Friday Fun Day

Today I met a couple friends for lunch. We headed to "The Cheese Course." It's a new restaurant down the street. The sandwiches were great and the menu for cheese tasting looked spectacular too. I can't wait to go back. The store was cute and had lots of fun things in it but it was too small to browse at lunch time. We ended up sitting outside which was fine but definitely HOT. Mason was a great baby and slept through the whole meal.

It was great to have adult conversation with the girls. It's been a long year with pregnancies, conflicting schedules, etc. Catching up was fun. I need to make a point of getting together with everyone more often.

In kid news...Mason is starting to be more of a baby with characteristics and personality developing. It's a little too early to say what's a real reaction but when he does smile (bowel movement) he is adorable with that smile of happiness. I can't wait to witness a real smile because he's happy to see me. It is a little bitter sweet to think the "baby" as in newborn is pretty much gone. He was so big when he was born that newborn clothes were already too small.

I picked Miller up at school today and he was giddy with excitement. That's also a treat to see him get so excited he literally bounces because he doesn't know how to react. We headed to Target for some birthday party shopping (he has a swim party tomorrow) and some browsing. He did pretty well for not being able to get anything for himself. He made it through the evening well behaved and earned his final prize for being good. Since that method didn't really work, we are done with stickers for good behavior and prizes.

It was a nice Friday. Ryan made dinner and I am enjoying a Corona. Now, if the little one will go to sleep so we can struggle to stay awake to watch one tv show we DVR'd over the past 2 weeks I would be super happy.

Walking, Washing, and Wailing

Today should have been Wednesday for all the W's of my day.

Walking: today Mason and I walked to Walgreen's to get formula that was on sale. I was price conscious with Miller but since we started Mason on formula so early I am truly watching the ads and using coupons. Unfortunately, Sam's club doesn't carry the kind he needs until he turns 3 months. So, if anyone receives Enfamil coupons and isn't using them, please send them my way.

As for the actual walk. It was 10:30am and a little hot and humid but not too unbearable. I found out the nice sidewalk ends about a block away from home and then turns into a bumpy, uneven, tar path. On the way back, I turned down a side street and walked back down the road to avoid some of it. The walk physically wasn't too long but it did do a number on the area that should be healing. I understand why the dr. says to limit activities while one recovers...yow-ouch!

Washing: Annie got a bath today. She was super stinky and actually knew she needed it. The only problem with a clean dog is the extra shedding. It looks like a dandelion exploded in every room of the house!

I won't mention how many bottles, vials for mixing formula and breast milk, pump accessories, etc. I have washed in the last 3 weeks since Mason was born. I am sure my water bill will reflect it enough.

Wailing: I am ok with Mason being a fussy pants during normal "working or waking" hours but all day? Some days he's an angel and some he's just not happy no matter what we do. I think he took one nap today for about 40 minutes and then the time we were on the walk. Other than that, I was lucky if I went 10 minutes inbetween his little outbursts. I tried to ignore him and not pick him up but when even the dog begs you to make it stop, you pick him up. Then even being in my arms couldn't make him happy because he was so tired. Poor thing.

Miller had a bad day at school and it continued through out the evening. I know he's upset he's not getting undivided attention. Dinner has now become a time I dread. He won't eat without a battle. Tonight I lost it and hauled him off to brush his teeth and go to bed. He's lucky he has two parents so that one prevents the other from beating him. We planned on doing something with him each night before bed where Mason doesn't interrupt. Unfortunately when he won't eat dinner and we fight about it for 20 minutes, no fun is had by anyone.

As you might have guessed, all the W's led to one more. A glass of wine to go with my own whine. I may have to make it a double tonight. Mommy had a hard day at the office!

Things That Make Mason Cry

There are the known things in life that make a baby cry. They are hungry, they are wet, or they are tired (maybe toss in they don't feel good due to gas). With Mason, you would think a wet diaper is is like sleeping on a bed of nails; wait, that's his crib that does that to him. Seriously, the kid has a slight tinkle in his diaper and you would think we have been pinching him for hours with his reaction. He can sit in poo and not even blink an eye. That seems strange to me. Especially when the stench from his poo can bring you to tears. Maybe that's what he's banking on (your nose will know).

I think we are getting the nights versus days straightened out. Hopefully I didn't jinx us. His main goal for the week; learning to sleep in his crib. He really hates his crib. He doesn't really favor his rocker, his bouncer, or his swing but they are all better than the crib. I think he likes the heat from us and he likes the motion of us or any of the other items I mentioned. I know Miller didn't like his crib but we got him to sleep in it. We are at a slight loss. We keep trying it (ocean/white noise machine in his room, fuzzy blanket instead of cold sheet, closed AC vent, night light/no light, etc.). If anyone has any tips, let us know. Eventually he will use it but we would really like him to start sooner than later.

