The Q Report

Baby Shower

2011-11-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

Back in October, I threw a baby shower for my SIL who is expecting a little boy in early December. I may not be the best party-thrower, but I do love to throw a good party. I was happy to be able to host the shower for my SIL and her hubby as they celebrate this special time in their lives.

Here are pictures of some of the details. No pictures were included of my SIL and her hubby because they're not really "show-boaty splash my picture on the internet" kind of people (unlike myself)!

Entrance

Diaper Wreath
(The 1st one I've made...consider this one my learning attempt.
It didn't turn out exactly like I wanted, but I will be making more!)

Entry

Diaper Carriage

The Spread
(Even though all of the food isn't pictured here)

Dessert Table
(Showing only a few desserts)

Change Jar and Dear Baby Cards

BABY!

Pom-Pom Balls

Pop fills out a Dear Baby card

Umm. My husband!

My baby being a stinker with his Grandma and G

Happy Boy (finally) with Grandma and G

So it was a great party with a Southern style theme with eastern NC BBQ, chicken salad, baked beans, mac and cheese, doughnuts, pound cakes, sweet tea and lemonade and a few alcoholic beverages just to name a few of the menu items. Only passive activities were done at the shower per the request of the pregnant mommy-to-be. And the best part, the parents-to-be got showered with lots of love and gifts for the baby.

This party could not have been made possible without the help of my mom and my MIL (pictured above). They helped me pull everything together...thank goodness they were there to help!

This is the Way...

2011-11-14T14:07:00.006-05:00

…we clean our house, clean our house, clean our house!

So I’ve finally put my family back on a cleaning schedule to help us tackle the nagging tasks that just need to be done around house. We’ve done chore charts and cleaning schedules in the past, and for one reason or another, they fall by the waste side. This one may, too. We shall see.

I decided to pay attention to the articles I’ve come across in parenting magazines and on internet mommy resources. The basic messages I’ve gotten and have decided to follow this time around when organizing a way to keep our house clean are these:

“Lower your standards!”

“Do just a little each day!”

“The whole house may not be clean at one time, but you can focus on cleaning one area at a time.”

“Play with your child. The dirty dishes and scummy sinks can wait. Dishes will always get dirty, but your child won’t always be a child.”

So with those basic messages coming my way from different sources, this is how I decided to break down the responsibility of duties and cleaning tasks:

Monday Clean kitchen island counter – Hubby (The drop spot for all our crap. Sort and
put away)

Iron clothing –Me (Iron clothes leftover from laundry day)

Tuesday Clean fridge – Hubby (Check the fridge for old food; throw out. Wipe up spills.
Add needed items to list)

Dust – Me (Swipe all of the major pieces of furniture)

Wednesday Clean Desk – Hubby (Sort through mail; organize papers; shred; swipe clean)

Vacuum – Me (Front of house/common areas; whole house if time permits)

Mop – Me (Kitchen floor)

Thursday Trash – Hubby (Take out the trash and recycling for curbside pickup)

Bathrooms – Me

Friday FREE DAY

Saturday Bedrooms – Hubby & Me (Change sheets; dust; put away clutter)

Vacuum – Me (Vacuum entire house)

Sunday Laundry – Hubby (Wash, dry, fold, and put away)

Here’s the thing. We just don’t have a lot of time to spend on cleaning our house between work and our child and other obligations, and not to mention that fact that we just need some down time to relax every now and then. My goal is to be able to keep the house modestly clean in the quickest and most efficient way possible. So for us, this means that we do a tiny bit on the house each day. I tried to make it so that we can complete most of the tasks in 30 minutes or less, which means we should be able to put Quin to bed and have to time to finish our nightly chore before the good tv shows come on.

The task of keeping the house clean is a big one, but I think it’s an important one…for our health and safety as well as modeling to Quin the responsibilities of maintaining a house and keeping clean. I often feel overwhelmed by the task, and I get anxious and frazzled when I feel like things are really dirty and unorganized. When I allowed myself to accept the fact that our house just isn’t going to be spic-n-span every day at all times, it became easier for me to visualize and make a plan to keep the house somewhat manageably clean and comfortable for us all.

There are, of course, other things that have to be done around the house. We will fit those things in when time allows on the weekend or weeknights or when one of us gets a wild hair to just tackle a more in-depth task. We utilize our time when grandparents are in town and can entertain Quin. I use my track-out times from work, while Quin is at daycare, to do more thorough cleanings and other household projects.

So all of this to say that our house is not going to be spotless but we can make an easy effort to keep it somewhat maintained and cleaned without totally exhausting ourselves.

A Decent Life

2011-11-07T10:40:00.003-05:00

My husband and I have really been questioning recently, “What constitutes a decent life? Do we have a decent life? Or is the life we’ve built together just a crap shoot that we’re going to have to suffer through?”

This whole discussion amongst ourselves got started by a conversation my hubby had with one of his friends about 2 months ago. And now we just can’t stop pondering what makes for a decent life.

The gist of the conversation that my hubby had with his friend goes something like this: My hubby commented on the fact that another friend was doing “pretty well” because it was mentioned that this other friend was making $XXX,XXX salary. The friend my hubs was speaking to said, “Not really. You really can’t live decently on that amount. My wife alone makes that.” Hmmm. My hubby pointed out to his friend, “Well, you know that my wife and I together don’t make that much.”

So it got us to thinking. Is our life really crap because we don’t bring home more than X amount of dollars per year? And wow, how must our friend view us and our way of living? Is a decent life measured by the amount of $$ in your bank account along with the number of material things you gather along the way? Is it measured by the number of vacations you get take each year?

Or is a decent life one that you make for yourself and you’re proud of…no matter how someone else views your situation? Is a decent life making good, responsible decisions, even if they don’t “pay out” in financial means? Is a decent life building upon and focusing on those relationships that are important and finding the fun and meaning in life in a way that no amount of money can purchase?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it a thousand more times. I am not going to let someone make me or my family feel “less than” because we don’t bring home a certain amount of money. I am not ashamed of what we have or don’t have. We are who we are and we have what we have. Even if it doesn’t meet someone else’s standards of a “decent life,” so what? It just tells me that person totally doesn’t get me or my husband and what we’re about and aren’t really interested in fostering a true meaningful relationship outside the bounds of material possessions.

My husband and I chose noble professions that are under appreciated (teacher; social worker), but we work for the good of people and we work damn hard for what “little” money we do get paid. We have had to make difficult decisions when it comes to our finances. We have had to make sacrifices along the way. We may not get and do everything we want, but we certainly have everything we need. And I dare someone to tell me that I can’t live a decent life because I am not making a certain amount of money. Because, honestly, I think my husband and I are “richer” people for having to go through some struggles. And, besides, I count my riches by the minutes I get to spend with the people I love the most…and let me tell you, in that regard, I am a very wealthy person, indeed!

October Fun

2011-11-03T20:56:00.001-04:00

Howdy folks! We've been busy this Fall enjoying the beautiful weather and sunshine. I wish every day could feel like a fall day. It really is the most perfect time of the year! I love it!

Earlier this month, we ventured out to Green Acres, a cute little farm in Cary. It was so much fun, and we went on such a beautiful morning and really enjoyed ourselves.

While we were there, Quin played in the fun bounce house.

And then the hubby and Quin were silly pretending to be cows.

We also went on a fun little hay ride. Since we were there so early (thank you, Quin, for getting us up at 6am everyday), we got to have the hayride mostly to ourselves.

Quin enjoyed looking at the cows and the horses along the ride.

Most of all, though, he was so tickled with the goats. I have never seen this child take as much delight in anything as he did in feeding the goats. He giggled and laughed and had the best time.

We then ventured into the corn maze. It was a really big maze with 10 check-in points. We made our goal to find 3. We did. And then we left. I can't imagine how long it would have taken us to find all 10.

Finally, Quin got to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Actually, we picked two.

Other than enjoying Green Acres, we have spent time just hanging out and taking walks around the neighborhood. It has been delightful!

Quin also got to dress up this Halloween. He looked so darn cute in his little Frankenstein costume. He played the part pretty well as he kind of looks like Frankenstein when he walks.

FrankenQuin

We didn't take him trick or treating this year. We felt he was still a bit young for it. And it also happened to be cold and rainy. However, we did get dressed up for a little neighborhood Halloween party. Quin also got to wear his costume for a Halloween parade at his daycare.

It's been a peaceful month for our little family. We've really been able to relax and enjoy life with little guy this fall. I hope everyone else has been able to enjoy this season as much as we have!

A Sick Facebook Rant

2011-11-01T16:03:00.003-04:00

A facebook status I read today:

"To the parent who thought it was better to socialize your sick child instead of keeping him/her at home, I can assure you listening to my baby cry out in misery every 45mins last night due his newly acquired cold was not worth him seeing your kid's $20 costume."

Hmmm. I wonder if this status was directed towards me and my baby? Or was it directed towards one of the only 2 other mommies and their babies that were in attendance at this party?

The snarky side of me wanted to comment in response to that status.

"Seriously. It's just a cold! Kids get sick. Give him some tylenol and get over it."

"Passive aggressive, much? And is your child feeling any better now that you've had your FB rant?"

"You really think you can keep your kid germ free? Really?"

"Think of it as immunity building!"

"I bet your child has never spread any germs. Ever."

"Well, at least my child's costume wasn't all ratted and tatted."

I am not sure if the comment was directed at me or one of the other 2 mothers/fathers that were in attendance with their babies. My child does have a snotty nose. He's had one since he returned to day care in August. So, I'm guessing it was most likely MY child who made HER child sick. I guess I should go yell at all of those mommies at day care for infecting my child. Maybe I can leave some snarky letter on the door to the classroom.

Here's my take on childhood illnesses, especially colds. Children get sick. Period. It's a part of childhood. No matter how hard you try to keep your child germ free, he is going to pick something up somewhere along the way. Period.

Now that we know children are going to get sick and it really sucks, let's think about this situation from some other perspectives. Let's give this mother the benefit of the doubt who brought her "sick" baby to a party and got YOUR precious child sick.

1. The party was in the home where a child lives. I am sure that child has been sick and played with her toys while she was sick. So unless the parents bleached all of the toys prior to the party, germs could have easily been transferred to the other children who played with those toys.
2. Viruses can lie dormant in the child several days but spread nonethelss prior to symptoms showing up. So maybe the parent did not know she was bringing a sick child to the party as the symptoms had not revealed themselves yet.
3. A snotty nose on a child can indicate many different things that may not mean the child is sick. Teething has been known to cause a good runny nose along with diarrhea.
4. If the child had no fever, I am sure the parents carried on with business as usual.
5. Unless you never take you child out in public or never allow him to touch anything outside of the home, consider the fact that your child may picked up a germ elsewhere...maybe the grocery store, a restaurant, the playground, the doctor's office,...
6. Or, GASP!, maybe your brought something home and spread it to your own child.

I want to assume that most parents make the best decisions possible to keep their babies safe and healthy. And most parents don't want to "infect" someone else's child. I don't like it when my baby gets sick, but I do accept it as a normal part of childhood. I don't wish for him to get sick, and I certainly try to keep him as germ-free as possible. My experience has been that most parents will keep their sick baby at home. I know we do. It's not fun to hang out with a sick baby, and leaving the house with a sick baby to go socialize is even worse!

So I am sorry that this mom has a sick baby at home. I understand. I really do. But instead of making passive aggressive statements through FB, how about asking those mommies (all 3 of them) that were at the party if their children have been sick; how about just taking care of your sick child without making an attempt to make some other mother feel worthless or shitty because her child may have gotten your child sick? I guess blaming someone else will make you feel better, but it certainly won't make your child feel better or take away his illness. And remember, your child...whether you want to believe it or not...will get someone else's child sick! I guess the bottom line is if you don't want your child to get sick, then put him in a bubble or never allow him to go out. Otherwise...

Deal with it. Accept it. Take care of it. Move on.

By the way, I did not leave a snarky remark in response to the facebook status. I figured I should abide by the old adage, "If you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all." So that's what I did. And then I came over to my blog to bitch and moan about it and say all of the mean things I really wanted to say.

Being Pushy

2011-10-25T10:04:00.001-04:00

Here’s a truth about me. I can be kind of pushy sometimes. Or would it be bossy? Okay, maybe both of those things a lot of the time. I am mostly this way with my hubby, but my pushiness certainly spills over into other relationships and situations. I think it’s an inherited trait, but I don’t know. I do know that it is certainly a characteristic of my personality.

For example (and this is just ONE). I get really pushy with my hubby when it comes to matters of finances. I am pushy about what we should and shouldn’t purchase. I am pushy about keeping up with exactly how much we have in our accounts. And maybe it’s less pushy and more harpy, but I think my husband would say that it is a little of both. And I am sure it annoys the heck out of him. Or maybe it doesn’t. Maybe that’s how we’ve subconsciously agreed to operate and communicate. I don’t know.

You see, I get this idea about how I think things should operate or be, and I get on this kick where I feel like I have to promote it and explain why it should be that way. My most recent form of pushiness has come on topics of pregnancy and baby care. I’ve really had to take a lesson in biting my tongue and not pushing my views and beliefs about all sorts of pregnancy and child-rearing related topics. Let’s be honest, no one likes to have something shoved down her throat, and we all have the right to choose what is best for our own body and children.

I am, by no means, an expert on being pregnant or caring for a baby. I only know what I have experienced thus far. All pregnancies are different. All babies are different. All moms are different. I get that! But there is something about going through an experience so life changing that you just want to share it with someone who is about to go through the same thing. You just want to give them the “heads up” so they don’t have to go through the same trials and tribulations you did.

So I find myself pushing. “Well, this is what I did…” and “You better be careful about…” and “You should really think about…” and “I really think…” and the list goes on and on and on. I am a big advocate for breastfeeding. I feel strongly about unmedicated, vaginal births. And there are several other “hot topics” (like crying-it-out vs. not c-i-o) I have a strong stance on. I can tell you exactly why I think those choices are important and best and can support my stance on my choices.

But that’s just it. Those are my choices. My beliefs. Just because those things are right for me does not make them so for someone else.

I feel fortunate that during my pregnancy I had good friends and family to talk with about these “hot topics” to help me sort through what would be best for me and my body and my baby. I wanted to know it all. I wanted to know the pros and cons. I wanted to know how each scenario could play out for me and my baby. I solicited information and did not sit idly by allowing someone else to make those decisions for me.

Don’t get me wrong. I did get tired of hearing what others had to say and their “warnings.” There is so much information, and it can be overwhelming to hear everyone’s different experience. My SIL reminded me recently that she tried to talk to me about something pregnancy related when I was preggers, and I just wasn’t “hearing” it. I also had a meltdown at 35 weeks thinking that it wasn’t going to be possible to have the birthing experience I wanted. There were certainly bumps in the road, and had I listened more to some others’ “pushy” warnings and thoughts and ideas, maybe I could have avoided some of those bumps. And maybe not.

Being pregnant is hard. And it’s even harder when someone (like me) is trying to push views and beliefs about pregnancy and birthing a child. But my pushiness in a situation like this comes from the heart. It comes from a life-changing experience. It comes as a warning of sorts to hopefully make that person’s experience less challenging and more comfortable and enjoyable.

And maybe I find myself being pushy because I have some deep-down need to justify my own choices as “right.” Maybe I just want to be heard. Or maybe I want to feel as though I am someone who does know “a thing or two” and wants to be valued for my knowledge and experience that I’ve gathered along the way…even if someone else chooses to do things differently along her journey.

So, yes, I am a pushy person at times. I can’t help that I feel passionate about certain things and want to share them. But I am learning to keep my mouth shut and my mind open with others who choose to do things differently than myself. Because it’s OKAY! It really is! Their choices do not take away the validity and value of my own decisions. And we all make our decisions with the best intention of being happy and healthy. I am being humbled each and every day and learning as I go, but some days it’s certainly harder than others.

33 for 33

2011-10-20T08:43:00.002-04:00

Well, I turned 33 on Oct. 17. It's not really a milestone birthday (I, mean, every birthday should be considered a milestone, but you know, 33 does not have any specific sort of celebration/meaning attached to it). I am really neither here nor there in my feelings towards being 33. It just is, and I'm fine with it.

But I thought I would try to do something to make my 33rd year of life more exciting. And along with adding a little excitement to my life, I thought I would also try to tackle my never-ending, nagging effort to be somewhat organized and get things crossed off my to-do and goals list. So my thought is that I would come up with a list of 33 things I want to do in my 33rd year!

