Sunday, September 13, 2009

Maggie's 6 Months Old!



It's been quite a while since I posted anything on The Littlest Wilson--I can't believe how time has flown by! While I was pregnant with Magnus, we counted down the days to his arrival and writing blog entries was a great way to stay occupied. Since then, we've been busy actually enjoying him! Here's a quick recap of the last three months...

Our summer in Cleveland was wonderful, and included visits from Yaya Ellen, Grandma Diana, Courtney and Eva, and Pop Len and Patty. Maggie also spends lots of time with Uncle Aaron and Toni, Aunt Dana and Paul, Yaya Mary and Papou, and his Great "Awesome" Grandma Lindsay. We've really taken advantage of living in University Circle and have made many trips to the art museum, the Natural History Museum, the Children's Garden at the botannical gardens, and most recently, we checked out the cool cars and planes at the Crawford Auto and Aviation Museum. Magnus and I took our first Kindermusik class this summer and will be starting the fall semester in a week. He loves seeing the other babies and playing and dancing to the music. At home, The Wiggles are his favorite band, followed closely by Ralph's World and Billy Jonas. This week his favorite toys include a monkey teether, jungle "gym", his bouncy entertainer, a vibrating teether, any BlackBerry he can get his hands on, and his very own remote control. Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces, Dr. Seuss's A B C's, and Baby Signs and his favorite books. While we didn't go to the air show (to preserve his little ear drums), we nevertheless experienced the Thunderbirds as they flew in awesome formation back and forth over our apartment all Labor Day weekend long. Magnus wasn't so sure about them--the noise was pretty scary! On his 3-month birthday, he decided to roll over for the first time, and he could sit up by himself not too long after that. He's been crawling for quite a while--since about 4 1/2 months-- and just this week learned to pull himself up to standing, which means crib escape is imminent! At his 6-month check-up, Magnus tipped the scales at 19lbs and is an impressive 28 1/2 inches long, which puts him in the 80th and 90th percentiles, respectively (long and slim! Definitely not taking after his mom...). No teeth yet, but he's really gumming the heck out of some Arrowroot biscuits and loves Happy Tummies mixed grain cereal, homemade yams and frozen bananas. He is smiley and sweet and funny, and continues to be the light of our lives.

I've shared many of these pictures already, but I thought I'd put them all in one place. Click here to see the slideshow of Magnus, 3-6 Months.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Magnus Gray

Here he is! 

Magnus Leonard Gray Wilson arrived on Wednesday, March 4th at 6:59am. He weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20.5" long.

As his official due date came and went with barely so much as a Braxton-Hicks, Sean and I went to our next doctor appointment hopeful that some progress would have been made. Unfortunately...not. So we went home and spent another potential last-night-before-baby, when at about midnight I noticed contractions getting a bit stronger and more frequent. We went to bed and woke up and they were still there, but stronger yet, so after a phone call to my doctor and my trusty aunt, and a shower and full blowout, we headed to the doctor.

Since I wasn't in terrible pain, they hooked me up to the monitor to determine how serious the contractions really were. Thank goodness we were there, because about ten minutes in, a contraction caused the baby's heart rate to dip from 150 to 40, and we were immediately rushed across the street to triage. Everything normalized and it was determined that the baby had what's technically called a "nuchal chord," where the umbilical is wrapped around the neck and tightens with each contraction. We were admitted around 1pm and settled in for the long haul.

Despite our trepidations about "interventions," we opted for Pitocin after several hours of contractions that weren't very productive. That kicked things into gear, but after several more hours of strong contractions that were a minute and a half long and only two minutes apart, I went for the epidural...now my very favorite cocktail in the whole wide world. It allowed me to rest a bit and to wait out several more hours of very slow progress. By 3am or so, back labor started, and only the third re-dose of the epidural finally dulled that pain. By 5:30am with dilation stalled at 7cm and the contractions hard and fast not giving the baby much of a break, our doctor recommended that we consider c-section. In all our planning, we never really thought seriously about it, but in the moment it was a no-brainer. We went in at 6:30am.

The c-section was an experience like no other. It was such a relief to have Sean beside me while not knowing what the heck was going on behind the blue curtain beyond the vague sensations of tugging and stretching and pressure and relief of pressure. I was also thankfully a little distracted by the doctor and nurses small talk, until, that is, we heard that tiny unmistakable wail.  

There are no bounds to the joy we've felt since Magnus came into our lives. He's such a funny and sweet and good natured baby. We're so lucky to be his parents, and he is so lucky to have the friends and family that he does. We can't wait for all of you to meet him in person, but until you do, here are some pictures and videos to tied you over. Click on the newest link on the right to see a slide show of Maggie's first week, and click here to see a video of him doing what he does best: cooing, staring at windows and sneezing. 


Monday, February 9, 2009

I think she likes it here...

Clevelanders!

So much to write about...

I'll start by explaining why there haven't been any recent pictures, either of the ever increasing girth of my midsection or of our gorgeous new digs here in Ohio: when we returned to Hoboken after Christmas, we found that our computer just wouldn't power on. Our camera, which isn't fabulous and is a little on the older side, is "installed" on that computer and we don't have the software any longer...so unfortunately we can't really use it with my new laptop, and our only alternatives are the cameras on our cell phones. Rrrrr. We're definitely going to need to remedy this camera thing before The Littlest arrives or we'll never hear the end of it from the grandparents...

We're not having the greatest luck with electronics in general, it seems, as on the day of our move into our new apartment, a person who shall remain nameless to protect his identity as my husband accidentally spilled some very sticky soda onto my laptop. We're SO lucky to have Uncle Aaron around, who determined after extensive diagnostics involving special tools, 99.95% isopropyl alcohol, and some 25 year scotch that the computer is essentially unscathed...it just has a few extremely sticky keys. Rrrrrr again, but definitely the best case scenario! 

So I've been a little out of touch lately for these reasons...and probably also because I lose steam around 3pm after doing one of the many organizational projects still left to do before baby, or hemming or pressing a curtain or two. 

Anyway, we've moved! We somehow managed it in record time and without incident. Eventually we'll have pictures of our apartment, but in the meantime you can check out the building and some pictures of the lovely model units here. (I get a real kick out of reading the totally over-the-top copy on the website.) With a ton of help from Papou and Yaya Mary, Uncle Aaron, and Aunt Dana and Uncle Paul, and a lot of remote help from Yaya Ellen, the apartment is in good enough shape that we could reasonably welcome The Littlest any day now. The nursery is the least "done" of any room though, and I'm beginning to get a little nervous about all of the baby things that we don't have yet, though plenty of friends have assured us that he'll come whether or not there is a mattress in the crib...

We have another of our now weekly appointments with Dr. Mikol today. As of last week's appointment, we have "a nice, medium-sized baby" in very good health with a strong heartbeat. I was one centimeter dilated--a state which, we are told, can last several weeks. It's great that we're seeing the doctor on Mondays, as it gives us the opportunity to change Sean's travel schedule for the week if anything exciting is happening.  Sadly for Sadie and me, he will be out of town for a week starting today. But this is why we moved to Cleveland! With family right around the corner, I know everything will be fine. 

One last note--On our last night at Adams Square, I was treated to a surprise baby shower hosted by our neighbors James, Elana and baby Chloe! All of our favorite neighbors were represented, and our good friend Thomas even came up from Philadelphia. We got some fun presents and, more importantly, were able to say goodbye to some really fabulous people who helped to make our last few years truly memorable. Elana took some pictures, so when they're posted I'll share them. Thank you all so much. We'll miss you guys! 

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

So Long, Hoboken

The Littlest and I went to Ohio this past weekend to take care of some pre-move business. Very pregnant and hauling luggage almost my size (I travel with Snoogle these days), we certainly were a site to behold and provoked some stares and some questions from airline personnel. Luckily the entire trip was completely without incident--so much so that we decided that I'll fly to Ohio on Saturday while Sean and Sadie spend some quality time together making the trek across the never ending state of Pennsylvania.

We were lucky that timing of the trip coincided with Bob's memorial service. It was difficult and sad, but also really wonderful. Several people spoke about Bob and the many ways he touched their lives. It's amazing to me how many different sides of him there were, and how few of them I was familiar with while he was alive. He was definitely more modest than anyone as accomplished as he should have been! My brother made a tribute that was incredibly beautiful and heartfelt and heartbreaking.

In addition to seeing the members of my family that live in Ohio, there was the added bonus of my mom being in town, as well as my Uncle Josh, Aunt Daran, and cousins Aria and Ilana. The Littlest got lots of presents from the California contingency, which we can't wait to see him model. My mom and I went to the new apartment to go over paper work and sign the lease agreements, and I was able to take shameless advantage of her interior design skills as she sketched every last inch of the place and took measurements so that we were able to determine what furniture comes with us, what goes to storage, and what we need to buy (my favorite category!). Her help will ensure that the move goes incredibly smoothly, since now we can tell the movers exactly where to plop things. And on top of all that, I got a sneak peak at the bedding that she is making custom for the baby--how exciting! 

On Monday I went for my first appointment with Dr. Mikol, who will be delivering the baby. What a relief. Her staff is wonderful, and she is an amazing doctor and a really cool person, and I feel totally confident and secure being under her care. Yay Aunt Jan for getting us in there! Now we will see Dr. Mikol every week until the baby is born. We're so lucky to be able to start fresh this late in the game.

This week will be a whirlwind. We are packing Thursday, loading the trucks Friday, traveling on Saturday, and unloading on Sunday. Next week we get to play house and move in, and I finally get to start nesting. WOOHOOOO!!! 

Up to this point, I've chosen not to think about the things and people we're leaving behind in Hoboken. We've been really happy here and, as wonderful as all the things we're headed toward are, we'll be so sad to say goodbye to our first home, this amazing neighborhood and all its quirkiness, the incomparable Manhattan skyline, delivery of any cuisine imaginable (including Grimaldi's pizza), Jersey bagels...the list goes on. We will not miss the parking situation, tunnel traffic, and $50 cab fares, though!

Saturday, January 17, 2009


Ta-Da! The most recent portrait of the Littlest Wilson...

His face shape has changed dramatically since the last head-on shot, as his systems are almost completely developed now, and he's spending most of his time and energy kicking the crap out of me...er, I mean, developing body fat. The fat has filled out his little arms and legs and belly, and he no longer has the chisled, Benjamin Button features of last October. Now he looks like a sweet, round-cheeked little baby! He continues to suck and yawn a good deal of the time, so we caught him here sucking in his pouty top lip. 3D sonograms are similar to the regular 2D ones in that they still focus on just a single (though deeper) spacial plane at a time, which is why it looks as though his nose is pressed up against a window. It's actually that the tip of his nose is just outside the plane of focus. Likewise, his eyes are a bit distorted, as is the body part you see beside his face (which is a cross-section of elbow, not a Dr. Evil finger). Taking all these things into consideration, this is essentially how he will look when he makes his debut in about a month. It was so thrilling for Sean and me to see him in action again, and to get this special little glimpse of his sweet face. Not that we needed any reminding, but it sure does help to keep our eyes on the prize during this time of so much transition.

He actually is spending most of his time these days kneeing and elbowing and punching and kicking my vital organs. He's established a pretty regular sleep cycle, which is that when I'm awake he's sleeping and when I'm sleeping he's awake and doing advanced Wing Chung and freestyle soccer tricks. According to the sonographer, he has moved into the vertex position (yay! no external version for me!), which just means that he will continue to rotate--some days with his butt out and some days with his limbs out--but his head will remain firmly planted on my bladder until he's done cooking. He dropped considerably last week, and pretty suddenly too. This doesn't necessisarily mean that we're any closer to anything happening; only that I can fit an entire meal in my stomach making it even more likely that I will attain true Orca status by delivery.


In other fun and exciting news, we spent last weekend in New Hope for a carefully orchestrated belated Christmas/birthday surprise for Sean. Courtney, Eva, Derek and Papa Len all secretly came to town and Grandma Diana and Stef hosted. Sean was totally blown away and extremely touched (to tears!), and though I was a little (a lot) concerned about the timing (it came right on the heels of an intense business trip), it turns out that it couldn't have been at a better time. We relaxed and hung out and ate delicious food and opened presents and took pictures, and to top it all off, the Eagles played and WON (E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!!!) on Sunday. I know, I know...Sean heaven. With our families spread out all over the place, it's a near impossibility for us all to get together in the same place at the same time. The last time the whole Wilson/Fass clan was together was for our wedding in 2006! This really was the best present Sean could have gotten.

Also recently was the unveiling of Aunt Courtney's LittlestWilsonBabyShower.com. (This must be one of the most technologically hooked-up fetuses in the world.) Since we have been in this state of transition for quite some time, and since both of our families are scattered to the winds, Courtney came up with the very brilliant idea of hosting a "virtual" baby shower, and so she made a website and invited everyone to visit and to post comments and advice for me and Sean. There is no set time or date for an "event"--it's an on-going online party because we can't host a get-together for everyone we know and love. Our new Ohio address is posted too. Stop by and check out the pictures that Yaya Ellen sent in of me and Sean and Uncle Aaron as babies, and if you feel so inclined, please send us a message. We'd love to hear from you!
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Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Bean's Drizzle








What's Round on Both Ends...

...and high in the middle? Besides me, that is. 

Ohio! And it's official: we are relocating because Sean has been promoted to Regional Manager. He finished the year as the top aesthetic rep in the country, ending his year at a ridiculously high percent-to-goal for the toughest quarter yet. We're so proud of him and so happy that the extra hard work and time he's committed to his company over the last year and a half has paid dividends. I think he's the youngest regional manager in the company too (that's not confirmed... sounds good though), which is quite an accomplishment. 

As any of you who've been along for the relo-roller coaster know, we've been hoping against hope since the opportunity presented itself back in October that we would be relocated before the baby comes. It's really down to the wire now, but it's happening! Since the market is so depressed these days, we will not be selling our Hoboken condo or buying a new house in Cleveland just yet. Instead, we'll keep this place and rent it out (anyone interested in a close-to-Manhattan apartment?) and we've found a really lovely space in a gorgeous restored hotel apartment building from the 1930s right smack in the middle of University Circle and Wade Oval and the museums and Case campus. This may even have been the very building that my Great Grandma and Grandpa lived in when my Grandpa brought my Grandma home to meet his family for the first time (it was either this one or Judson Manor next door). We can even see Gehry's Lewis building from the baby's nursery windows! Thanks to my Aunt Jan's connections, my doctor of six years when I lived in Ohio, whose practice is now closed to new patients, has agreed to deliver our son in Cleveland. I gave my notice today, which was bittersweet since I really liked working at the salon this past year and will miss the friends I've made there. All that's left to do now is pack!