Christmas Morning 2008

Sorry that this video is a bit dark.

I finally replaced the batteries

I bought more rechargeable batteries for my camera and got some footage of Luke saying some of his favorite words.

More Videos

I know these are of little interest to anyone but me and my family, but I wanted to post them here in case the computer crashes and wipes out all my photos. I do have backups, but you can't be too safe.

2 Months and 6 Months

For Posterity

10 Months

Some Things My Seventeen Month Old Can Do

Sweep the floor
Use a fork and spoon
Put on his own flip flops
Flush the toilet
Open drawers
Turn on the printer
Change the settings on a clock
Turn on a flashlight
Open the fridge
Paint with watercolors
Climb into chairs
Open and close doors
Follow commands "Go get your _____"
Switch on lamps
Ask for a pop'ple (Lime Floes from Trader Joe's)
Spin around until dizzy
Sit on his potty and flip through a magazine

These are just a few things that he's done so far today. I'm constantly amazed by his desire to do everything Zach and I do.

Vacation Photos

Camping in Saugerties/Woodstock, NY
August 1, 2008
Willow Street, PA
Fire Truck/Police Demo at the fairgrounds
Luke made his debut on the local news. He appeared for about 6 seconds in a story about this event.

Hindu Wedding

A little over a week ago we attended a Hindu wedding in northern New Jersey. My friend Liz married a man whose family is originally from India. They had a Christian wedding over a year ago, and then his family threw a Hindu wedding for them. I felt honored to be a bridesmaid in both of her weddings. Hindu weddings traditionally don't have bridesmaids, but Liz's mother-in-law suggested we all take part in this wedding as well. I wish I could elaborate on the ceremony, but since I was chasing Luke around most of the night, I really can't because I'm not sure what happened.

The ceremony took place while people were milling about and eating appetizers. This was great because I could 1) eat and 2) not worry about keeping Luke really quiet while during the ceremony. Everything was beautiful and the food was phenomenal, although a little too spicy for Luke. I walked next door to an Indian market dressed in my sari with Luke. I definitely elicited some intriguing stares as a caucasian woman dressed in fancy, traditional Indian clothing. One woman stopped me to ask if I knew how to tie the sari. Apparently she was impressed with the job that Liz's mother-in-law did. I told her I didn't, and that I was at a wedding next door and looking for something my son could eat. She smiled and pointed toward some biscuits that her son likes. I bought them, along with an orange and some yellow raisins, and walked back to the wedding. Dinner wasn't to be served until 9 p.m. Around 8:30 I tied Luke to my back in a wrap where he slept until we left around 10:00. We had a great, mini-family vacation. Luke's favorite part of the whole trip was the hotel room, where he got to play with the phone and bounce on the bed. We're going camping for a night this weekend on our way down to PA to visit family. I hope Luke likes camping.

Singing Beach

This beach is located in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. We've heard that when it's hot and humid enough, the sand sings. We didn't hear it, but we hope to go back soon.

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Enjoying the Present

What's for Dinner?

A 23 pound turkey. I turned around to wash a pan, and when I turned back, this is where I found Luke.

Here is a picture of me and my new hairdo. It's a bit windblown and unstyled, but it's easy and I like it.

