He Climbs!

So, in an attempt to track me down my son climbed all the stairs this morning! This is brand new. He has never climbed a step before today.

It was amazing and scary to watch all at the same time. He was so proud of himself too, laughing and smiling the whole time.

I can't believe it's going to be Christmas on Saturday. I am almost ready. Just a tiny bit more wrapping. I have to work tomorrow, but I'm off Friday, so hopefully everything will come together by then!

I hope you are all ready for your holiday's, I don't know how the time slipped away from us this year, it's pretty crazy. I'm hoping to cherish each moment, and hope you all do the same!

Birthday Post

I'm going to be 28 tomorrow. I don't know where the last year has gone to even get to my birthday again. Seriously. I somehow gave birth, and raised a kid to be almost 10 months old. I am a working mom who tries her best to keep a good house & a happy family. Where has the time gone?!?!

I'm happy - I couldn't ask for anything more in my life right now. Great family, friends, a job that I'm happy with, a home. Really - everything a 28 year old could dream of!

But with my birthday means that Christmas is only a week away. I'm not done shopping, I have barely started my wrapping, and I'm insanely exhausted.

For my birthday I would love a good nights sleep that allows me to sleep in too!

But, I'm also happy with the pearl necklace & earring my son picked out for me too!

The Card

Well, I blogged a while ago about my Christmas card! Most people have gotten it, and if I don't have your address you will never get your own! So, here it is :) Enjoy!

Starlight Colored Snowflakes Christmas

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Sleeping Training & Tongues

This is the normal look of my kid most days. He is always sticking out his tongue & thinks that it is the funniest thing in the world when you mimic him. I'm not sure why he started, or when he will stop - but for now it is the cutest thing! (Also, please do not mind the explosion of toys behind Grayson - that's what the living room looks like 99% of the time anymore.)

Now, to the primary reason for this post --- SLEEP TRAINING! Yes, you have read that right, and yes I am talking about my house. After 9 long months of a baby that just doesn't want to sleep without waking up 2-6 times a night (There was a 2 week period that he did sleep through the night and it was heaven), we are sleep training! Well, Steve is doing the brunt of the work, but I'm there for moral support (and to take over if needed).

We started Tuesday night. Grayson woke up for the first time and screamed from 10:30pm to 12am. He then woke up around 2am, ate and went right back to sleep - slept until 6:15am.

2nd night - woke up around 10:30pm and screamed until 11:40pm. Woke up at 5am, ate and went right back to sleep. He slept until 6:45am.

3rd night - woke up around 9:30pm. and screamed until 10:35ish. So, at this point we are at one hour of screaming. Progress! He then woke up around 2am, ate a little but didn't go right back to sleep, took about 15-20 minutes for him to fall back asleep, he just wanted to sit up and cry. We wouldn't let that happen! He then woke up at 6am on the button this morning.

We have gone from 2-6 wakings, 2-3 feedings a night to 2 wakings and 1 feeding. Hopefully after a few more days he won't be screaming for over an hour. That's my hope anyway. Only time will tell. Then once we get over that hurdle we will eliminate the one feeding that is left. I'm praying we get lucky enough that he just gets rid of it on his own, we shall see!

Our First Thanksgiving

Well, Grayson's first Thanksgiving has come and gone! He ate a little bit of turkey, and some stuffing & some corn. He seemed to enjoy house hopping to meet his great-grandmother (my mom's mom) for the first time ever. I will be calling her "GG" to try to make it simple for Grayson as he is learning who people are.

He also met his Aunt Alley for the first time! I now think he has met all of his immediate family. There are many more cousins of mine and aunts and uncles of mine but that is extended family that it could take years for him to meet. Some that he might not ever meet.

Now we are going to move head first into the Christmas season! We don't do a real tree - I have never had one and I have never been into the idea of having one. But the current tree that we have is 7 feet tall & I have to string the lights on it! I'm very much over that - so we are going to go out today and get a nice small (5 to 6 feet) pre-lit tree.

And then, tonight, my husband and I are going out to celebrate the fact that we have been married for 2 years today. My how the time flies on by.

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday!

US Airway Complaint

So, as I wrote about yesterday, I am going to Atlanta at the end of January! This will be my first time there, I'm going to be meeting some amazing women for the first time - and it will be my last time flying with US Airway.

Why you ask? Well, here is a little story about terrible pricing issues & even worse customer service.

On Tuesday morning around 9am I finally got around to booking my flights for my trip. The ticket price, each way and before taxes, was $137. So I paid $300 totally for the trip. Fine.

At 1:30pm-ish a co-worker went to the site to check the prices, she too is traveling to GA (for work). Now, the tickets that I just paid $137/per ticket for are only $74/each. WHAT?!?! How is that possible, only 5 hours later that they are charging LESS for the tickets?

Obviously if I canceled and re-booked they would charge me more than the $126 I would have been saving (can you believe it?!?!) So, I decided to contact Customer Service and the CEO of US Airway to complain. See if I could get something out of it, even if they wouldn't give me back the $126 they stole.

