12/27/04

This was an unexpected snow day for all of us. Alan had today off for the holiday, I had put on our office calendar that I would be out, but wasn't sure if I would take the day off, and either way, had planned on taking Shara to school. We had a decent snow storm, so no one went out. I still wasn't feeling 100% (I hate that it was a wasted day off!), and didn't want to bundle Shara up and drive in the snow. So we just stayed home. Alan started with the first major child-proofing. He installed the "tot locks" on the lower cabinets in the kitchen. They work with a magnetic "key". I played with Shara and her new toys. She was cranky much of the day - again, think it's the teeth. What's good though is that she's quick to be distracted - tickle her, be silly, etc. and she laughs. It's just hard to keep doing so. So we played and she actually seemed to sleep an awful lot. Maybe she is fighting something. That's still the frustrating part of having a baby - she can't tell us what's wrong.

Shara also tried applesauce today. She seemed to like it, but let us know when she was done by popping her thumb in her mouth instead.

12/26/04

Tried an experiment last night. Since I wasn't feeling well, I decided I'd feed Shara if she woke in the night, rather than waking her up for a 9pm or 9:30 feeding, as I usually do. She already had 7 feeding today, so she didn't really need that last one. She went to sleep at about 7, she slept poorly last night (I think because she missed naps, having partied the night away). She didn't wake up until 6:30 in the morning!

We had our postponed Christmas celebration today and Uma and Jador's. Shara wasn't as happy as she was for Christmas Eve, but it was probably the teething (good excuse). She got some very nice presents - Leap Frog Learning Table, Leap Frog Reading Pad, and nice socks - which she desperately needed.

12/25/04

Today was a family "bed day". Mom was sick and almost through-up on Shara - good thing daddy was there to catch her. Yes, it was lovely. So we basically hung out in bed and mom ate triskets and tried to stay hydrated. I think Shara was a little bored with this situation, but did ok. We keep saying this, and there hasn't been any proof yet, but she's really showing that she's teething now. Or she could be fighting the stomach virus that I had.

12/24/04

We went to Sandra's for Christmas Eve. Her sisters and their families weren't there, but Susan, Cindy, Aunt Lillian, and Aunt Margaret were. It was very nice and Shara got her first Christmas present from Aunt Lillian. A baby doll for her to take care of when she's a little older. It's really cute. So was Shara - the bell of the ball. It was so nice that she had such a good time. She didn't stop smiling - obviously she loved being the center of attention, but I think she really liked having so much going on around her.

12/22/04

Shara tried rice cereal for the first time. I don't think she was too impressed. We'll try again tonight. I'm glad the doctor wanted us to start w/ rice cause she did big spitties after nursing, after the rice. Rice is the easiest to digest. I'm sure she'll like the fruits & veggies though.

12/21/04

Today is Shara's 6 month birthday and we all celebrated by bringing her to the doctor's to get her shots. She's still in the 50th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. I guess she isn't eating too much or too little. Tomorrow we'll start solids. The doctor said the rice cereal is the easiest to digest and we should start with that. It takes about 2 months to introduce all the foods, so that's why it'll take until she's 8 months to do the 3 meals a day. Lots of fun to look forward to! She took her shots in stride. She cried, but not the shreaking she did before, and then was laughing before we even left the doctor's office. She won't stop nursing now, so I'm guessing she isn't 100% herself.

12/05/04 - 12/18/04

Time always goes by fast around the holidays. We went to Bubbe and Papa's last weekend and had a great time. Shara had so much fun. It's nice spending time with my mom and Jill. I learn a lot of fun games to play with Shara. Mom, Shara and I were laughing so hard - Alan got some of it on video! Bubbe gave Shara Baby Tad and Aunt Jill gave her a Winkle and the Brio bell in the wooden cage (which she loves). Her cousins Liz and Sam gave her really cute clothes - warm, furry booties and a knit cartigan. We'll have to be sure to take pics of her in them.



For the first time Shara woke up at 3am, ready to start her day, on the day that we were going to Bubbe's. How was she supposed to know it was the middle of the night? It's dark when she normally wakes up, so why was this different? Mommy and daddy made the mistake of not trying Shara out in her playyard before trying to get her to sleep in it, in a strange house. Needless to say, we were up much of the night with her and ended up having her sleep with us. Good thing she was able to sleep most of the ride home.

Not sure what else is new on the Shara front. She's just growing and growing. On Tuesday (12/21) she'll get another round of shots and maybe we'll need to start putting her in a bigger-girl car seat. I think she may have passed the 26" mark. We think she's about 16 lbs. and daycare tried her in size 3 diapers, which seem to work better than the 2's. She'll give her out-fitted ones to the "soon-to-be" baby at mommy's work.

11/29/04 - 12/04/04

Sending Shara back to school after spending 4 fun days with her was more difficult than I imagined. She's growing so fast! The other night we were laughing and she was touching my chin and laughing. The more I laughed, the more she touched my chin and I'm sure she thought she was tickling me. She's got a great sense of humor. We also started sitting up, using the boppy. She only needs the boppy to keep her from crashing when she leans back too far. Other than that, she's supporting herself. She just doesn't know that she can topple over yet. I'll still do tummy-time, but I know she's strong enough to roll over if she wants to. She just doesn't seem to have a reason to do so yet. Shara's also talking a lot now. In the mornings, going to school, we'll "sing" together.

Saturday night was Shara's first time dining in at Maguires. We had a good time and she was great. She had a good time watching a couple of grade school girls at the bar and her dad & I had a good time enjoying a Black and Tan.

11/22/04 - 11/28/04

What a great Thanksgiving this year. The only sad part was that Irwin couldn't come here. We had a nice day visiting and eating. Shara had tons of fun being the center of attention - literally - her exersaucer was in the middle of the sitting area. She performed fairly well. Mommy and Shara had worked on a cute trick that she didn't want to do in front of everyone, but Bubbe got to see/hear it on Saturday. Shara even got to sit at the dinner table with us, but she couldn't have any sweet potatoes yet, pretty soon though! Friday we spent at home. Alan had to go into work but Bubbe and Mommy had a good time watching Oprah and dancing to Barry Manelow. Shara fell asleep during Copacobana. Saturday we went to Trader Joe's in Cambridge and Alan carried Shara in the Bijorn while Bubbe and mommy shopped. Shara also got a visit to Computer Microcenter. Then we went into Harvard Sq. for lunch at Bartley's Burger Cottage. Shara fell asleep before our meals arrived. I'm guessing it was censory overload. Sunday Shara stayed home with her daddy while mommy took a quick trip to Target. It was a good time to go because Shara 'sploded! Bubbe helped daddy wash out the poopy clothes (2 sets) and daddy earned his mother-in-laws admiration with the great way he handled the situation. Sounded like a huge mess - up the back and down to her toes!

I can't believe how much she's grown! Her 3-6's aren't fitting her too well anymore and she's really starting to get the teething going. You can see the ridges very clearly now. No question about it.

Thanksgiving Photos

11/14/04 - 11/21/04

Sunday mommy & daddy went to see the Incredibles while Oma, Jador & Auntie Chris Shara-sat. Everyone had a good time. Shara only napped at daycare for 10 minutes on Wednesday and 1/2 hour on Thursday. Friday she was up to about an hour. That was all we could get her to do on Saturday as well. Sunday, her 5 month birthday, and she cried herself to sleep. We decided to play hardball with her, because she was obviously tired, and cranky, and needed a nap.

