What a 1st Birthday for our Little Mia

We have a lot to update everyone on but first we hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving and wanted to say Happy Birthday one more time to Mia, who turned one last Friday. Meg, Mia, and I drove down to New York on Thursday morning to spend Thanksgiving at the Bruckmann's with a lot of Megan's family members. It was so nice to see everyone and for them to get to spend some quality time with Mia, little did we know she was beginning to show signs of a virus that would catch up with her the following day. Mia was a little cranky in NY and we did give her some tylenol for what we thought was a fever caused by her teething, and on the ride back on Friday she was just not accepting the fact that she was exhausted and tried to stay awake for the ride home.

When we got back to Watertown Friday afternoon it was clear Mia was not herself as she fell asleep on my chest for the first time in months and just didn't want to eat or drink as much as usual. Aunt Eli gave Mia a bath before bed and got scared when it seemed like Mia just forgot where she was and started to fall backwards in her tub, thankfully Liz caught her and she seemed ok after, just cold when she took her out to dry her off and get her dressed for bed. We gave her some tylenol and checked her temp which went from 100.6 down to 100.0 over 3 checks while we ate dinner so we thought the Tylenol was doing its job.

After dinner Meg's parents headed to their hotel and Liz & Nicolai went downstairs for bed as Meg and I relaxed in the living room before heading to bed ourselves. Minutes after we sat down and I said to Meg how great it was that we made it a year, and Meg said how proud she was, we heard a ruffling on the monitor that was not the normal Mia movement or rolling around we had heard before. We ran upstairs and when we turned on the light we could see Mia shaking in all 4 limbs and when Meg picked her up we noticed she had some spit drooling out of her mouth and was very limp. Meg handed her to me and she would not respond (although she was clearly breathing) to me patting her on the back or calling her name. Meg called 911 while I continued to talk to Mia on our bed now where she started to get some control back and was not as limp. I went to change her diaper and check her temp and before I could finish the paramedics were in her room asking us to explain what happened. We were not positive, but most agreed she had indeed suffered a febrile seizure (I had 3 when I was young too) and that we should get her to the hospital to be examined. Meg hopped in the ambulance with Mia and I drove with Liz & Nicolai to Children's Hospital once Meg called to tell us they were no longer going to take her to Mt. Auburn Hospital.

Mia was in the hospital from just before 11pm until 3am and was not too happy at all as she was constantly being woken up by the nurses and doctors to check her lungs, pulse and to monitor her temperature. It was confirmed that she had a febrile seizure, caused by her fever spiking over a short period of time, and that this is a common occurrence (something the doctor said he sees twice a night). They put Mia on Tylenol and staggered that with Motrin and after 4 hours her temperature had broken and she was released. We continued to monitor her temperature that night and the last couple days and it looks like we finally have everything under control and she is in the final stages of this virus we believe is called Roseola.

The doctors said we should go ahead with Mia's 1st birthday party the following day so long as she continues to improve, which she did, and although we were all pretty exhausted it turned out to be a wonderful day and we now know how much our daughter loves Birthday Cake. Thank you to Aunt Eli and Nola for two great cakes. Mia was definitely showing signs of getting back to normal and enjoyed opening her new gifts, actually she enjoyed playing with the tissue paper the most. We had a lot of help from our family and friends setting up, during, and cleaning after the party and don't know how we could have done it with each and everyone of you, so thank you all.

We had a relaxing Sunday with Mia and today she had her 1 year checkup with Dr. Shirley which worked out well since we were going to update her today anyway. She reconfirmed everything we learned at the Hospital and that we will need to keep a close eye on her and give her Tylenol and Motrin anytime her temperature starts to go up at all. Other than that, Mia was given a gold star for her development and she is now 29 3/4" tall and weighs 20lbs. 4oz. (which we imagine was higher before she got sick). We are now off the bottle and only using a sippy cup as we transition from formula to Whole Milk by adding more and more milk to each serving of formula she gets over the next week or two. Other milestones we have seen or heard from Mia recently include her saying Mama and Dada when she actually should and starting to say doggie when she sees Docket too. She tries to tell us she is One by holding her finger up, but it is usually 2 or 3 at this point. She generally loves taking baths, walking around the house holding on to the walls and furniture or in her walker, and we have yet to find a food she really didn't like so we are lucky there as well, fingers crossed.

Sorry for the long and winded update or if I left anything out, but I wanted to get everyone updated and if anyone has any questions about febrile seizures and warning signs feel free to call or email Meg or me. Happy Holidays to everyone and we hope to see everyone in December or early in the New Year.

On the Move

Well it seems like the only way we can keep Mia from being on the move these days is when we put her in the jumper you see above. Perfect example being after I just typed the first line I look up to see Mia tipping over Docket's water bowl. She is a scooting and shuffling machine these days and it is the only thing she wants to do, besides eat. She even started to crawl for the first time today instead of just scooting and pulling herself on her bum. I think the solid surface at the playground helped bring the crawling out since she couldn't pull herself along like she can on our hardwood floor. There are plenty of pictures and videos on the Album website to see our little girl on the move.

It is hard to believe Mia is almost 11 months old. Even though she joined us early, it seems as if she is developing right on schedule with most of her milestones, if not ahead. Each morning we now have the pleasure of waking up to Mia singing to herself in her crib. After listening to her for a few minutes we'll usually walk in to her room to find her standing in the crib, and this morning she was doing that without her pajama pants on anymore. Somehow she had wiggled out of them or pulled them off, and we hope the diaper is not the next thing she starts to take off every morning. She is still a great sleeper, most nights she is in bed at 7pm and first peep in the morning is around 7am.

