Come to Mama

Where can I get a cup this big??? Mama need coffee!

Nova Scotia

I am in love with the idea of Nova Scotia these days. There is something about the maritime that just calls to me, not that I have any real idea what I'd be getting myself into but it sure would be fantastic to live there.


Can't you just smell the fresh sea air???

Chompers

We have a new tooth! A pretty little bottom tooth that made it's grand entry Saturday afternoon. Now if someone would just pose pretty with her mouth all open so that I can get a picture of it....

In other news! Um. It snowed yesterday. A sure sign of the Apocalypse is SNOW in Atlanta. Or at least that's what Atlanta natives think. Sheesh. And I voted in the run-off election this morning. The fear-mongering Republican ad's were so horrible and so incredibly incorrect! I am afraid that most of the ignorant red-necks down here are going to buy that crap hook, line and sinker. I don't know if Martin was out of money or what, but there was NOTHING from his camp in response to those ads. It was four weeks of "we can't let Obama GET AWAY WITH IT!!" They weren't too clear on what he was going to get away with... but it's sure to be SOMETHING SCARY. Of course, there folks down here were calling him Osama, so ya know, we aren't dealing with the intelligentsia or anything.

Back to happier thoughts: kiddo should be crawling by Christmas. She can get up on all fours and rock back and forth really well; and last night she started to be able to move a leg forward a little bit. And then she lost her balance and fell over.

Christmas

My God - I am overrun with Christmas already! Some stores have had their early X-mas stuff out since mid-August. Man, I remember back when I worked retail and I had people yelling at me because of a small Christmas display up in the back of the store at Halloween. Not that I didn't agree with them, I find the retailification of Christmas gross. I prefer to have Christmas be about family and the traditions that we have and not have it be about a shopping festival.

I do love the tree, lights and cozy feeling that I get this time of year. And this year I even get to have real eggnog. Sadly I am super excited about that. My good friend Evan Williams makes a splendid nog. Add a little nutmeg and enjoy.

Hm. Keeping up with the kid makes typing entries sorta tricky. She is almost crawling, she can get up on all fours and rock, and something tells me that this is the last of the quiet time we will have. Not that we are all that quiet, but things are about to go up a notch or two or ten. And in the next couple of days we will have our Christmas outfit photo shoot for the Christmas cards.

And now as I have a squiggly little monkey I think that it's time to runnoft.

WOO!

Got a new job! Suddenly everything is all sunshine and flowers! Man, life is gonna be rough for the dogs next week; they will be back in their kennels during the day. Misha, however, might throw a party. Finally!! I get to wear all my cute new work clothing! Yay!

Barack The Vote

Is there a support group for too much HGTV?

Still job hunting... the positive: going on lots of interviews (yay!!) and the negative: still no job offer yet (boo).

On to less depressing things!! Like my new found obsession with wanting to decorate the house. With all this time on my hands, and fueled by DIY network and HGTV and Ikea.com I have all these fantastic new things that I HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW AAARGH!!!! Wouldn't have anything to do with being in the house all the time, job hunting and puttering. Ya know, when we moved into this house, we doubled our square footage from our home in Richmond. The frustrating part is that the space is sorta of odd. The downstairs is a nice open floor plan, with a front room that we still don't know what we really want to do with, and the upstairs has the master suite and bedrooms (one that we use as a TV room).

My two favorite rooms are Freya's nursery and the kitchen. I took one look at the kitchen, and decided that this was the house that I wanted. And the nursery is just so warm and comfortable, not all overrun by baby stuff, the main print in the room is the Pre-Raphaelite painting La Belle Dame Sans Merci. And those are the only rooms that are really done. Oh, I lie. The upstairs guest room is done and so is the guest suite downstairs. And so is the dining room. Yeah, so really there are only the front room, t.v. room and the master bedroom that need help, which means furniture and PAINT. Painting this house is tricky, we have two double story rooms adding to the logistic issues, and we can't figure out what colors we want. Which might be an issue, ya think?

Enter Ikea.

