. (It's starting to become a stalling technique, too, so I have to discourage that.)
On another note, we've done a lot of gardening this week. She loves digging with the trowel, finding worms, and pushing dirt back in the holes. She's also very good about making sure that all of the plants have "juice" (water). We've planted tomatoes and annual herbs, re-potted houseplants and outdoor flowers, and relocated some ferns. Yesterday we bought okra, squash, and grape tomatoes and will have another planting session today or tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
It's Potty Time!
We had a wonderful weekend in Arkansas for Amy and Neal's beautiful wedding. We'll do a more detailed post on that great weekend soon.
As I've been promising Brooke, though, now that Amy is married, it's time to get her big girl panties! (I wasn't about to try to travel with a newly toilet trained toddler.) She's been waiting eagerly for about six weeks, ever since we bought an Elmo toilet seat insert at Wal-Mart. I haven't let her play with it one bit, promising that she'll be big enough to get it when she gets her big girl panties. We've talked about Elmo and her big girl panties nearly every day and she is very excited about both. (We'll see how excited she is about actually learning this skill tomorrow.)
Two nights ago we were at Lowe's and spied more seat inserts; I let her pick out a second one for her bathroom. (Katie will be proud to know that she wanted Bob the Builder over Dora and the other options!) Today we had a big shopping trip to Target and let her pick out new panties, step stools to reach the toilets and the sinks, special drinks for tomorrow, and fresh bottles of Lysol and carpet cleaner. (She really wanted Thomas the Tank Engine underwear, but they don't make those in girl panties. I was going to let her wear the boys' briefs because she loves Thomas so much, but they didn't have them in her size. All of you who think I might screw this kid up by starting her out in boy's underwear will breathe a sigh of relief, I'm sure. Fortunately, she was happy to have Curious George panties as a second-runner up! No Tinkerbell or Disney princesses for this girl!) We also checked out lots of potty books and a video from the library.
So tomorrow's the big day! Say a prayer for us! We're trying the get-it-over-and-done-with method, with lots of praise and treats for dry panties and productive visits to the potty. Hopefully she'll figure out that wet panties are no fun and will choose to keep them dry.
Her bear will also learn how to use the potty tomorrow, too. Hope he likes jellybeans!
As I've been promising Brooke, though, now that Amy is married, it's time to get her big girl panties! (I wasn't about to try to travel with a newly toilet trained toddler.) She's been waiting eagerly for about six weeks, ever since we bought an Elmo toilet seat insert at Wal-Mart. I haven't let her play with it one bit, promising that she'll be big enough to get it when she gets her big girl panties. We've talked about Elmo and her big girl panties nearly every day and she is very excited about both. (We'll see how excited she is about actually learning this skill tomorrow.)
Two nights ago we were at Lowe's and spied more seat inserts; I let her pick out a second one for her bathroom. (Katie will be proud to know that she wanted Bob the Builder over Dora and the other options!) Today we had a big shopping trip to Target and let her pick out new panties, step stools to reach the toilets and the sinks, special drinks for tomorrow, and fresh bottles of Lysol and carpet cleaner. (She really wanted Thomas the Tank Engine underwear, but they don't make those in girl panties. I was going to let her wear the boys' briefs because she loves Thomas so much, but they didn't have them in her size. All of you who think I might screw this kid up by starting her out in boy's underwear will breathe a sigh of relief, I'm sure. Fortunately, she was happy to have Curious George panties as a second-runner up! No Tinkerbell or Disney princesses for this girl!) We also checked out lots of potty books and a video from the library.
So tomorrow's the big day! Say a prayer for us! We're trying the get-it-over-and-done-with method, with lots of praise and treats for dry panties and productive visits to the potty. Hopefully she'll figure out that wet panties are no fun and will choose to keep them dry.
Her bear will also learn how to use the potty tomorrow, too. Hope he likes jellybeans!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Happy Birthday, Brad!
Yesterday was Brad's 34th birthday, which makes him older than Jesus! (We won't say what that makes many of you out there!) Yes, sir, there are advantages to being the youngest sibling and marrying an older guy! Just think, your gift to me is helping me always feel young!
Kidding aside, Brad is a super special guy and we're very happy for the chance to celebrate him. He had a great day: his new smartphone arrived (a phone/pocket PC/camera combo), he got a sleek little new digital camera and lots of nice cards and well wishes, we enjoyed some good ribs and key lime pie, watched Lost's season finale... and other people were in our house doing "his" nasty job of smoothing our bedroom and bathroom ceilings! Thanks to everyone for your thoughtfulness in remembering him.
