Seeing Santa

It seemed like a rite of passage. It seemed like something we HAD to do. It was a bad idea. It made me feel like the worst mother ever. Yep, we took Lily to see Santa! The realtor who helped us buy and sell our house is Santa during the holiday season and has free visits and photos for his friends and clients. We didn't go last year because Lily was really tiny and it was cold and snowy the night of the event. This year I insisted, against Josh's now obviously wise resistance, that we had to take her. We both hurried out of work so we could get her changed into her Christmas outfit and get there in time. When we go to the church where the event was held, Lily was happy and playing with some other waiting children, but as soon as we entered the room where Santa was she suddenly became terrified. She refused to even go near him without screaming! We ended up holding her with our backs to Santa while he peeked in and we got a few pictures. I wish I had know that was the back up plan because I would have fixed my hair and made Josh take off his hoodie. Oh well...maybe next year...or maybe we'll wait a few years before trying again!

What's in a Name?

As I leaked in the previous post. Baby Boy Hall has a name! Jackson David, aka. Jack. Jackson because it is my maiden name, and David, which is Josh's middle name.

With Lily we kept her name top secret, but with Jack, we knew pretty early what we wanted to call him and have been calling him that as a family for a while now. Lily even knows who (and usually where) "Jack" is. She even says "Jack" as she kisses my belly, which is just adorable!

14 Months!

Today Lily is fourteen months! I know I haven't had time to post which is sad, because it is amazing how "grown up" she is becoming. She walks almost all the time now. She doesn't say a lot of recognizable words, but babbles a lot. She definitely understands what we are saying to her most of the time! It is so awesome to watch her respond to simple things like "What does a sheep say?", or "brush your hair." She is getting teeth, slowly, but surly and has three and a half now!

She is a very independent little miss, which is sometimes a bit frustrating, but overall she is incredibly well behaved. Josh and I were marveling just yesterday about how readily she responds when we say "no" and how she is learning quickly what the "rules" are around the house. Her biggest "misbehaviors" so far have all had to do with throwing her food and drink in the floor when she was finished eating, but just this week she has started saying "all done" and doing the sign or putting her cup in the cup holder on her tray and then clapping her hands and being proud she did the right thing.

This past weekend, while we were out of town for Thanksgiving, she was totally cute and sweet most of the time despite all the strangers and transitions. She is always a little shy when we are at a new place with new people, and didn't really want anyone but mom and dad to hold her (she doesn't really want anyone to pick her up...she can walk herself gosh darn it!), but she pretty quickly warmed up enough to play contentedly by herself. She ate all sorts of new foods happily and slept well in various places at various times. I know we are totally blessed! I only pray that little "Jack" is as well behaved!

*This is a picture of Lily entertaining herself at the car dealership waiting on an oil change! :)

Lily Walks!

Lily has recently been super close to walking. She was so mobile and good at pulling up and cruising that at first we were sure she would walk by her first birthday, but that milestone came and went without her taking more than a couple of unassisted steps. In the last few weeks since her birthday she has shown that she can go from sitting to standing and walk several steps on her own, but she didn't do it regularly. The first time she seemed really determined was about a week ago when she really wanted to help me sweep (we have a video that I'll post soon)! Still, most of the time she would look down and realize she could crawl faster, and use that mode of transportation.

Then, last Sunday, we went over to a friends house where another friend was with her 11 month old. That little girl was walking all over the place. I could tell Lily was watching her. Then, after they left the party, Lily kept trying to walk around. I think she was inspired. She has been walking a lot more this week and even walked about half way down our hallway. My guess is she'll be running by Christmas!

Support?

Apparently when you are expecting baby number two, especially when it's just barely a year since number one, your body goes through more physical stress. I have really been struggling lately with lower back and right hip and leg pain that are probably sciatica. It hurts some after just a normal day. If I do anything remotely physical, it hurts a lot. It's even hard to find comfortable positions to sleep in.

