Sophie's Room!

Busy. 

Tired.

Sore.

Accomplished.

Grateful.

Just a few words to sum up the last week or so in the Everingham Household.  The major burst of activity around here actually started a few weeks ago when my mother-in-law headed down to start her house hunting in Florida.  She’s a late sleeper and while she’s assured me that I can go about my usual chores without worry, I don’t like to vacuum or do anything too noisy until she’s up and about for the day (just common courtesy in my book).  So, with an empty house, I felt more free to crank up the tunes and scrub until my little heart was content.  I came up with a long list of big chores I wanted to get accomplished, from a deep cleaning of the upstairs to rearranging closets.  I was super proud of how much I managed to get accomplished (even though I really need to do it again, already)!    

I know it doesn't look clean, but it really is. 

Once I completed MY list, we started on the stuff we needed to do together or things that were going to fall mostly on Richard’s shoulders.  I’m kind of a control freak – there, I admitted it.  One of the things that’s been really stressing me out has been the lack of progress on Sophie’s room.  I know babies don’t need such things right away and I know that the nursery won’t get much use the first month or two.  Nevertheless, it was causing me a lot of anxiety that Sophie’s room was still Richard’s office and the catch-all space for other misplaced junk.  I was starting to feel a little panicky that there was “nowhere” for the baby to go, so Richard and I came up with a solution and cleaned out the room!  Yay!  Phase one: complete. 

Storage room!

We needed a place to put all that stuff, so we went downstairs to our storage room.  Cleaned out all of Richard’s mom’s boxes and stacked them neatly in the main room down there.  That freed up space for our misplaced stuff to go and allowed us to pull aside the baby stuff we’ll need that Sam’s outgrown but Sophie will need.  Phase two: complete!    

New Living Room ceiling fan!

Now that the room was mostly empty (Richard’s desk was still in there, since I couldn’t help him move it), we would be able to PAINT!!  We decided to go ahead and do some shopping for Sophie’s room and the projects I had lined up on my “Before Baby” list.  Off to Lowe’s we went!  We got two ceiling fans (one for Sophie’s room since it didn’t have one and did you know thatceiling fans reduce the risk of SIDS and a replacement for the living room fan, which a blade broke off of this winter) and some paint samples.  My mom was awesome enough to swing by after work the following day to give her opinion on the paint color (we tried two pinks and a yellow).  To my surprise and delight, we all agreed on the same color!  So, off Richard went to buy the paint.  The next day was supposed to be a blizzard, so we figured it would be a great opportunity to start painting if Richard ended up being home. 

Sophie's fan and first coat of paint - a very pale pink

Though the storm totally fizzled out, it was still snowing hard when it came time for him to call off or go in and he decided to stay home.  They were still calling for an additional 10 inches at that point.  They actually ended up closing the poker room that day, so he would have been sent home anyway.  Eh, it all worked out for the best, because my extraordinary hubby managed to get the first coat of paint on the walls and install the ceiling fan in Sophie’s room.  Yay!  

It took a few days for us to have the time to get back in there, but in the meantime…  Have I mentioned how awesome my mother is?  Well, she’s pretty damn awesome.  My mom bought the nursery furniture!  I’d found a set that I liked online; it was a bundle and a great deal.  So, over the course of a few days, it arrived piece by piece. 

This past weekend, we conquered a huge chunk of my “Before Baby” list!  Richard: hung the ceiling fan in the living room (I assisted as best I could), finished painting Sophie’s room (I watched Sam), painted the trim in Sophie’s room (I’m still watching Sam), moved his desk and computer into the living room for the time being, and put all of Sophie’s furniture together (though I helped a great deal on that part!).  We also both had doctor’s appointments and Richard had an appointment with a CPA for our taxes this year.  We even managed to squeeze in a trip to the grocery store! 

Walking into Sophie's room

Her crib

Her dresser and the glider from Sam's room (which may or may not stay)

Changing table, complete with Newborn diapers!  

To say that we were exhausted is really an understatement. 

There is still a lot to be done.  I need to rewash all the newborn and 0-3 month clothes and get them put away.  I have some decorating to do and projects for Sophie’s room I want to complete.  I will probably rearrange the room about fifty times before I find a configuration that I like, but for now this will do.  For me, that’s fun stuff!  The only other big project that I’d like to see happen is an addition of a half wall between our living room and kitchen upstairs.  We’re still discussing our options, so if it happens there will be another post about that. 

