We had the baby! Well...four weeks ago we had the baby. But since then, it's been such a crazy whirlwind that there has been no time to update this lovely blog. As it is, our little munchkin is fast asleep in his carseat, Stephen is studying, and the cats are behaving themselves, so I figure now is as good a time as any to share the happy news that Gavin Robert Dowd came into the world on Saturday, December 3, at 1:15 in the morning. He weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces and was 20" long -- big boy! Stephen and I couldn't be happier...but we also couldn't be more exhausted, haha. Having a winter baby is difficult because you can't get outside and play, so in addition to being tired, you also become a little stir crazy. It doesn't help that it gets dark around 5:00 pm. We've been functioning with the help of friends and family, and I've practically moved into my parents' house when Stephen is at school or work, but we're slowly getting used to our new life and new routine.
It's weird...three weeks ago we were pretty sure Gavin would be an only child. I mean, how could people go through this more than once? But the other day I went to Buy Buy Baby to get some supplies and actually got jealous of all the adorable pregnant women there. I ACTUALLY MISSED MY ENORMOUS 40+ WEEK PREGNANT BELLY. It must be true...you DO forget the trials and tribulations of pregnancy/labor and delivery/those first few crazy weeks. I was SO sore and SO uncomfortable and was sleeping SO horribly, and yet it all led to having our sweet little baby boy (who sometimes screams so much at night that I long for the days of my terrible pregnancy sleep cycle.) I've had friends tell me that at around 9 months postpartum, when your baby finally is sleeping through the night in his own crib and life has settled into a nice pattern, you start craving another baby. You miss your little one being teeny tiny and all of the excitement of pregnancy and having a newborn. I have to say, I'm not sure I believe it...but at least I'm not swearing off of ever having a baby again. :)
Stephen and I have learned a few things in our first month as parents -- things that people told us while I was pregnant but we didn't believe.
- You don't need thousands of little adorable baby outfits, especially in newborn size. Gavin's newborn clothes are already packed away in the basement. He wore each outfit exactly once. We took photos, he looked precious, but now they are obsolete.
- Speaking of baby clothes, we wish we had more outfits with ZIPPERS and fewer outfits with SNAPS. When you're trying to change a squirming, oftentimes screaming baby, it's nice to be able to do it QUICKLY.
- Go on dates if possible. Our pediatrician told us this at our very first appointment, when Gavin was three days old. Stephen and I have been lucky enough to go to dinner a few times, and to a Bengals game together. It makes us feel a little more human -- and a little more like ourselves -- amidst all the drastic changes in our lives. We always feel more refreshed afterwards, even if we've only gotten a few hours of sleep. (It's also nice to be able to get outside for a few hours, which you typically can't do with a newborn during flu season.)
- That super expensive baby swing? Chances are likely the baby will hate it. That super expensive bassinet? Chances are likely the baby will hate it. You get the picture.
Maybe THAT is how people do this more than once. You learn what works and what doesn't. What needs to be purchased and what can wait until after the baby gets here. What makes you feel better and what stresses you out more.
Or maybe they do it more than once because the babies are SO DARN CUTE. :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Happy December!
As predicted, the little bundle (who by now is most likely a BIG bundle) will be arriving as a December baby! The funny thing is, I find myself way less anxious now than I did two or three weeks ago. It's probably knowing that they won't let me go beyond 42 weeks (I'm 41 now), so there is a definite end in sight...and the end is measured in days, rather than weeks.
I think it also helps that I'm not working anymore. My last day was November 23, but my maternity leave started on November 28 (after the Thanksgiving break), so I feel physically much better not spending entire days on my feet. Would I rather be spending my maternity leave holding Gavin and watching movies with Stephen? Of course. But honestly, I've felt better this past week than I have in a long time, so it's worth it.
Tonight Stephen is taking me out for a surprise dinner date! If you have to be huge as a house and questioning if your baby will EVER arrive...you might as well do it with a handsome man and a delicious meal. :)
41 weeks and counting...
I think it also helps that I'm not working anymore. My last day was November 23, but my maternity leave started on November 28 (after the Thanksgiving break), so I feel physically much better not spending entire days on my feet. Would I rather be spending my maternity leave holding Gavin and watching movies with Stephen? Of course. But honestly, I've felt better this past week than I have in a long time, so it's worth it.
Tonight Stephen is taking me out for a surprise dinner date! If you have to be huge as a house and questioning if your baby will EVER arrive...you might as well do it with a handsome man and a delicious meal. :)
41 weeks and counting...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Overdue
Well, apparently our little man needs some more time to cook. I was expecting to go late -- my mom went late with Doug, and Grandma went late with Dave, so it's in the family genes -- but still, I'm super over being pregnant. That being said, I've tried a bunch of things to get this party started sooner rather than later.
Here is a list of things that DO NOT induce labor, no matter how many people/websites/message boards tell you otherwise:
- Pineapple
- Long walks
- Labor inducing cookies (ginger snaps with cayenne pepper)
- Spicy/ethnic food
- Bouncing on an exercise ball
- Chocolate
- Ankle massages/acupressure
- Wishful thinking
It would appear that the only thing that WILL induce labor is the baby deciding to come out on his own, and since the extreme amounts of pineapple I've been eating have done nothing but cause some serious heartburn, I'm going to stop my herculean efforts to speed things along and wait for Gavin to tell me when he's ready. I have an appointment tomorrow morning -- one that my doctor said he was fairly sure he wouldn't be seeing me at (surprise!) -- and we'll see if there's been any progress since last week, but I'm fairly sure my stubborn little boy will be living in my tummy for another few days.
The upside of still being pregnant? It's pretty fun when people ask me when I'm due and I can respond with "...three days ago." People look at me like I'm some kind of circus freak out in public, just waiting for my water to break all over the place. Today I got a manicure and pedicure and took unsolicited advice from literally every single person who passed me on how to get this baby out. My nail technician, a Vietnamese man no more than two or three years older than me, whispered to me that "sex is the only real way to open the pelvis for the miracle of childbirth." Apparently it worked for his wife. I kid you not...this was actually said to me. People get super inappropriate when you're this pregnant.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the last few days of one-on-one time with my husband and have been taken out for some AWESOME date nights recently, so we're definitely taking advantage of our baby's delayed entrance into the world. I'm lucky to have such an amazing partner-in-crime...and I just know I'll fall that much more in love with Stephen when I see him hold our son for the first time.
Stay tuned! One of these days I'll have big news...
Here is a list of things that DO NOT induce labor, no matter how many people/websites/message boards tell you otherwise:
- Pineapple
- Long walks
- Labor inducing cookies (ginger snaps with cayenne pepper)
- Spicy/ethnic food
- Bouncing on an exercise ball
- Chocolate
- Ankle massages/acupressure
- Wishful thinking
It would appear that the only thing that WILL induce labor is the baby deciding to come out on his own, and since the extreme amounts of pineapple I've been eating have done nothing but cause some serious heartburn, I'm going to stop my herculean efforts to speed things along and wait for Gavin to tell me when he's ready. I have an appointment tomorrow morning -- one that my doctor said he was fairly sure he wouldn't be seeing me at (surprise!) -- and we'll see if there's been any progress since last week, but I'm fairly sure my stubborn little boy will be living in my tummy for another few days.
The upside of still being pregnant? It's pretty fun when people ask me when I'm due and I can respond with "...three days ago." People look at me like I'm some kind of circus freak out in public, just waiting for my water to break all over the place. Today I got a manicure and pedicure and took unsolicited advice from literally every single person who passed me on how to get this baby out. My nail technician, a Vietnamese man no more than two or three years older than me, whispered to me that "sex is the only real way to open the pelvis for the miracle of childbirth." Apparently it worked for his wife. I kid you not...this was actually said to me. People get super inappropriate when you're this pregnant.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the last few days of one-on-one time with my husband and have been taken out for some AWESOME date nights recently, so we're definitely taking advantage of our baby's delayed entrance into the world. I'm lucky to have such an amazing partner-in-crime...and I just know I'll fall that much more in love with Stephen when I see him hold our son for the first time.
Stay tuned! One of these days I'll have big news...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Lazy (?) Sunday
On what might be our last baby-less Sunday, we decided to take it fairly easy today. We went for our usual walk at the Loveland bike trail this morning (though I couldn't make it as far as we normally do), picked up our smoothies, and headed home to nest for the rest of the day. While Stephen studied for school and watched the football game, I tried out a new recipe to add to our collection of frozen foods for when the baby comes.
Bobby Flay's Chicken and Dumpling Soup
6 cups of chicken broth
Cooked, shredded chicken breast
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Corn
Fresh green beans
2 bay leaves
Celery salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of pearled barley
Pre-made biscuit dough
I cooked the chicken separately, shredded it, and put it aside while I softened the celery, carrots, and onion in the soup pot (with a little cooking oil). Then I added the broth to the vegetables, adding in the corn and green beans. Next went the chicken and the barley, until the barley was tender. When the soup was spiced (bay leaves added, salt/pepper/etc), I dropped spoon-size balls of dough into the pot, covered it, and let it simmer for a few hours.
My only issue with this recipe is that the broth all but disappeared -- but after reading the recipe reviews, apparently that's a pretty common issue. I'll just add some broth when I'm ready to serve the soup. Either way, it smells delicious and we have plenty to eat for dinner tonight AND freeze for later.
So far, our collection of frozen foods includes:
- Chili
- Lasagna
- Seasoned taco meat (for taco salads)
- Marinated chicken breasts
- Chicken and dumplings
- Shrimp (for pasta)
- Turkey burgers
- Ravioli
- Meatballs
- Vegetables, rice, and other sides
I feel pretty good that we have home-cooked meals prepared and that we won't have to eat Skyline out of a can every night once the baby gets here. I know people will probably bring us food the first few days we're home, but it feels nice to be prepared for when the home visits slow down and we're left to fend for ourselves. :)
My due date is in FIVE DAYS, but I'm saying right now...my prediction is December 1.
Bobby Flay's Chicken and Dumpling Soup
6 cups of chicken broth
Cooked, shredded chicken breast
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Corn
Fresh green beans
2 bay leaves
Celery salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of pearled barley
Pre-made biscuit dough
I cooked the chicken separately, shredded it, and put it aside while I softened the celery, carrots, and onion in the soup pot (with a little cooking oil). Then I added the broth to the vegetables, adding in the corn and green beans. Next went the chicken and the barley, until the barley was tender. When the soup was spiced (bay leaves added, salt/pepper/etc), I dropped spoon-size balls of dough into the pot, covered it, and let it simmer for a few hours.
My only issue with this recipe is that the broth all but disappeared -- but after reading the recipe reviews, apparently that's a pretty common issue. I'll just add some broth when I'm ready to serve the soup. Either way, it smells delicious and we have plenty to eat for dinner tonight AND freeze for later.
So far, our collection of frozen foods includes:
- Chili
- Lasagna
- Seasoned taco meat (for taco salads)
- Marinated chicken breasts
- Chicken and dumplings
- Shrimp (for pasta)
- Turkey burgers
- Ravioli
- Meatballs
- Vegetables, rice, and other sides
I feel pretty good that we have home-cooked meals prepared and that we won't have to eat Skyline out of a can every night once the baby gets here. I know people will probably bring us food the first few days we're home, but it feels nice to be prepared for when the home visits slow down and we're left to fend for ourselves. :)
My due date is in FIVE DAYS, but I'm saying right now...my prediction is December 1.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
10 Days and Counting...
Here we are in the homestretch. I am antsy and sore and have finally called it a day and asked to cut my hours down at work (five or six hour days) -- my official last day is November 23, next Wednesday, but my ankles and feet have been swelling too much to continue with eight hour days -- so it really is a waiting game for little G to get here now. We've taken the hospital tour, we've installed the carseat, our hospital bags are loaded into Stephen's car, and we've planned the naming ceremony and newborn photos. All we need now is the BABY!
