As you're probably thinking, this blog is a total rant by yours truly. So, if you aren't in the mood to listen to me whine, then don't continue reading or at least skip about four paragraphs. Trust me, I understand. Christmas is in five days so I feel like I should be in such wonderful spirit. I'm not in a BAD MOOD necessarily. I'm just very moody. [CONTENT DELETED DUE TO SILLY DRAMA] I'm very excited for this break from work we're about to get! Ty and I are taking off on Friday and then we're closed Monday. Barrett's daycare is closed starting this Friday until January third so I'll be taking off a couple of days next week too. Ty's mom will be keeping him the other days, while day care is closed.
Another thing I've been having a problem with lately is people wanting to tell me what I'm doing wrong or what I SHOULD be doing with MY child. I've had one person that I see fairly often, make comments to Barrett about how "he needs shoes on" and "it's too cold outside for him to not have shoes on". For starters, my child HATES shoes. He's scared of them for some reason I have yet been able to figure out. I have made numerous attempts to put shoes on him and every time, he flops everywhere, screams and cries, shivers, and his face turns bright red. He'll continue to cry for a little while and can ruin a night. Obviously, he's going to have to wear shoes when he starts walking but right now, I don't want to fight that battle, when he's only crawling. I did buy some soft-sole shoes from Old Navy last weekend and he hasn't had as much of a problem wearing them, thank goodness. He pulls them off pretty often though.
I feel like I'm pretty laid-back about Barrett, which has made a few people comment on things I do. For example, he has recently started wanting to feed himself, refusing to let me feed him. He's still not good with a spoon or fork so if it's at all possible, I let him eat with his hands. My other choice is for me to shove food down his throat while he screams and flops around in his high chair. Yeah, I could "stand my ground" and make him let me feed him but then he just wouldn't eat. I feel like I did that for a month or so and that was also the same time that he stopped gaining weight. To the point of my story, tonight we went to T.G.I. Friday's with our best friends. I ordered Barrett macaroni and cheese and french fries. I cut the french fries into pieces, put them on the table, and also put a few spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese on the table. I put his spoon within his reach, in case he decided to try to use it. He started slinging cheese EVERYWHERE, which is when I decided to take the spoon from him. A waiter (not even ours) brought my food to the table and made the sarcastic comment of "it's a good thing it's not cold/flu season" and made a "yeah right" face. Seriously?! If he's so brave and opinionated, why didn't he just come out and say, "I can't believe you put your son's food on the table and let him eat with his hands, when he could catch a cold or the flu from the table"? Number one, he's gotten a flu shot so that's a minimal worry of mine. I know it's not sure-proof but it definitely helps. Number two, it's not the end of the world if he DOES indeed catch a cold. I'm not one of those parents that freaks out about germs. I've already got enough things to worry about. Ty worries enough about germs for the both of us, LOL! It's strange because I have slight O.C.D. but when it comes to stuff like that, I just don't care.
OK, I think I'm done ranting for the time being. On a totally different note, I am SO excited that my nephew, Austin will be born soon! Technically, he's my best friend's baby but he's a nephew in my eyes! She is due on January tenth but hit 37 weeks pregnant today, which is full-term, meaning if he was born today, he would most likely be healthy and completely normal. It's amazing how much changes in only a year with a baby. It's so hard for me to believe that this time last year, Barrett was a 13 pound itty-bitty thing that couldn't even hold his own head up. Now, he's a 25 pound professional crawler and soon-to-be walker. I'm so excited for my friend to be able to experience the miracle of motherhood! It's definitely a love that is indescribable and a magnificent one at that! And obviously, I'm excited to have a new baby around to love on but be able to give back to his mom and dad, LOL. I can't wait to meet him and hopefully it will be sooner than later!
In other news, Barrett's loving food right now. His favorite foods currently are bananas, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, green beans, Graduates Lil' Crunchies, and most any kind of pasta. He wakes up around 8:00 a.m. and gets infant mixed cereal combined with baby food fruit as well as eight ounces of whole milk in a bottle. He eats some kind of table food for lunch with whole milk in a sippy cup around 11:00 a.m. and then a snack, usually crackers or fruit, with water in a sippy cup, around 2:30 p.m.. He eats table food for dinner around 5:30 p.m. with water in a sippy cup. Then he gets infant mixed cereal again, combined with baby food fruit around 8:30 p.m. as well as eight ounces of whole milk in a bottle. His pediatrician said that baby/infant cereal and baby food are more nutritious anyways so as long as he'll eat it, continue feeding it to him. He's normally in bed (crib) by 9:45 p.m. lately, which has been WONDERFUL! He used to want to stay up until midnight, which took a toll on all three of us. Now, he's sleeping 10+ hours a night. He's been in a better mood, since getting more sleep. He goes to daycare Monday through Friday every week, except for Wednesdays, which is when Ty's mother gets to keep him at her house. He doesn't go to daycare until 11:00 a.m. every day and I pick him up between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., when I get off work. I LOVE getting an extra few hours with him in the mornings. I will say though, that it's a little difficult to get ready for work with him frequently hugging me and giving me sugar, while I'm flat-ironing my hair in the bedroom floor :). Trust me...I don't mind at all! He's such a sweet and loving baby and I just adore him.
I'm so extremely thankful for such a wonderful day care with teachers that I trust 100%, every time I drop him off. He has learned SO much since starting West Jackson Baptist Church's day care program. The last Mother's Day Out program he was in at a different church (not naming names) was of no benefit to him. Yes, it allowed me some free time and I was able to get some work done, but he learned NOTHING there. Keep in mind, he only went Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Almost every day that I picked him up, ALL of the babies were screaming and the teachers were sitting in the rockers by themselves and had a slight attitude. I thought this was normal because it was the only thing I had been exposed to. Barrett started West Jackson and it's NOTHING like that. Yes, the babies cry but the amount that I see at WJBC seems normal and the teachers always give the necessary attention to that child. They have gotten Barrett into a routine which I have so far been unable to successfully accomplish. He recently moved up classes and I was terrified because the teachers he had in his previous class weren't far from perfect. But I can now say, his new teachers are just as good as his last and I love them! I think he'll be in this class for at least 6 months if not a year longer.
Barrett's still in love with Mickey Mouse. He's his number one fan, I believe :). He's spanning out his vocabulary lately. He says, "ma-ma", "da-da", "hey", "hi-D", "bye", "yay", "I did it", and his most recent, "ball". He's even said "Doo-Dah" a few times, which is my stepfather's nickname. My stepfather, Steve, is known for getting my nephews donuts from Doo Dah's donuts, the mornings they stay with him and my mom, which is where the nickname comes from. Barrett can clap his hands, wave hello and bye, point, pull up, give five and give five "up high". He knows how to open and close Lilly's crate. He knows how to use a hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, television remote, and cell phone. If you ask him to point at some one's nose or a light, he will. He knows what his "cars" are. He has lots of toy cars that he loves. This morning, he decided to play with a wall outlet in mine and Ty's bedroom. I told him, "no" and pointed my finger at him. I was surprised when I got back a pointed finger at me. I couldn't help but laugh. Luckily, I had time to turn my face the other way so he didn't see me laughing. It was just too funny though, seeing that little bitty finger pointing back at me. He's definitely developed an attitude in his "old age". He still LOVES Lilly and she loves him. She has gotten a little distant from him lately though. She's learned that he's rougher with her than she cares for and knows when to steer clear. She's always under his high chair though, when it's dinner time!
Anyways, I've written more than any of you cared to read, I'm sure! Sorry! I haven't written in about three weeks though and this is a good outlet for me, even if no one was to read my blog. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if I don't post again or see any of you between now and then!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Barrett's 1 Year Checkup
Barrett had his 1 year checkup with Dr. Woods Tuesday afternoon. Everything went as expected. He weighs 24 pounds, 11 ounces and is 31 inches long. He's between the 50th and 75th percentile for his weight and 75th to 90th percentile for his height. His head is 18.5 inches around, which is also in the 75th to 90th percentile. I asked the doctor to look at his "infected" ear again. The antibiotic (Omnicef) was making him very sick so I wanted to see if he still had to take it or if he could to swap to a different one. Turns out, his ear isn't infected, really. He said it probably was slightly infected because it was still a little red but obviously, 2 days on the antibiotics helped it. So, we've stopped the medicine, thank goodness! He had so many "bad" diapers during the 2 days he was on the antibiotic and screamed like he was in pain. I'm thinking his stomach was just hurting that bad :(. Since he's quit, he's a completely different baby. He's back to sleeping normally and isn't as grumpy as he was.
He also got his 12 month shots Tuesday. I believe he got 4 vaccinations, one shot for each. He's always gotten 4 injections but they'll combine as much as they can. For example, his 6 month shots contained 7 or 8 vaccinations but they were able to put it all into 4 injections. I was hoping he'd only get 1 or 2 injections this time but I guess they couldn't combine these. One of the vaccinations was his flu shot. He has to go back in exactly a month and get a booster for it. Oddly enough, I can't even tell by the way he's acting, that he got shots. I did end up giving him Infant Tylenol last night because he was a tad bit fussy and I can imagine getting 2 shots in the same location in each thigh will leave you sore. He's a little trooper, though ;).
I have finally changed Barrett's meals completely, since he's turned a year old. He gets 8 ounces of lukewarm milk in the morning and at bedtime then eats 2-3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between. He's off of baby food for the most part. He does still get a fruit serving of baby food with his cereal at night but that's it. He drinks water during the day with his meals and snacks. We sometimes splurge and let him get some watered-down tea, juice, or soda but are only going to let that happen every now and then. Everything in moderation! We had a hard time in the beginning, getting him to eat ANY table food. It was almost overnight and he decided he liked table food. He moved up classes at daycare on Monday as well and I think that helped a ton. I think that him seeing the other babies eat table food and use a sippy cup, all while sitting in their highchairs, makes him more comfortable and accepting of the changes.
Well, that's all I have to say for now! Short, sweet, and to-the-point is always good! Everyone have a great week!
He also got his 12 month shots Tuesday. I believe he got 4 vaccinations, one shot for each. He's always gotten 4 injections but they'll combine as much as they can. For example, his 6 month shots contained 7 or 8 vaccinations but they were able to put it all into 4 injections. I was hoping he'd only get 1 or 2 injections this time but I guess they couldn't combine these. One of the vaccinations was his flu shot. He has to go back in exactly a month and get a booster for it. Oddly enough, I can't even tell by the way he's acting, that he got shots. I did end up giving him Infant Tylenol last night because he was a tad bit fussy and I can imagine getting 2 shots in the same location in each thigh will leave you sore. He's a little trooper, though ;).
I have finally changed Barrett's meals completely, since he's turned a year old. He gets 8 ounces of lukewarm milk in the morning and at bedtime then eats 2-3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between. He's off of baby food for the most part. He does still get a fruit serving of baby food with his cereal at night but that's it. He drinks water during the day with his meals and snacks. We sometimes splurge and let him get some watered-down tea, juice, or soda but are only going to let that happen every now and then. Everything in moderation! We had a hard time in the beginning, getting him to eat ANY table food. It was almost overnight and he decided he liked table food. He moved up classes at daycare on Monday as well and I think that helped a ton. I think that him seeing the other babies eat table food and use a sippy cup, all while sitting in their highchairs, makes him more comfortable and accepting of the changes.
Well, that's all I have to say for now! Short, sweet, and to-the-point is always good! Everyone have a great week!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thanksgiving weekend
So far, it's been a great Thanksgiving break. Technically, this is our second Thanksgiving with Barrett but it feels like our first because he was only 4 days old for Thanksgiving last year and we were still in the hospital. It was nice spending the day, just us 3, at home, on our "first" Thanksgiving, just being thankful for eachother! Thursday night, we went to Ty's grandfather's house in Beech Bluff for dinner. Everything went well. Ty's parents ended up keeping Barrett that night and half of the day Friday. Thursday night, after Ty and I got home, we put up the Christmas tree and decorations. It took me about 5 hours to get everything done so I didn't get in bed until about 2 am Thursday night (Friday morning).
Our Tree:
I picked up Barrett around 1:30 pm Friday afternoon. I was so excited to show him the Christmas tree and decorations! However, he's not cared a single bit about any of it! I guess that's a good thing, since he probably won't be pulling off ornaments, etc. Since I picked him up, he's cried pretty much non-stop. He doesn't want to eat. He doesn't want to sleep. He doesn't want to play. He doesn't want to do nothing, though. He whines constantly. I knew something was wrong because he's normally so happy and content with everything. I've put off taking him to the doctor though because a) I haven't had time and b) I was hoping it would go away on it's on. Friday, I spent the day taking care of Barrett. When you have a sick child, it pretty much consumes ALL of your time. He wants to be held 24/7 and when he feels bad, I always give in and hold him. He'll only be this little once and I'm going to take advantage of it when I can.
When I wasn't caring for B, I was catching up on my to-do list. I finally ordered our Christmas cards, which I've been trying to do for a few weeks now. I cleaned the house a little bit. I went through some cabinets that desperately needed organized. I put a bunch of stuff out that needs to be sold next time we have a Garage Sale. That's on the list for tomorrow: actually putting the garage-sale stuff in the attic! Barrett really put up a fight, going to bed, Friday night. He would fall asleep in our arms but wake up as soon as we laid him down in his crib. He did this 5 times before we had no choice but to let him cry it out for a bit. It was 1 am Friday night (Saturday morning) and there just wasn't another option. I refuse to fall back into the pattern of letting him sleep with us. I made the mistake of doing it when he was around 6 months old and it was an extremely hard pattern to break. He cried for about 20 minutes and finally fell asleep. He slept until 11 am this morning though :/.
