Helen and Wyn July 8, 2008

We have been lucky having so many people come to visit us since Hayden’s birth! Our friends from Basingstoke, Helen and Wyn, took a trip to Canada a couple of weeks ago and carved out a few days to journey south and visit us. We had such a lovely visit with them. Straight from the airport we went off to the zoo. Hayden had been recently with his granddad and Jean, but I hadn’t been there in years. It was really nice and we all enjoyed strolling around in the beautiful weather. We had a few funny moments along the way – Wyn wandering off in the middle of one of my fantastically short stories to see a walrus which blew his mind, a volunteer at the eagle exhibit who had a talon, skull, and feather for people to look at and feel but who seemed not to know the answer to the smallest of questions pertaining to eagles, and of course Wyn detouring us to the most amazing and exotic of all animals… the sheep (this is funny when you realize that Wyn is Welsh, and the Welsh are rumored to have a romantic affinity toward sheep).

During the course of their visit we also went to a baseball game, took a picnic to Symphony on the Prairie which featured Abba songs, went swimming, had some nice meals, introduced them to sushi (Wyn was a fast fan – Helen, not so much), and the boys enjoyed a round of golf. We were also in the throws of the Euro cup, so there was plenty of football (soccer) to watch during any down time. This gave me and Helen some chances to catch some shut-eye. 🙂

So Helen and Wyn have been together for years now (I think six), and have all been waiting for Wyn to pop the question. And their trip to Canada seemed like it would be the perfect backdrop for such an event. So when I picked them up at the airport the first thing I was looking for was a shiny ring on Helen’s finger! And when I didn’t spot one I thought maybe she wasn’t wearing it so they could make the announcement to me and John together (John was working when I picked them up). And then as their time with us drew on it became obvious that it just hadn’t happened. 😦 And so it was a brilliant surprise when we received an email from Helen the day after they left saying that they had gotten engaged on their way back to England!! 🙂 They had a 6 hour layover in Toronto, so they went to a castle for a few hours and he asked her there! He got on his knee and everything…. awwww! We are so thrilled for them!

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Gemma October 29, 2007

Gemma was here last week.  She got here on Saturday and left Wed.  Unfortunately we picked her up from the airport about an hour before we had to say goodbye to Jude.  I can only imagine how she felt walking into that situation.  She was very kind though and watched Hayden for us while we went to the vet, and then gave us big hugs when we got back.  It was really nice to have a close friend here during that time.  I probably would have spent my days moping around, but because she was here we got out and walked around Indianapolis, shopped, ate, and went down to Bloomington, my old university town.  She definitely helped us feel better.

We’ve been so lucky having so many visitors.  We love that so many people from England and other parts of the US have gotten to meet Hayden already.  Just need to get Jono and Maz and Helen and Wyn over now!  And Faith, are you still coming in Dec?  And of course John’s dad needs to see him still.  My cousin Mandy is coming in from Chicago this weekend to meet him, so we are looking forward to seeing her.  Then that’s it until Christmas when John’s sister comes out.  So if anyone else fancies a visit we have openings! 🙂

Today was my first day back to work.  I am working from home three days a week throughout the end of the year, when I am supposed to go back full time.  I am still working for IBM although for a different department that has very limited travel.  Even though I work out of the house, Hayden still has to go to daycare so he can get proper care while I’m working and I can likewise actually get work done.  I don’t think it would give my clients a lot of confidence if I had a crying baby in the background during conference calls!  Fortunately there is a day care center with infant care just down the road from our house.  It is literally about a 40 second drive from our driveway to the center.  It is an easy walk as well but I don’t know if I will ever not be in such a rush to see him that I would take the extra time to walk.  Anyway, it is so near that I can go feed him during my lunch time.  That is huge while I am adjusting to being apart from him, because it only ends up being two 3 to 4 hour blocks of time without him, instead of a long 8 or 9 or 10 hour stretch.  I don’t know if I will always go there for lunch, but it is perfect right now.  I went today and he was so tired he was completely zonked out while he was eating and probably didn’t really register that I was even there!  Oh well, I know I need to see him more than he needs to see me.  I never knew I was such a wuss. ;-P

Two weeks already! August 19, 2007

Hayden had his two week doctor appointment on Friday.  By two weeks they hope that babies have regained their birth weight.  Hayden was 7 lbs 4 oz when he was born.  At his two week check up he was 8 lbs 8 oz!!  He’s such an overachiever!  His length was 21 3/4 inches.  That makes him 50th percentile in weight and 75th percentile in length.

He hit a milestone on Thursday night as we were getting ready for bed — his umbilical cord fell off!  So Friday he was able to have his first proper bath instead of a sponge bath.  He was pretty tolerant, although I would be going too far if I said he liked it.  He did like the nice warm towel that Helen and Wyn got him, though!  He was all snuggled up in that for quite a while afterwards, as his reward for being so good. 🙂

My recovery is coming right along.  I stopped taking my pain medicine on Wednesday, which means hopefully someday soon I can start driving again.  I’m not supposed to drive until I’m off the pain meds and I can stomp my foot hard on the ground (to signify that I could brake suddenly without problems).  I have not gotten up the nerve yet to stomp my foot, as even though I don’t need pain medicine anymore things are still a little tender.  I’m trying to get out and take walks when it’s not too hot and humid, and that is really nice.  Hayden comes along in his stroller and when John comes with us we usually have Lucy in tow (I can’t take Lucy on my own yet because I can’t correct her if she pulls just yet).

John has been a really great daddy, and seems to really be enjoying it as you might tell from his blogs and all the photos! 🙂  He does a great job of soothing Hayden, and he’s an expert swaddler!  I have the edge on soothing I think because I have the magic food, which is the most efficient way to calm him.  Even when he’s not really hungry he gets comfort from the sucking.  But John gets right in there and uses the tools in his disposal — bouncing him, rocking him, singing to him, changing him, etc.  Speaking of changing him, we have a rule that when we hear that he is dirtying his diaper whoever is touching him or touched him last has to change him.  I think I started that, which was unwise looking back because John used to take a lot of the diaper duty whenever he was home (since I obviously do it while he’s at work), but now I find I am doing a lot of the changing because he dirties a lot of diapers while he’s eating!  I think the boys are ganging up on me!