The Schneider Chronicle

The Holiday Spirit

2011-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

The Christmas cookies are done, the holiday cards are in the mail and Santa already made a visit to our house.....we are in the holiday spirit.
Santa came a little early this year because we are headed to Rockford to celebrate Christmas and my Dad's 60th birthday with my family. Harrison did not really understand that Santa was coming but he was very excited because Todd and I were making such a big deal about it. When he woke up Sunday morning there was a Thomas the train track in front of the tree and a little pint sized table full of presents. He said 'Woah, choo choo!'. There have a been a stream of packages arriving this week and now when he sees a present he starting jumping up and down saying 'present, present'....I think he maybe ruined:) I keep saying, 'Jesus is the Reason for the Season' - I am turning into my mom:).

Harrison is at such a fun age! Starting to have a few melt downs here and there but overall so fun! He is talking more and getting really excited about things. This morning I had on a sparkley shirt for our holiday party at work and he said 'ooooh, pretty mommy!'....so cute!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Back at it...

2011-11-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

Here I go again. Getting back in the swing of things with the blog. Things have been a little crazy in our house since my last post. While I typically would not consider myself a 'super mom', Todd and I have been 'super parents' coordinating schedules to make all of our work obligations happen and still have lots of fun. Harrison is at a really fun age -running around non-stop and talking our ears off. We have been in PA for the thanksgiving holiday so I will post some pics when we get back. I am so thankful for our wonderful family and friends! You all know who you are:)Xoxo

To blog or not to blog.....

2011-06-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have come to a dilemma. I have not written on my blog since the beginning of May - mainly because I forgot my camera on the charger (ugh!) when we went back to Philly and Rockford. Since our return there has been a lot going on with family, work, etc and I have been waiting to get pics from other people. Therefore I waited to post anything to the blog. Now here we are a month and a half later.....no one is really protesting the lack of posts.

I am wondering - to blog or not to blog? That is the question?

I do actually enjoy documenting Harrison's growth and development and sitting down to think about our day to day life....but I am not just doing this for my health. Ya know.

Anyway, input anyone?

Couldn't resist a few recent pics from a trip to the zoo and then to the beach for Father's day (a little foggy in the morning but it ended up being a beautiful day).

First hair cut

2011-05-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Harrison got his first haircut. We talked about it at home and even pretended playing with his hair and cutting it with pretend scissors. We came equipped with 'paci' and 'doggie'. But, when we actually sat down in the salon chair it didn't quite feel like home. Carolyn, the hairdresser, was great! She has four kids of her own and lots of experience - so she got right down to business. Harrison was a little scared but overall a great sport. AND, we were really lucky because Daddy took a little time out of his busy day to join us. The added support and distraction that Daddy provided was just what we needed:)

Before

During

After

Harrison Certificate


The 'celebration' after - splashing in the fountain

In other news...we have had a busy couple of weeks with a quick trip to San Diego for Easter and then a visit from Nana after that. Here are a few highlights!

frolicking on the beach - edited by Uncle Tony

Hanging on the patio at Aunt Diane and Captain Dave's

Boat ride on Mission Bay - That is Todd's white leg in the picture. Had it been mine you may have been blinded:)

Easter

Easter Sunday at the SD Yacht Club

Hiking with Nana


First hike out of the stroller

The trip to San Diego, while quick, was nice and relaxing. Harrison seemed to love it and Todd and I always have fun visiting Diane and Dave.

My Mom's visit was also really nice. It was great to have her here to spend time with Harrison in his element. He loves having visitors and it is always nice for me to have my Mom around. Love you Mom. Happy Mother's Day! You are the best!

Only two weeks from today until Aunt Kristi's wedding. We are looking forward to it.

15 months

2011-04-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Harrison went to the pediatrician today to celebrate his 15 month birthday! Well it wasn't much of a celebration while we were there - this was definitely the most crying that Harrison has ever done at the doctors office. While in the waiting room he was making friends and by the time they called his name he had a girlfriend - but once he realized we were walking down the hall to the exam room he tried to run the other way - and the crying began! Needless to say, we both survived and he even showed off his talking for the doctor.

The stats -
height - 31.5inches (75%)
weight - 27.5lbs (from the 50% up to the 70% since his last visit - he continues to eat like a horse)

In other news, Harrison recently received a Schneider family heirloom from his Great Grandpa Schneider who lives in Florida. The specially built plywood box housing a beautifully refinished rocking chair arrived late last week. The rocking chair was given to Todd's grandmother when she was a child and now is passed on to the first grandchild of the next generation. What a special gift! Here is Harrison's reaction when he first saw it - I think he likes it! Thank you Great Grandpa Schneider for the chair and for all of your work to get it to our doorstep safely.

(P.S. Harrison's hairdo is a little reminiscent of Donald Trump - he was playing outside all day and just recently awoke from a nap - it went from curls to 'fro'. Not to worry we will get that cleaned up before Aunt Kristi's wedding:))

That's Murphy's home

2011-03-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

Harrison is really turning into a wild man. He is all over the place and I am constantly amazed at how fast he can move - especially when it comes to splashing in Murphy's water bowl, playing with the garbage in the bathroom. or taking off the vent cover and trying throw things down there. Today he was playing outside on the slide and leaned over the edge waving to Murphy on the hill. I about had a heart attack. I guess this is just the beginning.

Harrison is now - well actually about two weeks ago - officially weened. He seems to have adjusted well. As have I. I must admit it was a little sad at first but it was time for both of us to move on. I have made sure to add a little extra cuddle time daily and that seems to have avoided any issues. But truly, we have been so busy that it seems like it has been longer than two weeks. One of our recent lessons is regarding Murphy's home. While Murphy seems content to share his cage with Harrison at times, we thought it would be better for the cage to be Murphy's haven - where he always knows he can get a little quiet time. Needless to say this has been a feat. Harrison would much rather crawl inside with Murph and close the door so that they can have a little bonding time. We are constantly leading Harrison out and saying 'that is Murphy's home'. So yesterday I built Harrison 'a home' out of a big box. It still seems like more fun to be hanging out with Murphy his home but it seems like Harrison's new home might be helping, at least a little.

March Madness

2011-03-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Harrison and Daddy are bonding over all of the basketball this month (the hours and hours and hours)!

i think we have a toddler on our hands.

2011-03-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post. Harrison was sick on and off for the last few weeks and it was tough to get a good pic or video and even tougher to steal a bit of time to put my thoughts together to write something to post to the blog. I was also on antibiotics and I think Todd was sick too at some point in there. Anyway, it is currently the first sick free week that I can remember (at least for a while) :) Yay!!

Harrison now has 8 teeth (teething only added salt to the wounds when he was sick). He is walking around like a mad man and getting into everything. Yesterday morning we had friends over for brunch. While we were talking at the table he was walking in and out from the kitchen to the deck - there was millisecond of silence when he was out of my sight line and the next thing we see it a mouth full of dirt and a huge grin!

He is chattering up a storm - what we speech pathologists call jargoning - he is now saying 'doggie' and pointing to every doggie, 'dada', 'mama' occasionally, 'uh-oh', bye-bye, 'all done'. He is also beginning to have a mind of his own. He wants to do things by himself and walk everywhere. He tries to squirm right out of my arms while we are walking down the stairs in the morning to go to school, he screams if we try to offer him assistance with food or a toy and then proceeds to launch it across the room....I think this means he is a toddler - so help me God!

the budding walker

2011-02-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

Harrison is really beginning to take off by foot. He scales along the walls and will suddenly come around the corner to check out what it going on. He surprised me in the kitchen the other day with this huge smile! He was so proud of himself. He cruises around throughout the house using whatever he can rest his little hand on. He is getting braver by the day - we will see him bend his legs, find his balance, and then launch himself from the table to the couch or to the wall whatever is the best mode to get him where he wants to go. And, he definitely has an agenda - walk, walk, walk! (side note - he is a little tired in this video - it was at the end of a long day at daycare just before getting ready for bed)

life's a game

2011-01-31T21:01:00.000-08:00

Harrison is Mr. Happy lately. He is laughing all of the time and everything has become a little game. Todd and I are walking around making funny faces and constantly playing peek-a-boo because it is so cute to hear Harrison laugh and see him smile. His seems to be understanding more and more words and he is giving the signs for 'more' and 'all done' ALL of the time. If he thinks a book is boring he signs 'all done!'

He is playing his favorite new game that we call 'nite nite baby'.

Oh yeah, Harrison just started saying 'uh-oh' - it is so cute! We were driving to school today, I am not sure what happened, but a resounding 'uh-oh' came from the back seat. I turned around and he smiled!

harrison's new software

2011-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Our trip to the doctor today yielded a new soft cast for Harrison's arm. He cooperated like a champ to get the necessary x-rays and there was no evidence of a fracture. The doctor thought he likely bruised a bone and she thought it would be best to have a soft cast for the next 10 days to take the pressure off of his arm while it heals.

It's taking a little time for Harrison to get used to the weight of the cast and not being able to straighten his arm or grab small pieces of food. But overall he actually seems more comfortable - no pain getting dressed or into his sleep sack for bed. What a relief. It seems like we are on the right track. Now we just have to figure out a way to keep the food out of his cast! Wish us luck:)

The stats are in....

2011-01-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

Harrison has his one year appointment on Monday. Here are the stats.....

Height - 30 1/4 in (75th)
Weight - 22lbs 15oz (50th)
Head -18 3/4 in (75th)

We had a bit of surprise this weekend when Harrison stopped bearing weight on his left arm - he is still eating with it (because, of course, he loves to eat and it only requires a back and forth movement) but he will not use it to crawl or pull up. Todd has taken to calling him Igor because of his one armed hunch back crawl. The pediatrician on Monday thought that it may be whats called 'nurse maids elbow', which means that one of the tendons in the elbow is displaced, that likely occurred during a fall. Unfortunately I have idea when it happened - he seems to be falling a lot with cruising around and pulling up on everything. The doctor manipulated his arm but it has not improved. So, we are making our way to the orthopod for evaluation and probably some x-rays tomorrow morning. Kind of crazy, the poor guy could have fractured his elbow!! One of the nurses told us that this is so common that they call it 'toddler's fracture'. I guess we will just take it as it comes and wait to see what happens.

Despite the gimpy arm Harrison is as happy as can be lately. He laughs at everything, is babbling away in his own little language, and basically loves life!

Happy First Birthday!

2011-01-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

There are so many amazing memories from the last year - from rushing to the hospital, only to labor for about 20 hours before Harrison's birth, to his first steps that he just took today (totally unexpectedly). We have grown as a family with a love for Harrison that we never new and a deeper love and appreciation for each other in our marriage. Todd has become such a wonderful Daddy and I love watching him play with and teach Harrison. I know that we have so many more memories to make! I can't imagine our lives without this little guy!

Here is Harrison's first year in pictures...

birthday - 2 hours old

1 month

2 months

3 months


4 months


5 months


6 months


7 months


8 months

9 months


10 months


11 months

1 year old!!!

We had a little birthday celebration at our house this weekend - it ended up that about 30 people came - 9 kids and the rest adults. It was a houseful! My Mom and sister made the trip to SF from Rockford. They were a huge help. With Todd, my mom and sis the set up and clean up seemed like a piece of cake (pun intended). The party was a lot of fun - besides Harrison being a little cranky with a cold/teething - everything worked out great! Love you guys! Thanks for making the trip - what a fun weekend!

Welcoming a new decade.

2011-01-03T09:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

I am finally getting to upload pictures from the holidays. Sorry it has been a while since my last post. It seems like Thanksgiving bled right into Christmas and then New Years and here we are.

