Well, the paint job is done... and I officially don't like it! I should have brought home swatches and thought it through, but even under the little light simulator at Lowe's, this color looked soft enough to work. I'm too impatient and wanted to get the paint RIGHT THEN. However, on the walls it looks a tad neon (even though it's not a dark yellow) and it is going to bug me. Although it is going to cost more for another bucket of paint, I am going to redo it. I got a tip on a good yellow named "Straw" (thanks, Katie), and if I can't find that color, or it doesn't look right with our bedding, I will find another much softer, lighter yellow than the one I got the first time around. I don't want it to have any green-ness to it, which ours appears to have a tiny bit. I still think yellow is a really tricky color to get right! When it's wrong, it can be horrible!
I did it all today (basically during Lucy's 2 hour nap, and then touch-ups after she went to bed), so it's not like I dedicated a lot of time to this. It's just frustrating to get it wrong (the same thing happened in our great room trying to find the right shade of tanish gray, which eventually we did), but worth the effort to get it exactly how you want. We have time. So, no pictures yet!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Yellow
I've begun painting the bottom half of the nursery yellow. I obsessed over which shade of yellow to go with (at Lowe's) and ended up getting one called "summer sun". It's not too "primary", it's a little lighter, but still fairly bright. I have done all the cutting in around the edges and am about to roll paint on the walls (I just came downstairs to get a roller cover). I've never painted a room yellow before (except when Ron and I were "hired" to paint a house and the owners chose the most offensive shade of yellow imaginable, and it gave us an instant headache any time we entered that room)... so I'm a little gun-shy about yellow in my own home in general. I think it's going to look nice once all the furniture is pushed back into place, and if I end up hating it, I can repaint when Baby turns into Toddler and the room is redone. It is bright though, and with the white walls, the new light, and new carpet soon, the room is very different looking (which is what I wanted!). I'm going to have to see how it turns out before I can decide if I love it or not.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
(More!) Home Improvements
I realize it's been almost a week since I've posted anything (that's a long time for me). Let's see: Ron moved all the lights in the bedrooms to the middle of each room. Before, they were located in front of the closets (on the ceiling) and the fixtures were really ugly, outdated ones that you can aim each of the three lights in a different spot (like track lighting but on a disc... does that make sense?). Anyway, we got new fixtures and they not only look nicer, but distribute light better in each room. Going up into the attic wasn't as scary for Ron as we thought it might be, as it is relatively spacious and spider-free.
We had a tree guy come out and give an estimate for some trees we need removed. We are having 5 trees taken out, a few which are too close to the house and have large branches hanging over our roof. Not good, especially since we're probably having our new roof put on this fall! We're pretty excited about getting some of these "big" projects done (especially since WE aren't the ones doing the work for a change). The trees are probably coming down at the end of August, and the roof will follow shortly after. If we have enough money we may replace our rotting French door with a slider to our back deck (and hopefully eliminate some draft issues in the process).
We got the paint for the nursery. The top half is white, the bottom half will be yellow, but I still have to do it. It's a gender neutral color, and matches the crib bedding we already have. I'll be able to change it down the road the way I did for Lucy, when she needed a more "grown up" room.
I'm 30 weeks now, and actually I consider this the home stretch. Everything is still going fine, and the little baby is probably about 3 pounds and 17 inches by now. It kicks hard too. I see more people are voting "girl", and more and more Ron believes that it's a girl. We'll find out in a couple of months!
We had a tree guy come out and give an estimate for some trees we need removed. We are having 5 trees taken out, a few which are too close to the house and have large branches hanging over our roof. Not good, especially since we're probably having our new roof put on this fall! We're pretty excited about getting some of these "big" projects done (especially since WE aren't the ones doing the work for a change). The trees are probably coming down at the end of August, and the roof will follow shortly after. If we have enough money we may replace our rotting French door with a slider to our back deck (and hopefully eliminate some draft issues in the process).
We got the paint for the nursery. The top half is white, the bottom half will be yellow, but I still have to do it. It's a gender neutral color, and matches the crib bedding we already have. I'll be able to change it down the road the way I did for Lucy, when she needed a more "grown up" room.
I'm 30 weeks now, and actually I consider this the home stretch. Everything is still going fine, and the little baby is probably about 3 pounds and 17 inches by now. It kicks hard too. I see more people are voting "girl", and more and more Ron believes that it's a girl. We'll find out in a couple of months!
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Dark Knight
Yesterday Ron and I went to see the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It was VERY good, even though it was a long one at 2:35, I didn't mind at all.
