Cell Phone Video Clips

No sound... not sure why... hmmm...

The Exhaustion Files: Episode 3 -- mmmm orange chicken

For some reason, Robbie has decided that he no longer needs to sleep. Yesterday, Sam and I both had the day off. But, we were so exhausted from being up repeatedly throughout the night that we took Robbie to daycare first thing in the morning and then came home and slept. After a few hours of napping and resting, we spent the rest of the day running errands that were long overdue and going to the grocery. By the time we got everything done, it was time to go get Robbie again. We were so tired that we stopped to pick up Panda Express for dinner instead of cooking the food we spent the day shopping for!

Robbie is changing and developing every day. This morning he grabbed both feet while I was changing his diaper and it was very exciting. He is sitting (sort of) with a little bit of a helping hand. He is loving his exersaucer since it allows him to stand up and bounce. He is babbling and squealing like crazy. It is like we are having a little conversation. It is wonderful! I'm pretty sure that he is teething, too. He is constantly drooling and gnawing on anything he can get his little hands on.



Robbie has another big dr. appt. next week with another round of vaccines. Poor baby! And maybe, just maybe, we'll get the OK to start up some solid foods.

Well, gotta run. There is so much to do and just really not enough time. I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday season!

The Exhaustion Files: Episode 2 -- we are surviving

I see the clock, I know it is late, I know I should be sleeping. I know I will be tired tomorrow. I know Robbie is going to wake up any minute and realize that the last time he ate was 6 o'clock and demand a refueling moment. But for you, my faithful friends and readers, I sacrifice these few minutes to catch you up on our little life here! For posterity!

I am officially back to work and have been now for about a month. It seems like forever. Some days are better than others just like they would be at any job. Fortunately the classes I'm teaching right now are not very demanding. The kids are pretty good and I'm comfortable with my material. I wish Robbie were sleeping through the night every night instead of just once every blue moon-- but hey, God created coffee and Red Bull for a reason. The adjustment to taking Robbie to daycare everyday was really hard at first. However the people are friendly and seem to really love him. The first day I left him there all day, I called 3 times to check up on him. They told me that he was the best baby at daycare, which of course, I knew would be true. (ha!) We are very lucky-- Robbie is a very easy-go-lucky baby. He cries when he's hungry and gets a little cranky right before he goes down for a nap. Otherwise, he eats well, entertains himself, is cuddly, and very rarely cries if you keep him full, dry, and well rested.

I feel so guilty some days about him being a day care. I drop him off in the morning around 7am and try really hard to pick him up before 4pm. However, if I have a lot to do at school or need to run errands, sometimes I can't get him until after 5pm. By the time I get him home and bathed, I only have an hour or two with him before he is sleeping for the night. I cherish those weekend days that we can just sit around and watch the sci fi channel. (sigh) I also cherish the very moment that Sam gets home and I can hand him the baby and go wash off all the spit-up and baby boogies. (Disclaimer: I know babies shouldn't watch television, but can I help it if my baby will spin himself around 180 degrees so that he can listen to Captain Jean Luc Picard discuss the future of the Romulan Empire-- no, I cannot!)

Above is Robbie with his VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS PRESENT from his Great Aunt Carolyn. It was a little board book of Dr. Suess' "Are you my mother?". We have been getting Christmas Cards in the mail and it is so fun to see that we've been upgraded from "Sam and Mandy Leahy" or "Mr. & Mrs. Leahy" to "The Leahy Family" or "Sam, Mandy, and Robbie Leahy."

Below is Robbie chillin' in his nursery. He is getting so strong and lifts up his head so well now! I think he is so adorable! This mama is totally in love with her baby!

Well, I really must go to bed now. My eyelids are getting heavy and I've got a full day of teaching math to mostly unwilling teenagers ahead of me.