I've spent today cooking for my mom's Thanksgiving dinner that we had tonight. I made macaroni & cheese and cinnamon chips & fruit salsa. Both were delicious! We had so much food tonight and it was all wonderful! We finally took B to Convenient Care, after dinner and it turns out, his right ear is infected. But, the doctor said we caught it early so his antibiotic should help it not get much worse. We started Ceftin tonight and he's got to take it twice a day for 10 days. I also gave him some Infant Advil tonight to help the pain and honestly, I think that's why he fell asleep much easier tonight. I've always heard it hurts a baby to lie down, when he/she has an ear infection. I hate it because there's nothing you can really do to help him. Even holding and rocking him, he still cries from the pain. He just doesn't know what he wants. I'm hoping he starts feeling better within a couple of days.
He starts his new class at daycare on Monday, which I'm a little nervous about. He'll have 3 new teachers and will be with other infants/toddlers around 1 year to 2 years old. One of his new teachers was actually his teacher when he was about 6 months old and we really liked her so that's a little bit of relief. I know he'll eventually get used to the change but he got so close to his old teachers and I'm sure we'll have a little difficulty getting used to the new ones. He has his 1 year checkup and shots on Tuesday afternoon. He'll also have some urine test done to check for diabetes, I believe. They tried to do it when he was 9 months old but he wouldn't urinate while we were there. Instead of making us sit around and wait, Dr. Woods said we could just do it at his 12 month visit. Barrett's gotten so tall and thin! I can't believe it! He was just so stocky when he was born, I never imagined him being tall and skinny at a year old! I'm relieved though. When they announced after my C-Section that he was almost 11 pounds, I was scared that he had a lifetime of obesity ahead of him. That's definitely not the case though!
On another note, I'm so looking forward to Christmas! I just love this time of year. It's busy yet peaceful for me. I'm also excited that my best friend is nearing her due date to have her little boy. I can't wait to meet him! OK, I've said everything I have to say. I might just get in bed by 2 am tonight! What an accomplishment! LOL. Good night everyone! I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was fabulous!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Do I really have a one year old?!
WARNING: This is a long post.
DOUBLE WARNING: Talk of my C-Section is in this entry.
I just can't believe it ... I have a one year old son?! It's starting to slowly sink in but it's just so weird. On November 21st, 2010, at 9:17 a.m., I was given the most amazing 10 pound 14 ounce, 21 inches long blessing I could ever dream of ... my son. I remember the whole thing and this is the story.
We started trying to get pregnant in June 2009. We did everything to a T for 8 months, using all the tests available to try and get pregnant with no results. I finally had Laparoscopy in February 2010 because I had had some lower abdominal pain. They found nothing wrong with my reproductive system but did find 2 Indirect Inguinal Hernias, which were repaired during the same procedure. I was instructed to NOT get pregnant for at least 3 months so that my body would have time to heal. Well, to our surprise, I found out on March 15, 2o10, that I was pregnant. I had been nauseous for a couple of days and decided to test that morning, thinking that it was impossible. I remember staring at that pregnancy test, seeing a line but not seeing a line, at the same time. I went out and bought a few more tests which showed a little better line. I immediately called Ty at work and told him the news. Yeah, I would have loved to have some dramatic story of how I told him but I was just too excited!
After talking to Ty, I called my doctor and made an appointment for the following day. I also called a few close family members and friend because I was too excited to not tell anyone! I went for my appointment the next day and was shocked when I was told, "you must have had an early miscarriage because your pregnancy test is negative". I remember tears coming to my eyes. Luckily, I had brought my 8 (yes, EIGHT) positive home tests with me. That gave Dr. Hammond enough reason to do a blood test. I had to wait 2 extremely anxious days to find out the results. I finally got the phone call! The nurse said I was pregnant but that my HCG (a pregnancy hormone) level was extremely low, coming in at 26. In pregnancy, HCG can get as high as 100,000-200,000, to give you a comparison. Most home pregnancy tests detect anything above 25. The nurse said that their office tests probably detect above 100. So, they had me come back in that afternoon to do another test. In early pregnancy, your HCG should double every 2 or 3 days so we were looking for that result to determine if my pregnancy was viable. I had to wait until the following Monday to get the results. All of this waiting was horrendous! I took a million home tests in that time and I was so glad when the lines started getting darker. I got the phone call Monday saying my HCG was at 75 so that meant everything was looking good!
I was scheduled for an ultrasound for some other problems I was having, when I should have been 9 weeks 2 days pregnant. Once again, I had another scare when the embryo only measured 6 weeks 0 days. The baby did at least have a heartbeat of 118 beats per minutes though. The doctor told me to be "cautiously optimistic". In other words, it doesn't look good but don't completely lose hope. I went for a follow up ultrasound a week later and the baby was measuring a week ahead, so things started looking up :). I got my gender/anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks 2 days and everything looked great! We found out "it" was a boy and decided on the name, Barrett Asa Jones. We just liked the name Barrett and Asa was my mother's mother's father's middle name. I made a list of 20 names for his first name and Barrett was the only one Ty would agree with ;). I thought a lot of my great-grandfather. He was like a second father to me when I was a child.
Anyways, I started measuring ahead around 28 weeks. I took my 1 hour glucose test at that time and passed with flying colors. At 28 weeks, I measured 32 weeks by ultrasound and fundal height. I continued to measure 3-5 weeks ahead until I gave birth. I remember at my 37 week ultrasound, Barrett measured almost 41 weeks, ha ha. Besides measuring large I didn't really have any other complications while I was pregnant. Around 35 weeks, I did start swelling really bad and got slightly high blood pressure. However, I wasn't diagnosed with Preeclampsia before birth because all of my lab work came back fine. At around 38 weeks, my blood pressure got pretty bad so I was scheduled a C Section for November 22, 2010. They also were expecting him to be large so it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and plan on the C Section.
Around 11 pm, November 20, 2010, I started having contractions but wasn't sure that's what was going on. They hurt but they weren't horrible nor were they less than 10 minutes apart. I told Ty that I felt weird but he convinced me to try and rest it off since I was scheduled for a C Section in about 36 hours. He of course, went to bed. I of course, did not LOL. I stayed up all night, sitting on the couch, pacing the floor, changing positions...pretty much trying anything that might help the pain go away. The contractions got more frequent, coming at least every 4 minutes but weren't intolerable yet. Around 3 am, they were at the point where I couldn't speak during them anymore. I finally woke Ty up around 6 am and told him we had to go to the hospital. I was only dilated half a centimeter and 50% effaced when we got there at 7 am. Thank goodness things moved along really fast. Dr. Ball was on call and did my C Section. I was cut open at 9:08 am and Barrett was born at 9:17 am. Very fast, to say the least! I'm just grateful he didn't make me wait all day to get it done.
We got there, I was checked in quick, I changed clothes and it all went extremely fast after that. I remember having to drink the acid reducing medicine then waiting about an hour. During that time, Ty called family and friends to let them know to come to the hospital. I wasn't sure I was going to stay at the hospital when we went so we called no one. I hated to wake everyone up at 7 am on a Sunday morning for nothing. That hour was probably the most stressful. You just have what seems like a ton of time to start worrying about the "what ifs". After that hour passed, I went back and got my spinal. I hated not being able to have Ty with me at that time. I was scared, to say the least. I had wonderful nurses in there with me though and I'm so thankful for them. I laid down, started getting numb within minutes, and I finally saw Ty come in. Me and Ty were speechless. I think he was just as nervous as I was. When I finally heard Barrett cry, I was so relieved. After he was born, Ty went to see him and I felt so alone. The nurse was there beside me but it's nice to be with someone you actually know, especially in such a nerve-wracking time.
Finally, Ty brought B to see me and I was instantly in love. I was able to quickly touch him and give him a kiss and he was taken away. It was around 9:45 am and they had me sewed up and took me to my room to recover, which is when I was started on my morphine pump. I was so eager to see my baby but I was told that he was breathing a little fast, so they needed to keep him in the nursery a little longer. They continued to tell me the same story every hour, for three hours. I was really worried something was wrong with him. Finally, they brought him in and said he was still breathing fast but they would go ahead and let me have him. He was just perfect! Such a stocky cute baby boy.
I was actually looking at our pictures from that time, recently, and saw a picture of him right after he was born. They had a tube down his throat with brown stuff in it. I asked his pediatrician about it and come to find out, he had swallowed meconium (practically poop) before he was born. I was never told that. I'm kind of glad to know that now though because a side effect of swallowing meconium is rapid breathing. Some serious issues can come about from swallowing meconium but thankfully, my little man hasn't suffered any other problems.
I was released from the hospital 3 days after he was born, with slightly high blood pressure. The night after returning home, I felt very light-headed, nauseous, and just not "right". I checked my blood pressure and it was 180/120. I returned to the hospital and they admitted me for another 3 days. The first 36 hours were spent on Magnesium which was not fun at all. It makes you feel like you have the flu times 10. I was finally released after 3 days, with still slightly high blood pressure, around 140/90. I was put on medication which helped within a week.
I got severe Postpartum Depression around 3 weeks postpartum. Thankfully, my parents, Ty's parents, and my sister were able to swap up keeping Barrett for quite a few nights just to let me get situated. I tried a couple of different antidepressants before getting on the right one and finally got better after about 2 months postpartum.
As many obstacles as I had after the birth of Barrett, I am so extremely thankful for him. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be having any more children because of the reasons stated above but I'm so glad I have Barrett. He's been a good baby from day 1. He's always ate well, slept good, and just been truly happy. Right now, he's crawling, pulling up, walking with his Dinosaur walker, and trying to stand on his own. He's still on formula and baby food, eating a few solids and some table food. He really likes potatoes as far as table food goes. He sleeps around 11 hours a night. He really loves his momma and daddy lately. He's as sweet and loving as he's ever been. I was told by his daycare teacher today, that he hugs and kisses the babies when they cry at daycare. That makes me so proud! He's moving to the next class at daycare on Monday, which I'm kind of bittersweet about. His class now has a lot of newborns in it so I feel like with him being a year old and almost walking, he may not be getting the attention/teaching like he needs. Not to mention, there's only about 2 other babies his age in there. Newborns just take a lot more time feeding, diapering, and comforting than a one year old does. So, that's the good thing about him moving up. However, he has 3 teachers right now that I absolutely LOVE. I can tell they adore Barrett and I know that he loves them. I haven't met his new teacher but I hope to before Monday. I'm hoping she will be just as good as his current ones but I don't know how they can be out-done;). His next class will be something like, 1 to 2 year olds. They don't really do classes solely based on age. They base it more on development but still like to put age into consideration.
I'm so sorry for the extremely long post! I should have updated sometime between Halloween and now but oh well! It's been an extremely busy time for me. Between hostessing my best friend's baby shower, organizing Barrett's 1st Birthday Party, and other family members and friends birthdays and events, I just haven't had the time to do anything else. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and rest of the week!
DOUBLE WARNING: Talk of my C-Section is in this entry.
I just can't believe it ... I have a one year old son?! It's starting to slowly sink in but it's just so weird. On November 21st, 2010, at 9:17 a.m., I was given the most amazing 10 pound 14 ounce, 21 inches long blessing I could ever dream of ... my son. I remember the whole thing and this is the story.
We started trying to get pregnant in June 2009. We did everything to a T for 8 months, using all the tests available to try and get pregnant with no results. I finally had Laparoscopy in February 2010 because I had had some lower abdominal pain. They found nothing wrong with my reproductive system but did find 2 Indirect Inguinal Hernias, which were repaired during the same procedure. I was instructed to NOT get pregnant for at least 3 months so that my body would have time to heal. Well, to our surprise, I found out on March 15, 2o10, that I was pregnant. I had been nauseous for a couple of days and decided to test that morning, thinking that it was impossible. I remember staring at that pregnancy test, seeing a line but not seeing a line, at the same time. I went out and bought a few more tests which showed a little better line. I immediately called Ty at work and told him the news. Yeah, I would have loved to have some dramatic story of how I told him but I was just too excited!
After talking to Ty, I called my doctor and made an appointment for the following day. I also called a few close family members and friend because I was too excited to not tell anyone! I went for my appointment the next day and was shocked when I was told, "you must have had an early miscarriage because your pregnancy test is negative". I remember tears coming to my eyes. Luckily, I had brought my 8 (yes, EIGHT) positive home tests with me. That gave Dr. Hammond enough reason to do a blood test. I had to wait 2 extremely anxious days to find out the results. I finally got the phone call! The nurse said I was pregnant but that my HCG (a pregnancy hormone) level was extremely low, coming in at 26. In pregnancy, HCG can get as high as 100,000-200,000, to give you a comparison. Most home pregnancy tests detect anything above 25. The nurse said that their office tests probably detect above 100. So, they had me come back in that afternoon to do another test. In early pregnancy, your HCG should double every 2 or 3 days so we were looking for that result to determine if my pregnancy was viable. I had to wait until the following Monday to get the results. All of this waiting was horrendous! I took a million home tests in that time and I was so glad when the lines started getting darker. I got the phone call Monday saying my HCG was at 75 so that meant everything was looking good!
I was scheduled for an ultrasound for some other problems I was having, when I should have been 9 weeks 2 days pregnant. Once again, I had another scare when the embryo only measured 6 weeks 0 days. The baby did at least have a heartbeat of 118 beats per minutes though. The doctor told me to be "cautiously optimistic". In other words, it doesn't look good but don't completely lose hope. I went for a follow up ultrasound a week later and the baby was measuring a week ahead, so things started looking up :). I got my gender/anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks 2 days and everything looked great! We found out "it" was a boy and decided on the name, Barrett Asa Jones. We just liked the name Barrett and Asa was my mother's mother's father's middle name. I made a list of 20 names for his first name and Barrett was the only one Ty would agree with ;). I thought a lot of my great-grandfather. He was like a second father to me when I was a child.
