Are you KIDDING me?!

Seriously.

The next hundred people I see in real life better tell me my hair looks TO. DIE. FOR.

Because for $130, it better.

I was so completely unprepared for that total to be read to me. Last time, for cut and highlights: $68. (Still more than I wanted to spend, but it was my first polish in a while, so I thought it was money well spent.) This time, for cut and highlights: $117. Wha....huh?

It's just money, and I didn't argue. I'd already cried twice in front of Whitney at the appointment, and I just wanted to leave (another entry for another day).

All's I'm saying is, thank goodness we only had to pay Sara for 3 days this week.

Ugh.

Do pobachennja

This is how we feel about Gramp-e going to the Ukraine for 31 days:

He needs to stay. See? This is much better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, in all seriousness, I know he has to go. I'm just a wuss, and I'm not doing so well with the fact that Dad is going to be in the Ukraine for a month. (Please, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he travels and ministers -- he leaves Friday, June 27 [yes, that is tomorrow] and returns Monday, July 28.)

Go to www.eeo.org to learn more about what has called him so far away from hearth and home. It is an incredible story (the Ukraine orphans, in general, but more specifically), how their plight has reshaped Dad's heart. But that is his story to tell. I'll have to come back and post a link to his MySpace page so you can read about it from his perspective.

Anyway, as I said, please keep Seth's "g-bud" (sorry; inside joke!) in the forefront of your mind tomorrow as he travels halfway around the globe.

Love you, Dad. Be safe. xoxoxox

Because we're watching "Just Friends" for the dozenth time...

....I have time to post multiple blogs about random things. =)

Here's some things you may or may not know about me.

A - Attached or Single: Attached
B - Best Friend(s): Jim, my dad
C - Cake or Pie: cake
D - Day of Choice: Friday
E - Essential Item: laptop
F - Favorite Color: red
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: bears
H - Hometown: Toledo
I - Indulgence: dark chocolate, pedicures
J - January or July: Hmmm....September? Okay, okay. January.
K - Kids: Seth, my joy
L - Life is incomplete without: my family, Westgate
M - Marriage Date: 10/8/05
N - Number of Siblings: 2 younger brothers
O - Oranges or Apples: If I don't have to do the peeling/slicing, then apples
P- Phobias or Fears: water
Q - Quote: cannot just pick one, sorry!
R- Ring size: 6?
S - Season: Fall
T- Tag 3 Friends: Daina, Sara, and Mandie
U - Unknown fact about me: It might gross you out. :)
V - Very favorite stores: Target, Hobby Lobby
W - Worst Habit: talking too much
X - Xray or Ultrasound: u/s
Y - Your Favorite Food: Italian
Z - Zodiac: Libra

Seth's BFF

Eeeeee!


I am SO excited to finally be able to post this picture.


Meet Brady, Seth's BFF (yea, Jackson has some competition). Brady belongs to Heather and Cody, friends of ours from Westgate. Brady is also privileged to be cared for by our sitter, Sara. Brady was born November 24 (or was it 25th?). Anyways, he is only about 3 weeks older than Seth, but given the fact the Cody is built like a linebacker, and that Seth was a preemie peanut, you wouldn't know Brady and Seth are so close in age by looking at them. You can't tell from this picture, but Brady is a chunk-a-hunk next to Seth.

The are so opposite in skill and personality, but it is super adorable to watch them together. You can tell that they miss eachother when Heather's hospital nursing schedule allows her to have a day with Brady and Seth becomes "man of the house." And then when they see eachother again, it's like the sun comes out to shine for the first time.


I just had to share these shots and hope they make you smile as much as they do me. Have you ever seen such cute itty bitty guys?!

Jackson is here!!!

Jackson was born Thursday night at 6:02 p.m. He was 7 lbs. 7 oz, 19 1/2 inches (just like Seth), and has dark hair and blue eyes. Nikki had a relatively quick and uncomplicated labor, with 2 hours of pushing. She tore a little, but is feeling okay and elated that nursing seems to be going well.

They are headed home this afternoon.

From what Nikki said she can tell of Jackosn's personality, he and Seth will be two peas in a pod, just like their daddys.

Welcome, Jackson! We love you already.

Business Update

Well, I have two shows under my belt. (whew!) Two down, four to go to meet my New Jeweler Promotion. The remaining shows are all in the next 12 days -- yikes, but yea!