Please keep my little family in your prayers. Sam and I have had colds for about 10 days and Robbie (although well right now) has been sick on and off with a cold ever since he started day care. Pray for my Grandpa Strunk who is going through chemo-therapy right now for Lymphoma. The doctors are very optimistic about it. Pray for my brother, his wife Amy, and his stepsons Austin & Dylan as they travel to Florida over Christmas to see our parents. Pray that Sam and I can find a church we like up here since the 2 hour drive to and from Meadows Community Church is too much to do on a Sunday. Pray for Sam during this insane holiday season... retail is so crazy and he has to deal with so many ugly spirited people this time of year. Pray for all of us in the country financially, that we will learn economy and be good stewards of our income.

Goodnight my friends... I'm going to go turn the thermostat up now and hope Sam doesn't notice...

Some Pictures

Thumbsucker! 10-30-08

about 8 weeks old

Showing Off for Mommy

11-16-08

About 10 weeks

What a face. I think he's gorgeous.

11-15-08

About 10 weeks

My Adorable Son

Robert Mason Leahy
Is he gorgeous or what?

Pictures

The New Normal

When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be one fairy for every boy or girl.
-James Barrie, Peter Pan

Robbie is officially awesome, in case you hadn't figured that out yet. The past few weeks have been really amazing. The best part of it all is the fact that he has started to "socially smile" and practically giggles. Right now it is the funniest thing in the world to him when I wiggle his pacifier up and down in his mouth. He squeals and smiles and is SO CUTE. I can almost forget the fact that I was up at 2:30AM begging him to go back to sleep when he does this. The sleeping has gotten better. He is sleeping longer through the night and we only have to get up about every 3 to 4 hours now.

Robbie had his first long weekend at Sam's parents house while we went to Brianna's wedding in Chicago. They took him Thursday night and brought him back Sunday afternoon. I did really well and only cried once... well, okay, maybe twice... But I know that he had a good time! I had to go and register him for daycare yesterday. I go back to work Nov. 12th, but am going to start taking him to the daycare for short lengths starting the week before so both of us can ease into in.

Robbie also got to meet my parents who were up visiting from Florida this weekend. It did my heart good to see how excited they were to meet him. Dad is convinced that Robbie knows his papaw's voice, and I'm inclined to agree. My mom also taught me a little "pat the butt" trick which works wonders to keep him alseep in the tricky phase after I just put him down in the crib.

My heart is full of joy. My brain is fuzzy from lack of sleep. Things are hardly back "to normal" in our house, but then again, they probably never will be. I'm dealing with this "New Normal" and loving it. Who says hours of sleep needs to be consecutive or that spouses need to eat dinner simultaneously? Who says that hearing the same baby song play on your child's swing over and over and over again is annoying? Not me! I say, "Bring it on, Itsy-Bitsy Spider! Entertain my little man!" I wouldn't trade this New Normal for the old Normal for the world. The old Normal had no tiny toes to tickle or fuzzy new baby hair. The old Normal had no toothless smiles or sleepy baby sighs. It had no tiny socks or itty-bitty hats. It also had no diapers... but hey, you can't win them all! So three cheers for the New Normal and my heart goes out to those who have no idea what I'm talking about.

Now I must sign off, as "Pop Goes the Weasel" plays in the background. There is dinner to cook and laundry to do and drool to wipe up.... and a baby boy to love.

A Whole Month Old!

The exhaustion files: episode one

Sam and I have discovered that there are greater extents of exhaustion than we ever knew existed. Robbie is one month old today and has developed a schedule of, well, no real predictable schedule. He eats/has a dirty diaper about every 2 to 3 hours. Plus, he's a bit of a night owl. He seems very active and quite cranky about the time Sam and I are ready for bed which makes us, well, very tired and quite cranky. Strangely enough, he's super awake from about 9pm to 11pm (or later) and that is the same time of day he was always doing belly Olympics when I was pregnant. When we finally get him to go to sleep "for good" about 11pm, we anticipate getting up again around 1:30am, 4am, and 6:30am. About 7am he's up, wide awake and ready to be entertained. Sometimes he naps for long stretches throughout the day and sometimes he seems to be awake all day with tiny little infrequent cat naps. The schedule we've developed so far is that I go to bed early around 8:30 or 9:00 and Sam stays up with Robbie until he is sleeping for the night. After that I take care of him all night since Sam has to get up and go to work. I take care of him all day until Sam gets home and then he does most of the diapers and feeding in the evening. This is working, somewhat, so far, but I have no idea what we're going to do when I go back to work in a month. I just hope and pray that four more weeks will cause Robbie to increase the amount of time he sleeps at night so we don't have to get up so often. I told Sam that I might have to take a pillow and blanket to work and sleep after school for an hour or so before I go pick the baby up at daycare!

