Juice boxes, toilet paper and more

The past few weeks have brought lots of excitement at the Shear household. This wouldn't be a big deal to most people, but the fact that Savena had her first juice box on our way to the ranch for Thanksgiving was a big deal to us. Until now, she's been relegated to drinking out of bottles and sippy cups. But a whole new world has opened up now that she's figured out what straws are for - and how to use them. It was so exciting to see her face quite literally light up with pure joy when a small twinge of apple juice hit her tongue - it's a whole new world, baby!

Much to our chagrin, another of Savena's favorite playthings is toilet paper. She has more blocks, noisemakers, dolls and stacking blocks than Mark or I ever did as a child (she has many of our old toys, plus some of her own), but one of her favorite things to do is to grab the toilet paper and pull. For example: I was washing the dishes earlier this week when I heard some giggling in the hall. I turned the water off and found Savena practically knee-deep in toilet paper and she was still pulling. Yikes! She was quickly redirected to the kitchen cabinets, where we have plenty of plastic tupperware and canned foods that she loves to pull out and leave in various places around the house. Luckily for us, she usually remembers where she put something. All we have to do is ask "Where did you put the can of soup? Or where did you leave your milk? and she races off in the direction of whatever happens to the missing at the time. The only real problem with this is that sometimes we don't realize her sippy cups of milk are missing until she comes careening into the kitchen drinking from one that has been missing for a few days. Yuck! Needless to say, Savena has very little patience when she wants her milk -- it's a mad dash to replace the spoiled stuff with a fresh cup of it before she knows better.

One more quick note: We finally found a hat that Savena will keep on her head. She absolutely adores the hat and won't leave home without it. Half the time we find her wearing it inside, so stay tuned for adorable pics of the little princess. Thanks, Bass Pro!

A biter in our midst.

The past week has been a veritable madhouse as we've literally rushed from one thing to another in order to get ready for Thanksgiving. Savena has taken it all in stride - she's a real trooper. The only slighly disturbing thing that happened is that she bit me -- twice. I'm not talking about cute little love bites, either. She really chomped down on my shoulder and actually left little teeth marks once! This coincided with her decision to stop sleeping through the night and instead wake up and demand to be fed/nursed. There is no wrath like that of a hungry child. What finally did the trick -- stopped the biting and 2 a.m. feedings -- was giving her lots and LOTS of meat for dinner. No carbs for this girl. Give her meat and she's good to go!

We're headed to the ranch in a few hours, so we'll be off the proverbial grid for a few days. I can't wait to see how Savena reacts now that she can walk.

For the past 16 1/2 months, I've been talking about getting back to this blog. Well, today's the day. Though life is extremely hectic with work, grad school, the Junior League and everything else life throws my way, I'm determined to update this blog a few times a week with short, possibly humorous, glimpses into Savena's life. Feel free to submit your own anecdotes about the little princess/squid as they come to you. I'd love to have a collection of stories to share with her as she grows up.

1st cute story of the week: Since Savena's now old enough to understand what you're telling her, she gets stars at our sitter's house for things like eating with her fork, walking to the front door by herself (so Dad doesn't have to carry her), drinking all her milk, etc. Yesterday she finished her row of stars and got to pick something out of the treat basket. The first time she got to do this, she brought home a purple bouncy ball with the words "I'm special" or something like that in bright pink letters. This time? A plastic brontosaurus the size of my hand! All I can is that it made her day...she dragged that thing around the house all night long!

Savena had a lot more fun at this year's State Fair of Texas than the last time she graced the historic Fair Park fairgrounds. Here she is getting a lift from her daddy in one of the pavilions. Supposedly, they had prancing dogs in there right before we arrived. We got to pet the dogs, but missed the show searching for cowboy boots for the little princess.

Savena's 1!

On Jun 26, 2008, at 8:52 AM, Mark Shear wrote:

She is on the verge of walking
She has 8 teeth.
She was introduced to Braum's 1% milk fat cow's milk with mom's mixed in with vitamins.
She had Grandpa's Crappie and cream corn gumbo/goulash for the first time last night. She really liked the fish. This caused her to sleep nearly 9 hours straight!

It's a GIRL!

We're pleased to welcome....

Savena Elizabeth

into our lives.

