BabyNews

Daddy's Blog

July 29, 2007

These are getting to be monthly updates almost. Almost. If you haven't read Jen's bit to the left, please do. I'll try not to duplicate anything she's already talked about.

We are both working now, though on a more freelance-basis than we had originally thought we would be. Jen is working for a company that does computer literacy and spanish classes for preschoolers. It's called Gigglebytes, which I think is a great name. She goes into daycare centers and preschools and does sessions with the children that introduce them to the basic concepts of computers and basic spanish vocabulary. It's all a lot of fun, and she seems to be enjoying it. I've been doing freelance editing and writing in various places: conference call transcripts, music reviews and interviews, and magazine articles. It's exciting now that it seems to be picking up, but I'm also still searching for something a little more permanent.

Enough of that. That's not why you're here.

Ben is a very happy, affectionate child, most of the time. He loves to play, and there are times when he gives me this look, this smile that draws me in and says, "hey, let's have fun," only "have fun" in this case means "to make mischief." That smile makes me giddy. It's like he knows that I'm going to be complicit in whatever bit of mischief he can find to do. I just know that smile is going to get both of us into a lot of trouble one of these days.

He's been crawling for months now, and he's taken a few steps, too. Like Jen said, we get him going and let go, and then momentum carries him 2 or 3 steps before he topples over. He loves to walk around with us when we hold his hands and keep him balanced. He also loves to push the laundry basket with his mom across the living room to the laundry room. It's so incredibly cute! And he climbs everything there is to climb. He climbs pillows onto the couch. He climbs his dad onto the couch. He's even tried to climb into the open refrigerator, which was little scary, even though it was so full there was no room inside for him.

With all this mobility, it's inevitable that we have few mishaps. He's fallen a couple of times and bumped his head. He's gotten splinters in his forearm. He scratched his leg once. He's pinched fingers in drawers that, even though they are latched shut, he can still open far enough to stick his fingertips inside. We call these little accidents "Benjuries." And I'm actually surprised we haven't had more Benjuries with as rough and tumble as this kid is. Incidentally, when he accidentally hurts his parents, as when he pinches my nose or pulls Jen's hair or grabs his wooden train and flaps his arm enthusiastically in a gesture of utter glee and I just happen to be holding him at the time and my face just happens to get in the way, that is also a Benjury. Feel free to introduce that word into your daily vocabulary.

Finally, I've removed many of my earlier posts because I was running out of room. But I have saved them in a word file. Just for the curious. By my next update we will hopefully be completely moved in to our house and it will be time for Ben's first birthday! We are very excited! Always good to hear from any and all of you.

June 25, 2007

Back in Tennessee ... Plus Father's Day

We're finally starting to get settled here in Tennessee. Jen covered most of the important stuff as far as the move and jobs and such in the column to the right, so please read what she has written. We are currently staying with my parents, who have been endlessly generous and patient with us, even offering to watch their grandson fairly regularly so we can go out on dates, on errands, for walks, or even just stay home and relax. Honestly, I think Ben has some kind of hypnotic power that compels them to do his will. Or something. Whatever.

He really is growing and becoming this complete little person. It’s amazing to see. It took him a little while, but he has warmed up to his Nana and Granddad like freshly baked cookies. At first, they were strange people, perhaps stranger than most, but Nana fed him a banana for breakfast one morning, and Granddad made silly noises (intentionally, let’s be clear about that) that Ben thought were funny, and that was enough to convince him that he liked these strange people. He even gives them hugs and kisses, although he’s still working on his aim with the kisses, which still occasionally end up as nose-sucking, but it’s sweet nonetheless. Nana has even taught him to clap his hands!

He loves living here. Every room here has a ceiling fan, and Ben loves ceiling fans. There is so much more room than in our tiny apartment in Maryland. Ben crawls up and down the hall, making a circuit through the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, and back to the kitchen. We’ll have to get some video of him crawling because, as Jen mentioned, his crawl is fantastically peculiar. His right knee touches the carpet, but his left knee doesn’t because he plants his left foot down instead. There is even a backyard with a deck. We sit out on the deck sometimes and enjoy a warm breeze. And we got a small pool to play in on the really hot days.

He is starting to get his top two front teeth coming in. No more gumming on bananas. Now he will be able to chomp!

We’ve met with a realtor a couple of times and looked at some houses in the area. Yesterday, we saw a few here in Murfreesboro that we liked quite a bit. Not sure how soon we’ll actually be able to make an offer, but it’s exciting all the same.

We had a wonderful Father’s Day. The Tennessee Wind Ensemble performed a concert at Old Fort Park here in Murfreesboro, so we went with my parents and my brother Kevin and his wife Katie. It was a good concert, under a pavilion, so we weren’t in the sun. We had a good time, even if they did build the pavilion in the field where I used to play Frisbee. Ben fell asleep toward the end of the concert, so afterwards, Jen and I laid a blanket out under some trees and we all took a nap. There are some pictures of Ben and me sleeping on the photo page.

So that’s us. As Jen mentioned, we’re going to Missouri this week to visit Ben’s other grandparents and great-grandparents (and aunts and uncles and great-aunts and great-uncles and cousins and the guy at the fireworks store and whoever else we happen to see while we are there). That will be a fun, eventful trip, so I’m sure we will have much more news and many more pictures to share. Always good to hear from you. Send us an email. Post a comment. Build a fire and make smoke signals. However you like.

March 19, 2007

OK, quickly, I need to post about what Ben's up to. He's an amazing little boy, growing faster than my glacially paced updates can possible do justice to.

He's eating lots of cereal and veggies these days. We've tried him on rice cereal (tolerated it, then loved it), oat cereal (tolerated it, then loved it), mixed grain cereal (hated it, then loved it), carrots (loved 'em), and squash (loved it). We've been feeding him solids for about 5 or 6 weeks now, slowly introducing new foods. And I think he's starting to realize that the point of these feedings is to get the food, not just the spoon, into his mouth.

He's been scooting around on his belly since we got back from Tennessee in February, moving like a little racing snail, zoom zoom! He can spin 360 degrees on his belly to point himself in any direction that he fancies, usually the direction with the most objects he can put in his mouth.

He's so close to actual crawling. He gets up on his hands and knees and sort of rocks, like he's revving the engine at a stoplight. But he hasn't quite figured out what comes next. The concept of forward momentum seems to be tricky one. Lately, he's been getting up on his hands and knees and then trying to get his feet under him by lifting his knees off the ground. The problem is that he hasn't quite realized that he has to move his hands, too. So his little feet just move on the carpet but he doesn't go anywhere. Kind of a baby moonwalk.

As Jen pointed out, when he does figure it out, it will be a completely novel idea for him. She and I both walk upright, so Ben doesn't see crawling modeled for him. To that end, I've been crawling around on the floor with him, but I get the impression he thinks I'm making fun of him.

He really is the greatest little guy in the world. He loves to smile and laugh and play and roll over and over. Especially when we're trying to change his diaper. Jen called me at work the other day, laughing and laughing so hard she couldn't stop. All I could make out was "like putting a diaper on a rolling pin" before she lapsed into an incomprehensible fit of laughter.

That's it for now. Having trouble with Blogger, so no comments link this time. But you can always send us an email!

February 13, 2007

My Little Man

My little man is the absolute, unqualified greatest. He is smiley and alert and curious and playful and giggly and in love with anything he can put in his mouth.When I come home from work, he always greets me with the biggest, drooliest grin. I never knew that saliva could be so appealing.

