I had been putting off potty training for eons. I was just dreading it. I didn’t want to start it before Noah was ready, and I didn’t want it to be a year-long battle. I had heard from so many people that even completely potty trained children regress when a second child is born, so I had decided that I would wait until after Ray was born to really get started. We had made some cursory steps though. Noah has peed on the potty before and after his bath every night for some time And awhile ago I had purchased Noah some “big boy” underwear that I laundered and put in his drawer telling him that he could wear them when he was ready. In recent weeks he began asking about the underwear and showing real interest in wearing them. So this weekend we said “Okay. We will start wearing underwear on Monday.”
For the most part we’re just going cold turkey. We’ve stuck close to home and while in the house Noah’s been wearing just underwear – not even pants. On his first day Noah did perfectly. He had NO accidents and even pooped on the potty twice. Mark and I were floored – we would have taken bets against an outcome that good. He is obviously capable of being potty trained and ready. However the next two days we backslid a bit – with a couple of peeing accidents – but still strong on potty pooping. After the accidents, mostly because he didn’t seem at all upset about them, I decided to make a sticker reward chart which I had been hoping to avoid. For one I’m not good at maintaining that sort of thing, and on the other it smacks of bribery. But it helped get us back on track and again Noah had a perfect day yesterday. He seems to be doing remarkably well and the most promising thing is that he seems really proud of himself. Of course I know we still have a bumpy road ahead of us.
Now the big hurdles ahead of us are spending more time out of the house and getting Noah to ask to use the potty rather than have us constantly remind him. We used a pull-up at playgroup yesterday and were thrilled when he actually asked to use the potty – so that is a positive sign. And I think we’ll use pull-ups for the hour-long car trips to see family we have planned this weekend but then put him in underwear when we reach our destinations. Hopefully he won’t pee on anyone’s floor. Wish us continued success.
As for what else is going on – baby, nursing, visiting, playing. Still thrilled to have Mark home with us and dreading him going back after Labor Day.
Oh – and I have to mention how much I’ve been loving Flight of the Conchords. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. You know that sort of embarrassing facial- contorting, mouth-gaping, eye-tering, slobber-dripping laughing?
Friday, August 10, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
State of the union
There is incredibly too much to say and little time to say much of anything, hence my inability to blog. But I guess I need to just get some things out there and not stress too much about what all I should be documenting. So here goes.
After my friend Holly had her second child I asked for the lowdown. She told me that the whole time she had been pregnant she had been worried about how much work it takes to have a newborn – how it had seemed so hard the first time and she wasn’t sure how she was going to do it again while caring for her older son. But once her second son came she quickly realized that the newborn was a breeze. Sure there was sleeplessness to deal with but really the bulk of her work, her motherly struggle, still revolved around caring for her two year old. Keeping him busy, happy, fed, clothed, and in control. The baby was easy as pie.
Holly was dead on. Ray seems pretty damn easy. It does help (knock on wood) that in comparison to Noah, so far Ray seems to be an easier infant. He sleeps a large portion of the day – still waking to eat every two hours, but often dozing back off. Almost every time I take him out of the house he sleeps through most of it. I’m fairly certain that in his first two and a half weeks that he has gotten more sleep than Noah during his first six months. Also, so far (knock on wood) Ray doesn’t have the acid reflux that tormented Noah during his first six months of life – which means a lot less spitting up and screaming. Of course Ray still has two more weeks before he’s out of the woods as the doc says reflux can pop up anytime within the first month.
So what is Ray like? Well he nurses – A LOT. He’s a hungry mungry. And oddly enough though I was told before that the poop of completely breastfed babies does not stink, and Noah’s didn’t, Ray breaks the mold. He is a seriously stinky boy. But he’s also cuddly, smooshy, wide-eyed and observant when he’s awake, and fairly good natured.
Why do we give our children names and then call them other things? For some odd reason Mark and I have taken to calling Ray by the name of Pete. Sneaky Pete, Stinky Pete, and Sweety Pete to be precise. Noah keeps reminding us that Pete is not Ray’s name. To which we can only reply “Yes, Bug, we know.”
Noah adores Ray. Several times a day he will fawn over him, muttering in a very high pitched voice “He’s SO little. He’s SO cute. Hi Ray! Hi Ray! Ray? Ray? Ray?” He kisses him, pets him and asks to hold him. That isn’t to say there isn’t some tension – but he really takes it out on us. Occasionally telling me to give Mark the baby so I can hold him, climbing on me when I’m nursing Ray, stopping in the middle of meals to say “I’m too far from my Mama. I need to be close to her” while moving his chair right next to mine and pawing at me while I try to eat, and crying for more attention from me particularly when he gets tired. The biggest battle we’ve waged thus far was the nighttime battle. Prior to Ray’s birth, whenever Noah has woken up in the middle of the night I have gone to him and comforted him back to sleep. But now that I’m nightly wetnurse duty this isn’t possible. There were two majorly sleepless night showdowns of tears and yelling – from both Noah and Mark – but since then Noah has been sleeping all night in his bed without calling out for either of us in the middle of the night. It’s too early to consider it a complete success, but so far so good.
How have I been feeling? Almost too good. I was so worn down and achey by the end of my pregnancy and the impact of birth on my body seemed so much less dramatic than last time that I was pretty much up and around the day after I got home from the hospital. However in the last week I started getting crampy and my bleeding increased significantly, rather than dying down as it should. I called my OB office with my concerns and the nurse practitioner asked me a million questions about how I’d been feeling and what I’d been up to before she outright scolded me for not taking it easier. “The postnatal recuperation time should be six weeks of rest and it doesn’t sound like you have taken one of them.” Ahem. But it’s been hard to curtail my activity when I just feel like there is little reason for it.
As for managing two kids, it’s a snap. That is when you have the fulltime assistance of your husband. I’m sure it will get tricky when Mark goes back to work after Labor Day. But I won’t think about that today. One thing that keeps striking me is how much more low key everything feels with a second child. First time parents are bundles of nerves, learning everything, worrying about it all. Mark and I worried about every little grunt and cry – constantly wondering “is that normal?” and always checking Noah’s breathing. With Ray we just assume he’s fine. I don’t well up with tension every time he starts crying. I don’t fear that if he starts wailing to be fed and I don’t attend to him immediately that he’ll feel neglected. It’s all old hat and we just kind of roll with it. That is as much as two over-researching, over-analyzing, overly sensitive folk can roll with it.
One thing I HAVE to mention is how surrounded and overwhelmed by love I often feel. We are SO incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful circle of family and friends. People so thoughtful and so generous that it really boggles the mind. We’ve had neighbors bringing us food and gifts. Family sending cards and gift certificates, and calling to check in. Friends coming to the hospital and dropping by the house to see the newborn soft pink lump. We even have blog pals crafting! Between Ray’s birth and my birthday my house was so full of flowers it looked briefly like a funeral home. And of course the warm wishes and emails from you folks were overwhelming warm and touching. Thanks. Really, it means a lot.
