more pictures!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Isaac!

Welcome Isaac James Lewis! Our son was born yesterday, August 24, 2006 at 7:15 pm. Labor went quickly and mom recovering well. 

Still very pregnant...

I have 9 days until my due date. No news to report. I have had no more "false labor" and absolutely no real labor. Oh well. It will happen when it happens and there is very little I can do about it.

Someone told me that it looked like I was having twins. Rule of pregnancy etiquette #1: Do not tell a pregnant woman that it looks like she is having twins. Even if she is. This same person also told me that it looked like I was about to "pop." Rule of pregnancy etiquette #2: Pregnant women don't pop, they go through hours of painful contractions before pushing a giant baby out.

I was at Wal-mart yesterday picking up groceries and other necessities. When I got to the checkout line, the cashier obviously thought that I didn't belong there. She started scanning my items and stopped when she thought I had bought enough. I told her there were more items and she sort of grunted "okay." She scanned each of the remaining items individually and the totalled the order after scanning each item. I kept telling her "no--there's more" and I had to really coax her to scan ALL the items. Did I look like I had no money? Was there something green hanging out of my nose? I have no idea. I bought more than normal, but I haven't been to Wal-Mart in weeks and I don't expect to go anytime again soon. The whole order totalled to $160, which is about $60 more than my normal budget. Well, after she finally totalled the whole order, I paid with my debit card and left.

On a positive note, I had a wonderful baby shower this weekend. I will post more about it later, but I need to go see Caroline now.

38 weeks and counting down

By my calculation, I have 14 days of pregnancy left. Too bad I can't really count on those 14 days. It could be 2 or 22. Sheesh. I'm the planning type and its making me nervous that the baby can just "come any time." We are almost done with the preparations for the baby. I'm having a baby shower this weekend (woohoo! never had one of those before) and so the baby must stay put until after Saturday. The whole house is very clean these days. The dishes are always done, the clothes are always in the wash, the living room is always vacuumed, and I am constantly working to remove every last strand of dog or cat hair from the carpet and the furniture. So far, it is a success, but it means I must vacuum twice a day and wash the sofa cover at least twice a week. Nesting sure is hard work! My husband thinks I am quite insane, and tend to agree with him. Earlier this week, I could be found crouched on the kitchen floor spraying a line of ants with some bleach type kitchen cleaner. I ended up cleaning out the cabinets too, because the ants found their way in. Anyway, we had an exterminator come yesterday and take care of the rest of the problem.

To buy or not to buy...

A minivan? I've sworn for years that I would never stoop to buying a minivan as a parent. Minivans just aren't cool. I always thought that if I really needed the extra seating, I could just get one of those stylin' SUVs. Of course, now that I am a mom, things are different. An SUV just isn't safe enough for me. I'm not going to do any off-roading any time soon. Certainly not with 2 children under the age of 2. I look at minivans and yearn for the extra space, automatic double sliding doors, captain's chairs, and most of all, safety. I'm quickly learning that our sedan (Hyundai XG350) is not designed for a family. Now that we have 2 car seats in the back and a stroller in the trunk, I'm faced with a number of logistical problems. (1) Where do I put the groceries? There is simply no room left over in the trunk for such things. I've resorted to using the front seat, but I can only fit so much there. (2) What do I do when there's someone riding in the passenger seat? And (3) How in the world am I ever going to buy a 48 pack of toliet paper and 2 economy size boxes of diapers in the same visit to BJs? (4) Where is the double stroller going to go? (5) Where is the dog going to ride the next time we take her on the trip? (6) Where am I going to ride the next time we take the dog on a trip??? Up until now we had been putting the dog in the front passenger seat and I have ridden in the back. Now, however, with 2 car seats, it is just not possible.

Right now, we a casually looking at a few different makes/models of minivan. I think my favorite so far is the Hyundai Entourage. It has been receiving excellent reviews and won NHTSA top safety award. Plus, all the safety features are standard. If you want them in other makes/models, you pay extra. I also like the Honda Odyssey, but it is pricier and, again, you pay extra for the safety features. Who knew that electronic stability control, side curtain airbags and 172 cubic square ft of interior space would be the important factors in deciding what car to buy?

I will be 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow. According to most doctors, it means I am "full term" and the baby could come anytime. To me, I think it means that I still have at least 3 weeks left. I had Todd take a picture of me yesterday and I'm sorry to say that I had NO idea I was that huge. I may post it in a few days, but I need some time to think about it. I have outgrown all my maternity clothes except for one shirt. I bought the shirt during my last pregnancy at K-mart. It is a maternity item and it seemed big enough. Plus, it was $1 if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, there was only one left.