Shara's having much better tummytimes and has grown so much this past week. If we can see it, seeing her daily, she must be changing a lot! Everyone's looking forward to her first Thanksgiving and I'm sure she'll have a ball with all the attention.

11/07/04 - 11/13/04

On Saturday night, Shara went to a dinner party for the children of the Yabroudy's set of friends. We had a really nice time and excellent Indian food. Shara was great and had fun being walked around the room by all the guests!

11/01/04 - 11/06/04

Shara had her first big-girl fever on Tuesday. Well, we spent the night with me where at my pc and her sleeping on me, on the boppy. Each time I tried to put her in the crib she screamed. My back couldn't take it anymore so I put her on me in bed and was able to get a little sleep - but had a dream of her choking on her pacifier, so that wasn't pleasant.

Alan's came home at about 1:30 - 2 and we all went to vote and give her some fresh air. She was much better that day - she got a kick out of petting brutus and we had a nice little laugh fest earlier. As soon as I got her out of bed that night I knew she had a fever - even her feet were burning up. It wasn't as high as I thought it would have been, and the new theories are that unless it's really high - over 105, it's no big deal. And the tylenol is good for their discomfort, not much more. But it seemed to help, even though we found out we only gave her 1/2 the recommended dose!

On Saturday, we went to Hannah's first birthday party. It was fun, but Shara slept through 2 hours of it. Obviously she needed it, though she was having a good time when she was awake. Daddy got her dressed and did a great job, even with the tights, which is probably better than mom could do.

11/02/03

Bought my first maternity outfit today. With such an overly large uterus, I'm actually starting to fill out my pants a bit much. On ebay I bid on this pregnancy survival kit I had been looking at. It got up to $36, so I went looking if there were any others that offered the "pay now". I found on and got it for $36, including shipping! And didn't have the hassel of watching the bids and trying to beat anyone out. I'm convinced the whole ebay thing is addition. Why else wouldn't people go to the "pay now" option? You end up getting better deals.

Decided to take control of this whole pregnancy/weight gain issue. Started to get worried that I gained almost 2 pounds already (in the last week!), so I'm using a meal plan for each day and not just winging it. To lose weight it was easy, just don't eat over a certain number of calories. Now it's a lot harder, since I have to make sure I eat enough calories. Hard to do without going over, so if I have everything planned out in advanced, I won't go overboard.

10/30/04 - 10/31/04

Bubbe and Samantha came for a visit this weekend. They came up today, after mommy's prenatal reunion, which was great!. We had lunch and then just hung out and relaxed. Shara had a good nap, and while she slept, Alan, Samantha and I carved pumpkins. Alan picked up some sushi and Bertuccis for dinner. Bubbe taught Samantha how to knit and they both got to witness Shara having her bath the next day. We also dressed Shara up in her Halloween costume for pictures. It was easy to tell when she had enough!


After playing fashion model, Shara had a good nap and woke just in time for us to go to see her Aunt Margaret's art show at Slater Park in Pawtucket, RI. It was a very nice time and we were all happy we got to see some of Alan's family that we hadn't seen in quite some time. In fact, this was the first time they had seen Shara!

In the evening we gave out candy. We decided that Shara didn't really want to be in her costume and go trick-or-treating. She seemed to have a good time hanging out with us in the kitchen, giving out candy and watching the kids. She also had some new things to do in her bouncy seat. She played with the dangly plastic fish much more than ever before - grabbing them and spinning the wheel. She also was talking up a storm all weekend. She found her voice a few weeks ago, but apparently lost it. Well, it's back and louder than ever!

10/25/04

4 month old doctor's appointment today. She's 13lbs. 10oz and 24" long. Still at the 50%-tile. She did cry for her shots, but maybe we're getting used to her cry because it didn't sound as bad as the first round. I had also given her some tylenol before we left, so that may have taken the edge off. The doctor talked to us about how much she's eating at daycare and said what we're giving her now should be fine for the next couple of months. If she gets really hungry, and the bottles aren't enough to fill her, the daycare should give her 2 oz. of water. If that's not enough, we'll have to try some rice cereal. She was very clear that we'd try these other options before introducing formula. We also agree that we want to hold off on solids for a couple more months, but obviously if the breastmilk isn't enough, we'll have to start sooner.

Daddy took her home and mommy went to the market to get her vitamins and groceries. In the frozen food aisle I got the call. You know the one, with the crying baby in the background. Alan wanted to know the last time I had given the tylenol (she woke up from when she fell asleep in the car). When I got home, about 20 minutes later, she was still crying, but the drugs must have kicked in then because she settled down soon after. We then fed her dinner and she went to sleep.

10/24/04

Omas bday party was tonight. We got Shara to go to sleep in the swing, and she slept until we were ready to leave. We left her until last and made the quick switch from swing to car seat and she fell asleep on the way home. She only slept about an hour today, so after a couple of hours she was a bit cranky and tired. The swing worked great! Put her in Alan's old bedroom to sleep. Maybe next time we'll bring the monitors.
View photos

10/23/04

We tried out the exersaucer today. It is cute. I think it's a little overwhelming for her, at least when she's tired! I'm also not sure if her toes were hurting, because she had footy pajamas on and they may have been tight.

Shara went to her friend Katie's first birthday party today. She was wonderful, even though she didn't have a nap. She did fall asleep on me after eating, at around 12:15, and I let her sleep until we had to get dressed, so she did have a good 30 minutes or so. She loved watching everyone and if someone smiled at her, she was so quick to smile back! We all had a good time. It was nice to be able to see Shara having such a good time. I do feel like I miss so much with her in daycare, but it would happen soon enough anyway, once she'll be in school.

10/22/04

Tonight we went to Toys 'R Us and got Shara an exersaucer. She seemed to have such a good time in it at daycare, that I thought it would be good for her to have home as well. Alan thought the extra $20 was worth it for the deluxe model. They say that 15 minutes a day is good, but not to do too much more. We don't see her enough to leave her in it all day, so I don't think we have much to worry about.

10/17/04 - 10/19/04

Had a really nice visit from Grandpa Bobby, Aunt Jill, Aunt Susan, and Cousin Samantha today! Shara certainly wasn't at her best. She was spitting up a lot and not her usual laughing self. It turns out she was sick. Monday I got a call from daycare saying she had a little temp and wasn't feeling well. She was napping when they called so when she woke up, they took it again and it went up a bit. I brought her home, gave her tylenol for the day and she was much better Tuesday.

Tuesday Shara tried out her highchair for the first time. She seemed to like it. I liked the idea of her being higher off the ground, so she can see what's going on while we make dinner.

10/10/04 - 10/16/04

Sunday we went back to Oma and Grandpa Eddie's for daddy's birthday dinner. Shara had a good time in her swing, looking with fascination at the lights. She also started to roll onto her side - from her back, she puts her legs up into the air and twists them to the side. She'll probably roll over from back to front sooner than front to back. She still hasn't repeated her rolling over performance from a few weeks ago. Saturday night Shara had some issues. We ended up giving her tylenol, since she was crying as if in pain.

