Nana Withdrawals

Nana departed for Atlanta yesterday around noon. She hasn't even been gone for 48 hours and we are already suffering the effects of her absence. La Luz is moping around asking when Nana will return and missing having a guest in her room at night (yes, Nana slept in the room with the bug and, despite the fact that they apparently both snore, it seemed to work out just fine). James keeps looking around for the sweet, short lady with the blond hair and the Boston accent. Me, well, where do I start...it is perfectly clear that child-rearing takes a village, or at least one extra set of hands at all times.

Thanks Nana...we couldn't have done it without you:

Following The Rainbow

This morning La Luz announced that she really wanted a leprechaun to come into her room tonight. I think that is twisted. Maybe it is because I remember previews of that horror movie about the rabid leprechaun that ate people (or something along those lines) but the very idea of a leprechaun makes my skin crawl. Clearly, La Luz's image of a leprechaun has much more to do with pots of gold, rainbows, shamrocks and good luck. Either way, I don't want one in my house tonight and I find it incredibly odd that she does. I will let you know if one shows up.

As expected, this week has been incredibly hectic. I could work 12 to 14 hour days and still not come close to accomplishing what I need to accomplish in the office. I am also finding it tricky balancing working and pumping milk to keep up the supply for the baby. I practically have to calendar in time to pump in order to get it done. Even though things are really crazy, I managed to escape the office for about 2 hours this afternoon to meet up with some clients at Parasol's and enjoy a green beer. The weather was perfect and the people-watching was incredible. It was a very nice distraction in an otherwise chaotic day and served as good anesthesia for a phone call later in the afternoon with the second-most miserable, condescending attorney I have come across in the State of Louisiana. He clearly does not like women, especially women with bar numbers lower than his, and he probably kicks his dog when he gets home each night. It is not worth going into, but he behaved like a jerk and came off looking like an idiot and I behaved in a cordial and respectful manner, treating him the way that I expect members of the bar to treat one another. It should come as no surprise that I have never heard anyone say anything nice about this man and what a pity...after all, what do you have if the mention of your name causes others to fill up with piss and vinegar.

On another, much more important note...family members have been in and out of town and it has been the most lovely distraction. Most recently, Molly came to NOLA for a few days of r and r while she is between shows. Here she is enjoying some quality time with her niece and nephew. Molly will admit that she did not have any use for children until the birth of La Luz...she will also admit that she said she doubted she would ever love any children other than La Luz...I think it is obvious that Santi changed her opinion:

Erin Go, Or Not

La Luz, Christian and Nana braved the Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day parade and the last annual O'Haynes open house. The weather was lousy so I stayed home with James. They didn't mind and, instead, stood in the middle of a rainstorm just to catch this:


Well, not just a cabbage. They came home loaded down with carrots, potatoes, a variety of shamrock beads, rain-saturated stuffed animals, shot glasses (yea, why would you throw a shot glass to a three year-old?), and flowers. A very odd assortment of loot.

Apparently they had an incredible time and the rain did nothing to stop the revelry. In fact, La Luz was so wiped-out once they got home that she fell asleep in the middle of playing with her toys:


Impressive. Jessie and Beau throw one hell of a party.

Weights & Measures

I did a lousy job of keeping track of La Luz's stats. We were living in chaos in the aftermath of Katrina and, frankly, her height and weight growth were not at the top of the list of things to ponder. Consequently, it is tough for me to remember how she grew in the first few months. This time around I am going to be better about keeping track.

James had a 2 month checkup today and received his first round of shots. He weighs 11.3 lbs and is 24 inches. The pediatrician told me that, based on his size and growth over the past 2 months, he could easily eat 6 ounces in a feeding. She told me to start supplementing with formula because it would be tough to satisfy that sort of appetite solely with breast feeding and pumping, particularly in light of my return to work. She is right. On a good day I can pump enough for 4 ounce bottles. On a day like today I practically have to schedule a time to pump while in the office or it just won't happen. So, I took her advice and started to supplement with Nestle's Good Start. Nana fed him his first formula bottle this afternoon and he ate it all but he gagged every time she tried to give him one later in the day (he must've caught on at that point). This evening I tried and had the same result. I took a taste of the formula and it tasted just like liquid iron. I wouldn't drink it either. There are about 10 different versions of the Good Start formula so finding the one that works for Santi could take a while. In the meantime, I am pumping like crazy, getting in as many feedings as possible when I am home at night and in the morning, and feeling totally sleep-deprived...but loving every minute of it.

