undecided uncommitted

Her Jammin' Career Continues

2010-04-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our girl still has a love for music these days. When the rhythm starts, she can't stop:)

Cutting a Rug

2010-03-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

This girl likes to dance! From acoustic to rap, Amelia loves to show off her dance moves. You can even briefly say the word "dance" and she starts going. I have no idea where she has picked this up but it gives us something laugh at;) And just FYI, no matter the genre, her moves and rhythm are the same...somewhat "mummy like" with the exception to the "pelvis elvis" move that she incorporated into this dance session around the 20 second mark!

This is kind of a BIG deal...

2010-03-13T10:54:00.001-08:00

This week has shown promise, once again, that spring will be arriving in New England very soon. Though temperatures continue to fall into the 30's, the sweet little spring buds are pressing their little heads through the soil in hopes of bringing new color into our lives very soon.

This is also kind of a BIG deal...

Amelia is going to be a big sister this September. She has been getting much practice by caring for her "baby" that her great grandparents gave her. She likes to give the baby it's bottle, share her sippy cup with the baby and read books to the baby. If only it were going to be that simple! It will be an adventure to have two in diapers at once but hopefully they will be best of friends in the years to come.

I Can Relate....

2010-03-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

"Some women are lucky enough to have mothers, sisters and friends who live nearby to see them through the rough spots. More than money, more than power, even more than sex, living close to our dearest friends and being able to barge in and drop off the kids without asking first-knowing full well that when it's needed in return, the same will be asked of us-is something we've heard moms desperately crave. But the reality for most is pretty different-they live in cities they didn't grow up in, with newly made friends...support systems that are newer and more tentative"

A quote that I read this week that's becoming all the more real for my life as I scramble to find a babysitter for this weekend so Chris & I can attend a Community/Ministry Fundraiser to network with others in the city;)

Amelia Turns One

2010-02-25T07:26:00.001-08:00

So Amelia has been one for almost a month now and I am just now posting her BIG ONE photos. She is all over the place progressing from walking to running, exerting her "professional one year old opinion" about almost everything, perfecting her dance moves and adding "duck" to her "dog,dog,dog" repertoire;)

Milestones

2010-01-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Amelia has now been walking for two weeks & has learned some dance moves that she likes to show off when you turn the music up:) She also gives high fives, free kisses and says "dog" all day long, even when there is no dog:)Oh and she wave bye bye/hi and claps her hands when she does something exciting! I am in the process of capturing it all on video/camera so hang tight and it will soon be up for your viewing pleasure:)

Amelia Update Coming Soon....

2010-01-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

This will have to do for now:) enjoy the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJHqstPuNo

9 Months

2009-11-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

So I can't believe I am actually posting her "age appropriate picture" during the same month that she is the cooresponding age. Miracles remain. Her 9 month pics were taken this weekend during a family outing to the Boston Public Gardens and Charles River. Enjoy:)

10 Minute Costume

2009-11-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

At about 7pm halloween evening Chris, his brother Travis who is visiting from San Francisco and I decided a piece of candy sounded good. Being 3 adults, we couldn't justify going to the neighbors' houses asking for candy (with no costumes) so we quickly made Amelia our decoy! She was a 10 minute redneck: barefoot with overalls, red bandana and mullet wig.Thanks for the candy Milly:)

Amelia's New Hobby

2009-11-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

Slacklining:

When asked to describe her new hobby, she declined suggesting to post a link to the always reliable wikipedia. so here it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacklining
She doesn't understand how dad makes it look so easy but she'll keep trying:)

Autumn How I Love Thee

2009-10-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

These pictures our from around the city with the exception of the last one which is a shot of Chris and his brother rock climbing in New Hampshire. Nice view huh?

8 Months Old

2009-10-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

A Hike In the Colors

2009-10-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Every year for Columbus Day weekend we go on a camping trip with friends from our faith community but this year with Amelia and the nighly temps dropping in to the 20's we weren't able to go. Instead the three of us took a day trip to New Hampshire to go for a hike and do a little "leaf peeping". Amelia LOVED being in the woods (she slept nearly the entire time we were hiking) It's in her blood (the love for the woods,not the sleeping part unfortunately!!!)

Modesty, or the Lack There of

2009-10-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

If you stop by our house this might be how you're greeted. So if it makes you nervous, call ahead:) She really doesn't like to get dressed. It could be 30 degrees and she could care less. Besides despising getting dressed she also detests socks, hats and blankets. It's going to be a fun winter I can already tell!

7 Months...two months later!!!

2009-10-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

Amelia at 7 months hanging out in our front yard. She loves to play in the grass and thankfully it doesn't make her break out in hives so that's awesome!

Swim Lessons

2009-10-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

Chris and Amelia just completed a 6 weeks baby swim class at the YMCA.Though she was the youngest in the class she loved being in the water and with other kids. Thankfully she never got scared or cried so I think she is going to love water:) Yea...just hope she doesn't decide to become a white water raft guide!

Multitasking

2009-10-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hmm...I wonder where she gets that from??? Poor girl, mom and dad both go 90 to nothing so I guess she didn't have a fighting chance. It doesn't seem to matter what she is doing, it's always two things at once:)

*She stood up for the first time 3 days after her 7 month birthday (Sept. 2nd) and she hasn't looked back since. I'm trying to download some video of her on the move but I can't get it to work. Stay tuned.

