Dallas: Labor Day 2012

I'm never going to an out of state Michigan game with Katherine and Paul again. It's bad luck.  First the 2004 Rosebowl, and more recently the Cowboys Classic Michigan vs. Alabama season opener. Both games were brutally embarrassing for the Wolverines.

Despite the outcome of the Alabama game, we had a blast and I therefore retract the above statement- I'd go anywhere with Katherine and Paul, they're fun even in a loss. 

We brought Fishy to Dallas.  He stayed with the Shavers for the night and LOVED playing with sweet Campbell.  Note his game day chic attire

Sunday night we had dinner with the Daniels and Shavers.  Love all these little ones.  Fisher is wearing his SMU cheering outfit.  He took of his maize and blue in shame.

Girls from the midwest with Fritos and beer

Cowboy Stadium from afar

Nick succeeded in eating BBQ 3 times in 2 days.  He's obv quite happy about that

Some of my favorite ladies at brunch Monday AM.  Courtney is due with baby #2 in December.

A Quesa-D-YA Farewell

One of my biggest regrets about leaving Texas?  I won't see the below little ones grow up every day.  This and the plethora of Mexican restaurants.  Yum Queso.

 

Emory (the oldest), Conner, Campbell, Greyson, Fisher

When we moved to Texas Courtney (mother of Campbell- orange dress), was really my first friend.  I have learned when moving to a new place finding one person in the know who can tolerate you and introduce you around is key.  (Note to self: I need to find this person in Grand Haven.)  Through Courtney other friends followed, among them Catherine and Carolyn. When we met 3 years ago none of us had kids- now there are 5 mini people calling us mom.  Well Fisher and Greyson don't talk yet. . .but you get the point.  It was a pleasure watching these kids grow from day 1.  I will miss them more than anything else in Texas.  If nothing else they taught me that kids aren't that scary.  Fisher should thank them for this too.

Greyson and Fisher.  Greyson is 1 month older than Fisher.  Here it kind of looks like he could eat him.  Maybe they will be college roommates at UT?

Courtney, Me, Carolyn.  Unfortunately I am not much skinnier than this now. . .ugg

Nothing like a 75 degree day in late November. 

Grandma Jann

Thanks Jann for coming to play with Fisher!  We had a great time.  Fisher learned quickly that Grandma's are the best. 

Jann enjoys a snuggle with both the love objects

7 Days in 7 pictures

Happy 1 week birthday Fisher! 

Monday

You make it through labor & delivery perfectly healthy. 

The classic baby in bin shot

Tuesday

The hospital is rough.  Good thing we have dad to keep us company.  The nurses use words to describe you like exceptionally aggressive and uncharacteristically strong.  I would be grumpy if I didn't know how to eat too.  No worries.

 

Wednesday

Gram Weze arrives!  Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

Weze & Fisher's first photo

Thursday

Our household is currently all about the multi-tasking.

Shiner, computer, baby, remote = happy Nick

Friday

I know, I know not eating is really tough.  For everyone. 

Feed me mom!

Saturday

Fisher's first football Saturday and another Michigan loss.  Let's hope they win another national championship in his lifetime.

Sporting his Michigan colors

Sunday

Today Fisher learned to eat.  This is a big deal for everyone's sanity.

Fat(ter) & Happy(ier)

 

Camera Practice

Saturday the 29th was beautiful in Dallas.  Nick and I took Lola to the dog park at White Rock Lake and went for a short walk for camera practice before the big day.  We didn't know when Fisher would be arriving, but something about this afternoon on this crisp, fall day felt special and I will always remember it fondly.  Here are our last photos as a party of two+ one scruffy dog.

It felt like Christmas- Fisher's Birth Story

We welcomed Jack Fisher Lardo on October 31st at 1:37PM.  He weighed 7lbs 11oz and is 21 inches long.

When I woke up on Sunday morning I felt like something was up.  To begin with I got up before the sun- 6AM.  I hate getting up early.  Getting up early when the thermometer in your house reads 57 even more brutal.  There is only one other day of the year that this combo is okay . . . Christmas in Chicago.  The morning of the 30th had a distinct feeling of Christmas.  My present was going to be delivered soon.  I could feel it in the air.

Fast forward past a pedicure, lunch at Potbellys and the purchase of 3 bags of Halloween candy.  It's 6PM and at this point I am confident something is up.  The pains in my stomach are fairly regular and getting more uncomfortable.  At 2:30AM my water breaks, I take it as a cue to blow out my hair.  If you know my hair you know this was non negotiable.  We then head to the hospital and our little man arrived the next day . . . Halloween.  Of course.  We are all thankful for a smooth labor and delivery and a healthy little man.  Returning home to unopened bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups wasn't so bad either.
 
Here are some hospital memories.

Fisher's first photo

Nick holds Fisher first

Then I hold him like a kangaroo

Happy mom

First family photo

"The birth canal was traumatic- you would be puffy too"- Fisher

mother and son

One eyed Jack

The Week You Were Born

Well little man your due date has come and gone.  Where are you?  I dreaded the possibility of a Halloween birthday.  You might want to consider holding out for November.  Otherwise it's costumes and pumpkins for your birthday . Every . Single . Year. 

I didn't get a Halloween costume for you, and now think this was a good calculated risk. 

I do know that within the week we will be celebrating your arrival and thought I would summarize what was going on around here the week you were born.

Fall finally came to Dallas.

Your father was super, super busy working on a deal.  He even left us for a couple of days to travel to Michigan.  Good thing you stayed put.  I didn't want to be flying solo in labor and delivery.

We met friends for lunch, walks and ice cream.  I shopped for what I deemed to be cute clothes for a 0-3 month year old.  Then I saw this commercial and felt bad about my bag full of Nantucket red chinos, courduroy pants, bow ties, fedoras and wool cardigan sweaters.  If you want to wear onesies and tees with brightly colored Garanimals I will understand.  It is 2011 not 1911. 

Not my style, but maybe it will be yours.

In better fashion news, J. Crew launched a baby collection.  They must have known you were coming.

This is a little more like it.

Lola continues to be an excellent doula.  She follows me EVERYWHERE and likes to snuggle with you.  Although she too is getting a little bored waiting around for you.

You started to make me rather uncomfortable. Even a new haircut and a pedicure couldn't mask my massive size.  People have begun to avert their eyes. . . seriously.

The Rangers played the Cardinals in the World Series.  Your dad made me watch every game even though we both think baseball is seriously boring.  There is talk that game 6 was the best baseball game ever.  Too bad the Rangers lost. 

I baked a lot . . . peanut butter cookies, gooey bars, pumpkin cheesecake, and apple crisp.  Clean the house?  Not so much.  Thank goodness the cleaning lady comes Monday.  You'll learn that cleaning is not one of my strengths.

Your first art supplies arrived via UPS!  This was a weekly highlight and pretty much guarantees that you will be born on Halloween, want to wear only graphic tees, love baseball, have cleaning OCD and hate arts and crafts.

We are now the proud owners of My First Colorbox ink in many different colors.  You're going to need your own craft bin!

You remained nameless and I am not just saying this, we really don't know what we are going to name you. 

Your grandmothers called often.  The anticipation is killing all of us!

Note, your father is always late too. . .

Around the house nursery

We live in 1 bedroom and 900 square feet.  This doesn't exactly leave room for a luxurious nursery.  We have baby stuff stored all over our duplex.  Surprisingly this doesn't stress me out as much as most people think it should. 

Here is a virtual tour of our around the house nursery.

Moses basket in the living room . . . check. 
It rests on top of a vintage steam trunk from my Grandma's trip around the world in the 1930's.  I have two of these trunks and one day they will look most excellent at the base of two twin beds in Little Lardo's room.  I like how the bassinet and trunk both have similar vertical lines, nice relationship between old and new.   Plus the basket is super cute.  I don't mind having it in the living room for all to see.

Dresser/changing table in our dining room . . . check
I found a solid wood, antique dresser on Craigslist that needed a little TLC.  RetroChic in Fort Worth refinished it and added new, more contemporary hardware to match our crib.  The lines of the desk are quite feminine, while the color and hardware give it a masculine edge.  Just what I wanted. This was a super cost effective way to bring a unique piece into the "nursery".  However, I don't think it does much for our dining room ;) 

Nick calls me the bin lady.  As a child I would store my purse, inside a purse, inside a bin.  The Little Lardo has no shortage of super cute bins.

Okay so this space is not as organized as it could be . . . maybe this week?  Or maybe this is a project for you mom.

Nursery "wall" in our bedroom . . . check 
Our days in the duplex are numbered and as much as I wanted to paint the wall behind the crib, it doesn't make sense.  A soft grey or blue would definitely soften the overall look.  When we have an actual nursery I plan on putting a floor mirror behind the crib and the walls will be painted . . . I promise.  However, practical husband reminded me buying a large breakable piece of furniture a few weeks before a move = not super smart.   As a compromise I bought a canvas and painted the meadow painting behind the crib.  It gives needed color to the wall, and I like how the airplanes "fly" above the meadow.  It makes for a nice story.
 
Hanging next to the crib are vintage flashcards from the 1950's.  They are contemporary, whimsical and fun at the same time.  A WWI airplane mobile and orange fox bin complete the look.  Considering our space constraints I am happy with the results.  I absolutely love all of the individual pieces and can already picture them in a "real" nursery. 

Painting inspired by the meadow walk from Indian Neck to Stony Creek in Branford, CT.  It is one of Nick's favorite walks.

I am normally not a vintagy type person, I am not even sure how this became kind of a yester year theme.

 

 

 

 

 

Maternity Vacation

Nick keeps calling my maternity leave a vacation.  He may be singing a different tune post Little Lardo's birth.  My last day of work until January was on Friday.  With no child, it does feel a bit vacation like and I intend to soak up every last minute of the few childless days I have left.

So far this means:

Lunch with the boss and coworker at Forty Five Ten.

Laura, Me, Linde

A fun date night with the husband and friends at Private/Social.  I love Tiffany from Top Chef and this is her new restaurant.  Catherine is due 3 days after me and we share a doctor.  Maybe we will be at the hospital at the same time?

Catherine, Me post dinner and yes I am not sure pregnant ladies should wear fur either

 

 

 

A baby shower, several long walks, brunch at Cafe Brazil and Buzz Brews, a 10:30PM movie, a lazy day spent swimming at the pool, homemade apple crisp and church followed suit.  It was a great weekend.  I could get used to this "vacation" . . . maybe I don't want you to come early little man?

Here I am at 38 weeks (Friday), looking quite large and in charge

Texas State Fair

Thanks Jann for the tickets to West Side Story!  It was a great excuse to head out to the fair and enjoy some only in Texas specialties.

Our Menu:

• 2 Bottles of Water
• 3 Shiners on tap
• 1 Fried grilled cheese sandwich with shoestring fries and tomato soup
• 1 Grilled chicken sandwich
• 1 Dollar dog
• 1 Chili Cheese Dog
• 1 Chocolate dipped fried cheesecake

I am grossed out too as I read that. . .and I wonder why I am developing a double chin. 

The Great Detroit Diaspora

Nick and I went to the Texas Rangers/Detroit Tigers game last Saturday.  We had a great time despite the fact that we:

1.)  Parked at the wrong stadium and walked a mile and half to the ballpark.  I knew when I got out of the car the crowd was suspicious.  Cowboy boots + sundress + under 20 years of age = Taylor Swift concert at Cowboys stadium, not hot dogs and beers at Rangers Ballpark.

2.)  The walk would have been lovely, but it decided to pour rain for the 2nd time this year.

3.)  We didn't know which team to cheer for.  When attending a game it is important to care who wins. 

We sat in the upper decks surrounded by fans from the Dirty D . . . Detroit. Living in Dallas we come across Michigan transplants all the time.  There was the artist who purchased chairs from us off of Craigslist, the couple in our condo building who commute from West Bloomfield during the week, the family who lives behind us, proudly flying their Michigan State flag year round among a sea of SEC flags. 

Michiganders are everywhere and while it is nice to run into a fellow Wolverine or someone who knows that the U.P exists, it also makes us sad.  Most of these people are here not by choice, but rather necessity.  They follow jobs and a favorable tax rate while barely tolerating the 110 degree Dallas heat.   They trade their Uggs for Luccheses, but a part of them will always be most at home among the 4' snow drifts in winter and crystal blue Michigan lake waters in summer.

We love our adopted city and we love Michigan.  It is with this attitude that we attended the game conflicted.  We mostly sat on our hands like super lame fans.  But by the end of the series Nick found himself cheering for the underdog, proving you can take the boy out of Michigan, but can't take the Michigan out of a man. 

Better luck next year Detroit, we will be cheering for you!  Well, I will be cheering for the Cubs, but we all know that is hopeless. . .

Our seats were not exactly front and center

Serious case of pushing the season.  I mean it was probably 70 degrees- Michigan bathing suit weather

Sitting out the first rain delay.