A plan

Something very exciting happened this weekend. Almost fourteen months after I gave birth and five months after I stopped pumping, I finally got my first post-partum period! I have no idea if I ovulated, but it's a distinct possibility.

So now I can actually say we are trying to conceive baby #2. I'm going to start temping so that I can figure out what my body's doing. If I seem to be ovulating somewhat regularly (hey, you never know), we will TTC on our own, probably until next May. If we have not been successful by then, we will go back to the RE for some medical assistance. Of course in the meantime I will work on losing weight and getting healthy -- no, really, I will. If months go by with no sign of ovulation, then we will consider going back to the RE sooner.

So, that's the plan.

It's a little bit scary to be doing this again. I don't want to become obsessed with TTC again. I hope it'll be different this time around. Maybe it won't be so hard. Maybe the fact that I have my sweet Andrew will keep me grounded. I hope.

Fingers crossed, people. Think good thoughts.

Read more...

Polka dot fun

When Andrew was born into our one-bedroom apartment, I really regretted not having a nursery to decorate. In April we finally moved into a two-bedroom place and I got my chance. After a great deal of consideration, we decided not to paint our rental unit. In searching for alternatives, I came across an intriguing concept: starching fabric to walls. I decided to starch blue and yellow polka dots (to match the mod monkey theme we used for his birthday) all over his room. It was easy and fun, and I think the result is cute and cheerful.

Still missing from the room: a frame for the futon mattress currently lying on the floor, wall art (which will include monkeys over the crib), a clock, and a teal shag rug to replace the ugly and much-abused alphabet mat.

Please share any tips or ideas you might have on how to make his room beautiful!



Other projects:

Fabric covered frames for the bedroom.



Picture frame arrangement for the hallway. I filled in the empty frames with leftover fabric from the above project. It was going to be temporary, until I print some newer frame-worthy photos, but I kind of like it.



Future projects: I need something to put over the couch and something to decorate the long, empty wall in our bedroom. There is furniture on every wall but this one. I'm not sure how to hang things on it without having them looking completely random and unanchored.

Read more...

Defying gravity

I got a bouquet of helium-filled balloons for Andrew's birthday party four weeks ago. (Has it really been four weeks? I should really get started on those thank-you cards.) I paid extra for something called Hi-Float, which promised to make the balloons float for a week! Well, they all made it three weeks, which is amazing, and several made it to this weekend, but now the remaining few are running out of hot air, so to speak. When each one started to droop on its ribbon, I cut it loose and let it float free, so it could drift through the apartment, carried along by whatever faint airflow it got caught up in. It would suddenly appear next to my head or wander off down the hall for no apparent reason. Then, slowly, it would start to hover lower to the ground, until, finally, it could float no more, although when tossed it would glide downward in slow motion, still bending the rules of gravity just a little. Right now, only one is still up, floating against the ceiling in the corner, while two are standing on their knots on the ground, not quite ready to lie flat.

I feel like there's a metaphor in here somewhere.

Read more...

Baby, you'll be a toddler soon

Big news: Andrew is taking steps! I haven't yet managed to capture said steps on video, but you can bet I'll be trying again as soon as my camera battery is recharged. It's funny how excited Keith and I get watching him. We're such proud parents!

Oh — if you're wondering about cake attempt #2, well, it was also a failure. Apparently cake is scary. I put it on the tray in front of him (no candle this time) and he just stared at it. I gave him icing on my finger, but he still looked wary. I took his hand and stuck it in the cake, and he started sobbing. I don't get it! Oh well, maybe next year?

Read more...

Andrew's First Year video

Read more...

"Happy Birthday"

"Happy birthday to you..."

"Happy birthday to you..."

"Happy birthday, dear Andrew..."

"Happy birthday to you!"

Yes, he touched the flame. I'm a bad mommy.

I hesitated a moment before setting the cake in front of him, but I figured I could keep his hands away for the duration of "Happy Birthday." It's a short song, right? I pulled his hand away twice before he got past me and burnt his poor little finger. Actually, his finger was fine. I think he was just shocked. But it ruined the moment and the whole cake experience.

I'm going to recreate the smash cake and try it again on his actual birthday. I NEED to get some good cake-smashing photos!

Read more...

Birthday party

We celebrated Andrew's birthday at our apartment with a few friends and relatives on Saturday. It was an awkward affair. Andrew was having a rare miserable day (teething and constipated, poor thing) and clung to me and cried a lot. Our guests — about a dozen people drawn from different aspects of our lives — mostly did not mingle but sat quietly looking bored. I don't really blame them; I know the onus is on me as hostess to keep everyone entertained, although I wish certain individuals had made a little more effort (and I sincerely thank our two outgoing friends who did their best to break some ice). The only trick up my sleeve, besides Andrew, who was little help that day, was the five-minute year-in-review slideshow I made (which I will post here later this week). All I can say is that we will not be having another party like that if I can help it.

Even the pictures are a disappointment. Andrew is not smiling in a single shot. The props are the highlights. I'm so glad I went with a cute theme: it's called "mod monkey." Instead of buying a banner I made the little wall display on the right out of cardstock. It went above the couch. The two monkey heads will probably find a home in Andrew's room after his birthday.



Andrew adored the balloons. He kept pointing at them and wanting to touch them. At one point he batted them all around — most fun he had all day. Several days later, he's still obsessed with them.



But best of all, I am SUPER proud of the cake I made. I had no previous decorating experience and learned several new tricks to accomplish this beauty. It's a three-layer banana cake (monkeys...bananas...get it?) with chocolate-banana filling, buttercream frosting, and fondant decorations. I also made a little matching smash cake.



This is the smiliest pic we got of the birthday boy. I love his monkey shirt!

Read more...