Christmas Jams

Em got some Christmas pajamas (yeah you can admit that you saw the word "jams" and thought I was either going to sing or cook you something, right?), and I have spent the last three days trying to get a decent picture of her in them.

And now they are dirty because she choked on her milk this morning and coughed it up all over her new pajamas.

So I'm here to report what I have so far.

First things first:  Em is happy all the time, especially when doing her "work".

Check out the background.  Rob is without ottoman cushion because 

Em needed to push it around the house in a laundry basket.

And now a series of failed attempts to photograph Em in her new pajamas:

Attempt 1.  Back her into a corner.

Attempts 2 and 3 also failed: The action shots, and building with blocks shots.

I finally settled on TV, which resulted in some zombie-like poses of Em watching 

"World Animal Adventure":

This was the end where the kids dance like animals.  "What a great show!"

I also have a couple of videos.  The first demonstrates how fast Em can move when she realizes that the baby gate to the laundry room is open. You also can hear some pretty damning evidence that we were watching the New York City Tree Lighting Ceremony on TV.  

The second is pretty long and kind of boring, but it involves her stealing a box from the cat. She was pretty driven to succeed.  I have to say "be nice!" a lot when it comes to Em interacting with the animals.

Enjoy, and Happy Thursday!

"Maple Glazed Pork Chop" Day

We had marvelous plans to go and spend Thanksgiving in Florida, visiting with Rob's family and friends.

But...usually sometimes things just don't work out like you plan for them to.

Emerald has walking pneumonia.  We found this out after 4 straight nights of a 102 fever and her coming dangerously close to dehydration because she wouldn't drink anything.  I am a very stubborn person (no way!) and refuse to go running to the doctor at the first sign of illness, so I had the whole family convinced it was probably just a virus.  But after a couple of days and no improvements, I started to wonder otherwise.  Em had a few really bad nights, and one in particular where no matter how much medicine we gave her, her fever remained 102.  And she wouldn't sleep unless one of us was holding her.  Chills, body aches, crying, the works.

We canceled our trip on Wednesday as we were heading to the pediatrician.  Guess what sucks more than going to the pediatrician the day before Thanksgiving?  Not much probably.  But after a couple of hours and lots of waiting, we had our answer.

She is on the mend now, just coughing a lot and very tired.  Fever has been gone for almost two days now. And Rob and I finally got some sleep too.

So we had a last-minute Thanksgiving at home, and were thankful to be getting our happy healthy baby back.

I cooked pumpkin/chocolate chip muffins for breakfast and for dinner we had maple-glazed pork chops, green beans, yeast rolls, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce.

Also, we took a 3 hour nap yesterday and went to the park with Em and Bells.

AND.  I fell asleep on the couch at 8:30 p.m., before I had a chance to make dessert. It was a pretty good day.

Here are some pics we took to document the past few days.

After Em was feeling somewhat better, everyone finally got a good night's rest:  

Em recently learned to play by herself in her room...

 On Thanksgiving morning, we enjoyed some pumpkin & chocolate chip muffins:

After our 3 hour nap, we took a trip to Railroad Park.

First trip down the slide:

Love the static hairdo the slide gives!

Water break

Exploring and making friends:

Hope everyone had an equally relaxing Thanksgiving Day!

A moment with the Mans Family

Let me just preface this with the following:

No one should ask me what I want for Christmas or my birthday.  I won't be able to think of anything. You  might get lucky and I'll list some books or whatever, but in general I'm terrible at this game. I'm surely thankful that people think enough of me to get me a Christmas gift, but I love shopping for others so much that I use all my brainpower on that every year.  Sounds sappy, but it's true!  I love giving presents.

Although, now the answer to "What's on your Christmas/Birthday/Groundhog Day List?" is pretty much always going to be, "free babysitting".  But since our family lives far away, that doesn't count for anyone who isn't my coworker, good friend, or neighbor, so everyone else gets nada when they ask what I want for Christmas.  I don't really need any more stuff, and since I am a "grownup" now (using THAT term loosely...) I just go out and get stuff that I really want. 

For me, free babysitting and a gift card to a restaurant translates into an evening that will not end with marinara in my hair or on my favorite shirt. NOW THAT'S A GOOD NIGHT.

Anyway, here's an actual conversation between Rob and I last night (he has been asking about my Christmas list, but I don't know why because he is awesome at shopping for me when I give him no clues):

Me:  You know, today I thought of something I wanted for Christmas this year.  But then I forgot what it was.

