Natalie's first test

Well, Natalie is coming down with a cold (just about every kid I know has one right now!) so this will be the first true test of the tubes. I am a little nervous because Jason (of Reese's Pieces blog fame) told me his daughter Reese got an ear infection only 3 weeks after she got her tubes put in! (Guess how many weeks it's been since Natalie's tubes were put in ... about 2.5 weeks!). He did say that after that ear infection, it's been 7 months and she's been ear infection free, so that is encouraging. Let's hope Reese and Natalie remain ear infection free through the winter!

Of course, Natalie's cold means she doesn't sleep very well, which means Todd and I don't sleep very well. Last night (or, I should say... this morning at 4:30 am) she woke up crying for water. We knew this was coming and had a premade cup of water for her in her room. Todd took her temperature and it was only 99.2- so clearly she's fighting something off but it's not that bad yet. I keep saying to myself, "Better to get all of the colds and illnesses now... rather than when she's in school!" Somehow, I think she'll still get them :-)

Meanwhile, Baby G is moving right along. No new news to report there. He's still an active little fella.

In other news, Todd sold his car! After about a week of NOTHING, he got a phone call from a guy who wanted to test drive it and possibly buy it for his daughter (who was about 22 and graduating from college. Geez, my parents told me to get a job!). Well, he liked it, so he's picking it up this morning. No more Senor Civic. (My car is Sally Civic!) I always get really emotional for some reason when selling a car. I remember being young and being in my dad's big white Oldsmobile, shedding a tear because I would miss it. (Then we got the Camry, and that car rocked too). There are a lot of good memories with Senor Civic... we took him to NYC the weekend we got engaged (and he blew a fuse in traffic near the Holland Tunnel, causing the car to overheat and Todd to panic because he said he could just envision our entire weekend being spent in New Jersey, thousands of dollars poorer because the car had to be fixed!). Turns out it was just a $20 fuse. Then, we brought Natalie home from the hospital in Senor Civic. As Natalie knows now, "Mommy's car is black. And Daddy's car is green." There were many fun family adventures in that car, but now... he's gone, and we need something bigger to accomodate our growing family. So this weekend, we have to go out and buy a car! Hopefully we find something we like this weekend, but we aren't in a crazy rush because I take the train to work and Todd can take my car. I want to find something though, because then I can drive next week and not have to battle all of the illnesses on the train. YUCK.

50 more days... and other things

Although I have some neat things to blog about, all I can think of is how I only have 50 more days until my due date. That and the fact that my friend Joan had her son Bennett last week, so now I am incredibly envious that she is no longer pregnant AND she is getting to spend time with her cute little baby boy! (Her third, after her daughter Allegra and son Gabriel). My friend Stacie is also due with her first (an unknown gender) in a little over a week... so again, more baby mama envy.

Above is a picture from our recent trip to Paul Revere's house. This is a moment where Natalie was actually behaving. :-)

This past weekend, Kathleen (Todd's sister) was awesome enough to watch Natalie for two nights while Todd and I went out to Wellfleet to spend a few nights hanging out with our friends Alesandro (Cooch) and Karen. O.B. joined us Saturday night as well. We had a grand time... just hanging out and catching up. Because we all have very busy lives with jobs, kids, homes, etc., even when we all get together, it feels like there isn't enough time to talk and catch up (plus, I feel we're always spread so darn thin because there are too many of those Wilmington-ites!). So it was really good to see them. Saturday, we went out to Provincetown and walked around, enjoying the sites, eating a yummy lunch of conch fritters, and a gruyere, onion, bacon, and apple sandwich (which Todd and I split). We had to leave room for FUDGE! Yum. It rained a little bit when we were out there, but for the most part it stayed dry and temps were in the low 70s- very comfortable. We also hit the farmer's market for some delicious mozzarella, fresh basil, peppers, and corn on the cob. AND we were lucky enough to see the Yankee Lambda Car Club roll by in their parade of old cars. They are a gay classic car owner's society, and they were a real trip. Only one drag queen though, bummer. :-)

O.B. joined us for dinner, and Cooch made an awesome chili. Not too spicy, full of flavor, and we ate it with mozzarella and cornbread. (In addition to a caprese salad Karen made!). We watched a little football, and a little bit of Jaws (in honor of the great white sharks that are swarming around Chatham!), and didn't go to bed until 1 am! OUCH. Todd and I were hurting all day on Sunday. We were exhausted. I went to bed at around 8:45 and we "slept in" until 6:45. I slept pretty well Sunday night, so I am not feeling too bad on this Monday morning.

Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday (did I just write that? I thought a woman never told her age!) and I have my 33 week appointment with the doctor in the afternoon. (How about that! 33 weeks on my 33rd birthday). It's my last one until my weekly's start at 36 weeks. It's getting down to the wire. Todd and I have a lot to do before he gets here and we are going to try to get it done in the next 3-4 weeks so I can really relax at the end. (And not worry in case he comes early).

Just look at this face

This look basically describes Natalie of late. So cute, and so grumpy sometimes. She is having a bit of trouble with patience lately. I am just hoping it's the terrible twos and not how she actually will be! She can't seem to make up her mind, and when she does, she wants it her way only. Yesterday, when we went to see Paul Revere's house in Boston, she couldn't decide whether she wanted to ride in her stroller, or walk along side it. But the very second she changed her mind about it (which was about 10 times over the course of a mile), she wanted it right NOW. Like, "I get in da stroller!" (Imagine a toddler screaming and crying and writhing around). We try to calmly tell her that all she has to do is ask- she doesn't need to cry or raise her voice. All she needs to say is, "Daddy, may I please get in the stroller now?" Of course, she immediately looks up at us with those big blue eyes, smiles and says, "Daddy may I please get in the stroller now?" Why of course, since you asked so nicely! But inevitably, a few minutes later, we hear her scream, "I get out and walk!" UGH. She is like a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lately! We can't decide if it's just the terrible twos, or if the combination of ear tubes this week, a new baby on the way, and potty training is what is causing the ruckus.

Good news... tonight I just spotted her lower left 2-year-old molar coming in! Hooray! I am hopeful this is a big source of the crankiness. (In addition to the above mentioned things). I didn't see one on the lower left side and didn't push my luck trying to see the upper gums. "Maybe tomorrow", as Natalie says.

Cory and Brie are getting married!

Good news people... my brother finally asked his girlfriend of 3 years, Brianna, to marry him! This happened on the eve of their move from Tampa to Charleston, SC. What a crazy week for them! My mom said the ring was bee-you-tee-ful, so I can't wait to see pictures! He proposed to her on Bayshore Blvd, (I think) when they went out for a final walk before they finished packing up for Charleston. It sounded like she had no idea it was coming, which is always the best way to do it.

I can't believe my brother is getting married. That is so funny. To me, he's still my little 10-year-old brother. Whoa, we are totally adults now! :-)

Natalie's tube surgery

Natalie's tube surgery went way better than expected! The doctors and nurses at Newton Wellesley were so good and very pediatric oriented. I'm sure they've dealt with fussy kids before, but I seriously think mine is the fussiest when it comes to doctors. When we got there, we immediately went back to pre-op where she was weighed and measured. She did great during this. Normally at the regular pediatrician visits, she cries and screams, even during this part. But she got to stand on a real scale, and be measured against a wall, which is different than at the pediatrician. Plus, I got to do these things with her, rather than have the nurse do it. She just observed and that didn't bother Natalie. The child life specialist also came back with toys and stickers, which Natalie loves. I was really concerned about her hating the gas mask and they were so clever with it... they rubbed strawberry Lip Smackers on the inside so she would take a deep breath. Plus, they let her cover it with stickers, which she thought was fun. She didn't want to take the strawberry flavored Tylenol, but they said that wasn't a problem... they just put a Tylenol suppository in her while she was under! Genius! Todd went back with her and she didn't cry at all until they put the mask on her (which we expected) but Todd said within 15 seconds she was already drowsy. He said she didn't even thrash around (like she normally would). Within 30 seconds, she was out. This is a picture of Todd in his awesome spacesuit. He had to wear it to go into the surgery room. The whole thing took about 10 minutes (not even enough time for us to finish a discussion about Nicole Richie and who she is baby mama to - Todd had never heard of him). We went back to recovery and she was sleeping (for about 20-30 more minutes). When she woke up, she was a bit groggy and cried a bit that her right ear hurt. She also said her tummy hurt, but that was probably because she hadn't eaten breakfast and it was already around 10 or so. They brought her some crackers and graham crackers and water. She would periodically cry a bit, but it wasn't bad at all. We asked the nurse if it would be okay to go to Panera and get her a bagel, and she said that would be fine. When we asked Natalie if she wanted to go to Panera, she perked right up! By the time we got out to the car, she was almost back to normal. She ate a lot of her bagel and we even went to Target after breakfast.