I love Ikea. I really love Ikea - from the meatballs and lingen berry to the crazy names of the furniture pieces. Most of our house is from Ikea, nothing like nice inexpensive furniture that manages to combine modern and cozy. Ikea also has the greatest thing ever: a cooler weight goose down puff for only $30! I am spending way too much time on their website, I have found so much that we just have to have. Like new covers for our Ektorp sofa and chair, with two dogs and a cat, it's amazing how quickly the dark purple got really ratty looking. So, plain white covers that can be bleached are the best replacement (hello cheap) because it wont be long before someone around here starts to wander around with goldfish crackers (and being able to remove and bleach will be a super bonus). Also, a new duvet for our bed, new rugs, all kinds of vases and pillows and the list goes on and on.... And the best part is that, once I get a goddamn job, it'll all come in under $500.

Now, I have to go and watch a show about updating a green bathroom, like the color green not the "I'm a super environmentalist" kinda green. Wow, that is a lot of green.

Woe

Or the Economy can suck my big toe.

On the bright side, my favorite show is back on the air! I thought that the writers strike would be the end of Pushing Daises, because it is such an odd show. BUT!! It is back! Yay! Making my Wednesday nights rather schizophrenic as I start with Pushing Daises and then switch over to Criminal Minds. Or as I like to call it: everyone loves a serial killer.

And to celebrate the new season of my favorite show, I will post some funky pictures from last season.



Or, let me show you two pictures from "Dummy".
Maybe I should post after I get some sleep.

Some Pictures

Time for just a quick update here... it's been far too long since any Freya pictures were posted, so here we go!

Here we are eating peas. We LOVE peas.

She will grab the spoon and just shovel the peas into her mouth. She had peas in her hair and all over me by the time we were done eating them last night.

We also love our lion, he has a mirror one one side and every time we sit her in her bouncy seat, she pulls the lion down and puts it in her mouth.


And here is the one that I like to call "leave me alone lady, can't you see I got my thumb and my dinosaur??"

Well Then

So - the day before we went to Richmond for the big Freya meet and greet, I got laid off. The very strange thing: I was HAPPY about it. I hated the drive, hated having to beg for work to do and then having to drag it out so that I would have something to do, on the other hand, it was a good job, I enjoyed the work and my coworkers were fantastic. I have two theories: they weren't planning for me to really come back from my maternity leave, or they just re-distributed the work and discovered that they didn't really need me after all. (I bet that they probably would have backed out from hiring me in the first place if I hadn't been knocked up.) And I am so excited to be able to just relax at home (kiddo is still going to daycare, because it's already paid for and I will be working again soon, best to keep her on her regular schedule).

The best part - I already have interviews lined up and they are for folks in my neck of the woods. I am so excited that I won't have to drive a hundred miles a day just to get back and forth from work. And I'm not kidding, it really is about 100 miles - 45 miles from my house to Atlanta, and then 45 miles back. Ugh.

Now, I have to go take a shower and get ready for my interview today! Followed by a trip to the gym. This rocks!

France

About three weeks ago (more or less) I was listening to a report on NPR about the health care system in France. After hearing the piece about new mothers and babies (and having just had a baby) I am so jealous of French women! They have access to such excellent care after the baby is born. Now, I don't have many complaints of the prenatal care I received; several of the doctors I saw could have used a refresher course in bedside manner, but overall it was excellent care. (And I still talk about my wonderful midwife Dixie, she is the one that nicked named Freya "piglet".)

I was also jealous of the time that new mothers get in hospitals, I was in the hospital for 3 days, I could have pushed it to 4 if I had wanted, but I was ready to be out of there. Every time the lactation consultant came by, I had either just fed, or it wasn't time yet to feed Freya, resulting in me not getting any real help with breastfeeding until my parents came to visit. Every nurse and doctor gave me conflicting advise regarding breastfeeding, so we just went with what worked for us, which my mother reaffirmed for me. I was actually getting more depressed about being in the hospital than I was freaking out about being at home alone with an infant.