My first home show was a huge success, in no small part due to my wonderful hostess Sara. She obeyed the number one rule of home show parties and over invited, so we ended up with 11 guests, one hostess, five children, one mannequin, and one jeweler (and a partridge in a pear tree!) in a screened-in tent in Sara and Doug's backyard.

My biggest goal...okay, well, TWO goals were accomplished: just get through the presentation to see how it feels to actually fly solo on it, and to ensure that Sara and her friends had a good time -- which, according to the feedback I got, they did. So, success!!! Sales = $387 and still going up ( I have several orders yet to receive).

My second show was an even bigger success in my opinion. I felt a LOT better about the presentation -- I said "um" a WHOLE lot less, and, again, the feedback from the guests was great, so my confidence is pretty bolstered right now. Sales = $295 (not too shabby for 4 guests)

Now....if I could just get some more shows on the calendar for the rest of the summer...

***********************

In other news:

• We had a middle-of-the-night interruption for the first time in a loooong time. It figures -- Nonna and Greg are coming from Florida in a week, so of course, Seth is sick. =( We knew it was coming when Brady got the sniffles. Then Lily. Then Sara and Seth. Poor baby. We heard him start coughing in his sleep -- finally hard enough to wake himself -- around 2:30. Jim was sweet enough to take the first of what we thought would be several (but turned out to be only!) shift, feeding Seth a bottle and rocking him back to sleep. Seth woke up his cheery self this morning, but his typical smile was covered in snot. His cough sounds a little rattly, so if he isn't improving over the weekend, I'll request to move up his well-baby six-month check up from July 1 to early next week. Gotta love these summer colds. Lysol, people. Lysol! (Not you, Sara. You rock, and we so very much appreciate your efforts to keep Seth, Brady and Lillian healthy.)
  
  
• Seth will spend the weekend -- or at least Friday night and some of Saturday with Grandma and Grandpa Gregory so that Jim and I can get some things done at home and enjoy some us time. With my training and shows this week (plus Jim's golf) combined with my shows next week, plus golf and the Soldano/Baptista reunion....we aren't going to see each other basically until the Fourth of July. So, we're hoping to squeeze in a date tonight.
  
  
  
• Work is....well, work. I've felt like something is off lately, but I haven't been able to put my finger on it just yet. Maybe I'm internalizing the "drama" going on with Jim's work...I dunno. But until we figure it out, we're both just plugging along.

Speaking of...lunch is almost over, so I'll close and get this posted.

• Oh -- and one more thing. Our dear, dear friends Jerry and Nikki are getting ready to welcome first child, baby Jackson, into the world this weekend. Today was the due date, but as they're guessing Jackson to be on the larger end of the spectrum, they were going to induce Nikki if he'd not made his arrival by today. Please keep the Powers' in your prayers.

Ah, summer...

To be young again -- when it is socially acceptable to go to a baseball game in nothing but your underwear!


I think he enjoyed himself at his first Mudhens game. He was into everything - namely, our dinner, as we were trying to eat; he didn't seem to mind the noise level, though he was giving some questioning looks to the other fans we were with (namely Matthew!). His hat is still too big, and it was H-O-T, but overall, a good experience. Now onto bigger and better things...Indians, Tigers, Steelers, etc. =)

A taste of what's to come

Danette did such a fantastic job with us on Saturday. This is just the first shot she sent me; I can't wait to see the rest.

Seth actually didn't do so hot with the photo shoot. I didn't anticipate the "movement" factor; we were spoiled with how well he "stayed put" for his 3-month shots, and I didn't think about how mobile he is at six months. When we wanted him to sit, he wanted to lean over to chew on his toes; when we wanted him on his belly, he wanted to be on his back. When we wanted him to look one way, he wanted to lay down and close his eyes; we wanted him to play peek-a-boo with the sheet, he wanted to eat it. You get the gist.

Danette was very patient, and I have no doubt that she got some great shots despite Seth being "uncooperative." After all, you only need a handful of really good photos, and I'm sure we'll have those.

In other news...well, there isn't a whole lot.

Oh yeah; we got this:

We will be bidding farewell to the Miata when our lease is up in August, and to replace it, we have purchased LVISII. Get it? (e)LVIS II, as in the second coming of my first Mustang. It's fun; we took it out for our first drive as a family on Sunday. Seth loves it; he's like a little puppy dog, with his eyes closed, head back, hair whipping in the wind, with a barely-there smile on his face. Just happy as can be.