Yeah! How boring am I that I think it would be so much fun to celebrate my birthday by giving myself a big to-do list? My, my! Times sure have changed for this gal! But whatever! I am going to make another bonafide effort to orgranize myself enough to get some things done this year. Who's with me? Anyone? Anyone? Okay, so maybe I'm going to have to prove it to you that I can make a list and actually cross things off that list. But I am going to give it another heave-ho try until I find something that works for me! Damn it! I can do this! So without futher ado, here is my list (in no particular order):

33 Things to Do while I am 33:

Take a DSLR photography class - I've had my DSLR for several years, and it's a shame that I still use the automatic settings. Wake Tech offers a class 24-hour class on the cheap. I just need to take the darn class!
Take my family to the zoo - I've been wanting to go to the zoo for years, but I've been waiting to have a little one to take with me. So now I have the little one, I'm ready to go to the zoo!
Get my yearly check-up - I used to be so good about getting my annual physical, but it has fallen by the wasteside since I had Quin. I've got to make that appointment. I can't take care of my family if I don't care for myself.
Have my mental health reevaluated - So I will get into this topic more later on. But let's just say that I am at a good place to have my mental health reevaluated. It is so important for me to keep on top of this because of my own history and my family's history with mental illness. Again, I've let this go since I've had my baby.
Redesign blog - I mentioned a while back that I want to make some changes to this blog. I hope to be back with a new layout, more thoughtful posts, and maybe even a new blog name.
Write up my Will - Yes, we have a child that is one-year-old, and we still have not created our will. I've got to get me and my hubby on that. Life is unpredictable, and I surely want a say in what happens to Quin and my stuff after I'm gone!
Designate guardians - This goal goes hand-in-hand with the Will. We've discussed what we would want to happen with Quin if something should happen to the both of us, but we have not put it in writing. Gotta do that!
Chunk $XX.00 into savings each month - I need a better savings plan because the one I have isn't working because I don't have much to show for it.
Repaint living room - Out with the green, and in with the gray! I am so digging gray color schemes right now. Plus, I want to go more neutral for our bigger plan of eventually putting the house on the market. Oh, yea. I think I still need to share that plan.
Fast food Fast - It's time to do another fast food fast...and maybe make it a permanent part of my lifestyle.
Improve my writing skills (by writing more) - I enjoy writing. I think I could be a better writer. I plan to tackle this goal by posting more on this blog (goal is about 3xs/week).
Start a book and actually finish it - Yea, I can't remember the last book I read. Sad! I've started some books recently, but I never finish/still haven't finished them.
Start having date nights with my hubby - We haven't really been out without the baby with the exception of one time. We both missed our little boy when we went out without him. But now that he's one, I think it's important we make time for "just us" activities.
Create home organization notebook (chores; grocery lists; menus; etc) - I need to get organized. That's all! I think I would feel better about myself and about how things are going if I had a system.
Decrease sweet tea consumption - My sweet tea drinking is out of control! I need to find a way to satisfy my "need" for tea but limit it to a healthy amount.
Make booklet with all of the picture cards we’ve received - So I saw this cute idea to make "photo albums" by clipping all of the picture holiday cards received each year together. This is just a DIY I wanna do.
Complete Quin’s baby book - My goal is to make a photo book each year of Quin's life. I've gotten one started for his first year, now I just need to finish and purchase it.
Make wreaths - I've seen so many cute DIY wreath ideas on the interweb. My goal is to make at least 3 this year. (old Christmas cards wreath)
Dye my hair brown - I'm gonna do it! It's just hair, right?
Take a weekend vacation with my family (does not include going to visit someone out of town; an actual trip) - We've never really taken a vacation. We go places to visit family and friends, but we never take a trip for just us. That's gonna change this year. I want my son to grow up having the memories of family vacations!
Visit Ocracoke - I've never been to Ocracoke, and it's a shame because I've always wanted to and I'm so close.
Take a swimming class with my son - Quin was supposed to take a class this past year, but it got cancelled. I definitely want to start him on the path to having a healthy relationship with water.
Treat myself to at least one clothing item per month - I never shop for myself. Never. I think I would feel better about myself if I actually invested some time in updating my clothing. Seriously!
Start keeping a gratitude journal - Many years ago, I kept a gratitude journal. I think I need to get back to it. It's helpful to remind myself that despite life's hardships and trials, there truly is something to be thankful for each day!
Create a memory jar - Another cute idea I saw on the interweb. I want to get this started as a yearly tradition for my family!
Incorporate exercise into routine (at least 3x/week) - This one is a no brainer! I just need to do it! I need to be healthy!
Lose 5-7 pounds - I am okay with my weight, but I think I would look a little better and feel better if I shed a few pounds. I guess I need to get a scale to see how much I actually weigh.
Reorganize storage room and attic and utility closet - They're a mess. It's time to purge and clean-up them up a little, but it is a beast of a thing to do. I mean, really, it's just much easier to toss crap into those spaces and not worry about it...until I need to find something.
Put my hair in a “high” pony tail - Sounds silly, but I want to have a pony tail again. I've got what is equivalent to a pig tail right now, so I'm on my way.
Make at least 2 freezer meals per month - I had a good supply of freezer meals going, but we've eaten them. Things are so much easier with ready made meals!
1000 reps per day - So I saw this idea of doing a 1000 reps to work all of the different parts of the body. Yea, I need to do that. I bet that would help my body look better!
Find a church and start going - I've been saying this for the past 2 years! It's time to do it.
Be positive and happy - Okay, so how is that even measured? I don't know, but it's something I want more than anything.

So there it is...my totally random list of things I want to do this 33rd year of my life. By the way, I turned 33 on Monday, and I've been trying all week to get this posted. Better late than never. It just means that I am 4 days into my plan for the year! Anyhow, I hope to come back every so often and update on my progress (or lack thereof) on my goals for the year! Here's wishing myself success, and above all else, happiness!

The Birthday Party (Parties)

2011-10-12T12:53:00.002-04:00

When my baby turned one back in September, we had a fun-filled few days to celebrate this milestone of him turning one and of us surviving the first year! Here's a picture post of how the big birthday celebration went down!

THE BIRTHDAY - 9/22/11

Happy Birthday, Quin! You're 1! We started the day with a little birthday breakfast. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but I did try to fix him his favorite breakfast foods - scrambled eggs, toast with cream cheese, and bananas! Yum!

After breakfast, we headed to Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. This place was perfect for Quin to play his little heart out and have good ol' time. He watched the fishies for a little bit.

Then he splashed around at the splash station.

After playing and splashing at Marbles, we headed home for some chill time. I decided this time would be great for taking his monthly photo.

At first, Quin was bored by the idea of taking pictures.

Then he decided he wasn't going to have any of this picture taking business on his birthday.

So he proceeded to cry.

And then he got angry and made mean faces!

And then he said, "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to!"

And finally, he obliged.

Later that day, Daddy set-up his ball pit. Needless to say, Quin had a ball!

And then we went out to eat for little birthday dinner.

Next up was birthday singing to the little guy and birthday cake! My goodness, look how excited he is!

First taste of birthday cake!

I think Quin is thinking here, "This cake is the best stuff I've had since breastmilk!"

And after a full day of eating and playing, Quin went to bed to rest up for his birthday party!

The Party - 9/24/11

We celebrated his birthday with family and friends on the weekend with a birthday bash at our house. We kept it simple with homemade decorations, finger foods, and open playtime for the kiddos.

Homemade Pom-Poms!

Homemade Birthday Banner using stiff felt to be used from year to year!

Homemade Paper Chains!

Photo Display of Quin's Monthly Growth!

More Pom-Poms!

View from the Kitchin into the Living Room

Quin hanging out with both of his grandfathers (GrandPa and Pop)!

Quin playing with his party guests!

Quin showing off his new ride to a friend! "Dude, you've gotta check this out!"

And then it was time for birthday cake!

This is serious business eating cake!

Finger-licking good!

Delightful!

"I had a smashing time!"

I really enjoyed celebrating Quin's first birthday, and I look forward to many more birthday celebrations with the little guy! We had a blast!

Monthly Q Report

2011-10-11T10:08:00.001-04:00

My baby hit the big milestone on September 22, 2011. He is officially ONE YEAR OLD! I don't know if he still qualifies as a baby, but he will always be my baby...no matter how big he grows!

I think this year was the fastest year of my life. I am amazed at how much can change in a year...a little squishy, floppy infant into a little person who can do things, disorganized and scare-as-hell first-time parents with no clue into parents who have the confidence to do this "parenting" thing and not second-guess (well, not too much), an independent, career-oriented woman with little knowledge about babies into a mother whose first priority is her baby and all that other career stuff is secondary (important, yes). Yes, this year has been a whirlwind of change, and change that has made our little family better!

Quin truly is an amazing baby, an amazing little person! I have had so much fun watching him grow this year, and I've had fun growing along with him.

He is a babbling fool and seems to have more and more of an understanding of words every day. He certainly can say Dadda and Momma and dog and night-night. And I think he has even said more and Elmo. Of course, "more" sounds like "ma" and "Elmo" sounds like "l-ma" all slurred together. Quin knows how to get his point across when he wants something (or doesn't want something) with gestures, noises, and expressions.

Quin hasn't walked yet, but he has no problem standing on his own. I am actually quite amazed at his control of standing up and squatting down without holding onto any objects. He can walk by pushing his walkers/push toys around with no problem. I've tried to encourage him to take some steps forward, but he usually bends down to crawl towards me. I guess he's not ready yet to take those steps, but I am sure he'll be off and running away from before I can even catch him soon enough!

He is still a pretty good eater but becoming a bit more picky. I cannot figure out how he chooses what he likes and dislikes because one day, for example, he will gobble up broccoli and the next day he spits it out as if it taste like poop. Quin has gotten into politely and matter-of-factly setting the food he does not care for either on the place mat beside his plate or reaching over to put it on my plate. And when he is completely done with eating, he either feeds the dogs because they are usually hoovering around or he takes his hands and starts swinging and swiping them across his plate scattering the food everywhere. Quin is off the bottle and only on sippy cups. He has transitioned to whole milk with no issue.

Quin loves to look through books and be read to at anytime. He likes to point at the pictures in the books and turn the pages. He loves to play with toys that have objects he can manipulate (shape sorters, blocks, pushing cars, throwing balls, etc). He is great at playing independently as well as playing with Momma and Dadda. Quin loves to dance to music. He is great at playing peek-a-boo by throwing a blanket over his head and pulling it off himself or using his hands to cover his eyes. Quin is also into climbing anything he can get up on as well as pushing objects around (he's started pushing our table benches around the dining room).

Quin is a funny kid with lots of personality. The day care workers tell me all the time how he "flirts" with them. Quin will flash that million dollar toothy smile and bat his eyelashes and act bashful. He loves to laugh, and I think he is starting to develop a bit of a jokester spirit. He reminds me of his dad in so many ways already. Quin can also switch it up and give the worst stink-face you've ever seen. He will stare at people when we're out and about giving the stink-eye to half of the people that walk by. He has also been known to to scrunch up his face at people as if he's givin a warning, "I don't like you. Don't get close to me." I need to get a picture of it sometime.

Singing "Happy Birthday" to Quin on his actual birthday.

ONE YEAR OLD

24 lbs 5 oz; 30.5in

Yummy!

I am so in love with this little boy! This first year has been truly amazing! Quin has changed my life in so many ways, making my grow into a better person each and every day! I can't even imagine my life without him. I love you, little guy!

Absent

2011-09-29T15:16:00.000-04:00

So I really haven't been around these parts here lately. Which makes me sad. I feel like I am missing out on documenting our little life. But then I remember that I am living my life and immersing myself in the moment. So that is a good thing.

I don't think anyone really reads this blog anyways. And I guess that doesn't really matter because I started this blog with the intent to keep it as a record of my life and of my thoughts.

But I've been bored with this blog. It feels so mundane...so run of the mill. I miss my old blog. I really do. I felt like it was more "me." Sometimes I feel like I am writing this blog for other people and not for myself. I feel like I censor myself too much on here (which I do mostly to protect my little family), and I feel so blah when I have to censor what I write.

I've been thinking about switching things up...again. Maybe if I did, I would feel more inclined to use this space to express my thoughts and feelings on parenting, being a wife, working, and just living.

I need this space. I really do. But I need a change, too.

Anyone out there? Anyone listening to me?

Happy Birthday

2011-09-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy! You have forever changed my life and filled me up more joy, happiness, and love than I ever thought possible! I love you big boy!

Monthly Q Report

2011-09-07T14:32:00.001-04:00

My baby turned 11 months old on 8/22/11. He hardly seems like a baby these days! And I can't believe that we are already getting prepared for his FIRST birthday celebrations! I'm not ready! I am so not ready for him to grow up! This is just going too fast for me.

Quin sure is a spirited little boy these days. He cries hard when he's upset and laughs harder when something tickles his fancy! Quin has the pouty face and tantrum down! He knows how to work it to get what he wants...most of the time. Those little lips pucker up and his eyes start squinting and he lets out the saddest little cry you've ever heard. Quin has also perfected the art of "noodle-backing" when he's upset. And, well, one time it completely worked to his disadvantage as he noodle-backed his way to a head thump on the floor. I think we're getting better at anticipating his tantrums and noodle-backs...for his safety and our sanity. But, really, I know this is only the beginning of him asserting himself and his independence.

And the boy is one happy little boy, and of course, I couldn't be happier with that. He laughs, he smiles, he loves to have a good time. He will find amusement in the oddest of things. For example, I was holding him and trying to kill a mosquito by grasping at it, and he laughed and laughed everytime I made the grabbing motion. I'm not so sure what was so funny about that, but he was clearly amused.

Quin is a pro at crawling. He goes. And he goes fast. He has been known to stand on his own with no supports, and he can get behind the walker and zoom right along (whereas the walker used to just fly right out from underneath him). Quin has also started "jumping"! It's not really a jump, but more or less, a bouncing up and down motion with his feet firmly planted on the ground. But he thinks he is jumping as we chant, "jump, jump, jump!" And recently, he has gotten the "groove" as he will bounce up and down and "dance" when music comes on!

Quin is still a great eater! He eats all finger foods! And he likes to hold a fork and poke it at his food. He will let me feed him yogurt and applesauce, though. His tastes vary from day to day. But on most days, he loves wheat toast with cream cheese, scrambled cheesy egg yolks, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes, fish, sauteed onions, applesauce, hot dogs, blueberries, strawberries, bananas (finally), cantaloupe, crackers, yogurt, pasta with meat sauce or tomato sauce, mac-n-cheese...and on and on. He will eat some foods at daycare that he will not eat at home...GREEN BEANS. I don't know what's up with that, but apparently the daycare has the magical tasting green beans. I need to get their recipe. Quin gets one bottle of 8oz forumla-whole milk mixture in the morning, and the rest of his drinks are from a sippy cup. I should probably phase out that morning bottle, but it gives us a little time to get ready in the mornings.

Quin has also returned to daycare, and he has been adjusting well. He had a few days of clinging and crying when I dropped him off, but now he just goes right on to playing without even blinking an eye as I leave...makes my heart happy and sad at the same time. He's the youngest in the class by at least 2 months, but he eats twice as much as all of the other kiddos...so we've been told.

Quin says, "Dada," and he's been saying it for a while, but I think he has finally connected meaning to it with his daddy. But he also uses "dada" a lot of other times, too. He has only said "Mama" two or three times, but I think his intention was to describe me. He said it, of course, when he was upset and wanted me. And it sounded more like, "Muuuummmm -ma!" Without a doubt, he knows the word dog and knows what it means. I would probably say that "dog" is his first official word with meaning, but it sounds more like "daw." I know that there are other babies Quin's age that apparently have a vocabulary of 6 or more words, but Quin has never been one to do things early (he didn't roll over until 7 months and didn't crawl until 8 months). He does things in his own way in his own time. We're proud of him nonetheless!

Quin is a really good baby! I love watching him grow! And I love seeing his personality unfold! He is such a fun and lively little character with a sweet and bashful side. He is a momma's boy but definitely enjoys being a jokester with his daddy! I love, love, love this little boy!

11 Months Old - 8/22/11

Don't Let Material Things Get in the Way

2011-08-30T10:43:00.000-04:00

Life is so much more than material objects and things. This lesson is truly one that I want to pass down to my son and future children. Life is more than how much you own; how much money is in your bank account; what brand of clothes you wear; how your house is decorated; what kind of car you drive; and the list goes on and on and on.

I've always thought my parents did a good job of teaching me this life lesson. They've always been practical with their purchases and never thought too much about what others thought of their situation. They did the best that they could with what they had at the time. And we lived, even thrived, without the designer clothes, without the luxury cars, without the perfectly decorated house.

It's not to say that I don't want a nicely decorated house or that I don't care about my appearance. Because I do. But in the grand scheme of things and of life, what my house looks like or what clothes I wear have no bearing on my worth or what kind of person I am on the inside. These material things have no bearing on the kind of relationships I have with my family and my friends. These things are, after all, just things. And I surely can't take them with me when I am gone. And I am almost certain that people aren't going to remember me for what I wore or what kind of car I drove...well, at least, I hope not.

On most days, I do think that I feel pretty good with what we have. It may not be all that I want (as far as how the house is decorated or furnished or what clothes are in my closet), but what we have is certainly all that I need.

But there are those days where I do feel envious. Envious that others have "more" than we do as they order a new bedroom suit or furniture or update their kitchen. Envious that some others are able to do "more" financially as we sit home another night because we don't have the money to go out to eat. Envious that some others have cuter, better looking clothes as I wear my Target shirt or same sundress that I've been wearing for the last 5 years.

And then I get mad at myself. I'm mad that I would even allow myself to be envious of someone else's material things. I'm mad that I am being so ungrateful when there are so many people who are struggling to pay their bills and stay in their homes. I'm mad because I am allowing my self-worth to be tied up to material things. I'm mad that I would even feel this way when my hubby and I have worked so hard for what we do have...isn't that good enough?

I really want my child to be proud of us as his parents. I want him to be proud of where he comes from. I want him to know that life isn't about what he owns, and that he is so much more than the car he drives or the clothes he wears or the neighborhood he lives. I want him to know that his parents worked hard for what we have, and what we have is good enough...no matter what someone else may think. I want him to know that we did the best we could to provide the best to him. But most of all, I want him to know that he is loved. And that in our home we cherish the time spent together and the moments shared sitting at home on a Friday night on our old sofas or riding in the hooptie Honda. And that it's the people that make this life fun and memorable and not the possessions we gather along the way.

Baby Daddy Goes Back to Work

2011-08-17T20:24:00.000-04:00

Today is the saddest of days. My Baby Daddy has gone back to work. And just like that…summer has ended! Please excuse me while I sit here boo-hooing.

Ok, well, I do think there is always the back-to-school excitement that comes with the return of traditional calendar school (although my hubby would much disagree with that statement because for him it means getting back to the daily grind). But even with all of the back-to-school hype, it means a change for us. The hubby is back at work and the baby is back in day care. And it means we’re going to have to transition back into work mode schedule for the next 10-months.

But I am actually going to take this moment to give major props and kudos to my hubby, my Baby Daddy, because he rocked it this summer! He got to be full-time stay-at-home-daddy while I trudged off to work each day. And, boy, did he do a great job taking care of our son each and every day during the week from 8am-5pm all by himself. Not once did he recruit help! Not once did he solicit someone else to take the baby so he could get things done. He did it all be himself (with only a few calls of “what should I do” here and there)! I don’t mean it to sound as if I am surprised he could do it…because I am not in the least. One of the reasons I married this man, after all, was because I knew he would be a great father!

I know that some days were more challenging than others with that little booger of ours. And some days I felt guilty walking out the door as I left my hubby to deal with a cranky 10 month old all by himself. He was left to his own devices with no real support from other baby daddies (because they all work during the day) or family members (because they either work or live too far away). He did it, and he did it with grace.

But even on the challenging days, my hubby and Quin worked it out. They developed their own little routine. They got to spend so much time together just hanging out and exploring every inch of the house and running errands and taking walks and taking a dip in the baby pool and going to the children’s museum. They got to have that special one-on-one time together that so many parents long to have with their children. They had time together that I was envious of on some days because I wanted to be a part of what they were doing. I didn’t want to miss out on the things that my son was exploring and learning. But I am happy that my hubby got to experience this time with our son because time is fleeting!

And I am thankful that my son and my hubby got to have this summer together, and I hope the same is true for many more summers to come. I hope that they both get to look back at the times they spent together on these carefree summer days where the world was theirs (well, at least the backyard) to do as they please and to live it up!

