Baby Stroller

Matt and I are trying to justify getting this $680.00 stroller. Any ideas?

Here are some:
1. It's way cool
2. Bassinet, how cute!
3. Adjustable handles
4. Easy to fold
5. Works on the road and the mall (no need for a jogger stroller)
6. EASY to maneuver
7. Green - made from good stuff.
8. Has a "rumble" seat extra for when we have a second kiddie.

Double whammy

I have been fighting a bad cold for the last three days, and now I realize that being sick and being pregnant is a double whammy. We were at child-birthing class last night, and I was just sitting there with my mouth open, trying to breathe, listening to the joys of getting through transition (the last phase of dilation) and then pushing techniques. It was all so awful and coupled with this cold, I just couldn't take it anymore and I wanted to jump up and yell, "Just give me an epidural and let's be done with this!"

Matt is officially hibernating on a mattress in the family room (it's a very cozy set-up), since last Wednesday after he decided, the night before, to wake me up every time I snored. This was tantamount to the sleep deprivation test (or torture treatment) they do in sleep studies (or Gitmo). I was so exhausted all that day I fell asleep on the train to work, at my desk, on the train coming home... basically whenever and wherever could. I feel bad for Matt that my snoring keeps him up (he's a light sleeper), but right now it's all about me (at least for the next 3 months). I told Matt that I wish I could offer more, but he has three choices: 1) Suck it up; 2) get earplugs, or 3) sleep downstairs. After my 3 nights of sick-sleep, I think he made the right decision (I wouldn't want to sleep with me either).

In fact, one night Matt felt bad that we're already in separate beds that he thought he would come upstairs and get into bed with me (he can tough it out against a little snoring, right?). The minute he walked in and found me there snoring, he shook his head and made a beeline back to the quiet-peacefulness of the family room.

The warehouse of scary baby stuff

We took our first trip to Babies 'R Us last weekend.

It was like Home Depot, but instead of a row of table saws, there were rows of strollers.  Instead of buckets of drill bits there were bottles.  It went on and on and was literally a warehouse of baby stuff. Who knew a 7lb baby could need so much?

This was our first visit, our virginal introduction to what lies ahead.  It was fun because Matt and I were equally clueless and we took this far less serious than future parents probably should.

When we got there, Matt said he was concerned about cribs, and I was more concerned with strollers.  In the end, I won, and Matt agreed that the stroller was way more complicated than picking out a crib.

It was fun test driving the strollers, but trying to get them to fold and get car seats out of them proved a little more difficult.  As he was fumbling with the baby carrier he pronounced, "Okay, by now the baby is lying on the floor crying."  At one point, I was laughing so hard because Matt could not, to save his life, figure out how to detach the car seat from the base (or from the stroller) and I think he was ready to throw it on the ground when a sales lady came around to stop us from breaking their items.    When it was my turn, Matt timed me -- 30 seconds to see if I could get the carrier out.  I failed.  I also failed the "carry the carrier" test, I need to work on my arm muscles and this was a carrier without a baby.

My mom suggested we "rent-a-baby" and bring it to the store to see how easy it is to actually be with a baby.  I was frustrated figuring out the strollers because my purse kept falling off my shoulder and my sunglasses kept falling off my head. I'm going to need to "downgrade" to the "mom purse" and "mom sunglasses" (but not "mom-jeans" I draw the line somewhere).

We need to go back and we're enlisting the help of our friend and mom of 3 kids who, if she doesn't know what we need, then no one does.

More on the Nursery

Getting the tarps off the floor feels like a major accomplishment.

This weekend Matt did the most thankless task of filling in all the holes in the trim/baseboards/crown moulding left by the staple gun. As he would finish a section, there would always be more. He thought it would never end. My dad just had knee surgery, so now Matt is taking up most of the slack. Next on the list... sand down the floor a bit. Good times ahead.

I'm on the decorating task force since I can't do most of the grunt work (although I did paint all the walls, it was good exercise for my arms.)

This is the alphabet with french words that I found at Blik's. It's actually expensive wrapping paper that I framed. Expensive wrapping paper = cheap art.

This cutie is some artwork done by our cousin, Emma, when she was little. She stood up for our wedding and then a few months later she made us this in school, aren't the colors perfect?

I also picked up some letters to test the "letters around the room' idea, and I think they look pretty fun. I thought I'd repeat the 3 styles around the room.

I also have been thinking a lot about bedding. I didn't want to do a bedding set, in fact I was adamant not to have anything matchy-matchy. Then we went to Babies R' Us and all of a sudden I'm coo'ing over all the lambs and wild animals. What gives? Then I saw this picture and was brought back to what I like: a simple bedding with a nice bumper. And I was directed to this blog which even shows how to make the crib skirt and there's not a sewing machine in site! Yes! So if I can find some gorgeous material, this is my plan. Now all I need to do is find where I stashed the iron - ha ha!

The blind date

Two weeks ago, Matt and I went out to dinner with the mystery couple on a "blind date." That's how I refer to people whom Matt has not met and when I drag him out to have dinner or whatever with new people.  He hates this.  Remember Block Party 2008?  Well, the only thing that has changed since then is that Matt doesn't fight me on this as much as he used to.

Who was our "mystery couple" this time?   I met her in a photography class I took last year and since then we've met for lunch and to take photos. When the idea of dinner came up, we thought, "Let's bring along our husbands."  When I told Matt this, the color drained from his face and I wasn't sure if he heard me say, "We're going out to dinner with ______ & her husband." or "The doctor called and the prognosis is negative." 

