15 more days!

You can't tell that I'm excited about this, can you? I can't tell if I'm more excited to meet my little guy, or if I'm more excited to just NOT be pregnant anymore, ha ha. I feel like I'm not a very good mommy to Natalie when I'm this exhausted. Poor kid... if she thinks it's bad NOW....

We had a fun weekend, except that Natalie is coming down with a cold. (Shocking, right?) She sneezed about 100 times yesterday, which is always the first sign with her. Then she was pretty congested last night, but no fever or anything and she's still the same old Natalie.

Saturday, we went to drop off my car at the car detailing place before heading to Wellesley for breakfast at Maugus. It was YUM. We will definitely go there again. Then we went apple picking at Dowse Orchard Farm in Sherborn (which is just the town south of Natick, so it was only a few miles away). We were thinking about going to Belkin Farms, but it was a $14 entrance fee for adults ($12 for Natalie!!!) PLUS you had to pay for what you picked at astronomical prices. Of course, they have a maze to go through, a huge playground area, pony rides, a petting zoo, etc. so it would have been really fun, but it was already 10 am so we knew we were only going to get 2 hours worth out of our visit. (Not worth it). We definitely will go to Belkin's at some point, when the kids are older and don't need naps anymore! (It will still be fun for them). We just wanted to do some apple picking, so we went to Dowse where there is no entrance fee, and only $10 for a decent sized bag. We picked some Empires (Todd's favorite), Idareds, Courtlands, and Macouns. Then we got to ride a tractor (or as Natalie called it, a "loader" which is totally accurate) that took us back to the parking lot. Natalie thought that was pretty cool. We then went over to their farm stand where they sell other goodies. We picked up a nice pumpkin, and two small pies - apple crisp (my fave) and apple blueberry. YUM!

After picking up my car from the detail shop, which looked awesome by the way, we went home for some lunch. I got my haircut and colored in the afternoon (ahhh, much better!) and Todd started putting up the clear plastic sheeting over the windows, which helps insulate in the winter. He got our first floor done. Hopefully he can get the rest done by the time Baby G gets here.

Sunday was nice too. But it was rainy and snowy all day. YUCK. After church, Todd got a haircut, and made a crockpot meal (our second of the weekend). After Natalie's nap, we carved our first pumpkin as a family! It came out pretty well and Natalie really had fun. She was very good as Todd carved the pumpkin with a knife. She stayed back and watched. She also liked scooping the seeds out. I made an attempt at cooking the seeds, and followed the directions to a tee... but they still came out chewy (flavorful though, with salt and garlic powder). Oh well, maybe next year. It was snowing when we were carving our pumpkin. SAD. It's far too early for that!

22 more days...

I'm obsessed with the countdown clock.

We finally bought baby G some furniture. We got a good deal at Baby Furniture Warehouse in Reading. Natalie had a good time playing in the toy section, and we, sadly, had to watch the Red Sox season come to an end on the television they had there. G's furniture will be delivered next Thursday! Hopefully he won't come before then.

Todd and Natalie have today off... it's Columbus Day! They went to the park and to Panera Bread, and Natalie started complaining of ear pain. I can't really figure that one out. Of course, the doctor is closed for the rest of the afternoon as they are operating on a "Sunday schedule." Naturally! I was thinking about it, and since she hasn't had a cold, and we've been very diligent about not getting water in her ears at bathtime, I can't figure out why her ears have been hurting. But then I was thinking... she actually has sneezed a handful of times in the last couple of days. Not a ton, like she normally does, just maybe 5 or 6 times. No runny nose, only a few random sneezes. Can she be that sensitive? A handful of sneezes and we get an ear infection? I must sneeze 10-15 times every day due to the amount of dust in my office (and sadly, this is a company wide thing because it did not get any better when I switched offices!). It's actually become kind of a joke for those who sit around me. Anyhoo... so maybe she had a little cold that we missed? Unfortunately, I have my own doctor's appointment at 8:15 tomorrow morning. It stinks not being able to be ubiquitous for your family.

