Thursday, February 15, 2007

I'm a Proud Mama


2-15-07
My entry today will probably be short I don't have a lot on my mind I'm still getting back to normal from our wonderful trip.

I want to announce that Hunter rolled from his back to stomach and then back again, and again. He's been getting close and then all of a sudden today bam while we were watching the Walton's (don't ask, he likes it and it's sort of a sweet show)he flopped over onto his stomach and then practically lifted himself up (like he was soaring) to look around. He's so cute when he lifts up his head to look around. So I called his dad at work, and when he rushed home at lunch Hunter refused to show him. He seemed quite happy to lay on his back and coo, then when his dad left, I am not joking, he rolled over not even five minutes later.

It's exciting how much of an independent person he is already. I mean it almost seems like he's going to open his mouth and tell me an important story. I just can't believe how much of a personality he has.

I've also been trying to get him used to going down for a nap. He goes to bed really well at night but naps are torture (a peek at what may be a stubborn streak in his personality)? So I've been doing the bed training we did at night for nap time but oh my you'd think I was killing him. He'll be sleeping in my arms barely conscious and as soon as I put him in his crib "aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!" So I'll wait five minutes (glued to my watch) then go in try not to make eye contact and give him back his pacifier, leave wait five more minutes until he finally (in what is literally one second) falls asleep. He'll actually pull his pacifier out of his mouth to keep himself awake. One of the times I went in there he had the most pathetic look on his face with his fist stuffed in his mouth and big old tears, it broke my heart but I knew he was tired the way my mom always knows when I'm tired. We've gone from an hour fight to fall asleep to thirty minutes to now we're at about fifteen.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Conference


2-13-07

So we just spent the last four days at a youth ministers conference in Indianapolis with Hunter and it went really well. We weren't sure how it would go and were very nervous especially considering that we had to sign up to go when Hunter was only a couple of months old and we weren't sure how he would be.

I told Brian that if I went I would have to be flexible and get what I could get out of the sessions and classes and be ok if I had to leave to feed Hunter or settle him down etc. And I was; I really enjoyed myself it was nice to be somewhere with my family away from it all. Also the classes were great it was nice to have intelligent conversation with other grown ups.

Another thing that was nice was since it was a youth minister's conference there were lots of wives and lots of babies there so I didn't feel funny. During one of the evening sessions I found myself sitting in the lounge with several other women all of us feeding or bouncing our babies while our husbands got to enjoy the speaker in peace. It was cool to talk to other moms in almost the exact situation that I'm in. The worst thing was feeding Hunter, though. Most days I was able to find a quiet out of the way place to feed him, but one day there were cheerleaders and their crazy moms every where. I was forced to feed him with people all over, I did it as tastefully as I could trying my best to keep everything covered, not that Hunter was very helpful. He enjoyed pulling the blanket off moving his head and popping off my boob to look around and screaming intermittently to make sure people were looking. I suppose that I should be fine feeding him any where now.

It's nice to be home now though, Hunter didn't sleep super well at the Hotel it's like he knew it wasn't his room or bed, but I really did enjoy being with my two boys and it just being us. Next year, however, I think we'll leave Hunter with his nanny and maybe put that jacuzzi tub we accidentally got in our room to better use.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

A Few Tips I've Picked Up


1-7-07

Not to say that I don't have my hard days and that there aren't things that I struggle with but I four months later I do have some tips for other new moms. Don't be surprised when you feel down or depressed your probably not feeling like yourself yet (I still don't) and you certainly don't look like yourself. That cute hard baby belly you had has been replaced by a lot of flab, loose skin, and stretch marks but I promise the baby is worth it and you have the rest of your life to get back in shape (although I've been told that the stretch marks remain a part of the landscape). Your probably not getting dressed, wearing a bra, or even taking showers. Your tired, happy and sad all at once, you've forgotten that there is a world outside your doors that is still going on and it can be weird trying to integrate yourself into a normal life. In fact I still don't feel I have a normal life so maybe that's something you should get used to.

