Monday 2005.10.31
|
Sunday 2005.10.30For Sale - 3 bedroom house, nice neighborhood, beautiful gardens in the spring. Wonderful house to raise children in, however, there's no bathroom. We are entering into week three of having no shower and have had a total of 5 showers between the three of us. We are still taking Marine showers daily and this weekend we snuck into our friend's showers when they were busy entertaining. Today Margot and me actually get the bathtub inside the framed walls. Boy was this a much harder thing than we thought it would be. The whole idea was that it need to be a tight fit, so Margot put up plywood on the back wall in order to make the fit tight. Which meant that it was nearly impossible to get the tub into the small space. There were of course many prime curse words used and after 2 hours of arguing about the best way to get the tub into the small space -- it somehow mystically happened. We gave high 5's and apologized to each other. Now onto the tub surround -- quite a different story. Margot went outside to get the tub surround to bring it inside. Then she came back in and said "it's cracked." So minutes later I was on the phone with Lowe's and 2 hours later they had delivered a new tub surround. Of course after the morning frustration we decided that we needed some respite away from the tub scene so we left the house and decided to go SHOPPING and eat Indian food at The Commons!! We arrived back home at 4:30pm and realized .... another week has gone by and we still don't have a tub. Maybe next week! But don't be surprised if you see a "FOR SALE" sign in the front yard that says "AS IS".
|
Tuesday 2005.10.18Graem's Walking! So lately Graem's been standing up for 30 seconds at a time and using the Leapfrog baby walker. Of course when she does this she squeals at the top of her lungs! Well today, I told Grammy "You are going to learn to walk today." Just feeling like today might be that special day... I put her about 2 feet away from me, made sure she had her balance and then begged her to come to me. The first two times were a bust and she plopped on her butt. But the magical number three was a success. She walked three steps to me and I caught her! Her face was so shocked that she had finally walked and she laughed when I caught her. I was on the phone instantly to Margot and figured this might even necessitate getting her out of an important meeting. She was available and I told her the great news. We both couldn't believe it. Margot got off of work early (to finish our bathroom) and Graem walked some more for her. Graem was a little tired tonight after all her afternoon walking and only did a good stretch of walking twice for Margot. I'm afraid my life has changed and our girl is finally....a toddler. It's gone by so quickly and again tonight we went through all of her clothes and put away all of her 6-12 month clothes. I can't believe in two months Graem is going to be a year old. It's somewhat sad...how time flies.
|
Sunday 2005.10.16Holy cripes! So we once had a three bedroom, one bathroom house -- now we have a three bedroom, no bathroom house. That's right, our bathtub/shower is 100% out of commission. The saga began when we moved in -- we thought to ourselves, "Oh, how nice, the old man we bought the house from just redid the bathroom." Little did we know the tile job had a much darker secret. After living in the house for a year and taking 4 showers a day we realized that the tile was starting to fail and water was leaking into the basement. So we decided to call out Ithaca Tile and Hardwood because we also wanted to add ceramic tile flooring in the bathroom. After approx. 9 months of no water in the basement all of a sudden we start seeing puddles again. We decide to have the water faucet changed so we call out Houseworth plumbing - also, we wanted them to check and make sure that the water wasn't coming from any pipes. They suggested an independent person who does tile because once again our grout was failing. We called out the independent person and Margot told him that she just wanted the job done right and asked him to please rip out the whole thing. He insisted that it could be fixed by just replacing the drywall at the bottom. So after 2 months we once again noticed a puddle in the basement (do you sense a trend?). We called the guy back again and he redid the job. Needless to say, it didn't last and after having various people come to our house - we decided to take matters into our own hands. We knew it was just getting worse because as I was playing with Graem one day in her room I noticed that there was a water stain on her hardwood floor. Margot took off of work Friday and we ripped off all of the tile and drywall. We decided to get a tub/shower surround. After we ripped off the walls we saw all of the mold and wet insulation that was behind the walls. No wonder the grout kept failing! We couldn't believe how wet and moldy everything was and at that minute we were so glad we had decided to do this project and not let it get worse!!! With that said...Saturday our bathtub had to come up because we didn't know what the floor underneath looked like and really wanted to start with a new tub. That took all day long. Our friends Laura and Lydia came over to help. Laura worked with Margot and Lydia watched Graem. Laura and Margot started beating the tub with a sledgehammer because that's what various websites said to do. They did that for a few hours and then went back to the drawing board and internet. They then rented a big saw that runs on gas. That saw let out so many bad fumes it's a wonder that there wasn't an ER visit!! Of course it also filled our house with smoke and the bathroom with little metal dust pieces. After that we had no choice but to stay at Laura and Lydia's for the night. The next morning Margot and me started strong. We made various trips to Lowe's and then at 5:00pm Margot nails right into the water line. I was in the living room playing with Graem and just heard many curse words and a weird hissing noise. I ran to the bathroom only to find water spraying everywhere. I tried to cover the water with my fingers and all I could hear is Margot yelling "I don't know where the $*#*@ water shut off is *$*#*@*#" After a few minutes and once again "a puddle in the basement" this time larger than the other Margot had to make yet another trip to Lowe's to buy plumbing supplies to fix the leak. Margot installs the pipe and then for some reason it doesn't work. So she calls our local plumber who gives her some advice. Margot gets out the welding flame and goes to town...almost blowing up our house. There were a few "uncontrolled" flames but she was finally able to solder the parts back together. We finally had water!! Of course, we still have a big hole in the bathroom floor looking down into the basement, no walls, and dust everywhere. But the hole doubles as a laundry chute! And we can throw clothes directly into the washing machine! We have asked friends to please let us know if we have any type of odor emanating from us from our lack of showering, but the marine showers seem to be doing the job. In fact, we have decided to keep the laundry chute and just use the kitchen sink forever. We figure it would save on water, we still get a fresh clean feeling, and while we are taking our "bath" we can wash dishes too! Just joking!
