Christmas in Chicago

Christmas has come and gone and while it won't go down as the best Christmas we've ever had, we did have some fun. There were plenty of presents (there are STILL some left under the tree) and a trip to Old St. Pat's for mass on Christmas Day. I can't really say there was good food -- our Christmas lunch resembled the scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when Clark cuts the turkey, which has completely disinegrated except for the bones. Our pork loin was similar and we're blaming it on Whole Foods.

Sam loved all of his gifts and especially enjoyed the ice cream Santa left behind. Elliott did a lot of snoozing, but it was nice to have a cuddle buddy.

It was tough to be away from home on Christmas, but we're thankful for each other and all of the good fortune 2009 brought our little family. Grandma and Grandpa are headed to Chicago as I type, and we can't wait to give them both big Christmas hugs. After that, I'm tearing down the tree and putting away the decorations....call me Scrooge, but we need the extra space!

Shriner at 40

We helped our good friend Shriner celebrate his 40th birthday over the weekend. We welcomed the babysitter with open arms and I've never been so pleased to put on makeup, a dress and a pair of heels. Before the festivities officially began, Steve and I even managed to squeeze in a margarita at Frontera Grill -- something we did all the time pre-Sam, but have only done once or twice since then. The brithday celebration was befitting of the birthday boy - a room full of close friends, plenty of wine and a belly dancer to boot. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the tale. Happy birthday, Uncle Shriner!

Sam, meet Santa

We went downtown earlier this week to meet Santa. Sam wasn't exactly sure what to make of him at first, but quickly warmed up to the idea. We were there on a Monday and without any lines, we had Santa's undivided attention for a good 10 minutes. He was an interesting fellow - a Vietnam vet and a Cubs fan. Sam's one and only request for Santa was (and continues to be) ice cream, so we capped off our visit with a dish of the yummy stuff. All in all a great outing and definitely the highlight of the week.

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

Ahhhh! The thrill of new boots! Makes you want to go internet shopping, doesn't it?

Put this one in "there's still a lot to learn" column: we decided to go on a walk last night, and that means getting two kids and two adults bundled up and out the door. It's not as easy as it might seem, which was made all too clear when we hit the sidewalk and Sam said "ouch, my feet hurt." I looked down and to my surprise Sam was standing there in his socks. Oops.

Speaking of feet, is there anything cuter than baby feet?

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

The Good:

--Sam has mastered the ABC song. He was randomly belting it out yesterday – and today he logged about 50 laps in the hallway while he shouted it out at top volume.

--We've been singing a lot of Christmas carols around the house. I think Grandma and Grandpa got Sam started, and now he loves Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. It's pretty much intstant happiness and makes me look forward to Christmas.

--My recovery is 100 percent easier than it was with Sam. I won’t go into details – wouldn’t want to scare off any would-be moms!

--I'm not pregnant anymore! No more leg cramps, no more heartburn! I can bend over, drink wine and sleep on my back. LOVE IT.

--Elliott is sweet as pie. He's still in the sleepy stage, so he just snoozes on and off all day long. He's a great little cuddler.

The Bad:
--I miss our routine. We're all over the place right now trying to keep Sam and Elliott happy, the refrigerator stocked and the house picked up. Add some Christmas shopping and a new nanny search to the list and it just feels like everything's been turned upside down. Not my favorite.

--Breastfeeding is a bigger time suck than I remember and with a baby who’s content to sleep on and off between slurps, it’s been stressful trying to figure out if he's eating enough, and carving out time to really engage with Sam in between feedings.

--I think Sam is definitely harboring some resentment towards me for having the baby. He's sweet as can be toward Elliott, but rejection is the name of the game with me. It's a bit heartbreaking to be honest, but I'm hopeful it will pass soon.

The Ugly:
--Steve and I are showering about once every other day. Gross.

--The high temp was 16 degrees yesterday. Brrr! Winter’s officially here and it’s going to be a long one.

--Sam is terribly two. If things don’t go exactly as planned, all hell breaks loose. Steve and I have been on the verge of poking our eyeballs out a few times. We finally resorted to the TV yesterday, plopping him down in front of Rudolph (see above). Thank God he's cute and lovable most of the time or we'd have a real problem on our hands! ;)

Still Standing

We've been home for more than 24 hours and we're still standing. Sam was delighted to meet his little brother. There's really no other way to describe it -- he was all smiles and said "hi baby Elliott" over and over. He continues to be curious about the baby and shows grave concern any time Elliott begins to cry or whine. We're trying to teach Sam about being gentle -- so far there's only been one major infraction - a book landed on Elliott's head -- other than that, it's been all head pats and hand kisses.

The over night was a little hard on me, but a long nap today has me back on track. Here's hoping for a couple of decent stretches of sleep tonight. Elliott's first appointment at the pediatrician is tomorrow at 9 a.m., so there won't be any time for lounging around!

Ready Or Not

We just got a thumbs up from the pediatrician, so we're headed home later this morning. Grandma and Grandpa have been holding down the fort since we left and deserve gold medals for keeping Sam standing. I just checked in and they were headed out the door to music class -- definitely fodder for the Grandparents of the year award.

Here's hoping the transition home goes well. Of course I'm super nervous, but hopeful that it will go better than expected. We'll see.

Easy Does It

It’s absolutely true what they say: it’s much easier the second time around. My delivery with Sam was horrendous – after pushing for three hours he was delivered with help from a pair of forceps, which required two docs to maneuver. There was a team of pediatricians waiting for him in the wings because he’d been in so much distress, and even though Sam was just fine and I eventually recovered, the experience was seared into my memory (and not in a good way!)

Needless to say, I had some anxiety about going through labor and delivery again. It kept me up at night and became painfully clear when I burst into tears after learning our induction time was moved up by five hours.

Well all my worry was for not. Elliott’s delivery was smooth sailing all the way. I loved my nurses, really loved my epidural, and in spite of some nervousness, pushing was pretty easy too. Elliott came roaring into the world after just 15 minutes!

Now we’re resting and relaxing in room 1164. Between the nurse call button and four hours of uninterrupted sleep last night I feel like I’m at a five-star resort. The only downside is how terribly I miss little Sam. Given H1N1 concerns, they aren’t letting anyone under the age of 18 in the hospital, so Sam’s at home with Grandma and Grandpa. It will be so great to see him tomorrow and introduce him to baby Elliott.

Our last night with the bump:

My first glimpse of Elliott:

Proud Papa:

Big yawn...