One of our favorite shows is "Family Guy". We saw a commercial today with a clip from Family Guy that seems SO familiar (when we were kids) and, sadly, I think karma is about to be a bi#ch for all of us new parents in just a short time!
Our friend Tim is a new dad and was saying that he thinks of this episode of an old TV show ("Dinosaur"?) where the baby calls the dad "not-the-mama". The premise is that, no matter how great the dad is and no matter that the baby can SAY the word "daddy"...he father is always called "not-the-mama". Ever since he brought it up, I can't keep it out of my mind! So cute.
We are enjoying parenthood, and as I type this at 1:00 in the morning after feeding Cal and putting him back to sleep, I am reminded to really enjoy this brief, brief time with him...he is so sweet and tiny - I even was able to Bjorn him for our Day-After-Christmas shopping today...heaven!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Santa Baby
Cal and Riggs went to see SANTA yesterday!!! Lindsay and I grew up going to Marshall Fields in Chicago and seeing Santa was a VERY big deal. We wore our Christmas outfits (in order to impress Santa and hope he'll bring us our favorite gifts) and were mesmerized by the Winter Wonderland where Santa "worked". Since this was my first year going since we were kids, I expected a similar experience for Cal and Riggs. We went online and discovered that Santa was at Macy's in San Diego and Lindsay and I (gasp) trudged to the mall on Christmas Eve for their first pictures! Well, times have changed. At least this Santa HQ is nothing like when we were kids. Instead of a Winter Wonderland of moving elves, snow, giant presents, etc...Santa lives in...a hut. Just Santa, a bench and a photographer. Hmph. Alas, we got the kids all psyched up (okay, so we got all psyched up) for our visit. Photos were $25/each (!!!!), but the good news is they let you take your own, so I went Paparazzi Crazy during the 3 minute visit.
We were the 10th people in line...ready to go at 8:30am for the 9:00am opening!
Ready for Santa!
Flying like the reindeer
Riggs, typically a super-smiley baby, was so confused by Santa that he just kept staring at him (instead of the camera). Cal was, well...a 5 week old...i.e. a sack'o'potatoes (but an adorable sack'o'potatoes!).
Cal did seem to like his moment alone to shine:
Hilarious experience!!! Well worth the $25 for entertainment value alone. Lindsay and I had a great time at the mall regardless and I'm so grateful we got to share this Christmas experience! Thank you Grandma Bryand for the adorable outfit and Kitty for the super-cute "Santa Baby" hats!
I did shoot a quick video (13 seconds) of the experience to demonstrate the chaos...and this is while they are just 1 month and 7 months!!! I can't imagine when they are 2 or 3.
This morning we woke up at 5:15am (oy) to feed Riggs & Cal, then spent the morning enjoying champagne (our family tradition), opening gifts and awaiting "The Christmas Story" to start over on 24-hour repeat (Dave & Jon's request...Lindsay & I have made it through life without actually SEEING this movie and they claim it's a cardinal sin).
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
We were the 10th people in line...ready to go at 8:30am for the 9:00am opening!
Ready for Santa!
Flying like the reindeer
Riggs, typically a super-smiley baby, was so confused by Santa that he just kept staring at him (instead of the camera). Cal was, well...a 5 week old...i.e. a sack'o'potatoes (but an adorable sack'o'potatoes!).
Cal did seem to like his moment alone to shine:
Hilarious experience!!! Well worth the $25 for entertainment value alone. Lindsay and I had a great time at the mall regardless and I'm so grateful we got to share this Christmas experience! Thank you Grandma Bryand for the adorable outfit and Kitty for the super-cute "Santa Baby" hats!
I did shoot a quick video (13 seconds) of the experience to demonstrate the chaos...and this is while they are just 1 month and 7 months!!! I can't imagine when they are 2 or 3.
This morning we woke up at 5:15am (oy) to feed Riggs & Cal, then spent the morning enjoying champagne (our family tradition), opening gifts and awaiting "The Christmas Story" to start over on 24-hour repeat (Dave & Jon's request...Lindsay & I have made it through life without actually SEEING this movie and they claim it's a cardinal sin).
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Monday, December 21, 2009
CAL...ifornia
Many people have asked about the origin of Cal's name. He was indeed named for this Great State in which we live! Moving to California in 2002 completely changed our lives. We became more physically active, more mentally engaged and more positive about life overall. We have been fortunate to meet incredible people here and have been inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and well. Because of this move, our lives are richer and we find ourselves enjoying life to the fullest! We've learned a lot about ourselves and we hope Cal becomes a man that has the best of these traits in him and helps bring out the best in others. I know, a bit serious for a blog post, but we are passionate about it!
Cal also has significance as he shares part of my grandfather's name, Kalman Kolconay (people called him Kal). I never met my g-father, but love hearing stories about him. One thing that our family always cracks up about is the pronunciation of "Kolconay". Anyone reading this blog that has known me for more than 5 years would say, "kol-KON-y". However, ask my cousin John in Chicago and it's undoubtedly "KOL-son-ay". And my g-father, Kal, went with "kal-SONE-y". My Dad describes the root of the discrepancy from trying to fit into their Italian neighborhood in Chicago...the thought being their Czech last name would blend in much easier if it sounded Italian...and it stuck (sort of...thus, the discrepancy!) That family story is what I think about when I think of Kal Kolconay.
