Mass Hysteria

So it's 6pm and I just informed Matt that I've reached that point in the day where I will no longer be useful. Now that I'm in the home stretch with this pregnancy, the fatigue and ever-increasing lower back pain reach the breaking point somewhere around dinner time. More and more I've started taking naps with Max during his morning nap, which pushes useless-time back to just after bedtime. But it seems like life is just getting busier, so naps aren't always possible.

Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment to write a post instead of, I don't know, pack. Or sleep.

Today is Sunday, and like every Sunday, we had a plan to get to Mass that was fast and efficient. And like every Sunday, it fell apart at the seams. The Church we attend most regularly, Ascension, is a 10 minute walk away, and the plan was (and usually is) for one of us to go to the early Mass - 8:15am with one or two kids, and for the other to go to the 11am Mass with the remaining children. Today it was going to be Matt & Max at 8:15 and me with Karol and Patrick at 11.

But Daylight Savings Time happened. So the kids I've finally got trained to sleep until 6 now slept past 7, as did Matt and I. By 7:45 it was evident that nobody was going at 8:15.

Well that's okay, Matt and Max can go at 9 at Holy Name, but Holy Name is a 20 minute walk, so Matt would need to be ready by 8:30 and considering he hasn't even had that pivotal first cup of coffee that starts the morning ritual timer, that is unlikely as well. On top of that, Max really needs to start his morning nap around 9:30-10, and that window will be completely shut by the time they'd be home - or worse, he'd fall asleep really late in the stroller and throw his whole routine off, which would take me at least until Wednesday to straighten out again.

Okay, then I guess we'll all just go to 11am. But Max probably won't wake up until 11, and I hate being late to Mass (or anything, really), so that's a no-go. Maybe me and the older two can go to 11 at Ascension, and Matt can take Max to Holy Name at noon? That would work, except the kids need some playground time today since they were stuck inside all day yesterday, and I can't really do a playground trip with more than one by myself anymore, so we'd have to wait until Matt's back at 1:20pm, then eat lunch, then go out to the playground - but everyone needs to nap no later than 2:30pm, so that leaves about 3 minutes of actual play time in the park after eating, suiting up and walking there and then walking back and getting ready for naps. AAHH!

So then we formulate plan C (or is this D?). 'Okay wait, I promised the kids yesterday we'd get ice cream, so let's have lunch ready for when Max wakes up at 11, go to noon Mass at Holy Name (which is fortunately right across the street from the cheap cone place and a nice playground) and have ice cream and play until 2:15 or so.'

And my plan would have worked, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids. Lunch was ready and the kids were dressed and shoed when Max woke up, but then a couple of them decided they didn't feel like eating. I informed them that I wasn't buying ice cream for anyone that hadn't eaten their lunch. Karol's attitude toward eating turned on a dime, but apparently Patrick isn't motivated quite as much by treats because at 11:45 Matt was frantically begging him to finish his food so we could go.

And then everyone pooped. Or at least the preschoolers. "I don't care if we're late, we are going to noon Mass!" I say. "Did someone kidnap my wife and replace her with you?" my husband says (remember, I would usually rather not go than be late to pretty much anything). So at 12:05 Karol, Max and I were waiting at the base of the staircase for Patrick to finish his 'work.' At 12:15 we are walking at a brisk pregnant pace (which is medium-slow for us normally) to Mass at a Church 13 blocks away.

I think we got in after the homily, somewhere around the Our Father/Sign of Peace time frame, slid into the almost-last pew as surreptitiously as possible with three tots. I spent the rest of Mass recovering from the walk to the Church and trying to keep Max from babbling loudly and falling off the kneeler and into the wooden pews, and getting out Karol and Patrick's Mass stuff (mostly coloring pages and handwriting sheets that currently have a Lenten theme). I think Matt is actually trying to pray and be Catholic - he's kneeling and standing at the appropriate times and everything (I've been playing the pregnant card on that for the past few weeks).

Then it seems like we've been there maybe 8 minutes, it's time for Communion (caught me off guard because I haven't heard a word of anything the whole time) and then boom, people are dashing out the door already. Usually I coat the kids up as soon as we get back to the pew since it'll take us until the end of the recessional hymn to be ready anyway, but I figured since we just got there we could hang out for a couple minutes and chill.

But now Karol and Patrick don't want to leave. "I didn't get to do anything!" Karol cries, referring to her coloring and handwriting pages. I quietly whisper "ice cream!" and she quickly packs up and heads to the door.

Ironically, no matter how late we are or how much the children misbehave, we always get several people coming up to us to say how adorable our family is because they miraculously turn into angels when it comes time to walk down the aisle for Communion. And Max was exceptionally cute today - he somehow managed to cut our whole family ahead of two people with his cuteness alone.

