cvs santa

Santa was stationed in the Beauty Section of CVS. I was the only person in line at 3:55, and in a desperate attempt to keep Simon awake for his first meeting with childhood magic, I made him sniff all the perfume in the aisle.

Everytime I look at this picture, I laugh. Maybe it is because I know that they draped a sheet over the makeup section to create Santa's "winter wonderland". Or because Simon is so distracted by something to his left (oh what could it be? Should I name all the things that distract him?...the light, the fan, bright colors, his fist, the sky, the ceiling...the kid has no discretion) that he looks like he is trying to leap out of Santa's lap.

Thank you, CVS, for a very memorable first Santa.

purple popsicles and a snowy day

Let me tell you, I chose the right week to go back to work. A Christmas party and a snow day! It can't get any better than that.

Simon prepared for his first snowy day by wearing his ginormous snow outfit around the house. We also read this book together (thanks Emily and Nate!)



We made it to page 2 before Simon started whining, probably because his mother was making him wear a huge snowsuit inside the already quite heated house. I couldn't help myself.

Simon is currently on a medicine that makes his lips and tounge purple. As you can see in the above picture, it looks like he has been eating a purple popsicle all day. We have been teasing him constantly (as if he understands.) Aside from staining everything purple, including my pjs, his spit up, and the snow :) , the medicine cracks us up.

We thankfully and finally made it outside. Noel and I sang "Winter Wonderland" as Simon looked around confused, unsure of what to make of the white stuff.

na-ah

How is it possible that you are already 2 months?!

ALSO

I just checked the calender, and there is in fact T minus 10 days until I return to work.

Doesn't having a crazy kid count as 5 jobs? One more shouldn't matter too much. Perhaps it is a return to civility....clothes with zippers, conversations at the photocopy machines, and e-mails with semi-colons.

I will keep you updated on this working woman thang.

i want to spit up all over the christmas tree

Without Julia's help this weekend , there is no way my Christmas spirit could have been maintaned. We found the most perfect tree in about 5 minutes.






Simon also participated in the hunt for the perfect tree. Here he is, being bossy and ruling the street as we pick out a tree.

After some furniture moving and some serious rummaging in the Christmas box, we managed to create this.



For those of you who do not have inspecter gadget's zoom-in glasses on your face right now, this tree has been topped off with a marvelous hand crafted angel.



Yes, that is a picture of my child perfectly crafted into the coolest arts and crafts project of all time. Julia's hot glue gun skills are incredible. His angel get-up comes with metallic wings AND a halo! Though his behavior has been far from angelic these days, we are hoping this is giving him something to strive towards.




Also, Simon loves to spit up on the Christmas tree. The real question, however, should be: What doesn't Simon like to spit up on?

baby clothes are the best

The demographic of our coat hanger is changing.

Big coat, little coat, big coat.

business in the front, party in the back

Is it just me or is this kid bringing back the mullet?

I have never been so proud.

my newest simple pleasure

Every day, Simon takes about 4-5 naps. He is getting more and more social every day, which means I have to help him get to sleep or else I am pretty sure he would stay awake all day, crying and staring at things in wonder. I made up his "schedule" and it continues to be necessary for his/our/my/Noel's sanity. Getting him to sleep is the HARDEST thing ever and requires a butt load of patience. Since I am not a naturally patient person (working through that one now), I have to dig it up from the dregs of my long lost perfect personality.Yea right.

Let me tell you, though, when I actually make it happen, it feels good. Success is so sweet and the satisfaction of it is on the same level as a) a really good vacuum, and/ or b) driving while watching the light up ahead turn from red to green and without having to press your brake, you bust through the light. You all know what I am talking about it.

sleeping baby. BOO YA. fist pound.

tech savvy maternity leave

Simon is on a strict sleep schedule. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

This means I make Simon sleep even when he doesn't want to (why didn't I think of that BEFORE?!), and I get to fold laundry, do dishes, write thank you notes...

Since my domesticness is limited and I can only fold laundry and nap for so long, I bought myself an early Christmas present. After joining twitter and conquering the world of constant social media (and some encouragement from Corinne), I moved on to this...

