Troy and Melanie (dot com)

Yes, I know we’re midway through January…given that mommy work is never done, I’m thinking that’s not too bad.  Anyway, I wholeheartedly agree with Troy’s wrap-up and love his 2010 goals.  I just wanted to add a few thoughts regarding my experience of 2009.  So, here goes…

2009 was the year I:

>  Gained a whole new respect for my knockers *heh heh*

>  Adjusted my definition of a good night’s sleep *read: SOME continuous sleep*

>  Felt most like a pin cushion

>  Met Zac Efron

>  Missed the most days of work ever  :)

>  Traveled the Pacific Coast Highway with my boys

>  Hated poultry for the first time and then miraculously loved it again

>  Perfected my rendition of “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

>  Fell in love with my husband all over again

>  Experienced the miracle of life firsthand…and it was awesome!

>  Embarked on my best adventure/undertaking yet…motherhood

There’s so much from 2009 that I’ll never forget and at the top of that list is holding my son in my arms for the first time…and then the second…and then the third…  :-)  Family defined my year.  Troy, Cole, and Bella…our parents (now known as grandma, opa, nonni, and pappi)…uncle Kev and Kelsey…friends near and far, extended family near and far.  2009 was unforgettable and 2010 looks to be a year full of Cole firsts and other Cole happiness.  :-)  Thank you to everyone in our lives in 2009 and here’s to a great year ahead!

Troy’s been having all the blogging fun…  ;-)  I need to try to pop in here more often.  Anyway, this week was the beginning of a new chapter — going back to work was no doubt good and healthy for me, but it was tough.  Tears were shed.  I’m told it gets easier each day, so we’ll see how next week feels.  Anyway, some highlights from the week were 1) Cole and I doing a “duet” to Lean on Me during Glee, 2) Cole visiting me at the office, 3) the nice brunch my team greeted me with my first day back in the office, and 4) watching “Up” with my boys…very enjoyable.

This morning was a good one.  Cole is a pretty happy little man in the morning.  Even as I’m doing that one-eyed, sleepy thing where I have to tell myself I have to get up despite the choppy sleep overnight, I can’t help but be happy to do so as I listen to him coo and squeal happily and watch him give me his variety of smiles.  They are the best sights in the world!  :-D  So, we had some happy back time in bed this morning and we also had some happy time reading (except for the part where I cried a little…”Love You Forever” gets me every time!  But “Barnyard Dance” is more upbeat, so we ended with that) and some happy time looking at all the fun stuff in the nursery.  I think Cole loves Eeyore as much as his mommy does.  Yay!

So, anyway, that’s all I’ve got right now…no pics but I know daddy will be putting some up later.  Life is good…gonna enjoy the rest of my day and weekend with my favorite guys!

Our little man should be here tomorrow, if not sooner.  In light of that, I wanted to take a moment to process and reflect upon the last 9+ months.  It’s all a bit overwhelming.  It’s a mix of “wow, we’re here at this point” awe and “finally.”  At times, it has certainly seemed like this point in time was so far off, but at other times, it has felt like the days and weeks were just flying by us.  I’m going to go with the compromise then and feel that it has moved at just the pace it was meant to…the pace we perceived it to be moving at at any given time.

So, how to best reflect?  Hmm.  I think I will just recount some of the most memorable points in this journey…

>  Seeing that blessed “pregnant” on the little white stick and sharing that moment with Troy

>  Sharing the news with family and friends

>  Hearing that heartbeat for the first time

>  Every ultrasound, but particularly the first, the one where we found out the sex, and some of the moments within others where we could see his profile so well and we could see his little legs kicking around and when he was holding his hands up to his face like “no pictures, please”…our little character  :-)

>  The amazing “us” trip to California that Troy and I took…so glad we did that

>  Feeling his first slight movements and then feeling them increase in frequency and intensity…little dancer…or kickboxer.

>  Troy feeling him move for the first time…and then every subsequent time.

>  Visitors and visits (those traveling here and us traveling to PA)

>  Baby showers and just feeling happily overwhelmed by everyone’s thoughtfulness and good wishes  (read: thank you all again!)

>  This final week and a half of preparation…Grandma B. being here…laundry, nursery finishing touches, final dr’s appts, finishing up at work, etc.

>  Troy’s foot massages and general awesome husbandness/daddyness

>  Watching my belly shift around, seeing and feeling the bottom of my belly button, generally loving this belly mound and being amazed by it

So, there you have it…yes, there have been some less happy aspects/memories, but the ones that really stand out…what really matters most…are the things listed above.

