Happy New Year!

It's been a great year. Luke was born, I got a job, and our family became an awesome little unit. Am I ready for this year to be over? Not really, but I know it needs to be done. It's been a good year and I look forward to an even better one in the coming year. I hope it turns out great for everyone. Be safe this holiday!

Bow Chicka Bow Wow

If you've ever watched the Disney show "Phineas and Ferb," you probably know the song Gitchy Gitchy Goo. Luke loves the show so I get to hear said song as often as he likes, which is sometimes more than once a day.

As a result, I often have this song stuck in my head. I have tried replacing it with other songs, but it remains ever vigilant. It's starting to make me insane.

Well, more than I was already.

Visits

PopPop has gone home and so has grandma. The holidays seem finally over and life can finally return to some sense of normalcy.

I'm so tired. Night night.

Family time

So today is the day my grandfather comes into town to meet Luke for the first time. My PopPop hasn't been very healthy for a while and we're not sure how much longer he has to live, so it's about time he got to meet his first great grandson. We'll be having dinner as a family tonight and will spend a good amount of time together tomorrow.

Overalls

The theme this year seemed to be trains for Luke. He got a few pairs of overalls, an interactive train, and a wooden train. I put him in his striped overalls yesterday and he looked so incredibly adorable that I put him in another pair of overalls today. He looks so warm and comfortable in his outfits that I wish I had a pair myself.

It's Done

Christmas is over, the baby now has a ton of new toys and clothes, and I am the proud owner of a new bathrobe. Luke had a ton of fun going everywhere, unwrapping presents, and visiting folks. He got a ton of attention, which of course made him ham it up, and now the three of us are exhausted.

Night night.

Merry Christmas

Christmas is going to be a bit nutso over here. Tonight I work from 10pm to 5am and I have to call my family when I wake up. Christmas Eve morning is spent with my family and then we're going to my mother in law's sister's house for dinner. Christmas day is spent at mother in law's house, then church with my family, then dinner with father in law.

If I don't get the opportunity to post, I hope you all have a very wonderful and merry Christmas!

Walking

This is the third day in a row I've taken Luke out on a walk around the neighborhood so I can get some exercise. I find that every day I have to force myself to do it, mainly because I'm tired. It's not that cold out, so it's not that bad, but I'm still getting used to the activity. I'm sure it's doing positive things for my health and so I'll keep going. I could button my pants without issue today!

Luke is now attempting to eat the computer. I must go.

Happy Hanukkah!

I know it's a day late but Happy Hanukkah!

Aww!

I am incredibly exhausted, to the point where I'm falling asleep in random places. I cried for no reason earlier and could not stop myself.

I was sitting here, feeling sorry for myself and then Luke said, "Mama." I looked at him and got a big, gummy grin in return. Who cares about being tired when you can stare/snuggle such a great kid?

Done

I finished my commission work, finished all of my orders, and been working every shift I can.

I am exhausted. I'm working tonight then trying not to sleep for months at a time.

Christmas Presents

We got Luke a pretty awesome Christmas present that I can't wait to give him. It's a Baby Einstein Understanding Music play table that speaks to him in English, Spanish, and French. It tells him the words for colors, numbers, and instruments in all three languages and allows him to play music as well. Since Luke seems to love anything to do with music, I think he's going to adore it.

I also bought him a Dr. Seuss book that has several stories in one. My mother hated Dr. Seuss, so I didn't grow up with the stories. I thought it would be good for Luke to have them as some teach some really cool lessons that we can all share together.

Baby's first Christmas is shaping up to be awesome.

Rearrange

Yesterday I decided I needed to rearrange our apartment. I moved everything in here except the entertainment center and the computer desk. I also messed up my right hand in the process, requiring me to sleep with a brace on. No fun.

Luke also decided he did not want to sleep last night, so the amount of kicking and hitting I got trying to coerce him to sleep was just so much fun.

However, I have gotten much done and feel rather accomplished. The laundry is half done, the baby is bathed, I'm partway through my commission work, and no one is crying. Woot.

Big Bang Theory

The more I watch this show, the more I realize that I share a lot in common with Sheldon.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not.

Knitting

I love to knit.

I'm not fantastic at it, but I really love doing it. I can knit, perl, and cable effectively and constantly find myself in the middle of one project or another. I am currently making a baby blanket and a scarf, but I have no idea how to make hats.

I want to make the baby a warm hat for Luke for the winter despite his ever growing collection of hats. I figure it can be something special for him. I have to learn though, which takes time, which is something I don't have a ton of.

Today

I took the baby and my hubby out to the store and made them walk around with me while I picked up a few things. I bought blank shirts and ended up making a snowman shirt to wear to work since we're allowed to wear holiday gear at work.

I also bought hair dye. My hair will be black and pink before the end of the week.

Luke just woke up, right before I have to go to work, so I need to handle that. Poor little guy.

Vegetarianism

So I've been a vegetarian for approximately 2 and 1/2 weeks and this is what I've learned:

1) It's practically impossible to eat out at a restaurant. Almost everything on the menu is mixed with some sort of meat product, even those that don't seem like they would. For fast food, Burger King carries Morning Star veggie burgers and Sonic has a kid's grilled cheese meal. That's about it. Thank goodness for Wegmans.

2) Being a vegetarian is not nearly as hard as one might think. Every once in a while I get a massive craving for hot dogs, but it's not overwhelming. If I had to give up cheese though, I think I'd go postal.

3) I've lost 5 lbs.

4) My tummy feels much better. My gastro issues have improved significantly in the past few days as I'm getting more and more used to it.

I won't be going vegan, but my next step is to cut back on my dairy intake.

Sleep Snafu

So Luke and I slept most of today in a napping snafu that has left me still tired, but I'm sure the kiddo will not sleep when he's supposed to. I can't explain why we slept all day, but goodness it was nice.

Hubby woke us up early today when he couldn't find his shoes then his phone then something from the bank. Kiddo had a hard time falling back asleep so I fed him breakfast and he fell asleep shortly after. We didn't wake til lunch time, stayed up for an hour an a half, then fell asleep again. Didn't wake til 4:30pm.

I'm working til 3am and I hope I come home to find him asleep. I hope.

Voice Overs

Watching kids' shows can be a bit enlightening.

I love watching the show Futurama, especially with my hubby. We love the goofy social commentary and the great voice over work. Imagine my surprise when I turned on Jungle Junction and heard the voice of Phillip J. Fry coming from Ellyvan.

Side note: It's very hard to write with a cat trying to continually push her way onto your lap.

Anyways, I think it's really cool that a voice over actor can lend his voice to something like Futurama and also have fun with kiddie shows. I know this isn't exactly a revelation, but I'm tired.

Sweet Kid

I worked last night til 2:30 am. After shopping,I didn't get home til around 3:30. Hubby woke me up so he could get moving for work, but he let me go back to sleep without issue while I snuggled the kiddo.

Luke snuggled with me in the bed for a good chunk of the morning. He knew I was tired and just snuggled with me, petting my hair while I was in between awake and asleep. It's pretty cool when a 7 month old recognizes Mommy needs some rest and just deals with the boredom to let Mommy sleep a bit.

My kid's the coolest.

Christmas- A Rant

OK, I understand there are folks who do not celebrate Christmas. They have every right not to celebrate a religious holiday they aren't attached to.

That being said, leave my holiday alone.

While yes, Saternalia took place around this time and the Romans, in an attempt to convert the masses easier to Christianity made the celebration of Christ's birth around the same time. This way the pagans didn't have to give up their big party around the solstice.

This is not why we celebrate Christmas.

Yes, that's the origin of WHEN the holiday is celebrated, but not WHY. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Jesus, our savior. That's the meaning. Try not to get confused.

Conversation

Just letting y'all in on the conversation taking place between my son and husband right behind me:

Luke:

Hubby: "Oh I know, I'm such a mean dad. I went to Mean Dad School and they kicked me out because I was too mean."

Luke:

Hubby: "Yeah, I was too mean. They said 'You're just too mean,' and sent me to Mean Mommy School where they told me I wasn't mean enough."

Spiders

I am not a fan of bugs at all. I can tolerate them from a distance, but close up and I cry.

Last night seemed to be the night of the spiders.

Hubby and I were sitting on the bed last night, playing with Luke, when I saw a spider with super long legs start dropping from the ceiling near the end of our bed. While my hubby was fascinated with the way the spider wove her web, I was concerned about spider bites. I convinced hubby to take the creature outside.

