life with baby

8 Months

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Yesterday we did our usual monthly photo shoot. However, it was anything but usual. Suddenly, I couldn’t get a smile out of him! I couldn’t distract him from the blocks! Even a spare block wasn’t enough to deter him from the tasty looking 8 MONTHS blocks.

The photo shoot was a shambles. I took 238 photos, and after my first mass deletion I still had 111. And none of them really spoke to me the way they have in the past, except for a couple where he wasn’t smiling and there were no blocks.

I suppose I am the one making up my own rules though, so these were my favorite of the non-block photos. And I suppose in their way they reflect the way he really is at 8 months — moving, looking, touching, tasting. He was fascinated with his overalls too.



I moved the blocks to the foot rest to try and get them out of his reach.

And then there was this magic that happened. Right after I thought maybe I’d gotten one clear shot of him smiling with the blocks (I hadn’t), he became so determined to get at the blocks that he did some magic move that landed him on his knees for a minute. Is this the beginning of crawling? No? Maybe swimming?

I have always called this child a little lazy. He doesn’t roll except in his crib where are there bars to push off of. But apparently when there is something he really wants, he will find a way to get after it. I will need to start watching him closer!

And then, I confess, I cheated a bit and photoshopped some blocks in. It came out okay.

But this is really what the photo shoot was all about.

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general life, life with baby

I Smell Fall

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On Friday last week, the humidity dropped and whenever that happens I can smell fall on the breeze, no joke. (I can also smell the worms after the rain and sometimes pre-rain, like a sixth sense) It was confirmed for me this morning when I woke up and after my shower, it was still dark outside.

However, humidity is back up, so I guess that means 6 more weeks of summer? Wishful thinking.

In any case, I feel like I need to capture these small moments while I can, especially enjoying the outdoors (so I tell myself as I skip church for the 3rd week in a row)

But really, this Sunday we had some friends over after the rain killed our zoo plans (guess we really didn’t spend any time outdoors anyway), and in the evening we had dinner with Brian’s family for his mother’s birthday, which was a lot of fun.

Brian killed his diet for an evening of Italian debauchery, and I enjoyed a heavenly mushroom ravioli.

We discussed the benefits of having extra large paintings, like the above classy man behind Becky, made of us individually to fill the awful space over our bed which currently has an awful off-centered painting. I think somebody nixed the idea though, maybe Brian’s dad.

Jameson was almost-but-not-quite-a-nightmare. We came prepared with highchair cover and plenty of not-too-noisy toys, he had eaten and had been changed. But it was close to bed time and there were too many people to look at and holler at, and maybe make some pterodactyl noises at. It was still a blast.

 

Oh, I also went shopping again on Saturday and on Sunday. At least this time, I realized I needed to do a thorough cleaning of the closet.

After 5 years, I realized that maybe I will never fit into some of those clothes again. The pain was made palatable though by the booty I came back with from Kohls and the outlets. What is it about walk in closets that make you feel like you can indeed store everything forever?

There is a gap there now, and I emancipated a good number of hangers which meant I could throw away a bunch of those clear plastic store hangers. Or are you supposed to recycle those? Does anyone recycle those?

Anyway, it was a nice relaxing weekend, before the next weekends into September which will be filled with trips and events, and even our first overnight together without Jameson. Whatever will we do with ourselves?

On our list now for the rest of summer are just a few must-do’s:

  • go canoeing/fake kayaking in those kayaks with huge openings so I don’t drown if I tip over
  • go on a little hike to where we got engaged
  • go ride some rollercoasters

Very do-able, right? As long as we get 6 more weeks of summer, anyway.

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life with baby

To Granny’s House We Go

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This past weekend Jameson and I drove down to my parents house for a visit. Poor Jameson just can’t catch a break — after a week of cheerful, happy baby, Mr. Jameson caught another cold. However, there was a silver lining: because he had a fever to go with it and couldn’t attend daycare, I was able to leave earlier on Thursday than originally planned.

