In Other Words

My Mama's Boy--10 months

2012-02-09T00:07:00.115-05:00

Mothering Anton yanks at my heart. In a good way. Stella is independent and bold. She loves a thrill and any form of social interaction. Anton is, in every way, more subtle. He observes intently and is sensitive to his environment. New situations are often overwhelming. He is quick to call for help. And in a world slanted towards extroverts, I find myself fiercely protective of him. He has a shy smile and an endearing giggle. He loves avocados. His arms shake with excitement at the very sight of Stella. And, oh, my boy could cuddle all day long. Just writing this makes me want to go snatch him up from his crib and kiss him a thousand times.

One of my 2012 resolutions is to celebrate more. I'll save the details for my journal but suffice to say, Anton gives good cause for celebration. Aside from his early arrival to the planet, Anton's life pace is completely unrushed. While I anxiously waited to check off milestones (why is this part of my personality?), he took his time to push up on his arms, roll over, hold a sippy cup, crawl, etc.

And so when he does anything new I die with excitement. It's almost embarrassing. If you could have seen me the first time waved bye-bye.

Days before entering his tenth month, my little man started crawling. The sound of his pudgy hands smacking across the kitchen floor kills me. Speed is only a factor if he's after pompoms, the vacuum hose or Uncle Matt. (He loves Matt almost as much as he loves Stella.)

How To Have A Good Day

2012-01-31T22:50:00.004-05:00

1. wake up around 7. read books and watch maru videos in bed.
(search "maru the cat" on youtube. you will not be sorry.)

2. have an indoor tea party / picnic. work on "cheers"ing when you drink and ignore babyzilla knocking over the china and gobbling up the kix.

3. if you're < 2 take a long nap between 10am-1pm. if you're > 2 take advantage of the two hours overlap. maybe even shower. more importantly, take advantage of the one-on-one time with awake baby.

4. be prepared. get organized. hummus doesn't hurt.

5. collect sticks and pine cones. walk to the mail box. look for airplanes.
or all of the above.

6. paint. use the pine cones you collected. who really wants them hanging around anyway?

and don't bother naming the colors over and over. just make a mess.

7. take a destinationless train ride.

(this step requires a grandmother who is willing to drop you off and pick you up a few towns over.)

8. watch blues clues.
9. make a train with cardboard boxes. < 2 hop in for a ride. > 2 push it all over the house.

10. be exhausted. < 2 act cranky for at least half an hour before bed. > 2 remain calm, ignore the crankiness, and put the little people to sleep.

(some days are better than others. today was great)

Halloween Happened.

2012-01-24T23:57:00.000-05:00

Stella caught on to the whole "trick or treat" idea quickly. Anton mostly went along for the ride.

The costume shoot was several weeks later. Anton was starting into 4 weeks of respiratory infections on Halloween (see above). He was a happier elephant in November.

I was planning a Goodnight, Gorilla themed Halloween. It was Stella's first favorite book. She talked about the keys constantly. I was going to be Joe the Zookeeper and get Stella a set of keys to go with her Gymboree monkey. Ta. Da. But things got away from me.

Funny that I can't remember what had me so busy in October.

What Kind Of Mother Were You Going To Be?

2011-12-06T12:23:00.001-05:00

Before Stella, I talked up what a minimalist mother I was going to be. Who needs piles of toys? My kids were going to collect sticks and play with spatulas and rolling pins. If you want to get them gifts, books only please.

But a swing is great for a fussy baby and a bouncer helps too. Before long sitting in a Bumbo provides a different way to see the world. Then all those excellent mothers I know swore by different baby products. Then there was that steal on Craigslist and something we couldn't pass up on the street ("Are they really throwing away that Hotwheels jeep?") and the gifts.

And before I knew it we accumulated a lot of stuff. Guess we'll just make a small fortune reselling it after our baby years are behind us.

HACKED!

2011-12-05T00:26:00.000-05:00

what the heck happened to our blog? is someone playing a joke on me or did i accidentally make it look like this!?

i better get it back to my crisp, clean white background asap.

Giving Thanks

2011-12-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving isn't ALL about the food. But pretty close.

This year we broke tradition (Thanksgiving at my parents' house) and went out my uncle's new ~~house~~ palace. Dinner was FANTASTIC. Ohhhhh, the food. Jason said this was the best meal he's ever had...or something like that. Here's a quick run down so I can read this and reminisce in March.

- french onion soup (my favorite) or italian wedding soup (tough choice)

- fried turkeys (glad I finally got to try one but I may prefer traditional)

- mashed potatoes

- sweet potatoes (not in the usual sugary sauce but still sweet. loved them!)

- sausage stuffing (i just started to salivate)

- creamed spinach

- artichoke casserole

- peas with onion and prosciutto (you didn't know peas could be this good)

- homemade rolls

- corn casserole (paula deen knows what she's doing. this dish change you life.)

I regret dressing Anton in his Christmas outfit and not in our pink/blue color scheme. I also regret not doing my hair.

We stayed over a few days which made it feel like a vacation. We lounged around, went for a walk on the beach and Stella played with their patient Boston Terriers. It was lovely.

oh thankful day.

2011-11-20T22:09:00.002-05:00

- stella was somewhat quiet during sacrament meeting. when she wasn't quiet she was being pretty flippin' cute.

- the babies napped at the same time. i napped too.

- the weather was perfect so we went for a long walk with friends.

- noelle snuggled with anton. he was in heaven. (check the picture. also check out her adorable two tone nails. love.)

- we had grilled steak with sauteed mushrooms and onions for dinner, and big diet cokes with snikers bars for dessert (better combinations do not exist).

- i got a lot of help with the babies.

and now i'm off to bed, what could be better than that?

Rock Your Title

2011-11-19T22:29:00.004-05:00

1. Listed, random thought blog posts are almost always my favorites to read.

2. I think I need this dress.

3. Noelle and Matt are teaching me how to use the internet better. I realize that's lame. Little things that I've maybe forgotten like opening multiple tabs while shopping, taking screen shots and uploading videos.

Turn down your volume, I wasn't thinking when I help the camera right by my face. I'm trying to teach her about privacy (a bathroom thing) and she now loves reading in privacy (adorable!). And yelling, "Shtop," is Stella's new thing. I prefer it to "No!"

4. I sometimes forget that Stella's still a baby because she is extremely capable. Like today I asked her to go upstairs and get me diapers for Anton. And she did it. But she's 19 months so really I shouldn't be sending her on errands around the house, especially ones that involve stairs. (safety note: my mom supervised the stair part).

5. My friend Halloween costume was so clever. Can you tell what she is? She was told me I was part of the *inspiration.

6. Jason and I are talking about having a small Christmas for the kids. But it is so hard. I love too many brands...Melissa & Doug, B.Toys, Young Explorers, Manhattan Toys. And so many of the toys are educational. That gets me EVERY time. I want to get puzzles, art supplies, new books, toy cars, dress up clothes, puppets, and a pony! Ok, I'm kidding about the pony but it's easy to get carried away.

7. The filters on Instagram make it one of my favorite iPhone apps. Do you have a favorite?

8. I need a new blog title. Clearly I wasn't thinking ahead when I titled it, "Stella's World." Suggestions are welcome.

*A stressed out, young mother.

(Every Other) Weekend Happenings.

2011-11-15T21:22:00.004-05:00

Every 10-12 days Jason comes to New York to see us. I don't know who's happier about it, me or the babies?

Bedtimes.

This family picture tells it all. Even with M&M bribes (look closely below) couldn't keep Stella seated next to us.

When you try to take pictures of one baby while holding the other...

2011-11-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

Got A Nice Little Saturday Planned.

2011-11-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Nothing beats taking the babies to Costco.

They love sitting side-by-side in the cart. I love free samples. Win-win.

I have a feeling we'll be there a lot this winter (too many germs at the library).

