Another year, another blog entry...

Madeleine is in love with dance class!

Welcoming a new kitty to our home

**UPDATE:  Her name is Miss Kiki the Cat
We don't yet have a name, but here is the newest addition.....

Spending a moment being thankful

The last day of Thanksgiving weekend and the holiday weekend flew by even more quickly than usual. I've spent more time going, doing, seeing, shopping, cooking, playing, and socializing and not enough time pondering every reason I have to be thankful.

I'm thankful for finding Steve and having Madeleine. I'm thankful that Madeleine is healthy and such a sweet girl. I'm thankful that Steve and I are healthy and active. I'm thankful that we have so much we love to do together, and for Steve's support in everything I do on my own.

I'm thankful for my loving family who all live close so we don't have to travel to see them or miss out on seeing them because travel is so expensive these days. That I get to spend so much quality time with Phillip, Lorie, Katherine and Kristen and with James, Laurie, Cessaley and Payton; and that I'm getting to spend more time with Lillie, Ted and Allie. For Steve's supportive and loving family.

That we have a nice house that we've made into our home. That my cat is still around to enjoy another holiday season even as her health is declining and she enters her twilight years. That my husband caters to my Christmas decorating fetish and my Thanksgiving Trot tradition. For our amazing nanny who goes with the flow of my very hectic schedule.

...

For good friends who love and support me. For Deana's loving eye that captures our family so well in her photography. For April being there for me even when she's nearly 2000 miles away. For Rachel being there at a moment's notice. For Supper Club. For close friends near (Lisa, Sharon, Cheryl, Carrie, Iris, Abby and Kristin) and far (Natascha, Lora). For Van, Pat and Adam. For Wine Group. For Kreinitar. For Michael and Jane. For Steve's fraternity brothers and their wives. For Section D. For PHECPTA, my new mommy friends, and Madeleine's new playgroup friends. For the e-mentoring group for becoming good friends and for having their hearts in the right place.

For a good and stable job working with really amazing people who share similar values. For being able to enjoy good wine and good food. For being able to buy toys and clothes for Madeleine. For all the traveling we've done and all we have to look forward to.

...

For having the patience not to trash blogspot even when it is refusing to format my blog post the way I want!!!

We live a wonderful life and I don't spend enough time basking in the warmth of what I have. Today is a great time to sink into the comfort of everything good that is in my life, especially the everyday things that make life so great.

Almost a year old!?

Madeleine is 11 months, 2 weeks old - seriously. It was this time last year when I believed that the clock could not move more slowly and I could not wait to finally have Madeleine. Here we are a year later and the clock could not move more quickly. She's grown so much this past year, is nearly walking and loves to talk and sing (though we have little clue what she's saying). She does have "da-da" down.

5 months later...

It seems like just yesterday when I last posted during the last days of my pregnancy. Now here I am with a 5 month old daughter! The memories of the discomfort of pregnancy have faded. I'm enjoying every moment of being a mother and here are pictures from birth to nearly 5 months old:


Go here to see the slideshow.



The slideshow speed is controlled on the bottom left corner.

1 week, 2 days til due date

The nursery is ready, the baby seat is in the car, the bags are packed and my belly is as big as it can possibly get! It is so hard to believe that inside me I'm holding a full-term baby who probably weighs somewhere between 6 1/2 and 8 pounds. I can feel the outline of her little feet as she stretches against the very tight space she's in right now. I've read everything there is to read about pregnancy, labor and delivery and I keep waiting for the clear signs that all these books say will tell me when the time is near. I've had contractions that started and seemed to be progressing, and then stopped to my disappointment. I had no idea how frustrating the last few weeks/days would be for a type A control-freak with a touch of OCD. It's inconceivable that I can't control when and how our baby is going to come into the world! Truly this has been a lessen in deferred gratification, discipline, patience and love. We can't wait to meet, hold and name our baby girl!

The Diaper Bag Dilemma

I never expected that shopping for diaper bags, strollers, car seats or even baby mattresses could be so complex and confusing. It's been a social study on the paradox of choice. I have spent a good portion of the last two weekends on the computer and at stores looking at diaper bags, trying to figure out why this one costs $80 and that one costs $165. That doesn't even touch the ones in the $300-400 range (which frankly intrigue me, but don't interest me). I honestly can find better ways to spend the extra $200 than on a bag that is going to hold smelly diapers and rash ointment. I suppose you can say this is also a study in consumerism in America. The number of designer diaper bag choices over $300 is staggering.



Anyway, back to my own personal Diaper Bag Dilemma. I finally decided on a large bag and small clutch.




