A Day for Hope

Today was a very important day in U.S. history with the inauguration of our first African American President, and a chance for us to see real change in Washington. Of course, I still had to go to work, but I was able to listen to the inauguration ceremonies on npr.org. I know that the country’s problems will not be solved in a week or a month or a year, but I am so grateful to have a new direction. I don’t know if the new President will always choose the right path. I’m sure that he will not. However, I do value President Obama’s vision, intellect, and conviction. Plus, I’m really thankful that we will have someone who (hopefully) will not be the laughing stock of the entire world, although Big G.W. did give us some hilarious moments. Click this link to laugh out loud (because we finally can).

Best Deal Ever OR Big Disappointment

Last night Hailey and I went shopping again for bunk beds. I picked out the ones that I was pretty sure we wanted in a catalog at a local store. They were having a 10% off sale, but the beds were still a lot of money. Of course, I had to go home and see if I could find them cheaper on the internet. They were actually more expensive online - well over $2,000, but as I’m inspecting the CSN Bunk Bed site, I see this little rectangle at the bottom of the screen that says “Purchase this return item now for $464.” What!?!?!? That’s 80% off. I immediately put it in my shopping cart. Then, the clock begins because you can only keep these return items in your cart for 30 minutes before they are released back into the wild. So, I’m calling Luke on the phone (he’s playing poker), and I’m running around the house getting my credit card and I’m trying to call the company to make sure I’m getting what I want. Finally, I just say “screw it” and buy the thing for $464 (no shipping/no tax). Did I just make a spontaneous purchase? Damn right I did for 80% off!!! Of course, first thing this morning, I called the company to be sure that everything was ok, and I think that it is. The representative said that they were loading it on the truck. Oh my gosh! Did I just pull off the greatest bargain of the century or will it get here and be a big disappointment or will it not get here at all? I guess we’ll know in 1-3 weeks.

Click Here to see what I think that they are going to look like.

The Relative Length of Eight Weeks

Consider this - eight weeks ago we were still eating the remnants of our Halloween candy and stores were packed with the first signs of Christmas. I barely looked pregnant, and Hailey was still talking about her Tinkerbell costume (alright, that’s not a good example because she’s still talking about it to this day). Ok. Hailey had just gotten over the initial excitement of being Tinkerbell for Halloween. The leaves were falling off our two trees and littering our front yard with yellow and brown hues. Fall was just barely upon us here in the South; pumpkins were out, Thanksgiving was near, and all was peaceful in the Hamilton house.

Now, think about this…eight weeks from now, we will have another human being to love and care for. We will have a crying, screaming, fussing infant in the house. We will be sleep deprived. We, as in me, will be back to being a moo-cow milk machine. We will have to manage the needs of two children. We may wonder what we were thinking.

Then again, we will also have another little girl to love. We will have someone to snuggle with who doesn’t push us away and demand her vitamin again. We will have another source of entertainment. We will have the joy of introducing her to our friends and family. We will have someone to use all of those baby clothes and items that we’ve been saving for two years. We will learn to know and love our second little one just as much as the first.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to return to my nesting. However long you think eight weeks is, I’ll tell you that it doesn’t seem like long enough to tackle all of my nesting projects. God help my husband and child who must deal with my neuroses (plural) over the next eight weeks. For them, it must seem like eternity.

Miracles of Modern Technology

When I was in college, my roommate Nikki and I would sit around for hours drawing out different ways to arrange our dorm room. Actually, I think that she did most of the drawings since I am drawingly challenged. If only we had had the advantages of modern software back then, we could have been uber-creative and mocked the whole room up in 3-D. Then, we could have walked through it like a virtual scale-model. Crazy!

Anyway, that’s pretty much what Luke and I (well mostly Luke) spent our weekend doing for Hailey and Sophia’s room. First, we went to a million different stores looking for a dresser and a crib. About half way through that excursion, we thought “why buy an expensive crib for Sophia when we know that the girls are going to have bunk beds eventually?” Then, we found bunk beds we loved with a beautiful matching dresser and it was a done deal, right? WRONG. Luke busted out his fancy room designing software, and when we got all the furniture in the room, I hated it. So, we came up with a bunch of alternative layouts and low and behold settled on one that I we both like. Unfortunately, it requires completely different components than any of our previous designs, which means that I had been looking for all the wrong stuff. Ugh! Will these girls ever have a suitable room? Will our caped-crusader ever feel settled? Will any of this get done in time for Sophia’s arrival? Stay tuned next time for more adventures of Nesting Girl and her side kick, Creatively Anal Boy!

