Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Hallejuah! The Gate Came!
HA! Trapped! But you have to admit, it's a little sad, isn't it? Kind of like having a caged bird.
We probably won't use it except for a few minutes a day so I can get some things done and not have to watch him like a hawk at the same time. Once the pressure gate comes, he won't be able to get up the stairs and that pretty much makes the whole first floor baby-safe!
We probably won't use it except for a few minutes a day so I can get some things done and not have to watch him like a hawk at the same time. Once the pressure gate comes, he won't be able to get up the stairs and that pretty much makes the whole first floor baby-safe!
Drat...Drat. I Lost the Hat!
Today the stuff arrived that I bought on superduper-sale on Gymboree.com last Friday. It's all so cute, especially the little caterpillar sweater hat.
I took Ben out with it on for a little while this afternoon and somewhere along the way, I lost it. We owned it for approximately an hour. :( It was so cute. :( :(
I came home and decided to order a new one. It's still on sorta-sale, so it wasn't expensive.. but still... I'm so mad at myself! It's probably on the parking lot in front of the Target, if someone hasn't already scooped it up for themselves.
Drat. Drat. Drat.
I took Ben out with it on for a little while this afternoon and somewhere along the way, I lost it. We owned it for approximately an hour. :( It was so cute. :( :(
I came home and decided to order a new one. It's still on sorta-sale, so it wasn't expensive.. but still... I'm so mad at myself! It's probably on the parking lot in front of the Target, if someone hasn't already scooped it up for themselves.
Drat. Drat. Drat.
Ben's Best Friend is a Shoe...
No, I'm serious. He has two pair. He's sort of partial to the tennis shoes, but really, either will do. If you hand him a shoe, he'll play with it and carry on in-depth conversations with it for a half hour, sometimes longer. Yesterday, Tom gave the boy his shoe in the crib so he could get a shower. When I went in to go get him, he didn't even care, he just wanted to keep talking to his shoe. I picked him up and he dropped the shoe and cried. I gave it back and they continued their conversation right where they left off. Babies are SO weird.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Who Knew He Could Do That?
Benjamin has this little walker that he likes to climb like a tiny set of stairs. I propped it up against the table so he could climb it and it wouldn't fall forward when he got to the top. Hee hee... he took one look at the new configuration and seized a never before seen opportunity.
Take a look at what happened!
Take a look at what happened!
Wow. Amazon Really DOES Have Everything!
And he came with free Super Saver Shipping! What a deal!
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Christmas Card Outtakes... (1 of 50)
This one is for Shay -- told you he can't keep a hat on. I just got lucky yesterday. ;)
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Please Sir, May I Have Some More?
This extended weekend is all about photoblogging! ;)
Adorable hat courtesy of Gymboree and grandmom. More random and adorable pictures taken tonight will be on the month 9 album later tonight.
I had to post this one too... what a ham!
Adorable hat courtesy of Gymboree and grandmom. More random and adorable pictures taken tonight will be on the month 9 album later tonight.
I had to post this one too... what a ham!
Hm...
I'm pretty sure this is NOT how the manufacturer intended this toy to be used...
Friday, November 26, 2004
Thanksgiving Recap and Other Stories...
Benjamin's first Thanksgiving was pretty uneventful. As per our "every other year" family holiday rotation marriage agreement, we were at Tom's parents' house this year. This worked out great since they are only 10 minutes away and since my family was going two hours away my my grandmother's house. While I would have loved to have had Thanksgiving with my family and extended family, the idea of a two-hour car ride (twice in one day) with a still somewhat sick baby who is currently very prone to unpredictable meltdowns was not all that appealing.
Thanksgiving at my inlaws' was simple and low-key -- both things I can greatly appreciate these days. Dinner was yummy, Ben tried real sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie -- both of which he devoured like he was never getting food again. (Ben thanks his Uncle Marc for the pie) ;) There was a slight meltdown at dinner, but mommy swooped in with a diaper/outfit change (he was hot in his courderoy) and things improved enough to hang out for dessert. Picture break: Benjamin enjoying his first Thanksgiving.
Last night, he only woke up once after 10pm. What a Thanksgiving treat! Maybe we should feed him pumpkin pie every night!
Despite my best efforts to not get caught up in this Black Friday madness, I am stalking the Gymboree website until 8a.m., at which time I get to enter a "special code" and save 30% on things that are already on sale! I am such a dork.
Tom is taking the crapmobile back into the dealership this morning to have the spastic blinker fixed AGAIN. For those of you following my crazy car saga, you probably know by now not to buy a Jetta. I can't speak for other VW products, but my Jetta has had more of the WEIRDEST problems in the past two years... For all its bad reviews, my cheapo Dodge Neon, other than being apparently very easy to steal, never had ANY problems. :(
Benjamin is in the cutest mood this morning. He's so happy and smiley. I need to stop blogging and go play with him. I can't resist. Besides, he's calling me. (mamamama!) ;)
Thanksgiving at my inlaws' was simple and low-key -- both things I can greatly appreciate these days. Dinner was yummy, Ben tried real sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie -- both of which he devoured like he was never getting food again. (Ben thanks his Uncle Marc for the pie) ;) There was a slight meltdown at dinner, but mommy swooped in with a diaper/outfit change (he was hot in his courderoy) and things improved enough to hang out for dessert. Picture break: Benjamin enjoying his first Thanksgiving.
Last night, he only woke up once after 10pm. What a Thanksgiving treat! Maybe we should feed him pumpkin pie every night!
Despite my best efforts to not get caught up in this Black Friday madness, I am stalking the Gymboree website until 8a.m., at which time I get to enter a "special code" and save 30% on things that are already on sale! I am such a dork.
Tom is taking the crapmobile back into the dealership this morning to have the spastic blinker fixed AGAIN. For those of you following my crazy car saga, you probably know by now not to buy a Jetta. I can't speak for other VW products, but my Jetta has had more of the WEIRDEST problems in the past two years... For all its bad reviews, my cheapo Dodge Neon, other than being apparently very easy to steal, never had ANY problems. :(
Benjamin is in the cutest mood this morning. He's so happy and smiley. I need to stop blogging and go play with him. I can't resist. Besides, he's calling me. (mamamama!) ;)
Thursday, November 25, 2004
A Very Important Message...
Yesterday...
Forgot to blog about our first "non well-baby visit" to the pediatrician! Benjamin was acting sort of weirdly fussy yesterday afternoon and wouldn't even take his pacifier. (I know!) So my mom came by and drove us to the doctor. (it was pouring down rain and he was screaming.) We thought it was the beginnings of an ear infection for sure. He screamed all the way there, into the office, through the exam and back out again. But guess what? No ear infection. Just a bad cold and major dislike for the doctor putting a cold stethoscope on his chest and jamming a thingy in his ear.
He's still really, REALLY snotty today. How long can a baby cold last? He has had this since early Saturday morning... :(
**editor's note** Answered my own question. Interesting!
He's still really, REALLY snotty today. How long can a baby cold last? He has had this since early Saturday morning... :(
**editor's note** Answered my own question. Interesting!
God Whipped Me Up a Little Dose of Empathy...
Okay, so empathy generally isn't a problem for me, I usually have too much of it. Ask my husband. He'll tell you how often I project feelings onto inanimate objects. Christmas is a rough time for me because I get to feeling very sorry for the Christmas trees that people don't pick that are left to die on the Christmas tree lots.
Um yeah. Where was I?
Uhh... empathy, right.
