- Ella Bean
- Ella Bella
- Wiggle Worm
- Miss Kickersons
- Smiley Jones (see below left)
- and my favorite, Crabby Patty (Ella's crabby alter ego, see below right)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Smiley Jones and Crabby Patty
Fun nicknames Nathan and I have for Ella:
- Ella Bean
- Ella Bella
- Wiggle Worm
- Miss Kickersons
- Smiley Jones (see below left)
- and my favorite, Crabby Patty (Ella's crabby alter ego, see below right)
- Ella Bean
- Ella Bella
- Wiggle Worm
- Miss Kickersons
- Smiley Jones (see below left)
- and my favorite, Crabby Patty (Ella's crabby alter ego, see below right)
Best Day Ever
(Note: the delivery process is described in some detail below.)
February 10, 2007, was the best day ever.
Michelle, Nathan and I woke up at about 5 a.m. to make the trip to the hospital for the induction. We had to be there by 7 a.m., and the drive was about 30 minutes or so. It wasn't exactly the frantic "I'm in labor, get me to the hospital now" drive I had envisioned, but it still had my heart going. It kind-of felt like Christmas morning!
Memorial Hermann, where Ella was born, is part of the Texas Medical Center, which is a huge center comparable to Mayo or the Cleveland Clinic. The hospital itself is also huge, so I was a little concerned it might have been impersonal or something. I was happily mistaken. The nurses were great, it was quiet, and very private.
Nathan dropped Michelle and I off, and we got to the Women's Center triage just before 7 a.m. There was a little surprise from the nursing staff that an induction had been scheduled for a Saturday. We hung out in the waiting room for a bit through a shift change. Then I went into triage to check in while Nathan and Michelle waited outside.
We moved into the delivery room, which was beautiful -- very big, lots of room to move around, and very quiet. Also another plus -- cable TV, which we don't have at home. :-) I was given an IV (not fun -- least favorite thing #3 about the process) and hooked up to monitors, then the Pitocin was started at about 8:30 a.m. I also was given magnesium sulfate through the whole process because of the pre-eclampsia and to control my blood pressure. One consequence of the magnesium sulfate -- I was on strict fluid intake restrictions and could only have ice chips during the entire labor process. Ugh. (Actually, my fluids were restricted through Sunday afternoon while I was still getting the magnesium sulfate. How cruel is that?)
My doctor arrived around 10 a.m. to manually break my water (again, not fun -- least favorite thing #2 about the process). I always thought it'd be just a quick poke into the amniotic sac with the hook, fluid would be released, and that'd be it. Uhhhh ... no. It took quite a few tries and manuevering since I was only dilated to 3 cm. Ouch. But it was done, the Pitocin was working, and it was predicted I'd be deliving mid to late afternoon.
We listened to James Taylor and Stevie Wonder to pass the time. And as the Pitocin doses were increasing, so were my contractions. I sat in the rocking chair and on the birth ball to work through the contractions, holding "two fingers" with Nathan (and Michelle when Nathan paused to record the experience), and was generally doing quite well. The contractions were tough, but I was breathing, rocking on the ball, and thinking, "Yeah, I can do this!" Then my Pitocin dosage was upped again ...
About 12:30 or so, the Pitocin was really going in my system, and unfortunately, not giving me any breaks between contractions. They were intense and coming one right after another, and I didn't have a chance to rest. My mind was starting to get fuzzy, and just when one contraction was ending and I thought I could relax and breathe again to build up strength, another one came surging on. I was getting exhausted and couldn't work through the pain any more, and I gave in and requested an epidural.
The whole epidural process was definitely my least favorite thing #1 about labor and delivery -- not contractions, not pushing, etc. It was getting a needle and catheter inserted into my back. I had told Nathan during our birthing class that I was more afraid of getting an epidural than the whole pain of labor (I have a needle issue). The worst part was that I had to sit on the edge of my bed in a C-shape (hugging Nathan, of course), holding completely still during the process. Ummmm, holding still while sitting in a C-shape during painful contractions is next to unbearable. At least before, I could rock on the ball and breathe and flail as needed.
