It's Blog-tastic!!

The beginning of this week is kind of blurry since I worked a bit more than I thought I was going to, but I'll do my best to sum up those days...

Monday was a typical day for Annie & Maggie:  quality time @ home :)

The two ladies in my life, cuddling on Monday night.

Tuesday, our friends, Jenn, John, & their daughter Caroline came for a quick visit during the day. 

Jenn, & little Caroline with Maggie.  Caroline's attention span was something like this: (pointing) "Baby!" (pointing across the room to Sunny) "Doggy!" (pointing) "Baby!"  :) 

After a long day at work (I got home around 7:30), I had dinner, visited with my lovely family, and then had to do more work from 11 that night, which I didn't finish until 2AM. Thank God for remote access to my computer at work from home; that would have been a awful drive. 

Here's another cute Mag-pie photo from Tuesday:

Show of hands: who wants to nap?

Wednesday was an exciting day at home.  Maggie went for her first ride in the Baby Bjorn, and Annie tried her out on the play mat for some tummy time. 

She didn't quite know what to think about the Bjorn,

but I think in time she will really enjoy the ride. 

Maggie's tummy time activity basically consisted

of what you see in the photo.  :)

Our friend Katy was nice enough to come by for a quick visit and to bring us lasagna for dinner!  There was plenty of leftovers, but I have to say that the pepperoni was enticing me to have another piece.  That night, Annie's Aunty Cathy came over to finish the bumper pads in the crib, which she did an amazingly beautiful job on. 

 The skirt, bumper pads & ties, & the two pillows were

all made by Annie's Aunt Cathy for Maggie! 

Thursday was where we established a quote of the week, which I'll be posting from now on...

Quote of the week:

Annie to me - "The proximity of tea to baby is too close." As I sip hot tea while holding Maggie.

My parents came over to help out and spend the day with Annie & Mag-pie. 

Maggie dressed up for Grandmommy & Grandpa.

Annie & my mom went for a little errand during the afternoon while my Dad spent some one-on-one time with the little granddaughter.  We've got to keep that cabin fever at bay, so I think the outing was a good thing for Mommy.  Grandmommy & Grandpa stayed for dinner, which my mother was nice enough to cook for us. 


Below are some more photos from Thursday:

Daddy with his new 'do, holding Mag-pie at the end of dinner. Mommy decided that pants were optional for Maggie. 

Close-up of the nearly 4 week old Mag-pie. :) 

Looks like it's almost time for another round of olympic sleeping...

Friday evening was outing #2 for Maggie, which was another family event on Annie's side - Cathy's surprise 40th birthday!! (I'm protecting the innocent :)   )

It was a fun time, and we got some great photos:

This is Annie's Uncle Tom holding "L.A.", as he calls Maggie - short for "Little Annie."

Annie's grandmother, whom we call Gee-moo...does that mean Maggie calls her "Great Gee-moo"?

Granddad holding a passed out Maggie.

Maggie's tribute to Northside, where she spent 8 months in the womb: Thug life!

Maggie's thanking Aunt Mary for a fun evening...now she's ready to roll out to the 'hood!

Joe was nervous about holding Maggie, but we finally figured out a way that would work! :)

Waking up is hard to do...

Maggie was three weeks old this past Friday.  She celebrated by letting Annie sleep in.  Her sleeping habit continued through the evening:

Another "hands up!" pose from Mag-pie. :)

 

Sunny was feeling left out...

Saturday was another bath day.  The day's lesson in bathtime was to expect the unexpected.  We had seen the random pee without warning before, so we werent' surprised when that happened.  We had just finished bathing Maggie, and after the tumultuous event, she had finally settled down in the towel while I was holding her.  Then, out of the blue, with my hand holding her butt, she pooped!  It was not the most pleasant experience, considering I immediately had to change my shirt & wash my hands, after dealing with rinsing out the towel, of course. 

Saturday night, Maggie was, once again, in rare form.  She woke up about every hour & a half.  This obviously made it hard for us to wake up on Sunday.  I woke up before the ladies did, however:

Maggie asleep on my "chicken legs," as Annie puts it. 

Mommy & Mag-pie sleeping together, complete with Maggie's signature "life is tough" pose.