This week, I’m kind of taking it easy.  Now that we’re in the home stretch of this pregnancy, I’m finding myself feeling very short on energy and in a bit more pain than I’d like.  In many ways, I think I handle pregnancy pretty well.  I seem to be pretty lucky when it comes to a lot of the negative side effects (such as horrible morning sickness).  While I was definitely nauseated a lot my first trimester, I never got truly sick.  However, now that I’m about 9 weeks away from popping, I’m really feeling it.  Staying active is a double edged sword.  I feel much better during the day or activity, but find myself so sore and uncomfortable at night that I can’t sleep (well or long).  If I take it easy, I feel better but I’m not getting anything done.  I’m trying to just keep it all balanced, but it’s tough. 

The next couple of weeks are going to be very, very busy!  My mother-in-law did find a house on her trip to Florida and has a contract on it.  Closing is tentatively set for April 5^th.  Unfortunately, we started planning Sam’s birthday before she had a contract and with Easter falling on the weekend right after Sam’s birthday, we had to bump it back to the 7^th of April.  So the next few weeks will be full of decorating Sophie’s room, planning and prepping for Sam’s birthday, and helping get my mother-in-law ready for her big move.  Meanwhile, there’s a huge poker tournament happening the last two weeks of March, so I probably won’t see much of my husband. 

I’m sorry about the caffeine, Sophie…  :o( 

Here are a few more pictures.  Hopefully, I’ll carve out some time to update again soon!  :o)  

"Such a good lunch, Mom; you deserve a fist bump."

Her favorite toy: a red fork.  Her favorite spot: on the marble of the fireplace. I don't get it either... lol! 

Love the one pant leg half up.

Some play time outside!  So much to explore!

Playing fetch with Loki before bed.  She's getting really good at tossing his ball! He's pretty good at not tackling her for it.  

An Inspired Morning

My husband had to leave early for an appointment this morning.  Though I’ve asked him repeatedly to not slam the front door when he leaves… guess what he did.  There I am, laying snug and warm in bed with hopes of a little extra shut-eye this morning, and the baby starts crying because Daddy slammed the door.  Frustrated, I hauled myself out of bed, hobbled into the bathroom to pee, and scooped up the dog to let him out for his morning constitutional before getting my Punkin-Face up for the day.  Imagine my surprise when I return upstairs to find her fast asleep! 

Score!!

Since I’m now well awake, I decide to take a nice hot shower.  I linger.  It’s bliss! 

She’s still snoozing!!  Oh my goodness, what do I do with myself!?

Creek last spring

Inspiration hits.  One of the things I loved about living at my parents’ house is their back porch.  We used to gather there in the mornings, sip our coffee, and chat about all sorts of things.  They have a nice bird bath and several bird feeders, so it’s a hot spot of activity. 

I grabbed a cup of coffee, a blanket off the back of the sofa, my hubby’s too-big-for-me-slippers, Sam’s monitor, and the dog.  Out I went!  I got to enjoy a whole cup of coffee and watch the birds.  We don’t do too badly in the bird department with the creek running along the edge of our property, the golf course just a stone’s throw away, and I can see the Opequon from my back deck.  I watched a Downy woodpecker attack a tree, a cardinal take a bath, a crane fly overhead, and a spattering of other beauties. 

The photo's not mine, but it's a Downy Woodpecker.

When I finished my coffee, I was torn between soaking up every moment I could of peace and quiet before my daughter wakes up versus coming inside to write about my blissful morning.  Sam made the call for me, as she just then started to stir. 

After several very busy and stressful days, this was JUST what the doctor ordered.  A nice, relaxing, and peaceful start to what I hope becomes a BEAUTIFUL day!!  

Sooooo big!!

Posing 

Holy cow!!  She’s 11 months old now…  My sweet baby girl is growing up soooooo fast!! 