Cal's middle name, Rearden, is a character from Dave's favorite book...Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I must admit that I have only made it halfway through the book (dude....it's loooong!), but completely love the spirit of Hank Rearden through and through.
Cal is smiling more and more and we're excited for his first airplane ride on Wednesday! We are heading to San Diego for Riggs' and Cal's first Christmas!
Cal and Daddy after his bath last night. Thanks to Auntie Meggie & Uncle Marco for the great onesie! It says, "I don't understand girls" if you can't see it in the pic.
Cal also has significance as he shares part of my grandfather's name, Kalman Kolconay (people called him Kal). I never met my g-father, but love hearing stories about him. One thing that our family always cracks up about is the pronunciation of "Kolconay". Anyone reading this blog that has known me for more than 5 years would say, "kol-KON-y". However, ask my cousin John in Chicago and it's undoubtedly "KOL-son-ay". And my g-father, Kal, went with "kal-SONE-y". My Dad describes the root of the discrepancy from trying to fit into their Italian neighborhood in Chicago...the thought being their Czech last name would blend in much easier if it sounded Italian...and it stuck (sort of...thus, the discrepancy!) That family story is what I think about when I think of Kal Kolconay.
Cal's middle name, Rearden, is a character from Dave's favorite book...Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I must admit that I have only made it halfway through the book (dude....it's loooong!), but completely love the spirit of Hank Rearden through and through.
Cal is smiling more and more and we're excited for his first airplane ride on Wednesday! We are heading to San Diego for Riggs' and Cal's first Christmas!
Cal and Daddy after his bath last night. Thanks to Auntie Meggie & Uncle Marco for the great onesie! It says, "I don't understand girls" if you can't see it in the pic.
Monday, December 14, 2009
What a Difference a Month Makes...
Last month this time, we took this photo at 6:30am on California Street:
Two days later, we were here!:
Cal Rearden Bryand was born on Saturday, November 14th at 2:18pm. He weighed 7lbs, 14oz and was 18 inches long.
The labor experience was actually - gasp - awesome! I should rephrase...the labor experience once I got the drugs was awesome! It was so much different than either of us expected. Our vast experience included seeing TV shows and movies where the woman in labor is screaming at the nurses, sweating, cursing, blaming her husband, and general chaos ensuing. Instead, I started labor at home around 4:00am, when I thought I had a stomach ache. Then...it hit me. The pain jumped from "hmm...that feels a bit uncomfortable" to "holy F...there is an alien trying to escape my stomach and the beast ain't happy." Needless to say, I then woke Dave up and we realized this was indeed labor and started timing contractions! I was already about 5 mins apart, so we called the hospital and they told us to come on in. We walked around there for 45 mins until the pain was unbearable and I resembled a banshee wailing as I gripped the hospital walls and asked for the 10,000th time when I could get the epidural. I couldn't manage to sit through a contraction so they could get an IV in me, so they gave me a pre-epidural drug (can't remember what it's called, but I later told Dave I wanted to write the inventors of it a thank you note). Needless to say, the drugs were a lifesaver and from then on (about 9:00am), it was smooth sailing! My mom came to the hospital and the three of us hung out as the contractions came and went...me not feeling a thing, but loving hanging out with Dave and Mom as we watched the monitor. Next thing we knew, the nurse said it was time to push and it was just a few pushes after that when the doctor came in to pull Cal out! All in all, I had about 10 hours of labor, but only 5 of them were painful and both Dave and I thought the experience was amazing!
Fresh into the world...
Sound sleepers in the hospital
We were in the hospital for two days and then grateful to come home to our own space. Cal seems to take after his mommy in that he is narcoleptic (we have had 3 stretches at night of 5 hours of sleep straight...go ahead...be jealous!) and he is a solid eater. Breastfeeding has been the biggest learning curve, but we're finally getting the hang of it and things are coming along. I changed the 2nd diaper of my life (Meg forced me to change Dino once...which was an awkward experience to say the least and I think Dino still holds a grudge because it took me about 20 mins to do it). Dave did all the diapers for the first 5 days (bless that man). Before Cal was born, we did a parenting class called the McMoyler Method (amazing, amazing, amazing...if you've got a bun in the oven and live in SF, you must take this class). In that class, the instructor is very clear that the mom's job in the first two weeks is to feed the baby. The dad's job is...everything else. And she means everything. Changing the baby, feeding the baby, feeding the mama, getting mama pillows, and on and on. We took this to heart and Dave was my saving grace as Cal & I worked on learning to breastfeed (dude...it's not as easy as it looks...at least not for us) and I learned to try and keep my hormones in check (also not as easy as it may seem!).
Cal turns ONE MONTH OLD today! Life has obviously changed dramatically. Bedtime is as close to 8pm as possible for me (okay, so maybe that isn't such a huge change!) and staying in has a whole new meaning.
Here are a few pics we've snapped over the last month:
Cal and Daddy his first days home
Our smiley guy...is that a DIMPLE we see?
Proud Nana and her grandsons
Sisters bonding in a whole new way
Grandma & Grandpa Bryand checking out their grandson!
