new addition

I am pleased to introduce to you, the newest addition to the Shachmut family - The 2008 Saturn Vue.  

We haven't decided on a name yet, but she comes home on Tuesday.  :-)

Kyle and I have spent a while now researching new cars, and spent the last 2 days driving, feeling, bargaining, walking away, walking back in, crunching numbers, and playing hard to get with the dealerships.  I'm absolutely exhausted.  (Kyle, by the way, is my hero for being so good at wrestling the lowest price out of these guys...he just doesn't give in)

However, at the end of the day, thanks to some really great pricing and incentives, we've got our new car, fully loaded with all the bells and whistles that nobody ever actually needs...but are, nonetheless, enticing to have.  We were able to keep our same payments, so our budget doesn't change at all.  This is a good thing.  

And for any of you, who, like me, have incredibly illogical emotional attachments to cars, (I cried my eyes out for 20 mins on the way down at the thought that this was my last highway drive with Zoie) I want you to know that Zoie is going to go to a good home.  She'll go to somebody who needs her more than I do and who will probably wash her and change her oil more than yearly.  She has been an excellent car.  But, as Kyle put it, she was my college car.  Now, we're getting a family car.  

So, I'm happy.

countdown

Today marks the point in this pregnancy where we're counting down the days in double digits.  99 days left until baby Abigail is due.  

On one hand, 99 days still seems a long way away.  14 weeks-ish, sounds shorter...and 3 months sounds dangerously close.  

At 26 weeks, I'm still feeling good.  Abigail is getting stronger everyday and letting me know it.  I always enjoy feeling her move and kick and punch...but, it's also at the point where sometimes I become weary when she's really active.  I've started trying to soothe her like a baby when she's moving a lot.  I rock her by swaying myself.  I play music for her, sometimes I even sing to her.  Of course, the best way to get her to calm down is to have Kyle come put his hand on my belly. That seems to work like magic.  She'll be such a daddy's girl.  

The best part is when these things work, and I'm able to settle her.  It makes me feel kinda useful.

At 26 weeks, I'm not big enough to waddle, but I'm getting big enough to understand the aches and pains that are coming.  My back is starting to be sore at the end of the day. My feet ache more than they used to.  Rolling over when I sleep is a 5-step process.  My skin needs moisturizer more often.  I use my feet to pick up things I drop when I can so I won't have to bend.  I think I can understand the idea of being "ready" for baby to come out.  

Kyle started calling her "Abigailien"  Because of the alien like qualities that come with having another being live inside you.  She apparently has begun stealing more of my food...because my appetite is growing as well.  

Anyway, just an update.  Kyle and I are doing well overall and are getting ready to start back to work and school on Tuesday.  That should give me plenty to write about.  :)

politics

I don't know who will win the election.  I don't know every stance on every policy for either of our presidential candidates.  I don't think either candidate is perfect.  I think there are pros and cons to every situation.  And I look forward to learning more and hearing the debates in the coming months.  

However, regardless of how things turn out, I'm glad I was here tonight to hear Obama's speech.  

You don't have to like the guy or even vote for him.  But, I think the moment does deserve recognition for the weight it carries in our national history.  I'm proud to be here tonight.  I'm proud of how far we've come...as cliche as that may sound.  I'm excited about the idea that my daughter may be born into a world that has overcome one more racial barrier.  We've elected Obama to be the democratic nominee.  It is important, and historic, and...to me at least, exciting.  

What an amazing time to be involved.  And if you're not...you should be.  Go educate yourself.  Ask questions, watch the debates, listen, doubt, play the skeptic, learn, grow.  Most of all, keep an open mind and make educated and informed decisions.  Don't listen to too much spin.  A little is ok...as long as you recognize it.  It matters too much to play a passive part.  Be a critical thinker.

So, I may not be wearing my flag pin around...but I'm proud to be a part of the voting community, and (again, as cliche as it may sound) I'm glad to live in, and to be bringing a child into, this country.  

Thank You!

I'm back from my nearly week long trip down to the Southern lands.  I traveled back for a couple of baby showers and to see all the friends and family that I could squeeze into 4 or 5 days.

First of all, I need to express my deepest thanks to all involved in the showers that were thrown for us.  They were fun, beautifully done, well attended, and so much help.  Kyle and I were lucky enough to be given several of our "big ticket" items for little Abigail.  This is a big help to us, obviously.

I didn't realize it, but I've been stressing about how we were going to get all the things we "need" to get.  When I say I was stressing about it, what I really mean, is that as I let myself think about baby things, the inevitable truth that we couldn't afford it always hit me.  At that point, I stopped letting myself think about these things.  I went and made dinner or something else.  But, every time I started day dreaming about this or that...it was always interrupted by that stressful thought.  I think it was wearing on me without me really realizing it.

What those showers (the people and their generosity) gave us, was security.  We now have a security we didn't have.  My child will have her basic needs met...and she'll even have some cute outfits to make life more fun. ;-)  

Point being- Thank you.  Thank everyone who helped us.  It is very much appreciated.  From the gift cards, to the homemade items, from the hostesses to the many creative and thoughtful gifts that made everything so special...Thanks.  

