Leah's One Month Checkup

I took Leah in for her one month checkup today. The pediatrician said that she had no concerns and that Leah looks to be a very healthy baby. Leah has had a blocked tear duct since birth, and as a result has crusty goop in her eye all the time. That could take several months to clear up, but is nothing to be concerned about. She has also already had two colds (one from hospital visitors, one from the boys) but her lungs and ears are fine.

Her stats are as follows:
Height: 21 1/4 inches
Weight: 9 lbs
She is in the 50th percentile for each.

Christmas Holidays 2007

Christmas was its usual superlative self. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas Eve dinner, which was quite an elegant affair. After dinner we went to Hagerstown to celebrate and exchange gifts with the Spichers. The kids got some awesome gifts from their great-grandparents. They really know their toys!

Christmas morning we opened stockings and presents. The kids were nearly schizophrenic with glee; they would open a gift, play with it for a minute, and then immediately start looking around for a new gift. Avery was quite the little helper: he was able to find gifts with his, Zach's, and Leah's names on them and hand them out to the correct person.

Gifts were followed by a brunch that was unfortunately rushed; we were scheduled to be at my Uncle Scott's by 2pm. There is never enough time on Christmas day; I wish it were 48 hours long instead of 24. When we arrived at Scott's, dinner was almost over. Everyone wanted to meet Leah, so it was probably for the best. We got to see all the usual immediate family members, along with my Aunt Leslie, Uncle Pete, cousin Lee, and Grandee.

Things Not to Do at Night

We hit a small snag with Leah last night.

When Leah was first learning to nurse in the hospital, she was rather aggressive and did some damage to Sara's nipples. Since nursing is her only source of food, and occurs 5-8 times a day, there hasn't been much opportunity for Sara to heal. One breast has become increasingly painful every day.

Things finally came to a head last night, just after midnight, when Sara decided she needed to pump on one side for a few days. Here's the rub: we knew where the breast pump was, but had "hidden" all of our baby bottles and nipples. So, there was a rather frantic 1 to 2 AM ransacking of the house on my part to locate the missing pieces.

One silver lining: Leah nursed on the bottle like a champ on her very first try, and again this morning. It took only about half as long as nursing, and didn't to make her gassy or spit up.

Leah's First Week

I know it's trite, but isn't she just perfect?

Leah is shaping up to be more like baby Avery than baby Zachary, at least when it comes to sleeping. He hated being in the crib, and so does she. We are able to get her to sleep in the swing, the bouncy seat, the car seat, and anywhere else that is inclined (like Eli's shoulder).

As you can see in the pictures, we have been keeping Leah pretty tightly swaddled. Eli picked up some pointers from the nurses this time around on how to really get the swaddling tight. She sleeps better, and longer, when wrapped up tight.

Baby Leah Arrives

Born: November 28, 2007
Time: 9:28 am
Height: 19 1/4 inches
Weight: 7 lbs 8 oz

Surprise Baby Shower

My friends planned a surprise baby shower for me. And surprised I was. Eli told me we were going to the Tyson's Corner mall to go shopping. Then on the way he said we needed to stop at Matt and Jessica's place to drop something off. When we arrived, he asked the kids if they wanted to go in and see Annabelle. So smooth...

Big thanks to Jessica, Leslie, Heidi, Jill, and Rebbecca for all their hard work and the great gifts.

Halloween 2007

Finally Halloween is here! Eli and I have been in Halloween mode for more than a month, so it's nice that it has arrived and is done with. I'm sure the kids will continue to have skeletons and ghosts on the brain for weeks to come, but we can start to take down the cobwebs and un-decorate the house.

Zachary wore Avery's frog costume from last year, and Avery (with no prompting from me!) picked out a Harry Potter costume. This year Eli took them out trick-or-treating while I manned the candy bowl. He enjoys taking the kids, but I know he also enjoys the neighborhood tradition of Shooterween (alcoholic treats for the grown-ups). Since our section of Brambleton is pretty well self-contained we only get visitors for about an hour after it gets dark, which is nice.

Golden Pond had Halloween Parades for each age group all week long. I wasn't able to go to Avery's parade, but he was able to join Zach's parade the next day. The kids were very cute, following the teacher around the parking lot like little ducklings. I never thought I would see so many two and three-year olds following instructions so well.

A Busy October

October is always a jam-packed month for us, and these past three weeks have been no exception. On Oct. 12 we went to WV for a huge party to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandma hired a caterer and went all out. It was nice to meet some of their close friends that we've heard about but never met. (We didn't ask but I'm sure it was strictly for A and B-list friends, so we felt privileged to be invited). Avery and Zach were the only kids in attendance and they basked in all the attention they got.

