Busy Bees

This is a busy week around here . . . I've been volunteering at Meg's school the last two days, we went to a lunch party yesterday, and "Nana" (Jim's mom) arrived for a visit later that afternoon. "Papa" (Jim's dad) arrived today . . . now we will all commence in some very wonderful projects around the house over the next few days. Crown molding, chair rails, painting, sewing . . . all in honor of Meg's new big girl room and Kate's updated nursery. All fun jobs, if you ask me!

If we are too busy to blog, forgive me. I'll try to keep up. And look for some fun photos of our work in the end . . . I can't wait to show off all that we accomplish this weekend.

More when possible . . .

HD

PS -- That storm around here WAS a doozie -- turns out that the county fire department believes a tornado formed on the other side of our neighborhood, bounced around, but never actually hit the ground. There is some VERY significant damage to other parts of our neighborhood . . . trees are busted through fences, down in yards, and one even nearly split a house in two. We were very, very lucky.

The Calm in the Storm

My Darling Meg,

This is for you – I want to record the events of this morning as one of my all time favorite “mommy moments” to date.

At 6:20am this morning, I was jolted out of bed to the sound of crazy rain, terrible wind, and frightening thunder. As I rubbed my eyes and tried to get a hold on exactly what was going on around me, lightening bolted all around our house and filled my bedroom with daytime-like light. I hopped out of bed to peer out the window and witnessed a crazy storm burst – the kind that bends trees until you think they’ll touch the ground and makes rain fly perfectly horizontal to the flooding ground below.

The power began to flicker on and off – and our smoke detectors and your baby monitor were freaking out, buzzing and beeping with each flick. I worried that all this noise would wake you – would startle you out of sleep. I finally went downstairs to turn the darn monitors off . . . and I peek outside again from ground level. I was scared – I’ll admit it. It was just you and me in the house. Our satellite TV was out, so I was worried about how I’d know if there was a tornado near by . . . how could I find out what was going on with this storm – and when would it stop?

By 6:30am our power was off, and the storm was dying down. I got back in bed and wondered how long the house would be dark . . . and then I wondered how you were, and I decided I should go check.

I opened your bedroom door, and you were sitting up in bed. Immediately, you said, “Mama” in the sweetest, most timid little voice. My heart dropped and I knew that the storm had scared you, too. I tried to lay you back down, but you were wide awake, and I knew I couldn’t leave you in there to fall asleep on your own.

I picked you up and rocked you in your chair for quite some time. I snuggled you, smelled you, loved you. We had not had a time like this in a while . . . where you were interested in nothing more than being held in the comfort and safety of my arms. I felt needed; I felt your unconditional love for me. I rocked and rocked, and when you looked nearly asleep, I attempted to place you back in bed. But, again, you woke up and said, “Mama.”

“Do you want to come in Mommy’s bed and sleep, sugar?” I asked you.
“Yeah . . .” you replied.

So, again I picked you up, and this time I walked you into my room. The halls of our house were so dark . . . but my bedroom shutters were open and there was just the slightest hint of daylight beginning to come in. By now it was nearly 7:00am, and I knew we could just as easily get up and start our day as we could lay down in my bed. But, I wanted to lay there with you and see if you’d snuggle some more . . .

You did. I layed you down on my side of the bed, and you curled up with your lovee and with me and drifted in and out of sleep. We cuddled, and you snoozed for an hour, off and on. You’d rolled over, open your eyes and look at me for a few seconds, then you’d close your eyes again and fall back into your steady breathing pattern. Your lovee smelled like your little baby breath. Your hair smelled like last night’s bath. It was heaven. And it ended as sweetly as it began . . . around 8:00am you opened your eyes and sat up in my bed.

“Did you have a good snooze with Mommy?” I asked.
“Yeah . . . “ you replied.

You’ll never remember this morning, but I’ll never forget. It was a priceless time that all mothers would cherish. I cherish it, for certain. I cherish you, my Meg. Thanks for making my morning so perfect.



Love,

Your Mama

'Tis the Season

(To the tune of a very famous Christmas carol)

‘Tis the season to go shopping
Buy buy buy buy buy, buy buy buy buy
Oh how I love consignment sale hopping
Buy buy buy buy buy, buy buy buy buy

Slightly worn but what a deal - O!
Buy buy buy, buy buy buy
Buy buy buy
Meg’s closet might bust it’s seams – O!
Buy buy buy buy, buy buy buy buy

It is a twice annual extravaganza around here . . . the local sundry consignment sales. Hosted by churches, neighborhoods, and entrepreneurial moms, these sales promise great deals on gently used children’s items. Clothes, toys, baby gear – you name it, they sell it. I even saw someone reselling plasic baskets at a sale this week – like the kind you took into the shower with you in your college dorm. Hey, whatever sells.

I’ve become quite a fanatic about these. Of course I don’t just buy anything – oh no, I’m picky – but I will go to just about any sale to search for those precious few items. Far or near, I’m there if the buying is good. I always ask Jim if he’s upset about the money I spend at these sales, and he always replies by telling me that he would much prefer me to spend $75.00 on a dozen outfits than to bust out that kind of cash for 2 or 3 things.