My formerly round belly has become squarish- a mishmash of elbows, knees, and feet Whenever any part of the baby moves, my belly completely changes shape. It would be really nice I have this baby early. Not too early, but a week early would be nice. I would really like to fit into some clothes again.

Caroline is doing very well. She says lots of things and you can understand some of it. She is developing more of an attitude about what she wants to do and exactly when she wants to do it. We are having issues with her saying please and thank you. These are the 2 words that she won't even try to say. She will point to the bag of pretzels and grunt. This means she wants a pretzel. I can get her to try to say pretzel, but if I throw a 'please' in there she throws herself on the (concrete tile) floor, screaming. This pattern is ongoing and has been for several weeks. I know that its a developmental stage and so on, but it is getting old. I don't push the pleases and thank yous, but she knows that I want her to say them and if I even mention it now, a tantrum ensues.

Caroline playing in the mall 

I love bananas! 

Here is Caroline with her cousin, Graham.  

Eating bananas.  

Caroline is in the church nursery. 

:) 

Here is Caroline's Easter dress. 

Yes, I am very cute! 

Aw, so sweet! 

Here is Caroline relaxing at Grandma's lakehouse. 

"I can't hear you!" 

Another Easter pic 

Easter 2006 

Why does everyone have to comment on my timing?

I'm eight months pregnant and anyone that asks me when I'm due undoubtedly follows my answer with "well, you didn't time that very well, did you??" "Pregnant in August? I don't know how you will make it..." Okay, so it's not against the law to be 9 months pregnant in the month of August. I'm very irritable and this point and people (especially strangers) and starting to make me angry with the comments. For the record, pregnancy in winter is no prize either. I've experienced both and at least I can go swimming in the summer. Plus, running the AC on full blast in winter is likely to make your husband very crabby.

I have about 7 weeks to go in this pregnancy, if I make it to a full 40 weeks and so far almost everything is finshed. Todd made a trip up to Indiana to pick up some furniture from my grandmother's house. We now have a new couch (new to us, I think it might be 30 years old though) a dresser, upholstered glider for Caroline's room, a kitchen table and chairs, a dressing table with a mirror (now my desk!) and some accent tables. It's nice to finally have a couch instead of the futon. Now all that I need to do is clean the house and find spots for some of the furniture. As far as preparations for the little one's arrival, I think I am almost done with that as well. We have quite a few clothes (a lot of gender neutral stuff from Caroline) and all of the necessities from burp cloths to pacifiers and even a brand new sling. I am debating buying a baby swing since we got rid of Caroline's (long story). I think I might need one this time because I'll have 2 little ones to keep happy. However, we don't exactly have a lot of extra space, so I may wait to see if it is even necessary. I will eventually need a double stroller, but it is another thing I will wait on. I am planning on carrying the baby in the sling while I push Caroline in the stroller for a while.

Caroline was sick the past couple of days. On Sunday night, she came down with a fever and by mid-day Monday her fever was 105. Monday we went to the doctor and they swabbed her throat for strep, checked her ears, collected a urine sample and the whole works. Everything checked out okay, except for the high fever and the doctor guessed that it was viral. Sure enough, by Tuesday afternoon there was no trace of the fever. Things are getting back to normal today, which is good considering that Todd will be gone for a few days.

Good News!

Here's an update on my mom's breast cancer:

She went to see the oncologist yesterday to discusss the treatment and the stage of the cancer. She learned that although the cancer was in the lymph system, it had not spread to any other organs. This is really good news. The cancer is stage 3 and still very serious. It is a fast growing, agressive type and she will need quick and thorough treatment to recover.

Been busy...

I have been busy these days. Caroline is 18 months old and a total handful. She's saying more words and learning new physical skills. Yesterday, I saw her "walking" on all fours. It was a hoot! She will try to wear our shoes and put shoes on our feet too. She knows that when we go "bye-bye" she needs to put her shoes on. She will often go find them and bring them to us.

In other news, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago. She had surgery to remove her breasts and test lymph nodes. The doctors are still running some tests and we should know what stage the cancer is in on Thursday. She is hoping to start treatment(radiation and chemo) next week. She has been a real trooper through this whole ordeal and we are very proud of her.

