Thursday, July 28, 2005
Pictures
I found some pictures I could post. This is one of Grace's 6 Month pictures taken by JC Penney's. More of my favorites are at Flickr.
Still Here
People have been getting on me about my lack of updates. I'm still around, just been busy (or not really feeling like being on the computer).
My vacation went very well last week. I got most things done that I planned on (except babyproofing!). Our trip to Chicago was also very nice, although the mood wasn't quite as planned. We almost cancelled our trip because Danialle was going to be gone most of the weekend for the funeral, and it didn't feel right to just go ahead and have "fun." We ended up deciding to just go ahead and go, and Danialle let us use their apartment while they were out of town.
I would love to post some pictures of our vacation. In Chicago, Grace took her first ride on the "El." We went to the acquarium, saw Wrigley field, and had lunch at ESPN Zone. However, our camera is currently saying that our memory card is corrupted, so we may have lost all of those pictures.
Things are a little busy at work, as they usually are after getting back from vacation. To top it off, for some reason my e-mail at work is malfunctioning. I am receiving messages, but nothing I send is getting there. This has been going on since very late afternoon on Tuesday. I'm hoping it will be fixed by the time I get in in the morning.
Things are good at home. Grace had some new firsts. I gave her apple juice for the first time. She really liked it and I just screwed a bottle cap with a fast flow nipple on a baby-size serving of juice and she drank it herself! I was very proud of her, because she's used to having us squeeze her bottles, so the fact that she drank it without help is a plus! I also gave her a "Biter Biscuit" and she loved it. It is very messy though, so she can only have it when she's wearing only a diaper. She also has a new thing where she goes cross-eyed when you are feeding her. I think she tries to follow the spoon into her mouth. It is really freaky looking.
Can't think of much more to say. I'll try to come up with some good posts in the near future. Feel free to leave a comment about what you'd like to hear about.
My vacation went very well last week. I got most things done that I planned on (except babyproofing!). Our trip to Chicago was also very nice, although the mood wasn't quite as planned. We almost cancelled our trip because Danialle was going to be gone most of the weekend for the funeral, and it didn't feel right to just go ahead and have "fun." We ended up deciding to just go ahead and go, and Danialle let us use their apartment while they were out of town.
I would love to post some pictures of our vacation. In Chicago, Grace took her first ride on the "El." We went to the acquarium, saw Wrigley field, and had lunch at ESPN Zone. However, our camera is currently saying that our memory card is corrupted, so we may have lost all of those pictures.
Things are a little busy at work, as they usually are after getting back from vacation. To top it off, for some reason my e-mail at work is malfunctioning. I am receiving messages, but nothing I send is getting there. This has been going on since very late afternoon on Tuesday. I'm hoping it will be fixed by the time I get in in the morning.
Things are good at home. Grace had some new firsts. I gave her apple juice for the first time. She really liked it and I just screwed a bottle cap with a fast flow nipple on a baby-size serving of juice and she drank it herself! I was very proud of her, because she's used to having us squeeze her bottles, so the fact that she drank it without help is a plus! I also gave her a "Biter Biscuit" and she loved it. It is very messy though, so she can only have it when she's wearing only a diaper. She also has a new thing where she goes cross-eyed when you are feeding her. I think she tries to follow the spoon into her mouth. It is really freaky looking.
Can't think of much more to say. I'll try to come up with some good posts in the near future. Feel free to leave a comment about what you'd like to hear about.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Bad Stuff
Please keep my friend Erica in your thoughts and prayers today. Her brother was involved in a car accident last night and has passed away today. This is just one more bad thing that she didn't need right now. Please keep her in your prayers that she will get throught this ok and not have to deal with any more negativity (for at least a while).
Monday, July 18, 2005
Vacation!
This week I'm on vacation and so excited about it. Here's what I have planned:
Monday (today) - Eric went to work and took Grace to day-care. I went back to sleep until 9:45 a.m. and then cleaned house all day. Eric came home (sans Grace) around 1:00 p.m. and mowed the yard, took Zeus to get his nails trimmed. and then went to get his hair cut before picking up Grace. I gave Zeus a bath and then I went to Target and then came home and took Grace for a walk before our nightly routine. I also managed to make a healthy dinner and work out this evening. After posting I'm going to start on my bible study! Also planning on revising the budget tonight.
Tuesday - When we all get up, we're taking Grace to day-care and Eric and I are having a date-day! We are planning on playing Putt-Putt, going to a movie and having a quiet lunch. Yeah!
