This is One Call You Don't Want to Miss

So tonight, the McNamaras of Seekonk placed a very important phone call to the North Pole. I don't think I'll reveal the face behind the voice for now but I think you'll agree, this Santa deserves an Academy Award. I'm thinking he could actually make some money off of this north pole phone call thing. What do you think?

A Very Chatham Christmas

First and foremost, I'd like to thank Robin and Dave Reed for hosting a stellar holiday party this year. They stopped at nothing to make everyone feel at home and their home was decorated from top to bottom with every festive item you could imagine. The group, however, was sorely missing the Preneta gang who is happily celebrating the newest addition to their family, little Nicholas, born just before Thanksgiving. With any luck, next year, the whole crew will be together. Here are some photos from our time together which went by way too fast if you ask me...

Here are Larissa and Doug who will happily expand the Chatham offspring come May 2009. And I just realized at the moment that I am posting this blog, that they were wearing Christmas colors. Did they plan that?



Becky & Dave...the pioneers of the Chatham holiday party tradition



Here are Jodi & Kevin who just can't seem to get enough of that toddler time...



The dapper duo of Amy & Kevin



Our hosts, Robin & Dave



This is about as close as we came to getting the group shot of the kids, mainly because my daughter refused to cooperate. And yes, Michael IS in the picture, being held by Meg Reed directly behind Maeve. There's always next year...



Larissa and Doug taking a adult-sized time out



Michael and Kevin become fast friends



Maeve is partial to guys named Dave



Some of the girls do some cookie decorating. Please note, while most of the girls are smiling at the camera, Maeve is eating frosting straight off the plastic knife...




Winding down after the Yankee swap...



Last but not least, Jen and Marco who will be hosting the next (and perhaps biggest) excuse for the Chatham gals to be together again. The celebration of their wedding in Sept. 2009! We anxiously await the event and promise not to disappoint Jen and Marco on the dance floor...

And the Tree is Up!

We Are Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving from the McNamaras

This Train is Bound for Glory

About a week ago, Maeve, Michael and I were in the car headed up to Hanson for a visit. While traveling through Attleboro center, Maeve spotted the commuter rail train tracks from her car window and said, "Oh look Momma, the train tracks!" After her discovery, we talked about the commuter rail and the possibility of traveling in to the "big city" where Auntie Lee and Uncle Scott work, to have some fun for the day. To this she added, "Yeah, Mom, and YOU can drive the train!" I explained that I would not be driving the train, nor did I know how to drive the train and that instead, we would all be passengers on the train. We talked for a minute or two about what it means to be a passenger and then I asked her if she knew the name of the person who actually drives the train. To THIS, she answered very emphatically, "Yes Mom. Barack Obama."

A photo of my fellow passengers...

Appreciation

The discovery of Howard Pyle through the eyes of a two-year old...

Voila!

And just like that, the living room is complete. Here are a couple of shots of our new floor and the renovated hearth complete with a new granite stone and new mirror custom built by the best-looking handy man I know - my husband. The mirror contains recycled wood (some of it from my parents' old bedroom in Hanson and the radiator covers that Chris built contain pieces of his old futon from his bachelor days). The new area rug was laid about an hour before my water broke on 10/5/08 but Chris still managed to get it all done before the holidays. It's so nice to have a sitting room again that doesn't contain a television. I never realized how often we would hang out in the living room until it wasn't available for hanging out. It seems now, the only lingering remodel is the kitchen. Of course, we've saved the biggest project for last, but I'm looking forward to watching Chris work his magic again and hope that I can lend more of a hand now that my uterus is back in order...

Boo!

And the 2008 McNamara Halloween Oscar goes to...Memoirs of a Geisha and It's the Great Pumpkn, Charlie Brown

Our Own Mary Poppins

When your doorbell rings at 3:30 in the afternoon and you're not expecting anyone AND you're in the middle of breastfeeding your 3-week-old, you think to yourself, as you pull your baby off your nipple and head toward the door, this better be good. And boy was it ever! Standing on our doorstep was Auntie Jen, fresh from a conference in Shrewsbury which was let out early and conveniently located near Route 146. Before Auntie Jen could get both feet in the door, I passed MIchael off to her and then Maeve began her attack: "Auntie Jen, do you want to see my tricycle? Auntie Jen, do you want to see my big-girl bed?" I am convinced an angel delivered Auntie Jen to our doorstep yesterday just to give me a break. I was able to prepare dinner IN ADVANCE and pick up around the house. I even debated taking a shower - something seldom done by the mother of a toddler and a 3-week-old. We had a great dinner, then Auntie Jen took Maeve for a ride on the new trike around the block which left Chris and I to sit quietly and actually chat with one another. Go figure. Just a spoon full of Auntie Jen helps the medicine go down.

