Emergency Cravings: The Golden Chick-et

Yesterday, your mother and I arrived in the driveway at the same time.

She needed fried chicken and mashed potatoes in her system immediately.

I told her I could look up a recipe really quickly and go to the store.

But she told me she didn't want real food. She wanted, in her words, 'crap.'

You know, the mashed potatoes made by adding water.

So I quickly rescued Aidan from her car while she sped off to the nearest Golden Chick.



About 25 minutes later, after your brother and I had started making our dinner and played outside, your Mother returned home, with an empty bag of Golden Chick remnants and crumbs.

She said she drove almost like a maniac (without breaking any speed laws) to Golden Chick, ordered in a daze and then began devouring the food the second they handed it to her. I can only imagine her shoving handfuls of mashed potatoes and gravy in her mouth while driving. Or perhaps she used the chicken fingers as some sort of utensil.

We'll never know.

She felt human again, and swiftly fell asleep on the couch.

This pregnancy is awesome!

Pickles, Cravings (and Ravings of a Super-Powered Olfactory)

Your Mom's pregnancy continues to go swimmingly- all signs point to a strong, healthy pregnancy.

Unfortunately, this means a bit of an irrational, weak, odd Mommy!

I came home from work on Friday and your Mom was starving. She wanted burgers. And only burgers. So, we went off to burgers.

(Aidan, you did really well at the burger place- chowing down on some free Sweet Potato chips while we stood in line (so much so, that the cashier gave you your own basket of them to enjoy!); you ate almost a whole 1/2 pound patty, vegetables and pickles, pickles, pickles!! But, you're not the only one in the family who loves pickles. Your brother or sister (and your mom)love pickles too. I like them as well, but this ain't about me.)

Your Mom notified me that for lunch on Friday she literally craved and ate the ultimate in cliche pregnancy dishes: pickles and ice cream. Pistachio ice cream. And cottage cheese. And then bagel bites.


2/26/2012:



The cravings are coming fast and furious. One minute she's chowing down on some Long John Silvers, the next she's got the shiver-me-timbers. "As long as I'm eating, " your mommy said, "the nausea goes away." So eat she does.

On Saturday your Mom craved again. This time it was for...wait for it...dill pickle flavored ice cream from this store at the mall. So, we wound up at the mall, and until she got said popcorn, the only word she could say was "popcorn."

A sample conversation went like this:

Aaron: Ooh, this color suit looks good. What do you think?
Holly: Popcorn.
Aidan: Mama?
Holly: Popcorn.
Aaron: Where are we going?
Holly: Popcorn.
Aaron: Can we stop at H&M on the w--
Holly: Popcorn.

So, luckily, before our conversations got any better, the got a large bag of the stuff. It's quite gross. It tastes like 'scratch and sniff pickle' flavoring was dumped all over a bag of popcorn. Your brother loved it, though. Your mom loved it, and ate piece after piece for a few hours. But, the next day, she couldn't even look at the stuff.

The craving was leaving. On top of the cravings, we also have some ravings. She's not mad, your mother; just nauseus and trying to cope...by buying and wearing special nausea-lessening black wrist bands. Fashion statement aside...she's wearing wrist bands! I was 'uncool' when I wore my awesome wristbands that came with my long-gone Scion XD. But your Mom makes them look...cool...crazy cool. But, apparently, the pressure points on the bottom of the wrist DO help relive nausea...or at least the placebo works. Because, she's not as sick!

But, the pregnancy has continued to heighten her sense of smell. Which isn't good because your brother's been sick, and been on these super sweet-tasting antibiotics which do wonders to...well...doo. Luckily, I was able to change most of these not-so-good-nappies over the weekend...but she might just have to pull her shirt up over her nose if it happens while I'm at work.

But that might not help either. All day yesterday she was going crazy, and actually a bit upset, because Aidan had lost his 'smell.' "He smells like daycare, doesn't he? And it's making me sick! Smell him! Smell Aidan!" Between diapers and daycare, you might think your brother stinks- but he most certainly does not (okay, well, diapers don't smell great, but that's universal). While folding towels later that evening, your mom's super sleuthing nose later discovered that it was, in fact, the laundry detergent that was upsetting the sensitive smeller.

So, between shielding a direct line between my outward breaths while talking, thinking Aidan lost his smell and telling me that the dogs need baths badly (which they do), noone in the Weinstein household is safe from the ravings of the super-powered smeller!

Hopefully you're enojying your accomodations though-- from the way your mom is nauseating and smelling, it seems that you've settled in quite nicely to your womb room and made yourself quite at home.

You are about 6 weeks along now, and about the size of a sweet pea.



