Snow 09!

December 20, our first big snowstorm in Maine during our Christmas vacation!! Started mid-morning, and has been steady all day. Andy went out and and got our Christmas tree, and we put the lights on together, with Ollie offering lots of encouragement. The rest of the day was spent getting more settled in and tidy around the house... and fine tuning our two woodstoves for maximum heat outlay!! We're seeing how it goes with just wood heat for the whole house - so far so good!! Soon we'll head over to Grandma and Granddaddy's house for a big birthday celebration dinner for Aidan and Eli... we were too snowed in to attend the birthday breakfast! First we have to clear off the car, though.

Christmas is coming

December 1st! How did that happen?!! I just ordered Christmas (photo) cards, and put the advent calendar up this morning -- Oliver's very excited about putting another "ormamen" on the tree each day! We just got back from Thanksgiving in Maine a couple of days ago (yum! and lots of fun!), and in another couple of weeks we head back up for Christmas (Andy to follow on Friday the 18th). So I've made the difficult decision to NOT have a Christmas tree here in NJ this year. It's so much work, and not enough time here to enjoy it!! We'll be in Maine for over 2 weeks, and we'll have a tree there at the house, so it seems excessive to have one here as well (plus, it will get lonely while we're in Maine, and I can't deal with that sort of disappointment). :-) We're thinking of trying to do some outdoor lights this year, that would be fun.

So, it seems like turning 3 has been a TRUE turning point for Oliver -- he potty trained himself in the week before his birthday, and in the weeks before and after he turned 3, he just has become a lot more manageable when we're out and about... we went to the grocery store today, and it was actually FUN! I can't believe I just said that, but it's true. Which is not to say that he can't be a complete rascal sometimes, but mostly he's a really good boy. He talks endlessly, and asks "why?!!" all the time, which seems to be a very good thing, even if he does push the limits a lot! He's very imaginative (as you can see in the first photo), and he has started to be a very attentive big brother - this morning he brought tons of his books into my bedroom where Maddie was sitting on my bed, and read to her bits of each one. Well, paraphrased from them... !

Maddie turns 8 months old tomorrow! Imagine. She's become a voracious eater - she pretty much YELLS at me at mealtimes when I don't keep the food coming fast enough! By means of really loud humming, if that's possible. She eats a lot of what Oliver eats now - chicken pot pie with peas and corn, macaroni and cheese, toast, pasta with tomato and meat sauce... I haven't made her Armenian pizza yet, but I'm sure she'll love that, too! Avocado, applesauce - butternut squash was a big hit -- she ate a lot more of Thanksgiving dinner than Oliver did! For a couple of weeks now she's been nursing less, only twice a day, so I have to be sure she's drinking enough from a bottle. She's a VERY happy baby, quite content to play on her own sometimes, very "go with the flow." She usually goes to bed around 8 or so and sleeps until 7am, give or take... how lucky am I?! She's sitting on her own now, no sign of crawling yet.

We're about to send off a Christmas package to our family in England, and I've somehow figured out almost all the presents for our family here, so I'm feeling pretty ahead of the game! This Saturday is a big holiday party organized by the moms group that I'm in, and it will be the first time ever that Oliver meets Santa, can't wait!

Show the love

Oliver has been having more and more fun with his little sister... now that Maddie is so responsive and smiley, he likes to play with her sometimes. The other day, I put her on the floor to "practice" sitting with the boppy behind her, and Oliver said, "I want to sit, too!!" They were so cute together, I had to take some pictures. Then Oliver leaned in to give her a big hug of brotherly love, and I got this second photo - sweet! Maddie is almost 7 1/2 months old now, and she's sitting up on her own pretty much, with just the occasional tumble. She also has 2 teeth!! Her two front bottom teeth... I knew of the one coming in, but the second was a big surprise to me today!

Oliver turns 3 !!!!