Today I get a response from a CS representative, Rose Kass, and she explains to me that ticket prices go up as the seats book and become less avaliable to the public.

What?!?!

So - since I booked my flight at 9am that morning, a seat was taken up, and now they are going to charge $63 less a ticket because of that? No -wait - according to Rose they should be going up, not down.

I emailed her back, and in slightly nicer words told her that she is an idiot who didn't even bother to read my email in the first place because her reply didn't even pretain to my complaint.

I know they don't care, I know I'm only one traveler, but you know what? I think what I have to say is important, and I think they are screwing people daily and don't give a shit. I'm sure I won't get another reply, I'm sure I will be black listed now, but whatever, I needed a place to vent, and sadly, the terrible Customer Service at US Airway is the only place I had to go.

Let the Craziness Begin!

So, this weekend is going to kick off an endless amount of craziness in my life! I don't remember my life being this busy before my son came into the picture.

This weekend I'm doing a spa day with some friends - The Hershey Spa. An amazing experience if you can ever get there. Then Sunday I have a Baptism for my cousin's 3rd baby.

Fast forward to Thursday - Thanksgiving! Then Friday is shopping & hanging with family & then a concert in Atlantic City that night. Saturday is a baby shower for a dear friend, then Sunday is my 2 year wedding anniversary. I took off Monday because of all this craziness.

Then December. We have plans with friends and my mom's birthday right in the first weekend. The weekend after that is currently open. But with all the shopping and living that happens in Decemeber, I don't imagine a moment to myself. My birthday is the 17th & the 18th is my work holiday party. I'm also getting my hair cut that day!

And then Christmas. I don't even want to think about all the running around. Then some quiet time.

The end of January is going to be so amazing. I'm going to Georgia to meet up with some awesome GPMs! Even though I'm flying - alone - with my then to be 11 month old baby, it's still going to be a great time for us all. Be jealous, it's okay.

Holiday Cards!

So, I am blogging today about holiday cards. I'm so excited to do our first family holiday card this year. I'm going to use Shutterfly (as I do for all things photo related!).

I have used Shutterfly for years, but now that I have had Grayson I have made a photo album every single month. Not to mention the "best of months 1-6" album I put together for those friends or family that doesn't want to flip through all the albums, though who wouldn't wan to do that? Then there are numerous pictures I printed out to plaster all over my office. I can't look around without seeing my son's smiling face.

I also make a calendar a year, ever since Colleen made me one years ago, I just knew a run-of-the-mile calendar with cats or sayings just wouldn't cut it. It's a Christmas gift from me to me every year.

Now it's time for the next generation of things I can use Shutterfly for - making a photo holiday card to mail to family and friends with my son's cute cute face on them!!! I'm torn between a couple of the options there though. There is the "Season of Joy" or the "Snowflake Reflections Cocoa" cards that I like. I think it's fun to have a few different pictures to show off in either of these 2 cards. But, then again, if we do one family shot of the 3 of us something like "Snowy Starry Pines" or "Christmas 2010" would really do a better job of showing us off. If you take a look at them, do you have a thought about it?

So, plan to see a card from my little family this year in your mailbox, and you will just have to be surprised on whether I'm just showing off my kid in cute clothes, or if you will see all 3 of our happy smiling faces!!!

Now, if you would like to get something awesome from Shutterfly for blogging about their products - check this out!

Our 1st Halloween

Even though he is in bed early (he went down at 6:30pm - almost unheard of!) He seemed to have a good day. He was so cute as a little monster - and even though he didn't really want to wear the hat - he still put it on long enough for us & for us to get some cute pictures!

All the grandparents came over, and we all had a fun afternoon. It's so funny to watch Grayson grow up - and halloween is part of it all.

Then Grayson thought that today would be a great day to start walking! He of course was holding onto his walking toy and pushing it along, but he stayed up and he walked. And he laughed while he was doing it.

I don't know why my kid thinks everything has to be done at warp speed - but that's how he wants to do it, so I'm just going along for the ride :)

The Pumpkin Patch

What a great family fun day! It was Grayson's first time in the pumpkin patch & it was mine too! He was so willing to hang out and just get his picture taken in every way we placed him. It's just so fun and amazing to take him to do new things. Even if he isn't going to remember them - at least not this time.

This is his only childhood - I am definitely going to make the most of it for him. The best that I can, and the best that I know how.

Some fun after yesterday :)

TV isn't the devil

I'm going to hop up onto my soapbox for a couple of minutes. And I know that there are many parents out there that don't agree with this, and quite frankly - I just don't understand why.

There are many activities for children, of all ages. From reading, to playing outside, to playing video games, doing homework, hanging out with friends or family - the possibilities are endless it seems. And I have to say - watching a little TV is on that list too.

Your child isn't going to become dumber or hate his parents because he watches TV in moderation. I'm not saying leave it on 24/7 and plop your kid down in front of it to watch - I'm saying, finding something that he or she can enjoy for 20 minutes to half an hour every day or so isn't really a big deal. They might actually learn something, hell you might too!

