And another month goes by...

Well, here it is - the beginning of November. Can Thanksgiving really only be two weeks away? And then Christmas. What they say about life going by in the blink of an eye seems more and more true every year. I just want life to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N!

So much has happened in the last month that I'm sure I'll forget to mention a lot of it.

First things first -- eating developments. Two weekends ago Riley was super whiny. He does not whine often, so our first thoughts were that he had either begun teething or he had come down with some new ailment from daycare. Two days of whining went by before we realized that the poor guy was starving. I suppose that would make me cranky too. So we upped his bottles from 6 ounces per meal to 8 ounces per meal. Problem solved, right? Well, not so much. He was still a bit "fussy" at school (which is so unusual that they actually wrote it on his daily log), so they politely encouraged us to try introducing some rice cereal (which, I will note, we DID understand that we should be trying anyway; however, we were determined that his first rice cereal should happen on a weekend in case it didn't go well and somehow interfered with his sleep schedule -- after two weekends came and went because one event or another got in the way of our grand scheme, we finally gave in and decided we could try it on a week night). So on October 27, one day short of his 5-month birthday, Riley had his first "real" food. As I'm sure it must be with every baby, the experience was hilarious. He didn't really understand the spoon, would hold the cereal in his mouth for a few seconds and then decide it was fun to use it to blow bubbles, and generally had a big time. Not to mention that he sat in his high chair for the first time. I doubt much food actually was consumed, but many pictures and videos were taken of the event. Each day he seems to enjoy eating more and more. Last night when Casey fed him, he even grabbed the spoon and wanted to hold it (more like play with it) himself. I suspect we will be adding some fruits and veggies to his diet before too long.


First Rice Cereal

Physical developments: We haven't had Riley weighed or measured since his 4-month check-up, but I'd be willing to say that he's grown quite a bit since then. He is developing quite a little belly at this point (see feeding developments above). I also think he is getting taller, as he is pretty much too big for his infant carseat at this point. He has loved his carseat since the first time he sat in it, but he is starting to get quite uncomfortable in it. So we have bought his "big boy" carseat and will have it installed this week. It can hold him until he is 65 lbs, so I hope he likes it!!! His 3-6 month clothes are starting to get too small, so I am going to have to fold up another batch of my favorite truly "baby" clothes and start the process of putting 6-12 month clothes in his closet. I can tell you that the 6-12 month items seem so much bigger and more grown up (more patterns and bright colors and less baby blue), and I am probably going to be in tears again when I fold his sweet little boy clothes for the last time (I was borderline hysterical when I had to pack up his newborn clothes -- thank goodness Casey was on his guys' weekend when I did that).

Beyond just growing, he has all sorts of new capabilities. He is rolling really well now from his back to his front. He is sleeping on his side now instead of flat on his back. He can spend about 30 minutes in his exersaucer before tiring out. He has less use for his swing and more use for his jumping toy (the kid LOVES to jump). He is starting to understand cause and effect (i.e. if he jumps, the music starts playing or if he his one of the keys on the piano, it lights up). He is extremely interested in Winston and Wrigley and has started reaching out to pet them (although it is more like grabbing at their hair and pulling really hard -- they have been great sports, which was to be expected). He grabs at absolutely everything and then proceeds to stick it in his mouth (this includes his feet).

His language skills, if you can call them that, are also coming along. He is doing a lot of what I will call shrieking, for lack of a better word. Not the kind of shrieking that hurts your eardrums, but funny and cute (but loud) sounds. He is also concentrating a lot when trying to use his lips to form sounds. So cute to watch. He is particularly talkative when getting his diaper changed. Diaper changes still continue to be some of my favorite times of the day.

Riley continues to be an easygoing little guy. Lots of smiles. Not much crying (only when Mom and Dad are too dumb to realize he's starving). Still a great sleeper (oh, I forgot to mention that as of two days ago, he no longer requires his 10:00 p.m. feeding -- we still put him down to bed after his 7:30 feeding and he will sleep non-stop until about 6:30 a.m., at which point he will wake up and "talk" to Wally until about 7:00 when he lets us know he's ready to get up and have some breakfast -- as an aside, I'm not sure if 6:30 will become his normal "waking" time or if this is the result of the time change (fall back) that just happened to occur on the same night that we did away with the 10:00 feeding; prior to that, he'd sleep until 7:30 a.m.). He is also a tremendous traveler still. He can amuze himself in his carseat (usually by playing with his ladybug or by staring at himself in the mirror) for fairly long periods of time and then will usually drift off to sleep without much fuss. On our drive to and from Amelia Island this past weekend to visit Casey's parents, he probably cried 10 minutes or less during the 15 or so hours we spent in the car. I'd say that's pretty good.

Speaking of our trip to Florida, we had a ball over the weekend. It was Halloween so there were lots of activities going on at the Plantation. Winston and Wrigley took part in the pet costume parade (Winston was Darth Vader, Wrigley was Princess Leah -- incidentally, Riley was supposed to be an Ewok, but ended up sleeping through the entire thing and never even made it into his costume). We all got some good quality time with Casey's parents. Besides the costume parade, the two highlights of the weekend for me were that Riley took a few naps on my chest (the little guy was worn out), which he hasn't done for months and which he probably won't do much more in the future, and that he really took a liking to the pool. Over the summer when we'd put him in the pool at the Club, he didn't really know what to make of it. Now he splashes the water with his hands, kicks his feet and tries to drink the water.



Amazing what a difference a few months can make. It was sooooo much fun for Casey and I to watch him in the pool. Such a goof.



Since this is the "Otis Family Blog" and not the "Riley Blog", I should probably devote some time to the rest of the family. Wrigley continues to be Wrigley -- devoted to playing ball and little else (she does, however, believe that she's Riley's mother and is constantly licking him and on guard to protect him from evil until it's time for her to take a nap or play ball). Winston is still our sweet little boy. Unfortunately, as they warned us would likely happen, the ACL in his other knee is on the fritz. It appears that another surgery is imminent -- most likely in early 2010. Poor guy, I know he will be brave, but I also know how much he disliked the experience last time around. I know he was in a lot of pain, but I think it killed him more that he couldn't come along on the daily walks or sleep in the bed or play with Wrigley -- all things that he is passionate about. Hopefully this surgery will be as successful as the last and he'll be good as new in time for Spring. Casey and I are good, but busy trying to juggle the things we did in our "old lives" with being devoted parents. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

Riley's Four Month Check-Up

Wow, have 4 months really gone by already?!?! Amazing. But we feel like we have had Riley in our lives forever at this point, and really can't remember what life was like without him anymore.

Riley weighed 14.1 lbs today at his check-up (33rd percentile - down slightly from the last visit - he was around the 50th percentile then - could be a result of him being sick for pretty much the last two weeks straight (poor guy)). He is 25 inches long (55th percentile - about the same as last time). He received high marks from the doctor and seems to be progressing at a normal rate in all areas of development. He can hold his head high now, and has great neck control, so that is good. He also rolled over from his back to his front for the first time EVER while we were in the examination room waiting for the doctor. There is a mirror that stretches the length of the examination table and he caught site of himself in it (he LOVES the "Baby in the Mirror" as we call him). Apparently he REALLY wanted to get to that baby, so he kept trying and trying and trying and finally made it over onto his stomach. Then he did a mini "push-up" so that he could get a better look. You could tell he was really proud of himself. So cute.