I chose a large bag from Oi Oi that we could use to throw everything but the kitchen sink for long days or overnight trips. One that is feminine enough for our little girl, but not too feminine that Steve would balk at carrying it. The bag I chose has some neat features - outside drink holders for baby or parents, inside there is also an insulated bottle bag and plenty of pockets, there is a wipe bag and a large changing pad that is relatively padded. It also has options for hanging the bag over your shoulder, on the stroller or on a shopping cart. Pretty much everything you need in a waterproof and easy to clean bag. My mom and I found one on the rack on Saturday, but I opted to buy one on line so that mine could be brand-spanking new. Also, I found found a site which features coupon codes which had a coupon for $10 off at http://www.diaperbag.com/, and that site offered free shipping SO - I got a bag which retails at $110-120 for $90. Yay me!







As soon as I saw how large the multi-purpose diaper bag was, I realized I needed something smaller for everyday use. There are, again, a large number of options for these as well. I selected a Reese Li option because of the ease of getting to the wipes, I preferred the removable changing pad to the connected one, and because of the fabric options. The one I chose will go with the stroller set we chose and can hang on the handle-bar or slip into one of my larger purses.

Nursery Furniture - check

Well, we did it! We ordered our nursery furniture yesterday. After all the shopping and trying to compromise on a style for the room, we walked into a wonderful store around the corner from our house to look at a glider and found nursery furniture we both like. The good news is that it should arrive in 4-6 weeks - just in time to set up the room! So without further prolonging the suspense, here it is...

Our Crib:

With the toddler bed conversion kit:

Our Combo Dresser/Changing Table:

The first set of bedding (we both liked the style and the colors, which are both feminine and contemporary):

The whole reason we went to the store in the first place was to look at this rocker/glider (which we ordered, with the ottoman) in brown:

We also broke down and ordered a bassinet. We weren't going to buy one because we weren't excited about anything we saw. But this one is perfect for us. It is exactly the right height for the bedroom. Also, we both like that it's features are minimalist and that the bedding portion is soft and well padded. It is also removable so that we can move it easily from room to room with us. Also the bedding fits nicely into the crib, which will help baby get used to the crib when we move her out of our room:

Babymoon

Prior to July, neither Steve nor I had ever heard the term, "Babymoon." Fortunately, Steve did some web surfing for trip ideas when we first thought about taking a pre-baby trip. He learned that this is an actual term used to describe trips taken by a couple before the birth of their first child. Brilliant! Now it was mandatory that we have a few days to ourselves...



We first discussed going to San Antonio, since Steve has never been, and going to Seaworld for a day. My brother and sister-in-law told me I was crazy. Of course, at the time I wasn't nearly as big as I am now - who knew I would blossom so quickly and that the changes from then and now would be so drastic. Comically, I also considered an overnight trail ride at a dude ranch outside San Antonio. My doctor didn't seem to like that idea either.


So, where DID we do the apparently mandatory "Babymoon?" Vail! The morning after Laura's wedding, we hit the road and headed to Vail. Frankly, Steve was not excited about being in Vail without snow on the ground and wasn't convinced that this was going to be such a great time. He agreed to go anyway, but complained that the drive up there would probably not be that great.




Obviously, he quickly changed his mind on the ride out there. The weather was perfect for a pregnant woman (though a tad chilly for the husband) at 45-60 during the day and 30's at night. We had to wear coats Sunday night. I didn't have to do much but eat, walk/rest, and sight-see, but that made for a relaxing, stress-free weekend for both of us. Here is a great picture overlooking Vail village and mountain:


Steve booked as at a gorgeous hotel (the Arrabelle) and our friend, Sharon (she used to live in Vail, poor thing), told us where to have a fabulous dinner (Russell's). Fortunately for Steve, we also got to Vail just in time for the last afternoon of their annual Oktoberfest! Polka dancing, beer (for Steve), streudel (for me) - it was fantastic:





What a great Babymoon!

My cousin is old enough to get married?!

Steve and I went to Denver last weekend for my cousin, Laura's, wedding. We spent the day sightseeing in Denver, at Sixth Street Mall primarily. The weather was almost perfect for a hot-blooded pregnant woman. Sunny, 70's with a slight breeze.

The wedding was in DTC, the tech center of Denver, about 15 minutes from downtown at the popular Hyatt Regency. People came from all over the country. Laura was stunning, just gorgeous. She and her sister, Leann, are both beautiful women - it is just hard to believe that they are women - weren't they just born?! I think I was in high school or close to it when they were born - am I really that old?! My Uncle John and Laura had a dramatic entrance in a glass-enclosed elevator from the top of a hotel down to the 2nd floor where the wedding was held in a dramatic atrium. At wedding's I'm all about the dress, the cake and the flowers. Laura's were all perfect.

Here is a great picture of Laura with her husband, Robert.

Here is a picture of me with Laura's sister, Leann. I have a feeling I'm going to be making a trip in the not-too-distant future to Seattle for another family wedding soon. I can't imagine Leann's boyfriend letting my beautiful cousin stay single for much longer.

Here is the cake:

After the wedding and a fabulous dinner, the DJ started playing all the great wedding dance music - like the electric slide and the twist. Steve talked me into doing the twist by myself on the dance floor.

