Let me start this blog by giving myself a big pat on the back. I have become the Queen of Poop-y Clothing Hand Washing. That's right. If you had asked me before I had a baby to wash a stain from an article of clothing, I would have asked you very politely if you were off your head. I may be a Culinary Wizard (haha, of some caliber), but I am definitely not Susie Housekeeper. Don't even ask how long it's been since I've completely mopped the floors. Ugh. But I have saved about 6 articles of clothing from the "yellow stain of death", so I'm feeling pretty accomplished. He's going to be in those 6-12 month clothes for a while (I hope), so I need to keep them looking presentable!
It's been a long time since my last update. Working on the writing challenge, squeezing the life out of every second of family time before Jesus deploys, trying to maintain a social life, and keeping a watchful eye on my increasingly mobile baby interrupts things a bit.
Ah, Alex. There have been many adventures with Alex. He is beginning to discover the world around him: The colors, the textures, the sounds. He loves to explore and manipulate his environment. Toys are holding his attention longer. He has already discovered the "Fetch" game, where he looks straight at me and drops his toy to the ground for me to retrieve and return to him to drop several more times. He now rolls both ways and scoots backwards, which, after much Googling and Babyzone querying, I discovered is another step toward crawling. Which means another step toward my having to mop the floors everyday. Boo and yay. He's a few solids everyday, veggies mostly. He's not a fan of fruit, which is weird since Jesus and I have massive sweet teeth. He plays with a sippy cup. We don't fill it with anything yet even though I know I should.
There have been a couple of "Oh Crap" moments. I am very much into attachment parenting, so I carry/wear the baby wherever I can, take him to most places with me, comfort nurse, co-sleep and bed share, and do not now or plan to ever use CIO (cry it out) methods. I respect everyone's parenting decisions, these are just the ones that I use with my child and that work for us. That said, Alex fell off the bed one night. I usually pull the bassinet to the side of the bed to prevent falls, but I didn't that night, which was the night he decided to roll over in his sleep. My blood ran cold when I heard him hit the ground. I jumped to my feet and scooped him up as he realized what had happening and began screaming. He was mostly scared, no bruises or scratches or knots or lethargy in the days that followed; I gave him some Tylenol to ward off any potential aches and pains and he was smiling and playing and completely back to normal when the sun came up. But the strangest thing was, when it happened, I was consumed with an eerie calm. I had never been so level-headed and unemotional in my whole life. It was a strange feeling. The second oopsie was a little car seat issue. As in, it was in position in my car, but not strapped in, and I didn't realize it until I was back home from running errands. It didn't move, but the potential for disaster was there, which made me feel just as awful.
My husband would likely advise me not to share these things, but I think a major problem with parenting these days is the judgment and lack of support amongst adults. Everyone makes mistakes; nobody is a perfect parent. I think it's important that we share and learn from one another to better prevent such occurrences in the future, rather than judge or hold back in shame and fear of judgment. I love my son, and would never allow anything to harm him, but sometimes not-so-great things happen no matter how prepared you think you are, and I think it does a great disservice to myself and others to pretend like I'm infallible. I am pretty darn good, though. ;)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Mid-June Baby Update- 4 Months
Midway through June, and it has been a whirlwind! Prepping for Jesus's return took days of interrupted cleaning peppered by power naps (timed to Alex's, of course) to combat my inexplicable exhaustion. When he finally did arrive, the four day weekend was consumed by the black hole that is blissful (ie lazy and uneventful) family time. I fell behind on my project a bit, but after looking up proper novel formatting, I managed to "cheat" my way ahead of schedule. Jesus says I should try to write something everyday anyway, but my goal is 30 pages a month, and I am not all about pushing beyond my limits just yet. Writing a novel is like a marathon; I'm not going to overexert myself and burn out in the first stretch of the race!
