Our First Weekend Away

Since I became pregnant with Matthew, we have basically hunkered down and not traveled too far away. Once I hit week 13 in the pregnancy, we didn't venture anywhere! So you can imagine how I was a little nervous to up and leave our house for the weekend! Not only was I nervous, but I was dreading packing for Matthew. I know exactly what Michael and Claire need and packing for them is a breeze. But packing for a baby!! It has been so long and I was worried that I wouldn't bring everything for Matthew. But soon, all my fears were diminished and we were on our way to visit Damien's family. The weekend was great and all the kids did well. The only hiccup was that because Matthew slept so soundly on the 2 hour car drive, he temporarily mixed up his nights and days which led to some really long hours walking in circles in the middle of the night.

It was nice to be away from our house. I felt in a way that I was finally released from the crazy circumstances surrounding the pregnancy. Finally being able to travel cut any remaining ties that held me down and I felt free again!!

The weekend was packed full of fun family events. We celebrated Marlene's birthday, partied with our darling niece Megan as she turned 1, and just enjoyed being surrounded by family. It was wonderful for us and even more wonderful for our kids who had been troupers during the long pregnancy! I know they were thrilled to finally get away for a while. Some of the highlights of the weekend were: Damien's sister, Heather, buried a treasure for all her nieces and nephews to uncover and Michael in particular was blinded by the wonder of it all. While we there, were also able to introduce Matthew to Damien's grandparents, which in itself was a thrill. We met Damien's sister, Rosie's fiancé- as they were swinging through California from their home in Nebraska. And lastly, we got to see little Megan as she celebrated her first birthday and immersed herself in her little birthday cake.

It was wonderful to get away for a while. And although I had some minor anxiety about leaving home and bringing everything I needed for Matthew, all went well. I guess I am not as rusty in the baby department as I think.

St. Patrick's Day 2007

Until I met Damien, St. Patrick's Day never really held any meaning to me. Truthfully, I always found it an annoying holiday because truthfully, finding something green to wear was next to impossible for me. I never really gravitated to the color green and the thought that someone would pinch me for not wearing it, seemed . . . . well, silly. But all of this changed after meeting Damien (who is obviously Irish), after realizing that his Mom's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, and considering that Michael is a red head who I've been told, 'Wears the map of Ireland on his face'. So, chalk on up for good St. Patrick- for he now has a small place in my heart.


We ventured up to Damien's parents house this past weekend where all of the siblings gathered to celebrate his Mom's birthday. It was a lot of fun to see everyone and also spend the night away from our house for the first time in 8 months. We haven't left home since August because of the pregnancy and it was a welcome change to get away for a while. It was also nice to introduce Matthew to Damien's siblings and his grandparents.


On St. Patrick's Day, we all went to a lovely restaurant where we had a private room to celebrate Marlene's birthday. Lani and Heather did a lot of work to make sure the day was memorable and we could tell his Mom had a great time. All but one of her children was there and the room was filled with such life as six of her grandchildren ran circles around the beautifully decorated tables.


In true Swendsen fashion, there was quite the fanfare and Damien even took part in the action dressing as a very lively and masculine (ha!) leprechaun. Lani bought the costume and Damien agreed to wear it at the party, sight unseen, and he got quite the surprise when he realized the costume was a bit 'tighter' than he had first imagined. Nonetheless, he played the part to the fullest degree and Marlene and all the kids loved it. I have to admit that I was laughing at him so much that tears were running down my face. Maybe it wasn't the manliest of costumes, but I loved Damien's fearlessness and dedication to take one for the team and play the part 100%. Heavenly whipped out her Irish dancing costume from years ago and did an Irish Dance for her Mom and brought the party to a close. It was a great time and fun was had by all, even by Matthew who slept and ate throughout the whole party. (See evidence of this where Matthew's legs are sticking out from under the blanket.) Oh, the difficult life of a baby.