Later, I had finished some work for Etsy orders and so I was watching My Little Pony with the lights off, so everyone could sleep. In the middle of an episode, a spider crawled up my computer screen. I tried not to freak out, but just then my headphone cord brushed up against my leg. I quickly turned the light on, found the spider (still on my computer), and scared him enough that he scurried away. I had a hard time falling asleep after that.

Sam's Club

Oh Sam's Club, you let me down.

Yesterday I went to buy baby essentials because it's much cheaper to buy baby stuff in bulk. While roaming the aisles, I found a child's plush chair shaped like a cow with brown spots which just happens to be my mother's favorite animal. Of course there were none of these awesome chairs in big people sizes so I couldn't splurge and buy Mom a Christmas present, so I guess I shouldn't be mad at Sam's Club for forcing me to save money.

Then I saw footie pajamas. ADULT footie pajamas.

Hubby has been envious of Luke's jammies since he was given them and I wanted to get some for him for Christmas. I dove into those pajamas looking for his size and found myself confused. There were no men's sizes. NONE. Only women like footie pajamas apparently. I called my mom and told her the sizes available, hoping I could find one big enough to fit hubby (Mickey Mouse and Kermit the Frog are unisex characters) and the closest I could get was a men's medium. He's an XL. Damn.

If anyone from Sam's reads this, I do love your store and love the ability to buy 200 diapers in one go. Please bring in men's footie PJs!

Lazy Me

Because all three of us are ill, hubby has forbidden me to do chores and such until I'm better.

This is rather difficult for me because... well... being sick has caused me to be a bit of a slob. There are clothes lying around, bags of groceries not put away, large toys not put away, trash in places other than the trash can, etc. I still even haven't unpacked from our trip this weekend.

I did convince him to let me do two loads of laundry yesterday, though he did not like the idea of me putting away said clothes. Oh well, wrinkles come out with wear.

Forks Over Knives

I watched a rather important documentary tonight while I was coaxing my son to sleep called Forks Over Knives. It showed the correlation between cancer and eating meat and dairy products while also showing the benefits of eating a plant based diet.

I realized while watching something very important- I am killing myself.

Candy and chocolate are a special treat, not a dietary staple. Cheese should be a flavoring, not a major part of the meal. Veggies are IMPORTANT.

I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. This will be discussed.

The Sickies

After we landed in Virginia, both hubby and I took naps. We both woke up with sore throats but ignored it for the most part. Friday came and hubby felt absolutely awful so he slept all day while Luke and I suffered through.

It's just a cold more than likely, but it comes with clogged sinuses, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and feeling drained. I've been sleeping since we got home and it's not enough. Luke is sleeping in his crib- he was sleeping with me but I worry about overheating him. I woke up not long ago and felt like staying up a bit, but it's been less than an hour and I already want to curl up in a ball and cry. Pressure in my head and behind my eyes is just killing me. I feel even worse for Luke- he can't complain about his ails or even tell me what hurts so I can make it better.

Virginia

After a rather long night, we've arrived in Virginia and eaten turkey. We were allowed a wonderful nap while the family took over watching the baby.

Still tired. Long night. Can barely focus. Night y'all.

Charlie vs. Edward

I turned on TV today and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory was playing (the Johnny Depp version) and it got me thinking about the seven deadly sins. Hubby and I watch Fullmetal Alchemist on a regular basis, which also has sin representation, and I started wondering if there's any real difference between the two shows.

Willy Wonka has Augustas (Gluttony), Veruca (Envy), Mike (Greed and Wrath), and Violet (Pride). Not all deadly sins are represented, but the few that are show the sins rather transparently. Fullmetal has physical representations of all of the deadly sins, but they have a more human element to them. Some characters can elicit sympathy from the viewer, like Gluttony when he loses Lust.

Wonka's visiting children are portrayed as completely evil, with Charlie being the only exception. They don't listen to their parents nor Wonka and end up almost dying because of their ignorance. All of the homunculi (the sins in Fullmetal) end up dying in the end.

What I'm having time with is deciding which or if either is appropriate to show Luke as he gets older.

This post is what happens when I don't get enough sleep. Ugh.

This week

This week is going to be very VERY trying on my patience.

I'm working 9pm to 2:30am Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. I haven't slept all that well today, but I'll see if I can't get some energizing caffeine in me before I start the shift.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), I have to drive hubby to and from work because of a doctor's appointment at 1:30pm. The last time I went, I sat for an hour and twenty minutes before having to reschedule, so hopefully I do not have a repeat experience. My father in law has agreed to watch Luke while I'm at the doctor, but I'm not sure he still remembers that. Wednesday, I need to pack up what we need and hopefully geta little sleep before work.

We're heading down to Virginia to visit my folks right after I get out of work Thursday morning. I'm picking up snacks, driving home, getting the baby and hubby, then hopefully sleeping a little in the car during the six hour drive. We're staying with my parents Thursday, Friday, and driving back Saturday. I have to sing in the church service on Sunday.

Next Monday I'll most likely be comatose.

Videos!

I promised videos and here they are!

Kiddo Kid

Luke has taken to whining or crying when hubby and I are talking to one another and he is not participating in the conversation. This is most apparent while in the car, since we're often both in the front and he's in the back. It got so bad today that we had to stop that car, shuffle things around, and have me sit in the back to hold his hand.

I do not condone this behavior, however, I have a really hard time dealing with his crying, especially in a confined space. Often when he cries, I say "Oh yes, I know. Mommy's so mean!" or something to that effect. However, the point of this is to get him to stop crying and entertain himself, which I stop by talking to him. It's hard to justify letting him cry because I know he's lonely without one of us there (all it takes is holding his hand to calm him down), but he also needs to learn that his parents don't need to be around for him to feel secure.

It sucks. I feel caught between a rock and a hard place.

Occupy... what?

Everyone's talking about this "Occupy Wall Street" movement and how it's branching out to banks, states, and even freeways.

Can someone please explain to me exactly what the occupy movement is? What the hell are they occupying? Why are they occupying it?

From what I've been told, it's a bunch of folks blaming stock brokers on them not being able to find jobs in their field. Like a carpenter can't find carpentry work because most states have suspended home construction. What's stopping the carpenter from working at Lowe's or Home Depot or even finding some other type of work to bring in money for his family? Is it pride? Is it the belief that he shouldn't have to "lower" himself to that level?

I may be completely off base here, and if I am please tell me, but there is nothing wrong with working any job if you're supporting your family. If this is what the occupy movement really is, then I feel very sad for those folks involved.

::flop::

Today was an incredibly busy day.

First I woke up, changed and fed Luke, drove hubby to work, then went to give blood for tests that my doc wants done. Get home, realize I haven't made the earrings for the order I got on Monday, figure I should do that but only after I've started the laundry. While the glue is setting on the backings, I change over the laundry and give Luke his mid-morning bottle. Both of us fell asleep. Yay for naps.

Wake up, changed over the laundry. Only two loads today, which is awesome. Put away said laundry while Luke goofs off in his exersaucer. Feed the baby lunch. Glaze earrings for order and take out the last load of laundry while they dry. Get the package ready, get self ready, get baby ready, out the door to the post office.

Get to the post office and realize I won't have time for the bank. Drive to the gastroenterology specialist and fill out paperwork. Sit an hour and 20 minutes waiting to be seen then have to reschedule because I have to pick up hubby at work. Go and pick up hubby, scarf down some dinner, then feed the baby. Get dressed, go pick up a coffee drink for the caffeine and head on over to work from 7pm to midnight. Go shop for chicken stock and end up picking up some other items while contemplating what to make for dinner for the next night (I settled on grilled chicken club sandwiches)and get home at 1am.

I'm finally crashing. I've just been go go go all day and my brain's pumping out dance music to keep me awake, so I have to wind down and figure out a way to sleep.

Jammies

I like dressing Luke up and all, but I think he's cutest when he's in his jammies.

I need to buy adult size footie PJs for my hubby for Christmas. Not the kind with plastic on the bottom, since those always make your feet cold. I mean the super comfy, all fleece PJs that look incredibly warm and snuggly. Of course I'd never wear them myself since I didn't like them as a kid, but I'm more than willing to buy them for hubby (and take pictures for publication).

Late Night Musings

Since working late nights, I've had issues falling asleep at the right time.

I find myself sitting at the computer, staring at the screen, hoping and praying I fall asleep but knowing that something will keep my attention and prevent me from sleeping. This is also making me slightly neurotic since every sound my little guy makes in his sleep makes me nervous. Of course, this is not unusual but it's intensified, as has my hatred for hubby's snoring.

