Time keeps flying by

I've been back at work over two months now, which means there isn't a lot of free time for things like blogging. Which also means I haven't been updating all of the exciting things that have been going on.

First of all, Aviva is almost 5 months old. To the left you'll see a picture of her at 4 months, holding on to her dear Blinky. Does she really love Blinky more than any other toy? I have no idea. He was the easiest to grab on to from a young age so we assume she likes him.

But now she's able to grab much tinier items, such as smaller toys, teething rings and my mascara. I used to be able to hold Aviva while putting on my makeup if she was getting fussy, but now she has learned to grab for everything in my hand, which makes this a little difficult.

So what else is she doing? Laughing, that's for sure. Most of the time she's quite a happy little girl, with a huge grin and an infectious laugh. Unfortunately grabbing that smile on camera is never easy. As soon as a phone gets in front of her face she goes blank and sticks out her tongue. But we still try.

Tummy time used to last for about 30 seconds before a big crying jag, but now Aviva is able to push herself up just like the books say she's supposed to do around this time. Any minute she'll be rolling over, and then we're in for a treat.

I actually think she rolled over once in her crib, which is a problem because we were still swaddling her. Since that time we've started to have her sleep with her arms out, just in case it happens again. That incident was about a month ago, and now I'm wondering if I didn't actually see it in my sleepy stupor.

This picture on the right is just from a few days ago, while we were watching the Bears most recent loss. About a minute after this Luther had Aviva's foot in his mouth, so that was the end of that fun time. Hey, at least they noticed each other?

Aviva is also "talking" up a storm, though she isn't really actually saying anything. But she makes lots of fun noises and attempts to have her own form of a conversation.

In just four days we're going to hit 5 months! And then in another month we'll be starting solids, yet another new adventure.

Stay tuned!

Back to work

Despite early struggles, Aviva is
now taking the bottle like a champ!

Whelp, time sure flies when you're on maternity leave. I'll admit that it started out excruciatingly slow, but then somewhere around week 8 time just started whizzing by uncontrollably.

I'm sure part of the reason it went by faster in the end is because Aviva and I actually started figuring out what we're doing (sort of). She started taking actual naps, which meant mommy could get some work done around the house and knock out some e-mails. And it also put her in a better mood during the day.

I also found a nice little group of girls to walk with, and spent a lot of time getting back into shape at the gym. That was the FUN part of maternity leave, and now it's all in the past.

There are some pluses and minuses to heading back to work. First of all, of course I miss being able to spend all day with my little girl. But on the other hand it's nice to NOT have to spend all day with my little girl.

Is that terrible? I love our time together, but it can be stressful, confusing, exhausting, worrisome and any other adjective you want to throw in there. Now I'm on my own all day, free to have conversations, go to the bathroom, go for a walk without a stroller, and eat a meal!

Somehow Hadas can get a picture of
Aviva smiling when I
have failed oh so many times. 

On Friday, August 1 Aviva went off to daycare for the first time, while I stayed home and finished up some freelance and got things situated around the house. I thought about her a lot, but there was a bit of a release inside of my brain when I handed her off to Hadas (the lovely woman who runs the daycare).

I have to admit I was too busy to miss her at first, but right when I got the e-mail from Hadas about how great Aviva was doing (complete with the pictures attached to this e-mail), I must say I got a little teary. I was supposed to pick her up at 3pm but arrived at about 2:45 because I wanted to get there as quickly as possible. She was a perfect little angel for Hadas, which meant I knew I could leave her and she'd be OK.

One of the main things I was worried about in terms of returning to work was how the heck we were going to get ourselves ready for work AND get Aviva ready for daycare. Turns out it hasn't been that big of a deal. Granted I haven't dried or styled my mop of a hair since returning to work almost two weeks ago, but I manage to walk out the door wearing pants, and somehow I manage not to forget anything major (my kindle has been left at home twice now and once I forgot makeup).

It's a really easy setup. I get up at 6AM and feed Aviva her pre-breakfast. I then put her back into her crib (usually she'll go back to sleep) and hop into the shower. After I'm dressed, I get Aviva dressed while Jeff showers. Then Jeff and Aviva hang out while I take the dog out for a walk. Jeff heads off to work, Aviva gets another snack and then I grab her bottles and whatever else she needs and head out the door. I park right in front of Hadas's house and drop Aviva off, then I park the car in a permit-free zone and hop on the train. Magically, I manage to arrive between 8:15 and 8:30, about the time I made it to work prior to having a baby. And usually I'm one of the first creative folks in the door. After work, Jeff picks Aviva up from daycare and I meet them at home. The end.

Making friends already! Maya is reaching out,
and unfortunately I don't know the
name of the little guy on his tummy. 

