The Natural

Halloween was a smashing success. We had 80 kids at the door and for once almost everyone was in costumes of some kind. We had about a 90% "thank-you" rate, which is terrific. It drives me b-a-n-a-n-a-s when the kids don't say "thank you."

I decided not to put Logan in his farmer costume for day care, because I was worried he'd destroy it. I think that was a good choice, because when I picked him up he was covered with orange cupcake frosting that surely would have been all over his overalls. So we changed him into the costume after dinner and Larry, Grandpa and Grandma set out to take him "to a few houses on the street."



Well AN HOUR LATER, the four of them arrived home. I was getting ready to call the police. Oliver and I manned the door, handing out "Sour Jacks." History shows I can't be trusted with chocolate on Halloween night.

After the first two houses, at which he was mainly confused, Logan absolutely adored Halloween. He's a trick or treat natural. He came home not with the three or four pieces of candy I expected, but with a 2/3 full bucket (and it was a big bucket), which Larry and I raided after he went to bed.

Larry Gets Ready for Halloween at Hoovers

Batter Up

The weather has been so beautiful this week. We're all about playing outside. Grandpa Philip and Grandma Margaret arrive tomorrow for Halloween fun.

Infection Protection

Oliver and I had a brief visit with the pulmonologist today so he could receive his second dose of Synagis. This medication is given monthly to high-risk babies (such as preemies) during cold season to help them fight RSV, which is a respiratory illness that isn't a big deal for older kids and adults but can have a bad impact on babies, especially little ones.

Respiratory illness this winter is our #1 fear for putting Oliver back in the hospital. Poor little guy really hollered when they gave him the shot. The nurse had warned me that it's a "thick" shot, which makes it hurt more. I tried to make it up to him the rest of the day with a lot of extra cuddles.

Pumpkin Carving

Grammy Helen and Grandad Larry picked up a huge pumpkin for carving during their visit this week. After a struggle to remove the top...


They cleaned out the goop and the seeds...



And then got to carving. Stay tuned to see the finished product in our Halloween post later this week.

Marathon Mom

There are many, many things "nobody" tells you about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. There are more things people do not admit/concede/acknowledge than things they do.

One of these many, many things is that feeding your baby 8-10 times a day for 45 mintues to an hour each feeding can be...boring. I really want to be the person who gazes lovingly at my baby for 8 hours a day, needing nothing more than the sight of his sweet visage to satisfy me during the long hours. This is the behavior I imagine in some of my earthy-mom friends. And I do love the sight of Sweet Oliver's face. But the mind wanders.

So here is a list of the embarrassing things I've resorted to watching on TV during the past few weeks.

American's Next Top Model. I stumbled upon a marathon, but somehow managed to watch them out of order on the DVR. And yet it was not hard to follow. Sometimes I have to pause to let the awkwardness of Tyra's end-of-show proclamations wash away, but I always hit play again.

The Rachel Zoe Project. Utterly addictive, also watched via marathon. Perhaps the most transparent quest for catch-phrase stardom ever broadcast. And yet...I die.

A Boatload of CNN. I'm beginning to find Lou Dobbs tolerable, which probably means I need to switch to MSNBC. Election coverage makes me miss being a reporter (a little).

While feeding Logan in the exact same chair two years ago, I watched two straight seasons of Project Runway via Netflix. And so far, Logan seems fine. Although he does really, really like shoes.

Come On, Baby!

We came very close to our family breaking point last night, one of those "bad nights" that you get with newborns. I had a horrible sore throat and cough, on top of just being generally tired. Oliver was extremely fussy, and Larry was up almost all night trying to keep him calm. All of the activity woke Logan several times during the night.

Early this morning we were all in the living room in various states of exhaustion, except for Logan who was chipper and demanding waffles. I went to change Oliver's diaper and when I came back, Logan was climbing into the chair we use to feed Oliver. He settled the Boppy pillow on his lap, and said, "Come on, baby!" It's moments like those that keep you going through the hellish early newborn months.