I had an appointment this morning with the doctor I hate. I thought I'd give him a second chance -- in part because I believe everyone is entitled to a bad day, and in part because I had no other option (he was the only one there today) -- but I still hate him. For starters, I was taken back the room at 11:15 and sat half-naked for almost forty-five minutes waiting for him to come see me. When he finally did, he AGAIN had no idea who I was or when I was due. In the TWO MINUTES he was in the exam room with me, he never once asked how I was feeling or if I had any symptoms of early labor, and barely seemed to listen when I asked questions. Or, if he was listening, he certainly couldn't be bothered to actually ANSWER the questions I had. I literally hate him. The good news is, I am making progress. I don't think Gavin will be making his big debut this week, but I think there's a good chance I'll go fairly close to my due date. The better news? Even if I shoot past my due date, there's no way we'll have to wait more than three weeks to meet our little son. Not even an awful doctor (who also seems totally unknowledgeable, for the record) can take that away from us. I'm just praying he's not the one on call when I go into labor...
Our baby nephew, Quinn, is two weeks old tomorrow and getting cuter everyday. I can't stand how cute he is. My sister-in-law sent this picture to my mom yesterday and I can't get enough of his cutie pie little expression --
Ack, I love him so much.
Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm hoping to enjoy lots of holiday food (and family time) to celebrate! If Gavin isn't here by then (and I'm assuming he won't be), you can bet that I'll try and steal as much Quinn time as I can! :) I'm sad my grandma won't be able to join us for Thanksgiving this year -- there's just too much up in the air with my due date being November 25 -- but we're hoping to be able to see her and introduce her to our new addition as soon as we can after the holidays. It won't be the same celebrating Thanksgiving without her, though. This year's holiday will be different for sure -- but there will be SO MUCH to be thankful for!!!
I had an appointment this morning with the doctor I hate. I thought I'd give him a second chance -- in part because I believe everyone is entitled to a bad day, and in part because I had no other option (he was the only one there today) -- but I still hate him. For starters, I was taken back the room at 11:15 and sat half-naked for almost forty-five minutes waiting for him to come see me. When he finally did, he AGAIN had no idea who I was or when I was due. In the TWO MINUTES he was in the exam room with me, he never once asked how I was feeling or if I had any symptoms of early labor, and barely seemed to listen when I asked questions. Or, if he was listening, he certainly couldn't be bothered to actually ANSWER the questions I had. I literally hate him. The good news is, I am making progress. I don't think Gavin will be making his big debut this week, but I think there's a good chance I'll go fairly close to my due date. The better news? Even if I shoot past my due date, there's no way we'll have to wait more than three weeks to meet our little son. Not even an awful doctor (who also seems totally unknowledgeable, for the record) can take that away from us. I'm just praying he's not the one on call when I go into labor...
Our baby nephew, Quinn, is two weeks old tomorrow and getting cuter everyday. I can't stand how cute he is. My sister-in-law sent this picture to my mom yesterday and I can't get enough of his cutie pie little expression --
 |
| Holding himself up already! And look at that EXPRESSION! What a little personality! |
Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm hoping to enjoy lots of holiday food (and family time) to celebrate! If Gavin isn't here by then (and I'm assuming he won't be), you can bet that I'll try and steal as much Quinn time as I can! :) I'm sad my grandma won't be able to join us for Thanksgiving this year -- there's just too much up in the air with my due date being November 25 -- but we're hoping to be able to see her and introduce her to our new addition as soon as we can after the holidays. It won't be the same celebrating Thanksgiving without her, though. This year's holiday will be different for sure -- but there will be SO MUCH to be thankful for!!!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Celebrations and Congratulations!
It has been an AMAZING two weeks! Here's my feeble attempt at a recap --
1) On October 29, we celebrated the Fourth Annual Friends Thanksgiving at Steve and Ashley's house! It was super sweet of them to make it early this year so Stephen and I could attend (since we may or may not have a tiny turkey by the time ACTUAL Thanksgiving rolls around.) We had a great time catching up with friends and ate way too much delicious Thanksgiving food...turkey, potatoes, homemade applesauce, veggie casserole, corn, rolls, stuffing...literally everything imaginable. Steve and Ash really have the Thanksgiving banquet thing worked out! :)
2) Our first wedding anniversary was on October 30 and was PERFECT. We started the day by going to the Loveland bike trail for a walk, where we had some of our wedding photos taken a year ago. We went down to the river, walked around the park, and generally reminisced about what a nice experience we had with Steve Lyons (our wonderful photographer) last year.
We got smoothies for lunch (yum) and spent the afternoon relaxing, and then Stephen surprised me by taking me to Melting Pot for dinner! A pregnant woman's DREAM! There were flowers on the table, which I always love, and he gave me a beautiful, engraved locket to hold pictures of our soon-to-be baby boy. A+ work for my super thoughtful husband. I don't know what I did to deserve him...but I'm really glad he's mine. :) We did the whole cut-into-the-anniversary-cake deal, but a year in the freezer did not do the cake any favors, so we were thankful to be already so full on all that delicious chocolate fondue.
4) Stephen aced his third math exam...meaning that he got A's on ALL THREE exams! Because he's such a superstar, he doesn't have to take the final, nor does he have to attend that class for the rest of the term (three sessions). I am so proud of him...but more importantly, he's so proud of himself! He set that goal for himself at the beginning of the term and made it happen. He still has a few more things to do for his other two classes, but he should have about a week off to relax before next term begins. He'll be taking a writing class and his first computer tech class starting November 15. Yay! Starting to move past the gen-eds!
5) Gavin and I had our 36 week appointment earlier this week -- I'm 37 weeks, FULL-TERM, tomorrow! -- and I'm happy to report that everything is still right on track. I'm not dilated or effaced yet, but G is riding really low and is in position for his big debut in a few short weeks. My doctor said that most first-time moms deliver up to a week late, so we're thinking Gavin could even end up being a December baby...but who knows! We're prepared for him to come next week...we're prepared for him to come in four weeks. We're just prepared for him in general. :)
6) Perhaps the biggest news of the past two weeks is that my brother and his beautiful wife welcomed their first child, Quinn Allan Berg, into the world on November 2! Quinn is absolutely the cutest thing ever and Doug and Mindy are so in love with their new little bundle. Stephen and I are also in love with their new little bundle. Actually...I think everyone is. :) We spent the afternoon at the hospital with the adorable family yesterday and couldn't get enough of holding baby Quinn and marveling at his chubby bunny little face. Gavin kept kicking every time I had Quinn in my arms -- he was either totally jealous or totally excited to meet his new BFF!
CONGRATULATIONS, Doug and Mindy! We are so happy to have a new little nephew and can't wait to spoil him rotten (and sign him up for the same t-ball team as Gavin, of course.)
I think that about covers the many, MANY celebrations from the last few weeks -- and the upcoming weeks are bound to have many, many more! Our family is so blessed right now. :)
1) On October 29, we celebrated the Fourth Annual Friends Thanksgiving at Steve and Ashley's house! It was super sweet of them to make it early this year so Stephen and I could attend (since we may or may not have a tiny turkey by the time ACTUAL Thanksgiving rolls around.) We had a great time catching up with friends and ate way too much delicious Thanksgiving food...turkey, potatoes, homemade applesauce, veggie casserole, corn, rolls, stuffing...literally everything imaginable. Steve and Ash really have the Thanksgiving banquet thing worked out! :)
2) Our first wedding anniversary was on October 30 and was PERFECT. We started the day by going to the Loveland bike trail for a walk, where we had some of our wedding photos taken a year ago. We went down to the river, walked around the park, and generally reminisced about what a nice experience we had with Steve Lyons (our wonderful photographer) last year.
 |
| Our still-beautiful but awful-tasting anniversary cake, gorgeous flowers, and a souvenir photo from our first anniversary dinner! |
 |
| My present to Stephen for our "paper" anniversary! 3) After our anniversary came Halloween, one of our favorite holidays! We both had to work all day (and Stephen had class) but we got home just in time to pass out candy for trick-or-treaters. We live in a growing neighborhood, so usually we don't have a ton of kids pass through, but we had way more than we expected this year! We ran through three huge bags of candy within one hour and had to call it a night, but it was fun to sit outside and chit chat with some of our neighbors and see some adorable little costumes. |
5) Gavin and I had our 36 week appointment earlier this week -- I'm 37 weeks, FULL-TERM, tomorrow! -- and I'm happy to report that everything is still right on track. I'm not dilated or effaced yet, but G is riding really low and is in position for his big debut in a few short weeks. My doctor said that most first-time moms deliver up to a week late, so we're thinking Gavin could even end up being a December baby...but who knows! We're prepared for him to come next week...we're prepared for him to come in four weeks. We're just prepared for him in general. :)
6) Perhaps the biggest news of the past two weeks is that my brother and his beautiful wife welcomed their first child, Quinn Allan Berg, into the world on November 2! Quinn is absolutely the cutest thing ever and Doug and Mindy are so in love with their new little bundle. Stephen and I are also in love with their new little bundle. Actually...I think everyone is. :) We spent the afternoon at the hospital with the adorable family yesterday and couldn't get enough of holding baby Quinn and marveling at his chubby bunny little face. Gavin kept kicking every time I had Quinn in my arms -- he was either totally jealous or totally excited to meet his new BFF!
 |
| The happy threesome! |
 |
| Quinn Allan Berg -- SO precious! |
I think that about covers the many, MANY celebrations from the last few weeks -- and the upcoming weeks are bound to have many, many more! Our family is so blessed right now. :)
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Pumpkin Muffins
Everyone knows how much I love pumpkin. Love it. It's part of the reason I love this time of year so much -- there is pumpkin and pumpkin spice EVERYWHERE! This week, my sister-in-law Jill gave me a recipe for pumpkin muffins that I was dying to try --
1 can of pumpkin
1 box of spice cake (or yellow cake) mix
1 bag of chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.
That's it. Seriously. Three ingredients! I was skeptical, but I made them last night and they are DELICIOUS. They taste just like a regular muffin, which is SHOCKING without the oil or eggs or any of your typical ingredients. It's almost as much a mystery to me as Diet Coke cupcakes. (How can a box of cake mix and a can of Diet Coke make such wonderful cupcakes? I don't understand how it took me so long to find this recipe!)
Jill is the pumpkin expert -- she has an entire cookbook of pumpkin recipes! -- so I'm sure she'll continue to be my resource for ways to incorporate my favorite Fall flavor into my baking and cooking. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did! Happy baking!
1 can of pumpkin
1 box of spice cake (or yellow cake) mix
1 bag of chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.
That's it. Seriously. Three ingredients! I was skeptical, but I made them last night and they are DELICIOUS. They taste just like a regular muffin, which is SHOCKING without the oil or eggs or any of your typical ingredients. It's almost as much a mystery to me as Diet Coke cupcakes. (How can a box of cake mix and a can of Diet Coke make such wonderful cupcakes? I don't understand how it took me so long to find this recipe!)
Jill is the pumpkin expert -- she has an entire cookbook of pumpkin recipes! -- so I'm sure she'll continue to be my resource for ways to incorporate my favorite Fall flavor into my baking and cooking. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did! Happy baking!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Getting close!