Consignment sales are SO much fun. Most of them are run by volunteers, and if you volunteer to work you are appropriately rewarded with the ability to shop the night before the general public. If you sell your items at a sale, you are also granted this (fabulous) privilege. I do both. Sell and work, depending on the sale . . . I LOVE to shop early. Come on – when can you get the best stuff? When is inventory at its peak? The night before the sale officially begins, of course!

This season – barring in mind that we are spending as much as a very nice, brand new, fully loaded CAR (or SUV) on the basement project – I’ve limited myself to just $200.00 TOTAL across all the sales I visit. That’s not much -- $200 across 7 or 8 different consignment sales. But, I know Meg needs only a few things for her summer wardrobe and Kate really needs nothing (except BIBS, BURP CLOTHS, BATH TOWELS, WASHCLOTHS, and DIAPERS, if you were wondering). I’m being good and keeping the spending under control (at least I’m trying to be good).

Two sales into the season – plus the stop at Chocolate Soup this weekend, which I factored into my budget because it WAS clothing – I’m at a total of $110.00 spent. Yikes. That has forced me to really rethink my strategy. Do I need to go to ALL the sales? No, probably not. There are two more good ones this week that I will enjoy, and that will be that. Unless I happen to have any money left, those will probably be my last two opportunities to fish through the racks and find the gems that will become staples of our summer attire.

Tis the season for consignment sale shopping. Somebody stop me before I start looking I the 3T and 4T racks “just in case they have something super cute for next year . . .”

First Pic: Meg's loot to date; Second Pic: Kate's (much smaller) pile; Above Pic -- how could I resist?

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

As the old 80's song goes . . .

Jim and I did our fair share of Wang-Chungging Saturday night at my buddy Marsha's 30th birthday bash.

Yes, it was an 80s theme . . . and YES, that was hard for me to pull off with my belly sticking out. But we managed to scrounge up some digs (thanks to Julie, my fab-o sister-in-law) and go in the best 80s fashion we could muster.

On the ride to the par-tay, Jim said, "Don't you need to stop at Target or WalMart for something?"

I just grunted and told him to keep driving.

It certainly was FUN -- and I hope you have fun checking out everyone's glamourous attire. In my book, Keisha wins 'best dressed' for her ability to pull off a Madonna-in-Lucky-Star type outfit with some very creative touches.

Falling into Laziness

I feel I’ve been very lazy this week.

Apart from the lack of blog posts, I’ve not been really in the mood to do much of anything at all. Dishes have been procrastinated until the last possible minute. Laundry – most of it, anyway – was not done this week (leaving me with some catching up to do this weekend, yippee). I didn’t really work on the maternity shoot the way that I should have.

And now it’s Saturday, and the cloudy of lazy still looms large over my head.

I guess it’s OK. Most of the time, I ‘go go go’ – a favorite phrase of Meg’s these days – and I hardly let myself relax. It’s easy to keep busy with a 20 month old, a part time business, and a house to run. This week, I’ve done a bit more TV watching and had more do-what-I-want-to-do time than I remember having in a while. I guess I owe it to myself, every now and then.

The hard part, now, is getting myself out of the lazy haze and back into get-stuff-done mode.

Oh, I did stuff this week. I washed and folded all the 0-6 month clothing I have for Kate. That was fun for me – I enjoyed getting those items out and dreaming of another sweet little one to fill them. I spent some time gathering fabric samples so that Jim’s mom (set to arrive Wednesday for a nice visit) can help me finish the décor in Meg’s ‘big girl’ room. I also spent some time figuring out how to spruce up Kate’s room for her so it’s not exactly the same nursery Meg had.

I also managed to spend money, which I can do without fail, even while being terribly lazy. Jim and I have a big expense to manage this winter – the finishing of the basement is quite a pricey endeavor. It’s worth it . . . but I’m NOT doing a good job of wrapping my head around the idea that MORE money on the house means LESS money for ‘other stuff’ – for example, I dropped in to Chocolate Soup this morning (a kid’s clothing boutique) and HAD to buy some things for the girls because they were having a huge sale.

So, I did some stuff this week.

But, I didn’t edit my shoot, I didn’t go get an HD Portraits bank account, I didn’t clean a thing, I didn’t wash clothing, I didn’t return my neighbor’s phone call . . . more ‘didn’ts’ and ‘dids’ this week.

Deep Breath. Sigh. Trying to find motivation to get back into the swing of things.

My cousin’s son ‘spits out the crabbies’ when he’s in a crabby mood. That’s a GREAT idea. Maybe I’ll try to spit out my lazies. I hope that does the trick.

A Break in the Waves

Meg is an avid swimmer. She loves the water in any capacity . . . be it 4 or 5 inches of bathwater or the instructional pool at our neighborhood aquatic center. She’s not at all afraid of the water, and I’m hoping that one day soon I won’t have to fear her being near it.

Today was our last day of “Parent Tot” swimming lessons for the winter. Well, I must use the word ‘lessons’ a bit lightly . . . Meg isn’t learning the butterfly stroke or anything. But, at 20 months, she really is beginning to coordinate moves enough to push herself along in the water and hold herself up along the side of the pool. It’s simply amazing progress since this post
from February of last year.

Swimming safety has always been so important to me . . . even before I actually had a baby. It’s probably because my parents had me in swim classes since as long as I can remember . . . in reality, some of my very first memories include me holding on to the poolside and blowing bubbles in the water.

