Baby Cousin Sylas Has Arrived!

I guess the Larocca kids like to make a big entrance! Chris' sister Cara had her little boy, Sylas, a week early on Thursday. (Guess he took the cue from big cousin Ashley!) He is a super cute little guy and we can't wait for them to meet each other. Congrats to Cara & Weylin on their latest accomplishment!

Ashley is doing well - thanks Aunt Suzy for the note about Mylicon. That has helped somewhat, but I also think the deletion of milk was a big help too. I am trying to get used to Soy Milk, but so far I only like it in my lattes!



BIG PHOTOSHOOT COMING UP! Stay tuned for some super cute pics of Ashley. She is bigger now, so I can get her into some of her fabulous outfits.

Stop and Smell The Roses

Sorry that I haven't posted any pictures lately. I keep forgetting to put the camera on the charger. Not that you have missed much ... Ashley has started to get pretty fussy when she is awake. The poor thing has bad gas pains. It makes me so sad because there isn't much I can do for her. The pacifier helps a little bit because I think sucking on it is soothing to her. (Thank goodness my boobs can have a break too!) I have also stopped drinking milk to see if she has an allergy or intolerance to dairy. This seems weird since I drank COW-FULLS of milk and ate Hagaan-Daas into a record profit year while I was pregnant with her. But, we'll see if it helps.

The past few days, we have been walking around Balboa Island. Fresh air is one of the allowable outings of my prison sentence. It is pretty peaceful strolling along and looking at all the beautiful homes and boats and listening to the gentle lapping of waves on the shore. Its funny because I thought there would be a lot of moms and strollers cruising around, but oddly enough, its just me and the retired set. Its cute to see them walking hand in hand around the island or sitting on park benches watching the boats go by ... I sure hope Chris and I have such a lovely life to look forward to after Ashley has grown up.

What a great place we live - our lives have been so busy that its been hard to take advantage of our beautiful surroundings. It is nice to be able to slow down and just appreciate how lucky we are that we have so much to enjoy right at our fingertips.

I Hope This Doesn't Mean...

...my daughter is an aspiring plumber!

PRISON BREAK!

Today, Ashley and I ventured out for an hour to the Coffee Bean for visit with a friend from our ad agency. I kept her covered up (except for this picture) and we sat outside in a well-ventilated area. I can tell you that this single hour really did a lot for me and it was so good to catch up with my colleague. Ash was a perfect angel and was sacked out out for the entire visit. She really is such a good girl!

This weekend, Grammy & Grandpa Larocca will be up for a visit on Saturday and Gigi will be here on Sunday. I am hoping to sneak out for a quick mani/pedi and maybe a visit with my friend Ann. Some sushi would be good too! If I can accomplish one of those things, I will be very happy!

I Am The Muffin Man

I'll admit it ... last night was a little rough. Ashley seems to want to eat every hour. I feel like I am cow living on a dairy farm. I know she is underweight, so there is a reason that she is eating like a linebacker, but I found myself holding really still last night hoping that she would drift back to sleep without making me get up to feed her again. (FYI - That tactic does not work...)

So, my routine goes something like this: get up, change her diaper, feed her, burp her, wrap her back up and pray to high Heaven that she goes right back to sleep. This process takes about an hour - and all the while Chris is snoring. How does this man sleep so soundly?! I am almost offended. (I'm not ... at least one of us is getting some sleep!)

Exhausted at the 9am feeding, I tried to put her back in her bassinet, but she was NOT having it. So, I unwrapped her and plopped her into bed next to me. Wouldn't you know it? She slept like a log until 11:30.

After we got up, I decided to get out my pre-pregnancy jeans just to evaluate the situation. As I pulled the box off the top shelf in the closet where it had been collecting dust for 9 months, I asked myself why I felt it was necessary to force an early onset of depression? I pulled them up over my legs ... and then over my butt ... and then over my hips - and to my dismay, they zipped up and buttoned!

Holy Cow, the little Heifer had eaten so much that I fit into my old jeans again!!!!!! OK, let me be honest here ... I have a HUGE Muffin Top that rolls over the waistband, but I was in them and damn it if I wasn't going to celebrate. I packed up Ashley and we took off for In N Out Burger faster than you can say Combo #2 with no onions and a Coke!

Mother Nature has an interesting way of creating incentives, doesn't she? Eat up, little Piglet! Eat up!

Home Alone

Today was our first day completely alone. It was a lovely day - we slept in until 11am. (Meaning, we were up at 12am, 2:30am, 5am and 7am and THEN slept until 11.) It was very peaceful to just feed her and then snuggle a bit while she slept.