Not so when an anesthesiologist is trying to insert a small tube through a large needle into your back. But she was a superstar and very patient, I made it through, and within 30 minutes, I was blissfully relaxing and watching "My Best Friend's Wedding" through active labor. Not bad. Napping through active labor is not a bad thing either.
The pain medication was actually continuously delivered to my body through a pump and the catheter in my back, so I got to control how much medication I was recieving. Nice. My lower body was never totally numb. I could feel pressure now and again, but no pain. I knew when my feet started tingling that I should ease up on manually pumping the meds. I also knew that pushing and delivery would go a lot more smoothly if I could actually feel some pressure, so I didn't want to overdo it.
Two movies ("Jerry Maguire" and "Men in Black") and about 4 hours later, I was getting a bit impatient. I was progressing, but of course, not as quickly as I would have liked. The nurses were FANTASTIC and came to check in every hour or so to see how things were going. It seemed like I was dilated at 7-8 cm forever. The nurses were getting disappointed, too, since a shift change was coming up and it seemed as if they'd miss the birth.
Finally, at about 7:15 p.m., I felt like I had to pass a very large poop (I was told that was a good sign) and I was proclaimed fully dilated at 10 cm. Yee hah!! My doctor was paged, preparations for baby started, and a new nurse settled in with me to help me start pushing, which was at about 7:30.
The whole pushing process was somewhat of an out of body experience for me. I was so completely determined to the best job possible and do everything I was supposed to do. When the nurse told me to push, I pushed. When she counted to 10, I pushed the entire count. I pushed through every contraction. I didn't argue with anyone, I didn't really talk to Nathan (holding my right leg) or Michelle (holding my left leg). I was just in a zone. I do remember some passing comments -- Michelle responding to the nurse about my excellent pushing by telling her I was "always somewhat of an overachiever" and hearing comments about my baby having lots of hair ("What?!?!?").
Dr. Drescher arrived just in time. Apparently, the baby's head was already crowning and I didn't have much further to go. I do remember feeling a contraction (pressure) coming on, and asking Dr. Drescher if I could rest through one. I just felt like if I could rest for more than 30 seconds, I'd have so much more strength for the last pushes. I think I pushed maybe a total of 2-3 more times before Ella was born at 8:03 p.m.
Dr. Drescher held up Ella for me right away so I could see her, and they quickly wiped her off and put her on my chest. I was in complete awe. She had a little spit curl like Superman in the middle of her forehead, and a little cone head (thanks to Mom's quick pushing, I think). Her little eyes blinked open and shut so slowly, and glanced Daddy's way when he leaned down to talk to her. I didn't even really notice Dr. Drescher stitching me up while I just stared at my new little girl. Okay, maybe I noticed a bit. There were apparently a few things to be stitched up (thanks again to Mom's quick pushing).
In retrospect, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to witness Michelle deliver her daughters Emily and Hannah. I didn't let anyone videotape Ella's birth, and ironically, I feel like I missed out on "seeing" her born. It was such a surreal experience, but I was doing quite a bit of "work" and it's hard for me to remember and recapture her delivery. But I wouldn't trade her delivery for anything. It was perfect.
Nathan went with Ella while she was checked out and cleaned up, and Michelle accompanied me to my new room. Ella rejoined us about an hour later, and I feasted on grilled cheese, french fries, fruit and a Sprite (oooooo ... contraband fluid!). I tried nursing Ella a bit, and couldn't stop watching her and checking on her in her crib. I'm so happy she was able to "room in" with us. We ended the night about midnight watching American Idol Rewind with Nathan crashing on the air matress on the floor, and Michelle on the window seat.
Hands down, best day ever.