Wednesday - We're going to keep Grace home. I'm planning on scheduling a massage for the AM and then maybe meeting up for some shopping (not planning on buying) to get us out of the house and let Eric relax a bit. Also need to do laundry.
Other items to work on in the early part of the week include finishing writing all information in the photo albums (dates, names, etc.)and baby proofing the drawers and cabinets.
Thursday - Pack in the morning for our trip to Chicago! I've been starting lists in my head, but will probably do all the packing on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Our flight leaves at 4-ish (I'll check on that before we go).
Friday - Still need to discuss plans with Danialle, but I'm thinking we'll go the Acquarium and do some sightseeing. Maybe a casual dinner out (with healthy choices of course!)
Saturday - Beach in the AM and some Magnificiant Mile shopping/browsing in the afternoon. Dinner out (our treat to our hosts).
Sunday - Return trip back home.
I already know this week will be too short. Good news so far is that my house is clean and I can relax.
Oh, and if you are wondering why I'm still taking Grace... We have to pay the daycare whether she's there or not, so if I have things I need to get done, I take advantage of the babysitting service we already are paying for. That's why tomorrow we're doing a day-time date! We've already paid for the childcare.
Speaking of childcare, we had an "incident" today. Grace was playing with a toy and Alex (he's about a year old) wanted her toy. She wouldn't give it to him, so he bit her and took it away. Poor thing. She has a little bite mark on her arm where he bit her. It didn't break the skin, so I'm not too concerned. I'm trying to be reasonable, as in the future, it could be Grace doing the biting!
Monday (today) - Eric went to work and took Grace to day-care. I went back to sleep until 9:45 a.m. and then cleaned house all day. Eric came home (sans Grace) around 1:00 p.m. and mowed the yard, took Zeus to get his nails trimmed. and then went to get his hair cut before picking up Grace. I gave Zeus a bath and then I went to Target and then came home and took Grace for a walk before our nightly routine. I also managed to make a healthy dinner and work out this evening. After posting I'm going to start on my bible study! Also planning on revising the budget tonight.
Tuesday - When we all get up, we're taking Grace to day-care and Eric and I are having a date-day! We are planning on playing Putt-Putt, going to a movie and having a quiet lunch. Yeah!
Wednesday - We're going to keep Grace home. I'm planning on scheduling a massage for the AM and then maybe meeting up for some shopping (not planning on buying) to get us out of the house and let Eric relax a bit. Also need to do laundry.
Other items to work on in the early part of the week include finishing writing all information in the photo albums (dates, names, etc.)and baby proofing the drawers and cabinets.
Thursday - Pack in the morning for our trip to Chicago! I've been starting lists in my head, but will probably do all the packing on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Our flight leaves at 4-ish (I'll check on that before we go).
Friday - Still need to discuss plans with Danialle, but I'm thinking we'll go the Acquarium and do some sightseeing. Maybe a casual dinner out (with healthy choices of course!)
Saturday - Beach in the AM and some Magnificiant Mile shopping/browsing in the afternoon. Dinner out (our treat to our hosts).
Sunday - Return trip back home.
I already know this week will be too short. Good news so far is that my house is clean and I can relax.
Oh, and if you are wondering why I'm still taking Grace... We have to pay the daycare whether she's there or not, so if I have things I need to get done, I take advantage of the babysitting service we already are paying for. That's why tomorrow we're doing a day-time date! We've already paid for the childcare.
Speaking of childcare, we had an "incident" today. Grace was playing with a toy and Alex (he's about a year old) wanted her toy. She wouldn't give it to him, so he bit her and took it away. Poor thing. She has a little bite mark on her arm where he bit her. It didn't break the skin, so I'm not too concerned. I'm trying to be reasonable, as in the future, it could be Grace doing the biting!
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Seven Months
Grace turned seven months old yesterday. She's really becoming quite a little person. She is starting to fuss a bit more, but I think it's because she now knows when she wants something and gets frustrated when she doesn't get her way. We may have to start using the word "no" soon.
We've moved up to Stage 2 foods this month and most of the time Grace will still finish her jars. She's really enjoying the new "dinners" she does very well on the ones with meat in them.
Last month I predicted we'd be crawling by this month. Not quite yet. She's definately getting closer. July 1st I noticed her move backwards for the first time. She trys to get around, but when she pushes off with her arms she goes backwards and then gets mad because she's farther away than she wanted. She can get her butt off the ground, but usually while her chest is on the ground. Several times I've seen her get her knees under her and get her belly off the ground, but only for a few seconds at a time. She can turn a complete circle on her belly and will pivot to a new direction if something catches her interest.