I snapped a couple of him yesterday...at a month old. His cheeks are chubbier (so cute!), he makes eye contact and he gives us many more smiles (and NO, it's not gaaaaas! at least not all the time...or that's what we tell ourselves).
Oh yeah...and his lungs work. Really, really well.
So that is the update! We have been loving every moment of getting to know Cal. He is a JOY and such a good baby! Now...who wants to babysit???
Two days later, we were here!:
Cal Rearden Bryand was born on Saturday, November 14th at 2:18pm. He weighed 7lbs, 14oz and was 18 inches long.
The labor experience was actually - gasp - awesome! I should rephrase...the labor experience once I got the drugs was awesome! It was so much different than either of us expected. Our vast experience included seeing TV shows and movies where the woman in labor is screaming at the nurses, sweating, cursing, blaming her husband, and general chaos ensuing. Instead, I started labor at home around 4:00am, when I thought I had a stomach ache. Then...it hit me. The pain jumped from "hmm...that feels a bit uncomfortable" to "holy F...there is an alien trying to escape my stomach and the beast ain't happy." Needless to say, I then woke Dave up and we realized this was indeed labor and started timing contractions! I was already about 5 mins apart, so we called the hospital and they told us to come on in. We walked around there for 45 mins until the pain was unbearable and I resembled a banshee wailing as I gripped the hospital walls and asked for the 10,000th time when I could get the epidural. I couldn't manage to sit through a contraction so they could get an IV in me, so they gave me a pre-epidural drug (can't remember what it's called, but I later told Dave I wanted to write the inventors of it a thank you note). Needless to say, the drugs were a lifesaver and from then on (about 9:00am), it was smooth sailing! My mom came to the hospital and the three of us hung out as the contractions came and went...me not feeling a thing, but loving hanging out with Dave and Mom as we watched the monitor. Next thing we knew, the nurse said it was time to push and it was just a few pushes after that when the doctor came in to pull Cal out! All in all, I had about 10 hours of labor, but only 5 of them were painful and both Dave and I thought the experience was amazing!
Fresh into the world...
Sound sleepers in the hospital
We were in the hospital for two days and then grateful to come home to our own space. Cal seems to take after his mommy in that he is narcoleptic (we have had 3 stretches at night of 5 hours of sleep straight...go ahead...be jealous!) and he is a solid eater. Breastfeeding has been the biggest learning curve, but we're finally getting the hang of it and things are coming along. I changed the 2nd diaper of my life (Meg forced me to change Dino once...which was an awkward experience to say the least and I think Dino still holds a grudge because it took me about 20 mins to do it). Dave did all the diapers for the first 5 days (bless that man). Before Cal was born, we did a parenting class called the McMoyler Method (amazing, amazing, amazing...if you've got a bun in the oven and live in SF, you must take this class). In that class, the instructor is very clear that the mom's job in the first two weeks is to feed the baby. The dad's job is...everything else. And she means everything. Changing the baby, feeding the baby, feeding the mama, getting mama pillows, and on and on. We took this to heart and Dave was my saving grace as Cal & I worked on learning to breastfeed (dude...it's not as easy as it looks...at least not for us) and I learned to try and keep my hormones in check (also not as easy as it may seem!).
Cal turns ONE MONTH OLD today! Life has obviously changed dramatically. Bedtime is as close to 8pm as possible for me (okay, so maybe that isn't such a huge change!) and staying in has a whole new meaning.
Here are a few pics we've snapped over the last month:
Cal and Daddy his first days home
Our smiley guy...is that a DIMPLE we see?
Proud Nana and her grandsons
Sisters bonding in a whole new way
Grandma & Grandpa Bryand checking out their grandson!
I snapped a couple of him yesterday...at a month old. His cheeks are chubbier (so cute!), he makes eye contact and he gives us many more smiles (and NO, it's not gaaaaas! at least not all the time...or that's what we tell ourselves).
Oh yeah...and his lungs work. Really, really well.
So that is the update! We have been loving every moment of getting to know Cal. He is a JOY and such a good baby! Now...who wants to babysit???
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
"Motown Madness" = Motown Sadness
First of all, no baby yet. Due date is a mere 2 days away and it doesn't seem Baby Bryand has moved an inch. In the meantime, Mom is here and we're taking advantage of freedom while we can!
Growing up, we had four types of music in our household: 1) Classical (Dad), 2) Beach Music (Mom), 3) Jazz (Compromise) and 4) Motown (Mom). As I think I've mentioned, Lindsay and I grew up not on "The Wizard of Oz", but on "The Wiz"...the version with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Sure, we have seen the original our fair share, but the go-to VHS tape (taped off television of course) was The Wiz. So imagine my delight when my beloved Goldstar (half-price tickets to various activities in SF and other major cities...tours, shows, restaurants, etc.) highlighted a show called MOTOWN MADNESS in SF?!?!?! It was described as a musical that would take the audience through the ages of Motown. I could hardly click "PURCHASE!" "PURCHASE!" "PURCHASE!" fast enough. Dave agreed to give it a shot, so we got 3 tickets for Dave, Mom and me.