Now what I don't like is that I get home at 6pm and Aviva goes to bed at 7pm. Sure we get a little time in the morning, but I'm rushing around trying to make sure I have everything we need. So all in all I get about two hours a day with my daughter, and the rest of the time she's asleep or being cared for by someone else. When I look at that things that way, it's a little upsetting.

Again on the up side, it's nice to feel like a productive member of society as I move forward in my career. I was promoted at work, and it feels good to be appreciated for more than the fact that I produce milk.

The one thing that I think will have to go out the window is regular exercise. This is difficult, because I love going on runs, going swimming, or hitting up my favorite gym. I will most certainly get my exercise on over the weekend, but I just don't see how I can workout during the week. Either I wake up at 5am and get going or I go for a run at 8pm at night. Seeing as how I have to pump at 8:30 and like to get to bed with my kindle at about 9pm, there isn't much time to relax, eat, or catch up on TV.

I know, I know, I could adjust my priorities and make time for exercise, but I think I need just a little more time to get this working mom thing figured out a little better.  And, until I'm done nursing I'm allowed to hang on to those five extra pounds, right?

Our little Illini fan

Tired, but ready to run!

With parents like us, it's only natural for Aviva to be an Illini fan from birth. My current facebook profile picture is a lovely one of Aviva fast asleep in her stroller covered with an Illini blanket. It's a bit too warm right now for that blanket, but there are plenty of other ways to show off her spirit. 

A couple of weeks ago, we had a full-on Illini weekend. The fun began on Saturday, July 26th when we got up super early to head over to the B1G Ten 10K race. This is the third year that the race has taken place, and for some reason we've been out of town every other year. I decided while still pregnant that a 10K would be a great goal and so I signed up. 

Pretty much up until the day of the race I was kicking myself for not signing up for the 5K instead. Before being preggo a 10K wasn't really a big deal. It's not my favorite length (I prefer the 8K myself), but it was certainly easy to do. I did my best to get in some practice runs, but this isn't easy with an infant. Add to that the fact that I hadn't gone running in a loooooong time, and you've got a stressed out mamma. And, let's not forget I really needed new running shoes, but it seemed like a silly waste of money when we need diapers, toys, and that cute stuffed toy over there for our new baby. 

Anyway, we got up at about 5:30 in the morning, which is early even for Aviva (she tends to rouse around 6:30). We dressed her up in an Illini t-shirt that's way too big and headed down to Soldier Field. 

I ran the race while Aviva and Jeff walked around and visited all the fun B1G Ten party tents. This included a picture opportunity of Aviva with the football championship trophy! I'm guessing an item that she won't really see again soon as an Illini fan (zinnng!)

The race itself was fine. I finished! I will admit there was a bit of walking here and there, but I did finish in just over an hour. My 5K split showed that I was going faster than a 10-minute mile! Although that changed in the second half... My goal was to finish and I did it. That's all that matters. 

Bardo!

After I finished the race and finally tracked down my husband and family, which wasn't easy since I don't run with a phone, we hung out for a little while and ran into a few friends. 

As we were cutting through the crowd to head home, I spotted Illini basketball great Stephen Bardo. Luckily, when you have an adorable baby you can walk up to anyone and ask for a picture. Which is what I did. As you can see from the picture Aviva missed the entire thing, as she fell asleep for most of the morning.

Then on Sunday, our favorite bar hosted an Illini fun day with football coach Tim Beckman in attendance. We found a different Illini outfit that's too big (we need her to grow into her Illini gear) and walked over for a quick beverage and to see if the venue could fit a stroller. 

The scene wasn't too crowded, and it turns out we weren't the only fools with a baby. Coach Beckman's wife fawned over Aviva (naturally) and again it was very easy to walk up to coach and ask for a picture with my baby! This time Jeff and I got in on the action as well. 

Up next, we'll be taking Aviva to her first football game in a little over a month. Stay tuned! 

The whole family got in on a photo op with Coach Tim Beckman at Schoolyard!

Visiting the show me state

Me, Aviva, Bella, Kelli and Liam!

This past weekend, Aviva  and I went on our first major adventure.

We took a train to St. Louis, where she was able to meet her future best friends Liam and Bella Trachtman. Liam and Bella's mom Kelli was a bridesmaid in my wedding, where she met her future baby daddy Alec, who just so happened to be a fraternity brother of my baby daddy. Funny how that all works out.

Mr. Liam is just two months older than Aviva, and Kelli and I couldn't wait to get the two together. Bella is already a big girl at 2, and she was probably more excited to meet Aviva than Liam, who may be the chillest baby I've ever met. You can see in the picture above that nothing really phases him and those adorable cheeks.

