Okay, so I feel that I have to explain the whole Phil Collins thing. At the end of the video Mike posted in the previous blog entry, there's a clip from the song, "Sussudio." That was not just for your entertainment, people. We say this everytime our child sneezes. Yup. You heard it right. Instead of saying "God Bless You" this is what we say. We are not religious, so we don't want to kid ourselves here. (Or kid our kid.) We sometimes say "gesundheit" which is German for "good health." Mike found this all pretty ridiculous and started saying "sussudio" instead. It is just as ridiculous! So that is what we are going with. I don't care to get into a religious debate here, so I am leaving it at that.
Other random fun things :
*We update Violet's picture album as often as we can. So if you look to the left, you can click on her album and see new pictures fairly often.
New, higher quality pictures and video are on the way! (Last video was taken in the dark and I didn't even fix my camera settings accordingly...she was smiling! I was in a hurry!)
I know that she will be smiling more often and giggling and cooing, but I am a first-timer here and every first moment counts!
*We listen to super cool music. If you want to hear some random picks of ours, go crazy! (Also on side of page) We did not choose the option to have a song automatically start up when you come to our page. We find it slightly startling and forceful. Okay that last line was a bit harsh. We are actually just easily startled by LOUD NOISES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right now, Violet's two favorite songs are the Hokey Pokey and Winter Wonderland (as sung by the Eurythmics...oh that Annie Lennox!)
*Mike says some pretty weirdo things to her, by the way. This will not come as a surprise to many, but I thought I would share just a few of them here:
-Dear Santa, please give me stripes for Christmas. No, not the Bill Murray movie Stripes, but the actual pattern. Ten feet tall, please.
-Listen Violet, sometimes the "k" at the beginning of a word is silent. DON'T ASK ME WHY! JUST DO IT!!! (The part in caps was totally said in a typical Brooklyn accent, by the way)
-We need to go to Old Country Buffet for the Early Bird special and wear large jackets so we can stuff them with chicken fingers that we can take home to eat later. We need to get a goat whose milk is honey mustard. Did you know that honey mustard is just honey and mustard?
-Watch the head, kid! You'd think you were at an Iron Maiden show!
-I think your diaper needs a therapist.
Again, these are just the few that I can remember (I have to write them down.) It's just weird, funny but cute things I just happen to overhear him talking to her about.
Enough random for now. I shall leave you with the sneeze song.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Enjoying some six week smiles
Violet is six weeks old and the smiles are pouring in. She started smiling almost two weeks ago, but there are two events unique to this week.
Part I: The First Event
-or-
Excuse me but I couldn't help but notice your impressive facial contortions
Friday (11/12) was a fun and busy day. Lea, Violet, and I started it off by organizing a short road trip, then cancelled it to relax at home and prepare for the photographer. Tom B arrived in the early evening to shoot V's first professional photos. We had a good time hanging out, playing with Violet, and previewing the pictures (which we are in love with). As I held V later that evening, I gave her a big smile and she smiled back. This sent me through the roof. There is a connection. It has existed since before she was born, but never as clearly. It's the first time I felt that she could see me.
Part II: The Second Event
-or-
This is the first event of the rest of the events
We actually captured some smiles onto video this week. Let me clarify, Lea captured the smiles as I contributed the background snores. If you ask me, the snores bring an exciting realism to the spacial substructure of the piece. They really tie the video together. Allow me to share...
This was shot with our Canon PowerShot and mashed together with Windows Movie Maker. I'm excited to see what I can create with some new toys, a D-SLR and a video editing suite (Pinnacle was the last one I used).
<4
Part I: The First Event
-or-
Excuse me but I couldn't help but notice your impressive facial contortions
Friday (11/12) was a fun and busy day. Lea, Violet, and I started it off by organizing a short road trip, then cancelled it to relax at home and prepare for the photographer. Tom B arrived in the early evening to shoot V's first professional photos. We had a good time hanging out, playing with Violet, and previewing the pictures (which we are in love with). As I held V later that evening, I gave her a big smile and she smiled back. This sent me through the roof. There is a connection. It has existed since before she was born, but never as clearly. It's the first time I felt that she could see me.
Part II: The Second Event
-or-
This is the first event of the rest of the events
We actually captured some smiles onto video this week. Let me clarify, Lea captured the smiles as I contributed the background snores. If you ask me, the snores bring an exciting realism to the spacial substructure of the piece. They really tie the video together. Allow me to share...
This was shot with our Canon PowerShot and mashed together with Windows Movie Maker. I'm excited to see what I can create with some new toys, a D-SLR and a video editing suite (Pinnacle was the last one I used).
<4
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The new Mommy Post
I am not the type to give out unsolicited advice. I don't like to tell others what to do, what to buy. (I do not like when these things are pushed on me, therefore, I am not a pusher.) If asked, I will tell. If I want advice, I will ask. I am no expert - only a newb - at this. With that said, I have been asked about a few things pertaining to baby. Everyone is different, but here are the things that are working for us, so far...
WARNING! TMI! If you do not wish to read intimate details of the womanly variety, please avert your eyeballs, people!
Labor/delivery :
My experience was, for the most part, ideal. My amazing husband has posted a birth story...he was the one who kept a timeline and was not in excruciating pain. (Hey, thanks again, babe!) I thought it was false labor. Everything went by so quickly, even though from the time I arrived at the hospital until the time I delivered was around 12-13 hours. Yes, I had an epidural. I had two of them, actually. They let Mike stay with me for them. The dr. put the first one in wrong and I felt every bit of it, which was not pleasant at all. I sat perfectly still for both of them, too. Because of the first one being screwed up, I am still dealing with muscle spasms and random, awkward numbness in parts of my back and ass and am told this can last for a few more weeks. I can still feel where both needles went in. Yum! The epidural(s) helped with contractions for the most part in the beginning but I still felt everything else. I don't have anything else to compare this to but I also don't mind bc if I felt everything AND contractions on top of that, I'd probably want to scream! (Which I didn't do at all! Don't let movies fool you! I couldn't catch my breath long enough to get a sentence out, barely above a whisper!) Bottom line - yes, it hurt and yes, it's worth it. Would I do it again? Yes. We want three more, if possible. Extra TMI? (Sorry, I am not into puppies, rainbows and glitter to sugarcoat things!) Healing sucks. (6-8 weeks people!) Stitches suck! Peri bottles are awesome. So are mesh underwear and hospital pads that are the size of phonebooks. Bleeding sucks. Baby blues = terrible! Babies rule.
Breastfeeding :
It is not easy for everyone. It does not "come naturally" for everyone, either. I owe so much to the lactation consultants at the hospital. They have been more than helpful and I want to squeeze them! After week 2, we got the hang of things, for the most part. We do not supplement with formula. We do not use pacifiers. Some days are easier than others and very rarely does Violet feed from a bottle (also breast milk) so nope - no babysitters for us. Not for awhile, either. Thanks for the offers, though! (We just can't stay away from her!!! Even if I wasn't breastfeeding her!)
What works for us?
A lot of items we have, we do not even use. We don't have to. (She also has MORE than enough clothes in every size, that I'm afraid she won't even have the chance to wear, unless we do several outfit changes a day which is highly unnecessary.) So here's what we have, that we use and what seems to be working, thus far :
Fisher Price Rock n Play Sleeper
Anything black and white (high contrast stuff stimulates her and she loves it!)
http://www.makingsenseofbaby.com/ is a great site!!!
Fisher-Price Luv U Zoo Deluxe Musical Mobile Gym
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe & Glow Seahorse
Playskool Lullaby Gloworm
Summer Infant SwaddleMe organic blanket/wraps
Born Free BPA-free glass bottles (We do not use bottles very often, but when we do, we like these bc they have a slower flow.)
LittleMissMatched Zoe Cuddle Creature
LittleMissMatched Fuzzy Buddy & Blanket - Peace Sign
Okay, so the last two we like a lot more than she does, for now!
When all else fails, breast is best.
Trying out cloth diapering starting this next week. Pretty excited, as we have gone through 400+ diapers since she was born and who knows how many wipes!!! (Yep, we are going to use cloth wipes, too.) Too many chemicals in diapers. So wasteful. They cause rashes. Blah blah blah. They're bad. We are going to try our hardest to make the whole CDing thing work.
I know a lot of moms use gripe water and gas drops. I have them on hand "in case" but I don't have baby Tylenol; go figure. Our pediatrician is two blocks away. He said we don't need it in the house and should use it as a last resort. We have a delayed vaccination schedule and if we don't want her vaccinated at ALL, he is fine with that, too. We plan on listening to our pediatrician and our instincts from here on out to avoid any unnecessary paranoia/confusion. We are her parents and don't feel that we are given enough credit when making these decisions for her. She is our child and we will do what is best for her. What we decide is what we decide. Bottom line. 'Nuff said.
I was discussing with a friend recently the topic of piercing baby girl's ears. I was on the fence. I was thinking maybe we should get them done by the nurse at the pedi office now so that she will not fuss with them, leading to an infection. (I had mine done as a baby, so why not right?) I would never take her to a place in the mall and have them done with a gun. ICK!!! Plus, getting them done with a gun can make them very uneven and as she grows, they may appear even more lop-sided. On the other hand (and I will put it in my friend's words, since she worded it so well) I do not agree with inflicting unnecessary pain on a baby for the pleasure of it looking pretty. It is not for the baby then. It is for the parent. When she is older, if she asks to have them done, then maybe!
Some have inquired about my "labor playlist." My OB urged me to make one. I started one and never finished it. (Meaning, I meant to upload more songs onto iTunes, but this is what I ended up with.) We hooked it up to the television at the hospital, so it played right by my head, on repeat (over and over and over...) and I am SO happy that I had that playlist. It was a quiet, painful night and the music helped a lot! Plus, Violet was born to a beautiful song. We did not watch any TV during our stay, other than the mandatory scary baby DVDs they made us watch (and sign papers, stating we watched them.) Here's my list:
A Fine Frenzy - Come On, Come Out
A Tribe Called Quest - Once Again
Belly - Feed The Tree
Ben Folds Five - Raindrops
Best Coast - When I'm With You
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane
Bruce Springsteen - I'm on Fire
Built To Spill - Carry the Zero
Coldplay - Yellow
Coldplay - Shiver
Coldplay - The Scientist
Coldplay - Don't Panic
Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter
Dramarama - Anything, Anything
Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing (Acoustic)
Elton John - Rocket Man
Everything But The Girl - Missing (Acoustic)
Folk Implosion - Natural One
Garbage - Push it
Genesis - Invisible Touch
Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came
Jack Johnson - Upside Down
Johny Cash & June Carter - Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man
Le Tigre - Deceptacon
Lisa Loeb - Snow Day
Luscious Jackson - Lady Fingers
Mates Of State - Fluke
MGMT - Electric Feel
My Morning Jacket - Librarian
My Morning Jacket - Thank You Too!
My Morning Jacket - Just One Thing
Natalie Merchant - Thank You
Neil Young - Unknown Legend
Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
Peter Frampton - Baby I Love Your Way (Acoustic)
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Q-Tip - Vibrant Thing
Ray LaMontagne - You Are the Best Thing
Relient K - Be My Escape (Acoustic)
Rogue Wave - Eyes
Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
Santigold - Shove It (feat. Spank Rock)
Smokie Robinson - You Really Got A Hold On Me
Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
Thao Nguyen With The Get Down Stay Down - Violet
The Cardigans - You're The Storm
The Cardigans - Erase-Rewind
The Cranberries - Linger (Acoustic)
The Cranberries - I Miss You When You're Gone
The Dismemberment Plan - You Are Invited
The Get Up Kids - Valentine
The Lemonheads - If I Could Talk I'd Tell You
The Platters - Sea Of Love
The Reindeer Section - Cartwheels
Toad The Wet Sprocket - All I Want (acoustic)
Youth Group - Forever Young (Alphaville cover)
Maybe I should have blogged about some of these things sooner? I've been very busy, so please forgive me if some of these are late, misspelled (SO not like me!) or choppy. Typing one-handed and getting used to everything still has its challenges! I am sure I am missing a bunch of things in this blog post...any questions, just leave a comment.
I've been busy doing this <3
WARNING! TMI! If you do not wish to read intimate details of the womanly variety, please avert your eyeballs, people!
Labor/delivery :
My experience was, for the most part, ideal. My amazing husband has posted a birth story...he was the one who kept a timeline and was not in excruciating pain. (Hey, thanks again, babe!) I thought it was false labor. Everything went by so quickly, even though from the time I arrived at the hospital until the time I delivered was around 12-13 hours. Yes, I had an epidural. I had two of them, actually. They let Mike stay with me for them. The dr. put the first one in wrong and I felt every bit of it, which was not pleasant at all. I sat perfectly still for both of them, too. Because of the first one being screwed up, I am still dealing with muscle spasms and random, awkward numbness in parts of my back and ass and am told this can last for a few more weeks. I can still feel where both needles went in. Yum! The epidural(s) helped with contractions for the most part in the beginning but I still felt everything else. I don't have anything else to compare this to but I also don't mind bc if I felt everything AND contractions on top of that, I'd probably want to scream! (Which I didn't do at all! Don't let movies fool you! I couldn't catch my breath long enough to get a sentence out, barely above a whisper!) Bottom line - yes, it hurt and yes, it's worth it. Would I do it again? Yes. We want three more, if possible. Extra TMI? (Sorry, I am not into puppies, rainbows and glitter to sugarcoat things!) Healing sucks. (6-8 weeks people!) Stitches suck! Peri bottles are awesome. So are mesh underwear and hospital pads that are the size of phonebooks. Bleeding sucks. Baby blues = terrible! Babies rule.
Breastfeeding :
It is not easy for everyone. It does not "come naturally" for everyone, either. I owe so much to the lactation consultants at the hospital. They have been more than helpful and I want to squeeze them! After week 2, we got the hang of things, for the most part. We do not supplement with formula. We do not use pacifiers. Some days are easier than others and very rarely does Violet feed from a bottle (also breast milk) so nope - no babysitters for us. Not for awhile, either. Thanks for the offers, though! (We just can't stay away from her!!! Even if I wasn't breastfeeding her!)
What works for us?
A lot of items we have, we do not even use. We don't have to. (She also has MORE than enough clothes in every size, that I'm afraid she won't even have the chance to wear, unless we do several outfit changes a day which is highly unnecessary.) So here's what we have, that we use and what seems to be working, thus far :
Fisher Price Rock n Play Sleeper
Anything black and white (high contrast stuff stimulates her and she loves it!)
http://www.makingsenseofbaby.com/ is a great site!!!
Fisher-Price Luv U Zoo Deluxe Musical Mobile Gym
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe & Glow Seahorse
Playskool Lullaby Gloworm
Summer Infant SwaddleMe organic blanket/wraps
Born Free BPA-free glass bottles (We do not use bottles very often, but when we do, we like these bc they have a slower flow.)
LittleMissMatched Zoe Cuddle Creature
LittleMissMatched Fuzzy Buddy & Blanket - Peace Sign
Okay, so the last two we like a lot more than she does, for now!
When all else fails, breast is best.
Trying out cloth diapering starting this next week. Pretty excited, as we have gone through 400+ diapers since she was born and who knows how many wipes!!! (Yep, we are going to use cloth wipes, too.) Too many chemicals in diapers. So wasteful. They cause rashes. Blah blah blah. They're bad. We are going to try our hardest to make the whole CDing thing work.
I know a lot of moms use gripe water and gas drops. I have them on hand "in case" but I don't have baby Tylenol; go figure. Our pediatrician is two blocks away. He said we don't need it in the house and should use it as a last resort. We have a delayed vaccination schedule and if we don't want her vaccinated at ALL, he is fine with that, too. We plan on listening to our pediatrician and our instincts from here on out to avoid any unnecessary paranoia/confusion. We are her parents and don't feel that we are given enough credit when making these decisions for her. She is our child and we will do what is best for her. What we decide is what we decide. Bottom line. 'Nuff said.
I was discussing with a friend recently the topic of piercing baby girl's ears. I was on the fence. I was thinking maybe we should get them done by the nurse at the pedi office now so that she will not fuss with them, leading to an infection. (I had mine done as a baby, so why not right?) I would never take her to a place in the mall and have them done with a gun. ICK!!! Plus, getting them done with a gun can make them very uneven and as she grows, they may appear even more lop-sided. On the other hand (and I will put it in my friend's words, since she worded it so well) I do not agree with inflicting unnecessary pain on a baby for the pleasure of it looking pretty. It is not for the baby then. It is for the parent. When she is older, if she asks to have them done, then maybe!
Some have inquired about my "labor playlist." My OB urged me to make one. I started one and never finished it. (Meaning, I meant to upload more songs onto iTunes, but this is what I ended up with.) We hooked it up to the television at the hospital, so it played right by my head, on repeat (over and over and over...) and I am SO happy that I had that playlist. It was a quiet, painful night and the music helped a lot! Plus, Violet was born to a beautiful song. We did not watch any TV during our stay, other than the mandatory scary baby DVDs they made us watch (and sign papers, stating we watched them.) Here's my list:
A Fine Frenzy - Come On, Come Out
A Tribe Called Quest - Once Again
Belly - Feed The Tree
Ben Folds Five - Raindrops
Best Coast - When I'm With You
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane
Bruce Springsteen - I'm on Fire
Built To Spill - Carry the Zero
Coldplay - Yellow
Coldplay - Shiver
Coldplay - The Scientist
Coldplay - Don't Panic
Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter
Dramarama - Anything, Anything
Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing (Acoustic)
Elton John - Rocket Man
Everything But The Girl - Missing (Acoustic)
Folk Implosion - Natural One
Garbage - Push it
Genesis - Invisible Touch
Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came
Jack Johnson - Upside Down
Johny Cash & June Carter - Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man
Le Tigre - Deceptacon
Lisa Loeb - Snow Day
Luscious Jackson - Lady Fingers
Mates Of State - Fluke
MGMT - Electric Feel
My Morning Jacket - Librarian
My Morning Jacket - Thank You Too!
My Morning Jacket - Just One Thing
Natalie Merchant - Thank You
Neil Young - Unknown Legend
Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
Peter Frampton - Baby I Love Your Way (Acoustic)
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Q-Tip - Vibrant Thing
Ray LaMontagne - You Are the Best Thing
Relient K - Be My Escape (Acoustic)
Rogue Wave - Eyes
Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
Santigold - Shove It (feat. Spank Rock)
Smokie Robinson - You Really Got A Hold On Me
Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
Thao Nguyen With The Get Down Stay Down - Violet
The Cardigans - You're The Storm
The Cardigans - Erase-Rewind
The Cranberries - Linger (Acoustic)
The Cranberries - I Miss You When You're Gone
The Dismemberment Plan - You Are Invited
The Get Up Kids - Valentine
The Lemonheads - If I Could Talk I'd Tell You
The Platters - Sea Of Love
The Reindeer Section - Cartwheels
Toad The Wet Sprocket - All I Want (acoustic)
Youth Group - Forever Young (Alphaville cover)
Maybe I should have blogged about some of these things sooner? I've been very busy, so please forgive me if some of these are late, misspelled (SO not like me!) or choppy. Typing one-handed and getting used to everything still has its challenges! I am sure I am missing a bunch of things in this blog post...any questions, just leave a comment.
I've been busy doing this <3
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Halloween Visitor
We had a visitor last night while Violet was sleeping. It was the Great Pumpkin! He left as quick as he came, but stayed long enough to drop off a present and a note and tell us how much he loved Violet's Princess Leia costume.
