Dedication, Grams and Gramps visit, and 1st V-day

Well, I took (another) hiatus from the blogger world. I think I am going to keep my posts shorter overall, which will help me blog more frequently. I have a lot of funny stuff to say, don't get me wrong, but until someone pays me for my time, I might just keep my (self-declared) hilarity to a few blogs here and there, my hubs, and phone conversations...

Moving on...G and G Johnson came out for a visit over the weekend. They knew Tim and I would want to be with them on Valentines Day;) Actually, they also wanted to be here for Avery's baby dedication at our church. It was great to have them out here and although our life is a little slow between naps and early bedtimes, we had a great time with them here. We all wish we lived a bit closer, of course. (Sometimes I think Grandma wishes she lived next door).

Avery's baby dedication went well, except for all the crying she did on stage. The pastor (whom Avery has never really seen up close) asked to hold her...on stage...in front of everyone. I didn't know how to politely decline in front of 500-600 people, so I handed her over and prepared for the worst. I thought she was going to make it at first, due to a microphone cord (she's already a techie) she found on the pastor. But, nope, as soon as he started talking, she started acting like she just got bitten by a tiger. *sigh* She looked very cute, however, and mission was accomplished...we agreed to raise her to the best of our ability to know and love God....no simple thing in today's world.

Avery also had her first Valentines Day. We thought we would get her an activity table to celebrate. This table is now known as "My Worst Parenting Decision So Far". It plays music....loudly...and pretty much everything you touch makes noise....and it has no on/off switch or volume control...Yeah, next time I'll pay the extra $15 for that luxury.

What I Didn’t Know

Well, 2010 is officially here.  Y2KX is what they are calling it, apparently.  What did 2009 bring for me, you ask?  A new job for my husband, the end of working outside our home for me (for awhile at least), a new home and most significantly, a baby!  Wow.  As much as life changes when you get married, move away, start a new job, buy a home, stop working…etc…nothing can prepare you for the changes that having a little one brings. 

Pregnancy prepares you  for some changes.  During the first 20 weeks, you feel “huge”. Oh no, *gasp* my skinny jeans don’t fit.  And then by the end of pregnancy, you’re just hoping you can find a pant/shirt combination that actually covers your entire midsection, or at least comes close enough so you don’t end up in one of those Wal-Mart emails.  Then there are those women (shouldn’t women know better?) that ask if you are having “multiples” (c’mon ladies, at least say twins!  Do I really look as big as Octomom?).  I mean, really…I feel about as attractive as roadkill….don’t make it worse.  And then there’s morning sickness (or night/all day sickness as I would have it) and the smells or words that can make you sick by just thinking about them.  I couldn’t set foot in the main floor of our townhouse during my first trimester due to a mystery smell (that Tim still insists doesn’t exist…sidenote to husbands—do not tell your prego wife that something doesn’t smell…we are like bloodhounds while pregnant…and hormonal—just agree and at least give the appearance of trying to find the horrible smell!) and I still feel a little sick when I think about hamburger helper, but then again, maybe that’s normal.  I also got the added bonus of wearing prescription pregnancy pantyhose during the last 3-4 months of pregnancy.  Wow, that was fun.  In addition to adding a half hour to my morning routine (have you ever tried to put these things on?..think overstuffed sausage),  my body was operating at about 110 degrees pre-pantyhose, so it was around 150 with those lovelies on.  Thankfully, they come in a fashionable nude shade, which virtually goes with everything!  And all of this happens before the labor even begins.

The interesting thing for my labor and delivery was how much preparation went into getting ready to head to the hospital.  Tim and I looked like we could have been going on a month-long vacation when we showed up at the hospital complete with massage lotions, pillows, scented candles and some sweets.  Almost sounds like a Valentines weekend getaway, doesn’t it?  We were obviously first-timers.  We also took the childbirth classes and learned all sorts of pain management techniques (which is why we brought along above noted items).  When I was actually in labor, however, my nurse Virginia (who usually works in the OR and whose son was a Navy SEAL—she obviously had little sympathy for any amount of pain I was experiencing evidenced by the fact  that she never asked me how I was feeling the entire day) told me that none of those techniques work anyways, and to just lay there and watch TV, which I did.  The epidural proved to be the only pain management technique that I used.  Could have saved myself 2 days worth of class and about $60 had I known that.

Then there is the week following delivery….no one prepares you for that.  Ouch.  No one tells you that your biggest fear post-partum will be using the restroom.  And nothing prepares you for the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding while sleep deprived.  Ouchie (how can this little person with no teeth feel like a staple gun?).

Now, I realize, for the record, that my pregnancy experience is very typical and that things could be way, way, way worse…I know there are people that cannot have children or that have miscarriages or have lots of medical problems or that have awful pregnancies the entire time.  I know that I am very blessed to have a healthy baby and no complications. 

All of this to say, that the one thing people tell you but you don’t expect is that it is ALL worth it.  You truly feel that way---100%.  You think, up until you have that baby (or maybe about 2 months into parenthood) that parents are gluttons for punishment—people do this more than once on purpose?!?!.  I mean fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!  The moment you see that little face that you (with the help of your husband and a miracle from God) made, you would wear those stupid pregnancy pantyhose, barf a few times a week for months, and walk around resembling a watermelon again (maybe not soon, but sometime).  Somehow love really does conquer all in the case of a baby.  Even during those sleepless nights and late night feedings, you know that this is a special, fleeting time in life and try hard to enjoy even the hard times when truest meaning of love has to be revealed so you can get up…again…to feed, change, burp, soothe…that miracle in the crib.

