Christmas!!

Eek I guess I haven't posted at all since we have been on our wonderful Christmas holiday. The first week we were so busy hanging out wth family and getting ready for Christmas and parties, then the second week by BFF and her boyfriend were here. We are here another week, but it's back to work a little bit I guess. Work, and blogging of course. :)

Smooshie loves it here and it is so nice having my parents around to play with him. We have a gymnastics matt and activity gym set up and he is CRAZY about rolling over! it is so funny, he can flip over in 1 second now and does it over and over again. He is also really playing with his toys more. He really cracks us all up with his tricks and faces. He is also HUGE. I can't wait to see if he really is getting super big, or if it just seems that way since we don't have his other baby friends to compare with. We have met 2 babies who were a few weeks older than him and we was double their size! In fact, he is getting so heavy I pulled out my back yesterday so I went for an amazing massage at a really great spa this morning... 90 minutes of total relaxation then hanging out in the hot tub and sauna and a long hot shower with all the crazy jets.. My mom watched Smoosh and ever brought him in to BF in between my massage and hot tubbing!

He is also apparently teething already :( Poor little thing drools everywhere and bites and chews on everything!

It has been so fun taking him to the beach. He wears his little rash guard and hat and we swim him around. He also really enjoys falling asleep in the car and then sleeping in his carseat at the beach for hours- while we drink rum punch - fabulous!

His first Christmas was really fun. My dad got him a Bongo drum and he got lots of books and cool little things. He went to a few holiday parties and was a big hit, smiling at everyone then falling asleep. It has also been AMAZING seeing him with my grandmother, who will be 102 in February. They take their morning naps together every day!

And... it looks like his afternoon nap is now over.. more soon!

Happy Chanakah!

Yesterday was the first day of Chanukah so we had a Skype party with the ILs last night. Only MIL is Jewish, so Smooshie is only 1/4, but I still think it is cool for him to get to know the customs and prayers.

Growing up, I never really knew what it meant to be Jewish. I lived on an island and went to Montessori which was SO diverse - kids were black, white, Asian, mixed, Rastas, French, Indian.. Religion never really came up. When I moved to New York, I realized that ALL my friends were Jewish. My best friend's family became my second family and I learned to LOVE the ways of a Jewish family- a stark contrast to my Waspy/Hippy parents and their colder/cooler vibe. So now I am so happy to have my little 1/4 Jewish baby and have all this stuff in my family too!

Plus, MIL came up with the cutest traditions. The other day a huge box arrived from them, full of gifts and our candles and kosher food. I made matzo ball soup and yummy potato latkas with sour cream and applesauce for dinner :) I wish I had taken a photo! Then, over Skype, we lit the Menorah and sang the prayer ( which I am still yet to memorize) and opened presents. There was a huge box for Smooshie with a beautiful silver flying pig piggy bank and a bag of dollar coins. Every year, he will get 1 coin plus 1 for each year he is for 8 days to put in the bank. I haven't done the math, but it should be a good amount by his 13th birthday! He also got the softest stuffed cow (since he was born in the year of the cow) and an adorable organic outfit. The ILs live in LA in a really nice area, so they know to go to the cool celebrity organic stores - they know my taste! The dogs got some organic Chanukah cookies, and they also sent a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble so we can all go pick out a book or two as another new tradition. My ILs really are great, aren't they?

Now for the bad news
#1 It is 20 degrees outside, how am I going to get my last minute errands done?
#2 DH had a show last night and appears to have over done it. He is still passed out on the sofa at 11AM. I told him that Prosecco my BF and I were drinking at the house was stronger than it seemed. Now he is going to be useless in helping me with said errands.

Baby Christmas Presents..

are kind of silly since they really have no idea what is going on, but these things are so cute!

I already got him this little set from EGG, but in grey and blue. I got him the sweater one-piece in the blue and tan to go with it.


This is a "mini orchestra" I love cook little instruments, and they are fun for the whole family for sing a longs!



Adorable hippy activity bear, found it on Giggle




Dwell Studio blocks!

It was hard to watch but....

he rolled over yesterday! Poor little thing was so determined. He was stuck with his one arm still under him for about 10 minutes, but I decided to let him work it out on his own. And viola! Here he is, so proud of himself. :)



And then we made pizza to celebrate..

What Smooshie is Up to These Days..

I don't want to forget, it is moving so fast!


His favorite things to do:

STILL.. Jumping. Flying. (aka we jump him in the air or fly him around. Exhausting)

Jumping and "walking" in his Doorway Jumper - so cute!

Batting and kicking at things on his activity matt, he actually grabbed one of the toys yesterday and pulled it down to his mouth!

Standing with us holding his hands, he looks so proud :)

Putting his hands in his mouth, he loves his precious hands like no other.

Smiling and laughing, yay.

The mobile in his crib, it CRACKS him up every time! (Not that he is sleeping in there, he just hangs out in it sometimes during the day)

Talking. He says "A gloo oo" which = " I love you"

Taking showers and baths together.

Music class.

His Daddy singing his special song he wrote for him, it always calms him down at night. :)

Things he is SO over:

The swing, he tries to get out of it and won't keep his head down!

The bassinet- we are on to the actual seat on the stroller which is great because I can keep it folded downstairs.

All of his 0-3 and some of his 3-6 clothes! He is huge! (95th percentile apparently)

Things he is still so-so about:

The Bumbo. He sits up in it and it is fun to have him on the counter while we eat lunch or when I cook dinner, but he still looks a little slumpy after a while.

The rattle. He holds it and shakes it, but I am not sure if he knows he is shaking it or holding it.


That's pretty much all I can think of right now... I need to go find that video camera...

11 Weeks 2 days.. and our first trip to the ER

So, we made it all the way to Tennessee and back! It was a really great trip, although the drive was a bit rough. Pumping in the car worked really well. That way the milk was still nice and warm and I would just hop into the back seat and feed him with the bottle. We did BFa few times when we stopped to eat as well, just for comfort. We left the City on Tuesday afternoon and only made it to the end of PA when it started raining and got soo dark that we decided to stop at our favorite chain restaurant, Ruby Tuesday's, and spend the night. We found a dog friendly Best Western and the only room with a king size bed also had a GIANT whirpool tub IN the room. It was pretty funny, it was bigger than a hot tob with tile stairs leading up to it.. We took the opportunity to take a family bath and give Smoosh some swimming lessons while watching TV!
We drove all day Wednesday, hit holiday traffic on 81 after the VA/TN border and took the back roads through Newport and Cosby. We were all totally over it by then, but when we finally pulled into the house it was so worth it. Both our parents, my SIL, and their dog (who flew from LA) were all there with a big home cooked meal for us and eagerly waiting to hold Smoosh. They had it worked out in order of who had seen him last: first SIL who had never met him, then my dad who was here for the birth, then mom, then FIL and MIL. I barely held the baby the entire time except to feed him, he was just passed around and paparazzi'd to death which he loved. He is such a good baby. :) It was so nice to be able to relax a little and hang out with DH and not have to constantly entertain or worry about Smooshie. It really made me wish we had some family nearby.
Sunday we had to head back.. hit more traffic. Spent the night in Maryland I think..
Sunday night I noticed a little bump on Smooshie's butt, kind of like a pimple. We got home late Monday and I googled it, called Mom, couldn't find any info. Tuesday AM I called the doctor. He called me back and I described the bump, which was now oozing a little. Well, he told me to go DIRECTLY to the ER and that Smoosh needed to be operated on immediately. We dropped everything and headed into the city to NYU hospital where we spent a good 5 hours in a room waiting.. When the pediatric surgeons finally came, they said it looks like an irritation that got a little infected. They gave us antibiotics and a follow up appointment for next week. Ugh, mixed feelings. SO happy that he didn't have to have surgery, so annoyed/confused that our doctor made this crazy phone diagnosis and had me terrified all day, still worried and hoping it clears up. I don't know who to trust or what to believe. Still, we survived our first ER visit as a family. Hopefully the first and last.