Although things aren't smelling so sweet out here (to some of us), we just can't stop thinking about you.

Growing Every Day: cookies, colors, blues and paints

Aidan, every day you continue to amaze your mother and me. These little looks, or actions, or connections you make are just a testament to how wonderfully you are learning about the world around you.

You are doing so much better at being left at school now, and you even have been spotted by Miss Jessica interacting and 'talking' to the other kids.

Yesterday you made a birdfeeder. It was basically a bagel, spread with peanut butter and then dipped in bird seed. You were so proud of your 'cookie' and for some reason kept trying to eat it. You were a bit upset when your Mom hung it in a tree in our backyard.

But, you did get a real cookie anyway. It's Girl Scout season and we have a box of the chocolatey, coconutty, ringed goodness that we call Samoas. I left the box within your reach and you brought it to your Mom, saying 'cookie,' in your convincing manner. So she let you have one. And you LOVED it.

You're making pretty advanced connections. On Tuesday morning, after an awesome three-day weekend together (and pretty much a full Monday of Daddy and me time), your Mom brought you into our bed. You saw a lump of comforters and covers and pillows where I usually sleep and you excitedly said "Dada? Dada!" Your mom pulled back the covers to reveal that I wasn't there and you were sad. This story hurt a little...but it also made me proud that you knew to look for me...and knew that I resemble I pile of linens!

You've been sick recently (double ear infection and bronchitis), so we've been having to give you some nasty medicine. After two days of fighting us with the medicine, you realized that that tactic wasn't working. And without prompting, you figured out what you thought would be a better way to avoid the medicine. I came in with the oral syringe and, upon seeing me, you hid your face behind your hands. If you were hiding, and therefore 'gone', how could we give you the medicine? Luckily, we still found a way (and you adapted again, by spitting most of it out); but I give you an A for effort. Your Mom and I were in awe of your cleverness!

Your vocabulary continues to grow too... you went up to Miss Jessica yesterday and said 'hug!' because you wanted a hug.

On Monday, you and I were playing with cars and you said "Blue" (although it's more like "booo") when holding a blue car. I tested you with some more blue cars, which you correctly identified. But then I held up a red car and you were stumped. So, I knew that you knew blue!

Yesterday at dinner, you got crayons to play with, and you picked up the blue one and said 'blue!'

Then you through the blue one to the ground and held on to the yellow one really tight. Yellow seems to be your favorite color (you also held a yellow crayon for a few hours the other day as well). But you're just at the beginning stages of being able to say 'yellow.' But, at the restaurant, you did say "green" for the green crayon, with some encouragment.

And you've started to identify crayons as "colors" (although it's more like "curr")...but we know what you're saying. And more importantly, you know what you're saying!

Color me proud!

More into the world of colors, back on Valentine's Day, I decided that we needed to do the inaugural dip into the non-toxic finger paints we got while back so you could make your Mommy a V-Day present. You've finger painted before with this colorless stuff that doesn't appear until it's placed on the special paper. That's pretty fun, but mostly you like opening and closing the paint container.

But this finger paint....you loved it...all 2 minutes of the finger painting experience (until it quickly turned into a disaster). I gave you a little squirt of each color: green, blue, red and yellow.

As you can see from the finished result, you really aren't a fan of using blue, although you're a fan of saying it.

So you started sheepishly touching the paint dollops. I showed you how to paint it on the paper.

You were intrigued. You did it a little more by yourself. A little green...a lot of red...

Then you started piling the paint on the paper and smushing it around. I pushed your hand down to make a handprint.

Then you started smearing the pallette's paints altogether into a lovely brown.

This was fun...and messy...good thing I got us both down to our undergarments only for the painting experience.

I momentarily thought, "he'll be fine...I'll just go grab my camera and take a few pictures."

Good thing I didn't! Because in a split second the following happened:

You decided to start just rubbing your hands together.

Then you began clapping.

Then the paint started flying everywhere (I'm still finding it in the kitchen).

Then it got on your face, to which you logically and immediately responded by rubbing your eyes with your hands, which were covered in paint. You immediately responded by crying and screaming loudly...having paint all over your eyes.

Emergency eye wash in the kitchen sink, and the crying subsided a little.

Then straight to the bath, where I managed to get all the paint off your eyes, face, hands and arms. And off of me too.

But you know what? You were fine in a few minutes and your Mom loved the painting.

We're even going to frame it.

With all your connecting and learning and experimenting, you are truly an amazing almost-two year old. You are a work of art (and a piece of work) and we're just constantly amazed at how much you are growing every day.

Sometimes it's all we can do to keep up!

