We’re off, we’re off, we’re off to see the wizard. The wonderful wizard of oz…
Not really. But I sing silly songs to Wills all the time, and this one fit! Or close enough.
It's Friday, and William and I are off…not to see the wizard. But to see an acoustic show at the Imperial Theatre (after I take a power nap with my baby that recently likes to eat all night). We have tickets to see the bluegrass band Mountain Heart with Tony Rice. I have no idea who they are. Ha! Or what they really do. But, William LOVES live music and especially at charming, historic little venues like the Imperial Theatre. So, we’re off.
Our sweet little boy is home with Dede. And this mom and dad are looking spiffy without any traces of spit-up, headed to Mellow Mushroom for a cocktail, and going to enjoy some finger picking. I think that’s what you call it?
Pictures tomorrow. Happy Friday!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Sleep? What's that?
It’s been one of those days…and nights.
You know the ones where you need your coffee in hand all. day. long.
Wills has been a little fussy lately, which is abnormal because he rarely cries. His cheeks are flushed, and he is spitting up more frequently. He doesn’t have any fever. Trust me. I’ve taken his temperature. A lot. I took him to the doctor, yesterday, and of course, that little rascal smiled and cooed at the doctor the whole time. I’m sure she thinks I’m crazy. It was a pretty unproductive trip, other than the fact that she checked his ears – they are fine. And his mouth – not teething, yet. She changed his formula, again, which I don’t think is too much of the problem since he is only taking 2-4 ounces of formula a day. Needless to say, my cranky little angel was awake most of the night. Maybe he’s going through a growth spurt and is extra hungry? Or, maybe he misses his swaddle? Or maybe, like his mom, he misses the beach? Who knows.
So, it’s one of those coffee drinking, chocolate eating, omelet for dinner, deep breath, need a nap, praying for the weekend kind of days.
You know the ones where you need your coffee in hand all. day. long.
Wills has been a little fussy lately, which is abnormal because he rarely cries. His cheeks are flushed, and he is spitting up more frequently. He doesn’t have any fever. Trust me. I’ve taken his temperature. A lot. I took him to the doctor, yesterday, and of course, that little rascal smiled and cooed at the doctor the whole time. I’m sure she thinks I’m crazy. It was a pretty unproductive trip, other than the fact that she checked his ears – they are fine. And his mouth – not teething, yet. She changed his formula, again, which I don’t think is too much of the problem since he is only taking 2-4 ounces of formula a day. Needless to say, my cranky little angel was awake most of the night. Maybe he’s going through a growth spurt and is extra hungry? Or, maybe he misses his swaddle? Or maybe, like his mom, he misses the beach? Who knows.
So, it’s one of those coffee drinking, chocolate eating, omelet for dinner, deep breath, need a nap, praying for the weekend kind of days.
Working off of about five hours of sleep I think I still managed to pull together the five major food groups for a quick and simple dinner: a cheese and mushroom omelet, orange juice, and an english muffin.
TGIF. Almost.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
22 Ways to Know You’re a New Mom…
***I kept this running list until about week 8 of Wills’ life. I planned on posting it, but somehow it was lost in the shuffle. With each new day we’ve learned so much and continuously adjusted to life with a baby and as new parents. A lot has changed since then (I’m out of my pajamas, at least thinking about exercising, and we've taken quite a few cute family pictures), but I want to remember what life was like at that point.
Warning: Skip this post if you’re not interested in all things baby.
1. You do more laundry than you ever have before, and none of it is yours.
2. Your camera is your new prized possession. You can’t live without it.
3. You’ve heard and said the word nipple more times than you care to think of. Now you’re quite comfortable with it. We’re talking about the kind that go on the bottles.
4. Regardless of the time of day, if you’re at home, you’re in your pajamas.
5. You would rather eat all day and not lose a pound to make sure you make enough milk to feed your little one.
6. You would really like to take pictures as a family but you don’t have time to get dressed or look cute.
7. Waiting on the baby’s sweet noises and coos is better anticipation than sitting on the edge of your seat in a great movie or watching the plot thicken in a bestselling novel.
8. You worry. A lot.
9. You would rather hold and stare at your baby all day long than do anything else.
10. You watch TV all night long…on the baby video monitor.
11. Your husband, who didn’t care for coffee before, now drinks it every morning. And sometimes all day long.
12. Your Foodie Blog resembles more of a Baby Blog.
13. Instead of reading Shape, Self and People Magazine, you squeal in excitement when Parenting Magazine and Pottery Barn Kids arrives in the mail.
14. You have a box of hospital wrist bands, dried flowers, and every card you received the day he was born. You can’t seem to throw anything away.
15. You get up an hour earlier to get ready for work, and you still can’t get out of the door on time.
16. You stare in complete wonder of the fact that you and your husband made a person, and he grew inside of you. You try, daily, to wrap your mind around the miracle of it all.