The trip got off to a rocky start, as Aviva's big brother Luther had a bit of a health scare earlier in the week. That's a post in and of itself, but I'm happy to say the furry guy is doing just fine right now. The trip took a lot of planning and organizing, and my stress levels went through the roof, which didn't help matters for anyone.

The longest train ride ever
Aviva and I were supposed to take an Amtrack train at 9:30 on Thursday, but due to Luther's health and a last-minute trip to the vet that morning, we opted to take the train at 1:45 instead. Jeff had to work and so he would be meeting us with the car Friday night.

Aviva was fast asleep at Union Station

Getting to Union Station was easy, but once we got there it was a zoo! We arrived about 20 minutes early and our train was already boarding. We took our seats on the second level, which required some help from a kind gentleman who carried our bag as I maneuvered up a tiny staircase with Aviva in her car seat. We were lucky to get a two-seater all to ourselves, so we could spread out as much as necessary.

On the whole the train ride itself wasn't THAT bad. The problem was that our six-hour trip ended up being about nine hours. We were supposed to arrive at 7:21, which was plenty of time to catch up and get to bed at a reasonable hour. Instead, delays meant that we arrived in St. Louis after 10:30. Keep in mind all I had with me was snacks, and I wasn't able to go to the bathroom because who was going to watch my baby? Since I couldn't go to the bathroom I was trying not to overdue it on the hydration. When we arrived at Kelli's house she was already fast asleep, and Alec was kind enough to pick me up. I was starving but opted to just put Aviva to bed, use the bathroom, and fall into bed myself.

Our luxurious
accommodations

Aviva was really a rock star on the train. She slept in her car seat for a good 3 hours, and though she was a bit fussy there weren't any all-out screams. Our train neighbors were very nice and a few offered to help if I needed anything. We didn't really take anyone up on the help but it was super nice of them to offer. We managed to use the nursing cover pretty well, though I'm guessing a few Amtrak patrons got a boob shot they weren't expecting. And Aviva had some good poops but nothing that ruined her clothes! Without the delays it would've been a great experience, with the delays I've proclaimed that I will never ride Amtrak again...

Meet me in St. Louis
That first night in St. Louis, Aviva was a bit overtired and out of her element, so she didn't have the best night's sleep. But we figured it out! She was also in a Pack N' Play, when she is used to sleeping in a newborn napper. Thankfully the room was nice and dark and she was right next to my bed so there was more crying than normal but she managed to get some shuteye.

In the morning, the babies got to meet! Liam is probably the most easy going baby I've ever met, which made Aviva seem like a big ol' cry baby. Bella was crazy about Aviva, who seemed pretty enamored with her new friend as well. At one point Aviva started a crying avalanche, wherein all of the other gals in the house (Bell and the Nanny's daughter Bentley) went on a crying rampage. Throughout it all Liam just looked at the gals like they were crazy.

Kelli and I took Aviva out for sushi, and thankfully she slept the whole way. Then we braved the outlet mall, where I was able to find a few things to wear to work when I return in a couple of weeks (gulp). Again, she slept for most of the trip, and as soon as her meltdown started we were ready to skidaddle anyway.

Jeff arrived Friday night, and Aviva was already in the groove of her new surroundings. Saturday was the big exciting day, because it was the first time we'd be leaving Aviva with someone other than her grandparents. Lilya, who runs a daycare down the street and used to watch Bella before Liam came along, would be in charge of all three munchkins, and Jeff and I were rather nervous about the whole situation. Aviva still doesn't take a bottle, and she isn't a big fan of people she doesn't know.

Two hot mommas out on the town.

Turns out Aviva is only a fussbucket when mommy and daddy are around, because she had zero problems with Lilya. She took a bottle, took two naps and was described as an "angel." Well, OK! We'll take it. This makes us feel much better about the prospect of heading off to daycare.

Once we were able to check in with Lilya after about an hour and a half of being out, I felt much better the rest of the evening. It was sort of a weird relief to sit back and relax and not have to worry that Aviva would be waking from a nap anytime soon. I could used to this babysitter thing...

When we got home Aviva was still fast asleep, and went to bed without any problems. Sunday morning we headed home and Aviva slept for most of the trip.

*Another new discovery, when Aviva is upset, playing Counting Stars on my phone via YouTube and singing along seems to work wonders. Keep this in mind for future adventures.

Look who's two months old!

Aviva at two months!

Okay, as per usual I'm a little behind. I'm going to stop apologizing for such things and hope that my audience realizes that I'm a new mom and I blog when I can. Even now someone is supposed to be down for a nap and isn't quite asleep just yet, here's hoping she falls asleep on her own (she did).

Now that we've got that out of the way, look who is already two months old (plus a week...)! Last week we took Aviva in for her two month appointment, and before they attacked her with needles we had a laundry list of questions.