The weather has finally offered up a brief reprieve. It is an absolutely gorgeous day in Toledo today. Our moms group from work actually went to a brown bag lunch concert on the lawn of the downtown library this afternoon. It was great, and we got our picture taken for the library. And now it's back to the grindstone. (Offer up a quick prayer that I passed my Inland Marine Coverage test that I took earlier today -- not feeling too hot about the outcome, and I really don't want to have to take it again.)

I'm ready, let's GO!!!

Seth is very excited about heading to Swanton for his 6-month photo shoot tomorrow (Mommy is, too!). He's ready to hit the road now!

One of my co-workers always has the most INCREDIBLE photographs of her grandchildren, taken by her daughter-in-law. This stay-at-home mom is uber-talented, and lucky for us consumers, has begun some commercial photography (with great prices, mind you). She and I have been in touch, and I can't wait to have her work her magical shutter on Seth tomorrow.

I was getting excited about getting some outdoor shots -- he hasn't been on the grass yet, and I want to capture what he thinks of that -- but I'm not sure the weather will cooperate. We're pushing the mercury upwards of 90 today, and tomorrow is more of the same with a 30% chance of storms. Boo. We'll just have to see.

On another note -- check out that picture. This was about 3 weeks ago, Jim was getting ready to leave Seth in Gramp-e's hands for a night out, and lo and behold -- flat-footed, upright, and barely holding on. WOW!

He is unpredictably steady -- he stands fine, with something to balance him, but then he remembers, "wait, I know how to bounce!" and then he tries to do THAT, and of course, loses his balance and down on the tush he goes.

Other fairly-recent happenings:

• Sleeping upwards of 10-12 hours at night! (He has been sleeping through the night for a while, but "night" to Seth was 10 pm to 5 am.) I like this new schedule WAY better.
• Introduction to some first foods -- mainly banana so far, which he likes, but no one warned me that it stains. We may have a couple dead onesies on our hands. Oh well. More shopping. ;)
• Extending arms/almost figuring out the "all fours" thing. Once he mastered rolling both directions, he's gone straight to figuring out the wonderful world of crawling. Uh oh. Sara and I are already strategizing for the re-baby proofing of her living room. Seth is almost there, and Brady is "strategically rolling/scooching," so it's only a matter of time....!

Not too much else to report....work is fine, for us both, for the most part. Premier is in limbo, waiting to hold my first shows in the next few weeks. Youth group is not, for us, at least for right now (that's probably a whole 'nother post). Weather...yeah, it's gross. But I'm still glad the pool is gone! =)

Looking forward to a few days off at the end of the month and seeing all of my family in Bellevue for the first (of many, we hope!) Baptista/Soldano reunion.

Until next time....

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Anniversary, MBG and Brad!

Happy First Anniversary!!!

I don't have any pictures of YOU from your wedding, so instead, I'll post the picture of ME that I have from your wedding -- imagine this is me smiling at you today and wishing you a very happy FIRST anniversary! (I'd post a current picture of me smiling at you, but let's face it...I look better in that picture -- even 2 months pregnant and bloated -- than I look after a full day of work, capped off with Seth drool!)

You guys are a great example of how dreams can come true if you let go of your own wants and pursue the dreams given by the Greatest Dreamer of all. I'm so happy He saw fit to finally bring you together.

I love you guys and can't wait to watch your love for each other grow as the years pass. May you be as happy as Jim and I are! XOXOOX

New format

All I can say is that it's spring, and I "overhaul" things when the weather turns warm. I rearrange furniture, I clean, I throw away, I CHANGE, basically. And the blog didn't escape unscathed.

So, not too different. Just new colors, a new font. Just a couple little things that make me smile.

I have a ton of new pictures to upload, but I'll leave you with my favorite from this week.

Sorry I've been AWOL.

I won't even begin to list the things that have kep me/us busy enough to warrant 2 weeks without a blog entry. We've been here and mostly healthy (Seth has the sniffles), but goodness, things have been nuts.

But I just had to share our exciting news! (And for those of you who automatically jumped to the conclusion of Baby #2 -- false alarm. =) The HPT I took yesterday was negative -- a beautiful, glaringly stark white. Whew!)

No! The great news is that my backyard is a disaster area. Why is that good? Because it means the POOL IS DOWN!!! Yipee!!

Check it out:

Isn't it great? =)

So that's how Jim started his Memorial Day weekend. Me, I rearranged the living room -- gotta love new floor plans for summer -- and Seth hung out in his 'saucer on the porch. Fun times! Hope y'all have a great holiday weekend!

Here we go!

Just a quickie announcement: Seth rolled over today -- back to belly AND belly to back, both for the first time. Movin' and grovin' here we come!

Also, we've discovered he is ticklish under his chin -- and poking him there elicits the funniest baby belly laughs!

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

April in review

Big changes are on the horizon

I'm sure someone could have a heyday psychoanalyzing why I haven't posted about this yet. And not just the actual "doing" of this thing, but the year-plus that I've even been contemplating doing this thing. Maybe it was something I really needed to keep private, so as to make sure that moving toward this was of the Lord, and not just a whim of mine, sparked by emotion and fueled by the opinions of others. Regardless, what is done is done, and I guess now it's time to share.

Are you scared yet? I promise, it's not bad. It's great, actually. I'm not sure why my intro spilled forth so melodramatically....

I have taken the plunge into the direct sales arena, and become an independent distributor for a geat line of high fashion jewelry.

:::pause:::

Well, what do you think?

Why I'm looking for validation from the cyberworld, I'm not sure. I think it's because this is SUCH A BIG DEAL to our family. I'm not even sure how or where to start talking about this, but bear with me as I work through a lot of what I'm thinking and feeling.

Last January (as in 2007), one of my coworkers (thanks, Tara -- if this is a disaster, I'm blaming you!) invited me to a jewelry party. I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of spending a wintry Tuesday night away from home, but Tara only lived a couple blocks from me, so I figured it wasn't too great a sacrifice on my part. So I went. I remember only 2 things about this night: I left Tara's , having somehow booked a show of my own with the jeweler, Kelly, for March 20; and being devastated to realize I'd started my period when I got home (devastated because this was month 3 of TTC, and there would be no baby-anticipation that month).

Fast forward to March. I have my party, get a ton of great jewelry, have a great time with Kelly, and briefly entertain the thought "Hmm, I could do this." The brief thought heads right out the door with Kelly, until I see her at my friend Ambre's house for a party. And I think again, "Hmm, I could do this." But of course, by now I'm pregnant and starting to have the first of many complications with Seth, so again, the thought gets buried.

But Kelly remains faithful. Faithful to the principles of the business, and in turn, faithful to me. She drops off a copy of the founders' biography (to read in my spare time once I was on bedrest), helps me pick out the perfect piece to wear to a PCC reunion, and drops a "thank heaven for little boys" bib in the mail when she learns of Seth's birth.

I see her in February 2008, again at Ambre's house, and this time, it's not just me going "Hmm, I could do this." It's more of a deep-resounding presence urging, "Monica, you should do this." Kelly and I made arrangements to "double date" -- what's better than business talk with a side of yummy Bravo pasta and decadent chocolate cake? Jim and I were able to ask all our final questions about Premier -- how it works (from both a family and financial standpoint), what they've learned, where to start...

Fast forward again, to finding ourselves at the crossroads that most young couples do: salaries, job contentment, the cost of childcare, Seth's happiness, our happiness. I know that I felt like I was standing in the midst of a whirlwind -- scared, tired, alone, confused, sad. And what do children of God often hear in the midst of a whirlwind? A still, small voice. And I heard, with utter clarity: not could, not should, but "do."

The company picks a verse every year, and for 2008, it is: "Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow." Psalm 25:4

Jim is Mr. Gung-ho Encouragement, which I desperately need, as I have to admit -- I'm scared of this. SCARED. I don't like confrontation, and I sure as heck don't like rejection. Two things I know I will have tried and tested in the coming months as I build my business. Not to mention the time and effort and sacrifice that will go into these first months.