He rolls over now like a pro. Front to back, back to front, over and over, he can do it all. We can't keep him on his back anymore. We lay him down on his back, and he flips himself over with nonchalance that says, "I used to like being on my back when I was little, but I'd rather be on my stomach now."

One day last week, I came into the bedroom where he was taking a nap and knelt down next to the bed. He stirred a little, then opened his eyes and looked at me. A sleepy smile spread across his little pillow-creased face, and he reached out his hand to touch my cheek, as if to say, "Hey Dad, how's it going? I'm cute. Change my diaper now?" I'm such a softie.

He smells so great for about half an hour after his bath, so sweet and clean and fresh. Johnson & Johnson baby soap smells really good!

His favorite toys are his teething rings. He had about 50 of them. They link together, and he holds them, waves them around, pulls on them, and tries to put them in his mouth vertically. We try to keep them in very short chains, two or three, so they can't possibly get wrapped around his neck and so that when he tosses them on the floor where the bunnies are, we have extra links we can give him and don't have to run and immediate wash the ones he dropped. His other favorite toy is his Mom's hair. Boy, he loves grabbing and tugging on her hair. Not that I blame him. It is long and luscious and silky and beautiful. Plus, he hasn't learned yet that pulling a girl's hair is not an effective way of getting her to like you. I'll have to have that talk with him.

Comments? Please?

January 1, 2007

Happy New Year!

Ben is 4 months old today, and it’s been nearly as long since I last wrote a post. I actually started writing one on August 31 detailing how we had gone to the hospital with contractions only to be sent home because it was too early. But then the real thing happened, and I never finished that post. Oh well, let's move on.

Ben is almost ready to roll over from back to front! When we lay him on his back, he nearly always turns onto his side. He seems pretty comfortable on his side because he stays there quite happily for several minutes at a stretch. But he hasn’t yet made it past that point. He seems to stall just before gravity is able to help him complete the roll. We keep rooting for him though.

He is also a big bucket of drool at the moment. Poor kid is teething, so the drool is everywhere. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite yet learned how to swallow. And he cries sometimes because his gums hurt. We feel so bad for him! Mostly, though, he just puts anything and everything into his mouth and chews, including fingers (his and ours), cardboard boxes, drool towels, and whatever else he can get his hands on. Size is unimportant to him. He hasn’t yet learned that he cannot fit objects larger than his head into his mouth.

But the upside of the drool is that he has learned to blow raspberries … sort of. He does this thing where he sticks his tongue out and blows spit bubbles, which then proceed down his chin. This is his favorite activity at the moment. We had a complete raspberry conversation yesterday while I changed his diaper in the bathroom at Target.

He is such a cute, happy baby. Some of his cutest, happiest times are when we change his diaper. He coos and smiles and laughs and blows raspberries and waves his arms and kicks his feet and rolls onto his side. As you can imagine, changing his diaper is not an easy task. We have to hold onto his feet throughout the process, which leaves only one hand for the actually diapering.

He smiles all the time now. He has a great smile! We’re working to get some smile pictures up so you all can see. It’s such a joy to smile at him and have him smile back! Maybe it’s just my imagination, but he does show some preference for Jen and me, probably because of familiarity. But he is still at that stage where he likes everybody, and everybody likes him.

On Christmas Eve, we took him to church dressed in the Santa Claus outfit Russell and Gayle bought for him. He was such a big hit! Jen says he spread so much Christmas joy. Several people asked him if he was coming to visit them that evening. He just gave them a coy smile, as if to say, wait and see.

He loves to stand (with help) and dance by bouncing up and down and is starting to sit up almost on his own. He can pull himself up into a sitting position if we hold his hands and keep his legs down.

He’s even sleeping a little better. We’ve been trying to get him to sleep through the night in his crib. He has slept through the night (defined as 11pm to 5am) in my arms, but we really want him to learn to sleep in the crib. He’s been really good about falling asleep on his own, most nights at least, but he still wakes up several times and has to be coaxed back to sleep. It’s not strictly linear progress, but it’s progress nonetheless.

Just now as I was typing, Jen was reading a book with Ben (a very cute board book called “That’s Not My Truck” which has tactile pictures of trucks), and he was running his hand over the pages. When she put the book down, he let out a big cry, fussing and fussing. So she opened the book again, and he was quiet. We both got a good laugh out of that.

Ok, I’ll wrap up with that story. There’s only so much gushing I’m comfortable forcing on you at once. We really are starting to turn into the type of parents who talk constantly about their child. I haven’t yet attempted to show anyone the pictures I have in my wallet, but I’m afraid I can only hold out for so long.

Drop us a note in the comments section to let us know how you are, or how great you think Ben is. We’d love to hear from you!

Sean

It's Like This

Ok, brief follow-up. No real news, just some things that we found amusing and wanted to share.

At this point, it should be fairly obvious, even without having seen the latest photos, that the baby belly is considerably larger than it was only a few short months ago. In that time, it has become more difficult for Jen to do those little things we often take for granted--rolling over in bed, for instance.

The other morning, as we were getting up, Jen was lying on her left side (the preferred position for maximum blood flow to the baby) facing away from the edge of the bed. In order to get up and out of bed, she had to roll over. Unfortunately, she's somewhat weighted down by a not-so-small infant, and a task such as rolling over in bed requires a little more effort than normal. So, being the clever mother-to-be, she tried to enlist the help of our son, hoping that his cooperation would make the transition much smoother. The conversation, or what I was privy to, went something like this:

"Okay, little guy," she said, "on the count of three, we're going to roll over, okay? One, two, three ... ugh!"

The attempt was unsucessful. So she tried to find out what happened. "What happened, guy? You were supposed to roll over on the count of three! What do you mean you don't know how to count? I was counting, you don't have to!" With some help from me, she was able to roll over and get up, but when that boy comes out, we're going to have a talk!

In addition to our discussion about obeying his mother, we're going to have to talk about being respectful to people in the medical profession. We went to have a final sonogram last week (I think it was last week. I'm pretty sure. Or maybe it was this week. No, but it could have been the week before. What's today? The 9th? Okay, then I'm positive, 100% it wasn't next week), and everything looked good. His left cerebral ventricle, which previously had been on the large side of normal, is now well within the normal range and no longer a concern, which is quite reassuring. However, he spent the whole time with his back to the technician, refusing to turn around and say hello. It was very impolite. And this wasn't the first time he's done that. At several OB visits, as the doctor has checked his heart rate, he has pushed out with his little behind. You can see it bulging in the belly. It's as if he were mooning the doctor. Not cool, little man!

I swear, at times he pushes and kicks and squirms in inhuman ways. It's like he's an octopus. It's like Baby Matrix. It's like snails on speed. It's like Jiffy Pop. It's like whack-a-mole.

This is still fake, though. No question.

In your comments and responses to this post (because you know I'm going to demand comments and responses from each of you), along with your regularly solicited advice, opinions, suggestions, whatnot, let's see if we can come up with even more amusing little similes (comparisons using the word "like") to extend the list above.

Remember, the subject is "What is it like when Little Dude* Richardson kicks and squirms and pushes in inhuman ways?"

Be creative. Be crazy. Be careful. There are children reading this.

