Nick is Getting Ready. . .

. . . to meet his little brother! Doesn't he look handsome?

We both went for haircuts today, and Nick was incredibly well-behaved. He sat the entire time for his haircut, chatted with the stylist, and then played with combs and hairclips while I got my hair cut. Nick used his indoor voice the whole time! He even tried picking up the pieces of my hair that the stylist cut and started putting them in the trashcan. No yelling, no crying, no demanding--Nick was the perfect two-year old during this very long salon visit.

It was weird, because Nick has been kind of a stinker during the last few weeks. I hesitated to go in for both haircuts at once, because I was afraid he'd run for the hills or start screaming and pulling stuff from the shelves. He did none of that. Nick even climbed into his car seat on his own, three separate times. This is excellent, because I'm under strict orders not to lift him after my c-section. I've been trying to train him, and I think he's got it.

It's kind of like Nick was letting me know he is ready to be a big brother. I certainly feel better after today.

Yesterday I had my last IV iron treatment, did some last minute grocery shopping, and repotted about ten more plants. Today was my last day of school, my last NST, and my last obstetrician's visit. It was also Nick's last day of daycare. They played with bubbles, and apparently had a blast. He told me about it on the way home. "I play with bubbles. Bubbles go up, up, up. Bubbles in mine eyes."

Tomorrow I'll post my last pregnancy update, and then, after Thursday, I won't be pregnant anymore. Instead I'll be very tired.

Nick's First Haircut

It was time. I couldn't put it off any longer. Nick needed a haircut. As much as I love the curls, Nicholas has thick hair like mine that was growing more than a little wild. See Exhibit A.

See what I mean? My boy had wild, riotous curls that refused to be tamed. Greg has been asking me to have it cut for a few months now, because people have occasionally mistaken him for a little girl. But I waited, because I really loved those baby curls. Lately, however, Nick's hair has been getting stuck in the snaps on his shirts and in the velcro of his bibs. He's also had some pretty nasty knots.

So this morning, I called and made an appointment at a place called Fun Kuts 4 Kids in Oswego. Their website said that they had cars for the kids to sit in, and I figured Nick would like that. He did.

Nicholas picked the red car to sit in, and he didn't even seem to mind when the stylist put the cape around him. I warned her that Nick had lots of relatives who'd asked for a curl, so they gave me little bags for the beloved blond curls. The stylist was very nice, and she alternately talked to Nick and let him watch cartoons on the tv.

In preparation for his first haircut, I'd had Nick watch a Sesame Street episode about Baby Bear and his haircut. The whole episode is about hair, and Nick watched intently.

I'm not sure if it helped or not, but Nicholas did not appear to be nervous at all. We went with the ubiquitous "boy cut," and the stylist even used a razor on the back. I can't get over how different he looks.

He looks a little dubious about his new look, but I like it. He looks so much older, though, and very much a little man. I miss my baby.

I would say it was a pretty good experience. :)

It was a little expensive for a boy's haircut ($15 for the haircut and $5 for the special certificate) but Nick really liked sitting in the car, so it was worth it. Here's the certificate.



Actually, the only time that Nick got upset and started to cry was when we took him out of the car. He was mad, and he tried to climb back up.

Eating With A Spoon? Well, Kind Of. . .

Slowly but surely, Nick is learning how to eat with a spoon. Tonight I gave him some chunky baby food in a little bowl, and for once he didn't throw anything at me. He was surprisingly well behaved tonight, even though I had to run a million errands. (Thank you, Nicholas!)

Here's a video of Nick showing off his new spoon skills. He's learning, anyway, and he's really attached to the spoon. I had a heck of a time getting it out of his hand when it was time for bed.

I think that before I became a mom, I used to take for granted the ability to run errands in my spare time. Running in to the mall was no big deal, and I didn't mind going to three different stores for groceries if it saved me money. Now I question every errand and I jump at the chance to run out on a Sunday by myself. I have to say that Nick genuinely likes going places with me; he especially likes people watching and pointing to things and asking me what they are. But every trip is shorter when a toddler is along for the ride.

Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my son. My life is infinitely more interesting and far less self-involved with him around. But I am truly glad I waited until I was 30 to start having kids.

My crazy evening: I didn't get off work today until 5, because I'm teaching an after-school math class. So by the time I got Nick, it was already 5:15. My car was way overdue for an oil change and a tire rotation, and I had a headlight out. So I decided to kill four birds with one stone. I dropped the car off at Sears, then took Nick to find a little man suit for my cousin's wedding on Saturday. (I hope it fits him.) I had to pick up my wedding rings (refinishing) as well. After I'd run all over the mall, I got Nick a hot pretzel to share with me and decided to get my hair cut.

Yup, I'm crazy. Getting a haircut with a baby in the stroller? But he did stay in the stroller and laugh at me while my hair was cut. He also dumped most of a bottle of water all over himself, so he ended up in just his diaper and shoes. By the time I got Nick home, it was after his bedtime, but he was happy as a clam eating his dinner with a spoon.

I'm not sure if I like the haircut. It's slightly shorter than shoulder length. The stylist blowdried my hair and it puffed up really bad, but it may look okay tomorrow. I haven't had it this short since my early 20s. Oh well. The stylist said I had several inches of split ends, so it's probably healthier like this. I'll post pictures once I've figured out how to style it so that it looks less like I stuck my finger in a light socket.

3 Days of Pampering, Exploring, and Winter Weather. . . Day One

Greg and I just got back from three wonderful days in Chicago. For Christmas, he got us a room at the Palmer House downtown, and arranged for his mother to come and babysit for us. It was a spectacular gift, and we've decided to make this a yearly tradition, if we can arrange it. The city is so beautiful around Christmastime. I loved the lights and the music and the food. Oh, the food. . .

It was, however, very cold. I suppose the actual air temperature was in the high 20s or low 30s (F), but the wind was strong and the sky kept randomly spitting us with rain, sleet, and snow. I react to this by walking a little more slowly so as to not irritate my asthma, but Greg speeds up. Thus we spend much of our time with me walking four to ten feet behind him down the streets of Chicago.
Backing up a bit, I started out Monday by going into the spa while Greg was at work. My mom and stepdad watched Nick, and I had an afternoon to myself. I received a generous Christmas gift from a family I tutor for, with orders to spend the money on myself. I had the best experience at a place called Prima Nails in Carol Stream. I had a manicure, pedicure, and an eyebrow wax, and it felt so nice to pamper myself a little. Then I went to a salon across the street called Gossip, and the stylist (Olga) gave me a new hairdo. She did a great job, but I'm not sure if I'll keep it straight or not. I have the kind of hair that is more curly than straight, and it took her awhile to get my hair to look like this. If you have an opinion on whether I should go curly or straight, I'd love some input. I took the above picture in our fancy hotel room.
I loved the Palmer House. It was classic and gorgeous and impressive. We got a really good deal on expedia. It was divine to get away and spend some time alone with my husband. Below you can see a picture of my husband enjoying a $14 glass of Pinot Noir. Hey, you've gotta enjoy yourself on vacation. And this was a mini-vacation for us. We didn't really go anywhere this year, what with having a baby and all. The whole experience kind of reminded me of our honeymoon in Paris. I had forgotten that one of the reasons I love my husband so much is that we both enjoy the same things when we travel. Good food, a little history, a little art, and an afternoon nap. Here are some pictures of our hotel room. It was comfortable and luxurious.

For dinner our first night, we went to The Berghoff, which was very close to our hotel. Our concierge recommended it as a Chicago must. I'm so glad we went, because it was so different from most restaurants we go to. Greg and I both love trying different types of restaurants and eating well. I can't remember the last time I went to a German place. The food was pretty delicious, and the decorations were grand. Greg had a sausage trio, and I had a roast beef with veggies. The service was lightning fast, too. We walked around the city more after dinner, and stopped at a fancy place called Trattorio 10 for dessert. It's nice to go into fancy places and just have coffee and dessert. We didn't have any place to be, and we could stay up late eating tiramisu and drinking coffee and Kahlua, knowing that we could sleep as late as we wanted. :)