Life's Little Riches

The Party is O-ver

2011-08-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

It seems earlier than ever this year, but school is officially back in session. We had such a fantastic summer! I was able to be with James every day for over 2 months and Brian had 5 straight weeks too. We were busy! James learned how to swim! He took 6 weeks of ISR (Infant Swim Resource) lessons and can now swim underwater with his eyes open to a ladder, hand or any other target. When he needs air, he has learned to float up on his back to relax and regain energy, and when he's ready he can turn back over and continue to swim! It is absolutely amazing! There were some tears along the way, but now James is a confident yet cautious swimmer. He will no enter a pool unless "invited" by an adult.

We had a fun trip to Houghton Lake, Michigan for the fourth of July with the Rich family at their beautiful lake house. James had his first real experience with big fireworks. See the picture below for his reaction. Let's just say he is not a fan! We spent tons of time with friends and family up there and lots of relaxation was had by all!

James had a great second birthday with all his friends and family by his side. His cake was Cars themed. He saw the movie Cars 2 with Nonie and Papa Rich and Aunt Sarah. He loved it! During the movie he jumped up and said, "OH NO!" loudly when the cars crashed. He sat and watched the whole movie! He takes after Brian and I...we love movies too!

What else???? Well, I can officially announce now that I am pregnant! That's right, baby Rich number 2 is on the way! I'm 14 weeks pregnant and due February 16th. James is going to need to become a big boy fast! Unfortunately, he has no interest whatsoever in potty training so the diapers remain! We are starting to get furniture together for his "big boy" room. I'm thinking a Zoo theme would be fun! We will be finding out the gender in a month or so! I can't wait! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a girl, but I have a feeling it's another boy due to the fact that my pregnancy is almost identical to how James' was. We'll see! I feel great and have tons more energy than I did earlier this summer. No morning sickness or weird cravings. My belly certainly isn't taking it's time to pop out! I guess that's the way it goes once your stomach muscles are pretty much gone! Ha ha!

Here's some pics of James:

Cars themed birthday cake! James loves Mater, the tow truck.
James dug right into his cake this year. He was on a major sugar high!
First Cardinals game thanks to DJ Reyburn. It's good to know a major league umpire! James loves his friend, "D".
Driving the boat at Houghton Lake with Noni Rich.
This is James' reaction to the first big fire work of the night. He cried for the next few minutes.
James with his good friend Macy Leitz at the Leitz Family Cottage.
This was Brian's life vest when he was a baby.
And this was Brian's rocking horse too. Noni Rich saves everything! James also slept in the crib that belonged to Brian and ate at the original wooden high chair. They don't make them like they used to!
James with Audrey Menees! She is too cute!
On our trip home from Michigan we stopped in Indianapolis to see the Everheart Family at their gorgeous new home. James had fun with Adrie in the wagon and in their pool.

Summer Time and the Livin's Easy

2011-06-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

James playing the harmonica at Sam A. Baker State Park. He was actually pretty good!
I want "YOU!!!" Having a good time in the kiddie pool.

James loved our close family friend, Kim Doi!
Hunter S. Thompson a.k.a. James
With a little imagination, anything can become a bridge or a highway.
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to you, Papa!
Helping daddy assemble the train table, a.k.a. "the babysitter." James will literally play with it for hours.
Memorial Day weekend at GG Shirley's pool.
2 little bears sitting on chairs.
Clowning around!

We're Still Here!!!

2011-05-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have been out of the loop for a long time! Things are finally starting to settle down. We've had a very busy year, but that is no excuse for not posting to our blog for almost 4 months! So what's new??? Here's a few photos of what's been going on. James is such a big boy now. He has been eating so well since he had his tubes put in, and the ear infections are gone! He's happy, healthy, and has quite the sense of humor. Here he is at dinner tonight playing peek-a-boo.

The boy LOVES trains! We went to the Museum of Transportation on a beautiful Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago. James was in heaven! The place is super cool. There are tons of really old trains that you can climb on and inside even. James loves walking on the tracks.
He would have spent the entire weekend there if he could!
Waiting for trains at the Kirkwood Train Station on Mother's Day.
He looks like he's part of a traveling circus.

Waiting for trains with Papa Dan at the Kirkwood Train Station on Mother's Day.
Awww. It was a great Mother's Day!
A really cool old train at the Museum of Transportation.
His body fit so snuggly in that little crevice.
James also loves planes. Planes, trains, automobiles. He is such a boy! Striking a pose with Daddy!

Promise to see you soon!

1.5 Years Old

2011-01-27T15:45:00.001-08:00

He looks so big compared to his first months in this chair! Check out his first month pic.
This Friday we will be getting James his 4th big boy haircut. He has so much thick, blonde hair.
This winter has been pretty snowy for Missouri. We've had a little fun in the snow, but I feel like the majority of the time is spent getting ready to go out in the snow. It's usually 20 minutes of getting dressed for 10 minutes outside. Not only has it been snowy, it's been bitterly cold. Needless to say we have some pretty serious cabin fever around here!
GG Shirley gave James this mini guitar at Christmas. It plays Elvis' song, "Blue Christmas." James loves music and especially loves the color blue. Lately he's been pointing to anything blue "boo" in the room. He can also identify red and yellow. We've been working on letters too. He can say "K, M, J, E, and D."

We are having so much fun with our little guy. He has quite the personality. He's happy, growing, eating well, healthy, sleeping well and just at a really easy, fun age. The bears in this video were won by Grammy Sandy Rich in a karaoke contest. James (obviously) loves them. I recently bought the little potty for James to start getting used to seeing around. I'm not sure when we'll actually use it though. That's going to be a whole new chapter!

James gets tubes put into his ears to hopefully help with ear infections on Feb. 9. It's crazy because he's been perfectly fine for so long that I feel like we shouldn't go through with it. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before gets another one. He's had 4 this season!

First Santa Visit

2010-12-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

We were worried when we approached big ole' Santa at Plaza Frontenac that James would cry, but to our surprise he took to him very quickly. In fact, he got so comfortable on Santa's lap that we thought James might take a little nap. I framed this picture in our house and every time James sees it he says, "ho, ho, ho!"

Turning Corners

2010-12-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

James and Pa Pa Rich hanging out. Bill and Sandy came down from MI to spend Turkey Day with us. James had so much fun with them and aunt Sarah from L.A. He was really sad when everyone left. He kept walking around the house saying, "Pa Pa?"
Quick messy face pic with mommy.
Feeling good and pigging out! James ate more today than he has in the past week!
Future quarterback???
Touchdown!
Oh, the things you get away with when you're sick.
You'll never get me, copper! Mini mobster!