Children's Hospital

2009-09-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, back in September we have to rush Amelia to the ER at children's. Within a matter of hours she was hooked up to iv's (only after 4 tries and lots of bruises on her little arms)xray tables and getting ultrasounds. The diagnosis:intussuception.Praise God that we caught it early and she did not have to have major surgery, however, she still had to have air blown into her intestines and we all know that couldn't be too comfortable. She has recovered and we believe that God has completely healed her.

Senator Kennedy's Funeral Preparations & Procession...in our neighborhood

2009-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hair,Teeth,Sitting up, Crawling & Pulling up

2009-09-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

We've had some pretty major milestones these past two weeks. It seems that Amelia wants to by-pass the crawling stage and move right on to walking. Today (Sept 2nd) she pulled up on the couch, successfully standing on her own (couldn't catch the action on camera but will try to post asap)

Climbing...Climb On...Can you find Amelia?

2009-08-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Nichols' Family climbing outing. I (Courtney) did not really participate as my shoulder is still tweeked but a good time was had by all and Amelia enjoyed playing in her pack & play outdoors. Can you spy Amelia in the second photo?

First Trip to the Beach

2009-08-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Although she is smiling in these pictures I think that Amelia is going to share her mother's opinion of the beach (would rather have the mountains or a pool)I believe we sat in traffic longer than we stayed on the beach but we made memories and that's what's important. The traffic was moving soooo slow that I eventually got out of the car and walked with Amelia in the shoulder of the road.

Moments with My Friend Mary Lou

2009-08-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Newport, RI with my friend who is in the 5th percentile of her class (I remind you that I am in the 90th percentile a.k.a. HUGE)

Best Birthday Gift EVER!

2009-08-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently (and somewhat reluctantly)told me that for her birthday her mother gave her (and her husband) "1 free weekend a month" of babysitting for one year (this includes over night care) This same friend also found a mother's day out program that provides 40 hours of care a month for $100... $100 not for a day(as in Boston)...per month! How beautiful is that? If anyone deserves it, she does :)

Culinary Artist

2009-08-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Like An Old Man

2009-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we don't feel like fighting Amelia to get her to take a morning nap so on days like this we just let her crash when she feel it's time.

Indoor Playground

2009-08-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

a.k.a the matress to our sleeper sofa pulled out and surrounded by the sofa cushions:) a bit desperate aren't I?

Cheers!

2009-08-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dressed Child with Top of Head Showing :)

2009-08-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

these pictures are now a month old but as my sister says "better late than never"...i still don't buy into that philosophy but today it works:)

For those who care

2009-08-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

a.k.a the grandparents.... early this morning I went to Amelia's room to feed her. After eating I placed her on her back in her crib and went downstairs to get some water. When I came back up to check on her I found her sitting up in her crib!!! Big time I tell you. Looks like we'll be lowering the matress in the crib as she is becomign an adventurer:) First time beach pics to come sometime this week!

One Hour Proposal

2009-08-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

So I stand here multitasking I am wondering what families could be like in America if moms nation wide were alloted (1) free hour a day to do whatever they want? Just (1) hour is all I am thinking. And "want" is the keyword...not have to do. That turns out to be a whopping 7 HOURS a week for those of you who find the calculation a little challenging:) 7 hours to read, take a nature walk, sit and stare at a wall, drink a cup of tea, chat uninterrupted with a friend, write a letter to some one special, wander aimlessly through a cute little shop, sit in the bathtub...no laundry, cooking, cleaning, trips to the grocery store, paying bills, working, changing diapers, feeding others,etc. Just 1 blissful hour to yourself. I think this proposal could transform homes and families nationwide. What do you think?

Just a laugh...

2009-08-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Life really boils down to 2 questions...

1. Should I get a dog....?

OR...

2. Should I have children?

We say both... find out how life REALLY isn't all about YOU!

Elevator Etiquette

2009-07-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Just watch for it the next time you ride one.

There are unspoken rules that must be followed when riding in an elevator with a stranger, it seems. However, in my observation, those rules are not in effect until inside the elevator. Outside the elevator, the rules don't apply. Life carries on as normal, someone pushes the up or the down button, people make small talk, sip their coffee, smile at each other and exchange pleasantries while waiting for the elevator to open.

But once the elevator doors slide open, the rules for proper elevator behavior go instantly into effect. It's an unexplained social phenomenon, but it happens every time. In fact, you can almost feel the weight of the unspoken rules as you step over the threshold.

Anyway, once inside the elevator, these unspoken social rules begin to apply. All strangers riding in elevators together abide by these rules each and every time they ride the lift, or so it has seemed in my observation. I am not sure who came up these rules in the first place, or how it is that everyone knows them and abides by them so well. But someone did, and people do. I tell you, it's an unexplained social phenomenon. I'm not here to explain it, only to impart my observations about it.

In my estimation, the rules for elevator behavior when riding with a stranger are as follows:

1. Upon entering the elevator, stand as far away from the stranger as possible. If they are front left, press your body into the back right. Or vice versa. This gets complicated when there are multiple strangers in the elevator, but you'll figure it out.

2. Don't breathe while in the elevator. If you must breathe, do so very quietly so the other person can't tell you are actually breathing.

3. Keep the space in the elevator as quiet as possible. Try not to make noises with your feet or your mouth. Under no circumstances should you speak to the stranger in the elevator.

The only exception is if floor direction is needed. A two-word allotment is given in those cases. For example, "What floor?" and "Eight, please." are allowed, but avoid eye contact.

Note that even if you had just been conversing with a stranger before you stepped onto the elevator, cease and desist immediately once entering the lift and confirming your desired floor.