I haven't posted in quite a while and since then Robbie had his first sleepover at his Nana and Poppy's house (Sam's parents). They took him overnight on a Friday and Sam and I went out on a date. We drove back down to get him on Saturday and then went to Crystal Anderson's wedding. It was wonderful! Robbie is going to stay with them next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night while Sam and I go to Chicago for Brianna's wedding. I will miss him terribly, but I know he'll be ok. I'm also looking forward to getting an entire night's sleep in there somewhere. I feel like most days I'm in survival mode-- just doing what is absolutely necessary to get by. I read somewhere that constant disruption of REM sleep can cause psychosis!

Robbie is one-month old today and has been growing like a weed. Well, maybe less like a weed and more like a pumpkin. He's not getting much longer, but he's definitely rounded out. We had his one-month checkup today. He weighed 11 pounds 3 ounces and was 22.25 inches long. The doctor said that he is looking great and that we are doing a great job with him. Robbie had to get his HepB vaccine today and has been quite put out all afternoon. He did get a snazzy "Taz"/Looney Tunes bandaid which he is sporting like a trooper. We go back next month for his next rounds of vaccines.

Robbie has now officially grown out of all his adorable little newborn-size outfits and is wearing 0-3 month stuff now. We only had a few long sleeve/legged things in this size so we went to Once Upon A Child today and bought several more. The temperature has really dropped here and we had to run the heat last night!

Well, I think it is time to go and get some dinner. If you've emailed me in the last two weeks, you've not received responses because... well... I'd rather sleep than sit at the computer. I hope to write again soon with exciting news... like... tonight the baby slept for 5 hours straight-- dare I dream? Lots of love from our little exhausted family!

oh how things have changed

typing with one hand... capital letters impossible... my apologies

i knew my life had changed dramatically when i called sam at work on friday to talk about poop. this is not a conversation that would have ever existed in pre-robbie times. but seriously-- it was an extraordinarily large quantity of poop and i needed to share it with someone. how could so much come out of someone so small. amazing.

there are a few things about being a parent of a newborn that bear a striking resemblance to being 9 months pregnant. first, you are still up every two hours-- not because you have to pee, but because the baby has and is crying. second, you aren't very hungry-- not because the smell/taste of food makes you nauseated, but because you are too tired to eat. third, you are constantly referring to books and relying on friends to answer the question: is this normal? -- not because your feet have just swollen to the size of a small european nation, but because your baby just took a dump the size of one.

overall, sam and i have been doing really well. robbie eats/needs a change every two to three hours. i've been taking care of him at night if sam has to work the next day. sam had today off, so he took care of him last night so i could sleep. robbie had a dr. appt last week and had gained 11 0z from his discharge weight-- this is good. we go back to the dr this week for another weigh in. we've had a lot of visitors and well wishers-- thanks especially to everyone who brought food. it was so nice not to have to cook that first week home from the hospital.

we got a copy of the "bill" the hospital sent to our insurance company yesterday. the total charges for the four days in the hospital came to about $13,000. fortunately, we will only have to pay a small fraction of that. we've decided to hang onto the bill so that someday when robbie asks us for a car, we can show him how much we've already shelled out for him just to be here... hmmm... maybe i should save all those receipts for diapers and formula too!

sam's mom gwen (nana to robbie) watched him for several hours this saturday so i could go to walmart and to the gym. so far i've lost about 24 pounds just by sitting around the house, but i fear the last 10 preggo pounds are going to make me work 'em off. brianna's wedding is less than a month away! i've got the bridesmaid dress hung over the door as motivation to get out and be active.

that is all for now. i cannot sit in this chair any longer! lots of love to all! more pictures of robbie are posted on the walgreens site. email me if you want the link to go see them.