Anyway, so this little cold here has knocked me on my patookus. (any of my Polish friends know if I spelled that right?) Hence the reason I am wide awake at 1:53 a.m. when the boy is sleeping peacefully. I can't breathe and my throat is all scratchy. ::whine:: My poor BABY has had this since FRIDAY! And his nose is like a thousand times smaller than mine! I can't believe he felt this awful all those days. No WONDER the poor little guy screamed even when he was in my arms. :( I feel like pulling him out of his crib and just rocking him and telling him I wish I had felt sorrier for him when his nose was all runny and goopy. Not to downplay the care I gave him. Don't get me wrong, the kiddo got lots of cuddles and extra love... I just didn't understand quite how BAD he must have been feeling -- until. right. now.
::sniffle::
Um yeah. Where was I?
Uhh... empathy, right.
Anyway, so this little cold here has knocked me on my patookus. (any of my Polish friends know if I spelled that right?) Hence the reason I am wide awake at 1:53 a.m. when the boy is sleeping peacefully. I can't breathe and my throat is all scratchy. ::whine:: My poor BABY has had this since FRIDAY! And his nose is like a thousand times smaller than mine! I can't believe he felt this awful all those days. No WONDER the poor little guy screamed even when he was in my arms. :( I feel like pulling him out of his crib and just rocking him and telling him I wish I had felt sorrier for him when his nose was all runny and goopy. Not to downplay the care I gave him. Don't get me wrong, the kiddo got lots of cuddles and extra love... I just didn't understand quite how BAD he must have been feeling -- until. right. now.
::sniffle::
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Baby IQ?
This is interesting. I don't know about its validity or its importance. An IQ test for a 6-12 month old? By Fisher Price? Hrm.
Benjamin is 8 Months Old!
The boy is 8 months old today. He's my "real" crawlin', standin', stair climbin', babblin', 5-teeth sportin', non sleepin' through the night little man.
Let me tell you, these picture sessions are getting to be near impossible. I should publish the out-takes... for every picture of him sitting in the chair, there are 10 of him trying to dive OFF the chair. :: sigh ::
He's still a little sick, so he's been sitting in his "nest" watching Baby Mozart a lot today. Look at him... isn't it pitiful?
Let me tell you, these picture sessions are getting to be near impossible. I should publish the out-takes... for every picture of him sitting in the chair, there are 10 of him trying to dive OFF the chair. :: sigh ::
He's still a little sick, so he's been sitting in his "nest" watching Baby Mozart a lot today. Look at him... isn't it pitiful?
Er... I Guess it Was a Cold After All...
... since you can't catch teething. I woke up this morning with Benjamin's cold. :( ::sniffle::
Also, my car has decided to develop a malady of its own -- a case of spastic blinker. It started last Friday and I took it in on Saturday to have a new light put in. The guy at the dealership told me it had just come unplugged. Yesterday the spastic blinker started up again. Hooray. I have to try to plan all of my trips so they don't include right turns. (because seriously, who uses arm signals? I don't even think anyone knows what they mean) Soooooo, I'm dropping it off again on Friday. While it's there, they are also going to cure its case of Limp Armrest (again). Hopefully we won't have any more episodes of Window Dropsy in the near future.
The boy is 8 months old today. Official pics coming later, of course. He's almost been out as long as he was in. And that's pretty cool. ;)
Also, my car has decided to develop a malady of its own -- a case of spastic blinker. It started last Friday and I took it in on Saturday to have a new light put in. The guy at the dealership told me it had just come unplugged. Yesterday the spastic blinker started up again. Hooray. I have to try to plan all of my trips so they don't include right turns. (because seriously, who uses arm signals? I don't even think anyone knows what they mean) Soooooo, I'm dropping it off again on Friday. While it's there, they are also going to cure its case of Limp Armrest (again). Hopefully we won't have any more episodes of Window Dropsy in the near future.
The boy is 8 months old today. Official pics coming later, of course. He's almost been out as long as he was in. And that's pretty cool. ;)
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Benjamin Has Left No Time for Me to Blog Today!
The boy, while not especially fussy today, has been quite demanding of my time. Hence, no real posts so far today. He just NOW went down for his afternoon nap and I'm hoping he stays asleep long enough for me to make dinner. I also have to start two Christmas-related projects, but I KNOW that's a pipe dream for today.
Oh and one last thing. I discovered a new personal hell this afternoon. A visit to Target, WITH the boy, during Christmas shopping mayhem. OhMAHgah. It wasn't so much the boy who made my trip difficult, (though his incessant whining to be removed from the shopping cart was a bit of a hinderance)... it was more the people who were completely rude and pushy and in my way ... and a plethora of terrible drivers in the parking lot. This particular shopping center is home to Target, a grocery store, Marshalls, TJMaxx, Pet Smart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Toys R Us and Sports Authority... and in spring will add a Walmart!
Target and Walmart in the SAME shopping center!!!? There should be some kind of law against that.
Can you imagine the insanity that will descend upon this place next Christmas? I'm not going near it.
Oh and one last thing. I discovered a new personal hell this afternoon. A visit to Target, WITH the boy, during Christmas shopping mayhem. OhMAHgah. It wasn't so much the boy who made my trip difficult, (though his incessant whining to be removed from the shopping cart was a bit of a hinderance)... it was more the people who were completely rude and pushy and in my way ... and a plethora of terrible drivers in the parking lot. This particular shopping center is home to Target, a grocery store, Marshalls, TJMaxx, Pet Smart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Toys R Us and Sports Authority... and in spring will add a Walmart!
Target and Walmart in the SAME shopping center!!!? There should be some kind of law against that.
Can you imagine the insanity that will descend upon this place next Christmas? I'm not going near it.
Having Trouble Blog Stalking...
I can't seem to get to one of my favorite blogs today and it's making me crazy! I must know if the Flingers got sleep? How is the littlest Flinger? Did she break her screaming record?
Monday, November 22, 2004
Curiousity is Killing Me...
Hi there reader. I've been looking at my webstats* and you stand out.
Who are you?
Yes, you -- the person logging from cox.net in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
You've read EVERY single page of my blog today! That's impressive! At last check, you have spent over two hours here at Tale of a Baby Human.
You don't HAVE to tell me. But not knowing is driving me nuts!
Puhhhhleeeeeeeeease introduce yourself? Pretty please?
Ah well, even if you never tell. I'm flattered you'd spend so much time here. :)
Thanks for visiting and happy reading!
-Benjamin's Mommy
*My webstats are very VERY anonymous, folks. Don't worry that I'm going to come track you down or something. They just shows me service providers (or IP addresses) and sometimes will give me a general region. :)
Who are you?
Yes, you -- the person logging from cox.net in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
You've read EVERY single page of my blog today! That's impressive! At last check, you have spent over two hours here at Tale of a Baby Human.
You don't HAVE to tell me. But not knowing is driving me nuts!
Puhhhhleeeeeeeeease introduce yourself? Pretty please?
Ah well, even if you never tell. I'm flattered you'd spend so much time here. :)
Thanks for visiting and happy reading!
-Benjamin's Mommy
*My webstats are very VERY anonymous, folks. Don't worry that I'm going to come track you down or something. They just shows me service providers (or IP addresses) and sometimes will give me a general region. :)
Measuring Up...
I think we need a bigger worm. ;)
Almost four months... (July 22)
Almost eight months... (November 22)
Almost four months... (July 22)
Almost eight months... (November 22)
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Definitely Not a Cold...
Okay, yeeeeeeah, so we're pretty sure it's "just" teething now. Unfortunately, this "just" teething means I have the equivalent of a colicky 6-week-old on my hands. Yowzah. It seems that in this house, we can escape no part of the baby adventure peacefully. Earlier tonight, I was seriously rethinking the whole idea of any more offspring. Forget the trials and tribulations of pregnancy and labor. Pshhah. That was a cakewalk. It's the actual mommying that's bringing me to my knees.