* This name suggested by Mike and Cathy Spencer. The opinions expressed by Mike and Cathy Spencer, and, indeed, the opinions expressed by all independent commentators are solely those of the individuals and do not represent the views of the proprietors of this site. No warranty is implied. Subject to availablity. Void where prohibited. All rights reserved. Returns and exchanges must be accompanied by the original sales receipt within 30 days of purchase. No additives or preservatives. Contains 10% fruit juice. May contain nuts. May not be combined with other offers. While supplies last. No animals where harmed during the making of this post. No pets allowed. Shirt and shoes required. In cooperation with the state fire marshall's office, the management of this theater would like you to take a moment to familiarize yourselves with the locations of all emergency exits. The aisleways by which you entered and the passageways designated by the illuminated emergency exit signs visible to you at either the right or left of the forward section have been checked and are clear exits from the building in the event of an emergency. Thank you for your time and attention.

Mommy's Updates

6/21/07 We made it to Tennessee but with A LOT of help. Sean's brother Kevin and his super sweet wife Katie flew up to help us pack and then rode down with us. Dad also helped quite a bit sending lots of love and resources from Missouri. Russell and Gayle have been beyond wonderful letting us stay with them. Ben has his own room and they even offered their garage for our stuff so we wouldn't have to get a storage unit. We have had a great time being around family, taking dates, and spending time together. Sean's continuing job with Science didn't work out due to red tape issues between the state and non-profits. He has had quite a bit of response for freelance work though so hopefully we should be back on track soon. I've also had some promising feedback for a job teaching kids ages 2-5 to use computers. We are getting ready to come back to Missouri next week for Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary, my 10 year class reunion, time with my dad as he recovers from hip replacement, and the 4th of July. It should be a busy time but we are really looking forward to it. But on to the important stuff - I know you are dying to know how Ben is doing so I will open the floor to your questions:

HOW DID BEN DO ON THE 14 HOUR CAR RIDE? Ben did beautifully. We left DC around 10pm and he slept most of the way. We stopped

at a hotel early early in the morning and I sat in the back seat and played with him for most of the ride. There is even a little video we will put on YouTube of him in the car playing games.

HOW IS BEN ADJUSTING TO LIFE IN THE SOUTH? Ben loves being in Tennessee. He is in a much larger nicer home with his own room and lots of crawing space. He gets a ton of affection from his lovely grandparents and he gets extra time with Mommy and Daddy. I think the only drawbacks so far has been the heat and being in the car a lot more.

HOW IS BEN SLEEPING? He has had a few nights

where he has slept straight through till 5am or so

but usually he wakes up at 4am and wants to eat

and then goes back to bed until 8am or so.

IS BEN WALKING YET? Not technically. If I hold

his hands he starts pulling me to run around the

room. We bought a toy for him that he can push

around as he walks. He doesn't sit in it, he pushes it

like a shopping cart all around the room. He is still

crawling but not on all fours, it is more like three.

He uses one foot straight out and kind of hobbles

along like it might help him stand up.

DOES HE FUSS MUCH WHEN WE GO OUT ON DATES? I don't think he even misses us. We leave

him with his adoring grandparents who entertain

him constantly. He also does really well during

church when we leave him in the nursery.

HAS BEN BEEN SICK YET? All three of us were

sick about two weeks ago. Luckily it wasn't a

stomach bug but we felt pretty bad and had

fevers. Ben's reached 103 at one point. He wasn't

wanting to crawl or play or anything. He just laid

in our arms and whimpered. It was so sad. But the

little guy pulled through and we are all doing much

better.

Any other questions? Send us an email!

5/17/07 Ben is makings such advancements it is startling! It seems like everyday he does something new. He can pull himself up into a standing position. One morning after leaving him for his nap we walked in to see what all the joyous sound was for and there he was standing in his crib. You can see the picture under photos. He was so pleased with himself that words can't describe it. Now he pulls himself up to the coffee table, the bookshelf, chairs, and anything else. He is constantly getting into mischief every time we turn our backs he is off to visit the bunnies, chew on our shoes, get lost in the closet, lick the bathroom floor, etc. One of his favorite games is to pull all of his mommy's cds out and drop them on the floor. The cd holder is right next to the bookshelf so when he tires of one he cruises over to the other and continues. I have found that sometimes it is just easier to let him make the mess than try to stop him. He is also really into waving. He started by waving to a little boy in the grocery store last week. He waves at everyone and everything, his girlfriends at work, old ladies on the street, small children, the ceiling light, and towels. He also gives me a couple of kisses everyday and several bear hugs, not just regular hugs but hugs that almost pop off my head. He does this as his little legs and feet try to scramble up and over my shoulder. At the end of the day I just feel so exhausted and worn out from all of the love and constant touching/pulling/stepping/crawling/sucking/ chewing joy that is my son. Then the morning comes, he gives me a kiss and we do it over again. Before leaving DC we went to our favorite little spa town, Berkeley Springs WV. It was so wonderful. Sean and I took turns getting a private roman bath and massage. We looked at cute little stores and slept at the Sleepy Creek Tree Farm Bed and Breakfast. On Mother's Day Ben gave me a cd, Tom Waits Early Years Vol. 2. It has been the soundtrack to his childhood thus far. I don't know why he latched onto it, I did listen to it quite a bit during my pregnancy but it is also soothing and lovely in a heartbreaking way. I would like to think that as Tom sings about falling in love/not falling in love/driving in his ol' 55 that Ben also learning about life through osmosis. Ben and Sean also treated me to a Sugar-Pomegranate body scrub at another spa in Berkeley Springs. I smelled soooo good and was truly giggly afterwards. It was wonderful. I do feel a little like I cheated having a mother's day before he has even had a birthday. Everyday is like a celebration for him though. I'm just glad that I am invited to the party. Oh, yeah check out Ben on YouTube as he wows the world with his great big baby laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFgGjJM6aJw

5/1/07 My little guy is 8 months old today! He is eating 2-3 solid meals per day (ex: pureed carrots, squash, bananas, etc) and has just had his first haircut. Everyone noticed his newly trimmed hair. We also have some REALLY BIG NEWS: no, we are not having another baby (which curiously seems to be everyone's first guess) WE ARE MOVING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU - at least some of you. We are moving at the end of this month to the great state of Tennessee, somewhere south of Nashville. We are so excited about being near family and the very really possibility of buying a house in the next few months. Wish us luck! We will have new contact info soon!

4/23/07 My son is a charmer, to such a degree that it makes me nervous. His powers are unbelievable. For example: after a particularly grueling night of my angel baby alternately turning into the hulk and a shrieking banshee ever other hour every night for a week. My darling husband and I decided to do what was best for the family and sell our son to either the pixies or the old gypsies. We agreed to sell him for the highest offer. Before you argue and lest you think we are bad parents - we did agree not to sell him to the gypsies with the big clubs and ruled out the boogeyman entirely. Then dawn came and my lovely son returned. It was 6am and he was hungry so he came to bed with his groggy mom and after a lot of milk fell into a deep 2 1/2 hour nap. When we woke up he patted me on the cheek and told me it was time for him to go to work and started roaming the bed with scoots, crawls, and climbs over pillows and blankets. Every now and then he would turn around to make sure I was watching his masterful maneuvering. Then he headed straight toward me, got right up in my face and gave me a huge kiss. I was shocked. I was amazed. I thought it was an accident. He started to crawl away, turned around and gave me a big smile that said he was just faking his ambitions to reach the foot of the bed and then he came back and gave me another kiss directly on my mouth. He laughed at my gaping disbelief and then headed off to see what was hiding under the pillows and other fluffy bed items. When Sean came back into the bedroom I told him the deal was off, I just couldn't do it. We had a keeper. I still think the little guy must have overheard our devious plans because after that he started waking up only once or twice a night and going back to sleep without hours of shhhing, patting, singing, and begging. It has gotten even better since then. Hopefully we will get back to our all time best - sleeping through the night. I am glad he is such a cutie and it melts my heart when he smiles and gets out of trouble. I just hope that this doesn't continue all through his life. I don't want him to be one of those really good looking guys who get away with everything thing and become arrogant jerks. I hope it isn't too unmotherly to hope that Ben has some struggles to overcome while still being able to keep his disarming charm.