On a side note, live action Disney shows seem much more tolerable this late at night.

He looks like me...

... when he's asleep. He's the spitting image of his dad as a baby when he's awake.

Part of me wishes my genes gave him a bit more in the looks department, but I hope and pray the kiddo gets my husband's metabolism. I want him to have my teeth though.

Eh, nit picking. Today was relatively lazy as I am still feeling under the weather. Now my father in law is also sick and we've discovered the source of the illness to be my hubby. So glad he brought it home from work.

Poor Planning

The past few days have been a little rough.

Friday I had to work, so I was at Wegmans til 1:30am. I realized when I got in the car that I had forgotten some key things for my craft show the next day, so I went to Walmart. I was there for an hour or so and still forgot a few things I needed, but did purchase a lovely new hat. This teaches me I should not go to Walmart at 2am.

I slept maybe 3 hours, woke up and drove hubby to work. I went home, rushed around like crazy, then gave the baby over into my in-laws' care while I went to the craft show. I forgot so much at home, it's ridiculous. I didn't have a cloth cover, I didn't have a proper display, I didn't have a measuring tape to cut necklace cords, I was a mess. Luckily, these two sweet ladies lent me a measuring tape and a table cloth to help a bit. The show was long and barely anyone showed up. Made me sad. Maybe if I had planned better I would have had a better display and maybe if I had helped advertise the show to friends, we would have had more people.

I came home, played with Luke, slept for an hour, then went to see a play at my church. It was fantastic, well acted, and very entertaining. I ended up staying to help clean up and set things right for church the next day, so I didn't get home til around midnight. I dozed while hubby played some games and didn't officially go to bed til 1:30am.

I had every intention of taking the baby to church today, I really did. I woke up at 6:30am with a TERRIBLE sore throat and headache, both of which have lessened but are still with me. I felt horrible so I went back to sleep. Around 8am, I woke and got the baby to take his morning nap with me. I think I slept til 1pm, though my body is telling me I need even more rest. I feel incredibly drained and have had difficulty controlling my emotions. Maybe if I had planned to sleep more, I'd be in better shape.

Teething

Dear God,

Please let my son finish his teething soon. He becomes a pain in the bazooka when he's hurting. The whining makes me want to claw off wallpaper and trying to remain positive is frustrating. I know this is the first of many problems I will not be able to solve for him, but did the helplessness have to start so early? Yeesh.

Sincerely,

Luke's Mom

Baby Butt

My darling, darling boy has been a total butt today. He's not wanting to eat at the right times, play with the right toys (mommy's computer is NOT a teething toy), and has taken to arching his back and crying when I move things away. Lovely. I hope this is not a glimpse into my future. I like my sweet little guy.

Second night of work tonight. Heading out!

Rolling down the...

Luke is now rolling over regularly and trying to crawl. He successfully flips from back to tummy and tummy to back. He's moved a little crawling-wise, but more drops his head and tries to use his legs to wheelbarrow himself down the bed on his face. It looks incredibly painful, so I generally tuck his arms under him before he gets going. It now all comes down to coordinating legs with arms and he'll take off like a bat out of you know where.

He is also attempting to use his exersaucer as a walker, rocking it back and forth to scoot it along to floor to get it closer to the television, bed, cats, etc. While I applaud his ingenuity, I'm not sure it's the best idea.

Driving

After a very close encounter with a 16 wheeler this morning, I feel the need to express my concern about the way some folks drive. Here are a few things that we learned, but have forgotten in the years since school.

1. If you're in a bigger vehicle and can't move because of a smaller vehicle, let the smaller vehicle move to safety before attempting to move on. Driving forward as the smaller car is driving backwards, thus giving the smaller car's driver a small heart attack and fear for the life of her baby in the backseat is unacceptable.

2. When someone leaves three car lengths between herself and the car in front of her, that doesn't mean zoom up and cut her off. The space is so that if someone slams on their brakes, she has enough time to brake and not destroy the car.

3. Tailgating for no reason is ridiculous. While my perfume is lovely, you cannot smell it through the vehicles. Back off my behind, you're scaring me and making me angry.

4. When there's an opportunity to let people merge, DO IT. Not letting people onto the road is selfish and rude. Common courtesy is each car on the road lets one merging car in, in zipper fashion, to keep things smooth. Stop being an idiot.

5. Be aware of your surroundings! Merging without looking is dangerous! Your blind spot is a real thing. Do a spot check before almost causing a car crash.

6. The biggest one- YOU ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON ON THE ROAD. Everyone is equally treasured, with families who will miss them if they're gone. Stop driving like the rest of us peons are expendable and we'll all get along.

Cupcakes

My first craft show is this coming weekend, so I've been taking the time to make as many things as I can this weekend to help with stock. The quickest things I make are cupcakes so I've made several pairs of earrings and a few pendants.

The hardest part of it all is finding time to make things. Luke doesn't nap very long, the weekends are often jammed with activities, and now there's the evening job so I have no idea if I'll build enough inventory in time. I can only cross my fingers and hope.

Oh, in case you didn't know, I make clay jewelry. See side bar for the link to my shop.

In the meantime, Luke is continuing to eat like a horse while stealing the hearts of everyone who comes near him. We visited his NanaNana (hubby's grandmother) and she was rather angry when we had to pull him away for his nap time. I really hope he keeps this awesome personality.

Part Time

I am now an employee of Wegman's, a grocery chain up here on the east coast.

I had been looking for a proper overnight part time position to bring in some money for the family and luckily Wegman's was hiring. I just had my orientation today.

I'm not going to say much because no one wants a blow by blow account of what goes on during orientations, but I will say this- being there has inspired me. I am going to wear my shirt proudly, work there in overnight until Luke is in school during the day and then see about moving up in the company. From shopping there and being around other employees I can tell it's a wonderful company to work for.

I can't wait to start and be excited about going to work for every shift.

Allow Me To Lament

This is a bit off topic (i.e. it's not really Luke related) but it's bugging the heck out of me.

As you probably know by now, we have two cats, Marian and Dagmar. A few days ago, Marian started vomiting and we could not figure out why. Dagmar started vomiting on Tuesday. I called the vet, got an appointment, and took both kitties in for a check up. They looked at Marian's bloodwork since she was the one who was getting sick the most and found she has a lowered white blood cell count. This is often indicative of feline leukemia, but since she tested negative for it and was vaccinated against it in 2008, it's been ruled out.

The doc figures she has an infection of some sort and the white blood cells have moved to help it, thus why they were lowered in the area they took blood from. I got this big bottle of antibiotics and was told to give each cat a certain amount twice daily. Dagmar is believed to be throwing up because Marian is and it's stressing her out, but they wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

I gave them their meds last night. Both cats started foaming at the mouth and sprinted away from me. Dagmar started dry heaving. Both were smacking their lips and refused to go near me, even though I was trying to clean them up. At first I thought I'd just poisoned them, but upon reading (yay Internet!) I found this is perfectly normal behavior. Cats create a lot of spit when they don't like the flavor of something. Great. Someone on the Regretsy forums (I love those folks) gave me the suggestion to give some water via syringe right after I inject the liquid meds down her throat. Might create less spit.

I tried this this morning and yes, it does create less spit. However, the cats became VERY angry towards me and wouldn't go near me. Not even to get food. Since Marian in particular is on a lower calorie diet, I worry about her not eating. I called the vet and he said I could try mixing the meds with their food. After injecting the stuff onto their food, neither cat will go near their bowl. I ended up injecting meds down Marian's throat just to make sure she got some. She's mad as hell, but I'd rather her get better.

Luke has been rather whiny all day due to toothing pain. So to sum up- I have two cats who are angry over meds and a hurting baby who won't stop crying.

What a wonderful week thus far.

Do you know...

...how hard it is to nap with a baby having a bad dream? I was rather tired due to a long day of cat wrangling and driving, went to nap with the baby, and got repeatedly smacked in the face after an hour or so. He didn't know he was twacking my nose, but he was rather enthusiastic about it.

On a productive note, Luke moved forward in his walker! He's been consistently moving backward and sideways for a bit now, but hadn't mastered moving forward. Yesterday he took three steps forward and today he's gone much further. I swear, I'm going to blink and the little guy will be driving.

Netherlands

Apparently this little blog appeals most to folks in the Netherlands. Hi folks!

Candy Corn

Happy Halloween folks!