I estimate (dad's measurements) that Mia is between 20-21 pounds now and somewhere around 29 inches tall. It is truly remarkable how much babies grow in their first year plus. We have our next doctor's appointment right after her first birthday and as usual we are looking forward to hearing the progress report from Dr. Gonzalez. We must thank everyone that has helped us taking care of Mia when we have a wedding or just needed a night out, it has been great for both Meg & I, as well as Mia as she really enjoys spending time with her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, and our great friends that have spent time watching her now too.

Well we will continue to try and blog when we get a chance or have anu update. This weekend we are headed to the BC-Virginia Tech football game and hope to get plenty of updates on the Sox game while we watch the Hokies win another ACC battle at the Heights.

Til next time, Go SOX!

NATE KELLY!!!!

Allie and I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Nathanial Francis Kelly tonight. What a bundle!!!! What astounded me was that Nate is larger than Mia was when she was born. I forgot (in almost 10 months) what it was like to hold a newborn. Danielle is a trooper, as always, and is beginning to join the "mommyhood" club. I couldn't believe how wonderful she looked after having a c-section yesterday.

Josh and I are heading to his college roommate's wedding this weekend. It is going to be a strange experience for me as I have only attended 812 weddings for Josh's friends. We are looking forward to sleeping in, but let's be honest, not gonna' happen. More details to come.

More updates to come.

What A Big Girl!

Well, a month has come and gone since we have last posted. I am not sure where the time goes, but it definitely does fly. The summer seemed to barely exist before it was over. I am not sure whether that was due to the terrible weather we had or if time just passes more quickly when you have children. I always am told "Enjoy it now because they grow up so quickly" and I am truly beginning to believe it. It seems like just yesterday it was cold enough for Mia to be wearing a hat in the house (thanks to Nola!) and now we are dragging out sweaters again for the chilly mornings heading to daycare.

Mia has grown leaps and bounds over the last few months. She is enjoying all the new foods we have been introducing. I say all, but that really isn't the case. She definitely lets you know if she does not like what you are feeding her. She looks at you with her evil eye and gives you a look that screams "Are you serious?". I guess I would react the very same way if someone tried to force feed me pureed green beans. We have been trying to supplement her formula, which she is less and less interested in each day, with fruits such as apricots, bananas, plums, peaches and pears. She loves her standard veggies like sweet potatoes, squash, corn etc. Recently I had quite a funny parent mishap. I knew that Cousin Pete liked prunes when he was little - so I purchased a few containers of those for Mia. Mistake being that Peter liked PLUMS when he was a baby and I was stuck with numerous messy diapers after ONE feeding of the purchased prunes. This is a mistake every single parent should be warned about. I haven't read anything about this in baby books, but I am currently drafting a strongly worded letter to them all to include such a warning in bold print.

The end of summer weather has allowed us to enjoy some outside time, which Mia really enjoys. She loves going to the park for the swings and spending time just soaking everything up. It is truly amazing to see how much she learns each and every day. She started clapping a few weeks ago and now it is one of her favorite activities. She loves playing with her stuffed animals and some of the noisier toys around the house. But her favorite toys are those that aren't toys at all. Cellphones, purses, keys etc. I am sure this is very normal, but can be a bit frustrating when almost every phone call you have is interrupted because she grabs the phone and hangs up by mistake. Another recent funny moment was a few mornings ago, Mia was sitting on the couch. Josh and I were attempting to get everything ready to head out of the house for work and daycare and were not paying as much attention to her as we should have been. Josh turned around to find Mia chomping on Docket's bone!!!!! The worst part was how much she enjoyed it and how upset she was when we took it away from her. Docket seems to understand which are his toys, but Mia seems a bit confused on the matter.

Another major development recently is that Mia loves to stand and practice walking. She still enjoys sitting and playing, but it seems to entertain her less and less. She would prefer to be up and about around the house. As she is not mobile yet on her own, this requires endless trips for Josh and I around the dining room table, into the kitchen, back to the living room etc. I love the fact that she seems so inclined to be mobile, but I am waiting for the day when she can do a bit of it on her own. (I know, I will regret those words.) The constant activity she requires does tire her out, so sleeping has not been a problem. We are still on a 7pm - 7am sleeping schedule for most nights.

Recently Mia has become a bit clingy to Josh and I. We have read that this is completely normal, but it does hurt people's feelings. Mia wants to be held by people that come to visit, but when it registers that it is not actually Mom or Dad, she gets upset. She also has exibited some separation anxiety from Melissa, her caretaker, at daycare. When Melissa puts her down and leaves the room, Mia tends to get upset. I am hoping that this is just a phase and we are not the parents of an extremely shy little girl. BUT, knowing Mom and Dad, I can't imagine that would be the case.

Some new pics are up and I will stop promising to blog more often. Maybe if I don't promise, I will do it more frequently. I hope everyone has a wonderful Fall, and cross your fingers that Winter is not even close.

What a surprise!

Another fun Monday in our household has come to an end. We got a really great surprise yesterday when Carianne (Josh's former roommates wife) decided to come and visit Mia and I with her son Patrick. It was so great to see Carianne and spend some time chatting all about new mom stuff. I don't have a ton of friends with kids, so it was really refreshing to chat about everything I have been doing recently and bounce ideas off of each other. Patrick is almost exactly one month older than Mia - so I think Carianne and I are really in the same place in our lives. It makes me want to get out in the neighborhood more and meet some other Moms that may be out there and looking for friends for their kids.

Mia, Patrick, Carianne and I went to the park while they were here. Both the kids loved the swings and seemed to be content while we caught up on gossip and what each of our families have been up to. Despite being in the middle of what we thought may turn into a Watertown Tween Brawl, we had a nice time.

Josh and I have met a new neighborhood kid who seems to endlessly ride his bike around our area. He is intensely interested in Docket as well as Mia. This morning he came to the yard and spent a good 20 minutes playing with Docket and asking questions about babies. I was afraid I was going to get the "where do babies come from" question, but thankfully we avoided that topic. But, he wanted to know how old she is, what she eats, does she talk etc. etc. etc.