Guttural sounds are also discouraged, as are audible bodily functions. Avoid those if at all possible. Maintain complete silence for the duration of the ride.

4. As if your life depended upon it, do not make any eye contact with the stranger on the elevator. Appropriate places for your eyes to land are: on your cell phone, on the floor, and either at or above the doors of the elevator.

5. Take some time to stare at the floor numbers as they light up in sequence. Silently will your floor's number to come as quickly as humanly possible.

6. Do everything in your power to create as awkward of an experience as possible while riding in the elevator with the stranger. Give off the vibe that you want nothing more in the world that for the brief ride to be over, as it is all but torturous.

7. Go so far as to pretend you can't even see the other strangers in the elevator and don't know they are there.

8. As the elevator nears your floor, step towards the door. As the door slides open, try to sidle out before there is even enough room to get your body through the opening. This will add to the perception that riding in the elevator with a stranger was so uncomfortable, you couldn't bear for it to last even a moment longer than it needed to.

9. Exit the elevator. Go about your merry way, feeling free to speak with others once you are out of the elevator.

10. Repeat this behavior each and every time you ride an elevator with a stranger.

thanks Jennifer for putting words to all of our feelings!

Recent Snaps...More to Come With Clothed Child

2009-07-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Chris' Grandparents' Barn in SC

2009-07-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Jumping Right Along

2009-07-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Though this pisture is from about a month ago, she still LOVES this little contraption and so do mom and dad :) The perk is that it grows with her so it's going to be around for a while (we hope)

Love my "Auntie" Jessica

2009-07-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Eating from the Buffet...

2009-07-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Family Photo Session

2009-06-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we attended Amelia's second wedding of her life-our friends Michelle and Terry tied the knot and since we were all dressed up we decided to attempt a family photo using the timer on the camera. In one of the photos you can see how narrow her foot is (unfortunately she got that gene from me). Don't mind the random curl on the left side of my head (all the details that I am glad my husband doesn't notice, but sometimes I wish he did!)

First Camping Trip= Success

2009-06-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went with a group of friends to a hot air balloon festival in Vermont. We were not sure how it was going to work out for sleeping with Amelia in the tent but thankfully she really enjoyed herself and so did we even though it was ALOT of work between feedings, naps and diaper changes. Memories in the making, that's the important part:)

Per Mimae's Request....

2009-06-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

a hatless Amelia picture!

Mother's Day

2009-05-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful first mother's day. I awoke to a wonderful breakfast and a table decorated with my flower basket from the Nichols family, a gift from C & A and an assortment of cards. After a relaxing morning, Chris and Amelia took me out to one of my favorite places...the arboretum (265 acres of beauty walking distance to our house!!!) see: http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/aboutus/history.html for details:) Mother's Day is the one day of the year that you are allowed to "legally picnic" so Chris managed to find a KFC to satisfy my fried chicken craving and we got our to go boxes for a carefree, deep fried good ol' picnic.

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Look at Amelia ride the pinata pony! Don't mind the fact that her father reinforced it's neck with excessive amounts of duct tape. Guess he was afraid of her ripping it up with her bare hands. After all girl does like to eat as shown in her tummy roll in the second picture:)

Lets Go Bananas

2009-05-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

That's our little monkey! Sometimes she drives us bAnAnAs but then she gives us that little grin and the frustrations melt away.

Mighty, Mighty Bumbo

2009-04-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Who thought of this amazing contraption? One more of those baby things that is TOTALLY not essential but it sure makes life for all parties involved much more enjoyable. The only change I would make would be to but some holes in the back of the chair for ventilation. For those who have never officially met Mr.Bumbo, it's a light weight chair that little ones can sit in before they can actually hold themselves up and the material is basically the ssame material that Crock shoes are made out of. I was also pleased to see that it's made in South Africa...not China!

Happy 3 Months Milly!!!

2009-04-29T11:27:00.001-07:00

We took a little trip to the arboretum but Amelia didn't seem too interested:) Don't get me wrong...her favorite place to be (other than someone's arms) is outside which her father and I are thrilled about but she would much rather catch some zzzz's than look at the beautiful trees-in her stroller or under a tree, she has no preference!

Let the laundry begin....

2009-04-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

Cloth diapers are official in our household these days.This was her 1st and she actually seemed to like it. I can't say that I am thrilled about the laundry but I am thrilled to not throw down $20 a week + on disposibles and stacking the landfills with mounds of diapers that are filled with the "who knows what absorbent gel". Really, what it that stuff???

Identity

2009-04-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

"Katherine and her family are living the organic, raw foods, attachment loving lifestyle, delighting in sharing each wondrous moment with the world!"

This was a description of a mother that a stumbled across the other day. I am not there yet but perhaps one day I will...or not! For now I will just dream about organinc food as I watch the seeds that I planted in high hopes of having a garden space in the community garden out grow their small containers in my kitchen:) I will also aspire to embrace the fact that my child is all about the "attachment lifestyle" and maybe I can find "Katherine" to delightfully share the "wondrous" moments with her!!! I digress...

Three Loves

2009-04-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Amelia loves her daddy playing the guitar, her stroller rides and her dolly Molly that her MeMaw gave her. Seriously, that doll is her best friend! I hope to soon post some video of her giggling and mesmerized by that inanimate object of her affection :)

Heart Focus

2009-04-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

In the midst of the mundane...feeding a hungry child,changing diapers, washing diapers, rocking the tears away, washing dishes, tending to the dog, paying bills, preparing meals,etc my heart needed the challenging words from the verse in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 to focus my heart today

may my work be produced by faith
my labor prompted by love
my endurance inspired by hope in Jesus

only then will the mundane no longer be a vain pursuit but a glorious adventure!

