Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Waiting on baby...
So, yesterday there was supposed to be this meeting between me and my little "bug". That's according to the doctors and those professionals who forecast these types of things. Today, according to MY calculations, was the big day. Unfortunately for everyone - well okay, for me pretty much, nobody knows these things. They can only estimate. She will come when she comes...when she's ready...when I'm ready... I thought I WAS ready but apparently there's a bigger plan and I am doing my best to accept that it is a greater plan than I could ever imagine. I am definitely more anxious this time than I was with my first little 15 day late-comer. I think the difference is I know what to expect now and I can hardly stand the wait to hold this little one in my arms. With Isaac I was a little nervous -- not about labor and delivery, but more about having him. I think I really just wanted to enjoy my last moments of complete independence while I was still comfortable. This time I know that the rewards of holding my baby far outweigh any independence I might have savored in those 15 days. All I can do now is focus on the fact that no matter when she comes, every minute of every day is bringing me closer to her. I can't wait.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Dude...where's my room?
It's kind of funny watching Isaac run down the hallway and pause at his old room. It's even funnier when he stops, thinks, shakes his head and says, "no" before running on down to his new room. Unfortunately, I don't have a video of him doing that, but this still makes me laugh every time.
P.S. Pay no attention to the mess...we were still in the midst of re-organization and storage when the video was shot. ;)
P.S. Pay no attention to the mess...we were still in the midst of re-organization and storage when the video was shot. ;)
Baby Steps
Moving into the Big Boy room was kind of a big deal around here... There was a lot of thought that went into the whole deal. Who gets new furniture? Regular bed or toddler bed? Who gets the green room and who goes in the blue room? Where are we going to keep a spare bed for Nana and what do we do with the furniture we already have? It was finally decided that Isaac would go in the blue room with his furniture, we'd sell the guest furniture on craigslist (done in 1 day!), buy baby girl a new crib and convert his crib to a toddler bed. Since we had to take his crib apart to get it out of his room anyway, we went ahead and ordered the toddler rail so we could just do it all at once! Nice, easy plan, huh? Ha!
I knew the whole transition would be tough - not just the part where he wasn't "caged in" anymore, but I figured he might have a hard time in a new room. It turned out we didn't have too much of a choice. We received the wrong hardware for the toddler rail and had to just leave it off -- and bedtime in the crib without a front on it lasted about 4 seconds. It was clear that when he wouldn't even get in the bed and then ran to the front of his crib we had removed, hugged it and said, "mine! mine!" that we weren't going to get anywhere. Totally fine with me! We put
the front back on, put him to bed and called it a day. He slept like a baby.
I honestly don't think chasing him into bed in a strange room all night long is going to make it work. It's night 3 in the new room and he's doing great! He cries a little more at first, but he's sleeping great and waking up happy. And if he's in a crib till he's 4 so be it! Makes mommy's job and sleep-time a heck of a lot easier... :)
This week also marks week 30 of baby girl V's life and I'm starting to get a little anxious knowing the next 8-12 weeks are going to fly! We spent all day Sunday cleaning the garage, purging and donating some of my old crap and re-organizing. This is so good for me and I'm glad to be getting stuff done! One step at a time. It's all coming together...slowly, but surely. :)
I knew the whole transition would be tough - not just the part where he wasn't "caged in" anymore, but I figured he might have a hard time in a new room. It turned out we didn't have too much of a choice. We received the wrong hardware for the toddler rail and had to just leave it off -- and bedtime in the crib without a front on it lasted about 4 seconds. It was clear that when he wouldn't even get in the bed and then ran to the front of his crib we had removed, hugged it and said, "mine! mine!" that we weren't going to get anywhere. Totally fine with me! We put
