Friday, April 30, 2004
Funny Song...
This is not baby-related (I really should start a new blog for these sidebars, huh?)... For those of you who read my blog and don't live in the mid-atlantic part of the U.S., here's a little background. Sometime in the next few days, we're getting ready to be invaded by a huge swarm of 17-year locusts. They are big and ugly and for five weeks they will be EVERYwhere. It's really REALLY gross. I'm still traumatized from the last time they came around when I was ten.
Anyway, it's sort of big news around town right now... everyone is just waiting...
My dad wrote the FUNNIEST song about it and it's been running on some of the local radio stations. It's even going to be featured on WMAR's 6:00 news tonight. Anyway, here's the link to where you can download "The Cicada Dance" if you want a laugh.
Anyway, it's sort of big news around town right now... everyone is just waiting...
My dad wrote the FUNNIEST song about it and it's been running on some of the local radio stations. It's even going to be featured on WMAR's 6:00 news tonight. Anyway, here's the link to where you can download "The Cicada Dance" if you want a laugh.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
What Happens When You Don't Open Your Email for 5-1/2 Weeks...
I had a free moment this evening, so I mustered up the courage to open my work email account. I haven't touched it since March 22nd, before I left for my doctor's appointment and never returned. Since then, I've been using my Yahoo account exclusively.
Anyway, what I found was frightening.
2,729 emails.
of those...
2,724 pieces of spam.
Yeah.
It took 10 minutes to download and about 45 minutes to wade through for any real emails that may have gotten lost. Just for the record... anyone who is thinking about emailing me... I'm using YAHOO.
By the way, Meghan, I just now got the pictures of Conner. ;) Adorable! They are from a month ago!!! hehehe...
Also, just when I ws thinking I didn't really miss work, I came across the following internal office emails from the time I've been gone. They're good for a chuckle. ;) I especially enjoyed the bit about the discovery of a "solid" gallon of milk in the company fridge... and the email about the the war over the air conditioning. Enjoy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Matt
To: All
Subject: The freezer is broken
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 4:34 PM
Please remove all your frozen items from the freezer it will be emptied and
de-frosted tomorrow. Thanks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Krystyna
To: Work
Subject: The Fridge
Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 3:53 PM
It's that time of year again... It's the Semi-Annual Fridge Clean-out!!
This was prompted by the discovery of a gallon of solid milk that was
apparently left over from Lexi's birthday (which is in January) ...
sooooo.....
All food MUST be labeled by the end of the week. This means all lunch
boxes/bags, bottles, containers etc... This also means all client-related
foodstuffs as well. (some of which are no longer food at this point)
All unlabeled food will be sacrificed to the green dumpster at the end of
the day on Friday. Post-it notes are available in the supply cabinet.
Gracias.
Donka.
Arigato.
Merci.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Krystyna
To: Work
Subject: Today's the day!!
Date: Friday, April 16, 2004 10:46 AM
It's fridge clean out day!!! Especially in light of the recent freezer
break-down, now is the time to either label or discard your food in the
fridge. all unlabeled food will be set out on the counter at 4:30. After
that, it is first-come-first-serve.
Until 4:30...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Linda
To: All
Subject: Birthday Celebrations
Date: Friday, April 02, 2004 10:25 AM
Good Morning Everyone:
The Company is implementing a new birthday celebration plan. Starting in
April (this month for those of you who have not yet flipped your calendars),
we will have a luncheon once a month in the conference room at noon. The
company will pay for the luncheon. Anyone with a birthday that month will
be the special honorees at the luncheon.
Here are the dates for the monthly birthday luncheons for the remainder of
2004:
April 15th
May 13th
June 17th
July 15th
August 19
September 9th
October 14th
November 11th
December 16th
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Matt
To: All
Subject: Heating and air conditioning memo.
Date: Monday, April 05, 2004 11:56 AM
Everyone. All thermostats should be set to 70 degrees at all times and in
all situations. I am settling the feud between the hot and cold blooded
factions with this memo. I had input from both factions when this
temperature was decided upon. It is a lot easier to wear a sweater than work
naked. The only time it should change is when a client asks to have it
changed. If this memo is not followed I will not be happy. Please keep me
happy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, what I found was frightening.
2,729 emails.
of those...
2,724 pieces of spam.
Yeah.
It took 10 minutes to download and about 45 minutes to wade through for any real emails that may have gotten lost. Just for the record... anyone who is thinking about emailing me... I'm using YAHOO.
By the way, Meghan, I just now got the pictures of Conner. ;) Adorable! They are from a month ago!!! hehehe...
Also, just when I ws thinking I didn't really miss work, I came across the following internal office emails from the time I've been gone. They're good for a chuckle. ;) I especially enjoyed the bit about the discovery of a "solid" gallon of milk in the company fridge... and the email about the the war over the air conditioning. Enjoy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Matt
To: All
Subject: The freezer is broken
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 4:34 PM
Please remove all your frozen items from the freezer it will be emptied and
de-frosted tomorrow. Thanks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Krystyna
To: Work
Subject: The Fridge
Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 3:53 PM
It's that time of year again... It's the Semi-Annual Fridge Clean-out!!