The next day Eli and I drove down to southern Virginia to go to Kris and Autumn's wedding. It was beautiful drive, and nice to be up in the mountains again. We haven't been down near Virginia Tech in almost five years. We didn't have a chance to stop at VT, but we did see a lot of close friends (and alumni) we hadn't seen in a while. It's funny that people can live 15-20 minutes from one another, not see each other for years, and then meet up at a wedding 250 miles away.

The next weekend we went to a Halloween party at Matt and Jessica's house. There was candy everywhere and we were going crazy trying to police the boys. Eventually we broke down and told them they could have a piece each time they ate a veggie from the veggie tray. Once the novelty wore off, they were able to play with all the other kids in attendance.

On Sunday the 21st we went to my parents' to celebrate my uncle David's 59th birthday. As usual he was very happy to see the family and talked about his job and how he'd been doing. Of course all the cousins were there, so the kids were bouncing off the walls and having fun playing together. I have noticed that Ellie and Gigi go off together to play by themselves more now that they are both in Kindergarten. I feel bad for Maddie because she is left to play with the boys, but she and Avery get along well most of the time. Zachary plays with Sammy sometimes, but he also likes to follow the older girls around too.

Last week was filled with doctor's appointments, and Zach and I met up with Leslie and Jessica at the mall. It was nice to be able to sit for a change. When I have both boys they go in opposite directions. With just Zach he generally stays nearby. I think I'll be able to go out with him and the new baby without too much difficulty.

On Thursday we had Grandma and Grandpa over to celebrate my birthday, and then Friday the 26th was the real deal. We went out to dinner at Nick's, and Eli gave me a pocket Suduko book to pass time in the hospital and when I am nursing. I also got an iTunes gift card, a jewelry box, and a new Canon digital camera from "the boys".

Saturday we had my family over, Nani, Nene, Seth, Rob, Gigi, and Sammy. We went out to a Japanese steakhouse / Hibachi restaurant, which I would have to say is my favorite favorite cuisine. The kids enjoyed watching the chef prepare all of the food, all except for the traditional "fireball" trick which was a little too scary for Avery and Zach.

Avery's 4th Birthday

I've been sticking with a Halloween theme for Avery's birthday parties. This year I got more decorations and made more decorations. We finally painted the dining room and I filled it with fall foliage. I love the fall and Halloween, so decorating the house is a lot of fun. I spent weeks getting the house ready, but it was worth it.

Our friend Jill made us a ghost/pumpkin patch/grave yard cake. It looked and tasted great, and was a big hit with Avery and all our guests.

Eli was also inspired by the Halloween theme and made dishes like a creepy vegetable platter. He also built a monster in the fire place. It had giant plywood teeth, a forked tongue, sound/motion sensitive eyes, and a fogger to blow smoke out the mouth.

The fog and monster eyes were quite a draw for the kids. They spent a lot of time clapping their hands to set off the eyes, and then screaming and running away when it "spoke" to them. We finally had to turn it all off to get them to settle down and stop all the screaming.

The next day we had my family over for a second party. We ate pizza and leftover cake, and watched the Redskins game while the cousins destroyed Avery and Zach's bedroom. Eli and I were exhausted from cleaning the house twice in three days, but it was a labor of love.

Big Apple Circus

Avery's birthday weekend started with a trip to the Big Apple Circus up near the Dulles Town Center. Right before intermission Avery asked if we could go home. I'm pretty sure he was just hungry, as he seemed to be enjoying the show. We got some snacks and drinks during the break, and after that he happily watched the rest of the show. Both boys loved the acrobats, horses and dogs.

Girl's Weekend 2007

After 4 years of being a full-time mother, I was finally able to take a little time for myself on a Girls-only weekend. Heidi, Jill, Leslie and I all went to Lewes, Delaware for some R&R and girl time. We left at 3:30 on Friday but what should have been a 3 hour drive turned into almost 6 hours thanks to terrible Bay Bridge traffic. We stopped once to use the restrooms and get drinks and a snack.

After we arrived we went out for a late dinner at Striper Bites. The food was excellent and this was our favorite restaurant of the trip weekend. Heidi told us that she heard they have the best Crab Cakes on the East Coast.



Saturday was our big day. We all had facials which included arm, shoulder, feet and hand massages. Heidi and I went first, then we ate lunch at the Second Street Grill in Lewes, and then Heidi and I walked around town while Jill and Leslie had their facials. In the afternoon we went to Rehoboth beach. It wasn't warm enough to swim, but we wanted to take our shoes off and feel the sand and water.

The day ended with a walk along the boardwalk and a hunt for somewhere to eat dinner. We hadn't made reservations so it proved to be difficult. After being turned away at several spots we ended up in an Italian restaurant that was... so-so.

