Lucas is walking!

Lucas is now 11 months old! Well, the little guy is just growing up faster than a weed, and he decided to start walking last week. It's been a work in progress for sure. First it was a step or two before falling over. In his excitedness and eagerness, he would get bouncy and lose his balance when leaning forward too much. I think he was ready to run before walking! This week he has made definite progress - walking halfway across the living room, from couch to music table, and all around his daycare classroom. I can't believe just a year ago I was still anticipating his arrival. And his 1-year birthday is just around the corner. My how time flies!

My sister visited from Seattle last week and my parents came up for the weekend. We had a good time driving up to north Georgia to taste some fried apple pies, photograph Lucas in a pumpkin patch, and make a short visit to the base of Amicalola Falls. Happy Fall, everyone!

Time flies!

Lucas at 9 weeks old!

Okay, so I have been a terrible blogger since the baby arrived! I spend most of my time on Facebook these days, but for those who are actually reading this, here's a quick summary of the last two months:

November 14, 2010: Baby decides it's time to make an appearance. I start contractions around 4 am, head to Piedmont Hospital around 7:30 am, and Lucas Cole enters this world at 5:28 pm. It's a boy! 7 lbs 8.6 oz, 21" long.

The rest of November and early December we kept to the house for the most part. My wonderful mother spent the first three weeks with us and helped with the baby, cleaning and cooking. My sister was able to come visit for Thanksgiving and spend a week playing auntie. My dad also visited several times between work and helped out with a lot of handy things around the house. A huge thanks to them all! We also had visits from neighbors, friends and in-laws.

December 18, 2010: My dear SIL Jennifer weds my brand-spanking-new BIL, Scott, in Pensacola! This was really a great trip, as we were able to celebrate a new marriage, introduce Lucas to the extended Bachmann and Williford families, and also get out of the house for a bit. It was a nice long-weekend trip, and I think we handled our first trip with baby pretty well. When we returned, we spent a nice quiet Christmas at home. My sister was able to visit the week after Christmas for another week, so it was great having our own in-house auntie/pediatrician with us once again!

December 28, 2010: My parents had a traditional Chinese 1-month party for Lucas (he was actually closer to 6 weeks old, but the timing worked out so that my sister could be in town for the dinner.) We had a wonderful dinner party at Shangri-La Chinese Restaurant in Augusta with about 45 people. Lucas got showered with many generous gifts and red envelopes from my parents' friends. We had a great 9-course meal, complete with angel food chocolate chip cupcakes and lucky hard-boiled red eggs for party favors made by Mom.

New Year's Eve was spent quietly at home with a few friends that came over for dinner and Wii games until the ball dropped. Lucas and I fell asleep shortly after midnight.

January: We enjoyed our last week with DH home before he started spring semester at GSU. But then we got hit with a major snow and ice event here in Atlanta on the 9th, so classes were canceled for almost the whole first week. We hunkered down at the house for 5 days, then ventured out for a short walk on Friday, however there was still ice on the roads. Things finally started melting when we got above freezing on Friday and Saturday.

Today: I'm working on finishing up many thank-you notes for many nice and generous baby gifts for Lucas. I'm also trying to get baby announcements done before I am heading back to work and Lucas starts daycare on February 1st. My, has my maternity leave flown by! Lucas had his 2-month appointment yesterday: 2 shots, 12 lbs 14.6 oz, and 22 1/2" long. He's growing up so fast! Happy New Year!

Due Date

Well, it's my due date and baby has decided to continue to hibernate. I had an appointment this morning and not much is happening. Baby is in position and snug as a bug in a rug. I don't blame it since it's been freezing outside each evening. Maybe it's waiting for it to warm up a bit? I'm back for a check-up on Friday, unless things progress between now and then. Meanwhile, we are about 1/2 way done painting the nursery, and hopefully once that is done we can get all the furniture in place. Maybe Baby B know's it's bed isn't put together yet and Mom and Dad need a little more time? Otherwise, I'm feeling fine minus a little allergies and getting lots of naps in while I can. Sesha has been a real snuggler with me on the recliner in the living room. Boy is she in for a big surprise soon!

Sesha's progress

As I was being attacked on while using the computer this morning, I finally thought to take another photo of Sesha in comparison to the computer mousie like I took when I first got her. It's been about 5 months now, and she's about 6.5 months old. I guess since I see her every day, it doesn't seem like she's grown that much, but looking at the photos, I can definitely tell! These days, she still has her manic, crazy kitten moments, and then the definite crashes where she's sleepy, lovey, and cuddly. Most evenings, she likes to climb up onto our chests (or belly) for a long evening nap while we're watching TV on the sofa. Thoth still tolerates her - he's such a softie that she usually gets her way, whether it's a food bowl (there's 2, but somehow the one he's eating out of is always the one she wants), an open windowsill, or a spot on a piece of furniture. She still attacks his tail, jumps on his head, and wants to play with him a lot, but he's a good sport and still enjoys alone time with us when she's preoccupied or crashed out in one of her deep sleep catnaps.

