Recently Lucy has been laughing. I wouldn't classify her laugh as a giggle of sorts but rather a high pitched shrill. It is quite a thing to listen to. She will lay on the floor looking at who knows what and shriek for quite a while. We tried to get it on camera, but she didn't perform to her best quality. Quite possibly she is a little camera shy... It is still fun to watch, especially because she is so smiley and cute. Please don't mind all the weird noises I am making. They are just weird enough that it makes her laugh.
I will write about our new apartment later. Suffice it to say, we are very grateful to Karen and Gretchen for helping us move in. We have most things in order because of them. And living in a place with actual finished floors is quite a step up from our last place. Details will come later...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Pictures...
This might be more like a photo dump. Yesterday I got some of Lucy's newborn pictures from my mom's computer. She took a lot more than we did, I was a little preoccupied...Tomorrow Lucy will be 12 weeks old. Can we say, incredible?! I can't believe how much she has grown since her birth day.
I will also include some from Old Home Day.
Enjoy!
I will also include some from Old Home Day.
Enjoy!
Look at her now!
Ada and Alice made princess hats because they saw that Lucy already had one. Here they are together, wearing their princess hats!
Family picture right after the Nelson Marathon
Peder and Jimmy the wheelbarrow and three-legged race champions
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Old Home Day -- Nelson style
If you have ever lived in Nelson you know that the second weekend in August is a very important time of the year. It is Old Home Day. My family began going when I was pretty young. It was something in which we were very involved. The whole week before Old Home Day is full of activities. I most distinctly remember the Ham and Bean supper. I would help serve the food and sneak the delicious rolls. I am almost positive they have molasses in them. They are very tasty.
Anyways....Old Home Day is always on Saturday. There is a road race, wheelbarrow races, sac races, egg tosses, watermelon eating contests, and even a sawdust pile full of money for the young ones. It is a good ol' fashioned time. My parents love it when we are back in town to attend.
The last time I went was right before Jimmy and I were married, two years ago. Jimmy being the good fiance (almost husband) that he was, said he would run the road race with me. It is call the Nelson Marathon (it is only 2.2 miles!). Back then I was in moderately good shape, but I was happy just getting the chance to run with Jimmy. It was sweet of him to offer. It was his first road race ever. Let's just say he doesn't love running like I do. But he did it, and we finished together.
Then we participated in the other races. Jimmy and Poul dominated the wheelbarrow races, beating all the competition. It was pretty impressive. After the races, we ate chicken and corn and listened to a speaker. I don't even remember who it was, but it was good. It always feels good to be a part of small town festivity. Everyone knows everyone.
Because we were in fact in the area this year, we decided it would be a great event to take our dear little Lucy to. Plus Jimmy wanted to see if he could defend his wheelbarrow race title (although he did not go last year...). We left Friday morning to journey to my parents. It was a relatively good trip until about half way through Lucy began screaming/crying. Sometimes I can handle it, sometimes I cannot. This time I could not. This was not her normal, "I am tired" whimper, this was a very helpless "I am not comfortable" wail. And it pierced us both to the core. It begins somewhat mellow and manageable and ends in hysterical almost hyperventilating screams. I hate it. I am sure most parents have experienced these moments, so I know I am not alone.
We stopped in Keene, about 15 minutes shy of my parents' house to pick up some infant Tylenol. Again, this didn't seem to be normal crying, she seemed very uncomfortable. We stopped at a Walgreens and pulled Lucy out of the car to console her. She snuggled into my shoulder and caught her breath as we walked the Walgreens aisles.
Have I mentioned Lucy is not much of a snuggler. It is only right after is wakes up or if she is extremely tired that she will snuggle. The rest of the time she would rather be either facing outwards or laying on your legs while you play with her feet. We got out to the car and I decided it was about time for her to eat, so I began nursing her in the car. She was hungry and that gave me comfort that at least whatever was bugging her did not impede her appetite. After eating I picked her up and said something to Jimmy about not knowing what was wrong, but at least now she was smiling, because she had just eaten. It was mid sentence that I stopped and realized that my hand was wet. I looked around and saw that someone, namely my dear sweet child, has blown out her diaper. It was all up her back, and on her spiffy new pants. And after doing to some diaper control, I realized it was on me as well, very noticeable because she poops yellow and my shirt was a very light orange. Fantastic! We laughed about it, because that is all you can do, and started for my parents.