Besides that, not much else to report except that we all love Riley more and more each day. He continues to amaze us all with his sweet, easygoing personality. Always a smile for someone. If only they could guarantee that he'd keep that up his whole life...

I promise to post more pictures soon. I know I have been terrible about that.

And so it begins...

Riley has his first cold. His first illness of any sort, actually. And while I'm grateful that he made it almost 4 months without getting sick, I have a feeling this is the beginning of a difficult fall and winter, especially since he spends his days at daycare.

Although he is not excited about being sick, Riley has been a real trooper. I think he is the most irritated at night because he is used to sucking on his fingers and thumb to fall asleep. Since he can't really breathe out of his nose right now, he is having a hard time falling asleep. But during the day he is his normal cheerful, smiley self, just with a constantly runny nose, a slight temperature (100.3) and a bit of a cough. Nothing the slightest bit alarming, but you better believe we still called the pediatrician. I'm sure the nurse had to suppress giggles while we gave her the list of "very serious" symptoms. :) I bet new parents make their days sometimes.

Laughter is the best medicine

It's been an awesome weekend, one of those that seems perfect while you are living it. To begin with, it marked the last days of the summer. We decided to let all "projects" sit idly by while we enjoyed ourselves - no errands, no laundry, no cleaning - it was wonderful.

To start the weekend, Casey and I went to an event at the Children's Museum on Friday night while Riley hung out at home with Tim and Bree who were kind enough to watch him for us. It was only our second "date" since Riley has been born. We managed to spend a few minutes not thinking about him, although the only auction item we bid on was a child's photography package (which we won!!!).

On Saturday morning, the whole family went on a long walk - the first morning where it was not scalding hot when we left our house. Then Riley, Casey and I went to a Wake Forest football game, and spent much of our day tailgating. Afterwards we went to the pool to enjoy pool time and the Michigan-Notre Dame game that was playing on the TV at the pool (incidentally, how nice is it to have a TV at the pool?!?!).

Sunday we spent most of the day at the Club again. Casey played a little golf while I hung out with some Riley and some friends at the pool. Perfect weather and an awesomely good day. But not one of the fun things we did over the weekend could compare with what happened at the pool before Casey left us to go play golf - Riley laughed out loud for the first time!!! And not only did this happen for the first time while we were both there to enjoy it, but the truly amazing part is that we also had our video camera with us and got it all on film. I can't tell you how many times we are going to watch that video. There is nothing cuter (and funnier) than watching Riley laugh. And all it took was for me to say "hi" to him in what I will say is a really annoying voice over and over and over again. Who knew I could be so funny!!!

What a great way to end the summer. I can't wait to see what the pool will hold for us next year. Something tells me that lounging on a chair in the sun and reading a book while Riley sleeps is NOT going to be in the cards for us next year. But I'm sure it'll be fun in a whole new way for all of us. It would've been the perfect weekend if only Winston and Wrigley were allowed to come to the pool.

Two Weeks Later...

Riley has been at daycare for two weeks now, and although I still hate leaving him, it has definitely gotten easier. For the first week, Casey and I went to visit him during lunch every single day. And we probably would've continued that for his whole life if we hadn't realized that it was actually making his day harder. We'd interrupt his naps, we'd get there and want to feed him right after he'd already had his bottle. We felt like we were cramping his style. So we have stopped. We both miss him terribly all day long, but we are more anxious than ever to leave work at the end of the day. We rotate days on who gets to pick him up, but it seems that no matter which one of us it is that gets the honor of being the first to see him, he always greets us with a great big smile. It's as if he's trying to tell us that it's OK that we've left him all day. Like he may even appreciate the break from his embarrassing, doting parents.

I'll tell you who does love the idea of Riley being at daycare and me being back at work -- Winston and Wrigley. They have more energy and more pep in their step now than we've seen in months. I am convinced that it's because they are no longer going on 2 or 3 walks a day in the brutal Carolina summer heat. (Each day, Winston, Wrigley, Riley and I would set out on extremely long walks -- partly because Riley loves to be outside, partly because it puts him to sleep like nothing else can, partly because the dogs love their walks, and partly because I need to shed these last ten pounds that have been clinging to me since I lost the other 27 pounds two weeks after Riley was born. We walked to Starbucks and the three of them hung out while I wrote thank you notes. We walked to Roche, another coffee house in our neighborhood. We walked to the park. And sometimes we just walked without a destination or a care in the world. Wow do I miss those walks!!!!). Whatever the reason, the dogs are happy to have Casey and me to themselves again during lunchtime. I think it reminds them of the good ol' days.

Riley seems to be thriving at daycare. His neck has gotten a lot stronger. He is really starting to sit up well (although still not on his own). He has learned how to roll over onto his side. He watches the "big kids" (9 months old) in his class intently. And he's always smiling. His teachers have told us that the only times he cries during the day are when he has a dirty diaper (he doesn't seem to care about wet diapers) and when they take his bottle out of his mouth before he's done eating (this makes me laugh because we've seem him do it at home too, and it is hilarious how angry he gets). They say he has a great disposition. This makes my heart swell with pride.

This past Wednesday I had scheduled a girls' night out with three friends. As it turned out, Casey had a tennis match that night, so instead of leaving Riley at home with him as I'd planned, I schlepped him to dinner at the Village Tavern with me. Even without his usual afternoon nap, he was a saint. He didn't make a single noise the entire time. Instead, he just sat on my lap (head held high with very little bobblehead-like movements) and smiled at the girls. He is just such a laid back little guy. I love him more and more each day as more of his personality is starting to show.

This weekend is Labor Day weekend, and also the start of the college football season. Tomorrow Riley will attend his first Wake Forest football game. We are so excited about it (and the tailgating) that it's all we've been able to talk about all week. And if we are talking (and thinking) about something else besides the guilt of leaving Riley at daycare, I'd say life is good indeed.

Go Deacs!

Long Overdue

Dear Riley,

Today you start your first day of "school". I am heartbroken for a number of reasons, but mostly because (a) it means that you are growing up way too fast and (b) it means that I no longer get to spend every day hanging out with you, Winston & Wrigley. I am so grateful for the three months we all got to spend with each other this summer and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I will miss you as you spend your days at school and I spend mine at work, but all this means is that we will all treasure the weekends even more.

In these past twelve weeks, I have watched you grow from a teeny, tiny little guy who liked to do nothing but sleep (mostly in someone's arms -- fortunately they were usually mine) and eat into a smiling, cooing baby boy who can brighten anyone's day with his smile. Yesterday, when we were at the grocery store, a woman came up to us and asked permission to talk to you. You flashed her your big grin and she told me you'd made her day. You made mine too. I am so proud to be your mommy.

I have been so bad about documenting your first twelve weeks in words (fortunately, I have been good about documenting them in photos), and so on this, your first full day off on your own in this great big world of ours, I want to try to remember all of the special things (be them great or small) from your first three months in our lives.