I don't even think the boy screamed THIS much the first night we brought him home from the hospital and switched his formula on him. (dumb parental moment there)
I guess all the misery means there's stuff happening though because both pearly white top teeth have made significant progress just since yesterday-- major dental action going on in that little mouth.
In happy baby news, when he's not screaming his head off, he is babbling up a storm all of a sudden. I'm listening to him chat away right now on the baby monitor. He is supposed to be going to bed, but it sounds like he's having more fun listening to himself talk.
:: sigh ::
He's either Bubbly Ben or Evil Screamy Pants Ben. There is no middle ground these days. :(
I don't even think the boy screamed THIS much the first night we brought him home from the hospital and switched his formula on him. (dumb parental moment there)
I guess all the misery means there's stuff happening though because both pearly white top teeth have made significant progress just since yesterday-- major dental action going on in that little mouth.
In happy baby news, when he's not screaming his head off, he is babbling up a storm all of a sudden. I'm listening to him chat away right now on the baby monitor. He is supposed to be going to bed, but it sounds like he's having more fun listening to himself talk.
:: sigh ::
He's either Bubbly Ben or Evil Screamy Pants Ben. There is no middle ground these days. :(
Out of the Snot Comes Much Babbling...
We have new consonants! I repeat, NEW consonants! Out of nowhere, Benjamin has just started "talking" up a storm... this morning, we got "wawawa" and "babababa" and ::drumroll:: "da!"
We're throwing a parade later today. All are invited. ;)
We're throwing a parade later today. All are invited. ;)
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Okay, Maybe NOT a Cold?
Now I'm starting to wonder if this IS a cold. Ben's not ACTING sick at all. He has been eating more than he eats on a regular day. Plus, I've been doing some research on teething and all I can say (well, actually what Tom said when I read off the symptoms to him) was, "Check, check and CHECK!" He has it all... down to the red, dry rash on his cheek. There are just as many websites that claim all the teething "symptoms" are a big myth, especially the runny nose and other coldy things. But it's an odd coincidence that Ben has all these symptoms while cutting eight teeth, two of which are just now working their little white sharp selves out of the gums.
Also, for those who are curious, here is some info I found on the Hyland's Teething Tablets. You can also check out Hylands.com. I just gave Ben a few of the tablets, so I'll keep you posted during my "Blog Through the Snot" marathon.
Also, for those who are curious, here is some info I found on the Hyland's Teething Tablets. You can also check out Hylands.com. I just gave Ben a few of the tablets, so I'll keep you posted during my "Blog Through the Snot" marathon.
Cold Update...
Cold now includes a cough. Not one of those icky snotty coughs, just a cough. Fun.
He's been pretty happy though, and crawling around all over the place like there's nothing going on. So I'm not really sure what to think...
Also, the thermometer pacifier gets a big thumbs down from my little Nuk fan. It has to be sucked on for 8 minutes to get a reading and we can't get him to keep it in for more than 10 seconds at a time. Oh well. Back to the good ol' ear thermometer. I'm not taking any rectal temperatures and no one can make me. So there.
He's been pretty happy though, and crawling around all over the place like there's nothing going on. So I'm not really sure what to think...
Also, the thermometer pacifier gets a big thumbs down from my little Nuk fan. It has to be sucked on for 8 minutes to get a reading and we can't get him to keep it in for more than 10 seconds at a time. Oh well. Back to the good ol' ear thermometer. I'm not taking any rectal temperatures and no one can make me. So there.
It's Official... Benjamin's First Cold...
Well, so it seems the yesterday's even worse than usual fussiness wasn't all that crazy after all. The boy woke up around 1:30 this morning with sneezing and with a snot-filled nose. Poor little guy. He couldn't sleep much after that, so we were all up pretty much the whole night. Things seem to be getting progressively worse as the day wears on. I'm just hoping and praying the end result isn't an ear infection for Thanksgiving Day. :(
I took a little trip to Walgreens and stocked up on $30 worth of baby pharmecuticals to be prepared for any situation that may arise this weekend -- teething-related OR cold-related.
From left to right:
* Little Teethers pain relief gel and comfy teether - to numb sore little gums
* Infant Tylenol+Cold Drops - to knock out any pain, fever and stuffiness
* Thermometer pacifier - an uninvasive method to find out if there is any fever
* Medicine dispenser pacifier - to trick the baby into swallowing the meds (thanks to R-belle for recommending this!
* Hyland's Teething Tablets
* Three-month supply of birth control pills - so we only have to deal with one cold-stricken baby at a time
I took a little trip to Walgreens and stocked up on $30 worth of baby pharmecuticals to be prepared for any situation that may arise this weekend -- teething-related OR cold-related.
From left to right:
* Little Teethers pain relief gel and comfy teether - to numb sore little gums
* Infant Tylenol+Cold Drops - to knock out any pain, fever and stuffiness
* Thermometer pacifier - an uninvasive method to find out if there is any fever
* Medicine dispenser pacifier - to trick the baby into swallowing the meds (thanks to R-belle for recommending this!
* Hyland's Teething Tablets
* Three-month supply of birth control pills - so we only have to deal with one cold-stricken baby at a time
Friday, November 19, 2004
So. Hard. To. Blog. Today.
Baby screaming. A lot. The cats have taken refuge in the basement. He screams when I hold him. Screams when I play with him. Screams when I put him in the crib. He's also rubbing his eyes a lot. I think he's mad and overtired. Or mad because he's overtired. I also think his teeth hurt and he woke up from his nap too early, neither of which I can help much with. I gave him Tylenol and tried to get him back to sleep but to no avail. It just made him scream louder.
He is not sick. He has no fever. He's eating and drinking. There is regular old "oops it rolled off the changing table" poopy. There are enough wet diapers. There appears to be nothing wrong with this child.
I really really REALLY hope this phase is over soon.
He has stopped for the time being. Why? Who knows. His efforts are now concentrated on removing every cd from the cd rack. I rankly don't care what he does as long as the screaming doesn't continue.
He is not sick. He has no fever. He's eating and drinking. There is regular old "oops it rolled off the changing table" poopy. There are enough wet diapers. There appears to be nothing wrong with this child.
I really really REALLY hope this phase is over soon.
He has stopped for the time being. Why? Who knows. His efforts are now concentrated on removing every cd from the cd rack. I rankly don't care what he does as long as the screaming doesn't continue.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Mr. Fussypants Strikes Again...
Last night was not as bad as some others, but he still started waking up at 1:30. This time, after three tries, I just gave up and brought him to bed with us where he slept happily until 4:45. :: yawn ::
This morning he is in supericky mode. And I am pissy too because dadadada is going to a dinner for work tonight that he doesn't even need to go to. (as in, he just volunteered because they wanted to fill seats at a table) Um... he doesn't seem to realize what a huge deal this is. Maybe Saturday I'll leave the house at 7a.m. and then call and say I'm not coming home until 9p.m. Yes, I think that would be a suitable punishment. We'll see if he's not curled up in a ball in the corner crying when I get home.
This morning he is in supericky mode. And I am pissy too because dadadada is going to a dinner for work tonight that he doesn't even need to go to. (as in, he just volunteered because they wanted to fill seats at a table) Um... he doesn't seem to realize what a huge deal this is. Maybe Saturday I'll leave the house at 7a.m. and then call and say I'm not coming home until 9p.m. Yes, I think that would be a suitable punishment. We'll see if he's not curled up in a ball in the corner crying when I get home.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
I Am Such a Sucker...