10/04/04 - 10/09/04

This weekend Oma and Grandpa Eddie watched Shara while mommy and daddy went out to dinner. We had a nice time. Shara watched the Pats and was a great girl. We celebrated daddy's birthday in a quiet way - basically we had a nice dinner.

10/02/04

Wow, it was about a year ago that we found out we were going to have a baby! Things have changed a bit. Now that we're well
over the "fitting in" period, things have been sailing along very nicely. I think we were ready, and not surprised, for the change in lifestyle. We haven't gone out partying in a number of years, so staying at home and getting to bed early is nothing new. What's been so overwhelming for me is the amount of love I have for Shara. That didn't happen until she was 10 weeks old and I was going back to work and leaving her at daycare. That's when I really started feeling it and it's been growing stronger ever since. She's also getting so much bigger! She got her first pair of jeans last week and she wore the cutest outfit today, which made her look very sweet.

09/27/04 - 10/01/04

This week Shara made her first foot painting at school. Last weekend we all went to Bubbe's for Yom Kippur. Shara was the bell of the ball at shul and everyone said she was so well behaved. That's probably because she spent most of the time in the lobby, or in the classrooms, or eating, or being changed, etc.! She was sweet. We put her in the dress she wore for her Welcome Pary. Good thing too, because she was a bit spitty and I was glad I didn't have her wear the dress I bought. After shul we took Shara for her first trip to Gershon's, where she met Tony and got to smell what good deli is all about. Mommy & Daddy got enough deli to satisfy any cravings we may have had and enough cake to cure the worse sweet-tooth. We even have 2 pickles left over. Everyone had a good time and it was really nice to visit. On the way back, daddy figured out that we have to stop to eat after the Berkshires, at least if Shara's asleep. The elevation must have made her ears hurt because she cried and cried and then immediately stopped as if nothing had been wrong. A few seconds later, Alan figured it out. Go daddy go!

Nothing too special happened at daycare this week. I did get to see the cutest thing though. When I got in the classroom, Shara was in the bouncy seat, vibrating away, and another little girl was sitting on the floor, petting Shara's feet. Shara had on an outfit with little lions on her feet and they were getting lovies from this cute little girl! I wish I had the videocamera. They told me I should bring in a disposable camera and they'd take pictures if anything really cute happened. I'll have to remember to do that.

09/22/04 - 09/26/04

When I picked Shara up from daycare Friday, they told me not to worry if I see that she has orange feet. They had done foot paintings in Autumn colors! We'll be posting it here soon.

Had a nice drive out to bubbe's for Yom Kippur. Shara was the bell of the ball at shul. Mommy had to walk around with her - we went at her usual nap time, so I think that's why she was fussy. Even so, her fussy isn't that bad. Shara had her first visit to Gershon's and met Tony. I'm sure she'll visit many more times, since it's becoming one of the only foods we really miss not getting around here. There are deli's, but none like Gershon's! We'll be posting pictures here soon. Just have to get them sorted and collect from Aunt Jill & Bubbe.

The way back gave mom & dad a lesson in timing. We learned that we shouldn't stop for lunch before going through the Berkshires if Shara's asleep. She started crying and after she stopped, Alan figured out that her ears had popped and they hurt. We now know that we have to give her a pacifier if she isn't already sleeping, but if she is, just keep driving!

She hasn't rolled over again, but we also haven't done a lot of tummy-time lately. It's tough when we only have a couple of hours a day with her, and much of that is feeding and changing, etc. Playtime is becoming quite limited.

09/21/04

3 months old today!

09/20/04

Just a quick note - Shara rolled over today! From tummy to back. Too bad daddy wasn't there to see, though it was rather anti-climatic. She was wiggling around and her Toodles duckie was under her, so I moved it and she went right over.

09/12/04 - 09/18/04

This was Shara's first full week at daycare and she seems to be getting as much attention as mommy hoped. All the teachers come to see the littlest baby! They've had a good time getting her to laugh and smile. They sing funny songs and she's even created her first masterpiece! Jenn from SAILS commented that it looks like the Very Hungry Caterpiller. I agree. One of the teachers said she was so cute. She painted with her little fists!

Her cold is getting better. It's running it's course. Her nose was runny this weekend, but she seems fine. We weighed her Saturday and our inaccurate scale puts her at 12lbs. She doesn't have another doctor's appointment until 4 months old, so we'll have to wait to get a real reading. She's happy and healthy, and now fitting nicely into her 3-6 month old clothes. Have to put some of her 0-3's away! We decided a few of the dresses will still fit next year, but reborn as shirts. I hate to get rid of some of them. She only wore them once or 2x, so being able to get more use out of them will be great!

09/07/04 - 09/11/04

Well Shara's fussiness was due to her getting her first cold. A couple days at daycare and already sick. It's certainly good practice for mom and dad, because we've sucked her nose, put in her saline drops, etc. She doesn't seem too bothered by it - still keeps smiling away!, and the doctor told us there's really nothing more we can do.

Dad's been having a good time with Shara during tummytime. She's so close to rolling over that we agreed not to do tummytime without each other present. She lifts her head and shoulders off the floor and stays there for a while looking around. She's also talking more and having a good time at "school". She listens to music and stories, plays in the swing and on their bouncy seat. On Wednesday, she had to borrow one of their outfits, since she went through both of hers . Mom's getting better at organizing the bottles. We're having the first bottle be from our freezer stash, the second and third bottle are what mommy pumped at work the day before. If she doesn't drink the third bottle, it turns into the second for the next day. Anything leftover from pumping goes back into the freezer. With what we have in the freezer, even if I decide to stop pumping when Shara's six months old, we'd be able to go easily with just breast milk until she's 9 months.

So we've all been doing really well. We have a good routine going - fixing lunches, coffee, restocking items, and bottles the night before. Shara usually goes to sleep at about 9pm or 9:30pm, wakes at about 5:30am or 6am. If she doesn't wake by 6:15am, mom wakes her up to eat her first breakfast. She's been staying up after her first breakfast and mom gets her ready for school. Then we finish mom's coffee & breakfast and Shara watches mom exercize. We then get mom showered and dressed and have a second breakfast, do a fast burp and head out the door.

09/06/04

Shara woke up last night at 10:30pm and 3:30am. Both times she had a cry much different from her hungry cry. We think she had a tummy ache, but who knows. Mommy "griped" her and she went back to bed, not to wake until 6am for her morning feeding.

09/05/04

Wondering if Shara's going through her 12 week growth spurt. She did eat a lot today, didn't nap at all and was a moody little baby! She would go from a smile and then a cry in seconds. Her Oma and Grandpa got to see a full range of emotions today! They came over for supper. Mommy made a wonderful Tandoori chicken. Shara finally went to bed at her usual 9:30pm.

09/04/04

This evening we met Kristin, Dave and Katie for supper at Chatta Box in Bridgewater. Unfortunately, Shara slept the whole time and wasn't able to show off her smiles and laughs. We also wanted her to smell the Thai food and look at all the people. Obviously she needed her sleep. Didn't take a nap all day and passed out at 5pm. Woke at 8:30pm to eat and then back to bed around 9pm! For the first time in a while, she woke up to eat at 1:30am.