I'll start with the day you, your daddy and I left the hospital. You will be happy to know that the first movie you ever saw (while we were waiting an insane amount of time to be released) was "Fever Pitch", which is the story of a middle-aged man who is absolutely obsessed with the Red Sox. It was just coincidence that this movie was showing, but Daddy couldn't be happier that it was your first movie (you may or may not know this, but Daddy brought dirt from the outfield at Fenway Park to the hospital with us when you were born and the dirt was the first thing your foot ever touched). After we were finally released, Daddy went to the car while you and I were wheeled downstairs by some kind nurse who, no joke, had to wait with us for almost 30 minutes while Daddy continuously drove in loops past the entrance where he was supposed to pick us up (he just could NOT seem to figure out how to get to us). All the while we were watching (and laughing) as he kept driving by. After he finally made it to us, it took awhile for us to load you into the car. Your carseat was not terribly scary without you in it, but wow, it took on a whole new level of scariness when we had to strap you in. We were afraid we'd hurt you. Not to mention that you were crying as we tried to load you in. (Incidentally, now, three months later, we practically throw your carseat into its base all in one motion.) You were so kind as to fall asleep in the 3 minutes that it takes to drive from the hospital to our house (although, I must admit, it probably took more like 10 minutes to get home because Daddy drove SO slowly). You lulled us into a false sense of security, so when we arrived home, Daddy immediately decided to mow the lawn while I tried to get things situated just so in the house. We were determined that our lives would not be the slightest bit altered by your arrival. (I should note here that I was more worried about how I'd feel about seeing Winston and Wrigley than I was about pretty much anything else, and sobbed uncontrollably when I saw them because I instantly realized that I still loved them just as much and didn't feel any differently about them -- I had feared that your arrival would make me think of them as second class citizens, which I am proud to say, they still are not.) Winston and Wrigley were a nice welcoming committe and sniffed you like crazy. Wrigley licked your face and you were startled, but didn't seem to mind. We all even took a walk around the block that day -- probably not a great idea since I had just undergone pretty major surgery two days earlier -- I was sore for a few days.

The rest of your first few weeks of life were fairly uneventful. You spent a lot of time sleeping and eating, and we all spent a lot of time getting to know each other. Daddy returned to work the Monday after you were born, so you, Winston, Wrigley and I were on our own all day. We spent most of our time outside. You LOVED to go on walks (and Winston and Wrigley did too), I needed the fresh air to keep me awake, and all four of us liked to hang out on the front porch (out of the sun, of course, because I was deathly afraid of exposing you to any rays that might burn your delicate skin). I spent many hours rocking you on the chair on that front porch, with you tucked into a tiny ball on my chest, while Winston sat next to us getting his head scratched and Wrigley chased her ball.

At night, Daddy would come home from work and take you, Winston and Wrigley for walks while I had an hour or so to myself. I will never be able to put in words how wonderful this was for all of us, and how grateful I am that I married a man like Daddy who recognized that I needed that time and was even the one to suggest it. It gave Daddy a chance to get to know you all on his own, and it gave me some time to recharge. Daddy downloaded a children's radio station on his Blackberry, so you'd listen to music and he'd watch the play-by-play of the Red Sox game on his phone, all while you took those walks. I think Winston and Wrigley really came to like you during this period because it meant more walks for them. The neighbors all got a kick out of the four of you on your little adventures.

There were times at the beginning where I thought I was slowly going insane. Finding a moment to take a shower or catch a short nap was almost non-existent for me those first few weeks, and I felt like I couldn't leave you for a second. You cried a lot because Daddy and I didn't know how to listen to what you were telling us. I'm sure we did the wrong thing much of the time, but you seem to have either forgiven us or to have forgotten about it already. I remember times during the middle of the night when you wouldn't stop crying where, although I wouldn't have given you up for the world, I found myself wishing for our old lives back. I'd cry when you were crying. I'd cry because I was exhausted and didn't know when the exhaustion would end. I longed for the days when I could curl up on the couch with Winston or sit on the front steps to throw the ball for Wrigley with Winston sitting in my lap. I missed eating dinner with Daddy and going out to grab a beer if we felt inclined to do so. I felt horribly guilty about those feelings, but have come to learn that they are normal for all new mommies. Now I can't imagine a time without you, and even if I could, I wouldn't want to go back.

Nursing you has had its ups and downs. You "had a good latch" the day you were born, and you've always had a good appetite. Some mommies say that nursing is such a bonding experience. For the first 10 weeks or so, you'd quietly eat with your eyes closed, and I never felt any particular sense of bonding. In the last two weeks though, you have started to look me in the eyes while you're eating, and it just makes my heart melt. You look so interested in the silly stories I'm telling and the horrible rendition of songs I sing (I swear, by the way, that they have changed the words to many of the children's songs since I was a kid -- your daddy and I find ourselves knowing one or two lines of the songs and then being completely baffled by how they end). Speaking of songs, Daddy loves to sing to you. If "Thunder Road" or "Please Come to Boston" are favorites of yours when you grow up, I will not be surprised.

But back to the ups and downs of nursing. There were a number of occasions where I would swear that you were trying to torture me. You would turn your head 180 degrees, all while still "latched on". I even got a few bruises (who knew that was even possible?!?!). I almost feel like I should start mammograms now because they would dull in comparison. In spite of the pain that I had to endure, I wouldn't make a contrary decision if I had to do it all over again. During the first month especially, you were so cute when you nursed. You'd make these crazy squeaking noises while you were eating. Sometimes you'd squeak so loudly that Daddy would ask if there was something wrong. It was hilarious. And I loved having an excuse to hold you in my arms when no one else could make a claim to you. That said, however, there were certain nights when I would be exhausted when you'd wake up at 2:00 a.m. and want to be fed and I'd look over at your daddy who was peacefully sleeping next to me with Wrigley at his feet and Winston draped over his head on the pillows and I'd almost hate him for looking so content when I had to drag myself out of bed, feed you, and then try to get you to go back to sleep, all without waking Daddy up because he had to work the next day and I knew he was exhausted. In his defense, he spent many nights (after I had turned one of the nighttime feedings over to him -- we started that when you were 3 weeks old) taking you for walks so that I could sleep. I'd hear him snapping you into your carseat, and then he'd call for the dogs, and the four of you would go trudging down the streets of Ardmore at 3:00 a.m. Daddy says it's amazing how many of our neighbors seem to be awake at that ungodly hour.

Speaking of your carseat, you have always loved it. When you were first learning how to go to sleep for long periods of time at night, we could not get you to settle down in your crib (for the record, you never did sleep in the bed with us, but you did sleep in a bassinet in our room for about 3 or 4 weeks). You would, however, fall asleep in your carseat. So we taught you to be comfortable in your crib by putting your carseat in your crib and letting you sleep that way. We're probably not going to win any "Parents of the Year" awards for that, but it worked for us. After about a week of that, you started sleeping in your crib without the carseat and you have never turned back.