1) Mindy and Doug will be having their baby any day now! I'm super excited to meet my new little nephew, and also SUPER jealous that I will still have to be pregnant for a few weeks after Quinn gets here. Maybe Quinn's arrival will make Gavin want to hurry up a little -- he'll want to meet his new best friend, after all!
2) Work has been crazy lately because I've been picking up shifts here and there and learning a whole new set of tasks. I feel good because I'm now cross-trained on most office jobs -- even though my job will change drastically once I get back from maternity leave and the office begins the transition to electronic medical records. Then the real fun begins for me, as a huge portion of my job will be to help with the transition. As for now, though, I'm trying to learn as much about office management as I can and really increase my rolodex of skills. Stephen is also trying to broaden his professional horizons -- there have been some job postings at Mitsubishi that sound interesting to him, so we're getting his resume and cover letter together this week. He's had a few people at work ask him if he'd be interested in applying for the open positions -- including the man who is currently doing one of the jobs -- so that's made him feel confident that there is no harm in applying at least. He's such a hard-worker, and SUCH a team player at Mitsubishi, so we'll see what happens! He also starts a new term in mid-November and will be taking a writing course and his first computer course (7 credit hours total), so it'll be a busy but really exciting end to 2011.
 |
| BFFs |
3) It's been awhile since I've posted some photos, so here are the updated photos of our finished nursery and bathroom:
We are so happy with how everything turned out! The dot decals in the bathroom cost a whopping total of $15 and made a huge difference, and we love our new custom glider in Gavin's room! He won't be sleeping in the nursery for probably 3-6 months (we have a bassinet we'll be setting up in our room), but the room is all ready for Gavin to love. Plus...we can't wait to dress him up in all his cutie pie clothes.
4) We're done with holiday shopping! Since the baby isn't due until the end of November, and rumor has it that most first time mothers deliver up to two weeks late, we thought there might be a chance that Gavin will be a December baby. That being said, there was no way we wanted to spend our first few weeks of maternity/paternity leave fighting mall crowds with a newborn. So everything is purchased, wrapped, and ready to go! :) Now the hard part is keeping our gifts a secret. I'm the world's WORST secret-keeper when I find a gift for someone that I know they'll love. I usually end up giving Stephen his gifts early because I just can't wait to see him open them! So I'll have to keep my mouth shut for the next two months, but I'm really happy to have that huge task knocked off my to-do list.
5) Speaking of our to-do list, there is still a long way to go before reaching the end of it, but we have managed to take some time to enjoy typical Fall things like pumpkin patches and football games.
 |
| HAPPY FALL! |
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Photography
I love photography and have always tried to document special events -- it's just nice to have mementos from great days to look back on when things get a little rough. So, Stephen and I were planning on having maternity photos taken last month so I could look back on this experience and remember the good things about being pregnant. (It was also meant to give me an excuse to get all dolled up and feel somewhat pretty again.) Unfortunately, my computer had a meltdown and we found ourselves needing to spend that money on a new one rather than on maternity photos -- so we cancelled the session. I didn't really mind, because in all honesty, I don't really feel like I look like myself, and I'm not sure I'll really WANT to remember the way I've looked throughout this pregnancy. (Some people get the pregnancy glow...some people just sweat and swell. I'll give you one guess which category I've fallen into.) Now, when I've lost all this baby weight and my hair and skin start cooperating again...then let's have some photos taken. Until then, I'd much rather have a new computer.
Still, I'm really excited to have photos taken of our newest addition when he arrives! We hired our photographer last week and are really excited about working with her. Check out her blog:
http://jenrosephotojournal.blogspot.com/
So here's the thing -- I don't think it takes much to make a newborn look cute. Naked babies with little knit hats sleeping on blankets or in a buckets/baskets are ALWAYS adorable, so I didn't want to spend $500 to get a studio session and 10 digital prints. Seriously, that's what some people were charging. Our photographer is in the process of building her portfolio, so for $150 she'll come to our house for 2-3 hours, provide props for the session, and give us the rights to ALL of the retouched digital prints! Her prices are going up in December, and we're due in late November, so we're feeling pretty proud of ourselves for stumbling across her blog.
Another thing off our checklist! Still to go --
- Order and install room-darkening blinds for the nursery.
- Get our carseats installed.
- Pack my hospital bag.
- Build the bassinet and pack n' play.
- Get through six more weeks.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Third Trimester Blues
Oh...this week was not the easiest.
Like I mentioned earlier, work is starting to get exhausting. I'm just sore and tired (constantly, constantly tired). My body just feels really out of whack. It doesn't help that temperatures shot up from 60 degrees last week to 85 degrees this week. I don't know...aside from the physical ailments, I'm just getting antsy to meet our little one. Time is flying and going SO SLOW at the same time, and with just over six weeks to go, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of work we still have to do while simultaneously feeling 100% ready to bring our baby home. I'm totally emotional and totally uncomfortable and totally wondering how people do this pregnancy thing more than once.
Aside from the regular pregnancy-related stuff, our house decided to fall apart this week. For starters, our bathtub was leaking into the basement -- Dad came over and fixed it earlier this week, so at least that's one problem solved -- but today, our electricity started going crazy. Our lights were working, but our stove and dryer weren't. Our clocks stayed on, but our garage door wouldn't open. We felt like our house was possessed. This happened a week ago and Duke Energy told us it would cost $700 to fix -- apparently we had a faulty underground wire? -- but then the electricity turned back on and all was fine. We thought we had averted a pretty expensive crisis. Then the lights started pulsing while we were using the washing machine last night and it all went downhill from there. Luckily, we were able to get Duke out to fix the problem today, and since the issue was less than two feet from the transformer, the repair was FREE. So, that $700 was able to remain firmly in our savings account. Hooray -- Gavin can go to college! :)
At the end of the day, our house is fixed and Gavin will join us when he's ready (he still needs to bake a little longer, I know) -- but I have just been feeling really ill-equipped to handle stressful situations (like our air conditioning not working when it's 85 degrees out), so it's been a challenging week. Stephen and I are going to have a SUPER chill day tomorrow in hopes that next week will be better, calmer, and more manageable. My mom sent me a text today that said "Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug." Today, I was the bug -- but tomorrow, I'm hoping to be the windshield. Or at least a less hormonal bug.
Like I mentioned earlier, work is starting to get exhausting. I'm just sore and tired (constantly, constantly tired). My body just feels really out of whack. It doesn't help that temperatures shot up from 60 degrees last week to 85 degrees this week. I don't know...aside from the physical ailments, I'm just getting antsy to meet our little one. Time is flying and going SO SLOW at the same time, and with just over six weeks to go, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of work we still have to do while simultaneously feeling 100% ready to bring our baby home. I'm totally emotional and totally uncomfortable and totally wondering how people do this pregnancy thing more than once.
Aside from the regular pregnancy-related stuff, our house decided to fall apart this week. For starters, our bathtub was leaking into the basement -- Dad came over and fixed it earlier this week, so at least that's one problem solved -- but today, our electricity started going crazy. Our lights were working, but our stove and dryer weren't. Our clocks stayed on, but our garage door wouldn't open. We felt like our house was possessed. This happened a week ago and Duke Energy told us it would cost $700 to fix -- apparently we had a faulty underground wire? -- but then the electricity turned back on and all was fine. We thought we had averted a pretty expensive crisis. Then the lights started pulsing while we were using the washing machine last night and it all went downhill from there. Luckily, we were able to get Duke out to fix the problem today, and since the issue was less than two feet from the transformer, the repair was FREE. So, that $700 was able to remain firmly in our savings account. Hooray -- Gavin can go to college! :)
At the end of the day, our house is fixed and Gavin will join us when he's ready (he still needs to bake a little longer, I know) -- but I have just been feeling really ill-equipped to handle stressful situations (like our air conditioning not working when it's 85 degrees out), so it's been a challenging week. Stephen and I are going to have a SUPER chill day tomorrow in hopes that next week will be better, calmer, and more manageable. My mom sent me a text today that said "Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug." Today, I was the bug -- but tomorrow, I'm hoping to be the windshield. Or at least a less hormonal bug.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
L'Shana Tovah!
Happy Rosh Hashana! Here's hoping everyone's year is filled with sweetness. Ours sure will be!
It feels like it's been awhile since I've written, but I guess it's been less than two weeks -- things have just been busy busy busy around the Dowd household. For starters, we had another beautiful shower last weekend! My parents hosted a couples shower for us at the Hilton Netherland in downtown Cincinnati, a place that is really special to us because we celebrated our engagement there in 2009. We love brunch food, and the Netherland has an AMAZING brunch, so the shower was right up our alley. :) Lots of family and friends came to help us celebrate, and Gavin got spoiled with tons of goodies that Stephen and I have been trying to wash and organize ever since. It's crazy to think that we have less than two months until we get to hold our baby...wow, I am SO excited!
Speaking of celebrations, Stephen and I celebrated three years together last weekend! I came home from work on Friday to find beautiful flowers and a sweet card from my husband, and then we went to Bloomington for the evening on Saturday! I was given permission to travel until 32 weeks (which is TOMORROW), so we figured it might be our last chance to get out of town for a bit. We enjoyed the drive -- there is nothing quite like Fall in Bloomington -- and then had Mother Bear's pizza (YUM) and Jiffy Treet Pumpkin Pie Cyclones for dessert. It was all definitely worth the drive. Our one-year wedding anniversary is next month, and Stephen won't tell me what we're doing to celebrate...but I know it'll be a little closer to home. :)
Also, it was my mom's birthday on Monday! Stephen had school that night (despite the Cincinnati State strike), so we held off until Tuesday and had dinner at Outback with Mom, Dad, Doug, and Mindy. The six kids pitched in and got Mom a DVR for her birthday, so now she can record the Michigan State games and Survivor marathons and watch them at her convenience! She does so much for all of us and always goes above and beyond for our birthdays (there's a reason I love birthdays as much as I do), so it was nice to be able to show her how much she means to us.
The nurseries have really been coming together in the past week or two. Stephen and I helped Mom build the crib for her nursery last week...SUCCESS! After the Dresser Debacle of 2k11, we weren't sure we were the appropriate choice to help build furniture, but the crib looks great and there were no tears involved this time. The under-the-sea nursery is incredible. Literally incredible. I'll have to post pictures later, and even the pictures won't do it justice -- but Gavin and Quinn are going to have some amazing memories in that room. Dad got Mom a 40-gallon fish tank for her birthday, so they've been having fun filling it with colorful rocks, decor, and fish. The coolest part? Several of the FISH are pregnant! Or, WERE pregnant...they had babies last night! Some of the little ones became fish food (sad sad sad), but the rest are doing just fine. Fingers crossed that they last and grow into big fish! As for our nursery, we had our glider delivered today and now just need to hang all the wall decor. We're planning on doing that tonight after dinner, so I'll take some pictures to share. Our Hungry Caterpillar bathroom is also finished and looks GREAT. Now all we need is the baby!
Work is getting more difficult because I'm starting to feel all the effects of the third trimester -- swollen feet, aching back, sore EVERYTHING. I'm definitely not sleeping well anymore and am feeling enormous in general. Stephen and I have been keeping active by going to the gym a couple times a week and on walks around the neighborhood and bike trail, but I'm really excited to get back into the swing of intense workouts again. I miss Spinning classes. I miss being able to get on the elliptical machine for more than 20 minutes without my tummy cramping up. I think Gavin hates the gym. :) He's such a stubborn little boy already!