I sure am gonna miss having my Baby Daddy at home where I knew Quin was in the best of care! I knew that errands were going to get done (i.e. grocery shopping), and I wouldn’t have to worry about it when I got home. And our mornings were made much easier with only me getting ready for work. But, here we are, back to another school year. And we must get through the next 10 months, so that my awesome hubby can do it all over again next summer!

High-five, Naeners, for a job well done this summer! I’m so lucky to have you as my Baby Daddy! I love you and Quin…to the moon and back!

King of the Floor Mats at Marbles Museum

Snack Time with Daddy

Escaping the pool...and Daddy, too!

It's so fun in here!
I can see why Dad spends a lot of time in this room!

Last "official" day of summer break!

Staying on Track

2011-08-11T15:44:00.003-04:00

Remember when I said I was going to make monthly goals to help me keep track of what I wanted to get accomplished around the house, in my life? Yea…I vaguely remember saying it, too.

I posted goals for two months – May and June, and I reviewed my goals from one of those months. Yea, my concept of keeping myself on track and getting things accomplished didn’t last long. It’s not to say that I stopped making goals or that I haven’t accomplished anything, but I let go of the organized method of keeping track of what it is/was I needed/wanted to get done.

I am good for that, though…for getting something started and not following through with it; for getting disorganized or side-tracked. But I really am always looking for ways to get myself organized, to feel like I have some sort of control over my life, to feel like I am getting something accomplished, to feel like I am keeping myself and my family on track.

I’ve tried all kinds of organization ideas to track chores, bills, dinners, household projects, goals…etc., etc. I am, after all, a list maker. And if it’s not written down, I don’t remember it. And it also helps me to visually see things (like a list, chart). And while some of my organization attempts have worked really well, at some point, they always seem to fall by the waste side. Either it becomes cumbersome to keep up with the charting method I’ve developed, or I (we) begin to feel we have a “handle” on things and don’t need the lists/charts/calendars/etc. anymore.

On any given day, it feels like I have about a thousand things I need to get done. And then there are those things I want to get done. I know my hubby feels the same way, too. On most days, it feels like we’re just in survival mode to make it through the day and to get most of the “needs” accomplished. Forget about the “wants.”

I know that our house would run much smoother if I had a better plan on how to organize meal planning and grocery shopping and dinner time; how to keep the house nice and clean and tidy; how to keep up with routine house maintenance; how to work out our schedules to fit in a few personal wants (crafting, for example, for me); how to fit in fun and relaxing family time; how to fit in exercise for both of us.

It feels like there needs to be more hours in a day to get it all done. Or maybe we should just skip the whole sleeping thing. Or maybe I am being too hard on myself. Maybe I am trying to do too much and be too much. Maybe my expectations of what my life should look like in this moment are just too high.

And sitting here thinking about all of this makes me want to cry. Because I find it almost impossible to give myself a break. Because I know I am trying too hard to be super mom and super wife and super relative and super friend. Who am I trying to impress? Why do I feel this overwhelming pressure to want the cute little home and to be on top of everything home related (and work related) and baby and family related and to be super organized and to be able to handle all that is thrown at me on a daily basis? Why do I feel like a failure when I can’t get it all done? Why do I beat myself up because we had hot dogs again for dinner or I didn’t get those darn coupons clipped to get the best deal on that loaf of bread or I didn’t vacuum or mop yet again or I still haven’t completed that simple DIY project?

What gives? At what point do I accept that I can’t be in control of all things at all times? That I can’t do all the things that need to be done on any given day? At what point do I lower my standards for myself and my household? Is that even acceptable to do? Or do I keep pounding my head against the wall because I feel as though I am getting nothing done…or at least not done in the way I see fit?

But, somehow, even with my lack of organization, our family is surviving. And I would say that my son is thriving and is happy, and really that is all that should really matter at the end of the day.

But, just out of curiosity, are there any other mothers out there that feel this way? How do you working mothers organize your household? How to do you keep up with all that is thrown at you on a daily basis? How do you go about meeting your household and personal goals?

Monthly Q Report

2011-07-27T15:06:00.000-04:00

Another month has come and gone. No! Wait! Two whole months have flown by...just like that! It is surreal! No longer is my baby a little helpless being, but he is full of life and adventure and personality. He such a little person! I love watching him grow and explore the world. He is already such an independent little fella.

Quin finally got the hang of crawling only a few days before he hit 9 months old. It seems like such a long time ago because now he crawls with such confidence and authority and quickness. Those first few attempts were hilarious. He would whine and cry with each movement and sometimes lie flat on his belly and throw a tantrum when he couldn't quite get the grasp of it. But with a little cheering from his parents, he finally realized that he could get somewhere and he was off...

This boy is into everything...especially the things that we would prefer him not to be into such as the doggie water bowls and the trash cans and the bases of the toilet bowls. Gross, gross, and gross! We've done some baby proofing and keep unsafe things out of his reach or away from him but everything else in the house is fair game. If he wants to pull all of the clothes out of the laundry basket, so be it. If he wants to take all the books off of the shelf, then go for it, kid! It has been so much fun seeing what he finds interesting or exciting. I am reminded on a daily basis by my son that it is "the little things" that should get us excited in life. He loves watching the cars pass by, following me around the house as I vacuum (he even cries when I turn off the vacuum), banging on pots and pans, chasing after Marlee and Dimby, opening and closing the dryer door, throwing all of the K-cups (coffee) on the floor, sticking his little dirty fingers in my fresh glass of water, pulling himself up to look into the bathtub, opening and closing the drawers in the bathroom, pulling his clothes out of his dresser drawers, and exploring every inch and every object in our house.

Of course, with exploration, there does come some limits because of safety issues. And with limits comes tantrums. This boy can throw a fit in 2 seconds flat. And it's the saddest fit one has ever seen or heard. His lip starts to pucker, then quiver, and then the saddest cry escapes him. It really is pitiful! And it is almost enough to make his daddy and me cave in, but then we remember that our goal is to keep him alive and help him become a well-adjusted person, so we stick with our limit-setting and safety patroling and do whatever we can to make him happy and redirect his attention. It's tough, though! Maybe I need to take a cue from Quin and learn to cry like that when I don't get my way. But I'm thinking it wouldn't be a cute for a 30-something year old woman to do that. Anyhow, I really do need to get that cry on camera...it's priceless.

Quin is doing a great job with learning to eat. He is mostly done with mushy pureed food. He just doesn't want it anymore. He would much rather feed himself and I am not going to fight with him on that one. I can feed him parts of what we're eating, and he loves to eat along with us. He does a great job of getting the food into his mouth using his hands and fingers. Quin loves whole wheat toast with cream cheese, blueberries, wheat pasta, meatballs/hamburger, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, crackers, and yogurt. He also enjoys holding a spoon even though he doesn't know how to use it just yet. Quin has also dropped down to 2 bottles a day while drinking the rest of his drinks (water and formula) from a sippy cup. He has wake-up bottle and good-night bottle.

The sleeping thing is finally going much better (thank you, Jesus)! He can and does sleep through the night. Every now and again he will wake up and cry, but I think it has to do with teething and pain. He likes to wake-up early, though. His internal clock is set to approximately 5:30am, so we still get up early. But it's much easier to wake up that early when you've had constant and uninterrupted sleep through the entire night. I honestly thought we would never get to this point. I just figured I'd be crazy and half psychotic because I was never going to get sleep again. I was downright crazy!!! Sleep is good!

I am truly proud of my baby boy! He makes me so proud to be his momma every day. I love him more and more with each passing minute, and I cannot even fathom my life without him in it. He is such a joy in so many ways, and I am so happy that I get the chance to be his mother.

9 Months Old - 6/22/11

Quin - 9 Months old
22.5lbs; 29in

10 Months Old - 7/22/11

Quin's Daily (Summertime) Schedule

5-5:30am - Quin wakes up! He's crying in his crib. Either the Daddy or I go and grab him and pull him in bed with us. We're going to try to coerce a few extra minutes of quiet time and sleeping time out of him.
6-6:30am - We're finally up and out of the bed. Quin gets 8oz of formula in a bottle.
6-8:00am - Playtime. Quin crawls and explores the house. We follow him around and try to squeeze in household chores here and there. Usually one or the other of us goes for a run since we're trying to do the C25K.
8-8:30am - Breakfast.
8:30-9am - More playtime.
9:00am - Naptime. He has a 45 minute naptime. It is being phased out at this time because he will not get one when he returns to daycare.
10:00am - More playtime.
11:00am - Lunch.
11:30am-1pm - More playtime and/or running errands.
1:00pm - Naptime. This nap lasts anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours. Momma and daddy do household chores or squeeze in a nap, too!
3-3:30pm - Snacktime.
3:30-6pm - More playtime and/or running errands and doing household chores.
6:00pm - Dinner.
7:00pm - Bath.
7:15pm - Bottle.
7:30-8pm - Good night to Quin!

Life is Good

2011-07-20T11:11:00.001-04:00

My goodness! Time sure does fly when you're having fun! Seriously! I cannot believe that the last time I posted on this here blog was on June 6. But the truth is that I have been enjoying life and savoring all the little moments I've been having with my family and friends. It has been truly delightful! And the last thing on my mind was running back to the computer to write about "what just happened" because I have been having too much fun just being in the moment of "what just happened."

Because I work at year-rounds schools on a 10-month schedule, I get to track out every 9 weeks for a 2-3 week break. My most recent track out was June 15-July 5, and as you will notice, that is where the blogging stopped. This track out time was very special because I got to be at home every day all day with my hubby and baby. My hubby is a school teacher on the traditional calendar, so our time off coincided. And my day care is awesome because it let's us pull out our baby for the summer without having to continue making weekly payments. Woot! So I had a very nice and relaxing track out with my family and friends. And now I'm just trying to get back into the swing of being back at work while my hubby and baby are having lots of fun at home.

Here is the breakdown of all of the happenings I was busy being a part of and enjoying during my hiatus from blogging:

My in-laws (G and Pop to Quin) came to visit at the very beginning of mine and Nae-Nae's time off. We had a day or two we still had to work, so G and Pop came to hang-out with Quin while we slaved for the man finishing up work business before our break. Quin had a great time with G and Pop, and they kept him really entertained...allowing The Momma and The Daddy to get some things done around the house, too.

G reads to Quin

Pop-Pop helps Quin take a walk

Quin worked really hard at learning how to crawl our first week on break. He came so close so many times but would get frustrated and have a tantrum.

"I am so mad! I can't get this crawling thing!"

But Quin finally did master the crawling skill...officially on June 17. Daddy and I were so happy to see him advance to another stage in his growth. But with new skills comes new challenges to the Momma and the Daddy.

Quin using his new skill to get into everything!

And now that summer is officially here and the only way to beat the NC heat is with a glass of iced sweet tea and a dip in some nice cool water, we invested in a pool for the Baby. Momma drinks the sweet tea while the Baby splashes around in the water. He such a water baby. He truly loves being in the pool. And we truly love watching him have so much fun!

Pure joy!
Beating the NC heat and humidity!

And the Hubby got to celebrate his first Father's Day! It was a simple day with a low-key celebration amongst the 3 of us. But Quin and I tried to shower Daddy with lots of love and kisses and appreciation for the fantastic father that he is to his son!

First Father's Day

After the Father's Day celebration, it was time to celebrate Quin's 9th month. I can't believe 9 months has already flown by so quickly. I think I say that every month, though. I never posted his stats and such for 9 months, so it will be combined with his 10-month update.

6/22/11 - 9 Months Old

At the end of my time off and before I left Nae-Nae and the Baby to their own devices for these hot summer days, we went to visit my parents at the Outer Banks where Quin got to have his first experience with the Atlantic Ocean. It was so funny watching him as the cold water hit his little tootsies and as he played in the sand. He wasn't a big fan of the cold water on his feet...really, I can't blame him. Our time on the beach was great, but good golly, it's a lot of effort to take an infant to the beach.

First Family Trip to the Beach
Outer Banks, NC

Cold Water on Warm Toes

Grandma and Quin checking out the waves

Quin's 1st Trip to the Beach
June 2011

Surfer Baby!

And while we were at the Outer Banks, we made our way a short ways up the coast into Currituck County to visit my brother and sister-in-law and Quin's cousin Austin. These cousins are almost exactly a year apart (1 year and 6 days...to be exact). So spending time with Austin is like looking into the future with Quin. It's so much fun. And I am sure these two boys are going to come to love each other and have so much fun and get into so much naugtiness together.

Austin showing Quin how to roll the cars!

Grandpa will use anything as bait..even his grandbaby!
Fortunately for us, this fish was already dead!

Daddy and Quin on the swing at the White Doe Inn
Manteo, NC

Aaaarrrgghh!
Quin considers the "pirate" life!

And my last celebration before heading back to work was a nice day with the family celebrating the 4th of July. We spent time with another family at a very family-friendly celebration in downtown Apex. It was nice but hot. Later that evening, the hubby and I grilled out while the Baby was fast asleep before the fireworks. Well, actually the fireworks got cancelled because of a torrential down pour, but we weren't going to see the show anyways!

Quin's First 4th of July

And finally, to bring everyone completely up to speed and up-to-date, the hubby and I celebrated 4 years of wedded bliss! We considered this anniversay a "familyversiary" and had a nice dinner out with the 3 us. And surprisingly, the Baby did great at the restaurant and we chowed down on some super fantastic food. After dinner, it was back to the homestead for life as usual. Having a baby sure does change things, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy 4th Anniversary!
7/14/11

Whew! That was a lot! I'm tired now! I am glad to be back up and running on this blog. I have lots of fun things going on now. I hope to be more consistent with posting now that I am back to work. Until the next time...keep cool!

Projects: June 2011

2011-06-06T11:02:00.001-04:00

So my project list comes a few days late for the month of June since we're already rockin' and rollin' through this month. I've had my projects list together, but I just haven't had the time to sit down and get it up on this here bloggy.

I think I am going to try to do 'categories' of projects each month...you know, so I keep myself well-rounded and not too focused on only one aspect of my life.

Without further ado...

PROJECTS: June 2011

Hem New Pants (Crafting/Sewing Project)

So I met my goal last month of getting some new outfits. The only thing is that the 2 pairs of pants I got were too long for my legs. It always happens to me with pants...the "regulars" are too long and the "shorts" are always too short. I went ahead and got the pants knowing that they would need to be hemmed. Yes, of course, I could pay to have them hem, but I really want to learn how to hem and sew on my own. So I am going to try to hem these pants on my own, and maybe I can finally wear them.

Photos and picture frames (Home Beautification Project) (let's give this one another try!!!)
- I need to assess photos that are displayed around the house, and change them out as needed.
- I really should order photos of Quin to display around the house (it's true...I do not have any good photos displayed of my son).
New Sleeper Sofa Savings Plan (Home Beautification Project)

I really want a sleeper sofa for our front room. This is the first room people see when they walk into our house. It does not get much use as we have another living room that is our chill room. I am so ready to get rid of the sofas in the front room of our house because they are oversized and make the space look too small. I also want to take down the bed in our guest/office room. I can't take down the guest bed in our office until we have an alternative place for guests to sleep. This goal plays into our bigger goal of getting the house in shape to put on the market (3-5 year plan).
So the plan is to start chucking money aside to save for the sofa. So I plan to move a chunk of money into savings for this purpose. No more buying items on credit. If we want it, our plan is to save up the money first and then get it.

C25K (Health/Self-Esteem Project)

Now that I have the app downloaded on my phone, it's time to start using it. I need to work out a schedule and follow it, so that I can get my body in shape and feel healthy!

Yard Sale (Declutter Project)

We need to have a yard sale to get rid of our "junk." And maybe the money made can go towards our new sleeper sofa.
This project may not happen this month, but I would like to try to get it done and over with to get that unneeded stuff out of my house!

Birthday Party Planning (Fun Project)

I need to start planning and gathering supplies for my son's first birthday party, so I don't have to rush around and do it at the last minute.

Check out the New Farmer's Market (Out-on-the-Town Project)

There is a farmer's market in my neck of the woods that I had no idea existed until this past week. I love farmer's markets. And I would love one being really close to my house instead of having to drive a ways to get to the one we usually go to. It's time we check it out and get some fresh veggies and fruit!

Well, I think that's it! I hope I haven't put too much on my 'to-do' list outside of my usual, everyday 'must get done' list!

Projects: May 2011 REVIEW

2011-06-06T10:35:00.000-04:00

PROJECTS: May 2011

Photos and picture frames - Didn't even come close to touching this one...maybe next month.
~~New outfit~~ - Yes. I got 2 whole outfits (thanks to my dad taking me shopping! Woot!). And, yes, I am over 30 and my dad took me shopping, and I didn't turn down the offer. It was fun!
~~Jon-jon~~ - Well, this project was completely scrapped. I've decided not to make the jon-jon for Quin. I felt too much pressure to learn how to sew and do such a "big" project as just a beginner. I found a really cute one on Etsy that I think I will just purchase. It's reasonably priced and will be stress free.
C25K - We downloaded the C25K apps on our phones. And we started the training. And then it got really hot, so we stopped. We are in the process of reconfiguring our workout plan. We will most likely switch to running in the mornings until it gets cool again and we can go back to after-work/afternoon runs. Everything takes such coordination when there is a little one that needs constant supervision. I'm not a morning exerciser, but it looks like I'll be changing my tune if I want to get in shape.
~~No Fast Food Fast~~ - I'm happy to report that we went 30 days without eating any fast food. It was so liberating. And we saved a lot of $!

I think I did okay on my projects for the month of May. There is always that feeling of disappointment when I don't get something checked off of my 'to-do' list, but that's life, and I'll keep trying!

Monthly Q Report

2011-06-01T13:36:00.001-04:00

Another month has flown by and my baby is now 8 months old! I can't believe that he is already 8 months! Where has the time gone? He is such a big boy now. The days of him being such a little squishy ball of fat that snoozed and ate all day seem like a dream. He's on the move...growing up and learning new things every day!

I must say that I quite enjoy this age and stage! He knows his momma and daddy, and he's so full of life with a little more independence. It's not to say that I didn't enjoy his babyness, but I like watching him really learn new things and explore his world. He's responsive and interactive...and that's so much fun!

New Skills:

I can hardly keep up with his new skills. It seems that he learns something new every day!