I also liked that part of the report where they discussed home health care. It was almost more than I could manage to get Freya to her first doctor appointment, even with Chris there helping. I wasn't all that prepared for the aftermath of having a baby, with abdominal surgery courtesy of the c-section. I mean, I knew that it wasn't gonna be pretty, this is the only major surgery I have ever had, and I had a very difficult time for as independent as I am. To say that I felt like I was pretty useless is an understatement. I was good for about 3 things: cleaning the baby butt, feeding the baby and sleeping with the baby.

Our pediatrician does not send a doctor to the hospital where I had Freya, so we had an appointment at their office when she was 5 days old. Now, Freya was a big baby, and in the three or four day period that it took for my boob's to come on line and for her to get a full belly from them, she lost about a pound. And boy did they make a huge stink about that! Enough of a stink that I ended up freaking the hell out, and we had to make several trips back to the office for weigh-ins. Looking back now, I get pretty pissed about that, I mean we were just getting the hang of the whole eating thing and they just put so much pressure on the whole eat! eat! eat! that I was needlessly stressed out. Because she gained her birth weight back and then some in the week between appointments. And don't even get me started on pumping...

Where was I??? Oh - Now see if we lived in France, we wouldn't have had to go anywhere! Other than to answer the door when a nurse came to visit with us, in our home. I had pretty much no contact from my OB once I left the hospital, although they may have called once, I'm not sure, those first few weeks are pretty hazy. How nice it would have been, to have someone come to the house and stay long enough to make sure all was going alright. Not only with things like breastfeeding, but also with things like making sure the Mom and Dad are doing alright with the stress of having an infant.

The French, as well as most of the rest of the world, get a huge chunk of (paid) time away from work to be with their new baby. I got a day and a half paid time off. The rest of my 6 week maternity leave was unpaid. Add to that the cost of actually having a baby, even with insurance, it's just staggering. I believe our total came to somewhere around a Honda Accord, fully loaded. I would have loved more time at home with Freya, but I also love my house, and eating, and driving my car. Six weeks is a disgustingly short amount of time really, our country should be ashamed of itself. Parents should not have to make the decision of whether or not to return to work, or if/when both return to work based on financial fear.

So to make a long rather long and disjointed story short - if we decide to have another baby we are totally moving to France.

Countdown

And so the countdown to the first plane trip with Freya begins! I am both very excited and very nervous... Not so much about how Freya will take to flying - I will have a bottle and her binkie ready - but about my ears as I have managed to get sick again. Or maybe I'm just still sick from before and all this not sleeping or remembering to eat is kicking me in the ass. Anyway - it's off to Target today at lunch for some super cold/sinus medicine. And maybe some clothing items that will transition from summer into fall, as I am slowly putting together a wardrobe that will fit now as well as after I loose the remaining baby weight. (Not doing so bad - got about 15lbs to go!) Because that is what everyone really needs to know, that I am going to buy clothing at Target. Sheesh. Riveted now aren't you??

New Bad Habit

Changing all the settings on my blog!
I am feeling quite clean and tidy now.
Whee!!

So... yeah

Not so good with the whole "update the blog" thing here. And, really it's pretty much business as usual around these parts. Freya had her 4 month well baby check-up and she weighs in at 16.1 pounds and is 25 inches long. She is also getting it into her head that she can roll over. She's not quite there yet; she can flip from her tummy to her back but not the other way round. Although she is pretty wiggly - she has tends to get all jammed into one corner of her crib. I don't think that she minds too much, it's when that damn binkie gets under her ear that she starts to fuss.

We have also started with rice cereal. The look on Freya's face was: "you have been holding out on me woman!" So I think that it is a success. In the next couple of weeks Moose will be the happiest dog in the world because when Freya starts actual baby food, I plan on using Moose to clean Freya up post meal. What? Isn't that in the contract when you get a Lab?? That they get first dib's on cleaning the baby after they eat?? I am pretty sure that it is...

