The Chosen Land

A month ago, we took Matthew to a place where the grass is green, the girls are pretty and the representative men's basketball team is ranked #1 in both the AP and Coaches' polls.  Per usual, Bloomington failed to disappoint, in spite of a number of failures we were forced to deal with.  As you would expect from a place that I am pretty sure is mentioned in the Bible--I think it is in the Book of Billy or something--even when things aren't perfect, they're still perfect.

 

After arriving on Friday and enjoying an evening meal at Scotty's, we went back to our Super 8 suite and were thrilled to wake up to a car that hadn't been broken into the next morning.  We have never had anything stolen from us in Btown before, but we were at the Super 8, so, well, yeah.

 

Side note: for those not fully acquainted with the world's greatest college town, Scotty's is across the street from a number of the bars that we frequented while in college.  There is something acutely weird about being on 7th Street with your college girlfriend and your son.  Of course, it is probably less weird and even less upsetting to be in that situation now than it would have been when we were, say, unwed 20 year olds.  Anyway, whenever we are in Bloomington, it always feels like we were just there attending school and we are still basically college kids.  You then look at your now wife and son and all the students at the restaurant who look only slightly older than Matthew and are staring at us like we are a Planned Parenthood PSA and you realize that 2004 was a very, very long time ago.

 

Back to Saturday morning.  Our first stop was to Assembly Hall and Cook Hall.  We figured they would probably be locked since it was not a football weekend but we thought we may get lucky and Matthew could see the basketball court.  We did not get lucky.  The doors were locked.  And we were sad.  But not sad enough to not put on a strong face for E to take a picture from 440 feet away.

 

 

 

Later, we went to the Delta Gamma house to visit Mom Kyle and introduce her to Matthew while showing Matthew where Mommy lived and where Daddy showed up for an endless bounty of basically free grilled cheese sandwiches.  This plan went down in flames when we learned that Mom Kyle was out of town.  Fortunately, a current DG resident let the two complete strangers and their child walk into the house without so much as thinking, let alone asking, why we were there or who we were.  Her blatant disregard for the basic safety of her fellow residents allowed for some terrific pictures of the future husband of a future (or, if the cougar's bank account is satisfactory, current) DG.

Not all was lost, however.  We had three major goals while at IU: walk the gorgeous campus, buy large quanities of IU clothing for the entire family to obnoxiously flaunt during games at Northwestern, and eat all of our favorite Bloomington fare.  At these tasks we were most successful.  Here, I am seen walking Matthew in his stroller through the woods near the Bursar's office.  I am wearing my new IU hat and jacket.  Not seen: the new shirt I am wearing underneath the jacket, or the new shirt and fleece E is wearing, or the new onesie Matthew is wearing.  Your welcome, IU Varsity Shop on Kirkwood.

 



 

 

We also hit a cornucopia of local restaurants whose lack of prescence in Chicago makes me sad: the aforementioned Scotty's; Mancino's; Scholar's Inn Bakehouse; Dagwood's; and Mad Mushroom.  We apologize to Kilroy's and Nick's.  There just wasn't enough time.  Nor was there enough alcoholic in either of us to bring Matthew into those places.

 

Speaking of Mad Mushroom, we ordered it at 9:00 Saturday night after Matthew went to sleep.  Upon its arrival, Matthew woke up crying, probably due to a nightmare that the only hotel his parents could afford in the middle of nowhere Southern Indiana was a Super 8.  The crying turned into all-out terror screams when he realized that the only hotel his parents could afford in the middle of nowhere Southern Indiana actually was, in fact, a Super 8.  Fortunately, we had freshly made cheese sticks.  Diseaster averted.

 

Matthew's First Birthday Parties

The great thing about having family in Chicago and New York, or more specifically the great thing about having the family from New York being unable to visit on October 19, was that Matthew had two birthday parties this year.  With the exception of the fact that he has no ability to comprehend the concept "my birthday," one can only assume he thoroughly enjoyed getting to eat cake and open presents twice.  This bodes well for when he realizes he gets video games for both Hannukah and Christmas.

 

Matthew's Birthday: First Blood was great fun for all, especially if Matthew considers "great fun" to include a 102-degree fever.  In spite of his since-defeated virus, Matthew actually did seem to very much enjoy his party, which took place two weeks before his birthday with Grandma and Grandpa Schwartz and Great Grandma and Grandpa Miller.  Great Grandma and Grandpa Schwartz were not there because they have been dead for 15 and 20 years, respectively.  It was rude of you to ask.