We're going to carve one awesome pumpkin for him next year.
We're going to carve one awesome pumpkin for him next year.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloweek!
And what a week it was! Kicked it off by celebrating Violet losing her umbilical cord, finally! (Or her baby jerky, as my friend Monica's husband has deemed it. I like it. I am going with baby jerky.)
So our big girl got her FIRST "real" bath! (No more sponge baths and alcohol swabs!)
She also grew right out of NB sized diapers and is now in 1s. I am devastated by this. Wasn't I just coming home from the hospital with a 7.5 lb. baby yesterday? (Yes, she dropped 10 oz. after birth.) She has had her first doctor's appt. She is up to 8.3lbs. now and looks different everyday. New facial expressions, new movements, new sounds, etc. I know everyone goes nuts over their baby, but wow! I believed them, but experiencing this all first hand is mind blowing! I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I do wish time would go a little slower, at the very least!
We brought her to the cider mill, but did not stay long. It's been chilly here in PA! And yes, I totally wrapped her up in a cashmere pashmina.
Oh yeah, this is Violet in the back seat. I took a picture of her in her little mirror. She waved, of course! :P
Violet's first Halloween was a hit! This little lady was Princess Leia. Daddy was Chewbacca (sort of and I was sort of a cat.) We even found Mike's Ewok, Wicket, from when he was a wee tyke for Violet to hang out with.
Our families came over to celebrate with us, some to meet V for the first time and to enjoy food, fun and each other's company. Halloween is our favorite holiday by far and Mike would like to treat it as if it were Christmas, almost. He wants to teach V about The Great Pumpkin. (We watched this twice in the last two days and Mike read the book to her. The party in it is thrown by a girl named Violet! heehee!)
The Great Pumpkin (Mike) brought her a Glow Worm! It really was such an amazing day. Everyone was so helpful, not to mention generous. We only got three trick-or-treaters - it was so cold out - our two next door neighbor kiddos and another little girl. (Neighbors were Velma and Scooby
and the little girl was a purple crayon...hello Violet's SECOND Halloween costume! How fitting!) Needless to say, these kiddos lucked out and got a boatload of sweets out of us. Hyperactive, sugared up little ones! Sorry parents! We will be in your shoes before you know it. After everyone left and we were winding down, the neighbors came back. They gave us money and a scratch off lottery ticket that was already scratched off and was a $5 winner. (The neighbor said that her uncle gives out winning scratch offs as treats!!!) I can't believe how kind and sweet they are! I love them and their daughters. So good to know we have such warm, caring people around us. (Not bc we like presents - it's too gracious and we do not ever expect these things - but bc of how thoughtful everyone is. Melts my heart!!!) My mother bought her four Dr. Seuss books, along with huge stuffed characters from the books. (Yup, the Grinch and Max are included in this new posse!) See? Her first Halloween has already been like Christmas, right? Our other relatives hooked her up with adorable clothes and goodies. We definitely said no gifts and to just come and party, but wow! We more than appreciate it!
Violet also received her first international package, care of our former roommate Kelly, all the way from Belgium.
She also received a gift from her friend *A* from Florida!!! He is a wee baby, too!
We celebrated Uncle Thom's Golden Birthday (27 on the 27th!)
We also have a new nephew and are extremely excited about this! (No picture, as we would like to respect their privacy, but we assure you he is gorgeous and we are over the moon/on cloud nine!!!)
As you can tell, we've been busy people! October is certainly our month!
***check the albums on the side of this here blog for updates! We will try to add more, more frequently!
<3
So our big girl got her FIRST "real" bath! (No more sponge baths and alcohol swabs!)
We brought her to the cider mill, but did not stay long. It's been chilly here in PA! And yes, I totally wrapped her up in a cashmere pashmina.
Oh yeah, this is Violet in the back seat. I took a picture of her in her little mirror. She waved, of course! :P
Violet's first Halloween was a hit! This little lady was Princess Leia. Daddy was Chewbacca (sort of and I was sort of a cat.) We even found Mike's Ewok, Wicket, from when he was a wee tyke for Violet to hang out with.
