That's the cool thing about shopping on the internet!! Packages arrive in the mail and it's just like Christmas!! WeeeeHA!! I ordered a watch and it got here today. Too bad the instructions for all fancy features are in fourteen languages printed so tiny, I'd have to be 20 years younger to read it all... But still! Packages! Love them!
So the Boy has decided he is not all that interested in my grand plan to get him on a napping schedule. Turns out he's not much interested in napping at all, let alone on a schedule. We had that one great week, then since this last Saturday, it's been Sleepless in Minneapolis. Since we're doing complete turnarounds, I guess I can hold out hope that next week he'll nap 2 hours at a time every day next week. mm-hmmm, yeah, fat chance.
A few pics in the extended entry.
Can't tell if he likes this or not? hehe.
Mommy's keyboard is fun!
The view of our yard on this snowy day:
Why don't those planning it see what's wrong with spending $40 million on the inauguration celebration? Even allowing for the fact that some $12 million will be contributed by supporters (read Big Business who will get special treatment for their investment), it's still a monstrous amount of money to spend on partying.
I wrote a bunch more, but erased it, cause it makes me too fucking mad to be coherent. It boils down to this: A lot of us just plain folks are struggling to get along. It's obscene that a few people will feast, while many worry about how to buy groceries. It's immoral that a few few will be wallowing in luxuries, while many of us worry about how to modestly provide for our families. It's offensive that there will be drinking and dancing, while soldiers and their families suffer separation and fear for thier lives. It's infuriating that the President and his supporters can't see how wrong this is. I'm disgusted.
$28 million. What the fuck?
He will not nap today. gahhhhhhh! I just want to veg out for awhile and there is no vegging... there is only keeping the cranky boy entertained.
I didn't get my bath last night. Instead, the Rock Star and I could not take our eyes off the last several episodes of the 6th season of Buffy. OMG. Evil Willow. We usually just watch one or two, then go to bed...last night I think we watched 5. I'm paying for it today. It's possible I'm just too damned old to be staying up til 3:00 am. Woot! Partay!
Seriously. It is freezing here. As in freezing our asses off. The thermometer on our porch read -14 this morning. Yeah, you read that right...minus fucking fourteen. Yoiks!!!
I'm in the mood for a long hot bubble bath!! I think that's what I'll do tonight. I'll get some lobster boilin' hot water in that tub and sit in it til I'm bright red and pruney. Sorry for the mental picture there folks, just count yourself lucky I don't post an actual pic. Ya'll know I left my modesty in the hospital when I had the baby. Anyhow, I'll soak and read. I'm reading The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Very common sensical. I love how this woman writes and thinks.
The Boy is doing really great on his naps. The next phase of the "Grand Plan" is to get him used to sleeping in his Pack-n-Play bassinet. Right now he naps in his swing, so he's used to the motion while he sleeps. Today I started putting him down for his nap in the swing, but not turning it on, so we'll try that for a few days. Then we'll try the bassinet for naps.
The pediatrician said we should start trying to give him some rice cereal when he's 5 months old. I'm not really sure how I feel about that, but it can't really hurt to try it. Should make for some cute pics!
Some folks in Idaho had a brilliant idea. They created "I did not vote for Bush" black wristbands. I just about sprained my mousing finger getting over there to buy one for the Rock Star and myself. I'd put one on the Boy if I could...
Portions of the proceeds will go to progressive causes and there's a page where you can vote which ones you like best. To buy a wristband, you'll be directed to their Ebay store. I didn't want to bid and wait, so I scrolled clear to last page and found the Buy it Now options. I got 2 for $4.99 plus 1.00 shipping.
I'll wear it 'til it rots off my arm, or until Bush is gone.