She really likes to stand too. If you hold her hands while she's sitting, she can pull herself to a standing position. She hasn't figured out how to use furniture yet, but once she does, she'll have the strength to pull herself up.
She still loves when you play peekaboo with her, although she doesn't really play along herself. She likes playing with all kinds of toys, especially ones she can bang on things or shake. She has very good hand/eye coordination and can pick up almost anything (and put it directly into her mouth). She especially loves non-toy items (remote control, keys, water bottles, etc.)
Here's the milestones we've reached for 7 Months based on "What To Expect The First Year." The bold items we have reached.
By the end of the Seventh Month your baby:
...should be able to:
- sit without support
- Feed self a cracker (we've never given her a cracker to try, but everything else she picks up goes in her mouth)
- razz (make a wet razzing sound) - Not sure why she's not interested in this one.
...will probably be able to:
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- Object if you try to take a toy away (there is much crying and anger involved)
- Work to get a toy out of reach
- Pass a cube or object from one hand to the other
- Look for a dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in a fist(never tried a raisin, but she'll pick up a bottle cap from a bottle of water)
- Turn in the direction of a voice
- Babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma, da-da-da
- play peekaboo
...may possibly be able to:
- stand holding on to someone or something
...may even be able to:
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- Play Patty-Cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- Pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- say mama or dada indescriminately
We've moved up to Stage 2 foods this month and most of the time Grace will still finish her jars. She's really enjoying the new "dinners" she does very well on the ones with meat in them.
Last month I predicted we'd be crawling by this month. Not quite yet. She's definately getting closer. July 1st I noticed her move backwards for the first time. She trys to get around, but when she pushes off with her arms she goes backwards and then gets mad because she's farther away than she wanted. She can get her butt off the ground, but usually while her chest is on the ground. Several times I've seen her get her knees under her and get her belly off the ground, but only for a few seconds at a time. She can turn a complete circle on her belly and will pivot to a new direction if something catches her interest.
She really likes to stand too. If you hold her hands while she's sitting, she can pull herself to a standing position. She hasn't figured out how to use furniture yet, but once she does, she'll have the strength to pull herself up.
She still loves when you play peekaboo with her, although she doesn't really play along herself. She likes playing with all kinds of toys, especially ones she can bang on things or shake. She has very good hand/eye coordination and can pick up almost anything (and put it directly into her mouth). She especially loves non-toy items (remote control, keys, water bottles, etc.)
Here's the milestones we've reached for 7 Months based on "What To Expect The First Year." The bold items we have reached.
By the end of the Seventh Month your baby:
...should be able to:
- sit without support
- Feed self a cracker (we've never given her a cracker to try, but everything else she picks up goes in her mouth)
- razz (make a wet razzing sound) - Not sure why she's not interested in this one.
...will probably be able to:
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- Object if you try to take a toy away (there is much crying and anger involved)
- Work to get a toy out of reach
- Pass a cube or object from one hand to the other
- Look for a dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in a fist(never tried a raisin, but she'll pick up a bottle cap from a bottle of water)
- Turn in the direction of a voice
- Babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma, da-da-da
- play peekaboo
...may possibly be able to:
- stand holding on to someone or something
...may even be able to:
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- Play Patty-Cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- Pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- say mama or dada indescriminately
Monday, July 11, 2005
Getting Things In Order
I'm feeling the need to post alot today, but this one's be rattling around in my head for a while, so I needed to get it down.
It seems like for a while now, I've been just going through the motions. To be honest, I think it was a matter of survival. The whole parenthood thing is overwhelming and scary and all consuming, but there are parts of my life I would like to get control over again. This is going to be a sort of mid-year New Year's Resolution. Here's what I want to focus on and my goals.
Spirtuality
There have been times in my life where I've felt very close to God and times where I've felt not so close. Right now I'm kind of somewhere in the middle. I don't feel far from Him, but I know I could be closer. I actually have a desire to do something to strengthen that bond. For about a year now, Eric has been going to a weekly Bible study and he's had some amazing growth. Since I grew up in church and he didn't, I guess I've always sort of thought of myself as spirtually more mature than him, but that isn't the case anymore. It isn't a contest, but I would like to be able to have discussions with him that aren't from my memory of lessons learned years ago, but of things I'm studying now. I want us to be comfortable discussing God and church at home, so Grace will know that Mom and Dad actually believe what they talk about at church. I don't really feel up to a formal study, but I have a book of a 12 week study that I did in college. At the time it was trying to tell me things I didn't want to hear, but I think I'm ready now. I plan on starting on Sunday.