|
Tuesday 2005.10.11Long time, no post. It seems like so much has happened over the past couple of weeks. Margot went out of town last week to a conference for work and it was Graem and me! Graem did a great job in Margot's absence but we both missed her so much! Thanks to our friends Laura and Lydia for your help. We can't express to you how much your friendship means to us and can't wait til you have a family of your own. You're going to be awesome moms. Graem now has 6 teeth! Of course Margot's reminded of her teeth each time she nurses because she takes a big bite. Margot screams in pain and Graem screams too because she's frightened. She's been eating everything we've been eating and loves Alu Palik, an Indian curry. Of course that's my favorite too, so we'll have to be getting a second plate pretty soon. We went to the Apple Harvest Festival at the Ithaca Commons this weekend and had a really good time. Of course the weather was horrible - about 55 degrees and raining all day long. So we had to bundle Graem up and make sure she stayed warm in the stroller. While Margot was away at her conference Graem drank so much from the bottle. I guess she didn't have a choice - but I was really shocked that she wasn't more cranky. There was only one night that she was cranky and cried a lot. Thank God for Laura rushing over at 3:00am to help with that dilemma. Saturday as Laura and I were putting Graem to bed she started saying "Lew Lew" That's what Laura's nickname is so I think that's Graem's way of saying "Thank you, Lew Lew!" Graem is still crawling but I'm sure she'll be up and walking in no time. She crawls so fast it's not even funny --- and sometimes crawls faster than I can walk. She has a strange fascination with the toilet and everytime I leave the baby gate open in the living room I can always find Graem leaning over about to put her hands in the toilet. She also loves playing in Bailey's water bowl. Of course we have the instant refill water bowl so whenever she plays in it ... a gallon of water leaks onto the floor. She also loves pressing down on the water cooler tap, which almost caused our kitchen to flood today! She's so much fun to be around and I just can't wait for each day because she teaches me so much. Everyday she has a new way and different way of making me feel whole. I love her so much and hope that we are raising her to be respectful, independent, and happy.
|
Sunday 2005.09.25This past Thursday, Graem started saying "Ba-bye" when she waves! I also think she's saying "Hi kitty" when she sees the cats or the dog, but I'm sure they're just auditory hallucinations. Graem came to work for a little while on Friday, and she did quite well. I have an old keyboard that she types on, her Fisher Price fishbowl, and a bunch of plastic cores from our plotter paper. She loves crawling at the office because there's so much space. She's been somewhat grumpy this weekend, but we think it's due to the three teeth she's getting in on the top. Graem is also very protective of her new teeth, we have to hang her upside down and make her laugh to see them! Hand in hand with the new teeth has been a new level of biting during nursing--she's bitten me a few times this weekend, enough to bring tears to my eyes. I'm still planning to nurse her til a year, but these teeth are making it hard! And I generally tell her "No!" and quickly stop, but I don't think it really helps when the reason she's biting is that her teeth are coming in. I just hope she doesn't bite a nipple off...
|
Sunday 2005.09.18Graem is waving "hi" and "bye"! Shawna's been working with Graem over the past couple of days to kiss, wave "hi" and "bye" and to blow kisses. Well she's finally waving! It's so exciting and sometimes she actually bends her arm wrong and it looks like she's waving to herself. I'm not sure she notices the significance of waving yet but she's having a great time doing it. She even did it tonight when she was trying to fall asleep. Practice makes perfect!! She is also crawling as fast as we can walk, and stands up at every opportunity. She will pull herself up and laugh and clap at her achievement! She'll stand for about 30 seconds at a time and then gets tired and either plop to the floor or lower herself down. This week was a tough week for me, as I had two late night meetings in a row, and early hours at the office. While I'm at the meetings, all I can do is worry about whether she's happy, and whether she falls asleep okay. And then I get home and everything's gone fine. I miss her so much when I'm gone. I have a conference coming up in a couple of weeks, and as excited as I am to go, I'm dreading being away from Graem for so long--it'll be the longest I've been away from her. I wake up early with anxiety about how I'm going to pump, and whether she'll have enough frozen milk to keep her going. Of course I know she'll be fine, but I worry that Shawna will be exhausted from three days of uninterrupted, undivided attention. Laura & Lydia will be helping us out, thankfully. And I know I will have to do some reciprocal duties on my return! I already miss her.