09/03/04

Our first full day! She did great. Again, drank the bottles, and then mommy fed her at the center when she got there. Shara also took 2 pretty good naps - almost an hour in the morning and almost 2 hours in the afternoon. When mommy got there, Shara was playing with an activity gym (a-frame with toys hanging off that she bats around while laying under on her back). She looked like she was having a really good time.

09/02/04

Today was similar to yesterday. 1/2 day at daycare and 2 - 4oz bottles. This time she had a couple of catnaps, but nothing significant. Shara also listened to an animal story and watched the big kids.

09/01/04

Shara started her first day at daycare. It was a half day, for her and mommy. No one cried (until they got home, then mommy got weepy again) and she drank 2 - 4oz. bottles without any problem! She was also too busy looking around to take a good nap. On the way home, we stopped at Toys 'R Us and Shara got a mirror for her crib, so she could have her friend with her at daycare. Apparently she doesn't like her crib. Maybe this will get her to relax and get a nap or 2 in.

08/31/04

Shara and mommy went to Hadley, MA to meet Bubbe, Aunt Jill and cousin Samantha. We had a nice time. Had lunch at Chili's. Shara was great. She looked all around and didn't fuss at all. She then fell asleep when we got into Trader Joe's, and let mommy do some shopping. She woke about mid-way through and just loved looking at everything, then slept for the ride home. It was really nice being able to have her spend time with mommy's family. I know they miss seeing her and don't see her nearly as often as they'd like.

08/30/04

Mommy took Shara to the Daycare to meet her teachers and check the place out. Shara was fine. Mommy had to leave early because she started to cry. It was hard to think about leaving such a little girl with so many bigger kids. She's so easy-going, that she may not "voice" her needs, other than for food. I'm hoping they talk to her a lot and give her the social interaction she loves. Her face lights up when people talk to her and make faces. She's so sweet!

08/27/04

Daddy stayed with Shara for a few hours while mommy went into work. She had 2 bottles, but like the caterpiller, was still hungry! After her shots the day before, she may have needed a little comfort eating. Just like her mom!

She also started something new today - sucking her upper lip. It's really cute. I hope it doesn't cause a blister or bump. She doesn't do it all the time, so she's probably safe. The thumb thing doesn't seem to be working for her. She gets it in her mouth now, but chews on it, rather than sucking.

08/26/04

Shara got her first big group of shots today. She was a real trouper! She cried but as soon as she started eating, she was fine. We gave her tylenol when we got home, and thought she'd go right to sleep, through to the next morning. We were wrong. She went to bed her normal time and woke up her normal time. Nothing unusual. Her mommy was great at the doctor's office, didn't cry at all. At night was a different story. When I changed her diaper, I must have touched the sore spot, because she cried as if she were getting more shots. That's when I cried!

The doctor gave her a good report. Shara's perfectly average! She's in the 50th percentile for weight, height and head size.

08/22/04

Went to Gymboree today. Got some 2T sized clothes for her, since they should last longer than the little sizes. They give great incentives to continue shopping there. I had a 30% off coupon, and they had some things on sale. I spent $50, and got a $25 certificate to use for another purchase of $50 in October. I think the quality is good and they have really cute outfits. Jill used to get a lot of clothes for Liz & Samantha there.

If things remain basically the same, I can say that Shara is now sleeping through the night. We generally put her down between 8pm - 10pm and she sleeps until 7am. If she goes to bed around 8pm, we can expect her to wake around 5:30am to eat. If she goes later, she'll sleep through to closer to 7am.

08/21/04

Our first night out alone! Alan's parents came to babysit and we went to the Old Hitching Post in Hanson. I had a glass of wine and we had a nice dinner. We left 2 bottles, but she only had time to drink one. We were only gone about 3 hours, so I was able to feed her when we got back. They said she was very good. What the means exactly I'm not sure. I'm finding that what I consider good now may be very different from what it was 3 weeks ago. I think most of it is in the eyes of the beholder and how you react to it. She could be crying the same level now as before, but now I know how to handle it, and before I didn't, so she calms down easier now than she did before. Essentially she's better now because of what I do, not that her behavior has changed. I think I'll be fine leaving her at daycare, as long as I feel that they're going to pay attention to her and not stick her in a crib if she cries. I have no problem being away from her for short periods of time, and my workday isn't that long.

08/20/04

Today we went to SAILS to pick up the gymini from Kristin. It's wonderful that everyone is so generous with their clothes and toys. I hope we have someone to give our things to. They use them for such a short period of time, it's a waste if you can't pass the along. I really like the gymini. It's much more stable than the mat that comes with our playard. We have some toys for it already and Shara really loves the windchimes. She also has some bugs that I put on it. She also loves just staring at the different shapes, so we're finding that carrying her around the house is just as entertaining for her. That's also the pose Alan uses to get her to sleep - carries her around the house, laying down on his arm, facing out so she can see what's going on. The moving relaxes her and when she's overtired, it really works.

After SAILS we went over to Kohl's. She was great. Smiling a lot and settling down quickly if she got fussy. I'm also going to buy her some songs sung by children, or a book read by children. Whenever she heard kids' voices, she would smile.

08/19/04

Shara slept again last night - 9pm - 9:30am, waking up at 5:30am to eat and then went back to sleep. It's great. She's really changing so quickly. She smiles at us all the time. Alan thought she laughed, and he's probably right, though she has a lot of work to get it to sound like a real laugh. I was tickling her and she let out 3 sounds while giving big smiles. I bought her a mirrored mobile for over her changing table. She looks all over the place and we want to have interesting things around for her to look at.

08/18/04

Today was a board meeting and demo of some products for the libraries. Debby wanted me to hear the demos so she had Kristin & Claudette watch Shara. Kristin brought her in to be fed, but basically she was good for them. I ended up staying for the rest of the day, since Shara slept for the rest of the day. Made it easy to work with her sleeping. In fact, it's pretty much the only way to get serious work done in any reasonable amount of time. I'm surprised she slept for so long today, since she slept all night as well. I'm not complaining though!

08/17/04

Went to SAILS again to help out with today's training. Shara slept in her car seat for most of the session, waking to eat. It was much more relaxing today since I knew what to expect. I was less stressed and she probably sensed that.

08/16/04

Today Shara put on her business suit and went to work with mom! We had Netlibrary training at SAILS and for the first session, Shara slept for a bit in her front carrier, though she was up for 2 hours during the night. Then she started fussing and we had to go into the other room. The afternoon session went well, since Kristin and Claudette babysat. Everyone was saying that she wasn't loud, but to me she was! I guess we have some real crying and screaming to look forward to when she's older.

08/15/04

Today Kristin and I went out to lunch and had the dad's watch the kids. We weren't gone too long, but it was the first time in a long time I'd been out without Shara. Alan did fine. I don't have a problem leaving him alone with her. He's a great dad and knows her well.

08/13/04

She slept until 5:30am!! She then went back to sleep until 7:30, stayed up for an hour and then had another hour long nap. Up for another hour and now a 3 hour nap. Don't know if she's on much of a schedule, but I like her sleeping through the night. Guess everyone's right and we should be happy that she stays up a little late.