A Walking Pro. Okay, he's not really walking on his own, but he sure can zoom around in his walker. He's learned that he can get to things whilst in his walker. He opens cabinet doors. He helps mommy "unload" the dishwasher. He strolls down the hallway. He chases the dogs. And he loves it when his daddy holds him by his hands and lets him "walk" from his bedroom to the bathroom for bathtime each night. He gets such delight out of it!
Finger Foods. Yes, the boy has been eating some finger foods. He definitely has a preference of certain types of finger foods. I've been amazed at how he's gone from just stuffing his whole hand in his mouth at the hopes of getting some food in it to using his little fingers to deliberately place the food in his mouth. Yes, it is a messy process. And he still misses his mouth a good deal of the time, but he's making progress. And he loves to eat the "puffs," yogurt melts, crackers with cream cheese, peas and strawberries. He's not too fond of banana or pasta. I guess it's a texture thing!
Crying with Intent. Quin knows when he wants something...or doesn't, and he knows how to cry about it. I thought 8 months was too young to have a tantrum, but he's had a few crying spells when he didn't get his way or when momma (me) left the room or when he didn't get his bottle fast enough in the morning. The good news is that it is easy to distract or appease him at this stage.
Storytime. Quin does a great job during storytime before bed time. He sits in my lap and listens (well, I guess he's listening) as I read him various books. He seems to have picked out a favorite book (That's Not my Monkey...) and reaches for it when I'm not reading it. I think he likes the touch and feel parts of the book.
Manipulating toys. He's figured out how to put a ball in a hole on particular toys.
Snuggling. I have a little cuddle-bunny on my hands. He loves to snuggle up with me, especially when he's tired or first thing in the morning.

Skills in Progress:

Sleeping through the Night. What? You ask. He's not sleeping through the night yet? Nope. But it's getting better. I think we're finally on to something. I think. The waking up has been less, and it's been so much easier to get him back to sleep...usually just plugging the paci back into his mouth. I really do think that since he has learned to roll over he's learning that he can get himself into a comfortable position. I was delighted when I found him sleeping on his belly earlier this week.
Crawling. He still has not crawled, but I think he's getting close. He can rock into position, but then he goes "splat" into spread eagle position flat on his belly. Maybe he'll bypass the crawling stage. He's seemed more interested in walking and standing from the get-go.

8 Months Old - 5/22/11

8 Months Old

"Get me outta here!"

Oh, and did I mention the fact that his hair seems to be getting thicker. Sometimes it seems as though it grew overnight. And there is also a tooth poking through...finally! The tooth hasn't come all the way out, but I can see and feel it just at the surface of the gum.

So there you have it! My big boy...getting bigger everyday! And the love I have for him grows bigger and bigger each day!

Spinning

2011-05-24T13:16:00.005-04:00

I need to do a little brain dump.

I feel like I've been spinning my wheels lately. I feel like my life is spinning in circles. Some days I feel like I can't see straight. Do you get the drift? Are you picking up on a theme here? Things are crazy. Life is moving too fast. I need more hours in the day. But onward with the brain dump...

I am trying my darndest to complete my May Projects. I have rethought one of the projects, so it is pretty much nil and void at this point. The other projects have been completed or are in progress at this time. There is one project on the list that I have yet to tackle...there's still time to do it...but not a lot...I better get to it. It's not like my project list is that hard or complicated or even requires a lot of time, but some days I find it difficult just to get the basic stuff done (the needs)...much less additional stuff (the wants). I guess that's why I started the project list. I like to check things off. And these days I have to be organized and thoughtful about what I do or else I get nothing done. I've already been thinking about my June Projects.
I'm revamping my original plans for Quin's 1st birthday party. Yes, I've been thinking about and mentally planning his first birthday party since he was about 4 months old. I initially wanted to a Dr. Seuss inspired party. I've done lots of research and found lots of cute ideas for that kind of party, and I had it all mapped out. But then I had an ephiphany...of sorts. First, I realized that it would probably be more fun to do a Dr. Seuss party when Quin can actually enjoy it...maybe his 2nd or 3rd birthday. Second, I don't have the time or the money to do the Dr. Seuss party the way it should be done. If I am going to do it; I am going to do it right. At least I can now have 2 or 3 years to plan it! Ha! So I've resigned myself to a much simplier and doable plan. It's just going to be a "party" theme with lots of balloons, streamers, and bright colors!
Quin's still not sleeping through the night. He's 8 months old. I would say that he wakes a minimum of 3 times a night. The only good thing now is that I am no longer breastfeeding, so my hubby and I take turns getting up to settle him. It's not that he wakes up and stays up. He's not getting up to play. He just hasn't figured out how to soothe himself back to sleep when he does wake. And it's not that it takes a lot to get him back to sleep. Most of the time all we have to do is place the paci in his mouth, and he goes right back to sleep. It's just the act of being awakened and having to get up because then it takes awhile (for me, at least) to get back to sleep only to be reawakened again. It's a very vicious cycle! We're not cry-it-out supporters, and I've learned that some babies never get the hang of soothing themselves at night until much later on. Maybe he's one of those babies or maybe we should become cry-it-out supporters!
Speaking of being awakened several times a night, have I mentioned how little patience I have these days coupled with how cranky and grumpy I often feel? My hubby probably gets the worst of this! Sorry babe! You know I love you!
I am really struggling with my body image right now. I know that I am lucky that I've lost the baby weight, but my body shape is just different. My boobs are sad, sad, sad looking. And my hair looks awful. I'm trying to grow it back out, and it's in that terrible "in between" stage. And the feeling was made worse when a friend I hadn't seen in a long time said to me, "Oh! Look at you! You got the 'Mom' haircut!" Boo! She was trying to be nice and added that it looked really cute! Yea, ok! And I think the lack of sleep has aged me a bit. I no longer get comments that I look much younger than my age. I think my looks have finally caught up to my age. Ugh! It took me 31 years to get comfortable with my body, and then I got pregnant and the whole landscape of my body changed. Is it going to take me another 31 years to get comfortable with it again?
Speaking of body weight, I no longer have the safety net of breastfeeding to protect me. I miss burning those extra 500 calories a day by just caring for my son. I've recently started tracking my calories to see what I eat and where I need to make changes in my diet. It's going to be a process, but it's necessary to make some diet changes. I feel the need to not only do this for my own health and longevity but also to model good eating habits to my son. I can't tell him not to pig out on Doritos if I am doing that exact same thing. My goal is to start being more thoughtful and deliberate in my food choices and to slowly start deleting unnessary sugars, fat, processed foods. It's time to eat fresher and healthier. This change will take time and perserverance, I know, but I can do it!
We're some how managing to get by these days. When Quin started daycare, I didn't know how we were going to make it financially with the amount we are paying per month. I worried. I stressed. I cried. I freaked out. But with the help of our tax refund, family, and me finally getting regular and full pays, we are back on track. We've made a lot of budget cuts to our lifestyle. We are living more frugally and being more thoughtful about our purchases. But we are making it. And we know we can survive on what we make. And we've learned that there's a lot we can survive without. We hope to carry these lessons with us so that we can continue to grow financially...even as daycare costs go down (with age) and our income goes up (hopefully)!
I've had to renogiate my idea of what it means to have a "clean house." Truth be told, our house has never been totally clean because of having two indoor dogs. As soon as you get the floor cleaned up, one of them will trek through the house with muddy paws or slobber water all over the floor. And my hubby just had to let them get on the bed and the furniture. I told him that in our next house and with new furniture purchases, the dogs will not be allowed on the furniture. He can snuggle with them on the floor. But I digress. We had a chore chart going for a while, but we were killing ourselves at night trying to get everything cleaned. We need to be able to rest and relax and have moments of doing nothing other than hanging out as a family. Soooo...we make an effort to put things away as we use them. Keeping the clutter picked up is half of the battle. We try to keep "shiny sinks" and keep the bed made up. Everything else is gravy. You will probably find that my couches are covered in dog hair and that my furniture has layers of dust and that there are furball tumbleweeds rolling down the hallway and there are splatters and sticky spots on my kitchen floor and there are crumbs on our kitchen table. It's okay! We do the best that we can. We work full-time. We have a kid. Somethings gotta give...and a lot of the time it's the house maintenance!
And speaking of house maintenance, the hubby and I have decided that we need to start working towards our goal of moving on from the current home. We're not looking to put the house on the market in the near future, but we do know that we want to move on. Our goal is to be in a new house before Quin starts school (5 years) and/or before we have another child. First, we don't want to move after the kiddos have started school. I would love for them to have the experience of being at the same school with the same group of friends throughout their school years. Second, our house really does not have the space to accommodate an expanding family. With the teeniest of closests and only one full bathroom, it's going to be a tight squeeze to keep adding people to the mix. It's already a tight squeeze as it is. So we've come up with a list of projects that need to be completed before we can put the house on the market. Therefore, we can start planning to tackle them one at a time and start budgeting for each project. A plan is necessary since money is always an issue and we want to pay "cash" for the projects and not create debt to put the house on the market and since having a child, everything takes us twice a long to get started and finished. We figure that it will take us 3 to4 years realistically to get everything accomplished to get the house market ready. It feels good to have a plan! Maybe I will share our project list and give eveyone updates on how the "getting the house ready to put on the market" is going...sounds like good blogging material to me.

Ugh! I think that's it. I'm sure there is more! Like I said, life is moving quickly. I have trouble keeping up somedays. But it feels good to get that off of my chest for now!

Oh! The Shame!

2011-05-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

Marlee's been a bad girl, and as a result, she has to wear the "Cone of Shame!"

We had to take Marlee in on May 2 to have a mass removed from her back right leg. It was potentially cancerous, so it needed to be taken off and sent away to the lab to be examined. It was a scary time for our family. Marlee is such an integral part of this family that we didn't know what we would do if the results came back as cancer.

The good news is that the mass was not cancerous. Apparently it was a severely clogged hair follicle (ewww! gross!). We were definitely elated with that news!

The bad news is that the stitches popped off, and the place of the incision opened up wide. Of course Marlee helped those stitches pop off, so we had to take her in and pay more $$ to have the wound restitched. And as a result, she was placed in the "Cone of Shame."

Things were going well with the Cone of Shame. We watched her like a hawk and really didn't take it off except to get water and food. Marlee was not a happy camper.

Unfortunately the stitches came out again. We were pissed because we followed the vet's directions and carefully monitored her so that it wouldn't happen again. Sooooo...we had to take her back in one more time. Fortunately, the vet did not charge us. I think she knew that she did a shoddy stitch job the 2nd time around.

I guess 3rd time is the charm because the stitches are still intact, and Marlee is still wearing the Cone! She hates the cone but is learning to adapt to it being around her head. She's such a drama queen...little princess dog!

Oh! The Shame!

On a totally unrelated note, check out my sleeping beauty! Man, I wish I could sleep like that! And I wish he would sleep like that the whole night through! Naptime snuggles on Mother's Day was the best!

This is what happens when a baby has one too
many bottles of milk!

Da Da Da

2011-05-11T09:06:00.000-04:00

Yep. Quin has become really talkative. He just babbles away. And as my hubby noted, the babbling just started in the past two days. It is as if he has found his voice. I love hearing his little babbles. I wonder what he's saying?

And wouldn't you know that his favorite babble is "da da da." So I guess that means his first word will most likely be "Dadda." We have been working to associate the "da da das" with my hubby by clapping and cheering and pointing to the Daddy and saying "Dadda".

I suwhanee...momma gets none of the glory!

We've also decided to start using some sign language with him. We probably should've started a long time ago. But we're going to use the sign for "Mommy," "Daddy," "more," "all done," and "milk." We'll see how it goes.

I should probably get some video of his babbles. When I do, I will post.

And he is rolling over and trying his darndest to pull up. Sometimes he will pull himself forward and up, and then get stuck. He got stuck on the dishwasher door last night (he was sitting on the floor by the door as I was loading it). Practice makes perfect!

Dear...

2011-05-08T09:20:00.000-04:00

Dear Mom,

Happy Mother's Day 2011! I hope you are taking some time to relax and to be just as you are! It seems so surreal that we both get to celebrate Mother's Day now because I, too, am now a mother (which you obviously already know). I hate that I am not there to celebrate with you, but I know you don't mind. You always tell me to take care of myself and that you'll be just fine. And even though I know you will be fine without a big production or celebration, I just want you know that you are loved and thought about on this very special day!

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a good mother and about what kind of mother I want to be to my son (and to my future children that are yet to be). I must say that when I think about being a mother, I can't help but to think of all the ways you have been such an influential figure in my life and how you have inevitably shaped the way I will mother my children. I am lucky that I got to have you as my mom; that I got to have someone that was so caring and so loving and so nuturing...and still is to her 30-something-year-old baby.

You have always been there for me...in my worst moments and in my best. And you have loved me no matter what...even through those times that I am sure I was tough to love. When I've said things that have been hurtful or disrespectful, you never held it over my head; you've always accepted my apology and moved on from it. You have stood beside me and been my biggest supporter in my moments of darkness and sorrow and pain; and you've cheered me on and celebrated my smallest (and biggest) of victories and accomplishments. Whenever I have needed you...for anything...large or small...you've been there for me. You have truly loved me unconditionally.

I know you don't get all of the thanks you deserve for being my mom. I can imagine there have been moments (many, many moments) where it has been difficult to be my mother. While I'd like to think of myself as the shining example of what a daughter should be, I know that I am not. I know there have been times that I have failed miserably at being a good daughter. I know that I've given you hell. I know that I've gotten on your nerves. I know that I have argued with you. I know that I've tested your limits and patience. But through it all, you have been the shining example of what a mother should be.

You make me so proud. And I am proud to have you as my mother. And I am proud to be your daughter. I hope to be half the mother to my son as you have been to me. And I hope to be even the smallest of a fraction of the daughter to you that you were to your parents.

Never doubt for a second the huge impact you have had and will continue to have on my life. I wouldn't be able to make it in this world without you. You are my best friend. You are my mother. And I love you...today and always!

Happy Mother's Day...on this day and every day!

Love,
Joette

Projects: May 2011

2011-05-02T10:01:00.002-04:00

So in effort to get myself more organized and actually get something accomplished, I've decided to start creating monthly projects (or goals). My intention is for the projects to be achievable, realistic and doable and to help me organize myself enough so that I can actually get some things done around the house and for myself.

I've always been an organized person. I plan ahead; I make lists; Things have a place where they belong; The house runs on a schedule (of sorts). BUT...ever since I had my little baby, it seems as though all of my organization has flown right out the window. Gone. And for a person that likes to be organized and have some sort of order, I have felt as though I've been living in chaos the past 7 months. I've had great difficulty with planning dinners and making a grocery list. There's been no real consistency with housecleaning duties. Most things in the house (and myself) have been neglected as far as beautification goes.

Don't get me wrong! We're not living in a complete pig sty. And we do manage to get to the store for groceries, and we do eat. It's just not to the same calibar as it once was. But it's okay.

But we've actually done some things really well. We work together so much better in an effort to keep the house up. And we've actually managed to keep things picked up much more so than we did before we had a baby even though the house is not as "clean."

But now that Quin is getting a little older and doesn't have to be held 100% of the time (only 75% now...I kid, I kid), and he can somewhat entertain himself with toys, I have found a little more freedom to get some things done around the house. So after 7 months of spinning around in circles and feeling like my head is rolling down the hallway, I finally feel a sense of normalcy and like I can get reorganized.

My hope is to start working on projects that satisfy the house and home and our family as well as my own self-esteem needs. Some of the projects will be basic and mundane but will help me keep on track with things that I have to get done. And some will just be fun things I've been wanting to do.

And I plan to report back with how well I did with my projects each month. It will be an accountablility check for myself and will help me determine what needs to go on the next month's project list.

So...with no further ado, here are my May 2011 Projects:

PROJECTS: May 2011

Photos and picture frames

Assess photos that are displayed, and change out as needed.
Order photos of Quin to display around the house (it's true...I do not have any good photos displayed of my son).
Start hallway wall gallery.

New outfit

Buy a new outfit for myself (from head to toe). My body is different, and I need some new clothes that flatter my new body and make me feel good and feminine.

Jon-jon

Pick out and purchase a jon-jon pattern.
Pick out and purchase materials needed for the jon-jon.

C25K

Download the C25K app on my phone (and on hubby's phone).
Start the C25K (couch to 5K) training with my hubby.

No Fast Food Fast

Eat no fast food for 30 days. Both my hubby and I are trying to do this as we've packed on a few extra pounds we're not proud of, we eat way too much fast food, and we just want to start living a healthier lifestyle. Afterall, it's our responsibility to model healthy behavior and habits to our son...and we need to start now before he's old enough to realize how bad our habits are right now.

So that's it. Those are my projects for this month. I am also working on getting a little more organized with creating dinner menus and shopping lists as well as cleaning the house, but those are ongoing projects.

Hoppiness

2011-05-01T19:59:00.005-04:00

Per usual, I am a little late on getting this posted. As always, I'm a day late and a dollar short. From here on out, just know that most things posted on here are going to be somewhat old news. But I guess it's better late than never. Right? I really admire those mothers who have there stuff together and can get things posted the same day or the next day after the event. I'm not one of those. Maybe if I didn't sleep, I could do it. Wait a minute. I don't sleep. But it's not for lack of trying. And trying to get some shut-eye is always going to take priority over writing on this here blog.

So here goes the report of our Easter weekend. The Easter weekend that happened last weekend.

The Daddy and I packed up ourselves, the baby, the dogs, the baby's bedroom, and the kitchen sink and made our way up Virginia to visit his folks. We left our home Thursday when I got home from work. Fortunately, the Daddy was on spring break that week and was able to get most of the above items ~~packed~~ crammed into the car before I got home.

So we were off. We were driving happily along. The Daddy was driving, and I was sitting in the backseat with Quin. Things were going well. The baby was sleeping, there were no real traffic issues, the dogs were behaving, I was playing on my phone, and Daddy was listening to music, and it was still light outside.

But I have learned when things are going all to well, it's really just the calm before the storm. Because about half-way through the trip, Quin woke up. He seemed normal. He seemed happy. But then he vomitted all over the place. All over himself. All over the car seat.

I, of course, remained calm. NOT. I had a little freak out. My baby had never barfed. And it just kept coming out and coming out. I started yelling to Naenae to pull over. He had to remind me to focus on the baby, and he would worry about getting off the road. Of course, we were on the part of the highway where there was no civilization around...only exits that lead to nowhere. No gas stations. No fast-food restaurants. No nothing. So it was off the exit and onto the side of the road we went.