3/13/07 Usually when you hear of arranged marriages you think it was the parents who did the arranging. In our son's case it was the auction house. Our photographer, Brian, had a daughter, Clementine about a month after Ben was born. Even before the children were born the people we work with were matching them up. Now that they are growing into cute squirmy bundles there is no going back on the union. They met shortly after I started back to work in December. I was going home and Ben and I met Brian and Clementine in the parking lot. It was dark and you can't really blame them for not being more enthusiastic about it. Just last week however Ben actually met Clementine. She was sitting in her carseat in the photography department when I took Ben over to her. They locked eyes and stared. Ben was entranced and leaned closer and closer and closer to her. I thought he was going to climb into the carseat with her. I scolded him for being so forward, especially in front of the girl's father. Not to be deterred, Ben reached out and put his chubby hand on Clementine's very small hand. She said "ah-ooo" and after a moment Ben replied "ah-goo." They were very still just taking in all that lay before them. Then Ben got really excited and started pumping his other arm up and down and patting her blanket (still holding her hand). He thought this was great - super - amazing. I can't truly speak for Clementine but I think she thought "hold on this is all going to fast, we hardly know each other." After several animated pats Ben startled her into a little cough. Ben, my tender son, thought she was rejecting him and froze. His lower lip puffed out and he drew his head back (still holding her hand) and started low whine from deep within. He took back his hand and looked at me "why doesn't she love me?" I said "Oh darling, these things take time. You only startled her. You are reading it all wrong. We will try again later. You'll see." Yesterday we met Clementine and Brian in the parking lot again. This time it was a bright almost warm day. We were all heading home but Brian and Clementine had to run an errand first. The good new father that he is, Brian was worried about taking Clementine for the walk in her stroller since it was a bit windy and he didn't have a blanket. At that point, Ben promptly offered is adorable jacket to Clementine. She demurred and then accepted. Ben felt that this gentlemanly act on his part was sure to win her heart. I'm sure with the whole auction house backing him he will not fail. After all, who could resist such a jolly, handsome face and his sophisticated raspberries and such expert scooting (nearly crawling) skills combined with a mutual love for drool?

3/9/07 Our little guy is making all kinds of advances! He scoots everywhere now! It is so much fun to watch him go. He has this look in his eyes like is he about to conquer the world one foot of carpet at a time. When we were in TN we thought he his first tooth had just started to break though. After 2 weeks the little white dot hadn't gotten any larger. During his checkup the doctor told us that it was just a little white dot, not a tooth. I'm not really sure I understood it but she said it wasn't terribly uncommon and it wouldn't hurt him and it would go away. So the teething and drool continue! Check out our poll and guess where Ben's first tooth will appear!

2/28/07 We have just returned from a wonderful trip to Tennessee to visit Sean's family. We flew down on a direct 2 hour flight. I don't think Ben even noticed since he pretty much napped the whole way. While we were there he was adored by his grandparents and mobbed by extended family and friends. The little guy held up pretty well to life as a celebrity he didn't cry or fuss much even though at times his drooling fans made him a little uneasy. I was sure to stay by his side when he seemed too overwhelmed. While we were in TN we noticed that Ben is getting his first tooth! Right now it is just a tiny dot of white on his swollen gums but soon it will be a whole tooth. It has been awful to see him in teething pain. I wish I could do more for him. He is starting to mimic what Sean and I do. He notices that we spend most of our days at a computer and so he wants to bang on the keyboard too. He has also noticed that his mom carries around a water bottle all day and has been grabbing for it constantly. Just before the trip I finally consented to let him gum it up and drool all over it. He was crazy with joy. I gave him a sippy cut his grandma had given him and he loved it but was a little unsteady holding it up long enough to get a drink. As we drove to the airport on our way home I let him play with my water bottle again and he accidentally sucked on it and was very surprised when he got a mouth full of water (that promptly rolled down his chin and on to his shirt). He was startled and gasped and then reached for the bottle again. He sucked and was still surprised but wanted more. He kept this up for about 10 sips until it was a little more expected. I declared that he had quite enough water and took it away. Tonight we bought him his own little sippy bottle. He still refuses to take an actual baby bottle but we are hoping to have success with this. Maybe our advanced little genius will just skip the baby bottle. Tomorrow he will be 6 months old. I am filled with wonder, pride, and joy. To me it is a huge milestone, on par with a 50th birthday. I can't believe it was just this time last year we began telling people he was on the way. He is so very lovely. I know people say that he won't say "ma ma" and mean me until he is closer to a year but I just don't believe it. When he wants me it is always ma ma ma ma ma ma. Maybe he doesn't realize that it is my new name or that he can use it to call me but I think it is his word for me. When we were at the airport he looked right at Sean (who was gallantly waiting for our luggage to arrive) and yelled "da." It was so sweet! He has also started giving me kisses. He opens his mouth wide and wants me to make kissey noises on his lips. I think partly he just likes the sound. He will take my face in his drooly little hands and clumsily guide me to his lips. It makes me woozy.

2/2/07 Ben had is 5 month birthday yesterday. We celebrated by taking him to the doctor for a weigh-in. The little guy is now at 17 lbs 6 oz. Way to go buddy! I read that if he continued at this rate by the time he reached 10 years he would be more than 10 feet tall and weigh over 200 lbs. I'm glad he will be slowing down! He is also really starting to giggle at us. He loves it when I "eat" his chubby little hand or make silly faces or blow on his tummy. It also seems that his feet are beginning to be ticklish but like anyone he doesn't really like it. He is still getting used to his cereal. Some days he just is not interested but others he is very enthusiastic. He has been a great joy at work. In my carrier his head is just at the level of my chin making him extremely kissable. Carrying him also keeps me from over doing it with the lifting and moving that my job entails. Everyone jokes that he will be an art critic before long. He defiantly seems to enjoy seeing the paintings. Who knows what he will do someday! I'm working on knitting a new hat for him, I'm almost half done. It is so soft, I can't wait to see him in it. I'm trying really hard to think of something that doesn't include him. Um....Sean and I are watching Lost on DVD, turning it on while Ben sleeps. It makes for a long night because each disk has 4 episodes and we are too addicted to only watch 1 or 2 and if we watch 3 we might as well watch all 4. It is fun and gives us something non-baby to think about though it has found its way into my dreams. I'm begriming to miss my very vibrant pregnancy dreams. They are more hazy and boring now. I feel so normal. Sometimes that is good and sometimes it's a little dull. I'm glad that there aren't photographers waiting to catch my every misstep. I feel pretty complete with my husband and child and nice little life. I guess this is what it is to be grown up. I'm still getting used to that.