We are gearing up for our adventure to Richmond on Friday. I am really looking forward to spending the weekend with my family - but the trip on Friday is looming in the future. I am a bit nervous to take Mia on her first plane ride. Mostly b/c I don't want her to act up the entire time (which is a REAL possibility) but also b/c I am intensely afraid to fly. I guess this is a good trial run for our trip to St. John in December. We can figure out how to navigate security etc. I am sure I will have a ton to blog about come next week.

Hope all is well with everyone out there. We continue to try and be better about updates.

We got a socca playa

For all those that have stuck with us and our lack of blogging - THANK YOU! We are finally feeling a bit settled and are actually coming across some free time. Hopefully we will make good use of that time to update you on our lives with Mia. Continue to check back here for more updates on a regular schedule.

Josh got a break this weekend and flew to Baltimore to attend Craig's bachelor party and I got to spend three days/nights with Ms. Mia by myself. I LOVED having her all to myself and getting to spend so much time with her. She really amazes me all the time. I can't express how loving, caring and tender she is. I think I have decided that my favorite Mia moment is when she is tired and wants to play with my hair. She just strokes it and puts her hand in the hair on the back of my neck. It must be soothing to her because she tends to do this when she is exhausted.

Our weekend was full of ups and downs. Mia has progressed in her teething and now has become uncomfortable most of the time. She has found the power of her own voice and doesn't hold back when using it (wonder who she picked this up from!). She had some trouble sleeping through the night this weekend, which is the first time since she was an infant. Being a single parent for three days, I found this frustrating but understandable. I think I can finally feel a tooth or two coming in on her lower right side, and we are crossing our fingers that it happens soon. When naps only last 15 minutes, you know that she must be in some discomfort. Mia also graced me with a present of the liquid variety while I was changing her. Mom was trying to multi-task and didn't realize what was happening before it was too late. I had to laugh b/c once I realized she had peed all over me - I looked at her and she was giggling away. She knew.

We went to the Atrium Mall on Saturday in attempt to avoid the rain/thunderstorms and had a great time. All the store owners got a kick out of Mia and her attempts at babbling on the highest volume possible for a baby. She finally settled when Shannon and I stopped for a bit to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. I forgot how much I love this restaurant and I thank Mia for allowing me to actually eat a full meal out. :)

Sunday was not our happiest day. Cranky, no napping and then Josh called with the bad news that his flight had been cancelled. I almost had a breakdown, but gathered myself together and just pushed through. I think both Mia and I slept like rocks last night and both woke up re-freshed this morning.

Today we took our first trip to the park on our street. I always thought that maybe Mia was too little for the park, but to my surprise, she loved it. Baby swings were available - and she had a blast sitting in it and just barely swinging back and forth. Then Josh spent some time aquainting Mia with a soccer ball. I can see she has a future in this sport. She didn't want to touch it with her hands, only her feet.

I have posted some new park pics for everyone to see. Next weekend we have a house BBQ and then are heading to Richmond, VA the weekend after that to spend time with NOLA and Papa Doc. From what I hear, Eli and Oli will be there as well and I am very curious to hear all about their jaunt out West.

Hope this post finds everyone well. We will post again soon.

Quick Update

Sorry for the month long delay in blogging but it has been a crazy stretch for us with a move to our new house, our anniversary vacation, and friends and family visiting. This weekend is definitely worthy of a blog as Mia was baptised on Saturday by Fr. Ron Coyne, the same priest that married my parents and married us two years ago. Mia is truly blessed in so many ways and now we can continue to raise her the way we were both raised in the Catholic church. We hope things will start to settle down in August and will do our best to blog some more as we continue to see and are amazed by Mia's growth and development. New pictures are up, so feel free to check them out.

Celtics, Newport, Doctor's Appointment, Move

I waited 22 year's to celebrate a Celtics championship, little miss Mia only had to wait 6 months to see banner 17, what a sweet life she leads, huh? Unfortunately, the Bob's Store I went to the other day was completely sold out of baby Celtics gear. I settled for the pacifier and we had this rally towel from Opening night, seems like ages ago. Mia tried to stay awake for the beginning of the game but fell asleep (thanks for the 9pm starts David Stern) on my chest after finishing her bottle. It is really one of my favorite moments when she is all cuddled up like that. I hope she gets to see many games like the one we saw last night, a 131-92 drubbing of the hated Lakers. Tomorrow is the parade but I have to work, but I am sure Meg will get to jump out of work to see part of it since it will be going by just down the street from her building.

So last weekend we headed down to Newport with my family to celebrate my Mom's 60th birthday and Father's Day. We left Friday night with Zach and Kaitlin joining us for the ride down and Mia slept the whole trip, but woke once we arrived so she could see Nina, Papi, Mike, and Rian before going back to bed. Saturday we spent the day walking around Newport with Mia and she was staring at everything taking it all in the whole time. We stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant on our way back to the hotel and had a very happy Mia until it was time for her bottle. I took her back to the Hotel so Meg & Rian could go into some shops, which was the reason for the walk but they never really had a chance. After feeding Mia we took her down to the pool area in the hotel - she loved kicking her feet and splashing in the water so I cannot wait to get her swimming for real. Saturday night was our night out for dinner with the family at the Brick Alley Pub where we got a great table on the outside patio and had a great waiter. He even checked to see if they had bug spray for my Mom. Mia was great almost the entire 2 hours but she got tired and cranky towards the ened until I was able to rock her to sleep. Saturday night we gave my mom her gift, a new photo printer so she can have even more pictures of Mia whenever she wants them. Sunday morning we exchanged Father's Day cards in my parents room before heading back to Watertown since it was going to rain all day. It was a great weekend and nice to get out on the town too as my parents had Mia sleep in their room so we were able to head out with the gang. Can't wait to get back to Newport again.

