Thursday, June 08, 2006
What is Emily Anne up to these days?
There are times when you have to pinch yourself because parenting is SO awesome. Today at lunch, Emily reached out for me and said, "Mommy, I wuv you". *MELT*
Totally unprovoked.
There are other times when things are a little more difficult. Like the normal toddler tantrums that we experience. Everything must be done HER way. The fork needs to be yellow, not purple. I don't do ground beef with my beans. I don't eat cheese ... today.
She is VERY into Baby Einstein videos (which she normally watches as I nurse Logan). She also loves painting with watercolors. Outside, she recently got to start playing with the wading pool and the little boats we have to go with it. She also loves to chase bubbles. She is also really interested in the alphabet and reading books on each of the letters by Dr.Seuss and the Berenstain Bears.
What is Logan up to these days?
Today, Logan was punching the bugs that hang over a bar on his bouncy seat. Hard to believe that he is old enough to do that. I remember the day that Emily grabbed a toy and held it for the first time. I was SO excited! It was like a whole new world had opened up to us. She could now PLAY with toys. Time is going by 10x faster with Logan.
Our little scoocher keeps us on our toes. You put him in one place and 3 minutes later he has managed to rotate about 45 degrees. Leave him longer and you might find him turned all the way around. It's amazing! He kicks and moves constantly with little coos and sighs.
Yes, it's anything but dull in the Dreifuss household!
There are times when you have to pinch yourself because parenting is SO awesome. Today at lunch, Emily reached out for me and said, "Mommy, I wuv you". *MELT*
Totally unprovoked.
There are other times when things are a little more difficult. Like the normal toddler tantrums that we experience. Everything must be done HER way. The fork needs to be yellow, not purple. I don't do ground beef with my beans. I don't eat cheese ... today.
She is VERY into Baby Einstein videos (which she normally watches as I nurse Logan). She also loves painting with watercolors. Outside, she recently got to start playing with the wading pool and the little boats we have to go with it. She also loves to chase bubbles. She is also really interested in the alphabet and reading books on each of the letters by Dr.Seuss and the Berenstain Bears.
What is Logan up to these days?
Today, Logan was punching the bugs that hang over a bar on his bouncy seat. Hard to believe that he is old enough to do that. I remember the day that Emily grabbed a toy and held it for the first time. I was SO excited! It was like a whole new world had opened up to us. She could now PLAY with toys. Time is going by 10x faster with Logan.
Our little scoocher keeps us on our toes. You put him in one place and 3 minutes later he has managed to rotate about 45 degrees. Leave him longer and you might find him turned all the way around. It's amazing! He kicks and moves constantly with little coos and sighs.
Yes, it's anything but dull in the Dreifuss household!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Updated Little D's Wish List (As of 10/09/06)
Emily Anne
Playdough tools (i.e. rolling pin, scissors, etc)
DVD - Boz the Bear: Bananas, Bubbles, etc (at Christian retailers)
DVD - Boz the Bear: Shapes and Colors
Once Upon a Family Christmas Ornament Box (www.onceuponafamily.com/MegD)
Subscription to "Your Big Backyard" magazine (www.nwf.org)
Logan
Subscription to "Wild Baby Animals" magazine (board books) (www.nwf.org)
Once Upon a Family Christmas Ornament Box (www.onceuponafamily.com/MegD)
Emily Anne
Playdough tools (i.e. rolling pin, scissors, etc)
DVD - Boz the Bear: Bananas, Bubbles, etc (at Christian retailers)
DVD - Boz the Bear: Shapes and Colors
Once Upon a Family Christmas Ornament Box (www.onceuponafamily.com/MegD)
Subscription to "Your Big Backyard" magazine (www.nwf.org)
Logan
Subscription to "Wild Baby Animals" magazine (board books) (www.nwf.org)
Once Upon a Family Christmas Ornament Box (www.onceuponafamily.com/MegD)
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Logan’s Delivery (Extended Version)
They say that each child is different. Well, that holds true for deliveries as well. I woke up Sunday morning, April 9th around 2:00am with a little bit of spotting. I decided to stay up for a little while to see if it was anything to be concerned about. I didn’t wake up anyone else, figuring that if it was a false alarm, I wouldn’t want them to lose sleep. I stayed up until around 4:30am with mild contractions that were sporadic – ranging from 5 min. to 8 min. I thought it best to try and get some sleep, just in case. Of course, I laid in bed until 5:30 am staring at the clock. By that time, contractions were about every 4/5 min. apart. I figured it was time to call the OB and get Bert up. As we got our things together, they continued to be every 4/5 min.