I’m not even sure how to sum things up.  She’s growing leaps and bounds these days.  Every day she’s learning something new or doing something she’s never done before.  Some of the coolest developments include pointing out Mommy’s eyes, nose, and mouth; pointing out her own hand and toes; and bringing objects that she has words for (such as “where’s Sam’s cup” and she’ll go get it).  Sam is a very busy little tike.  She’s head over heels in love with the dog and gives him kisses all the time.  She’ll even attempt to chase him (though her walking speed is picking up, she still stumbles from time to time). 

Peek-a-Boo with Mommy

One of Sam’s favorite games is playing hide and seek with Daddy.  I’ve yet to get it on camera, but he’ll hide behind the sofa and she squeals with delight when she finds him.  She’s also really into playing peek-a-boo behind the chair.  Just say, “where’s my Sam” and she’ll pop her little head out with a HUGE grin and giggle.  Her legos, picnic basket, and books continue to be among her favorite toys.  She’s very good at sharing (at the moment) and loves to feed us bits of her food. 

Legos!!

Meal times are… trying… for me.  She’s into dropping bits of food on the floor, which the dog LOVES but it drives me a little crazy.  She’s great at feeding herself, but over-stuffs her mouth from time to time.  Nothing scares me more than when she chokes on something.  She’s getting really good at chewing and is learning what those six (and a half!) front teeth are for.  (She has four uppers and two and a half lowers!)  I’m still nervous about Cheerios and anything crunchy or “too big” for her to just swallow.  Some of her favorite foods right now include cheese, yogurt, oranges, peaches, rice, sausage, eggs, bananas, green beans, potatoes, and peas. 

Green Beans = Nom!

I love cooking for my husband and it gives me great satisfaction when he really enjoys a meal, but cooking for Sam is ten times better!  At her age, honesty is all there is; when she chomps into her dinner and her eyes get big and she cries out “Nom, nom!” and leans in for more… well, let’s just say my eyes have teared up a few times.

Sam still sleeps pretty well.  There are nights when she wakes up, but most of the time she can calm herself without parental involvement.  However, sometimes she still needs that reassuring cuddle.  We are down to two bottles (at 6 or 7oz) a day – one before nap and one before bed.  I’ve officially stopped nursing, almost two weeks now.  I can honestly say that’s been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do so far.  I HATED giving up the last little bit of nursing I was doing.  Sam’s tugging at my shirt was heart-wrenching and my boobs hurt more than I thought they would.  Nevertheless, my pediatrician joined the league of people telling me it was time to stop, so… I reluctantly did as I was told.  Since we’re in the third trimester now with Baby Two, it’s “in my best interest” to take a break between babies (nursing can trigger contractions). 

So, New Baby updates! 

I’m going to go ahead and make our “announcement” that we’ve settled on a name for New Baby.  At Christmas, we were all sitting around chatting about New Baby and themes for her room and stuff when Heather pulled up a baby names website.  She went through a TON and nothing sounded even remotely appealing to me.  The only name I really liked at that point was Charlotte and I was the only one who liked it.  It’s true that I get to name this baby whatever my little heart desires, but I want Richard to at least like it.  And he just wasn’t crazy about Charlotte.  Plus, we were having a hard time finding a middle name. 

So, when Heather read “Sophie” I was instantly hooked.  Better yet, the whole family seemed to like it.  Richard chimed in that he really liked the idea of Sophie having my middle name since Sam shares his.  And thus, we landed on Sophia Robin (Sophie for short).  He and I have been calling Baby Bump Sophie ever since.  We never really settled on a Bump Nickname for this baby.  Nothing ever felt right, like Lil Pea did for Sam.  I will occasionally call Sophie “Soapy,” but that’s as close as we got.   

Well, a couple of weeks ago we had our two hour sugar test.  I’d been spot checking my numbers and they were running a bit higher than I would have liked, so I was pretty sure I was going to fail.  I was rather pleased because, even though I did fail, I didn’t fail by much.  Just a few points over the cut off.  My doc gave me two weeks to check my numbers without any meds and see if I could control it with diet alone. 

The first week wasn’t great, but my numbers came down a little the second week.  Richard and I discussed our grocery budget and we’re going to try things a little differently for a while to see if we can’t bring my numbers even more in line.  After a really wonderful talk with the nurse practitioner, she agreed to give us two more weeks without meds. 