I realize these photos make it look like Stella is constantly bugging her brother but, believe me, he eats it up.

Well Above Average.

2011-11-09T10:43:00.003-05:00

Due to his premie status, Anton started his journey on earth ~3 pounds smaller than Stella. To me he was super tiny. But to the charts, at almost 8 lbs, he was completely average.

BUT NOT FOR LONG.

Anton quickly made it to the top of the height curve. And coming in at almost 25 pounds, he's way above the weight curve too.

That means if we are ever in a room with 100 other 6 month olds, Anton would be the biggest one.

My arms and back believe it.

2 months

3months

4months

5months

6months

Surprises....with perfect timing.

2011-11-05T23:08:00.001-04:00

This hasn't been my finest week. Jason completed 1/4 of his training in Georgia. Which means we still have 3 months without him. The separation is especially hard on Stella. She is an anxious mess before nap and bedtime, and screams hysterically for 30-45 minutes before falling asleep (trust me, this was a last option). Both she and Anton have been sick for almost three weeks (see below) with the cold from Hell, which morphed into Bronchiolitis. Anton's being a pretty good sport but the memories of my happy little boy are becoming hazier. To boot, we are supposed to go to Utah next weekend but we may have to cancel so Anton's head doesn't explode on the airplane.

But it isn't all bad. Trivial as it may seem, I got these in the mail last week....

My mother-in-law has great taste and good timing. As comfortable as they are cute, these wedges were exactly the pick me up I needed.
*I'm hoping in person a bright pedicure will distract from my veiny feet.

Georgia...Georgia...(think Ray Charles)

2011-11-03T22:49:00.000-04:00

Jason is training in Georgia. We are in Westchester, living with my family. My entire family.

Jason came to visit and for the 24 hours he was here, the babies were in heaven.

Is It Possible That We're ALL Right?

2011-11-03T21:44:00.003-04:00

ALL moms think it and... I get where they're coming from but...

My babies are the cutest babies. Ever.

The Sick House

2011-10-27T11:03:00.001-04:00

Stella and Anton are getting over nasty colds. No appetite, runny noses, whooping cough, sneezing, cranky, up all night colds. Grammy saved the day with a little pillow throne for Anton to sleep on.

Adjusting back to the pack n' play might be ugly.

True or False

2011-10-11T21:44:00.001-04:00

We had the best Chinese food last week and I just found a misplaced fortune cookie.

True....in 2014. But today, at Flag Day, Jason was given this.

Yes, friends, that is the New York State flag.

Or in other words, after training we're heading home.

Built to Withstand Sisterly Love

2011-10-07T13:59:00.002-04:00

Here is my full figured guy watching T.V.

While I got distracted texting this picture to our family, Stella plopped herself right in his lap and held his hand.

He loved it.

Jason edited my last blog post...

2011-10-07T13:57:00.001-04:00

Or in other words, he isn't sure what I can blog about his new position.
Or in other, other words, he suggested making our blog private. !

I am totally not a private person. Don't get me wrong, I understand it. But I find myself terribly disappointed when clicking from blog to blog and I'm thwarted by a private one. I don't want to be that blog.

While we decide, I'll just link to the government website.
That must be permitted, right? Jason's New Job.

Here we are In D.C.(Falls Church to be precise)

2011-10-04T22:00:00.002-04:00

Or in other words...Jason started his training for the foreign service .

Here is a glimpse of what we've been up to (according to my iPhone)...

Giggling.

These two adore each other. I recommend having babies 12 months apart. Really.

Celebrating 33 fabulous years.

I love this birthday boy and know this year is going to be amazing.

Taking a General Conference Sunday drive.

The temple was gorgeous even on an a deary day.

Cuddling.

There is no one I'd rather be worn out with.

Three Oh!

2011-09-05T21:27:00.001-04:00

tomorrow i turn 30. i'm excited.

excited to get my hair cut. to eat haagen dazs mint chip ice cream (saw it in the freezer). to go on vacation with jason. just jason.

If I didn't blog it, it didn't happen.

2011-09-04T17:15:00.001-04:00

The following are abbreviations of post I've been meaning to get to.

Post 1. Obnoxious Things People Have Said To Me Recently
This is just the most recent...at 7 a.m. as I push my two adorable children to the park, "Jeeze, enough babies?" Are you kidding me? Enough? Do you need to look again? There are only two. Not twelve. "For now," was all I said.

*I try to give A time on the upper deck but S is too tall for the jump seat.

Post 2. And We're Out
Jason accepted a job with the Foreign Service. Hooray/Oh Crap! We leave at the end of the month for ten months of training and then a lifetime of moving. Of course, there is much more to it than moving to a different far-away land every other year, leaving friends and "home" behind, with two little babies in tow but I'm kind of hung up on that part. (This really deserves an entire post.)

Post 3. Meg's Takes Manhattan
Jason's little sister spent a week with us and it was awesome--shopping, trying Thai food, Jersey Shore 101 (and giving ourselves JS names), swimming, playgrounds, Patsy's, How To Succeed In Business, a Mets game, 3 movies, and way too many cookies. Did I mention the bambinos love her?

Now we need Ali, Jordan and Deven to come visit.

Post 4. Style-less Lament
I haven't had a hair style for at least five years. I was in a relationship with a great stylist until she got carpal tunnel. Occupational hazard. It's been me and my claw clip ever since. But Jason loves me and arranged for a special birthday hair cut. (This will get it's own post).

Sorry about the butt picture but it is irrefutable evidence that I need an intervention--Lululemons & the claw-clip.

Post 5. Stella's New Words
Even though her favorite word is still "no," Stella also says bye, hello, daddy, please, up, oh no, ut oh, open, pool, duck, airplane, more, help, nose, treat, thank you and various animal sounds. She also nods "yes" and "no" which I find adorable and "talks" in long, passionate streams.

S also likes to dress, feed and clean A.

Post 6. Irene
The great Tropical Drizzle of 2011. At least in Manhattan. I know New Jersey got another side of Irene and my parents were without power for 4 days but I was disappointed in the lack of action.

Post 7. Blog Title
It is no longer "Stella's World." It hasn't been for months--5 to be precise. As soon as I have a clever, or even a clear, moment, I'm going to re title this blog. Suggestions are welcome.

Post 8. How did this happen?

Did You Really Ask That?

2011-09-01T22:48:00.003-04:00

In the past week, three people have asked me if Anton and Stella are twins.  My responses are kind.  But, honestly?  Twins?  As in born at the same time?  I'm working on being more understanding.  After all they are both babies.

Then I opened my iPhoto to export a shot of them together (basically  impossible to catch) and found these pictures.  

3/31/11 ~4:00.  I hoped to wear make-up for this birth.  Maybe even do my hair.  I was lucky to make it to the hospital.  

4/2/11 ~6:00

Stella's first birthday party.

My prediction is that in a very short time (a year?) we'll be asked if they are twins at least once a week.

Do you have some time to kill?

2011-08-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

I know most of you have oodles of time to peruse blogs. If you'd like to add one to the list, check this blog out. Crappy Pictures--a mother's account of daily happens with well, crappy pictures.

tough decisions...

2011-08-09T22:57:00.001-04:00

with upcoming life changes (no, not another baby)we are scaling back on unnecessary spending. jason thinks we should forgo our once a month apartment cleaning. i think jason should cut back on golfing. this all begs the question, what is unnecessary spending?

on to happier thoughts...

last august stella was my laundry partner.

this august anton is my laundry partner. he tips onto his face more often than stella did. more about that another time.

Accidents

2011-07-25T23:46:00.004-04:00

Stella stumbled and fell face first onto our wood floor. It was definitely the hardest she has ever fallen and possibly the hardest she has ever cried. Breathless and soundless for a few moments and then her little body shook with sobs. It wasn't my finest moment either.