Of course Heath Ledger's death in January is creating a little more buzz about the movie, but it would have been well-deserved even if he was still around. His Joker is really remarkable (and very different from other portrayals of the Joker in the past). It's PG-13 so they don't really "show" anything too disturbing, but there were a couple moments where I had to turn away knowing what he was about to do to somebody. You really don't see Heath Ledger at all, his character is so completely evil.
Christian Bale is Batman/Bruce Wayne and he's okay, but I couldn't help but think that whenever he was in Batman mode, his voice just sounded like he had a really bad cold, and that was distracting and annoying. I like Aaron Eckhart, who I only know from Thank You For Smoking. He plays Harvey Dent, the new Gotham City DA... maybe that name sounds familiar to anyone who knows the Batman storyline, but I won't spoil it any further.
Anyway, good movie, go see it.
Of course Heath Ledger's death in January is creating a little more buzz about the movie, but it would have been well-deserved even if he was still around. His Joker is really remarkable (and very different from other portrayals of the Joker in the past). It's PG-13 so they don't really "show" anything too disturbing, but there were a couple moments where I had to turn away knowing what he was about to do to somebody. You really don't see Heath Ledger at all, his character is so completely evil.
Christian Bale is Batman/Bruce Wayne and he's okay, but I couldn't help but think that whenever he was in Batman mode, his voice just sounded like he had a really bad cold, and that was distracting and annoying. I like Aaron Eckhart, who I only know from Thank You For Smoking. He plays Harvey Dent, the new Gotham City DA... maybe that name sounds familiar to anyone who knows the Batman storyline, but I won't spoil it any further.
Anyway, good movie, go see it.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Stencil Mess
I got a stencil and a stenciling brush and was trying to do something for the border in the nursery... but the stencil does not come out neat, even if I tape it to the wall. I'm really not sure if I want to go to the trouble of doing the whole room if it's going to look sloppy. Maybe a store-bought border (or no border) will be a better choice afterall, unless I really want to get involved in a big hand-painted project... which still isn't out of the question. For now, I'm going to lay on the couch while Lucy is still napping.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Wordle
Kelly had this on her blog so I made one of my own. It's hard not to keep clicking "randomize" and seeing the different layouts, colors, and fonts they give you. Pretty cool. Click on it for a larger image. 
Nursery Redo (again)
Well, when we bought our house, the room that would be the nursery was, at the time, sponge painted blue and white. Before we had to actually live here, I painted it a very pale creamy color, that actually looked a tad peach with the dark mauve carpet in there (with bleach spots, mystery stains, and unevenly faded sections from years of furniture in one spot, generally yucky). We put a large neutral Berber rug over it to fill most of the area, and Lucy slept in that room for a few months, until we moved her into her new room this summer.
I was going to leave the nursery alone and just clean it, maybe rearrange furniture. However, I decided that it needs to be brightened up. I also feel that the new baby deserves a "new" room, just like Lucy. I painted all the wood trim, closet doors, etc. white (the wood was a dark-medium stain, nothing fancy), and it already looks a ton better. I have decided to do something similar as with Lucy's room, and paint the top half white, and the bottom half is going to be a pale yellow. I'm hopefully finishing the painting tonight or tomorrow. I hate dragging jobs out for a long time. I'm also contemplating a border (hand painted, store-bought, or just a simple chair rail... haven't decided yet) between the white and yellow. The knobs on the door and closet are switched to brushed nickel as of last night - what a difference those little details make.
We also need to move/replace the light fixtures in the three main floor bedrooms. Currently they are placed near the closets, and not in the center of the room. I guess I see the logic, but I don't like it and Ron is going to brave the attic and relocate them (he really knows what he's doing when it comes to electrical work, don't worry!). I think this will also help in brightening up the nursery because the light will fill the room better. It's definitely not a fun job, but I think it will be worth it, and help with resale in the future. It was one of the things that we weren't wild about when we first went through the house, but obviously it wasn't a deal-breaker.
After giving it some thought, we've also decided we will probably replace the carpet before the baby comes too... with the same stuff that's in the great room and hallway. I will feel better about the cleanliness, and it will also prevent the dark mauve carpet from affecting the appearance of the wall color.
I was going to leave the nursery alone and just clean it, maybe rearrange furniture. However, I decided that it needs to be brightened up. I also feel that the new baby deserves a "new" room, just like Lucy. I painted all the wood trim, closet doors, etc. white (the wood was a dark-medium stain, nothing fancy), and it already looks a ton better. I have decided to do something similar as with Lucy's room, and paint the top half white, and the bottom half is going to be a pale yellow. I'm hopefully finishing the painting tonight or tomorrow. I hate dragging jobs out for a long time. I'm also contemplating a border (hand painted, store-bought, or just a simple chair rail... haven't decided yet) between the white and yellow. The knobs on the door and closet are switched to brushed nickel as of last night - what a difference those little details make.
We also need to move/replace the light fixtures in the three main floor bedrooms. Currently they are placed near the closets, and not in the center of the room. I guess I see the logic, but I don't like it and Ron is going to brave the attic and relocate them (he really knows what he's doing when it comes to electrical work, don't worry!). I think this will also help in brightening up the nursery because the light will fill the room better. It's definitely not a fun job, but I think it will be worth it, and help with resale in the future. It was one of the things that we weren't wild about when we first went through the house, but obviously it wasn't a deal-breaker.
After giving it some thought, we've also decided we will probably replace the carpet before the baby comes too... with the same stuff that's in the great room and hallway. I will feel better about the cleanliness, and it will also prevent the dark mauve carpet from affecting the appearance of the wall color.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
28
Yesterday I had a doctor appointment and got to drink the delicious orange glucose drink (the hardest 10 ounces to choke down, in my opinion)... and have my blood drawn. I luckily had no problems in the past so I don't suspect any phone calls. My appointments are going to be every two weeks now, until they go to every week toward the end. I think the more frequent doctor visits make the pregnancy go faster.
I hadn't taken a photo of myself since 20 weeks. I was a lot more diligent with my first pregnancy, so I thought I better get an update! I also took one with my belly showing, but since it's so stark white I thought I'd post the black-and-white one with the shirt down :). Looking back at my 20 week photo I have really grown a lot. What will I look like in 2.5 months!
I hadn't taken a photo of myself since 20 weeks. I was a lot more diligent with my first pregnancy, so I thought I better get an update! I also took one with my belly showing, but since it's so stark white I thought I'd post the black-and-white one with the shirt down :). Looking back at my 20 week photo I have really grown a lot. What will I look like in 2.5 months!
Haircut
I could take a picture of the tiny little curl that I cut off of Lucy's hair this morning, but it wouldn't look like much! She had this weird single barrel-like curl that hung down much lower than the rest of her hair in back. So, while it was wet this morning I tied the longest part in a purple rubber band and cut off just above it. I didn't want to cut off too much length, because when it dries and the curls spring up, it ends up a couple inches shorter anyway. The piece I cut is only about an inch and a half long, but after her hair dried and she not longer had her "rat-tail" she looked quite different to me! I think it's better and it looks neater. I guess this officially counts as her first haircut.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Congrats in Order
My friend Lisa had her baby this afternoon - a girl (they knew the gender) named Morgan. Everyone is doing fine and enjoying the luxurious accommodations of the new Metro Hospital (Looking forward to that!). Her first daughter Lauren is just a few days older than Lucy, so they play well together... although it is pretty funny seeing how different their personalities are! Morgan is going to have to wait almost 3 more months for her Denning playmate... Yes I'm counting down! We're of course anxious to know what we're having but have no regrets about being surprised about the sex of the baby... just looking forward to that moment.
Depending on what book or website you consult, I am in the first week of the third trimester. Wow! It does seem to go more quickly this time. At this point the baby is about 2 pounds and maybe 15 or 16 inches long from head to toe. It also just started opening its eyes and can tell the difference between light and dark. Kicks with this one are more of a "pummeling" sensation, where Lucy felt like slow, hard pushes, and occasional rolls. As for me, I've been slacking on the belly photos but I'll do another soon. I feel good other than a few bouts of sciatica which I had last time, and some back pain (which is more from lifting Lucy than anything else. Use your legs!). My growth is in the "normal" range. Last time I didn't gain very much weight but Lucy was 8 lb. 3 oz. (11 days early). This time I'm gaining a little more, but I started out lighter so I still weigh less than I did last time at 6+ months, so it all evens out. Actually, I am less concerned this time than I was with Lucy because I know that I just have to eat smart and there isn't much else I can do about what the scale says!
Speaking of food, I feel like eating a lot even though it takes less to make me feel full. Mostly I want good stuff like fruit - berries and watermelon especially. We're too cheap to buy "fun" junk food to have on hand anyway, which is probably for the best. My bad indulgence would be eating Froot Loops out of the box or way too many Sour Patch Kids. I don't really feel like eating meat, or Chinese food, which I usually love. No monster heartburn attacks yet, but I have my Tums ready!