I'll post pictures soon.  I'm still trying to figure out where all these things should go!  :-)

Naming Baby

Kyle and I have decided on a first name for this little bundle o' joy.  :)

We each made lists independent of each other and compared them a few weeks ago.  After some civil discussion, we narrowed it down to a handful of names. ( I did have to break Kyle's heart by nixing Espn...yes, like the sports channel)  We let those names percolate in our minds for a few days and then decided on one.  Then, we let that name mull around in our brains for another week or so.  In the end, we decided we liked it.

Our little girl will be Abigail Shachmut.  

I love the name, and have for a long time.  Kyle likes the idea of calling her Abby.  He says it sounds like a girl who plays sports.  I said Abigail sounded like a girl who reads books.  So, we're both happy with it.  

We've not settled on a middle name yet.  We have a short list.  But, I wanted to post this before I left for Arkansas....which is now about 12 hours away.  I'll be sure to let everyone know when we come up with the rest of it.  

Until then, we'll keep waiting for baby Abigail to give us ideas. 

addiction

I've reached that point where I want ice cream all the time.  

God bless him, Kyle bought one of those huge tubs of neapolitan goodness.  This is economical, but does not encourage me to curb my enthusiasm for the sweet stuff.  On top of that (literally) we have a barrage of topping possibilities laying around.  It's a wonderful disaster waiting to happen.

I've probably had a bowl of ice cream every day this week.  On some days, I have 2 bowls. With chocolate syrup and marshmallows.  It's calcium, right?

Tomorrow we're having friends over for a Sundae and board game party.  This is mostly just to mask my addiction in a social setting.  :-)  

I'll post pictures.

e-nesting

As we enter our 6th month, I find myself more and more ready to have things in place for this little one on the way.  I know I still have plenty of time...which is good...but up until recently, I've not allowed myself to really dream about things.  

We have a small apartment, but we recently have arranged to move into a 2 bedroom at the end of October.  I'm really excited about this.  The apartment is bigger, it's on a higher floor with a view of the reservoir and downtown boston.  AND it's actually cheaper in rent.  The downside? We have to move again in May because our building was bought by Boston College...and they're making the whole thing into dorms (boooo!)  

Anyway, the other night, I really let myself browse and dream for the first time.  I've had so many people ask me what our theme is, or what our colors are.  I spent a long time "e-nesting" the other night.  Hours and hours of looking at every store I could think of.  Just looking.  Thinking.  Planning.  Dreaming.    I have whole documents of accessories, baskets, wall decor, and furniture I like.  I even made a floor plan for the nursery based on our new measurements. While nothing is concrete...I think the palate below will be close to what we do.  

................................................

Here is the cribset I like right now.  Kyle loves the bright colors, I love the argyle.  We both like the funky combo of animals.  From Land of Nod.

Since we live in an apartment, we can't paint.  I'm hoping to use some of these decals to decorate.  They come in all kinds of colors and you can get them in sizes from 5" to several feet tall.  I think they'll go well with the quilt above. 

This is the crib we're currently registered for.  I wanted dark wood, dropside, and a convertible.  This one fit the bill and is about half the price of a lot of the others we've seen.  

This is just a lamp I like.  I almost bought them for our bedroom, but never did.  

So, slowly, I'm developing an idea of the things I like.  Kyle seems pleased with it all.  I think he just smiles and nods a lot, because he knows how much I think about this stuff.  Hopefully our move will come quickly, so I can start actualizing things.  :)

Lullaby

I love Billy Joel.  I like the words in the songs.  He has one song called Lullaby that has been on my ears for a while now.  So, I thought I'd share it.  

I like to listen to this song and imagine Kyle singing it to this little girl one day.  It's very sweet.  Below should be a file for the song, and I'm pasting the words as well.  Enjoy.  

Verse 1: 

Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes

And save these questions for another day

I think I know what you've been asking me

I think you know what I've been trying to say

I promised I would never leave you

And you should always know

Wherever you may go, no matter where you are...

I never will be far away

Verse 2:

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep

And still so many things I want to say

Remember all the songs you sang for me

While we went sailing on an Emerald Bay

And like a boat out on the ocean

I'm rocking you to sleep

The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart

You'll always be a part of me.

Verse 3: 

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream

And dream how wonderful your life will be

Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby

Then in your heart, there will always be a part of me.

Someday we'll all be gone, but lullabye's go on and on,

They never die, that's how you and I will be. 

5th Degree

I know I wrote about this a while back, but I'm not sure I ever gave an update.

In June this summer, Kyle tested for his 5th degree black belt.  For those of you not familiar with Taekwondo, is suffices to say that this is a pretty big deal.  

Kyle performed very well under pressure in front of a huge panel of judges.  The whole testing had over 350 black belts.  It's quite the operation.  He was strong, sharp, and broke his boards on the first try (...this is important)

I put together a short video of the event.  At the end, it says that we're waiting results.  Well, Kyle has officially received his passing letter.  He is now a 5th degree black belt.  I'm so proud of him!  This takes not only a lot of training, but a lot of involvement and growth within the organization.  

So anyway, sorry this is a little late.  Good job Kyle!

