Baby Sidney is Here!

Last Wednesday, at 8:02am, Sidney Alexis Harding joined our family!  We are so happy to have her in our family, and we are so thankful for a healthy birth and recovery.  It has been a whirlwind couple of days for sure.  Here's the story of our little girl and her first five days:

1.  My dad arrived at 5:10am the day of my c-section, five minutes before we had to leave for the hospital.  Talk about timing!
2.  We had Sid at St. Mary's.  The family birthing center is beautiful, and our room was huge!  They even call food service room service.  So nice.  And, we didn't have to move after the first day.
3.  The surgery went great!  I had an awesome team of doctors and nurses.  The spinal went in smoothly, Shawn joined me, the curtain went up, and before we knew it, a persistent cry cut through the room.  Sidney is our smallest newborn, coming in at 6lbs, 2 ozs, and a little over 19 inches long.  We decided she's also our loudest newborn.  Shawn went with her to the nursery while I was stitched up. 
4.  Sid joined us in the room not long after I returned to it.  From the get-go, she has been a great nurser.  I love the whole experience of pregnancy, giving birth, and then nursing a newborn.  The whole process just fills me with so much awe and wonder. 
5.  Grandpa was Sidney's first visitor!  He welcomed her with her very own Gund Christmas bear, flowers, a balloon, and a holiday sleeper from Grandma.  We are so thankful and excited to have my dad here for Sidney's birth and help us out at home, too.  Since we left the hospital, he and Shawn have been engaged in Operation Leaf Removal.  Quite the process considering the size of our yard and the thick coverage of leaves.  He's also been great with Riley and Adrian, and meal preparation.  Plus, it was nice having some one on one time with dad while I was in the hospital.  Thanks, Daddio!  This week would not have been the same without you!  You've got our vote for Grandpa of the year!! 
6.  Caroline also came up to visit and help us out.  Since I haven't seen Caroline all semester, her trip was doubly exciting!  She is awesome in hospital situations, and didn't seem to mind waking up several times at night to help with Sidney and even change a few diapers.  She definitely spoils me and Riley, Adrian, and Sidney, too.  It was great getting to catch up in person for a change.  Her time here went by way too quickly, though.  I miss her like crazy.  Caroline, thanks for being an amazing best friend.  Thanks for being a part of such a special time in my life.  Thanks for celebrating with us.  Thanks for your generosity and kindness.  I could go on and on.
7.  Highlights of our hospital stay include lots of HGTV, a special lunch for Shawn and I before we left, the nourishment room, walks to the Christmas tree, one game of Settlers, and lots and lots of cuddling with Sidney!
8.  We came home on Saturday.  The weekend was kind of crazy with everyone at home, but it was great to just be home.
9.  On Wednesday, we'll leave for Virginia to see my family for the holidays.  I cannot wait for everyone to meet Sidney, and see her proud and happy big brother and sister. 
10.  Sidney is definitely the best early Christmas present I have ever received.  She is such a sweet and peaceful baby.  Sometimes, she sounds like a squeak toy.  Sometimes, she sort-of smiles.  Sometimes, she tucks her legs under her and lifts her arms above her head in a triumphant-buddha pose.  All the time, she's adorable.  All the time, she's mine.  It doesn't get any better than this.

My Pregnancy Profile...

Before next Wednesday morning at 7:30am, I wanted to be sure to document some details about my third pregnancy.  In some ways, it was the easiest of the three; in other ways, it was a lot harder to manage.  I cannot believe we are five days away from meeting baby #3!  What a wonderful early Christmas present!  Sure, I'm a little nervous about starting the spring semester with three little ones, but I know we will make it work and figure it out and have so much fun along the way.  The other day, it occurred to me to think how easy it was to manage two at once.  I know it will take a little while before I am saying that about three, but it felt good to experience that moment and see the cyclical nature of child-raising.  Before I turn this post into a set of paragraphs, here's a list that celebrates and explains and characterizes this pregnancy:

1.  Due date: December 29th.  C-section date: December 14th, 7:30am (because my fluid is low again, my doctors want me to deliver at around 38 weeks).
2.  Weight gain at 37 weeks: 21 pounds.
3.  1st trimester woes: threw up once, then just all-day nausea and weird food moods.
4.  2nd trimester woes: some late summer ankle swelling, varicose and spider veins.
5.  3rd trimester woes: more fatigue, some muscle aches and nerve twinges, braxton hicks contractions every once in a while.
6.  Cravings: Ranch dressing!  That's probably been the big one this time around.  So strange.
7.  Aversions: None, really.  I could even eat sweets and peanut butter the entire time.
8.  Mood: Shawn says this has been my happiest and nicest pregnancy.  I've had a couple of meltdown and anxiety attacks, but for the most part I've been really cheerful and mellow.  Does that mean we are doomed?
9. Showing: I think it got hard to hide the belly in work clothes around 25 weeks.
10.  Feeling baby move: Early this time!  Around 17-8 weeks!  That was awesome.
11.  Favorite things about this pregnancy:
       *Talking to Riley and Adrian about it, not that Adrian has any clue really.  Riley is getting really excited, though.  She's convinced its a girl!
       *Showing my students that it is possible to have a job, take classes, and raise a family.  Not that I want my freshmen tackling all that quite yet, but I think it is good for them to know that personal and family pursuits can be achieved simultaneously.
       *Watching my belly move and shift, feeling the baby move.  This one is always among my favorites!
       *Not feeling as stressed.  This time around, I really tried to just enjoy being pregnant, woes and all.  I am so amazed and in awe of the whole miracle, and I am incredibly thankful that I was able to experience it again.
12.  Funny moments: Riley using a fetal doppler to listen to her heartbeat.
13.  Other big life changes: Moving to Athens, GA.  Starting a Ph.D. program.  Shawn starting a new job.
14.  Hobbies and interests: Beyond the obvious of reading and writing...Pinterest, Netflix, Veggie Co-op, working out at the YMCA.
15.  What I'm most looking forward to at this point: Holding our baby.  Finding out girl or boy.  Seeing how the kids react.

In five days, we become a family of five.  Wow.  Can't wait.

Semester One = Done: A Series of Lists to Celebrate

Today was my last day of teaching for the semester! Last week, I had my last classes, too, so I am done on campus until January. I still have to grade portfolios in the next week, but I am really excited to see what my students have come up with. From the exhibits I've seen so far, some students have really gone all out. Should be fun to check out all of their hard work.

In looking back on this semester, here is what I have learned:

1. I love teaching college students.

2. I miss teaching high school students.

3. College freshmen and high school freshmen are very much alike.

4. Even if you put critical information on your syllabus, class calendar, announcement board, and share it in class, students will still ask about it.

5. No matter how many times you go over something in class and all students nod their understanding, at least one of them doesn't get it.

6. My students inspire me.

7. UGA students love their Dawgs, leggings, Chacos, Chic-Fil-A, and Northfaces.

8. Yes, I'm already looking forward to next semester, trying out a new syllabus, and meeting a new bunch of students.

So now that I have all this free-time to fill, here's another brief list of what I've been up to or in other words, channeling my inner domesticated diva:

1. Reading David Foster Wallace and his essay on cruising. Amazing.

2. Making two soups to freeze: cabbage and potato soup and roasted tomato soup (both recipes from Pinterest and my Veggie Fest board).

3. Making a pork roast for tomorrow.

4. Filling Riley's photo album with pictures from May through October.

5. Helping Riley make a winter book called Snowman, Snowman, What Do You See (another Pinterest Idea!)

6. Doctor's appointment.

7. Holiday shopping (online, of course).

8. Starting to pull out baby stuff (okay, so I've only dug out a couple of burp cloths so far...).

And finally, here's what I plan to get done besides grading in the next week:

1. Baby Shower at Shawn's School

2. Prepare and ship presents to friends (except Caroline...since she'll be up here in a week and a half!).

3. Finish crafty gifts for Alli, Claire, and Libby. Can't tell what this is yet, but I'm pretty excited about it.

4. Gifts for kids' teachers and my professors (I know what these will be, but I need to get them and drop them off).

5. Sign up for the Southern Miss. conference I will be presenting at in March.

6. Work on my latest creative writing project! This I am so excited about....will reveal later!

7. Read, read, read (more David Foster Wallace, Grub, New Grub Street, Remediation, and The Economics of Attention to name a few!).

8. Finish preparing for baby!

So basically, I've got a week for baby prep, holiday prep, and fiction! LOVE IT!

O, Christmas Tree, etc.

This weekend was certainly a busy one! Since I've still got one more assignment for the semester, I'll give you the run-down in pictures and bullet points. Who am I kidding? I'd probably stick to the list-picture profile for the weekend even if I wasn't still in school mode...:)

1. Mommy-daughter movie date! Riley and I went to see Arthur Christmas yesterday. We wanted to do something special for Riley since the baby's arrival is rapidly approaching (t-minus ten days!). She chose Arthur Christmas, but we both thought that it was Arthur's Christmas, like a feature film starring Arthur, the cute animal friend with his own series? Nope, this was totally different. But it was a really enjoyable movie and perfect for getting into the holiday mode!

2. Which takes us to getting our Christmas tree. We chopped down our own Leyland Cyprus late Saturday. Well, Shawn and Riley did the hard work. Adrian and I just watched. Good times! The farm was right down the street from our house, and the tree looks beautiful. Now we just need to finish getting ornaments up.

3. Dinner at Five Guys and our first trip to Trader Joe's. Best time to grab a burger? How about at the start of the SEC championship game when Georgia is playing? We accounted for four of the six patrons in the place.

4. Homemade ornaments. This year, we all pitched in to make some salt dough ornaments. What a fun and easy holiday craft! They turned out really well, and Riley even let us know she wants to be an artist when she grows up.

5. Reading. Riley has been really into her library books recently. She's even got most of one book memorized, and she really enjoys "reading" it to us.

6. Monster Cookie. I found out today that a proposal I submitted for a conference was selected! I will be reading a short story at Southern Miss in March! So exciting! I got to enjoy my second monster cookie in two weeks.

7. Friday Night Lights. So in scanning Netflix for shows to watch once the baby comes, I realized I never watched the final season of FNL. Love, love, love this show, the cast, everything about it. I've been staying up way too late to watch it, but it is so worth it!

Okay, that about does it. Time to get back to my school work! Enjoy the pictures. More to come once we finish up the tree!

Thanksgiving in Tennessee

What a wonderful holiday we had on the Cumberland Plateau! The week flew by, especially once Shawn returned, Brendan flew in, and Mom, Dad, and Claire drove down from Virginia. Man, do we know how to pack a lot into the time we had together. Here's a rundown of the fun we had and some pictures for your viewing delight:

1. Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner! Yum! Riley pretty much only ate strawberries since she wasn't feeling great, but the rest of us chowed down. Grandpa was in charge of Adrian, and I don't think that boy ever ate so much and stayed so clean. As much as I enjoy cooking, it was nice to have the whole day to relax and no dirty dishes. My favs from the meal were the stuffing, the potato salad, and the pumpkin brownies with cream cheese frosting. Soooo good!

2. Mini-golf. We basically had the 18-hole put-put to ourselves for three days. It was great. I got worse each time I played, but we all had a really good time. We declared Riley the golf queen, and Adrian is quite happy to have a club in his hand and something to wack at!

3. Settlers. Of course. This time, we even got Claire hooked. Shawn dominated, but the rest of us managed to score at least one win. Even Daddio.

4. Shopping. Yes, even though we had to drive forty minutes, Bren, Mom, Dad, and I still got up early to do some Black Friday shopping. I picked up a couple of gifts and a five dollar pair of leggings I desperately needed. Then, we all grabbed our peppermint hot cocoa drinks from Starbucks and headed back to the resort where Claire was just waking up...

5. S'mores and movies. Since we had a fireplace (and I LOVE fireplaces), we basically had a fire going nonstop. Good work, Shawn! And what is a fire with out some mallows, grams, and chocolate! We also watched a couple of good movies: Super 8, Due Date, and Horrible Bosses. Riley really loved the last one!

6. Just kidding...Riley was asleep when we watched all three.

7. Walks, craft fair, coffee, and pinterest (I think I converted everyone in my family...right guys?).

8. Best comment of the week: Riley - "Mommy, I want everything that I see on a commercial that's a toy." How happy am I that we don't have TV at home? Those commercials are dangerous and addicting!

9. Best game of the week: Riley and Adrian - Throw seven pillows into the pack and play and then jump in. Occasionally, fall off the side of the bed. Repeat (except for the falling off the bed part).

10. Best part of the condo after the fire place: The bathtub. Seriously, it was the size of both of our bathrooms combined!

11. Wildest adventure of the week: The Treehouse. Wait until you see the pictures. Craziness!

12. Best sign ever: The one we saw at the Treehouse. See last image posted here...

Alli and CE, we missed you! Mom, Dad, Brendan, and Claire - thanks for a great destination holiday vacation!! Loved, loved, loved spending time together and celebrating Thanksgiving with you! Miss you already!

Two Days, Two Kids...

While Shawn drove up with us to start our vacation, he had to return to work for Monday and Tuesday. That left me with Riley and Adrian for two days. As much as I was looking forward to this time together, it has been more wonderful, tiring, and fun than I had imagined it would be.

Of course, the time wasn't without its frustration. Like rain. We are at a resort with more than five playgrounds, mini golf, and plenty of trails. Could we do any of that these past two days? Nope. So Monday we were all a little stir crazy. Tuesday we hit the road for a children's museum.

But overall, we had a blast! Both nights, we slept like babies. Both days, we laughed a ton, got a bunch of new bruises (will post videos of those later), cuddled, enjoyed fires and new shows, played puzzles and new games (like coaster Frisbee and pack-the-pack-n-play-with-pillows-and-dive-in), sang songs, clapped, mooed, swam in the bathtub many times, and ate way too many snacks!

And now we have Shawn returning, family arriving, and so much to be thankful for this coming Thursday. But right now, I am so happy to have this time with my two kiddos and so thankful for how much Riley and Adrian enrich my life.

Vacation, Here We Come!

In the morning, we will head out for vacation! I've never had a full week off at this time of the year, and I totally wanted to take advantage of that, especially with the new baby's ETA at a month away (so exciting!!). So off to Tennessee we go! We are heading to a resort on the Cumberland Plateau, and I couldn't be more thrilled to spend a week with the kiddos, Shawn, my parents, Brendan, and Claire! We're bummed Alli and CE can't come, too, but we'll see them over Christmas break. Especially since we didn't go to Sewanee this past summer (so sad!), I am really glad to have a chance to enjoy some beautiful, relaxing countryside.

Before we go, a quick update:

1. Riley has been narrating in song recently. Love the spontaneous, creative ballads.

2. Adrian is in the throes of a needy and tantrum-heavy phase. Not that he doesn't have his fair share of smiles and hugs still, but he can get quite moody when he doesn't get his way or we can't read his mind. Fun times.

3. My classes meet once more, and I teach five more class meetings. And that's it! Semester one, done! It has been a great one, though. I've learned so much, and I am excited to do it all over again. Plus, I'll have a workshop in the spring! Wahoo!

4. Shawn broke his hockey stick playing in a league at the YMCA. And then he scored his first goal with a borrowed stick. Why he wants to buy his own stick is beyond me, especially since borrowed stick = scored goals, right? :)

5. I am obsessed with Pinterest!! So great!! Already, I've made one craft, two recipes, and found five gift ideas.

6. Adrian is starting to communicate more. He shakes his head furiously to mean no and he bounces excitedly when he means yes. He's been babbling a ton, and even tries to call to Riley and the cats, though usually it just comes out as "Ahhhh!" So cute.

I'll definitely have some pictures either on our trip or when we return!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Halloween 2011

I've been meaning to post for weeks! But so much has been happening, and now I have some great new pics from Halloween to post. Here's a list of our latest adventures, and then a look at what we've been up to these past weeks, including a Babymoon, a trip to Gainesville, trick-or-treating, Halloween crafts, and school Halloween parties. Yes, yes, of course I am still studying like crazy, too. We've only got four and a half weeks to go in this semester. And of course that means final projects, papers, and portfolios - and, a new baby!!

1. My parents came down to visit so Shawn and I could check out Helen, GA and then enjoy a bed and breakfast at a beautiful lodge in the middle of nowhere. It was awesome! We had lunch a cute German bakery, walked around Octoberfest, then headed to our lodge for a tour and an afternoon snack, which included hot apple cider. After an afternoon of relaxation and then dinner, we enjoyed Earthquake cake for dessert at the lodge. So good! Breakfast the next morning was just as delicious, too. Seriously, all we did was rest and eat. Definitely the perfect babymoon.

2. Once we came home, I got to spend some time with just mom and dad in between studying and teaching. It was great getting to have some one-on-one time with both of my parents. A rare and wonderful treat in such a big family! I miss them so much now, but I am thankful for all of the time together.

3. Last weekend, we headed back down to Gainesville. We had dinner with the Natasha and Irene, and it was awesome to get all of the kids together and catch up for the night. I definitely have been missing my G-ville girlfriends!

4. We stayed with Julie and Carlos and their boys, and hung out all day Saturday, too. We had such a great time! Riley and Christian are adorable together, and Adrian tags along and tries to do everything the big kids do. We went trick-or-treating in Newberry until Adrian melted down and Riley fell asleep. Then we hit the road to return to GA.

5. On Halloween, I got to go to the kids' school for their Halloween parties! So much fun! The kids looked adorable in their costumes, and it was fun to see them interact with their friends and teachers. Good times!

6. School continues to go well. My students submit their third papers this week, and I give my second presentation in one of my classes. I've been submitting stories like crazy, too. Keep your fingers crossed that something will get published soon! I've had some really nice rejection letters and requests for more work, but I am looking forward to seeing another story of mine published online or in print.

7. I am almost 32 weeks already. So far, I still feel really good. I try to work out at least twice a week. I am measuring really small, but the baby is right on track. I am trying to savor as much of this pregnancy as I can: all the kicks, the growing belly, even the muscle aches and discomfort. It will be over before I know it! I might not enjoy how I look pregnant, but I really love being pregnant. The whole experience continues to amaze me!