Cycle Cutie

Indoor Exploits

2012-01-27T05:05:00.000-05:00

Through the Lego castle tower tunnel!

Tigger wuvs Ewwywit

The cure for your malady is a shot in the ear

"Daddy, will my hair recede like yours?"

Find Your Happy Place

2012-01-26T05:04:00.000-05:00

New Skills

2012-01-25T05:03:00.000-05:00

Elliott shows off his ability to momentarily crumple-sit.

Isabel shows of her ability to manage security for a bustling track yard.

Jules shows off his ability to make Mommy even more beautiful!

Elliott tries to roll onto his belly

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Walking in a Snowless Wonderland

2012-01-23T05:01:00.000-05:00

Even without snow, wonders abound

Is that a baby in your coat, or are you just really well endowed?

A feat of daring and danger

Hang around, the light show is even cooler after the sun goes down!

Metrorector!

2012-01-20T05:04:00.000-05:00

It's a Metro train! Made out of erector!

With real operating sliding doors!

I'll just add a few finishing touches.

Jules starts his training for transmission repair and maintenance.

I'm a fan of this creation. It's fan-cy!

Cats Love Phonics?

2012-01-19T05:05:00.000-05:00

Up Early in the Morning

2012-01-18T05:03:00.000-05:00

Waiting for the sun to rise

It's never too early for Legos!

Or to start learning to ride a motorcycle, er, bicycle!

Definitely not too early for waffles!

Bead Bash

2012-01-17T05:02:00.000-05:00

Lazy weekend afternoon with the family? Bust out the beads!

Isabel wants in on the beady excitement

Are you surprised that someone requested that a metro train be depicted? If so, welcome new blog reader!

Guess When

2012-01-16T05:05:00.000-05:00

Following instructions to the letter

Take me under your tutelage, o great brotherly sage of wooden toy trains.

Chinese food is one clue, and there is one more as to when this picture was taken.

Snuggled in a cloud

Babysitting Hack

2012-01-13T05:04:00.000-05:00

"And that's all there is to it! Got it? Okay, your Mom and I should be back in a couple hours, see you later!"

"Uh, where's Mommy?"

"It's okay Elliott, they mean well."

"Here, let me read you a story. We've got plenty of time until they get back."

Indoor Playground!

2012-01-12T05:02:00.000-05:00

Perfect for those inclement days when a little boy needs to be run around! And sometimes as a parent it just feels appropriate to spend time in a padded room.

Air and Space Museum with Jules

2012-01-11T05:04:00.000-05:00

Having some leave that was about to expire, I took the day off to go with Jules to the Air & Space Museum.

In the planetarium we saw One World, One Sky which featured Big Bird, Elmo, and Hu Hu Tzu.

Gazing at the rocket gallery

Touching the rainbow

Elliott Plays the Tongue Game

2012-01-10T05:02:00.000-05:00

Grandma D in da Hizouse

2012-01-09T05:01:00.001-05:00

Reading bed time stories!

Family dinner!

Introducing Froggy!

And Woof Woof!

Playing with Elliott

"Hi, Grandma? When are you coming back again? Also, I LOVE the train sweater you made me!"

Do I Smell Something?

2012-01-08T22:31:00.003-05:00

Mommy: "Jules, did you make a poop?"
Jules: "No."
Mommy: "Did you fart?"
Jules: "No."
Mommy: "Are you sure? I think I smell something."
Jules: "I think you smell NO."

New Year's Day Brunch 2012!

2012-01-06T05:04:00.001-05:00

Ringing in the New Year with (what else?) waffles!

Play time!

"Hey Xavi, you think that's a whole parallel world on the other side of the mirror?"

"I don't know Tadhg, but the kids there might almost be as cute as we are!"

Christmas Morning!

2012-01-05T05:03:00.000-05:00

First thing to make with the erector set? Why, a train of course!

This bolt goes here...

Let me screw it in.

Hey Thomas, there's a new locomotive in town!

Get on board, Tigger!

Okay, enough of that, time for more Phonics Bus!

Back to Work

2012-01-04T06:43:00.000-05:00

I started back to work yesterday. I was nervous about getting things set up, how the drop off/pick up would go, how I would do, how Elliott would do, how pumping would go, and a whole host of other things. Because Elliott is still on the wait list for the daycare Jules is in, we have him in a home daycare very close to our house. The mornings are crazy - I have to get everyone ready, plus myself, to get out of the house. But I get to come back home to quiet and get things done.

The first drop off was hard - I was sad to leave Elliott with someone else, even as I felt excited to go back to work and do something that was mentally stimulating. And the first day was easy - not a lot to do so I could ease in. Pumping was something I was worried about, but I was able to produce enough yesterday for all of his bottles, so that was a relief. Here's hoping that keeps up. And it was an opportunity to think about Elliott multiple times during my work day, not that I needed reasons to think about him!

I went to pick him up at 5p and he smiled when he saw me! I asked the daycare provider how he did and she said he did pretty well for his first day. The noise of the other kids is something he will have to get used to and she was originally worried he wouldn't take the bottle, but he ultimately did and drank almost all of the milk I sent in! He also took a bunch of naps, although none particularly long. He practiced rolling over - he did it there and he did it again at home that evening! He also cried some, but I think that's to be expected. It really hurt my heart to hear that though and I cried on the way home thinking of him being unhappy. :(

All the activity must have worn him out because he took a nap while we ate dinner and had a couple 3-4 hour stretches of sleep. Here's hoping day two goes equally as well!

Christmas Eve / 6th Night of Hannukah

2012-01-04T05:02:00.001-05:00

Family time!

Elliott Loves Grandma!

Jules loves the phonics bus he got from Grandma and Grandpa!

Jules loves the erector set he got from Mommy and Daddy!

Jules especially loves Uncle Aaron's pointing out some of the cool things that can be built with the erector set!

Jules the Conjurer

2012-01-03T05:03:00.000-05:00

There Was One On The Floor...

2012-01-02T15:48:00.001-05:00

There was one on the floor and the little one said, "Roll over!"

Elliott rolled over from his back to his belly for the first time about an hour ago! He's been rolling onto his side for a while, but this time he managed to roll all the way over. It could have been a fluke so we will see if it happens again. When he was done, he was a little surprised, but immediately pushed himself up to look around.