Savena was born at 6:41 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, at Medical City Dallas.
Weight: 6 lbs. 14 oz.
Length: 19.5"
She has her moms eyes and nose and her dad's mouth and ears. Her hair is dishwater-blonde and she has the longest fingers and toes that we've ever seen. She's a real beauty--obviously the most beautiful thing her mother has ever seen.

Mother and daughter are doing well but suffice it to say, we're both pretty tired. We came home on Savena's third day and have been spending our days sleeping and eating. Savena has already surpassed her birth weight--weighing in at a whole 7 lbs. on Monday, July 2.

Week 38 -- It's Almost Time.

Sorry I haven't posted awhile. You know the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" Well, I've been trying to practice that one.

It's not that I have anything mean to say but it has been rough lately to say the least. I've worked at least 9.5 hours every day this week, I can't get my feet into anything by the end of the day but flipflops (the city council members must love it when I walk in wearing bright yellow ones), and sleep has been pretty sporadic.

Add to that the constant questions. They usually go something like this: You're still around? When are you going to have that baby? I thought I wouldn't see you again until the fall?

The other variety goes something like this: "I can't believe you're nine months pregnant. You look like you're 5 or 6." (If only I felt that way, I usually tell them.)

At the OB office on Thursday, the staffer handling check-out tried to charge me $40 for the visit. When I said, "I owe you something?" (OB patients pay everything upfront) she replied, "Oh, are you an OB patient?" Guess I should have remained standing.

In other news, the squid's expected arrival date hasn't changed. Doc says I'm still on target for July 1. The hubbie and I plan to find the bumpiest roads in town if it gets to be around July 3-4.

-K

Week 36 --- No Baby Yet

We're getting closer!

Mark and I went in for my 36-week appointment today and everything still looks good. The doc seemed a little concerned about my swelling but said that since my blood pressure is in great shape and there's not any excess sugar in my system, there's not much to worry about. He (we saw a new doc today because Dr. Dinh is honeymooning in Jamaica) just encouraged me to drink lots of water and keep my feet up as much as possible.

I haven't started dilating at all, but the squid's still facing the right direction. The doc said the baby could come anytime starting around June 23 and will likely be 6-7 lbs. What a a relief!

The squid's heartbeat is still going strong: 139 beats per minute.

And my blood pressure is finally beginning to get closer to normal. I think it was 102 over 60 today. It's still up for me, but better than it has been.

Besides feeling like a marshmallow, everything else is going well. A photog I know is going to take some pics of us next week and the baby's room is about done. We planned to finish everything up last weekend--but we lost the rest of the Red Oak in our backyard early Sunday morning. Half fell on the house, the other half on our electric and phone lines. Needless to say, we had a VERY long day. It's not entirely cleaned up yet, but we're getting there slowly but surely.

That's all for now. We're going to be going in for weekly doctors visits now, so stay tuned for more info. (Mark and I have been filming the squid moving around at night, so we might have some interesting photos to post in the near future)

-K

Week 35: Part Deux

The Squid is positively brilliant!

He/she is hands down, brilliant. Not only has the squid turned upside down, he/she is also facing the correct direction. For those of you unfamiliar with birthing dynamics, that means that the baby's head is facing down and the face is facing towards my back!
(Apparently doctors don't like to deliver babies feet first and it's harder on the mom when the kid is facing upwards---I learned that in our preparation for childbirth class. Yeah!)

We got a picture of the squid's head, but unlike the others you can't see anything because of the direction he/she's turned. It's kind of weird, actually. Heartbeat was 130.

Nothing else to report from the doctors' appointment. There wasn't a single doctor in the office so I didn't get to run down my myriad of questions. Next week, I guess.

The BIG news of the day is that today is our third wedding anniversary!

Getting close to having a little one!

Week 35: Fun Web site about baby names

Many of you know that the hubbie and I decided shortly after we married on our children's names. Well, now that we're going to need one, I've been struggling mightily to find out what Savena means. After much work, I finally found some info.

Turns out that Savena was a Goddess. Of what, I don't know. Any ideas?

Anyway, I also came across a Web site this morning that predicts/suggests what a person named Savena might be like. It may be completely off-track, but mine was fairly close. Check it out-- as well as your own name.

COPY and PASTE THE LINK:
http://www.just-think-it.com/sbnname.htm

Week 34

6 weeks until D-day!