2009-04-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

From the Rising of the Sun

2009-04-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ressurection morning (Easter a.m.)a few of us managed to make it out the Castle Island to watch the sunrise and celebrate the resurrection of our loving Savior. It was a bit chilly, but not near as frigid as last year. This year was a bit of a stretch for Chris and I in getting Amelia fed, bundled up and out the door in order to pick up some people, coffee and make it on time. Funny how the sunrise never "runs late":) Regardless, we made it and it was a precious time to be with friends and I think it will be a family tradition. One of the songs we sang was "Amazing Love". Some of the words are: Amazing love, how can it be that you my King would die for me. Amazing love I know it's true and it's my joy to honor You in all I do I honor You. And that my friends is what this "season of bunnies" is all about. There is a God who loves us. There is a man who died for us... but more significantly rose from the dead! His name is Jesus. He is not just a historical figure (though history testifies of His life) He is alive and well and has made a way for us to be in relationship with the Creator God. Amazing Love! Check out this video.I don't have a you tube account so I couldn't embed it so you'll have to copy and paste it to your internet browser (it's worth the extra step!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z15FlTONVo

Bows and Brunch

2009-04-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had out big hair bow debute and Amelia made her rounds into the arms of those who love her sooooo much!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2009-04-09T06:03:00.001-07:00

Miscellaneous Snaps for the Grandparents

2009-04-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

double chin
smiling when i want to cry

daddy's blue eyes

cozy blanket

relaxin' on the bathroom floor...her new favorite place to be when she's not in her swing

upclose and long legged

still swingin' and posing like a rapper

Sugar & Spice

2009-04-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

One Eyed Willy

2009-04-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is her way of sleeping and making sure she is still being held. We call her One Eyed Willy...freaky!

Sleeping Situation

2009-04-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks back we took the plunge to move her into her own "big girl room". Up until that time she had been sleeping in her basket in our room..as tempting as it was to let her sleep with us we resisted but nonetheless she was still just an arm's length away. Moving to her big girl room included moving to her big girl bed a.k.a crib. They first few times it didn't go over too well as I am sure it did not feel as snuggly as her cozy basket. After two hours of trying to force this transistion on her we put her back in her basket and then the following night we made a "compromise". I am delighted to report she is now officially relocated to her crib!

just a swingin'

2009-04-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here's Amelia in the Miracle Machine...these are the phases she goes through each time. Why don't they make one of these for adults?

First of friends...

2009-03-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Meet Amelia's first BFF Elijah. He is one month old and lives just four houses down from us. We have enjoyed sharing our long days shut up in the house out of the cold with him and his mother Melanie. So how just knowing someone else is going just as insane as you are makes you feel normal for a moment in time:) We look forward to playing outside in the summer and fall and taking camping trips together in the years to come.

Set the captives free!

2009-03-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

So I have officially outsourced my motherhood :) we have recently acquired an electric swing for Amelia...that is, within the past 48 hours and it has been simply revolutionary! She loves it whether she is awake or asleep she is content as a bug to be there and not in my arms. This morning Chris said, "it's amazing, I can actually eat breakfast!" I am basking in this new found freedom but have had to remind myself that she still needs physical touch throughout the day:) that's what nursing is for, right? just kidding. I don't have a picture of her in the new cocoon but will get one soon. Off to take a shower and file some paperwork...oh what bliss!

Prayer & Song for Amelia

2009-03-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

These are the lyrics to the song that Amelia was born to from our ipod playlist.The basis of the song is scripture from Hosea 2- speaking of the redeeming, restoring love of God and His pursuit of His creation to be in relationship with Him. It has been a song that has gripped my heart since moving to Boston and has given me strength to carry on when the days have seemed hopeless and the valleys long and deep. I pray it over her often, that she will come to know Jesus one day. That against all odds she would follow hard after Him...knowing that being a Christ follower isn't always safe but worth it!

ACRES OF HOPE
by Shane Barnard and Robbie Seay

He will allure her
He will pursue her
And call her out
To wilderness with flowers in His hand
She is responding
Beat up and hurting
Deserving death
But offerings of life are found instead

She will sing
She will sing
Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

Here in the valley
Walk close beside me
Don’t look back
For love is growing vineyards up ahead
You have called me master
And though you’re in the dark here
Call me friend
And call me lover and marry me for good

She will sing
She will sing
Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

How the story ends is
Love and tenderness in Him
Not safe, but worth it
So the valley’s up ahead
Or the ones we live
We’ll sing together
We’ll sing together

We will sing
We will sing
Oh, to You
We will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead us away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

“Lord, sustain me in the valley. Give me ears to hear Your sweet tender voice and lead me in to acres of hope in this dry and weary land.”
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD,’you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. (Hosea 2:14-16)

this is what you call spring?

2009-03-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

amelia says to wake her up when summer arrives:) we're still covering our hands, feet and toes when we venture outside. today we received another 3" of snow and i think this hat might fit her by next winter! on this outing last week we found out she is weighing a big 9.88 lbs!

a new milestone

2009-03-09T14:38:00.001-07:00

a few days ago, amelia was finally compliant in being placed in the bouncy chair...she ended up liking it so much she fell asleep but still hasn't taken the plunge to sit it in as often as we would like.All in time I suppose but for now i will learn to savor the moments of being able to hold her (hope she grows out of that one-she's such a cuddler)

computer wizard

2009-03-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

i am not sure who was enjoying praise baby dvd's more... stacey or amelia. looks like she is going to take after her daddy when it comes to her computer skills. thank goodness

love at first sight

2009-03-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

silas is starting to embrace the presence of her little sister. one day they will be best of friends but for now there is still confusion as to who is queen of the house...it's mom, right?