February 10, 2007, was the best day ever.
Michelle, Nathan and I woke up at about 5 a.m. to make the trip to the hospital for the induction. We had to be there by 7 a.m., and the drive was about 30 minutes or so. It wasn't exactly the frantic "I'm in labor, get me to the hospital now" drive I had envisioned, but it still had my heart going. It kind-of felt like Christmas morning!
Memorial Hermann, where Ella was born, is part of the Texas Medical Center, which is a huge center comparable to Mayo or the Cleveland Clinic. The hospital itself is also huge, so I was a little concerned it might have been impersonal or something. I was happily mistaken. The nurses were great, it was quiet, and very private.
Nathan dropped Michelle and I off, and we got to the Women's Center triage just before 7 a.m. There was a little surprise from the nursing staff that an induction had been scheduled for a Saturday. We hung out in the waiting room for a bit through a shift change. Then I went into triage to check in while Nathan and Michelle waited outside.We moved into the delivery room, which was beautiful -- very big, lots of room to move around, and very quiet. Also another plus -- cable TV, which we don't have at home. :-) I was given an IV (not fun -- least favorite thing #3 about the process) and hooked up to monitors, then the Pitocin was started at about 8:30 a.m. I also was given magnesium sulfate through the whole process because of the pre-eclampsia and to control my blood pressure. One consequence of the magnesium sulfate -- I was on strict fluid intake restrictions and could only have ice chips during the entire labor process. Ugh. (Actually, my fluids were restricted through Sunday afternoon while I was still getting the magnesium sulfate. How cruel is that?)
My doctor arrived around 10 a.m. to manually break my water (again, not fun -- least favorite thing #2 about the process). I always thought it'd be just a quick poke into the amniotic sac with the hook, fluid would be released, and that'd be it. Uhhhh ... no. It took quite a few tries and manuevering since I was only dilated to 3 cm. Ouch. But it was done, the Pitocin was working, and it was predicted I'd be deliving mid to late afternoon.
We listened to James Taylor and Stevie Wonder to pass the time. And as the Pitocin doses were increasing, so were my contractions. I sat in the rocking chair and on the birth ball to work through the contractions, holding "two fingers" with Nathan (and Michelle when Nathan paused to record the experience), and was generally doing quite well. The contractions were tough, but I was breathing, rocking on the ball, and thinking, "Yeah, I can do this!" Then my Pitocin dosage was upped again ...
About 12:30 or so, the Pitocin was really going in my system, and unfortunately, not giving me any breaks between contractions. They were intense and coming one right after another, and I didn't have a chance to rest. My mind was starting to get fuzzy, and just when one contraction was ending and I thought I could relax and breathe again to build up strength, another one came surging on. I was getting exhausted and couldn't work through the pain any more, and I gave in and requested an epidural.
The whole epidural process was definitely my least favorite thing #1 about labor and delivery -- not contractions, not pushing, etc. It was getting a needle and catheter inserted into my back. I had told Nathan during our birthing class that I was more afraid of getting an epidural than the whole pain of labor (I have a needle issue). The worst part was that I had to sit on the edge of my bed in a C-shape (hugging Nathan, of course), holding completely still during the process. Ummmm, holding still while sitting in a C-shape during painful contractions is next to unbearable. At least before, I could rock on the ball and breathe and flail as needed.
Not so when an anesthesiologist is trying to insert a small tube through a large needle into your back. But she was a superstar and very patient, I made it through, and within 30 minutes, I was blissfully relaxing and watching "My Best Friend's Wedding" through active labor. Not bad. Napping through active labor is not a bad thing either. The pain medication was actually continuously delivered to my body through a pump and the catheter in my back, so I got to control how much medication I was recieving. Nice. My lower body was never totally numb. I could feel pressure now and again, but no pain. I knew when my feet started tingling that I should ease up on manually pumping the meds. I also knew that pushing and delivery would go a lot more smoothly if I could actually feel some pressure, so I didn't want to overdo it.