the front back on, put him to bed and called it a day. He slept like a baby. I honestly don't think chasing him into bed in a strange room all night long is going to make it work. It's night 3 in the new room and he's doing great! He cries a little more at first, but he's sleeping great and waking up happy. And if he's in a crib till he's 4 so be it! Makes mommy's job and sleep-time a heck of a lot easier... :)
This week also marks week 30 of baby girl V's life and I'm starting to get a little anxious knowing the next 8-12 weeks are going to fly! We spent all day Sunday cleaning the garage, purging and donating some of my old crap and re-organizing. This is so good for me and I'm glad to be getting stuff done! One step at a time. It's all coming together...slowly, but surely. :)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Chicken nuggets and Cheerios
So this is the beginning of the 'terrible two's'? A proclamation of independence? The testing? The waring away of my already thin layer of patience with food issues? Three nights ago we had a mommy vs. toddler stand-off over some chicken nuggets. There was a slushie involved...a thawing slushie which I told him without thinking he could have when he finished his 3 chicken nuggets. That one statement led to that darn thing they call follow-through. It's something I've always judged other parents for not practicing and now it's here staring me in the face and I'll be darned if I turn into one of "those" parents. So, for one hour, 49 minutes I sat across the island from him and his two pieces of half-eaten nuggets and stood my ground. It was a battle of the wills suited for the record books...or at least a minute or so of home video...which I have. There was whining, screaming, crying, sign language and cute little head-tilts and words to get mommy to crack. I almost cracked. I did crack up more than a few times and had to hide my face in my arms. This kid is a professional charmer and knows just how to get his mommy to soften up. I explained to him that I wanted him to have his slushie. I wanted him to eat his chicken nuggets so I could give him his slushie and we could snuggle up on the couch for a while or play on the floor before he went to bed - but he got a will of steel from one of us. Mostly his daddy, in my opinion, but I will admit I can be pretty, uh, strong-willed myself. It was 10 to 9 before he finally took that last bite - ok, so I shoved it in his mouth, but he chewed it up and swallowed it with a smile and was rewarded with his orange (now totally melted) slushie. After two sips the coveted treat ended up down the front of his white ketchup stained t-shirt, jeans, chair and all over the floor. Off to bed he went with a full tummy and a big mess for mommy to clean up. Neither of us won that battle. I realize I got the result I asked for and so did he, but spending 2 hours sitting across the table from my kid while he's being held hostage in a high chair and I'm being held hostage on a bar stool is not my idea of 'winning'.
The next night was a different story, though, and I'm hoping that my tactics had some sort of an effect on his dinner etiquette. At the advice of my more experienced and equally patient as me cousin, I tried her timer and wooden spoon method. I'm still not sure if I can actually use a spoon to make meal-time into a eat-it-or-beat-it session, but something worked! He ate most of it and last night we had the same results. Granted, we had scrambled eggs and frozen peas last night, but hey, whatever works.
For breakfast this morning at his request, he had a box of Cheerios. No, two boxes of Cheerios. One box of Honey Nut and one box of plain. He carried them around and did a good job for a little while...and then it was over. The boxes started getting stacked, tipped, thrown at the dog, etc. So, I took them away and put a handful in a bowl. This made him mad and as soon as I turned my back he threw them all over the floor. Asking him to help mommy pick them up only resulted in more "no!"'s and throwing of Cheerios and of course eventually some of that adorable charm...which resulted in a little crib time. The Cheerios went in the trash and there will be nothing until 10:00 and the choice at that time is an orange or a banana. He's currently either pulling at my hand or rolling around on the floor trying everything he can to get his way. "Emmo", "Choo-Choo", "Why", "oanch", "appow", "may-may"...anything besides what is going on right now in order to regain control. This is why I'm writing and ignoring. I WILL get through the next 33 minutes until snack time.
Follow through. Not fun. Teaching. Necessary. But not fun. At all.
The next night was a different story, though, and I'm hoping that my tactics had some sort of an effect on his dinner etiquette. At the advice of my more experienced and equally patient as me cousin, I tried her timer and wooden spoon method. I'm still not sure if I can actually use a spoon to make meal-time into a eat-it-or-beat-it session, but something worked! He ate most of it and last night we had the same results. Granted, we had scrambled eggs and frozen peas last night, but hey, whatever works.
For breakfast this morning at his request, he had a box of Cheerios. No, two boxes of Cheerios. One box of Honey Nut and one box of plain. He carried them around and did a good job for a little while...and then it was over. The boxes started getting stacked, tipped, thrown at the dog, etc. So, I took them away and put a handful in a bowl. This made him mad and as soon as I turned my back he threw them all over the floor. Asking him to help mommy pick them up only resulted in more "no!"'s and throwing of Cheerios and of course eventually some of that adorable charm...which resulted in a little crib time. The Cheerios went in the trash and there will be nothing until 10:00 and the choice at that time is an orange or a banana. He's currently either pulling at my hand or rolling around on the floor trying everything he can to get his way. "Emmo", "Choo-Choo", "Why", "oanch", "appow", "may-may"...anything besides what is going on right now in order to regain control. This is why I'm writing and ignoring. I WILL get through the next 33 minutes until snack time.
Follow through. Not fun. Teaching. Necessary. But not fun. At all.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
So many things...
People start their blogs out like this all the time, but it's true: It has been too long and the more time that has gone by the more daunting adding another post has seemed. A few big things have happened since my last post back in the beginning of July.
1. He got totally weaned after that last post. I know, breath a big sigh of relief everyone. :)How did I do it? I told him it was "all gone" and did the "all done" sign. This totally satisfied him and he went on to finish his dinner and went to bed without crying that night and every night thereafter. This also made travel super hard as there was no way to comfort him during take-off, landing, and for a nap in between. I was bitten twice on my arm have a scar for life to prove it.
2. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later. This is how we told everybody:
Here's the little pinto bean on 8/27/09 at 8 weeks , 3 days old:
Our next ultrasound, the "biggie" is on November 10 when we find out if Isaac is having a little brother or a little sister. So, check back if you're curious and I'll post some more graphic ultrasound images after that visit. :)
3. Mom came to visit and we got all fancied up and went to an Il Divo concert, one of the things on my "I want to do this in my lifetime" list. What an incredibly talented group of musicians who aren't too bad on the eyes, either. All the old ladies surrounding us at the concert thought so, too. :) We had a great night and a fun visit, as usual, then mom accompanied Isaac and me on the plane back to Michigan.
4. Isaac and I took a trip to Michigan. Isaac went to not just his first, but his second AND third 4-H Fairs. He got to pet his first cow, (okay hugged and loved it), poked at some goats, climbed on tractors, and mama was happy to see that the country genes are definitely in there.
We spent most of the time at the cottage hanging out with Grandma and Great-Grandma. We saw friends and kids and had a great time just relaxing and visiting.
5. "Morning" sickness set in. Sorry, no pictures.
6. Isaac and I took a trip to Mexico. Since I was feeling a little sick we didn't do a lot of sight-seeing, but we spent a lot of time with Hector's family, which was the purpose of our visit. Isaac had a wonderful time playing with his cousins and getting to know his grandparents down in Mexico.
7. Over the next couple of months Isaac learned to play by himself - a lot - while mommy slept and threw up all day. Daddy was home and helped out - a lot - by playing with Isaac and keeping things picked up around here.
8. Mommy got acupuncture and is able to join the land of the living for a couple days at a time. I'm very happy to report that at 15 weeks I'm feeling almost human again and am hoping that the fun part of pregnancy is about to begin. However, my waist is gone and I'm already busting out the maternity pants despite the fact that I'm 8 lbs lighter than my first prenatal appointment. Go figure...?
1. He got totally weaned after that last post. I know, breath a big sigh of relief everyone. :)How did I do it? I told him it was "all gone" and did the "all done" sign. This totally satisfied him and he went on to finish his dinner and went to bed without crying that night and every night thereafter. This also made travel super hard as there was no way to comfort him during take-off, landing, and for a nap in between. I was bitten twice on my arm have a scar for life to prove it.
2. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later. This is how we told everybody:
Here's the little pinto bean on 8/27/09 at 8 weeks , 3 days old:
Our next ultrasound, the "biggie" is on November 10 when we find out if Isaac is having a little brother or a little sister. So, check back if you're curious and I'll post some more graphic ultrasound images after that visit. :)
3. Mom came to visit and we got all fancied up and went to an Il Divo concert, one of the things on my "I want to do this in my lifetime" list. What an incredibly talented group of musicians who aren't too bad on the eyes, either. All the old ladies surrounding us at the concert thought so, too. :) We had a great night and a fun visit, as usual, then mom accompanied Isaac and me on the plane back to Michigan.
4. Isaac and I took a trip to Michigan. Isaac went to not just his first, but his second AND third 4-H Fairs. He got to pet his first cow, (okay hugged and loved it), poked at some goats, climbed on tractors, and mama was happy to see that the country genes are definitely in there.
We spent most of the time at the cottage hanging out with Grandma and Great-Grandma. We saw friends and kids and had a great time just relaxing and visiting.
5. "Morning" sickness set in. Sorry, no pictures.
6. Isaac and I took a trip to Mexico. Since I was feeling a little sick we didn't do a lot of sight-seeing, but we spent a lot of time with Hector's family, which was the purpose of our visit. Isaac had a wonderful time playing with his cousins and getting to know his grandparents down in Mexico. 7. Over the next couple of months Isaac learned to play by himself - a lot - while mommy slept and threw up all day. Daddy was home and helped out - a lot - by playing with Isaac and keeping things picked up around here.
8. Mommy got acupuncture and is able to join the land of the living for a couple days at a time. I'm very happy to report that at 15 weeks I'm feeling almost human again and am hoping that the fun part of pregnancy is about to begin. However, my waist is gone and I'm already busting out the maternity pants despite the fact that I'm 8 lbs lighter than my first prenatal appointment. Go figure...?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Off the Wagon
Oops! I guess I was looking for a reason to give in and nurse my baby...or maybe I really was looking for some good strong encouragement to keep going but never found it. The only real information I could gather in the last 48 hours (blogs, forums, friends), was that when you wean slowly - like, gradually decrease feedings (not go from 3 to 0 in one day) - the discomfort is relieved a bit.
And, go figure! It is! :)
And, go figure! It is! :)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Getting stronger...and sore
Day 2 of weaning...
So far, so good. We made it another whole day by staying busy and staying off the couch. My little monkey went down with a bit more of a fight this time and tonight I just cried along with him. Again, I sang him a little song and laid him down with his blankies and bear. Because he was a little extra upset this time, I came back out thinking I'd make him a little chamomile tea for his cup. I poured some water in a cup, set a minute on the microwave, and by the time it was done he was out cold. Again.
Now I'm sitting here enjoying some quiet time and hoping this annoying itching pain will go away soon. I wasn't anticipating a lot of the discomfort that comes along with this...both emotional and physical. For now, though, I don't think it's anything a glass of wine won't fix!
So far, so good. We made it another whole day by staying busy and staying off the couch. My little monkey went down with a bit more of a fight this time and tonight I just cried along with him. Again, I sang him a little song and laid him down with his blankies and bear. Because he was a little extra upset this time, I came back out thinking I'd make him a little chamomile tea for his cup. I poured some water in a cup, set a minute on the microwave, and by the time it was done he was out cold. Again.
Now I'm sitting here enjoying some quiet time and hoping this annoying itching pain will go away soon. I wasn't anticipating a lot of the discomfort that comes along with this...both emotional and physical. For now, though, I don't think it's anything a glass of wine won't fix!
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