Little Bro

Well technically he is my little bro in law but whatever. Anyway, a few months ago he got a job as an international flight attendant for Delta which means he gets paid to travel the world... not a bad deal!

I am so excited for him! I stole a few pictures from his Facebook profile to post here...



Notice the windshield wipers... and it must be said... this picture was taken with a digital camera similar to mine... no fancy long lens... no incredible zoom... just your typical point and shoot camera.

Same point and shoot... he is literally this close to wild lions.

Goofing off with the local giraffe!

How cool is that!

It seems like every other day Nick is telling us about the next place he is going. 3 days in Germany for a personal visit, flying to Johannesburg or Dakar or ping ponging all over the United States. So far he has racked up over 350 hours in the air, flown over 130 flights and logged over 150,000 miles which equals circumnavigating the earth 6.37 times.  

We can't wait to hear about the next adventure! 

Turning 30

In just a little less than 48 hours I will turn 30. I feel like I should be more... more... something... I can't put my finger on it.

Stressed out? Contemplative? Scared? Jubilant?

Truthfully, I am turning 30 and it really doesn't feel like a big deal. Maybe it's because I am happy with my life. I am married to a wonderful guy who I absolutely adore. I have an incredible son who makes me feel so needed and loved. I have a dad who with just a couple of words can lift my spirits. I have in laws that make me feel wanted... not just as the mom of the grand-baby or the wife of the son... as Jessi the person. I have great friends who are there to make me smile, lend a hand or just be a comfort.

Don't get me wrong... it's not like I am dancing on sugar clouds or hi-fiving pixies. I have a bathroom that is near impossible to get to after the baby goes to bed, a kitchen with only one drawer no more than 4 inches wide, a mountainous debt hanging over us, a big void that my mom used to fill... It's just that I am pretty content with my life. I know the reason that I have a hard to reach bathroom and a small kitchen is so we can live like no one else in the future. I know the huge debt was money well spent. I know that I will see my mom again and this loneliness is only temporary. I've started to get the hang of looking at life from all sides, not just the negative.

Here are a few things from my past 30 years:
Times I have moved - 17
States I have lived in - 5
Countries I have lived in - 2
Countries I have visited - 5
Blogs I have posted - 334
Times I have been married - 1
Schools I have attended - 13
Birthdays I have had - 31
Auto tickets I have received - 4
Auto tickets I deserved - 2
Cars I have owned - 6
Jobs - 11
Dogs I have had as pets - 2
Ipods I have owned - 3
Accidents I have been in - 1
Number of broken bones - 3
Times I have been hospitalized - 4
Number of times I have been bit by a dog - 2

Just in the past 12 years I have graduated high school (96), gained a dad (97), met my future hubby (98), graduated college (01), lost my brother in law (04), got married (04), lost my mom (04) and had my first child (07).

It's been a good life thusfar... I can't wait to see where the next 30 years takes me!

11 hours of sleep does an adult good as well

So the move has been interesting to say the least.

Rob, Victoria and Tim all came out to help Saturday morning (somehow I didn't get a picture of Rob... sorry man!). Luckily it was nice weather... not raining and not too hot.




Danielle stayed in to help with this....

...so mommy could help out with the actual move. Thank you so much Aunt Danielle!


Apparently us G's have about 22 feet of 'stuff' but we rented a 16 ft truck. We packed it as full as it would get and set off for Hagerstown. We decided that we would put Chase down for bed in the main house and the in laws could 'watch him'... then Adam and I would come back down with the truck, finish loading and drive back to Hagerstown.


Not quite how we pictured our first night out together in Hagerstown... although we did end up at the Starbucks (Hagerstown just got their first 2 this year!)


To us, this picture is worth a thousand words.


Lucky for us not only are the Guenther's service minded, they are night owls as well! They came out to help us finish loading at 10 o'clock! They are literally our 11th hour heroes!


Our sad empty Crofton apartment. I am still in disbelief that we no longer live there. It has been such a great place for the past 2.5 years. We had amazing neighbors, great holidays and it was where we first brought Chase home. I am excited about our new life but I am really going to miss this place.