[via the fabulous Mac at Pesky Apostrophe]
Last night we went to a friend's to have pizza and watch the extended version of The Two Towers. The Boy fell asleep on the couch while I was holding/nursing him and all was fine. We came home and went to bed and at around 12:30 he woke up. I thought he wanted to nurse so I moved him over to the other side, and he just started screaming. Defcon 5 in one second. I tried to put him on the boob, which ALWAYS calms and comforts him (not to mention quiets him down), but he wouldn't take it. In all of his short life he has never refused the boob. It was wierd and scary. We got up and I checked his diaper and it was fine, but he was still crying really hard. I put him up on my shoulder to pat him and the Rock Star says he spit up a bit, but I didn't hear any farts or burps, but all of a sudden he was calmer. I was able to get him latched on after that and he went to sleep after 15 minutes of nursing. He slept pretty normally all night and seems perfectly fine today. It was scary and weird, but I'm guessing it was nothing. Doesn't stop me from watching him like a hawk all day, though. His napping so far today: 1 - 2:30. A goodly nap. He's having fun with Gramma right now and I'm working on getting all the stuff put away on my NEW DESK!!!! There is so much drawer and shelf space, I don't even know what to do with it all!
The husband has been working with our friends on a contracting crew all week doing sheetrocking. He came home with steaks yesterday, so tonite it's steaks, backed potatoes and a vegetable! mmmmmmm. Yummy!
I finally have some pics. They're in the extended entry:
Drooly:
Toe peeking out:
Daddy decorated the tree, while we watched:
Bundillyicous:
Happy hat day!!:
Mommy smushed the car:
Look at me sittin' up!:
Fun at Santa's house:
With Santa:
My favorite gift on xmas eve:
Flying Boy:
Xmas day with my cousin:
Xmas wore me out:
Mommy figuring out how to wear me on her back:
Baby in a turtleneck!:
Mom's two best guys:
Chillin' at the computer with Dad:
Oh fer pete's sake...stop fuckin' with my routines. Due to Homeland Security the guvmint doesn't want me depositing so many checks in a personal account. I run my business out of a personal checking account and deposit 70-80 checks per month. I've been doing it this way since November of 2000, mind you and now all of a sudden the bank says I have to get a business account. Pain in the ass and all it really amounts to is they get to charge me some more money. So I spend a precious hour on the phone yesterday and today 2 hours in an appointment with a business account banker. At least he came over here to discuss my business needs. I told him I didn't want to take the baby out... Anyhow, funny how I didn't have any "business needs" til someone decides that all these nice people giving me money to watch their pets is a problem...GRRRRR. Anyhow, the guy was nice and will be giving me checks, deposit slips, and deposit stamper (those things cost $20). I don't have to leave the house. Supposedly, he'll be sending it all over. I hope it really works out that easily. Should be up and running as normal by next week. It better be, cuz I don't wanna have to get seriously pissed with them, and they REALLY don't want that either.
Boy went down for a nap at 11:00 am. Sister shows up at 11:05 to help out. Boy sleeps til 2:45. We finally woke him up. Way to waste her time...Great nap though. Yesterday he took two 1 hour long naps, when I had no one here to manage him. Today 3 flippin' hours when I have someone to help. Go figure.
The Boy turned 4 months old yesterday. It was also his 4 month check up with vaccinations. It went a little better than last time. He was breastfeeding when the nurse came to give him the shot and when I unlatched him he started crying. When she gave him the shots he just kept right on crying. Last time he went from 0 to Defcon 5 in a split second and it was very shocking and upsetting for all of us. It didn't seem as bad this time. That doesn't mean I didn't cry though. the Rock Star held him this time, cuz I did such a bad job of it last time. I just sat to the side and got a boob ready. He was slightly feverish all evening and very restless in his sleep. He kicked and flailed his arms continously til I gave him a dose of the children's Tylenol they gave us. About 10 minutes after I gave it to him, he just relaxed in a heap and slept comfortably. In other news at the doctor's office: He is 26 1/2 inches long now (90th percentile) and I was gonna put his weight here, but fuck if I can find the folder from the doctor's office that it's written in. geez. I know I should remember what they told us when he was on the scale, but with the shots and the other activities yesterday, it's escaped me. Plus now that I can't find that damn folder, I'm freaking out. It has the little card they write all his shots on and we need that for lots of different things. I'm sure it'll turn up, but I hate not being able to find things.
The Boy is all over grabbing his feet and pulling them into his mouth! He can entertain himself with this feat for huge chunks of time (10-15 minutes). He is also learning how to laugh. I love the baby giggles and we'll perform any feat of humiliation to elicit them. Last night Daddy was lowering him to the ground to pick up a toy then as he lifted and the Boy dropped it, he'd giggle. It seems like the dropping of the toy was the funny part. For me, he'll giggle I nibble under his chin or tickle his ribs with my chin.
