Waiting on Santa

Car and I heard that Santa was going to be in Richmond last weekend, so we packed up MR and hit the road. Of course, the man from the North Pole wasn't the only reason we made the trip. We were also craving some of the finest food from the Far East -- P.F. Chang's. After our standard meal of Lettuce Wraps, Mongolian Beef, and Pork Fried Rice, we were on a mission to find Santa.

The first challenge was finding a parking spot. After circling for 10 minutes, it was clear I was going to have to make the sacrifice. I dropped Car and MR off at the mall entrance and told them I'd catch up. I found a spot on the other side of the mall and hustled to find my girls.

We finally found Santa around 3:45pm. Unfortunately, he was minutes away from his afternoon break. One of his elves assured us that he would be back in action by 4:15. Just after 4:00, we heard a rumor that he would be gone until at least 4:45. Car confirmed this with the elves. We were in a fix. As most of you know, timing is everything with a baby. Especially a breast-fed baby.

We had a decision to make. Mary Reese was due to eat at 4:30. This meant that Car had to either whip it out in the Food Court or go to the car to pump. She chose the latter. Now remember that I dropped her off and she didn't know where I ended up parking. It's common knowledge that my dear wife is directionally challenged. However, her mission was clear and there was no way we were abandoning our position at the front of the line. She had 30 minutes to find the car, do the deed, and get back in time to introduce MR to Santa.

With some excellent directions from me, Car found the Honda in 5 minutes flat. While she was doing her thing, MR and I watched the line grow longer by the minute. I knew we had made the right decision when I saw the line was over 150 feet long. The holiday spirit was clearly in the air as kids became rambunctious and parents began to lose their patience. Mary Reese, who was starving at this point, was a ticking time bomb. I knew she could unleash her fury at any minute. Fortunately for her and everyone else in the Food Court, Car showed up just in time. We still had 10 minutes to spare.

I fed Mary Reese and listened to Car's adventures running through the mall with a bottle of breast milk. You know Car, and you know she was kickin' some heels. As if running in heels isn't hard enough, she was also wearing a pair of stretch jeans that by this point, were quite stretched. Needless to say, when they came down, they almost brought her down with them. Huffing and puffing, she managed to jerk them up with her free hand and barely broke stride.

All in all, MR's first encounter with Santa was a success! He was quite patient while we did our best to direct MR's attention to the camera. Despite the "deer in the headlights" expression, she was comfortable in his lap, and perhaps even a little fond of the man in red.

c & g



The infamous stretch jeans

In case you wanted to know what your
first grade teacher looked like as a kid.

Getting ready for a bath

Mary Reese's first babysitters

It was just a matter of time before the real world appeared and made us climb down from our cloud. Car had to return to the classroom as part of her masters program and complete 70 hours (2 full school weeks) of observation. While exploring childcare options, we learned a few things that they should tell all new parents -- to summarize, finding good childcare is hard. We always thought it was tough to find a nice place to board Sadie, but that's nothing compared to this. Did you know that most places require contracts these days? Evidently day care and cell phone providers have something in common. None of them are even close to perfect and they resort to legal instruments and financial penalties to keep you from going to their competitor every time you're dissatisfied with their service.

Lucky for us, our family stepped in to help us out. Mom and Wiby flew up the Sunday after Thanksgiving to look after MR the first week. Unfortunately, Wiby was sick as a dog all week and wound up spending more time in our guest bedroom than he would care to remember. The next week, MR was off to "Building Blocks" under the watchful eye of Aunt Julie. In typical Harrell fashion, Car coined the nickname "Building Blocks" for Julie's babysitting service. Julie had her hands full with the cousins, but I think everyone enjoyed the week together.

Thanks to our family, Car was able to enjoy her time back in the classroom. Now we just have to figure out the plan for spring semester. Car will be doing her student teaching for 12 weeks in a first grade classroom. Any volunteers?

g

Thanksgiving by the numbers

We had a good trip home for Thanksgiving. Mary Reese made it down to Eastman and Waycross for the first time and had a chance to meet a lot of you. Looking back on the pictures, it's obvious that we need to take more pictures during gatherings, especially family shots. Below is a summary of our Thanksgiving by the numbers, along with a few pictures.