We got back to Hagerstown around 12:45 and were ready to pass out. Just as we were laying down, Chase woke up. And when I say woke up, I mean woke up. He was screaming (I am sure the new digs didn't sit well with him) so we tried rocking him back to sleep... nope. We tried letting him cry a little... nope. We tried anything and everything we could think of but he was not having it. Finally we decided he would have to cry it out but we couldn't do it in the main house with Adam's parents sleeping... so around 3:00 in the morning Adam and I are shuffling his cottage crib from the main house back to the cottage and situating it in the hallway... then Adam drags our mattress from the main room into the bedroom (the cottage crib wouldn't fit in the through the doorway of the bedroom). By now it's 3:20ish, we are laying on a mattress directly on a hardwood floor and we have a screaming infant mere feet from us. I remember looking at my phone at 3:59 and he was still screaming... somewhere after 4 I fell asleep and/or Chase stopped screaming and fell asleep as well.

Sweet relief. Until 7:30. Chase is back up and ready to go... which is actually fine with us because he slept 1.5 hours longer than usual... we had visions of him waking up at 6 and only getting 1.5 hours of sleep... this way we at least got 3.

Sunday was a mess of unloading the rest of the truck... which I was useless because Chase was in such a bad mood he refused to be held by anyone or sit in any stationary object. He was on my hip for the better part of the day. A wonderful feeling that I will relish for all of my years but on this particular day... with lots to do and very little sleep... annoyed the carp out of me. Adam and his parents organized all the boxen... sending them in the direction they were supposed to go... organizing the basement (which now looks like a very tidy tornado hit it)... getting the cog put together (cog = craft, office, gym... ie spare room in the main house).

Needless to say, Adam and I were all about 'the routine' for Chase's bed time... those of you without kids... 'the routine' is the greatest thing on the face of the earth. It truly helps the baby figure out what is coming next and gets them geared up for sleeping. A good dinner at 5... a calming bath at 5:30... story time with daddy at 5:45... nursing with mommy at 6:10 and asleep in the crib at 6:30. We followed it to a T and sure enough, Chase was down for the count at 6:30. We chilled out in our bedroom/living room/hallway/kitchen... around 7 Chase started crying... Adam and I looked at each other with panic but stuck to our guns... he has to learn the pattern again. 5 minutes later, not a peep.

Want to fathom a guess how long Adam and I made it after that? Go ahead, guess.

7:30. We were both dead asleep by 7:30.

By God's grace, all 3 of us slept until 6:15 this morning. I haven't slept that long for years and boy did it feel good. We have spent the day leisurely putting stuff away and getting organized all the while maintaining Chase's nap schedule. Today has actually been a lot of fun and thank God Adam had the presence of mind to take the day off!

If anyone is interested in pictures of our new digs, I will be posting them in the next day or so!

Thanks to everyone for your well wishes! The newest Hagerstonian signing off!

Because...

I have no brain power... I did a survey. Enjoy. If you answer and post, let me know so I can check it out!

1.I love...
spending time with my husband and son

2. Right now I want...
to be done with this move

3. I feel like..
I don't get enough sleep anymore

4. I hate it when...
the baby decides 5:30 is an appropriate wake up time

5. I fear...
things that are out of my control

6. I'm lonely without...
my mom

7. I want..
to be content

8. Today I...
packed, packed and did some more packing

9. Tomorrow I'm...
becoming a Hagerstonian!

10. I just...
decided to post this on my blog, as well as myspace

11. I want to meet...
Michael Phelps

12. I'm hungry for...
a home-cooked meal

13. I love it when...
Chase smiles/laughs... or when he gets intent on getting his hands on something

14. I'm afraid of...
loved ones dying

15. I'm listening to...
the dripping sound of the heater furnace thing

16. I'm wearing...
tank and pants... my uniform

17. I wish I was in...
Tahiti with husband for a second honeymoon... maybe one day!

18. I'm craving...
eggplant pancakes

19. I want to get...
signed up at the Y in Hagerstown

20. I can...
drive a stick shift, although I prefer my automatic

21. I can't...
whistle... it drives me crazy

22. I have...
the best family

23. I haven't...
figured out where everything will go in 400 square feet

24. I'm nervous to...
make decisions on my own... I always consult the hubby

25. My Mom thinks I'm..
the best daughter in the whole world... I am inclined to agree

26. My Dad thinks I'm..
making much wiser financial moves

27. I think...
raising a child is the hardest job out there

28. I'm happy when...
Adam, Chase and I are all hanging out together... I am very at peace then

29. I'm sad when...
I think of my mom missing out on Chase

30. I like eating...
Adam's cooking... he rocks the kitchen

31. I hate eating...
can this be I hate drinking... other peoples coffee, especially restaurants... gross

32. I love watching...
The Big Bang Theory, Boston Legal, Lost, How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs and the mother of all shows... Friends