Health
I know I've discussed it before and constantly on my diet blog, but I'm ready to get healthy. Spending time with my Mom a week ago was a real inspiration to me. She's dieted pretty much since I can remember, but the weekend she visited she stuck to it all weekend! That's a difficult task for anyone, but she was excited about it and doing great. I want to do that too. I've done it before so I know it's possible. Read my post here for more details, but my goal is to lose the rest of my baby weight (7 1/2 pounds) in the next 2 months. I'd like to lose about 15 total before I get pregnant again.
I would also like to get in a routine of staying fit and eating right. I didn't do a good job during my pregnancy with Grace, but I'd like to try to be a good habit and really eat well and exercise next time I'm pregnant. Sort of like a practice run. I know I've discussed it with my close friends and family, but I don't think I've mentioned it here. After I have my second child, I would like to be a gestational surrogate. I have done a little research and will have much more to do before the time comes, but I really feel called to help someone else have a child. I loved being pregnant and have no doubts that I could carry a child and hand it over to the parents if I knew it had no genetic ties to me or Eric. I have fears that my one previous miscarriage might be a strike against me, but when the time comes I'll fill out the applications and hopefully someone will feel that I'm the right woman to help her. But, if I do get to follow through, I would like to be in the habit of eating right, exercising, and doing the right things. I can bend the rules with my body and my baby, but would feel guilty being less healthy with someone else's child.
Finances
Having a baby is a drain on the checkbook. Part of our problem is that we keep spending like before, but now have additional expenses. Eric and I have discussed a 5 year plan for our finances. In 5 years we would like to have the following done:
- Pay off credit card (trust me, that's an optimistic goal)
- Have only 1 car payment (pay off my car and keep it and trade his in for an SUV after baby #2)
- Be financially ready (or already have) moved to a larger home in a better school system.
I'm going to revise our budget and starting in August we are going to really try to stick to it. It will require some sacrifices (planned dinners out instead of whenever we feel like it, bringing lunch instead of eating out (could play into that health goal), less frivolous shopping for Grace). Some of the revisions might seem surprising too, for example, increasing our budgeting giving to the church. However, overall if we keep our goals in mind, I think we can do it and it'll be worth it in the end.
Professional Growth
I've been doing pretty good here, but in the short term I need to study for my next CPCU exam. I think I'm scheduled to take it in late September and for once, I would love to be fully prepared before the night before the test. I've got to start studying earlier.
I also have recently been named the Professional Standards Officer for the office. It technically isn't a promotion, just another responsibility. However, I'm pretty sure if I do a good job it will definately be considered when promotions are awarded. I'm in a less busy time at work right now, so I've got some time to really work on it. I've just got to get started before I get super busy again.
So those are my mid-term goals. I'm on vacation next week and in the early part of the week I'm going to try to figure out how to arrange my schedule to fit in planning my meals and diet, weekly monitoring of the budget, daily Bible study, studying for my exam, plus still have time for Grace and Eric. That will be the challenge, but I believe all of these things are good, so I'll be able to work it out.
It seems like for a while now, I've been just going through the motions. To be honest, I think it was a matter of survival. The whole parenthood thing is overwhelming and scary and all consuming, but there are parts of my life I would like to get control over again. This is going to be a sort of mid-year New Year's Resolution. Here's what I want to focus on and my goals.
Spirtuality
There have been times in my life where I've felt very close to God and times where I've felt not so close. Right now I'm kind of somewhere in the middle. I don't feel far from Him, but I know I could be closer. I actually have a desire to do something to strengthen that bond. For about a year now, Eric has been going to a weekly Bible study and he's had some amazing growth. Since I grew up in church and he didn't, I guess I've always sort of thought of myself as spirtually more mature than him, but that isn't the case anymore. It isn't a contest, but I would like to be able to have discussions with him that aren't from my memory of lessons learned years ago, but of things I'm studying now. I want us to be comfortable discussing God and church at home, so Grace will know that Mom and Dad actually believe what they talk about at church. I don't really feel up to a formal study, but I have a book of a 12 week study that I did in college. At the time it was trying to tell me things I didn't want to hear, but I think I'm ready now. I plan on starting on Sunday.