Monday morning was Mia's "6 Month" checkup and another round of shots, 3 this time. Doctor Gonzalez gave Megan the go ahead to start feeding Mia food with her formula now too so we are really excited for this next phase. After 3 days she has already got the hang of eating her applesauce and loves playing in her highchair. Mia is now 26.75" tall and is weighing in at 16 lbs. 10 oz., over 3 times her birth weight which is amazing to us, and the Doc couldn't believe how strong she is and gave her a clean bill of health overall.

Now that the NBA playoffs are finally over we'll be able to get some more sleep and really get rolling on our packing, which at this point is up to about 10 boxes and a few giant ziploc bags of clothes. We hope to get a lot done this weekend and start to see some progress as we are moving in just over 3 weeks. Until next time, enjoy the new pictures and videos and I hope everyone is having a great start to summer.

Can you believe it?

It is already June. As much as I am so excited for the beautiful weather, I can't believe that 6 months have past since Mia was born. On one hand, it seems like forever ago that Mia and I were trapped in the house watching the endless snow fall, but on the other hand, it seems like just yesterday that we brought her home for the first time. The mind plays funny games with you, I guess.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to stay home on a Monday. Work has been very hectic for me and I have ended up going into the office on the days when I was supposed to be at home. It helped that Josh had some extra paternity time that he had to use or lose, but I missed being at home all the same. I had forgotten how much I enjoy staying home with Mia - but I had also forgotten how hard it is to be alone and entertain her all day. We started our morning with a long walk to Dunkin Donuts to see her friends (and let's be honest, mine too!). I needed the morning caffeine fix. After our walk, we came home and had some play time. Mia seems to be enjoying her toys more and really can let you know what she wants. She reaches for everything and when she is done with playing with that specific toy - just drops it and reaches for something new. I love watching her explore her world. Everything is new and interesting to her.

Mia finally went down for a nap after a rather long fussy period and I got to spend some time outside in the back yard catching up on my reading. I really should have been packing for the upcoming move, but I couldn't fathom letting this beautiful weather pass without spending quality time outside. After her lengthy nap, we took another walk with Aunt Allie. Our second visit to Dunks was a bit excessive, but there is nothing better than an iced coffee on a day like today. I am SURE it will affect my sleep tonight, but I couldn't say no. Allie, Mia and I tooled around town and had a great time.

Mia had her appointment on Friday morning with the ortho. He was not concerned at all and told us that "she will have a normal butt". Needless to say, both Josh and I were very relieved. No follow up appointments necessary. She was weighed and measured while she was there - and we are happy to report that she is 16.3 lbs and 25 3/4 inches long. I can say that she is thriving.

Hope all is well with everyone that reads and more posts to come. Some June pictures are up on the phanfare link.

Happy 1/2 Birthday Mia

Hard to believe, but Mia is 6 months old today. Sorry for the fuzzy pic, but it really shows the Mia we have been seeing the last week or so. She is always smiling with her tongue hanging out. A lot has gone on since we posted after Mother's Day so we appologize for the break in our blog but we are back at it again.

Mia just fought off her first cold with a cough after many restless nights in her crib and the humidifier blasting. Through it all she was as happy and playful as she usually is, and I marvel at how resilient she seems to be so early in her life. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Vernon for helping us take care of Mia while we traveled to Albany for Billy's wake and funeral, and our thoughts and prayers will be with you always Kathy, Bill, Katie, and Jeremy.

Upon returning from Albany we were able to spend some quality time with Nola, Papa Doc, and Aunt Eli with some outdoor adventures (thanks to the nice weather) and a family barbecue. We were all able to enjoy Mia's first moments in her new stationary jumper and highchair, both of which she seemed to enjoy right from the beginning. The jumper is definitely her new favorite and we've even spent some time in the backyard with her jumping around watching Docket run circles.

Friday we go to the orthopedic and we will let everyone know how the appointment goes with a blog later this week. In other BIG news this week, we are in the process of looking to sublet our apartment starting in July as we found a single family home in Watertown that we are going to rent. We are so excited to give Mia the space she needs to move around and still have room for visitors - now equipped with your own full bathroom too. Stay tuned for moving news as July gets closer.

Mother's Day

Happy belated Mother's Day to all the Moms who read the blog. I tip my hat to you and can truly appreciate all that you do. We spent our first Mother's Day in New York with my family. Nola and Papa Doc were there from Virginia as well as Aunt Eli, Uncle Oli, Estie, Poppy, Nancy, Mark, Jenny, Marg, Tom, Maureen, Mike and a surprise guest, Matt. It really was great to see everyone and introduce Tom and his family to Mia. Both Josh and I were very surprised and excited to see Matt. Since he moved to Chicago, our visits have been few and far between - but we always remember the time he spent on our couch with fondness. He really is a great guy and a very special person.

Our trip to and from NY was really eventless. Mia slept the entire trip both ways, which is a VAST improvement over our last trip when she screamed through the entire state of CT. The trip home was a bit long because of the amount of traffic, but we made it back in one piece.

So - Saturday morning I was packing for the weekend. Josh was watching Mia and gathering her stuff. All of a sudden I can hear him rushing around - and clearly he does not want me to know what is going on. Josh rushed into Mia's room with her and closed the door. Well, curiosity got the best of me and I opened the door to see what was causing such a commotion. Josh simply turned to me and said "How do you get ink off a baby?" What???!!!! Apparently, Josh was having Mia sign my Mother's Day card and the pen exploded all over her hands. Well, as you can imagine, her hands then touched her legs, her onesie, her face, her feet etc. etc. etc. It was so funny!! We can only thank god that it was a ballpoint pen and not a Sharpie. She arrived in NY inkless.

