A Postpartum Day Out

After carrying baby Nora in a warm fluid filled womb for slightly over nine months it was time to take the new mother out for a day of activity. It was also a good opportunity to enjoy my push present.....that I gave myself. I mean let's face it its not easy watching your wife wake up several times a night to pee, nudging her off the bed so she can stand up, tying her shoes for her, serving her multiple bowls of ice cream, and straining while attempting to put compression hose on her water filled legs. Therefore, I bought a quad...a Honda RECON 250. So for a postpartum day out we headed to the farm for some trail riding. This was MW's first time riding the quad and she was awesome.Only two weeks removed from giving birth she was cruising through the trails, out running me on the mini dirt bike, and nursing Nora at the same time. Well maybe not at the same time, but every few hours. It was perfect weather and a very enjoyable day out. Meghan's a real trooper, a great mom, and an amazing wife. She is always up for fun!

(Good thing we kept a couple extra ice packs from the hopsital. Boom boom!)

Getting to Know One Another

We have officially been home for a week now with our little baby girl. I've been wanting to do a blog post but haven't seemed to find the time until now. (I have been a bit overwhelmed by all the texts, emails, and facebook messages so please forgive me if I haven't responded yet.) This post will be somewhat brief because there is a little baby with an insatiable thirst sleeping just a few feet away. Many people have asked us how things are going, are we hanging in there, and what do the dogs think. Well, I'll tell you.

My mom brought home some blankets from the hospital that Nora rubbed her sweet scent all over. After sniffing my mom from head to toe, they focused on the blankets and calmed down immediately. Ruckus took the blanket to his mini camo couch and snuggled with it. May shortly followed suit. When we got home, Chris let the dogs come in one at a time to smell Nora in her car seat. Not too close, we're not crazy. After they were introduced, Chris settled in with his little clone baby and relaxed on the couch. The dogs sized up the situation. Our little mohawk child immediately became the center of attention. We all just can't stop staring at her. We've been doing great, better than just hanging in there. We have had a few sleepless nights, but more easy nights. Usually, she is a little angel. A happy (or gassy) baby, no doubt. She lets us know when she needs a diaper change by making CB radio static sounds in her pants and then flashing us this innocent smile.She can be a bit shifty at times. Yes sir, she knows when to turn it on and off. She often sleeps with one eye open to stay apprised on the daily comings and goings. We have to pull her shade down if we want any privacy. Which lets face it, we really don't right now. We have a newborn.Nora is fitting right in with the crew. She's one of the family and has taken her place in the pack order, right ahead of Ruckus and Mayhem. We are so excited to watch her personality develop. She's already a little ham. Once she has some neck control, we are really going to be in for a treat.

By the way, you all who voted "BOY" in our poll must feel pretty stupid right now. I know I do.

Just Curious

Well today is the due date. To commemorate, I thought I would pose the question to all you guessing game fanatics: Is Baby Weaver a girl or boy? I thought I knew for sure but now I'm having doubts. For those of you who need some guidance, here are the answers to a few questions that may help you reach a more scientific decision.

I never really had heartburn.

I never got sick.

My face has been fairly clear of breakouts throughout the pregnancy.

The baby moves like a banshee.

I'm carrying high, but straight out.

I have had more food aversions than cravings.

I had terrible allergies for the first 2 trimesters.

My feet swelled to astronomical proportions, but have recently returned to normal.

The baby's heart rate is always in the 130's.

Cast your vote in the Poll to the Right ---->

The answer will be revealed, eventually.

Online Shopping

Weeks ago, while doing some online Christmas shopping, I ordered this thing on Amazon (because I had to add another $15 or more to get the free shipping and I am such a sucker for that.) So anyways, it's called a "Pretty Pusher". It's an alternative to wearing the hospital gown. It has the low cut back for an epidural (if we go that route), ties open over the belly for the fetal monitors, it's a comfy stretchy knit, and it has a halter top. The best part is the design. I chose the one entitled "I Dream of Sushi" as opposed to the alternatives, "I Dream of Coffee" or "I Dream of Mai Tais". It has pink chopsticks and sushi pieces going down the side.

Was I on crack when I ordered this thing?