My dad tells the story of me jumping off the ‘high dive’ at the Hilton in Las Vegas when I was a toddler. I was probably somewhere around 3 years old when I was plenty brave enough to plunge into the water from the resort’s diving board, come back up for air, then swim solo to the pool ladder on the side. A great feat for a little one, no doubt . . . however . . . the picture my dad paints is a bit different. I think he recalls me barely able to walk, climbing some crazy 6, 7, 10 foot diving platform, and cascading gracefully into the pool while on-lookers cover their mouths and gasp in awe. The truth is in there somewhere . . . the truth being that I was a good swimmer at a young age because of my early exposure to the water.

My mom was responsible for me always being able to swim . . . no ‘swimmies’ for this child of the early 1980s (did they even have those then?). My mother (despite her shortcomings at times) knew how important it is for any kid to be able to get into a pool and be safe . . . her insistence in swimming classes allowed her to breathe easy whenever I was at a pool party or swimming at a hotel pool. I want to have that same security with my girls.

So, Meg and I started swimming at 6 months, and I plan to do the same with Kate this time next year. It’s such a fun experience for them . . . and for me, too. I’ve watched Meg go from sitting on my hip and occasionally tooling around the pool on a kickboard to full out JUMPING into the pool, kicking herself around while holding a noodle, floating on her back, and attempting to blow bubbles. It’s amazing how much she’s grown to love the water in this year. I used to be able to return to the locker room after swim relatively dry and with my hair nearly in tact . . . these days I’m constantly spashed and kicked to the point where it’s useless to try and do anything but take a complete shower after the pool.

Now we are on a bit of a break . . . my only complaint about swim here in Cobb County
is that it’s twice a week, so it does wear on you a bit. A 30 minute class is really much longer than that – it takes forever to dress and undress with a toddler. We swam in January and February, and now we are taking a break in March . . . looking forward to our return to the pool in April and May.

(Please forgive the ridiculously awful photos -- lighting in an aquatic center is, well, less than optimal! And I look awful too -- the water hides the belly, so I just look fat! Oh well -- you all know what I look like in 'real life' don't you?)

Heading South

Off to Newnan for the day/night . . . for our almost-weekly overnight with my parents. My dad can't ever seem to get enough of Meg . . . I feel like I've deprived him because he hasn't seen her in 9 days. (He keeps count -- not me.)


Anyway -- I spent most of my evening editing last night -- the maternity shoot is still totally on my mind. Here are a few more . . .

Working with adults is SO much harder than children! I sent her a handful and received a positive reply . . . so hopefully she's enjoying these enough to still keep her newborn appointment!

Have a great day -- more interesting stuff tomorrow (at least I'll try to be more interesting).

Maternity

Finally, finally, finally was able to get the maternity shot done . . . the infamous one that I was so nervous about.

Now I'm still nervous . . . and the shoot is over.

My work is really less than half-way done when a shoot is over . . . I think go into editing, which takes quite a bit of time and effort. This is where the 'magic' is done. Sure, I take a good picture, but editing is what makes it THAT much better.

I've started editing the maternity shoot, and I'm nervous. I only need 30 for the client (I took 264) . . . but I just really, really hope that she loves the 30 that I chose to edit. Working with adults is SO much harder . . . they are so much more selective in the photos they love. Take a picture of their kid -- it's fantastic, even if the kid has a runny nose and unlaced shoes. Take a picture of the mom -- it's looked at and looked at and looked at from every angle and in every position.

Here are just a few from the session -- yes, I like these, which I why they made the blog.

The rest . . . we'll see.

Nothin' but and Update

I wish I could think of something inventive to write for our weekend, but we didn’t do anything terribly exciting. Jim completed a new closet organization system for Meg’s ‘big girl room’ and I tagged about 100 items for an upcoming consignment sale at which I’ll be unloading some of the baby things we didn’t/won’t use.

I guess it’s just another day in suburbia . . . house cleaning, laudry, and meal-making going on around here.

I can update a few things that I’ve written about lately, just to keep the faithful readers totally and completely informed on what’s going on at Casa de Dahlby . . .

The maternity shoot I was set to do and so nervous about – oh, what, a month ago? – is finally taking place tomorrow. Yes, we’ve rescheduled so many times I’ve lost count . . . but tomorrow is the day, come hell or high water. I had some practice with our friends in Charleston, so I’m not as nervous about the shoot as I once was . . . but I’m still nervously anxious to get it DONE.

Basement work is coming right along. They fixed the furnace/water heater closet fiasco, and now the closet is of normal size and pleasing to both Jim and me. Electricity is being wired Monday, plumbing on Wednesday or Thursday . . . then I think we are on to drywall next week. Wow!

Meg’s incisors are still giving us fits. Only one has actually broken the surface, and it’s hung out at the surface for about a week now. I think that the top 2 are also making their way to the light . . . Meg constantly has her fingers in her mouth, and she’s constantly got poop in her pants. I even stopped giving her juice entirely to help with the numerous ‘number twos’ . . . but it’s not helped much. At least no fever, and no whining (for the most part). Rapido, teeth, rapido!!