Eat Pray Love

I enjoyed a little movie night at the Picture Show (discount theater in Marietta) w/DH tonight - Eat Pray Love. It was better than I expected, and I had to laugh when the following line was presented - how timely! Too late to back out now...

"Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit."
— Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

I think I might have to read the book now. Add it to my long reading list, after all the ones on pregnancy, newborns, and toddlers...

Eggplant Parmigiana

Heather, Jennifer, and I headed to Scalini's Italian Restaurant this evening to partake of their famous Eggplant Parmigiana - said to induce labor within 48 hours. (Well, Heather doesn't like eggplant, so she opted for chicken parmesan instead.) I had actually never tried the EP before, and thought it was rather tasty. The eggplant is sliced, breaded, fried, then baked with the cheeses and sauce. We also got a side of spaghetti with (I chose meat) sauce. Of course, there was also endless salad and the famous garlic rolls. We topped it all off with dessert (spumoni for me and DH) and made sure to take our photo with the baby wall on the way out. So, will anything happen in the next 48 hours? I guess we'll have to wait and see!

38 weeks

Well, it's my last week of work for awhile. Although I know it's going to be plenty of long hours at home, I'm still looking forward to it! The spackling of walls in the nursery was finished this weekend, so we just have to paint the upper half, then the furniture moving can be completed. Hopefully the baby will allow me to get things finished up at home next week during my week off before my due date.

I attended my friend Heather's baby shower last weekend - here's an updated shot of the three of us. Heather's about 38 weeks here, and Jennifer and I are about 37 weeks:

We're plannning a "baby eviction party" sometime in the next week to partake of Scalini's famous eggplant parmesan - reported to induce labor. We'll see if it really works. Other than the usual discomfort finding a comfortable sleeping position, swollen hands and feet, a little pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome, and some minor aches and pains, I can't really complain!

Baby B's Shower and Update

I was the recipient of a wonderful baby shower for Baby B on October 3rd, thanks to our terrific friends Melissa Jo & Sam Feuer and Jennifer Geist. The food was fantastic and the gifts were more than generous. Baby B is so lucky to have such great mentor mommies to help me along the way! Thanks everyone!

I had my 36-week appointment today (a little later in the week than my normal appt, as I will be 37 weeks on Monday) and everything looks good. I've been feeling hiccups on the upper left side and kicks on the upper right side, and the doctor confirmed that the baby's back is on the left, feet at the upper right, and head down, which is great! I also have good iron levels now and got my wonderful flu shot. So everything's a go - we just wait!

Surrey with the fringe on top

Okay, so maybe there's not actually fringe, but I was very excited to receive our infant car seat and stroller frame from my wonderful coworkers at work last Friday. We had one of our Beer Fridays at the end of the day, and I got an impromptu shower from my fellow architects - what a nice surprise. DH was a cohort in the operation, so I have to thank him too. I finally got it out of the box, so here's pictures of the whole thing put together, complete with CAT scan...

I have to say, the Graco Snug Rider stroller frame was literally a *snap* to put together - the wheels and frame all snapped together right out of the box, no tools needed, with little spring-loaded tabs that locked the pieces together. Also, the one-hand operation is great too - you engage the thumb trigger and twist the handle, and *voila* the frame will collapse. We decided to go with this combo due the lightness of the frame (12 lbs, sans car seat and baby) compared to many of the heavier stroller systems out there. I'm probably the one who will be lifting this thing in and out of the trunk a lot, so weight was definitely a big factor for me. When the baby gets to be about 6 months or so where he/she can sit up, we can upgrade to a lightweight, upright stroller. Can't wait to be able to put our new wheels to use! 8 weeks and counting...

30 weeks and counting

I've made it through 30 weeks and things are going well. This week, the baby has been wiggling around quite a bit. A little different-feeling than the occasional poke or punch or kick I was getting before. Now it's more or a rolling or internal wiggling feeling - what is baby doing in there? I can also definitely feel hard spots or a bony spot - maybe the head/rear vs. a fist or foot? It's hard to tell. My biggest symptom this last week has been swollen hands and feet. I am hoping the cooler weather coming our way soon will help relieve this! Plus I am looking forward to fall in general, as it's one of my favorite seasons.

My friend Val has her first of many fall art festivals starting this weekend - check out her website, PenguinArts. I designed her penguin logo - isn't it adorable? Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!

Baby B Baby Pool - Let the Games Begin!

Two posts in one day? Unheard of!