Oh MY - Am I really that big?! I'm starting to enjoy the pregnancy look. Which is a good thing because - Look At That Belly! Little Baby GoodNix was dancing around all night, too. She must have enjoyed the cake and the music.

Speaking of dance moves - My mom has the moves... and way more energy than me. Impressive!

My Mom and her brother (father of the Bride):

My parents - the energizer bunnies:

There was almost a full moon - which might explain why my mom and cousin, Drew, were dancing to Thriller.

What a wonderful event! Congratulations to Laura and Robert! I wish you all the happiness your hearts can imagine and a long marriage full of love and admiration for each other.

Early September Ups and Downs

The first part of September brought us a celebration and a loss to our family. Admittedly both sound more dramatic than they are because (1) I've already shared with you that we had our one year anniversary - (yes, old news is good news - in case you missed it, we've been married a year and we are still celebrating); and (2) the loss wasn't of a person or a pet, but of a car. However, it really was a very important car to us as it held a lot of memories for us.



First the positive: We didn't get to taste our wedding cake at our wedding last year (by the time the cake was handed out, we were too busy with things to do, people to see) and we wanted to take part in all the important rituals of the first anniversary, including eating the top tier of our wedding cake. So, since we didn't actually SAVE the top of the wedding cake, we ordered a replica of the top tier of our cake. We had a fantastic cake designer, who put a lot of effort into making our wedding cakes gorgeous - here is a copy of the wedding cake and Steve's groom's cake:




Never saw anything like that before, have you?! (Unless, of course, you were at the wedding.)

Condra (who owns Patisserie Angelica) made sure that we had an exact replica of the top tier of our wedding cake so that we could celebrate in style. It was delicious and gorgeous. A very elaborate shipping method had to be used to get this cake to us fresh and perfect.




The picture is from our wedding, waiting to be framed. The flowers were a gift from Steve's Mom and family. Very sweet and thoughtful reminder of such an important event for us.

So, now onto the loss: Steve sold his M3 race car. We fell in love in that car (so it has special meaning to me), and Steve has won two BMW racing championships in that car (so it has special meaning for him). I know he misses it, and it won't be long before he has another one to take its place.

Update to Previous 4D Post - Pictures of Feet Reveal that Baby is a GoodNix

My sister-in-law aptly pointed out, in response to my 4D post, that we hadn't provided proof of whether our daughter was going to be blessed with the famous GoodNix toes. For those of you who don't know about the toes, feel free to look down the next time you see me, my brother or my sister. We all have them. They are unique to say the least. Unfortunately for our child, Steve also has long and thin toes. So did she get them? Well, of course! But, don't take my word for it. The proof is in the pudding - or the pictures anyway:

I was hoping that my child wouldn't have to go through what I've suffered all my life - difficulty buying shoes (think 3-4 hour shopping trips and leaving with nothing), and longing for the beautiful shoes that everyone else gets to wear (think Sarah Jessica Parker's fetish without the ability to wear those gorgeous shoes). Unfortunately, our daughter appears to have the same long skinny foot as her mom, with long toes and skinny heels. If she turns out to be a shoe lover like me, just hope that Stuart Weitzman doesn't go out of business anytime soon. Lucky for her, I'm a patient shoe shopper. Hopefully turn into the same mandatory mother-daughter bonding experience of my youth.

First Anniversary

It's hard to believe that it has been a year since we were married in beautiful Napa Valley. It's been a fabulous year! We celebrated at Abacus last night and were the happy recipients of well wishes from family and friends all day. We feel very lucky to have found each other and to have such wonderful friends and family to share these special moments.

4D Pictures - What a Great Experience

I was literally giddy Friday night and Saturday morning anticipating getting to see our daughter in 4d. Had I realized when I made the appointment that our little one would get in a sleeping pattern in the womb, I wouldn't have made the appointment for 10:00 a.m. - she's always asleep then. We left at 9:30 so we'd have time for a quick sugar/caffeine fix (glazed donut and a coke) hoping that Baby GoodNix would be "encouraged" to move around for the photo shoot. When I first hopped on the table and we saw her, she was in a good position and we got to see her face almost immediately.



But then she settled into a good sleeping position and turned away from the "camera." No amount of poking or prodding on my part could convince her to move.



Shelly, the owner of this StorkVision location, had me get another drink and walk the halls. Unfortunately, nothing I did could convince her to turn around. The hard-headedness definitely runs in the family! Shelly (really sweet woman) invited us to come back in a couple of hours so we could try again. That was just fantastic of her. She did encourage us to eat lunch before you return. We went to Right Start to look at baby strollers and car seats, then had lunch at Pot Belly (no pun intended) before heading back. I was not really hungry, but ate anyway hoping that this would get her moving.


This time, we got what we were wanted - fantastic pictures of our little one, moving around, kicking, trying to stick her hand in her mouth. It is hard to believe that she is going to be here in just 3 short months (or less)!!