The Pauleys Go To Chicago (well, just north of it)

New location...same old stuff

2008-08-01T16:25:00.002-05:00

Alrighty, so I've moved the blog over to Wordpress at http://go2chicago.wordpress.com So pretty much the same thing, just different. :-)

Sorry...

2008-08-01T13:13:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack to posts. For some reason, Blogger thought this was a spam blog. I have no idea why, but they blocked us for a while. I'm looking into moving this to Wordpress or maybe getting our own domain or something...

A hard day playing

2008-07-23T16:58:00.002-05:00

So Max apparently had a hard day playing with bats and everything. He wore himself out and just passed out on his exercise mat.

Max today...

2008-07-21T11:35:00.003-05:00

Our happy boy is finally back. Boy, Mommy hates shots. He had an eventful weekend too -- on Friday night we were back at Ravinia with our neighbors the Tomlins and O'Gordons for John Hiatt and Alice Peacock.

And it poured rain. Absolutely poured. The kids (other than Max, though I'm sure he'd like to do it someday) were using the tarps as slip n' slides. I had poor little Max with me under an umbrella. He didn't seem to mind, really, was just kind of checking everything out like "hey, what the heck is this stuff?"

And then Saturday night we went to Treva and Sebastian's for a bbq. That was Max's first time in the city -- they live in the Wrigley Park area. He did pretty good; pretty much just hung out and flirted with the ladies, as per usual.

So here's Max today. Daddy emailed and said he needed his Max fix.

Anybody want to play??!

Uh, what did you say?

Gracie was off to the side on this one and Max is trying to get her to play, I think.
Or maybe he's just showing her his bear.

Max and his little red convertible

2008-07-14T16:40:00.003-05:00

Max needed a car just like mommy's. Well, not exactly alike, since his has racing stripes and the horn plays a few different tunes. But close enough. This is one of those things that's supposed to help them exercise their legs (it's a 3 in 1 walker doohickey). He definitely figured out the horn part right away.
Though he's also very keen on chewing on the steering wheel.

Max at Ravinia - Feist & Juana Molina Concert

2008-07-14T16:37:00.002-05:00

So, Friday Max went to his second concert at Ravinia. This time it was Juana Molina and Feist (you might have heard the Feist song 1, 2, 3, 4 in that iPod nano commercial). We had a good time and Max, as always, was the perfect baby. He even got in some hang time with daddy.

Max's 4 Month Checkup

2008-07-14T15:23:00.004-05:00

The poor boy. I hate it when they have to give him shots. Another four today. :-(

Other than that, everything is looking good. He's up to 25" tall (! over the two feet we measured him at with his wall chart [but hey, he doesn't exactly stand up straight yet]) and 13 lbs., 7 oz. So around the 25% on both of those things. His head is 41 cm now, which the doctor said is also right on track. Getting to be such a big boy!

He'll have his next appointment at 6 months. Who knows how big he'll be by then!

Max's first bite

2008-07-13T11:10:00.003-05:00

Max's first bite of "real" food was yesterday. Just a little bit of oatmeal cereal mixed with breast milk, but he seemed to like it okay.

Tummy Time

2008-07-10T12:10:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to remember to do more tummy time with Max so he can get used to being on his belly and maybe figure out the whole crawling thing. He's definitely much, much better at holding his head up now. :-)
Oh! And happy 4 month-day to Max today!

Look, I'm 2 Feet Tall Now!

2008-07-06T19:31:00.003-05:00

So "big" Max has hit the big 2 foot mark (he was 19.5" when he was born). And within the next week he'll be a whopping 4 months old. I can hardly believe it! Time really does fly.
He's doing really well, though I'm starting to wonder if he's headed into another growth spurt or something because he's back to eating about every 2 hours (he was going anywhere between 2 - 4 for a while). And that's every two hours from when a feeding starts, not when it ends (sometimes it takes him 1/2 hour to eat, which means he's really eating again just an hour and a half after he last ate). He's a good boy though and I certainly can't complain. Happy baby = happy mommy.

Note Tony's farmer's tan in the above photo...hehe, just had to point that out, I'm sure he'll be oh-so-pleased.

Max Goes to Anaheim (and doesn't go to Disney)

2008-07-02T21:53:00.003-05:00

Woot! We're back from L.A. (well, Anaheim, really. We just flew into LAX). The ALA (American Library Association) convention was great. Max was great (best baby ever, actually...even waiters said so). The book promo stuff went great (I'll have more about that up on my author blog soon.) Now, my eye, that wasn't so great. I got this infected ingrown eyelash thing on Thursday, right before we left. Lucky for me, one of our neighbors is a doctor and even luckier for me, he was nice enough to come over and take a look at it and tell me what to do. So I was able to get the swelling and whatnot under enough control that no one at ALA noticed. Yay! Who wants to be the author with the plague eye?

Here's a picture of me and my little vampire baby outside the Mirrorstone / Wizards of the Coast booth. See my book in the window?? They had one of the coolest booths at the show, actually. It looks like a shop from out of Harry Potter. Or, well, any fantasy, I suppose. Very, very cool.
Here's Max in his new Mickey Mouse hat. Not that he (obviously) even noticed. That was the only bummer about the trip -- here we were in Anaheim staying literally right next to Disney, and the boy was way too young to take to the park. But he did get a hat from Downtown Disney.
And here's what the boy was doing while Mommy was signing her book for the tons (more than a 100!) of awesome librarians that lined up for it. Daddy had him out there promoting my book with a sticker on his chest and my book by his sweet little head. People literally came back by the booth later just to see if the "cute baby" was still there. Seriously.

Note to self: be sure to bring Max to all book signings and other author appearances.

Goth Baby (no babies were harmed in the taking of this photo)

2008-06-24T13:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, so before you look at the photo below, I would first like to state for the record that a) no babies were harmed in the taking of this photo and b) no, we didn't put any lipstick on him, there was just some weird lighting effect with the camera and c) I have no idea how the picture came out like it did. But it sure is funny. You actually should click through to the full size version to get the full effect.

Without further ado, here's Max, our little Goth Baby.
And, as you can see in this picture taken mere moments later, our boy really didn't have any black lipstick on. Honest Injun.
In other news...we tried Foldovers the other day. Had their thin crust, hand-rolled pizza (a multiple cheese & garlic one) and I also stopped in after a post office trip and had one of their chicago dogs (it's located in the strip mall by the post office, where a different pizza place used to be). The pizza wasn't bad at all and neither was the dog. We'll have to try their signature product: the foldover and see how that is. They sound intriguing. Well, as intriguing as delivery food can be.

Happy Boy

2008-06-23T14:50:00.003-05:00

Max is a happy little guy pretty much all the time. He loves it when people talk to him and play with him.

He got to go to his very first concert on Friday -- Willie Nelson, of all people. :-) We went to Ravinia (a large outdoor venue) with him and he behaved SO well. Actually, way better behaved than the gaggle of ladies who were sitting next to us. Good thing, since we've got a few more Ravinia tickets for Feist and the Gipsy Kings. Ravinia is really awesome. Lots of fun and great shows. Last year we saw B.B. King and Joan Osborne.

Daddy's Home!

2008-06-19T11:55:00.002-05:00

Tony is back from his quick trip to Germany, though the poor guy is really wiped. Max was happy to see him. Here they are in matching grey jammies.
And earlier I'd enlisted my neighbor's help to get a picture of him with the hood up...I know I'm biased, but he's just the cutest darn thing.

Father's Day (Pig Roast, Grandparents & the Big Lake)

2008-06-17T15:44:00.006-05:00

So, I'm way behind in keeping up the blog. I've just been sick. I'm finally on the tail end of it (thank heavens; I don't know how many more Kleenex I could go through). Luckily, Max is still (cross fingers) healthy. Though I think he's teething, but that's another story (Overachiever! Babies aren't 'supposed' to teeth until another month or two!)

Royce and Janet (Pop-Pop and Mom-Mom) came to visit Max. Max loved to giggle with Mom-Mom and let out some really cute giggles.

And here's all the Pauley guys in one shot, though Max, as per usual, is chewing on his outfit (at this point, he's chewing on anything that goes near his mouth). For those keeping count, that's three Royce's in one picture.
We went to the Father's Day Pig Roast in the neighborhood and it was great fun. The weather even (amazingly) cooperated. Max hung out and took it all in as we all took in a bunch of good food.
We also took a drive down by Lake Michigan and went by the Waukegan Harbor. We had some ice cream at a nice little ice cream shop called Dockside Ice Cream (38 E Madison St, Waukegan, IL 60085 (847) 263-1846). Good banana splits and a nice little patio to hang out on.

And here's Max and Daddy by the lake.
All in all, it was a good Father's Day weekend. Now, if I can just shake this dratted cold...

Cough, cough, hack, hack

2008-06-06T22:13:00.005-05:00

So Tony got sick and actually stayed home Monday, Tuesday and today (not that he didn't work...he just stayed home and worked from here). He had a bad fever for a while there and even went to see the doctor (nobody faint). Sadly, it is "just" a cold, so there wasn't anything they could give him. Of course, now he's sharing it with me. Max seems unaffected so far. Supposedly, the breastfeeding is protecting him, what with all the antibodies and what-not in it. I just don't understand why I get sick, if I've got all these germ-fighters pulsing through me? Eh, who knows.

We had a pretty quiet day today, all in all. I read him some books and he seemed to pay attention.
And he fell asleep on daddy.
And even got his groove on. Hair courtesy the bath he had last night. (Oh, who am I kidding, his hair is always all fluffed out. :-) It's just a little more fuzzy after a bath. Tony has started calling him Spike.).

In other news, it apparently takes 12 weeks plus 1 day to get a social security card these days. They'd said it would take 9 - 12 weeks. At any rate, Max is now official and we can open up his bank account.

I also weighed him on a neighbor's baby scale. He's over 11 1/2 pounds and closing in on 12. Don't know exactly since I didn't strip him naked and he kept wiggling around, but he's definitely somewhere around there. Gettin' bigger every day. And the poops to show for it.

Nearly Always Happy Boy

2008-06-02T14:05:00.002-05:00

Here's Max hanging out with Daddy and wearing his Cub's hat. Note the overalls...it was a day spent partly out at the farm (picking up the 1/4 cow we bought and making a worm bin), so we had to get him all "Farmer Brown" ready.
And here's Max and mommy.
And to prove that the boy does periodically get really, really ticked off, here's Mad Max:

Smile for the Day

2008-05-29T16:58:00.002-05:00

According to Tony, this is Max going: 'Sup? (that's Wassup or What's Up for those of you slang-challenged viewers).