Luke was dressed up in his candy corn costume today to celebrate the holiday. He looked fantastic until his diaper leaked and we had to change him out of it. Luckily the costume is so comfy, he can wear it as fun onesie jammies from now on.

He still has one more costume- his horsey one that grandma bought him (technically, grandma bought both costumes but I was there for the horsey purchase). He's going to wear that one this weekend when we go to visit NanaNana (hubby's grandmother).

We didn't take him trick-or-treating this year since a) he probably would not have enjoyed it and b) he couldn't eat any of the candy anyways. He should be fine to go next year (maybe).

Here's a picture of him as candy corn (taken by my mom):


And here's a picture of Luke as a horsey (sitting with my mom and taken by me):


Isn't he just the cutest??

Snow!

Today was Luke's first snow. I know, it's October, but we got a huge pile of the really wet slushy stuff. The snowsuit Luke has is packed away, but I had out an insulated cover that he could wear in the car seat. He also had a pair of really thick overalls, so hubby put the overalls on him over his normal clothes and then into the snow cover. Needless to say, we didn't want the baby to be cold.

Luke was fascinated with the snow when he first saw it.


His fascination didn't last incredibly long once he was sitting in the snow and soon wanted to go inside, but he did get to touch the snow.


It was a good day!

The Sleep Monster

My little guy is not interested in sleeping today for some reason.

During morning nap, which is usually mommy/baby snuggle time, he slapped my face pretty much the entire time. He was just not interested in a nap.

His afternoon nap consisted of maybe 2 hours after much coercion and he fell asleep for an hour this evening.

It's almost 11pm and he's not interested in going to sleep despite my husband's many attempts to get him into dreamland. It's going to be a long night.

Well Baby Visit

Tuesday was Luke's 6 month well baby exam.

Our doctor has been out for a bit for what I thought was a well deserved vacation, but it turned out she had back surgery. I still think she needs a vacation. She looked at the boy, felt his head, had him stand, looked in his ears (which he DID NOT like), and got his measurements. He's now 26 and 3/4 inches long which puts him in the 70th percentile for height. He's also 16 lbs 4 oz and in the 25th percentile for weight. The doc is very pleased with his progress and gave me tips on what to feed him at meal times. Hubby and I haven't been giving him bottles between meals because he doesn't cry for one, so she said to suggest it to him to see if he wants one. So far he's gobbled down every bottle offered so maybe he's just being polite by not whining.

Snuggle Bunny Baby

Short post today because it's hubby's birthday.

Luke is such a snuggly kid. Best feeling in the world is snuggling up with the baby and taking a nap or watching a movie. Right now he's snuggled up with his dad, snoozing away. It's soooooooo cute.

Anyways, everyone have a lovely day.

Dagmar

We have two cats, as you probably know by now. Marian has been rather indifferent to the baby thus far and just ignores him unless he touches her. If that happens, she removes herself from the situation.

Dagmar has shown much more interest in Luke. At first she was scared of him. Then she was cool with snuggling the little guy. Now she seems rather irritated when he's in close proximity and bats at his head. Her claws aren't out when she does, which could indicate playing, but I still scold her for doing so.

I'm not sure why she's had this change of heart or why she's acting the way she is, but I'm pretty sure it all boils down to sibling rivalry. Not sure how to communicate with a cat to let her know Mommy loves her just as much as Luke, but I'm going to try.

Sea of Clothes

Luke has SO MANY ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.

I mean seriously. If I had this kid's wardrobe I wouldn't need anything for a long long time. I've actually started to weed through everything and sort out what he can't wear anymore.

Upon looking at the bag filled with clothing Luke could no longer wear due to his growing and I started crying. Jason found me blubbering and made a wonderful suggestion- instead of donating the clothes and having some be rejected due to staining and such, I should cut up the clothes and make a quilt. Not a little quilt for Luke, but a quilt for myself.

I started cutting up the onesies and now have a sweet little pile of swatches ready to be turned into a patchwork quilt. Of course I don't have enough pieces yet, but I will as time progresses and he outgrows things. If I have any more babies, I think I'll be doing the same thing. I'd be able to have those memories with me all the time.

Getting blubbery again.

Cutest. Kid. Ever.

Today I was searching for an outfit to put my adorable son in and I came across an outfit that was given to us at the baby shower. The outfit had some comfy fleece brown pants, a soft brown and white striped onesie, and a green fleece zippered vest that had a little explorer badge on it.

It's size 6 months.

WHY DIDN'T I HAVE MY SON WEAR THIS OUTFIT MORE OFTEN?? It's one of the cutest things I've ever seen and he looks awesome in it!! Ugh. When he grows out of it in a month I'll have to frame it or something.

No Good Very Bad Day

Yesterday was rough.

Luke woke up not feeling well. He started coughing, throwing up his food, and sneezing green stuff. Hubby took Luke so I could sleep in a bit, but I still woke up feeling like my head was stuffed with cotton. I was dizzy, feeling odd, and then I walked across the room.

My knee buckled underneath me.

Luckily I was not holding Luke at the time, but I went down like a sack of potatoes. My head was feeling so detached that it didn't hurt all that much, but I got the full effect later. It still hurts today.

Needless to say, we didn't go to church and we had a "family rest" day. This is the third week we've missed church and I'm getting messages asking what's up from other members. I just hope this doesn't persist.

Squirmy Wormy

I swear, sometimes this kid just won't sleep.

Yesterday, Luke got a few naps, but didn't sleep very long in either. When we finally settled in the hang out at night, he fell asleep for an hour, maybe a little longer. When he woke up, the fun began.

He just turned into this rocking, peek-a-boo playing, head butting, smiling, talkative ball of energy. I bounced him, I danced him, I played "So Big" with him. I did everything I could to tucker him out. Every time he'd fall asleep and I'd let him settle onto the bed, he'd be fine. Once I tried to move him to the crib, his eyes would shoot open and boom, I'd have to start all over again.

I finally got him to fall asleep for the night around 1 am. By that time, I was super sleepy so I just let him snuggle with me in the bed for the night. At 6:30, Luke starts flailing in his sleep, waking up, hitting my chest and pinching. He nursed, I got him a bottle, and by this time both hubby and I are awake.

And Luke is still asleep on the bed, snuggling with the cats.

Happy Mama

My computer problems have been solved! Yay! I'll not go into further detail as it's unimportant how they got fixed, but it's all fixed. :)

Anyways, there's not a ton to report. Luke is regularly grasping fingers to pull himself up to a sitting position, though he doesn't often get all the way up. We're working on it. Luke is doing really well with his walker too- he regularly throws himself backwards across the room. Daddy wants us to work on physical stuff just as much as the mental stuff, so we're catching up.

After doing some reading, a lot of sources say peek-a-boo should be played regularly so we've started playing every day. Luke loves it as long as his face isn't the one being covered. Poor kid gets claustrophobic.

Short post, but we're watching cartoons!

Luke's contribution: gb hjkg

Well said.

Singspiration

Luke and I went to church yesterday and took part in Singspiration, the all music service.

Notice how I did not say that it was just myself that took part. During some key slow songs and some solos, my little boy decided that he wanted to sing just like everyone else and began to talk VERY LOUDLY. Loud enough for the entire congregation to start chuckling and a song to be delayed. After church, a few members approached me to say how they loved his solo very much and asked when he'd become a full time choir member.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little embarrassed, but he's 5 months old. No amount of embarrassment is going to make him not talk and encouraging him not to speak is the opposite of what I've been doing for the past, oh I don't know, 5 MONTHS. Kid makes me smile, even if I was a little wrongly embarrassed.

Ugh

We're all alive over here, I swear. I'm just a slacker.

Luke took a few assisted steps the other day, which I was lucky to catch on camera. I'll stick it up here as soon as I stop being so lazy and upload it via camera card. Luke was holding onto Dad's fingers, but that's where the assistance stopped.

Kiddo is teething, but we've been lucky in that he's only had one fever thus far. He whines a bit, but he's still not really crying much. My little trooper is so awesome.

In an attempt to bring in some normal income rather than unemployment, I picked up a paper route. I started this past Monday and I had no idea it was as difficult as it is. Not only did I have to get up around 1am, but for the first three days the papers were late and I didn't get any of them til around 3 or 4 am. I was barely sleeping and it started to impede my ability to be a mom. I put Luke in his bouncy seat to watch his Your Baby Can Read video while I showered. Gamma (hubby's step mom) came down to play with him while I got clean. She let me know that I forgot to strap him into his seat when I walked away. I could have sworn he was secure, but I guess I was too tired to remember. After that, Gamma was supportive of me quitting. Hubby and Poppy (my father in law) came around when they found out I'd spent $90 in gas in 4 days and had probably not made enough to cover the gas money I was putting in. So after four very difficult days, I no longer have a paper route. I've applied for some real part time jobs that will help cover the money instead but be during hours I can still watch Luke.