Oliver had an exciting, action packed 3rd birthday!! It started on Friday morning, November 6th, when he came downstairs to a big stack of presents on the kitchen table - wow! He opened them up with Grandma Carole looking on from the webcam (Granddad was away on his travels) - his favorite presents were his new doctor set, and his cool plasma car. After breakfast, dad had to go in to work and Oliver had a nice webcam with his grandparents in Maine. Then we set off for Kitattiny State Park to meet Alison Snow and her boys James and Alex and their friend, Christian. We all had a great walk (Oliver on his bike) to the airstrip at the end of the lake, where the boys enjoyed rolling down the hill and wrestling. It just isn't a birthday without James and Alex to play with! Massive tantrum when it was time to go home, overtired boy... In the afternoon, Oliver helped me decorate his big birthday cake, which took a lot of time and effort!! It was super yummy, though - a recipe from my friend, Deanna, for maple chocolate carrot cake!! Decorating was fun, until Oliver decided he just wanted to take the big tubes of homemade colored frosting and suck on them. Can't blame him, but ick! That night, we had pizza for dinner with dad, and a little ice cream cake with three candles, and several rounds of "Happy Birthday to you!!"

The next morning, we baked the sausage rolls (prepared the night before) and whipped up a million little cucumber sandwiches, packed up the car, and headed out to Expresso Yourself in Sparta, for Oliver's party. Attending: Carys with Mark and Lisa, Emily with Marcy, Kayla with Melissa, Ryan with Carole, Georgie with Beth and John, and the 4 of us... Anja and her parents had to cancel because the girls hadn't been feeling well. What a fantastic place -- a lovely old house that's been turned into a pottery painting studio/coffee bar. The kids had a great time picking a piece to paint, choosing colors, and painting with their parents. I loved it because the party was so small, we could really all chat together and have a good time. We had nice snacks and then big pieces of cake, and then we opened presents!!

The next day, we continued the tradition of going to the Bronx Zoo on Oliver's birthday, and it was as fun as ever. Oliver asked several times in the car ride there if the lion was going to eat him, but he seemed more curious than scared. We told him that the lions are pretty well fed at the zoo, not to worry. We loved the sea lions best of all, as usual. It was around 75 degrees, crazy warm for November (!), just lovely. Maddie was happy as ever, facing out in the bjorn and taking everything in. Our big boy is 3... still having trouble remembering that. Or maybe facing it.

Maddie growing up

How can Maddie be 7 months old already?!! The time definitely goes faster the second time around. She is SUCH a good baby - she definitely only fusses when something is really bothering her, which isn't often! And she sleeps from at least 9pm to 6:30am, of often longer... I take it for granted now, but whenever I talk with other new moms, I'm reminded of just how LUCKY I am to be getting so much sleep!! She's so smiley, and very ticklish. She loves to watch Oliver and play with him, and now that she's so responsive, he loves to play with her, too. She's eating lots of new foods now - avocado is a big favorite. She's sooo happy in the bjorn, and going for walks in the stroller - she definitely loves action, but is also happy to relax at home. She's starting to look really grown up to me.... oh, the time goes fast.

Potty Training - phew!

We decided to make Oliver a "toidy chart" to motivate him to use the potty... the idea was, he'd get a sticker for every pee and poo, and at each railroad tracks, he'd get a special prize. He also got a prize for just STARTING the chart, which is witnessed in this first photo -- Oliver with his new Wonder Pets Viewmaster! After two very small pee pees. That was October 10th... then it wasn't until the day before Halloween that he decided to go again on the potty... and that was the day he decided that the potty was the way to go!! We were in Maine, and he announced that he wanted to pee before we got in the car to drive home -- ok, I said! Then, when we stopped at a rest stop, he said it again! Couldn't believe it, as normally a lot of kids are anxious about public restrooms for a long time. Not Oliver!!! After we got home, he started using the potty regularly, and a few days later, had his first poo!!! He went from nothing to everything in a matter of days, all on his own; I didn't have to do anything except hand out the stickers!! He's definitely not motivated by the prizes anymore, as his new favorite thing is to stick the stickers anywhere on the board, not in the top section - here's a look at his chart as of today. He's even going out around town for hours at a time with his big boy underwear on, no problems... he thinks it's really fun to pee in the woods (though he usually gets some on his pants!) Such a big boy - I'm so proud of him!