I checked in with work today and couldn't really get much from anyone. I know they are trying to respect my time at home with Ashley, but I DYING to know what is going on there! I am trying not to seem too nosey because I don't want them thinking that I am checking in because I don't think they can handle things on their own. The lucky thing for me is that I have 5 extremely capable people that work for me ...

Falling In Love...

...with your husband all over again is an amazing feeling.



Chris is so good with Ashley. He is a typical, over-protective father and wants to make sure everyone is supporting her head, holding her correctly and has clean hands before he can feel comfortable. He regularly announces how cute she is and claims that there has never been a cuter baby born in to this world. He always sighs and says, "I just love her so much..."

I'll post again today, but this picture of the two of them sleeping was just too cute to wait...

"You're KILLING Me, Larry!"

Today was Ashley's 1st doctor's appointment with Dr. Downes. She is a very nice woman and extremely informative. She took a lot of time to explain all the little changes we will see in Ashley and all the weird little things she will do that are normal. Ashley now weighs 6 lbs, 10 ounces and is 19" long. She is in the 50th percentile for height and 20th for weight. But because she has already gained weight since we left the hospital, her doctor was not at all worried that those numbers wouldn't go up. We had thought Ashley would get a few shots today, but she won't get her immunizations until she is 6 weeks old because their little bodies don't have any immunities to build up yet. So here is the kicker ...

I can't take her out in public places for SIX WEEKS!!!!

Are you kidding me? How am I going to deal with this? I felt like I had just been given a six week prison sentence.

I said, "Can we just take her out for a quick lunch if we cover her up?!" I am sure Dr. Downes could sense the desperation in my voice. "What if we eat outside!?"

She said, "Well ... if you need to get out and you are outside in a well-ventilated area and avoid malls, shopping centers, restaurants..." blah, blah, blah

- Basically, I can't go anywhere. How am I supposed to revel in my newfound "Ladies Who Lunch" status if I can't parade her around in cute little outfits at Fashion Island?! Dressing her up and shopping online just doesn't have quite the same effect.

Besides that bomb that was dropped, Dr. Downes said that Ash was PERFECT, so we are going to take her word for it.

People, my child is PERFECT... you can't argue with medicine.

Desperate Housewife

Well, apparently I am having no issues acclimating to my new role as stay at home mom. Tuesday, I was in my pajamas until 1:30 and watching reruns of The Hills on MTV. I hadn't even brushed my teeth. I quickly called my girlfriend Meredith and left her a message saying, "Call me immediately. I need to talk to someone with a career."

Yesterday, 5pm rolled around and I realized that I had done nothing but stare at Ashley's little face all day long. (Trust me, I don't think that was a waste of time -- just a little different than the usual weekday I am accustomed to!) I did make it to my facial last night (I believe I mentioned that appointment in an earlier post.) But by the end of the treatment, I couldn't wait to get out of there and get home to my girl. By the time I walked in the door, I had started crying because I missed her so much. Ah, the post-partum has started to set in!! JOY!

We have had a lot of fun visitors this week ... here are some pics!








Tomorrow is Ashley's first doctor's appointment. It is also her 1 week birthday! I guess its not appropriate to hire clowns and ponies at this age, so I will try and hold myself back.

My Cup(s) Runneth Over

Literally. Who's body is this?! I look like Pam Anderson on Steroids! Chris and I always used to joke that the women in Newport Coast go to plastic surgeons for breast implants and flip directly to the back of the book of ridiculously large boobs and say, "I'll take those!" Well, I guess I can at least say that I look like I belong in this zipcode now!

The good news is that now I can use my $300 breast pump! Nothing like knocking back your self esteem when you are hooked up to an industrial strength milking machine! In all seriousness, it is wonderful because now Chris can enjoy the time with Ashley and feed her every now and again. And I can finally bust open that bottle of Silver Oak that I have been waiting to enjoy! It's all about the occasional "Pump & Dump", my friends!

Ashley had her first bath at home yesterday. She was so good - she loved having her hair washed...





But not so much the rest of herself!



And to pay me back, she promptly pooped into her towel the minute I wrapped her in it! But in the end, she was a happy camper!



Last night she was a great little sleeper. I only had to feed her at 12:30 and 4am. And then Daddy took a turn with a bottle at 6am! Unfortunately, my Pam Anderson's needed to pay a visit to the Milkman, so I had to get up too. The two of them are sound asleep with little smiles on their faces. I better hop back in bed while I have the chance!

