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

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

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.

Eating Broccoli

Luke really wants to do what the big people do, so that includes eating big-people food and attempting to walk. He holds onto my hands and takes steps around the living room. The only problem is that he has little to no balance. I want to place his hands on the edge of the futon so that he can "cruise" on his own, but he will fall backwards, as he has done on occasion. I feel awful when that happens.

If you look closely, you can see his two teeth in this shot.

Our Days Together

Luke turns 7 months old today.

He sleeps through the night now, and I wake up at 3:00 a.m. not knowing what to do with myself.

He has two teeth.

He likes to test his vocal chords by yelling and growling.

Sometimes he likes to eat food. Yogurt is his new favorite food. He also likes little bites of bagel with cream cheese.

He moves in a circle on his hands and knees.

He plays with his toys and waves both hands in the air. He likes to bang things together.

He gives me open-mouth kisses on my chin. Sometimes he bites down.

He loves to snuggle and hates to be left alone.

I like to sing him songs and read him stories.

I watch him sleep.

I imitate his sounds.

I talk to him all day long, so much so that my voice starts to get sore.

I play with him on the floor.

I take him swimming at the Y once a week.

We walk to the park or the beach.

When/IF he naps, I like to read my own books, cook, watch t.v. or nap right along with him.

Our days are full, and sometimes mundane, but, more often than not, interesting and bright.

Lake Winnepesauki

 

Nancy's Shower

And it was literally a shower. There were torrential downpours and flash floods, remniscent of my wedding. My mom and I drove to Downingtown from King of Prussia. When we got off Rt. 30 at the Thorndale exit, there was a creek where the road should have been. I have never experienced anything like it. I was driving, and I just drove right on through the rapids and past the driftwood and logs. First I made sure the other cars made it, then I went through. With a little perseverance, and some stupidity (I'm told you shouldn't drive through water if you can't see the road), we got back on the bypass and made it to Nancy's shower. We had a great time. It was nice seeing and meeting some of Nancy's family and friends. I look forward to the wedding. Of the dozens of pictures I blinded Nancy by taking, here are some of my favorites.






Good luck Nancy and Michael with the apt. search out in LA! I can't wait to hear all about your travels and experiences. 

Burlinton, VT/UVM/Our trip from end to beginning

Pomeroy Hall. This is where the communicative disorders dept. is located. I met with the dept. head for about an hour Monday afternoon. She was very friendly and enthusiastic, and I asked as many questions as I could think of in that hour. I enjoyed my visit, but I am still as ambivalent as before I took the trip. Zach and I have been weighing the pros and cons, and I think it will come down to us deciding how sick of State College we are.

University of Vermont




Bomoseen Golfland, near Bomoseen Lake and in the town of Bomoseen. This became the butt of a joke for at least an hour as my mom and I were driving up to Burlington. Who the hell is Bomo? What else did Bomo seen? We were waiting for the "Bomo for Mayor" lawn sign, but we didn't seen it. 

Burlington, VT

Church Street, the main pedestrian shopping area in Burlington. My mom was disconcerted by the number of seedy-looking men just hanging around all day doing. My sister-in-law, who used to live in Burlington, informed us that they closed down the state mental hospital a few years ago. I am certainly of the mindset that mentally ill people should not be kept hidden away from society, and at the same time, I don't like to be yelled at and pestered for money. There are about 35,000 people in Burlington, which is about the same size as State College. The surrounding area of Burlington was more desolate than SC.

One of the replica lighthouses on Lake Champlain (at sunset).




We followed this truck for several miles on our way home. Look closely at the logo.




The tattoo I almost chickened out of. It's a silouhette of a small butterfly (in case you can't tell) with Ash written beneath it. It's on the back of my left leg, just above my ankle. I wanted it closer to my ankle, but the area was too narrow. It only took about 10 minutes, and it hurt, but I didn't faint. It felt like small razor blades cutting into my skin, but the vibrations of the needle helped numb most of the pain. My mom got a pink and blue butterfly with Ashley's initials, AVE, on the inside of her right wrist. It was definately the highlight of our trip. 

Burlington, VT

The night my mom and I arrived in Burlington, we walked down to the waterfront and caught the end of the sunset. My camera has all kinds of settings, including taking pictures in the dark. I had a great time playing around with the different settings.


Lake Champlain at sunset. The lake extends down from Canada into Vermont and NY. Two-thirds of the lake lies in Vermont. It was briefly named the 6th Great Lakel, but the honor was revoked after a year. There is a loch ness monster in the lake named Champ.


Here is a picture of me, pre-tattoo (more to come on that later), sitting in front of the lake.


The distant mountains behind Lake Champlain.


One of three gargoyles sitting atop some office buildings near the waterfront.