Eye Candy

I've always wanted to be part of a flash mob...




This one is from last year, but so cool!

And, I don't know if this video will link properly, but I can not get this out of my head.  You have to click on it, and take a few minutes to watch these people.  I keep thinking, "I So want to do this!" and then I watch it again, and think, "These people are crazy!"  Fascination....inspiration...exhiliration....insane!  Haven't decided whether or not to add this to my list of things to do after the kids are grown, probably be too late...maybe I'll just start with bungee jumping, or white water rafting.

Dom, dom, dom, dom, dom, de, doobe, dom

Wondering how we chose his name? It's not from this little song or video, although this is cute. =) We've had this name picked out since we were pregnant with Cecilia.

We both just liked the name Dominic. The name means, "of the Lord." I knew a guy named Dominic, and people called him Dom for short, and I loved that. It reminded me of this song.



This song was always one of mom's favorites, from the year she graduated high school. Plus, it was on the Stand By Me soundtrack which I listened to continuously from about the time I was 11 or 12 to 14 or 15. What a great movie and soundtrack.

The name Calvin comes from John's grandpa, John Calvin Smith, whom John was named after.  Somewhere along the way I'll try to find a picture of John's grandpa.  John looks a lot like him.  From what I've heard about him, he was a quiet farmer from Hicksville, OH.  John has his eyes, and his posture.  When I envision John as an old man, I always picture his grandpa.

Well, busy day today, I've got my two week check up, and a few last minute gifts to buy.  Tomorrow is Dominic's 2 week check up.  How can two weeks have gone by already?  I keep trying to count the days on my hands, not accepting that it's been 2 weeks already.  I've just started to feel a little better, but I feel like those days are lost, and his life is already on the fast track.  I'm looking forward to spending some nice time with my family of 5 (today is Johns last day of work for 2 weeks, Wee!) and in between we've got Christmas Eve at the farm, Christmas Day at our house with John's parents, and then Cecilia's birthday at Chuck E Cheese.  When does life slow down?  When do I have that quiet maternity leave full of new baby love?

"I Don't Want to Talk About Him Right Now."

 Cecilia loves to hold Baby Brother.

 Charlotte giving Dominic a snuggle, or posing for the camera, you choose.

Big Sister, Little Brother

The girls are really really good with little Dominic (minus Charlotte sneezing on his face this morning.)  Abbey took the girls Friday, Friday night and Saturday.  They hung out at Christy's house, watched movies.  Cecilia wasn't feeling well, she threw up on the way from our house to theirs, and had a fever, and just laid on the couch most of Saturday evening.  Christy said she asked how baby brother was and Cecilia said, "I don't want to talk about him right now."  Not sure if she just wasn't feeling good, or was relishing her time away from him, but it makes me laugh a little.  I can get myself all worked up about sibling rivalry, and I have to remind myself that it's normal, and natural.  As sweet and good natured as Cecilia is, she can have just the right amount of sass, and coming from my own personality of mostly happy with some attitude, I can appreciate Cecilia's willingness to say what she means.

Wannabe

I like this picture the best.  Becky made his little hat and I don't think he's taken it off since.  Becky let me borrow the basket too.  She's so great.  =)  We tried to take these sort of pictures when Maggie was tiny, but it didn't work out quite as nice.  I have a running list in my head of things I want to do when I'm old and grey, and I told John a couple months ago that I want to take professional pictures later in life, and he said, "Sure everyone else does."  =(

 I like his little foot sticking out.

Blissfully Ignorant

This picture was taken the night before Dominic was born, December 7th, 2011.  Looks how cute and innocent I look.    Remember when I said that I thought being pregnant was worse than having a new born?  How naive of me.  How special.  How idiotic.  Here I sit 8 days later, feeling the weight of a newborn child hit our life like a ton of bricks.  And he only weighs 7 and a half pounds!  To be fair, it's not really right to blame Dominic.  He's cute and sweet and just doing what newborns do.  He can be fun and the girls just adore him and can't keep their hands off him.  Here's how my life is shaping up right about now.  (funk soul brother)