A new friend

We have had a fantastic time in Maine for the two weeks before Halloween... we missed daddy a LOT, but got to hang out a lot with Grandma , Granddaddy, and Greenie, as well as Uncle Ian and Aunt Suzanne, and even cousin Eli a bit! In our last week up there, we had a visit from my old college friend, Amy Robbins (now Amy Robbins Wilson) and her little boy, Clayton, and we all had sooooo much fun. First we played at home, then we went to the lighthouse and spent ages on the rocks, both boys just loving exploring the tide pools, tossing stones into the water, etc. It was THE most gorgeous day, a day when all you can do is smile. We went to the port after that, had a little lunch, then drove around for a while until both boys fell asleep!! It was so fantastic catching up with Amy - she's such good fun - I can't wait until our next visit.

Logs!!

We got a cord of wood delivered here at the house in Maine yesterday, and today Oliver and I set out to get it stacked... Andy's in England right now, and I missed him, especially when trying to maneuver this really old wheelbarrow with a big tire in the front that is completely flat. We even have an air pump here but the tire is so old that its little air valve is shot. SO not fun when trying to move big, heavy loads of wood from one part of the yard to another. Anyway, the weather was gorgeous - sunny and crisp - and when I wasn't swearing at the wheelbarrow, I really enjoyed myself! I stacked almost the entire cord today, and got such a sense of achievement from it. It made me think of how I miss that feeling, of a "job well done," since my full time job now (mothering) is a "squishy" one -- a job where it's really hard to see your progress or achievements.

I thought it would be hard to stack the wood while managing O and M, but I just did it while Maddie napped, and Oliver had a great time helping me and generally running around the yard and being silly. He'd check inside the house from time to time to make sure Maddie wasn't crying. Quite a team! I only have a tiny bit left to stack now, and I'm actually sad it's nearly done... ALMOST makes me think I might like gardening one day, but I'm not holding my breath. We'll see!!

October in Maine

“Which way I go, Mommy? That way? O-tay!” I’m watching Oliver zoom around his grandparents circular driveway on his cool bike, taking corners like a pro, not daunted by the slight declines that make him speed up. He is SO his father’s son! It is a stunningly gorgeous day, October 20, sun shining, not a cloud in the sky, slight breeze – just feeling very lucky to be here in Maine. Our favorite thing to do in the morning is to walk to the Tenants Harbor General Store down the road, get some hot coffee (I love hazelnut, Andy likes regular) and a croissant or muffin, then walk down to the harbor in front of the East Wind and take in the beautiful views. Oliver loves to watch the boats coming and going; this morning we saw a man loading stacks of crates onto his dinghy , with a small crane-like gadget, then motor out to a little dock in the middle of the harbor and unload them there. Maddie was in the bjorn, enjoying tiny little nibbles of our cream cheese danish.

Later we made our way to Granddaddy and Grandma’s house, and got some chicken going in the slow cooker with some great local barbecue sauce on it – should be yummy! Poor Andy had to head back to NJ on Monday afternoon, to work a few days and then head to England and Germany (England for a long weekend at home with family and friends, Germany for work). Even though daddy’s away, we’re enjoying our time here so much, making the most of it. I get a bit freaked out by the noises in the house at night, but I’m getting used to them, so that should get easier soon. Maddie is loving her walks in the stroller now, sitting up like a big girl (not in the car seat carrier), looking out at anything and everything. Yesterday we took a walk to the playground at the nearby grammar school, and finally met our neighbors on the way – they have 4 kids, including a 3 month old boy, and a 5 year old boy, Liam, who joined us in our trek to the playground and made it a whole lot more fun for Oliver to play there! Tomorrow we’re meeting mom in town for some errands, then a nice lunch with Carole Esley at my new favorite place, Farmer’s Fare in Rockport – can’t wait!

So every time Oliver zooms by, he stops in front of me and says, “Which way I go, Mommy?” I point one way, then the other, saying “This way? That way!” He bikes off, saying, “Thank you, Mommy!” Such a silly boy!!

Wow!

Ok, I just realized there IS a website that will let me print a blog, photos and all, into a soft or hardcover book (it's called blog2print.com) - I'm really excited about it! That means that all of this drivel I spend so much time writing can be archived here at home in a much more accessible way... and it gives me a lot of incentive to write more in the blog!! I've gotten sidetracked with facebook... must get back to basics. :-)

I think our only news right now is our upcoming trip to Maine - we leave a week from tomorrow. Andy will be up for a long weekend (working part of the time), and I'll be up with the kids for 2 full weeks!! Which means I have to do some planning NOW for Oliver's 3rd birthday party, as it will come up *quick* when we get home! Not to mention Halloween... that will be 2 days after we get back. Oliver is going to be a dragon again, 3rd year in a row, same costume -- too big the first year, just right last year, a bit snug this year, but VERY CUTE!!! I think Maddie is going to be a lobster. Photos to come, of course!!