Poor James has been super cranky, congested, finicky about food and just generally miserable for so long that I couldn't even remember what my happy little baby used to be like. He was diagnosed with an ear infection over 2 weeks ago, and after the first antibiotic did nothing, the doctor prescribed a stronger dose. Twice this week he was sound asleep by 5 p.m. and slept until 7:30 the next day! But then, all of a sudden he woke up happy, healthy and all the sickness was gone! Today I got a call from the babysitter saying that he had yellow puss coming out of his ear. Gross! I took him in and it turns out that his ear drum had burst and the fluids were coming out. The doctor said that the relief of pressure behind the ear drum would explain his sudden mood change. He's like a new person. And tonight for the first time in literally MONTHS he ate dinner. In fact, he ate breakfast, lunch, dinner and several snacks, lots of milk! For the longest time he's been living on practically nothing but milk, an occasional banana and goldfish. He was even starting to look gaunt and his color looked weird. I guess that built up ear infection took a major toll on his well being. But now...he's back! I'm soooooooooooo relieved.

Updates:

James now has around 20 words and sometimes he puts two words together (uh oh baby!) (he also says: mommy, daddy, kitty, football, ball, woof, moo, shoes, papa, see, car, hoo hoo, owl, key, hi, cracker, mi mi, bye bye)
He can sign the following (help, more, sleepy, drink, eat)
He can also blow a kiss, dance and locate his head, nose, feet, hands, belly and hair)
He weighs 18.8 pounds (hopefully he'll start gaining more now that he's better)
He sleeps 11-11.5 hours through the night (usually 7:30 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.)
He takes a 2 - 2.5 hour nap
He loves books and will sit and listen intently for as long as we feel like reading
Sometimes he'll sit and "read" his books alone
He absolutely loves football! Anytime we're around a tv with football on he will yell football, and sometimes he begs me to turn it on by pointing at the tv and saying football.
He's getting really good at puzzles.
He can run now and loves to be chased in circles around the house or play peek-a-boo
He will sit and watch a dvd when mom needs to get ready for work or cook dinner

Zombies and Firefighters

2010-11-01T18:25:00.001-07:00

Once again, a huge group of friends and family headed down to the beautiful Sam A. Baker State Park for our annual Halloween getaway. Since this was probably the last year that we won't have issues with James wanting to go trick-or-treating, we were in the clear. It was a beautiful weekend full of hiking, laughing, eating, bonfires, and of course the murder mystery tradition. This year's murder mystery was "zombie" themed. It was hilarious! 18 of us got all done up it pretty scary zombie gear. James was close to bedtime that night, but he got a good glimpse of all of us right before bed. I just found out that 15 months is the usual age that kids can start having nightmares! Oh no! The zombie thing might be what has been waking him up the last few nights in a row yelling for "mommy!!" We were going to stay Sunday night at Sam A. Baker, but I was beat and Brian couldn't stay so we decided to head home as a family for our first Halloween in our new house. We were a little underwhelmed by the small amount of trick-or-treaters. Once again I bought WAY too much candy for the turnout. James was pretty excited to see the kids coming to the door. He wouldn't leave the door for a while in hopes of seeing another one. Finally, James had to go to bed so Brian and I waited up for more kids to come to our door. We finally had a "rush" of them around 8:00 p.m. Brian was impressed by the St. Louis tradition of having to tell a joke or do an actual treat to get candy. Apparently, in Michigan people just give the candy out without forcing young children to perform first. I think it's a nice justification for free candy! James will need to start working on his ghost jokes for next year. Now... on to the holiday season! There's a lot to look forward to!

Fall Funzies

2010-10-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

We've had so much fun doing "fallish" things with James lately. Last year at this time James was way to little to enjoy it so we are taking full advantage this year. Poor guy was super sick all last week, but I'm so relieved to say that he has made a full recovery from the upper respiratory infection that took us all out this week. Lots of lost sleep and plenty of tears, but we made it! I hope he doesn't get sick again for a LONG time!!
Playing with the baby goats at Grants Farm. The goats really liked eating Brian's Rams jersey. Maybe that's why they lost today!
Hold on tight! James riding the horsie at Francis Park.
Our little vampire.
James' first hayride!
Corn maze in St. Genevieve, MO with the Menees Family.

The Very Busy Baby

2010-09-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

We have had an exciting couple of weeks!
- James got his first big boy hair cut. (see video)
- My cousin, Amy, had a new baby, Zane (see pic above...newborn in middle, baby Sierra on right)
- My other cousin, Nikki, and her 8 month old came for a visit.
- We did the Memory Walk in honor of my grandma Doris and James was able to walk on the field of Busch Stadium.
- James can climb! Scary but true. James can get on top of furniture before knowing how to get down.
-and for the BIG news! James started walking yesterday! He has been taking a few steps here and there, but yesterday he just busted out of his shell and started walking. Even though he can walk perfectly well, he is still crawling the majority of the time...but he CAN do it! I have to get a better video of it. He's already got great balance and agility. He doesn't really have the "drunkard" wobble I was hoping to see. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm SO glad that the crawling days might be behind us. Now we can go for walks outside and he can walk in places where it is totally gross to crawl! My baby is growing up so fast!

13 Months

2010-08-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

James' first "real" trip to the St. Louis ZOO

James' Latest Stats:
- 18 pounds 9 ounces (2nd percentile)
- 29.75" long (36th percentile)
- Took 4 STEPS today!
- 1 nap a day (usually 2 - 2.5 hours)
- 12 hours sleep at night
- Finicky eater (drops most food on the floor, spits it out, shoves it into diaper)
- Loves turning lights off and on
- Words he understands (that I know of!) cat, Grizzo, doggy, ducky, froggy, hug, purple cat, drink, book, Elmo, milk, daddy, mommy, grandma, grandpa, up, walk, fish, block, baby, pee-ka-boo, uncle Paulie, Aunt Maureen, night night.
- Claps hands, waves bye-bye, cracks up when mom dances (understandably)
- Loves to dance! Breaks out into dance immediately when he hears music
- Loves books (he will bring one over to us to read to him)
- Loves to give hugs to Elmo and people
- Gets into EVERY thing now. Flushes toilets, digs into trash, opens all cabinets and drawers, pulls out pots and pans, unravels toilet paper daily. I never get a break unless he's strapped in his high chair
- Enjoys watching Sesame Street videos occasionally
- Enjoys car rides now since he can face forward
- Can still only say a few distinguishable words (momma, mommy, dad, daddy, turtle, pa...the rest is babble)

Farewell to Long, Lazy Summer Days

2010-08-11T18:53:00.001-07:00

The birthday boy enjoying his first taste of cake!
This cake was delicious and so awesome looking.
James helping Uncle Paulie steer the boat at Houghton Lake.
James and Grammy Sandy enjoying the Hammock at the cottage.
First boat ride!
Looking out onto the beautiful lake.
Hanging with daddy at our pool.