Here he is flirting with the doctor:

The Old Pro & The Newbie

We took James to Frankie and Johnny's for his first Friday night, boiled crawfish dinner. You can see he was just bursting with excitement. He stayed like this the entire time:


La Luz, on the other hand, was in her element. I guess Christian taught her his style of crawfish eating last year and I must've missed a step somewhere. Mind you, as a non-native, Christian really only started LOVING crawfish about 5 years ago. He is, without a doubt, far more naturally n'awlins than I could ever dream of being. Here she is, eating crawfish just the way her dad does...ew:


I never have great expectations when it comes to dining at F&J's. This is the place where mom felt something crawling up her leg during a meal and was relieved to find that it was a live crawfish that had made a break for it from the kitchen as opposed to a roach. I am realistic. That said, I was really hoping for a good batch of boiled crawfish and was somewhat disappointed. We went early, around 5:30, so there should have been plenty of crawfish to pick from at that point. My batch was, sadly, sub-par. The crawfish were small, fragile and my basket was filled with a ton of inedible crawfish parts. The seasoning was nice, however, and the convenience factor was huge. I guess we will try again as we get deeper into crawfish season and see if the results are any better.

Things are going okay around here. I returned to work on Monday and it was a lousy day all around. I hate being away from James and I really enjoyed being a stay at home mom for 2 months. I am sure it is even more alluring to me because I had to go back to work but it certainly seems like a lifestyle I could get used to. I think reality is not really going to hit until Nana heads back to Georgia. She is with us for another week and a half and has made the transition much easier. Tonight La Luz told her that she wished she would stay here forever. Me too!

2 Months

Wow. How did that happen? I blinked and my maternity leave ended. It flew by. I knew it would. James is in no way ready for daycare. There is no schedule to speak of, napping is something that happens when he is snuggling under my chin and we are rocking, he hasn't had his shots, he is only just starting to focus on things and laugh and babble, and I can't imagine torturing him with spending his days in car seats and swings. Fortunately, Nana came to the rescue and is here with James for the first two weeks of my return to work. Mom is going to take over for the following two weeks which means that James will not have to go to daycare until he is three months old (which, incidentally, still sounds too young to me, but so it goes).

I can't figure out what the difference is this time around. Why am I so sentimental? Is it because I have a suspicion that this is my last baby? Maybe it is because my maternity leave was interrupted early with La Luz as a result of Hurricane Katrina and at that point I had much bigger things to worry about - fixing a flooded home, making sure we kept our jobs, finding a place to live...? Maybe I didn't know what I was doing and didn't trust myself with La Luz and was ready to hand her off to someone more capable. I can't quite figure it out but it is tugging at my heart more profoundly this time around. I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that the last two months have been blissful. At any rate, it has all come to an end. I am deeply sad about returning to work but also ready to jump in, prove that I can handle it, and start to develop a new routine. I know it is going to be crazy and that is why I am going into it with my eyes shut, holding my breath...wish me luck.

The adorable James (aka "Santi") at 2 months:

Like Mother...

Mom reminded me of an old picture very reminiscent of one of La Luz holding James she took the other night. It is A-mazing.

Me holding Josh at 2 and 1/2 months old:


La Luz holding James at about 2 months old:


I guess the age difference between me and Josh is close to the age difference between the bug and James. I think I was four years old in that picture and La Luz is 3 and 1/2, close enough though...

Things are good around here. Christian returned from Detroit and I managed to keep it together while he was gone and learn some good lessons about what I am capable of doing in my new role as a mother of two.