Rob:  Was it a notepad?

Me:  What?

I just had a baby five minutes ago.

In six short months, we will bringing home a new baby.  I feel like I JUST SAID THIS, LIKE, FIVE MINUTES AGO.  Rob and I tentatively have a name picked out for a boy and for a girl (it's still a secret, just until we find out what we're having), but otherwise there doesn't seem to be a lot of time to think about the new baby at the moment. That looks horrible now that it's just sitting there in black and white. But it's the truth. Guess there is no honeymoon phase for the 2nd pregnancy.  I'm just content to go to my doctor's appointments and hear that everything is fine.

I have to admit I have some anxiety and a few mixed feelings about the situation.  What in the world is it going to be like with a 19-month old and a newborn?  

How will I love anyone as much as I love Emerald?  Is there room in my heart for TWO BABIES?How will I make sure Em gets all that she needs and deserves without completely ignoring a new baby? And vice versa? How do I manage to have two kids that close together and not compare them at every turn?  To remember that every child is different?

I know that none of these are new concepts-every parent has them, but not all care to admit it.  I'm not scared to say that I'm nothing short of petrified.  Excited to meet Em's new baby sibling.  SO excited to see Em become a big sister, to watch the two grow up together.  SO VERY EXCITED to be DONE HAVING BABIES.  Which, done we will be, as soon as this one is out.  Then I can drink every day for the rest of my life if I want. And I might need to.

I kind of feel like I'm joining a brave group of parents-those that have two babies under the age of two. Whoa.  Not that all people who choose to become parents aren't brave, of course. Sometimes it takes  a hell of a lot of bravery to get out of bed and see what in the heck my darling baby (toddler!) has in store for me today. And I know from talking to many of my friends that the challenges never stop, no matter how many kids you have.

But you know, I had lots of anxiety about what it would be like with one baby, and somehow you just make it work.  You just do what has to be done. And it feels right once the baby has joined your family.  So I'm just going to count on that. And remember to take at least half as many pictures of new baby as we have taken of Emerald.

A breath, at last

This weekend Rob and I actually got to do something together!  Without Emerald!  (You know we love her, but she is a toddler, after all, and everyone needs a break from a toddler sometimes.) Joy & Charlie (and Aidan) were nice enough to have Em over to spend the night on Saturday night.  They went to the mall and out to eat at The Olive Garden.  Probably a lot more fun than she would have had with me and Rob anyways.

I made them some homemade chili as a thank you.

So on Saturday with all our extra free time, Rob and I drove to Nashville to see Stephen Lynch, one of our favorite comedians.  We ate at Chili's and no one threw salsa in my hair--guess Rob was feeling especially well-behaved? Anyway, Stephen Lynch is a great musician and his whole show is music.  He has a whole crew of super talented musicians that perform with him. But it's hilarious.  Oh, and sacrilegious, irreverent, filthy, completely offensive (ok, so he can sing about Anne Frank and make it funny-but you really just have the be there) and a lot of fun. He's had a couple of ComedyCentral specials, and you can find some of his videos on YouTube ("Craig" and "Dr. Stephen" are two of my favorites), but I wouldn't if you are easily offended.  Or maybe not even if you have ever been offended by anything.

We got back home at 2 a.m. Sunday and slept until noon.  

It was glorious.

Sunday night we had Alex over for dinner and finally got to catch up with him. 

And the best part?  We don't have any obligations for this upcoming weekend either.  It's nice to have a break for a change, especially before the holiday gauntlet! 

Winning the Election is the Easy Part

Well, election day has come and gone.  

I have to say that I LOVE election day.  It's so exciting, so many opinions, so many people SURE that they are right (ok, so in this way, election day is similar to all the other days on the calendar).  Everyone gets to cast their vote.  I mean, the electoral college kinds of squishes the excitement of casting your vote in an All-Red or All-Blue state, but you at least get the chance to make your voice heard.  I love it.  I know, so patriotic of me!

Last night in Alabama, our fantastic population voted to keep segregationist language in the constitution as it relates to public schools.  I find this a big fail.  Really, Alabama?  THE SITE of the Civil Rights Movement?  But we also voted to keep our Wildlife Preservations funded and protected for the next 20 years.  There were some other things we voted on too, but those were the big things, other than the obvious.

