Big Things (and one cute and tiny thing) Coming in 2010!

The California Deans spent their Christmas together on Kiowa Avenue and did their best to make it feel like the holidays, which is not easy to do when far away from family and with no cold weather or snow on the ground. Jay decked out the balcony, staircase and fireplace with candle light and cranked up the iTunes holiday mix so Karen could catch that Christmas Spirit when she came home from the Valley on Christmas Eve, but he was soon knocked out of commission with a fever and chills. Luckily, he was over the illness within a few days, but for someone who is never sick, the timing was pretty poor.


We feel very ready for Grover's arrival and I think we can officially say we have just about everything we need. The sight of the newly installed car seat (thanks, guy from CA Highway Patrol!) has helped the reality of it all to sink in. People have been dying for the latest Bump Watch Photo, so here's Karen (36 weeks) posing last night prior to leaving for our annual Maggiano's Holiday Dinner (what a hot pregnant lady, right?)...

For those of you who don't know, each year we go to The Grove in West Hollywood to an Italian restaurant called Maggiano's for a family-style holiday feast with our collection of friends all connected to Jay's Syracuse days. The group keeps expanding and changing (friends move away, new boyfriends and girlfriends join the fun), but each year proves to be a fun, festive night of food and wine to celebrate the holidays. Karen's doctor even made her promise she'd have a glass of wine. Here's the crew (someone commented we are all wearing blue. it wasn't planned):

We will be ringing in the New Year with our good friends Dara and Darren and their new dog Cooper (one of only 2 dogs in the world Karen likes). It will be pretty low key, as our entire holiday vacation has been, but that's kind of how we roll these days. I think we are doing what they call "nesting."

Thank you to everyone for helping to make 2009 such an amazing and unforgettable year! Now it's on to 2010, a brand new decade and certainly what we can call a new phase of our lives. Baby Dean aka "Grover" will be here (hopefully) in less than 4 weeks. One set of his/her grandparents, Bonnie and Jack, are scheduled to arrive on January 23rd and will stay in Los Angeles until the end of February. We hear the family support in the first few weeks is invaluable. We feel very lucky.

Happy New Year!

So Begins the Highlander Era

Here's a shot of our new car, the first brand new car either of us has owned. We're still trying to figure out the navigation system and how to connect Karen's phone to the hands-free system, but it's a smooth ride. Unfortunately, Jay has to find street parking for the Camry every night. The trade off is worth it for this guy. We love it!

Filling in the Blanks

To our ardent followers: I apologize for the delay since our last post. Things have been crazybusy this last month, especially since we've returned to school from Thanksgiving break. Luckily, we have only one more week at Crossroads and the Willows before we can enjoy two weeks off for Christmas and the New Year, our last as a couple without kids! We're sad that we won't be with family for the holidays (too late in the pregnancy to fly), but we at least got to see our respective families over the Thanksgiving break...

Jay left CA for a conference in Cambridge the Thursday before Thanksgiving and was able to get some quality alone time with Mom and Dad up there. He was also able to see some friends and take in a Celtics game that Friday night and enjoy his first (and probably only) Daddy Shower at Aunt Sue and Uncle Paul's house. The highlight was watching Nana take a condom out of her purse during a game we played.


THANK YOU Aunt Sue and Aunt Sally- That was exactly what this "Daddy" needed. Plus, now I know what it feels like to be thrown a shower. Never thought I would.


Meanwhile, Karen flew to Minnesota the Saturday before Thanksgiving and was greeted at the airport by her brother Brian who she had not seen in over 2 years, as he and his wife Kristy were in Africa in the Peace Corps. That night, Karen joined her college friends at Worm and Mike's new house for the annual Holiday Chili Cook Off (and now really wants a house, too!) The next day, she made lefsa with her mom. Jay flew in on Monday.