Claire's First Haircut

Okay. As a mother of three, I have learned to expect the unexpected. But how was I to expect that Claire was going to throw an all out tantrum upon arriving at the hair cutting salon!!! I was shocked. For 25 minutes, we went back and forth with her, trying to calm her down, wiping her nose, drying her tears. At a certain point, it became ridiculous! There were 2 year olds who were calm and happy while getting their hair cut and here I was calming my 4 1/2 year old! I love Claire so much and knew exactly what she was thinking. She thought that the hair 'cut' as in scissors, was going to hurt her. That is why I gave the woman a lock of my hair and told her to cut it in front of Claire. I thought it worked and Claire even let the lady cut a strand (1 strand) of hers. I thought we had a breakthrough, but alas, she started wailing soon thereafter.

Since Claire got stitches a month ago, she has been hesitant to trust anyone. I knew if I could calm her down, she would go through with it. We took her outside the salon and tried to calm her down- with no luck. Michael then piped in and said, "Mom, let me try . . ." and he had success. It was really cute to see the two of them hashing things out. Claire calmed. She then looked at her hair, took a deep breath and said to me, "Okay, if I get my haircut, will you get me a pet?" Damien and I almost choked! I asked her what kind of pet she wanted and she answered, "A goldfish". Because her goldfish died a year ago and I never got her a new one, I agreed. What a genius! She suckered us!

We really have been dragging our feet about getting her hair cut. It is so beautiful and curly and we were worried that if we cut it, she would lose her curl. After 25 minutes of hysterics, losing 3 inches of length, and trying not to lose our cool during her tantrum, I am happy to report that Claire still has plenty of curls, it looks cute, and Claire now says that getting your hair cut is 'no big deal'. Oh, and her goldfish named, Bubbly, isdoing just fine!!

Don't worry though, we got all of the mad hysteria on film and one day, we will all get a good laugh over the whole scenario!

Coming Full Circle

I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks since I gave birth to Matthew. Somewhere between here and there, I have made it to my first mile marker (6 weeks) and things have lightened up ever so slightly (note the emphasis on 'slightly').

I was really looking forward to my 6 week post-partum appointment. I was anxious for my doctor, Dr. Totman, and my nurse, Leslie, to meet Matthew. They were so instrumental in his journey and by Matthew meeting them; the whole long and difficult pregnancy was able to come full circle.

Everyone in the office touched a little part of my pregnancy. They were always wonderful to my kids when we came in for appointments, they were accommodating with my doctor's schedule and my gazillion appointments, and most importantly- they were rooting for me to have a big healthy baby. They were all so thrilled to see not only me, but Matthew (okay, Damien too). We received a warm and wonderful reception from all of them and it felt so good. My doctor was thrilled to hold Matthew and my nurse, who really befriended me, was brought to tears when she met him. I had a wonderful and supportive experience with all the people in my doctor's office.

In addition to me going in for my 6 week check-up, Matthew also saw his doctor for his 6 week check-up. He got a great report and is a healthy and happy little baby. He weighed in at 11 lbs. 4 oz. and grew over an inch in the past month. They grow up so fast! We don't go in for another month, so it will be nice to have a break from doctor's offices for a while!

Matthew has really started showing some of his personality. At 6 weeks, Matthew gave us his first smile (my heart melted and I teared up) and is really looking around a lot these days. He responds to all noises- mainly that of his big brother and sister, and is having a lot more awake time during the day. Thankfully, for the time being, he has figured out his nights and days and sleeps pretty soundly at night. He must be in a growth spurt because he is eating every 2 hours during the day with an occasional 3 hour stretch (woo-hoo). Because he is eating like a champ, Matthew is a certified poop machine and keeps us busy. We recently re-financed the house so that we can keep up with the high demand for size 1 diapers. He has started cooing and making sweet little noises. He is napping a little more soundly these days and spends at least a few naps in his bassinet, instead of our arms. He still sleeps with me at night (I love it!!!) and enjoys staring at mom for extended periods of time. I have no complaints with that! He is not a huge fan of his car seat. He usually fusses when I put him in there, but once the car starts moving, he calms down and either stares out the window or falls asleep. But, of course, once the car rocks to a stop- he fusses and sometimes practices using his lungs by screaming as loud as he can (Michael and Claire are not a fans of this). We still don't really know what color his hair is which is o funny! So to sum it all up . . . life with our 6 week old is great. We have all adjusted to 'Matthew Time' and are settling into life with Matthew The Boss.