Now you are a great sleeper. You almost always fall asleep in the car, even if it's a short ride. The same is true for walks. You take two or three naps every day. And even with all of that sleep, you STILL sleep about 12 hours a night (you have been doing that since you were 7-1/2 weeks old -- such a good boy -- THANK YOU!!!!). Your bedtime is 7:30 p.m., and you seem ready for it most nights. From when you first started sleeping through the night until about 10 weeks, we'd have to hold a pacifier in your mouth until you'd fall asleep. You could not settle yourself down, even though we all knew you were tired. It was pretty funny putting you to sleep this way -- you'd suck on your pacifier with gusto at first with your arms held up in anger at your chest, and then you'd start sucking a little less, and then your arms would s-l-o-w-l-y start to slip down so that your hands would hit the mattress at the sides of your head (almost as if you were giving the "fieldgoal" sign that football referees use). But when your hands would actually hit the mattress, you'd startle yourself, start crying and then the whole process of drifting off to sleep would start all over again. After about five or six cycles, you'd drift off to sleep for good. Then we'd wake you up at 10:00 p.m. for your last feeding of the night (we got smart and started giving you formula for this feeding because it takes longer for your little body to digest, and therefore gives Mommy and Daddy a longer period of uninterrupted sleep). You'd pretty much eat this meal in your sleep (LOTS of funny squeaking noises during this -- much like when you were nursing in your early days), and then we'd put you back in your crib and you'd fall right back to sleep. When you were about 10 weeks old, you got very good at sucking on your thumb and your fingers. Now that you know this trick, and that sucking on your hands in general makes you feel better, we just plop you down in your crib after you eat at 7:30 p.m. and you will contentedly fall asleep all on your own about 5 or 6 nights a week (the other night or two, you seem to just want to hang out with us for a little while longer, and will then go to sleep happily after we play for another 15-20 minutes). There have been many nights after we've shut your bedroom door and are out watching t.v. in the family room next to your nursery that we've thought you were asleep until we heard a very loud slurping sound. We can just picture you in there slurping on your hands, and always have a good laugh. I will never grow tired of that sound. Until you started "school", you'd sleep until 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. (we even found ourselves wishing a time or two on the weekends that you'd just wake up so that we could go for our morning walk to Starbucks and Miller Park). Now that "school" has started, you usually wake up between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m.

You are at your funniest in the mornings. You don't wake up crying like some babies. Nope, not you. Instead, we wake up because we hear you talking. I don't know if you're talking to yourself or if you're talking to "Wally" (the Red Sox mascot who is on the mobile above your bed) or if you're talking to someone else that we can't see, but it is just so darn cute. I love waking up to that sound in the mornings. It is a surefire way to start the day in a good mood. When we come in to get you out of your crib, you are pretty much always tipped over on your side sucking your thumb. And when you see us for the first time in the morning, you always flash one of your great big gummy smiles. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it. After you've had a great big breakfast (I let you nurse extra long in the mornings now that I've gone back to work so that I get a few extra minutes of special time with you), I take you to go get changed. Although you hated to get changed when you were first born (you'd cry the whole time -- maybe you were cold), you love it now. You smile and coo and kick your feet and wiggle all around. It is one of the highlights of my day.

One of my other favorite things about this early period in your life was picking you up. I still can picture in my mind (although you rarely do it now) how you looked when we'd pick you up after a nap (whether it be a nap in someone's arms, on Grandpa Jim's chest, in your swing, in your carseat -- anywhere). You would still be all tucked together with your little legs pressed up to your chest and you'd point your head up to the sky and stick your lips out almost like you were trying to touch them to your nose. I tried countless times to capture it on film, but never could. I hope I never forget what it looks like.

You are now three months old, and today is one of the most difficult of my adult life. Daddy and I both dropped you off at school together this morning. Neither of us wanted to leave you. I cried so hard. But not you. Nope, you were a big, brave boy and didn't even flinch. You were strong when I couldn't be, and I am forever grateful to you for that. I'm pretty sure that if you'd cried, we wouldn't have been able to leave you there. And we know that having you there is good for all of us. You will make friends, you will learn to be independent of us, you will learn things from your teachers and the other kids that we could never teach you. And Daddy and I will work hard all day, and have adult conversations, and think hard, and show you what it means to have to work for the things you want, and we'll all be the better for it. But we will miss you. We will miss you so much during those long days. But you know what, I bet we will all love every single second that we get to spend together at night and on the weekends, and that in itself is as special as these 12 weeks I've gotten to spend getting to know you and spend time with you have been.

I am so proud of you, and Daddy and I love you so much. Be good at school, be kind to your teachers, and be safe. See you in 9 hours, my little man.

Love,
Mommy

At last...

The Little Man has finally arrived!!! Riley Shailer Otis was born on Thursday May 28, 2009 at 5:39 a.m. at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We could not be more thrilled. Little Riley weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces when he was born and measured in at 23 inches in length (since I had never heard of a baby who was more than 21 inches at birth, I looked up what percentile 23 inches is in, and it turns out that he's in the 97th percentile for height -- even the doctors and nurses commented upon his unusual length, mostly because neither Casey nor I are particularly tall).

As suspected, Riley did turn out to be on his own schedule. We went to my OB on May 26th and were told that I still had made no further progress. An ultrasound was done to determine how Riley was faring and how much amniotic fluid was surrounding him, and although the tests revealed a perfectly happy baby and plenty of fluid, it was still determined that I should be induced since he was over a week late at this point (they don't like you to go much past 41 weeks). We were asked to report to the hospital at 9:00 the next morning to begin the induction.

Casey and I left the OB's office and immediately headed out to dinner. No surprise that we had Mexican food, after all, we were still trying to have the baby without induction and Mexican food is one of the old wive's tales. We spent dinner talking about how crazy it was that we'd be parents the next day (oh, how little did we know...). After dinner we called our families to let them know the news. I doubt any of us slept well that night.

The induction began at 10:45 a.m. on May 27th. I waited until about 5 p.m. to get the epidural (no, I'm not one of those crazy souls who wants a totally natural childbirth experience - more power to those people!!!). Around 10 or 11 p.m. I was finally able to convince the anesthesiologists that the epidural did not take on my left side (apparently because my self-ranked pain threshhold was "at a five" and should've been much higher, they didn't really believe me when I kept complaining that my lower back on the left side was killing me each time I had a contraction -- as it turns out, I just have a really high pain tolerance). So the epidural was re-done. A little after midnight the doctor finally determined that I was 10 cm dilated and 100% effaced and could start pushing. And so the hard work began. Casey was a real trooper and a great coach. I think the whole experience must've grossed him out because he finally broke down and asked if he could turn on Sports Center so he'd have something else to focus on. :) Poor guy.

After about 2 hours of pushing, the doctor came in to evaluate my progress. After all that time, Riley had moved down about an inch. Not much progress at all. It was at this time that a c-section was first discussed. The doctor (Dr. Lewis Lipscomb, who was amazing, by the way) did some tests to evaluate Riley's condition and determined that he was doing great. So he gave me the option of pushing for another hour if I wanted. If no progress had been made during that time, a c-section would be necessary. I continued to push for another 45 minutes or so, was re-evaluated by the nurse, and really had made no additional progress. Because my epidural was wearing off some at this point (you have to constantly push a "refresh" button to make it work to its full capacity, but they don't want you pushing the button while you are actually pushing, so it was no longer at full capacity), I was in excruciating pain. I remember turning to Casey and asking him if he cared if we moved forward with the c-section. Of course he didn't. He said he wanted what was best for Riley and me (have I mentioned how wonderful he is). So we called in the doctor and moved forward with the c-section.