There we were to left to clean up a vomit covered baby and car seat with nothing more than some baby wipes. But we managed. And the sheriff and a passerby had to stop to make sure everything was okay. And it was okay. It was just unpleasant. Thank goodness his vomit was made up of mango and carrots, so the smell was tolerable.

So we were back on the road to Virginia to see the grandparents. These grandparents did not have official grandparent names. So we made some decisions this weekend about grandparent names for them because when we talk to Quin, we need to be able to refer to them as something and not as "those people in Virginia." So I think it was decided...but I could be wrong...that the grandparents are going to be called "Grandpop" and "G."

So we had a nice visit with Grandpop and G...my hubby's parents. We ate a lot. We shopped a lot. We chatted a lot.

Quin and Grandpop

G showing Quin what she does best...SHOP!

Quin and Grandpop make music together

Quin and G take a nap together

Quin looking like he's up to something (if you know what I mean) while
sitting on Grandpop's lap.

We sure did have a nice time visiting Grandpop and G in Viriginia. And we wish we could have stayed longer. But all good things must come to an end. So we packed up all the aforementioned items (plus a few extra things complements of Grandpops and G) back into the car and headed home. We were so merrily on our way home.

Okay, we were not so merrily on our way home because my hubby had gotten a case of the awful bubble guts and was vomiting that morning before we hit the road. Yea, it seems that whatever had made Quin throw up on the way up was now making Naenae barf. I had to do the driving because the hubby was not feeling well.

We were 20 minutes out of town when I got a whiff of an all-to-familiar smell. My nose hairs were starting to curl. I said, "I smell Quin poop." (Yes, I would be able to pick out my son's shit if I had to identify it only by smell). The next thing I heard was an awful-sounding scream coming out of my hubby's mouth. Egads! The hubby reported that there was shit everywhere. And I believed him. Because Quin has been on a shitting warpath blowing out every diaper and outfit that has come into contact with his cute, soft little tushy for the past week.

Fortunately this time we were near civilization, so I pulled into a gas station. I had to get out to "ass"ess the situation for myself. My hubby left me to deal with the shitty baby because he already was not feeling well, and being in close contact with the crap and its smell was not doing anything to make him feel any better. When I opened the door and looked at my baby, all I could see was dijon mustard colored crap everywhere. All over my baby. All over the car seat (mind you, the car seat we had just cleaned from the vomit 2 days earlier). Wow! This situation is far shittier (no pun intended) than I expected.

I pulled Quin out of the car seat in hopes that I could handle everything from the back seat of the car. But when I pulled him out, his legs was completely covered in crap. And there was no way I could change him in the car without getting crap all over the place. So as I held him as far away from my body as possible, I looked at Naenae and said, "What do I do? I can't take him inside like this?"

But I had to. And I did. I ran across the parking lot with a dangling baby in front of me as crap rolled off his legs. There was no way to disquise what was going on here. And, of course, the gas station was bustling with business. I busted through the doors, and all eyes seemed to turn on me. I yelled out, "Please tell me you have a bathroom in here." The clerk looked at me and quickly and emphatically pointed me towards the bathrooms.

The clean-up took quite some time. It was much worse than the vomit clean up. I was up to my elbows in shit. And I really felt sorry for that lady that came out of the stall to find me vigorously cleaning my baby's bottom as shit was flying all over the place. Yes, there were drops of yellow crap all over the bathroom floor.

But, alas, I got everything cleaned up, and Naeners got the car seat cleaned up, and we were happily on our way home. Yea, that was fun trip! The visit was great! The travel part...not so much.

We came back home on Saturday, so we were home to celebrate Easter on Sunday. Truth be told, there was not much celebrating. Naeners was still sick, and I was tired from our travels. But we did manage to get an Easter basket set up for Quin. We did not, however, go to church.

Quin's Easter "monkey" basket

Quin opening his basket

Checking out all of the goods

After the opening of the Easter "monkey" basket, I decided it was time to work on my arsenal of "things that will embarrass my son one day." So I stripped him down to his diapers, plopped on his bunny ears, and had a whole lot of fun taking pictures. I am so going to enjoy showing these pictures to his first girlfriend in high school.

Look was what lurking in the bushes Easter morning! A cute little bunny!

Uh oh! The bunny realizes he's been spotted.

And once I was done taking tons of cute little bunny pictures outside. I promptly took Quin inside and stripped him down to his cute little bunny bum. And this was the final result:

Quin's such a Play Bunny!

Yea, if this picture won't be embarrassing for him some day, then I've got nothing!

Monthly Q Report

2011-04-29T14:23:00.002-04:00

Has it already been another month? Time really does propel into warp speed when you add a child to your family. Sometimes I am afraid to blink for fear that when I reopen my eyes, he'll be all grown up. And my baby really is growing up so fast. I can't believe how much he changes from month to month...heck, sometimes from day to day. He's always doing something new, and I am always amazed everytime he adds a new trick to his bag. I look at him most every day just trying to soak him up and savor every little thing he does. I just want to pause each and every moment and keep it in my mind forever. I wish there was a 'pause' button or even a 'slow-motion' button, but there only seems to be 'fast-forward' in this life. So I am just trying to live in the moment and enjoy my baby as he is in this moment, at 7-months-old, because it too will pass too quickly.

New Skills:

Rolling over. He finally rolled over. Finally. Yesterday. One time. There was a big "hooray" from the Momma and the Daddy when he did it. I think we actually scared him a bit as he looked at us with an expression of shock.
Drinking from a sippy cup. He's a pro when it comes to the sippy cup. At feeding time, he picks up the cup on his own and drinks from the spout. Every now and then he will try to drink from the wrong end, but he gets it right most of the time.
Leaning forward into the crawling position. It won't be long before this boy is off and we're chasing around behind him.
Pulling himself up. He can pull himself up into the standing position from the sitting position. Of course, we have to hold his hands, but he does all of the work of pulling himself up.
Reaching up to be held. He knows when someone is coming to hold him, and he reaches for it.
Falling asleep on his own. No, he's still not sleeping through the night, but he has been doing a great job of falling asleep on his own when I initially put him down at night.
Clapping. Yes, the boy can clap. And he claps with meaning. If you cheer and clap, he will start clapping his hands together. When he first learned the skill, he did it non-stop. One time he was clapping as I was changing his diaper and he was crying.

Skills in Progress:

Sleeping through the night. It's still not happening. I'm beginning to wonder if it ever will. But I keep the faith...every night...that this will be the night that it happens (or at least the night I only have to get up once instead of two, three, four times). I don't think he's abnormal because I've been reading even more on sleep habits of infants, and I've talked to other mothers with the same struggle. All babies sleep differently in the same way that my hubby and I have different sleep patterns. It's just that when you come across the statement in literature, "Most infants should be sleeping through the night by now," or you hear another mommy proclaim, "My baby has slept 11 hours straight since he was 10 weeks old," you just want to punch something or someone. I'm really not a violent person (and I really wouldn't punch someone), but the lack of sleep does make me feel a little more aggressive-feeling in my judgment and thinking.
Crawling. He's not there yet. But I can tell this boy is a mover and a shaker. He's going to be on the move soon enough. He can lift himself up on his arms and lunge forward. He just hasn't quite figured out how to get his legs under himself once he lunges forward.

New Personality Traits/Ticks:

Chewbacca cry. My son sounds like Chewy when he cries now. I think it's a pretty cool skill to be able to make that noise.
Wanting Momma. Yes, he has started to wimper, cry, and even out right tantrum for me.

7 Months Old - 4/22/11

"Oh, it's you, again, Monkey!"

"Seriously, are we doing this again?"

My Cup Runneth...

2011-04-26T10:22:00.003-04:00

...dry!

Or shall I say my 'A' cups (which used to be be 'B' cups) have runneth dry? It's true. Totally true. While milk my bags were once plentiful and running wild with that sweet breastmilk, the well decided to dry up in the meantime.

I must say that I am disappointed. Disappointed in my body. Disappointed that I had to stop something that made me feel so bonded to my baby. I feel like my body let me down and let down my baby. My baby wasn't ready to stop breast feeding nor was I. He would root around trying to latch on to my boob as I had to stick a bottle in his little mouth instead.

But sometimes you just have to go with the flow (or lack thereof). I haven't breast fed my baby for a little over 2 weeks. And, well, he's surviving! I, mean, I've been giving him formula, so I knew he would survive. But this surely was not the way I intended on stopping the breast feeding with my son.

I am not exactly sure what happened, but my milk supply quickly diminshed. Just like that...it dried up. I am sure that I did something to trigger the response in my body, but I am not quite sure what, when, or how.

Here's what I know. Since I work full-time, I had to pump at work to keep up my milk supply and to be able to provide him bottles for daycare. The pumping was going well in the since that I was able to produce enough during the day to keep up with his bottles for daycare. Actually, I was pumping more than enough that I wound up being able to freeze a little bit from each day.

But as time passed, I noticed that I was pumping a little less each week. I hit a point where I started to get stressed about how time consuming it was to pump at work, having to clean all of the parts each night and pack up for the next day, not having a real space to pump at work (I have a very mobile position), and lugging around all of the stuff (You can read about all of that HERE). I think the more I got stressed, the less I was able to pump. Even through the stress, I was still able to keep up with the supply he needed for daycare.

That was until I had a break from my job (I work 10-months on a year-round schedule, so I get 3 weeks off every 2 1/2 months). While I was on break, my son went to day care on some days and stayed home on some days. While I was on break, I had a full fledged mentrual cycle. I hadn't had one of those since before my pregnancy. I was a bit shocked. And after that cycle, everytime I went to pump, I wouldn't even get enough milk to make one bottle for my baby...much less three bottles.

Soooo...I started stressing about not producing enough milk. And the more I stressed about it, the less I produced. But I went back to work with pump in hand ready to keep on trying. The first two days back at work all I was able to produce was a sprinkle of milk. That's it! Just a sprinkle. WTH!

On top of my issues with pumping, I realized that maybe Quin was not getting enough milk when he was breast feeding. There were a few days where I think I left him hungry because my boobs just weren't producing...not even for him. And I might add that I had started Quin on solids during this time, so he was getting substance from something other than my milk, but I still think he was hungry because the breast milk (or formula) is the most important part of a child's diet the first year of life.

So there I was. Left high and dry!

My goal was to breast feed until Quin was 1 year old. Instead, we ended just after a little over 6 months. I wanted that last breast feeding session to be a sweet memory and meaningful. But it was neither. I don't think that I realized the last session was going to be the last session, so I didn't soak it up. I do know that the last time was on Monday, April 11, in the morning before work. And that was that! Breast feeding was done!

I loved breast feeding my son! I had such an awesome experience with it. It was so powerful to know that my body was producing everything my son needed to survive and thrive. All those days and nights that I got to bond with him as he suckled away. All the times he would shoot a little look at me while he was on the breast. All the times he fell asleep (and I fell asleep). All of those times were so sweet and so meaningful to me.

I am trying to feel positive about the switch from breast to bottle. I am fortunate that I got to do it for so long and that I never had any real issues with breastfeeding until they dried up. I believe that he was able to get the gist of the benefits from breastfeeding these first few months of his life. And I no longer have to stress and worry about pumping enough to feed him. And I don't have to lug around that huge bag of machinery and bottles anymore. And I don't have to wash pump parts every single night which means more time to spend with my family. And my hubby can now bond with him more by feeding him...it doesn't always have to be me.

So while I was sad to let go of breast feeding, I am happy to have less stress and more freedom that has come with bottle feeding my baby. When one door closes, another always opens. And the bottom line is that I have a happy, healthy little boy...regardless of the means of feeding him.

Flashback Friday

2011-04-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

I often think about where I was this time last year when I look at my son in the here in now. It was around this time of the year that I was almost to the halfway point of my pregnancy. My pregnancy really was a life-changing experience for me. It remains so vivid in my mind. I did make a video that "sums up" the experience. I've had this video made for quite a while, but I thought I would share it now. I promise (okay, no I don't) that this will be the last mention of my pregnancy on this here blog.

(Sweet) Potato Head

2011-04-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

This boy sure does know how to eat! Wait a minute! Then why does he have food all over his face? Okay, we're still working on the eating thing. But he sure does know how to make a mess with his food. During this meal, he got more potato on his face than he did in his mouth. But I think he had fun...and that's the point, anyways, when it comes to dinner in this home!

"Look, Momma, I created my own sweet potato eye brows since mine haven't grown in just yet!"

Strollin'

2011-04-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

There is nothing better than enjoying a beautiful day in the cool breeze and warm sunshine with my baby as we take a stroll around the neighborhood. My most favorite thing to do these days is to take a nice family walk. I push the baby in the stroller as the Hubby walks Dimby and Marlee. It's the little things that make this life worthwhile...and a simple walk with my family is all that I need to make me happy these days!

"This is how I [st]roll!"

Believe in the Kindness of Strangers

2011-04-11T11:21:00.002-04:00

I had a situation this past week where I had to rely on the kindness of a stranger. A man. While I was on the side of a highway. This stranger, this man, this person helped me out as I was in a suckey situation. He didn't have to help me. He gained nothing from it. He just did it.

As I was flying down I-40 going about 70mph trying to get a meeting for work, I heard a really strange and loud noise come from my car. I didn't know what made the noise or exactly what was the source, but I knew it couldn't be good whatever it was. So I made the decision to pull over just to check out things on the car; to make sure it was still driveable. As I started slowing down and moving towards the shoulder, I noticed a truck in my rearview mirrow slowing down and getting away from my vehicle. Crap! This really must not be good! What could it be?

So I reached the shoulder of the interstate to safety. I hopped out of my car, which I was very afraid to do (you hear of people getting hit and killed all of the time on the side of the road), to investigate what could have made that awful noise. It didn't take long to find the source of that loud bang. I had a flat tire. My back tire on the passenger side was flat as could be. Poop! Not what I had intended on finding. I was just hoping something had popped up from the highway and hit the undercarriage of my car leaving no damage. But that wasn't the case; it never is for your dad and me! It's usually the worst case scenario when it comes to these things in our life.

So I jumped back into the car and scrambled around in my own mind trying to decide what to do next. I texted your dad just to let him know. Then I started calling co-workers to let them know I may not be at the meeting. Your daddy then called me. He wasn't in a position to leave work, so I told him that I was just going to call a tow truck. Ugh! There goes about $100+ dollars. Just what we need. But you do what you have to do in these situations!

As I sat on the phone talking to your daddy, I look up to see a car backing up towards my car on the shoulder. I then see a man get out and walk towards my car. Panic! All I could think was "Stranger Danger! Stranger Danger!" Thankfully I was on the phone with your daddy. I asked if I should talk to him. Your daddy said, "Yes, he might be able to help you." So I rolled down my window, feeling a bit scared and guarded, and the man offered to change my tire. I got off the phone with your daddy so I could help this man with changing my tire.

This man. His name was Joe. He was just a nice fella that saw a woman stranded on the side of the road. He thought I had a baby with me because he could see your car seat in the back of my vehicle. He changed my tire in no more than 10 minutes. I gave Joe a hug because that was all I had to give. And he was off down the highway. And I was off to my meeting (and later to get 4 new tires)! He saved me money! He saved me time! And he reminded me that people are good, and people are kind, and it's okay to trust a stranger (sometimes)!

And one day you may have to rely on the help of a stranger. Be smart about it, and trust your instincts! Know that most people have good intentions! Don't think that every stranger who offers to lend a hand is somehow ill-willed. And one day you may be that stranger helping someone; remember that the person you're helping may be weary of your intentions at first. It's okay! We all should be a little weary at first until we can decide if the person's intentions are to be good and helpful. We all need help from time-to-time, and sometimes that help comes in the form of a perfect stranger. Accept it gracefully, and pay it forward!

***Just a side note: While I was not happy about having to spend the $ on four new tires (everytime we take a step forward, we seem to get knocked back by some unexpected expense), I am so thankful for the way things turned out. This situation could have been deadly in so many ways from the tire blowing while I was going really fast, to being exposed on the shoulder of the highway, to getting out of my car for a stranger. The cost of the tires was really a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. Having my life is priceless. Period.

Why Do I Feel Like...

2011-04-10T12:22:00.000-04:00

...somebody's watching me?

This picture makes me laugh every time I look at it. We were at our friend's Christening for their son, vannyB, and we were at a gorgeous home celebrating. My hubby is the Godfather to vannyB. Since my two boys were dressed up for the occasion, I thought it would be nice to get a picture of the two of them together. And another "person" made it into the photo. Seriously, that head just staring at them kind of freaks me out!

She Does Exist

2011-04-08T12:54:00.000-04:00

Behold people! Marlee really does exist! She's not some imaginary dog that I talk about from time to time. She's really real! I was able to snap some quick photos of Marlee unbeknownst to her!

An "almost" encounter with Quin!
Marlee was able to escape a Quin attack (this time)!

Enjoying the sunshine...at a very safe distance from Quin. Smart Dog!

Photo Shoot

2011-04-07T06:00:00.002-04:00

Okay...here is my last backtrack (again, from our visit to Gigi's house in early March). I just had to post these adorable pictures of my son. He is such a happy little fella and quite the flirt. He was totally working it for the camera as my aunt was snapping pictures. And I am so happy to have some pictures of me with my little guy since I am usually the one behind the camera. My only regret about these photos is that I am in my pajamas, but oh, well!

Big Boy Stoller

2011-04-06T08:37:00.000-04:00

Okay...here's a little more backtracking on our latest happenings. Quin had a really big 6-months birthday. He got his immunizations, he tried a sippy cup, and he also got to take his first stroll in his big-boy stroller. Now that he can sit up unassisted, I thought I would try out the stroller to see how it worked and how he liked it.

So we strapped the little booger right into his big-boy stroller and off we headed for a walk around the neighborhood. Actually, we decided to take a stroll right on up to the grocery store (about a 1/3 mile from our house) and grab a few items for dinner.

It was such a beautiful and warm day and the perfect time for a ride in the big stroller. All in all, he did really well. He had no problems sitting in the stroller and seemed pretty comfortable. The only thing was that he seemed a little out of sorts from his shots earlier in the day, but I think he enjoyed it.

So after our walk to the store, we returned home only to find that my dear, dear hubby had not remembered the house keys. We locked ourselves out of the house. Yes, we did! I clearly remember asking him if he had his keys as I pulled the door to close (we can lock it without a key), and he replied, "Yes, I've got them!" Um, well, er...I guess not.

So what happens when you lock your family out of the house with an infant that is starting to get fussy because he is tired and not quite right from his shots, an irritated wifey, and a bag full of cold groceries?