I never took that shower by the way...

A Lakeville Brunch

So Maeve and Michael and I headed out on Wednesday this week for our first real "outing" to the Graber home where Laura had lovingly prepared a yummy brunch for myself and Colleen and all the kids. She also created an atmosphere for the kids to really hang out and enjoy themselves - a highlight of this being when Laura broke out the Miami Vice soundtrack so we could all "get down" in the living room. We also got to visit with Laura's husband, Steve who now works from home. It was so nice to catch up with them after so much time passing since our last play date! We left there with full bellies and two bags worth of clothes for Maeve and Michael thanks to Laura's talents for clothing preservation! Here is some video from the "line up." Please note what my daughter is up to, would you? Thank you Grabers for such a nice time!

Satisfaction

As one might imagine, Michael is in his most pleasant state, after a good helping of milk and a diaper change. I tried to capture some footage of this so you can see what I'm talking about, especially for any of you who have only heard him at his crankiest...

Camera Shy

Here's the assortment of "nursery photos" that Michael gave Chris and I to select from...

I wonder if the photographer ever had a more difficult client to work with...

Personally, I'm leaning toward the last one...

Raw Deal

One might surmise that Michael has had a rough go of it during his 2 1/2 weeks spent outside my uterus. I'll give you the low down and you be the judge:

1. Circumcision. Ok, so I realize for health reasons, it was probably the right decision to make on MIchael's behalf, but can we just stop to think about what's actually being done to this poor kid only days after he's bee born? And they can tell me all they want that they make the baby "very comfortable" during the procedure and numb the area but you're not fooling me here. And how would they like being sent home in such a state? Yikes.

Circumcision heals approx. 1 week after birth.

2. One-week check up. So we bring Michael to the pediatrician for his first post-hospital check-up. I should mention here that his real pediatrician returns from maternity leave at the end of October so we've yet to talk with her. He checks out fine: weighs 7.5 oz., has become an 1/8 of an inch taller and aside from some dry skin, looks pretty good.

We put Michael to bed for the night, but notice his left eye looks a little "junky."

3. Michael wakes up the day after his check-up with his left eye completely sealed shut. After wiping it off with wet cotton balls, I call his pediatrician's office and am instructed to bring him back in. After paying another $20.00 co-pay, I'm told he has conjunctivitis and am given Erythromicin to squeeze into his eye for God knows how many days. A good way to tick our son off I soon realize, is to pry his eye open and throw some goo in it 3 times a day...

Fast forward to last night, 10/23/08

4. We feed Michael around 10 PM (oh, and by the way, Chris has been feeding him pumped breast milk for the last day and a half because super mom here has just resurrected her double yeast infection that she battled when Maeve was born) and for the next 2 1/2 hours, cannot console him to save ourselves. After placing a call to his pediatrician's office at 11:30 PM, we're told it may not be thrush he's suffering from as much as it is constipation but if he has a temp. over 100, we'll need to bring him to the emergency room. What?! After exhausting himself from crying hysterically, Michael passes out between Chris and I in our bed (something I don't usually condone) and sleeps for the next 5 1/2 hours.

5. I speak with the pediatrician's office today who explains, I can either bring him in OR I can use a spoon to scrape the inside of his mouth and if it bleeds, then I know it's thrush and I SHOULD bring him in. After telling the nurse that I am still treating him for the "pink eye" a week later, she recommends I bring him in. Uh, yeah.

So Michael will be seen at noon today at which time I'll figure out whether I'm losing my mind, or I'm being a good, proactive parent. This is one of those times where I really do wish I could snap my fingers and make it all better. For now, I'll continue to slather my nipples in some yellow goo, feed my kid every two hours and reassure him he's worth every bit of it.

Up Close And Personal

This is footage that only a mother could love (we'll actually, I can think of a father and a few grandparents that might like it too). It's super uneventful, super unembellished and I've fallen super in love all over again:

He'll Eat Just About Anything

Here is some footage of Michael snacking on his Dad's nose, AFTER a 20-minute nursing session. It's like getting the hungry horrors a half-hour after you've eaten Chinese food...

Michael Brennan McNamara

After 13 hours of what turned out to be a much more grueling labor and delivery than Maeve's 22-hour show-stopper, Michael Brennan McNamara has finally graced us with his presence! Weighing in at 7 lbs., 13 oz and measuring a decent 21 inches long, he is nothing short of everything we ever hoped for and is thriving as I post this blog. He is masterful at both sleeping and eating (despite the fact that I am currently battling some of the worst nursing discomfort possible). We'll continue to muddle through however and enjoy each moment we possibly can as we adjust to our new, and certainly improved family. Attached are a slew of some of our most favorite pictures from Michael's first few days outside the womb...

Hmmm...do you think this picture was taken before my epidural or after? Hmmm...