On the subject of Meg . . . her love of Happy Monster Band has waned somewhat, and now she’s moved on to a new man in her life . . . Diego. Not Dora – she could take or leave Dora the Explorer – but turn on Go Diego Go! and the child is in a trance. She wakes up chanting, “Go! Go! Go!” – which used to be her request for HMB but is now a request to see her jungle buddy rescue some wild-a$$ animals. I miss the days of The Backyardigans. Those really were the coolest kids on the block.

And I’m still feeling a bit tired. Really, I think what my problem is that I can’t sleep without having CRAZY and long, involved dreams at night. This dreaming phenomenon has occurred in all of my pregnancies – even the one this summer. I’m so tired of them . . . so tired of the drama playing out in my head while I try to rest. Seriously, I would do anything to just sleep without dreaming . . . got any cures for this weird pregnancy side effect?

That’s it. Nothing exciting, nothing earth-shattering. Just regular life for the Dahlbys, which is nice and quiet.

Ways to Terrify a Pregnant Woman

There are several ways to terrify a pregnant woman, as I see it . . .

-- Tell her the dip she just ate was full of seafood and soft cheeses.
-- Tell her the story of your cousin who thought she was having a girl and ended up delivering a boy.
-- Ask her to pee in a cup before her doctor’s appointment . . . but after she’s just gone to the bathroom.
-- Remind her that pregnancy really is 10 months, not 9.
-- Share with her the joys of breastfeeding . . . spare no details such as leaking boobs, mastitis, and clogged milk ducts.
-- During the 20 wk ultrasound, tell her you see a perfectly normal Choroid plexus cyst (or two) on her baby’s brain.

Although not quite terrified by the information, Jim and I have been dealing with the idea of Kate having two bilateral choroid plexus cysts on her brain since our wonderful sex-revealing ultrasound back on February 1st.

It’s not fun to think that – although the chances might be very, very slim – there could be a problem with the tiny perfect human growing inside of you.

On the day of our ultrasound, I was so shocked to find out that that we were having a girl, I nearly forgot to ask our ultrasound technician if everything else she saw on the scan looked good. I was so giddy at the idea of dressing a baby in MORE pink that I took for granted that she was 100% A-OK.

When I asked – somewhat jokingly and with an air of pompousness – if Kate’s scan had been normal, then technician said, “Well, I did note two small *blah blah blah* CYSTS on her brain . . . blah blah blah . . . something about fluid . . . it’s really not anything to worry about . . .”

I listened to every word, but I know that my face told the technician that I was only hearing something about cysts on our daughter’s brain. She didn’t go into much detail – passing that responsibility along to my doctor – but she did say a few times that the cysts are not a big deal, are fairly common, and don’t have any impact on the development of the baby.

Fast forward 10 minutes . . . Jim and I wait anxiously in another examining room, wondering exactly what she had called those cyst-thingies and where in Kate’s brain they were found.

Dr Graham entered, shared in our joy about having a girl, then proceeded to tell us again that the cysts that had been found were nothing to worry about.

Choroid Plexus Cysts, as I understand them, develop almost like a fluid-filled blister on the plexus region of the brain. This region is not responsible for learning, thought, language, or any other integral part of development . . . it actually produces the fluid your brain needs to be cushy, soft, and protected from your boney head. The little cysts form and dissolve entirely on their own and are gone by the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. They are considered to be a normal part of development for some babies.

So, why the alarm? There is an association between these cysts and babies born with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 21 (Downs Syndrome).

Tell a pregnant lady that her baby has cysts that could possibly be linked to Trisomy 18 or 21 and watch the panic ensue.

When the doctor told us about this association, my heart dropped. Maybe it stopped. I think I kept listening.

Luckily for me, Dr Graham explained, my Quad Screenings (the optional 16 wk blood tests that I allowed him to talk me into) were GOLDEN and shining and PERFECT . . . meaning that there were really no other signs of Trisomy 18 or Downs in this baby. I have no family history of either, I’m not a ‘geriatric’ mother (30 isn’t old!), and my blood work really was great. So, aside from the cysts, there were no real signs of a problem. Again – he assured us – don’t worry. We probably would not have a baby with any type of chromosomal abnormality . . . these cysts are isolated incidents more-often-than-not, and they end up having absolutely no effect on anything. We would most likely have a healthy baby.

Dr Graham said that, if I were his wife, he wouldn’t even send me for another Level II ultrasound. But, since we aren’t married, I could sue him for malpractice . . . so he’d have to send me to Parinatology at the hospital for a more intense and descriptive ultrasound to rule out any signs of any problems. He told me he would book my appointment for 2 weeks following my initial ultrasound because – he thought – the choroid plexus cysts would be dissolved and gone by the time I got in to see the parinatologist.

**Side Note Here: I have an undying faith in my doctor. He is the best gyno/ob out there, in my opinion. He is NEVER wrong – and he’s so fantastically reassuring along any road we’ve been down. I tell him he’s a genius all the time, but he’s humble and doesn’t believe me.
--Can’t get pregnant? “We’ll have you pregnant by the end of the summer . . .” I was pregnant with Meg in the first week of October – so close enough.
--Want another baby? “No birth control . . . well, I give you 3 months following your first post-natal period, and you’ll be pregnant again.” I became pregnant in my 3rd cycle after having Meg.
--Had a miscarriage? “We will take fantastic care of you . . . wait a month and you’ll get pregnant again right away.” I did, and I did.
--Got Choroid Plexus Cysts on your brain? “Wait two weeks, THEN see the doctor . . . I bet they’ll be gone by the time you have your appointment.” I sure did hope he was right on that one . . . he’d never been wrong before.