I bought three poses. (and got a free sheet)... :: sigh :: It really wasn't my fault. It's Benjamin's fault. He smiled for ALL of them. The kid is a crab ALL day until some photographer waves a fuzzy duster at him and then he turns on the charm. Excuse the slightly jaundiced look. It happened when I scanned them. Probably something Picture People does to their prints to keep people from making their own reprints. Smart folks, those Picture People.
Bad Bad BAD Night...
I don't think we've had a night quite as bad as last night since oh... Ben was about two months old. There was much screaming. Yes, I checked for a fever, but he was fine. He was mostly just peeved that I wouldn't let him out of the crib at 3a.m. to play. No WAY am I starting THAT! So I was up from about 3-4:30 with Ben screaming straight through that whole time ... he screamed even if I held him. So I alternated between letting him scream in the crib and holding him so I wouldn't go completely insane and leave him on the neighbor's doorstep or something. Many a bad word was muttered under my breath.
T'was a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad night.
I often wonder if I need to more firm with him or if he's still too young. Not just with the sleeping thing, but with every day things. He can make such a fuss about certain things that I give in just for some peace and I'm afraid I'm going to create a discipline problem for myself down the line. For instance, when Tom and I eat dinner, he sits in the highchair and munches on a Zweiback or plays with some toys. But we'll give him pretty much anything he wants just to get a moment's piece to eat dinner. Eventually he gets fed up with being in the chair and one of us caves and takes him out. Is this reasonable at this point or should I be making him sit there through dinner and on our terms, not his? Thoughts?
:: sigh ::
We have an appointment at Picture People today at 1:30. I hope Benjamin cooporates and I hope we get decent pictures. I think we'll probably get the family pictures taken at Sears or Penny's. I've been doing some research and they have some good deals. (and nicer backgrounds)
The boy is napping now, so I'm off to get myself together and get a few things done before all heck breaks loose around here again when he wakes up. :\ Today is not one of the days where I am particularly enjoying my mommy job. Gr.
T'was a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad night.
I often wonder if I need to more firm with him or if he's still too young. Not just with the sleeping thing, but with every day things. He can make such a fuss about certain things that I give in just for some peace and I'm afraid I'm going to create a discipline problem for myself down the line. For instance, when Tom and I eat dinner, he sits in the highchair and munches on a Zweiback or plays with some toys. But we'll give him pretty much anything he wants just to get a moment's piece to eat dinner. Eventually he gets fed up with being in the chair and one of us caves and takes him out. Is this reasonable at this point or should I be making him sit there through dinner and on our terms, not his? Thoughts?
:: sigh ::
We have an appointment at Picture People today at 1:30. I hope Benjamin cooporates and I hope we get decent pictures. I think we'll probably get the family pictures taken at Sears or Penny's. I've been doing some research and they have some good deals. (and nicer backgrounds)
The boy is napping now, so I'm off to get myself together and get a few things done before all heck breaks loose around here again when he wakes up. :\ Today is not one of the days where I am particularly enjoying my mommy job. Gr.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Oh Fooey, Another Bruise! And a Question for All...
I discovered a few days ago that I have a year-long membership to Picture People. Yes, they were annoying, but I didn't pay for the membership, it was a gift and I get free pics, so I'm sure we'll go. The problem is when. I wanted to take the boy sometime this week, I was actually thinking maybe this afternoon but then he went and hit his head (for the 80th time this week) and now he has a nice fat bruise on his forehead (again). Gr.
I'd also like to get some family pictures taken to send out with the Christmas cards but I can't decide what we'll all wear. Should we be casual or dress up? Should we be really cheesy and all match? ;) Oh the decisions. Maybe we should just all hit our heads in the same place and go with matching bruises.
On another subject, does anyone out there know much about transitioning a baby to table foods? I have a feeling I'm supposed to be doing that around now, but I'm not sure how to make the transition or exactly what is okay for him to eat. Can I give the sweet potatoes the rest of the family will eat on Thanksgiving? Or cranberry sauce? Mashed potatoes? Suggestions and advice welcome!
I'd also like to get some family pictures taken to send out with the Christmas cards but I can't decide what we'll all wear. Should we be casual or dress up? Should we be really cheesy and all match? ;) Oh the decisions. Maybe we should just all hit our heads in the same place and go with matching bruises.
On another subject, does anyone out there know much about transitioning a baby to table foods? I have a feeling I'm supposed to be doing that around now, but I'm not sure how to make the transition or exactly what is okay for him to eat. Can I give the sweet potatoes the rest of the family will eat on Thanksgiving? Or cranberry sauce? Mashed potatoes? Suggestions and advice welcome!
Monday, November 15, 2004
Another Freakin' Wonder Week...
I have been accused of reading too far ahead in some of my baby books. (I'm sure I've told you all that I read all of What to Expect When You Are Expecting before I was even pregnant). My friend Jen claims this makes me THINK I/Ben have all the symptoms of something just because I've read about it. SO, in an effort to reclaim my credibility, I have NOT read ahead in my book "The Wonder Weeks" (Baby's 8 Great Fussy Phases). Instead, I open it only when Ben seems especially fussy, cranky, gross and annoying for about a week straight.
I cracked it open last night because the boy has a big fat pain in the butt the past week. (I mean that in the most loving, mommy'esque way... he is just being so DIFFICULT lately!) He's been making up a new schedule every day, no nap for seven hours straight some days, meltdowns as a result... won't eat very much, waking up a lot at night again (by a lot, I mean like 5 and 6 times and restless/tossing and turning the rest of the time)... lots and lots of ear-piercing, high-pitched whining around here...yada yada yada.
So, as it turns out, voila, Weeks 34-37'ish are icky ones. I read the chapter and it was like someone had been spying on our house for the last week. It's supposed to end in another three weeks or so, thank goodness. Then I get my sunny baby back until like week 46. When he returns, I'll try to enjoy sunny Ben while he lasts.
If any of you mommies are experiencing icky baby syndrome at your house too and want me to see if you are in the midst of one of these "Wonder Weeks," let me know... ;)
**update**
Here's the official "fussy chart" from the book. Thought it might help some people! :)
I cracked it open last night because the boy has a big fat pain in the butt the past week. (I mean that in the most loving, mommy'esque way... he is just being so DIFFICULT lately!) He's been making up a new schedule every day, no nap for seven hours straight some days, meltdowns as a result... won't eat very much, waking up a lot at night again (by a lot, I mean like 5 and 6 times and restless/tossing and turning the rest of the time)... lots and lots of ear-piercing, high-pitched whining around here...yada yada yada.
So, as it turns out, voila, Weeks 34-37'ish are icky ones. I read the chapter and it was like someone had been spying on our house for the last week. It's supposed to end in another three weeks or so, thank goodness. Then I get my sunny baby back until like week 46. When he returns, I'll try to enjoy sunny Ben while he lasts.
If any of you mommies are experiencing icky baby syndrome at your house too and want me to see if you are in the midst of one of these "Wonder Weeks," let me know... ;)
**update**
Here's the official "fussy chart" from the book. Thought it might help some people! :)
The Best Toys are Free... or Really Really Cheap at Least...
Aside from paper and plastic cups, some of Benjamin's other favorite toys include:
* spoons
* empty plastic containers
* measuring cups
* toilet paper tubes
* pots and pans
* cat hair
* the spare tv remote control
* maps of Disney World
* spatulas and whisks
* shadows
* diapers (clean ones)... well, dirty ones too if I'd let him
...
I don't even need to leave the house to Christmas shop for him! ;)
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Lost and Found... and Why it Was All Ben's Fault...