You break into your own house, of course!

Break In!
Naenae legs hanging out the window!

Belly Laughs!

2011-04-05T19:30:00.001-04:00

This probably won't be the first or last video I post of my baby laughing. He's just too darn cute when he laughs, and I love it! There is something about a baby laughing that just makes you feel good.

Quin and I were sitting outside yesterday enjoying the nice warm weather and cool breeze. As we sat there, I coughed because the pollen irritated my throat. He busted out laughing at me. So I grabbed my phone camera and did some fake coughing, and all I got was total belly laughs. I don't know why, but Quin thinks sneezing and coughing are hilarious!

A Surprise Visitor

2011-04-05T10:46:00.001-04:00

So about 2 weeks ago, a teenager showed up to our house holding a cute little dog (see the cuteness below). My hubby went out there to check out the situation. My hubby had no idea who the dog belonged to but the cute little furball wasn't ours. The poor kid, however, didn't know what to do with the dog. He said he was in the neighborhood visiting his grandmother, and he had seen the dog in our yard. He said that a little while later he saw the dog on down the street, so he thought the dog belonged to us. The teenager was trying to do the right thing, but he had no capacity to take care of the dog. So my hubby being the dog-lover and softie that he is brought the little dog right on into our house.

My hubby and my BroLaw started trying to figure out where the dog belonged. The dog had a tag. His name is "Peanut." Oh, how fitting. They called the numbers on the tag, but one number was disconnected and the other went straight to voicemail. They tried to facebook the owners, but to no avail. On a side note, we actually found the owner of a cat that kept showing up in our yard through facebook. The cat had been missing for over a year. It was a great reunion story. But I get off topic.

So there we were...stuck with a little peanut.

For the rest of the evening, we went back and forth with my inlaws about who was going to keep the dog. We won out!

My hubby bathed the dog! The inlaws went out and purchased some "little" dog food. At bedtime, we brought Peanut into our room with our other two dogs, and Peanut curled right up in our bed.

We decided that night if we could not find the owners, then we would keep Peanut. She seemed to fit right in with everyone.

But as we lay there in bed, my hubby said he thought the names on the tag might be those of some neighbors we met once back in November. We met them at another neighbor's party, so we did not know their exact home address.

The next morning we contacted another set of neighbors who were more familiar with the people we thought might own the dog. And Naeners was correct, the dog belonged to the neighbors we had met one time. So Peanut was returned to her owners!

While we didn't need another dog for so many reasons, I think we were saddened when we figured out who she belonged to. I think we were both secretly hoping we would not find her owners. But for one night, we were a happy 3 dog family!

Peanut freshly washed and begging for food!

Naeners and Peanut

Peanut!!!

Best Buds

2011-04-02T06:00:00.002-04:00

Quin has a best friend...whether he wants one or not. Dimby sure is fond of Quin, but for the longest time, Dimby wanted nothing to do with Quin; however, I think Dimby finally figured out that if he wants attention from us, then he better stay close by the baby. Dimby likes to hang out wherever Quin is lounging. Dimby will roll around and try to get pats from Quin, but all Quin can do is grab his fur and make him yelp (we're working on gentle touch with Quin...but this concept may take a while to grasp (no pun intended...ha!ha!)).

And while I think Dimby chose Quin, I am pretty sure that Quin would choose Marlee as his best friend. But Marlee wants nothing to do with Quin...unless of course it means tolerating him just long enough to get snuggles from the Daddy. I think Marlee will change her tune once Quin becomes a constant source of food for her. And I have no photos of Marlee and Quin. Mostly because Quin squeals at Marlee and she runs, and Marlee wants nothing to do with the camera.

Eskimo Kisses

Laying out on the Deck

Playing chase...walker style

Hanging out in the Living Room

Food Face

2011-04-01T07:55:00.000-04:00

Put on your game face! No, wait, I mean food face! And by food face, I mean all of the stupid faces a momma makes to entice her baby to eat yummy, yummy mushed up food. I never realized how many crazy faces I make (and Quin makes, too) when we are sitting down to feed him. My aunt was snapping away as I was feeding him at Gigi's house, and, well...just take a look for yourself:

Gigi's House

2011-03-31T20:00:00.000-04:00

Please bare with me as I am behind on posting some things (per usual these days) and will be doing a little back tracking to get caught up. A few weeks ago...okay, more like a month ago...Quin and I took a trip to visit my Grandma and his Gigi (great-grandmother). It had been a while since we visited with Gigi, so we really wanted to see her. And we also got to go to a baby shower for my cousin who is expecting baby number three (any day now)!

It was just me and Quin, and we hit the road like we were seasoned travelers. We sure did miss Naeners on this trip, but we so enjoyed spending time with Gigi and extended family. Quin was such a good boy the whole weekend. He really didn't fuss and slept rather well...both of which surprised me greatly. That boy knows how to mind his manners, I guess!

Gigi (91yrs) and Quin (5mos)

Quin and his 2nd cousin.
Quin is not too sure about the pink sunglasses.

On second thought, these sunglasses are pretty cool.
I think Quin wants a big sister. Oh, well!

Gigi and me giving Quin a scrub in the kitchen sink.
I think all of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren
have bathed in this sink.

Snuggles!

Monthly Q Report

2011-03-24T08:39:00.002-04:00

Quin turned 6 months old this week! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by! He seems like such a big boy to me now! I can't imagine how I will feel when he turns 1 years old and so on.

Quin is such a funny little boy with lots of character! He is such flirt and a social butterfly and will smile and coo at anyone who talks to him. People always comment on how big, bright, and pretty his eyes are and how his smile is so infectious...I must say that I have to agree! He loves to play with other babies and watches older children very intently. Quin has so much fun at daycare and has started making friends with the other babies in the room.

I am amazed at how much Quin has learned to do in the short 6 months that he has been here. I wish I had the capacity to learn and do so much in a short amount of time. He can do all of the following things (and even more things that I haven't listed):

Control his neck and head
Track objects (and Momma and Daddy)
Laugh
Sit-up unassisted for long periods of time (only a few nose plants/face dives here and there)
Grab his feet and put them in his mouth
Pick up objects and play with them
Reach for and grab objects
Push-up with his arms while on his tummy
Whine when he wants attention
"Talks" by babbling, cooing, and singing
Blows raspberries/makes zerberts
Pet the dogs
Splash water with his hands in the tub
Stand on his feet while being supported under his arms

Quin is constantly learning and acquiring new skills. The following are the frontrunners of the skills Quin is currently working on...some on his own but mostly with the help of Momma and Daddy:

Rolling over - He still hasn't rolled over yet, but he is so close.
Eating solids - Solids were introduced just after 5 months; he has tried rice and oatmeal cereal, sweet potato, butternut squash, avocado, banana, apples, and various combinations of these foods. The next food to be introduced is carrots!
Holding and using a spoon - He can pick up the spoon and get it to his mouth, but he does not know that the spoon is used for feeding himself.
Drinking from a cup - A sippy cup with water has been introduced, and he immediately took it to his mouth and start sucking on the spout. He gets the sippy cup when he is fed. He really hasn't used it too much, though.
Sleeping through the night - This skill is a family goal that we're working on! We're not there yet, but we're trying. The pediatrician provided me with some new techniques and ideas to try to help Quin sleep through the night. We've changed up our routine a little bit to accommodate progress toward this skill. We are all adjusting to the routine changes. I'll check back in a little later to let you know if we are finally getting some sleep!
Reading books - I know he can't talk or read right now, but we are constantly reading to Quin. We have story time where he sits in my lap as I read...he looks at the pictures but mostly just grabs the books and puts them in his mouth.

Even at this young of an age, Quin has started to develop a little personality as well as likes and dislikes. Who knew a 6 month old could be so opinionated? Go figure! Here are some of his personality traits and favorite (and not-so-favorite things):

Happy - Quin is generally a happy-go-lucky baby. He is always smiling.
Thinker - Quin seems to be quite the deep thinker. He will study objects and really take everything in. You can see it on his face when he is really thinking about and learning something.
Willful - What Quin wants, Quin works hard to get! He will not let up on something until he gets his way! Momma and Daddy may be in big trouble later on!
Quick Temper - Man, when Quin doesn't like something, he makes no bones about it! Period!
He likes/loves music, nursery rhymes, touching and feeling everything in sight, putting everything in his mouth, playing in his exersaucer, semi-scooting (backwards only) in his walker, bright flashing lights, sitting up, sitting outside and watching the world go by, taking walks in the stroller, petting Dimby and Marlee (he squeals at them for their attention), avocados (favorite food thus far), toys that make music/noises/lights, Momma to comfort and hold him, Daddy to make him laugh and have a good time, looking at and playing with other babies and kids, being naked, bathtime, when Momma and Daddy make silly noises and faces, snuggles, being talked to about what's going on, standing on his feet...
He could do without/dislikes getting his nose and face wiped-off, sitting in the high chair to eat (for longer than 2 minutes), being put down when he would rather you walk around and show him things, sleeping through the night...

6 Months Old - 3/22/11

19lbs 2oz; 27.5in

"Look, Momma! Still no teeth!"

I can blow bubbles and sit-up on my own!

Baby, It's Hot Outside!

2011-03-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

Quin shows off his baby chest to the outside world for the 1st time!

It was such a warm and beautiful day last Friday that we just had to sit outside and soak up the fresh air. Quin loved being outside and he loved being almost naked even more!

A Visit with Grandma

2011-03-22T13:52:00.000-04:00

Grandma came to town last week to hang out with ~~me and Naeners and~~ Quin. I had a little time off from work, so she came down to help me out with some projects. Let's just say that she spent more time visiting with Quin than she did helping with my projects. That's okay, though, because Quin was so happy to get to hang-out with Grandma, and I was so happy to have a little freedom to get some things done. So we all won in the end.

While Grandma was in town, she and I spent some time shopping. She bought Quin some much needed spring/summer clothing as well as some new toys. His favorite toy that she got for him was a new walker. He is still learning how to use it. He has mastered the art of pushing himself backwards in it. He doesn't quite have the hang of walking forward in it just yet. Quin also loves when me or his daddy push and pull him rapidly around in it in the kitchen...he has the biggest smile and seems to love the thrill of moving fast.

Testing out the new walker

Grandma helps Quin in the walker

We did manage to start working on one project while Grandma was here. I had purchased fabric last summer to make a bed skirt for our bedroom. Needless to say, the bedskirt has not been made. And since I don't know how to sew, I had to have my mom help me get started. So she gave me some basic instructions and let me practice a few times, and I am on my own to get it finished...eek! Quin jumped in on the action, too.

Grandma teaches Quin to sew

Visits with grandparents are fun...for us all! We can't wait for more visits from grandparents in the future!

Love Your Momma!

2011-03-16T08:34:00.003-04:00

Love your Momma...and your daddy, too! Because we love you more than anything in this world!

Enough said!

Rub-A-Dub-Dub...

2011-03-15T20:40:00.000-04:00

...Quin's in the tub!

Quin has gotten to the point where he loves bath time! He can sit up on his own and play with the toys in the water and splash around a little bit. He even lets Momma (me) wash him up without too much fuss!

We give him a bath each night right before bedtime. He usually isn't too dirty, but I like to get the daycare gunk off of him at the end of a long day. The dirtiest part of the little fella is usually the folds underneath his chin around his neck. I have to crank up his chin, so I can clean out all of the slobber, lint, food, and whatever else seems to make its way into the neck folds. It's a true treasure hunt...you never know what you're gonna find in his neck! And now that we have introduced food, I have noticed that I am starting to find crusty food bits in his hair (I know it's not much hair, but he does have a little bit...look closer...you can see it) as well as in between his fingers, around his ears, and on his temples. I do try to wipe him off after he eats, but he really wants know part of the washcloth on his body unless it is bath time.

First Food!

2011-03-09T13:21:00.002-05:00

Quin finally had his first taste of something other than boobie milk just a few days after he turned 5 months old. I decided to go with the tried and true rice cereal for his first food. For the most part, the cereal was a hit...well, as much of a hit as it can be for a 5 month old and for a food with no real taste.

I debated quite a while with myself about when I wanted to let him try his first foods. There is no real need to start an infant on solids before they are 6 months old because they get all of their nutrition that they need from breast milk or formula. However, when I met with Quin's pediatrician at 4 months, he stated that I could go ahead and start introducing solids to him. I obviously waited a whole month before I took the ped's advice. I figured 5 months was a happy medium between the direction of the pediatrician and the research about when to introduce first solids. By the time Quin hit the 5 month mark, he met the "criteria" for being able to start solids: can sit up on his own; has doubled his birth weight; and has neck and head control.

I must say that his first solid was more of a thick liquid. I have since thickened up the rice cereal by using less breast milk mixed in with it...so it is more of a solid food for him and less of a liquid now. Since his first time eating rice cereal, we have gradually moved on to oatmeal cereal and just added sweet potato (we are introducing one food at time for 4 days to determine if he is allergic before moving on to the next new food).

Quin eagerly awaits his 1st bite of food.

Look, Momma! I'm eating cereal!

Messy Aftermath!

Fully Bellies equals Sleepy Time

Of course, after a full breakfast, it was time to get dressed and take a nap from having a belly full of food!

So I have been busy planning Quin's menu for the next few weeks. I think I am going to try to make most of his food on my own while supplementing with jar food on some things (like prunes). I think it will be fun for me and for Quin to experiment with different food combinations. It will be healthier and cheaper in the long run for me to make his food, and I can create a wider variety of dinners than the options offered in the jars. I will keep posting updates on his eating as well as sharing good baby food recipes that I come across.

A Fresh Start

2011-03-08T10:18:00.000-05:00

This is a new blog to document the happenings of my baby, Quin, and my little family...the Momma (me), the Daddy, and the dogs, Dimby and Marlee. I hope to keep family and friends in the loop with the happenings of our daily life.

I could kick myself for not starting a blog for my baby from the moment he was born. It is such a good way to organize memories and keep track of life as it is. I have taken blog posts from an old blog of mine and added them to this blog, so that I do have some documentation from the beginning of Quin's life. I will also be adding posts from the old blog about my pregnancy.

I am not much of a scrapbooker, so an online blog is the easiest way for me to "scrapbook" my son's growth and development. When Quin gets old enough, I want him to be able to look back and read about what things were like when I was pregnant with him and as he was growing up. And if something should happen to me, I want him to be able to read this blog and know that his Momma loved him dearly.

So, welcome! I invite you to follow along as my son grows and our family grows!

Monthly Q Report

2011-03-06T20:19:00.005-05:00

My little baby is getting so big! He really isn't 'little' anymore. I call him "my big boy" all of the time. He really is a beefcake and quite a load to carry around (if my back, arms, and shoulders do say so)! I just can't believe how quickly my little helpless baby has grown into an active baby. It truly is amazing!

4 Months Old - 1/22/11

17lbs 7ozs; 26.5in

5 Months Old - 2/22/11

Wishy-Washy Weaning Woes

2011-03-04T20:41:00.005-05:00

Good gracious! If I could only make up my mind sometimes! I think I've made a decision about something, feel good about that decision, and then BAM, I start second-guessing my decision! It's tiresome to be me some days! Seriously!

So here is my latest wishy-washiness when it comes to decision making.

Before I was ever pregnant, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my child. There are so many benefits to the baby that the list goes on and on and on as to how a baby can benefit from being breastfed. And the mother benefits, too. (Click HERE for articles on the benefits.) It's such a natural thing for a mother to do with her baby. It is amazing to think that I can provide and produce all of the nutrition my baby needs from my own body.

And when it came time for me to breastfeed, I was lucky. Breastfeeding came pretty easy and naturally for me, and Baby Q seemed to latch right on (no pun intended)! I didn't have a lot of the issues many new mothers have in the beginning when trying to get breasfeeding going. My nipples never hurt or got sore; my milk supply came right on in; Q took to it immediately. And I haven't had any real issues with breastfeeding other than one bout of mastitis and a slight case of thrush.

My goal in breastfeeding has been to do it through the first year of Q's life. It seemed like a doable and reasonable goal to me. Besides the most important benefits to Q and the comfort I get from doing it, breastfeeding is really, really economical. I figured I could transition Q from the breast to cow's milk once he hits the one year mark. Since I knew I would be returning to work, I made sure that I had my breastpump equipment ready to go before Q even arrived.

For those who have never had to pump their boobies, let me tell ya, it's an interesting thing to do. I first started pumping at home during my maternity leave to build a supply to freeze and use later once Q started daycare. Besides my nipples and boobies being sucked into tubes making them look really enlongated and feeling like a cow hooked up to a milking maching, pumping was easy enough to handle. Well...it was easy enough to handle at home.

Pumping your boobs at work is a whole other ballgame. It's not fun! And I hate it! I really, really hate it! I am sure that for some mothers, pumping at work is no big deal. And it wouldn't be a big deal for me if I had my own office where I could close the door and truly relax. But I am in a job where I don't have a real office, and I am at a different school every 1.5days. And did I mention how heavy the bag is and how much of a pain in the ass it is to carry around the pump and it's related parts (especially when I have to carry my office with me since I am in a mobile position)? It's a lot of work. It's stressful!

I started to notice that my supply seemed to be diminishing during the time I was pumping at work. To be able to produce enough milk to pump, you have to be relaxed and let go so that your boobies will let down and produce the milk to be pumped. It's hard to relax when you're at work and away from your baby. It's hard to relax when you're doing it in a bathroom and nothing seems really clean. It's just hard to relax. Period.

And along with the difficulties of pumping at work, there is also the added dimension of having to keep up with all of the various parts. There are quite a few small parts, and these parts have to be cleaned and sanitized after each use. So each evening entails a great deal of time washing and sanitizing the pump parts to get them packed and ready to use the next day. It's exhausting!

About 2 weeks ago, I decided that I needed to wean Q off the boob and switch him to formula. I felt my supply wasn't keeping up, and I was just tired of all of the difficulty and stress created by the pumping. I made a plan to start introducing him to formula and to wean him off the breast, so that I was completely done with breastfeeding by the time he is 6 months old (3/22/11). I felt good about the decision. I felt relieved! I was relieved that I wouldn't have to bother with pumping or cleaning the parts anymore.

Last weekend, I fed him bottles of formula during the day (as if he was at daycare). And when I did pump (because the boobies get so full), I started pumping less so that my boobies would think they didn't need to make as much milk. The weaning process was in full effect.