Here are a few tips that may help you out. Open your curtains. This sounds silly but it made a huge difference to me to let the day light in. It was like oh yea there is an outside I'm not on a lone space ship floating through maternity galaxy. Even if it's gloomy, rainy, or snowy (which it is most of the time if you live in Michigan like I do) It's still day light and on those rare days when it is sunny you want to take advantage of those awesome rays even if it is from the comfort of your living room. Believe me this is one of the biggest things that made me feel human again.

Let the laundry and the dishes go. If it's a choice between doing them and taking a nap take the nap. That way when your husband gets home you may have a little energy to use to talk, which is good you will need grown up conversation believe me. Plus he can help with those tasks, you have the rest of your life to figure out how to do chores and raise a child give yourself a break. I'll still pick a nap over anything even shopping. If a messy house is stressing you out call on some of those people that offered to help. However, if you do this make sure you let them help don't run around the house cleaning before they get there. I felt funny asking for help, then I got really depressed and my Grammy came and helped out. It was incredible after only a couple of days with someone else in the house to talk to, and being able to see the kitchen counters and finding clothes in the draws (I still couldn't fit into them but at least they were there) I felt so much better. If you have a mom or other relatives that live close don't worry about boundaries use their help you can always set guidelines later when you have the energy to cook your own mac n cheese (I was really lucky I didn't need to worry about boundaries my problem was not feeling guilty about asking).

It will be months before you feel like exercising and that is ok, it nine months to put on the weight don't worry about getting it off again until you can laugh with out peeing and your hemorrhoids are gone. If it is warm a short walk may really help you out. I live in Michigan and it's winter so thats out of the question, but the few times I did get to take that stroller out I felt so happy to be in the fresh air it reminds you that you are not trapped in your house.

I know all your grandmas are telling you that it's all right to let the baby cry, and you think it's crazy but guess what they're right. You can go to the rest room it won't kill you precious heart to be left alone for a second. And if your baby is crying whether you hold and sooth him or not he may as well cry in his crib so you can go in the other room and recover your sanity. There was a time when every time my husband and I sat down Hunter would start screaming so we wouldn't get to eat together and neither of us would get to eat in peace. I finally put him in his crib and shut the door, we got to eat dinner (which was good I was running on fumes which makes me hysterical anyway) then ten maybe fifteen minutes later we were done and He was asleep, he was just cranky. A baby swing works a lot better for this and allows you and your baby to be in the same room while you eat dinner and maybe talk to your mate and you probably won't feel as bad. We also decided to "teach" him to sleep in his crib which required a lot of crying but only for like two nights; I'm not saying this is what will work best for you I'm just saying don't feel bad if you want you baby in his own bed and room at night I need my sleep and space and babies are noisy sleepers plus I knew for us it would be easier to deal with it now then when he was two or three.

Definitely borrow or splurge and buy a baby swing they are a God send. Give your baby a pacifier and screw the experts who tell you not to; he'll probably still nurse fine and he'll be a lot happier. It may be easier for you to give your baby a bath in the tub with you or your mate that's all right he'll probably like it better anyway and at least you killed two birds with one stone (his bath and yours). If you need to supplement with a bottle of formula after breast feeding is established so your spouse can get up and do one of the night feedings that is ok. Breast is best, but it's more important to your baby that your sane and one bottle a day is not going to hurt him (it will, however, make his toots and poops very smelly).

If there is a movie you really want to see take him with you; it's dark so you can breast feed if you want and it's loud so he'll probably sleep through the entire thing any way you won't be able to that for long so take advantage of it. And when he's a little older you can leave him with a trusted adult and go out, it's good for you and your relationship. I just did that for the first time and it was nice, wierd but nice. And you can leave your baby with your husband and get out of the house for a couple of hours remember you are still you and your baby needs a mentally healthy you so take a couple of hours to yourself and go buy yourself a couple of shirts that fit. Your husband will be fine and it's good for him to know that you trust him and good for you to have a couple on non-maternity shirts that fit.

I'm still learning and I'll pass anything else on to you, I need to go steal that nap while I can. Remember we're not perfect and learning to take my own advice will be hard but we need to give ourselves room to be human and therefore, happier.

P.S. isn't this picture hilarious, my husband took it yesterday?

Monday, February 5, 2007

A No Grocery Week

2-5-07
This is going to be one of those weird crazy weeks where your not sure if it's going to be fun or just too much. The up side of this week is there is only one day where I need to make dinner (today, we had this really yummy Rachael Ray meat loaf).

Tuesday Brian and I are actually going out to dinner, just the two of us, Hunter is staying with Gordon and Carla, our minister and his wife. Is it terrible that I'm really looking forward to it? We haven't been on a date, just the two of us in a loooong time and I saw this thing on Every Day With Rachael Ray (sounds like I'm obsessed with Rachael Ray, I do really like her) with a love expert and she talked about how we loose that spark, and small things can help; dating, sitting next to each other on the couch so that your touching (of course right now we're not using a couch but two separate chairs isn't that horrible) and I just cried I love him so much and I don't want to loose that spark. It's hard too, you know, I mean by the time we get to bed I'm so tired and he's already sleeping, and the reason we're not using a couch to watch tv is because it's freezing in the basement so we're cramming into the office and watching the tiny little TV. Needless to say I'm looking forward to this little date.

Wednesday is a church dinner, and Thursday is our home group and we're ordering pizza.

Then Friday we leave for our youth ministers conference where its all restaurants all the time. So I'm not even going to the grocery store (yea right I have to go at least once it's my calling).

Saturday, February 3, 2007

You'll never believe it


2-3-06
Well for those of you who have been keeping up with my somewhat mindless ramblings will not be surprised when I tell you this next thing. The baby is not having allergies and I know this because my husband and I woke up this morning with tickles in our throats and stuffy noses. I am not joking, this makes four colds in three months!! I am doing my best to knock it out; tons of emergency, fruit, salt water. For those of you that pray could you please pray that this passes by us in a hurry, I'm not sure how much more of the germy germs I can take. I'm going to clorox everything all handles and everything and I'd like to open the windows to let in some fresh air but we're under a wind chill advisory. Seriously please pray that we kick this quick we have a convention coming up and so many things better to do then lay around and be sick. Maybe God is trying to tell us something but I'm not sure what it is.

Another funny thing happened we bought some lactose free soy formula and the poop is just as gross as the other formula poops. So I suppose the formula just gives them gross poops and well now we have a lot of formula! I'll just put one of the cans in the freezer and hopefully it will last a while.

Not much else to report I just wanted to ask for prayers to knock out this new cold, time to get over the sick and get on with my life.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Ground Hog Day


2-2-07
Today is Ground Hog Day and isn't that just the most disappointing day of the year? I mean it makes no sense and is such a huge let down, and there are groundhogs all over so which one is the official ground hog? It's never made sense in the month when your just yearning for warmth why would you put your hopes in a barn damaging rodent? Then if the ground hog sees his shadow it means six more weeks of winter, that doesn't make sense either. The sun has to be out in order to see a shadow and if the sun was out wouldn't it be warming the earth and melting the snow getting you closer to spring, while if it was cloudy like it is today wouldn't it be colder and snowier?

I would love to rename this day sleep through the night day. It would be so much more exciting commemorating the night that Hunter slept all night. Of course we've been having trouble while he slept six hours and then five it's slowly been going back down until I had to fight with him last night to get him to go four. And I had to get up with him because he's got this weird cold and I'm trying to figure out if it really is a cold or if it is some kind of allergy to the formula (that formula that's been helping my sanity). So For the last couple of days I've been breast feeding all the time so I have to get up with him at night and of course he decided to get up early!!

So the cold seems to be leaving but in the way a normal cold leaves. However, his poop changed back to normal, I had thought that it had gotten gross because of the cereal but apparently not. So I called my sister in law to ask her when her baby switched to formula what his poop looked like (what a weird thing to call someone about) she told me that he had the same pooping problem and that the doctors told her to switch to a soy based formula; so lets try that. Brian and I are going to look for that today. Of course I just bought this huge can of the other formula and formula is expensive! Oh well thank goodness for our extra baby fund.