Alex had his 4-month check-up (and shots, poor thing!) yesterday. He is gargantuam. The doctor mentioned something about renting out a forklift for the next time he has an appointment if he keeps growing at this rate! He took the shots well, crying heartily when they were administered and calming in his daddy's arms only moments later. We gave him some Tylenol to prevent a fever and were prescribed foot cream for his mild diaper rash, which seemed odd to me at the time. Turns out it works better than Desitin, though. Go figure.
Weight: 18.15 lbs. (90%ile+)
Length: 26 1/2 inches (75%ile-90%ile)
Head Circ.: 43 1/2 cm
Alex had his 4-month check-up (and shots, poor thing!) yesterday. He is gargantuam. The doctor mentioned something about renting out a forklift for the next time he has an appointment if he keeps growing at this rate! He took the shots well, crying heartily when they were administered and calming in his daddy's arms only moments later. We gave him some Tylenol to prevent a fever and were prescribed foot cream for his mild diaper rash, which seemed odd to me at the time. Turns out it works better than Desitin, though. Go figure.
Weight: 18.15 lbs. (90%ile+)
Length: 26 1/2 inches (75%ile-90%ile)
Head Circ.: 43 1/2 cm
Friday, June 4, 2010
Happy June!
It's summertime in Texas, which means blazing hot sunny days punctuated by dreary, cold rainy spells with the possibility of a few scary storms thrown in to make life interesting. So basically, every other season in Texas, except in the springtime we get random snowfall, and in the winter slushy mess to add to the mix. It's like a Dairy Queen Blizzard: A whole lot of junk in one little cup. ... And now I'm hungry for a Blizzard. So cold and yummy...
So far so good on the writing project. When Alex goes to sleep at night I knock out a page a day. I'm patiently waiting for inspiration to strike so I can crank out the 5 pages an hour I used to. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up fast.
Today marks four months since Jesus and I became parents. It's amazing the changes that Alex has made in our lives. It's amazing how much he's growing! I didn't think it was possible for me to miss the days that he was fragile and always crying and couldn't do anything for himself. Already he can grab whatever toy he wants and drag it toward himself (to be then chewed on mercilessly), walk around his activity center unsupervised, and nurse until he's full in two minutes flat. My role is shrinking with every new milestone he reaches. I realize it's silly to feel this way; he's not going off to college for 17 years, yet. He still needs to be bounced to sleep for his naps, and he can't make his way across a room. One day, I'm going to WANT him to do things for himself. But I miss the feeling of being the only one able to provide everything for him.
Anywho, new tentative stats for this month! We'll see how right I am when we go for his 4-month shots in a couple of weeks. Hopefully he takes them like a champ the way he did the last round of shots!
Weight: 17.5 lbs...A 1 lb. drop since last week. That's got me a little concerned....
Length: 24 inches.
Head: 17 inches.
Some of those numbers seem a little off, so we'll see in a couple of weeks if he's thriving or not. A little worrisome, though....
So far so good on the writing project. When Alex goes to sleep at night I knock out a page a day. I'm patiently waiting for inspiration to strike so I can crank out the 5 pages an hour I used to. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up fast.
Today marks four months since Jesus and I became parents. It's amazing the changes that Alex has made in our lives. It's amazing how much he's growing! I didn't think it was possible for me to miss the days that he was fragile and always crying and couldn't do anything for himself. Already he can grab whatever toy he wants and drag it toward himself (to be then chewed on mercilessly), walk around his activity center unsupervised, and nurse until he's full in two minutes flat. My role is shrinking with every new milestone he reaches. I realize it's silly to feel this way; he's not going off to college for 17 years, yet. He still needs to be bounced to sleep for his naps, and he can't make his way across a room. One day, I'm going to WANT him to do things for himself. But I miss the feeling of being the only one able to provide everything for him.
Anywho, new tentative stats for this month! We'll see how right I am when we go for his 4-month shots in a couple of weeks. Hopefully he takes them like a champ the way he did the last round of shots!
Weight: 17.5 lbs...A 1 lb. drop since last week. That's got me a little concerned....
Length: 24 inches.
