Photo Blog

Somebody give hand me some lipstick - STAT!

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.

She smelled as good as she looks!

Three Martinis, please

Remember my post about a playdate for Ella? The picture that I used was from the cover of a book called The Three Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting. I had never heard of this book before but the image came up when I was searching for something pertaining to a playdate and it made me laugh so steal it I did.

Little did I know that Niki would be so observant and actually order the book for her favorite new mommies, Andrea and I! I got it in the mail last week and have had some good laughs reading it. I think when I'm done I will pass it on for Karen (queen of the playdate) to read :)

A little exerpt that made me laugh:

"One wasn't required to transport the little children hither and thither, here to T-ball practice, there to a 'playdate', may the chipper mommy who coined that particular term forever rot in a hell of eternally colicky babies."

Pure genius, right?

So Far...

Sleep? - Yes, please

Breastfeeding - One of nature's most natural things does not come naturally

Pregnancy weight - gone (ta da!)

Pre-pregnancy jeans - hell yeah, I'm wearing them

(If it sounds like I'm bragging on those last two, I am ;P )

# of days w/o a shower - Z.E.R.O. Nevah!

Kick ass afternoon of TV - TBS. Yes, Dear, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, King of Queens, Seinfeld, Friends and Just Shoot Me. I'm in love.

Treat du jour - Rick Krispie Treats

Swelling - All gone. My feet and calves are back to their recognizable form

Withdrawal from the Internet - Much worse than I imagined it would be

Need for some semblance of a routine - great/huge/enormous

Times I almost cried over spilled milk - One. One too many.

Times cried for no good reason - Who knows? But that Thanksgiving card really touched me, OK?

Goodbye to nearly clear complexion - Hello to not so much

Last reminders that I recently had surgery - laughing, coughing and sneezing

Ashley looks like - Her sister, and how!

A few words for my genetics - You're getting docked a day's pay for sleeping on the job (name that movie, anyone?)

Fingers nicked in first attempt at trimming nails - 3. 3 on one hand. Thank goodness Ashley didn't cry or I would have too.

Who is ready for another one? - Get back to me on that.

Who is feeling her heart burst with a true understanding of the meaning of Thanksgiving? - Yes ma'am, I am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another Quickie

In an effort for this not to be the Ashley channel (all Ashley, all the time!) here are some pics of Ella. I still plan on writing up the big Ashley post, mind you, but no time for that now. Maybe by the time she is a month old? Two months?

OMG, I just thought of something. If the blog will no longer be the Ella channel, nor will it be just the Ashley channel, then it will be the Ashley and Ella channel or A&E! Gosh, I'm so witty it hurts!

Gazing out the window at the hospital.

Princess Ella and her Super Dog, Miss Mags

OK, just one of little baby Ashley, sleeping in the sun

Semi Post

I have made it back to blog land, but unfortunately it's very temporary. We don't have a computer at home so posting requires a bit of an effort!

The real quick rundown so far is that all is well. Ashley had to stay at the hospital a few extra days to bask in the glow of artificial light since she had a touch of jaundice. We were able to go home on Saturday and since then have been trying to settle in and adjust to the new way of life. I am doing really, really well. A lot better than I remember at this stage of the game last time, actually! Oh, and the feet? They have begun to subside! Real shoes for me again! I'm pumped.

The only pictures I have at my disposal this very minute are from the hospital still, but I'll post them anyway. I don't know how different they are from the other ones, but you can't say I didn't try!

Hopefully I will be able to post a 'real' post soon, as well as grab some photos where Ashley isn't all bundled up and you can actually see her! (One thing to look forward to is a shot of her toes! Remember Angie telling me that Ella has my toes? Yep, Ashley too! Too a greater extent, I'm afraid...)

This we pre 'get that awful hat off of my precious little girl!'.

Lots of lovin' from her big sister.

Angie, Mallory and the McClure girls.

Welcome

After much anticipation, I am very proud to announce the arrival of Miss Ashley Kate McClure!!

The stats: 11/6 at 7:42 am, 7lbs. 15 oz., 20 in.

Lots and lots of dark hair!

Ella is as proud and smitten as can be.

I will give you the full rundown later, I promise! (Right now we are still in the hospital and hope to leave Friday at lunch.)

Thank you for all of your wonderful thoughts as we embark on this great adventure again... We are truly, truly lucky!

Tick Tock

So tomorrow is the day...

Of course I have about a million things that I want to get done running through my head, making little mental lists for myself. Who knows if I will remember everything? Or if it even matters, really? Things like housework will get done eventually, whether it's before Ashley gets here or not, so I'm not too concerned.

What I have been giving even more thought to recently is the fact that our lives are about to change. Forever. I have tried to take a few moments to soak up the family dynamic that we have grown so accustomed to, realizing that it will never be the same.

To that end, I searched online for some quotes regarding change. I found two that I thought were especially appropriate:

Charles DuBois: "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."

Heraclitus: "You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in."

Exactly.

(Eeee! The next time I log in I will have my baby in my arms! See you then!)

Ikea

Marisa sent me this and it is so funny! An Ikea commercial that makes you look twice... :)

Click Here!

Tidy up!

Halloween

Ella got her trick or treat on with Miss Mallory in Angie and Scott's neighborhood. It proved to be a very interesting night... maybe Halloween brings out the crazy in people? Or maybe it was the beer that David and Scott were drinking as they (and I) were escorting the girls from door to door?

Hmmm... whichever it was brought Scott wearing a fuzzy halo and a liquored up neighbor lady yelling across the street at a dark and seemingly empty house to 'shut. your dog. up!'. In all fairness, the dog in their backyard was barking nonstop, but what the hell?! (She ended up marching herself over to pound on the door, still yelling, but to no avail because surprise! they weren't home.)

The girls scored some serious loot, which both dads promptly coveted. Actually, Mal and E both traded their take of candy (minus a few select pieces) for the movie The Jungle Book because 'too much candy is not good for you'. See what smart parents we are! Now David and Scott can rot their teeth out.

Prima Ballerina

Maybe I was a little heavy handed with the make up? Oh, who cares!

Miss Mallory and Ella - BFF

The torn open box with 3 ice creams in it that one lady gave E to give to the parents.

That's very nice and all, but wtf?!