I have an excellent example of how great our families are. My Dad decided to come to the hospital spur of the moment after I called and told him I was in labor. He stayed in the waiting room almost the whole night and came in to see the baby just after he was born at 1:15 am. It was 5 am by the time Ray and I were put in our room and everyone was beat. I told Mark and Dad to go back to our house and get some sleep and I’d see them in the morning. Meanwhile my Mom had been back at the house all night watching Noah. Playing trains, singing and dancing, painting and trying to follow my ridiculously over detailed schedule. Her fiancé Larry was also with her, he came bearing groceries – and they were spending the night. I knew it might be a little weird for all of them when I sent my Dad, whom had been divorced from my mother for 26 years, back to the house to sleep. But I knew that everyone wanted to be there with me, Mark, Noah and Ray and that it wouldn’t be a big deal. Not only were they civil, they seemed to all get along swimmingly. Larry cooked them all breakfast and after visiting with me for awhile the next morning they all went out to lunch and fought over who would pay the bill. I can’t tell you how great it made me feel. When I was telling my Grammy about how funny it was to have them all hanging out together she said “I guess they must all love you a lot” and I seriously almost cried.
And on a much more light and random note – I’m addicted to Dunkin Donuts iced coffees. I’ve been getting one almost every day since a couple of weeks before Ray was born (half caf and decafs while pregnant). I seriously might need an intervention.
And that’s all the time and all the thoughts I got at the moment.
After my friend Holly had her second child I asked for the lowdown. She told me that the whole time she had been pregnant she had been worried about how much work it takes to have a newborn – how it had seemed so hard the first time and she wasn’t sure how she was going to do it again while caring for her older son. But once her second son came she quickly realized that the newborn was a breeze. Sure there was sleeplessness to deal with but really the bulk of her work, her motherly struggle, still revolved around caring for her two year old. Keeping him busy, happy, fed, clothed, and in control. The baby was easy as pie.
Holly was dead on. Ray seems pretty damn easy. It does help (knock on wood) that in comparison to Noah, so far Ray seems to be an easier infant. He sleeps a large portion of the day – still waking to eat every two hours, but often dozing back off. Almost every time I take him out of the house he sleeps through most of it. I’m fairly certain that in his first two and a half weeks that he has gotten more sleep than Noah during his first six months. Also, so far (knock on wood) Ray doesn’t have the acid reflux that tormented Noah during his first six months of life – which means a lot less spitting up and screaming. Of course Ray still has two more weeks before he’s out of the woods as the doc says reflux can pop up anytime within the first month.
So what is Ray like? Well he nurses – A LOT. He’s a hungry mungry. And oddly enough though I was told before that the poop of completely breastfed babies does not stink, and Noah’s didn’t, Ray breaks the mold. He is a seriously stinky boy. But he’s also cuddly, smooshy, wide-eyed and observant when he’s awake, and fairly good natured.
Why do we give our children names and then call them other things? For some odd reason Mark and I have taken to calling Ray by the name of Pete. Sneaky Pete, Stinky Pete, and Sweety Pete to be precise. Noah keeps reminding us that Pete is not Ray’s name. To which we can only reply “Yes, Bug, we know.”
Noah adores Ray. Several times a day he will fawn over him, muttering in a very high pitched voice “He’s SO little. He’s SO cute. Hi Ray! Hi Ray! Ray? Ray? Ray?” He kisses him, pets him and asks to hold him. That isn’t to say there isn’t some tension – but he really takes it out on us. Occasionally telling me to give Mark the baby so I can hold him, climbing on me when I’m nursing Ray, stopping in the middle of meals to say “I’m too far from my Mama. I need to be close to her” while moving his chair right next to mine and pawing at me while I try to eat, and crying for more attention from me particularly when he gets tired. The biggest battle we’ve waged thus far was the nighttime battle. Prior to Ray’s birth, whenever Noah has woken up in the middle of the night I have gone to him and comforted him back to sleep. But now that I’m nightly wetnurse duty this isn’t possible. There were two majorly sleepless night showdowns of tears and yelling – from both Noah and Mark – but since then Noah has been sleeping all night in his bed without calling out for either of us in the middle of the night. It’s too early to consider it a complete success, but so far so good.
How have I been feeling? Almost too good. I was so worn down and achey by the end of my pregnancy and the impact of birth on my body seemed so much less dramatic than last time that I was pretty much up and around the day after I got home from the hospital. However in the last week I started getting crampy and my bleeding increased significantly, rather than dying down as it should. I called my OB office with my concerns and the nurse practitioner asked me a million questions about how I’d been feeling and what I’d been up to before she outright scolded me for not taking it easier. “The postnatal recuperation time should be six weeks of rest and it doesn’t sound like you have taken one of them.” Ahem. But it’s been hard to curtail my activity when I just feel like there is little reason for it.
As for managing two kids, it’s a snap. That is when you have the fulltime assistance of your husband. I’m sure it will get tricky when Mark goes back to work after Labor Day. But I won’t think about that today. One thing that keeps striking me is how much more low key everything feels with a second child. First time parents are bundles of nerves, learning everything, worrying about it all. Mark and I worried about every little grunt and cry – constantly wondering “is that normal?” and always checking Noah’s breathing. With Ray we just assume he’s fine. I don’t well up with tension every time he starts crying. I don’t fear that if he starts wailing to be fed and I don’t attend to him immediately that he’ll feel neglected. It’s all old hat and we just kind of roll with it. That is as much as two over-researching, over-analyzing, overly sensitive folk can roll with it.
One thing I HAVE to mention is how surrounded and overwhelmed by love I often feel. We are SO incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful circle of family and friends. People so thoughtful and so generous that it really boggles the mind. We’ve had neighbors bringing us food and gifts. Family sending cards and gift certificates, and calling to check in. Friends coming to the hospital and dropping by the house to see the newborn soft pink lump. We even have blog pals crafting! Between Ray’s birth and my birthday my house was so full of flowers it looked briefly like a funeral home. And of course the warm wishes and emails from you folks were overwhelming warm and touching. Thanks. Really, it means a lot.
I have an excellent example of how great our families are. My Dad decided to come to the hospital spur of the moment after I called and told him I was in labor. He stayed in the waiting room almost the whole night and came in to see the baby just after he was born at 1:15 am. It was 5 am by the time Ray and I were put in our room and everyone was beat. I told Mark and Dad to go back to our house and get some sleep and I’d see them in the morning. Meanwhile my Mom had been back at the house all night watching Noah. Playing trains, singing and dancing, painting and trying to follow my ridiculously over detailed schedule. Her fiancé Larry was also with her, he came bearing groceries – and they were spending the night. I knew it might be a little weird for all of them when I sent my Dad, whom had been divorced from my mother for 26 years, back to the house to sleep. But I knew that everyone wanted to be there with me, Mark, Noah and Ray and that it wouldn’t be a big deal. Not only were they civil, they seemed to all get along swimmingly. Larry cooked them all breakfast and after visiting with me for awhile the next morning they all went out to lunch and fought over who would pay the bill. I can’t tell you how great it made me feel. When I was telling my Grammy about how funny it was to have them all hanging out together she said “I guess they must all love you a lot” and I seriously almost cried.
And on a much more light and random note – I’m addicted to Dunkin Donuts iced coffees. I’ve been getting one almost every day since a couple of weeks before Ray was born (half caf and decafs while pregnant). I seriously might need an intervention.
And that’s all the time and all the thoughts I got at the moment.