17. You check your phone constantly to see if there are any updates from whoever’s keeping the baby.
18. You haven’t exercised since your third trimester.
19. You’re already saving for college.
20. You thank God for this blessing, and pray for his safety and health, no less than five times a day.
21. You used to spend money on cute clothes for yourself. Now you shop for cute baby clothes.
22. You’re in love. A new kind of love. Like never before. And it feels really great.
***Even though a lot has changed, have no fear, we are still doing a lot of laundry, talking about nipples, drinking coffee, trying not to worry as much, reading Parenting magazines, thanking God, and much more from this list! Some things change, but some things stay exactly the same!
Warning: Skip this post if you’re not interested in all things baby.
1. You do more laundry than you ever have before, and none of it is yours.
2. Your camera is your new prized possession. You can’t live without it.
3. You’ve heard and said the word nipple more times than you care to think of. Now you’re quite comfortable with it. We’re talking about the kind that go on the bottles.
4. Regardless of the time of day, if you’re at home, you’re in your pajamas.
5. You would rather eat all day and not lose a pound to make sure you make enough milk to feed your little one.
6. You would really like to take pictures as a family but you don’t have time to get dressed or look cute.
7. Waiting on the baby’s sweet noises and coos is better anticipation than sitting on the edge of your seat in a great movie or watching the plot thicken in a bestselling novel.
8. You worry. A lot.
9. You would rather hold and stare at your baby all day long than do anything else.
10. You watch TV all night long…on the baby video monitor.
11. Your husband, who didn’t care for coffee before, now drinks it every morning. And sometimes all day long.
12. Your Foodie Blog resembles more of a Baby Blog.
13. Instead of reading Shape, Self and People Magazine, you squeal in excitement when Parenting Magazine and Pottery Barn Kids arrives in the mail.
14. You have a box of hospital wrist bands, dried flowers, and every card you received the day he was born. You can’t seem to throw anything away.
15. You get up an hour earlier to get ready for work, and you still can’t get out of the door on time.
16. You stare in complete wonder of the fact that you and your husband made a person, and he grew inside of you. You try, daily, to wrap your mind around the miracle of it all.
17. You check your phone constantly to see if there are any updates from whoever’s keeping the baby.
18. You haven’t exercised since your third trimester.
19. You’re already saving for college.
20. You thank God for this blessing, and pray for his safety and health, no less than five times a day.
21. You used to spend money on cute clothes for yourself. Now you shop for cute baby clothes.
22. You’re in love. A new kind of love. Like never before. And it feels really great.
***Even though a lot has changed, have no fear, we are still doing a lot of laundry, talking about nipples, drinking coffee, trying not to worry as much, reading Parenting magazines, thanking God, and much more from this list! Some things change, but some things stay exactly the same!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Quiet Moments
Exactly what a weekend should be.
I’ve waited what feels like an eternity for sweet potato biscuits, and I had some this weekend! Thanks, Mom! They were delicious.
Wills is such a good little traveler, making our weekend runs to Land’s End a breeze. He slept the entire time there and back. We are so lucky.
Although William worked most of the weekend, we snuck away for a little time together on the dock. Words cannot explain the serenity of the moment. The sun was setting in the distance, creating the most beautiful purples and reds in the sky. A lone pelican was searching and diving for his dinner. Other than his plunges into the water, there wasn’t a ripple to be seen. The air was completely silent. It’s not every day, with 100 twelve year olds and a 3 month old baby, that I witness quiet like that. It was nice. Spending a few simple moments with my husband, overlooking the vastness of the ocean, soaking in the last minutes of the day’s sunlight, was exactly the way I wanted my weekend to end.
Today, when the rush of the day is underway, the demands seem overwhelming, and the to-do list grows, or my husband’s job site is robbed (yes, that happened last night) I will take a deep breath, close my eyes and escape for a minute, right back to the rail of the dock, where perspective exists and life is beautiful.
Or, I will just look in these sweet eyes and count my blessings.
Friday, January 13, 2012
3 Months plus some
Just a few updates I want to remember…
We are halfway between three and four months. Sorry I am just getting around to posting this picture. Wills turned 3 months old on Christmas Day!
This is probably too much information, but we go through A LOT of outfits these days, especially in the mornings. Wills has MAJOR blowouts, and by blowouts, I mean everywhere. Through the pj's, swaddle, crib sheet, and on the mattress pad or your pants if you happen to be the lucky one holding him at the time. Maybe we need a lesson on how to put a diaper on correctly? Needless to say, we do a lot of laundry and a lot of changing clothes. On Christmas Eve, William and I were upstairs wrapping presents with Wills right after he ate. Before 8 am, we were on outfit number three and had already given the little stinker (ha!) a bath. What a morning!