And now…on to new memories…on to mamahood.  :-)

Just to wrap up our Lancaster trip, Friday held more family time, including a Bujung-Schneider dinner at Friendly’s.  Yum!  Saturday held surprises…for me, at least.  The mommas, B and S, threw me a surprise baby shower, with the help of Troy (successfully confusing me and keeping me off track) and Aunt Jo (offering up her house for the shower).  I thought we were just going down to Aunt Jo’s for lunch with the Schneider clan, but once I walked into the house, I was greeted with a “surprise” as I entered the dining area and a room full of family and friends…and mini Winnie the Pooh and friends goodies.    It was one of those “wait, wha?” moments and I’m pretty sure I hugged 40+ people in the span of seven minutes.  It was such a nice surprise.  Furthermore, I was surprised to see some in attendance.  My Aunt Georgia was to the best of my knowledge in NY, but she had delayed leaving for that trip to come to the shower.  And, speaking of NY, my friend Fran made the trip down to l’il ole Lancaster to be at the shower.  So, that was a lovely surprise too.  The whole afternoon was full of smiles, conversation, catching up, and being wowed by the adorable and useful presents coming our way for the Peanut.  How blessed are we to have such great family and friends!  Thanks to everyone!

That evening, we had dinner at the Schneider abode and worked to pack up all of our stuff.  Then, we hung out at the Bujung abode for a few hours, finally saying goodbye…always bittersweet.  We left the Schneider house Sunday morning and drove to the Philly airport.  Luckily, we didn’t have delays on the way back to Austin like we did on the way up to PA.  We picked up our happy pup and headed home to see to unpacking, laundry, and some general vegging and reflection on the week.  It was a great week. 

So, Troy promises Lancaster posts and then doesn’t do any…tsk tsk!    Just kidding…I’m not much better.  We have been having a good week here so far, keeping busy and visiting with family and friends.  We have today and tomorrow and then we’ll be flying back to the heat (100s, 100s, 100s) of TX on Sunday.  Let’s see…here’s what we’ve done so far (some highlights):

>  Lunch down at Aunt Georgia’s last Sunday

>  Rita’s Italian Ice for a short visit with Hien Sunday afternoon

>  Father’s Day dinner out at Chili’s with both families Sunday evening

>  The Science Factory with Mom and Dad S. Monday afternoon

>  Oregon Dairy dinner with Ang Monday evening

>  Mel going to Central Market with Mom B. on Tuesday for lunch

>  Ang’s tennis match in Harrisburg on Tuesday evening

>  Mel having lunch with Alison at S. Clyde Weaver Wednesday at noon

>  Early dinner with Mom and Dad B. at Ruby Tuesday on Wednesday late afternoon

>  Troy playing tennis at McCaskey with Ang, Leigh, Brandon, and Kevin (Dad S. and I watched) on Wednesday evening

>  Photo session with The Wiebners Thursday morning (with us actually the “subjects”).  Thanks guys…looking forward to seeing them!

>  Mel seeing “The Proposal” with Mom B. and Aunt G. Thursday afternoon

>  Dinner and catching up with Ommie, Jodie, Ollie, JJ, Chrissy, Brett, Derek, Annie, and Ivy (at Ommie and Jodie’s house) Thursday evening

…which brings us to today.  Troy and Kevin went out riding Kev’s bike.  Beyond that, the day is just getting going, so not sure what it holds.  We’ll try to do a wrap up post once we’re back in TX Sunday.  On some general notes, the weather here in Lancaster has been beautiful…sunny and highs in the low 80s for the most part.  We have definitely been enjoying that!  Also, Peanut seems to be enjoying hearing the sounds of family and friends’ voices.  He’s building up a bit of a fan club already.    Okay…that’s all for now.  Toodles!

Very quick random post here just to share that my boy seems to enjoy a variety of music so far.  Here are a few he seems to get excited to hear (measured by the amount of “inner dancing” I feel going on):

Lady Gaga – Poker Face

Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major

The Boys Are Back and Walk Away from the HSM 3 Soundtrack

Shinedown – Second Chance

Keith Urban – Kiss a Girl

Black Eyed Peas – Boom, Boom, Pow

Kiss – Rock ‘n Roll All Night

So, there you have it…our little music lover. 

Okay, some of you have managed to survive the baby registry challenge.  Yes, the idea of putting together a list of items you hope others will buy for you is a fun concept.  I completely looked forward to getting to the point where we were ready to start doing this.  I mean…shopping’s fun…and shopping for baby stuff…more fun…right?  Except…why are there about 3,000 different strollers???  Is the Baby Bjorn better than the Infantino Front to Back Carrier?  Is Desitin the brand of choice despite the fun name of Boudreax’s Butt Paste?  And Shopping Cart Liners…I never even thought about shopping cart liners before!  So, this is my plea…er, request.  If you have been there, done that…tell us what you think.  What brands do you live by?  What are the most important things for us to have/register for?  What things aren’t so important?  Share your wisdom with us and we will be grateful.

Thanks!

