Books read in August 2008

1. Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is Book 1 of a trilogy. Book 2 is Sweet Spot. Book 3 is Sweet Trouble.)
2. Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is Book 2 of a trilogy. Book 1 is Sweet Talk. Book 3 is Sweet Trouble.)
3. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. (Note: This is the series of books on which the Showtime series Dexter is based. Book 2 is Dearly Devoted Dexter. Book 3 is Dexter in the Dark.)
4. One Moonlit Night by Samantha James.
5. Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann.
6. 5th Horseman by James Patterson. (NOTE: This is the fifth book in the Women’s Murder Club series. Book 1 is 1st to Die. Book 2 is 2nd Chance. Book 3 is 3rd Degree. Book 4 is 4th of July. Book 6 is The 6th Target. Book 7 is 7th Heaven.)
7. Undead and Uneasy by MaryJanice Davdison. (Note: This is book 6. Book 1 is Undead and Unwed. Book 2 is Undead and Unemployed. Book 3 is Undead and Unappreciated. Book 4 is Undead and Unreturnable. Book 5 is Undead and Unpopular. Book 7 is Undead and Unworthy.)
8. Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs.

I didn't think I was going to read many books this month. I had a slow start. However, it turned out well. I really like Susan Mallery's series and can't wait for the final book. The Dexter book was very similar to the series which surprised me. I haven't decided if I'm going to stick with the series or not. For series that are over 10 books, like Suzanne Brockmann's book, I did not list all of the books. Last book of note was Just Breathe which was really good. It may be one of my favorites of hers.

Weekend Update

Last Friday, we were beat. It was an early to bed night. We were both recovering from bugs. As you can tell from the previous post, Baby got the stomach bug as well.

Saturday, I met up with a friend for lunch and a movie. We ate lunch at Gordon Biersch. My stomach wasn't quite up to par, but I had a turkey sandwich. It was pretty good. It made a yummy lunch the next day as well. Then, we saw The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. It was a cute movie. I liked the first movie better, but this one was worth seeing.

On Sunday, we spent the day with Sister, Brother-in-Law and Nephew. Nephew didn't want to go to the pool, but Husband, Baby, Sister and I stayed in the pool. Baby napped in the pool as she always does. Then, we went grocery shopping and came home.

The weekend seemed to fly! Good thing this weekend is a long weekend. We can catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation. I may also be motivated enough to clean. The apartment truly needs it. We've just been too worn out. This weekend... no excuses!

Oh, Poo!

Literally. Baby has a stomach bug. She's happy. She eats and drinks. The only noticeable difference is that, once a day, she poos in mass quantity - through her diaper, her clothes and whatever is underneath her. She's done this for about a week. The laundry is crazy.
The above photo was taken while I was cleaning the couch. Well, I was taking the photo. Right before, I was cleaning the couch. I was using paper towels to clean up a huge mess. I look over and Baby had unraveled most of the paper towel roll and begun to eat it. She was sitting in a mound of paper towels. So, I snapped this photo instead of having my temper snap. Oh, did I mention that I was also sans pants because I had to immediately put those in the laundry as well? That's why her face is all trouble. The photo below is how she looked moments later. Making a mess must be tiring.

Another Milestone!

Today, Husband and I were both under the weather. So, we were sluggish and barely competent enough to handle watching Baby. So, imagine our delight (yet exhaustion) when we found Baby like this after a nap. She has stood in her Pack 'n' Play, but it was always pretty shaky. She had yet to master the crib because of the bars.

So, all day, her new trick was to stand up holding anything - couch, walls, dishwasher, doors. As soon as we put her in the crib, she stands and cries. As soon as we put her on the floor, she crawls to the couch or wall and stands. We're giving her a couple of weeks until she's running (all over us).

Connecticut - Part 2

On the last morning, everyone was a bit sluggish and reluctant to leave. Nephew was very sick. He had a high fever and slept most of the morning, cuddling with one family member or another. Baby took a little nap herself. However, it is family tradition to take a photo next to the flag outside the cottage. This year was no different. Aunt is missing from the photo as she snapped it.
So, one more trip to Maine came to a close.