Luckily her teeth stayed in her mouth. Luckily there was only a little bit of blood.

But look at this sad fat lip.

And while I'm on the subject of accidents. My mother and I had one last week. What was supposed to be a little trim turned into choppy blunt bangs. Jason was not happy about it. I'm just glad I learned this lesson when she's 1, not when she's 9.

Here are the "before" and "after" bangs. Clearly we need to meet somewhere in the middle.

On Their Way...

2011-07-21T22:00:00.001-04:00

Our far away grandparents are on their way. A stop over on their way to the Emerald Island. We are so excited!

It seems fair for me to give a shout out to Haley Miller. She's the amazing photographer who took Stella's six month shots, photographed Ali's wedding, and most recently took Gardner family pictures with the two new additions. So she staged this shot and I snagged one with my point & shoot.

Put This Cliche In Your Pipe And Smoke It.

2011-07-21T00:04:00.001-04:00

During nap time I have to decide between cleaning the apartment or myself, plan ahead for lunch/dinner or pack the diaper bag if I have dreams of leaving the apartment. I desperately try to fit in blogging, reading, my church calling, making doctor appointments, maintaining friendships, etc. At the end of most days, I feel like nothing "got done." Blah blah. Everyone's life has challenges.

But in moments of clarity, I realize none of that matters. I was looking through my iPhone (which yes, I am falling in love with) and found these pictures. Ready for those cliches? My babies are so beautiful they move me to tears. I look at Anton and feel like we've written a symphony. Professional cheerleaders have nothing on me when Stella tells me a train says, "Choo choo" or folds her arms to pray.

I finally get what Maurice Sendak was getting at, "Please don't go. I'll eat you up, I love you so."

I really could eat 'em up.

Stella pushes me to new limits Every. Single. Day. I call her my handful and half. But what comes with her energy and determination is the best sense of humor and intense affection. She is passionate and clever. She is a darling with Anton and now that he'll smile at her, forget it. I've been reminded by several wise people that these personality traits make successful adults.

And Anton. Sweet Anton. He is peaceful and happy. He smiles whenever his dad enters the room and is easily comforted. The gas that was burning our nostrils seems to be fading. He lets me know when he needs something, like "Um, are you going to put me down for a nap today?" but goes with the flow. The other day I found myself thinking if our next baby is like Anton, I could have it next April. (NO not an announcement).

Stay tuned. I'll try to out-do my cheesy level soon.

Out For A Walk

2011-07-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

Looking Up.

Looking Down.

If you live in Harlem

2011-07-13T11:57:00.001-04:00

be careful about what your kids pick up on the sidewalk.

Of course I swatted that dimebag right out of her hand after I snapped a quick picture.

Accusations

2011-07-05T21:27:00.001-04:00

today i was accused of not blogging. which i guess is true. here's a 5 minute post to make up for it.

june was wonderfully busy. there were birthdays to celebrate, visitors, anton's blessing and two fabulous weeks in utah. the flights were intense but not the agony i was anticipating (thanks to my patient mother in law and well, benedryl). stella has learned 1,000 new tricks--scooting backwards down stairs, slipping clothes over her head, responding "moo" when we ask, "what does the cow say?" and walking backwards.

i can hear neighbors moving in upstairs. drats. i loved the quiet. i also think i saw two small children. karma.

i got an iPhone. i don't know how to use it but i sense some life changing potential.

the summer is zooming by. why does that always happen?

i'll likely elaborate later but for now....my children.

it's hard to pack for the weekend with a daughter who loves throwing neatly folded piles of clothes around, bags, and hiding in things.

a few weeks ago, some of the young women told me anton looked chinese. i told them they were crazy. but maybe not so much.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

2011-07-04T11:02:00.006-04:00

stella and anton have a cousin, sweet chloe. this little doll made me an aunt for the first time :)
thanks libby for the adorable outfits.

Anton

2011-06-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

(i think) anton is incredibly handsome.
i don't want to be too declarative about it.

and somehow he's already two months old.  i should be embarrassed to admit that i jumped up and down at his weigh in.  maybe i watch too much biggest loser.  those weigh ins are emotional.  10 pounds 13 ounces.  he gained two and half pounds in 5 weeks.  and then i found out that's only the 50th percentile.  time to up my ice cream intake and get more chub on this boy.

if there was a cuteness ranking, he'd probably be in the 99th percentile.

i love this "little brother" outfit. thanks, kris! i'm still working on that ty note.

The Land of No

2011-06-01T09:19:00.003-04:00

Our bathroom has morphed into the Land of No. Stella has extremely limited options in there--no touching the toilet, no unrolling toilet paper, no pulling my curling iron out, etc. Usually we just keep the door closed. I was changing Anton's diaper and Stella was out of sight for a few minutes. She got into the Land of No and somehow into the tub. I imagine she leaned forward and tipped onto her hands. She was having such a good time (without any water) that I left her to do her thing.

2A's Tornado

2011-05-26T10:13:00.002-04:00

Tornadoes are to the midwest as Stella is to our apartment.

I swear the living room was clean when she woke up. This picture was taken at 8 a.m.

2011-05-21T14:09:00.001-04:00

yesterday anton had a play date with reilly, my friend nina's son. they had a terrific time. i'm pretty sure. i know i had a terrific time. when i showed jason the picture he said, "well, i can tell which baby is italian."

what a difference a day makes (and pictures)

2011-05-17T22:27:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was hid.e.ous. I started off sleep deprived. Thanks to Stella's molars and Anton's dietary needs. It was gray and drizzly. There was nothing good to eat. As in good for me. So instead I filled myself up with lemon bars (delicious), pizza, diet coke, and ice cream. You can imagine how that made me feel. Stella was clingy and only took cat naps. And Anton's squeally cries were particularly piercing.

(teething is ugly but baby skinny jeans are stinkin' cute. i realized how silly

it was to make my poor baby wear jeans. she was in stretchies by noon.)

And because I already hung the streamers for the pity party, I really went for it and lamented the fact that hand washing dishes devours my time. That psoriasis is taking over my fingernails (yeah, that's as ugly as it sounds). That my floors needed to be vacuumed. It turns out seeing the glass half empty is quite time consuming.

Jason came home to a tired, cranky, frumpy, and mean wife. I went to bed thinking that today could not possibly be as awful. This morning Stella woke up thirty minutes earlier than usual and yanked on my leg to carry her. I finally took out the ergo and just hauled her around. We were off to a rocky start. As he left, Jason told me he was sorry I had to do this again and that I was a good mom. He was trying for a pep talk.

But then, Stella took a three hour nap. I bathed the Prince and put him down for a nap. Turns out what I needed more than that pep talk was a solid nap time.

While they snoozed, I checked a handful of things of my to-do list AND sat at the counter enjoying a diet coke and magazine. The babies both woke up happy and devoured lunch. Anton was alert. Stella was playful and energetic. Then they went down at the same time for a second nap. The rest of the day carried on like this. I loved being around my children. And I'm ending the day with The Biggest Loser, blogging and popcorn.

And there it is. Some days are going to be off the chart terrible. But not every day. Some days will be like today.

Now for a few random pictures....

No, Anton is not grasping yet. There is a pacifier in his hand because his sweet sister put it there. I realize allowing her to reign as keeper of the pacifiers could get ugly but at least she shares them.

Kissable cheeks.

Stella in her Easter dress.

Easter bathing suit.

Prince Charming.

We're still here...

2011-05-09T12:17:00.000-04:00

We're alive. And well. And, well, busy.

Anton is eating, sleeping and growing. Good job, son.

Stella continues to be our happy tornado.

Growing up my sisters and I always got bathing suits in our Easter baskets. So naturally, Stella will be getting them too. Noelle took this picture right before I made her actually try it on. Little neon polka dots are going to look fabulous when she gets tan. I plan on getting her tan this summer.