The rest of the day, ironically, went basically as I had outlined it - ice cream, playground, smooth segue into naps, and Karol even completed her kindergarten (homeschool) reading program.

So why is Mass always so difficult? We have a pretty good system for keeping the kids calm/occupied once we're there (although that's taken years, and Max is still in uncooperative toddler phase). We've got a good system for getting the kids out the door - it works Monday thru Friday relatively well. Maybe it's because Sundays are a later start and the kids get to have some play time before Mass? Is it because there's always a fall back - some other Church that has a Mass an hour later - so we take the time table for granted? Is it because really I'm dreading the whole experience anyway, so karma just makes it as bad as I already expect it to be?

The Great Debate: Natural Childbirth vs. Epidural

I haven't been posting here much, mainly because I'm working on my 'professional' blog and chasing Max around the house all day. So to catch up: I'm 33 wks preggers with number 4, or 'baby Reagan' as she is affectionately called by her older sibs.

Although we've been through the whole L&D thing three times already, this one will be the first time (assuming everything goes smoothly and on schedule) since Karol that I will actually wait to go into labor instead of being induced. Both Patrick and Maximilian were scheduled inductions - 1 wk and 1.5 wks before their due dates, respectively - due to their inheriting some sort of giant-gene from Matt's side of the family. Well, I guess there are some big dudes on my side, too. Anyway, I developed a sort of system based on some good advice I got from a co-worker about how and when to do an epidural during an induction, and since I was bound to be hooked up to an IV from the start, I didn't really struggle with the decision to get one or not - the question was more at what point in the labor process to get one.

This time, however, short of Reagan being very tardy or something, I'll most likely have no reason for an induction and therefore will be doing the crazy, timing-contractions, rush to the hospital thing (which I really am not looking forward to doing in NYC traffic - or on the SUBWAY). So now I'm wondering, when should I get an epidural? Should I actually be open to the idea of NOT getting one at all?

When Karol was born, I figured I'd hold out as long as I could, but keep the option on the table. I ended up spending 12 hours in labor and got the epidural around hour 6. I had no regrets. I've never regretted getting the ep, in fact. So maybe I'm crazy for considering passing on it this time.

So now I'm back in research mode, looking at the pros and cons of epidurals versus natural childbirth. Here's the list Babycenter.com came up with, and my reaction in green.

Here are the pros:

• Most natural childbirth techniques are not invasive, so there's little potential for harm or side effects for you or your baby. I never had any side effects, but I guess that doesn't mean I never would.
• Many women have a strong feeling of empowerment during labor and a sense of accomplishment afterward. And despite having to endure pain, many report that they'd want an unmedicated birth again the next time. For some women, being in charge helps lessen their perception of pain. Um, I felt empowered and accomplished enough without the pain the first 3 times, thanks. This is really stretching it for a 'pro'
• There's no loss of sensation or alertness. You'll be awake and active during labor and birth — so you can move around more freely and find positions that help you stay comfortable during labor and remain able to aid the delivery process when it's time to push your baby out. I was always alert with the epidural, but the numbness and inability to move my own legs was annoying.
• If you don't need to be hooked up to an IV or amonitor, you can move around with ease This is really the only true 'pro' to me.
• You're less likely than women who get epidurals to need interventions such as oxytocin (Pitocin)to make your contractions stronger, bladder catheterization, or a vacuum extraction or forceps delivery. Didn't need that with Karol, but again that doesn't mean I won't need it this time.
• Your partner will feel involved in the process as you work together to manage your pain. I'm pretty sure Matt does NOT want to be involved in my pain. Because I will involve him. Oh yes, I will.
• Breathing exercises, visualization, and self-hypnosis can be practiced ahead of time — and used again later. Many new mothers find themselves drawing on their relaxation techniques in the early days of breastfeeding, while coping with postpartum discomfort, or when caring for a newborn feels especially stressful. Self-hypnosis? Really?

So for the 'cons'

• An epidural provides a route for very effective pain relief that can be used throughout your labor. I agree.
• The anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist can control the effects by adjusting the type, amount, and strength of the medication. This is important because as your labor progresses and your baby moves farther down into your birth canal, the dose you've been getting might no longer cover the pain, or you might suddenly have pain in a different area.
• Since the effect of the medication is localized, you'll be awake and alert during labor and birth. And, because you're pain-free, you can rest if you want (or even sleep!) as your cervix dilates. As a result, you may have more energy when it comes time to push. Haha, now wait a second, I wouldn't exactly say 'pain free...'
• Unlike with systemic narcotics, only a tiny amount of medication reaches your baby.
• Once the epidural's in place, it can be used to provide anesthesia if you need a c-section or if you're having your tubes tied after delivery.