Health
I know I've discussed it before and constantly on my diet blog, but I'm ready to get healthy. Spending time with my Mom a week ago was a real inspiration to me. She's dieted pretty much since I can remember, but the weekend she visited she stuck to it all weekend! That's a difficult task for anyone, but she was excited about it and doing great. I want to do that too. I've done it before so I know it's possible. Read my post here for more details, but my goal is to lose the rest of my baby weight (7 1/2 pounds) in the next 2 months. I'd like to lose about 15 total before I get pregnant again.
I would also like to get in a routine of staying fit and eating right. I didn't do a good job during my pregnancy with Grace, but I'd like to try to be a good habit and really eat well and exercise next time I'm pregnant. Sort of like a practice run. I know I've discussed it with my close friends and family, but I don't think I've mentioned it here. After I have my second child, I would like to be a gestational surrogate. I have done a little research and will have much more to do before the time comes, but I really feel called to help someone else have a child. I loved being pregnant and have no doubts that I could carry a child and hand it over to the parents if I knew it had no genetic ties to me or Eric. I have fears that my one previous miscarriage might be a strike against me, but when the time comes I'll fill out the applications and hopefully someone will feel that I'm the right woman to help her. But, if I do get to follow through, I would like to be in the habit of eating right, exercising, and doing the right things. I can bend the rules with my body and my baby, but would feel guilty being less healthy with someone else's child.
Finances
Having a baby is a drain on the checkbook. Part of our problem is that we keep spending like before, but now have additional expenses. Eric and I have discussed a 5 year plan for our finances. In 5 years we would like to have the following done:
- Pay off credit card (trust me, that's an optimistic goal)
- Have only 1 car payment (pay off my car and keep it and trade his in for an SUV after baby #2)
- Be financially ready (or already have) moved to a larger home in a better school system.
I'm going to revise our budget and starting in August we are going to really try to stick to it. It will require some sacrifices (planned dinners out instead of whenever we feel like it, bringing lunch instead of eating out (could play into that health goal), less frivolous shopping for Grace). Some of the revisions might seem surprising too, for example, increasing our budgeting giving to the church. However, overall if we keep our goals in mind, I think we can do it and it'll be worth it in the end.
Professional Growth
I've been doing pretty good here, but in the short term I need to study for my next CPCU exam. I think I'm scheduled to take it in late September and for once, I would love to be fully prepared before the night before the test. I've got to start studying earlier.
I also have recently been named the Professional Standards Officer for the office. It technically isn't a promotion, just another responsibility. However, I'm pretty sure if I do a good job it will definately be considered when promotions are awarded. I'm in a less busy time at work right now, so I've got some time to really work on it. I've just got to get started before I get super busy again.
So those are my mid-term goals. I'm on vacation next week and in the early part of the week I'm going to try to figure out how to arrange my schedule to fit in planning my meals and diet, weekly monitoring of the budget, daily Bible study, studying for my exam, plus still have time for Grace and Eric. That will be the challenge, but I believe all of these things are good, so I'll be able to work it out.
GWO Recap
This weekend brought another GWO - Girls Weekend Out. As always I adored getting to catch up with my friends, but managed to find myself less relaxed and refreshed than normal. I think it is due entirely to the fact that I brought Grace along and only had an evening without her. While I think everyone enjoyed spending time with the babes, I was still "on duty" all weekend and didn't really get a chance to fully relax and have no worries. That's ok though because in 3 short months we'll be doing it again in Chicago and we've already decided to not bring the babies along.
Thursday I had a horrendous day at work, so luckily I had plenty to keep me busy until time to leave to pick Danialle up at the airport. Her plane got in at 6:30 p.m. and I was still almost late to get there. After I picked her up, we grabbed some McDonald's quickly and then headed to my house to get the rest of the girls. Erica went straight to my house and was playing with Grace and visiting with Eric when we got in. We packed up my stuff and Danialle's bag into Erica's Tahoe and hit the road. We actually had the thing packed! It didn't seem possible it was for only a weekend. I had a suitcase for me, small suitcase for Grace, her stroller, carseat, the Aerobed, a bag with the Aerobed's sheets and blanket, 2 pillows, a bag of Grace's toys (some blocks, floor blankets, and boppy), a bag of diapers and wipes, Grace's diaper bag, a jug of baby water, and a bag with all of Grace's bottles, formula, and baby food. We drove over to Samara's gave Grace a bath and put her to bed, visited a little and then went to bed ourselves.