Chinese Astrology Challenge

A friend of mine sent me the Chinese Astrology chart in anticipation of Sophia being born in the year of the ox. I’m not big into any type of astrology (much too logical for that), but I think that the descriptions of the animals associated with our birth years are very appropriate for Luke and I. Here’s the year of the ox for Sophia…

The Ox

Steady, honest, gentle and reliable. The Ox builds plans and ideas on firm ground.

I can live with that. Ok. Now, here’s three more. One is mine, one is Luke’s and one is Hailey’s. Can you guess which is which? I’ll give you a clue…it should be obvious. No cheating!

Snake

Be in control, are charming and captivating, calculating and conservative.

Tiger

Determined, enthusiastic, positive and powerful.

Dog

Honest, intelligent, friendly and sincere.

Logic Problem

Not to brag, but I’m really good at logic. I know this because on several standard logic tests – GRE Logic Section and my logic class final exam in college – I did quite well. So, I think that I can say that according to adult standards, I’m a logical person (or at least good at stupid logic problems).

Thus, you could imagine my surprise when I came to find out that by two-year-old standards, I’m completely illogical. Here’s how I came to understand how truly illogical I am in Hailey’s eyes:

Hailey wants a princess vitamin every time she sees the bottle sitting on the counter. The fact that I don’t just hide them should have been clue number one that I’m illogical. Still, we have gone through this same conversation at least 5 times a day…

Hailey: “Mommy, I want my vitamin”

Mommy: “No Hailey. You only can have 1 vitamin a day.”

Hailey: “Mommy, I want my vitamin”

Mommy: “You already had your vitamin today. You can have another one tomorrow.”

After having this conversation for 2 weeks, I finally devised a strategy. I would let her use her budding logic skills to figure out that she can’t have a vitamin. Here’s how I revised the conversation this week:

Hailey: “Mommy, I want my vitamin”

Mommy: “Hailey, how many vitamins are you allowed to have every day?”

Hailey: “Five”

Mommy: “No”

Hailey: “Two”

Mommy: “No”

Hailey: “One”
Mommy: “Yes. And how many vitamins have you had today?”
Hailey: “Six”

Mommy: “No”

Hailey: “Three”

Mommy: “No”

Hailey: “One”

Mommy: “Yes. So, how many more vitamins are you allowed to have?”

Hailey: “Three”

Mommy: “No”

Hailey: “Four”

Mommy: “No”

Hailey: “One”

Mommy: “No. You can have zero vitamins now because you’ve already had your one vitamin for the day.”

Here’s where it falls apart for me.

Hailey: “I want my zero vitamin, Mommy”

Nesting - Instinct or Obsession?

I really don’t remember having the nesting instinct as badly with Hailey. Maybe that’s because I was feeding my instinct with frequent trips to consignment sales. This time around I only have three major things that I need to purchase: 1) a white crib and dresser set; 2) a Britax carseat; and 3) a B.O.B. double stroller. Of course, I refuse to purchase any of these things new because that’s why God invented Craig’s List. Plus, the stroller is ridiculously expensive.

However, this brings me to a dilemma because I can’t really nest without having the dresser that I need to put all of Sophia’s little clothes in. Plus, we need major changes in Hailey’s room to accommodate another child and to make it more fun for a toddler. So, instead of actually nesting, I’m just being a fanatical Craig’s List stalker. Soon, I’ll be a consignment sale stalker, not because I actually need to buy anything, but because it might help to scratch the nesting itch. Oh, I’ve got it bad…real bad! I hope that our check book can keep up.

A Return to Normalcy

We're officially back to our own routine. It’s hard when we are traveling to maintain any semblance of normalcy for Hailey, and anyone who has had a toddler knows that routine is one of your best parental weapons. Still, when you’re traveling, routine gets thrown out the window. She really adjusted fairly well to being in Buffalo for a week and then in Nashville for four days, although her sleep schedule was completely disrupted. I always get a little nervous that any bad habits that she picked up while traveling (i.e. getting up in the middle of the night) will linger even after we are home. Yet, her first night back in her bed went remarkably well (she slept for 12 hours without waking up once). She also went back to school for the first time in 2 weeks this morning. I was expecting major crying and clinging fits, but she slid right into the routine with only minimal protests. I was quite impressed. She’s a resilient little critter! A critter who happens to look adorable in the new jumper that grandma made for her.

It's Over

No fever this morning. No fever this evening. I think it is over, but we still must battle her case of the whinies. Is there a cure for that?