We are still in the process of moving all the pictures onto the new hard drive and the computers to the new office, so I haven't been able to download any new pics from the camers. We have a million of them though.
On the organization front, I completed one whole week of doing my daily tasks. This household is coming together and I feel great about it!!! :)
A big day around here!! the Rock Star lost his sunglasses several months ago and it was a real drag. You know how you have something that works just the way you want it too? A quality product you shopped for and spent real money to buy. Something you used everyday and it really, really solved a problem for you? Well that's what these sunglasses were for him. Quite expensive and not replaceable (they don't make 'em anymore). Not to to mention he looked damn hot in them. Well, they got put somewhere when the remodeling started back in June and we have both lamented their loss many times! I was digging through a box that had formerly been up in a high place and they just fell out! It's so cool! I couldn't wait for him to get home to surprise him, but I did. I laid them on the new desk and waited for him to find them. It was a "HOLY CRAP!!" moment!
The Boy has taken two short naps (45 minutes to an hour each) today and I've managed to do a couple of things I wanted. I set up my serger table and serger where the xmas tree was. Brought up the ironing board and iron and got everything in order and even managed to do a little test stitching on the serger before he woke up from the second nap. It's cool getting my sewing machines going again. I have so many projects in mind, starting with some pants for me!!
The husband is in there making dinner and I came to the computer to find a recipe for dessert later. Got sidetracked by blogging. and now I hear that the Boy pooped for the second time today. Welp, better go take care of that...
Today was a very busy day. My mom came over to manage the Boy, while my sister and I finished taking down the xmas tree and organizing the baby's room. It's a relief to have all of his clothes and toys sorted and a place for everything. The Boy's napping schedule was out of whack because of all the activity, but I did manage to get him down for 45 minutes at a time twice.
The Rock Star has been feverishly working on our new home office and OMG it is gonna be so nice. I can't wait!!! We have beautiful built in desks and 3 times more drawer/filing space than I have now. There's a book shelf above my desk that'll give me even more places to put things! My new beautiful desk is gonna be just two steps away from the family room where the Boy hangs out most of the day, enabling me to more effectively work from home. I love, love, love the way the house is turningout!!! When I look back at how much I dreaded all this remodeling... Of course, it was mega stressful at times, but now it's all so pefect, it's worth it!
Tomorrow is Sunday, my "free day" in the organization plan. I have few things I have to do, and I plan on taking it easy. Every day this week I've gotten everything done I was s'posed too. I even cleaned out the toaster oven today. It's been very satifying to stay on track like this, so I'll reward myself with a day of only doing fun stuff tomorrow! I think I'll go to the library and try to find a couple of fiction books to keep by the nursing spot. Tonight I made the batter for Overnight Waffles. mmmmm, good. We'll sleep in and then make breakfast. I love my life! :)
Yesterday was a wild success in terms of the Boy's nap schedule! He went down around 1 pm and although he fussled and groused about it, fell asleep by 1:20. At 4:30 I had to wake him up cuz we were going to have dinner with the family in a suburb about a half an hour away. I'm very pleased with the whole napping plan progress!!!
One of my tasks for yesterday was to clean the inside of the fridge. I can honestly say I never ever even noticed how grubby it gets in there. I took all the stuff of the shelves and out of the drawers, removed and washed them and washed the inside walls and floor. How the hell does it get so messy? I understand spills and bottle rings on the shelves. I can't figure out how a glob of something gets stuck to the side wall. It's not like we prepare the food IN the fridge. Theoretically the only thing that goes in and out are closed containers. So how does it get on the side walls? And WOW is it ever satisfiying to wash the shelves and put them back clean! It looks beautiful like the day it was new. I also took the opportunity to get rid of some things that were, ummm, well, past their prime, shall we say. heh!!
I'm so angry right now, I can't even find the words to describe it. Trying to get the pet insurance company to pay for Big's claims and they are giving me the total runaround...I swear I could just scream with the frustration of it all.
The boy is on his way down to a nap. Been fussing at Defcon 1 for about 15 minutes now and is finally giving it up I think. I'm out of sorts today, but trying to keep on track by following my to-do list. Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow.
