Merry Christmas

To all our family and friends, near and far...

We send our wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a blessed new year!

Christmas Pictures

Here are a few images of the Roszak family Christmas so far. Last week, Mason participated in his preschool's Christmas program. His two-year-old class joined the three and four-year-olds in a couple of songs. He didn't sing much, but he did stand where he was supposed to the whole time which was more than I was expecting. He does sing at home, so I'm sure he was just a little shy in front of everyone. I thought the kids looked cute in the Santa handprint shirts they made at school.

Here's Mason in his snowman pajamas the day we put up our little Christmas tree. He loves sitting in that chair to "watch the Christmas tree".


Lauren loves the tree's lights.

Two Month Check-Up

Lauren's two month visit with Dr. Smoak was today. The latest length and weight stats are:
22" - 50th percentile
12lbs, 15oz - 90th percentile

Yep, still a big baby. Dr. Smoak thought she looked more like 4 month old than a 2 month old but said she looks great. He's still not concerned that she's not a pooper, (she's only pooped three times since our last visit a month ago) so we'll just keep going with the flow at this point. We did have her first two vaccinations today (we're on a somewhat delayed\altered schedule) and of course that was the worst part. She only cried for a few seconds though, and hopefully there are no ill effects.

Potty Time or an Excuse to Get Out of Naptime?

It was just this morning at playgroup when the Moms were discussing our 2 1/2 -3 year old childrens' potty training status. Mason has peed on the potty several times, pooped once, but nothing recently. Usually when we try to get him to even sit on the potty, he says "No Potty!" and tries to get away. Sometimes he's willing to sit down, but nothing has come of it for awhile now.

So today, a little while after putting him to bed for his nap, I heard Mason saying "Change pullup!". I figured he must have pooped, but when I went up to check, there was nothing. I asked if he needed to go potty and he said "Okay." I hesitated because I wasn't sure if this was a ploy just to get out of taking a nap. (It's happened before.) But not wanting to discourage the use of the potty, I let him go.

At first, nothing happened. We went back and forth for awhile and after getting on an off a few times, he finally sat down and said "Go away, Mommy. Go see Lauren." I thought, we'll maybe if I just leave and let him sit for awhile by himself, he'll go. So I walked out in the hall so that he couldn't see me, but I could still see his reflection in the mirror. After about two minutes, he turned to look at me in the mirror and said "Hi Mommy, all done". And what do you know, the boy pooped! I believe it was the first time he's done something on the potty since I last blogged about back in September! We called Daddy at work to tell him the good news.

And of course Mason got a cookie.

A Star is Born

Last night our 9-week-old little girl was the star of our church's annual Live Nativity. She of course played none other than Baby Jesus. Each year, the newest baby in the congregation usually gets the honor of playing Baby Jesus, and by default, her parents play Mary and Joseph. So of course Dave and I joined in to complete the Holy Family. Dave even grew out his beard so he would look more authentic. But having the youngest baby in the church wasn't our only qualification - we also have experience. Two years ago, Mason, who was then about 8 months old, was Baby Jesus, so Dave and I were reprising our roles. (However, this time, we didn't have any lines to memorize.)

To prepare Lauren for her role, I nursed her has much as she would allow so she wouldn't be hungry during her big moment. I also made sure to change her just before we went on because she hates a wet diaper. And because we were going to be outside, I wrapped her up in a beige baby blanket, er... swaddling clothes, so she would be warm. After Dave and I were dressed in our costumes, we were all set. She fell asleep as we started walking outside, so I was thinking she was going to be the best, most beautiful Baby Jesus ever.

Sitting down on the bale of hay beside the manger, with Joseph beside me, the angel behind me, the three wise men and the shepherd and donkey looking on, I thought we must have looked like a pretty good picture of the nativity. The congregation started singing Away in a Manger, and just then, she started crying. I stood up with her to try to calm her down, but it wasn't working. I whispered, "Lauren, didn't you hear what they just sang? 'The little Lord Jesus, NO CRYING He makes'!" But she wouldn't stop. She continued crying through the scripture reading and through the singing of Silent Night. It wasn't until we were walking back into the church that she stopped crying and went back to sleep.

Who would have thought a 9-week-old could get stage fright?