Tomorrow marks the end of summer fun. Teachers return, James heads to baby sitting. It was a busy, BUSY summer. We moved, I finished my masters, we traveled, we had a first birthday for James. I thought I wouldn't be upset about returning to work, but I find myself very sad tonight thinking about all the fun we had as a family home this summer. I'm going to miss our morning walks and long, lazy days hanging out by the pool. James has grown up so much in the past few months. He's a little boy now. He has become very attached to me over the last few months so I'm worried about how he'll do at daycare. He loves his baby sitter and so do I. Luckily, my mom and dad will continue to watch him two days a week so the transition won't be so hard. I'm sad that his cute little tiny self will be so much more grown when we come around to this wonderful time again next summer. I wish we could freeze time right here for a little longer.

U-N-O!!!

2010-07-26T17:54:00.001-07:00

James left his infant-hood behind and jumped into toddler town in style this Saturday as we celebrated his one year birthday. Following a fabulous week in Michigan where we got to see tons of family and friends and where James had many firsts including boating, beautiful Michigan in the summer, DVD in the car for the road trip, and of course lake-life at Houghton Lake, we headed back to Missouri with the entire Rich clan in tow to celebrate the big boy's birthday. We threw a "yacht rock" themed pool party. Everyone dressed in character by wearing their finest short-shorts, tropical shirts, big hats, gold jewels and docksiders. Even though it was a raging hot (somewhere in the 100's) we all had a great time. James got to eat his birthday cake in front of 50+ friends and family. He got so many cool new toys and nice gifts. It was a fun celebration. He was a trooper even though he barely got a nap and stayed up late. It's sad to have all the family gone and the festivities over with. The house is so quiet. Here's a link to more pics.

One Crazy Summer!

2010-07-03T10:44:00.001-07:00

Wow! Things have been busy around here! I'm a little late getting James' 11 month pics up. He is getting SO big! I can't believe my little guy is going to be 1 in just 3 weeks. Where did the time go? He is so funny. Lately he's all about babbling, laughing, imitating us, dancing, crawling and almost walking! We are all settled in our new house. It was hectic getting moved with a little crawler, but we got it done with lots of help from family and friends. Brian has been home for two weeks enjoying the pool and taking walks with James while I finished up my Masters program. I had to work for 3 weeks full-time as a reading specialist in Clayton School District's summer tutoring program. I'm all finished now and ready to enjoy the summer! We have another 3 weeks of Brian being home. I go back to school in 6 weeks. I can't believe how fast this summer went. Oh well! We're going to maximize the time we have left. We head to MI in just a week from Monday to visit with Grammy and Papa Rich and aunt Sarah. We're going to head to Houghton Lake to hang out at the Rich lake house. We are going to stay there for 8 days and then the Rich family is going to cruise back here for a visit at our new house and to help us celebrate James' first birthday. The weather has been absolutely fab. No humidity. Clear skies. Mild temps. Not typical at all for July in St. Louis...but we'll take it. Here's some James updates:
- 7 teeth
- Eating lots of "real people" food
- Still taking 2 naps
- Crawling everywhere
- Pulls up and "cruises" around on furniture
- Can stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds
- LOVES Elmo and music (he gives his Elmo hugs and kisses)
- Enjoys kicking around in the pool
- Can wave bye-bye
- Babbling a lot but only says "maa" "daa" and "kiii" (cat)
- Likes to mimic loud high pitched noises
- Always has his tongue out
- Very smiley and happy

Getting these pics while holding a sign is getting harder and harder...
I can't believe how big he looks in this chair now!

10 Months

2010-05-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Where is the time going? James is fast approaching one year, and he is a very active little dude. At his most recent doctor appointment he weighed a little over 17 pounds and is 28 inches long. He's a little guy...4th percentile in weight and 41st in height. He has begun to pull up on everything and can cruise around the house pretty well on furniture. He gets himself hurt every now and then. Poor guy has had some falls. Tonight he took a little spill in the bath tub because he insists on standing in there too. Fortunately he wasn't hurt! It scared me though! The true test is going to be successfully packing up our house and moving to the new place. Our closing date is June 8. I wish we could have moved before he was mobile. Luckily, he's very fond of hanging out inside cardboard boxes. He might have to spend some time playing in a few to keep him occupied. School is out this Friday and teachers at my school have to come back next Tuesday, but then we are DONE! Unfortunately, I have to complete a month long internship during the month of June to complete my masters in reading. We are looking forward to July! James' first birthday, a new house, vacation, a new pool, and seeing friends and family. It's going to be busy, but fun.

9 Month Wiggles

2010-04-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well, everyone told me to enjoy the time when James was immobile and would sit endlessly in one place playing while I emptied the dishwasher, checked my email, did laundry, etc. Those days are officially OVER! he is a man on the move and boy can he move fast! The crawling officially started about 3 weeks ago. It was a little rough at first, but he's definitely mastered the crawl. Now he zooms straight over to the most dangerous item in the room. (What is with babies and being attracted to danger!?!) I need to get this house baby-proofed even better, but I feel it's irrelevant because we are under contract! Yup, we will soon be moving to a new house that we just put a contract on ourselves. The new place is a sprawling ranch with a really open floor plan, lots of big windows, and the icing on the cake--it has an in-ground saltwater pool! We will need to get James some swim lessons soon. Our closing date is June 8. There is so much to be done between now and then...my head is spinning. James is so active now that I'm really wondering how I'll manage to pack up our entire lives and successfully unpack it without him getting into trouble. These days I put one knee on top of him for diaper changes, otherwise he's rolled over and off. Here are some 9 month updates:
- 6 teeth (2 bottom, 4 coming in on top)
- Claps hands and waves bye bye
- Crawls, pivets, sits up, turns
- Can walk with a rolling walker
- Today pulled up into standing position
- Sleeps through night still with one long nap and one short nap
- Had first ear infection (up every 20-30 minutes all night screaming!!)
- Loves books and laughs out loud at pictures
- Weighs 16 pounds
- Says, "da da" "ma ma" "ki ki" (cat) and definitely knows other words just can't say them yet
- Laugh sounds like a really rusty door opening (you just have to hear it!)
- Super thick head full of blonde hair
- Eyes turning hazel

California Baby

2010-03-31T20:09:00.001-07:00

The Elite 8 Months

2010-03-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

We have had some big firsts here lately for Mr. James. He took his first plane ride with my sis and I to visit Sarah Rich in L.A. Our flight was not too bad even though he never really slept. We couldn't have asked for better weather while we were there. It was 80 degrees and super sunny the whole time. James got in the roof-top pool at Aunt Sarah's downtown loft. We rented bikes and headed out to Marina Del Rey for an afternoon with Kristyn. James loved rolling around the board walk near Santa Monica Pier. He even experienced his first earthquake. That happened at about 4 a.m. and was a 4.4 magnitude. No damage, but definitely shook the bed and the loft a bit. I wouldn't say that it was scary, but I was super nervous that it was the "small" one before the huge earthquake. Luckily that never happened! Brian was on spring break this week, but he left for 5 days for his grandpa's funeral and to spend some time with his family. It's good to have him.

