Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Montauk

We traveled to Montauk this weekend to visit with Nana and Pop, and to most importantly, pick up Dada from his three-week voyage at sea/river.

Being in Montauk is like walking into a living, breathing JCrew catalog.  Long-legged blonds hang out of the back of Jeeps wearing nothing but bikinis and a smile.  Little boys with shaggy sun-bleached hair balance surfboards on their bikes.  Men with unshaven jaws and unbuttoned shirts drink wine directly from the bottle on the beach.  And everyone is just so pretty.

I wore a JCrew dress, but I'm about six inches too short and 50 lbs too chubby to make it through the editing process.  You'd be more likely to find me on the back sales rack at a JCrew outlet in Hoboken.  I'm okay with this.  Pass the ice cream.

We spent the weekend playing dress-up with Nana Kathy, going to the beach, eating good food, napping for long stretches of time, and chasing Madeline around a playground.

Eric and I snuck away for a date night one evening, which was wonderful as always.  We ate fresh seafood, gazed at boats we wish we could buy, and topped it off with some ice cream.  Thanks, Nana and Pop.

We got back home this afternoon, and I must say, it's nice to have Eric back in the house again after a three-week absence.












Friday, July 26, 2013

18 Weeks and Pregnancy Updates

I can't believe I'm nearly half way through this pregnancy already.  To say it's flying by would be a gross understatement.  I don't really feel pregnant the way I did with Madeline.

It's like, "Dammit my pants don't fit!  Oh yeah, that's right, I'm pregnant." *pop another piece of cheese in my mouth*

Of course, chasing around a two-year-old hellion all day every day tends to distract me from anything else going on in the world let alone in my uterus.  Don't get me wrong.  We're VERY excited, but I don't feel the need to endlessly browse Buy Buy Baby any longer.  So many pacifier choices...

Thankfully, this pregnancy has been pretty uneventful so far.  There was no morning sickness or nausea at all, just the overwhelming desire to nap most hours of the day.  We ordered out a lot.  Eric wrangled Madeline a lot.  I slept behind my desk a few times.  I kid...I think.

I did have bleeding throughout the first trimester just as I did when pregnant with Madeline.  It turned out to be a blood clot again, which was a lot less scary this go around.

I'm seeing the same specialist we went to last time to get some extra fancy ultrasounds done.  I'm so amazed by how quickly technology develops.  The ultrasound images are better.  They performed some screening through blood work that didn't even exist three years ago.  It's so neat.

Meanwhile, so far baby has been the size of...

A poppy seed...


A blueberry...

A kumquat...



And at 18 weeks, baby is currently the size of a BELL PEPPER!  
(This bell pepper was home grown...just like our baby.) 
 Meanwhile, I'm the size of a...

I think I'm just past the stage where people wonder, "Is that a baby or a burrito in there?"

If you want a comparison of 18 weeks with Madeline, you can find that here.  (Sweet po-tate-ohhh) I was so fresh faced back in 2010.  Less arm flab.  Sigh.  Those were the days.


P.S.  I had my ultrasound this morning, and baby looks perfect!  Woot!  I do know the gender at this point, but I would like to squeeze my husband's face before I announce it to the entire Internet.  Stay tuned, and classy, loyal blog stalkers.


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Old Wives Strike Back!

When we first introduced the idea of having a new baby to Madeline, she insisted that it be a sister.  No amount of scientific explanations helped deter her preference for a girl.  But strangely enough, last week she changed her tune.  She is now insistent that she have a little brother instead.

 "I'M the sister!" she demands.

Whether the change in mood is an indication of some sort of Maddie Bear sixth sense, or whether it just means that she realized she'd have to share the girlie limelight with a sister, I'm not sure.

Luckily, we don't have to rely on the gut feelings of toddlers to tell whether this is a pink baby or a blue baby.  If all goes according to plan, we will know the gender by tomorrow afternoon.