Laundry Day

The other day I went up to do laundry while holding Lauren, and I needed to put her down for a minute. I looked around for a good spot, and not wanting to put her down on the floor which hasn't been vacuumed for two weeks, and not wanting to go find the bouncy seat, I just plopped her down on top of the laundry in the basket (which was clean) while I did another load. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, I think she quite enjoyed it!

Thanksgiving 2008

Since Dave and I started dating in college 11 years ago, I have enjoyed Thanksgiving at his family's house in Orlando every year. But this year, it was a little too hard to travel with a toddler and a newborn, and Dave's family was able to come here, so our annual gathering was held at our house for the first time ever. His Mom and Dad got to meet their new granddaughter for the first time, and his brother and sister got to meet their new niece.

Over the past week we've enjoyed a nice morning walk on a trail at the McDowell Nature Preserve, had fun with Mason on the new backyard swing set, played some games (Apples to Apples is the current family favorite), but mostly we did a lot of eating.

Thanksgiving at the in-laws always includes the typical Thanksgiving fare so I knew I needed to do that here, but I'm pretty clueless when it comes to cooking all of that. I've never in my life made a turkey, and I don't remember my mom ever making one (we usually had an atypical Thanksgiving meal or was travelling somewhere). I've certainly never made dressing or cranberry sauce. Thank goodness my dear mother-in-law helped me take care of everything. She took care of the main stuff while I made sides and dessert. We broke out the good china and had a nice meal in the dining room which I timed just right so that both kids were in bed asleep when the eating commenced. When everything was ready, it looked like this.

All in all it was great week spent with family. And this year, it's family I'm truly thankful for. I have two beautiful and healthy children; a loving and hard-working husband; plus wonderful parents, brother, nephews, in-laws, and a host of extended family. There are so many out there less fortunate than me, and I thank God for all the blessings in my life.

A Brand New Girl

After six days with no poop, Lauren finally went yesterday. And boy, has she felt like a brand new girl. She has been much calmer than she has in the past few days. I was very thankful for that because I've not been feeling well the last couple days myself. I've had a fever and muscle aches, and it's certainly not easy taking care of two kids while you're sick. Especially when one of them is fussy. I think I'm on the mend today though.

One Month Check-Up

Lauren had her one month check up today with Dr. Smoak. For the family members who might care, here are her stats:

Length: 21 1/2" - 60th percentile (up from 19" at birth)

Weight: 11lbs, 4oz - 90th percentile (up from 7lbs, 10oz at birth)

Head Circumference: 37cm - 50th percentile

Yes, I grow big babies. Mason's always been around the same percentiles too. I guess Lauren is destined to be the same pudgy baby he was. Of course her weight could be affected by the fact she hasn't pooped in three days. (Which, by the way, Dr. Smoak wasn't the least bit concerned about so I will choose not to be either.)

Here's one of our latest pictures showing our fast-growing girl. She started smiling recently and this is the only picture I've been able to get of it so far...

Boys Love Trucks

I'm very happy our second child turned out to be a girl. We needed someone to even out the testosterone\estrogen balance around here. I've never been a girly girl myself. More of the beer drinking, sports watching type. Growing up I preferred hanging out with the guys, I played sports, I've never done very well with wardrobe choices, and I still don't really know how to put on makeup.

For these reasons (and others) I was happy our first child was a boy. I didn't think I'd know what to do with a girl. Not only did I get a boy the first time around, but it has become clear over the last few months that our son is definitely all boy. Mason is a big wrestler and can't wait for his daddy to come home in the evening just so he can tackle him. It's a struggle to keep him from wrestling with his baby sister. He'd play outside all day if I let him (which has become much harder now that it's getting colder and the daylight hours are getting shorter). And he loves anything that has to do with cars and trucks.

And here's the latest evidence we have a very boyish boy... his current favorite thing to watch on TV is an episode of Ultimate Factories from the National Geographic channel that shows how the largest dump truck in the world is made. Dave was channel flipping one night and came across it. Mason was glued, so we recorded it. Every single day since then he has asked me to "watch dump trucks, Mommy". It has really expanded his boy's vocabulary. He knows exactly what machining a rotor is for ("to make it smooth"), knows all about welding ("makes it stick together"), and knows when "they are making rubbers" (for the tires - we're working on a more proper way of saying that one). He can can identify the "engine block", the "dump box", and the "pistons".