I had to run some errands, but while I was gone, Gigi came by for a quick visit:

This is Maggie's version of "Le Tigra." 

All you Zoolander fans out there know what I'm talking about! :)

Sunday evening, we took our first outing with Maggie.  It was her cousin's, Mary's, birthday.  The outing wasn't very far, since the party was at the great-grandparents, who live down the road, but it was still the first outing, nonetheless. 

Here are a few of the photos from the party:

Sleepy Maggie and beautiful Mommy. :)

Hopefully tonight will allow us a bit more sleep.  Wish us luck!

Time? Who said anything about having time?

OK...where to begin...I haven't posted since Monday...

Sunday night & Monday night were pretty much a repeat of Saturday night, which means, no sleep was had by Peter or Annie.  We did get this cute photo of Mag-pie curled up with Mommy though:

Our friend, Katy came by to lend us some more goodies.  Let's go over just a few of them in this photo:

The swing proved to be a God-send on Tuesday evening.  The swaddle bag also helped in the endeavor to get Maggie to sleep.  The bag is two pieces: the bag itself zips up and has arm holes, while the second part is a velcro band that wraps around the arms.  Basically, it's a baby straight jacket!  Seriously, though, these two items helped seal the deal for Maggie.  She was asleep in no time. 

Monday was a holiday, but not for me.  So while I was at work, Annie's mom was helping out before Annie was left on her own the following day.  It was hard the first day, especially considering the lack of sleep, but I was home after a hard day of catch-up at the office.  While I was gone, Sunny apparently tried to play guard dog:

Wednesday, Mom and Dad came over to babysit while Annie and I went to dinner.  They also offered to stay overnight so they could help the next morning.  Here are some photos from after dinner.

Daddy needs a haircut!

The content look on Maggie's face lasted through the night!  She slept well last night!  Go sleep! :)

Sunday, and all is well

Sunday has come & is almost gone. It was a fairly productive day, thanks to Gigi & Granddad coming over to help this afternoon. 

I was able to get things moved around in the garage so we can at least park one car in it. I managed to do a bit of acrobatics during the reconfiguration when I slipped in some mud and gracefully bit it in the back yard. After that, we moved a few odds and ends of furniture around, and then Granddad headed off to his spinning class. (the man is a machine - I think he spins about 5 times a week!)

Maggie was a bit cranky last night, which meant that she deprived everyone but Sunny of sleep.  This meant that she was fairly manageable for most of the day.  Annie was even able to try out her new baby sling that will help her multitask while I'm at work.

She doesn't look too comfortable, but believe me: she liked it.  It's snug and keeps her close to the body, which she likes.  Gigi kept saying that it seemed like she had gone back in to the womb!

I had just enough time in the late afternoon to hit Lowe's before they closed to buy a very necessary thing: a freezer.  We'll need that in the not too distant future to stock pile for Mag-pie.  I headed to the grocery store for some essentials before heading home, and then Annie & I took turns having dinner.  I held Maggie first tonight while Annie ate.  (Her crankiness reared its head briefly this evening.)

We turned in a bit early, and we ended the night with me in the rocker rather than Annie.  I look completely exhausted in this photo, but I was able to stay up to type this blog entry; so, I must not have been too tired. :)

Now, we'll sleep, and I'll hit the working world again tomorrow for the first time since before Christmas.  Wish me luck!

2 week doctor's visit, and the end of my paternity leave

Friday was an interesting day.  I spent my morning at work for almost 3 hours working on more stuff related to my trips down to work this past Monday and last Thursday.  I got back, and, before I knew it, we had to pack up for Maggie's 2 week appointment...not before I tried another nursing pad discus throw.  (I shelved it right next to a and carved wooden bowl.  That's gotta be at least 5 points.)  Maggie loves her carseat, by the way.  She fusses initially, but after she gets strapped in, she typically goes to sleep.

Fashionable Mom & Mag-pie.  Who knew that the shoulder bag is actually a diaper bag?

Close-up: pre fussing from car seat strap-in.

Close-up: post car seat strap-in.