Depending on what book or website you consult, I am in the first week of the third trimester. Wow! It does seem to go more quickly this time. At this point the baby is about 2 pounds and maybe 15 or 16 inches long from head to toe. It also just started opening its eyes and can tell the difference between light and dark. Kicks with this one are more of a "pummeling" sensation, where Lucy felt like slow, hard pushes, and occasional rolls. As for me, I've been slacking on the belly photos but I'll do another soon. I feel good other than a few bouts of sciatica which I had last time, and some back pain (which is more from lifting Lucy than anything else. Use your legs!). My growth is in the "normal" range. Last time I didn't gain very much weight but Lucy was 8 lb. 3 oz. (11 days early). This time I'm gaining a little more, but I started out lighter so I still weigh less than I did last time at 6+ months, so it all evens out. Actually, I am less concerned this time than I was with Lucy because I know that I just have to eat smart and there isn't much else I can do about what the scale says!
Speaking of food, I feel like eating a lot even though it takes less to make me feel full. Mostly I want good stuff like fruit - berries and watermelon especially. We're too cheap to buy "fun" junk food to have on hand anyway, which is probably for the best. My bad indulgence would be eating Froot Loops out of the box or way too many Sour Patch Kids. I don't really feel like eating meat, or Chinese food, which I usually love. No monster heartburn attacks yet, but I have my Tums ready!
Dress Attempt #1
When I got Lucy's quilt fabric, I saw some other fabric there that I thought would make a cute little summer dress. Yesterday I finally got around to making it, with help from my mom. Reading the pattern is confusing, as it is made much more complicated than it needs to be, so she was able to translate and help walk me through the steps. Anyway, after going through the process I believe I could make more quite easily, because it is fairly simple. The dress has a couple little flaws that I would know to watch out for next time, and it was a little tough working with the stretchy, gauzy fabric as opposed to a nice sturdy cotton... however it still turned out pretty cute. It has little tie-on shoulder straps and is about knee-length.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Room Decor
I said a while ago I was making Lucy a quilt for her toddler bed - well it's been done for a couple of weeks, so I decided to finally post a picture. It is just length-wise strips in 2", 3", or 4" widths, with a dark blue border. It went together really quickly since there wasn't a lot of "piecing".
Also, we got a dresser the other night, and I added some paint to the knobs to make it match the rest of the room - then this morning I sprayed clear coat over my little paintings and added some glitter. We had to decide on where the dresser would be semi-permantently since we chose to anchor it to the wall for safety. But when Ron was assembling it, he discovered a cool feature: only one drawer can be opened at a time. When one is open, the others are automatically locked. Therefore, if a kid were to open one and start pulling or climbing, the rest of them would not tilt out and throw the balance of the dresser forward, which is what usually causes them to fall over onto kids. We're usually not ultra safety gurus but this just seemed like a good idea.
The other things added were a window valence made of leftover purple fabric from her quilt, and her name in purple letters on the wall. I also sprinkled glitter on those letters, but it's pretty much impossible to tell that from the photo. Now I just need to find some more organization solutions, but I'm going to Ikea this weekend with my mom, sister, and aunt, so I'll be on the lookout for something there. 
Saturday, July 05, 2008
4th of July
Yesterday Ron, Lucy, Kelly, Heath, and I met my mom down at the parade in Grandville, and then spent some time at my grandparents' house, where my dad met up with us, along with most of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and other random people. Hanging out over there is a tradition that goes back a long time. This was also the last year my grandpa Marv would be in the parade, as he is retiring as Kent County commissioner after 22 years. Lucy played outside for a while, and then we went back to my parents' house to relax, eat, and for Lucy to nap. Later that night we went back to my grandparents' place for fireworks - and even kept Lucy up waaaay past her bedtime to watch. She was exhausted but didn't seem at all scared this year, and she did watch most of the show and seemed to enjoy it. We got home a little after 11 PM and even though she got far less sleep than usual, she was up around 6:30 like it was any other morning.
I took some pictures at the parade, at my grandparents' house, and also of the fireworks. Heath and I both had our tripods set up, and some of them turned out great! I even gave Ron the remote control for a while so some of them are his handiwork, and that gave me a chance to hold Lucy and enjoy the fireworks with her. 
Our Photos
I took some pictures at the parade, at my grandparents' house, and also of the fireworks. Heath and I both had our tripods set up, and some of them turned out great! I even gave Ron the remote control for a while so some of them are his handiwork, and that gave me a chance to hold Lucy and enjoy the fireworks with her. 
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
She's an Animal!
