So GQ

The real highlight of Super Bowl week in Indianapolis was our opportunity to attend the GQ party.  Every year, GQ throws a large invite-only Super Bowl party in the host city.  Did I know this two months ago?  No, but thanks to an amazingly fortuitous work connection a couple weeks prior, Lynne and I found ourselves on the guest list.

The event was held at the Stutz Building, about one mile north of the Super Bowl Village, which kept the event a little mysterious and private.  Co-hosted by GQ and Lacoste, and sponsored by Patron, we knew there’d be a variety of celebrities in attendance, but since it was invite-only, there wasn’t a lot publicized ahead of time since they didn’t need to sell tickets.  All we knew was that QuestLove (from The Roots) was going to deejay, and LL Cool J would be performing.  Just as a frame of reference, buying a ticket to some of the other Super Bowl parties ran $800 - $1,000, and the reviews for those events were quite mixed since people were packed in shoulder to shoulder with little access to the famous folks.

We had a fantastic time at the event.  Celebrities walked the red carpet and got interviewed but then were fairly accessibly to meet.  We didn’t take that many pictures since it was dark and we only had Lynne’s iPhone camera, and honestly, taking pics seemed a little tacky since this wasn’t your average fan event.  They served a lot of decent hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening and sponsor Patron provided tons of fancy tequila cocktails. 

So what celebrities did we meet and see?  When we first arrived, Hines Ward was on the red carpet (I later had the chance to talk with him), and we quickly got our bearings.  The venue wasn’t that large, so it was easy to stand up top in the back and survey to see who you wanted to meet.  As we were doing so, I noticed that directly to my right was Purdue’s Curtis Painter.  I gave him a quick “Boiler Up” and handshake but really had nothing more to say.  I’ve met Painter before, and as we continued to walk around the venue I realized that no one was talking to him, likely because he’s not that famous in comparison, not as recognizable, and people in Indianapolis (who aren’t Purdue fans) probably don’t really like him.

Patron had set up a giant photo studio to get professional photos taken, complete with swanky props and Patron bottles.  We had a lot of fun doing that, and you can see some of the evidence below (way nicer than our iPhone photos).  Lacoste set up an area to create custom screen-printed Super Bowl shirts, so we made a couple and took some home for our generous babysitters who we kept up quite late.

Since Lacoste co-sponsored the event, Andy Roddick, one of their biggest endorsements, attended the event, and as a tennis geek I was quite excited.  I had the chance to say hi a couple times, but you could tell that he wasn’t too excited to be there.  It’s not like he wasn’t having fun (he really enjoyed LL Cool J’s set), he just seemed tired.  His wife, model Brooklyn Decker, on the other hand, might have had more fun than anyone.  She was very nice and apparently quite big pals with Erin Andrews.  Near the end of the evening I did try to get a picture with Erin but got shot down, boo!  She may or may not have been quite intoxicated (trying not to get sued here), and you can see she and Brooklyn have quite the red carpet conversation.  I actually lose major man points as upon her arrival, Erin and Brooklyn walked right past me (I had to help them get to Roddick in the front row), and I didn’t even realize who they were even as Erin stepped on my foot.  That’s how transfixed I was on LL Cool J’s fantastic set that got the crowd really enthused.

Ah, LL, what can we say.  He was honestly the nicest person we met the entire night, and I seriously think he was treated like the biggest celebrity there (maybe that’s due to his two gigantic bodyguards though).  Lynne was able to get a picture with him because he seemed to be the only celeb that it was cool to do that with, and even Roddick was getting his picture with LL.

I also got to meet Greg Jennings from the Packers (took me all night to figure out who he was), guys from The Roots (who were in attendance to watch their boy QuestLove deejay), and Troy Aikman (firmest hand shake of my life).  Troy spent a significant portion of the night chatting with Erin Andrews, quite closely if I might add.  They must be great friends (still trying to be careful not to get sued with what I write here).

