Month: December 2009

Bling Bling

I’m not a huge jewelry person.

I like to keep things pretty simple…and given the choice between a Louis Vuitton and a pair of diamond earrings, I would definitely choose the bag. I have a great pair of CZ solitaires that look like the real thing. When Vann proposed to me, he told me that my engagement ring was it – there would be no upgrades…which is fine with me (he has spectacular taste).

All of that said, with the impending arrival of my second baby I knew I wanted something to commemorate the occasion. If you’ve ever seen this kind of jewelry, it can sometimes be really cheesy…and I’m picky, so poor Vann has been looking for just the right thing.

When this charm necklace arrived in the mail last week, I was in love. Wendy, my sweet high school friend, sent it to me. I think it really says something about our 14 year friendship, don’t you? She totally hit it out of the ballpark, and I will cherish it forever.

Not to be outdone, Vann bought me this locket the day Ella was born. What a sweet husband I have! It’s super sparkly and blinged out, just like the ring he gave me 4 years ago.

I Heart the UPS Man

If you follow the Bischoff blog, you’ll notice a change in the quality of our pictures. We’ve been wanting a nicer camera for the longest time, so imagine our surprise when one showed up on our doorstep last week!! It’s a Nikon D40, a gift from Poppy, and as you can see, Vann has been busy figuring out how to use it.

Finally! We can snap all those moments you miss with a “point and shoot”. I’m so glad my hubby is a “manual reader” and is learning how to adjust the exposure and all that good stuff. The other night, when he was up with Ella, he watched the entire instructional DVD! Here are his first shots…pretty good, eh?

Speaking of Growth Spurts…

…it looks like Ella is smack-dab in the middle of one. She’ll be 6 weeks next Tuesday, so it stands to reason that she’s right on par. The last two nights for us have been incredibly rough. Vann has been giving her a bottle before bed and she just hasn’t been able to settle down after that feeding. After our “de-briefing” yesterday morning, we decided she might be better soothed if I do the feeding myself. No dice. She cried and cried. I tried to hold her off to the next feed and both of us ended up in tears.

She woke up from her 11 pm feeding after an hour and a half, when previously in the week she had been extending up to 4 hours. Naturally, when I heard her cry after only an hour and a half I was very discouraged. I fed her at 1:30 am and she went back to bed, sleeping until 5.

I know we aren’t the first to go through this and we won’t be the last…but I feel as though I am unraveling. I find myself forgetting to eat. I haven’t written a single thank you card. The desk in the office is piled up and I hate being so disorganized.

Today, with a clearer head (and after much reading online), I’m pretty convinced that Ella is in her 6 week growth spurt. She’s super fussy, waking earlier from naps, and is generally fretful and impatient during feedings. All of that coupled with the no-sleep thing is leaving me exhausted and feeling a bit crazy. “They” say that these things generally last 2-3 days, and it’s the baby’s way of increasing your milk supply to meet their growing demand. So, it’s a good thing, but Lord, if I’m still alive in 3 days, it will be a miracle. I’m to feed her when she’s hungry, which is ALL THE TIME.

Please pray for us as we navigate through this very trying week. Pray that I am able to find some time to sleep and that Ella starts extending her nights again. Pray that we can survive as Vann heads back to work for two days this next week.

On another note, we have received so many wonderful gifts for the girls, and I am unbelievably thankful. Please know that I fully intend on getting thank you’s done, it just might take me until Ella’s 1st birthday to do so. I continue to say it, we are incredibly blessed by our family and friends…

A Growth Spurt

Yesterday, I was changing Charlie into comfy clothes after her trip downtown and discovered that one of her 24 month t-shirts is now too small. This might not be a big deal to you, but she’s been in that size FOREVER and I’ve been holding off all the 2T gems because everything is either too long or too big.

Not anymore. I am surprised by how blue this makes me feel! My little girl is officially moving on from “baby” sizes. I can’t take it!!! I’m not ready!!!

Jolly Ole St. Nick

As you can see, Daddy had to be in the picture too. Apparently, my little rugrat wouldn’t cooperate otherwise. Both of them are wearing new holiday finds: Vann in J. Crew and Charlie in Janie and Jack.

Doesn’t she realize she’ll catch more bees with honey than with vinegar? She’d better learn how to butter Santa up…and by buttering up I mean not dive-bombing the baby with Little People.


Charlie’s Trip to the North Pole

I have the sweetest husband in the world.

Last year I took Charlie downtown to the big Macy’s to have her picture taken with Santa. Because Vann likes to humor me, he agreed to do the honors this year. Despite the cold temps, he and Charlie bundled up and took the train (how urban of them!) down to the Macy’s on State Street, and I picked them up after mom’s group. Here’s the start of their journey…