Back to the cyst story . . .

We waited the two weeks and went in to see the parinatologist at Northside Hospital. Today was our appointment. Today at 2:30pm, I was lying on a table, gooey stuff on my belly, peeking in on our little Baby Kate.

And they found no choroid plexus cysts.

After a nice long session with a sonographer and many many views of Kate’s girl parts, organs, face, and profile, the doctor took a quick peek at her and declared our second daughter to be 100% healthy with absolutely no signs of any problems at all. The cysts were completely resolved. No Trisomy anything. And then he said, “Congratulations,” to us more than once.

Congratulations, you are having a healthy baby girl . . .
or Congratulations, you made it through these two weeks of wondering/worry?

Either way, I’ll take it.

After a second look, we still have a bouncing baby girl that is healthy, perfect in size (1 whole pound!) and cooking along at just the right speed. We were never terrified by the idea of the choroid plexus cysts – we were sure that everything would turn out right in the end. Still, a few tears of genuine relief did slip out of the corner of my eyes as I laid on that table this afternoon. Whew, that part is over. Now on to the next 19 weeks of this pregnancy . . .

We have always said that we would love to have three children in our family . . . but with everything that has happened, days like today make me wonder why I should continue to tempt fate and push my luck.

Maybe I’ll ask Dr Graham what he thinks about one more Dahlby Baby, seeing as he’s never been wrong.

From Our Sweetheart

Most of you have seen this already . . . we just wanted to send everyone a little valentine wish to know you are loved and thought of on this special day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope your day is filled with love and laughter!

Southern Hospitality

On the coattails of my ‘friends’ blog last week . . . I just have tell you how much fun it is to see and visit with friends that have moved away. It's wonderful to gab with old friends . . . especially when it feels as if you picked up where you left off . . . that nothing has changed since they left. We were lucky enough to reconnect with our friends Andy and Morgan last weekend in Charleston, SC, to help them celebrate the upcoming arrival of their baby boy, Grady. It was a most fun and fabulous trip filled with good friends and lots and LOTS of baby talk.

It began with my arrival mid-day Friday . . . upon which I was swept away in Morgan’s fabulous white Tahoe and whisked directly downtown to the awesome Charleston Market. If you haven’t enjoyed this outdoor venue before, you are totally missing out . . . it’s a few blocks of vendors selling all kinds of artsy-craftsy stuff authentically hand created in Charleston (or at least most of it is). For example, Morgan and I indulged ourselves in a ‘Charleston Child’ booth where – you guessed it – we found fun little handmade outfits for our beautiful babies-to-be. Friday night we enjoyed dinner downtown . . . Jim and Andy were kind enough to help our waiter make his ‘drink quota’ and help him win a free bottle of liquor. Those boys of ours sure are kind, aren’t they?

Saturday was filled with MORE baby shopping – I was in total heaven! Charleston is soooo southern, and many of the boutiques we visited had the cutest southern baby clothes I’ve ever seen. While we dreamed of baby-powder-smelling cuteness, the boys golfed on what could have been the most perfect day – 65 degrees and not one cloud in the sky. Jim and Andy were fraternity brothers at Georgia Tech – close buddies at one time – and I know that they had a great day catching up and ‘being boys’ again. I love it when Jim gets a day like that . . . he’s been working SO hard lately, he totally and completely deserves it. (I just wish he could do it MORE often.)

Saturday night was the main event – the couples’ baby shower that had prompted our visit to the coast. Andy and Morgan have some truly awesome friends in Charleston . . . they hosted an awesome get-together for the parents-to-be. The party was spectacular – really, it deserves an adjective of such magnitude. The night ended with the boys upstairs playing poker in the kids playroom/bonus room (complete with Backyardigans posters on the wall to help set the mood for the guys!). Jim didn’t win – but he did win the golf game earlier that day, so I guess he can’t win them all.

Sunday dawned with a great brunch at a really cool spot on John’s Island called Mimi’s Café . . . Morgan had a connection with the owner, so she got us a table with no wait. This is one of those brunch places you avoid because it’s so crowded . . . unless you are with a rock-star friend like Morgan. I did some photos of Andy and Morgan together (bare belly and all), then boarded a plane back to (see my baby I missed so much!) Atlanta.

Thanks to Andy and Morgan for their southern hospitality in hosting us for the weekend. It is always great to see you both and spend time with you. You are great friends – we miss you here in Atlanta but love that you live in such a fun place to visit!!

Exhausted

The last two days, I’ve just been physically exhausted. When I say it out loud, I am greeted with a “Duh, wonder why?” type of response from friends/family . . . yes, I do realize I am pregnant. And yes, I know I’m chasing around a 1 ½ yr old . . . but seriously, I’m a little taken aback to be so tired at this point in the pregnancy (21 weeks, for those who have lost track). Dressing and undressing Meg for her swimming lesson today felt like a huge chore . . . as did schlepping her on two morning errands and to the pediatric ophthalmologist after lunch.

Baby Kate is making my whole body tired. Especially my back. I’m to the point where, if I drop something or need to pick something up for Meg, I just let out a SIGH. I feel like my house might not be looking so ‘picked up’ here over the next few months . . . I just can’t bear to pick up anything else. The bending is what gets me. I’m at the point where I have to separate my legs to bend down . . . and the belly is growing bigger every day.

And then there is the picking up of Meg. To be perfectly honest, I don’t pick her up that much . . . I really don’t. My parents have told me my whole life that I walked everywhere, and that is the attitude I’ve taken with Meg. I don’t carry her up and down the stairs, I don’t carry her from the car to the store, she hardly ever gets in and out of her stroller (we hardly use it) . . . I really only pick her up when loading and unloading her in the car, putting her in the grocery buggy, and to help her up onto the couch (which is still just a few inches too tall for her). But I guess today I carried her an extra lot . . . because I’m feeling it. She got a bit spoiled and I got a bit sore. Oh well.

Just had to complain a little today . . . people always ask how I’m feeling, so here you go. I’m feeling exhausted this week.

(On a happier note, I am feeling Kate move ALL the time . . . so some of my worries and fears that have lingered into this stage of the pregnancy are fading fast. There is no feeling in the world like having a little one kick inside you!)

Just for Daddy

This post is just for Daddy (but everyone else can enjoy it too) . . . he's working on a full week since last he saw Meg. We miss you!!

In Some Cases, There is No Room for Democracy

You commenters on this blog are making me laugh . . . I’m sure you WOULD love to vote on the name for our newest additon to the family! What fun that might be for Jim and I . . . but since we already have people like, oh, my dad weighing in all the time, I think we’ve got our share of ‘advice’ on this naming of little girl # 2. And -- as much fun as voting might be -- there really is no vote. We’ve decided on a name for our new baby girl.

So, drum roll please . . .

Kate Allison

Kate Allison Dahlby

KAD

Kate, Meg and Kate, little Katie . . . we love it. Actually, I’ve always loved it, and Jim put his two cents in last weekend.


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Setting: Driving in the car, returning from a friend’s surprise party


Heather: “So, what are we going to name this little one?” (asked for the 100th time that day)

Jim: “I would say ‘Kate’ is my number one.”

Heather: “I have so many hang ups with Katherine . . . I LOVE it, but . . . “

(see, my grandmother is Catherine, my cousin is Kathryn . . . there are already two on my side of the family . . . then there is the fact that we know several of our friends love ‘Kate’ for their own potential-girls, too . . . )

Jim: “Could we just name her ‘Kate’?”

Heather: “What middle name goes with that? I think it needs to be multi-syllable because ‘Kate’ is so short.”


-- input the tossing around of dozens of names here --


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Skip ahead to Monday – an email sent to Jim from me:

To: ‘jim dahlby’
CC:
Subject: How About

Kate Allison?

Kate Allison Dahlby

KAD

Heather Dahlby
http://www.hdportraitsonline.com/ -- new site!

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Then there was a phone call from Jim in Indianapolis last Monday evening during which I pitched ‘Kate Allison’ to Jim. His reply: “I like it.”

So, we have now said it over and over, and I think it’s the name for us. For her. For Meg’s little sister.

Kate Allison

There won’t be any voting on whether or not you like it, I’m sorry to say. The only voting now is how much you like it – your choices: like it, LOVE it, or planning-to-steal it.

Baby Kate's profile

Kate Allison -- her face with hands over her head on top, her profile open-mouthed on bottom

How Much I Love Her

I never forget.

But when we are away, it eats at me . . . it tugs at me . . . and when we get back home, it overflows.

How I love our little girl.

What on earth will I do when I have two to love?

I think I might explode.

Carolina In My Mind

We're off to Charleston, SC, for the weekend . . . and by 'we' I mean Jim and I. Meg is going to spend her weekend in platial Newnan, GA, with her Grandaddy. Ah, a weekend away!

Jim and I were invited to a 'couples baby shower' for some friends of ours who live in Charleston and are expecting a boucing baby boy in April. The invitation was a perfect excuse to visit . . . we love Charleston, and we couldn't think of a better reason to go and see our buddies. Between hanging out Friday and attending the shower on Saturday night, I'm sure we'll get caught up and talk LOTS of baby talk. As a matter of fact, while the boys go golfing on Saturday morning, the girls are going to hit some baby boutiques . . . sounds like a nearly perfect Saturday to me.

Anyway, our journey begins this afternoon with our pilgrimage to Newnan to drop off Meg, then I fly to Charleston tomorrow. Try not to miss the blogging too much . . . if I can, I'll send a note from South Carolina . . . or I might just be having too much fun to stop and blog it!

Happy Almost-Weekend, my friends.

Hurdle # 1

We've run into our first hurdle in our basement project. Project day 8, hurdle numero uno.

The braniacs from John Weiland who built our home really never intended on having anyone finish the basement. We know this because they just hodge-podged the duct work coming out of our furnace . . . making quite a mess for our contractors to deal with as they try to build walls in the basement 8 years after the house was built.

Because of the wacko-duct work, the closet that is being built around the furnace and hot water heater is . . . well . . . BIG. Way bigger than a traditional closet used to house such equipment. We knew there would be a closet, but we are shocked at the size that ours has become. And these lovely equipment-housing closets usually require a double set of doors in order to pass 'code' -- there has to be enough clearance to get the units in and out if there were ever a problem.