We were supposed to go in for an ultrasound Wednesday to see whether the squid has moved into the correct position--head down---but the doctor's office had to reschedule at the last minute. So, now we're scheduled to do that on June 1--our three year anniversary!

That's kind of cool in itself.

In other news, my fingers have swollen to the point where I can't get my wedding ring off. I miraculously got my engagement ring off but Mark and I are still trying to get the other off. I really didn't want to take either off---I feel weird without them---but my sister-in-law and several other women with children said that i better do it now because if I have to have a c-section, they'll cut it off with bolt cutters. Not a pretty thought or sight. So, we're trying.

We had our second shower last weekend. It was a lot of fun. This one was co-ed, so it was different from the first one, but everyone had a great time. The hosts were Mark's optician, Ginger; his sister, Amy; and Kristen's college buddy, Jamie. We cooked burgers and hot dogs and sat around and visited most of the time. I think we had between 25-30 friends and family members, many of which we only see a couple times a year so that was nice. Kristen again lost the "guess what's in the diaper" game. Mark fared much better, but still didn't win. Rather than guess what type of baby food is in the diaper, this one was guess which type of melted candy bar is in the diaper. All I can say is 'ugh.'

We're heading to Austin in a few hours, so I'm going to cut this short, but I wanted everybody to know that everybody in the family is healthy. We're just ready for a little R&R.

-K

Week 33: PICTURES

Here's a collection of pics from the baby shower Wendy, Kristine and Karin threw for Kristen back on May 19. You'll have to have a Yahoo! login to view the album, but registering is easy and free.

Check 'em out at----

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/truffles_429/album?.dir=/184cscd&.src=ph&.tok=phHJKwGBz1N6hUIv


-K

Week 32: Part Deux

We had our first baby shower last Saturday. It was such a blast! Wendy, Kristine and Karin threw it for us and Kristen's work colleagues. Kristen's mom was able to come up for the shower, so her friends were able to meet her mom and vice versa. Those girls certainly know how to make a girl feel special! And they also know how to throw a great party! The food was outstanding, the games were hilarious and the gifts were beyond fabulous! Kristen is going to probably ask Karin to bake a cake for our "sip 'n' see" after the squid arrives. The cake she made for the shower was simply to die for...and that's saying a lot when it comes from a chocaholic. We'll post some pics from the shower as soon as Kristine sends them along.

In other news, we also had our first childbirth preparation class Sunday afternoon. All I can say, is OH, MY GOD. I'm seriously considering keeping the squid inside and not going through this whole labor thing. I know. I know. Women have been doing it for thousands of years and I'll do great, but that doesn't mean I'm not terrified of the thought. After seeing how they give women an epidural, I'm not too keen on that, either, so I may be in for a long, painful day or two.

I'm really glad the nurse waited until the end of the class to show the two videos (one of a computer-simulated c-section. The other of a natural delivey)... I don't think I would have learned anything else if they'd been at the beginning. I really wish somebody would say that it's ok to be scared, or petrified in my case.

Ok, I'm being a drama queen. But given that I'd never actually seen a natural delivery, I think I handled myself pretty well. I didn't leave the room. And my lips didn't turn white until after we left class. Hey, at least I stayed. One couple left beforehand.

Yesterday's doctors appointment was great. The doc says the baby and Kristen are both very healthy and growing at the appropriate rate. Kris isn't too big or too small and neither is the baby. Ultrasound in two weeks to check on the squid's position.

More later.

Week 32: Part One--Things to look forward to.

A Mother's Day Story.

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died.Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day
long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then
losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse
my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my
chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack
didn't seem to mind.

And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been
using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

Courtesy of Wendy, a DMN colleague.

Week 30: Part Deux

So, I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. Nothing new to report. They gave me the glucose test, but won't have the results until my next appointment. Basically the test involves the patient drinking 6-8 oz. of the sweetest drink you can possibly imagine. Not being a fan of anything cherry-flavored, I went for the orange drink. They take your blood an hour later. The goal is to make sure you haven't developed pregnancy-related diabetes. All I can say is ugh. It's like drinking soda syrup straight.

Only other news is that the baby's very healthy. Heartbeat = 150 beats/minute.