Well I'm obviously pretty pro-epidural looking at these lists, but I'm still unsure. Chances are no matter how much I plan for it in advance, we'll really just be winging it when the rubber meets the road anyway.

I guess I'm looking for more anecdotal evidence that natural childbirth is worth giving a shot. Any advice? I'm all ears.

Max Walks!

It has happened! And totally out of the blue. Earlier today, just for something to do, I said "hey let's practice walking," and handed Max to Matt then sat a few feet away on the floor. Considering we had never played this game before, I wasn't expecting much. Much to our surprise, however, Max took off from Matt's fingers and took a good three and a half to four steps all the way to my outstretched arms!

We were shocked! After doing it again a couple of times, Max was over it and moved on to other activities.

I'm so glad Matt got to witness his first steps.

Go Max!

Nap Time Cold War

So I just laid Maximilian down for his mid-day nap, basically wide awake.

This is unusual for us since he normally is out cold just from nursing, but recently he seems to have been outgrowing nursing himself to sleep. He's gotten very good at sleeping in his crib, he seems to 'get' it.

I know he's tired, and he knows he's tired...but he's not falling asleep. I laid him in his crib and stood next to him for a bit, waiting to see if he would wail, but he didn't. He just started looking around. Then he started to play coy, making a funny noise and then smiling. He's deliberately trying to make me laugh, the little imp! So I decided to just leave.

I shut the door behind me and waited right outside. Nothing. Now I'm sitting at the table, monitor close by, listening to him wiggle around. Why he isn't crying, I'm not sure. If feels like there's a weird tension, as if we're both waiting for the other to make a move.

Chances are, he'll pull himself up to standing and get stuck there, then call for me...we'll see...

Max's Ultrasound

Here's the report:

We are 32 weeks and 3 days along.

Max is measuring at 34 weeks and 1 day (so he's big).

He's estimated to be about 5.5 lbs right now, and should gain about half a pound every week until then - that's FOUR more pounds! There's a very good chance he'll be as big or slightly bigger than

Patrick was (born at 9 lbs 3 oz).

Max is 'frank breech' right now (I felt him turn into this position a few days ago and was kind of afraid they might say that). That means if he were to come out today he'd be coming out bottom first and his head and feet are up at the tippity-top of my belly. Apparently there isn't much outside of wive's tale sorts of remedies for this, but I intend to try some of them. There's still plenty of time for him to turn around, and the vast majority of babies will turn before they are born. If need be, I'll have the doctor turn him because I really don't want to have a C-section!

The ultrasound tech seems to think he'll have a significant head of hair.

Max had a good heartbeat and everything looks perfectly healthy!

This was our LAST appointment in Silver Spring with our great doctors at Capital Women's Care. The next doctor's appointment we have will be in New York! It's already scheduled for July 7th.

Last but not least - here are some pics!

Missing the Baby Gear

I'm getting way too attached to the kid's baby gear.

It's not that I'm afraid I'll miss it. I'm afraid the kids will. Do they really have an attachment to these things? Or am I projecting that on them? Being too attached to 'stuff' is the opposite of what I want to instill in them, but I don't want to inadvertently rip something away from them that they feel emotional about, either. With the move coming up, a lot of things are going to change.

It's really getting hard for me to come to terms with giving up our lovely apartment, but only because of the convenience it affords. I know I'll be fine emotionally. But are the kids going to miss it? I remember growing up in two houses - and the second one was my grandparents' house before we moved there, so it was already 'home' to me. I can't imagine what it would be like to up and move to a whole new city.

On the other hand, Karol and Patrick are still very young - Karol's not even 3 yet. Will she even remember? I have no idea. And who knows how much we'll end up switching apartments in NYC, as the family (and hopefully the income) grows.

So why am I feeling this way today? Well, it doesn't help that it's a gloomy, crappy day overall, but I'm thinking about selling our double stroller. It's a monster of a stroller, and has served us very well. But now I'm looking to trade it for something smaller and more maneuverable for the city. And with Patrick walking really well already, we probably won't need a stroller for every trip in New York. Plus I don't really like the idea of having them locked up and lazing in a stroller for extended periods of time while I wheel their butts around. So I want something light-weight, easy to fold and easy to get around on skinny sidewalks.

But that means I'll need to sell ol' reliable. It's been like a second home for all the lovely long walks we take in Arlington...but am I the only person who's really getting sentimental about it?

