Been A While

So it has been a while since I wrote a blog entry. I don't know how my Mommy goddess friend, Shelley does it. For me it is easier to put updates on Facebook. Quick click from the phone, little thought, and you are updated! Unfortunately, not all of my close family and friends frequent Facebook, soo... you all need to start because I cannot promise I will blog again!

Meadow is the most amazing person I know. The most surprising thing about being a mom is that I have quickly become 'that mom'. After working with hundreds of parents and kids, I am working extra hard to keep myself in check. I know that Meadow is not the smartest, most beautiful, kindest, sweetest creature that ever lived. However, I have to remind myself daily.

I am in love.

I have taken a zillion pictures. If you want to see them please join and participate in facebook.

Meadow Slavinsky

Cisco Baby Shower

Last week Andrew's co-workers threw him a surprise baby shower at Cisco. Andrew had no idea what was coming when he went to work that morning. He was particularly surprised to see me there too!

The shower was so nice. Jenny made yummy and adorable pink cupcakes and her mom sent her in with ridiculously delicious stuffed shells. The gifts were great. Our little girl even got her first whirlpool spa tub! Now we can't get mad when she wants to be pampered as she gets older.

Here are some pictures of the event:

This is Andrew trying on the diaper bag. Without the pink tissue paper, it really is rather masculine!

Cupcakes by Jenny!

Me with all of the awesome gifts for our little baby girl!!

Not sure what this facial expression meant...

"Trying on" the adorable dress that Pat bought from a local seamstress.

4th grade parenting advice: "Give your child toys, punishments, and love."

29 weeks

29 week pics:

Creekside Shower

Today the 4th grade teachers on my team organized a Creekside Elementary baby shower for me. They did an incredible job of inviting the whole staff and having delicious snacks and decorations for everyone to enjoy. I felt really special because there was a great turn out of teachers from different grade levels, counselors, the front office staff, and specialists. It really meant a lot to me that so many people came to celebrate Baby Slavinsky.

Andrew took a break from work and came to Creekside for the shower, so I didn't have to do the opening-presents-extravaganza alone. My 'baby-Daddy' was there to hand me cards and presents and to give me smooches throughout, which helped me feel a bit less awkward.

I work with such thoughtful people! Each and every gift is so special. I can tell that there was thought put into each choice and I love the notes that people took the time to write inside of the cards.

Here are a few pictures:

4th grade Advice: "You need to learn how to say 'no' if you want your kid to love you."

4th Grade Advice: A Recap

I was just reading through the 4th grade advice that I've posted so far. I thought it would be neat to put it together in one post. I have a few favorites... If I can figure out how to make it a poll that people can vote on, I will :)


When your kid is bad, only threaten to take something away, don’t actually do it.

Watch everything your child does, then watch Oprah to find out what it means.

Be firm but gentle.

You will have to put up with tantrums, fussing, and diapers, but so what? Kids are great and you’ll be glad you had them.

If your kid is under 4, keep glass, plastic, sharp stuff, and electronics upstairs.

Block off corners (but not with bubble wrap because it’s fun to pop, and once it is popped, it is not so helpful).

Don’t give the baby 20 balloons.

Find out is it is a boy or a girl. That info will help choose what clothes to buy

Give your baby as many kisses and hugs as humanly possible.

Give your kid everything he/ she wants. That's the one thing I wish that my parents would change, they only give me 1/2 of the things I want.

Limit the time you allow your child to watch TV and/ or play video games.

Make sure that you don't give all of your attention to your baby. Chumlee will be jealous. You shouldn't show more attention to Chumlee either though. Try to keep it even, okay?

If you have a girl, let her play with cars and 'boy stuff' too. If you have a boy, let him play with dolls or whatever. You want your kid to be well rounded right?

Coupons are good, they save you money, but don't go all out (it's a miserable experience).

Stay on top of things, for instance when the baby is sleeping you should mop, do the dishes and other chores you may need to do.

A new one: "Don't let her get away with stuff just because she is cute."

House for Rent!

Andrew and I are renting our house! We have already packed up our whole kitchen. We have about 35 boxes and we have a lot to go. It was pretty funny on Sunday morning when Andrew wanted a cup of coffee and we realized we had already packed all of the mugs! We'd better be careful not to accidentally pack Chumlee up in our haste to get everything done.

If you know anyone who is interested in renting, let us know! (Also scroll down for the 4th grade parenting advice... this one is hilarious to me for some reason.)