One last thing -- CONGRATULATIONS to my super smart husband for getting an A on his first big math exam this week. Math was the subject he was most apprehensive about, but he is succeeding with flying colors! :) I love coming home and seeing him doing homework and studying at the kitchen table.
Off to eat apples and honey! L'Shana Tovah!
It feels like it's been awhile since I've written, but I guess it's been less than two weeks -- things have just been busy busy busy around the Dowd household. For starters, we had another beautiful shower last weekend! My parents hosted a couples shower for us at the Hilton Netherland in downtown Cincinnati, a place that is really special to us because we celebrated our engagement there in 2009. We love brunch food, and the Netherland has an AMAZING brunch, so the shower was right up our alley. :) Lots of family and friends came to help us celebrate, and Gavin got spoiled with tons of goodies that Stephen and I have been trying to wash and organize ever since. It's crazy to think that we have less than two months until we get to hold our baby...wow, I am SO excited!
Speaking of celebrations, Stephen and I celebrated three years together last weekend! I came home from work on Friday to find beautiful flowers and a sweet card from my husband, and then we went to Bloomington for the evening on Saturday! I was given permission to travel until 32 weeks (which is TOMORROW), so we figured it might be our last chance to get out of town for a bit. We enjoyed the drive -- there is nothing quite like Fall in Bloomington -- and then had Mother Bear's pizza (YUM) and Jiffy Treet Pumpkin Pie Cyclones for dessert. It was all definitely worth the drive. Our one-year wedding anniversary is next month, and Stephen won't tell me what we're doing to celebrate...but I know it'll be a little closer to home. :)
Also, it was my mom's birthday on Monday! Stephen had school that night (despite the Cincinnati State strike), so we held off until Tuesday and had dinner at Outback with Mom, Dad, Doug, and Mindy. The six kids pitched in and got Mom a DVR for her birthday, so now she can record the Michigan State games and Survivor marathons and watch them at her convenience! She does so much for all of us and always goes above and beyond for our birthdays (there's a reason I love birthdays as much as I do), so it was nice to be able to show her how much she means to us.
The nurseries have really been coming together in the past week or two. Stephen and I helped Mom build the crib for her nursery last week...SUCCESS! After the Dresser Debacle of 2k11, we weren't sure we were the appropriate choice to help build furniture, but the crib looks great and there were no tears involved this time. The under-the-sea nursery is incredible. Literally incredible. I'll have to post pictures later, and even the pictures won't do it justice -- but Gavin and Quinn are going to have some amazing memories in that room. Dad got Mom a 40-gallon fish tank for her birthday, so they've been having fun filling it with colorful rocks, decor, and fish. The coolest part? Several of the FISH are pregnant! Or, WERE pregnant...they had babies last night! Some of the little ones became fish food (sad sad sad), but the rest are doing just fine. Fingers crossed that they last and grow into big fish! As for our nursery, we had our glider delivered today and now just need to hang all the wall decor. We're planning on doing that tonight after dinner, so I'll take some pictures to share. Our Hungry Caterpillar bathroom is also finished and looks GREAT. Now all we need is the baby!
Work is getting more difficult because I'm starting to feel all the effects of the third trimester -- swollen feet, aching back, sore EVERYTHING. I'm definitely not sleeping well anymore and am feeling enormous in general. Stephen and I have been keeping active by going to the gym a couple times a week and on walks around the neighborhood and bike trail, but I'm really excited to get back into the swing of intense workouts again. I miss Spinning classes. I miss being able to get on the elliptical machine for more than 20 minutes without my tummy cramping up. I think Gavin hates the gym. :) He's such a stubborn little boy already!
One last thing -- CONGRATULATIONS to my super smart husband for getting an A on his first big math exam this week. Math was the subject he was most apprehensive about, but he is succeeding with flying colors! :) I love coming home and seeing him doing homework and studying at the kitchen table.
Off to eat apples and honey! L'Shana Tovah!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Recipes
Along with my desire to clean and nest these days, I have an increasing desire to grow my culinary expertise. As such, I have been searching for fun new recipes to try out. Last week's challenge was to master a crockpot recipe -- and on Sunday, I accomplished my mission!
I've always been a bit hesitant to use our crockpot. I don't really understand the concept -- I mean, why take eight hours to cook something when you could cook the same thing in less than an hour on the stovetop? So, aside from barbecue meatballs, I've never cooked anything with our crockpot and it essentially lives in our basement with all the other unused appliances (bread maker, anyone?) But on a quest for new recipes, I've been asking around for people's favorites, and while out to dinner with Bobby and Michelle last week, Michelle shared her friend's crockpot recipe for chicken tortilla soup:
1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 packets reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 packed ranch seasoning
1 can each black beans, red kidney beans, white beans, vegetarian baked beans, medium chili beans, corn, diced tomatoes, green chilies
1 can Mexican tomato sauce (found in special Hispanic section of most grocery stores)
Garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, pre-cut tortilla strips (typically found in salad dressing aisle)
Michelle's version also included garbanzo beans and olives, but I figured five types of beans were probably enough, and Stephen and I aren't huge olive fans. We also used only one ranch packet instead of two (to cut back on salt).
It was super easy to make. I just put the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker, covered it with the seasonings, poured in all the cans (with HALF the liquid drained from each), and let the whole thing simmer on high all day! After a few hours, the chicken was so tender it literally pulled apart. The chilies (which I had never cooked with before) gave it a nice kick, and the sour cream on top made it really creamy and wonderful! Best of all, it was SUPER filling, so we had tons of leftovers to save for dinners and lunches throughout the week.
With a baby on the way, I'm trying to find recipes that can be easily frozen and saved for later. Soups and casseroles seem perfect for that -- so I'm trying to add a few to my recipe repertoire! So far I've mastered chili, chicken noodle/matzo ball soup, beef barley soup, and now chicken tortilla soup -- next up is potato soup! My friend Morgan just posted a great recipe on her family's blog, so I'll keep you posted on how it turns out! Fingers crossed...
I've always been a bit hesitant to use our crockpot. I don't really understand the concept -- I mean, why take eight hours to cook something when you could cook the same thing in less than an hour on the stovetop? So, aside from barbecue meatballs, I've never cooked anything with our crockpot and it essentially lives in our basement with all the other unused appliances (bread maker, anyone?) But on a quest for new recipes, I've been asking around for people's favorites, and while out to dinner with Bobby and Michelle last week, Michelle shared her friend's crockpot recipe for chicken tortilla soup:
1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 packets reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 packed ranch seasoning
1 can each black beans, red kidney beans, white beans, vegetarian baked beans, medium chili beans, corn, diced tomatoes, green chilies
1 can Mexican tomato sauce (found in special Hispanic section of most grocery stores)
Garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, pre-cut tortilla strips (typically found in salad dressing aisle)
Michelle's version also included garbanzo beans and olives, but I figured five types of beans were probably enough, and Stephen and I aren't huge olive fans. We also used only one ranch packet instead of two (to cut back on salt).
It was super easy to make. I just put the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker, covered it with the seasonings, poured in all the cans (with HALF the liquid drained from each), and let the whole thing simmer on high all day! After a few hours, the chicken was so tender it literally pulled apart. The chilies (which I had never cooked with before) gave it a nice kick, and the sour cream on top made it really creamy and wonderful! Best of all, it was SUPER filling, so we had tons of leftovers to save for dinners and lunches throughout the week.
With a baby on the way, I'm trying to find recipes that can be easily frozen and saved for later. Soups and casseroles seem perfect for that -- so I'm trying to add a few to my recipe repertoire! So far I've mastered chili, chicken noodle/matzo ball soup, beef barley soup, and now chicken tortilla soup -- next up is potato soup! My friend Morgan just posted a great recipe on her family's blog, so I'll keep you posted on how it turns out! Fingers crossed...
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What I'll Miss
There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to doing again when I'm not pregnant anymore. On the list:
- Walking up a flight of stairs without getting winded.
- Eating spicy tuna -- cooked sushi doesn't quite cut it!
- Toasting with champagne instead of Kiddie Cocktails at weddings and other celebrations.
- Fitting into clothes that have actual waistbands.
- Being able to put my shoes and socks on without having to adjust around my belly.
The list goes on.
Still, despite the fact that I'm excited to chow down on a Fire & Ice Roll at Kyoto, there are definite things I'll miss about being pregnant, and I don't think I mention those enough. So, here goes:
- Feeling my baby pumpkin kick. I can understand how women feel a void when their babies are no longer safely in their bellies -- I've grown used to (and quite fond of) Gavin's little squirms.
- Preparing for Gavin's arrival. It's fun to envision what it'll be like when our baby gets here, and actually have time to set everything up the way we want to! Once Gavin arrives, there will be all sorts or other things to look forward to, but it's pretty fun looking forward to meeting him for the first time.
- Expectant mother's parking spots. Stephen and I feel pretty accomplished when we find a grocery store or mall that has them.
- Food cravings. Once this baby gets here, I no longer have an excuse to eat Skyline nearly as much as I have throughout this pregnancy. Operation "I Hate Baby Weight" will commence 4-6 weeks after Gavin's arrival.
- Having Stephen talk to my belly and feel for kicks. It's neat to feel so connected as a family. I know that'll continue even when Gavin gets here, but there's something special about building that relationship.
Anyway, throughout the rest of the pregnancy, I'm going to try and focus on the things I enjoy about being pregnant rather than look forward to the things I get to do when the baby arrives. Hopefully it'll make the rest of September and October fly by!
-----
Stephen and I have had a very good week in terms of baby Gavin. We had our 3D/4D ultrasound on Thursday and found out that G is weighing just over three pounds and is right on track for where he's supposed to be. I also got a clean bill of health, which is comforting to hear. We got some great photos of his chubby bunny face, as well as a DVD of the ultrasound itself. All in all, it was my favorite appointment yet. Now I start seeing the doctor every two weeks...we're in the single digits for weeks left of this pregnancy! Ahhhh!
I had my work shower on Friday night at Slatt's -- it was wonderful. Beth and the rest of the people I work with put together lots of cute, personalized things for me and the baby, and we got spoiled with so many great gifts! I'm washing some of Gavin's new goodies as we speak. Dinner was great, the company was great, and I felt very special. :) Now I'm looking forward to another shower next weekend!
I also had the chance to celebrate my soon-to-be nephew at Mindy's shower yesterday. Mindy looked adorable, and after all the gift opening, it became clear that baby Quinn is going to be a well-dressed little nugget! I got to chit chat with Doug for a bit, which was wonderful because he's always sooooo busy, so it was a really nice opportunity to talk about all the exciting things we have coming up in the Berg and Dowd families. I'm super excited for Doug and Mindy -- they are going to be incredible parents.
Alright, I think that officially catches this blog up on the big news. It's hard to find time to update when there is so much going on! It's only going to get crazier from here... I can't wait! :)
- Walking up a flight of stairs without getting winded.
- Eating spicy tuna -- cooked sushi doesn't quite cut it!
- Toasting with champagne instead of Kiddie Cocktails at weddings and other celebrations.
- Fitting into clothes that have actual waistbands.
- Being able to put my shoes and socks on without having to adjust around my belly.
The list goes on.
Still, despite the fact that I'm excited to chow down on a Fire & Ice Roll at Kyoto, there are definite things I'll miss about being pregnant, and I don't think I mention those enough. So, here goes:
- Feeling my baby pumpkin kick. I can understand how women feel a void when their babies are no longer safely in their bellies -- I've grown used to (and quite fond of) Gavin's little squirms.
- Preparing for Gavin's arrival. It's fun to envision what it'll be like when our baby gets here, and actually have time to set everything up the way we want to! Once Gavin arrives, there will be all sorts or other things to look forward to, but it's pretty fun looking forward to meeting him for the first time.