He can also reorient himself, which is pretty cool. I like when babies starting moving around because then they don't get as frustrated. They can go somewhere else if they get bored.

Back to work tomorrow! Is it wrong that I'm excited? After 3 months being at home, I'm ready to return. Now if we can just get Elliott to sleep a 6-7 hour chunk...

Elyse 3rd Birthday Party!

2012-01-02T05:01:00.000-05:00

Back before the holidays, we went to Elyse's birthday party. It was Cool!

Cake!

Clown!

Colobus! (a type of monkey)

Crashing the piñata!

Cashing in on piñata innards!

Happy New Year! Hope You Got a Present

2012-01-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

Earlier today...

Mommy: "Daddy, Jules has requested your presence."
Daddy: "Okay, on my way."
Daddy: "What's up Jules?"
Jules: "You have presents?!"

And he hasn't even read Ramona the Pest yet.

"Sleeping Through the Night"

2011-12-31T08:53:00.001-05:00

Last night Elliott "slept through the night" by giving us a 5.5ish hour stretch! (Experts consider a 5-6 hour stretch sleeping through the night for babies.) After that we got a 2.5 hour stretch and then it becomes a bit of a blur. I, on the other hand, didn't do as well. I woke up engorged and couldn't fall back asleep until Elliott woke up and wanted to eat. Wah woh! Here's hoping we get some more long stretches like this and I can take advantage of them.

Happy New Year and may your nights be filled with uninterrupted sleep and your days by happy, giggling, agreeable children!

The Big Book of Maniacal and Not-so-maniacal Smiles

2011-12-30T05:04:00.000-05:00

Mr. Style Pants

2011-12-29T05:03:00.000-05:00

The hot new look at the local retirement home!

I know where the plug goes!

Slashed little boy in 3...2...

Holiday Week Picture Catch Up 2

2011-12-28T05:02:00.000-05:00

That boy in the mirror is almost as cute as I am!

Metro bus!

Update On Underwear

2011-12-27T10:18:00.001-05:00

Jules did great this weekend in his underwear! We only attempted this on Sunday and Monday, not the whole weekend. We managed to get both number twos in the potty and there was only one accident. This was mostly due to diligence on Paul's part - Jules sat on the potty pretty much every 30 minutes or when we saw him trying to poop. And he DID tell us when he had his accident so he either knew he was wet or knew he was peeing but it was too late.

He managed to wake up from one of his naps dry and he woke up both mornings with a dry diaper. We found that pretty impressive, especially since both Paul and I tend to need the facilities once during the night.

He seems to really like underwear. When we told him to pull up his pants he would say, "No, my underwear!" and he was so proud of the number twos he made in the potty! You should have seen the big smile on his face! We were super proud of him too! Hopefully with some practice, he will start telling us when he needs to use the potty instead of us going all the time. For those of you experienced with this, when does that happen?

Holiday Week Picture Catch Up

2011-12-27T05:02:00.000-05:00

The younger ...

The elder ...

Jules and his Dimensionally Transcendental Colon

2011-12-26T00:08:00.001-05:00

Today was a huge day for many reasons:

(1) It was Christmas!
(2) It was the 6th day of Hannukah!
(3) Jules played with his Christmas/Hannukah presents!
(4) JULES WORE UNDERWEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY!!!

We approached this last item with some trepidation, as even as recently as yesterday we were having incidents of "need-to-poop" status falsification, to the point of pull-up soilage - in a BIG way. However, the folks at daycare had expressed their confidence and are prepared to go full-speed ahead with underwear on Tuesday, so we're going for it!

Jules picked out some green (shocker, I know) underwear and some comfortable pants this morning at about 7am. We planned to have him sit on the potty about every 30 to 45 minutes throughout the day, and in the end that's what happened, more or less. He was surprisingly cooperative, though certainly some of the lack of resistance must be credited to our increasingly canny ways of approachng the subject. Observe the evolution of how the topic is broached:

primordial days: "Jules, do you need to go to the potty?" (invariably answered in the negative)

middle ages: "Jules, do you want to use the potty upstairs or downstairs?" (worked great until he realized he could still just say "No!")

modern times: "Hey Jules, do you want to bring your [insert exciting toy here] into the potty? (so far met with veritable enthusiasm!)

We had bit of late breakfast this morning, with several potty sessions in advance. Ordinarily, I leave the box of All-Bran cereal in the cupboard since it is usually only deployed to combat constipation. For some reason, as I glanced at it standing alone in the cabinet, having already brought the rest of the cereal to the table, something inexplicable caused me to bring it as well.

Jules downed a good two and a half bowls of cereal (and I mean real, serious, fiber-filled, hearty stuff: raw oats, mini-wheats, raisins - nothing namby-pamby or mostly air-filled like puffs or rice crispies or cheerios) before he noticed the box of All-Bran. Here's how it played out:

Jules: "A!" (he said proudly, pointing at the "A" in "All-Bran")
Mommy: "That's right Jules, it's A-L-L, all. Like 'All your base are belong to us.'" (Gawd I love that woman!)
Jules: "Please!" (pointing to the All-Bran, indicating he would like some)

After some unsuccessful attempts at misdirection, I finally caved and gave Jules some All-Bran. He of course demanded more ... four more times over the next ten minutes. Each time I relented hesitantly, worried for what might result later.

For those of you unfamiliar with All-Bran, let's just say that a tablespoon is usually all that's needed to achieve the desired effect. Jules probably ate over a cup and a half. With gusto. Did I mention 10 grams of dietary fiber per serving?

I looked nervously at Rachael and said, "I think we've got a powder keg on our hands." Things didn't look too good for Buzz Lightyear and Woody on Jules' green underpants.

I watched Jules like a hawk the rest of the morning, diligently getting him to the potty on the prescribed schedule. He was making number one like a champ, with no wetness whatsoever to be found in his briefs.

For lunch, Jules downed repeated courses of broccoli and proceeded to eat an entire banana singlehandedly.

I whispered to Rachael, "Like a dry powder keg ... in a wooden shed ... in the middle of a raging wildfire." She rolled her eyes, which is generally my cue that she's heard whatever I'm saying.