This was prompted by the discovery of a gallon of solid milk that was
apparently left over from Lexi's birthday (which is in January) ...
sooooo.....
All food MUST be labeled by the end of the week. This means all lunch
boxes/bags, bottles, containers etc... This also means all client-related
foodstuffs as well. (some of which are no longer food at this point)
All unlabeled food will be sacrificed to the green dumpster at the end of
the day on Friday. Post-it notes are available in the supply cabinet.
Gracias.
Donka.
Arigato.
Merci.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Krystyna
To: Work
Subject: Today's the day!!
Date: Friday, April 16, 2004 10:46 AM
It's fridge clean out day!!! Especially in light of the recent freezer
break-down, now is the time to either label or discard your food in the
fridge. all unlabeled food will be set out on the counter at 4:30. After
that, it is first-come-first-serve.
Until 4:30...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Linda
To: All
Subject: Birthday Celebrations
Date: Friday, April 02, 2004 10:25 AM
Good Morning Everyone:
The Company is implementing a new birthday celebration plan. Starting in
April (this month for those of you who have not yet flipped your calendars),
we will have a luncheon once a month in the conference room at noon. The
company will pay for the luncheon. Anyone with a birthday that month will
be the special honorees at the luncheon.
Here are the dates for the monthly birthday luncheons for the remainder of
2004:
April 15th
May 13th
June 17th
July 15th
August 19
September 9th
October 14th
November 11th
December 16th
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Matt
To: All
Subject: Heating and air conditioning memo.
Date: Monday, April 05, 2004 11:56 AM
Everyone. All thermostats should be set to 70 degrees at all times and in
all situations. I am settling the feud between the hot and cold blooded
factions with this memo. I had input from both factions when this
temperature was decided upon. It is a lot easier to wear a sweater than work
naked. The only time it should change is when a client asks to have it
changed. If this memo is not followed I will not be happy. Please keep me
happy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weezee and Aunt Dawnie's Visit...
Today Ben met his fourth and final great-grandmother... my Grandma Weezee. She came to visit from West Virginia with my Aunt Dawn. Ben really took to Aunt Dawn ... I'm not sure I've ever seen him smile so much! Anyway, here are a couple of pictures. There are more in the Month 2 Album which I updated. :)
Ben and my grandmother
Ben and Aunt Dawn
Mom playing with Ben like he's a baby doll...
Ben and my grandmother
Ben and Aunt Dawn
Mom playing with Ben like he's a baby doll...
Routine...
I hear that babies really dig a daily routine. That works out well because Tom and I are two of the most routine-dependent individuals I know. Sooo.... it really hasn't been difficult to adapt to having another little routine-oriented being around. Granted, the new routine is a tad Ben-centric. I'm thinking I got the raw end of this deal. The baby, however, is living the good life. ;)
Here's how our days USUALLY go... I've excluded the annoying details like diaper changes. We do change our kid's diaper though, I promise.
5 or 5:30a.m. The little poop machine wakes up hungry. Tom takes him downstairs and feeds him. Then he entertains him while he gets ready for work. This typically involves Ben sitting in his bouncy seat while Tom carries him from room to room.
7a.m. I get up and take Ben so Tom can go to work... we play for a little while. At some point I might manage to get a shower.
8a.m. Ben takes his first nap. (hooray!) He sleeps in his carseat in the basement next to me while I check my email and update my blog. ;)
9 or 9:30a.m. Time to eat again!
9:30 or 10a.m. Ben and I play. If I got a shower earlier, now is when I usually manage to work in drying my hair, if it hasn't already dried on its own, in which case, I'm not leaving the house that day. Every other day, I work in a bath for Ben sometime in here...
10:30 or 11:00a.m. Ben goes down for his REALLLLLLLLY long nap... time for me to actually get out of my pajamas, brush my teeth and get done whatever I need to do before it's time for him to eat again. Notice *I* haven't actually eaten yet. That comes later.
1p.m. Shove some sort food in my face while Ben watches Baby Mozart. He gets bored with it at the same part every time though, so I only have about 10 minutes to work with.
2p.m. Time to eat again!
2 - 4p.m. Any running around that needs to be done gets done now. Gotta get home before 5 though because...
5p.m. It's time to eat again!
6p.m. The second shift arrives ...er... Tom gets home! He takes the little poop machine while I do something.. ANYthing non-baby related.
6:30 Tom and I try to eat some semblance of dinner while Ben entertains himself in his bouncy seat. Thank you Fisher Price!
7p.m. Tom and I stare at the little poop machine and talk about how cute he is.... unless it's a colicky night, in which case, we take turns passing him back and forth and plugging our ears.
8p.m. Time to eat again!
9p.m. We all go to bed ... for awhile anyway.
11p.m. Time to eat again! This one's usually Tom's shift.
2p.m. Time to eat again! This one's all mine.
5a.m. Start ALL over...
Here's how our days USUALLY go... I've excluded the annoying details like diaper changes. We do change our kid's diaper though, I promise.