These days Mia is growing like a weed and developing pretty rapidly. She pays more attention to her surroundings and focuses on people that are around her. She has started to interact with her environment - touching things that are within reach, talking to Josh and I, and following Docket's every move. She has started to recognize some of her toys and lets you know which ones she wants and when. I can't believe all of this has happened so quickly - and I am looking forward to all that is to come.

We are still waiting to go to her 6 month checkup as well as the appointment with the specialist at the end of May. I am not so sure we are going to make the 6 month checkup without starting food first. Mia seems to be getting hungry about every two hours these days - which is a telltale sign that she is ready for "a little somthin, somthin". We spoke to Dr. Shirley today and she really would prefer we wait until 6 months, but did give us the go-ahead to use a few teaspoons of cereal to supplement after Mia has her formula. I think we are going to start that tomorrow.

Alright - off to watch some of the Sox/Celtics and then to bed. More to come later in the week. New pics are on the picture portion of the site.

Mommy is a Great Celtics Fan

5 Month Update

As you can see above, little Mia is tired of just lying flat and is really starting to explore the world from different viewpoints. It seems she is starting to get used to this teething thing as well. Our breakdowns have not been as intense or as long during the evening the last week or so. We've started to understand what her different noises mean now, still too hard to describe with words, and she is definitely adding the "I need attention" scream to her repertoire.

In addition to my SAHD status on Friday's, starting with this past Monday, I will be home for three straight Monday's while Meg works and gets more hours. This extra time is so rewarding during the week, as we normally only get to spend a few hours with Mia when she is not sleeping. Who knew our little girl was an artist too - apparently she has been working on a Mother's Day Project at daycare and we cannot wait to see the finished result. Meg welled up just hearing about it. I better get some tissues on Thursday before picking up Mia next week.

Well - keep checking the photo website as that is updated a little more often and we hope you enjoy. Thanks to Sean & Karen Kennedy for inviting us to BC Fun Day last Saturday. It was great to get out on a beautiful day and spend time with our friends and their kids. Mia now has her first girl friend, Alexa, who is 7 months old.

I LOVE NEW YORK!

Wow. It has been a crazy couple of days. Josh and I headed to NYC with Mia this past weekend. My sister Liz had given Josh and I tickets to go see the opening night of a new Broadway show called "Boeing, Boeing". It was a fantastic gift and we really enjoyed ourselves. More on that later....

So, Josh, Mia and I headed down to New York Saturday morning. Our trip down was uneventful and Mia behaved very well. Once in New York, we met my Mom in Pelham and took the train into the city. It was great having Grandma Nola there with us. I know that she misses Mia daily and to get to see the changes that Mia has gone through in the three weeks since they last saw each other, really pleases Nola. Nola noticed that Mia is more responsive to people and is definitely focusing on her toys more. She really is beginning to take in everything around her - the way things look, the way they feel etc. She loves touching her toys and seeing how they differ from one to another. I think it is really interesting to watch.

We spent Saturday afternoon walking around the East Village with Aunt Eli and Uncle Oli. I really enjoy being in NYC and am amazed every single time I go there. It is just unbelievable to me how so many different people can co-exist in one city and, for the most part, get along. I also find it intriguing how people who live in NYC, can do so with such little space. Liz and Nic have a very decent sized apartment in New York, and I feel like we filled half of it with stuff for Mia for ONE NIGHT! So after a quick lunch and some time in Stuy Town, Josh and I headed out for dinner at Ruth Chris and to see the play. Dinner was great - and honestly, Boeing Boeing was phenomental (kudos to Bradley Whitford - and I am sure Josh would like to send his kudos to Gina Gershon (yawn on my part). It was extremely nice for Josh and I to get to spend some time together in a different city and doing something that we rarely get to do. I know that Liz and Nic and my mom too were looking forward to spending quality time with Mia, but it was an extremely thoughtful gift on their part and we can't say thank you enough.

Now.....beware when relatives who are not Red Sox fans (and even worse, are Yankees fans) offer to babysit your child. Know, from our experience, that it will not end in your favor (as displayed by the picture above). I think Josh is just about getting over the trauma and **might** restore babysitting priviledges sometime in the near future. I thought it was hilarious.

Our ride home was definitely eventful, which Josh can post about later, but we finally made it. This week is a pretty quiet week and upcoming weekend for us. I am really looking forward to spending some time outside with Mia. We are trying to keep our plans to a minimum and are looking forward to a true family weekend. More to come on Friday.......

4 Month Check-up

It seemed like it had been forever since we were last at the Doc's for a check-up and this morning became a highly anticipated visit in the Vernon household. I am happy to report that our little preemie Mia is now 2 feet and 3/4 inches tall (75th percentile) and 13 lbs. 10 oz. (50th percentile) so she is "ahead" of schedule according to Dr. Gonzalez. We couldn't be happier with this news and continue to pray that she keeps doing so well with all of her developmental milestones. It was almost like Mia started to figure out where she was and what happens today as well, she kept a close eye on the Doc as she prepared her 4 shots and really started squirming before receiving them.

She got through pretty well and has done great so far today, and even enjoyed time in her Bumbo as you can see above. I've added some more pictures of our post visit afternoon in the bumbo to the picture website so I hope you all enjoy. Mia does need to go to the Orthopedic at Children's Hospital at the end of May as a precautionary visit to have them look at her tailbone. Meg noticed it looks like the outline (two lines instead of one) of a "tail" in her words so Dr. Gonzalez asked me to schedule a visit, although she is almost positive it is nothing. We'll keep you updated on that, and if anyone else shares a similar story please let us know.

Just as Meg said on Monday, we will continue to post once or twice a week as we had been previously after getting some complaints, just kidding, that we were not updating you all enough. Until next week, hope all is well and if you are ever in the area feel free to give us a call and stop by to see our BIG girl whenever you want.

Easter 2008

So, our apologies to all that read the blog. Our posts have been few and far between recently, and we are really sorry. I am going to try and be better about posting more often so that everyone has some Mia updates.