Earning his Keep

Twelve Months and One Week

So it's been a year and a week since Zach and I became parents, and, for good or bad, it feels like we've been doing this our whole lives. I know my mom always said that parenting comes with a big side order of guilt, and boy is she right. I also think insecurity comes along with it, too. Sometimes it's difficult to know if you're doing the right thing. I find it amazing how the shriek of a toddler can make your heart race and your adrenaline pump in the quest to find just that thing that will quiet him down. It's hard to find a balance between healthy toddler exploration and manipulation. I like to let Luke "help" me in the kitchen, but sometimes he's into things I don't want him to be into. He'll sweep the floor with his little broom and dustpan, but then he'll throw the whole dustpan away in the trash, which I don't want him to get into. I know he's imitating me, and I usually let him do it so that I can finish preparing dinner or cleaning up. I also let him rummage through all the bathroom drawers and cabinets so that I can wash up. I've removed everything that I think is a hazard. It's just so much more exciting for Luke to play with grownup stuff than with his own toys. I do draw the line at the phone (although sometimes my cell phone is the perfect bribe to get Luke to sit down in his carseat without me having to forcibly bend his legs as he screams), the computer, and the t.v. remote, to name a few. Luke knows what he wants and is very determined. I know that these are great qualities to have, but right now it's hard when there's no reasoning due to limited language ability. I use a lot of distraction and humor, and then there are those times when I'm really tired and just say no. Sometimes I wonder at the logic of my own rules, but then I remember that I'm the adult, and "because I said so" is a perfectly reasonable response. However, Luke doesn't always think so.

Happy First Birthday, Luke!

Eating Vegetable Lo Mein

Birth Story

Birth Story of Luke Everett Newell



I've been meaning to write down Luke's birth story for a while now, especially since some of the details are really getting fuzzy. It's amazing how a baby grows in the first year. I can barely remember when Luke was a newborn. I remember bits and pieces of things, like his first bath at home and how he always loved his baths and the way he beat his little fists in the air when he was mad, like an angry little bumblebee, as my mom would say. I can't remember what his newborn cry sounded like anymore. I do remember his skin sagging on his arms and legs, but that didn't last for long. He filled out quite nicely in very little time at all.
He was born on his due date, and I'm told that only 4-5% of babies come on their predicted due date. I started feeling some cramping after dinner, which consisted of a mediterranean chicken dish I had made, on the night of March 17th. It was about 6:00 p.m., and I wasn't sure if I was really feeling anything. We went for a walk around the block, because I heard that would help bring on contractions if they had already started. There was snow piled about 2 feet high from the storm the night before. We got home, and around 8:00 p.m. I started feeling more crampiness. Now I could feel it right down to my toes. We called my parents in Lancaster and told them we thought this might be it. We were living in State College, PA at the time, so it would be a 2 1/2 hour drive for them. We wanted them to make it in time for the birth, but I still wasn't sure I was having contractions. I started timing them and decided to take a bath. It was around 10:00 p.m. that I started feeling uncomfortable. I called my midwife and my parents, and told them we thought this was really it. My contractions were about 5 or 6 minutes apart by then. Zach and I laid down on the sofa bed and watched Mad TV. I couldn't sleep. Zach dozed off for a little bit. My parents and sister arrived with Zoe, our late and beloved family dog, around 1:00 a.m. I was sitting in a chair at that point and doubling over every time a contraction came. I ate a chocolate chip cookie that my father had made. We all tried to get some rest, and by 3:00 a.m. I decided it was time to go to the hospital. The car didn't turn over right away, because it was so cold outside. It was a 2 mile ride to the hospital, and so I managed to get there without any painful contractions. I was able to walk up to the maternity ward and changed and laid down in bed while the nurses asked me questions and hooked my up to the fetal monitoring device. At 3:30 my midwife checked me and told me I was at 2 cm. My contractions were about 2 minutes apart, and I was effaced and the baby was coming down nicely. She said I was ready to go at any time. So even though I was only 2 cm, they kept me. I walked the halls for a little bit with Zach and my mom. Things were speeding up quickly, and I really had to focus on breathing and moaning to make the pain bearable. I was doing very well until about 7:00 a.m. When the midwife checked my again I was about 5-6 cm. I kept thinking that I was almost past what they call the transition, and that if I could make it to 8 cm, I'd be almost there. It seemed like hours later that I was only at 7 cm. At this point, I was exhausted and in pain. I got into the shower for a little bit, but that didn't do much more than make me cold and wet. I was experiencing a sharp, lingering pain in my left side. I almost threw up a few times, and as the contractions came and went, I was still left with that searing pain in my side. The midwife feared the placenta had detached from the wall, but in the end that wasn't the case at all. There is still no explanation, except that perhaps the baby was hitting a nerve or maybe it was sheer exhaustion. I kept thinking if I could just have some ibuprofen, it might help me, but that's not what they use when you're in labor. I ended up getting an IV pain medication around 9:00 a.m. That helped for about 17 minutes. About half an hour later, I requested an epidural. I was 7 cm dilated. I felt like I wasn't managing the pain anymore, and it was getting the best of me. I wanted to be able to have enough energy to push this baby out when the time came, and I didn't foresee that happening with the amount of pain I was experiencing. I got the epidural and then slept for about 2 1/2 hours. It was so peaceful. The sun was up, and the pain was gone. Around noon the midwife said I was at 10 cm. She broke my water, and then we waited until I felt pressure and the urge to push. I started pushing. I was sitting up in bed holding onto my thighs. After about 8 pushes, the midwife said we needed to help this baby out, and she gave me an episiotomy. I didn't feel the incision being made. We kept seeing his head crowning, and Zach was so afraid that he was going to be too small. With a few more pushes, our baby emerged, big and healthy. They placed him right on my stomach, and he looked up at me. He cried out a minute later. I remember saying "Hi". Zach was crying, and I would have been too had I not been so exhausted.
He scored a 9 on his Apgar, but they couldn't get his temperature up. Eventually the nurses took him to the nursery to warm him up, and it didn't take long before his temperature rose. Luke Everett Newell arrived at 12:06 p.m. on Sunday, March 18 2007. He was 7 lbs 6 1/2 oz and 20.75 inches long.
He hasn't been out of my sight or heart since then.