Posting on the fly

I don't have a ton of time to update today but since it's been probably 4 days since I updated, it was time for something.

It turns out my little guy is allergic to Gerber's squash. Every time he eats them, he gets a red, itchy patch of hives on the right side of his face (on the cheek, by the nose). I'm not sure if he's allergic to the vegetable itself or something in the preservation process, but we'll explore it later when I have a better food processor (or something) and can make it myself. Next thing to try out is carrots.

Luke has been watching the Your Baby Can Read videos every day. He fusses through the video for the most part, but he watches them. I thought I heard him say "Mama" the other day, but I may be mistaken. I'll keep a closer ear out.

I start doing a paper route to make some extra money on Monday. It's a local route and should only take me a few hours to complete, but I really don't want to do it. Unfortunately, my unemployment is running out and my father in law will respect me more if I'm at least working to bring some money back in, even if it's less than what unemployment gives me.

Apparently Luke does not like "Mame." Gotta go rescue him.

Computer Problems

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. We tried to hook my computer up to the television to try and use it as a monitor, but for some reason it just won't work. My PC is an ancient machine anyway, so I think we'll start saving up to try and get me something new. Maybe a laptop. That would rock.

Anyways, Luke tried squash today while I was out and I have it on good authority that he did not like them. The boy takes after me in that regard, but Dad's disappointed. He wanted someone to eat squash with.

Kiddo will be 5 months old in 2 days. I can't believe how big my little guy is getting. I know part of the point of having kids is watching them grow, but sometimes I look at him and just wish I could freeze time for a while and keep him tiny forever.

Recap- We're Back!

It's been a while since I posted and I'm sorry. It's been hectic, lots of stuff going on, and I didn't wish to blog from my phone. Did that in the hospital, don't want to do it again.

Anyways, here's what happened:

Hubby and I decided that it would be financially responsible of us to move in with family, get out of debt, and save up the money to put a down payment on a house (I believe I already touched on this topic before). After weeks of packing and getting everything ready, we planned to move in on Saturday the 27th. Hurricane Irene had other plans so we changed our move in date to Monday the 29th.

Irene was such a harsh storm that the basement we were moving into got flooded. This had only happened once before in the many years they've lived in this house and so the in laws were not expecting it to happen again. We moved things into storage on Monday and packed a Uhaul trailer to (hopefully) finish the move on Tuesday.

Success! We moved everything in, set up the furniture and I began the process of unpacking. Hubby went to set up a computer so I could continue to run my Etsy business (see widget on the side of the blog hint hint), but we couldn't get a solid connection. We then went to Best Buy and picked up a wireless USB adapter. Hubby's computer decided it didn't like the idea of being wireless. We thought it was the adapter, returned it, and when we tried to use a completely different brand we quickly discovered it was the computer. We tried it on my computer, but I'm a dope and never upgraded to Vista Service Pack 1 (yeah, I know) so the adapter refused to work.

Turns out the problem was really between the keyboard and the chair. We were plugging into the wrong Ethernet area. Once a proper connection was established, I hooked up my machine, downloaded SP 1 (and 2) and a bunch of other updates and now the wireless is running smoothly!

All the rain after Irene caused another round of flooding in our apartment and thank goodness for de-humidifiers. A few of the furniture pieces are slightly damaged/stained, but I think we're fine. Nothing needs to be replaced immediately thank goodness.

In other news, Luke is now sleeping in his crib at night! There was a huge struggle between hubby and I which was essentially the "battle of the stubborn", but Luke is at that point where he's starting to roll over in his sleep (or at least go from his back to his side) and it's safer for him to be in the crib. Luckily the crib is on wheels and I can put it right next to the bed so my OCD can wake up and check on him 15 times a night. He's still alive after two nights so that's good!

Luke is now eating sweet potatoes along with his cereal (video to come after I edit it and post to YouTube) and will be trying squash this weekend (which I will take a video of as well). My little man is growing up way too fast.

TL;DR- We're moved, stuff happened that prevented Internet usage but we're back. Luke's in a crib now to sleep and eating big boy foods!

Busy busy busy

So my husband and I have decided to move to his home town and into his father and step-mom's house. It's one of the hardest decisions we've had to make but necessary in order to let us keep living like this. Our debt is too high and our current apartment charges more than we can afford.

By doing this we will be able to eliminate our debt, I'll be able to stay home with Luke, I'll be able to build up my jewelry business, and we'll be closer to family. That being said, this is going to be very very hard on us as a couple and the three of us as a family unit.

I have no been writing for the most part because I've been packing. Boxes and boxes are waiting to be moved and we're waiting for the space to be cleared. I sold my car and am using that to pay off bills and credits cards. I still have to sell the couch and loveseat.

I'm exhausted and overwhelmed. Luke does not like having to sit in his bouncy chair while I pack during the day and he's very vocal about it. It's been very draining, but it will be all over soon.

Luke's trip to the Doctor

Luke went to see the doctor this week and got his well baby exam.

My baby boy is now 11 lbs, 12 ounces and in the 10th percentile for height and weight. The doc said he's tiny, but proportional so she's not concerned.

The fun part was the good doc suggested we start our little guy on cereal. She said we could mix the cereal in his bottles or spoon feed and since this meant I could buy more adorable things, I went with spoons.

Here's the video of his first cereal dinner:


Yes, that's my chubby face on the left. Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain.

Anyways, Luke LOVED his cereal. It was a little watery for him, so when I made it a bit thicker in the morning, he couldn't eat it fast enough. After a week or so, we'll try some orange or yellow veggies. :)

We have video!!

I gave up trying to load videos directly onto this site and instead opened a YouTube account. I've suspended commenting so no trolls can have fun at my son's expense, but the videos are for public viewing.

Here's the video of Luke in his exersaucer!



Here's the video hubby took of Luke coming home. :)


Enjoy!!

Been too long

So I noticed the last time I posted was over a week ago. A lot has happened in a week.

First of all, Luke went swimming for the first, second, and third time in his short existence. He hated the water at first- it was cold, Mommy kept dunking him, and he was not a happy camper. He did better the second time, until I lost my footing and almost drowned the both of us. Third time was the best- he fell asleep about 20 minutes in and was content to let me bounce around holding him.

In addition, my husband and I have decided to move out of our place. While we love having the space of two bedrooms, we can no longer afford the rent. We've been offered a better deal and will be moving at the end of the month, so I've started packing like a fiend. We're breaking our lease and will incur penalties, but the money we save will be worth it.

Luke rolled over today for Daddy when I wasn't in the room. While I love watching the little guy do stuff, it was about time he did something for Dad before doing it for me.

In other news, I have begun to sell Avon to help bring in some money, am going to try and sell some of my jewelry on consignment at local shops, and am doing my best to build up my jewelry business. Let's hope I can achieve being a stay at home mommy!

Ha!

My little Luke laughed today. A real laugh. For the first time.

We were getting up from a nap and I started blowing raspberries on his tummy when I heard the sweetest little laughing sound followed by a squeak. I immediately praised him for laughing and gave him a big snuggle. He laughed twice more today and I can't get enough.

Numb Arm

There is nothing like blogging one handed while the other arm goes slowly numb as it holds the baby. If you haven't tried it, you should. I could always use a good babysitter.

Luke actually rolled over today without injury today! It took him about 5 minutes from start to finish but he did it and there were no hospital trips. Kiddo is also getting speech patterns down really well. He almost said "really" today after I said it to him. Hubby heard it too so I'm only slightly crazy.

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Sleeping Disorder

I know I write a lot about sleep, but it's for a good reason- I just don't get enough.

Correction - I probably do get enough but it's so spaced out it doesn't feel like enough.

This morning I woke up and could barely think, I was so tired. I didn't make my husband breakfast because I didn't trust myself with a knife. After the initial wake up, Luke likes to fall back asleep, but he wakes every 2 hours to eat. All in all I think I got 10 hours of sleep. So why am I so tired?

A couple ladies at my church have gotten together and will be measuring ourselves every week as motivation to lose some weight. Losing pounds is nice but we'd rather lose inches. It's so damned hot that I don't want to take Luke for walks, so I have to figure out how to lose while at home. I may have to figure out how to use the Wii Fit without upsetting the kid. He hates not being held often and since I hate not holding him, it works out for us.