I don't watch a lot of tv, but I think I might start. I don't have the energy and mental capacity for books these days, so this will do, and I am VERY happy about it.

In baby news, Simon thinks it is really fun to spit up. It is my favorite thing ever. I guess he cracks himself up, just like his mother.

time flies

Is that the beginnings of a smile?? Tightttttttt.

early age education

Even though I don't get to read so much anymore, Simon does. This bodes well for his future of straight A's.

Today was a good day

For two reasons:

1- I love election day. Isn't there something so awesome about standing in line to vote? Simon was an angel, flirting with all the cville citizens exercising their rights. I like to think he might have swayed some voters with his eyelid batting. I can only say how disappointed I was that they were out of stickers by the time we got there at 1 pm. I was planning on stealing one for Simon, future voter.

=

2- Even though we can't so much afford fancy coffee, today is the first day of the Starbucks gingerbread latte. Does that mean Christmas is around the corner? That is horrifying. Anyways, I voted, then bought one for myself, convincing myself that I deserved a treat. I DID just have a baby, and NO, I do not sleep at night. I so deserve a cup of coffee. I am so editing the budget to include gourmet coffee in the childbirth recovery category. Boo ya.

hear me roar

While baby Joel was fast asleep, Simon was roaring/freaking out/getting mad at mom for not constantly holding his pacifier in place.



Simon loves his Auntie Emily.

the BIG weekend

where auntie logan came to visit! Yes, we did go to the market.




I had 3 awesome babysitters who loved standing with the stroller as I bought my brussel sprouts. and since i had a baby and am a loyal popsicle costumer, I got us four free popsicles, last of the season. life is good at the market.




And auntie allison and petie came to visit!

I think this is turning into a baby blog. Maybe soon I will have something else to write about, but I think I need to be sleeping a little more for that. Until then....

Life with Sims

This is what Simon does (when he is not crabby.)




This is what we would like to be doing all day.


More to follow once I figure out this parenting thing. Might be a few million years.

Welcome to the world, Simon!

8 lbs. 9 oz. Born on 10-8-10 (Wilkes' birthday!) at 1:32 A.M. (I think...) 20 1/2 inches.

You finally made it to the world, buddy, and we are so glad (even though you can't read this, everyone wants to see pics of you!)

This ones for you, Alice!

Several things have happened in the last week:

1- I am officially on maternity leave. In fact, I have been on maternity leave for a week now. No baby yet, even though I am walking, eating spicy food, and drinking raspberry leaf tea like it is my job. This is a practice in patience, to say the least.

2- I got into a car accident. It was not my fault (which is nice), and everyone was okay (which is wonderful). But look at what it did to our car! Oh my.



Yes, we are currently trying to give birth to a baby and buy a car. In hopes of not making rash decisions, we are entering the parenting world early by borrowing my mother's mini van until we get a new car.

3- I promised Alice a belly picture. Unfortunately, this was taken 2 weeks ago, and I am too lazy to take a new picture. As you know, I am very busy on maternity leave.




4- I did something I have been threatening to do for the last 6 months ( Thank you, Rutha, for that reminder). It was about time I joined twitter. In the words of KT Shields, maternity leave has broken me down. I wish I knew how to retweet that. I am afraid technology is running much faster than I am.

5- I really hope my next post includes a picture of baby Stringham!

Aqua jogging, cont...

We are joined by guest blogger, Logan Stout, first time blogger and first time aqua jogger:



I would like to say a few words about my aqua jogging experience that I had with Nefret this past weekend.

If you were like me, you read her most recent entry about this favorite new “sport” of hers and thought: “Only for pregnant ladies and folks over the age of 75. You just put a floaty belt on and bob up and down in the water, maybe moving your legs around a bit. How cool could that be?”

Incorrect my friends. Aqua jogging is 1. INTENSE!!! 2. For everyone!

Do you like the pool? Do you like bright colored floaty belts? Do you enjoy one piece swimsuits and swim caps (optional)? Then aqua jogging is for you! Move swiftly and smoothly through your own private lane with a good friend and converse while getting an impact free workout beneath the water’s surface. Tri-athletes do it! And while aqua jogging, you might even meet a nice European man like our friend here!


Please take the time to give aqua jogging a try… you will not regret it!

