Gender Guessing

I think it is great that many people find out what they are having the big day. What patience you have! And I'm sure it is amazing to hear them say "It's a girl" or "It's a boy!" I have to say from experience though, it is pretty amazing when they say it at the ultrasound 20 weeks earlier as well, and I really feel that knowing what Noelle was at 20 weeks helped me to bond with her, decide on a name that fit, and of course, helped me to get things ready. We hoped we would have more than one child, so all of our big ticket baby items are gender neutral (car seats, pack and play, sheets, etc.) and since we weren't so in to pinks and purples many of our clothes (at least for infants) are gender neutral as well, but we certainly will need to make some clothing purchases if Alien turns out to be a little boy. Another girl? Bring on the double stroller and maybe a new baby carrier since I hated the sling I tried with Noelle, and we pretty much are ready to rock and roll.

So we will be finding out again what we are having at our big ultrasound. And we will share the results with anyone who asks. Great secret keeper I am not! But we will not be sharing our name choices with anyone before Alien makes their grand appearance. And we will not use his or her real name in front of Noelle before the baby comes, so don't try to trick our little one in to revealing it to you!

I have added a gender poll for friends and family to guess with us over the next 6-7 weeks. We don't have our big ultrasound scheduled yet, but we'll probably have it around the 4th week of May. What is my gut telling me Alien is? It depends when you ask me. Like Amoeba, Alien craves blueberry waffles and chocolate milk. And bread. Unlike Amoeba, Alien doesn't really like real fruit (including blueberries) and would much rather have veggies and cheese. I have been more nauseous and less dizzy with this pregnancy, and definitely more tired (but sleep much better) but I think that sleeping thing is because of work and Noelle. I often call Alien a boy, but feel a huge urge to come up with a girl name for Alien. So who knows - I won't be guessing for a few more weeks it seems!

Announcing...Alien!

The Saxton's are excited to announce that come October they will be a family of 4 (5 with Maddie)! Baby #2, affectionately termed Alien by mom, dad, and Noelle, will be here in early October and we couldn't be more thrilled. And in true Saxton baby fashion, Alien is uncooperative in utero. At our 12 week ultrasound at JHU, Alien refused to face us all, meaning the techs (yup, 3 people tried) couldn't get a view of his/her nose. Apparently looking at the nose is very important in determining a little one's odds of chromosomal issues. So back down to JHU we will go next Thursday for another ultrasound. No arguments here since anytime we can see our little one is a ok with us. And since we didn't get an option of an early ultrasound with Noelle, it is pretty exciting to have more this pregnancy!



I have been feeling pretty well, although not as great as I did pregnant with Noelle. That could be because I am constantly at work or chasing after a toddler so am always exhausted and a little nauseous, but again I have had no hardcore sickness and in the grand scheme of things few bouts of nausea. I do already look huge and want to collapse in bed early each night. I have just started a little bit of the dizziness and carpal tunnel I experienced last pregnancy, and I am sure the charlie horses in the middle of the night aren't far behind, but for now I am enjoying my relatively symptom free pregnancy. And Noelle is super excited for Baby Alien. She knows the baby lives in my belly right now and gives Alien kisses whenever possible. The whole thing is adorable and we know she'll be a great big sister. Noelle will be 26 months when Alien is born, a little older than we originally had hoped, but an October due date is perfect as it gives me maternity leave through the holidays. We'll keep everyone updated the next 28 or so weeks as Alien grows, Noelle learns what being a big sister really entails, and we get the house ready for the Alien Invasion! Already done this past weekend: closet organizing systems installed in Noelle and Alien's rooms! Way to go BSax! Now we just need to finish the basement for real since we need the guest room upstairs, get Noelle big girl furniture so we can use the crib, and (fingers crossed!) finish potty training Noelle so that we only have 1 in diapers! No big deal!

Dora!

Dora The Explorer is Noelle's very favorite TV show. It is the only time she can sit in one place for 22-24 minutes and every night we let her watch Dora at 7 to help her wind down before bed. She gets really in to her TV viewing!

Play Dates

Play dates really crack me up. Noelle and her friends get so excited that they are going to see each other, chanting one another's names the whole way to wherever the play date is going to take place. Then they get there, say hi, and have a great time playing, but in tandem, not really with one another. On Friday we went to Will's house to play with him and Colin, and even though we were there for almost 2 hours I got a total of 1 picture with Noelle in the same shot as one of her friends.



And as you can see, Noelle and Will happen to be sitting at the same table but aren't really interacting with one another! And who knows where Colin was - probably playing with the John Deere tractor in the hallway!

