b is for baby

Welcoming our newest little miracle...

kitchen mini-makeover

Our prior house had a chair rail in the kitchen. The kitchen was very small, and it didn't have a dishwasher. Or even a double sink. But I really liked the chair rail. To highlight it, we painted the top and bottom each a different shade of green. I have no idea now what the top color was called, but the bottom color was something like avocado.

When we moved, our new kitchen did not have a chair rail. While I've toyed with the idea of painting a white stripe on the wall to mimic a chair rail, I don't think it would look all that great in our kitchen. For one thing, the cabinets are very dark. They'll be one of the first things to go when we're in a position to update the kitchen. I hate them. I need something brighter... maybe something more in the honey-colored range.

Anyway, the point is that I had to pick one color for the kitchen, so we picked the avocado color from the last kitchen. (It matched our towels better.) But once it was on the wall, it looked so ... muddy. I've lived with it for over 3 years now, and I think it's finally time for a change. I like the idea of green, but I'm terrible at picking out colors. My intention was to shamelessly copy Karen's color choice and see how I like Gentle Pasture by Valspar.

But when I looked at this color in the store, it looked SO much different than the color in my inspiration kitchen. Like... really really different.

my current kitchen

Karen's kitchen

Gentle Pasture

Asparagus

So now I think I've settled on Asparagus by Behr. One quick Google search confirms that it's a very popular color indeed, but I'm not sure how it will look with our dark cabinets. I'm going to paint it anyway, and if it doesn't look fab with the cabinets, I'll paint those too. That'll show 'em.

real progress

I took a half-day off of work yesterday to work in solitude on New Baby's nursery. When we first found out I was pregnant, I fully intended to use all of the same bedding and decor from Natalie's room. That was part of the reason we went gender neutral in the first place. Natalie's room turned out great. I loved it. I still love it.


But my mommy guilt got the best of me. I want my kids to know they are both special to me. New Baby will have lots of hand-me-down toys and maybe clothes. So why not give New Baby his or her own space to grow?

Since we, like most parents, find ourselves shorter on cash now than we did before kids, the challenge was to put together a cute room for less money. Especially considering none of it was going to be "showered" on us.

We bought new furniture and painted, and that was a good start. But we had nothing on the walls. Everything I found online was either not to my taste or expensive or out of stock or gender-specific. I splurged on a wall decal (below) that was too cute to pass up and a baby's first year collage frame that matches Natalie's. Those two things came to about $55. I bought a couple of other small things new ($8.50 on clearance). Then I pieced the rest of the decor together using stuff I had on hand or purchased from a thrift store ($5.71).Decor: $69.21
Curtains: $15.50
Bedding: $45
Giving New Baby his/her own space: priceless (or $129.71)

It's got a totally different vibe from Natalie's room, but I really like it. I plan to showcase the projects here once I've got them on the walls. Check back!

35 weeks

I cannot believe I'm so close! This coming Monday my doctor will be able to tell me if I should expect an earlier delivery date. That is very exciting! I've already arranged to take vacation the last week of my pregnancy, because ... well, it's hot and I'm huge and I just can't be on my feet all day and be cheerful about it!

And then there's the fact that new baby's room is not at all finished. The crib is up and the bassinet is ready. Baby's clothes are hanging in the closet. But there is nothing, not a single thing, on the walls. I have lots of half-formed jungle-themed ideas, but nothing very cohesive. I'm trying to find the time to try out a project or two, but it's proving difficult, considering we still have to find a daycare we like. Plus, I have only a few short weeks with Natalie all to myself, and I want to make the most of them.

But today I'm not going to worry about anything. Instead, I will rejoice in the fact that I have less than 4 weeks of work left before I become a new mommy for the second time.

31 weeks

I completely forgot to post my 30 week picture! But here I am at 31 weeks!

I can't believe that in 9 weeks (and by "nine" I mean "please-God-make-it-less-than-nine") we'll be a family of four, and Natalie will be a big sister. I'm still trying to picture her in that role. Sometimes she seems so grown up, and sometimes she's still my little baby.

There are times I wish I could have her all to myself for a little while longer. With a face and personality like hers, who wouldn't? But I'm committed to finding ways to make her feel special, even while (especially while) the new baby needs constant attention.

The room is coming along slowly. The furniture is in, the paint is up. All I need is artwork. And, uh, a crib mattress :) Details, details.

