12 Weeks

Today Cora turns 12 weeks old. 90 days. Three Months. One quarter of a year. I can't believe 1) that it has been that long 2) that it has only been that long and 3) that we all made it alive. I guess if you can make it through your first three months as a parent with all parts intact (including sanity), then you can do just about anything. Ain't she a doll?

It's been a long time between posts. I never imagined just how emotionally stressful those last few months of pregnancy could be. There was so much going through my head, so many fears, worries, reservations and excitements that I barely knew what to tell myself, let alone what to write about. After she came along it was harder adjustment period than I thought it would be. She wasn't so great at eating and I kept getting sick. We spent a lot of time in bed practicing nursing and sleeping for the first two months. In retrospect, I find it funny that while the months leading up to, and proceeding labor and delivery were much harder than I expected, actually giving birth (though an excruciatingly long 38 hours) was a better experience than I could have hoped. Being at home and going at my own pace really took the edge off. 

Today life is a little less crazy. Our days are starting to fall into routines with feedings, naptimes and bedtimes to plan around. No two days are ever quite the same, but I'm starting to see some patterns. Everyday she reaches a new milestone which, though small, are treasures to me. First time actually catching what she reached for. First time rolling onto her side from her back. New Sounds, squeals, coos. I wonder what will happen tomorrow?

In a less rhetorical sense, tomorrow we go to the DMV to officially become Virginians. Now that we sold those vehicles that would be unable to pass VA state emissions tests (WV has none) and have purchased vehicles that will, we can finally change our residency. We are also planning a weekend trip to the cabin. We will pack up tonight, stop by the DMV in Winchester on the way out in the morning and hopefully reach the cabin before mid-afternoon. Hahahaha. Like that'll happen. We have a long history of loooooooong visits to the DMV. DaMnV. Maybe we can get there before it gets dark. Our wonderful new car passes the emissions test, but is actually worse than useless off road. This means we have to hike in the half mile or so from the road up the driveway and to the cabin. Kind of a pain when you include food, baby and diapers to the bags of clothes and toiletries. At least we don't have to bring formula.

 Wish us luck. 

In Other News....

The other day I was taking a nap with Bijoux curled up against my baby belly, purring away and dreaming cat dreams. Over the next 10 minutes she got kicked in the head so many times that she got up and left. I just hope that she doesn't get the idea to fight back. 

In Which I Bake a Cake

Last week I baked a cake. This was a big cake. A wedding cake. And I had help (thank you Ti, Evan, Laura and Alison). It was 4 tiers (6" 8" 10" 12") of three layers (white, pink, white) with almond swiss meringue buttercream between layers, covered in white fondant with royal icing snowflakes and pearlescent dust). I started making snowflakes on the 7th, baking on Tuesday and it was served on Sunday evening. I have to admit to a small amount of "cheating" as I used cake mixes because 1) it tasted better than homemade, 2) was cheaper, 3) whiter and 4) a bakery would have probably used a mix anyway.

 

So, keeping in mind that I used mixes (meaning that I didn't have to buy flour and such) I have for you viewing pleasure a list of the supplies purchased:

9 lb. of butter

5 18 ct. eggs

4 12 ct. eggs

3 lbs. powered sugar

10 lbs. regular sugar

16 boxes white cake mix (plus 7 boxes "vanilla" mix on accident)

8 lb. fondant

We still have 5 boxes of cake mix (plus those 7 to take back), 2 lbs. unsalted (yuck) butter, 2 lbs. sugar, and about 36 eggs left over. Anyone want to come over for omelets????

Requiem for a Bellybutton

My bellybutton - is disappearing. This disturbs me, though I'm not entirely sure why. Except for a rather enlarged chest size and a slightly rounder belly, nothing much has changed at the start of month 5. I can still fit into all my clothes except for not being able to comfortably button higher waisted pants. According to the scale at the midwife's I haven't actually gained any amount of weight. And yet, every day my bellybutton slowly pans out. I give my innie another two weeks before it's an outtie. Farewell small button - I'll see you again in about 6 months.

Ok, so...

... my beloved husband just walked passed the window carrying two whole deer legs. I know he'd gotten a nice looking doe; he came in to tell me so. It's just something that you don't see every day, legs. Without bodies. Passing windows.

The cat is intrigued. 

"Pet Peeve" or "Decor to Die For"

I spent a few minutes thinking about if I really wanted my first post in many months to be a complaint. I came to the conclusion that this was really too good not to share.

So, even though I have issues with holidays being turned into these massive materialistic events (seriously, who doesn't?), I do admit that there is a certain charm about seeing everything sparkling at Christmastime. I don't mind decorating for Easter, the Fourth, "Fall" or even Halloween. I'll over look the fact that Christmas decorations are available for purchase 365 days a year, that Halloween decorations went up on September 15th this year, and even that those big blow-up decorations with the "snow inside", you know, the ones that look like giant cracked-out snow globes, are terrifying; but not in the way the designers intended, I'm sure. All I'm asking is for a sense of appropriateness. 

The funeral home in Brunswick has decorated for Halloween. Over the top decorated. Including a black Christmas-style plastic tree with orange and black lights and glowing monster heads, a giant pumpkin head over the lamp post and a liberal coating of halloween-themed stuff and twinkle lights everywhere else. 

Now I could easily see a Christmas or Easter theme going over well with images of life after death, eternal love, rebirth and heaven. Heck a nice "Fall" theme subtly suggesting a harvest and winter rest for the earth would be sweet. But skulls, pumpkins and monsters is a little bit extreme. 

Rant over. In other news, three weeks ago Evan started to officially work for his dad. The pay is good, the hours are great and the boss is a nice guy. I've taken the last three months off to gather my thoughts and goals. In the mean time I've had a chance to brush up on my housewifery and can whip out one mean fruit turn-over. Though I still haven't gotten the hang of wearing heels around the house. The search for someone to hire me part time continues and until that day I am enjoying my small free-lance jobs and find them MUCH more rewarding that school ever was. The cats are doing well; Meowmies seems ready to weather another winter. In fact, Evan and I just found out that we are going to inherit another small pet sometime this spring. Probably in April. Things are going well and I have never been more thankful.

Good News

Good news. My website, bergenhowlett.com, is finally looking somewhat pulled together and has some actual information; about me, about my work, and examples. Woo-hoo! You should stop whatever you are doing (namely reading this) and go chcek it out. The link in on the right.