Other updates include:
- 2 top teeth have surfaced
- We finally stopped swaddling at bedtime this week (going well!)
- Eating all sorts of foods (avocado, tofu, peaches, bananas, peas, carrots, etc) he loves it all
- New favorite past time is walking with our help. He cruises around the house this way and screams joyously the whole time
- Can now sort of clap...especially to patty cake
- Says "ki ki" for the cat, "mama mama" "dadada"

Oh, and the title of this blog entry is because MI STATE made it past the Elite 8 once again...and is heading to the Final Four!

The Pied Piper

2010-02-28T16:28:00.001-08:00

We had to vacate our house this weekend for showings and the big open house that was today, so we headed out to my parent's place for the weekend. James had a blast playing with this recorder. He actually blew into it and sound came out! What can I say, he's advanced! (ha ha) We had a great open house. There were about 20 different people through and one person visited twice! Hopefully we get an offer soon! Now, the only question is, how did this weekend go by SO fast????

7 Month Itch

2010-02-24T13:23:00.001-08:00

Getting James to sit still for his month photos is NOT easy!
Hopeless!
Well, this is the best I could do! So James had his 6th month visit (but he was actually a week away from being 7 months). He's growing up so fast:
- 15 lbs (4th percentile)
- 27 inches (52nd percentile)
- still 2 teeth
- says "ma ma ma"
- eats 2 solid meals a day (one fruit, one veggie)
- can sit all by himself
-just started getting into the hands and knees crawling position and rocks back and forth
-sleeping well (12 hours straight through and usually 2 naps)
-loves the door jumper
-laughs at nothing and screams out all the time
-can drink from a bottle and sippy cup all by himself!

Having Fun

2010-02-09T18:09:00.001-08:00

Today we enjoyed our 3rd snow day of the winter. James has been so happy and cute lately. He really is starting to have a little personality. Right now he's totally obsessed with his tongue. He leaves it out most of the day and makes all sorts of funny noises with it. Recently he started saying "ma ma ma ma". I'd like to think he's talking about me, but I kinda doubt it. He can now sit up on his own, which has made play time more fun. Long gone are the days of hanging out laying around. He hates that! When I try to lay him down anywhere he immediately flips to his belly and gets into the upward facing dog yoga position. He's building up a lot of strength, and I think it's only a matter of a couple of weeks before he begins to crawl. Watch out! He's been super drooly lately so I think he might be getting ready for the next few teeth. His bottom ones are totally in now. The great news is that James is back to sleeping through the night! We had about a month and a half stretch where he was waking up once or twice every single night. I was getting very little rest and it finally caught up with me. I was really sick last week with a sinus infection. He's been sleeping really well for the past week or so. Knock on wood that he keeps that up. I think it was the bottom teeth coming in that made him fussy at night.

The other news around here is that Brian and I have decided to put our house on the market! We have been feeling a little restless here recently (probably due to all the long hours spent inside) but the market where we live is thriving and it seems like we can get a good bargain on a house. So for the past 2 weeks we've been cleaning, decluttering and taking care of fixing all problems around here. Our first open house is the week after next so we don't have much time. Hopefully we get a buyer soon...and for the price we are asking!

6 Months Already!

2010-01-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Click this picture to see more!

Getting James to pose with his little sign this time was not easy. He was obsessed with putting into his mouth (like everything else these days). We decided to just let him tear it to shreds...and he did!

Mr. Independant

2010-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

James is suddenly becoming quite the big boy. He now has the beginning of 2 bottom teeth and he can roll over all by himself. I captured his first roll on camera yesterday and since then he's literally been on a roll. Today he laid cozy on the couch with Aunt Maureen watching Michigan State (woman's) basketball which was pretty cute and fun. One thing that we are struggling with is swaddling. He's getting stronger and can easily break out of the swaddle that he's been sleeping so nicely in since birth. When he breaks out of it he wakes up, but when he's not in it he wakes up every 2-3 hours. I read that you can begin weaning from a swaddle by leaving one arm out. We tried that and he woke up about an hour after going to bed and his poor little hand was freezing! If anyone has any suggestions on how to make this transition, please let me know. I'm feeling pretty clueless at the moment. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the only way to wean is to just endure some sleepless nights until he gets used to his new sleeping arrangements.

James' First Christmas

2010-01-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Michigan this year was much different than years past. This time we had to rent a SUV to haul the massive amount of stuff a 5 month old needs to live a week away from home. The trip up to Michigan was pretty seamless. We left at 10 p.m. Tuesday night before Christmas and Brian drove us straight through the night. We stopped only twice for gas. James slept the entire trip! However, upon our arrival, it was morning for him and bed time for us. Luckily aunt Sarah and grandma Sandy were ready to step in so we could get some much-needed shut-eye. We had so much fun this year playing with James and showing him off to all the family members on Brian's side who had never met him. As always, we relaxed, ate yummy food, played Wii fit and DJ Hero, and stayed up late into the night. The ground was covered in snow the entire time. Christmas was really fun. James' sat on grandma Sandy's lap during gift opening. Spontaneously through our gift exchange, he started laughing and laughing. He had fun and was in a great mood the entire morning. He received so many fun new gifts. He got a Red Ryder wagon from my parents, an excersaucer, clothes, books, toys, and tons more from the Rich Family. Aunt Maureen and Uncle Jeff got him the cute little santa suit that he wore on Christmas day. Brian and I got him a door bouncer that he's probably going to enjoy when he's a little bit bigger. It was sad to leave our winter wonder-land and the entire Rich clan to return to Missouri, but James has proven to be a very easy traveler thus far.

Here are some 5 month updates:
- Eating rice cereal
- 2 lower teeth have popped through the gums
- Can now sit up and stand up with assistance
- Rolling over and spending much more time on belly
- Loves to be read to, sang to, and carried around
- Hugs us tight when around other people and doing a little shy look away thing when approached by strangers
- Noticing the cat and petting him when he comes by for a visit
- Sleeping most nights through the night still (but did not the entire visit in Michigan - probably because of the teething)

Merry Merry

2009-12-07T17:37:00.001-08:00

Lazy Sunday

2009-12-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

We have had a lovely weekend of (almost) doing nothing but sitting around the house. Brian has had a fire raging in the fireplace since early Saturday. This is the first weekend in a long time that we haven't had tons of places to be. I feel a little guilty that I'm still in my P.J.'s and it's well past noon, but oh well, who cares? It's freezing outside, but nice and toasty inside. We've had tons of fun family moments in our house. I put up the Christmas decorations on Friday. James has lots of eye candy in the house now. He loved the Christmas lights. It's so fun to watch him experience all of this for the first time. Oh, and I actually heard a real laugh for the first time on Friday. Brian and I couldn't stop laughing at it. I keep trying to get more laughs out of him, but it's not happening. He's still smiley and happy. Hopefully full-on laughter is coming soon. I did accomplish one thing this weekend: Uploaded Photos.

Fun Visit From Aunt Sarah

2009-11-30T14:07:00.001-08:00

Wow! What a fun and busy Thanksgiving break. It all started with Aunt Sarah arriving on the red eye Wednesday morning. She "worked" (but mostly played with James) from our house all day and then that night we went to a fun party at Hacienda where we saw The Fontanelle's (my brother-in-laws band) and DJ B Rich. Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving at my sister's for brunch and then my aunt's house for dinner. After gorging all day and night we were pretty tired so we crashed kinda early. Friday we had a happy hour that lasted until 3 a.m. at our place. It was fun catching up with Kristyn (from L.A.) and Joel & Alicia (from NYC). Saturday we had my BFF, Anna's bridal shower, Turkey Day celebrations at my aunt Susie's house and then that night an 80s themed bachelorette party. It was a blast from the past. Here's a group shot. Anna wore a full on tacky 80s wedding dress and all the girls wore 80s style prom dresses. It was so much fun. We stayed out until 2:30 a.m.! Sunday was low key for me. Brian and Sarah went to the Rams game (Sarah won tix the first night she was in town). Then we chilled out and watched a movie together. It was a FUN break! Thank goodness Christmas break is only 22 days away...James misses his Aunt Sarah!

Our Little 4-Month-Old (Hawaiian) Turkey

2009-11-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

Aunt Sarah just arrived from LA with a gift for James! She recently went to Hawaii for her birthday and picked up this Big Kahuna number while in Kona. James is having SO much fun with his awesome Aunt. She has already taken 50 pics. Let the fun begin! Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Our Little Wild Thing

2009-11-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted some of James' new talents:
1. Smiles all the time
2. Has started to scream with excitement (very loud, but very cute!)
3. Puts hands in mouth and just about anything within reach
4. Can now roll to the side and back again
5. Can sit up in the Bumbo chair
6. Sleeps 11 hours straight through the night (God LOVE him!)
7. Has discovered that bath time can be fun when you splash and kick (I must post a video of this soon)
8. Can see much farther distance now and has recently discovered Grizzo, the cat
9. Notices himself in the mirror
10. Has lots of conversations with us (still says "Laaa")
11. Starting to laugh (it sounds like a cough, it's so cute!)
12. Growing very quickly these days (had to put away all newborn clothes because he has outgrown everything) mostly in length, he's still skinny
13. Can put all of his weight on his little legs and stand with help for a long time

3 Months

2009-10-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Back to Work

2009-10-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a week! Returning to a new job after 5 months off with a newborn went considerably well. The morning routine that Brian and I have established is working seamlessly because we all made it to work and daycare on time every day. James did great with his babysitters. On Mondays and Wednesdays my parents come to our house to watch him which makes those days much more laid back. I was worried about getting James out the door in time to get to daycare, but that went well too. He has been very laid back about all the changes to his normal routine. This weekend the Grandma and Grandpa Rich are heading down from Michigan to stay with us for the whole week. They are going to take care of James during the day while I'm at work. They haven't been able to see him since birth so it will be great to get to know him now that he's changed so much.

My new job is great! I'm a part-time reading teacher in the mornings only. Going back to work has confirmed that I really would rather be a part-time working mom rather than a stay at home mom. I love getting up and at it in the morning and having a place to go where I can interact with adults, and being with the kids is the best. I work with first and second graders this year and they are so cute! It's funny how being a mom has changed my outlook on teaching. I'm a much more empathetic person now. The best part of my job is that I'm completely finished by noon! Although this week I worked most days until 1:30 in order to get organized, but I think the planning time will be cut down drastically once I get into the swing of things. Luckily, the next two weeks are short. We have Friday off for the next two weeks.

12 Weeks

2009-10-16T11:32:00.001-07:00

Today James and I took a trip up to Overland to visit Brian at work. It was nice to finally see where he goes every day. It's actually a really nice facility in a nice neighborhood. Brian introduced us to the staff and we got to see the bulletin boards that he put up. I must say (and I'm a bulletin board master by now) that they looked really good. James got to go with us for lunch at Applebees, which ended up not being very fun. We basically asked for the check while we were placing our order. Today marks the official end to my 3 month maternity leave. I start back to work Monday morning. The party is over now! I'm a little excited about it though. If I was returning full-time I'm sure I'd be singing a different tune, but since I'm finished by noon each day it doesn't seem like that bad of a burden. There have been more days than I want to admit that James and I slept until noon so it will be nice to have a reason to get up and get going each day. James slept 10 hours straight last night. I sure hope he keeps it up for me next week. He's usually pretty good about sleeping, but there have been several instances recently that he's woken at 3 a.m. or even worse 4:30 a.m. (because at that point why go back to bed???) Those days will suck getting up and going to work, but luckily we can both come home and take a nap if we need to...which I'm sure we will. I will try to get on and post how the first week back goes. Monday my mom and dad are thankfully going to be here in the morning to watch James so I don't have to worry about being late for work. However, Tuesday I will take him to the sitter who I hired 3 days a week. We did a trial run to her house earlier this week and made it out the door pretty well. I'll just have to make sure that everything is ready the night before...and if he vomits or poops all over the place right before we have to go I have to NOT panic. The plan is to just keep an extra shirt in the car (for me just in case!) It's going to be an interesting week. I'm sure it will only be a matter or time before our little routine is second nature....but in the mean time wish me luck! I will need it!!!

Check-Up

2009-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

James had his 2 month check up today even though he is 11 weeks old today! The doctor said that he looks perfectly healthy. He now weighs 10 lbs, 8 ounces, which is 4 pounds 8 ounces more since birth. He is in the 10th percentile for weight. We were a little worried about that, but his doctor told us that he is gaining weight normally and staying within the same percentile. He is 23 and 1/4 inches long, which is 3 and 3/4 inches more than birth. He's in the 41st percentile for length. Today he had his 2 month vaccinations which meant 2 shots (one in each thigh) along with an oral vaccination. Poor little guy was in a lot of pain! He turned bright red. Luckily Brian was able to come today too and he picked him up and hugged him tight until the pain stopped. He handled it well considerably. I was worried that I would cry too, but I didn't because James didn't seem like he was in that terrible of pain. He's been a little fussy this evening, but Brian has been holding him all night. Right now he's sound asleep against his chest. We are giving him children's Tylenol for the pain. Those shots are the worst! In other news, James is still smiling and "talking" to us all the time. He's a very happy little guy. It's hard to get him to smile for videos because he's too preoccupied with looking at the video camera.

