Babe in the Big D

Seb has been so busy this week with launching the system he has been working on for so long.  He is just across the street but he is gone all day and most of the evening. 

I went to the Brinkmann office today (I took the ladies my signature chocolate cake) and Oliver went with me.  It was crazy to be in the office since it has been over 4 months.

Oliver has this new high pitched silly voice that he uses as soon as I set him down on the changing table.  I keep thinking one day I will get sick of the diaper changes but right now he is so much fun to talk to during the diaper change.   It takes a good 10 minutes to just talk and smile and about 40 seconds to change the diaper. 

We ordered a jogging stroller and I took it out yesterday.  I was maybe going to jog / walk a little but I had Belle with me.   We only went one mile and I argued with Belle the entire time.  The back wheels on the stroller are bigger than Belle and she almost got ran over and then she kept pulling.  I almost put here in the stroller with the baby at one point. 

The weather feels like winter all of the sudden and dressing a baby in layers is a bit tricky.  I do love to snuggle him up in blankets.

I made risotto with fresh parmesan tonight.

I tried to vote today but the early voting place only had 4 parking spots that were full (downtown) and I didn't have the stroller with me and I didn't feel like hoofing it with a sleeping baby in a car seat for a few blocks.   I am going to take the stroller with me tomorrow.

My hair is getting so long -  I call it stripper hair because it is unnecessarily long.  Seb said I almost have Texas hair.  Getting a hair cut is on my to do list!

Oliver weighed in at 13lbs 7oz, which is almost doubling his birthweight.  We go for his 4 month check up next Monday.

Today was our Mommy and Me group and we had a little Halloween party and celebrated Charlotte's 1st birthday.  It was really chilly and windy while we were walking over to Baylor for our group.  I was afraid it was too cold for Oliver so I wrapped him in a blanket, handed him his cookie monster rattle and he was goofy and happy.  He wore his orange striped BOO! jumpsuit from Aunt Pretty with a pair of black socks.  

Seb's cousin Karen came by yesterday for a visit from New Orleans.  It has been too long since we have seen her and I am so glad she was able to come over to meet Oliver.

I have not early voted yet, but I did start calling people on my call list from my Iphone Obama 08 application.

Seb is super crazy busy with work right now working late nights and early mornings. 

October is my favorite month (which may be due to Halloween candy) and it is flying by!!!   Yesterday Oliver laughed and I teared up!   Seb ran and got him on our video camera, it was a long giggly laugh.  The entire weekend I tried to get him on the little video camera to post, but have not been sucessful.   It has been so long since I posted I hardly know where to begin.  

Last weekend Seb's parents came to Dallas for a visit.  We went to the arboretum for a picnic and had a really great weekend catching up with them.  The arboretum has a really neat fall harvest /pumpkin patch set up so we got some great pics.

Oliver has his first Halloween party to attend next Saturday at John's house.  John is 7 months old and is in his mommy and me play group.  I will post pics in his costume.

Oliver has really started to enjoy several of his toys, today he shook his rattle mimicing Seb's hands.   He is also moving toys, blankets and bibs from his hands to his mouth.  We go through many bibs a day and his hands are in a constant state of sticky.

I made some lemon sugar cookies today while I held Oliver in the Baby Bjorn.  He wasn't even afraid of the food processor or Roxy.   There are a million things to type but it is getting late.

Oliver's favorite book this week:   Polar Bear Polar Bear, what do you hear?

I added some new pictures today.  I added September and October - all by myself so I hope that everything linked properly. 

Today Oliver has an appointment to get his next vaccine. Yesterday in our playgroup we had a baby sign language instructor teach us some basic signs.

Oliver is officially 3 months old and weighed in last week at 12lbs and 4 oz.  I made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting yesterday to celebrate.  I made a fancy double layer cake so I could use my cake platter and put the letter  O in candy corn on the top of the cake. 

Last week seems like a blur.   On Monday we had our Mommy and Me class and then I had an appointment with the midwife to get my blood work done and to talk about some of my lactation issues.   I feel a bit drained so she is looking at my iron levels.   She recommended I take B complex and she sort of scolded me for not taking naps during the day.   I am trying to make a nap for myself more of a priority.  I guess I haven't really had a good long nights sleep in 3 months :)  During the appointment Oliver started to cry and scream and of course had a poo explosion.  I changed his diaper and he continued to cry  (I fed him right before my appointment).   It was that first time in public that he was screaming and I couldn't console him.  I had walked to the appointment with the stroller and luckily had my maya wrap with me.  I put him in the Maya and pushed an empty stroller.  On our way home, Seb pulled up to the curb and we hopped in the car for a 1 block ride home.  I held him on my lap because the car seat was at home.   I know it is illegal and I know I am not Britney Spears, however, riding in the back seat of the car is probably safer than crossing a four lane intersection on foot with the stroller anyway.