They gave us antibiotic drops to give her twice a day for 10 days, and that hasn't been really easy, but we've bribed her with an M&M each time, and even though she cries when we give her the drops, it's pretty short lived. We let her watch Dora or an Elmo DVD. It usually stops the tears. Thankfully, Friday is the last day of those. Maureen (her daycare provider) has been kind enough to give her one dose right before her nap, so at least for the rest of the week, we only need to give her one dose ourselves!

31 week update

Not much to report here. I had my 31 week appointment today. Baby G is measuring right on target. Blood pressure is good, and I had my regular flu shot. Got all of my paperwork for my short term disability AND the hospital pre-admittance paperwork ready for submittal. Check me out, I'm a house. I'm not even going to tell you how much I weigh, but I have never seen numbers on a scale like that! And I have 9 weeks left? I'm on target to gain about 35 pounds. I realize this is within the normal limits range, but I don't like it. I only gained 22 with Natalie. And she was almost 8 of it! So unless I've got a 20 pound turkey coming out of me in a few weeks, I'm gonna have to befriend Weight Watchers!

Natalie has her tubes put in tomorrow morning. I know things will go fine, but I'm worried about her freaking out. She hates doctors and doesn't want anything in her face (uh oh, beware the gas mask!) or anyone holding her down. Only one parent can go back with her, so my wonderful husband kindly volunteered. I suppose it wouldn't do any good to anyone if I went back there and she was kicking and screaming. I'm pregnant for crying out loud! But we both get to be there when she wakes up. We'll keep you posted!

Baby Bailey Update

Baby Bailey is doing really well. I had an appointment for an ultrasound at 29 weeks, and he was already approximately 3 lbs 3 ounces. Well that pretty much rules out any chance of having Trisomy 18! He's a big boy! They were pretty sure his brain cysts were gone, but he wasn't cooperating very well and she was having a hard time seeing that area "just right." But she said from what she saw, she didn't think they were there anymore. If he doesn't have Trisomy 18, then it doesn't matter if they are there or not, because they don't mean anything. So that is good news! I met with a new doctor, Dr. Clark, and I really like her. We don't get to pick who delivers (it's whoever happens to be working that day), but so far, I've liked all of the doctors that I've seen. There are only 5, and I only have one more to see. I now start going to my appointments every 2 weeks. So my next appointment is on Tuesday, September 1st, then again on my birthday, the 15th. Can't wait!

Natalie has her tubes put in on September 2nd, so next week is going to be a busy week for us. Hopefully everything will go well. Only one parent gets to go back into surgery with her. There are no IV's, thank goodness, but they do use a mask to put them under. I'm pretty sure she'll hate that and fight it like mad. Yesterday at lunch, Natalie said, "I don't like to go to the doctor." Yeah baby, we know.