Crazy Cute!

2009-10-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Buddies

2009-09-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Anna and the little guy she babysits, Cameron, have been spending lots of time with James and I over here at the crib. Cameron is about 1 1/2 months older than James and quite a bit larger. He is such a cutie though! James is pretty much oblivious to him, but I think Cameron gets a kick out of seeing another "little person" around. The Ladies Man onesie cracks me up!

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Baby J!

2009-09-24T18:58:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how much our little guy has changed in 1 month! Here are some updates on James.
- He has been sleeping through the night!!! (9 hours last night)
- Smiling and laughing frequently
- Prefers to lay on his back rather than be held or cradled
- Makes noises, mostly this one "Laaaa"
- Finally able to wear 0-3 month-old clothing (but still baggy!)
- Awake a lot more during the day
- Still loves music
- Loves books (Especially the book "I Kissed the Baby" - good read if you're bored!)
- Doesn't cry often at all (just when hungry or needing to have a bm)
- Hair is getting thicker and longer
- Still loves his bath time
- Kicks his legs all day long
- Can hold up head for short periods (tonight he started to lean over and pulled back up)
- LOVES his mobile...there's a duck that cracks him up each time it comes around. It's like he's seeing it for the first time every time!!
- Eats about 4 ounces out of a bottle (when we give him one)

So, I can't believe that I only have 1 more month to spend with James before work. The good news is that I will be returning part-time to work for the remainder of the school year. I'll be a reading teacher in the a.m. only (8-noon, M-F). He will be babysat by my mom and dad on Mondays and Wednesdays and by an awesome parent from my school on the rest of the days. I'll be able to pick him up shortly after noon each day so we won't be far apart long. He's going to a sitter that is only 1 mile from our house! My mom and dad are coming here on their days. Brian and I are starting "dry runs" next week so that we can practice getting ready and getting out the door in time for work. We have a plan in our heads, but want to make sure it works in reality. We go for our 2 month doctor appointment in a couple weeks so I'll have more stats to share on James then. In our eyes he is just pure perfection!

Cutie-Patootie!

2009-09-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

All Smiles

2009-09-10T19:22:00.001-07:00

7 Weeks Already!

2009-09-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

New Book From Grammy Margaret

2009-09-03T16:26:00.001-07:00

1 Month Check Up

2009-08-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today James had his official one month check up. I was so relieved to find out that everything is perfect and he is growing up! He is now 21 1/4 inches in length (That's a 1 3/4 inch increase from birth) and he weighs 8 pounds (He weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces at birth). A few other concerns I had were cleared up including a "rash" on the back of his head which turns out to be a birth mark and the spitting up is apparently normal and not worrisome. My doctor also advised me to give him a bit of Mylanta in the evening to stop the bouts of crying that tend to happen around 8 pm sometimes. He was super cute at the appointment even though he was undressed laying on a hard table, he still was smiling and cooing the whole time --even when the dr. was prodding and poking at him with medical equipment. However, there was a bit of a melt down when a nurse gave him his Hepatitis booster. It was one of those cries where no sound came out...if you know what I mean! I quickly scooped him up and hugged him and he forgot all about it. Now he just has a funny little band-aid to show for it. So all is well with the little guy. He has started to smile at us from time to time and he is sleeping very well in the night besides his feedings that at least are happening at predictable times. Brian has started helping with the early morning feeding around 5:30 a.m. so that I can get about 4 hours of uninterupted sleep which as it turns out makes for the perfect amount of rest for me right now to get through the day. I never thought in a million years I'd be saying that! Ha! Talk about a lifestyle change. But it's all well worth it, especially when he flashes that adorable little smile!

Kickin' It

2009-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Getting Bigger!

2009-08-20T15:11:00.001-07:00

James' Faves

2009-08-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

1. Being bundled up tightly
2. Bath time
3. Music

Bath Time is the Best Time

2009-08-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Cuteness!

2009-08-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Getting the Swing of Things

2009-08-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

The last almost 2 weeks have flown by! James is starting to get used to his new surroundings, and luckily things are starting to become a little less stressful on our end too. He is a very happy baby! I guess he's not too unique in that all he does is eat, sleep, poop, repeat. I have started to work out a schedule where I can get about 7 hours of sleep at night (not in a row of course) so that has done wonders for my mental and physical health. In the morning after I feed him, I get a nice long stretch to shower, eat breakfast, have a cup of coffee, and check email before he wakes up again to eat. He most recently has had a clogged tear duct which caused his little eye to become weepy and gunky. The pediatrician told me to whip off the gunk regularly and to massage the inner corner of his eye three times a day to unclog the duct. I think this trick is working because the gunk is almost gone. He actually loves the eye massage too! It's so cute. He makes lots of noises and smiles a little while I do it. We have yet to venture into the great outdoors and I'm starting to get more than a little bit stir crazy watching the day go by out my window. Tomorrow my mom and I are probably going to make a trip to Target. Woo Hoo! Brian is back to work and studying up to prepare for his new role in a new school district. He is stressed out and also losing sleep (although I do my very best to not wake him at night I've have some nights where that was impossible). But he's managing just fine. Things are very quite around here for now!