Friday, we slept in a little (well, not Samara and Ava). I actually had to go wake Grace up at 8:30 a.m. We just hung out for a little while and then decided to go into Columbus for lunch and some shopping. We couldn't get both carseats and strollers into the Tahoe and still seat 4 adults, so Samara drove separately with Ava. She had to go by the hospital to get some breast pump supplies, so she was going to meet us at the restaurant. We ordered and appetizer and waited for a while. While waiting, Grace had lots of fun playing with this balloon.
After a while we decided to order and then Samara called and had had some problems, so she decided to catch up with us while we were shopping. We browsed Filene's Basement for a bit and then headed to Hobby Lobby to look for a craft project for Saturday. Samara met us at Hobby Lobby and we picked out some stepping stone kits. After Hobby Lobby Samara decided to head home for a nap and the rest of us went to the grocery store for supplies for our at home Mexican dinner. We also picked up a wide variety of Celebrity gossip magazines for our entertainment. When we got home we made our own taco bar and some other Mexican side items. We just hung out the rest of the evening catching up on the celebrity news.
Saturday morning we again slept until 8:30 a.m. (thank you Grace!) Once we got up we were very lazy all day. We worked on our stepping stone project. We used Mosiac glass and some letter stencils and mixed and poured the cement. They actually turned out really well and were fun to make. After that we started getting showers and dressed and ready for our evening out. The Dad's arrived for babysitting duty and we left the house around 5:30 p.m. We went to a trendy/modern Italian restaurant downtown. Our reservation was at 7:00, but they got us in right away. The food was very yummy and we tried to take our time. After dinner we weren't ready to go home yet, so we got the idea to go play a game of Putt Putt. However, we decided to stop at BW3s first for one drink. After that it was dark and Samara couldn't remember where the Putt Putt place was, so we decided just to head home. We got home around 10 p.m. and after just a little time to relax we headed for bed.
Sunday morning Grace decided she'd had enough sleeping in and started chatting around 5:00 a.m. She went back to sleep for a little while, but got up again around 6. I brought her into the guest room to lay down with me and she was quite until 6:20 when the alarm went off. We fed Grace, got our stuff together and headed out. I took Danialle to the airport, Erica headed for home, and poor Samara looked like she could use some more sleep. The goal was supposed to be that Dad would take care of the baby all night so she could enjoy herself and get some sleep, but it didn't quite work out that way (sort of reminds me of my first GWO after Grace). Grace was sleepy in the car, so when we got back to the airport I put her in her crib and went and layed down with Eric. About 20 minutes later Grace decided she'd slept long enough, so I started to get up to go get her. Then, Eric told me stay in bed, he'd take care of her and I could go back to sleep! I slept for 2 hours. We missed church, but we did go to our church softball game later that afternoon.
So, it was basically a good weekend, but I'll have to remember. Next time we have a GWO in a home city where you have access to the baby, make sure Dad gets her for more than just dinner. It's supposed to be Mom's weekend out, not Dad's.
Thursday I had a horrendous day at work, so luckily I had plenty to keep me busy until time to leave to pick Danialle up at the airport. Her plane got in at 6:30 p.m. and I was still almost late to get there. After I picked her up, we grabbed some McDonald's quickly and then headed to my house to get the rest of the girls. Erica went straight to my house and was playing with Grace and visiting with Eric when we got in. We packed up my stuff and Danialle's bag into Erica's Tahoe and hit the road. We actually had the thing packed! It didn't seem possible it was for only a weekend. I had a suitcase for me, small suitcase for Grace, her stroller, carseat, the Aerobed, a bag with the Aerobed's sheets and blanket, 2 pillows, a bag of Grace's toys (some blocks, floor blankets, and boppy), a bag of diapers and wipes, Grace's diaper bag, a jug of baby water, and a bag with all of Grace's bottles, formula, and baby food. We drove over to Samara's gave Grace a bath and put her to bed, visited a little and then went to bed ourselves.
Friday, we slept in a little (well, not Samara and Ava). I actually had to go wake Grace up at 8:30 a.m. We just hung out for a little while and then decided to go into Columbus for lunch and some shopping. We couldn't get both carseats and strollers into the Tahoe and still seat 4 adults, so Samara drove separately with Ava. She had to go by the hospital to get some breast pump supplies, so she was going to meet us at the restaurant. We ordered and appetizer and waited for a while. While waiting, Grace had lots of fun playing with this balloon.