My patience has not grown (much) with motherhood, and just like last time, I am way too nosy to wait until December.  After all, I've got a bedroom (or perhaps two) to decorate!

To tide me over until the ultrasound, I've performed a series of experiments on myself to see if old wives' tales really can predict gender.  I did the same thing with Madeline.  You can read that here.  Of course, last time the results came back boy, and Madeline is most certainly a girl.  


Test #1: High or Low

If you carry high, it's a girl; low means boy. I feel like I'm carrying lower than last time. I swear my doctor found the baby's heartbeat in my girlie bits at my last appointment.  What started out as a simple check for a heart beat quickly turned into a pap smear.  

Verdict: Boy

Test #2: Number of Heartbeats

A heart rate below 140 is supposed to be a boy, and above, a girl. We've been at 148-150 at all my appointments so far...which is the exact range Madeline registered as.  

Verdict: Girl

Test #3: Sweet vs. Sour

I find that I crave ALL the food ALL the time.  At this very moment I can't decide if I want cake or potato chips more. Perhaps cake sprinkled with potato chips?

Verdict: Little in the middle but she got much back.

Test #4: Chinese Lunar Calendar

The mother's age at conception and the month of conception are used to create this calendar.

Verdict: Girl

Test #5: Mayan Calendar

The Mayans say if the age of the mother and year of conception are both even, or both odd, then it's a girl. If they are different, then it's a boy.

Verdict: Girl

Test #6: Morning Sickness

If you have morning sickness= girl. No morning sickness = boy. I have never had morning sickness with any pregnancy. Don't hate. Although, so far, I've only had girls...so there goes that theory.  

Verdict: Boy

Test #7: Drano and Urine

Supposedly, if you mix Drano and urine, the color can predict the baby's gender. Last time, I did not perform this test because I thought it was gross.  My gross threshold has increased tenfold since having a child who may or may not wipe her boogers on me from time to time.  However, I skipped this test again this time because I'm writing this from my couch, and I'm way lazy to climb the stairs to the bathroom.  

Verdict: So many stairs...

Test #8: Maternal Glow

If a pregnant woman is looking radiant and shiny and glow-y with fantastic hair, then it's supposed to be a boy. If the mother is looking a little well...like a cat slept on her face, then it's a girl.

Verdict: Girl...sigh...

Test #9: Ring Above the Belly

Hold a ring on a chain over a pregnant woman's belly. If it swings in a circular motion, it's a girl. If it swings back and forth: boy.

Verdict: Boy

There you have it, superstitious old marms. Our baby is more likely to be a girl according to these tried and true methods. Luckily, the second bedroom is already pink.

Still, I think I'll wait for ye old ultrasound for a more direct answer.  

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Announcing...


Our little family is expanding.  I am currently 18 weeks pregnant, and my due date is December 26th.

Oh, Santa...you bearded rascal, you.

Compare and Contrast

Kate Middleton after giving birth...


And me after giving birth...

Damn, Duchess, why you always gotta be so pretty?

Just saying.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Grandparents, Gorillas, and UFOs in Vermont


Last week Eric began an epic adventure taking his father's boat from Montauk, NY up the Hudson River to Lake Champlain in Vermont.  He's promised to write about his adventuring soon, but in the meantime, I've got more pictures than you care to look at from our time in Vermont over the weekend.
Eric's boat passing under the draw bridge in North Hero, VT
Madeline and I met Eric and his father, also Eric, up at the lake on Thursday.  Eric's mother flew in from New York to spend the weekend with us on Friday morning, and my parents arrived at their cabin on the lake on Friday afternoon as usual.  Madeline had so many grandparents in the same place at once  I'm surprised her head didn't explode from too much loving and spoiling.

It was 98 degrees and humid in Burlington, VT on Friday.  Do you know how ridiculous it is to be sweating balls in Vermont?  Luckily, some storms late in the afternoon brought in cooler air.  By Sunday night, we were wearing sweaters.  Crazy weather.

