Thanks Mom!!!

This is Jack's room.  Eventually we will move the crib from Lydia's room to Jack's and this bed will become Lydia's first big bed.  But for now, this is perfect. My mom made the curtains, baby quilt and wall hanging.  They couldn't have turned out cuter.  Megan

Mom of Two

Jack is awesome!  He eats, burps and poops like a champ.  He completely relaxes when held upright on our chests. Besides the occasional battle with gas, he is a content little guy.  Sleep?  Varies night-to-night but he has given us four hour blocks of sleep on good nights.  Last night it was sadly more like two hour blocks of sleep. Lydia has become a great helper in Jack's care.  She likes to bring us diapers and bottles.  She likes to gently pet Jack, saying "soft."  Megan

Merry Christmas!

Our little tree was bursting with gifts!  We had so much fun watching Lydia's reaction to the many toys, slightly overwhelmed by her good fortune.  We heard lots of "cool" and "awesome."  I am thankful to have shared our first Christmas as a family of four with my mom in eighty degree San Diego.  Lydia spent Christmas afternoon in her baby pool.  Megan

Hello World!

John Kenneth Rauschenberger IV was born at 8:20 pm on Thursday, December 19. He arrived weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces and being 20 inches long. We have fallen head over heels in love with this little cuddler. He is doing wonderfully well and I am counting my blessings.

The delivery story...
The week prior to Jack's birth was a little rough. I had several days of painful contractions that lead straight to nowhere. The waiting game was driving us all crazy. John accompanied me to my regularly scheduled doctor's appointment Thursday morning. I knew if anyone could win over my doctor and encourage him to induce it would be John. He worked! They hit it off chit chatting and next thing we knew my doctor was making a "call" up to labor and delivery. Pitocin did the trick to push along my contractions. A successful epidural allowed us to watch a Redbox while my labor progressed. 20 minutes of pushing and there he was! Our experience was 100% positive from start to finish. Because of the upcoming holiday most residents were off, leaving only the seasoned staff to provide us excellent care. We were discharged the following evening to return home.

The Long Wait is Over, Well Sorta

John is home! Mom is here! A bout with the stomach virus sent my body into early labor yesterday morning. My troops were ready; both John and Mom jumped on the next flights available. Can we say "RELIEF!?!?!" The semi-downside of relief is the body relaxes, causing contractions to soften and the body to stop going into labor. So the painful wait that involved anxiety and panic is over. I actually slept last night! Now I just wait calmly for baby, with my troops. Megan

The Long Wait

A lesson in patience. That is what I am calling the next week.  Our family continues to be separated while we hope for better weather down south. Lydia has the stomach bug, so we have been hanging out at home a lot. We even broke out some Christmas presents early to improve her spirits. False contractions and Christmas celebrations have begun, a reminder that Jack's arrival is approaching. Hanging in there, just a little bit longer. Megan

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Lydia and I shared a big meal with my dad during his visit last weekend. Considering we are apart from one another, our family made the most of today with video chats, parade watching, baking cookies and decorating the Christmas tree. Thankful for the special day. Megan

A Successful Meal

My mom spent a week with us (photos to be shared later) and she taught me to make one of my favorite things from childhood, Dutch Baby Puff Pancake.  So easy and the perfect meal for just Lydia and I.  I like using lemons from my garden and Lydia loves the powdered sugar and bacon, which my mom also taught me to cook correctly.  Lydia's biggest thrill is breaking the eggs.  We made this meal three times this week - great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Dutch Baby Puff Pancake

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Flour

Pinch Salt

Pinch Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Vanilla

2 tbsp Butter

Melt butter and coat glass pie pan

Mix other ingredients well

475 degrees for 12 minutes

Serve with Lemon and Powdered Sugar

Megan

This Girl!

Who has completely given up the pacifier? This big girl! So proud of her and myself, I think we were both addicted to it in many ways. There were some tears but we pushed through. Lydia woke up this morning and said "Don't worry pacifier. I fine, pacifier." I just hope she wasn't really saying "I find pacifier." Come to think of it, it probably was the latter. Megan

Name Reveal

I have hit the milestone of 34 weeks in my pregnancy. Time to announce Baby's name (though most of you already know or could have guessed). "John Kenneth IV," continuing the Rauschenberger tradition! We plan on calling him "Jack," my grandfather's name, to reduce confusion in our house. I love both names. Megan