|
Wednesday 2005.09.079:11 PM: So Graem's sick again, we're all bummed about it. She has a runny nose, and was up half the night last night because she couldn't sleep. I just keep thinking, Okay, it'll be over soon. We tried booger-bulbing her at 1 AM, but it just makes her cry and creates more boogers. I had to prop her up on my chest so that she could be upright and her head would drain. She seems to be in good spirits during the day. We discovered the playground at the Trumansburg school last night, and Graem played on the swings for the first time. She giggled until she got the hiccups. Today Shawna took Graem to the library. Usually Shawna just plops Graem on the floor and lets her have free range of the library. Tomorrow there's story time, so hopefully Graem will make it through--it's at 10:30 AM, which is prime nap time. I've been slowly spending more and more time at work, and I'm pretty ambivalent about it. Every day I count the hours and minutes that I have to spend with Graem (awake), and I'm sad that I spend 8+ hours at work. But I feel like my time is up, and I need to carry more of my load. The hard part of it is that my job requires evening meetings, and others have been picking up my slack so that I don't have to go--and I feel like I should be going these days. I guess I should be thankful. 6:45 AM, Angry Mom Rant: I lie in bed most mornings and worry about something. This morning I started thinking about death and taxes, which made me angry at all the inequalities that my family has to face because we're a gay family. Dress me up in khakis and call me a Republican, but most of my issues are financial ones--I see it as a form of taxation without representation, and the creation (or perpetuation) of second class citizenry.
|
Monday 2005.09.05Every morning I wake up and wonder if the situation in New Orleans has gotten any better. I think being a mom has changed my outlook on such tragedy. I've always been compassionate, but seeing the news and watching children suffer, and seeing their mothers having to cope with the inability to protect and provide for their children breaks my heart. I can't imagine having to be in that situation, and I wonder, would I put Graem on a bus alone and sacrifice myself in order that she survive? How would I know that she was being taken care of, let alone loved? Anyway, I know I'm becoming news-obsessed. I was talking to my coworker Bret about it, and he said that he and his girlfriend watch one of the panda cams to ease the depression. Here's a couple that I've been watching: If you haven't already, please consider donating to the American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org. Thanks!
|
Monday 2005.08.29We had a long weekend packed with fairs! Rachel visited us this weekend and came with us to the Trumansburg Fair--the last time she was here, Graem was barely awake. Now Graem is eating cotton candy and corn dogs and watching the rides! Graem got to pet some goats at the Trumansburg Fair, and watched a presentation on SuperChammies in the Verizon Center of Progress at the State Fair. By the way, there is nothing international about the Pepsi International Pavilion, unless you consider pizza a "taste of the Old World." Graem has been crawling around like mad, and cruising from couch to table and we're sure it's a matter of time before she takes off! She occasionally gets stuck under a piece of furniture, so that slows her down for the time being. She loves playing in Bailey's water bowl, and has probably had a few bites of kibble. She laughs hysterically when Bailey jumps or plays with her, and just loves taking handfuls of hair from Peanut and Murphy. We are about to abandon baby food--Graem eats just about everything we do, from curry (Indian and Thai) to barbecue. I've made her some yams and peaches, but I think she would much rather have what we're having! Bottle is still pretty erratic, but she'll drink water out of your cup. Operative word being "Your," since she'll never drink out of "her" cup. If we're lucky she still goes down for at least one nap a day. We're thankful that she still sleeps 12-14 hours at night. Graem loves playing with her LeapFrog table and dances to all the obnoxious songs. She has started playing "I want what you have" with Shawna, and sings along to songs. As much as we love that she is learning new things and whizzing through all the stages, we're sad that she isn't a tiny baby any more. We were reorganizing and putting away some clothes the other day, and I started crying when Shawna showed me a newborn diaper and the first outfit she wore at the hospital.
|
Wednesday 2005.08.10The boys are going cycling today, while the girls are heading to the beach. Graem is being bad baby today--she won't nap, and I'm noticing more and more how dependent she is on the breast to go to sleep. She will be about 75% asleep when I try to sneak away, and then she'll wail the second my nipple is out of her mouth. I've even tried sneaking the pacifier into her mouth, to no avail. So, basically it means I have to stay with her and nurse her until she is 100% asleep, or until I fall asleep, whichever comes first. It is taking up to an hour to get her to sleep, which means I'm pretty exhausted by the time she gets 2 naps a day plus bedtime. Reading is now a luxury only to be afforded after bedtime, when she's most likely to stay asleep for more than 45 minutes.
|
Tuesday 2005.08.09Shawna and the boys went fishing today with the Cee Jay fishing tour, with the intent of catching dinner. After 1 PM had come and gone, Graem and I decided to head to Commercial. We ran into Shawna and the guys with a couple of bags of fish--they had insisted that they each caught a bluefish. I knew from the minute I saw them that they had either snuck to the local fish market and bought the fish, or taken someone else's! It in fact had turned out to be the latter, as they fished the whole morning without a bite. Of course they had the luck of fishing next to a vegetarian couple who had no intentions of eating their fish, who caught a fish. Alex, Dom, Graem and I headed off to the beach while Shawna napped. Graem pooped the entire time we were at the beach. She's also stopped eating the sand, now she spends the time trying to walk. Alex and Dominic made a fabulous dinner with the bluefish they inherited: macadamia and coconut crusted filets with a mango/pineapple peri-peri salsa, steamed rappi, and sauteed eggplant. We also finished a bottle of Wagner Niagara. I was finally able to get a little bit of reading done of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
|
Monday 2005.08.08We had originally intended to do the dune riding today, but due to some drama involving breakfast (something about Alex's tortilla hispaniola and orange juice) we had to cancel that trip. Shawna, Graem and I went east down Commercial, while we waited for the guys to make up. We went to the Patio for lobster rolls--we had been craving them since we saw them at Mystic Seaport, but were too cheap to buy them! They were all we had hoped and dreamed, but the slaw that came with them left something to be desired. The slaw was made with fennel, radicchio and onions in a weak, vinegar and mustard dressing. We spent the afternoon at the beach again--even though the ambient temperature was cooler, the water was great and refreshing. That night we grilled a steak, some veggies, and had salad and corn for dinner. We also drank way too much, as we finished the bottle of rum with Alex's mojitos.