5 or 5:30a.m. The little poop machine wakes up hungry. Tom takes him downstairs and feeds him. Then he entertains him while he gets ready for work. This typically involves Ben sitting in his bouncy seat while Tom carries him from room to room.
7a.m. I get up and take Ben so Tom can go to work... we play for a little while. At some point I might manage to get a shower.
8a.m. Ben takes his first nap. (hooray!) He sleeps in his carseat in the basement next to me while I check my email and update my blog. ;)
9 or 9:30a.m. Time to eat again!
9:30 or 10a.m. Ben and I play. If I got a shower earlier, now is when I usually manage to work in drying my hair, if it hasn't already dried on its own, in which case, I'm not leaving the house that day. Every other day, I work in a bath for Ben sometime in here...
10:30 or 11:00a.m. Ben goes down for his REALLLLLLLLY long nap... time for me to actually get out of my pajamas, brush my teeth and get done whatever I need to do before it's time for him to eat again. Notice *I* haven't actually eaten yet. That comes later.
1p.m. Shove some sort food in my face while Ben watches Baby Mozart. He gets bored with it at the same part every time though, so I only have about 10 minutes to work with.
2p.m. Time to eat again!
2 - 4p.m. Any running around that needs to be done gets done now. Gotta get home before 5 though because...
5p.m. It's time to eat again!
6p.m. The second shift arrives ...er... Tom gets home! He takes the little poop machine while I do something.. ANYthing non-baby related.
6:30 Tom and I try to eat some semblance of dinner while Ben entertains himself in his bouncy seat. Thank you Fisher Price!
7p.m. Tom and I stare at the little poop machine and talk about how cute he is.... unless it's a colicky night, in which case, we take turns passing him back and forth and plugging our ears.
8p.m. Time to eat again!
9p.m. We all go to bed ... for awhile anyway.
11p.m. Time to eat again! This one's usually Tom's shift.
2p.m. Time to eat again! This one's all mine.
5a.m. Start ALL over...
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Eggplant Parmesan and Labor
I looked at my stats for this website again today and once again, I have about 50 hits based on the search "Eggplant Parmesan + Labor" (and various derivations of the same). This tells me there are a LOT of desperate women out there. ;) Either that, or a lot of people who want to eat Eggplant Parmesan during labor? Hrm...
I'm curious if the Eggplant Parmesan actually WORKS for any of you who try it? It didn't work for me. I DID have some contractions that night, but I was already having pretty strong Braxton Hicks contractions that whole week anyway.
Since it's such a popular search, here's the link to the page where I have the recipe. Hope it helps you more than it helped me!
Oh and please post a comment if the eggplant works for you! ;)
I'm curious if the Eggplant Parmesan actually WORKS for any of you who try it? It didn't work for me. I DID have some contractions that night, but I was already having pretty strong Braxton Hicks contractions that whole week anyway.
Since it's such a popular search, here's the link to the page where I have the recipe. Hope it helps you more than it helped me!
Oh and please post a comment if the eggplant works for you! ;)
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Lights ... Camera ... Action...
A smile starts to take shape. ;)
Monday, April 26, 2004
Colic...
It may as well be a four-letter word.
All this week, Ben has started this disturbing trend of crying his head off between the hours of 5 and 10 in the evening. He can't eat as much as usual either. During those hours he'll take a bottle, suck on it a few times and then look at me with this pathetic "ohmygosh OW... mommy, fix it! NOW!" look on his face, scream bloody murder for about 15 minutes and then try to eat again. This happens on and off until 10:00. :: sigh ::
I thought we had gotten lucky with tummy troubles, but apparently it just set in a little late. The pediatrician confirmed the diagnosis this morning and told me to expect it to last until he's about three or four months old. Ohmahgah. Dr. Aguto gave us some new formula to try. He seemed to have his doubts about how well it would work but gave it to us anyway.
The doctor also gave him his second hepatitis-B shot today. Ben was already screaming because he was naked, so it's hard to tell if the shot bothered him at all.
So, after that traumatic morning, we're spending the rest of this icky, rainy day in the house. Ben's sleeping right now and I'm thinking I'm going to go do the same. :)
All this week, Ben has started this disturbing trend of crying his head off between the hours of 5 and 10 in the evening. He can't eat as much as usual either. During those hours he'll take a bottle, suck on it a few times and then look at me with this pathetic "ohmygosh OW... mommy, fix it! NOW!" look on his face, scream bloody murder for about 15 minutes and then try to eat again. This happens on and off until 10:00. :: sigh ::
I thought we had gotten lucky with tummy troubles, but apparently it just set in a little late. The pediatrician confirmed the diagnosis this morning and told me to expect it to last until he's about three or four months old. Ohmahgah. Dr. Aguto gave us some new formula to try. He seemed to have his doubts about how well it would work but gave it to us anyway.
The doctor also gave him his second hepatitis-B shot today. Ben was already screaming because he was naked, so it's hard to tell if the shot bothered him at all.