Can you spot the wildest one of all? It's a rare thing for her to sit still for this long, so she must have enjoyed this "game"!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Zoo
Today we went to John Ball Zoo - after a couple other stops we had to make. We got there around 12:30 so it was already pretty busy, but eventually we found a place to park.
I probably sound like a scrooge but I would much rather get there when they open and avoid some of the crowdedness... something to keep in mind for next time. However, we had eye appointments this morning, and then stopped for lunch at Russ' so we didn't get there as early as we should have.
Anyway, we had Lucy in the stroller most of the time, and saw a lot of cool animals. The snow leopard was hiding, which bummed me out - but we did get to see the new Lion exhibit, which is set up really nicely but the lions are hiding way up in the back, up on the top of the hill. There is a stairway lookout that can get you a closer view, so we went up there and the male turned around, so I got to get some good photos of him. They were just lazing around like lazy lions. C'mon lions! Earn your paycheck! Climb the trees and growl! At the lower part of the exhibit there are thick glass walls where, conceivably, the lions could come right down and be inches away from your face! That would be awesome!
Lucy was pretty tired, even by the time we got there, and it's hard to get great pictures that include both the child and the animals... but I think she enjoyed herself (despite the fact she looks quite serious in almost all the pictures she is in). She fell asleep in the car on the way home - but when we put her down in her bed she woke up and stayed awake for the rest of the afternoon... geesh.
As she gets older she will hopefully be more and more interested in what she is seeing, and be able to walk more and not get knocked down by kids running through at top speed. So, we hope to go back at least one more time this summer, and maybe get a glimpse of that alleged snow leopard.
Here are our photos
I probably sound like a scrooge but I would much rather get there when they open and avoid some of the crowdedness... something to keep in mind for next time. However, we had eye appointments this morning, and then stopped for lunch at Russ' so we didn't get there as early as we should have.
Anyway, we had Lucy in the stroller most of the time, and saw a lot of cool animals. The snow leopard was hiding, which bummed me out - but we did get to see the new Lion exhibit, which is set up really nicely but the lions are hiding way up in the back, up on the top of the hill. There is a stairway lookout that can get you a closer view, so we went up there and the male turned around, so I got to get some good photos of him. They were just lazing around like lazy lions. C'mon lions! Earn your paycheck! Climb the trees and growl! At the lower part of the exhibit there are thick glass walls where, conceivably, the lions could come right down and be inches away from your face! That would be awesome!
Lucy was pretty tired, even by the time we got there, and it's hard to get great pictures that include both the child and the animals... but I think she enjoyed herself (despite the fact she looks quite serious in almost all the pictures she is in). She fell asleep in the car on the way home - but when we put her down in her bed she woke up and stayed awake for the rest of the afternoon... geesh. As she gets older she will hopefully be more and more interested in what she is seeing, and be able to walk more and not get knocked down by kids running through at top speed. So, we hope to go back at least one more time this summer, and maybe get a glimpse of that alleged snow leopard.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Leg Fun
I realize I haven't posted anything new in a while. Well, I haven't taken any photos in a few days (that's a long time for me!), and we haven't been up to much of anything exciting. Ron has been working quite a bit and in the evenings we try to relax... put our feet up.... speaking of which:
I had my doctor appointment for 24 weeks last Wednesday. Everything is looking/sounding good as far as the baby goes - heartbeat around 160 (although that seems to change every time) and my weight is slowly but steadily increasing (fun stuff). The only thing wrong is my dumb right leg which seems to be doing an inferior job of handling the extra blood volume that comes with pregnancy. Poor circulation has always been a problem for me, but never to this extent. Pregnancy also causes blood vessels to dilate and along with other hormonal changes it makes varicose veins pretty common, especially if they run in the family (which they do in mine). So, this has become an issue for me, and not only are they unattractive but potentially dangerous to my health (could lead to blood clots, etc.). It finally got to the point where I was concerned about it, and I showed my doctor. She actually seemed a bit concerned too (and she's a very laid-back type), so I was given a prescription for a sweet (not really) orthopedic compression stocking. It's significantly darker than my normal paleness, so I'm thinking about trying to even that out with self-tanner on the left leg. It actually makes my right leg look almost too flawless (which is far from the usual state of my legs). I will be wearing this for the rest of the pregnancy, for the rest of the summer and into fall. After the baby is born I will have surgery and hopefully take care of the problem. I know I would qualify for treatments to be covered by our insurance, since it is beyond cosmetic.