And here's a big smile.

Max in the Labyrinth

2008-05-28T11:52:00.002-05:00

Here's our boy this morning doing his impression of Toby from Labyrinth (okay, the outfit is the wrong color, but it still reminds me of the movie).
And, apparently, little Toby Froud grew up pretty handsome.
And, bonus picture...here's Daddy playing with Max.

The little guy is doing well and starting to become more regular in his sleeping habits, at least at night. He's still pretty random during the day.

In sibling news, Gracie has fully accepted him as a part of her family. :-) It was really cute, actually. We had him on the floor (well-cushioned, of course) getting ready to take his bath and Gracie happened to be in the bathroom with us (she's nosy). She goes over to him and starts rubbing her head on his hand, trying to get him to pet her. It was really cute. She doesn't do that with just anyone, not like that. Harley still gets really concerned when he cries, running over to us going "Do something! For heaven's sake, do something!"

Mommy and Max

2008-05-23T09:14:00.002-05:00

You know, Pam is right...I don't have many pictures of me and Max together. I guess it's because I'm usually the one with the camera...Tony says it's the Asian side of me...but I'll have to get on him to get more pictures of the two of us...or use the timer for the three of us. We have barely any with all three of us. Anyway, by request, here are two pictures from this month of me and Max.

The little man...

2008-05-22T22:56:00.003-05:00

He's getting bigger every day and keeping us busy, busy, busy. He really likes the activity gym.
And he just inherited a bunch of clothes from our neighbors, including some cute hats.
And doesn't he look like a little dapper dan man in this sweater? Though perhaps his cheeks are a bit too chubby for that. :-)

Daddy, you might have noticed, seems to be wearing the same white t-shirt in every picture. It's actually a different t-shirt every day, I promise. He's just started taking preventative spit-up measures...so he takes off his work shirt and just leaves on the t-shirt once he comes home. Daddy-know-how.

Little man, big head

2008-05-15T17:45:00.002-05:00

So, one of the other things they measure each time is the circumfrence of Max's little head. And guess what? He's in the 95th percentile there! The rest of him is slowly catching up. :-) Daddy says it is his big brain.

Of course, as you can see in this picture, Daddy is very partial to his little boy and his little boy is very partial to him.

Max has also started kicking around a lot -- so I posted to the PsyCHO email list and asked if anyone had a baby gym they wanted to get rid of. One lady did (sans toys) and dropped it by for free. Isn't this a great neighborhood? I added some hang-y toys we had and I have to say, Max really loves it. Gurgles and coos and kicks all over. I'll have to get some more toys for it.
Of course, not all was well yesterday. The poor little guy was upset after the four shots he got and really wanted to be held all night long. He was super-sleepy but also quite upset. That's lasted a bit into today (Mommy is very, very sleepy right now), so we'll both be happy when Daddy gets home today...as you can see from this picture last night, Max takes a lot of comfort from Daddy's warm chest.
Not to mention his big furry brother Harley, who braved the diaper end to lay his head and purr on Max's "injured" leg. Harley actually takes pretty well to Max and will even give us really dirty looks if he's crying and he doesn't think we're moving fast enough to comfort the little guy. He takes his big brother duties seriously. Gracie is a good big sister too -- she guards the door whenever Mommy is nursing Max.

Max's 2 Month Check Up

2008-05-14T17:41:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it has been 2 months already? Actually, 2 months and a few days. Max had his checkup today and was very unhappy about it -- he had to get 4 shots + some drops. But everything is checking out okay...he's now up to a bouncing 10 lbs. and 8 ounces (up from 7 lbs. 15 oz. at his last checkup) and 23 inches. He's gone from under the 5th percentile in weight to the 25th, so that's good. And he's at the 50th percentile for height. He's growing by leaps and bounds!

Walking with Daddy

2008-05-11T18:04:00.002-05:00

Max likes to practice walking and standing with Daddy. Here we are on Mother's Day with the cutie-pie.
It was pretty cold out and Tony was kind enough (read: he sucked it up and went) to take me to the antique market at the Fairgrounds. So we bundled Max up. He's outgrown his little dinosaur jacket and he's not quite big enough for this cool motorcycle jacket. But it kept him warm and that's the important thing...that, and he was stylin'.

The many faces of Max...

2008-05-07T13:06:00.001-05:00

Maybe our boy will grow up to be a famous actor one day...this morning I told him I needed him to make some faces so I could take a picture or two for Daddy.

Divino (gelato in Grayslake!)

2008-05-07T12:57:00.003-05:00

Divino
821 E. Center Street, Grayslake, IL 60030, 847.223.2500

We tried Divino last night for dinner, as we'd been hearing some buzz about it (and we needed to make a diaper run). It's located in the strip mall next to Piggly Wiggly, but don't hold that against it. ;-)

We'll have to try the pizza sometime, as we've heard it is really good. What we did try was a calzone (me) and a rigatoni pasta dish (Tony) and some gelato (again, pretty much me, but Tony did have a taste...and hey, I only got the piccolo size.). The gelato was great and perfectly authentic (ahhh, I miss Italy!). I had the zuppa inglese. I'll actually have to try and make a concentrated effort to not go too often for the gelato.

The dinners were good, though nothing stunning (they didn't knock our socks off, but they were good). The calzone, however, was huge and stuffed full of stuffings. As we've heard the pizza is the thing, we'll definitely try them again.

Oh, and the people were friendly. That's always a bonus.

Max & the Great Outdoors

2008-05-06T14:03:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday was so nice that we wound up spending a lot of time outdoors and taking a long walk (Ilias came to visit too, so it was a nice walk with him). Max, however, slept through almost all of his outdoor time.
He sat in his swing while we ate lunch...

In a fun floppy hat from Persephone.
And look how big the boy is getting! He's starting to fill up the bassinet. He likes to kick when I put the alligator rattle on his ankle.

Update on the Shops at Station Square, Prairie Crossing

2008-05-06T13:40:00.004-05:00

Since the weather has turned nice (it might get up to 80 today! Ack!), Max and I have been taking some walks to the shops at Station Square here in Prairie Crossing. Some new shops have opened up and there have been some changes in some of the old ones, so here's a quick overview of what's old & new...

Under the Sycamore Tree, the cool bookshop, is still going strong and is as awesome as ever. I'll hopefully be doing a book signing with them once my book is out. They do also carry a small selection of books for adults...Max and I recently bought Daddy a copy of In Defense of Food, which he really likes.

Little Skye has re-focused a bit and is now caring more maternity / nursing mom stuff, including some really nice nursing tops; I've gotten two...I especially like the "boob wear" (I swear, that's what it is really called). As always, they've got really cool stuff for babies and kids. Once Max gets a bit older, we'll have to check out their alternative diaper stuff (cloth, the G diapers, etc.)

The Prairie Croissant Cafe has made some changes for the better and just one for the worse. They've added new menu items (though, man, they only do the crepes on weekends...I'm bummed...I was so going to get one today), some little artsy stuff for sale, organic creamery products (good yogurt), re-organized so that the kid stuff is one one side, and seem much better organized (like getting the food and drinks out faster). All that's great. And I've lately seen at least one person working on a laptop whenever I'm there, as it has also quieted down a bit (or I'm going at non-mom-group times). The only bad change is that they've cut their hours quite a bit and I've gone by a bunch of times and they've been closed. Hopefully that was just a winter issue and now that Spring has sprung they'll expand their hours again.

The Affinity Boutique is also just as cool as ever. Every time I go in I want to get a ton of stuff. I need to be somewhat cautious with clothes still though...I've lost the baby-weight (so I can't blame Max anymore), but I've still got some pounds to go before I'm happy (like that post-cruise weight). So anything I get now needs to work later when I (hopefully) lose more weight. I did find a really cool dress today that I'll have to give Tony a hint about for Mother's Day...

Ten Thousand Villages is also the same, with a nice selection of crafts from all over the world and friendly staff. They are always getting new things in.

Prairie Arts & Fibers (960 Harris RoadGrayslake, IL 60030, 847-543-5255 ) is brand new and owned by Linda Keating, who lives in the neighborhood. I could easily get into lots of trouble at this shop, since she carries bunches of great yarn, as well as the work of local artists (the photos from the storm chaser lady are really cool) and even some really nice handmade furniture. I'm also going to be making some soap for her to carry. Oh, and they do open knitting sessions and knitting classes too.

Prairie Sunshine Yoga Studio (960 Harris Rd. Grayslake, IL, (847) 223-0601) is also new. I haven't actually been in there yet, though I hope to make use of their services soon (they just added a masseuse and are having a May special on massages). They also have Mommy & Baby classes that I'd like to try, though I might need to wait until Max is just a wee bit older.

That's about it, though the annual Earthwild Gardens plant sale will be this coming weekend. They don't have a permanent store, just a tent that they set up for special events. Nice plants and nice people.

And now, for a zen binky moment...

2008-05-03T15:49:00.003-05:00

This one needs a thought bubble going "Hey!" or, maybe a Keanu-moment: "Whoa..." Or more likely..."Bright light! Bright light!"

Here's Max having a zen binky moment. Notice the intense concentration. Om mani padme hum...

Random Updates

2008-05-02T17:41:00.002-05:00

Grace has actually gotten down to 16 lbs. 4 oz. Which is a heckuva lot better than the 22 lbs. she used to be (fat kitty!). Of course, this may be partly due to the fact that she's been throwing up (sometimes in our bed) just about every day lately.
We've been transitioning Max to his crib vs. the bassinet and it seems to be working just fine. Read: he's oblivious to the difference so long as I feed him quickly enough.
I think his growth spurt may finally be slowing down. He still seems to want to eat as often as he did before, but now he's often not eating for as long. And when he's done -- he's done. I guess he's like his daddy -- he knows what he wants, when he wants it, and that's that.
My book got nominated for the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers List (very cool!) -- though I won't find out if I actually make the list until later in the year (sometime after the ALA convention, I think, which I'm going to (I'll be doing a signing and even reading on stage ---oooooh!)
There is no such thing as too many spit rags.
Seriously, there's not.
The weather seems to have turned the corner again (after it actually snowed in Deerfield this past week -- geez). It's nice to see the sun.

More soon -- and a picture, I promise.