Well, I guess the name of the game is "Persistence" or "If you fall off the horse, just get back on it". Yesterday the first nap went so well (as I posted) the second one...not so great. I missed the "window". As soon as you see the sleepy signs (yawning, etc.) you're sposed to start the nap routine. Well we missed it and then he was overtired cranky baby who just screamed at me when I tried to put him down. It was very hard on both of us. I finally got him to sleep but it only lasted about 20 minutes. Then he went down again at 6:45. Today he took one from 1:30-2:20 and then again at 6 pm to the present (7:15). When I look back over the last few days it seems pretty reliable that he'll take a nap around 1 and around 6. I can live with that.
Speaking of best laid plans...mmmmmmm. I love my husband. ;) That is all.
Yesterday went really well with the modified Baby Whisperer plan. He napped from 3:15 to 3:40, then from 6:20-8:35. I had to wake him from that last one cause I was afraid it would interrupt our bed time. Right now his bedtime is around 11:00 pm cuz that's when he usually falls asleep for the night. Then he wakes around 4-6 am for feeds and every 2 hours after that. We get up around 9 or 10 depending on what we need to do for the day. My goal is to get him on a good napping schedule, establish some bedtime rituals and get his bedtime worked down to an earlier time. I'd like some time in the evening for myself (internet surfing, sewing, whatever) and for the Rock Star and me (snuggling on the couch watching movies or whatever).
Today I moved his swing (his best napping spot) into the bedroom with the cd player set to repeat Brahms Lullaby. He was giving sleepy signals around 12:45 so I put him in the swing with his duckie (has rubber paddle feet he likes to chew on) and sat with him a bit. Then I left the room and closed the door. I had the monitor on and he fussed a bit (but never above Defcon 1) and by 1:05 had fallen asleep. I fixed myself a sammich and some cottage cheese and a glass of juice and sat down to do some stuff on the puter. At around 1:30 I heard a bit of fussing, so I picked up my plate, glass, book, cell phone, clipboard and headed up stairs. This meant putting everything down so I could get over the gate at the bottom of the stairs. Picked it all up and put it all down again at the top of the stairs so I could open the door. Put it all in its spot by the nursing station, went to peek at the boy and damned if he wasn't back asleep. Picked up all the stuff, put it down outside the door, shut the door, picked it up, went down the stairs and put it down again to get over the gate. Whew!!! Baby napping is hard work. I'll be one happy camper when the Rock Star finishes the office upstairs. By his account it's not that far off. Plus the last guest doggie goes home today so there will be no need for the gate at the bottom of the stairs.
Today marks Day 4 of my organization plan and so far I've gotten everything done every day including my exercises! I'm very proud.
That's one of the things I learned at ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) today. It sounds so simple, but it really felt like a revelation when she said it and I heard it. See, I'm this control freakish perfectionist and this whole parenting thing is really fucking complicated and there are NO clear guidelines. Take the pacifier for instance. We decided to give it a try when he was about 7 weeks old. He wanted nothing to do with it. Was it because he's a baby who's not interested? Or was it because we waited too long to introduce it? Or was it too soon? Was it the right kind of pacifier (there are 2 or 3 kinds) or the right size for his age? Should we have tried when he was already fussy, or when it seemed like he wanted to suck and couldn't possibly be hungry? At night or in the car seat only? See what I mean. The variables are endless, making it impossible to logically approach any given challenge. It's all knowing your baby, feeling what's right/wrong, reading and correctly interpreting the signs. This is not the way I'm accustomed to thinking. I'm used to reading the instruction manual and putting tab A into slot B and. So when she said "Parenting is a process." today, a huge light bulb went on in my head. I realized that he's not ruined just cause we've not figured out this nap thing. Just because I've allowed the boob to be the only thing to put him to sleep does not mean it's a hopeless cause and I might as well just quit trying to get him to sleep any other way.