This is something I think parents have taken to the extreme, like so many things. They hear about the studies and think "Oh no, the TV was on today, my kid is going to get fat!!!" Well, seriously they wont, unless you are letting them eat a tub of ice cream while they are watching TV and then chain them to the couch so they can never get up to play.

My son loves Yo Gabba Gabba. The characters make him laugh, the songs make him smile & in his small age of 8 months old, he can already wiggle and giggle along with the music. 20 minutes a day.

His favorite activity in the whole wide world right now is going outside to play with a giant pine tree in our yard. Even though he watches TV, he still likes being outside. Another thing he likes? Is to watch me read him a book & try to close it the whole time - I think he is testing to see if I know it by heart yet. His favorite toy right now? An empty box. He sit forever, by himself, just playing with and talking to this box. God only know what he is imagining & what he is pretending it is. He can use his imagination, even though he watches TV.

Can you believe it? A kid that watches TV but likes to do other things too?

We are even planning some family trips within the next few months, even though I think it's okay that he watches TV sometimes. The zoo, an Aquarium or two, back down to OC MD next summer. We even take walks in the park as much as we can.

My son is ahead of the curve when it somes to motor AND vocal skills. I'm okay with the fact that MAYBE the TV helps the vocal along. I don't know all the words to all the songs, I don't know everything about anything and I can't buy all the books in the world to teach is all to him.

So, maybe those 20 minutes really help him. Or maybe it just makes him smile. And he still smiles when he spends time with me and his father, our other family members, and his friends at daycare. Watching TV isn't the only thing he wants to do. And I know, as his mother, that I can moderate that through-out his whole childhood. I don't have to say "no way, none at all!" because I'm affraid that he might like to do that more then spend time with me someday. Hell, I hope there is SOMETHING (like reading, or learning new things with his friends) that later in life he wants to do besides spend time with me. How else is his going to learn to be independent?

He can recognize characters too! Oh no, now that might just be too much, and I guess I shouldn't tell you about the dancing Broby doll I'm getting him for Christmas. I know - maybe I should have gotten a generic dancing doll, but I know this one is going to put a smile on his face, so that's why I picked it.

I don't care if you do or don't let your kids watch TV - but judging other parents because they do, especially if they still spend time with their kids otherwise? Thinking that TV is going to make all kids rotten, and those parents are terrible for letting their kids watch it at all? I think that's a little ridiculous. Thinking it's going to ruin them forever if they might like a specific character, or might ask to watch a certain program... really? Is it that big a deal? Didn't you watch TV growing up, don't you watch TV now? Don't you like to do other things besides watch TV too?

I know, it's the trendy thing to do now, hate TV. But, I think you need to give your kids - of all ages - some credit, it's just TV.

8 Months Later....

Tomorrow Grayson is going to be 8 months old. I don't know how that happened. Almost daily, I will look at him and I still can't believe that I'm the mommy to this cute, wonderful & lively little man. Seeing him smile - completely light up - when I walk into the room he is in, or when he looks around to find me because he just needs to look at me, this is priceless and it amazes me that he really cares that much. 8 months old.

My baby who babbles endlessly (even in his sleep sometimes!), who is crawling around so fast I can't keep up with him, who claps every time he is sitting still for even a moment... who is already getting into trouble at every turn. Who is pulling himself up and I swear is going to start cruising any day now... 8 months old!

Where does the time go? How can I cherish it even more than I already am? How can I stop blinking so that I don't even miss that split second as he is growing up at warp speed?

What a mixed bag of emotions, my heart aches as I watch him learning new things everyday, while at that same moment I am his biggest cheerleader and couldn't be prouder while he goes head-first into life.

What a wonderful 8 months it has been, and I can't wait to see what the next 8 month (and beyond!) bring.

A Mobile Baby

Well, it all started with Grayson pulling up on things. And then, on October 1, 2010 - he full out got up on his hands and knees and just started crawling around the living room. Amazing. I can't even believe how much he loves moving around & how much trouble he can get into already! So, let the baby proofing begin. Should be fun :)

On another note, it's 5:45am - we have been up since 5am. Apparently now is a good time to be awake and playing. Just incase you weren't sure.

There are bugs in my formula Mommy....

No, not really - at least I hope not. But of course, after many many months of trying different formulas and having issues with pretty much every single one of them - we had found the holy grail of formulas (at least for Grayson) - Similac Sensitive R.S. This stuff did wonders for all of our lives.

Then yesterday we find out that the 3 formula packages I had just recently purchased (at $23 a pop mind you), 2 of which Grayson had already finished, could very likely have beetles and/or beetle larvae in it. Ew, ew, ew, ew. Oh yea, and barf.

What the hell! I spend $100s of dollars a month to feed my kid what is suppose to be "the best formula on the market" and it has bugs and bug eggs in it?