Otherwise, my blood pressure has been great, all my urine checks have been clear, and Sophie’s heart rate is spot on.  She’s a mover and a groover like Sam was, which is making my kick counts a piece of cake.  My last ultrasound revealed that the placenta has moved up to where it needs to be, so no worries there.  Everything has been going like clockwork.  I’m measuring at 29 weeks and Sophie is about two weeks ahead.  We are in normal ranges and I wasn’t surprised since Sam was a “big” baby.  (Not related to gestational diabetes, just overall bone structure.  She’s still perfectly normal.) 

Last but not least, we are finally making some headway toward getting Sophie’s room ready!!  This past weekend, Richard and I cleaned out almost all of his office stuff and moved it into the basement/storage room.  We’re still a little limited because he doesn’t have anywhere to move his computer desk right now, but we’re working on that.  Meanwhile, I get to start picking out paint colors and other fun stuff!  I can’t wait to have the room painted and her furniture in.  I would really like to have it all together before May…  I hate leaving things to the last minute!  Especially since the further along I get, the less helpful I can be.   

Hopefully, I’ll be able to update with some new nursery pictures soon!!  In the mean time, here are more Sam pictures!

Story time!

"Look, Mommy!  It's us!"

Helping to clean up her toys before bath and bed time.  

"Wait, bed time?  Wha-what you say?!?"

Being sneaky, trying to reach a cup (behind the curtain). 

*sings*  Cause bath time is lots of FUN!  

Daddy surprised her with a squirt from her snail. 

So fresh and so clean, clean!  

  

Outside Play!

We thought it might be fun to take Sam outside for a few minutes today.  She really loves standing by the front window and watching the world go by.  She hasn't gotten too much outside time as the weather's been so cool.  Today, we bundled her up and has some play time in the great outdoors!  

Outside!

Oh no!  I lost a shoe!

Our property is very hilly, so her balance was a little off.  But she really tried! 

Running with Daddy.  

Having fun. 

Such a big girl... :o)

I think there will be a lot more outside time in our future!  I can't wait for the weather to really warm up.  :o)  

A Month of Love!

What a great month, so far!  I love February – for obvious reasons.  (For those that don’t know, my birthday is the 4^th and Valentine’s Day is the 14^th.)  Two of my dearest friends have birthdays this month and since it’s a short month, it just flies by. 

Mommy's Birthday!

This year, Richard and I decided to downplay the holidays (birthday & V-Day).  We asked my mom to come over and watch Sam so that he could take me out to dinner and that was as far as I thought it was going to go.  My mom and sisters had let slip that they’d gotten me a present.  As the big day drew closer, I learned my hubby was also involved.  I had NO CLUE what they might have gotten.  So, when my mom (and sister!) came over to watch Sam, I was presented with a Keurig!!!!  I was crazy excited!!  Then Richard and I went to Red Lobster to indulge in some crab legs.  It was a fantastic night!

Valentine’s Day was really down played.  I made him a few little gifts and he brought me home some flowers and chocolates and a PERFECT card.  We had a nice quiet dinner together after Sam went to sleep and played some Monopoly.  Yeah… that was our romantic night.  Hahaha!!  We aren’t an old married couple or anything!  Really, it was a great night, though. 

Now, my focus shifts to Sam’s upcoming first birthday (March 28^th)!  I’m really excited about this milestone and can’t wait to celebrate.  I can’t believe that she’s almost a year old…  Didn’t I just have her?  Wasn’t she just learning to roll over?  It’s really true, what my mom told me.  It feels like it takes forever for them to reach those milestones, but then it gets here and you realize how little time it really took. 

Here are a few pictures and what she’s been up too!  

Playing with her drum app on my tablet

Wearing Daddy's sweater!  She thought it was hilarious that she couldn't walk without tripping.  

"Oh, is that the camera I see!?"  Being cute.

My future blogger!  (She doesn't get to touch Mommy's computer very often, so she was REALLY excited to get to do a little "typing".)

The next generation "Guzzle-Gut".  (That was a nickname we gave my sister when we were little because she could drink and breathe at essentially the same time.  We used to have drinking races, which she always won!  Sam seems to have developed the same skill.)

"Why can't I have the camera!?  I want the camera!!"  Proof she isn't always smiling. Haha! What a mean Mommy...  