I lost my keys sometime yesterday. I was all in a tizzy this afternoon because I couldn't find them and my brother-in-law couldn't find them at HIS house and had already looked all over mine. House keys, mailbox key, very difficult to replace car key/remote thingy and all my grocery store savings thingamabobs. I went so far as to go to Home Depot and buy a new lock set for the front door. I quickly discovered that installing a lock is not as easy as it seems it should be and was in the middle of putting back the old one when I looked up and saw four people standing around my car. One of them opened my trunk. Uh... took me a minute to realize what this meant.
Then I went running outside and practically hugged the guy who was standing there with my trunk open.
"Ahhhhhhh!! Did you find my keys??!"
They turned out to be my neighbors from a few houses down. They had found the keys several blocks away at the intersection of where my neighborhood starts and the major crossroad. They had been wandering the neighborhood trying to open all the Volkswagens they saw. Ah yes, we all had a good laugh. They were sad that their game was over but happy to have found the owner of the keys. ;)
The keys being lost in the first place is Ben's fault and here's why. See, whenever I put him in his carseat, I put my keys on TOP of the car so I can't possibly lock him in and myself OUT. The kink in my system happens when Tom is driving but I have my keys with me anyway and I still put them on top of the car out of habit. I don't need them to START the car and so ... on top of the car they stay... until they fall off at the end of the street. Yes, this has happened before.
D'oh.
Then I went running outside and practically hugged the guy who was standing there with my trunk open.
"Ahhhhhhh!! Did you find my keys??!"
They turned out to be my neighbors from a few houses down. They had found the keys several blocks away at the intersection of where my neighborhood starts and the major crossroad. They had been wandering the neighborhood trying to open all the Volkswagens they saw. Ah yes, we all had a good laugh. They were sad that their game was over but happy to have found the owner of the keys. ;)
The keys being lost in the first place is Ben's fault and here's why. See, whenever I put him in his carseat, I put my keys on TOP of the car so I can't possibly lock him in and myself OUT. The kink in my system happens when Tom is driving but I have my keys with me anyway and I still put them on top of the car out of habit. I don't need them to START the car and so ... on top of the car they stay... until they fall off at the end of the street. Yes, this has happened before.
D'oh.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Whee! It's a Sale at Gymboree!
I LOVE Gymboree baby clothes. They are REALLY well made, well-fitting and they come in really cool mix-and-match sets with all kinds of pieces, which really appeals to my obsessive need to collect things. The downside is they cost more than some adult clothes! So when I noticed they slashed some prices, I was downright giddy. Of course, even their "sale" prices can be sort of steep if you get carried away. I had to restrain myself and not buy everything in the two sets that were on sale. (It was tough, lemme tell ya... ask my mom how obsessive I am about collecting every single Fisher Price Peek-a-Block)
Anyway, I got this (those are little Hedgehogs on the front)
and these to go with it.
I also got this cute little onesie: (he already has some pants to match it)
I am currently salivating over the Garden Friends collection. But it's not on sale yet.
Oh, and Rachael, you should check out the Space Trooper stuff!
I need to stay away from this website... I keep filling up my cart with things and then putting them back. This, by the way, is also how I shop at Target.
Anyway, I got this (those are little Hedgehogs on the front)
and these to go with it.
I also got this cute little onesie: (he already has some pants to match it)
I am currently salivating over the Garden Friends collection. But it's not on sale yet.
Oh, and Rachael, you should check out the Space Trooper stuff!
I need to stay away from this website... I keep filling up my cart with things and then putting them back. This, by the way, is also how I shop at Target.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
And to All a Goodnight...
The boy is in bed for the night. The hubby is on the phone with his brother making picks for his Snore-vivor pool. And I am going to make some tea, crawl into bed and hope tomorrow is a better day. It HAS to be.
p.s. Yes, those are flowers and butterflies on his crib sheet. It was part of the "Guess How Much I Love You" bedding set. ;) Shh... don't tell Benjamin he's sleeping on girly sheets.
p.s. Yes, those are flowers and butterflies on his crib sheet. It was part of the "Guess How Much I Love You" bedding set. ;) Shh... don't tell Benjamin he's sleeping on girly sheets.
The Boy's Battery Finally Ran Down...
See subject.
And my sanity remains intact for one more day.
**Update** Nap going on two hours! Joy!
And my sanity remains intact for one more day.
**Update** Nap going on two hours! Joy!
This is NOT Turning out to be a Good Day...
This morning, I had to take the boy to the pediatrician at 10a.m. for his second flu shot. Normally this would work really well with his nap schedule, but Benjamin always manages to move things around on me on the days I work things around his napping.
Getting ready to leave for the doctor, I backed into my neighbors car... well, one of his 12 cars. Frankly, it serves him right because he illegally sells cars from his home and always parks them right behind me so I can't get out. It was bound to happen. I pulled up next to the car but couldn't see any damage. Figured I'd check it out more thoroughly when I got home.
Arriving at the doctor's office, Ben is asleep, of course. Wonderful. I get out of my car to see if there's any damage to MY car from the backing up incident. I find some scuffing and a small scratch on my back bumper. Looks like maybe my car vs. his tire? Now what do I do? I have to get a better look at his car to see if I did anything to it! :( I would have left him a note when it happened, but I was in a hurry to get to the doctor's office.
At the doctor's office, the scary nurse is working. I am literally terrified of her... instead of just giving Ben his shot like the other nurse would have, she made us sit in the exam room forever and wait for the doctor. Ben = NOT HAPPY.
The doctor enters and instead of just giving Ben his flu shot, decides it's time for a mini checkup. So I have to strip him. The boy immediately starts to scream. Mommy = very flustered.
In my rush to get him dressed, calmed down and OUT of there, we managed to leave behind his favorite book. So I have to call on the way home to get the evil nurse to put is aside for me to pick up next week. Nurse = annoyed.
I arrive home and the neighbor's car isn't there anymore. Ugh. NOW what?
Also, despite only taking a 15 minute car nap on the way to the doctor, Benjamin seems to have ZERO interest in napping today. Oh, and he's all pissy because he NEEDS to nap. Yay.
Getting ready to leave for the doctor, I backed into my neighbors car... well, one of his 12 cars. Frankly, it serves him right because he illegally sells cars from his home and always parks them right behind me so I can't get out. It was bound to happen. I pulled up next to the car but couldn't see any damage. Figured I'd check it out more thoroughly when I got home.
Arriving at the doctor's office, Ben is asleep, of course. Wonderful. I get out of my car to see if there's any damage to MY car from the backing up incident. I find some scuffing and a small scratch on my back bumper. Looks like maybe my car vs. his tire? Now what do I do? I have to get a better look at his car to see if I did anything to it! :( I would have left him a note when it happened, but I was in a hurry to get to the doctor's office.
At the doctor's office, the scary nurse is working. I am literally terrified of her... instead of just giving Ben his shot like the other nurse would have, she made us sit in the exam room forever and wait for the doctor. Ben = NOT HAPPY.
The doctor enters and instead of just giving Ben his flu shot, decides it's time for a mini checkup. So I have to strip him. The boy immediately starts to scream. Mommy = very flustered.
In my rush to get him dressed, calmed down and OUT of there, we managed to leave behind his favorite book. So I have to call on the way home to get the evil nurse to put is aside for me to pick up next week. Nurse = annoyed.
I arrive home and the neighbor's car isn't there anymore. Ugh. NOW what?
Also, despite only taking a 15 minute car nap on the way to the doctor, Benjamin seems to have ZERO interest in napping today. Oh, and he's all pissy because he NEEDS to nap. Yay.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Dang. Shoulda Read the Fine Print...