Trip to Seattle

Todd and I recently took a trip to Seattle! We had never been out there, and Todd had to go out there for a work training, I decided to join him for a visit to a new city/state and to see our friends Kern and Dorothy. K&D are Todd's friends from his school days in Wilmington, and now live out there in scenic Bellevue, WA. We arrived on separate flights on a Friday, and I returned home on Tuesday. Todd came back 2 days later on Thursday. My mom was awesome enough to come up and watch Natalie for that time. The day before we left, Natalie started sneezing a lot (which only means one thing: cold---ear infection!). God must have been with us, because although she had a runny nose for most of the time, she never did get an ear infection (this might be the first time ever). We had a great time in Seattle. We went out to 88 Keys for some dueling piano fun Friday evening. Saturday, we went to the Rock and Roll Museum, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (did you know there was such a place?), and to the Space Needle. While the views were great, we couldn't see Mount Rainier due to cloud cover. Then we went to an awesome Italian restaurant called Pasta Freska. There are no menus, and they just keep bringing you more and more food. I would label this place, "Italitan tapas." Each dish comes in fairly small portions and no one seems to get the same thing. Sometimes Dorothy and I got the same thing, while Todd and Kern got something different. They also brought a Montepulciano wine that Kern and Todd drank (and I also had a sip of- it was YUM!). I enjoyed a strawberry lemonade!

Sunday we headed out to Safeco Field for the Mariners/Yankees game. It was a beautiful sunny day, with temperatures in the 70s. It was fun to see the Yankees get beat by the Mariners. :-) Afterward, we went back to Dorothy and Kern's to grill out some yummy steaks and a delicious potato dish. Oh and let's not forget game night and ice cream (if you haven't ever tried Ben and Jerry's cinnamon bun or marzipan ice cream, you are really missing out. Might be my new faves!).

Monday, we went to Pike Place Market and then for a drive out in the Cascades to Snoqualmie Falls and through Snoqualmie Pass. They always have to use tire chains through Snoqualmie Pass (well, at least according to The Weather Channel!) and I'm a weather geek, so I wanted to drive through there. They don't use chains on the tires in Massachusetts because it rips up the asphault. Pike Place Market was really fun. We got to see them toss fish, and were there as they cut the cake for Pike Place Market's 102nd birthday! We also ate lots of yummy food as we strolled around. It was another nice day- sun and maybe a few degrees warmer than the day before.

Tuesday I had to come home, but it was so good to see my baby girl! I really missed her and I swear she got even smarter when I was gone. I feel like I've missed her a lot this summer, between work trips to North Carolina, fun trips to Seattle, and her spending time with her grandparents down in Plymouth while her daycare was closed. But it's good to be home with her now!

Pictures from Plymouth

Here are a few pictures from our trip down to Plymouth. The first is the entire Bailey clan - Todd and his two sisters and brother, wives, husbands and all of the kids. Standing, L to R: Madison, Kathleen, Gordie, Helen, Gordon, Colleen, Todd, Natalie, Steve, Megan, Jeanne, and Hannah. Front row, L to R: Seth, Lauren, Carole, Warren, and Ryan. The other picture was just too cute not to post. My lovely daughter Natalie and her cousin (and my Godson!) Seth at the East Bay Grille for Warren and Carole's surprise 50th wedding anniversary dinner. Good times were had by all, and probably some serious heartburn too!

Off Color Jokes

Unbeknownst to Natalie, she made two off color funnies yesterday. For dinner, she had strawberries, Yo Baby yogurt, cold grilled chicken (she loved it cold) and made an attempt at jambalaya with sausage but it was too spicy for her, so Todd cut up some string cheese for her. Natalie could see him doing this, and said, "Daddy cut the cheese!"

Then later, when she was in the bathtub, I decided to get some last minute cleaning of her bedroom in. My mom is coming for a visit so I wanted to make sure things were straightened up. I wanted to swiffer Natalie's room, but have to do it when she's in the bathtub because she LOVES to swiffer and always wants to help. So nice of her, but I just didn't have time for that last evening. So as I was cleaning underneath her dresser and armoire, I was banging around with the swiffer stick, and Natalie was asking daddy about the noise. She tends to still confuse her 5 W's sometimes, and last night was no exception. She said to Daddy, "Who's Mommy banging?" Cleverly, Daddy responded, "Hopefully only Daddy!" HA HA HA!