At my last midwife appointment she suggested I get a pregnancy support belt of some kind. I have to be honest, since I totally didn't need one with Lily, I feel sort of like they are silly. Still, having some relief would not be a bad thing. They make everything from really small and cheap ones to elaborate and expensive ones. Does anyone have any experience with one? What kind? I welcome any and all feedback!

My Pants Don't Fit! Know of Any Good Consignment Stores?

I am at a weird place wardrobe wise. Since becoming pregnant with number two I've alternated between my maternity clothes and some of my "regular" clothes that still fit. Ok, to be honest, that has been the case since Lily was born. I've continued to wear the maternity things that were cute and fit and added in things that were not maternity and fit. But, in reality, I don't have much that isn't maternity that will fit, and what does doesn't look as good as maternity clothes do. There is just something about they way they are cut that is much more flattering to the belly!

Today I attempted to wear a pair of my normal khaki pants and a shirt I had before I was pregnant to work, but it didn't turn out too well. The pants seemed ok this morning as long as I kept them tucked under my belly, but in reality were not at all comfortable when I sat down, so I ended up using the rubber band trick to expand the waist, which then led to me feeling like my pants were unbuttoned and coming off all day! As soon as I got home, I switched into my comfy maternity jeans.

My current problem is that all of my maternity things, or at least the majority of them, were for hot weather. Lily was born at the end of September. I wore sundresses right up until her birth. I have skirts, shorts, capris, tanktops, and t-shirts in maternity sizes. I do not have pants or long sleeve tops to wear to work now that it is starting to get cold! I do have some jeans, but I can't (or feel like I shouldn't) wear them for everyday at work.

I did have one friend give me some winter things, and many of the tops are great, but the pants are all a little too short, and I can't bring myself to wear high waters just because I'm pregnant. I think I'm going to have to face facts and go shopping, but I really don't love spending a ton of money on clothes that I won't wear for too long.

I looked at some things on Craigslist today. Has anyone bought clothes on Craigslist before? Something about going to someone's house to look at their clothes is a bit strange to me, but I like the idea of "gently used". Also, does anyone know of any good consignment stores in the area that carry maternity stuff? Or any recently pregnant moms who would be getting rid of size medium winter clothes?

Happy Halloween!

Last night we took Lily to a Halloween Party at the Keane's. She was so cute! We went with a family Angry Birds costume theme. We got the idea when my work decided to do Angry Birds, then we found a red bird shirt for Josh and decided Lily would make the perfect little blue bird.

I made Lily and my costume by piecing together felt (thanks to help from Lisa Meyer) faces. I wanted to make Lily a pig, but Josh said they are the "bad guys", and wouldn't let me! Amazingly, she even kept her little top "feathers" on most of the night. She had fun at the party, but was a little unsure of some of the masks.

Tomorrow, for Halloween, I think we are going to have a quiet night at home handing out candy to any little goblins that show up. Next year, the trick-or-treating will begin!

Boy Clothes!

Today I got my first baby boy clothes! I'm super excited! I've resisted shopping myself, but now our little man won't have to wear pink! :) Thanks Elizabeth and Madison!

It's a Boy!

Yesterday Josh and I had our 20 week ultrasound of baby Hall #2. Everything looked healthy and great, and the very first shot the technician got was a very obvious junk shot of our little man! There is no question that he is a boy. Josh and I knew it even before she told us.

I have to admit that I am surprised. I really believed it was a girl. I'm not sure why. I had completely convinced myself that we were having a girl and when it was obvious that wasn't true, I was in a bit of shock. Josh said I acted strange, and I'm not surprised. I really felt sort of off balance for a little while, almost like I didn't know how to change the picture I'd created in my head of our future family. I wasn't exactly sad, how could I be with a healthy little man, just really surprised.

Last night Josh and I went out to dinner and had some time to really talk about it, and I started to create a new picture of our family. We started to talk about names (no final decision yet on that front, but lots of ideas) and bedrooms, and other baby boy things, and I started to get excited about meeting him. Josh is super excited and said he has always pictured his family with a boy and a girl an older sister and younger brother. He said he really hoped for a boy, but didn't want to say so in case it was a girl. He pointed out to me how this way each of them will be unique and special rather than being "the girls" the way it could be with two the same sex so close in age. I agree and think this new little man will be a wonderful and exciting new adventure for our family.