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Friday, July 27, 2007
They should be in pictures
There is much to say, but no time and concentration at the moment to say it. Between entertaining guests, Noah, and Mark - and visiting, napping, answering an occasional email, and trying to finish Harry Potter - oh, and nursing, nursing and nursing - the time just sort of shoots by. But here are some pictures of my beautiful boys. Some details later, I promise.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The skinny on Mr. Ray
On Friday morning I felt like hell. I emailed Mark at work “just so you know - i am praying that the baby comes now. like right now. i just feel so awful today. so lethargic and sore. i can barely sit up. noah deserves so much more. i should take him to the park.” I called Janette in near tears. I was clearly done being pregnant. After trying to occupy Noah in the back yard for an hour, I just gave up and agreed that we could watch Mr. Rogers at noon because I just hadn’t the energy to do anything but watch TV. After an hour of laying on the couch Noah said “I want to go some place” which made me feel like complete crap. So I suggested we head to Target so I could look for an outfit to wear postpartum and then chase Noah around the store. As we headed to the second floor to change the boy out of his pajamas (YES – pajamas at 1 pm – I WAS BEAT) I wet myself a little. Now my water broke with Noah but I woke up in a big puddle, and this was a very slow, slight trickle so at first I wasn’t quite sure. So I waited about 20 minutes and when the water kept coming drop by drop I called Mark at 1:30 and said “Um… I think my water broke. You might want to come home.” Noah asked when we were going to Target and I explained I didn’t think we were going to make it to Target, that the baby was probably coming. And then I called the doctor’s office and my Mom so she could come to our house to watch Noah. And called and called my Mom – on her cell phone, her home phone, her work phone, her pager, her fiancé and her work friend. I couldn’t reach her and I was losing my mind. Especially because the longer it went on the more Noah asked me WHEN was Grandma going to get here. WHEN?? Contractions stared almost right away but they were weird from the get. One strong one, ten minutes, one weak one, two minutes, one strong one, twelve minutes. No rhyme or reason. I wasn’t in a hurry to get to the hospital – I started a load of laundry and finished packing my bag. When I tried to call my Mom’s work friend Kathy to see if maybe she knew where my Mom was, a temp answered and explained that Kathy was on vacation. She’d be back next week – I could call then, he explained. “That won’t work for me. I’m in labor,” I spat at him before I hung up. Finally Mom called at three, she had been giving a lecture at a work luncheon and was away from her phone. She was on her way. When she got to the house at four Noah said “It took you a LONG TIME to get here.”
We spent about an hour giving my instructions, getting our ducks in a row and setting out for the hospital. And still my contractions were here and there and everywhere. When I got to Pennsylvania Hospital they confirmed that my water had broke and that I was four centimeters dilated. They explained that as it was Friday the 13 – that they were CRAZY busy and apologized that it would be awhile until they moved us along in the process. It took quite a long time to get me checked and moved into a labor and delivery room. In the mean time a nurse came in said “I think your Dad is here.” To which I reacted “I don’t think so” and she said “Bald guy?” Yup. That’s my Dad. He decided he didn’t want to stay home and decided to come join in the fun. Of course he also didn’t want to see any of the messy business so he mostly hung out in the waiting room. Old school style.
As with Noah’s birth, I needed to be put on a Pitocin drip to make my contractions stronger and more regular. And as I well knew Pitocin makes contractions hella painful, hella fast – so they suggested I get an epidural before they put me on the drip. Since I did thirteen hours of pain med-free labor with Noah before finally opting for the drugs – I knew damn well that I wanted the epidural. Problem was the Anesthesiologist was quite busy and wouldn’t be available for a few hours – so we were told to just hang out. It was 10 pm when Dr. Feelgood finally showed. Except he didn’t make me feel so good. After he gave me that lovely, lovely needle my blood pressure plummeted, I nearly passed out and Baby Ray’s heartbeat took a dive, and then raced. It was kind of scary for a couple of minutes. But then glorious, glorious numbness and all was well. At midnight I was kind of puzzled why I was starting to feel quite a bit of pain again. My doc came in and suggested I push the button for more epidural meds and then explained I was at 7 cm and it would probably be at least another two hours. I insisted Mark go get my Dad and head to Coco’s for a beer and something to eat so that I could get some rest. Just after they left the nurse came in and when I explained to her that my glorious numbness was failing me she suggested I’d feel better after she catheterized me and emptied my bladder. When she did it sounded like we were in the room with Niagara freakin’ Falls. And um, NO, the pain didn’t get better it got WORSE. And “OH!” said the nurse. It looks as if my bladder was so full that it was blocking my cervix from dilating. And NOW – the baby is ready to push his way out. But small problem, though I am in incredible pain that will not let up until I push that baby out, we have no doctor and my husband is missing. While the nurse steps into the hallway and frantically shouts for the doctor I call Mark on his cellphone just as he is served a beer and say “Come back NOW!” The Doc comes in and the nurse suggests we wait to push until my husband comes in to which I say “FORGET THAT! WE are GOING.” And just as I bear down for the first push Mark comes in the door. Literally five minutes of pushing and BINGO – BABY. At 1:15 am on Bastille Day 07/14/07 - Hello Ray Konrad Eggerts – 37 weeks gestational, 8 pounds 9 ounces, 20.5 inches. Thank GOD he was early. And of course he’s beautiful. Love at first sight as they say.
And now the quick details. He was a fast latch – no crying about breastfeeding this time. This time it seems we’re both old pros. Though DAMN my nipples hurt. He looks less like Mark than Noah, and more like a Maersch – my paternal side of the family. His hair is decidedly reddish, as is his ruddy complexion and for now his eyes are a steely blue. Noah adores him. He’ll give him ten minute intervals of full-on overwhelming affection. Cooing about how cute he is, repeatedly asking “What he trying to say to me?” and kissing his head – and then he goes back to fixating on trains or the vintage Fisher Price Little People Airport that Ray brought him for being such a great big brother. Noah did absolutely great while having a flurry of attention from his Grandparents, but has had some meltdown moments here and there since. This is of course to be expected when you factor in some lack of sleep and a head cold with the fact that he is no longer alone at the center of the universe. But for the most part he is handling the situation rather well. It of course helps to no end that Mr. Mark will be home from work with us for the next six weeks. He might not get the big bucks but he has great time off. I’m still looking six months pregnant and pissy that I’m still all puffed up from extra liquid. My hands, feet and even legs are bloated and throbbing. But other than that I can’t complain too much. Whereas last time I spent at least a week on the couch – this time I was up and around in no time. Sure I’ve got some pain – but it’s manageable and I’m not letting it hold me back. I took Ray on the subway and downtown to his pediatrician appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday – and will again tomorrow. He’s got some jaundice so they just keep testing his blood levels and waiting for the counts to go down. He’s SO sleepy – like seriously awake for six hours a day – with periodic waking to eat about every two hours and then back to dreamland. If only it was always this easy.
So that’s what I’ve got for now. Too much? Not enough. From my standpoint it's just the tip of the iceberg. But you be the judge. More pictures coming soon.
We spent about an hour giving my instructions, getting our ducks in a row and setting out for the hospital. And still my contractions were here and there and everywhere. When I got to Pennsylvania Hospital they confirmed that my water had broke and that I was four centimeters dilated. They explained that as it was Friday the 13 – that they were CRAZY busy and apologized that it would be awhile until they moved us along in the process. It took quite a long time to get me checked and moved into a labor and delivery room. In the mean time a nurse came in said “I think your Dad is here.” To which I reacted “I don’t think so” and she said “Bald guy?” Yup. That’s my Dad. He decided he didn’t want to stay home and decided to come join in the fun. Of course he also didn’t want to see any of the messy business so he mostly hung out in the waiting room. Old school style.
