Cora's sleeping!

So, I was just looking over Cora's sleep chart tonight and realizing that she, the baby who used to fuss-if-not-scream every time we put her in bed, has cried at bedtime very little in the past week! It seems unbelievable that just 3 weeks ago we were struggling at every nap--rolling her bassinet back and forth for 10 minutes or more, playing the music boxes or humming, and her naps were short and inconsistent. It wasn't ALL bad: bedtime seemed okay, and although she was waking every 2 or 3 hours to nurse, she was going back to bed quietly each time. But I finally got frustrated and tired enough with the napping trouble (Isaac was always such an easy napper!) that I begged a friend to loan me her much-loved copy of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child."

A lot of the author's wisdom is stuff I already knew and common sense, but in my fog of sleep deprivation, I lacked perspective and direction. After reading, I decided to
1) put Cora down at 6 instead of 7 or 7:30 (with Isaac)
2) solidify a regular bedtime routine (which we kind of already had)
3) hardest: let her cry

The first night was rotten. She woke 4 or 5 times and cried for who-knows-how-long each time. Probably not more than 10 minutes per wakening, but an eternity to the unhappy mom. But as with most of the families who give testimonials in the book, the crying period was very brief--for us, just ONE night. In just a couple of days, she was re-trained, the naps settled into place (napping at 9 and 1 for 1.5 to 2 hours each time), and now she rarely cries when we put her in bed! When she wakes at night, she cries for a minute or two and then goes back to sleep. I'm thrilled to "pay" the one hard night in exchange for who-knows-how-many-months of difficulty (and tears from both baby and mama!). Now we're all sleeping so much better, and I'm feeling so much more sane.

Another Snow Day

What a fun day today! Mostly. It was Isaac's 3rd snow day so far this year, and tomorrow will be the 4th. I am feeling more and more like we ought to just go ahead and homeschool. I mean, I'm pretty much there anyway since with his 2 days off for strep and all these snow days, we're more used to hanging out at the house these days.

Today's Highlights:

Being ophiologists (snake scientists) with Isaac this morning. We studied anacondas on the national geographic kids site, which I think actually got a little disturbing for him after we watched the video of people catching them with bare feet and hands.

We colored designs on paper to make gift boxes for the ornaments to give to Mrs. Dowers and Mrs. McIntosh. One of the few bad times of the day came during the attempt at folding, which is difficult for me even.

A quiet snuggly lullaby moment with Cora in which she put the period on the end of my Brahms rendition with a very delicate raspberry into my neck.

Teaching Isaac how to play Jingle Bells on the small set of student bells. Some tension occurred as he (like every dadgummed student I ever have) got antsy about not being able to get the last phrase right, and so instead of working on that phrase alone, thought it best to start over at the beginning.

Feeding Cora. She now gets three portions of solid food a day. Even though she's only eating bananas and winter squash so far, she loves to eat!

My one regret is that I didn't get away from sugar today. The chocolate covered pretzels that one of my MT families gave me are just irresistable...especially since, as they're just pretzels, they're easy to mistake for "healthy," or at least "not that bad." I don't regret that I didn't walk today--it was frigid outside. But between the lack of exercise and the sugar, I'm feeling a bit toxic. There's always tomorrow...

Halloween

Halloween 2010 was awesome! Guess who each Jack-o-Lantern belongs to. You can't get this one wrong. Cora's little pumpkin just had stickers on it, so it doesn't show up in the dark.


Isaac was an adorable (I mean terrifying) little skeleton, Matthew was dapper, Cora was a lobster, and I was a chef.























I had planned the lobster-chef duo ever since Isaac's 1st Halloween. He was a lion, but we saw a mama-baby duo decked out for lobster dinner at a Halloween parade, and I resolved that any future baby of mine would have to be a lobster. The only downer was that Cora was too big for any pot we had (that we could find), so instead of wheeling her around in a pot/stroller rig as I had hoped, I had to carry her for a couple of hours. Matthew helped, but the effect when he carried her wasn't quite as dramatic. I don't know how many times I overheard, "Oh, look at the lobster! How cute!" as we walked Vermont St. And several times: "Oh, and the mom is a chef! That's just wrong! Ha ha!" Lots of people we don't know took our photo.

It was fun, and though I was a little concerned that Isaac would feel bad that his costume wasn't getting noticed, he didn't seem to mind all the attention Cora got. He was mainly stoked about the candy. He did have a pretty impressive scary look, which he showed off when prompted.
























Cora finally lost it after nearly two hours of cuteness and flinging her red socks off. She fell asleep in my arms on the way home. Grandma took these photos a couple of days later. AFTER I found the big pot.

