Out n’ About

This past weekend was a busy one, with a double-outing on Saturday!  We started out the day at University Village in Seattle, doing a  little shopping for mom & dad.  a friend of Brian’s from work gave us a “friends & family” discount card for Gap & Banana Republic, and  it actually caused the words “I could use some new jeans and shirts” to come out of Brian’s mouth.  When the man says he needs to shop, you don’t ask any questions, you just go shopping!

Finn slept through most of the shopping excursion, cozy in his car seat stroller, but we found a way to help him multitask just the same…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He did a great job surviving 3+ hours rolling around the outdoor mall on a lovely fall day.  We had our own “tailgate party” as well, with Finn’s lunch being served out the back of Brian’s Acura.

That evening we visited our friends the Torgersons in Redmond for some wine, appetizers, delicious brownies compliments of their seven year old daughter Mari and some baby story-swapping. 

Sunday was the Seahawk game for Brian and a day of rest for a weary and fussy Cindy & Finn.  Unfortunately, the Hawks continued a recent tradition of the Seattle sports’ downward spiral, despite Finn’s obvious support of the home team. 

Time to get this boy a Ducks uniform so he can back a winning collegiate franchise at the very least!! :)

-cw

I’m Three Weeks Old Today!

It is pretty hard to believe that Finn has now been in our lives for three weeks.  Some days, it feels like we’ve known him forever – others he still seems like a little stranger sleeping in our room.  Either way, every day we learn new things about our mini-man!

Today, we experimented with a nap upstairs in his nursery crib (vs. the pack n’ play or infant seat downstairs) in an attempt to move him to his crib for nights.  I’d say his two hour stint up there, veggin’ out to lullaby songs inspired by The Cure (an ode to his father) was a resounding success!  Maybe tonight is the night we get some sleep with our little Mr. McSnorty Snort in his own room. 

In the meantime, it is good to know that he’s not letting getting one week older bother him.  He’s just chillin’ out in his Rainforest bouncy…

The best day of our lives…

About a week before our scheduled C-section, our friend Steve Rosen asked if we were planning on having his wife Jodi, an amazing photographer, take photos of Finn’s birth.  We reminded him that we were having a C-section, which we didn’t figure would make for good pictures.  He responded by sending us a recent photo slideshow that Jodi had compiled for another couple who had had a C-section… and when we both ended up teary-eyed for a couple we didn’t even know, we decided to give it a shot.

What Jodi pulled together through nearly 400 pictures and an immense amount of love is nothing short of breathtaking and beautiful.  I’m sure there will come a day when I can watch this slideshow without crying, but it isn’t any day soon.  

We are so grateful to Jodi for sharing her gift with us, and for her loving and lovely chronicle of this incredible day in our lives.  I am especially grateful, since I was a bit out of it during the surgery due to some issues with my spinal, and had to remain flat on my back for Finn’s first hour of life.  Through these pictures I was able to experience moments in my son’s life that would have otherwise been lost to me, and which I am so thankful to have now.

A few things to watch for:

• the look on my face when we are talking with the anesthesiologist about my spinal (terror)
• my loving husband, whose outfit looked like a combination of Haz-Mat and a French painter, and who was the rock I needed that day
• our OB’s scrub cap – yes, it is Spongebob Squarepants

As Israel Kamakawiwo Ole sings so beautifully in his version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” at the end of the slideshow, dreams really do come true.

So grab some Kleenex, turn up the volume on your computer and click HERE to watch the debut of Finn Michael into our lives.

(by the way, you’ll need to install some software to view the show – it is all perfectly safe, so just keep clicking “yes” and “allow.”  All you Mac users are unfortunately out of luck – better go find a friend with a PC!)

If you live in the Seattle or Portland area, think of Jodi the next time you’ve got the need for family pictures, birth pics or any other special occasion.  Her site is www.jodirosen.com, and as you’ll see from these pictures, she is outrageously talented.

And now, a word from the Mommy…

Brian has been doing such a wonderful job of updating our blog these past few weeks, I almost feel like a guest-blogger!  But now that we’ve mastered feeding, Finn is finally sleeping in his bassinet (instead of our bed) and we’ve discovered the bouncy seat, I actually have a few minutes to play with some posts.

This past week was a big one – Finn’s first bath, which he loved once he realized the water would be WARM (vs. the chilly and terrifying sponge baths he’d received up until this point).  As with many of his “firsts” he had quite an audience – in addition to mom & dad, he had Grandma & Grandpa Dub AND Gigi (Grandma Ryan).

My mom came to help for a few days, mostly because of my recovery from my C-section.  She was an incredible help, handling meals, laundry and of course her one and only grandchild with ease.  She headed home today, leaving Brian & I to our own devices, but we send her lots of love and thanks for all of her help!!

 

Last night, Finn’s umbilical cord fell off, marking his first real “developmental” stride.  (I like to think that when he smiles in his sleep he’s thinking of his lovely mother, but all the books tell me it’s just gas).

We are so blessed to have so many friends and family who have reached out over the past few weeks with congratulatory thoughts, gifts and advice.  Thank you all so much for your support and love!

Food, Water, a Tub and a Crib