While I'm working full-time, all my home shows will need to be in the evenings. Do you have any idea what a typical week of evenings looks like in our house? Here's a sample of the last 2 weeks:

Monday: me, home with Seth; Jim, running to and fro with final tax filings; dinner with Grammie and home by 9 pm
Tuesday: _________ I know! Nothing on the calendar, but I swear, we were busy last Tuesday
Wednesday: staff meetings with Jr High staff -- guys at BW3's, girls at Applebee's, home at 9:30
Thursday: Jim's birthday, so dinner at Red Robin -- home, but asleep on the couch, at 8:30
Friday: dinner with Bogner's and Wilson's -- all 6 of us drowsing by 9 -- Seth was wide awake
Saturday: Jim, craziness errands and mowing; me, PT rehearsal, grocery shopping, haircut, appt. w/ Kelly to sign PDJ contract; dinner with Gregory's
Sunday: full morning with praise team; Jim to Chicago on business; me, back to OnLine

Monday: me. dinner with Abby; Jim, travel back from Chicago
Tuesday: dinner and study with small group
Wednesday: me, home sick all day; Jim, golf
Thursday: Jim, mow; me, still sick
Friday: Jim, 24 hour famine, so at church from 6-10
Saturday: Famine -- at church from 7-2
Sunday: Fundraiser -- March of Dimes March for Babies 8-2

So, now you're thinking we're nuts, right? Maybe so. (I promise, Seth will get fed and bathed somewhere in all this madness.)

But the plan is for me to do one show a week, and try to toss one extra one a month in somewhere, and we'll go from there. Jim and our parents think this is a great opportunity that I'll thrive at. On my good days, I believe them. Maybe once my starter kit ($2,700 worth of jewelry!!!!) and training manual arrives, my nerves will settle.

But until then....please pray for us. This is a big deal, and I feel like I'm still reeling from the most gigantic leap of faith I've taken in a loooooong time.

:::Deep breath:::

Hugs to Aunt Joyce and Uncle Paul

I'm a little sketchy on the details (once they get passed from Joyce to Grammie to Linda to me, I think there is something a little lost in translation), so I won't try to expound, but the gist is that Jim's uncle Paul will be undergoing a slew of tests and serious operations the remainder of this week. Please keep him especially, and Aunt Joyce and the rest of our families, in your prayers this week.

And Aunt Joyce, if you have a spare second and find yourself reading this, I just wanted to say that I love you SO much for the wonderful cards you send off to your great-nephew, "Master" Seth James Sprout Gregory. I am keeping each one of them in a special place for him; I hope he loves them as much as I do. Keep 'em coming! They always brighten our days -- the M&M one, especially. ;)

BFP

It was faint, but it was there.

The beginning of Seth.

It was only 2 months after our miscarriage, but I just knew that this was it. So, even though I was early, early, early (just barely 3 weeks pregnant), I decided to take an HPT (home pregnancy test), in the hopes that I'd be able to give Jim the best birthday present ever -- the news that he was going to be a father.

Sure enough....April 17, 2007, was the day day Seth became real to us. Oh, I know some would argue that he wasn't "real" until we saw a heartbeat, knew the gender, felt him kick, or even welcomed him in December. But I knew on this day last year that I was going to be a mommy. I've never been more happy to be right about something. ;)

And I have to add this in closing. As we are getting ready for bed last night, Jim says to me, "You're not going to pee on anything tomorrow, are you?" Heehehehe. Maybe next year.

quick post..more later

I just couldn't wait to share these with everybody. I wish I would have had time to upload them before Jim and I went to Nashville, but....anyway.

Please excuse the poor quality. I took pictures OF the pictures with my camera phone (impatient, I was!!), and emailed them to myself just so I could send them out to people before I mail out the real ones.

These are the shots we chose from the Portrait Innovations package. Seth did sooooo well with the shoot. He only cooperated (with smiles) for about the first 10 minutes, and then he just got bored. Most of the end shots were with the "get that thing outta my face, lady" look. But the smiles we DID get were priceless, as you can see.



I have to admit, there was one other pose that I really liked, but it wasn't Jim's favorite, and I didn't love it SO much to pay the extra money just for that pose. I actually was proud of myself for not succumbing to a larger package -- they really know how to work the "rookie new parent" angle. =)

This pose to the left -- the one with the black background -- was Jim's favorite, so we have the most prints of this one. Please let me know if you'd like one, and I'll get a wallet in the mail to whomever wants one.

Okay, I realize now I'm just trying to come up with things to say to fill in the space next to the pictures, which is fine, unless you're the one reading it. ;) I'll just quit now and leave you in peace to stare at my beautiful baby.

One more thing...this one is my favorite. =)

Update on us

Seth is starting to get such a little personality. Or maybe I should rephrase that: little Seth is starting to get such a big personality. If I had to summarize our son in just one-word responses, I'd say that Seth is: inquisitive, talkative, flirtatious, energetic, determined, and (as you'll see from the photos below) focused.