Two movies ("Jerry Maguire" and "Men in Black") and about 4 hours later, I was getting a bit impatient. I was progressing, but of course, not as quickly as I would have liked. The nurses were FANTASTIC and came to check in every hour or so to see how things were going. It seemed like I was dilated at 7-8 cm forever. The nurses were getting disappointed, too, since a shift change was coming up and it seemed as if they'd miss the birth.
Finally, at about 7:15 p.m., I felt like I had to pass a very large poop (I was told that was a good sign) and I was proclaimed fully dilated at 10 cm. Yee hah!! My doctor was paged, preparations for baby started, and a new nurse settled in with me to help me start pushing, which was at about 7:30.
The whole pushing process was somewhat of an out of body experience for me. I was so completely determined to the best job possible and do everything I was supposed to do. When the nurse told me to push, I pushed. When she counted to 10, I pushed the entire count. I pushed through every contraction. I didn't argue with anyone, I didn't really talk to Nathan (holding my right leg) or Michelle (holding my left leg). I was just in a zone. I do remember some passing comments -- Michelle responding to the nurse about my excellent pushing by telling her I was "always somewhat of an overachiever" and hearing comments about my baby having lots of hair ("What?!?!?").
Dr. Drescher arrived just in time. Apparently, the baby's head was already crowning and I didn't have much further to go. I do remember feeling a contraction (pressure) coming on, and asking Dr. Drescher if I could rest through one. I just felt like if I could rest for more than 30 seconds, I'd have so much more strength for the last pushes. I think I pushed maybe a total of 2-3 more times before Ella was born at 8:03 p.m.
Dr. Drescher held up Ella for me right away so I could see her, and they quickly wiped her off and put her on my chest. I was in complete awe. She had a little spit curl like Superman in the middle of her forehead, and a little cone head (thanks to Mom's quick pushing, I think). Her little eyes blinked open and shut so slowly, and glanced Daddy's way when he leaned down to talk to her. I didn't even really notice Dr. Drescher stitching me up while I just stared at my new little girl. Okay, maybe I noticed a bit. There were apparently a few things to be stitched up (thanks again to Mom's quick pushing).In retrospect, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to witness Michelle deliver her daughters Emily and Hannah. I didn't let anyone videotape Ella's birth, and ironically, I feel like I missed out on "seeing" her born. It was such a surreal experience, but I was doing quite a bit of "work" and it's hard for me to remember and recapture her delivery. But I wouldn't trade her delivery for anything. It was perfect.
Nathan went with Ella while she was checked out and cleaned up, and Michelle accompanied me to my new room. Ella rejoined us about an hour later, and I feasted on grilled cheese, french fries, fruit and a Sprite (oooooo ... contraband fluid!). I tried nursing Ella a bit, and couldn't stop watching her and checking on her in her crib. I'm so happy she was able to "room in" with us. We ended the night about midnight watching American Idol Rewind with Nathan crashing on the air matress on the floor, and Michelle on the window seat.Hands down, best day ever.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Ella Stephanie
Ella Stephanie
February 10, 2007
8:03 p.m.
8 lbs. 4 oz.
21 inches
Will update with more details later! Just enjoying time getting to know and love our new baby girl.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
48 Hours and Counting ...
Well, contrary to my "plans" for how I hoped Baby Girl B would come into this world, I'm being induced this Saturday. I've had some blood pressure issues this week (borderline preeclampsia) that kind-of came out of nowhere, so since I'm basically full term and everything looks good, we're not going to wait around to see if my blood pressure gets worse. I was put on "bed rest" earlier this week (basically my doctor told me I was done working, needed to relax and put my feet up, not do any housework, etc.). Nathan was a trooper, picking up the slack around the apartment and scolding me whenever I tried to start cleaning or picking up or something. I'm feeling pretty good, though, and am SO excited to get baby out of me. :-)
All along, I'd wanted to let things progress naturally and have Baby Girl B come in her own time. I actually kept looking for doctors after the first one I met matter-of-factly said she schedules inducements for her patients so she can deliver them rather than someone she shares call with (she was in private practice). I've always thought the increase in the number of women scheduling inductions (primarily for convenience) for delivery was a little out of control and didn't want to go that route. A small part of me feels a bit of regret that we won't exactly get the experience I had hoped for, but in the end, we'll still have our new daughter!