18 months

Dear Natalie,

When you were born, I couldn't wait for your firsts. Your first smile, your first word, your first step. I remember thinking how nice it would be when you could hold your own bottle/cup, eat real food, walk on your own. Now we're there. Now you learn something every single day. Now time is moving too quickly. You're growing up too fast. I love the little girl you're growing into, but I am already nostalgic for the baby you've grown out of. I love you, angelface.

Love, Mommy

I guess that I can hold you one more time before you grow.

And tell you that I love you, so that you'll always know.

Please let me tie your shoe again. One day you'll tie your own.

And when you think back to this time. I hope it's love I've shown.

Tonight could I please wash your hair? And put toys in the bath?

Can I help you count your small ten toes before I teach you math?

Please let me help you up the hill. while you're still too small to climb.

And let me read you stories while you're young and have the time.

I know the day will come when you will do these things alone.

Will you recall the shoulder rides and all the balls we've thrown?

So will you let me carry you? One day you'll walk alone.

I cannot bear to miss one day from now until you've grown.

Original poem by Brad Anderson. Full text here.

cinderella ate my daughter

Growing up, I always heard how important it was to create your own values and to not let society dictate who you become. Peer pressure was a four letter word, and in social situations it was to be treated similarly to drugs and alcohol. Just say no to peer pressure.

I realize now that there's a not-so-subtle line between what I want for my own satisfaction and what society tells me I should want. And I'm coming to appreciate that if I strive for the former, I will be a happier person.

It took me almost 30 years to realize that. Is it impossible to hope that Natalie could grow up with that knowledge? Is it impossible to believe that she could grow into a 12-year-old girl who puts more emphasis on doing her best in school and being a good friend than the clothes she wears or fitting in with the right crowd?

Do you worry about these things for your daughter (or your son's future prom date)? Or were you were perturbed at seeing a 6-year-old dressed as a Pussycat Doll last Halloween? If so, you might want to pick up Cinderella Ate My Daughter the next time you are at the library.

Among the quotes that resonated with me (enough to write them down) were these:

What I want for my daughter seems so simple: for her to grow up healthy, happy and confident, with a clear sense of her own potential and the opportunity to fulfill it. p.9

Where was the point that exploration of femininity turned to exploitation of it, the line between frivolous fun and JonBenet? p.72

I don't want my daughter to be twenty-one when she is twelve. p.84

Rather than raising a generation of Cinderellas, we may actually be cultivating a legion of step-sisters -- spoiled, self-centered, materialists, superficially charming but without the depth or means for authentic transformation. p.104

If you have read or decide to read Cinderella Ate My Daughter, I would love to discuss it with you!

our connecticut wedding weekend

Recently, we embarked a short visit to Connecticut for a wedding. Flying with a toddler, we were prepared for the worst, but Natalie was fantastic. During our first flight (1 hour, 15 minutes), she was slightly fidgety but fell asleep for the last half hour. She was jumpy but good-natured during the second flight (45 minutes).

Not everyone fared so well. Both flights were extremely turbulent. The second flight was my worst experience to date. Several people got sick, including Matt. And he never gets motion sick.

We checked into our hotel, fed Natalie, let her watch an Elmo DVD while we recovered, and prepared for the rehearsal dinner. Dinner lasted a long time past Natalie’s bedtime, but we were back at the hotel and fast asleep by 10:30 pm.

The next day brought a trip to the pool. Natalie totally dominated that pool. We showed her how to go under water then dunked her carefully. She wasn't crazy about it, but she wasn't afraid. Most of all she loved sitting on the side of the pool kicking her legs and splashing everyone in a 3 foot radius. She was in the water for two hours, followed by a two-hour nap.

The wedding ceremony was lovely. The cocktail hour was spent chasing after Natalie who at one point grabbed two handfuls of dirt from the potted plants and threw them all over herself and the floor.

The reception was fantastic. The first hour was dancing instead of dinner, and I’m so glad. Matt and I got to dance with Natalie, and she even busted out her frog dance move. This consists of a lot of up-and-down motion, stomping one foot, and saying "ribbip". We danced the entire hour. Then I rocked her to sleep, and left her slumbering peacefully in the care of a babysitter.

The next day was more family time, and the next night was a different hotel. Though she was coming down with something and had a fever, Natalie slept pretty well.