Two Exciting Happenings

2009-02-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

Amelia successfully completed her first personal training session by raising her head and holding herself up with her arms. MeMa says we shouldn't be so hard on her as we aren't raising an olympic athelet but you never know so we are working hard to make her strong (after all she will be climbing rock walls with her dad some day I'm sure)

Chris and I had our first date out this past Friday while his parents kept Amelia. We went to a local Bar and Grill and though the music was very loud we seemed to find enjoyment in the chaos (it was all a nice distraction from diapers and crying) I wore my button up pants...yes I've officially made it back into my normal clothes-No more glorified black pajama pants EVERYDAY! When we left we mentioned to the grandparents that she should be ready to eat again at 6:45 and out the door we went. When we returned at 9pm there she lay in her little bed. "Perfect!" i thought. She has already eaten, burped, had a diaper change and is down for the count...another 3 hours all to ourselves! Wrong. Mema and Grandpa looked and said "She hasn't moved this whole time" Oh dear...the night had just begun!

The Nichols Family

2009-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

Chris' parents made it up this past week and were able to spend 5 full days with us. They stayed at our house which was EXTREMELY helpful and were able to feed, rock and play with Amelia. I am not sure who was more excited about their stay-us or Amelia. Chris and I were able to go out to dinner just the two of us (see next post) and I made a three hour trip to Target and Babies r Us...party animals, I know! Anyways, we are thankful for family and friends who love us so much:)

Cloth Diaper Hangout Time

2009-02-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

So the doctor has told us that Amelia needs to be spending lots of "open air time" as she has a very persistant diaper rash. As most of you know, this is much easier said than done. She hates being diaperless (I can't blame her) so as a compromise, I pinned a cloth diaper around her for a little while...it swallowed her but she was content.

Crusin' Thru the Hood

2009-02-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

First stroller ride...Chris and I took her out on a warmer day when the temps made it up in the 40's. She was bundled up in blankets and didn't even know she had left the comforts of her home but we sure felt like free birds venturing through the neighborhood. My leg went out on my twice but thankfully I was able to grab onto Chris so did not completely fall. Next walking tour we will need to find some flat ground as the hills on our block are still a bit too much for me.

First Bath Photo...

2009-02-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

a.k.a the photo to show at her high school graduation party to embarras her:) this was her first scrub down on Feb. 18th just before MeMa and Grandpa Nichols came to visit. I missed cleaning her armpits though as I found a sizable amount of lent debris a few days later :)

Weighing In...

2009-02-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

So at Amelia's 2 week appointment she as offically gained a full pound! Her weight is now 7lbs 11 oz. She has gained her lost weight back and is well on her way to wear her big girl clothes (hopefully graduating from the 3 newborn outfits that we have for her that we have been cycling through the laundry like crazy people). Just for the record, my sister Casey won the contest for guessing how much Amelia was going to weigh at this appointment. Good Job Auntie Casey:)

Eyes That Capture The Heart

2009-02-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

The other night she actually poened her eyes before sunset. As you can see there is also the reality of baby life...spit up, caught on camera.

Day Time Sleep, Nite Time Wake

2009-02-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

pics from last week...her eyes open after 10pm on a nightly bases

Self Soothing

2009-02-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Finding her fingers which is a good thing because she is not a fan of the pacifier and my pinky isn't always available upon demand

Created to Nurture

2009-02-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is our friend Sharla's (who was with us at Amelia's birth)little girl Cavin holding Amelia. She was so excited to have a "boppy pillow her size" aka my neck pillow from Brookstone that fit perfectly around her waste. It was so great to have their family stop by this past weekend to bring dinner and adult conversation (with their three children under the age of 4 running around it made Amelia seem a little more managable) Thanks for bringing hope in the midst of despair Jones family!

the midnight oil...

2009-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

it's been about a week since this photo was taken but I still find it humorous and disheartening all at the same time...a night's worth of diaper changes! I was so exhausted that I didn't even feel like putting them in the trash can at the time so there they sat when the sun came up and I came to my senses. We have decided that we are going to start using her "output" as our main energy source. With having to keep the house so warm for her, it's about time she start pitching in to cover the outrageous electric bills :)I might also add that this was the same night that I woke up with a numb mouth filled with some type of type of chalky substance-what was it you might ask? Well, it was 1 of 3 ibuprofen pills that I thought I had swallowed in the middle of the night, guess I feel asleep before I even swallowed. Oh dear!

Amelia's Blog Debut

2009-02-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

2nd day home...superbowl party where she was the half time show for a house full!

So, here’s the long awaited blog posting. I am trying to get this while I stuff my face with lunch, clean dishes and make a few necessary phone calls to schedule doctor’s appointments/ arrange insurance policies/obtain birth certificates etc… So, here’s the story of Amelia’s birth.