33. I love listening to...
My ipod playlists and lately, NPR... how's that for old!!

34. I like playing...
tickle with Chase

35. I hate waking up to..
the baby crying

36. I can see...
a good life for us in Hagerstown

37. I'm glad that...
we made the decision to move to Hagerstown... it's the best thing for our family

38. I'm disappointed that...
I am leaving so many good friends behind

39. I look like...
a trophy wife

40. I wish I looked like...
a more muscular trophy wife

Last Day in Crofton

So tonight is it... tomorrow we are official Hagerstonians! This past week has been a whirlwind of spending time with friends, cooking with limited supplies, carefully navigating ever changing rooms, packing what goes and trashing what isn't necessary.

I wish I had more to say but I am just so tired... I have nothing left. I will just leave you with a picture of Chase...

Flying the friendly skies

I have one sneaky and fast acting friend...

Rose, in a spirit of absolute generosity, bought my airfare to FL for the wedding. Apparently she had been planning this for awhile but after I spouted off about coming no matter what, she decided to act fast and send me my birthday present early!

I can't even begin to convey my absolute appreciation for this. I am seriously at a loss for words... which anyone who knows me, knows that does not happen very often. I will never be able to thank you enough Rose! I cannot wait to celebrate your wedding!

Oh and bonus... I am flying with Kara! It's going to be a great weekend!

How do you celebrate your 10 month birthday?

At the zoo with mommy, Aunt C and Scooter of course!


Hanging out in the birds nest!

My little turtle!

Ride'm cowboy!

Chilling with the polar bears!

It was a lot of fun to be out and about in the sunshine... a nice change from the packing going on at home!

Chase is officially a 10 months old... double digits. It's insane how fast this is flying by.

Tea Anyone?

Rose's Bridal Shower was yesterday at Tea By Two in Bel Air. It was a bit of a hike to get there but a hour in the car without Chase... lets translate what that means to mommy: I can hear NPR... I don't have to sing John Jacob Jinglehiemer Smith over and over and over again... no reaching behind me to pick up whatever toy Chase deemed worthy of throwing out of the car seat... basically, a glorious road trip for mommy!

Unfortunately I had to take the tunnel (so said Garmin at least) and I am not a fan of traveling underwater... tunnels, submarine, scuba diving, you name... I don't like it. Every single time I ride through a tunnel, I have the feeling that it is crumbling behind me. I need to go faster and faster to outrun being swallowed by the water. Completely ridiculous and implausible but it's my fear.


I was a little worried about the party because most (re: all) of the girls are friends of Rose's from work. I was afraid of feeling like the outsider and having no one to talk to...

... yeah, not even a hint of that. From the moment I got there and met the girls, it was like I had known all of them for years. From left to right... Laura, me, Rose, Kara and In Sung.

It doesn't hurt that 4 of us have children within 3 months of each other... that definitely bonds you but truly, I don't think that would have mattered. They were all so nice and welcoming!


We were supposed to wear our best hats... as you can see Rose and Kara went with a southern flair and I went with a downtown blues feel ;~)


We had at least 4 different teas... which kept our guest of honor up all night... perhaps we should have switched to decaf at a certain point!

Yummy sandwiches...

...even yummier desserts!

Hey Kara... is that a meat grinder?

A present for the bride to be... and the husband to be!

What a gorgeous serving platter... the person who got that for you must have exquisite taste... or know how to shop off a registry.

Gorgeous decanter!

In typical Carrie Bradshaw fashion... whatever she wears becomes the style. Next year all the brides will be wearing crate and barrel wrapping!

It really was a lovely day. Not only did I walk away having celebrated a joyous occasion with Rose, I have walked away with 3 new friends!