James Daniel Rich

2009-07-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pea

2009-07-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to introduce our new little guy to the world - James Daniel Rich! At what ended up being my very last prenatal exam my OB decided that I should go ahead and be induced since the amniotic fluids were even lower than the previous visit. Approximately 1 hour before this news Brian got a call from Ritenour (a school district which he had applied for as an Assistant Principal) and he found out that he had gotten the job! We were elated with the news and this just totally made his day as he was really bummed to be going back to the classroom next year. He found out that he would begin the new job on Tuesday, July 28. Flash forward 1 hour and we find out that my Dr. has scheduled me to be induced that SAME day! Oh no! We had to tell her that this just wasn't going to work with Brian's job. (You got to love how we can "schedule" delivery). So, she left the room to look at other openings and the only slot open was the very next morning. WHAT??? I couldn't wrap my mind around this news...that I would be having the baby in less than 24 hours really sent a shock to my system. It was a day of BIG news. We left the appointment in total shock and excitement and went on a mission to get last minute things in order (like Brian scrubbing the bathroom floor as you can see in our photos and grocery shopping). I didn't sleep hardly at all that night. We knew we'd be getting a call between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday to come in for the induction. The hospital called at 7:30 a.m. and we jumped into action as fast as humanly possible. I was surprisingly peaceful at this point, but Brian was on pins and needles. When we got the hospital it took a little while for us to get checked in. On a funny side note, one of my delivery nurses ended up being a parent of one of my third graders next year (hello awkward!) Actually she was really amazing. The hospital staff was so nice and made us completely secure and comfortable. They started the pitocin drip around 11:30 a.m. within hours I was on my way to being more and more dilated. I can't remember the exact time (some time later afternoon) my OB came in and broke my water. No big deal at first, but then the "real" contractions kicked in. Ouch! It was a tough 45 minutes or so, but Brian helped me through it with breathing and relaxation. Finally, I threw in the towel and asked for the epidural. The anesthetist was awesome. He had this calming voice that just made you think PAIN RELIEF! The epidural went in painlessly and within 30 minutes or so it kicked in. I felt tingly in my legs and the contractions became less and less noticeable. The best part was the "euphoric" feeling it gave me. I felt a little drunk and suddenly had the munchies. We had some visitors come in and it was fantastic visiting with the Riches and my family all the while having some pretty major contractions. Everyone left the room eventually and Brian and I turned on the TV around 7 p.m. to watch the Daily Show. A nurse came in around 7:15 to see how dilated I was and I found out I was at a 10 and it was time to start pushing! I became shaky learning this news because I had no idea at all I was ready for go time. I thought I'd be laying there well into the a.m. hours. They got me and the room ready, but my Dr. wasn't there yet so we had to wait. In the mean time the delivery nurse decided Brian could help out with a "test push" to show me how it's done. Well, the test push led to the baby's head coming out several inches and they decided no more test pushes because this baby was going to slide right out!!! Brian was enthralled and such a champ. When the doctor got there I ended up pushing through two contractions and baby James came right out! I felt nothing at all and it couldn't have gone smoother. All I can says is - EPIDURALS ROCK!

James weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. He was born on July 24, 2009 at 7:37 p.m. He is absolutely perfect and adorable. He has a clean bill of health and is already eating, peeing, pooping and sleeping like a little champ. We are so blessed to have this little angel in our lives! Thanks to everyone for all of the support you have given to us throughout the last few days. We are blessed in so many ways. I will be uploading some pics very soon...but for now, got to get some rest.

Also, Brian started his new job and is loving it...except for going into work each day totally sleep deprived! Life is crazy!

Tic-Toc-Tic-Toc

2009-07-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today I went in for my 38 week check up and found out my amniotic fluids are looking a little low. My doctor wants me to come back in this Thursday to check the fluids again. She said if they continue to stay low or drop lower she may go ahead and induce next week. I'm due next Friday, but still the idea of being induced isn't my favorite. Of course I will do whatever is best for the baby, but I'm really hoping he can come "naturally." Everyone I've talked to about being induced says that it makes for a longer, much more challenging delivery. I guess the plus side would be that we could know exactly when he is going to be born. I'm a fan of planning and this would normally be pretty awesome, but still I'm a little worried about the use of drugs to make me go into labor.

During my ultrasound the tech did a 3D view and I was able to see some pretty distinct features. Unfortunately the little guy is smooshed right up against my placenta so his face looked kinda funny, but he looks pretty cute despite being packed in like a sardine. So for now, we wait!

Gravity in Full Effect

2009-07-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

So I just wanted to share a picture of my oddly shaped belly. The baby has recently dropped a lot. The good part is that I can finally breathe a little easier and I can definitely eat more without feeling doubled over in pain. The bad part is that I'm constantly in search of a restroom because he is resting right on top of my bladder!!! Check out the pics below of our new nursery glider. It is so soft and plush. Brian enjoyed sitting in it for some time yesterday. Thanks Sandy and Bill for the awesome gift.

The New Glider!

2009-07-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

3 Weeks to Go!

2009-07-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

I had my 37 week check up today along with an ultrasound and things are looking good for the little guy. He's roughly (give or take a pound they say) 5 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring up just fine. At this rate he will most likely be around 7 pounds. Brian came along today for the ultrasound. We both agreed that the pics are a little too "abstract" for posting. At this point he is so smooshed in there that he looks more like a cabbage patch kid and his hand was in the way of his face the entire time! My doctor did an exam and said that he has dropped considerably and I'm now 1 cm dilated. She thinks that I will most likely go right up to my due date, but not any later. The waiting game has begun. I'm still trying to cross things off of my endless to-do list before go time. One of the major things that I need to do is finalize my sub plans and classroom since I'll be missing quite a bit at the beginning of the school year. I'm also taking a grad class at Webster and have 2 projects to do. The class goes right up to my due date so I think I'll try to get those turned in before they are due.

In other news, we just found out that our friends, The Leonards, just had their healthy baby boy named George! Baby Rich is going to have lots of friends. Brian and I celebrated our 6th anniversary this past Sunday. It was a fun day of movies, eating and relaxing. He has one more week after this one of summer school and then he'll be on summer vacay with me. Summer is flying by! I'll post another belly shot soon because it is definitely getting HUGE!

35 Weeks

2009-06-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

The weeks are really starting to fly by now! Other than being short of breath and occassional backache, I can't complain. I'm feeling great and getting so excited for our little guy to get here. I've been indulging in summer relaxation more than ever this summer.

The temperature has been well over 95 degrees for the past 2 weeks so I've been trapped inside watching movies or enjoying pool time at GG's place. It was super fun having Sandy, Brian's mom, down for a long weekend. We shopped and ate lots of good food, and my family hosted a shower for me. Once again we received tons of wonderful gifts...We are all set! I've included some pics of the nursery below. I went to the doctor this week and she thinks that I should get another ultrasound to check out the baby's size since I'm still measuring small. I have been a little worried about it, but I think everything is fine! He is always wiggling around and it's even getting to the point where I feel like I'm getting punched from the inside so I know he's getting stronger and bigger. The other night he had hiccups for what felt like an hour! I read that I might experience this and sure enough it happened. We don't have any major upcoming plans other than preparing and savoring our last bits of eating out when we want, going to movies, hanging with friends till late in the night and of course sleeping in (I've been doing a lot of that!) I'll be posting my next ultrasound pics when I get them in about a week.

32 Weeks

2009-06-06T19:38:00.001-07:00

The 3rd Trimester is in full effect! I'm definitely starting to feel a bit weary these days. Sleeping is getting harder and harder. I don't sleep much, but I still wake up most days feeling pretty refreshed. We have been doing quite a bit of traveling in the past couple of weeks. 2 weeks ago we were in NYC for a friend's wedding. What a tough city for pregnant people! We walked every where all day every day...but it was fun and great to see the city in the spring. Last weekend I went solo to my cousin's wedding in Charleston, SC, which is a lot easier for the tired and pregnant. I relaxed a lot by the pool and enjoyed tons of laughs with my family. It was also super fun to see the Rambows at the exact same resort. My mom became fast friends with them even before I got down there. Such a small world! I've been out of school now for one week, but it still doesn't feel like summer. Usually by now I am immersed in a summer home improvement project, but since I can hardly bend over without feeling winded these days, I'm going to have to learn how to relax and do very little. Brian has been a super star helper. Today he mulched all the gardens, made me lunch, got me dinner, fed the cat, and basically did everything for me because I'm sick AGAIN! I came home from SC feeling like I had a sore throat but now it has turned into a full on cold. I hate summer colds! Today I did manage to do most of the baby laundry and get that all tucked away in the nursery dresser. It feels like I'm playing house right now getting all of these little things ready for a baby that isn't here yet. Not long to go! This weekend Sandy (Brian's mom) is heading down to hang out and go to my family baby shower which is going to be super fun. I can't believe that the 2 month count down is here. I'm getting nervous and soooo excited to see the little guy. Well, all of this typing has made me tired. Time to lay down!

BIG Sigh of Relief

2009-05-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

At my last visit to the doctor (at 27 weeks) my doctor seemed concerned that the baby may not be growing normally or that there may not be enough amniotic fluid. She scheduled yet another ultrasound for me 3 weeks later (this would be my 6th ultrasound!) Well, today was the day for it and everything is fine! The ultrasound was so much fun. I brought my sister this time because Brian had graduation obligations at the high school. During the ultrasound we saw him put his thumb in his mouth and yawn. Totally cute! He now weighs 3 lbs 4 oz and his heartrate is 150 bpm. The doctor said he looks perfectly healthy and normal and that he is on track to be an average size baby. I'm now at 30 weeks and 4 days and can't believe that we are almost to the 2 month count down. The nursery looks really cute. I'd add pictures but I still don't have a few "key" items in there so I'm holding off until it is perfect. This Friday is my last day of school for the next 5 months. I can't even wrap my mind around being out of work that long, but I'm sure it's going to fly by and I'll be sad when it's over. I head out to Charleston right after my work day Friday for my cousin's wedding. Tomorrow night Brian and I begin our birthing class at the hospital. I think it will be very eye opening for both Brian and I. We are both rather clueless when it comes to babies. :) The ultrasound pic was taken using my sister's iPhone so it's not the greatest quality. If you can't tell, it is a profile of his face.

Nursery Inspiration

2009-05-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

The long awaited nursery is finally underway. Brian painted the walls (a light minty green color) and my dad came over yesterday to help him assemble the furniture and install a new fan. Even though we have LOTS more to do before it is done, it looks so great already. The color really brightens the room and feels so soft and springy. The above picture is my inpsiration. I registered for the bedding and a few other matching items to go with it. In other news, the baby is really on the move these days! I feel him all the time partying in my belly. I think he's still enjoying all of the space in there. Pretty soon the poor little guy will be packed in like a sardine. It was another crazy busy weekend. Yesterday I helped throw a bridal shower for my cousin Kim and then we had the bachelorette party after. It was a lot of fun. Her wedding is coming up at the end of this month. I will be heading to Charleston, SC for 5 days! We also head to NYC in 2 weeks for our buddy Joel's wedding. The best news of all is that we have 18 days of school left! Woo-Hoo! This time of year it REALLY pays to be a teacher.

25 Weeks and Spring Showers

2009-04-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

We had a wedding this Saturday so I had Brian take a photo this time of me dressed up. My belly has really started to pop out. My belly button is on the verge of becoming an outy! Things have been really busy, but very fun around here. Saturday afternoon I went to my friend, Mimi's, baby shower. After that we had a wedding to go to for Mark and Candise. It was so much fun to get dressed up and go out dancing...although my feet were killing me by the end of the night. Today my fabulous friends threw me an awesome baby shower. I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful shower (way to go Anna, Josie, Mara and Sarah!). Some of my friends went in on a group gift and got my crib and changing table! I also received tons of other sweet gifts. It was so much fun! I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends!

It's a Boy!

2009-03-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

22 Weeks - Over 1/2 Way There!

2009-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

We had our 22 week ultrasound on Tuesday. After drinking 48 ounces of water and waiting in the doctor's office for 45 minutes (that was challenging!), the nurse finally came out and said that the machine was broken and we'd have to reschedule for another day. Well, being as highly emotional as I am, I of course cried. The doctor felt really bad and decided to pull some strings for us. She came back to tell us that they had an "old" machine that might work. The room itself looked like it was straight from the 70s, but the old machine worked...we saw what we have been so curious to find out... Brian was beaming when he heard the news. I was a little disappointed (naturally) but then got really excited about the idea! We came back on Friday so that they could get scans on the modern machine and found out that everything looks healthy and normal! It was incredible to see all of the distinct features on the little guy. His arms were moving and legs were kicking. We could even see his tounge stick out a few times. It all seems very real now! So I changed the look of our blog to be more boyish...goodbye pink and green for now! Looks like it's basketballs and trains from here on out!

Strange Happenings

2009-03-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Lately I have experienced some new pregnancy related side-effects (Some that I didn't see coming.)

1. The belly is in the way! I have literally ruined 2 shirts while trying to cook in the kitchen not realizing that my extended belly is rubbing in spaghetti sauce or today--bleach! I now will have to wear an apron while cooking...

2. My balance is ridiculous. I have stumbled more times than I can count and the best happened the other day at school when I grazed right into 5 science projects that lined the halls. My third graders thought it was a little too funny! :)

3. Stupidity. I waste hours every day forgetting what I was about to do and having to retrace my steps until I can remember. I now know what dementia feels like.

4. Weird dreams. I have had some of the most crazy and realistic dreams lately!

5. Constant tossing and turning. I can't get comfortable for more than 15 minutes or so at night without having to flip over to the other side. I guess my body is prepping for the sleepless nights ahead.

18 Weeks and Growing

2009-02-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

I thought it was high time I jumped on the baby blogger train, so here we go! Things have gone so smoothly for the last few months that at times I forget that I'm pregnant. I've been very lucky so far. I never had morning sickness (other than feeling a little queesy the first few weeks) and haven't really felt all that tired. The only complaint that I've had is the siatic nerve pain that comes and goes...but seems to be lightening up! We are very excited to welcome baby Rich into the world. We head to L.A. in just a few weeks to visit Aunt Sarah and then when we return we have an appointment to find out the gender. I can say that I have absolutely no idea what I'm having. I will keep you posted!!!