Babysitting

July always seems to have a plethora of movies we want to see and this July is no different.

Hubby took me to see Harry Potter today and while I enjoyed it a bit, it felt rushed and incomplete to me.

But that's not the reason for the post. Today was Luke's first time being babysat by Grandma Jen and Pappy. I was nervous about them babysitting since they hadn't before, but he was all smiles when we came to get him. They said he went out to lunch with them and had a great time.

This kid seems to be excellent for babysitters, at home... all the time. I'm really hoping this sticks and isn't some beautiful phase or something.

Whoops

So I'm a liar liar, pants on fire. I promised a video and failed to deliver.

I had issues with my old micro SD card so I got a shiny new one. My hubby is letting me store my images and videos on his machine because he has a built in card reader. I uploaded everything, went to make my post and noticed the videos somehow got saved as jpeg files. Whoops. My bad.

I'm in the process of figuring out how to extract the videos from my phone. I'd love to say I'm a tech wizard but I went to school for music and not computers for a reason.

Another Midnight Posting

What? Two postings in two days? No, it can't be!

Yeah yeah, I know I'm a slacker, but what are ya gonna do, ya know?

Anyways, I tried something new today- I didn't hold Luke every single minute. Novel idea, yes? My grandmother had my father bring up one of those activity chair thingys for him to play in and while he's a little small for it now, I figured we should give it a try today. The general reaction was, "What the heck is this thing? That sun... is smiling at me. Holy crap! That thing made a sound! (fall forward and start sucking on the fabric)". I got a video of the adventure, of which I shall post tomorrow in all its glory.

I got him to play in it long enough to knit an entire row for a baby blanket I'm making with a church ministry and get a load of laundry done. It was rather exciting at the time, so I decided to put the baby in his bouncy chair while I went to the bathroom, made his bottles, and all other activities that require both hands but I've been doing with one lately. He was not pleased with this and resorted to his angry "I sound like Donald Duck throwing a tantrum" cries three times today. While it hurts to hear him cry, it was also really nice to be able to use both hands.

Insert Title Here

It's past midnight and thus way past my bedtime, but I'm up and writing because I need the alone time.

This past weekend was a tad insane. My husband stayed home from work on Friday to help me clean the apartment since my parents were on their way up. Saturday was spent doing some extra cleaning and visiting with my folks. They took us out to dinner where I accidentally breathed in part of a green bean and damn near choked to death. I'm so talented.

Sunday was Luke's Christening at my church. Not only did my hubby come, but so did his mom, sister, step mom, dad, and step brother along with my parents. Luke looked absolutely adorable in his little white outfit. You could tell he was uncomfortable, but he looked too cute to take him out of it. He also was incredible during the actual dedication- not one peep out of him and he smiled at the pastor. After the service, everyone came to the apartment for food and such.

Now, I've lost a little weight since Luke was born (50 lbs according to my Wii Fit, but I'm not sure I believe it) and I thought I was looking pretty damn good in my kimono top at the dedication. Then I see this photo uploaded to Facebook:

Holy. Crapinski. I am BLOATED. Look up the definition of "bloated" and you'll see this damned photo. I feel a tad ridiculous since it's the kid's big day and all I can think about is how my double chin has grown another chin of its own. It's embarrassing.

Anyways, Sunday night we went to see a fireworks show one of hubby's co-workers puts on every year. It's really well done and we love going, but I was worried that the noise would scare Luke. Nope. Kiddo didn't cry. I should've been giddy, but all I could think about was whether he now has a hearing problem from the bacterial meningitis and my incredible bloat. I tested his hearing today by irritating him awake with ringtone alarms during naps, so that's a relief at least.

Oh Mr. Sun

My beautiful son has apparently inherited his father's skin. I'm envious.

I've been taking the boy on walks in the park and, in order for him to get a decent amount of vitamin D, I have not been putting sunscreen on him. If you're screaming at me through the computer screen, that's cool. I like screaming I can't hear.

Luke has not had a single sunburn since we started our walks. He gets his head covered by a nice little shade, but his legs, arms, and sometimes his face remain exposed. His beautiful porcelain skin remains untainted. Meanwhile, my skin has taken on its usual lobster red after being in the sun for longer than 5 minutes.

Oh Geez...

I sit down just a few moments ago to write when my hubby said, "I think he farted," in reference to Luke. "Can you hold him quick while I get a drink?"

It wasn't a fart.

He's now clean and back with his Dad, gurgling and kicking his legs.

I'm starting to think my main functions in life are food maker and poop cleaner. I've earned the title of "food maker" in two ways- I cook the majority of the meals for myself and my husband and not only do I provide milk, but I also make the majority of the bottles. Poop cleaner is also a cherished title since I clean the baby's poopies and will resume the "cleaning the cat box" chore shortly.

Is there an existence more fun than mine? I'm hard pressed to find one.

Portrait of an Awesome Dad

This past Father's Day, we took a walk in the park not too far away from where we live. My parents and sister came with us for the journey and though there was much talking and distraction, I managed to get an awesome picture.



The love in this picture is just so cool.

Sickies

I've woken up with a sore throat and crusty nose for the past two days so in order to nip whatever it is in the bud, Luke and I haven't been doing much more than sleeping. Though it may just be allergies, I hope that all this laying around prevents Luke from getting sick. I think I might take him for a walk sick or no tomorrow since he has a well baby doctor's appointment.

Cute thing- last Friday, hubby took the boy into another room so I could have some "me" time. I came into the room to see how they were doing and found this:

It's a little dark, but I didn't want to use the flash and disturb them. The cuteness was just too much!

The Weekend

This past weekend, my parents and sister took a trip up to our area for a little face time with the baby. They hadn't seen Luke since right after he was born, so we spent as much time as possible with them while they were here.

Saturday night we decided to go to the drive in theatre for Green Lantern and Kung Fu Panda 2. Luke went in the van with my family while hubby and I drove separate to have a date of sorts. Both movies were great and we didn't get home til 1:30 am.

Sunday was Father's Day. The adventure began at 6:15 am when Luke started screaming for food. There's no time like the present, so I gave hubby his gifts of Transformers DVDs (the original TV series, not the recent movies). We watched a few and while they don't stand the test of time for us adults, they'll be perfect for sharing with Luke when he's old enough to understand them.

Luke and I went to church with my family while hubby babysat the family pooch and then the lot of us went out to lunch. We parted ways, sending my family back to their home before travelling to hubby's Mom's for a baby visit. Hubby got some lovely Father's Day shirts and some fresh spinach from the garden before we went over to his Dad's for dinner. After many hours, hugs, and feedings, our little family unit headed home to crash.

To boil it down, we saw my mother, father, and sister, and hubby's mother, father, step-mother, step-brother, and sister all in one day and running on four hours of sleep. Happy Father's Day folks.

Skin

Taking a small turn away from my son for a second, I'd like to comment on how my skin is going absolutely bonkers.

It started with small, clear fluid filled bumps on my pointer and middle fingers on my right hand. These itched, I scratched, and now the skin is continuing to peel rather rapidly off of those fingers. My knuckles have also taken on the texture of steel wool and the skin on the ends of my fingers keep bubbling up and peeling away. This is starting to spread to my left hand.

Yesterday, I went to eat and felt a pain in the corner of my mouth. The skin had split and so I kept my mouth as shut as possible to try and let it heal. Of course this didn't stop it from re-opening every time I opened my mouth. It's now looking pretty nasty and I keep putting hydrogen peroxide on it.

Luckily none of this seems to be passing off to my son. Hopefully it's just severe dry skin due to the weather, but I'm unsure of how to fix it besides repeatedly applying lotion.

Dharma Dad

So my hubby is getting in on the blog action! Read his take on things over at http://dharmapitu.blogspot.com/

The Hospital, Take 2

Today Luke learned how to roll over. While this is normally a cause for celebration, the boy learned how to do this by falling off of the couch.

I put him beside me so I could stand up and get him a bottle. I stand up, hear a soft thud followed by a shriek, turn around and see my little boy on the floor. I feel as though I should win the "Worst Mommy of the Year" award for not just trying to get off of the couch while holding him.

I called his doctor, who wasn't there, but her business partner/doctor told me to take him to Urgent Care or the ER. We went to Urgent Care and were told just to go straight to the ER in case he needed a CAT scan. The ER said he DIDN'T need a CAT scan, but they made us stay for several hours for observation, just in case.