Anyways, I started measuring ahead around 28 weeks. I took my 1 hour glucose test at that time and passed with flying colors. At 28 weeks, I measured 32 weeks by ultrasound and fundal height. I continued to measure 3-5 weeks ahead until I gave birth. I remember at my 37 week ultrasound, Barrett measured almost 41 weeks, ha ha. Besides measuring large I didn't really have any other complications while I was pregnant. Around 35 weeks, I did start swelling really bad and got slightly high blood pressure. However, I wasn't diagnosed with Preeclampsia before birth because all of my lab work came back fine. At around 38 weeks, my blood pressure got pretty bad so I was scheduled a C Section for November 22, 2010. They also were expecting him to be large so it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and plan on the C Section.
Around 11 pm, November 20, 2010, I started having contractions but wasn't sure that's what was going on. They hurt but they weren't horrible nor were they less than 10 minutes apart. I told Ty that I felt weird but he convinced me to try and rest it off since I was scheduled for a C Section in about 36 hours. He of course, went to bed. I of course, did not LOL. I stayed up all night, sitting on the couch, pacing the floor, changing positions...pretty much trying anything that might help the pain go away. The contractions got more frequent, coming at least every 4 minutes but weren't intolerable yet. Around 3 am, they were at the point where I couldn't speak during them anymore. I finally woke Ty up around 6 am and told him we had to go to the hospital. I was only dilated half a centimeter and 50% effaced when we got there at 7 am. Thank goodness things moved along really fast. Dr. Ball was on call and did my C Section. I was cut open at 9:08 am and Barrett was born at 9:17 am. Very fast, to say the least! I'm just grateful he didn't make me wait all day to get it done.
We got there, I was checked in quick, I changed clothes and it all went extremely fast after that. I remember having to drink the acid reducing medicine then waiting about an hour. During that time, Ty called family and friends to let them know to come to the hospital. I wasn't sure I was going to stay at the hospital when we went so we called no one. I hated to wake everyone up at 7 am on a Sunday morning for nothing. That hour was probably the most stressful. You just have what seems like a ton of time to start worrying about the "what ifs". After that hour passed, I went back and got my spinal. I hated not being able to have Ty with me at that time. I was scared, to say the least. I had wonderful nurses in there with me though and I'm so thankful for them. I laid down, started getting numb within minutes, and I finally saw Ty come in. Me and Ty were speechless. I think he was just as nervous as I was. When I finally heard Barrett cry, I was so relieved. After he was born, Ty went to see him and I felt so alone. The nurse was there beside me but it's nice to be with someone you actually know, especially in such a nerve-wracking time.
Finally, Ty brought B to see me and I was instantly in love. I was able to quickly touch him and give him a kiss and he was taken away. It was around 9:45 am and they had me sewed up and took me to my room to recover, which is when I was started on my morphine pump. I was so eager to see my baby but I was told that he was breathing a little fast, so they needed to keep him in the nursery a little longer. They continued to tell me the same story every hour, for three hours. I was really worried something was wrong with him. Finally, they brought him in and said he was still breathing fast but they would go ahead and let me have him. He was just perfect! Such a stocky cute baby boy.
I was actually looking at our pictures from that time, recently, and saw a picture of him right after he was born. They had a tube down his throat with brown stuff in it. I asked his pediatrician about it and come to find out, he had swallowed meconium (practically poop) before he was born. I was never told that. I'm kind of glad to know that now though because a side effect of swallowing meconium is rapid breathing. Some serious issues can come about from swallowing meconium but thankfully, my little man hasn't suffered any other problems.
I was released from the hospital 3 days after he was born, with slightly high blood pressure. The night after returning home, I felt very light-headed, nauseous, and just not "right". I checked my blood pressure and it was 180/120. I returned to the hospital and they admitted me for another 3 days. The first 36 hours were spent on Magnesium which was not fun at all. It makes you feel like you have the flu times 10. I was finally released after 3 days, with still slightly high blood pressure, around 140/90. I was put on medication which helped within a week.
I got severe Postpartum Depression around 3 weeks postpartum. Thankfully, my parents, Ty's parents, and my sister were able to swap up keeping Barrett for quite a few nights just to let me get situated. I tried a couple of different antidepressants before getting on the right one and finally got better after about 2 months postpartum.
As many obstacles as I had after the birth of Barrett, I am so extremely thankful for him. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be having any more children because of the reasons stated above but I'm so glad I have Barrett. He's been a good baby from day 1. He's always ate well, slept good, and just been truly happy. Right now, he's crawling, pulling up, walking with his Dinosaur walker, and trying to stand on his own. He's still on formula and baby food, eating a few solids and some table food. He really likes potatoes as far as table food goes. He sleeps around 11 hours a night. He really loves his momma and daddy lately. He's as sweet and loving as he's ever been. I was told by his daycare teacher today, that he hugs and kisses the babies when they cry at daycare. That makes me so proud! He's moving to the next class at daycare on Monday, which I'm kind of bittersweet about. His class now has a lot of newborns in it so I feel like with him being a year old and almost walking, he may not be getting the attention/teaching like he needs. Not to mention, there's only about 2 other babies his age in there. Newborns just take a lot more time feeding, diapering, and comforting than a one year old does. So, that's the good thing about him moving up. However, he has 3 teachers right now that I absolutely LOVE. I can tell they adore Barrett and I know that he loves them. I haven't met his new teacher but I hope to before Monday. I'm hoping she will be just as good as his current ones but I don't know how they can be out-done;). His next class will be something like, 1 to 2 year olds. They don't really do classes solely based on age. They base it more on development but still like to put age into consideration.
I'm so sorry for the extremely long post! I should have updated sometime between Halloween and now but oh well! It's been an extremely busy time for me. Between hostessing my best friend's baby shower, organizing Barrett's 1st Birthday Party, and other family members and friends birthdays and events, I just haven't had the time to do anything else. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and rest of the week!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Busy Bee...
So, as my title says, I feel like a busy bee lately. I had a really good relaxing weekend though. Friday night, I went to eat with 2 of my girls. One has a son that's a year old and the other is due in January with a little boy. Barrett joined us as well. We had a really good time together. Saturday night, Ty's parents kept B overnight and we went with a couple that we're friends with to a Halloween party and had a good time. Today, I ran some errands, cleaned house and then tonight, we went to eat with my parents. I'm excited about taking B trick-or-treating tomorrow for the first time. I can't decide between his Hulk costume or his monster costume. Obviously, he can't eat candy yet but I'm sure we won't have a hard time getting rid of it LOL.
This upcoming weekend will be really busy. Friday night, we're going to dinner for our cousin's birthday. Saturday is my nephew's birthday party in Paris. Sunday is my best friend's baby shower at my house. Not to mention, this week I have quite a few appointments and other small things I need to do. My birthday is November 9th and I'll be 28. It seems really weird to say that. Barrett is getting dedicated at church on November 13 and I'm so excited! I didn't know about the last baby dedication they had until the day of so I'm glad I had the opportunity to do this one. November 19th is Barrett's first birthday party, which will consume and already has consumed a ton of my time but I don't mind a bit! November 21st is his real birthday so I'm sure we'll do something small that day as well. Then of course, Thanksgiving is November 24th which is busy for everyone. I have quite a few sides of family to celebrate with so we may have to condense what we can this year. It's hard to get a 1 year old to travel a bunch and cooperate. I haven't done a bit of Christmas shopping so I really need to get on that sometime soon. Right now, it's kind of last on my to-do list.
Anyways, I felt like I needed to update so there ya go. Barrett's now pulling up like a pro and starting to take some steps with the assistance of one of us or a piece of furniture. He knows how to brush his hair and turn on all of his toys, using them the way they were intended to be used. He just learns so fast and it's unbelievable. I am so very proud of him and love him more than anything in the world. I hope everyone has a good week!
This upcoming weekend will be really busy. Friday night, we're going to dinner for our cousin's birthday. Saturday is my nephew's birthday party in Paris. Sunday is my best friend's baby shower at my house. Not to mention, this week I have quite a few appointments and other small things I need to do. My birthday is November 9th and I'll be 28. It seems really weird to say that. Barrett is getting dedicated at church on November 13 and I'm so excited! I didn't know about the last baby dedication they had until the day of so I'm glad I had the opportunity to do this one. November 19th is Barrett's first birthday party, which will consume and already has consumed a ton of my time but I don't mind a bit! November 21st is his real birthday so I'm sure we'll do something small that day as well. Then of course, Thanksgiving is November 24th which is busy for everyone. I have quite a few sides of family to celebrate with so we may have to condense what we can this year. It's hard to get a 1 year old to travel a bunch and cooperate. I haven't done a bit of Christmas shopping so I really need to get on that sometime soon. Right now, it's kind of last on my to-do list.
Anyways, I felt like I needed to update so there ya go. Barrett's now pulling up like a pro and starting to take some steps with the assistance of one of us or a piece of furniture. He knows how to brush his hair and turn on all of his toys, using them the way they were intended to be used. He just learns so fast and it's unbelievable. I am so very proud of him and love him more than anything in the world. I hope everyone has a good week!
Friday, October 21, 2011
A rough few weeks...
My family has been sick non-stop lately and it's getting old, to say the least. Ty started with a bad cold around a month ago. Then, B got it along with double ear infections. Then, I got the cold. It lasted around 2 weeks for each of us. I was stuck with a killer headache for about a week after the cold junk went away. The headache finally went away Tuesday. Wednesday, Barrett started acting kind of groggy and was really fussy. I got sick once Wednesday night. Thursday, daycare called and said he wasn't acting like himself and had a low-grade fever, so I went and picked him up and took him to the doctor. I was worried maybe he still had an ear infection but they said his ears looked good. Unfortunately, his daycare class has had a stomach bug going around. He ended up vomiting that whole day. He looked pitiful and it was probably the worst I'd ever seen him :(. He's had diarrhea ever since, multiple times a day. Friday night, it went through his pajamas and all over the living room carpet. Saturday morning, we woke up to it all over his crib. I stayed nauseous Wednesday through Friday and it hit me full-force Saturday so I've been worthless the whole weekend. To top everything off, Ty came down with it tonight. It's the hardest thing to take care of your child when you feel like death and now I have to take care of my husband too. Luckily, I got a little break last night. My mom and stepdad kept B so I could have a break. I literally didn't get up off the couch from 7 pm Saturday until today at 3 pm. I'm just hoping everyone gets over this virus soon.
I absolutely HATE being lazy though. We were in desperate need of some groceries so I had to go to Walmart today. Laundry and dishes also had to be done. Then of course, sheets needed washed and so forth to try and get rid of the sickness in our house. It was a horrible decision to do all of this stuff though because now I feel bad again. It's the weirdest thing. I know so many people that have caught this virus and I'm beginning to think it's a terrorist act LOL. I'm thinking all 3 of us are going to have to stay home tomorrow but we'll wait and see in the morning.
On a positive note, I can't believe that B is only 1 month away from being a year old! I've been so busy getting ready for his birthday party. I'm probably going overboard but he's only turning 1 once! I've had a few people say, "he won't remember anything so why are you doing so much"...it's annoying! I shouldn't have to justify what I do with MY child. Anyways, here are the details...it's going to be at Fun Zone in Three Way. For those of you that don't know about Fun Zone, it's a children's play-place with inflatable jumpers. Yes, I understand that the average 1 year old won't be able to do much in a jumper but most of the children invited are going to be above the age of 2. Any child under 2 can have a parent take them on the jumpers. They allow you 2 hours for parties. 80 minutes of playtime then 40 minutes in the cake room. I've got all kinds of cute stuff that I've ordered to decorate. I've invited 95 people :/ but I don't expect even half of them to show up. I'm getting Shirley's to make his cupcakes and ice them. I'm planning on making his animal cupcake toppers out of fondant. The party theme is circus/zoo animals. I hope it turns out cute and entertaining. He'll atleast be able to look back at pictures...LOL.
It seems like Barrett learns something new every day now. He blows kisses, waves/says hello and bye. He's crawling like a champ and can pull himself up now. He knows close family/friends' names. He loves kissing and patting Lilly. He's so good with her. He knows how to lovingly pat her instead of hit her or pull her hair. When I turn Mickey Mouse on, his little face just lights up. Luckily, he's going through a really good sleeping stage. He sleeps about 10 hours a night. We started the cry-it-out method a few months ago and it's the best thing ever! Yes, it breaks my heart when he has rough nights where he cries by himself in his crib but it's great for all of us. He wakes up happy because he gets enough sleep. He's still eating mostly baby food. I've tried cut up peaches and other fruits/veggies but he's still gagging and won't eat them. We'll try them again soon. He's not even one yet so there's no rush. He will try to take some steps when we hold his hands as he's standing. He just doesn't have the pattern down quite yet, as to HOW to walk. I'm definitely not rushing that though. Him crawling is more than enough for me to keep up with! He even has a girlfriend at school LOL. They're so cute! Her name is Reese and she's a little doll. They're beside eachother almost everytime I pick him up in the afternoons. The teachers all tell me that if one of them is upset, the other will come over and hug them. There's some kind of bond there ;). I'm sure it's because they're both there the latest together every day, usually just the two of them.
Anyways, I'm all talked out and worn out. I hope ya'll have a great week!
I absolutely HATE being lazy though. We were in desperate need of some groceries so I had to go to Walmart today. Laundry and dishes also had to be done. Then of course, sheets needed washed and so forth to try and get rid of the sickness in our house. It was a horrible decision to do all of this stuff though because now I feel bad again. It's the weirdest thing. I know so many people that have caught this virus and I'm beginning to think it's a terrorist act LOL. I'm thinking all 3 of us are going to have to stay home tomorrow but we'll wait and see in the morning.
