A week without Daddy...

Daddy has been gone less than 24 hours and WE MISS HIM!!!  He went down to DC for a conference this week.  At least it's only a 4 day work week and he'll be back on Friday.  Whew.  Good thing Nana came to help out!  She is the best... I really don't know what we'd do without her.  Even though I can manage on my own, it is so helpful to have a second person there to watch the kids when say, I need to go to the bathroom, or when I need to put the laundry in the dryer. 

Add on top of this the fact that we are moving next Friday!  Ugh.  Nana is sending the kids to daycare this week and packing boxes while I'm at work.  I mean really, we don't pay her enough!  Okay, we don't pay her at all, but maybe we should!  All of the things she does for us, and Grant repays her by letting some seriously stinky toots (worse than Pop Pop, according to her!), and Natalie throws a fit this morning because Nana has to drive her to daycare, and not Mommy (out of our routine).  She may never come back after this week!!!!!

Meanwhile, I also have a new appreciation for my husband's nightly duties.  Grant still sleeps in our room because he still wakes up once at night to feed.  Because his bedroom is on the second floor, and ours is on the third floor, we don't feel like making the trek up and down the stairs in the middle of the night, so he's still in the pack-n-play in our room.  Last night, Grant kept wiggling out of his swaddle (I just swaddled him in a waffle blanket) and grunts and snorts as he's doing so.  He's a strong little dude.  He went to bed at around 8, and I went to bed at around 11:30.  He wiggled out of the swaddle at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and then was stirring again at about 4:00.  I don't know if he does this every night, because I usually sleep with ear plugs in due to Todd's (and lately Grant's too) snoring.  I think I need to take some swaddle lessons, because I certainly don't do it very well. Todd is the master of the swaddle, and of giving Grant a pacifier without actually waking himself up while doing it.  Anyway, I'm hoping he sleeps a little better tonight because I did not sleep very well last night! 

Good news from Nana... she packed THREE boxes today!  Hooray!

Some pictures, some scallops, and other ramblings

Sorry that I haven't posted any pictures.  Todd put some new photo editing software in our new computer and I don't really like it.  For some reason, it won't rotate my photos.  It rotates them when the software program is open, but it won't save the rotated pictures to my hard drive.  It saves all of the edits I make - like eliminating red eye, fixing the contrast and brightness, etc.  But it won't save the rotation!  So if you go and look at the pictures on smugmug (link to the right), I apologize for the unrotated pictures.  I'll have to figure out how to fix that later...

ANYWAY... the kids seem to be getting over their colds.  We had a really fun weekend.  Natalie was really behaved Saturday.  I point this out, because she's two and a half.  Not a day goes by where we don't have some kind of tantrum or spaz out.  We went to the Natick winter farmer's market in the morning.  We picked up some lemon honey cheese (sounds weird, but is delicious!), some homemade black bean salsa, and some fresh scallops.  First... Todd and I differ on the way we pronounce the word scallops.  My parents and whole family is/are from the midwest.  So I pronounce them "SKAL-UPS."  Todd is a New Englander, and he pronounces them "SCOLL-UPS."  So everytime I say skal-ups, he corrects me and says, "You mean scoll-ups?"  Same with coupon- KOO-PON is the way I pronounce it.  He pronounces it wrong, like, "Cue-pon."  SO WRONG.  But I digress...

The skal-ups were DELISH!  Oh my... my husband can cook.  Whew!  He sauteed them with butter, olive oil, and a boat load of garlic.  He also added some red pepper flakes and parsley.  He put them on a bed of spaghetti and linguini.  It was amazing.  Unbelievable.  One of my new favorite meals! 

Then... the kids slept until 7:45 (Natalie) and 8:15 (Grant) this morning!  Natalie is just really content to hang out in her crib and sing and talk to herself.  It's really cute.  And really great because we can catch a few extra minutes of shut eye.  Then I went out for a brunch with some new friends.  I met Tiffany through my friend Heather Yori Ingold (I've mentioned this before) and about 8 of us had brunch in Somerville.  Funny story... I ordered biscuits and gravy.  But I was leery of ordering them because they are a very southern food and here I am ordering them in the north.... so these biscuits and gravy could go horribly, horribly wrong.  So I discussed this with the waiter, who told me, "Oh they're totally authentic southern food.  Our head chef is from the south."  To which I perk up... they can't be bad if the chef is from the south!  "Yeah, he's from West Virginia!"  Um... not really buddy, but okay, I'll try them anyway!  (They were good, if a bit heavy on the sausage, and not enough pepper.  I added my own). 