Here is the information:

6516 Draebury Lane
Durham, NC 27713

Price: $1,400
Sq. Ft.: 1700
Beds: 3
Baths: 2.5
Floors: 2
Garage Size: 1 car
Available: 6/1/2011

Great location in SW Durham. Quick access to I-40, South Point, RTP, Duke & UNC. Covered front porch and fenced backyard with wooded lot for privacy. Kitchen has island, built-in wine rack & eat in breakfast area. Home includes formal dining room, family room with gas-log fireplace and sunroom with hardwood flooring. Master has vaulted ceilings, plant shelving and garden tub. Paint and flooring updated throughout. Washer/ Dryer included with rent. Pets welcome.

Agent: Jeff Jeanneret, Allenton Management
(919) 490-9050

More pics:

Home Features:
Air Conditioning
Cable Available
Carpeted Floors
Dishwasher
Disposal
Fenced Yard
Fireplace
Hardwood Floors
Microwave
Patio/Deck
Pet Deposit Required
Range
Refrigerator
Washer/ Dryer

24 hour-7 day-Emergency Maintenance
Clubhouse
No Utilities Included
Pool
Public Transportation


4th grade parenting advice: "Stay on top of things, for instance when the baby is sleeping you should mop, do the dishes and other chores you may need to do."

Growing Belly

Here are some belly pics. I'm about 24 weeks (6 months). I can't believe this belly is going to get even bigger!!

Side view (OMG!):

Andrew and I are busy packing up our house because we are moving. We are buying a house that is just a few miles away from where we live now. It is a very exciting time for the Slavinskys! We will be renting out our current house. So, if you know anyone looking for a house to rent near Southpoint, let us know!


4th grade parenting advice: "Coupons are good, they save you money, but don't go all out (it's a miserable experience)."

Spring Break and Other Stuff

I had an amazing Spring Break. I got to see Jewel at a private Concert in Dallas. She even talked to me a bunch during the show (I was in the front row!!). She played a lot of really rare songs that have never been on albums, but that her hardcore fans know from bootlegs. It was great to meet all of the other Jewel freaks.

When I got back from Dallas (it was a solo trip... lots of "Chrissy-time"), I left to meet Andrew and his parents (and Chumlee!) at a house we rented on Topsail Island. I had a few days of fun in the sun at the beach. It was nice to just relax, read, and cuddle.

Today I saw the doctor again. It was a short visit. He measured my uterus (the baby's living quarters) and it is about 25 centimeters, which is a few inches above my belly button. There is no hiding that I am pregnant now. It is pretty obvious in whatever I wear. I haven;t gained a ton of weight yet, just 7 pounds since I first found out I was pregnant. The doctor thinks that is great! I know that I have a lot of pounds ahead of me before this is over!

Our little girl is starting to get more organized in her movement. Before last week, I would describe it as a general squirming, where now it is more of a real kick (or punch) that can be felt from the outside too. I have to say, that it is pretty awesome.

4th grade advice, "If you have a girl, let her play with cars and 'boy stuff' too. If you have a boy, let him play with dolls or whatever. You want your kid to be well rounded right?"

3D ultrasound

The 3D ultrasound is super freaky in general. I liked this one though because you can see our daughter's face. It looks like she is sucking her thumb too! I did that until I was 8 or 9 years old... so she's already like me in one way!!

4th grade parenting advice: "Make sure that you don't give all of your attention to your baby. Chumlee will be jealous. You shouldn't show more attention to Chumlee either though. Try to keep it even, okay?"

20 weeks-- Belly pics included!

I am half way there! Only 20 more weeks to go! Ha-ha. As Andrew said, the easiest half is done... now on to the hard stuff!


I am feeling extra pregnant today so I have decided to share some belly pics (now my sister can stop nagging me!):

I went shopping and bought some maternity stuff this weekend. I have noticed that maternity clothes really accentuate the ol' gut. In fact, I had several people ask to touch the belly today at work, which was a first. I really didn't mind it either. I have a friend who said that anyone who rubbed her stomach when she was pregnant got a belly rub in return!


This little baby girl moves all the time. She squirms a lot when I sing (she's a Jewel fan of course) and after I eat something. I haven't had any weird cravings, although I could go for some veggie sushi right now... maybe Andrew will be into that for dinner. :)

Andrew and I have some ideas for names, but have decided to keep that a secret for a while. Maybe even until she is born. We want to keep something a surprise afterall.

4th grade parenting advice: "Limit the time you allow your child to watch TV and/ or play video games."

A Little Girl...

Andrew and I are very excited to announce that we are going to have a little girl. It was a lot of fun yesterday to find out with the people that we love surrounding us. We were even able to share the cake cutting moment with my parents in Arizona, my sister Jen in Arizona, my sister Vicki in California, my oldest friend and maid-of-honor Elise in New York, and Andrew's oldest friend Harry also in NY. We video conferenced them in via Cisco Webex.

When I cut that piece of cake our guests screamed and it scared me half to death, so I dropped the cake. Here is a video of the big moment:






Here are a few pictures from the party. There are more on Facebook if you are interested:

It's a..... Secret!

This week, Andrew and I went to THE appointment where the Dr. could tell us the gender of our baby. We decided to have her put this valuable information into a sealed envelope which Andrew delivered to the Mad Hatter Bakery in Durham (Andrew did this, because I could not be trusted). The baker has baked us a cake that will either be pink or blue on the inside when we cut it. We have invited some friends and family over to celebrate this exciting moment with us. My sisters BFF and Parents will be video conferencing via Webex too!

I can't wait to find out!!! I have a feeling it is a girl, but I have no reason whatsoever to feel that way. We have a boy name that we both love, and no girl names, so maybe that means we are having a boy.

Only time will tell...

4th grade advice: Give your kid everything he/ she wants. That's the one thing I wish that my parents would change, they only give me 1/2 of the things I want.

What I Miss the Most

When you are pregnant, you have to give up a few things. So, what do I miss the most? Is it a delicious salmon roll from Shiki Sushi? No. Red wine? A cold beer? No and No. Gallons of caffeine daily? No. (I do miss those things though.)

Now that the weather is getting warm, Carowinds will open very soon. I get a little choked up thinking about the fact that I can't ride a roller coaster this year. Last year, my favorite was the "Intimidator":



Please, if you are able to ride a roller coaster this year, ride it twice: one time for you, and one for me. In the mean time, I will continue to watch videos of all of the roller coasters I will be riding next year...

4th grade parenting advice: "Give your baby as many kisses and hugs as humanly possible."

15 Weeks: Take Two

I went for a much more detailed ultrasound yesterday. My due date has changed to 8/25/11 (which also happens to be the first day of school). That means that the baby is still an avacodo and hasn't moved on to a mango just yet after all. I am Marty McFly. I have traveled back in (pregnancy) time without the fun ride in a Delorean.

The ultrasound took about 45 minutes which means I saw hundreds of shots of all of the organs of this baby. Not every organ actually. I was not able to see and gender organs yet.... so we still don't know the sex. I have another ultrasound in 3 weeks, and I have been told that the sex will be obvious by then.

This is the baby doing a Yoga pose. Stretching his/ her spine like Chumlee loves to do. I wish I was that flexible :)

This is a close up of the heart and the Heart Rate. He/ she is at 159 BPMs.

These are shots looking down at the head. There is a clear pic of a hand, I like how you can see all of the fingers.

These are some cute profile pics. I am in love already. I am so happy to find out that our baby is so healthy and growing just right.

4th grader parenting advice:
"Find out is it is a boy or a girl. That info will help choose what clothes to buy"

1st Ultrasound

So this little baby was flailing all around in its cozy little home and I swear I didn't have an energy drink before my appointment today.

I get to go back for another ultrasound next week because the baby is a bit small for 15 weeks, so they want to double check my due date. I’m all for more pictures! I am also not too worried; I mean how big could the baby be? Have you seen the sizes of the mommy and daddy?

4th Grade Parenting Advice: “Don’t give the baby 20 balloons.” (I swear I am not making these up!)

"I Can Feel Your Heartbeat"

On Wednesday I went to UNC for my first appointment with the OB-GYN. I met with a nurse who I LOVED! She was so nice and listened carefully to everything I had to say. I gave them more blood (what are they doing with all of this blood? I think my doctors may really be Cullens in disguise...) and got a tour of the facilities. I was able to see where my doctor appointments would be and where I would be actually having this baby. It was great.

Just as I was leaving, the nurse asked if I had a few minutes. She said that although I was only there for an introductory visit, she had time to take a listen for the baby's heartbeat, if I wanted. At that moment, I may or may not have told her that I loved her. I hopped up on the table, she put some goop on my belly, and we listened.... and listened.... and listened. All we could hear was my stupid heartbeat at 75 beats per minute. We couldn't hear the baby. She told me not to freak out. She said that at 14 weeks, my uterus is huge and the baby is small. She said sometimes the baby is in a position that makes the heartbeat hard to find.

I smiled, nodded, and thanked her for trying. Internally, I was absolutely freaking out. I was wishing she hadn't offered to let me hear the heartbeat. Ugh. It was a bad feeling.

I was able to keep it together because I had a secret. I knew that in just a few days I would be receiving my very own “Elite HearTones Baby Doppler w/ Digital Display” delivered right to my door. This little device is designed to allow parents-to-be to listen to their baby’s heartbeat in the comfort of their own home. We got ours on Friday:

It didn’t take long to find our little baby’s heartbeat (all 12 times we have done it...). I can't describe the piece of mind that this little investment has given me. It is so cool to hear that heart beating. It is so fast! 160 BPM. I have heard that there is an old wives’ tale that a faster beat means it’s a girl. I’ll go with that.

4th grade parenting advice of the day: “Block off corners (but not with bubble wrap because it’s fun to pop, and once it is popped, it is not so helpful).”

Here is the cheesy Partridge Family song for which this particular blog post was named:

13 weeks 5 days

Our baby is currently the size of an average peach, according to some random baby website. So far, the little peach has been kind to me. I haven't felt sick at all. I have some of the regular pregnancy symptoms. One example is that I love sleep. I haven’t slept this much since high school. In 1995 I could sleep 15 hours a day. I would sleep at night, take naps after school, and sleep most of the day on the weekends. Pregnancy is a lot like that.

I go upstairs at 9:00 most nights. Andrew has a whole life without me at night. Since he gets to have full control of the TV after I go to bed, he has been feeding his documentary habit. He is now an expert on dolphin cruelty, steroid use in sports, communism in North Korea, prison systems, methamphetamines, anorexia in modeling, monopolies in the beer industry, drug trafficking, childhood obesity and parking lots in Charlottesville Virginia. So, if you have questions about any of these topics, he is your man.

I have an appointment tomorrow to give some blood for more tests. I have switched doctors to UNC-OBGYN. I am hoping that I am not too far away from my first ultrasound. I can’t wait to see this baby!

4th grade parenting tip #5: "If your kid is under 4, keep glass, plastic, sharp stuff, and electronics upstairs."

Our First Baby: Chumlee

Before Andrew and I had a dog, we didn't understand the kind of love that Chumlee would bring into our home. When we first got her, we talked about how we were never going to be those "crazy dog people" who treat their dog like a person. Now I would categorize us in the top 10% of annoying dog people. The thing is: We don't care what other people think about how we feel about Chumlee.

We know how it feels to come home after a long day at work (or a short walk to the mailbox)and be greeted by Chumlee like it is the best part of her day. She wiggles her lil' tail and without being asked, goes through all of the commands she knows just to impress us (sit, give me your paw, lay down, roll over). We know how awesome it is when she keeps our feet warm at night, or cuddles as close as possible to us on the couch. We love to buy her new toys and see her play with them. Taking her for a walk is so much fun, because she loves to be out-and-about and as a bonus, we get more exercise. Chumlee's fur is so soft and shiny after a bath that it is worth the hard work to get her in the tub. For these reasons (and so many more) we don't mind if people think of us as the crazy dog people.

I think that having a child has a lot of similarities to having a dog. Andrew and I had to agree on how to train and discipline Chumlee, what her diet would be, which behaviors might be beyond our control, who picks up the poop (we have had a lot of talks about poop in general... from what I hear that won't change), and we have tons of silly nicknames for her. Of course I realize that there will be major differences. For example, we can't just leave the kid at home when we want to go out to dinner (right?) and of course the kid won’t sleep 75% of the time like Chumlee does. Our child will speak English eventually and we are hoping he/she will be better at sharing with other kids than Chumlee is at sharing with other dogs.


I have sworn that having a kid will not change the non-mom parts of me. I want to maintain who I am as Chrissy, Mrs. S., or Cee-cee. I also realize that like when we got Chumlee, having a baby will change me. I also know that the feelings that I have for Chum will be much more intense and meaningful with a human baby, although that is hard to imagine. I believe that Andrew and I will work hard to keep our other identities beyond being Mommy and Daddy, but I also hope that the love that this baby brings into our home will make me care about that a little less.


Chumlee gets along well with kids, so I can’t wait to see her with our little one. Here is a super-cute video that shows a dog that is the same breed as Chumlee with a little baby:




4th grader parenting tip of the day: “You will have to put up with tantrums, fussing, and diapers, but so what? Kids are great and you’ll be glad you had them.”

Baby's First Gifts

Thank you Shelley for the baby's first blanket! It is so soft!! I had to teach Chumlee that it wasn't hers. I guess I will be doing that a lot soon.

Also thank you to Jenny for the cutest first baby toy (or tool?). It is a turtle that projects stars and constellations onto the ceiling for the baby while he/ she sleeps.

This baby stuff is making this all seem a lot more real!!

Mrs. S's class' parenting advice of the day: "Be firm but gentle."