Then the kicker - I got back to my local Babies R Us to return the one container that we hadn't quite finished yet to return it. And they had no idea that this recall existed. I have known all day, and I'm just a consumer not the distributer. And there were so many containers of this crap on the shelves. And when I told them about the recall they just looked at me all dumb - um, hello you are selling bug babies to people who are in turn feeding it to their infants. Doesn't this disgust you enough to even go and check if I might be telling the truth? Do you think that coming out to Babies R Us after working for 9 hours and screwing up my baby's schedule is my idea of fun on a Wednesday night? I think not.

I would love to dive into why stores hire the dumbest people on earth to handle customer service issues. But I think I should save that for another post.

For now, just rest assured that I *hope* I'm no longer forcing my child to ingest bugs. And I hope the same for you too!

Still Sick

Well, at least that's what I think. Less than 2 weeks after stopping the antibiotics from last time, the ear infections are back & the cough & the runny nose. Grayson is on a new antibiotic now! Hopefully it will work. If not, we might be moving onto a nebulizer next week.

Somehow my kid is still in good spirits through all of this. It's so amazing to me. He is happy 95% of the time when he is awake, he is laughing, playing, enjoying life. Nights are a little touch and go - but I can't blame him. When I had an ear infection not too long ago, I would have cried 1/2 the night without some heavy duty meds to help - and he gets nothing stronger than tylenol.

Well, here's hoping that in a couple of days he will feel like himself again!

7 Months Later...

Grayson is 7 months old today. He is trying really hard to crawl. He can get up on all 4's. He can rock. Then he moves forward and just ends up on his belly and arm crawls backwards! He will get there.

He has done something new on his "month birthday" all along - so we wouldn't be surprised if he gets it down by the end of the day. We shall see!

I can't wait to do his photo shoot tonight. I have my new camera & I'm going to rock it out with some cuteness! Then I get started on the 7th month album. Yes, I have put together a photo album for every single month so far. My goal is one for every month until 1 year. I can't believe we are going to be more than 1/2 way there.

He is definitely this little person with a big personality. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Right out after Coming in

I'm talking about the paycheck. You know what I mean. You work your ass of 40+ hours a week to make the money to keep your family going. And I don't know about you, but I feel like I don't get to see it at all! It's already heading out the door (i.e. in the form of a check, or a bill-pay set up) before pay-day even comes upon me.

Don't get me wrong - I know that if I didn't work then nothing would be getting paid, period. But I really don't feel like I'm doing anything special, or what not.

I guess I'm just babbling now - but I do wish I was about to have a money room to swim around in like Scrooge McDuck for in an hour before the bill people come knocking at my door!

Here Come the Teeth!

So this evening we were excited, delighted, and a little saddened by the discovery of Grayson's 2 front bottom teeth making their appearance.


When I stuck my finger in his mouth & felt them he gave me a little smile. He seems so proud of his new teeth.


I'm going to get a picture tomorrow to share!!!

The Pinkeye is gone!

Grayson had a follow up appointment for his ear infections and pinkeye for 10 days ago. Grayson first got pinkeye when he started daycare at about 11 weeks old. My husband and I swear that it never.went.away. We had the eye creams, we had doctor's tell us it was a clogged duct, we had eye goop everywhere!

This morning, he finally got a clean bill of health for his eye (and ears!). But he is still rubbing his eyes constantly. I am thinking allergies, since I'm a seasonal sufferer myself. So I had my husband say something to the doctor when he took in the baby today.

Apparently I can just give him some Zyrtec! Who knew. So for lunch today I will be running to CVS in search of the liquid version of this magical drug. I'm hoping it will clear things up, make this unswaddling at bedtime easier & give my kid a much needed break from feeling crappy almost all the time.

No Motivation

It is terrible that it is 9am on a Monday morning & I can't even find the strength to look at the pile of work sitting on my desk, let alone do it. I have 2 calls to return from the weekend. I just can't bring myself to pick up the phone. I fear my boss walking in here and seeing the pile of work, and me seemingly not doing it.

Why, you might ask, am I not super happy to be in the greatest place on earth (please note the sarcasm)? Because I had one of the worst nights sleep that I've had in months!

I bought Grayson a Magic Sleep Suit, or whatever they are called, in the hopes that it would help with our transition from swaddle to not swaddled while sleeping. He went down between 7:30-8pm & it went very smoothly. He slept until about 11:15pm, when he woke for a feeding (we are down to 3 oz, we are working hard on cutting out these 2 feedings a night). But then he woke up at 12am, then 1am & he wouldn't let me put him down!

We gave up the suit for the night and swaddled him up good. But then he still woke up at 2am (I fed him another 3 oz) then sometime in the 3 & 4am hours. Finally when Steve got him down that time, he stayed down until 6:45am.

So now my ass is dragging all over the ground, I am working on like my 4th can of Diet Dr Pepper... and I'm praying that by staring my computer screen I seem like the most attentive worker in the building....

I don't know if I can handle another night tonight like that!

It's Friday Again!

So, it's the end of the working week, or it will be at 5pm. My husband is working tomorrow, again, so it's not like I'm going to have lots of family fun time or anything. But not having to be in the office is good enough for me.