I'm taking the full 12 weeks under FMLA, but the clock started on that this week since I was put on bed rest. Another reason I'm glad we're not waiting around for baby to decide it's time. I want to have as much time with her as possible.
Michelle arrives at 10 p.m. tonight to be here for delivery with Nathan and me. We're so excited! I can't imagine going through this without her here. And we're very excited about Grammy and Grampa Woodward being here soon -- possibly on Sunday! I didn't think we'd actually have visitors come to the hospital to see us.
So, I guess next time I post, I'll be a mom. Very surreal, but amazing.
All along, I'd wanted to let things progress naturally and have Baby Girl B come in her own time. I actually kept looking for doctors after the first one I met matter-of-factly said she schedules inducements for her patients so she can deliver them rather than someone she shares call with (she was in private practice). I've always thought the increase in the number of women scheduling inductions (primarily for convenience) for delivery was a little out of control and didn't want to go that route. A small part of me feels a bit of regret that we won't exactly get the experience I had hoped for, but in the end, we'll still have our new daughter!
I'm taking the full 12 weeks under FMLA, but the clock started on that this week since I was put on bed rest. Another reason I'm glad we're not waiting around for baby to decide it's time. I want to have as much time with her as possible.
Michelle arrives at 10 p.m. tonight to be here for delivery with Nathan and me. We're so excited! I can't imagine going through this without her here. And we're very excited about Grammy and Grampa Woodward being here soon -- possibly on Sunday! I didn't think we'd actually have visitors come to the hospital to see us.
So, I guess next time I post, I'll be a mom. Very surreal, but amazing.
Monday, January 22, 2007
What I Miss ...
I've been mentally compiling a list of the less obvious things I miss about the Twin Cities (the obvious things being friends and family) ...
* SuperAmerica
* Cities 97 and MPR
* Arby's (very few and far between down here)
* Carbone's, Davanni's, or Green Mill ... take your pick (the best pizza we've found so far is Papa John's)
* Kowalski's
* Herberger's shoe department
* Two-lane roads and short stoplights
* No traffic (after driving in rush hour down here, anything up there is a piece of cake! well, except maybe driving from Woodbury to Minnetonka on 62 in the middle of a snowstorm during the morning rush)
* Midwesterners in general
* Lakes
* Zoning ordinances (they're a good thing, people, believe me)
* LeeAnn Chin
* KARE-11 or WCCO
* Pine trees
* Always knowing where I'm going when I'm driving around
* Knowing the "local" places to go
* Standing on my parents driveway and hearing ... nothing (no cars, no "city noise")
It's not all bad here -- the weather is great, you can find Mexican food on every corner, Nathan has a great new job, the Gulf is only an hour and a half away, Houston has a real baseball stadium, and we love our apartment. I just get a little homesick for weird things sometimes ...
Watch out for Part II as I remember other things ...
* SuperAmerica
* Cities 97 and MPR
* Arby's (very few and far between down here)
* Carbone's, Davanni's, or Green Mill ... take your pick (the best pizza we've found so far is Papa John's)
* Kowalski's
* Herberger's shoe department
* Two-lane roads and short stoplights
* No traffic (after driving in rush hour down here, anything up there is a piece of cake! well, except maybe driving from Woodbury to Minnetonka on 62 in the middle of a snowstorm during the morning rush)
* Midwesterners in general
* Lakes
* Zoning ordinances (they're a good thing, people, believe me)
* LeeAnn Chin
* KARE-11 or WCCO
* Pine trees
* Always knowing where I'm going when I'm driving around
* Knowing the "local" places to go
* Standing on my parents driveway and hearing ... nothing (no cars, no "city noise")
It's not all bad here -- the weather is great, you can find Mexican food on every corner, Nathan has a great new job, the Gulf is only an hour and a half away, Houston has a real baseball stadium, and we love our apartment. I just get a little homesick for weird things sometimes ...