Jules made it through a two-hour nap with nary a bodily excretion, to our delight and amazement. As the afternoon wore on, his flatulence and said flatulence's corresponding odor grew stronger and more ominous. I reduced the time between potty stops to 15 minutes. Incredulous that dinner was upon us and that no buttsplosion had yet occured, we did the final stop before sitting down to eat. Jules gorged himself on chicken and palak paneer, cleaning his plate completely to earn his requested dessert: a banana. Peeling it himself at his own insistence, he consumed it in its entirety. I had at this point been reduced to a slack-jawed gawker, and could scarcly believe this incredible performance of bowel control was even happening. It was then that Jules asked for a SECOND BANANA, having vanquished the first. Rachael and I looked at each other in disbelief, and after a short conference, provided the banana.

Just to summarize:
- two and half bowls of cereal
- an additional cup and a half of All-Bran
- a full lunch featuring copious quantities of broccoli
- a full dinner featuring copious quantites of spinach
- a total of three bananas

What adult can eat all that and not have an experience that could be best described as "inspired by Super Colon Blow"?!

Looking at Rachael, I said simply, "That powder keg has been doused with gasoline, and is surrounded by dancing sparklers."

I was alotted the dubious duty (hee hee) of bath and bedtime routine administration since Elliott conveniently chose to be fussy.

With scheduled and bonus potty sits sprinkled liberally throughout preparation for bed, I could only envision that this episode would end with an oppressive, brown, smoking mushroom cloud.

Alas, it has just turned midnight, and Jules' bowels remain as stoic and unmoving as they were when he awoke this morning. I have been listening keenly on the monitor, but all is quiet on the southern front.

Please pray that we don't discover in the morning that Jules has chosen to bless us with a belated Christmas present on Boxing Day ...

Play Date

2011-12-24T07:19:00.000-05:00

Elliott and I got together with our friends for a playdate this week. Here's Elliott with little Julia, who is 11 days younger than he is. Don't they make a sweet couple?

He Eight Olive Them

2011-12-22T05:03:00.000-05:00

At dinner recently...

Jules: "I want more olives please."
Mommy: "Daddy, are there any more olives?"
Daddy: (after looking inside the can) "There are eight left."
Mommy: "Jules, how many olives would you like?"
Jules: "One, two, three, eight."

Sleeping ... it's the Greatest!

2011-12-21T05:03:00.000-05:00

"I had a dream I was going down a really big slide!"

Mischief

2011-12-20T05:02:00.000-05:00

Yogurt face mischief!

I think you'll find the mischief in my pants, heh heh heh.

Plumber aspiration mischief!

My train. U no can haz.

Oh hey Dad. No, we're not planning any mischief ... not at all.

Wouldn't I look goofy with glasses? Haw haw haw!

Elliott's Two Month Checkup

2011-12-19T17:19:00.001-05:00

We just got back from Elliott's two month checkup and have officially confirmed what we expected all along - this boy is HUGE! He clocks in at a whopping 25" (96%) and weighs a staggering 15lbs, 3oz (97%)! He's already wearing 3-6mo sized clothing!

He also got his 2 month shots and it wasn't that bad. Sure he cried with each shot, but he stopped by the time the nurse left the room. Now he is in pretty good spirits, despite not getting a good afternoon nap. He's falling asleep as I type this and I'm hoping he'll have a good night tonight. So far the longest stretch we've gotten out of him has been close to 4 hours. A longer stretch would be very welcome!

Pictures are on tap for the rest of the week - enjoy!

From the Mouths of Babes

2011-12-16T08:01:00.001-05:00

Last night at the dinner table:

Jules: Isabel doesn't eat cat food.

Me: Isabel DOES eat cat food.

Jules (with a big smile): Isabel DOES NOT eat cat food. Isabel eats babies!

Not sure that bodes well for Elliott...

Three Weeks Left

2011-12-12T10:46:00.005-05:00

I have three weeks left of maternity leave. I can't believe the time has gone by so fast and yet it seems like Elliott has been with us forever. He is growing like a weed - his 2 month checkup is next week and I'll have his official stats then, but I'm guessing he's close to 15lbs by now.

I have to admit I'm pretty excited to get back to work. It's lovely cuddling a snuggly baby all day, but it's also mind-numbingly boring. There's not a lot of stimulating conversation coming from an 8 week old. I'm looking forward to doing something that uses my brain a little more and I'm looking forward to the use of both of my arms for a consistent 8-9 hours straight. There's something to be said for eating when you're hungry, going to the bathroom when you need to, and not lugging around 15 extra lbs all day!

Pictures coming soon - maybe once I'm not chained to a baby all day. Paul has lots going on at work, making posting difficult for him. There are lots of good ones in the queue that I'm excited to share with you.

Whoops - just realized I was logged in as Paul when I posted this. Wah woh!

Adventures in Spelling

2011-12-09T09:30:00.001-05:00

As he does much of the time, Jules took off his shoes in the car this morning. He has new socks that prominently display the brand name. Here's what he said:

Jules: "H-A-N-E-S. That spells ... sock."

Sick of Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T11:13:00.001-05:00

Boy was Thanksgiving rough this year. Paul got bronchitis and was alternately feverish and chilled, and hacking up a lung. My mom was in town so I'm thankful for all the help she provided taking care of Jules and Elliott with me. Paul is finally drugged up and hopefully on the way to recovery. Mom left this morning and I had to take Jules in to day care with Elliott. Another thing to be thankful for: traffic on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend is non-existent! We made it there and back in just over an hour, including the drop off!

So we might be a little absent on the blog for a while but we have lots of pictures from the last week or so to post so they'll be coming soon. There's a really great one of our family and another of Elliott smiling, if my mom can take them off her camera and send them to us!

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with food, family, and fun!

American History Museum!

2011-11-25T05:05:00.000-05:00

On Veteran's Day, (I know it's now past Veterans Day, but a big Thank You to our Vets, today and every day!) we headed downtown to partake of some of the Smithsonian's offerings. Ah, the perks of living near DC.

In the dust of the John Bull.

It's a train ... and it's green! This place is okay!