Oh, and his tolerance from not being hungry to starving is much like mine. He's fine and then all out tantrum if he doesn't get his food ASAP. I can't blame the guy. I feel the same way when I get hungry.

Other than the obvious, he's more alert. I don't remember much about the early weeks of Miller as far as tummy time, head/neck strength, and "personality" but I feel like Mason is changing daily. He is a sweety and doing well so far. We made one trip to the Dr. on Friday to have his belly button looked at. It was oozing a little. They applied some silver nitrate and sealed it up. Seems to be healing fine now. He had already gained a full pound (not surprising due to the food comment above and the amount he's been eating). We had nicknamed him "pork chop" since we jokingly called Caleb "beef cake." Miller had decided that Mason is the beef cake so Caleb is nickname free for now. The funny thing is Mason loves it when Miller says it to him and is right in his face trying to get him to laugh. It's really cute.

Personal Victory

That's right folks, I am wearing my jeans! It is a small personal victory in getting back to "normal." I still have a belly but I had one before finding out I was pregnant so I will take this as a win. Now I need to reduce the "tire, donut, bagel, muffin top" whatever you want to call it. I know that will take time (and hard work) but I am celebrating wearing normal clothes today regardless of the reality. To me this just means I am one step closer to a shopping spree. :)

Sleeping Arrangements

Growing up, all I ever wanted was for our yellow lab, Sissy, to sneak upstairs and sleep on the bed with me. This was NOT allowed and she knew better. I gave up trying with her and said one day when I get my own dog, she could sleep in my room with me.

After she passed on to doggy heaven; my parents got a greyhound. Cheer was not allowed on the bed but he slept in my parent's room. In the morning, my mom allowed him on the bed for a morning snuggle. Interestingly, by the time the second greyhound arrived, they were allowed on the beds for more snuggle time but not for bedtime. I couldn't sneak either of those dogs onto my bed; I had downgraded to a twin.

When Ryan and I adopted Annie, we didn't let her sleep on the bed with us. Over time, I did the same thing my mom did and let her sneak up for loves. When Ryan went out of town, I let her sleep on the bed. Eventually she started sneaking up in the middle of the night and we would wake up with her in between us.

Now we have a king size bed and she has her own spot that she proudly claims each night. No more sneaking.

Before I was pregnant, Jazzy (the cat) had started sleeping on the bed too. Then I switched sides with Ryan so I had a better "straight" shot to the bathroom in the middle of the night. She stopped sleeping with us (I am sure my tossing and turning had something to do with it). Now I am back on my normal side and our sleeping arrangements are as follows:

Jazzy, Erin's feet tucked in at an angle, Annie, space, Ryan. Somehow, Annie knows to lay at the bottom but always favors my side over Ryan's. He claims she squishes us both but I look at the real-estate space and my contorted position and know it's not 50/50.

Although I love them snuggling with me, I want my bed back. So, when Annie kicks the bucket, her replacement will not be allowed on the bed; EVER. As for Jazzy, I figure that cat will live forever so I am just going to have to get used to my foot warmer (who occasionally bites my toes).

As you may have guessed, we don't allow the kids in the bed. We made the mistake with our fur babies and won't make it with our human babies. Otherwise we wouldn't have room to breathe.

Randomness

Mason and I have been trying to get on a schedule and figure out a routine. So far, we haven't gotten one down pat but I think one might be coming together. Just when I think I have it figured out, it will change. In the meantime, I have been slowly chipping away at things I wanted to get done on maternity leave.

Most are not exciting things. They are mainly organizational and cleaning related items. For example, I put up my new stuff from Pier 1 and hauled out a few fall items. I have sent some thank you notes out and took care of some appointments (I do need to make myself a dentist appt...). There are few main tasks I need to complete that I am dancing around.

The first is to update my phone and address book. I have had this on a list of to do's for forever. The second is to fill out the baby book. I might actually start that this week. The third is to tackle the hutch that moved to our bedroom. That is going to require a lot of sorting through old mail, filing, shredding, etc. and then the totes in the closet that are along the same lines. I also need to do a closet sweep but that's going to wait a little longer until I lose some more baby weight.

There are a couple cleaning related items such as dusting inside my glass cabinets in the kitchen, organizing/cleaning out some cupboards, and of course, washing some windows that are disgusting. None of these are chores that the average person would notice but since I am home 24/7, I will feel good knowing they have occured.

One last note. After having watched countless hours of HGTV already, I really want to get my window treatments completed. I am tempted to actually look at hiring a designer. I can't figure out how to finish them and few things I thought I wanted to do, I can't find "pre-made" curtains in fabric colors/patterns I want. I could sew but I stink at it and really am not sure I can pull off the larger rooms. Oh well, I have 9 more weeks to figure it all out.