It has been a busy holiday season. We were in IL for Thanksgiving/Marx Christmas/Harrison's baptism. It was a whirlwind trip with a special event everyday...Harrison was sick the whole time but was a great sport. We spent time with family and it was a lot of fun! Thanks Mom and Dad for your help fitting everything into such a short time. xo

Thanksgiving Day

Exploring Christmas presents (at Thanksgiving - Harrison is going to think that Christmas lasts for 6 weeks)

Harrison with his Godparents - Uncle Tony and Aunt Stacey on his Baptism day

Nana, Opa, Great Nana and Great Nano

Then Aunt Diane and Uncle Dave came for a weekend visit from San Diego. We discovered a new Italian restaurant that we all loved and went on a brief yacht club tour in the area. Somehow in the mix of things I forgot my camera. So just imagine sitting at the window of a yacht club bar overlooking the sunny San Francisco Bay - imagining Harrison taking sailing lessons in about 5 years - all while playing cards:)

Then Christmas decorating, shopping, cookie baking, holiday partying, and then packing to head to PA for Christmas/New years/Harrison's early birthday celebration.

My Mom and Nana were baking cookies in IL the same day that I was finishing up my cookies.....what a plethora of Italian cookies.

This is from our first family Christmas at home. As you can see, Harrison was having a great time and Murphy could not miss out on the fun.

Christmas morning on Harrison's First Christmas (that hat did not last long). He loved the Christmas tree and in his cute little voice would point and say 'eeee'.

The Schneider Family on Christmas day

early first birthday celebration with Great Grandpa Schneider

We had a great time at Todd's parents for the holidays with lots of time to hangout with family and friends, relax and play. Thanks for the great time Donna and Bruce. Harrison's first Christmas was a special time that we will always remember:)

2010 was such an amazing year, welcoming Harrison into the world and seeing him grow and become the happy little guy he is today.

I am trying to insert a video here:)

It's hard to believe that he will be one year old in less than a week! At this time last year I had just finished work and was thinking 'Wow, I have two full weeks to get everything done'...little did we know that Harrison would be joining us a little early! Really, who cares about getting things done:)

the holidays are fast appraoching.

2010-11-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready to leave on Tuesday morning to fly to Illinois for Harrison's first Thanksgiving feast. The great part is - he is eating everything is sight so I think he will actually love the food. While he is not really into meats - we've tried chicken, beef, pork - without much luck, in true Italian style, he ate his first meatball last night and loved it!! I started out with about a quarter of it and he ended up scarfing down the whole thing.

Todd has been playing in the Harding Park Club Championship all weekend. He had the best round of the day yesterday and went out with the final group this morning. I am awaiting an update!! Hopefully he played well. He was sooooo excited!

I have spent most of this weekend doing laundry, packing, thinking about the menu for Harrison's baptismal party (on the 27th) and sorting through the proofs that we just received from our mini photo shoot last weekend. I have been meaning to get baby/family pictures taken since Harrison was six months old. Now at 10 months I have finally gotten my act together and coordinated everything. It helps that Thanksgiving is in a week...it is a reminder of how quickly Christmas will be here.

Back to our pics - Tiffany our photographer is awesome. She did 6, 45 minute sessions with a bunch of families at Cavallo Point. The weather was beautiful and you could not ask for better scenery. You can check out our photographers page on facebook if you want. Scroll down and you will be able to see some of our pictures.

Now that we have our pictures taken and some of our favorites narrowed down we just have to decide what holiday card we would like to choose. Since moving to San Francisco, we began sending a yearly holiday card. We have always ordered through shutterfly and, in my opinion, had great cards (my favorite was the first one after we moved with the bridge in the background) :) We even ordered Harrison's birth announcement there. The process is really easy - upload your pic, drag it over, personalize your card and order. There are always great deals too. This holiday season there are a bunch of new options. Guess you will just have to wait and see which one we choose:)

Off to finish my list of things before the week begins. Only one day of work/school this week and we are 'leaving on a jet plane'....I'll post thanksgiving and christening pictures when we get back!

Happy Turkey Day!

Let me out..........

2010-11-07T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a rainy weekend.

BOO!

2010-10-31T19:30:00.001-07:00

It's Harrison's first Halloween!!

We have been trying to get in the holiday spirit by reading 'Five Little Pumpkins', lighting the jack-o-lanterns around the house, dressing like a dinosaur, trying to go to the pumpkin patch three weekends in a row (only to be rained out)....and finally the big night arrived!!!! Despite a little bout of stomach trouble yesterday Harrison was able to rally to make it to the main event!!!

rroarrr!

The neighbors had a little get together before heading out to trick or treat!!! We stayed for the party and then went home and off to bed:)

Nite nite!

9 months and counting....

2010-10-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

Harrison went for his 9 month appointment yesterday. He only had to have his flu shot, which was good, but it still resulted in a few tears! He was a trooper though and still managed to share a few smiles with our friends in my office. The pediatrician's office and my office are in the same building so we always stop by to say 'hi' before or after appointments.

Here are the stats -

wieght - 20lbs 7oz (50th% a slight jump since his last visit)

height - 29 in (75th% and running steady)

Harrison has officially entered into the period of stranger anxiety. He managed to tolerate the doctor mostly because he was occupied trying to push the otoscope away. But the new teachers at daycare are really testing his patience. Apparently as soon as someone new walks in the room he starts screaming and when they leave all is quiet. There are two new teachers in his room and he is slowly warming up to them....but still he only wants to eat and have his diaper changed by his favorites - in order of preference - Olivia, Debbie, and Margaret. While the stranger anxiety is a passing phase it is still clear that Harrison is definitely starting to develop his own unique personality. He is such a cutie!!

Harrison the 'dare devil'

2010-10-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

This is Harrison's new favorite past time. No matter what is going on or what time of day - this is guaranteed to make him smile:) He is watching Murphy and laughing in this one.

Oh, and one other smile guarantee - watching us throw the ball to Murphy and then seeing him bring it back. So swinging and watching Murphy get the ball is about as good as it gets!

Mom's Birthday in Carmel and my first tooth!!

2010-09-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since my last post. I have had a little trouble getting my hands on the computer. Todd is still awaiting his work laptop and therefore has been using ours.

My birthday this year was awesome despite a bit of a stink! It started out with Todd cooking me a special birthday dinner, Murphy getting sprayed by a skunk!!, giving Muphy a bath (trying to get the stench out of our house), and then opening presents. The next morning we unexpectedly dropped Murphy off as the kennel (because he still stunk) and made the two hour drive to Carmel, CA. It was not only a beautiful drive but the weather was amazing!!!

We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Ate at Mission Ranch (amazing)

went hiking in Big Sur and Point Lobos

Drove along 17 mile Drive

and Most IMPORTANTLY, stopped at Pebble Beach to enjoy the views and show Harrison the course. Todd said that if he was good that he would take him to Pebble to play when he was 10. I reminded Todd that he did not play Pebble until college graduation. His response was 'double digits baby!!'. So I guess we may be taking a trip for Harrison's 10th birthday - at least it will be the off season:)

Oh, and by the way, we were watching a few guys tee off and saw Chris Harrison (of the Bachelor - Todd's favorite show)!!

What an amazing trip!! It was so nice to get away, relax, and enjoy the beauty of CA!

Once we got back we were all getting sick again. Harrison got a cough and cold and then I did and then Todd did. This round I got knocked out and ended up staying home one day from work while Harrison went to daycare so that I could try and sleep it off. We are all finally feeling better!

And just to celebrate that we are all healthy again, Harrison cut his first tooth! On the bottom right! So cute! (I couldn't quite get the tooth - but I tried). Surprisingly he has not seemed cranky because of it. He is such a good boy and continues to get cuter by the day.

Todd was out of town for three days this week. Typically Todd will go in in the morning and get Harrison up, get him dressed and then pass him off to me. Well the first morning he was gone I did the morning routine and we walked out of Harrison's bedroom and he was looking for Daddy!! Instead he got a little cuddle time with the Murph! He loved it but was so happy when Daddy got home.

Second week of music class and Harrison is loving it!

we had visitors....

2010-09-04T16:45:00.001-07:00

Mom-mom and Grandpa came for a visit last weekend.

A big aside - Todd just accepted a new position as the VP of Finance for Frontier Wind - a start up company developing new technology for wind turbines. Congratulations babe!! He is really excited about it. It will be a great change from investment banking.

As his parents were arriving he worked his last day at Seven Hills, so we all got to spend a long weekend together. We had a couple of meals out, went shopping, the guys played golf, we went for some walks, Todd and his parents went to wine country (Harrison was getting a cold and did not sleep well the night before so we opted to stay home), we did our fantasy football draft (stay tuned to see Harrison's Hustlers to dominate all other teams)....We had a fun and busy weekend. Harrison was an allstar during two dinners and a lunch out. He loves watching people and eating at the table with everyone. Thanks for a great visit Donna and Bruce - it was so much fun to have you!

After Mom-mom and Grandpa left on Tuesday Todd and Harrison spent the day together. Daycare was closed to get set up for the new school year. It sounds like they had a lot of fun looking at an office for Daddy and playing. And as timing would have it I started getting sick which made for a long work week. BUT, here we are again at a long weekend! Yay! (and now Daddy is getting sick - yuck!)

Harrison continues growing and changing. He gets cuter by the day....on Tuesday while he was home with Daddy he started waving and then yesterday he started clapping. While not mobile crawling or walking yet (really there is no rush) he is a wiggle worm. We are convinced he is going to be a crazy man. Only time will tell but right now he loves to move! He also loves to eat....while he started out loving veggies he only wants to eat fruit now. We keep trying new things every four days or so and just found that he loves bread - just like his Mommy...although I try not to eat too much of it!! Darn carbs -ha!

As football season fast approaches the budding Eagles fan has his game face on!

Helping mommy get ready.

2010-08-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Todd had an early morning call in the office today. So, Harrison helped me get ready this morning. This was where he hung out while I finished putting on my mascara. He thought it was the best thing ever...there was a really cute baby making faces at him.

Happy 7 months!

Mama's Night Out....

2010-08-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

So, Todd and I have had a few date nights, we go out often with Harrison often, we have been to a wedding, I have gone to a couple of work things at night......but last night was my first real girl's
night out!!!

I went to my friend Kathy's house and there we met up with 4 other girls. Two pregnant, two breastfeeding, and two single and looking.

We all went for mani/pedis and then went back to Kathy's place where we had a chef come and cook us a 6 course meal! Here are my two favorites plus desert (who doesn't love desert?).

Risotto with Snap Peas and a Sous-vide Egg

Kobe Short Rib with Grits and Peas

The 'Candy Bar'

It was amazing...this chef helped start and then worked at two great restaurants in SF. He decided less than a year ago to start something of his own. Now he goes into people's homes and cooks amazing meals for dinner parties, etc. It was definitely a night that I earned and I could not have spent it with a better group of girls:)

Todd and Harrison had a 'guys night'! I realized last night that this is only the beginning of many 'guy things' they will do:) Yikes!

It was a great night out but even better to come home and see my guys!! Can't wait til the next time.

One quick addition....

Harrison and I went to lunch with my girlfriend and her twins on Friday. He had his first experience sitting in a high chair and eating with everyone. He loved it!!

6 months!

2010-07-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

Harrison is 6 months old!! Wow time has flown....

There has been a lot going on the Schneider household this month.....as you can see Harrison is sitting up, he is eating solids, he is sticking everything imaginable in his mouth, and sleeping through the night - seriously through the night from about 7pm to 6am!!!