We rode the metro downtown. So what did Jules want to spend most of his time doing? Sitting in a simulated Chicago elevated train ride.

Our "nused" double stroller. We called it the "Stroller Train" for Jules. It worked!

At the Farmer's Market

2011-11-24T05:04:00.000-05:00

We met up with Suzy and her folks at the a Farmer's market not too long ago.

Traditional Farmer's Market fare: cookies.

Everybody hold hands!

Rock Show!

2011-11-23T05:03:00.000-05:00

At GMU's recent Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show...

The best part? THE ELEVATOR!

We spent probably four times as long riding the elevator as we did at the actual rock show. A little boy knows what he likes!

Brunch with Kelly

2011-11-22T05:02:00.000-05:00

Mommy and the Metro!! Does it get any better than this?

I suppose we should be happy he's not looking through one of those apartment guides...

Brunch with Kelly!

What a Big Boy!

2011-11-21T11:37:00.001-05:00

A suspicion of thrush (ultimately unfounded) sent us to the doctor's office this morning and there we found out that Elliott, who is not quite 6 weeks old, weighs 12 lbs, 12 oz, and is in the 96 percentile! Our newest little boy is a big one, having gained almost 4 lbs since birth! At this rate, he'll have doubled his weight by New Year's!

R & D's New House!

2011-11-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

Unlike normal houses, I appear to be able to fly in this one!

Reading with Jonah

What? Am I supposed to be able to see the ocean or something?

My Brother and Me

2011-11-18T05:04:00.000-05:00

"Mwah!"

"It's just like playing the banjo!"

This lap is more than big enough for both of us!

Tummy time in the jungle together

Lives of the Very Young and Restless

2011-11-17T05:04:00.000-05:00

Not so long ago, we went to the nature center to bring in some leaves to identify what kind of trees we have in our yard. Before we went home, we planned to stop at the playground.

As we left the nature center, a girl about Jules' height ran up to him and the following conversation ensued:

Girl in pink coat: "Hi, I'm Maricella, will you go the the playground with me?"

Jules: (nods)

Maricella: "Can I hold your hand?"

Jules: (nods, looks in awe)

Maricella: (grabs Jules hand) "Let's run!"

Maricella: "Woohooo!"

Jules: (with a grin wider than his face) "Woohooo!"

And off they run!

I tried to get Jules to introduce himself, but he had been rendered largely speechless.

Maricella's mother and I followed behind, as she apologized for the forwardness of her four year old. No problem, I replied, it's great that she's so outgoing!

Maricella: (turning and pointing at me) "Pretend you're a monster that's chasing us!"

Daddy: (with Frankenstein arms) "Mwwwroaaawr, MWWROOOAAAWWR!"

Maricella: "Aiieee!"

Jules: "Aiieee!"

As they arrived at the playground, Maricella turns to Jules and says, "You're my best friend!"

They run off, galavanting about the playground, with Maricella periodically calling, "Hey best friend!"

Here's a shot of said galavanting:

It's well known that a male's good judgement is effectively nullified in the presence of a female he is enamored with. I submit for your verification:

Yes, there was still playground mulch between Jules' teeth later that evening. But he was totally unfazed - in fact, the only way I knew to shoot this video was that he had done the exact same thing only moments before!

Eventually it was time for Maricella to go, and she said, "Bye bye best friend!", at which point Jules started following her and her mom toward the parking lot. I interceded with, "Sorry Jules, we're staying here," and he was remarkably nonchalant about the whole thing.

Ah, I wonder how long he'll remember his encounter with the friendly girl at the playground?

Shenanigans with Jules

2011-11-16T05:03:00.000-05:00

"Yeah, great magic trick kid. Now gimme my watch back."

What this handsome creature needs is a flower for its hair.

We're going to take this leaf to the nature center to identify it! Good times Dad!

Our little bottomless yogurt pit.

Faces of Elliott

2011-11-15T05:01:00.000-05:00

Reflective

Intrigued

Bemused

See the Resemblance?

2011-11-14T05:01:00.000-05:00

At "Take Your Brother to School" Day

At the local pumpkin stand. Rachael would like to note that this picture was taken before Elliott was born.

At "Dang, it sure is time for a nap" Day

Did you spot the resemblances? Hint: there is at least one in each picture.

Mixing Patterns and Plush

2011-11-11T05:01:00.000-05:00

Lest you fear we've fallen down on the wooden train front, we haven't...

Hey fashionistas, there's a new taste maker in town!

If Jules feeds Mommy, and Mommy feeds Elliott, who does Elliott feed? Ans.: His diaper.

Look what Jules found in the garage for Daddy to use!

Ouch

2011-11-10T05:04:00.000-05:00

Thankfully, most of the trauma has eased by now, but I'm sure Elliott will remember his Bris for quite some time.

The rabbi, who was able to fill in when the original one canceled on us the night before because his mother had died. Oy!

A spread for every occasion!

And what's a Bris without youngsters playing with wooden trains?

Fun at the Neighbor's, Before it Got Cold

2011-11-09T05:04:00.000-05:00

Best side?

2011-11-08T05:03:00.000-05:00

This?

Or this?

Take your time, I'll be waiting for the service person to come fix the cute-o-meter I seem to have obliterated.

Nostalgic for Halloween yet?

2011-11-07T05:01:00.000-05:00

Back when Grandma D was still in town, we went for a ride on the local Ghost Train.

Frightful ghosts, witches, and blatant copyright infringements abounded.

On the return trip, the witches were doing something even more scary - the Macarena!

"What ever gave you the idea I might like to ride again? Well, if you insist."

Is it Snowing? Time for Ice Cream!

2011-11-04T05:05:00.000-04:00

Taking a cue from this guy, we went for ice cream during the recent pre-Halloween snow storm. Oh, and we had an ice cream coupon.

"Let's build a snow fort!"

Bonus Jules story:

I got a call from Ms. Tina at daycare the other day ...

Ms. Tina: "Your son has hidden his shoes."

Dad: "Uh oh."

Ms. Tina: "And he won't tell us where they are."

Dad: "Oh dear."

Ms. Tina: "We've looked everywhere. We even searched through the garbage."