We had our first Mommy/daughter pedicure day.  She did a really great job of sitting still (though this picture is before I cleaned up her polish). 

She was totally fascinated by her new colorful toes!  

Playing.  She loves to beat the plate and fork together.  Anything that makes "music" is a blast for her.  

Staying in touch with her very wide social network is essential to her daily life... (AKA: stole Mommy's phone and ran away.)  

An overdue update

I haven’t done much blogging lately and there are several reasons for that.  First and foremost, it’s very difficult to find the time and energy to sit down and write when I’ve got an extremely active and curious little one running around.  Sam is super interested in my laptop, so the moment it hits my lap she’s by my side hitting buttons and turning it off.  Haha!  This can be frustrating when I’m just trying to look up a recipe or respond to an email/facebook post.  I tend to restrict my computer time to her nap time, but nap time is also the prime time for me to get chores done around the house.  By the time we get her into bed, I’m ready for some R&R with the hubby and less inclined to sit back and write about whatever might be on my mind. 

Also, the last few months have been difficult.  We had a lot of stressors in recent history.  The biggest being the sale of South George.  After six months of missing/late documents, less than adequate communication, and other... complications, we were finally able to close on the house.  We barely made the sale in time!  That process was extremely trying for me (and for Richard).  I wasn’t in the best place to discuss it, since my emotions were… high… and I’m not one to rock the boat.  Now that it’s complete and we can move forward with our lives, I’m working to put the whole situation behind me. 

Not only was South George an overwhelming source of stress for us, but Maryland’s passing of the table games referendum brought some financial issues to our table.  Richard and I began discussing the need for me to return to work.  What excellent time, right?  Oh, I hope you can hear the sarcasm there!  At the midpoint of my pregnancy, I started looking for a job.  After being turned down for every single job I applied for, I did secure an interview that I was very excited about.  The interview went wonderfully and I was very hopeful that I’d soon have a job and our worries about the future would be nullified.  However, it wasn’t to be.  They selected another candidate for the position. 

After a lot of discussion, we agreed that my chances of finding work at this stage of my pregnancy was unlikely.  Who would want to hire someone who would need maternity leave before the ink dried on her W-4?  Additionally, to qualify for FMLA you have tobe in your current position for twelve months…  So my job protection would be limited/non-existent.  I’ll continue to apply for jobs, but will likely keep my searches to Federal positions (since I was a Career employee, I have some slightly better than average odds).  In the meantime, we’re going to tighten our belts and see if we can get our financial ship back on the course we want it to be on.  Hopefully, we’ll be able to weather the storm of Maryland Live’s future poker room without busting too many holes in our sails.  It helps that it looks like nopoker room will be added until after New Baby arrives. 

Speaking of New Baby…  Things there are going fabulously!  So far, all of my appointments have been totally standard fair, with one tiny exception.  At my anatomy scan in December, they noticed that the placenta is “low”.  Both doctors I’ve seen since then seem only mildly concerned.  They said that in all likelihood, it will move up and into the proper position (since I had no such problems with Samantha).  We have a follow up ultrasound in February to check on the position, but everyone seems confident that it won’t be a problem.  The consequence if it doesn’t move is a cesarean; but again, no one thinks it will come to that.   

I also have my two hour glucose test coming up in February.  Richard and I both suspect that this will be the end of my perfectly normal pregnancy, but I’m just slightly optimistic that it might not be.  My sugars (when I’ve infrequently checked them) have all been within normal ranges.  Matter of fact, everything about this pregnancy has been spot on.  My blood pressures have all been normal.  My urine tests, normal.  Blood work, normal.  Weight gain, normal.  Of course, starting out about fifty pounds lighter with this pregnancy is the likely reason behind this blissfully normal pregnancy.  While I hope that I can pass this glucose test, I’m preparing myself for the likelihood that I won’t.  Once you’ve had gestational diabetes thechances that you get it with subsequent pregnancies goes up substantially.  Naturally, we’ll do everything we can to bring a healthy baby into this world. 