Lucy was not a very happy camper the rest of the night. We speculate a possible tooth (yes, it is very early) or maybe an ear ache. Who really knows. It is so hard to figure out what is hurting a baby when then can't talk. But she went to bed somewhat early and didn't wake up until 1:45. Unfortunately she decided to wake up every hour after that, but what can you do, but love her. I figured it would give me a good reason for not doing well in the race later on. Jimmy took her around 4:45 and I slept a little bit. Enough that I felt okay the rest of the day.
We headed to the race around 8:30 am, and were there probably much too early. In fact we realized as we approached 9:00 am that the race itself was probably too early because we were pretty much the only ones running. And by "we" I mean, Gretchen and one of her friend's Tyrel, Jimmy, Lucy (in the stroller), Geoff, me, and Peder (who wasn't even running). But a few people mingled in and the race count probably totaled about 10 or so people.
Let me tell you something about this race. I reiterate that it is only 2.2 miles, but because it is in Nelson it is not considered an easy race. The first thing you do is run up a pretty steep hill. I was quite frightened by the hill. And then at the end, there is another hill. It is not quite as steep, but it is a hill nonetheless.
So we all started the race, and I began too fast, as I have a tendency to do. When I got to the "top" my lungs were on fire, and that is when I realized just how out of shape I really was. Gretchen, my more in shape sister, passed me about half way through the course and I just kept a good meandering pace the rest of the way. Jimmy, being the fantastic husband/father that he is, decided he would run also, and this time be partnered up with Lucy. They came in first in the stroller division and really did me proud. When I went back to run with them, Jimmy said to me "we are both pretty tired." Lucy was OUT head down, mouth open, nobody touch me O-U-T. We crossed the finish line together, adding to the family memories of Old Home Day marathons.
Then the other races began. Remember, Jimmy wanted to win the wheelbarrow race. Unfortunately Poul had to work, so Peder volunteered to take his place. I watched with Lucy from the sidelines. All I saw was a blur of moving hands, and a victory jump from both Peder and Jimmy and they again smoked the competition. It was a proud day for Jimmy who also teamed up with Peder in the three-legged race and won that as well. I was proud of my family. We knew how to represent!
And after the race we sat down for a good chicken meal with the corn (that tasted fabulous by the way...) and homemade rolls (that were somewhat stale, but still yummy). We all received ribbons for our winnings and talked about our family and what was happening next for everyone, after which several of us headed home (A.K.A my parents house). By this time Lucy had taken several short naps, but was in need of a long nap without poking interruptions.
We headed home, took showers, fed Lucy and all sort of took it easy for a while. Lucy took a good 2 hour nap, and I dozed off for a few minutes. When I woke up I realized I had burned the right side of my body, which let me tell you, it is not the first time. Don't ask, it just happens.
To finish off our Nelson visit we made ratatouille with all sorts of fresh vegetables and ate dinner with my parents and Peder. It was nice, especially because I might not see Peder for 2ish years (sad day...).
I would like to say that our drive back was peaceful, but Lucy kind of had a meltdown again. And it was very sad. But she was bathed, clothed, and fed and her dear Grandma Coop rocked her to sleep. Gosh, I am really going to miss being here with our family. And I am really becoming quite frightened by the 10+ hour trip we are making next week. Better start praying extra hard these last few days....
And that my friends, was our weekend. I will have to include some pictures, but I am too tired to find the cord right now....maybe tomorrow.
Anyways....Old Home Day is always on Saturday. There is a road race, wheelbarrow races, sac races, egg tosses, watermelon eating contests, and even a sawdust pile full of money for the young ones. It is a good ol' fashioned time. My parents love it when we are back in town to attend.
The last time I went was right before Jimmy and I were married, two years ago. Jimmy being the good fiance (almost husband) that he was, said he would run the road race with me. It is call the Nelson Marathon (it is only 2.2 miles!). Back then I was in moderately good shape, but I was happy just getting the chance to run with Jimmy. It was sweet of him to offer. It was his first road race ever. Let's just say he doesn't love running like I do. But he did it, and we finished together.
Then we participated in the other races. Jimmy and Poul dominated the wheelbarrow races, beating all the competition. It was pretty impressive. After the races, we ate chicken and corn and listened to a speaker. I don't even remember who it was, but it was good. It always feels good to be a part of small town festivity. Everyone knows everyone.