There were so many times that I laughed at how different things were the second time around. As we were getting ready, I would scurry around to get things together, counting down the minutes until the next contraction and then pausing to breath through it. On the way to the hospital, we stopped by McDonald’s for breakfast. My, how much more relaxed we were this time! I was actually a bit concerned that they might send us home from the hospital because by the time we got there, the contractions had started coming at all sorts of random intervals. “No,” our delivery nurse Trish said, “You’re having a baby today!”
We arrived at the hospital just before 7:00am. By about 9:30am, I decided that it was time for an epidural. I wasn’t in excruciating pain, but I knew that it was going to get worse before it got better, and it was such a blessing with Emily. With Em, it allowed me some much needed sleep for a few hours before she arrived and made her delivery, though not a cake walk, relatively easy. This is what I was expecting the second time around.
After they starting providing the drugs, I noticed a sharp pain in the back of my skull and in my left jaw. Within a few minutes, I started getting sick to my stomach and losing consciousness. It was the strangest feeling in the world. I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t even hold my head up, let alone control anything else in my body. All the while, though, I could clearly hear everything that was going on around me. I heard the OB say that some of the drugs must have gotten into my spinal fluid and traveled to my brain. They said that this was rare, but not unheard of. They were giving me a reversing drug, but that it would take about an hour for it to have its full effect.
As time went on, I could manage to whisper single words to Bert, who was right beside me. My greatest fear was losing consciousness and having to get a C-section. I think it was about 10:30/11:00am that I heard my OB tell Bert that Logan was going to come with or without my help. At this point, I was still a ball of mush. I heard the dr. ask me to push if I could (which all I can say is that I thought “pushing thoughts” but I’m sure that it did little good). Logan arrived safely at 11:51am – all of his own volition.
By his arrival, I was starting to come out of my haze and could see him. My first thought was, “Praise God! This child looks like an Albertson!” When Emily Anne came out, she looked 100% Dreifuss. Logan was not so much Albertson, per se, as less Dreifuss. He had beautiful misty grey/blue eyes and light brown hair (almost blond in the sunlight).
So, I have a quandary when people ask me, “How long did you have to push?” or “How was your delivery?” I am choosing to focus on the positive – I didn’t have to push at all. Logan came out all on his own. Yes, it was scary at times – probably much more so for Bert than for myself. The doctors and nurses were completely calm and never once gave us cause for concern. They were absolutely wonderful!
Thankfully, I didn’t suffer one of the major complications of this spinal fluid problem – an excruciating headache. With the help of a lot of caffeine and pain medication, my body was able to flush all of the drugs out without a follow-up procedure.
That’s the very long version of the story.
From day one, Logan has been a super nurser. After struggling for a few weeks to get Emily Anne to nurse, it’s been such a relief to have a little guy that got it from the very beginning.
At this point, 3 weeks into it, Logan is still eating almost every 3 hours, on the dot. I told Bert that I think he got his punctuality and hunger. Good thing he’s cute! Emily Anne was very laid back while Logan is either fine or furious. There is rarely an in between. If he’s hungry, he wants food. Now.
Family Visiting
It’s been a tremendous help to have family visiting these past three weeks. My Mom arrived the Monday before Logan arrived and stayed for a week and a half after he was born. What a gift to have someone who chipped in on laundry, keeping Em happy, rocking Logan, and managing the kitchen. She even ran to the store for us! You’ll notice some pictures from our first major outing with Logan, to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham the Saturday after he was born. They just opened a new wild animals exhibit and since we are members, we got in to the preview. We thought that it would be fun for Emily to do something special with all of the fuss being taken over Logan.