He was 17lbs 1oz at his 6 month appointment and almost 27 inches long. Still in the 75% for height and 50% for weight. He loves solids and is going to town on trying lots of new foods. Today we introduced sweet potatoes, which were a big hit. He is up to two meals a day and still drinking as much milk as possible! He is growing like a weed:)

We are all enjoying the nice summer weather. Nana came for a long visit during her summer break and spent lots of quality time with Harrison....

we all went hiking, went to the beach, went shopping, had some good meals and just hung out. It was so nice to have my mom here...she is so easy to have around becoming part of the daily routine. She was a ton of help and fun to have around! Harrison really loved it (and so did we!).

Nana babysat Harrison while Todd and I went out to dinner and a movie to celebrate our four year anniversary! It was a nice treat!

So, this has been a very brief summary of the last couple of weeks...here is something new that Harrison learned while spending the day with Nana:) Enjoy!

Uncle Tony and Aunt Amy's Wedding and The Schneider Reunion (5 months)

2010-06-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

June was a big month for Harrison. He continues to grow and change. He is babbling up a storm and becoming more and more interactive. He loves people.....so he had a great time on vacation.

First - on June 12 my baby brother got married!! Wow! It was so nice to be a part of their wedding and to watch it all take place - he and Amy seem so happy and really seemed to enjoy their wedding weekend. It brought back so many memories of playing and singing with Anthony when we were little. I always wanted a little brother and could not have asked for a better one. He is all grown up and an amazing man.

With a very sweet new wife!

At the rehearsal dinner Todd, with a little input from me, made a really cool slideshow. I really like this picture of them watching the slideshow.

On the wedding day it was really hot and humid...after arriving at the church a huge thunderstorm came through...it cooled things down but in the meantime made the lights in the church go on and off. They went out briefly while I was singing in a quartet with Amy, Tony, and their friend David. We just kept singing and it turned out fine:) It was actually really cool to hear the big storm during the ceremony.

Harrison was a champ throughout the whole weekend....he got significantly less sleep because he insisted on being involved in everything! Despite this he stayed his typical happy little self. It was so much fun!

Congrats Tony and Amy! We love you!

Then it was off to Hilton Head for the Schneider Family reunion.....there was a lot to celebrate while we were there. Todd's Dad and Uncle Jack are turning 60, it was Todd's parents anniversary, Robin and Jack's anniversary (they got married in Hilton Head 5 years ago), and Aunt Kristi and Uncle Mark along with the great grandparents and other family members got to meet Harrison. Kristi just got a promotion, I am sure that I am forgetting something else....so sorry to anyone that I left out.

Anyway, it was a fun time at the beach...Harrison experienced his first swim in a pool and multiple swims in the ocean. He seemed to like the ocean better than the pool. Harrison loved meeting and playing with everyone! We enjoyed all of the family time too. I must say that a beach vacation it quite different with baby than before baby (not just for my swimsuit body). It was fun in a different way - priorities have shifted from laying on the beach, tanning, and reading multiple books to making sure that Harrison has lots of fun. There were plenty of babysitters available so I did get a little time just to sit and read and go to the beach. Which was great!

Now we are home and have gotten back into the daily routine. Harrison is back to sleeping from about 7pm-4am, eating, and then sleeping until about 6:15am. He is such a sweet little guy! We are looking forward to starting some solids really soon...he is watching us eat, reaching out, and trying to put our food in his mouth. I think he is telling us something (plus the ladies at daycare call him a milk hound!!).

Roomie reunion in Chico

2010-05-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Harrison, Todd and I made our way three hours north to Chico, CA to see my roommates from college for the night. Angie and Aaron just moved back to the Bay area with their twins and Erika and Peter and their two kids live in Dallas, TX. We all (Ang, E, Peter, and Aaron) went to Marquette together and Peter and Aaron went to high school together in Chico. So they were all in Chico visiting family and we went along for a big cookout yesterday. Aaron's parent have a great house and lots of land with chickens, a goat, a lamb and, of course, dogs. So it was lot of fun for all of the kids...The BBQ was crazy - there were about 11 kids under the age of 6 running around screaming! Boy have things have changed!!

Time to eat...

Maddie (angie's neice), Paige (erika's oldest), Bella (angie's other neice), Olivia and Abigail (angie's twins) - there were two others eating that did not make the pic - Ben (angie's nephew) and Hunter (erika's son).

Erika, Ang and I left the kids with the boys this morning and went to breakfast so that we could have a little time to catch up!! It was a great weekend! I feel so lucky to have such great lifelong friends from college. We can just pick up where we left off and not miss a beat. And an added bonus we are so happy to have the Rodens back in the bay area!!! Yay!

Daddy and Harrison preparing to go visit 'lucky baby' the goat while Mommy went out with the girls.

Here are a few more pics from the BBQ....

Unfortunately we did not get any pics with the animals or us girls and our kids together. Next time!!

long and thin...

2010-05-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big four month visit to the pediatrician - although he is really 4.5 months. But whatever!

Harrison is following in his daddy's footsteps becoming a long and thin little man.

Here are the stats:
Weight - 14lbs 7 oz (just under the 50th percentile but he was sick this month, so the doctor is not concerned)
Height - 25.75in (between the 50th and 75th percentile)
Head - 16.75in (50th percentile)

Harrison is basically middle of the road with his stats except for height. But who are we kidding, he is a Schneider. He is above average in my opinion with the cute factor. The pediatrician called him charming! He is becoming a very social being and not interested in eating if there is anything else going on around him. When the doctor came in yesterday he was covered up nursing. But as soon as Harrison heard the door open and Dr. DeGoff's voice he started squirming and whining to get out of under the blanket so he could see what it going on. Then big smiles!! A few big screams during immunizations, but he got over it quickly.

We got information on starting solids and teething. We will begin solids at 6 months - the most recent research says this it is best for their digestive tract and there is less risk of obesity by waiting. Also they say it is best to wait until the baby can sit upright unassisted...which he is working on but has not mastered. Teething could happen anytime...but lets hope it's not too soon!

Lots of fun things to look forward to.

So much to report.....4 months!!

2010-05-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

I started this post last week...and now I am finally getting to finish it.

Things have been busy...just the usual work and such and Harrison continues to grow and change. Some days I feel like a rock star and get everything done and other days it feels like I am barely keeping my head above water and I'm in a funk. Just trying to take each day as it comes...and to my friends - I promise I will call you back it's just taking me a little longer than usual.

Last weekend Todd's Dad came into town for work and stayed with us for a couple of days. It was great to have him here. He and Todd played a couple of rounds of golf, we went out for a nice lunch on Saturday and just hung out. For some reason I did not take any pics....not sure where my brain was.

The weekend before was mother's day! It was a really nice day. Todd and Harrison took me to breakfast and gave me a pretty necklace with an H pendant and Harrison's birthstone. Then we just hung out and relaxed. It was a much needed laid back day.

Harrison is becoming more and more active...he loves his exersaucer. He really concentrates on the toys...it is fun to see his brain work and develop.

Little video of H in action. He began giggling a little recently. He is not a master of the giggle yet so it only shows up here and there...by the time I got the video on he wouldn't laugh anymore but there are still some cute noises. He loves playing with Daddy.

He is now regularly rolling from front to back and reaching for toys. He loves smiling and is a big hit with all of the ladies at his daycare. He loves playing on the floor with the other babies. He and his friend Connor play with each others hands and he loves watching the older kids.

Here are the pics that took of Harrison at 4 months...these are my favorite yet.

Hopefully I can get back on the blogging wagon.

sick day!

2010-05-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Harrison has his first cold and fever....I guess this is just the beginning when you have your child in daycare. Or so I hear. He started getting congested and sneezing a little this weekend. I have read that infants usually do not have environmental allergies but I thought - we spent a lot of time outside this weekend and maybe that was why he was sneezing, etc. Well, yesterday afternoon I picked H up from daycare and he felt a little warm. We got home and I took his temp and it was 101.2. It figures that there was a recall on Tylenol, so we had none in the house. I called Todd and being the good daddy he brought home some walgreens brand tylenol and we were in business.

He (not Todd) woke up intermittently throughout the night a little whiny but it was not awful....today he still has a fever of 100.7 so he could not go to daycare - and I stayed home from work. It is probably better anyway, he will sleep better at home and I would rather take care of him when he is not feeling well. So here we are...I guess it gives me time (while he is sleeping) to work on my lecture for next week. Or procrastinate on my lecture and blog, do laundry, clean a little.....

In other news, Todd escaped from Alcatraz on Sunday - for those of you that don't know 'Escape from Alcatraz' is a triathlon in which the athletes jump off a boat near Alcatraz, swim in the bay to the shore about 1.5 miles, bike 18 miles, and run 8 miles (apparently the toughest, hilliest run in all triathlons according to the announcer). To participate you have to be chosen out of a lottery. Todd and our friend Jon participated! It was Todd's first triathlon and he did great finishing in about 3 hours and 23 minutes.

Here are some pics from the race and H and I cheering him on.

After the swim...looking for his running shoes to jog a 1/4 mile to the bike transition.

Taking off on the bike.

Enjoying laying the grass and feeling the breeze while waiting for the next transition.

Off the bike and onto the run.

Coming down the homestretch.

He did it!!! Woohoo!

the daily routine.

2010-04-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

We are all falling into our daily routine with work and school. Here is how the morning works out....I typically get up at about 5 or 5:30 depending on when Harrison eats in the early morning. Lately he has been waking up around 3am and then going back to sleep. So then I sleep until 5:30, jump in the shower and get mostly ready. By that time it is about 6 or 6:15 and Harrison is awake. Todd will turn on H's mobile or change his diaper and get him dressed. Then I feed him and we finish getting ready. Harrison goes into his car seat at about 7am, I gather my 50 bags including the pump, cooler for pumped milk at work, cooler with pumped milk for daycare that day, my lunch, my purse and the car seat and then we head to the car. Once we are settled in I exhale.....no, but really it is not bad. I try to get ready early enough so we are not rushing and H and Todd/I can have a little time to enjoy hanging out for a few minutes. It makes a huge difference not to have to rush. I have been very diligent about getting out of work at 5 or a little before - it feels great to actually leave on time! Thanks H!

Although our daily routine is working out really well, I am very thankful to have Fridays off. There is definitely a lot to get in order to get out of the house everyday so I appreciate the extra day with less of a schedule and all of the time with H. It also gives me the opportunity to have some flexibility to get things done.

Here is H playing last Friday....

As you may imagine, it is an experience pumping at work - it is not bad, just something you have to get used to. I pump three time during the day. Either right after I get to work before 8 or between my 8 and 9am patient, at noon, and at 4pm. Since I am not with H as much I am pumping less milk - apparently that is normal - but I am managing to have enough milk for daycare by pumping before bed each night while Harrison is sleeping and then at least once on the days that I am not working. Todd and I are both happy that it is working out and we do not have to supplement with formula. It has not been too stressful up to this point but I am taking it one day at a time.

Harrison had another great week at daycare. On Monday all of the teachers were very excited to tell me that Harrison is now smiling at them and cooing throughout the day. His primary caretaker, Olivia, took some pictures and sent them to Todd and I so that we could see him in action. She reported that everything is falling into place although Harrison is still adjusting to all of the new noises at school and is taking short naps. They will get longer once he adjusts to all of the action. His crib is in a separate room but he can still hear the commotion. Olivia also said that Harrison likes watching the older kids (all babies in his room are under a year) and when they get close to him he coos. We get a report card every day reporting every feeding, every nap, every diaper change and bowel movement. It also has room for comments and "Harrison does really well on his tummy!!" There is also room for more supplies like diapers - he has graduated to size 2-3 - breastmilk, and more clothes. Harrison has been giving them a run for their money pooping through on average 4 diapers per week - sometimes two in a day. haha!! I am not missing that:) We are not having this experience at home - our reusable diapers are the BEST thing ever!!! Even Todd says that he 'loves those things!'