That was 2 months ago. Last Saturday, the day arrived to see the show and we went down to Fisherman's Wharf (which Dave won't let me live down as that should have been our first clue that this would be a total dud...Fish Wharf is the #1 tourist destination in SF...so sad as it is AWFUL...but I digress). We got our tickets at will call and were pleasantly surprised to see we were FRONT ROW! Well, then we entered the theater and saw that our compadres were all of 40 people (in a theater of about 250 or so) that spanned the sophistication plane from "I HEART SAN FRANCISCO" shirts to Fanny Packs to stark white Air Force Ones (not the cool kind either). Dave gave me "the look" and immediately asked for a free pass to get a cocktail to help him through the next 90 minutes. Mom joined him and we spent the next 45 minutes smiling politely at the performers on stage (who kept making real eye contact, which is rather creepy when you're in an audience and just want to be incognito). There was one singer that was certainly the highlight of the performance and we could listen to her all afternoon. Other than that, there were cheap costumes (which is kind of kitch, but just didn't work for us) and moderate vocals at best. Needless to say, at the intermission, we bolted. We felt a tad guilty, wondering if the performers would notice that 10% of the audience disappeared, but at the same time, as Dave pointed out, we didn't want to use up any of our last moments pre-parenthood doing anything but be happy doing what WE wanted!
Mom and I took a moment to pose outside of the theater. The plus side is that we got to listen to our favorite music...the downside is that Mom & I may have been able to karaoke better than them (which is scary since I have only done karaoke once...wasted at a wedding and if I have any true friends, they'll never let me do that again).
So, we came home and decided we were grateful to have some time back in our day to just relax at home. All was not lost - Mom got to see Fisherman's Wharf and got to get GREAT people-watching in during our walk to/from the car (mostly consisting of, "Y'all! Do you see that man over there? His fanny is hanging out of his pants!" and "Brooke! Look at that woman's dress! I think she is a pros-ti-tute!" (drawn out with Southern accent).
Fortunately, Dave and Mom did forgive me for my misjudgment of the performance. Mom and I are going to see MJ's "This Is It" movie tomorrow afternoon and hopefully that will help us get our music fix!
Baby news to follow soon (???), but all is well here on the homefront.
Growing up, we had four types of music in our household: 1) Classical (Dad), 2) Beach Music (Mom), 3) Jazz (Compromise) and 4) Motown (Mom). As I think I've mentioned, Lindsay and I grew up not on "The Wizard of Oz", but on "The Wiz"...the version with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Sure, we have seen the original our fair share, but the go-to VHS tape (taped off television of course) was The Wiz. So imagine my delight when my beloved Goldstar (half-price tickets to various activities in SF and other major cities...tours, shows, restaurants, etc.) highlighted a show called MOTOWN MADNESS in SF?!?!?! It was described as a musical that would take the audience through the ages of Motown. I could hardly click "PURCHASE!" "PURCHASE!" "PURCHASE!" fast enough. Dave agreed to give it a shot, so we got 3 tickets for Dave, Mom and me.
That was 2 months ago. Last Saturday, the day arrived to see the show and we went down to Fisherman's Wharf (which Dave won't let me live down as that should have been our first clue that this would be a total dud...Fish Wharf is the #1 tourist destination in SF...so sad as it is AWFUL...but I digress). We got our tickets at will call and were pleasantly surprised to see we were FRONT ROW! Well, then we entered the theater and saw that our compadres were all of 40 people (in a theater of about 250 or so) that spanned the sophistication plane from "I HEART SAN FRANCISCO" shirts to Fanny Packs to stark white Air Force Ones (not the cool kind either). Dave gave me "the look" and immediately asked for a free pass to get a cocktail to help him through the next 90 minutes. Mom joined him and we spent the next 45 minutes smiling politely at the performers on stage (who kept making real eye contact, which is rather creepy when you're in an audience and just want to be incognito). There was one singer that was certainly the highlight of the performance and we could listen to her all afternoon. Other than that, there were cheap costumes (which is kind of kitch, but just didn't work for us) and moderate vocals at best. Needless to say, at the intermission, we bolted. We felt a tad guilty, wondering if the performers would notice that 10% of the audience disappeared, but at the same time, as Dave pointed out, we didn't want to use up any of our last moments pre-parenthood doing anything but be happy doing what WE wanted!
Mom and I took a moment to pose outside of the theater. The plus side is that we got to listen to our favorite music...the downside is that Mom & I may have been able to karaoke better than them (which is scary since I have only done karaoke once...wasted at a wedding and if I have any true friends, they'll never let me do that again).
So, we came home and decided we were grateful to have some time back in our day to just relax at home. All was not lost - Mom got to see Fisherman's Wharf and got to get GREAT people-watching in during our walk to/from the car (mostly consisting of, "Y'all! Do you see that man over there? His fanny is hanging out of his pants!" and "Brooke! Look at that woman's dress! I think she is a pros-ti-tute!" (drawn out with Southern accent).
Fortunately, Dave and Mom did forgive me for my misjudgment of the performance. Mom and I are going to see MJ's "This Is It" movie tomorrow afternoon and hopefully that will help us get our music fix!
Baby news to follow soon (???), but all is well here on the homefront.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Proud Auntie...Riggs is CRAWLING!
