Smiles

Moving out

I've decided to take this blog over to Live Journal. I could say that it's because you can post whole photo albums, so everyone will be able to see more of Homer, but really it's because they have really cute layouts... So the new address is: http://klepore.livejournal.com/

So come on over and check out the new site!

Head control..sort of

Homer's starting to get a grip on his head control, but it's still a little bit like "A Night at the Roxbury".

Little kid in a big bed

Just a few cute pictures of Homer--he likes to finish off the night with a quick nap in bed with us.

By the way, this baby is totally diesel--he gained another 10 ounces last week, and averages over 1/2 a pound per week!

Low moment

Just in case you thought Homer was too good to be true--here's a picture taken immediately after a blowout on TJ's lap. No one looks very happy here...

Shhhh...

Here are some pictures of Homer in my favorite pose--sleeping!

Playtime

Here's Homer getting a little playtime on the quilt that I made for him oh so long ago...

Warning: naked baby

Here's a clip of Homer in the bath. I've also posted some pictures of Homer chillin' with Dad, and his puzzle name plate--a gift from our friend Sarah.

Big yawn

This video clip was just too cute--waking up from a nice nap with Grandpa. Also, some proof that Homer is warming up to the idea of the bath...

Grumpy old man

Homer's latest trick is his grumpy old man face (first picture). This is post-feed, so maybe he's working on something, or he just doesn't like eating pictures (none of us do, right?). Until he can talk (which will be soon, I'm sure--I'm positive that he's especially gifted), it will remain a mystery.

Homer's day out

Well, I'm slowly coming back to the land of the living (today was the first day in almost a week that I put on something other than sweatpants or pajamas...), so we decided to take Homer out to run some errands. I've posted a few pictures of him in his stroller, and hanging out at home with TJ. He's doing really well--he even had his first bath at home this morning!

The best part about a kid

you get to dress them silly at this age.

Drum Roll Please

After 3 days in hospital, little sleep and a protracted time to get into labor, Kate gave birth! she only pushed for 17 minutes! A real star. Here are pictures of Robert Homer Lepore. He was very well adjusted on the hospital floor and very quiet. We'll see how long that lasts and whether or not Lola will take to him.

while we wait...

This is what kates been up too...

Waters broken

I found kate this morning at 3:30 in the bathroom, she had felt a little trickle and had the presence of mind to get up out of bed, grab the sterile urine cup and head into the only tiled area of our house. I found her shortly thereafter, waters broken. We headed in and she was not in labor so back home we came. Now we wait....let me just say also that when they say the waters break...think levies in New Orleans not a misty rain...terrifying. Kate is doing really well though. she has the TENS machine on now, contractions pretty regular...this chick isn't dealing as well as kate:)

Everyone gets one....

So we had our first false alarm, we were out for a walk in marley park in south west dublin, very pretty and kate started getting contractions. Not very powerful but we were debating whether or not we would go in to the hospital. On the way home she felt something wet and we decided to go in. When we arrived, a woman was in labor coming in right in front of us. We almost turned around given it was pretty obvious kate was not in labor but figured we'd stick it out and get everything checked out. Everything was fine, so after 2 hours of monitoring we headed home. On the way out kate got her first taste of what labor looks like. Just as we were leaving the monitoring room, we had to hug the walls as a porter came rushing down the hallway pushing a woman in a wheelchair. She was facing backwards in the chair on her knees on the seat, saying "oh god...oh god...OH GOD!" as she went by us. I think Kate is in the zone. Yesterday we had a meeting with the OB, he said kate would go any day now, after which he said the baby was well grown and gave me a big pat on the back and smile...kinda creepy.

No baby yet...things are getting ugly

I've decided to take over posting duties for Kate now that I'm home and she is getting restless. As you can see from the photo the wheels are starting to come off this offspring attempt. Kate is happy but getting tired, 5 days to go. I'm afraid she may need to enter detox after this experience, does Betty Ford do Phish food withdrawal?

It's started already...

Well, we've started making this baby look foolish before he's even born. I know that parents get the enjoyment of dressing babies up in lots of idiotic outfits. With that in mind, we went with the sunglasses and thumbs up! Actually, now that I think about it, it's me that's dressed up like a moron, not the baby...

A few more pics

Here are a few pictures from a walk we took this weekend in Dun Laoghaire (a port in Dublin). Also, I've included some pictures of a sweater I just finished--we tried to put it on Lola, just to see if we could, but we didn't get very far...

F*ck yeah!

Today, in a masochistic fever, or maybe I was still milkshake-drunk after last night, I decided to try on my old skinny jeans... and they fit! (Except for the part where you zip them up) If this keeps up, there's going to be a Windy Hill calendar shoot this Christmas. At the very least, things are looking good for the team in the annual wife carry. F*ck yeah! I'm making a cheesecake.

