Getting chubby...Sonja that is.

I was tagged so here are Seven Random Things:
1- Last night I had the luxury of four hours straight of sleep. That's the longest stretch in four weeks. I feel like Pink Power Ranger. Actually, I'm ready for a nap and it's not even 11AM...
2- I hate ER. I wish we didn't watch it.
3- I tried to make dinner last night (Also a first in four weeks) and set off the smoke alarm. Not kidding. =(
4- My brother Nick and I rode bikes all the time when we were little and I pretended mine was a horse. Her name was Ladylove.
5- I enjoy putting laundry away in the filing cabinets, er, dresser drawers.
6- I am married to one outstanding husband/daddy/cook/nurse/cleaner/shopper/launderer/dishwasher...
7- Chris and I are going to run a marathon one day. We'll each run half, but together at the same time. The distance still adds up to a whole you know.

Time's up, the baby's awake.

Oh one more. Love these three.

Anna to Chris as he walks out the door this morning: "See ya, babe."

Pretty in pink.



Ready?



Someday I'll have brain power to write a coherent paragraph...but that day is not today. =)

A family from church brought Sonja an outfit and Anna happened to have the matching dress. Matchy matchy green green.

Well, things around here have been quite busy. We are having a great time with Sonja and Anna, but it has been challenging too. To add to it, I am going to attempt a blog post without one political opinion. That's right, this is Chris posting here so you can count on complete omission of little details and a lack of coherence in the flow of thoughts. So here we go...

The picture above is Sonja in her car seat for the first time. She was born Saturday morning and everyone came home Tuesday afternoon. Delivery by c-section really is a different experience and recovery than a natural delivery. Believe me, everyone was ready to come home on Tuesday! Perhaps Anna was more ready than anyone. She was a good trooper for those four days coming down to the hospital in the morning and evening every day. She missed having mama and daddy at home. Here is a picture of Anna sitting with her Grandma while giving Sonja a kiss.

Anna really loves Sonja and she is going to be a great big sister. We have been practicing saying Sonja's name with Anna. Half the time she says "sunny" and the other half we get "Sony." The correction pronuciation is "Sone-yah." Every night Sonja gets a good night kiss from her big sister and she often gets random kisses of love throughout the day.

We have found out that recovering from a c-section takes a while and requires a lot of help. Thankfully, we have had good help from the day Sonja was born. Missy's mother flew in the day Sonja was born and stayed for a week and a half. Anna had a good time with her grandma especially at 6:30 every morning when Anna's internal alarm clock goes off. And Chris's parents have been in and out at various times to care for all of us. We also had a special visit from Aunt Manda and Uncle Roo who drove out from Ohio to see their two little neices. Anna is really good at saying "Uncle Roo," but she has some work to do on Aunt Manda which sounds very close to her word for banana right now.

Missy had her first day as a stay at home mom of two this past Wednesday when Chris went back to work. It has gone pretty well so far. Along with becoming a big sister, Anna also graduated to a big girl bed which has made it easier to put her down for naps. They won't be running errands soon, but as long as everyone is fed, changed and napped then it is a happy house. Well how about some pictures...

Another picture of Sonja. As energy increases, so will picture taking...many more to come. I promise!

Sonja Marie Schwartz

April 12, 2008

7:56 a.m

6 lbs. 9 oz. 20 1/2"

Backyard flower pickings on a dandy spring day.





This is Anna in her glasses. =) She is doing well with them. We are at an 85% wearage time through the day. It's cute when she takes them off for some reason and holds them up to her face until she finds one of us to put the temples back behind her ears. We haven't been back to her opthalmologist yet, but I believe the glasses are helpful based on how much she likes wearing them.
Little baby is set to make her entrance this Saturday. We had the last u/s today and everything looks good, other than that placenta placement, but whatever, I'm over it. So, we're down to 38.5 hours. Everything is ready at home. Chris is going to switch the chest and cradle places, but I think that is it. The newborn clothes are all washed and folded. The cradle sheets are on. The swaddler diapers are in the caddy. The announcements are made, envelopes addressed, stamped. Give me a task or I shall run mad.(what's that from??) Tomorrow is going to crawl by... I wish my fabric would arrive. I ordered two different fabrics for the couch pillow covers. One came in last week and I made two covers, but Joann just won't give up the other one. Maybe I'll try to make a bolster with these remnants. And I'm going to try welted cording. That should keep me busy, and probably frustrated enough to distract me from looking at the clock.
Well, it's five and hopefully Chris will be home soon to enjoy this fantastic weather with us. Ooh, I think I'll make chocolate chip cookies. There's something worthwhile to do.
Next post should have some cute baby pictures...! =)

Here is the story with Anna!
Annapolis Capital Lifestyle Page

Uh yeah, cosmetics reasons? I didn't say it like that...the reporter asked if I was concerned about how Anna would look in glasses. I said not at all- she'd be darling and she needs the glasses not only for vision, but to mechanically straighten her eye.

We ordered Anna's glasses yesterday and they should be here in five days. Next week is going to be crazy for this little gal:
Monday- Big girl bed to be delivered.
Wednesday- Big girl glasses to come in.
Saturday- Big sister status to be established!