Wednesday, January 28th, I was scheduled for a check up at 1:45 pm. This was already a week past my last exam that the doctor had said she didn’t expect me to make it to, so we were pretty surprised to still be waiting on her arrival. Being as active of a winter as it’s been here in Boston, we kind of expected her to make her arrival on a nice snowy day, so, Wednesday was forecasted to be “nasty”. We were to receive 4-8 inches of snow and then have it turn to sleet and then to rain and then froze up nice and hard that night….a great recipe for a trip to the doctor/hospital. Chris was scheduled to work from 9-5 that day and the plan was for me to drive if the roads were okay or otherwise to walk to the doctor’s office. I wasn’t too excited about that, but didn’t want to ask Chris to take off work. He called a couple times that morning and I had been feeling pretty poorly. At 12:15, he left work, biked home in the snow and shoveled out the car for me. We got to the doctor and she said that I was getting close. That it could be could be in the next day or two, the weekend or early next week. So, we headed back up the hill to our house. At this point (2:45 pm), my contractions really started hitting hard and I started recording them. They started happening every 5 minutes and lasting 45-55 seconds for the first hour. The second hour, they were hitting every 3-4 minutes and lasting 60-75 seconds. In the meantime, we’ve been in the middle of refinancing our loan on our place. The attorney was telling us that we HAD to sign papers that night or we would lose the contract, so we were set up to meet them at the Ice Cream store across the street from the hospital at 5:30. By 5:00 they were hitting closer to 2 minutes apart, there as NO WAY I was going to be able to eat ice-cream and sign mortgage papers, so Chris called to cancel and we jumped in the car to headed to the hospital.

When we got there, the pain was getting pretty intense. I hadn’t blogged earlier about this because I didn’t want people to worry, but a couple weeks ago, I slipped at the Subway station and broke my tailbone. Because of this, I was having some serious back labor. We checked in and headed up to Triage. At this point, I was having trouble breathing and unable to talk. Once they finally got me into a small room and hooked me up, my contractions were indeed every 2 minutes and lasting 75 seconds. I’d gone to 4-5 cm since 2:00. There was this chair in there that Chris and I laughed about because the handle had been jerked on so many times that it was breaking off.

At this point, I was pleading for medication (knowing it would probably take a while to make it happen). We finally got up to a labor room I was 7 cm and they hooked me up to an IV and gave me the epidural. We had a really nice nurse named Jackie help us the first half of the labor and Kelly did a great job with the epidural. My friend Sharla came and stayed with Chris and I through out the labor, which her calming presence was a real blessing. She has three children herself so we were honored by her willingness to make arrangements to be with us and drive the nasty roads in the winter weather to join us at the hospital. My focus through this whole thing has been “If Mary could do it in the barn/manger, I can do it at the Brigham (the women’s hospital we gave birth at)”. We played some Mad Gab, listened to some music and hung out for a couple hours. Around 12, we were ready to start pushing. I pushed for about 90-120 minutes. At this point, Amelia’s heart rate was jumping way high to 190 and then dropping low. I had also started to develop a fever (they are pretty sure my water had been slowly leaking all day but officially ruptured just before I received medication). The doctor was concerned about Amelia in that she was getting tired and stressed and that without assistance, it would take me another 30-45 to push her out by myself. She recommended us using the vacuum to help assist the head out. I was really caught off guard by this as I hadn’t even considered this as a possibility and really didn’t like the idea of it. I knew I could make it for another hour if need be, but I didn’t want to jeopardize Amelia in that process, so we were compliant with the doctor’s recommendation. Chris said this was pretty scary to watch. The rule was that they would only try it 3 times. Well, it popped off 3 times, so, I’d pushed her out for the most part by myself anyway. When my water broke hours previously, they saw that she had swallowed a bunch of meconium (a.k.a baby pooh) and they would need to have the pediatricians in at birth to be able to clear her lungs. Chris cut the cord and they set her on my chest for about 15 seconds before taking her away because they were concerned due to the meconium and my high fever and wanted to get her on antibiotics quickly (we weren’t too thrilled about this either, just felt like it’s typical American medical practice to immediately cram medication down...the more antibiotics the merrier!) It was kind of sad to wait so long and work so hard and not be able to hold and be with her. She was born at 2:01 a.m. and weighed 6 lbs 11 oz. and was 20.5 inches long…came out with hair, sunny side up.

They said that they would bring her back out as soon as they were done with her, so once we got to our post-partum room, we tried to sleep, but kept waiting and waiting and waiting for her to arrive. Chris was pretty wiped out having woken early that day to meet with a friend, then worked and then this whole process on top of going into this day pretty worn down from other things happening in our lives. I don’t think it was until 6:00 a.m or so that they brought her back to us. 2 minutes later, before we’d even picked her up, she spit up some green stuff, so they took her back to the nursery saying they would bring her right back. By 9:00 am, I was in tears just wanting to be with my daughter, so Chris went down to see what was up. He said the nursery was packed with 15-20 babies. There had been about 8 births in the early morning, so they had been swamped.

On Thursday morning, the nurse came in and said that she and Chris would need to help me to the bathroom the first time to make sure that the epidural had worn off, but that after that, I should be able to get up, walk around, take a shower, etc. etc. I was pretty excited about this. However, as the day went on, I wasn’t getting feeling or mobility back in my right leg. It wasn’t until late afternoon that they started to think that was a little odd, so they finally called one of the anesthesiologist in. They did some tests on me and deduced that I had injured my femoral nerve in my leg and that it would just take some “time” to heal. We asked, what “time” meant and what the implications would be. She said, it could take weeks, months or even a year to heal and that it would be likely that I would have to leave with a walker or a wheel-chair. Once she left, Chris said, this just isn’t going to work for us. We then prayed over my leg. Within hours, we saw some pretty considerable improvements and we’ve been seeing improvements step by step each day.
We stayed in the hospital until Saturday morning. It was actually pretty exhausting and we were ready to come home as it seemed that every minute there was a nurse or doctor or someone else coming in the room. It made it hard to sleep and hard to spend time with Amelia, and the nurses seemed really inconsistent in their communication and “advice” about nursing, etc. It was pretty frustrating at times.