Oh, and did I mention that the furnace and hot water heater are RIGHT in the MIDDLE of the basement? Not off to the side or in a corner . . . RIGHT in the middle.

So, what we have is a cluster f&*%, to say the least. See for yourself . . .

We don't know WHAT to do. For starters, if they can't move the ducts any more than they have (it's those going up to the ceiling that are the problem), I have requested that they at least move the doors to one side or the other . . . I really don't want huge doors in the middle of the room. In reality, we'd like to see if we can hire someone to come move the ducts ($$ cha-ching, cha-ching $$) . . . the closet should be a good 2 feet smaller, which would make a big difference in the space it's in.

The big ole' closet really ruins the room . . . it's not a rectangular room any more, it's some funky shaped room that won't be suitable for any type of furniture. I told the contractor it was going to be a playroom for now . . . so he replied with, "Well, are you really going to need to put a couch in a playroom?" UM -- where are GROWN UPS supposed to sit? On the floor?? YES we'll have a small couch at least -- but with nowhere to put it, that isn't really our issue now, is it?! And this room will be used as a playroom for the next 8-10 years . . . the it will graduate to a game room and STILL won't be suitable for furniture OR a pool table!

UGH. Deep Breath. I know these things will come and go throughout our whole process . . . I guess I should get used to the hurdles.

The GOOD NEWS is that the media room looks awesome, and they built a pretty cool inset to put our new TV and cabinets. And the bedroom with the huge storage closet looks great, too. They are pretty much done with the framing, so next it's on to electrical work and the our first round of inspections.

Now if we can just fix this playroom . . .

So, I Have All These Friends . . .

I have a lot of friends . . . not to sound cocky or obnoxious, because I think we ALL have a lot of friends from various stages in our lives. If we are lucky, we’ve all connected with people and made long-lasting relationships in childhood, high school, college, work . . . all these friends mean so much and remind us so much of a certain time in our lives.

For me, I have one friend in particular that has literally grown up with me. We were forced to be ‘locker partners’ in 6th grade, and I’ll never forget that she had a picture of her cat hanging in there when I ‘moved in’ to our rectangular metal digs. Other kids at school told her I was weird because I had recently moved to Georgia from California . . .and she definitely bought into that because it was not at that time in our lives that we became the sister-like friends we are today. It was later, in 8th grade, when our PE coaches made us walk laps around the track (or be subjected to some organized sport – it was our choice) that we truly found each other and hit it off. We’ve been inseparable for so many years now . . . 16, to be exact. She was the Matron of Honor in my wedding, and we are about to have babies just days apart later this year. (That's us -- she is in yellow with her two girls beside her, me with baby Meg in summer 2006 . . . and our other high school friend is with us with her two boys.)

I have another friend that sticks with me from college . . . we met when we were positioned next to each other in the Redcoat Marching Band. She was “G7” and I was “G8” – or something like that. Fate had not only put us next to each other in the marching formations, but also in the same dorm AND on the same hall. It was like someone had two big hands on each of our backs, shoving us closer together and saying, “Hey, you two will get along . . . here, be friends.” We were in and out of touch through some of our college years . . . she stayed in the band and I veered down the sorority route. After college, our friendship grew closer but our lives were still physically a bit far apart . . . until I married and chose to move pretty much right down the street from this dear friend. And when we moved this summer, I couldn’t bear the thought of moving far from her, so we stayed within 5 miles . . . and actually live closer now than we did before. Her youngest son and Meg are 12 weeks apart . . . meaning that I was pregnant right along with this friend two years ago. (That's us in the pic, both prego in May 2006.)

I have good friends that I’ve met through Jim -- Jim’s friends wives, girlfriends, etc. Our family has grown with these families . . . I’ve celebrated many weddings and births with this particular avenue of friends. I cannot say that I hit it off with every wife/girlfriend that I meet – naturally, there are a few that just don’t click with me – but many are great friends who I enjoy seeing on a regular basis. Two of them in particular are not really even “Jim’s friends’ wives” – they have fast become MY friends, and the boys just hang out when we get together. Heck, if it weren’t for my friendship with some of these wonderful ladies, Jim might not see some of his old buddies on many occasions! These friends and I have connections because of our husbands, but we are much more than that. (NO comments about my attire in these photos are necessary -- Tech was playing Notre Dame, so I was trying to be a supportive wife!)

And now, at this new mom-stage in life, I have new friends. I have friends that I’ve met in mommy-oriented classes, such as Meg’s swimming and music activities. I have friends that I had before mommyhood . . . but since we’ve both become moms, we have found a new level to our friendship – we have something so powerful in common that it’s hard NOT to become better friends. I have friends that I’ve called on for many mommy-type needs . . . all of which I don’t know what I would have done without them since the birth of pretty little Meg.

Even still, I’m making more friends these days in a more unconventional way . . . on the internet. Yes – I have ‘on line” friends! Some might even call me a 'blog stalker'. These new friends are mostly associated with my photography endeavor and my time spent on Flickr . . . I’ve tapped into people’s photo streams and really, truly gotten to know them and their families through pictures and emails. I have a great friend in Canada who – terribly and unfortunately – shared my miscarriage experience with me this summer. She and I are both now expecting new summer babies . . . but I don’t know what I would have done without her in that month following our loss. She has become more than just a ‘pen pal’ – she’s a real friend who I speak to and think of almost daily. I have another friend in the Midwest who is having some medical procedures done right now, and she’s been kind enough to share the experience with me. I have a friend in Seattle who adopted the most precious baby girl that is just about Meg’s age . . . and I so wish I could find a way for Meg and Lily to meet! These friends may be a bit unconventional, but they are people that I care and think of just as I do any other friend.