Just like Starting Over

Little One, remember when I said this might be a Potbelly Pregnancy?

Well, what they say about parents forgetting all about pregnancy being the only way they would do it over again may have a grain of truth to it.

Your Mom has remembered the basics and is mastering them: the nausea is back with a vengeance, the cravings are coming fast and furious, but causing more nausea and she has to pee quite frequently.

But, we forgot some of the finer details like: deli meat bad for pregnant ladies!

Oops! Don't worry, you'll be perfectly fine. Only 3 delicious Wreck sandwiches before we recalled that deli meat rule. But, it's better safe than sorry.

So, on Sunday, your mother, brother and I ventured back to our old stomping grounds, where we hadn't been for at least 2 weeks: Freebirds, home of the pregnant woman's favorite chicken quesa-ritto. Oh, and Long John Silver's too.

And today your Mom craved and at Deep-fried God-knows-what at Long John Silvers.

So, we forgot about the deli meat. But, we forgot how triumphant the minor victories and news updates along the way make us feel.

Your Mom got blood work done at your first sonogram, and then again 5 days later. We got the results yesterday: the hormone levels rose from 5,000 to 18,000! I don't really know exactly what that means, but it feels like cause for celebration because, generally, it means we're right on track, you're growing like crazy and week 6 is a good week. (Edit: Dr. Bertrand later told us that those numbers showed 'every indication of a healthy pregnancy'...so...pretty much exactly what I said!)

Even with the nausea. And the dead-end cravings ("I'm starving, but nothing sounds good!). And the near vomiting. And the soreness. And the exhaustion. And the nausea...and that's just how I'M feeling!

These are all signs, along with the bloodwork, that you've left the starting blocks and are right on track for your 9-month marathon.

And for all the little milestones along the way, we'll be there, cheering you along and cheering for ourselves too.

Who knew that starting over could be the greatest thing since sliced bread (hold the meat).

Potential Potbelly Pregnancy

Well, let's see here. When we were pregnant with you, Aidan, your Mom had to have Freebirds Burritos nearly every weekend.

Two weekends ago, around when we first found out, we had Potbelly's Sandwiches.

Then last weekend, we had to have Potbelly Sandwiches again.

Today confirmed it. Your Mom was starving and she had to have- you guessed it- Potbelly's!

You may just be a Potbelly Pregnancy, Little One!



Let's just hope that the title of the sandwich shoppe isn't a diagnosis of what sympathy eating will do to expectant fathers.

(For the record, last week I had a salad. This week, your mom had a "BIG" sandwich...I just had the regular sized one...you know...for the record.)

A Week of Firsts

Last Thursday, you went to your first day of school.

You had visited the school a few times before while we were checking it out, and really liked it.

So you were really excited to go. You even like saying the word 'school!'


So, you got your lunch packed right, your boots tied tight (alright so they were velcro) and off you and Mommy went.

You ran right in to the classroom and started playing with the toys.

Your teacher, Miss Jessica, said that about 15 minutes after your Mommy left, you went to the window and looked around and then started to cry a bit. You noticed that your Mommy was gone and didn't like it.

But, they said you quickly got over it and had a great first day playing with the other kids and that you really liked going to play outside. You even took a nap on a mat, which impressed your Mommy and me very much!



Then, your Mommy came to pick you up before you knew it and you ran to her arms!

The next day, your second, was a little more rough. You figured out that you were being left at school, without us. And you bear hugged your Mom's legs so she couldn't leave. You wanted her to hold you and sit on her lap. You wanted to stay and play, but you wanted your Mom to stay and play with you. When she finally left, you cried and cried and cried. They said you were pretty sad for a while, but that some of the other kids came up to you and comforted you. They said by lunch time you were no longer so sad, and had a good afternoon. Before you knew it, your Mommy came to pick you up again!

Since you're only going 2 days a week, that was the end of your first week.

Week 2 has gone even better. You cried and cried when your Mommy dropped you off both days, but Miss Jessica let us know that the crying only lasted a few minutes, and then you went on to have a lot of fun playing with blocks, and friends and their car. Of course, your favorite part of the day, was playing outside. The teacher says you are always the last one to come inside!

As a reward for our big boy's first week of school, and since we've been itching to try it for a long time (since you're so good at watching "Toy Story" and some selected other movies at home (like "Wallace and Gromit," and "The Jungle Book,")) we decided to take you to your first movie in the theater.

"The Muppets" was playing at our local dollar cinema, so we figured, "what the heck!" If you lasted 5 minutes, no worries!