Oh and Adam and I decided that I am going to the wedding. It's in FL and it isn't in the budget but while I was at the party, the thought of missing this just made me so sad. Rose and I have been through so much together and Nick is such a great guy... I just cannot imagine not being there. Of course it boiled down to money for Adam and I... with a one income family money is always at a premium. However, in a year from now, I know I will be kicking myself for not sucking it up and going. There are times when memories mean more than money and this is one of them.

Untitled

I was in line at the bank with my mother in law. We started shooting the breeze with the teller when the people behind us got upset and started making comments. We ended the conversation and started to leave. On my way out I was getting mouthy with the people in line (shocked, I know). They all stood feet taller than me... I had to look up to every last one of them. As I neared the door I planned to slam it on my way out... that would show them I was angry. I went to pull the door as hard as I could but it wouldn't close. There was a little girl holding the door open. As I moved closer to ask her to let go, my mom appeared from behind the door. People were no longer taller than I was... I was standing face to face with my mom. I immediately reached out and touched her face. I started exclaiming how I can't believe it's been so long and that I have missed her so much. She just stood there smiling at me. In the next instant she was gone. I crumpled to the floor sobbing, the full weight of her no longer being here crushing me into the ground.

I woke up with tears in my eyes.

Friends says it best...

Rachel: Oh, I am just awful with children.
Joey: Come on, you're good with kids. They're just crazy on Halloween. You know, they're all greedy and hopped-up on sugar.
Rachel: Really? You think that's all it is?
Joey: Absolutely. Halloween is the worst. Except for Christmas. And their birthdays. They get a little crazy during the summer, too. And anytime they're hungry or sleepy. Yeah, kids are tough. Good luck with that.

Setting records like Michael Phelps!

Chase just slept continuously, without any assistance from me, for one hour and 13 minutes... and he is going strong.

During this mornings nap he sat up at the 30 min mark... I laid him back down very quickly and it was like he never woke up. He slept from 9:10 - 10:30! I think my plan is working! Here's to fingers crossed and prayers said!

If anyone is wondering how I am doing this... I put him down for a nap and 27 minutes later I sneak into his room and sit on the floor, trusty ipod touch in hand. I check my email, check my google reader, IM with hubby and play solitaire.... whatever I can to pass the time. If I hear him really start to stir I watch him and then jump up at the first push off with his little arms! Quickly put him back down and as soon as he is out again, resume my spot on the floor. I wait in there until the hour marker (generally) of his nap, then I feel like I can, quietly, leave. All in all, I get 2 half hour blocks to myself per nap and all the time in the room not spent laying him back down. Better than anything, I get a well rested sleeping baby which is all I could ask for! It's not ideal but hopefully he will learn to sleep through the 30 minute marker on his own. I actually picked up this technique from the book No Cry Sleep Solution.

I have been trying very hard not to get discouraged when things don't go according to my plans but alas, I kind of suck at that. I tend to adopt a poor me attitude pretty quickly. I am very aware of this and I know how taxing it can be on Adam so I am really trying to curb my negative reactions. CH brought up a really good point (one that I fail to see on a daily basis) that I have come a long way and things are getting better. I just need to keep repeating that to myself. Also, several people have pointed out that all Chase needs is a mom who loves him... and Lord knows I love that little boy. So here's to trying to remain calm no matter what he throws my way ;~) Thanks for all the advice and well wishes... I absolutely love this blogging thing!

RANT

I hate effin real estate agents. Chase was sleeping for 40 minutes. I was in his room watching... he made it through the 30 minute cycle without waking. I thought we might actually make it... an hour of sleeping without waking! Until I hear a knock on my door. Luckily my dog is drugged so he could care less... otherwise he would have loudly notified me of someones presence (I don't think he understands the concept of the knock). I open the curtain and there is someone trying to open the keybox to show our apartment. WTF.... they are supposed to call me first and let me know they are sending someone. I open the door and clearly she realizes I am effin pissed... she asks if the office called... not unless they called within the last 10 minutes... to which they did. SERIOUSLY... 10 effin minutes. People COME ON. I have a 9 month old... who the hell thinks 10 minutes is enough time to say yes, come on in... tour my house... poke through my life.

