7 Weeks Old

Welcome Baby Girl!

Simone Phaneuf Rizzolo

August 30, 2009

10:56am

8lbs. 14oz.

Hello Due Date!!!

Open Letter to "Yet to be Named" little girl:

WHERE ARE YOU??? I know. Your still in there, but you are so supposed to not be! Today is your due date August 29th. Your not late. But I feel as if you are. There is much anticipated, anxious waiting for you from our house to NYC to Point Lay, Alaska. People are being updated with phone calls, Facebook and satellite phone texts messages (that's your Unkie Dan, he's above the Arctic Circle right now doing research...you'll meet him soon, he's very cool!) But still you decide to stay where you are. We were going to try and force you out today, but a hurricane is sweeping off the coast right now and causing all sorts of OTHER women to go into labor, creating a back-up at the hospital. And so we have been bumped to Monday, when we will then try and entice you out with fun drugs and stuff! However, we are all hoping that you decide to make your own unaccompanied appearance, say... today... or tomorrow.... how does that sound?

Let me know. I'm right here. Just waiting!

Love, 

Mom

39 Weeks

Waiting. We didn't have to do this with Tate. He was one week early and we were n0t ready for him. I still had an unfinished client project, Dave was still building his custom furniture, and his clothes and cute little baby things were unwashed with the tags still on. And suddenly I was in labor, yelling "Oh shit!!" We needed more time.

Well, this time here we sit, one week before her due date and all client work has been finished for 3 days, her bassinet and dresser with clean, untagged clothes in it has been set up for 2 weeks, the house is clean (thanks to yesterday's crazed cleaning jag), dinners are waiting in the freezer, and bags are packed. And we wait.

But I am relaxed and unstressed and even made cookies today! I think I like waiting rather than running through the house yelling "Oh shit!!"

Idle Threats

"I'm ever not coming up here again!! hmupf" 

…and storms down the stairs.

What a threat from such a small child. 

UPDATE: 1 minute later

T: Hi mommy, can you open my yogurt for me?

M: I thought you were ever not coming up here again?

T: {smiles}

T: Well, I was unhappy. But, now I'm happy!

What wonders one minute will do for such a small child.

8 Months

Her due date is August 29th. Today is July 29th. We are exactly one month away from the impending birth. I've been frantically trying to complete client projects, and as some get finished, new ones come in the door! I think my clients are panicking over her impending arrival too. All seems under control on the work front, even though I'm working most days and nights trying to get it all done - I see the end is near, with a small buffer of time that was unexpected. Now I just need everyone to cooperate with me. Including this baby. So far so good!

We've also been tackling the baby "to-do" list. Which is really a baby "t0-get" list. I think we were lulled into a false sense of security by having had a kid already and thinking "Oh, we've had a kid already. We've got EVERYTHING we need!" NO. NO...we don't! I forgot that baby needs diapers, wipes, new pacifiers, new little fuzzy rattles, diaper rash cream, lotion, shampoo, her own clutchie, plus clothes that are made for girls... among other things that were not in the best shape from Tate's usage... like socks, hats, bibs, burp cloths, changing table covers... need I go on? But I think that we are covered as Tate and I went out last week and conquered the "to-get" list rather efficiently and he even picked out for her a clutchie of her very own!

Things still need to be done like, set up the bassinet, install the car seats, pack the bags. Oh... and the most important... decide her name!

32 Weeks

And there is no more room at the inn!! She's packed in tightly so that there is usually a foot in my ribs, a shoulder in my hip and a head banging into my bladder. But it is fun to watch my whole stomach twitch and shift as she relocates her baby body parts. Tate still insists that she be named "Brother Lauren" even though that is his cousin's name and he's fully aware that he's getting a sister! 

A boy hanging upside down on the monkey bars...

...is what he drew on his chest with a green marker, while I was upstairs invoicing my clients. 

Fairbanks II - Day One

Oh, Day One. Travel Day! Well, it was not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. Tate was fantastic! He was well-behaved, calm, watched DVDs and ate snacks. He dozed from DC to Seattle for about 1.5 hours and then was raring to go in the Seattle airport. He rememebered as soon as we entered the terminal that this was the airport with the train! He slept pretty well from Seattle to Fairbanks so was refreshed when Unkie Dan met us at baggage claim... here they are playing in the sand pits in the Fairbanks International Airport.

I was more comfortable than I thought I'd ever be traveling that far and that long at 6 months pregnant. The worst for me was bending over to retrieve items from the seats in front of us and then the last leg of the trip where Tate was lying with his head in my lap, ultimately pinning me in place. I couldn't get comfortable and my tailbone was killing me! That was the worst of it.

We landed at 1am AK time (5am RI time) and damn it, it was still kinda light out! That sorta dusky light that feels like night but is not really dark. Amazing! Our heads were on the pillows in the hotel by 2:30am for much needed additional sleep.

25 Weeks

Things I Can Still Do:

- rough house with Tate

- wash a 52lb Boxer in the tub

- vacuum

- see my toes

- stay awake all day long

- run up the stairs and not be winded

- play baseball

- cook dinner

Things I Probably Shouldn't Be Doing Anymore

- rough house with Tate

- wash a 52lb Boxer in the tub

- run up the stairs

Things I'm Looking Forward To Not Being Able To Do Anymore

- vacuum

- stay awake all day long

- cook dinner

We are at 25.5 weeks... only a scary 14.5 to go! She's quite active when I am at rest and if she kicks hard enough I can not only feel it, but see my stomach move too! It's cool and kinda freaky all layered into one "Oh my God. I'm having another baby!" parfait of pregnancy fun!

Peace...

...and quiet!

He is so beautiful when he sleeps.

After a weekend of being sick (high fevers) he is well again, but still tuckered. This is him asleep on the couch in my office upstairs. He's never fallen asleep here before!

Suit

Tate is very excited to wear his new dress clothes for unkie Dan's wedding. He tried to wear them to bed last night, wanted them on first thing in the morning and then while at the park informed me that we would all wear our "fantastic new clothes" to the airport, on the plane and then to Alaska.

He thinks he looks like a dancer in his "suit" and last night led a conga line through the house. He plans on one for the wedding reception too. But we all have to dance crazy like him... so be ready! Oh and he wants the instruments too!!

Ice Packs

After dinner I went upstairs to do some more work. 20 minutes later I was called downstairs to apply ice packs to both father and son. Apparently, a game of "tickle spider" went awry and resulted in a serious head butt and a split open lip. Luckily no one needed stitches - it was iffy for a while. Poor guys!

Of bugs and m&m's

We walked to the beach after dinner tonight to plunk rocks in the water. Shortly after arriving there a ladybug landed on my shirt.

M: Look Tate! A ladybug!
T: Where?
M: Right here.
T: Oh. Can I touch it?
M: Sure!
{Tate gently touches the ladybug}
T: Hey!!!!! It feels just like an m&m!!!!!

Artists at Large

Lauren is spending the night again (no school tomorrow...yeah!) They spent the evening before dinner creating their own masterpieces with cray-pas, paint and water. Just a bit of paint on the floor. It was worth the quiet and contentment.

They are now currently giggling in bed and keep getting up to ask us things, like...

"Is it going to be cold or warm tomorrow?"

"Can I have my salamander?"

"Cousin Lauren is giggling, I can't sleep."

"Tate is talking, I can't sleep."

Would you like to guess what time they will finally fall asleep? The winner gets both kids for the night! Enter now!!!!!