It is hard for me to believe that today is the last day of March. All three of us survived Easter - or more specifically, the 11 hour train ride to and from Richmond, Virginia. We left the Thursday before Easter at 6 am and honestly, we could not have had a better behaved infant. Mia slept soundly from Boston to New York and fussed a bit while we were stopped in Penn Station. She then just sat with us on the train and really enjoyed looking out the window at the passing scenery. We FINALLY arrived in Richmond and headed to my parents new house. I know that my Mom and Dad were THRILLED to have us there.

Mia fell in love with my parents ceiling fans. She really was obsessed with watching them go round and round. I guess at this age even the simplest things can entertain a baby. Mia did not lack attention, especially when Liz and Nicolai and the Bruckmanns arrived. Everyone was fighting for some Mia time - and she enjoyed getting to know Cousin Chris and Laura.

Our weekend in Richmond was too short and already it was time to head back on the train. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well at all and the last thing I wanted to do was travel on a train with an infant. I guess that is what parenthood is all about though. You have to do and handle things that are really what you do not want to do. So we lived through the ride (me, BARELY), but once again Mia was outstanding. She made some friends who were travelling from Richmond to Philidelphia - and they kept us company for part of the ride.

This week is Mia's 4 month check-up and round of shots. Both Josh and I are really curious to see how much she has grown and what is in store for us. We suspect that Dr. Gonzalez will start Mia on cereal, which I am excited about. It seems that recently we can't feed this baby enough - and hopefully the cereal will help on that front. We also suspect that Miss Mia has begun teething. She is constantly eating her hands and the amount of drool she is producing is unbelievable. I just can't believe how all of these changes happen in such a short period of time.

More to come on Friday after our appointment - and we will try to update this site more often. I hope all is well with everyone who reads and fingers crossed that spring shows itself soon. I can't stand the weather any longer!

S.A.H.D. Week

After working on Monday, I had the fortune of being a Stay At Home Dad (SAHD) for the rest of the week, and let me tell you, WOW. It is definitely a lot of work as Meg mentioned to me while she was home, but to see Mia grow up right in front of me each day is something I will never forget. You quickly forget about having to do the daily chores because once you are done it is back to spending more time with Mia. A happy, smiling, talking, and starting to laugh Mia.

We actually took a stroll over to her daycare which she is starting next Tuesday so Mia could meet the teachers and they could meet her. She immediately started to stare at everything in the infant room and it just made me feel so comfortable knowing she was happy already. We'll see how it goes next week though. I can't believe it is already Friday of my SATD week and my daughter is already 3 months old (yesterday).

While doing some work from home this afternoon, and Mia sitting on the couch with her Teddy, I was startled by some giggles, to see the rest you will have to check out the Video in the "Getting Ready for NOLA" album on out photo/video website. What a reward to end my week at home. See you all soon and I am sure we will have a blog and plenty of pics of NOLA and Aunt Eli's visit this weekend.

So Many Changes

It's been a while since our last post, so I thought I would help Mom out now that she is back to work. Since she last wrote we've noticed some big changes in Mia, especially with how constructively active she is becoming. Seeing her smile every morning has become a daily routine and those hands could keep her occupied all day long, along with her Teddy.

Mom was very sneaky these past few weeks as she kept my surprise birthday party a complete secret, even when she left the house at 8 that morning and had me drive Mia to my parents while she stayed behind. I thought I would always figure these things out but she did a great job and I love her for that, and thank everyone that reads and was there for a great night at the OPG. While I was being surprised, Mia had her first sleepover with Nina and Papi in Upton. Although it was nice to sleep through the night, it was tough being in such a quiet house without our little one to stare at when we wanted. Thank you Mom and Dad for taking such good care of her Saturday night and again this week as Meg went back to work.

That's right, after 12 weeks away from work, Mom headed back to the office on Tuesday. She had a tough time leaving that first morning but as the week went on she became a little more comfortable knowing Mia was in good hands. Next week I will be home with Mia and the following week she starts day care 3 days a week. Dad is old, Mom is working, and Mia is leaving the house, wow we really have had a lot of changes. Until nex time - thanks for reading and checking out the new pics.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

So I have spent the last week thinking about the last 2 months of my life.

• Prior to Mia being born, laundry was done once a week at the local laundrymat. Josh and I could save everything and do it all at once while we had dinner and a drink at the grille next door. Now, doing 3 loads of laundry a day is completely normal for me. I have logged in approximately 500+ trips and and down to the basement.


• Prior to Mia being born, dishes were done when we felt like it. We don't have a dishwasher, so it always seemed like such a chore. We would much rather order out and throw out the paper plates than fill the sink with dishes. Now, I clean bottles multiple times a day, eat lunch at home every single day (using real dishes) and somehow manage to get them done within 24 hours of them being used.


• Prior to Mia being born, I was never content to sit at home on a weekend night. Now Josh and I not only stay home, but we are in bed early. Just like it was a Tuesday night.


• Prior to Mia being born, someone smiling at me wasn't a big deal, little noises annoyed me and the only toys in the house belonged to Docket. Now, my heart melts when Mia smiles, her noises let me know how she is feeling and the toys scattered about remind me how much fun it is to play with even a 2 month old.

Tuesday is my first day back at work. I am ready to go back and have adult conversations on a daily basis, but I am really going to miss my days home with Mia. We have had a good time - and I really do love our schedule we have developed. I know that every working parent goes through these feelings, but it is truly one of those experiences that when it happens to you, you think it is the biggest deal. I know that being at work all day will only make our time together at night more special.

Tomorrow Mia goes back to Dr. Gonzalez for 2 more vaccinations. Saturday she will be going to Upton to spend her first night away from home with Nina and Papi. I know she will have a lot of fun - and I know that Nina and Papi are really looking forward to spending time with Mia.

For all those that read - Happy Valentine's Day - and more to come next week.