1/28/07 Ben had his first non-milk meal today! We started him out with rice cereal. Since it was his very first time we had to make it really runny, but he had a great time. He seemed to enjoy it, he would open his mouth as the spoon came near, he would try to grab the spoon and help me make it to his mouth (this often backfired). We'll try again tomorrow. Don't worry we taped it. I have added some photos of him to Shutterfly.com if you want prints you can email me and then I will send you the information. Being Ben's mom is pretty great. I get some of his very best smiles and hugs. I'm also his favorite person to bounce on. It is wonderful. But it is also sweet to see how excited he gets when Sean comes into view. He will stop eating just to turn and stare at his wonderful daddy. Sean is also the one who can put Ben back to sleep in a matter of minutes. Ben has several super cute outfits. My favorite are his little sweaters or plaid shirts with his multi-pocket pants. He looks ultra confident and ready to tackle the world with his drooly little chin. I am still working part time though I have increased my hours by quite a bit lately. Ben still goes with me at least 3 days a week and often stays home with Sean 2 days a week. The people at work love him and it is great to see him spreading joy to so many people. He is doing so much right now, I always wonder what I am missing. Just a couple of days ago I was kissing his little feet (which are always in his sleepers or socks) and they stunk! When did that happen??? His little feet didn't stink before - and we had just given him a bath! I also noticed a few days prior that he had a definite scent all his own. It kind of smelled like me but also like a whole different person, it is very hard to describe but it made me all teary thinking that some day some beautiful girl would nuzzle his neck and smell the same sweet smell. Well, that thought and seeing him in his little grown up outfits, that did it. He is also starting to sleep more than 2-3 hours at a stretch so I guess we will keep him. Or he'll keep us. In fact I can hardly imagine things without him now.

1/4/07 We took Ben for his 4 month check-up today. He is growing so big! He weighs 16 lbs. 8 oz. more than double his birth weight! He is also 26 3/4 inches compared with the 20 3/4 inches when he was born. He is so much fun now. He plays with us and LOVES his books. He pats them, stares at them, moves them, and tries to eat them. He actually shrieks in anger when we put the books away before he is finished. He puts his arms around us and grabs on tight which makes us feel wonderful. We had a great visit with Sean's brother and his wife Katie. They are crazy about Ben and didn't mind his drool. He loved all of the attention.

1/3/07 Ben gave us a wonderful gift - he gave us his first giggle on New Year's Day! I was laying on the floor with him on my belly making silly mouth movements and he giggled! I looked at Sean and gasped. Needless to say I repeated and he giggled again. It was such a beautiful sound! I will try to get a clip of it on here soon!

11/25/06 Ben has favorite things now! There is a little hippo that he just loves. It is the perfect size for him to grab and try (unsuccessfully) to shove into his mouth. He also really loves looking at all kinds of lights (so Christmas should be wonderfully exciting for him). He is hypnotized by fish darting around in the aquariums at the pet store. He has also acquired some new skills, his big one is blowing spit bubbles (you can see pictures of this in his November pictures). Without exception he holds his head up but is still working on keeping it steady. Another big improvement is that he is learning to sit, with a little help from us he can sit upright. He loves sitting because then he can turn and see whatever he wants. He has also started to lunge for things he wants (like me)! He continues to scoot around without the use of his arms and is getting even better at standing (with a little support). He makes all kinds of really great faces - pouty big lip faces, annoyed faces, hungry faces, very happy faces, you can see a lot of these in the November pictures. Speaking of pictures, we have a ton on this site and are going to start removing some older ones so that we can add more new ones. Be sure to check at least every two months for the ultimate cutie pie experience! If you aren't getting an update at least once a month you probably aren't on our mailing list. Just click on the "email me" button at the top of this page and tell us you want to join.

11/3/06 You know things have changed when you get excited about drool and really dirty diapers. It is crazy how much pride Sean and I take in the littlest things Ben does. He really knows how to work a crowd, he saves his best smiles and coos for the late night diaper changes - making them totally worth it. He gets cuter and more attentive every day. He plays with some of his toys now and loves looking at trees when we go outside. He is a little inch worm and can crawl up our chest or across the bed. He doesn't use his arms though, they just trail behind him or get stuck under his chest. For those of you around me while I was pregnant, you might remember that Ben used to get hiccups all the time - he still does. They don't seem to bother him. He was also quite a kicker when he was in my belly and when he gets upset now his little legs just pump up and down with a force that is astonishing. He not only knows we exist now (unlike the first few weeks) but he wants to be with us. When I lay him next to me in bed his little body curls up and rolls toward me. His little tiny hand pushes around on my chest till he finds my skin and then he relaxes and falls asleep. He makes all kinds of noises now. One of Sean's favorites was when he would push out his lower lip, build it up, and then let out a very petulant "bwah." I think he figured out that it entertained us too much and now he just says "mwah mwah." Which to my eager ears sounds like "ma ma." He says that a lot when he is hungry. Ben loves sleeping in Sean's arms and at 2am Sean is too tired to fight it and so he sits in our big armchair and he and Ben fall asleep together. Ben is so beautiful when he sleeps. I can almost see what he might look like as a toddler. He looks so different in all of his moods throughout the day, almost like a different baby. I will try to get some pictures up so you can see the changes. I am also working on getting some sound clips together. Right now we can't upload video but we can do audio so make sure you are on the mailing list and get notified when that happens. I am due to go back to work at the beginning of December. I am a little bit unsure as to how it will work but I must say that everyone at S&K has been very understanding. They have offered to let me come back at part time in the beginning and have said I can bring Ben. So, combined with Sean's working from home 2 days a week we might be able to avoid the $275 a week childcare. Cross your fingers for me! There are times I really miss having family and lots of friends closer. It would be great to share all of Ben's cuteness but also great to have a date night with Sean. Speaking of Sean I should really say that he is a wonderful dad. Ben adores him. Sean gets up with me for all of the feedings at night, burps Ben and then changes his diaper. He never complains about our messy apartment or all of the daily chores that fall to him. But it is true that at the end of it all we have hardly any energy left for each other. I guess that was to be expected but it is hard to get used to. Ben doesn't like sleeping in his bassinet (though we are working on it) so even when he is asleep we can't do much together. Any tips from veteran parents would be welcome! All babysitting offers will also be accepted so be careful!

10/5/06 WE HAVE ACCHIEVED NORMALITY - I know this is long over due but I am sure all of you (or at least most of you) understand. As I write this our Benevolent Dictator is a sleep in his sling. When he wakes I will have to stop so lets see how fast my fingers can fly.... Overall I had a really great pregnancy and delivery. I had very few of the common ailments and complaints normally associated with pregnancy. Sean and I went to the hospital August 31 at about 4am with contractions about 4 minutes apart. We were admitted but then the contractions slowed and stopped. We were sent home around 9am. The next morning at about the same time we went back to the hospital with more painful contractions about 3 minutes apart. We were admitted but again the contractions slowed. We were led into Labor and Delivery around 9am and they decided it would be best to induce labor to get the baby out. They started the Pitocin and epidural around 10am and by 4pm Ben was born. My sister Danielle arrived two days later just as we were leaving the hospital. She was a great help that first week as we learned to change diapers and dodge Ben's kicking feet. The first week was incredibly rough, not because of crying or lack of sleep - feeding wasn't going well. I was in great pain and Ben lost about 10% of his body weight (the high end of normal for the first week). We went to doctors and lactation consultants several times a week. By the end of the second week he was starting to gain weight but not back to birth weight. But by the third week we hit our stride and the little guy gained an nearly a pound (the average is 4-6 oz a week). We are doing great now. I must say it is challenging but not really any more difficult than graduate school. We are sleepy and feel little frustrated and helpless at times but it is really rewarding. We have had lots of family and friends come to visit. Sean started back to work this week after a whole month off. Things are about as normal as they will be for a long time but we are all still making small adjustments. Motherhood is great though it still feels like snowpants that are a couple sizes too big - slightly awkward and wobbly but warm and smushy. Ben has made so many advances this month. Sean and I both really think he is starting to figure out who we are which is a GREAT feeling. He is also really developing his neck muscles and holds up his head for 10+ seconds now. His eyes follow us and other objects and he makes the cutest noises. Hopefully we can figure out how to put small video and audio clips on the site soon. Thanks for all of the prayers, good wishes, and gifts. We are working on getting thank you notes out soon!

