Smile!

Erin snapped this shot of Mark and Eamon yesterday. Check out the dimple! He's been smiling a lot in his sleep--must be having some good dreams!

Tomorrow we're taking our first "family" road trip down to VA & MD. We're visiting the Flynn's first then heading to the Farm for the Labor Day/birthday celebrations. Can't wait!

Eamon awake

Here's Eamon at 8 days. I caught him just as he woke up from one of his marathon naps. Like I said, the kid can sleep! During his wakeful moments, he spends a lot of time checking out the walls, ceiling fans, and looking for food. (The kid can eat, too!)

Grandma & Grandpa Flynn plus Aunt Erin visited over the past two days. We had some great meals out and took a few walks around the 'hood. The Bob is working out wonderfully and Eamon seems to enjoy his sweet ride. We even took him to the local high school track for a test drive. I walked about a mile (still a bit worn out to do much more) while Mark ran. Once Eamon's arm heals (and I have more energy) we'll step it up to a faster pace!

You can check out more pictures from the past few days here. I'm a little camera happy around the little guy, so there are going to be many more where these came from!

The twins are two!

A big happy birthday shout out to Sophie and Lucy, who turn two today! I'll never forget the evening when Erik called to tell me that they'd arrived--and talking to a very exhausted Sissy soon thereafter. And it's hard to believe that a year's already past since I was in Cali to see them celebrate birthday number 1!

Mom says their enjoying their day at the Farm with some shopping at the outlets, and I'm sure at least one birthday cake! The big family party will take place next week at the Farm amongst the other set of twins September 1 birthday and other Labor Day festivities.

And another "birthday" of sorts to note: Eamon is now one week old! We're celebrating by giving him a big meal and a new schnoulie. :-)

Sleeping Champ

Just like his Dad, Eamon is proving to be quite the sleeper. While we have had some moments where he's totally awake and checking out his surroundings, most of the time he is sacked out. Except, of course, between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. when he thinks it's time to party. And cry. And poop. Fortunately for me, Mark has taken on the nightwatchman role and keeps Eamon occupied during those tough hours as I sleep. I'm already starting to dread him going back to work next Tuesday (after Labor Day) as he has been so wonderful in taking over a lot of the less-fun tasks, like changing dirty diapers and wrapping up the broken arm.

Today, we took our first stroll through the neighborhood in the Bob (the "it" jogging stroller on the baby scene these days). E seemed to be perfectly content in his new ride--just wait til we really start moving in it! (Don't worry, I'm not planning on running any time soon...or for at least the next few weeks!)

Other than sleeping, E is growing by the day. We had our first pediatrician appointment yesterday and he's already up to 9 pounds, 5 oz! He was discharged from the hospital at 8 pounds, 15 ounces, so that's about half a can of coke in three days! And here I was worried he wasn't getting enough to eat...

Pictures of Eamon

I just popped a bunch of pics into an album. Check 'em out!

Welcome, Eamon Joseph!

Yes, our baby is finally here! Eamon Joseph Flynn arrived right on time, at 4:04 p.m. on Sunday, August 17, 2008. After a couple of nights in the hospital, we returned home yesterday afternoon and the little guy is settling in well to his new home. Here are some more details on EJF and the "Labor Day".

THE NAME: After months of deliberation, Mark and I settled on Eamon (pronuced Ay-min; think "Damon" without the D), which fit our desire of being both unique and Irish/Gaelic in origin. To come up with our rather lengthy list of possibilities, we scoured name lists from Ireland, read Irish newspapers, perused Irish football and rugby rosters, and spent many hours brainstorming. I'd originally fallen in love with the name way back in high school after reading about Irish running great Eamon Coughlin and had stored it in my memory bank as a potential boy's name. We were still debating when I went into labor; watching the Olympics and seeing Australian swimmer Eamon Sullivan in the finals on Saturday night was the sign we needed to finally seal the deal.

The name, which means "protector" and is also the Gaelic version of Edmund, is doubly significant in that the "E" is in honor of Earl Metz, Mark's maternal grandfather. The middle name, is, of course, is for Grandpop (Joseph O'Connell) as well as for Mark, whose middle name is also Joseph.