Head: 17 inches.
Some of those numbers seem a little off, so we'll see in a couple of weeks if he's thriving or not. A little worrisome, though....
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Upcoming Projects/Artistic Goals
I am an aspiring writer..../artist/photographer/moviemaker. I have lofty aspirations. Maybe they're not realistic, but no amount of criticism has been able to deter me yet, which I accredit to my sometimes-not-so-beneficial stubborn streak.
That said, my creative energies have been petering out as of late. I take about a dozen photographs a day (give or take), but the subject matter is not so much artsy as undeniable adorable at every given moment. As for writing, forget about it. I have so much to do during the day, I have no time to cook up scenes, dialogue, or plot. The only storyline I have mapped out 100% is Warriors of Polithia, but when I try to write, the words come out flat, unpolished. My writing buddy and I came to the conclusion that we have reached a stalemate with our beloved stories. Heck, we've been working on them since middle school. There's no excitement to them anymore; no fresh twists or "Eureka!" moments of inspiration.
So we have decided to take a step back from our "babies" and start fresh. Starting the 1st of June, we will write a chapter a month for the next year. The only break will be during November so that we can participate in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month), an event in which we will write an entire novel for the month of November (It's actually not as hard as it sounds). At the end of every month, we will swap printed chapters so that we are not tempted to edit. There is a time and a place for editing: When the manuscript in complete. Editing prior to completion has only resulting in stalling and second-guessing for me so far. With deadlines in place, I know it will be easier to let the words and actions flow. Can you tell I'm excited??
That said, my creative energies have been petering out as of late. I take about a dozen photographs a day (give or take), but the subject matter is not so much artsy as undeniable adorable at every given moment. As for writing, forget about it. I have so much to do during the day, I have no time to cook up scenes, dialogue, or plot. The only storyline I have mapped out 100% is Warriors of Polithia, but when I try to write, the words come out flat, unpolished. My writing buddy and I came to the conclusion that we have reached a stalemate with our beloved stories. Heck, we've been working on them since middle school. There's no excitement to them anymore; no fresh twists or "Eureka!" moments of inspiration.
So we have decided to take a step back from our "babies" and start fresh. Starting the 1st of June, we will write a chapter a month for the next year. The only break will be during November so that we can participate in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month), an event in which we will write an entire novel for the month of November (It's actually not as hard as it sounds). At the end of every month, we will swap printed chapters so that we are not tempted to edit. There is a time and a place for editing: When the manuscript in complete. Editing prior to completion has only resulting in stalling and second-guessing for me so far. With deadlines in place, I know it will be easier to let the words and actions flow. Can you tell I'm excited??
Friday, May 28, 2010
Getting Into The Swing Of Things
This week was sprinkled with firsts for me. My first time shopping alone with a baby; my first not-rushed dinner/shopping date with a good friend; my first somewhat (or totally) illegal dumping of our collection of recyclables into the Killeen Mall dumpster. Fear not, that last one will be explained. But, more than anything, for the first time I feel like I can really manage on my own again. I thought it would be so difficult to juggle a baby, household chores, and a social life, but, really, all it take is a little fine tuning and a heck of a lot of upper body strength. And, in the case of the illegal dumping, two people and a very fast car.
I'm a rule-follower. I like to think I hold myself to a high personal moral standard. That said, milk cartons, even rinsed, in 90+ degree weather turn into stink bombs of death. We had stopped a couple of places before we were going to head to the Commissary to recycle. When we got back into the car the second time, the stench was unbearable. And, lo, there was the mall, a shiny beacon. Having worked in a mall before, I knew exactly where to go, so we went. I think the funniest part was when "Living La Vida Loca" came on the radio just as we were pulling in, as if we were acting out an action scene in a movie and it was on the soundtrack. I probably won't do it again, though, as it does technically cost the mall money to have the trash taken away....
Is it weird that I see movie scenes/hear soundtracks in everyday acts? No? Good.
Shopping alone wasn't bad. It was slow goings, for sure. When you're rocking an 18 lb. baby on one hip and only have the use of one hand, loading a cart is tedious. But it sort of felt liberating being able to steer a full shopping cart and keep my son happy at the same time. Of course, when the husband gets home, I will not be so keen on the solo trips, if only because I like not looking like a crazy person conferring with a drooling baby about whether or not we need more air freshener.
Next week, one of my friends is having a baby shower. I am so excited to be in a room full of adult women; it's been so long. I'm especially excited to see someone else sporting a cute baby belly. Let's just hope I don't get the baby bug. Though, as young as Alex is, I doubt I'm susceptible.
I'm a rule-follower. I like to think I hold myself to a high personal moral standard. That said, milk cartons, even rinsed, in 90+ degree weather turn into stink bombs of death. We had stopped a couple of places before we were going to head to the Commissary to recycle. When we got back into the car the second time, the stench was unbearable. And, lo, there was the mall, a shiny beacon. Having worked in a mall before, I knew exactly where to go, so we went. I think the funniest part was when "Living La Vida Loca" came on the radio just as we were pulling in, as if we were acting out an action scene in a movie and it was on the soundtrack. I probably won't do it again, though, as it does technically cost the mall money to have the trash taken away....
Is it weird that I see movie scenes/hear soundtracks in everyday acts? No? Good.
Shopping alone wasn't bad. It was slow goings, for sure. When you're rocking an 18 lb. baby on one hip and only have the use of one hand, loading a cart is tedious. But it sort of felt liberating being able to steer a full shopping cart and keep my son happy at the same time. Of course, when the husband gets home, I will not be so keen on the solo trips, if only because I like not looking like a crazy person conferring with a drooling baby about whether or not we need more air freshener.
Next week, one of my friends is having a baby shower. I am so excited to be in a room full of adult women; it's been so long. I'm especially excited to see someone else sporting a cute baby belly. Let's just hope I don't get the baby bug. Though, as young as Alex is, I doubt I'm susceptible.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Little Things To (Start To) Do
1. Carve out some time to exercise. Walk the dogs with the baby; have someone watch the babe for 30 minutes and go for a run; at this point I'll go to the gym with my brothers and have all of us take turns holding the baby! Wait, are babies allowed in the gym? Hmmmm....
2. Work on the new script a little each day. Full page, half page, it doesn't matter. It'll never get done if no writing is happening. And, anyway, if I'm filming at the end of the year I'm on a deadline.
3. Blog more. Not everyday, but more often. It helps me unload enough after a long day/week/month to want to write more, aiding with #2.
4. Print pictures. Or, by the end of the year, I'll have over two thousand prints on my finicky hard drive and no hard copies. Not a good thing.
5. Bite the bullet and buy some new pants. I have accepted the fact that my hips and butt have been transformed as a result of carrying and bearing my child. I will likely never fit into size 4 jeans again, and unlikely to fit into my size 6 anytime soon. Time to kiss my maternity pants good-bye and embrace my new shape. Maybe that gym time will help sweat some of it off, but, for now, Goodwill is getting a lot of my teeny weeny clothing.
6. Play outside more. The lighting is better for photos, and early in the morning or right before nightfall are great temperature-wise. It's good for getting some fresh air and exposing the baby to the fun of the outdoors.
That's a good start.
2. Work on the new script a little each day. Full page, half page, it doesn't matter. It'll never get done if no writing is happening. And, anyway, if I'm filming at the end of the year I'm on a deadline.
3. Blog more. Not everyday, but more often. It helps me unload enough after a long day/week/month to want to write more, aiding with #2.
4. Print pictures. Or, by the end of the year, I'll have over two thousand prints on my finicky hard drive and no hard copies. Not a good thing.
5. Bite the bullet and buy some new pants. I have accepted the fact that my hips and butt have been transformed as a result of carrying and bearing my child. I will likely never fit into size 4 jeans again, and unlikely to fit into my size 6 anytime soon. Time to kiss my maternity pants good-bye and embrace my new shape. Maybe that gym time will help sweat some of it off, but, for now, Goodwill is getting a lot of my teeny weeny clothing.
6. Play outside more. The lighting is better for photos, and early in the morning or right before nightfall are great temperature-wise. It's good for getting some fresh air and exposing the baby to the fun of the outdoors.
That's a good start.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Ugh, this week....
Today marks two weeks since my husband left for a month (plus a completely useless week) of training. Last week, I was so busy I honestly hardly even noticed that he was gone until it was time for bed. But this week...ugh. Insomnia and exhaustion are battling for dominance, and it's a trifle draining. Mommy's attention is completely consumed during the day and constantly interrupted at night, which means housework has been puttering along. Here's hoping I can actually get it completely clean sometime in the next three weeks so I don't look like I was slacking off the whole time my guy was gone! I try to nap when Alex does, but the last two days he has been skipping naps completely, resulting in an overtired little one who can no longer sleep through the night.
That's right, I said no longer. He did do it, folks. Twice, even! Two blissful nights in a row he slept for eight glorious hours! But then I had to go and tell my mother the good news, and now I am back to the newborn every-two-hours-hungry cycle. I had a feeling I was jinxing myself when I said it. *sigh*
Draining me at an equal velocity is my attempt to re-enroll in college, which involves choosing (and sticking to) a course of study/certification. What I want to do with my life and the practicality of what I should do for my family are brutally at odds. Logically, selecting a certification program that could net me good money in a stable career would be most beneficial to my family, and I could enjoy the work. Ideally, obtaining a Master's in literary or fine arts could usher me into a career that I have the talent and deepest of desires for. People say to do both, and I could, I suppose. But I have a family of my own now. It's young, and it needs to be nurtured, and in a few years it may grow. It's hard to imagine working, going to school, and raising my very young child(ren). For now, I am making sure I have all my core classes knocked out, so I still have a little time to consider my next move.
In baby news, Alex is healthy, happy, and extremely social. He hasn't gained much weight in the past few weeks, but he was already way ahead, and he eats all the time, so I'm not terribly concerned. I mean, 17.5-18 lbs is still in the 95th percentile for a 4-month-old, and he still has two weeks 'til he reaches that milestone. He is a strong kiddo....Stands (with help from mommy), rolls, and even supports his weight on his arms to stay up in a sitting position for a while! I'm so proud of him. By the time his daddy gets home he's going to have an arsenal of new tricks!
That's right, I said no longer. He did do it, folks. Twice, even! Two blissful nights in a row he slept for eight glorious hours! But then I had to go and tell my mother the good news, and now I am back to the newborn every-two-hours-hungry cycle. I had a feeling I was jinxing myself when I said it. *sigh*
Draining me at an equal velocity is my attempt to re-enroll in college, which involves choosing (and sticking to) a course of study/certification. What I want to do with my life and the practicality of what I should do for my family are brutally at odds. Logically, selecting a certification program that could net me good money in a stable career would be most beneficial to my family, and I could enjoy the work. Ideally, obtaining a Master's in literary or fine arts could usher me into a career that I have the talent and deepest of desires for. People say to do both, and I could, I suppose. But I have a family of my own now. It's young, and it needs to be nurtured, and in a few years it may grow. It's hard to imagine working, going to school, and raising my very young child(ren). For now, I am making sure I have all my core classes knocked out, so I still have a little time to consider my next move.
In baby news, Alex is healthy, happy, and extremely social. He hasn't gained much weight in the past few weeks, but he was already way ahead, and he eats all the time, so I'm not terribly concerned. I mean, 17.5-18 lbs is still in the 95th percentile for a 4-month-old, and he still has two weeks 'til he reaches that milestone. He is a strong kiddo....Stands (with help from mommy), rolls, and even supports his weight on his arms to stay up in a sitting position for a while! I'm so proud of him. By the time his daddy gets home he's going to have an arsenal of new tricks!