The Max Attack of the Day

2008-04-28T15:18:00.003-05:00

Here are the obligatory Max photos of the day. In this one you see the little guy passed out in his new swing (it vibrates! it swings! it plays music!) and wearing a new onesie from his Auntie Lisa (she's obviously trying to prep him up) ;-)
And a pensive Max considering his options....Hmmmm, am I hungry or do I just need to pee again?
And here's the little guy from this morning when we were playing around. I'd post the other pictures, but he was naked except for some striped socks and I'll save him the embarassment. Right after this he peed on me (and the blanket and the carpet). He's a regular water sprinkler. And here I thought I was safe since he'd just peed like 5 minutes before.

The little bugger is keeping me busy today (as per usual). He's finally napping now, but this has been his feeding schedule today (don't even ask about the diapers!):

4:50 AM
8:20 AM
9:40 AM
10:30 AM
12:10 PM
2:10 PM

And somehow, I'm expecting him to wake up any minute demanding more!

Looking for a dog?

2008-04-28T14:59:00.003-05:00

Got this message forwarded on about a bunch of dogs that will likely be euthanized by July if they aren't adopted because of a shelter closing...lots of great dogs, including one that already knows sign language! We do want to get a dog someday, probably when Max is about 3 or 4. Now would be kind of a crazy time, though their stories make you want to go and adopt one. Not to mention the pictures...such sweeties.

To check the doggies out:
http://picsbycindy.com/marion_grant_dogs.htm

Recent Places...Catching Up

2008-04-27T17:43:00.002-05:00

There's a whole bunch of places we've been to recently that we haven't had time to write up because, well, about 8 lbs. of ever-hungry boy. I'm probably missing some of them, but here's what I can remember...

Elly's Pancake House
435 Townline RdMundelein, IL 60060 (847) 837-8100

This is another one of the ubiquitous pancake houses that dot the landscape around here, albeit a really good one. Everything was perfect -- the eggs (scrambled, with cheese all nicely melted), bacon (crisp), pancakes (fluffy), syrup (warmed), juice (fresh). Nice fast service too. Definitely a good diner / breakfast location. There's a lot of these types of places but this one I would definitely go back to.

Hillside Restaurant
804 Barron Blvd Grayslake, IL 60030

This is another diner-style restaurant. Tony actually wound up stopping here the day Max was born, to catch dinner on the way home (GIANT pork chops). We've also gone there once for breakfast/brunch. The portions are large and the service is pretty decent. The food is good, standard diner fare.

Firkin
http://firkinoflibertyville.com/
515 N. Milwaukee, Libertyville, IL 60048, (847) 367-6168

This is the first place we've found out this way that feels like it is in the city. It's trendy. It's hip. It's got good food and a casual, fun (reggae-inspired) atmosphere. And "big city" type dishes like lobster tacos.

We've been twice (both times with Max and he behaved very well) so far and we'll surely go again. Firkin also has an extensive beer menu (including a really good root beer) and homemade pretzels. What's not to like?

Incidentally, it shares a kitchen with The Tavern, another good place in downtown Libertyville. Kitschy, but good.

Cafe Pyrenees
http://www.cafepyrenees.com/
1762 N. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, Illinois 60048.
Reservations/Info 847-362-cafe

This is probably Tony's favorite new local place. It's a restaurant /bar / retail wine shop in nearby Libertyville. I'd been wanting to try it for a while, but every time I mentioned it Tony didn't get where I was talking about and/or thought it was something different. So we finally went the other night (mentioned in a previous post...Max's first night wearing shoes).

Really nice place with great food (and foie gras for Tony -- the ban is only in the city of Chicago). The seafood risotto I had as an appetizer was particularly good. The dinners were great too -- we both had a "game" plate with venison and duck and pheasant sausage.

The staff was great as well, including being welcoming to little Max (who behaved quite well, thank you very much, though I'm sure he made some other diners nervous). We'll definitely be back (probably again and again).

The Perfect Brew & A Rare Find
619 Park St. in Libertyville, 847-305-4459

We found a local home brew shop. Small, but pretty well equipped (nice glass carboys). Strangely enough, it is combined with a small furniture / hot sauce shop.

Jamaican Gardens North
14595 W Rockland Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048 (847) 367-5570

From the "North" designation, I'm assuming there's a "South" somewhere closer to the city. This is a gardening shop...actually it's a huge gardening shop with not only plants, but also all kinds of pots and other paraphenalia. Prices were about on par with other local shops (though Pasquesi's is still my favorite...you can't beat them for atmosphere). One good thing about the Jamaican Gardens is that they have 40 varieties of tomatoes, including heirloom ones.

Spice Bazaar
139 E Townline Rd, Vernon Hills, IL 60061, (847) 549-0065

We're always looking for good ethnic markets. The Spice Bazaar is a pretty decent Indian market. They even have a small selection of fresh stuff (samosas, etc.) and lots of frozen things. Best of all, they are opening up a small Indian cafe next door that's going to have dosas! Yay! I love LOVE LOVE dosas. So we'll have to check it out in June or so when it opens up.

Wearing out Daddy's Arms

2008-04-27T17:40:00.002-05:00

Tony likes to swing kids around, including little Max. Of course, he wears out his arms doing it...but at least not too badly right now. A few more months, though...

Sleepy Max

2008-04-26T11:32:00.002-05:00

When Max is really sleepy, it is just about impossible to wake him up, no matter what daddy does (like blowing in his face, which just produces the look you see below instead).
Notice the chubby cheeks the boy is developing. And the double chin.
Falling asleep on daddy is a favorite past time of both Max and Harley, both our boys (Harley being the furry one).

A few pics of Max...

2008-04-22T09:16:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update since I've been getting in trouble for not updating frequently enough...but hey, Max has been keeping me busy!

Here's the little guy in a sweater his Auntie Lisa got for him. Still a little big on him, but getting there! He's getting bigger every day. He's actually got some meat on his thighs now...no more pencil legs!
And here's a happy Max...
And a flirty Max, with his new friend Claire.
And Max doing some "tummy time" to help strengthen his neck muscles. And, no, Mom, we don't walk away and leave him on the counter alone. :-)
I'll try to do a more informative update soon...have lots of things to report (not all Max related, sorry)...just little time.

Max and Harley

2008-04-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

A dryer is a wonderful thing

2008-04-18T10:03:00.002-05:00

Finally, sleepy Max...

Max's one month checkup

2008-04-14T15:03:00.002-05:00

Max had his one month checkup today. The doctor says he's in excellent health. He's up to 7 lbs. 15 oz. (almost 8!) and has grown an inch (20 1/2 inches now). Sadly, he also had to get his second Hep B shot, which he did not like at all. He went from 0 to tomato in 0.2 seconds.

Here is his going to the doctor outfit for today.
And here's a shot from last night showing the power of breastmilk.

Max on Safari

2008-04-13T17:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Month Day to Max

2008-04-10T14:45:00.003-05:00

Max is one month old today, so happy Month Day to him. :-) He's been keeping me busy all day (it's been a banner day for both outfit and diaper changes). He's definitely a growing bean; we have had to officially retire some outfits that he's now too big for (!).

Here you see him in his first little hoodie jacket.
And here he is taking a nap with his great-grandma (who is home now; our guests left yesterday).
Here's a picture of Tony with his mom and grandma and Max. I think they all had a good visit together.
And here's my little man wearing his first pair of shoes (courtesy Auntie Lisa). We took him out all gussied up last night to a nice restaurant (more on that in another post). He did pretty well, though we learned a few lessons (pack more breastmilk/bottles!).
And finally, it wasn't planned but here's Max's Month Day present -- a new chair for his room that I'd ordered and happened to be delivered today. Too cool, huh? My mom had actually spotted it in one of our catalogs (along with a storage ottoman that is on back order and will be arriving later) and we just had to get it. Ultimately, the glider in the room now will go down to the basement and the leaf chair will be in Max's Wild Things room.

In other news, I got the final proof copy of my manuscript (and need to finish reading through it tonight to get any changes back to my editor tomorrow). And more news that I'll be putting on my "author" blog -- the publisher has put together some really cool stickers and will be doing a book trailer (kinda like a movie trailer, but for books) that I'll be doing the copy for (Mina's inner monologue). Very cool, I'm uber-excited.

I'm also super behind on my YABC stuff, but I hope to get some of that done today and tomorrow (Max, you are verrrry sleepy, verrryyy sleepy....).

Mr. Max & Family

2008-04-06T12:52:00.002-05:00

We've been busy with our visitors, Max's grandma (Tony's Mom) and Great-Grandma (Tony's Mom's Mom). But here are a few shots of our little Wild Thing.

Here he is in some "big boy" jeans. A wee bit big for him, but very cute.
And here he is with Mamaw Carol.
And Nana Debbie.
And Max got a bunch of wonderful presents (thank you's soon to come, promise! I just need a minute or two!). Here he is with one of them (from Mark and Sue, my brother-in-law's sister & husband), a cute little binky dog blanky.
And another shot of Max with his great grandma.

March pictures

2008-04-03T13:01:00.002-05:00

I've updated our online photo albums with all the pictures from March, most of which didn't get posted in the blog (the beauty of digital cameras...you can't waste film). So, check it out.

So far today...

2008-04-03T09:04:00.003-05:00

2:15 AM
--peanut begins to wake up
--go to bathroom
--turn off alarm set for 3:00 AM
--feed from left breast, 15 minutes
--burp
--change diaper
2:45 AM
--feed from right breast, 10 minutes
--attempt to burp peanut
--lay peanut in bassinet
--fussy peanut
3:15 AM
--feed from right breast, 10 minutes
--burp peanut
--peanut passes out
--lay peanut in bassinet
--drink glass of juice
3:45 AM
~sleep~
6:36 AM
--peanut begins to wake up
--go to bathroom
--say goodbye to Tony
--feed from left breast
--burp
--realize am starving
--eat some cold pizza while standing in the kitchen and continuting to burp the peanut
--change diaper
7:15 AM
--feed from right breast
--burp
--lay peanut in bassinet
--peanut spits up on outer outfit
--take peanut out of outfit, wrap in blanket
--lay peanut in bassinet
--peanut fusses
--pick peanut up, realize back is completely soaked, experience confusion over just-changed-diaper blowout
--change really poopy, wet diaper. no apparent blow out, but inner onesie outfit is completely soaked
--strip peanut
--peanut in good mood, but breathing heavy
--gird loins and decide to break out the dreaded aspirator
--successfully suck two giant boogies out of peanut's nose with aspirator, alternating with saline solution
--quietly cheer
--dress peanut in new onesie and pants
--attempt to burp peanut
--peanut looks so cute in pants, prop him up in chair and take a couple of pictures

--notice cold peanut feet, add socks
--lay peanut in bassinet
--fussy peanut
--make up a bottle of breast milk pumped last night, put up pizza, grab sip of water
8:30 AM
--feed peanut 1 1/2 oz.
--attempt to burp peanut
--peanut passes out
--lay peanut in bassinet
--re-attach peanut's socks
--pick up assorted pee-soaked and spit-up soaked clothing and blankets, bring to laundry room
--peanut wakes up
--pick peanut up
--attempt to burp peanut
--peanut passes out
--lay peanut in bassinet
--locate camera in kitchen (?)
--post to blog (cursing blogger for not saving formatting from pasted-in notepad text and being forced to re-format whole post)

Max Swimming

2008-04-01T14:20:00.005-05:00

I know I said earlier that I was just going to post the new videos to YouTube and not put all of them on the blog too...but this one is really cute, so I'm posting it here as well. Here's Max "swimming" in the tub with Daddy.