Isaac's first school fundraiser

Please consider buying something to support Isaac and his school! The schools are scrambling to deal with serious budget cuts, and Isaac is pretty pumped about the prizes he can win if he sells a certain number of items. If you don't need any more shtuff, but you'd like to donate funds to the school, you can deposit some moolah into my paypal account, and I'll pass it on. Or, you can send a check made out to Vance Elementary School, and we'll pass it along.

If you want to shop online...

I felt a little odd entering your e-mail address in the online account area, so I decided to just tell you how to log in yourself.

1) Go to http://www.gaschoolstore.com/

2) In the window on that page, enter Isaac's online ID number: 2274F72

3) You'll automatically go to the magazine subscription main page. Magazines must be lucrative, because each subscription counts as two items for the selling kid. If magazines aren't your thing, just look at the box on the left for other categories of items.

If you'd rather not buy online, just send me a link to the item(s) you'd like, and we'll enter them on Isaac's paper order form. Most stuff is available through the paper order form, but the personalized things and some other items are only available online.

According to the printed catalog. All the jewelry is made without lead or nickel. Earring posts are stainless steel.

My favorite things are some of the handcrafted jewelry.

Go to the Gifts & Holiday Items.

Click the Helping Hands icon...

Browse jewelry, bags, and fashion items that are handcrafted in Project Centers in places like Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Cambodia, and other places. The mission of the Project Centers is to improve the lives of the workers they serve. Plus they have some really pretty stuff! There is a ton of jewelry in general, with everything from silver or gold plate to sterling silver, or corded beads.

Introducing Cora Gayle Richmond

Adding this post in December, but making the post date June so that it'll be more chronologically accurate in the blog.

May 31 came and went sssssslllloooooooowwwwwwlllllyyy. And at bedtime, when I didn't have a baby, I suddenly got pretty despondent. I tried to remind myself labor could begin without warning at any time, but truthfully, I just hadn't really been open at all to the possibility that I would get to Baby's due date and not have a baby. Second babies usually come early, right?

In an attempt to take some kind of positive action step, I arranged for acupuncture the next day.
Unfortunately, the acupuncture treatment was a bit of a fiasco, because I almost immediately got light-headed near the point of fainting. I did get a really nice shoulder massage out of it, though--Thanks, Briana!

The next day, I succumbed to "wives' tales" and took the family to Nona Mia to have the fabled eggplant parmesan for dinner. The food was good, but no baby.

On June 3, I had an appointment with midwife Alisa. She was very kind during our appointment. She offered to "sweep the membranes," (what others call "stripping the membranes") saying that if the baby and I were basically ready, it might move things along.

My mom arrived in mid-afternoon, much to the surprise and delight of Isaac. She brought a lasagna, a crock pot of beef stew, a loaf of Italian bread, 5 dozen eggs, and a chicken casserole...along with a bunch of various and sundry snack and drink items. And a bag of peanut dark chocolate M&Ms. We pluck a couple of blossoms, and I put them in water next to my bed.

Friday, June 4, I wake at 2 AM with contractions. My first thought is, "Do these feel different? I think so." But I wasn't sure. I sat on the exercise ball and worked on my laptop, finishing up more MT things, again glad for the extra hours to wrap up more details. At about 5 AM, I finish up everything that seems pressing, close my computer, and walk around a bit. I decided that since the contractions seems stronger and more frequent and that this really is labor. I woke Matthew at about 5:30 after a couple of breathtaking contractions. Matthew, bless him, was happy to get up. After seeing me go through a couple of contractions, he called Alisa to meet us at the hospital and started to move with some urgency. I didn't really have a sense of urgency--just in a bit of a fog and knowing that I had to stop and really focus and relax through the contractions. We woke Mom, and as we headed to the car, I did start to feel a sense of urgency.

We went to check in at the emergency room desk as directed during our childbirth tour, and the two employees ask why we're there. Matthew tells them childbirth. The ladies are obviously at the end of their long night shift, as it takes them a couple of more questions and me gasping against the desk for them to discern that I am IN LABOR NOW. You'd think, working at a hospital, that they might anticipate that happening sometimes? Once they figure it out, though, they offer a wheelchair. After initially turning it down, I agree that it's a good idea.

Alisa is waiting for us in labor and delivery. She announces that I am 10 cm and ready to push! Whoa! This is SUCH good news! I'll spare you the details of the next 45 or so minutes, but after only about 15 minutes of pushing, she's HERE...a tiny little cry of protest, and Matthew has touched her first, and the room becomes very busy, and I'm elated and laughing. I look at the scrunched up little face and decide I'll take her home with me soon.

Here she is, after she's had a bit of time to "unscrunch" her face.

Happy Valentime's Day!

*

Where's T-Mo?


















There you are!


