On a positive note, I can't believe that B is only 1 month away from being a year old! I've been so busy getting ready for his birthday party. I'm probably going overboard but he's only turning 1 once! I've had a few people say, "he won't remember anything so why are you doing so much"...it's annoying! I shouldn't have to justify what I do with MY child. Anyways, here are the details...it's going to be at Fun Zone in Three Way. For those of you that don't know about Fun Zone, it's a children's play-place with inflatable jumpers. Yes, I understand that the average 1 year old won't be able to do much in a jumper but most of the children invited are going to be above the age of 2. Any child under 2 can have a parent take them on the jumpers. They allow you 2 hours for parties. 80 minutes of playtime then 40 minutes in the cake room. I've got all kinds of cute stuff that I've ordered to decorate. I've invited 95 people :/ but I don't expect even half of them to show up. I'm getting Shirley's to make his cupcakes and ice them. I'm planning on making his animal cupcake toppers out of fondant. The party theme is circus/zoo animals. I hope it turns out cute and entertaining. He'll atleast be able to look back at pictures...LOL.
It seems like Barrett learns something new every day now. He blows kisses, waves/says hello and bye. He's crawling like a champ and can pull himself up now. He knows close family/friends' names. He loves kissing and patting Lilly. He's so good with her. He knows how to lovingly pat her instead of hit her or pull her hair. When I turn Mickey Mouse on, his little face just lights up. Luckily, he's going through a really good sleeping stage. He sleeps about 10 hours a night. We started the cry-it-out method a few months ago and it's the best thing ever! Yes, it breaks my heart when he has rough nights where he cries by himself in his crib but it's great for all of us. He wakes up happy because he gets enough sleep. He's still eating mostly baby food. I've tried cut up peaches and other fruits/veggies but he's still gagging and won't eat them. We'll try them again soon. He's not even one yet so there's no rush. He will try to take some steps when we hold his hands as he's standing. He just doesn't have the pattern down quite yet, as to HOW to walk. I'm definitely not rushing that though. Him crawling is more than enough for me to keep up with! He even has a girlfriend at school LOL. They're so cute! Her name is Reese and she's a little doll. They're beside eachother almost everytime I pick him up in the afternoons. The teachers all tell me that if one of them is upset, the other will come over and hug them. There's some kind of bond there ;). I'm sure it's because they're both there the latest together every day, usually just the two of them.
Anyways, I'm all talked out and worn out. I hope ya'll have a great week!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
I never knew I could love someone sooo much!
Barrett has been such a doll-baby lately, even though he's been sick AND teething. He is just the sweetest little thing. I've never been so excited to get off work before! I always have something to look forward to (going to pick him up from daycare). It's so sad that he's grown up so fast but at the same time, I'm very thankful to be in the "fun" stage for now. We definitely still have our rough times but it all pays off when I see him learn new things and grow.
Right now, he's standing while he holds onto things. He can't pull himself up just yet though. We have already lowered his crib just in case he decides to do so randomly. He's been scooting around for a month or so now. He actually crawled forward a couple of times today, which is a first! He LOVES his jumperoo still. He enjoys sitting in the floor, pulling every toy out of his toy box. He likes his walker too, but still only able to go backwards in it. He says da-da (daddy), ba-ba (bottle), bye-bye, hey, and a few more things. He can say ma-ma but he only says it when he's crying ;). I feel like he's tried to say "Lilly" (our dog's name) a few times. I'll tell him, "say 'Lilly'" and he'll say "Izzy". It's pretty cute, regardless. He's still only eating level 2 baby foods, infant cereal, and formula. He generally eats 4 servings of baby food, 1 serving of infant cereal, and 25 ounces of formula a day. Sometimes, he'll eat some Puffs, Mum-Mums, and juice as a snack. Every once in a while, we feed him whatever we're eating if it's able to be mashed up really well. He has 1 tooth that we know of. It's his bottom front left tooth. He was sooo sick the week before it came through (2 weeks ago), bless his heart.
His room looks a little more like a big-boy's room now. We took down the changing table parts a few months back, just because when we change his diaper, we do it in the living room. We just keep a diaper caddy in there with diapers, wipes, butt paste, and diaper bags in it. It's so much more convenient for us! Since taking the changing table parts off, he has an actual dresser with his TV, piggy bank, toys, and DVDs on top of it. We still don't use his bumper pads in his crib because I'm just too scared of SIDS. They're adorable and yes, his crib would look so much cuter with them but it's not worth the risk for me. I figure shortly after his 1st birthday, we'll start using them since that's when the risk of SIDS goes down significantly. Really, the only reason why you need them anyways is to prevent the baby from getting a limb stuck in between the rails or to prevent them from bumping their head. I would much rather the latter happen than him smother to death. Even though some parents may not agree, it's ultimately up to Ty and myself.
We've woken up to him whining at night lately and found him sitting up in his crib. He's learned how to roll over to his tummy and sit right on up...it's so cute, yet bothersome at the same time because I have to go in there and lie him back down each time. This is the first time I've used a video monitor in his room. I used one when he was born but I found myself staring at it too much so I sold it. I've done fine with the basic sound-only monitor until we discovered him sitting up in the middle of the night. This way, I can look and if he's sitting up, go in and lay him back down. If he's still lying down when I look at the monitor, I leave him alone and let him cry until he goes to sleep or until I break down and go get him, LOL. I'll just check it every few minutes to make sure he's stayed lying down. He usually doesn't go to bed until 11 pm every night and wakes up between 6 and 8 am. He naps around 4 hours total every day, with no exact schedule. It's pretty much impossible for him to be on a to-the-minute schedule. It doesn't work for him or us. It just seems like we have too much going on to commit to it. For example, I don't want to have to stay home from going to dinner, just because he needs to nap. He can nap wherever we go and half of the time, he ends up staying awake, playing. He usually does things within the hour every day but we're never dead-on as far as the time goes. He's determined to stay up late...we've tried EVERYTHING, literally. I guess it's because we stay up late too, which is fine.
He's wearing 18-24 month clothes right now and size 4 in diapers. He likes to give kisses and hugs. He thinks it's funny to feed us and give us his pacifier, which we think is funny too. He really laughs when Ty takes his hands and makes him fake-punch things. It's great thing to teach him, I know, haha. We took him to North Park last week and he LOVED the swings. We'll be going more often now that it's cooled off a bit. I hate they don't have more than 1 baby swing though. We have a tiny park in our neighborhood and we're planning on going down there one day this week to see what they have. I'm sure it's not much.
Barrett will be 10 months old on Wednesday and 1 year old on November 21st! It's crazy to think about. I'm busy planning his birthday party right now. I've got his invitations and have most of the envelopes addressed. I've put together his party favor boxes. I have a few small touches to the invitations and the boxes before I'm done with them. I still also have to order some cakes. I've contacted Dumplin's and am just waiting on them to call me back. I figure I'm going to do 2 cupcake cakes and a smash cake. If they don't get back with me by tomorrow, I'm going to call the lady that did our wedding cake and has done some other small cakes for me in the past 4 years and see if she can do them.
Anyways, I think I've written more than you care to read, haha. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Happy early birthday to my first-born nephew, Walker. He'll be 12 years old on October 1st! We love you, Walk!
Right now, he's standing while he holds onto things. He can't pull himself up just yet though. We have already lowered his crib just in case he decides to do so randomly. He's been scooting around for a month or so now. He actually crawled forward a couple of times today, which is a first! He LOVES his jumperoo still. He enjoys sitting in the floor, pulling every toy out of his toy box. He likes his walker too, but still only able to go backwards in it. He says da-da (daddy), ba-ba (bottle), bye-bye, hey, and a few more things. He can say ma-ma but he only says it when he's crying ;). I feel like he's tried to say "Lilly" (our dog's name) a few times. I'll tell him, "say 'Lilly'" and he'll say "Izzy". It's pretty cute, regardless. He's still only eating level 2 baby foods, infant cereal, and formula. He generally eats 4 servings of baby food, 1 serving of infant cereal, and 25 ounces of formula a day. Sometimes, he'll eat some Puffs, Mum-Mums, and juice as a snack. Every once in a while, we feed him whatever we're eating if it's able to be mashed up really well. He has 1 tooth that we know of. It's his bottom front left tooth. He was sooo sick the week before it came through (2 weeks ago), bless his heart.
His room looks a little more like a big-boy's room now. We took down the changing table parts a few months back, just because when we change his diaper, we do it in the living room. We just keep a diaper caddy in there with diapers, wipes, butt paste, and diaper bags in it. It's so much more convenient for us! Since taking the changing table parts off, he has an actual dresser with his TV, piggy bank, toys, and DVDs on top of it. We still don't use his bumper pads in his crib because I'm just too scared of SIDS. They're adorable and yes, his crib would look so much cuter with them but it's not worth the risk for me. I figure shortly after his 1st birthday, we'll start using them since that's when the risk of SIDS goes down significantly. Really, the only reason why you need them anyways is to prevent the baby from getting a limb stuck in between the rails or to prevent them from bumping their head. I would much rather the latter happen than him smother to death. Even though some parents may not agree, it's ultimately up to Ty and myself.
We've woken up to him whining at night lately and found him sitting up in his crib. He's learned how to roll over to his tummy and sit right on up...it's so cute, yet bothersome at the same time because I have to go in there and lie him back down each time. This is the first time I've used a video monitor in his room. I used one when he was born but I found myself staring at it too much so I sold it. I've done fine with the basic sound-only monitor until we discovered him sitting up in the middle of the night. This way, I can look and if he's sitting up, go in and lay him back down. If he's still lying down when I look at the monitor, I leave him alone and let him cry until he goes to sleep or until I break down and go get him, LOL. I'll just check it every few minutes to make sure he's stayed lying down. He usually doesn't go to bed until 11 pm every night and wakes up between 6 and 8 am. He naps around 4 hours total every day, with no exact schedule. It's pretty much impossible for him to be on a to-the-minute schedule. It doesn't work for him or us. It just seems like we have too much going on to commit to it. For example, I don't want to have to stay home from going to dinner, just because he needs to nap. He can nap wherever we go and half of the time, he ends up staying awake, playing. He usually does things within the hour every day but we're never dead-on as far as the time goes. He's determined to stay up late...we've tried EVERYTHING, literally. I guess it's because we stay up late too, which is fine.
He's wearing 18-24 month clothes right now and size 4 in diapers. He likes to give kisses and hugs. He thinks it's funny to feed us and give us his pacifier, which we think is funny too. He really laughs when Ty takes his hands and makes him fake-punch things. It's great thing to teach him, I know, haha. We took him to North Park last week and he LOVED the swings. We'll be going more often now that it's cooled off a bit. I hate they don't have more than 1 baby swing though. We have a tiny park in our neighborhood and we're planning on going down there one day this week to see what they have. I'm sure it's not much.
Barrett will be 10 months old on Wednesday and 1 year old on November 21st! It's crazy to think about. I'm busy planning his birthday party right now. I've got his invitations and have most of the envelopes addressed. I've put together his party favor boxes. I have a few small touches to the invitations and the boxes before I'm done with them. I still also have to order some cakes. I've contacted Dumplin's and am just waiting on them to call me back. I figure I'm going to do 2 cupcake cakes and a smash cake. If they don't get back with me by tomorrow, I'm going to call the lady that did our wedding cake and has done some other small cakes for me in the past 4 years and see if she can do them.
Anyways, I think I've written more than you care to read, haha. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Happy early birthday to my first-born nephew, Walker. He'll be 12 years old on October 1st! We love you, Walk!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Thank goodness THAT'S over!
Last week was one of the worst weeks for Barrett since he was about a month old. Firstly, it's been hard on him, having to get back into the daycare routine and not being with us 24/7 like he was while we were on vacation 2 weeks ago. Secondly, last Monday, we started letting him "cry it out" after we put him in his crib at night. We rock him to sleep every night. He would be knocked out but as soon as he was laid in his crib, he'd cry. The first night, he cried for about an hour before he fell asleep. However, since that first night, he's done MUCH better, only crying for about 15 minutes IF he cries at all. He's also waking up 1 or 2 times at night, which I know isn't really that bad but I'm just not used to it. For the first 6 months of his life, he slept in his crib for at least 8 hours straight, every night, hardly ever waking up in the middle of the night (of course except for the first month or so). At 6 months, we made the mistake of putting him in our bed when he'd wake up at 4 am or so, and it became habit. If I could go back in time, I would have never put him in the bed with us that first time. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing for all children to sleep with their parents. I'm just saying that it wasn't healthy for our family. I know Barrett loved it but he had gotten so attached to us that we couldn't hardly set him down without him crying for us to hold him. Also, we have a queen bed and it was getting to be a tight squeeze for all 3 of us. Now that we have our bed back to ourselves, I'm loving it! It's nice to be able to cuddle with my husband again!
Saying Barrett was fussy 24/7 last week is a huge understatement. We went to the doctor Monday for his 9 month checkup, which went well. He was fine at the time but as soon as we got home (go figure) he started coughing bad. We went back to the doctor Tuesday and Dr. Woods thought B had Croup again, so he took Prednisone for 3 days. I could tell he felt horrible from the Prednisone AND whatever sickness he had. When I picked him up from daycare Friday, the worker told me he'd had a REALLY bad diaper and it had gotten all over his clothes so I started getting concerned. I got home and checked his temperature and sure enough, he had a low-grade fever. Something made me think to check his gums and his bottom right front tooth had come through! I was relieved but felt bad at the same time. If I had known he was teething all week, I would have postponed the "crying it out". Bless his heart, now I know why he cried so much :(. I had no idea that teething would make him so sick. He was coughing, had diarrhea, runny nose, sleepy but not sleepy, ill, starving one second and not the next...you name it. I'm just glad that it came through because since Friday, he's been such a pleasant baby! He stayed with Ty's parents Friday night so Ty and I could go out with a couple of our friends. It was nice to have a baby-free night after the horrendous week we all had.
I'm relieved that every thing's back to normal. We were in Florida for a week. The day after we got back, Ty went to Bristol with some friends for a Nascar race, leaving Barrett and I at home. I loved getting time with Barrett by myself but it was a little exhausting! We got some quality mommy-son time. Ty was in Bristol from Friday to Sunday. Then, Barrett went back to daycare that Monday and Ty and I went back to work. I was expecting to be overwhelmed with paperwork, piled up from vacation but it wasn't bad at all! It was definitely enough to keep me busy all week, but heck, you can only do what you can do...no reason to get stressed.
I found out when I got back from vacation that my grandmother has been diagnosed with colon cancer. However, the doctor believes he removed all of the cancer and none was in her lymph nodes, which is a good sign. We went to visit her last weekend and I couldn't believe how well she was getting around! It had been at least a week since her surgery but the incision she had was really long and looked like it hurt. Her spirits seemed to be great though! The next step is to just see an oncologist and make sure she keeps herself updated with tests and all.
Ty's grandfather got married this past Thursday, so congrats to him and his new wife. Also, my sister, Christie's, birthday is tomorrow so happy birthday, Chris! Happy belated birthday to my father, whose birthday was September 1st. I'm so glad we have tomorrow off work! Everyone have a good Labor Day!
Saying Barrett was fussy 24/7 last week is a huge understatement. We went to the doctor Monday for his 9 month checkup, which went well. He was fine at the time but as soon as we got home (go figure) he started coughing bad. We went back to the doctor Tuesday and Dr. Woods thought B had Croup again, so he took Prednisone for 3 days. I could tell he felt horrible from the Prednisone AND whatever sickness he had. When I picked him up from daycare Friday, the worker told me he'd had a REALLY bad diaper and it had gotten all over his clothes so I started getting concerned. I got home and checked his temperature and sure enough, he had a low-grade fever. Something made me think to check his gums and his bottom right front tooth had come through! I was relieved but felt bad at the same time. If I had known he was teething all week, I would have postponed the "crying it out". Bless his heart, now I know why he cried so much :(. I had no idea that teething would make him so sick. He was coughing, had diarrhea, runny nose, sleepy but not sleepy, ill, starving one second and not the next...you name it. I'm just glad that it came through because since Friday, he's been such a pleasant baby! He stayed with Ty's parents Friday night so Ty and I could go out with a couple of our friends. It was nice to have a baby-free night after the horrendous week we all had.
I'm relieved that every thing's back to normal. We were in Florida for a week. The day after we got back, Ty went to Bristol with some friends for a Nascar race, leaving Barrett and I at home. I loved getting time with Barrett by myself but it was a little exhausting! We got some quality mommy-son time. Ty was in Bristol from Friday to Sunday. Then, Barrett went back to daycare that Monday and Ty and I went back to work. I was expecting to be overwhelmed with paperwork, piled up from vacation but it wasn't bad at all! It was definitely enough to keep me busy all week, but heck, you can only do what you can do...no reason to get stressed.
I found out when I got back from vacation that my grandmother has been diagnosed with colon cancer. However, the doctor believes he removed all of the cancer and none was in her lymph nodes, which is a good sign. We went to visit her last weekend and I couldn't believe how well she was getting around! It had been at least a week since her surgery but the incision she had was really long and looked like it hurt. Her spirits seemed to be great though! The next step is to just see an oncologist and make sure she keeps herself updated with tests and all.
Ty's grandfather got married this past Thursday, so congrats to him and his new wife. Also, my sister, Christie's, birthday is tomorrow so happy birthday, Chris! Happy belated birthday to my father, whose birthday was September 1st. I'm so glad we have tomorrow off work! Everyone have a good Labor Day!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
There's no place like home!
So, Ty, B, and myself got back from vacation tonight, around 7 and I could not be happier! We went to Destin, FL, as me and Ty have done every year for the past 4 years. I also went to Destin with my family every year when I was little so needless to say, I'm very comfortable/familiar with the place. Last and this year, we stayed at Miramar Beach which is technically in Destin but it's about 5 minutes further, therefore, less hectic. We've never gone this late in the summer though. I must say, it was so nice not having hour+ waits at restaurants and there was no traffic at all. We stayed in a town home which worked out great last year because your backyard IS the beach and you have a ton more beach space than you do with a condo. However, we stayed at a town home next door to the one we stayed at last year, which we were pleased with, but just wanted to try something different. We left Wednesday night last week and stayed at a cheaper hotel that night, just to catch some sleep. We didn't get there until about 5 am so we slept until 12 pm then checked out. We caught some lunch at Dewey Destin, which I've heard is fantastic but neither one of us were impressed. After lunch, we headed to the town home, which has a check-in time of 4 pm but luckily, our code worked at 2 pm and we gained access.
Of course, we had to check out everything as soon as we walked in. There were LOTS of stairs, which I knew about but just didn't think it through I guess. When you walk in, there are 2 bedrooms but then you have to go up one set of stairs to get to the living/dining rooms and kitchen and then ANOTHER set of stairs to get to the master bedroom and one more bedroom. We've definitely gotten a workout this week! BUT...what the ad did not mention was the infamous spiral stairs. In order to get on the beach, you have to go down some tight spiral stairs, which could be accessed from any level but they were really tight and basically in a closet-like area. To add to it, I'm claustrophobic. I immediately cried and starting looking for a different way to get on the beach. At that point, I was willing to walk to the end of the town homes and walk around to the beach. After about an hour, I actually walked down the stairs and it wasn't bad at all. I know it sounds silly but my anxiety level is horrendous with alot of things. There were A LOT of things that weren't mentioned in the ad. The condo itself is rundown, old, and dirty. It was decorated really nice though. Atleast the furniture was new and clean. I won't even go into all of the other problems we had...that will be shared with the owner of the condo in the next 24 hours, unfortunately.
We also didn't realize how much work it would be with Barrett. He was such a wonderful baby, enjoyed the beach, and had a blast, but he IS STILL a 9 month old...meaning, he pitched fits, required frequent naps, diaper changes, feedings, making sure he had enough fluids, applying sunblock, keeping sand out of his mouth, keeping him entertained...you name it. I hate to even say it but it was more work than it was relaxing. I'm sure some people are fine with all of the work but Ty and I were not blessed with patience. Overall, it was worth it but we'll probably be doing something different next year, like just taking a week off work and staying home together :). I also hate to say it, but we weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow...obviously, we left a day early but we are all 3 so glad to be home! All of our luggage, etc. is put up. I only have 2 loads of laundry running, since I washed everything in Destin. Barrett got his bath at 9 tonight, ate his cereal, had a bottle, and hit the sack. There's just nothing like home!
One other thing to mention...last year I was pregnant when we went to FL so I couldn't go to the water park, which I LOVE doing. So, this year, I was so pumped about going and the fact that I could take B to the kiddie park was exciting. We all got ready and left. We drove into the parking lot and discovered NO cars or people! They had closed for the season 2 days prior :( We were so sad. Oh well...maybe next time! We ate dinner at different places every night. Last night, we went to Bubba Gump's and then stopped by The Track, which has rides, go-carts, putt-putt, and that kind of stuff. Barrett rode some rides with Ty and even rode the swings by himself :*). He has gotten so attached to Ty this week. It's so sweet! I hate to see B go back to daycare and Ty and I go back to work but it has to happen. I think we're going to take B to daycare tomorrow so that me and Ty can have a day to ourselves. We have a few things to do this weekend and probably won't see each other much so we need it!
In other news, Barrett turned 9 months old on the 21st. He's finally started bearing weight on his legs and trying to crawl. He loves getting in his walker now and still just goes backwards. He babbles really loud and says all kinds of things. I just can't believe that I'm so lucky to have such a happy, pleasant baby! We drove 7.5 hours today and only had to stop for 30 minutes to let him stretch, eat, and get a clean diaper. He didn't even fuss the rest of the time! I'm beyond blessed! Anyways, I've typed more than enough and probably need to catch up on some rest! Good night and good week all!
Of course, we had to check out everything as soon as we walked in. There were LOTS of stairs, which I knew about but just didn't think it through I guess. When you walk in, there are 2 bedrooms but then you have to go up one set of stairs to get to the living/dining rooms and kitchen and then ANOTHER set of stairs to get to the master bedroom and one more bedroom. We've definitely gotten a workout this week! BUT...what the ad did not mention was the infamous spiral stairs. In order to get on the beach, you have to go down some tight spiral stairs, which could be accessed from any level but they were really tight and basically in a closet-like area. To add to it, I'm claustrophobic. I immediately cried and starting looking for a different way to get on the beach. At that point, I was willing to walk to the end of the town homes and walk around to the beach. After about an hour, I actually walked down the stairs and it wasn't bad at all. I know it sounds silly but my anxiety level is horrendous with alot of things. There were A LOT of things that weren't mentioned in the ad. The condo itself is rundown, old, and dirty. It was decorated really nice though. Atleast the furniture was new and clean. I won't even go into all of the other problems we had...that will be shared with the owner of the condo in the next 24 hours, unfortunately.
We also didn't realize how much work it would be with Barrett. He was such a wonderful baby, enjoyed the beach, and had a blast, but he IS STILL a 9 month old...meaning, he pitched fits, required frequent naps, diaper changes, feedings, making sure he had enough fluids, applying sunblock, keeping sand out of his mouth, keeping him entertained...you name it. I hate to even say it but it was more work than it was relaxing. I'm sure some people are fine with all of the work but Ty and I were not blessed with patience. Overall, it was worth it but we'll probably be doing something different next year, like just taking a week off work and staying home together :). I also hate to say it, but we weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow...obviously, we left a day early but we are all 3 so glad to be home! All of our luggage, etc. is put up. I only have 2 loads of laundry running, since I washed everything in Destin. Barrett got his bath at 9 tonight, ate his cereal, had a bottle, and hit the sack. There's just nothing like home!
One other thing to mention...last year I was pregnant when we went to FL so I couldn't go to the water park, which I LOVE doing. So, this year, I was so pumped about going and the fact that I could take B to the kiddie park was exciting. We all got ready and left. We drove into the parking lot and discovered NO cars or people! They had closed for the season 2 days prior :( We were so sad. Oh well...maybe next time! We ate dinner at different places every night. Last night, we went to Bubba Gump's and then stopped by The Track, which has rides, go-carts, putt-putt, and that kind of stuff. Barrett rode some rides with Ty and even rode the swings by himself :*). He has gotten so attached to Ty this week. It's so sweet! I hate to see B go back to daycare and Ty and I go back to work but it has to happen. I think we're going to take B to daycare tomorrow so that me and Ty can have a day to ourselves. We have a few things to do this weekend and probably won't see each other much so we need it!
In other news, Barrett turned 9 months old on the 21st. He's finally started bearing weight on his legs and trying to crawl. He loves getting in his walker now and still just goes backwards. He babbles really loud and says all kinds of things. I just can't believe that I'm so lucky to have such a happy, pleasant baby! We drove 7.5 hours today and only had to stop for 30 minutes to let him stretch, eat, and get a clean diaper. He didn't even fuss the rest of the time! I'm beyond blessed! Anyways, I've typed more than enough and probably need to catch up on some rest! Good night and good week all!
Oh yeah, and congratulations to our friends Liz and Kevan, on the birth of their little girl, Addi! Happy late birthday to my mom, Lori! AND happy early birthday to my sisters, Melissa and Christie, my dad, Jodie, and Ty's uncle, Brad. It's going to be a busy week!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Ugh!
I have gotten so irritated about little things lately and not sure why. I'm hoping it's a temporary thing and it goes away soon! For one, I could do without random people's comments on what I should be doing with my baby. I had a female customer at work, tell me that I shouldn't be feeding my baby baby food and that he should be eating solids. Keep in mind, she doesn't have nor has she ever had any children. If she really knew about babies, she would know that babies develop differently. Barrett has tried solids and chokes pretty often. I asked his doctor about it at his last visit and he said that if he chokes at all, to stop that food and try again in a few weeks. He said he should NOT be choking and that eating solids isn't one of those things that with practice, makes perfect. He would probably just continue to choke. So, we've tried different things. We tried to move up to Level 3 baby food and he's not havin' it! I've heard that most babies don't like the Level 3 foods so we've decided to stick with Level 2 and incorporate different solids at a time. He can pretty much eat anything that's mashed up with no hard clumps in it. He loves Baby Mum-Mums from the grocery but we have to watch him with those. He gags pretty often so we eat those sparingly. He likes the Gerber Puffs too but chokes on them whole so we put them in the Munchkin Feeders and he loves it that way. They're good because he learns to chew and I don't have to worry about him choking. I guarantee that if it was that customer's baby, she would feel completely different!
Every woman is entitled to mother her child as she chooses as long as she isn't endangering them in any way. My son is happy and healthy so why does it matter that I'm not exclusively feeding him solids yet? I mean gosh, I might be saving him from a lifetime of obesity...or atleast that's what all the "studies" say...haha. He also isn't crawling and that really bothers people. He may not crawl for another 6 months! Shoot, he may not crawl at all! I don't really care. He waves bye bye, claps his hands, says mama, dada, bye bye, baba, and yay. He's such a smart boy so I know it's not that he's behind mentally. He's just very content with whatever he's currently doing.
All that really matters is that I love him and take care of him just fine. I wish I could just learn to brush off people like I talked about above. It would make my life much easier. Anyways, I'm through venting...just had to get that out there because I'm sure there are millions more mothers that feel the same way!
Every woman is entitled to mother her child as she chooses as long as she isn't endangering them in any way. My son is happy and healthy so why does it matter that I'm not exclusively feeding him solids yet? I mean gosh, I might be saving him from a lifetime of obesity...or atleast that's what all the "studies" say...haha. He also isn't crawling and that really bothers people. He may not crawl for another 6 months! Shoot, he may not crawl at all! I don't really care. He waves bye bye, claps his hands, says mama, dada, bye bye, baba, and yay. He's such a smart boy so I know it's not that he's behind mentally. He's just very content with whatever he's currently doing.
All that really matters is that I love him and take care of him just fine. I wish I could just learn to brush off people like I talked about above. It would make my life much easier. Anyways, I'm through venting...just had to get that out there because I'm sure there are millions more mothers that feel the same way!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
B from baby to big boy
So, I feel like it's been a while since I posted but honestly I don't think it has been. We've just had a TON going on lately. I hostessed a baby shower for a friend the weekend before last and had a few other things that weekend. I had my nephews from Paris for a night, a couple of weeks ago and realized how much I've missed them. We had a really good time or at least I did! Ha ha. We ate dinner out, the night they got here and then visited Sweet Cece's before heading home. Unlike the majority of the population, I wasn't impressed with Sweet Cece's. I love ice cream but I guess I'm more into Blizzards, McFlurries, and that kind of stuff. When we got home, Jackson, Barrett, and myself played together, mainly trying to keep B entertained. I must say Jackson would be an AWESOME babysitter. Walker and Ty played PlayStation together, of course. The next day, I took Barrett to daycare as usual so that I could spend some much-needed time with just the nephews. We went to lunch with "Granny" (my mom) and Delores (her best friend and my second mother). Then, just Jackson, Walker, and myself went to the movies to see Mr. Popper's Penguins, which was so funny. By the time the movie was over, it was time to head to Paris and meet my sister and brother-in-law to return the boys. All 7 of us ate dinner together there and then Ty, Barrett, and myself headed back to Jackson. I used to spend a lot more time with Walk and Jack before Barrett arrived but since November 21, 2010, we don't spend as much time together as I'd like. I love those 2 boys like my own and was so glad to get that time with them! I just wish my 3rd nephew lived closer so that I could spend more time with him too! I've considered getting Skype and buying my sister the stuff they need, just so I can chat with him :)...we'll see!
I surprised Ty with a trip to Tunica this past Friday night, for his birthday, which was yesterday, August 1st. He loves going to Tunica and I'm just not a big fan so I figured I'd let him have the whole weekend to do what he wants. Needless to say, he was glad we went. We both stayed up until about 4 in the morning but had a good time. My sweet momma and step dad kept Barrett and Lilly while we were gone. We got back around 3 Saturday afternoon and Ty went out to a friend's house to shoot guns. That night, Barrett and I went over a friend's house for a girls night, with the exception of B being there ;). Ty's friend came over Saturday night and they played PlayStation together, which is obviously Ty's favorite thing to do. Sunday, the Jones family was lazy and just sat around the house all day. I took care of B all day so that Ty could lounge and enjoy his birthday "weekend". His actual birthday was Monday. Monday night, 18 of our friends and family came to China Pan (Ty's choice) to celebrate. I got him 2 ice cream cakes from Baskin Robbins, one of which was Chocolate Mint that he LOVES and the other was strawberry. We don't do gifts every occasion because we typically get ourselves something if we want it. So...when our birthday or something rolls around, we don't really need anything! I don't mind getting flowers or being taken to dinner but most of the stuff we used to get each other would be rolled up and thrown somewhere, never to be used. Ty's gift was basically 4 days of doing what he wants with no responsibilities whatsoever....wait...that's EVERY day...just kidding, just kidding!
Friday night, Barrett learned to wave bye bye. Saturday night, he learned to clap, and Sunday night, he SAID "bye bye" a few times for me. Monday night, he 'rolled em' up' (like the Patty Cake Song) with his hands. We realized today, that he definitely knows what "hey" means. Any time some one's said "hey" to him, he's waved back. He's such a smart, sweet boy and I'm so blessed to have him! He still isn't rolling over (he has before but just doesn't seem to WANT to), crawling, or bearing weight on his legs for very long. We have his 9 month checkup in a few weeks so we'll ask Dr. Woods about everything then. I'm thinking he may just need some kind of therapy or similar to boost him into doing these things. He WILL bear weight on his legs...he just doesn't WANT to. He is so content sitting on the ground with toys or jumping in his Jumperoo. I have no concerns intellectually though, which is a relief. He's growing up so fast. Sometimes I just want to slow it down but at the same time, it's very exciting to watch him learn new things.
Tomorrow night, we are going to eat dinner with our best friends for Ty's birthday. It's always a good time when we get to see them. This Saturday, we have a friend's birthday pool party to go to. Then immediately after it, we have another get-together at a pool so Saturday is going to be one busy day. Going to the pool with Barrett, even for 30 minutes, is a hassle...it's fun but it's a hassle. He doesn't DISLIKE the pool but he doesn't necessarily LIKE it either. He usually cries 50% of the time :/ Luckily, the second get-together is at Ty's mom's house and I can always count on her to help me out with Barrett ;).
Friday, my best friend is having an ultrasound and HOPEFULLY we will find out if Barrett is getting a best friend or a girlfriend! I am so excited! It's like I'm getting another nephew or niece. All we ultimately hope for is a healthy baby. My friend will be a little over 17 weeks along in her pregnancy on Friday, so hopefully the baby will be able to show his or her stuff! I was 18 weeks 2 days when we found out B was a he. The ultrasound tech knew within 5 minutes. My friend has another ultrasound scheduled for August 30th with her doctor so if by chance, this Friday was unsuccessful at verifying the gender, August 30th will hopefully work out. I just can't wait! Nothing is better than a baby coming into this world that you can love on and take care of but give back to the parents when you've had enough! Ha ha. Honestly though, I can't wait to help her out when her little one is here. That was the best gift I could have asked for, after I had B. You don't know QUITE how chaotic, exhausted, and busy things will be until the baby is actually here. I had so much help from my mom, 2 sisters, and other family members and friends for the first month following Barrett's birth. They spent the night at my house or took Barrett to their house quite a few nights, in order to give me and Ty a break. AND with all of the health problems I had and the unexpected week-long hospital stay, they were SO much help! I'm glad to help my friend WHENEVER with WHATEVER, whether it be running to get groceries for her or spending the night a few nights, to let her have a full night's sleep, I'll be glad to help. I love my Audge!
Anyways, I've written way too much tonight, so I'm cutting it off here. Good night, peeps! Everyone have a great rest of the week. At least tomorrow's hump day, right?!
I surprised Ty with a trip to Tunica this past Friday night, for his birthday, which was yesterday, August 1st. He loves going to Tunica and I'm just not a big fan so I figured I'd let him have the whole weekend to do what he wants. Needless to say, he was glad we went. We both stayed up until about 4 in the morning but had a good time. My sweet momma and step dad kept Barrett and Lilly while we were gone. We got back around 3 Saturday afternoon and Ty went out to a friend's house to shoot guns. That night, Barrett and I went over a friend's house for a girls night, with the exception of B being there ;). Ty's friend came over Saturday night and they played PlayStation together, which is obviously Ty's favorite thing to do. Sunday, the Jones family was lazy and just sat around the house all day. I took care of B all day so that Ty could lounge and enjoy his birthday "weekend". His actual birthday was Monday. Monday night, 18 of our friends and family came to China Pan (Ty's choice) to celebrate. I got him 2 ice cream cakes from Baskin Robbins, one of which was Chocolate Mint that he LOVES and the other was strawberry. We don't do gifts every occasion because we typically get ourselves something if we want it. So...when our birthday or something rolls around, we don't really need anything! I don't mind getting flowers or being taken to dinner but most of the stuff we used to get each other would be rolled up and thrown somewhere, never to be used. Ty's gift was basically 4 days of doing what he wants with no responsibilities whatsoever....wait...that's EVERY day...just kidding, just kidding!
Friday night, Barrett learned to wave bye bye. Saturday night, he learned to clap, and Sunday night, he SAID "bye bye" a few times for me. Monday night, he 'rolled em' up' (like the Patty Cake Song) with his hands. We realized today, that he definitely knows what "hey" means. Any time some one's said "hey" to him, he's waved back. He's such a smart, sweet boy and I'm so blessed to have him! He still isn't rolling over (he has before but just doesn't seem to WANT to), crawling, or bearing weight on his legs for very long. We have his 9 month checkup in a few weeks so we'll ask Dr. Woods about everything then. I'm thinking he may just need some kind of therapy or similar to boost him into doing these things. He WILL bear weight on his legs...he just doesn't WANT to. He is so content sitting on the ground with toys or jumping in his Jumperoo. I have no concerns intellectually though, which is a relief. He's growing up so fast. Sometimes I just want to slow it down but at the same time, it's very exciting to watch him learn new things.
Tomorrow night, we are going to eat dinner with our best friends for Ty's birthday. It's always a good time when we get to see them. This Saturday, we have a friend's birthday pool party to go to. Then immediately after it, we have another get-together at a pool so Saturday is going to be one busy day. Going to the pool with Barrett, even for 30 minutes, is a hassle...it's fun but it's a hassle. He doesn't DISLIKE the pool but he doesn't necessarily LIKE it either. He usually cries 50% of the time :/ Luckily, the second get-together is at Ty's mom's house and I can always count on her to help me out with Barrett ;).
Friday, my best friend is having an ultrasound and HOPEFULLY we will find out if Barrett is getting a best friend or a girlfriend! I am so excited! It's like I'm getting another nephew or niece. All we ultimately hope for is a healthy baby. My friend will be a little over 17 weeks along in her pregnancy on Friday, so hopefully the baby will be able to show his or her stuff! I was 18 weeks 2 days when we found out B was a he. The ultrasound tech knew within 5 minutes. My friend has another ultrasound scheduled for August 30th with her doctor so if by chance, this Friday was unsuccessful at verifying the gender, August 30th will hopefully work out. I just can't wait! Nothing is better than a baby coming into this world that you can love on and take care of but give back to the parents when you've had enough! Ha ha. Honestly though, I can't wait to help her out when her little one is here. That was the best gift I could have asked for, after I had B. You don't know QUITE how chaotic, exhausted, and busy things will be until the baby is actually here. I had so much help from my mom, 2 sisters, and other family members and friends for the first month following Barrett's birth. They spent the night at my house or took Barrett to their house quite a few nights, in order to give me and Ty a break. AND with all of the health problems I had and the unexpected week-long hospital stay, they were SO much help! I'm glad to help my friend WHENEVER with WHATEVER, whether it be running to get groceries for her or spending the night a few nights, to let her have a full night's sleep, I'll be glad to help. I love my Audge!
Anyways, I've written way too much tonight, so I'm cutting it off here. Good night, peeps! Everyone have a great rest of the week. At least tomorrow's hump day, right?!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
B is growing up so fast...
Barrett will be 8 months old on the 21st :(. It's good but it's kind of sad. He had a few "firsts" tonight. He took a big-boy bath. He sat all by himself in the tub, without the infant tub. He loved getting to splash and play! I got him a bath toy from WalMart that is a little star that flashes blue and sprays water. It was so cute but honestly, he didn't really care about it :/. After his bath, he wore some big-boy pajamas, since he's basically too big now to wear the one piece pajamas. Such a happy boy :).
I also got him some Gerber Puffs at WalMart to try as his first real solid food....all I know is that they need to make these things in adult versions! They are soooo good!
Needless to say, Barrett loved them too. We gave him one to see how he would do. He gagged a little but worked it out. I was too worried about him choking so we put a handful in this little thing we got at Target. The handle is for him to hold and the left blue part is mesh.
I got him a few old-fashioned toys too, which he LOVES more than his high-tech toys. Here's a picture of his new toys. Who can live without a ring stacker and the wire toy with beads that you can move around?! Not to mention...a cabbage patch doll?
The cabbage patch doll was mine when I was little. I gave it to him this morning and he gave it kisses...so sweet.
I also got him some Gerber Puffs at WalMart to try as his first real solid food....all I know is that they need to make these things in adult versions! They are soooo good!
Needless to say, Barrett loved them too. We gave him one to see how he would do. He gagged a little but worked it out. I was too worried about him choking so we put a handful in this little thing we got at Target. The handle is for him to hold and the left blue part is mesh.He loved getting to feed himself and all of the Puffs eventually melted and he ate them all. He's on a "mama" kick lately. He wants me alot and says "mama" all the time, especially when he's upset...it's good to know he considers me to be the one that consoles him. Here's a picture from last night. I love when he loves on me!
I can't believe how grown-up he's getting. He still hates being on his stomach so I don't make him do it anymore. He immediately goes to crying and holding his breath and it kills me. If he just cries a little, I'll leave him but what's the point? Yeah, it may make him stronger and he'll learn to crawl but he'll work it out eventually anyways. Right now, he's loving his Jumperoo and sitting in the floor playing with random toys. We've had a problem with him sleeping lately so we tried his pack n' play in his room. It worked! I have no idea what the difference is to him but obviously, there is one. It went from getting up 4 to 6 times a night to getting up maybe once. Thank goodness! Speaking of, I better go to sleep! I've become such a night owl lately and I need to break that habit! Good night everyone!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
I'm not crazy!
The news topping this past week is finally finding out what's been wrong with me. I had another endoscopy done Friday. It was so pleasant, in comparison to my previous one. It was done in-office instead of the hospital which is a plus and I didn't wake up for this one! I was only out for 30 minutes or so and felt just fine when I woke up! The nurse got my IV in the very first time and everyone was extremely nice. Supposedly, when I was in "recovery", I was hiccuping extremely loud and Ty said he was worried something was wrong with me...lol. I've had frequent hiccups for months and not sure if that goes along with all my other problems or just coincidence. Anyways, the doctor sent me home with a couple of papers saying what they found but of course, gave the details to Ty while I was still asleep. He said that I have a hiatal hernia and looks like I've passed some gallstones recently because he can see scarring reminiscent of stones in my ducts. I'm just relieved to hear that I'm not crazy. I've honestly started to wonder in the past few months if I'm somehow imagining these symptoms and they aren't really there. Of course, I don't like the fact that I've got a hernia but atleast I don't feel like a nut anymore. As far as the hernia goes, it's medium-sized. They don't really do anything for hiatal hernias unless it bothers me for years or gets so large that it could cause problems. So for now, I'm on a few antacid-type medications to try and fix it. As far as the gallstones go, my gallbladder showed it functions at 82% a few months ago, which is excellent. He said anything between 30 and 80 percent is considered good. I have a follow-up with that gastroenterologist in a month to see how everything's going. The paperwork shows they found two hiatal hernias but I don't think that's possible from what I've googled. I'm sure they just accidentally typed it twice. The doctor also dilated my esophagus since I've had a problem swallowing lately. He said the acid can scar up your esophagus causing that problem. I can already tell it's helped with the swallowing, alot! I'm a little sore but not horrible. Anyways, that's that and I'm so glad I've gotten an answer! Thank the Lord I finally found a good doctor!
Onto better news, it's Fourth of July weekend! Ty took off with me Friday to go to the doctor. Of course, I couldn't drive myself since I was sedated. We got through around 12:30 and went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. Then, we came home and I slept until 5:30. Ty woke me up after he went and picked up Barrett from daycare. I must have been very sleepy...lol. When I woke up, I was starving so we went with my parents to Red Lobster then came home. Barrett went to bed and we watched a movie. I got up this morning and cooked breakfast-scrambled eggs, toast, hasbrowns, and bacon. I'm not a big breakfast person but it was soooo good! After that, we loaded up and went to the river to a family friend's cabin. Ty got to tube and we just rode around in the boat for a bit. We got home late tonight and got pizza and are obviously calling it a night. Tomorrow, we plan on going to Dyersburg for my granddad's birthday. We have nothing else to do, so why not?! I'm sure Monday, we'll end up at Ty's parent's house to swim. They have a get-together almost every holiday so I'm sure it'll be fun. I'm so thankful for the days we get to spend at home, all together.
Well, Barrett's fighting his sleep so I guess I'll step in! Have a great holiday weekend!
Onto better news, it's Fourth of July weekend! Ty took off with me Friday to go to the doctor. Of course, I couldn't drive myself since I was sedated. We got through around 12:30 and went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. Then, we came home and I slept until 5:30. Ty woke me up after he went and picked up Barrett from daycare. I must have been very sleepy...lol. When I woke up, I was starving so we went with my parents to Red Lobster then came home. Barrett went to bed and we watched a movie. I got up this morning and cooked breakfast-scrambled eggs, toast, hasbrowns, and bacon. I'm not a big breakfast person but it was soooo good! After that, we loaded up and went to the river to a family friend's cabin. Ty got to tube and we just rode around in the boat for a bit. We got home late tonight and got pizza and are obviously calling it a night. Tomorrow, we plan on going to Dyersburg for my granddad's birthday. We have nothing else to do, so why not?! I'm sure Monday, we'll end up at Ty's parent's house to swim. They have a get-together almost every holiday so I'm sure it'll be fun. I'm so thankful for the days we get to spend at home, all together.
Well, Barrett's fighting his sleep so I guess I'll step in! Have a great holiday weekend!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Can I go to sleep now?
If you don't understand my blog title, it simply means I'm tired. Very tired. Starting last weekend, I noticed Barrett becoming sleepy all the time. He literally only wants to stay awake for 30 minutes at a time which isn't like him at all. On top of that, he was a little grumpy. I assumed maybe he had whatever I was sick with at the time. I had started to run fever at night, had horrible back pain, and overall just felt bad. I went to the doctor and they checked me for a UTI but that wasn't it. I still run fever every few nights so I'm wondering if it's related to the gastrointestinal stuff I've had going on for a while. Luckily, Barrett hasn't ran fever. Over this past weekend, he progressed to having frequent #2 diapers, spitting up, and not wanting to eat or sleep through the night. Now, we're assuming he's cutting teeth. The first few nights that he didn't want to sleep, we ended up putting him in the bed with us and he'd do fine. I decided last night that we weren't going to do that again. I didn't want him getting too used to getting in bed with us. So, I was up every 30 minutes to an hour, picking him up out of his crib, rocking him, and putting him back to bed. Needless to say, it was exhausting, but I refused to give in and put him in our bed. Hopefully this teething thing will get better...hopefully.
Barrett's sitting up by himself and babbles all the time! He says "dada" and "baba" alot. He just recently started saying "mama" again after his 3 month break from it-haha. He typically only says "mama" when he's crying or upset. He still hates being on his stomach and has no desire to roll over. Despite all the teething, we don't see or feel any teeth yet. His favorite thing to do is jump in his Jumperoo. It's so cute watching his little frog legs go to town! He weighs about 23 pounds now. I have a feeling this may be what's causing all my back pain lately! Luckily, we don't have to go back to the doctor for 2 more months! I'm thinking we don't have to get shots but then again, I'm not positive.
Life's been really busy lately between baby showers, weddings, birthdays, and holidays. This past weekend was the first weekend we haven't had any plans in a long time. We pretty much did nothing but sit around the house, which was so nice. I can't ever get enough time with my sweet husband and darling baby. Speaking of babies, I am so excited that my best friend Audrey is having a baby! She is due January 2012 and I cannot wait! They're supposed to find out in August if it's a boy or a girl. Barrett told me that he's very eager to know ;) Audge, I know you will be a wonderful momma!
Anyways, I think I'll get off here. I'm getting another endoscopy Friday (which I'm kind of dreading). I'm sooo over hurting and being nauseous all the time! I'm praying that they figure out something!
Barrett's sitting up by himself and babbles all the time! He says "dada" and "baba" alot. He just recently started saying "mama" again after his 3 month break from it-haha. He typically only says "mama" when he's crying or upset. He still hates being on his stomach and has no desire to roll over. Despite all the teething, we don't see or feel any teeth yet. His favorite thing to do is jump in his Jumperoo. It's so cute watching his little frog legs go to town! He weighs about 23 pounds now. I have a feeling this may be what's causing all my back pain lately! Luckily, we don't have to go back to the doctor for 2 more months! I'm thinking we don't have to get shots but then again, I'm not positive.
Life's been really busy lately between baby showers, weddings, birthdays, and holidays. This past weekend was the first weekend we haven't had any plans in a long time. We pretty much did nothing but sit around the house, which was so nice. I can't ever get enough time with my sweet husband and darling baby. Speaking of babies, I am so excited that my best friend Audrey is having a baby! She is due January 2012 and I cannot wait! They're supposed to find out in August if it's a boy or a girl. Barrett told me that he's very eager to know ;) Audge, I know you will be a wonderful momma!
Anyways, I think I'll get off here. I'm getting another endoscopy Friday (which I'm kind of dreading). I'm sooo over hurting and being nauseous all the time! I'm praying that they figure out something!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
So excited!
I am so happy for my best friend, Audrey Seyerle and her husband Franz! They are pregnant with their first baby, due January 10th, 2012! I am ecstatic to gain another nephew or possibly my first niece! I've known she was pregnant for a while now but she chose to wait until she got an ultrasound, which was today, to announce the pregnancy on Facebook. I know she will be a wonderful mother and Franz will be a great father. They deserve nothing but the best and having a child of your own IS the best thing in the world. Ty, Barrett, and I love ya'll!
On another note, Barrett's progressing fairly well these days. I think putting him in West Jackson's daycare has been the best decision we've made so far. His teachers are wonderful! They seem to spend alot of time with the babies, helping them learn new things. They're nice people in general. I feel like him being able to watch other babies and learn from them helps. He's a really good eater these days. He eats oatmeal with a fruit in the morning. For lunch, he gets a vegetable and fruit. Right before he goes to bed (usually around 10 pm), he eats rice cereal with a vegetable. From the time he wakes up in the morning until he goes to bed at night, he takes a 6-8 ounce bottle every 3-ish hours. Luckily, he's still sleeping through the night. He wakes up around 8 am normally. I honestly feel like I have an angel-baby. I don't know what I've done to deserve such a well-behaved, content, and happy baby. The only time he cries, he actually needs something unlike alot of babies that cry just because.
I've been really busy the past few days. I am so tired because I stayed up late last night cleaning the house and doing laundry and dishes. Once I get going, I don't want to stop until it's done. Tonight, we had dinner with my parents at their house. Then, me and Ty ran to Wal-Mart for groceries while Mom and Doo-Dah babysat B. Once we got home, it was bath and dinner time for B, which takes about 30 minutes. I had a little bit of cleaning left to do so I finished it up while Ty put Barrett to bed. Speaking of Ty, Father's Day is coming up and I must give him props for being such a good dad to B. I love him to death and am so proud of the father he has grown to be. I'm sure if Barrett could talk, he'd say the same!
Anyways, here I am up very late again! I've got to get to bed! Before I go, I want to wish my sister and her husband, Kirk & Christie Davison a happy anniversary, which is technically today. Also an early Happy Anniversary wish to my stepdad and mother, Steve & Lori Smith. Their actual anniversary is Saturday. I love all four of ya'll and can't imagine a better mate for any of you. I hope everyone has a great week!
On another note, Barrett's progressing fairly well these days. I think putting him in West Jackson's daycare has been the best decision we've made so far. His teachers are wonderful! They seem to spend alot of time with the babies, helping them learn new things. They're nice people in general. I feel like him being able to watch other babies and learn from them helps. He's a really good eater these days. He eats oatmeal with a fruit in the morning. For lunch, he gets a vegetable and fruit. Right before he goes to bed (usually around 10 pm), he eats rice cereal with a vegetable. From the time he wakes up in the morning until he goes to bed at night, he takes a 6-8 ounce bottle every 3-ish hours. Luckily, he's still sleeping through the night. He wakes up around 8 am normally. I honestly feel like I have an angel-baby. I don't know what I've done to deserve such a well-behaved, content, and happy baby. The only time he cries, he actually needs something unlike alot of babies that cry just because.
I've been really busy the past few days. I am so tired because I stayed up late last night cleaning the house and doing laundry and dishes. Once I get going, I don't want to stop until it's done. Tonight, we had dinner with my parents at their house. Then, me and Ty ran to Wal-Mart for groceries while Mom and Doo-Dah babysat B. Once we got home, it was bath and dinner time for B, which takes about 30 minutes. I had a little bit of cleaning left to do so I finished it up while Ty put Barrett to bed. Speaking of Ty, Father's Day is coming up and I must give him props for being such a good dad to B. I love him to death and am so proud of the father he has grown to be. I'm sure if Barrett could talk, he'd say the same!
Anyways, here I am up very late again! I've got to get to bed! Before I go, I want to wish my sister and her husband, Kirk & Christie Davison a happy anniversary, which is technically today. Also an early Happy Anniversary wish to my stepdad and mother, Steve & Lori Smith. Their actual anniversary is Saturday. I love all four of ya'll and can't imagine a better mate for any of you. I hope everyone has a great week!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
B is 6 months old!
So, Barrett turned 6 months old Saturday! Time has gone so fast! We go to the doctor tomorrow, for his 6 month shots, which neither one of us are looking forward to. We had to go to Convenient Care today because he's been coughing for 3 days. Luckily, it's just a cold. All he's wanted to do this weekend is sleep, poor baby. We are getting family pictures made on June 1st! I'm so excited, since this will be our first professional pictures done with our new addition! I've GOT to go to the tanning bed tomorrow though. I've been telling myself to go, every day, for the past week but something always seems to come up! I've told myself not to go to the tanning bed at all but I really hate being pasty white...just ignore my last blog, talking about how I wasn't going to go ever again ;).
Barrett was excited, watching Lilly
He refused to look at me and smile!
I've really been beating myself up lately because Barrett isn't doing things that I see other 6 month old babies doing. He still hasn't rolled over either way. He can sit up but doesn't have his balance down yet, to do it completely on his own. He is nowhere near crawling. He babbles and has good coordination though. His doctor told me last time to not worry about it, that every baby's different and he'll more than likely do everything at once, since he's so big. He said alot of big babies will start crawling a week or so before they walk so I'm hoping that's our situation. I'm going to ask him about it again tomorrow just to ease my mind. I know it's nothing I'm doing wrong but you can't help but feel that way, when you're a mother and your child isn't progressing like other babies. At the doctor today, he weighed 21 pounds 3 ounces...I love my giant baby!
He is such a doll-baby!
Anyways, I guess that's all I have to post today. I'll post again this week, about his 6 month checkup!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Same ole Same ole...
Nothing's new. Barrett's still growing up a storm and just as cute as he's always been. Lately, he's wanted to wake up around 6 every morning, which is getting exhausting. I know I should just be thankful that he's slept through the night for a few months now but I've gotten so adjusted to him sleeping from 10pm to 8am. Now, it's pretty much 6 or 7 am when he wakes up, regardless of when he goes to sleep. I'm a night owl so I don't go to sleep til around 12. Oh well...him being such a good baby 24/7 makes up for it. This child literally hardly ever cries. I get the question, "is he always this good?" every day. If he's fussing and I can't make him stop, then I know he's got an ear infection. Speaking of, this is his second one already. Ugh...I'm hoping he's not going to follow in the footsteps of my 3 nephews with allergies, ear infections, etc. but I'm sure he will. They've all had the worst luck. I have a feeling his pediatrician and I will be discussing tubes in his ears within the next 2 or 3 years, but I hope not.
Thursday last week, I ran over a giant screw on Highland, which landed me at King Tire the next day, to get 2 new tires (since another one needed replaced anyways). I went to eat at Rafferty's this past Monday and came out to discover about a 2 foot long crack in my windshield. I'm guessing I had a peck from a rock or something and the first good heat of the year took it's toll. So, I got a new windshield from Jack Morris this morning. As I was pulling back into work, I noticed my glass had a wavy appearance in some spots so I ran it back by Jack Morris this afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a defective glass and I get to go back on Monday to fix it. So in other words, I haven't had great luck with my car this week. We've had a few birthdays lately, as well as a couple of graduations, baby/wedding showers, and weddings...tis the season! I've been dying to go to the tanning bed lately but trying to not let myself do it. My mom had a run-in with skin cancer last year, which will make you re-think jumping in the tanning bed. She definitely doesn't go anymore. I just know that with the way my skin burns, I'm vulnerable to it as well. It's crazy to think about what damage people will risk to their body for what they consider "better" appearance. I mean, I've even said before that I want a tummy tuck...seriously. But then I think about how unnecessary it is. I mean, what if the surgeon accidentally cut something wrong and I was paralyzed for the rest of my life...I figure if it's unnecessary to live, then I don't need to do it. I'll admit though...I'm still VERY tempted to go to the tanning bed. I may just have to invest in the Versa Spa again this year.
I had a great first Mother's Day. I got some very sweet cards and gifts from my family. Barrett's been the best gift of all! Being a mother is so indescribable. It is and will always be the greatest accomplishment of my life. I am so content with my life right now. I have the best friends and family a girl could ask for. On that positive note, I'll get off here. Have a great week.
Thursday last week, I ran over a giant screw on Highland, which landed me at King Tire the next day, to get 2 new tires (since another one needed replaced anyways). I went to eat at Rafferty's this past Monday and came out to discover about a 2 foot long crack in my windshield. I'm guessing I had a peck from a rock or something and the first good heat of the year took it's toll. So, I got a new windshield from Jack Morris this morning. As I was pulling back into work, I noticed my glass had a wavy appearance in some spots so I ran it back by Jack Morris this afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a defective glass and I get to go back on Monday to fix it. So in other words, I haven't had great luck with my car this week. We've had a few birthdays lately, as well as a couple of graduations, baby/wedding showers, and weddings...tis the season! I've been dying to go to the tanning bed lately but trying to not let myself do it. My mom had a run-in with skin cancer last year, which will make you re-think jumping in the tanning bed. She definitely doesn't go anymore. I just know that with the way my skin burns, I'm vulnerable to it as well. It's crazy to think about what damage people will risk to their body for what they consider "better" appearance. I mean, I've even said before that I want a tummy tuck...seriously. But then I think about how unnecessary it is. I mean, what if the surgeon accidentally cut something wrong and I was paralyzed for the rest of my life...I figure if it's unnecessary to live, then I don't need to do it. I'll admit though...I'm still VERY tempted to go to the tanning bed. I may just have to invest in the Versa Spa again this year.
I had a great first Mother's Day. I got some very sweet cards and gifts from my family. Barrett's been the best gift of all! Being a mother is so indescribable. It is and will always be the greatest accomplishment of my life. I am so content with my life right now. I have the best friends and family a girl could ask for. On that positive note, I'll get off here. Have a great week.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Political Bashing
Yes, I am republican. I have lots of friends that are democrat and I think no different of them than my republican friends. When I see someone bash George Bush, it's pretty much like they're bashing me. No, he's not my best friend or anything but I've always been fond of him. I don't agree with certain political figures and some of them are even republicans. However, I don't feel the need to voice my disapproval of certain people on Facebook. I just think it's sad that this is what political parties have come to. Bin Laden was killed and all of a sudden Bush-bashing has come back? I'm a little confused. Oh well. Since everyone else is entitled to their opinion, I thought I would voice mine. I have nothing harsh to say about Obama at all...can't we just get over it already?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Busy weekend!
So, as this blog title explains, we had a busy weekend! Friday night, we went to O'Charleys with some friends. After we got home, I had laundry to do. Saturday, I had to take Lilly to the vet to get her Bordetella vaccination then came home to do more laundry and the dishes, while Ty did some yard work. While B took a nap, I snuck outside (and took the monitor-don't worry) to help trim the bushes for a few minutes. Thanks to my mom and step dad for letting us borrow the electric bush trimmer by the way! Ty refuses to spend the money and get our own. Ha ha. He has always cut them using manual clippers, which used to take hours and hours. This electric thing is SO much easier. After laundry and dishes were done, I decided to take B with me to get my car cleaned up and to Kroger. The whole day Saturday, he was really fussy and wanted to sleep a lot. He got worse as I tried to get ready to leave with him and was tugging at his ears so I decided to go ahead and run him to Convenient Care. Of course, he has another ear infection. We just saw his pediatrician last week or the week before and he said that his ears looked great! Luckily, I think we caught this one early. The Convenient Care doctor said it was probably just the beginning. Anyways, we had to put him on antibiotics once again. He's acted like he feels a little better today than he did yesterday. Needless to say, we didn't have a chance to get my car cleaned or go to Kroger. We had to run by Walgreens instead. After we got back home, I put him down for a nap and I got ready to go over some friends of ours house. We went over there Saturday night and took B with us. Ty and his friend grilled some elk. Oddly enough, Ty said it was pretty good. Sounds disgusting to me! I decided to run to Outback with someone else and get some desert at about 10 that night. Oh yeah...speaking of desert...they have this new strawberry shortcake thing that is sooo good, so give it a try if you go!
I had every intention of going to church this morning and was so disappointed when I woke up at 10:15 and church starts at 11. I set the alarm by my bed for 9 and my phone for 9:15 and sat my phone on my dresser, so I'd have to get out of bed to turn it off. Well, I must have been horribly sleepy because Ty said he didn't turn it off...therefore, I must have. The storm woke me up around 4 that morning then I woke up at 5, not feeling good so I guess those 2 times messed me up. So, we missed church but had Ty's family reunion at 12:30 in Beech Bluff. I'm already always late but with a baby, I'm REALLY late. He always decides he's hungry as I'm trying to walk out the door and do something so I end up late...most people that have had a baby totally understand that. We ended up getting out there around 1 and left at 3. I ran Ty by the gun show at the fairgrounds after we got back in town. We stayed there til around 4:30. On our way home, the sirens started going so I forced Ty to let us stop by work and hang out there til the storms passed. He thought it was stupid but I'm a scaredy-cat and that's ok!
Tonight, we went to Red Robin with my mom and step dad. The food was great as always. "Granny" and "Doo-Dah" love getting to see Barrett and I love for them to be able to see him since they don't get to him as much as they or I'd like. Unfortunately, they both have to work during the week which leaves only the weekend for them to see him. Every now and then, they'll get to see him on a weeknight. We only got to spend an hour or so with them on Easter so we're looking forward to getting a lot of Mother's Day to spend with them. Anyways, back to my weekend, we got home after dinner tonight and gave B a bath, fed him his cereal and bottle, and now he's in bed. Of course, I just heard him start talking, so I'm sure he'll be crying in a few minutes for us to get him ;). We usually let him fuss for a few minutes before we run in there and get him up. If we immediately picked him up every time he fussed/cried, he'd be attached to mine or Ty's hip.
I had hoped to take Lilly to the groomer Saturday but they didn't have anything open so she's going tomorrow morning. She goes to Petsmart and they've always done a good job. However, I make sure she gets 1 of 2 people to do it, since I know they're good to her and cut her the way I like. She desperately needs a haircut and a bath! Speaking of Lilly, she's really growing to adore Barrett! She's loved him from the day he came home but she loves him more every day and it's so sweet! Barrett's learning and doing new things all the time now and she knows it. He can finally sit up by himself with just a Boppy pillow behind him. He sat in a highchair at Red Robin tonight. We just had to stuff a few blankets around him and he did fine. He was tired of it after about 10 minutes though. Barrett weighed 20 pounds when I took him to the doctor on the 21st. That's more than a lot of one year olds! The doctor said he looked great and re-checked his ears since he had had an ear infection, which he said looked good as well. I asked him about B not rolling over, which he told me to not worry about. He said that most babies are rolling over by now but since Barrett was exceptionally large for his age, it's more difficult for him to shift his weight like little babies. The doctor checked his reflexes and said that B's muscle tone was actually really really good for his age, so that made me feel better. He's not fat by any means. We were actually laughing earlier because his little ribs were sticking out. His bone structure is just big. He's sitting up good now...not quite by himself yet but really close. He does TRY to roll over but just can't get it all the way. The doctor said he may not roll over until he's crawling, which is fine. He's saying mama a lot. He's loving his cereal finally. He's had a few drops of tea and a tiny bit of whipped cream...that's it. It's funny seeing his facial expressions when he tries new things. I wouldn't ever give him large amounts of any kind of table food but the tiny bit I've given him is fine. The only bad thing about it is that he knows what a cup, bowl, spoon, fork, and plate are...meaning that anytime someone's eating around him, he thinks he should be eating too ;). He's gotten to where he'll open his mouth and make little noises to tell you that he wants something. I hate that I can't give him more...ha ha. For now, we just stick to our formula and the once a day cereal at night. I have started putting a tiny bit of applesauce baby food in his cereal and he loves it! Not to mention, it helps counteract the constipation factor of starting cereal. We have to give him an ounce of prune juice every night too, to help.
I love being his mother and watching all the new things he does. The fact that he wants his momma over anyone else is the best feeling in the world and I'm just so in love with him! I never knew I could love something/someone so much. I adore watching him grow and learn things. I can't ever get enough time with him either! He's the sweetest thing on earth and I wouldn't have him any other way! Anyways, I think I've covered every second of my weekend! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
I had every intention of going to church this morning and was so disappointed when I woke up at 10:15 and church starts at 11. I set the alarm by my bed for 9 and my phone for 9:15 and sat my phone on my dresser, so I'd have to get out of bed to turn it off. Well, I must have been horribly sleepy because Ty said he didn't turn it off...therefore, I must have. The storm woke me up around 4 that morning then I woke up at 5, not feeling good so I guess those 2 times messed me up. So, we missed church but had Ty's family reunion at 12:30 in Beech Bluff. I'm already always late but with a baby, I'm REALLY late. He always decides he's hungry as I'm trying to walk out the door and do something so I end up late...most people that have had a baby totally understand that. We ended up getting out there around 1 and left at 3. I ran Ty by the gun show at the fairgrounds after we got back in town. We stayed there til around 4:30. On our way home, the sirens started going so I forced Ty to let us stop by work and hang out there til the storms passed. He thought it was stupid but I'm a scaredy-cat and that's ok!
Tonight, we went to Red Robin with my mom and step dad. The food was great as always. "Granny" and "Doo-Dah" love getting to see Barrett and I love for them to be able to see him since they don't get to him as much as they or I'd like. Unfortunately, they both have to work during the week which leaves only the weekend for them to see him. Every now and then, they'll get to see him on a weeknight. We only got to spend an hour or so with them on Easter so we're looking forward to getting a lot of Mother's Day to spend with them. Anyways, back to my weekend, we got home after dinner tonight and gave B a bath, fed him his cereal and bottle, and now he's in bed. Of course, I just heard him start talking, so I'm sure he'll be crying in a few minutes for us to get him ;). We usually let him fuss for a few minutes before we run in there and get him up. If we immediately picked him up every time he fussed/cried, he'd be attached to mine or Ty's hip.
I had hoped to take Lilly to the groomer Saturday but they didn't have anything open so she's going tomorrow morning. She goes to Petsmart and they've always done a good job. However, I make sure she gets 1 of 2 people to do it, since I know they're good to her and cut her the way I like. She desperately needs a haircut and a bath! Speaking of Lilly, she's really growing to adore Barrett! She's loved him from the day he came home but she loves him more every day and it's so sweet! Barrett's learning and doing new things all the time now and she knows it. He can finally sit up by himself with just a Boppy pillow behind him. He sat in a highchair at Red Robin tonight. We just had to stuff a few blankets around him and he did fine. He was tired of it after about 10 minutes though. Barrett weighed 20 pounds when I took him to the doctor on the 21st. That's more than a lot of one year olds! The doctor said he looked great and re-checked his ears since he had had an ear infection, which he said looked good as well. I asked him about B not rolling over, which he told me to not worry about. He said that most babies are rolling over by now but since Barrett was exceptionally large for his age, it's more difficult for him to shift his weight like little babies. The doctor checked his reflexes and said that B's muscle tone was actually really really good for his age, so that made me feel better. He's not fat by any means. We were actually laughing earlier because his little ribs were sticking out. His bone structure is just big. He's sitting up good now...not quite by himself yet but really close. He does TRY to roll over but just can't get it all the way. The doctor said he may not roll over until he's crawling, which is fine. He's saying mama a lot. He's loving his cereal finally. He's had a few drops of tea and a tiny bit of whipped cream...that's it. It's funny seeing his facial expressions when he tries new things. I wouldn't ever give him large amounts of any kind of table food but the tiny bit I've given him is fine. The only bad thing about it is that he knows what a cup, bowl, spoon, fork, and plate are...meaning that anytime someone's eating around him, he thinks he should be eating too ;). He's gotten to where he'll open his mouth and make little noises to tell you that he wants something. I hate that I can't give him more...ha ha. For now, we just stick to our formula and the once a day cereal at night. I have started putting a tiny bit of applesauce baby food in his cereal and he loves it! Not to mention, it helps counteract the constipation factor of starting cereal. We have to give him an ounce of prune juice every night too, to help.
I love being his mother and watching all the new things he does. The fact that he wants his momma over anyone else is the best feeling in the world and I'm just so in love with him! I never knew I could love something/someone so much. I adore watching him grow and learn things. I can't ever get enough time with him either! He's the sweetest thing on earth and I wouldn't have him any other way! Anyways, I think I've covered every second of my weekend! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
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