The weekend was filled with lots of eating, a tour of the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, swimming,  boat riding, some relaxing in hammocks, drinks by the lake, and walks up and down Church Street in Burlington.

Strange things seem to happen often in Vermont.  For example, ferrets taking walks down main street and women walking topless through the city farmer's market.


This weekend, we added some new strange experiences to the list.  First, while having dinner at my parents' cabin on Saturday night, we witnessed seven UFOs flying across the lake.  I know I sound crazy, but I was not drinking, and everyone else saw them too.  I have no idea what they could have been.  They were not planes or jets.  We thought maybe bits of meteor, but they did not have tails and flew in formation.  Very strange.


 Then on Sunday, we saw a man (woman?) walking down the side of the road wearing a full gorilla costume.  It would be less strange if the gorilla were standing in front of a car dealership, but he was walking on a country road without any vehicle in sight.  God knows how long that Gorilla had been walking, or where he was going.

Maybe it was the full moon...


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Epic Pouts

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead,  

And when she was good, she was very, very good,

But when she was bad, she was horrid!  

 Madeline after getting in trouble for taking a swing at Eric.  She didn't speak to him for an hour.   Goodness gracious.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Dear Madeline: July, 2013

Dear Madeline,

Phew!  I can't believe it's time to write your monthly letter already.  Why is it that summer vacation always goes by so fast?  Why can't summer vacation feel more like March....long and dwindling...but with less work?  

There are two main things I want to say this month.   One:  You're basically the awesomest kid ever.   We're having so much fun together this summer.  You're so funny, silly, and spunky.  Yet, at the same time you're such a sweet and sensitive little girl.

I feel like I've gotten to know you better over the past weeks, which seems silly because I'm your mother and know every freckle on your body. (By the way, you have some new ones across your nose.)  Still, I've never had you home and to myself for such a long stretch of time since you were an infant.  And let's face it, although you were quite cute, you weren't much in the personality department at three months old.  Now that I'm with you basically every moment of the day, I'm discovering and understanding more and more of what makes Maddie Bear tick.  I love it.

The second thing I wanted to discuss this month is HOLY STUBBORN CHILD!   I can't understand where you get this hard-headedness from.  It certainly doesn't run in my side of the family.  (I say with total sarcasm.)  But, girl, when you dig your heels in, you dig them in hard.

For example, we've started seriously focusing on potty training again.  You know what going potty means.  You understand perfectly what we want you to do.  You sit on the potty at least ten times a day.  You just won't GO on the potty.

This afternoon you refused to sit on the toilet, but you also refused to keep a diaper on.  I wasn't pressuring your in either direction, but I was gently encouraging you to choose an option other than the floor.  I could see by your wiggling and grasping that you had to go, but you just would not relent.  Eventually, you crawled under the dinning room table and cried hysterically until you wet yourself.  It was the saddest thing ever.  Holding it forever is not an option, Maddie Bear.  Diaper or potty or floor...out it must come.

Basically living with you is like living with a small teenager.  You argue with everything.  Dada likes to play the Bugs Bunny game with you.  The two of you will go back and forth:  "No, it's not."  "Yes, it is!" for several rounds until Dada suddenly changes his answer to agree with you.  Without missing a beat, you change your answer too simply so that you can keep disagreeing with him.  "Yes, it is!"  "No, it's not, Dada!"

You've also been refusing to nap even if you're really tired.  It makes the afternoons hell, but bedtime much easier.  Maybe your lack of nap this afternoon had something to the epic potty meltdown under the dining room table.  I think so.


In spite of your mule-like tendencies, I wouldn't have you any other way, Maddie girl.  You're the brightest light in this little corner of the universe as far as we're concerned.

Love You Always,
 Mumma

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Permissive Parenting

So, don't tell Dada, but the other afternoon while he was out I let Madeline skip nap to watch Tangled.

