I've been a "pretty nice pregnant lady" so far, but last weekend, I had a bit of a breakdown. It happened when Nick asked me about going to the Columbus Microbrew Festival. This is somewhere we've been before, and if you know me, you know that I love trying different beers and socializing. When he asked if I wanted to go, I realized that I really, really wanted to, but that it just wasn't going to happen for me. I'm getting to the point of my pregnancy where the thought of standing for long periods of time makes my back hurt and Baby Bean has taken up residence somewhere near my sciatic nerve, which is causing a bit of an ugly limp and a pain in my ass....literally.
So when we got home, I informed him that I was annoyed that his life hadn't changed much since I was pregnant and I was irrationally jealous. His answer was that he's been drinking less because I haven't been able to drink...which I found grossly unacceptable. The reality is that I'm the pregnant one and I have to make changes to my body and to my lifestyle to support the growth that's happening. Nick is doing wonderful in his role as "Most supportive husband ever" and sometimes, yes, that deserves a beer or two or four...and a sandwich made from unmicrowaved lunchmeat.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Travel
"My favorite thing is to go where I've never been."
A couple of weeks ago, Nick and I took some time to ourselves to travel to Arizona for some R&R before Baby Bean arrives. It was our last vacation as a party of two and we had a great time. We went to the pool, did a quick tour of Sedona and enjoyed some miniature golf. It was exactly what we both needed and it couldn't have come at a better time. The only difference between this and our previous vacations was that our typical pub-crawl night was replaced by a game of miniature golf at Castles and Coasters. Why am I mentioning this? Because I won.
First stop: Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles (and Kool-Aid!)
A pregnant lady and an Indian in Sedona
Cactus flower with Sedona in the background
After lots of searching and some Internet research, we found Snoopy!
Victory was mine at Castles & Coasters
Monday, August 20, 2012
Live music is good for the soul
Even though this was during the week and we were both tired, we decided to go and it turns out, Nick was right (YES!!! I know!!!) and live music is good for your soul. Especially when that live music is from one of your favorite bands ever. It was my first sober concert experience, and I have to say...it was still fun. Crazy, right?
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Dear Baby,
I don't know how I missed putting this photo up, but this is your big brother, Chino.
We'll always refer to Chino as our "first born", which isn't too far from the truth. Even though he's a dog, he's managed to teach us so much about what kind of parents that we hope to be. When we brought him home, we were expecting "rainbows and sunshine", but what we got was a crying, screaming puppy that had no idea what was going on. Once he settled in, that was a whole other story. We had a crazy lunatic puppy on our hands. He was housebroken, but felt that crate living was beneath him and also had predisposition for chewing on and eating random things. We eventually figured it all out though. He was patient with us and we tried our best to be patient with him and what started out as "what did we do?" ended up as "what did we do without him?" This is what I expect our transition into parenthood to a two-legger to be. We're in the planning stage right now, and before you know it, you'll be here. It may take us a little while, but we'll figure it out and before long, it will be like you were here the whole time.
A few things that your "big brother" has taught us:
We'll always refer to Chino as our "first born", which isn't too far from the truth. Even though he's a dog, he's managed to teach us so much about what kind of parents that we hope to be. When we brought him home, we were expecting "rainbows and sunshine", but what we got was a crying, screaming puppy that had no idea what was going on. Once he settled in, that was a whole other story. We had a crazy lunatic puppy on our hands. He was housebroken, but felt that crate living was beneath him and also had predisposition for chewing on and eating random things. We eventually figured it all out though. He was patient with us and we tried our best to be patient with him and what started out as "what did we do?" ended up as "what did we do without him?" This is what I expect our transition into parenthood to a two-legger to be. We're in the planning stage right now, and before you know it, you'll be here. It may take us a little while, but we'll figure it out and before long, it will be like you were here the whole time.
A few things that your "big brother" has taught us:
- Its always important to take turns
- It will all be ok. Adaptation is key.