While Bert’s Mom and brother were here, this past week, we made a trip to the NC Zoo down in Asheboro (about 2 hours away). We have some great pictures from that trip. Mom D and Ben also got the chance for some quality time with Emily Anne and Logan. They thoroughly enjoy being around both of them!
Easter
We managed to make it to Easter service, though it wasn’t without event. It seemed like everything possible that could happen did. Logan managed to spray Bert while changing his diaper, requiring Bert to change clothes. (That’s one thing that we are still getting used to – watching for his little geyser). In the afternoon, we did some special things with Emily Anne. We hid a few small presents around the house with ribbons that stuck out. Em came down from her nap to find ribbons sticking out from the most peculiar places (underneath the couch cushion, out from the stereo, in the recycling basket, etc). She loved tracking them all down. Then, we did an Easter egg hunt out in the front yard. She did a super job, but was especially partial to the yellow eggs (her favorite color).
Adjusting to new Life
And so this week we start life “for real” – we have no visitors and Bert will be at work the whole week. So far, it’s Tuesday and things are going pretty well. I’m getting up in the middle of the night to feed Logan – which means usually at 11pm, 2/3am and then a 6/7am feeding. I dream of getting more than 4 hours of sleep at a time. I usually end up trying to sneak a nap in the afternoon. Bert is tremendously helpful – he will wash kids, change diapers, get dinner ready, etc. Whatever is needed. I’m very blessed! We’re hoping that Logan will follow Em’s pattern of sleeping through the night by 8/9 weeks of age – that would be around Memorial Day. I will be grateful for some much needed rest.
We have also been getting lots of meals from friends and that has been the best gift of all. Cooking and grocery shopping have definitely been lost in the shuffle and it has been such a God-send to have dinner arrive at our doorstep so many nights.
Em seems to be adjusting pretty well. She is very helpful in taking things to the trash, getting pacifiers, etc. and she loves to give Logan his paci. She’s not the gentlest yet, but she’s learning. She is always clamoring for a playmate and for a Baby Einstein video. In many ways, things haven’t changed much. I’m tied up quite a bit more, though, with nursing Logan.
All in all, life is very good. Even before Logan came, we were talking about when we would start trying for no.3. It’s not easy having a newborn and a toddler, but did we ever think that it would be? No.
They say that each child is different. Well, that holds true for deliveries as well. I woke up Sunday morning, April 9th around 2:00am with a little bit of spotting. I decided to stay up for a little while to see if it was anything to be concerned about. I didn’t wake up anyone else, figuring that if it was a false alarm, I wouldn’t want them to lose sleep. I stayed up until around 4:30am with mild contractions that were sporadic – ranging from 5 min. to 8 min. I thought it best to try and get some sleep, just in case. Of course, I laid in bed until 5:30 am staring at the clock. By that time, contractions were about every 4/5 min. apart. I figured it was time to call the OB and get Bert up. As we got our things together, they continued to be every 4/5 min.
There were so many times that I laughed at how different things were the second time around. As we were getting ready, I would scurry around to get things together, counting down the minutes until the next contraction and then pausing to breath through it. On the way to the hospital, we stopped by McDonald’s for breakfast. My, how much more relaxed we were this time! I was actually a bit concerned that they might send us home from the hospital because by the time we got there, the contractions had started coming at all sorts of random intervals. “No,” our delivery nurse Trish said, “You’re having a baby today!”
We arrived at the hospital just before 7:00am. By about 9:30am, I decided that it was time for an epidural. I wasn’t in excruciating pain, but I knew that it was going to get worse before it got better, and it was such a blessing with Emily. With Em, it allowed me some much needed sleep for a few hours before she arrived and made her delivery, though not a cake walk, relatively easy. This is what I was expecting the second time around.