Robbie's First Colts Game

Robbie and Daddy get ready to watch their first Colts game together.

The Gory Details

Several people have wanted all the gory details, so here they are! If you aren't into hearing about labor experiences, I would suggest skipping this post!

So, my doctor wanted to induce me on September 1st due to some complications with my placenta. It was aging too fast and had calcified spots on it. She was afraid that if the baby was in there too much longer that he would start to suffer nutritionally. It turns out that he did get a little distressed in there because I had meconium in my amniotic fluid when they eventually broke my water. At 8am on the 1st, Sam and I went to the hospital. Because I had group B strep infection, they started me on a course of antibiotics to kill the infection. After being on fluids and antibiotics for a while, they started me on the Pitocin to induce contractions. I started having very mild to moderate contractions that lasted all day. Nothing too painful or unmanageable. However, each time they checked me, I really hadn't made any progress. About 7pm they stopped the meds, unhooked all my iv's, and let me take a shower and have dinner. They then gave me Cervadil (to help "ripen" me) and a sleeping pill. The next morning, I had breakfast and we started the whole thing over again: IV fluids, antibiotics, Pitocin.

A little while after, the doctor came in and broke my water which was really gross. Ewww.... the contractions started speeding up and becoming really intense. When they got to the point I was in a lot of pain I requested and received my epidural. God bless anesthesiologists. Around 3 or 4pm they check me and I was 4cm dialated. The nurse said she thought we'd have the baby around 9 or 10pm. Not to long after this, I started having really intense pain on my left side. This was worse than any other pain I'd had so far. Each time I had a contraction, the pain would sear and I would cry. They called the anesthesiologist back in and he added another huge dose of meds to my iv. He said that the pain was from my body working harder than the medicine could handle. Sure enough, they checked me again at 4:30 and I was completely dialated. That's right. I went from 4cm to 10cm in about a half-hour. I started pushing at 4:45 and about 45 minutes later little Robbie arrived. The nurses were all shocked at how quickly everything went because it was my first baby. I personally felt like it was long enough. :)

I only had to have 1 stitch for a small tear. (Ick) I'm doing really well overall and feel a little better each day. There have been a few random crying jags. Thank you to all of my girlfriends who made me aware that this would happen. Sam has been doing most all of the baby care so I can rest and relax. I am so lucky to have him! He has to go back to work this Friday so I will be flying solo. Robbie is super pleasant and absolutely adorable. I love him more each day.

I guess that sums it up! Thanks to everyone for your care and concern. Your support has been so wonderful!

Welcome Baby Robbie!

Robert Mason Leahy

"Robbie"

Born Sept. 2, 2008 @ 5:26 PM

7 lbs 8 oz, 20.75 inches long

Baby, Mommy, and Daddy are home and doing very well. We'll post again soon!

A PRESSING engagement on Monday

Just a quick update. My computer chair is uncomfortable. That is all.

Oh wait, ... and I am being induced on Monday unless I go naturally before then.
Baby Leahy should be here by Tuesday of next week! There will be labor on Labor Day it seems! I'll try to post pictures on here as soon as we have any and have the time to do so, but please be patient. We'll keep everyone posted on his arrival, we promise!

Until next time, I'm signing out... seriously, this chair is awful to sit in for the pregnant body!

No baby yet-- but very cute toes.

No baby yet. Still waiting... trying to wait patiently! Sunday I treated myself to a pedicure and my toes, although pudgy and attached to block shaped feet, are adorable. My next post, I'll try to actually have some news! Have a great week! Only 6 days until due-day!

Babies Everywhere... Just not ours yet!