At this point, my memory of things becomes a bit hazy. I remember receiving additional drugs through the epidural site. I remember having to drink some awful tasting liquid that was supposed to help eliminate acid reflux during the c-section. I remember throwing up the awful tasting liquid in a bed pan because it was the only thing anyone could find (so much for trying to keep me from getting sick). I remember Casey in the ridiculous white jumpsuit they made him wear into the operating room (the thing had a collar -- why???). I remember them making Casey wait in the hallway while they prepped me for surgery and him telling me that he loved me and Riley before I was wheeled away. I remember hating the fact that I had to leave him, even if it was just for a short time. I remember that there were a ton of doctors and nurses and people from NICU in the operating room. I remember them putting a curtain up so that I didn't have to watch the surgery. I remember not feeling any pain, but being able to feel them tugging on my abdomen during the surgery (yes, they make you stay awake during it). I remember the doctor saying that I had "rockin' abs" (Casey and I were so proud -- I was amazed that I still had abs after not seeing them for so many months!!!). I remember the doctor telling Casey that he should stand up so he could see Riley's entry into the world. To his credit, he stood up, but I think he was quite relieved that all he could see was the doctor's back. I remember Casey telling me that Riley had been born, and I remember asking him if he was sure because I couldn't hear him crying. I remembered being panicked because I couldn't hear him crying. I remember the doctor explaining that Riley was fine, but that he wasn't crying because babies born via c-sectioned have to be suctioned out when they are born (I am hazy on this, but I think it's because they aren't squeezed through the birth canal). I remember Casey going to look at Riley and him coming back and telling me he was beautiful. I remember Casey crying and thinking that it was awesome to see him crying. I remember someone (Casey???) telling me that they had to take Riley to the NICU for 4 hours as a precaution because he has swallowed some meconium (sp???). I remember someone either bringing Riley to me for me to hold him or at least look at him (can't remember if they actually let me hold him). And that's all I remember until I woke up in the recovery room extremely out of it.

A few hours later, we were moved to a "regular" room and shortly thereafter, Riley was released from the NICU. He went to the regular nursery first to be weighed and have some tests done, and finally he was delivered to us. I was in much less of a drug-induced fog at this point, and it was truly one of the most amazing moments of my life.

And so begins the Life of Riley.

Little Reader

Casey and I both absolutely love to read, and are hoping this will carry over to Riley. In lieu of cards, the guests at our baby showers were asked to pick out a book for Riley. I think he's got a good start on his library.

Riley's Wardrobe

Believe it or not, the clothes in these pictures are ONLY size 0-3 months. How lucky is he?!?! We love hand-me-downs!!!

Nursery

Here are a few pictures of the nursery. I can't believe I have neglected to post any thus far.

Note giraffe rug on floor. Winston and Wrigley LOVE this rug. Every day when we get home from work, it is all askew. I have caught Wrigley all snuggled up in it once or twice, but unfortunately when I leave the room to retrieve the camera, she gets up to follow me. Winston just loves to roll on it.

Still waiting...

Apparently Riley is on his own schedule. Either that, or he's holding out so that we can enjoy one last long weekend as a family of four. Maybe he wants to wait and meet Mommy and Daddy until after they've had one weekend at the pool and have some hint of a suntan. Or he could be waiting until next Thursday so that he can share a birthday with his Mommy and his Aunt Madeline. We will probably never know his reason, but we sure do wish he'd arrive!!!

In the meantime, we are eating spicy food, taking long walks, shopping for long periods of time, driving over speed bumps at obnoxious speeds, etc. You would be amazed at some of the things people have suggested. I had to draw the line at Castrol oil.

I think even the dogs are ready. Both Winston and Wrigley have been resting their heads on my belly with increased frequency. Winston has also tried sitting on the top of my "baby bump" -- I think he is trying to push Riley down himself. They are enjoying the extra walks immensely, so I suspect they'd be OK with Riley continuing to take his time.

Big Papi hit his first home run of the season last night (after a very long slump). We thought that was a sign. Guess not.

Riley's Due Date

I know, I know, these photos are truly hideous. But at the insistance of my mom, I have added them anyway. I swear this dress is somewhat flattering in person (well, as flattering as something can be at this point).

We are so anxious for Riley's arrival, but it does not appear likely that he will actually be born on his due date. Our visit to the doctor yesterday revealed that I am no further dilated or effaced than I was last week (still 1 cm dilated and 40% effaced). I am having contractions now, but they are still quite irregular and still not too strong.

We hope he will arrive soon!!!

38 Weeks

Well, I have tried to avoid putting any recent pictures on here. Suffice it to say that I do not feel like one of those cute "glowing" pregnant ladies, but more like an elephant with sausages for hands and feet. However, as a Mother's Day treat to my mom who keeps requesting a current picture (after all, she has not seen me since early March), I am posting these photos taken today.

Have I mentioned that I am SO ready for this baby to be here?!?!

Coincidence???

Many of you may have heard of the poem "Casey at the Bat". Casey has always enjoyed the story of Casey. I wonder why...

For whatever reason, Casey was looking for the poem on-line today, and came across Casey's story from the pitcher's perspective. I will include the pitcher's poem below. Does anyone else find the pitcher's name to be an incredible coincidence? We were very excited about this discovery...

Riley On The Mound
by Foster Brooks - 1978

If I were to say to you
That Riley was me name
I expect that you might say,
So what’s your claim to fame?…

I don’t suppose you’ve heard of me
Their ain’t much doubt about that
But I’m the guy who made ‘em write
“Casey At The Bat”…

I was on the mound that day
When Casey met his doom
I turned a very happy town
Into a state of gloom…

I’d heard about this guy a lot
A “hero” in Mudville town
And I decided right then and there
To make that bum a clown…

I remember the big game very well
We were leadin’ four to two
Git ‘em out just one more time
Was all I had to do …

Cooney was the first man up
And tried to start some trouble
When he lined a single to deep right field
But we nipped his stretch for a double …

Burrows was next in the batter’s box
And drove one clear to the wall
He stumbled as he turned first base
And we beat ‘im to second with the ball …

Two men out – Flynn was at bat
And he was about their worst
But I must’ve eased up ‘cause he caught one
And wound up standin’ on first …

Blakey came up and belted one
I got a little careless I reckon
Flynn was safe then on a slide to third
As Blakey pulled in at second

The roar that went up from the grandstand
Could be heard for twenty miles
Five thousand fans goin’ stark ravin’ mad
Their faces all covered with smiles

I knowed what it was that set ‘em off
Their “Hero” was comin’ to bat – ha ha ha
Ol’ “Mighty Casey” was strollin’ to the plate
But I could take care of that …

He wouldn’t get lucky like Blakey and Flynn
On him I’d really bear down
Like I said before – I’m the guy
Swore to make the bum a clown

He tipped his cap and waved his hand
And that made the fans more wild
But it didn’t bother me one little bit
I just stood there and smiled …

He’d been on twice on two bad calls
And once on a very close play
But here – it was time to go to work
And put this joker away …

I put me fast one just inside
And Casey let it go by
“Strike One!” the umpire screamed
And Casey didn’t bat an eye …

Some of the fans started for the field
But stopped when Casey raised his hand
And I’ve always thought – if he hadn’t done that
They might’ve torn down the bloomin’ stand …

When the umpire called the next one a strike
I thought they’d chase ‘im out of town
And it looked as though they might’ve too
If “Ol’ Case” hadn’t calmed ‘em down …

The pressure was getting’ to us both by now
I pulled me belt up a hitch
And let one go that had to be
Me number one “Sunday Pitch” …

Casey swung with all his might
He gave it all he had
And even though I struck ‘im out
I couldn’t help feelin’ sad …

Sure, we won the pennant
But when I looked at the crowd
They all turned their backs on the “Great Casey”
As he walked away head bowed …

Now - All this took place many years ago
And ever since then we’ve read
About poor ol’ Casey strikin’ out
It should’ve been about me instead

So when you guys are sittin’ around
Jawin’ about our favorite game
Remember Casey if you want
But it was Riley put ‘im to shame

As so it begins that our son will most likely put both of us to shame...