Make Believe

Last week we got the kids together with some of their friends. We went over to Gisette and Chris Denker's place so that Michael and Claire could play with Quinn and Rex, their two little boys. It worked out particulariy well because the kids get along so well and I was able to catch up with Gisette. I have known Gisette since I was in college, but knew her primarily because she was the wife of my assistant coach at Santa Clara. It is great nowadays, because we have been able to form our own friendship which has been focused around our kids and our own personal interests.

While the kids played, we sat outside and chatted about life and enjoyed the beautiful day. We hadn't heard from the kids for a while, when they suddenly surfaced in dress up clothes. It was hilarious! Michael was in a Spiderman outfit, Quinn in Superman, and Claire in Batman. I am used to seeing Michael in these types of outfits, but usually see Claire decked out in pink Princess gear, in heels, with earrings on. So you could imagine how hard I had to bite my lip not to burst into hysterical laughter when she rounded the corner dressed as Batman. Claire is a very sensitive soul and DOES NOT like to be laughed at. I could see she was a little hesitant and was waiting for my reaction, so I told her how great she looked and moved on. When Damien got to the Denker's later in the night, I took out my camera and showed him these pictures. He had the same reaction as I did earlier, but was able to laugh out loud because Claire was not around.

All in all, it was an awesome night. Yes, we are back to the basics now that we have a new baby, but it is also nice to go over to someone's house for a play date and let the kids disappear and have fun with their friends. The whole experience from talking with Gisette, watching Michael and Quinn wrestle WWF style in their bouncy house, seeing Claire in her costume, eating a delicious BBQ cooked by her parents, and kicking back and watching basketball with Chris really hit the spot. We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to getting together with them again really soon.

Matthew's First Cold

The first thing I have my kids do when they get home from school is wash their hands. Rub, rub, rub off the germs from the kid who was sent to school, even though he was sick. Wash off the sneezes, the nose rubs, the guinea pig food residue- just wash it off and start over. Yes, this 'washing of the hands' is my first line of defense against sickness, but sometimes- it just isn't good enough. About a week ago, Claire came down with a cold. Her nose ran NON-STOP for days! Soon, Michael starting sniffling and it was over. No matter how many times I told them not to touch Matthew's hands, to please not touch Matthew's face, said, "Wait- did you just kiss Matthew on the mouth?" it didn't matter. How can you really tell toddlers to not kiss and love on their new brother? I did the best job I could to keep them away from him when they were in my presence, but who knows how and where Michael and Claire touched Matthew when I turned my back?

This brings us to today. Day 3 of a really bad cold for my poor 5 week old baby. He is so stuffed up and uncomfortable. Soothing a baby this little is hard and I have used up every ounce of energy and patience to keep him and my other two kids happy. No one likes having a sick baby. It alters any schedule or routine you have, typically deprives you and your child of sleep, and just down right- stinks.

When Claire got stitches, my Mom told me that the more kids you have- the crazier things get. She is so right and I think that I should get used to my littlest one not feeling well. With two school aged kids, spending their day in their petri-dish of a school, colds and flus will soon become more of a constant in my life. So, I guess I should stock up on Tylenol and keep my humidifier close by.

Life with three is proving to be interesting and complex. But none of this compares to the joy, happiness, laughter, and love it provides us all.

To Blog, Or Not To Blog . . .

In the beginning, the intention of this blog was to keep people informed about my pregnancy and all the details accompanying it. Yes, that was the intention, but I soon realized that writing this blog was so much more than that. Having majored in English in college, I have always loved to write. I find that the thoughts and feelings in my mind and heart become more real and coherent when I put them in writing. Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often have amazing ideas or emotionally charged thoughts that are all too often forgotten. Writing this blog has captured many of these 'would-be-forgotten' feelings while chronicling a very important time of my life.