3rd trimester

I'm in my third trimester now. I think it's somewhere between 26 and 28 weeks (everyone measures differently) and I am now 27 weeks. It's nice to know that I am entering the last phase of pregnancy, where there is an end in sight. I'm large enough to be uncomfortable when I sleep and I don't fit into all regular bathroom stalls anymore :( The little one is still breech, which is not a major concern for me yet, but I still worry a little.

Caroline is continuing to do well. She doesn't talk much, but she can say a few things. Cheese, baby, yogurt (go-gie). Lately, she has confused banana and yogurt. She now calls bananas "go-gies" and does not say banana anymore.

Her favorite toy these days is her doll and stroller. She pushes the stroller all over the yard and around the house for long stretches every day.

I am going to be doing some more baby-proofing today. It seems that our bookshelves have become "toddler disaster areas". I am going to Lowes and I'm going to buy some plexiglass to put in front of the bookshelves. I plan on covering the bottom three shelves and hopefully it will keep Caroline from taking our books off the shelf and ripping out the pages. We want to encourage reading and such, so I was initially hesitant to do anything to the shelves. However, allowing her to rip up books doesn't encourage reading either. She has many books of her own, so I don't feel like we're depriving her of reading material.

Baby shower

Todd and I hosted a baby shower on Saturday for some friends of ours. It was an outdoor cook out sort of event. We had hamburgers, hotdogs (the kosher kind), potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, deviled eggs, a fruit tray, a veggie tray, and so on. Everything was pink, because David and April (the guests of honor) are expecting a girl. It was a nice event. I think that we had about 25 attendees and everyone seemed to eat a lot of food and enjoy themselves. The weather was also really nice. As soon as I locate the camera cable, I will post some pictures.

Food and more food...

I've discovered new foods that Caroline likes. She ate black beans and corn for dinner tonight. And loved them! After finishing off her first plate, I made her a second and she ate that too! Very exciting. She also likes string cheese, fruit cups, and yogurt. Oh, and bananas. We go through lots of those. She also likes broccoli, carrots, zucchini, rice, and any kind of pasta with tomato sauce. She is a really good eater, but she refuses to eat meat! I don't stress about it, but I always offer her some. Most of the time she with leave it on the plate, but sometimes she just throws it on the floor. Writing this post has made me very hungry, so I will cut this post short. I promise to write again soon!

I've been a bad blogger lately. Caroline and I have been adjusting to our new home and new city. We really like Charlotte and everything it has to offer. We've been to the parks, malls, shopping, and more. I think Caroline's favorite spot is our backyard, where she has free reign to run around and pick up interesting things. She brings me sticks and rocks and dog bones as gifts. The dog dutifully follows her around ouside, as if she is following through on her mission in life. Protect the little one. Lately, we've seen the dog camp outside of Caroline's door, just waiting for something to happen, I guess.

I've been to the seeing my midwife regularly and so far, everything in the pregnancy is going well. I'm nearly 25 weeks along and the baby is measuring perfectly. There have been a few minor snags that will hopefully work themselves out. The baby's placenta is anterior, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it makes it nearly impossible to feel the baby kick. I felt the baby kick really early, and then around 18 weeks I stopped feeling any movement. It was stort of frightening, but an ultrasound shows that the placenta is the reason. The baby is also breech right now, which at 25 weeks isn't necessarily a problem, but with the anterior placenta, I am again in compromised position. Babies with an anterior placenta aren't as likely to turn. The external cephalic verison (where doctors try to move the baby) is an option of course, but not with an anterior placenta. Sigh. Plus, it's contraindicated in women who are Rh- (I am). So, if the baby remain breech, I will probably need a c-section. I will just have to hope that the baby turns on its own. Other than these minor problems, the pregnancy is going well and we are really looking forward to our new addition.

My Blog-cation

I have been avoiding the blog for the last several weeks, because we have been busy finishing up the house. So far, we have made one trip to the Goodwill, with loads of clothes and other random items. We have another trip to do soon with more clothes and things. Hopefully, all of the unnecessary stuff will be gone soon!! I have also been getting ready for the baby. I put together the new crib and bought some simple bedding (2 crib sheets & bumper). I also went through all of Caroline's baby clothes and pulled out the gender neutral items and I have to say, we have enough clothes for the first 6-9 months!

Todd has been working at night lately and sleeping during the day. The schedule seems to work out pretty well for him, because he is able to work undisturbed.