Then a few hours later I fed her frozen yogurt for dinner. It's not like I tried to skip out on a real meal, but once her tummy was filled with so much chocolate and vanilla goodness, she wasn't interested in the pasta I made her.

She was so hyper afterward that I had to run her around the block a few times.

Bonus: She fell asleep that night in about two minutes flat.

Meh, this is what summer vacation is for, right?









Friday, July 12, 2013

Blueberries for Madeline

This morning I stepped out on the porch to feel sunshine on my face and a cool breeze in the air.  It was the beautiful weather I've been waiting for...

"Ah-ha!  Today will be the day we go cherry picking!"  I declared to myself.

Except when we got the orchards, it turned out blueberries were open for picking, and a lot less expensive than cherries.  Also, it was a shorter walk to the blueberry fields.

"Ah-ha!  Today we will be the day we go blueberry picking!"  I declared to Madeline.  She looked bored and replied, "I want lunch."

When Madeline picked her first blueberry, she popped it in her mouth and rolled it around with her tongue a few times before spitting it back out on the ground.  Then she picked up the fallen blueberry and added it to our bucket.  Gross.  I wasn't really surprised because spitting out blueberries is a common thing around our house, but I was hoping she'd enjoy the freshly picked ones enough to actually eat them.

When she popped a second blueberry into her mouth, I reminded her to bite it.  Miraculously, she actually listened to me, and before I could say, "Blueberry Pie Man," she had eaten about five more.

We made our way down the row, carefully plucking the ripe ones from the vines.  I filled our bucket, and Madeline filled her mouth.  She munched, munched, munched her way through all the lower branches.

I could hear children laughing and screeching in the rows beyond us.  I overheard a woman explaining the Couch to 5K program to her friend, and briefly entertained the concept of working out.  Then I started thinking about blueberry muffin, tart, and pie recipes.  Madeline was unusually quiet.  Too busy munching.

After we'd returned home and sat down for lunch, Madeline added some more blueberries to her cheese sandwich.  I eyed her concoction suspiciously, but she ate it...which is good, because now we have about three pounds of blueberries to get through.  Better keep munching.  






Monday, July 8, 2013

Fourth of July Weekend

Happy Belated Birthday, 'Merica!

We had a nice relaxing weekend dodging the heat and thunderstorms the best we could.

As always, we spent the evening of the third of July hanging out on the town common watching Dada play his trumpet.  This year, I learned that Madeline should always wear shorts under her dresses.  


We woke up early on the fourth and drove up north to my parents' cabin on Lake Champlain, Vermont.



Their area has been getting lots of crazy rain storms this season.  The lake is really high.  This bucket filled up with water during a thunderstorm that lasted maybe an hour.  There's about two inches of water in that bucket.  Crazy.  
 As a result of all that rain, the mushrooms are going crazy!

Madeline took her first kayak ride with us while we were up there.  She's the perfect size to crouch down on the bottom of the boat between our knees.

 She loved being on the boat with us.  She trailed her fingers in the water as Eric paddled her along.  Maybe we watch too much Jake and the Neverland Pirates because she was convinced the sailboats were pirate ships.  I was dubbed Captain Mumma, and Eric was Captain Happy.

We also visited a local farm with a petting zoo.  Madeline was not interested in petting the animals, but she did enjoy riding the tractor.  Maybe she'll mow the lawn for us...

And as always, we ate a lot of good food.  Eric and I snuck away to Burlington one night for dinner.  We had a great meal at the Farmhouse Tavern off of Church Street.  Madeline stayed home and bossed around Mimi and Bob who she has now taken to calling Bobby instead.  


We had dinner at Shore Acres Inn one night, which is where we got married last summer.  It's such a beautiful spot.

 It was a relaxing weekend, and not nearly as hot and humid up in Vermont as it is back home.  Now if officially feels like we're on summer vacation.