After they starting providing the drugs, I noticed a sharp pain in the back of my skull and in my left jaw. Within a few minutes, I started getting sick to my stomach and losing consciousness. It was the strangest feeling in the world. I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t even hold my head up, let alone control anything else in my body. All the while, though, I could clearly hear everything that was going on around me. I heard the OB say that some of the drugs must have gotten into my spinal fluid and traveled to my brain. They said that this was rare, but not unheard of. They were giving me a reversing drug, but that it would take about an hour for it to have its full effect.
As time went on, I could manage to whisper single words to Bert, who was right beside me. My greatest fear was losing consciousness and having to get a C-section. I think it was about 10:30/11:00am that I heard my OB tell Bert that Logan was going to come with or without my help. At this point, I was still a ball of mush. I heard the dr. ask me to push if I could (which all I can say is that I thought “pushing thoughts” but I’m sure that it did little good). Logan arrived safely at 11:51am – all of his own volition.
By his arrival, I was starting to come out of my haze and could see him. My first thought was, “Praise God! This child looks like an Albertson!” When Emily Anne came out, she looked 100% Dreifuss. Logan was not so much Albertson, per se, as less Dreifuss. He had beautiful misty grey/blue eyes and light brown hair (almost blond in the sunlight).
So, I have a quandary when people ask me, “How long did you have to push?” or “How was your delivery?” I am choosing to focus on the positive – I didn’t have to push at all. Logan came out all on his own. Yes, it was scary at times – probably much more so for Bert than for myself. The doctors and nurses were completely calm and never once gave us cause for concern. They were absolutely wonderful!
Thankfully, I didn’t suffer one of the major complications of this spinal fluid problem – an excruciating headache. With the help of a lot of caffeine and pain medication, my body was able to flush all of the drugs out without a follow-up procedure.
That’s the very long version of the story.
From day one, Logan has been a super nurser. After struggling for a few weeks to get Emily Anne to nurse, it’s been such a relief to have a little guy that got it from the very beginning.
At this point, 3 weeks into it, Logan is still eating almost every 3 hours, on the dot. I told Bert that I think he got his punctuality and hunger. Good thing he’s cute! Emily Anne was very laid back while Logan is either fine or furious. There is rarely an in between. If he’s hungry, he wants food. Now.
Family Visiting
It’s been a tremendous help to have family visiting these past three weeks. My Mom arrived the Monday before Logan arrived and stayed for a week and a half after he was born. What a gift to have someone who chipped in on laundry, keeping Em happy, rocking Logan, and managing the kitchen. She even ran to the store for us! You’ll notice some pictures from our first major outing with Logan, to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham the Saturday after he was born. They just opened a new wild animals exhibit and since we are members, we got in to the preview. We thought that it would be fun for Emily to do something special with all of the fuss being taken over Logan.
While Bert’s Mom and brother were here, this past week, we made a trip to the NC Zoo down in Asheboro (about 2 hours away). We have some great pictures from that trip. Mom D and Ben also got the chance for some quality time with Emily Anne and Logan. They thoroughly enjoy being around both of them!
Easter
We managed to make it to Easter service, though it wasn’t without event. It seemed like everything possible that could happen did. Logan managed to spray Bert while changing his diaper, requiring Bert to change clothes. (That’s one thing that we are still getting used to – watching for his little geyser). In the afternoon, we did some special things with Emily Anne. We hid a few small presents around the house with ribbons that stuck out. Em came down from her nap to find ribbons sticking out from the most peculiar places (underneath the couch cushion, out from the stereo, in the recycling basket, etc). She loved tracking them all down. Then, we did an Easter egg hunt out in the front yard. She did a super job, but was especially partial to the yellow eggs (her favorite color).