In the end, Matt's blind date went fine and we had a good time - in fact, our dinner (of just pizza and beer) lasted 4 hours. If we weren't having a good time, could it have gone on that long?  But Matt's refusing to tell me if he had a good time because he knows if he says yes, I'll just sign him up for more blind dates.

It's not as if he's never done this to me.  His good friend at work (a woman) was dying to meet me and Matt dragged me to his Christmas party (where I knew no one) to meet her and her husband.  I wasn't dreading this at all, I drank 2 cosmos before they arrived and we all had a blast. Now they're one of our good friends, and not just "Matt's friend." My advice:  get drunk!

Last Thursday, Matt joined me when I went out with my old co-workers (because he knew them - i.e. the safe zone), and when I told the story of the "blind date" both of the guys moaned and said they felt for Matt; while the other girl was like, "How fun!" Is it a difference between men and women, or introverts and extroverts?  I told them, "Matt always says 'It was fun' afterwards," to which they replied... "Sure, it WAS fun, now that he can leave. You won't find him saying, it IS fun, during, because it ISN'T fun..."  Matt was just rolling with laughter, happy he was finally in the company of some sane, normal people.

So tomorrow night we have dinner plans with our neighbors... but Matt's not dreading that because we know them.   But in Matt's defense, going out to dinner with strangers is like me having a blood test. I don't want to go, I dread it for weeks, and I need to hold his hand. But somehow I get through it, and so does he.

Matt, if you hold my hand, I'll hold yours (said with a wink & a smile).

I have a new vice!

Sent from my iPhone

Eye Color

I found this eye color chart, which was funny because Matt and I were talking about eye color and I was telling him how my dark, Mediterranean genes will crush his as quickly as the Roman Empire conquered anyone in its path.

I really am a nice person.

But it looks like I'll only have a 50% chance of crushing Matt's Anglo-Saxon genes (Matt has green eyes and I have brown.)

Hmpf.

The high cost of Childcare

I just called a place that wants $440/week (or $1760/month) for infant childcare (5 days a week/ full time).  That made the place that only wants $395/week (or $1580/month) seem like a bargain!

Is childcare really this expensive?

Unfortunately, I'm calling "big" names because those places seem to have the longest hours (6:30am - 6:30pm) --while in-home care which I hear is about $250/week (or $1000/month) usually wants your child picked up by 5pm -- so maybe this is why I'm getting sticker shocked.  But these costs are equal, or more, than my mortgage. Personally, I think it's a conspiracy to get women out of the workplace.

In Chicagoland, I read, childcare for infants should range from $220-310/week.  That must have been an old article... but it wasn't - I just don't where these costs are coming from since it isn't consistent with the places I've called.

Fortunately, Matt and I have been living on 1+ salary for our entire marriage.  I always knew we needed to pay for daycare, so we tried to live as if we only made his salary and a quarter of mine (just in case I needed to stay home, too).  Even so... I was still banking on the fact that childcare would only cost us $300/week ($1200/month) max.  I do have to admit, that I am worried come January (when we hope to officially start daycare), I'm not going to want to leave my 5 month old anywhere. How flexible can I get my job to be??

LATER ...

Okay, I've called a total of 6 places and the range is $280 - $440/ week (or $1120-$1760/month) for 5 full days and $223 - $311/week -- or $892-$1244/month)  for 3 full days. None of them had a wait-list as of now (but unknown for January).

Next, I'll be calling the childcare association for our town because they have a referral system to hook you up with places that probably don't advertise on the web.  I would love an in-home place...

Time to start the TOURS.

Easter

We had the most beautiful weekend; for early April in Chicago that is not a given. We've had frigid weather even in late April, so needless to say every Chicagoan was outside this weekend lapping up the sun and the warmth (even though the breezes were cool).
In the morning, Matt and I took a wonderful 2+ mile walk on the Illinois Prairie Path & through the town. Now that the weather is nice, I can finally get outside and walk. Afterward, we headed to the country club for brunch with my family.

Everyone commented on how "healthy" I looked (read: FAT!). I can't deny that my appetite has increased, but Baby Screeman's hungry! What can I do? After that, we went to my uncle's for cake and coffee (it's his birthday tomorrow). They have a nice backyard at their house, but for some reason we all congregated on their driveway while Matt, my cousin, and my brother played basketball. Then finally, we went to our friends house for more desert and to play with their adorable kids. I got some sage baby advice, and Matt is learning that a 1-year old can grab a beer bottle off a coffee table in a split second! We have so much to learn!!

So overdue... photos!

Here are photos of both our 21week ultrasound (the Level 2 ultrasound) & the nursery walls.

The left arm

The right foot
Baby's looking down (head and spine)

Baby's looking down (head and spine)

Date night

Wednesdays have become Date Night for Matt and I.

A friend of mine told me that when she was pregnant, she and her husband enjoyed their birthing classes because afterward they would go out for ice cream and it was "couple" time for them.  Well, Matt and I have the same thing -- although not after birthing class since that lets out at 9:45PM!.  Every Wednesday, Matt meets me after my prenatal Yoga class and we have dinner together.  Last night the weather was so beautiful, we dined al fresco for the first time this year-- twinkle lights were strung overhead and the sound of the El cruising the tracks behind us made for a romantic evening.

Matt and I both talked about how much we look forward to Wednesday every week.  Of course after the baby is born, this might not be something we can do as often, but I encourage Date Night for all couples.

And if possible, choose someplace with the twinkle lights.