Push!

In all the chaos of the last 6 weeks since Max was born, I forgot to share with you this stunning necklace that The Fella gave me the night I went into labor. My girl friend calls it a "push present." Whatever the name, it was probably wise that he took this out after I got the epidural, no matter how gorg this is! 

Peach moonstone wire-wrapped with 14kgf wire and a freshwater pearl
bezeled in vermaille (sterling silver overlaid with 24k gold)

This necklace is a one-of-a-kind designed by Alex Agudo, who is behind the jewelry label, Monsieur Pamplemousse. We met Alex at my high school friend's house party back in September and we got to talking about his jewelry making. He happened to have a few prototypes on hand that I was positively smitten with! Little did I know that The Fella contacted Alex after that for a private viewing of his new collection and picked out a piece unlike anything I own. Best of all, this necklace is a beautiful reminder of the night that changed everything for us.    

Holiday tree 2011

We put up our (fake) Christmas tree over Thanksgiving weekend. It's usually one of my favorite get-in-the-holiday-spirit activities, but this year I was just plain tired. The Fella put up most of it by himself––all I did was string the ribbon and hang a few ornaments. But as exhausted as I was, I still appreciated showing Max all the different ornaments and remembering the story behind each.

Blown glass bird with glass threads, Christkindl Market, 2010

Blown glass blowfish, Christkindl Market, 2010

Would you wear this?

Doesn't Max look super cute in this onesie? He looks so cozy and comfy!

And just when I was kinda-sorta thinking how nice it would be if there was such a thing as onesies for adults... well, shucks, there is!

Thanksgiving weekend

This was Baby Max's first Thanksgiving, and our first Thanksgiving with a baby. Last year we hosted a homemade "Friendsgiving" with our awesome urban family, but this year we are thankful for Whole Foods for their prepared deluxe dinner which fed us and The Fella's family, who was visiting us this holiday in our little condo while we juggled a new baby, Fella's rambunctious niece and nephew, and a big dog frazzled by all the commotion. All in all, it was a nice celebration of family, good food, and a bottle of award-winning blush wine we picked up on our babymoon at Starved Rock.

 

Baby Max, Post-Thanksgiving weekend

Baby Max has been a terror of a beast today: nearly 8 straight hours of crying, shrieking, and screaming. Nothing would soothe him, not rocking, bouncing, walking, singing, feeding. We tried everything. I even broke down finally and gave him a pacifier for the first time, but that only lasted about 7 minutes. 

And this is Max for the 20 minutes he finally dozed off. 20 minutes? We'll take it.

(Sorry for the poor lighting. Didn't want to risk waking the beast.)

Baby Max, 4 weeks

Last Monday was Max's 4-week pediatrician appointment. We're not usually the betting kind, but The Fella and I have been playing "Guess How Much Baby Weighs This Week." He weighed in at 9lb 3oz and is in the 25th percentile, which means I win a "Get Out of Walking FurFur Pass." (I lost our 2-week bet and incurred an extra diaper change for one of Max's poopiest messes.)

So Max's stats are looking good, but the doctor said he has a flat head. Max favors his right side, so this side of his head and ear is flatter than the left. She pointed out his misaligned ears, showed us some neck exercises, and said that he might require a helmet at 4 months if it hasn't corrected itself. After all, noone wants a baby with an asymmetrical head! 

But I think he's just perfect. What do you think? 

Wearing Baby

I'm learning so many things each day about having a baby. Apparently, this is how you "wear your baby."

There are many different slings, wraps, and carriers out there. This is the Moby wrap. It took both me and my mom to wrap this bad boy on, 3 attempts, 25 minutes, and it wasn't even perfectly tied in the end. He kept slipping down. Baby Max really took to this one (probably because he could be smushed up against my boob), so I'll have to keep working on my technique.

This is the Baby Bjorn carrier that my sister handed down to me. My niece didn't like it because it made her too hot (they live in South Texas). I don't think Max will have that problem here.

He doesn't love the Baby Bjorn and kinda fights me when I try to buckle him in it. I found that this Tivoli Couture Carrier Cover with detachable hood calms him. Though it wears like a potato sack on me, it's beyond snuggly for Max which makes it perfect for Chicago winters when I have to walk the dog and baby together. Bonus: Pull the hood over and it's like someone turned out the lights and he falls asleep instantly!