Oliver is really starting to grab onto us more when we hold him.  He is also really making eye contact a lot more and smiles soooooooo  BIG it just melts your heart.  In the mornings he opens his eyes and just smiles and coos at us.   Seb and I LOVE to wake up just to see that morning grin.

I keep meaning to blog about the comments people make when they see Oliver.   Last week a woman said,  "what a fat baby" which is funny because he is long and thin???

We continue to search for a pacifier that he will take.  We have tried every brand, size, style and shape.  We ordered some natural rubber ones from Germany that he likes better than most of them.   He seems to be chewing on his hand and fingers a lot more accompanied by slobber.  I think he may be having some early teething pains.     I was checking out at Wal-Mart last week and he started to cry.  The cashier asked "do you have a pacifier for him?"  UGHHHHH 

Yesterday Oliver went on his first trip to Central Market.   THANK GOODNESS they have a family bathroom because it took four hands to clean him up, change him, clean off the baby bjorn carrier, take off and rinse off Seb's shirt, and put a new outfit on Oliver.  I guess maybe packing an extra t-shirt for us in the diaper bag would be a good idea.  He was so alert in Central Market and was really looking around at everything.  We took him in the flower department and he looked at all of the colors.  I can't wait until he is old enough to look at the creepy fish heads in the seafood department and to get a free cookie from the bakery. 

Seb and Oliver are taking a nap so I am going to go roast a chicken in the oven (with a compound butter containing fresh thyme and rosemary).

Happy New Year, Happy October, Happy Sunday!

It has been a few days since posting which I will blame on my big sister (hee hee). She came to visit on Tuesday and we did the Ultimate Foodie Tour of Dallas, but also enjoyed snacking on my Dad’s peanut butter cookies and my other sisters pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies.

Last Tuesday Oliver and I went to a baby shower. There were probably 12 moms and 16 children under the age of two. It was a little crazy but fun and there was some amazing food! I had planned on making something but it was one of those nights where I didn’t have enough butter for shortbread, not enough sugar for sugar cookies, no chocolate chips for chocolate chip cookies, no brownie mix in the back of the pantry, no raisins for oatmeal raisin cookies, etc. I went to Whole Foods and bought some flower shaped sugar cookies from the bakery. Everyone kept commenting on how delicious they were, I felt like such a cheater by breaking down and buying convenient cookies.

I picked up Kelly on Tuesday after the shower. We just hung out at the house on Tuesday night and I made dinner while she oogled over Oliver. Oliver started to do some new things this week while she was here. He discovered how to put his fists in his mouth. He also has mastered a new pouty bottom lip. The day before she left he also started kicking his legs - - really fast. This has made diaper changing time a bit more challenging.

On Wednesday we took Seb to work and Kelly taught me how to be a suburban housewife.

1) I put on some sweatpants, didn’t shower, put my hair in a clip

2) We took Seb to Starbucks on the way to drop him off, but we waited in the car

3) We dropped him off and then headed to Starbucks

4) We chatted up the barista’s, and I had some coffee beans ground making the impatient business people behind us roll their eyes

5) Oliver slept in the Maya wrap while we took our pastries and coffees to the outdoor tables

6) We talked and spent a good hour talking about raising children, husbands and other misc coffee talk

After Starbucks we headed to Civello’s Raviolissmo which is a little local place a few blocks from our house. They supply local restaurants with fresh ravioli that are hand rolled and stuffed. We ordered some Spinach and Goat Cheese Ravioli, Shrimp and Pumpkin in a Chili Striped Ravioli and some Marsala Cream Sauce. We talked to the owner and he gave us a sample of the dough to touch and we ate it. We took some pictures (Oliver slept the whole time). The ladies making the ravioli seemed to be stalling to roll them out in front of us. Maybe because I was taking pictures of them in their hair nets?????

We then headed to the Mozzarella Company and picked up some fresh mozzarella, goat cheese with herbs and a pecan praline marscapone torte. We also walked in to Rudolph’s meat market just to look. I was happy to find range fed turkey for ½ the price of what Whole Foods sells if for by the pound.

We picked Seb up at work and then dropped him and Oliver off at home. We went to Jimmy’s Food store, which is an Italian Market that makes some really delicious sandwiches and carries a lot of imported Italian Foods. We ordered a Muffalata for Seb, a Cuban for me and Kelly had a prociutto pannino. We ended up splitting them all up and having sandwich samplers. We also picked up a bunch of impulse items while we were waiting for the sandwiches.   My friend Beth came over and finally met my sister and of course Oliver was a little fussy and kept me busy with diaper changes the entire visit.

Oliver got a bath with Seb while Aunt Pretty took pictures. He totally relaxes and kicks his legs in the water. We even put him in his little ducky bathrobe for pictures.