Easter

A picture of me with my first babies on an Easter Sunday trip to the park near our house.

Only about a month to go. We are getting so excited (well, at least Casey and I are -- not sure if the dogs are ready to share us).

No, Nothing's Wrong

A good friend of mine from high school sent me an email today inquiring whether everything was alright since she hadn't heard from me in awhile and since I hadn't updated the blog in months. Given what happened during our first pregnancy, it was a very reasonable question. Frankly, I had not even considered that my lack of presence on the blog would cause alarm. It was the subtle nudge I needed to get me back to my role as the documentarian of Riley's entry into the world.

I am happy to report that everything is going absolutely fine. So well, in fact, that there really hasn't been anything noteworthy to share on the blog (hence my hiatus).

In reflecting on the past few months, however, it turns out that there have been lots of noteworthy things going on, so I will try to update you as best I can from memory.

On Registering:

Registering, for me at least, was not nearly as fun as registering for our wedding shower. At least when registering for weddings, you get to choose things that you want and that you know something about. Not true with baby items. Now, don't get me wrong, Day 1 of registering was quite fun. We have a cute little boutique baby store in Winston-Salem called Rolly's, and they have darling items. Even I can recognize cute hooded towels, bibs, onesies, gowns (although I didn't realize early on that gowns were acceptable for boys), Little Giraffe blankets, stuffed animals, burp cloths, etc. They also carry wonderful furniture (both our rocker/ottoman set and our crib came from there) and high end strollers (we were suckers for the "perfect" jogging stroller that could also multi-task for everyday use -- a BOB for anyone that is in the market). Casey came along for this registration and at least didn't hate the experience. It probably doesn't hurt that the owner of the store is a Florida Gators fan and can keep Casey occupied with football talk.

Day 2 of registering was not nearly as fun. Fortunately, my friend Kristen (who was a very new mother at the time, and who had researched products endlessly when she was pregnant with her daughter) was kind enough to come with me to help me register. Casey pretty much refuses to step foot in Babies R Us. I'm with him, it's pretty scary to me too!!! Anyway, Kristen suffered through 2 or 3 long hours with me at BRU as I struggled with choosing the proper bottle (there have to be about 50 brands, all of which seemed exactly the same to me), the best breast pump and accessories (as if shopping for a breast pump is the slightest bit fun anyway), sheets, washcloths, pack-n-plays, sleep sacks, bath toys, etc. None of the "fun" items. Her expertise was an enormous help and I NEVER would've made it through the experience without her help. Without her, poor Riley would have absolutely nothing practical.

My advice when registering: take a girlfriend or two who already have children and know what you need. Without your friends, you will never make it through Babies R Us. Trust me, it is overwhelming. You cannot do it alone (even equipped with the most recent version of Baby Bargains), and your husband will never forgive you if you make him come along.

On Baby Showers:

We have been blessed with two wonderful baby showers and one luncheon in honor of Riley's arrival.

The first baby shower was thrown by my sister and my mom at my sister's house in Aurora, Illinois. Leave it to my sister to think of every detail. From the party favors (adorable packets of hot cocoa powder and marshmellows that their entire family, including Ed and Cody, assembled together -- how cute is that???), to a precious diaper cake, to a delicious and cute cake with a baby on a leaf made out of frosting, to matching plates, cups, balloons, etc., to amazing homemade food (some quiche made by my mom), to a chocolate fountain (OMG, yum!!!)... I could go on and on. In attendence were mostly my relatives, friends of my mom, a friend of my sister's from high school, and one of my friends from high school. Casey's mom and sister also traveled in for the event (did I mention that it was a horribly stormy day and that many of the attendees had to dodge tornadoes and flooded roads to get to the shower???). Amazingly enough, every single one of our gifts fit into our car/car top carrier and made it through the 11 hour drive back to our house in one piece. Amazing!!!

The second shower was a couples shower back here at home. The shower was thrown by friends of ours, namely Matt & Meredith Masten (they were generous enough to offer up their house for the festivities), Jeff & Kristen Katula, Tim Nerhood & Bree Hendrick, Chris Chamy & Rachel Rose, Jon & Amanda Palmieri and Jason & Kristen Nardone. In attendence were friends of ours, almost everyone from our office and some clients. A very fun and interesting mix of people. We were amazed that some of them stayed for over 5 hours (you should've seen my ankles by the end of the night -- for some reason I decided to wear heels to the event). Many of the attendees had never been to a couples shower before, and I think many of the husbands were actually surprised to find that they were enjoying themselves (I think the Foothills beer and wine helped immensely in this department). This shower was also amazingly well done. The invitations were Red Sox and Cubs themed, and wondered which team Riley would prefer. Kristen K., Rachel and Bree assembled them, and in spite of the fact that a number of bottles of wine were consumed during the assembly process, the invitations were absolutely precious. The decorations and food at the shower also followed the Red Sox v. Cubs theme. There were Red Sox blankets, books, diaper cakes, etc. The same with the Cubs. The really clever part was that the food consisted of baseball themed items (hot dogs, cracker jacks, hot pretzels, etc.) accompanied by Boston Baked Beans, condiments flown down from Chicago, etc. And then there were really cute party favors which consisted of red and blue chocolates with Riley's initials on them and an adorable poem about Riley.

Finally, the wives of the partners at our law firm (Jane Hendrick, Beth Bryant and Bree Hendrick) threw a luncheon at Forsyth County Club in honor of Riley and me. It was a perfect, low-key event attended by 8 of my closest friends in Winston-Salem. Delicious food, beautiful flowers, and LOTS of talk about pregnancy, babies, labor, delivery, raising children, injuries, etc. More importantly, lots of laughs. Oh, and since I was with all of the partners' wives and they insisted that I should pamper myself for a day and not return to work, I also got the afternoon off. After all, it was the partners' wives ordering me, right???

Casey and I were both so incredibly touched by the generousity of our hosts and guests. I cannot even begin to express how much we appreciated absolutely everything. If Riley is surrounded by people like this in life, we will know he is truly one of the lucky ones.

Oh, and did I mention that he got AWESOME stuff?!?!

On Winston's Surgery and My Emotional Response:

Most of you know how special my boy Winston is. If you've ever met him, you just know that there's something exceptional about him. Or maybe it's his sad eyes. Whatever it is, I am clearly totally devoted to him. During my third trimester, we discovered that Winston had torn his ACL and required extensive knee surgery. Now, of course, any surgery is scary, but the news of his surgery almost sent me over the edge. I would like to blame my frail emotional state for my reaction. As the specialist (yes, I said specialist, which you would be right in thinking means an insane amount of money was spent) was describing the surgery to us, and potential problems, it was like someone had turned a faucet on in my eyes. I absolutely could not stop crying. Fortunately, the specialist herself was about 8 and 1/2 months pregnant at the time, so she understood my complete overreaction.