6 month checkup

Well, almost 6 months.  

Kyle and I went in for a baby checkup yesterday.  Happy to report that all was just as it should be.  Heartbeat was still at 160 bpm.  My blood pressure was good and my weight...well... after stepping on the scale, the nurse says, "Well, that's quite a jump!" ...

....yeah, thanks lady.  

I told her to blame it on two vacations in a month.  The doctor said that made sense to her.  ;-)  She's a good doctor.  I am officially bigger than I've ever been.  Never seen those numbers on my scale.  But, c'est la vie.  I'm an incubator.

We go back in a month.  Until then, just enjoying the little kicks and the growing belly.  

Babymoon!

Wow!  So much has happened in the past week, that I don't know where to start.  :)

We had a great vacation to Hawaii.  It was beautiful and fun.  I went snorkeling for the first time, we saw rainbows, ate fresh pineapple, visited Pearl Harbor, saw sea turtles, went shopping, ate good food, went to a luau, and enjoyed the amazing hospitality and warmth of the island.  

We met our friends Billie Jo and Ricky down there for the week, and we had a great time with them as well.  I have about 2000 pictures, so I'll spare you the whole thing.  But I'll post a sampling of them here.  

The only mishap we had on the trip was that Kyle accidently lost his wedding ring in the Pacific.  It just slipped off of his finger.  The waters were so crystal clear that we really thought we'd find it...but after a lot of searching, we had to say good bye.  Kyle was pretty sad about it, and I felt bad for him.  But we both know that it is just a ring that can be replaced.  We are also both glad that it was his ring and not mine...because I would probably still be inconsolable.  

There is just no way for me to summarize all that we did on vacation or to do any one activity justice, so I'll just post some pictures and I'll look forward to seeing most of you next week in Arkansas!

kicks

Two nights ago, I couldn't sleep.  I was up for hours and hours.  At one point I tried to sit up, using only my stomach muscles.  I got about halfway and *BAM!* I got kicked!  It was hard, too.  I halfway yelled, "OW!" and fell back over.  

Apparently baby Shachmut did not appreciate my movement.  

Ever since then, she has been so very active.  I had a really productive day yesterday and felt good about a lot of things.  Maybe she just decided to be just as productive and fully explore her limited surroundings.  All day: kick, kick, punch, roll over, wiggle, kick.  

It's a neat feeling.  Kinda weird, but neat.  I like that she's getting stronger, and now that she's getting more consistent, I look forward to Kyle being able to feel her move around as well.  

This morning I was sitting checking my mail, and when I was done, I just sat here staring at my belly.  I watched it for about 10 mins, just watching my skin move around.  Watching her kick and twitch.  How crazy is that? It's pretty addictive.  I like feeling her.  Although, a few of the really hard ones catch me off guard still.  I told my friend Billie Jo the other day..."It is absolutely insane that I have a living being inside me"  She agreed.  :)  

I wonder if you ever get used to it. Probably not. 

Maybe she's just excited about Hawaii too.  We leave for our babymoon in the morning!  Wish us happy travels, and I'll keep ya posted from afar.  

overwhelmed.

Kyle and I went to register at a few places today...thus the title.

There are so many things.  So many kinds of things.  So many little differences between the things that you're not even sure you want let alone that you need.  We've done pretty well compromising on things.  Trying to get things that can be used again...but still indulging in my occasional must have pink-thing-a-ma-jig.  I know babies don't really need that much.  And I try to keep that in mind.  But, there are things they need. 

Strollers.  So many things to think about.  We spent a long time playing with strollers today.  And then when you find the one with all the features you like...it only comes in designs you don't like.  So do you settle for the second best quality/functionality because you love the cloth?  I don't know.  

Bedding.  This is a lost cause on us right now.  We'll find something...I know.  But today was our first day looking, and well....we just have very different tastes.  Kyle likes things that are big bright bold colors, jungle animals, and sports.  I like more modern designs with calmer colors.  It was very difficult explaining to him my aesthetic opinions.  Conversations usually followed this type of pattern: 

Kyle: how about this one?  

Me: No, that's too boyish.

Kyle: how about this one?

Me: No, that's too girly.  Do you like this?

Kyle: It's blue...isn't blue for boys?

Me: Only some blues. Some blues can be for girls.

Kyle: How about this one?

Me: No...that's a boy blue.

Well...we couldn't agree on one so we figured the perfect set must not have been at that store anyway.  

Furniture.  Here's another whole world of decisions that are too big for me to make.  They have lifetime cribs.  The kind that convert as the child grows and so they can have the "same" bed from birth - adulthood.  ....I can't decide what shampoo to use most mornings, how am I supposed to know if this little girl will want the same bed forever?  How do I know I will want her to have that same bed.  But then it makes cribs seem like a poor value...same price, just one bed.  And THEN, I remember that we don't even have room for a crib...let alone a dresser and anything else.  Then I get sad.  And everything is so pricey. I should just look on craigstlist.  

Anyway.  

We made it through the day.  We don't really know what we're doing, but we're shooting laser guns at things in stores.  And learning, bit by bit.  It's just a little bit overwhelming.