Thank you, Jenni and Liam Stringham, for these awesome sippy cups.




Amazon.com, what's up with your packaging????

My new favorite sport

Don't even try and tell me that aqua jogging is not a sport. I don't want to hear any of that nonsense, and if you insist on disagreeing with me, I challenge you to an aqua jogging race. I have been aqua jogging almost every day for the last three weeks, so you have no chance in beating me.

For those of you who have never had the privilege of jogging underwater, basically it requires that you float in a pool, pump your arms and legs "pretending" that you are jogging as you move at the slowest pace imaginable. It is heavenly. Weighing nothing in the pool is the best sensation ever- it's like, for 35 minutes, I do not weigh a million pounds and have a heavy rock/7.5 pound baby in my stomach.



Yesterday I stayed longer than my usual time because I could not keep my eyes off the UVA diving team. Diving is so impressive, and in my state, I can't really remember what it was like to flail your body off of a diving board into the water.

The day before yesterday I almost started crying in front of the janitor when I realized that the pool was closed for the UVA swim team practice. She looked confused, called me "honey", and then consoled me by walking me upstairs to get the new pool schedule. I have now rearranged my entire schedule to go to the pool when it is open.

Noel asked me the other night if I am going to love aqua jogging as much after I have the baby. I told him "YES" emphatically and then, when it dawned on me that I was not going to be able to swim for 6 weeks after the baby, I almost started crying. Poor Noel doesn't know what to do with me. Oh yeah, and you better believe that I have already made Noel go aqua jogging with me. He can comment on that experience independently, but I know it was the highlight of his week.

So, if anyone is available in the obscure hours of the morning and evening, grab an aqua jogging belt and meet me at the pool. Just be prepared to watch me attempt to get out of the pool about 5 or 6 times before I am even close to succesful. The lifeguards give me lots of looks, as if they are not sure if I need help getting out of the pool. YES, I need help. I am 9 months pregnant.



Sorry, I am not ready to have my picture taken with an aqua jogging belt. Just pretend that is me and all my aqua jogging buddies.

full term!

This is the e-mail I got from thebump.com this morning that made me laugh out loud.


"Dear Nefret, Today brings two beautiful words: full-term. Now, whenever baby's born, he's likely to thrive. Also thriving? Your nesting instincts, which are behind those sudden urges to bake, clean, or embroider a onesie. (Feminists, take your issue up with nature, not with us.)"

To all the feminists out there, I just added embroidering a onesie to my to-do list.

Blast from the Past

You are a kid again, running the streets in your neighborhood.

I am amazed by all the crazy technology out there. The kindle was/still is too much for me to handle, but being able to make a music video with a map of my childhood house?! Such deep irony in using new technology to relive our childhood where we did not have hardly any technology. Remember MS DOS? Whaaaaa. Oh my.

The Cricket, Part 2

Noel saves the day. Again. and Again. Gosh, I am grateful for a handy creative husband who understands the importance of killing a cricket that sounds like he is living under my pillow.

At midnight last night, after several attempts at searching and tracking down the cricket. (Did you know crickets don't chirp unless it is dark outside? Let me tell you, that makes it VERY difficult to track him down.) Noel even put the lamp underneath the bed in hopes that would at least shut him up, so we could sleep. (That didn't work).

After Noel went outside, sprayed the entire outside window with Raid and proceeded to take a shower because he was so covered with nasty chemicals, the cricket was still chirping.

At this point, I am lying in bed with a pillow over my face. Noel, super hearing combined with brilliance, decides to take the blinds off and open the window from the top. And there, THERE, of ALL PLACES, trapped between outside and inside in our window, was the cricket.

Thankfully he is now free to chirp in our backyard as much as he would like.

In terms of preparing for having a baby, I pretty much think I learned nothing. Complain and whine until your husband tries every possible solution to get the baby to be quiet? That's all I got on this one. At least I know what it is like to be awake every 2 hours because of something wailing/chirping/crying in my ear.

God is preparing us to have a baby by giving us...

A CRICKET!




