Practical Plaid

2011-12-17T20:03:00.002-07:00

A few weekends ago we went on a nature walk, which is pretty impressive that we found one so close to our home. The boys had a blast running and throwing rocks and sticks into the water. We even took pictures of the fun, and I'm actually posting about it! I'm definitely patting myself on the back right now. :)

Happy Birthday Oliver!

2011-10-22T19:24:00.003-06:00

Oliver is 3! He has loved every minute of his birthday celebration - opening presents, ice cream, fire (on the candles), and new toys. Thanks to everyone who helped make his birthday special!

My almost 3 year old

2011-10-09T18:36:00.003-06:00

I can't believe Oliver is going to be 3 years old next week! I just found this old picture of Oliver when he was almost 1 - it melts my heart.

new pictures... finally

2011-10-02T16:56:00.003-06:00

My blog has hit bottom... I'd say rock bottom, but I'll save that for later... for when I don't blog for like a year. I don't like to quit, so here goes my try at reviving good ol' Practical Plaid.

We met up with Andy's brother and his family to go apple picking a few weekends ago. It was seriously one of the best days. The weather was perfect, the boys had an awesome time picking and eating apples, taking multiple hay rides, playing on the playground, feeding goats, eating dinner at great-grandma's house, and playing outside some more. It was fun! Thanks for the great time Pete and Ashley!

Our fun free toy

2011-07-24T15:41:00.002-06:00

A few days ago, Andy came home from work and told me he saw a kiddie pool on the side of the street, and that I should take a look. I didn't have high hopes, but I do love a good deal, so I went outside and lo and behold... an awesome kiddie pool... or at least I saw the potential. It was propped up next to a bunch of garbage and sort of looked like garbage too. I have been looking for a pool just like this all summer. It didn't exist on craigslist, it isn't sold new anywhere, it was just a dream I had. I had found one that was close to this, but it was $50 used, and we didn't have anyway to transport it. Point of this long story, we are very happy to have this pool. Andy picked it up, carried it home, I scrubbed it clean, found a new drain plug and now we are all enjoying some relief from this terrible heat.

The 4th of July

2011-07-24T15:19:00.002-06:00

I love the 4th of July. Andy usually gets a few days off, we only have to walk half a block to see the Macy's fireworks, we get to BBQ, play outside, and decorate using my favorite color combo - I seriously love red, white, and blue.

Mini Vacation

2011-06-05T16:53:00.005-06:00

We had a lovely weekend in upstate New York with Andy's parents. The boys loved being able to run around in a big back yard - mostly naked, they loved Valentino the cat, Andy enjoyed some physical labor - putting in a new pool liner, and I enjoyed a little shopping, a hair cut, and not cooking. The boys saw their first parade and loved seeing all the fire engines. And we realized that Grandma and Grandpa are still very much young at heart. We had a wonderful time - thank you!

Side note: We sadly found out that Oliver is terribly allergic to cats - his face got red, splotchy and swollen after he brushed the cat's fur (thank goodness Grandma had children's allergy medicine on hand). It was hard telling him that he couldn't touch the cat anymore. We also sadly found out that he shouldn't go on the merry go round for very long...

To the boys...

2011-05-08T14:47:00.003-06:00

...who made me a mother.

Our very first child

2011-04-05T19:35:00.003-06:00

After a particularly hard day with Oliver, I feel like I need an "oh, Oliver" post... so here goes: Oliver is always surprising us, today I almost lost Oliver in a store at the mall - thank goodness I was with a friend and that there was a nice couple that helped me corner Oliver. He has surprised us by being a great helper when it comes to cleaning - he loves the vacuum, loves wiping anything as long as he gets to squirt the 409 and get his own cleaning cloth. He helps with the mopping, sweeping, and dusting. He surprised us by starting his potty training way before I thought he would! Funny story: I asked him if he wanted to be potty trained and he said "no potty train... yellow train... yes... yes, yellow train." So, I bribed him with a train ride if he would wear underwear and keep them dry. It has worked for the last couple days. I never know what to expect from Oliver. Each adventure with him teaches me a lesson. Today I learned that I need more patience and better punishments, and maybe even stronger muscles... boy, is he strong. Here I am at the end of one of the hardest days with Oliver and I'm still just loving him - I must be a mother.

The second child

2011-04-05T18:58:00.006-06:00

Our poor Sammy gets neglected sometimes, but he is a sweetheart and just smiles and goes with flow. Here are a few more pictures of our second child.

Here we are just being funny. Notice how I am holding Sam's hands down? Yup, he didn't like the funny facial hair, but he's still smiling. Love it!

Sam just wants to be Oliver's friend. We can tell that Sam loves his big brother so much.

I think Sam is going to love singing and talking. He is constantly babbling with his sweet, but loud voice.

Happy Birthday Sammy!

2011-04-01T08:55:00.003-06:00

I think the pictures say everything... we are so happy to have Sammy in our lives.
Happy birthday to our baby Sam!

work and puppies

2011-03-02T08:58:00.002-07:00

My old boss asked me to come back to work temporarily, so I am going in one day a week for a month or two. It's great. I wear dressy clothes, talk to adults, ride a bus and a subway, eat my lunch in peace, and get a nice break from everyday life.

Andy snapped this picture on my first day back to work.

Oliver has not had a nap since last Thursday (I have tried, he just refuses). This is what he did in his crib yesterday - he pulled every wipe out of the container, crumpled it up, and threw it overboard. He told me that his pup pup had poo poos. Either that dog had a lot of poo poos, or he is now a very clean dog. How do you not get your camera out and laugh at that?

We have been working on redecorating our bedroom (pictures to come soon). Sam desperately needed a dresser for his clothes - we have gone 10 months without one, so here is a picture of Andy and Oliver putting together some cheap dressers from Ikea. Oliver LOVED helping! Look at his cute little hammer.

Here's another little helper in the making.

One night I walked into the living room to find both boys on the couch nibbling on their dog's noses. (Oliver stopped for a second for me to snap the picture - he is pretty much done biting - hallelujah!)

the boys

2011-02-22T13:15:00.002-07:00

We have had a few sweet moments of the boys playing happily together. Here is one of those moments caught on camera.

Sammy

2011-02-11T12:10:00.001-07:00

My little Sammy is 10 months old. He is a smiley, sweet, talkative baby. He also just started walking... yikes!

Ho Ho Ho... in January???

2011-01-17T12:15:00.003-07:00

So, maybe I'm a little slow to post Christmas pictures... but the secret is, I still have all my Christmas decorations up... so it still feels like Christmas. But tomorrow is a new holiday (my birthday!), so today is the day to take down the Christmas decorations. Bye Bye Christmas tree...

We had a great Christmas break. Andy had a whole week off, we visited family, ate yummy food, and opened some awesome presents. It took a while for Oliver to get the hang of opening his presents. He wanted to play with each toy before opening the next present, which takes forever because the toy packaging people basically glue, staple, tape, or screw the toys into their packaging... grrrr He finally got the hang of just opening the gifts and moving on... which also meant he went on a present opening rampage and started opening whatever he could get his hands on. It was a really fun morning!

Christmas picture

2011-01-06T11:23:00.006-07:00

I was pretty excited about putting together these outfits for a family picture to put in our Christmas card this year, but we didn't get the picture taken until after Christmas. Some things just don't get high priority... maybe in the coming years I will be able to do everything I want to do... I know... I'm dreaming. For now I will stick with feeding the kids and cleaning up messes - those things always get high priority.

Anyway, Merry (belated) Christmas!