This one, to the right, was taken last Sunday morning. Jim and I had the privilege to publicly dedicate Seth at our church. I was on praise team that morning, so I wasn't too sure what kind of mood Seth would be in at 10:15. While not his usual bubbly self, he seemed content to merely look around and take it all in (all the while wondering, I'm sure, why he had so many pieces of clothing on!). It wasn't until Dad sent me this picture today that I saw this new side of Seth. I have to say, kiddo, your Italian is showing. Can't you just see how badly he's trying to say "You talkin' to me?!"

He stayed awake through all the preliminary activities, went willingly into Pastor Carey's arms for his prayer, and didn't utter a peep the whole time we were on stage (unusual for him -- he talks like Mommy!). In fact, I've been trying to upload a video for several days now, of him chattering away in his car seat one day. Y'all wouldn't believe it -- this kid can talk and talk and talk. (Hmm....wonder where he gets that!)



I just love the look on his face in this shot. He sat in his high chair so well, all through our Sunday meal. I couldn't believe it. He was just taking it all in. I have to say, though, it certainly looked as though he was a little miffed that we weren't sharing our casserole and pie. ;) I can just imagine he is sitting here, going, "so here's what I'm thinking: we do away with this whole milk thing," (to which I say, "I hear ya!"), "and start in on the solids...I want me a piece of that!"

I really hope that I'm able to upload the videos soon...Seth is such a ham when he gets chattering away. He has been such a good baby this week, even though his nose hasn't quit running since Tuesday. Smiles galore.

In fact, we are going to attempt our first professional photos at Portrait Innovations on Sunday. If that doesn't go over too hot, I may work with a girl I know locally who is a fabulous photographer, to see what we can get. Oh! And keep your fingers crossed: just for kicks, I submitted the picture of Seth smiling in his SwaddleMe (a few posts down) for a local photo contest -- he could essentially become the 2008 Toledo Baby. We'll see! We find out on Sunday, and I'll be sure to post!

Until then, I'm going to close with a shout-out to Aunt Cathi and Uncle Mert: we love you guys and wish we could come to your vow renewal tomorrow. You are a wonderful picture of what marriage is all about. May Jim and I be as lucky and blessed as you, to have a such a wonderful life together! xoxoxo

Spring? Already? Surely you jest...

Ugh.

I need a vacation from the goings on of the last 2 weeks.

Our visit with Nonna was wonderful. She wasn't too thrilled with the multiple inches of snow (her blood has gone Florida-thin), but I think there is now a new number one man in her life...or at least a new number one "little man" as she calls Seth.

Seth has been sick. Last weekend he was just miserable, so we headed to the pediatrician on Monday. Yep; sick as can be. Ear infections and bronchitis. So he is getting his first tastes of yummy Amoxicllin (lucky guy, he gets the good pink stuff, not boring pills like us adults get) and he is doing nebulizer treatments. He is back to his normal self, personality-wise, but he is still fighting the awful cough. My poor little man. Sleep has been a rare commodity around here the last week.

Grandpa Beamer's memorial was incredible. I think the whole of Bellevue turned out for the visitation. He was such a good man...

And, just for the record (not that you all have been waiting on pins and needles), Seth is NOT being dedicated tomorrow. Things with the church scheduling have changed, so...no big deal. It's probably better this way anyways, with his still getting back on his feet...or so to speak. Hah!

Jim and I are both facing tough weeks at work; sometimes being a grown-up is no fun. There are some other things going on in our friends' and families' lives to that have our hearts heavy. More grown-up yuckiness. Sigh.

Until next time....

Seth just wanted to say "hello, readers!"

Things are going to (continue to) be crazy around the Gregory household the next several weeks, so I'm not sure how much I'll get to blog.

Nonna K(aren) flies in tomorrow -- finally! -- for a visit. She'll be with us until Sunday, and then we'll take her to Bellevue to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa Soldano. Wednesday, Seth and I will go back to Bellevue for the remainder of the week to be available for Grandma Beamer, and then Jim will join us Friday/Saturday for Grandpa Beamer's memorial service.

Sunday, 3/16, we will dedicate Seth at Westgate, and then on the 17th, I hope to get back to some sort of normalcy -- it's a goal I must reach, as I've promised my clients I'd stay put for a while. We'll see!

Anyway, stay warm and dry, Ohio readers! Though I'm convinced we'll have snow for Easter, I have faith that spring truly is on its way!

We're back!

Not that we ever really went anywhere, but being back to work has left little time for blogging.

The only reason I've found time to carve out a few minutes to write now is that I was blessed with a "grown up" snow day -- we are under a Level 2 snow emergency here in Toledo, so the Hylant office was closed, and I got the spend the day with Seth. Granted, he has spent a good portion of the day asleep, as he is battling his first cold, but it has still been nice to have some extra time with him today.

I do have to concede, however, that being back at work is definitely the right choice for me at this point. The quiet of the house and the restlessness that came over me after I put Seth down for his nap is enough to drive a girl nuts! Though I've done a good deal of yawning at my desk as I get back into the routine of a 9-hour work day, I'm really enjoying being back in the corporate office.

Jim and I took a quick trip to Bellevue to visit Grandma and Grandpa Soldano on Friday night. It was a quick trip, and neither Jim nor I wanted to leave. I think if we'd had my pump and my medicine, we very easily could have been convinced to spend the night. (Something tells me that Grandma and Grandpa would have loved it, too!) Grandpa was hesitant to hold Seth when we took the baby to Bellevue in December, but had no qualms this time -- he scooped Seth right up (and Seth, by the way, love, love, loved the growl of Grandpa's voice) and was the master at getting Seth to sleep. I just hate that we had to steal him away from such a sweet bedtime spot (Grandpa's arms) to go home.

As I mentioned before, Seth is fighting his first cold. He is a trooper, though. Actually, I don't know that he even realizes that he is sick. Yesterday, as I was changing him, he sneezed, and snot went everywhere. He just grinned up at me, as if to say "look what I did, Mom!" He is so darn cute -- I really don't think I could ask for a better baby. He eats well. He sleeps well. (We even got a taste of what is to come on Saturday night -- we woke up at 7:15 Sunday morning, only to realize Seth had slept through the night! Yea!)

I'll close this somewhat boring and random post with a couple pictures from last night. Seth always wakes up SO happy -- it's great. He fell asleep in the recliner last night, and we woke up just like this:

This is what is known as BABY FAT

Seth at 2 weeks and then 8 weeks:

I just can't get over how much he is changing every day. Even as a preemie, he's always had a "little old man face," but now he has a little old man face with a double chin.

He is doing so well this week. (So is mommy, but more on that in a minute.) Here is a funny story about Seth's "day care experience" thus far:

When I was over at Sara and Jessi's last Wednesday, Jessi's two-year-old Caleb was less than impressed with Seth. (This poor child is in for a rude awakening when his little brother or sister arrives in July.) Jessi was holding Seth, and Caleb was none too thrilled with her. When Jessi asked if Caleb would be Seth's friend, since they'd be playing together every day, he noncholantly replied, "No....he can go home with her," pointing at me. Hah! So on Monday, when I got there to pick up Seth, I wasn't too sure what I'd find. Well, Caleb was sitting on the floor next to Seth, gently patting his head. As I walked in, he cried, "It's Seth's mommy!" (How cool does that sound?!) I asked Caleb if they'd had a good day and if Seth could come back tomorrow, to which he said "yes" (yea! progress!), and then he solemnly said to me, "Monica, Seth does not cry AT ALL!" (Again, I say "hah!" I told Jessi that they might want to remedy Seth's behavior or Caleb was going to be very disillusioned about what babies do!) I just thought the whole exchange was so precious, and just reinforced how thrilled I am with the childcare God has provided to us with these two wonderful sisters-in-law, even if only for a short time.

My first days back at work have actually been wonderful. I'll spare you the details that are only important, I'm guessing, to me, but let's just say that yesterday something happened that caused me to remember how much I actually love my job (even though I can get caught up in the drama of the "politics" sometimes). It's been nice to ease back in with the half days, but I'm not too concerned about the coming weeks, as I've only taken one afternoon nap this week (and it was today, and I'm sick, so I think that's a pretty good excuse).

Anyway, that's our update for now. As the "chubby" picture of Seth up there isn't the most flattering, I'll leave you with this one instead. Isn't he beautiful?

Only a few days left of maternity leave... =(

Ah, change.

It's unavoidable, right? On one hand I'm ready to return to work on Monday. On the other hand....well, therein lie all the emotions most working moms feel, I'm sure.