Despite having read every book there is to read on the topics and drilling all of my mommy friends about their experiences, there have still been several times along this whole pregnancy, childbirth, baby journey where I've been like, "Hey, wait... no one told me about THAT!"
Like...
* No one ever told me when I was first pregnant I'd want to eat three breakfasts, two lunches and a dinner for a family of four.
* No one ever told me that some people throw up the whole damn nine months.
* No one ever told me that the "just some pressure" you'll feel with an epidural actually feels a jumbo grapefruit is stuck in your butt and needs to come out PRONTO.
* No one ever told me that the after-childbirth swelling could reach elephant man proportions.
* No one ever told me that milk coming in would make labor seem like a walk in the park and that I'd want to lay down and die except that I couldn't because laying down hurt too much.
my list goes on... but the most recent addition is this...
* No one ever told me babies can eventually give up napping altogether.
What's with this? Who's in charge? They need to make these things more clear! This is all a reproductive conspiracy.
About the napping thing, just when we were in a great groove...a nice two-hour 10:30 nap followed by a nice 1.5 hour 2:30 nap. Then *BAM* out of nowhere he doesn't want to take the 2:30 one anymore which means I have non-stop, unrelenting Ben time from noon to 7p.m.
Yeah. Not cool.
I consulted the new mommy Bible this evening about naps. Sure enough, there it is, right there on page 425 (The Ninth Month): "Though one nap a day may not be enough for the exhausted parents, it is all many babies need as they approach their first birthday. A few babies even try to give up both naps at this time."
One nap?!
NO naps?!
If I just read along month by month like I was supposed to, I wouldn't have known about this phenomenon for another month!! See? Conspiracy.
I wonder what else no one has told me. Would anyone like to share? Come on, I know you been there done that moms are holding out on me.
Like...
* No one ever told me when I was first pregnant I'd want to eat three breakfasts, two lunches and a dinner for a family of four.
* No one ever told me that some people throw up the whole damn nine months.
* No one ever told me that the "just some pressure" you'll feel with an epidural actually feels a jumbo grapefruit is stuck in your butt and needs to come out PRONTO.
* No one ever told me that the after-childbirth swelling could reach elephant man proportions.
* No one ever told me that milk coming in would make labor seem like a walk in the park and that I'd want to lay down and die except that I couldn't because laying down hurt too much.
my list goes on... but the most recent addition is this...
* No one ever told me babies can eventually give up napping altogether.
What's with this? Who's in charge? They need to make these things more clear! This is all a reproductive conspiracy.
About the napping thing, just when we were in a great groove...a nice two-hour 10:30 nap followed by a nice 1.5 hour 2:30 nap. Then *BAM* out of nowhere he doesn't want to take the 2:30 one anymore which means I have non-stop, unrelenting Ben time from noon to 7p.m.
Yeah. Not cool.
I consulted the new mommy Bible this evening about naps. Sure enough, there it is, right there on page 425 (The Ninth Month): "Though one nap a day may not be enough for the exhausted parents, it is all many babies need as they approach their first birthday. A few babies even try to give up both naps at this time."
One nap?!
NO naps?!
If I just read along month by month like I was supposed to, I wouldn't have known about this phenomenon for another month!! See? Conspiracy.
I wonder what else no one has told me. Would anyone like to share? Come on, I know you been there done that moms are holding out on me.
I Knew it Was Too Good to Be True...
Yeah. Like I thought, the great sleeping from the night before was a fluke. :: sigh :: Last night was one of the worst nights we've had in a long time.
7:30 Bed
9:30 Fussed, needed binky
10:30 Woke up screaming his head off, which he rarely does... he was screaming so loud, it was scary. I checked for fever, nothing. Could be the six teeth that are coming in, but they really haven't bothered him yet... dosed him up with Tylenol anyway. Screamed one more time after the Tylenol then scrunched his body up and farted. Went back to sleep. Wonderful.
2:30 Tossing and turning and making little fussy sounds
2:45 Rocked him back to sleep.
3:30 Wakes up for his bottle, goes back to sleep in bed with us until 4:30.
4:30 Started with the screaming again... just as scary. I checked for fever again... gave him some more Tylenol. Rocked him while he screamed intermittently UNTIL... he scrunched up his body and farted again. TWICE. Okay, I get it now. It's gas. But why?
5:00 Up to play with Tom.
The gas thing is a total mystery to me. He hasn't had that problem in forever. I racked my brain about what he ate yesterday, but it was nothing out of the ordinary: some oatmeal, some Gerber apricots, peas, bananas, turkey and applesauce... couple of Cheerios and some grape juice in there too. :: shrug :: I have no clue.
Oh well. Maybe tonight we'll be better. We're used to taking it one night at a time here anyway.
Today Benjamin and I are going over to my old office to help celebrate Amy's birthday. Pictures later? Of course. ;)
7:30 Bed
9:30 Fussed, needed binky
10:30 Woke up screaming his head off, which he rarely does... he was screaming so loud, it was scary. I checked for fever, nothing. Could be the six teeth that are coming in, but they really haven't bothered him yet... dosed him up with Tylenol anyway. Screamed one more time after the Tylenol then scrunched his body up and farted. Went back to sleep. Wonderful.
2:30 Tossing and turning and making little fussy sounds
2:45 Rocked him back to sleep.
3:30 Wakes up for his bottle, goes back to sleep in bed with us until 4:30.
4:30 Started with the screaming again... just as scary. I checked for fever again... gave him some more Tylenol. Rocked him while he screamed intermittently UNTIL... he scrunched up his body and farted again. TWICE. Okay, I get it now. It's gas. But why?
5:00 Up to play with Tom.
The gas thing is a total mystery to me. He hasn't had that problem in forever. I racked my brain about what he ate yesterday, but it was nothing out of the ordinary: some oatmeal, some Gerber apricots, peas, bananas, turkey and applesauce... couple of Cheerios and some grape juice in there too. :: shrug :: I have no clue.
Oh well. Maybe tonight we'll be better. We're used to taking it one night at a time here anyway.
Today Benjamin and I are going over to my old office to help celebrate Amy's birthday. Pictures later? Of course. ;)
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Busy Little Housewife...
I am feeling like quite the productive little housewife today. ;) Dinner is in the crockpot. (Pork Tenderloin, in case you were wondering) My house is passably clean, the laundry is done, the baby is napping and I'm working on some extracurricular activities... read: playing on the computer and shopping online.
Boo ya.
~*~
Boo ya.
~*~
Ummmm.... Who is This Kid and What Did He Do With Benjamin?
Benjamin has been sleeping since 7:30pm. This is such a foreign concept to us that Tom actually went in and stuck a bottle in his mouth around 1:15am while he was asleep just to make sure he wasn't forgetting to wake us up. It is now 4:50a.m. I am only awake right now because Ben made a noise and I went in to give him the binky, thinking it would buy me a few minutes before I had to really get up to feed him. Um. He's still sleeping.
Uh.
I don't know what to do with this.
In 10 minutes my shift is over and I never once had to get up.
Erm. Uh. I'm speechless.
Uh.
I don't know what to do with this.
In 10 minutes my shift is over and I never once had to get up.
Erm. Uh. I'm speechless.
Monday, November 08, 2004
What To Do With 1,000 Baby Pictures...??
I had a scare this morning where Shutterfly had apparently accidentally DELETED all of my albums. When I logged on to my account, it treated me like a new user and said "You currently have no pictures uploaded."
*GASP*
It took a minute for me to realize the potential worst-case scenario.
All of the full-resolution pictures from my pregnancy, sonograms, Ben's birth and the last 7 months are stored on Shutterfly. I have a few here and there on my computer and hard copies of some... but for the most part, they ALL LIVE ON SHUTTERFLY.