Grayson has been amazingly happy lately! He has always been a "happy baby" but he just seems so much more into everything lately. I can't wait to go pick him up from my parents house tonight.

I wonder if it's because he is eating solids 3 times a day now. He is on stage 2 foods & he is eating 3 full containers a day now! And still getting 24-28oz of formula a day too. Boy can my little man eat.

I need to go buy a jacket & coat for him. It makes me sad to have to do this, I'm not a big fan of fall - it's nice, but spring is better. And I hate winter. And I'm dreding it even more than normal now because we will have Grayson to lug around in the stupid cold weather.

But for now I'm dreaming of 5pm & going to play with my little one...

So much to do....

And so little time. My house is just a mess! This morning while I should have been getting ready for work, there I was scrubing my toilet because I just can't take it anymore! I need some days to just clean & have no baby or husband or anything to distract me.

We need a cleaning lady, someone to come in a couple of times a month and really getting things clean for me, I don't want to waste my time doing it - I would much rather spend my time with my family - and it shows. This is why I don't want people to come to my house, and see what slobs we are.

I hate it, and myself for letting it get this way.

A New Bath Tub

Monday in the Park

We had a great couple of hours in the park with Grayson today. I played with my new camera, we looked at trees, he watched kids playing. It was a much better way to spend a Monday then being at work.

It was a great 4 day weekend with friends and family. Spending so much time with my little man was so great. I definitely wish that we could do this more often.

This weekend Grayson, who has been trying to eat puffs for a couple of weeks now, finally ate a puff without gagging on it! I feel like we are heading in the right direction with food. He does love to eat, I'm trying to get him to enjoy things that aren't mush - looks like it might be working.

I Got A New Camera

So, we splurged today - Grayson now has 'big boy car seats' for the cars, and I got a new camera! I am no where near ready for a DSLR but I am kind of tired on the point-and-shot camera because the pictures aren't the best.

So we got the Canon S90 today! I am already in love. I have the control of many features of a DSLR but without the big bulkiness. I am going to get amazing with it & then we will very likely get a DSLR sometime next year. But for now, I'm happy with what we got!

As for the car seats - we picked the Evenflow Momentum 65 LX. It is HUGE but Grayson is enjoying it - he has taken 2 naps already.

Tomorrow we are going to a BBQ & Monday we are going to do a family day in the park so I can play with my camera! Tomorrow is a baby-free party, so it wont be as fun to play with my camera there.

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.

Moments to Remember

We are all fixated on many things when it comes to our babies. Especially when it comes to sleep. "My baby needs to Sleep through the night", "My baby needs to go down awake, and be able fall asleep alone", "My baby needs to go to sleep without a bottle!".... so on and so on.

But, one of the best things in the world is rocking your baby to sleep. Watching your little one fall asleep in your arms, seeing the angel-like face pressed against your arm.

In 15 years my kid is not even going to want to talk to me, let alone have me rock him to sleep. And you know what, in 15 years the fact that I could put him down in his crib awake & he can cry and then fall asleep without me really isn't going to matter.

The memories of seeing my six month old drifting into dream land while laying in my arms is going to be with me forever.

They're Back!

After running some errands today at lunch, I decided to swing by Wendy's to grab something quick on my way back into the office. Now, months ago they had "Spicy Nuggets" - and they were wonderful! I would go there (more than I care to admit) and order them all the time. Then - they were gone.

Imagine my surprise when I got there today and there were signs all over for the "SPICY NUGGETS" I ordered a ten piece and finished them off before I was parking my car at work.

I'm so excited! What an awesome surprise in the crappy week that is my life!

Having a Sick Baby Sucks More

Well, Grayson has a double ear infection & pink eye. Not to mention the terrible congested cough he has. The doctor said his lungs are clear, but he is very congested. I hate feeling like there is nothing I can do for him. I hate that he is in pain (though he is a very happy sick baby) and I hate that I can't just make him all better.

I'm hoping to make it through a full day at work tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me.

Being Sick Sucks

Really, it sucks being sick. And not having the ability to lay down and get better sucks even more!

That is really all I have to say today. I'm trying to rush through my work so I can see if the boss lady will let me go home sick this afternoon.

Busy Sunday

So, we went to breakfast - then we decided, "what the heck, let's take Grayson to visit all his grandparents today!" So, we went to my ILs & then to my parents. My parents fed us dinner. Yummy.

Then we decided, "hey why don't we leave the baby here and go see a movie!" and my wonderful husband was nice enough to escort my sister and I to see "Vampires Suck". It was funny and had it's stupid moments too. And it was a very enjoyable couple of baby free hours.

After my "3 day weekend" (I was home Friday but I was sick!) I have a 4 day work-week ahead of me followed by a very scheduled and much needed 4 day weekend. I can't wait!

But, first things first. Some much needed sleep, I'm still not feeling 100% - and I have a missing voice to prove it.

Napping Baby

It's 10am on a Saturday morning, and my baby has been sleeping for 20 minutes now. Which, is a good thing because after him being awake at 4am and not wanting to go back to sleep, and then finally going back down at 5:15am and waking up at 7:30am for the day - this mommy is tired!