This is what a vaccination does......

This morning Mia had her 2 month appointment with Dr. Shirley. I have been dreading this day for awhile. I, personally, am terrified of shots and I wasn't sure how I was going to keep it together watching Mia receive a total of 4 vaccinations. Well, apparently, the State Department of Health issues only so many vaccinations to each pediatrician, and Dr. Shirley is currently treating a number of babies, so she was out of 2 of the vaccinations Mia was supposed to get today. Another trip is required for us next week - but Mia did get her polio vaccination and her Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis. It wasn't nearly as traumatic as I thought it might be, and Mia seemed to bounce back shortly after getting her two shots in the upper thigh.

Dr. Shirley was AMAZED at how much Mia has grown. When she was born, we were advised that preemie babies take almost 2 years to catch up to their counterparts. We were told not to compare her to other babies the same age because there really isn't a comparison to make. Josh and I have struggled NOT to do that. It is hard to look at Mia and realize that in reality she should be compared only with a 5 week old baby. Well, today, Mia proved the medical community wrong. She weighed in at 10 lbs. 13 oz which put her in the 50th percentile. In 2 months she has gone from the 3rd percentile to the 50th in terms of weight. Josh and I nearly fell over when Dr. Shirley explained all of this. Mia is also 22 inches long, which puts her, once again, in the 50th percentile. In 2 months, she has gone from the 25th percentile to the 50th in height. In simple terms, Mia is thriving and her parents could not be happier! This weekend is Josh's 30th birthday - and I don't think he could have received a better gift.

This weekend doesn't hold too much for us. We are heading to a birthday party tonight and then Josh has his family birthday dinner on Sunday. Unfortunately, I am not feeling so hot. I have another abcessed tooth and am on multiple medications until I head for a root canal on Feb. 18th. I certainly hope that Mia doesn't fear the dentist as I have in the past, and really works on taking care of her teeth. I can only tell her that it will save her a lot of pain and money in the long run. What is extremely funny is that throughout my pregnancy, I have consistently had the same issues as our friend Karen Kennedy. We both had a root canal completed while pregnant - and Karen had another one done last week. I guess all I need to do is check in with Karen to find out what I should expect in the months to come.

Life is great at home and Mia is doing really really well. More blogging to come next week.

HACHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well....thank God it is Friday! This has certainly been a week that has been both challenging and rewarding.

Nola arrived last Friday morning for a weekend visit. We spent a lot of time together with Mia - bathing her, rocking her and singing all together. Saturday Nola took Mia out for a walk to Watertown Square and Josh and I were able to go see the BC vs Virginia Tech basketball game. What a stressful ending, but I am happy to report that the Hokies pulled through and went home with a win. Sunday Josh left for a business trip to Florida and Nola, Mia and myself went to the Natick Mall. I have NEVER seen so many people with strollers and babies. It was like a contest. Every time you passed someone, they looked back to check out your baby. Is it cuter than the last one they passed? It actually made me laugh outloud!

Sunday night I came down with a 24 hour stomach bug. It was vicious, but thank God it was quick. I am not sure what I would have done had my Mom not been here. She spent Monday taking care of me, Mia, Docket and Maddie. For those of you who do not know my Mom - she does not like Maddie (our cat) - and that is putting it kindly. I know this took a tremendous amount of strength out of my Mom - and she was exhausted on Monday night. I really can't thank her enough.

Tuesday Mia and I went to see Dr. Shirley. Mia has been struggling a bit lately with gas and has been uncomfortable. So - we wanted Dr. Shirley to check her out and make sure all parts were working as they should. It was suggested that Mia sleep in an elevated crib and if that doesn't work by our next appointment, then we are going to start adding rice cereal to her formula. Such a big step for such a little girl!

Wednesday Mia woke up with no voice. While completely heartbreaking - you have to find some humor in a crying baby that is making no noise. So - another phone call to Dr. Shirley - but this time we were told that we are just going to have to wait it out. As I write this, Mia is definitely still hoarse, but beginning to sound MUCH better. Hopefully we can rid our house of all the germs and start anew. I hope the warm weather we are supposed to have next week will allow us to open some windows.

It is still amazing to me how much she grows and learns each and every day. She has started to recognize some toys that are in her crib and really enjoys just staring at them and making noises. So far her favorite is the bear that Mrs. T gave to her for Christmas. It never gets old.

I only have two weeks left at home before it is time for me to head back to work. At the beginning of maternity leave, I thought this day wouldn't come fast enough. Now that it is looming in the near future, I am having second thoughts. I have come to enjoy and appreciate every single minute I spend with Mia and I love our little schedule we have at home! Heading back to work is going to be really hard - and pretty terrifying. To think about how much she has grown and all the new things she is doing (thumb sucking, smiling etc.) makes me wonder how I am going to motivate myself to get to the office. I am sure I will be blogging much more on this subject in the near future.

Tonight I am heading out to dinner with Aunt Allie and Aunt Danielle. It is girl's margherita night and I am sure there will be some stories to share later on.

Keep your fingers crossed that the groundhog doesn't see his shadow tomorrow. I would like spring to come early this year!

When I Snooze

I snooze hard! Mia has started sleeping longer and longer between feedings. She loves her catnaps during the day as well!

This weekend was a busy one for Mom and Dad. Craig Quish came to visit and have some quality time with Mia. She really took a liking to him and loved it when Craig held her. Uncle Paul-E-C also swung by the house to meet Mia for the very first time. His voice definitely soothed her and she loved the undivided attention he gave her. All of us has some great laughs and it was good to see some of the old college friends.

Nola arrives on Friday and Mia and I cannot wait. I am sure that my Mom will be very surprised at how big Mia has gotten since she last saw her. Mia seems to be doing something new every day and really is growing into such a little girl. I can see different parts of her personality developing more and more - and I suspect we have a little diva on our hands. She is definitely laid back, but she knows what she wants and when she wants it.