Let's see what else??? Getting ready to go on our first trip as a family! Flying up to Richmond next week for Labor Day weekend. I think I have more things to pack for Freya than I do for myself!! As long as I remember to grab clean knickers for myself, I'll be good, but heaven forbid if I forget to grab Freya's monkey!! (We are very attached to our wonderful soft monkey.)

Now, I have to go and make lots of lists for packing and shit for the Labor Day trip. Because, I would rather make lists about doing my laundry than actually DOING my laundry.

Hee!

I had forgotten all about this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbS6kAMP3Bs

Well Hi There

I can't seem to remember to do things like post on my blog. So a super brief update: things are going very well here in Atlanta! Freya is doing lots of babbling and giggling, and she can hold her head up. She is starting to think about rolling over for reals yo. And she is getting much better at sitting up.
Cannot wait for Labor Day weekend - hopefully things will all go well and she will be a super traveler. Mostly I can't wait to see everyone and show off the Piglet.
Now, off to make the super list for all the crap that we need to bring along. My god that child's needs so much crap to go places. I am rather minimal when we are out and about now - just diapers, wipes, cream and the emergency pacifier. Really all we need to add to the carry on is a bottle and we are set for the flight. Now its all the stuff that we will "need" while visiting, like all the clothing and food and blankets and so on and so forth. How funny is this: I can pack everything that Chris and I will use in one small bag, Freya gets the big bag for all of her stuff.

Insert Something Cute Here

For the last several days, Freya waits until I have the clean diaper on her to go poop.
Apparently this is hysterically funny.

Hot Damn!

Paige and Khi arrive on Thursday, making turning 34 much easier!
Holy shit - must buy wine!!!!

Freya Friday #2

WOO!

Have tomorrow off from work - as it is the 4th. And to celebrate we are going to FINALLY get the upstairs bathroom painted. Gonna grill something and have margaritas! Fireworks will be watched from the yard or on TV as they will be going off after Piglet is in bed. It is quite bright outside at 9 pm in these parts, I am still not used to it!

Why God Created Bleach

Or - Why I love Marshall's!!
Because I am now the proud owner of a fantastic pair of (lined!) white linen pants that were just moved into the clearance section and only $10. LOVE!! They are a lovely cropped wide leg pant, which means that they fit me correctly and don't show all the fat on my legs! And as a bonus: I also found an excellent pair of black jersey gaucho pants for $14! Now all that's left is for Freya and I to take a field trip, and go to the H&M that (finally) just opened downtown and get some inexpensive tops.
Oh - if anyone can locate an orange striped 3/4 sleeve tee-shirt please let me know!

Polka Dots for Hilary

Here we are in our lovely polka dot dress!



And if all goes according to plan this afternoon, I shall be rocking the white linen pants!

Smile!

Someone is all about the big smiles these days! And we are giggling, not quite the big belly laugh, but a very proud of our self giggle.

She can also hold her head up by herself. She has probably been able to do this for a while, we just noticed yesterday when she was sitting in her dad's lap and all he was doing was keeping her from falling to either side. She had the rest of the whole sitting up thing under control.

Polka Dots!

Felt the need to shake up the format here! And we all know how I feel about polka dots!

Need to take a picture of Freya in her most fabulous polka dot gray and pink dress for this post!

I may need to get out more...

Updates and Such

Lets see - a rather uneventful weekend, just the way I like weekends to be. Freya got her 2 month immunizations on Friday, and she did beautifully - no fever or crankiness (other than the someone just jabbed 3 holes in my legs, I'm gonna scream for a while crankiness). She conked out for the night at around 9, and I then fell asleep on the sofa with her at around 9:30.
Saturday we vacuumed the house - one of her favorite pass times, and then we went and had Mexican for lunch, well Chris and I had Mexican, Freya took a nap.
Sunday was remarkable because she took a long afternoon nap, and I finally (!) got to dye my hair a lovely shade of auburn. I now have what I consider my natural color again (Irish Setter Red). Next is a nice hair cut at the end of August!
And so far today - I got a filling fixed, so now I can chew on both sides of my mouth. It does feel like the filling is a little high still, but I'm going to wait a little bit - till all the numbness wears off - and I have a meal or two on both sides before I call. I have been eating on only the right side of my mouth for the past month, so that may be why it feels odd...
Now, I just need to get the white linen pants I saw Friday out of my head. With any luck, when I swing by Marshall's tonight they will have been sold! But if they are still there, I will most likely purchase upon them - and then purchase all the bleach I can fit in a grocery cart!!

Dude

I totally forgot to post Freya Friday #2! So I present Freya Friday moonlighting on Tuesday:

Things have settled down into a very nice routine during the week, well in that we all get out of the house with all our bags and whatnot and I don't leave the kitchen sink running. Now, if I could just get myself together and leave the house at the same time in the morning we'd be set! However, we are just on week three of this after all. And we have yet to have a "normal" week as far as work schedules go, with new work schedules and a crazy list of doctors visits between now and oh sometime in September... Lord, and I thought all the OB visits were a pain in the ass; they were nothing compared to the amount of appointments this child has had already!!

I do wonder: Why in the hell is it necessary to have monthly "Well Baby" check-ups?? I would be happy with every couple of months - but every 4 weeks seems a little excessive to me... Would I feel differently if I had given birth to a 5 pound baby and called the doctor every time time she sneezed?

Am I Evil?

Yes I Am.

Am also smug.

Thumb vs. Binky

Freya has figured out how to get her thumb in her mouth, she has been trying to get that worked out from the day she was born. I'm still bummed that the camera was at the other end of the house when she figured it out, because the look on her face was priceless (the "ha! got you - you bastard - take that" look). In the morning, after she eats and I am cramming something in my mouth, she'll holler for a little bit then remember that she has a thumb and then she'll sit quietly with it in her mouth. Evenings are when she likes a pacifier, usually when I'm making dinner and she is charming the socks off her father. She looks so much like Maggie from the Simpson's, the way she sucks on the pacifier, it's really cute.

Her favorite game to play with her father right now is to smile and almost giggle when he kisses her on the head. She has also discovered the dragonfly mobile in her crib. Which is very useful in the afternoon when I need to get chores done, it will hold her attention for about 15 minuets. It is amazing what I can cram into that short amount of time these days.

She is also enjoying "tummy time" with her boppy most afternoons. After afternoon nap, she is usually up for a couple hours now (say 6 to 9:30-ish) and what better time to work on head control!! Tummy time is also known as grouchy baby drooling on boppy, while cat keeps the dogs under control time.

Freya Friday #1

Week Seven

I can't believe that it has been seven weeks already! Oddly - I was sure that my incredible discomfort when I was pregnant would have stayed with me a little longer than it did. But, it was replaced with the sliced and diced discomfort of the c-section.

Had my postpartum visit today, and got cleared for exercise and wink wink, nudge nudge, know-what-I-mean know-what-I-mean.

On the Freya front: she is now smiling at us when we talk to her and following us with her eyes.

She is also sleeping in a 7 hour stretch at night (knock on wood).

And now a Piglet picture:

The 5 Best Things About Living In Atlanta

1. We get spring temperatures for several months, instead of a couple of days.
2. Awesome local brewery (Sweetwater) and their blueberry beer.
3. My day lily's bloom from April through October!!
4. Making the most of my wretched commute by using that time to either call family and friends or listening to whatever I have on my iPod, and just enjoying the hour (both ways) that I have all to myself.
5. NikeTown and the Container Store are right near my office.

For Carol and Katherine

She can still wear the booties! Unfortunately, she hates all hats. The nurses in the hospital kept trying to get her to wear one, and she got so good at getting out of them: at two days old, three shimmies and she was out of the hat.

Because I Can't Help Myself

Some pictures of the Piglet.

The Girls

The first born is Misha, a 10 year old seal point Siamese cat.

Then came Maggie, a 4 year old German Shorthaired Pointer.

Next is Moose, a 7 month old black Lab.

The latest addition is Freya, the most beautiful baby girl.

And now a picture of Freya and her father, because I love the picture.

Coming up next: the crazy shenanigans of estrogen central!