Adjusting to new Life
And so this week we start life “for real” – we have no visitors and Bert will be at work the whole week. So far, it’s Tuesday and things are going pretty well. I’m getting up in the middle of the night to feed Logan – which means usually at 11pm, 2/3am and then a 6/7am feeding. I dream of getting more than 4 hours of sleep at a time. I usually end up trying to sneak a nap in the afternoon. Bert is tremendously helpful – he will wash kids, change diapers, get dinner ready, etc. Whatever is needed. I’m very blessed! We’re hoping that Logan will follow Em’s pattern of sleeping through the night by 8/9 weeks of age – that would be around Memorial Day. I will be grateful for some much needed rest.
We have also been getting lots of meals from friends and that has been the best gift of all. Cooking and grocery shopping have definitely been lost in the shuffle and it has been such a God-send to have dinner arrive at our doorstep so many nights.
Em seems to be adjusting pretty well. She is very helpful in taking things to the trash, getting pacifiers, etc. and she loves to give Logan his paci. She’s not the gentlest yet, but she’s learning. She is always clamoring for a playmate and for a Baby Einstein video. In many ways, things haven’t changed much. I’m tied up quite a bit more, though, with nursing Logan.
All in all, life is very good. Even before Logan came, we were talking about when we would start trying for no.3. It’s not easy having a newborn and a toddler, but did we ever think that it would be? No.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Our Little Technophile
They say that kids grow up fast. Well, 'they' couldn't be more right. This week, Emily Anne has revealed her curiosity and capacity for techknowledge.
Lately we've noticed Em's curiosity increasing rapidly. And instead of squelching it, we've tried to work with it to help her and us both.
The prime example was with the DVD player. You see, this is the only component of our entertainment system that is low enough for her to reach. We have in the past forbade her from touching the device. Our verbal warnings and punishment have just not been able to contain her urges. So instead, while Meg was feeding the little dude and Em asked to watch another Baby Einstein video, Meg directed her in what to do.
It's amazing how good Em's hearing seems to be when taking instruction like this, especially compared to the apparent impairment she has when we're prodding her upstairs to bed.
In short, she can now almost fully operate the DVD player on her own. Here's what she does:
Goes to the DVD cabinet and picks out the desired video.
Opens the case and removes the disk, careful to touch the ends and middle only (well, mostly)
Presses the Open/Eject button
Pops the disk into the tray
Presses the Play button
And then when she reads the cues citing the movie's end, she repeats the process in reverse and turns the DVD player off.
What an amazing kid!
Pretty soon she'll be programming widgets for my website. Who knew parenting could pay off so quickly! :)
They say that kids grow up fast. Well, 'they' couldn't be more right. This week, Emily Anne has revealed her curiosity and capacity for techknowledge.
Lately we've noticed Em's curiosity increasing rapidly. And instead of squelching it, we've tried to work with it to help her and us both.
The prime example was with the DVD player. You see, this is the only component of our entertainment system that is low enough for her to reach. We have in the past forbade her from touching the device. Our verbal warnings and punishment have just not been able to contain her urges. So instead, while Meg was feeding the little dude and Em asked to watch another Baby Einstein video, Meg directed her in what to do.
It's amazing how good Em's hearing seems to be when taking instruction like this, especially compared to the apparent impairment she has when we're prodding her upstairs to bed.
In short, she can now almost fully operate the DVD player on her own. Here's what she does:
And then when she reads the cues citing the movie's end, she repeats the process in reverse and turns the DVD player off.
What an amazing kid!
Pretty soon she'll be programming widgets for my website. Who knew parenting could pay off so quickly! :)
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY ANNE!
Two years ago today, God blessed us with our first child.
Our lives will never be the same... and we'd have it no other way.
Two years ago today, God blessed us with our first child.
Our lives will never be the same... and we'd have it no other way.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Monday, October 31, 2005
Singing Sister
There are so many neat things to tell you about Emily Anne from the past few weeks. Her personality is really developing and her vocabulary is exploding by the hour!
One momentous accomplishment is her behavior during a recent trip to the pharmacy. This was no ordinary trip. The Dreifuss Family stood in line for nearly two hours waiting to receive free flu shots (thank you, Blue Cross/Blue Shield!). During this time, Emily squirmed and fidgeted, but no meltdown occurred! She really is to be commended. I fully expected her to liquify into a heap of tantrum, but I was pleasantly surprised and proud.