08/12/04

After being up so much yesterday, she slept well at night - Alan got her to bed at 11pm last night and she didn't wake up until 6am this morning. She had a good day, and a little gurggly night. After several burpings Shara went to sleep at 10pm.

08/11/04

Wow, yesterday she slept all day and today she's eating all day! Certainly we're seeing all ends of the spectrum. Could this be the growth spurt?

08/10/04

Saw Little Black Book in Randolph. Shara slept the whole time, and I had to wake her up to eat at about 11am. She also slept most of the day away.

08/09/04

Seven weeks old today.

08/08/04

After stopping at Bruegger's for bagels to go and to meet Shara's cousin Billy, we headed on home. The trip was uneventful and we only stopped once to feed Shara.

08/07/04

Shara's big Welcome Party! Almost everyone came and all went well. Shara was so great! She let everyone hold her and only cried when she was hungry. She looked so cute! It was wonderful to see so many friends and family and be together in one place. Of course it made me wish that we all lived closer together, but not being close makes the times together that much more special. Many thanks to Jill and the Lookers for making their home available and so inviting.

08/06/04

Tonight we're leaving for Schenectady for Shara's party! It's taken me 10x longer to get anything done. I killed my knee when trying to calm Shara down with a yoga pose I just learned. Didn't remember to sit back on my heals and put all my weight on my knee. Couldn't kneel down after that, which made holding her while trying to pack difficult. She was playing the needy baby today - wanting to be held. Can't blame her - think it's the continuation of the growth spurt. Did manager to get everything done and Shara slept all the way to Bubbe's. Only woke up for me to feed her in the Jumpin' Jacks parking lot! 7 weeks isn't too young to have her first meal at Jumpin' Jacks!

Shara slept in her playdome, with us, in mom's office. I knew she made a lot of noise at night, but having her right there was a lot different than hearing her through the monitor. I don't know if I slept 3 hours!

08/05/04

Shara ate all evening long but slept pretty well. Nothing too remarkable. Trying to get things together for her party this weekend. Made stuffed mushroom filling and cleaned the mushrooms.

08/04/04

With all the sleep yesterday, she ended up waking up at midnight, 3:30am, and then at 6:30am. I think she's going through a growth spurt because in the afternoon she ate non-stop. We got her to bed at 10:30pm after many attempts, though she was sleeping in the famed bouncy seat for an hour or so. Whenever we tried to put her in her crib from there, she would wake up. I finally got her to calm down enough by swaddling and using this baby yoga move I read about - basically it's a free-fall. I hold her on her back and go into a quick squat. That stunned her enough to stop crying and then I did a cradle hold while patting her sacrum. Apparently the sacrum is a relaxation point on the body. She crashed shortly after and didn't wake up again until her internal 3:30am alarm went off. Alan went in to change her and see if she really was hungry because that's when she wakes every night, no matter what time she goes to sleep and I'm not sure if it's because of habit or hunger. She really wanted to eat, so I fed her and she went right back to bed and didn't wake until 6:30am.

08/03/04

Shara slept almost all day today - either in her bouncy seat, car seat, my arms, the floor, etc. Tried to get her to play but she was having none of it.

08/02/04

Today's the big 6-week mark. We really have nothing to complain about, since she hasn't had much of a problem going right back to sleep after a nightime feeding and we haven't seen all evening crying sessions since I started feeding her as soon as she begins to fuss. She was up almost all day today, except for the car rides to Omas and Grandpa Yabroudy's. We showed her off at a dinner party they were having. Good thing for the bouncy seat or she would have been fully overloaded with all the conversation! As it was, she didn't get to sleep too easily - had to be put in asleep, which I don't like to do.

08/01/04

We finally saw the first real smile today. Like most other things, you know it when you see it. We usually have to ask for one - getting it by giving her one first, but not always. Certainly when she sees a booby her eyes light up! We are extremely happy that we borrowed John and Maggie's bouncy seat. Aside from keeping her entertained and quiet - the vibrations - she also now learned that if she rocks enough, the bubbles will turn on! We also played with her on the activity mat and she learned that when she touches the windchimes, they'll make noise. Very cool to see some development. Up until now she's been working on instincts, rather than learned behaviors. She's no longer just a lump!

07/28/04

Appointment update: Shara now weighs 9lbs. 3oz. (gained 1lb. 11oz. in 3 weeks!) and is 21.25" long.

Since I have both hands free right now (Shara's sleeping), I'll take advantage and try to catch up a bit. Things are going well. Taking care of an infant isn't something I've ever really wanted to do, and it's not that much fun for me, but it is rewarding. She's beginning to smile a little, and I'm trying to play with her. I'd swear she tried to push the wind chime toy we have, after I showed her how to do it. I'm trying to get her to go to sleep at about the same time each night. Last night and Monday she went down at 7 - 7:30 pm and last night slept till 1:15, then 2 - 4, and is still sleeping now.

My new theory is to feed her a lot during the "fussy" period, and try to avoid it altogether. Then get her to bed on a nice, full stomach. From what people have told me, it's not unusual for babies this age to want to eat every hour in the early evening. So far, it worked 2 days in a row, but tomorrow may be a different story. Today she gets her shots, so I'm sure she'll sleep.
I'm ready to have someone come and baby sit for us soon. We're talking about having Alan's mom or sister come over for a dry run, while we're here, so they can see how we have everything set up and his sister never changed a diaper, and his mom hasn't taken care of a baby in a while, but I'm more than ready to go out to dinner!

Shara & I went to see IRobot yesterday at Randolph. They have movies for mom's and babies. The dim lights stay on and they have a consession stand and changing stations in the theater. It was great! The sound was loud, but she slept through it all. It was also good to hear other babies crying and their mom's not being able to make them stop! I also thought the movie itself was really good. Very cool effects. I never read the book, but will now. Can see that Star Trek Next Gen got all their stuff about Data from it.

07/26/04

Outting for the day - went to Wrentham Outlets to the Carter's outlet to get 70% off clothes for next year.

07/21/04

Today we went for a drive to Hadley, MA and met Mom, Irwin, Jill, and Samantha for lunch. We had fun and it was nice not to feel they were so far away. Shara slept the whole way there, and I got her up to feed her at a "scenic view". She was up the rest of the time and blew up by about 2:00, while in Trader Joe's. We made a fairly quick exit and within 15 minutes of driving, she was back to sleep.

07/20/04

Outting for the day - met Maggie & Hannah at the Farmers Market at Sheep's Pasture and then went for a nice walk.

07/19/04

Outting for the day - went to Lord & Taylor and did some shopping for Shara. She will have some cute outfits for next summer.

07/16/04

Nothing much new to report. Alan went back to work on Wed. Spend much time feeding and holding Shara. She seems to have trouble sleeping during the day. I guess she gets overtired. Last night she slept from about 11:30 - 12:30 (fell asleep w/me holding her on boppy), then again from 1 - 5, and 5:30 - 8:30. She's sleeping now, on the boppy on my lap. Going to take advantage and grab a shower and maybe go to the market. Planning on meeting Maggie this afternoon for a walk. We'll play it by ear!