Mommy and Baby moccasins we got in Tennessee. :)

10 weeks!

I love this photo, I feel like it is an accurate representation of how my life feels right now.. crazy! The apartment is slowly being taken over by baby toys, and he isn't even "doing" anything yet! I got the Skip Hop play mat for the floor in the living room to make a softer area to lie down with him and let him try to crawl or roll around. The dogs love it. :) We also got a doorway jumper since Smoosh is OBSESSED with standing up and "jumping". Only problem is that the only doorway in our apartment that is low enough (we have super high ceilings) is in the bathroom- the door to the laundry/boiler room. This is also where the dogs' pee pee pad is, so it is a little weird. Hmm. Oh well, it is still great. I think I will bring it with us to my parent's for Christmas. 3 weeks of happy jumping in lots of doorways there!

I am SO excited, tomorrow we hit the open highway (well, there will probably be quite a bit of traffic) for Thanksgiving in Tennessee. I am a little wary about the 12 hour drive and how I am going to feed him every 2 hours, but I have a plan. I am going to try to pump IN the car, and sit in the back seat and feed him the bottle. I hope he takes it because if we have to stop every 2 hours for 20 minutes we won't make in there by Thursday. Not to mention, we are bringing the dogs. Throw that into the mix and we have a very crazy road trip planned. Oh well, we will get there eventually. :)

Something else just dawned on me that I am not very happy about. I am eventually going to get my period again, and from what I have heard, it is going to be worse than ever. It has been 10 weeks and I think my days are numbered. Yesterday I noticed a pimple on my chin. THEN I proceeded to CLEAN the house like I haven't cleaned since my nesting-shoe-closet organization day. I actually scrubbed the stove, inside and out! I have never done that before. :| I have also been acting a little bit strange, thrashing around and being clumsy... :( Sigh.

First night out on the town/ I Want it All

Without the baby! Yes, we got a babysitter last night and DH and I went out in the city to a wild birthday party at The Box and it was lovely. It felt very strange to put on my heels after.. geez, almost a year? I don't think I wore them the whole time I was pregnant of course. It was really fun to dress up and be my old self again.... kind of.

Of course, I missed my little Smoosh and I stressed for DAYS before about pumping, formula, whether I could stand to leave him at all.. But I am so glad I did.

We have a close friend who babysits so I felt totally at ease with that. I actually think Smoosh could tell what was going on on some level, he decided to do a marathon nursing session right before we left (making such funny faces and smiling at me while he ate) so he actually didn't need to eat the whole time we were gone anyway. All that stress - not to mention the emergency can of organic formula - for nothing!

Yes, I bought some formula and have been feeling pretty guilty/conflicted about it. It is something I never thought I would consider EVER. I decided to buy some just so the sitter would have a back up if I couldn't pump enough. Then she asked that we try it on him beforehand just in case. So the other night I made some up and we tried to feed it to him. I had always thought of formula as baby fast food, so I thought he would gobble it down. I know my little piggy loves to eat. :) But he wasn't having it at all, he made these awful faces and spit it out and I felt SO bad! Force feeding him crap! How awful am I! I decided to leave the room all together, and sure enough once me and my boobies were out of sight, he did gooble it down. And went to sleep. FOR SIX HOURS!!! I woke up, looked at the clock, checked to make sure he was OK and praised the Lord. The feeling of sleeping for 6 hours straight for the first time in 2 months was like heaven. I felt like a new person.

Formula... the devil on my shoulder. But I will choose motherly martyrdom for the sake of my Smooshie's health. I have read the studies and I will not super-size my child just for the sake of a night's sleep. It turns out I was able to pump PLENTY in one sitting yesterday afternoon, so the formula wouldn't have been needed even if he had woken up to eat. However, I WILL keep it on hand for future babysitting situations.

Here is the thing: My mother breast fed me exclusively, probably for an uncomfortably long time. I was never left with a sitter, I never had sugar or junk food. We lived in the Caribbean and my mom filled her days frolicking on the beach with me and making silkscreens and paintings. My mother In Law, on the other hand, was a high powered PR woman. She gave DH formula, he had a nanny. And we are both fine. He is not obese, he even has a PhD. I want to be somewhere in the middle. I want to stick to my values and beliefs about what is best and most natural for my baby, but I also want to keep my career going, keep my marriage and my social life interesting, go on meetings and trips and to fancy parties. And so I walk a fine line, and this is just the beginning..

Last night I cried...

Because Shmoosh was too big for his pajamas... This is so unlike me! I am usually a look-forward person. Not terribly sentimental. But when I saw his little feet poking out of the footsies, the fabric refusing to stretch over his little shoulders, I got so upset! DH thinks I am crazy, he just can't wait to be able to talk to him. Sometimes when I am nursing, these intense emotions take over as well. I look down and he is sucking away, looking up at me with his big blue eyes and I just want to squeeze him and never let him go. It is actually painful to feel this strongly.

Anyway, yesterday we had his 2 month appointment at the new doctor since our new insurance doesn't cover the other one. It is pretty upsetting since the other practice is a few blocks away, and very fabulous and progressive. This new guy comes well recommended, but we have to drive over there, it;s hard to find parking in that neighborhood, it isn't as nice or cool. It is actually in the Polish neighborhood, so it is basically like being in Poland ( I imagine). Lots of Perogi shops, everyone speaking Polish in the office. Whoever said New York isn't diverse hasn't been exploring the right neighborhoods. The DR was nice, but pretty intense. DH wasn't crazy about him, but he did give us lots of personal attention and he was very impressed with Smoosh. He is 13 lb 12oz and 24.5 inches which puts him in the 90th and 95th percentile, respectively. The DR found him very social, he was smiling and laughing during his entire exam. Smoosh apparently though the doctor was very funny. We have to go back next week for shots since he isn't actually 2 months yet. Not looking forward to that.

What I am looking forward to is going to the Beer Garden tomorrow with the mommy group. :)

8 weeks!