When it came in, I opened it up and just threw it in my hospital bag. This morning after coming to my senses about how ridiculous this thing is, I went to the car, (where my hospital bag waits) and dug out the "Pretty Pusher". I decided I should see what this thing actually looks like on, before I embarrass myself in front of doctors, nurses, husband, etc.

So I tried it on. Total shock. If I could wear this thing until this baby arrives, I would. I would wear it after the baby is born too. Shoot, throw on some heels, and I'll go dancing in it. Unfortunately they advertise it as "disposable". It probably won't be so pretty after the birth, no matter how pretty my labor experience turns out to be. I wish I had discovered it sooner. I would sleep in it every night, while I dream of sushi.

The Nursery

Baby Weave's nursery is ready and waiting for his or her arrival. Only 4 weeks to go...give or take. We decided to make the nursery bright and colorful for our little one. Throughout the pregnancy we have slowly added a piece here and a piece there, creating a room that we both love. A lot of love went into this room. One project at a time, it has finally come together. Enjoy!

The tree is a decal that came in pieces. There were 3 separate pieces for the trunk and branches. Then each individual leaf had to be cut out and applied one by one. Unfortunately, these aren't just stickers. They have to be applied by rubbing with a credit card type tool, sort of how you would apply a temporary tattoo. This was, by far, the most time consuming project. Good luck to whoever moves in here after us. That thing's not coming off without applying a new layer of drywall.

All of these cute little stuffed animals were gifts from friends and family. (Except for the little owl on the far right. My mom and I made him one lazy afternoon.)

The red and white picture frame used to hang in my nursery when I was a baby. I took out the contents and made the "I am a child of God" text using Photoshop and had it printed at Kinkos for $1.75. The magnetic clock board is from IKEA and I bought some red numbers and letters to liven it up. Right now the Baby Shower invitations and sonogram pics are displayed. The baby's initials will be on the bottom magnets, but so far all we have is the "W". That ratty blue doll on the bottom shelf is something Chris used to tote around as a kid. I'm still working on a plan to fully disinfect that!

We picked up this glider from Encore Decor when we won a room makeover contest a couple years ago. We've been storing it at my mom's for a while. Chris spray painted it a brighter white and we had the cushions recovered with an indoor/outdoor stain resistant fabric. The lady who did my wedding dress alterations actually sewed the covers. (She's been repairing things that the dogs have destroyed for years...patio cushions, down jacket, etc. Best prices and workmanship in town!) We found the night stand on Craigslist for $11 and the lamp was another freebie from Encore Decor. I bought the wreaths at Hobby Lobby for $1 each and am planning to use them as picture frames, once we have a baby to photograph that is.

My mom and I made the book slings using a tutorial I found online. It's just some fabric and dowel rods. I love these because since our child probably won't be able to read the titles of the books until at least age 2, they will easily be able to pick out the book they want by looking at the cover.

The changing area is the only part of the room that isn't finished. We are saving this wall for either the baby's name or to add something more masculine or feminine to the room after the baby is born. This dresser also came from a Craigslister.

The little fabric diaper basket was something I found on Etsy, one of the best websites out there!

I hand painted all the knobs on the dresser with leaves, birds, owls, etc. That was a little bit harder than I anticipated, but you can find a tutorial for anything online. After several coats of varnish, I think they turned out pretty well.

The bird mobile was my next project. I bought a lot of bright neutral fabric squares and then hand sewed and stuffed the birds. Then we grabbed some sticks from Chris' parents house and sanded them down. I hot glued the birds on the sticks and then Chris trimmed the edges and fastened the wires to make it level.

Behind the door, we have our lovable Dog Butt Hooks courtesy of IKEA. And last, but not least, is the Angel painting. This was a very special gift from our dear friend Cami, a Nashville based artist and jack-of-all trades. She gave up gluten and picked up painting. Way to go Cam, we love it!

So as you can see, I like projects just as much as my husband. Now that the nursery is done, it's everything I can do not to start something else. I'm just waiting for the biggest project of them all to start. I hope there are some good tutorials online for child rearing.

Halloween Came Early

What kind of costumes are available to pregnant chicks? Not many. Ghost, pumpkin, pregnant nun, Tommy Lasorda... no thanks. After a brief Facebook hiatus, I logged in last Wednesday, only to find that we had an invite to a costume party on Friday. When my sister came over that night to dig through our extensive collection of costumes we started to get into the Halloween spirit and decided we should pull something together. I had an idea that we had toyed with in previous years, but the timing never seemed right...until now.

The costume: Whacked Out Woman Births Baby

Amazingly enough, only 2 purchases were made to create this look.

1.) A large male Eurotard, color nude. 2.) Ace bandage.

Other items already a part of the Weaver Costume Collection included:

• Hospital Gown, previously worn by my father (as a costume, of course, in the early 90's),
• Black wig
• Compression hose (part costume, part to treat actual swelling of the kankles)
• Orange IKEA slippers, which Chris sports on a daily basis
• Adult Diaper (see previous blog post "O Date" for explanation)
• Diaper pins (Part of a game from my baby shower)
• Over-sized Rattle (Had it for years, don't ask)
• Red Latex Paint (We just happened to paint our kitchen Cabin Red last week. How convenient and hopefully safe to apply directly to the skin.
• Sculpting Clay/Pomade (applied to Chris' hair, face, and eyebrows for the birthing fluid.)
• Nylon Batting (leftover from a stuffed animal I made for the baby, used to stuff the umbilical cord.)

The Harden's went above and beyond with the haunted house decorations. We had a great time at the party and enjoyed the "togetherness" that the costume required. My poor bladder sent me to the restroom a few times and Chris happily came along. We just slammed the cord in the door and he would wait for me outside. Chris never felt the need to cut the cord or break the seal that night. You would think that with the adult diaper on he would be covered, but that Eurotard would have posed some problems.

My white trash sister, Erin, really wanted to cut the cord but her teeth just weren't strong enough. She gave it her best shot though.

The party was a lot of fun but we just couldn't hang like the old days. I was feeling fat and hungry so we decided to "head out" and hit up McDonalds for some fries on the way home. While waiting in the drive-thru line, Chris managed to get the cord wrapped around his neck. I laughed so hard my bag of waters nearly burst. It didn't though. Halloween came early, but the baby is still right on schedule.

Stay tuned for Whacked Out Woman Births Baby, Part 2... the real deal.

What Was Once An Old Man's Shed.....

We were extremely excited when we moved into our house in the spring of 2009, but as always there was a lot of work to be done. However, that always opens up new projects and we love projects...sometimes. There was an old shed in the back corner of the yard that we weren't exactly sure what to do with. It was quite big and seemed a waste to just throw some old tools, dead bodies, and miscellaneous junk into. I spoke to a few neighbors and they said the old man that used to live there was always in there working on wood projects. Pretty cool, but that wasn't exactly what we wanted to use it for. So with the shed being near the pool we decided to make it the Pool House...minus a bathroom of course. That's what the pool is for right? With a few hook-ups from work and some other additions its finally finished. Total cost - $632.70. We added carpet, new doors and windows, wood trim, a small a/c unit, fresh paint, outdoor lights, cable tv, some blinds, and of course....a Flash Gordon pinball machine. Its a great place to hang out, a great place to get away. Its the Pool House!


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Mr. Duncan

September 11, 2010. Big night in O.P., celebrating our friend Andy's 30th birthday party at the Orange Park Kennel Club for a night of prime rib, crab legs, and some classic dog racing. For this special occasion we dined and bet from the upscale Clubhouse with beautful views overlooking the track where it all happens. After settling in to our spot, we started scouting dogs using the evening racepages, formulating our bets for the upcoming race. Race by race we checked the odds, stats, history, sire, dame, and kennel. Meghan and I spent a good 12 seconds coming up with a game plan. We took a breather in Race 1 to get a feel for the dogs, speed of the track, and to save the two bucks. As we reviewed the breakdown in Race 2 it was a no-brainer....with 3-1 odds and a name like Mr. Duncan, it was a lock. The bookie came by and we placed our bet, "quintela on 1". We were so happy knowing we had a sure winner in Mr. Duncan.

Yeah well that didn't happen. Mr. Duncan blew it, coming in dead last! Mr. Duncan was the slowest dog on the track and he broke more than our bank. He broke our hearts. MW was very disappointed and wanted to take it out on me. Check out the fork coming at my temple. You killed me Mr. Duncan, you killed me.

If anyone is looking to adopt a greyhound, I know one that is surely available. He may not be a racer, but will play well with kids because he is slower than Christmas. Have a heart.

A Weekend Without Labor

2010 Labor Weekend was one of the best I can remember. Meghan and I spent the whole weekend together, having fun, relaxing, eating for three, spending time with family and just enjoying each others company. She is wonderful, my best friend, the person I will grow old with, and is soon to be a great mom. We went for an early sunrise walk on the beach, enjoyed the waves brought in from Earl, attempted to teach the pups to ride a surfboard (by enticing them with treats), spent time on the river with the family, celebrated our nephews birthday, went to a neighbors bbq, and watched the first season of The Shield on dvd. Here are some pics from a great weekend.

(sunrise on the way to the beach)

(MW and CW)

(post Earl, waves were awesome)

(Ruck testing out the longboard)

(come and get it pups)

(Stuart and Trae cruising near a gator)

(Anders birthday party, cake was a homemade Rosie creation)

(combined 395 pounds on a 50 pound mini dirt bike)

(deer spotted from the front porch)

Heat Streak

There are several definitions for the word heat; the condition or quality of being hot, the degree of hotness, added or external energy that causes a rise in temperature. All of these rightfully define the atmosphere at the Gators and Jaguars games this past weekend. One of my favorite definitions, however, is a sharp, pungent flavor, as that produced by strong spices. I don't remember smelling spices in the stands, but since the waterboy vendor couldn't get to our seats without being hounded by a bunch of thirst stricken camels I had to go in search of our own water.

Seriously, we were only a few rows up from when you come out of the breezeway, but he kept running out of water before he could get to us. People were screaming and yelling at him, calling him lazy and slow....it was hilarious and a sign of desperation in 105+ degree temperatures. I don't think I've ever seen someone work so hard, but he had no choice. As I made it down from my seat and into the corridors I was amazed at what I saw. People were literally passed out all over the place, sitting in piles of sweat and other stuff?, fanning themselves with sweaty rags, as cops were holding bags of ice on their necks. The definition of heat, a sharp pungent flavor was certainly in the air. Yeah Gainesville is known as The Swamp, but in all my years of going to the Gator games I have never seen anything like this. Pops and I made it through the game unscathed, the Gators won, and although I was soaked it was a wonderful September atmosphere. Hottest place on earth!

The Jaguars game wasn't any better at the start. Record setting temperatures for an opening game, 110 with the heat index. However, the game was awesome. We went from soaking wet with sweat, to a 30 minute lightning delay, to enjoying the 3rd and 4th quarter in the pouring rain. It was wonderful. Pops hung tough and even managed to finish reading his Sunday newspaper as it down poured on his Goretex hat. The only part of him that was dry was his silver locks.

Jacksonville is a great place to live and I wouldn't trade the weather for anything. The fans are always resilient and when Skynyrd is playing at the end of the third quarter you would think it was raining gold bars. There is nothing better than Skynyrd....I guess.

It was a great football weekend with my dad.

Good Morning

Why lay in bed wide awake, wishing I still had the ability to sleep in, when there is a sunrise just out there waiting? We got up at 6:30, loaded the crate in the car, followed by two excited dogs, grabbed some water and towels and headed to the beach. We have a secret spot where we can always seem to find parking and the beach is rarely crowded.

There isn't much to report about the day other than what the pictures don't already describe. It was quiet, beautiful, and refreshing to be out there before the rest of the world woke up. Mayhem loved to jump the waves and Ruckus went nuts for the seagulls. Chris twinged his ankle trying to run with them as I waddled several yards behind.I wore some white shorts, which in hindsight were probably a poor choice for wading in the waves, but other than that the day was without thrills. It was just a quiet morning together, playing with our dogs. When hunger and fatigue struck, we drove down 3rd Street looking for some breakfast. We ended up eating at the 3rd Street Diner while the dogs were passed out in the car. Home by 9, bathed the dogs, and we were back in bed by 10 for a morning nap.