|
Sunday 2005.08.07Grocery mishap #1--Alex and I went to Angel Foods, which is a great gourmet deli/market, but not the place to do your week's groceries! We didn't know where the other grocery stores were, besides the two gas stations adjacent to where we're staying. I'd already stopped there for basics--eggs, milk, and bread--but we still needed meals for the majority of our stay. We ended up spending over $80 for three bags of groceries, and just got lunch meats and snacks! Graem's first beach day! We went to Herring Cove beach, which was packed. We are so glad the guys brought their National Parks Pass, because it covered the $15/day fee we would have paid otherwise! The sand and water were actually at the perfect temperature--we didn't burn our feet walking across the beach, and we could actually go swimming! Graem loved it--she was mesmerized by the waves, and loved splashing in the water. She also ate as much sand as her little heart desired, and pooped it out the next day. The only unfortunate event was when the wind picked up a little and blew the umbrella over, and the pole hit Graem square in the head as I was in the middle of feeding her. She wailed a little but was fine. We all got a little summer reading in, and just had a great time. We also met Nina and her son Sam from Ithaca, which was serendipitous--I only knew her from an email, but Shawna somehow put two and two together and guessed it was them. Luckily she told us where the local grocery store was so we could do some normal shopping! After getting in from the beach, we all took our showers and rested up a bit, and Alex made us some fabulous mojitos with fresh mint from the garden. We then left to walk on Commercial and find a place to eat. We passed several places until we finally decided to stop at Bayside Betsy's, mostly because there wasn't a wait and it didn't look too busy--it was already 8:30 or so and Graem could break down at any minute. The moment we walked in, Betsy (I assume THE Betsy) grabbed Graem, went to the cash register to get some money, gave the bills to Graem, and walked away with Graem to give the patrons their change! Betsy totally loved Graem, and kept checking in on her. Our meal was pretty good: the Vietnamese shrimp satay were tiny, so I wouldn't get them; the guys got some lobster bisque that was good; Shawna got the lobster alfredo; I got the broiled seafood medley--greasy but yummy; Alex got the scallops with chorizo over fettuccine--the red sauce was pretty good; Dom got the stuffed flounder. Our server all but disappeared for the second half of our meal, but by then Graem had fallen asleep in my lap and I didn't care about much else. Once Graem's asleep, life gets much easier: I was able to just carry her in my arms and keep her asleep, and we continued shopping up and down Commercial. When we got back in, we laid out our daily agenda for the rest of the week, since there were some things the guys wanted to do that we didn't (or couldn't, with Graem).
|
Saturday 2005.08.06We finally made it in to P-Town at lunchtime--it was a beautiful sunny day. We had lunch at Macmillan Pier, just a fish fry--Graem had some fries. We checked into our house, and it's awesome! There are two bedrooms and a loft above, and it's bright and sunny. And you wouldn't know that there are other people downstairs in the other apartments. The kitchen is a little small, but there's a nice little balcony, and a common grill in the yard. We walked down Commercial and looked in a bunch of the shops in search of the perfect P-Town onesie. It seems that there are fewer gay people here, and a lot more straight couples and families than we last remembered. There are a lot more gay families, or else we're just noticing them now that it seems relevant to us. We then went to hang out on the pier to wait for Alex and Dominic's arrival off the fast ferry from Boston. When they got in, we settled in at the house and washed up for dinner. We went to the Karoo Kafe, which serves South African food. It was pretty good, I definitely recommend the snails Rangoon. We picked up some desserts from the Portuguese bakery--fried dough and some cakes. Little did we know that the Portuguese bakery would become a daily stop on the trip! We stayed in the rest of the night and caught up with the guys.
|
Friday 2005.08.05Vacation officially starts! We traveled all day, spending some time with my dad in Scranton, and then started the first leg of our trip out to the Cape. Due to Connecticut drivers being afflicted with SMS (slow moving syndrome), we did not make it in to Providence until 8:30PM. We could not figure out what it was, but ALL Connecticutians drive at 5-10 MPH BELOW the speed limit, and if a dark cloud appears overhead and threatens rain, they all come to a screeching halt. We went to Mystic Seaport and grabbed a quickie dinner. Today also marked the day of Graem's marathon poos--she has been pooping non-stop all vacation!
|
Monday 2005.08.01GRAEM CRAWLED TODAY!!! Laura and Lydia were sitting in our living room, and we started giving Graem incentives--the rubbery blue coaster and the iPod. Graem started crawling a few feet to get to the iPod: first she pushed up on her knees, then did a little butt-scoot, and then flopped down on her belly. Then she repeated the whole process, until she got to her destination. It wasn't pretty, but it worked! I am also in the process of updating the July photos as we speak, and there are 60 of them for your enjoyment!