Among the highlights (this is Jay getting lazy and switching to bullet points):

• Watching Annika and Emerson at dance class
• Spending time with Max, Annika, and Emerson (oh, and Eric and Jessica, too)
• Timberwolves game with Brian and Kristy
• Running the Turkey Trot 5K with Brain on Thanksgiving Day
• Brunch with Brian and Kristy after the race

• Spending time with everybody on Thanksgiving

• Lunch with Carol
• Karen's baby shower
• Men's night out at Eric's while Karen was at the baby shower

Now we're back in Los Angeles, where we'll be until the baby is born! According to our recent doctor's appointments, all is well. Last weekend, we went to a marathon baby care class and loved it! We learned how to swaddle, how to bathe the baby, how to hold it after feeding, etc. Most of all, we were reminded that it is not easy!

Today, we head up to Tarzana to pick up our new car! That's right! We're going to get our brand new Toyota Highlander, charcoal with black interior (pictures in next blog entry). It will be the first brand new car either of us has owned. Next weekend, our final piece of baby furniture arrives, so we can finally get a sense of how much (or how little) space we have in Grover's room.

As of tomorrow, we're at 34 weeks!

Karen's First Shower! or Where are We Going to Put All This Stuff?

Karen had her first baby shower this weekend at the Chado Tea Room in Los Angeles. Here she is with (l-r) Stacey and Ali, the organizers of the event (thanks, girls! you made the mommy-to-be very happy!) and below you can see the arrangement of tables and the delicious treats. We got all kinds of stuff, but nothing impressed Jay more than Grover's brand new array of New York Jets onesies care of the one and only Ali Bell. I guess Grover has no choice in his/her choice of favorite sports teams (there have to be some traditions left intact, no?).


Then, the following night, we ventured up to the Valley and were treated to a delicious meal over at the Erlich's house (this place has been Karen's home away from home for years). We had an amazing meal (mmmm...squash soup! was it spaghetti squash I wonder?) with amazing company. Then, after dinner, we were completely floored when they presented us with not one, but both of our car seats! Thanks Erlichs! Now we just need the new car to put them in.

Karen is now in Week 29. Check out the Bump Watch photo below in the usual location against the wall by the door, but this time with balloons and baby gifts! By the way, tomorrow night we go for our second three-hour-long birthing class. The good news is Jay didn't pass out last time.

That's a Fast Heartbeat!

We had a nice experience with Dr. Pelino this week, our first time meeting with someone other than Dr. Bliss. We enjoyed her very much and we heard Grover's heartbeat for the first time. I never realized it, but baby's hearts beat about 130 beats per minute, much faster than ours. It was cool when Dr. Pelino moved the ultrasound machine back and forth from Karen's heartbeat to Grover's. It sounded healthy to me.

Karen and I opted not to do the costume thing this year for Halloween, instead splurging on a nice dinner with our friends Kevin and Stacey down the road at the Tavern. Worth every penny! Here's Karen, now at week 28, before we left:




Karen goes to her first baby shower this weekend, so we'll have to clear some space for all of our new gifts. Oh, and tomorrow night, we go to our first birthing class. We have our fingers crossed that Jay won't pass out during the graphic birth video.

Also, check out this fun thing we found in the latest Parenting magazine:


Go Phillies!

The Furniture Has Arrived!

The last two weekends were dedicated to painting, so we were more than ready when the furniture was delivered on Saturday morning, and more than happy to show it off to our pregnant couple friends. Two of Karen's friends from the Willows (Alex and Sarah) along with their husbands (Mike and Jeff) came over last night for dinner; we had a great time and everyone loved Grover's room. Here are a few pictures of the room along with the Mommies-to-be. By the way, Alex (black and white striped shirt) is due January 14th, we're the 25th, and Sarah (blue) is due February 8th!

This Thursday we have another appointment with a new baby doctor since Dr. Bliss is vacationing in Africa right now. Hopefully, we like the new one, but we already know she won't be as energetic as Dr. Bliss.

We also went to see Where the Wild Things Are this afternoon and we both loved it. I can almost hear Grover 7 years from now, shouting at the top of his lungs, "let the wild rumpus start!'

Only 14 Weeks to Go? Really?

Karen is now into her 7th month (26 weeks) and it's starting, though we still have a way to go, to feel like the home stretch. There have been more occasions when Karen's needed a boost off the couch, Jay felt Grover kick for the first time, and we have started to find baby gifts waiting for us at the doorstep. A Crossroads parent even asked Jay at a flag football game today if Karen would be interested in being a pregnant model for one of her clothing designer friends!

Here's Karen in her latest pose......and Jay with some of our new gifts...
Jay even went out and got a "test baby" for his new Bjorn and found it to be a perfect fit!

Introducing...Wales Green!

So, we can't say it was the happiest of weekends, as the Sox and Twins were both unceremoniously swept from the AL Playoffs, but it was certainly a productive one: We painted Grover's room! Here's what it looks like empty and with Karen caught in a candid moment before her 25-week bump watch photo:

It took us a while to settle on a color, but we settled for something called Wales Green. Jay thought it was too fluorescent at first, but after a day with it, both Karen and Jay feel it's the perfect shade for little Mr. or Mrs. Grover Dean.

On Wednesday night, we visited St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica for our first tour. It was interesting because it is a brand new delivery wing that doesn't even open until next Monday. When we saw the nurse's station, instead of actual computers, phones, and printers, they had signs on the desk indicating where they might be. Plus, the nursery was devoid of babies. Ultimately, it was nice to see where Grover will be born, but we want to go back when there's some action. We both left feeling very good about our chosen hospital and another step closer to the reality that we're really having a kid!

Meanwhile, Jay's stint on jury duty enters it's 7th day on Tuesday. He already had to pass up Red Sox/Angels tickets and is way behind at work, but the process has at least been interesting. Luckily, court is closed tomorrow for Columbus Day, so Jay can actually go into work and get caught up.

Here's another picture of Karen all bundled up for our trip to the Grove last night to see "Couples Retreat":
Believe it or not, it actually has felt like Fall a few nights recently. I mean, it's not like our leaves are changing color or anything, but we can look in different sections of our closets and dust off the stuff we never wear.

Until next week, Jay and Karen (and Grover) signing off.

Little Buddha

We went back to the delightful Dr. Bliss again this week and got another ultrasound (sorry, but we forgot our Flip, so no footage). She measured Grover and revealed he/she has, "a normal-sized cranium, a big belly, and long legs." Sounds like Kermit the Frog to me. Or maybe Grover looks something like this:
No matter what, we'll love him/her. Plus, big bellies are right in line with the Wood family genes.

Karen has been a bit under the weather, but it's just a cold and nothing pregnancy related. We did venture out to yet another bar mitzvah for one of my 8th graders from Crossroads. Here's Karen, all dolled up, posing for the 24-week bump watch photo:

Tomorrow, Jay goes into work in the morning and then heads back to court for his second day of jury duty. Hopefully, the Twins beat the Tigers in the play-in game tomorrow, too, so both of our beloved teams will be in the postseason.

Talk to you in about a week...

Grover Awaits the Arrival of Auntie Kristy and Uncle Brian!

Grover just keeps on getting bigger. Now, according to babycenter.com, he/she is now the size of a spaghetti squash (pictured above; we had to look it up) at 11 inches and one whole pound! It's fun to marvel about that while looking at Karen's ever-growing bump. Does it look any bigger than in last week's photo? It doesn't seem so to me but, then again, I see her every day.



So, the big news in our lives is that Brian and Kristy Rolig are finished with their stint in the Peace Corps and are arriving in the States on Wednesday. We get to see them in November but, now that we know they're home, we are dying to be in Minnesota with them.

Oh, and I finally got my LMU Masters degree framed (thanks Mom and Dad!). Picture below.


Well, time to sleep. Karen and I have more busy days at school ahead. Plus, the next two days will be in the high 90's! I'm ready for Fall.

Forging ahead!

So, we're both back in school now and feeling pretty exhausted after our first few days with the kids. Tomorrow starts our first full week back. Will we make it? Who knows how we'll survive once Grover's in the picture?

This week we ordered our chair and ottoman and did some more research into the purchase of our new Highlander (apparently, they're hard to find). Karen continues to feel great and looks exactly the same as she did one week ago.

We are starting to accumulate some stuff for the baby room and, as you can see from the pictures below, we have a lot of work to do to have the room ready for Grover's arrival. It's like a blank canvass...

Halfway!!!

So, we just had our 20 week appointment with Dr. Bliss (one of those people who definitely fits her name), and we got another ultrasound and fought the urge to find out "Grover's" sex, though it was tempting. Below you'll find Karen's 20-week "bump watch" photo and two quick Flip videos from our appointment. Everything is in full swing right now; we even spent a good portion of our Labor Day weekend registering for baby gifts. It's just non-stop fun. By the way, according to babycenter.com, Grover is about the size of banana now!

"Grow"ver just keeps getting bigger!

Here is Karen posing in her usual area, this time at 19 weeks:

 

We continue to check tasks off of our list in anticipation of the new Dean...last weekend Karen went shopping for fabric for the baby rocker and ottoman (is that how you spell it?) and this weekend we will continue to haggle for the best price for the Toyota Highlander that we want. On Friday, we go in for our next doctor's appointment and ultrasound. A few of our friends have recently found out the sex of their babies, but we are holding firm and will not know until D-Day. 

In other news, Karen and Jay are both in the middle of their final faculty week at school and await the kids' arrival next Tuesday. Then, time will really fly before Grover joins us.

Summer 2009

Well, our summer is drawing to a close and we're soon headed back to work, but we definitely filled the last few months with tons of relaxation, travel, and excitement. The highlights...

Maui: June 24th - July 2nd
We spent 8 nights at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea on the west coast of Maui. The all-inclusive resort was exactly what we needed to decompress from a very busy school year. Time moves like molasses in Hawaii, and no one wears a watch. We pretty much shut ourselves off from e-mail and the internet, and the only TV we watched was news about Michael Jackson's death. As these pictures show you, we spent our days taking in the beach views, lounging by the pool, eating, reading, walking around the island, and napping.

Karen in Minnesota: July 25th - August 1st
Maybe the best part of the trip was waking up to pitch black clouds and rain on the first morning I woke up in Minnesota.  My parents and I stayed snuggled up in the morning just lounging and sipping on coffee.  Of course, ranked right up there with best moments were: playing with Max, Annika, and Emerson and seeing their first soccer games of the season (Max even scored the first goal), shopping for maternity clothes, visiting with cousins, aunts, and my grandpa, hosting my college friends for a dinner where none of us stopped talking, and seeing the new Gopher football stadium and Target Field.  It was a great week and a little sad to leave all my peeps in the midwest.  I do love it there!

Here are some pictures from Karen's visit. Top to bottom- Karen and Max; Karen and Annika;Karen with Annika and Emerson; Karen with Max at his soccer game :

 

 

 

Massachusetts: August 7th - August 17th
Two family weddings, visits to see Jay's old college and high school friends, a day in Hyannis, cooking clam chowder and "stuffies" with Dad, Dunkin Donuts coffee, and Nick's pizza were among the many highlights of our trip back to Boston and Mattapoisett. 

Check out the pictures below from my cousin Patrick's wedding. In order, from top to bottom, because I haven't figured out how to place captions yet...
Patrick and Melissa, the bride and groom; Jay and Karen; Jay and Sharon Dean at the cocktail hour; Jack and Sharon Dean at the cocktail hour; Jay and Karen pretending to be yacht owners; Patrick dancing with his mom, my Aunt Marge, to Margaritaville.

Pictures from my cousin Lynne's wedding below. Top to bottom: Lynne getting her hair done; Beth getting her hair done (Jay had a blast drinking champagne and hanging out with all the bridesmaids that afternoon); Uncle Paul walking Lynne down the aisle; Lynne and Justin during the ceremony; Lynne with her sister Beth, brother Mike, and sister-in-law Bethany after the ceremony; Bethany, Mike, and Jay at the reception; All the cousins with Nana and Bumpa.