One of the biggest challenges of Brad's birthday was coping with Brooke's disappointment that it wasn't her birthday! All week long, when we were shopping for his presents, Brooke kept insisting that she should be shopping for her! But, it did help that we all got to wear party hats last night.
Yes, we actually hired painters, painful as it has been to us DIYers. All week three amigos have been smoothing ceilings, taking down our hideous 1991 wallpaper, patching, priming and painting. The contractors brought their own problems and reminded us why we usually do it ourselves. My experiences hiring various painters over this past year have taught me that my standards for quality work are much higher than a lot of professionals'. Tomorrow their supervisor is either coming himself or sending someone else to come finish the job properly. He stopped by tonight and agreed with us that the job has a lot of clean-up and touch-ups still left undone. So, hopefully the problems will at least be resolved soon. The good news is that the ugly wallpaper and ceiling popcorn is GONE!
I'm very glad that we're going through all of this mess and disruption now instead of after the second baby comes!
Here's the hideous before picture. I'll post pics of the rooms' progress when they're further along.
In the meantime, here are some of Brooke playing at the zoo's park on our last visit to tide you over.
Kidding aside, Brad is a super special guy and we're very happy for the chance to celebrate him. He had a great day: his new smartphone arrived (a phone/pocket PC/camera combo), he got a sleek little new digital camera and lots of nice cards and well wishes, we enjoyed some good ribs and key lime pie, watched Lost's season finale... and other people were in our house doing "his" nasty job of smoothing our bedroom and bathroom ceilings! Thanks to everyone for your thoughtfulness in remembering him.
One of the biggest challenges of Brad's birthday was coping with Brooke's disappointment that it wasn't her birthday! All week long, when we were shopping for his presents, Brooke kept insisting that she should be shopping for her! But, it did help that we all got to wear party hats last night.
Yes, we actually hired painters, painful as it has been to us DIYers. All week three amigos have been smoothing ceilings, taking down our hideous 1991 wallpaper, patching, priming and painting. The contractors brought their own problems and reminded us why we usually do it ourselves. My experiences hiring various painters over this past year have taught me that my standards for quality work are much higher than a lot of professionals'. Tomorrow their supervisor is either coming himself or sending someone else to come finish the job properly. He stopped by tonight and agreed with us that the job has a lot of clean-up and touch-ups still left undone. So, hopefully the problems will at least be resolved soon. The good news is that the ugly wallpaper and ceiling popcorn is GONE!
I'm very glad that we're going through all of this mess and disruption now instead of after the second baby comes!
Here's the hideous before picture. I'll post pics of the rooms' progress when they're further along.
In the meantime, here are some of Brooke playing at the zoo's park on our last visit to tide you over.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
IT'S A... !!!
I had my first appointment with my new OB practice today and surprisingly, it turned out to be "The Big One" with the 20 week sonogram! I was very sorry that Brad couldn't be there, but it was nice that they rearranged their schedule for me. Apparently, now is the preferred time for that. I'm within a week of the official halfway point. The due date is still October 9, but we do suspect it will be earlier (more on that below).
The baby is doing great! (It's kicking as I write this.) I got to see it put its fingers in its mouth and pedal its legs a bit. As you can see, it struck a nice profile for us! (Hint: You can click on the picture to see a larger view.)
This baby is on the big side, measuring a week and a half ahead of schedule, which is quite a change from little Miss Brooke who was so small that we got extra sonograms. (Maybe I'm eating more ice cream this time around?) The doctor said that second babies are typically a little bit bigger. My weight gain (13.5 lbs.) is great.
I was very relieved that the doctor made a big note about how quickly Brooke came. Hopefully we'll be more prepared if we have another quick delivery (since second babies tend to come faster than the first) and we just might even have time for an epidural with this one! She said we'll probably look at scheduling an induction and do the same prep work that kicked off my last labor without the Pitocin (the induction drug) and see if that works again. That way my odds of delivering in a GA 400 gridlock would be greatly reduced. I was just glad to see that she took Brooke's lightning fast arrival very seriously and is planning accordingly.
Of course, the most exciting part of the midway sonogram is getting to find out the sex of the baby! Brad has wanted to find out, but I haven't this time (which is reversed from Brooke's pregnancy). So...