First Flight

This photo was taken after John completed his first flight with the Coast Guard! So excited for him, this also marked the halfway point in his flight program. Megan

Home Sweet Home

I wasn't sure how it would feel returning to San Diego after having had such a great time in Navarre. It feels like home! All of Lydia's toys and books are here, which keep her smiling. Lucy is back from the petsitter, who reported that she was the most well-behaved dog she has ever watched. If you have met Lucy, you know why this is amusing. Autumn weather has finally arrived and we are focused on only good things to come. Megan

Navarre Beach

Our time in Navarre Beach is sadly wrapping up. It has been an awesome three weeks and totally rekindled my love of this special place. Lydia and I made it to the beach and pool almost every day. Pictures of a tan toddler coming soon! She has become so confident swimming in the pool with her water wings that I can hang out on the side with just my feet in (the water has become a tad chilly for grown folks). Lydia never tired of playing in the sand, chasing the seagulls or running down the sloped beach until she could kick water. My favorite moment of the entire trip was watching John swim in the Gulf with Lydia, both of them laughing as the waves rocked them around. The Navarre dolphins are alive and well, as we saw them more frequently than ever. I am already looking forward to our return next year. Megan

Imperfect Parent

I read a great article this morning about the joy of parenting and how it has nothing to do with being a perfect parent.  Looking back at Lydia's first six months of life, this is certainly my greatest regret and something I do not want to repeat with the new baby.  I constantly compared myself to others and held myself to too high of a standard. I often need to be reminded that no mother is perfect.  Facebook and Pinterest don't help to covey this, nor do blogs like this one.   You only see the highlights, especially since it is a gratitude blog. So here are some of my imperfect realities:  I have made no headway what-so-ever with potty training, mainly because I don't feel up to the challenge.  Lydia still sleeps with a pacifier.  I was planning on kicking the habit during our time in Florida.  Now I am chickening out, thinking it might be quite useful on our flight home.  Five fruits and veggies a day, forget about it!  And only two hours of TV a day, are they joking!?!?!  I vow to work on accepting these imperfections rather than beating myself up over them.  Megan

Trunk or Treat

John didn't want to miss out on the Halloween fun so we celebrated early by going to the YMCA's trunk or treat (the same as trick or treat but done from decorated cars). Lydia was not a fan of her fairy costume at first and I considered skipping the festivity all together. However, we are pleased we enticed her to keep the costume on. Once we got to the event, she changed her tune. This child loves being around other kids and the candy made it an even sweeter deal. Megan

Chatting with Lydia

Here is a two minute video that shows Lydia being chatty.  She likes to talk about all her favorite things.  I realize now that I misunderstood her several times in it (telephone and bus).  No wonder she gets frustrated at us!  And for the record, I do not give her coffee.  Megan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX0kl_R5xcU

Back on the Emerald Coast

It feels truly indulgent to be vacationing with Lydia on the Gulf Coast. Because John has had the car all week in Mobile, any pressure to do activities other than the beach and pool is gone. Five mornings of glorious outdoor time, followed by naps for both Lydia and I. I can't complain one bit. The ocean is every bit as beautiful as I remember. So happy we bought this condo. Megan

Cross Country Take Two

I had promised myself to avoid a cross country trip with a toddler following our move to California, which was a long, exhausting journey.  But the promise of beach sunsets and pool time was just too enticing. We decided to give the family car trip another go, this time with much more planning and organization.  It paid off!  Lydia was a happy camper with lots of new toys and Curious George videos.  She even napped the first few days.  We made it a point to drive no more than eight hours a day, giving us plenty of pool time at our predetermined hotels. Plus, we all ate better on this trip.  I'm not going to lie and say that things weren't unraveling by the time we hit the Gulf Coast but we did redeem ourselves as car travelers.  I can see more trips in our future.  Megan

Lydia's First Official Haircut

John and I found ourselves in agreement that Lydia's hair had become a tangled mess, always in her eyes and often with food stuck in it. Problem solved (we hope) with this cute first cut. Megan

A Happy Birthday for John

Friday Birthdays are the best, aren't they!?!?! We celebrated John's 34th by visiting the galley/restaurant on his sector for dinner (his idea!). The Sector is right on the water and offers gorgeous views of the downtown skyline. Plus, the place is quite empty on the weekends (one of the only peacful places in San Diego on a Friday evening). John and Lydia were watching the cruise ships leave the bay in this photo. The galley was serving chicken fried steak. Not too bad for $4.50 a plate...and Lydia was free! We might have to make this part of our weekly routine. Megan