No offense to the parents out there, nor to my yet-to-be-born child, but in my 100% unbiased opinion, Riggs is gosh darn the CUTEST BABY!!!! I just want to eat him up. Lindsay & Jon just sent this video, which means I'll hit replay about 1,000 times today:
I mean, check out that mega-watt smile at the end! I told Jon that, while he gets to take credit that Riggs is a MiniMe of him, he also must take credit for the large dome that forces Riggs to topple over while he's crawling commando-style.
I mean, check out that mega-watt smile at the end! I told Jon that, while he gets to take credit that Riggs is a MiniMe of him, he also must take credit for the large dome that forces Riggs to topple over while he's crawling commando-style.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
OMG...It Happened....
So I was walking to the bathroom the other night (I still only do 0-2 trips per night...from what I understand, most preggo women are closer to 4-5 visits per night) and...it happened...I realized I was WADDLING. Whaaaaat? How did this happen??? I don't want to be a "waddler"!!! I have gone through this pregnancy escaping almost all of its downsides...my bladder is intact, I have taken approximately 10 Tums in the last 9 months (some women are at 10 Tums per day for Acid Reflux, Heartburn, Nausea, etc.), I just realized I have the slightest, slightest Sciatica (not even enough to be called "mild"...more like a touch of it a few times in the last couple of weeks), etc., etc. My point is, I have actually really enjoyed being pregnant. I kept waiting for the really hard part to hit me and it just hasn't! I have 3 weeks to go, so I don't want to get too cocky, but I can't imagine it all goes downhill from here. Now labor, that's a whole different story. But pregnancy, I have enjoyed!
So here we are - 37 WEEKS! Here is what The Bump has to say about 37 Weeks:
Your Pregnancy: Week 37
Today brings two beautiful words: full-term. Now, whenever baby's born, he's likely to thrive. Also thriving? Your nesting instincts, which are behind those sudden urges to bake, clean, or embroider a onesie. (Feminists, take your issue up with nature, not with us.)
I read this to Dave today and he started laughing and asked me to give him the heads up when the "nesting" kicked in. Hmmm....I hired a housecleaner, bought a bag of the premade cookie dough and I won't even touch the "embroider" concept. I attempted a grilled cheese twice this week and burnt it both times. What can I say? I guess I am just not the nesting type. I am, however, looking forward to my mini-retirement that starts in a week! My last day of work before Maternity Leave is next Friday (Oct. 30th) and then I am looking forward to a couple of weeks of nothingness before Baby Bryand arrives!
Here are a couple of pics Dave snapped today of The Belly:
THREE WEEKS TO GO!!!
So here we are - 37 WEEKS! Here is what The Bump has to say about 37 Weeks:
Your Pregnancy: Week 37
Today brings two beautiful words: full-term. Now, whenever baby's born, he's likely to thrive. Also thriving? Your nesting instincts, which are behind those sudden urges to bake, clean, or embroider a onesie. (Feminists, take your issue up with nature, not with us.)
I read this to Dave today and he started laughing and asked me to give him the heads up when the "nesting" kicked in. Hmmm....I hired a housecleaner, bought a bag of the premade cookie dough and I won't even touch the "embroider" concept. I attempted a grilled cheese twice this week and burnt it both times. What can I say? I guess I am just not the nesting type. I am, however, looking forward to my mini-retirement that starts in a week! My last day of work before Maternity Leave is next Friday (Oct. 30th) and then I am looking forward to a couple of weeks of nothingness before Baby Bryand arrives!
Here are a couple of pics Dave snapped today of The Belly:
THREE WEEKS TO GO!!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
One Month from Today...
Yes, I have been MIA. Beyond MIA...I have dropped off the blogosphere roadmap.
BUT - I do have reason! One month. One month from today, Baby Bryand is due! Granted, I realize he will likely take his sweet time and arrive a week later so he can be greeted by his Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Jonny-Cakes and Cousin Riggs when they arrive to SF for Thanksgiving, but I am still counting down the due-date weeks with the expectation of ONE MONTH.
-- One month from now, we will get used to being awoken by baby wails rather than drunken party-goers.
-- One month from now, we'll hit the realization that we can't both go work out at the gym at the same time.
-- One month from now, we'll wish we did more date nights.
-- One month from now, we'll come to grips that it's no longer all-about-us.
Though I think all of these updates will take their toll on us, we also realize that:
-- One month from now, we'll have a bundle of joy in our arms...that we made.
-- One month from now, we will be a Mom and a Dad.
-- One month from now, we'll wonder what life was like before this baby existed in our lives.
In short, WE ARE EXCITED!!!! Today is October 12th and Baby Bryand is due to enter this world on November 12th. So where have we been for the last couple of months? We have been doing everything on our lists that we know are about to become luxury tasks in no time at all!
* I went to Raleigh for a Girls' Weekend where they threw me a fantastic baby shower. I ate Goodberry's every single day. DELIGHTFUL!
* Dad & Carolyn took a road trip from San Diego to San Francisco! We had a few days with them and it was AWESOME! I love having them here...next trip is New Years when the baby is here!
* We went to Connecticut to visit Dave's family, then went to Rhode Island to spend Labor Day celebrating two of our dearest cousins' 30th birthdays.
* Mom, Lindsay, Jon and Riggs came to SF for Riggs' first visit! Our fantastic SF girlfriends threw an awesome baby shower here at our place and didn't allow me to lift a finger. They surrounded us with love and we spent a wonderful weekend fawning over my smiley nephew!!!
* We took Babymoon Part 2 with Jaime & Jess to The Four Seasons Punta Mita (yep, 'cause we are that fancy). We had a dream trip and were pampered beyond belief.
* We spent a week in my favorite place on Earth...Lake Tahoe. The first weekend included a rental house with a dozen of our dearest friends in SF, the second weekend was celebrating the nuptials of one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen (aka my manager and one of the sweetest, smartest women I know), and the week in-between was in my version of heaven....Jon's grandparents' house on the lake. Dave and I stayed in the guest cottage...approximately 300 square feet of perfectly laid out space that gives you everything you could possibly need and more. We had fires each night, remarked at how crazy it is to sleep in such quietude and just had a fantastic, relaxing week.
* Finally, we came HOME to San Francisco. I have been doing photo shoots, starting the "nesting" phase of pregnancy and just settling back into "normal" life (does it still count as "normal" if you spend more time in the abnormal than the routine??? not sure).
Regardless, we are thrilled to start in on the final month of my pregnancy! I have done my duty of eating daily ice cream, walking a lot and trying to fight off the "crazies" of crying for no apparent reason (reading a sweet card from a friend, doing laundry, hearing an excruciating birthing story...anything can set me off these days in a tear-fest!). Dave has done his duty of nightly footrubs, getting me aforementioned ice cream, and allowing the words, 'yes, dear' to become his favorite vocabulary terms. Tonight we are heading to the hospital for a tour and next week we take two classes on Infant CPR and breastfeeding...life has already changed!!!
Oh...and I almost forgot...also one month from now?? A HUGE Ketel One Martini with one olive and one onion for MAMA!!!!!
More posts to follow, I promise!
BUT - I do have reason! One month. One month from today, Baby Bryand is due! Granted, I realize he will likely take his sweet time and arrive a week later so he can be greeted by his Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Jonny-Cakes and Cousin Riggs when they arrive to SF for Thanksgiving, but I am still counting down the due-date weeks with the expectation of ONE MONTH.
-- One month from now, we will get used to being awoken by baby wails rather than drunken party-goers.
-- One month from now, we'll hit the realization that we can't both go work out at the gym at the same time.
-- One month from now, we'll wish we did more date nights.
-- One month from now, we'll come to grips that it's no longer all-about-us.
Though I think all of these updates will take their toll on us, we also realize that:
-- One month from now, we'll have a bundle of joy in our arms...that we made.
-- One month from now, we will be a Mom and a Dad.
-- One month from now, we'll wonder what life was like before this baby existed in our lives.
In short, WE ARE EXCITED!!!! Today is October 12th and Baby Bryand is due to enter this world on November 12th. So where have we been for the last couple of months? We have been doing everything on our lists that we know are about to become luxury tasks in no time at all!
* I went to Raleigh for a Girls' Weekend where they threw me a fantastic baby shower. I ate Goodberry's every single day. DELIGHTFUL!
* Dad & Carolyn took a road trip from San Diego to San Francisco! We had a few days with them and it was AWESOME! I love having them here...next trip is New Years when the baby is here!
* We went to Connecticut to visit Dave's family, then went to Rhode Island to spend Labor Day celebrating two of our dearest cousins' 30th birthdays.
* Mom, Lindsay, Jon and Riggs came to SF for Riggs' first visit! Our fantastic SF girlfriends threw an awesome baby shower here at our place and didn't allow me to lift a finger. They surrounded us with love and we spent a wonderful weekend fawning over my smiley nephew!!!
* We took Babymoon Part 2 with Jaime & Jess to The Four Seasons Punta Mita (yep, 'cause we are that fancy). We had a dream trip and were pampered beyond belief.
* We spent a week in my favorite place on Earth...Lake Tahoe. The first weekend included a rental house with a dozen of our dearest friends in SF, the second weekend was celebrating the nuptials of one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen (aka my manager and one of the sweetest, smartest women I know), and the week in-between was in my version of heaven....Jon's grandparents' house on the lake. Dave and I stayed in the guest cottage...approximately 300 square feet of perfectly laid out space that gives you everything you could possibly need and more. We had fires each night, remarked at how crazy it is to sleep in such quietude and just had a fantastic, relaxing week.
* Finally, we came HOME to San Francisco. I have been doing photo shoots, starting the "nesting" phase of pregnancy and just settling back into "normal" life (does it still count as "normal" if you spend more time in the abnormal than the routine??? not sure).
Regardless, we are thrilled to start in on the final month of my pregnancy! I have done my duty of eating daily ice cream, walking a lot and trying to fight off the "crazies" of crying for no apparent reason (reading a sweet card from a friend, doing laundry, hearing an excruciating birthing story...anything can set me off these days in a tear-fest!). Dave has done his duty of nightly footrubs, getting me aforementioned ice cream, and allowing the words, 'yes, dear' to become his favorite vocabulary terms. Tonight we are heading to the hospital for a tour and next week we take two classes on Infant CPR and breastfeeding...life has already changed!!!
Oh...and I almost forgot...also one month from now?? A HUGE Ketel One Martini with one olive and one onion for MAMA!!!!!
More posts to follow, I promise!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Best $49 Fried Chicken of My Life
There's only one place notorious for their $49 fried chicken in NorCal...none other than Ad Hoc of Thomas Keller fame (the dude who also created French Laundry and Bouchon). Ad Hoc is known for their $49 4-course meals...the concept is that guests don't know until the day they arrive what will be served. So while it's not for the unadventurous eater, it is for foodies all around. Mondays are the exception to the mystery-meal in that every-other-Monday they serve FRIED CHICKEN!!!
Keeping in mind that Yountville (Napa) is about 1 1/2 hours away from SF, six of us made the journey on Monday night up there to experience a little bit of Fried Heaven.
First course: Watermelon with cole slaw
Second course: Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes with mushrooms and roasted veggies from their garden
Third course: Cheese deliciousness with pluots and nuts
Fourth course: Lemon tart with raspberry yummyness on top
Meals are served family-style and you can ask for more of anything. Our goal going into the evening was to get seconds of the famed fried chicken, but we disappointed ourselves in filling up on all of the other courses and unable to down even one more gloriously salty bite.
The Famous Chicken...
Cheese course...
The crew...
The dinner was a birthday celebration for Davey (turning 31 this Friday). Thank you, ladies, for such a terrific night!
Keeping in mind that Yountville (Napa) is about 1 1/2 hours away from SF, six of us made the journey on Monday night up there to experience a little bit of Fried Heaven.
First course: Watermelon with cole slaw
Second course: Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes with mushrooms and roasted veggies from their garden
Third course: Cheese deliciousness with pluots and nuts
Fourth course: Lemon tart with raspberry yummyness on top
Meals are served family-style and you can ask for more of anything. Our goal going into the evening was to get seconds of the famed fried chicken, but we disappointed ourselves in filling up on all of the other courses and unable to down even one more gloriously salty bite.
The Famous Chicken...
Cheese course...
The crew...
The dinner was a birthday celebration for Davey (turning 31 this Friday). Thank you, ladies, for such a terrific night!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
26 Weeks - Cucumber?
What a lame-o description. I mean, I love cucumber as much as the next gal, but I don't quite get how the baby can be a cucumber this week and a cauliflower next week:
26 Weeks
27 Weeks (next week)
Regardless, I look forward to my weekly updates of what the baby is doing! This week, BabyCenter told me about the baby's increased hearing capabilities amongst other things. I feel him move a ton and it's become a nightly ritual for Dave to feel the baby kick while we are relaxing in the evenings or heading to bed. I love sharing it with him!
And...drumroll....pics of me. I have not yet become the size of a house and am feeling really, really great! We went to AQUACISE twice this week (yep, Dave the trooper came WITH ME!!!). It was us, 1 "portly" young woman, and 4 geezers who basically chatted it up for the entire hour...it was really cute! Yesterday's class I even had to stop and just walk in the shallow end - it was too intense!!! Who ever thought that Aquacise could be too intense??? Hey...don't knock it 'til you try it!
6+ months in and just 3 months and a week until the due date of November 12th!!!
26 Weeks
27 Weeks (next week)
Regardless, I look forward to my weekly updates of what the baby is doing! This week, BabyCenter told me about the baby's increased hearing capabilities amongst other things. I feel him move a ton and it's become a nightly ritual for Dave to feel the baby kick while we are relaxing in the evenings or heading to bed. I love sharing it with him!
And...drumroll....pics of me. I have not yet become the size of a house and am feeling really, really great! We went to AQUACISE twice this week (yep, Dave the trooper came WITH ME!!!). It was us, 1 "portly" young woman, and 4 geezers who basically chatted it up for the entire hour...it was really cute! Yesterday's class I even had to stop and just walk in the shallow end - it was too intense!!! Who ever thought that Aquacise could be too intense??? Hey...don't knock it 'til you try it!
6+ months in and just 3 months and a week until the due date of November 12th!!!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Babymoon 2009...aka "Our Last Hurrah"
The end is near, y'all! With 3 1/2 months to go before Baby Bryand arrives, Dave and I decided to take what is called a "Babymoon" (honeymoon before the baby arrives) to Hawaii! We went for one glorious, amazing week and didn't want it to end!
We spent 4 days on the Big Island and 4 days on Maui. We thought the Big Island was just okay but we l-o-v-e-d Maui! I have to give a huge caveat as our goal for the trip was to do...nothing. So part of the highlights of the Big Island are the volcanoes and the coffee plantations...we visited neither! Here is a slight recap:
The Big Island: Marriott
Thanks to the company I work for, I won an award last year and it paid for our ENTIRE Marriott stay of 4 nights!!! Awesome. Our bill when we left was a whopping $150 for coffee, room service, etc. YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!
Our first stop was of course to hit the BEACH!
Try to not get too blinded by our whitey-white bods!
We each had our treats...Dave's was poolside beers, while mine was ice cream in bed!
Dave jumping the kids in line to go down the slide
Haagen Daas...yummy!
We rented a car on both islands...a Mustang Convertible for both of them! We loved having the flexibility to cruise around the island and check out different beaches and restaurants.
I love this pic of Davey...so cute and "island-y"!
I also loved our matching-ish hats that we rocked...so fun!
...and that giant waxy flower in Dave's mouth fell from a banana tree...whacky!
Next, we went to MAUI!
Maui: Sheraton in Lahaina
We loved the beach feel of the island, the lush GREEN-NESS (the Big Island has a LOT of volcanic remnants, making it very black and brown). The hotel location was great for us and we enjoyed every moment.
The Sheraton had a cliff where people jumped off...so Dave had to check it out:
Jumping and Diving
We walked to dinner two nights (Leilani's and Hula Grill) and I looked forward to seeing what flower Dave would pick for my hair...yep, life was pretty easy!
Dinners were fun and delish. We had lots of fruit and fish every day (and ice cream...did I mention ice cream??? ahhhh). We stayed in two nights during the trip and had dinner and a movie in the room - loved it!
Heading to dinner one night while catching a luau
Outside of Hula Grill
We went snorkeling at Molokini one day, and debated the famous Road to Hana for another day. We decided to only go to the first stop - waterfalls - and were glad that we vegged out at the hotel as we later found out what a loooong day the Road to Hana is. The waterfall hike was moderate and beautiful...and Dave got up with the 16-year-olds and jumped!
Casually walking as if we have paparazzi with us...the usual...
While we did those few activities, most of our time was spent at the hotel beach & pool.
Dave checking out Paddle Boarding for the first time!
I spent 90% of my pool time reading...4 books = heaven!
Dave swimming away!
Thank you, lovey, for such an amazing trip together!!! I love you more than I can possibly tell you...and am so grateful for all that you are.
Here are a few more pics from the trip....
We spent 4 days on the Big Island and 4 days on Maui. We thought the Big Island was just okay but we l-o-v-e-d Maui! I have to give a huge caveat as our goal for the trip was to do...nothing. So part of the highlights of the Big Island are the volcanoes and the coffee plantations...we visited neither! Here is a slight recap:
The Big Island: Marriott
Thanks to the company I work for, I won an award last year and it paid for our ENTIRE Marriott stay of 4 nights!!! Awesome. Our bill when we left was a whopping $150 for coffee, room service, etc. YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!
Our first stop was of course to hit the BEACH!
Try to not get too blinded by our whitey-white bods!
We each had our treats...Dave's was poolside beers, while mine was ice cream in bed!
Dave jumping the kids in line to go down the slide
Haagen Daas...yummy!
We rented a car on both islands...a Mustang Convertible for both of them! We loved having the flexibility to cruise around the island and check out different beaches and restaurants.
I love this pic of Davey...so cute and "island-y"!
I also loved our matching-ish hats that we rocked...so fun!
...and that giant waxy flower in Dave's mouth fell from a banana tree...whacky!
Next, we went to MAUI!
Maui: Sheraton in Lahaina
We loved the beach feel of the island, the lush GREEN-NESS (the Big Island has a LOT of volcanic remnants, making it very black and brown). The hotel location was great for us and we enjoyed every moment.
The Sheraton had a cliff where people jumped off...so Dave had to check it out:
Jumping and Diving
We walked to dinner two nights (Leilani's and Hula Grill) and I looked forward to seeing what flower Dave would pick for my hair...yep, life was pretty easy!
Dinners were fun and delish. We had lots of fruit and fish every day (and ice cream...did I mention ice cream??? ahhhh). We stayed in two nights during the trip and had dinner and a movie in the room - loved it!
Heading to dinner one night while catching a luau
Outside of Hula Grill
We went snorkeling at Molokini one day, and debated the famous Road to Hana for another day. We decided to only go to the first stop - waterfalls - and were glad that we vegged out at the hotel as we later found out what a loooong day the Road to Hana is. The waterfall hike was moderate and beautiful...and Dave got up with the 16-year-olds and jumped!
Casually walking as if we have paparazzi with us...the usual...
While we did those few activities, most of our time was spent at the hotel beach & pool.
Dave checking out Paddle Boarding for the first time!
I spent 90% of my pool time reading...4 books = heaven!
Dave swimming away!
Thank you, lovey, for such an amazing trip together!!! I love you more than I can possibly tell you...and am so grateful for all that you are.
Here are a few more pics from the trip....
Riggles Update!
Riggs is already 2 1/2 months old!!!! Time is FLYING by and Lindsay and Jon are doing great!
How ADORABLE is he???
We went to San Diego for the weekend (July 10-12...I'm just late!) and have been thinking about my sweet nephew ever since. He was just starting to learn to smile (not quite on command...more like we just got lucky here and there) and is just too cute!
Who could say no to this face??
Oh, I get it...easier to say no when THIS is the face!
I still can't get over how IDENTICAL he looks to Lindsay yawning here. I wish I had a picture of her yawning for a side-by-side comparison...I'll work on it!
Riggs...after his narcoleptic auntie's heart
Miss you, Riggs!
xoxo
Auntie B
How ADORABLE is he???
We went to San Diego for the weekend (July 10-12...I'm just late!) and have been thinking about my sweet nephew ever since. He was just starting to learn to smile (not quite on command...more like we just got lucky here and there) and is just too cute!
Who could say no to this face??
Oh, I get it...easier to say no when THIS is the face!
I still can't get over how IDENTICAL he looks to Lindsay yawning here. I wish I had a picture of her yawning for a side-by-side comparison...I'll work on it!
Riggs...after his narcoleptic auntie's heart
Miss you, Riggs!
xoxo
Auntie B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)