A Close Shave

Jake got a new bathtub play shaving kit and has been practicing his shave technique every night at bath. He is so serious - looking in the little hand mirror that came with the set and figuring out which way his hand will move in it has been all engrossing! He "shaves" his arms and chest with just as much determination. Here I am holding up the mirror for him:

Post-Meal Bliss

My Girl

Abby is Here!

On Saturday morning, my water broke while I was sleeping, at 3am. After a call to Ashleigh to come stay with Jake, a whirlwind drive to the hospital at 3:30 am with contractions coming every 2 minutes, and being coached through a very intense hour of natural labor by my amazing doula Cathy, our beautiful baby girl, Abigail Louise, made her appearance shortly after 5 am on Saturday, January 12, 2008.

At 38 weeks' gestation, she weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. She was 4 weeks later than her brother, and more than 2 and a half pounds bigger! And unlike him, came out with no drugs, no cuts, and no vacuum. She suckled like a champ within the first hour, and her dad made it home to be with Jake within 5 minutes of his waking up close to 7:30 am. We couldn't have designed a smoother entrance for her into our family. My doula was incredibly complimentary, practically giving me an award for my calm, controlled demeanor. I don't know who she was kidding. I was a wreck, it just all happened really quickly! I'm just glad to not have to EVER give birth again!

I stayed in the hospital for 2 days and nights, and Jake and Dad visited Abby and me daily. Jake got big brother stickers and announced to all he met that he was a new big brother. He keeps asking - "where's my baby?"

We are home now, and adjustments are being made all day long in every way. The cats are puzzled by the new smells and Hannah insists on hopping into the bassinet to claim it, so she is banished from the room. Abby is finding it difficult to sleep alone and adjust to a world that is not 98 degrees. She also has a little jaundice and is sleeping with a bili light tonight. I am learning to breastfeed for the first time (since Jake was so early he could not), and am finding that incredibly challenging (and painful!). The good news is that Abby is a voracious sucker and soon it should all turn around. Jake is finding the presence of continual needs of another person somewhat new and frustrating, though he is concerned about her crying and wants to help often. Mike is doing all the heavy lifting and manual labor around the house, a superdad if I ever saw one. We were all tired and cranky much of the time today.

Still, we are the real deal: a new family of 4 (plus two feline furballs) who are incredibly blessed and lucky. Mike and I both found we were looking at Jake differently today: his every physical capability compared to the newborn state he came in seems a small miracle. Then we look at our new daughter and are filled with awe for what she will become and what we will get to share with her along the way.

Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas!

Our holiday season started out with a very nice Hannukah. Jake got a new book nightly and insisted that the shamash be a red candle each night.

We also attended our local town's holiday celebration. It is a very tiny town but they open up all the old buildings and serve hot chocolate, cider and cookies. It was a lot warmer than last year! Here are some pix from that:







Last week we were all invited to Jake's preschool holiday party. The kids sat on risers and sang holiday songs, and Jake sat with his mouth closed and calmly watched the audience. He had told us previously that he didn't like to sing at school, just listen. Mike was there to take pictures and every time Jake spied him in the crowd, he beamed at him. I was off to the side on a comfy couch, but unfortunately Jake didn't see me. Afterwards though I went over and gave him a big hug and he seemed very happy. About seeing me or about the fact that he knew what was coming next, I'm not really sure. Because then we all went outside and he sat over the huge plates of cookies, devouring them. He sure was happy!



My best xmas gift came the weekend before xmas. Mike and Jake went out and bought me a piano! It is lovely and sounds lovely and we've all been enjoying it a great deal.



There's nothing like a really pregnant woman making music! I hope the baby likes Christmas carols!



Our xmas morning was very calm. Jake went downstairs to see if Santa had eaten the snack he had left and his first reaction to seeing the crust of the peanut butter sandwich and the butt of the carrot he had left for the reindeer was to want to put the carrot butt in the trash - calling it "yucky." We agreed that it probably had reindeer spit on it and throwing it away was a good idea. He loved his big pile of presents and spent a great deal of time wanting to play with each one after opening it. I remarked that he opened his presents like a Montessori preschool kid. It was a big job, and he did it methodically and well. And he exclaimed with the first few gifts, that were entirely random things he had never seen before " this is JUST what I wanted!"

He really wanted to help Daddy open the largest box under the tree, which was a present from me to Mike. It was mesmerizing, almost a dance really, with the paper coming off and going over his head at some points. Here are some pix from that sequence:








I had warned Mike that the box was way too big for the gift; it was just a new frying pan!

In any case, happy times were had by all, and then we all settled down for a short winter's nap.

Too Funny

Why Pregnant Women Don’t Tip Over

By JOHN SCHWARTZ

Published: December 12, 2007

Researchers have found evidence that evolution produced a stronger and more flexible lower spine for women.

And I thought it was because our butts get so big!

Ready to Nest in Peace

Whew! I finished my term teaching at Duke on Tuesday. It was a total pleasure AND I am totally relieved to be through. No more worries about going into labor on I-85. No more worries about my few work-appropriate maternity clothes getting too tight for public view. No more rolling a hugely heavy computer bag full of papers to grade around campus, and no more lifting it in and out of the car.

I still have papers to grade but now I can do it from the comfort of my home, in shlumpy sweats, free to look and feel like the crazy pregnant woman that I am.

They were very nice on my last day - my TA gave me gifts which included a Duke sweatshirt for Jake, a tiny Duke t-shirt for baby, and a Duke mug for me.

All in all, a great experience and I look forward to continuing to work with them. After MARCH, that is!

Between now and then, I'm home free. All I have to work on now is my other consulting projects, Hannukah, Christmas, getting ready for baby, labor, and learning to care for a newborn and a toddler at once.

Now THAT sounds really relaxing, doesn't it??!! :)

We've Been Elfed!

Check this out, for a Holiday laugh:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1191481314