So I'm very thankful we have a little girl I'll get to do girly things with someday. Having a boy is wonderful, but after all of the truck talk around here lately, I think it will be nice to learn a little bit about froo-froo dresses and Barbie Dolls. I'll probably even let her wear a bow in her hair when I take her to her first football game :-)

Picture Day

We had our first family pictures made today, which is also Lauren's 1 month birthday! The kids did really well, especially Lauren. She was actually awake through the whole thing and was surprisingly calm. Mason was a little timid at first, but we managed to get him to cooperate for the most part.

Getting three of us ready for pictures sure was an adventure. I started getting ready to go at 6:30am when we all woke up, and it took us every minute until our appointment which was at 11:00. Somehow I managed to give us all breakfast, give Mason a bath and so something with his hair, give myself a shower and do something with my hair, put on makeup for the first time since Lauren was born, deal with a cranky and non-pooping baby, and pickup Dave at work on our way to the appointment - which we made it to on time. I felt like a supermom for the day!

We have always had pictures made at Our Heritage Studio. Dave and I first had our engagement pictures taken there back in 2001, and we've been going ever since. I love that we get to take our proofs home with us. Here are some of my favorites from the bunch. (Please excuse the quality - proofs don't scan too well.)

Oh Please Don't Let This Be Colic!

My previously good-natured baby has turned into one fussy little girl. For the past two evenings and again this morning, she has been very cranky and it's been hard to figure out why.

Saturday night I was thinking it was something I ate or drank that she didn't like showing up in my breast milk. Perhaps it was the half-glass of wine I treated myself to. She was acting like she was starving, but after one swallow, she complained. Loudly. Dave tried giving her pumped milk, but so far, we haven't had any luck getting her to take a bottle. It took a couple of hours, but she finally went to sleep after I found a dark corner under our ticking kitchen clock to nurse her while standing up.

Last night she was fussy again, but this time no alcohol. Again she would nurse for a couple of seconds and then pull away angrily. This went on for at least a couple of hours. It seemed to help when I took off her clothes and diaper and gave her a massage. I think she was having trouble pooping. Once it happened, she finally nursed calmly and went to sleep.

This morning was more of the same. Fussy nursing, and she wouldn't let me even sit down with her. Finally she went to sleep shortly before I had to get her up to go pick Mason up at preschool. When we got back she refused to be anywhere except my arms while I stood up until she fell asleep for her afternoon nap. She hasn't pooped yet today, so maybe that's the problem again. I'm not sure what I should do, if anything, to help her feel better, but I hope we get this worked out soon and that it's not chalked up to colic. A cranky newborn makes everyone else cranky too.

Election Day

Since living in Charlotte, I've never actually voted on Election Day. I've always gone during early voting. However, this year, I was a bit preoccupied with a newborn and a toddler, and I couldn't spare the 2+ hours to wait in line at the early voting place. So today I was able to line up a wonderful neighbor at the last minute to watch Mason while I took the baby with me to vote. I waited one hour while Lauren thankfully slept in her car seat carrier. (This is also the first time I've ever had to wait in any sort of line to vote.)

This election year has just been exhausting to watch. I really hope that by tomorrow the phone calls from various politicians telling me how to vote will come to an end. (I've even been getting phone calls from candidates running in Texas - where we lived four years ago!) I also actually look forward to some regular commercials on TV for a change. And I can't wait for all the ugly signs littering the roadsides to disappear. It seems like this election has been going on forever, and I look forward to it being over, regardless of who ends up winning.

Happy Halloween

Here's Mason in his Superman Halloween pajamas. We had borrowed an adorable dragon costume for him to wear, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. Pajamas were the closest thing to a costume I could get him to wear. It did come with a nifty cape though.

Dave took him out for his first trick-or-treating experience in the neighborhood while I stayed to give out candy. After one house, he was ready to come home. He liked playing with all the give-away candy in the bowl though. He also enjoyed his first Kit-Kat bar and first M&Ms (too much I'm afraid).

And not to be left out, here's Lauren in her duck costume. Just ignore that it's actually a bathrobe. Since she wasn't going trick-or-treating, I picked this out of her closet just for the picture.

Two Week Update

We've made it two weeks! Lauren already looks to me like she's gotten bigger, and her belly button stump finally fell off today. She's not really improving on night time sleep yet, and I'm not sure how much longer I can last on 3-4 hours a night. I was hoping to get a nap in today while the kids were asleep, but of course, Mason refused to nap.

For the grandparents, some pictures from the last few days...

