The Picture...

As I stood, bare foot, on the sand hovering over a half naked, wriggling 6 month old I could feel the color drain from my face.  "She's going to blind herself," I kept thinking as I watched fat little fingers, covered in salty sand, form fists and go for her perfect little face.  Baby Girl loves to rub her eyes when she's tired and boy was she tired.

I wanted to cry, but crying wouldn't have changed anything.  I was the genius who had decided to put the baby lotion on the baby before her pictures... never thinking about how beach sand and lotion are deadly combinations.  Damned baby eczema.  Damned sea salt and sand.

My friend, my dear, sweet and patient friend, who also happens to be our baby photographer, quickly stepped in and helped me remove the sand from the baby's hands, face and eye area.  If I'm a crazed, guilt-ridden, idiot... well, she's the complete opposite.  Calmly she dabbed wet wipes at my child's face.  "It's just sand," she kept telling me as I tried to keep myself from loosing it. 

At that very moment I was deciding, in my head, on whether or not I should tell Husband what was going on... the blinding of our child when we returned to the beach house.  Even though he is not always the most observant of husband's (he never can tell when I get my hair cut) surely he would notice that our baby girl no longer was sighted.  He would not be pleased.... No, he would not be pleased.

And just as my dear friend had removed the sand from my child's face, Husband was coming over the dunes to see what we were up to with the pictures.  I was relieved to see him, regardless of whether or not the child was truly blinded.  He needed to be there for the baby's first contact with the ocean--sentimentality aside, I needed an extra pair of hands as most of my belongings were now scattered up and down Ocean Isle Beach.

The pictures were completed soon after.  My friend is fast, quick... skilled-- a true artist. 

She posted a "peek" picture from that day on her Facebook page and I must say I'm blown away at how beautiful the image turned out to be.  You'd never know that mere moments before Baby Girl was covered in sand and her poor, perpetually-guilt-ridden mother was helplessly dying inside.

If you look closely at the picture you can see the sea dripping of her chubby little feet... her first contact with the ocean and it is beautifully documented-- how special is that?

Thank goodness for artistic, sane and calm friends who aren't afraid of a little sand....

Paul Reiser, Oreo's and Mother's Day...

At church, we had a Mother's Day Celebration and a lady in our church asked me to speak.  The following is what I had to say on being a new mom...

 

When Ms. Mary Kay asked me to speak about being a new parent, specifically a new mother, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say.

My first thought was to compare parenthood to what I imagine living in a frat house would be like...  There are bottles strewn about the house on a pretty regular basis, the laundry is mountainous, overflowing the hampers daily.  We sleep pretty much wherever we land and vomit is a real possibility at any given time.

My second thought was to talk about how parenthood, for me at least, has been rather instinctual.  I can attest that becoming a mother has brought up some pretty primal urges in me that on recent occasion has given me great pause and stirred up some emotional reactions that I was not prepared to feel at all.  Just the other day, at a family reunion of all places, I had to seriously fight the urge to claw a little girl’s eyes out because she was getting a little too 'handsy' with Elizabeth, either that or hide Elizabeth under a bush... At the end of the day I’m not much better than those ill old ‘Mama’ cats we had growing up after they had had a litter of kittens.

But when Ms. Mary Kay asked me to speak about being a new parent the only thing I could think about was this quote by Paul Reiser that I recently stumbled across in an email... that and an Oreo Cookie.

Reiser says, “People often ask me, "What's the difference between couplehood and babyhood?" In a word? Moisture. Everything in my life is now more moist. Between your spittle, your diapers, your spit-up and drool, you got your baby food, your wipes... your leaky bottles, sweaty baby backs, and numerous other untraceable sources--all creating an ever-present moistness in my life, which heretofore was mainly dry.”

I love this quote, not only because it is true... on any given day there is some sort of baby-by-product covering me in some capacity... but I love this quote for its deeper meaning.  Which brings me to the Oreo Cookie.

As we all know, an Oreo Cookie has three parts-- two dry cookies and one creamy (moist) center.

Before Elizabeth, I like to think of my life as the cookie part of the Oreo.  For this metaphor to make sense, I need you to pretend with me that you’ve never had a fully intact Oreo cookie.   If all you’ve ever had was the outside, dry cookies of the Oreo without the creamy center, you’d probably find the cookies to be a perfectly lovely and an adequate snack.  And if you’ve never had the fully intact Oreo, then you’d probably be perfectly happy with eating just the plain cookies for the rest of your life.  And that was how I felt.  I was perfectly content being a plain, dry cookie... And being a plain, dry cookie was good stuff too.