My Bossy Baby

Noelle has a new favorite thing to do. Give orders! Apparently her bossiness to Maddie (Sit Maddie. Bed Maddie. Bad Maddie. Come on Maddie.) is carrying over to daycare where she is apparently telling all her little friends what they should or should not do. At first it was kind of funny (and it is hard not to laugh at your kids sometimes!) since she would lay in bed at night and tell Maddie what she should or shouldn't be doing despite Maddie being downstairs on her couch, but clearly it has gotten out of hand. Bryan and I are trying to be careful not to do too many orders, especially when walking Maddie which is where she is picking most of them up, but it is hard since that is sort of how we control Maddie, and to a lesser extent, try to control Noelle as she is climbing up one side of the sofa and down the other. Oh well, this too shall pass. I guess it is nice that she has great manners (she loves to tell her friends to say please and thank you) and that she has an awesome vocabulary for a 19 month old!

Truck, Big Truck

Yesterday, when I picked up Noelle from daycare I learned what Bryan and Noelle did while I was gone. Apparently they talked about trucks. If you don't know Bryan well you might not know that he is obsessed with getting another truck. His trusty blue beast Sonoma was put out to pasture about 2 years ago and he isn't over the loss. About every other month he starts talking about going truck shopping. And while I was gone he clearly talked about trucks. A lot. Because as we drove down the street on our way home, Noelle pointed to every truck and said, "Truck, big truck!" and "Daddy truck."

The three of us were in the car today on the way to meet a friend for dinner and Noelle started on her truck kick again and she actually said "Truck, daddy need truck." Seriously, the kid didn't learn that on her own Bryan. And just because you taught her how to say it, doesn't mean you are getting one. The beast PT cruiser is chugging along just fine! I guess I need to teach Noelle how to say third row SUV so I can get the kind of car I want! For now we'll stick with the Elantra and the Beast PT and let Noelle continue to play with her little people and tonka trucks.

Home Sweet Home

Sunday night I returned from CA at the lovely hour of 12:30 am after an all day excursion traveling back from San Francisco. We departed from our hotel just before 7 am CA time after just a few short hours of sleep, and after a super fun 4 hour delay in Denver, and a stop in Indianapolis, I was pulling in to our driveway just 14 hours later. Yup, it was what I would call a really long day, after a long 5-day adventure. My first post-Noelle work trip was fun and I learned a lot and we got some good candidates from our recruiting, but it was physically exhausting. The convention center was about a mile from our hotel and was huge - 4 buildings across about 4 city blocks, plus there were sessions at 2 hotels, one next to the center and one all the way back by our hotel. So there was a lot of walking, and SF is a really hilly city. I love walking and exploring new cities but not really in dress shoes, and not really the same route back and forth all day long.

Besides the conference being exhausting, it was really fun. I had some great food - Thai, Mexican in the Mission District, Italian on North Hill, and a few great breakfasts, and walked through Chinatown and Union Square. It was also great to get to know some of my co-workers better and to hang out with those I already knew well. However, I was a bit thrown off by the tsunami warning. Bryan called at 6 am Friday morning to let me know SF was supposed to get hit later that day. After watching the news and checking the internet, I was unclear as to whether I should be concerned. Our hotel was probably about 1.5 miles from the bay and as they were saying that surges could reach 14 feet I was a bit distressed. A quick call to the front desk of the hotel made me feel slightly better. We were significantly above sea level and on the 4th floor so apparently had nothing to worry about. When I asked about the convention center for my 8 am session they were less sure. That was closer to the water and much closer to sea level as the ground was much flatter closer to the bay. They basically implied it was probably fine but it couldn't hurt to wait til later in the day so I decided to stay put for a bit. Of course everything was fine and I didn't hear of any damage or problems in the city. I also didn't have much time for sightseeing while we were in SF but since I'd been there before I had seen the big sites. And as B and I will get out that way eventually for our wine excursion in the Napa Valley, we'll experience it again someday.

As Bryan already posted, he, Maddie, and Noelle survived. Actually they made me feel a little unnecessary. The house was tidy, the dishes and laundry had been done, everyone seemed happy and at least as healthy as before I left, and Noelle was back to being pacifier free. Well she was already on her way on the pacifier thing before I left as she had given me her extras to "give to the little babies that need them" but Bryan got the final pacifier with only a few seconds of tears. So pretty much I learned that when Bryan goes away for 6 days, Noelle refuses to sleep and has a meltdown, and when I go away, the world keeps going round, no problem. I'd like to think it is because he had help from Ms. Rose and was at work much of the time, had a sitter Saturday night so he could celebrate a birthday with friends, and visited with our friends Sean and Nicole with Noelle Sunday, and that she is more mature and self sufficient now, but deep down I know it is because she is a daddy's girl. That's ok, I'm glad they did fine without me. And they were happy to see me. And apparently they do need me to vacuum, cook, clean bathrooms, and make grocery lists, so I still have a purpose. Hopefully future Saxtons will be mommy's girls/boys so I get a little of that crazy undying affection in the future!