The flights home were better than the flights there. The first flight (1 hour), she got her own seat. The second flight (1 hour, 30 minutes) she slept the entire time.

We landed safely in Dayton and now look back fondly on our first vacation-with-a-toddler experience.

third trimester

Before falling asleep last night, I decided to dig out one of my pregnancy books to see what was supposed to be going on with new baby. Much to my surprise, said book informed me that I am now 25 weeks along and in my third trimester! When did that happen? Here is my 25 week belly shot.


My pregnancy with Natalie seemed to take so much longer. I don't think I was bored per se, but I do think I'm much busier now.

When your days are filled with moments like this, time goes too quickly.

another project down!

Our new deck is my favorite part of the whole house. Especially on days like today... a temperature around 75 degrees and the sunniest skies we've seen 'round these parts in quite a while. And now on to pictures.

Remember what it looked like before?

Well this is what it looks like now...

The view from the yard. A pergola adds shade because our house gets full-on midday sun. Built in benches on either side of the deck add functional seating, serve in place of railings, and take up only a fraction of the space of furniture.

A close-up of the pergola and bench seating


The view out the back door... much more open to the yard, and about 3 feet bigger thanks to the large terraced step.

Natalie is really excited about the new deck!

half way!

Here I am at 20 weeks and 2 days pregnant with baby 2. As of yesterday, I am officially in the second half of this pregnancy! With absolutely nothing done to prepare for the newest addition, I'm sure this last 20 weeks will go quickly.

I know it's only natural with a second baby, but I feel (and I look) a lot bigger now than I did when I was pregnant with Natalie. Seriously, I already look like I did in my third trimester pic last time! Although technically that's only 5 weeks away. So maybe that's not so bad after all :)

Oh, and I almost forgot! I've been feeling the baby kick for awhile now. I'm finding out that a lot of the excitement of pregnancy gets lost when you've done it before. Decorating the nursery, the hospital tour, and even the days ticking by (wait... I'm 20 weeks already?) But feeling the baby move is special and amazing. Even if it isn't exactly new.

words words words

Natalie's first word was Dadda, though I'm not 100% convinced she knew what she was saying. Matt and I marvel every time she says a new word. Sometimes she repeats what we say, but sometimes she says a word out of the blue that we haven't spoken to her in days.

I thought it was great how much she was able to communicate at 15 months old. But when our doctor told us that she should know about 10 words by that age, I was floored. She was already close to 50. After that I stopped keeping track. I couldn't anymore. She was and still is learning words so quickly that I can't keep up. When people ask, I end up saying, "Uh let's see. She said water, and uh... gator. Um... swing... slide. She knows all the kids' names at daycare..." But I know there's more.

I attribute this language explosion to the fact that we read and talk to her every day, and have been since she was born. Since before actually. And during those long commutes to Oxford, I listed to an awful lot of audio books. (So if she grows up with a penchant for Jeremy Irons' voice, audio books are to blame.)

Also, she has extremely good genes ;)

Soon I'll post a picture of Natalie's "word wall". Matt brought home bath crayons that Natalie absolutely loves. But in an effort to keep my mom updated on all the new words Natalie was saying, I used the crayons to keep track. These are her first 50 words.

ho ho!

We took Natalie to the mall to see Santa the other day. The whole experience was great! The mall we chose has a train that runs behind Santa with a little winter wonderland setting. Natalie was too young to ride it, but she loved watching it go around while waving at the passengers. When her turn came, she spotted Santa and shouted, "Ho ho!" That's her name for Santa, and it's adorable the way she says it with such familiarity. "I know him! That's Ho ho!"

She sat happily on Santa's lap, and kept looking up at him with glee. "I can't believe I finally get to meet you!" her expression seemed to say. She also clutched her small stuffed Santa, which was beyond adorable. Enjoy!

first reds game!

Taking Natalie to a Reds game involved a lot of planning! We wanted to avoid night games, work around my weekend work schedule, and pick a day that wouldn't be too hot for her to be out for several hours. Hot days make us both cranky :)

We ended up buying tickets for the last Reds game of the season. Although we were joined by lots of other friends, Natalie was the only baby. She was awesome through most of the game. When she started getting fidgety, Matt and I took her for a walk around the park. She took home a Mr. Redlegs doll, and even got her picture taken with Gapper.

And we even won.