Ms. Tina: "We gave him some moon boots so he could go outside, otherwise the whole class would have had to stay in."

Dad: "Sorry about that!"

One shoe's whereabouts remain known only to Jules, and he's not talking...

Elliott's First Bath

2011-11-03T05:03:00.000-04:00

This actually happened last week, but there you go.

Clearly enjoying the experience.

Am I not my brother's groomer?

Looks like I am!

Off to See the Race!

2011-11-02T05:03:00.000-04:00

Ride on the Metro Train!!

"Did Grandpa win the marathon yet?"

"Looks like Aunt Ilona is going to beat him!"

Four. It's a magic number.

Halloween, Also Known As National Dress Your Child Like A Fireman Day

2011-11-01T05:02:00.000-04:00

Last week, the annual Halloween parade was held inside because of inclement weather. Can you spot the non-fireman little boy?

How about now?

On Halloween, the whole family went Trick-or-Treating. It was an all Treat affair, except for from Elliott, who tricked us with a special treat in his diaper.

Yes, that is a third fireman costume. Well, it sure beats plenty of alternatives!

Bonus Jules quote - we've tried to teach Jules to say "Pardon me" when he lets one fly, which he'd being doing fairly consistently until recently when he realized he could instead say:

"Fardon me!"

Sadly, it's not his first pun.

Pumpkin' Patchin'!

2011-10-31T05:01:00.000-04:00

The Gateway to Hell! Or, the Pumpkin Patch, it's hard to tell.

Beezlebub, is that you?

"Ahem. 'Boo.' Thank you."

It's not Hell, it's Heaven!! Choo Choo!

With appropriately-sized prizes!

David and Aunt Na!

2011-10-29T21:44:00.000-04:00

Looks like Jules is going to win this race!

Beautiful spider

Leading the troops down the hill

Showing David the stream

Aunt Na holds Elliott

Matthew's House

2011-10-28T05:05:00.000-04:00

Pausing at the tilted windmills

Oh wooh oh, snack time ...

Yay blackboard paint!!

2 Week Checkup

2011-10-27T12:34:00.002-04:00

We just got back from Elliott's 2 week checkup and my how this boy has grown! After losing about 1/2 lb in the days after he was born, he's gained it back PLUS an additional 3/4 lbs and now weighs a whopping 9 lbs, 11 oz! Plus he's grown another inch to measure 22" total! We're very excited about this development, particularly me, because it shows so clearly how well breastfeeding is going this time around.

In other maternity-related news, our TV blew up! Well, not really, it was more likely one of the tubes or a transformer, but it doesn't turn on anymore and there's no picture - not exactly what you want to happen when you're facing 2.5 months of maternity leave ahead of you! So Paul did a bunch of research and we ultimately settled on the LG 50PZ550 50" 3D plasma TV to replace the one that died:

It's arriving on Monday. Happy Halloween to us! ;)

Elliott's First Playground Visit!

2011-10-27T05:04:00.000-04:00

... and Jules' 347th, at least.

Bonus Jules conversational exchange from earlier this evening:

(in reference to the number of cups of water to pour on Elliott during his bath)

Daddy: "How many should we use?"

Jules: (coyly whispering something unintelligible)

Daddy: "What's that? How many should we use?"

Jules: (whispering very quietly) "open ... the ... garage ... door."

Daddy: "Uh, Jules, how many cups of water should we pour on Elliott for his bath?"

Jules: "Green!!"

He later agreed that three cups seemed like a reasonable number.

October Weather!

2011-10-26T05:03:00.001-04:00

I know the weather is often considered to be an innocuous, silence-displacing topic, but by jiminey, have you experienced full-fledged October weather?? It feels negligent not to be outside!

Preparing for Brasil 2016! Or USA 2032?

Or perhaps the Haarlem Globetrotters?

"What's that? Giant Praying Mantis up the street? I'll be there in a jiffy!"

"Yikes!!!"

"Well, that's your problem, see. If you don't put the camera so close, it won't seem as big. Geez."

Going to Fly a Kite

2011-10-25T05:02:00.002-04:00

Jules and I went to fly a kite the weekend after Elliott was born. It was in part an effort on my part to start Jules' kiteboarding training. Here's the story.

It seemed a safe bet to start off with one-line delta conyne kite. No tricky steering, nice stability, and pretty colors.

My kite pupil spent the first fifteen minutes of our lesson chasing butterflies around the field, noting repeatedly that they were yellow. Okay pretty colors, do your thing!

After some coaxing, he took an interest in the airborne kite. It stayed aloft reasonably easily in the SW wind, which was gusting into the mid teens. I explained that flying the kite required holding onto the handle, and NOT LETTING GO. Here is what happened:

Recognizing that often times even simple skills may require some practice to master, I relaunched the kite and tried again.

Here is the last picture of the kite before it flew far, far away:

See those basketball hoops? It went past those. See that baseball backstop? It flew over that. See the fence on the other side of the baseball field? No problem clearing that. It went across a road and stopped with the kite over fifty feet up in a tree and the kite line draped about 20 feet above the road.

Well, it was getting to be nap time, so we called it a session and resolved to get the kite later, as is often a tradition with these situations.

Returning that afternoon with the 40-foot mighty telescoping Kite Reaper®, I prepared for the worst. The kite was essentially in the situation we'd left it. Finagling with various improvised end pieces made of zip ties and duct tape, an hour later the kite was recovered, with no motorists nor kite retrievers endangered ... and the kite was intact!

Lessons:
1. Perhaps even one-line kites need safety releases?
2. Two year olds may not be completely trustworthy.
3. Do not underestimate the power of the kite.

Plenty of Time for Trains

2011-10-24T05:01:00.001-04:00

Did you notice last week was "train week" on this blog? Here's a bonus train-related post in case you missed it.

"Ehwee-wit"

2011-10-23T23:00:00.001-04:00

We've been remiss in posting pictures of the the new little fella. We hope to rectify that some this week, though you'll still enjoy the remaining scores of pre-Elliott pictures of our first born that have been in the queue.

And of course, they combine to form tableaus of unspeakable cuteness..

Jonah and the Jules Too

2011-10-21T05:05:00.002-04:00

Gravity Train!