On to my darling little Sam-a-lam.  Holy cow, has she been changing!  She had her 9 month wellness visit a few weeks ago and since then it’s like we have a whole new child.  Richard and I re-baby-proofed the living room after taking down the Christmas decorations.  Of course, she’d taken her first few tentative steps on New Year’s Eve (if you missed it, the video’s here…).  Once we opened up the living room to her again, she’s taken off!  In just two short weeks, she’s walking back and forth between the furniture, carrying things around with her, bending down to pick things up, and working on turning.

Smiles for Mommy 

She’s also bringing Mommy books to read, which I LOVE!!  She’ll even hit the doorbell button on her Ding Dong, It’s Dora book.  She can also turn the pages.  Her attention span only lasts as long as the shorter books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, her Dora books, and a few others).  Curious George at the Park is a touch and feel book and one of her favorites!  I’d really like to get a few more of the touch and feel books. 

Sam is also on table foods totally for breakfast and lunch.  Some of her favorites include eggs, sausage, oatmeal, grits, oranges, peaches, peanut butter and jelly, cheese, and yogurt.  The girl slurps down water like it’s going out of style, which makes me super proud.  When offered a choice between water and Pedialyte when she was sick, she picked water over and over. 

Her sleep schedule is good and most nights she sleeps straight through without any trouble.  She goes down around 8:30 most nights and wakes up between 7 and 8 in the morning.  We’re working on cutting back formula/nursing but I’m still reluctant to give up the last little bit of nursing that I do (morning time, when she first wakes up). 

Morning cuddles are full of grins!

Sam’s vocabulary is increasing all the time.  Her consonant sounds include a lot of “ga’s” now, along with the standard “da,” “mum,” “nom,” “yum,” and “ba-ba” sounds.  She does seem to make the connection of “da-da” to Richard and “ba-ba” to Loki (since we call him Bubba a lot).  “Mum” still means everything from Mommy to tired or hungry.  I’m trying to draw a connection between hungry and “nom-nom” since that’s a sound she makes while eating.  We’ll see if we can get there; it’s a new sound for her. 

Playing

One of her favorite toys is her Lego collection (thanks to Aunt Heather and Grammy and Pop-Pop).  She’s getting to be a master at putting one Lego on top of another, in addition to pulling them apart.  Sam LOVES destroying anything that Mommy or Daddy builds, though!  She’s also really into her walking car that she got from her Aunt Diana and Uncle Abe for Christmas.  Another favorite is her picnic basket, which includes a set of cups.  She discovered that one cup fits inside the other and is endlessly fascinated by her ability to repeat this over and over again. 

Sam's first pillow fort!  Had a BLAST!

We don’t turn the TV on a lot during the day, but she has paid some interest to Dora the Explorer (particularly during the music sequences) and a little of the Bubble Guppies (also, during the music sequences).  She’s really into dancing and will bounce along with any music that she hears.  I really love watching her boogey! 

I’ll stop there for now, but expect more from me in the near future.  I miss this outlet and enjoy sharing our lives with you!  :o)        

Sick Mommy = Neo

Ya know that scene in the Martix where Neo gets shot all to hell and he’s lying there dead against the wall and Trinity is all “You can’t die, because I love you” then he pulls himself up and out of death.  Then, with a whispered “No,” he stops the bullets in midair and becomes ‘The One’…  Ya know, this one:

Well, I’d like to draw some parallels between this scene and a sick and/or pregnant Mommy.  Now, while I’m making the comparison in good humor, there is some real truth behind it.   

There is no time to be sick when you’re a Mom.  It’s a shame we Moms can’t banish a cold like Neo stops bullets.  And it’s a shame we don’t get the theatrical and empowering background music when we heave ourselves off the couch to change a diaper.  And I, for one, think it’s a shame we can’t fly (though I still think that’s the cheesiest part of that movie). 

When Sam is crying or needs to be fed, changed, cuddled, or consoled, I cannot just lie there… dead.  No matter how riddled with bullets I may feel.  As a Mom, when your child needs you, there really is no other response than to do whatever they need you to do.  Particularly at this young age.  You just sit up, whisper “no” to your sick body, and push through.  Fix the snack, fill the water bottle, sooth the achy new teeth, read the story sixty times, and ignore your own runny nose.

And that’s just what we do as a parent.  It doesn’t come with the glory of saving the world, the praise and adoration from the entire human race, or a puffed up title of ‘The One’. 

But I’m ‘The Mom’… and I like that label much better.