 

Here are the video and photo highlights, starting with an appropriate amount of sugar an hour before bedtime.  Notice that Matthew is clearly feeling the effects of being sick but shows the mental toughness necessary to fight through it and eat a pound of frosting:

 



 

The cake was yummy!



 

Matthew brings great joy to my parents when he actually likes the present they spent money on and not just the ribbon:



 

One can only assume that if he wasn't sick, he would've started pouring champagne on Great Grandpa Gil's head:

 

Pretty sure this will go down as one of my favorite pictures ever:

Two weeks later, we celebrated Matthew's birthday again, this time coinciding with his actual birthday.  You will notice the awesome balloon Mommy bought.  Unfortunately, this is the best of the four picture Mommy took of Matthew in this pose.  Like a true Schwartz man, he does not enjoy having to use good posture.

 

The awesome wall decorations, also courtesy of Mommy.  I refused to let her take them down.  They will be up until at least Thanksgiving:

 

 

Matthew's nap time was interrupted by Titus.  He really looks disappointed not to be sleeping:

 

Matthew's pal, Jack, also joined in the fun:

Matthew received a number of great gifts, including the train you see below.  However, his favorite gift was a new basketball from Uncle John and Aunt Kate.  He's ready to watch his #1-ranked Indiana Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosierrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs:



Matthew also loves his new puzzle ball for Uncle John and Aunt Justyna:



I DID AN AWESOME JOB ON THE FROSTING:

 

 

Typically, licking the plate is only appropriate when finishing nachos, but he's the birthday boy so what the heck:

A Love Letter of Sorts

My Dear Sweet Matthew,

I love you so much.  Daddy and I think about you all the time and talk about how our hearts burst with love, joy, and happiness when we think of you.

Your first birthday is tomorrow and while cliche to say, I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. 

Daddy and I talked about wanting you years before you were born, anticipated your arrival for nine plus months, and have treasured the last almost 365 days we have had with you.

I have been filled with mornings and moments and evenings of tears when thinking of or talking about you.  Daddy blames most of it on hormones, but the truth is I've been struggling for quite sometime with how quickly the time goes and there is no pause button!!!!

Each day when you see yourself in the mirror you smile and get so excited.  I hope for you that you always feel this way; that you don't have the days that most of us have where you hate the way you look or dread the day ahead.  Daddy and I love you so much.  Please know that your name says it all: Matthew, meaning gift from God. 

There is nothing, not one thing I would change about you.  God blessed us with an angel.

You have the best smiles, a wonderful laugh, and a sweet personality. 

When I was pregnant with you, I bought a book called Praying Through Your Pregnancy.  It encouraged me, as your mother, to pray for you.  One week, the focus was on characteristics and personality.  My consistent prayer was that you would be gentle, loving, kind, faithful, and happy.  Our prayers were answered..

There was that time in Sunday School when a little baby was crying and you patted her on the back.  And then once when you cousin was crying, you did the same thing.  You are so sweet and loving.  That isn't something you learned, that's just you.  Wonderful love. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't focus on ALL our years to come, but I will say this: it's been a blessed year, and I can't wait to keep loving one another in the coming year and seeing you grow into who God designed you to be.

 

I will always love you,

 

Mom (that's what you call me...never called me Mama or Mommy, just Mom)

Ultrasounds 1, 2, and 3

Our first ultrasound was more nerve-wrecking than we had expected.  [Based on a woman's last period, a due date is calculated and then compared to the growth and size of a baby in an ultrasound.]  Based on my last period, our doctor thought the due date would be April 8th, however, the size of the baby was measuring small (seven weeks when it "should" have been eight weeks).  We were told that this is quite common because a woman's cycle is not always exact and conception and implantation dates are not always known.  Additionally, the heartbeat was 110, when the average rate at this time is 120 and I think Matthew's was somewhere around 140.  Thus, we were scheduled for an ultrasound two weeks later.

You pray and you hope things are fine and remind yourself of what the nurse has said, that this is common, but what I was also told is also a possibility is that a baby can develop properly, have a solid heartbeat, and then all of a sudden growth and life just stop.  Those two weeks were difficult.