2011-10-19T05:01:00.000-04:00

Trains: Takin' it to the tha Next Level

2011-10-18T05:01:00.001-04:00

First Doctor's Visit

2011-10-17T13:19:00.001-04:00

We just got back from Elliott's first doctor visit and he is conked out. It was a trying experience for him. First he had to get undressed, which he hates. Next he had to be examined by strangers, which he hates. Then he had to get a Hepatitis B shot, which everyone hated. Last he had to get a PKU test (the heel prick test) and it took forever and they had to keep sticking him because he takes after mommy and has very low blood pressure so the blood wasn't coming out fast enough before it clotted.

On the upside, he's only lost 5% of his body weight since birth (down to 8lbs, 8oz from 9lbs, 65 percentile). It's normal for babies to lose weight after birth and as long as he hasn't lost more than 10%, we're good, so that was really reassuring. And he unofficially measures 21 3/4" (97 percentile), although it is highly unlikely he grew that much in 4 days so someone's measurements are off.

We go tomorrow for the hearing screening and will be back again just over a week later for his 2 week check up.

Wooden Train Layout Gazetteer

2011-10-17T05:01:00.002-04:00

We try to photographically capture the various train layouts we make for Jules. Here are some recent ones. Enjoy their topological intricacies!

And the REAL train!

Meet the Family!

2011-10-14T12:54:00.003-04:00

Elliott met Jules, Aunt Naomi, Grandma Karen, and Grandpa Matt yesterday!

Pbtthhh!

The whole family!

Sibling rivalry rears its cute, fluffy head...

Grandparents!

Inside at the Nature Center

2011-10-14T05:05:00.001-04:00

A Birth Story in Three Acts

2011-10-13T17:07:00.001-04:00

Act One - Pre-Labor

In an attempt to get labor going, I took an hour-ish walk in the drizzle at lunch time. Nothing happened so I was pretty disgruntled. We had gotten a delivery from Washington Green Grocer earlier in the day so I furiously cooked up an elaborate meal - homemade meatballs, pasta primavera, and fennel salad. The boys got home, we ate, gave Jules a bath, and put him to bed. My mom, who is in town in preparation for the birth, was out having dinner with my sister, who is also randomly in town for some interviews.

After putting Jules to bed (he jibber-jabbered for something like 40 minutes before conking out), I settled in for my nightly kick count. Around 8:35p, I was feeling tired so I went upstairs to read a bit before going to bed. I haven't been sleeping too well and had gotten about 6 hours the night before.

Act Two - Labor

At 8:45p, I had my first contraction - not really painful, but a bit more definitive then the random Braxton-Hicks contractions I had over the past week or so. I noted it and then noted another came about 6 minutes later. Not necessarily stronger, but it was consistent. Over the course of the next 20-30 minutes, I had about 6-7 more contractions. I told Paul and he agreed we should call our favorite midwife, Alice, who delivered Jules. I didn't want to make too much of it because she lives far away and I didn't want her to come all that way if it wasn't necessary. She said to take a shower, lie down, and if anything changed in the next hour to call her back.

I took a lovely, hot shower, got into some PJs, and lied down, continuing to read. Was still having contractions 6-7 minutes apart. My mom came home and I told her about the contractions and she was very excited. Then I went to the bathroom and noticed some blood (pink, not dark red) so I called Alice back and she asked if I would mind if she came over. I said, "No!" and she promptly set out. I called our birth assistant Lori as well and she got in the car to come over too.

Lori arrived first, around 10:45p. At that point, I was sitting in the papasan, same as I had for Jules, with Paul on one side and my mom on the other, holding my hands. At this point, the contractions were starting to hurt so I was really glad I had help on the way! I vocally "ouched" my way through each one and tried to think "opening" thoughts. These contractions were much more painful than the ones I had with Jules and they were much closer together (3-4 minutes apart, lasting about 1 minute each) so I didn't have as much recovery time. I have to say I did not like these contractions and was questioning our home birth plans, thinking a hospital and pain meds sounded pretty good. In between the contractions I had a really bad case of the shivers - I wasn't cold, just shaking, and I found that mildly annoying.

Alice arrived around 11:45p. After going through a couple of contractions with me, stroking my forehead, she asked if she could check me. I was 5cm dilated with an extremely thin cervix. I told her about the shaking and she said that probably meant the end of labor was near, not that I believed her. But in the course of the next 15-20 minutes, I had a number of intense contractions that caused me to want to move from the papasan to the floor at the foot of the bed, lying on my right side with my left leg held in the air, being supported by Alice/my mom. Around 12:20a I said, "I think I need to push now" and started baring down. The pressure on my bottom was strong and the contractions and pushing happened really rapidly - like one right after the other, with multiple pushes per "session." I finally felt his head come out and Alice brushed his face against my leg and then asked me to hold off pushing, and I tried, but the pressure was so intense and the desire so strong that I couldn't hold back for too long before the rest of him came squirting out. I could really feel him on my legs as he came out - it was amazing!

Both he and Paul were crying lustily as Paul brought him up to me and we cuddled for a long time, him at the breast, and all of us just sort of staring at him in wonder. Paul asked if we should see if he was a boy or a girl, but I wanted the suspense a little bit longer so we held off for a while. Then I got curious and asked if it would be OK to look so we did and discovered that "he" was indeed a "he!" My mom asked the name and I told everyone, "Elliott James." He was born at 12:47am, measuring 21", weighing almost 9 lbs, and with a full head of thick, dark hair! His APGAR scores were 9, followed by 10. A few minutes later I delivered the placenta and I was finally done, which was such a relief. I kept saying, "I can't believe he's here" and "I'm so glad that's over!"

Act Three - Post Partum

After cleaning up the "carnage", everyone left the room but Paul, Elliott, and I. We had a good hour, just us. Then Alice, Lori, and my mom came back in and I got stitched up. I tore again this time, but definitely not as bad as I did with Jules. I took another shower, peed (this is apparently very important post partum), and breastfed Elliott, who was content to suck and doze.

We all laughed and chatted about the birth, dancing, and anything else that came up. It was so lovely and I was just thrilled that Alice could be there again. She's a rock star and I just enjoyed having her there. And Lori was a treat - her sense of humor and jokes really were appreciated.