And I'm feeling a little emotional today too - not really sure why though!

Today we are going to visit an old work friend, who remains to be a good friend of mine to this day. I'm excited because she has a son, who I haven't seen in a while & I know she isn't going to act weird or strange around me and Grayson and she is going to enjoy our company! Which, I really need today.

Tomorrow Steve isn't going to have to work, which is awesome, and we can have a family day!

I just need to say I'm grateful for my for my healthy, wonderful baby & and amazing husband

Overwhelmed

Seriously one of the worst feelings in the world. There is always someone that needs something - be it at work, home, extended family, etc. There is always another bill, or another random expense that pops up. There is always a birthday, or holiday or charity. There is always something the baby needs, or we need, or food shopping to do. The daycare is charging something new or something goes wrong with the house or a car.

I can't even remember the last time I felt in control of my life or anything in it. I keep trying to swim, but the water keeps weighing me down.

I really hope I don't drown.

Day Care Politics

Well, let's just say that Grayson did not have a good day yesterday after his doctor appointment. He ended up not eating, not napping, crying the afternoon away and ending his day with a fever of 101.something.

Needless to say, I got a phone call to get him. Our daycare just loves to call and make me pick my kid up, even though I'm paying them $850 a month to watch him for 8 hours a day, 3 days a week.

"Well, it's not a big deal, but Grayson has a fever of 101 & we know he had shots today and that's most likely why, but it's 4:30 so I thought you could come get him." Now, this mommy ran out the door, but it was for my kid not the daycare.

Then I got this gem "well, his eye is pussing & we know he has a clogged tear duct, but we had pink eye in the room last week, so who knows." ::::insert angry look::::: - I know, I know that when my kid crys for a long time, which he apparently did for hours on end today, his eye(s) get goopy. You people aren't dumb, please put 2 and 2 together here.

I took him home, gave him some drugs. He was sleeping by 6pm & had a pretty rough night. He finally ate for the first time pretty much all day at 9:30pm. The night went up hill from there. This morning I have a laughing happy baby again.

My husband shared with me, that this morning while he was dropping Grayson off, a couple of the baby-room ladies were complaining about a different baby in the room. Things like "she crys all day, and won't nap. This can't keep happening."

Um, Hello - YOU WATCH BABIES FOR A LIVING. If you don't like kids that cry & don't follow a strict schedule, maybe you should move to a room of 5 or 6 year olds. Ugh. This is why I get phone calls every time my child makes a peep, because you don't seem to want to do your job!

I like the school, it's private, close to home and work, lets me have a baby there only 3 days a week - but you know what, I have to go to work every day and I'm expected to do my job, even when it isn't easy. I should be able to expect no less from the people that I'm paying to take care of the most important thing in my life.

Who, by the way, pulled himself up into a standing position for the first time today. My 6 month old is just moving too fast!

My Baby Is Getting Bigger

So, today was Grayson's 6 month appointment. He is currently 17lbs12oz & 26.5 inches long. He is average for his age. I'm so glad things are going so well with him, it's wonderful! He had a rough time with the shots today, worse then in the past, but after 15 minutes of his Mommy & Daddy trying really hard - he smiled and stopped crying.

Apparently when he got to daycare today he started flirting with a new baby girl that just start that is the same age that Grayson is. Look at my little baby go!

I definitely can't wait to get out of work & see how his day went when I pick him up this evening. I'm hoping it went well.

Becoming a mom

I have to say that people seem to get the wrong impression about women who are new mom's. Or maybe mom's in general. Just because I now have a child doesn't mean I'm not the same person.

Yes, my priorities have changed a little. Now I have to think "okay, I want to go out next weekend - who can we get to baby sit?" or "well, as nice as it would be to go out to dinner - the baby is already down for the night, so maybe we should just order in."

But the things and people I like have not changed. I still like wine, I still liking going out and having fun. I still like my friends - even the ones that don't have babies, or don't want babies. I shouldn't be shoved in a corner with other mommies & be told "now, you can only hang out with people with other babies".

That kinda would suck if it were true - seeing that I don't know many people in real life with children. And the few that I do, I try to hang out with every once in a while - but my every outing doesn't have to revolve around kids. It would be nice to get dressed up, go to a trendy bar or resturant, go to a club with my girlfriends to dance, or just maybe going out for dinner and bowling.

I may be a part of a new crowd of people now, but I still want to be a part of the old crowd too - and even if you never have a kid someday, and never fully understand "my feelings" doesn't mean you can't understand my feelings as a person, the same person I was before starting my family.

A Fun Saturday

Well, the 6 month birthday has come to pass - and now we move on to an awesome Saturday! My college roommate (Dana) is here to visit for the weekend. We are all going a pool party at our bestest friends house. Then tonight I'm going to hang out, drink wine, and pour over old college photos.

It's going to be great!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

6 Months ago....

At this time 6 months ago, I was in labor. I would be in labor until 3:30pm when the decision was made that I needed a c-section. I would have to wait until 4:14pm to hear my baby cry for the first time.