Watch out for Part II as I remember other things ...
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
I knew I should have gotten into radio ...
Ah ha! My efforts at getting rid of the Minnesota accent appear to have worked! Nathan came out as having "The Inland North," which is totally on the money.
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio. | |
| The Inland North | |
| The Northeast | |
| The West | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The South | |
| Boston | |
| North Central | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Where did December go?
I can't believe it's January 9 already. The last part of December just flew right by.
So many times, I had "ideas" or things I wanted to blog about, but didn't make the time to get online and get it done. I figure I'll do a quick summary and post some photos ...
Bianca's first Christmas turned out to be quite an adventure for her. From knocking down the tree (thank goodness it was BEFORE the ornaments were on it) to getting tangled in icicles (she kind of looks like psycho kitty in the photo, doesn't she?), she had quite a good time. She especially enjoyed her toys that Santa and cousin Gracie Lou gave her. She's still playing with them all ...
The Christmas photos went out without letters this year, although we had a ton of news to share. It was either that, or they wouldn't have gone out at all, though! No Christmas baking occurred in apartment 627; we were very blessed to have my mom supply a VERY large tin of our favorites, so we didn't miss out at all!
My dad came for a short visit over Christmas, which was WONDERFUL. Both Nathan and I commented later that week that Christmas actually turned out to be a lot better than we had thought it would go. Although he had to work during the day on Christmas Eve (he had one of his biggest days!), we were able to attend a really beautiful candlelight service that evening at a huge Methodist church near our place. After that, we picked up Dad at the airport and were up past midnight chatting and getting settled. We had a nice breakfast Christmas morning, and took our time opening gifts and relaxing. My dad had a nice introduction to The Office that afternoon -- I gave Nathan Season 1 of the series for Christmas. Dad seemed to get a kick out of it. And of course, no Woodward Christmas would be complete without a viewing of A Christmas Story!!
We went to Galveston the day after Christmas so my dad could get a good "hit" of seafood, and he treated us to a GREAT seafood dinner at Casey's. We also walked up and down "The Strand," checking out the cool shops and relaxing for a drink at a sidewalk table at one of them. The weather had been very warm before Dad arrived, but it had cooled down a bit over Christmas. Still much better than being up north; it was funny to see other people bundled up in jackets.
Nathan and I had a pretty low-key, but very nice, celebration for our first anniversary. Nathan had been wanting to take me to Benihana for as long as I can remember (since I'd never been there), so I suggested it be our anniversary/New Year's destination. We had a really fun time. Our chef was fantastic and we had great table "company." One guy dining with us bought champagne for the whole table! Too bad I couldn't enjoy some. Nathan and I got home about 10ish, opened some "crackers" he had picked up Target (those nifty, poppy things that have prizes inside), and then toasted the New Year with Korbel (for Nathan) and sparkling grape juice (for me). But since Nathan had worked that day and I turn into a pumpkin after 10 p.m., we headed to bed after the ball dropped.
My mom has requested more "pregnant on the beach" pictures of me, so I figured I'd post a few pictures taken of me over the last few months. We'll end with that ...
October 2006 - Galveston
November 2006 - San Antonio
December 2006 - Galveston
December 31, 2006 - New Year's Eve/1st Anniversary
So many times, I had "ideas" or things I wanted to blog about, but didn't make the time to get online and get it done. I figure I'll do a quick summary and post some photos ...