We might go stroller test-driving at Buy Buy Baby this afternoon after work (I'll probably actually buy it used) to see what brand/model works best. I figure I'll be wearing Max for the first 6 months or so. I'm looking at the Jeep Wranglerthe Combi Twin Sportand the City Minibut who am I kidding? Should I just skip straight to the Triple Threat?

Good Times in the Bath

Karol and I wrapped up the evening (a terrible, nothing goes right type of day today) with a mommy-daughter bath, complete with facial masques, tea-tree oil foot scrubs, and an intense game of 'Spuh-LASH!' which is a lot like catch, but without the catching.

Luckily the rest of the night went smoothly with no tears from either toddler at bedtime. Unfortunately, Matt will be up late tonight working on one of two final papers that is due tomorrow at noon. I will be SO glad when he is done with all of this on WEDNESDAY.

As for me, I've been done with class for a week or two now (yay!). Now I'm going nuts about packing, going through the kids' clothes and weeding the outgrown and winter weather gear from their drawers for storage, and making big piles of random stuff to be donated. We are going to be losing a lot of space with the move to NYC (oh yeah, and adding a kid) and the extra stuff just isn't getting out of my apartment fast enough for my taste.

It's 9pm, and I think I'm going to go to bed. That's actually a little early for me. I'm hoping tomorrow starts off a little smoother than today did, but I'm not looking forward to Matt being MIA while he crams on final projects the next three days!

Stream of Consciousness Post about Montessori, The Kid's Development, And Moving

Saturday was a crazy day. We went everywhere. We were in and out of the car like crazy. All in anticipation of a rain storm that never happened. But we were able to pick up a lot of new tools and supplies for our Montessori-fying the apartment quest. Between a 'liquidation sale' on the edge of DC's bad side, Ikea and Home Depot, we were able to get some serious deals on some makeshift Montessori stuff.

The most important thing we purchased this weekend was by far the kid-sized table and chairs from Ikea. The kids are loving it so far. Saturday and Sunday were both full of test driving some of the new stuff. I'm starting to feel more confident that this idea is going to work.

And in order to facilitate the New World Order in our family routine, I've kicked off a mad Ebay/Craigslist sell-athon. With the move to NYC fast approaching, we've been meaning to downsize anyway, and the sooner it happens, the better, I think, because this belly isn't getting easier to deal with.

Speaking of which, I have got the worst heartburn in the history of the world. It is bad. It starts around 4 o'clock and doesn't let up. Doesn't matter what I eat. Doesn't matter how I sit or sleep. There's nothing I can do but deal with it and pop the Tums like candy.

Mission 1 with Karol is going to be teaching her some preliminary skills - basically teaching her the Montessori Method procedure for approaching (school) work. This is stuff like, how to get out and unroll your mat before you start an activity, putting an activity away before taking out a new one, carrying trays properly so things don't topple, etc, etc. She's very quickly picking up on practical life skills like pouring water or milk from a pitcher into a cup. She and Patrick are both drinking out of a regular cup at dinner time (teeny tiny ones). They are also obsessed with tasks like handwashing and teethbrushing because it means they get to stand at the sink and 'play' with water.

Patrick's big lessons are going to be things like stacking blocks, nesting blocks, and beginning to learn to count. He's in an amazing language boom right now, picking up words faster than I can keep track. Just this weekend he probably said five or six words we hadn't heard him say before, completely out of the blue.

He's starting to show an interest in the potty too, although it'll be a while before he is even tall enough to sit on the training potty. He totally gets that the word 'pee' is associated with it (that's one of his new words!) and likes to pretend-pee by sitting on the edge of the potty and bouncing.

Speaking of bouncing - Patrick has a hilarious morning ritual. Typically Karol will wake up and be talking to herself or calling for Mommy or Daddy in the morning when Matt and I walk in. Inevitably we hear a bright "Good morning, Mommy/Daddy!" from Karol and Patrick starts jumping/bouncing on his bed, with a smile from ear to ear like he's so thrilled to be starting a new day. It really is a great way to start the day and puts a smile on my face every time.

Meanwhile, on the apartment hunting front, Matt is scouring the market for the (probably impossible) perfect apartment. It's almost hilarious that he's trying to find an apartment that would be cheap even here in the most expensive neighborhood in Manhattan. I have a feeling we'll be living in a shoe box at this rate. Which brings me back to the need for downsizing our stuff.

So far I haven't had a whole lot of success, but this is just the end of Day 1, really. Still, when I posted like 8 things on Craigslist this morning, I was hoping to have at least 1 less thing by the end of the day. Although there have been a couple of bites, nothing solid yet.