Cox Farms Pumpkin Patch

Over the weekend we met up with the Parkers at the Cox Farms Pumpkin Patch. They set up a big festival every year with hay rides and slides and all sorts of other activities for kids of all ages.

Avery enjoyed the rope swings and slides, and wanted to go over and over. Zachary had more fun on the hay ride and liked playing in the train, but was pretty nervous on the long slides. I think the best part for both of them was getting a free mini-pumpkin when we left.

Making Flubber

We had another family activity on Saturday: making "flubber". The ingredients are: one small bottle of Elmer's Glue, 3 Tablespoons of Borax, warm water, and a few drops of food coloring. The kids were delighted with the slimy oozy goop and played with it all afternoon. It can be torn into pieces but they are easily combined back into the main mass, and it somehow manages to be much less messy than Play-Doh.

Zachary Starts Preschool

Zachary had preschool orientation on Thursday. At first I thought he might get upset when I left (on the way to Golden Pond he told me he didn't want to go to school) but it turned out just fine. When we walked in the classroom he immediately found a puzzle he wanted to play with, I said goodbye, and then I left. He played the entire 45 minutes without even wondering where I was. When Avery and I returned, he didn't even want to leave. I hope it will be just as easy tomorrow for his first full day, especially since his teacher will unload him from the carpool lane and take him inside without me.

[Update]

Zachary had a great first day! When I pulled up to drop him off he didn't even say goodbye to me! (sob) When I came back to pick him up the assistant teacher said he didn't cry and was very busy with everything. As with Avery I didn't get much in the way of details about his day, other than: he played with play dough and played with toys. Later I figured out that he must have played in the sandbox because he got sand all over the sofa. He is really excited to go back next week, although I'm not sure he understands it won't be for 6 more days.

Avery Starts Preschool

I took Avery to his first day of Preschool today. He has been excited for days, and was extra hyper this morning. When I picked him up in the afternoon I tried to ask questions about his first day. He told me that he had a snack and that he met friends, but he couldn't remember what he ate or any names.

I did find an art project in his bag, a synopsis of what he'll be doing this month, and a schedule of his activities. The teachers at this school really pack in a lot of activities for such a short half-day. In less than four hours they have Spanish, art, outside play, a snack, story time, and then depending on the day, math, science, language, or music.



Zachary is totally different child by himself. After we dropped Avery off we stopped on the way home for bagels, a muffin, and gas. When we got home, Zachary wanted to share the muffin with me. Then he ran to the family room and started taking the cushions off the sofa to make a fort.

When that was over, he asked if we could look at pictures on the computer. Picture time normally lasts for a few minutes until Avery wants to do something else, but Zach kept it going, wanting to see more and more pictures. The lunch table was blissfully quiet with no potty talk or baby talk to drive me crazy. To cap it all off, when we got back from picking Avery up, Zachary was asleep. I put him to bed and had another two hours of one-on-one time. This is fantastic!

Pre-Preschool Visits

Avery and Zachary's preschool teachers came over yesterday for home visits. Avery's new teacher Ms. Fey (pronounced "fie") stopped by first, at 8:30am. He was very excited to meet her and gave her a kiss on the cheek right away. She said that he was her first visit, so I'm hoping she remembers him on the first day. She asked Avery to draw a picture of himself and then took a picture of him. We got our first homework assignment: put a bag together with things that describe him.

Zachary's teacher Ms. Foster came over in the afternoon. She said that he is one of two Zacharys in his class of 15. Ms. Foster had Zachary make hand prints on construction paper. He loved it and was very excited when his hand was covered in blue ink. She took lots of pictures of Zachary, and some of all three of us, to use in various art projects during the year. She also asked Zachary what some of his favorite toys were and he showed her his marble race. He built some towers for her and got so happy he started jumping up and down. Frankly I was a bit surprised
by his reaction because he is often very shy. Zach's first homework assignment was to bring more pictures of himself and his family to school on the first day.

Orientation and school starts next week. Avery starts Tuesday and Zachary starts Friday. The whole family is excited for them to start preschool. I just hope they enjoy school and meeting new people and that the experience is positive so that school does not gain any negative connotations.

Avery and the Printer

I've been allowing Avery to be alone for longer periods of time in the afternoon so that I can put Zach down for a nap. Sometimes (cough) I drift off to sleep for a few minutes myself. Unfortunately, these instances have been known to end with Avery doing something that he shouldn't. Nothing terrible, just minor things like getting a juice box or chocolate milk out of the pantry, or getting yogurt out of the fridge. Some parents are fine with this kind of independence, but until the day comes when the boys decide to sneak carrots out of the fridge, we want them to ask first before taking.