Her hair is finally long enough to get into a little whale-spout ponytail. I think it's adorable and more importantly it keeps the shaggy bangs out of her eyes.

what? already?

2011-04-21T16:20:00.005-04:00

every mom has these moments. three weeks with this dreamy little guy have already passed and he'll be applying to college before i know it. sniffle, sniffle. despite the chaos, i'm trying to breathe in little tidbits of my day. like stella's chiclet teeth or the way her pudgy fingers work the "tags" on her snuggy blankets. and how she furiously unloads drawers before i can even think of a distraction. noelle suggested recording her laugh. it is a heavenly sound. it comes easily and heartily, as if it is simply in her nature to be blissful. newborn moments are different. anton is a grunty baby, who loves to be held, and drinks ravenously as if making up for lost time. he feels so TINY to me now but i have a feeling he'll surpass stella on the charts.

All Hands On Deck

2011-04-20T08:53:00.002-04:00

We're dealing with a lot of bottles, diapers, and making sure Stella doesn't suffocate Anton (with love).

Feeding two babies and hand washing the dishes takes up a 1/4 of our days. I don't think that's an exaggeration. Luckily Stella is down to 3 bottles a day and the little guy should be nursing soon.

Stellie is bursting at the seams with brotherly love. So bursting in fact that she tries to climb into the bouncy seat and pack n' play with him. She wants to play with Anton's face, stroke his head, and hold his hands.

It's adorable.

Ready Or Not...

2011-04-15T18:46:00.003-04:00

I'm ready.

Jason is ready.

Anton is mostly ready (working on the sucking).

The nursery is close to ready. We'll get pictures hung this week.

We'll find out if Stella is ready soon enough.

Even if she isn't ready, Anton's home and we are thrilled.

downdate

2011-04-13T22:17:00.001-04:00

on sunday jason came up to bed complaining of stomach pain. i heaved a heavy sigh because three weeks ago similar pains sent him to the ER in the middle of the night*. that's right, the emergency room. that's right, i'm talking about jason (not myself).

reluctant to sit in another ER for 4 hours, he gave himself a few minutes to see if it would pass. luckily we are currently at my parents' house, living with a very good doctor. angelique sent us to the emergency room. and...

jason has gallstones. he handled the pain pretty well but it looked terrible (email me for details). he still isn't back on his feet. anyone know a good NYC gallbladder surgeon? we want that nasty thing out before it strikes again.

*the sigh was also me feeling the need for some self preservation (aka being selfish).

**a downdate is like an update but with really downer type news.

ONE-derful Stella

2011-04-10T21:58:00.006-04:00

a ONE-derful year with a ONE-derful kid,
who is growing and changing and barely fits in her crib!
she's grown her own teeth. learned to crawl and is walking.
before we know it stella will be talking.
join to celebrate 12 months of ONE-derful stella,
before we welcome a new little fella.

I desperately wanted to celebrate Stella's 1st birthday before her brother arrived. The least we could do. I commissioned Noelle to write a poem for the invitation. By commissioned, I mean asked nicely. We drafted up a classy evite. I scoured the internet and found several easy ideas to copy. Family came to town. Basic decorations were planned. We highlighted a few favorites on the Patsy's menu and over-bought presents (guilt will do that to you). And then Anton showed up.

So on the night of my discharge we threw together a little celebration. My mother made the most glorious cakes. Jason's mother cleaned our apartment and wrapped gifts. Jason got balloons. I showed up. We ate Patsy's and unwrapped presents. Stella was in heaven. That's what counts at a birthday party, right?

Watch your inboxes next March. Next year I'm going all out on the birthday celebration(s). Complete with theme.

We love you, Stellie!

This Is Unofficial

2011-04-08T01:14:00.003-04:00

I swore to myself that my next "official" blog post would be about Stella's 1st birthday. Check the title. Until Anton gets home, Stella still believes this is her world. Actually her world has improved since Anton joined the family. She is soaking up grandparent love, time with daddy, and both of us home during the day. Stellie has been joyful. Might as well let her enjoy for the next week or so.

So here are some unofficial pictures of our darling little Anton. It is his 1-week birthday after all.

He's been waking up more and more each day.

On the not so good feedings, he starts looking like this after just 10 mL (milliliters!). That's around 1/3 of an ounce.

Fine fall asleep while you eat, we love you anyway.

We finally got him in clothes. He got a rash and was out of the outfit (whether it was the culprit or not) before I took any pictures. Blast! In the first week of Stella's life, we had approximately 1000 pictures. We still don't even have one family picture. Turns out life in the NICU is a different beast.

Surprise

2011-04-01T22:25:00.004-04:00

I generally don't care for surprises. I prefer to be prepared and in control. That has NOT been our life recently. Look who's here.

Maybe he heard the c-section talk and decided to show up the week before his scheduled eviction. Maybe he was sick of his sister sitting on him like a park bench. Maybe he knew GG and Grandpa Reed were on their way. Maybe he thought why be almost Irish twins when you can actually BE an Irish twin. Maybe he didn't care that I haven't completed the nursery.

Delivery was fast and furious. I kept repeating to myself, "This isn't so bad, people say to labor as long as possible at home." I thought that meant for days not HOURS.

As soon as Jason saw our little guy, he knew his name. In honor of our maternal grandfathers...

Anton* Thomas Gardner

Unfortunately Anton's little systems aren't quite ready for our earthly air. His home is a NICU incubator until he can breathe without wheezing and keep food down. We pray that's soon.

And for the record, once again we have the biggest baby in nursery*.

*As in Stanton, minus the "st."

*Most of Anton's NICU neighbors are <5lbs.

What I should be doing...

2011-03-21T23:47:00.000-04:00

If I was smart, I'd be doing what Stella is doing. But instead, using the excuse that I had no time to myself today, I decided to take a long shower and waste time on the internet. I'll pay tomorrow.

Despite recent blog-post evidence...

2011-03-20T07:58:00.001-04:00

Stella does not spend all of her time in her high chair. Stella was desperate to try the spoon herself. I don't want to be the no mess mom, so I let her have at it.

Now what?

Concentrating.

Most of the applesauce ended up in her hair.

She loved it...

so we repeated the exercise at breakfast.

Keeping It Real

2011-03-17T22:29:00.002-04:00

Stella is not the happy ball of energy depicted on this blog all of the time. This evening, actually, was hellacious. Her mood may have been effected by both naps getting cut short or teething (blow outs, runny nose, clingy, cramming everything in her mouth, crying in her sleep). Or it could be that she's an opinionated, determined little woman and didn't getting her way enough today.

I'm praying it's the latter. If I get time to read again, I am heading right to the parenting section for a book about raising a strong-willed child.

SAHM

2011-03-08T16:48:00.001-05:00

Me to Jason last night, "You won't believe  what happened today. In the showcase showdown a woman bid 29,000 and the  actual showcase price was $29,072. That's only $72 off so she won both showcases!"

I was watching the Price Is Right. I even recorded the end so I wouldn't miss the showcase showdown while I played with Stella.

Is Tivo-ing The Price Is Right typical 29 year old behavior? The commercials advertising mobility chairs (complete with clips of a great-grandmother taking in the vistas of the Grand Canyon from their seats), Life Alert beepers, and free diabetic supplies seem to indicate that it is not.

On The Move--upright.

2011-03-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

Guess who's walking?

I love hearing Stella's little feet on the ground. Wonder if the folks below us feel the same way?

Withdrawl

2011-03-03T22:02:00.000-05:00

I miss Deven.
I'm lucky. I have two brother-in-laws that I enjoy spending time with. Not everyone can say that. Becoming friends with Jason's little brother was easy. Deven's accepting, caring, generous, honest, and so fun to be around. Turns out he's wonderful with babies too. Stella adores him. What can I say? The girl has good taste. From seeing them together, I'm pretty sure she's particularly fond of his laugh, his perfect "shh, baby, baby" rock to sleep, and his big muscles.