The Max Update

2008-04-01T11:35:00.006-05:00

He's still a stuffy little guy, but a bit better today than yesterday after some new nasal saline and some time spent in a steamy bathroom. Max had another bath last night since he was starting to get that stale milk smell. He really does like his bath time, unless daddy happens to accidentally dunk part of his head.

I'm going to be posting some additional videos to YouTube today, so check it later.

Note daddy's strategic placement of the washcloth to protect Max's modesty.

He also likes to be warm and cozy in the boppy bouncy chair his Auntie Pam got for him.
Look, Ma, I float!

Bath Video

2008-03-31T19:02:00.002-05:00

Not the best lighting, but for fans of Max, here's a peek at him in his first tub bath. By the by, there's a link to all our videos on YouTube (mostly vacation stuff and Max) in the sidebar, or you can get there by clicking here.

Mommy's Little Piggy

2008-03-31T11:21:00.003-05:00

Poor little Max is all congested. He's snorting up a storm. I actually brought him to the pediatrician last Wednesday (weight that day up to 6 lbs. 6 oz...so he's probably around 6 lbs. 10 or 11 oz. now). They wanted to make sure it wasn't going to his lungs (it wasn't, just seems to be in his poor little schnoz).

He's having a lot of trouble breathing today and I managed to break the nasal aspirator -- it split right in half while I was trying to suck out one of his boogies -- but I'm no expert in using the thing anyway. That's daddy's job -- he was able to suck out one monster booger with it...I swear it was bigger than Max's nose. Seriously. Adventures in parenting. But Tony's at work today so it's just me and the Max.

So I've got him under a cool mist humidifier and sleeping on an incline and putting saline drops in his nose (and oh, he's so fond of that). I even tried a battery powered nasal aspirator (that was a bust...there should probably be a warning on some products saying "For gullible new parents only"). I'm hoping this whole congestion thing clears up soon.

And needless to say, Mommy is getting pretty much zero done. I promise (I hope) to get thank you's out very soon to everyone who has sent something for little Max. It is all appreciated (and awesome!).

Anyway, on to some pictures...

Here's Daddy and Max during a burping session.

And here's Max peeking out of his hotsling that Mommy was trying out to carry him around in. It works pretty well, but I think it will work better once he's a little bigger.

Max's First Bath Tub Bath with Daddy

2008-03-27T14:32:00.003-05:00

Obligatory Max Photos

2008-03-26T11:50:00.002-05:00

Just a moment to post, so here are some obligatory Max photos: the first is of him in a little gator hat (we added the iron on). Gotta get him started early. The next is of little Max in an outfit his Auntie Rikki got him, showing off some skinny legs.

A snowy Easter weekend

2008-03-24T12:43:00.002-05:00

The end of the week brought a bunch of snow, though not as much as they were predicting (it really just snowed one day, vs. the 3 or so the forecast predicted). It was quite a bit of snow, however. Mom even got in the act and did her first bit of snow shoveling (and yes, that's Tony over there packing a snowball...).
Max got a sponge bath for Easter, which he was pretty calm for (even when lifting up his little chicken legs to put on his clothes). Daddy bought him a cute little Easter outfit...
The top says "Baby's First Easter" and the feet have little bunny faces. Too cute. A little too large too, but not by too much. We think he's probably finally passed the 6 lb. mark. He's been eating really well, though sometimes it feels like he's trying to suck Mommy's spine out through her breast. He's got suction, this kid.
Mom (Grandma) also made Max a special Easter snow bunny and spelled out his name on the snow eggs (with M&Ms). It's really cute. She was out there for hours sculpting it out.
Max also got a special bear-y surprise from our neighbors, the Tomlins. Grace and Emily brought him over an Easter bear. It's very soft and I'm sure he'll love it. Right now it is a lot bigger than he is! (note the after-bath fuzz head)

Max's First Bath & other news

2008-03-21T14:45:00.004-05:00

Max had his first bath last night and I can't say that he enjoyed it much. I'd thought the sling thingy would kind of hold him in the water, but it really more held him above it. I think we'll probably be giving him mostly sponge baths until he gets a little bit bigger. :-)

He was comforted afterwards by daddy's finger...Notice the nice fuzzy after-bath hair.
He's my little fuzz bucket.

In other news, my publisher sent over this year's catalog (with my book in it! Woot! and on the cover!), a vampire binky for Max, and a letter from a 10 year old who is reading my book (the letter is just the cutest darned thing I've ever read). That gave me a nice smile for the day too. I'd also recently gotten a nice comment in email from Alex Flinn's daughter (Alex is another YA author who writes great books like Beastly and Nothing to Lose). It's awesome to hear back from people who like the book. :-)

Max Got Milk

2008-03-20T12:27:00.003-05:00

Max's weight check up went really well. He's back up to 5 lbs. 10 oz. (as of yesterday), showing more than an ounce of weight gain a day since last Friday. Go, boy! The combination of breastfeeding and expressed breastmilk via bottle seems to be working for him. And he's starting to get the hang of the breastfeeding part a little better. I'm glad we haven't had to give him any formula.
Here's one of his funny faces. You should really click through to the larger size picture to see it better. He loves to wrinkle up his little forehead.

And he likes to suck on his little fingers and thumb.
But one of his very favorite things is to listen to his daddy talk and watch his daddy's face. I think we have a daddy's boy here.

Smile big!

2008-03-18T16:43:00.002-05:00

Max has a great smile.

Max - Day 8 - Max's Big Day

2008-03-18T13:46:00.006-05:00

We had a pretty busy day yesterday, with some major milestones for little Max. He got to meet his Grandma (Kim's mom) for the first time (not to mention taking a ride to the airport, which he slept through, as per usual).

He also lost his umbilical cord during a diaper change, so that's one less thing to worry about. No more having to fold his teeny preemie diapers down. He also went through a bunch of different outfits and managed to pee all over just about everything (Grandma, mom, the changing pad, himself, 3 outfits, and Mommy & Daddy's bed). I suppose you could say that he's marked his territory out.

Max - Day 7 - Sleepy Baby

2008-03-17T07:06:00.004-05:00

Mr. Max slept most of the day yesterday giving Mommy and Daddy time to get stuff done and run a few errands.

Mommy had a little too much fun dressing Max up in his fancy hat.
And throwing him in the air.

Doesn't Mommy look happy?

Daddy stayed up a little late with Max so Mommy could get some rest as Max wasn't quite ready for bed yet at bed time. He'd been asleep too much during the day.

For those following along at home, Daddy took some video footage last night. Unfortunately Max had a bad case of the hiccups, but the video came out just fine anyway.

Max - Day 6 - I'm a Good Boy!

2008-03-16T11:07:00.005-05:00

Max was such a good boy yesterday. I never thought I'd be happy to count poopy diapers, but hey he's my boy. Max seems to have turned the corner and is eating (and associated other body functions) every 2 hours like he is supposed to. Thank God for the breast pump. Mommy's been a champ getting up at all hours to pump. But it is all worth it, just ask Max.

We got Max all decked out today in his "going to town" clothes and one of his fancy blankets. The whole family walked over the the little shopping area in the neighborhood. There is a baby goods store there called Little Skye. Mommy went and got herself some nursing bras so she can be a little more comfortable. Of course we had to spoil Max and get him a little stuffed gator (getting him started as a good Gator).

Here's a picture of Mommy pushing little Max around in the stroller.

Max has been working all week on his "I'm working on my diabolical plan to conquer the world" pose. It doesn't come through well in pictures, but trust me it is cute.

Max tried out his bed for just a little bit. He is really a great sleeper and generally a perfect little boy. He's only fussy when Daddy is changing his diaper. Other than that he sleeps all though the night except when we wake him up to feed him.

We are definitely blessed.

Another gratuitous tired parent picture.

Max - Day 5 - Need More Food!

2008-03-15T11:29:00.005-05:00

This is a picture of Max right after his first bath.

We also went to see Max's doctor for his first checkup. The doctor said he was beautiful and perfectly healthy but needed to eat a little more. If necessary we may need to supplement with formula for a few weeks until he gets a little bigger and stronger.

Little Max got a little smaller since we brought him home. He's probably just too small and knocked out right now to breast feed. Mommy has started pumping milk and giving him a bottle. Since that started, he seems much better.

Max also went on his first adventure - to Babies R' Us of course. We needed to get him some bottle supplies and some smaller clothes, he was just swimming in everything we had.

Daddy learned that we need to use a onesie for a while to hold up Mr. Max's diaper. But of course Daddy forgot when he was tired and Max finally had a messy...well not diaper, but more like entire outfit...That was A-OK though because we were getting worried as Max hadn't had one in a whole day. We've had another (diaper this time) since so things seem to be getting in the right rhythm.

That's it for the daily update, more gratuitous pictures of tired parents below:

Max - Day 4 - Trying to Find a Groove

2008-03-13T21:36:00.009-05:00

Max and Mom had a tough-ish day today trying to figure everything out. Poor Max just hasn't figured out the eating thing yet. He will in time.

Good news is that he slept a little more regularly today, giving us some time to nap and catch up.

Here's a picture of him being precious.

Last night we tried a little bit of everything to get sleep. Here's a shot of Max passed out hugging my foot. Really gives you a sense of how small he is right now.

Another fun picture of sleepy Daddy, showing Max his cool mobile his Auntie Lisa sent him. He's able to follow it around a little bit already.

Last picture of the day is of the beautiful bouquet we got from work. My boss and coworkers are great.

Things are going well, just need to work on the feeding skills and we should be good to go.