1467.....Miles driven
132.......Hours away from home
33.........Nearest I-85 exit in Charlotte when we passed Lauren and her family headed to D.C.
28.........Hours in the car
27.........Family members Mary Reese met (almost one per hour driven)
6...........Days on the road
4...........States traveled

Three weary travelers

One cute little pilgrim

Three generations...MR meets Mema

Two bushels of oysters roasted

One doting cousin

Two oyster shuckers

One proud grandfather

One tired, but still cute, little girl

G's Birthday Celebration

As you get older, it's easy to let a holiday become just another day. The exceptions to this are definitely Christmas, and probably Thanksgiving for most of us. Everything else is subject to the "it's just another day" mentality. Car and I have managed to make our birthdays, special days this fall. It always helps to have family and friends join in the celebration. Whether it's Chicken Parm with cake, or a night out at the Japanese steakhouse, it's always a party when the Bouceks and Harveys get together.

Car leveraged her craftiness to create the best poster-sized birthday cards ever. As if their personalities werent' big enough, Car made Mary Reese and Sadie larger than life.

Hendley enjoyed the show

Best hibachi chef ever...there was a little mix-up on the sign to flash.

Remembering November

Christmas is just around the corner, which means I should probably post our November blogs. Expect a flurry of activity this afternoon as we reflect on November in words as well as in pictures.

We overhauled our blog layout to freshen things up a bit. Let us know if something doesn't look quite right. We're tweaking it as we go.

g

Bulldawg Blackout

Mary Reese made her Official Georgia tailgating debut last weekend for the Bulldawg Blackout against Auburn. It was a beautiful day in Athens. Just right for meeting tons of family, including her cousin Reynolds. Everyone had a great time catching up and hanging out with the new recruits. The Dawgs got it done in style thanks to an animated coach and a stadium full of fans that never sat down. I am proud to say I broke it down with Soulja Boy in the 4th quarter, but nothing like Moreno and Brown. When you can only make it to one game a year, there's no holding back. We are already looking forward to next year...

g

Car, Mary Reese and I

Mary Reese and Coach

Mary Reese, Will, and I

Zeke with Mary Reese, me with Reynolds

Double change

Tailgating with a newborn alters the cooler landscape

Mary Reese, Hannah, and I

The Gang

The Blackout

Bulldawgs back with fresh talent

Note: I'm posting this blog over a week late, but leaving the original date as it was mostly written at that time.

After 3 days of steady rain, Saturday was perfect. Max and Carol were in town again to visit the grandgirls, the sky was clear, and the breakfast was fabulous. How could it be anything but perfect when you're at the Tavern with the Harrells, Bouceks, and Harveys.

Max and I spent the remainder of the morning cleaning out the basement that had flooded for the third time in as many days. There's no point in having a sump pump if it's not installed correctly. A few tweaks later, it drained the basement in no time at all. As if the rain wasn't enough, Max also found a substantial leak in our washing machine hose that was contributing to the high tide.

After a little automotive work on the Jeep, we took off to Lowe's for a replacement hose and a shiny, new pair of Channellocks. By game time, we had employed an array of handyman skills. I'm sure most of you know how rare it is for a single home improvement project to go as planned, much less four or five in the same day. I'm sure my next project will be a doozie . I've wasted many a Saturday mornings away waiting for game time with guilt. But this Saturday was different. We popped the top with a clear conscience and the pride that comes from a job well done.

The media and most fans seem to be attributing the Bulldawg's stellar performance to Coach Richt's celebration stunt after the first touchdown. However, they are wrong. The winds of change blew strong throughout the off season and the early part of the 2007 season, bringing with it the most prized new recruits in Bulldawg history. No doubt Georgia will once again dominate the Gators with the help of freshmen talent: Hendley, Reynolds, and Mary Reese. I'm already looking forward to next year! Go Dawgs!

g

The Gameday crew

Go Dawgs!

Car's Birthday

Sometime Sunday afternoon, October 14th...

"Did you know your birthday is Tuesday?"
"Yeah, I just thought about it the other day. I can't believe it's here already."
"Do you want to grab a bite to eat or get out of the house?"
"Nah, with everything going on lately, I just want to take it easy."
"Ok, sounds good."

Return to present day, October 17th...