Playing Chase

I don't know who loves this game more-Luke or me. They play it every night before bed.

Luke Walking

Milestones

Luke is now walking. Last night he stood up, raised his shoulders in preparation, and took 6-7 wobbly steps toward me while grinning from ear to ear. Then he lunged into my arms. I'm not surprised that he's walking. He's been trying to do it for months now. As soon as he learned how to crawl on all fours, he discovered that he could pull himself up and cruise. He's 10 months now. I am definitely a proud mama, if you couldn't already tell. He also likes to shriek when he's happy or upset. He has a few words: Mama, Dada, "Aai" (hi), and "eh-eh" (uh-oh). He loves to wave and clap.
I am tired but doing well. I've been busy going out to various play dates. At Luke's age, the play dates are more for me than him. Although he enjoys exploring the knobs, drawers, doors and curtains of other people's homes.

A New Year

Yesterday marked the 3rd anniversary of my sister Ashley's death. The only thing I could think was that I can't believe it's been three years already; I haven't talked to her in over three years. Life is so precious and so easy to take for granted. I think about how fragile our existence really is. At the same time, I still fall prey to the daily grind. I still get annoyed by little things. Most of the time I am grateful for the little annoyances, though, because it means nothing big is wrong.

We got about 6 inches of snow yesterday. When it stopped, Zach and Luke and I walked down to the coffee shop and the local bookstore. It was all very cozy. Here are two pictures of Luke doing two of his favorite things-"eating" an apple and swinging.

Batteries Not Required

We are all very excited about Luke's first Christmas. I bought him one gift, a set of wooden blocks, and Zach bought him one, a wooden puzzle. I gave him the blocks today, because I am bored with his other toys. Luke mainly likes to play with a little, red push car that he can walk behind, the muffin pan in the kitchen cabinet, and shoe laces. Luke, like all babies, doesn't discriminate between his toys and big-people stuff. I, however, am very particular about his toys. I like things like wooden blocks, stacking cups, soft baby dolls, and books. Luke has one battery operated toy, and that's a drum his cousin gave him because he loved it so much. Call me a toy snob, if you will, but I don't think Luke will feel deprived at Christmastime.