But since Elizabeth has entered into our lives, I can’t imagine just going back to being just a  plain, old dry cookie.  Elizabeth is our creamy center and I’m just going to end the debate right now, the creamy center of the Oreo Cookie is the best part of the cookie, it’s what makes the Oreo an Oreo.  It’s what’s makes it special.  And after you’ve experienced the creamy center of an Oreo Cookie, you no longer think so highly of just the plain cookies anymore.  In other words...my old life was great, but my new life as a parent is so much more fulfilling.

So to sum up... parenthood can be compared to a countless many things, but in the end, being a parent has added a degree of moisture that changes the components of life from ordinary to extraordinary.

Two Months and Counting...

Tuesday was the 2 month check up for Baby.  Can you believe that we are already at two months?  Earlier in the week I sat her down for our monthly home photo shoot.  She hates it towards the end and basically just cries.  But this time I managed to get 105 shots as opposed to month 1 where I think I got 20 before she melted down.

But just to fill you in Baby Girl is growing like a weed, weighing in at a healthy 9 pounds, 13 ounces.  I can't help but beam with pride that I've been able to provide the soul nutrition for that darling girl.  The doctor was pleased with her development and felt that everything was going on track... No, she isn't in the 99th percentile for height, weight, or head size.  But considering that I'm a smaller than average person and Husband isn't a giant, it is to be expected.  Regardless, she is doing great.

What wasn't great.  Shots.  And lots of them.  Baby Girl had to endure one oral vaccination which wasn't so bad... the rest were traditional old shots, which were just as violent as ever.  One in each leg.  DTAP and Prevnar.... hopefully keeping her safe from things like Polio and Whooping Cough.  I brought along Aunt Jenny to for moral support as Husband had a tobacco meeting to attend. 

As the mom of Baby Girl, I've been wittiness to her pain cry.  I know how horrible it sounds... how it makes your insides hurt because you know that she is hurting and you can't really do anything to make it better.  Her hunger cry, tired cry, and regular old-notice-me-cry are far less heartbreaking.  I'm not sure that Aunt Jenny was prepared... as soon as the nurse was through jabbing the needles into my poor baby's chubby little legs, Aunt Jenny sprung into action, scooping Baby Girl into her arms and methodically bouncing back and forth until she (Aunt Jenny) felt better.  Baby Girl was going to need more than just bouncing. 

Luckily I was meeting with the lactation consultant and we were going to feed and sometimes food is the only way to heal a hurt. 

 

At home, Baby Girl was in some serious pain...  crying anytime her legs were moved-- either by her or us.  She got to experience her first dose of baby Tylenol (which by the way did help her a little).  She slept from the time we got home except for diaper changes and feeds until the very next morning.  Sometime around 2:00am she began to feel better and we caught her smiling in her sleep. 

Relief... we survived the first big round of shots.  We go back for our 4 month check in March.  I think this time Husband is going to have to go with us... I know I don't want to go by myself!

Baby Nursery...

At one time I had planned to spotlight each room in my house as I decorated it.  But then the infertility thing happened and all my attention, free time and much of my disposable income was tied up in getting pregnant.   Decorating rooms in my newly built house just didn't seem so important anymore.  But last June, several months pregnant, we found out that we were having a little girl and suddenly I was consumed with planning the perfect nursery.  Finding out that we were having a little girl was thrilling and we were both very excited.  Just think about all the smocking and cute hair bows!  But then I got a little concerned that I might make her room too pink and green, that it would be overly estrogen filled and that would make poor Husband, literally, the odd man out.  So for much of the summer I spent my time obsessing about what kind of gender neutral shade of yellow and cream I should apply.  And this obsession sort of drove Husband crazy because he assured me that he wouldn't feel left out if I went with my instincts and made the room reflect that a little girl lived there.

 

And so I listened.

 

 

The lighting fixture was purchased at Pottery Barn Kids.  Husband installed it one afternoon with no trouble or assistance.  I had debated on whether or not to change out the fixture as the original light was in good condition... since it was less than a year old.  I'm glad that I did it as I think it adds a lot to the room.

 

 

I was super excited to find a crib that is considered "low-profile" since neither Husband or myself is very tall. I loved the simple lines of the crib and seeing how this would be a piece of furniture that most likely would be used again I didn't want to go overly ornate or frilly since we could have a son at some point. The bedding was one of two choices from Serena and Lily... Husband made the final decision and I loved the French and Indian motifs.  Finding the bedding helped me make fabric decisions.