2010-12-19T11:20:00.003-07:00

I love our Christmas tree this year. We got a Frasier fur and it has been worth every penny. Oliver loved decorating the tree. Check out the snowmen in the picture below - placed very carefully by our two year old. Sam enjoyed watching us from the safety of his jumperoo - seriously, he was content for almost an hour jumping and watching us decorate the tree.

It has been a crazy month filled with quite a bit of sadness and stress, but I have high hopes for this week. We are going to make the best of everything and try to get back into the spirit of Christmas. Hope all is well with my blog readers!

Somebody had a birthday!

2010-12-02T11:30:00.003-07:00

Travel

2010-11-10T19:00:00.003-07:00

I'm going to visit my sister in 3 days! Yipee! Oliver is staying home with Andy, and I'm taking Sam. I'm so excited to have a mini vacation from my everyday life. I will miss my boys while I'm gone though.

Halloween

2010-10-31T18:18:00.001-06:00

We've had a rough week being sick, and had to miss a few fun Halloween parties. I was pretty bummed. We were all going to dress up - me as Dorothy, Oliver as the cowerdly lion, Sam as the tin man, and Andy as a scarecrow, but I didn't finish all of the costumes, maybe next year? I did manage to finish Oliver's costume, so we took him trick-or-treating for the first time and boy, did he get the hang of it. It's a good thing he was so adorable because he kept asking for more, which to me seems greedy, but the people couldn't resist and treated him to lots of candy.

On a side note: Oliver was not happy to dress up. We basically had to pin him down and use brute force, but in the end I think we would all agree it was worth it! Happy Halloween.

Oliver is Two!

2010-10-19T11:11:00.003-06:00

It has been 2 great years with Oliver. He is smart and fun and loves to laugh. He is learning to imitate us and get dressed and undressed by himself. He loves helping us do whatever we are doing - whether it's dishes, cooking, repairing things around the house, cleaning the bathroom, putting on my makeup, vacuuming, doing laundry... he likes to help with everything! He is very talkative. I hear him put 4 word phrases together. For instance he likes to quote from his favorite show, Kipper, "wait for the milk! wait for the milk!" He makes us laugh. I just can't imagine life without him. Happy birthday Oliver!

2010-09-15T12:14:00.005-06:00

Here are a few miscellaneous pictures of our lives and a quick update. Oliver is growing up so quickly - he is almost 2! He is saying 3 word phrases, getting into "trouble", and being as sweet as ever. Sam is growing quickly too - he is 5 1/2 months old, loves to stand and play in his jumperoo, and just started rice cereal this week. I am bored of my blog, which is why I'm not posting very much, and enjoying life as a mother of two. Andy told me recently that the best part of his day is coming home and getting a big hug from Oliver. They are good buds.

This is Just the Start

2010-09-01T06:36:00.004-06:00

A rare moment caught on camera.

Ollie loved the chickens!

2010-08-22T20:00:00.002-06:00

Blueberry Picking

2010-08-13T20:03:00.003-06:00

Can't wait to go blueberry picking tomorrow! We are visiting Andy's parents for the weekend and are so excited. There will be blueberries, chickens, a garden to tend, perhaps a little shopping, delicious food, and a relaxing environment! Here are some pictures from a year ago! So much has changed. Stay tuned for pictures from this blueberry trip!

Sam's Blessing

2010-08-13T19:51:00.003-06:00

Sam was blessed on July 4th. Both sets of grandparents made the long journey for the event. They also got an amazing view of the Macy's fireworks that same day! Thanks for coming!

Family Pictures

2010-08-05T18:18:00.002-06:00

We visited my family in Michigan for a few weeks in July and while we were there, my cousin came over and took family pictures. All of my siblings made it home for a much needed reunion - I had not seen my brother Bryce and his family in 3 and a half years! It was so much fun. I hope we meet up again soon!

Here's a picture of all of the grandchildren.
Thanks to my awesome niece Olivia for holding Sam!

Here's my whole family. Boy, do I love them!

You're right!

2010-08-01T19:27:00.003-06:00

Everyone was right! Oliver is the picture on top and Sam is on bottom.

In other news, Sam is smiling, cooing and giggling! We love it!

Who's Who?

2010-07-29T10:41:00.003-06:00

I keep hearing that Sam and Oliver look so much alike... what do you think? Can you tell them apart?

July 4th

2010-07-25T19:01:00.001-06:00

Visitors

2010-06-26T19:13:00.003-06:00

This is a catch-up post. My awesome mom flew out here the day after Sam was born to help us out. She did many loads of laundry, got up with Oliver, played with Oliver, changed diapers, made dinner, let us go on two dates, and had a happy disposition through it all. I on the other hand, stayed in bed, cried, was tired, and bossy, let's just say it was soooo nice to have my mom here right away.

Andy's mom came a couple weeks after Sam was born and was just as helpful - made us some yummy dinners, helped with laundry, let me nap, took Oliver to the park, and helped us get a cool sandbox for Oliver - gotta love our mommies!

My sister visited Memorial Day weekend and it was great. We went shopping (multiple times), did touristy stuff in the city, went to the beach, played at the park, took a few walks, there wasn't a boring minute. Thanks for visiting!

Catching a snuggle session with Sam and Grandma B.

A little lovin' from Sam. He might be thinking: is that my mommy? Do we look like twins? Some people think so...

Here we are in Little Italy after eating yummy pizza!

A 4 letter word never sounded so sweet

2010-06-19T18:51:00.002-06:00

Dada: this word is said multiple times a day at our house. Oliver always asks for Dada in the morning (usually Andy is gone by the time Oliver wakes up). He thinks whenever the front door of our apartment opens and shuts that it's Dada. When Andy comes home from work, no matter what kind of day it was, Oliver runs over to him with a big smile saying "Dada, dada, dada!". We love Dada!

mischief and peace

2010-06-11T12:59:00.003-06:00

Oliver: aka: mischief
Samuel: aka: peace

Watch out big bro

2010-06-09T20:20:00.003-06:00

"If you steal my socks from off my feet one more time... you're going to get it..." - Sam

Oliver, Sam, and a Countdown!

2010-05-24T06:53:00.004-06:00

My sister is coming to visit in 4 days!!!! We are going to have lots of fun snuggling with Sam, chasing Oliver, shopping, maybe going to the beach, hitting up the fabric shops in NYC, and checking out Times Square! I can't wait! Oh, and here are a few pictures of my adorable kids too!

This is Sam's new pack and play. He loves looking at the owl mobile - and so do I. It's so cute.

This is our morning ritual: After Oliver wakes up, Andy brings him into the bedroom and sets up the laptop with a tv show. Oliver will sit pretty still for about 20 minutes which allows me to get a few more minutes of sleep.

This picture shows off Sam's double chin. He is doing well and plumping up very nicely.

Andy took this picture on Mother's day and I just love how Sam is looking at me.

Oliver is quite the big brother. I asked him to hold the bottle while I finished packing the diaper bag and he was excited to help.

Oh Oliver!

2010-05-05T11:17:00.005-06:00

Oh Oliver! The messes you make, the trouble, the spills, the fits you throw when you don't want to get into the car or come in from a walk, but then you give me a hug and pat my back or you give me a kiss... and "Oh Oliver" sounds a lot sweeter.

Oliver definitely keeps us on our toes. He is a 30 pound 18 month old with lots of curiosity and the ability to make us smile and feel important.

Some of his favorite things are dogs, going on walks, bath time, bubbles, Kipper (a tv show based on a book), vacuums, the Swiffer, brooms, zippers, keys, the locks on the doors, sitting in the driver's seat of the car and pushing buttons and putting the key in and out of the ignition (daddy lets him do it), he loves playing hide and seek, being chased, and going through the tunnel "nunnel" that Andy makes with our couch cushions. He is so full of energy and always ready to play--we love him!