It was VERRRRRY cold here a little over a week ago. For about a week, we had high temps in the teens, lows in the negatives (!), and bitter wind. I know this is standard issue for northern locales, but we're not used to it in Asheville. It was too cold for snowballs! But not too cold for sledding, though it must be admitted our snow was a little sparse. Check out this video of one of Isaac's first sledding experiences. We took him down hills a couple of times, but the tennis court "slalom" was by far his favorite activity of the day. If you don't count the post-snow hot cocoa...
(Sorry it's a link--I had no luck uploading the video to this blog.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us2YgJb0DM0

Most shockingly, the weather took a sudden turn, and it's been unseasonably WARM for a week now! Highs in the 50s and 60s! It's been nice, but we are bracing ourselves for a return to the cold on our trip to Ithaca. Anyway, it is, after all, WINTER.

In honor of winter, Isaac has been perfecting his "glare." Here are some examples:
























(Dig the "bed head" hair...)























































We've had lots of fun finding all the baby daffodils coming up (in February...dumb flowers!) around our house. Thanks to the previous owner, there are tons!

Other fun activities of late have included watching movies. Isaac likes to remind me at some point each day in a voice dripping with incredulity and amiability, "Hey mama! I think I haven't watched a movie yet!" T-Mo's current favorites are Veggie Tales and the School House Rock series, particularly America rock and Multiplication rock. Don't worry, he can't multiply yet; it's just his impeccable sense of retro style that demands he study 1970's era Saturday morning cartoons.

But in case you were worried because he doesn't know his times tables yet... Isaac is reading! He can sound out most 3 and 4 letter words with short-vowel sounds, though he does often get confused whether "a" says "aaa" or "ay." Let me assure you we haven't pushed this development at all. Really! Except for reading to him every day because he just loves it. Oh, and well I guess you could count the hour a day we do phonics worksheets before breakfast...and the 2-hour daily rigorous reading-training classes...just kidding! Anyway, T-Mo's just super motivated on his own, and he doesn't get discouraged when he makes mistakes.

Also, you could have knocked me over with a feather the other day when Isaac invited me to the sandbox to observe him WRITE his NAME in the sand with the handle of his shovel. I had no idea he could do this, and neither could Matthew. The letters do not always go in order, of course. I don't know why we started calling him T-Mo, when
A
ISS
CA
is so much obviously cooler. (and yes there's an extra S--don't know how we missed putting that on the birth certificate)

On the other hand, we might just might maybe finally be reaching the last mile of the potty training marathon. Yee gads. Maybe we should write it for him in the sandbox: "When you have to go, use the POTTY!!!!" (He does sort of understand exclamation points.)

We are not sending Isaac to preschool yet, but we have been participating in a wonderful "preschool swap" two mornings a week with several lovely families with similar-aged children. These kids are fun buddies for Isaac, and it is so fun to watch all the kids learn how to really play with each other (as opposed to next to each other). The moms of these kids have become beautiful friends for me, and I feel incredibly blessed to have all of these people in our lives. Isaac will begin attending a 3-day-per-week preschool co-op this fall. I'm simultaneously thrilled for Isaac (and me and Matthew--since it is a co-op) to join a program with good, fun people...and a little sad that we're entering the school years soon and leaving behind baby things.

BUT, not to dwell on weighty topics...

If you ask Isaac to make a smiley face for the camera, this is what you get:























Kari: Awww, how sweet! OK, now give us "surprise!"
























Kari: Whoa! That's definitely got surprise taken care of.
OK, T-Mo, do you have a special message for your fans?
























Kari: Hey now, try to be serious!
Isaac: snort



















Kari: Never mind.
Isaac: The sun smiles upon my quest. I win!

















We love you all! Have a wonderful, heart-warming Valentime's (T-Mo's pronunciation) Day!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2009!

Happy holidays, everyone!


















This has been a wild year of fun, not-so-fun, and busy busy busy! We have found lots of ways to be busy as a family. Additionally, my Music Together business outgrew my personal limits of time and energy back at the beginning of the year, and while we served so many families and had a wonderful time, I'm glad for my own family that things have since scaled back. Matthew has continued teaching at UNCA, and we're both very proud of how well his program has adjusted to Mr. Richmond and his high expectations. I dove into my first full year of teaching a high school percussion program and learned TONS!


Hardest working drumline in NC.

I'm still refining what constitutes "tough enough" but not "too mean" in my teaching style. I had a blast teaching marching drumline, but I lost SOOOO much sleep during band camp. It was like college exams all over again, 3 or 4 all-nighters succeeded each time by day-long adventures in trying to stay focused and ahead of 15 or so teenage musicians. Needless to say, I'm relieved to have a break from marching for a few months.




Matthew and I have really enjoyed playing in our percussion/jazz/rock/avantgarde/wierdo ensemble Eroteme. We've had fun cooking, eating, practicing, jamming, and performing together, and we're looking forward to another year of it!