It was going well until...I went back to work this past Monday. As I sat in the bathroom listening to the loud pumping noise of the machine and the milk dripping into the bottles, I started questioning my decision to wean him. Why? Why am I really doing this? I like breastfeeding. Q likes breastfeeding. It makes me feel close to him after being away from him all day. It's comforting for both of us. Breastmilk is so much better for him than formula. Why am I being so lazy about the pumping? My goal is to pump for a year. Why am I giving up so easily on this goal? All these things were just swirling around in my head. And the decision that I thought I had made was no longer made at all.

As I came out of the bathroom with all my pumping baggage, I briefly mentioned something to the school psychologist. She sat me down and really encouraged me to keep perservering if breastfeeding is what I really wanted to do. She said that I could use her office when I am at that school. She helped me realized that I could keep doing this if it was important to me. And realistically Q is going to start weaning himself from the boob naturally as food is being introduced.

With a few words of encouragement from a person I barely knew, I knew that I had to change my mind about my decision to wean. I wasn't ready to do it. I was forcing myself into something that didn't feel natural. I let my own selfishness get in the way of what my goals were when it came to breastfeeding. I was being selfish because I didn't want to keep lugging around the pumping bag, or stopping work to take the time to pump, or cleaning the parts each and every single night. And it just didn't feel natural that whole weekend I was feeding him formula when I could have been breastfeeding.

So just like that I changed my mind and returned to breastfeeding. Q deserves nothing but the best from his momma. It may be hard work, tiring, and time consuming, but he is worth all of it! I feel so much better and more confident in my decision to continue breastfeeding. I am not complaining about the pumping anymore, but instead, I am embracing it. This pumping is only temporary anyways! And I can do it! I really can!

Seriously, what were you thinking Momma?
Give me that Boobie Milk!

Cry, Rock, Sleep...Repeat

2010-12-28T20:38:00.006-05:00

How do you get your little one to sleep at night? Anyone swaddle or use such methods as Ferber or Cry-it-Out (CIO)? How long does your 3-month-old sleep at night? I've worked hard the past month to get the little one on a bedtime schedule/routine. I am not sure if I am doing it right. And I don't know that there is a right way.

Our bedtime routine goes a little something like this:
Once Baby Q hits his evening fussiness because he's sleepy, I start up the routine immediately. And if he hasn't gotten to that point of getting fussy by 7:30pm, then I start up the routine anyways. I kick off the nighttime routine with a bath. The Mini-Stink seems to really enjoy the bath (until I get to his neck cheese, then he protests fervently against it). He gets a complete scrub down every 3rd night, and on the other nights I hit the cheesy spots with the wash cloth but no soap. I then bundle him up in a towel, and we head to his bedroom where I have his nighttime music playing. I lotion him up to keep his skin silky smooth and put him in his pajamas. Throughout bathtime and the lotioning, I talk to him letting him know that we are getting ready for "night-nights." If he's alert and happy once he's been lubed up and dressed for the night, then we have playtime and storytime...all in his room. If he is crying, then I nurse him and rock him to sleep. Once he's asleep, I swaddle him up and place him in the crib. And...Viola...sleeping baby!

The thing that I can't seem to pin down is that his sleeping patterns are so erratic. When he goes down for the night, he is down. He doesn't wake up at 2am to play. He's never had his days and nights confused. But the erratic part is that he will sometimes sleep 6 to 8 hours before waking up to be nursed and put back to bed, and other times he'll only go 2 to 3 hours and continues that pattern the whole of the night.

When he wakes in the night, I wait until he belts out a real cry before I go into his room to get him...just on the off chance that he might fall back asleep. When I pick him up at night, I keep it all business. Lights remain off, and I keep the chatter to none at all or just enough to soothe him. I always nurse him, swaddle him back up, and put him back in the bed.

I've read a lot on sleeping patterns and infants. Some techniques have worked for me and others I have chosen to ignore or just have not worked fo us. For instance, I am a nurser/rocker. I've read that the baby should be placed in his crib when he is drowsy so that he can learn to soothe himself the rest of the way to sleep. I don't do that. I've tried, but when I do, his little eyes pop wide open, and he thinks it's playtime again. I wind up leaning over the crib for about 20 minutes trying to soothe him back to sleep until he starts crying and I pick up the little booger. You're supposed to keep doing this over and over (putting him down in the drowsy state) until he learns to soothe himself completely to sleep. I guess I am not patient enough. Or, perhaps, I am just too lazy. And maybe I am so sleep-deprived myself that it's just easier to to rock/nurse him to sleep and put him in his crib because I know that works. And maybe it is just as comforting to me to be able to get him to fall asleep in my arms, especially on the days when we've been apart..it's a little more time I get to spend with my baby...even if he is asleep.

Also, I am just not a CIO supporter. I tried to let him cry for 5 minutes the other night when he woke up in his crib (I knew he wasn't hungry or wet because those issues had been addressed), and it was the worst 5 minutes...for both of us. And the 5 minutes after I picked him up were even more worse than when I was letting him CIO. He was royally pissed at me. And he screamed and screamed and screamed to let me know it. It was like he was totally confused and questioning why I had not promptly responded to his calls. I felt horrible. I had recently read that since he has hit the 3-month mark, I can let him cry up to 15 minutes. Really? Can I? It doesn't feel right to me to lay in bed and listen to him scream when I know I can comfort him. And it surely was hell for the 5 minutes I let him do it the other night. I just feel that I need to respond to his cries in the middle of the night. Babies cry when they need something, right? Even if it's just a little cuddle from their mom or dad that they need.

I know that as long as I am nursing, I will most likely be getting up at least once during the night for a feeding. I am okay with that. What I don't know is if I am setting myself up for bedtime battles later on by rocking him to sleep and tending to his cries rather promptly in the middle of the night. I want my baby to grow into a good sleeper. And I, too, would like to return to getting a full night's rest. I am doing the best that I can. So I've decided that I just have to do what feels right for me and for the baby and what works for us as a family. I've taken some of the advice from books and articles on developing healthy sleeping habits and adapted it to meet our needs (honestly, some being my own selfish need for that contact and closeness with my baby). I am going to continue to rock and nurse him to sleep. And I am going to continue to respond to his cries in the middle of the night...even if it is every 2 hours on some nights.

So I am curious...are there any other moms that have struggled/questioned their own methods at getting their little one to sleep and stay asleep?

A Pictorial Christmas

2010-12-27T20:37:00.002-05:00

This pretty much sums up our Christmas holiday:

Monthly Q Report

2010-12-23T20:30:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it, but it has already been 3 months since our little guy made his entrance into this world. It's amazing how quickly time flies by and how fast he has grown and developed already. It's so weird because I miss him being so tiny, but at the same time, I love watching him grow and reach new milestones. I never knew the joy that would come with watching my own child learn and develop and grow.

I've definitely had my ups and downs adapting to the whole parenthood thing. Some days are just better than others. But one thing is for sure, no matter how the day goes, when I see my son smile at me, it truly melts my heart and makes my day better tenfold. In addition, I can say that I have become more comfortable and confident with myself as a mother. I think the baby and I have kind of figured each other out, and Naeners and I have developed a new way of relating and communicating that seems to make things run smoother around the house. I trust my instincts more, and I trust in my partnership in parenting with my hubby. We don't always know what to do, but we figure it out together, and we do our best not to freak out in the meantime. It's amazing to see how your relationship and partnership with your significant other grows along with your baby. I truly look forward to growing along with my baby and my hubby in this crazy fast life.

Like many other blogging mommies, I've decided to document my baby's monthly growth by having him pose with a silly stuffed animal (monkey) on his rocking chair. It will be fun (at least for me) to be able to look back at the pictures and see how he has changed each month for the next 2 years.

ONE MONTH - 10/22/10

The Baby "just chillin'" with the monkey

TWO MONTHS - 11/22/10

Bored with the Monkey...Yawn!

Angry with the Monkey

"This is seriously stupid, Mom!"

THREE MONTHS - 12/22/10

Our Little Monkey

Fat and Happy

Ain't Got Nothin'

2010-12-22T20:28:00.002-05:00

I seriously ain't got nothin' to talk about today (just giving you a dose of my Southern accent). Seriously, my mind is totally blank which is really weird because I always have something to ~~talk~~ ramble about on here.

Sooo...I guess I will talk about the fact the my hubby is in charge of the kiddo all day long today. He does a great job caring for our son, but we're usually together or he has him for about 2 hour time frame on his own. He's never gone a straight 8-9 hours in charge of the little fella.

We both said we were a little nervous about how the day would go. I told him that it will be weird because I will be away from the mini-stink all day and won't be able to log on and watch him on video. It's probably better that way, anyways.

I am happy for the fact that they are getting to spend the day together and have father-son bonding time. I can't wait to get home and hear about all of their adventures from today.

Something to Smile About

2010-12-10T20:26:00.005-05:00

This little guy makes me smile! Here he is early this morning as we all got ready for the day!

Smile, Yawn, Smile!

First Day of School

2010-12-07T16:16:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Quin's first official day of school.

Okay, not school, but daycare. But I think we are going to call it school because he will be spending his days learning lots of new things.

And, it wasn't a full day. He was only there for 2 hours. But it was the most difficult 2 hours of my and Naener's life (except maybe when I was trying to push him out!). Naeners started getting a little choked up in the morning before we left the house. He said he was nervous about the little guy's first day. I think I was too focused on getting him and everything else together that it hadn't hit me that I was actually taking him to be cared for by someone other than me. Even when I dropped him off, I was in such a daze because the teacher was asking lots of questions, and I was trying to figure out where to put the bottles and extra clothing and diapers and blankets and what forms to complete that it still hadn't hit me. Quin looked perfectly happy sitting in the bouncy seat. He was laughing and cooing and taking in all of the new sights. I gave him a kiss and ran out the door.

I made sure that I had something planned to distract me for the 2 hours he was there, so I headed to Target to pick-up a few items. I, then, traveled home where I promptly got on the internet to watch him. The daycare we are using has video cameras in the rooms where parents can log in and see what's going on. I was a little teary-eyed in Target, but I completely lost it when I saw him on the computer. The images were a little blurry but I could see that he was being carried around by one of the teachers. I couldn't tell if he was crying. I then saw the other teacher take him and sit with him in a rocking chair. I think she was trying to give him a bottle. I watched long enough, and I was a wreck. It was time to go pick up my Mini-Stink.
When I got to the room, he was asleep in the teacher's arms. She said that he had just fallen asleep. Both teachers said that he did well but would not take the bottle. I became teary-eyed, again. They reassured me that he would not starve to death, and he would learn to take the bottle (I've been trying for several weeks to get him on the bottle, but he only takes it sporadically), and other infants have started daycare not taking a bottle as well.

I, then, started feeling really sad because I guess I was mourning the loss of our morning time snuggles and the special days we've had together the past 11 weeks. I boo-hooed all the way home. When I woke him up to get ready for school was the time I usually pull him into bed with me for the rest of the morning until we are both ready to wake and face the day. I felt it was our special mommy and son time...just the two of us all snuggled together. And I felt so guilty waking him and getting him dressed rather than snuggling with him in the morning.

I didn't know it was going to be this difficult. And each day this week, I am going to leave him a little longer until he has a full day on Friday. It's back to work for me next Monday, and I need for us all to be ready to get into the swing of things. It is going to be a big adjustment for us all. My hubby and I have enjoyed having me at home with our son, but we also knew that I would be going back to work. It just feels that the time has come so quickly. And before we know it, we will be settled into a routine, and hopefully, all of us will be happy with the way our days will go.
At least I know that the weekends are still reserved for morning family snuggle time...and I can't wait until this Saturday morning!

A Big Scare

2010-11-09T16:13:00.013-05:00

We had a big scare this past week with our little man Quin which landed us in the hospital overnight with him. The good news is that everything is okay, and he is still a happy and healthy little boy. Nothing can prepare you for the thoughts and feelings that run through you when your own child is sick, and you're not sure what is going on and what will be the outcome.

I noticed on Wednesday afternoon that Quin had a little cough and a bit of a runny nose that was running clear. He didn't have a temprature, so I was not too worried. Through the night, however, I noticed that his breathing started to sound more gurgly, and he was not really feeding. When I got up for his 5am diaper change and usual feeding, I decided to take his temp again. 101.3! Uh oh! I knew that number was not good for an itty bitty infant, but being new to this parenting thing and never having been in charge of infant care, I really didn't know what to do. So I got on the internet for some quick guidance. Not feeling reassured by the internet, I thought it best to call the on-call nurse at the pediatrician's clinic. Because of Quin's age (6 1/2 wks) and his temp, I was told that I should take him to the emergency room.

Feeling a bit anxious, Naeners and I threw on some clothes, packed up the baby and headed to the ER. The ER doctor said that there are typical tests that they run on infants that come in with his kind of symptoms...one of them being a lumbar puncture along with chest x-ray, blood work, RSV, and a urine sample. Lumbar puncture? Really? We said to move forward because we wanted to know that our little one was okay.

Watching the nurses draw the blood and take his urine was difficult, but the worst part was the chest x-ray and lumbar puncture. The equipment used for a chest x-ray on an infant looks like a 17th century torture device. And the lumbar puncture was even worse as they curled him up into a little ball. And any procedure dealing with the spinal area is scary to me.

The tests results started coming back, and they said that everything was looking good. We were waiting on the final results of the lumbar puncture, when the doctor finally got back to us and said that the white blood cell count in the spinal fluid was higher than it should be. The doctor explained that it could be a sign of meningitis. What? Meningitis? What does this mean? The doctor stated that he would need to be admitted overnight for observation and monitoring as they would also monitored the blood and spinal cultures for bacterial growth. Naeners and I were blind-sided. I thought we were going to be told that he had a cold, get some medication, and be released. Never did we expect to get the news that we got. We were scared. The doctors made sure to explain that it was probably a viral infection but with an infant his age, it was better to keep him for observation to be on the safe side. We kept our fingers crossed that everything was going to be okay.

We stayed overnight with Quin, and his temperature began to decrease and stay in the normal range. His vitals stayed steady and in the normal range, too. Good news! And the next morning we got even better news when we were told that there appeared to be no bacterial growth in his blood or spinal cultures. It looked like he just had a viral infection. We were discharged after 24-hours. We were happy, and Quin seemed to be feeling much better! Thank goodness! We were so relieved to know that he would be okay.

One thing is for sure, though, our little Quin is a fighter. All of the nurses and doctors commented on how strong he was and how mad a he got. Seriously, though, wouldn't you be mad if if you were being poked and prodded in all sorts of places all over your body. It was terrible seeing him scream and not being able to comfort him. I never want to go through it again...NEVER!

Monitoring

Quin was closely monitored through the night.

Comfort

Daddy comforts Quin while he is all hooked up to the machines.

Attire

Quin shows off the little baby hospital gown. I don't think he liked it too much.

Happy

We're happy to have our little booger back home!

We thank our lucky stars every day to have a happy and healthy little boy!

Pumpkin Head

2010-11-03T16:09:00.002-04:00

We had our first Halloween celebration with the little Mini-Stink. It really wasn't much of a celebration because the little one really has no idea what is going on, and we did not have any specific plans except to hand out candy later that evening. But we did dress up the little man in an outfit to celebrate the occasion anyways. I thought he looked quite adorable...if I do say so myself.

Pumpkin Head

Quin showing of his "pumpkin head" with a hat knitted by a relative

Spooked

Quin looking a little spooked. Actually, as soon as we finished taking these photos, he took a big poop. And by big poop, I mean the kind that forced us into changing his entire outfit immediately. I guess that "spooked" look was really the look of working out the bubble guts. So much for the Halloween cuteness. At least we got photos.

Over It

We tried again to get some cute Halloween photo of the little one. Quin was over it...totally.

Time Flies...

2010-10-25T16:08:00.004-04:00

...when you are taking care of a baby!!! Seriously, where has the time gone? I am all out of sorts and totally disorganized these days. I spend most of my days holding and feeding the Mini-Stink, trying to keep up with household chores, and catching some sleep here and there. Life has been busy with just trying to keep up with the day to day demands of a new born. Some days I am really successful, and on other days...not so much. By the time I get a chance to work on my blog and hash out the what's been on my mind, I am completely pooped out and just want to crawl into bed...and that's exactly what I do. So for those of you who have been waiting for updates on my life (such as it is), I do whole-heartedly apologize. I know that I will get into the swing of things in the blogging world...soon (I hope)...as I learn to juggle an additional household member, daily demands of life, and fitting in a little me time. Just give me a little time and some patience. I'll be back...I promise!

Quotable Quote

2010-10-11T16:06:00.002-04:00

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

2 1/2 Week Round-Up

2010-10-08T16:01:00.002-04:00

Oh, bejebus! Has it already been over 2 weeks since I birthed my little boy into this world? Time has gone into overdrive ever since I became a mommy. The days run into nights and the nights run into days. Some days are a blur, but every little moment with my little one is vivid and clear. Mommyhood has been a trip thus far...and I am only 2 weeks in! I can't wait to see what the next 17 years and 50 weeks has in store for me!

Let me properly introduce my son. My little boy was born on 9/22 weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs and 3 oz and measuring 20.5 in. We decided to name our little one Quinlan, but we will call him Quin. He is the most precious, sweetest little boy in the world!

Quin has grown so much over the past two weeks. And I feel like I have grown, too, in my role as a mother. I am figuring things out day by day, and things seem to get a little easier as each day passes. I've pretty much mastered the art of holding an infant with a wobbly head and eating with one hand (I've even eaten dinner using my left hand (I'm a righty))! What I can say is that this motherhood thing is not for the birds! I've already learned that it is hard work, and nothing in this world can prepare you for what it will be like to have a child...I mean NOTHING...no words of advice or wisdom from friends or family, no articles on the internet, no educational groups, no baby books...NOTHING! It has been a challenge getting adjusted to life as a family of three, but it has been the most pleasant ride on a roller coaster I've ever taken thus far.

I love being a mommy! And I can't imagine life without my little one! And I love watching my hubby being a daddy to our son! Quin makes every day worthwhile. He has the chubbiest cheeks and the cutest eyes. He makes the sweetest sighing noises when he sleeps. He makes me laugh uncontrollably when he farts (who knew something so little could create such a ruckus with the buttocks)! I love that he snuggles up to me for warmth and comfort and the way he looks into my eyes when I am breast feeding him. He has the most innocent look on his face when he falls asleep at my breast. And he is so expressive when he is stretching to wake up. I love that he loves to fall asleep on my hubby's chest in the early evenings. I even love his very loud and shrill screams and how we can comfort him and make them go away. He has the softest hair and smoothest skin. I am truly in love with my little boy!