My little guy is 8 weeks today.. and it my birthday! The age that will not be named haha.. OK, I am 32. I am going to stop being weird about it now.

Last weekend DH had to go to a conference in Atlanta so my sister came into town to meet her nephew. We had SUCH a great time. She is 25 and not much of a baby person, but they just adored each other. She had him smiling and laughing constantly! We did tons of shopping, went out to the outlets (YAY!!) and ate lots of yummy food. I got some really great stuff for Smoosh at the Saks outlet. :)

Sunday night we celebrated my birthday early with a group of friends at the Beer Hall/ Beer Garden which was AWESOME. They have delicious Austrian food, amazing beer (duh) and it is kid friendly! It was totally full of hipster parents and fabulously dressed kids running wild all over the place. Smoosh loved the dark and loud environment and slept like a dream for a few hours before getting up to play and get held by everyone. I think we may be spending a lot of time there in the future.

Yesterday I went to an indoor garage sale and picked up a few more hideous things that I swore I would never buy. First, a Bumbo seat. I just never liked the idea of these things, and I think I even read that they can be damaging because parents leave them in there for hours and it causes developmental problems... Well, we will be careful with ours. For now, it is awesome to stick him in there and have him sit up on the counter with us as we make dinner. It is giving his little neck and upper body a good work out too. Second, a battery powered plastic mobile. This thing goes for $120 on Amazon! It is supposed to help their development, but it simply a ploy to lure him into his crib. I have to get batteries for it today, then I will let you know how it works. He seems pretty fascinated by it already.

No change in the sleep schedule, I just seem to be going to sleep earlier and earlier to fit into his schedule. Hmmm

7 weeks today!

And I think my Smoosh had a major growth spurt. Last night his pajamas came nowhere near fitting onto him! I had to rustle through the bigger things I had put away and put him in a size 6 month outfit! Luckily, I have starting buying 6 month things. Like the AMAZING striped sweater I got him at the Bonpointe sample sale!!

Yes, I did end up getting to go, but it was NO easy task. First, my follow up OB appointment. Everything is great, except I found out that I am still 17 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight!!! EEK! No wonder my jeans don't fit! I have to say, that was quite the shock. I think I look good, but geez, I need to fit back into my clothes. I have very expensive designer clothes that I have been "investing" in for a long time (Yes, I have convinced DH that they are an investment mwahaha.) Sigh. I did start mommy baby pilates yesterday.

So after the OB appointment I was able to convince DH to just to do a quick drive-by of the sample sale. After all , I don't think I had even been into the city since the baby was born and that made DH feel sorry for me and agree to go. Of course, I got the cross streets wrong ( I thought it was between 5th and 6th ave, but it was really 7th and 8th). It would have taken an hour to get around the block so my plans were almost thwarted, but I just jumped out and ran like the wind back to 8th avenue. Then I see ropes and lines outside the building... there is also a Louis Vuitton sample sale going on in the building as well! Now, I could really do without LV anyway. Ostentatious status bags aren't my thing, I don't have much use for heels these days, and I am OBVIOUSLY not buying clothes at this weight. So this just means I have to deal with lines of crazy NYC women Sex-In-The-City-Style trying to rush the elevators. Well, I made it and it was worth it. If I had had a baby girl, I would have been in trouble. If I had gone on the first day I might have been in trouble as well, as the tables were slightly picked over by Thursday. Even still, I found exactly what I was looking for. The very last little wool cap that covers the ears. The LAST one. AND it was $20, market down for $120!! I also quickly picked up and adorable greyish blue sweater overall and brown striped sweater. These will look adorable for Christmas photos I think. How I love a good sample sale.

And more baby style news, the Stella McCartney for Gap line came out today! Die!!! It is SO cute, although the infant clothes are slightly less irresistible than the toddler line with the little military jackets...

Halloween was super fun. Smoosh was a baby shark, I was a Geisha warrior, and DH was a Guatemalan cowboy. We walked around the festivities and had a drink with friends from my mommy group and watched the Brooklyn "Babyburg" festivities. There surely are a lot of hip kids and parents around here.

On Sunday night I decided to take Smoosh in the bath rub with me for a little swimming lesson. He LOVED it, especially floating. He is going to be ready for the beach by Christmas for sure. Now we better hop in the shower (we shower together every morning) and get to our cooking class. Followed by lunch with the mommy group, then Music class. :)

Stella McCartney for Gap!

6 weeks (and 2 days)

I have successfully filled our days with activities and classes, and now... I am SICK. This is so upsetting, as I haven't been sick in years! I am able to accomplish this by basically never getting cold, never taking the subway, taking a car service if the weather is bad, never going out when the weather really sucks, not being around sick people. Basically, by working at home and having few other obligations. Not this has all changed. Plus DH takes the subway every day and is teaching this semester. College, but still. College kids have germs too I am sure and he is not bringing them home. So far, things aren't too bad. Just a sore throat and headache and Smoosh seems to be fine.

He is actually more than fine, he is a bundle of energy! He has actually begun STANDING just holding on to our hands. At 6 weeks. Now I am no child development expert, but this seems rather early to me. I will have to take a photo. He also LOVES "jumping" (aka bending his knees and pushing off and one of us lifting him into the air.. over and over and over again). We are going to have to go look for some kind of jumper thingy ASAP that his little self will fit into! It looks like we may be having to child proof the house sooner than we thought as all signs point to early crawling and walking. Yes, I may be bragging a little. DH is convinced we have a future something-or-other on our hands. However, I was a super strong baby and an early walker myself, and that proved NOT to be a precursor for future athletic prowess. In fact, I was picked last at P.E. every time. I TOTALLY suck at sports.

Anyway, cooking class was great although getting there was a bit of a disaster. It was only maybe 10 blocks away but it was POURING rain. I decided to take the stroller and not deal with car seat and parking. Well, I discovered that the Uppa Baby does not come with a rain cover for the bassinet. I was trying to use the rain cover for the seat and managed SOAK the stroller, flood the bassinet. We got splashed by a bus and drenched in muddy water. Poor Smoosh, it was everything I could do not to break down in tears. Actually, I think I did cry a little as I tried to push the rapidly water-logging stroller with one hand and hold down with piece of ill fitted plastic as it continued to blow off in the wind, and hold my umbrella with the other hand. It was very pathetic, but I made it there and back- and came home with an amazing Spaghetti Puttanesca! I actually skipped the play group afterwords and made the Spaghetti for lunch, I was starving and Smoosh needed to rest for Music Class.

For Music class, needless to say I took the car. Still a bit of a struggle to find parking (baby screaming at full volume of course) , find quarters for the meter, get him out of the car seat and into the place in the rain. I am learning and getting better though and music class was super fun. In fact, it is working already. Last night he was fussing and I didn't know what to do. Out of desperation, I started the "Hello Song" from class, and he broke into a big smile! AMAZING!