A Wrap Up and Final Thoughts

All in all, I was in labor for a total of about 4 hours. This is why the contractions were so intense and painful. My body was being very efficient so I didn't have to go through it for as long, but I honestly preferred Jules' birth - the longer, more drawn out labor felt so much easier.

Jules managed to sleep through the whole thing, which was wonderful. I was slightly nervous that my grunts while pushing would wake him up, but that didn't happen. When he woke up in the morning, Paul got him and we introduced him to Elliott. He seems mildly intrigued by him, which is good. We'll see how that goes in the days (and years!) ahead.

Today has been an amazing day - we are now a family of four and I am excited (and slightly terrified) to see how that changes our family dynamic! Thank you for all the love and support - it is much appreciated!

NOTE: we have pre-posted some entries for the next couple of days, thinking that we won't be able to do that many posts, but rest assured we are taking pictures and documenting all the goings on for future posts.

Hello World!! Introducing ... Elliott James!

2011-10-13T05:19:00.008-04:00

Okay Mama, are you ready to play a round of "Let's Have That Baby!"??

"Darn tootin'! Let's roll!"

And in just four measely little hours, we have a winner!

Here he is moments after arrival at 12:47 AM, October 13, 2011.

Elliott James was born at home with the expert assistance of Alice and the good folks at Birthcare and birth assistant Lori.

Weighing in at just over 4 kilograms (about 9 pounds), here he his - the legend, the champion!

Elliott, Jules, Mom, and Dad are doing great. Especially Jules, since he slept through the whole thing and will learn about his new brother in the morning.

Outside at the Nature Center

2011-10-13T05:04:00.001-04:00

Contractions!

2011-10-12T22:13:00.002-04:00

Started having contractions about 8:45p. Midwife and birth assistant are on their way. Hoping to have baby news tomorrow.

Playground with Grandma and Suzy

2011-10-12T05:03:00.003-04:00

Grandma slides with the best of them!

Practicing for basic training

Headfirst down the slide!

Stomp rocket!

PS: No baby, although I lost at least some of my mucus plug yesterday.

Playin' in the Rain

2011-10-11T05:02:00.001-04:00

Puddle splashin'!

Leaf boatin'!

Shoe submergin'!

PS - no baby.

40 Week Checkup

2011-10-10T18:58:00.004-04:00

So we had our 40 week checkup today and for the first time, Jules came with! He seemed to have a fine time, playing with toys, reading books, and generally amusing himself while I got checked. I'm back to measuring 40 cm and the baby's heart rate is ~150 bpm. We got to hear it rise as the baby moved. And the midwife told me I was having a Braxton-Hicks contraction while she was trying to determine where the baby was externally. I didn't even notice - sometimes I notice my belly gets hard, but nothing hurts so I don't think anything of it.

They did an internal check too and my cervix is soft and spongy, about 50% thinned out and I'm about 1 cm dilated. They told me I should start taking Evening Primrose Oil, which is said to help the cervix prepare for labor. So nothing to worry about and all looks well, but it's still anybody's guess when this baby will show up. Keep your fingers crossed for sooner rather than later.

No Baby, but Blew Bubbles!

2011-10-10T05:03:00.000-04:00

Misnomer

2011-10-09T17:17:00.000-04:00

"Due date" is such a misnomer. Today is our due date and this baby is still firmly entrenched in its current habitat. I (foolishly) thought that because Jules was a week early, this one would come early too so in my head I feel like this baby is late to the game, even though it's technically not. On the plus side, we've successfully skirted Yom Kippur and that means it's more likely that Alice will be able to attend the birth. On the minus side? I'M STILL FREAKIN PREGNANT.

40 week check up tomorrow afternoon. Will post an update then.

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

2011-10-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband Paul! Four years ago today we were happily shvitzing while exchanging vows on a 90 degree day in October. It was the most fun wedding ever!

Fast forward four years and we've added a little boy to our family and our second is due any moment. I don't know if I would have guessed on that first blind date almost seven years ago that this is where we'd be! There's no one else I'd rather be on this journey with. I love you!

Prenatal Counting Lessons

2011-10-07T05:01:00.002-04:00

... as offered by Jules

PS: No baby. In fact, the 2 hour walk I took yesterday produced no discernible contractions, although I had a couple of minor twinges that evening. Sigh.

Birthday Party Hosted by Gourmands!

2011-10-06T05:01:00.001-04:00

Jules' friend Suzy had her birthday recently, and her parents made what is perhaps the best food that ever graced a child's birthday party. Nearly everything was homemade from scratch, and just two of the many highlights were the butternut squash soup and grilled Alaskan silver salmon ... caught by the host himself in Alaska. Whoa! My mouth is watering just recalling it.

Crafty time!

As is customary at birthday celebrations, I hereby present you with this gift.

Looks like somebody has figured out this picture-taking racket. Way to go, Suzy!

PS: No baby, although I did have some contractions while out walking yesterday. Nothing consistent and it clearly didn't turn into anything productive so we'll try walking again today and see if something happens.

More Nature Center Birthday Party!

2011-10-05T05:01:00.003-04:00

Nature!

Jules is ready to explore it, all by himself!

6-5-4-3-2-1-Launch!

CAKE!!

PS - No baby.

39 Week Checkup

2011-10-04T17:30:00.003-04:00

We just got back from our 39 week check up. All looks good. My blood pressure is nice and low, the baby's heart rate is about 145 bpm, and the midwife said it seems likely the baby's dropped: the head feels nice and low in my pelvis and I'm measuring smaller than last week (38.5cm compared to 40cm). I even lost a pound between last visit and this one so that's a nice little bonus, although that could just be measurement error.

The nicest part of the visit was hearing that two different midwives were hoping to be present at our birth! The first, Alice, delivered Jules and we would be thrilled for her to come again. Unfortunately if we go into labor Friday or Saturday (Yom Kippur), Alice won't be able to make it. But the midwife we saw today, Lisa, is the one we've seen for most of our visits and she said she was hoping to be there and that she's Alice's backup. Lisa is a sweetheart and I would be very happy for her to be at the birth too. So we're in good hands regardless of what happens.

