The Beach

Erin (and Mommy and Daddy too) had a wonderful time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa F. at their beach condo this week. It was so strange for me (Gina) to be at the beach and smell the salty air, but it was freezing cold! Erin slept very well in her pack and play...whew! We spent a lot of time playing in the condo and also ventured out to a restaurant in Calabash. Erin did great, despite the 30-minute wait! Grandma made us lots of wonderful food too, and Erin learned that she is fond of sausage patties and french toast.

Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for having us! We had a great holiday week, but are also happy to be back home for awhile. Bella had a stay-cation at the kennel that apparently really wore her out. Here's mostly what she did all last night and this morning:

Christmas!

We had a great Christmas, and it's not over yet! We had lots of fun in Concord and Erin loved playing with her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great-grandparents. She was so-so on opening presents, but definitely liked playing with things after they were open. Tomorrow, we head out to Ocean Isle to see Grandma and Grandpa F. for a few days. It will be fun! Here are a few pictures, and the rest (some stolen from Aunt Leslie and Grandma and Grandpa) are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/bob.callaway/Christmas2009#

New house stuff

Well, this new kid is going to need a place to sleep, and Erin doesn't want to share a room quite yet, so we have been working on cleaning out our only spare room to make room for the new baby. Actually, the new baby will get Erin's room and she will get a new big-girl room. The room is almost cleaned out, and we plan to repaint it and maybe do some white beadboard/chair rail in there.

We have converted our dining room into an office/play/piano room. It's kind of crowded, but we think it will work and will help us have more room to store toys. The mess in the corner is for Christmas and will be gone in a few days:




We also got a new kitchen table today! Since the current table is pretty small and we no longer have a bigger table, we thought we'd get a nicer, bigger one for the kitchen. We ended up getting one at Wood Quarters, an unfinished store in Cary. Don't worry, we won't be trying to finish it ourselves (some of you may recall the baby furniture saga); they have factory-finished pieces. Here is a picture of the table, and one of a similar chair, except our chairs have 3 horizontal slats instead of the X pattern. We're getting 6 chairs (though we'll store 2 of them and keep the table slid up against the window most of the time) and won't use the leaf unless we have a lot of people over. It will come in around the middle of January, and we're very excited! The little table currently in the kitchen will hold the computer in the dining room.




So, we think we can make the house livable with 2 kids...just don't ask us about a third kid!

One month later

Well, here we are, a month after I quit working. My report on our new arrangement is that it is going very well. I'm not sure if it's because Erin is now a month older or if it really is due to taking her out of day care, but she is MUCH happier and calmer. She doesn't fuss and scratch at her face/ears nearly as much as before, she is eating better, she's a little less clingy, and she is just all-around happy, which of course makes us happy. Similarly, it could be because I'm in the second trimester now, or maybe because I'm not working, but I FINALLY feel less exhausted and can stay up past 8pm (but not past 9pm - keep in mind that we are all up by 6am on most days)! Bob would never admit it, but I know he is enjoying having less asked of him at home too. Life is good!

So, we feel like we did the right thing. I do miss working as a nurse and hope to go back as soon as possible. But, for now, this is so much easier for us, and Erin and I are staying busy around here between errands, chores, playing with friends, getting ready for Christmas, going to the library, etc. Bella seems pleased too, so that just seals the deal!

We had lots of fun at cookie fest this weekend - we may have left our camera in Concord, but here are a couple pictures that I stole from Aunt Leslie:

Baby #2 Update

We went this morning for our anatomy ultrasound...at 18 weeks (already?!?). We did NOT find out what it was - we stayed strong again! Erin went too and behaved very well. I think she was scared by the dark room and the strange place. Anyway, back to the new baby - I already feel bad for this kid not getting as much attention as Erin, but Bob was a second child too so he is going to watch out for him/her. The baby looked good and measured right on track for head circumference and diameter, femur length, and whatever else they measure. He/she weighs about 7 oz. We got to see the heart beating (153 bpm again), brain parts, kidneys, stomach, spine, and lots of other parts. The profile looks a lot like Erin did to me!

Those are the main highlights. I am feeling good - in that wonderful stage in between fatigue and super-heartburn! My only complaint right now is eczema...yuck! I go back on the 31st for the next appointment, but all is looking good!




I can't help giving a short Erin report - she said "mama" this morning! She continues to practice her walking and is much more confident now. She has been busy reading her Christmas books, especially the ones that play music. She is really getting into the Christmas spirit. Riding in the car on Sunday, she was playing peek-a-boo with her blanket, and it was lots of fun. She's also excited to have her big girl bed from Grandma and Grandpa A. (though she won't be using it for awhile; hopefully we can keep her contained in the crib for a long time!).

Toddling Video!

Here's a video of Erin "toddling" around tonight! She was getting tired so she's extra floppy, but you can get the idea.

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