I spent a few hours yesterday with the ladies who are going to be taking care of Seth. I am so confident that he will receive (almost) as much love and TLC from Sara and Jessi as he would from me; they are both expecting this summer, so are in the "baby zone" and just smitten with Seth. So, no worries about dropping him off with them on Monday. Worry has never really been the issue, though. It's more just a feeling of "what will I be missing?" or "Seth isn't going to forget about me, is he?".

Ugh. I guess time will tell, how all the varying factors are going to work together -- scheduling, sleeping, readjusting to corporate life....Jim and I have tackled every challenge that's been thrown at us thus far; I've no doubt we'll get this figured out, too. I just need to get over the "hurling toward the edge of a canyon" feeling I'm dealing with...

In other news, this ridiculous weather we've been having interrupted the plans we'd made for Nana K to come visit. =( Her flight was supposed to land in 15 minutes....and instead, she's in Florida, Seth is in his cradle, and here I sit, typing to you guys, and feeling disappointed. Sniffle, sniffle. I know all things happen for a reason, but I'm really, really bummed. And I know my disappointment probably pales in comparison to hers...So, for you, Mom, here are some semi-recent pictures of Seth:

8 lbs!

Seth had a wonderful pediatrician appointment today. Well, sort of. He is growing wonderfully. Dr. H said he'd have been happy to see Seth reach 7 lbs, but to break 8? We were both surprised. He is 20.5 inches, and his head (while I don't remember the exact measurement) was right on track, too. Dr. H went over his growth chart with me, and while Seth is still in the lower percentiles, his rate of growth is something to be reckoned with. You go, boy!

In other news, however.....

What we thought was a birthmark on Seth's left leg is actually a strawberry hemangioma. =( Normally, this is something that we would leave untreated, but because of its location (it's technically on his leg, but it's in the crease between his butt and his little man-stuff), we can't keep it dry/clean, and it is getting infected and bleeding each time Seth goes to the bathroom. So, we are scheduled to see a plastic surgeon on Tuesday to see about getting some laser therapy. Poor baby. I think the procedure itself won't be too bad, but in the meantime, he is so, so miserable.

Hopefully, all of this will be taken care of before I return to work. The countdown to February 11 has begun. Thankfully, my first week back will only be part time. As Dr. G said, I can't hide out at home forever, and, in reality, I'm ready. My resolve is just wavering a little right now, as I want to be the one nursing Seth through this hemangioma thing, and the thought that it'll still be pending in three weeks makes me sad. But anyway. Work. It's looming. But I'm going at it in mini-goals....

Anyway, I'm tired. Really tired. And my boobs hurt, as we've stopped weaning and are now merely supplementing with formula, which, yes, means I'm still pumping. Not as long, and not as frequently. The plan is only to pump as long as I can do it comfortably and not get sick....and I don't think my current discomfort is sick, just sore. So, I'm off to find my Lansinoh and Zoloft and call it a night.

The month in review....and finally, some more pictures

Thank you all for your patience, and for only slightly hounding me to update the blog and to post new pictures of Seth. Understandably, it's been a crazy month, with many adjustments and, well, not as much mommy-healing going on as we'd have liked. But things are starting to look up, and as I sit here, watching Jim and Seth sleep in the recliner, I can't help but be hopeful that things really will be okay, and sooner than I'd been thinking.

Before I get to the pictures...thank you all for your continued prayers and support as Jim and I have suffered through my slow, slow recovery. I had a good appointment with Dr. Gibbs yesterday. He has me on yet another antibiotic, in hopes of clearing up the mastitis and yeast infections in my breasts, and he also gave me the "permission" I needed from him to begin the process of stopping nursing. As much as I had hoped to enjoy nursing Seth, it was not meant to be. His prematurity combined with my post-delivery complications have made our "connection" nearly impossible, and Dr. Gibbs was able to put my mind at ease yesterday, telling me that at this point, it is more vital that I begin to be able to care for Seth in the way in which I want to rather than provide breast milk. So...we're weaning. And all I have to say about that is ouch.

But now, for the fun stuff. =) Watch me grow...

Week One - Dec 14-Dec 20

Week Two - Dec 21-Dec 27

Week Three - Dec 28-Jan 3

Week Four - Jan 4-Jan 10

Apparently, week 4 wasn't his most photogenic...this is the only shot we took the whole week. (I'm sure if you ventured over to Dad's MySpace, however, you'd find more shots!)

Week Five - Jan 11-Jan 17

Look who is one month old!