Bianca's first Christmas turned out to be quite an adventure for her. From knocking down the tree (thank goodness it was BEFORE the ornaments were on it) to getting tangled in icicles (she kind of looks like psycho kitty in the photo, doesn't she?), she had quite a good time. She especially enjoyed her toys that Santa and cousin Gracie Lou gave her. She's still playing with them all ...The Christmas photos went out without letters this year, although we had a ton of news to share. It was either that, or they wouldn't have gone out at all, though! No Christmas baking occurred in apartment 627; we were very blessed to have my mom supply a VERY large tin of our favorites, so we didn't miss out at all!
My dad came for a short visit over Christmas, which was WONDERFUL. Both Nathan and I commented later that week that Christmas actually turned out to be a lot better than we had thought it would go. Although he had to work during the day on Christmas Eve (he had one of his biggest days!), we were able to attend a really beautiful candlelight service that evening at a huge Methodist church near our place. After that, we picked up Dad at the airport and were up past midnight chatting and getting settled. We had a nice breakfast Christmas morning, and took our time opening gifts and relaxing. My dad had a nice introduction to The Office that afternoon -- I gave Nathan Season 1 of the series for Christmas. Dad seemed to get a kick out of it. And of course, no Woodward Christmas would be complete without a viewing of A Christmas Story!!We went to Galveston the day after Christmas so my dad could get a good "hit" of seafood, and he treated us to a GREAT seafood dinner at Casey's. We also walked up and down "The Strand," checking out the cool shops and relaxing for a drink at a sidewalk table at one of them. The weather had been very warm before Dad arrived, but it had cooled down a bit over Christmas. Still much better than being up north; it was funny to see other people bundled up in jackets.
Nathan and I had a pretty low-key, but very nice, celebration for our first anniversary. Nathan had been wanting to take me to Benihana for as long as I can remember (since I'd never been there), so I suggested it be our anniversary/New Year's destination. We had a really fun time. Our chef was fantastic and we had great table "company." One guy dining with us bought champagne for the whole table! Too bad I couldn't enjoy some. Nathan and I got home about 10ish, opened some "crackers" he had picked up Target (those nifty, poppy things that have prizes inside), and then toasted the New Year with Korbel (for Nathan) and sparkling grape juice (for me). But since Nathan had worked that day and I turn into a pumpkin after 10 p.m., we headed to bed after the ball dropped.My mom has requested more "pregnant on the beach" pictures of me, so I figured I'd post a few pictures taken of me over the last few months. We'll end with that ...
October 2006 - Galveston
November 2006 - San Antonio
December 2006 - Galveston
December 31, 2006 - New Year's Eve/1st Anniversary
Friday, December 15, 2006
78 Degrees on December 15
I'm sooooooo far behind on Christmas "tasks." I had all these grand plans earlier in the month (isn't that just like me?) to set aside each weekend this month to deal with one major task, i.e. Christmas decorating and the tree the first weekend, cards the next, and so forth. Well, the tree is up with lights but no ornaments, I bought Christmas cards, but they're still sitting in boxes, and think I've bought a total of three gifts.
Blame it on Houston. How am I supposed to be in the Christmas spirit when it's supposed to be 78 degrees today?
I think I'll still bug out of work early and go shopping. Only 10 days left, and I don't have the luxury of waiting until the last minute for gifts this year.
Blame it on Houston. How am I supposed to be in the Christmas spirit when it's supposed to be 78 degrees today?
I think I'll still bug out of work early and go shopping. Only 10 days left, and I don't have the luxury of waiting until the last minute for gifts this year.
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Welcome to the 21st Century
After watching Nathan blog for quite a while, I figured it was time for me to join in the fun. Plus, I hope this turns out to be a great way for us to keep everyone up to date on the happenings down in Houston.