And books! We've got more books than the closest branch of the public library, I think. I looked into donating them to the library today, and - it figures - they just had one of their bi-annual book sales and therefore aren't taking new donations until May 10 or so, so I have to stare at these boxes that much longer, I guess.

My next downsizing task - which I plan to attack as soon as I'm done with this post, since Matt's at school until late tonight - is the White Thing. Really it's a white Rubbermaid rolling 3-drawer filing tower that I've had since college. But we've always just called it the White Thing. And now it's in our bathroom. Pretty soon it will be empty. It's already for sale on Craigslist, although Matt thinks it'll probably have to be given away (guess I'm okay with that), but it's worth at least a shot at selling it. I'm checking my email like mad, just to see if there are any new takers on our unwanted stuff...ugh.

My Son's Amazing Motor Skills

So for a little distraction/treat, we went out to eat tonight at the Cheesecake Factory. Since I didn't think to bring sippy cups, the kids got milk in cups with lids. Karol rocked the cup with a straw, but Patrick practically poured it down his shirt. It's hard to mentally switch from sippy cup - where you tilt the cup up - to straw - where you keep the cup down.

So Matt asked the waiter for a small glass or plastic glass, like a shot glass. You see, Patrick has pretty much mastered drinking from a cup - taught Montessori style. Check it out:

Yes, I was totally paranoid he would drop the glass and break it. But I think he does this very well. In fact, he's better at it than Karol is right now, I think because 1) we started teaching him the skill at the right time, when he was mentally prepared to learn it, and 2) he's generally a rock star at gross and fine motor skills.

When it comes to climbing, using a spoon and fork, etc. he's doing the same things as Karol. Since Patrick apparently didn't get the super-cautious gene that Karol did, he usually is doing more running, jumping and climbing than Princess Karol is.

Montessori Mommy?

I'm back to reading Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three and back on a Montessori kick again.  I think I wrote in an earlier post that we found exactly the right school for our kids - it's a Catholic Montessori preschool - and last month we were finally able to go there for observation.

I'm even more convinced that this is where I want Karol to be next year, but alas, there's no space available.  Well, Sister Lucy, the lady that runs the place, said they may have an opening depending on if one family moves...so we're keeping our fingers crossed, but won't be surprised if it doesn't happen until the 2011-12 school year.

So what do we do until then?  I really don't see the point in sticking her in a different preschool for a year and then switching.  That just seems like it would cause undue stress for all of us.  So I'm seriously considering teaching her (as best I can) from home, in the Montessori Method.

Of course, it doesn't seem fair at all to put that kind of time and effort into Karol and not Patrick, who's nipping at Karol's heels right now, developmentally speaking.  But he's in a totally different sensitive period, so the work he should be doing is totally different from what Karol is on.

Oh, and let's not forget little Max (that's Fetus Plomin's new name, now that we know he's a boy for sure)!  I have the chance to start from the very beginning with him.  But just taking care of the basic needs of an infant is enough work for one mom.  I'm already depriving the poor little guy of much needed sleep (for mommy) most nights in order to research Montessori homeschooling, apartments in NYC and preschool options.  Do I really think I'm going to be able to teach all my kids at the same time all by myself?

Well, yes.  I guess I do.  My plan?  Be prepared well in advance.  I'm going to have to tackle this 'stay at home mom' thing (makes me cringe to type that) with a strategic campaign plan.  That's why I'm so glad I discovered this awesome blog, Wanting What You Have.  It's written by a professional 'housewife' (cringe) who's come up with what she calls a Home Management Guide.  It is the greatest idea ever.  Not that its a new one.  Basically, it's a business plan for the home.  I've already started building mine.  I've got two whole sections done, and I'm totally stoked about it.

I'm doing mine a little differently, though, since, well, every household is a little different, and in our case, a lot different.  I'm planning for all my Montessori tools and research to be a huge section of this binder.  I think I'm going to come up with a different name for mine though.  Something like, 'Jillian's World Domination Strategic Campaign Plan.'  So far I've got all my work schedules done, pretty similar to how Heather does it, and a cleaning section.  I'm going to add a food section, but I still don't really know enough about cooking yet to put it together, and Matt's in charge of the groceries right now, so I'm at a loss for a price book (I'm just going to take over his).  The Montessori section I'm going to start building tonight right after I write this post.  As for the World Domination-specific sections, that's classified, sorry.

Happy and Healthy Babies - All of Them!

Today was a 'big' day for the DC Plomins.  Bright and early this morning the whole family trekked up to our old stomping grounds, Silver Spring, for a round of doctor's appointments.