Today we had a doctor appointment at 7:40AM. When we got there I did the whole BP (96/60), weight (172), pee in the cup deal and then we went to the room to wait on the doctor. A few minutes later, the nurse came in and said that my doctor was upstairs in the labor/delivery ward and had two patients who were about to deliver at any moment. They asked us if we could come back in the afternoon. Since Sam had the day off and I'm not working, we said sure and went home. Sometime later, we got a call from my friend Courtney who is the labor partner for one of her friends. She said that her friend had gone into labor and that ALL OF THE LDRP ROOMS at Clarian were FULL! She wondered if I was in one of them! Nope!

We returned to the doctor in the afternoon and were told once again that my doctor was with a third patient about to deliver anytime. So, we ended up seeing the nurse practitioner instead. According to the nurse, anytime there is a big storm coming, the Maternity Ward fills up and they start delivering babies like crazy! Maybe something about the barometric pressure? Anyways, for those interested in the gory details, I am "completely thinned out" and "1 cm dilated." This means to the average person.... drum roll please.... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! It means I could start having contractions at any moment OR that I could sit around like this for another 3 weeks. I really hope it's not another 3 weeks! The NP was slightly concerned that my tummy measurement and weight were the same as last week and so she ordered an ultrasound to check and make sure that my amniotic fluid wasn't low. The ultrasound showed everything was OK with the fluid, so no problems there. We got to see our little chubby cheeked Robbie in there again, which is always very cool. He is pretty crowded so it was hard to get a good view of him. We also found out that he has some hair on his little head, which is exciting! There were a couple of other things that we talked about at this visit I won't go into detail about. Let's just leave it that everything is still looking OK for being just shy of 39 weeks and that it appears the baby has no plans to make an early appearance.

No other big news. I spent most of the day napping. I have a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and trips to the bathroom at night, so can't seem to get a good night of rest anymore. Sam spent some time today working in the yard and relaxing. He has Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off this week! Yeah! We're both going to miss the Olympic women's gymnastics competition and most of all gymnastics commentator/coach Bela Karolyi who is so much fun to watch! Bela should do commentary for all sporting events!

Nothing to Say

I felt like I should post, but really have nothing to say. We're just waiting on the baby at this point! My day usually consists of eating, watching TV, playing on the computer, doing housework, resting, and reading. If anything exciting happens, I'll be sure to post again! Less than 2 weeks until our due date!

Only 18 days to go?

If anyone besides me is watching the baby countdown calendar at the top of the page, you'll notice we've only got 18 days to go until due day. This is so unreal to me. Back in January it was hard to believe I was even pregnant. Now we have a house full of baby stuff, I have a massively huge pregnant body, and can actually count the number of days if I use my fingers and my toes!

My doctor appointment went well yesterday. Everything is good. BP is 110/70, weight is 172, and my tummy measurement is actually over a cm less than last week meaning the baby has "dropped." Robbie's heartbeat is strong, but he is a stubborn little guy. Every time the doctor gets his heartbeat strong on the Doppler, he moves out of the way and she has to hunt him down again! The doctor said that it was just a wait-and-see game at this point. I could go into labor today, or next week, or three weeks from now. We have our bags for the hospital packed and I am trying desperately to get my house as clean as possible. Yesterday we met with a potential pediatrician. He seems really great and we are going to try him out for our new little guy.

I've been getting a lot of advice about how to get labor started. Everyone seems to have their own tried and true method. Today alone I was told the following:
1. Go out and walk 5 miles; 2. Have lots of sex;
3. Eat Bourbon Chicken; 4. Drink Castor Oil
I think I may just go sit on the couch and wait for the baby to decide the time. Check back with me in 3 weeks if there still isn't a baby and I may be walking around the block eating chicken and texting Sam at work telling him he needs to come home early. I hope it doesn't come to that. I think I will pass completely on the Castor Oil. That sounds horrible and unsafe! Well, the dryer just buzzed, so I need to go fold a load of baby clothes from the most recent shower. To quote Sam: "How could someone who isn't even here yet have so many clothes?" Keep us in your prayers!