Happy 4 weeks!

Baby Max turned 4 weeks yesterday!

Happy birthday, Max! You get a bath!





Love,
Mommy

(I never believed it when people have told me I have an evil laugh... but it turns out that I really do!)

The little things

Today I feel like I've conquered the world. 

It's 8pm and I haven't been pee'd or poo'd on (yet). Baby has actually settled down for a couple naps today. I am getting better at typing one-handed. The weather is beyond gorgeous today. I've even managed to squeeze in several productive things I've been meaning to do for days now but never got the chance what with a baby attached to my boob or hip. Things like:

- Prepare Max's birth announcements
- Watch 2 of the 4 hours of The Today Show
- Blog here
- Blog for PinkMemo
- Eat a proper breakfast and lunch
- Take a 45 minute afternoon nap
- Take a long, leisurely stroll in the neighborhood
- Chat with a friend––by telephone!

I even built up the courage to take Max on a real errand by myself. Out in public, with real, live people in the real world. I've been a little terrified to take him out of the confines of my neighborhood where I'm just steps away from my home should he start shrieking like a pterodactyl or I need to whip out a boob or whatever. 

But today was an encouraging day. So I strapped Baby Max to my chest, hopped the #72 to the Apple store to fix my laptop, and bam, we made it there without incident. Then they told me the earliest Genius Bar appointment wasn't until two hours later. #FAIL. Back home we went. Will try again tomorrow. Still, I feel so proud that I was able to do this on my own! Heck, I had even put on a fresh outfit.    

It's the small things, people.

{ p dot s } I've been meaning to share this video of Baby Max taken Day 10. He's going to be a club kid, I can tell. He's been rocking himself to sleep to the beat of music since we brought him home from the hospital! I'm holding his neck up, but I swear I'm not moving his head for him!

Home alone

You know you've hit rock bottom when someone takes a crap in your hand. 

And then he peed on me, not once... Twice. 

Besides that, my first full day/night home alone with the baby, now that The Fella returned back to work and my folks have left, was rather adventure-filled:

Baby doesn't sleep more than a couple hours. No, he wants to be held. Mommy doesn't get to sleep either. 
Dog rolls in poo at the dog park.
Mommy tries to bathe Dog while Baby cries hysterically through the monitor in his crib.
Dog tries to get out of tub, presumably to help Baby.
Mommy coos at Baby, "Oooh you're so cuuuute!" Baby projectile spits up in my face.
Mommy tries to smash centipede creature on the wall near me with Baby attached to boob. Unsuccessful.
Finally, Mommy eats dinner on couch while holding Baby. Dog licks food.

There have been equal parts good and bad days since Max was born. (Not including today's little act, obvi.) Good days, meaning a respectable handful of pieced-together hours of sleep through the day and night, minimal hormonal tears, and only one or two projectile poos or pee. Bad days are the exact opposite. I'll let you figure that one out. 

On good days, I've managed to get out of the house for little spurts of time, such as to take a walk in the neighborhood. Friends have encouraged me to do this as much as possible, but I've found this to be difficult for the following reasons, take your pick:

a. Baby will need to be fed in less than 1 hour. Again.
b. It's cold.
c. It's rainy.
d. I want nothing to do with the outside world.
e. I'm sleep deprived.
f. I don't want to leave Baby.
g. All of the above.

My parents were visiting for two weeks up until yesterday. They've been a tremendous help... thanks, Mom and Dad! They even dragged me out of the house (kicking and screaming) to go to breakfast one day. How dare they. But in all seriousness, I can even count the number of times I've been out the house on two hands! Here are a few snaps to prove that I have indeed shed the bathrobe...

Day 7: First family walk, Baby and Dog went to Oberweis for a milk shake

Day 12: Breakfast on a Monday at Clarke's on Damen

"Wearing the baby" for a walk around the neighborhood

Day 24: Another walk, this time on a gorgeous day!

Day 23: First sushi post-baby!!!!! Need I say more?

Post-Halloween snaps

Baby's crib for Halloween... (That's how he rolls.)