Lily's Party

This past weekend was Lily's first birthday party. It was a festive event with our family and close friends. We grilled hot dogs and had a variety of toppings, her grandma's helped out by bringing baked beans and chili, my friend Lisa made an amazing cake, and the Wagners and Keans helped with the alcohol (for the adults, although I'm pretty sure Lily got at least one taste of wine from "someone's" finger). There were absolutely no tears, and I believe she enjoyed the party much more than most one year olds!

It was so adorable to watch her actually open her gifts and play with them. We had to take a few away so we could get her to move on to the next ones, but she was seriously interested in taking things out of the bags and boxes! She also dove into her cake in true video worthy fashion. At first she didn't like having the icing on her fingers, but once she got the first bite, she was hooked! We had to eventually take it away, but not until we good some great pictures and video! We ended the night with a bonfire in our back yard and roasting marshmallows. It was truly a great night for all!

Ready for Her Close Up!

This past weekend, my dear friend Star was here to visit with us and take some one year photos of Lily. This less than stellar shot is with my phone, but I absolutely can not wait to get her photos! She always does such a good job and, not to brag, but my little girl is pretty photogenic!

I really wanted Lily to have something special for her pictures, but I waited too long to order something online and everything I found was really expensive. So, I decided to "make" her something to wear. Ok....I'm not very crafty. I do some jewelry, but I'm certainly not a seamstress. I'm blessed with very talented friends, but, for some reason, it was important for me to take on this project myself.

At my friend Sabrina's wedding a few weeks ago, she made shirts for her sons that looked like they had ties on them by cutting out fabric and using double sided iron on stuff (apparently called heat 'n' bond). She had gotten the idea from another friend, Cristin, who used the same method to make a onsie for her sister. She had written this blog post about her project. I read the post and figured this was one project I could handle!

The hardest part of the whole project was finding the materials. I had a tough time finding a solid color shirt and fabric I liked. In the end I found this shirt and pants on the Target sale rack. I purchased two pair of pants so I could cut up one to make the "1" coordinate. I ended up having to borrow some left over heat 'n' bond from Sabrina, since I couldn't find it at Michaels or Walmart (and didn't have time to make it to JoAnn...I know...I shouldn't procrastinate).

It was actually very simple. I followed Cristin's directions and the ones on the package and the whole thing was done in around an hour (plus the time it took to wash everything). The stitching is far from perfect, but I have to say I'm very pleased with the results! Next year I'll have to make one with at "2", but I prefer not to think about that yet.

One Year Old!

I can not believe that my little darling is a year old. Time really does fly by. I have to admit that we aren't doing anything special for her actual birthday. Don't get me wrong, we are having a party (a small one for family and closest friends), and I'm sure she'll have presents, and my friend Star is coming this weekend to do pictures, but today, on her birthday, I have no plans.

Things have just been crazy busy, and Josh has been out of town, and this week, ok...to be honest, all weeks...at work has been stressful. My only solace is that she has no idea what is going on!

Miss Independent

My daughter is very independent. Sometimes this makes me proud. Sometimes it makes me sad. Seriously, I am glad that she can entertain herself. I'm glad that she isn't clingy to Josh and I and doesn't get upset with a sitter or in the church nursery. I'm glad we can have adult meals and she can sit in her high chair and feed herself. I'm glad she can give herself her bottle and fall asleep on her own. I know these are all good things and skills that will help her be a well adjusted grown up.

I also know that some of this is a phase and that she is just so busy exploring and enjoying the world, now that she can, that she doesn't have time for cuddling. Part of me realizes I'm going to really appreciate her independence in a few months when #2 arrives and I'm going to be busy meeting all of her (I'm going with her for now...we find out October 11th) needs.