He's home and doing well now. He was really mad at me for taking him to the hospital, but it seems he has forgiven me for the most part. I'm going to keep an eye on him tonight, just to be sure.

Mommy's the Favorite

Right now, Luke is playing favorites and I'm it. This leaves me in a bit of a predicament.

On one hand, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that he he wants to be with me 24/7. It's a special kind of feeling knowing that you're the little guy's favorite person in the world and when he acts like the world rises and falls at my feet, I swoon.

On the other hand, I can see that it kind of hurts my husband's feelings and my hubby doesn't deserve that. Hubby is a fantastic Dad, dotes on his son, and really should get more credit than Luke is giving him. Plus, while being the favorite means lots of snuggles and cooing, it also means that babykins screams blue 60 every time I put him down or have to do something without him.

I'm honestly torn.

Aww Man

I have a Droid X phone and though I adore it, my phone has been giving me plenty of issues lately that make me want to tear my hair out.

The most recent is with the SD card. I got this random message saying my SD card was blank or unsupported. This is the card that came with the phone, so I'm not sure how it can be unsupported and since it held a decent amount of my applications along with all of my pictures, I seriously doubt it's blank. I took it out and put the card in my husband's phone to see if I could access anything there and his phone didn't recognize the card at all. This could mean my card has gone bad.

My phone wants me to reformat the SD card. This would mean erasing EVERYTHING I have on said card, including videos of listening to Luke's heartbeat in the womb and his first hiccups that day after he was born. Like an idiot, I never backed up these files on my desktop because it never occurred to me that I could lose these important pieces. Luckily most of the pictures I had were put on Facebook so I can access them.

The moral of the story is to always back up files important to you. I just hope I can get everything off my SD card sometime in the near future if I can get anything off it at all. In the meantime, features like personalized ringtones, applications, and files cannot be accessed.

Vocalizing

I got Luke vocalizing in a little video today and I figured I'd share. It's not to the same level of "talking" that he's been doing, but it's still cool.



My mother suggested I put these videos on YouTube and share them that way, but I think this might just be easier. At first I wanted to keep them private. I'm not sure what changed my mind.

A First

Today has had many ups and downs.

I sang in the choir at church today and Luke was babysat by his Aunt Sarah. He stayed mostly quiet through almost the whole service, thus proving the woman knows what she's doing. Singing in choir was tons of fun and one of the lovely ladies gave me some baby food items from the pantry that will help immensely in the feeding of the boy.

We went shopping right after church, which resulted in me not breast feeding or having a chance to pump until around 2:30 pm (I had last breast fed at 9:30ish am). I was so thrilled when I pumped an ounce (Luke was asleep). I haven't been able to do that save for one time before Luke went into the hospital. I was elated that all of the pumping and pain was starting to work and maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to stop supplementing sometime in the months to come.

Luke awoke an hour later, breast fed for around 15 minutes and then wanted a bottle. I pumped while I fed him the bottle and barely got out a milliliter. My mind immediately went into the negatives of "Aww man, I was doing so well! I was only deluding myself," and all of the other self depreciating things I do that I shouldn't. Luke finished, I went to burp him, and he threw up almost everything he'd just eaten all down my shirt and into my bra.

I've never been sick to my stomach over one of Luke's bodily functions before, but the smell of his throw up made bile rise in my throat. Jason immediately helped me clean off the baby, get undressed (which left baby vomit in my hair), and get into a shower where I cleaned both myself and the baby. My lovely husband put our clothes in the wash so they didn't stain.

The worst part is I'm still sick to my stomach and it's hours later. I hope it'll pass soon.

Ads

Quick note: There are ads on this site. The goal is for you to click ads which generates money and then helps us keep afloat. I'd love to generate enough money here to make an impact on our finances, but I won't hold my breath. I've tried to block ads that aren't relevant to the site, but I'm sure I didn't get them all. Please, if you see an ad you like, click it.

Squiggles

So Luke has been working on his words and his movements lately and I could not be happier. We've been watching the "Your Baby Can Read" videos and Luke has been vocalizing more and more sounds every day. Last night I swear he almost said "I love you" and then today he scooted/crawled up his Dad's chest while lying down.



Now, many parents will say "He'll be two months old on Monday. He can't be speaking or crawling yet." To be honest, this all may be wishful thinking, but I'm going to contend that my baby is an intelligent little boy that happens to be above the curve.

Deep Thoughts (by Jack Handy)

I love having Luke with me. I love snuggling him to sleep, feeding him, giving him tons of kisses, and loving on him. I love listening to him coo, make new sounds, and even cry. I love every diaper, soiled outfit, and cranky day we have together.

That being said, there are times I really miss being pregnant.

I'm not entirely sure why though. I had a rather rough pregnancy. I lost weight for the constant throwing up my first trimester, was SUPER tired my second trimester, and had to inject myself with insulin for a good chunk of the process. My moods went all over the place and I was terrible to be around.

But the baby was all mine. I didn't have to share him or worry about others carrying him. I could easily drive with him without a car seat. Every kick was known only to me unless I decided to share.

I wouldn't trade him being with me for the world, there are just some times I miss him being mine ONLY. Call me selfish, but I do.

Overprotective?

My husband and I have been recently re-watching Penn & Teller's "Bullsh*t" on Netflix. One of the episodes was on Stranger Danger and it hit me a little too close to home.

When I was little, I was the victim of two kidnapping attempts by the same guys. While I was never snagged, it still was a terrifying experience. I'm not sure if my mother's overprotective nature stemmed from that happening or from her own past experiences, but I know we all were extra careful from then on.

My hubby and I have been talking about schooling when Luke gets older. Ultimately we'd like to be in a place where Luke can walk to school like my husband did, but hubby seemed a bit put out by me expressing that I would not feel comfortable with Luke walking alone until he was at least in high school. This stems from my fears of what I experienced and I'm aware of that. I'm also aware that Luke has a higher chance of dying from a traffic accident or even HIV than he does of being kidnapped by a stranger. This does not calm me down.

I guess it's more that I feel kidnapping may be somewhat preventable, whereas traffic accidents aren't always. If I'm walking with my son, he's less of a target. Other kids aren't as much of a deterrent as an adult. Do I impose on his freedoms to keep him potentially safe when statistically there's no real threat from strangers? Luke has more chance of being kidnapped by someone we know, so should I never introduce him to people?

The agreement we came up with is that we'd enroll Luke in martial arts as soon as they'll accept him. I agreed to let him walk by himself to school or the store when he gets to middle school age only if he can defend himself. I'm still not comfortable with the idea though. I doubt I ever will be.

Fussy Baby (and Why He's Awesome)

I have a fussy baby.

His fuss isn't like a lot of babies. He doesn't just start screaming right off the bat. He has this wind up that starts with an almost coughing sound, then little sustained cries, then longer cries, then angry/yelling/catlike crying.

He fusses when he's hungry, when he wants his pacifier, when he needs a diaper change (on occasion), when he's sleepy, when he wants to be held, and every time I leave him alone for more than 10 seconds. Basically, he's like every other baby out there when it comes to fussing.

It may sound weird, but I love him for it.

After having such a scare and almost losing him, it's encouraging to hear him fussy, to hear him be active. I would be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating at times, but I wouldn't give it up for the world.

Migraines: An Encounter

Yesterday I woke up after a very rough night of sleep. Hubby slept with us in the bed and his snoring combined with crazy temperature fluctuations kept me waking up several times a night. I had a headache when I woke up and a little dizziness, but it passed for the most part and I took the boy to church.

After church and shopping, I started to feel really awful and laid down on the couch. My head got this intense ache and I started shivering from head to toe. I could barely move, light felt like daggers in my brain, and I ended up with a fever of 102.7 at its peak. I was terrified I had something that was serious and could be passed on to the baby. My husband said it was a migraine.

I've only experienced a migraine once before and it wasn't like this, but I trusted that I'd wake in the morning. Sure enough, woke with no chills, no fever, and mild head pain. Kinda crazy.

I just hope to goodness I don't continue to get these things.

On another note, hubby and I are meeting with the pastor of my church to discuss theology and what a christening might entail. I've been feeling family pressure to have one done but I need to make sure it's a right fit for how we're going to raise the boy.

My Pants are on Fire...

... because I'm a liar liar. Luke was having a hard time sleeping the other night so I brought him into bed with me. He fell asleep almost immediately and slept the entire night snuggled up against me. We've been co-sleeping at night for the past few nights and it's awesome. I sleep through the night, he sleeps through the night, and everyone's happy. Except my hubby. Who now has to sleep in the small bed.