So, after that traumatic morning, we're spending the rest of this icky, rainy day in the house. Ben's sleeping right now and I'm thinking I'm going to go do the same. :)
Sunday, April 25, 2004
Ben's Christening and Godparents...
We plan to have Ben christened sometime in July at Tom's parents' church. I'm a little nervous about it since it's our first big event as parents. Though technically, I'm not really under the pressure of "hosting" it alone since both sets of parents seem eager to help out. Whew.
So... today, while we were visiting his parents' house, Tom rather unceremoniously asked his two brothers to be our baby's godfathers. We had been mulling it over since I was about two months pregnant... going back and forth about whether to just choose one of his brothers or both... or both and someone else too. I was lobbying for just choosing one, because I sort of think it makes the title a little more special, and besides, we plan to have more children who are going to need godparents!
I left the final decision up to Tom though, since it IS his family. He ended up choosing both Marc and Taylor, which now I'm really happy about since it's obvious that both of them are absolutely crazy about Ben and are so great with him already. Seeing that makes me realize that a decision between the two of them would have been a tough one. Since we've already got three godparents now, I think we're going to go ahead and throw in a fourth, another male, who has yet to be asked, so I'll keep it hush hush for now.
Yes, typically people name two godparents, one of each sex, but we had a lot of very qualified males to choose from and a ready-made godmother, a choice we made the second day I was pregnant. So we're a little overloaded in the godfather department. Ben can only benefit from this arrangement. ;)
Initially, when Tom asked Marc and Taylor, there was a slight misunderstanding because Marc wasn't sure if we were asking him to be a legal guardian or a godparent. But we got that cleared up. ;)
As for the legal guardian thing... I have no idea what to do. It's a hard thing to think about and even harder to make a decision. Tom and I both agree that our parents would be good choices should something happen to both of us. But, I doubt we agree on which set of parents would be the best choice. Ugh. Can we say, "shared custody?" There are our married friends (really I can only think of one set I would even THINK of asking)... they are two of our favorite people who share our religious beliefs and morals and even have a baby Ben's age... BUT they aren't family, and I'd want my child to grow up with family. Marc (Tom's middle brother) and Krystyna are getting married next year, and might be a possibility to ask sometime in the future (like YEARS from now when they're settled in with their own family)... but for now, they aren't really an option either. :: sigh :: what to do... what to do...
So... today, while we were visiting his parents' house, Tom rather unceremoniously asked his two brothers to be our baby's godfathers. We had been mulling it over since I was about two months pregnant... going back and forth about whether to just choose one of his brothers or both... or both and someone else too. I was lobbying for just choosing one, because I sort of think it makes the title a little more special, and besides, we plan to have more children who are going to need godparents!
I left the final decision up to Tom though, since it IS his family. He ended up choosing both Marc and Taylor, which now I'm really happy about since it's obvious that both of them are absolutely crazy about Ben and are so great with him already. Seeing that makes me realize that a decision between the two of them would have been a tough one. Since we've already got three godparents now, I think we're going to go ahead and throw in a fourth, another male, who has yet to be asked, so I'll keep it hush hush for now.
Yes, typically people name two godparents, one of each sex, but we had a lot of very qualified males to choose from and a ready-made godmother, a choice we made the second day I was pregnant. So we're a little overloaded in the godfather department. Ben can only benefit from this arrangement. ;)
Initially, when Tom asked Marc and Taylor, there was a slight misunderstanding because Marc wasn't sure if we were asking him to be a legal guardian or a godparent. But we got that cleared up. ;)
As for the legal guardian thing... I have no idea what to do. It's a hard thing to think about and even harder to make a decision. Tom and I both agree that our parents would be good choices should something happen to both of us. But, I doubt we agree on which set of parents would be the best choice. Ugh. Can we say, "shared custody?" There are our married friends (really I can only think of one set I would even THINK of asking)... they are two of our favorite people who share our religious beliefs and morals and even have a baby Ben's age... BUT they aren't family, and I'd want my child to grow up with family. Marc (Tom's middle brother) and Krystyna are getting married next year, and might be a possibility to ask sometime in the future (like YEARS from now when they're settled in with their own family)... but for now, they aren't really an option either. :: sigh :: what to do... what to do...
Saturday, April 24, 2004
April 24th
This time last month I was in the hospital, in labor, about 7 hours away from having Ben. Very weird to think it has already been a whole month. And Ben has already grown so much! I didn't realize this until yesterday when I saw Meena, who is almost the exact same size Ben was when he was born. He looked SO big next to her!
He's already become such a real little person, not that he wasn't a little person when he was born... but his personality is starting to come out little by little. When he looks at me (when his eyes are actually open) it's like I can see past this little helpless baby (who is very cute, don't get me wrong) right through to the person he is and what he's going to become. Hard to explain... and I reworded that last sentence about a hundred times trying to phrase it right... but it's true. Sometimes I actually have to remind myself that he's only a month old because in his eyes, he seems so much older.
At the advice of some friends, I'm going to take a picture of him today and the 24th of every month this year. I can't wait to see how much he changes each month! :)
He's already become such a real little person, not that he wasn't a little person when he was born... but his personality is starting to come out little by little. When he looks at me (when his eyes are actually open) it's like I can see past this little helpless baby (who is very cute, don't get me wrong) right through to the person he is and what he's going to become. Hard to explain... and I reworded that last sentence about a hundred times trying to phrase it right... but it's true. Sometimes I actually have to remind myself that he's only a month old because in his eyes, he seems so much older.
At the advice of some friends, I'm going to take a picture of him today and the 24th of every month this year. I can't wait to see how much he changes each month! :)
Friday, April 23, 2004
Ben Meets Another Friend...
Here's a picture of my mom and her friend Hope holding their respective grandchildren. ;) The baby in Hope's arms is Meena.
OhMahGAH!
I just read that one of the women on the pregnancy message board I read is pregnant again. She was due in March but had her baby at the end of February. Now she's due in December. I can't even imagine... I would cry. Then I would laugh. Then I would cry. Then I would curl up into a ball and rock back and forth for nine months.
Also, someone found this website with silly shirts for baby. Made me laugh. Might have to order one or two. ;)
Also, someone found this website with silly shirts for baby. Made me laugh. Might have to order one or two. ;)
Going Out...
Ben and I have a big day ahead of us. Tom wanted me to bring him by the office for a visit, so we're headed there first. Then it's off to have lunch with Amy, a former co-worker and visit for a little while in my old office. Then, if there's time, we're off to visit Lisa and Meena in the hospital! Ben is sleeping right now in preparation for this long day. ;) Then again, he'll probably sleep through the whole afternoon anyway.
It's funny. I'm normally one of the most punctual people you will ever meet. I always get places 15 minutes early... but now that I have him to take care of, I have to really plan ahead if I want to get ANYwhere on time. Today we started getting ready at 7a.m. to leave the house at 10:45-11:00. And there's a chance we still might not be ready to go on time! So far so good though... he's been fed, changed, bathed and dressed. He'll eat one more time around 10:30 and hopefully we'll be out the door!
It's funny. I'm normally one of the most punctual people you will ever meet. I always get places 15 minutes early... but now that I have him to take care of, I have to really plan ahead if I want to get ANYwhere on time. Today we started getting ready at 7a.m. to leave the house at 10:45-11:00. And there's a chance we still might not be ready to go on time! So far so good though... he's been fed, changed, bathed and dressed. He'll eat one more time around 10:30 and hopefully we'll be out the door!
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Orioles Fan in Training...
Tom and Ben were watching the Orioles game last night. I couldn't resist taking a picture. ;)
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Picture of the Day
It's a SMILE!
There are more here. It was hard to decide which one to post!
Also, I wanted to say congratulations to Hope's daughter Lisa, who gave birth to baby Meena yesterday! Hope is going to babysit her a lot so Ben will have another little play buddy!
There are more here. It was hard to decide which one to post!
Also, I wanted to say congratulations to Hope's daughter Lisa, who gave birth to baby Meena yesterday! Hope is going to babysit her a lot so Ben will have another little play buddy!
My Baby Pictures
We've been trying to decide who Ben looks like. I think he looks mostly like me. ;) Here's a link to some of my baby pictures to prove it. And here's one for those of you who don't feel like clicking on my link.
I don't have any baby pictures of Tom right now, but I'll put some up when I get them. I eventually want to have a pictures section on here for both of us and pictures of us when we were little. (given my current "workload" that might take awhile)
I don't have any baby pictures of Tom right now, but I'll put some up when I get them. I eventually want to have a pictures section on here for both of us and pictures of us when we were little. (given my current "workload" that might take awhile)
4 Weeks Old!
Ben is four weeks old today... I'm not sure if that means he's a month old, or if he's not a month old until April 24th. Whatever. He's four weeks old, and Tom and I are still sane. That's saying something. I'll post a picture later when he's awake. He down for his afternoon snooze-fest right now.
Here are the things Ben can do so far:
1) Cry
2) Eat
3) Sleep
4) Poop and pee
5) Focus on faces and some of his toys
6) Smile for a split second (then cry)
I sure hope the second month's list is longer! ;)
Here are the things Ben can do so far:
1) Cry
2) Eat
3) Sleep
4) Poop and pee
5) Focus on faces and some of his toys
6) Smile for a split second (then cry)
I sure hope the second month's list is longer! ;)
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
But Enough About Ben... ;)
Just a little digression from all this cutesy baby talk because today was a momentous day for me. I fit back into my size 4 jeans! Hooray! I'm still about five pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'll get there in a few weeks. I was really worried about the pregnancy weight gain... only because I gained SO quickly in the beginning. I believe a trip back to the July/August blog archives will reveal that I gained something like 10 pounds in the first 10 weeks. Those are the weeks when you are supposed to gain MAYBE three pounds. But, things evened out, and I finished up with a total of 35 extra pounds. That's on the high end of average. But, it's mostly just a distant memory now, which is a pleasant surprise and bodes well for Ben having siblings in the future. ;)
On the other hand, Ben's current afternoon screaming fits are NOT helping his chances of having a brother or a sister anytime this decade...
On the other hand, Ben's current afternoon screaming fits are NOT helping his chances of having a brother or a sister anytime this decade...
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Ben Meets Great-Nana ...
...Not to be confused with Great-NAN (Tom's grandmother), who Ben met a few weeks ago. Great Nana is MY grandmother. :) She was thrilled to meet her first great-grandchild!
Here are two of my favorite pictures from today. I also added a new link to the album section with the rest of the pictures.
Here are two of my favorite pictures from today. I also added a new link to the album section with the rest of the pictures.
Friday, April 16, 2004
Baby-free Afternoon
I am very tired. Ben didn't sleep well last night thanks to a four-hour or so bout of gas. Grr... it happens to the poor little guy now and then and makes all three of us miserable.
Since today is the day before Tom's birthday, he had off from work. We seized the opportunity to take Tom's parents up on their offer to babysit. We happily deposited the baby at their house around 11:00 and spent the day at the harbor having lunch and visiting the aquarium. We returned to find that our little angel hadn't so much as made a poopy diaper for them.
Why is it only us who get to experience this Ben's dark side?!
We're home now and back to what has become normal life. Going to try and take a nap before the little poop machine wakes up to eat again. ;) Zzzzzzzzz...
Since today is the day before Tom's birthday, he had off from work. We seized the opportunity to take Tom's parents up on their offer to babysit. We happily deposited the baby at their house around 11:00 and spent the day at the harbor having lunch and visiting the aquarium. We returned to find that our little angel hadn't so much as made a poopy diaper for them.
Why is it only us who get to experience this Ben's dark side?!
We're home now and back to what has become normal life. Going to try and take a nap before the little poop machine wakes up to eat again. ;) Zzzzzzzzz...
Thursday, April 15, 2004
What Do Babies Dream About?
... going to Disneyworld!
Hello Out There!
Hello blog readers! I know there are a lot of people who read my blog on a regular basis... and every now and then I peek at my statistics page and I see that there are people who have stumbled upon my home on the web by accident through a search engine or whatever. (My archives get a lot of hits based on the search "Eggplant Parmesan to Induce Labor" ;) Anyway, if you've found me, I would encourage you to post a comment! I'd love to know who is reading!
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Almost Forgot...
Ben is three weeks old today! :) He seems to be taking it well in his old age. ;)
Awake Time...
Ben is spending more and more time awake every day. This is a good thing in that he's a lot more fun with his eyes open. However, it IS making getting things done a lot more difficult -- like, for instance, taking a shower or eating.
I sometimes play this computer game called "The Sims" where you run the lives these little simulated families. After you play long enough, you can eventually get a couple to have a baby. It just sort of magically appears in a bassinet whereever they happen to be standing at the time. After that, your life revolves around feeding the baby, talking to the baby, and changing its diaper. (if you don't, social services comes and takes it away). It really throws off your game for awhile because the adults don't have time to go to the bathroom and they miss work and fall asleep in the floor all the time. But just when it seems like your game will never be the same again, the baby magically turns into an adolescent and life gets easier. Hrm... wish it were that easy. ;)
I sometimes play this computer game called "The Sims" where you run the lives these little simulated families. After you play long enough, you can eventually get a couple to have a baby. It just sort of magically appears in a bassinet whereever they happen to be standing at the time. After that, your life revolves around feeding the baby, talking to the baby, and changing its diaper. (if you don't, social services comes and takes it away). It really throws off your game for awhile because the adults don't have time to go to the bathroom and they miss work and fall asleep in the floor all the time. But just when it seems like your game will never be the same again, the baby magically turns into an adolescent and life gets easier. Hrm... wish it were that easy. ;)
Monday, April 12, 2004
Ben Smiled! (and other fun things about our day)
Today Ben went to grandma's for a little while because I had yet another doctor's appointment. (doc is still trying to put me back together...) He spent some quality time with grandma, Aunt Debbie and Miss Wendy.
After that, we came home and he was a little fussy, so I decided to try something new. I remembered that Tom's mom had given me a Baby Einstein DVD for Christmas. I kind of thought Ben might be a little young for it still, but we popped it in anyway. Boy was *I* wrong. He was totally entranced by this video... mouth agape, cooing at the tv, waving his arms all over the place... I nearly fell off the sofa laughing. We watched it again later and it must have put him in a very good mood because I was talking to him and he TOTALLY smiled at me. Not a gassy smile, but a big no-tooth grin with his eyes all lit up and everything. Sadly, I can't get him to repeat his new trick yet for Tom... :( Grr...
After that, we came home and he was a little fussy, so I decided to try something new. I remembered that Tom's mom had given me a Baby Einstein DVD for Christmas. I kind of thought Ben might be a little young for it still, but we popped it in anyway. Boy was *I* wrong. He was totally entranced by this video... mouth agape, cooing at the tv, waving his arms all over the place... I nearly fell off the sofa laughing. We watched it again later and it must have put him in a very good mood because I was talking to him and he TOTALLY smiled at me. Not a gassy smile, but a big no-tooth grin with his eyes all lit up and everything. Sadly, I can't get him to repeat his new trick yet for Tom... :( Grr...
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Blog Title Change (again) ...
I changed the title of my blog again. The new one just seemed so much more appropriate because Tom and I joke all the time that this must be what Benjamin is thinking as he makes his way through life these days.
"Who put THESE two in charge?!"
From putting diapers on backwards, to feeding him the wrong formula the first day he was home and a whole host of other mistakes, we're definitely learning through trial and error, at Ben's expense. ;) So there you go...
"Who put THESE two in charge?!"
From putting diapers on backwards, to feeding him the wrong formula the first day he was home and a whole host of other mistakes, we're definitely learning through trial and error, at Ben's expense. ;) So there you go...
Pictures...Pictures... Pictures...
Ben this morning...
Ben and his godmother, Debbie
Ben, mommy and grandma outside
Ben and his godmother, Debbie
Ben, mommy and grandma outside
Ben Almost Slept Through the Night!
Today is a glorious day! ;) Tom fed Ben at 11p.m. last night. He didn't wake up to eat again until 4:15a.m.! That's only 45 minutes away from technically sleeping through the night! Hooray!
The only drawback to this is that it is now 4:45 and he's wide awake (like he usually is after his 5a.m. feeding). So here I am updating my blog at this horrible hour with a bright-eyed and bushy tailed baby in my lap. But it's a small price to pay for those seven consectutive hours of sleep I got before he woke up.
The only drawback to this is that it is now 4:45 and he's wide awake (like he usually is after his 5a.m. feeding). So here I am updating my blog at this horrible hour with a bright-eyed and bushy tailed baby in my lap. But it's a small price to pay for those seven consectutive hours of sleep I got before he woke up.
Friday, April 09, 2004
Out and About...
I got out by myself yesterday without the baby! Wahoo! I realized while I was driving that it was the first time in almost 10-1/2 months I haven't had him with me. How very weird. Aunt Debbie came over and babysat ... and 'm pretty sure she enjoyed herself.
After that, Ben and I went visiting. We went to see Meghan's baby, Conner, who is two weeks older than Ben. (and much bigger! Ben is really starting to get a little person complex!) Our first play date! Here's a picture of how it went.
After that, we headed over to Grandmom's house because Ben was hungry and I wasn't entirely sure we were going to make it home without a screaming fit.
As you can see, Grandmom didn't really mind.
I should also mention that Ben met his friend Ryan this week! We forgot to take pictures though! :( Ryan is about seven months old, so Ben has some catching up to do. But someday they will have lots of fun together. ;)
So that was our day out and about. It's so nice to get out of the house after the last few weeks of being trapped inside!
After that, Ben and I went visiting. We went to see Meghan's baby, Conner, who is two weeks older than Ben. (and much bigger! Ben is really starting to get a little person complex!) Our first play date! Here's a picture of how it went.
After that, we headed over to Grandmom's house because Ben was hungry and I wasn't entirely sure we were going to make it home without a screaming fit.
As you can see, Grandmom didn't really mind.
I should also mention that Ben met his friend Ryan this week! We forgot to take pictures though! :( Ryan is about seven months old, so Ben has some catching up to do. But someday they will have lots of fun together. ;)
So that was our day out and about. It's so nice to get out of the house after the last few weeks of being trapped inside!
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Bidding Farewell to the Prego Clothes...
Today I spent most of of the morning gathering all of my maternity clothes and putting them in a box. I removed my regular clothes from the same box and put them all back in my closet. It's so weird. I remember putting them all away sometime in the fall last year and being so depressed about it. Just opening the box took me right back to those first few months I was pregnant. And while it did feel good to put the pregnant clothes out of sight, it made me a little sad ... it felt very significant, like it was the end of something that, looking back, I maybe sort of enjoyed despite all the bad stuff that came with it. One minute I was carrying Ben in my tummy and the next minute, it was all over. Just like that. And now, two weeks later, it's really almost as if I was never pregnant. I'm even finding that already it's difficult to remember what it all felt like... yes, even the 16 hour labor. How do you forget something that became your identity for almost an entire year?! And most importantly, how do you forget something that, I know for a fact (from reading my own blog entries) hurt like nothing you can even come close to describing?
But it's true... you do.
I guess it's necessary so that most people will even entertain the thought of becoming pregnant more than once. But it still, it makes me a little sad ... And so now, two weeks removed from what I initially described as a horrific experience, I can safely say that I will do it all over again someday in the future ... because, when I think about it, it really wasn't so bad. ;)
But it's true... you do.
I guess it's necessary so that most people will even entertain the thought of becoming pregnant more than once. But it still, it makes me a little sad ... And so now, two weeks removed from what I initially described as a horrific experience, I can safely say that I will do it all over again someday in the future ... because, when I think about it, it really wasn't so bad. ;)
Monday, April 05, 2004
Ben Meets Dr. Aguto -- Our Big Day Out
Today was Ben's first visit to the pediatrician. Poor little thing... he really hates being naked, so he screamed a lot. Dr. Aguto pricked his little heel and took some blood, which did NOT help the situation. He also popped his umbilical cord stump off, which was DISSSSSSGUSTING. Ick. But I'm happy I don't have to deal with it coming off. The thought of that was grossing me out.
The good news is Tom and I are apparently doing something right. Benjamin is now 7 pounds, 2 ounces (up from 6lbs. 15oz when he was born) and he's very healthy! :D
After that little adventure, we went and visited Aunt Gail for awhile. She really likes holding him. People in general seem to really like holding him. ;)
Then we were off to MY Dr.'s appointment. Ben slept quietly for awhile in the waiting room with Grandma while I was with the Dr. He woke up to eat and entertained the women in the waiting room with the adorable sounds of his very healthy intestinal tract. Personally, I'm glad I was in the stirrups during all of this. Hee hee...
After THAT (yes, long day) we headed off for lunch at Panera with Ben's godmother Debbie. She held him for most of the time. Like, I said, he's a very holdable creature. Then it was home where we resumed business as usual. (eating, crying, sleeping, pooping)
In other fun and exciting news, here's a link to some new pictures I took. :)
Enjoy!
The good news is Tom and I are apparently doing something right. Benjamin is now 7 pounds, 2 ounces (up from 6lbs. 15oz when he was born) and he's very healthy! :D
After that little adventure, we went and visited Aunt Gail for awhile. She really likes holding him. People in general seem to really like holding him. ;)
Then we were off to MY Dr.'s appointment. Ben slept quietly for awhile in the waiting room with Grandma while I was with the Dr. He woke up to eat and entertained the women in the waiting room with the adorable sounds of his very healthy intestinal tract. Personally, I'm glad I was in the stirrups during all of this. Hee hee...
After THAT (yes, long day) we headed off for lunch at Panera with Ben's godmother Debbie. She held him for most of the time. Like, I said, he's a very holdable creature. Then it was home where we resumed business as usual. (eating, crying, sleeping, pooping)
In other fun and exciting news, here's a link to some new pictures I took. :)
Enjoy!
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Same Look, New Name.
You may have noticed that my blog has a new title. I thought it was well overdue for an update, seeing as Ben is almost two weeks old ... I also updated the headings on the sidebar. Eventually, I'll change the colors and whatnot and freshen the whole thing up, but right now, that would take mental stamina I simply to not have.
Welcome to "I Pushed Him Out. So Now What?" formerly "I Have To Push What out of Where?" ;)
Welcome to "I Pushed Him Out. So Now What?" formerly "I Have To Push What out of Where?" ;)
Outing...
Today Tom, baby and I had a rather successful afternoon outing. We went to lunch at Bahama Breeze and he slept the whole time. Then, we tried out Ben's new wheels at the mall for awhile. Tom was very proud that he has mastered folding and unfolding the stroller. :) The whole ordeal wore out Ben and I though and we both came home and took very long naps. I wonder how long until I can go out for an hour and not feel like I've been running a marathon! I AM starting to finally really feel better though, which is good. I was starting to wonder if I'd ever feel like myself again!
For all you picture fanatics, here's a picture from yesterday of Benjamin and me from our visit to my parents' house.
We visit both sets of grandparents yesterday as a matter of fact! At Nanee and Pap's house (Tom's parents) they got the baby books out so we could see how Ben measured up to daddy and his uncles. Tom was very disappointed because a baby picture he remembered where he thought he looked like Ben turned out to actually be Uncle Marc. Oops. And the funny thing is, the resemblence is definitely there! Ben has his uncle Marc's eyes! Poor Tom. We're still looking for something -- ANYthing that the baby inherited from him. ;)
One last thing before I end today's post ... for those of you who have sent us cards, gifts and well wishes, thank you so much! I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to catch up with all of you yet. But I wanted you to know that we are grateful. :)
For all you picture fanatics, here's a picture from yesterday of Benjamin and me from our visit to my parents' house.
We visit both sets of grandparents yesterday as a matter of fact! At Nanee and Pap's house (Tom's parents) they got the baby books out so we could see how Ben measured up to daddy and his uncles. Tom was very disappointed because a baby picture he remembered where he thought he looked like Ben turned out to actually be Uncle Marc. Oops. And the funny thing is, the resemblence is definitely there! Ben has his uncle Marc's eyes! Poor Tom. We're still looking for something -- ANYthing that the baby inherited from him. ;)
One last thing before I end today's post ... for those of you who have sent us cards, gifts and well wishes, thank you so much! I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to catch up with all of you yet. But I wanted you to know that we are grateful. :)
Friday, April 02, 2004
9 Days Old...
Well... we're slowly working out the whole baby routine. Tom and I are actually getting much more humane amounts of sleep, which is helping greatly with the general mood around our house. I'm starting to slowly feel normal (although my standards for "normal" have changed a bit). Ben seems grateful that his parents are figuring things out. Sometimes when we learn something new about him and why he's crying or something, I half expect him to just look at us and say, "Well DUH!"