I can't believe that 6 months have already gone by, looking back it does feel like a blur, though some of those days I remember thinking were dragging on forever.

At 6 Months:

~Grayson is officially babbling! As of yesterday, he is saying "da da, ba ba" and going on and on, instead of just squealing and yelling.

~Grayson started sitting, unassisted, 1 month ago yesterday.

~Grayson is an amazingly happy baby that I really can't imagine not having in my life anymore.

I hate that I have to be at work today, instead of spending the day with him, but he got lots of hugs & kisses (with a couple of tears!) this morning. 5pm can't come quickly enough.

Beautiful Sleep....

So last night was night 3 of us swaddling Grayson up again! It has been a little piece of heaven. Last night, he slept until 3:30am, got a bottle - went back down and didn't wake up until I woke him up at 7am.

The night before he slept until like 11pm, got a bottle & then slept until I woke up him at 7am. It has all been just wonderful. I told Steve that we would be swaddling him until college, his response was "We are going to need larger blankets". Damn straight we are, this kid is going to Sleep through the night if it kills me!

On another note, I have had a headache for 24 hours now that I just can not shake. I have taken my allergy medicine. Still here. I have taken advil (4 at a time). Still here. What the heck! Any good remedies out there from anyone?

::::looks at the ticker to the right::::: anyone notice that I am down another 2 lbs? I am so happy I could just fly! And I'm going to start a yoga class next week to go along with the eliptical workout I'm doing. I'm hoping on yoga 3 days a week & the eliptical 3 days a week. I'm going to get in shape damn-it!

Wordless Wednesday

You have to do what works for you!

We had been trying to un-swaddle our baby. Was he rolling in his sleep? No. Was he fighting the swaddle? No. Then why, you ask, were we trying to un-swaddle him? Mainly because I thought that at 6 months old he shouldn't be sleeping in a swaddle anymore.

So we gave it a try, we went all out - waking up every hour or more. We tried just his arms swaddled - but he would kick and wake himself up anyway. We stopped swaddling at naps, and now he sleeps for crap during the day. Nothing was working, we all were losing sleep, he is back to 2 feedings at night when there was a time he wasn't waking up to eat at all, everything is just plan wrong. And to top it off, my baby that would wake up happy and smiling most morning was now waking up crying and sometimes out right grumpy. That is no way for anyone to start the day!

So, after some very sound advice from some very awesome e-friends, last night we put him back in his full swaddle, and it was the best nights sleep we have all had in a while. He still woke up at 10pm and 3am for his 2 feeding that he *thinks* he needs (we are going to be weaning these - well at least the 10pm one), but otherwise we all just slept right through.

Grayson woke up for the day at 6:45am & he was as happy as could be. Smiles, coo-ing, just one big ol' happy baby. And of course, then one happy Mama.

Week 3 begins

I may have not eaten the best this past weekend - but I did stick to my workout schedule & I still am feeling pretty good! I can see a difference. Especially in pictures. I see a picture from 3-4 weeks ago and then look at one that I took yesturday, my face already looks thinner. Not to mention my legs are feeling really buff and thinner a little in the thigh area. Now if only I could lose some around the middle I will feel even better about myself.

This is a big week for me - my baby is going to my 6 months old on Friday. How the heck did that happen? Where have the last 6 months gone & how do I get that time back? I want to do a little something for him - it's a big deal that my baby is already going to be 1/2 way to one, but we have a pretty busy weekend ahead. So, I'm not sure I'm going to get to do anything. But I'm thinking that at the rate it's been going, before I know it another 6 months will be gone and I'm going to be planning a first birthday party anyway!

Okay, I have to go breath into a paperbag now. Have a good day!

A Family Day

Today was a great day. Grayson and I started out with a little shopping - he needed some footie PJs because we are starting to un-swaddle when sleeping. Eeck.

Then to the parents for a little bit - followed by a drive to my Aunt's house with my sister! We hung out & had a great time having Grayson visit his Great Aunt.

Then we went to the park for a walk. It was a beautiful day out. Over all Grayson was just so happy and pleasant. I truly wish every day could be like today!

Being Out of Control

Right now in my life, I can honestly say I feel completely out of control. It seems like life is just zooming by at 1 million miles an hour and I just can't keep up. I feel out of touch with my closest friends, I feel like nothing is ever finished, I feel like there is always a huge list of things I need to do, and I feel like I have no idea who I am anymore.

I love being a mom - I may have only been at it for a little under 6 months at this point, but I am enjoying almost everything that comes with this title. (Who can blame me for wanting to give up the poopy diapers!) But I feel like it's the only hat that I wear. And for the brief time that my head has to share a hat (because the mom hat truly never comes off), it's the work hat. Work, home to be a mom, work out, sleep. This is my daily life.