07/10/04

The past couple of weeks have been the longest 2 weeks, but at the same time have gone by so fast. So Shara's almost 3 weeks old now. Alan will give her a bottle next week. I've been trying to create a stockpile of milk, so I'll be ahead when I go back to work. We're probably going to spend more time burping her than actually feeding her, since keeping proactive on the gas problem will make all our lives much better. Hopefully that is the problem - can't see that it isn't, since had coffee today as well and she slept fine. According to what I've read, her system should be able to handle the gas in a matter of time, once her system has matured.

07/09/04

Today we tried to get her to use her Taggies and she seemed to like the feel, though she's a little young to be able to do it herself. We actually tried anything and everything to get her to calm down today. In the middle of all this, her cord fell off - not all of it, but most. There's still a little bit at the base. The doc said she had a really thick cord.

We finally figured out her trouble was gas and Alan spent over an hour working out all her build-up. She was up all day - not crying all day, but wide-awake! Needless to say, she didn't go down until 12:30, after gas bubbles gone, and made room for more food, and awoke at 1:30 - but fell asleep while getting diapers changed. Then she didn't wake up again until 6:30 am! She was a tired baby.

07/07/04

Today we went to visit SAILS and show Shara off. Jenn & Claudette gave her a Taggies. I think she's going to love it. We then went to the Yabroudy's for Chris and my birthday dinner, but left fairly quickly. Shara was inconsolable and she didn't get to sleep until around 10:30, after me nursing her in bed until she fell asleep.

07/06/04

Shara had her 2 week old doctor's appointment today. She's gained 14 oz. since she was born. She left the hospital at 6 lb. 7 oz., so she really gained 19 oz. I guess she's eating fine.

06/27/04

Last night I had the first feelings of doubt in my mothering abilities. Not that I'm a wiz at diaper changing, clothing changing, etc., but I thought I was overfeeding my baby! I fell asleep while she was feeding and awoke to her throwing up her whole meal - out the nose, mouth, everywhere. Now I understand why you have to do so much laundry! I read today that you can't overfeed, they'll stop when they're full, and they don't mind eating right after throwing up. Good to know. This morning, before reading that, I didn't think she could be hungry again so soon, and was trying to figure out what she could want. As soon as I let go the idea that she couldn't be hungry, and fed her, she was fine. Also got a couple good burps out of her, and no spitting up.

06/26/04

Felt like I got normal sleep last night, though it wasn't that much more than I had been getting, it was less scattered. It's nice being able to sleep in my own bed. We had a relaxing day today. Played around on the computer, put some paperwork away, Alan went to the market, etc. Nothing too exciting. The Lookers are coming tomorrow for a visit on their way to the Cape. I'm really looking forward to it. I spent so much time with my sister when her kids were little, it'll be nice to share this time with her.

06/25/04

At today's follow-up visit with the nurse practitioner (doctor's appointment is next week) we got the go-ahead to try to let her "sleep through the night". To keep up my milk supply, we shouldn't go over 4 hours without a feeding. Don't know if it will work or not. Last night was busy, but if we don't have to measure feedings from beginning to beginning (1 feeding may = feeding/burping/feeding more/changing diaper/changing clothes!), 4 hours is a long stretch of sleep!

Shara is an eating, sleeping and eliminating machine. Worked hard today to try and keep her awake. She was up almost all morning - from about 9am to 1:30pm. Then she slept through the afternoon, and her Yabroudy grandparents and Auntie Chris' visit, waking only for a short feeding at around 3. She did stay awake most of the evening, while we had dinner and watched a movie. Alan made a wonderful salmon dinner, courtousy of the folks at SAILS and a la Zing! It worked out great - he was able to get everything together in about 1/2 an hour and we had a healthy meal, something we haven't been doing much of lately. This is now changing and I'm going back to my good eating habits. No reason not to, just needs some planning.

Getting Shara to bed wasn't very difficult. When she cries it's for a reason - diaper change, hunger, wants comforting, physically uncomfortable (mommy leaked milk on outfit and now it's cold and wet, etc.) We'll see how it goes. My first night in my own bed this week!

06/24/04

Today we're just enjoying being home. My milk came in late yesterday, so we're working on feeding - both me and Shara. Babytime isn't the same as EST, the hours pass much quicker. I'm sure once it takes us less then 7 minutes and 5 wipes per diaper change, time will even-out. Today's goal is to try and put away all the things we acquired at the hospital - which is all over the dining room table.

06/23/04

Went home today. So glad to be out of the hospital. If it wasn't for the care and attention given to Shara over those 48 hours, I would have been out of there last night. We spent the morning waiting around for shots - my Rogam and MMR, Shara's HepB. We got out at close to noon and made a quick stop at Walmart's to pick up mittens for Shara. Her nails are long and her favorite way to comfort herself ends up leaving her face all scratched up.

Got home, fed Shara, fed ourselves. Spent a while visiting the "kids" and introducing them to their new baby sister. Didn't seem to be any problems. Will still keep the nursery door closed at night. Also trying to figure out where everything is. Put her stuff away so long ago, it's hard to remember which drawer has what.

06/22/04

Oh my gosh! It's going to take a bit of time for the next post, which will be recollections of the big event! Alan and I are going to sit down tonight, at the hospital, and get some thoughts down. To quickly sum it up, AMAZING! (note 6/27 - Didn't have a chance to write anything, but Alan's going to be posting the father's point of view.)

Waiting for You to be Born

How: Home Pregnancy Test

When: October 5th, 2003

Who we told first: Our parents

Your due date: June 11th, 2004

We found out your gender: Tried several times and got a 95% chance of being a girl at the 3rd Ultrasound on March 16th, 2004. Got a 99% at the April 5th U/S.

Mom's food cravings: Sweets!, fried clams toward the end, ice cream sundaes

Mom's food aversions: Had a couple of bad tasting hamburgers, but for the most part, everything tastes great!

Childbirth classes: Prepared Childbirth Class at Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center. We met once a week for 5 weeks (April 27th - May 25th, 2004). Breastfeeding Class - May 8th, 2004

Names we considered: Boys: Stewart, Simon Girls: Shara, Shauna, Simone, Serafina, Sook

Hearing your heartbeat: At Mom's 11 week checkup. It was very exciting.

Feeling you kick: January 10th (about 18 weeks) - Wasn't sure if it was a gas bubble or a real kick. After more experience realized it was a real one!

Shara's Birth

Shara Anne Yabroudy was born 6/21/2004 at 1:05pm. Her weight at birth was 6 lbs 10.8 ozs and she was 19 inches long.
Dad's Experience of Shara's Birth
All the pictures of Shara

06/21/04

Happy Birthday, Shara!

06/19/04

Have been at the hospital quite a lot lately. The nursing staff on the 5th floor are great. Have been going in for non-stress tests daily. So far I'm dilated a little and thinning (a little). Tomorrow when I go in again they'll check me and if I'm progressing on my own, great. If not, I come back at 5pm and they put in Cervadil - which will thin the cervix. Either way, I'll be induced Monday. It would be better if they didn't have to do the Cervadil, since I'll have to stay in the hospital all night. By the end of Monday, our baby will be born; assuming it isn't a really long labor.