Here are some of the pics from daycare (do not be alarmed by Harrison sleeping on his side - we are rotating him to avoid a flat head - despite all of the tummy time and time being held he has a little flat spot...).

Back to work....

2010-04-19T21:06:00.001-07:00

Today was my first day back at work and Harrison's first full day at day care. He did really well...he ate 3, 6oz bottles of milk, took a couple short naps and one longer nap, and pooped through two outfits! He cried minimally and only fussed for about the last hour. They said he did really well! (and now I am doing laundry)

Todd did daycare drop off today so that I would not be crying all of the way to work. So, when they left I felt really sad but by the time I got to work I was doing better. Everyone at work was happy to have me back - which was a good feeling! And, I was not booked all day with patients so it was a bit of an easier transition. I was able to pump with no problem and sort through 1300 emails!!! and a few phone messages. I also had lunch with the girls which was great. I called the daycare once around lunch time and left a little early to pick H up.

Even though it was a tough day...we made it through. Harrison is a champ and seems totally unfazed. I guess I should follow his lead.

This is a picture from dinner last night in Tiburon. The weather was so nice that we ate outside on the water! Harrison loved watching the flag flying in the wind and the boats in the marina. Then we came home and went through the bedtime routine.

Our weekday routine begins....The great thing is that I am only working Monday through Thursday and will have a little more time with H.

3 months old!

2010-04-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Harrison is three months old and getting cuter and more interactive everyday! Not that he wasn't cute all along...

While he is not rolling over yet (although he almost accidentally did today) he is holding his head up and actually enjoying being on his belly. He is smiling and cooing and even almost laughing. It is so cute!

Here he is in action....

For those of you that did not know, last weekend was MASTERS WEEKEND!!! Which in our house is akin to Christmas. Todd talks about it everyday for the week or two prior and we even mark it on the calendar. Harrison was very excited to partake in the festivities.

Happy Opening Day....

2010-04-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

I can't fight the fact that we are raising a son who is bound to be a fan of Philadelphia sports. He seems pretty happy about it! Go Phils!

Hoppy Easter!

2010-04-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

For Harrison's first Easter we made our way down to San Diego to visit Great Aunt Diane and Captain Dave. We flew down on Friday evening and Harrison was great on the plane. The flight was not full so he could stretch out and play on the seat between Todd and I. Once we arrived we set up in the guest quarters. Since Harrison is not rolling over yet, we set him up on a workout mat with a couple of blankets. He loved it...although he is becoming an inchworm. At one point, I woke up and he had nearly inched himself under the bed.

Saturday morning we went down to the beach for breakfast and a walk along the boardwalk. Diane and Dave's favorite place is called Kono's (like my nano's name - Cono). The weather was beautiful and we stood on the pier for a little while watching the surfers.

Saturday was so relaxing. After our time at the beach we went back to the house and hung out on the patio. Harrison needed his sun hat while he stayed and hung out with Diane and Dave while Mom and Dad went for a bike ride. What a workout...I am still not back in shape - but getting closer!

After our bike ride we hung out watching basketball and then got ready for our date night. Diane and Dave set up a special night for Todd and I at one of their favorite restaurants. While they were babysitting Harrison we were getting the royal treatment with the chef's tasting menu! Wow! Dinner was amazing! And, it was so nice to have a night out with my wonderful husband! Not only did we have a great night out, Harrison slept from about 11pm until 6am. Yay!

Sunday morning we made our way to church - where there was an Easter lily on the alter in honor of Harrison. Then off to the San Diego Yacht Club for brunch. The food was so good and we got to eat outside on the deck in the sun...it could not have been better. Todd is really falling into his role as Daddy. He and Harrison love to play together and make faces at each and Todd has begun to like pushing the stroller around. Here he is heading down to the boat....

Harrison's first boat ride was a huge hit! Harrison loves to be outside and he loved being on the water. He slept through church and brunch and was awake for nearly the whole boat ride.

He had his first lesson from the Captain on driving the boat and navigating the waters....maybe he will grow up to drive a boat one day.

We all had a lot of fun this weekend and Harrison loved meeting Aunt Diane and Captain Dave!

Victory....

2010-04-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Harrison is officially sleeping through the night. We were out to dinner with Becca (Dillulo) and Rich Boyd the other night....they are in SF, from Philly, celebrating their one year anniversary! It was so great to see them. At dinner that night, Harrison decided that he would not sleep like he usually does, but would partake in the entire dinner! He was sitting on my lap smiling and just looking around. He had a couple of crying fits - but nothing Todd and I could not handle (ha!). Then he cried on the way home and finally fell asleep about 9:30. He slept until almost 7am. WOW!!!! He has been sleeping for as many as 10 hours but does not usually stay asleep until 7...it was so great!

Anyway, let's hope the trend continues:)

Happy Easter everyone. We are off today to get pics with the Easter bunny and then down to San Diego to spend the holiday with Aunt Diane and Captain Dave. Harrison will get his first experience at the San Diego Yacht Club and his first boat ride!! Yay! Plus we have babysitters for a special night out on Saturday!

Check out Harrison's Easter outfit courtesy of Mom-mom.

He looks like a little, big man! Taking after his Daddy in the collared shirt and sweater:)

The Murph....

2010-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

So, a couple of weeks ago I had mentioned Murphy's adventures at Pet Camp while we were in Tahoe. Here is the story...I will keep it short. (if you have a weak stomach do not look at the below picture!)

At Pet Camp the dogs have two hours of playtime with a group of dogs each day. Murphy was playing with another dog and apparently, according to the camp counselors, unprovoked another dog bit him in the rib cage. Murphy was very good and did not bite back....but he did need stitches and a drain. Poor guy....he was taking antibiotics and pain meds...although it really did not seem to bother him. It bothered me, the drain did its job, as you might guess.

The Murph has healed like a champ...he had not been scratching the wound and his fur is starting to grow back.

Murphy is headed back to Pet Camp for Easter while we visit Todd's Aunt and Uncle in San Diego. We expect no further problems.

On a lighter note, Murphy and Harrison are becoming fast friends. Murphy always checks on Harrison and loves to give him kisses. Murphy was so happy to see Harrison when we got back from Rockford. The feeling is mutual because Harrison loves to watch Murphy move around the room and loves to give him smiles. He even seems to love the kisses. They even sleep together...sometimes Harrison sleeps on our bed during the day because it is very bright in his room because of a skylight. We are planning to get a shade this weekend......

(For those of you who are worried that they are sleeping on the same bed...I never leave them unattended. Murphy always leaves the room with me.)

Even when Harrison is sleeping in his crib, Murphy likes to lay on Harrison's blanket because it smells so good. It will be fun as Harrison gets older to see him and Murphy play together. Although I don't want to rush it:)

For those of you that are thinking 'wow, sarah has posted a lot over the last week'....it is March madness and I can only watch so much basketball. Ha!

Rockford Adventures continued....

2010-03-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

I mentioned two highlights from our trip to Rockford in my previous post and here are a few more details!

We spent lots of quality time with Nana, Opa, and Aunt Stacey. We also spent the day with Nana Theresa and Nano Cono (my grandparents) - my nana got diagnosed with shingles while we were there. That gave us a scare as we thought that Harrison could get very sick - but after a call to the pediatrician we were reassured that we should not worry. The chances of him getting the chicken pox were very slim since I am breastfeeding my immunity should be passed to him. And, as long as the lesions are covered the illness should not be passed to others (a little medical tidbit for the day).
In addition to spending the day with my Nano and Nana my Nana and I spent the day cooking. And, my mom, dad, sister, one of my aunts and a couple of uncles and cousins came over and we all ate dinner together. Harrison met his cousin Natalie and she loved him.

This is my Mom and Uncle Ross holding their grand babies. This picture is significant because my mom's grandparents were Nana Lily and Nano Ross and this is the second generation of Nana Lily and Nano Ross. Pretty cool!

Throughout our stay we were preparing for a wedding shower for my soon to be sister in law, Amy! She came into town late Friday night with her two sisters, mom, and grandma. It was great to spend some time with her family. They are so nice!

Tony also surprised us coming home to meet his new nephew! Anthony was very cute with Harrison. He held him like a natural and was quick to act when he heard Harrison crying! He also said 'I might be biased but Harrison seems like the cutest baby I have ever seen!'. I had to agree!

The wedding shower was a huge success and worth all of the work! (My mom really did most of it before we got there last week to help!) It was lot of fun and Amy seemed really happy!

We returned from Rockford on Monday. Harrison was a champ on the flights. He mostly ate, slept and smiled at the people sitting next to us. He cried a little and we got a few looks from the people surrounding us - although I just smiled back at them and they turned back around.
We were sad to leave but excited to come home! We missed Daddy and he missed us! I have been playing catch up since our return with laundry, interviewing babysitters, waiting for people to come work on the house and then they never show up (ha!), etc. Despite all of this busy work it is nice to be home!

Thanks Mom and Dad for a great week! Looking forward to seeing you in June!

One last thing....A quick update on Harrison.
He is growing so fast and seems to be getting longer (taller) everyday! He is really alert looking around and smiling all of the time! He is cooing - which is so cute! You can't help but smile every time he makes noise (except for screaming!). He is awake more now during the day and hates going to sleep, he would rather look around than succumb to sleep. With that being said he is nearly sleeping through the night. Yay!!

Rockford Adventures.....

2010-03-18T12:10:00.001-07:00

There are so many things to tell you about from our trip to Rockford to visit Nana and Opa. During our stay we made this video for Uncle Brian'on his 30th birthday. It turned out so cute that I have to share it with you!

My mom is a Mary Kay consultant and has her meetings every Monday night. Since I was home, she asked me to join her for her weekly meeting to try out the new spring/summer products. Opa volunteered to babysit. Harrison was screaming as we left the house (oh great) and this is what I received about 20 minutes later. It was a fun makeover night and Harrison got some alone time to bond with Opa:)

Hanging out in Tahoe (and 2 month visit stats)

2010-03-10T18:07:00.001-08:00

Let me begin by telling you about Harrison's visit to the pediatrician today....

Two month visit stats:

Weight - 11lbs 4oz
Length - 23in
Head - 15.5in

He is going strong in the 50% percentile for everything (although to me, he seems long but what do I know)!

He had his vaccines today. It was so sad to watch him scream and turn red. Clearly the three needle sticks did not feel good. He is a trooper and with a little TLC has been doing great all day! I am very proud of him!

In other baby news - we found a great daycare for Harrison to attend when I return to work. I think that he will really love it there. The people are great, the facilities are nice, and one of our friends child that attends has done really well there. It has been a long search and I am glad to say that it is coming to an end. Although the emotions related to leaving Harrison and returning to work are just beginning. Actually, I have began feeling that 'pull' in my chest when thinking of leaving him while I was still pregnant and working, but now it is getting stronger. I welled up at the daycare just talking about it. While I really want to go back to work and I love my job - I still feel sad leaving my baby. Jeanine, the director of Golden Poppy, suggested having Daddy do the drop off on the first day and a mom sitting nearby confirmed that Daddy drop off was the best thing to do for the first day. She warned me that I will be a wreck the day before he starts....So, now that that is taken care of, I won't think about it for a while or at least until April 18th - when I am sure I will be a wreck.

Now onto our weekend in Tahoe -

Uncle Brian is turning 30 this year and while he and Aunt Erica were visiting we all took a trip to Tahoe for an early birthday celebration.

We went to Squaw Valley USA, the home of the winter Olympics in 1960. We stayed in a condo in the Olympic Village so that the girls and Harrison would easily be able to get out and explore and Todd and Brian would have easy access to the slopes.

Todd went snowboarding - breaking in his new gear and Brian went skiing.

We explored the Olympic Village, went to Tahoe City to see the lake (I love lakes),

and visited the town of Truckee. Truckee is the home of a breakfast place called 'Squeeze In'. Before we left for the weekend we were watching throw down with Bobby Flay and this kitche (sp?) breakfast joint was featured for their crazy omelets. We were so excited that the restaurant was so close to where we were staying that we decided to visit for our own throw down. We definitely agreed that Bobby was the outright winner!

After the guys were dead from braving the slopes Erica and I went out for some girl time. We went to the top of the mountain to take in the views while Todd and Brian were on baby duty.

Harrison was great this weekend...he had one of his longest nights sleeping (although it has not lasted since we returned home), he loved the reflection of light off of the snow, and loved just looking around. He is really becoming more social and does not want to fall asleep because he might miss something. Typically Harrison loves going out to dinner and sleeps through the whole event. But with a short nap and lots of stimulation he had a rough night on Saturday when we went out for Uncle Brian's birthday dinner. I couldn't blame the guy - the restaurant was a madhouse. Once we went back to the car he fell right to sleep (or almost right to sleep).

Interesting facts, it took me nearly 30 years to make it to see Lake Tahoe. Harrison has already made it there and will probably make it there countless more times in his lifetime because Daddy can't wait to teach his how to ski and snowboard. It also took me 18 years to make it on a plane and he will be taking his first plane adventure at 8 weeks old. We are off to Rockford tomorrow so that Harrison can meet his great grandparents and we can go to my soon to be sister-in-law's wedding shower! Should be a great time.

While we were away Murphy had his own adventures at Pet Camp.
To be continued....

Preparing for Lake Tahoe....

2010-03-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

Harrison is getting ready for a big weekend the best way he knows how!!

Aunts and Uncles.....

2010-02-28T22:22:00.000-08:00

Aunt Stacey was here for a week and we had lots of fun.

We did some shopping, some cooking, planted pots on our decks, and had lots of good sister time.

Harrison is growing and growing...He got a toy inch worm and it is 24 inches long. Harrison seems to be a little longer that the inch worm. He is more and more alert, turning his head, watching me walk out of the room, and smiling. His first smile what just before his one month birthday but now he is really smiling. He is beginning to coo - which is really fun! Todd and I are walking around the house cooing at each other and Harrison.

I have entered the exciting world of pumping beginning to build up a supply of breast milk for my return to work and so that Harrison can get used to drinking from a bottle. The first time he was introduced to the bottle he was a little out of sorts but he and Daddy seem to be getting the hang of it. It's nice bonding time for them.

Aunt Stacey left to go back to Chicago this morning and Uncle Brian and Aunt Erica arrived tonight. They will be here for the week. This weekend we are all headed to Tahoe to celebrate Uncle Brian's 30th birthday. Harrison loves having all of the visitors and is very excited for his first trip to Tahoe!!

Celebrate the small things....

2010-02-19T06:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to food poisoning, I am now able to button a pair of pants that I could not button last week! Yay!

Victory (kind of), Valentine's and Vomitting (yuck!)

2010-02-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

Victory! (kind of)

Last weekend Todd played in the San Francisco Golf Championship. He entered the championship division this year which is where is apparently where the good golfers play. He told me, but I can't remember the famous people that have won this competition.

This was the first weekend and a qualifying round. So, Harrison and I went to the course on Saturday for a little moral support and so that Harrison could officially begin his training as a golfer. He was perfect. He did not make a peep during anyone's backswing and he was so cute that the USGA marshal offered to drive us around (at least for a few holes). The first day Todd shot near his goal and was right on target during the second round on Sunday...but the last two holes did not go well and he unfortunately did not make the cut. Considering he has not been playing since Harrison arrived, I think he did really well! He says he is ready for next year!!

Valentine's

This was the first Valentine's Day in a few years that Todd has been in town. Typically he goes on a golf trip with his college golf buddies. But as you might guess he decided to stay home this year because of Harrison's arrival.

Todd planned a romantic afternoon of driving down the 1 (highway 1 is along the coast) to Half Moon Bay. It was beautiful - a clear, warm day - looking at the ocean from the rugged coastline. Then we had dinner at a seafood place on the water and watched the sunset. Harrison again was a perfect angel and slept through the entire dinner. We then went to the Ritz to check it out and have a drink...but it was packed because of Valentine's Day. So we had a latte and went on our way.

It was a really nice day until....

Vomiting

About 2am, Harrison's middle of the night feeding, I awoke feeling really sick! We think that I got food poisoning. I had fish for dinner and Todd did not....so, I was down for the count on Monday. Literally, I did not get out of bed the whole day. Todd brought Harrison to me to eat and then I would fall back to sleep. It was crazy....I am still not back to normal - I can't really eat regular food yet, but I am feeling sooooo much better! Thank God...food poisoning stinks!

Todd was really cute on Tuesday. He said 'wow, now I really appreciate what you do at home all day'. It was really sweet! And, nice to know that he appreciates what it's like to be home all day.

Harrison is now 5 weeks old and continuing to change. He is so cute. He started smiling about a week ago and it is becoming more frequent. He continues stretching like a mad man...I am still working on a video. He is able to focus on faces,
some toys, and lights for a longer period of time and really seems to be interested in them.

Now that Harrison is a little bigger we are beginning to make the transition into cloth diapers. I am still trying to figure it out as we went through three outfits yesterday because the diapers leaked. I added the extra pad and we will see if that helps. I have to check in with my cloth diaper expert Alexis and get her opinion.

My sister arrives tomorrow morning and Harrison is very excited to meet his aunt! Should be a lot of fun having her here. Just as Stacey is leaving Brian (Todd's brother) and Erica will be arriving. We are looking forward to all of the visitors.

One month visit...

2010-02-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Mom-mom and I took Harrison to the doctor today for his one month visit. At this point he loves the doctor. He gets measured and weighed. The doctor listens to his heart and talks to him. Then we get him dressed and we leave...little does he know what he has in store for his next visit! Vaccinations...Yikes! We will not think about that until the time comes. It will probably be harder for me than for him...but not sure!

Anyway, here are the stats for Harrison's one month visit -

weight - 9lbs 12oz (woah!)
height - 22in

The many faces of Harrison!

2010-02-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Harrison is four weeks old today and has changed so much over this time. He amazes us with something new everyday!

2 days

8 days old

9 days

2 weeks old
3 weeks

4 weeks

Mom-mom and Grandpa Schneider have been in town. Grandpa left on Monday and Mom-mom will be here until Friday. Mom-mom, Harrison and I have been getting out for a little bit everyday. Doing a little 'mall walking', eating lunch and taking Murphy for walks. It's been great having them here for their support and help with the baby and cooking. Todd and Grandpa went crazy around the house this weekend and got a lot done! Thanks Gramps:)

Harrison Edward Schneider's delivery into this world!!

2010-01-26T13:48:00.001-08:00

Most of you know by now that we welcomed baby Harrison into the world a little earlier than expected! I was due on 01/20 and had just started my maternity leave. I had three days of leave to be exact - I think that as soon as I slowed down the baby was like 'here I come'.

I went into labor on Monday 01/11. I woke up in the middle of the night on the 10th having some contractions and then the real thing started around 5pm on Monday evening. I tried calling Todd at work without any luck and ended up texting him. He was on a call with a client when he texted me back. At that point I had been having contractions 3-5 min apart for about an hour and a half and told him that he should probably come home.

We made it to the hospital about 10:30 that night and I was still determined not to have an epidural. I labored until about 3am with the help of my awesome labor partner (Todd). He was full of ideas like sitting on the labor ball and rubbing my back, etc. But still, I thought that I was going to die because of the back to back contractions without a break. At that time, I begged for an epidural. By 3:30am I was resting more comfortably and Todd and I were both able to sleep for a couple of hours. When I woke up the doctors were rounding and my midwife arrived. They decided to start pitocin to speed up my contractions - since they had slowed a little with the epidural. They slowly increased the dosage. About 3pm on the 12th I was fully dilated and pushed for about 45 minutes. Todd did the counting for me and helped me with lots of encouragement. He also watched the whole delivery and did not pass out! I delivered at 3:43pm with a little drama with the umbilical cord around the Harrison's neck and a little meconium. It was the best sound to hear that little baby cry for the first time! Todd and I were so happy!

Birth Stats -
Date of Birth: 01/12/2010
Time: 3:43pm
Weight: 7lbs 2oz
Length: 20 1/4 in

We stayed in the hospital for two nights and it would have been okay with me if we stayed a little longer. The baby stayed in my room the whole time, Todd hung out with us most of the time, and people brought me my food and medicine. There was nothing else to worry about. But we had to go home:)

Murphy greeted us very happily when we arrived home. At first he was a little scared of Harrison and unsure what he was all about. But he is adjusting without any hint of jealousy and has been great. He is very gentle around the baby, smelling him, checking on him when he cries, and then just checking in to make sure that he is okay.

Todd stayed home for a few days after we arrived home from the hospital and then I had a about 4 days at home on my own. During that time our friends and neighbors were awesome bringing us dinners. We also made our first visit to the pediatrician.

One Week Stats -
Weight: 7lbs 8 oz
Height: 20 1/2 in

My parents arrived on Sat 01/23 and have been here since. It has been great to have them. They were so excited to meet Harrison, their first grandson, and it has been great for Todd and I to have the emotional support and help around the house.

Harrison is two weeks old today and there have been so many changes already. He is feeding well! Todd says that my milk is like human growth hormone:)

Two week Stats -
Weight: 8lbs 2 oz

Height: 21in

It has been a crazy and amazing ride over the past two weeks (sorry to those of you that I have not gotten a chance to call back yet! I promise I will! And, thank you to all those that have sent such generous gifts -We love everything! Thank you notes are on the way). Harrison we are so happy that you have arrived and can't wait to see you grow!

38 weeks and my last day of work!

2010-01-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

Today was my last day of work! I have really been looking forward to this day. Now that it is here I have such mixed emotions!

I am so happy to have some time to relax and finish preparing for the baby's arrival. I have not been sleeping well at night, so I have been tired and by the end of the work day, I need a nap:) But, with the being said , it was sad to leave today. I set my out of office reply for my email and my phone. I got everything set up for my patients and the clinical fellow that I have been training! My boss, who is also my friend, gave me a hug and said 'good luck, everything will be perfect' and I got all teary! I think part of it is that I have worked so hard to get my career to where it is and have invested a lot of time and energy into my current office. I also love the people that I work with and will miss having my little work community surrounding me. I know that I am going to be back at work in a few months and my career is not ending, but it feels weird. I think that it really hit me that in about two weeks we are going to have a baby! Wow!! News flash...we are having a baby! Life if changing! It is going to be an amazing change - but there are so many unknowns that it is hard to know what to expect! I guess I just have to roll with the punches and see what happens.

I had my 38 week appointment today. My midwife asked me how I have been feeling and I was telling her about the significant amount of pressure I feel down on my pelvis by the end of the day. She said it was good. After walking the dog, I feel it the most. She said is was good and I should keep walking. She said the head is 'way down there'....so he is in good position. She coached me on the signs of when to call the hospital - if I have a really bad headache and do not feel well - meaning my blood pressure may be high, if my water breaks, or I am having regular, painful contractions. I actually had a braxton-hicks (a practice) contraction while I was laying on the table today. It was good to have it while she was there because I was not sure if it was the baby moving and stretching or a contraction. Now I know. She said there will be no mistaking when I am having real contractions....At this point, she said there is no predicting when the baby will come. God only knows!

My next appointment is on my due date (01/20). At that point she will examine me to see how things are going. They will let me go one week overdue and then do an ultrasound and monitor the baby and decide where to go from there. Only time will tell what is going to happen...I will keep you all posted!

The unveiling of the nursery in 2010....

2010-01-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010!!!

Todd and I went for a nice dinner on new years eve and and actually made it to watch the ball drop at midnight! Although it took some serious smack talking to get Todd to stay awake:)

There are so many things to be thankful for in 2009 - for each other, all of our family and friends, being able to buy a house, and most importantly the experience of growing a baby and looking forward to his arrival. 2010 is bound to be an even more exciting year.....

These are our first two pictures taken with our new camera. As you can see Murphy is very pleased (translation - being tortured by Todd) to be taking this picture.

As I mentioned before, my mom and I made some final purchases for the nursery during their stay. And, Todd and I rearranged and hung the pictures and shelves. So, without further ado (is that how you write that??) Here is the baby's room.....

My mom and I picked out the clothes to bring to the hospital - that are laid out on top of the dresser. So, now all I have to do is actually pack them and pack my own bag. I have been putting that off for some reason and the midwife 'encouraged' me to get going with it at my last visit.

This wall is all built in cabinets and shelving. It is great...you can see that we are already stocked with some stuffed animals and books. The monitor is set up so we can hear every peep and I have the iPod set up. I just need to download to lullabies and other fun baby music.

Here is the crib! I love the bedding and that was really the inspiration for the color scheme of the room - brown, green, and blue (the room, like the rest of the house was already painted a great color, so we really did not have to do much). The little blue elephant is from my mom and the Murphy replica is from Todd's mom.

You can see the great rocker (thanks to mom-mom and grandpa schneider). And if you scan up from there you will see Snoopy, the golfer, who hung in Todd's room when he was little. Next to Snoopy will be picture of the all four grandparents...they all went to dinner together recently during the Schneider's trip to Chicago and there was a great picture from that night. So, now the baby will be able to see his grandparents everyday!

There is really not a lot of space in this little room but I think we have made the most of it!! It is really cute and just waiting to be lived in!

PS. Thanks Amy for lighting the fire to get me to take these pics and get them on my blog.....love you bunches!

Well happy 2010 again everyone! I have my 38 week appt on Wed and we will see how things are moving along. I will keep you posted!

xoxo

1st Christmas as home.....

2009-12-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

It was officially our first Christmas at home. Since Todd and I have been married we have not been home for a major holiday. We typically alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas yearly between each of our families. This year we went to Wine Country for Thanksgiving and hosted my parents for Christmas! It was so much fun!

Growing up, Christmas Eve was always spent with our immediate family. We went to family mass, ate pizza, opened gifts, and then had strawberry pie. On Christmas morning we would open gifts from Santa and then head over to my Nano and Nana's and/or Grandma and Grandpa's for the day.

My parents had a bit of an adventure getting to SF secondary to the snow storm that descended on the Midwest! They still made it on Christmas Eve, just a little later than planned. Sticking with tradition we had pizza. Todd made his manly pizza on the grill and it was awesome. Then we opened gifts.

Todd was the elf....as you can see he enjoyed his job.

Thank you to everyone for all of the great gifts!! I received a lot of baby stuff...the diaper bag, hooter hider (for those of you that don't know - it's a really cute cover-up to use while nursing), in addition to a few things just for me. Todd and I gave each other a new camera in preparation for the baby's arrival. The baby got some books, outfits, and toys from both sets of grandparents. And, he is already being stocked with Philly's gear from Uncle Brian and Aunt Erica. One for daddy and one for baby.....

Murphy also received a gift from my parents. He was so funny....he found his present under the tree without disturbing anything else. Then proceeded to entertain us by carefully unwrapping it all by himself.

On Christmas morning we got up and had our traditional 'monkey bread' with the new addition of a quiche. And then went to mass. I officially retired my choir robe after Christmas mass and will not be rejoining until things get into a routine with the baby. I am not exactly sure when that will be. But, thankfully, the choir director is being really great about it and wants me to come and sing when I can. So, that is really nice.

After church we came home, opened our stockings from Santa, and then my Mom and I spent most of the afternoon cooking. For Christmas dinner we made a orange and rum glazed ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole (Todd's favorite and a Schneider staple), and a holiday salad. It turned out really nice. And for dessert we had a pumpkin pie courtesy of Bobby Flay's recipe and I must say that I out did myself. The pumpkin pie was to die for.

The 27th was my Dad's birthday and we went to dinner nearby in Sausalito. We picked a place with amazing views of the city and on a clear night you can see all the way to Oakland. Of course, if was overcast, rainy and foggy all day. But, dinner was still good and my Dad got his favorite - a good steak!

My Dad shares his birthday with little Samantha Dilullo who is having in her first birthday this year! http://dilullodaily.blogspot.com

Speaking of the Dilullo's, this new years will be the first in 4 years that we have not spent with our friends Pete and Alexis. Hopefully we can coordinate so the Schneider's and the Dilullo's will resume their yearly tradition of spending new year's eve together! Although we may not get kicked out of any 'fraternity houses' I am sure that it will be just as fun with kids (in a whole new way)! We'll miss you guys! I am sure that you will be at home crying without us....

My Mom and Dad were here until the 29th. Mom and I made a few final additions to the nursery. Dad and Todd put together all of the baby equipment...strollers, swing, bouncy seat, etc. Now the strollers are hanging out in the house so that Murphy can get used to them. He is not a big fan of big, rolling objects. But, I think that he is going to be great with the baby....a new pack member! He will love it! Thanks Mom and Dad for all of your help!! It was so great having you here!!! You will be back in a little over three weeks...hard to believe:)

The rest of this week, I have had off of work. The clinic is closed. So, I am running errands and trying to relax. Made a call to a pediatrician today. We are supposed to have a pediatrician in place before the baby arrives and then the doctor will makes rounds and pass through after the baby is born to check things out. I feel really lucky because a friend/colleague of mine takes her baby to a great MD in the same building as our office. So, it should work out great as long as he will take us as his patient! Next on the list is daycare...but that is something for after the new year. My maternity leave begins on January 7th. So, only 3 official days of work remaining! It's so hard to believe that the baby will be arriving soon. I have not had this much time off of work while at home (not travelling for our honeymoon) since I was about 16 years old. It should be an interesting, exciting, and anxious time! I think that I have enough to do to keep me busy and plus, I really should be relaxing:)

Happy 2010 everyone!

35 weeks - baby showers!!!

2009-12-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

It's official! 5 weeks and counting....if the little guys decides to join us as predicted January 20th! My boss is hoping for two days late so that they can share a birthday. That's fine with me as long as he does not come much later than that.

From the front (at least in this picture) it's hard to tell I am pregnant. But clearly there is no mistaking my belly from the side:)

Over the last couple of weeks people have been so generous! We have had two showers. First my choir at church threw a little shower at the beginning of the month and then my friend at work planned a little lunch shower. One of our admins at work is also pregnant so we had a joint shower with pink for her little baby girl and blue for our little guy! I brought my camera to the church shower and, of course, forgot to take a picture. But I did not forget at work! See below.....we balanced the camera on a chair so we could all be included and it was about to fall. As you can see by my face!

Everyone has been so generous by helping us prepare for the baby by building our baby necessities! We feel so lucky to have such generous and supportive friends!

Todd is in Portland, Maine right now. He was so sweet before he left asking 'Do you think it's okay if I go? I don't want you to go into labor!' At this point not much is happening! I think that I am having some practice contractions but only intermittently. It is more like my belly is a jungle gym with the baby bouncing around in there and then he takes a nap. I don't think he is ready to come out yet! It was really funny....I had my choir Christmas concert on Tuesday. I am standing there, ready to sing and my folder is leaning on the top of my belly. The baby kicked so hard you could see my folder bounce up!

The count down is beginning at work. I have the rest of this week and three days next week. Then we are closed in between Christmas and New Year's and then I will work from the 4th to the 6th in the new year. Time has flown by....there is so much to be done during my time off before the baby arrives. I have to get things set up with a pediatrician and find childcare. There is more to do but those are the two big things that are weighing on my mind.

In the immediate future, my parents are coming to visit for Christmas. They will arrive Christmas eve and then leave on the 29th. Todd and I are looking forward to having them. I can't wait for them to see the house and the nursery. It will also be nice to have our first Christmas in our house. I am looking forward to keeping some of the Marx family traditions and cooking a nice holiday dinner! Should be lots of fun....

Off to bed before I fall asleep at the computer. I will try not to wait so long before my next post!
Happy Holidays everyone!

Thanksgiving / Baby Moon

2009-11-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving a few days late!

Todd and I had our first Thanksgiving solo. Since we were not flying back to be with either of our families (and friends), we decided to make a special weekend of it. Todd planned a really nice get away to Yountville. This is a small town in the Napa Valley....we ate thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant called Hurley's. Their claim to fame, according to Todd, is that they kill all of their meat fresh that day. I am not sure if that really happens or not:) But, the turkey dinner was really good. And, there were no leftovers, so we aren't eating turkey sandwiches everyday this week. On Friday was the Festival of Lights in Younteville. People were setting up all day only to have a torrential downpour at about 3pm. We ended up going to the outlets and each bought some shoes for 50% off! Then off to Calistoga. We had dinner at a place called Jole. The chef at this restaurant used to own Matyson in Philadelphia (one of our favorites) and moved to CA about 1.5 years ago and opened this restaurant. Our dinner was awesome (thanks to Bri and Erica for the gift certificate!!). On our way back to Yountville we drove through all of the 'festival of lights'. They looked beautiful and were a good start to the holiday season.

We passed this cafe named in my honor while we were exploring Calistoga.

I forgot my camera on our getaway. But I took a few pics with my iPhone. They are not the greatest but good for memories.

We came home on Saturday. While I put up Christmas decorations, Todd was doing odds and ends around the house. And, carrying everything up and down the stairs for me! He has been awesome throughout my whole pregnancy helping me with things like that.

We graduated from our birthing class and while we know a lot more about what to expect, I think that we both feel like we also know that you really can't plan for it. You just have to take the birthing process as it comes! Should be a crazy ride!

Only 7 weeks left until my due date. It is hard to believe how fast it is coming....although sometimes it seems time is slowly creeping past, most times it feels like time if flying. The baby is moving around like crazy - he is punching or kicking me in the ribs and rolling over. Sometimes I swear he is burrowing his feet into my ribs to keep warm. Or maybe he has long legs like his daddy and there is no where in my stretched belly to put them:)

30 weeks

2009-11-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

So, here we are at 30 weeks! Todd always says that I should show a little smile in these pics...but I feel dorky smiling at myself in the camera. But then I look mad if I don't smile. I could never be a model....

Dork - smiling at myself

Angry - not really, but it looks like it

Todd and I decided that I will stop working two weeks before my due date...primarily because that is the best thing to do to maximize short term disability. But now that time is counting down, I think that it is going to be a really good idea. Now that I am 30 weeks it means I only have 8 weeks of work left. But with the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years Holidays I really only have about 6 weeks left! I can not believe how fast time has flown.