My mom and her husband came in on Thursday and stayed for a couple days. It was great to have her here to help so that Chris and I could get a little rest during the day. Our community, neighbors, and friends have been great helping out, making meals for us, and loving on us.

My leg is still not 100%. It can buckle at any moment when I am just walking across the room (so if I am carrying Amelia I have to have her in the little wrap that straps her to my chest and frees up my hands so that I can hold on to things to get around) and I am still not able to use it to go up and down the stairs which is quiet challenging being that our bedrooms and bath are upstairs. However, I am still believing God for complete healing and am thankful that this is the only discomfort that I am experiencing (besides sleep deprivation, of course!) My tail bone feels much better now that Amelia is not pressing down on it and she is breastfeeding like a CHAMP! She has already exceed her birth weight by 2 oz before her 1st week birthday so her pediatrician was very pleased as she weighed in at 6 lbs 13 oz this week

Well, that’s the scoop! Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed and prayed for us. I promise I will talk to you at some point. Feel free to call anytime. If I am available, I would love to chat, if I can’t talk my phone will be on silence so don’t worry about waking me or interrupting something. Thanks for loving Chris and I and warmly welcoming our daughter to this new place in life.

dr. update

2009-01-23T05:29:00.000-08:00

wednesday the doctor said i was 3cm and effacing very well. nothing i can do but practice patience. tonight i will go to a slumber party & maybe all the estrogen in the room will motivate amelia to join the party...maybe it will terrify her:)

snow shoe saturdays

2009-01-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

it has become a weekend tradition to take advantage of the almost 50 inches of snow we have received thus far this winter by going on snowshoe excursions on a weekly basis. two weeks ago chris and i went out together and this past week my friend jo joined me in the great outdoors for a two hour rendevous over the mountains and through the woods. i sure love where we live (just wish some people lived closer to us!)

boston shower of love

2009-01-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

a week ago girls that i know from different times and places in boston came together to love on me and amelia by throwing us a shower. there were several who were unable to come due to sickness but i was grateful for their consideration of my health and their self control to stay at home with the bugs:) we had a good time together as the snow managed to hold off longer than forecasted (thankfully as i had friends drive in from conneticut and maine!) and other traveled by foot :) 'tis the city life! over all it was an afternoon filled with love and a time to celebrate the new life that is to come into this special community. below the group picture is me in my polka get-up for the event

2 and 80

2009-01-15T04:43:00.000-08:00

doctor said on 1.14.09 that i am still at 2 cm but progressed to 80% effacement. head is down...way down and fluids are good. weighing in now around 6.5 lbs. so has some room to grow between now and then (maybe she'll be blessed with her daddy's skinny genes!)thanks for checking in on me. anticipation builds. off to work i go.

2 down 8 to go....

2009-01-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

so i had my first "offical exam" at the doctor yesturday and she said in an extremely suprised tone of voice "wow! good for you, you are 2 cm dilated and 60% effaced...don't think you're going to make it to your due date little lady!" immediately i thought "good for me? really?" do you know how much i have left to do that i have been putting off due to the advice of others repeatedly saying "oh, girls are always late." "it's your first, it will be a while" so all my postponing until the first few weeks of February is shifting into high gear. then again, there can always be this hype that lingers...2 cm for two more weeks...you just never know.

my christmas gift

2008-12-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

so chris & i don't like to get caught up in the abundant commercialization of our Savior's birthday so we basically just get a single item for eachother. this year i am the PROUD recepient of the Zak Recycled Plastic bowl set (seen above) They are much like the indestructable bowls my grandmother owned at one time, with some snazzy colors added to the mix :) i love, love, love them!

christmas day 2008

2008-12-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

today was a quiet, reflective day-just what i believe it should be in order to remember WHO we are celebrating...Jesus-our Hope, our Peace, our Love, our Joy, The Christ. We did manage to select some festive attire for the day and Silas participated (as usual)

a family tradition... o christmas tree

2008-12-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

so it has become an official family tradition of the nichols' household to claim the neighbor's christmas tree after they put it out on the curb for the garbage truck before christmas day arrives. last year we were able to adopt the tree the day after thanksgiving but this year the gift did not arrive in our home until christmas eve day...beautiful! on wednesday i was driving through the neighborhood and happened to pass by the home were we had found our last little treasure-there she was in all her 6 foot glory, propted up against the snow mound, just waiting on me to come and take her home. 8 months pregnant, I threw her on top of the car, tied her down and told the gentleman spectating the whole adventure to let his neighbors know that they have started a family tradition for us and that next year we will gladly take it a few weeks earlier! (he chuckled)So, we made it safely back over the hill and i managed to get her in the house, placed in the tree stand and decorated in a total of less than 5 minutes (including getting the stand out of the attic...i know, i know, i am not suppose to be going up there but I just couldn't wait to have it all in place before Chris made it home from work) When he came home, he opened the door exclaiming "what in the world!!!" we both started laughing because he knew i must have found it on the side of the road. memories

first snow storm of the year...