- Unconditional love is the best kind (he doubles as momma's on-staff psychiatrist)
- Its ok to fake it 'till you make it
- Don't ever underestimate learned vocabulary
- Just when you think your house is childproofed, you'll probably find something (he found a rum cake, a ball of yarn, knitting needles, a digital camera, an ink pad, pens, carpet, the wall and lots of paper)
- Ice cream cones fix almost anything
- Bribery is ok...sometimes
- Always follow signs that tell you to "keep your dog on a leash" (this will apply less to you, obviously)
- Family time is mandatory
- A good walk is fuel for the soul
- Bunnies are evil and must be chased out of the yard, at all costs
- When its time to play, its time to play. Everything else can, and should wait.
- Breakfast and dinner must be served promptly at all times
- A good routine keeps the household running smoothly
- Family members don't necessarily have to be two-legged
- Trust is earned
As we get ready to welcome you to our crazy life, its important to us to make Chino feel loved and included. To neglect him after so many years of happiness and love would just be unfair. He's been a part of the whole preparation process, so far. As we were getting your nursery ready, he was there to watch and observe. Actually, because of the curtain debacle, he was also able to overcome his fear of the power drill and tape measure. He came to our first baby shower in Pittsburgh and was on his best behavior. He enjoyed the cake and helped momma open some presents.
Everyone who knows us, knows how important he is to us and is always asking how he'll do when you get here. My answer has always been "He'll be fine...he has no choice." We're going to proceed cautiously, but if you get a lick in your face when you come home, that's just your big brother saying hello and seeing what you've been up to. We're pretty sure that he already knows you're there, based on how protective of me he's been lately. You've probably been hearing his voice during these last few months. He runs a tight ship in the backyard and if he's not walked every night, he usually barks his head off around 9pm every night, while we're relaxing and watching TV. Hopefully, you're used to this sound because we have no idea how to make him quit. So far, I haven't felt you startle when you hear him, so maybe that's a good sign.
Here's hoping for a baby who sleeps through crazy barking fits!
Love,
Momma
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Stuff
The blog is back after some light remodeling, nothing too major, but here's the explanation:
I'm shifting the posts a bit to be more about us trying to remain “us” as we figure out our next adventure: PARENTHOOD. The new blog title is a nod to Nick who equates our crazy experiences together as “the stuff”. I'm not sure where the phrase actually started, but its become an integral part of our marriage. From walking along the Sienne in Paris to last minute trips to Boston, that “stuff” is what’s been making our marriage so much fun. It has been stories, laughter, fights, photos and fun and its made us who we are and will help us become the parents we’re going to be. The stuff can be anything and everything, but its mostly things that don't come with a matching souvenir or magnet. Its the everyday fun that makes us...us. Its dancing in the kitchen, getting lost in London (I'm lucky enough to have a photo of this one), inside jokes and invented games.
Big changes are ahead and we're not quite ready, but we're going to figure it out together. Baby L has already become an integral part of "the stuff" that makes us a family. The upcoming arrival has forced us to make some compromises and changes that we've taken in stride, laughing and trying to enjoy every moment. Of course, sometimes "the stuff" comes with frustration, but more often than not, we look back and realize how ridiculous the whole situation was.
As we enter into our last months of being a family of 3 (Chino most definitely counts). I want to remember all of the craziness that is leading up to the biggest adventure we'll ever take. The mundane details are what make the story and without them, its only half written. Hopefully this will be a place for most of those blanks to be filled in, after we stop laughing of course.
I'm shifting the posts a bit to be more about us trying to remain “us” as we figure out our next adventure: PARENTHOOD. The new blog title is a nod to Nick who equates our crazy experiences together as “the stuff”. I'm not sure where the phrase actually started, but its become an integral part of our marriage. From walking along the Sienne in Paris to last minute trips to Boston, that “stuff” is what’s been making our marriage so much fun. It has been stories, laughter, fights, photos and fun and its made us who we are and will help us become the parents we’re going to be. The stuff can be anything and everything, but its mostly things that don't come with a matching souvenir or magnet. Its the everyday fun that makes us...us. Its dancing in the kitchen, getting lost in London (I'm lucky enough to have a photo of this one), inside jokes and invented games.