It was a good time hanging out and talking girl stuff- shopping, babies, husbands.  SO FUN.  Apparently these girls get together once a month, so I'm excited about seeing them again in March! 

I've also gotten some packing done this weekend.  Not a lot, but some. 

Here are some semi-recent pics of Grant.  To be honest, I haven't taken ANY of the kids lately.  We keep forgetting the camera when we go out.

Weekend update

Natalie and I are still recovering from our colds, and now Grant has come down with it.  Poor guy.  It makes me so sad to see him sick.  He had a fever this weekend as high as 101.1.  Last night, it was "down" to 100.5, but he seemed warm this morning again.  He's also really congested and has a terrible cough. On a good note, he took his bottle at 10 last night and although he was fussing around 2 am, Todd gave him his pacifier and he fell back asleep and didn't wake up until my alarm went off at 5:15!  I took him to the doctor on Sunday and his ears and chest sounded fine, so that is good news too.  Hopefully he won't get any worse. I just keep waiting for this fever to break!

Meanwhile, Natalie is still coughing, but her runny nose seems to be getting better.  I am off and on... some moments I feel great, then an hour later, I feel crummy again.  I hate winter!

On Saturday, we took the kids for lunch at Rise-n-Shine in downtown Natick.  It's our "cheat" day from our diets, so I enjoyed the chicken fingers and onion rings.  I mean, if you're going to cheat, go big, right???? It was good, and reminded me of college, except without the hangover.

After lunch, we swung by the new house.  We went inside to check out the rooms again, to see where we can fit our furniture, and what to use the rooms on the first floor for (we've decided adult living room, playroom, and guest room!).  We also wanted to check the layout of the bedrooms, to see which room would fit our furniture.  I think we have it all figured out.  But Natalie was SO excited to be at the new house.  I've never seen her so excited over something.  She was running around, spinning in circles, hopping and doing little jumps... it was really funny.  Although now that I think about it... maybe she inherited the gypsy gene from Todd and me?  Uh oh!  Later when we were back at home, she was still talking about it.  She even said, "We will take all of our toys to the new house!"  The good news is, we will have ROOM for all of our toys! 

More good news... I just heard from Todd and Grant's temperature is back to 98.6!  Hooray!

PS:  The computer is almost totally set up.  We have a *NEW* photo and video editing software, so pictures are forthcoming!

New Computer

Sorry I've been out of commission.  Our old computer was on it's last leg (really?  Do computers have legs?) so we bought a new one.  Now we are going through the process (read: hassle) of transferring files and software from the old computer to the new one.  This includes my photo editing software and video conversion to MP4 software.  So whenever we get those moved over, I will be back in business!

In other news, Natalie and I have both been sick.  We are both recovering though, so that is good.  Nana came for a visit last weekend when we went out to look for new rental homes.  We found one, but it had a half fee (which came out to almost $900 which we would never get back).  We weren't too thrilled with that, but it was 1800 square feet located on Speen Street, not including a full, unfinished basement.  Plus it had two bathrooms (always nice when there are 4 people in the house).  It didn't have the 4th bedroom we wanted, but it did have a big "dining room" with a fireplace.  I think we will put a pull out sofa in there (a nice one) and consider it a guest room/office.  In the end, Todd worked his wicked negotiation skillz and got them to waive the half fee.  We signed a 14 month lease (at their request which was okay with us), and they gave us the last weekend in February for free to move in.  So now we have to pack up the current place (insert expletives here) and move in about a month.  With two babies.  YIKES. 

Next weekend, I am going to a brunch with some local mommies in Sommerville.  I met a nice girl named Tiffany through my friend Heather Yori Ingold (who I've been friends with since middle school!!!).  Tiffany is her friend, and she oddly enough, lives in Natick!  She has twin babies (a boy and a girl) and there is a group of girls that get together about once a month or so.  So that sounds like fun! 

Then the next weekend, we will be going to dear baby Jonathan's first birthday party.  It's hard to believe he's already one year old!  Jonathan and Natalie/Grant are second cousins.  It's a swimming party (don't panic, it's indoors).  Of course, Natalie got tubes in September, so we have to figure out what to do with that!  I'm on the hunt for a bathing cap and some cotton! 

So we have a couple of busy weekends ahead and we have to find time to pack.

Sorry there are no new pics.  Hopefully I can get some posted this weekend once the editing software gets installed!

Sally's visit to Massachusetts

Sally Russell, my maid of honor, came up from Atlanta to visit us this past weekend. Grant loved her because she would pat his bum while holding him and he would fall asleep in her arms every time. Natalie loved her because hey, let's face it... she's a fun gal. In fact, twice now she said to me, "We are sad because Sally left." Yes Natalie, we are.