The past year has been a crazy one, full of change. The move to Houston was a bit more challenging than we had anticipated, but we trust we're in the right place. I knew it was going to be a tough transition to leave behind such a wonderful community of friends, our families, and our established routines. Unfortunately, right after the move, I found it easier to shut down a bit and close off contact with almost everyone from home for a while, thinking it would make the adjustment easier (yeah, it was stupid -- blame it on pregnancy hormones). But I've realized that as painful as it's been to be away, I need to be in touch and not let go. So, I'm working on it ... thus this blog. :-)
It's helped so much having visitors stop in to see us -- my mom in October, Nathan's mom and then Michelle in November, and of course, my sister and Brent (the surprise visitor!) for Thanksgiving. We've explored Houston a bit, and traveled down to Galveston a couple of times and went to San Antonio with Steph and Brent (see picture from the Riverwalk in San Antonio above). My dad is making a short trip down to spend Christmas with us. It'll be our first Christmas away from "home," so having him here will be such a blessing. Then (as my sister says) we have another "visitor" arriving just a month or so after that ...
It's been a bit more relaxing down here (a combination of the "pace" of things and not having a real active social life), but we're keeping busy with work, settling in our new apartment, and getting ready for Baby Girl B, due to arrive in February. Some days, in a panic I think, "We only have 2 months to go?," and at other times, I'm thinking, "I have to wait 2 more months to meet her?"
The pregnancy has gone very, very well (other than the aforementioned hormone-influenced mood issues and a wee bit of morning sickness), and at our last doctor visit, the nurse commented that Baby Girl B has a "good, strong heartbeat." (See me and my pregnant form walking on the beach in Galveston in late October -- hard to believe I've only gained 2 pounds!)
Nathan's working for Vacations to Go, an online travel company specializing in cruises, and seems to like it a lot. He's got a crazy work schedule for the next few months (including weekends), but we're making it work.
Signing off for now to give our Christmas decorations and other Christmas-related tasks some attention. Will post more soon.
The past year has been a crazy one, full of change. The move to Houston was a bit more challenging than we had anticipated, but we trust we're in the right place. I knew it was going to be a tough transition to leave behind such a wonderful community of friends, our families, and our established routines. Unfortunately, right after the move, I found it easier to shut down a bit and close off contact with almost everyone from home for a while, thinking it would make the adjustment easier (yeah, it was stupid -- blame it on pregnancy hormones). But I've realized that as painful as it's been to be away, I need to be in touch and not let go. So, I'm working on it ... thus this blog. :-)
It's helped so much having visitors stop in to see us -- my mom in October, Nathan's mom and then Michelle in November, and of course, my sister and Brent (the surprise visitor!) for Thanksgiving. We've explored Houston a bit, and traveled down to Galveston a couple of times and went to San Antonio with Steph and Brent (see picture from the Riverwalk in San Antonio above). My dad is making a short trip down to spend Christmas with us. It'll be our first Christmas away from "home," so having him here will be such a blessing. Then (as my sister says) we have another "visitor" arriving just a month or so after that ...It's been a bit more relaxing down here (a combination of the "pace" of things and not having a real active social life), but we're keeping busy with work, settling in our new apartment, and getting ready for Baby Girl B, due to arrive in February. Some days, in a panic I think, "We only have 2 months to go?," and at other times, I'm thinking, "I have to wait 2 more months to meet her?"
The pregnancy has gone very, very well (other than the aforementioned hormone-influenced mood issues and a wee bit of morning sickness), and at our last doctor visit, the nurse commented that Baby Girl B has a "good, strong heartbeat." (See me and my pregnant form walking on the beach in Galveston in late October -- hard to believe I've only gained 2 pounds!)Nathan's working for Vacations to Go, an online travel company specializing in cruises, and seems to like it a lot. He's got a crazy work schedule for the next few months (including weekends), but we're making it work.
Signing off for now to give our Christmas decorations and other Christmas-related tasks some attention. Will post more soon.
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