Sometimes these mutual agreements offer a reprieve from the challenging decisions associated with a special occasion. Other times, they are simply an opportunity for failure. You know what I'm talking about. How many times have you heard of a mutual break up and said to yourself, "yeah, right..."? The same logic applies - is the feeling really mutual? Although I felt our agreement was about as mutual as it could be, I decided to break it. Here's how it played out:

1:00 pm October 16th...while at work

one day a year
weeks of focusing on mary reese
nice to do something for car
but what
too late
can think of something
could get her a cake
can't
won't like having whole cake around
mary reese
sadie
make them sick
could get cupcakes
too small
could cook
don't want same old thing
what can i do
wait
have family here
why didn't i think of that sooner
been years since had family around on birthday
call julie
can y'all come
great
you've got the sides
i'll grill
i got the cake
bye
this may work out after all
what am i going to grill
take too long
she's got homework
meeting
meeting
talk to boss
chandlers
good idea
google
website
call
yellow cake
strawberry filling
buttercream frosting
done
love the internet
love efficient operations
call julie
bill's chicken parm
julie's caeser salad
awesome
i got the cake
see you 6:15
hey car
what want for supper
ok
i'll make it
be ready at 6:30
you should shower
ok
finish your homework
house can't be messy
cleaning
straightening
what's that
7:00
ok
call julie
hey bill
change of plans
7:00
bye
how's the homework
what about a shower
ok
finish your homework
hey y'all
she's upstairs
sorry
forgot the boiling water
car
upstairs in shower
guess she heard y'all
hey car
feel better
good
yeah
7:00
y'all
no idea
i'm serious
awesome
yeah car
noise
mary reese
yeah
it is
hilarious
no idea
happy birthday

It couldn't have turned out better if I'd have spent a month planning it. Thanks to Julie, Bill, and Hendley for all the help. It would have been just another night without y'all. The food was delicious and the fellowship even better. And just in case you are wondering, it was the best cake we've ever had.

gG, C, MR, Bill, Hendley, Julie

Mary Reese wishes Car a happy birthday

MR hits the town...

Mary Reese got to meet yet another set of grandparents this past weekend. Joe and Carol loaded up the truck and hit the road last Wednesday. One day and 675 miles later, they were hanging out with the newest addition to the family, her recovering mother, and a nearly out of work dad.

What a weekend...We spent Thursday and Friday just visiting and taking it easy. Which was a good call because Saturday was action-packed. We were blessed with a beautiful fall day in Virginia made even better with burgers and fries from Five Guys. After we filled up, Mary Reese reminded us she needed to eat as well. She had her meal in the back seat of the car while Joe and Carol did a little shopping.

With full stomachs, Mary Reese and I dropped Car off at Old Navy to do a little non-maternity shopping while she and I listened to some football in the parking lot. Joe and Carol walked up just in time to assist with Mary Reese's first outdoor changing...in the trunk. I now understand why so many moms are driving SUVs...

Next we headed for the mountains to drink in the sun, scenery, and a little wine. Our trip to Veritas Vineyards marked the first trip to a vineyard for Joe, Carol, and Mary Reese. We're hoping her head start isn't indicative of things to come... For the record, she slept while we enjoyed a sampling of Veritas wines in the beautiful tasting room. She continued to sleep as we sat outside on the deck and took in the Blue Ridge mountains.

She's not one to miss a meal though, and soon demanded her second meal on the run that afternoon. Car tried to be discrete and feed her in an out of the way spot on the steps, but the wedding party in waiting had other ideas. They parked it on the deck right above us and gave Car a new appreciation for the hooter hider. In addition to crowding us, the wedding party proceeded to cut our time short and ran us off. But not before we snapped a few good pictures and imbibed a wonderful bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc.

gThe gang at Veritas Vinyards

Mary Reese napping on the porch

C, G, MR, C

Car and her hooter hider

Papa Joe and a happy Mary Reese

Mr. Mom

Over the last two days, I have become that which some men can only dream of...That iconic figure misunderstood by bachelors, adored by bachelorettes, aspired to by fathers, and admired by mothers and mothers-to-be...They made a movie in anticipation of me, and even a song. That's right, I am Mr. Mom. I don't know why the standard term of Dad won't do. After all, we offer the same services on a routine basis. It must just be that in these circumstances we are resigned to our fate, no longer negotiating for a reduced workload while performing at a higher level.

Situation report - my girls and their respective afflictions:

• Mary Reese - newbornitis (not currently recognized by the AAP, but parents everywhere understand the trying condition)
  
• Sadie - sprained ankle (I swear it wasn't my fault)
  
• Car - infection, resulting in extremely high fever, exhaustion, aches, pains and every other flu-like symptom

My girls kept me busy..."Car, take your medicine"..."Mary Reese, I just changed you"..."Sadie, there's no way you have to go again"..."you can't be hungry, you just ate"... During these two days, Car never set foot downstairs and Sadie was carried up and down the stairs. I probably took the vet's orders of "strict rest" a little too seriously, but she could barely walk and I'm a sucker for a lady in distress.

By Thursday afternoon, the fever broke and Car was feeling better. Sadie was walking again and Mary Reese was potty-trained. Oh wait...that was a dream. Lately it's been getting harder to tell dreams from reality as the sleep deficit continues to grow. No worries though, at this point Mr. Mom can change diapers in his sleep.

g (a.k.a. Mr. Mom)

Ain't wastin' time no more...

Mary Reese was more than fashionably late for her birthday, but she seems compelled to get on with life now. She has stepped it up a notch lately, checking meaningless milestones off her list and forging ahead toward milestones yet to come.

Her first pseudo achievement was the shedding of her umbilical cord. I'm sure those of you reading this without child are wondering how we could celebrate such a weird, you might even say disgusting, milestone. But I can assure you it is worthy. Numerous steps are taken during the early days to avoid disturbing this useless appendage. Things like folding diapers down, gingerly putting on or taking off clothes, and most importantly, delaying the first bath. That's right, your precious child goes through the first couple of weeks au natural. It's a good thing puberty is a decade away.


On a lighter note, The Manny was in town yesterday, so Mary Reese and Car walked down the road to Aunt Julie's new favorite restaurant, Anna's Pizza, to visit with Hendley and her entourage. This of course was Mary Reese's first social outing. I'm sure one day Mary Reese and Hendley will look back on it fondly, perhaps during their collegiate years when socials are the norm instead of the exception.

The first walk around the block took place later that same evening. Mary Reese, Car, and I took off for a quick spin. Nothing too extraordinary. Just one small step toward the millions of steps that Car, Julie, and the girls will take on The Grounds over the months to come.

I guess beauty isn't all that's in the eye of the beholder...

g

Her first outing

Additional Milestones

First nap on the porch

Reading the newspaper with Dad

Sacked out

A week in the life of a newborn...

One week down and many, many more to go...

Mary Reese's first week was action-packed with endless cycles of sleeping, eating, and excreting. Somehow she managed to find time to visit with family in between her primary activities...

Not many can say that they attended their first Georgia tailgate at the young age of 3 days old, but that's just what she did. The Dawgs weren't on TV, so we had to crank up the XM radio and tailgate on our patio in the front yard. We were the only ones around listening to the Bulldogs, since everyone else was tailgating for the Virginia game. We tried to teach the Virginians a thing or two about tailgating, but they didn't show up until 2 hours before kickoff, so there just wasn't enough time. Tailgating relations became somewhat strained when Max, in response to a question from some Virginia fans about how good Florida really is, casually stated that they could beat any team in the ACC by four touchdowns. When they didn't offer him another chicken leg, he got the message and retreated to friendlier tailgates. The afternoon was perfect and everyone had a great time. Some of the crew even walked down to Durty Nelly's for a bite to eat and a beer.

Mary Reese's first doctor's appointment almost didn't happen since the nurse was calling for "Mary" and that was just a little too much of a stretch for Car and I to make the connection. After narrowing it down between the two babies in the waiting room, we went back to see the doctor. She has now passed her birth weight and weighs in at a healthy 9 pounds. Although, if she had relieved herself before the weigh-in instead of after (still on the scale), it might have been close. She left with a clean bill of health and a cute sticker from her vaccination.

She is most alert in the evening, anywhere from 7pm to 3am. After keeping Car up late last night, she's helping me write this as we listen to the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards on XM radio online. The jury is still out, but I think she's a fan.

It felt like we had a house full this past weekend, even though no one was staying here. We were just too stingy to share the sleepless nights. I can't remember the last time we slept for 8 hours straight, but 2 hour blocks of sleeping broken up by 1 hour blocks of feeding, changing, and burping take their toll on you. We quickly learned to accept any and all help offered while we adapted to our new "normal". We would like to think our family and friends for all the prayers, love, and support during this special time.

mr, c, & g

The Harveys

Carly teaching Mary Reese the importance of porch time...

Play time in the crib...