Update #3

Well, it isn't a urinary tract infection. We are on day 9 of the fever. Last time it lasted exactly this long, and the ninth night was the last. Today the fever seemed to be much lower - in the 102 range instead of 104. That's promising. She was also quite lively this afternoon and even ate half of a quesadilla, which is more than she's eaten almost since the fever began. Tomorrow morning we're leaving to drive to Nashville so I'm quite hopeful that she'll wake up and miraculously be better. That's pretty much what happened last time. I'm going to be hopeful. Isn't that what you are supposed to do on New Year's Eve? Well, actually you are probably supposed to do something fun. Luke and I will be on the couch if you need us :-)

Mystery Fever Theater 3000 Update

Well, we went to the doctor. As I suspected, there are no easy answers. She doesn't have an ear infection. I'm still holding out hope that it could be a urinary tract infection. I have to drop off a urine sample tomorrow morning.

She was quite sweet and pathetic tonight. Not that I enjoy her being sick, but she does like to cuddle. We actually read 8 chapters of The Little Mermaid. What a treat. Unfortunately, she was suffering from a 104 degree fever at the time. Don't worry. The Tylenol brought it down eventually.

Mystery Fever Theater 3000

As I mentioned in my Christmas post, Hailey has another mysterious fever situation. I call it mysterious because she has no other symptoms…just a fever. If you’ll recall, she had a similar incident over the summer where the fever lasted 9 days, and we had to take her to the emergency room. That was a truly awful experience that ended with no answers and with her being afraid of doctors. Not something I’d like to repeat. Anyway, I hate the mystery fevers because you have no other clues as to what might be wrong, which means that my imagination is free to just make things up without any constraint.

Now, you might ask, “why have you not taken her to the doctor yet?” It was a timing issue. The fever started late last Monday. Tuesday was far too soon to worry about it. Wednesday and Thursday no one was open because of the holiday. Friday morning we were prepared to take her, but the fever actually broke at about 4:00am. Unfortunately, it was back the next day, which was our travel day back from Buffalo. Yesterday was Sunday so no one was open except the emergency room, and as I said before, I’m not doing that again. So, we’re taking her to her regular doctor at 11:30. That gives me an hour and a half to imagine the worst.

"Open This, Please"

Ready to open presents, Mom!

Oh boy...Time to open!!!

Stickers are a big hit

Nothing like a little PlayDoh fun before nap

"I wish my fever would end"

What a fun day! Hailey woke up at 6:00am begging to go downstairs to see if Santa came. I was able to hold her off until about 6:45, but then we HAD to go see what Santa had brought. I had my camera all ready for a major gasp when she saw all of the gifts, but she wasn't too impressed at first. Then, we started opening and her story changed. She was into it. Every gift had to be opened and unboxed and explored. By far, her favorite phrase was "open this." She must have said that in a variety of ways, tones, and inflections every time a new gift was unwrapped.

After our nap (yes, Mommy needed one too!), we went over to our Uncle Frank and Aunt Michelle's house for more gift unwrapping and some family time. Hailey was so fortunate in all of the wonderful gifts that she received, and of course, all of the attention that she received. Unfortunately, she's had a terrible fever since Monday. So, the evening ended with her laying on the couch in a feverish stupor. Poor thing!

PIZZA!

First things first, when we come to Buffalo we have to have pizza from Niagara Falls. Why drive all the way to Niagara Falls? Because that is where La Hacienda is. How can the best pizza place in the universe have a Spanish name? Who knows! They also have Spanish decor. Our theory is that the owner was too lazy to change it when he bought the place. Which brings me to the owner - Aldo. Aldo looks exactly like you would think a native Italian pizza place owner would look, complete with tall white chef's hat. La Hacienda is a cash-only establishment and is closed if Aldo can't be there...'nough said. Anyway, I'm not going to ever do justice to the beauty that is La Hacienda pizza by just describing it. So, we took some pictures this time. Let me just say that eating this pizza is always one of the highlights of our trips to Buffalo. We crave it for weeks leading up to our trip and usually for several weeks after we get home. Oh the goodness!

I Feel So Dirty

I purchased my daughter the most ridiculous pair of princess sneakers that you've ever seen for Christmas. Not only do they have 3 princesses on them, but they also have glittery parts, silver shiny parts, and pink parts on them. Oh, and they light up! Ridiculous. She loves them, of course. And, yes, she did put them on herself in these pictures so they are on the wrong feet.

Varicose Veins, Heartburn, and Other Joys of Pregnancy

I know I should be writing about the joys of Christmas and the wonders of experiencing this magical holiday with a wide-eyed little girl, but frankly I’m a bit cranky today. Consider this my official “honeymoon is over” entry. Yes, this pregnancy is now at the stage where I’d like a divorce please. How many more weeks do I have???