|
Sunday 2005.07.31So it's been a few weeks since I've updated this webpage, and I'm kicking myself. We've been out of town a few times, and had a family emergency to deal with, so I haven't had much time to write. Also, the computer I used to use blew up, so I've lost access to all my photos and files. The good thing is that it's just the motherboard that's blown, and I haven't lost all of our baby pictures; however, the hard drive is still at work so it'll be another while before I can get the photos online. The moral of the story is (to all of you too-busy parents out there): backup all your photos to CD before your computer blows up! I had started it, but only got through to the May photos. Some major milestones that I haven't added:
Yesterday was Laura & Lydia's wedding (congrats ladies!), and Graem was Bad Baby! The ceremony was right at naptime, so Graem started talking louder and LOUDER, competing with the Reverend. She had perfect timing to chime in right at moments of silence. Graem did a lot better at the reception, and danced a little with Laura.
|
Saturday 2005.07.09I'm sitting here watching Graem try to crawl. First she pushes up on her arms, which she's been doing for a while now. I clap and encourage her anyway. Then she does this "baby pushup" where she pushes up onto her tippy-toes, and looks down at the floor. I hope every time that she doesn't drop face first onto the floor! Then she takes a break and lowers herself back to the floor, and sticks her arms and legs up, and sprays raspberries at me. I know she's so close to doing it, and I even give her hints by tucking her legs under her so she's on her knees. This usually results in a face plant. I love how Graem's creases in her arms and legs and neck are white, but she is a little tanned everywhere else. I'm sad that she's starting to lose the baby fat on the tops of her feet--they used to be so chubby that she had a crease between her foot and her toes. Why is it that baby toes and fingers are like lint brushes? They're so sticky they pick up all the cat hairs off the carpet. Her feet and legs are constantly moving, and she has to grab onto things with her prehensile toes. At first I thought she was just moving them aimlessly, but I found that if I move further away from her, she'll scoot towards me so she can grab me with her toes!
|
Monday 2005.07.04Graem is back to her baby insomnia stage! She was napping well for about 3 days, then last night she decided that she was going to pull an all-nighter and party! I first tried to take her up to bed at 7:30 PM, and she thrashed and yelled until around 8:15 PM, so Shawna tried to take a shift. After another 15 or 20 minutes, they came back downstairs and she started giggling and playing. Then at around 9:00 she started melting down, so we stuck her in her crib. She was sitting up and playing with her crib gadgets and talking to herself. Another thirty minutes or so of semi-crying, and we grabbed her and brought her into the living room with us, AGAIN. She was laughing and giggling and talking, and playing with her ball-processor. She started getting louder and louder at around 10 PM, so Shawna told me to take her up. Finally, after about 10 minutes of nursing (without the kicking and scratching and back-arching this time) she passed out. And she only woke up crying three times last night. We keep wondering "What's different?" about the days that she decides to be an insomniac, but we can't quite put a finger on it. Yesterday she slept til noon, and had a mini-nap in the car. Maybe she got too much sleep yesterday. Then we wonder if we do too much with her during the day, but somehow we can't imagine doing any less since we spend most of our weekends trying to get her to nap, or entertaining her when she isn't. As tiring as it gets--I do get frustrated to tears some weekends--I still think she's the most adorable, cutest and funniest baby. We keep calling her Bad Baby and hope she doesn't get a complex over it. Lately she loves staring and laughing at herself in the mirror, and I tell everyone she gets that from Shawna. It's also been amazing me that she has figured out to work the ball-processor: she pushes the lever and the ball comes rolling down to the tune of some obnoxious Fisher Price song. I can't believe my life has been reduced to naps and baby poops. The change to solid poops has been a welcome relief from the days of yellow-stained baby AND mommy clothes, but a sad one as I mourn her newborn-baby stage. And the next time we get a runny poop will be one of illness and stress. As embarrassing as it is to admit, Shawna and I call each other over to look at the new shapes and colors of Graem's poops. And we stare in disbelief when we see her diaper full of something the dog or cat could have snuck in there.
|
Wednesday 2005.06.29Graem got her first tooth today. We thought that she was teething a few weeks ago, but when nothing came of it, we forgot about it. Plus I read somewhere online that people tend to blame all behavioral changes on teething when it's usually not the case, so we just assumed that Graem's change in nap schedule (read: no napping AT ALL) was due to her being crazy baby.
|
Thursday 2005.06.23Graem said Mama today!!! It was so awesome: Graem was lying on the floor at work chattering away while I was working, when she said, "Mama mama." I quickly turned around and asked her, "Did you just say Mama?!" and Kim yelled over, "Yes she did, I heard her!" Then about an hour later she was lying on her belly playing with her Fisher Price fishbowl when she turned and looked up at me and said "Mama." I was so excited and clapped, hoping that it'll encourage her to say it more. An amazing day!