06/14/04

Went to the doc's today. Nothing new. Going to have another U/S to test amniotic fluid level on Wed, then another doc appointment on Thursday. Trying to remember that my "real" due date could be the 16th. Hard waiting around, thinking every little irregularity is the onset of labor. Especially when my being nervous gives me the same early labor symptoms! Was nice to hear that the daughter of a woman I work with was 2 weeks late with her second last fall. All I seem to hear about is everyone getting induced 1 or 2 days after their due date, when they're perfectly healthy. I'll post again on Thursday after the doctor's appointment.

06/11/04

Went to yoga today. It was good. Not a lot of people showed up. When I walked in, everyone laughed. From one week to the next you never know who's going to go! I told them that I most likely wouldn't be there next week. I'm thinking I'll still make my Monday's doctor's appointment. I'd be extremely surprised if anything happened today. Not feeling at all different, and certainly haven't lost my appetite yet! Went to the book sale at the library, to get some books to read when the munchkin comes, and went to the bakery (Wheatberries) next door. Got some good bread and a fabulous sour cherry/chocolate scone. Alan & I ate a nice lunch - our first meal at our "new" outdoor table.

06/10/04

Well today was my due date and nothing came. The other day it occured to me that the only signs I'm going to have, that can't be missinterpreted, are contractions and my water breaking. Other than that, anything could mean days, not hours. So I've stopped looking and am just going about my business as usual. I feel pretty good. After work, Alan & I went to Kelly's Roast Beef, at Revere Beach. We had never been and I wanted to do something summery, since the weather was so beautiful. I had a clam roll, onion rings and french fries. I can't believe I ate so poorly! It was so good though. Not really greasy, so I guess that's a plus. Alan had a roast beef and cheese fries, which came with bacon. I got really stuffed, so we skipped the ice cream. We also skipped going to the book store and to Lowes. My feet were swelling and I knew I needed to get home and get horizontal. At this point, I don't have the stamina I usual do.

06/09/04

Jill and Andy offered their house for us to have a Welcome Baby party in August. It should be fun and casual - we're going to get deli from Gershons and make a few salads. Just a nice chance for everyone to get together. With family and friends somewhat scattered, it should be a time when everyone is available.

06/06/04

We're really in good shape now. The nursery has been finished and yesterday Alan put the futon in there for me to sleep on for the first week. That should make nighttime feedings easier for both of us. Still don't think she'll come anytime soon. I'm going to look into taking a "gentle yoga" class this summer. It's mainly light stretching and relaxation. It would be Thursday nights and I think would help get me back to "normal".

Talked to dad and Ev today. We're all getting our lists together for the announcements. Want to get the envelopes ordered so I can start addressing them ASAP.

06/01/04

Tonight I couldn't sleep so I bought a diaper bag I had been looking at. I found it on e-bay and it seems like a good deal. I really wanted to play around with one before buying, but this looks like a really cool design and I remember seeing it a long time ago. It's from Ella's Bags and the fabric is black toile. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the fabric choice. For their other bags they have much more sophisticated patterns, and these are more childish. I think the toile is the best choice though.

June Calendar

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05/29/2004

Started filling out the baby journal today. Between the print journal and our Wiki (now this blog), baby will have a lot of information on when she was growing. Nothing interesting at the doctors this week.

05/28/2004

Went out to dinner with Aunt Chris today. Alan broke the news to her that we were going to go solo through the delivery. She understood completely and I felt better about it. Labor seems to be a time to worry about how I feel and what will work best for me and baby. If I'm at all uncomfortable, the risk of delaying the birth is greater and that causes stress on the whole situation. Not a good thing and not something I was comfortable with.

05/26/2004

Went out to lunch today with Carole, director at Carver. We had a good time and she gave us the most beautiful quilt. It was such a thoughtful gift and I know baby's going to use it for years.

05/23/2004

Going to pack the suitcase today and finish putting the stuff away in the nursery.

05/19/2004

Doctor's appointment today - nothing new, no dilation.

05/16/2004

Today I got all the thank you notes done and put away all the clothing and a good chunk of the other things. Alan finished painting the nursery and he moved the dresser in place so I could start getting everything in it's spot. It's getting so close now, I'm glad to have everything falling into place.

05/15/2004

The big shower is today. I'll be rushing home after yoga to shower and change. It should be fun. Hope it isn't too hot. That's my one fear - sweating profusely! When it's cool out, I'm my usual self, but once the temp gets up there, I'm a mess!

Well, it wasn't too hot at all. In fact, everything was wonderful. We both had a great time seeing everyone and we received lots of beautiful gifts. Auntie Chris, Uma Thea, and Jador Eddie did a fantastic job and we're very appreciative of their efforts.

05/13/2004

Today my work had a shower for me. It was really fun. We had lunch at The Stoneforge Tavern - everyone had dessert. They all got me the Fisher Price portable swing and then everyone got individual gifts. Baby's going to have some fun things to play with, but she'll have to ask daddy if he can share the "baby's first laptop".

05/10/2004

Our last ultrasound. The technician was really nice and broke some rules to let us get a video of the session. It's very cool! and she sounds like she's on target with the weight - 5 lbs. 5 oz.

05/08/2004

Today we went to a breastfeeding class at the hospital. It was really good. The nurse didn't overwhelm us with information, but gave practical tips and mostly let us know that we wouldn't leave the hospital without either feeling comfortable with nursing or having access to someone who would help.

05/03/2004

I can understand why women are more than ready to have the baby after the last month. Things are finally starting to get "uncomfortable". At first the kicking is exciting- a good sign that the baby is healthy and inside. Now it's becoming less so; especially at 3am It is nice for Alan to be able to feel them so easily now. It's also cool when you can see my belly move all over the place.

Tonight we have our 2nd childbirth class. I think we're going to see the movie of the birth. It's supposed to be really graphic. Should be gross and frightening... just kidding. Don't think it's anything we haven't seen before. The real test is when it's live and in our faces! Next week we start to get really busy.

Well, it was a little frightening, because the difference is that I'm now picturing myself going through a similar situation in the not-to-distant future. Yes, I know it will all be fine when it's over, but that doesn't mean there isn't a scariness to it all.

05/02/2004

Went to the outlets today to exchange a couple of outfits, since we now know baby will be a lot smaller than we thought. Also bought a nursing bra - main reason for going.

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04/28/2004

Today's appointment was interesting. I'm really glad Alan went with me. He asked good questions, such as why we need to have the NST's each time we come (she's really cautious and it's just for her comfort, to double-check everything's ok), how big she thinks the baby will be (around 6 lbs.), is there anything I can do to get a bigger baby (no, if I start eating more I'll just get fat).

04/27/2004

Tonight was our first childbirth class. It's a big class, 10 couples. Apparently there are 2 other classes, both full. June is going to bring a lot of new babies to the area!

04/24/2004

Start back with the pre-natal yoga today. Only signed up for 4 classes. Then if I still feel like going, I'll pay week by week. I'm still able to get in and out of the waterbed, so I'm sure I'll be able to do the yoga for a while, but things change rather quickly!

This weekend we're going to put up the closet shelving in the nursery and I'd like to start packing for the hospital.