I'm blogging about it as a way to get over my self-consciousness which is making me feel stupid about wearing anything but long pants to hide the stocking. I just have to go about my usual business. There are MUCH worse things that can happen during a pregnancy, and this is only temporary. Most people aren't going to think much of it and I'm more aware of it than anyone. The good thing is, the stocking helps tremendously with the pain that I was experiencing, which was getting suprisingly bad. I almost can't stand not to wear it now. Also, I got an open toe one so I can wear sandals, and I only have to wear it on one leg (thigh high). They have a maternity version which goes up and over a big pregnant belly - but I imagine that wouldn't be very convenient when you have to pee every half hour, since it's a battle to get it on and off.
And here's a weird side effect: after I climb into bed, I yank the thing off and throw it to the floor. A few minutes later I get hit with a crazy headache located at the base of my skull. I attribute this to a sudden change in blood pressure when the blood vessels in my leg are no longer constricted by the stocking. It feels similar to the withdrawl syptoms of stopping drinking caffeine.
I had my doctor appointment for 24 weeks last Wednesday. Everything is looking/sounding good as far as the baby goes - heartbeat around 160 (although that seems to change every time) and my weight is slowly but steadily increasing (fun stuff). The only thing wrong is my dumb right leg which seems to be doing an inferior job of handling the extra blood volume that comes with pregnancy. Poor circulation has always been a problem for me, but never to this extent. Pregnancy also causes blood vessels to dilate and along with other hormonal changes it makes varicose veins pretty common, especially if they run in the family (which they do in mine). So, this has become an issue for me, and not only are they unattractive but potentially dangerous to my health (could lead to blood clots, etc.). It finally got to the point where I was concerned about it, and I showed my doctor. She actually seemed a bit concerned too (and she's a very laid-back type), so I was given a prescription for a sweet (not really) orthopedic compression stocking. It's significantly darker than my normal paleness, so I'm thinking about trying to even that out with self-tanner on the left leg. It actually makes my right leg look almost too flawless (which is far from the usual state of my legs). I will be wearing this for the rest of the pregnancy, for the rest of the summer and into fall. After the baby is born I will have surgery and hopefully take care of the problem. I know I would qualify for treatments to be covered by our insurance, since it is beyond cosmetic.
I'm blogging about it as a way to get over my self-consciousness which is making me feel stupid about wearing anything but long pants to hide the stocking. I just have to go about my usual business. There are MUCH worse things that can happen during a pregnancy, and this is only temporary. Most people aren't going to think much of it and I'm more aware of it than anyone. The good thing is, the stocking helps tremendously with the pain that I was experiencing, which was getting suprisingly bad. I almost can't stand not to wear it now. Also, I got an open toe one so I can wear sandals, and I only have to wear it on one leg (thigh high). They have a maternity version which goes up and over a big pregnant belly - but I imagine that wouldn't be very convenient when you have to pee every half hour, since it's a battle to get it on and off.
And here's a weird side effect: after I climb into bed, I yank the thing off and throw it to the floor. A few minutes later I get hit with a crazy headache located at the base of my skull. I attribute this to a sudden change in blood pressure when the blood vessels in my leg are no longer constricted by the stocking. It feels similar to the withdrawl syptoms of stopping drinking caffeine.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Look Ma, No Pacifier!
When Lucy was a newborn, we were all about the pacifier. I believe that the sucking reflex is a natural comfort for babies, and it was true for Lucy - it soothed her in her bassinet next to our bed. When it fell out of her mouth (before she developed the wonderful skill of grabbing it herself and putting it back in!) she would cry, and I would be thankful for glow-in-the-dark pacifiers. I was on pacifier patrol, and it drove me absolutely crazy (just not as crazy as trying to sleep next to a screaming baby, so what choice did I have?). Then a very short time later she moved to her crib at night. She was now downstairs in another room, as it was at our old house. She was sleeping for longer stretches, but I'd still have to get it for her now and then. She was never a thumb-sucker for whatever reason.
Before too long she could locate it, even in the dark, and she was set to go. By the time she was one, she was only having it in bed at night and during naps. Rarely did she have one in her mouth, unless something crazy was going on and she needed extra soothing.
Now that she's all adjusted to her new bed (I still have to make her quilt which I may start this week), we decided to change another variable. The collection of pacifiers always at the ready suddenly vanished this evening. When Lucy went to bed, we read her a story and kissed her goodnight. She was laying down peacefully, and when I shut the door I peeked in through the small opening to see her hunting everywhere among her blankets and all the other bedtime stuff to find it. I can only imagine what she was thinking: "I know it's gotta be here somewhere!" She got up, looked under her bed, laid back down with a book... I left her alone, and a little while later I heard a noise. She had gotten up to get a toy from across the room. As soon as she saw me she ran back toward the bed and put her head on the pillow as if she was there all along. "No more toys, it's bedtime." and she ended up staying in bed with a book. It took her a little bit longer to drift off, but Lucy is sleeping without a pacifier FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE. No screaming either.