Getting Ready for Baby

Because the next few months will be busy with travel, we have spent the last few weeks getting ready for Baby! Here is a pic of the nursery. We still need to add curtains, wall decor and crib, but it has come so far from being the catch-all room. I love coming in here and picturing our baby boy playing, getting so excited to meet him. We toured labor and delivery at the hospital a few weeks ago which also drove it home that we are now in the final trimester and getting close to the finish line. With so much going on in the next few months, he will be here before we know it! Megan

Hailing John

John's luncheon to "hail" him into Sector San Diego was this afternoon. It was just another proud moment for us as a family to reflect on how far we have come in just a year's time. And we are lovin' the Coast Guard! It is small and not intimidating. The people are friendly and the hours are great. I continue to be so thankful that we have been given this opportunity. Megan

California Fruit Picking

We headed Northeast today to do some pear and apple picking. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, fruit picking continues to be our favorite family activity. We enjoyed our morning coffee as we drove into the mountains. We explored the orchard, avoiding the many bees that were feasting on the spoiled fruit. We came home with rosy cheeks and lots of fruit to enjoy this week. Megan

Coast Guard FB Page

I wanted to pass on the Facebook page for John's sector. I recently "liked" the page and have quickly been impressed with the postings. It is a great way to follow search and rescue missions. However, you do need a FB account to receive updates. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/USCoastGuardSectorSanDiego?hc_location=stream
Megan

Photos From the Month

Now that John has returned with the laptop I was able to upload photos taken this previous month. So here is our month in review.

Dad and Dana came to visit us for the hottest, most humid weekend ever. Thank goodness the zoo was open in the evenings, as that gave us a little relief. Surprisingly Dad is ready to return to San Diego!

Lydia and I played a lot of playdough so that we could sit directly in front of our window AC unit. I like to think that she is pointing to the AC in this photo and thinking "Thank Heavens!"

We bought an annual pass to our local aquarium. Lydia's favorite part of the aquarium is the bus ride from the parking lot onto the protected wetland, but the turtles are pretty cool too.

Lydia and Daddy happily reunited--nonstop play! Megan

Home Coming

John comes home today! We survived our first of two separations this fall with only a few hiccups--San Diego heat wave, lost electricity in half of the house and two dead cars. Nothing that Lydia and I couldn't handle though. Thankfully Big Brother, Downton Abbey, Words, Candy Crush and Pinterest kept me company in the quiet evenings. I can't wait to see Lydia's face when she sees her daddy at the airport! Megan

At the Dentist

Lydia had her first dentist appointment today. I didn't go in with high hopes. I assumed she would be frightened and a difficult patient. Did she ever show me wrong! Seeing her lay in the large dentist's chair, watching Cinderella quietly on the ceiling, melted my heart. They were able to give her a full exam and cleaning. I was so proud. Lydia, when I don't show you enough faith, just keep proving me wrong. Megan

Heat!

It has been hot, hot, hot here in San Diego. Thank goodness John installed a window AC unit before leaving for Connecticut. It has saved my sanity. How do we pass the hours when it is too hot to go outside? Lots of sink bubble play and jumping on the beds. Dad and Dana flew out for a Labor Day weekend visit. Their company greatly brightened our spirits, as you can see from this picture (more photos to come in a few weeks once I am able to retrieve them from my camera). Just 11 days to go now till Daddy will be back home. Megan

Isn't it Ironic!?!?!

Oh, the irony...our family is currently separated with John spending four weeks at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut learning to be an Officer (something he has successfully been for the past ten years). This distance, along with six more weeks of separation later in Fall for flight school, are the sacrifices we must endure now so that we hopefully will never have to spend time apart again. Five days down, 23 to go. When did I become such a weenie when it comes to long distance!?!? Megan

Rice Crispy Treat Breakfast

Lydia woke up requesting to bake muffins for breakfast, which she calls "cake." We had no muffin mix but we did have the making for rice crispy treats. A nice, hot breakfast...healthy, right!?!? I guess I won't be winning any Mother-of-the-Year awards today but Lydia is not complaining. As this photo was taken she was screaming "Eat? Eat?" Megan

Gender Reveal

We are having a baby boy! I waited too long to make my appointment so we had to wait almost three extra weeks to find out the gender, a lesson in not procrasting and patience. But we are thrilled to know that Lydia will soon have a baby brother. Megan