04/21/2004

At today's doctor's appointment they told me that I was going to have a non-stress test at every visit. It isn't bad, just a little more time consuming than I would want. I sit in the "comfy" chair and they put 2 belts around my belly. One is to monitor the baby's heart and the other is to monitor for contractions. They give me a buzzer and each time the baby moves, I hit the buzzer. What they look for are spikes on the readout which show an increase in heart-rate for about 15 seconds after the baby moves. Well, I didn't need any juice to get baby to move. She was doing gymnastics and wouldn't stop. Then she got the hiccups. It was quite amusing and everything was normal. They're doing this because she's still a little small for her date, but I think it's a bit excessive for 5 days off.

I'll be going to the doctors weekly now.

04/19/2004

Went shopping with Kristin and baby's soon-to-be friend Kate. Got a couple of things for baby. From what I've been told, I shouldn't expect to receive a lot of clothes. Anyway, I had coupons I wanted to use. In the evening I started to really feel pregnant. Probably the heat. It was beautiful - in the 80's, but I didn't drink enough water and probably got dehydrated.

04/18/2004

Alan put up the ceiling fixture in the nursery.

04/10/2004

Today we finished the decorating of the nursery.

04/05/2004

Went to the specialists today so he could take a look at the fibroid. All looks good. He even showed us the labia and clitoris, so we're sure now it's a girl!

04/04/2004

Me at 30 weeks - really looking prego now!
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04/03/2004

Aunt Chris took us shopping at the Carter's Outlet and we got lots of cute outfits! Once the dresser arrives I'll do a big load of wash and get everything put away.

04/02/2004

Alan felt some extreme kicking tonight. Baby's really exercising a lot lately. It's the strangest sensation. I can't say it hurts, but some of the rolling moves can get to be nausiating if I think about it too hard. I almost have to detach myself from the experience.

Finished painting the nursery. Now just have to add the finishing touches and we'll basically be done with the look and feel. Waiting for the dresser/changing table to come in.

April Calendar

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04/01/2004

Started working on an online scrapbook. We'll see how it goes. I think I'd still like a print version.

03/27/04 - 03/31/04

We left for Maine after my yoga class. Just a short vacation to relax. Came back early since the weather was going to turn yucky - rainy and cold. Had a nice time while there. Ate some lobster, had a wonderful dinner at the White Barn Inn, took some short walks, and got to see the ocean. Also picked up some decorations for the nursery.

03/24/04

Put down a deposit for save a space for September at Children's World Learning Center.

03/18/04

Went to the doc's early today for rhogam shot. This is because my blood type is RH-. Need to make sure my blood doesn't conflict with the baby's. When it's delivered, they'll test the baby's blood and give me another shot if needed. My first butt shot - no pain.

03/16/04

Big doc appointment today. Had to drink the orange drink to take the glucose tolerance test. No problem - was even able to have cheesecake for dessert. We also had a really long ultrasound. It took the technician a long time to get all the measurements because baby was in awkward position. As far as the sex, she was 95% sure that it's a girl. Everyone's thrilled, but I'd be happy with either. Both have their advantages. Going to have to narrow down on the names now!

Pictures from ultrasound - profile shot and picture of baby's face. In the face picture the eyes are on the left.

03/14/04

Painted the fish mural on the nursery walls. They turned out a lot better than I thought they would. Really pleased with them.

March Calendar

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02/28/04

Started pre-natal yoga classes today. They're fun and we have a nice group. Lots of people due in June. Think I over-did it though. Was really sore when I got home.

02/27/04

Me at 25 weeks.

02/23-26/04

Lots of movement going on lately! I was able to see baby move, not just feel it. Also starting to look prego. Went to the craft store Wednesday for stencils to paint the nursery and the sales person who was helping me quickly understood why I chose the tape over the adhesive spray - fumes. But it could have been the outfit?

Went to the doctors last week and we're getting down to the fun stuff now. They gave me the orange drink for the glucose tolerance test next visit. We're also getting another ultrasound then, which should tell us the sex. I also get to have the shot to combat the problems with being RH negative.

This Saturday I start my prenatal yoga class, which runs for 6 weeks. We also got things rolling for our childbirth and breastfeeding classes. The hospital is going to be sending us the registration forms. Also finalized the guest list with Auntie Chris for the shower.

02/12/04

Alan got an early Valentine's Day present. He felt his first kick/movement this morning. Kid was really moving around and felt a kick on right side, then near bottom of stomach. Grabbed his hand and he was able to feel it. Pretty cool!

02/12/04

Alan got an early Valentine's Day present. He felt his first kick/movement this morning. Kid was really moving around and felt a kick on right side, then near bottom of stomach. Grabbed his hand and he was able to feel it. Pretty cool!

02/07/04

According to Kristin at work, today I felt hiccups. I was describing some different movement, and not sure if it was baby or not, and she said "Hiccups! that's what they feel like!". So I guess today was the first hiccup day.

02/05/04

A couple of pictures of the belly.

02/03/04

Read the baby it's first book - The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. I think s/he liked it.

02/02/04

I really think I felt the baby move today. It was in the morning, at work. I was just sitting at my pc and the movement was down low, so it had to be baby. considering it's about 10", I'd have to feel something around there! Oh, also got close to blacking out today. Think I didn't eat enough yesterday, since I've started exercising again. Have to eat a lot tomorrow since I'll be going to Boston to the State House. We're going to lobby for library's. Should be interesting. The Patriot's Superbowl Welcome Home Parade is also tomorrow and we're going to be going right in the middle of it all!

02/01/04

Alan and I set up the crib today. It looks really nice. We also put on the bedding and found the sailboat sheet I got didn't go with it. No biggie. I'm going to ask Thea if she can make valances out of them. I'm assuming it will take her all of 1/2 hour to do so.

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01/31/04

Chris borrowed Paul's car and took us to pick up the crib. I think she's going to have fun with the baby. We could have spent a long time looking at everything, but Alan went to get the crib and it was sitting in the open truck, so we didn't have time. She's going to go with me to pick out the layette at Carter's Outlet. We're assuming the doctor's going to order another ultrasound because she wanted to see the 3 veins in the cord. At that point, we should be able to see the sex.

01/26/04

Left work early and went to Attleboro's Babies-r-us. Figured it would be less crowded. Wow, it was great. I slowly went up and down the aisles and looked at everything. Very nice and relaxing. Then went to Panera Bread for lunch. Nice day.

01/21/04

Went to the doctors. She said not to expect to feel movement for another month. The placenta is anterior (in the front) so it's acting like a pillow and absorbing the movement. That explains a lot!

01/17/04

Couldn't wait any longer and had to register. Since we may not find out what sex the baby is, we can't wait for that, and everything seems normal and healthy. Babies-r-us is a zoo. Lots of pregnant women, in large groups, crowding the aisles and being pushy. Got some things on that we wouldn't have been able to get online. Picked out the crib, which is a biggie.

01/13/04

Had the second ultrasound - pics to come. Couldn't tell the sex, but they tried hard enough. Baby just wouldn't cooperate and kept moving around it took them a while to get the shots they needed. Active thing. Surprised I can't feel any of it.

01/10/04

I think I felt the baby move today. Still felt like a gas bubble, but it was in a plausable spot and it's the time when I should start feeling something.

01/08/04

Started sleeping with a pillow between my legs and it really seems to be helping with the aches and tossing at night.

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