So just in case you get all your breaking news from my blog, President Obama has been re-elected.  As in 2008, he has a long list of challenges to work on. What president doesn't? I have to say that I am happy with our country's decision to re-elect Obama, but I also have a lot of faith that things are going to be okay no matter what.  People find a way to survive, if not thrive. Obama's ideals and goals just line up a little more evenly with mine than those of Mitt Romney. SO EVEN THOUGH I HAVE OPENED A HUGE CAN AND THERE ARE WORMS EVERYWHERE (!!!), that's as close to "political" as you'll ever see this blog get. 

A tangent: In most situations (close friends aside) I think it is incredibly rude to talk politics, religion, and how busy you are.  You never know who you will offend with the former two, and it is safe to assume that most conversations will offend EVERYONE. And as for the latter, how self-absorbed does a person need to be to assume that they are the only busy person in the world? I am SO VERY GUILTY of this type of self-absorption-I know everyone is busy, but I still like to complain about my own "To-Do" list. I've done it on this blog! Perhaps a New Year's Resolution is in order...or maybe a November 2012 Resolution. 

Anyway, I'm not here to tell you my political opinions.  I'm only here to make one simple point.

Like "getting into" medical/graduate/professional school, "getting voted in" was the easy part.

Here's to a productive 4 years.  

Birthday Baby

Em had a great time at her Strawberry Shortcake themed birthday party! We had tons of family come into town, she got a play shopping cart that she is constantly using to move things around the house,  a singing rocking horse, a baby-sized piano, tons of clothes and books, and some other toys too.  I have to admit that I put a few things away for "Santa" to bring this Christmas.  I figure I can get away with that this year and next year, depending on her level of observation.

Anyway, my parents, godparents, and Rob's parents all came to town, and helped me decorate for the party while Em was taking her nap.  She was completely amazed by all the decorations in the living room when she got up, and was particularly smitten with all the balloons.  She's still playing with the mylar ones that haven't deflated yet.

We had catering by Chick Fil A, a super adorable birthday cake, a "smash" cake, and perfectly coordinated decorations, none of which Emerald is going to remember, but at least I have photo evidence.

She was in a good mood all day, and here she looks pretty intent on explaining that it's her birthday and she's very excited for her party:

A healthy birthday lunch before the high fructose corn syrup overdose:

Birthday cake and decor:

Proof that Em had a good time at her birthday party:  the Smash cake.

Some of her guests:

Don't be fooled here:  She got so many presents that we had to spread them out over three days.  It was like a Hanukkah-themed birthday.

Overall, a happy weekend. I have to admit that by Sunday morning, I was DONE.  Done Done Done.  SO exhausted I wished I could die. I'm glad we did it big, though.  You only have a 1st birthday once, and we certainly made some great memories.

Love.

Today, Emerald Joyce, you are one year old.  It is hard to believe that one year ago I was sitting in a hospital room full of people come to admire the most beautiful baby in the world (or at least the most beautiful in the room).  I was overwhelmed because there were too many of them, I was hot, and I was tired after not sleeping for about three days.  I was embarrassed because I was wearing a hospital gown and felt gross. But mostly I wanted them all to leave so I could hold you and sing all those songs I waited so long to sing to a baby of my own.

Your birth story is simple, but I have never written it down for you. (Don't worry readers-it's not gross or graphic.  Y'all should know I ain't into that.) I figure one day you will want to read it, and you should be able to.  So here it is, a small gift in return for the many you have given us.

You are also getting some Haba blocks, a rainmaker, and some other stuff. And we could feed a small country with the amount of money we have spent on food for your party tomorrow. So don't worry, this isn't the only thing we got you.

Dr Greer said you were NEVER COMING OUT.  There was pretty much no progress leading to labor when you were two days late.  Due dates are pretty much bullshit anyway, so I wasn't surprised.  Anyway, Dr. Greer scheduled an induction for November 1.  We were to check into the hospital that evening to start the process of meeting you!  Well.  You decided on your own timetable, like babies do.  On Halloween, one of my very good friends, Lindsey, defended her dissertation. I spent at least 45 minutes literally RUNNING all over campus getting her a video camera set up at the very last minute.  I joked with her before the defense that she was just trying to put me in labor.  I felt a few light contractions during the day, but nothing notable.  I went to Lindsey's graduation reception and then home to get ready for your dad and I to go out on our very last date before becoming parents.