Hines Ward didn’t seem to be having too much fun, and it was funny to see him (and others) avoid getting pictures taken with their dates, I suppose to avoid the gossip columns.  I also struck up a conversation with a gentleman as we waited for the restroom, only to discover it was the Lacoste CEO.  Yes, I already reached out to him about connecting with DC.org.

Other celebs we saw but didn’t talk to: JR Martinez (Dancing with the Stars), Terrell Owens, David Arquette, Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Peter Berg, Giants owner Steve Tisch, and former Miss Indiana/USA finalist Brittany Mason. We left as the party was winding down and apparently missed Adam Levine (Maroon 5).

Lynne and I were both disappointed that Jon Hamm (Mad Men) didn’t show up.  We had heard he might attend, and I had prepared a great opening line to meet him, but he got held up at the Playboy party, go figure.

On the way out we ran into Guy Fieri, which was fun, and I gave him a little secret ATO love (he’s an Alpha Tau Omega alum from UNLV), and he totally got it and replied, “You too…brother!”  Overall we both had a great time at this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Lynne did an admirable job keeping me from looking too stalker-ish.

You can see much higher quality pictures at the GQ site: (you can see Lynne and I in the front left of the first pic, in my tan blazer).

Pictures from the Patron photo booth

Son of Man, anyone?

Walking the red carpet (after all the famous people had)

 

Does “LL” stand for “Lynne Loves” Cool J?  He insisted that his sunglasses be on for every photo, but was far more down to earth when you talked to him

Even Andy Roddick was excited to get his picture taken with LL.  Check out one of his two huge bodyguards staring me down.

Brooklyn Decker looking happy the entire night

  Erin Andrews and Troy Aikman spent a lot of time talking

QuestLove was a great deejay

Matilda’s Birth Story

I can’t believe that it has been over five months since Matilda was born.  I wanted to put it all down in writing so that the memories would not leave us. 
Even though it was my second time around, I was a bit anxious while we headed to the hospital.  We took a minute before we headed out the door to take a few last belly shots.   Since my experience with Eliza’s birth was so great, I worried that it couldn’t go that well again.  This time around I had been having contractions for three weeks and was still only one centimeter and 50% effaced.   My doctor said that some women just don’t go into full labor on their own and I might be one of them.   So, Thursday evening, July 21st, Kirk and I checked into the hospital and after all the paper work, getting an IV, and getting hooked up to the monitor, we saw that I was having contractions about every 7 minutes.  The cirvadil was placed at 5:45pm, and at this stage with Eliza I went into labor on my own within two hours.  I was hoping that this would happen again once I got some dinner!  They wanted to monitor me for two hours before I could eat and I was really hungry after only being able to have a light lunch.  Two hours later I was still at the same place with the contractions not getting closer or stronger so I called room service and ate.
After a night of little sleep (and in a bed that has countless positions you would think that I could find one that was comfortable) I was getting frustrated with the lack of progress.  I was checked again at 5:40 AM on Friday the 22nd, and I was 3 centimeters and 75% effaced.  At 6:40 AM I was given pitocin to get contractions that were closer together, stronger, and in a more regular pattern.  Nothing really changed though, and since the pitocin was through a drip they upped it a few times.  Around 8:00 AM we talked with the nurse about Kirk leaving for a while to go home and take Otis outside.  The nurse said that nothing would be happening and that would be fine.  I remember being in the room alone and feeling some strong contractions start.  I paged the nurse during the second round, and within two minutes they were really painful and there nurse still wasn’t there.  I started crying at some point because everyone had left!  Right about then the nurses came in and checked me again.  I was somewhere around 5 centimeters and they decided to call my doctor to get the epidural started.  The next twenty minutes were long, and I was having the most painful contractions.  Some of them were back-to-back but then there would be a long break in between.   I asked the nurse to call Kirk so he could get back as soon as possible.  She was kind enough to talk to him since I knew that I would just start crying and he wouldn’t be able to understand me anyway. 
By 9:00 AM the epidural was placed and Kirk walked in near the end of it.  I was able to hug one of the nurses until he got there and I was so thankful for her.  The epidural helped but I continued to feel pain (beyond normal discomfort).  At 10 AM while watching the Today show my water broke.  I was checked at 10:10 AM and I was 8 centimeters.  My contractions were still uncomfortable and they never got into a pattern until the very end.  The nurse said that some women don’t have consistent contractions but the body still knows what it is doing, and I was still making progress.  By 10:50 AM my contractions were getting very uncomfortable.  My doctor was there and she asked if I would like to push or sit in an upright position for a while since the baby was still a bit high and needed to come down.  The same thing happened with Eliza and I sat for 30 minutes and let her drop, but this time around we all thought that pushing gave me something to do through the pain.  The anesthesiologist came back in at some point and upped my epidural because the pain was still really bad on my right side.  With Eliza I couldn’t feel anything, but this time around some areas were completely numb and others not very numb at all!  Pushing was much more painful then it had been previously as well.  Kirk said my face got redder and I don’t think I opened my eyes much.  After nine long pushing cycles Matilda was born at 11:33 AM!   She was perfect and weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20.25 inches long.
 
The pain was definitely worse this time around but I feel like since her birth most things have been easier than with Eliza.  My recovery was much less painful, and at the hospital I didn’t need as much medication and that made a huge difference in being able to feel more like myself.  I brought two of my own hospital gowns with me, and that helped me not feel so sick (and if you had seen the nasty hospital gown that was provided for me you would have felt the same way)!  It was just so much more comforting knowing what to expect your second time around.  We also felt like we had a date night at the hospital the night of my induction, since we were able to watch a bunch of movies for my entire stay.  A friend told me right before we checked in that she always loved her time at the hospital and I remember thinking that it was an odd statement, but now I totally agree!  I loved just being with Kirk and Matilda and not feeling guilty to start splitting my time between two kids immediately.  I knew that once we got home things would change. 
Eliza came to visit us the evening after Matilda was born.  We had some other friends in the room when she got there with Papa and Gram.  I could hear her outside the room calling “Mommy,” but as soon as she walked into the room she said, “Where is my baby sister?”  It was so cute but unfortunately everything happened so fast that we didn’t get the video camera out in time.  Eliza loved Matilda immediately and those moments will be a sweet memory.  It made coming home exciting for Kirk and I.  I wanted nothing more then to get back into our own schedule with our new little addition!  In the end Matilda has her own birth story that is different from Eliza but I feel so blessed to have had two healthy deliveries, my doctor to be able to be at both, and for Kirk and his support through it all. 

For a family picture I had packed outfits that were coordinating for Matilda and Eliza, but I didn’t end up using what I had packed because we all matched anyway! My mom dressed Eliza and the nursery had to dress Matilda after she spit up during her hearing test in one of their gowns.  Kirk was on his own, so it was kind of crazy that we all matched!

Matilda in the puffy hat that Eliza wore home from the hospital.  There is a big difference between April and July temperatures in Indiana.  Matilda had 100 degree weather for the first few weeks of her life so this hat only stayed on for a minute.

Going home…splendid!

The Day is Here!

The due date is here, that is.  We will be induced Thursday at 4:30pm and my doctor, who has been on maternity leave, is coming in early to do the delivery!  I am really excited about having my normal doctor there, and it has made it easier to wait this long.  I have a few more things to clean and some laundry to put away but we’ve had plenty of extra time to prepare. 

On Sunday Kirk took some pictures of Eliza and me.  I haven’t been too keen to jump in front of the camera, but I figured it was time to document the last days of the pregnancy.  As I look back I will recall my cravings of Mexican food, fruit, and canned green beans (and when I say Mexican food I mean the authentic stuff, which I would have eaten every night if Kirk had let me).  It has also been different mentally preparing for a second child.  There is not as much time to dream and think on the newest addition because I’m plenty busy with Eliza.  I have a joy-filled heart and am excited to meet Eliza’s baby sister.

I hope she’s ready for what’s coming!

Mother’s Day in NYC

For Mother’s Day this year, Kirk surprised me with a trip to New York for three days.  He was going to be out there for work and I was lucky enough to tag along.  I spent the days by myself (a mother’s dream!) and at night we had three date nights in a row!  It was glorious and the weather was perfect.  Our friend, Mallory, was also in NYC visiting her sister, and we were fortunate that our trips overlapped a bit so I got to hang out with her for a day of much needed girl time.  It was also great fun to browse shops and just sit and read in Central Park.

Kirk and I had some fantastic food in the evenings, including the original Shake Shack, Nirvana (Indian), Kin Shop (Thai, which Kirk raved about when it opened last Fall), and Le Parisien (French, of course, which I was craving to commemorate our trip to Paris last summer).  At Kin Shop, we enjoyed a feast featuring a fried pork belly and crispy oyster salad, soft shell crab, short ribs and noodles, pad see ew, and Thai chocolate coffee and Thai iced tea ice creams.

We also got to see a Broadway show – Anything Goes!  The show was sold out, but thanks to a generous local high school assistant principal (and a couple of his students that were no-shows), we got to see it for free the only night it was showing during our trip.  I really enjoy Cole Porter, and the show was phenomenal with spectacular singing, dancing, and comedy.  It’s currently nominated for nine Tony awards, including best revival, best actress, and best choreography.

It was also fun to see Kirk’s office after their latest move (last summer), and his co-workers through him a little baby shower while we were there, too!  I love being a mom but it always nice to get away and just be with Kirk!  

Half Way There

It’s been a while since I blogged, but hopefully you all know our most recent big news – we will be having another GIRL!  Kirk and I are very excited to see two sisters grow up together.  We have been reading books and talking to Eliza a lot about being a big sister.  When asked, “Where’s the baby,” she’ll point at my growing belly, but she also thinks that she has a baby in hers, too!

This pregnancy has not been what we expected.  At our 8 week ultrasound the tech found a build-up of blood in my uterus.  I was put on a weight limit of 8 lbs with no exercising.   It made for some difficult weeks especially when Kirk was traveling.  I felt helpless in obeying what the doctor ordered since even Otis is over 8 lbs! 

When we went back 4 weeks later it was frustrating to find out that the mass doubled in size.  With this kind of build-up the body could reabsorb it or we were told it could stay there the whole pregnancy.  It was really getting me down to think of having this for 30+ weeks.  If the mass were to burst I would go into labor, so again I was reminded of the restrictions and tried to figure out how to be a mom and care for this unborn baby at the same time.

Timing couldn’t have been better, since right after this second ultrasound we had  a two week vacation planned in Florida.  It was a huge blessing and answer to prayer to have not only Kirk there but my in-laws as well to do all the lifting.  I did nothing but lay around, play with Kirk and Eliza, eat, and read for two weeks. 

When I returned home I went in for another ultra-sound at 14 weeks.  I had been praying that the mass had gone down in size.  I didn’t even think of praying that it would be gone.  Thankfully, the nurse couldn’t find any sign of it!  I was shocked and kept asking for her to check again.  Such a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders that I couldn’t stop smiling.  We were also able to find that we were having a girl and that she was looking perfect!  Over the last month I have been able to clean the house, lift Eliza when she asked me to hold her, and be excited about being pregnant.

This last week I went in for another ultrasound and my 20 week check.  Unfortunately, they found the blood build-up again.  This could be the same one or a new one, the doctor wasn’t sure.  I was put back on restrictions, but since I am out of the first trimester and the mass is not as big as it once was, my doctor is not as worried as she was previously.  I am trying not to get too stressed about it this time around and continue enjoying this pregnancy.  This little girl loves to move and I feel her all day long.  She also loves oranges and Mexican food!

Image from flickr.

Store Closing

Around the start of 2011 Williams Sonoma Home closed at the Keystone mall.  I have been blessed to be able to have worked there for the last three years, and I will miss it greatly.  They closed all but two locations nationwide as they focus more on website sales.  I am staying in the corporate family and have transferred to the Cuisine store.  I’ll miss having my hands in the design field, and the people that were on our small team will be irreplaceable, but I have enjoyed sharpening my cooking skills and getting inspired in the kitchen so far!

Washington, D.C.

Eliza and I took a trip out to D.C. to visit my Dad and Marilyn in November. We flew out there just the two of us, and I prayed for weeks that the flights would go smoothly. It wasn’t Eliza that I was worried about, but rather that I wouldn’t have enough hands along the way. I traveled with a large rolling suitcase, three shoulder carry-ons, a car seat, and a large stroller…and a walking child! My prayers were answered in so many ways, but the greatest was that for each flight there was an empty seat next to me so Eliza didn’t have to be a lap baby! It went better than I could have hoped for, and Eliza had fun reading on the plane. Marilyn had to work while we were there but dad, Eliza, and I went out each day to see the sights. I love being with my dad and it was great to see Eliza take in new things and play with her grandparents!

We took the subway everyday and really got the hang of it with a stroller. It’s not always easy when you don’t know if you’ll find an escalator.

Ford’s Theater

Marilyn and I saw a ballet, Romeo and Juliet, at the Kennedy Center. I had been to the Kennedy Center before but this was the first time that I got to see an actual performance. The ballet was well done and I enjoyed watching it with Marilyn who studied ballet in NYC when she was younger.

Eliza loved having a dance party at the townhouse each night. She learned how to spin and bounce on her knees, and she would point at the floor and tell us exactly where we should be dancing with her.

The Lincoln Memorial is probably my favorite monument in the city. The week brought AMAZING weather. I certainly didn’t expect it to get in the upper 50’s in November! Eliza did great with simply her coat, hat, and bundle-me blanket!

I had never seen the Korean War Memorial before and it was really powerful. I loved the faces that they engraved on the wall and that you could see the reflection of the statues as well.

Eliza loved seeing the dog at the Roosevelt Memorial. This was one of my Dad’s favorite memorials of the trip.

One night Dad and I took a few hours to walk around the city after Eliza went to sleep. Kirk’s a big fan of this picture (and a bit jealous he wasn’t there).

The last few days of the trip we spent at the Smithsonian, which was quite new to me since the last time I was there, I was an 8th grader and didn’t have as much interest in history. We were able to see Julia Child’s kitchen, the first American flag, the Hope Diamond, and so much more. The picture below is of Julia Child’s cookbook shelf from her kitchen. As you can see, a majority are her own cookbooks but on the top shelf is one of the Davis/Smiley favorites! The Victory Garden Cookbook is hard to find now that it is no longer in print but we highly recommend it if you ever come across a copy. Dad gave me a copy a few years back ,and now that Kirk has become a gardener it has been very informative…and as you can see I think Julia would agree!

We had heard great things about the cafe at the American Indian Museum. “The Mitsitam Café (Mitsitam means "Let's eat!" in the native language of the Delaware and Piscataway tribes) offers various foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Mesoamerica, and the Great Plains. Each food station features cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavors found in both traditional and contemporary dishes." Dad loved that you could sample so many different regions of food, some more obscure than others. I would highly recommend it for a lunch while at the Smithsonian.

I really loved the Presidential Portrait Museum and since we only spent an hour there I will definitely go back on my next visit. This sculpture of George Bush (the elder) playing horseshoes continues to make me laugh.

Eliza still talks about our time in D.C. She loved the subway and playing with ice every night in her grandpa’s travel cooler. It’s amazing what kids find entertaining and interesting! I have always loved the city, and this trip only added to that feeling.
More pictures can be seen on our flickr site.