But, you lasted 2 hours! The second we sat down, you got cozy in your Mommy's lap and calmly watched the pre-trailers, the trailers, the Toy Story short cartoon and, then, the main event: The Muppets!
You basically sat calmly and watched the movie, while occassionally being interested in the emergency exit lighting on the floor. But, mostly you loved the movie.

You got really engaged when they were singing, especially when they sing "The Rainbow Connection," which is also one of your lullabies!

Near the end, you got really excited and stood up on our laps and held on to the chairs in front of you, bouncing and sticking your tongue out.

Your first in-theater movie experience was a total success. We will have to take you again sometime.

It's amazing to me that you're almost 2 years old and we still have so many firsts to experience...but I look forward to the seconds, thirds and fourths too!

Can you keep a secret?

2/7/2012: Aidan, guess what? At dinner tonight your Mommy let me talk about my entire day at work and then she surprised me by telling me something very exciting. Your Mommy might not look like it...but...

It looks like you're going to be a big brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


2/8/2012: I just can't stop smiling!

2/9/2012: Baby Weinstein, we have a doctor's appointment all set up for a week from today..hopefully we'll get to see you and hear your heartbeat! The cravings are already beginning! Your Mommy's craving meat: hamburgers, steak, beef fajitas. Meat meat meat. Also, she had a bowl of cereal at 10 pm last night. And so it begins! How exciting! You must be a very hungry baby indeed! Your big brother, Aidan, is the only other person in the world who knows about your right now (except of course the scheduler at the doctor's office and the doctor). But we've already seen your Mimi and Pops and your Nana and we haven't slipped a word yet.

The three of us are happily keeping you our little secret. Aidan has been saying "baby" whenever he he sees a baby ("bay...beee!"), but he doesn't really quite know what's going on yet. Although, to be fair, it all seems so surreal to your Mommy and Me right now... I mean, right now you're just the size of a poppy seed and only a few weeks old. You will seem more real to us as the days and weeks go on and before you know it, you'll be able to come out here and meet us and play with your brother and your dogs; and we'll be able to hold you in our arms. But, for now, you stay in there, where it's nice and warm and do as much growing as you can. Who knows, we may even buy you a steak!



2/11/2012- The weekend has brought back some of our greatest hits, including: super smelling, tiredness and nausea!


After the first time a blanket was put up as a barrier so my nasal exhalings wouldn't directly hit your Mom, I was briefly offended. Then I remembered that your Mom gets super senses when she's pregnant! And Super Smelling came up first this time! (I also remembered that I have a stinky nose)


2/14/2012- Finally! Whew, we had an appointment at the doctor to take a look at you and hear your heartbeat. Then we lost that appointment. We tried to reschedule, but no one could watch your brother, Aidan. Finally we re-re-scheduled back to the original time. Thursday! Thursday! Thursday! We'll get to lay our eyes on you for the first time! (or a black and white sonogramic image of you that will look like a bean or a tadpole or something). We can't wait!


2/16/2012- And, the wait is over! We rushed to the doctor after dropping your brother off at school, excitedly ran into the lobby and... waited for a half an hour. You know...usual doctors office stuff.

But then, they finally saw us, and we could finally see you!

You exist! You are real! (Really real).

Right now, you're a black dot. See that black dot in the middle of the screen? Kinda looks like a doughnut? I don't either. But, apparently, that's you!
Dr. Bertrand confirmed that you are definitely growing in there! And that you'll probably be arriving in mid October, 2012. Your Mom thinks 10/11/12 would be a really rad day to be born. I'm not a fan of odd numbers, but at least the year is even and so is the month!

We'll be going back to the doctors in two weeks to check on you again and hopefully see and/or hear your heart beat!

And then, Dr. Bertrand said the 9 week sonogram is really the creme de la creme of sonography: the best picture you'll ever take (besides, maybe, graduation and wedding). So, we'll see you for picture day quite often!

But until then, you're safe in your Mom's tummy with me, your Mom, your Brother and your Dogs. I guess since this is our 'official' proof that your official, and we're gonna start telling our immediate support network (aka your grandparents and aunts and uncles), then I'd better officially welcome you to the family! Welcome, Baby Weinstein, the second!

The secret will soon be out, so, Aidan, if you're reading, you don't have to keep a lid on it any more-- you're going to be a big brother! And, little one, you are going to be a little sibling!!!

Super Sunday

Last Sunday we gathered with Brady, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Michelle and your Godparents to eat and watch the Super Bowl. Or the Halftime show. Or whatever.

In any case, Uncle BJ and Aunt Kari brought over their awesome camera and took some great pics and videos of you and Brady.

We love the video so much...it just captures what an evening playing is like in your life right now.

Perfectly captures the serenity of playing.

Almost makes you want to cry!