We have a cricket in our bedroom. As you may or may not know, crickets are pea size, impossible to find, and make the loudest noises all night long. I am telling you, this cricket has got to be the soprano of his chorus, because he chirps this chirp that makes my shoulders rise to my ears and my eyeballs flinch in my sleep. At several points in the middle of the night I looked under my pillow to see if maybe he was there. It was THAT loud.

Noel and I both were awake at 1 A.M, 3 A.M. , and 5 A.M. swatting around the room with our pillows in hopes that by chance we would find him. We even opened the window, hoping we would hear him less with all his bros and sisters in the background. But no, he is living a little too close to our heads for that. We didn't find him, and instead I resorted to stuffing tissue papers in my ear (don't worry, I realize that won't work for the baby).

Alongside waking up every 2 hours to pee, I suppose this is good preparation.

Good thing our baby is going to be way cuter.

Charlottesville is a little lonelier

without my girls, Logan, Rose, and Jamie.




I blame Logan for the terrible habit I have of cooking way more than I should. I was always hoping she would show up and eat some of whatever random vegetable I found at the market that week. Nobody appreciates a white eggplant or a batch of beets as much as she does. And when I told Logan I was pregnant and the baby was the size of a lentil, she cried...there is nothing more special than that.
I am so JEALOUS of Greenville.




Rose and Jamie! To be in the same city as Rosepac was marvelous. If it weren't for her, I don't think I would have left the house when we first arrived in Cville. She shared all her friends with me and taught me the cool places to hang.

In the course of our short (and awesome) friendship, Jamie and I walked miles and miles. There is nothing like circling the stadium an extra time because we are not finished discussing who we can convince to watch Shrek 3 in the movie theatre.

Let's just say it's a good thing Richmond is only an hour away, and I already have plans to visit next week.

the to-do list

Everything I have been meaning to do for the last 25 years and still haven't done, and now that I am having a baby in less than 6 weeks, I really need to get them done:

- re-season dutch oven.

Noel insists that I need to take this off of my to-do list. I disagree. I am trying to be a foodie here, and I must have a working dutch oven in case I need to use it again (only been used once.)

-clean car.

There are still dead leaves from the fall on the floor of our car. Gross. I am trying to keep this baby away from germs, but I am pretty sure our car has the most germs of anywhere else we hang.

-read all the unread books on my bookshelf.

This is ambitious, but I don't care. I am afraid they will never get read. Ask Noel. I get into bed at around 9 pm to start reading, and he has to beg me to turn off the light.

-buy more socks.

Why do I insist that I can just keep wearing the same ones with giant holes in the heel? I have no idea.

-wash clothes.

This is always on the to-do list. Who doesn't have this on their to-do list? I would like to know your strategy.

-return random stuff from target that I bought several months ago and still haven't returned.

I know you all can relate to this.

-buy stamps.

I should probably quit mooching off of people, asking strangers outside near the mailbox for stamps as if they are cigarettes.

- pack hospital bag

Noel insists that this is the most important thing on the to-do list. Of course it is, but if one only has 2 pairs of sweatpants, how can I sacrifice one to the hospital bag just in case I go into labor. I don't know why I didn't think about this before. I am praying the baby gives me ample time to stuff toothbrush (only got one of those!), contacts, and other random assortment of things I might need before we rush off to the hospital.

-clean sofa cover.

It is disgusting. enough said.

-take shower.

Yes, it is satisfying to put this on a to-do list, because I know I can check it off in about 10 minutes. Boo ya.


(Sorry no pictures. I have been forgetting my purse at home a lot.)

Screen porch makeover

I did not take a before picture, because this makeover happened in record whirlwind time. For those of you who can imagine a screened-in porch that is all our many multi-color leftover rugs and every trinket I could not find a place for in the house all in one space, that is what it would be. Katie said, "It was so typical Noof, but this is even more Noof."

As she swept the dead leaves that had fallen off my plant (oy, I can not seem to keep anything green alive for very long), Carrie said, "We just can't let Alice Curtin one up us."

I am so grateful for my friends.





I know you want to come over and chill on our awesome porchhhhh.

Welcome to the world, Peter Christopher Clausen!

You are really freakin cute, and I can't wait until you are best buds with baby Stringham. Yes, I will buy you boys matching overalls. Love, your auntie Noof