As with Noah’s birth, I needed to be put on a Pitocin drip to make my contractions stronger and more regular. And as I well knew Pitocin makes contractions hella painful, hella fast – so they suggested I get an epidural before they put me on the drip. Since I did thirteen hours of pain med-free labor with Noah before finally opting for the drugs – I knew damn well that I wanted the epidural. Problem was the Anesthesiologist was quite busy and wouldn’t be available for a few hours – so we were told to just hang out. It was 10 pm when Dr. Feelgood finally showed. Except he didn’t make me feel so good. After he gave me that lovely, lovely needle my blood pressure plummeted, I nearly passed out and Baby Ray’s heartbeat took a dive, and then raced. It was kind of scary for a couple of minutes. But then glorious, glorious numbness and all was well. At midnight I was kind of puzzled why I was starting to feel quite a bit of pain again. My doc came in and suggested I push the button for more epidural meds and then explained I was at 7 cm and it would probably be at least another two hours. I insisted Mark go get my Dad and head to Coco’s for a beer and something to eat so that I could get some rest. Just after they left the nurse came in and when I explained to her that my glorious numbness was failing me she suggested I’d feel better after she catheterized me and emptied my bladder. When she did it sounded like we were in the room with Niagara freakin’ Falls. And um, NO, the pain didn’t get better it got WORSE. And “OH!” said the nurse. It looks as if my bladder was so full that it was blocking my cervix from dilating. And NOW – the baby is ready to push his way out. But small problem, though I am in incredible pain that will not let up until I push that baby out, we have no doctor and my husband is missing. While the nurse steps into the hallway and frantically shouts for the doctor I call Mark on his cellphone just as he is served a beer and say “Come back NOW!” The Doc comes in and the nurse suggests we wait to push until my husband comes in to which I say “FORGET THAT! WE are GOING.” And just as I bear down for the first push Mark comes in the door. Literally five minutes of pushing and BINGO – BABY. At 1:15 am on Bastille Day 07/14/07 - Hello Ray Konrad Eggerts – 37 weeks gestational, 8 pounds 9 ounces, 20.5 inches. Thank GOD he was early. And of course he’s beautiful. Love at first sight as they say.
And now the quick details. He was a fast latch – no crying about breastfeeding this time. This time it seems we’re both old pros. Though DAMN my nipples hurt. He looks less like Mark than Noah, and more like a Maersch – my paternal side of the family. His hair is decidedly reddish, as is his ruddy complexion and for now his eyes are a steely blue. Noah adores him. He’ll give him ten minute intervals of full-on overwhelming affection. Cooing about how cute he is, repeatedly asking “What he trying to say to me?” and kissing his head – and then he goes back to fixating on trains or the vintage Fisher Price Little People Airport that Ray brought him for being such a great big brother. Noah did absolutely great while having a flurry of attention from his Grandparents, but has had some meltdown moments here and there since. This is of course to be expected when you factor in some lack of sleep and a head cold with the fact that he is no longer alone at the center of the universe. But for the most part he is handling the situation rather well. It of course helps to no end that Mr. Mark will be home from work with us for the next six weeks. He might not get the big bucks but he has great time off. I’m still looking six months pregnant and pissy that I’m still all puffed up from extra liquid. My hands, feet and even legs are bloated and throbbing. But other than that I can’t complain too much. Whereas last time I spent at least a week on the couch – this time I was up and around in no time. Sure I’ve got some pain – but it’s manageable and I’m not letting it hold me back. I took Ray on the subway and downtown to his pediatrician appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday – and will again tomorrow. He’s got some jaundice so they just keep testing his blood levels and waiting for the counts to go down. He’s SO sleepy – like seriously awake for six hours a day – with periodic waking to eat about every two hours and then back to dreamland. If only it was always this easy.
So that’s what I’ve got for now. Too much? Not enough. From my standpoint it's just the tip of the iceberg. But you be the judge. More pictures coming soon.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Bastille Ray
Just a brief note before I drop from exhaustion: Ray Konrad Eggerts was born this morning (July 14) at 1:15 a.m., weighing 8 lb 9 oz. Family and friends have been everywhere and done everything, and more are expected tomorrow. Noah and I are home with my in-laws, and Nicole and Ray are resting comfortably at the hospital. More to follow, for the rest of our lives. - Mark
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Deja Vu
Today had a familiar ring to it. I went in for my 37 week check-up this morning. It turns out my blood pressure was elevated and there was protein in my urine. So they sent me to the hospital for further monitoring. That is EXACTLY what happened with Noah’s pregnancy – in the EXACT same week. Of course last time I was all in a tizzy freak out like “THEY MAY INDUCE ME TODAY!” and this time I was like “Yeah… how long is this going to take.” Plus I had Noah with me at the doctor’s office and hospital – he was of course an angel, eating snacks, reading his book, watching Barney – but you really aren’t supposed to have kids with you in labor and delivery and right after Mark arrived a snippy midwife asked if anyone was taking my son home so off they went. Of course they released me a mere 40 minutes later with orders to get more rest, etc. So I’m happy to report there is nothing further to be concerned about since there are no further signs of preeclampsia – just more orders to take it easy.
Of course the most noteworthy thing in all of this is that less than a week after this happened last time – my water broke and Noah was born. The clock is ticking.
Of course the most noteworthy thing in all of this is that less than a week after this happened last time – my water broke and Noah was born. The clock is ticking.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Details, details, too many details
While I’m in the hospital birthing Baby Eggerts part deux, my Mom is coming to our place to care for Noah. In an effort to assist her I thought I’d jot down some notes on what we do on a typical day. I by no means intend for her to follow this to the letter – but merely give her an idea of our routine so that she can take or depart from it as she wishes. Plus once I got started it just became an interesting and odd effort in documentation. Of course in writing all this down I was struck by a couple of things. First – holy anal! It’s funny – I don’t consider myself a letter of the law person but I’ve always been pretty organized and disciplined about work. And since THIS is my work I’ve gotten fairly regimented. And two – goodbye routine! Once Baby Ray enters this world the whole routine flies right out the window and the next couple of months will be me floundering to put some order back in our days. It’s like starting a new job.
So welcome to our minutiae.
Morning
- Noah typically wakes up at around 7:30 am but could sleep as late as 9 am – if you are really lucky.
- He’s usually cuddly and wants to play a little bit in his room before going downstairs for breakfast.
- Breakfast is normally around 8:30. He typically eats an Eggo waffle, with a puddle of whip cream for dipping and some fruit. He also drinks a little orange juice in one of his big boy plastic cups.
- He might play for awhile in the kitchen after breakfast depending on the time. I typically try to take him up to the third floor in time to watch Big, Big World on PBS channel 12 at 9:30 am on weekdays. We take a breakfast snack upstairs – a sippy cup of watered down apple juice and a small plastic bowl of dried cherries and cheerios.
- On the way upstairs I will also grab his clothes – but I don’t normally change him until after I’m showered and hopefully he’s pooped.
- He watches TV while I shower, dress and check email – Big Big World is followed by Sesame Street or he might ask to watch something on On Demand. Typically Zoboomafoo which is under Kids, PBS Sprout, and then on the second page. Sometimes it’s Berenstein Bears which is in the same section.
- I try not to let him watch more than an hour of TV in the morning –and he doesn’t normally give me any problems when I tell him to turn the TV off when his second show is done. We then go downstairs and either head out for a planned activity or find something to play.
- Our biggest windows of free times are 10:30 to 1 and 1:30 to 3. Noah will tell you what he wants to do and it’s most often playing trains, “baby and big sister,” blocks, art (supplies in one of kitchen wicker bins), or going out on the town to visit friends, or see the park, the Y, a museum, etc.