Big changes are ahead and we're not quite ready, but we're going to figure it out together. Baby L has already become an integral part of "the stuff" that makes us a family. The upcoming arrival has forced us to make some compromises and changes that we've taken in stride, laughing and trying to enjoy every moment. Of course, sometimes "the stuff" comes with frustration, but more often than not, we look back and realize how ridiculous the whole situation was.
As we enter into our last months of being a family of 3 (Chino most definitely counts). I want to remember all of the craziness that is leading up to the biggest adventure we'll ever take. The mundane details are what make the story and without them, its only half written. Hopefully this will be a place for most of those blanks to be filled in, after we stop laughing of course.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Dear Baby,
I've been out of denial for quite some time now, especially since you've decided to show yourself a little bit more as you start to grow. For awhile, you were in a bitter battle with my beer gut/frontal muffin top, so it was kind of hard to figure out whether I was pregnant or just bloated with a drinking problem. Last week was YOUR week. You really popped out and started to develop quite the personality.
It was our first solo trip together, probably the easiest one we'll ever take. We went to Atlanta to work at the Thirty-One National Conference. My co-workers were all very concerned about how this would affect me, but luckily I was mostly unaffected. As long as I kept you fed and hydrated, you were just fine, choosing to stay quiet all day. The mornings were your time. Right before I got out of bed, you'd throw yourself a little party in there - bopping around, kicking and punching. Its now much more distinguishable than before, no mistaking what's happening in there!
You and I must be jiving really well because I wasn't ever sore or swollen as I worked some longer-than-normal hours with less than normal sleep. Your favorite food last week was a peach scone from Starbucks. You had a party about 1/2 way through my first one!
When I got home, your dad noticed the difference in your size. As I was coming down the escalator to see him, his eyes got a little wider and when he hugged me, he took a step back and looked at my belly and said..."Babbbbyyyyyy" in his funny voice. The week away made the "pop" a little more dramatic for him, especially since I had on a tighter shirt that accentuated the bump.
As I'm sitting here now, you're kicking me a little. It might be the Hershey Bar that I ate a little while ago, or maybe you know that I'm thinking about you. OR maybe its the 64 oz of water that I've already consumed today and you're feeling happy and hydrated. Either way, was we continue to prepare for your arrival, I'm both scared and excited. The planner in me is trying to get the "must do's" done so that we can really enjoy our time together when you arrive. That also includes work...which is becoming increasingly hard to focus on.
This week's agenda: Finishing up the nursery decor, Thank-you notes from our Pittsburgh shower and more babysitter interviews. You're sure keeping us busy.
XOXO,
Momma
It was our first solo trip together, probably the easiest one we'll ever take. We went to Atlanta to work at the Thirty-One National Conference. My co-workers were all very concerned about how this would affect me, but luckily I was mostly unaffected. As long as I kept you fed and hydrated, you were just fine, choosing to stay quiet all day. The mornings were your time. Right before I got out of bed, you'd throw yourself a little party in there - bopping around, kicking and punching. Its now much more distinguishable than before, no mistaking what's happening in there!
You and I must be jiving really well because I wasn't ever sore or swollen as I worked some longer-than-normal hours with less than normal sleep. Your favorite food last week was a peach scone from Starbucks. You had a party about 1/2 way through my first one!
When I got home, your dad noticed the difference in your size. As I was coming down the escalator to see him, his eyes got a little wider and when he hugged me, he took a step back and looked at my belly and said..."Babbbbyyyyyy" in his funny voice. The week away made the "pop" a little more dramatic for him, especially since I had on a tighter shirt that accentuated the bump.