Good Neighborhood, Great Neighbors

2008-03-13T21:17:00.006-05:00

Have we mentioned how awesome our neighbors are? The signs advertising our neighborhood advertise it as a way of life as much as a community. I thought this was a real load of marketing nonsense and mostly related to the environmental nature of the community.

Turns out though that Prairie Crossing is a relic of the past. Neighborhoods like this just don't exist much anymore. I didn't know what we were missing, but I'll tell you our country needs a revolution to get back to a time when this type of caring and generosity are commonplace.

When I was a kid if some got really ill, passed away, had a baby, etc, the women from church would pull together and help out the family in need with food, help, and what have you. This was a function of the church as a community more so than the neighborhoods in which we lived.

I don't know if it is like this in the rest of Prairie Crossing, or just in our little corner of "Station Village" (a small section of the neighborhood), but the beauty of the people here is sometimes overwhelming.

Since Kim and I have no family or real group of friends in the area, they all pitched in and threw us a wonderful baby shower. Since we got home from the hospital, we've been showered again with cooked food (they have each signed up for a day for the next couple of weeks), hand-me-down baby gear and good advice on how to make it through the first weeks. We could have gotten by without all of this, but it would have made things much more difficult.

Every time someone is in need, the families in our vicinity "circle the wagons" and help them through as if this were one big family.

Is that awesome or what? Do the world a favor, pass it on.

Max - Day 3 - Coming Home

2008-03-12T21:42:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been a very eventful day. Last night was a little rough since Max wanted to eat pretty much the entire night. The lactation specialists said that can be pretty common (babies doing "cluster feedings"). At least he seems to be getting enough food. :-)

Then today he had his first vaccination and was circumcised (ouch, something I was perfectly happy not to watch happen) by Dr. Capezio (the one guy doctor in the practice I went to, which kind of worked out. Perfect day for him to be on call.). We got all the paperwork and last checks filled out and then...we went home.
Here's Max pretty close to before we dressed him to go home. He was looking mighty fuzzy today (very similar to my baby pictures).
Then here he is in his going home outfit (he's such a small fry that his feet are approximately where the knees should be). But, he was definitely good and warm to go.
The car seat also completely dwarfs him. Every body kept going "Oh, what a teeny baby" on our way out of the hospital.
And when we got home, Gracie checked him out (still having no clue what was in store -- the first time he cried she had the most shocked look on her face I've ever seen). We're using the stroller bassinet for now for him to sleep in and rolling him around the house.

The neighbors have been great. Our dinner tonight (and for some other nights) was covered by a group of neighbors. They've all been really helpful and it is much appreciated, especially since we're definitely still figuring all this stuff out.

Max is doing well, but still a bit fussy (when he isn't sleeping and looking completely angelic). But hey, considering all he's had happen to him in three short days, I think he's doing pretty good. He's a cutie pie. Tony has been great too and I'm doing well (especially after a few quick naps today).

Max Day 2

2008-03-11T22:14:00.006-05:00

Isn't he cute?

Today Max learned to get into the routine: sleep, eat, poop...oh, don't forget burp or he can't sleep...
Max learned how to do all of the above very well today and he's doing everything he is supposed to do, right on schedule.

Mommy's just about got everything figured out...rule #1 only try to feed Max if you can see his eyes. If you don't see those beautiful eyes, don't even try. Give him to Daddy to wake him up.

Notice the good cop/bad cop thing starting already????

Also notice those nice alert eyes? Feed Mommy feed!

Daddy's jobs are to: wake up the Max so he can eat (be gentle 'cause he won't eat if he's fussy...), burp Max after feeding (Max actually seems to really like this) and to comfort Max after some mean nasty nurse sticks him with a needle so much that both Mommy and Daddy are crying too.

We're getting into the swing of things. Tomorrow we wrap up everything at the hospital and try it at home. I'm actually thinking this will be easier, as poor Mommy will now be able to get away from nurses who wake you up just as you finally get a break.

More to come tomorrow as the Pauley adventure continues down its new and exciting path.

Introducing Royce Maxwell Pauley

2008-03-11T00:45:00.014-05:00

Royce Maxwell Pauley joined the Pauley Family on March 10 at 2:20 PM Central Time. Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome weighed in at 5lbs 14 oz and was 19.5" long. He has a full head of black hair and has very dark eyes.

Mommy and Daddy Pauley were very glad to see the little bugger after a nerve wracking night.

All involved are healthy and in good spirits, but exhausted.

More adventures to be posted shortly. Wish us luck.

The light and the rug (no hidden deeper meaning)

2008-03-08T14:09:00.002-06:00

Tony finished installing the light for the Peanut's room today. It looks really great, almost like we planned it (we soooo didn't). It's a bowl-shaped pendant light with soft clouds on it on a light blue background.
And here's a shot of the room that shows the carpet. I don't think I got a picture before that showed what the rug looked like. We found this particular one at Ikea. Wanted something soft and kind of grass-y looking.
So that's all the update for today. Still having the non-regular contractions and feeling generally sore and drained (yay, pregnancy). Tomorrow I check into the hospital and then Monday...Max!

Gratuitous Belly Shots

2008-03-06T20:02:00.003-06:00

So this, hopefully, is as big as it gets. As the nurse says, I'm pretty much all baby (other than all the extra poundage I had before I got pregnant...some advice...don't get pregnant on a cruise...). I've actually still just gained about 20 pounds total, so that isn't too bad. We'll see how much I lose on Monday...

Gratuitous Belly Shot Outtakes

2008-03-06T20:00:00.000-06:00

As with any photo shoot, there are some associated outtakes...

We were using the timer and I told Tony to hold still while I checked to make sure he was in the frame. So he, of course, had to put on his patented goofy face. Even funnier if you click on it and see it full sized.

And then there's this one. I have no idea what he just said or what I must have been about to say or what I was thinking. But it is pretty funny.

And geez, if you can't make fun of yourselves, who can you make fun of?

T minus 4...but who's counting (heh)

2008-03-06T15:42:00.002-06:00

So we had our final doctor appointment today (the next time we see the doctor should be at the hospital). The fluid levels are back up some more, which is good, but they would like me to continue on bed rest to be on the safe side. Heck, I've made it this far, I can take it easy for a few more days (4!).

The peanut did NOT cooperate for the NST (non-stress test), however. He was determined to get in some nap time, I suppose, and didn't provide any good movement the whole time I was hooked up, other than a few spurts when they buzzed him to try and wake him up. So they hooked me up to the ultrasound (for the second time in one day) and did a (bio-feedback? it was something like that) test instead where the ultrasound tech looked for specific movements. It's on some 8 point scale and the peanut did manage to hit all 8 points, though he definitely wasn't at his most active (he curled his fingers and toes, did the fetal breathing thing, etc.). So it was a little nervewracking, but ultimately he checked out okay. It was pretty cool to see him curl his toes.

Poor Tony, though. He hadn't been to many of the appointments in the middle and has gone to these last two because I'm just pretty much at the shouldn't-be-driving-myself point. And both appointments have gone on really long for one reason or another. He was trying not to fall asleep in the corner during the NST scan. Can't blame him...all the magazines are for women, pretty much, and all you can do during the scan is sit there and listen to the peanut's heart going thumpety-thumpety-thump.

Everything else is still pretty much same status as Monday (no big surprise). So, assumming things stay the way they are, I'll be going in on Sunday night to get things rolling along. I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be (mentally, that is...physically, I think you get ready pretty much once you get towards the end of the third trimester and can't help thinking "get this thing outta me!" as you wobble around the house).

I've been having those "practice" contractions and they are getting stronger, but they still aren't regular. But you can't help but wonder "is this it?" whenever a new one starts up.

Oh, and I got a really cute care package from Pam yesterday, though she had to clue me in as to the theme (it had to do with my 43 Things list)...I'm definitely not at my best mentally at the moment. And it reminds me I have a lot of things I need to add and remove on my list. :-)

Win an ARC of Sucks to Be Me

2008-03-06T12:37:00.002-06:00

I'm giving away an advance copy of my book, Sucks to Be Me, on my author site. So check it out!

Back from the Doctor

2008-03-03T13:39:00.002-06:00

We're back from the doctor now. The fluid levels were pretty much the same (so they didn't drop much more, which is good). The peanut is up to 6 lbs. 13 oz. (approximately). And I'm 50% effaced, which means things are at least starting to progress along. Next appointment is on Thursday when they'll check everything again and then, barring any peanut appearances, the induction will be Monday. So that's the official word. :-)

Quick Update on the Peanut & Me

2008-02-28T12:18:00.003-06:00

I just got back from the doctor and they've put me on bed rest because my amniotic fluid levels are low. :-( The peanut is still okay and still active (the NST scan today was just fine). But they don't want to chance anything with the fluid levels, so it is off to bed for me. I have to go back on Monday for another scan.

Other than that, the only other news is that I finished up my official author site yesterday and it is now live at www.kimberlypauley.com so you can go check it out if you like. :-)

2 weeks! Ack! (& Betty Schwartz's Intimate Boutique and the Buffalo Restaurant)

2008-02-23T16:08:00.003-06:00

I was looking at the calendar this morning and realized that we've got pretty much exactly two weeks to go (or less). Ack! Somehow, it seemed like March 10th was farther away than that when I was talking to the nurse on the phone and scheduling the inducing. And, of course, he may decide to appear sooner than that. There's no telling. We're kind of hoping he does, since the whole inducing thing can have complications.

And by all indications, he's ready to come out. I think he was trying to kick his way out through my belly button last night. Ouch! He's a strong little bugger and I bet he's going to be just as stubborn as his dad. All the stuff you read says babies start to run out of room about now and settle down and don't move as much. Not this peanut. He makes himself known. Repeatedly. No rest for the wicked or the weary.

We've got the bag all ready and packed (officially) as of today. I needed to get a nursing bra, so Tony (poor fellow) took me to Betty Schwartz's Intimate Boutique in Buffalo Grove today. I'd wanted to try it out because they were supposed to carry Bravado nursing bras (though, curiously enough, they didn't). I gather it has been around for awhile, since they had an old black and white photo with a storefront that said "Betty Schwartz's Corset Shop" on it. It worked out okay. This friendly older lady helped me out and I got a pretty comfy nursing bra. Crazy things, I tell you.

We also stopped for lunch at the Buffalo Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor (1180 West Lake Cook Rd. Buffalo Grove IL, (847) 808-1120). We definitely have to try it again when I can eat sweets. They had the best looking sundaes I've seen in ages. Huge. Towering. Yummy.

*sigh*

This gestational diabetes thing is getting old.