Afternoon
- Lunch is normally around 1 pm. He normally has lunchmeat, cheese, bread veggies, and fruit cut up. I don’t usually give him his juice cup until he’s done his meal otherwise he fills up on juice. And sometimes he’ll have dessert if he asks for it or you need it to bribe him to finish his meal. Jello, 8 jelly beans, or a couple of cookies or kisses.
- Quiet time is typically between 3 pm and 4pm. I ask him what he wants to play with during QT and put it in his room. Then I close the gate and set the cooking timer for 45 minutes. I close the door and lay on the bed in “Ray’s room” and nap. You could probably read a book if you prefer. He’ll come in to get you when the timer goes off.
- After QT and a little bit of play comes Mr. Rogers on DVR and a popsicle. He’ll often ask for more snack after the popsicle and I’ll give him some crackers and juice. And he’ll typically watch a second show after Mr. Rogers – either another episode or Bears – at which time I’m normally starting dinner.
Evening
- Dinner is normally around 6 pm. I feed him what we are eating – some meat, some veggies, some fruit – and normally a cheese stick too. And a watered down sippy cup of juice after he starts eating. Dessert is normally reward for eating most of his food. I do negotiate with him if he’s obviously not going to eat everything – you know “Eat two more pieces of meat, three green beans and the rest of your strawberries and then you can have dessert.” And the dessert list is pretty much the same as lunch.
- After he eats dinner I usually set the timer on the microwave telling him exactly how much time there is to play before bath time which is typically between 7 and 7:30 pm. When we go upstairs for bath we take up a plastic straw cup of water which we leave in his bedroom when we go in so he can pick out his own pajamas – and take the timer upstairs.
- Start the bath water and ask him if he wants bubbles or color. Bubbles is one cap full and he has to put it in the water himself. Color – ask him which one he wants and then he gets to put in three pellets.
- Undress him and he pees on the potty before he gets in. Set the timer for 20 minutes bath time – give him his toys. I’m sure you will have to remind him at least once to not splash water out of the tub. Sit on the floor next to the tub – use the Johnson Baby Wash to soap up his hair and the cup to rinse him off – after reminding him to try to put his head back. Then tell him to stand up and ask him what letter he wants you to write on his belly with foamy soap. Then help him distribute the soap everywhere and wash himself before rinsing off.
- When the timer goes off he should put all the toys back in the green bin, give you the wash cloth and pull the plug.
- Then he gets ten minutes on the timer for naked time. When the timer rings, ask him if he wants to pee on the potty and then dress him and give him an additional ten minutes on the timer to play before going downstairs.
- Brush teeth. Put his paste on his brush – he brushes first and then gives you a turn. Then he likes to weigh himself before going into his room.
Bedtime
- Turn on his lullaby CD. Press power, play, then p.mode twice for repeat and then timer until you see the number 90 for the sleep timer.
- Noah picks out three books – two for you and one for him. The one he reads means that you just let him finish the sentences – though he can do this with most books. He’ll drink his water while you read.
- After books, turn on the monitor, give him a stuffed animal, turn off the light and lay down with him.
- We talk a little bit about the day (“I had a lot of fun with you today. What did we do?”) and then I tell him it’s time to get ready to sleep. If he’s restless he might roll around a bit but I just kind of lay there like I’m already sleeping and will occasionally quietly go “shhh” if it goes on too long. After he nods off I cover him up and leave the room. The monitor receiver should be on the windowsill.
- Later when you go to bed in “Ray’s Room” close the gate so that if he walks in his sleep in the middle of the night he won’t fall down the steps.
- The odds are fifty/fifty that he’ll sleep all night in his bed. Or he’ll come in and get you around 4:30 and you can either lay with him until he falls back asleep or just sleep with him.
Visiting
Noah hams it up with Baby Ivan and chills with the beautifully glowing Ms. Juliloquy and the fantastic Schmoo.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
The Waiting Game
I keep fixating on how unpredictable birth is. Sometime within the next day to five weeks I’m going to have a baby. I’m just waiting for it – and I have no idea or real control as to when its going to happen. And after the baby is born our lives will change drastically, instantaneously. And for the rest of my life I will recall and relive the process of having that baby – how, when, for how long and all the little details from the gore to the glorious. More often and in more detail than any other moment I’ve ever experienced – aside from Noah’s birth. It really is mind boggling to be standing on the doorstep of such a moment – and yet not in control of it. I guess I chalk this feeling of powerlessness to be just one in a million ways that this child will remind me how little control I truly have – and how wonderful and daunting that truly is. One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken away from getting to know Noah is that he truly was born with his own personality and his own agenda. We can shape it a bit, allowing him to be more or less himself, but for the most part he’s already there – just letting us hang out with him. And Ray will be the same. I’m so excited to meet him. Ya know, whenever he gets around to it.
Noah’s pretty excited too. Last week we went to see our friend Wendy’s new baby, Ivan. Noah was absolutely adorable with him. He asked to hold him, to touch his hands, to kiss his head. And both times we left he got upset about leaving and said “But I want to spend more time with him.” He’s such a caring and gentle little soul and though I’m certain the adjustment of sharing Mama will be a hard one – I can already see how much love he’s storing up for his baby brother and it makes me so proud.
It’s in the mid-nineties and will remain so for the next three days. I’m literally about to pop – and I’ve just acquired the head cold that Noah has been battling since Friday. Physically I’m feeling like ass. Emotionally I’m overwhelmed. And mentally I’m a raging to-do list with no energy to get a damn thing done. But ya know what – things are good.
Noah’s pretty excited too. Last week we went to see our friend Wendy’s new baby, Ivan. Noah was absolutely adorable with him. He asked to hold him, to touch his hands, to kiss his head. And both times we left he got upset about leaving and said “But I want to spend more time with him.” He’s such a caring and gentle little soul and though I’m certain the adjustment of sharing Mama will be a hard one – I can already see how much love he’s storing up for his baby brother and it makes me so proud.
It’s in the mid-nineties and will remain so for the next three days. I’m literally about to pop – and I’ve just acquired the head cold that Noah has been battling since Friday. Physically I’m feeling like ass. Emotionally I’m overwhelmed. And mentally I’m a raging to-do list with no energy to get a damn thing done. But ya know what – things are good.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Watch the train car please!
We’re back from the beach and there is far too much to mention. It was fun, relaxing and filled with memories I don’t have time to type yet. I’ll start at the tip of the iceberg. Those of you who are regular readers (bless your bored souls) know that Noah has had a love/hate relationship with amusement rides. While he has wanted to climb on the rides at the mall he has not permitted us to put quarters on them and while he is always interested in the carousel, he has wanted to ride in the seat rather than the horse. A couple of weeks ago when we were at Hershey Park he was LOVING the rides and at the end of the day he asked to go on a helicopter ride that was not for adults. I explained to him that Daddy couldn’t accompany him, that he’d have to go on alone and yet he seemed undaunted. I however was horrified. Much to Mark’s chagrin I told Noah he was too small for the ride. I just kept picturing putting him on the ride and once the cars started spinning and going up and down – he’d completely freak out and cry hysterically. And then when the ride attendant didn’t stop it immediately I’d have to brutally beat him to death. So obviously it wasn’t a good idea. This week at the Ocean City Boardwalk Noah was ALL about the rides. Every day we had to remind him that rides were for after dinner only. On Tuesday I had been feeling awful – exhaustion, queasiness, painful contractions on and off all day. So that night I sent Mark, Noah, my Mom, her fiancé, my Father-in-law, and his wife off to the Boardwalk without me. I didn’t want to stay home, I just didn’t feel up to it. When they got home at 11 pm with Noah sound asleep in his stroller I discovered from Mark that they had put Noah on his first SOLO rides. And then I lost my over-emotional exhausted pregnant mind. At first I was LIVID. How DARE they put him on those rides without me? And then I was angry with myself – SEE this is why I can NEVER not go – I MISS SOMETHING. I yelled at everyone and then stomped off to bed crying hysterically. Thinking about how I was ALREADY missing important things in Noah’s life because I was having two – how could I ever possibly do them both justice. I cried myself to sleep. And in the morning I realized I had been acting insane and then I sheepishly tried apologize to everyone. More of the joys of pregnancy. Oh, and the boy – is a ride daredevil. He went on tons of rides by himself and things with Mark that made Mark feel sick. All the while giggling gleefully – almost as much as he did when giant cold ocean waves smacked him in the face while he cackled “I want more BIG ONES!” Just when you think you get the kid figured out he throws you a curve ball.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Still treading water here
Next week is a big one. We leave tomorrow for a week in Ocean City, NJ with my Mom. We’re all looking forward to it – though I’m a bit daunted by the idea of waddling around in hot sand. Normally my favorite thing to do is just walk around – but this time, not so much. Hopefully this year we’ll get some actual beach weather – the forecast is looking good. Last year we didn’t get a lick of sunshine.
The past week was busy as usual. Mark worked overtime to ready the University for Commencement. Friday I had Susan babysit Noah for a few hours so I could mop my kitchen floor – fun, fun. Saturday morning I took Noah to his last swim lesson because Mark had to work. It was really cool to watch him interact with his instructor. Saturday night we had some friends over. It was a long overdue visit and sort of bittersweet for me because I just kept thinking about how it’d be quite a while until we can host again. On Father’s Day we went to a neighbor’s third birthday party at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Though I think the party would have been more ideal for five year olds, it was really well done. It not only included admission to the museum but also a guided tour. Afterwards we headed to The Bards for Mark’s Father’s Day brunch – and the Mr. indulged in not ONE but TWO Guinness. This week flew by with the normal busyness. One the exciting side I went out for fish tacos, killer salsa verde and fine conversation with girlfriends at Cantina Los Caballitos on Tuesday. The only disappointment is that they wouldn’t make me a virgin margarita so I couldn’t even pretend to get loaded on deliciously salty, limey tequila. BAH! And now we’re packing, packing and packing. The packing list I made has over 100 things listed on it – and yet it still contains large categories like TOYS. Insane.
Noah has been regressing a bit as of late – obviously in anticipation of the baby. He keeps curling up in my lap, gurgling and telling me he’s a tiny baby. He’s been waking up more in the middle of the night and wanting me to come sleep with him in his bed. And he’s often saying “I want to cuddle you.” Sometimes he says it in the middle of dinner and he wants to finish eating in my lap. It’s some hardcore clinginess going on. I’m trying to indulge him a bit but not too much. It’s hard to reach a balance. He’s also doing a lot of role playing with stuffed animals and dolls – telling us that one animal is the big brother to a smaller baby animal. And acting out playing, holding, feeding and caring for the baby. It’s really sweet. He also likes to say to me “I love your big belly” and hug it and kiss it, to feel for Baby Ray to move, and to poke at my overly sensitive protruding belly button.
Seems babies are popping up all over. My friend Wendy is being induced on Sunday. A thirteen year old neighborhood girl that would come over to our house to color when she was 6 just had a baby. And I just found out that my little sister’s Mom is expecting her fifth child in the winter. Once we get back from the beach we’ll finally REALLY start getting ready for Mr. Ray Konrad Eggerts to make an appearance. I may be way off base but despite my due date of August 1, I am expecting to give birth mid-July. Some things NEED to get done by then – moving our bed and the co-sleeper, cleaning the double stroller and the breast pump, getting the baby’s armoire and clothes in order, and packing a bag. I’m sure there is MUCH more I could do – but I have to be realistic and know just to let some things go. Ya know – for the next six months or so.
Well I best get back to packing slavery. Tonight I have to figure out a way to clean up my bikini area while not being able to see a trace of it. And I’ll leave you with that.
The past week was busy as usual. Mark worked overtime to ready the University for Commencement. Friday I had Susan babysit Noah for a few hours so I could mop my kitchen floor – fun, fun. Saturday morning I took Noah to his last swim lesson because Mark had to work. It was really cool to watch him interact with his instructor. Saturday night we had some friends over. It was a long overdue visit and sort of bittersweet for me because I just kept thinking about how it’d be quite a while until we can host again. On Father’s Day we went to a neighbor’s third birthday party at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Though I think the party would have been more ideal for five year olds, it was really well done. It not only included admission to the museum but also a guided tour. Afterwards we headed to The Bards for Mark’s Father’s Day brunch – and the Mr. indulged in not ONE but TWO Guinness. This week flew by with the normal busyness. One the exciting side I went out for fish tacos, killer salsa verde and fine conversation with girlfriends at Cantina Los Caballitos on Tuesday. The only disappointment is that they wouldn’t make me a virgin margarita so I couldn’t even pretend to get loaded on deliciously salty, limey tequila. BAH! And now we’re packing, packing and packing. The packing list I made has over 100 things listed on it – and yet it still contains large categories like TOYS. Insane.
Noah has been regressing a bit as of late – obviously in anticipation of the baby. He keeps curling up in my lap, gurgling and telling me he’s a tiny baby. He’s been waking up more in the middle of the night and wanting me to come sleep with him in his bed. And he’s often saying “I want to cuddle you.” Sometimes he says it in the middle of dinner and he wants to finish eating in my lap. It’s some hardcore clinginess going on. I’m trying to indulge him a bit but not too much. It’s hard to reach a balance. He’s also doing a lot of role playing with stuffed animals and dolls – telling us that one animal is the big brother to a smaller baby animal. And acting out playing, holding, feeding and caring for the baby. It’s really sweet. He also likes to say to me “I love your big belly” and hug it and kiss it, to feel for Baby Ray to move, and to poke at my overly sensitive protruding belly button.
Seems babies are popping up all over. My friend Wendy is being induced on Sunday. A thirteen year old neighborhood girl that would come over to our house to color when she was 6 just had a baby. And I just found out that my little sister’s Mom is expecting her fifth child in the winter. Once we get back from the beach we’ll finally REALLY start getting ready for Mr. Ray Konrad Eggerts to make an appearance. I may be way off base but despite my due date of August 1, I am expecting to give birth mid-July. Some things NEED to get done by then – moving our bed and the co-sleeper, cleaning the double stroller and the breast pump, getting the baby’s armoire and clothes in order, and packing a bag. I’m sure there is MUCH more I could do – but I have to be realistic and know just to let some things go. Ya know – for the next six months or so.
Well I best get back to packing slavery. Tonight I have to figure out a way to clean up my bikini area while not being able to see a trace of it. And I’ll leave you with that.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Another info upchuck
The biggest news is that last week I signed Noah up for preschool. Starting mid-September he will go to school for two hours every Monday and Thursday. I’ve been wrestling with the school question for months now. I wanted him to start going only a couple of hours a week but all the city preschools I had knowledge of had 18 hour minimums. And I didn’t want, need or want to pay for that much time. Finally I had heard from someone at playgroup about a preschool with limited hours they ran at the Bridesburg Recreation Center – and then when the woman across the street from us told me her granddaughter had been going there and loving it for three years it sealed the deal. Bridesburg is a very old school blue collar neighborhood just to the northeast of us. The preschool has been run for years out of the rec center which is across the street from a string band headquarters and a VFW post. They have two huge green fields, a pool, a large and lovely fenced in playground, and a full gymnasium. And in addition to the preschool they offer swim camp, dance lessons, tumbling lessons, and sports camp. Noah’s class will have 5 instructors for a maximum of 28 children. And while the instruction might be a lot more traditional than the very artsy preschool center in my neighborhood – I’m actually quite pleased with him playing, drawing and singing for two hours under the tutelage of a few older neighborhood ladies. And best yet the program costs about $50 a month. I just hope it works out as well as I anticipate it to. Of course with only two hour days I’ll most likely be dropping him off and going grocery shopping and then heading back to pick him up – but it’s a good start. For us both.