|
Wednesday 2005.06.22I can't believe that it's almost been a month since I last wrote. Summer has been exhausting so far--we have softball at least twice a week, which means scrambling from work to scrounge for dinner before leaving again for the fields. Graem has been coming to all the games, and she's been a great sport. Lydia has been the one getting her to sleep through our games, so we've been grateful for that. We went to Brooklyn this past weekend to see Grandpa and Gala. Graem got a cartload of toys from Toys 'R Us from Grandpa, and of course all she wanted to do was play with the boxes! Gala also got Graem a bunch of clothes--yes, that does say "Princess!" Graem did great on the car rides, although she knows when we're about 20 minutes from our destination and schedules a meltdown right for the moment when it's too close to stop. Bedtimes are getting a little more difficult--it takes about twenty minutes of kicking and thrashing around before she finally passes out. Tonight she was so cute: she'd fall about 75% asleep, so I'd try to sneak my nipple out of her mouth, then she'd start rooting around and grabbing with her sticky little hands to try to get my boob back into her mouth. For a few seconds her fingers sufficed to soothe her, but she quickly realized that they just aren't the same. It made me smile. Graem loves popsicles! Shawna was sharing some with her, and Graem would always grab for the one that she didn't have. Starting solid foods has been a blast. It's also given me some reprieve from nursing (don't get me wrong--I still love doing it, and dread the day we will stop because it's so cuddly and calming), while also giving Shawna a new way to bond with Graem. To date Graem has had: rice cereal, bananas, squash, peas, applesauce, and guacamole. Eating can be hard work! So far all I've made for her is the butternut squash, but I hope to make some other foods. Unfortunately those jars of baby food are so darn convenient! We can't wait to start her on curry and spicy foods. She has had a couple of illegal foods--tastes of ice cream and strawberries, and I think some melon. Not sure why they're illegal.... Shawna's got two more full days of work. I'm both scared and excited for her, but I know it will all work out. It will also make me feel better that Graem will be able to stay with one of us more rather than daycare. Days with her at work are getting a little more difficult, and I wish they weren't. I'm a little worried that I will give up my time with her before I'm ready, and that I will miss her.
|
Sunday 2005.06.05What a long weekend! It was Ithaca Festival weekend, so we've been going nonstop since Thursday. We went to Graem's first parade, and somehow managed to get all separated from each other for about 20 minutes. I thought Shawna and Laura were playing a joke on me and Graem, but it turned out not to be the case. Saturday we partied at the Festival until we were pooped (and pooped on by Graem) and Laura puked. Graem started rolling over as a means of transportation on Friday, when she rolled from the center of the floor at work into Kim's purse to grab her keys. She's also started sitting up more or less, but still tips over to the side. It's starting to get more difficult to put Graem down for naps, and I wonder if it's because we have been lax about routines. She just gets louder and louder until she totally melts down and crashes. Our latest crisis is this dead bat we found in our driveway, and now we're all freaked out about our cats and getting rabies. Apparently the health department isn't really on call unless a human comes in contact with a bat, and I'm worried that our cats may have either killed the bat or gnawed on it.
|
Saturday 2005.05.28Due to popular demand, I am finally posting some entries. I would be further persuaded to post if you stalkers out there would sign my guestbook! You know who you are.... I just realized that Graem is 5 months old today! She's been rolling over for a little over a week now, and can push up on her arms. This past Thursday she started saying "Da Da," much to our dismay! Yeah, we know, it's just a matter of phonics.... Or may be she is just sermonizing about the likes of Marcel Duchamp et al. Graem's pretty much over her cold, she's just had a few stray boogers here and there. Wiping her nose is a covert operation--I don't understand why babies are so possessive of their boogies! Graem has been coming with us to our softball games, rooting us to two wins this past week! Unfortunately it's been pretty cold for the end of May, so we've had to dig up her old winter buntings that she's already outgrown. Oh, at work this week Graem has started typing, and somehow the only keys she manages to hit are 'Ctrl' 'Alt' & 'Delete'! She also loves to rustle my plans and eat my notes. She is so much fun. I had a meeting on Thursday afternoon, and all she wanted to do was join in and chat with us. She started singing and screeching at the top of her lungs! I think she gets very chatty when she's tired. We have a busy day today: We are meeting her Wonder Twin buddy Dobbs and his moms, Kim & Sybil, for lunch at the Farmer's Market. Then we're going to the Jens' for fun and fondue, and slumber party. We will likely opt out of the slumber part, due to a neglected puppy.
|
Sunday 2005.05.22Graem tried rice cereal for the first time today! She didn't seem to mind it too much, and it's a great step since she's decided she won't drink the bottle AT ALL at daycare.
|
Saturday 2005.05.14So Graem has her first stuffy nose and I feel like I've let her down as a parent. I know she got it from daycare, because I remember seeing all the boys there with snotty green noses. It took every shred of strength for me not to just grab her and run away from the boogers! Graem still seems happy, but every now and then has a confused look like she's wondering why she can't breathe. We've tried using the booger bulb, but it doesn't seem to do much besides make her cry. I've even tried something my dad said he had to do to my brother and me when we were babies: put my mouth over her nose and suck! Now I have yet another baby secretion to add to my list of poop and earwax and eyecrust to obsess about. Shawna said that a friend of ours had this cool tube booger-sucker thing--maybe we will try to find one of them. On a happier note, Graem grabbed her feet by herself today, and was transfixed by that for a little while.
|
Sunday 2005.05.08, Mother's DayGraem took us out for brunch today. She did need a little help signing the check, her penmanship isn't quite what it should be. It was so much fun, everyone greeted us both a happy Mother's Day. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the Commons, and visiting with friends. It's great to be a mom.
|
Saturday 2005.05.07So the Windmill was a bust--who would've thought that Auntie Anne's pretzel concession was the only Amish joint in the place? And actually, they were probably Mennonites, but I think the Amish have better marketing power. And another thing.... how many "A Spoiled Rotten Schnauzer Lives Here" plaques does one actually need?