Actually, I've been meaning to set this up for awhile - enter our baby pool and take your guess at Baby B's gender, weight, length, and birthday! Prizes to be determined - I'll update that on this page when we've decided. Have fun!

Enter the BabyBachmann1 Baby Pool!

Month 7

My friends Heather (due Nov 2), Jennifer (due Nov 7) and me (due Nov 8), 8/13/10.

I just realized I haven't updated in awhile. I've been on Facebook too much, I suppose!

Well, I've made to to my third trimester. I'm about 29.5 weeks at this point, with only 10.5 weeks left to go, plus or minus. It's been a pretty uneventful pregnancy so far. My worst symptom to date has to be these swelling feet of mine over the last week or so. Back pain has not been bad, occasionally I get arms and legs that fall asleep, and I'm having to take iron for anemia. I didn't pass my first, 1-hour glucose test last Monday, so I had to go back and take the 3-hour glucose test this past Monday. Thankfully I passed this time, so no gestational diabetes. What a relief. DH and I took a breastfeeding class at the hospital several weeks ago, and we're signed up for a childbirth class in a few weeks. Some friends are working on throwing a baby shower for us at the beginning of October, so we're working on the registry at Babies"R"Us and amazon.com. There are so many baby products to research! I've been having a ball going to the fall baby consignment sales here around town. I've been able to get many little outfits (unisex, yellow, green, or neutral colors), like overalls and onesies for dirt cheap. Of course, there's still room for the pink and blue outfits later!

Sesha the kitten is getting bigger every day. She and Thoth get along better for the most part, although the part where she wants to play all the time doesn't always please him. He's a good sport and will tumble around a bit with her, but then gets tired of it quickly and tries to get away from her. He does make some funny growling sounds at her at this point, but she doesn't seem to deterred by them.

Great Expectations!

DH and I are so happy to share that we're expecting a little bundle of joy on November 8th! We are very excited and a little overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done in the next 4 months, but I am sure we will manage just like everybody else does. The 20-week ultrasound looked great. It was so neat to be able to see baby's head, eyes, spine, chambers of the heart, kidneys, hands and feet. We were so glad to see that all looked well with our little peanut.

To answer some of the typical questions... I have been feeling great and was very blessed to be free of any morning sickness (far from what I expected!). I'm about 22 weeks along now, and have been feeling baby moving around maybe the last week or so - particularly in the last two days I have been feeling actually pokes, and DH felt one today! Maybe a little hand or foot? We are not going to find out if it is a boy or girl - waiting for a surprise, and making two lists of names. Our new kitten has been good mommy and daddy practice for us - she has unending energy and has trained us to be watchful and up at all times of night. I think architecture school was probably good training for me too - good to get a refresher on being up all hours of the night again. Otherwise, things have been pretty uneventful, but I'll try to make note of any interesting happenings.

As for our holiday weekend, we enjoyed the Marietta fireworks with some friends last night, and then early this morning, DH ran his 9th Peachtree Road Race. The weather was perfect for the run, and SIL and I had an enjoyable time watching the race for DH to come by my usual spectating spot at Colony Square. Happy Independence Day, and thanks to all the men and women in our armed forces who protect our freedom each and every day!

New Fur Baby!

We've added a new fur baby addition to the Bachmann household! Here she is, yet to be named. A friend had a stray cat have her litter in their garage, so being the softies that we are, of course we had to take one in. (In fact, if you're in the Atlanta area, there are 2 more calico kittens available - let me know if you're interested!) Although DH and I had already been talking about getting Thoth a "sibling" at some point too, so the timing just seemed to work out. I picked her up today, and she's in quarantine in the "master bath suite" until she's old enough to get all of her testing done. Thoth did get to see her several times today from a distance, and seemed interested and not too bothered by her presence. She appears so far to be fearless, spunky, vocal, cuddly, and a loud purr-er. Hopefully the transition from a 1-cat to 2-cat household will be smooth. Name suggestions and kitten advice welcome!

To Infinity and Beyond!

DH and I headed down to Titusville, Florida last Thursday to meet up with some family and friends and to witness the final mission launch of the space shuttle, Atlantis. We staked out a spot along the river east of Titusville at Parrish Park around 10 am on Friday. There was a small beach along the north side of the road, so we were armed with chairs, a pop-up tent (thank goodness, because it was sunny!), sand toys for my bonus niece (3 yo), and picnic food. There was quite a crowd as the morning wore on, and by lunchtime, you'd a thought it was Gameday! RVs, surfers, families, retired folks, students, people with dogs, were all out and waiting to watch the launch. I've been crazy busy with deadlines since coming back to work this week (among other things going on too), and so I haven't had a chance to go through all the photos yet, but here's one at liftoff. The launch was pretty much on time, around 2:20 pm, and I was glad I had thought to bring a little radio (and batteries!) so that we could listen to the AM station with the countdown. The skies were clear so we had a great view of liftoff, the arch of the shuttle, the contrail into infinity, and the rocket boosters falling. What a fantastic experience!