On Halloween night, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I had chicken fried chicken, a welcome treat after being SO HEALTHY throughout pregnancy. Your dad had some Jamaican dish that gave him heartburn, and some ice cream.  I got my cheesecake to go.  During dinner, I felt some uncomfortable contractions, but they didn't really hurt, so I didn't say much about it.  I had a feeling that I might be going into labor, and I remember going into the bathroom at the restaurant and just staring at myself in the mirror.  I suppose that was the moment I actually realized what was happening.

I had contractions all night long while your dad slept.  To give him credit, he did try to time them for me, but it wasn't working.  I timed them myself, about 5 minutes apart.  At 5 a.m., I called the hospital, and I was told that until my contractions were 2 minutes apart that I should take some tylenol and go to bed.  I was like, "WHAT! I DON'T HAVE A HEADACHE! OR ALLERGIES!".  Anyway, I did eventually go back to bed, where I became an expert at sleeping between contractions.  After some rest, they were about 8 minutes apart for a few hours, gradually getting closer together throughout the day.  

We had a good day at the house.  I wrote a letter of recommendation for my boss to get a teaching award.  She got the award, and now has a copy of my letter that I wrote while I was in labor. Your dad did some work for the lab.  I had some of my leftovers from the night before, and took a bath. I almost drowned in the bathtub during one particularly rough moment.  I didn't have my cheesecake.  Mistake. I bided my time until it was time to go to the hospital for my induction, where I figured they HAD to take me since I had been scheduled.  WRONG.  My doctor called and told me that my induction was canceled due to lack of space at the hospital.  This was around 4 p.m.  I couldn't even talk through my contractions, so your dad talked to her and let's just say that Dr Greer read between the lines.  She jumped into action and cussed everyone at the hospital until they found me a bed in Labor and Delivery.  My contractions were 4 minutes apart and getting very strong until we left for the hospital at 6:30 to meet our doctor on call, Dr. McKnight.  

I rode in the car to the hospital (only about 1.5 miles, thankfully) sitting backward and breathing hard. Your dad was probably stressed but didn't let on.  You will learn that he lives like a duck (smooth and unruffled on top; paddling furiously underneath). So you remember that when you go on your first date. Anyway, we walked from the car into the lobby of the hospital, where I had to check in and explain to the very confused lady at the desk that I was scheduled for an induction but was actually in labor.  She didn't understand and I had to spell my name.  Twice.  Then your dad had to check in AND SPELL HIS NAME.  I prayed I wouldn't have a contraction in this public place.  I did. Ugh.  I became that lady.  Then I sat on the floor and cried because I was embarrassed.  Your dad sat on the floor with me and calmed me down and even though everyone was looking at us, I made it to the elevator and we went to the 3rd floor, Labor and Delivery.  

Then we checked in there and sat in the waiting room for 20 minutes!  And there was another couple there that was obviously there for an induction.  This lady was super pregnant, but NOT IN LABOR.  She and her husband tried very hard not to look at me as I resisted the urge to lay on the floor and cry.  Then we were called back.  I still think that no one understood I was in labor because I walked back to the delivery room.  Then the nurse was like, "are you contracting?" 

They got me in a gown, hooked up to fluids and monitors, etc, and then Dr. McKnight came and to see what kind of progress I had made. I was just below 5 cm! Which was great because I thought I was just being a baby about the whole process. I do think that other people handle that stage of labor better than I did, but hey it's labor, so all bets are off. We called anesthesiology immediately to place my epidural.  Rob had to leave for that part, but my anesthesiologist was an angel.  The epidural didn't work the first time, and it took about an hour to get me to a "non-miserable" state.  A couple hours later, I started having hotspots of pain, so we had to revisit the epidural.  One leg went numb.  I didn't regain feeling in my left leg until you were a full day old. Your heart rate was changing, so I had to lie in a very specific position with an oxygen mask.  I didn't mind, and watched an episode of "Friends" on TV. Our nurse was wonderful, and stayed with me the whole time making sure that nothing changed on the monitors.

Around 1 a.m., your Memere, TPa, and Aunt Rikki arrived!  Your Gigi and Deets arrived at our house around the same time, but decided to go to bed after their 7 hour drive. Everyone took a nap for 2-3 hours, and then we resumed waiting for you.  We made bets on who could pick the arrival time of Baby Emerald.  I picked 5:45.  

