Monday, May 28, 2007

Other Peoples' Baby News

Way back in the post about our trip to St. Louis and baby (girl it turns out) Mettenburg, we mentioned that there was even more baby news to be had, but that it was too much for a single entry and would have to wait for a future post. Almost two months later, we're finally getting around to detailing our friends' well, if not "news" then at least their parental status. Besides, now we have pictures.

Our friends from grad school, John & Amy, welcomed Matilda Jean Diggelman on March 30th. John claimed that Matilda was a sound sleeper from the start, but a subsequent note from Amy in early May exclaiming that Matilda had finally slept four hours in a row suggests otherwise. Apparently only John was sleeping soundly in those early days.


My college roommate Cecily and her husband Matt announced that they're expecting baby boy Williams on Owen's first birthday. While I think baby Leos are the best (especially baby boy Leos), I feel a little bad that Cec will also have to experience being nine months pregnant in August. Hopefully, Portland is more temperate than DC, or else Cec is less temperamental than me.


Finally our friend from grad school, Travis, and his wife Abby welcomed Jonathon Travis Warziniack on May 10th (or thereabouts). We don't have many details, but thought this picture was too cute not to post.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

A Day with Daddy

Owen and I had the day off from work and daycare yesterday, while Elaine not only had to go to work, but had to stay late for a retirement party. Elaine was a bit worried about how we’d do without her, but Owen and I were excited to have a day out with the guys. Grandpa called and invited us to go sailing, and though Elaine was a bit sad not to be there for Owen’s first sail, she agreed that the weather was too nice to stay at home. So the three generations of Fawcett boys headed up to Pasadena for the first sail of the season. The sun was out, the temperature wasn't too hot, and the wind was just right. How did Owen react to this perfect sailing weather you may ask? He slept through it all. The collar on his life jacket was the perfect pillow, and the motion of the boat rocked him right to sleep. Looks like we'll have to take him out a few more times to turn him into a proper sailor.

(click here to see all the pictures)

(click here for a great video of Owen playing the piano!)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

I'm It

Uncle Dave "tagged me" and requested that I share eight random facts/habits about myself. Here they are (in no particular order):

1) I only babble -- dadada, bababa, ayaaaack. Asking me to blog about eight things is a tad overly optimistic, Uncle Dave.

2) I think the world looks better upside down. If Mommy would let me, I'd stay that way all day (I'm pretty sure Daddy would).

3) As of this entry, I've had 1856 dirty diapers (813 poopy ones).

4) My favorite book is "Tails" -- I especially like its demonstration of tails swishing. My second favorite book is "1001 Cocktails". Self explanatory.

5) I love bathtime, except when I don't love bathtime.

6) Bananas are yummy. Carrots? Not so much.

7) Thanks to Grandpa Don, I won $22 last weekend at the Preakness. Next stop: Vegas!

8) I'm almost always smiling.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Under Pressure - Part IV

Proving the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, Mom Mom has become the latest victim of what will become known in Fawcett lore as the Mother's Day Massacre. Seems that after caring for Owen Sunday afternoon while I took Allen to the doctor and all day Monday while Allen and I tried to regain our strength, Mom Mom woke up at 3:30 am Tuesday morning feeling a bit off. She quickly realized what she was in for, and within a few hours was in the throes of agony. We're hoping that the strain has weakened now that its moved onto its third generation of our family and that her convalescence will be brief. Mom Mom can now add a purple heart to her silver star of grandmotherhood.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Under Pressure - Part III

Let me just say now that I’ve never been a fan of my birthday, as historically they’ve been a bit of disappointment. Like my 17th which was spent in the hospital as my grandmother lay dying (she passed away two days later). Or my 21st which took place in Philadelphia at the Dad Vails regatta which we lost (owing to some foot-stretchers breaking 11 meters from the start – just outside the breakage zone) and all my friends forgot (despite my having reminded them for months) only to remember belatedly so that I got to drive from Philly to Chicago in a school van with the worst hangover ever. Or my 29th where I had to pull an all-nighter to finish a take-home econometrics exam and grade some finals for my TA class. I could go on, but I think you get the gist.

Anyway, this year’s birthday is in a class all of its own. After spending the day attempting to care for both my ailing son and husband, I too succumbed to whatever it was that had completely incapacitated Allen, about a half hour after I got Owen to sleep. Fortunately, Owen slept through the night and I borrowed some of Allen’s anti-nausea medicine which got us through to six am, but then Owen woke and promptly threw-up on me after nursing at which point we called Allen’s mom and asked if she could watch Owen during the day since neither of us could handle caring for him. She happily swooped in to take Owen off of our hands for the day, so Mom Mom deserves some extra Mother’s Day props!

We appear to be on the mend now, though I think we’re all going to stay home tomorrow just to make sure. And so ends the story of my first Mother’s Day as a mother and my 34th birthday (which I don’t feel should count). Let us all hope that the pressure doesn’t get to us the next time my birthday and Mother’s Day coincide.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Under Pressure - Part II

So apparently Allen couldn’t handle the pressure either. Just as Owen was on the mend (after fourteen poopy diapers, six clothing changes, two bouts of vomiting, two baths and one trip to the doctors office all in a twelve hour period on Saturday), Allen became gravely ill beginning at 5:30 am on Sunday morning. At first we assumed that he would follow a similar trajectory as Owen, and after an initial vomiting spell, he’d be able to keep things down and be in fine spirits, although requiring a bathroom break every twenty minutes or so. That wasn’t actually the case. By noon, Allen became too weak to even make it to the bathroom, couldn’t keep down even the smallest sip of water and his pallor had turned grayish-white.

Fortunately, right about then Allen’s mom and her husband showed up for our Mother’s Day/Birthday brunch that we’d planned weeks in advance. They took Owen off in the stroller while I packed up Allen (with a bucket in tow) in the car and drove him to the doctor’s office, where he was given two IVs and some anti-nausea medication. We made it home by 5 pm to find Owen happily playing with Mom-mom and Grandpa Don. We exchanged presents while Allen sat in the fetal position and sipped water which miraculously he was able to keep down. He spent the rest of the evening lying on the couch.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Under Pressure

As every new father knows, tomorrow is one of the most important days of the year - our new family's first Mother's Day. A time to celebrate Mommy, her boundless energy, her love and affection, her sacrifices, and her patience. A day to shower her with presents, and to shoulder an extra bit of the parenting, to give her a chance to rest, relax, and reflect on the joys of motherhood.

For Owen and I, the task is a bit larger than for most new fathers. That is because tomorrow is not only Elaine's first Mother's Day, but it is also her Birthday! We need to make sure Elaine doesn't just feel special as a Mother, but also feels special for just being Elaine. She needs a little something extra to show we're not just lumping both of these celebrations together. Combined presents simply won't do.

Some people might think that's too much to squeeze into one day, but wait, there's more. Not only is Owen's mother's Birthday on Mother's Day, but my mother's Birthday is on Mother's Day. That's right, May 13, 2007, is a really big day for the Fawcett family.

Sadly, I think Owen is feeling the pressure. All the presents are wrapped, and the brunch reservations are made, but the burden of being extra cute for Mommy and Mom Mom's Birthdays and trying to say "ma ma" for Mother's Day (not to mention the pressure to say something adorable on the phone with Grandma Z on tomorrow) has put Owen under the weather. He's kicked off our big weekend with a bout of diarrhea and projectile vomiting. Hopefully he'll be able to rally by the time tomorrow morning rolls around, if not, wish us luck...