Birthday Cake

I must say, I think I had one of the best birthday cakes ever (okay, maybe runner-up to the Pac-Man cake I had once in elementary school...). My birthday was last Friday. DH surprised me and my birthday crew with fabulous cake from Brazilian Bakery. BB is a local place, just across the street from our neighborhood Publix. They have very tasty fried meat pies and pastries, and also very yummy desserts, which we have only made a small dent in the long counter-full of goodies. This cake was layers of yellow cake with an inner layer of a delicious cream filling, whipped cream icing, meringue crunchies on the sides, and strawberries on top. Moist, tasty, and to quote my friend Tim, "stupid." (As in, that's stupid good!) YUM! Thanks, Honey!

Easter weekend

We had a nice trip to Alabama visiting family and friends over Easter weekend. Our Civic also rolled over 50,000 miles, ironically just outside of Talladega. On our drive over Friday night, we made a quick stop for dinner in Birmingham specifically to visit an old GT favorite that has now moved to Vestavia Hills, Kool Korner Sandwiches. Kool Korner was an old Tech standby on 14th Street for the best pressed Cuban sandwiches in town, until a few years ago when Mr. Ramirez was convinced by his son to move to Birmingham and retire with his family. Well, that lasted 2 weeks. When we walked into the store, Mr. Ramirez had just left, but his son was there and called him to tell him that 2 visitors from Atlanta were there. Well, he turned around and came back just to visit with us, and that was very touching. There also turned out to be a late dinner rush, so he hopped back behind the counter to help out after visiting with us for a few minutes. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, along with a new guava turnover that we were treated to, and I intend to make it part of our trip to Alabama whenever possible!

The new Kool Korner storefront in Vestavia Hills:

DH enjoys his first bites, including plantain chips, of course:

Enjoying my Cuban:

Mr. Ramirez behind the counter:

DH and I also celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary this Tuesday, 4/2/10. Happy Anniversary, Honey! I love you!

60mm

A friend of a friend lent me an old AF Micro Nikkor 60mm 1:2.8 D lens last weekend to play around with. It's been interesting playing around with it, since I am so used to using my 18-200mm VR lens. I've been using it on manual focus, even though it is AF, because it does get a little squirrely with the body sometimes. A couple of fun shots that I've taken:

My kitty buddy, Thoth

Thoth's pentapus (only 5 legs) toy

My friend Val's kitty buddy, Sherman

Kitty buddy looking out the window

Wheatgrass and blue bottle in the kitchen window

Sleep is good

I've been getting over a sinus cold for about the last two weeks now, so not much to report. Along with the typical OTC meds, I've been trying to take my vitamins, eats lots of veggies, drink lots of water, and of course, get in LOTS of sleep. Which made me think of a small, but important change to my sleeping habits these last few months. I was on a random trip to IKEA where I probably came out with nothing I planned to buy, yet found other things that I needed while I was there. One of those items was a contoured foam pillow. I'm a side and back sleeper, and for some time was waking up with my arms behind my head (for neck support in my sleep, I suppose), or with back pains after sleeping more than 7 hours. I saw this pillow, and decided to give it a try. Well, after about a week of getting used to sleeping on it, I've had much better sleep since using it, and highly recommend it for you side/back sleepers out there. Now to get DH one for sleeping on his belly...

In other news, I've managed to make it to two major concerts in the last two months, which is probably a record for me. We went to see Silversun Pickups and Muse on 2/27, and They Might Be Giants this past Friday, 3/5. Both excellent shows!

Small Flash Class

I took a fun Small Flash Crash Course this past Sunday with instructor Michael Schwarz, who is a professional photographer, digital photography consultant, and teaches for the Nikon School. I was a little intimidated going into the class, worried that everyone was going to know so much more than me, etc., but I went with a friend (thanks, Adam!) and found that everyone there was just as eager to learn and share what they have learned. The class took place at Professional Photographic Resources (PPR), which rental all kinds of professional camera equipment and has a studios for rent. (Incidentally, I hear that it's also a great place to rent camera lenses if you want to try one out, even for amateurs like me.) We mostly used Studio 1, complete with a huge, white, coved cyclorama wall and floor. The studio is so large, you can even drive in and photograph a car! We also took about 2 shots outside during the course of our 1-day class. I learned a lot about using the SB-800 in a studio setting, and I hope one day I might be able to get even a small bit of the equipment I would need to re-create shots like these! Many thanks to our model, Marc, who put up with our jokes about him blinking (we were constantly using flashes in his face *all day*) and put on a great face for the "paparazzi"! Here are some of my better shots from the class: