Friday, April 20, 2012

Week 10: days 27-63

Remember my love letters project? Me neither... but I'm trying! It just seems like the days fly by and before you know it we are all passed out in bed. I used to be tethered to my camera- now it's difficult for me to remember where I put my shoes (let alone my camera). This is all I had time to edit. Next time, there.will.be.more.




Thursday, April 19, 2012

First birthday party

I took my baby boy to his first birthday party this weekend! Well, not HIS fisrt birthday party - it was his first birthday party as a guest. I'm really excited that we got to go because I lead a really busy life and quite honestly I'm not sure how I manage at times. We were invited to 2 others that we couldn't make and I was pretty bummed about it.


My mom's good friends youngest grand daughter (got that?) turned one last week so we headed on over to her party on Saturday. I haven't been to a small child's birthday party in a while so I didn't know what to expect but I was at ease because my mom was going as well.



There was your typical kids party stuff like cupcakes and games, and your not so typical stuff like a 3 course meal... yum! It was at a restaurant and they served a sit down dinner that was delicious. First course was pasta, then salad, followed by your choice of chicken, veal, or sole.



While he wasn't at all amused by the entertainment...




He still happened to be the life of the party!




Wednesday, April 18, 2012

wordless wednesday



Tuesday, April 17, 2012

SIFW

If you ask any mom how is life with a newborn like, they will be sure to mention sleep deprivation. It's a commonality that all new mommies share. Sure there are a lucky few who get excellent nappers and babies who go long stretches without waking up but these gems are few and far between. Clearly that gift was not bestowed upon me.

While my little guy always looks so precious like so:

circa october 2011
He doesn't think it's necessary to look this precious all night long. Oh baby boy! So, I'm thinking of beginning to sleep train. I believe he is the right age and weight requirements (he weighs enough to not need a midnight snack) to begin sleep training. So I've done a little research. In my research I 'think' I have narrowed it down to two different methods.

The Ferber Method is a technique commonly known as 'crying it out' (CIO). The science behind this makes sense. In a nutshell you help baby learn how to sooth himself to sleep while still reassuring him that you are there. The No-Cry sleep solution is a technique in which a gentle removal system is used to help baby sleep through the night.

These are both popular in the mommy community and both have pros and cons. There are other methods that claim to combine the two. The thing is I'm the one who isn't ready. Well, I am ready to start getting unfragmented sleep. But I'm not ready for tears or lots of hard work in the middle of the night.

Maybe for now I can settle for



So what's SIFW you ask? It's a phrase my son has coined 'sleeping is for whimps!
Do you guys have any advice for dealing with the lack of sleep or sleep training?

Monday, April 16, 2012

6-7months

Hey sweetie!

I can't believe you are already over a half year old!! First, let me apologize for the slackeration that has been going on. We've been quite busy. the day after you turned 6 months old you took your very first plane ride. How exciting!!!! I was soo nervous about how you would do but I think you handled it like a champ! We went to Phoenix, Arizona to accompany daddy on to a work conference. I think a lot of my apprehension comes from so many horrible news stories about how TSA (the security administration) treats moms. I've heard about moms forced to pump breast milk in front of people just to be able to bring their breast pumps through security.. how ridiculous is that?! I didn't want anything to happen to YOUR milk to so I purchased sealed containers so they would stay fresh and hopefully untampered. The TSA officials were very nice to us and getting you through security was no problem at all. In fact you were quite the ham! You fell asleep before take off and slept most of the time. 




While we were in Phoenix you and I spent a lot of time together- just like when I was on maternity leave. It was so much fun. I think your favorite part was when we went on walks. You would kick your feet and look around the entire time until you fell asleep. We met a lot of your dad's colleagues from other institutions and you were always the star of the show! We even took a trip to the Grand Canyon! I'm sorry you won't remember any of it- but I was sure to take a lot of pictures of you there so you can see how it was later. Maybe one day we will get the chance to go back when you can remember it. Your grandparents would LOVE to go one day. I loved this trip sooo much and next year it's going to be even better because we are going to the happiest place on earth!!!! You have no clue but I am the most excited ever!!!! I've even rounded up both set of your grandparents to come with us because it will be your first time there. I can't wait- it's going to be soooo  much fun. Don't worry I know you won't remember so I'll take a trillion pictures and make every one wear Mickey ears =) We never intended to take you so young but the opportunity has presented itself so I'm not going to miss it.

Your personality is beginning to develop. You are so pleasant- it's amazing! Your dad and I are new to this parenting thing and I am so glad you are taking it so well. You literally light up a room when you are in it. You are so funny and you're so little! Let me tell you why. One day while you were at the G'rents you pooped your pants. Literally. It cam out of your diaper and into your pants as well as your shirt and I think you may have gotten some on G-pa. He didn't mind but the only way to handle this was to give you a quick wash down old skool style- in the kitchen sink. So I stripped you down wiped off all the poop and sat your in the sink. Well, you turned the sink into your own personal hot tub! Who does that?!


notice the foot prop


You do the most adorable things, lol!

After our trip  we (half heartedly) celebrated St. Patrick's Day. Normally I would make a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage but I gave up meat for lent so that was a no-go.


We spent the rest of the month attending family gatherings and hanging out. You were even baptised on the same day I was 28 years ago! Last week we celebrated Holy week starting with Maundy Thursday and ending with Resurrection (aka Easter) Sunday. We hosted dinner Easter dinner at our house and had a blast! I actually cooked something besides dessert. I never do that because I like to leave it up to the pros like your Grandma and Auntie's but I have to learn someday, right?

Your are doing really well- growing so big and learning everything! At your 6 month well visit you weighed in at 19 pounds! I can't believe it. You are a little bigger than most babies your age so you stay at the top of the growth charts. 


You measured in at 27 inches long with a head circumference of 18.75 in. So adorable! You did get two more shots (augh!) but you are beginning to handle them like a champ. We are still hanging in there with size 3 diapers but I'm getting nervous. Sometimes you have these major poopsplosions that results in nekkid baby in the middle of babies r us (whew! that's a different story for another day) which I believe is the combination of the way you are sitting and questionable diaper sizes. We try to introduce a new food to you every week. It sometimes gets challenging when we have a jam packed weekend but I enjoy the fact that we make your food. I feel like I have a little bit more knowledge of what's going in your chubby little belly.

I can't believe this but you are up on all fours now! Next stop, crawling! I'm not ready!!! Amongst all this fun a tooth is starting to poke through! I'm really amazed at all the changes that have taken place over the past two months. I can only imagine what 7 months old will bring.

Love you much!

Mom



Friday, April 13, 2012

Y3W: Giving him back

... to the Lord.

My baby boy has been baptized! Let me start from the beginning.

The back story

Christenings aren't normally that 'big' in my community. They are usually small celebrations attended by immediate family plus a selected few and that's that. At least I've never been invited to a big to do (a la ROHNJ part 1). Furthermore, we aren't Catholic, therefore he was baptized, not 'christened', 'dedicated', 'blessed', or 'named'. So given all this information, I wanted his baptism to be celebrated but not in a big over the top fashion. Some people will say I may delayed a little too much (because if something were to happen we want to be sure that he was given back to the Lord and therefore a child of God) but I wasn't initially aware of the time frame. Although if we ever have any more children I likely won't be waiting 6 months to have him or her baptized I did like the fact that he was an awake, alert baby and he is able to sit on his own. This means nothing in the grand scheme of things but it sure did look great for pictures.

The significance

Once we began to discuss when he would be baptized, I looked into my own infant baptism. Since my baby and I are 5 days apart I wanted to know when my parents decided to baptized me as a general guideline. In my research i discovered i was baptized on April 1, 1984. Well, as fate would have it April 1,2012 was on a Sunday!! So I HAD to have this date. I initially thought it would pose a problem because 4/1/12 is also palm Sunday- but my Pastor gave the go ahead and so it was set: my little guy and I would share the same baptism anniversary!

The celebration

Like I mentioned, I wanted to celebrate this day. It marks and important milestone in his religious journey. I just didn't want it to be another episode of 'the Real house wives of NJ' (part 2). I wanted a private space at a restaurant, good food, family, friends, and lots of love. My intention was do a really nice dessert table to go along with this really good food- but it just seemed like nothing would fall into place the way I had envisioned. The restaurant that I chose was minutes from the church and a very easy drive. We have been there on more than one occasion and I knew they had a nice private space. When I went to go reserve the space- the manager told me that I needed a minimum of 30 people to reserve it. Well I wanted to cap the festivities at 25. I could have found 5 more people to join us but that would defeat the purpose of 'small celebration' plus 5 more people wasn't a part of my budget.  Then my best friend told me should wouldn't be attending because she had to work. Then 2 more of our guests told me they wouldn't be able to make it either. Crap! this put me below the original 25 people on my guest list. Yes, I know you should always take into account those who can't make it but at one point all these people were a confirmed yes which is why I even got the idea to hold lunch after the ceremony.

In true 'From Mrs to Mom' fashion I waited til the last second to order the cake and get the baby's outfit. I also slowly began to realize that I wasn't going to have enough time to put together my dessert table display and 'why don't they make Christening outfits in sized bigger than 6 months?!" I always hate that I wait until the last minute to do things but then I never take steps to get things done earlier. *sigh*

The end result

Everything was amazing! I can't believe how everything came together. Everything didn't go according to how I envisioned it but it was exactly the way it needed to be.

On Friday before the baptism I took a half day off work and one of my good friends accompanied me to run a bunch of errands to get ready. We stopped by the restaurant and because the manager didn't book any private parties for that day- he gave us the private room for less than the minimum required amount of people. Plus he modified the menu to my liking (now I know why I like this place). After going to 3 stores we finally hit the jackpot at the 4th store in getting his outfit. They didn't have any booties in his size so he did without them. I realize my little guy is a a little bit big for his age but it is beyond me why all the Christening outfits in my area stop at 6 months and then jump up to first communion sizes. Well I should say all the reasonably priced outfits stop at 6 months. There are a few specialty store in our area that we could have gotten him a $70 suit that he will likely never wear again. We also made stops to pick up decorations for the restaurant (which I forgot at home) and did some damage at Target and Babies R Us.



That night when I tried the outfit on him it was too small :( I ended up running back to the same store at a different mall and they had the next biggest size. I thank God for her (my friend) because she was a GOD send that day. I know she reads this and I can't thank you enough. She agreed to be my son's God mother and I am ecstatic she accepted. I am even more ecstatic that she's expecting her own bundle of joy this September!!! I don't know if I was a year early or she was a year late, lol, but more on this later.


On Sunday morning my Pastor texted me to say that the baby's name was spelled wrong in the program. Although it wasn't just spelled wrong it was the wrong name altogether! I have no idea how this happened because she wrote down the correct spelling of his name when we met for the baptism meeting. She did print extra copies of the program with his correct name for us as a keepsake- but I'm keeping both. It was actually pretty funny because my husband's best friend was NERVOUS that HE had gotten the baby's name wrong. Anywhoo after the fiasco after fiasco that had been occurring I didn't mind one bit. I still think it's kind of funny. We were surrounded by so much love it was AMAZING! I was a little disappointed that my best friends plus a few others couldn't make it but the people who were there were amazing. It still bring tears to my eyes... yea I'm emotional like that.


That afternoon at lunch-we had the best time ever. Even the baby enjoyed himself. We ate, we laughed, we talked, ate some more, laughed some more and truly enjoyed each others company. My son had so much fun he was letting out some gut busting laughs! If I knew how to edit videos I would post it for you. Every time I watch it I can't help but smile. I think a child's laughter is one of the best sounds ever. And this day was one of the best ever.


enjoying lunch




Thursday, April 12, 2012

I'm still here

This goes without saying: I've been MIA. Mommy life has gotten to me and I can't keep up. I have so much to update you guys on but it seems as though I am not focused enough to even complete a post. I still read some of my most frequented blogs (mostly at stoplights.... kidding!) and try to comment if my phone lets me. I hate to blame my disheveledness (yep, I just made that up) on being a new mom but it's true.

resolution check up
The first quarter of 2012 has just ended and Cam reminded me that I'm definitely not on track with any of my 2012 goals. In fact I didn't even post any new year's resolutions because I knew this would happen. So, what's the hold up?

I honestly think that trying to get this mommy thing down is taking all of my focus. Actually, that's my excuse for everything from being late for work to skipping on outings. I knew adding a baby to the family would be hard work- I just never knew how hard. As I read all of these other mommy blogs I can't help but wonder how the work outside the home mom does it. I have an awesome support system. As a matter of fact my parents are baby spoiling sitting tonight so that I can get a few things done. Something tells me I am just going to end up laying on the bed because my mind will be too busy to sleep but my body will be too exhausted to get up and do anything. I had a plan of daily activities to ensure that things get done when they need to be and we can stop being late for work- but it seems as if my little guy always has a different plan.





One of my goals for this year was to get in shape. Prior to getting pregnant I wasn't in the best shape but I wasn't in the worst shape either. Now that I'm no longer pregnant every thing is just mushy and none of my clothes fit. I really want to look good for the summer festivities (you know cookouts, beaches, pool parties) and the only way to do it is to get moving. I have three sources of inspiration right now.

First there's Erica. You may remember her from my blog tag. When I first came across her blog the thing that made me come back was the fact that she was running like a mad woman while baking her baby. I was instantly jealous. I started out working out in the beginning of my pregnancy but that quickly fizzled due to exhaustion. She recently posted her post baby workout plan and I am intrigued to say the least.

Then there's Eb's. You all  know Eb's- really I talk about her all.the.time. She's started a new weight loss/healthy hair challenge called bangin' & swangin'. What I like about this is that there is a begin date and an end date so I won't feel like there's no end in sight. Plus... there's prizes!!!

Lastly, for this year's family reunion we are doing a Beyonce skit. So I need to get right and preferably before the family reunion.

I think I have all the tools in place to make some progress. Now if I could just get a handle on this mommy thing- I'd be in great shape...
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