Today was a great day. I love that I woke up with Liam on one side of me (in his bassinet of course) and Winston on the other side of me. The sun was finally out and was shining bright...this hasn't happened in a while, and I know everyone was giddy with sunshine today. Winston and I had a somewhat rough night with Liam waking up alot earlier than we had planned, thus, thrusting us into our parental roles a whole lot earlier than we anticipated. However, we worked it out with alternating who was on baby-duty while the other one slept. I must say, Winston got more sleep than me, due to the fact that he had to work tonight, AND he doesn't have breastfeeding boobs that wake him up! It's not fair! Nonetheless, we had coffee, cinnamon rolls, and morning smiles.
It was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon when I finally was able to get up and get a shower. By 1pm, I had fed Liam a few times, given him a bath, made breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, and did some laundry. I must have a knack for timing, because Winston was trying to get up and get ready for work as well. So we did our bathroom dance as we shared the space together, catching each other's eye all the while. By 2 o'clock, I was showered, dressed, and ready to go, however Liam wanted to eat before we headed out. By the time we were done with all of that, it was about 3:30pm! Aye yay yay...
So Liam and I went shopping and did other errands, and I can honestly say, he is the best child to take out. He slept the entire time! As I was shopping, I found other shoppers and passersby peer into the stroller to check out who was in there! Of course, they think he is the cutest thing! :) I'm a proud mama, what can I say? We were going to take dinner to Winston, but he said he was too busy, so we were on our own. Chipotle it was! We sat outside at one of the tables, and as I ate and read my People magazine, Liam slumbered away. It was great!
When we arrived home, we did our routine of diaper changing, feeding, and burping. But it was during the burping session that I found myself getting choked up. I had my laptop on the arm of the couch, and it was doing a slide show of my pictures saved on the computer. As the pictures were changing, I found Liam transfixed on each picture. So as the picture changed, I would say, "that's Mommy," and "that's Daddy," and "that's Mommy and Daddy together" and I was just overcome with emotion! It was seeing all of the old pictures of Winston and I from back in college and afterwards that choked me up...knowing that we have been in love for so long, and knowing that from that love, we created Liam. I look at Liam everyday and can't help but think about how much we both love him...he will definitely know and feel it! It's just so crazy to see him grow and develop everyday...it really just amazes me! I was watching Oprah the past few days (it's her final season...!) and she had some of her most memorable guests on the show. During one of the shows, she covered a mother who was taping herself because she was dying of breast cancer and knew she was going to die, and made a series of tapes for her then 6 year old daughter. I put myself in her position, and thought about what I would do for Liam if I knew I was not going to live to see the next year. Would I begin writing him letters? Would I sit in front of a video camera and record myself? Would I gather pictures together and scrapbook it all for him for easy perusing? Yes. Yes. Yes. I would do it all for him. I can't imagine that after the million kisses to his forehead, his cheeks, his toes, his belly, his hands...I would think that he would know that I love him so much. However, I know that he is too young to remember. I put myself in this poor mother's position and thought about how emotional it must be to talk to a camera as though you are speaking to your offspring, and talking about life lessons, do's and don'ts, and everything else in between. It got me thinking...what would you say or do if YOU found out that life was short on time? Do you think you could fit ALL of your messages to your children on tapes? Do you think you could help guide them towards being the best person they can be?
I am about to crawl into bed and look over at that precious, sleeping, bundle of joy. I wish the world for him. I want him to be happy, healthy, and in love. I want him to find his purpose and fulfill it. I want him to have children of his own and understand how deep love can really go.
~Keep in the sunlight~
Jess
Friday, May 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Kansas Trip 2011
The day had come...the 3 Grieshaber Girls were setting off with baby Henry and baby Liam to visit our parents who are currently residing in Hutchinson, KS. The day before Lauren (my little sister) and I were to depart to Lexington to spend the night at my older sister Amber's house (so the next morning we could all get up and jump in the car and head west), I get word that Lauren's husband was experiencing car problems and wouldn't start. So in order to get it all worked out, I offered to drive to Columbus (the half way point between our houses) to meet them and drive them to Cinci. So we did this on a Monday evening, and didn't return until midnight. After feeding Liam and pumping, I didn't get to bed until 1am. Lauren and I were both totally exhausted. The following morning, I had an 8am appointment to get my windshield "repaired" which ended up needing to be replaced, and this errand ended up taking a full 4 hours out of my fully packed prep day. This was all going on during the day in which I set aside to do all the last minute packing and cleaning before our big adventure. To add to it, my husband was pouting because I wasn't going to have time to cook this huge 8 pound pork butt...so I cooked it (which took a good 8 hours in the oven) in addition to 3 loads of laundry, errands out around town, and cleaning. Nonetheless, after making dinner, cleaning up from dinner, making additional food for my husband while I was away and cleaning up after that, Lauren and I didn't get on the road until 9:30pm to head to Lexington. Once in Lex, we had to unpack all of our bags, feed babies, and try to get some great sleep before our big adventure. Again, sleep was not something that I got alot of...5:30 came reallllllllly early. Once we were all up, it was crazy! Amber flew into our room with news that her best friend was going into labor, we were all trying to get showers and feed babies and pack the car...it was mayhem. Finally, we were all loaded up in the car at 7:30am and ready to head out. As soon as we were in the car, Amber called one of her friends at work to get the status of her friend who was in labor, and her friend put us on speaker phone while Amber's friend was in the operating room during her C-section. It was the wildest thing to feel that we were right there! Her friend did not know the sex of the baby, so it was so great to hear her excitement that she had a girl! I am not sure if it was the lack of sleep mixed with stress, or true emotion (I'm going with the latter) but I was so emotional and was crying like a baby! It was difficult to drive with teary eyes! And yes, I was the one who opted for the first leg of driving...which ended up being a stupid, stupid idea!
So after 2 explosive blow-outs from Liam, 4 outfit changes, 4 destroyed burp cloths, 3 soiled bibs, 2 layers of car seat lining removed, and 1 lost pacifier, all from my little man Liam, we arrived in "Hutch" all jacked up on Starbucks and sleep deprivation. My Mom had the house looking and smelling great and was so excited to see the silver Maxima pull up in her driveway carrying all of her precious cargo. We walked in to a beautiful house, full with the aromas of dinner on the stove, waiting just for us! My Dad had to work late, so we beat him to the house, but as soon as we were finishing our tour of their new digs, he walked in and immediately claimed baby-holding-duty. My tired eyes were failing me, and before I knew it, I was passed out in the luscious, comfy, feather bed in my room with Liam beside me in his boppy pillow. We were both exhausted.
The visit with the parents was exactly as I had imagined. We had lunch at one of their favorite joints, saw all the cute parts of the town, dropped in at my Dad's office to show off the babies and meet his secretaries and co-workers, had numerous feasts, and lots of giggles. We found ourselves poolside many days, enjoying the 90 degree weather to it's fullest. We took a walk around their small, quaint neighborhood, played XBOX kinect, cooed at the babies, and ate some more. Mom, Lauren and I all enjoyed Mother's Day together on Sunday...we went to brunch at the Country Club, then hung by the pool, and enjoyed Ken's pizza in the evening. It was so wonderful! My awesome sister Amber got us the best presents ever: family tree necklaces that have the birthstones of our husbands, ourselves, and our babies on them. They were amazingly special. Each necklace was different, as they individually represented our personal family tree. Amber always just comes up with the coolest gifts!
Unfortunately, the day had come that we had to pack our bags back up and head back east. Packing was an amazing task, since burp cloths, diapers, laundry, bottles, and toys were scattered all over their gorgeous house. After getting some shut-eye, I got both baby and body ready for the long trek home. After having a terrible drive out to Kansas, I was prepared for the worst. We said our goodbyes, hugged our parents, packed the car, and drove off... It was the first time I wasn't emotional from leaving them, but I think it was because I was so excited to get home to my hubby. Liam surprised us all by being on his best behavior and not being so fussy. I was so happy! I didn't think I could have done another grueling drive like that again. After driving all day, we finally arrived home in Cincinnati at midnight. Lauren and Henry stayed with us that night, and I don't think Lauren and I could even get to our beds before we passed out. Winston was more than excited to see his little man, and I will never forget the moment in bed that we all reconnected.
I can now say that I saw Mom and Dad's new digs, saw what Hutch had to offer, and loved every minute. I would have been upset if I did not get to see their new place while on maternity leave. Winston and I are planning another trip out there in September with Liam, so we shall see how that trip goes! All I know is that I am one lucky girl who has the cutest son, most loving husband, and sweet, caring sisters. Life is good. Especially when you stay in the sunlight. :)
Jess
So after 2 explosive blow-outs from Liam, 4 outfit changes, 4 destroyed burp cloths, 3 soiled bibs, 2 layers of car seat lining removed, and 1 lost pacifier, all from my little man Liam, we arrived in "Hutch" all jacked up on Starbucks and sleep deprivation. My Mom had the house looking and smelling great and was so excited to see the silver Maxima pull up in her driveway carrying all of her precious cargo. We walked in to a beautiful house, full with the aromas of dinner on the stove, waiting just for us! My Dad had to work late, so we beat him to the house, but as soon as we were finishing our tour of their new digs, he walked in and immediately claimed baby-holding-duty. My tired eyes were failing me, and before I knew it, I was passed out in the luscious, comfy, feather bed in my room with Liam beside me in his boppy pillow. We were both exhausted.
The visit with the parents was exactly as I had imagined. We had lunch at one of their favorite joints, saw all the cute parts of the town, dropped in at my Dad's office to show off the babies and meet his secretaries and co-workers, had numerous feasts, and lots of giggles. We found ourselves poolside many days, enjoying the 90 degree weather to it's fullest. We took a walk around their small, quaint neighborhood, played XBOX kinect, cooed at the babies, and ate some more. Mom, Lauren and I all enjoyed Mother's Day together on Sunday...we went to brunch at the Country Club, then hung by the pool, and enjoyed Ken's pizza in the evening. It was so wonderful! My awesome sister Amber got us the best presents ever: family tree necklaces that have the birthstones of our husbands, ourselves, and our babies on them. They were amazingly special. Each necklace was different, as they individually represented our personal family tree. Amber always just comes up with the coolest gifts!
Unfortunately, the day had come that we had to pack our bags back up and head back east. Packing was an amazing task, since burp cloths, diapers, laundry, bottles, and toys were scattered all over their gorgeous house. After getting some shut-eye, I got both baby and body ready for the long trek home. After having a terrible drive out to Kansas, I was prepared for the worst. We said our goodbyes, hugged our parents, packed the car, and drove off... It was the first time I wasn't emotional from leaving them, but I think it was because I was so excited to get home to my hubby. Liam surprised us all by being on his best behavior and not being so fussy. I was so happy! I didn't think I could have done another grueling drive like that again. After driving all day, we finally arrived home in Cincinnati at midnight. Lauren and Henry stayed with us that night, and I don't think Lauren and I could even get to our beds before we passed out. Winston was more than excited to see his little man, and I will never forget the moment in bed that we all reconnected.
I can now say that I saw Mom and Dad's new digs, saw what Hutch had to offer, and loved every minute. I would have been upset if I did not get to see their new place while on maternity leave. Winston and I are planning another trip out there in September with Liam, so we shall see how that trip goes! All I know is that I am one lucky girl who has the cutest son, most loving husband, and sweet, caring sisters. Life is good. Especially when you stay in the sunlight. :)
Jess
THE Royal Wedding
So as long as I live, I will always remember where I was when Prince William and Kate got married. Oh, sorry, I mean the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. :) I was sitting on my couch...with my baby boy...
Of course, I was one of "those" people who got up at 4am to watch the wedding live. No...no alarm clock was set...it just happens to be that as a breastfeeding mother, I happened to be up at that time. I was so grateful that Liam got us both up to watch the wedding! I was giddy with excitement!!!!! Of course, I had it taping on two separate channels, but you could not have paid me money to peel my eyes away from BBC America's channel. Lauren and I were both up feeding our babies and pumping into empty plastic bottles, all the while, listening to the low hum of the breast pump. But alas, as I switched on our amazing flat screen TV, I was enamored with all the news media that was covering the wedding...anticipating seeing any member of the royal family and of course, waiting for the big reveal of Kate's wedding dress. After I fed Liam and had him soundly slumbering in his boppy next to me, my fast fingers furiously texted Lauren every few seconds. We were both holding our breath and on the edge of our seats! We were texting so much, that I had to switch my phone to vibrate so as to not disturb my precious sleeping baby. Then lo and behold, we saw Prince Harry and Prince William depart from Clarence House in their amazingly hot uniforms, seated in an amazingly hot car. I could not hold back any longer...the time had come...I called Lauren and let out this breathless gasp of air...fighting to find the words of how hot William looked. I then decided to call my mother, who earlier claimed that she was planning on getting up as well, however, when she answered the phone, she sounded like she was sleeping! I could not believe it! My own mother...the woman who claimed to be one of Princess Diana's biggest fan...was sleeping through the wedding of the decade! Let's just say, it did not take long for my Mom to wake back up and call me back. She phoned in, and I joined Lauren and Mom's call together, so the three of us were all on the same line. We were all on the edge of our seats! Lauren and I had to catch Mom up to speed from all that she missed. She was up in time to see everyone's drive to the cathedral, she started with seeing Kate's mother and brother arriving at the Abbey. We then watched Prince Charles and Camilla, Pippa and the other bridesmaids, the Queen, and then FINALLY Kate. All cameras were on Kate as she gave the world a teasing glimpse of her dress as she graciously climbed into the car. But we did not have to wait too long...she sat in a gorgeous Rolls Royce that was all windows, and the world got to see the top bodice of her dress. She graciously waved at all the passersby as she and her father made their way to the Abbey where her prince awaited. It wasn't until she stepped out of the car, that we got to see the dress in all of it's glory. She had a beautiful A-line dress, with gorgeous lace sleeves, scalloped neckline, form-fitting bodice, and a 9ft. train. She wore a beautiful Cartier tiara that was loaned to her by the Queen. Again, we were all giddy with excitement! On cue, little Liam woke up and starting stirring as she was making her way to the Abbey, so I did what anyone would do...I stuck him on the boob! Hahaha! It was a beautiful ceremony that was solemn and structured, yet flirty between William and Kate. Then the infamous carriage ride took place back through the crowds up to Buckingham Palace. Again, we awaited another time in history, waiting for THE kiss on the balcony. I could not be happier when they kissed not once, but twice!!!!
It was a long morning, but worth it!!! I watched the wedding all day long...I watched it on several channels and documentaries that made Winston more than disgusted. I could not help myself! I was so excited to watch the wedding of the decade! History was made! And I got to witness it!
Of course, I was one of "those" people who got up at 4am to watch the wedding live. No...no alarm clock was set...it just happens to be that as a breastfeeding mother, I happened to be up at that time. I was so grateful that Liam got us both up to watch the wedding! I was giddy with excitement!!!!! Of course, I had it taping on two separate channels, but you could not have paid me money to peel my eyes away from BBC America's channel. Lauren and I were both up feeding our babies and pumping into empty plastic bottles, all the while, listening to the low hum of the breast pump. But alas, as I switched on our amazing flat screen TV, I was enamored with all the news media that was covering the wedding...anticipating seeing any member of the royal family and of course, waiting for the big reveal of Kate's wedding dress. After I fed Liam and had him soundly slumbering in his boppy next to me, my fast fingers furiously texted Lauren every few seconds. We were both holding our breath and on the edge of our seats! We were texting so much, that I had to switch my phone to vibrate so as to not disturb my precious sleeping baby. Then lo and behold, we saw Prince Harry and Prince William depart from Clarence House in their amazingly hot uniforms, seated in an amazingly hot car. I could not hold back any longer...the time had come...I called Lauren and let out this breathless gasp of air...fighting to find the words of how hot William looked. I then decided to call my mother, who earlier claimed that she was planning on getting up as well, however, when she answered the phone, she sounded like she was sleeping! I could not believe it! My own mother...the woman who claimed to be one of Princess Diana's biggest fan...was sleeping through the wedding of the decade! Let's just say, it did not take long for my Mom to wake back up and call me back. She phoned in, and I joined Lauren and Mom's call together, so the three of us were all on the same line. We were all on the edge of our seats! Lauren and I had to catch Mom up to speed from all that she missed. She was up in time to see everyone's drive to the cathedral, she started with seeing Kate's mother and brother arriving at the Abbey. We then watched Prince Charles and Camilla, Pippa and the other bridesmaids, the Queen, and then FINALLY Kate. All cameras were on Kate as she gave the world a teasing glimpse of her dress as she graciously climbed into the car. But we did not have to wait too long...she sat in a gorgeous Rolls Royce that was all windows, and the world got to see the top bodice of her dress. She graciously waved at all the passersby as she and her father made their way to the Abbey where her prince awaited. It wasn't until she stepped out of the car, that we got to see the dress in all of it's glory. She had a beautiful A-line dress, with gorgeous lace sleeves, scalloped neckline, form-fitting bodice, and a 9ft. train. She wore a beautiful Cartier tiara that was loaned to her by the Queen. Again, we were all giddy with excitement! On cue, little Liam woke up and starting stirring as she was making her way to the Abbey, so I did what anyone would do...I stuck him on the boob! Hahaha! It was a beautiful ceremony that was solemn and structured, yet flirty between William and Kate. Then the infamous carriage ride took place back through the crowds up to Buckingham Palace. Again, we awaited another time in history, waiting for THE kiss on the balcony. I could not be happier when they kissed not once, but twice!!!!
It was a long morning, but worth it!!! I watched the wedding all day long...I watched it on several channels and documentaries that made Winston more than disgusted. I could not help myself! I was so excited to watch the wedding of the decade! History was made! And I got to witness it!
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