Anyway, the rest of their food was good too. I had a taco salad (easy on the beans and I skipped most of the shell, making it pretty GD friendly) and Tony had soup and a burger with some really good fries (I ate one teeny one). I'd thought it was going to be a greasy spoon kind of place (well, it kind of was), but it was also really good and those Fountain desserts...oh man. Definitely have to go back sometime. Repeatedly. Too many options, too little time.

Additional baby shower pictures...& other peanut news

2008-02-20T17:37:00.003-06:00

Jill sent me some additional baby shower photos today. This first one is the baby food taste test (some of it is really, really gross).
And I had some helpers for unwrapping gifts...
Man, I can't help but look at this photo and think, "geez, I'm short."

And in other peanut news...I had my weekly doctor appointment today, including an ultrasound. He's such a mover and shaker they have a hard time getting any little ultrasound pics of him. In fact, as I sit here typing this, he's doing a tap dance on my bladder (actually, it's his head that's right on my bladder, but whatever, it feels like he's tap dancing on it).

They estimate that he's at 6 lbs. 1 ounce now. And they've gone ahead and had me schedule the inducing (if he doesn't happen to come first on his own, which he might, since he's getting in position). So, if he doesn't come sooner, he'll be here on March 10th. I'm supposed to go to the hospital the night of the 9th to start off the whole process.

Tony practicing...

2008-02-16T11:23:00.003-06:00

Here's Tony practicing for the role of worn-out dad, with Harley standing in for little Max. Sorry, honey, I couldn't resist.

Video Attempt

2008-02-15T11:32:00.005-06:00

Tony was trying last night to get a video capture of the room, but it was really too dark. So I tried again today and it's better, but the lighting still isn't great. Still, what the heck. All I'm wasting is bandwidth and pixels, right? If you wanna get a better idea of what the room looks like, you'll just have to visit. :-)

The ARC is here! (Advance Reader Copy)

2008-02-14T10:52:00.002-06:00

I got a nice Valentine's Day surprise today -- my editor sent me a few ARCs (advance reader copies) of my book. It's so cool to actually be able to hold a copy and flip through it. :-)

Some details....

2008-02-13T09:50:00.002-06:00

Here are just a few details that aren't covered in the pictures below of the whole room. Because I'm nothing if not annoyingly thorough at times.

The Peanut Room (i.e. Max's Kingdom) aka Where the Wild Things Are Murals

2008-02-13T09:35:00.003-06:00

So all the furniture came yesterday (even in the snow). Very exciting. ;-) I think things actually look a bit better in person vs. in the pictures since I can't seem to quite get a good angle to include everything, but you can get an idea of what our "Where the Wild Things Are" nursery room is looking like.
Here's the changing table / dresser. The little dragon guy in the corner actually hangs up on a wall, but we're not sure where he goes yet, that's why he's all slumped over there. The curtains have leaves sewn on to match the lamps that I made all forest-y. And the flying dragon guy was a Christmas present to me from Tony.
Here are the closet doors. We put some puffy wallables on them (Max, Moishe, Emil, and Tzippy) that we'd found on the Internet. They are 3D and soft.
Here's the crib (currently sans mattress). There's room next to it for the glider/rocker and a small table for mommy's water (or martini, as Tony mentioned). Just kidding, mom.
So here's the corner showing the other light, the chair, and part of the armoire. I imagine peanut will be getting most of his meals here. I do need to find a little stool for the chair. The one that you could order with it was way too high. I just need a little tiny one. You can't really see it in this picture, but I made a little round leaf topper for the table by the chair so it would match the other stuff.
And here's the armoire. And our current outsize dilemma. The big giant leaf. We got it from Ikea ages and ages ago for the nursery but until we just put it together we had no idea exactly how big it was. We'd thought it was 1/3 the size it actually is. It is kinda cool though. So we haven't actually attached it to the wall yet. We're debating about whether or not it goes in the room. If it doesn't, I'll find a place for it in the basement in my craft-y room (once it is built).

So if you have an opinion, please share. Should the big giant leaf stay or go? If it goes, I'll probably make a shelf to put up there with some leaves hanging off of it for the stuffed Wild Things to go. Any comments welcome. :-)

Peanut Shower (i.e. Baby Shower)

2008-02-11T12:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was our baby shower (I say "our" even though Tony ducked out; I think it was too girly for him). It was at Jill's house next door (good thing it was so close, since yesterday was one of our coldest days up here...I think the high was 4 degrees Or maybe the high was 0 and the low was -6. Whatever...it was COLD.). She threw it, along with some help from Liz and Ann. It was a tea party (various pots of tea, finger sandwiches, cupcakes, fruit & chocolate fondue) and we played a few baby-themed games.
The room was decorated with a clothesline of baby outfits (for the peanut!) and some baby photos of me and Tony (what happened to all Tony's dark hair??)
Here's the food. The cucumber sandwiches and the salmon sandwiches were particularly yummy, as were the homemade cupcakes (yes, I was bad and ate one but overall my sugar levels for the day weren't bad, so I planned pretty well.).
We all decorated a onesie for the peanut with fabric markers. They all came out really cute. And we played the baby food game where you have to guess what's in the jars of baby food (I got two mixed up...the ones with meat...I have to say...yegods, they are godawful...pureed beef and mac & cheese? yuck!). And the game where you can't say the word "baby."
The peanut got gobs of stuff. It's all so little and cute. Tiny, even. I have a lot of thank you cards to write. It was mostly people from the neighborhood (Treva made the long trek in from the city) and it was just really nice. It's great to live somewhere where people care about you and like to do things for you...even on days when it is so cold you don't want to leave the house.

Where the Wild Things Are Mural, one side done!

2008-02-10T11:49:00.000-06:00

Tony put the finishing touches on the "Max Howls at the Moon" mural in the baby's room today. Woot! One side of the room is done! (well, okay, except for the touching up of baseboards and things like that). Here he is putting in some stars.
Here's a close up of Max's red boat. I like how it came out.
And Tony had to do one real constellation -- here he is putting in the Big Dipper.
And here's a shot of mostly the whole wall. I'll take more pictures once we get the furniture and stuff in the room and of the other side once it is complete. I'll try and get one without the flash washing out a portion of it. You should definitely click through to see the stars / detail.

Where the Wild Things Are Mural, continued again...

2008-02-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

The baby furniture will be here on Tuesday, so Tony's been busy working on the mural(s) this weekend. I helped a bit, just with the detail bits. So here are some more in-progress photos. Note that we've got the moon up on the wall now too (it's really cool).
The big things still missing are leaves for some of the trees, the detail stuff that I couldn't get to without a ladder (I've been forbidden) and the stars. And he's going to do grass across the bottom of the wall with the windows to where it meets up with the other mural wall. Tony hopes to get that done tomorrow. I've got my baby shower (!) tomorrow that Jill is throwing for me, so I'll be mostly out of his hair. Which is probably just as well. I let him do Max's face while I did the rest of Max because he was looking so nervous. Tony, for anyone that knows him, likes to do things his way.
Here's a detail pic of Max howling at the moon. Face by Tony, the rest of the detail by me. :-)
And I don't think I'd put an updated picture of the other mural since he finished the grass. There's still some more leaves and detail stuff that need to be done at the top, but it is just about done. And there's the ladder I'm not allowed on.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2008-02-07T15:30:00.001-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the rat, which is going to be interesting, since both Tony and I are rats...and now we're gonna have a kid also born in the year of the rat. So we'll be a house of rats.

It's a good thing, though (at least in the Chinese calendar). The rat is actually the most respected, in many ways, as he was first to answer the call (which is why the rat is the first in the cycle).

According to the page linked above, Tony and I are both Water Rats (Being guided by the Water element means these Rats have a knack for influencing people. With their strong intellectual powers and great insight, they are also great puzzle solvers. They are quick to understand others and are incredibly practical people. Rats apply their talents to their everyday lives, making them obliging, generous and compassionate to other people. Generally, they are liked and respected by everyone. Like all Rats, however, they can be determined to seek their own gain, and will not mind using these talents to achieve it - though generally without losing anyone's respect in doing so.).

The peanut is going to be an Earth Rat (The Earth adds solidity to the Rat's personality. An Earth Rat is conventional and a good achiever who likes to establish roots early in order to make a secure future for himself and his family. These Rats have the typical Rat ingenuity and mental capacity, but a strong sense of reality often alludes them preventing them from going after anything that could be impromptu. Earth Rats are honorable and love to be stabilized. Slowly and steadily acquiring wealth gives them a sense of inner peace. Although they are capable of being stingy with their finances, they do possess warm feelings for their family and friends.).

Career-wise, I'd say being a rat is dead on for both of us: Writers, Broadcasters, Actors, Advisors, Counselors, Lawyers, Politicians, Designers, Engineers, Managers, Directors, Administrators, Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Stand-up Comedians, Researchers, Historians, Race Car Drivers

....since I'm a writer and Tony is more or less a combo advisor/counselor/designer/manager.

This I think is kind of funny:

Rats Like:
Color Preference: Light-Blue (Tony refuses to have a favorite color. I used to be a big fan of green, but I'm rather partial to red now)
Gems and Stones: Diamond, Amethyst, Garnet
Suitable Gifts: car accessories, art books, gym memberships, geographical maps (I like the books and the maps, but I could definitely skip the gym membership)
Hobbies and Pastimes: Interior design, playing basketball, crafts, painting (I'm definitely a crafts person and we both like painting)
Rats' Dislike: Doing without things they want, strict time keeping, any routines, being at the end of the line (neither of us wears a watch. And Tony at the end of a line? Heh, it ain't pretty).

And, since we're going to be a whole family of rats, I suppose this part is very important:

RAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Rat parents are dedicated to their children. They encompass their little ones with love and attention and enjoy watching their offspring grow and experience the world. When their children are small they brood a great deal over them. Rats become concerned if their babies don't develop as quickly as other children. They anguish over whether or not they are raising their youngsters correctly. With the mental capacity to pick things up easily, Rats tend to get agitated with people who are not quite as quick-witted as they are. No wonder this trait could lead to conflict between Rat parents and their children should any of their children be late bloomers or harbor learning disabilities. Overall, Rats are indulgent parents who don't like denying their youngsters of things they want, and the children soon learn how to wrap their parents around their little fingers.