So I'm glad I went but am even more glad to be home. And I'm not sure I'm ready to sign up for residential program sites, particularly those across the country, any time soon. I'll stick to my local day sites and my own bed for the foreseeable future!

Surviving Single Fatherhood - Temporarily

As you know, Laura traveled to California for a conference and was gone for the better part of five days. That meant that I was a single dad for that time and was responsible for making sure that both Noelle, Maddie and I ate, bathed, and survived. Well, I am happy to say that we accomplished all of those things, and even managed to do some things around the house and see friends as well! It was not as stressful as I anticipated, but perhaps as a result of my continuing recovery from my major cold, I am pretty tired.

I realized while Laura was gone that I am very bad with pictures, so I have no photo evidence of the success of Noelle, Maddie and my stay alone, but you'll have to take my word for it!

Charlotte Merle

As of Thursday, Laura and I have a new niece and Noelle has a new cousin! Charlotte Merle Saxton was born on March 10, 2011 at 11:28 and was 6 lbs., 7 ozs. This is the second daughter for Kevin and Tracie (Rubie is her big sister). Welcome to the world Charlotte!

California Here I Come

Tomorrow morning I leave for my first overnight work trip since having Noelle. Pretty good considering she is almost 19 months and my work is running academic summer programs at locations all over the country! I have been lucky in that I was assigned local day sites while on maternity leave and have been able to stick to local recruiting events. However, this year the National Science Teacher Association conference is in San Francisco so I am on my way for 5 days with the rest of our science committee. This is a big recruiting event for us, as well as an opportunity to attend professional development sessions. I am excited to head out west, but definitely nervous to leave my little family too. Not that I don't think Bryan will have everything totally under control - I am sure he will. But Bryan is still fighting his cold, and Noelle has been acting a little under the weather the past 3 days. The combination of 4 teeth all trying to make a simultaneous appearance and the germs infesting our house are a bit too much for her to take. So my normally very independent little one is a little clingy right now and I'm not sure she is going to be excited when mom doesn't show up on day 2 of the trip. Oh well, I am sure they will survive!

So I'll be gone from Wednesday until Sunday evening. It is a pain that leaving at 8 am for home Sunday doesn't put me back in to Baltimore until after 7 pm but I guess that is just what happens when you fly across the country. I am trying to tell myself it is a good thing that daylight savings happens Sunday too - what is one more hour of lost sleep when you are already dealing with a three hour time change? But overall, I am excited. San Francisco is probably my favorite place that I have been to for work and I'm sure to learn some new things and eat some great food out there. So CA here I come. And when I'm back I'm hoping it is light enough each night to go on a nice long walk with my little one and Maddie each night after work. I love spring!

The Search Is Finally Over

The Saxton family has been searching for a formal dining room set for almost a year, and last Saturday, with the delivery of our new set ordered a few weeks ago, the search is finally over! When we began looking at new houses over a year ago, we knew we wanted a formal dining room. To me, nothing says holiday celebrations like sitting down with family and feasting on special food had only once or twice a year. So when we moved in last April, we temporarily placed Bryan's glass table in the formal dining room to fill the space, but we haven't had a meal in there since we moved in.

We began our search in the fall on Rt. 40 here in Catonsville. There are about a thousand furniture stores in a 2 mile radius. But we seriously couldn't find anything we really liked. I wanted a wood set, but without attached pads on the furniture since I feel like kids (and messy adults) would spill all over that and I didn't want to have to worry about special cleaners, etc. We also really wanted a table that extended to seat 10, as Bryan has a large family, and we plan on having them here for some holidays. We also really wanted to incorporate our love of wine in to the server/hutch piece. So we went from store to store, dragging poor little Noelle with us. And we kept coming home, sad and hungry.

I then decided we would have to go the online route, and I had found a few sets online I actually liked. The problem - the several hundred dollars of shipping for a wood furniture set! And none of the sets seemed to be exactly what we wanted. So we stalled. And then we finally took some advice from friends and hit an outlet wood furniture store in Columbia. As soon as we walked in, we knew we were headed the right direction. Beautiful wood pieces, in all shapes and sizes. But everything in the outlet was as is, so if it didn't have the number of chairs we wanted, or a matching server, or we liked this table but those chairs, it was a no go. So we decided to buck up and go to the regular store down the street, and almost immediately Bryan and I were drawn to the same set. I absolutely love it and am so glad it is now sitting in my dining room!