Our families came over to celebrate with us, some to meet V for the first time and to enjoy food, fun and each other's company. Halloween is our favorite holiday by far and Mike would like to treat it as if it were Christmas, almost. He wants to teach V about The Great Pumpkin. (We watched this twice in the last two days and Mike read the book to her. The party in it is thrown by a girl named Violet! heehee!)
The Great Pumpkin (Mike) brought her a Glow Worm! It really was such an amazing day. Everyone was so helpful, not to mention generous. We only got three trick-or-treaters - it was so cold out - our two next door neighbor kiddos and another little girl. (Neighbors were Velma and Scooby
and the little girl was a purple crayon...hello Violet's SECOND Halloween costume! How fitting!) Needless to say, these kiddos lucked out and got a boatload of sweets out of us. Hyperactive, sugared up little ones! Sorry parents! We will be in your shoes before you know it. After everyone left and we were winding down, the neighbors came back. They gave us money and a scratch off lottery ticket that was already scratched off and was a $5 winner. (The neighbor said that her uncle gives out winning scratch offs as treats!!!) I can't believe how kind and sweet they are! I love them and their daughters. So good to know we have such warm, caring people around us. (Not bc we like presents - it's too gracious and we do not ever expect these things - but bc of how thoughtful everyone is. Melts my heart!!!) My mother bought her four Dr. Seuss books, along with huge stuffed characters from the books. (Yup, the Grinch and Max are included in this new posse!) See? Her first Halloween has already been like Christmas, right? Our other relatives hooked her up with adorable clothes and goodies. We definitely said no gifts and to just come and party, but wow! We more than appreciate it!
Violet also received her first international package, care of our former roommate Kelly, all the way from Belgium.
She also received a gift from her friend *A* from Florida!!! He is a wee baby, too!We celebrated Uncle Thom's Golden Birthday (27 on the 27th!)
We also have a new nephew and are extremely excited about this! (No picture, as we would like to respect their privacy, but we assure you he is gorgeous and we are over the moon/on cloud nine!!!)
As you can tell, we've been busy people! October is certainly our month!
***check the albums on the side of this here blog for updates! We will try to add more, more frequently!
<3
Sunday, October 24, 2010
'Sup penguin? 'Sup seahorse? 'Sup polka dots?
Violet is 3 weeks old today and she is living the life. Her schedule is filled with eating and sleeping mostly, although she does find time to turn new bodily fluids into projectiles. My proudest fatherly moment thus far has been catching her first projectile vomit all over my chest. My father, V's Poppa, got to hold her during her first diaper blow-out. Lucky guy. I can't wait ‘til these events turn more...sophisticated. For now, these are the types of milestones I look forward to and I'm loving every second of it. Besides, who says I'm not going to catch another batch of vomit when she's a teenager?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Happy Hurstober
Happy Hurstober
So, life is great and I am quite a lucky woman! As you have read, Miss Violet Henson Hurst has arrived, safe and sound, and we could not be happier! Here it is, one week and one day later and we are all alive and well. Everyone keeps asking us how we are sleeping. We are sleeping quite soundly, since coming home from the hospital. (The beds there were quite uncomfortable and the healing process is never a walk in the park, but my daughter is here now, so I ought not to complain!) Mike is such an amazing father, as I always knew he would be. In fact, he is in the other room reading Violet a story right now. (Winnie the Pooh, which he just exclaimed, "...is insane!" Maybe he's on the acid trip elephants part???)