Brian didn’t come with us this time, and my dad was out of town so it was just me, Jameson, his grandma and Aunt Holly. A bunch of lovely ladies to fawn over the little dude!

We did some shopping and I managed to purchase a few items that make me feel pretty for the first time in a while; we went on a lot of walks outside and at the mall; and his grandma and Aunt Holly even got to babysit one night while I visited with old friends.

For the first time, Jameson managed to get one of the puffs into his mouth. It wasn’t a pincer grasp though, we are definitely not there yet, but we are practicing! Even a puff on the nose is progress.

Oh, and he’s a champion sippy cup drinker now, but not with the handle-less sippy cups that I purchased originally. This one is a cheapy plastic cup with no valve system. He’s chewing on it here, but he is pretty adept now at sipping and playing with it. Since we only have one though, it is washed daily.

Because he had a cold, he was Mr. Cranky Pants, so we spent quite bit of time outside and on my parents’ deck because that always cheers him up to be outdoors.

Their garden is always amazing, and this year I was impressed with the number of “volunteer” tomato plants and sunflowers popping up on the other side of the garden. I guess that’s what happens when you feed the birds regularly. Next year when Brian and I put together our raised garden beds, we will have to start feeding them.

We came home with zucchini, cucumber, sweet yellow peppers and hot red peppers almost a foot long. The best part? Late harvest strawberries which were gobbled up immediately. Jameson wanted to help pick a few himself.

P.S. The subject is a bit of a joke, because we keep asking what my mom would like to be called and she keeps saying she doesn’t care. We like to threaten her with a Granny title. Hi, Granny!

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children, life with baby

Childhood Classics

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My sister and I talked recently about some old childhood movie favorites. She is having trouble finding Rainy Day Adventures. I have no idea what this movie is, does this ring a bell for anyone?

For myself, I spent last Christmas searching high and low for the Holly and Ivy movie about a doll, and finally uncovered the name The Wish That Changed Christmas. It was a special my mom taped that we watched yearly (you know, on the VCR). I watched it on YouTube to satiate my nostalgia.

But I will never forget the time that I recommended a show to a co-worker to play for his children. It was another favorite of mine, called Watership Down (based on a book). And he came in the next morning telling me I had given his children nightmares and they had to turn it off.

Probably because of this:

And this:

And quite a few more bloody scenes.

Another of my favorite movies has less blood but is also a little disturbing is The Last Unicorn. I now own this movie today because it is an all time favorite.

I can think of a few Disney movies that are also dark, though maybe not quite as bad as this.

However, I think I am a believer in these dark and scary movies. I think of these kind of like germs: in small doses, they’re probably good for you… right? Or am I just planning on giving my own children nightmares now?

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life with baby

The Evidence

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This weekend Jameson and I went to visit his grandma and Aunt Holly. Pardon me while I gather my thoughts for the week, and while I start work again after a few days off. Meanwhile, I finally have evidence. Hundreds of photos and this is the best shot of them, ha.

It was pretty clear to me today that he definitely has teeth as he was fussy at his one and only breastfeeding this morning, such that he dragged my nipple through them, biting me for the first time. Is that too much information? Is this a milestone I should mark in the baby book? It’s Monday.

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life with baby, preparing for baby

A Tale of Two Babies, Part 2 of 2

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Yesterday, I began the pregnancy story about myself and my friend and former co-worker, Danielle, in A Tale of Two Mothers. We ended with high risk pregnancy diagnoses, myself with gestational diabetes and Danielle with high blood pressure.

 

Interestingly, neither high blood pressure nor gestational diabetes actually caused our labors or otherwise complicated our pregnancy.

 

As we neared the end of our pregnancies, Danielle’s baby continued to measure larger than normal and ultrasound revealed him to be in a breach position. The combination led to a scheduled Cesarean. For herself, she was excited to have a date known (before Christmas! our due date was the 23rd which was obviously not the first choice).