- Expectant mother's parking spots. Stephen and I feel pretty accomplished when we find a grocery store or mall that has them.
- Food cravings. Once this baby gets here, I no longer have an excuse to eat Skyline nearly as much as I have throughout this pregnancy. Operation "I Hate Baby Weight" will commence 4-6 weeks after Gavin's arrival.
- Having Stephen talk to my belly and feel for kicks. It's neat to feel so connected as a family. I know that'll continue even when Gavin gets here, but there's something special about building that relationship.
Anyway, throughout the rest of the pregnancy, I'm going to try and focus on the things I enjoy about being pregnant rather than look forward to the things I get to do when the baby arrives. Hopefully it'll make the rest of September and October fly by!
-----
Stephen and I have had a very good week in terms of baby Gavin. We had our 3D/4D ultrasound on Thursday and found out that G is weighing just over three pounds and is right on track for where he's supposed to be. I also got a clean bill of health, which is comforting to hear. We got some great photos of his chubby bunny face, as well as a DVD of the ultrasound itself. All in all, it was my favorite appointment yet. Now I start seeing the doctor every two weeks...we're in the single digits for weeks left of this pregnancy! Ahhhh!
I had my work shower on Friday night at Slatt's -- it was wonderful. Beth and the rest of the people I work with put together lots of cute, personalized things for me and the baby, and we got spoiled with so many great gifts! I'm washing some of Gavin's new goodies as we speak. Dinner was great, the company was great, and I felt very special. :) Now I'm looking forward to another shower next weekend!
I also had the chance to celebrate my soon-to-be nephew at Mindy's shower yesterday. Mindy looked adorable, and after all the gift opening, it became clear that baby Quinn is going to be a well-dressed little nugget! I got to chit chat with Doug for a bit, which was wonderful because he's always sooooo busy, so it was a really nice opportunity to talk about all the exciting things we have coming up in the Berg and Dowd families. I'm super excited for Doug and Mindy -- they are going to be incredible parents.
Alright, I think that officially catches this blog up on the big news. It's hard to find time to update when there is so much going on! It's only going to get crazier from here... I can't wait! :)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Why do short weeks always FEEL the longest?
We had a wonderfully relaxing Labor Day weekend, but this week has dragged onnnnn! I don't know how it's possible, but Tuesday felt like a Monday and a Friday all at the same time. It doesn't help that I haven't been feeling well (my back is KILLING me). Still, some fun things happened this week:
- I had an OB appointment on Tuesday with the fifth and final physician in the practice. I didn't really care for him or his lackluster bedside manner. He had clearly not read my chart and had no idea when my due date was, what was going on with my pregnancy, what doctors at my previous appointments had told me...I mean, it was really off-putting. Also, just to kill his credibility, he told me I should sit in a hot tub to make my back feel better. A whirlpool, actually. While pregnant. I felt like asking him if I should drink a bottle of wine while I'm at it...maybe eat some raw fish too? I mean, come on. Still, it's nice to have finally met all five doctors. Now I just have to hope that Gavin's big debut falls on a day where one of the three docs I like is on call!
- Stephen has been able to join me for every single appointment so far -- seriously, he wins Husband of the Year for his involvement in this pregnancy -- but unfortunately, this last appointment coincided with a surprise orientation for his new term at Cincinnati State. Since we have our ultrasound next week and he'll get to see Gavin then, we decided to keep this week's appointment and ask my mom to go with me! Stephen and I have obviously heard the little pumpkin's heartbeat a few times (though never enough), and my dad has gotten to hear it via stethoscope at the office, but my mom hadn't had the chance yet. It was a really neat experience to share with her and I'm glad she was willing to go with me.
- My belly started MOVING this week! Like, really moving. I first noticed it when I was in the tub (the regular bath tub, not the doctor "recommended" hot tub) and the water started rippling around my tummy! Then Stephen and I were sitting on the couch when I saw one side of my stomach cave in and the other side bulge out. It was sooooo weird and amazing. We watched it for like twenty minutes -- it was better than television, I swear. Every new milestone makes us that much more excited to meet our baby boy.
- And since this week was filled with sharing experiences, it was also exciting that Dad felt Gavin kick for the first time yesterday! Gavin was having a particularly active day while I was at work, so I waited until I could see him moving and had Dad put his hand where I felt the movement. A watched pot never boils, so of course G wasn't kicking as much as he had been, but Dad did get to feel him once or twice! He had been disappointed that he couldn't feel him when he checked the heartbeat a few weeks ago, so I was really happy that our little booger was more cooperative this time around. :)
So, that's that! Lots of fun baby milestones, Stephen started his new term, pumpkin spice lattes are now at Starbucks, and rumor has it that my little brother might be making an appearance in Cincinnati this weekend! It's been a good, long "short" week.
- I had an OB appointment on Tuesday with the fifth and final physician in the practice. I didn't really care for him or his lackluster bedside manner. He had clearly not read my chart and had no idea when my due date was, what was going on with my pregnancy, what doctors at my previous appointments had told me...I mean, it was really off-putting. Also, just to kill his credibility, he told me I should sit in a hot tub to make my back feel better. A whirlpool, actually. While pregnant. I felt like asking him if I should drink a bottle of wine while I'm at it...maybe eat some raw fish too? I mean, come on. Still, it's nice to have finally met all five doctors. Now I just have to hope that Gavin's big debut falls on a day where one of the three docs I like is on call!
- Stephen has been able to join me for every single appointment so far -- seriously, he wins Husband of the Year for his involvement in this pregnancy -- but unfortunately, this last appointment coincided with a surprise orientation for his new term at Cincinnati State. Since we have our ultrasound next week and he'll get to see Gavin then, we decided to keep this week's appointment and ask my mom to go with me! Stephen and I have obviously heard the little pumpkin's heartbeat a few times (though never enough), and my dad has gotten to hear it via stethoscope at the office, but my mom hadn't had the chance yet. It was a really neat experience to share with her and I'm glad she was willing to go with me.
- My belly started MOVING this week! Like, really moving. I first noticed it when I was in the tub (the regular bath tub, not the doctor "recommended" hot tub) and the water started rippling around my tummy! Then Stephen and I were sitting on the couch when I saw one side of my stomach cave in and the other side bulge out. It was sooooo weird and amazing. We watched it for like twenty minutes -- it was better than television, I swear. Every new milestone makes us that much more excited to meet our baby boy.
- And since this week was filled with sharing experiences, it was also exciting that Dad felt Gavin kick for the first time yesterday! Gavin was having a particularly active day while I was at work, so I waited until I could see him moving and had Dad put his hand where I felt the movement. A watched pot never boils, so of course G wasn't kicking as much as he had been, but Dad did get to feel him once or twice! He had been disappointed that he couldn't feel him when he checked the heartbeat a few weeks ago, so I was really happy that our little booger was more cooperative this time around. :)
So, that's that! Lots of fun baby milestones, Stephen started his new term, pumpkin spice lattes are now at Starbucks, and rumor has it that my little brother might be making an appearance in Cincinnati this weekend! It's been a good, long "short" week.
Monday, September 5, 2011
It's HERE!
Well, Fall isn't technically here yet...but it sure feels like it outside! We went to the Loveland Bike Trail this afternoon for a walk -- it'll be nice to get back to biking and rollerblading next year -- and it was nothing short of perfection. The temperature was in the high 60's, the leaves were rustling, someone had a campfire going nearby, and everyone was outside with their families and loved ones. It's crazy to think that two days ago, Cincinnati was breaking records because of the heat (over 100 degrees), and now it's cool enough to wear a scarf and sweater.
This evening we're making chili (yum) and sacking out on the couch -- enjoying the last night of our long, relaxing weekend! Throw in a pumpkin spice latte (decaf, of course) and you've got yourself an amazing start to my favorite time of year.
This evening we're making chili (yum) and sacking out on the couch -- enjoying the last night of our long, relaxing weekend! Throw in a pumpkin spice latte (decaf, of course) and you've got yourself an amazing start to my favorite time of year.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Weddings
Stephen and I went to the wedding of our friends Emily and Michael last night, which was lovely. I worked with Emily at Creme a few years ago, before either of us were engaged, and we would talk nonstop about our dream weddings (and rings, and dresses, and all the other fun stuff that comes along with a wedding). She and Michael attended our big day almost a year ago, and it was neat to see her dream wedding come true last night.
My favorite kinds of weddings are the ones where the ceremonies are meaningful. I'm all about a great cake and beautiful centerpieces, but at the end of the day, the wedding should be about the couple and the commitment rather than the sparkly accessories. Both of my brothers had ceremonies that were special for them -- Doug and Mindy hand-selected meaningful quotes and traditions, and Ken and Erin had Beatles music (Erin's favorite) as the backdrop for their big day. Stephen and I worked closely with our officiant to create a ceremony that was very us. Emily's ceremony was perfect -- there wasn't a dry eye by the end. Michael looked blown away by how beautiful his bride was as she walked down the aisle, and they wrote their own vows. Anyone could see how in love they were. The cocktail hour and reception were just as nice -- I enjoyed endless Kiddie Cocktails with extra maraschino cherries, haha. It was a sweet, intimate event.
When we got home, one of the first things Stephen said was, "I wish it were our wedding again." Quickly approaching our first anniversary, we've been thinking a lot about how great that day was. Our lives have been so rich since then, so filled with love. And now to welcome a baby into our lives is such a blessing! I'm very excited to celebrate our anniversary next month and feel lucky every day to have made such an enormous commitment on October 30, 2010.
Congratulations, Emily and Michael! Here's to a beautiful marriage to complement your beautiful wedding!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Mmm!
I washed all of Gavin's baby clothes, hats, burp clothes, bibs, hooded towels, wash clothes, and blankets this afternoon and am now convinced that there are few smells better than freshly washed baby things. I can only imagine that a freshly washed baby will smell even sweeter. :)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Weekly Update
- I am now officially in my third trimester! Hooray! Gavin is kicking up a storm, usually at night, and today Stephen and I actually saw him nearly punch through my belly...he's got some spunk! I can't believe our little man will be here in a few short months. My goal this week is to wash all of his cutie pie clothes and bedding. We chose his coming-home outfits this week -- one newborn size and one 0-3 months size, just so we're prepared either way. I LOVE both outfits, and their matching hats (of course). We're signing up for the hospital tour and birthing classes soon, so it's all becoming very, VERY real and exciting!
- My old Macbook Pro burnt through the video card this week and will no longer turn on, so we did some research and ended up buying another Apple yesterday! I looked at a bunch of PC laptops, Dells and Sonys mostly, but I really preferred the Mac operating system and had grown used to how everything on an Apple worked...so I'm writing this blog entry from my sparkly new computer! I can't figure out how to download Microsoft Office yet, and I can't do the data transfer from my old computer until I get Office, so right now my computer is just good for Internet, but it's a start. I'm looking forward to having my photos and music again.
- We took Gavin to his very first (in-utero) football game last night! I love preseason games, in part because everyone is still really excited for the season and in part because the night games have such nice weather. It was beautiful and breezy and, maybe more importantly, the Bengals actually played well! We're planning to go to the final preseason game against the Colts next week, and hopefully one or two games at the beginning of the season (the Colts come back October 16) -- then I'll probably be done for the year. Stephen will most likely catch a few games after the baby arrives, but Gavin and I will watch at home in our Bengals gear (because, trust me, G has lots of Bengals gear already). We are already excited to take him to Paul Brown Stadium next fall. There was a little boy sitting in front of us last night, probably four- or five-years old, and you could literally see Stephen envisioning himself in the stands with our son. It was a great, great night. :)
- September is shaping up to be a busy month! We have a few fun appointments (including a 3D/4D ultrasound), I have a work shower and a couples shower towards the end of the month, Mindy has her shower, my mom celebrates her birthday, and FALL BEGINS! We are approaching my favorite time of year and I am slowly but surely getting more emotional (in a good way) about all the changes about to take place.