After we left Maine, we drove back to Connecticut where Baby got another dose of great-grandparents and more time
with her great-great-grandmother.

Our flight home was exciting. We got to the airport and were told our flight was delayed indefinitely. There was aircraft maintenance, and they weren't sure how long it would take. So, our flight was changed. Meanwhile, while all the paperwork was being completed, Baby had soiled herself. This was actually a good thing as her system wasn't up to par most of the trip. However, she ended up staining her clothes and her car seat. So, that wasn't good.

The worrisome part of changing planes is that Sister, Husband and I weren't sitting next to each other. So, I had baby duty all by myself. Luckily, she spent the second plane ride as she did the first. She had a little snack, looked out the window and then put her head down on my shoulder and slept.

So, we were glad to be home (except the flu - both regular and stomach - was a bad welcome wagon).

Last Day at the Beach

The day for which there are no photos started out beautiful. We rushed to the beach. Then, we looked over to the pier and could barely see it. A strange fog starting to come in. Within the hour, you could barely see the shore from the beach. Most of the family played Bocce Ball, but I stayed under the umbrella because I was super tired and cold. Baby was about to crash so I cuddled her while she slept.

The next day, we were lucky. We got a beautiful day! Everything was perfect. It was chilly when we got there. We had Baby in her little sweatsuit, but seconds later, we took that off so she could play.

She played until she and Nephew fell asleep. Both

of them were adorable asleep on the beach. Both played so hard and tried to stay awake as long as possible so they wouldn't miss anything, but that only works for so long.

In the afternoon, a strange mass swept along the beach. We watched it creep in over the water. It was like a horror movie. We watched this strange brown wave come closer and closer. Then, we figured it out. It was a giant floating island of seaweed. It crept on shore and totally grossed us out. Still, the water wasn't too bad, and the sun was out. You can't ask for more on the last day of a vacation.

Ups and Downs

Day Three was overcast. However, it didn't rain as it did the day before. Still, we didn't want to trek to the beach only to have the skies open up. So, we all walked "Downtown" to the pier where there are carnival games and rides.

Nephew played Skeeball for the first time. He made two baskets in the kiddie basketball game. However, the best part was the trip to Dairy Queen. I got the Peanut Buster Parfait. It was yummy, but I would have preferred more ice cream and less fudge. The ratio was a bit off for me. Still, yummy!

Baby was exhausted by the end of it all. Plus, everyone did everything they went down there to do. So, we all headed back.

When we got back, Husband wanted to go to the beach. It was partly sunny. So, after getting Baby all ready, I met him down there. Baby had fun though she wasn't in love with the ocean that day. The air was chillier than it was the day before so she was less amused. Because it was a last-minute trip to the beach, I had forgotten a dry outfit for her to wear after she got out of the water. So, we bundled her up in a towel to create a little Baby Burrito.

Later that night came the down part of the day. Baby was a little fussy and extra clingy. We all thought she felt hot. So, I took her temperature with the pacifier thermometer. We rarely use this so I doubted its accuracy when it read 101.9. So, I took her temperature twice more and got 102.5 abd 102.7. I still thought it was broken. So, Husband went online to find out when stores closed so he could buy a real thermometer. The pharmacy closed at 10PM (it was a little after 10PM). The grocery store closed at 11PM. So, he grabbed the car keys and headed out. The real thermometer still read 102.5. So, we called the pediatrician. She told us everything is probably ok. Baby got some Tylenol throughout the night. By 11:30PM, she was cheerfully babbling and ready to party. The next day, she was fine. It took us longer to recover.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Day Two was overcast and rain. For a beach vacation, this is not cool.

So, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle, Cousins, Sister, and I went to the movies to see Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3-D. It was a fun movie. It's difficult to find a movie to suit everybody and be a movie no one has seen before.

Later that night, we played with Cousin's Wii. It was a lot of fun, and I stink at video games. Husband is still mad that Mom beat him in tennis and keeps asking for a rematch. I narrowly beat Nephew in Tennis, but later that week, Nephew did pitch quite well in baseball and struck Husband out.

Blogging Temporarily Postponed

Blogging is temporarily postponed. I know I only posted the first weekend of vacation. I promise I'll blog about the rest of the trip very soon! However, some nasty stomach bug is going through our house, and it's my turn. So, I'm sneaking out of work early to go home and whine get well.

Updated to say that I did not leave work early, and I did not go home. I went to Parents' house where I watched everyone eat dinner and spent quality time in a couple of their bathrooms. Then, I took a bath and took some Tylenol.

When I got home, Husband ran out to get me some ginger ale which seems to be the only thing I'm holding down. I'm going to bed now to whine sleep.

First Day at the Beach

Baby has never been to the beach. We knew she loved the pool and water, but she'd never been on sand or been in salt water. So, we were all excited to bring her.

She was all protected from the sun with her sun screen and cover up and hat. She was a pretty good sport about everything. Then, we had her walk in the sand a little. I don't think she liked it much. She liked the firm low-tide sand more than the rough, dry beach sand. Then, she wasn't sure what to make of the ocean. The below video is of her first "waves". She definitely wanted Papa to pick her back up again.

By the end, she enjoyed herself though. After the day at the beach, she was exhausted. She took a nice nap in her little tent.

Nephew was adorable as always. The ocean left him a bit chilled. Plus, he does not like walking on the sand at all. So, his battle cry all week was "Carry Me!" The sucker - er, family member who loved him most - was usually Husband.

Connecticut - Part 1

When we got to Connecticut, we went straight to Nana so she could see her Great-Great-Granddaughter. It was the first time she met Baby. It was great to see her with the baby. She, of course, held her (with some support just in case). We spent a little time with her before our drive to Maine.

We don't see Nana very often so it's always great to see her as much as we can especially because she hadn't met the baby yet though she did have photos. She seemed in good spirits or was in good spirits after being surrounded by all of us which is nice to see.

As it was Baby's nap time, she held out as long as she could, but she ended up just sacking out. It was a busy morning for her. Plus, her defense mechanism with crowds is to just fall asleep. So, she just looked around, rubbed her eyes, and fell asleep. Husband liked it because he got to find a quiet corner and sit with her.

The Plane! The Plane!

I had a little anxiety over flying with Baby. I did not want to be the annoying people with the infant. So, we had toys - both new and old - pacifiers, bottles, and 3 family members. We were ready for anything.

At first, Baby didn't want to settle down. She wasn't fussy. She just didn't want to sit still for Husband or me. So, she went to Sister. They pulled all the information in the seat back in front of them and acquainted themselves with the emergency procedures in case of a water landing. Then, Baby had a bottle. She had some of a second bottle while the plane started moving.

Baby enjoyed staring out the window. She and Sister watched the plane pass the terminals and other planes. Baby was very into watching the world move by.

Then, shortly after, Baby curled up in her aunt's lap and fell asleep. Not much after that, Sister fell asleep, too. Husband and I had time to chat about what could go wrong with the landing and prepare for that. We took advantage of beverage service and then the flight was over. Luckily, the first flight was only about an hour long.

Baby slept through the landing completely, only waking up after we were on the ground. Then, she stood up, looked at the people on the plane and thought they were all there as an audience. She giggled and smiled and chatted to everyone. It was kind of cute. We exited the plane and got ready for a car trip to Maine. Luckily, Baby isn't too bad in the car so no worries there.

Ready to Go!

Last week, we were all ready to go. Husband and I got up really early and got ready to go. Then, we got Baby up and ready much earlier than her usual wake up time. She was a trooper though. We picked up Sister and got ready for Baby's first plane ride.

A Video to Amuse You While We're on Vacation!

We bought a camcorder today. So, I had to test it out before vacation. Enjoy Laura crawling! She's quite the expert now.

Well, 9 Months Isn't a Bad Record...

... for becoming weird, crazy, first-time parents.

Baby has been tugging and pulling at her right ear for about a week. I mentioned it last week. Plus, In-Laws noticed it last weekend. She has also been very clingy and needy. On Sunday, we couldn't put her down or she'd cry. This is very unusual for her. She's very independent and stubborn so it's rare when she acts like she likes us. Even last night, she woke up at 2AM to have some cuddle time. She came into our bed and fell back asleep at which point Husband placed her back in her bed. So, we made an appointment to visit the doctor. We really like our pediatrician. She never makes us feel like we're silly. Plus, everyone in the office always gives Baby plenty of attention which she loves.

We bring her to the doctor today. It turns out that she's healthy. She either has teething aches and tugs on her ears because she believes that's where the pain originates or she likes to just play with her ears.

So, we're just crazy first-time, nervous parents.

Weekend Update - with and without Baby

On Friday afternoon, I worked from home, and Husband came home early for summer hours. So, Baby got a lot of time with us. On Saturday, we went to In-Laws' apartment to hang out at the pool with Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law. It was a lot of fun. Lots of good food! Baby had a blast with all her people around and all the attention. She loves the water. It'll be interesting to see how she loves the beach next week!

She was a very good girl all day. Her schedule, miraculously, was kept for the most part though we had to be a little creative with her naps. She slept in the pool while I held her and then finally fell asleep in her stroller. It's hard to sleep when so much is going on. Then, she finally just collapsed in the evening after so much playing. She was a little fussy when we went home, but she was ok as long as we held her. When we got home, she fell immediately back to sleep so we were lucky.

On Sunday, we mostly just hung around home during the day. Baby crawled all over as usual. I did a little tidying up. Husband went to run errands. Baby got to spend the night with her other set of grandparents this week. She hung out with the In-Laws. We met Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law to go into the city. We had dinner at matchbox and post dinner drinks at Bar Louie. I had a S'mores martini which was Absolut Vanilia, Godiva Chocolate Liquer, Monin Toasted Marshmellow Syrup, Crème & Chocolate Syrup - Garnished w/Graham Cracker Rim & Mini Marshmallows. Totally yummy though mine didn't have mini marshmallows. After dinner and drinks, we went to Verizon Center to see Coldplay. The concert was really good. I had never seen Coldplay in concert so that was a treat, and the band played songs I knew which is always good.

It was different to wake up on a weekday with Baby. It was quiet with the baby monitor off and no baby babbling wake up call. It will be nice to see Baby tonight after work!

It was a good weekend. Plus, we only need to get through this one week before our big beach vacation. It'll be Baby's first plane ride and first time in New England. So, no Weekend Update next week, but there will definitely be a big update the week after!

Books read in July 2008

1. That Summer Place by Jill Barnett, Susan Wiggs, and Debbie Macomber. . (NOTE: This is an anthology featuring the short stories Old Things, Island Time, and Private Paradise.)
2. True Colors by Kristin Hannah. (NOTE: This book will not be released until February 2009.)
3. Trusting Ryan by Tara Taylor Quinn. (NOTE: This is Book 2 of 2. Book 1 is Sara’s Son).
4. 4th of July by James Patterson. (NOTE: This is the fourth book in the Women’s Murder Club series. Book 1 is 1st to Die. Book 2 is 2nd Chance. Book 3 is 3rd Degree. Book 5 is The 5th Horseman. Book 6 is The 6th Target. Book 7 is 7th Heaven.)
5. No Regrets by Shannon K. Butcher. (NOTE: This is Book 1 of 3. Book 2 is No Control. Book 3 is No Escape which will be released at the end of September).
6. No Control by Shannon K. Butcher. (NOTE: Book 1 is No Regrets Book 3 is No Escape which will be released at the end of September).
7. His Wicked Ways by Samantha James. (NOTE: This is Book 1 of 2. Book 2 is His Wicked Promise).
8. His Wicked Promise by Samantha James. (NOTE: This is Book 2 of 2. Book 1 is His Wicked Ways).
9. Flashpoint by Jill Shalvis. (NOTE: This is Book 1. Book 2 is Flashback).
10. My Immortal by Erin McCarthy. (NOTE: This is Book 1. Book 2 is Fallen Book 3 is The Taking which is upcoming with no release date as of yet).

It was a good month. I was thrilled to have been able to read True Colors. I really enjoyed it. There will be more on that when I read the final book in February. That Summer Place was a reread. It was recently rereleased. It is one of my all-time favorite anthologies. Really, it was a good, solid month of enjoyable reads. So good, in fact, that I’m having trouble getting into any books now!