One cold, but beautifully sunny day in October, Danielle, Vienne and I went to the Portland Zoo. We had a great time seeing all the animals (except for the lions, whose exhibit was being remodeled) despite the fact that Vienne slept through 90% of the zoo. On the bright side, Danielle and I shared an elephant ear. Gawd, those are so good!
MUSIC: Taking The Day Off by The English Beat
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Seepy seep in her jammy jams
Some recently taken cutey pants photos courtesy of our roommate, Courtney, and her iPhone
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Off to Grandmother's (and Granddad's) house we go! (PART 1)
During the second weekend of October, we packed up the family truckster and headed down south to Salem, Oregon for a weekend of snuggling and kisses with Vienne's two sets of Oregon grandparents: Grandma Susan & Granddad Jim and Grammy Chris & Grammy Cindy!
Vienne was beside herself with excitement, but frankly, she gets beside herself with excitement at the drop of a hat. She's a two month old infant, that's what they do.
We started off at Grandma Susan and Granddad Jim's house in Keizer and on Saturday, we had a wonderful lunch and visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma Jim and Jean!! Jean was dying to hold Vienne and it was quite touching to watch.
Saturday night and Sunday was spent with the two C-squared Grammies: Chris and Cindy. It was pretty low-key: delish enchilada dinner, football watching, naps and a pleasant walk around the neighborhood with Grammy Chris, and the two pups, Lucy and Max. We saw many cool Halloween decorations in the neighborhood.
All-in-all, it was a fun time had by everyone, but boy was it exhausting! To not only lug around all Vienne's "gear" such as diaper bag, playpen, toys, bottles and formula, extra clothes, etc., etc. but also keep track of our two puppies and our own clothes and toiletries, by the end, we needed a vacation from the vacation!!!
PART 1
MUSIC: Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
Vienne was beside herself with excitement, but frankly, she gets beside herself with excitement at the drop of a hat. She's a two month old infant, that's what they do.
We started off at Grandma Susan and Granddad Jim's house in Keizer and on Saturday, we had a wonderful lunch and visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma Jim and Jean!! Jean was dying to hold Vienne and it was quite touching to watch.
Saturday night and Sunday was spent with the two C-squared Grammies: Chris and Cindy. It was pretty low-key: delish enchilada dinner, football watching, naps and a pleasant walk around the neighborhood with Grammy Chris, and the two pups, Lucy and Max. We saw many cool Halloween decorations in the neighborhood.
All-in-all, it was a fun time had by everyone, but boy was it exhausting! To not only lug around all Vienne's "gear" such as diaper bag, playpen, toys, bottles and formula, extra clothes, etc., etc. but also keep track of our two puppies and our own clothes and toiletries, by the end, we needed a vacation from the vacation!!!
PART 1
MUSIC: Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Highlights: Sept. 15th-Oct. 1st
In this exciting episode, Vienne visited Dr. Wilson, for a 1 month wellness check, this time much more thorough and comprehensive. She weighed in at 8lbs 6oz! Also during this time period, Vienne met her new friend, Everett O'Hanlon, the son of our friends Carrie and Trevor. At the time of this visit, Everett was only days old! While Everett was being tended to by his parents, Vienne was on the receiving end of some attention from Carrie's mother!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pepe comes to visit!!
Yay! In late September, Danielle's father, Dick, came to visit from Boston. Dick was christened as Vienne's "Pepe" and we had the pleasure of having Pepe's company for 2 whole weeks! Pepe really took the burden off Danielle for those two weeks - doing odd jobs around our house and fixing dinner EVERY night! We had many delicious meals and tons of good times. During the day, while I was at work, Danielle, Pepe, and Vienne went on a few adventures, including a day trip to the Vista House and the Multnomah Falls. Also during Pepe's stay with us, we went out to dinner with Granddad Jim and Grandma Susan! Fun was had by all. NOTE: the shiner you may notice on Pepe's eye came courtesy of Bucha, who inadvertently stepped on Pepe's face!!!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Highlights: September 8th-14th
As we approached Vienne's 1 month birthday, the highlight of our week was a visit by Grandma Chris and Grandma Cindy. Another high point was going to our neighborhood park for a picnic. Having my entire weekend to spend with Danielle and Vienne is such a gift!! And halfway through our picnic, Vienne surprised us (well, not so surprisingly) with a gift of her own!