I just had my check-up today and things are going as they should. My weight and size are right on the mark up to this point (although Todd, in the most loving way, said that I may weigh as much as him by the end of this - and has taken to calling me 'baby sequoia'). The heartbeat sounded very strong and the baby is continuing to kick and move around. I am now starting to feel as the baby rolls over or runs its hand/foot along my belly - it's not a kick or jab but a drawn out motion. It is so crazy!

The mid-wife advised me to prepare to go past my due date. The research shows that most women go past their due date when delivering their first baby. For some reason this week, before she told me this, I had been having a feeling that I might be about a week overdue. I guess only time will tell. We learned more about positioning and moving around during labor this week. Todd practiced helping me open my pelvic floor but putting pressure on the hips....you should have seen the room of people practicing this move. It was quite entertaining and then Todd just kept tickling me:)

I have been full of energy up to this point (or at least mostly full of energy)...but that seems to be waning a little. My daily walks with Murphy are a little slower and going up the stairs to the house makes me out of breath....I called out of choir tonight because I was feeling really tired! And, Todd's parents are visiting this weekend, so I want to be well rested and ready to go! Also, Todd is playing the his club championship on Saturday so I want to be able to at least walk along on the back nine. In usual Sarah fashion, I am feeling a little guilty about slowing down....but I just keep telling myself, 'self, you are growing another human!' WOW!

We are planning to get a little work done in the nursery this weekend with the assistance of Todd's parents. Should be really fun!

back to my old 'do'

2009-11-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

After nearly a year of growing my hair out, I decided to go back to my old haircut. I did not go as short as it was at some points over the past couple of years, but definitely chopped it. I sifted through the last few years of pictures and went armed to the hairdresser with pictures. I knew she was going to be a little nervous as in her words women get 'crazy with their hair when they are pregnant'. She is really sweet....so we talked and came up with a game plan. I feel much better with this new haircut...my longer hair was much more work and I was just not liking the way it looked most of the time. AS you can see Murphy is thrilled with it:)

Birthing classes

2009-11-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

So, we started our birthing classes on Tuesday night. It was very interesting...we showed up armed with two pillows, a blanket, and a snack (my leftover burrito from dinner) as instructed and ended up sitting in really uncomfortable chairs all night. The instructor assured us that next week we will be on the floor using our pillows and blankets.

We learned a lot about the woman's pelvis, the hormone relaxin, and how the baby moves into position for delivery. It is so cool how all of that works and it really just happens....or we hope that it all happens as it is supposed to. The most memorable part of the class was watching the videos of three births. None of the women were given any pain medication. They were not trying to make an endorsement for natural child birth, I think that it was just less complicated than getting into the details on medication. Which we will also do in class next week. At this point I am planning to go without medication unless I am truly suffering. But, we will know more next week. Half way through the video I looked at Todd and said "holy shit, that looks awful!" The ladies faces were all swollen and they were moaning and writhing. Woah!! But then I was tearing up as the babies were born. I can't imagine how it will feel to hold our new little baby boy! I can't wait (really, I can wait another 11 weeks. There is a lot to do in that time!!!).

In other news, we have officially hired a dog walker. Not for daily walks, which Todd and I still do religiously. (Mine are a little slower than they used to be!) But for those days when we have to stay in the city later and driving back home is not an option or economical (crossing the bridge a couple of times a day can get pricey). I had my choir concert on Monday, Todd had dinner with our friend Pete and his parents, and then we were at birthing class on Tuesday...so Murphy got the royal treatment. Mary Lyons picked him up and plopped him in the front seat of her car, as were not sure how he would be in the car with other dogs. She then made the rounds to pick up the other dogs and proceeded to the trail for an hour of hiking. Then made her rounds again and dropped everyone off! Murphy got a great report both days. He was a gentleman with all of the other girl dogs and loved hiking...as we already know! He really seemed to love it...Todd said that he could tell Murphy was in a really good mood because of his hike!

30 weeks is fast approaching.....belly pics to come next week!

recap - 28 weeks

2009-10-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

My sister made me promise that I would post this picture:)

Things have been crazy lately. Let me give you a little recap....

The crib mattress arrived this weekend...so now we just have to build the crib and put the room together. We also had our kitchen table and living room chairs delivered. Our house is really beginning to come together:)

I am continuing to chip away at my PhD application - it is due 12/03/2009 - so I really have to get moving. With that being said, things are coming together. I have all of my requests out for letters of recommendation and am in the midst of putting together my essays.

We just finished our stroboscopy course at work. For those of you who are wondering what the heck that is....it is how we take videos of the vocal folds (vocal cords/voice box). We have speech pathologists and physicians come from all over the US to be trained on how to do this procedure. I do a lot of the planning in addition to teaching during the course. It was a big success. And, thank God it's over:)

The weekend prior, I was at home in Rockford, IL for my baby shower. My Mom, sister, Nana and future sister-in-law did an amazing job planning everything!

The house looked great and my Mom was meticulous about every detail. She made individual cakes for each person (thanks Dad for helping with the frosting) and they turned out so cute...check them out.

It was so much fun to see everyone and everyone was so generous. We have so many cute new baby outfits and lots of gift cards to get the necessities! Thanks everyone:) love you!!

Not only was it nice to see everyone at the shower. My brother and Amy made the trip from Nashville for the weekend. They came for the shower and to take care of some wedding stuff (it won't be long). I am so happy they were able to make it to Rockford...it means a lot to me.

One aside, that is not about the shower but happened in conjunction with the shower....with all of the flying and being on my feet I developed cankles (your calves and ankles become one - i.e. swollen). It was really a beautiful sight! You will be relieved to know that this problem has since resolved! My calves and ankles have parted ways....my feet are still a little puffy - but no more cankles:)

Another fun activity...while I was home I got a mini-makeover. My mom is a new Mary Kay consultant. She is really excited to be doing this....check out her website.

http://www.marykay.com:80/lilmarx/default.aspx

If you need a little pampering (and are in Rockford) just let her know. If you are not in Rockford and want some products....just let her know:)

This weekend marks our first Halloween in our new house...I will keep you posted if we have any trick or treaters....guess I need to go out and get some candy, just in case!

Happy Halloween!

25 weeks

2009-10-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 25 weeks...it is crazy how my belly is growing. I go to choir each week and the girl that sits next to me says she can see a difference every time. It seems like a lot of people are telling me that I look really small for how far along I am....I have to disagree. I have gained the recommended amount of weight and I don't want to be a house (even though I feel it some days). I looked through the previous belly pics and what a difference.....I have my next appointment on Thursday. We have a course that we are hosting at work next week, so after that I am on the hunt for the perfect childcare situation. It is really hard to know what to ask...but I am learning as I go.

This Friday I am headed back to Rockford, IL. My mom, sister, Nana, and future sister-in-law, Amy are throwing me a baby shower! It should be a lot of fun...I can't wait to see everyone! I also am happy for my Nana to see me pregnant, I think it will make her really happy (my mom too, of course).

So, now for the update on the house...I have had many requests for pics. And, while we are not done decorating - I thought it would be nice to share some pics of the work in progress (now that it is not so embarassingly filled with boxes and other crap!)

Here is the baby's room. He already has quite a collection of stuffed animals - from my Opa, Mom mom, Nana, and my coworker Lydia. I have also added my Jiminy Cricket to the mix. We found a crib, as I mentioned in the last post, but it is on back order. It will not arrive until the end of the month. So this is the rooms sans the crib. You can see the brown and white bedding on the shelf in the background. We will see if the rug on the floor stays or goes as things begin to come together. This will be the last picture of the nursery until it is finished. I know that you will all be holding your breath....

Here is our bedroom. There are built in shelves on each side of the bed and then drawers and shelves across from the bed. So, the only furniture in the room is the actual bed.

The kitchen is next....it is not a big kitchen by any means. But for what is there, it is great! There is a really nice 6 burner, gas range and subzero fridge - just to give you the highlights.

This is the dining area....we ordered our table and it will be delivered on the 24th...we can't wait. Although, I think that Murphy rather likes the open space. He dragged his bed over so that he could watch me cooking in the kitchen. I love the company but he is just using me for dropped food:)

Breakfast bar/window connecting the kitchen and living space. It makes the kitchen feel a lot bigger.

Family room....so I may have mentioned this earlier but now that you can see the room, it is probably a better story. The TV is above the fireplace and the couch is facing the TV. Todd and I debated the best place to put the chair...I voted for the current position while Todd voted to have the chair face the TV, stadium seating style. This is the short term compromise...no stadium seating but we will get swivel chairs - so you can watch TV and talk to other people sitting with you in the room.

Can't wait for visitors:) You are all welcome! (I did not show the guest room - we have a guest suite downstairs.) Come visit California!

Setling in....

2009-10-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to thank Kelley for the facebook message. It lit a fire under my butt to write this blog tonight. I have been meaning to write for the last couple of weeks....but time has been getting away from me. Work has been crazy, that is an understatement, and I am still getting used to the new schedule with commuting, unpacking, etc.

Murphy getting settled in! Life is so rough.

We are getting settled into our new place....we spent nearly the whole weekend looking for a kitchen table, chairs, and two swivel chairs for the family room. Todd would like to have the back of the chairs to the couch, stadium seating style. I talked him into swivel chairs instead. That way we can actually talk to our guests. A weekend like this makes me think of the movie 'Old School'. Will Ferrel says "Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're um, we're gonna go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed Bath And Beyond, I don't know. I Don't know if we'll have enough time." Let me tell you guys....we had a big weekend! We ended up finding a kitchen table and chairs, two swivel chairs, and a crib. Very productive, we barely had time for it all. We even hung some pictures. Hanging pictures is the hallmark of getting settled into a new place. So, even though we will not have our new furniture yet....I think the house will be ready to make its debut this weekend. Please stay tuned for pics....

Another, getting settled in moment. Todd and I were exhausted from our big weekend furniture shopping and hanging pictures and sat down on Sunday night to watch a movie. Todd suggested that we have a fire....he also said, we need to get the fireplace cleaned, but one fire should be fine. Well, about 15 minutes later, the house was filled with smoke 2-3 smoke alarms were beeping and my eyes were burning. Something was not quite right with the flu...I guess we need to get it serviced before we try another fire! oops! Basically our house still smells like campfire. It's kind of nice, if you like that stuff.

Baby update....I had a fetal echocardiogram (sp?) and everything looked great! No heart defects. I had to have my blood glucose test done last week....although my practitioner did not warn me. And, of course a drug rep brought in donuts! Needless to say, I ate a donut at about 9am and then figured I deserved 1/2 of another as something sweet after lunch. Then I proceeded down to the lab only to find out that I had to drink that syrupy, sugar water and then come back in an hour to have my blood drawn. Hopefully, I did not screw up the test. There has been no word yet, so I am assuming that is good news. I will keep you posted! The baby is moving more and more all of the time and my belly button is getting really deformed. Expect some belly pics in the next couple of days (not of the belly button, I will not gross you out with that).

It may be a record more than one post in a week......let's see if I can live up to the challenge!

That's all for now.

i am feeling pretty boring right now....

2009-09-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Warning...what you are about to read it going to be very boring, not funny, nor entertaining. I am feeling tired and need to go to bed. So despite all of the great things I have to share, I am going to make this post short. I just want you all to know that I am still a blogger:)

Todd calls me a reality TV junkie. There are certain shows where I draw the line (such as big brother, the most beautiful person, survivor...) but tonight was the first episode of the biggest loser. I love watching that show because these people really become inspired to change their lives. There are certain parts that are really annoying, like Jillian the trainer screaming at the contestants during the last chance workout (she has major voice issues - although it seems like maybe she worked with someone because it is not as bad this season). But, there are some really cool parts like when the contestants begin to feel empowered again and begin to take charge of their lives, their health, and their future.