We had so much fun. Saturday, the five of us went to the New England Aquarium. Natalie said her favorite part was the penguins. They were SO cute. It was feeding time when we were there, so that was really fun to watch. I really like the big tank in the middle of the aquarium with various sea life swimming around. Big sharks, giant sea turtles, rays, big fish, small fish, and we even got to see a few humans floating around in there, strategically placing lettuce here and there for the fish to nibble on. There was also a great little tidepool touch tank for kids to touch sea stars, hermit crabs, snails, and horseshoe crabs, among other things. And, in typical 2 and a half year old fashion, she also liked to run up and down the ramp that surrounds the exhibits. She just wanted to run. She wasn't running to see anything. Just wanted to run. ("Ready, set, GO!")

Saturday evening, Sally and I went out to the Chateau at Dudley Pond. This place is hysterical. It's kind of a dump, but this bar serves the most AWESOME burgers and other pub fare. It was an old speakeasy long ago, and is set at the edge of Dudley Pond, right in the middle of a neighborhood. It's very random. I don't know who's in charge of zoning for the Town of Natick, but it definitely seems weird to have a bar/restaurant in the middle of a neighborhood! Every time Todd and I have been there, we have pretty much been the only people in there. Well, it gets packed with townies on a Saturday night! So after we ate and had a drink, we went to Cheesecake Factory for some dessert (red velvet for me, and PB Fudge for Sal!) and another drink before heading home around 10:30. We are SO old.

Actually, we came home because I'm nursing Grant and needed to "pump and dump." My left boob was really hurting, and I thought I would get some relief after I pumped. But it still really hurt afterwards. I was shivering when I crawled into bed... but an hour later, under a down comforter, I was still shivering! Something wasn't right... my left boob was warm to the touch and it felt rock hard. Because of the shivering, I knew I must have a fever or something. I also wound up throwing up in the middle of the night! So it turns out I had a nice little case of mastitis. I've got my antibiotics now, and I'm doing much better! Very strange. I felt better by Sunday afternoon and I took Sally to Friendly's. If you're in New England, you have to eat at Friendly's at least once. It's pretty similar to Frish's Big Boy (if you're from the midwest, you'll know what this is). They also have kick butt ice cream, which we also enjoyed! Todd stayed at home with the kids... and he did NOT enjoy the Pat's loss to Baltimore!

Sunday evening, Sally and I went out to see The Blind Side. Sally went to Alabama, who just won the National Championship in football... boo... War Eagle! We really liked this movie. I think 90% of New Englanders just wouldn't understand some parts of this movie... like how Sandra Bullock's character HATED Tennessee. It was fun to see cameo's (and some more than cameo's!) from Tommy Tuberville (wearing Auburn gear of course... not Texas Tech), as well as Nick Saban. Even though Nick was wearing LSU gear... Sally still had to cheer because he's Bama's coach now. It was a GREAT movie. Highly recommended.

On Monday, Sally and I went to Cambridge to eat at Bartley's Burgers across from Harvard Yard. DEELISH! (And they score mega points with me for having yummy Diet Coke!) Here is a pic of Sally and Grant in Harvard Yard after lunch. Sally and I kept joking that we felt very dumb compared to all of the smart Harvard kids! We didn't spend much time outside because it was REALLY cold out (highs only in the 20s) so we went back to Natick and went to the mall. I picked up a few pieces of yellow jewelry (a nice bracelet and some earrings) for Cory and Brianna's wedding. (I'm a bridesmaid!). Sally got a nice new sweater and some earrings herself!

Sadly, Sally went home on Tuesday. We are hoping to win the lottery so she can move into our house and become our nanny. Although I think she might have to fight Todd's sister Kathleen for the position, ha ha ha!!!

Something funny about my kids

I have noticed over the last week that Grant gets really upset whenever we are driving and the car stops (like at a red light or in traffic). It's funny because Natalie was the EXACT same way as a baby. She eventually grew out of it, but I think it's just funny that both of them need to be moving at all times in the car to be happy! I wonder if it has anything to do with being in a canopied car seat, facing backwards, or if it's just because they like the hum/vibration of the engine. It definitely lulls Grant to sleep if we are in the car long enough (and Natalie was the same way... she hasn't slept in the car in months though!) Isn't that funny??? I wonder if all babies are like this, or just mine?