After a while we decided to order and then Samara called and had had some problems, so she decided to catch up with us while we were shopping. We browsed Filene's Basement for a bit and then headed to Hobby Lobby to look for a craft project for Saturday. Samara met us at Hobby Lobby and we picked out some stepping stone kits. After Hobby Lobby Samara decided to head home for a nap and the rest of us went to the grocery store for supplies for our at home Mexican dinner. We also picked up a wide variety of Celebrity gossip magazines for our entertainment. When we got home we made our own taco bar and some other Mexican side items. We just hung out the rest of the evening catching up on the celebrity news.
Saturday morning we again slept until 8:30 a.m. (thank you Grace!) Once we got up we were very lazy all day. We worked on our stepping stone project. We used Mosiac glass and some letter stencils and mixed and poured the cement. They actually turned out really well and were fun to make. After that we started getting showers and dressed and ready for our evening out. The Dad's arrived for babysitting duty and we left the house around 5:30 p.m. We went to a trendy/modern Italian restaurant downtown. Our reservation was at 7:00, but they got us in right away. The food was very yummy and we tried to take our time. After dinner we weren't ready to go home yet, so we got the idea to go play a game of Putt Putt. However, we decided to stop at BW3s first for one drink. After that it was dark and Samara couldn't remember where the Putt Putt place was, so we decided just to head home. We got home around 10 p.m. and after just a little time to relax we headed for bed.
Sunday morning Grace decided she'd had enough sleeping in and started chatting around 5:00 a.m. She went back to sleep for a little while, but got up again around 6. I brought her into the guest room to lay down with me and she was quite until 6:20 when the alarm went off. We fed Grace, got our stuff together and headed out. I took Danialle to the airport, Erica headed for home, and poor Samara looked like she could use some more sleep. The goal was supposed to be that Dad would take care of the baby all night so she could enjoy herself and get some sleep, but it didn't quite work out that way (sort of reminds me of my first GWO after Grace). Grace was sleepy in the car, so when we got back to the airport I put her in her crib and went and layed down with Eric. About 20 minutes later Grace decided she'd slept long enough, so I started to get up to go get her. Then, Eric told me stay in bed, he'd take care of her and I could go back to sleep! I slept for 2 hours. We missed church, but we did go to our church softball game later that afternoon.
So, it was basically a good weekend, but I'll have to remember. Next time we have a GWO in a home city where you have access to the baby, make sure Dad gets her for more than just dinner. It's supposed to be Mom's weekend out, not Dad's.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Happy Fourth of July
We had a very busy, yet very nice 4th of July holiday. I was fortunate that our office closed both Friday and Monday for the holiday. Eric had to work on Friday, so I sent Grace to day-care and got some extra sleep for me. I also did a few chores around the house and then picked Grace up after lunch. I let her take a quick nap at home and then we went to JC Penney to have her 6 month pictures done. She was so funny and of course wouldn’t smile at the right times, but we did get a couple of good shots and overall it went well. Samara and Ava came out to the mall too and we did a little shopping. Towards the end of shopping we decided to see if the Dad’s wanted to come meet us for dinner. We went to Champps. Both the girls were ready for their dinners. I went inside with the guys and fed Grace at the table, but Samara stayed in the car to feed Ava. About the time our food arrived (Will had ordered for Samara) we realized her car was gone and both Will and I checked our phones and saw that she had tried to call us. It must have been too loud to hear them ring. Ava decided she wasn’t ready for her first dinner in public, so the only option Samara could think of was to take her home. We felt bad that we missed her and couldn’t do anything to help. After dinner, Will went home, but Eric and I headed over to a friend’s son’s Little League game. After the game we stayed and watched the downtown fireworks from afar. We weren’t really close enough for them to be loud, so Grace slept in her stroller through most of the evening.
Saturday we had a kind of lazy morning, but went to the airport to pick up my parents just after noon. We then stopped and got some lunch before heading home. We put Grace down for a nap and then Mom and I planned out our meals for the weekend and headed to the super Wal-Mart. The guys seemed to think we were gone too long, but we had fun shopping (without Grace!). We brought home some deli chicken and then just hung out at home.
Sunday was a really busy day. We got up and went to church. After church we came home and had some sandwiches and fed Grace. Then we spent the entire afternoon at the zoo! It was lots of fun and Grace was well-behaved, but it was HOT! By the time we finished we were all beat and ready to relax. We had dinner at Applebee’s and then headed home. Grace played for a while and has almost figured out how to crawl. She’s getting really frustrated because she wants to move, but just hasn’t figured out how yet. We put her to bed and then watched a movie.
Monday we got up and had a late breakfast at First Watch and then went to Best Buy. For once we didn’t do too bad. We bought some CD-R’s and a 3-pack of DVD’s for $20. After Best Buy we were a little tired and Grace was starting to fuss, so we went home and Grace and I took a nap. We just hung out in the afternoon and everyone else seemed to sneak a nap in too. We decided to grill steaks out for dinner and then around 7:30 p.m. headed over to some church friends house to hang out before walking over to a park for fireworks. The fireworks didn’t start until almost 10 p.m. and amazingly Grace was still awake. She cried a couple of times during the fireworks, but when she realized I was right beside her, she was fine. Watching the fireworks with her was so amazing. We were laying on a blanket on the ground looking up at the sky. She just stared and watched the whole thing, but her little hand was holding onto my finger the whole time. This time when I watched them I tried to see it from her point of view. Staring into the night sky watching these beautiful colors and shapes. No wonder she was amazed. It was so special to hold her and get to witness it through her eyes. She fell asleep during the walk back to the car and we put her straight to bed when we got home.
My parents left this morning and unfortunately we’re back to work. I’m looking forward to that vacation coming up. I’ll upload some pictures into Flicker tonight for your viewing pleasure. We have a lot of them!
Saturday we had a kind of lazy morning, but went to the airport to pick up my parents just after noon. We then stopped and got some lunch before heading home. We put Grace down for a nap and then Mom and I planned out our meals for the weekend and headed to the super Wal-Mart. The guys seemed to think we were gone too long, but we had fun shopping (without Grace!). We brought home some deli chicken and then just hung out at home.
Sunday was a really busy day. We got up and went to church. After church we came home and had some sandwiches and fed Grace. Then we spent the entire afternoon at the zoo! It was lots of fun and Grace was well-behaved, but it was HOT! By the time we finished we were all beat and ready to relax. We had dinner at Applebee’s and then headed home. Grace played for a while and has almost figured out how to crawl. She’s getting really frustrated because she wants to move, but just hasn’t figured out how yet. We put her to bed and then watched a movie.
Monday we got up and had a late breakfast at First Watch and then went to Best Buy. For once we didn’t do too bad. We bought some CD-R’s and a 3-pack of DVD’s for $20. After Best Buy we were a little tired and Grace was starting to fuss, so we went home and Grace and I took a nap. We just hung out in the afternoon and everyone else seemed to sneak a nap in too. We decided to grill steaks out for dinner and then around 7:30 p.m. headed over to some church friends house to hang out before walking over to a park for fireworks. The fireworks didn’t start until almost 10 p.m. and amazingly Grace was still awake. She cried a couple of times during the fireworks, but when she realized I was right beside her, she was fine. Watching the fireworks with her was so amazing. We were laying on a blanket on the ground looking up at the sky. She just stared and watched the whole thing, but her little hand was holding onto my finger the whole time. This time when I watched them I tried to see it from her point of view. Staring into the night sky watching these beautiful colors and shapes. No wonder she was amazed. It was so special to hold her and get to witness it through her eyes. She fell asleep during the walk back to the car and we put her straight to bed when we got home.
My parents left this morning and unfortunately we’re back to work. I’m looking forward to that vacation coming up. I’ll upload some pictures into Flicker tonight for your viewing pleasure. We have a lot of them!
Friday, July 01, 2005
Bummed
Today was the end of one of my best friend's 25th cycle trying to get pregnant. This month we really thought things looked good. It was her first month on Clomid and she had excellent timing and fantastic progesterone levels. We don't know why things aren't working for her, but they just aren't.
My heart breaks for her. I have no idea what it must be like to face that disappointment month after month. Especially when her friends and family all keep getting pregnant and then having babies around her. She's so strong and never lets you see that it maybe hurts to see you with your baby, but I know it has to make her heart ache.
I wish there was something I could do to help her finally get pregnant, but there's nothing any of us can do. All I can do is pray. Pray that she will finally get pregnant, pray that God will keep her strong, pray that she will continue to handle whatever is thrown her way. If you believe, maybe you could pray too?
My heart breaks for her. I have no idea what it must be like to face that disappointment month after month. Especially when her friends and family all keep getting pregnant and then having babies around her. She's so strong and never lets you see that it maybe hurts to see you with your baby, but I know it has to make her heart ache.
I wish there was something I could do to help her finally get pregnant, but there's nothing any of us can do. All I can do is pray. Pray that she will finally get pregnant, pray that God will keep her strong, pray that she will continue to handle whatever is thrown her way. If you believe, maybe you could pray too?
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