One more boring story...Todd really loved this one. I left this morning with plenty of time to get gas prior to my commute to work (this is quite an adjustment!!!). I got to the gas station and got the last spot at the pump. I was feeling really lucky. Then realized that I had to pre-pay, so I rushed over to the machine, fed it my debt card, and then went back to the pump. It pumped 10 cents of gas and then stopped. I was pushing buttons, using the help key....no help! I went into talk to the guy who was glued to his chair. He told me 'the pump is working'. I proceeded to tell him that it was not working, there was no gas pumping. So he told me to start over and that is what I did. I removed the nozzle, prepaid again and it still did not work. He would not help me, so I decided to take my chances and drive to work on empty (the car said there was 15 miles left in the tank). I was off to work with no gas and running late....I made it in good time without risking the baby or my life with break neck speeds, parked and made it to work 5 minutes late with my 8am patient staring at me as I got off of the elevator. Todd's response was 'great story, Sarah, very interesting'.

With these deep thoughts, I leave you. I am going to take some pics of our half unpacked house and our 'new to us' car and will send more details about the move, etc. in the next couple of days!

PS. For those of you who know what this means....Todd play golf at Cypress Point last Friday for work. He birdied 15 and 16. #16 is one of the most famous and difficult holes ever! He is very excited! This is a picture of 16. Enjoy:)

20 weeks - It's a boy!!!

2009-08-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a big week. Last Wednesday we went for my detailed ultrasound....it was so cool! The baby is moving around a lot and really developing quickly. We got a good report from the doctor. All of the important parts are intact - the lip and palate look very good, we could even see the baby swallow at one point, there are four chambers to the heart and they are all working appropriately, and there are 10 fingers and 10 toes. She said that our baby "is very photogenic"! She probably says that to everyone. During the ultrasound we told them that we wanted to wait to find out the sex. We asked her to write it down and put it in an envelope so that we could open it at a special dinner. Well, she did one step better. She took a picture of the baby's private parts with an arrow pointing at it (thank God or we would have never figured it out) and labeled it with the sex.

We went to dinner on Friday night and were both so excited we almost opened the envelope in the car on the way there. Once we arrived at dinner, I was so hungry I was about to pass out, so we got some bread and proceeded with the big event. Todd suggested that I open the envelope.....I wasn't sure what to think, but I thought the ultrasound tech has almost slipped and that it may be a boy. So............I opened the envelope and 'It's a boy'!! Todd said that he could tell immediately by my face. He was so excited (and relieved:))!! He got his wish!

Not only were we excited but the girl at the table next to us noticed our ultrasound picture and said congrats! She and her husband were visiting San Francisco from Chicago and have three kids at home. Then the table on the other side chimed in, they have a 6 week old baby at home and this was their first dinner out since the baby. So, that made it even more fun.

Before we ate dinner Todd called his mom, who was waiting up on the east coast for the announcement and I was texting a bunch of others:) It was a great night and the food was good too! (Todd is going to scan the picture of the evidence of the baby boy tomorrow - so I will attach it at a later date for you all to see)

Saturday and Sunday we, with the Murph in tow, headed off to the new house. We were armed with cleaning products, water, and snacks. We also brought over some of the breakables to avoid having to pack them really well for the movers. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun! Saturday was so hot that I actually got to begin yard work by going around watering all of the plants. I am sure that was just a taste of what is to come. Murphy loves the new yard and had a great time exploring. He was even introduced to a wild turkey in our backyard on Sunday....he did not know what to do! It did not deter him from continued exploration. We are so excited for the big move this weekend....it is still hard to believe that we are homeowners. How exciting!!!

Over the last couple of weeks, I have begun feeling more kicking and baby movement. On Saturday morning I got couple of kicks and then had Todd try to feel. The baby gave a strong kick and Todd could feel it!! It was so cool....but I think it freaked him out a little bit! While he was excited and happy, I not sure he knew what to do! It was pretty cute:) Today, I was feeling kicks throughout the day at work. It is so cool to feel the baby moving around in there! What an amazing feeling. I am so glad that Todd got to feel it too!

We made it home.....

2009-08-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

So, after a great week of traveling we are officially back to reality. We are closing on our new house on Thursday and are really excited! We are also going for an ultrasound tomorrow and are even more excited!!! We will get to find out the sex of the baby (if it cooperates). Todd heard about this idea from a friend and the plan is to have the doctor write the sex on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. Then we will go out for a special dinner and open the envelope. It is a slow form of torture to have to wait, but it should be really fun!! (My husband has great ideas:)) Todd is banking on a boy.

Now, for a recap of our week of travel. We arrived in Philadelphia early on the 13th and awaited the arrival of other family members. My friend Alexis stopped over with her daughter, Sam and we got to hang out for a little while. It is amazing how big Sam is getting! Can't wait to see all her new skills when they visit SF in October! Soon after, we were off to Bethlehem, PA, the home of LeHigh University, for Brian and Erica's wedding. What a weekend. It was so much fun!! And exhausting....I realized, again, that I do not have as much energy as I did before being pregnant. I guess that is normal:) My body is working overtime. On that note, I think I felt the baby move on the Sunday after the wedding. I was sitting on the couch and felt was seemed like a little flick from the inside. I haven't felt much since then but the baby is getting bigger and stronger, so I am hoping to feel more soon!

There are some really fun memories from the weekend. It also brought back many memories from our wedding that we just over three years ago! I have to say, I feel so blessed to have married into such a great family.

Back to the wedding weekend....Todd made a slide show pictorial of Brian and Erica that was played at the rehearsal dinner. He worked really hard on this and it was great to see how excited he was to share this with everyone, especially Brian and Erica. Friends and family really seemed to enjoy it, there were laughs at the appropriate time, a few tears, etc....Erica's face was priceless when the first picture came up.

The wedding was August 15th...a nice, hot day! The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was so much fun! The band was awesome! Everyone danced all night (especially Todd - more on that later). Brian and Erica were so happy and make an perfect couple. Congratulations guys! Hope you have a great time in Hawaii!!

The Schneider Fam!

My dress fit:)

As Todd says, "my brother only gets married once"! We all had a lot of fun, but Todd was having fun for two. He got out and danced....ALL NIGHT! He was jumping up and down and attempting to recreate Mark's (Kristi's boyfriend) version of the 'shower'. This is one of my favorite pics of the fun....

I woke up Sunday morning feeling like I had been drinking all weekend or that I was run over by a train. I couldn't even carry my bag to the car (thanks Uncle Scott for your assistance)....We made it back to Malvern on Sunday afternoon with just enough time to watch Bri and Erica open some gifts and head home to prepare for their honeymoon. Todd and I spent a couple more days at the Schneider's recovering from the wedding and hanging out with the fam. We also made a trip to the city to meet up with friends! It was so great to see everyone. I feel so lucky to have such great friends!! Love you guys!!!

After our time in Philly, we flew into Chicago to visit my family in Rockford. It was so great to see everyone...Tony couldn't make it, but his fiance Amy was able to make the trip from Tennessee. It was great to see her and spend some quality time. We got to talk about their wedding next year and she joined my sister, mom, and I to begin the baby registry. Who knew that you needed so many things for such a little baby.

We also were able to celebrate my Aunt Nean and Uncle Mike's birthday, my mom and dad planned a little get together of family and friends so that we could see everyone in one place, we made a trip into Chicago and had a delicious lunch and walked around Navy Pier and then had a nice dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Rockford - Lino's. Another highlight of the weekend was getting to spend some time with my sister's boyfriend, Matt. I had only met him one time over Thanksgiving last year, so it was nice to get to hang out and hear what is going on with him.

Amy, Todd, and I at Navy Pier

The Marx's at Lino's

Thanks everyone for making our trip so much fun!!! Love you all!

As I mentioned earlier, we have a busy week ahead of us with the house closing, packing, and all of the joys that go along with moving. But most importantly we have some big baby news coming up! I will be sure to keep you all posted on the new developments!

heading out of town

2009-08-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

So, we are headed out of town tonight on the red eye to Philadelphia and the to visit my family in Illinois. Todd's brother, Brian, is getting married this weekend. We are very excited for their big day and to have Erica as an official part of the family.

It has been an experience preparing for the wedding. Todd and I are both in the bridal party.....so yes, you guessed it! I have to fit my growing belly into a bridesmaids dress. Thank God Erica picked a figure flattering dress for all shapes. Since ordering the dress, when I did not know I was going to be pregnant, I have grown 5 inches in my belly among adding untold inches in the chest and hips! Who knew that their body could change so much in this amount of time. It was a reality check! I am also grateful for a good seamstress. The Chinese woman that did all the alterations (who was very cute) told me ' wow! you getting big'! I had to order some extra fabric and the woman did a great job making the additional inches appear as though they are supposed to be there....

I will post pictures from the wedding and you can all check out the bridesmaids dress masterpiece! And see the beautiful bride and groom! Stay tuned....

My first experience blogging - 15 weeks

2009-07-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here begins my first experience as a blogger. I just spent the last two nights trying to build this thing, so I hope you like it. While my friend Alexis (Hi Alexis!!) was pregnant she started a blog to keep everyone posted. I felt connected to her throughout her entire pregnancy even though we didn't get to talk all the time. I was so inspired by her blog and all of the meaningful posts that I thought, while I am not as funny as Alexis, maybe I can do this!! So with her as my inspiration and her blog as my guide....here we go!

I am now 15 weeks pregnant and starting to grow. Basically, I look like I have been going to town on Ben and Jerry's. I have increased my pants size....they fit in the waist but are a little big every where else. So, it is reassuring that I am not turning into a blimp. I am beginning to embrace my growing belly. I have basically spent my whole life trying to get rid of my 'pooch' and now I have an excuse!!! I have to enjoy it while it lasts...and there is a sweet, little baby growing inside me. It still seems really crazy. Sometimes it's really real - like when we saw the picstures during my 13 week ultrasound and when I heard the heartbeat last week. Other times it still feels like, is this really happening??

Not only do I want to stay in touch with the blog, I am planning to use it as an opportunity to begin a 'belly book' - all of the pregnancy books recommend it. So, of course, it is a good idea!

I am finally starting to feel a little more like myself. About two weeks ago I thought the fog of nausea, etc was easing up. I got lax on taking my B6/Unisom cocktail and started to feel sick again (take note - woman who are considering getting pregnant, that combo is a lifesaver. You think it would make you more tired but it does NOT, I promise!!). So, now I am continuing my odd cocktail and feeling better! YAY!!! It has been really nice, even during my worst times of being sick and cranky Todd has been the best. He brings me dinner that I turn away because it makes me gag. Then he brings me something else. He has been very helpful around the house and doing grocery shopping. And he even told me how 'huge' I am getting! That went over well...haha! It was a classic 'toddifer' moment....He really has been the best and I love how happy he looks when he talks about the baby! Thanks babe! Glad that we get to share this together!

We are in the process of buying a house. All contingencies were removed yesterday and we will
be closing on Aug 27th....The new house is in Mill Valley. It is just across the Golden Gate bridge and will be a relatively easy commute for both of us to get to work. Plus, we could never have found a place like this in the city. Here is a little preview....

In other news, Todd is in New York and Boston this week for work. He is working his butt off for a deal and hopefully it will keep moving forward!

Now that you are basically up to date...I want to thank all of our family and friends for their love and support during this exciting time in our lives! Until next time....