8/24/06 I must say - I feel great today. With the small exception of some false labor contractions. Over the past few days they have been pretty insistent. Not regular and not especially painful but constant and uncomfortable. Today the baby seems to be happy and gently moving around. I read a little except from Carrie Fisher's "Delusions of Grandma" that said "In the meantime, everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be." For some reason that really struck something in me. I have felt like all of this is out of my control and surprisingly, I have been completely fine with that. If I have learned anything from this pregnancy it is to let go and accept that there are things I can't do and things that are out of my control. Sean has marveled at my zen attitude. Things that used to drive me nuts don't even phase me anymore. So what if my belly makes me resemble a hippopotamus. So what if I am hot and uncomfortable so is everyone else. So what if I can't lift or move things or squeeze through small passages. The biggest so what lately has been the baby's impending due date. Some days I feel like this is it, he will be arriving before the day is over. Other days it feels like it could go on for eternity and I entirely expect it to. Of course, neither of these ideas are correct and I just try to stay flexible. It is utterly impossible not to hope for it to happen this minute and at the same time wish that I wasn't waiting so intently. Other than the pregnancy things have been going well. I had a really wonderful birthday. Our phones had been off almost a week and a half when the phone guy showed up the morning of my birthday and got them turned back on. Sean was a supreme chef and made me muffins for breakfast, Montreal Chicken and Rosemary Steak on the grill, and a delicious lemon birthday cake. Then we took a wonderful long nap and watched a movie before turning into bed at a ridiculously early hour. Work has been good and stress free though I think that is mainly because I only have a week left before maternity leave and really am not concerned about all of the little things that keep me up at night. My wonderfully helpful summer interns have headed back to school but there wouldn't have been much for them to do at this point anyway. Sean has been getting home at reasonable times and sometimes we can even squeeze in one of the new games I got for my birthday before I get bleary eyed and he whisks me off to bed. So that is our life now, peacefully waiting, watching, eating good food and trying to amuse ourselves!

8/17/06 I am trying to remember that as much as I am eager for the baby to arrive, it is much easier to take care of him now. It seems like everything is in place: diapers - check, wipes - check, super cute baby bed - check, lots of clothes - check. It is easy to forget that even though we are ready for him it will be a challenge - a loud, squishy, wet, and stinky, blissful challenge. We won't be able to just walk over to the grocery store for some ice cream without some planning. We won't be able to go run a day full of errands. I'm not sure I will be able to take him anywhere for quite a while. I almost feel like I will need some kind of hall pass to take him out. I don't know who I would ask permission from but I almost feel like it will be necessary. I keep trying to imagine how my life will change just in the daily tasks. I guess as I recover from the birth life in Motherhood will slowly emerge. From what everyone says I will be in such a sleep deprived state I may not even notice I have crossed the border into that unknown territory. I am sure all of you professional moms out there are laughing at my naivety and wonder but I really feel like I am standing on the threshold of this unknown universe lifting my foot to step out into space.

8/10/06 Last night Sloans and Kenyon had a wonderful shower for me and the baby. We went to a great restaurant and had a lot of fun! I'll try to post some pictures soon. Speaking of pictures, my darling and very entertaining husband is also very shy. He forgot to mention the very sweet new pictures we posted. We decided to get some photos of the belly before it is gone and have posted them on under Photos.

8/3/06 We had another sonogram yesterday. They didn't give us any pictures though. The good news is that the baby's left ventricle (which had previously seemed on the large side of normal) has gotten much smaller and is no longer a concern. He is very big for his age 5lbs. 10 oz. at 34 1/2 weeks. He is supposed to gain 1/2 lb. ever week until he is born! Hopefully this means he will come early since Sean and I are dying to meet him. I have a list of things to do before he comes and I'm slowly chipping away at it (wash all of his clothes, finish the wedding scrapbook, wash his bottles, etc.). It is fun to be able to do little things to prepare for him. We continue to be amazed at what is before us. It is such a joy thinking that almost any day now could be the day!

7/25/06 I bet it seems like we go to the doctor a lot but it is normal. We have been doing appointments every two weeks, the last of those is Aug 2 and then it will be every week until delivery! These visits are usually short (except for the time in the waiting room). The doctor asks how I've been doing (any more dizzy spells or other problems). Then he reviews my charts and says my weight, blood pressure, etc is "perfect." Then he gets out the doppler and we listen to the baby's heartbeat. He has recently started measuring how big my belly is too. Then we ask any lingering questions (Do I need to cut back my hours at work? Is bug spray ok? How long should I take the vitamins after the baby? etc.) and then it is over. The weekly appointments that are coming up will be more indepth and there will be exams to make sure the baby is doing well. Lots to look forward too!

7/21/06 We did what the books said this week and interviewed a pediatric group. We met with a very nice doctor who answered all of our questions (most without us even having to ask). They had a sick waiting room and a well waiting room. They keep their days open for lots of walk-in appointments. They have a lab onsite so we don't have to wait for results. It was a little dated and rough around the edges though. The doctor said they needed to do some renovations. They have 3 other offices so we can also go there and they have someone at the hospital everyday. I felt kind of silly with our long list of questions but she was very kind and said there was no such thing as a stupid questions and was glad we had done our homework. The baby is just growing and moving like crazy. I can't believe we are only 6 weeks or so away from holding him. We are very excited!!!! Sean sings and talks to him all the time. He usually calms down when Sean puts his hand on my belly. Sean's touch calms me a lot too. He has been a great baby, letting me sleep through the night (except for the hourly trips to the bathroom). He hasn't kept me up with all of his wiggling although he really gets going when I first lay down. I think he just goes crazy with all the extra room. I keep telling him just to wait - our apartment will seem like a whole universe!

6/29/06 This morning I was getting ready to take a shower and as the water was heating up I felt a lump on my side. I put my hand there and felt a definite bulge. My first thought was - "I have a tumor!" I called for Sean and by the time he got there I was laughing because I realized it was just the baby. I had forgotten I was pregnant. Doesn't that sound impossible? It is true. Most of the time when I dream I'm not pregnant. I still forget that I have a big belly and can't squeeze into small spaces at work. There are several small ways everyday I forget that I'm pregnant despite the big belly. There are also times when I feel like my body is defiantly not my own. I had trouble putting on my socks this morning for example because the baby was moving around and making it all but impossible for me to breath and reach my bended foot. When I roll over at night it is a huge production with lots of grunts and small twists, thumps and huffs. My mid to lower section is so large I can hardly move it sometimes. How is that possible? My little body which always moved as easily as needed now is like some kind of weighted beanbag. It is amazing.

6/27/06 Yea! No gestational diabetes for me!!! We just got the results this morning. The doctor says my weight, blood pressure, etc. is all great. Next week we are going for a follow-up ultrasound to make sure everything is still ok. The baby is more or less vertical now. He still tries to lay horizontal but he is just too big. He ends up kind of diagonal and that doesn't feel too good for either of us and he wiggles and kicks like crazy. Only about 10 more weeks left!