We were able to take Winston home for the night after the determination had been made that he would undergo the surgery. I spent the entire night on the floor with Winston telling him that he absolutely could not die because he was going to make an amazing brother to Riley and I just didn't think it would be fair to Riley if he never got to be friends with Winston. Poor dog was probably totally traumatized by the time we dropped him off for surgery.

The next morning Casey and I dropped him off at the surgeon's office together. Casey had to be at a hearing that morning, so he left me there to fill out the paperwork. Little did either of us know that that left me to read over a form describing when and how they might have to resuscitate him, and they actually required me to make a decision on this (I swear one of the options was whether or not I wanted them to break open his chest bones and rib cage in order to get his heart beating again if it stopped). This was truly more than I could handle. The poor receptionist had to look on while I was filling out this dreadful form. I'm sorry, but no one should have to make decisions like that, and certainly not someone who is almost 8 months pregnant.

Now, I know this was a very trying experience for Casey and me, but as it turns out, Wrigley was probably the most traumatized. Our cleaning lady happened to be cleaning our house the day of Winston's surgery and she said that Wrigley cried almost the entire day. Isn't that heartbreaking? And Wrigley is not usually one to show her emotions. Or care about anything besides her ball, really...

We had to wait an agonizing 8 or 9 hours before we heard from the specialist, but fortunately Winston did come through surgery just fine. We were able to pick him up the next day. When we picked him up, he was totally out of it (the drugs). We expected him to be back to his usual self quickly, but the first night he was home he wimpered all night (this coming from a dog who doesn't even make a sound if you step on him and who didn't seem to be in much pain after his two ear surgeries). It was truly awful. I thought it was just because he had to sleep in his crate instead of being in the bed with us as usual. The next day he was no better. By the time we had hit the 24-hour mark and he hadn't gone to the bathroom or had a bite to eat, Casey and I were both pretty much frantic. I was convinced he was going to die and spent the majority of the day sobbing. To his credit, Casey was very calm and thankfully was able to keep me from completely falling apart. He is so good at that. He was the same way during the miscarriage (for which I am forever grateful), although I know inside he was hurting on both occasions just as much as I was.

As it turns out, Winston was having a bad reaction to the medicine. Once we figured that out and it had time to work itself out of his system, he was pretty much back to his old self, except with 1/4 of his body shaved and no ability to put any sort of pressure on his leg for about a week. It was really sad to see him hobbling around. Slowly but surely, however, he started to regain strenght in his leg (did I mention that we had to do physical therapy 3 times a day and that at 8 months pregnant I spent every single night watching t.v. with him on our hardwood floors so that he wouldn't feel left out -- he was not allowed on furniture during this time -- eventually I was smart enough to remove the cushions from a couch in a different room and spread them all over the floor so we could have a "picnic" and be at least somewhat comfortable). Before long, he was able to sit with me on the front porch while Casey and Wrigley went for the daily walk. Now he has no limp at all, can go on long walks again, and hopefully soon will be able to resume going for the runs that he loves so much. Just in time for me to start running too.

Winston's surgery and recovery were a difficult time for us. A lot of worry. A lot of work. A whole lot of tears on my part. But it was also good preparation for parenthood.

On My Expanding Girth:

I'm sorry, but these women that love being pregnant and gaining a lot of weight are crazy if you ask me. There is nothing fun to me about blowing up like a balloon. In early pregnancy, I was well behind in the weight gain department. That is no longer the case. It looks like I'm right on track to gain about 35 pounds, which is the high end of the recommended weight gain range.

I will admit that at first I thought it was kind of fun to take pictures of my cute little expanding belly. In those days, it was truly just a baby bump. Now everything about me is gigantic. My arms, my legs, my face, my backside, my belly... the list goes on. When people request pictures now, it feels like they are trying to torture me.

But gaining weight itself is nothing compared to the things that accompany it. For example, a full night's sleep is no longer possible, and not just because I have to get up to use the bathroom a time or two. Doctors recommend that you sleep on your side after a certain point. Well, when you have the extra weight on you, your arms tend to fall asleep when you sleep on your side. Normally, you'd just roll over in your sleep. That is no longer possible. Rolling over is at least a five minute process in itself. You can't simply flip over because your stomach impedes your progress. So you have to lift yourself up before you can even start to roll. This requires thought and expertise, and is difficult to master at first. And because thought is involved, you can't do it while asleep. Once you wake up to roll yourself over, there's no chance of falling back to sleep quickly. An evaluation of what's going on while you are awake happens naturally (is the baby moving, am I in pre-term labor, has my water broken, what will I do if I'm in labor, the baby isn't moving does that mean something's wrong...). You are lucky to get back to sleep within an hour. I usually resort to just getting up and satisfying my nesting instinct while Casey is still asleep and cannot give me that look that shows me he knows I'm slowly losing my sanity.

The extra weight has the additional disadvantage of making you feel totally out of shape at all times. There are times when I'm sitting still and get totally out of breath. For someone who is athletic, this is truly an embarrassing feeling. I also get out of breath while walking the dogs (and Winston is a particularly slow walker during the spring because there are so many delicious things for him to smell), bending over to tie my shoes, eating, etc. It is almost more than I can take.

And then there's the issue of swelling. I believe this is a result of all the water I'm retaining. I don't really care what causes it, it is no fun at all. I haven't seen my ankle bones in weeks. I have resorted to wearing nothing but flip flops to work (you should've seen me trying to cram my feet into heels -- it was comical -- even my male bosses recognized that I should not be doing that anymore). And, the saddest thing of all for me, I had to remove my engagement and wedding rings which I treasure more than pretty much any other of my wordly possessions (dogs and people excluded, although I'm not sure they qualify as "possessions" anyway).

On Casey:

I have to admit, Casey has been nothing short of wonderful throughout this pregnancy. I can't remember the last time I made a meal, washed a dish, loaded the dishwasher or lifted something that weighs more than about 5 pounds (at least when he was around -- I can't promise that when no one was looking I haven't lifted furniture in the nursery when it just wasn't quite perfectly positioned -- I blame nesting). Not only that, but he has tolerated my occassional crankiness, my random crying and my almost permanent state of exhaustion. And not only has he tolerated it, but he's actually been understanding about it. I won't say that he hasn't made fun of me or looked at me like I was 100% crazy a time or two, but still, he's been wonderful. I suspect that not everyone is as lucky as I am where this is concerned. I am not sure how those poor women make it through these nine (ten) months. By the way, you probably should not mention to Casey how wonderful I think he is or how lucky I feel to have him in my life. It's pretty awesome when you marry your best friend.

What's in a name...

Naming a child, so it turns out, is pretty complicated. The process of picking a name has really been going on since the idea of possibly trying to get pregnant came onto our radar. Well, for me anyway. When we'd take a long trip in the car, I'd look at highway signs, names of towns, names of streets, etc. and if something struck me as being a good name, I'd send myself an email and save it for my ever-expanding list of names. I also have the luxury of coming across many names in my job. I sometimes conduct title searches which require examining public records over a period of about 60 years or so. You end up seeing some pretty unusual names in this process. I'd even pay attention to names I came across in catalogs, magazines, books, etc. Every name I found that I thought might be acceptable one day would be emailed to myself. I can tell you, I have compiled quite a list over the past year or so. An untraditional approach, perhaps, but it was a start.

Finding the "perfect" name is more complicated, as it turns out, than just finding names that you like. Particularly if you are like us and think that keeping family names going is a neat thing to do. This became particularly complicated because, as some of you know, Casey's name is a shortened version of Kenneth Corman Otis, III. So we have been struggling with whether or not to add a Kenneth Corman Otis, IV to the world. I think this has been a real burden on Casey who admires his father more than I can possibly articulate in this blog. I decided to leave this delicate subject in Casey's hands. He grappled with it for a number of weeks, but after talking to his dad, who was very gracious on the topic, he felt comfortable making the decision not to name the baby KCO IV.

After this decision had been made, out came my list of names. There were some that Casey did not like, there were some that he did, and there were some names that he liked that had not made my list that were added. And that's how we came to find ourselves with a short list of names.

I swear it was unintentional (at least on my part), but it turns out that we have chosen a name that will result in his initials being R.S. I decided to tease my parents and my sister with the initials, so I sent the initials to them. It was pretty funny getting back various guesses from them. My sister was the first to point out that R.S. could stand for Red Sox. This had never occurred to me, but once she pointed that out, I was pretty sure that my darling husband had scammed me into thinking that I was a part of the naming rights, but that he really had planned to get the Boston Red Sox into the name somehow, even if I would not agree to name him Boston. He's smarter than I give him credit for, and trust me, I think he's pretty darn smart already!!!

And so it has been settled that our first son will be named Riley Shailer Otis.

Riley is not a name that has any special family significance. It's simply a name that both Casey and I really liked. Truth be told, although I have heard the name many times and have always liked it, it made my list after I came across it in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. It is also the first name of the starting quarterback at Wake Forest (Riley Skinner), who coincidentally went to Casey's high school (the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida), so we feel like that means he is somehow destined to be not only a great athlete, but a smart guy as well.

Shailer is a family name from Casey's side. Shailer is Casey's late great uncle who he admired enormously (Shailer and his wife Kay are also the people who taught Casey how to golf). I never had the privelege of meeting Shailer, but I understand he was a really neat man. The two stories that I have repeatedly heard about him are that (1) he was on the ski patrol during World War II and (2) he would "open the season" at Drakes Island every summer by playing the bugle.

We have also been told by Shailer's wife that Shailer was given his name because his grandfather (I think) wanted the Shailer name (which originally was a last name) to be carried on. As an incentive, he offered $100 to each of his children that named their child Shailer ($100, at the time, was a very significant amount of money -- I think Casey said he calculated it and it was equivalent to about $20,000 in current money). I believe there were 3 or 4 Shailers in the family...

24 Weeks and Counting

Today we had our 24 week check up. Everything seems to be going fine. Had another ultrasound and the poor baby was entirely folded in half with his knees in his face and his little feet all the way behind his head. We found it very funny, but it cannot be comfortable. Did not make for very good pictures either!!!

In the line of developments, the baby now weighs in at 1 lb. 7 oz. The ultrasound tech says this puts him in the 51st percentile. Hopefully this means we will not have a gigantic baby on our hands come delivery time!!!

I also seem to be growing at an alarming pace (my words, not the doctor's). I have now gained 17.5 lbs. See pictures for what this looks like on my short frame.

On Nesting

I have heard of the "nesting" instinct that seems to afflict many pregnant women, but until today, I sort of thought it was a myth. Well, I can tell you firsthand that this is no myth. It's reality...

It started out innocently enough. I set out to change the sheets on our bed. When I walked into our bedroom with the sheets, I noticed that a drawer on Casey's nightstand was sticking out a little bit. I silently cursed him for not closing it all the way and attempted to close it myself, only to find that it would not close all the way. I determined that something was stuck behind the drawer and tried to reach in with my hand to pull the mystery item out. No luck. So I improvised and grabbed a wire hanger and tried to fish the item out. Success!!!

Or so I thought until I attempted to close the drawer. Still wouldn't shut all the way. Back in went the wire hanger. Out came another item. And on and on it went until Casey came into the room, asked what on earth I was doing, and proceeded to move the nightstand onto the bed for a better look. Ten minutes later, after Casey pulled item after item out from behind the drawer by hand, we (well, Casey, actually) finally figured that the drawer could be removed from the nightstand. The remainer of the "stuck" items were removed with ease, and the drawer now shuts.

Problem was that because Casey moved the nightstand onto the bed to investigate the problem, it was no longer in its usual place on the floor and we discovered how disgusting it was behind and underneath the nightstand. We found a remote control that I'd accused Casey of throwing away 6 months ago, a few of Wrigley's tennis balls, a cup, and a whole lot of fur and dust. So I grabbed the vacuum to take care of the mess. After that area was all cleaned out, I noticed how disgusting it also was behind the bed. I blame the dogs. More vacuuming. Then I decided it must be equally dirty underneath the bed. More vacuuming. And then I realized the blinds behind our bed were also dusty. More vacuuming. This led me to notice that the other blinds in the bedroom were also dusty. More vacuuming. And while I was vacuuming those blinds, I noticed that the window sills were dirty. More vacuuming. And then I noticed how dirty the ceiling fan was. More vacuuming. It got so bad that I can honestly say that I vacuumed all four walls in our bedroom. You heard me right, I vacuumed the walls.

This whole process took about four hours. I was exhausted. And guess what?!? The sheets never did get changed...

No wonder our husbands think we're crazy.

Movin' and a Shakin'

Two significant developments today: (1) Casey was able to feel the baby kicking for the first time, helping him, I think, feel a little more connected to the little guy. Up until now, he had only heard of the alleged kicking. It is a whole different thing indeed to be able to feel it. (2) I was able to see the baby kicking. It was both a thrill and a cause for me to feel squeamish, all at once. There is something really creepy about seeing your stomach move and shake when you are lying totally still.

In other developments, we are starting to prepare for the arrival of our little guy. Registries have been started, nursery furniture has been picked out (although not ordered), and we are now the proud owners of a car top carrier. And, of course, my stomach continues to grow. Much to my dismay, I found this week that I am no longer able to wear "normal" (non-maternity) clothes. Time is flying by!!!

Back to the doctor next Wednesday for another check up and our fourth ultrasound. We can't wait to see the little guy!!! I, however, could do without the dreaded weigh-in...

A Stranger's Inquiry

Well, today marks the first day of what must be the noticeable weight gain phase of my pregnancy. This morning, I had a stranger ask me for the first time when I am due. Now, I will be honest, unlike the last time a stranger asked me when I was due (which, I will note, was a week before our wedding when I was about the skinniest I have ever been -- I immediately gave away the dress I was wearing that day), this time around, I felt a small amount of glee. I am happy that people can now tell that I'm pregnant, and not just getting a little clumsy around the waist. On the other hand, I had gotten a small amount of satisfaction in knowing that I was over five months pregnant and people still couldn't really be sure...