I couldn't resist - I took these in a dark bedroom with just the hallway light on. Since it was so dark, I knew I had to use a long shutter, and therefore also a tripod to avoid moving the camera, and a remote shutter release. Yes, I went to all that trouble which only took about 2 minutes... I might be a bit crazy, but I think it was worth the extra effort, because it's next to impossible to get a good picture of a sleeping angel like this - especially without a pacifier in her mouth.
The pictures were so red due to lack of adequate lighting, but a little fixing up on the computer and voila! Adorableness.
Anyway, I think pacifiers are great inventions and I plan on giving one to our next baby from day one if s/he seems to want one... but who knows. My friend's daugther who is Lucy's age never cared for them and slept fine without one. I'm not saying they're bad or good or when is the appropriate age to take them away. That differs with every individual child and/or parent. I will say that I hope they stop using them by the time they can ride a two-wheel bike... but for US this was a good time to try this step, and it was successful. Considering she's never gone a night without one, we're pretty proud of how well she handled the change.
Before too long she could locate it, even in the dark, and she was set to go. By the time she was one, she was only having it in bed at night and during naps. Rarely did she have one in her mouth, unless something crazy was going on and she needed extra soothing.
Now that she's all adjusted to her new bed (I still have to make her quilt which I may start this week), we decided to change another variable. The collection of pacifiers always at the ready suddenly vanished this evening. When Lucy went to bed, we read her a story and kissed her goodnight. She was laying down peacefully, and when I shut the door I peeked in through the small opening to see her hunting everywhere among her blankets and all the other bedtime stuff to find it. I can only imagine what she was thinking: "I know it's gotta be here somewhere!" She got up, looked under her bed, laid back down with a book... I left her alone, and a little while later I heard a noise. She had gotten up to get a toy from across the room. As soon as she saw me she ran back toward the bed and put her head on the pillow as if she was there all along. "No more toys, it's bedtime." and she ended up staying in bed with a book. It took her a little bit longer to drift off, but Lucy is sleeping without a pacifier FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE. No screaming either.
I couldn't resist - I took these in a dark bedroom with just the hallway light on. Since it was so dark, I knew I had to use a long shutter, and therefore also a tripod to avoid moving the camera, and a remote shutter release. Yes, I went to all that trouble which only took about 2 minutes... I might be a bit crazy, but I think it was worth the extra effort, because it's next to impossible to get a good picture of a sleeping angel like this - especially without a pacifier in her mouth. The pictures were so red due to lack of adequate lighting, but a little fixing up on the computer and voila! Adorableness.
Anyway, I think pacifiers are great inventions and I plan on giving one to our next baby from day one if s/he seems to want one... but who knows. My friend's daugther who is Lucy's age never cared for them and slept fine without one. I'm not saying they're bad or good or when is the appropriate age to take them away. That differs with every individual child and/or parent. I will say that I hope they stop using them by the time they can ride a two-wheel bike... but for US this was a good time to try this step, and it was successful. Considering she's never gone a night without one, we're pretty proud of how well she handled the change.
Father's Day
Sorry I haven't updated this in a while... we've been pretty busy and when I have had free time, I haven't felt like blogging. Anyway, this past weekend was Father's Day. We went to church in the morning (where Lucy did awesome in nursery!), and then straight to Grand Haven for the day and hung out with my parents. We also saw quite a few other friends of the family - some who I hadn't seen in years - and Lucy had another chance to play on the beach ("beach! beach! beach!"). This time she was even more fearless when it came to getting in the water... and she sat in the waves, letting them knock her right over. She loved it, but the rest of us thought the water was a little chilly! Another day at the beach, and this time she only got a tiny bit of sunburn on her face, but it's already almost faded. I took more photos, and when it comes time to do this year's album (I'm making a book with Blurb instead of a typical scrapbook... I'm already 60 pages in!), I will have plenty to pick from to remember the summer. We plan on taking her back to the beach throughout the summer, because it's a great way to tire a kid out (well, it tires us all out), and she has so much fun!