6/25/06 We had our first baby shower today!!!!! Our wonderful friends at Montgomery Hills Baptist Church (Silver Spring, MD) all got together for silly games, presents, and wonderful cake. It was actually supposed to be a shower for us and another couple but they ended up delivering at 3:15 that morning. About a week early! I hope we are that lucky. I can't wait to see our little guy. We got so many wonderful things and a lot of clothes. Our little baby is going to be one fashionable infant!

6/21/06 I don't know if it is the new iron supplements, the new calcium supplements, or just that time in the pregnancy. Mornings are really hard, I'm almost paralyzingly tired. I'll see if it keeps up. We have another doctor appointment next week to review the results of the 3 hour glucose test. At a recent doctor appointment I started asking about the delivery and how likely it was that he (the doctor I have been seeing since I got the positive home test) would deliver my baby. He said that it depends on when I go to labor and who is on call. There are 9 other doctors in the office and it could be any of them. Unless we schedule a c-section or have to induce in which case I could make sure it would be when he was available. I must confess that this kind of hurt my feelings it was almost like the medical version hearing "Let's see other people". I really like my doctor and this whole time thought that it would be him there being a part of it all. I just feel so disappointed. He said that some patients prefer to see all of the doctors in the office throughout their pregnancy so they feel more comfortable with whoever they get. This situation was made slightly worse today when I went in for a special appt and my regular doctor was on vacation. The new doctor I had was so cold and uncaring I don't want him to touch me or my new baby. I would rather have a doctor I had never met do the delivery if that were the case...

6/19/06 Ah, back from vacation. Sean and I had a lovely time in North Carolina visiting the family cabin. We celebrated our 5th anniversary by planting a tree at the cabin, having our rings engraved with the posey from each other's ring, and viewing waterfalls. I'm feeling fine and the baby is doing great. We found out that I'm low in iron (so I'm taking supplements now) and that my sugar is slightly high (so we are doing a 3 hour gestational diabetes test). At the doctor's office last Tuesday I did the typical gestational diabetes test, had the visit with the doctor, and as we were setting the next appointment I got dizzy. The doctor sent us back to the hospital (luckily no ambulance or emergency room this time) to have a sonogram. We were going to have a sonogram in two weeks but he decided since I was dizzy, since we were going out of town we might as well check. I think it was the longest sonogram yet. They checked everything. The baby was great. He moved around a lot and gave them a good look at everything. He is perfectly normal and at a good weight and size. He was 2 pounds 7 ounces and about 14 1/2 inches long with a head measuring 25 centimeters in circumference. They kept us at the hospital day. Sean didn't leave my side (except to bring me more water, food, or a nurse). I had a fetal monitor on the whole time. They were two disks about the size of cookies strapped to my belly. The baby hated it and kept kicking and kicking at them. Every time he did it made a huge thump and swish sound on the speaker. I'm going back to the doctor this Wednesday. Hopefully I will be able to stay off the floor. Our church is having a baby shower for us this weekend. We are so excited. It is the first baby shower so we will have something new to put in the baby book!!!!

6/5/06 Almost a month since my last posting! Goodness! How dare I? Things have been busy at work with our upcoming auction but I guess that is no excuse. We had a 3D ultrasound a couple of weeks ago. The pictures turned out great (you can see them under Photos) and we love the DVD. The baby is aobut 13 inches and 2 pounds. He has been on the move constantly today (it was probably the apple I ate earlier, he is nuts about apples)! He is learning all kinds of new moves, he has moved on from kicking to pushing. Sean and I can often feel his little head and bottom pressing against opposite ends of my belly (which is HUGE now)! I crossed a major weight threshold this morning. I have only gained 15 pounds since the start but it was still hard to see the needle on the scale creep that high. I have another 12 pounds or so to go. The doctor said it would be about pound a week from now till the end. I don't even feel like I am eating any extra than normal. I'm feeling less excited about the pregnancy now but it has been replaced with being more excited to see the baby. Sean and I are trying to get everything in order and have signed up for several classes at the hospital. We are taking a childbirth class (I don't really want to think about that one) and an infant care class. We signed up for a few others too, Sean really wanted to learn baby CPR so he is taking a class on that! I hope we remember it all! I am also starting a little hat for the baby (you can see it under Photos) it is going to be light brown with pink ears and very very soft! Wish me luck, it is slightly more advanced than my past knitting attempts. I find it some what confusing that it is easier to make a baby than make the hat for the baby.....

5/9/06 Last night as we were going to bed Sean was singing to my belly and the baby would move around like crazy. Then he would stop and after a minute the baby would stop. Then he would start up again and the baby would start moving around some more. At one point the baby even started pushing against the side of my belly where Sean was singing like he wanted to be as close as possible to his daddy. You could feel his little back and head (at least we think it was a back and head we were feeling)!

4/24/06 Last night the baby tried to make a break for it. It was probably my fault since I had suggested to Sean we ought to see if it was responding to light yet. We put a flashlight on my belly to see if the baby would move toward or away from it. Nothing really happened -until about an hour later. I had settled into bed and the baby started pushing (not kicking) very very hard against the spot where we had the flashlight. As some of you may know from your own pregnancies, there are spots on the belly that are more flexible than others. The spot the baby chose had no flexibility. First it was uncomfortable and then it started to hurt. I laughed and told him to "Stop, reverse, retreat!" Sean was in the other room and asked what was going on. By this time I was crying from laughing so hard and I said "The baby is trying to get out!" After a few more moments he gave up and went back to doing somersaults. I feel him moving a lot now. It is clear he is getting stronger. Sean can feel his lighter kicks and you can even seem them on my belly. When he rolls over my stomach does a wave like motion. It is really something to see!

4/20/06 Yesterday I had the most wonderful thing happen. I had spent the night dreaming about work, a greedy Hollywood executive who stole Sean's screenplay, and a night at George Clooney's house (only watching movies - geez!) and then I had a wonderful feeling on my leg. As I woke up I realized it was Sean's hand, he was waking me up, and I was SO HAPPY. I was so happy to be with him, in my life with a life growing inside me, sunlight coming in the windows, and to be in our fluffy bed. It was the greatest feeling. Today I heard from the cadiologist. He said the other test came back fine too. He thinks I have Vasovagal Syncope meaning that I'm just going to get dizzy and have to lay down and put my feet up till it goes away. It isn't life threatening and there isn't much to be done for it. So it is good because nothing is really wrong but annoying. Thanks for all your prayers and wishes for good health.

4/18/06 Ah, my darling husband. He worked very hard to keep you all in suspense so why should I waste his efforts? You will just have to read his column to find out if it is going to be a blue or pink Fall for our family (we were only given a 99.9% certainty so keep the receipts until the next ultrasound in about 6 weeks). If you don't want to know maybe you ought to just stick to my column. Bottom line is that the baby is healthy, 11 oz, due possibly 9/7/06 now, and very very squirmy. The tech person had a difficult time getting all of the pictures and measurements because it wanted to play peek-a-boo, hide-and-go-seek, and rolly-polly. As a further doubt to my future parenting skills I hardly recognized the leg from the arm, the tummy from the head, etc. I guess I will have to add some anatomy studies to my growing stack of parenting-how-to books. We had a great time seeing the baby but would like to be able to make out what we are seeing. We are considering getting a 3d/4d ultrasound later on if we can scrape together the funds. We can take numerous people in to watch a 3d/4d scan so maybe we can charge admission. Better yet call us now to book you Baby Richardson Vacation Package we will arrange for lodgings, entertainment, and a view of our wiggly bundle of joy!