MUSIC: Perfect Day by Duran Duran (Lou Reed cover)
MUSIC: Perfect Day by Duran Duran (Lou Reed cover)
Highlights: September 1st-7th, 2010
One good thing I've discovered about making these videos is that we will always have them to remind our fuzzy brains about the minute details of Vienne's life. Truthfully, while I can recall specific events, the day-to-day, small details aren't as crisp in my memory.
During Vienne's first week of September, besides the usual (eating, sleeping and going potty), Vienne took her first trip outdoors to the Hoyt Aboretum up near the Portland Zoo. It was a nice day, sunny but not too hot, and we really put our rugged stroller to the test!
Also, in this week, Vienne discovered several new things: her new best friend, Mr. Bumblebee (thanks to Auntie Awa for the playmat!); television (don't worry, she won't get hooked); unexpected, but always mighty fine kisses from momma and poppa; and that if she cries long and loud, she'll probably get some food. Danielle and I discovered, among other things, that Vienne will smile and coo when you rub the back of her head, that she does this creepy "Exorcist" style sleeping thing where she'll open her eyes revealing just her white eyeballs, and that our hearts are filled with so much love to give her. That last one took us by surprise...
MUSIC: Dreamcatcher by Bahramji & Maneesh De Moor
During Vienne's first week of September, besides the usual (eating, sleeping and going potty), Vienne took her first trip outdoors to the Hoyt Aboretum up near the Portland Zoo. It was a nice day, sunny but not too hot, and we really put our rugged stroller to the test!
Also, in this week, Vienne discovered several new things: her new best friend, Mr. Bumblebee (thanks to Auntie Awa for the playmat!); television (don't worry, she won't get hooked); unexpected, but always mighty fine kisses from momma and poppa; and that if she cries long and loud, she'll probably get some food. Danielle and I discovered, among other things, that Vienne will smile and coo when you rub the back of her head, that she does this creepy "Exorcist" style sleeping thing where she'll open her eyes revealing just her white eyeballs, and that our hearts are filled with so much love to give her. That last one took us by surprise...
MUSIC: Dreamcatcher by Bahramji & Maneesh De Moor
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The sights and sounds of August 2010 - parts 1 & 2
The last two weeks of August were exciting for us as a family. Vienne slept A LOT, but also spent quite a bit of time awake, visually checking out her new digs, while in the comforting arms of her momma and daddy. Danielle and I gradually became more at ease taking care of Vienne. Holding her & carrying her around, slowly became second nature.
Vienne weighed about 7 lbs. 15 oz. at birth, but the following week, she dropped 13% of her body weight as she went down to 6 lbs. 6 oz. While it wasn't cause for alarm per se, we wanted to be sure that she didn't lose anymore, so we began to supplement her regular breast feedings with formula - first trying soy, then moving onto regular formula after weeks of scary, 'Exorcist' style, projectile spit-ups! In the days before transitioning to a bottle, we fed Vienne's formula to her via a syringe.
Along the way over her first few weeks of life, Vienne met several new friends: Tilly and Bucha, her brother and sister of the dog world; her new "roomie" Courtney; plus future playmates Ari and Lilah and their momma, Naomi, a good friend of Danielle's.
The week after her birth, I got a fancy new job at my alma matter, Portland State University, so unfortunately, I had to miss most of Vienne's daily routine. But it is those missed times that make me appreciate my evenings and weekends with my two special girls, that much more. Due to a daycare SNAFU, Danielle was unable to return to her full-time job, but all's well that ends well, because now, Danielle is able to spend the day with Vienne, giving her the love and snuggles that only a momma can give. The only downside is that now we are trying to make it on only one income source, but Danielle is hot-to-trot to get her eco-friendly cleaning business, 'Mommy and Me Cleaning' and doggy raincoat & sweater business, 'Scraps 4 Tilly', off the ground in order to bring in supplemental income, but also provide a creative outlet for her.