It should go without saying, I did not let them in. I told them to come back in 30 - 40 minutes (I am not a complete witch... and I want the best for my landlord). Although at this point I thought Chase may have actually slept through the whole encounter. Nope, the minute I closed the door I heard him. I almost opened it again just to have someone to punch.

I am so angry I am literally shaking... which is probably why I couldn't get Chase back to sleep. Babies are nothing if not intuitive. I am trying to give myself time to calm down before I get Chase out of bed (he is currently grunting to himself)... I don't want him to feel this negative energy from me anymore. Hence the blogging so quickly about it.

Oh and please excuse the 'language' above... it took all that I had to use the colorful expressions I did... believe me when I say that is NOT what it sounded like in my head.

Riley's hooked on the pills

Riley has been acting weird the past few days so Adam and I decided he needed to be seen by the vet... diagnosis... another flare up of degenerative disc disease. This is either the 4th or 5th time and each time it's 3 medications and a few days before he is back to normal.

The medicine schedule is all mapped out and will last until Sept 7... poor downtrodden doggie. Soon enough he will be flying high on pain medicine ;~)

In other news... Chase has been sleeping for over an hour most naps for the past few days. Sounds great but in actuality it requires me to be in the room at the 30 minute marker when he wakes up (like clockwork... it's actually quite amazing). As soon as I see him sit up, I reinsert the paci and lay him back on his tummy with my hand on his back. More times than not, he never even fully wakes up. Occasionally he will wake up and I can wait him out... enough time lapses and he falls back asleep. On the very rare occasion, nothing works and he gets up and we try again at the next nap. All in all, it's been going a lot better... I am still 'on' for the whole day but I am happier about the sleep that he is getting (consistently 2.5 - 3 hours per day). My hope and strategy is to 'teach' him to lay back down on his own when he wakes up or to learn how to sleep through that sleep cycle that wakes him... we shall see how that goes. For now, I am just happy about the amount of napping.

Conversely his night time sleeping has left little to be desired... last night he cried for over an hour... seems he forgot how to put himself to sleep so we had to retrain. I almost caved on more then one occasion ;~) Hopefully he re-learned and tonight goes better... daddy leaves at bed time so I am not sure I can handle screaming baby without daddy ;~)

The morning sleeping is still iffy... this morning he woke up at 5 but I let him stay there... he fussed but never really got to a full wail. I listened to him (and read a sleep book I have on loan from the library) until I actually fell asleep again. When I woke and saw it was 7 I almost fell out of bed. I have no idea if he fell back asleep or if he was just quiet the last hour but I was amazed that I was still in bed at 7! Hopefully things are shaping up there. We are actually trying an earlier bed time in order to correct the early wake time... seems backwards but the biggest thing I have learned about baby's sleep is 'sleep begets sleep'.

Anywho... sorry if this is boring but it's my full time job so it's what I chat about ;~) Besides, I thought ya'll might like an update!

30 and heading west

Our going away party was yesterday and it was a blast! It was so nice to see everyone... I just wish I had more time to talk! I felt like I only got quick little snippets! Chase did ok... he was a little upset at the amount of people (not quite the social butterfly yet) but even at his worst, he is still a pleasant baby... and his girlfriend came so that made him smile!

This post will be picture heavy because... well that's what the G's do! Ironically, I am only slightly in one picture! I try to get in more of them but I am the one doing the taking and it never really works out that I get in them!


Possibly my favorite dish that we served... Caprese Salad Kabobs with a pine nut pesto! I could have eaten the whole plate!

The whole spread... it was pretty yummy!

The Townleys and the Bunns!

Laura being the babywhisperer... they just flock to her!

Nick, Rose, Rob and Anna

My food guru Ali and hubby Craig... smart guy for marrying such a good cook. She supplied me with many of the recipes we used!

Jenn and Ethan having some QT with Adam and Chase.

Jaime and Craig... just one more month before Jackson makes his arrival!

Colleen and Jenn... Colleen has about 3 more weeks before Alex makes his arrival!

Sylvia, Ava and Kristen... Unbelievably, Ava is 14 months now... walking everywhere and being incredibly social! And Sylvia has about 2 more months before baby girl Charlie makes her arrival!

Uncle Paco (aka Craig) playing keep away with Chase!

Adam and Zach

Chase is very happy now that his girl Ava is here!

For anyone keeping track... that is 4 babies and 3 pregnant girls at the party! That doesn't even include the babies that couldn't make it.... Scooter was napping (although mommy made it!) and Lily who was out of town with the rents!

I have to say that is what I will miss most about this area... all of these friends/play dates for Chase (and me!). It makes me sad that Chase won't grow up in the thick of all these kids!

Now that the party is over... it's all out packing from here until the 23rd! Wish us luck!

Comments

I figured it would be easier to answer the comments from "Still Battling" in an actual post... just trying to be a space saver ;~)

ch - ergo my dilemma... I know I need to have a consistent routine... I just haven't found one that I feel comfortable with and that I want to commit long term to. Well, at that point I didn't have one... I think that I have devised a sleep plan/routine for Chase and I. I started it 2 days ago and so far so good. I don't count anything a success until it's worked for at least a week ;~)

kara - I agree with you about the weak parenting... it does take strength (that I didn't know I had)... I just don't want to give up too early ;~) I wish Chase slept from 6:30 - 7... he sleeps 7 - 5:30/6... we are working on pushing that morning time back a little!

anon - while I am grateful for your comment, I have to respectfully disagree. I am not sure if you have kids or if you do... if you have bad nappers but a half hour nap is just not enough time for me personally, as a mom, to recharge. I love my son very much but I would be lying if I said I want him next to me day in day out, all day every day. I also believe that 30 minutes isn't enough for my son... hence the quest for more sleep. He does bounce right up like he is ready to go after 30 minutes but so did my husband when his mother used to call him from school... then he would turn right over and go back to sleep. I know faking it and I believe Chase is faking being awake and alert. He is much more irritable, crabby and generally unpleasant to be around when he sleeps for 30 minute increments. Also, he isn't sleeping for 12 hours at night... unfortunately that was a 2 day fluke and since then, he has been getting up anywhere from 5 - 6 each morning, the earliest one day being 4:40. We are working on extending that time frame as well. As for training him to be tired... I don't have to do that... he is already tired all by himself... I am trying to harness the tiredness and get rid of it.

jenn - I believe that there is such thing as a 30 minute napper, I am just not convinced that Chase is one. I believe that Adam and I made a mistake around the 4-5 month mark and missed the window to sleep train him. Don't get me wrong, I am not beating myself up about it (we are all bound to make mistakes, I know that)... I just think that we missed that window and now I have to work harder to get him there. There is something about Chase's demeanor that makes me question his 30 minute napping.

kathi - I love you but I disagree... he is one stubborn little dude (no idea where he got it) and I don't think he will learn unless I teach him.

Whew... that's a lot of comments and that's only half of them! I want to say thank you so much for all the comments... I absolutely love getting all of them and I love the advice that each of you bring. I may not agree or follow it but I do truly appreciate it! This blog, and being so open, has really shown me a sense of community... even with people I haven't met face to face! Thanks again and keep 'em coming!

08.08.08

Not only is 08.08.08 the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics... it is hubby's birthday!

Adam turns the big 2-9 today! We are officially the same age for the next 3 weeks ;~)

Chase waving hi to the camera on 'craft day' at our house... check out the blue foot ;~)

Daddy's present... the reason for the aforementioned blue foot ;~)

Yummy cake!
and to end the day... Adam's favorite meal... WANGS! That would be hot wings and Old Bay wings! So yummy!

Happy Birthday sweetie! Hope you had a great day and I love you very much!

Still battling

I wish someone could tell me if there really is such thing as a 30 minute napper... and if it's healthy or not. On the flip side, if a 30 minute napper is just a result of a weak parent, could someone tell me that? This guessing game has me on a ledge.

Last Weekend for visiting

Next time we come to Hagerstown, we will be moving in! Gack!

Here are a couple recent pictures of Chase...

Enjoying some quality time with Anna Stuart!

I have 16 years to worry about this...

Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Vicki picked up these fantastic shoes for Chase on their vacation through the Adirondacks. I cannot wait to see him walking around in these this winter!
On the way home from the Hagerstown Outlets Chase passed out.

Chase helping tape the spare bedroom for painting.