For example, is green poop normal? Is it weird that she gets the hiccups on a daily basis, what about all that sneezing? Turns out pretty much every question I had the response was "that's normal." So no need to worry about the fact that my baby snores.

My biggest fear at this visit was what the pediatrician would say about her weight. I was proud to see that Aviva surpassed the 9-pound mark, but that isn't a huge gain from her birth weight of 7 pounds 2 ounces. Nine pounds placed Aviva squarely in the 3rd percentile, but at least she was on the chart!

Her head circumference (I can't remember what it was) put her in the 25th percentile and her length of 22 and 3/4 inches put her in the 50th. She is clearly growing, she just seems to be gaining weigh at a slow pace. My parents told me that I had a similar issue, and the pediatrician simply scheduled another appointment in a month to take a look at her progress. No need to worry yet, just something we'll keep an eye on. Dr. Sterrett repeatedly referred to her as being a "peanut."

After we attacked her with questions, the nurse entered with the dreaded vaccines. I'm happy that we've started the process of her immunizations, but it wasn't fun to hear the screams as she was poked and prodded. I'm a wimp and had to look away as the nurse stabbed her, but Jeff was a trooper and watched the whole thing up close. After it was all done we held her and hugged her and she calmed down rather quickly.

When we got home, both of us were worried about a fever, and were constantly pressing our hands onto her forehead. The only real side effect we noticed from the vaccines was that her legs were a bit sore at the site of the shots, but other than that no troubles.

We'll go back and see Dr. Sterrett in a month to check her weight, and in two months to get the next round of shots.

Walking for a cause

I was determined to wear that stupid
bib thingy even though it was unnecessary. 

I've often said that I prefer dogs to people, because I get along with dogs better. For that reason, when it comes to supporting a cause it usually involves animals.

Our darling dog Luther joined our family over 6 years ago (his anniversary is Nov. 19th) from PAWS Chicago, so every year the whole family signs up for the PAWS 4K walk/8K run.

We enjoy this event because I always like to gear up for a good run, and Jeff and Luther can get involved by walking the 4K. As the years went by, my parents also got into the act and walked the 4K with their dog, Macaroon.

Usually I run this event, but since Aviva was born about a month prior, I had to face the facts that this year I'd be walking. My first run isn't scheduled until July 26th, and I'm not really sure I'll even be ready for that one.

Getting to Montrose Harbor on a Saturday morning for the PAWS event is always difficult, and since we have the pups we can't get on public transportation. That means searching for parking by the beach-something everyone else is also doing. We managed to get out of the house around the time we planned (hey 20 minutes late isn't so bad), and we found a parking spot right in front! Then I realized we forgot our packets...

You see, when you're running the race, the packet and bibs with numbers are vital! Apparently, this isn't the case with the walkers. But I had no idea! So I stayed in the car with Grandma, Grandpa, Aviva and the dogs to secure the spot while Jeff graciously ran home to get the packets. On the plus side, it was sort of rainy and icky out, and we had about an hour to kill. Grandpa and Macaroon braved the drizzle, while Grandma and I played Words With Friends in the car.

Again, had I opened the packets at any point I would've realized how useless and unnecessary they were. Ooopsies! Luckily I get a free pass for all things stupid for I would say the first year or so of Aviva's life, right?

Once we got the packet issue settled, we all enjoyed a nice morning and a nice walk. It was fun to see how the other half lives (re: walkers), but next year I am definitely running the race. There were tons of doggies, strollers, and crazy dog owners (myself included). Many of the dogs were in costume, and there was a lot of butt sniffing and pooping along the route (I wasn't included in that). We ran into a few friends we hadn't seen in a while, enabling us to show off the latest addition to the family.

PAWS was aiming to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by having the most animals in costume in one place, so we participated by forcing Luther to wear his Illini jersey. He wasn't especially happy about that.

Aviva blissfully slept through the entire event, and even stayed asleep as we went out to a tasty brunch immediately following the walk. I would characterize the day as a success, and look forward to next year!

Visiting Wrigley Field

Cubs locker room!

On Friday, June 13 Aviva enjoyed her first visit to Wrigley Field.

Sure, she slept through the entire thing, but we have photographic evidence that she was there.

In August we'll take Aviva to her first actual game, but attending family day was the perfect start.

Cubs dugout

Aviva was able to see the Cubs locker room and visitor's locker room, sit in the dugout and see the press box. And all this happened while she was squished into her Daddy in a Moby wrap.

She finally woke up
on the way home...

Thanks to Katie and Max for inviting us to attend family day at Wrigley Field! Other than getting to take Aviva to see the ballpark, the best part for me might have been that the free meal included veggie dogs. Yum!

Perhaps next year Aviva will be able to walk out onto the field and catch a ball or two, or maybe the year after that...