Back to the weekend... Todd and I had a fun time at the UNH-Villanova homecoming football game! UNH was ranked #5, and they beat #2 ranked Villanova! How about that for a homecoming game. Sheesh, Auburn usually schedules someone like the Citadel or Southeastern Louisiana Univeristy or someone like that for homecoming. UNH schedules the #2 team in the FCS! It was a close game though, and it was very breezy and the wind was a factor. Natalie got to hang out with her cousins and Aunt Helen and Uncle Gordie in Wilmington. Unfortunately the football game was at noon, which is pretty close to her naptime. Helen and Gordie were awesome to watch her. She had so much fun with cousin Lulu. They made cookies together and decorated a pumpkin with markers.

Now we are in the homestretch...

26 more days...

I like my countdown tickers at the top of this blog. It helps me stay focused.

So... only 26 more days and we still have some things to do. Very important things. Like getting a manicure, pedicure and pre-natal massage next Friday. This is VERY important. I also need to get my car cleaned (washed, waxed, inside cleaned, etc.). I am planning on doing this on Sunday - weather depending, and trip to New Hampshire this weekend depending. We are hoping to go to Durham, NH for the University of New Hampshire's homecoming football game. We have no plans to go to the game, but we wanted to see the campus and enjoy the homecoming festivities. TWC was calling for rain, but they keep decreasing the chances, so maybe we'll get lucky and have some nice weather.

We also are anxiously awaiting the swine flu shot. Natalie needs both flu shots (seasonal and swine), and Todd and I only need the swine flu shot. Whenever that may be!

AND... I need to get my hair cut and colored. I've gotta look good when this baby gets here. I can't have him coming out of the womb, taking one look at me, and crying his eyes out because he's frightened of his scary looking mommy! (OK, he will probably be crying anyway, but at least if I get myself put together beforehand, I know it won't be because I'm scary!). Meanwhile, we also have OB and Mandy's wedding on the 24th. Mandy has already made it very clear that I am not allowed to go into labor before their wedding. Duly noted!

This morning, Todd and I got Natalie signed up for pre-school... for NEXT September! She will be going to Face Children's Center in Natick for at least 3 days a week (full days). We have her on the wait list for the 5 day a week program. It seemed really neat and fun there, and we think it will be a good fit for her. She will be in the Teddybears class. They have a garden, a big playground, lots of arts and crafts time, a dance instructor that comes every other week, lots of reading and playing, cooking (yes, the real thing!) and overall, just a good well-rounded curriculum. I'm not wanting it to be too rigorous. I want her to have FUN while learning. Check out their website for more information (I'm providing the link to the daily schedule): http://www.facechildrenscenter.org/curriculum/daily.php

So that's all the news that's fit to print for now. Have a good weekend!

Another weekend, come and gone...

With every weekend that comes and goes, I get a little more panicky that we are totally not ready for Baby G to get here! The poor kid has no furniture. He's sharing mine at the moment. At least we got the new car... and a car seat. The kid has some clothes, and a pack and play, so he should be good to go for at least the first few days. :-)


This past weekend was fun... Saturday, we went and got Natalie a Halloween costume. She is going to be Super Girl! The first thing Todd said was, "Buzz is going to LOVE this costume!" (Check out Rob's Blog and you'll know why!). She was SO freaking cute in this costume. And she didn't hate it... so that was a mega bonus. She doesn't care for things on her face or head, so that ruled out about 90% of the costumes we saw.


After lunch and Natalie's nap, we went down to Plymouth for my post-birthday birthday celebration. Aunt Betty, Shirley, KK, Seth, Madison, Madison's friend Elisa, Warren, and Carole were all there for a big fest (ugh... I'm still stuffed!) and chocolate cake! Seth helped me blow out the candles because I'm old, pregnant, and out of breath. I know it looks like there are 33 candles in the pictures, but as Madison said, "There aren't 33 because 33 wouldn't fit on the cake!" THANKS! You know you're getting old when...


Unfortunately in the middle of the night Saturday night, Natalie woke up crying and saying her belly hurt. She hadn't done a poopie in a couple of days, plus she had chocolate cake after dinner, so I'm sure that didn't help (and I didn't give her THAT much cake. Only a few bites). Todd gave her some water and blah... she threw up everywhere in her pack and play (and I mean EVERYWHERE). She felt much better after that and after having a bath. In fact, she slept through the night, and then had a nice poopie waiting for us in the morning. Doesn't this entry make you want to have kids???? Anyway, she slept in on Sunday and was in a good mood, so at least we are thankful for that. Last night was a good night too.