- My old Macbook Pro burnt through the video card this week and will no longer turn on, so we did some research and ended up buying another Apple yesterday! I looked at a bunch of PC laptops, Dells and Sonys mostly, but I really preferred the Mac operating system and had grown used to how everything on an Apple worked...so I'm writing this blog entry from my sparkly new computer! I can't figure out how to download Microsoft Office yet, and I can't do the data transfer from my old computer until I get Office, so right now my computer is just good for Internet, but it's a start. I'm looking forward to having my photos and music again.
- We took Gavin to his very first (in-utero) football game last night! I love preseason games, in part because everyone is still really excited for the season and in part because the night games have such nice weather. It was beautiful and breezy and, maybe more importantly, the Bengals actually played well! We're planning to go to the final preseason game against the Colts next week, and hopefully one or two games at the beginning of the season (the Colts come back October 16) -- then I'll probably be done for the year. Stephen will most likely catch a few games after the baby arrives, but Gavin and I will watch at home in our Bengals gear (because, trust me, G has lots of Bengals gear already). We are already excited to take him to Paul Brown Stadium next fall. There was a little boy sitting in front of us last night, probably four- or five-years old, and you could literally see Stephen envisioning himself in the stands with our son. It was a great, great night. :)
- September is shaping up to be a busy month! We have a few fun appointments (including a 3D/4D ultrasound), I have a work shower and a couples shower towards the end of the month, Mindy has her shower, my mom celebrates her birthday, and FALL BEGINS! We are approaching my favorite time of year and I am slowly but surely getting more emotional (in a good way) about all the changes about to take place.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Nursery, Part III
I'll post pictures later, but Stephen and I built Gavin's dresser yesterday. It took us three tries and nearly five hours -- thank goodness Bobby helped build the way-more-complicated crib/changing table last week -- but it's built. Not only is it built, but it looks AWESOME. Now we just have to wait another few weeks for our glider to be delivered -- but thankfully, no assembly is required for that!
Having completed the furniture-building process, Stephen and I agreed that if your marriage can survive building a dresser together (when neither of you possess that skill), your marriage can survive anything. There were a few tantrums and tears (I'm six months pregnant, give me a break), but at the end of the day it's nice to feel like we really worked hard to make an adorable home for Gavin (and his many, MANY clothes). My parents came over for dinner last night and oooh'd and ahhh'd over the near-finished nursery, which of course made us forget the torture of building that dang dresser and just beam with pride over the weeks of work that have gone into the room itself.
My mom starts work on her under-the-sea themed nursery next week! The bedding is ADORABLE (it's one of the sets I was looking at if I could've swayed Stephen from the sports theme), so the room is going to be precious. We spent a lot of time at Lowe's looking at paint colors and carpet samples, so it'll be really neat to see how everything comes together. The nursery is going in my old room at my parent's house, so Gavin and Quinn will hopefully have as many good memories in there as I do.
Having completed the furniture-building process, Stephen and I agreed that if your marriage can survive building a dresser together (when neither of you possess that skill), your marriage can survive anything. There were a few tantrums and tears (I'm six months pregnant, give me a break), but at the end of the day it's nice to feel like we really worked hard to make an adorable home for Gavin (and his many, MANY clothes). My parents came over for dinner last night and oooh'd and ahhh'd over the near-finished nursery, which of course made us forget the torture of building that dang dresser and just beam with pride over the weeks of work that have gone into the room itself.
My mom starts work on her under-the-sea themed nursery next week! The bedding is ADORABLE (it's one of the sets I was looking at if I could've swayed Stephen from the sports theme), so the room is going to be precious. We spent a lot of time at Lowe's looking at paint colors and carpet samples, so it'll be really neat to see how everything comes together. The nursery is going in my old room at my parent's house, so Gavin and Quinn will hopefully have as many good memories in there as I do.
 |
| The set my parents ordered for the babies. So cute! |
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Inspiration
I am so proud of my husband. To preface, we've been together three years, and from our very first date I heard him talk about how he wanted to go back to school and get his degree. He wasn't sure what he wanted to study, and he wasn't sure where he wanted to go -- but he knew he valued education and wanted a wider variety of professional opportunities.
So he made it happen.
This summer, he started his associate's degree in Business Information Systems Technology at Cincinnati State. In addition to his crazy work schedule and preparing for a new baby, he has somehow found time to ROCK his class. Seriously, he's really proven himself to be a talented and motivated student. He volunteers for leadership roles, helps his fellow classmates, and spends hours studying on the living room floor to make sure he's prepared for each and every class. He hasn't been a student in eight years, so this is a super triumphant return to the world of academia.
Stephen is taking three courses next term -- a math class, a computer class, and a study skills class -- and I can't wait to watch him succeed even more than he already has. With two classes and a thesis standing between me and my graduate degree, it's been really inspirational to watch Stephen begin the process. It's easy to forget what a privilege it is to go to school -- not everyone gets the opportunity. While I don't think I have taken my time at Xavier for granted -- when tuition is that high, you soak up everything you can -- I don't think I realized (at the time) how fortunate I was to have the quintessential "college experience" at Indiana. When Stephen talks about school, you can hear how passionate he is about continuing his education. You can literally see how much it means to him. He has worked so hard to get his ducks in a row to get back into the classroom, and it's really nice to be able to sit back and be supportive and proud of HIM as the student, rather than the other way around.
So he made it happen.
This summer, he started his associate's degree in Business Information Systems Technology at Cincinnati State. In addition to his crazy work schedule and preparing for a new baby, he has somehow found time to ROCK his class. Seriously, he's really proven himself to be a talented and motivated student. He volunteers for leadership roles, helps his fellow classmates, and spends hours studying on the living room floor to make sure he's prepared for each and every class. He hasn't been a student in eight years, so this is a super triumphant return to the world of academia.
Stephen is taking three courses next term -- a math class, a computer class, and a study skills class -- and I can't wait to watch him succeed even more than he already has. With two classes and a thesis standing between me and my graduate degree, it's been really inspirational to watch Stephen begin the process. It's easy to forget what a privilege it is to go to school -- not everyone gets the opportunity. While I don't think I have taken my time at Xavier for granted -- when tuition is that high, you soak up everything you can -- I don't think I realized (at the time) how fortunate I was to have the quintessential "college experience" at Indiana. When Stephen talks about school, you can hear how passionate he is about continuing his education. You can literally see how much it means to him. He has worked so hard to get his ducks in a row to get back into the classroom, and it's really nice to be able to sit back and be supportive and proud of HIM as the student, rather than the other way around.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Just a Quick Note --
After a trip to the gym and Whole Foods this afternoon, it was a nice treat to come home to this:
I fully realize that posting repeated pictures of my cats makes me the Crazy Cat Lady (which is surprising considering I grew up with dogs) -- but seriously, doesn't that warm your heart? Even during football season, Peyton and Eli Manning-Dowd still love each other.
I fully realize that posting repeated pictures of my cats makes me the Crazy Cat Lady (which is surprising considering I grew up with dogs) -- but seriously, doesn't that warm your heart? Even during football season, Peyton and Eli Manning-Dowd still love each other.
Changing and Rearranging
Stephen and I have been busy at work rearranging our home to make room for our upcoming little addition! The guest room became the nursery, the study became the guest room, and the guest bathroom became the baby bathroom (guests still allowed...but only ones with a fondness for Eric Carle, haha). Furniture has been built and shifted around while the basement has become more and more crowded with discarded items from our pre-baby lives. We still have lots of work to do, but here are some photos of our updates:
In other news -- we had an appointment last week and heard Gavin's strong little heartbeat again! The doctor seemed impressed with how active and happy he seems. :) I told her that he'll go pretty much the whole day without kicking and then have a crazy dance party right before bed. I have a feeling Stephen and I are going to have our hands full with this one, haha. Other than that, we're looking forward to our 3D/4D ultrasound next month and the opportunity to actually see the baby again. Until then, we'll keep preparing the nursery and dreaming about how fun the end of this year is going to be! I hit third trimester next week...ahhh!
 |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar bathroom |
 |
| Still waiting on towels, soap dish, trash can, etc...but a great start! |
 |
| Gavin's "stadium" |
 |
| Love love love the bedding! |
 |
| We thought these iron players looked great on the white wall |
 |
| I told you I was slightly obsessed with shopping for baby clothes. Look closely and you'll find the Davy Crockett outfit I was oogly-googly eyed over in a previous entry, haha. |
 |
| Our new study/guest room |
 |
| I hung everything all by myself! |
 |
| Come visit! |
 |
| Or, if you don't come visit, Peyton will be happy to keep the bed warm for you! |
 |
| The bookshelf got moved from the old guest room to the main room -- now we have a little reading nook! |
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
You Know You're Pregnant When...
- You drop something on the floor and spend a full minute deciding on whether it's worth trying to pick back up.
- You drop something on the floor and immediately look around for your husband to pick it up for you. (Which, bless his heart, he always does.)
- The word "oof" comes out of your mouth at least twice an hour, most noticeably when you try to stand up or sit down.
- Conversations like this happen:
Me: Why do my legs and back hurt so much?
Dad: Because you don't walk, you waddle.
- Conversations like that happen...and aren't offensive so much as they are truthful.
- Drying your hair after a shower takes too much energy to do at one time, so you do it in stages (preferably during the commercial breaks of your "Toddlers and Tiaras" marathon).
- Organizing the baby's room sounds like a fun way to spend the weekend.
- You can wait five or six hours between lunch and dinner, but require two breakfasts within an hour of each other.
- You sing lullabies to yourself...and then start crying.
- You get excited when you step on the scale and realize you've gained a pound...because, thank goodness, it's only one pound (this time).
- You drop something on the floor and immediately look around for your husband to pick it up for you. (Which, bless his heart, he always does.)
- The word "oof" comes out of your mouth at least twice an hour, most noticeably when you try to stand up or sit down.
- Conversations like this happen:
Me: Why do my legs and back hurt so much?
Dad: Because you don't walk, you waddle.
- Conversations like that happen...and aren't offensive so much as they are truthful.
- Drying your hair after a shower takes too much energy to do at one time, so you do it in stages (preferably during the commercial breaks of your "Toddlers and Tiaras" marathon).
- Organizing the baby's room sounds like a fun way to spend the weekend.
- You can wait five or six hours between lunch and dinner, but require two breakfasts within an hour of each other.
- You sing lullabies to yourself...and then start crying.
- You get excited when you step on the scale and realize you've gained a pound...because, thank goodness, it's only one pound (this time).
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Death of Literacy?
While I was pursuing my graduate degree at Xavier, I took several English classes taught by very traditional professors. Professors who, more or less, spent great deals of time discussing the death of reading and writing at the hands of electronic readers (like the Kindle) and blogs (like this one). While I never fully agreed with their analyses, I've spent some time recently thinking about the effect emergent technologies will have on literacy.