Grant and Natalie on the playmat

The kids were playing on the playmat the other day so I snapped some cute pictures of them. Natalie is so cute and SO protective of her little brother. At daycare, when we drop her off or pick her up, she practically yells at the other kids, "That's MY brother!" Then she shuts the cover on his car seat so none of the other kids can see him. Maureen always says, "Yes, Grant is YOUR brother, but he's Gabby's (or Mia's, or Matthew's) friend!" She's also very possessive of us too ("That's MY mommy!"). Very funny, but very strange! Grant is holding his head up so well these days. Since I'm nursing him, he is still waking up every 3-4 hours in the middle of the night. WE NEED MORE SLEEP! So Todd and I decided to give him a bottle of formula before bed and it really does help him sleep more. He usually gives us at least 5 or 6 hours. Which is NICE!!! Now... if we could only get him to sleep 10-12 hours a night! And preferably in his own crib!

Sledding and snowman making

Since we had a ton of snow right before Christmas, the hills were ripe for sledding when we got to Plymouth. Aunt Betty and Shirley have a great hill close to their house that Todd, Natalie, Seth, Bean, and KK went to for some great sledding. Even Bean took a turn down the big hill! Not bad for a guy in his... well, I'm sure he wouldn't want me to tell you his age. Natalie didn't want to go sledding on the big hill, but she certainly enjoyed being pulled around! They also made this great looking snowman over by Shirley's house, complete with one of Aunt Betty's famous red hats! THEN, when they got back to Grami and Bean's, Natalie partook in some sledding on the small hill in their front yard. While she wasn't afraid this time, she didn't care to do it again! They also made ANOTHER snowman at the house. Natalie named them both Tinkerbell. She has decided that all snowmen must be named Tinkerbell. I hope that's not too damaging to their manhood!

More holiday fun in Plymouth

Every year, Todd's brother and his family come up from Maryland to spend the week after Christmas with the family. Now that we live in Massachusetts, we only get to see them twice a year.

 So we spent 4 days in Plymouth at Todd's parents house among the chaos of the large Bailey family. There were 19 for dinner!!! Not to mention 3 dogs (thank goodness Koal didn't come!) It's always chaotic and so much fun.

And each year, the kids, because there are so darn many of them, do a gift exchange. Lauren got Natalie this year, and she got a super cool singing and dancing Foofa doll (from the kids show Yo Gabba Gabba). She also got the littlest Pet Shop. Lauren had this toy at her house, and Natalie always plays with it when we visit. Natalie and Grant, because they are still little, got showered with too many presents to even mention on this blog. I couldn't believe it. They really spoil her rotten!

And as usual, there was lots to eat and drink. Whew... was there ever!!! You know Todd loves to take pictures of his food...

Everyone got a little Grantie snuggle time in.

Lastly, this is the first year Grant got to be in the Bailey cousins annual photo. This is it... the family is complete, although Carole would love for me to give her an even number "10"! Here is the annual picture!

Christmas fun

Sorry, I just realized I never blogged about Christmas!

Because Grant is too little to travel (with cold and flu season upon us), we decided to stay home for the holidays this year. This actually is probably something we will do in the future as well. I think we will stay home for Christmas, and maybe travel to my parents house after the holidays (maybe for New Years... who doesn't love January in Florida???)

Christmas Eve, we went to church, went to Uno's for dinner (it was about the only thing that was open). Typically, we would eat Chinese food, but we had just eaten Chinese food a few days earlier and even still had leftovers in the fridge. Then we came home and Todd read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Next, we put "reindeer food" out on the lawn. This is a birdseed/glitter concoction that Maureen gave Natalie. Then we put out a plate of Cinnabon cookies, carrots, and egg nog for Santa and his reindeer and THEN it was time for bed!

In the morning, Natalie discovered Santa had been at our house! He brought her a wooden train set and train table. Really, she could not have cared less about the other presents she got. She would open them, and then go right back to the train set! It was comical. She got lots of other fun gifts, including magnetic dolls from GiGi, a portable DVD player and digital camera (kids version) from Nana and Pop Pop, and a beautiful dress (that mommy wishes came in her size) and a foam doll set for the bathtub (you can put clothes on her that stick when wet... kind of like paper dolls, and kind of like the magnetic dolls!) from CoCo and Brie. In the days following Christmas, she started to get more interested in her other presents, like the doll pack and play and other baby carrier items Santa brought her, as well as the Curious George puzzle.

Grant got a few baby toys from Santa and a stuffed dog from GiGi. I love the face he is making in this picture!

Overall, it was a GREAT Christmas! Only the second time in my adult life that I've gotten to spend it in my own bed! Whoo hoo!