Today I have my follow up OB appointment. Not looking forward to the internal exam AT all. What I AM looking forward to is the Bonparte sample sale that I may or may not be able to convince DH to swing by afterwords.

Here we are on our way to Smooshie's first party last weekend. How cute are his little wool booties?

Uh oh..

I have a serious weakness for sample sales. Let's see, $275 cashmere onesie at 75% off would be....

5 weeks!

Me and Smooshie right now, blogging. Excuse the crazy hair, that's what happens when you sleep in braids.


My little Smoosh is 1 month and 1 week old! He is more and more of a little person every day, and we are having so much fun together.
His 1 month appointment went great- he is up to 10lb 12oz so the constant breast feeding is really paying off! That is a pretty big gain from 7lb 6oz. He holds his little head up, follows us around the room with his eyes, looks at his toys and the dogs.. such a big difference from the first few weeks. He is even trying desperately to stand, so cute. AND he did his first real smile the other day which really was different than his little random infant smiles. It was SO adorable.
We have an awesome play group that meets twice a week, plus a ton of classes starting soon. We did 2 music class demos last week and a cloth diaper workshop. We are also starting mom & baby cooking, mom & baby pilates, mom & baby book group.. Music Together starts next week, plus our play group twice a week. I know it is a lot, but I am DREADING the winter and I do NOT want to be stuck indoors!
Speaking of winter, we had a serious cold blast last week and I realized little one is totally unprepared for the weather. I had to make an emergency Baby Gap order of snowsuits and fuzzy coveralls and hats!
And speaking of emergency orders, here is something else I was SO wrong about.. the car seat. Why, I thought, would I be so lazy that I would need to click the car seat onto the stroller? Why not just take baby out and put him into a carrier, or hold him?? Well, because he will cry. Into car seat= cry, out of car seat= cry, into carrier= cry, out of carrier= cry, back into car seat= cry. Exhausting. He does not like getting in and out of these things, all the straps I guess, the warmth to the cold..
Now it is true that there is a flat baby head epidemic and I do think this has a lot to do with it. On our Maryland road trip, we found that Cracker Barrel actually has special attachments that go on the chairs to accommodate a car seat. Also, at WAL Mart you can click your pod child right onto your shopping cart! You basically never have to take them out! Even so, we caved and ordered the car seat base attachment for the Uppa Baby. I swear I will not let Smoosh get a flat head. He is sitting here with me right now, and he will do extra tummy time to make up for it! He also spends most of the day at home in the Moby (actually the Sleepy is working better for me so DH has taken over the Moby).
Today we have got to get some errands done, so I hope to take advantage of the warm-ish weather and stroller around the hood which I haven't really done yet by myself. Very exciting times.

4 Weeks

You know, I have often noticed that when pregnancy blogs turn into baby blogs they tend get, how can I put this? BORING. And mine is no exception. Days of boredom and anticipation that leave ample time for witty blogging are replaced with days of actually taking care of the baby we have been dreaming of and buying thing for for the last 9 months or more. Now it's just "baby slept for _ hours" , "baby did this", "baby did that".. Surely once I am getting a little more sleep I will come up with something more interesting to say, right? I know I will want to read these some day, and maybe Smoosh will too, so I will march on..

We took our first trip this last weekend, a 6 hour drive to Maryland. He was pretty good in the car, but we did have to stop to BF pretty often. My nursing cover is coming in very handy, as I end up nursing while I am eating most of the time. DH had to make my brunch buffet plate at the hotel, and cut my steak at dinner b/c I was nursing. We left Friday evening and really just got a few hours outside of the city, then it started raining and we decided to get a hotel and call it a night. The next day we drove on to Maryland, straight to the festival where DH met the band. It was a big outdoor stage right on the lake and everyone sat on blankets on the hillside. It was pretty cold so I bundled Smoosh in layers and he watched his daddy perform for the first time! Then we went back to the hotel, we were staying at an awesome lodge inside the park. DH went back to hang out and see the rest of the shows, and Smoosh and I ordered room service and watched a movie. The next day it was SO beautiful (and DH was so hungover) that we decided to stay another day since it was a holiday weekend. We had a yummy brunch, walked around, then had to find a Wal Mart to buy more diapers, breast pads, and PJs! The leaves were all turning and it was so gorgeous. Then we went to the pool back at the hotel and I FINALLY got to go in the hot tub - first time in 9 months! yay! Smoosh put his toes in and he loved it. I can't wait for him to go in the ocean at Christmas! We had a nice dinner, relaxed, and came home the next day. Totally relaxing, wonderful weekend.

Now it is a busy week with billing for work, squeezing in play groups (hey, it's getting cold and I need friends!) and taking care of the LO. We had a play group yesterday, and a music class demo today and tomorrow, need to see the pedi for hi 1 month appointment.. And this reminds me why I have very little time to blog. Back to work!

3 weeks!

Well, 3 weeks tomorrow. Although I still tend to think that he was born on Monday since it was late Monday night.. Anyway..

Smooshie (that is his most popular nickname by far) has gotten a little more difficult the last few days. Apparently they tend to get more fussy and gassy around 3- 6 weeks. AND they are more likely to develop baby acne which the poor little guy has as well. Great. I guess, biologically, they have to be REALLY cute that first week or two so we don't change our minds and leave them for the wolves or something. He actually slept very well last night, I got up to nurse three times and still got plenty of sleep. Now he is cooing and smiling in his swing while I work.

My In Laws were in town this weekend so we took him out to dinner for the first time which was a huge success. We swaddles him and brought him in his bassinet and stroller and he didn't make a peep. And I finally got to have my margarita! Dinner was so successful, we went out somewhere fabulous every night! Mexican, then Maltese, then Italian - yum!

Smooshie is also a wonderful shopper! Yesterday I drove into the city (he screamed all the way there while I tried not to cry or crash) to the IL's hotel, parked, nursed him up in their room then put him into the Bjorn and he slept through 2 or 3 hours of crazy bargain shopping! I found 3 dresses that button down the front thank the Lord (I love my dresses with tights and boots in the Fall) and he got two little Ralph Lauren outfits. I love my ILs. :)

Some other very exciting news: Smooshie is already going to his first concert next weekend! DH has a show in MAryland so I was going to be left alone for two nights.. not happy about that. Then we looked at the festival website and it is a family friendly festival and they play in the afternoon so we get to come - YAY! It is in a State Park and we will just drive separately and get a hotel room. Smoosh gets to use his little headphones and wear his "I'm With The Band" onesie already!

Now, on to something else important.. the Baby Gap Fall clothes!! OMG! SO cute! I can actually recreate some of DHs outfits and they can be matching - how precious! I just don't know what size to get, he is still just a little scrunchie ball, but how big will he be in a few months? Hmmm...

Smooshie's Fall/Winter wardrobe:



Today we are going to a new Mommy/Baby tea with a Pilates class and nutrition talk - so excited!

2 weeks!