To become an Irish citizen

Here's something I copied out of an official document on how to attain citizenship for those born in Ireland:

"If you, as a person born in the island of Ireland do an act which only an Irish citizen is entitled to do [...], the law regards that as an exercise of your entitlement to be an Irish citizen, and you are accordingly an Irish citizen from birth. This also applies to persons not yet of full age (i.e. those still under 18 and not married) on whose behalf such an act is done."

So here's how I interpret this: if our baby were to get drunk, knife someone in the alley behind our apartment, then vomit all over the sidewalk, he would officially become an Irish citizen. Alternatively (and because I don't condone underage drinking), TJ or I could do the same in his name.

I apologize for anyone of Irish descent who takes offense at this post, but it's pretty damn funny. And until you've lived in Dublin 1, you just don't know. It's not all leprechauns and rainbows...

Crazy weather

In between episodes of pouring rain and bright sunshine, we managed to make it through a whole walk without getting wet. Here are some pictures from a walk along the cliffs outside of Dublin.

In other news, it looks like I'll actually get a pay raise by going on official maternity leave. I'm pretty sure that should make me feel bad about myself, because it really speaks to how little I actually make here, but I'll take it. It's my little way of screwing the Irish government they way it's screwed me (most of their science funding goes to EU nationals only--bastards!). Ha!

FYI...

Disclaimer: this post is super tacky!!

For those of you who have asked, we do have a registry set up at a nursery store in Dublin. The website is: www.murphysprams.ie/shop/kate_and_timothy_lepore.baby_gift_list_service.1593.html
If for some reason that doesn't work, go to: www.murphysprams.ie
Then click on "Baby Gift List Service", then our names.

We mostly put big things on it that we were planning to buy, so PLEASE don't feel that you need to go on there and get us anything! If you must, you can buy online and they'll keep things in the store for us until we arrange to have everything delivered. Just be sure to let them know that it's for our gift list.

A word of warning: if anyone was planning on sending us anything from websites or stores in the US (Babys"R"Us, etc.), DON'T! Even if they ship internationally, it's a huge pain to clear it in customs, pay VAT, arrange delivery, etc. Trust me, I've been burned before!

Ok. Again, sorry for the tacky post. I'm not hinting, trust me! I just wanted to clarify for those of you who have asked about a registry. I also wanted to help us all avoid the international shipping blues...

Baby Lepore in Laguna Beach

Here are some pictures from a quick visit to Laguna Beach to see Grandma. We had some great beach days, but the water was a little too rough for me to go in. I promise, these are the last bathing suit pictures that I'm going to release!

We also stopped by San Diego to meet up with more family--my uncle Bobby, my cousin Anasuya and her husband Andy, and my cousin Nila. We missed Nila's fiancee Mandy; she was doing makeup for a wedding that day--for those of you that remember exactly two years ago (hint hint, it's our anniversary today!), Mandy did the makeup for our wedding, too.

More pics

Here are a few more pictures at Applegate (in my favorite innertube), and one with my sister and nephews (Nate, Toby, and Calvin from left).

Hello from Oregon

I'm out for a few weeks visiting my family in Oregon, where it's been hot and sunny! This picture was taken at Applegate Lake, where we've been for three of the last four days--sunburn, anyone?

First video!

Here's something a little weird--I got some kicks on video, posted below. There's a bunch of little wiggles, and then the biggest one is on the lower right hand side of the screen at around 16-18 seconds, but you have to look for it--really, this is for you, TJ, since you'll know what you're looking for. Once I posted on blogger, the video quality got pretty bad, and it's hard to see. (Ignore the sound, it's just the TV in the background). Enjoy!

It's been a long time...

Sorry, I know--I haven't posted in a while (thanks to some of you for pointing it out; you know who you are!). It's not that I've been very busy, I just haven't been motivated... But now I've posted a picture at 27 weeks (not a very good one, but what do you want?) and I've also added a picture of downtown Dublin in the SUNSHINE!! It's been absolutely beautiful here for the past couple of days, let's hope it stays that way for a while!

In other news, some friends over here threw me a very surprising surprise shower. So now we have baby stuff scattered around the apartment; a daily reminder, if we needed one!

I'm off to Oregon, then southern California on Friday, so I'll try post some pictures during the trip.

25 weeks

Here's the latest picture at 25 weeks. Also, there's one of TJ taking a nap with the newly-finished quilt.

In case you weren't convinced...

I finally tracked down someone with a scanner, so here are two of the pictures from my 21 week ultrasound. The top picture is his head and body, and the bottom picture is a little foot!