Still, sometimes it's hard on a mom. It wasn't that long ago that she needed me for everything. I think that not nursing her any more is what really has been tough on me. That was sort of our quiet, special, close time. She doesn't really need me to play with her. She does like to have you near by when she is playing, but doesn't really want you to read her books to her or play with the toys for her. She doesn't need you to go up and down the stairs...she can do it! Now, she doesn't even let me hold the bottle or lay back and snuggle when taking it (unless she is really sleepy). She wants to sit up where she can see what is going on. I miss those sweet cuddly days!

I blame all of this on her father! Josh's parents say he was exactly the same way from an early age. I guess I haven't asked my mom about me. We both are fairly independent adults. Hmmm...I guess it remains to be seen, but I sort of hope #2 is a cuddler!

The Fall

Well, it happened. Lily had a fairly serious fall....a fall that necessitated the boo boo bunny...a fall that made me feel like a totally crappy mom.

I was changing her tonight on her changing table. She was standing up and leaning against me as I unsnapped her onsie, when she lunged to the side and toppled off the table. I grabbed for her on the way down and sort of slowed the fall, but only managed to grab her diaper, which tore. She landed sort of on her side mostly on the carpet, but her cheek hit the wooden rocking horse that sits in her room.

As she was tumbling (which seemed to happen very slowly) I yelled for Josh, who came rushing up the stairs. I honestly think my reaction scared her more than she was actually hurt. She was crying fairly hard, though, which made me pretty worried. After a preliminary examination, though, it appeared that she only had a bruise on her cheek, but I sent Josh after the boo boo bunny.

By the time he got back upstairs, she was mostly calm. She would NOT let us hold that cute bunny covered ice cube on her (does that thing work as they get older?). Instead, she wanted to lick it! I debated whether it was worth making her mad to try to ice the bruising spot, but since it didn't appear to be swelling, I decided against it. Josh and I both checked her over pretty good and I think the worst of it is going to be a bruise the size of a quarter on her cheek.

At this point, after all the drama was over, and we were all sitting in the floor playing, I began to cry. I just felt so bad about letting her fall. I should have made her sit or lie down while I was undressing her. I should have had a better hold on her. I think I've gotten a bit complacent and give her more credit for balance and stability than she deserves. You can bet I'll be more careful from now on!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes Make Me Cry

Yesterday I had my first pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks in over year and cried all the way to work! You may think that is a little extreme and I'm sure it's a little hormonal, but the last time I had a pumpkin spice latte I was in the hospital having Lily. That week, in fact, in the hospital, I had two. The first was the morning of my induction. We had gone into the hospital the night before and woke hungry but not wanting any of the hospital food. I sent Josh to the hospital Starbucks and he came back with a bagel and my first every pumpkin spice latte (decaf of course!). It was delicious.

The second was the morning we left the hospital to bring Lily home. We had a very rough night in the NICU sleep room having a sleepless baby all to ourselves for the first time and paranoid that something would go wrong now that she was disconnected from all of her monitors. Josh again ran to the Starbucks and returned with a bagel and pumpkin spice latte (I was hooked). They accidentally made two caf, so he had to get a third in decaf (for me for free), and we shared the extra caf one with one of our amazing doctors.

Those first days of Lily's life are packed with an amazing myriad of emotions. The fear and disappointment of learning I was going to have to be induced. The drama and pain of labor and delivery. The joy and excitement at her arrival. The anxiety when she was taken to the NICU. The frustration over not having her with us and not being able to nurse her right away. The beauty of those first few moments when we did get to hold her and I got to nurse her. The shock of that first night in the sleep room where we realized we were totally responsible. The relief and excitement as we left the hospital to bring her home to our house as a family. It was by far, the most emotionally charged few day of my life, and it's funny how the tastes and smells of the one hot beverage can bring all of that pouring back.

As we start to think about the arrival of baby number two, I have to admit that I'm a little nervous. I'm just not sure I'm ready to go through all of that again. I pray, and I ask that you pray, that this arrival will be a bit less dramatic than the first!