And things are going really well! I actually get enough sleep which is awesome.. I just have to go to bed at 9 since it takes a good 12 hours in bed for me to get my 7 or 8 hours of sleep. He actually sleeps from about 10pm- 1:30 or 2 AM, then we breast feed, then sleeps again until 3 0r 4, again till 6 or 7, and again until 8 or 9. Not bad! He sleeps later than me! Then I put him in the swing for his morning nap (another 3 hours) while I have coffee and do my emailing and business calls. We will see how long this pattern lasts.

We had our 2 week check up yesterday and everything looks wonderful, he gained 12 ounces in 1 week so he is up to 8. 12 now! He also lost his little umbilical stump the other night so he can have a real bath.. actually the stump is MIA which I don't even want to think about. I guess it fell off when I was changing him in the dark? Eww.

Things can definitely be challenging. The main thing is being trapped in the house. DH is SO busy teaching his new class and with his band. He is doing such a great job and working SO hard, AND he still comes home and makes dinner ( a new thing!) and burps and changes the baby until his "shift" is over around 3AM. :)

There is a new mommy meet up today and I can definitely take him out now, I am just a little nervous about the logistics of the stairs, the bassinet, the stroller, the car seat.. Do I take the car? How do I get everything to the car and carry the baby? Do I just walk with the stroller? What if he starts screaming and I have to stop and find a stoop to sit on and awkwardly breast feed him on the sidewalk??! Not to mention it is getting COLD.. 60s all week. I have to get out before it gets REALLY cold! I am so afraid of this winter. :(

I am also dying to go to Babies R Us with my 30% off coupon, but how? Subway is out of the question. Drive and pray for parking? Not enough time to make it from the meters to the store and back in an hour.. Pay parking.. is the $35 for parking going to be equal or greater than the 30% I save on baby outfits? Hmmm...

1 Week Old

I can't believe that my little man is a week old today. In some ways it has gone by so quickly, yet at the same time I feel like I have had him forever, I can't imagine what it was like not having him. I am so completely enamored by him and I just can't get enough of watching his sweet little face and all the expressions he makes. When I see him make an expression that looks like DH, I am so overcome with love. It is overwhelming. I think severe lack of sleep has also affected me and some hysteria has set in.

Due to the craziest week ever, I only got around 3-4 hours of sleep a night for the last 7 days so I was pretty much losing it. I got no sleep in the hospital, then DH had to go play a show over the weekend, my mom was here but I just couldn't make myself nap or rest ( I am NOT a napper) and as soon as I finally would fall asleep, the baby would be up and need to be fed. I am a slave to the breast and it is exhausting. Now DH is home and I think we will be able to fall into a good pattern. LAst night he was able to make me go to sleep and keep LO occupied for about 4 hours while I caught up. Then nursing for about an hour, getting him back to sleep, then another 3 hours of sleep, although not the most restful. Now I am up and had my coffee.. and he is asleep again. I can't go back to sleep now, so this will be work time. :)

Birth Story! He is here!!!

My Birth Story!

Mason Edward was born on September 15th at 2:50 AM, 7lb 10 oz.

Sunday was my EDD and on Monday I was due for my 40 week OB appointment. My Dad came into town in the morning so we walked around Brooklyn and got bagels, came back to the apartment and had breakfast with DH and we all went to doctor.

We had a quick U/S and everything looked great, then they put me on the monitors for awhile. They saw how strong my contractions were and noticed that the HB was going off the chart during them, so they said we should go straight to the hospital to be admitted! I was so happy!

I got into a nice L&D room and got my epidural and started pitocin. I had been planning on trying natural, but my contractions weren't regulating and some of them were so painful, I had decided earlier in the week that maybe the epidural was better for me after all. After less than an hour on pitocin, the HB started to drop a little so they decided to turn it off and give the baby a break. I was worried that things would slow down and get complicated, but my contrax got stronger and more regular on their own. I guess they just needed a little kick start- next time they checked I was at 7!

DH and I played music and talked, I slept a little bit.. next time they checked I was at 10 with just a lip of cervix! They said to let them know when I felt like pushing. I think I fell back asleep, DH was reading, and some other doctors came in and said it was time to push! My OB came back, I don't know who those other people were.

I didn't really feel like pushing, but I was able to feel what I needed to do. We did pushes though about 4 or 5 contractions, and he was out! It was such a calm, amazing, and even peaceful experience. I can't even describe it. There was some pain when he was crowning, but I just pushed through it and tried not to psych myself out.

He had the cord wrapped around his neck 3 times, which is why he had been dropping off the monitors but he was totally fine, 9/9 on his Apgars.. So beautiful.

I only had one tiny tear with 1 stitch so recovery has been good!

The worst part was spending the night in the hospital. I had a horrible small shared room and DH had to go home. I didn't want the baby to go to the nursery, and it was really hard being by myself with him all night, with no sleep. The nurse that night was mean and not very helpful. Luckily, my OB said everything looked great and we could get an early discharge. We got home Wednesday evening and everything is absolutely amazing.

He has been nursing non stop, which is painful but very fulfilling. He is such a sweet little angel, I love him so so much!

40 Weeks

Annnd I am still here.

Night before last I was having cramping, bleeding, and what I thought was my water breaking so the OB had us come in to L&D. 6 hours of some very uncomfortable time in Triage, a mean nurse, tons of monitoring and no amniotic fluid. Very easy to get in to the hospital, VERY difficult to leave. We would be dressed and out the door.. not so fast, another 20 minutes on the monitor. FOr no reason. Everything is perfect, the baby just isn't coming out today. Just protocol, back on the monitor. We got home around 6:30 AM, I had contractions all day yesterday and last night but still nothing.

Apparently I am in early labor, which usually means labor starts within 24 hours, but mine seems to be lasting considerably longer.

One problem with all this is that it is making me considerable MORE terrified of the pain of giving birth. The contractions are already SO painful, I am constant fear of the next one. If it had come on suddenly, like in the movies, I feel like I would be so surprised, rush off to the hospital, and do what I have to do. Days and days of pain with only a vague end in sight is truly torturous.

39 weeks, 5 days

:::Tapping fingers on counter::

So much for my maternal premonitions of having an early delivery. Sigh.

Wednesday night was total hell. I had contractions throughout the day, which turned into painful stabbing from about 9 to midnight. I couldn't sleep at all. DH got home from band practice around then and we started timing. They were anywhere from 4 - 12 minutes apart and varied from being stabbed in the crotch pain to just uncomfortable tightening. I was crying, and being SO mean to DH. Poor thing. I eventually got into the bath and had some wine and that slowed things down. DH did all the dishes and packed the rest of my bag, just in case. He is so sweet. :) By 5AM they must have stopped because I fell asleep, only to be woken back up at 7 with more.. But they never got time able and they eventually ended.

So, yesterday we were pretty optimistic and ran around getting all our errands done on 2 hours of sleep. I had a few contractions throughout the day and by dinner the stabbing pain started again and I was so exhausted, I broke down. I couldn't take another night like that. I called the OB and she said it isn't labor if it isn't time able and that I could take half a Benadryl to sleep. I guess that worked, I don't remember anything after that until waking up at 8:30 this morning (late for me!)