I own a Kindle. Stephen gifted me one for my 27th birthday, and I love it. I still prefer the feel of actual books, though I honestly can't remember the last time I bought one, but the convenience of a Kindle can't be beaten. It fits in my purse, it's easy to read at the gym, and I can download books in a matter of seconds. I'm reading more than I ever have and have an entire library of books at my fingertips at any given time. So, for me, the Kindle has reawakened a love of literature. But due to the success of e-readers like the Kindle, bookstores have been going out of business (Borders is one example). Libraries are being shut down. So what happens for the people who can't afford Kindles? Not only the Kindles -- but the books that must be downloaded onto them? Without libraries, where even the underprivileged have access to free books, what happens to literacy for all? On a different note, it'll be interesting to see what effects the new technology will have on education. Already, traditional text and workbooks are being replaced by IPads and Smart Boards. By the time Gavin enters schools, will pencils and paper even be on the required school supply list? And more importantly, what will that do to his reading and writing skills?
Now, as for blogging, my professors have argued that blogs as a whole are the death of quality writing. Through blogging, everyone becomes a published author -- regardless of skill level, competency, perspective, etc. I get their point -- some bloggers attempt to make careers out of their respective blogs, heavily pushing certain agendas, and can reach a huge audience with minimal effort. There are no editors, no hoops to jump through on the way to publication. It seems to be, more or less, a shortcut.
But here's my hang-up with the whole "evil blog" concept --
In a world where literacy as we know it is circling the drain, isn't any opportunity to write a good one? Isn't the entire point of writing (and reading, really) to educate yourself, start conversations, and instigate further thought and reflection? Don't blogs do exactly that? This blog -- as are most I have come across -- is meant more for personal use than for real in-depth pondering, but I still pay attention to my grammar and word choice. I still use an editing process and re-read my posts to check for coherence. So I don't mind that this blog makes me a "published author"...because regardless of the newfound ease in putting my thoughts out there in the "blog"osphere, it is still your choice whether to read, think about, or respond to any of my posts.
I don't know. I guess my thoughts are that we really have no choice but to embrace emergent technology and find ways to incorporate mediums like e-readers and blogs into our new literacy. I'm still at a loss for how to make literature more accessible for the underprivileged should libraries disappear entirely, but I am confident that this struggle is no different than ones generations past have dealt with.
Now, as for blogging, my professors have argued that blogs as a whole are the death of quality writing. Through blogging, everyone becomes a published author -- regardless of skill level, competency, perspective, etc. I get their point -- some bloggers attempt to make careers out of their respective blogs, heavily pushing certain agendas, and can reach a huge audience with minimal effort. There are no editors, no hoops to jump through on the way to publication. It seems to be, more or less, a shortcut.
But here's my hang-up with the whole "evil blog" concept --
In a world where literacy as we know it is circling the drain, isn't any opportunity to write a good one? Isn't the entire point of writing (and reading, really) to educate yourself, start conversations, and instigate further thought and reflection? Don't blogs do exactly that? This blog -- as are most I have come across -- is meant more for personal use than for real in-depth pondering, but I still pay attention to my grammar and word choice. I still use an editing process and re-read my posts to check for coherence. So I don't mind that this blog makes me a "published author"...because regardless of the newfound ease in putting my thoughts out there in the "blog"osphere, it is still your choice whether to read, think about, or respond to any of my posts.
I don't know. I guess my thoughts are that we really have no choice but to embrace emergent technology and find ways to incorporate mediums like e-readers and blogs into our new literacy. I'm still at a loss for how to make literature more accessible for the underprivileged should libraries disappear entirely, but I am confident that this struggle is no different than ones generations past have dealt with.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
There's no turning back now!
Now that we've received our first monogrammed gift -- thanks, Jacqueline! -- Gavin's name is set in stone! Or, well, thread...
PS, how adorable is that tote? I saw it at Pottery Barn Kids (online shopping of course) and immediately registered for the entire matching bathroom set. I love the Very Hungry Caterpillar, and I love that Jacqueline (an elementary school teacher) understands my love and fond memories of Eric Carle books.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Things to be EXCITED about:
- In the past few years I've become a girlfriend, fiancee, wife, sister-in-law, and aunt (amongst others) -- I can't wait to add MOM to the list in November!
- The painter comes tomorrow to start on the nursery, guest room, and bathroom. Then we can get the carpet cleaned and start moving and putting together furniture! I am definitely feeling the need to nest.
- Gavin's squirms are getting predictable -- I expect to feel him after I drink cold water, while I workout, and when I lay down for bed. Mom says she can't wait for him to start "kicking out" so she can actually see my belly move...but for now, his little inside kicks feel like my secret (even though Stephen can officially feel him now!)
- Baby shower planning is underway! Eee!
- While it's still 90+ degrees right now, my favorite season is just around the corner. Pumpkin spice, football games, candy corn, jeans and hoodies...I love it all.
- I don't want to jinx it...but Peyton and Eli seem to be getting along better than they used to -- no middle of the night shenanigans recently. It's going to be interesting to see how the cats deal with a new baby! I half expect to come home and find Peyton swinging in the MamaRoo while Eli sleeps in the stroller. I don't think they'll want anything to do with Gavin, but I think they'll love his stuff, haha.
- The second half of the year is filled with fun holidays -- Labor Day, our first wedding anniversary (it's a holiday for us), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Years. Babies aside, there are so many reasons to get together and celebrate in the next few months!
- The painter comes tomorrow to start on the nursery, guest room, and bathroom. Then we can get the carpet cleaned and start moving and putting together furniture! I am definitely feeling the need to nest.
- Gavin's squirms are getting predictable -- I expect to feel him after I drink cold water, while I workout, and when I lay down for bed. Mom says she can't wait for him to start "kicking out" so she can actually see my belly move...but for now, his little inside kicks feel like my secret (even though Stephen can officially feel him now!)
- Baby shower planning is underway! Eee!
- While it's still 90+ degrees right now, my favorite season is just around the corner. Pumpkin spice, football games, candy corn, jeans and hoodies...I love it all.
- I don't want to jinx it...but Peyton and Eli seem to be getting along better than they used to -- no middle of the night shenanigans recently. It's going to be interesting to see how the cats deal with a new baby! I half expect to come home and find Peyton swinging in the MamaRoo while Eli sleeps in the stroller. I don't think they'll want anything to do with Gavin, but I think they'll love his stuff, haha.
UPDATE:
 |
| If you look closely, you can see Peyton playing in our stroller's basket. A surefire promise of what's to come. |
- The second half of the year is filled with fun holidays -- Labor Day, our first wedding anniversary (it's a holiday for us), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Years. Babies aside, there are so many reasons to get together and celebrate in the next few months!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Career Musings
Almost everyone who might possibly read this blog knows that I went to school to become a teacher. My main focus at IU was elementary education, but when I moved back to Cincinnati, I picked up my pre-kindergarten certification as well. A year of teaching preschool made me realize that perhaps high school would be a better fit, so I enrolled at Xavier to pursue a 7-12 license in Integrated Language Arts, and a graduate degree to boot.
So now I'm licensed PK-12, the market is as terrible as it ever was, teacher salaries and benefits are at an all-time low, and I oftentimes feel my passion for teaching slowly ebbing away.
Luckily, throughout my time at XU I had a great job working on Saturdays at a physician's office where my dad just happened to be the physician. I learned new skills, was allowed to work independently, and truly felt like I had accomplished something at the end of each day. When more hours became available at the office (coincidentally at the end of my final semester at Xavier), I felt super blessed to be able to hop right into a job I liked, with a boss I loved. (And I'm not just saying that because my dad is the only "follower" of this blog, haha.) The thing I like about my job the most is that while I do have daily tasks to accomplish, I also have a series of projects that have a definite start and end point. I feel successful when I complete a project, and I feel like the work I do makes a specific difference in the running of the office, which leads me to think -- Next year, when I'm not pregnant anymore and Gavin will be nearly 7 months old, will I make an effort to return to teaching? Or instead, continue to train myself and pursue a future career in office management?
There are definite things I love about teaching. I love children. I love the opportunity to use creativity in my day-to-day activities. I love seeing students grow and develop as a result of a lesson or unit I've put together. But I fully believe that I will get that same satisfaction from seeing my own child(ren) learn -- in fact, Stephen and I spent the whole afternoon today at Barnes and Noble choosing children's books to read to our son. I believe that the things I love about being a teacher will also be the things I love about being a mother. And really, office administration and teaching have a surprising amount in common. My job is social, and I spend all day talking to co-workers and patients. My job involves other people, but it also involves a striking amount of independent work (which I tend to prefer). Everyone has their own specific role in the functioning of the office, just as teachers oftentimes collaborate while at the same time running their own classrooms. The hours are good, the environment is welcoming, the work is satisfying, and there is room for growth. What more could you ask for, really?
My first few years post-college, I dealt with a lot of coulda-woulda-shoulda feelings. What if I had stayed in Bloomington and taught there? What if I had more actively pursued substitute teaching in Cincinnati? What if I had opted to student teach as part of my secondary education program, despite the fact that it wasn't required? Ultimately, there were a lot of forks in the road where I could've made different choices, but at the end of the day, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing right now, and I'm excited to see what kind of professional path it could lead me down.
So now I'm licensed PK-12, the market is as terrible as it ever was, teacher salaries and benefits are at an all-time low, and I oftentimes feel my passion for teaching slowly ebbing away.
Luckily, throughout my time at XU I had a great job working on Saturdays at a physician's office where my dad just happened to be the physician. I learned new skills, was allowed to work independently, and truly felt like I had accomplished something at the end of each day. When more hours became available at the office (coincidentally at the end of my final semester at Xavier), I felt super blessed to be able to hop right into a job I liked, with a boss I loved. (And I'm not just saying that because my dad is the only "follower" of this blog, haha.) The thing I like about my job the most is that while I do have daily tasks to accomplish, I also have a series of projects that have a definite start and end point. I feel successful when I complete a project, and I feel like the work I do makes a specific difference in the running of the office, which leads me to think -- Next year, when I'm not pregnant anymore and Gavin will be nearly 7 months old, will I make an effort to return to teaching? Or instead, continue to train myself and pursue a future career in office management?
There are definite things I love about teaching. I love children. I love the opportunity to use creativity in my day-to-day activities. I love seeing students grow and develop as a result of a lesson or unit I've put together. But I fully believe that I will get that same satisfaction from seeing my own child(ren) learn -- in fact, Stephen and I spent the whole afternoon today at Barnes and Noble choosing children's books to read to our son. I believe that the things I love about being a teacher will also be the things I love about being a mother. And really, office administration and teaching have a surprising amount in common. My job is social, and I spend all day talking to co-workers and patients. My job involves other people, but it also involves a striking amount of independent work (which I tend to prefer). Everyone has their own specific role in the functioning of the office, just as teachers oftentimes collaborate while at the same time running their own classrooms. The hours are good, the environment is welcoming, the work is satisfying, and there is room for growth. What more could you ask for, really?
My first few years post-college, I dealt with a lot of coulda-woulda-shoulda feelings. What if I had stayed in Bloomington and taught there? What if I had more actively pursued substitute teaching in Cincinnati? What if I had opted to student teach as part of my secondary education program, despite the fact that it wasn't required? Ultimately, there were a lot of forks in the road where I could've made different choices, but at the end of the day, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing right now, and I'm excited to see what kind of professional path it could lead me down.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Danger of Online Shopping
In the first trimester, when the baby is the size of a poppyseed and the thought of keeping down any solid food (other than tacos, apparently) makes you gag, you look for ways to make your pregnancy feel "real" and exciting -- especially since many times you haven't shared your news with friends and family yet. You can't very well get caught shopping in Gymboree or your whole cover would be blown, so instead you sit on the couch with your vanilla milkshake (the only other thing that sounds remotely good to you) and you shop online.