 

 

The Indian inspired storage baskets, although rather expensive, have became a favorite of mine for their practicality.  The pink textured curtain panels were made by my grandmother.  I think they add a lot of drama to the room.  The shelving unit was a bargain buy from Target.  It is one of those build-it-yourself jobs and for what it costs, if it gets destroyed in a couple of years-- oh well.  It serves the purpose.  At some point I hope to line the back of the unit with fabric left over from my rocker.

 

 

 

Since the room already had a built in desk I decided to use this space as a changing station.  It will be several years before the baby can sit at a desk and do homework, so in the time being, I purchased a curtain from Land of Nod and had my mother hem it to the right length.  A tension rod hold it in place.  Behind the curtain is room for me to store baby items like diaper boxes and other items that I may not want to display.  The built-in cabinets store wipes and diapers from our showers and also can be a place to keep burp cloths, bibs, baby towels and all sort of baby goodness.

 

 

The teal blue chest adds a little pop of color and from the moment I saw this chest in a little store outside of Dunn, I knew I had to have it.  The blue doesn't show up in any of my fabrics, but it goes and I find the color very pleasing.  It serves as another great storage place, currently holding extra crib sheets, blankets, baby shoes and accessories.  The glider rocker was a gift from my Aunt Janet.  It came from Target and originally the cushions were an off-white microfiber.  I had a local upholster recover the cushions in a pink and white heavy weight fabric.  I think recovering the glider cushions gives the chair a custom look and really adds to the room.

Currently the baby sleeps in her bassinet and has yet to spend more than a few hours in her room since birth.  I'm hoping that once she gets a little older that she will spend many happy nights and days in this room!

 

 

Crib:  Pottery Barn Kids, Kendall Low-Profile Crib

 

Bedding, Storage Baskets, Changing Pad & Cover: Serena & Lily, Lola Bedding Collection, Basic Punch Cover

 

Glider & Ottoman:  Target

 

Lighting Fixture: Pottery Barn Kids, Olivia Mini- Chandelier

 

Shelving Unit:  Target

 

Window Panels:  my Grandma

 

Curtain Rods:  Lowes

 

Chest:  Vibra's (Dunn, NC)

 

Fabric (excepting changing station):  The Cloth Barn (Goldsboro, NC)

 

 

 

 

 



A Birth Story....

Greetings from Bessies' Best Dairy.  We've only got one customer, but the reviews are all raves!

November 6th at 12:24pm one tiny little cry erupted from behind the curtain separating Husband and me from what was surely a gruesome scene as the doctor and nurses worked to bring our little one into the world. 

One little cry and our world completely changed.

She still didn't have a name.  The nurses that had prepped me for my surgery were kindly reassuring that the name would come.  I was a wreck, scared out of my mind for the next part... the surgery part and I finally lost my cool, quietly crying into my chest, pressing the top of my head into the nurse standing in front of me as the needle for the spinal block was put into my back.  My resolve was lost.

Husband was brought in, covered from head to toe in blue hospital garb.  Oddly enough, the blue scrubs amplified the blue in his eyes and he looked calm and strong--excited, but calm.  He was sat near my head and the medical team informed us that they had already begun the procedure.  "This is so weird,"  I remember telling him as I felt his hand on my head and nothing from my chest down.  The nurse gave him a tissue to mop up the tears that were still quietly streaming from my eyes.

Lord knows what was going on behind the sheet.  It must have been a textbook surgery because my doctor leisurely talked with the nurses about his son and a few colleagues they had in common.   

And then we were told she was almost here.  To be exact, my doctor said, "just a few more layers."  And then there was the little cry and nothing as been exactly the same since.

With big blue eyes and a head full of light brown hair, she weighed in at a respectable 6 pounds, 2 ounces and measured in at 18 and a half inches long. 

Speechless and overwhelmed my tears of fear changed to tears of joy.  Before I knew it I was in recovery with my tiny new family learning to breastfeed and being poked and proded by several nurses.  The OR nurses were right, a name finally came to us. We went traditional and looked to family names for inspiration.  Her name is Elizabeth Aldon and we think we did a good job... but of course, I'm biased.

She is perfect in that way that all babies are perfect and we couldn't be more proud.  These days she calls the shots.  Simply leaving the house takes hours it seems and most days if I can find the time to wash a few dishes or fold a couple of pieces of clothing, I'm on cloud nine.