My only real disappointment is one that I will always wrestle with when it comes to Noah’s education. I know everyone thinks that their kid is advanced, but I SWEAR – Noah is smarter than the average bear. He’s SO verbal and the things that he comes up with sometimes amaze me. But the problem is that Noah was born in the beginning of November, far past the September 1 cutoff and therefore he won’t start kindergarten until Fall of 2010. In his preschool he will be one of the oldest in the class. Intellectually I think that the toddler class won’t be very challenging for him, but socially I guess he could use an extra year. But it doesn’t really matter since I don’t have much choice in the matter.
On the baby front – I’m huge. I’m starting to get people asking me if I’m having twins, and balking when I tell them that I have SEVEN more weeks before my due date. Granted, I’m an Amazon of a woman to begin with and I’m not by nature a small pregnant woman. But still, people could be a little more couth. I’m finally starting to get my butt in gear and think about what needs to get done before Baby Ray arrives. Last week I bought a used Graco Duo Glider off Craig’s List for $50. Now granted, that is one fifth of the normal price so I wasn’t expecting it to be immaculate and untouched – but what killed me is that the woman gave it to me with the wheels absolutely CAKED with mud. I’m pretty sure I would have cleaned it up a bit if I was giving it away for free so it kind of kills me that she had no qualms of selling it in that condition. It’s nothing a little water and elbow grease won’t cure – but of course I still haven’t gotten around to it.
We had a really good time at Hershey Park this past Saturday. My Dad’s company has their company picnic there every year and since my Dad gets sick on the carousel he’s happy to hand over his tickets to us. I was a bit wary of the trip what with how tiring an amusement park day can be – but exhausted though I was after being in the park from 3:30 til 10 pm it was totally worth it. Noah enjoyed every variation of a train ride the park had to offer as well as the carousel, ferris wheel, track cars and big rigs. But his favorite thing was the Chocolate Tour ride outside the park that shows you how they make Hershey’s chocolate. He rode it twice and has talked about it nonstop since. Last year he was afraid of the animatronic singing cows but this year they were a huge hit. He keeps pretending to be a singing cow.
Yesterday my Mom and her fiancé came to spend the day with Noah and I while Mark went to New Jersey to visit his ailing 97 yo Grandmother who is laid up with a broken ankle. Noah and I had a lovely lunch with Mom at the Tap and then some playground action at Liberty Lands. Mark got lectured by his Grandmother about his need to get his Master’s degree. Have you been recently told by an ancient woman with two doctorate degrees that your children won’t respect you unless you have an advanced degree? Me neither. I guess every family is kind of crazy in their own way.
For the last couple of weeks we have been really enjoying the food we have been getting from our CSA. I’m both daunted and excited by the challenge of trying to figure out how to cook what we receive. But so far so good. I think my kale was pretty kick-ass and the fresh whole wheat pasta last week tasted pretty damn good with the spinach, tomato, garlic and fresh mozzarella we received. My biggest cooking challenge however is always seasoning. I wish I had a better knack when it came to using herbs and spices. I just don’t know what to use or how much.
My new favorite Noah thing is the fascination with the road. When we’re in the car now he constantly asks what road we are on and has started identifying them. He’s even asking if we are going to make rights or lefts and for a complete flight plan of our trip. It reminds me of my little sister Jessica who was able to identify landmarks and tell you how to drive to her house by the age of four.
Today was a challenging day. I’ve come to realize that Mondays often are. It’s a combination of a slow typically uneventful day on the heels of a very busy weekend and the fact that Noah (and me too) has just gotten use to having Mark at home for two days when suddenly he’s gone again.
So this is another too long jumbled mess – but since this seems to be a once a week thing lately I can’t help it. I have too much I want to say but not enough focus to say it well. Forgive my scattered head and lack of planning. For today’s post and all the one’s to follow. Adieu.
My only real disappointment is one that I will always wrestle with when it comes to Noah’s education. I know everyone thinks that their kid is advanced, but I SWEAR – Noah is smarter than the average bear. He’s SO verbal and the things that he comes up with sometimes amaze me. But the problem is that Noah was born in the beginning of November, far past the September 1 cutoff and therefore he won’t start kindergarten until Fall of 2010. In his preschool he will be one of the oldest in the class. Intellectually I think that the toddler class won’t be very challenging for him, but socially I guess he could use an extra year. But it doesn’t really matter since I don’t have much choice in the matter.
On the baby front – I’m huge. I’m starting to get people asking me if I’m having twins, and balking when I tell them that I have SEVEN more weeks before my due date. Granted, I’m an Amazon of a woman to begin with and I’m not by nature a small pregnant woman. But still, people could be a little more couth. I’m finally starting to get my butt in gear and think about what needs to get done before Baby Ray arrives. Last week I bought a used Graco Duo Glider off Craig’s List for $50. Now granted, that is one fifth of the normal price so I wasn’t expecting it to be immaculate and untouched – but what killed me is that the woman gave it to me with the wheels absolutely CAKED with mud. I’m pretty sure I would have cleaned it up a bit if I was giving it away for free so it kind of kills me that she had no qualms of selling it in that condition. It’s nothing a little water and elbow grease won’t cure – but of course I still haven’t gotten around to it.
We had a really good time at Hershey Park this past Saturday. My Dad’s company has their company picnic there every year and since my Dad gets sick on the carousel he’s happy to hand over his tickets to us. I was a bit wary of the trip what with how tiring an amusement park day can be – but exhausted though I was after being in the park from 3:30 til 10 pm it was totally worth it. Noah enjoyed every variation of a train ride the park had to offer as well as the carousel, ferris wheel, track cars and big rigs. But his favorite thing was the Chocolate Tour ride outside the park that shows you how they make Hershey’s chocolate. He rode it twice and has talked about it nonstop since. Last year he was afraid of the animatronic singing cows but this year they were a huge hit. He keeps pretending to be a singing cow.
Yesterday my Mom and her fiancé came to spend the day with Noah and I while Mark went to New Jersey to visit his ailing 97 yo Grandmother who is laid up with a broken ankle. Noah and I had a lovely lunch with Mom at the Tap and then some playground action at Liberty Lands. Mark got lectured by his Grandmother about his need to get his Master’s degree. Have you been recently told by an ancient woman with two doctorate degrees that your children won’t respect you unless you have an advanced degree? Me neither. I guess every family is kind of crazy in their own way.
For the last couple of weeks we have been really enjoying the food we have been getting from our CSA. I’m both daunted and excited by the challenge of trying to figure out how to cook what we receive. But so far so good. I think my kale was pretty kick-ass and the fresh whole wheat pasta last week tasted pretty damn good with the spinach, tomato, garlic and fresh mozzarella we received. My biggest cooking challenge however is always seasoning. I wish I had a better knack when it came to using herbs and spices. I just don’t know what to use or how much.