4/15/06 I got a message from the doctor today. Turns out he knows what most of you know - I have a good heart. The sonogram of my heart turned out ok. We are still waiting for the results of the other test.

4/13/06 We went to the heart doctor yesterday. They did a sonogram of my heart and even though they couldn't tell me anything official they told me not to worry. They also hooked me up to a little heart monitor box. I'll be wearing that until later today. The results from both won't be ready for 5-10 days. Waiting....waiting...waiting...

4/11/06 Back to the doctor today. I almost lost consciousness again in the waiting room. They called the cardiologist and moved up my appointment and tests for tomorrow. We probably won't know anything yet for a few more days. I feel the baby a bit everyday now, sometimes it kicks a lot sometimes it just rolls around. We heard the heartbeat this morning it was at 150 beats per minute! Oh, by the way, the doctor said that the picture we brought in might not have been faked. He thought it was really amusing though!

4/5/06 Some fun and some scary news this week: Throughout my pregnancy I have had minor dizzy spells (similar to when you stand up to quickly) but Monday at work I had a very severe spell. I was just sitting (on an adorable velvet settee) and reading a book (Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott - it is so wonderfully funny and honest that it makes me think maybe I can do all of this parent stuff), and I began to get a little dizzy. I put the book down. Looked around the exhibition floor at work, no one was there; it was very quiet. After a moment I went back to reading. Maybe 15 minutes later the dizziness was much much worse; then my ears began ringing ,and the room began spinning and got very dark. I was overcome with the urge to lie down. But, since I was at work, since it was exhibition, since the little settee was very little, I just shifted a little onto my side and waited for it to pass. Slowly the feeling went away, and I was able to get up and call Sean. Later that morning I was on the phone with mom and mentioned what had happened. She urged me to call the doctor even if it was just to reassure my poor husband that nothing was wrong. I called, and the nurse scheduled me for a visit the next morning. I felt fine, if not just a little light-headed for the rest of the day. By the time we were in the waiting room the next morning, I felt really silly because I felt perfectly fine, because nothing had really happened and it was a fuss over nothing. Then it started again. As with the day before, I was just sitting, reading the book, and the little bits of dizziness started. Then several minutes later it got much worse. I had been keeping Sean updated, and finally I told him I had to lie down. By the time he was able to alert a nurse and return to me I could hardly see or hear him. That was the last thing I remembered when I came to in an examining room. In fact, I didn't remember where I was or who I was with or what had happened. The nurse was waving smelling salts under my nose (I guess they really do work) and there were so many people and my darling husband. I could hardly see because of the bright light, and I couldn't hear but the tiniest bit because of the ringing in my ears. Slowly it all started to fade, and I was asking a ton of questions, "Where are we? What happened? We are in a doctor's office? Why are we in a doctor's office? Who are all these people?" My poor husband was brushing my hair back and beside himself with worry. Then I remembered I was pregnant and asked about the baby I vaguely heard the word ambulance and Holy Cross (the hospital where my doctor delivers) and I FREAKED OUT. Sean and the nurse explained to me that I had fainted and they wanted to do tests and so I was going to the hospital. After just a few more moments I was back to "normal" I felt fine. I felt like I could walk out of the office and go to work. Unfortunately two very nice ambulance guys were there. Sean followed in the car, and before I knew it I was at Holy Cross. They wheeled me on the gurney into a curtained room, and I waited. Then I called work, then I called home, and I waited. Finally they took my info and a few frantic moments later Sean came in. He had a hard time getting to me and said they wouldn't initially let him in but it was ok because he was there and I knew he had been trying to find me. Then they took blood, gave me an iv, took lots of heart tests, and well, then nothing. Finally a doctor came in we chatted and he left. They figured out I was fine and wheeled me (still on the gurney) into the hall and put someone else in my room. I spent the whole rest of the day in the hall. Sean read to me and kept me company. After a while they even did a doppler heart reading because we were still concerned about the baby. We heard a very strong 180 per minute heartbeat and smiled. They kept me hooked up to machines and pretty much ignored my requests for food and drink. Finally the doctor said they couldn't find anything wrong with my blood or my heart. Recommended I see a cardiologist by the end of the week, take some time off work, and sent me home. I told you that there was good news too. An hour or so after I felt dizzy on Monday, I felt the baby kick very hard three times. It was so wonderful. I even saw my shirt move, it must be a very strong kicker. Last night Sean got to feel a little kick, much less noticeable but you should have seen the smile on his face!

3/29/06 We went to the doctor yesterday and heard the heartbeat again. He ordered an ultrasound for April 18. If we are lucky we will find out if it is a boy or girl!

3/24/06 Nothing really to report. We go back to the doctor Tuesday morning so maybe we will have something fun to say by then. I did find this picture online last week (click here to see). Sean says it has to be faked and probably was inspired by the Alien movies.

3/16/06 Ok, I had my first major craving last night. Alyna and Sean have anxiously been awaiting any signs of cravings and now their patience has been rewarded. I love crab ragoons as many of you know but they are an absolute rarity here in the NE/Mid-Atlantic region. Over the weekend we finally found a place that had them and rejoiced. After a grueling day at the auction house I went home and collapsed but couldn't fall into a restful sleep because all I could think about was that smushy cream cheese and the crispy crust of .......crab ragoons. So I ordered out. The baby ordered out. And then we ordered out together. We ended up with three bags totaling 18 crab ragoons! When they arrived we celebrated and ate and ate but only made it through one bag. Then the realization of what I had done started to sink in. What was I going to do with all of these crab ragoons? How was I going to explain this to my husband? I was pretty ashamed of myself. I planned to tell Sean I had gotten 2 bags but when he came home the truth came out and he laughed and laughed. He even bragged to our neighbors. I'm so lucky that he is pleased and proud of his crazy wife and child rather than scowling about a fridge full of crab ragoons.

3/13/06 Well, it was bound to happen, one morning, my maternity pants finally stay up on their own. When I had previously tried them on (even as recently as 2 weeks ago) they almost fell right off of me. Now they stay up and are a little loose at the top but fit enough so that I don't even have to wear the bella band. Here we go!

3/11/06 I'm now in the third trimester!!!! It is great! The baby is about the size of a lemon (3 1/2 inches). It is starting to grow hair. The hands and feet (each 1/2 inch long) are moving around but I can't feel anything yet. I'm reading that the baby is also able to make faces (squints, frowns, and grimaces). It can also grasp now, too, and may be able to suck its thumb. I keep waiting for my belly to grow. My weight hasn't changed a bit and while my pants are getting tighter there isn't much to notice yet. Still no cravings or other weird things.

2/28/06 My husband beat me to posting it but we finally heard the baby's heart beat today. Turns out you can hear all kinds of things down there but at one point it was pretty distinct and the doctor said "that's it!" He also declared for the second time that it is a girl. Don't run out and start buying pink stuff yet - he doesn't have anything really to base it on. He says that we will do a sonogram in about 2 months and then we will really know.

2/19/06 One of my email news letters told me: Your fig-sized fetus now measures 1 1/2 inches from head to bottom and weighs in at a quarter-ounce. He finally looks like a baby, with tiny but fully formed fingers and toes. As his body grows and becomes more developed and functional, he'll start twisting and turning like an acrobat, cushioned and protected by your amniotic fluid.

2/17/06 Baby heart monitor arrives - I can't wait to use it!!!! The website is up and I am finally telling people.

2/14/06 website begins