They moved my delivery date up to the 12th! I'm excited to meet this baby girl, and in only 9 more days! Really, 8 1/2. Which we round down to 8. So a week! A WEEK!
I am so glad to have the end in sight- the baby is transverse because the placenta prevents her from turning head down and it ain't comfy. Not that any baby position is comfy at 37 weeks, but I can deal for another week.

Another thing- I am having the hardest time finding bedding I like for Anna's big girl bed. Usually I adore all things PBK, but I'm not into the colors or patterns they have for this year. I've looked at JC Penney, Sears, Target, Walmart, Land of Nod, Company Store Kids, Warm Biscuit, eBay...where else?

Press release:
Anna will be getting glasses soon. One eye has been turning in off and on since Christmas time and the opthalmalogist has determined it to be far-sightedness. She's getting some attention over it too. On Monday, the Annapolis Capital interviewed us for their story on children in glasses. The article will be published in the Thursday paper and available online. I don't know how much the interview with us will be a part of the story but I'll post a link Thursday morning.

In local news, the hospital is having a hard time fitting me in their schedule, but as of now I am supposed to deliver on Saturday the 19th. I'm to be notified if there are any cancellations before then...right. It's like getting your hair done I guess.

In health news, Dad is down with a fever and aches. Anna is teething and is something of a bear. Mom is 37 weeks pregnant and also showing signs of bearness. The perfect storm is gathering...

Anna in pigtails.


I couldn't get a good shot though- she doesn't stay still for long anymore.

And here are a couple pictures of the house.





We have wood floors through the whole house and now that we've been here awhile I'm realizing the need for a hardfloor cleaner. Anybody have a good suggestion for a decent stick vacuum or a vacuum mop type of thing? It's really just to keep dust bunnies from proliferating, dern rabbits keep multiplying. I was thinking about that bissel flip-ease vacuum mop that vacuums on one side and then you can use it as a mop on the other side. Anybody ever had one? IS it too good to be true? Amanda K, didn't you get something like that? If I could carry it, I'd bring the shop vac up from the basement. I still love that thing, but Anna's terrified of it. I need something that is small and can be stored in a nook somewhere. The quest is at hand. We'll be looking at Best Buy tonight.

Pillow talk.


So, things are winding down. I have daily things to do, but no big projects left to finish before the baby comes. (Which will be either April 17th or 18th via c-section.) I need a project to help fill in these 23 1/2 days, obviously. Our couch requires pillows so I was thinking of unleashing Viking lady for a go at pillow covers. I looked through all the Joann fabrics online and I really liked these two together. And Chris liked them too. I am not a red fan, but the curtains that came with our place are a dark burgandy and I don't want to spend money on curtains that fit this wide window and likely no other window in future residence. So, it's going to be something to go with red. And I don't like gold. Are these fabrics too modern? Do they go with burgandy? Will the dishes do themselves tonight? Well, I know the answer to that one. So long for now.

Anna in her Easter dress.



Here's where Anna spends most of her time in the living room- looking out the window towards the high school in hopes of seeing a bus.







The house is done, except for two shelves. Baby is done, except for two pounds of chubiness. I'm done, except for two words. Good night. =)

Picture time! (finally.)
These are the day of her 1/2 birthday.





Out for a walk and the park with Daddy.




Yesterday Anna and I made the trek back to Philly for Maddie and Judah's birthday party and to see the newest Livingston. I didn't get many pictures but these two were cute.
The proposal (with chalk).


The book lovers.




I need to get the camera out more often, I know.
Anna is growing up fast. She is learning her letters via the fridge magnets. The other day she picked out the words "baby" and "dada" from a sheet of word stickers. She talks constantly. On our road trip yesterday, she talked for two hours straight on our way up- I can tell you everytime a truck, bus, or van passed us. She's still in love with books and one of her favorite things to do these past few weeks has been to sit in a recliner with a stack of books while listening to music. In the mornings, as I lift her out of her crib she needs the rundown on everyone:
Open door to nursery.
A: Mama!
M: Good morning. Did you have a good sleep?
A: Mmhmm! Daddy?
M: Daddy's at work.
A: Work. Byebye. Oma?
M: Oma's downstairs.
A: Stairs. Oma. Opa?
M: Opa's sleeping.
A: Nigh night. Puppy?
M: The puppy's asleep.
A: Nigh night.

The same dialogue every single morning. She needs to know.
The conversation turns to the weather once she can see outside.
A: Rain?
M: Nope, it's not raining today.
A: Na raining. Na raining. Sun! Bright sun. Na raining... Moon!
M: I don't see the moon, do you?
A: No moon.
And more of this through all the day. I am enjoying this conversational age. She has lots to say, believe you me.

Our other little girl is growing up fast too. She's still inside, but it feels like she's trying to get out through my sides. We're still waiting to know what mode of delivery this baby will choose. My last ultrasound showed some placenta movement and the specialist was optomistic about it being completely out of the way by term. I have another US on the 18th and hopefully that will show it out of the way. If not, another US two weeks later and then if not still...bummer and a c-section.
Today is the last day of moving stuff over to our apartment. Chris and his dad and a couple friends have moved things each evening this week so almost everything is there. I am in serious get-er-done mode and I think it's hormonal nesting insticts. I can't wait to everything put away, but I know that the minute I run out of things to do I'm going to start into that grumpy when IS this baby coming mode. Luckily there is plenty to do. =)