Brad...musician, friend, budding chef type person.
























Jordan, of Eroteme and of marching band assistance. Any friend of T-Mo is a friend of mine.




















2008 also marked the marriage of good friends Cameron and Rachael Juroff. Matthew and I were honored to be involved in the festivities and ceremony. Congratulations, homies! We love you! Sorry--I'm kind of ashamed to discover I have no photo of Rachael! She's too good-looking for this blog anyway...

Cameron J.























And while I'm talking of weddings, congratulations to our good friends Tony and Adrienne, who got hitched this year as well!  They were beautiful, and Matthew, Isaac, and I were honored to celebrate with them.  Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the event or after-party.  I'm sure Tony does (ha ha!). 

Congratulations to all the other wonderful people we know who got married or welcomed babies this year!  We don't know any non-wonderful people.  

Matthew and I took a week-long vacation to Ithaca, NY, in July . This year marked our 10th year of marriage and our 15th year of friendship. We spent the first year of our marriage there while Matthew finished his graduate degree at Ithaca College. We spent lots of time with Matthew's percussion teacher and his wife, Gordon and Christy Stout, and had a wonderful time! We also visited my former boss at CTB Appetizers and went back to some of our favorite eateries and hang-out spots.

Matthew and Kari at the overlook for Taughannock Falls. We're blocking the view of the falls, but it was really just a trickle anyway, due to the drought. So, you're not missing much.








































We are excited to return this winter for Matthew to play his vibe concerto with students at the Ithaca College percussion department. This time we're taking Isaac, and we hope he'll get to experience some real northern snowfall (though maybe not during the drive...).

While we hope to repeat a fun visit to Ithaca, some 2008 events we hope not to repeat: Kari's bike wreck with broken jaw, stitches, and all; Isaac's 2nd degree burn (courtesy of his mama's loose handling of a hot pan); various and sundry stomach bugs, and tons of poopy diapers. Things we wouldn't mind repeating in 2009: a great bunch of students (for Matthew and Kari both), a happy trip to Ithaca, Matthew playing at Bonnaroo, a fun visit to the Mountain State Fair (Isaac and I love the "Flying Bob!") and the circus (camel ride!) and lots of T-Mo Cuteness and good health.

Isaac with grandpa at the circus, checking out the cool prize...






















Camel ride!


















The cutest Halloween costume and kid-inside-costume in the universe!




































































Fun at the park several weeks after "the great wreck of 2008"--mama's jaw is only slightly crooked-er than it was before...

















I've loved getting to see all THREE of my sisters a couple of times this year. Check out the sistahs!


















Isaac is thriving! He sings ALL the time and is now much more easy-going about us singing in his presence. He is very close to being able to drum along in time with us or music on the radio. He likes to count off for playing duets, but if you're the other musician, watch out! He has a warped sense of humor. He's quite capable of doing a regular One Two Three Four count-off. But, not long ago, he was heard counting off for an Old Mac Donald duet with our friend Brad in the following manner: "One.......Two.......One...Two...OneTwoOneTwoOneTwoThreeCrash!"


Random cool picture of a hawk in our back yard, because why not...? I took this just shot before driving to the first annual Music Together Holiday sing-along and figured it was an omen. A good one, because why not...?






















Isaac no longer switches up his pronouns, and he's a precocious English-speaker for his age. He loves books. In fact, a couple of days ago, I was in my own little world putting away laundry. When I suddenly tuned into what he was doing, I realized the funny humming noises he was making were actually his first independent attempts to sound out words. And he wasn't doing half bad! Considering he was trying to read "History Rock." Speaking of that, he is showing impeccable taste in his video preferences--he enjoys old Muppets and Bugs Bunny episodes, and he's now getting into School House Rock tapes. Before long...Monty Python! Well, maybe we'll wait a few more years. But there's always Star Wars IV, V, and VI in the meantime.

Isaac is medium-potty-trained. He CAN do it...he just usually prefers not to. Oh well. He's taking one nap a day (usually). The effect of living with two educators is certainly apparent in his communication habits--he's quite opinionated and bossy, even for a 3-year-old. One of his most recent outlandish instructions to me: "I want you to give me something that is not healthy for me to eat." He loves his buddies (pictured below), and when he's not exhorting them to dance to his new favorite music (Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride), they love to take turns chasing each other and making crafts together.


Bossy!






















Thoughtful.






















Isaac and The buddies. They're trying to taste snowflakes, in case you're wondering.


















Isaac with his beloved Bobbo.



















Matthew and I are looking forward to spending the holiday weeks together doing much more "nothing" than usual before we go back to the craziness of classes and lessons in January. We love all of you and hope we have many opportunities to spend time with you this coming year! Have a 2009 full of fun, peace, and good health!