|
Wednesday 2005.05.047:00 AM It only took me about 3 weeks, but I uploaded some video. Sorry to all the non-broadband users out there, I will need to figure out the resolution thing. We had to upgrade our carseats yesterday--Graem was illegal in the baby bucket! Now I'll have to figure out how to manage her without the bucket. I used to be able to take her to the grocery and get my haircut and just leave her in it, but now I would have to leave her on the floor at the salon, and that won't quite work.... Uncle Dennis sent us a sweet little Mother's Day gift yesterday, it was such a wonderful surprise! Of course we plowed through the chocolate truffles in about 3.9 seconds, and Graem drooled all over the little doll. We loved it! We think Graem will be taking us out for dim sum on Sunday, but she hasn't confirmed our reservations. It's supposed to be fabulous this weekend, so we might head out for a little road trip. Shawna wants to go to the Windmill, an Amish/Mennonite farm & craft market. It looks like a tourist trap (since when was Auntie Anne Amish??), but should be fun nonetheless. Besides, we want to go to the Pierogie Palace and fill up on carbs. I know I sound like a broken record, but being a mom is the most amazing experience in the world. It really makes me so happy, I stare at Graem every night and tear up and say to Shawna, "Isn't she so amazing? I love her so much." I love it when she flashes smiles or even giggles in her sleep, it makes me wonder what she's dreaming about. I also think of it as a small success as parents that she has something to smile about.
|
2005.04.28I think we've created a monster! Graem had her 4 month well visit today, and she's off the charts for height, at 27.25", and is at the 95th percentile for weight. She's a hefty 16 lbs. 3 oz., and has officially outgrown her carseat. She's smiling and giggling a lot, even in her sleep. I plan to update her photos sometime this weekend. It's just so hard to sit in front of the computer over the weekend, instead of spending every precious minute with her.
|
2005.04.12Due to popular demand, I've uploaded some new photos. Enjoy!
|
2005.04.028:30 AM I have a confession to make: I haven't been writing these entries on the days they occur. I'm probably breaking some blog cardinal rule, but I just don't have the TIME to keep up. The problem is that the only time I have to work on this page is at night when Graem is asleep, but i have to be upstairs, which limits me to the laptop that doesn't have a web editor loaded on to it. Which means I would have to post in HTML code, and that's no fun. But I'm doing it today anyway (while nursing Graem), because two weeks have gone by since my last post. My goals for the page are:
|
2005.03.23Today was Graem's first day of daycare. I'd been dreading it for a while, but I guess it's time. Both Shawna and I went, and we brought a truckload of stuff: frozen breastmilk that we'd stockpiled, several changes of clothes, diapers and wipes, her pack n' play, and an extra carseat. We let Kelly know of Graem's like's/dislikes, and I nursed Graem for one last time. As soon as I walked out the door I started crying, and I cried on the entire ride to work. At work I cried every time someone asked how it went or how I was. Needless to say, I picked Graem up early and brought her back to work with me. It was so reassuring to hear Kelly say that Graem took the bottle without any problems.
|
2005.03.19We went to Syracuse today to get Graem's 3 month pictures taken. Shawna picked out three outfits--two dresses and a pair of overalls. Our appointment was for 11:30 AM, so we got there right around 11:15 to nurse her and change her into her clothes. There were a TON of people there with their kids and they were running late, so we started talking to a mom who was having her daughter's 2 year pictures done. I had just finished nursing Graem and sat her up, when she PROJECTILE vomited all over her striped dress and me! We were just about to bag the outfit when we figured that you can't smell a picture, so we might as well rinse it off! Of course the second we undress Graem, it's her turn. Shawna quickly got her into the overall outfit while I rinsed out the dress and myself. Thank god for hand dryers in the bathroom. Graem had a little performance anxiety and wouldn't quite smile for the camera (or the girl wasn't fast enough to capture the split-second grin), but instead decided to talk to the camera. So here are the pics: |
2005.03.13We can't believe it's been almost three months--time's been flying! We've finally gotten into our routines, and I realize now that I'd much rather spend time with her than on the computer, hence the lack of updates. I'm still trying to figure out how to do the photo album in Photoshop, but I'd rather stare at Graem. Graem and I have been going to work daily for almost a month now, and it seems to be working out great. Everyone loves her! I'm not quite as efficient as I used to be, but I'm happy that I can have her near me. We keep saying that parenthood has been amazing, but it has really changed my life, made me more complete. I always feared parenthood, in that I've felt so much emptiness in my life, and feared that I would never have enough of myself to give to a child. But now it's like I've found a place in my heart that I never knew existed, from which comes unbounded love. I can't lie and say that it hasn't been difficult, changing my life, but for some reason, it doesn't seem to matter; all that matters is her. I don't stress out about the same things I used to, but there are new types of stress. My heart breaks to hear her cry!
|
2005.02.28Graem had her two month appointment today. She weighed in at a hefty 12 pounds, 5 ounces, and measure 23.75" long! 95th and 90th percentile respectively. She also got her first immunizations today, two in each leg. She was fine for most of the day, but around 4PM, she started crying and didn't stop for an hour. I took the rest of the day off from work to be with her and comfort her.
|
2005.02.25Today was Graem's first smile! It happened during our usual morning routine: Shawna had bathed and dressed her, and she was sitting in her bouncy chair. I was sitting in front of the computer eating breakfast, and looked over at Graem, and she just smiled! Of course it took a lot of encouragement to get her to do it again for the camera.
|
2005.01.12We've been busy trying to get into our daily routines: diaper, nurse, diaper, sleep. Repeat. Up until a couple of days ago, we had been getting long (4 hour) stretches of sleep at night. Graem must be in a growth spurt, since all she wants to do is eat! Graem had her first (gas) smile on 1/4/05. She's starting to stay awake a little longer and is very alert.