When you have children, life can really take off on you. When they are babies, we buy Baby Books with the intention of recording every 'first' and detailing the sweetness of their first year of life. Let me be the first to laugh at this notion! Michael's baby book is pretty well kempt. He was my first child and as many of us know, the first child generally has the more detailed baby book, the most pictures of them as a baby/child, etc. But when the second child comes, you have a lot more on your plate! Claire's baby book is fairly intact, but what differs the most from Michael's- is that a lot of her firsts and memories are jotted down on post-it-notes. I did this with the idea that they would be transferred some day when I had more time (insert hysterical laughter). When I think back, I am thankful that I was at least able to get to paper and a pen and record some of these memories. Having two babies 17 months apart was about enough to put me over the edge! That is why I acknowledge the small victory that at least I found the time to record things! If I didn't have the faculties about me to jot some of Claire's stories down, I would've forgotten the time she ate Desitin or when she used to call cheeseburgers, 'cheese-yats'. I might have blanked when recalling how Michael used to flick our fingernails to relax or how he called Claire, 'Hi' (we used to tell him, 'Say Hi to your sister' and he took this literally by referring to her as 'Hi' instead of 'Claire').

So what will Matthew's baby book look like? So far, I have entered the statistical information about his birth details, a few items on family history- but I see so many pages upon pages of empty stats that I fear will never be filled. Because seriously . . . between cleaning, making meals, doing laundry, driving carpool, showering (who am I kidding) and breathing, I am swamped. Yet, as I continue to keep up with the wear and tear of being a mother of three, I still find time to blog. Why? Because I truly enjoy writing. It makes me feel good. It empowers me and reminds me to enjoy the little things in life because at the end of the day, the 'little things' are what keep you going. Since I started blogging back in October, I have over 55 articles about my life and the life of my family. Some the blog entries were emotionally charged with the stress of Matthew's pregnancy, but other entries simply capture the daily grind of our little family. I wrote about field trips, my memories as a child, the pregnancy- all the while successfully creating a written 'slice of life' that is captured forever in my own words.

I am not sure who reads this blog. I am not able to see how many times my blog is visited or who reads what entry- unless you leave me a comment. But what I know for sure is that sharing my life experiences with others has been a wonderful experience for me. I have always been an open person, so sharing my joys and my shortcomings with people is not too difficult. So, while my beautiful Matthew may never have a fully detailed baby book, he will instead have a detailed journal of his beginning, a written recording of his precious life experiences, and a glimpse into the lives of the people around him. What will make all of this extra special is that these memoirs will be blogged straight from the heart of his Mom. Who knows? Maybe blogs are the new Baby Books of the 21st century! Let's wait and see.

Shootin' Hoops

Back in January, Michael started playing basketball on his very first team. He has always liked to shoot hoops in the backyard and practice his dribbling, but he has never played the game with the flow from offense to defense. His first game was hilarious! While he was trying to figure everything out, he kept his feet moving a mile a minute and followed the other kids back and forth- up and down the court. By game 2, he understood a lot more and contributed a lot more. With each week, he's enjoying the game and having a lot of fun with his friends.

The greatest part of the whole experience for me is that Michael is being coached by Chris Denker, who coached me at Santa Clara. His son, Quinn- plays with Michael and it is such a thrill to see them playing together and to see Chris giving Michael direction on the court, the same way he did for me.

One of the funny, well- actually not so funny things is that Michael's team is named the Pink Ponies and they were given pink uniforms. Why the director gave one of the 5 teams pink jerseys, is beyond me. Hasn't anyone ever heard of primary colors? Chris told the kids (mostly the boys who were displeased with the jerseys) that he would fix the problem and his awesome wife, Gisette, tie-dyed the uniforms. Just a side note so when Michael is older and looks at these pictures and wonders why he wore a tie-dyed uniform, he will know.

We are having a blast watching him play and are enjoying seeing Michael develop a love for the game.