Deven also has a fantastic sense of style and sent Stella this darling coat (poor picture but trust me, it is adorable).

32 Weeks. Already?

2011-02-28T22:55:00.001-05:00

Bending is a challenge. My feet started to swell today. I'm "nesting" compulsively. Refined carbs and sugary foods are an impossible temptation. I get extremely tired. It's official. I feel pregnant.

I also look pregnant. Very.

These are only the 2nd bump pictures I've taken. The first was 21 weeks (when we found out we were expecting) and now 11 weeks later. I wish I could blame someone else.

Poor little guy. This'll probably be the story of his life.

I was looking through Stella's bump pictures and realized that this is my pregnancy uniform. I enjoy fashion but not as much as I enjoy being comfortable. So Lululemons and stretchy t-shirts it is.

Most often it's a black / gray combo.

On the upside if I'm wearing this and I go for a walk, I consider it actual exercise.

Car Seat = Recliner

2011-02-27T21:54:00.001-05:00

We first mentioned needing a "big girl" car seat in October. Stella is tall and the guilt of cramming her in the infant carrier with her feet dangling out finally got to us. Four months later. Jason did his usual amount of consumer reasearch, made a late night run and came home with this gem.

It's in the living room while we (and by we, obviously, I mean Jason) adjust(s) the straps.

And look who loves it. This was the first time in Stella's life that she sat and watched t.v. Yo Gabba Gabba to be precise. Not necessarily an activity we hope to encourage but it did made cooking dinner easier.

We think she's pretty cute just relaxin' in her seat.

There's No Place Like...

2011-02-26T21:36:00.003-05:00

We moved. Well, we're in the process of moving and I am obsessed with making it feel like home. It must be nesting. Right? Brother's eviction date is tentatively set for 4/11/11. SIX WEEKS! It's still surreal. Occasionally I am taken aback when I open the right side of the closet and find baby boy clothes hanging there. I better be as ready as possible.

I have unfairly mentioned at least 1,000,000 times that forward motion has been stalled by lack of furniture (Jason needs to rent a van and get the rest from storage. aka: my mother's basement). It has also been stalled by Stella's presence. By doctor's appointments. And by a DIY project from hell. It really did look simple but it's taking an extraordinary amount of time... and we still have another window to do. We had to add a step (lining). It also seems that I measured wrong and now have to unpick the panels we finished and add a fabric extension to correct the 2 inch gap at the bottom. Can't wait to cross this project off the our do list.

Here's what Stella has been up to while we clean, unpack and arrange. That is when she isn't pulling on my legs...

-talking to her best friend

-"taking a knee" to examine the wisks

-reading

-learning to clap

Cuter every day!

2011-02-14T18:07:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I dropped Erica and Stella off at the airport for a little get away to Florida. I am missing them like crazy. Fortunately Erica has been sending me updates of Stella's first beach experience.

Win-Win Situation

2011-02-10T19:40:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a win-win?

My sister is coming: I win!

You can stay at their place in London: You win!

Available April 2-22

(About $100 USD per night. That's right USD not POUNDS)

1 queen bed, 1 queen air mattress. Separate, fully-stocked kitchen, living room and dining area for 8.

In safe and enchanting Notting Hill neighborhood with delicious places to eat, adorable shops only half a mile from Hyde Park and 2 minutes from Portobello Market - conveniently located on the Central Line, with easy access to all London sites.

You can email her [noelle.nicolai@gmail.com] with questions.

These pictures are of their neighborhood. Cute, right? She told me Portobello Market is only this busy on Saturdays. Maybe you should see for yourself.

And We're Off

2011-02-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

We're moving. Tonight (they're forecasting rain tomorrow). That leaves lots to do...call utility companies, try to find a subletter, sign new lease/pick up keys, oh and pack. It doesn't leave much time to think about how much we've loved this apartment--the views, the dark wood floors, the neighborhood, the dishwasher! Unfortunately one of Stella's favorite activities is unpacking. Fortunately she takes longs naps.

She's fallen into two boxes and over the past three days figured out how to unsnap the side of storage containers to get inside, slide our sliding doors open to get through, and rip tape off boxes.

She's spending today with Grammy.

This sounds so good right now...

2011-02-03T10:10:00.003-05:00

it's normal to think about lunch at 10:00, right?

my lunch will actually be grilled chicken and salad...

because we're clearing out our fridge before the move.

Have You Heard? It's Been Snowing In NY.

2011-02-01T09:12:00.001-05:00

Stella gets to watch it fall, go for walks, eat it and sit in it.

Poor Jason has to shovel the car out of it.

Need A Good Cry?

2011-01-31T14:48:00.001-05:00

I fell in love with Steven Tyler last week. Here's why.

I have to face it...

2011-01-30T09:32:00.002-05:00

it's all my fault. Stella can now stand up from the floor without using a leg, table, wall, shelf, etc to pull up on. She can also stand for several seconds before lowering herself to the ground. On Thursday night she was standing and tried to move towards the t.v. stand. Yo Gabba, Gabba was on. She fell face first into the t.v. stand. I'm sure it was one of the saddest days of my life.
Here's the aftermath...

Luckily, she still seems to love me.

WARNING: Keep this plastic bag away from babies and children

2011-01-27T09:59:00.001-05:00

I realize that playing with plastic bags is a big "no, no." There's a warning printed on the bottom of the bag and all. But I'm always right there. Supervising. With the camera. And surprisingly, unlike paper and cardboard, Stella isn't interested in eating these. She just wants to throw them around.

At least once a day she crawls over to our entryway dresser, pulls herself up, and begins unloading the bag drawer. At first, I tried to redirect her. And then it dawned on me that this was a perfect 15 minute activity. Go for it, girl! She started by pulling bags through a tiny crack.

Then she realized she could open the drawer and eventually perfected tossing each bag to the ground and then pulling the drawer to the ground. She's nothing if not thorough.

A Little Bit Of This...A Little Bit Of That.

2011-01-22T13:26:00.001-05:00

I'm sick. Not for real sick, "just" a cold. The kind that makes your ears hurt, your throat itchy, your nostrils ache, and your nose run. The kind that makes you do a double-take every time you pass a mirror. Seriously, am I that pale? We've basically stayed in all week and I've taken a few long naps with Ms. Stella. On the up side, Stella finds the constant sneezing hysterical and I've lost interest in Diet Coke. No. Really. Three days coke free and I'm almost ready to just call it quits. If I go for it now, I won't have to endure the withdrawal headaches later. Tough decisions.

Stella finally started holding her bottle. Sort of. She hasn't quite figured out how to tip it up for those last few ounces.

This week we had a play date with Michelle and her cute babies. Michelle also had babies 12 months apart but what you can't tell from this picture, is that the second pregnancy produced twins! Madison is 17 months and Morgan & James are 5 months. James napped through this picture. Stella was in heaven. She spent most of the time following Madison around and pulled herself up on Madison's leg...which meant knocking Madison over.

A few friends have requested bump pictures. We haven't taken any. I'm finding the second pregnancy to be quite different from the first. I haven't been reading books to find out if Brother can open his eyelids or suck his thumb yet, or documenting every flutter and kick. We aren't obsessing over names. I'm not even sure how far along I am. 26 weeks? As soon as we get on the ball, I'll post some pictures. And for now, lets just say 1/2 my weight gain happened in the first 20 weeks and the second 1/2 happened in the past 5 weeks. I definitely look pregnant now. Better ease up on the Oreos.

Major Life-Update Oversight

2011-01-20T14:55:00.001-05:00

Before catching up on holidays, our visit with Deven in Vegas, New Year's, or pregnancy updates, I need to go way back. I missed a very big announcement (we got the news right before Thanksgiving). This guy...

is going back to school. Jason started his MBA at St. John's University last night. Which means he's going to get smarter and Stella & I are going to miss him like crazy two nights a week.