I know the baby is on his own schedule, and he isn't even late yet. I have to keep telling myself that. Every day is one day closer, but it doesn't feel like that. Every day and I feel more hopeless instead. I just feel so pressured, even though everyone is doing their best to not make me feel that way.

Here is the thing. MIL was in town all week..for business of course, but also hoping to be here for the birth. She is coming back Monday hoping to meet the baby. My dad has arrived on Long Island for his conveniently timed Lifeguard Reunion. He will be here in Brookyln Monday and Tuesday night hoping to meet the baby.. His facebook status even said he is coming to NY to " help birth his first grandchild"! I am not sure what that is supposed to mean, he is not going to be in the delivery room even if he is here, but whatever.. Anyway, they both say they are happy just to see us, but otherwise they won't see the baby until Thanksgiving so I would just love for it to work out.

Then, of course, DHs band is booked for a big festival the weekend after the EDD. This was booked before I got PG and he has told the band all along that they can't go if the baby isn't born yet. Still, it is a huge deal for them, it pays well, they are on the big stage this year, so many big bands will be there.. His sister already booked a flight to be there..I will be so upset if he misses it. The tour van has to be cancelled by Tuesday if they aren't going. No pressure.

Not to mention, my mom is coming to stay with me while DH is gone. No baby, and mom will have to get a hotel instead (she offered thank God) and pretty much be here waiting around.

I know a lot of people induce on or near their due date. I am actually shocked at how many women on the bump are saying their OBs are offering inductions after 37 weeks, just because the baby is supposedly done growing. This just isn't true by the way! We talked to the OB about it, and we are absolutely not going to induce the baby unless medically necessary, and she lets you go to 42 weeks if all is well. DH says the show means nothing compared to our child's entire life and we want him to get the best start possible and come out when he is ready.

I just can't help but feel stressed. I am such a planner and I have trouble giving up my ideas of how I picture things perfectly in my head. I just have to stay calm and positive and remember that what will be will be. Here's to another day closer to having our sweet baby.

39 weeks, 3 days

I have to say my OB appointment yesterday was disappointing. I have been having very painful contractions for days so I thought for sure something would be going on down there. I even got a pani/pedi beforehand just in case we needed to go right to the hospital! But no, no progress at all. "Barely a fingertip" dilated, but the cervix is soft (it should be, we have been having sex every day!) I know things can change in a day, but when she said she would let me go to 42 weeks I got a little bit depressed.

Luckily, MIL is in town and her favorite medicine is shopping! We met up with her in Soho (where my OB is) and helped her pick out some things, then we went to Bloomingdales and got a new outfit for DH. Ludacris (the rapper) was totally there buying jeans too. I don't think anyone else recognized him, but I am sure it was Luda. :)

Then we went over to Giggle and MIL bought us the Baby Bjorn travel crib which was SOO nice of her. She was going to get it for us for Christmas, but she thought we may need it sooner for Thanksgiving or any other trips we are taking. It is really cool and has the best reviews.

She really wanted to get me something for myself, but I was just feeling too fat and crappy. I can't believe I turned down a dress at Jill Stuart (my FAVORITE) but I can't try anything on and I just don't know what I am going to look like after all this is over. It may have something to do with the fact that I managed to gain 3 pounds this week. Maybe all those cupcakes weren't such a good idea. Ugh, anyway, gifts for DH and the baby make me happier than something for myself. The only gift I really want right now if for the housekeeper to come more often. How I would love weekly cleaning. Aren't I acting like a selfless mother already?! Haha

After all that shopping we went for an amazing dinner at Kelly and Ping. Yum, fried banana with green tea ice cream for dessert!

MIL has been reading up on MIL issues and grandparent issues (she is an academic and a writer) and actually read that a common problem is MILs coming to "help" after birth, but they end up just wanting to hold the baby, which is what the new mom really wants to do. Then the mom ends up doing the cooking and cleaning and not getting to hold her baby and is miserable. She swears she will not do this and she will come and actually help if we would like her to. SO nice, if a little intense.

39 weeks today!

Madame Zaritska's reading

Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.

What she senses for you

The day you deliver, outside will be warm. Your baby will arrive in the morning.
After a labor lasting approximately 3 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have blue eyes and dark hair.

I finally gave in and did this online birth prediction, and I must say I like it! Haha, how awesome would a 3 hour labor be?!

DH and I had the nicest day yesterday playing tourist. We picked up our CSA then went to the Jeep repair place in the city (way over on 11th avenue and 51st street) to repair the damage done by me/the bus on Thursday night. Since we had tons of time to kill, we went for lunch, then walked down to the Intrepid battle ship museum, then out on one of the piers where they had water fountains and kids running around.. Then we walked over through Hells Kitchen and got organic smoothies, then over to Times Square. I don't think I have been to Times Square in years! They have the roads blocked off now so it was pretty fun walking around and gawking at everything! Then we walked over to 5th avenue and hung out in Barnes & Noble for awhile. All together I must have walked a few miles for SURE, I was dying! If this doesn't start labor (combined with all the sexy time we have been having), I don't know what will!

This was a bit of a set back money wise, the bill came to $2000 because we also needed new brakes, pads, roters, whatever. We are just looking on the bright side - good thing I hit that bus and we had to come in and get the car checked. Otherwise, the brakes could have given out with the baby in the car.. disaster averted. Still a difficult pill to swallow.

When we got home I took a long bath and we made home made pizza which was delicious. I think I was asleep by 9:30!

And now today we are 39 weeks.. WOW. I have my prenatal massage in an hour and I will be sure let her know that if she is aware of any labor-inducing pressure points she may feel free to press on them by all means. :)

Full moon? Contractions? Single Digits?!

Wow, I am due in 9 days. That is SO crazy. I went out last night to a show, DH was playing at the this awesome show at Bowery Ballroom, and I just couldn't stand the thought of missing seeing him up on that big stage in front of all those people, plus staying home alone again? Ugh! Boring! Who knows when I am going to be able to go out again? I wish I had an invisible cloak for times like this. I managed to find a white baby doll dress that actually fit over my bump. I was hoping it was minimizing, but I know I actually just looked like a giant marshmallow. I tried to lurk in corners but I was still a bit of a spectacle, plus the door guys and the bouncers were totally freaking out worried about me and trying make me sit down. They were worried someone was going to knock me over.. Embarrassing! Luckily, DH sang the 3rd song. I was actually starting to get some pretty bad cramping/contractions so I decided to leave after that (to the relief of the venue staff). We decided I would take the car home and DH would take a cab later since he was drinking.

Well, maybe my contractions were a little distracting because I somehow managed to crash into the back of a city bus. It wasn't really a "crash", I just sort of turned too soon and turned into the back of the bus as he was going straight... It's hard to explain, but these buses are really two buses linked together, so they are very long.. Anyway, I pulled over and the bus pulled over. I crushed my two front turn signal lights out and the front is a little dented. No damage to the beastly bus.