It's a baby!!! Hey, Brad wasn't there and we hadn't planned on the sonogram today; thus, we hadn't finalized the decision. I didn't find out. Sorry! I know you're all disappointed, but hey, that will just make the news of the arrival all the more exciting. The suspense will just have to continue to build!
That's okay with me. Forget wanting a boy or a girl. I just want a baby, which I'm sure this one is!
The baby is doing great! (It's kicking as I write this.) I got to see it put its fingers in its mouth and pedal its legs a bit. As you can see, it struck a nice profile for us! (Hint: You can click on the picture to see a larger view.)
This baby is on the big side, measuring a week and a half ahead of schedule, which is quite a change from little Miss Brooke who was so small that we got extra sonograms. (Maybe I'm eating more ice cream this time around?) The doctor said that second babies are typically a little bit bigger. My weight gain (13.5 lbs.) is great.
I was very relieved that the doctor made a big note about how quickly Brooke came. Hopefully we'll be more prepared if we have another quick delivery (since second babies tend to come faster than the first) and we just might even have time for an epidural with this one! She said we'll probably look at scheduling an induction and do the same prep work that kicked off my last labor without the Pitocin (the induction drug) and see if that works again. That way my odds of delivering in a GA 400 gridlock would be greatly reduced. I was just glad to see that she took Brooke's lightning fast arrival very seriously and is planning accordingly.
Of course, the most exciting part of the midway sonogram is getting to find out the sex of the baby! Brad has wanted to find out, but I haven't this time (which is reversed from Brooke's pregnancy). So...
It's a baby!!! Hey, Brad wasn't there and we hadn't planned on the sonogram today; thus, we hadn't finalized the decision. I didn't find out. Sorry! I know you're all disappointed, but hey, that will just make the news of the arrival all the more exciting. The suspense will just have to continue to build!
That's okay with me. Forget wanting a boy or a girl. I just want a baby, which I'm sure this one is!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Beach Babe
Yes, we're long overdue for a post. We've had a crazy month: I've been sick with colds (twice!), we were in KY for a week (thank you, Katie, for the great post on your blog where I was negligent), I completed a pen and ink portrait and then we were in Myrtle Beach for a week!
Our trip to the beach was fabulous in nearly every way. Brad was there on business and Brooke and I just tagged along. Of course, that meant that we didn't have the luxury of Brad's company for most of the week, but it was a very nice trip that we wouldn't have taken otherwise. We did pay for an upgrade to a condo from a hotel room, and after some problems at check-in, we were blessed with an even nicer one than we had reserved! It was a large, 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, living room, and screened in breakfast patio overlooking a small lake that was only 20 feet away! In other words, it was heaven!
We were even visited by a nice family of ducks during breakfast a couple of mornings.
I LOVE going to the beach with a 2 year old!!! Brooke had a wonderful time playing in the baby pools and on the beach. Every morning we enjoyed both, came back for a bath, had lunch on the patio and then -- joy of joys -- Brooke took a three hour nap and gave me glorious down time when I didn't have to be cleaning!!! I indulged in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" all week and discovered a new favorite book. I LOVE the new movie with Keira Knightly and was absolutely enthralled by the novel.
At night, we'd go out for dinner with Brad and go for a walk or short play session on the beach.
Brooke's favorite part of the week were the baby pools. We stayed at the big Hilton complex and so we had access to all of the amenities -- including four baby pools and a water park. Her new favorite phrases are "Splash babies!" and "Down!", describing a huge bucket at the top of the play structure in the water park that would fill every few minutes and splash down over everything with much fanfare.
This was her first time at a beach. She loved the sand, shells, and playing with her beach toys. She didn't like the ocean at all, though, and was even upset when we'd walk along the beach at night and her stroller wheels would get wet. She had no problem, though, sending Mommy and Daddy out to fill her buckets with water! On the fourth day, though, I did find a little tidal pool and she really enjoyed playing in the "baby pool" that the ocean had made! It's all in the terminology!
As you can see, she loved filling her buckets with sand:
She sported some Pippi-Longstocking-esque braids for the pool:
And she even stayed still enough to try her first french braids!
Here she is in her very stylish hat from Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville:
Thanks to my diligence with the SPF 50, there were no burns and even no tan lines on my fair-skinned self and baby! (I do actually have a nice tan, though, thanks to a bottle of self-tanner.)
So, a fun time was had by all! I'm all for Brad getting more work in Myrtle Beach. Thank you, Supportsoft!
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