Heya!  So, we were tired last night and didn’t blog.  Yesterday was fun though.  We left our hotel in Santa Monica and drove into Universal City.  We opted not to go into Universal Studios as it seemed it was a whole bunch of rides, most of which I’m not able to enjoy right now.  But, we did explore Universal’s CityWalk area…a cool enclosed area of shops, restaurants, and random entertainment like arcades, bowling alleys, and indoor skydiving.  Troy actually did the indoor skydiving and enjoyed that very much…again, not something I can try right now, but I had fun watching him.  CityWalk also has a theater and we saw 17 Again.  Good film.  :-)

After CityWalk, we drove to our hotel, the Hollywood Orchid Suites.  We relaxed a bit before heading around the corner to the Jimmy Kimmel show.  Justin Timberlake was the main guest and we got to enjoy both the green room and the studio (we went in just for Justin’s segment and another one).  Thanks, Dyan!  Glad you enjoyed receiving your wedding album – your whole wedding experience was a blast and it was fun to hand-deliver the album to you!

After Kimmel, we walked down Hollywood Blvd. and had a late dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Loteria.  Then, back to the hotel to watch Kimmel on tv and re-enjoy the experience and then crash.

Today, we got a later start (first day we didn’t actually have a check out time) and headed out to the Hollywood & Highland shopping center next to us…right by the Kodak Theater.  Troy bought a fedora, which looks good on him, and we took photos of the Hollywood sign, as there are views from the shopping area.  Then, we walked next door to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to take in the famous site.

We next drove along Sunset Drive and then drove through the Hollywood Hills into Studio City, where we ate lunch at Art’s Delicatessen.  We shopped a little over there and then grabbed a drink at the Aroma Cafe before leaving Studio City to drive into Toluca Lake and Burbank.  We saw where the WB studios are in Burbank.  We were going to drive by where Leno films on Alameda Ave, but there was construction and detours so we didn’t.

We met up with friends Audrey and Dee for dinner at Paty’s Diner and then we all went over to The Grove in downtown L.A.  We walked around just enjoying the atmosphere and also grabbed some dessert at the famous Farmer’s Market there.  Parting with A & D, we came back to the hotel and then walked out to Hollywood Blvd again for a few nighttime photos.  Now, we’re just relaxing and will be hitting the sack eventually.  On to San Diego tomorrow!

Okay, this will be quick as  sleep sounds so appealing.  :-)  Today, we did a little shopping in San Luis Obispo (SLO).  Troy did not think he’d need to pack any shorts for some reason and decided, given the 95 degree temperature at 11am, that he did indeed need some.  So, we hit up the Gap between Higuera and Marsh Streets and got him some.  :-)  I, in the meantime, made myself not give in to the temptation to buy up some really cute baby gap outfits (given that we do have Gap in Texas as well!).  Hee!

Anyway, we left SLO and drove into Pismo Beach, stopped there for a while to take in the pier and the beach, then left and drove through Arroyo Grande and then through Buellton to Solvang (Danish Capitol of the U.S.).  We saw ostriches in Buellton…random…and Solvang was a cute little town…different, supposed to be like a mini-Denmark.  Then, we drove to Santa Barbara and checked in at our hotel…Hotel Mar Monte across from East Beach.  We took a walk on the beach and saw the end of sunset and then went to get some dinner at Deano’s Pizzarama, a local establishment that’s been around since 1960.  Good stuff.  Then, back to the hotel to rest a bit, enjoy some ice cream from the Rite Aid we stopped at near the pizza place, and get a post up here on the blog.  ;-)  So, off to bed now.  Night!

Hello all!  Okay, I’m actually a little more awake now than I was last night when Troy did the first post…a little…I’m still beat.  Well, it was a good day.  We left Jay & Peggy’s house (thanks again, guys!) and headed to a nearby Target to grab some road trip snacks and such.  Then, we went to the nearby Apple campus…the home campus, or so I’m told, so Troy could get a few photos and generally try to kiss the feet of anyone there who had anything to do with the iPhone, etc.  LOL.

Next, we headed SW toward Santa Cruz.  Well, Hwy 85 was fine but once we got to Hwy 17, things slowed down.  It was pretty for a while there with tons of redwood trees around us and winding roads, etc.  But, then, it was just bumper to bumper and no pretty for some time.  Apparently, everyone wanted to go to the beach today…yes, we know it’s Saturday, but wow, that traffic was ridiculous.  When we finally got to the beach, we were more than pleased to be there.  The Santa Cruz boardwalk was a fun place…entirely crowded of course but still fun…colorful.  We had boardwalk fries and other such food.  It was in the 80s and very sunny.

We stayed on the boardwalk for a couple hours and then headed out toward Monterey.  That drive was much more pleasant, as we were moving a lot more!  We checked into our inn and rested for a short time before heading back out to check out Fisherman’s Wharf.  We walked around and then sat down to dinner at Domenico’s, a seafood and steak place with a great view of the water, boats, and sea lions.  It was yummy and a great atmosphere.

After dinner and some more time on the wharf, we headed toward Cannery Row, immortalized in John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name.  We just walked around for a little, going to a few stops, looking out at the dark water and taking it all in.  Random note: Saw a spa down there that offers an hour foot massage…I’m “sorely” tempted to check that out tomorrow.    Anyway, we headed back to our inn and now we’re just relaxing a bit.  All in all, a pretty eventful and good day…though the traffic did stink.