Caroline is getting familiar with the potty and is showing a lot of interest in using it. We do potty practice at least once a day and she knows to "go" when I put her on the potty. I hope that she can be out of diapers by August! I'm not counting on it though.

Connected to the real world again

We've sucessfully completed the move. There were a few small glitches along the way, but for the most part, the worst is behind us. We are about half unpacked at this point, so we are still quite surrounded by boxes and such. The trip down with my mom went about as well as I expected. Caroline hated the car seat and would scream in it if I weren't in the back seat with her. It took my mom and I 2 days to make the drive and we were certainly happy it did not take any longer. Before leaving for the south, I made the proper calls to get all our utilities and such put in our name. I even called to have the internet set up as soon as we arrived. Unfortunately, the earliest date for an appt (to set up the modem-why can't we do that??) was on Tuesday. I thought it would be okay since we have cell phones. Well, what I didn't know is that T-mobile does not have service here--at all! Nothing. Not one bar at all. So we were without a phone until Wednesday. If you want to call us, use our land line (hint: its a 718 number). If you want the number, email me and I will give it to you.

A big move

is underway right now. Charlotte, NC is the destination and we will be there on Friday, hopefully. My mom is flying up to help me drive Caroline and the cat to our new home. I probably won't be blogging much for a few weeks, but I will try to squeeze in some photos of our new place and a couple of updates. We have been very busy lately with the packing, but it is almost done and I am thankful for that. Email me for the new address (I don't want to post it here!)

more cabin fever

Today, the weather was a steamy 40 degrees fahrenheit and the the was a nice wind sweeping across the island at a gentle 35mph. Caroline and I, bored to tears at being stuck inside, took a trip to the toy store for some wintertime diversion. We bought a small toddler tricycle (it doesn't have pedals) and a wooden train set. The train set is really cute and reminds me of the Brio trains I remember as I child. It's price, however, was something of another matter. The starter set was $19.99. The wooden tracks make a figure 8 with a bridge/tunnel combo. Back to my story though... As soon as we arrived home, I put the trike together, which was in about a zillion pieces and required batteries and a screwdriver and a hammer for proper construction. I couldn't find the hammer, but the screwdriver did the trick. Once the thing was actually together, Caroline and I donned our winter gear and headed outside to enjoy the "breeze" I put the trike on the sidewalk and showed Caroline how to get on it. She enjoyed sitting on it for about a minute before giving me the look of "it's cold--why are we outside" So, we went back inside and played with the train. The trike has gotten some use inside, where it will most likely stay until it's warm, so maybe July... Anyway, we are hoping for some good weather soon, because we are all tired of being stuck inside.

Snow, ice, rain, will it ever get better???

We are in the worst part of winter, here in NYC. It is March and it is snowing. Enough said. I'm going to bed (and it's 11 o' clock in the morning).

Cabin fever!

It has been soooo cold lately that we haven't even gone outside. This morning there was snow on the car, not much, but enough to keep us huddled up inside for the morning. I am planning on taking Caroline to the Staten Island Children's Museum. We have been before, but that was before Caroline had learned to walk. I think she may enjoy it a lot more this time. Mom will certainly enjoy letting her run around and get tired.

Caroline's teeth are still coming in. They obviously are hurting a lot, but she has managed to sleep through the night for the most part. Thank you infant Tylenol! Now, if only I could get our dog to sleep through the night. She likes to wake us up around 2:30 to play "dig in the garbage" or "bark at the neighbors." It's really getting annoying.

Caroline is back to a nap routine, which is nice. She refused naps for several months and it was exhausting. Now we have nice relaxing days with minimal fussing/crankiness.

we all slept through the night

Caroline did not wake up once. I think she is feeling better.

Caroline is teething

Lately, Caroline has started waking up every half hour at night. Before, she had a fever and we thought that she wasn't feeling well. Now that the fever is gone, she is still waking up. I noticed last week that she has a new molar coming in. Once I starting putting the teething gel on her gums, I could not stop, because she has teeth coming in everywhere. I tried counting, but stopped after I felt *8* teeth starting to poke through. It must really hurt, because she is cranky an upset all day! I don't blame her, either. Hopefully, the teeth will hurry up and come in.

13 weeks 3 days

I think this means that I am now officially in the 2nd trimester. To celebrate, I threw up my breakfast. Hopefully there will be no more celebrations. :)

:) 

Wow! 

:) 

Caroline is in waist deep snow. 

Hi! 

Caroline is running around where the snow has been cleared. 

Wow. Look at all that white stuff!