I was ready to go postal on someone. Problem was that their customer service number didn't open until 9a.m. PACIFIC TIME. Great. That left me two hours to wander around the house aimlessly thinking I had lost all of the pictures of my firstborn.
By the time noon rolled around, my albums had mysteriously resurfaced. Two hours of them being gone though was plenty of time for me to think about the fact that I probably need a new system, lest this happen again and not have a happy ending. I think I'm going to break down and pay the $40 for the archive cd they offer with all the full-res pics on it. I was hoping to wait until his first birthday to do it, but now I'm thinking I can't take that risk.
I always thought my pictures were safer being stored digitally OFF of my computer. Then if my computer died or something happened to any prints I had made, I could always get them back. Well, now I'm pretty sure I need a backup plan, so I guess the archive cd it is. I'd hate to think Shutterfly did this on purpose just so I'd start thinking about shelling out the bucks for their cd. They wouldn't do that, would they? If so, NOT NICE. But they win.
In other news, Tom's mom sent us home yesterday with a box of his stuff. Ohmygosh, I have never seen such organization in my life. We spent an hour and a half last night combing through it... all meticulously organized baby and school pictures, every report card, every certificate, every teacher's note, school papers, projects, directions from the pediatrician (more on that another day but WOW has peditrician advice changed since 1977)... it was AMAZING. It's all great stuff to have! I can't wait to start scanning in some of the baby pictures... I've been waiting for Tom's baby pictures forever! Anyway, thumbs up to Tom's mom for such organization. I'm inspired now! Gotta get Ben a rubber maid container at Target asap!
*GASP*
It took a minute for me to realize the potential worst-case scenario.
All of the full-resolution pictures from my pregnancy, sonograms, Ben's birth and the last 7 months are stored on Shutterfly. I have a few here and there on my computer and hard copies of some... but for the most part, they ALL LIVE ON SHUTTERFLY.
I was ready to go postal on someone. Problem was that their customer service number didn't open until 9a.m. PACIFIC TIME. Great. That left me two hours to wander around the house aimlessly thinking I had lost all of the pictures of my firstborn.
By the time noon rolled around, my albums had mysteriously resurfaced. Two hours of them being gone though was plenty of time for me to think about the fact that I probably need a new system, lest this happen again and not have a happy ending. I think I'm going to break down and pay the $40 for the archive cd they offer with all the full-res pics on it. I was hoping to wait until his first birthday to do it, but now I'm thinking I can't take that risk.
I always thought my pictures were safer being stored digitally OFF of my computer. Then if my computer died or something happened to any prints I had made, I could always get them back. Well, now I'm pretty sure I need a backup plan, so I guess the archive cd it is. I'd hate to think Shutterfly did this on purpose just so I'd start thinking about shelling out the bucks for their cd. They wouldn't do that, would they? If so, NOT NICE. But they win.
In other news, Tom's mom sent us home yesterday with a box of his stuff. Ohmygosh, I have never seen such organization in my life. We spent an hour and a half last night combing through it... all meticulously organized baby and school pictures, every report card, every certificate, every teacher's note, school papers, projects, directions from the pediatrician (more on that another day but WOW has peditrician advice changed since 1977)... it was AMAZING. It's all great stuff to have! I can't wait to start scanning in some of the baby pictures... I've been waiting for Tom's baby pictures forever! Anyway, thumbs up to Tom's mom for such organization. I'm inspired now! Gotta get Ben a rubber maid container at Target asap!
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Gettin' Into Stuff...
Caught in the act! I have NO idea how he got in there... I mean, I assume he climbed, but I didn't witness it. Bad mommy...
Good Morning! Where's the Sun?
Hi. I greeting the day at 4:12a.m. Actually. It was much more passive then that. I should really say I WAS GREETED by the day er... a very awake little boy at 4:12a.m.
Benjamin didn't seem to think there was anything particularly unusual about being up to play play play at that inhumane hour. He just looked at me from behind the bars of his crib like, "Top o' the mornin' mommy! There's playin' to be done and by GUM I'm ready to get TO it!"
He wasn't at all bothered by the fact that I didn't turn on any lights when I brought him downstairs. He just crawled around in the dark and found every SINGLE one of his loud, light-up toys to play with. There is nothing on tv at that hour on the weekend, and nothing good TiVoed, so I was forced to watch some crappy MSN special from 1997 about husbands hiring hitmen to kill their wives. Fun.
I am going back to bed at some point... as soon as the boy's battery wears down. Fortunately, his battery has about the same life as the one in my laptop, so we should both be shutting down very, very soon.
Photo documentation: ;)
Benjamin didn't seem to think there was anything particularly unusual about being up to play play play at that inhumane hour. He just looked at me from behind the bars of his crib like, "Top o' the mornin' mommy! There's playin' to be done and by GUM I'm ready to get TO it!"
He wasn't at all bothered by the fact that I didn't turn on any lights when I brought him downstairs. He just crawled around in the dark and found every SINGLE one of his loud, light-up toys to play with. There is nothing on tv at that hour on the weekend, and nothing good TiVoed, so I was forced to watch some crappy MSN special from 1997 about husbands hiring hitmen to kill their wives. Fun.
I am going back to bed at some point... as soon as the boy's battery wears down. Fortunately, his battery has about the same life as the one in my laptop, so we should both be shutting down very, very soon.
Photo documentation: ;)
Saturday, November 06, 2004
The Family Just Keeps Getting Bigger!
We have a new baby in the family! My cousin had her baby boy by c-section on Monday, November 1. He was a big boy... 8lbs. 12 oz 21 inches long! I had been waiting to post about it because I didn't know his name... I heard a rumor this morning that they decided on Garrett David. (I hope I spelled it right!)
To quote my aunt from the other day:
"No name yet. Had lots of girls names. Taylor was calling him Nobody because she had her heart set on a girl named Emily. Surprise! When we left the hospital last night she was calling him Pumpkin so we know that won't be the name."
hehehe... that will be me if I have another boy. I'm fresh outta boy's names. Bring on the girls! I have a list to use up!
Our family's newest addition...
Proud new big sis Taylor with her new little brother...
To quote my aunt from the other day:
"No name yet. Had lots of girls names. Taylor was calling him Nobody because she had her heart set on a girl named Emily. Surprise! When we left the hospital last night she was calling him Pumpkin so we know that won't be the name."
hehehe... that will be me if I have another boy. I'm fresh outta boy's names. Bring on the girls! I have a list to use up!
Our family's newest addition...
Proud new big sis Taylor with her new little brother...
Friday, November 05, 2004
Nothin' Here, You?
Not much news round these parts. Benjamin says hi.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Lame-O Picture People...
Our visit to Picture People did not go well. As RBelle commented on my last post, the have a bit of a reputation for being rude. Yeah, they are. They claim you don't need an appointment, but what they fail to tell you is that most people DO have an appointment and therefore, if you don't have one, you'll just have to wait an hour or so. This doesn't work when you have a baby whose naps you have timed so that he'll be perky, smiley and cheerful when you get there. They were also less than thrilled to see that my friend Jen and I were both toting our "Free Portrait!" coupons. I opted to wait for a better time with Ben and Jen went ahead and got Ryan's done. Truly, they weren't that great with him... Ryan is a smiley camera loving kid and the photographer just seemed to sort of creep him out. So I don't know if we'll go back there... might just go to Sears or Penny's. We'll see. It depends how Jen's pictures turned out. I didn't get to wait around and find out because Ben was on the verge of nap deprivation meltdown.