 

Again, I struggled with feelings of jealousy (she’s going to have her baby before Christmas; and she gets 8 weeks instead of 6 short term disability pay) and the complicated feelings relating to my own labor. Our friend Megan had labored for hours before requiring a C-section; our neighbor had as well. And I felt that if C-sections were inevitable, I would love to have one scheduled for myself! However, it wasn’t meant to be.

 

As Danielle ended her time at work calmly, allowing herself time to wrap things up and have a couple days before baby’s arrival, I myself went into the doctor and had an ultrasound revealing low fluid levels. My level, they explained, was not dangerously low (yet), but definitely something to watch. Danielle told me that hers had always been high; in comparing numbers I was concerned. The doctor recommended I stay home for a day before another follow up appointment to see if it continued. We were two weeks away from our due date.

 

It’s at this time that my turning point occurred at my old company where I determined I no longer wanted to work there. When I requested to work from home for a day, I was given a “let me check” response and no feedback until the end of the day. At the end of the day that I had worked from home, I was told that I would need to take paid time off, that it wasn’t allowed. Aside from discussion over company policy, I was enraged that no one had bothered to get back to me until the end of the day.

 

You would think that my fluid levels would have continued to drop in this stress; Instead, they improved! Another follow up was scheduled for after the weekend. I wished Danielle good luck on her final work day. The next day, I arrived at the doctor’s and ultrasound revealed lower fluid levels than before, with very little around baby’s head. And we heard the words “Let’s get this baby out”.

 

Knowing what I know now, and without the rush of hormones and excitement about finally seeing my baby, I am not sure that I would’ve immediately gone with the doctor’s recommendation. Or maybe I would’ve. I guess there is no knowing. But I was only 1cm dilated, and the hormone they inserted overnight only had me progress by about 1 more before I was started on pitocin.

 

I don’t know anyone else who successfully gave birth vaginally, with no issues, with induction. But I did, after somewhat over 12 hours of induced contractions, doctor-induced water-breaking, an epidural and 1-1/2 hours of pushing. It was December 16, and Danielle had given birth via C-section earlier that day.

 

At a later appointment with the doctor, he impressed upon a co-worker that it was my first baby, I was induced and I didn’t require a C-section. There seemed like there was some surprise in his voice.

 

Danielle and I were both satisfied with our babies, our labors, and our recovery. Neither of us had any problems post-partum, beyond the usual adjustments a life change like that brings. We both delivered at exactly 39 weeks without complication, which we are both thankful for. I opted to breastfeed while Danielle opted for formula. Both our babies are happy, healthy, and growing really well with relatively few illnesses or other concerns (Jameson had a tongue-tie which we had clipped; Carson had a hernia which required surgery).

 

I for one am happy that we were able to experience our first pregnancies together, to share those gross details which I haven’t even shared here (you know the grossness, if you’ve given birth before).

 

It was almost like experiencing two pregnancies in one, and I’m able to reflect better on how lucky I feel like I was, and not get caught up in a lot of the arguments I see online about C-section versus natural versus super natural (you know, without epidural ;)) and also about formula versus breastfeeding. Happy healthy babies = happy healthy parents.

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preparing for baby

A Tale of Two Mothers, Part 1 of 2

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This is the story of me and my friend and former co-worker, Danielle. With her permission, I’m sharing our sometimes tumultuous pregnancy story. Due to length (and maybe for a little suspense), I’m splitting into two parts. The second, A Tale of Two Babies, will post tomorrow.

 

Danielle and I found out we were pregnant on the same day. We weren’t very typical in that we were sharing our personal efforts early – perhaps because another mutual friend and co-worker Megan had just had her own bouncing baby boy. The two of us shared our hopes for a future family over lunch hours and then during the day around our cubicles. In retrospect, we weren’t very quiet about it, which thankfully never caused us any problems. Brian and I tried for 3 months before success, Danielle and her husband were pregnant after just 1.

 

We arrived on that day with little smiles of success written all over our faces. We knew immediately that it was useless trying to keep it to ourselves. It wasn’t long before there were questions and advice requested of our friend Megan for details on her own pregnancy (of hers I hadn’t paid as much attention to while it was occurring! Unlike Danielle and myself, she was quieter about her pregnancy). We already guessed at that point that we had the same due date, but it wasn’t confirmed until I had my first doctors appointment at 8 weeks gestation. Danielle went in to see the doctor immediately for confirmation.

 

We shared stories and compared our baby sizes to fruit. I was relieved to be able to share my story of scary blood loss after the standard PAP smear they performed. I had sympathy and complete understanding, which was wonderful.

 

Then Danielle found out that she had placenta previa and for a little while there was a weird dynamic between us. We of course enjoyed each others’ moments: like hearing heart beats and looking at ultrasound pictures. Danielle chose to find out her baby’s gender, and when she came in the next day announcing it was a boy after months of believing completely that it was a girl, I didn’t jab at her.

 

But there were fits of jealousy on my part because suddenly Danielle’s higher risk pregnancy seemed to get more attention (it’s also important to note that I had switched departments, and already felt a bit of an outsider to Danielle, Megan and the rest of my former team); because she got to get more ultrasounds and appointments; and also because she knew her baby’s gender.

 

Additionally there was annoyance (oh my goodness, will she shut up), which I’m sure was probably mutual. We were both in the midst of important changes in our lives and wanted to be the centers of attention. Do I sound shallow? It’s okay if I do: the feelings that happen during pregnancy run the gamut of possible emotions, and I’m not afraid to admit to some of those baser ones.

 

Thankfully, Danielle’s placenta previa did resolve itself as another issue came up: elevated blood pressure. She was put on blood pressure medication and shortly thereafter began going to the doctor twice a week. Around this time, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which as unfortunate to my diet that it was, in an odd way made me feel better. Now we were on level ground again, as I was going once a week. We were both being given NSTs (non-stress tests) and shared stories about our babies who didn’t want to move around enough or had to be prodded into kicking around for a measure of their heart rate.

 

The problems that can occur related to high blood pressure and gestational diabetes made us both high risk pregnancies. Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

 

Danielle and I are both prepared to answer any questions you may have about our diagnoses or pregnancies. However, remember everyone is different, every pregnancy is different.

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Friendly Baby, Friendly People

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I’ll take him anywhere I need a little help. Maybe the insurance agency, or the BMV, or somewhere else equally unpleasant. Because babies just naturally give off that “adore me” smell look. And now that Jameson rides in the big boy cart seat? Heck yeah, I will take advantage.

Even though Jameson has been sitting up really well for about a month, I was waiting for my cart cover (yes, I’m one of those… you would be too if you read the article I did about shopping cart gross-ness) to put him in the big boy cart seat.

I bought it off of babysteals.com; it’s by Little Luxe. I love that site when they have a hot item, and it was good timing. The cover has some clever loops for hooking toys up to, and is really easy to take on and off. The downside is that there’s isn’t a compact bag with it to fold it tightly when we’re not using it. I will have to find an alternative!

A week and a half ago, Saturday the 23rd, was Jameson’s first time riding in a cart, big boy style. At first when we put him in it, he didn’t realize he could sit up. He leaned himself back and flopped to the side a couple times before getting the hang of balancing.

Does he look frightened to you? It’s all the perspective, I promise. Really, once he was looking around, he was immediately flirting with the ladies at Target, I swear! It’s true people are so nice when you have a (not cranky at the time) baby. We had no less than 3 people chat with him and compliment him. When he was in his carseat at the store before, people mostly peeked at him but didn’t really interact.

Much better perspective! And smaller seats at the grocery. Again at the grocery store, he made eyes at some other ladies, fishing for smiles.

He also pretty quickly discovered that the straps (which are quite extensive for accommodating many cart and baby sizes) were really fun to chew on. We had to give him the pacifier as a replacement, but that didn’t last long. Nom nom nom tasty straps.

Right now, he’s made  grocery shopping rather fun. I hear as they get older and want everything on the shelves they get less adorable. I’ll just take it while it lasts. And the nicer cashiers too.

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Reunion Fiesta

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It’s only been two months since I left my old job but I already feel worlds apart. This weekend we had an opportunity to get together like we never really did while I was working there, and we got together and had a family cookout. Plus, Jameson and his new friends Carson and Cole finally got to meet. Carson and Jameson were both born on December 16, but are developing in completely different ways; I was fascinated with observing them and their differences.

For one, Carson is several pounds heavier than Jameson. Though not as big as I thought! Jameson, as I’ve said before, has been pretty ambivalent about food and eating, though he’s finally got the hang of solid foods. Carson loves to eat, and is already adept at chewing off little pieces of fruit. (We tried a sliver of cantaloupe while we were there on Jameson and after being in his mouth for a good 5 minutes he hacked it out)

Carson seemed to have a lot more hand-eye coordination than Jameson did, twisting a spoon in his hand and doing a lot more grasping instead of batting. Instead, Jameson was a lot more active with sitting and jumping on us (parents are apparently free Jumparoos) than Carson seemed to be.

I wonder if this is how parents of twins are, seeing dramatic differences between babies born the same day? And how much of that is personality and how much developmental?

Carson was fascinated with looking at himself in the table reflection, even bending over while standing to get a closer look. He and Jameson did not really interact too much, actually. Though they did have a staring contest or two.

Instead, Jameson was loving and playing with Cole, our lovely hostess friend’s son. Cole is about 1-1/2 years old, so serious whenever he saw my camera (which was pretty much constantly, of course)

Jameson and Cole rode around in Cole’s wagon for a bit and Jameson did really well. Last time he was in a wagon it wasn’t moving and he fussed — clearly a moving wagon is more fun than a non-moving wagon. And it probably helped that Cole was entertaining too.

We had dinner fajita style with 3 different meats and a wide variety of toppings. Megan outdid herself on the food, and even made homemade guacamole. (We’ll have to come by more often) Cole approved of the dessert, chocolate raspberry cupcakes made by Carson’s mom.

Evidence of a good party, baby style.

Hopefully we’ll all be able to get together again to watch them grow. And Jameson is just a year away from being a fun, active little boy like Cole. I can’t wait!

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The Best Age

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I think that this age is the best age — I know a lot of people say that parents tend to think “every age is the best”, but I am not so certain. I think a lot of people think the whole first year is a pain, or the terrible 3’s, and certainly in my opinion the awfulness of teething makes many ages not the “best”.

But after three weeks of fussy generally unhappy Mr. Jameson… I am thankful that he is his usual extra happy self!

Turns out, my initial instinct was right, and it was all teething-related. We didn’t change his formula, as his teeth broke through the very day that I called the doctor for advice! Since then, we have been steadily getting a happier baby until the past two days, when I think he is the happiest, funnest baby he’s been in a long time. Oh, as a bonus, he’s decided that sleeping on his belly is very comfortable, and is sleeping through the night. Cue angels singing.

I’m trying not to countdown until the next teeth start to emerge and generally appreciate the wonderfulness that is Jameson at this very moment.

So just like last weekend, we plan to do lots of this:

And this:

And hopefully a lot of this:

In addition, we are hanging out with Jameson’s birthday-sharer, the son of my old co-worker. We are all having a cookout. Have I told you this story, dear readers? Long story short:

My friend and I found out we were pregnant on the same day.
We found out we had the same due date.
And we then proceeded to give birth on the same day.

One of these days, I will give a “long story long” version, because our pregnancies were very different. And just like our pregnancies, Jameson and Carson are very different. Jameson and Carson have never met, so I’m pretty pumped and yes, I’ll be ready with my camera.

P.S. Have you visited my Etsy store yet? I am looking for ideas of things that I could make, digital products in particular, for weddings and events. I’ve been combing the Etsy site for other ideas and I have a few thoughts, but I’m looking for something unique. Any light bulbs going off for you?

P.P.S. I re-discovered Pinterest the other day, and am addicted once again. I can’t wait until Jameson’s first birthday party. But I’m looking for more ideas for a winter party!

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