Lately, Oliver has been getting major road miles in on his new bike, on the bike path at Horseshoe Lake. He's a pro already!! We've been twice already this week - I'm sure we'll be going nearly every day that the weather is nice, as he loves it so much! On Monday he biked nearly 3 miles without stopping except for an ocassional investigation of a train track or a falling leaf. Maddie has been enjoying the walks as well, and is very patient with her brother's long rides and then his running around the playground. She's such a good sport. She's still nursing, and also loves "banana pudding" (mashed banana with rice powder and formula), and nearly everything else I offer her - she's very curious.

Happy birthday, Maddie!!

Can't believe Maddie is 6 months old today!!

Fall Already!!

Ok, so I haven't written in MONTHS!! Sorry about that. Been busy with summer stuff, I guess! Now it's already the end of September, and Oliver's 3rd birthday is only a little over a month away! Our summer was great, especially when we got to spend time in Maine, which was quite a lot! Oliver was a regular at the beach, and Maddie seemed to like it, too - she always zonked out in her carseat, perched on a rock, lulled to sleep by the sound of the surf. O made lots of new friends, and by the end of the summer, he seemed to understand the concept of helping other kids build sandcastles, instead of smashing them!!! We've had a good time in NJ, too - lots of playdates with local friends, including a ride on the commuter train from Mt. Arlington station to Hackettstown (see photo), just for FUN!

Maddie is growing so much, and she's such a happy, calm baby -- I'm really glad I had Oliver first, because if I'd had her first, I would have thought that's how babies ARE!! And then when Oliver came, I would have freaked out!! She sleeps at least 9 or 10 hours a night now... I don't talk much about what a good baby she is, because I don't want to annoy my mommy friends whose babies more resemble Oliver at that age!

Oliver has just "grown out" of a rascaly couple of weeks, and has been a most lovely boy for at least 3 days straight. He loves his new 2-wheeler bike with training wheels, mowing the lawn with daddy, and Wonder Pets -- no luck with potty training yet. :-(

Not much more news to report... find me on facebook for more day-to-day updates! Here are a few photo albums from our summer adventures, compiled recently so we could make prints - the second one has some older photos in it that we just hadn't printed yet. Enjoy!

SUMMER FUN 1

SUMMER FUN 2

Oh! Almost forgot my other recent project -- working on the website for our cute little house in Maine, which we hope to rent from time to time. Take a look at the Greatest Cape!!

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Summer fun

Sorry, long overdue for an update... I posted a new album on Facebook recently, but haven't been on here for a while! We've been having lots of fun in Maine with all the grandparents (Andy's parents were here for over 2 weeks in June), and will be back up there soon for a couple of weeks - Andy will come up for a long weekend, but I'll stay longer with the kids. Oliver just loves it there - he runs around the beach and says, "happy here!!"
Here are 3 of my recent favorite photos... I'll write a "real" update soon!

A week on my own!

Ok, so it's Friday, the last day of a whole week on my own here with the kiddies - Andy left last Saturday for a week of meetings in England. It's the first time he's been away since Maddie was born, and it was definitely a bit tough at times!! The worst time was around 7 or 8 pm, when I had to get Oliver fed and up to bed, and that's also when Maddie is most fussy... so lots of times I tried holding her and reading him stories in bed at the same time, but she was howling the whole time, so it wasn't the highest quality storytelling!!! Once I had to leave her in her swing crying, but you know, she lived to tell about it. Truth is, lots of moms out there don't have dads around *at all* to help out, so who am I to complain?!

To start off the week, my friend Sharon came down for a night (see photo above), and it was great to see her - plus, it happened to be one of Maddie's fussiest nights!! Sharon was a huge help, I'm just sad she didn't get to see a more chilled-out girl, as she's usually not nearly so fussy. And by fussy, I mean screaming at the top of her lungs for ages on end. On Sunday, we all went out for a dim sum lunch, which was super yummy, but a bit frantic since it's always a race against time when there's a 2 1/2 year old and an 8 week old in tow!! M was fine, dozed happily, but Oliver kept trying to run around, though he did enjoy his pork shu mai.

The rest of the week, we just went to playdates at different parks, ran errands, etc. Maddie turned a corner at 8 weeks - started sleeping 8 hours straight at night! Even a bit more sometimes, but she seems to have settled into 8.5 right now - impressive!! I'm a lucky mom. On the other hand, Oliver just coughed himself into a frenzy during his nap upstairs, and puked up all over the bed, just in time for Dad's return! After I stripped the bed, cleaned him all up, gave him some water, and put him in new clothes, he said, "Thanks, mommy." Melted my heart!

Ian's visit

The OTHER Ian! Not my brother, but Andy's best friend from back home - Ian Hall - has just visited us for a couple of weeks. He helped us out like crazy with our big move (including a rental truck!) to our new summer place in Maine, and also lots and lots down here, besides just having fun... I was sad to see him go today! I probably got used to regular adult conversation during the day... and plus, he's just a really great guy! I think after spending so much time here with a 2 1/2 year old and a 7 week old, he's going to relish his quiet bachelorhood even more when he gets home! He's so great with Oliver, though, they had tons of fun playing - I know Oliver is going to miss him, too. Here they are on a diesel train in Flemington, NJ (Andy was the photographer) --looks like Oliver was reading Ian all the most interesting parts of the brochure. I stayed home and went shopping with Maddie (you can see how much fun she had in the next photo!). And there's Andy illustrating just how easy and relaxing it is to take care of 2 little ones... ha ha!

Anyway, in only about a week and a half, Andy's parents will be visiting us, and we'll be spending most of the time up in Maine - can't wait!! That's the news of the day. xoxo

Deep Thoughts

You know you're a mom of 2 when....
You wake up in the morning with your crying baby, and your very first thought is, "Maybe I'll be able to have a nap today."
You know that 9 out of 10 times, your 2 kids don't nap at the same time, so no mommy nap...
You realize with dismay that it's Friday, and you haven't had a shower since Tuesday.
You wonder, for the umpteenth time, why your *right* nipple aches when your baby starts nursing on the left side, and vice versa.
You're anticipating with glee the arrival of your fancy new diaper bag.

With 2 kids going in different directions sometimes, daddy needs his own bag as well - which he picked out himself and is also anticipating only slightly less gleefully than you.
You love heavy cloud cover, as it means you don't have to worry much about sunscreen.
Remembering that baby #1 seemed impossibly challenging at the time, but now that routine seems like a walk in the park compared with having two.

Quick one here, too many things to do before Maddie wakes up again (thank you notes being one of them... they'll get mailed someday!). Mostly just taking each day as it comes - trying to get Oliver out to a playground or to meet with friends most days, avoiding the temptation to stay holed up at home. We had Oliver's bff, Anja, and her parents over for dinner a few Friday's ago, so much fun!! (see photo) Oliver is (only just!) starting to put two words together (I don't want to hear about it, all you mothers of crazy talkers!!) - the other day he was outside playing, and he looked into his little blow up pool and said, "bee dead!" Indeed, huge floating dead bee in the pool. One of his most sophisticated sentances to date, that.

Maddie has sleepy days and restless, fussy days, usually one after the other, rotating. She usually has one 4-5 or so hour stretch of sleep at night, so that's good, can't complain too much. By the end of the week I'm pretty much spent, and I get to sleep in with Maddie while Andy plays with Oliver, yay. Can't report too much more on Maddie - she's still very much in the eating, sleeping, pooping, repeat - stage. She's definitely moving into the "look around with bright, wide eyes" stage, too. Not to mention the "be exceptionally pretty" stage. :-) Although, right after she has a bath, I call her Pat Benetar, because her short brown hair is totally full and spikey, reminding me of the 80s icon... see photo!

Big Brother, Little Sister

Quick one here, I keep thinking I'll have time for new posts but noooooooooo... anyway, we're doing pretty well in general. Nursing is exhausting, nothing new there... and we're dealing with a heat wave in NJ (90 degrees today) so that's not helping!! Staying fairly cool inside, though. Sad the weekend is nearly over. We had a great little dinner party with Oliver's bff, Anja, and her parents on Friday night - photos to come! Oliver hadn't seen her for a few weeks and he literally kept running around her in circles, and tugging gently on her pigtails, and poking her playfully - I think he wanted to be sure she was real. She was a bit freaked out by it, understandably, but was a good sport. We're seeing her again tomorrow at the park, so that's good!

The other day, Maddie was resting on our bed under a blanket, and Oliver decided to climb in next to her and get under the blanket - TOO CUTE - I had to take a photo. Enjoy!!

Home

Hello! Just a quick update... doing fine here at home, Maddie's doing really well but is still in this "nocturnal" phase, apparently - is this typical for you other new (again) moms out there? She sleeps like a madwoman all day, wakes for food then fast asleep again for hours, and at night she's up much more - not the best recipe for mom!! I'm doing all right, though - I remember from the first time as well, thinking it's amazing how you can still function properly on such a tiny amount of sleep, even 2-3 hours a night. I'm also remembering just how painful nursing is in the beginning, but we're getting close to the end of that, thankfully. Here's a picture of us at the hospital...

She had her first doctor's appointment today, and has gained 5 ounces since she got home from the hospital, which they say is fantastic (they lose weight after birth, so now she's back up to 9 lbs, 3 oz). Oliver is managing the changes really well, and so far is very attentive and careful of his little sister. You can see from the photo below that he was very excited when she came home!! Also, here are a few photos of Maddie from the hospital photographer - very very sweet!

Our Sweet Bunny

Welcome, Madeline Marie Hargreaves!

Last week, we had a big surprise - Oliver's little sister said, "I can't wait any more, let the fun begin!!" We were, of course, largely unprepared, as Oliver had been 6 days late in arriving, so we assumed... silly us. She came 9 days early! I had some time in the hospital in the days that followed to write down our "story," so here it is.

On Wednesday night, Andy got home REALLY late from a dinner in CT with his colleagues (midnight!), so we chatted for a bit and then started to fall asleep… but at 12:45am, I was shocked awake by a really strong jolt in my lower abdomen. I thought girly-girl had maybe just kicked me really hard, but I’d never felt anything even close to this before, so I was a bit concerned it could be something MORE. Very soon, I realized I was having regular contractions… they seemed about 5 minutes apart, right away. I told Andy, and pretty soon went downstairs to call my doctor to see what she advised; she said to wait another hour or so and see if they went away… but over the next few hours, they just got stronger and a bit closer together. Since I had a c-section scheduled (in 5 days , they would move directly to that if I got to the hospital and was actually in labor…

So we finally decided that this was the real thing (!), and gathered all the things we needed, including poor sleepy little Oliver, and headed to Morristown Memorial Hospital around 4am. Oliver was such a good sport! He’d gotten about 7 hours of sleep at that point, which was at least 6.5 more than Andy and I had gotten! They figured out pretty quickly that I was in labor, and Andy and Oliver got to come in the room with me while they continued to monitor me and we filled out tons of forms and answered questions for their records. But pretty soon we realized that the time they wanted to perform the c-section (6am-ish) was fast approaching, and we didn’t have anyone set up to watch Oliver, so Andy could be with me. We called some friends, but it was nearly 5am, and we couldn’t reach anyone. So, Andy left with Oliver at 6:10am, headed for work, ready to come back as soon as anyone came in and could look after Oliver! That’s when I toddled to the surgery room, got a spinal thingy, and Madeline was born at 6:33!!! After a few minutes, they brought her over to me and I got my first lovely look – most surprising is her full head of dark, dark hair!! Complete opposite of Oliver, who has had light hair since it finally started appearing, months after he was born!

Pretty soon I was wheeled into recovery, and after about a half hour, Andy was back. We talked for a bit and then he went up to meet Madeline in the nursery, while I daydreamed and wondered how long it would be before I would regain any sensation in the lower half of my body – VERY strange feeling not being able to move your legs/toes, or even know what position they’re in, for that matter! Soon Andy was back, and we were both brought up to a temporary maternity room until a nice room in the newer section nearby opened up (a few hours later). Very busy with babies and moms, this place!