THE STATS: Eamon entered the world weighing a whopping 9 pounds, .07 ounces. At 20.5 inches long, he's no string bean. Rather, the word "sturdy" was tossed about quite a bit in the hospital. Looks like he's bound for the defensive line, but I can still hope for a distance running star...

THE LOOKS: Still basking in that newborn glow, we're not quite sure who Eamon resembles, although I'm seeing more of Mark than me or anyone in my family. He's sporting a downy head of darkish hair, light eyebrows, a nice, square jawline, two big grayish eyes (which perhaps will go lighter), and the makings of dimples in each of his chubby cheeks. The one feature he does have of mine thus far are extra-long fingers and toes and oval fingernails.

OTHER PERTINENT INFO: Because of his rather rough entry into the world, which included 15 hours of hard labor (he was flipped over and facing up as opposed to face-down, making for a more difficult delivery) and one hour of pushing, Eamon suffered a broken humeris bone (that's the one between the elbow and the shoulder). It's a clean break that's currently being held in place by a rather spiffy set-up (er, a basic ace bandage wrap). The orthopedist didn't want to cast it, and said that the injury should start to heal in a week. Aside from the fact that I'm sure he'd love to be using his right arm as much as he is the left, Eamon doesn't seem to bothered by it. All of the cute outfits will have to wait--it's kimono tops for now until the injury heals. He can, however, rock whatever pants, socks, and hats he wants, so do expect to see some pictures of at least a half-dressed baby boy!

Lots of pictures to come (thanks to Keren for the one posted here)! And I'm sure I'll eventually write up a much more detailed version of the labor and delivery. For those of you who are so inclined to hear about it, check our Baby Blog for an update soon.

Avery Elizabeth

A huge congrats to Andy & Julie on the arrival of Avery Elizabeth Calder! She was born early this morning EST/late last night, Wyoming time, so I think her birthday is 8-15-08. Will post stats and any pics as they arrive!

Hopefully, little Avery will have a cousin join her in the real world very soon! (Are you listening, F?!)

Almost there...

In my boredom (which is pretty much my constant state nowadays as I continue to play the waiting game), I snapped this shot of me and my massive bump. Who wants to take a guess on how big Baby F is based on this pic? Amuse me, please.

Inspiration.

Shalane Flanagan won the bronze medal this morning in the 10K, setting a new American record (30:22.22; a 12-second PR). For those of you non-track geeks out there, this is quite the feat given the fact that she is only the second American runner to medal in a distance over 800m since 1984. That's counting men and women.

But the most impressive part about Shalane's run? Up until two days ago, she was wracked with a nasty case of food poisoning. Skeptics thought she wouldn't even run; after all, she has another race early next week where she could fare just as well. But the 5'5", 113-pound animal came back to life just in time, wowing the world with a closing mile of 4:30 (including a 2:12 final 800m, which is just completely insane) to secure the bronze medal.

I don't know about you, but I'm completely inspired by this news. And I plan to channel Shalane's amazing energy as I (hee hee hoooo) power to my own finish line with Baby F very very soon. I may not get a gold medal, but the reward will be just as sweet!

Quote of the Day

Said to me on the street by one of those wonderful people who love to ogle as you struggle (successfully) to parallel park in a very tight spot:

"I see you're pregnant. If you get any more pregnant, you wouldn't be able to fit into that spot!"

Perhaps, perhaps...

...there will be a baby born this weekend! That's right, we are making progress! This morning at my doctor's appointment I was all set to hear the same ol' "nothing's changed," but instead I got a very exciting "I think I will be seeing you this weekend." So maybe F will be on time after all!

Of course, we all know that doctors can be wrong about these things. My mom's classic story about she and Stella's joint visits to their OB/GYN in the winter of '79 proves this point: After both of them were told to expect their babies (AKA Sissy and I) in two weeks, Stella went home and had Sissy that night. I, on the other hand, emerged a whopping three-and-a-half weeks later, which is why I was well over 9 pounds. Let's just hope F doesn't follow suit (in both the weight and the wait).

Ahh...the joys of city living

So somewhere between West 12th Street in NYC and 10th Street in Hoboken on Sunday, someone backed into our car, leaving a lovely dent in the hood (and of course, no note). We went to get an estimate today were told it's going cost about a grand to fix--instead of popping it out, they would replace the hood and repaint the side panels. Which all seems a bit exorbitant if you ask me, but I guess it's more complicated of job than simply popping it out. At least that's what the folks at Ziggy's autobody want us to believe.