Karol - not surprisingly, Karol got a gold star for verbal ability.  The doctor was floored that she was answering questions like "how old are you?" and "are you a boy or a girl?"  I guess those are questions a 3 year old may be able to answer.  She was also impressed with the 6-word sentences she was uttering -but Matt and I know she can easily do 15-word sentences and more!
She's an expert at jumping, but hasn't mastered walking backwards yet - although that's another 3 year old task.

Patrick - Patrick is right on track developmentally, and doing especially well in the walking/climbing arena.  He's off the charts for both height and weight and a very healthy growing boy.  Patrick's language is seemingly ahead of schedule, too, but of course he was too shy to talk to Dr. Fishman at all.  He did manage a 'high five' though.
Patrick got a whopping 3 shots, one of which being the chicken pox vaccine.  The good news is that he won't need any at all at the 18 month check up.  I'm hoping we can squeeze that one in before we have to leave for NYC in July.

Baby #3 - Mommy and baby got a check up today, too.  I'm doing fine, of course, and New Baby Plomin has all the major organs and limbs and whatnot that they check for in the 20 week ultrasound.  And of course we got the opportunity to find out what we're having.  And, as I've been predicting since day 1 - the ultrasound confirmed we're having a boy!  Karol and Patrick are excited to have a baby brother and Matt and I are excited to use pronouns like "he" instead of "it" when referring to "him."

Measurement-wise he is still on track with his original due date of Aug 10, give or take a couple days.  I'm betting he'll be quite an average size, weighing more than Karol did (7 lbs 9 oz) and less than Patrick (9 lbs 3 oz).  It'll be 'fun' to get to know all new doctors just a month before he's born to deliver him in NYC, but we're getting closer to figuring out who that will be now.  Or I should say, Matt is.  I've put him in charge of finding the doc, the hospital and an apartment in NYC.  We'll see how that goes.

The apartment search is still pretty passive - it's still early - but we've got some feelers out.  We're still pretty focused on the West side, hopefully somewhere in our between the West Village and Upper West Side.  I'm not really thinking about that now, though.  For right now I'm just looking forward to tying my shoes without straining and meeting my new little boy, and thanking God we are so very lucky to have such beautiful and healthy children.

So that's the update for now!

Back Home Again In Indiana Without the Babies

Well I’m sitting at the airport, trying not to get sucked in by all the Maryland Crab paraphernalia, missing my kids already. They napped all the way to the airport, and no matter how you explain it, it’s hard to tell if they really understand. Just a couple of hours before we left I was seriously toying with the idea of taking Patrick with me. He’s still young enough to be a lap child, after all. But that would just make things more difficult than they need to be, and the last thing he needs is to have his routine disrupted.

Getting from the car to the gate literally took about 5 minutes since I checked in online, don’t have any bags to check and there was no line in security. Seriously, zero people in line. The TSA guy had to wait for me to get my ID out because I just walked right up to him. So, no kids, no typical airport hassles…I anticipate having a lot of free time.

Usually that free time would be eaten up with talking to Matt until he got home and I took off, then talking to him again from landing to destination number one. But like an idiot, I left my phone charger on the table and my phone battery is barely half full, so it’s off until it’s time to tell everyone I landed safely. That’s a very important call.

I brought Atlas Shrugged, which I’ve been wanting to read for about ten years now (it’s an intimidatingly thick book – and yes I’m aware I just made up that adverb). And I thought I could get some serious blogging done – yay! Since I can’t get online though, I’m avoiding doing any ‘professional’ blogging for now. I thought I’d write an update to the family blog instead. Because that’s what’s on my mind right now.

So here’s an update on my lovely babies.

Let’s start with Karol. She’s pretty much full-grown now. She has a shoe addiction that’s starting to rub off on Patrick. She’s obsessed with organization, which I hope will rub off on Patrick. I stopped trying to gauge where her verbal skills are, because they are so off the charts it’s impossible. I’ve known five year olds with less grammar and diction. The really great thing is to hear her correct herself, as in, “Mommy, I bringed my…I brought my banana!” I mean seriously? Irregular verbs? Like I said, I’m pretty sure the ‘books’ declare your kid as A-OK by the time they’re doing that. So we’ve moved on to watching Patrick.

Patrick, I must admit, I was worried about in the very beginning. Maybe because all the books say that communication and language skills are harder for boys to build in babyhood because of the way their brains form differently from girls. Maybe it’s because he didn’t coo and gurgle and make as many baby sounds in the first few months. And unfortunately being the second kid, I always fear we’re not talking to him enough, reading to him enough, and that sort of thing.