Hopefully the weather will warm a bit when Nola arrives so we can spend some time outside. More postings to come as the week passes.

Princess Mia of the Manor

Our first road trip to Pelham Manor was truly a success! On Tuesday morning I fed Mia and we jumped in the car and started our way to New York. At first I was really nervous that we would have a meltdown in the most inconvenient of places, but Mia was a trooper. She woke up from her nap in New Haven and just looked out the window for a while. The meltdown came in Greenwich, CT - but at that point, I just continued along to Nancy and Mark's house.

Nancy was thrilled to have Mia for herself on Tuesday afternoon and couldn 't believe how big she has gotten. Jenny came for dinner on Tuesday night and Mark even got to shine as the babysitter while the girls headed out to TJ Maxx. He was a superstar!

Aunt Eli swung by the house on Wed. and couldn't get enough of her niece. She wouldn't even put her down while eating her cereal (please reference the photo album). Estie and Poppy came to visit on Wednesday afternoon and really enjoyed the time they spent with Mia. I need to send out a HUGE thank you to Nicolai and Liz, who both offered to do Mia's midnight feeding so Mom could get a few hours of sleep. It was really helpful and allowed me to be somewhat conscious for the ride home yesterday.

Josh and I took Mia to her first Maimo game last night at Trinity Catholic. What a game it was! A huge comeback overtime win for the Maimo girls. Mia definitely brings good luck.

Lullabye and Goodnight

Josh and I have finally completed the crib set up and Mia took her first nap in the crib over the weekend. I can hardly believe how small she looks when she is in it. Such a peanut. She seems to not even notice the difference from the cradle and has slept well in the crib so far. I am still a bit nervous to let her sleep in there for the night - and I guess a bit hesitant to move her from our room. Once we do that, she will finally be growing up - and I am not sure that I am ready to accept that yet.

Tomorrow Mia and I are heading to New York to spend a few days with Nancy and Liz. I am excited to get out of the house and to have a little change of pace from the daily grind. I am nervous about the 3 1/2 hour car ride there - but if we time it correctly - I shouldn't have a problem. I know that Aunt Eli is beside herself with excitement to see Mia - and she will have to duke it out with Nancy to hold her. I can't believe how much stuff you have to travel with when you bring a baby away. I keep walking around the house thinking that I am forgetting something crucial. Josh and I are packing the car shortly - and we have so many bags and stroller parts and toys and........

Karen, Sean and Cormac came over to visit on Sunday. We were so excited to see them all and I think they enjoyed meeting Mia for the first time. Cormac was thrilled to meet Docket, even though his barking terrified him for a minute. It was wonderful for me to see how much a baby grows in a year. Wow - next year we will be running around after Mia and trying to determine what the heck she is saying. I can't wait.

I will post again when we get home from NYC. I am sure there will be many pictures of Mia to share. Some new pics of crib time have been added to our albums.

How Big Is Mia

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO big!

We had our 1M appointment with Dr. Gonzalez this week and much to our surprise Mia weighed in at a hefty 7 lbs 15.5 ounces. I almost fell over. She has also grown an inch and a half since she was born. Dr. Gonzalez was extremely impressed with both the weight gain and growth and gave Mia a clean bill of health. She also had her second Hep B shot, which I suspect was more traumatic for Mom than Mia. We both cried....

Staying at home with Mia has become a little easier for me. I am actually enjoying the time we spend together - especially now that she is beginning to smile and respond to me. We have done a lot of singing, everything from the Annie and Rent Soundtracks to lullabyes. Mia really seems to enjoy music and it is a sure fire way to calm her down.

Yesterday was Mia's first hard day. She cried from 11am to 9pm for no particular reason. Nothing seemed to soothe her, not even her swing or vibrating chair. She finally gave up on screaming last night and seemed to settle down and get some rest. Thank god! But, as Allie said, if this was the one bad day I have had in 6 weeks - then I really can't complain. I am not sure how my own mother dealt with me when I had colic as an infant. It is nothing short of exhausting.

Not much else is new on the homefront, but a few new pictures have been posted.

More to come.

Megan

Hokie Pokie

I did my very first Hokie Pokie last night in honor of the Virginia Tech Orange Bowl game. Dad was very excited to dress me up in his college gear he bought for me when he went to Rush's wedding. Unfortunately, even though I have brought good luck for my parents since I was born, I couldn't pull through for the Hokies. I know that it was just a fluke and all of my future Hokie games will be wins!

I am having a hard time believing that I wasn't supposed to even be here with Mom and Dad until January 3rd. Mom has already had her six week checkup and got a clean bill of health. My first 5 weeks have been a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next five.

Tonight I am going to Uncle Mike and Aunt Rian's for dinner. I am excited to see them again.

Will post again over the weekend.

My love,

Mia

Great in '08

Happy New Year!!!!!!! I had a great New Year's Eve with Nina and Papi. They came over and took care of me for a few hours while Mom and Dad got to go out and celebrate the end of 07 with Aunt Allie. Mom and Dad enjoyed the few hours away - and I loved being held by Nina and getting to know both of them a little better.

I have been spending more time awake and in my chair the last couple of days. It seems to soothe me. Especially because I haven't been napping a lot during the day. I am trying very very hard to get all of my sleep in at night. Last night I slept for almost 6 hours straight. You should have seen how happy Mom and Dad were. They both got a great night's sleep.

Now that all the company has gone and things have quieted down, I am looking forward to spending some time with Mom. She has been working hard around the house and doing A LOT of my laundry. As she says "How does something so little generate so much?"

I am not looking forward to the really cold weather that is supposed to be here tomorrow. It means that I can't go outside, but hopefully it will be short lived and we can get back to taking walks around the block.

I will post again soon and hopefully more often now that things have slowed down quite a bit.

- Mia