The Baby Whisperer has given me some useful ideas and we've put them into practice today. Overall, I don't much appreciate the tone of her writing regarding breastfeeding, and I think that our co-sleeping arrangement is exactly counter to what she's trying to teach, but there is some stuff in there that I can take away and use effectively. I'm not one who is made to feel guilty by a book for not doing it THE way they lay it down. I really feel confidant and good about breastfeeding and co-sleeping. They are exactly right for our family. So the book doesn't make me feel bad about that. But I can see how it would make someone less sure of their decisions feel. The parts of the book I've found useful so far are that I'm misreading some of his signals. I think I've been feeding him, when he's giving me "I'm tired or overtired" signals. Today we've tried the 2-3 hour feeding schedule and watching for sleepiness very closely, and I managed to get him down for one 15 minute nap and he's napping in his swing right now. I'm calling this a successful day!!! The other thing I like about what she writes is that it says I CAN actually change habits we've established into better habits. It's a matter of figuring out what to change and then sticking to it.
Of course it sounds simple now, but the fact is I've only recently regained my sanity (or what passes for it) and ability to plan more than 10 minutes into the future. The Boy will be 4 months on 1/10. Funny how this 4 months has taken an eternity to fly by.
So I'm going to try to remember: Parenting is a process. It goes on every minute of every day of all the years. Sometimes it'll be clear as glass and other times I'll just have to muddle through as best I can. Wish me luck. Or better yet wish him luck. He's the one who has to survive my learning process.
My organization plan is coming along nicely. I have several tasks to complete each day and this is day three. So far I've kept up with my cards. Today was a light day that included doing my Kegel exercises and some Yoga with baby. I also managed to make a tasty dinner (crockpot chicken) and now its time to take a bath with the baby.
We have had at least 4 guest dogs (sometimes 6) every night for the last 2 weeks and tomorrow is the last day. Thank fucking god. I'm so sick, sick, sick of cleaning up after dogs, listening to dogs bark & whine, and just generally being underfoot. The husband helps out a lot with them, but it's still a huge PITA and I'll be glad when the last one goes home on Tuesday afternoon. Just our little white doggie left to love. At least she is coming upstairs with us now. At first the finished wood floors were to slippery for her, but we put down some rugs and now she hangs out with us all the time. I love my little white doggie.
The Boy was an all star champ at the New Year's open house yesterday. It was so nice to see everyone and there were two other babies around his age there. Much fun was had by us three moms (women I'd never met before) just sitting around chatting and sharing stories and ideas. Anyone ever read the Baby Whisperer? It was recommended by both those moms and some at my Mommy and Me group. I bought it today. Don't know yet if I like it, but I'm hoping it'll give me some insight into how to get the Boy to take naps during the day. He did fall asleep for about 20 minutes today as I was finishing Yoga.
the Rock Star is installing a new hard drive so we can download all the pics stored on both our digicams. Then I'll have some new cuteness to share.
Happy New Year!!
Last night we went out to dinner with Andrea & Colin, good friends of ours and then came back to our house for a drink. They went off to party and we stayed home and made cookies. It was a very nice New Year's eve and today we're off to Patrick and Michele's for they're annual New Years open house. We went last year when we knew we were pregnant and no one else did. I was looking around at 2 or 3 dads carrying they're babies and thinking, next year that'll be the Rock Star. There is this warm fuzzy feeling I get inside when I see my handsome husband parading around with his son, looking all proud and fatherly. It is the sexiest damn thing I ever saw!
Yesterday the Boy's pooping boycott ended with a grunt (not a bang) and the messiest diaper we've seen to date. It didn't quite make it out and up his back, but did get out the sides and messed up his khakis and both onesies. This was day 7 of the poop boycott. A record!! He's not constipated and shows no signs of discomfort. Just every once in awhile I'll say to the Rock Star, "Have you cleaned any poopy diapers lately?" and he'll say, "hmmmm, no, not lately." Then we'll count back to the last known poop and this time it was last Friday with Gramma. Apparently he decided to start the New Year with clean pipes.
We put him in the new car seat this morning and it worked well, but we already miss the ease of plunking that infant seat into the base, then lifting it our while he's still asleep. He is snug and secure in it though and that's a relief.
Gonna download the latest pics and get one or two up here soon. :)
I'm a 40 year old woman who passes for 28 on a good day. I live in a house with my husband (the Rock Star), 2 dogs & 2 cats.
There are many more interesting tidbits about me, and when I get around to it I'll put them in here. I am...
the Procrastinatrix.
babymood:
the Porn Star is due days from now on 8/31/2004.
You can: email me, see a picture, Blogroll Me.