The Stars Align

I had initially planned our first return to Navarre Beach to be a year from this October. It is our favorite time of year on the Gulf Coast. However, the stars have aligned and it looks like we will be returning for a two week beach vacation this October! John is headed to Mobile for flight school (a two hour's drive from Navarre). We had a cancellation on a booking for the condo. Lastly, we have an extra car that we don't mind putting some miles on before turning it over to a dealer. So come October we will drive back east as a family. Lydia and I will return via flight two weeks later. We get to spend John's Birthday weekend with him on the beach and it greatly shortens the amount of time we have to spend apart from eachother, a true blessing. Plus John will have a car to use during his time at flight school. Lydia and I are already planning on hitting the beach and pool every day. Megan

Cute Chalk Butt

Lydia's newest obsession is sidewalk chalk. Megan

New Car!

The beloved Honda Accord has been having a rough time (sorry Emilee!); a transmission that is slow to switch gears makes navigating the aggressive highways of San Diego frightening. We were given the opportunity to purchase John's Grandma's car and jumped on it. This 2006 Chevy Impala hosts a V6 engine, huge trunk and upgrades galore (an indication of Grandma's good taste). My grandparents have driven their Impala past 200,000 miles and we hope to do the same with this car. Lydia thinks it is a great ride--lots of fun buttons to push! Megan

Totally Clueless

What the heck are we supposed to do with this mysterious thing? Megan

Long and Lean Lydia

I realized today that I have not done a "Lydia Photo Shoot" in awhile so I broke out my good lens and captured these shots. Check out how long and lean she has become! I look forward to her next doctor's appointment to hear her percentiles. I'm anticipating over the 80th percentile for height as she is towering over many older kids we meet at the playground. Lydia has become a blast to hang out with. She loves teasing, chasing and bossing around Lucy. She loves tinkering with John in the garage. She loves to jump and be chased. She is becoming more of a chatterbox each day. Megan

Exploring San Diego

We have been exploring San Diego for over six weeks now! Recently we became official zoo members. Pushing the stroller up the steep hills of the zoo is a great prenatal workout for me and I have found that if you show up right when the zoo opens you get a hour of quiet enjoyment before the crowds start swarming in. John and I got a kick out of purchasing our tomato plants at the Hillcrest Farmer's Market from the exact lady we saw on a PBS special about the farmer's market. We revisited one of our old favorites from having lived in San Diego before, the Point Loma Swamp Meet, and bartered a deal on a metal Tonka truck for Lydia similar to one John had growing up. We have indulged in In-N-Out Burger several times (hey, I'm pregnant!) as well as Old Town for authentic Mexican food. Today, Lydia and I checked-out the Children's Discovery Museum for the first time, which we will add to the list of favorite places for Lydia along with the beach and park. Megan

Picture Lots of Smiles

Amy and Nathan came to visit us in San Diego and the kids hit it off! Picture tons of giggles as they kick down block towers together. Picture Nathan purposely falling on his bottom with Lydia repeatedly asking "Are ya alright?" with a big smile. Picture Lydia making sure Nathan has a pacifier at all times. It was the cutest. Picture Lydia trying to barge in on napping Nathan to wake up her playmate. Now that wasn't too cute. Here they are sharing cookies and smiles. Megan

Daddy Daughter Time

One of John and Lydia's new activities is washing the cars together, something they couldn't do in Navarre due to condo living. The bubbles are a hit with Lydia as well as playing in the car. I get a little time for myself and a clean car--win, win! And if you have wondered if Lydia's hair is always in her face the answer to that is yes. I'm in search of a solution that doesn't make her kick and scream. Megan

Patio Playtime

We have become friends with our hummingbird neighbors. Thankfully Amy mentioned I need to clean our new bird feeder every other day or we might have unintentionally killed our buzzing friends. And if you have wondered lately what Lydia is up to, this is it. She is often outside in her diaper (it is warm afterall), usually some shade of dirty. She only needs three toys for contentment during patio playtime--cars, megablocks and teaset. John and I are absolutely thrilled to watch her play so peacefully on her own. Several nights we have kept her up past her bedtime because we hated to disrupt such sweet moments. Megan

Do I Have a Green Thumb?

I am trying my hand at gardening! I figure that San Diego's sunny skies and consistent temps should only help me, being that I am a beginner. This weekend we converted an old kiddie pool to a tomato container garden, as well as planted a lemon tree. I also have a small herb garden (rosemary, oregano and basil) forming. Megan