Another major milestone is her growing familiarity and fascination with games. This brings tears to my eyes. :) She now knows the word 'game' and when we mention it, she gets excited, goes for the closet, and sits in the middle of the floor - the designated game playing area. She deals out Memory cards to Big Bird, Elmo, Belle, and any humans that happen to be around. So she hasn't quite figured out exactly how the game works, but she is picking up things here and there. We're using the Memory game as mostly a lesson in vocabulary for now.
The third story comes from our bedtime routine. After the teeth are brushed and the pj's are on, we pick out a book to read. The book of the night was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." After I read the title, Em starts to sing the song!! She doesn't have all the words down yet, but she has the first few of each verse, and she has the melody down pat. It's an awesome thing to hear her sing on her own. And her voice is so angelic! Hopefully I'll be able to record it and post it to the site sometime soon.
Now for the final story for today. I have been thinking lately of how to explain to Emily Anne that a new baby is coming, and that she'll be a big sister. I do stuff like point to Meg's belly and tell her that a baby is in there. It's hard to explain concepts like this to a toddler. But the following makes me think I underestimate her powers of comprehension.
I tell her that she's going to be a big sister and that she's going to have a baby brother or baby sister coming soon. She says the words 'baby','brother', and 'sister.' Dad is impressed. Then, she goes to the refrigerator where we have some magnets with the names and stylized pictures of the different people in a family. She brings over the ones for brother and sister. She then hands me the one for brother and points to it! Now maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I think Em wants d4 to be a boy! I wish that voting counted when determining gender. :)
Well, tomorrow we should find out if 'It's a Boy!' or 'It's a Girl!'
There are so many neat things to tell you about Emily Anne from the past few weeks. Her personality is really developing and her vocabulary is exploding by the hour!
One momentous accomplishment is her behavior during a recent trip to the pharmacy. This was no ordinary trip. The Dreifuss Family stood in line for nearly two hours waiting to receive free flu shots (thank you, Blue Cross/Blue Shield!). During this time, Emily squirmed and fidgeted, but no meltdown occurred! She really is to be commended. I fully expected her to liquify into a heap of tantrum, but I was pleasantly surprised and proud.
Another major milestone is her growing familiarity and fascination with games. This brings tears to my eyes. :) She now knows the word 'game' and when we mention it, she gets excited, goes for the closet, and sits in the middle of the floor - the designated game playing area. She deals out Memory cards to Big Bird, Elmo, Belle, and any humans that happen to be around. So she hasn't quite figured out exactly how the game works, but she is picking up things here and there. We're using the Memory game as mostly a lesson in vocabulary for now.
The third story comes from our bedtime routine. After the teeth are brushed and the pj's are on, we pick out a book to read. The book of the night was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." After I read the title, Em starts to sing the song!! She doesn't have all the words down yet, but she has the first few of each verse, and she has the melody down pat. It's an awesome thing to hear her sing on her own. And her voice is so angelic! Hopefully I'll be able to record it and post it to the site sometime soon.
Now for the final story for today. I have been thinking lately of how to explain to Emily Anne that a new baby is coming, and that she'll be a big sister. I do stuff like point to Meg's belly and tell her that a baby is in there. It's hard to explain concepts like this to a toddler. But the following makes me think I underestimate her powers of comprehension.
I tell her that she's going to be a big sister and that she's going to have a baby brother or baby sister coming soon. She says the words 'baby','brother', and 'sister.' Dad is impressed. Then, she goes to the refrigerator where we have some magnets with the names and stylized pictures of the different people in a family. She brings over the ones for brother and sister. She then hands me the one for brother and points to it! Now maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I think Em wants d4 to be a boy! I wish that voting counted when determining gender. :)
Well, tomorrow we should find out if 'It's a Boy!' or 'It's a Girl!'