SNOW DAY!

2011-01-13T13:01:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday night, Mr. Bloomberg declared a weather emergency and my friend's at the Dalton School got a snow day. Then the "major" snowstorm left us with 5 inches. (Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey and Connecticut were buried though). My parents were telling me how they just shoveled another foot of snow off the driveway. I was telling them how funny it was to see plow after plow coming down 5th Ave without any snow to push. That orange tractor is actually speading snow on to the road to melt it.

"Well, [city officials] couldn't get caught with their pants down again." explained my dad.

So we had a snow day. Most days could be treated like a snow day for us...hot cocoa, sweat pants, indoor games. But it is more fun with snow on the ground and Jason working from home.

We went out for a walk. The puff isn't waterproof and we don't have a little pull sleigh (lame, right?) so we were limited to looking at dogs playing in the snow. She loved it.

Stella had soup for lunch, watched t.v., practiced drinking from the Camelbak, unrolled the toilet paper and emptied the drawer of bags (one of her favorite past times).

We had tunnel time.

And I was forced to acknowledge that I can no longer comfortably chase Stella through the tunnel. My role has been scaled back to peeking in the windowns and peek-a-booing at the ends.

Now that we've enjoyed it, I hope the snow melts away asap. I don't want to watch the world go from blanketed in white to blanketed in dirty gray or slosh through the sidewalk slop.

Attention World

2011-01-07T16:33:00.001-05:00

This little girl just stood by herself for 5 seconds (I was counting...with Mississippis). Afterward her joyful expression looked a lot like this. Minus the pastina.

*I had plans for a more legit blog post today...where we've been, a December recap, Christmas, etc. But I also had plans to be a lot more productive in general. Today was a wash. I'll try again Monday.

It's Still Stella's World

2010-12-14T22:27:00.004-05:00

Last Friday I was mentally drafting a blog post. An ode to all the rude people who've been asking me if I'm pregnant. Hello people. I had taken a pregnancy test in late September and it was negative. It's the holiday season. The turkey, stuffing and cookies add up. I bought Lindsay Brin's Post Natal boot camp, signed myself up for our family's Biggest Loser and vowed to get on top of the problem.

Then I felt a flutter. A flutter that surely was gas. Surely. Except my mind starting running wild. Could those nosy people be right? How could I be pregnant? Remember this friend? This kind of thing happens all the time. And so, for peace of mind, I took the test.

Positive. If this one was right, how far along could I be? A July baby perhaps. However, pregnancy tests aren't %100. But ultrasounds are.

Today we found out this little lady is going to be a big sister. And somehow I missed the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Yes, that's right friends. I didn't know...For. 20. Weeks. Everyone gets tired, right? My pelvis could be shifting back INTO place. On and on the things you tell yourself when your subconscious isn't ready for #2. Our #2 is coming in April.

This year our Christmas miracle is a healthy baby. Without prenatals, extra water or rest, or super tight blood sugar control the little Skittle looks good. Naturally, we feel very blessed and are praying for continued good news.

Pregnancy #1--19 Weeks

Pregnancy #2--20 weeks

We're overwhelmed. And excited. And oh yeah, it's a boy.

We are currently accepting suggestions for a new blog title.

Crafty

2010-12-08T13:16:00.000-05:00

I try. Sometimes I really want to be. But crafty falls into the category of "Things I Am Not."
Here were some recent project ideas...

Make an imitation of this lovely Pottery Barn advent calendar. Then I looked closer. Each pocket is perfectly detailed--a ballerina, a scarfed cat. The original is over 5 feet tall. If I spent every spare moment on it, I could probably finish it by March. Who was I kidding?

Wrap a foam wreath in yarn. Check. Make a handful of gorgeous felt flowers. It surely would take a few tries and a tutorial from my mother, but I figured I could manage. I was going to place my flowers off to the side a little and leave the branch out. As I searched around NYC for high quality felt, felted wool actually, I started calculating my materials cost. And then, as I added in my time and travels, I realized it would make more sense to fork over the $40 to her and have this wreath arrive on my doorstep, hassle free.

This year we don't have a wreath or a huge evergreen tree advent calendar, but I did string up some white Christmas lights, decorate our little (faux) tree, and have holiday play lists going round the clock. It feels festive. And now I'm off to see if I can transform what turned out to be cheap tissue paper into red and white Martha Stewart pompoms. Wish me luck.

Get These

2010-12-06T09:53:00.001-05:00

Really. The following baby products make motherhood much easier. When we have another baby, these will all be on hand. Until then, I just try to push them on every pregnant woman I know. (Candice, Have a pen handy?)

Kicky Pants bamboo stretch blankets. The stretch makes a swaddling so easy, they're very soft and the prints are lovely.

I watched a wise mother using one of these Munchkin formula dispensers in church one Sunday. You can make a bottle in 30 seconds with one hand (plus a knee or stroller).

I'm a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, and it's harder than one might think to find a solid-colored, not over-embelished shirt for babies. And then I found Andee Lew baby bodysuits. Perfection.

Our bathtub is deep and it seems even deeper when you're hanging over the side for 20 minutes. This has saved our knees and backs, and as promised "makes bath time more fun for everyone."

too busy to blog...

2010-12-03T14:42:00.001-05:00

but she did!

In the 8 months of Stella's life, I've missed a lot of opportunities. One that I particularly regret was not having professional newborn pictures taken of Stella. Perhaps my MIL knew how much I'd one day regret this (that one day came quick). On one of our October trips, she arranged for the exceptional Haley Miller to take Stella's 6th month pictures. Stella already seems so much older than she was in these pictures. Haley was fast (you only have so much time with babies), has terrific energy and adorable props. If you're looking for a photographer, I'll add mine to a long list of recommendations. (She also shot my sister in law's wedding and those pictures are just as fantastic).

innocence

2010-11-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Her face seems to say, "I'm going to sit right here and play with the toys you gave me." Not two minutes later she wiggled, scooted, and crawled her way over to empty the bags on to the floor. Who knew pulling out diapers, receipts and shoes was so fun?

Stella Rocks

2010-11-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

And so it begins. Look who's on her hands & knees.

Getting Through The Night

2010-11-17T13:41:00.001-05:00

Between travel, a seasonal cold or two, Stella's eating habits, and mostly a big soft spot for this little face, we created a nightmare. We were getting up at least once a night to pop her pacifier back in and at 5:00 for a little snack. Only sometimes would she go back to sleep after that snack. The preference is to climb all over us in bed. Trust me, I'm a MUCH better mother when I'm rested.

So we decided to let Stella cry it out. Jason and I are covering our ears with pillows and trying to keep our heart rates down.
Night 1-- cried from 3:40-4:30 and woke up cheerful at 7:00.
Night 2-- fussed twice for 10 minutes and woke up chatting at 6:30.
Jason's been a little groggy at work, I take a morning nap, and our neighbors probably despise us. Although I hesitate to declare victory after two nights, it seems to be working.

In The Genes?

2010-11-09T14:19:00.001-05:00

Jason has crazy bed head....and it can't be tamed with a comb and water. It requires a full shampooing. It seems that, among other things, Stella has inherited her father's hair. See the resemblance?

This post really only warrants one picture of Stella. But I just could not choose.

happy tuesday.

monday mornings

2010-11-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

stella's napping. i should take one too. after all, day light savings (which used to be one of my favorite days of the entire year) and a cold have rocked our schedules. i was up steaming the congested little duckie in the bathroom at 4:30 this morning. as i sat rocking her on the edge of the tub, i thought, "well this is fair, i'm sure my mom did this for us." then years later we moved to house with a steam shower so when we were congested, a little brown chair was plopped in the shower for us.

this morning, i can hear sleet falling from the sky and i have to run a few errands. errands make city living exhausting. first i plan the order of my stops. definitely michael's first because felt and glue are lighter than food. then i figure out exactly which groceries i need which determines which market i go to (and which transportation to take) and how i should travel stella (stroller or carrier). ah, see? tiring.

i can't be too down on nyc. yesterday the marathoners ran their 22nd mile by our apartment. did i post the same thing last november? probably. they are inspiring. i only got this one shot of the leading women (it was chilly and stella was sick). the american with the high socks went on to take 2nd place in her first marathon ever. see? inspiring.

i hope it isn't sleeting where ever you are and that babies in your lives are taking 2+ hour naps.

happy monday

We LOVE Going to the Doctor

2010-11-05T07:21:00.000-04:00

We went for Stella's 7 month check-up this morning. Are you surprised that she had a 7 month appointment? Yeah, well, so were some of my friends at playgroup. Apparently after 6 months, most doctors ask you come back every three months (9, 12, 15, etc) and then the regular check ups slow down even more. Hmmm. I figured either...

A. my insurance company (and us) was getting swindled

B. I have an extremely attentive pediatrician

I was leaning towards B. Turns out the answer is C-none of the above (or, in other words, the mother wasn't listening).

So Stella was weighed, measured, examined, and injected a little ahead of schedule. Dr. Larson saw her upper teeth starting to push through (which might explain why she fussed for an hour last night!) and admired her muscle development. I continue to be in awe of how tall she is. How tall, and how perfect. Yesterday, I could have had 100 Stellas.

Current Stats

19 1/2 lbs (88%)
29 inches (99%)

Stella wore The Puff out yesterday. It was almost cold enough. It almost fit in the stroller. I was in heaven.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2010-11-01T23:35:00.001-04:00

I can't imagine not wanting to see Stella in her costume. My original visions involved somewhat clever, homemade costumes for the whole family. But then, time flew by (see post below). Luckily GG had the foresight to pick up an adorable costume.

Trying it on with GG. Love her peeking over her shoulder and that pudgy cheek.

Naturally she ingested several leaves.

Her friend, Eliana, was also a duck. Same tights. Fuzzier body. Both adorable.

We went to the park after taking a few pictures. Stella took a few trips down the mini-slide and was pooped. She was down for a nap less than 15 minutes after this picture was taken.

Octoblur

2010-10-28T13:48:00.000-04:00

October has flown by...the blur has been mostly self imposed with several trips to Utah. Here are a few random pics of you know who throughout her 6th month of life.

Yanking the elephants off her mobile (it isn't really a mobile)--a favorite pastime.

A true NYer--knawing her first bagel.

She had to stay somewhere while I got ready for all those trips.

Here comes trouble. We now have a little climber on our hands.

Stella's first BYU game.

A few sheets of tissue paper provide about 30 minutes of entertainment.

Raindrops on Roses, and Whiskers on Kittens

2010-10-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

This week, in an effort to express gratitude (and instead of obsessing over a boot purchase), I'm posting a few of my favorite things.

Favorite Things About Fall
- roasting pumpkins and making delicious treats (muffins and soup)
- accessorizing with scarves
- watching the colorful leaves outside our apartment shaking in the wind
- hot chocolate
- campaign signs posted in yards
- merging into holiday mode but no holiday craziness
- watching movies on rainy days (we've had lots of those)
- apple picking (mostly apple eating)

HAPPY FALL!

Snow Puff

2010-10-15T19:18:00.001-04:00

Last May a package arrived from [aunt] Noelle and Uncle Matt. Stella was a few weeks old but Noelle had snagged some great deals (she's good at that). There was a ruffled summer one-piece, a darling corduroy dress, and this...

snow puff.

Generally I try not to rush the seasons. I don't spend Thanksgiving dinner thinking about Christmas, but I was dying to see Stella in this. The extreme fluff, the balls for feet, how tiny her hands look peeking out of the sleeves....it lived up to all of my expectations.

Bring it, Old Man Winter. Stella's ready.

back in the big apple

2010-10-12T10:43:00.002-04:00

at 6 months, stella has made 6 cross country flights. 1/2 of which we've done alone. i no longer dread getting on the plane. it seems pretty routine (knock on wood). as soon as we settle in, she starts making friends with nearby passengers...smiling, laughing and craning to make eye contact. as we take off, she drinks her 6 oz. and then takes a 2.5-3 hour nap. she wakes up "singing" (which most people, including me, find adorable) and then wiggles around until it's time for her landing bottle.

i left my camera in utah so sadly i can't post pictures of stella's first byu game or our other adventures (did i even take pictures). but there is some good news. we came home with 380+ images to sort through (a wonderful birthday gift from GG). here is a sneak peak at stella's 6 month pics...

for the record, her calf is NOT as large as it looks in the 3rd picture. her thighs are chubby but her calf is definitely not.

Summer Lovin'

2010-10-06T14:38:00.001-04:00

We rounded out our summer in Lake George with my family. It was liesurely and somewhat gluttonous, as our vacations often are. We all did a little falling in love.

Stella with her Sassy Seat (aka Jolly Jumper). She now turns it at will, frees up her arms as needed and walks forward (until being yanked back). She also mastered what we call her RiverDance--kicking one leg in and out while bouncing on the other. If I let her, she'd spend hours dangling from the doorway.

Stella also fell for Noelle's song and dance routines. I have a hunch Matt fell for Stella.

Like many great affairs, we didn't see this coming. Jason and I fell in love with the race track--the big hats, impressive horses, tiny jockeys, program stats, maybe a little betting. I was in heaven.

My uncle's horse, Quiet on the Tee, getting ready in the paddock. He didn't win but he ran a hell of a race, pulling from behind to tie for second.

Belmont, anyone?

IT'S BACK!

2010-10-05T17:16:00.002-04:00

my computer is finally fixed. new battery, outer casing/keys, and logic board. so stay tuned. pictures are coming.

Cell Phone Picture Time

2010-09-30T14:35:00.006-04:00

Decided to finally download a bunch of my bberry pictures onto my computer. Here are some of my favorites. Stella makes me feel like one lucky Dad....

And Erica makes me one lucky husband.

Stella paying homage to her hometown.

First time in the new high chair - she likes it.

Stella watching her first BYU football game with Dad.

Stella and Erica before we head out to run some errands.

Stella wondering what I am doing.

This is the face I get to come home to everyday!

fairly certain

2010-09-27T08:24:00.000-04:00

that Stella needs one of these.
picture found here at the GAP

You Are My Sunshine

2010-09-25T21:56:00.002-04:00

When I was little, my father used to sing "You Are My Sunshine" to us before we went to sleep. My mother always wanted him to omit the second verse because she thought it was depressing. I sing Stella both verses but I see her point.

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine,
You make me happy when skies are grey,
You'll never know dear,
How much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away!

The other night dear,
As I lay sleeping,
I dreamt I held you in my arms.
When I awoke dear,
I was mistaken,
So I hung my head down and cried.

Posting without pictures can be boring so I've been on a blogging break while my computer gets fixed. I'll just mention a few quick things...

- Stella is growing and growing; she now chows on solid foods, babbles, takes 2.5 hour naps & fell in love with her doorway jumper
- This summer I discovered a love for horse racing. Belmont anyone? I'm not kidding. My uncle's horses race later this month--let's go!

- Accidentally I got hooked on the Hunger Game series--very reminiscent of how I got hooked on the Twilight series. Interestingly, I haven't read either of the last books in these series.

- Noelle moved to London (wipe tear). Yes, I'm excited to visit London but I can't call, or text, or gchat (no computer) whenever I feel like it.

- I don't blog about crafty projects because, it turns out, I'm not crafty.