As I'm sitting here now, you're kicking me a little. It might be the Hershey Bar that I ate a little while ago, or maybe you know that I'm thinking about you. OR maybe its the 64 oz of water that I've already consumed today and you're feeling happy and hydrated. Either way, was we continue to prepare for your arrival, I'm both scared and excited. The planner in me is trying to get the "must do's" done so that we can really enjoy our time together when you arrive. That also includes work...which is becoming increasingly hard to focus on.
This week's agenda: Finishing up the nursery decor, Thank-you notes from our Pittsburgh shower and more babysitter interviews. You're sure keeping us busy.
XOXO,
Momma
Monday, July 23, 2012
Nesting...Lunacy...same difference
I've heard that nesting is another symptom of pregnancy, but I'm convinced that nesting falls under the same category as lunacy. Maybe lunacy is the blanket term and then there are sub-bullets underneath to describe how your hormone-fueled body deals with each one of the symptoms? Its similar to an out of body experience, or so I think, because I can hear the craziness coming out of my mouth and see the look on Nick's face when I have yet another thought, but I'm powerless to stop any of it from happening.
Case in point. Our garage.
What started out as an innocent walk one evening with Chino, ended up to be a two week process involving multiple trips to Goodwill, mountains of trash and a new workbench. The conversation went something like this:
L: "We NEED to clean out the garage because there is no way that I'm going to be able to get my car in there, and get a car seat out of the back, without hitting the other car. If we had things rearranged, we could move both cars over, to make more room in the middle."
N: "Umm ok. But if you can't get your car in the garage, you can always just use the driveway."
L: "Let's pretend that my rational mind already thought of that and that it didn't just dawn on me now that the garage wasn't my only option."
N: "Uh huh."
Fast forward to the following Saturday when the garage purge started. Nick began by categorizing things and sorting through piles of garbage that we had literally been storing in our garage for over a year. He sat me down in a lawn chair and asked me to sort things into several categories; keep, shred; giveaway, trash. My hormones didn't fail me as I ruthlessly began throwing things out. Nick was thrilled, because some of these same things had been points of contention the last time we had attempted this project (hence the trash storage).
Fast forward to this past Sunday when we stepped back to see how much we had accomplished. It was pretty impressive. Not only can two cars fit in the garage comfortably, the back door opens wide without hitting the other one (I checked). The space is arranged in a logical fashion - in sections that make sense, and there's not a pile or box of trash in sight. By the end of it, Nick was really into it, and glad that the crazy woman made the suggestion to get things started. Perhaps nesting is contagious?
Case in point. Our garage.
What started out as an innocent walk one evening with Chino, ended up to be a two week process involving multiple trips to Goodwill, mountains of trash and a new workbench. The conversation went something like this:
L: "We NEED to clean out the garage because there is no way that I'm going to be able to get my car in there, and get a car seat out of the back, without hitting the other car. If we had things rearranged, we could move both cars over, to make more room in the middle."
N: "Umm ok. But if you can't get your car in the garage, you can always just use the driveway."
L: "Let's pretend that my rational mind already thought of that and that it didn't just dawn on me now that the garage wasn't my only option."
N: "Uh huh."
Fast forward to the following Saturday when the garage purge started. Nick began by categorizing things and sorting through piles of garbage that we had literally been storing in our garage for over a year. He sat me down in a lawn chair and asked me to sort things into several categories; keep, shred; giveaway, trash. My hormones didn't fail me as I ruthlessly began throwing things out. Nick was thrilled, because some of these same things had been points of contention the last time we had attempted this project (hence the trash storage).
Fast forward to this past Sunday when we stepped back to see how much we had accomplished. It was pretty impressive. Not only can two cars fit in the garage comfortably, the back door opens wide without hitting the other one (I checked). The space is arranged in a logical fashion - in sections that make sense, and there's not a pile or box of trash in sight. By the end of it, Nick was really into it, and glad that the crazy woman made the suggestion to get things started. Perhaps nesting is contagious?
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