Maddie has taken to nursing really well, which certainly helps. The first few days of nursing are always so hard (and painful, really!), I understand why a lot of people don’t stick with it. But once those days are past, I like it a lot and I’m sure the kids do, too! So far, Maddie is a great sleeper and eater – can’t ask for more than that! Oh, some basics: she was 9 pounds, 12 ounces at birth, 21 1/4 “ long. Her dark hair is all spiky and cool, and softer than anything. I know she qualifies as a “big baby,” but she really, really seems tiny to me, and not just because I’m used to big Oliver… she just seems like a tiny, delicate baby, and it’s hard for me to imagine one much smaller.

Oliver has been so sweet with her – he’s very interested and he laughs when she makes her little squeaks and chirps, or sneezes. He watched her for ages yesterday when he visited, just entranced. I can already tell he’s going to be a great big brother. I’ve noticed something in myself that I hadn’t expected, either – you might think that having a new baby would take your attention away from your first, but the opposite seems to be true – it’s like my awareness of Oliver is heightened. I miss him, his sweet voice, soft hair, hand holding, expressive eyes. It makes me nearly cry, thinking about him and his new baby sister, and how lucky we are.

So, three days and three nights at the hospital, all a blur. Andy, Oliver, and mom visited on and off each day, and on Saturday afternoon, my good friend Beth came by – so nice to see her! Had a nice phone chat with Sharon, and Maddie and I also had lots of webcams with Chloe in England, as well as a nice long one with Andy’s parents. At first facebook wouldn’t open here at the hospital, but then for some reason it stopped being blocked, so that was good. After posting a quick announcement of Maddie’s arrival, it was fun to read all the good wishes come in from far and wide. You’d think I’d be sleeping so much I wouldn’t have time for all this, but hospital “life” isn’t so restful (see next paragraph!). So many doctors and nurses coming by all the time, Maddie nursing, meals delivered and picked up… it’s not a place for rest, sadly. On my first night here, after getting a half hour’s sleep the night before at home, I finally fell asleep around midnight, and a little after 1am, a loud beeping woke me up – my IV was empty and had set its alarm – so in trotted the nurse. I got about 2 ½ hours sleep that night. The next night I got over 5 hours, but the last night only about 2…

We had planned for me to stay at the hospital through part of the day on Sunday, but by 6:30am I realized with full clarity that I needed OUT. My room was located *directly* across from the main nurse’s station, or “grand central,” more specifically. Yes, there are 40 or so rooms here, and I just lucked out. Phone ringing all the time, usually from patients calling from rooms with requests, sometimes on very loud speaker phone (“I need more Percocet!” “Could someone bring my baby to the nursery?” “I need ice water, please.” “MORE PERCOCET!”), frigging sliding door right there, opening and closing a hundred times an hour, babies in their wheeled bassinets moving past the door, clicking of heels, bings and buzzers, chatter chatter chatter of so many people… I realized that I was beginning to suffer from unnecessary sleep deprivation, most of which was not caused by my lovely, hungry baby.

You know you’re in New Jersey when… your hospital has 40 plus maternity rooms, and they’re all full, and you hear a nurse say there are 13 women in labor… so overall, I can’t complain too much, because I know some of these women are stuck in the old, crappy rooms while I have one of the many new, fancy rooms, albeit in a crap location. The nurses and doctors have all been very nice and helpful, especially Maura, my favorite nurse. My c-section must have been very well done, as my recovery has been even a bit easier than the first time, and that was a very good recovery as well. So, high marks for Morristown Memorial Hospital… though the food was significantly better at Yale!! Bonus points for the complementary post-natal massage, ahhhh. Recommendations for moms, no matter what hospital you’re in: ear plugs, your boppy pillow, and Fiber One granola bars (so yummy, and you SO need the fiber right now).

I realize I’ve written more about my silly hospital stay than about beautiful Maddie, so you’ll have to tune in soon for updates on her and her big brother, and all of us getting settled in to life together with Daddy at home. Grandma Patty is here all week with us to help, thank goodness. I can’t believe we’re a family of four! And that I’m about to go home (yup, still writing this in the hospital, actually), rather than about to deliver! Thanks for coming early, Maddie, and welcome, welcome, welcome. I’m in love with you.