On Thursday we headed to the mall to return some items and to go to the tea store. The clerk at the tea store was rather entertaining.

Kelly and I then went by ourselves to Central Market. We had many samples that were delicious and then we both popped a muscadine in our mouth thinking they were just fancy grapes. We both spit out unidentifiable objects and giggled all the way through the produce department.

Friday morning we went to the new independent coffee house here called Crooked Tree to load up on some caffeine (and decaf) before we went to the Farmers Market finishing off the Dallas Foodie Tour 2008. Seb dropped her off at the airport and the cats and Belle were depressed about her departure the rest of the weekend.

Today we went to Toys R Us to get Oliver a different pacifier and a mirror for his crib. Unfortunately the new bigger textured pacifier did not work. This week he has taken a liking to his play gym. It is a nauseating mess of sea creature pictures and cartoon images complete with irritating baby music and flashing lights. I am sure people who don’t have children pick out the music for these toys. Tonight he was reaching up and trying to grab the octopus and he was smiling at it and carrying on a conversation with it. He seems to be getting a little bit more chunky.

I think he is going through the 3 month / fussy growth spurt.

Goodnight!!!

This morning was our Mommy and Me group, so we walked to Baylor and back for exercise.  He weighed in at 11 lbs 13.7oz.   We made a birth bracelet for one of the girls.   Tomorrow we are going to a baby shower for one of the other girls in our group who is having her second baby. 

Today I heard from our neighbor who just had twin boys on September 12th.  They are in the hospital for a couple more weeks before they come home.  Oliver and I are planning to visit as soon as they are home and we have future play dates lined up.

Oliver is pushing up so strong on his belly and rolling over.   He is starting to get a little more pudge in the cheeks and thighs. 

He had sort of a fussy afternoon but was happy in a long bath.   It seemed like a week ago he would settle down for the night around 8PM.   Now, as my late night posts indicate, he is taking a while to settle down.

I am excited for Aunt Pretty to visit tomorrow - even though I don't have the bedroom ready for her - and Boon.

Off to feed Oliver, good night !

-Tracy

Sunday is almost over! It has been a fun day. We had a quiet morning (we had coffee and Monkey Bread). We hung up our diapers outside to dry and Seb cleaned the house. Oliver was up past midnight last night, so he was very tired today.

We went to the 2008 Dallas Pride / Freedom Parade today. Seb wore Oliver in the carrier and we had to park a little distance away so we considered it our walk for the day. Oliver got so much attention from people in the parade. Several people in the parade came over and had to talk to him and ask his age and name. It was so funny!!!! It was almost like being the parade too. The floats kept throwing us Mardi Gras bead necklaces (we got probably 20 strands). I just watched that documentary on Friday about the Chinese workers making the beads. I cringed everytime they threw them at us, I just felt sick. The weather was great and Oliver stayed awake during the hour and 45 minute parade.

We also took a video of Oliver during his tummy time. He often cries during tummy time but he is getting so much stronger now, you can see it on the video.

Belle has an ear infection so we just spent the last 30 minutes cleaning her ears out and putting the medicine in it.

Today Boon took one of his Beanie baby's and put it in the bassinet during his nap.

Aunt Pretty is visiting Oliver this week and I am looking forward to her babysitting so Seb and I can go to Costco, dinner and a movie - - just kidding!!!!!

It is getting late so I have to get to bed before Oliver wakes up for his next feeding.

Hope everyone has a great week!

This morning I woke up around 6:30AM, Seb and Oliver had already been to Starbucks and all I heard was, "there is a chocolate donut and coffee for you downstairs."  I rolled out of bed and went downstairs without even going to the bathroom or brushing my teeth. 

I have been working some foods back into my diet and trying to limit dairy consumption.  Friday night is our standing weekly pizza night.   So I had pizza and today we paid for it.  Oliver had a lot of reflux and more fussiness than normal.  He still had several segments of smiles and coos so it wasn't all bad.

We went to Ross early this morning (I can't go there on a Saturday afternoon :), and picked up a few clothes for Oliver.  I also had to get a gift for a baby shower.  Then we went to the Farmers Market and picked up a half watermelon, 4 mangos, greeen onions, blueberries, 2 tomatoes, 5 nectarines and some mushrooms.  

I ventured alone to the bead store to get a couple of beads for some birth bracelets /wishes we are doing this week for two girls that are expecting in my mommy and me group.  I stopped in the Green Living store to look at their cloth diapers and wooden toys.

We went for a nice long walk in the park and the neighborhood today.   There are a lot of Obama signs which is great and the reason we live where we do. 

Boon puked all over his bed and the top of the cabinets in his cat loft.   Seb discovered it this morning when he went up to check on him.  

-Tracy