But recently Matt and I have been looking back and comparing his skills to where Karol’s were at this age (I know, I know, exactly what you’re NOT supposed to do!). Apparently my kids are genetically programmed to be fascinated with dogs starting around age 1 because that’s what Karol did, and that’s precisely what Patrick is doing. He is getting interested in books, but only really wants to sit still for books about dogs. He really gets into them, and then makes us read the same book over and over and over! Right now he’s stuck on Harry the Dirty Dog, Where’s Spot, and I’ll Teach My Dog A Lot of Words. I plan to take the kids to the library soon to expand the selection.

Patrick is picking up ‘baby signs’ left and right, as well. He’s been able to do ‘eat,’ ‘milk,’ ‘all done,’ and ‘more’ for quite a while, but recently he’s picked up ‘bath,’ ‘book,’ and ‘socks’ – and of course ‘dog!’ We haven’t put a lot of energy into teaching them to him, but in my experience with both Karol and Patrick, it you wait until they show an interest in those things, they learn very fast. We simply use the signs when appropriate, and then try to reinforce with the videos.

Patrick’s motor skills, too, are growing by leaps and bounds. I don’t take for granted that there’s anything he can’t do anymore. He can climb the furniture, open doors, ‘swim’ in the bathtub, and kick a ball. All pretty astounding at the tender age of 13 months, if I do say so myself.

Then there’s baby X. We still don’t know if he’s a boy or a girl, but I’m calling him a boy for now, that’s just my guess. He’s pretty laid back right now, and doesn’t say much. According to BabyCenter.com he’s about the size of an avocado.

Well, at the beginning of this post I was at the airport in Baltimore. Now I’m in Indiana. So that’s it for now.

Taking A Trip Without The Kids

So I'm leaving my entire family for the first time. I'll be flying home to Indiana to pick up my TA-50 (loads of Army gear that was issued to me years ago) and returning it to my old unit in Darien, IL, just south of Chicago. I leave tomorrow afternoon, and come back Monday afternoon, if all goes well, and I'm already stressed out about being so far away.

It's not that I don't trust Matt to take care of the kids for a couple of days, but that I'm going to miss them like CRAZY. Hopefully this time will pass quickly, and I won't lose my mind in the process. Maybe I can even take a book or something for the plane ride, wouldn't that be something? I can't remember the last time I read a book for fun. Maybe I can spend some time writing for my other ("professional") blogs. Who knows...

The up-side is that this will be a great opportunity to hopefully see some people I haven't seen in a while and hang out with my family. Maybe I'll even get to see my niece and nephew a little bit!

I'll let you know how it all turns out, I guess.

NYC, I Give You Fair Warning

Well a lot has happened since I last wrote. Matt and I are officially taking the plunge and moving to the Big Apple, the Empire State. Yep, good ole NYC. I'm not talking about living in New Jersey or the boroughs either. We are moving to FRICKIN MANHATTAN. Or at the very least, Queens.



So, we're relocating from our posh Arlington apartment right next door to the greatest job I've ever had, down the street from the best child care provider you could ever hope to have for your kids, in a neighborhood just minutes away from Costco, Pentagon City Mall, the national monuments, historic Georgetown and my beloved cupcakes, to a place where we are going to be starting all over, the taxes are highest in the country, in an undoubtably much smaller apartment. I'm getting used to the idea.



Matt's job is going to be great for him. He'll be an Associate in Institutional Asset Management for Deutsche Bank. He loves the group he's working with; they're the same one he worked with over the summer. It's what he's always wanted to do and he's gonna go far, I just know it.


As for me, it's up in the air. There's a very good chance I'll go back to political consulting (2010 is shaping up to be excellent for real Republicans), and maybe start a new thing consulting small business. The job market is rich in NYC for ad/pr, so I could always do a 9-5 again, too. After the baby is born, that is.



What? A baby? Another baby? Didn't you just have one?


Yeah, I did. And we're going to have number three sometime mid-August, probably at the Eli and Abby Manning Birthing Center in the Village (thank God we still have a Manning!).

My belly right now.

My belly 8 months after Patrick. *sigh* C'est la vie.

Once we made the decision that we are indeed moving, all the other decisions had to be made. Luckily, my search for the perfect pre-school (for Karol only, for now) was a quick one. There's actually a Catholic Montessori (exactly what I wanted) right smack in the West Village that is quite affordable. We haven't visited or anything yet, but I did make a call. Hopefully we can run up there sometime in March to check the place out and get Karol enrolled. I've heard how awful New York private school admissions can be, but I think this school is an exception.



That decision led to the next one: Where to live? West Village is pretty 'up and coming' we've heard, and the subway right by the pre-school goes straight to Matt's office. It's also a little more neighborhood-ish than living in East Midtown where Matt will be working. There will be (a little) more access to shops, restaurants, and other necessary places. We're hoping to find something close to Washington Park.