Happy Due Date

2010-05-05T10:53:00.002-06:00

It's crazy to think that today is my due date! Sam is 5 weeks old and has definitely wiggled his way into my heart. Sometimes I pretend that Sam is still nursing when he is actually done - I just want to keep holding him (and it doesn't hurt to get out of doing some of the chores!). I feel like I've already forgotten how tiny he was when he was born. Please stay little Sam, but feel free to sleep through the night. :)

Can you tell...

2010-04-26T18:10:00.001-06:00

...which one is Sam?

2010-04-19T10:14:00.003-06:00

Sam is growing quickly. At 1 week, he weighed exactly 5 lbs; at 2 weeks, he weighed 5 lbs 13 oz! It's so much fun to watch Sam change and grow, but I just hope it doesn't happen too quickly, cuz I love snuggling with my newborn.

I love how chubby Sam's cheeks look in this picture.

Oliver is warming up to "baby Sam". At first he wanted nothing to do with Sam, he ignored him and would push him away when Sam got close. I know we are making progress because I watched Oliver try to pick up Sam today - yikes!

Right after Sam's first bath.

Our happy family... by the way, it is a coincidence that we are all wearing green/white. :)

Zippers

2010-04-13T17:51:00.003-06:00

This is how I found Oliver this morning! He's been really into zippers lately.

The Story: Samuel David

2010-04-11T11:26:00.002-06:00

For all those interested, here is my labor story:

I woke up last Wednesday morning at 8, after having a very restless night of hot flashes, and noticed I was bleeding a little. This put me in a panic, because the day before I thought I'd felt a few contractions, but didn't think much of them because I had a bad cough and felt like I'd have a contraction after coughing really hard. So, I tried to stay calm - I got Ollie up, and tried to take care of him, the more lifting I did, the faster the contractions came, so I thought that the contractions were just linked to me doing too much. There was no way I could be in labor, right?

After making a few phone calls, Andy decided to come home from work and put me on bed rest. My doctor said, if the bleeding continues, come to the hospital, but if it stops, just come see him at his office the next day, and if I have the baby early, 35 weeks isn't bad. Neither of us wanted the baby to come so soon. I started keeping track of my contractions and realized even when I wasn't moving, I was still having them consistently, around 8-12 minutes apart. If I stood up and did anything physical or coughed really hard, the contractions came quicker. I also started bleeding again. Now that I'm writing this story, I feel stupid for not realizing I was in labor.

Andy would not let me move - he put in a movie for me to watch and took care of Oliver. My sister called me around noon and in a very kind way said I should call my doctor back and encouraged us to go to the hospital to be checked out. I called my doctor's office, and talked to one of the nurses - she said we should go to the hospital and that she would call ahead and let them know we were coming. My heart skipped a beat, but I tried to stay calm and I think the way I stayed calm was that I kept telling myself I wasn't in labor.

I arranged for Oliver to be watched by a friend. She just happened to be out and said she would swing by to pick up Oliver. Andy packed a bag for Oliver while I showered and put on my makeup - such an essential thing to do. He asked me what I wanted to bring and I said just a water bottle and maybe my glasses (why did I need to bring anything? I was coming home in a couple hours). While we waited for my friend, I tried to convince myself I wasn't having any contractions and stopped writing them down. Maybe we didn't need to go to the hospital after all.

Oliver was picked up around 2. I got myself to the car while Andy helped get Oliver settled. I really didn't think I was in pain - I just didn't feel good. I had a bad cold and was so tired. I kept debating with myself whether or not I could actually be in labor. As we drove to the hospital, Andy and I said to each other "wouldn't it be a relief if we really were in labor - I wouldn't have to be pregnant, he wouldn't have to rush home from work again, we wouldn't have to worry if I was in labor again..." It was a very calm ride - Andy timed my contractions and they were coming every 6 minutes. We arrived at the hospital around 2:45 and had to wait for the triage room to become available. I was starting to get anxious - I just wanted to know what was going on with me. They took me in around 3:00 and hooked me up to monitors. Yes, I was having real contractions. The nurse monitored me for about 15 minutes and then check my progress. I was 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Holy cow! I was in labor. They were admitting me. My heart started racing.

While we walked to the delivery room, I kept asking the nurse "So, am I really in labor?" "Is there any turning back now?" "Does this mean I'm going to have a baby today?" Yes, our baby was coming. They hooked me up to monitors, called my doctor, asked me a bunch of medical questions, and sent Andy to buy a disposable camera because we didn't think to bring one. About 30 minutes later my doctor shows up and says "Surprise!" which made me laugh - what if I'd waited to see him in his office the next day? Couldn't he have said to me on the phone "you might be in labor..." Oh well. I asked him if we could make sure the baby came before midnight because I really didn't want an April fool's baby. He said, the baby would be here by 7:30 pm. Andy commented "why, do you have dinner plans?" We all laughed - turns out he had some lecture thing and my nurse would be off her shift, but he assured us that he'd be there as late as we needed. He checked my progress and I was still at 4 cm - I was feeling quite a bit of pain with each contraction and wasn't sure if I'd be able to go to a 10 by myself. I felt like I wasn't mentally prepared.

My doctor asked if I wanted an epidural and I said I wasn't sure yet. He encouraged it and so did the nurse, he said, once I got the epidural, he'd come in and break my water and we'd have the baby. That plan sounded good to me. I got the epidural, which was very painful - the anesthesiologist had to try 3 times before it worked. I was hugging a pillow trying to sing some hymns while he kept trying. I was worried that my labor was slowing down because I wasn't feeling any contractions while he was poking holes in my back, but once the epidural was in place, the nurse checked me and said I was at 8 cm! She called my doctor and my room started filling up with people. There was a nurse and a doctor for the baby. They had an oxygen tank set up. We talked about what some of the risks were for our baby and what would happen to him after he was born. I was very uncomfortable at this point. The epidural wasn't working the way I thought it should. I felt my contractions. The nurse checked me again - I was at a 9. She could feel my water and wanted to break it, but waited for my doctor. He was paged to hurry. He came, broke my water and I started pushing. I felt so much pain while pushing. I was digging Andy's hand with each contraction. I kept saying - ouch, I don't want to push, I don't want to push. I will leave some details out right here, but just know - the stupid epidural did not work like I wish it had. 20 minutes later, I heard a cry. 6:21 pm - just 3 hours after we were admitted, Samuel arrived. Everything was okay. He didn't have to be hooked up to the oxygen or go to the NICU. We feel so blessed and lucky that Samuel was healthy. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates!

Pictures from the Hospital

2010-04-09T18:01:00.009-06:00

We were quite surprised to have Samuel arrive 5 weeks early and did not even pack a hospital bag, which means we did not have our camera. So, after we found out I was actually in labor, Andy ran to a pharmacy and bought a disposable camera. Here are some of the better pictures.

Just minutes before Samuel's arrival.

A proud papa.

Check out the cute badge the hospital gave Oliver: I'm the Big brother!

Yea! We are finally going home!

Surprise!

2010-04-03T14:30:00.003-06:00

We were totally surprised on Wednesday! Meet Samuel David!
Born: March 31 at 6:21 pm
Weight: 5 lbs 4 oz
Length: 19.25 inches

Pictures, Pregnancy, and Prioritizing

2010-03-25T12:45:00.005-06:00

Mom, you recently asked how big my stomach was, well, some say it's small - I say it's huge - you be the judge, here's a picture. Our baby weighed in at 4lbs 13oz at my Dr. appt on Tuesday. Only 6 weeks left and I've already hit my nesting phase. I'm driving myself and Andy crazy with the list of projects I want to finish before the baby comes. For some reason I think my crafting and projects will end once the baby #2 is here. So, whatever isn't finished before baby comes, won't ever be finished? Andy always tells me to prioritize and it turns out that most of the things I think I need to do, actually don't need to be done. That is why I am now going to lay in bed and watch a movie instead of finishing the dress I'm making myself. There's always tomorrow, right?

In other news, we've been really busy here. We went to Andy's parent's house, to the zoo, celebrated St. Patrick's day with friends, and have done a few house projects. Below are pictures of all that fun.

Oliver fed Grandma's chickens and loved it. Thanks for a great weekend Grandma!

Here's Oliver waiting for the otters to swim by.

My little family dressed in green! Corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread - yumm! Actually after smelling it cook all day, I did not want to eat it, but everyone else said it tasted good - thanks! (I made the shirt Oliver is wearing just for St. Patty's day - tip: pre-wash/shrink your fabric before sewing. The shirt is now waiting for Oliver's little brother.

We reupholstered our dining room chairs and painted the hutch in the background. These chairs had 3 disgusting layers of disintegrating fabric and hundreds of staples and disgusting cushioning. It was a much needed change. (We used white faux leather.)

My Little Buddy

2010-03-03T19:00:00.003-07:00

Ollie and I are buds. We have a lot in common. He is adorable - some say I'm adorable, he has a good sense of humor - I do too, he loves stuffed animals - I do too, he loves cookies, candy, and smoothies - I do too, he loves Andy - well, what do you know, I do too.

Our silly kid

2010-02-18T18:33:00.003-07:00

Oliver loves to be just like us... whether it's shoveling, doing dishes, typing on the computer, painting, or just being silly... he is there to copy us. Little does he know, someday he will dread doing all of these things. If only he could stay so sweet and innocent...

Birthday Picture

2010-02-07T15:25:00.003-07:00

Here's a picture from my birthday. Andy did a good job buying me presents this year and even helped make me cupcakes. He had to work though, and I had to spend the day doing laundry and packing, but it wasn't too bad when I knew it was my special day! Thanks for all those who wished me a happy birthday!

Belly Shot

2010-02-01T19:54:00.004-07:00

In my 3rd trimester! 13 weeks to go - tons to do before the baby comes - including coming up with a name. Tons I want to do before the baby comes - including using my new birthday present from Andy and Oliver - a dress form. Loving my sweet Oliver and the cute things he does. He decided all on his own to give "pup pup" a ride in his dump truck. Loving being home with Andy. Loving life.

I'm back!

2010-01-29T11:52:00.004-07:00

We just returned from a much needed trip to see my sister and her family. Oliver got a bad ear infection from flying and spent the first part of the trip feeling miserable - and making my trip miserable. We learned he doesn't like to sleep when he's sick, and he didn't want me out of his sight. Despite the sickness, we still managed to have fun. We played with tons of new toys, saw my mom, dad, and little brother, went out to eat, went shopping multiple times, did crafts, watched tv, went to a movie, and just relaxed... oh, and we cut Oliver's hair so we could spike it - Andy's reaction - "That's not normal for a baby." I replied "It's better than me putting bows in his hair."

Oliver LOVED these vacuums!

This is how Oliver had to sleep for nap time while he was sick.

Chicago, Birthday, Fun, Etc...

2010-01-17T17:34:00.004-07:00

If only tomorrow were today, I would be eating cupcakes and opening presents! And if only Tuesday were today, I would be in Chicago with my sister and her family! And if only yesterday were today, I would be shopping by myself again and eating out with Andy and Oliver. However, today is today and I'm just going to have to wait!

In the meantime, here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Oliver loves shoes! He plays with our shoes every day. He especially loves my white sandal wedges, but for his sake there are no pictures of that... :)

While I was on the phone, Oliver found a blue colored pencil and found a new writing surface - his face! He was sad when I took away the pencil.

My dad visited for a weekend. We enjoyed his company a lot! We played with Oliver, went shopping, ate at a Peruvian restaurant, and Andy and I got to go on a date! Thanks for visiting!

Snow!!

2010-01-11T18:26:00.003-07:00

Andy and I grew up in cold, winter climates where winter seemed to last forever and the snow would stick around until April! It's been a nice change to live in a climate where it has only snowed 3 times and then melted within a few days, but sad at the same time too - we like snow! A couple weeks ago we finally had an opportunity to take Oliver out in the snow - I'm pretty sure we were more excited about it than he was!

Oliver got brave enough to put his foot in the snow - I'm pretty sure I said "good boy" and clapped for him!

Here he is pulling one of his favorite toys from Grandma B. Yes, we let him play with it in the house and pull him around - it's hard to say no to him when he says "sle, sle," sits down in it and gives us the rope.

Here is our makeshift sledding hill - perfect for Oliver and with a killer view!

Christmas

2009-12-27T06:55:00.009-07:00

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A digital piano with 88 keys.

On the 18th day of Christmas, Andy's brother visited us
So he could go to NYC on the bus.

*note: Nick was making a movie and does not have a mustache or glasses...

On the 20th day of Christmas, Oliver got the tummy flu
We were sad and said "boo who!"

*Oliver was wobbly when he was sick and kept falling into things - it amazes me he's still happy!

On the 23rd day of Christmas, to a cabin in the Adirondacks we went
And stayed in a plush, warm, cabin - not a tent!

*We didn't have a traditional tree this year, but it was still fun to decorate.

On the 25th day of Christmas, Santa found his way
And we had such a wonderful, happy day!

*Oliver was asleep for most of the present unwrapping, but he loved playing with his new toys!

My big present to Andy: A treasure hunt and a Holga camera.

Aunt Ashley sure knows how to make Oliver happy!

Oliver didn't make it easy for grandpa to finish his pool game.

On the 26th day of Christmas, Andy, Oliver, and I drove home in yucky rain.
And on Sunday no church because of a break in a water main.

On the last week in December, the best gift is yet to be given
A week of Andy at home - now that's what I call livin'!

21 weeks on the 21st

2009-12-21T17:38:00.002-07:00

I know most people already know this, but for those that don't... here's a newsy post! I'm pregnant - 21 weeks to be exact. A little brother for Oliver to play with will arrive at the beginning of May (unless I go early like I did with Oliver).

My first trimester was easier this time than it was with Oliver - I think the biggest reason was because I wasn't commuting into the city and I was able to nap when Oliver did. I was still very nauseous and only within the last few weeks have I really wanted to start eating dinner again. Thank goodness for cereal and milk, which always hits the spot.

The house will be full of boys, which is never how I pictured it, but I do remember saying that I wanted all boys because they will be easier as teenagers. I believe I said this when I was living with 5 other girls and couldn't stand all the drama. Anyways, we are happy! More updates to come... with pictures.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-10T08:11:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving break was so much fun. The night before, we went into the city and saw some of the parade balloons. For Thanksgiving day, we went to Andy's Grandma's and had a delicious meal followed by some outdoor fun. The rest of the weekend was spent working on the house, hanging with friends and celebrating Andy's birthday!

Just Because

2009-11-17T13:14:00.002-07:00

Baby Shower

2009-11-15T17:52:00.005-07:00

My sister-in-law, Ashley, is having her first baby - a girl! I helped throw her a shower yesterday and it turned out great. Here are some pictures:

The guests.

We served lunch prepared all by my mother-in-law - thank you!

We played silly games and laughed until we cried. Grandma and Aunt Mary didn't quite know how to put on a disposable diaper - they were asking for pins!

The gifts:

My niece, Florence, made this satin, pink hippo - it was awesome!

I made this quilt for Ashley - it was a labor of love because I quilted around every hippo!

We let Oliver visit us at the end of the shower and he got some attention from Great Grandma and cousin Robin.

I am what I am... or am I?

2009-11-01T12:54:00.002-07:00

Ever since Andy showed me the Popeye movie with Robin Williams, I have wanted us to dress up as Olive Oyl and Popeye, but I thought we should wait until we had a lil' swee'pea to dress up too. Well, this was the year! I bought the fabric, planned out the costumes, and sewed them up. I spent hours on them this week - Oliver was such a sport to play by himself and watch Baby Einstein over and over. I started my skirt last week, and then did everything else starting on Monday. I made goals for each day and was able to complete all of the costumes on time. I even made Oliver's pants with little belt loops!

Ollie's Party

2009-10-27T06:59:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite birthday traditions is the cake. When I was growing up, we told my mom what we wanted and she would decorate really cool cakes, so I'm going to keep that tradition going. This is a spinach can cake to go with Oliver's Popeye themed birthday party. It's chocolate cake with a mousse filling.

Note: I actually don't know how much Oliver weighs - it's just a guess.

The birthday menu: Whimpy burgers, spinach-artichoke dip, veggie tray, chips and dip, cookies, candy, and of course cake and ice cream.

Oliver's first burger - he actually ate a few bites.

Oliver invited some of his closest friends and was happy they could come.

This face describes it all - he did not like his cake! Maybe next year?

We survived year 1 as a family of 3!

2009-10-19T19:39:00.010-06:00

The good news is: Oliver is still alive and so are we!
How can there be any bad news... Oliver turns 1 today!

Oliver didn't start out as a happy baby - some observed that he never seemed content - perhaps bored. All he needed was a little time, oh, and the freedom to move and wiggle. I've watched him become happier as he learned to roll, crawl, and now walk, and I think he's on the verge of trying to run. Now we find ourselves laughing and smiling all the time together, and Oliver has the best giggle.

He loves to be chased and scared. Andy will hide around a corner and say "boo" when Oliver gets close. Oliver just screams with delight and giggles up a storm. It's sooo cute!

Oliver can do two signs - "more" and "all done". He can also say "kitty". He doesn't call me mama yet, but he knows who "dada" is. When I hear Andy unlocking the door, I'll say "dada's home" and Oliver immediately gets excited, smiles and walks over to the door.

He loves to push buttons, whether they are my buttons, or the buttons on the remote, VCR, cell phone, credit card machine at the store, the keyboard or mouse, he just loves it.

Oliver is constantly amazing me with the little things he can do: giving hugs, saying "vrooomm" when he's pushing a car, climbing up onto random objects, sitting still to watch parts of Baby Einstein, and getting excited when it's time to go outside.

I can't wait to see what this next year will bring.

Happy Birthday Oliver!

Outing in the Park

2009-10-04T05:21:00.004-06:00

Oliver enjoys going to the park near our house and has learned to go down the slide by himself and enjoys swinging. Andy was able to go with us one time and brought along the camera – so enjoy some pictures.

Mommy's little monster

2009-09-06T13:25:00.003-06:00

Oliver has grown up: he is in a big boy car seat, loves to feed himself (favorite food: frozen blueberries - he eats them until his mouth and lips turn blue, can play on his own (making messes though), and has started walking. He is so much fun to watch.

Luck of the Irish

2009-08-12T08:56:00.009-06:00

As luck would have it, Oliver got really sick for the first time while I was home on vacation. His temperature reached 105 degrees which landed him in the ER. The diagnosis: an ear infection. He was quite the trooper and managed to have fun. Luckily for Oliver and me, we had two professional moms to help us get through this tough time - thanks to my mom and sister! (can't forget a thanks to my dad who got up with Oliver at 5 am so I could sleep in!)

While we were home, we went to the new bakery in town three times, went shopping six times, swimming twice, to a family reunion, to Grandma's house twice, church, a Branch picnic, the movies ($4 for admission, $1 for popcorn - I love small towns!), the salon for a much needed hair cut, and the park, and managed to do all of this with little sleep and a sick baby.

Here are some pictures from my trip home to the little town o' Clare. (Funny Fact: My town not only celebrates St. Patrick's Day, but it also celebrates Half-way to St. Patrick's Day.)

My rosy cheeks baby

What's weird is this picture was taken 4 or 5 hours before going to the ER.

Cute Uncle Steven showing Oliver how to roll.

I wish I had a better picture of Oliver playing with Flash (the cat). Oliver would start crawling after Flash, and then Flash would take a few steps ahead, stop, turn and wait for Oliver to catch up. It was so fun to watch.

My grandma and the white fluffy cat that all of her great-grandchildren love to play with - I'm pretty sure Oliver thought it was real.

This is my best friend from middle school and her son, Weston. She had her little boy 4 weeks before Oliver. I hope we get together every time I visit.

Oliver hanging out with the boys at our branch picnic celebrating Pioneer Day. Notice that my dad is wearing a jacket and Oliver is wearing long sleeves and pants - where did summer go?

My niece, Olivia, is going to be a good mommy some day!

Bye bye Grandma and Grandpa!

Home at last in familiar arms!

A Ton of Pictures

2009-06-21T18:39:00.004-06:00

We finally found the perfect new apartment. We spent the last two months looking, packing, moving, painting, and unpacking - it's been exhausting, but I think we'll finally be able to start enjoying our new place. Here are a few pics to highlight our last month.

Hello new apartment.

Bye bye old apartment.
I think Oliver had fun helping us pack.
We hired four men to help move us out of our old apartment.
I finally counted the number of steps into our old apartment: 59
The number of steps I have to climb to our new apartment: 6
The apartment wasn't ready when we moved in, so we helped paint. After 3 weeks, we are finally done painting and are almost done unpacking boxes - I believe we have 5 more to go!
This isn't what the kitchen looks like now, it's much cleaner and organized. Once everything is decorated, I'll put up new pictures.
Here's a picture of our private backyard. We can't wait for the rain to stop so we can BBQ!

This is a Happy Father's Day picture. Oliver's shirt says "My Daddy Rocks".

Here's a picture of Andy "Rocking". Happy Father's Day!

Boston

2009-05-26T14:02:00.001-06:00

Andy and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary by taking a trip to Boston. We liked the city so much, maybe we'll move there some day. The weather was rainy and a bit cold, but we still had lots of fun - we walked the Freedom Trail, ate yummy Boston style pizza and had delicious Italian pastries, we went to the Aquarium, took a ride on the swan boats, and of course... did a ton of walking!

After Boston, we headed to Danvers, MA, where Andy's dad grew up, for a family reunion. It was a great vacation!

Trouble

2009-05-14T12:27:00.006-06:00

Oliver is 7 months old. Two weeks ago he weighed in at 18.7 pounds and was 27.5 inches long! He is cutting his first tooth and has a little cold, so things are a bit tough right now, but that's not slowing him down.

He is crawling and pulling himself up in his crib and onto our furniture. He pulls things out of our coffee table and loves to play with anything besides his toys. I'm pretty sure he knows he shouldn't play with our cell phones or remotes, but it's so hard to say no to his adorable face.

"look mom, no hands!"

I left Oliver for a minute and came back to find him like this - he pulled out all of his diapers - what a turkey!

You're Hired!

2009-05-10T15:28:00.006-06:00

About six months ago, I was offered a high-paying job with awesome benefits, but before I could start, I had to pass a test. The test took 20 hours to complete, was physically demanding, and tested my ultimate endurance... I passed and quickly surrendered to my new boss - his first demand sounded like "waaaaa waaaaa waaaaa!" I jumped in and worked 24 hours a day and was rewarded with a precious child and a wonderful new title: MOM!

I don't have direct deposit into my bank account, but I do directly get payed with smiles, giggles, and the feeling of accomplishment each time I see Oliver hit a milestone. The awesome benefits: being a stay-at-home-mom, shopping for cute clothes, playing with toys, and taking long walks. I am truly grateful and happy that I am a mom.

Happy Mother's day!

Happy 3 Years and Counting!

2009-04-28T21:55:00.007-06:00

After three long years of marriage a lot of couples are throwing in the towel, giving marriage the old heave ho, hasta la vista sucka. But not here in Jersey City - we're enjoying every moment and wondering how we ever got along without each other. Now I can't speak for Tamara, but the way I figure it, I'm one lucky guy. Most people seeing the two of us together would have to agree, but I think people should know that my luck runs far deeper than marring a girl with astounding good looks. I feel so blessed to have such a talented, compassionate, and loving wife. Here is a short list of why Tamara is so great...

Tamara is almost always up for an adventure - From canoeing down the river to moving to NYC.
Tamara has something I call the excited smile - Disney Land or Oliver might spur one of these.
Tamara is super creative - she sews, designs, decorates, knits, draws, writes, sings, bakes and knows about fashion.
Tamara loves to play games - From Skip-Bo to tennis she'll give you a run for your money.
Tamara makes our house a home - there's no other place I'd rather be.
Tamara keeps my waist growing with delicious food - she is one skinny chef that you can trust!
Tamara likes to pop out and startle me - for some reason I scream like a girl when I get startled and then we laugh and laugh.
Tamara is Oliver's mother - seeing them together brings so much meaning to my life.

After three wonderful years of marriage I think I've just scratched the surface of why I'm lucky to be married to my wife. Tamara, I love you so much and hope you know that I truly am grateful for all the hard work you put into making our family happy. I love you, I'm looking forward to another great year. Happy Anniversary!

Love,
Andrew

Ollie met the chickens

2009-04-19T14:38:00.006-06:00

For Easter weekend, Andy, Oliver, and I headed to upstate NY where Oliver met his Uncle Nick, Aunt Anna, Uncle Jacob and Aunt Emily, and cousins Florence, Lorenzo, Lehi, and Naomi. He also met Grandma's chickens! Oh, what yummy eggs they lay! After having so much fun on Saturday and Sunday, Oliver and I decided to stay for a few more days and sent Andy home with Pete and Ashley.

In other news, Oliver pulled himself up on the side of the crib Friday and stood long enough to chew on the rail. He really likes to move - whether it's rolling on a blanket, walking while we hold his hands, jumping in his jumperoo, or just climbing on me while I hold him - he never seems content to just chill. As Uncle Nick observed and stated: Oliver seems anxious to live life.

Here's Oliver with his cousins Lehi and Lorenzo

Here we are in our Easter outfits.

I chopped my hair last week and surprised Andy. I hope it doesn't look too much like a mom-do.

I love my boys!

Giggles

2009-04-03T13:03:00.003-06:00

Da Bronx

2009-03-29T13:23:00.004-06:00

We traveled to the Bronx yesterday to see Pete and Ashley and also to tour the famous Hall of Fame (located on the Bronx Community College campus, which was originally NYU;). I had my doubts about the tour, but it turned out to be awesome - so much US history and best of all it was free! After the tour we ate yummy homemade pizza! Thanks for inviting us - it was so fun!

"I love you Aunt Ashley!"

Lately

2009-03-22T14:03:00.006-06:00

I can't believe how quickly it happens... my baby is not a newborn anymore. He plays with toys, eats cereal, smiles, giggles, rolls over... how do I slow it down?

We've been busy lately - my mom visited us for a whole week, we've gone into the city twice in the past 5 days, we've done a lot of shopping - I dragged my mom and Oliver around Jersey Gardens for about 6 hours! We visited Andy at work, ate at Chocolate by the Bald Man - yumm-o (thanks for the recommendation Addy!), visited my old co-workers, started the hunt for new apartments, and have managed to keep up on housework (thanks to my mom while she was here). There have been no dull moments in the past few weeks. Here are some highlights!

Oliver loves this phone from Grandma - it can keep him entertained for a quite a while!

"Ewww... lotion's for girls."

"I'm going to be a missionary some day - and a ladies man..."

We love it when Andy's home!

Grandma brought Oliver an early b-day present - can anyone guess? A Curious George book!

Oliver wanted to hold the glass, so we decided to let him drink out of it - it was soooo cute!

p.s. you might not want to drink out of this cup when I'm done.

Andy said this is his favorite picture - I am of course looking at my pride and joy!

Pictures

2009-03-03T19:31:00.005-07:00

Life is going great for us! Oliver continues to grow, Andy continues to balance his busy schedule, and I continue to sharpen my stay at home mom skills - I'm lovin' it!
This picture cracks me up! I love Ollie's big eyes.
Oliver is becoming quite the "mama's boy" and loves to be held by me.

This was from my birthday a while back. Oliver wasn't sure what to think of the bright lights.
My sister took this amazing picture of little Oliver's feet - I love it!
My mom took this picture when she was here visiting - she caught all of us taking a little snooze.

Fabulous and Free from Me!

2009-03-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

I just got lucky and won something on a friend's blog and now I am passing it forward. How lucky are you? I double dare you to accept this challenge. This game involves a few of my favorite things: handmade goods, creativity, and gift-giving.

Here are the tagging instructions: The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it.

Smile

2009-02-22T17:05:00.004-07:00

These smiles make me feel like I'm doing a great job as a mother. It's all the reward I need for my effort and hard work.

"Hello? Is your refrigerator running?... You better go catch it... hehehe" - Oliver

Check it out Yo'

2009-02-12T06:31:00.003-07:00

So, I have a very creative husband who has recently made this really cool hanging lamp and took some cool pictures of the views from our windows. Check out his blog if you have some extra time... Warning: you might be blown away from the coolness.

http://baggybritches.blogspot.com/

Gotta love the love

2009-02-09T15:16:00.004-07:00

We've been having a lot of fun showing Oliver off to family. He finally met his Grandpa B. this weekend and a few weeks ago he met his Great Grandma and Grandpa J. We love our family and love our little Oliver!

One of these is not like the others

2009-01-30T14:14:00.004-07:00

Each of these monkeys were given to me by Andy and have a special meaning. I love them, but I love the one in the middle more than the others!

"Big Curious, you're getting monkey fleas on me... hehehe" - Oliver

Oliver is 3 months old and is as cute as can be. He apparently had a growth spurt since his two month check up and the stats are as follows:
13 pounds 12 ounces: 25-50 percentile
25.5 inches long: 75-90 percentile
40.5 cm head circumference: 25-50 percentile

Introducing Ollie the Owl

2009-01-28T13:40:00.009-07:00

I love being crafty! Yesterday I added a little pizazz to a hand towel and today I made a stuffed owl. If you are interested in the "how-to" for these crafts, let me know and if enough people are interested, I will spend my next bit of spare time giving instructions!

Baby Boot Camp

2009-01-18T13:58:00.016-07:00

My sister and I enlisted Ollie into baby boot camp two weeks ago. I felt like things were getting out of control with never knowing what Oliver really needed, so Kristy suggested that I read a few pages in Baby Wise on how to get your baby into a schedule. Ollie has now graduated from baby boot camp and is happily into a schedule, which means I'm happier and know what to expect throughout the day. In other wonderful news - Oliver is sleeping through the night. He slept through the night for the first time two Sunday's ago and has consistently done so, which also makes for a happier baby and mommy!

Ollie Update

2009-01-04T20:08:00.006-07:00

Our new camera takes way nicer pictures...

i LOVE my Boys

2008-12-09T06:57:00.003-07:00

My two favorite people: Andy and Ollie.
Andy has been a wonderful new father and has done a great job taking care of me during my recovery. When I was first nursing, I would get so incredibly thirsty--Andy would bring me water with a straw and hold the cup while I drank. Instead of complaining about how often he found himself doing this, he smiled and called me his little water buffalo (I know that doesn't really mean anything, but I thought it was a cute nick name).

Ollie is falling into a routine, which helps me get through my days. He's been sleeping very well during the night and enjoys bath time. He calms down when he hears running water and maybe gave us his first smile this morning. Hopefully I can catch it on camera soon or hopefully he'll become a happier baby. Either way, I'm a happy mother!

The Best Baby

2008-12-02T10:04:00.003-07:00

Once upon a time... or maybe it was Sunday night... Andy and I put Oliver to sleep at 10:30 pm and didn't wake up until 5:30 am! I was soooo happy! Then to make things even better - Oliver was only awake for an hour and then slept for 3 more hours! I got my beauty sleep and then some - watch out Heidi Klum - any more of these nights and I'll be taking your place!

One Month Ollie

2008-11-24T12:23:00.002-07:00

We took our little Ollie in for his one month check up. He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 11 oz and is now 21.5 inches long. He is getting into more of a schedule, and we are learning what his different cries mean. He eats about every two hours during the day, stays awake for at least an hour and then takes a nap. He then gets fussy every night from about 6-9 pm and then sleeps about 5 hours, is awake for an hour, and then sleeps for another 3ish hours. We are still waiting for him to smile at us, but enjoy his "smiles" as he is going to sleep or after eating. Oliver is not a snuggly baby and many times if he is fussing too much, we lay him down by himself and he calms down. We love him sooo much! Happy one month Ollie!

Oliver meets some family

2008-11-19T13:53:00.005-07:00

Oliver is taking a nice long nap, which means I have time to post new pictures! Oliver has been lucky enough to meet both of his grandmas and his Aunt Kristy and cousin Charlotte. He can't wait to meet everyone else. Below are some pictures of their visits.
Charlotte loved being able to touch Oliver, but I'm not sure if the feeling was mutual.

Grandma loves the challenge of expelling those deep down burps.
Oliver spent many hours snuggling with Grandma and loved it! We miss you Grandma B.
We may not be glamorous, but we sure do look like sisters.

My sister has never been to NYC, but we didn't have time to take her to see the sights, so we decided to introduce NYC style pizza and hope she'll come back for more!
Thanks for visiting Aunt Kristy!

The Miracle Blanket

2008-11-18T08:24:00.002-07:00

There was a miracle at our house for the past two nights... Oliver slept for five and a half hours straight thanks to the Miracle Blanket. This blanket keeps your baby super swaddled - almost like a straight jacket and it is easy to use. I plan on using it every night from now on until forever, or maybe just until he outgrows the blanket. Below is a picture of the blanket. To see how it works, go to miracleblanket.com. I'm 100% satisfied.

Let the Countdown Begin!

2008-11-09T14:48:00.002-07:00

I love counting down to special occasions - holidays, birthdays, vacations, I even count down the hours until Andy gets home from work. Counting down to Oliver's birth was the biggest countdown ever, and when he came early, the countdown ended (obviously), but I was really sad - crazy, huh? Sad that my baby came early... So when my mom asked if she should change her plane ticket to be here earlier, I said no, that I wanted something to count down to. Guess what? Only 6 more days until my mom gets here. To make the countdown even sweeter - my sister and niece found a great plane ticket and are coming to visit and will be here in 5 days! I'm soooo excited!

My Halloween baby!

2008-11-02T10:03:00.004-07:00

It's kind of crazy to think I'd been planning all year for a November baby, but I was lucky - and got an October baby and was able to dress Oliver up in some cute Halloween outfits. Maybe next year we'll do a costume.

Pictures... and plenty of them.

2008-10-27T18:30:00.006-06:00

This picture sums up how we all feel... so tired.

Oliver has wild arms - he doesn't like them to be swaddled.

For you Uncle Steven: "I can take you - put 'em up"

Old man pants and bunny arms - sometimes he just looks so funny. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

His first visitors.

Happy One Week Oliver!

2008-10-27T14:25:00.008-06:00

Just one week ago, I woke up at 4 am (like usual) but this time I had bad cramps. I tossed and turned for a few hours and then finally got out of bed at 6:45 to get ready for work. I was also fighting a cold, so with my cramps and the cold, Andy begged me to call in sick to work - I'm pretty stubborn though and proceeded to get ready. Well, I noticed the pains weren't going away, so I called my doctor's office and they told me I had early signs of labor! I was not expecting that diagnosis due to the fact that Oliver wasn't supposed to come for another 3 weeks. The nurse told me to keep track of how often the pains or I guess I should call them "contractions" were coming and to call in occasionally to give them an update. After the nurse told me this, I laughed, because I thought she was joking. I told Andy that I was in labor and we totally flipped out! I tried not to get my hopes up though, because it could have been false labor... so I basically was in denial. We spent the morning doing laundry, sorting baby clothes, and packing my hospital bag. We realized we weren't exactly ready for our son to arrive, but we'd have to make do.

Just as the nurse said, the contractions would come every 30 minutes, 20 minutes, and so on. My contractions jumped from coming every 20 minutes to coming every 8. By 2:30, my contractions were every 3 minutes. I called my doctor's and they said I could go to the hospital. Andy and I didn't want to push the limit and wait much longer because we would have to fight the Holland Tunnel traffic, so we left at 3:30 for the hospital and checked in at 4:00. (By the way, I was still in denial and kept thinking that once we got to the hospital, they were going to tell me I wasn't in labor and to go home.) We hadn't had time to take a test run to the hospital, so Andy hands me the directions and says "I'm going to need your help - there are a lot of turns." I just laugh - how much help am I going to be if every 3 minutes I feel like throwing up and am in pain, but I actually think I was a decent navigator considering the conditions and we made it just fine (plus Andy's a great driver - you should have seen him weaving in between taxis - two hands on the wheel and a thumb on the horn - our new saying.)

Andy got me checked in while a nurse checked my progress and told me I was dilated to a 3 and something about 80% effaced and something else - I was not very with it. So, I was in labor! At this point, my heart started racing as I realized, we were going to have our baby tonight! I couldn't stop shaking with nervousness - I did not enjoy the hospital very much - too many people asking me questions, hooking me up to things, and it was very hectic, but luckily everyone was nice. They admitted me to a labor and delivery room and the fun began! I was hooked up to an IV, which was actually quite painful - I still have a bruise on my hand and arms from where they poked me with needles. I had a nurse trying to ask me a million questions about my medical history, and then I got interrupted by medical students asking me questions and wanting to know if they could be a part of my delivery... uh... hello... no way! I don't want more people in the room than necessary. I'm kind of indecent here. Labor at the hospital wasn't quite what I expected. I thought I'd be able to walk around and talk to Andy - we'd brought a few things to do while in labor, but I spent each painful contraction, breathing and trying to answer the nurse's questions or trying to hold back from throwing up - didn't do so great on that one though, I was also gushing blood because of something my doctor told me after I'd delivered (something wrong with the placenta, which is why she thought Oliver came early and thinks my future children will come early). I was so weak and exhausted. At about 8 pm, my doctor showed up and checked my progress - I was at 8 cm! They had been waiting for my Group B Strep test results to come back and had just found out I tested positive, which meant I had to go on Penicillin. They weren't sure we'd have time for all of the doses, but I did. I fully dilated to 10 cm by 9:30pm, but my water hadn't broken yet... so it was about waiting. Finally at 11ish, the doctor said I was ready to push. She broke my water and little Oliver arrived at 11:57 pm. My goal was to have him out before midnight - he just barely made it. I was so happy and giddy. Here are a few pictures of the day.
Right before leaving for the hospital - I know the picture isn't great, but hey... I was at least trying to smile.
In between contractions - hmmm... I wonder why Andy looks happier than me...
Holding my baby for the first time. We almost forgot to take pictures after the birth, but luckily the nurse reminded us. I love that Oliver seems to be looking at me.
Andy holding Oliver for the first time.

Extending Our Branches

2008-10-21T13:22:00.011-06:00

We had a very exciting and unexpected start to this week...

Oliver Alan Bontorno decided to join us two and half weeks early. He was born at 11:57 PM October 20, 2008 at 6 lbs 13 oz. He is the cutest little guy and we are thrilled to have him join our family. Mother and baby are doing excellent. Thanks for everyone's love and prayers.

Nesting

2008-10-09T18:29:00.004-06:00

I've now progressed into the nesting phase of my pregnancy with only 4 weeks to go. I'm anxious to get everything ready for our baby's arrival - I'm probably driving Andy crazy with all of my to-do lists, but he's such a trooper and helping whenever he can. A few weeks ago, I went home to MI for a baby shower with friends and family. My sister and mom threw me such a wonderful party and it meant so much to celebrate with my family and old friends. Here are a few pictures from the shower and my trip.
My almost 4 year old niece took that picture of my sister and me - she did a great job!
This is from one of the games we played at the shower - everyone made a baby out of play-doh and I got to choose my favorite - it was really fun!
A view of the happenin' party!
Two of my friends from high school were able to come to my shower - it was awesome to see them.
This picture makes me laugh - Olivia and Charlotte were both fussing and I'm in the process of telling my dad to just take the picture while also trying to smile. So much for getting a great picture of us girls all dressed up, but I guess I should get used to the difficulties of taking pictures of children.

August

2008-08-31T19:03:00.014-06:00

Have you ever wondered what happy, multi-grain cheerios look like? Well, wonder no-more... It really doesn't take much to amuse us in the morning - my smiley face is on the right, Andy's is on the left.

August was a busy month for us with travel and work. Andy has some projects at work with crazy deadlines, which makes for some long days. (FYI: he's currently working on a redesign for Zyrtec and Lactaid.) Andy's brother, Pete, got married last weekend in Palmyra to a really great girl - Ashley. Two weekends ago, we attended a family get-together/memorial service for Andy's grandma who passed away. All in all, we've stayed busy, valued the time we have at home together - even if I am sleeping on the couch next to Andy, and have spent about 24 hours in our car. I decided after this last trip, that we won't be doing any more heavy traveling until after the baby comes, which is only 10 weeks away!

In honor of Andy's grandma, we gathered at her favorite lake in upstate NY and had a wonderful time with family.

We also camped overnight at the lake. Here we are enjoying the outdoors.

We were the test couple for the photographer - he wanted to make sure his camera was ready for the bride and groom to walk out of the temple - the last time I did this, I was wearing white, now I'm wearing pink with a big belly... time flies.

Here's the bride and groom outside of the Palmyra temple with the Sacred Grove in the background.

I'm 30 weeks! I noticed that a lot of the pictures taken of me don't include my growing tummy, so tonight as we took a walk through liberty state park, I thought - hey, how many times am I going to be pregnant and have the Statue of Liberty in the background, so I asked Andy to take a belly shot.

Blueberry Pie

2008-08-03T17:47:00.003-06:00

I think Andy should actually be posting this on his blog because I'm not much of a fruit pie fan, but I am a fan of making my husband and his tummy smile. So, I made him his favorite... blueberry pie.

The belly

2008-07-27T16:51:00.003-06:00

I'm loving my baby bump. It occasionally gets me a seat on the train, provides me with excuses to buy new clothes, and best of all, gets me out of doing a lot of dishes and making our sack lunches... I'm living it up. I'm just about 25 weeks in these pictures. Only 15 more to go. I can't believe that I've been pregnant for almost half a year. I'm really enjoying this stage of the pregnancy.

Lovin' Summer

2008-07-13T18:23:00.007-06:00

We recently had some very special visitors - my family! They came all the way from MI to see little ol' me and my hubby... oh, and maybe to see a little of NYC. We had a great time - we went to the Jersey Shore, braved Newark, NJ, saw the fireworks against the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty, spent a whole day in NYC - went shopping, ate at a street fair, went to the Natural History Museum, walked through Central Park, ate in Little Italy and walked through a bit of China town, and to finish the night, we saw the bright lights of Times Square. However, I have to say my favorite part of it all was having Sunday dinner together and playing Mexican train and spoons. Can't wait for some more visitors!

2+1=3

2008-06-15T16:14:00.005-06:00

We're expecting!

It's a boy! (Censored)

This is how Andy knew it was a boy...
the mustache gave it away. lol

A few random things...

2008-06-08T19:54:00.005-06:00

I've wanted to make this 4th of July quilt for a year now and I finally did it! I still have to quilt it and put the binding on, but my goal is to have it finished by July 4th.

I'm a sucker for cute kitchen items, especially from Anthropologie - this is my latest purchase. They came in red, yellow and green and I have a few of each. Here I am standing in NJ with Ellis Island in the background. You can actually take a ferry from NJ to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty--something I didn't know until last week.

Memorial Day

2008-06-01T19:59:00.003-06:00

Gotta learn the hard way... don't travel out of New Jersey on a holiday. It took us 7 hours to get to Andy's parents' house in upstate NY - usually it takes a little less than 4. However, being in the country and with family made the trip worth it. We like to escape from city living as much as we can, because it reminds us of how much we like the peace and beauty of the country. Just being able to walk on grass was amazing. Typically in the city, if there's grass, there are dogs, which means, the grass has been fertilized way too much. If the grass doesn't allow dogs, it typically doesn't allow humans either. Hence, the beauty of walking on grass. We helped plant a garden, went to some country food/craft stores, had a bonfire, saw family, and had a great canoe trip. Don't mind my style, I guess I didn't come properly prepared for our outings ... :)

Celebrating 2 years

2008-05-11T17:45:00.006-06:00

It all started about 3 years ago... Andy turned in a resume to be my friend and he was hired - little did he know that I was hiring him into marriage. We celebrated our 2 year anniversary a couple weeks ago by going on vacation. We went to a Metz game, stayed a night in Connecticut and then drove to Newport, Rhode Island where we spent two days in a cute bed and breakfast. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of an old New England town. Here are some pictures from our trip.

The Metz actually won! The price of a hot dog: $4.75

Watching the waves.

It was too cold to swim, but we enjoyed being near the ocean and watching the waves crash into rocks.
Many wealthy families, like the Vanderbilts, had summer "homes" in Newport, RI. They were built in the late 1800's and have been restored and opened for tours as Historic landmarks. This mansion had 70 rooms in it, but they only showed us around 15 rooms. The owners typically only stayed 8 weeks each summer. Someday we plan on owning a summer home just like it. :)

Pictures

2008-04-24T18:56:00.003-06:00

Andy and I have spent the last couple Saturdays enjoying NYC. Spring came early and brought nice weather and beautiful trees. I can't remember the name of this church, but it is the oldest public building still in use in NYC.

We are at South Street Sea Port.

We took the free Staten Island ferry and were able to get a decent view of the Statue of Liberty.

This is Bryant park. (where Project Runway had their final runway show). Andy had a celebrity sighting just this week-he saw the big Chris from this season's Project Runway.

Andy works right on the water in a big old warehouse. There is a pier and a nice bike/running path. We had lunch and enjoyed watching the boats on the Hudson.