I have one more day of maternity leave left. It is hard to believe how fast 8 weeks has passed. Fortunately, James will not have to go to daycare immediately. Nana is coming in town for two weeks to take care of him and mom is going to watch him for two additional weeks. At that point he will be about 3 months old. I can stomach sending him to daycare at 3 months, but right now he is just too little and helpless, it would break my heart.

Bliss

Even though things are a bit crazy these days because Christian is in Detroit and I am on my own with a three year old and a newborn...there are still some lovely moments amid the chaos when things look a little something like this:

A Parade Of Her Own

La Luz was inspired by the many days and nights of parade-going and decided to create her own Mardi Gras in the middle of the living room using all of her new catches. The whole scene was very bizarre but it served for a few hours of serious entertainment:

Proteus Progression Shots

La Luz with her fish, 4 years in a row:








Photo credit goes to Christian this year as I was otherwise occupied with baby James. Despite being a mere 6 weeks old, James was a trooper and braved quite a few parades curled up close to me in the Bjorn. He slept most of the time but seemed to enjoy what he saw and heard for the few minutes that he was awake. La Luz, on the other hand, did not miss a beat. While I was inside with James doing whatever it is moms and newborns do (sleeping, eating, changing diapers, watching bad tv), Christian and La Luz were at the parades...all of them. I don't think they missed a single parade (except the truck floats) and probably only missed a handful of floats. Pretty much every day ended something like this:


Here we are, all 4 of us together at Rex earlier today. I realize that I have James covered much like Michael Jackson's kids but the sun was bright and he seemed to prefer being covered, I promise.

Here's Why Sometimes It Is Really Awesome To Live In NOLA

Occasionally during the week before Mardi Gras, a marching band might decide to practice on your street at 2 o'clock in the afternoon while you are minding your own business watching The Dog Whisperer with your newborn baby on your lap:


In My Front Yard, An Impromptu Parade from Julie Vaicius on Vimeo.

For the past week I have been side-lined with a horrible case of mastitis which included the chills, a raging headache, and fever of 104 degrees for a few days. It was possibly the sickest I have ever felt in my life and I don't think I would have gotten through it without my family who totally rallied around me. I will tell you more about it later. I am feeling better now and do not want to relive those hellish days right now. In the meantime, we are gearing up for some serious Mardi Gras fun over the next few days. Well, at least some of us are, I am on antibiotics and trying to put James on some semblance of a schedule, so I imagine this will be the tamest MG I have had in years...and that is really okay with me.

Trying To Create A Happy Baby

The other night, or morning, around 3 a.m. I dusted off my copies of The Happiest Baby On the Block and the Baby Whisperer. I am glad the books survived Katrina and that I saved them (considering that the tips/tricks/techniques were useless in the grand efforts to make La Luz a happy baby). I read them both front to back in preparation for La Luz and it did no good. Maybe it was useless information because I was naive and inexperienced and confused and all the other stuff. Or maybe, as I suspected back then, the bug simply wouldn't conform. Things are different this time around, I hope. Maybe this time it is because I have watched too many episodes of the Dog Whisperer while on maternity leave or maybe it is because I know I have to instill healthy habits and a good routine at an early age, but whatever the reason, I am determined to make things different for the little guy (and the rest of the family).

So, swaddling, it helps, it really helps. I don't have a miracle blanket yet (thanks Calvert) but the hospital grade receiving blankets and the kiddopatamus that mom picked up work very well when used together. In fact, last night I woke up after 1.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep worried that I had swaddled James so tightly that he couldn't breathe and I had to check on him to make sure air was coming out of his mouth and nose. Rocking, this works too but it is exhausting, especially in the middle of the night. White noise, this is also a huge help - the downside - it puts me to sleep too and I wake up 2 hours later asleep in the rocking chair. The best advice and the technique that I really want to embrace is the use of a solid routine - something predictable - a basic one that I am trying to follow is - eat, play, diaper change, nap/bed. In the evening I add a bath and a bit of rocking whenever necessary. It sort of works and I hope that as James gets bigger it will be a reliable routine. The tough part for now is making sure that he doesn't eat more than every 2 or 3 hours. If he eats more frequently, the feedings are insufficient to allow him to sleep undisturbed for more than 3 hours. I am weak and usually cave-in, especially in the evenings which are rough times for most babies. Tonight I was terrible, I fed him in 1.5 hour increments and he was particularly unhappy - it doesn't bode well for what is in store. I guess every day (and night) with a newborn is going to be different so the best thing I can do is remember that the most important tip is to remember to have an endless supply of patience and, fortunately, when I am face to face with this guy at the crack of dawn, somehow the patience is right there:


James, with his Daddy:


The gang. Christian introduced La Luz to Lik-A-Maid today, what a treat:

1 Month

It is hard to believe that it has already been one month since James was born. It is particularly hard to believe that I have had 30 consecutive days of no more than 3 hours of sleep at a time. I love sleep so this is especially hard on me, but somehow I am able to function. I was even coherent enough to allow Christian to sleep late this morning while I watched both kids...at the same time. I know this is not impressive to most people but this was a huge step for me.

Here is James at 1 mo.



and now La Luz at 1 mo.


At times I think they look identical but then when I compare pictures I see the differences. They could not be more dissimilar personality-wise. La Luz hated to cuddle, was a cat-napper and generally fell asleep after any feeding for 3 + hour stretches. James wants to be held and rocked and snuggled constantly, rarely naps, and requires incredible entertainment before he will even consider sleeping. Oh, and when he does sleep, it is rarely for longer than 3 hours at a time and usually not even that long. I think my luck is about to change, however, as my genius little brother composed about an hour of the most beautiful white noise I have ever heard, which is downloading to my ipod right now. My fingers are crossed and my mind and body are aching for a long stretch of sleep. Thank you, thank you!

Figuring It All Out

James is finally starting to develop a bit of a personality. If he is in a good mood he will smile and attempt to mimic certain sounds I make. If he is in a bad mood he will cry. He tends to be in bad moods when he is alone with me. Whenever other people are around he is on his best behavior and people cannot imagine what I am complaining about when I say that we are having a difficult day.

Here is a picture of him that I took this afternoon upon his discovery of the little stuffed animals hanging from the pack and play. I guess the world is starting to come into focus for him and it is all very exciting:



In other news, La Luz got a haircut last week and it is absolutely adorable. She is totally enjoying her new baby brother and, though she is a bit whinier than normal and has started to beg to an annoying degree, she is adjusting quite nicely.

Best of 2008

It is Wednesday around noon and I have a few spare minutes to myself. I suppose I could shower, maybe look over some work that needs my attention, do some laundry, or write a few thank-you notes; however, I decided that a week between posts is far too long and that my time would best be spent updating the blog.

I intended to post this list of our favorites from 2008 back in December but somehow never found the time. I apologize for the delay. At long last, and not in any particular order other than what sounded best where, here it is:

I'm A Lady Santagold
Geraldine Glasvegas
Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping Grouper
Ghosts Laura Marling
The Kids Don't Stand A Chance Vampire Weekend
Why Don't You Let Me Stay Here She & Him
Shine On The Kooks
In Our Talons Bowerbirds
Carmensita Devendra Barnhart
Your Protector Fleet Foxes
Standing Next To Me The Last Shadow Puppets
Maria Jose Frederico Aubele
Up! M83
Chemtrails Beck
Blue Flower/Blue Flame Destroyer
Record Year The Decembrists
I'm Outta Time Oasis
Young Love Mystery Jets
Juno Tokyo Police Club
Spanish Death Song The Builders & The Butchers
Undeclared The Dodos

My personal favorites and the ones that were in heavy rotation for me this year were Vampire Weekend and Fleet Foxes. Some of the songs are clearly Christian picks. Lucy also had a bit of input this time around. Can you guess her selections?

The few free minutes are the result of instituting a little tough love around here. The baby is crying in the pack and play but I am told that this is okay. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time putting this guy down:

What's Been Going On

There is something about living in the haze of 3 a.m. feedings and not leaving the house that makes time pass in a very strange way. Somehow I have already burned through almost two weeks of maternity leave, so time is clearly flying by...and, yet, the days linger.

I really don't have any news to report except that James is incredibly adorable and La Luz seems to be enjoying every minute of having a newborn around. So little goes on around here in a given day that a shower is a major event. I am doing my best to shield La Luz and Christian from the fussiness in the middle of the night so that they can get plenty of rest and go about their normal, daily routine; however, it is inevitable that we are all a little bit wiped out. I feel better, much better. I don't need pain medication anymore, I barely need Tylenol and, though my stitches ache, I am not wincing every time I move. It is too soon to tell, but maybe there is some truth to the argument that a c-section makes for a better recovery than a regular delivery. I will let you know.

We are still working on clearing space off of the computer so that I can download all of my pictures. In the meantime, here are a few that mom took yesterday of James and of the rest of us enjoying Richmond's birthday dinner. Please excuse me. I look (and am) exhausted.

Just Coming Up For Air

I am no good at recovering from pregnancy and delivery. After giving birth to La Luz I couldn't sit upright for weeks and had raging headaches and counted my pain medication in a panic, worried that I might not have enough. The experience this time is not altogether different. Okay, I am not counting pain pills this time. There are plenty left and I am actually getting by with a double dose of Tylenol every few hours. But, I do have plenty of pain, this time in a totally different place. I am a bit disappointed that childbirth damaged me in two places. It would have been nice to select one location, but I suppose that's how life goes, and it is, of course, such a small price to pay.

Right now my days and nights are spent much in the same way, holding the baby, feeding the baby, changing the baby's clothes and diapers. I am living in p.j.s or stretchy athletic pants and am limited in the amount of trips I can take up and down the stairs. I have watched plenty of terrible t.v. and I promise that when I return to work I will no longer complain that I would like a day off of work to do nothing but lounge on the sofa watching t.v. I have been fortunate to have a ton of extra help and I honestly don't know how I would manage without all of the love and support of family and friends.

James is quickly adapting to the world outside. He doesn't flinch when Loki barks, never minds when La Luz covers him with kisses and continues to enjoy being swaddled and cuddled, two things La Luz never allowed as a newborn. I don't really mind the sleepless nights this time. I remember how fast the time goes by and how very little of it is easy to recall once the time has passed. Every single minute of it is a blessing.

Here is another picture from the day he was born. I have plenty more but can't download them until the IT person (Christian) clears some space off of the computer. As I start to feel better I imagine I will have more energy to post. Until then, please excuse the inconsistent posts. I am, after all, on maternity leave.

The happy and very surprised family...Who would've thought you could have a child on its due date and that it could take place in an hour and a half.

Home Improvements, The Best One Of Them All

After what I thought was most likely false labor and a completely unexpected, 180 degree turn, James Christian Vaicius was delivered via a totally unplanned c-section at 10:50 a.m. on January 9, 2009.

He weighs 7 lbs., 10 oz and is 20 1/4 inches long. He likes to sleep, rarely opens his eyes and already responds to his big sister's voice. I think he is perfect:

Home Improvements, Part II

In honor of my due date tomorrow, the focus of this particular home improvement is the nursery. The nursery is actually the guest room/Nana and Papa-T's room so we really did not make any substantial changes. We cleared out a few things and set up the crib and changing table, and swapped out some of our books for baby books and toys. The big change for this baby is a rocker/recliner from Pippen Lane which is still being put together and will not likely arrive until a few weeks after the baby, although at this rate...

Crib and changing table - apparently you can't use bumper pads anymore and, frankly, that is fine with me because they are such a pain to take on and off the crib, particularly when changing wet sheets in the middle of the night:


La Luz's rocker with the new blanket, made my Aunt Molls and toy/book shelf:



As you can see, we are ready. I guess this guy just isn't quite there yet.