It’s so interesting to think of all of these different friends – and to think of how much each of them mean to me. My college friend often says friends from so many walks-of-life makes it hard to get together with ALL of your friends at once because when you do, it can be like ‘worlds colliding’ – which is very, very true. Each friend means something special to you – but mixed together it CAN be a unique experience. (Ahem, remember your wedding? Your Grandma and your Boss in one room? That’s what she means.)

So, I have all these friends. I consider myself lucky, and I take none of you for granted. As the “Golden Girls” theme song boasts, “Thank you for being a friend . . .”

Progress

So, I made that ‘6 month’ list back at the beginning of the year, and in only about 5 weeks I seem to have accomplished a lot! I thought I’d share my update with you.

Get a business license/tax ID/bank account for HD Portraits. Tax ID DONE (thanks to Jim’s help) – now I just need to stop into the bank for an account, which shouldn’t be too bad . . I think?

Be less judgmental. Worry less about what others think. Not really doing great at this . . . but really, really trying. Just trying to forget it all because of the stress is causes me . . . totally UNNECESSARY stress.

Do more with the décor in the house . . . Lots of progress in one month’s time, I think – upstairs bedrooms & bathrooms are ALL painted, new linens and towels for our newly green master bedroom, new kitchen valances are UP!, pictures are up in front hall, got some sconces for above the fireplace, changed the wall plates in the kitchen, and completed the decor above the kitchen cabinets.

Master when we moved in . . .

Our still-needs-work master, with a fresh coat of paint

Kitchen before . . .

Kitchen now . . . new valances and all!

All three “kids” bedrooms upstairs need work . . .
Meg’s new bedding is ordered (white bunk beds to be ordered ASAP), plans in motion to update (but mostly keep the same) New Baby Girl’s nursery, and the playroom has been painted and is going to be slightly decorated with things I already have around here (just slightly since it will most likely end up the 3rd nursery one day).

The girls' playroom, semi-decorated and painted yellow.

What will one day be Meg's 'big girl' room -- with twin over full bunks.

Finishing the Basement.
Work began last week! Framing seems to be 75% done – it’s so strange to see it already shaping up. We have a LONG road to go, but it’s already started . . . which was probably the hardest part.

Eat at home more – even when I’d RATHER go out. Try new recipes, too.
Jim has truly been watching his diet, which as really contributed to the success in this area. We’ve been eating at home to help him and to save money – both excellent reasons, I think. Thanks to everyone who has noticed Jim’s HARD work.

Smile more – especially in public.
Um, nope. Not much here.

Do nice things for Jim.
A few things here and there . . . but this one will be a work in progress for ALL of 2008, I think.

Convince my parents to suck it up and buy a car seat. STILL working on this one. UGH.

Stand up for myself and for my work with HD Portraits.
Doing better . . . but the maternity lady did muscle me into a weekday shoot, which isn’t very easy for me!

Play with Meg more. And more. And more. I could never play with her enough . . . but we have graduate to few NEW things like coloring!

Girls

Gosh, we're having another girl. This is so fantastically exciting.

Gosh, we used up all our favorite names on Meg. Megan Elizabeth . . .

Gosh, what are we going to name this new girly?

Pairs

Good things come in pairs. Socks, shoes, pants. Chopsticks. Two scoops of raisins. ‘Double’mint gum.

And for the Dahlby’s – GIRLS.

We are having a second baby girl at our house, all set to arrive in mid-to-late June. She’s fantastic and wiggly and looks . . . well, a lot like her big sister did in HER ultrasound two years ago.

Everything went swimmingly at our appointment. Little Girl was moving like crazy – making it hard for the technician to get the shots she needed, but giving us a GREAT show at the same time. And, isn’t it typical of a 2nd born to NOT follow directions and do what you need them to do? She’s beautiful, and we are so damn excited to have a little sister for Meg.

Admittedly, I was a bit surprised by the news. I think I even said, “REALLY?” when the sex was revealed . . . but New Baby Girl was spread eagle, so there is no doubt she’s a girl. Blast that Chinese Calendar! I really was thinking boy . . . and I think that I was really HOPING boy for Jim. Jim thought girl all along . . . maybe to avoid getting his hopes up . . . so he wasn’t too surprised. He even smiled his super-smiley Jim beam, so I know he's happy.

Of course, our parents are thrilled. My dad was here at my house when I told him – the first time I’ve EVER given him any pregnancy news in person. He reacted with a “YES!” and a fist pump . . . kind of like a tennis or golf star that just made a good hit. Jim’s mom said she was thinking boy – like me – but of course two granddaughters are fantastic.

Now we must agree on a name for Baby Girl Dahlby . . . we have a few, and I have one I love . . . but we have time so we’ll mull it over for a while.

Happy to share our news – and now I’m excited to move on with planning and preparing.

A GIRL – ah, how I love PINK.