Because we were in fact in the area this year, we decided it would be a great event to take our dear little Lucy to. Plus Jimmy wanted to see if he could defend his wheelbarrow race title (although he did not go last year...). We left Friday morning to journey to my parents. It was a relatively good trip until about half way through Lucy began screaming/crying. Sometimes I can handle it, sometimes I cannot. This time I could not. This was not her normal, "I am tired" whimper, this was a very helpless "I am not comfortable" wail. And it pierced us both to the core. It begins somewhat mellow and manageable and ends in hysterical almost hyperventilating screams. I hate it. I am sure most parents have experienced these moments, so I know I am not alone.
We stopped in Keene, about 15 minutes shy of my parents' house to pick up some infant Tylenol. Again, this didn't seem to be normal crying, she seemed very uncomfortable. We stopped at a Walgreens and pulled Lucy out of the car to console her. She snuggled into my shoulder and caught her breath as we walked the Walgreens aisles.
Have I mentioned Lucy is not much of a snuggler. It is only right after is wakes up or if she is extremely tired that she will snuggle. The rest of the time she would rather be either facing outwards or laying on your legs while you play with her feet. We got out to the car and I decided it was about time for her to eat, so I began nursing her in the car. She was hungry and that gave me comfort that at least whatever was bugging her did not impede her appetite. After eating I picked her up and said something to Jimmy about not knowing what was wrong, but at least now she was smiling, because she had just eaten. It was mid sentence that I stopped and realized that my hand was wet. I looked around and saw that someone, namely my dear sweet child, has blown out her diaper. It was all up her back, and on her spiffy new pants. And after doing to some diaper control, I realized it was on me as well, very noticeable because she poops yellow and my shirt was a very light orange. Fantastic! We laughed about it, because that is all you can do, and started for my parents.
Lucy was not a very happy camper the rest of the night. We speculate a possible tooth (yes, it is very early) or maybe an ear ache. Who really knows. It is so hard to figure out what is hurting a baby when then can't talk. But she went to bed somewhat early and didn't wake up until 1:45. Unfortunately she decided to wake up every hour after that, but what can you do, but love her. I figured it would give me a good reason for not doing well in the race later on. Jimmy took her around 4:45 and I slept a little bit. Enough that I felt okay the rest of the day.
We headed to the race around 8:30 am, and were there probably much too early. In fact we realized as we approached 9:00 am that the race itself was probably too early because we were pretty much the only ones running. And by "we" I mean, Gretchen and one of her friend's Tyrel, Jimmy, Lucy (in the stroller), Geoff, me, and Peder (who wasn't even running). But a few people mingled in and the race count probably totaled about 10 or so people.
Let me tell you something about this race. I reiterate that it is only 2.2 miles, but because it is in Nelson it is not considered an easy race. The first thing you do is run up a pretty steep hill. I was quite frightened by the hill. And then at the end, there is another hill. It is not quite as steep, but it is a hill nonetheless.
So we all started the race, and I began too fast, as I have a tendency to do. When I got to the "top" my lungs were on fire, and that is when I realized just how out of shape I really was. Gretchen, my more in shape sister, passed me about half way through the course and I just kept a good meandering pace the rest of the way. Jimmy, being the fantastic husband/father that he is, decided he would run also, and this time be partnered up with Lucy. They came in first in the stroller division and really did me proud. When I went back to run with them, Jimmy said to me "we are both pretty tired." Lucy was OUT head down, mouth open, nobody touch me O-U-T. We crossed the finish line together, adding to the family memories of Old Home Day marathons.
Then the other races began. Remember, Jimmy wanted to win the wheelbarrow race. Unfortunately Poul had to work, so Peder volunteered to take his place. I watched with Lucy from the sidelines. All I saw was a blur of moving hands, and a victory jump from both Peder and Jimmy and they again smoked the competition. It was a proud day for Jimmy who also teamed up with Peder in the three-legged race and won that as well. I was proud of my family. We knew how to represent!
And after the race we sat down for a good chicken meal with the corn (that tasted fabulous by the way...) and homemade rolls (that were somewhat stale, but still yummy). We all received ribbons for our winnings and talked about our family and what was happening next for everyone, after which several of us headed home (A.K.A my parents house). By this time Lucy had taken several short naps, but was in need of a long nap without poking interruptions.
We headed home, took showers, fed Lucy and all sort of took it easy for a while. Lucy took a good 2 hour nap, and I dozed off for a few minutes. When I woke up I realized I had burned the right side of my body, which let me tell you, it is not the first time. Don't ask, it just happens.
To finish off our Nelson visit we made ratatouille with all sorts of fresh vegetables and ate dinner with my parents and Peder. It was nice, especially because I might not see Peder for 2ish years (sad day...).
I would like to say that our drive back was peaceful, but Lucy kind of had a meltdown again. And it was very sad. But she was bathed, clothed, and fed and her dear Grandma Coop rocked her to sleep. Gosh, I am really going to miss being here with our family. And I am really becoming quite frightened by the 10+ hour trip we are making next week. Better start praying extra hard these last few days....
And that my friends, was our weekend. I will have to include some pictures, but I am too tired to find the cord right now....maybe tomorrow.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Schillemat surprize
It is high time I write something about how all the Schillemat siblings were together this past weekend. It was quite an occasion (though we were sad Roland and Liam couldn't be there!).
But here is the long and short of the story. My sister Andrea and here son Landon came out to visit us. Poul was the only one who knew of her devious plans. I was surprised Wednesday afternoon when Becky B. brought her from the airport to the Coopriders.
The next day she surprised my mother at Girl's camp. She almost had a heart attack. To make things a little more interesting we had Karen (who was also at Girl's camp) bring Landon up to my mother, who thought initially that it was Lucy. Seconds after she had Landon in her arms she saw Andrea and Lucy (who was not in fact in her arms but in Jimmy's). She screamed so loud Landon began crying. It was maybe the most surprised I have ever seen my mother. She cried, she laughed and she smiled!
We kept everything under wraps until Gretchen came home on Friday night. Andrea and Poul went to the airport to pick her up late that night. She was extremely excited and happy. She leaves on a mission in September and would not have seen her and Landon for another two years.
Once Johanna showed up at 2 pm on Saturday all the Duane and Kathy Schillemat children were in the house. It was a little cramped actually but extremely fun. We had a delicious BBQ dinner with hamburgers, grilled squash and Zucchini and some AMAZING pico de gallo all fresh and hand prepared (with the exception of the hamburgers). It was good to be with everyone, enjoying a little rain and a nice breeze.
I was also fortunate to visit an old elementary school friend. We talked about our lives to this point and realized how quickly things change, but at the same time are the same. It was a very nice addition to the weekend.
This coming week is the last full week we are here in New England. It is sad, but at the same time exciting. All last semester I talked with my co-workers and friends about how much fun it would be to have a baby and now we have one. We are bringing back our fun little smiling girl to experience the Virginia yet another year. It has been a great summer, one I will never forget.
But without becoming overly emotional or sappy here are some pictures of this weekend's festivities.
But here is the long and short of the story. My sister Andrea and here son Landon came out to visit us. Poul was the only one who knew of her devious plans. I was surprised Wednesday afternoon when Becky B. brought her from the airport to the Coopriders.
The next day she surprised my mother at Girl's camp. She almost had a heart attack. To make things a little more interesting we had Karen (who was also at Girl's camp) bring Landon up to my mother, who thought initially that it was Lucy. Seconds after she had Landon in her arms she saw Andrea and Lucy (who was not in fact in her arms but in Jimmy's). She screamed so loud Landon began crying. It was maybe the most surprised I have ever seen my mother. She cried, she laughed and she smiled!
We kept everything under wraps until Gretchen came home on Friday night. Andrea and Poul went to the airport to pick her up late that night. She was extremely excited and happy. She leaves on a mission in September and would not have seen her and Landon for another two years.
Once Johanna showed up at 2 pm on Saturday all the Duane and Kathy Schillemat children were in the house. It was a little cramped actually but extremely fun. We had a delicious BBQ dinner with hamburgers, grilled squash and Zucchini and some AMAZING pico de gallo all fresh and hand prepared (with the exception of the hamburgers). It was good to be with everyone, enjoying a little rain and a nice breeze.
I was also fortunate to visit an old elementary school friend. We talked about our lives to this point and realized how quickly things change, but at the same time are the same. It was a very nice addition to the weekend.
This coming week is the last full week we are here in New England. It is sad, but at the same time exciting. All last semester I talked with my co-workers and friends about how much fun it would be to have a baby and now we have one. We are bringing back our fun little smiling girl to experience the Virginia yet another year. It has been a great summer, one I will never forget.
But without becoming overly emotional or sappy here are some pictures of this weekend's festivities.
Lucy liked playing with Landon's face
Swimming buddies
I am so done with pictures....
Lucy Long Legs, Landon the Rock! (Grampa Schillemat thought of these names...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)