Around 5:20 a.m. (after about 35 hours of labor), it was finally time to push.  Even though I had the epidural and couldn't feel much, I had no problems.  It wasn't too hard, except I was so thirsty. Your dad was a great cheerleader, and faithfully fed me ice chips, the only food I was allowed to have.  I pushed, and tried to ignore the reflective panel in the ceiling.  I feel like there are some things I just really don't need to see!

At 5:56 a.m, you were born. Your dad cut the umbilical cord and you were placed on my chest. The rest of the world disappeared for a minute. All I remember is talking to you. You cried, I cried.  I think everyone cried, but I'm not sure because they didn't exist.  You looked scared. You looked at me and I fell in love. The ferocious kind of love that makes a person completely psychotic.

Then you were weighed and bathed, screaming constantly.  I think someone tried to teach me to feed you.  Then you, me, and your dad fell asleep until our first visitors (and my breakfast) arrived.

And now it has been a year!  Probably the best year I can remember, but definitely the worst in some ways. Maternity leave, going back to work, breastfeeding, quitting breastfeeding, ear infections, ear tubes, poop, vomit, unexpected midnight wake-up calls...all challenges. They have been more than offset by all the joy you bring to me and your dad.  You laugh and our bad days disappear. You chase the cat and share your toys with the animals and we think it's just the best thing.  Watching you learn to sit, crawl, stand, dance, walk, talk, and run has given me a form of joy I haven't felt since I discovered the talking and dancing Teddy Ruxpin. (Yep, that was the 80's.  Hopefully all those pictures of my crimped hair were washed away by Hurricane Katrina.)

In short, Happy Birthday my baby girl.

"My Little Girl"

Hey, little girl

You might not know this song

This another kind of song that you can sing along to me

Hey, little girl

Maybe someday

At least that's what all the good people will say

Hey, little girl

Look what you've done

You've gone and stole my heart and made it your own

You stole my heart and made it your own

Hey, little girl

Black and white and right and wrong

Only live inside a song, I will sing to you

You don't ever have to feel lonely

You will never lose any tears

You don't have to feel any sadness

When you look back on the years

How can I look you in the eyes

And tell you such big lies?

The best I can do is try to show you

How to love with no fear

My little girl

You've gone and stole my heart and made it your own

You stole my heart and made it your own

-Jack Johnson

Sucker Punched Halloween.

Yesterday was Em's first Halloween!  This Halloween was way better for me this year, too, because I wasn't in labor.  Next year, I plan to be able to say, "This Halloween was GREAT because I wasn't pregnant this time!!!". Overall, I call this a win.

Anyway, we went to Aimee's house in Alabaster because she has a great neighborhood where everyone decorates and there are lots of kids to trick or treat.  She had her nieces, nephews, siblings, parents, and some other friends there.  We filled up on delicious chili and cupcakes, and I made Paula Deen Dreamy Hot Chocolate ("clock-o-lett", as Tye calls it) for the kids when they came back in.  The weather was great, so no one froze to death, and it didn't rain.

I've already mentioned that Joy made Em's costume this year, a garden gnome!! But the hat didn't exactly work out.  No one who has ever met me or my daughter should be surprised by this.

It's hard to take a picture of an excited toddler (she will be a toddler tomorrow, at 1 year!), but we did our best.  We took her to a few houses, and honestly she was so excited to get a tootsie roll pop that we probably could have stopped after the first house.  She was completely enamored by the fact that someone gave her candy for her bucket.  It's amazing how fast the little ones learn to be excited about candy.  Who doesn't love candy?

The beginning of trying to take a decent photo.

Before Trick or Treat-just excited to play under the furniture in a new place.

 Aimee's house was our first-ever Trick or Treat house!

Em's mind is TOTALLY BLOWN right now.

Ohmygod they put candy in??!?!?

This is AWESOME!!!

The novelty didn't wear off as we went to other places.

Watch out for that tootsie roll sucker making its appearance soon...

A box of milk duds makes a great chew toy.

Try as we might, we couldn't pry this sucker out of her hands for the rest of the night.  

She chewed through the paper!

Part of the decor.

First family Halloween. Sucker all over someone's face, hands, and clothes!

Not bad first trip to Trick or Treat, since she can't eat most kinds of candy yet anyways.

First Halloween Bucket!!

We are diligently preparing for the onslaught of family and friends coming to celebrate Em's first birthday this weekend.  Can't believe she is a whole year old as of tomorrow.  What a year.

Happy Day of the Dead Everyone!!!