|
2004.12.31As you may have guessed from the lapse in entries, Baby Graem decided to join us! The story goes... 10:55 PM Monday Night: We were watching an episode of "Baby Story" on TLC. I had been avoiding these shows both before and during the pregnancy. I finally agreed to watch this one episode. I was just finishing snack #3 for the evening, some makeshift chicken parm. Mom #1 had just delivered her fourth baby at 9 lbs. 12 oz. -- I was ready to pass out. Mom #2 wasin the process of pushing her baby out, and I noticed I was really wet all of a sudden. I told Shawna, "I think my water just broke"--she didn't believe me! I stood up and felt a trickle go down my leg. When Shawna realized that my water really did break, she rushed to call the midwives. Of course the only thing I could think of to do was run to the bathroom, take off all my clothes, and ask Shawna what to do! She told me to sit on the toilet and just wait. The midwife on call told us to try to wait it out at home for as long as possible--at least an hour, and to continue timing the contractions. I sat in a warm tub, with Shawna on the phone with EVERYONE, and timed contractions. They continued to be 5 -6 minutes apart, but were Braxton-Hicks. After about 45 minutes of doing this, we decided to head to the hospital. Shawna decided the best thing to do at this time was clean the house, as my shoes were filling with water! 12:30 AM Tuesday Morning: We arrived at the hospital, and got hooked up to the monitors. They confirmed that the contractions were still mild and 5-6 minutes apart. We tried to get some sleep. 2:30 AM Tuesday: Contractions started getting stronger, so the nurses gave me Nubain--helped me go to sleep. 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM Tuesday: The Nubain totally zoned me out until around lunchtime, and I was in and out of consciousness. During awake moments, we went walking through the hallways to try to get the contractions going. Kim stopped by to see us, and took some video before she had to leave for a meeting. We hoped she would make it back in time for the delivery. We went to the cafeteria for some lunch, where we picked up tons of macaroni & cheese, which I had been unable to eat for the latter half of my pregnancy, due to the gestational diabetes. 1:30 PM Tuesday: We were getting bored and nothing was happening with my contractions, so we asked if we could start the Pitocin. The contractions started getting stronger within 30 minutes. As they started to hurt more, I tried a couple of other positions--sitting on the toilet, and sitting on "The Ball." This was fun for about two contractions--it was too uncomfortable for my back, and the fetal heart monitor wouldn't read. ~3:30 PM Tuesday: Contractions were getting stronger, about an 8 on the pain scale. I was ready for the intrathecal, and we thought, "Oh, good thing we're having the baby during business hours, the anesthesiologists will be nearby." Actually, it meant that they were all in surgery! It took almost 45 minutes for the anesthesiologist to get there, by which point I was swearing like a sailor. After I got the intrathecal, I was able to sleep for a good twenty or thirty minutes. 4:40 PM Tuesday: They told me that I'd know when it was time to push, and in fact, I did: it felt like I had to pass the largest bowel movement! Kim arrived just in time from her meeting to start filming (we didn't need all the cussing and swearing in our video). I could barely feel the contractions through the intrathecal, but waited for them to actually push. The midwife set up a mirror so I could see the progress of the delivery, which really helped. Both Shawna and the midwife could see a little lock of hair sticking out. 4:58 PM Tuesday: Graem Avery Chiuten-Black is born! As soon as her head was out, the midwife let Shawna step in and pull her out. At that point, we still didn't know if she was a boy or a girl, until Kim asked! We both looked down and Shawna said, "It's a... girl?" We were both surprised but elated.
|
2004.12.27The full moon came and went, and still no baby! So I went to work today, and it was weird. Every day I try to end with some closure, due to the fact that I may not be back for a few weeks. I cleaned out all my old project files, tried to get our FTP site up and running, and wrapped a few loose ends. Until tomorrow, when there will be new loose ends to tie up.
|
2004.12.26STILL NO BABY. Christmas dinner last night was Chinese takeout, and I even made sure to eat LOTS of chili oil with it. Made several trips to the bathroom, but the baby did not come out. Shawna even tested out the castor oil, and it had no effect on her. I'm wary of taking it--I don't really want to spend the entire night on the toilet, and THEN push out a baby. But who knows... it's getting close to desperation time. I woke up in the middle of the night with a couple of strong contractions, but they obviously weren't enough. Plus we got too tired and fell asleep instead of counting them. We walked the mall AGAIN today to try to get things going, and we finally saw the Incredibles. Pretty funny movie, I don't think there were any kids in the theater!
|
2004.12.25Merry Christmas! We've been hoping for the last few days that we'd have a little Christmas bundle to bring home, but alas this kid is being stubborn. I'm ready to get it out of me, and Shawna is ready to hold the little guy.
|
2004.12.23We had our follow-up appointment for the 24-hour preeclampsia urine test today, results were good. Protein number was slightly elevated, but everything was normal. The doctor suggested that the midwife strip my membranes, and after some discussion, we agreed to have it done. I didn't feel much of a difference after the procedure, except for some mild cramping and a killer headache and a little nausea.
|
2004.12.21We had our regular weekly appointment today. My blood pressure was slightly high, so the midwife suggested we test further, since the office would be closed for the holidays. She also told us the baby could be around 7-7.5lbs today, and possibly end up between 8 and 8.5lbs. I just about passed out!
|