3 Girls, No Diaper Bags!!

Ahhhh Girls Day Out!!! Beth, Kara and I had such a nice time... a whole afternoon just chatting and having fun. The dim sum was fantastic, though Beth doesn't eat shrimp, and Kara was getting over being sick so hardly eating at all... but I made up for it!! They were very good sports. Then we went to a little nail salon in Mendham for pedicures (Beth and I) and a manicure (Kara) - very relaxing!! Then on to nearby Chester to Sally Lunns, a gorgeous tea room, where we had tea, lemonade, and treats. It was actually Beth's birthday, so that made the day even more festive. It felt lovely to have long conversations without any interruptions, and it also was very nice to come home to our little kiddies and husbands, feeling all refreshed! With 2 more weeks or so left before the baby comes, we managed to do it in the nick of time.

Andy and Oliver, meanwhile, had a fantastic day out together!! They went to Sky Manor Airport about an hour away and watched all kinds of planes coming and going, and even toured a cockpit! Then they went to a Alstede Farm in Chester and checked out all the cool animals - a very busy day! O only napped for about 40 minutes in the car at some point, and was a bit overtired by bedtime, but not too bad. A super fun day for everyone - we'll definitely do it more often, switching the free time between me and Andy!

Ohhhh it's been so long

Making up for lost time, just here to post a few photos, really!! There's a lovely shot of all 3 of us on Valentine's morning, and two from just this week at the park - I don't remember telling Oliver he could start looking so grown up! Check out those brown eyes! I have to say I don't have a lot of news to report... we're mostly getting ready for baby #2 to come in a couple of weeks, and making plans for trips to Maine and a big visit in June from Andy's parents. O is pretty addicted to his new favorite tv series from England (on dvd), Peppa Pig - highly recommended to all parents of 2-3 year olds, but it might be a struggle to find it on US format. We have a gorgeous weekend coming up - mostly sunny and highs in the mid 50s, can't knock that for mid March! I'm looking forward to my "girly day" out with two friends on Sunday - dim sum lunch, pedicures, a bit of shopping... my last hurrah before the baby comes!! Andy's planning lots of manly stuff with Oliver. :-) Guess that's it for now, will try to write more soon!

February - so short, and yet so long

Let me try to think what's new... well, Andy was in Germany for meetings last week, then spent the weekend in England with family and friends. Oliver and I did ok here, not great... I think he's starting to take the whole "terrible twos" thing to heart, but it definitely comes and goes. Just normal things - being a monster when we're out anywhere, unless I give him a lollipop, not paying any attention to simple things I ask him to do (like hurling his toys at me), and especially, being really, really difficult at nap and bedtime. Not sure what's behind that, because until recently he was great with both of those. Bedtime got all screwed up because Andy was away, and he listens to Andy's "BACK TO BED!" more than he does to mine... so he ended up losing as much as 2 hours of sleep a night for a bit until I gave up and took him into my bed, stayed with him till he fell asleep, then left. Maybe his whole sleep pattern is just off now, and he's overtired, so nap/bedtime don't feel right to him. Whatever, hope he gets over it soon.

On the flip side, when he's not being a tyrant, he's lovely and wonderful. Which is most of the time, truth be told. Sort of. :-) We went to a birthday party over the weekend- his friend, Brandon, turned 2- here's a photo of Oliver next to Brandon, watching a puppet show intently. He even sat at the table with the other kids, enjoying the cake, even though he's not much of a "sitter." Today we went to our favorite park, Kittatinny State Park, just north of Andover, NJ, where we walked along Lake Aeroflex and down to the little airstrip at the end, where we watched 3 little planes take off and a big helicopter land, very cool. I was glad Oliver was wearing his wellies, as it was really muddy in parts and he LOVED playing in the puddles! We talked to lots of dogs, too. It was 70 degrees out today- 70 degrees!! They predicted mid 50s, I don't know what happened, but I was glad we were outside.

Otherwise, not too much to report. I'm working on the nursery for our girly-girl on the way (she gave a kick just as I typed that, not kidding!). We got a gorgeous rug on sale from Pottery Barn, and lovely pink blackout curtains. I like going in there, even though we still have to move out all the "guest room" furniture and it's a bit crowded right now. Less than 2 months to go... we're bracing ourselves!