The doctor's visit went well.  She is up to 9 lbs. and is 21 inches long, so in 2 weeks, she has gained 23 ounces(she was 7 lbs. 9 oz when we left the hospital) & half an inch!  Not bad for the little Mag-pie!  She does have a little umbilical granuloma, which is just a part of the umbilical cord that did not heal correctly. (her cord fell off Wednesday night)  The doc hit it with a bit of silver nitrate, and it should fall off/heal just like the rest of the cord did.  Other than that, Maggie looked good.  So, we packed up and scheduled her 2 month appointment. 

One funny little note: when we got back, Mag-pie was screaming her head off to eat.  So, while Annie was feeding her, I figured I'd go out back and play with Sunny.  Unfortunately, I forgot to check the door knob lock on the sunroom, and I locked myself out.  The door knobs in our "new" house are backwards from every other knob set on the face of the planet in that if the button is turned vertically, it's unlocked, and if it's turned horizontally, it's locked.  I still haven't gotten used to that.  So, I ended up passing the time by raking the backyard clear of all the fallen gumballs so Sunny doesn't have to tip toe around the yard anymore.

That night, Annie's parents came over, and we had steak on the grill for dinner.  It was the first time I had used the grill since the move, and I was happy to get it going again.  I love grilling out.

Anyway, after a fairly decent night, I awoke to the sobering fact that this was my last weekend with the family before going back to the grind at work.  It's bitter-sweet since I wish I could be here to spend time with Maggie and help Annie, but at the same time, somebody has to work so we can pay the bills. :)  My bosses were very nice in allowing me the two weeks' time, given that my holiday vacation week rolled right into paternity time.

We meant to be productive today.  We really did.  I had intended on completing my organization of the office, which Dad had helped me with on Thursday, and we had intended on taking a walk.  But neither happened.  The only productive things we did were laundry & emptying the dishwasher.  Tomorrow I am planning on working on the garage, and I don't intend on slacking.  I need to get that space handled so Annie can park in it.  ...but I digress.  The rest of the day was spent with Mag-pie downstairs, and she did this for most of the day:

 

(By the way, if you click on the photos, you will see the full version of them.)

So, as I write this, my last night before the work sleep schedule is upon me, and I can't believe that we have already had two weeks with our little girl in our lives.  I know that Annie will be able to handle things on her own, but I just hope that I don't miss too much,since I'll only see her for 3 hours or so before bedtime from here on out. 

I should have an update tomorrow, but after that, I may not post daily, but I'll try to do at least 3 per week at a minimum. 

Cheers, and Adieu.

Nursing Pad Discus...

This evening, I discovered the latest new sport for parents of infants: nursing pad discus.  Basically, you take the saturated nursing pad (don't worry, it's not wet to the touch.  it's more like a jelly fish - think stinging nettle) and you get in your discuss stance, and the object is to get the nursing pad in the trash can.  Now, since it was my first time, and since I'm pretty sure I just invented the sport, I didn't even get close to the trash can, but with a few days' practice, I'm sure I'll be hitting thudders in no time.

Tuesday & Wednesday were ok days...

On Tuesday, we slept so well the night before, that I overslept and was awoken by the Haverty's technician, who was coming to tell me that a part to the china cabinet that we just got the day before Maggie was born had to be replaced.  Of course, I knew that this was going to be the outcome, but the policy is to send the technician first, then order parts or reorder the entire thing later...so our new part, or possibly new hutch for the china cabinet, will arrive in 2-3 weeks. 

Anyway, to get back to talking about Maggie, she gave us a great night leading in to Tuesday, so we both felt pretty well rested.  She ate well, slept well, & gave us more than enough diapers during the day.

...and then there was Tueday night.  I think it was almost a repeat of the week before, except that she wasn't jaundice, and her diapers were a bit heavier.  Poor Annie slept probably 4 hours all night.  Wednesday morning came, and she & Mag-pie slept in after the morning feeding. 

We had visitors Wedneday afternoon.  Suzie Walker & Dee White - long time family friends of mine & members of my parents' church - came over with a gift from the church and to see the little one.  We received two very nice hand-knit caps for Maggie, although the second one was VT color coordinated, so we can reuse it if we have a boy in a few years. :)

Maggie was quite ornery(sp?) both Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons.  We thought that maybe she was just hungry, but half the time that wasn't the case.  What happened to that baby decoder ring we got at the hospital?  I think we must have forgotten to get the final version from the postpartum nurses. 