I was diagnosed with my first varicose vein yesterday. It’s not in a place that’s highly visible, but is in a place where it’s constantly throbbing. Also, the heartburn has kicked in. Not the once in a while heartburn though…we’re talking after every meal type heartburn. I’ve purchased three bottles of Pepcid in the past 48 hours. Granted, I haven’t eaten all the Pepcids yet, I just needed one bottle for my desk, one for my purse, one for the bedroom, and one for the dining room. You never can be too careful.

Lies and the Lying Parents Who Tell Them

"Santa doesn't bring presents to little girls who whine."

"Santa doesn't bring presents to naughty girls."

"Santa will bring your presents to Buffalo this year."

I catch Luke saying these thing to Hailey from time to time. It bothers me a little even though I know that these are things that have been said to our children for decades. I guess I'm just not bought in to the whole Santa thing so I'm blaming him for these statements, even though I may have uttered them myself.

Come to think of it, I just hope that someday Hailey is smart enough to turn to us and say "then, why did Santa bring me presents last year when I bit my sister?" or "how does Santa cover the whole globe in one night, and why don't we use his transportation technology to get from place to place instead of airplanes which appear to be much less efficient?" That would just be perfect.

Quick Update

Just returned from our 28-week visit to the doctor and thought that maybe Baby Sophia deserved her own blog entry. From all accounts, she’s doing very well in there. Yesterday, she had the hiccups for the first time ever. Her heartbeat was as strong as ever at the doctor today, but she was breech. No need to worry though, plenty of time and room for her to turn herself around like a good little girl. My belly measurements are just fine, and I lost 2lbs since last time, which is not a big deal considering my ridiculous gain a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I have low iron, which is making me unbelievably tired. No problem…that is easily fixed with yet another vitamin!

Other than that, all is well. I have to start going to the doctor every 2 weeks now. They are beginning to talk about birth plans and preregistering at the hospital and birthing classes. Am I ready for this already? I’m just trying to make it through the holidays!!! Luckily, we don’t need much since we have all of our stuff from Hailey. We have a few major items that I’ll need to research endlessly and eventually purchase, but other than that there’s much less stress this time around (well, if you don’t count the stress from Hailey’s school transition…more on that later).

Oh yeah...Sophia Catherine...that's her name.

Separation Anxiety

Hailey started her new school on Wednesday. As I expected, drop offs in the morning have been extremely difficult and often require the teacher to pry her out of my arms while she cries and screams. I know that after we are gone, she settles down and seems to enjoy the rest of her day. Yesterday, she got a little sad when other Mommies started picking up her classmates. Luckily, I arrived just after she burst into tears and was able to spend a long time with her in the classroom.

I expected this difficulty during drop-off in the morning, but I didn’t expect the separation anxiety to carry over so strongly at home. For the past few nights, beginning when she was sick, she’s woken up multiple times during the night and cried for Mommy. For the first few nights, one of us would go in and comfort her, give her water, or whatever she wanted. Unfortunately, I have a really hard time going back to sleep after each outburst because I just can’t get comfortable. So, I was quickly becoming really sleep deprived. Last night we finally decided that we had to just let her cry it out. If we continued to go in there, then she would continue to cry out for us even though she didn’t really need anything. If I moved her into our bed, which was our first instinct, then where do we draw the line and when do we move her back to her bed? I guess I am trying to justify our actions because I feel like a bad Mommy, but I really believe that sticking as closely to her routine as possible is the best remedy over the long haul.

Talky, Talk, Talk

Hailey has been home sick for the past two days with her Daddy. His company has a “take as many days as you need but get your work done policy;” mine does not. So, he is the dedicated caregiver for now. I’m trying to save every possible day for my maternity leave.

Anyway, yesterday I was IMing Luke to ask him how Hailey was when she woke up. His response made me laugh outloud… “A little fever and nonstop talking.” Yeah. Nonstop talking is not so much a symptom of the cold as it is a symptom of having a little girl in the house. It really is nonstop. Sometimes she won’t stop to eat. It’s just constant chatter, questions, answers, gibberish, more questions, remarks about things that happened days ago, commentary on the state of the weather outside, reminders of the last boo boo she had, reminders of who caused said boo boo, demands to go potty, discussions of what happens on the potty, etc, etc. You get the picture. It just goes on and on.

It can be quite exhausting to deal with someone who lacks any internal dialogue because I always want her to know that we’re listening to her. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It’s quite adorable, and I know that there will be a day when she decides not to talk to us anymore. I’m sure that will be worse. So for now, I’ll enjoy each little conversation that we have even if it’s the eighteenth time today that we’ve talked about the fact that it’s raining.