So even though it's belated, I should mention that I'm very blessed to be married to a guy who makes such an effort to spend quality time with his daughter. She has him wrapped around her finger, as they say. Lucy loves him back too, and every day when he comes home she goes nuts and runs over to him squealing. In his free time, the first priority is to make sure he can see her, and he is always making the most of opportunities to teach her new things... as well as just goof around and be silly. We always try to be a team when it comes to parenting - which isn't always "black and white" or easy, or simple, and it's nice to be with someone who is so involved and cares so much about how our kid(s) are raised. So happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, as well as the dads-to-be!
So even though it's belated, I should mention that I'm very blessed to be married to a guy who makes such an effort to spend quality time with his daughter. She has him wrapped around her finger, as they say. Lucy loves him back too, and every day when he comes home she goes nuts and runs over to him squealing. In his free time, the first priority is to make sure he can see her, and he is always making the most of opportunities to teach her new things... as well as just goof around and be silly. We always try to be a team when it comes to parenting - which isn't always "black and white" or easy, or simple, and it's nice to be with someone who is so involved and cares so much about how our kid(s) are raised. So happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, as well as the dads-to-be!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Heritage Park
Today we had a picnic lunch at Heritage Park in Grandville. We even have a real picnic basket - a wedding gift - which hasn't gotten much use (only once or twice), so hopefully we can start doing this more often. Those are IBC root beers, by the way. Lucy was drinking Carpi Sun.
There is a beautiful pond with a trail going all around it, plenty of wildlife, and a great playground. There also seems to be a lot more open space than some other parks for running around, and it would take a long time for Lucy to get anywhere near the parking lot or the street... we just have to make sure she doesn't chase a duck into the water.Here's a photo of a Great Blue Heron - it wouldn't let me get very close, but it was pretty cool to see one on the pond amidst so many ducks. I guess seeing ducks gets old for me...
Across the pond from where we sat is the old #10 Schoolhouse. Kind of scenic... I guess they give tours. For now we've just peeked in the windows.
After eating, we went to the playground where Lucy burned off some more energy. It was humid and warm, even though it wasn't very sunny - and before too long she started looking really red in the face (I had sunscreen on her before we left so I know she wasn't burning). I was starting to overheat myself, so we called it quits and made our way back to the car. Here are some more photos. 
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Beach Bum (a happy one this time)
Lucy hated sand the first time we took her to the beach this year (Tunnel Park), but since taking her to Grand Haven - today was the second day in a row - she absolutely loves it! When I pulled up to my mom's site at the state park, and she got Lucy out of the car, Lucy made a bee-line for the sand to play with buckets and shovels, filling them and dumping them out. Of course I was prepared for both Lucy and myself to be protected from the sun (I burn just about as easily as a baby anyway). It was quite warm most of the day, and down by the water, the breeze was perfect... not too cold. Thanks to multiple coats of SPF 30, Lucy didn't get burned at all!
Lucy was hesitant to get near the big lake, but eventually ventured in as far as her shins (with somebody there to hold her hand!)... which is a good start! She wasn't even all that willing to go touch the water with either myself or my mom, but a family friend Sara was the lucky charm. Lucy felt like she had a new buddy, and went with her to fill her bucket with water... coming back all proud, excited, clapping and grinning ear to ear. It was so cute to watch her play and get all sandy on the same beach I went to so many summers as a kid. Actually it's just fun to watch her play like a "kid" no matter where we are - like she is really starting to enjoy trying new things and can do so much more than she could last year. We ended our stay with an ice cream cone and headed home (no nap) around 4:30. She fell asleep before I even got to US-31, but was up for the rest of the night until bedtime...
...sidenote: the bedtime process took about 20 minutes tonight! Getting shorter and shorter!
Anyway, I think we're going back to Grand Haven on Sunday for Father's Day so hopefully the weather is nice! More photos from today HERE.
Lucy was hesitant to get near the big lake, but eventually ventured in as far as her shins (with somebody there to hold her hand!)... which is a good start! She wasn't even all that willing to go touch the water with either myself or my mom, but a family friend Sara was the lucky charm. Lucy felt like she had a new buddy, and went with her to fill her bucket with water... coming back all proud, excited, clapping and grinning ear to ear. It was so cute to watch her play and get all sandy on the same beach I went to so many summers as a kid. Actually it's just fun to watch her play like a "kid" no matter where we are - like she is really starting to enjoy trying new things and can do so much more than she could last year. We ended our stay with an ice cream cone and headed home (no nap) around 4:30. She fell asleep before I even got to US-31, but was up for the rest of the night until bedtime......sidenote: the bedtime process took about 20 minutes tonight! Getting shorter and shorter!
Anyway, I think we're going back to Grand Haven on Sunday for Father's Day so hopefully the weather is nice! More photos from today HERE.
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