THE RAT INFANT AND CHILD
Rat babies love to be loved and cuddled. When they are young, Rat babies tend to depend tremendously on their parents, but later in life they develop natural leadership qualities. During their baby years, Rats mature slowly, but gain momentum as they become toddlers. Eventually, they begin to exhibit active mentalities, so, in the early years, plenty of sleep is necessary. In school, the young Rats are eager to learn. It is then, too, that Rats begin collecting things, and like to fill their bedrooms with pebbles, shells and keepsakes of every kind. Generally, young Rats are smart little people who are artistic and literary students. They are well-rounded and many of them do well in sports, too. Being born in the first sign of the Chinese horoscope motivates these children to be pioneers and gives them a need to be first in line.

RAT PARENT/CHILD KINSHIPS
Some parents click immediately with their children and others find they will never have a close relationship no matter how hard they try to make it happen. Following are the compatibility ratings between Rat parents and their children.

Some Serious Snow

2008-02-06T10:33:00.001-06:00

The newscasters weren't lying about the snowfall today. Looks like we might get up to a foot of snow. Shoot, looks like we've practically already gotten a foot of snow. Here's pictures looking out the front door. You can't really see out of any of the windows. The snow is coming down kind of sideways due to the wind and the screens are full. Click on an image to see the "big picture" and really see the flakes. It's a blizzard as far as I'm concerned!
We don't normally get much snow on the porch, and definitely not all the way up to the door. The winds are supposed to be gusting up to 35 mph, but it looks a little more than that to my untrained eye.
I had to actually move my doctor's appointment today because there's no way I can get out of the house. They haven't plowed yet (not that it would do them a lot of good if they did, it's coming down so fast) and I don't think I could get out of the garage anyway. Right now you can't even tell exactly where the road is supposed to be, other than that there are mailboxes on either side.

Where the Wild Things Are Mural, continued

2008-02-04T11:59:00.000-06:00

The painting is still in progress in the baby's room. Tony worked on it some this weekend. Here he is working on the sky.
And here's a bit of the sky that's pretty much done.
And here's the mural on the opposite wall from the "hanging from trees mural". It is kind of a composite from the book: a scene where Max lands his boat near the sleeping Bernard (minus Bernard (he's the one that looks kind of like a bull) and with Max not in the boat) + a shot of Max when he's howling at the moon.
And here's where it is right now, which includes the Max howling and dancing under the moon. We also went ahead and hung the moon up on the wall (the one I got that does the lunar phases). It'll be really cool once it's all done, with the stars and detail.

Okay, here's one of me too.

2008-02-03T09:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, just for Pam, here's a baby picture of me too (and remember, girl, I've got that Alien Baby picture of you!). This was in Arkansas, so I would have been about 3 here. I think Mom made that outfit and purse for me.

Look, Tony was a baby once, too

2008-02-02T14:58:00.000-06:00

Tony's Aunt Betty sent along some pictures of Tony when he was a baby/toddler. I couldn't resist putting a couple up (besides, it gets my pregnant belly in the last post farther down the page).

What happened to all that dark hair??

Only for posterity

2008-02-02T11:48:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm only putting these damning photos up because I keep getting asked by family for "belly" shots. What is it with people and their fascination with preggie bellies, anyway? So here's me and Gracie (she's going "uhhhhh, what's going on? I was napping here...) in the Family room. Those are some quilts I'd made on the back of the chair. Haven't made one for the peanut as yet since my sewing machines are buried somewhere in the basement. My hair could be better, but I did just get out of the shower, so there you go.
And here's the belly in all it's paleness. I guess I should have turned the other way, since you can see my scar from my appendectomy in this one. Didn't think about that. Wow, do I need some sun. For the record, I'll be at 34 weeks on Monday.
Grace, of course, is supremely uninterested.

Snow Day and Lazar's and Convito Cafe & Market and Burhop's

2008-02-01T09:00:00.000-06:00

Well, this is a snowed-in kind of day. It started coming down last night while we were in the child care class (we were a little worried we weren't going to get out of the hospital!) and stopped for a while, but now it is snowing steadily again. It is seriously winter out there right now. No question about it. We officially live in the far North, as far as I'm concerned. I'm not leaving the house today unless there's a baby emergency (you hear that, peanut? no tricks from you today). He has been kicking up a storm and positioning his butt directly in the center of my rib cage, but other than that, I think everything is good.

Tony went into work (on the train). I'm waiting to hear back to make sure he got there okay. It's really crazy out there.

We did have a little dramady last night after the class. We got home and it was nearly 10 and the furnace wasn't working. A guy had been here earlier to work on the humidifier (long story, but it probably hasn't worked since we moved in) and somehow the gas line thingy got tripped. The heating element was coming on, but no heat. The guy was about to make the long drive out here in the snow when Tony figured out what it was. Yay, heat! Good thing, it would have been a bad night to not have any heat.

Anyway, in the spirit of getting rid of things to do, here's a write up or two I should have done back in early January:

Convito Cafe & Market
1515 Sheridan, Wilmette, IL 60091 (847) 251-3654

We'd made a trek southward to check out a baby store (Lazar's, which carries nice stuff, none of which we've bought there...though we did wind up getting the Orbit baby stroller online that we had trekked out to Lazar's to see, since they are one of the only places around here that carry it). While we were on our way back home, it was time to eat (I'm kinda on a strict schedule now with the whole gestational diabetes diet), so we stopped off at a little collection of shops and stores in Wilmette.

We had lunch at the Convito Cafe & Market, which is primarily an Italian-ish place (used to be 2 different places: Betise Bistro & Convito Italiano -- they merged) . One side is a cafe and the other is a market (I think you could have guessed that) / deli. It's nice inside, pretty elegant with an upscale (but small) menu. Definitely a bit of an "old world" feel to it. I wound up having a burger on wheat bread. Can't remember what Tony had, but he liked it. The service was a wee bit slow, but nothing terrible. It was a bit of a task to find anything low carb for the GD diet, but I managed. That's not a knock against it though...it's pretty hard to find that out anywhere, especially as restricted as I am right now.

Also in that same shopping center is Burhop's Seafood (same address as above, 847-256-6400), a seafood market I'd heard was a "must stop" for the area. So we went in there after lunch to pick up some fish for dinner. It was late on a Sunday, however, and they were fairly wiped out, so it probably wasn't a good day to judge them. They didn't have a great selection out, but our timing was bad, so it's hard to know what to say. Not sure if we'll be back or not since it is a heck of a jaunt from our house, but if we're out that way again, we might stop in. What we did get was good quality though. And the people were friendly.

An ounce or two, what's the diff?

2008-01-31T17:09:00.000-06:00

So, today was my weekly doctor appointment. This time around it was the non-stress test, an ultrasound (yes, even though we did one with the MFM high risk people last Saturday, not even a week ago), and doctor/nurse consult (i.e. tummy measuring). He cooperated well enough for the stress test (he's quite the mover and shaker) and did okay for the ultrasound, though he wasn't in a good position for pictures, sadly. They could measure things though. This time he measured 4 lbs. 15 ounces, which is just one (estimated) ounce up from Saturday. But the nurse and the tech said that ultrasounds can be w-a-y off (up to a whole pound), which is one of the reasons that they want to induce me early. That and the rampaging hormones that hit you the last month.

Today I worked on YABC and got all of the contest stuff ready for the next 2 months so that I don't have to worry about it in either Feb or March. I figure I'll be a little busy...I should probably set up April too, but we'll see. Just trying to get organized so I don't have to think about it much when things are too busy.

Tonight is our child care class, though I probably wouldn't have scheduled it if I'd realized how much of that kind of stuff we were going to cover in the child birth prep class. I figured that one would be all, you know, child birth stuff. But they did cover quite a bit of newborn care, so I don't know that we need tonight's class after all...but we're already scheduled and paid up and it's just on the other side of the neighborhood in the Lake Forest hospital building, so what the hey. I'll probably forget half of what I'm supposed to know anyway and put the diaper on the wrong end. Who knows.

Look! My book is on Amazon already!!??!!

2008-01-29T20:31:00.000-06:00

So, I was just browsing around on Amazon and thought to myself, "Hey, hehe, I'll put in my book title and see what happens." I didn't actually think anything would show up yet since the book isn't coming out for months and months but...LOOK! It's already up on Amazon!!!! Everybody go pre-order it!! :-)

It actually shows a different date on Amazon than the one the publisher told me (Aug. 26th vs. Sept. 8th) so I have to email my editor (oh, heck, I have to email her anyway, just to go "OMG!"). And now I need to figure out how authors do all that stuff on Amazon where they fill in info and bios and stuff. Ack!

The Peanut has Furniture & other good news

2008-01-29T10:54:00.000-06:00

Woot! Well, yesterday I spent probably 4 hours on the phone with Babies R Us (not to mention other furniture stores and the manufacturer) and the end result (I won't bore you with all the intricate details or frustrations) is that the furniture we wanted in the first place has officially been ordered and should be here in 7-14 days.

There's that whole counting chickens/eggs thing, so I'm not going to completely crow yet, but I'm also not going to worry about it anymore until I hear otherwise. They did at least take money, so I think we're fairly secure now.

So, presumably, the peanut now has a room full of furniture coming.

Had a strange sugar day yesterday; it was way up and way down. Not really sure why. The Dr. upped my insulin by a bit again, but not too much. It's *almost* where it is supposed to be.

On the writing side of things, my editor forwarded me this really nice note from the lady who is writing the discussion guide on my book. It seems she's not a big fan of vampire books, but took the work anyway and wound up really liking the book. :-) So that's really cool. It was nice to get that after all the baby-drama (dealing with salespeople is soooooo NOT my favorite thing). It was a good pick-me-up at the end of the day.

And that's about it for now.

And we're all prepped now

2008-01-28T11:11:00.000-06:00

This weekend we had our "compact child birth prep class" which went basically all day Saturday and Sunday. It's only "compact" because it was a weekend instead of being one night a week spaced out over 4 weeks. We learned some things, saw a lot of videos, practiced breathing, all that good stuff. A few things stood out for me:

One, I'm not the kind of girl who goes in for the "visualization" method (for the same reason I usually hate yoga classes). As soon as someone starts going into the whole "imagine you are a tree" mantra or the "build your safe place, one brick at a time. Hear the voices of song birds calling out to you" stuff, my brain just goes immediately into hyperdrive making fun of it. All I can think are things like "follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road" in those high-pitched munchkin voices or "Everything is under control" from that b-flick Hardware. It just does not work for me. If anyone tries to do that to me while I'm actually in labor, I would be hard pressed not to whack them upside the head.