Another option is Astoria (part of Queens). It's more affordable, and if we stay close to the subway line it'd be just as easy a commute as West Village for Matt, but a little further down the line for Karol's school.

It's way too early to know anything though.



The giant elephant problem with moving to NYC is that it's NOT a kid-friendly place to live. And it's not a parent-friendly place to live. Everything I see online about living in New York talks about the 'awesome night-life' and great places for grown ups to go by themselves. We don't HAVE a night-life. I'm lucky to get a day-life with 2 kids 2 and under. Oh wait, make that 3 under 3! I swear if I read another article or post about how great it is to be single and responsibility-free in New York I will scream.



Oh well. Maybe Matt will get a huge bonus and we'll be able to afford a babysitter once in a while. Until then, nose to the grindstone.

Boys Stink

When my younger brother Will would have a friend or two over and they took over the living room with their sleeping bags and video games, it was only a matter of a few hours before the room would have a distinct smell of boys. And not a good kind of smell.

Apparently, this stinky phenomenon starts at around 9 months, and never goes away. Patrick sweats like crazy when he's sleeping, and after I transferred him to his own bed last night, I was hit by that icky boy odor smack in the middle of my bed.

Here's what is so confusing: Karol sweats just as much as Patrick ever has, but she's never stunk up the room the way that boy can. What physiological trait do boys have that makes them so noxious?

It's grossing me out, and making me reconsider my dream of having lots of boys.

This post by Manic Motherhood is the only thing keeping my hope alive that one day Patrick will stop stinking. At least some of the time. Until then, I'm bathing him in the strongest lavendar scented Johnson's baby shampoo available.

Chris Cooley Is My Tight End

In fantasy football, at least. And with Mr. Cooley bringing me like 15 points last week, I won handily. This week I'm facing Team Tanselle and that looks to be another win! I think I might be pulling into the lead for the first time EVER.

My strategy? Top secret. But on to more important things. Chris Cooley, as it turns out, has a blog here on blogger that is way more interesting than football (to me). I highly recommend it, and will be following it myself, at least through football season and probably beyond that as well.

In other news, I had the opportunity to watch CC do Washington Post Live during Advertising Week DC. If you can find the video clip (I can't), you can totally spot the back of my head on the bottom of the shot.

I do have a bone to pick with CC though. No, I'm not going to critique his football skills or tell him he should be doing drills 24/7 like some of the 'fans' that comment on his blog. This is about his upstart clothing line. I know I'm stating the painfully obvious to everyone else reading this (all two of you), but HELLO? Where is the CC47 baby gear? How about maternity wear? And I don't even have to mention that the shirt I want is kinda pricey.

Sure, there's the traditional kids' size Redskins jersey you can buy at Target or online, but what about authentic Chris Cooley gear? Come on, Cooley! Get with the program! What if I were 8 months pregnant like I was last season??? What am I supposed to wear??? An over-sized football jersey will make me look like a giant tent!

So there's my tip of the day for number 47.

Oh yeah, and the Redskins won yesterday, so - Yay!

New Babies

As we plan and pack for our trip  back to Indiana for Aunt Abby's Wedding, we are also excited about visiting Karol and Patrick's newest cousin, Weston!  I don't know if we'll actually get the chance since we'll be super-busy with the wedding celebration and the general business of being cute, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Weston Noah Smith was born on his Uncle Matt's birthday, August 11th, at 4:23pm.  He weighs in at 5 lbs 7 oz and is 19 in long.  

Now that I think about it, I don't know if I've mentioned my first ever niece, Miss Maureen!  Mo is about 1.5 months now (which is really hard to believe!) and we got a chance to meet her in person when we went back to Indiana for the fourth of July.  Karol and Pat are STOKED to have some playmates.  

Christmas is going to be awesome this year!  Bring on the babies!

Patrick the Charmer

It's gotta be rough being number two. But my little guy is a trooper. Take bedtime for example. Bedtime with Karol has been a struggle recently due to lack of consistency with Matt being away, then back, then away and back again. As you can imagine, a lot of my attention is taken up with the task of reading stories, saying prayers, fetching milk or juice, and then usually rocking Karol for a while to get her calmed down.

Patrick, meanwhile, is usually in his exersaucer or jungle gym, analyzing the toys in front of him and waiting several long minutes for a new diaper and dinner. And yet, when I finally get to pay attention to him, no matter how long it's been or how much he really wants to eat, I'm always greeted with the biggest 'I love you' smile. Last night was a perfect example: