Gavin...the Lost Photos

Remember that Norco I was taking for pain in the hospital? Well, it seemed to have erased my memory for several weeks, so imagine my glee when I found photos of Gavin on my other camera that I don't remember taking. I like to call these, Gavin: the Lost Weeks. Hee hee.

Mommies, Inc.

Today Gavin and I joined the other moms from our Bradley class for a mom/baby get-together. We started meeting for a walk and conversation last week with three of us, but this week five moms and babies attended. With all of those little babies needing to be nursed, burped, and changed, it's not surprising that the walk never happened. But we had a lot of good conversation and even lined up the babies for a photos shoot. Too cute!

We're All Crying This Week

It's been confirmed by Dr. Andy. Gavin has a bad case of gas. It's sad for the poor little guy since it hurts him so much, and it's really sad for the mama and the daddy since he awakens at precisely 5 a.m. each morning (for the last week) and screams and cries intermittently for anywhere from three to seven hours (he does take some naps in there). Miraculously, he is fine by the afternoon. He's gaining weight like Kirstie Alley, so we know it's not colic.

Anyone know any tricks for helping babies with gas? The doctor told me to cut out dairy for five days to see if he is having a problem, but otherwise he just has to ride it out.

Hopefully Gavin will feel better and we will get some sleep so the crying in this family can stop.

Memorial Day Weekend

We are enjoying our Memorial Day weekend so far. Joe came home from work a bit early on Saturday evening and we took Gavin down to the beach park for a photo shoot. I'm sure those passing by could tell we are new parents! Yesterday we headed for Joe's parents house to visit with his Aunt Judy who is visiting from Austin, Texas. She's part of the famous Crowley Clan who bring fun and merriment with them wherever they go! Seriously, Joe's six cousins in Austin are wacky in a good way...from entering SPAM sculpting competitions to Tiki bars in their homes...we love visiting them. They define the slogan, "Keep Austin Weird." So, whenever a Crowley visits Chicago, you can be sure of a good time.

Anyway, we're off to another extended family gathering so everyone can meet the Gavinator. Happy Memorial Day!

I Love My Hat, I Hate My Hat

So Cute!!

This is Gavin at five weeks (last week). We think he is very serious but full of personality and we wonder, when will he give us a smile that's not gas? He is really filling out now, and at his Monday weigh-in (yes, he's going to Baby Weight Watchers) he was 8 lbs. and 11 oz.

Mother's Day

I had a great first Mother's Day on Sunday. I think I'm going to love this holiday since it's like having a second birthday, and all who know me know how much I LOVE my birthday!! Seriously, though, it is a sweet day since it's all about your husband and baby expressing their appreciation for you. It did make me feel really good to know someone thinks I'm doing a good job as a new mom.

To celebrate, we joined Joe's parents and the Steinke family at the Ivanhoe Club for brunch. We had a lovely time and later celebrated Mother's Day with just our immediate family of three at home with a Thai dinner (thanks, daddy!) and a perfect gift of a locket that is still being designed. I have a very creative husband who made it a great day for me.

Photo Friday

Finding Compassion

Yesterday the sole focus of my day, apart from caring from Gavin, was to be able to drive to a Starbucks for a drink "to go." You see, when you're sick, even little goals mean something. I found a sweet parking space right in front of the store, grabbed G-Man in his carseat (also not an easy feat when still a bit sore from surgery), and teetered toward the door. As I prepared to push it open I noticed a thin and sickly looking man crouched down on the pavement. Even in the suburbs of Chicago this is not unusual, but this man was so thin he could have easily been transplanted from Calcutta. "Please, I need money for food," he said. "I'm so hungry."

I'd like to say that I always stop and give of my time and resources when I encounter homeless people, but the truth is, I have become somewhat impervious to the scores of homeless I encounter each week. Apart from the Street Wise guys, I wonder where the money is going. But this man actually looked extremely hungry and ill, and perhaps as I carried my son in my arms I knew inside that I want to be the kind of mom who takes time for all kinds of people. So when I ordered my drink, I bought the man a piece of pumpkin bread.

I walked out of Starbucks and as soon as I hit the sidewalk the man, again, asked me for money for food. I offered him the bag of sweets with a smile and he said, "I don't eat cookies, I don't want that." Incredulous, I said, "This is not a cookie. It's pumpkin bread." The man grabbed the bag out of my hand and said, "Oh. Well, I like pumpkin bread."

If you're really hungry, wouldn't you eat a cookie?

Pop Culture Ramblings

Did anyone else see Oprah's interview with Tom Cruise this past Friday and Monday? I thought it was a brilliant PR strategy for Tom, and I am curious to know whether his publicist and agent put the package together, or whether Oprah has a brilliant producer who thought of the concept. It was a win-win for both of them. Tom had the chance to do a "warm fuzzy" interview with the most powerful influencer in possibly the world, and Oprah had a huge ratings draw (oh, wait, it is May sweeps...). The interview was successful if it put Tom back in your good graces. I have to admit that it was pretty brilliant and I found myself liking him more at the end of the interview than when it began.

Okay, more ramblings to come.

Being Sick Sucks

As if adjusting to life with a newborn isn't difficult enough, we had the chance over the last week to experience life with a sick newborn. Believe me, it is a terrifying experience for a first-time mom. The long and short of it is that Gavin had a bit of fever last Friday, as well as lots of congestion that he inherited from Mama (yes, I have been sick with a cold for the last week), so our pediatrician asked us to bring him in the the hospital. Protocal for newborn fever is to keep them for observation for 48 hours, giving them a spinal tap to test for meningitis and inserting an IV to run a course of antibiotics. You would be correct if you're wondering if I bawled through the whole process. Poor little Gavin kept looking up at me pleadingly as if to say, "Mama, why are you letting them hurt me?" It was completely heartbreaking. But the good news is that it turned out that Gavin just had a cold and not something more serious.

The little G-man was in the hospital from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. Daddy had to work on Saturday, so we hung out with the nice nurses, taking temperatures and blood pressure and drinking free juice with that yummy crushed ice that they can only make at the hospital. That evening Joe came over and we began watching a recommended movie, Eastern Promises. It was too violent so we had to stop watching, but the the capper was when the cleaning woman opened our door to take out the garbage right when Viggo Mortensen yelled, "F*** YOU!" Oh dear. That Gavin was an excellent patient, but his parents are a little questionable.

Grandma's Visit

My mom came to stay with us for two weeks last month to help me care for Gavin when Joe went back to work. We had lots of adventures as she navigated the tough urban streets to shuttle me and the baby to doctor's appointments and Target. Not bad for someone from a small city in Utah! We also had lots of fun eating Thai food and Panera Bread lunches and playing with little G. Thanks for coming, Grandma!