Yesterday when I was putting Zach down for his nap, Avery decided it would be fun to play on the computer. He loaded up "Dora Dance to the Rescue" and played for while. At some point he decided to print something out. Unfortunately it was not one copy, or two, or even ten. He printed 68 copies of the same page, in color. Thank goodness the printer ran out of paper or it could have been even worse!

Jelly on my Tummy?

Most kids are interested in whats happening when their mommy is pregnant. But Zachary has taken it to another level. Very early in Sara's pregnancy, he became convinced (on his own!) that he also has a baby in his tummy.

When he is hungry, he needs: "Food to make my baby grow."
If Avery plays too rough he says, "Don't hurt my baby!"
And ever since Sara let the kids feel her baby kick, we periodically hear "My baby is kicking me."

Today Sara told the kids they had to stop by the doctor's office to drop off forms for preschool. Zachary immediately piped up with: "And I get the jelly on my tummy and I see my baby moving?"

It took a moment to make the connection: he was referring to Sara's last sonogram.

Story Time in Blue Hill

We went to the Blue Hill Library today for story time. Avery was very well behaved, listened almost the entire time, and both asked and answered questions. It lasted for almost an hour, which is a long time for a kid to pay attention, but it seemed to be a good indication to me for how well he'll do in a school setting. The library is a restored historic building and was quite nice inside.

After story time we went to get lunch, but the place where I wanted to eat was only open for lunch Wed-Sat. So we wandered until we found a bakery behind a used book store on Main Street. We had fresh hearth-fired pizza and I got roasted eggplant on my half. Yum!

After lunch we headed to a different bookstore where the kids read books in the kid section and I got them a 20th Century book treasury, which they seem to love. The book has some great classic kid's books and best sellers (and we now have our fourth copy of "Good Night Moon"!).

Hiking Up to Blueberry Hill

We hiked up to Blueberry Hill and boy did it wipe me out. Eli packed a lovely picnic consisting of turkey sandwiches, cheese, apples, and of course, blueberries. I think the kids had nothing but juice and blueberries.

Spectacle Swim

I was browsing through some old pictures on the Hiram Blake web site when I found a picture of Eli and Nora swimming at Hiram Blake Camp. It is from 2003 when I was 30 weeks pregnant with Avery and probably had no desire to get in a rowboat.

Cait and Cullen and Meg are manning the rowboat, so this is probably a dock to Spectacle Island swim (a distance of more than 1/4 mile in very cold water!).

Hiram Blake Camp 2007

Breakfast this year took on a new dimension when the boys figured out how to eat everything through a straw. First it was the chocolate milk. Then the scrambled eggs. Then the pancakes!

And dinner, which is normally a four course meal (salad, soup, main course, dessert), was also an interesting affair. Debbie and Dave set up one of the rooms in the farmhouse as a kids' playroom. For most meals the kids came in, ate buttered bread, and left to play in the playroom. When dinner was served they returned for a few bites (if we were lucky) and then returned to playing. For dessert they would come back, eat until it was gone, and then head outside to the playground.

On our first day at camp we took the kids to Pebble Beach. They started sliding down the big rock, so Eli made it into a makeshift water slide, throwing water up on the rock face with a big bucket. What was merely fun went over the top; they had a blast climbing up and sliding down, not to mention sliding down while climbing up.

The Cole Transportation Museum

This year's drive up to Maine was very uncomfortable for me. Pregnancy does not lend itself to sitting in the car for long periods of time. Once again we spent the night in Freeport. The boys did well in the car, but Avery was awful at the hotel. He tossed and turned and bothered us for more than 2 hours after we put him to bed. Eli looks forward to the days when hotel sleep will once again be relaxing.

After breakfast we did our traditional outlet mall shopping and then drove up to Bangor, home of the Cole Land Transportation Museum. We were impressed by this strange old museum. It was like a giant warehouse, full to the brim with all manner of odd vehicles. Eli's favorite was a Ford car that could be transformed into a tractor. I liked the giant wedge shaped snow plows that were almost two stories tall. I think the kids liked the trains best because they got to climb on and go inside.

It's a Girl!

I just had my 20 week ultrasound and found out the baby's gender. It's a GIRL!!! We are very excited. Eli has been pestering me with names since we found out. Even Avery and Zachary seem to be excited about the idea of having a sister (though that's probably just contagious excitement from us).

Avery and Zachary came along with us for the ultrasound. Avery was very inquisitive about the monitor and what he was seeing. I don't think either of them understood the images, but when they heard the heartbeat they were extremely interested.

After having all the pictures and measurements taken, we had to wait almost 30 minutes for the doctor to arrive and verify that the baby was healthy and growing normally. The kids were getting into everything and wanted to touch the equipment, so I showed them videos on our camera and Eli showed them movies and games on his iPhone. They also lay down on the bed to pretend to get ultrasounds; apparently they've been pregnant ever since we told them I was pregnant.