My new favorite Noah thing is the fascination with the road. When we’re in the car now he constantly asks what road we are on and has started identifying them. He’s even asking if we are going to make rights or lefts and for a complete flight plan of our trip. It reminds me of my little sister Jessica who was able to identify landmarks and tell you how to drive to her house by the age of four.
Today was a challenging day. I’ve come to realize that Mondays often are. It’s a combination of a slow typically uneventful day on the heels of a very busy weekend and the fact that Noah (and me too) has just gotten use to having Mark at home for two days when suddenly he’s gone again.
So this is another too long jumbled mess – but since this seems to be a once a week thing lately I can’t help it. I have too much I want to say but not enough focus to say it well. Forgive my scattered head and lack of planning. For today’s post and all the one’s to follow. Adieu.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
A red thumb
Though we did indeed bag the Music Festival, we still had a grand time at the Strawberry Festival. I wouldn't recommend that legions of pregnant women pick strawberries in 90 degree heat, but it was fun nonetheless. I'm new to the whole pick your own fruit thing - but since Noah enjoyed picking apples in the Fall I think it's an adventure we'll keep up. Plus I think it's a fun way to get him to think about how food grows and where our food comes from. And he was just so proud to pick them himself. We picked over two pounds of strawberries and ate almost all of them when we got home. Yum.
Hot child in the city
No personal time. Seriously. From 7:30 am to 9 pm I’m on duty. And then I’d rather chill with Mark on the couch rather than sit at the computer. In less than two months I’ll have even less personal time – you know the time I currently use up sleeping. Don’t get me wrong I’m very excited to have this baby. But I’m not fooling myself – the first three to six months are tough with one. I’m scared about managing two. Especially when I talk to my friends who have two kids. And I’ve said more than enough about the demise of napping at our house, so I won’t go there again.
Right now Mark and Noah are at swim lessons and it’s the one hour a week I can count on getting something done. I really should be cleaning the kitchen, but I woke up real achey and can barely get up and down the steps. That sort of puts a damper on my big plans for us to go the Linvilla Strawberry Festival and then check out the Northern Liberties Music Festival before coming back home to babysit for a neighbor for a few hours. I think I’ll have to miss the Music Festival this year – maybe Mark and Noah can go check it out.
It seems we have been on the go constantly. I plan things to do every day so we have things to look forward to, to keep us busy. But as a result I feel like I’ve been running nonstop. On the plus side we are having a really good time. Swimming, picnics, playgroups, birthday parties. Who could complain?
Oh – the heat! The past week was a scorcher. And we refused to turn our AC on until June. I was one giant sweaty pregnant woman. The night before last I was so hot I barely got any sleep. I kept changing rooms trying to find a place where I felt more comfortable. It was a major relief when I woke up in the morning and Mark had turned on the air before he went to work. Now I may never leave the house.
Oh- and we bought a car! It took a lot of internet research and three dealerships, but we got it done. I’m not a car person. I like cars with CD players that take me from point A to point B without breaking down. But I was rather serious about finding the perfect car for us at the best price. I got downright single-minded – and I was surely not any salesman’s favorite customer. I nearly laughed in the face of the guy who suggested “Have you thought about buying a new car?” “I don’t BELIEVE in new cars,” I countered. Though Mark does assure me they exist. But our search was a success. We got a beautiful silver 2004 Subaru Forester – certified, low mileage and still under warranty. It’s so exciting to drive it. It’s not hugely roomy compared to our little old wagon – but it’s just big enough. That’s what I wanted – a bit bigger but not ginormous. I still have to parallel park this thing. And Noah loves it – though at first he preferred we buy one of the new cars on display in the showroom because they weren’t hot. I had to explain all cars get hot when they sit outside in the sun. He finally seemed satisfied with our decision. On the way to Reading for Jules second birthday party on Thursday, Noah drifted off for about twenty minutes. As soon as I got off the highway and stopped at a light he popped his eyes open for a second and said sleepily to Wendy (and Victor who were accompanying us) “You like our new car, Wendy?” and then drifted back off.
And now it’s June – and it’s another busy month. Our big plans include going to Hershey Park, having a very small get together at our house, and heading to Ocean City, NJ with my Mom for a week. And then there’s all the little plans in between – more lunching, picnicking, playgroups, and fun. It’s going to be lovely. Tiring and sweaty for a giant pregnant woman – but lovely. Too bad speed isn’t good for the baby. Oh yeah – the baby. We MAY have to do a few things to ready for his arrival. We’ll see if we can pencil them in.
And I’m sure I owe you an email, and a million comments – every single one of you. I promise you’ll hear from me soon. If only just a HEY. I’m thinking of you, really I am.
Right now Mark and Noah are at swim lessons and it’s the one hour a week I can count on getting something done. I really should be cleaning the kitchen, but I woke up real achey and can barely get up and down the steps. That sort of puts a damper on my big plans for us to go the Linvilla Strawberry Festival and then check out the Northern Liberties Music Festival before coming back home to babysit for a neighbor for a few hours. I think I’ll have to miss the Music Festival this year – maybe Mark and Noah can go check it out.
It seems we have been on the go constantly. I plan things to do every day so we have things to look forward to, to keep us busy. But as a result I feel like I’ve been running nonstop. On the plus side we are having a really good time. Swimming, picnics, playgroups, birthday parties. Who could complain?
Oh – the heat! The past week was a scorcher. And we refused to turn our AC on until June. I was one giant sweaty pregnant woman. The night before last I was so hot I barely got any sleep. I kept changing rooms trying to find a place where I felt more comfortable. It was a major relief when I woke up in the morning and Mark had turned on the air before he went to work. Now I may never leave the house.
Oh- and we bought a car! It took a lot of internet research and three dealerships, but we got it done. I’m not a car person. I like cars with CD players that take me from point A to point B without breaking down. But I was rather serious about finding the perfect car for us at the best price. I got downright single-minded – and I was surely not any salesman’s favorite customer. I nearly laughed in the face of the guy who suggested “Have you thought about buying a new car?” “I don’t BELIEVE in new cars,” I countered. Though Mark does assure me they exist. But our search was a success. We got a beautiful silver 2004 Subaru Forester – certified, low mileage and still under warranty. It’s so exciting to drive it. It’s not hugely roomy compared to our little old wagon – but it’s just big enough. That’s what I wanted – a bit bigger but not ginormous. I still have to parallel park this thing. And Noah loves it – though at first he preferred we buy one of the new cars on display in the showroom because they weren’t hot. I had to explain all cars get hot when they sit outside in the sun. He finally seemed satisfied with our decision. On the way to Reading for Jules second birthday party on Thursday, Noah drifted off for about twenty minutes. As soon as I got off the highway and stopped at a light he popped his eyes open for a second and said sleepily to Wendy (and Victor who were accompanying us) “You like our new car, Wendy?” and then drifted back off.
And now it’s June – and it’s another busy month. Our big plans include going to Hershey Park, having a very small get together at our house, and heading to Ocean City, NJ with my Mom for a week. And then there’s all the little plans in between – more lunching, picnicking, playgroups, and fun. It’s going to be lovely. Tiring and sweaty for a giant pregnant woman – but lovely. Too bad speed isn’t good for the baby. Oh yeah – the baby. We MAY have to do a few things to ready for his arrival. We’ll see if we can pencil them in.
And I’m sure I owe you an email, and a million comments – every single one of you. I promise you’ll hear from me soon. If only just a HEY. I’m thinking of you, really I am.
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