The cutest things that we saw the past two days were more of her sleeping poses.  She loves to stretch in her sleep, complete with grunts, gurgles, and the occasional squeak.  Here are the best sleeping photos we got from the past two days:

Raise the Roof!!

What a rough day!

Gettin' "jiggy" wit it!

Holding Mommy's hand.

Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays...

After hopefully getting into a rhythm last night, Annie & Mag-pie slept a bit longer while I got up and moved around the house.  I only have a week left before I go back, so I figure that I need to get back into the swing of getting up early.  I didn't get up super early, but, given the times we have been rolling out of bed for the past few days, 9AM was early. 

I showered for the day and noticed a voicemail from one of my bosses at work.  I had no idea what his message meant, so I checked my e-mail, responded to e-mails, & made a phone call or two.  Believe me, I didn't want to do anythnig work related during my time to learn my new daughter's habits & traits, but since I was up early and I didn't have to go in to do it, I figured it wouldn't hurt. 

After vacuuming the 1st floor, emptying the dishwasher, and having a little breakfast of my own, I got another work related phone call. 

We experienced a weird thing Monday afternoon with Maggie: after she finished nursing, we burped her as usual, and we changed her.  I held her for a while, and then I decided to put her in the boppy pillow so we could watch her, yet still keep our hand free to eat lunch, etc.  Annie had just sat down, and we were both looking at Maggie, when she spit up (not too big a deal).  But then, it was like a faucet was turned on, and it seemed like her entire last two meals came spilling out of her mouth like a fountain!  This was a bit shocking for the new parents, so we cleaned her up, took her temperature (normal), and just monitored her.  She must have just eaten way too much because she was fine for the rest of the day. 

Speaking of the rest of the day, I got one final work-related call that resulted in a trip downtown for about an hour & a half, including travel.  As much as I hated to leave, I had to go, as the issue at work was something that I had to sign an affidavit, which must be notorized.  We called Gigi (Annie's Mom) and she came over right before I left. 

After I did my thing downtown, I picked up dinner on the way home, and Granddad met us at the house for dinner with Gigi.  If none of you have had Jimmy John's, I'd recommend it.  It's pretty decent.

That was our day...not typical at all, but it was a good day nonetheless. 

And now, pictures!

Mom & Maggie

Faux Hawk Maggie!

This is how we end our day.  Maggie's under the blue SyFy blanket.

Aunt Jilly comes to town

Mag-pie received a visit from my sister, Jill, this weekend.  The metropolitan aunt came with more free swag for the baby from her office.  Maggie now has five different SyFy Channel items, two USA network outfits, and a ton of socks with the USA network logo on them.  As soon as she got here, we handed Maggie off for a while.

It was a pretty nice day, with lots of time to chillax (that's a combination of chill & relax) while Aunt Jilly did most everything other than the obvious.

We had bath #2 Saturday night, but the photos were all on Jilly's camera.  We did get a great photo of the hairdo that Jill gave Maggie.  She was playing around, but Mag-pie's hair dried, so this is the "do" she sported for the rest of the evening:

Saturday night went really great.  We think we've decoded the Maggie/baby sleep pattern at night.  We'll have to be sure by continuing this week with the same methodology.  We got about 6 hours, and then we handed Maggie off to Jill for an hour and a half in the morning so we could get another wink or two. 

Fully rested, we attacked the day.  One of the things that I dealt with was the first diaper genie unloading.  We never really read the directions that actually say that the thing will fill up before the refill bag runs out.  So, I went upstairs, and when I came down, it looked like I had been deep sea fishing. I think it was about 20-30 pounds and about 30 inches long (no lie...seriously):

The hairdo ala Maggie is courtesy of me not combing my hair after showering.

Grandmommy & Grandpa came over after they went to church, and they brought lunch for us.  Gotta love Panera!  Then after a quick visit, a diaper change or two, and watching the video of the morning of Maggie's arrival - the stuff that Annie didn't see like Maggie & I rolling down to the nursery with the nurse while Annie was still in Labor & Delivery - my parents left with my sister so she could catch her plane back to NYC.

So then, it was back down to Daddy, Mommy, & Maggie (and Sunny of course) to finish out the weekend. 

I have one week left for me until I go back to work.  I hope we can get into the swing of the night shift in time! :)