Two, no matter whether you do medication or not, labor is likely going to suck pretty bad. And will probably take longer than you want it to. But it does end and whoop-dee-do, it's not like I can get out of it now. And I'd really rather not get a c-section and have another lovely 6 inch scar across my belly. Recovering from an emergency appendectomy was bad enough, I can't imagine trying to recover while also trying to deal with a newborn. So hopefully the c-section doesn't have to happen.

Three, I am a small pregnant lady. Most of us in the class were all due in March, though there was one in February and one in June. Everybody was pretty much bigger in the belly than me. I guess that's good. I dunno. So far, as of this morning, I've gained 16 pounds.

And the peanut, incidentally, is up to almost 5 pounds. Ack! We had another ultrasound on Saturday before class (long story; essentially, hospital equipment screw up so we had to repeat the last one, even though I'm supposed to get another one this week at the Lake Forest office). The peanut was up to 4 lbs. 14 ounces (up from 3 lbs. 8 ounces on Jan. 10th, if anyone is keeping track). So even though I've not really been gaining any weight to speak of, he has. Well, he can have it. As long as he doesn't get too big.

Everything is still measuring well. I was officially at 32 weeks, 5 days and he is measuring slightly ahead of that at 33 weeks, 5 days (he's a week ahead of me...ah, time travel). His head, though, is slightly bigger than the rest of him (which revelation came, of course, with the obligatory jibing between myself and Tony). He'd better calm that down though since that head's got to fit through a not-so-big opening.

Anyway, ahem, speaking of other things...Tony managed to get the car seat base installed last night. Whoo-hoo! It wasn't too bad once you figured it out, it's just the figuring it out part. And the fact that it was really feckin' cold out in the garage.

And in the last bit of baby-related news I have to impart...we may (probably) have to get a different crib. It seems Babies R Us won't actually let you order furniture until it is in their warehouse. And the set we want is a new one this year that everyone seems to want. So even though we were supposed to be next in line or whatever, they still haven't gotten it (and looking over the lady's shoulder at her computer, there's a big note of "this set is being oversold" right in the BRU computers).

So I did some research and it seems that the Baby Cache brand is actually sold at both BRU and at JC Penney's, though they carry different looks. And it's actually made by Munire furniture, which makes some higher-end baby furniture (this is their first foray into having stuff carried by more mass-market retailers). So there's another set from them that's almost the same that I can see if we can get from anywhere else. We'll see. At this point, they are all starting to look the same to me.

Le Vichyssois

2008-01-25T08:20:00.000-06:00

Le Vichyssois
220 West Route 120, Lakemoor, IL (815) 385-8221

Tony took me out for my birthday last night. We went to a little French place that I'd heard about on the PCHO (i.e. PSYCHO) list. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it is a cute little place. Elegant inside (all cream and white and silver and bronze) with lots of oil paintings (all of which are for sale).

I gather that it has been there for a while. They feature an a la carte menu and a "bistro" 3 course menu. We wound up doing the a la carte since I was trying to keep my sugar/carb intake low. Tony had foie gras with brioche, a house salad, and the venison. I had a warm cabbage and bacon salad (nice, faintly reminiscent of sauerkraut) and veal medallions in a black truffle sauce. We split some dessert. All-in-all, even with the dessert, I didn't do too bad. My sugar level for the 2 hour post-prandial measurement wasn't all that off the charts, just a little bit high. 146 when I'm supposed to aim for under 120.

The people were friendly and the service was good. It was a pretty quiet night, but I imagine that's due in part to the location and a good deal more to the temperature (it was -4). Definitely a place to try again. It wasn't the best French food I've ever had, but it was good (and we've been to some really, really nice French places). And for being out here in the suburbs, it's darn good.

And the stroller is here...

2008-01-24T09:31:00.000-06:00

The stroller and infant car seat (and bassinet and toddler stroller seat) all arrived yesterday (Wed). Ack! We got everything unpacked and more or less figured out where things go. It's the biggest baby-focused thing that has arrived so far. The furniture will hopefully be here by the first week in February.

The stroller, incidentally, completely terrifies Harley. Just wait until he finds out what goes inside it.

And today is my birthday. Pretty low-key day planned - I have to go for a doctor appointment (there's a pretty good chance of that on any given day, anymore, since I've got at least one and sometimes 2 or 3 a week now). This will be the first stress test, which is supposed to take a 1/2 hour, so I guess I'll be taking along some knitting or something.

Other than that, I suppose I'll continue cleaning and working on my book and working on the website stuff.

I opened my present from Pam (I didn't wait for Tony to come home -- but hey, it is my birthday). She sent a Book Lover's Cookbook. Pretty neat. It's got recipes and the passages from books that inspired them (all kinds of books - everything from Charlotte's Web to more lofty works of literature).

The forest for the lamps

2008-01-20T17:31:00.001-06:00

Well, I finished up the lights for the baby room today (just, oh, a few days later than I had planned. Ah, well.). I cut out leaves from felt and fabric glued them onto the shades of a floor lamp and a table lamp. The first picture shows an in-progress shot.
And here's the finished floor lamp...
And the finished table lamp. I think they came out pretty good. We just have to decide whether or not we want to leave the bases white or whether we should paint them brown like tree trunks. At the moment I'm leaning towards leaving them white, but I'm not sure. So, anyway, another project down. Now I just need to do one more curtain.

Earthly Goods

2008-01-20T11:52:00.000-06:00

Earthly Goods, Inc. Health Foods
Gurnee Town Center, 6951 W. Grand Ave. (847) 855-9677

Was cleaning off my desk and found the card for this place -- went to it while Christmas shopping and wanted to remember it since it's the closest place I've found to buy essential oils for making soaps and lip balm.

Actually, a pretty nice health store all the way around. More spiffy than a GNC and has a wheat grass bar too.

Things are looking up...

2008-01-17T10:40:00.001-06:00

Things are definitely starting to look up. My sugar is finally (!!) coming down after the latest insulin increase, which is giving me more energy and definitely making me feel better. And today was the first day that my keytone reading wasn't too high (negative, in fact!!!) and my fasting sugar was below 90. Woot! I'd talked to the nutritionist yesterday and she suggested a late night snack with at least 20 carbs. So I had a sugar free carnation instant breakfast at midnight and it really seems to have worked!

I know, I know, kind of a crazy thing to get all excited about.

And I went to the exercise room with Jill at lunch yesterday and did 30 minutes on a treadmill & elliptical, which helped with the blood sugar levels too (it dropped by 50 points after I was done). We're going to go again sometime on Friday. It helps to have someone to go with, especially when it is cold and nasty outside and you don't want to leave the house.

AND I had a little bit of a spa day yesterday in the afternoon -- I went to Mario Tricoci for a facial with Emme (she's awesome), which really helped my skin out and made me feel better. The high sugar levels had been fighting it out on my face too (stuff takes longer to heal when you're hyperglycemic). I have to get Tony in for one of those. He'd love it, he just doesn't know it.

And...yesterday I posted on the YABC blog that I was looking for a new reviewer or two to add to the volunteer staff because I'm sure I'll have less time for updates after the baby gets here. Last time I posted a similar thing, I got a few responses total. I've already gotten over 10 this time and some really impressive ones (former editors, current authors, teachers, librarians). It's going to be really hard to narrow down to just a couple of people. But it is good to know that people are reading the blog. ;-) The pageviews on the site are over 250,000 a month now and I get tons of email, but sometimes you still feel like you are operating in a vaccuum. So it's nice to see people actually paying attention and wanting to get involved.

And today I'm going to run out and do some shopping so I can finish up some baby projects (like the lights for the room -- I'm cutting leaves out of various shades of green felt and putting them on the shades so that they look all forest-y and also sewing leaves on some window sheers). I can hopefully finish all of that up tonight. And I need some nightgowns that will a) cover my belly now and b) work later on when breastfeeding and c) be comfortable. I feel ridiculous walking around in my normal nightgowns with the front all hiked up high because of all the extra belly.

And I need sour cream so I can eat taco salad! Taco salad, taco salad, taco salad! (I love taco salad! And if I'm sparing on the chip part, it actually works really well into the whole diabetic diet thing.)

Eh, so I guess that's a boring enough update for today. I'll post more pictures tomorrow if I get the lamps done. They are coming out pretty cute so far (I've got one side of one of them done). Besides, I'm feeling like the "And then..." lady with all the "And's" in this post.

Where the Wild Things Are Mural

2008-01-16T10:24:00.001-06:00

Well, I can't wait any more. We're not actually done with the mural yet (it's about, eh, 75% complete), but I figured I'd post some in-progress pictures (more pictures'll be posted as we make progress, so check out the archives for Jan-Feb 08). You can click on 'em to see the larger size and really see the detail (like in the first picture, where you can actually see the penciled-in outlines).

Tony has done most of the painting part, since I'm supposed to stay away from chemical-ly stuff (I did just a little bit of the painter-y paint, not any of the wall paint). I've done most of the detail stuff (using paint markers) since that was the least smelly bit, but Tony has done some of that too (one of the pics is of him detailing Max). The quote at the top is directly from the book and is very fitting since we're naming him Royce Maxwell (Max).

Moishe, the funny guy in the striped shirt, is my favorite so far. But overall, I'm really happy with how the whole thing is coming out. We still have to add some more leaves at the top and the grass at the bottom and we're thinking about doing another smaller mural on the other side of the room too (I bought this moon nightlight thing that goes up on the wall and does the phases of the moon and there's a picture of Max in the book where he's howling at the moon). Tony's going to blend the blue paint so that it's darker on the other side of the room so it'll look more dusk-y on that side.

My book!

2008-01-15T19:24:00.000-06:00

I got the okay to post it -- here's what my book cover is going to look like. Well, the ARC (Advance Release Copy) version, anyway, but it is almost the same as the final. It'll just be missing the little yellow bit on the back and one sentence on the front. Anyway, isn't it cool??? I'll post some more details later and maybe a blown up shot so you can actually read it (though, if you click on it, you'll get a slightly bigger version where you can read some of it). The official release date is September 9, 2008.

The 30 Week Scans of the Peanut

2008-01-15T14:35:00.001-06:00

These are from when they did the scans to measure everything and see how big he was and do the echo cardiogram. Didn't get a lot of good shots, but there will be two more ultrasounds since I'm all high-risk now, so I'll add more shots later.

The Peanut Pictures to Date...

2008-01-15T14:23:00.000-06:00

I've got a new one to scan in, but here are the peanut pictures so far. Here's the 9 Weeks picture where he literally looked like Mr. Peanut.

Here's the 20 week pictures.
And here's the one showing it's a boy...
And a bitty foot.