2008-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

our house covered in snow with more yet to fall

Chris on his way to work...
business as usual, life doesn't stop when the snow arrives

Why having a jeep in New England isn't the greatest idea:(

my amazing husband

2008-12-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Chris made it back safely from his 2008 winter mountaineering adventure. He and 3 other guys made the trek to northern Maine to submerge themselves in the elements of -10 degree weather (plus windchill..you know it's cold when your tuna in oil packet is frozen solid!) I am so proud of him and thankful that he was able to get away one last time before our daughter makes her big debute. Although I don't understand why he enjoys doing such difficult, painful and draining things "for fun"-I know that they are so life giving to him, so refreshing and rejuvinating in their own special way. I am thankful for a husband who is willing to take risks, be courageous and adventurous and pray that Amelia is much more like her father than her overly cautious mother!

"If you treat a man as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become the bigger and better man"-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Here's to my bigger, better man!

just taking a breather on his way to the top

the crew making their way over and down

much gear needed, so each man pulled a sled

tent covered in snow...oh how i love my cozy bed

'tis the season

2008-12-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

for our community family meal night this month we decided to do a little christmas party pizza and the "works"...works being any special holiday goodie that you find great delight in and would like to bring extra of to share with others a.k.a a night full of junk food and sugar highs! we had a great time watching christmas movies and a few of us with attention span issues laughed our bottoms off playing mab gab. even silas, the dog, decided to join the festivities. (i think she's still overloaded from all the crumbs she cleaned off the floor throughout the night)

one more month...

2008-12-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

here's some shots taken this week as we had our first drizzle of snow. of course Chris was so excited that when i woke at 7am and looked out our bedroom window, there he was out in the middle of it all:) it's hard to believe that we're in the final stretch of awaiting our daughter's arrival and yet it feels like it's been forever since I walked (or ran for that matter!) or sat like a normal human :) i must say i will be oh so happy to wear pants with buttons in the near future!

Prego Presents...

2008-11-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

amelia mae nichols...on the way. this is her in the oven at 26 weeks. chris made me pull my outside shirt up so that you could see that she's really there. anyways, here's to all you who have been asking me to post a belly picture:)

best of the best

2008-10-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

i came across this little article the other day and thought I would share. for details www.fitpregnancy.com/bestcities2008 then click on the red star over Boston :) looks like i will be in good hands at brigham & women's hospital, less than a mile from my house.

A Room of Her Own

2008-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, Chris' "office space" has officially relocated (again!) and the little one's room has been getting some attention the past few days. I am still sewing the dust ruffle and preparing to paint polka dots on the curtains, but at least the furniture is in place :)

colors & such

2008-09-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Many have been asking what colors we are going with for the nursery since Chris and I are both slightly opposed to "everything pink" (or at least my mother has been trying to imagine how you can have a room for a little girl without it being pink) So I thought the best way would be to share some photos of some left over fabrics that I have been piecing together to make curtains, dust ruffle, etc (anything to make the dollar go further) Basically: rust, green, cream and brown. Stripes, plain and polka dots. Oh, and the walls are tan:) There you have it mom, all for your viewing pleasure. Lots of love & hugs.

apple pickin' time

2008-09-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of the beautiful apple orchard we went to this past weekend with some friends:) We picked 12lbs so I am excited about baking "everything apple". This is a true sign that autumn has arrived...it's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

20 Weeks

2008-09-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here's the most recent photo of our daughter...that's right, we're anticipating a girl! This was taken at the beginning of September. All seems healthy as of now and for that we are ever so thankful. Name? We're still at the drawing table on that one, but we'll be letting you know as soon as we come to a final decision (no surprises here!)

Drum Roll Please

2008-08-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

your requests have been granted...here are a few shots of my present day largeness:) these were some shots taken at the wedding we attended last week in Tennessee. We will be going this Wednesday for our second ultrasound in hopes of finding out if it will be a boy or a girl :) I'll keep you posted. feel free to send any name recommendations, seriously. this will be a community effort as is every other adventure in our life!

Lake or Bust

2008-08-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

I just want to swim in a lake...it's a strange craving but all summer the longing has only intensified. I know I can't tube or ski right now but simply floating in the water sounds fantabulous. I have been reminiscing about an old childhood friend and the hours we spent at her lakehouse basking in the sun and swimming in the merky waters...good memories...if only I were in Texas. Maybe in a week or so I can take a dip in a hole while in Tennessee, we'll see. For now I'll just enjoy my lukewarm bath water and face the fact that I live in the city these days :)

In Person

2008-08-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

So as usual, my AMAZING husband surprised me! He snagged some tickets to see Jack Johnson at the Tweeter Center...and not just any tickets but we were on about row 20 under the covered pavilion. It was so much fun. All in all Jack remains an amazing artist in my book! Thanks Chris for loving on me, even when I don't deserve it! You might want to check out one of the guys who opened for him: Neil Halstead of the UK. Folk/Indie artist that we really enjoyed. http://www.myspace.com/neilhalsteadofficial

My Hero

2008-08-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Meet Connor Lewis- the strongest, bravest most incredible kid we know. He is a new friend of ours who has come from Houston to Boston for surgery at Children's Hospital. Please read his story at www.caringbridge.org/visit/connorlewis (enter your email address & password, they don't send junk mail, only for security purposes) and pass it on to as many people as you know so that the prayers will continue on his behalf. Once you follow his story you will never be the same. And once you leave him an encouraging message in his guestbook he and his family will never been the same:) thanks for taking time to love on one amazing kid!!!