Luke has reached the "Mommy put me down so I shall scream blue 60" stage. Of course this is partially my fault since I don't really put him down during the day. I just hate to hear him cry! I need to make a wrap carrier (since he won't go in the sling anymore) so I can wear him around the apartment during the day.

I called unemployment today and was told that my application for emergency benefits was approved. So I have 20 more weeks of unemployment compensation, which is some of the best news I have had since they said "You can take your baby home on Sunday."

My Week (A Lesson in Co-Sleeping)

We brought the baby home from the hospital last Sunday, which had to be the best Mother's Day present a mom could get. I have barely let him out of my sight since.

We tried some co-sleeping this week and it was incredibly relaxing... until my hip started protesting that it had been in the same spot for too long. Hubby has co-slept with baby a few more times than I and he also finds it to be comforting. However, there's also a sense of terror that comes with co-sleeping and the possibility of rolling on top of the baby or having him fall out of the bed. I'm ok with napping like this, but not all night sleeping.

My main hangup this week has been my inability to do everything I want to. I wanted to go for a walk every day, but only ended up going once. I want to write a minimum of two articles a day, but only wrote four all week. I wanted to clean my apartment and only managed to get half of the laundry done. There aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done and get some sleep. I'm afraid if I sacrifice sleep that I'm letting the family down but I'm also letting them down if I don't bring in money and clean.

Unfortunately this frustration is starting to take it's toll on my marriage. My husband is tired of me being moody, since all of this coupled with a lack of breast milk production makes me feel like a failure. Hubby is very supportive, but I can't seem to get around this. Plus money is extra tight while we wait and see if I've been approved for Emergency Unemployment Benefits. I'm trying hard to just focus on the two boys in my life and just relax, but I'm struggling.

Homecoming (complete with dancing)

Luke comes home tomorrow from the hospital and it honestly feels really weird. Sleeping in the room with him has been an exhausting adventure, but sleeping at home just feels odd now. My husband is staying with him tonight so I can get some rest, but I'll most likely clean until I drop in preparation for him being here. I do have church in the morning, but cleaning will not get in the way of that.

I actually started going back to church recently. I fell away from my faith while in college just because I couldn't stomach some of the prejudice the Christians were preaching. This church, MCCLV (Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley) is absolutely amazing, the people are just the people I want to be around, and I've never felt more comfortable in a house of worship in my life. Hubby is exploring his Buddhist spirituality, it's about time I did the same with my faith. We'll need to know what we believe in in order to explain how we believe to our son.

Neither religion will be pushed on Luke. I'll take him to church until he decides he no longer wants to go and we've decided to let him choose his religion when he's old enough to make that decision.

Anyways, he's coming home, his Nana (hubby's Mom) will be visiting, and there will be much celebrating. It's a great first Mother's Day gift.

Please Let Me Sleep

So we're on day 11 (I think. I've lost count.) here in the hospital and Luke is doing well. He has strep b meningitis, which isn't contagious to adults, but still is a big deal to a 2 week old baby. The doc calculated that we can go home Sunday afternoon, so my first Mother's Day won't have to be totally spent in this place.

The nurses are lovely here, the doctors are great, and the techs are very helpful. It has been an emotional roller coaster and they've all been very supportive. Luke's fever wouldn't go down, so Wednesday of last week the docs decided he needed an MRI. If they found an abcess, baby would need surgery. Thank goodness his MRI came back clean and his fever broke soon after. He's been continually improving since.

Mommy is exhausted as is Daddy. I've been with Luke every night save for one (Nana stayed with the munchkin) and my hubby's been staying at home and going to work during the day. I'm just glad our little trooper is doing so well.

The Hospital

Let's recap the past few days.

On Easter, Luke was very fussy and tried to sleep all day. My hubby let me sleep a little after the guests left, only for him to wake me up around 11 pm with concerns about Luke. Our little one isn't much of a crier but he had been crying for two hours straight. I took his temp under his arm and it hit 100, so we put cool water on his head and took him to the hospital. His breathing was odd and he was incredibly pale. The docs said he was fine and sent us home.

I sat him on my lap and sent hubby to bed. After an hour, I noticed he needed changing. I took his temp and it had spoiled to 103. Woke hubby and went to a different hospital, one with a pediatric ER. They did a bunch of tests and a spinal tap only to find that Luke has bacterial meningitis. He immediately got antibiotics and carted up to pediatrics.

It was confirmed yesterday that my little guy has strep b meningitis. He needs 14 days of IV antibiotic treatment. I'm in the hospital with him and hubby is working while staying home to care for our cats. We're all terribly lonely but Luke's responding well to treatment.

Sleepy Boy

Took Luke to the doctor on Wednesday. She wanted another bilirubin test done, just to make sure his numbers were still going down, but she checked him out otherwise. He was 8 lbs, 10 oz at birth and is now 8 lbs, 2 oz. Doc is hoping he regains that weight this week.

His newborn rash is normal and will apparently go away on its own. I think it looks like the poor child has pimples, but she assured me it's fine. His peeper is healing decently, as is my incision, and all of his reflexes work fine. He sleeps almost constantly, but the doc tells me that's totally normal.

Due to the slight jaundice, she told me to have him sunbathe in his diaper on nice days, which I did today. I read a little Percy Jackson to him and he slept soundly. I love my little boy, but all the sleeping just has me worried. I'm petrified of SIDS so I don't rest well when he's resting, especially if it's in the crib.

Bad mommy moment- I accidentally clipped some of his skin when clipping his nails for the first time. It didn't bleed much, but I feel absolutely horrible about it. I keep kissing his fingers and apologizing.

I find it increasingly difficult to get any work done unless it's after midnight and I'm already exhausted. Now that my mother has gone back home (she left today) we'll see if that changes, but either way I know it's just something I have to do. Little guy needs me, I need money, thus I need to work around his schedule to make money. Thank goodness hubby loves watching him and taking care of me. I TOTALLY lucked out in the husband department.

Oh, in case you were wondering, this is what my baby looks like:

I may be a bit biased, but I think he's just the cutest.

We're home!

So the c-section happened last Wednesday and started a rather long adventure.

First, the epidural they gave me was partially blocked, so they made me lean forward for about an hour while they tried three or four more times to get it right. Eventually they gave up and put me under general anesthesia. I woke up to excruciating pain and not being able to breathe as a result. They pumped me full of morphine to help but all I could groggily do was ask where the baby was and if he was OK.

My son is just breath taking. My mom told me when I was born, she had no idea how to bond with me since I looked like some odd little old man. I was prepared for the worst only to be met with the cutest little bundle I've ever seen. I didn't know it was possible to fall in love with someone this deeply who wasn't my hubby. He's just amazing.

Anyway, I started to recover nicely, but Luke was still super groggy and not wanting to eat much. It turns out he was slightly jaundiced and they kept testing his bilirubin along with his blood sugars (diabetic pregnancy). His blood sugars turned out great, but his bilirubin levels kept climbing. By Friday, they told me he needed to go under an ultraviolet light until his levels go down. Of course I cried all day, trying hard not to blame myself for his issues. Thank goodness he was fine and we were able to take him home by Saturday.

He's still in the "sleep all day, keep mommy up all night" stage but I don't care. I'm having a blast being a mom.

Bringing Home Baby

Terrified doesn't even begin to touch how I'm feeling at the moment.

My son, Luke, is currently at 9 lbs, 4 oz and will be taken via c-section at noon on Wednesday. After waiting for 39 weeks to meet him, I'll finally be able to hold my little one, snuggle him, and thank him for all the times he kicked my sciatic nerve.

I hope and pray the surgery goes well. My mother will be in the operating room, watching me like a hawk since during her c-section with me she ended up having a seizure and no one seemed to notice. She died twice that day as a result and so she wants to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to me. Of course, my doctor is head and shoulders above my mother's doctor, but we're still being careful. My husband has graciously stepped back and allowed her the option of being by my side since only one family member is allowed in with me during the surgery.

I write for a living (for the most part) picking up jobs wherever I can. I got into freelance writing late 2009 and fell in love with it. I had a day job, but due to the economy my boss had to let me go three months into the pregnancy. Finding a new job has been absolutely impossible in my condition and I'm trying to make the writing a full time gig, but it's really hard to focus with pregnancy brain.

I've never had major surgery, I've never been a mom before (unless you count the cats), and I've never been this uncertain in my life. I am excited for this new venture in my life, I just hope I can handle it.