I try figuring out ways to change this - and all I feel is guilt. How can I want to do something that isn't related to my child? It's not like I get to spend much time with him to begin with. How can I want to sit down and watch TV for an hour instead of cleaning bottles, and doing dishes, and preping for the next day? How can I want to eat something for dinner instead of exercising for 45 minutes, taking a shower and going to bed?

The Catholic Guilt I grew up with to a whole new extreme. Pull your seat belts tight everyone! It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Let the Losing Begin!

Notice the new ticker on the left of my post here? I am 3 lbs down! Whoohoo. I'm on the road to losing, it's going to be a trek, and the goal is going to change again when I get to the end of this one. But I'm taking it one day and then one pound at a time.

I will say that a 3lb loss in the first week does help keep me going, which is what I need at the beginning of a diet/exercise routine.

The hardest thing I am finding at this point is keeping the snacks away at work. Well, the bad ones anyway. I am a true fruit eater now. I get hungry, I grab some grapes or a plumb, a banana or a something else sweet and healthy.

Buying them is a pain in the butt, but once it's home it is easy to grab, trust me, I recommend it!

The Tuesday Whirlwind

So, I have come to love and hate Tuesday's all at the same time. I hate them because I have to do it all, and do it all alone after work until bedtime with Grayson. Sometimes it's not a big deal - but when he is a fussy pants, it can be a pain in the butt not having a second pair of hands.

But I love them because I get him home from school and it's just the two of us for a while, you know before all the fussing.

I have moved forward!

I am now on week 2 of my working out, dieting program. I'm already starting to feel better about myself! I really think just the act of working out helps this. Everyone should try it! My personal goal is 5 days a week. I'm doing 5 days a week for 40 minutes right now. My goal is to get up to a full hour.

I'm going to officially weigh myself on Wednesday morning. I have decided that is going to be my "Weigh In Day" - but I cheated a little and stepped back on the scale on Saturday evening. I already dropped 4.5 lbs from when I got on the scale last week and almost had a break down.

I am still higher then my ticker is reflecting - but Wednesday I'm going to officially update the ticker too, push forward, and forget about those 9 lbs that I lost before and just start over again.

I have a goal. Right now it's 20 lbs (from where I was last Wednesday) and I want to get there by Steve's birthday (which is October 17th). That gives me a little over 2 months. We can do it!

I feel like crap

I need to vent. And I'm going to do it here. I feel like crap. I hate how I feel and look. I am on day 4 of my new diet & exercise program. I finally let myself get on the scale. I seriously almost cried. Besides for when I was pregnant, I have never been this fat in life. And I'm going to work on it and change it - but I just can't get there fast enough. Today I am so self-conscious about what I'm wearing and how I look. I truly hate everything about me right now.

I am not going to update my weight ticker - at least not today. I don't think that will help me and my cause at all.

Sitting and Vacation

So - Grayson is now sitting up on his own! It's so great. And he rocks it. He started with tri-pod on a Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning he wasn't using his hands to hold himself up anymore!

Now, he will do it both ways, but he is enjoying his new found "Freedom" of not having to be held every second he wants to be playing with a toy and sitting.

We took Grayson to the beach (Ocean City, MD) for the first time! He had a blast. He thought his feet in the sand & in the ocean was just too funny. He also enjoyed (and slept through a lot of) boardwalk walking. Everyone (men, women & toddlers!) kept fawning over him saying "how cute is that baby!" and believe me, with the amount of babies that were flooding the shore that week, they did not have to say that if they didn't mean it.

Grayson is now 5 months old. Well, 5 months, 1 week & 1 day old. I can't believe how quickly the time is flying. I have to call the doctor's office within the next week to make his 6 month appointment. I knew it was going to move quickly, but seriously, someone stop the ride for at least a day or two.

With having to work full-time I really do feel that I am missing out on things, and I know there isn't anything I can do about it. I haven't missed any milestones - yet - but he is still living and learning, and I am not there to at least witness that. It really is tough somedays.

The 4th of July

Where is the time going? How is it already July? My baby is going to be 5 months old in 16 short days & somehow I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital. The question becomes --- how do you make the time stop, or at least slow down.

I have told myself from day one that I plan on enjoying every second of Grayson's life, even the moments that really suck. And, yet, somehow I feel like I'm not doing it just right.

Can I tell you something that really pisses me off (moving onto a completely different topic, but one that really fits the title of my post) - the stupid ass people setting off fireworks in the streets! Hello, I have a sleeping 4 month old that needs his sleep! And he has a mommy that is enjoying a glass of wine while catching up on some much needed "me" time. And, well, that isn't going to work out too well if these stupid people do not stop shooting off their stupid fireworks! There are plenty of places that are setting them off legally in the area, just go to one of those places and leave the quiet neighborhood alone.

Grayson has had his first day in the pool. He didn't like it. After the picture that you see above, I put his bottom in the pool & he started screaming!!! Not good. We have also found out that Grayson loves sweet potatoes. We are going to move onto a green veggie tomorrow. Hopefully he will like that too.

I have been slacking on my diet. That's why my weight ticker hasn't changed in weeks. But starting Tuesday I am going right back to square one - please wish me luck.