Day Two

Today is Day Two as a mommy of two handling everything on my own. I was a little stressed out yesterday despite everything going fine. I got Mason to school on time and picked him up on time. We all ate lunch and had naps. I even did two loads of laundry and made a couple side dishes to go with chicken Dave brought home for dinner. Today is going pretty well so far too. As I write, both kids are in their rooms fast asleep, and I've actually got a few minutes to myself. (I should be napping too, but I expect Lauren to be up any minute.)

What I'm most impressed with is how well Mason is going to sleep. He's been pretty good at bedtime for awhile, but I was really worried about naptime. I usually have to lie down in bed with him until he falls asleep. The whole process could take up to 45 minutes which is pretty much impossible now with a nursing baby. But he's been letting me go without a fuss after I lie down for just a couple minutes. I just have to say something about putting Lauren down to sleep and he pushes me out of bed and says, "Bye, mommy". I think it really helped that my mom put him down for naptime for a few days while she was here instead of me.

In fact, Mason is doing really well with Lauren in the picture. He wants to kiss her all the time and cover her up so she won't be cold. He laughs at all her little noises and always wants to watch when I change her diaper. I haven't seen much jealousy yet. He's a little too rough sometimes, but I think that's just due to being a 2 1/2 year old boy. He hasn't even been phased when I nurse her. I was expecting him to want to nurse too since we nursed for two years and only stopped about 6 months ago, but he's never asked. My plan was to make everything as normal as possible for him, and I guess so far we're doing pretty well.

One Week Old

Baby Lauren is one week old today! We've had a pretty good first week despite the lack of sleep. Lauren is nursing very well, especially since my milk came in last Wednesday. In fact, at her newborn weight check at the doctor's office Friday she was back up to 7lb, 8oz after being down to 7lb, 2oz when we left the hospital. (She was 7lbs, 10oz at birth.) We don't have to go back until her one month check-up.

Dave went back to work Thursday, my parents went back home yesterday, and today I'm left to be a mommy to two on my own for the first time. It was a big accomplishment to get two kids fed and out the door by 8:20 this morning so we could take Mason to school. Of course I didn't get to eat or brush my hair or teeth, but we made it on time. All that on only about 3 hours of interrupted sleep.

Here are a few pictures from the past week...

Lauren's Birthday

Lauren's birthday was quite a memorable day. It was a wonderful experience, and I feel so blessed that we all made it though with no problems. I found that with Mason's birth, I quickly forgot many details, so in effort to hang on to the memories, I jotted down notes from our day.

Monday, October 13 (Columbus Day)
2:15am - Was woken up with pretty hard contractions. Started timing them. After having contractions of varying strength and frequency for a solid two weeks, I wasn't quite sure this was the real thing.
2:45am - Contractions around 6-8 minutes apart. Still had them after drinking a glass of water and moving around. Upset stomach.
3:00am - Contractions too painful too talk through them. Woke up Dave.
3:30am - Finished packing my bag for the hospital
4:00am - Called the midwife's office and started getting ready to head to the hospital. Woke up my parents to tell them we were leaving.
4:22am - Headed to the hospital. Contractions about 5 minutes apart.
4:45am - Admitted to triage room at hospital with head nurse. Was put on monitor for five minutes for initial assessment. Dilated 6cm. Contractions getting a little more painful.
5:15am - Moved to room 11, changed into gown, and settled in.
6:00am - Nurses tried to get IV antibiotics started (for Group Beta Strep). Three different nurses (including the head nurse) tried 4 different times in different places on both arms to find a vein, but it kept getting "blown".
7:00am - Midwife Sage arrives along with my labor and delivery nurse, Angie.
7:05am - Sage checks progress. 7-8cm dilated, 90% effaced
7:10am - Decision made to forgo antibiotics since vein could not be found for IV. Sage says there probably won't be enough time to get at least two rounds in anyway (which would be necessary to not have to test the baby after delivery)
7:30am - Began walking in maternity center halls. Passed by nursery. Never seen so many babies at one time. (Perhaps due to the full moon?)
7:50am - I have some graham crackers and water for breakfast
8:30am - Contractions about 3 minutes apart. During each one, I hold Dave's hand and bury my head in his shoulder. I move between sitting up in bed (with foot of bed lowered), sitting on a birth ball, and walking. Nurse Angie occasionally checks baby's heartbeat during a contraction, but I'm never hooked up to the monitor.
9:00am - Back begins to hurt. Try getting on hands and knees in bed with Dave applying pressure to my lower back
9:04am - Sage checks progress. 9cm dilated
9:10am - I begin light pushing. Sage helps baby's head move past pelvis
9:15am - Start of two contractions which I consider the "transition" phase. (They were pretty painful).
9:25am - After a fairly long resting phase with no contractions, I begin really pushing while sitting up in bed. Nurse Angie and Dave helped hold my legs.
9:51am - Water broke as baby's head was crowning. Stinging and burning sensation very intense now. Dave said I was making loud, guttural groans. I couldn't bear to stop pushing.
10:01am - Lauren Reese is born! As she came out, I reached down and pulled her up to my chest.
10:02am - The baby nurse helped clean her off as she assessed her condition. First APGAR score 9. Lauren poops on my belly.
10:07am - Second APGAR score 9.
10:11am - Sage lets Dave cut the cord after it finally stops pulsing.
10:12am - Begin trying to nurse.
10:19am - Lauren weighed and measured: 7lbs, 10oz. 19in. Placenta delivered.
10:20am - Sage begins stitching up small tear.
10:32am - Lauren nurses like a champ. Nurses for about 50 minutes. She's very alert.
11:30am - My parents and Mason arrive at hospital to meet Lauren
11:40am - Dave changes first poopy diaper
12:52pm - Nurse Angie gives first bath

All in all, it was a wonderful day. Lauren was healthy despite my being GBS positive and not getting any antibiotics. I had the natural birth I was hoping for (no pain medication, no IV, no monitors, no medical intervention, no artificial rupture of membranes). The pain was manageable, and I felt in control the whole time. (It wasn't as bad as with Mason's birth when I was induced with pitocin and my water was broken manually.) And we have a beautiful baby girl to complete our family. We've truly been blessed.

Lauren Reese Roszak

Lauren has arrived! Our precious little girl was born Monday, October 13 at 10:01am. She weighed 7lbs, 10oz and was 19in. I couldn't have asked for a better birth, and I will post an update about our big day later. For now, here are a couple of pictures.

Where Is This Baby?

Another weekly appointment with the midwife today. I'm up to 5 cm now, and good grief, I'm still not officially in labor! The good thing about this is I'm well dilated and active labor should be short (which is just what I need being that I'm doing this without drugs) but the bad thing is that once I finally do go into active labor, I might be too late to get enough antibiotics to protect the baby from infection since I'm GBS+ (see earlier post). My midwife, Tina, said that she'd be shocked if I last more than a few more days. In fact she asked if I'd be interested in just heading over to the hospital now. But rather than risk being induced once I'm there, I opted to go home and wait it out a bit longer after promising I'd head to the hospital as soon as I have any sort of irregular contractions (which is kind of hard to judge since I've been having pretty good contractions for two weeks now.) Tina is going to call the on-call midwife at the hospital to alert them I'd probably be coming in today or tomorrow. I'm hoping she's right!

No Drugs, Are You Crazy?!

That's something I often hear when I mention to someone that I had a pain medication-free birth with Mason, and I'm planning on a natural birth with this baby. (I don't quite consider Mason's birth completely "natural" because I was induced with Pitocin through an IV. To me, a natural birth is one without any medical intervention.)

There are a few reasons I feel strongly about having a natural birth, and none of them are because I want to feel some sense of accomplishment or because I'm a glutton for punishment. It mostly all comes back to wanting the healthiest baby possible.

• Reason 1: I know that all drugs given to the mother are passed to the baby through the placenta. I don't like the idea of my baby getting any sort of drugs in her system, even if it's "safe".
• Reason 2: Epidurals often make newborns groggy and sleepy, and I don't want her to be too sleepy to nurse right away. Statistically, babies who nurse within 30 minutes after birth are calmer, healthier, and take to it better than those that don't. Nursing is very important to me, and I want to do everything I can to make it easier. I was able to do that with Mason, and he was a champion nurser for two years.
• Reason 3: Epidurals often slow down labor and lead to further interventions such as having to use forcepts. Since the mother is basically stuck in bed with no feeling from the waist down, this makes sense to me. I'd rather be able to move around and let gravity help with the process. Plus a shorter labor sound better than a longer labor.
• Reason 4: More mothers on epidurals end up with c-sections that mothers that aren't. I want to avoid a C-section if at all possible. I don't want to have major surgery, with all the risks involved, just before having to take care a newborn. It would also mean a longer recovery, not being able to nurse right away, and that someone else would be the first to hold my baby after she's born.
• Reason 5: Women have been giving birth without drugs for centuries. It's a completely natural process, and if millions of women have been able to do it, then I should be able to too.

I'm by no means knocking any mother's decision to have pain medication during childbirth. Believe me, I've been there, and I specifically remember saying "Now I know why women get the drugs" after about 2.5 hours of the most intense pain of my life during labor with Mason. I fully realize that there are women who just can't do it and know themselves enough to know it's not worth it to even try. Plus, anxiety about the pain alone would be enough to make labor too tough for a lot of people.

So as with Mason, I'm going into this birth with knowledge about natural pain relief options, a supportive husband, a midwife who will help manage pain and labor, a birth plan for the nurses and any backup doctor so that they can help me get through it, and basically with the idea that I'm just not going to give myself a choice about whether drugs are an option. I think all of these things are essential for anyone who wants to have a natural childbirth.

Four Centimeters Down, Six to Go!

I've been having some stronger contractions this week, so at my weekly prenatal appointment today, I decided to have my midwife check to see if I've made any progress. She said I was at a good 4 centimeters and looked like I should be ready to go at any time! That was great to hear. A couple nights ago, my contractions were getting stronger and more regular which made me consider heading to the hospital. However, they stopped after about 3 hours, and I was really disappointed. Today I'm having contractions about every 15 minutes or so, but nothing too strong yet. I'm definitely ready, so I'm hoping things start speeding up soon.

A Potty Breakthrough!

I bought Mason a little potty before he even turned two just so he could get used to the idea. I haven't really pushed him to use it, but he has peed on it several times starting back in April. Lately, he's been refusing to even go near it, even though I try to encourage him several times a day. But today, my little guy pooped on the potty! I've never been so proud of a poop in my life. I had a quick thought that I should take a picture of his work (like Kate from John & Kate + 8), but decided that was a little bit much. I figured that wasn't anything anyone but me would want to see anyway.

Now I just need to figure out how to make the clean up process a little more organized (if you have some tips, please feel free to share) and decide whether I should encourage this more vigorously right now just as the baby is due to arrive.

Backyard Fun

This summer we've been slowly but surely fixing up our yard. We've recently installed a replacement fence, cleaned out and leveled the natural area in the back half of the backyard, added some stone stairs, and are working on a stone path from the stairs to the natural area. Our most recent addition is our new swing set!My hope is that this will provide some much needed entertainment for Mason when we're sure to be housebound a bit more often with Baby Lauren. He loves going outside, and now that it's cooler and I'm not sweltering in 100 degree heat, that's fine with me. We still have additional plans for the yard (an irrigation system and new grass and landscaping to come) but we already love all the changes we've made.

Beach Boys

We just returned from a nice trip to North Myrtle Beach. My shag dancing parents make a twice-a-year visit there, and we can never pass up the opportunity to visit them when they're nearby and take advantage of a free stay at a condo on the beach. It was our last vacation as a family of three.

Mason loves going to the beach about as much as his Daddy. He had fun playing in the sand and chasing after birds. Here are a couple pictures of my beach boys...

Mason was definitely tired on our way home. Here he is with his new Tigger (his current obsession) which generous Daddy bought for him at the Disney outlet store.

36 Weeks - Baby Update

I had another appointment with my midwife a few days ago. This time, I had to take Mason with me. It's always an adventure taking Mason to the doctor's office. When I had to give a urine sample, he had to go into the bathroom with me of course, and it's always hard to keep him out of the garbage cans. When my task was done, he tried to take the cup out of my hand saying "Juice, please". Then while we were waiting in the little exam room for the midwife to come in, he was opening garbage cans and drawers, playing with the belly tape measure, and spinning the rolling chair. The worst part was he pooped while we were waiting, and of course I didn't have anything with me to change him. And even if I did, there were signs everywhere telling me not to leave dirty diapers in the exam room. I debated whether I should just wait until my appointment was over or go out to change him in the car and risk missing the midwife altogether. I finally decided to wait, but ended up waiting about 25 minutes before the midwife came.

I found out at this last appointment that I tested positive as a carrier for Group Beta Strep, something I didn't have to worry about with Mason. I know this is common, treatable, and can be handled well with rounds of intravenous antibiotics during labor, but it's still very distressing to me. I don't like the idea of my baby getting antibiotics in her system before she's even born (Mason's never even had antibiotics), and I don't like the idea of having to come into the hospital as soon as labor begins to get an IV. (I'm planning for a 2nd drug-free childbirth, and any intervention makes that all the more difficult.) Mostly, I'm concerned about Lauren's health of course. I'm just doing some reaseach and praying everything turns out okay.

Where Were You?

I remember exactly where I was on that tragic morning seven years ago today, as I'm sure most people do. It's funny how you remember just what you were doing when you get any big news or some major event happens. It's as if that moment is frozen in time. I remember where I was during the Challenger shuttle disaster (watching it on TV in my 3rd grade class), when I heard the news of the Oklahoma City Bombing (on a cruise with my high school senior class), when the OJ Simpson verdict came through (Chemistry Lab, freshman year at Georgia Tech), and for the news of Princess Dianna's death (house sitting for my boss).

On September 11, 2001, I was 24 years old and living on my own in an apartment off Tryon Street near the Coliseum in Charlotte. I'd been working for what was then First Union as a data analyst in the Charlotte Plaza building uptown for a little over a year - my first job out of college. Dave and I were dating (long distance since he had been transferred to Houston with his job), and still about a month away from getting engaged.

That morning I was in a SQL training class at work which started at 9:00. Shortly after it began, a man from our department came up to the 6th floor where our class was located, and said some news had come through that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. We were shocked that some pilot could have been so careless. We all talked about how awful it must have been for that pilot (who certainly couldn't have had more than one or two passengers) and any one in the building who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since we were all sitting at computers, we tried getting online to see if we could read some news about it, but none of the news Web sites were coming up. At first we chalked that up to some sort of Internet glitch in the building. Several minutes later, we did finally get a glimpse of a picture of the plane entering the first building from ABC.com. It was an awful image. We tried figuring out what kind of airplane it was.

Almost immediately, we got news from someone else on our floor who was watching the news on TV in the break room - a second plane had hit the other building. We all knew at that moment, it wasn't an accident. Not long later, word came from our manager that we were all to go home. Uptown Charlotte, the second largest banking center in the country after NYC, was being evacuated. The tragedy started feeling like reality at that moment. As we were leaving, I heard a man say, "This is all thanks to Osama bin Laden". I remember thinking "How could he possibly know that".

Driving home to my apartment, I tried calling Dave and my parents, but the cell phone lines were all tied up. All the way home, I listened to the radio news. I heard the news about the Pentagon. I arrived home and turned the TV to Fox News, just in time to see the first building collapse, then learn the news of the downed plane in Pennsylvania, and see the second building go down. I was glued to the TV, and the rest of the day was a blur. I don't even remember eating that day.

With marriage, moves, and children, there have been many life changes in the past seven years have put a lot of distance between then and now, but I hope I never forget that day. There are too many innocent people that need never be forgotten.

Baby Update

I'm on weekly appointments with the midwife now, and at today's appointment, I found out I am 1.5-2cm dialated and Lauren's head is in my pelvis. Of course I was assured this doesn't mean the baby is coming early, but it's a start. I would prefer she stay put for at least 3-4 more weeks, but the midwife said they probably wouldn't try to stop labor at this point.

I also learned I gained 3 pounds since my last appointment 12 days ago. I can definitely believe that. (Just take a look at the picture from my last post.) I think most of that gain happened in the last three days. I've been having some pain in my sides which I believe is due to my waist not being able to keep up with the rate Lauren is growing. (Or it could be due to all the cake I've been eating this week.)

34 Weeks and Counting

Here's Baby Roszak at 34 weeks. Since we only have about a month to go until we're officially a Party of Four, it's probably time to officially announce her name... Lauren Reese Roszak is due to arrive October 17. My gut feeling is she will be a little early - especially if she's anything like her Mama. (I hate being late.)

Her brother woke up at 3:45 last night and baby Lauren decided she (and me too as a result) needed to wake up and join the party. Of course Mason pooped out only minutes later, but that didn't phase her. We stayed up and had our own little party on the couch while the two guys in the house slept.

First Day of Preschool

Well, I did it... I sent my first born off to his first day of school. (Play "First Day of School" by the Imagination Movers.)

Since Mason goes to the same school room during church on Sunday morning, I thought he'd run in there and not look back like he usually does, but he knew it was something different, so he was a little clingy at first. I showed him the colors on the wall and got him interested in his favorite truck, gave him a quick hug and a kiss and slipped out. I didn't hear him complain, so I guess he was fine.

I however was not. When I got back to the car, I just sat there for a minute thinking, "What do I do now?". I hadn't really thought about what I would do while he was at school. Sure, I figured I'd schedule my final prenatal appointments when he was in school, maybe I would do the grocery shopping, or go pick up a prescription, but what about today? I didn't need to do any of that. So I decided to go to Starbucks (something I rarely do) order a decaf coffee (something I never do) and just sit by myself and relax (something I can't remember doing since Mason was born). When I was on my way there, I started crying thinking about my baby growing up too fast. I wasn't expecting that at all. I'm not really the mushy type, so I'm going to blame that on the pregnancy hormones.

I go back to pick up Mason at noon today, and I think I'll treat us both to a Chick-fil-a lunch. We both deserve some french fries. Hopefully, he will love school.

It's 4:39 in the Morning...

...and here I am on the computer. In fact, I've been awake since 2:35 when Mason woke up calling for me to get him some water. He went back to sleep quickly, but I didn't have the same luck. It seems this happens about twice a week lately, and I'm not sure why. Is my body trying to remind me what it's like to be sleep deprived before the baby comes? Am I subconsciously making lists in my head of what I need to take care of before preschool starts? Is my bladder telling me "You're going to have to go pee in a couple hours anyway, so you might as well just stay awake"? Whatever it is, it's not fair! I've got 7 more weeks to pack in sleep before the baby comes, and by gosh I want it!

I've always been someone who's needed sleep. Even in college, I rarely stayed up past 1:00 even during finals week. I don't remember ever pulling an all-nighter. I just couldn't have functioned the next day. I think Dave can attest that if I don't get at least 7 hours, I'm a grumpy girl. We'll, look out sweetie... I'll be trying to function on about 4 hours today.

Oh well, I guess I better get used to it. I'll soon have not one but two kids to wake me up in the middle of the night. Off to drink a glass of milk and see if I can will myself to go back to sleep for a few minutes more.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Tonight begins the college football season in the Roszak household with the first Georgia Tech game of the season (GT vs Jacksonville St.). Dave and I both graduated from Georgia Tech, and we love watching GT football. In fact, we got engaged just before a GT homecoming game right outside the stadium back in 2001. We try to make it homecoming every year, but this year won't be an option since baby girl is due to arrive the week of the game.

Watching football on TV might be a little more interesting for Mason this year. He loves to shake his white and gold pom-poms and say "Go Jackets". He knows what the letters GT mean, and can spot mascot Buzz from a mile away. He seemed to enjoy watching some of the Olympics on TV, so maybe he'll pay attention a little bit.

What will make watching the game even more fun tonight is that Grandmama and PoohPa (my parents) are coming up from Florida to stay the weekend with us. PoohPa is also a GT grad and probably the biggest GT football fan in the family. We plan to watch the game after having a nice birthday dinner for Grandmama. (Happy Birthday Mom!)

Go Jackets!

Ready for Preschool?

I can't believe that I'm about to send my baby off to preschool next week. I hadn't planned for Mason to go this year originally, but with the new baby coming soon, it would be a good chance for him to have some fun interaction while I'm sure to be housebound for awhile. Plus, I think he's ready. He loves going in the nursery when we go to church (which is where his preschool will be) and seems to enjoy being around other kids. And he already knows things like letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc.

Here's a little video of Mason singing his ABCs and 123s (up to about 23). It was taken back in July, so he was around 27 months old.

What I'm hoping for most is that he learns a little about sitting still, paying attention during something like story time, and playing independently.

... Your Table is Now Ready.

Welcome to our family blog! I've often wondered if I was the blogging type. After a long time of saying that I will start one one day, but never doing it, I'm probably not. But I finally decided that I better get on the bandwagon. There's just too much going on in our family to not share it with our family and friends.


Dave and I are proud parents of a wonderful and very active two year old, Mason Daren. And with the arrival of our new little girl, due in 8 weeks, we will soon be a Party of Four!

So come join us as we recap Roszak family adventures. There's sure to be a lot to blog about.