1.  I have a terrible cold.  I lost my voice most of the time I was in the hospital, with people visiting and nurses asking me questions, and family members calling on the phone, my voice was being most annoying.  I went to the clinic yesterday (what a day that was) convinced I had a sinus infection, but no, I only have the common cold.    I know you're not supposed to take antibiotics if you're not really sick, and I am one of the biggest proponents of that, but it is frustrating to feel so awful and leave the clinic with no medicine.  The nurse wanted to give me tylenol with codine, but wasn't sure she could because I am nursing.  It feels like the world is going to stop and my C-section stitches are going to burst right open when I cough.  Good times.
2.  I once again have those pesky superficial blood clots in my legs.  My OB's nurse called yesterday and when I told her about them and how they were getting worse, she insisted I go get them checked with doppler that day.  So, I called Dad, and he drove Dominic and I to the vascular diagnostic center, then to the clinic.  It was a long tiresome day, but I was very appreciative that Dad could help me, as yesterday was John's first day back at work.  The blood clots will all go away on their own, but they stretch up and down the outside of both legs, and continuing up to my groin area.  They are red, hard, and very tender, and I always seem to bump them on a chair as I go by, or Charlotte or Cecilia seem to know just where they are when they try to climb on me.
3.  The breastfeeding is harder than I remembered.  I know I'll get the swing of it, but it's been a tough few days at home.  Most of the time I feel like I have two croquet balls instead of boobs.  Good times.
4.  Someone has called to talk to me about work almost everyday, and I have put in some computer time 3 days so far, including payroll today.  I know plenty of you can't believe I only take a few weeks off, but I'm here to tell you that that seems like a long time to me, and to everyone I work with.  It's not like I'm one of 5 accountants, and the other 4 can just take on a little extra work while I am gone.  I like work, I like to feel needed, and valuable, and like I'm accomplishing something, but with these other medical issues, and such a short amount of time off, it does seem unreasonable on occasion.
5  My body still thinks I'm pregnant.  My belly is still huge.  My ankles and hands are still swollen.  My midriff is still covered in glue from the tape and bandages.  I can't really see my C-section scar or stitches, and it's never, ever a good idea to step on the scale 5 days after having a baby.  Talk about depression.
6.  Thankfully we've had lots of help with the girls.  We're cashing in all our favors.  Cecilia and Charlotte stayed here with John's parents while I was in the hospital, and since then have gone to Amanda's, Dad and Lesa's and are spending today, tonight and tomorrow with Abbey.  It's a little chaotic here with all 5 of us, and this morning I did 4 hours with just me and the three little ones, and with the help of a cartoon or two and my patience when two glasses of water spilled,  it went really well.  And as much as I love and need the help, and the world is turned a little upside down when we're all together, I always miss them when they're gone.  They are sweet girls, and John is like super Dad and super Husband, and I know once we get past all this transition, Dominic will fit right in.  I don't want to wish away his first few days, but I will have to say I'm looking forward to the day when this all seems like second nature. =)

Birth Announcement App

I made this cute little birth announcement on my phone.

Brand new, 7 pounds 12 ounces

Cecilia and Charlotte meet Dominic

All dressed and ready to go home

He's here!

Dominic Calvin Mooney was born on December 8th at 7:55 am. He weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces at birth and is 20 1/2 inches long. We are all doing fine, hope to go home from the hospital on Sunday. Pictures will be coming soon.

The Day Before

Up early this morning, trying to figure it all out.  Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile, and although I crossed almost everything off my "to-do" list at work, I have a brand new list staring at me today, and then again, tomorrow, another all new list.  Work has been busy, that's for sure.  I have been squeezing every second out of every day there for months to get done all that I needed to get done.  Now that my job responsibilities are behind me for a short period of time, I'm starting to feel apprehensive about the very near future.  Yes, I can I look at the mountain of baby boy clothes and get excited.  But that's the easy part.  I am very excited to hold him and look at him, and share in the miracle of creating a child.  But, one of the hardest things to do, I find, as a mother, is add another family member to my cast of immediate family.  Cecilia and Charlotte are so good, and so cute, and I already wish I had more time with them, how am I going to not hurt their feelings by dividing my time even more?  I tell myself that a sibling is a gift, and I truly believe that, but the transition will be hard, especially when tiny newborns require SO MUCH attention, and Charlotte clings to me like no other 2 year old. I wish I was going into my Jan- May time of year, working part time, with just the girls.  I wish this pregnancy was just beginning, and the baby would be here late May.  Is that a bad thing for me to say?  I guess so, one day before he's going to be here.  I'm anxious about how the girls will be in the hospital, or what it will be like when they all need my attention.  I can still remember how my heart felt like it was breaking for Cecilia when I first had Charlotte.  And now they are inseparable, and no one can even remember when we only had Cecilia.

Anxious is the name of this pregnancy.  I have felt anxious for months now, and I guess tomorrow, my anxiety becomes reality.  Maybe everything will go smoother than I imagine.  A girl can hope...

Blue Barn

One good thing about living in Ste. Genevieve is that I'm a sucker for a picture of a barn.  I prefer old barns, but sometimes new ones can be photogenic too.  My favorite are the ones that you can see all the way through the gangway.  Since I don't drive past my Dreaming Tree anymore, I might substitute barn pictures instead.

This barn is in Coffman, almost directly across from one of the wineries out there.  I noticed it for the first time yesterday.  Guess I was always too busy looking at the winery to notice the blue barn and blue sky compliment.  Seems peaceful.

Can.Not.Wait

Daniel Day-Lewis (be still my heart) is playing Abraham Lincoln in a film directed by Steven Spielberg next year.  OHHH!!!! This article describes Daniel as presidential and says he, "just exudes rugged authenticity."

Swoon!

Oldies But Goodies

This is how I spent much of my childhood; playing with the cats at the farm.  This guy's name was Felix, and he might have been one of the most tolerant, patient farm cat ever.  They rode the big wheel with me, slid down the slide, swang on the swing, I fed them bottles of milk, dressed them up in baby clothes, and even had circuses with those cats where they got thrown through the air doing flips as acrobats.  Mom and Dad drew the line only twice with my cat antics, once when I drenched them in the baby pool (trying to teach them to swim?) and once when I squirted food coloring all over the white ones.  As I look back on it now, seems very innocent and imaginative, and I never remembered being bored.  For a little girl on a remote farm, a cat is as good of a friend as they come.

This one sure is cute. =)  I'm probably 3 or 4 in this picture, and so that makes Joe 13 or 14.  I'm pretty sure this picture was taken at Famous Barr in downtown St. Louis, where they had the Famous Barr Bear village that we walked through while waiting to see Santa.