-K

Week 30: Part I

It's official: I have hobbit feet.
No, they're not covered in hair. I just have absolutely no ankles. My cute, feminine ankles are completely gone.

It probably doesn't help that I have poison ivy (don't ask) but it's pretty sad just the same. I know. I know. This too shall pass. I'm just hoping that it passes sooner than later..say mid to late June instead of early July.

In good news, my skin is looking much better most of the time. I still problems here and there, but the breakouts aren't nearly as bad as they were a couple weeks ago. Mark and I figure that the squid must have reached a new stage of development.

Anyway, life continues. We made it to Corpus Christi last weekend and had a nice, but too short visit, with my mom. And the lake house is still standing (we spent Friday night in Austin to mow the lawn and make sure the place hadn't caught fire).

A good friend from work is hosting a baby shower for me on May 5 that my mom's coming up for. And another friend is hosting a co-ed shower for Mark and I on May 19. We aren't looking for or expecting gifts, but since many friends and family members have asked, we're registered at Babies 'R' Us and Target. Enter our last name to get the details.

More info later this week after our 30-week doctors' appt.

-K

Week 29: Cravings Video

The footage with me in the red top was taken when we traveled to Houston in late March--I was about 24-25 weeks pregnant then. I'm not 29 weeks.

Week 28

We made it to the third trimester! Yeah! Time certainly flies by when you've got a baby growing inside you. It's hard to believe than in about 12 weeks, Mark and I will have a baby to take care of. That sounds terrifying, doesn't it? Mark and I as parents. My stomach just flipped.

The major news from the doctors' appointment is that the little squid is very healthy and has a strong heart beat. Evidently, he/she is right on track growth-wise and should still arrive around July 1. I'm hoping more and more for a slighly earlier arrival as my back has been in excruciating pain.

My doctor assures me that back pain is normal, but I have to think that my osteopenia doesn't help matters. I had to stop taking my medication for that when I got pregnant and I'm too tired to do much weight training so I'm pretty much relegated to ingesting as many high-calcium products as possible and doing my prenatal yoga videos. I did try swimming the other day. It was great to be in the water, but it didn't make my lower spine feel any better. Maybe I'll try to do it earlier in the day, like right when I get up instead of after work.

If you haven't heard directly from me, sleep continues to be my biggest issue. I just don't do it well anymore. So, I end up napping during the day and sleeping in as much as possible on the weekends. I flat out can't get rested, though. I'm exhausted pretty much all the time. Evidently, it's starting to show, too. The other day my professor said I looked a bit "shell-shocked." He also thanked me for coming to class. Thank goodness his wife just had a baby--he understands or at least has some idea of what I'm going through.

The house is finally coming together. Mark and I finished the guest room a couple weeks ago and have moved on to the baby's room. We've also started a summmer garden with tomotoes, peppers, brussell sprouts and squish. Maybe we'll have better luck this year. We're heading to Fort Worth tomorrow to have lunch with Babba and Stephen and to Corpus Christi next weekend to pick up some stuff my mom has in storage, so we're as busy as ever.

Next doctor's appt in 2 weeks.

Less than 12 weeks to go (hopefully!)
-K

Week 27

Guess what? I have good news. I slept really good last night for the first time in weeks, so I actually went to work feeling awake and refreshed! Yeah! I'm not sure what I did--maybe it was the virgin strawberry daiquiri? Or maybe it was the chocolate cake? But whatever it was, I slept better than I have in awhile. Woo hoo.

Of course, I'm beginning to get tired now, but it's the middle of the afternoon so ok.

The squid continues to grow and my clothes continue to get tighter and tighter. It's really funny to be sitting in a school board or city council meeting and see my entire midsection start to move. And I'm not talking little jabs here and there. The squid has a really great hook or kick---I'm thinking we're probably going to have a rambunctious one on our hands. Maybe a baseball player?? We'll just have to wait and see.

My cravings haven't changed much. I'm still craving sausage---absolutely any kind--and eating a lot of cottage cheese. I've also been eating more carbs. Tater tots are my friend! Isn't that scary? Never thought I'd say that.


Mark and I have an appointment next week, so hopefully we'll get some more updated stats. They're not supposed to do a full-blown sonogram next week, but who knows. I'll be entering my third trimester next week so they may want to do a bunch of stuff. More info and videos to come.

-K