As we coasted into September, we were amazed at how fast Vienne was growing right before our eyes and at how fast the days pass. Is it really September 1st? Has it really been 2 weeks since her birth? Yup, it is and has!!! Wow, time flies when we are having the times of our lives as first time parents!!
PART 1:
PART 2:
Vienne weighed about 7 lbs. 15 oz. at birth, but the following week, she dropped 13% of her body weight as she went down to 6 lbs. 6 oz. While it wasn't cause for alarm per se, we wanted to be sure that she didn't lose anymore, so we began to supplement her regular breast feedings with formula - first trying soy, then moving onto regular formula after weeks of scary, 'Exorcist' style, projectile spit-ups! In the days before transitioning to a bottle, we fed Vienne's formula to her via a syringe.
Along the way over her first few weeks of life, Vienne met several new friends: Tilly and Bucha, her brother and sister of the dog world; her new "roomie" Courtney; plus future playmates Ari and Lilah and their momma, Naomi, a good friend of Danielle's.
The week after her birth, I got a fancy new job at my alma matter, Portland State University, so unfortunately, I had to miss most of Vienne's daily routine. But it is those missed times that make me appreciate my evenings and weekends with my two special girls, that much more. Due to a daycare SNAFU, Danielle was unable to return to her full-time job, but all's well that ends well, because now, Danielle is able to spend the day with Vienne, giving her the love and snuggles that only a momma can give. The only downside is that now we are trying to make it on only one income source, but Danielle is hot-to-trot to get her eco-friendly cleaning business, 'Mommy and Me Cleaning' and doggy raincoat & sweater business, 'Scraps 4 Tilly', off the ground in order to bring in supplemental income, but also provide a creative outlet for her.
As we coasted into September, we were amazed at how fast Vienne was growing right before our eyes and at how fast the days pass. Is it really September 1st? Has it really been 2 weeks since her birth? Yup, it is and has!!! Wow, time flies when we are having the times of our lives as first time parents!!
PART 1:
PART 2:
Friday, October 15, 2010
The yin and the yang
I'll take the yin over the yang every time!
A lot of people have asked me, "Why all the videos and no words?" Well, my response to that is: I LOVE TO CREATE VIDEOS!! In all seriousness though, there are mainly two things at play here. One is that I am trying to post as many videos quickly and as soon as possible so that I can get caught up to the current date. Secondly, I can always go back and add thoughts and descriptions at a later date.
The point that I'm trying to make, is that you all can expect more written narration from me, once my video and picture posts catch up to the present day. For now, enjoy the sights and sounds that is Vienne Azure Doucette-Hardy!!
MUSIC: The Funeral by Band of Horses
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
First few days in hospital
Trying on new outfits, hearing tests, learning how to get burped, getting her picture taken, being loved and snuggled by mommy and daddy...all in a days work during Vienne's first few days in the hospital.
MUSIC: Circle Song by Jewel
MUSIC: Circle Song by Jewel
Monday, October 11, 2010
2nd day visitors!!!
Besides Grandma Chris & Cindy, Auntie Awa and our midwife Dana (all whom visited the first day), Vienne's second day was filled to the brim with visitors including Granddad Jim and Grandma Susan, our friend and roommate Courtney, our midwife apprentice Nicole, and our good friends Ginger, Teresa, Mark, Carrie and Trevor. It was an action packed second day of life for Vienne!
MUSIC: Doin' It All For My Baby by Huey Lewis and the News
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Pregnant days
It all seems like such a blur now, so it is really hard to fathom that Danielle bravely carried little Vienne (although we didn't know it was Vienne for much of the time) for 9 months. Now, you may think that using the word "bravely" is a bit of an exaggeration, but to me, that is what it seemed like. Sleepless nights, aching back, nausea, wanting to eat a ton of a certain food one moment, then absolutely hating it the next....the list goes on.
Anyhow, it was an amazing ride...literally with highs and lows and twist and turns.
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