While pondering the estimate, the mechanic took one look at me and advised that we save our money for "Similac and Pampers" instead of forking over the dough for the dent and some unrelated scratches on the back bumper (that's what you get for parking on the street!). I had to agree--$1000 can buy you a lot of baby gear. Still, that means we have to live with the unsightly mark for the time being, or at least until F is born. Dented or not, we're going to need a car for that inevitable trip to NYU; there's no way I'm taking PT to the hospital!

Fun on the Farm!

With Sam and Leezie in tow, we made a day trip up to New Paltz/Gardiner on Saturday. It was an absolutely gorgeous day made all the more beautiful by the lush country setting of upstate New York. We first met Bec & Ula at Rose Lane, where Bec showed us some updates on the house (looks even more awesome now!), then we headed over to Brook Farm. This is the farming co-op Bec & John belong to--they have to put in some work picking produce throughout the season and in return get dibs on the bounty. When we arrived at the Farm, there were some aging hippies milling about, and we were told a 65th surprise birthday party for Wendy was about to take place. No worries, Farmer Dan told us we could still check out the chickens and hang out while the party went down.

When Wendy arrived, the party-goers immediately froze in place, some acting as though in mid-sip of their wine. Wendy kind of stood there for a while smiling before finally saying "you can all move now!" Then, the aging hippies broke out into Happy Birthday--I guess it was the opposite approach to yelling Surprise when the guest-of-honor enters? Maybe a holdover from the 60's? Either way, it was funny to witness.

Not wanting to crash the party, we walked to the fields and checked out where Ula Bec had picked their patty pan squash, and showed Sam the pigs and hens. They were both totally "farm" and a bit icky--not quite the clean, sweet animals you'd interact with at a petting zoo!

It was great having Sam in the country--in one day, he was "introduced" to a frog, chickens, pigs, hens, and horses. Quite a day on the farm for this city boy!

Later on, Bec & John hosted us to a yummy summer dinner of sweet corn on the cob, BBQ chicken, turkey burgers, and tomatoes. And for dessert, ice cream and Bec's own culinary delite--fresh peaches and berries baked in a handmade pizza dough, otherwise known as "peachza." Look for it in a bakery near you! :-)

We didn't want to leave, but by 11 p.m., everyone's eyes were getting heavy, especially the more active ones of the bunch who'd ran and biked about 100 miles earlier in the day. So we zipped back down to NYC/Hoboken, getting home late but very relaxed! Can't wait to go back!

See lots of pics from the day below...

No news is...

...good news? I guess. But when the news has to do with the status of a 7.5-lb* baby parked in your belly, you're always hoping for some sort of change. However, as of my appointment this morning, Baby F is still quite content in his coccoon and, it seems, won't be making his debut this week. So much for my (not-so) secret hope of an 8-08-08 birthday!

Mark accompanied me to the doc's in Soho, where he got to meet my favorite of the 5 women who may deliver F. She's young and always wears the cutest clothes, so I liked her from the first time she saw me back in December. Plus, she is somewhat of a runner, meaning we usually have something to banter about (besides technical stuff) as she's doing her measuring and whatever else.

Today's appointment entailed the typical routine (I'll spare you the details) and the blase report that nothing has changed since my visit last week. I kind of already knew this going in as I haven't had any real signs of pre-labor, but I was hoping she'd look up and say "wow, he's going to come today!" But no such luck. Just a smile and a suggestion to walk around and drink raspberry leaf tea to kick things into gear. (Of course, I already know these tricks since I wrote an item about natural ways to induce labor for livestrong.com.)

In reality, I'm glad it looks like we're going to stick it out to the due date because I have three assignments to write before next week. And if I have a baby tomorrow, well, those stories would not get done. So it's for the best, right?

*the one update we did receive is that F is "not going to be a tiny baby" (doctor's words). In fact, he is estimated to weigh around 7.5 lbs now, meaning that by his due date in 10 days, he could be 8-9 lbs. Or more.

Nanny No More

I mentioned earlier that Sunday was my final day as Sam's "nanny". It was a bittersweet one--I was very sad to give up my time with him, but at the same time excited that my departure signaled the impending arrival of his newest playmate and sure-to-be BFF, F. Leezie and Speed have hired a very sweet real-life nanny to care for Sam, and I'm sure he'll bring as much joy and fun to her world as he did to mine over the past few months.

As you can see in these pics, Sam is turning into such a big boy right before our eyes. In just the past few weeks, he stood up in his crib, started to do a moderated version of a crawl (kind of like a Rambo-version army crawl), and is quite stable on his feet. Hard to believe that he'll be celebrating his first birthday soon! I can't wait for him to meet F; let's just hope the two of them stay out of trouble for the first few years at least!

Together Again...

Sissy and Corinne made their way to Hoboken this past weekend for two very memorable days. What made their time here so special? The fact that we did a whole lotta nothing--except, of course, just spending time together! It was especially exciting to have Sissy here, who hasn't been in NYC (at least while I was around ) in years! She left the twins in G-burg with the g'rents and braved the bus with Corinne...just like old times! And also like old times, they had a rather hellish ride up (Sissy never seems to have good luck on PT!), but finally made it in around 8:00 on Friday night. I'd been watching Sam all day, so we stuck in the Village and dashed over to Miracle for a relaxing dinner before heading home and going straight to sleep!

On Saturday, I originally planned to do a whole day's worth of milling about in the city, but a torrential thunder strom dampened that idea. So instead we just lounged about in 'Boken, getting brunch and watching a movie at home. By the time the sun broke through in mid-afternoon, Leezie had made her way over with Sam and together we strolled the streets, shopped, and hit up the park a few blocks down. Then, for the remainder of the evening and into the night, we chilled outside on our patio, relaxing, chatting, drinking, and eating Benny T's pizza 'til another rain storm sent us scooting inside. It was a short-lived storm but signaled time for Leezie to head back home, so the three of us walked her down to the PATH where C&S got to see all of Jersey's finest in their clubbing gear (it was Saturday night, after all!). By the time we got back, Mark had set up Guitar Hero, so we rocked out a bit with that (well, not me...I suck!) before hitting the hay.

On Sunday, we had a quick breakfast at home then bolted for the city so the girls could catch their 11:30 bus. Back to DC they went, and even though I was sad to see them go, I spent the rest of the day with a huge smile on my face...I absolutely LOVED having them here! Hopefully it won't be long before we can do it again...

Such a Sap.

Johnson's put together some sweet videos of Olympians thanking their mom's for support throughout the years. Maybe it's because of my current state (the newborn baby pictures get me every time!), or maybe because I'm just a complete sap for touchy-feely Olympic stories, but I must admit I teared up a bit watching some of these. Check 'em out!

One Two

A quick congrats to UlaBec (aka Karl and Bec) for their one-two finish at yesterday's SheRox triathlon in Philly! Bec got the wire-to-wire victory while Ula had to battle it out a bit with some other pros to get her runner-up finish. They both pocketed some pretty pennies for their performances, too.

Here is the press release from the race: Rebeccah Wassner wins 2008 SheROX Philadelphia Triathlon

Congrats!

Officially in countdown mode!

This week kicks off the official Countdown to Baby Flynn. Yes, I know we've been counting down for like 9 months now, but starting this week the real clock-watching begins. That's because I've retired as Sam's nanny and I'm officially Hoboken-bound, ready and waiting for the little guy to start making his way into this world. (As a reminder of when that may happen, I've installed a little countdown window on the right of this screen. Of course, that'll all be null and void if I'm, say, a week overdue, but at least it gives a semi-decent estimate!)

I'm actually pretty sad about relinquishing my nanny duties. Not only was Sam really fun to hang out with, but being with him gave me ample opportunity to walk around, see people, start my day bright and early, and structure my work around his naptime. Now, I'm back to structuring my own day, which means I may or may not spend a solid hour or two on Facebook before actually tackling some assignments. But seeing that I have nothing but time on my hands as I play the waiting game, I should be able to get a lot of work done. Well, here's to hoping!

It's probably better off that I'm not braving the various modes of NYC pub. transportation in my 38th week, anyway. I'd hate to be that woman who went into labor on the subway (and subsequently gave birth on the platform)...so home, sweet, home it is for now!