Babies Are Easy (sort of)

Jerry likes to tell us babies are easy. I tend to agree. Easy in the aspect that they don't sass and sit still. Not so easy in the sleep schedule. Overall, the whole household is doing well.

Yesterday we loaded up the truck to head to Mark and Meagan's for football and birthday celebrations (Happy Birthday once again Mark and Pete). I forgot how much "stuff" babies require. I seriously think of myself as a minimalist compared to others when it comes to baby stuff (I am the mom that never has snacks or sanitary stuff other than wipes) but I still felt like we packed everything but the kitchen sink. It was nice to see Jess and Jerry come with half their condo too. She confirmed she felt the same way.

Considering Miller didn't have a nap and started out with a very rough morning he did well. He was the typical 3 year old boy who needed to be on the move all day but didn't get sassy and didn't get into trouble. He shared his toys and we were able to leave before a meltdown began. As for Mason, well, he slept 99% of the time there so he was also well behaved.

Miller crashed in the car before we got home and took a nice "late" 2 hour nap. It was tough to get him to bed at an early hour but hopefully he has a good day today. Mason was a grumpistilskin last night. After Ryan finally got him down we had a nice 5 hour stint for sleep. Unfortunately, I had to get up and pump during it and then couldn't go back to sleep (waiting for him to wake up). If we could take that 5 hour stint and align it with different hours it would be heaven on earth. Hopefully he will slowly adjust so we can get a schedule in this house.

Week 2

Week 2 has been pretty uneventful which is good. Ryan was home Monday and Tuesday so we ran a couple errands and even had lunch in public (shocker!). We realized first time parents are crazy (we were). This time we are much more relaxed. Don't get me wrong, I am still checking to make sure Mason is breathing and catch myself just holding him to hold him but we are more apt to just do what feels right rather than researching every little thing.

I also realized I am pushing my body too hard. It feels so good to be able to bend over and sit on the floor with the kids I don't realize how much the up and down and lifting of small things is killing me. By the end of the day, my battle wounds are sore and in need of a break. I went for a walk last evening and it felt good to get out but by the end, I was ready to find an ice pack.

On a personal note, I have lost all the baby weight and am 9lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight. That's super exciting yet depressing since I still have a baby belly. I know it takes time to shrink but I am eager to ditch the maternity wear, salvage some old clothes, and go shopping.

I have a list of chores a mile long that I want to tackle and one of them is loading some pictures. Maybe I will get to that this afternoon or evening. I cleaned 2 bathrooms today and am going to tackle cleaning Miller's room next. Hopefully the little guy sleeps a tad longer so I can get this done or, I might just take a nap.

First Dr. Appointment

Mason had his first doctor's appointment today. All is well. He's back at his birth weight and the doctor said all looks good.

Our/my biggest concern is I can't keep up with his eating so I have already surrendered to the idea of him being a formula baby. This is fine by me for many reasons but I still have this guilty feeling about trying to keep giving him some breast milk. I have been a slave to the pump but am only half heartedly doing it. I figured he got the first week's worth of good stuff and I will maybe try to do a little bit more for a little longer but no promises. He's doing well with the formula but the doctor did remind me that over the next couple weeks that could change and we may have to expirement. Hopefully we don't and he has a gut like his mother's that can eat just about anything.

I was happy the doctor didn't lecture me or try to persuade me one way or the other. Like Ryan said, his main goal is to make sure Mason is healthy and growing. So...I guess I shouldn't agonize over it. I will probably ponder this a little longer but not too much.

As for big brother news; Miller has been doing extremely well as the big brother. He is very interested in helping and holding Mason. He is very concerned when he's upset too. Of course, he is also exhibiting the sassiness of a 13 year old girl and some general naughtiness/lack of listening. He can't control his excitement or jealousy quite yet. He is also sleep deprived because Mason has woke him up a few nights in a row but last night he said he didn't wake up. Hopefully over the next couple weeks things will become routine and those bad behaviors will lessen (going away is just too optimistic/realistic at this stage in the game).

Mason's Arrival

It's been a little hectic so here is the first post about Mason's arrival. I promise not to get too detailed.

After waiting for what seemed like 40 years, not 40 weeks, Mason Marshall made his appearance on Tuesday, September 6th. It was his actual due date (more on that in a bit). He weighed in at 8lbs, 13 oz and was 21.5 inches tall.

Monday I called my parents to let them know to come and help out. I figured if I didn't go into labor Monday night, my Tuesday morning doctor appointment would confirm an induction date this week. I also figured if my parents were here I would quit worrying about having to call a friend in the middle of the night to come over and stay with Miller. That tactic seemed to work because Monday evening, I started having contractions.

I went to bed around 10 thinking Monday night might be the night. I never went to sleep because the contractions did start and came rather quickly. By 1:10am, I thought my water broke (different than last time). My contractions were about 10 minutes apart. I woke Ryan up, packed the rest of my bag and we were out the door before 1:30am. The 3 minute drive to the hospital was perfect. I walked into the emergency room and was up in labor and delivery for monitoring by 1:40 or so.

I was only a centimeter dilated but my contractions were 2 minutes apart. They told me to walk! I thought no way in heck was I going to be able to walk for 2 hours. I was devastated but gave it a try. After 20 minutes and not even 2 laps, I called it quits. I did more time hanging onto the railing in the hallway than actually moving. Ryan knew I was not going to make it so we headed back to the short hallway. I made one trip partially down and told the nurse I was done. She checked me and I was up to 7cm in less than 40 minutes. Time to move me to the delivery room and call the doctor in.

They got me in, blew up a vein (I warned them) but at least this time they had someone else try the second vein and it worked. I told them I wanted drugs. They told me I had to wait for my lab results. My results never came in time. The only nice moment was a 20 minute sedative that gave me a few minutes to rest and just breath through the bigger contractions. It was the stuff that made me loopy last time but at least it passed 20 minutes of time. Shortly after I was already 9cm and they were talking about pushing. What no drugs? Alright, if it's quick I can do it.

Fast forward 2.5 hours from that initial thought of if it's quick, I can do it. I will leave out the gory details of pain related activity. The only thing I will say is that Ryan had to work just as hard as I did this time. He was a huge help (and he might have enjoyed beating me up a little too in a game of tug of war with a towel to get me to push harder). I kept wishing it was over and that they would just pull the little guy out. Then, it was those few seconds of elation when he finally arrived.

He was sunny side up and those 2.5 hours were spent trying to get him to rotate face down. I found out afterwards that position adds an additional pound to the delivery because the baby can't turn its head and stretch to help come out properly. Luckily, no complications. He let out the sweet cry you wait for to know he's ok.

The process was much smoother this time since we knew what to expect and ask for. My nurses were a lot nicer too which was a huge help. I did have the breastfeeding nazi on day 2 but I pretty much ignored her. The other nurses were encouraging but were not overly pro anything. They wanted the baby and mom to be happy and healthy. Here are a few pics.

The happy (and sweaty) family right after delivery.

Mason's first pondering thought pose.



At home chillin' in his new rocker.

Re-nesting

I didn't feel like I did much nesting this time around. I cleaned a few things but they seem to be items I would normally clean after a while. Since the kid isn't moving, I think I am re-nesting today. I have picked up the porch, cleaned up the kitchen, cleaned out the fridge and pantry (again), watered my plants, etc. My work computer has been cleaned up (files, work space, and transitional stuff all sent last night). Now it's time for normal cleaning.

Ryan took Miller to the track this morning to give me some time alone and I am so bored. I know I should be totally enjoying these last few moments of me time but since I don't feel like shopping or doing anything fun, it seems like a total waste. Can't I have this time in a couple weeks when I will need it most?

Not even an accident will get this kid moving

Yesterday started off with every Mom or Dad's dreaded phone call-Miller had an accident at school, come pick him up. Ryan got the call (thank goodness) and called me on his way down to the daycare. Miller fell and hurt his tooth. The description went from almost knocked out, dangling, to very loose in about an hour. Luckily, I had asked the pediatrician for a good kid dentist and had a list in my purse. I called and spoke with a very nice (and calm) receptionist. She assured me it would be ok.

Ryan and Miller called me back after their visit to the dentist. The tooth is loose and in a new position and it may survive, it may not. Either way, he didn't lose it yet and he was ok. The dentist's office sounds like a kids dream. Video games, toys, rocket ship dentist chairs, etc. Ryan said Miller was super brave and did well even when the dentist pushed on his tooth and gums. He of course was happy to get Captain America stickers and a toy motorcycle on his way out.

I instantly felt sick to my stomach when Ryan called. I started crying and worrying even though I knew in my head he would be ok. Then I figured after the hour of waiting to hear from them, the stress might kick start LBF#2's trip to the outside world. Wrong. I drank some caffeine yesterday to shake him up. All that did was make him active in a room built for a 25 week old, not an almost 40 week old.

By the end of the day I am always uncomfortable and he starts moving around. I had hoped some of my discomfort last night was the start of some labor pains. If they were, they were only Braxton Hicks or general discomfort. I woke up feeling the same as every other day. Ugh! I guess the only thing I know for sure at this point is he will be a September baby.

Looks like I will have to work one more day. My brain has checked out and I have a packed day of meetings I am leading. I wish I was just a participant who could go on mute and watch tv on the side. I am ready to be done with work.