My Little Monkey

2 Weeks Old (10/6/10)

Like I said, life has suddenly propelled into fast forward. I think I've written half this post with one hand pecking at the keyboard and the baby in the other arm. I have much I want to share...when time allows me a few minutes. I plan to be back to share my birthing day story, tales of some baby blues, and a look at the body changes post birth. Exciting stuff...I know!

Quotable Quote

2010-10-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

"You are the best thing that's ever been mine."
~Taylor Swift

It's a...

2010-09-26T13:54:00.001-04:00

BOY!!!

The mini-stink finally made his arrival this past week on September 22! We couldn't be more delighted to finally meet our child...our son!

Here are a few pictures to show him off to the world.

I will be back with more pictures and updates and blogging later on. But for the time being, I am adjusting to life with a baby in the home.

Here's hoping every one gets a good rest and can delight in the small joys and miracles of life!

Until next time...

Picking Up Sticks

2010-09-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

So today is my official due date. Yay me and baby and hubby for making it this far! To celebrate making it to our due date, I had a very nice pedicure, and Naeners and I are going out to eat Mexican tonight.

I didn't really expect my baby to arrive on its projected due date, but I did expect there to be some news or action to report after my OB appointment today. (Darn it! There I go again with those expectations.) Well, there is nothing to report. There has been no change to those internal parts that indicate the baby is on that slippery slope on its way out. And the same is true for those outwardly indicators of labor. Oy! I just keep getting told that the baby seems really, really happy. I, mean, I am glad my baby is happy in there and all, but I am ready to meet this kid already. Patience, sweet patience! This baby can't stay in there forever...right? I feel like we're playing a game of chicken or having a staring contest, and the kiddo is clearly winning at this point!

The good news is that we have been successful at keeping ourselves busy with seeing friends and family and doing household things. We're trying to keep things as normal as possible around here...whatever normal is these days because, to me, there is nothing normal about hanging out with a huge belly and waiting to bring a human into this world.

Nae-nae did have a few bright ideas to get this labor thing going. He had me out in the yard picking up sticks yesterday. Now, before some of you get your panties in a bunch, I was not forced to do yard work by my hubby. I thought it was a pretty clever idea. He thought the walking and squatting would get things moving in the right direction. It definitely kept me occupied. And maybe my yard work didn't pan out yesterday for bringing on this labor, but at least there are no sticks in the yard. Maybe we'll get a gust of wind tonight, and I can pick-up some more sticks tomorrow.

So with that, we have been getting lots of advice on how to get this labor going. We've been told to eat spicy food, eat garlic, walk, stimulate the nips, eat a pineapple core, smell peppermint, massage the ol' cankles, and get a massage to work the pressure points. I think all of the above are worth a try. We're going to work on the "spicy" tonight.

Does anyone else have any ideas how I can tempt this baby to come to the other side?

40 weeks

(Hey, Baby! Come on out!

I know you're comfortable and everything in there, but it really isn't so bad out here either.)

Quotable Quote

2010-09-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be. ~ David Bly

Wow! This quote really spoke to me when I read it. It's a good reminder that as I start on this journey of parenting with my hubby, we will be the greatest influence on our child's life. As we strive to be better people in our ordinary daily lives, our everyday interactions, behaviors, and choices will undoubtedly impact our child. I hope we serve our child(ren) well as they grow up with us!

A Nesting Man?

2010-09-16T10:24:00.000-04:00

You hear about moms-to-be nesting all of the time. There has been research done on the topic and even links have been made to the cave days of how a woman prepares her "nest" to make it safe for the baby. And I've been nesting since February...driving myself and Naeners crazy with all the things that "have" to get done before this baby arrives (as if the baby will know the difference).

But I am wondering...

Do men nest when they have a baby on the way? Has there been any research on this topic? And if men do nest, what does "nesting" look like for men who are soon-to-be-daddies? Just curious.

If men do nest, then here is my hubby's idea of nesting. He's been a busy bee finishing up projects around the house. (This list does not include all of the projects my hubby completed this summer while he was out on summer break. It only includes the projects that have taken place in the immediate time frame.)

Nae-Nae built a compost bin this past weekend. He said that he needed to get it done and set-up. As he has went with me so many times to pick up things to get ready for the little one, I went with him to get all of the necessary parts to build the bin. He had his checklist of items needed to get the project completed, and we methodically went through the list and the store to make sure he had everything. He had the bin completed a few hours after we got home.

Homemade Compost Bin

(lovingly assembled by my hubby)

He also built a rain barrel recently. He didn't build the barrel in and of itself, but he got all of the parts and made the necessary adaptations to make it a rain barrel. It's all set up and ready to go now. All we need is a little rain to get this baby working.

Homemade Rain Barrel

(lovingly assembled by my hubby)

I wonder what the baby will think of these projects?

I am only joking here because I know that Naeners is reading this post. We've wanted a rain barrel and compost bin for a long, long time. We are trying to be "green" as much as we can be to suit our lifestyle. We want to teach our child (or children...some day) how important it is to take care of the environment, and that there are many small changes that can be made in our daily routine that can have a profound and good effect on the environment.

I think our child is lucky to have a father who is (1) handy, (2) creative, and (3) cares enough about this earth to implement changes around our home to benefit this planet our child will be inheriting.

I also want to thank my hubby for all of the hard work he has put into getting our house ready, in general, for this baby. He did all of the work in the nursery from painting, to putting together furniture, to sanding, painting and finishing dressers, etc. While I was the director (of sorts), he was the man who made things happen. He handled my stress about nesting and getting things ready with such elegance and never made me feel crazy or absurd. He took all of my demands in stride and really came through for me. And for that I love him even more.

Is That Your Underwear...

2010-09-14T15:05:00.006-04:00

"Is that your underwear or did a parachute land on your butt?"

The above question about made me pee my pants when I read it on Monday. (It came from the Belly Laughs section in a weekly email I receive from Baby Center that updates me on what is going on with the baby each week of growth.) It reminded me that about 3 or 4 weeks ago, I went out and purchased some even larger underwear than the ones I had purchased a few months ago to accommodate the growing buttocks (You may remember me discussing the growing buttocks and needing larger underwear here). I didn't purchase the underwear in an even bigger size this time because of the growing butt because I believe that my butt growth finally plateaued. I got the even larger size because I thought it would be a good idea to have some loose fitting underwear after I give birth because I surely don't want any pieces of fabric confining the nether regions. Rumor has it that things can get kind of ugly down there after giving birth. Apparently, I will need the extra room in my undies to accommodate ginormous pads. Plus, I jut believe in having a little breathing room to keep things healthy.

Anyhow, so I got the really, really big undies and pulled them out of the package. Both my hubby and I looked at the underwear and how large they appeared. We both had the expression of "WOW!" on our faces. I finally said, "Wow, those may be a little too big." My hubby was like, "Yea. Those are really sexy," (as he had a look of disappointment on his face).

So I washed up my new undies and was eager to wear a pair to test them out for comfort and roominess. Oh, the excitement! Uh! Well! Hmmmm!!! What extra room? I don't understand. They seem to fit so perfectly. Where is that extra room I had been so eager to explore? Oh, well. Maybe my butt growth did not plateau...it was only wishful thinking on my part. Or maybe the undies just really shrunk when I washed and dried them...yea, that's more likely, right?

39 Weeks

So here I am at 39 weeks pregnant (as of yesterday). We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of this little one. I was a little disappointed when I was checked and was told that nothing had changed since last week. Boo! But the OB did say that the numbers really do not mean anything at this point because things can change so rapidly. She said that I could walk out the door after the appointment and my water could break. Well, it didn't. I am still holding strong, and so is the baby. I scheduled my 40 week appointment for next Monday (my actual due date). We'll see if I make it there.

In other news...for some reason, I did not get the cankles yesterday. Now, I have had cankles everyday since sometime in June. I've finally learned to embrace them. I stared at my ankles (yes, ankles...my real ankles) all day in amazement. I thought they looked too skinny. It was very strange. Maybe that explains why I was down 1lb when I got weighed at the doctor's office yesterday. I'd been lugging a half-pound of weight on each ankle all summer long. I hope the cankles don't return. Oh, how I hope! Let me finish out this pregnancy with regular ol' ankles.

Oy! And I am past the point of trying to look cute. I don't think it's possible to look cute when you walk with a waddle, the eye circles are really, really dark, no clothing, not even maternity clothing, quite fits rights (BTW, the clothing I am wearing in the above picture is non-maternity clothing that I used to wear well before I got preggers.), and you can't even muster up the energy to go get a hair cut, hair color, and eye brow wax. I have decided, though, that if this baby is not here by the 20th, I am definitely getting a hair cut, and maybe a color, on that day.

Oh, and one more thing. I had the choice of snacking on fresh cantaloupe pieces or a cupcake when I got home yesterday. Guess which one I chose? I pulled out the container of cantaloupe and ate one 1in x 1in piece, put the lid back on the container, and shoved it back into the fridge. The cupcakes were just too tempting. I was going to eat just one, but I had to have two. I have no self control. Maybe this explains why the even bigger pairs of undies fit just so.

Great Expectations

2010-09-12T10:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had an expectation of how some event (party; shower; wedding; etc) would be or how some person would react or behave (to an event, situation, or news)? And then did you find yourself surprised that your expectation was exceeded or not met at all? Were you ever left scratching your head trying to understand why someone did or didn't react or behave as you had thought they would?

There were some people in our life that I thought would be our biggest supporters throughout this pregnancy. I expected a certain reaction when we revealed the news about being pregnant, and then I expected a certain amount of support thereafter (such as phone calls, texts, emails, etc). And then there were others that I really didn't expect much of a reaction from or any type of support. I learned that some of those that I had the greatest expectation of totally and completely let me down as far as what I thought their participation would be in this experience for me and Naeners. And those that I had the least expectation of wound up surprising me and being larger source of support and comfort throughout this process than I had anticipated.

This pregnancy has taught me a lot about the expectations I had/have of others. Maybe I expected too much from some people and too little from others. Human behavior is a strange thing, and what I have learned is that I have to throw all expectations out the door. No one owes me the reaction or behavior I expected of them. Besides, they don't instinctually know what my expectation was of them...it was some idea of how I thought things should be that I conjured up in my head. And in the end my expectation, especially when it was a great expectation, set me up for disappointment and resentment. In other cases, it made my relationship stronger with those that far exceeded my low expectation.

This situation also reminds me that no one is perfect. I know that I've let people down that expected more of me, and I am sure that I've risen to the occasion in other situations where least expected.

Maybe it just boils down to a few simple things: the person doesn't know how to react; the person doesn't know/understand the importance of the experience/situation/event to the other; the person is preoccupied with something in his own life.

I've thrown those expectations out. I am letting go of those expectations that I had of some people that left me feeling alone and hurt and disappointed. My pregnancy is coming to an end, and it really doesn't matter anymore. People have the right to respond the way in which they wish with no preconceived expectation from me. I've clung to and fostered the relationships with the people who have come along with me on this journey. I am glad that I got to share this most amazing experience in my life with the people who wanted to be a part of it. And for those who did not...that's okay. I am sure there will be other life experience that I will get share with them in another way. And finally, I've learned that I need to behave/react/support those around me in a way that I would expect of them to behave/react/support me in the same situation.

Life is hard enough without the added distractions of expectations!

Pregnancy: My Good and Not-So-Good Experiences

2010-09-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about my pregnancy experience lately. Being pregnant has been one of those life events that I have always looked forward to having. Now that my pregnancy with this child is coming to an end, I just want to reflect on the things that I have enjoyed and embraced as well as the unpleasantries of this pregnancy.

The Good

Feeling like I was pregnant...I just knew it!
Confirming I was pregnant (x3)
Telling Nae-Nae we were pregnant
Getting Nae-Nae's reaction on video
Hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby for the 1st time (9wks)
Hearing the heartbeat at each doctor's appointment
Feeling the first flutters of movement
Naener's reaction to feeling the first kick
Feeling the kicks get harder and stronger throughout the pregnancy
Watching my belly grow
Telling my parents, his parents, our families, and our friends
Sharing the news with my Merle (grandmother) before she passed away
Feeling like a complete woman; my body has come full circle and doing it's intended purpose
Letting go of the control I once had over my body
Curves
Learning to embrace the bodily changes
Feeling boob-a-licious and having cleavage for once in my life
Thick head of hair
Getting pedicures more often
People wanting to touch the belly (with permission)
Support and interest from people
Kindness of friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers
Keeping the sex a surprise
Hearing everyone's guesses as to what the sex will be and the theories that go along with the guess
Going to breast feeding classes and labor and birth classes with my hubby
Sharing this experience with my hubby
Nesting
Healthy pregnancy...everything has been normal and right on track
Feeling my maternal instinct get stronger and stronger
Preparing for and living for something that is larger than me...it's not about just me
Anticipation of meeting this little gal or guy

The Not-So-Good

Fear of the 1st trimester
Waiting for the 1st ultrasound (9wks)
Keeping it a secret throughout the 1st trimester
Letting go of the control I once had over my body
Nausea in the 1st trimester
Food aversions (meat was so gross to me - ugh) in the 1st trimester
Getting a fat butt
People commenting on the fat butt
Cankles (swollen ankles and feet)...UGH!
Big thighs
Dealing with the changing body
Heartburn
Constipation
Hemorrhoids...no, wait...just one annoying hemorrhoid
Peeing all of the time
Unable to get into a comfortable position to sleep
Restless leg syndrome
Belly hair...where the hell did all those hairs come from?
Looking like Buddha when I sit down
Having my boobs rest on my stomach and my stomach rest on my thighs (this is not a good scene during heat indexes of 100+ degrees, my friends)
Unwelcomed touches to the belly
Sensitive belly skin (in the 3rd trimester)
Not sleeping
Anticipation of when labor will begin (this sitting here and waiting is killing me)
Anxiety
Sensitivity to...well, everything and everyone!!!
Nesting
Driving everyone around me NUTS
The unknowns...of pregnancy, having a newborn, being a parent
Unpredictability

**This list is not exhaustive. I will be back and updating this list as more things pop into my head!

5 Things

2010-09-08T10:22:00.000-04:00

5 Things I wish I could do right now:

1. Sleep (Why, oh, why can't I just fall asleep? I am so tired! Could it be that I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little one?)
2. Wear cute shoes where my feet aren't bulging around the edges (stupid swelling)
3. Bend over and touch my toes
4. Curl up in a little ball
5. Have this baby - Seriously (I mean, I am a little anxious but I am ready to get this show on the road. Anticipation is killing me.)

A Labor Day with No Labor

2010-09-07T10:20:00.000-04:00

I guess the point of Labor Day is for us to take a break and enjoy the fruits of our daily labor by taking time to relax. Let me tell you...it is hard to relax when you feel you could go into "labor" at anytime. Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoyed my 3 day weekend away from work, and I think my hubby and I did a good job of mixing relaxation (lying around on the couches; taking naps; spending time with family; watching football) with getting some stuff done around the house (regular household chores and maintenance; last minute nesting/baby stuff).

There is nothing relaxing about wondering if today is going to be the day that the labor begins, however. I started my weekend off thinking that I was going to go into labor. I just knew it. Or maybe I was just syking myself out. My due date is not until 9/20/10, but techinically speaking (okay...not so technically), the baby is ripe and can come at anytime. If what I have been told (by doctors, books, and birthing class instructor) is true, there are at least some indicators that should have clued me in on the fact that this Labor Day weekend was not going to be a laboring affair for me.

First, most first pregnancies go past the original due date (this is my first). Second, white women tend to have longer incubation periods for their babies (in case you haven't noticed, I'm a whitey). Third, the course of a woman's pregnancy (and labor) is likely to be similar to that of her mother (my mom was a week late with me; right on time with my brother). Fourth, even though the baby is considered full-term at 37 weeks, it is possible for the baby to wait as long as 42 weeks before making the debut into this world.

This Labor Day weekend marked the end of my 37th week, and Labor Day (monday) was the kick-off to my 38th week. So, I am thinking that I still have some time...to sit and wait and wish...for this baby to make it's appearance, but one never really knows when the ball is going to get rolling on this labor thing. I went into this weekend thinking labor and birth were imminent, and I headed back to work today believing that this baby is going to stay cozy on the inside for a while. I just need to RELAX and quit trying to predict when it will happen!

38 weeks 1 day

This picture was taken prior to my appointment today, and I just got back from the appointment. No real news to report other than the baby sounds "happy" and the heartbeat is strong. There is no real dilation to report at this time, so I am still left to sit and wait.

The doctor I saw today is the one that my husband and I find to be a real jerk. I was hoping this appointment would leave me feeling differently about her, but it didn't. And you know how Murphy's Law goes, Dr. Jerky-pants will most likely be the doctor-on-call and the one in the delivery room when the time comes. Maybe I'll "accidentally" kick her in the face when I am pushing or just blow a big fart at her (I know, I know! I shouldn't wish or do harm to anyone! BUT when you are pregnant, these primal instincts and feelings just surface and there is no filter left not to share them with everyone. So I do apologize!)

On a positive note, I am feeling good and getting more and more excited with each passing day. I think we're both ready to meet this baby and start life as our own little family!

Flashback Friday

2010-09-03T10:19:00.000-04:00

1/1/10
We had no idea we were pregnant...but we were!

Introducing...

2010-09-02T10:16:00.001-04:00

...our little black furry baby!!!

Name: Dimby Weight: ~80lbs Breed: Lab/Chow Mix Age: 7 yrs

Okay, so Dimby is not our new baby, but he is and always will be our little black furry baby. He's been with us for a while (since 2003). He's such a sweet pup and loves everyone. He is a go-with-the-flow kind of dog (except when I vacuum).

This is where I found Dimby this morning...just chilling in the nursery as I got ready for work. He LOVES this room. I think he believes that we redid this room just for him. Since the room has been completed, we often find him sprawled out on the carpet. Maybe it is his quiet place. Maybe he is trying to get his "stink" in the room since it is so fresh and clean. Maybe he already feels a connection with this baby-to-be.

One thing I am sure of is that my little black furry baby is going to be my best friend when it comes to late night feedings. I look forward to him keeping me company as I stumble into the room to check on the baby and to feed the baby. It's good to know that there is going to be someone (or some dog) by my side, and I don't have to do it alone. (And yes, my hubby will be helping me out, too. But there is only so much he can do when his boobies don't hold the food source for the baby!)