Yes, everything is different with just that one little cry....

Pottery Barn May Be My New Favorite Store...

I ordered a picture frame for the nursery from Pottery Barn.  A basic white frame with a white matte that would perfectly set off the pink graphic print I ordered from Etsy.

Today it arrived. 

Damaged.

The outside shipping box was fine, but the inside box that contained my picture frame looked as if something heavy got the upper left hand corner.  The thin cardboard box was ripped and the bubble wrap that was protecting the frame flattened.  The wooden frame was crushed...

Great.  I thought.  Now I'm going to have to return this frame and wait for a new one.  What a hassle.

So after eating my Bojangles and taking care of a few odds and ends, I pulled up the internet, just as the packing slip recommended and went to the Pottery Barn website to start the return process.

Just Great.  I thought as the little box I was supposed to check, never popped up.  So I called the 1-888 number for customer service.  Just Great!!!!

To my surprise I was promptly connected to a customer service representative.  She was kind, courteous and understanding.  I didn't even have to get ugly... I just gave her my order number and she took down my story recounting the damage.  And get this-- she just told me to discard the current frame, a new one would be sent to me in the next few days!

I don't even have to send it back to the company!  Can you believe it?

I'm in complete and utter shock!!!!  And that is why Pottery Barn may be my new favorite store.

Pottery Barn May Be My New Favorite Store...

I ordered a picture frame for the nursery from Pottery Barn.  A basic white frame with a white matte that would perfectly set off the pink graphic print I ordered from Etsy.

Today it arrived. 

Damaged.

The outside shipping box was fine, but the inside box that contained my picture frame looked as if something heavy got the upper left hand corner.  The thin cardboard box was ripped and the bubble wrap that was protecting the frame flattened.  The wooden frame was crushed...

Great.  I thought.  Now I'm going to have to return this frame and wait for a new one.  What a hassle.

So after eating my Bojangles and taking care of a few odds and ends, I pulled up the internet, just as the packing slip recommended and went to the Pottery Barn website to start the return process.

Just Great.  I thought as the little box I was supposed to check, never popped up.  So I called the 1-888 number for customer service.  Just Great!!!!

To my surprise I was promptly connected to a customer service representative.  She was kind, courteous and understanding.  I didn't even have to get ugly... I just gave her my order number and she took down my story recounting the damage.  And get this-- she just told me to discard the current frame, a new one would be sent to me in the next few days!

I don't even have to send it back to the company!  Can you believe it?

I'm in complete and utter shock!!!!  And that is why Pottery Barn may be my new favorite store.

Just When You Think That Leaving Work will be the Highlight of Your Day, in Walks a Girl Scout...

I had a double baby shower after work today.  Two of my co-workers are pregnant and soon will be giving birth.  I'm excited for them, but mostly I'm glad that I'm not having to be pregnant with them, together.  One has been big pregnant since the school year started. People are always telling her she must be having twins and that she looks like she is going to pop at any moment.  The other one has just started showing and finally looks pregnant.  If I had been her (the little one), I'd gone crazy already thinking something was way wrong with me... or if I were in the other girls' shoes (big prego), I'd gone crazy thinking that I'm way too big! 

Regardless, after spending about twenty minutes small talking with some co-workers, I decided it was time for me to leave.  I walked back to my office to gather my belongings and go home.  It had been a really long day and even though we are trying for a baby, baby stuff--especially other people's baby stuff--doesn't interest me much. 

Happily, a Girl Scout happened to be standing outside my office door talking to the receptionist. 

I don't know about you, but I love Girl Scout cookies... so I asked her, "Are you selling cookies?"  Of course she was and the best part was that I got to buy and get them today!  No waiting.  I ordered 4 boxes of Peanut Butter Patties, two boxes of Thin Mints, and one box of Peanut Butter Sandwiches for the Husband.  I think at $3.50 a pop, it was money well spent.  And I would like to mention, this was the most polite and well behaved Girl Scout that I've encountered in a very long time.

I really do love Girl Scout cookies.  I don't know if it is because you can only get them one time a year or if it is because they are made with real Girl Scouts.  But eithery way they are a delight... plain and simple.

I realize that tomorrow's acupuncturist may not agree with me about their nutritional value... they in fact may add inches to my waist line and slow down my digestion, but c'mon.  Girl Scout Cookies... really?  Totally worth it!

I hope that you've found the brightside to your Thursday too!