When DH got home I told him what happened (no need to freak him out while he was having fun at the show) and he was just SO relieved that I am OK, but has decided that my pregnant driving days are now officially over. Great, now I am stranded at home until this baby arrives!

After that my contractions got pretty painful and actually time able for the first time. They were around 1 minute long about every 10 minutes from about 2AM - 4AM. Ouch! I had a little bit of wine and eventually fell asleep. That was a bitter reality check of how much this is going to hurt when it actually happens.

SO, tonight is the full moon. Famous for breaking the water of pregnant women every month. I still think it is early for me, but I am going to wash and straighten my hair JUST IN CASE.

Also, it turns out MIL is going to be in town all week next week for work. What a coincidence! I knew she would somehow end up being here to see the baby first.. As long as she doesn't try to come into the delivery room or hang around the hospital while I am in labor I am more than happy for her to be here. :)

Nursery Pics!

Well, it's not totally done but this is close enough! We still need to put up the canopy and get the rocker. We have our eye on a Mission rocker at the antique store, we will see...


The crib and changing table are Argington Sahara, the bedding is Dwell Charlotte.

I found the book shelf on Ebay (PERFECT fit for the tiny space, and we have a lot of other cottage white antiques in the room).

The red swords hanging from the hook were brought back from Japan by my ILs - they are soft cotton and they squeak!



Some of the stuffed animals are a little strange, but a gift is a gift, right? :)

The baby scale was the first thing we bought for the baby, we got it at a flea market up in the Catskills at least a year before we started TTC. It was just too cute and it has been waiting in the closet until now.




In other news, I had my 38 week OB appointment today and my cervix is "low" and fingertip dilated. Hmm. Kind of anticlimactic after all the crampiness I have been having, but still good news.

38 weeks today!

And, just to get things moving, I am making eggplant parmesan tonight! I know, I know, I am not going to get all worked up and impatient about the baby coming already and start doing and eating weird things. I know it could be weeks still, but I have to say, I am pretty freaking uncomfortable so any time is really OK with me. Except that the crib has been moved to try to install the canopy, which we don't have the right screws for.. And the bookshelf/cabinet isn't here yet... and we have no rocker or glider. Maybe next weekend would actually be better. OK, little one?

Things to do this week:

Prenatal Massage (my back is finally killing me)
OB appointment (please let there be progress)
Get bookshelf delivered and put everything away in it that is still sitting around in bags.
Get canopy installed (that one is up to DH)
Get a new mani/pedi
Clear some things up at the bank
Wrap more things up with work

I was having horrible contraction/cramps/whatever all night last night so I hope to get more rest tonight... Off to make dinner!

A few more things...

I may have gone on a little bit of an internet shopping spree last week, but I kept finding these great deals!

First, nursing pajamas from Japanese Weekend on sale at Nordstrom's. I didn't have any yet, so not really a splurge. They are soft and cute and will be nice for lounging around the first week (and beyond).



We know how I feel about the DWELL Charlotte collection, so when I saw the diaper tote on sale I couldn't resist! I know I said I was going to share the boring grey Skip Hop Diaper Bag with DH, but I changed my mind! I am probably going to be on my own with the baby more than I would like to believe, and I want a cute bag.



OK, this is a diaper caddie full of BabyLegs. I have heard great things about them and looked into getting some, then I saw this package on sale on the BabyLegs website, 10 pairs of Baby Legs for $80! They are usually $12 each so that's a great deal. Plus the basket diaper thingie is a bonus. I am sure I can use that somewhere.

Birth Announcements - SO cute!

Tiny Prints has added even MORE adorable birth announcements, now they have some designed by Dwell Studio! How precious is the little Cowboy print? I was seriously tempted by that bedding set, but decided to go with something gender neutral so we could use it again.. Not so with the baby announcement. :) Maybe this is my chance to get something totally masculine since everything else I have bought has been green... I am torn between birds, elephants, monograms, and cowboy boots!

Big Shopping Trip & Ultrasound

SO Monday we had an OB appointment and the final U/S to check things out. Mason is totally head down and ready to go! I actually couldn't see anything at the u/s because the screen was pointed away from me, and he is so big now and smushed in there that there isn't as much to see as the 20 week. DH did see him and his cute face. His hand is up by his face and he was doing his practice sucking, how sweet. The tech asked where he got his big pouty lips! Certainly not from me! Now I REALLY can't wait to see what he looks like! She printed us a photo of his face, but it really just looks like a blob to me so I won't bother scanning. She estimated that he is about 6 1/2 pounds right now and will probably be 7 1/2 - 8 1/2 pounds at birth. Sounds perfect to me, although I know these estimates can be way off the mark sometimes.

After the doctor we went to Buy Buy Baby to do our registry completion - so fun! Luckily, we didn't need any big ticket things but it still added up! We got 2 packs of Aden + Anais swaddling blankets, cloth diapers for burp cloths, a Dwell stroller blanket, window shades and mirror for the car, cup holder for the stroller, diapers, wipes, plain white onesies, little socks, two more hooded towels and washcloths, two miracle blankets... and the Twilight turtle! I couldn't resist! (Oh, and an impulse buy- a CD of Metallica nursery lullabye covers which is actually very CREEPY. I will not be listening to that at home alone, it sounds like a horror movie soundtrack).

When we got home there were some packages waiting - the Boppy with organic cover from one of my girlfriends, and some adorable Roobeez shoes from one of my clients!

I also found the PERFECT shabby chic bookcase on EBay and bought it last night. Now I just have to find delivery to get it here from PA, or we could drive out and pick it up this weekend. Is 2 1/2 hours too far to drive at 38 weeks? Hmm.. Also stalking Craig's List for a glider or rocker, no luck yet.

Twilight turtle, he is organic AND he projects constellations onto the ceiling. :)



The Dwell stroller blanket is SO soft..

So fresh and so clean, bling

These are my new OBSESSION. I was working on a photo shoot the other day and someone offered me a vanilla wafer, and said her sister had cravings for vanilla wafers when she was pregnant. Well, I certainly hadn't thought about them until she said that but then I was suddenly overcome with thoughts of vanilla wafers. When I stopped at the deli on my way home, I saw these. Um, AMAZING!! These are the most wonderful things I have ever tasted! And voila, vanilla wafer pregnancy craving is born. I am so suggestible.

Yesterday was wonderful. It was a lovely morning, DH made french toast for breakfast and our new housekeeper came over. We took the dogs and got out of her way and brought the car in to get cleaned. We ended up getting the super duper interior detail where they shampoo the all the upholstery and everything- it really looks and smells brand new again! While the car was being washed, we walked over to the park and hung out in the dog run all day, ran into some friends, had a yummy wheat germ banana smoothie.... Came home to a sparkling clean home. I HEART our new housekeeper so much, she is so sweet. Now we will have to work out how often the budget will allow her to come. How I would love every week, but it will probably have to be every other week, or once a month. We will see how much of a mess I manage to make and how little I manage to clean once the baby is here.