I’ve known the swaddle was going to need to be put away very soon, and I’ve been dreading it. From the very beginning Wills has loved being swaddled and is immediately comforted when we wrap him tightly. We’ve tried leaving one arm out during nap time and not had much success. His arms wake him up within 30 minutes or so. I haven’t witnessed him roll from back to front, yet, so I thought we had a few more weeks. I was wrong. I woke up Thursday morning to find my sweet boy on his stomach in the crib with both arms still swaddled. His face was to the side, but I still panicked for a minute and immediately rolled him to his back. He, of course, was fine, until I did this. But, as of last night we are swaddle free and doing okay. Now if he turns over, he at least has him arms free to help him get comfortable and not face down. It took him a little longer to put himself to sleep kicking and squirming with arms going everywhere, but I am hopeful that he will get the hang of it quickly.
Wills is taking about 2-3 ounces of Gerber Gentle formula at night. We started with Similac Advanced and that didn’t seem to sit too well on his stomach. He is doing fine with the new formula. I, on the other hand, am doing better than I was with it. I was disappointed that I had to supplement this early, but my baby is BIG, and he eats a lot, and going back to work doesn’t allow me to keep up with him completely. More than anything, I am thankful that I can still breastfeed and that he only needs 2 to 3 ounces of formula a day. I mix it in with his night time bottle.
Like I said, Wills is a big boy. He is wearing 6-9 month clothes and in size 2 diapers. We go to the doctor later this month for his 4 month checkup, and I will post his weight and height stats then.
As far as toys go, he is not as thrilled with his gym as before, and his legs get stuck in his bumbo seat because he is so big. He is getting much better interacting with the toys on his Frog ExerSaucer that Aunt Sissy and Uncle Tone gave him. He still LOVES music and is starting to like books more and more. He also loves bath time and mornings. And eating, of course.
We’ve noticed, from the beginning, that he favors turning his head to the left. We are working on neck exercises and stretching to the right. He seems to be doing better.
At first Wills started with a few coos and grunts, but now…he talks all the time! If he’s awake, there’s a good chance he is making noises. When he starts to get sleepy, he will get pretty quiet, but other than that he likes to talk. He moves his tongue in and out of his mouth like he is learning to make different sounds. We try to have a conversation with him. I talk, then he talks, when he stops I will talk again, and so on. As soon as I stop or have inflection in my voice at the end of a question, he seems to answer. It is really neat and cute watching him learn to communicate.
I am reading a lot about sign language these days. I’ve learned that babies have an instinctive need to communicate but aren’t developmentally ready with the skills they need until around their first birthday. However, studies show that they do understand language and can use sign language well before they are able to speak. It helps them to be happier babies and experience less frustration. It is also shown that over time babies who are taught sign language are better readers and have a better vocabulary. I know I am starting too early, as most babies don’t pick up on signing until 6 months or so, but I am just working on getting in the habit of using my hands while I talk to him. It can’t hurt. So far we sign eat, milk, mom, dad, diaper, bedtime, kisses, hugs, more, want, and thank you. I hope he picks up on it and it helps him with vocabulary and communicating in the future. If nothing else, I am enjoying learning about it.
A lot has changed, on the outside, over the past 3 ½ months. I now have a handsome, squirming, hungry three month old attached to me. My schedule is different all day and night long. Our house is different with passies on every table, bottles filling the dishwasher, and burp pads hanging out over the couch. My body is different. Packing to go on a trip is definitely different. Simply put, life is different. But, something inside is different, too. I feel so incredibly blessed, happy, and more complete in my purpose than ever before. Is being a mom a challenge? Yes! Every single day. Would I have it any other way? Not in a million years! After years of searching, I finally have my dream job.
We are halfway between three and four months. Sorry I am just getting around to posting this picture. Wills turned 3 months old on Christmas Day!
This is probably too much information, but we go through A LOT of outfits these days, especially in the mornings. Wills has MAJOR blowouts, and by blowouts, I mean everywhere. Through the pj's, swaddle, crib sheet, and on the mattress pad or your pants if you happen to be the lucky one holding him at the time. Maybe we need a lesson on how to put a diaper on correctly? Needless to say, we do a lot of laundry and a lot of changing clothes. On Christmas Eve, William and I were upstairs wrapping presents with Wills right after he ate. Before 8 am, we were on outfit number three and had already given the little stinker (ha!) a bath. What a morning!
I’ve known the swaddle was going to need to be put away very soon, and I’ve been dreading it. From the very beginning Wills has loved being swaddled and is immediately comforted when we wrap him tightly. We’ve tried leaving one arm out during nap time and not had much success. His arms wake him up within 30 minutes or so. I haven’t witnessed him roll from back to front, yet, so I thought we had a few more weeks. I was wrong. I woke up Thursday morning to find my sweet boy on his stomach in the crib with both arms still swaddled. His face was to the side, but I still panicked for a minute and immediately rolled him to his back. He, of course, was fine, until I did this. But, as of last night we are swaddle free and doing okay. Now if he turns over, he at least has him arms free to help him get comfortable and not face down. It took him a little longer to put himself to sleep kicking and squirming with arms going everywhere, but I am hopeful that he will get the hang of it quickly.
Wills is taking about 2-3 ounces of Gerber Gentle formula at night. We started with Similac Advanced and that didn’t seem to sit too well on his stomach. He is doing fine with the new formula. I, on the other hand, am doing better than I was with it. I was disappointed that I had to supplement this early, but my baby is BIG, and he eats a lot, and going back to work doesn’t allow me to keep up with him completely. More than anything, I am thankful that I can still breastfeed and that he only needs 2 to 3 ounces of formula a day. I mix it in with his night time bottle.
Like I said, Wills is a big boy. He is wearing 6-9 month clothes and in size 2 diapers. We go to the doctor later this month for his 4 month checkup, and I will post his weight and height stats then.
All this boy wants to do is stand up! Although I’ve mastered doing a lot of things with one hand, the laundry, loading the dishwasher, eating, I haven’t figured out how to hold him steady with one hand, while he is standing (putting weight on his legs), and take a picture with the other hand. I don’t think I will try, but I will get William to take a picture of this soon.
Ashleigh Dees Photography did Wills’ three month pictures, and I love them!
Ashleigh Dees Photography did Wills’ three month pictures, and I love them!
We’ve noticed, from the beginning, that he favors turning his head to the left. We are working on neck exercises and stretching to the right. He seems to be doing better.
I am reading a lot about sign language these days. I’ve learned that babies have an instinctive need to communicate but aren’t developmentally ready with the skills they need until around their first birthday. However, studies show that they do understand language and can use sign language well before they are able to speak. It helps them to be happier babies and experience less frustration. It is also shown that over time babies who are taught sign language are better readers and have a better vocabulary. I know I am starting too early, as most babies don’t pick up on signing until 6 months or so, but I am just working on getting in the habit of using my hands while I talk to him. It can’t hurt. So far we sign eat, milk, mom, dad, diaper, bedtime, kisses, hugs, more, want, and thank you. I hope he picks up on it and it helps him with vocabulary and communicating in the future. If nothing else, I am enjoying learning about it.
A lot has changed, on the outside, over the past 3 ½ months. I now have a handsome, squirming, hungry three month old attached to me. My schedule is different all day and night long. Our house is different with passies on every table, bottles filling the dishwasher, and burp pads hanging out over the couch. My body is different. Packing to go on a trip is definitely different. Simply put, life is different. But, something inside is different, too. I feel so incredibly blessed, happy, and more complete in my purpose than ever before. Is being a mom a challenge? Yes! Every single day. Would I have it any other way? Not in a million years! After years of searching, I finally have my dream job.
Ringing in 2012 at Land's End
We were so excited to spend New Year's in Beaufort! There's no better place to relax, reflect and think about goals for a new year. I've said it before, but it's something about the salt air that always gets me thinking (more on those reflections later.)
William, Wills, Finn and I headed out Thursday afternoon. William and I had a great evening spending time together after the sweet baby went to bed. We built a fire, drank a nice bottle of red wine we've been saving, cooked dirty shrimp, and listened to some beach tunes.
We welcomed our great friends, the Brigham's, on Friday and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing in our favorite place!
It was a great weekend, spent with the best of friends, in a perfect place! Cheers to many more moments like these in 2012!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Merry Christmas!
This blog is in serious need of some TLC. But, so is everyone else and unfortunately, this baby (the blog) is usually at the bottom of the list. :(
Our first Christmas, as parents, was one we won't ever forget! We are beyond blessed to have a healthy, happy, baby boy to share our holiday traditions with. We enjoyed creating some new traditions, and of course, loved every second of our old ones.
Old: Christmas morning breakfast casserole
Our first Christmas, as parents, was one we won't ever forget! We are beyond blessed to have a healthy, happy, baby boy to share our holiday traditions with. We enjoyed creating some new traditions, and of course, loved every second of our old ones.
Old: Christmas morning breakfast casserole
New: at our house!
Old: reading The Night Before Christmas and The Christmas Story on Christmas Eve
New: to our BABY!
Old: Christmas Eve candlelight service
New (for William): joining the other Dads in bouncing and walking in the back of the church during the Christmas Eve candlelight service
Old: Enjoying time with our family and friends
New: seeing our family and friends enjoying Wills
Wills was such a trooper throughout the holiday season and our stops on Christmas Day! He was in so many new arms and never once fussed. We were very proud of him!
I hope Wills will always love Christmas as much as his mom does. William and I are looking forward to seeing and experiencing this holiday through his eyes for many years to come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)