This morning, we had to go for her follow up ENT appointment for her tubes. She passed the hearing test with flying colors and only cried when Dr. Hansen had to look in her ears. She really doesn't like that. We have to go again in 3 months, which I guess is standard procedure.


Tomorrow night, Natalie is spending the night at Maureen's again while Todd and I go to our last Sox game of the season (and maybe ever, ha ha). They are playing the Blue Jays, and I think if they win tonight, they can clinch the wild card tomorrow night. But I think that is only if Texas WINS tonight. So of course, I want the Sox to clinch the wild card, but it would be way more fun if we were there to see it! So... just for tonight... Go Rangers! Wouldn't that be fun to see? I hope they do it!

New car!

Pictures of the new car are forthcoming...

We bought a new car! It was a chaotic weekend and with all three of us not feeling 100%, a tiring weekend. Saturday morning, we went to look for some used Honda Pilots or Toyota Highlanders. We found a few that we liked, but the morning flew by quickly and we had to get home for lunch and a nap (for Natalie AND me!). Meanwhile, Todd went back out to Woburn Toyota to look at a few more cars. He came home and said he found a 2006 Highlander Limited he really liked, but it was only slightly out of our price range. But it had all of the sweet features... 6 CD disc changer, leather seats, HEATED SEATS (a must in my book), 3rd row seating, wood grain paneling, automatic EVERYTHING, etc. We were going to look at a Pilot in Newton on Sunday, but the place was closed. What car dealership is closed on a Sunday? We took that as a sign, and went back to Woburn Toyota and bought the car! Thankfully, Todd's sister Helen (and basically the whole family) were able to watch Natalie for a few hours. They didn't have to do much because she napped the whole time we were gone. But it would have been excruciating to sit there during the paperwork part of buying a car with a 2-year-old. So THANK YOU to the Wilmington Fitch's! Really, Todd's parents and sisters are amazing. They are always willing to help out and we really do appreciate it. That is probably the biggest reason we moved up here to Massachusetts. It's so important for so many reasons to have family around when you have kids... and of course, one of those very important reasons is babysitting! :-) They just really make our life so much easier.

Speaking of babysitting... Maureen (our daycare provider) was awesome enough to keep Natalie Sunday night while Todd and I went to see U2!!!! What a show! It was down at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro (where the Pats play). I read some reviews and some people thought the sound wasn't very good (I didn't think it was that bad) and EVERYONE thought the parking situation there stinks... which it does, but thanks to Todd's co-worker Erica, we learned some parking tips and although we had to walk 25 minutes to our car, we were out of there in about 1 minute. Some people had to wait for 2 hours just to get out of the parking lots there. We have been to a Pats game before, and knew that the parking was awful. There's basically one road in and out (Route 1) and it becomes such a mess. But no problems for us! We had a great time, and as usual, U2 was awesome. They always put on a really cool display and light show. This time, the stage was set to look like what Bono called, "A Spaceship." (See picture above). This was the third time I had seen them and they never dissapoint (although I WAS minorly dissapointed that they didn't play "Bad" even though they've been playing it almost every night on the tour so far!) But I digress...

Maureen was super awesome to watch Natalie AGAIN Monday evening. Todd and I had to go to the Newton Wellesley Hospital tour/orientation. It took about a half hour, but then we needed to drive to Woburn to pick up Harry Highlander, our new car. Our drive TO Woburn was fine, but because of the second U2 show in Foxboro Monday night, Route 128 (our main route home) was a parking lot. So we had to take backroads home (me in Sally Civic, Todd in Harry Highlander). We didn't get to Maureen's to pick up Natalie until 7:30! Thankfully, Maureen had fed my poor child, and taken her to her daughter Rosie's field hockey game. Rosie even scored a goal!

I really don't know what we would do without Todd's family and our awesome daycare provider Maureen. Probably go insane trying to drag a toddler with us everywhere! It always makes me want to say a prayer for people who don't have the great support systems we have, or are without family or loved ones nearby.

Oh, and I'm 34 weeks today!

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!