Aunt ChiChi (my best friend, Cherie) paid us a visit this evening. It warms my heart, as cheesy as that may sound, knowing I have such loving and caring friends being a part of my daughter's life. It's been a stormy, long day and we are relaxing with some hot tea, some trail mix we just made and anticipating tomorrow's visit to see Great Grandma Archer. Poppa and Nana Hurst are coming over for a visit, too! Uncle Thom will be here for a night of television, baby-staring and nachos. (This boy has seriously done so much for us, including our grocery shopping and cooking - I really could not ask for a better helper! He is always there for us and has kept me company through the last 10 months and always, really, but I would be lost without my brother.) <3
Mike has joined me in living gluten freely. I must follow diet restrictions due to CD and he pretty much was on this diet already, but since Violet's birth, I have been keeping it super strict (which can be difficult) and recording everything in a food diary. The lovely dietitian at the hospital has been such an amazing help. (She even sent me a chart to convert wheat to potato/rice flour!) I know not everyone may be familiar with CD or its complications and side effects, but just know this - making a big deal over different flours can be a life saver! Truly! Also, since he has made the switch, I am finally having less symptoms. (Even walking into a regular, non-GF bakery can set me off into a whirlwind of sickness...weird, huh?) I wouldn't be walking into one of those anyway, but just sayin'! Uncle Thom even made us homemade GF macaroni and cheese last night! Mmmm comfort foods minus all of that "bad" (kinda!)
This month seems to be flying already. With Violet's arrival, Mike's birthday, our 5th wedding anniversary, my upcoming birthday and Halloween...phew! We are already quite the busy trio!
Again, I am not as creative as my sweetheart/better half and only have a few moments to pop in and update, but I thought people might like to know how we're doing. (Or at least I hope they would!) :P I would get more into the whole feeding, changing and drooling of it all but will spare you the adorable "poopy story" details...for now!
Back to listening to this monster of a storm, tales of Pooh and baby coos. <3
So, life is great and I am quite a lucky woman! As you have read, Miss Violet Henson Hurst has arrived, safe and sound, and we could not be happier! Here it is, one week and one day later and we are all alive and well. Everyone keeps asking us how we are sleeping. We are sleeping quite soundly, since coming home from the hospital. (The beds there were quite uncomfortable and the healing process is never a walk in the park, but my daughter is here now, so I ought not to complain!) Mike is such an amazing father, as I always knew he would be. In fact, he is in the other room reading Violet a story right now. (Winnie the Pooh, which he just exclaimed, "...is insane!" Maybe he's on the acid trip elephants part???)
Aunt ChiChi (my best friend, Cherie) paid us a visit this evening. It warms my heart, as cheesy as that may sound, knowing I have such loving and caring friends being a part of my daughter's life. It's been a stormy, long day and we are relaxing with some hot tea, some trail mix we just made and anticipating tomorrow's visit to see Great Grandma Archer. Poppa and Nana Hurst are coming over for a visit, too! Uncle Thom will be here for a night of television, baby-staring and nachos. (This boy has seriously done so much for us, including our grocery shopping and cooking - I really could not ask for a better helper! He is always there for us and has kept me company through the last 10 months and always, really, but I would be lost without my brother.) <3
Mike has joined me in living gluten freely. I must follow diet restrictions due to CD and he pretty much was on this diet already, but since Violet's birth, I have been keeping it super strict (which can be difficult) and recording everything in a food diary. The lovely dietitian at the hospital has been such an amazing help. (She even sent me a chart to convert wheat to potato/rice flour!) I know not everyone may be familiar with CD or its complications and side effects, but just know this - making a big deal over different flours can be a life saver! Truly! Also, since he has made the switch, I am finally having less symptoms. (Even walking into a regular, non-GF bakery can set me off into a whirlwind of sickness...weird, huh?) I wouldn't be walking into one of those anyway, but just sayin'! Uncle Thom even made us homemade GF macaroni and cheese last night! Mmmm comfort foods minus all of that "bad" (kinda!)
This month seems to be flying already. With Violet's arrival, Mike's birthday, our 5th wedding anniversary, my upcoming birthday and Halloween...phew! We are already quite the busy trio!
Again, I am not as creative as my sweetheart/better half and only have a few moments to pop in and update, but I thought people might like to know how we're doing. (Or at least I hope they would!) :P I would get more into the whole feeding, changing and drooling of it all but will spare you the adorable "poopy story" details...for now!
Back to listening to this monster of a storm, tales of Pooh and baby coos. <3
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