We got a table with two hidden leaves to comfortably seat 10, and the possibility of seating up to 14 without much problem. We also got 8 chairs - 6 side and 2 end. And the server, with room for wine storage. We decided against the hutch piece since we didn't want to crowd the room and make it a tight squeeze behind chairs, and we never registered for china and crystal for our wedding. We do have my grandmother's china, as well as some china from Bryan's family, and we will certainly use it, but don't feel a need to display it. All in all we are extremely happy with our decision, and really think our dining set is furniture that will last us a lifetime! We can't wait to start using it, or for the first big holiday event - Thanksgiving 2011 with the entire Saxton clan!

Storyville and Lunch with Friends

The sickness has hit our house again. Bryan and I have spent the last week coughing up yuckiness, sneezing, and generally feeling stuffy and gross. Up to this point Noelle has remained healthy, although the 2.5+ hour morning nap she is currently engaged in doesn't bode well for the next few days. Yesterday was my first day out of the house for a week (other than work), so Noelle and I met our friends Caitlyn, Colin, Caitlin, Will, and the twins at Storyville. It was pretty crowded and it was clear that we perhaps over thought our prowess as mothers with three crazy toddlers who wanted to all run in opposite directions and the largest stroller with sleeping twins Storyville has ever seen.

Despite the craziness at Storyville the kids had a great time. The grocery store continues to be Noelle's favorite area there, although running up and down over the "troll bridge" in the theater was definitely a close second. After playing for a bit with friends, we went to Peace a Pizza, Catonsville's newest establishment for a quick lunch. And by quick, I mean quick, as Noelle and Will preferred to try to create havoc than eat the pizza lunch they had been so excited about! I got down two very yummy pieces of pizza (green goat pesto and margheritta slices) and a bottle of water, we grabbed a balloon, and we were out of there. Perhaps next time we see the Caitly/in's we'll actually have a chance to chat! Doubt it though with these three. And soon the twins will be moving, making things even more crazy!

Noelle fell asleep on the 5 minute drive home. Her diaper was soaked and she woke up for the diaper change. However she was so tired and ready for her nap, after I got the new diaper on she refused to let me put her jeans back on before she got in to bed. I tucked her in and prayed that the diaper would still be in place when she woke up, and I ran to her room at the first sound of noise after the nap! Success, the diaper was on, and Noelle was so excited to see her mommy so quickly that she followed me to my room and got in bed with me for a short mother-daughter nap. On second thought, maybe I should have seen Noelle's sickness coming on yesterday when my I don't like to cuddle with my mommy daughter wanted to spend some cuddle time with me. Here's to hoping her illness is short-lived and that she is feeling 100% before I leave for CA this Wednesday!

A Windy Weekend Visit

We recently had a visit from Mom and Day Hayhoe, and their trusty puppy, Juneau. Mom and Dad came up for a retirement party for a close friend from St. Peter's. It was nice to see them, but it was kind of a crazy weekend visit. First, my mom was finally dealing with a contract for a house in NC - a big deal when you look at the only just improving real estate market in the Outer Banks. So of course since she needed to be in contact with the other agent and her clients, Friday morning our modem just stopped working. Good bye internet access. So my mom and dad spent a lot of time in Catonsville's wireless hot spots during the weekend!

So then, Friday night, our guest bathroom toilet started leaking. Bryan and dad to the rescue for a temporary solution until we could get to Home Depot for a small part needed for the fix. At least Friday was a beautiful day with 70 degree temperatures and good walking and playing outside weather! Friday night though, the wind began. And continued to howl through the night and in to the next morning. And then came incident number three. The power outage.

Saturday morning Bryan and I went down to the basement to check some paint swatches before we were going to Home Depot and we realized the light wouldn't turn on. Turned out, the power was out but it had been so sunny we hadn't noticed since we had no lights on on the first floor and weren't using electronics. When we drove to the HD we saw the "root" of the problem, a huge uprooted tree across Hilton and the power lines leading in to our neighborhood. This was our first power outage since moving to Catonsville 5 years ago, and it only lasted a few sunny hours, but of course it was while my mom was trying to get her hair dried for their retirement party. Oh well, life goes on and it was a little adventure for the family!

So besides the few crazy incidents it was a nice visit. Noelle loved seeing her grandma and grandpa, and continues to be obsessed with Juneau. We'll see them all again for a short visit to NC in April!