Mr. Fixit

Last night, Uncle Dave and Aunt Claire came up to visit us and we headed to a minor league game in Zebulon where Dave and Eric's hometown friend, Kris Harvey, was playing in a baseball game.  We got home around 11:30 and when I walked in the house, I noticed it was a bit warm.  Our thermostat read a balmy 81...even high for my warm standards.  I knew when I married Eric two years ago, that while he is a man of many traits, Mr. Fixit he is not.  For this reason, I got a good laugh when I overheard the conversation between Eric and Dave.

Eric (in the attic): I'm not sure what I'm looking for.
Dave (down below):  Did you open the vent?
Eric: That would be like asking me to open my small intestine and asking me what I see.

Needless to say, with our air conditioning broken, no covers were needed last night.  Deja vu from this warm night and this hot day.  Adding insult to injury, Brady's old sleeping patterns seem to have returned.  The last three nights, he's woken up about every two hours.  Last night: 1:45, 3:45, 6:45.  I look forward to the day that a three hour break will not feel like such a relief.  As part of our morning routine, I brought Brady to our bed after he woke up.  It's a fun time because unlike his mom, he seems to be a morning person and its all smiles.  Uncharacteristically, Brady didn't poop all yesterday and I was worried that when it did come, it would come with a vengeance.  Sure enough, Eric was on the phone with the air conditioner people and Brady let one loose.  Huggies had no chance against Brady.  So as we speak, Eric is at the hardware store, our sheets, including our mattress pad, are in the washer, and our thermostat is 85 and rising.  TGIF!!

Twinsies!

Postgame

Tough day to be a Tar Heel

I'd like to interrupt the regularly scheduled Brady blog to bring you an editorial piece on UNC athletics.  But who am I kidding, Brady will manage to worm his way in somehow.

Some days you wake up, ready to face the world and ready to head to the office to tackle the day.  Some days you don't.  Know which one I felt today?  Fortunately, there is a beautiful thing called maternity leave which has afforded me the latter option.  But to my colleagues and friends in the athletic department who didn't have that luxury and had to face the day, I am sorry.  Last night, Chancellor Thorp announced that Butch Davis would be terminated as head football coach at UNC amidst the allegations of academic impropriety and improper benefits received by players.  The investigation started over a year ago and eight days before practice begins, the chancellor agreed that "the timing is terrible."  Yes, and this just in, the Pope is Catholic.  The Chancellor admitted that Coach Davis did not break his contract and that the athletic department might have to pay him as much as $2.7 million.  Speaking with my co-workers who have had to deal with the unhappy donors who generously open their wallets each year, it'll cost the department much more than that, as refund requests abound and future gifts are threatened.  And we are not just losing a football coach, but also an athletic director.  Dick Baddour announced this morning that he was stepping down.  It was hard to hear the pain in the voice of someone I like and respect who was clearly heartbroken about what has transpired the past year and past 24 hours.

I rarely envy those in positions of power and I like to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to difficult decisions.  Still, this one is tough.  Eric and I received a nice gift from the Chancellor and his wife after Brady was born, and a few weeks ago, I turned to my loyal friend Google to get their home address to send a thank-you note.  Not having any luck, I decided to send it to him at his office in South Building.  For his and his family's sake, I hope others are as unsuccessful as I was in my search, because there will not be a lot of love letters coming his way in the upcoming weeks.

Today is one of those days where nobody comes out unscathed.  From the fans to student-athletes to Chapel Hill businesses...nobody wins.  Brady just woke up from his nap on my lap and he gave me a big, gummy, give-me-some-attention smile.  It's a tough day to be a Tar Heel, but lucky for me, it's a great day to be a mom.

Brady Talk: Smiles and shots

I'm baaaack.  Mom's been hogging the keyboard again and I thought I'd never get another chance at blogging.  She's on the couch next to me cuttin' some z's.  She doesn't nap much during the day, but when she does, she's dead to the world and a little keyboard tapping ain't gonna wake her.  You'd think I wear her out or something.  She hasn't given me props lately, but I've been a much better sleeper since I hit my 2 month birthday.  It's scary going so long between meals, but I've been dabbling with 3, 4, and one time a 5 hour stretch between feedings.  Mom and Dad have transitioned me from their room to my crib and it's a big scary place in there.  I was skeptical at first but they must have super-sensitive hearing because when I start whining, they come a-runnin.

I've made an amazing discovery about a month ago: smiling.  Smiling does crazy things to adults and it is the surest way to get what I want, when I want.  Smiling produces funny faces, goofy noises, and a whole lot of foolishness.  Things can get boring around here and since it keeps me entertained, I've been doing it a lot lately.  Next up: giggling.  I can't even imagine the reaction that will illicit.


Speaking of smiles, they were in rare supply.  Mom and Dad took me to my two month appointment yesterday.  The doctor was praising me for my growth and telling me how well I was doing and then out of no where, BAM!  She shot me in the leg!  Then, before I was even able to voice my displeasure, I got hit again!  And another time!!  What is going on and what are my parents doing just standing there?  If this is how you reward good behavior, please don't ever put me in timeout.  I overheard the doctor tell my parents that it was worse on them than it was on me.  Really?! Because I don't see them bleeding and I swear I heard some stifled laughter.  I left without a lollipop but lucky for them, I forgive and forget pretty easily.

I love Grandma, but where was she yesterday?

I'm an optimist like my dad, so I'll go ahead and assume they had the best of intentions.  Life in general is pretty darn good.  I've met some really great people and they all seem to like me.  My mom doesn't think I know it, but she stares at me when I sleep and if I had a nickel for every time she kissed me, I could diaper my own butt for the next two years.  That would be something to smile about!

Baby noises: Tongue edition

Brady is starting to get more fun, cooing and smiling more frequently.  This video is from Thursday morning - about 10 minutes after I took it, his mood changed dramatically after he gave his eye a good scratch.  Apparently, he's got better use of his tongue than he does his hands.

Letters to Brady: 2 months

Dear Brady,

You're 2 months old today and it is official, we're keeping you!  Fortunately for us, you are a very adaptable baby.  We've taken you to the beach, the lake, and the pool; we've put you in tubes, boats, and shopping carts; we've taken you to ball games, restaurants, and parties.  We dressed you up for your dedication and stripped you down for your photoshoots.  Through it all, you've been a champ.  Kudos to you for your flexibility, but make no mistake, we've had to do a bit of adapting ourselves.  We didn't always head to bed at 9:30, you know.  And while I've always been a fast eater, my speed has increased since you've been born - you don't seem thrilled when others are eating and you are not.  Unfortunately, my waist line hasn't adapted to my old shorts (and probably my old jeans, but I'm feeling too good to attempt that).  Fortunately, there is something great called elastic...and thank God for summer dresses.  I've also had to adapt to not going to work each day and hanging out with you instead.  Ok I'll admit, some sacrifices are a bit tougher than others.  And Brady, as much as I love you, I don't need to see you every two hours in the middle of the night.  Don't be afraid to sleep a little longer.  That's something I could adapt to.

You may not be sleeping too much longer, but you're a bit more predictable.  I now know I can expect to hear your morning grunts anytime after 4 am.  You take care of most of your daily "business" in the mornings and I imagine it's no coincidence that you save most of your smiles for the morning as well.  After a restless night of sleeping, they always seem to come at just the right time.  And while there is work to be done about your night sleeping, you're a great napper.  No place is too loud or too hot and you've yet to have a car ride you haven't slept through.

Your hands are always moving and they're always in your face.  I try to keep your nails short but this morning, I watched you claw at your eye.  After you finished crying and opened your eye, I saw a long scratch right across the pretty blue part of your left eye.  You really took the required 2 month doctor's visit literally.  To the doctor we went!  The doctor couldn't control your active hands and had me hold them down while he shined the light in your eye.  A few eye drops should help the healing, but I fear that won't be the last "emergency" trip to the pediatrician.  There are enough things/people out there that will injure you...please don't do it to yourself!

Brady, thank you for filling my days with a renewed sense of joy and purpose.  Thanks for sleeping when you're tired, eating when you're hungry, pooping when you're full, and crying when you're mad.  Later in life, you'll have expectations to live up to and people to please.  For now, just do what you do.

I love you.

Love,
Mom

Dining at the Dome

Eric's office has a tradition of rotating lunch duties one day each week.  Eric texted me yesterday afternoon and told me it was "his" turn to cook lunch for the office today.  "His" is in parentheses because Eric doesn't really "do" cooking.  Wishing for him to keep his job and keep his coworkers fed, I did my wifely duties and headed to the grocery store.  I was happy to oblige because it gave Brady and I an opportunity to dine with dad and the rest of the office, and gave me an excuse to bake the cookies I've been craving.  One of the student workers is heading off to law school, so everyone got together to snap a photo after lunch.

While Brady and I were in Eric's office getting ready to leave, Coach Smith stopped by to say hello.  It's not every day that you get to meet the man the building is named after.  Brady may grow to hate the camera after my incessant picture taking, but hopefully one day he'll appreciate that his mom always has a camera at hand.

Coach Smith may not be around for too much longer, but if his dad has anything to do with it, Brady will grow up to appreciate Coach Smith and all he stood for.

Say cheese

Love this kid.

Lizards, and horseflies, and mice...oh my!

The 2nd family vacation with Brady is nearly under our belt and by all accounts, it has been a success.  Like any good family vacation, there have been a few hiccups along the way.  The biggest came Wednesday night when we attempted to head to a restaurant across the lake.  Brady was nicely snug in his Moby wrap and we made the 96-step trek down to the dock.  We were ready to go but the boat was not.  After several attempts and much chin scratching, the boat failed to crank.  Luckily, dinner was saved when my mother-in-law thawed the next evening's lasagna dinner.  And more importantly, when Eric ventured down in the boat about 11pm that night, he was bubbling like a school boy when he came back to announce that the boat worked!  Had he not gotten these results, he would have had his first sleepless night since Brady was born.

The boat problems baffled the 4 Hoots men

Vacationing in a house surrounded by trees and a lake, it should be no surprise that we had a few run-ins with some unwelcome pests.  The second day, Brady and I left the rest of the crew down at the dock and came up so Brady could cool down and get some food.  I walked into the house and was greeted by a lizard hanging out in the middle of the living room floor next to Brady's bumbo chair.  As a liberated woman, I thought, "I got this."  I went to the kitchen and fished for something to trap the lizard with.  With a baby on my hip, I felt proud of my swiftness as I covered the lizard with a frying pan.  Swift or not, when you're trying to catch a creature, you should be sure that the container you use to trap it is flush to the ground when applied.  The frying pan was not. I think I heard the lizard laugh at me as he easily slid through the opening and scurried across the room.  It was time to call for back up and for once, I was happy Eric keeps his cell phone attached to his hip at all times.  Brady was not happy about his delayed meal, so I nursed him while (standing and) keeping a keen eye on the lizard.  Eric arrived and also sought the use of kitchen items to capture our uninvited guest.  When he came back from the kitchen with a large pot, the lizard had disappeared.  My mistake for leaving the scene thinking Eric had it under control.  Eric is "almost positive" the lizard went out the door.  Riiight...

The lizard can't find me out here

The next day, Eric and I went to take the kayaks for a spin.  We lugged the kayaks down to the dock and right before I was about to get in, I spotted a mouse sitting in my seat.  After a high squeal (from Eric), we took the paddle and urged the rodent out to the lake.  Last we saw him, he was swimming to the shore, looking much cuter than he did in the kayak.  He and the lizard are probably living together happily in the woods.  We weren't quite out of the woods from predators as Eric got "attacked" by a dragonfly during our excursion, which resulted in him falling out of his kayak.  On the trip, I got an arm workout from rowing and an ab workout from laughing.

Brady's 1st boat ride

There wasn't enough Brady to go around for the week and Brady got used to being passed around to all his loving relatives (which included a grandma, grandpa, aunt, and uncle).  While we were playing Rummy Cube one night, Eric's cell phone rang and he said "hold this" as he emptied the contents of his arms into mine.  "This" happened to be Brady, his first and only son.  Apparently, Peter Gammons was calling, and Eric got a little excited.  

Since I threw in a few low-blows to my husband in this post, I'll try to redeem myself in the closing paragraph.  Have I mentioned what a good skiier Eric is?  And while I may have beat Eric in checkers this week, he beat me in ping-pong...left handed.  For many, a week with the in-laws is torture, but mine are fabulous and I'm not just saying that because they read the blog.  My P90x and kayak workouts were cancelled out by Eric's mom's wonderful cooking and Brady will be bored with me next week after getting loved on all week by so many people.  I'll miss the extra naps.

Eric skiing into the sunset.  Note the beautiful trail.

You know you've made it when...

you've got your face on a cake!

We headed down to Newton last night and Brady was dedicated at Eric's dad's church this morning.  He was well behaved and slept most of the service and only let out a few peeps (of approval) during his grandpa's sermon.  Kylie was also dedicated and we had a big lunch (and cake) at the Olive Garden after the service.

After lunch, we loaded up the Tahoe and headed to Lake James for a week with Eric's family.  This week, Brady will be introduced to his dad's first love...his boat. Eric bought a boat before he got himself a house (or a wife).  As anyone who knows Eric knows, he doesn't always do things in a logical order.

Our view from the back deck

I can think of worse places to spend a week.

Bumbo Baby

It's a bit premature, but since Brady has pretty good head control, we decided to bring out the Bumbo chair for Brady to use.  As you can see by the pictures, he's probably not going to be a boy who sits still long.

I think he likes it!

High or Low

Let's play a game.  Its called high/low.  Ok, so it's not really a game as I am the only participant, but after hanging out with an infant all day, sometimes you want to pretend other people are participating in your games (or conversations) for one.  Here's how it goes:  I name something that has increased in my life since Brady's arrival and follow it with something that has decreased.  It's about as simple as the high/low card game you (at least my generation) played in college, but no drinking involved, so arguably, less fun.  Let's begin.

High: Laundry - if he doesn't poop on or in it, he probably spits on it.  The good news? I used to have to discern after each day if my clothes needed to go into the laundry or could be worn again.  Now, if I've worn it through one feeding, it needs to be washed.

Low: My concern for whether or not what I am wearing has been washed.

High: Water bill.  See above.

Low: Shower length (and frequency).  Not short enough to decrease said water bill.

High: Knowledge of the family struggles on Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Low: IQ from having watched Bravo TV one too many hours.

High: Camera use.  I took more pictures in June than 2009 and 2010 combined.

Low: Ability to delete cute pictures, even if I have 2 just like it.

High: Dream recall: goodbye uninterrupted sleep.

Low: Time spent dreaming.

High:  Appreciation for the ordinary.  A smile here, a squeak there...everything sounds sweeter with Brady in my life!

Thanks for playing.  Let's end on a high note!

Traveling with baggage

On Friday, we packed up our new family-friendly Sedan (just traded the BMW for a Camry) to visit our friends Chad and Jessica and our godsons Payton and Owen.  Thanks to Brady's early wake-up call and fantastic car behavior, we made it to Charleston before lunch.  Packing is a big deal in our house as Eric prides himself on being prepared for every situation that arises.  Think we might go to the beach? Better bring 3 towels, 2 swimsuits, suncreens with various SPFs and aloe, in case we get burnt.  Add a child to the mix and preparation takes on a whole new meaning.  Needless to say, when Eric got home from work on Thursday and I announced that Brady's bag was packed, Eric looked at me with an untrusting eye and asked if I had anticipated every possible scenario and packed accordingly.  I'm proud to say that with the exception of the first lunch when, after Brady quite audibly relieved himself, this rookie mom found her very full diaper bag to be free of diapers, I did a pretty good job packing.  And luckily, there was a Publix across the street, so we were able to avert the crisis before the main course came.  I made it through the rest of the weekend without any packing mishaps (not counting me forgetting my cell phone in Durham).

We've gone to the beach with Chad and Jessica prior to children entering our lives, and less planning was required to make those trips.  Throw on a suit, pack up some towels, and you're good to go.  I will let the picture below illustrate how times have changed.

We hired two trusted sitters on Saturday night and had our first night out without Brady.  Even without Brady in tow, my accessories needed to be altered.  Instead of toting around a cute clutch, I brought with me my breast pump (which thankfully, to the untrained eye, looks like a ugly black purse), so as to avoid being responsible for having to cut our night out short.  Mercifully, my lactation needs held out and we were home before such devices were needed.  Brady was sleeping soundly when we returned, of course, oblivious to his parents' absence.

Sunday, we packed up and took a shorter trip to the pool.  After sleeping for about two hours, Eric broke the cardinal rule of babies and attempted to wake up Brady so he could "play."  I fed Brady and if its possible to eat and sleep at the same time, Brady did it.  We put him into some swimmers and Eric took him into the pool where (not so) shockingly, he didn't stir from his nap.  I guess that means he liked the pool?  In the heat of the Charleston summer, he probably felt like he was back where he came from.

Kade and his girlfriend also drove down to celebrate America's birthday, as well as Kade's 32nd.  As you can see below, Uncle Kade and Owen shared a sweet moment over a beer.  He needed a few of those to survive the weekend.  They hadn't been in town more than two hours when Kade's girlfriend walked into the room and Payton firmly declared, "You do not look pretty." This was a lie, of course, and she gets 5 gold stars for surviving and even appearing to enjoy the weekend.

Times have changed, but certainly for the better.  Thanks to the Webb Family for hosting us.  Hopefully, we'll be invited back!