Tonight is Tom's college Economics alumni dinner. I never go because it's a big snooze fest of guys who sit around and talk about politics and economics. Blah. This does, however mean a baby marathon day for me. :\ I'm overwhelmed and tired just thinking about it.
That's all for now. No culinary fun tonight since Tom will be out. Has anyone tried the Tator Tot thing yet? ;)
Tonight is Tom's college Economics alumni dinner. I never go because it's a big snooze fest of guys who sit around and talk about politics and economics. Blah. This does, however mean a baby marathon day for me. :\ I'm overwhelmed and tired just thinking about it.
That's all for now. No culinary fun tonight since Tom will be out. Has anyone tried the Tator Tot thing yet? ;)
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Yay for Elections Being OVER!
Now back to our regularly scheduled American lives.
Today Jen and I are taking the boys over to Picture People to get our free portrait we both have a coupon for. Should be fun though coordinating this around naptimes has not been easy.
Tonight not so ambitious culinary endeavor: Stuffed Shells and salad. :) We had leftover Tator Tot Casserole last night so I haven't gotten to the Southwest Chicken recipe yet.
I will hopefully have a painfully cute picture to post later. :)
Today Jen and I are taking the boys over to Picture People to get our free portrait we both have a coupon for. Should be fun though coordinating this around naptimes has not been easy.
Tonight not so ambitious culinary endeavor: Stuffed Shells and salad. :) We had leftover Tator Tot Casserole last night so I haven't gotten to the Southwest Chicken recipe yet.
I will hopefully have a painfully cute picture to post later. :)
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Exciting Stuff!
We're kicked back with our bowl of popcorn watching the election returns! Wahooey this is a good one! Also good tonight was Gilmore Girls! I'm LOVING the new plot twists and especially Rory's new potential love interest! Fooey on that old Dean guy... move over, here comes Mr. Yale Boy!
Boy is sleeping away... I guess he doesn't care about the election. ;)
Boy is sleeping away... I guess he doesn't care about the election. ;)
Benjamin Cast His Vote for...
... the spinning monkey on the top of his Fisher Price Dancin' Bandstand.
No, but seriously... he did accompany me to the polls this afternoon and he is now proudly wearing my "I Voted" sticker. ;) I wasn't really excited about the election until today. And actually, I'm only excited for the entertainment value. It'll be fun to curl up with some popcorn tonight and watch the returns come in. I AM leaning toward one of the candidates a lot more than the other... at any rate, it will be fun to watch.
Busy day. Tired boy. He had just settled in for his late afternoon nap when our Girl Scout woke him up...AGAIN. (she woke up him up the LAST time she knocked on the door which is when I got myself $14 in the hole with four boxes of cookies) I finally got him back to sleep and stashed the cookies in the freezer. Nope. Not touching them until the Halloween candy is gone, at least.
We're still recovering from daylight savings time over here. Today is the first day the Boy has gotten back on some semblence of his normal nap schedule.
I've started my Christmas shopping. I'm usually much more on the ball with this, but this year I can't figure out what to get anyone.
I have also continued my EBay shopping spree. I've scored three more outfits for a total of like... um... $5.50 or something ridiculous. I also found a pair of my favorite jeans new with tags for $7.99! Ack! I am becoming such a cheapskate in my old age.
I think that's all for today. If you haven't voted, go do it! Over and out.. :)
OH, and by popular demand, here is the recipe for tater tot casserole:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can condensed 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup frozed cut green beans, thawed and drained
1 (16-oz) pkg. frozed potato nuggets
1. Heat oven to 375. In large saucepain, brown beef, onions and celery until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain well.
2. Stir in soups, garlic powder, pepper and green beans. Spoon into ungreased 2-quart casserold; top with potato nuggets.
3. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and potato nuggets are golden brown.
No, but seriously... he did accompany me to the polls this afternoon and he is now proudly wearing my "I Voted" sticker. ;) I wasn't really excited about the election until today. And actually, I'm only excited for the entertainment value. It'll be fun to curl up with some popcorn tonight and watch the returns come in. I AM leaning toward one of the candidates a lot more than the other... at any rate, it will be fun to watch.
Busy day. Tired boy. He had just settled in for his late afternoon nap when our Girl Scout woke him up...AGAIN. (she woke up him up the LAST time she knocked on the door which is when I got myself $14 in the hole with four boxes of cookies) I finally got him back to sleep and stashed the cookies in the freezer. Nope. Not touching them until the Halloween candy is gone, at least.
We're still recovering from daylight savings time over here. Today is the first day the Boy has gotten back on some semblence of his normal nap schedule.
I've started my Christmas shopping. I'm usually much more on the ball with this, but this year I can't figure out what to get anyone.
I have also continued my EBay shopping spree. I've scored three more outfits for a total of like... um... $5.50 or something ridiculous. I also found a pair of my favorite jeans new with tags for $7.99! Ack! I am becoming such a cheapskate in my old age.
I think that's all for today. If you haven't voted, go do it! Over and out.. :)
OH, and by popular demand, here is the recipe for tater tot casserole:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can condensed 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup frozed cut green beans, thawed and drained
1 (16-oz) pkg. frozed potato nuggets
1. Heat oven to 375. In large saucepain, brown beef, onions and celery until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain well.
2. Stir in soups, garlic powder, pepper and green beans. Spoon into ungreased 2-quart casserold; top with potato nuggets.
3. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and potato nuggets are golden brown.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Take Your Baby to Work Day...
This afternoon all of Tom's co-workers were bringing their babies in for a visit, so Benjamin and I went over too. The two co-workers who brought their children in both each have a newborn AND a 1-1/2 (or almost 2) year-old. Yeah. When it comes to reproduction, they aren't playing around.
Anyway, I got a glimpse of what life might be like for us in a few months with Ben and also what life might be like if I were to go ahead and get pregnant again next summer.
Yikes.
Observation #1: The toddlers make the newborns look like a cakewalk. The toddlers move FAST and I forgot how well newborns sleep through chaos. Ah those were the days.
Observation #2: Double-strollers are BIG.
Observation #3: Life looks very VERY HARD for these people.
Observation #4: Ohmahgah.
Here's a picture of some of the group;
In other news, I've been trying to make dinner more often lately. My goal has been to make SOMEthing, ANYthing at least three nights a week. Tonight's culinary endeavor was Tator Tot casserole. Hee hee... I saw it in my cookbook and I just couldn't resist. Tator Tots. Mmm. It turned out quite yummy if I do say so myself.
Tomorrow night's menu is Southwestern Chicken and Caesar salad. I'm in a groove. :)
Anyway, I got a glimpse of what life might be like for us in a few months with Ben and also what life might be like if I were to go ahead and get pregnant again next summer.
Yikes.
Observation #1: The toddlers make the newborns look like a cakewalk. The toddlers move FAST and I forgot how well newborns sleep through chaos. Ah those were the days.
Observation #2: Double-strollers are BIG.
Observation #3: Life looks very VERY HARD for these people.
Observation #4: Ohmahgah.
Here's a picture of some of the group;
In other news, I've been trying to make dinner more often lately. My goal has been to make SOMEthing, ANYthing at least three nights a week. Tonight's culinary endeavor was Tator Tot casserole. Hee hee... I saw it in my cookbook and I just couldn't resist. Tator Tots. Mmm. It turned out quite yummy if I do say so myself.
Tomorrow night's menu is Southwestern Chicken and Caesar salad. I'm in a groove. :)
So Long Halloween...
All in all a good Halloween. We went to dinner at my parents' house and came home in time to answer the door 215 times. Tom and I managed to keep all the good candy for ourselves. Is that so wrong?
Benjamin and the loot...