Home Improvements, Part I

I have been distracted by all of the chaos of the holidays and the countdown to the arrival of BBV and I never got a chance to show you the latest home improvement - our fabulous Christmas present from Nana and Papa-T. Check it out:


We now have a kitchen table and chairs lit by a most-impressive fixture. Everyone was skeptical about my choice of lighting, bellyaching that it was too 'modern' (except Nana) but once Papa-T installed it (an impressive accomplishment considering the odds when he first tackled the project) I think it became a crowd-pleaser. It is like a whole new world for us. We sit down and face each other during meals (as opposed to rubbing elbows at the bar) and Loki no longer loots La Luz's breakfast (and lunch) from the coffee table in the den (I know, pathetic that I allow her to eat breakfast standing at the coffee table in the den in front of cartoons, but this was before the advent of the kitchen table).

Nothing soothes the need to nest like getting just what one needs to improve the aesthetic of a room and the day to day function of a family. Thank you Nana and Papa-T, oh, and Ikea.

BBV Update

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and learned that nothing has really changed since last week. Despite feeling what I thought were contractions this morning and general discomfort off and on throughout the day, bbv does not appear ready to make his debut. Consequently, I am scheduled for an induction next Wednesday. The doctor said she would let me go up to two weeks beyond my due date, but I just don't think I will feel comfortable enough to last that long. Who knows, maybe he will decide he is ready to meet the world before next week. I am not holding my breath.

At Long Last

It is something we had tried to do for ages. Every time Molls was in town, or we had some reasonable excuse, we attempted to plan dinner at Lilette. For whatever reason it just never happened until last week. With Molly's vacation drawing to a close and the impending arrival of bbv, mom decided a special girls' dinner was in order and the logical choice was Lilette.

We had possibly one of the most delicious dinners I have had in NOLA and I think we will all look forward to the next special occasion so that we can have an excuse to return. There is no question that it is pricey but we enjoyed every bit of it.

My menu choices for the evening were - sizzling shrimp, roasted beets with walnuts and goat cheese, and the heart of palm salad. Absolutely delicious. Mom had the kobe beef special and the heart of palm salad and Molls had tuna (a substitute) and sunchoke puree with one other item that I can't remember. The beef and tuna were spectacular or, as mom said, "sublime". We shared a trio of delicious ice cream for dessert of which, I am sure, I had the lion's share.

I highly recommend Lilette if you are looking for an entirely special dining experience. Our reservations were for 7 and it was perfectly comfortable inside at that point. By about 8:30 the bar was packed and it was a bit noisy so, if you don't like too much activity while you are eating, dine on the early side. On the other hand, if you like the excitement of a packed restaurant and bar, make late reservations. The waitstaff was totally attentive (though not in an annoying, hovering, kind of way) and never seemed distracted by the crowd building at the bar. Either way, I do not think you will be disappointed.

Here is a picture that mom took of me with Molls, enjoying our lovely dinner:

What Did And Didn't Happen This Weekend

We did not have the baby this weekend, but we did have another major event. After a sad and somewhat teary farewell to this guy:



We brought this guy home:



We hemmed and hawed and tried to avoid it and considered being stupid parents meriting the intervention of social services but, no matter how we rationalized, there was just no way around the fact that the Wrangler was not a safe place for La Luz, much less a newborn to ride around. So, we settled on a Forrester and, I have to say, it is lovely; nothing fancy but everything we need. I am not thrilled about the additional monthly expense, but with both of us sharing in the pick up and drop off responsibilities, it was inevitable.


The bug's last Jeep drive

In other exciting news, BBV is still enjoying plenty of quality in time inside of my womb. Despite feeling some aches and pains last week which may or may not have been contractions (does anyone REALLY know what those pre-labor/false contractions feel like anyway) that made me grimace and reach for nearest couch, the baby is still gestating. I suppose he is content to go all the way until his due date, January 9th, and I can't say I mind, particularly if I feel the way I felt over the weekend (pretty much ache and pain free as long as I don't do too much). This is about what my weekend consisted of (after an early morning trip to Audubon Park on Saturday with La Luz and Loki lead me to believe I was about to give birth under Shelter #4):


Me, sitting up not because it is more comfy but because of the raging heartburn. Clearly this baby will be covered in hair.