Today we have an OB appointment then hopefully to Buy Buy Baby to do the registry completion. I better check Baby Bargains and add a few things before we go, just in case.

FULL TERM!!

I am officially full term today! That is pretty exciting. :)

What a freak out last night, sorry about that! DH got home a little while later (much sooner than I expected actually) and was really sorry. I was so happy to see him and he was so tired, we just decided to have a nice dinner together at our favorite sushi place in the neighborhood and watch a movie. So I still got to go out and wear my new dress. I think I was having a little bit of cabin fever!

I was also having some pretty painful contractions last night. They were actually time-able for the first time, but I didn't time them because I just didn't feel like this was "it". They woke me up on and off throughout the night as well, but I just drank tons of water and stayed in bed. Seeing that this is my only experience with this, I am honestly not 100% percent sure they aren't just stomach cramps! But, I haven't been constipated, everything is good down there so I think they MUST have been contractions especially since they also ached in my lower back.

So now I feel that I must get everything together. The new housekeeper is coming today, so I think DH and I will take the dogs with us and go get some things done. We were hoping for a nice long time at the dog park, but it is raining. :( Drug store, antique store, hardware store, and baby store are all on the list as well. Actually, last night I was checking my email on my phone, and I saw an email from Buy Buy Baby with an online link to my registry completion coupon- great! Then this morning, it was gone. My phone SUCKS. Do not get a Blackberry Pearl, emails and texts disappear ALL the time. I checked my laptop, my junk, my trash, it is gone. Ugh. I will have to call and get them to email it again I guess?

Maybe we can go there tomorrow after my OB appointment... and Ultrasound! More excitement! I was supposed to have my u/s last week and I even brought my mom and sister since they were in town, but they had messed up somehow and the u/s tech wasn't there. That was super disappointing and I got very upset, but now we get to have it tomorrow and "see" Mason for the first time since 20 weeks!

Another new development.. No one was going to be here for the birth which we are TOTALLY fine with. Our parents all live 6 hour flights away and we don't want them hanging around NYC waiting for me to go into labor, or hanging around our tiny apartment. Well, now MIL conveniently has been asked to speak at a conference in NY the weekend of my due date.... AND now my Dad suddenly has a lifeguard reunion he needs to go to out on Long Island that same weekend, so he might as well just get a hotel in Brooklyn for a few days after! So funny. I knew they wouldn't be able to stay away. :)

Here are a few more pics from the shower...

Pregnancy Hormone Induced Vent

I am so disappointed. Tonight is the engagement party of a friend of mine. He was my closest male friend for a few years, but DH ended up really not liking him. Anyway, I pretty much cut him off and haven't even seen him since my wedding which I have felt really bad about. This year his mom passed away and he met a new girl he is really in love with and we got back in touch and he invited us to his engagement party. DH agreed to give him a second chance (he felt the friend was weird/jealous before) and agreed to go.
However, he had his show in DC last night, so before I RSVPd I made sure to let him know that he would have to come back from DC in enough time to get to the party. This morning when he called, he was on his way to brunch with his friends and band, and I reminded him that the party was at 6. I didn't make a big deal about it because I didn't want to pressure him, knowing he is not crazy about this friend anyway, or harass him when he is with his band.
A couple of hours later, he called and they were touring the White House. Um, OK. Just hanging out, being tourists? I didn't say anything and just asked him to call when they are close to the city. At six I hadn't heard from him so I called to see where they were, and they were at least an hour away still. He could tell by my voice that I was upset and got totally defensive.
He said he didn't know we had to be there right at 6 and I should have let him know that I wanted him back by a certain time, but I was just trying not to make a big deal out of it.
Now I am just so disappointed. I did my hair and I was really excited to wear my new dress and actually get to go somewhere, to a fun early dinner party. I am just so bored here at home. I can't go out and get drinks, I just feel so lonely and was really looking forward to this party. I also feel like a horrible person for RSVP ing and not showing up to the party, I know how that feels and it feels terrible.
I know he isn't going to back for hours with this traffic, so we are going to totally miss the party. I am dreading even talking to him about this because whenever this friend is mentioned it ends up turning into a fight. I just wish I hadn't said we could go, I knew something like this would happen. Now I think I am having contractions, ouch!
Writing it out does make me feel better, I am such a hormonal mess. :(

Coming Home Outfits, etc.

I did my first batch of Baby laundry yesterday. It was difficult, I must admit, they were just so perfect already it was hard to throw them into the wash! I bought the Method baby wash which I like pretty well, although I may switch to something totally unscented instead.

I picked out the tiniest outfit from the shower to bring to the hospital. It is a little Ralph Lauren kimono top and pants with feet. The top also has little sleeves that can cover the little hands! The legs look awfully short though, so I think I will bring a back up outfit in case he is too long!



This is another precious newborn outfit, but it is a bit bigger. The little crocheted cars are appropriate for his first little car ride, right? :)



I am almost finished with my Thank You cards. I bought a PDF design for them off of Etsy and printed them out on craft paper (left over from my wedding Save the Date and Thank You notes I made). There are NO cute stamps out right now, by the way!



I can't believe I am full term this weekend. Well, I sort of can. I am HUGE and I feel like I haven't had a cocktail in 100 years.. DH is on his way to DC for the hotly debated out of town show with his band. At my appointment Monday I had an internal and nothing was going on, so I am not worried at all. I am, however, on strict orders to lounge on the sofa and drink water constantly until he gets back tomorrow. NOT a problem.

I have a ton to do still to get ready, but no energy or motivation to do it. So far, my only nesting this week was finally calling a housekeeper to come on Sunday.

Registry Round Up!

Soo, now that the shower is over with I need to finalize a list for what we still need to get... I will be full term this weekend and seeing posts of people having their babies early is making me nervous! Still, I want to wait for my completion coupon..

Here is a basic round up:

Things we have bought:

Chicco Keyfit carseat
Breast Pump (Medela Swing)
Changing Table

Things we have received:

Stroller (Uppa Baby Vista)
Crib
Bedding
Swing (used from neighbor)
Bathtub (from neighbor)
Clothes
Bibs
2 swaddling blankets
Bouncer (Svan)
High Chair (Svan)
Stuffed animals
Bottles, thermometer, clippers
Tummy Playmat
Lilababy carrier
Maya Wrap
Bundle Me for Winter
Diaper Bag
Bath towel and scrubby mitts
Books

Things we still need:

Monitor
Boppy & Cover
More crib sheets
Socks!
More blankets (receiving & swaddling)
Drink holder for stroller!
Car mirror and sun shade
Diapers and wipes
Diaper Pail
Bath wash, diaper cream, shampoo, etc.
Book Shelf
Rocking chair or glider

How long should I wait for this coupon? It is only a measly 10% but that adds up with this much stuff... Hmmm

Stuffed Animal Round Up!: