FINNEGAN LEGRAND NICHOLS

Our sweet little boy has arrived and changed our lives forever. We are SO proud to introduce Mr. Finnegan Legrand, Finn if you like. He weighed in at 8lbs, 7oz and is 21.7 inches long. More to come later... I promise.

I suppose I could share this too...

We think that we have chosen a name for our son. I only say think because we want to reserve the option to change our minds if it just doesn't seem to fit his face or something. Anyway, we are quite excited to announce that there will soon be a little Finnegan Legrand Nichols joining our family. We plan to call him Finn for short.

Oh, and by the way, anyone even thinking about telling us a story about some guy you knew with the same name who was a real jerk, better not. I mean it. Some severe butt kicking would be in order if you try it...

We hope you love the name as much as we do!

I know...

I have been really bad about keeping everyone up to date on the pregnancy details. I am now in my 40th week of pregnancy and just kinda pissed about it. I know that I should stop my pissing and moaning- it could be worse. In fact, that is the primary reason/excuse that I have for not writing more often. I would routinely start to write something and then realise that I was simply complaining and no one wants to listen to a Wendy Whiner. Now, however, I feel a bit more justified in my complaints. 40 weeks of pregnancy is far from fun.

To look at the bright side of it all, my body has been adapting to the probable size of our little boy, all 8 pounds of him, and it looks as though I might be able to handle it after all. How exactly I'm still not sure but that's what my Dr. says. That's pretty amazing considering the fact that early on I was told not to count on carrying the little guy full term because my pelvis wouldn't be able to handle it. At least we are both healthy and naturally preparing...

Yesterday Stephen and I went to our Dr.s appointment in hopes of hearing some good news of progress towards his arrival. Sadly, we did not. Dr. Shull says that boys usually arrive late because they are Mama's boys and don't want to leave. So, very little dilation and effacement has yet to occur and if I don't go into labor by Tuesday at 5am, we're scheduled for a contraction stress test at Women's East. It was explained to me that this is sort of like a 'practice run' for inducement to see how sensitive the baby and I are to a small amount of pitocin (sp?). If my contractions occur with regularity and relative ease on a small amount of drugs then we are likely to be ready for labor inducement. If the contractions aren't regular enough in an hours time then we will just wait it out until our boy is ready. I suppose that some women would opt for full on inducement at that point but I want to attempt to deliver as naturally as possible and avoid the 'cascade effect' of other procedures that I'd prefer to avoid.

Anyway, that's where we stand. We have been anxiously awaiting his arrival and nesting as much as possible. A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. We bought a new refrigerator, a new car, our home and soon a little boy. Well, I suppose we didn't exactly 'buy' him but he sure has cost a lot so far! All of these things have been quite positive but we are all feeling emotionally, physically and financially drained to say the least so please keep us in your prayers. We will update everyone as soon as he arrives!

eww

my bellybutton has popped out. it looks crazy strange. i don't know that i'll ever get used to that one...

this month

so a TON has happened since i last wrote and im just not sure where to begin... lists always do me well so here it goes and then ill attempt to fill in the blanks with photos and whatnot when/if i gain the energy.

1. stephen and i went on vacation to the jersey shore and nyc about a month ago... geez, its already been a month? we had a lovely time catching up with the cardillo clan at the shore with lots of sun, nj waves and great food. i got to take a ton of pictures of bright lights, cheesy beach hotels stuck in a time warp, boardwalk games and rides, the new jersey Italian bocce ball league and hot dogs.

a few members of my moms side of the family were able to join us as well. it was SO nice getting to hang out with the santa marias and yacovones. i miss being close to all of my extended family. it was a nice reminder though that we want our son to know just how big his family is. he already has dozens and dozens of people who love him more than he knows. that kind of gift is simply amazing. it was a nice reminder to us that family, far and near, should always be top priority.

our brief stay in NYC was excellent as well. we got to hang out with some of our closest friends that we miss dearly. we stayed with our friends joel and mandy in Brooklyn. then all four of us met two of my best friends, molly and maggie, at a restaurant in little Italy for dinner. i am so glad that it worked out so well to visit with everyone.

2. i have officially quit my job as professional nanny. my last day was a little over two weeks ago. now i will soon take on a similar job without the weekly paycheck. what was i thinking again? its strange not getting a paycheck anymore for very similar work. especially since i'm sort of working harder now.

3. we went for another Dr.s appointment a week and a half ago. everything is going very well. i only gained 1lb. i only put that in there because it seem that every jackass stranger, and the occasional family member, feels the need to tell me that i look HUGE. i just don't understand the strange logic that goes through someones head before they utter such words. im not THAT big. i mean its just about all baby belly. its not like my butt has tripled in size or anything... it's not at its most attractive state either, but it's only slightly larger.

so, a word of advice to the clueless masses out there, when i tell you my due date it's rude to say, "oh really? i just can't believe that! you're too big to only be that far along." no one asked you. i don't go up to overweight strangers or family and ask them how long they've been on their diet plan and then gawk at them insisting that it couldn't possibly be that long because they just don't look that different. the same rules should apply. do i sound bitter?

4. my good friend, grace, will be leaving us in Chattanooga for a bigger and better job in San Fran soon. i will miss her sorely. it has been so nice to hang out with her while we've had her here. that being said, before she has to leave christian and she decided that they wanted to throw Stephen and i a baby shower. so last Friday the festivities began. it was a really nice time had by all i think. our friends were incredibly generous with lovely items both on and off of our registry list. its always nice getting things off of the registry list from friends who have great taste and know ours well.... but with anyone else that can be a bit frightening. we scored big. thank you to all who came and helped s celebrate. we had excellent company, great food, lovely music and, I'm told, good cocktails.

5. i think ill end here for now. some studio time is calling my name. i apologize for the sporadic nature of my blog posts. then again, any of you who know me well, know that its quite similar to the way in which i carry on a conversation so you ought to be used to it by now. i will try to be better about posting in these last two months before the newest nichols arrives....

WELL FOLKS...

IT'S A BOY!

I'll write more later... I'm on my way to go celebrate. He's a healthy, tall, big headed, energetic, round faced, thumb-sucker! We couldn't be more thrilled!

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY AND...

we'll find out if it's a girl or a boy! Stephen and I can hardly contain ourselves we are so excited. I am counting down the days and minutes like its Christmas. I just hope that Herman stays still long enough to catch a glimpse...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLY! (one day late)

Yesterday was my sister in law Kelly's birthday. I attempted to post some photos of her on the actual day but they all uploaded upside down for some reason. So here are a few of my favorite photos of her.
One of the many things that Kelly is obsessed with is Lord of the Rings. I think that she looks like she belongs in the book/movie in this picture. Truth be told, I think she may have been pretending the very thing when I took this. She's so goofy.
But even goofier still is her patience with me when I convince her to let me take a picture of her second place win in one of the many ugly face contests I beg my family to participate in. Just one of the many reasons why I love her and am thrilled that she is a part of my family. Happy Birthday Kelly!

NEW ROUTINES... with more to follow.

My sister in law Kelly and I have a regular outing that we try to take about every other week at least. Sometimes more, occasionally less. We have started just calling one another and asking, "So are you up for "the regular" today? What's your schedule looking like?". This makes me quite happy. The regular just consists of meeting one another at Rembrandt's (with future boyfriend and girlfriend, Benjamin and Leia in tow) because they have free, mostly shaded parking. We, well I, usually grab an iced coffee to go and then we head to the Walnut Street Bridge for a couple of laps depending on the weather and the kiddo's. Then we trek back up to Rembrandt's to share some fruit salad and sandwiches.

A few mornings ago we accomplished 'the regular' and I snapped a few photos of the event.
I left my camera at home though so I'll have to include them later...

Its really comforting to know that these regular events are already in place. I know that there will be plenty for me to adjust to when the baby arrives but these sorts of things make me feel a little more prepared, as little as I am capable of at least. What's even better is that Kelly, Ian and Leia will be moving to St. Elmo as of August 1st so they will no longer be 20 minutes away. It will be so nice to have them in the neighborhood! As I get further into my pregnancy and things begin to feel more real I find myself obsessing about these things. I imagine its normal but my emotions have really tended to flip flop a lot lately. One moment I'm ecstatic, the next I'm terrified and then I'm in tears.

I also started going to an open house of sorts for Moms/Moms To Be (which happens to be the majority of the women in and around St. Elmo) and women in the neighborhood who happen to be home during the morning/day. Grace is nice enough to open up her home every Tuesday morning as an outlet and chance to reconnect with everyone, adults primarily. I found it especially nice to hang out with those that we always intend to invite over for that amazing home cooked meal but never seem to have the planning skills to follow through on. I'm feeling really optimistic. Things are looking up (but just give me about 3 minutes and that might change). I'm working on being more content with Gods plan for me and my family and trusting that even with the bad, there is a reason beyond my comprehension.

a guesstimate of 14 weeks
a guesstimate of 16 weeks with a 2lb gain (i think that looks like more than 2lbs though)
at least i can still see my feet... for now

some reactions...

Our nephew, Preston, was a little shocked to learn that he would be gaining another cousin.
Benjamin was a little slap happy and confused to learn of the news. We'll blame the juice.
Stephen on the other hand was quite freaked out. I'm afraid that his face might get stuck like this. As for our niece, Leia, she wasn't too fond of the notion that she would have to share the spotlight.

mmm

I have been feeling the onset of pregnancy hunger in these last two weeks. No strange cravings yet but all things citrus, cherries, Mexican and strawberry are especially yummy. Oh and cucumbers. It's nice to smell food without vomiting finally.

That's Our Kid Alright...

So this photo is from a month and a half ago by now. I've just been slacking on posting anything new. Truth be told I have been quite frustrated and feeling unmotivated to do anything lately. I am finally out of the morning sickness for the most part but a sinus infection and stress has been beating me down pretty hard. I know, I know. I'm a jerk for not being more grateful for the healthy , hyper active baby in my belly and my husband who loves me. I know this, I just have my moments. So, moving onward. Our kid is extremely hyper. When this was taken the baby was waving, kicking and dancing like crazy. At one point the baby kicked so hard that Stephen could see my belly jump from across the room. The nurse just kept on saying that she had never seen a child quite so active. At our next appointment it took the nurse about 10 minutes to find a heartbeat because the kid was doing some sort of dance routine. She looked at us and sternly said, "Seriously, you two had better prepare yourselves for an extremely active child. This is the most hyper active baby I've seen!" Oh no. That's our kid alright. She also asked if I was feeling all of the kicking and what not. Whats funny is that it felt pretty tame to the usual activity that I usually feel. I'm glad to know that I'm not crazy for feeling a little bruised.

i miss iceland.

Take me out the Ballgame...

Tonight Stephen and I are joining our good friends, Andre and Tracy to a Lookouts game. I am really excited. In fact it feels a little silly that I'm so excited but evening events are few and far between for me these days. Not to mention that its the perfect weather for a game. I just hope that the energy lasts...

I usually get home around 5:30ish just crossing my fingers that I will have the energy and strength to do something simple like make dinner or fold laundry... not to mention my artwork. This rarely happens now though. The smells of dinner make me want to throw up. And its different every time too so it's not like I can plan accordingly. I usually pass out on the couch and munch on some rice cakes. Anyway, I'm feeling good and I'm excited about going. I think that since we will at least be sitting down, and with junk food to boot, I'll be able to handle it.

Having so many limitations and being so dependant on Stephen and those who love me has been a huge lesson to learn. Stephen keeps on saying, "finally you'll let me be chivalrous!" I know this is only the start of things too. I can't imagine what it will be like when I'm really huge and helpless. I'm so used to my control freak, on the go ways that this is just throwing me for a loop. A good loop but a loop none the less.

Well, I better get going. The cracker jacks and popcorn are calling my name...

my boss is the best

my boss (it feels silly calling her that) stephanie is the absolute best. i should say that i have two boss', both parents of ben. but stephanie and i spend a good bit more time together as she works from home. its such an ideal situation as far as a nanny goes. she has a lot of important conference calls throughout the day which requires my assistance but she is still a huge role in bens daily activities. Instead of being the strung out mom shushing her kid and putting him in front of the tube when she cant deal, she makes sure that when she can deal she is there 110%. i admire the standards that she has set for herself as a wife, mother and professional. not only can i say all of this about her but she has truly become one of my good friends in a relatively short period of time.

all of this said, it is going to be a sad day when i dont watch sesame street with ben in morning just before his nap time. when this time will come is still unknown to me at the this time but i know that it is inevitable. i also know that the joy of being a mother myself will far outweigh my concern of my future as a nanny though. ideally, i think that i would like to be able to either stop or decrease my hours a bit by 6 months or so. this way i will have plenty of time to rest and nest and prepare my studio a bit more seriously. we will just have to see what the numbers tell us though. and by numbers i mean finances.

oh yeah, another great thing about stephanie is the huge support, joy and knowledge she has shared with me throughout these first stages of being pregnant. she has already pulled out a bunch of books for me to borrow and some maternity blouses that im sure will be put to good use. today she went out shopping for a bit to get ben some shorts for these warm days. she just a little while ago called me from old navy very excited. she said,
"oh my gosh sarah. im at old navy and they have some of the cutest empire dresses that i just cant wait to live in this summer. im going to buy one for myself and id like to get one for you too because they are just too great. i think that it would work well as a maternity dress too!"
do you have a boss that will also be your personal shopper? crazy. crazy. crazy. she is the best... and not just because she buys me things but because she thinks to. i am a lucky girl.

sike...?

Stephen and I went to visit my real Doctor today for what we thought was our 11 week checkup.

this is where 'sike' comes into play.

it turns out that the first doctor i saw was sorely mistaken on her judgement of an October 21st due date. it seems that we will be having a November baby instead as i am only 7 weeks pregnant, not 11 and a half. on the one hand I'm relieved as this means more time to plan and prepare. lord knows we need as much of that as we can get.

on the other hand though, I'm a little disappointed that I'm not farther along and closer to getting out of the 'danger zone' of the first trimester. not to mention getting rid of the nausea. plus, we probably wouldn't have opted to share our info with our church last Sunday had we realised that we hadn't actually made it as far as we thought. oh well, what are you going to do?

at least everything seems good and healthy. they did a sonogram and we got to see the wee one. we are calling it Herman until we know the sex by the way. we figured that sounded better than 'it'. plus, its yet another opportunity to share my love of Pee Wee Herman in an important stage of my life. first our wedding with the secret word and now our baby...

oh yeah, i should also mention that despite my mother and mother in laws hopes and dreams, there was only one kid inside of me. no twins this time around. we were a bit relieved to say the least. stephens grandmother is a twin, as is mine. also, my moms grandmother, great grandmother and aunt and uncle are twins. it seemed like we were in for it. we made sure to check, twice, that there was only one heartbeat and one baby. although we didnt hear it yet we did see it which was amazing. we also got our first photo. CRAZY!?! stephen and just keep on periodically looking at oneanother in amazement that this is really happening to us. we're thrilled, amazed and terrified all at once. i imagine that will never really go away, it will just increase as time goes by. again, CRAZY.

list list list

today im feeling much better than i have in a couple of weeks. i got to sleep in a little bit because on wed. i dont go in to work until 1:30ish which is a nice mini break mid week. anyway so i woke up actually feeling alright, made breakfast and my decaf coffee (which i dont think ill ever get used to! i miss caffeine something wicked.) , did a few loads of laundry, washed dishes, cleaned the kitchen and helped stephen start to pack for his mini tour this weekend. he leaves tomorrow afternoon and although im terribly sad that im going to miss it all im excited to get through a few things on my list and then some. here is my list. i might be pipe dreaming but thats ok.

#1. have my little brothers over for a sleepover. they have been begging me for a while and i could use the company without stephen there, at night especially. im still a little skittish after the break in.

#2. pay my brothers to wash my car while i clean out the inside. a job well past due. im sure that they will jump at the opportunity to get crazy with the hose and get paid.

#3. make privacy curtains for the front and back doors.

#4. go to the fabric store for some fun new fabric for the windows in stephens studio.

#5. i have plans to have iced coffee and tomato sandwiches with christian but im not sure which day yet. i think some feet soaking time is in order too. i miss one on one time with christian. she is the best.

#6. i want to do a little bit of gardening. nothing too major as im a bit of a wuss now that im pregnant. im terrified of a miscarriage since i was once told that i shouldnt plan on having kids on account of my 'shabby ovaries'. anyway, id like to plant a few things. stephen even went and bought me an extra long gardening hose today so that it will be a bit easier.

#7. i would like to go to the insyde outsyde shoppe (yes its supposed to be spelled like that) and estate of confusion at some point. we are going to move our bedroom into the 'big room' and the baby's nursery into our current bedroom. in order to do so we plan on creating a modular wall to separate our bedroom from the rest. i think that either place might have some good options. something really different but practical. i think ill just go and scope things out.

#8. (which really should be number one) tomorrow morning we go for our first dr.s appointment with dr. shull. im really excited. a little nervous but mostly really excited. im especially anxious to hear what he has to say. i think very highly of him so far and look forward to any advice he might have. ive been doing so much research the last couple of weeks that i would love a professionals opinion that i trust. im sort of suffering from information overload and im sure that he will be helpful in making everything a bit more simple.

#9. im researching dishwashers on consumer reports. we were waiting until the sale of the building went through successfully before we made any 'big' purchases but our patience has run out. we have made a pact that we will buy one before we close. im quite excited about this as well. again, i never thought that i would find myself being the lady who gets really excited about a dishwasher. what is happening to me?

i suppose that is all for now. ben is still sleeping but i should get some reading done while i still have the chance.

all about the babies

so this is my very first official blog. i must say that i feel a little silly doing this as i have been known to make fun of the people who call themselves 'bloggers' in the past. but, considering that i have recently discovered that stephen and i are TWO MONTHS pregnant i kind of need an outlet during my bouts of nausea. plus, i think it would be good to get started on keeping all of my friends and family updated throughout this wonderful process. so, no more mocking of those who blog (but i still hate the word 'blogger(s)' with a bit of a passion).