New Computer

Tim is da bomb.  MiniMe is working it.  I’m going to blog my brains out.

 

simple pleasures

i think one of the simple pleasures in life is pulling the covers over your sleeping child to keep them warm and watching them while they sleep. i never knew how much i could love her.

skinny jeans and photo shoots

So I have a really Deep Question...(not so much). I do realize, friends, that there are much bigger problems in the world and I do think about things other than the trivial subject that I am going to talk about here. But, what are your thoughts on skinny jeans? I have some boots thanks to mom/Santa Claus already for Christmas. They are really cute gray boots that are kind of bunchy (what's the word for them?) Anyways, I really love the look of the jeans with the boots...but don't know if they will accentuate my, um, assets, if you get my drift. Mom-hood has left me looking like I just got off a horse with my saddlebags...not sure I could really pull them off, especially pushing a stroller and with spit up all over me (not to mention my hair that seems to be falling out in chunks---pretty soon Tim and I both will need Rogaine:). What are your honest thoughts on the look?

Not too much big news happening with the Whites. Avery got her first pumpkin patch experience this weekend. It was definitely more for Tim and I than her. We wanted to get some cute photos of her and start this wonderful family tradition. Well, someone forgot to tell us that 4 months olds don't care about pumpkins, Halloween, or silly hats. We should have picked up on this when we arrived. We seemed to be the only ones with an infant at the patch. We were also the only ones who arrived looking ready to take senior portraits. While other parents of toddlers and elementary aged kids trudged through the patch in their sweats and sneakers, we watched our step in our leather shoes and tried not to get our sweaters dirty while looking for the perfect pumpkin to take our perfect shot of Avery. When we finally found it, we laid a blanket down for A to sit on and did tricks and sound effects and tried to tickle her. And you know what, I don't think she smiled, even once, during the entire time we were at that stupid patch. I mean, we could barely get her to look in the direction of the camera. And to be perfectly honest, we didn't even pick a pumpkin out of the patch there. Oh well, I guess we can try to start another tradition next year.

4 Months of Loving our Little Lady

Avery turned 4 months old on September 28, which just so happens to be Aunt Stacey's birthday (happy 25th to her!). We had her 4 month appointment on Monday (October 5) and found out that she is definitely growing! She measured 26.75 inches long and weighed 16 pounds 13.6 ounces. She was in the 90th percentile for her weight and was literally "off the charts" for her length and her head size (thanks, Tim).

Avery and I were in Iowa for about a week and a half, returning to Dayton on October 3. We had a great time seeing Grandma Deb and Grandpa Neil as well as all the aunts and uncles on the Johnson side of the family. Avery was sufficiently spoiled both in love and attention and in additions to her wardrobe and toy collection...so much so that we had to take another suitcase back home on the plane. The plane ride went well overall, and it was definitely a learning experience. I learned that while traveling alone on a plane with a baby, I need about 4 more hands. I am looking into how to make this possible. We wish we could have seen more people while we were back, but I was feeling quite under the weather for about 4 or 5 days and then Avery picked up whatever I had. We did have a great time seeing old teammates and their families at Central's volleyball alumni game the first weekend we were back. I can't believe how easy it was to reconnect and how in some ways it felt as if nothing had changed (besides the masses of children running around, pregnant ladies and lack of athletic prowess).

Tim was in Italy (Erice, Sicily to be exact) during the week we were in Iowa. He made it back safe and sound, and is now trying to figure out how to extend his life since he figured he lost a year or two while over there due to secondhand smoke inhalation. He did some sightseeing, gave a talk (which he "nailed"), spent lots of time eating unidentified foods and talked science with other science guys. I think a week on an island surrounded by other scientists made him appreciate his social worker wife a bit more:)

That's all for now. I am going to learn how to post pictures soon...

a blind moose

well, yesterday was the grand opening of a new ikea store in west chester, which is about 40 minutes from where we live. a friend of mine asked if i wanted to go with her, as she is a hardcore ikea fan and has always dreamed of going to an ikea grand opening. i didn't really know what this process entails....we left her place at 4 am. the "festivities started at 6 am. we had to get there early, apparently, so that we were one of the first 2500 people there so we can get a free gift. according to friend, we needed to get there, put out chairs and wrap up in blankets until the store opens at 9 am so that we can get the free prize. well, we got there, and we were approximately number 150 in line. we could have gotten there at 8:50 (slept in and avoided the cold, blankets, etc.) and still received a gift. oh well.

the festivities included seeing "who dey" (the bengals mascot), mr. redlegs and gapper (the reds' mascots), the blue blob (no idea who he is) and marty the moose (the ikea mascot). the most entertaining part of the "festivities" was seeing marty not being able to see. the moose was blind. someone hadn't put the costume together right or something, i'm not sure. but the moose had to have an ikea worker walk around with him and say to him things like, "the crowd is to your left, wave" or someone wants to take a picture with you....on your right." it was really funny. and for some reason the moose's head was always pointed down so it always looked like he was ashamed of himself. it was hysterical and i'm not doing it justice.

with that said, i ate swedish meatballs, bought a few things and tasted free samples. ikea was fun.