Well, you browse online, since you realize that the poppyseed growing inside you will soon make you very, very broke.
It's a dangerous habit. In those first few months, Stephen and I spent hours looking at different outfits, nursery themes, and baby gear online. Well before we found out we were having a boy, we knew exactly what his bedding and room decor would look like:
We had everything all picked out for a girl too. We were nothing if not fully prepared for this baby to go either way (granted that it was ONE baby and not TWO...phew!) And for our birthdays, my parents and grandma gifted us a huge portion of the adorable sports-themed set we had spent so much time drooling over in those early months. We were also gifted a fun assortment of clothes, books, and our travel system. We felt (and continue to feel) beyond thankful and lucky to have such supportive people surrounding us.
Now, the real danger of online shopping arises when you already HAVE a certain item -- say, a baby bouncer/swing -- and then you look online and see this:
They say that after you find your wedding dress, you should stop looking. Don't browse through wedding magazines. Stop DVRing Say Yes to the Dress. By continuing to look, you are tempting yourself to fall out of love with your dress and in love with another -- because, let's be honest, most wedding dresses are gorgeous and most of us wish we could wear more than one (or five) for our big day. Online shopping, particularly for baby clothes, is very similar. Most baby clothes are adorable. They are small and soft and have cute characters and bright colors. It is easy to picture your unborn child looking precious in every single thing you see. Most recently, I have fallen in love with this:
Well, you browse online, since you realize that the poppyseed growing inside you will soon make you very, very broke.
It's a dangerous habit. In those first few months, Stephen and I spent hours looking at different outfits, nursery themes, and baby gear online. Well before we found out we were having a boy, we knew exactly what his bedding and room decor would look like:
We had everything all picked out for a girl too. We were nothing if not fully prepared for this baby to go either way (granted that it was ONE baby and not TWO...phew!) And for our birthdays, my parents and grandma gifted us a huge portion of the adorable sports-themed set we had spent so much time drooling over in those early months. We were also gifted a fun assortment of clothes, books, and our travel system. We felt (and continue to feel) beyond thankful and lucky to have such supportive people surrounding us.
Now, the real danger of online shopping arises when you already HAVE a certain item -- say, a baby bouncer/swing -- and then you look online and see this:
Literally, the Cadillac of baby swings. We became fixated. Here we were with a perfectly adorable, well beyond adequate baby swing ALREADY PAID FOR AND IN OUR POSSESSION, and along comes the MamaRoo to make us jealous with its IPod capabilities and "move as you do" slogan. Long story short, we are now the proud owners of the MamaRoo pictured above. Again, I'd like to thank my grandma for indulging our crazy first-time parent behavior.
They say that after you find your wedding dress, you should stop looking. Don't browse through wedding magazines. Stop DVRing Say Yes to the Dress. By continuing to look, you are tempting yourself to fall out of love with your dress and in love with another -- because, let's be honest, most wedding dresses are gorgeous and most of us wish we could wear more than one (or five) for our big day. Online shopping, particularly for baby clothes, is very similar. Most baby clothes are adorable. They are small and soft and have cute characters and bright colors. It is easy to picture your unborn child looking precious in every single thing you see. Most recently, I have fallen in love with this:
I want to dress my son up in this Davy Crockett outfit, hat and all. I can't help it. I picture my little boy with that raccoon hat and in my mind I think I must have that I must have that I must have that. Now, of course, I've felt that way with most outfits I've seen (ESPECIALLY the ones with little coordinating hats), so I just visit the Gymboree site day after day, put the whole outfit in my online shopping bag, and click the "x" in the corner once I see how much Gavin as Davy would cost us. (A lot. It's always a lot.)
Anyway, the whole point is that online shopping is too easy, too tempting, and too darn expensive. And yet somehow I feel that this is only the beginning...
Thank goodness for registries. :)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Baby Bellies
So, as I mentioned earlier, I've done a horrible job photo-documenting this pregnancy...but I actually have managed to take a few snapshots of my growing tummy. For the sake of posterity, here goes!
Within the past few weeks, strangers have started to ask when I'm due without that hint of hesitation -- you know, the whole "Is she pregnant or has she just been eating too much ice cream?" thing. It makes me feel good. :) Plus, my sister-in-law is four weeks further along than I am, so I get to see how beautiful and pregnant she looks (and that makes me hopeful too).
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
New Beginnings
Hello, Jenn here! Because I'm almost 23 weeks pregnant with our first child, and because I've done a terrible job photo-documenting my pregnancy thus far, I figured it might be a good idea to start recording fun little tidbits from this experience that I can share with Gavin when he's older. Stephen and I are so excited to meet our little one in November, and the promise of all the memories we'll share with our baby boy keeps me going when this whole pregnancy thing gets hard.
Like when it's 100000 degrees outside for three weeks straight.
Seriously, it's been ridiculous. I hate to be one more person complaining about the heat, but I feel like I'm sweating even when I'm sitting in an air conditioned room, so you can only imagine how ridiculous it gets when I dare to venture outside (which, truth be told, has not been very often these past few weeks.) I feel lucky that Stephen lets me control the thermostat in the house and only occasionally wakes up shivering in the middle of the night. He's been amazing throughout this entire pregnancy, actually. (No surprise.) During the first trimester, when I felt horribly sick and yet craved Mexican food constantly, he put up with night after night of tacos and quesadillas. Honestly, I came back from a vacation to Mexico and headed straight for Taco Bell on the drive home from the airport. It was atrocious. And now during the second trimester, when my body is constantly aching and I'm always exhausted, he rubs my back without complaint after his 10-hour workday (and subsequent 2-hour class at Cincinnati State). He's such a hard worker and I know he'll be an amazing role model for our son. But until Gavin gets here...I'm the lucky recipient of his incredible thoughtfulness and patience.
I guess I somehow envisioned pregnancy being different than this. I feel SUPER connected to our baby -- especially when Stephen is talking to him before we go to bed or I feel him move randomly when I'm at my desk or driving -- but I haven't loved the pregnancy itself. I'm having a hard time with what it's doing to my body (I suppose I could blame all the tacos), and I feel like I'm constantly planning ways to get back in shape once Gavin arrives. I'm not sleeping well because I'm not used to sleeping on my side, though the Snoogle pillow definitely helps! Whenever I get up in the middle of the night, I'll come back to find Stephen curled up around the Snoogle. He has no recollection of doing this, but I've had to nudge him to his side of the bed several times within the last few weeks. He complains about the Snoogle taking up so much room...but secretly -- subconsciously -- he loves it. I don't know, I guess I just thought that I would love being pregnant. I've always wanted to be a mother, and it is so incredible to feel our baby wriggle his way around my tummy, but I never realized that loving a BABY is soooo different than loving the other stuff pregnancy brings along with it.
To end on a positive note, though, here are the things I am MOST excited about:
- Setting up Gavin's sports-themed nursery! We have everything ready to go, now we just have to get the room painted and the furniture put together! And by we, I mean Stephen, since I'm really quite worthless at furniture assembly.
- Gavin will have a baby cousin, Quinn, who will be just a few weeks older than him! I can't wait to see these boys grow up together and be best buds. (And, if I have my way, wear adorable matching outfits occasionally!)
- Stephen will be an AMAZING father, and I am so excited to watch him bond with our little boy. It will be so fun to take Gavin trick-or-treating every year, and to football games. Stephen is already planning all the activities he wants to share with G. If he would rather bond over the Monster Truck Jam with our son than with me...I'm okay with that. :)
- Holidays will be that much better with a baby to celebrate them with!
- It is going to be interesting to see not only what physical aspects of each of us our baby ends up with -- I hope Gavin gets Stephen's long eyelashes, and we KNOW he'll be a tall boy -- but it'll also be incredible to watch his little personality grow and see what traits he inherits from who. (Whom? I'm a bad English major.)
Just to make sure I've officially caught up on the first 23 weeks, here are some of little G's ultrasound pictures:
Like when it's 100000 degrees outside for three weeks straight.
Seriously, it's been ridiculous. I hate to be one more person complaining about the heat, but I feel like I'm sweating even when I'm sitting in an air conditioned room, so you can only imagine how ridiculous it gets when I dare to venture outside (which, truth be told, has not been very often these past few weeks.) I feel lucky that Stephen lets me control the thermostat in the house and only occasionally wakes up shivering in the middle of the night. He's been amazing throughout this entire pregnancy, actually. (No surprise.) During the first trimester, when I felt horribly sick and yet craved Mexican food constantly, he put up with night after night of tacos and quesadillas. Honestly, I came back from a vacation to Mexico and headed straight for Taco Bell on the drive home from the airport. It was atrocious. And now during the second trimester, when my body is constantly aching and I'm always exhausted, he rubs my back without complaint after his 10-hour workday (and subsequent 2-hour class at Cincinnati State). He's such a hard worker and I know he'll be an amazing role model for our son. But until Gavin gets here...I'm the lucky recipient of his incredible thoughtfulness and patience.
I guess I somehow envisioned pregnancy being different than this. I feel SUPER connected to our baby -- especially when Stephen is talking to him before we go to bed or I feel him move randomly when I'm at my desk or driving -- but I haven't loved the pregnancy itself. I'm having a hard time with what it's doing to my body (I suppose I could blame all the tacos), and I feel like I'm constantly planning ways to get back in shape once Gavin arrives. I'm not sleeping well because I'm not used to sleeping on my side, though the Snoogle pillow definitely helps! Whenever I get up in the middle of the night, I'll come back to find Stephen curled up around the Snoogle. He has no recollection of doing this, but I've had to nudge him to his side of the bed several times within the last few weeks. He complains about the Snoogle taking up so much room...but secretly -- subconsciously -- he loves it. I don't know, I guess I just thought that I would love being pregnant. I've always wanted to be a mother, and it is so incredible to feel our baby wriggle his way around my tummy, but I never realized that loving a BABY is soooo different than loving the other stuff pregnancy brings along with it.
To end on a positive note, though, here are the things I am MOST excited about:
- Setting up Gavin's sports-themed nursery! We have everything ready to go, now we just have to get the room painted and the furniture put together! And by we, I mean Stephen, since I'm really quite worthless at furniture assembly.
- Gavin will have a baby cousin, Quinn, who will be just a few weeks older than him! I can't wait to see these boys grow up together and be best buds. (And, if I have my way, wear adorable matching outfits occasionally!)
- Stephen will be an AMAZING father, and I am so excited to watch him bond with our little boy. It will be so fun to take Gavin trick-or-treating every year, and to football games. Stephen is already planning all the activities he wants to share with G. If he would rather bond over the Monster Truck Jam with our son than with me...I'm okay with that. :)
- Holidays will be that much better with a baby to celebrate them with!
- It is going to be interesting to see not only what physical aspects of each of us our baby ends up with -- I hope Gavin gets Stephen's long eyelashes, and we KNOW he'll be a tall boy -- but it'll also be incredible to watch his little personality grow and see what traits he inherits from who. (Whom? I'm a bad English major.)
Just to make sure I've officially caught up on the first 23 weeks, here are some of little G's ultrasound pictures:
 |
| The first picture of our little pumpkin! 7 weeks |
 |
| Loving his little hands and alien face. :) 11 weeks |
 |
| We tried to find out the gender at 17 weeks, but he was sitting contentedly on his legs, sucking his thumb. Stubborn little booger! |
 |
| The day we found out he was a BOY! Look at his tiny fingers! 18 weeks |
 |
| Our 21 week ultrasound -- Stephen couldn't believe how long his arms were! |
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)