So now we just wait. And wait. And wait. I'm hoping to have time to say when we've gone into labor, but it might go too quickly for that. We'll see. I promise I will update the blog and Facebook with news as I can.

Nature Center Birthday Party!

2011-10-04T05:01:00.002-04:00

It was recently A's birthday! (not the A you might remember from before, but a different A)

Jules gets his balloon and frog-tongue party favor on.

Awesome! This party has tunnels!

And Daddy has fetching antennae!

Time for a nature walk!

In other news, here is your Jules quote of the day: "We don't need Isabel, we need waffles."

PS: no baby.

From the Mouths of Babes

2011-10-03T07:48:00.001-04:00

This morning in the bathroom as we were brushing teeth, Jules lifts my shirt up and down.

R: Jules, what are you looking at?

J: A penis!

Awesome - my belly button is so distended at this point that Jules thinks I've grown a penis. Sigh.

PS - no baby.

Catch-up Pics and a Secret

2011-10-03T05:01:00.001-04:00

Okay here's the secret right up front - sometimes these posts are loaded ahead of time, not the day they appear. It's shocking, I know. I hope you don't feel swindled. In fact, sometimes one of us will do a WHOLE WEEK or MORE of posts all in one evening, to be doled out day by day to our adoring public.

Do all those out of sequence and old pictures make sense now? Are you aghast that I don't actually wake up at 5am to do blog posts? Or did you just think "Duh! Of course I knew that!"

Anyways, I'm sorry if you feel deceived.

And now for a mix of pictures from the last several weeks that did not have a critical mass of volume to warrant separate, thematically grouped postings.

Luau and crafts at Daycare!

New fishes at Daycare! And they haven't eaten each other yet! One is a starfish.

Our last family dinner outing as a three person family? If that dish is making you hungry, try a visit to the Austin Grill. Note to Austin Grill: I think you now owe us some money or free food or something.

A close cousin of The Greatest Toy Ever, the Giant Tunnel is explored by Jules.

Stop! Belly time!

Dream Dashed

2011-10-02T19:11:00.000-04:00

So my dream of having this baby on Paul's brother's birthday (today) is looking less and less likely by the second. We have less than 5 hours to go and not even a twinge, no contractions in sight, just mild discomfort at being so big and the energy expended running around this morning in a vain attempt to get something going. Wah woh.

It would have made SUCH a nice story - Jules was born on Paul's sister's birthday and how cool would it have been for this one to have been born on his brother's birthday?!?! But clearly it's not meant to be. Even if I went into labor RIGHT NOW (nope) this baby still likely wouldn't come until after midnight, making it officially Oct 3, and decidedly NOT Mark's birthday.

Oh, and it's BS that having sex induces labor in full term women. Paul, however, is glad I didn't find this out until today.

Babymoon the Second

2011-09-30T05:01:00.002-04:00

Last month we took a Babymoon in scenic, historic Occaquan.

The Christmas/Halloween/Everything ornament shop!

Taking in some history! Yeah baby!

Not a frosted filter or photoshop effect, just the romance of a lens that needs to be cleaned. And real romance. I love you baby!

PS: I love you too, and no baby yet.

Visit to a Real Train Station!

2011-09-29T05:01:00.001-04:00

This is actually from last month, but oh well. Jules almost plotzed himself with all the trains he could see!

Double decker commuter train!

Amtrak train!

Jules and Daddy with a train in the background!

METRO TRAIN!!!

PS: No baby. And Jules had a massive tantrum this morning that resulted in two time outs before leaving for daycare. Sigh - maybe he knows what's coming...

Solar Decathlon 2011

2011-09-28T05:01:00.005-04:00

This past weekend we went to the Solar Decathlon. It runs through October 2nd, you might like to check it out yourself.

Jules test drives some energy efficient lighting. Or is he sending binary messages to another dimension?

"Oh, I already saw that one Mommy. I'm going to check out the Chinese entry."

Nothin's funner than a Solar Decathlon!

Why look at the camera when you can stare at your lap?

On the porch of our new energy efficient home, maybe. We were impressed with how normal looking Purdue's entry was. It currently leads the standings.

6-5-4-3-2-1-Launch!

2011-09-27T21:58:00.009-04:00

Since we've been shooting off model rockets recently, Jules has taken to saying "6-5-4-3-2-1-Launch!!" He does it when I push him in the stroller, expecting a "rocket boost" push, and when riding on my shoulders, expecting the thrill of sudden acceleration.

Well, today I'm proud to say we had a launch of a spacecraft for which I lead the computer development! The launch honored those lost in the downed helicopter in Afghanistan last month.

You can watch the launch video and read more here. What's that? You want to know what the satellite actually does? Stars and Stripes explains.

No Baby

2011-09-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

No baby yet. I'm so impatient, especially since friends of ours who were due with their first a WHOLE WEEK after us had their little boy last night. Although the circumstances were less than ideal (emergency C-section, not 100% sure why, but everyone is doing well), I'm jealous that they don't have to wait anymore.

And then I hear the news that one of my co-workers is pregnant with their third, due late March/early April! I swear it's raining babies! They already know it's a boy and he lamented that they have all these girl clothes they won't be able to use. I said if we have a girl, we'd be happy to take them off his hands!

Speaking of which, I had a dream last night the baby was a boy. I don't know if it's the dream's influence, but after not having the slightest clue for months and months on end, I now feel fairly certain we're having a boy. Please let us find out soon! I'm dying over here!

A picture of me at the office, taken by one of my coworkers

38 Week Checkup

2011-09-26T16:22:00.002-04:00

Today was our 38 week checkup. Things look good - nice strong heartbeat (thanks bubble tea!), about 140 bpm, I'm measuring 40cm, and I officially weigh what I did at my last appointment before Jules was born. Baby is head down still (that's unlikely to change) and I'm just so ready for this one to be born. I'm kind of done being pregnant and excited to welcome him/her and to move on to this next phase with the 4 of us.

We don't have that much more to do - come up with directions to the hospital, just in case and set up a 41 week ultrasound on the off-chance we go over our due date. Other than that, we're as ready as we can be. If you can, keep your fingers crossed for Sunday, please!