But we went back to the doctor, got another ultrasound, and the baby was right were he/she should be.  So I got to be seven weeks pregnant twice (which is awesome cause first trimesters are great) as our due date was pushed back to April 14th.

And we have just scheduled our next ultrasound which will occur the week after Thanksgiving when we are 21 weeks preggo.  This time, we will NOT be finding out the gender, but so look forward to seeing our little one.  I remember how special and connecting this ultrasound was with Matthew.  And the last two days I have been imagining the wonder of love and beauty that is to come when greeting our next baby into this world. 

#2 On Its Way

This post is actually from August 5, 2012, just posting now that we are 14 weeks along.

On Monday, July 30th, I took a pregnancy test after having thrown up all night.  It came back negative.  One week later, at 6:30am, I took another test.  Mike and I have always taken the test together [NOTE FROM MIKE: This is not true.  While E and I have always looked at the results together, we have never taken a test together.  That would be weird and a complete waste of money.], but it was early on a weekend and the morning is the best time to take it due to hormone levels being at their highest.  While of course there was a chance that I was pregnant, I kind of assumed it would be negative.  So I put the test down and thought, "I'll just leave it here until we both wake up later today."  Um, there was no time for that.  When you are pregnant, that test gives you the answer real quick! [NOTE FROM MIKE: It's nice of the test to just get it over with and put the teenagers whose poor decision-making just eliminated the excitement of going away for college out of their misery.  I have found it is always better to just confirm the bad news.  Wondering sucks.]  I hadn't given much thought to what I would do if it were positive and was so shocked that I went to the bedroom (actually the guest room cause we slept there for a fun adventure--that's what you do for fun when you have a baby [NOTE FROM MIKE: I find it alarming that, in a post detailing the realization that we are pregnant again, E says the thing we do for fun is sleep in a room with a TV]) and said "Mike, I have to show you something," trying to make him think I had a rash or something, but I couldn't control myself and shoved the test in his face before his glasses were even on! [NOTE FROM MIKE: What kind of rash did she hope I was thinking it was?  "Look, Mike!  I have staph!  Haha, just kidding, but seriously, you may need to pick up a second job.  I don't want Matthew's sib dressing like a hobo."]

Getting pregnant the second time was quite different than the first, for us.  There was much less anxiety or presumptions about being pregnant.  [NOTE FROM MIKE: This is generally what happens when you aren't trying to get pregnant.  You aren't quite as worried it won't happen.  Of course, let the record show we weren't exactly not trying, either.]  Nonetheless, two things were quite similar.  We felt infinitely blessed and then thought, "Oh my gosh, what are we going to do?!?!" [NOTE FROM MIKE: True story.]

We think the due date will be April 7, 2013.  The kids will be 18 months apart and one year difference in school, which is something we wanted for our kids.  [NOTE FROM MIKE: If #2 is a boy, it will be fun for them to play sports together.  Or stand on the sidelines together.  If #2 is a girl, it will be awkward and upsetting for each of them to watch each other date the other's friends.  Which will be funny for E and I.  Either way, win-win.]

hi i'm matthew and my daddy's funny

Mountains and Hiking and Elk, Oh My!

Finally, just about one month later, we are posting a summary blog about our trip to Colorado.  We're on top of things.  Now imagine the trash we need to take out to the can in front of our house.

 

Moving on...

 

First and foremost, the deer and the elk were seen each and everyday which was really fun for us to see because Matthew obviously never has and was old enough to be really interested in them.  

  

 

 

There are three deer in this picture, although it appears as though the one eating from the feeder has a second head.  This bird, I mean deer, feeder is right outside the dining room window.

 

 

We went to a restaurant called The Other Side where they put out bread to feed to the ducks that live in the pond.  You can also watch them from your dinner table.

 

At dinner, we were trying to teach Matthew some manners, like say "excuse me" when you fart, don't pick your nose when people are looking, and don't throw your sippy cup in Daddy's eating area because he has already moved his plate to the edge of the table.  You be the judge of our parenting success or lack there of:

 

 

 

 

 Here is a picture from our drive up Trail Ridge Road:

These pictures are from our wonderful albeit windy walk up the tundra:

 

Matthew's having fun!

 

Our last day in Estes we went to Sprague Lake, a family favorite.  Matthew really seems to like hiking!