- I flew solo with Stella for the first time. I had an entire row on both legs of the trip. Leaving me without an accurate picture of what it's like to fly solo with Stella.
Thanks for humoring me. Pictures soon.

They See Me Rollin'

2010-08-13T15:29:00.003-04:00

On July 26th Stellie rolled for the first time and ever since has been refining her technique.

1. lay on back--look around

2. lift legs and grab feet

3. try not to become distracted with getting toes into mouth

4. tip over to the side

5. in side position, munch fingers for a little while (amount of time depends on how much noise mom & dad are making)

6. rotate shoulder towards the ground, hips and legs should follow, and voila, roll accomplished.

Occasionally Stella's roll isn't so graceful and we find her stuck, arms pinned under her. Being the attentive mother that I am, I immediately (after a quick picture or two) pull her arms out for her and prop her up. This week her PT encouraged me to let her struggle a little to get her arms out. What? You mean don't rush right over at the first sign of discomfort. I'm already on the road to making her bed every morning and doing her science projects for her. So much to learn.

Hands Up, Baby, Hands Up

2010-08-11T10:01:00.002-04:00

Once again, it's August. Summer is officially winding down and all those blog posts I was going to do have fallen by the wayside--trips to UT, Stella's monthly stats, visiting D.C, rolling over, NYC adventures, time with friends and the power-boil setting on my stove (how did I not know about that sooner?). Time continues to pass at alarming rates and my baby is growing up. It hits me on a daily basis...she fits in her mcclaren stroller, she sleeps with a pacifier, she laughs, she prefers to be sitting up to see the world, she is growing out of (my favorite) outfits. She has graduated from infant to baby and before I know what's happening, Stella will be graduating from High School.

Last night on the Staten Island ferry, I realized that Stella arms now touch at the top of her head. NO! For several weeks I've meant to document just how funny it looks when we held Stella's arms up and there was a 3 inch gap between her hands. Try it with your arms. See. Your elbows should hit around the top of your head and forearms can reach all the way around. Not the case with baby bodily proportions. And last night, when I saw her fingertips brush each other, I wanted to cry.

We took the picture anyway. Two weeks too late. Stella hands are currently the most fascinating things in her world and I think that she loves feeling them touch up there.

S.F.G

2010-07-29T22:04:00.001-04:00

Morning Routine

2010-07-27T09:37:00.000-04:00

Most mornings Stella "sits" up next to me while I fold the laundry. She seems to find the whole process very amusing. Then while I put the clothes away (which sometimes involves walking out of the room), I strap Stella to her "happy place."

She loves the changing table. And by table I mean pad on our dresser.

OVERDUE THANK YOU NOTES

2010-07-25T22:59:00.000-04:00

I went back to work in June (this picture was taken on the last day of school). There were several reasons going back worked for our family: a few extra $$ before the paychecks stop rolling in, the last two weeks of kindergarten aren't exactly grueling, closure, I adored my class this year (angels!), to collect "my" stuff from the classroom, etc. The best childcare in NY made the decision extra easy. Thanks Grandma Allene and GG (Grandma Gardner) who each stayed with Stella for a week. She relished in the love and attention!

Stella had just started really, truly smiling in response to those around her when Jason's family arrived. Stella smiled to moment GG lined their faces up and the love affair continued for the next week.

Grandma Allene rescued Stella from my constant attempts to shove a pacifier in her mouth and inappropriate fashion choices (too hot and/or too cold). I'm pretty sure she loved being cuddled and held while she napped, too.

THANK YOU MOMS FOR ALLOWING ME TO LEAVE STELLA WORRY FREE. WE'RE ALL SO BLESSED!

sleeping beauties

2010-07-12T15:06:00.002-04:00

in case you were wondering why you haven't heard from these lovelies lately...

they're settling the sleep debt.

it's been a busy summer!

one more for good measure

2010-07-04T19:45:00.002-04:00

my apologies for hijacking erica's blog...

JUST ONE MORE of stella's new romper from janie & jack.
(the cutest store there ever was)

seriously, could she be more edible? 3 months to the day.

no more blog posts from me, I PROMISE.

xoxo
noelle

And for the record, this hijacker is not the hacker responsible for the blog name change.

everybody loves stella.

2010-07-04T19:41:00.001-04:00

[aunt] noelle does so much, she broke into the blog to show you.

dear erica,
when we were little and you accidentally stayed signed into AOL i would pretend to be you and talk to your friends. or read your email. now, when you leave gmail open on my computer, i just post adorable pictures of everybody's favorite little girl. i think that's a remarkable degree of maturation.

if you posted more frequently i wouldn't be tempted to do this.
don't be mad.

please come sleepover.

love,
[aunt] noelle
(the [aunt] is optional)

uncle matt.
gigi (grandma gardner)
noelle
and grandma
ALL LOVE stellie bellie.

Hacked Blog

2010-06-17T18:13:00.003-04:00

oh dear. it seems as though someone has hacked into our blog and changed the "title." darling stella is anything but hostile. and i've already brainstormed an interesting, non-stella blog spot. it's coming...

of course, i'll probably illustrate the post with pictures of stella.

2 Month Update

2010-06-13T18:06:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago we went for Stella's 2 month check up. She was smiling and happy, right up until the 2nd shot when she realized what was going on and did NOT like it. Neither did we.

There is something to be said for consistency. Stella continues to rock the 95% for height and weight. She weighed in at 13lb5oz and was 25 inches long.

When we got to the doctor, Stella hadn't gone to the bathroom in 5 days. Dr. Larson said she may just have a long colon (she is a long girl) but suggested that we give her a little prune juice. She gulped it right down and let's just say, it did the trick.

Stella continues to sleep like a champ. Most nights from 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. with a couple 2 hour naps and 30-45 minute cat naps here and there. Here brain must be HUGE! I love this part of the update, Stella now takes a pacifier (with a little coaxing). I wouldn't say that she loves it...but we're getting closer to that point. I've been waiting for this day and have a somewhat irrational belief that it is going to make all of our lives better.

Her grins are heartwarming but catching them on camera is tricky. We'll work on it but for now, the focus is on enjoying them.

Our Blessing

2010-06-05T21:47:00.003-04:00

It was a big Sunday for our family. Jason and I spoke in sacrament meeting, Jason got a new calling, we blessed Stella, and our family filled up two rows of the chapel. The blessing was beautiful. I was worried she'd cry through it, but not a peep. GG made a gorgeous blanket and bought Stella this classy dress...and cute shoes, and a just-right bow (I did a poor job of keeping it in her hair. It's currently in Angelique's car. It is not the lace one picture below...that was a mediocre substitute.)

Stella is so loved!

I just want to eat her up.

dimples

2010-05-31T09:53:00.001-04:00

Looks like she may have inherited it from Poppy....

Uncle Jared

2010-05-24T00:39:00.000-04:00

"I'll be Uncle Jared, ok?" Absolutely. Then after I snapped this picture and took a seat next to them. "Can I talk to her?" Another yes! "Are you gonna listen?" I nodded. I knew he wouldn't mind. Here was the conversation...

"Listen, Stellie. Grow up to be like your mom. And come to church. You gotta come to church to learn about the gospel and Jesus Christ. And don't smoke at church. (I interjected here that we're hoping she doesn't smoke anywhere). Just don't smoke cigarettes. It isn't good for you."

As much as I didn't want to end the advice session, it was time to change her diaper. Jared maturely stated, "Oh, I got her. You just go and I'll carry her."

If only I was relaxed enough to let him carry her. I promised myself that I'd let Uncle Jared carry around our next child.

Made You Look

2010-05-20T20:44:00.003-04:00

The Pediatric Physical Therapist told us to encourage Stella to look to her left to assist in the recovery from her shoulder dystocia. I think this did the trick.

Who needs fancy books and pictures. The incredibly creative Erica made do with a free sheet of paper from Ernst and Young and a sharpie.