How We Became Life, Hyphenated

Image Courtesy of Kate Brown Photography, 2012

Often times, we write about what's going on in the life of the H-G's, but do you really know who we are?  Since (over) a year has passed since our very first post, we thought we would take the time to tell you a little bit about the three H-G's.

Maggie

MAGGIE, a toe-headed middle child, was born in the nation's Cereal Capital, spent summers in Alabama, and loves to consume baked goods, as long as they don't contain any nuts - she considers them wasted space that could have been filled with sugar and/or butter - though almonds, pistachios and walnuts are fair game if served in a heaping bowl all on their own.  Among her strange assortment of talents, she  loves to crochet, tolerates knitting, and can make a good home-cooked meal 40% of the time (the other 60% are made from a box or taste horrifically bad).  She has a passion for languages (formerly working in the translation and interpreting industry, though not as a linguist), loves to travel (has been to 29 states, 7 countries, and never had her wallet stolen), and thinks South Carolina has the prettiest license plates of all.  If you want to bribe her, do so with vanilla lattes, back rubs*, or skeins of yarn.  She is a stay-at-home mom, gets overly excited when successfully recycling something, and thinks chocolate chip banana bread is the cat's meow.

*Only close friends or family; creepy people need not apply.

Brad

BRAD is a metaphorical and literal omnivore. With a day (and night) job as an Internal Medicine PA-C, he imagines himself as a modern day cross between Sherlock Holmes (think more Doyle than Ritchie) and JD (from the first two seasons, before he got ridiculous). At any point, you are equally likely to find him reading NEJM, Bonnie Jo Campbell, or a hockey blog. He enjoys reading smart fiction, working on the house, riding his bicycle, and watching his son smile. In the end, he enjoys a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Quincy

QUINCY, born on Winter Solstice with no snow in sight, is a happy go lucky guy.  A night owl by trade, he enjoys chewing on plastic giraffes, stuffed animals, blankets, burp cloths, fingers, thumbs, hands, towels, and anything else at arm's reach.  Though only in his first year of life, he has developed a love of swimming (while being held by an adult), splashing (in pools and bathtubs), playing airplane, and napping in "his crib".  He has a slight obsession with cats, toes, fabric of all kinds, and the afore mentioned plastic giraffe.  Someday, he hopes to have teeth, object permanence, and a bicycle.

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As you can see, this blog is a way for us to share our lives with our friends, family, and pseudo-family-friends that have come across our page and decided to follow our posts.  Want to learn more about the H-G's?  Here are some hi-lights:

In 2011, we conducted the White T-Shirt Experiment to watch our first child grow in the womb, and happily welcomed him into the world in December (see a video introduction at this post).  We encountered mishaps in the kitchen, shed a few tears, discussed some of the perks of pregnancy, and shared a tale of brothers, among other things.

In 2012, we have so far admitted we love granola, loaded up the motherhood tool belt, learned how to nurse like a ninja, made some important promises (y una promesa), flew on five airplanes, and mulled over a big decision.

How did we become the H-G's?  Well, Brad was the H, and Maggie was the G.  When getting married, Maggie didn't want to lose her name because it had been with her since birth, identifying her, linking her to her own family, and representing her achievements thus far.  She opted to hyphenated, but it was Brad that suggested, "Why don't we both hyphenate our names?"

In true H-G Fashion, here's a mini slide show of the H-G Timeline...

The Engagement
Image Courtesy of Kate Brown Photography, 2006

The Wedding

Image Courtesy of Kate Brown Photography, 2006

The Pregnancy
Image Courtesy Kate Brown Photography, 2011

Life, Hyphenated.
Image Courtesy Kate Brown Photography, 2012

So Brad added a G, Maggie got herself an H, Quincy was born an H-G, and that is how we came to share this Life, Hyphenated.

Thanks for reading!

~The H-G's



P.S. As you can see, we LOVE Kate Brown Photography.  She does amazing work (we've used her for EVERY big event), and you should do the same if you haven't already!)

I'll Trade Ya For It!

It appears that the Green Eyed Monster is ever present these days, lurking under the bed as I read parenting books, staring at me while I stalk people on the various social media outlets, and haunting my interrupted dreams at night.  There are so many things out there that plague new moms (and dads): poor sleeping habits, food allergies & sensitivities, teething, weight/height issues, adjusting to changes in your own body, lack of sleep, and overall stress...

Monsters?  Where??!

Remember back in elementary school when you would swap food at lunchtime?  There was a girl in my grade that always had PB&J made on perfectly white bread with super creamy peanut butter.  Meanwhile, I had lame wheat bread with natural peanut butter that spread as well as caramel does on tissue paper.  On a few occasions, my classmate with the Coveted PB&J Sandwich didn't want hers, so she just gave it to me.  I didn't even have to trade!  It was the most sublime lunch that fourth-grader-Maggie could have ever wished to find in her own lunchbox.  (A quick note to my parents: As an adult, I love whole grain breads and have lost my desire for white bread, though I still am not a fan of natural peanut butter; creamy PB for the H-G's all the way!)

I've caught myself, on several occasions, wanting to trade things in life.  As a new mom that's been in the field for a little over five months, I've had a hankering for other people's situations.  Oh, to have a full night of sleep - what a glorious feeling that would be!  Or to feel a bit more comfortable in my own body.  Or to have perfectly cooked meals, a spotless house, date nights three times a week... the list goes on.

This is what a baby and five loads of laundry looks like,
in case you were curious...

I imagine sitting around a vast card table, with all these troublesome cards in my hand, looking at the other players to see what they would swap for my cards.  I'll take a full night's sleep if you trade me your fussy eater... or, I'll give you a baby who can sit through a church service and be perfectly content, if you give me a baby that can go to sleep easily at night without their parents present...  In the end, as parents, there is always going to be something that you work on with your child.  No child is born perfect, nor are their parents.  If caring for a child were easy, it wouldn't be as rewarding to see them grow, mature, and learn.

Instead of focusing on what I lack and wish to trade, I need to remember the great things I do have.  I should embrace the battle scars that are etched on my body because they are proof and a reminder that I carried my son for nearly ten months and made it through a natural birth.  I should be proud that nursing my son in the middle of the night is helping him grow big and strong.  I should be content that not every scrap of laundry is done, or the dishes perfectly cleaned and stacked away, because I read books with my son, or played games, or made him laugh.

Smiles Amidst the Chaos

I think we've all played the "trade ya" game in life - someone at work or school that is better at something than you, or there is a bigger house in a better neighborhood compared to yours, or seeing someone who seems to have it all together and nothing goes wrong in their life.  Playing this comparison game will only make you think you have nothing, where in reality you are greatly blessed in other ways in which others may not be as fortunate.

There is one thing I know for sure: I wouldn't trade this sweet little boy for the whole world, and that is why I will fold my hand of cards, embrace what I have, and enjoy every moment.

Happy Baby!

Share a laugh with me, will you?



Remember your blessings, okay?  No matter what your situation, remember that you are blessed.

~M

Q1: There's laughter in the air

3 months. Wow. Let's go on a quick tour...

And yes, the title of the post "Q1" references both a 3 month fiscal period and Quincy's name - witty or cheesy? I'll leave that for you to decide....