Those Three Little Words

Last night, Sam and I survived an experience guided by those three little words that mark the true transition from childhood to adulthood: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. Sam spent the evening putting together all of our new baby gadgets. He is so wonderful! We now have an assembled and functional baby swing, bouncer, car seat, stroller, and high chair. Now the real question is... where do we put all this stuff?

A Very Busy Week!

I know I should write a large quantity of descriptive text about the busy week and weekend, but it is late and I am tired. So instead, I'll post a few pictures and sum up. My weekly doctor visit went well. On Thursday, Sam and I went to the State Fair for our annual "Fair Food Fest." We walk around the circle and eat all the tasty-but-terrible-for-you foods and look at the exhibits. This year, they were bathing an elephant right next to the entrance we used. It was neat to see such a big animal up close. Mom and Dad flew in from Florida Thursday night. Sam and Dad played golf on Friday morning. Later in the day, all of us drove down to Bedford for my brother Jim's wedding. The wedding was very beautiful and very short (the best kind!). On Saturday, the men folk played golf while us ladies attended a baby shower hosted by my sister Nancy and my aunt Pat. I'll try to write more later... Maybe!

Photo: Dad, Nancy, Jim, Mom, Mandy at Jim's wedding

Photo: Jim and his new family: Dillon, Amy, and Austin

Photo: Mandy and former Vocal Teacher Barbara Elliot Scull at Baby Shower

The Cutest Laundry In the World

According to my baby books, it's time to start getting ready for baby. I'm supposed to pack a few things in my hospital bag for myself, Sam, and baby. I'm supposed to wash all the baby clothes and sterilize all the bottles/pacifiers. I need to make a list of "people to call" and when to call them. I need to make sure the camera batteries are charged up and start thinking about making meals to freeze so we won't have to cook the few days after the baby's arrival. Since my doctor doesn't foresee this baby arriving early, I figure I have some time to waddle about my house doing these chores at my leisure.

Yesterday and today, I've been doing the cutest laundry in the world: teeny-tiny t-shirts and itty bitty socks... baby blankets and little washcloths... adorable onesies and microscopic baby hats... SO CUTE! From what I've heard, everyone starts out like me. I carefully sorted lights and darks before washing and cooed over each little piece as I folded it. Apparently a few days after the baby comes, I will spend time treating stains and trying to keep things organized. Skip ahead and I've heard I will be tossing everything together into one big load and stuffing the quickly-folded dry items into whichever drawer has room. For now, I will enjoy the time I have to appreciate this diminutive domestic chore and appreciate all the adorable little things. Just think how cute they will be with a baby dressed in them! Wait-- maybe I should have said that the other way around! Happy Tuesday!

Baby Shower at Ann's

Photo: (Top) Mandy, Ann, and Davis with quilt from Grandmamma Mason, (Bottom) Gwen, Amanda, and Mandy

I figure I must have a pretty good self-image. When I look at myself in the mirror, I think I look pretty good. It's just little ol' me with a baby bump. Besides my belly, I'm not that big! However, when I look at photos of myself in this last month of pregnancy I can't help thinking, "Goodness, am I ACTUALLY that HUGE???" (no need to comment on this, everyone...) So, I figure, I'll just ignore the pictures and go with my mental image. I encourage you to do the same!

Yesterday, Sam's mom's side of the family--the Masons-- held a shower for me at Sam's Aunt Ann's house in Bloomington. It was wonderful! We even got some exciting news as soon as we arrived-- Sam's cousin Amy's adopted son was born the day before and her family is on the way to Nevada to pick him up! What a special time it is for our family with all the little ones being born in the last few years. Jessi's daughter Jo was a delight for everyone to pass around and cuddle. She is 4 months old. I couldn't help but think, "This is how big Robbie will be at Christmas! How exciting!" It was also fun to see her son Davis, who is growing like a weed!

I am always so stunned to see how generous people are when you are starting something new in your life be it graduation, a new marriage, or a new baby. Family and friends flood you with not only gifts to help you along, but encouragement, prayers, and love. How wonderful it is to have people in your life that care about you. What a blessing!

After I got home from the shower, Sam and I had a little show-and-tell with all the presents. We cooed and awed over all the little baby clothes, toys, and other goodies from the shower! Just think of how cute those little things will be when there is a baby in them! Happy day!

Countdown to Baby: Well, it won't be this week!

I had a doctor's appointment today and all is well on the baby front!

BP: 90/60

weight: 170 (huge, but still in the normal gain range)

I received my first "check" today-- OUCH! and according to the doctor, she would be shocked if the baby came this week. Since I would be too, this is not that big of a surprise. Even though I'm tired of being huge and uncomfortable, this little bun needs to bake a little longer!

Today on the agenda: A nap, my weekly massage, and dinner tonight with Emily-- A "to do" list to be proud of...

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging and funny comments via this site, facebook, and email. It is a blessing to have the support of friends! You are awesome! Happy Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday (I agree with my mom)

Just Call Me Puff-Mommy

So, overall, I've been really lucky with this pregnancy. Even though I've heard dozens of horror stories and received "lovely" little winks with, "Oh, its just going to get worse...." , I've been really great. (Stick it in your ear, negative people!) I didn't have any morning sickness. I've had very minimal, manageable bouts of heartburn, fatigue, and carpal tunnel. However, over the last couple of days a new, more frustrating symptom has, well, swelled up. My toes and fingers are puffy! Sometimes even my face joins in the party. (Grumble)

Frantically, I search through all materials from the doctor, reread passages out of my half-dozen pregnancy books, and do an Internet search on the subject. Everything I read confirms basic logic: keep yourself hydrated, prop your feet up, and don't sit or stand for long periods of time. (Several people have told me to cut out salt, too, but my doctor says that's no longer recommended and not to worry about it.)

So, big plans for the next few days: Drink water, sit in the recliner, and occasionally get up and walk around. Isn't that just... swell...

Strunk Saturday in July

Photo: Brent, Christine, & Jimmy

The Strunk side of my family gathers once a month on a Saturday to share a meal and to fellowship. Sam and I hosted the July gathering at our house. We had a very nice time! All of the "cousins" were there except my sister Nancy and my cousin Bob who had to work. It was a pleasant surprise to everyone that my cousin Brent, his wife Christine, and their newborn Jimmy were able to come. Brent's family lives in Louisiana where Brent & Christine are math professors at Unv. of LA Monroe. They made the stop at our house on the way to a conference in Wisconsin. That baby is adorable! After the food, the kids and most of the adults participated in an all out water fight in the back yard including water balloons and super-soakers. I watched from inside in the air conditioning! When the coast was clear, I delivered popsicles to the survivors!

Side Note Concerning Cousins: (This is for Aunt Pat)

Brent and I are first cousins. His son Jimmy and I are first cousins once removed. Jimmy and Robbie will be second cousins. Brent and Robbie will be first cousins once removed.

Happy People Dancing

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080722.html

One of my fellow teachers sent me a link to this video. It's called "Where the hell is Matt?" and features people dancing all over the world. Simon says, "you must watch this." This video will make you smile, make you laugh, and even maybe, just maybe, get you standing up to dance too!

Addicted to Facebook

Photo: Mandy & Becky R. at Purdue Football Game

Ok-- I blame my pal Becky & my cousin Tiffany for getting me hooked on facebook. I really only created an account so I could see the pictures they had posted on their pages. Just a little taste... it was free after all, what harm could one time do? AHHHH! Now I am hooked like an addict... what ever happened to so-and-so becomes a search for everyone I've ever known in my 27 years of life. I'm reading walls and organizing flair and looking at lists of people my friends know... So warning to all you weak at heart out there... try the facebook, but beware. You might spend so much time on the computer that your hindparts may become a permanent part of your desk chair!

Dinner and a Movie

I am the BATMAN! Ok, so not really... but Sam and I did go see the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," yesterday evening. We really enjoyed it. I know that the movie got a lot of hype over Heath Ledger's death-- but man, his Joker was very well done.

Sam and I ALWAYS stay until the very end of the movie credits now ever since a few disastrous early leaves. We missed the outtakes at the end of "A Bug's Life" and we missed Professor X's not really being dead at the end of "X Men 3" to name a few. However, there were no after credit surprises at the end of this movie, so if you're like us-- don't worry, you're not going to miss anything if you leave when the credits start to roll. It is so annoying to leave early only to have someone say, "Wasn't it funny to see the dog being the king of the cannibals at the end of Pirates..."

Moment to Vent:
Sam said that he heard on the news that a lot of parents were upset about how scary the Dark Night was and how the movie upset their children. This ticks me off because if you take an under-the-age-of-13 kid to see a PG13 movie without previewing it yourself first, then you don't have the right to complain that your 5-year-old got scared. Argh. Just because it's based on a comic book character does not make it a little kid's movie, no matter what the marketing people want you to believe. There were dozens of SMALL children in the theater when we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Even I got a little freaked out with the Amazon ants who picked that guy up and essentially ate him alive. How the heck is a little kid supposed to deal with that??? Moment Over-- sigh, I feel better.

Bump Watch: The Night Life

Who says you can't have a night life when you're pregnant?

A typical night in my life right now:

• 9pm Start getting ready for bed. Prop self up with cushions to avoid heartburn. Turn on IPOD to podcasts or relaxing music.
• 9:15pm Take TUMS for excruciating heartburn. Try to get comfortable.
• 10:00pm Take more TUMS. Get up and go to bathroom.
• 10:05pm Sam comes to bed. Readjust cushions and blankets trying to get comfortable.
• 10:10pm Baby Olympics in my stomach. Marvel.
• 11:00pm Get up and go to the bathroom
• 12:00am Stare at Ceiling. WHY can't I SLEEP? I'm sooo tired.
• 12:30am-3:00am Sleep
• 3:00am Get up and go to the bathroom
• 3:05am Try to get comfortable, Try to get back to sleep.
• 3:30am Go lie down on the couch.
• 3:45am-5:00am Sleep
• 5:00am Get up and go to the bathroom
• 5:05am Go back to bed, try not to wake up Sam
• 6:00am Sam's alarm goes off. Get up and go to the bathroom. Go back to bed.
• 6:05-9:00am Sleep
• 9:00am Turn on TV. "Watch TV" and doze until need to get up and go to the bathroom.
• 10:00am Eat Breakfast, Take Shower, Be Thankful that teachers don't have to work in the summertime.

Nursery News! It is adorable!

A big, big thanks to Sam's mama, Gwen, for putting in two days here and several more sewing ones at home to helping us get this nursery together. Not only did she help us with choosing a design, she basically did all the painting, put up the trim & shelving, and made absolutely adorable curtains and valences. We couldn't have done it without her. THANK YOU, GWEN!

Sam got to experience one of his first "Daddy Duties" by assembling the nursery furniture and hanging new blinds. He's my hero!

Sam and I spent an evening with an overhead projector and a stencil tracing the outline of little cars zooming around the floor. The next day, I spent about 4 hours scooting across the floor with my paintbrush filling them in. We have no plans to ever move the furniture in the room, because I only had the energy to put the cars up on two of the four walls!


So... countdown to baby: About 6 or 7 weeks! The nursery will be even cuter when he's in it! We still need some crib linens, a changing pad, and a few other baby basics, but if he decides to come early, we are ready! I think.... Is anyone ever actually ready to bring home a newborn?

Well, Here Goes!

I've never blogged before. This is new. I might be terrible at it. But, I thought, "Hey, maybe this would be a way to keep people updated on what is going on in Leahy-land." So-- welcome to "The Leahy Letters." Enjoy!