Ashley Cline Has Arrived!

Well, our little girl has made her appearance! Friday was an exciting day ... we got to the hospital around 8:30 and were checked into our labor and delivery room with a ridiculous view by 9:30.



My contractions were already 4 minutes apart and were getting very strong. "Mr. Epidural" finally arrived around 12:30 and as you can see from the picture, all was right again. (Yes! Hoag hospital offers popsicles and ice chips ... Free! With any delivery!)



The nurses checked my progress and I had only dilated to a 4, so they ordered Pitocin to speed up my progress. The nurse said that once you reach a 5, you progress another centimeter every hour. So we figured little Ashley would arrived around 7 or 8 that night. Two hours later, I had gone from a 4 to a 10! They were ready for me to push! I couldn't believe it! I did a couple of "practice pushes" and the nurses called my doctor to tell her that the baby had crowned. In 20 minutes, Dr. Grouse arrived and we pushed 3 sets of 10 (Chris said this lasted 5 minutes..) and our Baby Girl arrived! It was the most amazing experience and I can't believe how easily and quickly she arrived. They put her right up on my chest and she looked me right in the eye and reached out to me. No crying, just looked at me, stretched out her arm and grabbed right onto my finger. It was a moment that I will never forget.

After that, they took her over to the warmer in our room and cleaned her off, weighed her, etc. This is all done in room, so your baby never leaves you! They brought her back to me in this silly little hat and our first family photo was taken.



It was a beautiful experience. The hospital, staff, labor and delivery far surpassed anything that I had imagined this experience to be ... I think I'm ready for Number 2! (Kidding! Notice the time of this post! The sleep deprivation is already kicking in!)

Thanks to all of you for the phone calls, texts and well wishes. We love you and can't wait for you to meet our little girl! (And don't worry, this blog is ongoing ... Stay tuned for more updates. I will still try to post every day or two.)

Get the hot water and the towels!

We are waiting a few more minutes to call the doctor (and all of you), but I have been having contractions since 2am this morning and they have become increasingly strong and more regular! This picture was taken right before a doozy had me doubled over on the ground. Chris is running around packing his bag for the hospital right now. I, of course, have had mine packed for a week. Now, we are just playing the waiting game.

At 5am, Chris got up to use the bathroom and when he came back to bed I said, "I think our little girl is coming today..." He was immediately wide awake and asked what he could do. I told him that the contractions weren't very regular so that he should get some sleep. Then I had a nice big one and he jumped up and said, "What should I do?!" Which made me laugh really hard (probably one of the last big laughs we will have today) and I told him just to rest and I would let him know. To which he replied, "I need to know when to spring into action." Which made me laugh even harder.

This is going to be a very interesting day! Can't wait to meet our little girl (and see the Epidural Man!!!)

Yo Quiero ... some time off!

Well ... tomorrow is the last day at the office. It is a weird feeling, but I am actually looking forward to a little time to prepare myself for the arrival of Little Lulu. I've gotten my haircut and my nails done (who knows when I will get to do that again?!) and have a facial scheduled for next week. We'll see if she lets me keep that one!

I am also happy to say that I have found a loving home for our two Betta fish, Flash and Diesel. I just didn't think I could take the guilt trip of watching them swim around in dirty water because I was too tired to take care of them!

I have not been sleeping well at all and am having some pretty strong Braxton-Hicks contractions at night. (I know, I know ... those are nothing in comparison to what is coming...) I think its true that they say Mother Nature is trying to prepare you for the sleep deprivation to come! I didn't gain anymore weight this week, but I am dilated to a 2 now. So, basically that means nothing except for my body is at least going in the right direction! I have gained a total of 23 pounds now...which must be the reason I am moving around so slowly! (Still wearing heels though! If Sarah Jessica Parker can do it, then darn it, so can I!!!)

Four Days Left...

Today was the first of my last 4 days in the office until 2008! It is such a weird feeling to think that I have been walking into that building every weekday for almost 8 years and in a few days, I will have 4 months to be at home with my little girl. What a complete change ... I know that I am going to cherish every moment with her, but I love my job so much. For the first time in my career, I really feel like I am making an impact and am an integral part of a major US brand. It has been so important for me to get to that point and I am scared that everything is about to change. I'm not at all afraid of what I'll be gaining with her arrival - I can't imagine the joy and love that I am going to feel when she comes into this world - but I am scared about losing something that has become such an important part of my life.

Tonight I spent 3 hours talking about marketing with our new CMO. He has only been with us for 3 weeks - and at the end of this week, I will be out of sight, but hopefully not out of mind. Our meeting was moved from 11am today to 5 pm. Can you imagine what a 9 month+ pregnant lady is like at that hour after being in the office for a full 9 hours already!? It was a great discussion though - I think our collective love of positioning products invigorated both of us. This is a new age at TB and I am going to be very sorry to miss out on the opportunity to help reframe the brand.

That said, I truly can't wait for this little one to arrive. I am so looking forward to the day that I can give her little face a kiss! I know she is going to turn my world upside down - but I know in my heart that it will be for the better. I just hope I can figure out how to make room for everything in my life!

(By the way, her DARLING bassinet arrived today. We have it set up in our room, where she will sleep for the first few months. Here is a picture of it. So Cute!!)

Popsicles Are Food

Is it wrong to have a popsicle for breakfast? They have Vitamin C and, in my book, that's as good as a glass of OJ.

It was hard to stay positive today. Oh, I tried... I went out and ran some errands and then met Chris for lunch. But by the time I waddled across the 100+ degree parking lot, I felt positively sick. How do pregnant woman in Africa do this? (Don't worry, after we ate and I got home, I sat on the couch and had another popsicle. All was right in the world again.)

I know I need to enjoy this time before she arrives, but it is kind of hard to do when you have a bowling ball between your knees and a sharp little foot wedged up under your ribs! I actually had to be rescued from the recliner today! I couldn't reach the bar on the side to sit myself back up and I couldn't get enough momentum to rock myself upright! Talk about SEXY! (If you consider turtles on their back sexy!) This kid better be CUTE!

So far Little "Lulu" is obeying her father by deciding not to arrive on the weekend of the start of College Football season. Chris has been asking her nicely every night for two weeks ... and apparently, it paid off because he was able to sneak in one last BLD at his favorite sportsbar on Saturday (BLD means Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are all consumed there) and is at Rudy's again tonight watching the "Bowden Bowl" Florida St./Clemson game. With :24 left in the game, it looks like Clemson has this one in the bag 18-24. Daddy is going to be a happy man when he gets home!

Maybe I'll have one more popsicle to celebrate!

We're Almost Ready!

Nothing like lugging around a 10 pound sack of rocks when it is 100 degrees outside. At least that's what it felt like today. It is amazing how fast you can go from feeling cute and pregnant to HUGE and pregnant. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who continues to tell me how great I am doing - I seriously don't care if he is lying... today, I really needed to hear it!

Forfeiting a day of golf on "Baby Lulu's" behalf, my husband was kind enough to run some errands with me and now the baby's room is just about ready. I have washed all her 0-3 months clothes, her towels and washrags and all of her blankies. Chris painted the room, after which he promptly threw away all of his painting gear and vowed never to paint anything again (the one hour estimation ended up being closer to 4...), the clothes are hanging in the closet and all that is missing is our little one. (OK, a few things on the wall would help too...but she is probably the most important part that's missing...)

I sat in her glider chair this afternoon and just rocked and stared at all the cute things in her closet. Chris thinks I am going to abuse her with outfits ... but isn't the whole fun of having a baby about dressing them up?! That reminds me, I really do need to pick up a fashionable pair of sunglasses for her! It is summertime after all!

"Allow myself to introduce myself..."

It only took a year (read that with sarcasm), to get pregnant. It is amazing how much energy you expend in your adult life trying NOT to get pregnant because you think it is so easy for it to happen. And when you couple that misconception with a Type A person who likes to plan and schedule, you have a very interesting experiment in Mother Nature. 6 months, one surgery for Endometriosis and another 6 months and we were back in the game ... Little "Lulu" was conceived and the journey of pregnancy began.

Baby "Lulu" has been very kind to her mom. There was never any morning sickness, no weird cravings (with the exception of an intense love of all things vinegar for about 3 weeks) and nothing that upsetting related to body changes. Unless you consider GINORMOUS boobs upsetting - which my husband would tell you is the best part of the whole pregnancy.

We are about 2 weeks away from her due date and I can tell you with utter certainty, any reservation that I previously had regarding her exit is gone. It is 90 degrees outside, she is apparently about 7 pounds, I can't see my feet and I am done schlepping her around in there. Homegirl needs to COME OUT. I am sure I will not enjoy the "exit," but I will cross that bridge when I get there. (With the help of my good friend, Mr. Epidural.)