The Fever

I think I'm going to refer to this past week as, "The Great Fever of 2011." Let's hope it doesn't get topped by anything in the months to come.

Since Sunday afternoon, G has had the "feva." And no, I'm not referring to the "Beaver (as some of the first graders call him - ha!) fever!" I'm talking about the horrible, no good, nasty fever that all moms dread and quiver in fear just thinking about. The kind of fever that leaves your normally sweet baby cranky, clingy, and all sorts of out of whack.

You never know which department it will hit next - sleep? Yes, we just love waking up all night long to deal with Mr. Grumps. Food? Why yes, it's awesome when you know your baby is hungry, yet refuses to eat his solids.

Fortunately for us, it did NOT affect the poop department. ;) That area was still running like clockwork, with many an outfit retreating quickly to the washing machine after diaper changes.

I feel so much more sympathetic for working moms who do not have the PTO but have to stay home nonetheless to take care of their sick kiddo(s). I am fortunate enough to have banked sick days because I definitely needed them this week! I have tried my hardest not to stress out too much because besides having a sick infant, which is already the pits, I have a bajillion million things at school I need to check off my list before the end of the year.

FYI, when I say end of the year, I mean in NINE days!!! So yeah, this week I have had to revert back to my old mantra of, "This too shall pass."

...
I WILL get all of my testing done and my data entered by 5 p.m. tomorrow.
I WILL get my classroom cleaned and packed up.
I WILL have all of my grading done and my data entered by Monday at midnight.
...

You get the idea.


But going back to my original train of thought, having a sick baby is like having a newborn all over again. Except this time around, your baby is mobile and does not sleep as much. This past week has been spent ...

giving lot of cuddles.

Working from home means you can wear your favorite ball cap and the "boss" doesn't mind.  :)

playing with our new toys.

Isn't he awesome?!?  Another CL find for only $5!

This was part of the loot from the multiples' mom, but we now refer to this truck as the "possessed toy."  Ha!  The other night it was making its sounds while in the OFF mode.  Needless to say, it freaked us out and pissed us off for waking us up multiple times and spent the next day outside in time out.  Since then, it has come back inside and hasn't bothered us again. So weird!  But G loves it, so we are keeping it.  

making new gourmet foods for little man's young and refined palate. ;)

Tomato and basil with cauliflower and carrot

doing LOTS of laundry.

and trying to get sleep WHEREVER and WHENEVER.

Poor baby, you know he's not feeling well when he does this in the middle of the day.

After a LONG and horrendous night, we finally brought him into bed with us.

I love my lovey but I am sooooo glad the fever is gone. Now if we can just get rid of this runny nose and cough!

Things I Love Thursday .... errr, Saturday

So this post was meant to go out on Thursday, but blogger was having some technical difficulties.  I didn't even attempt to get on yesterday because I pulled the Grandma card and went to bed at ... drumroll please ... 7:30.  Yep, because that's how lame cool I am.  Ha!  It definitely brought back pre-baby memories of going to happy hour on a Friday, having a few drinks, and going home and CRASHING.  Long week + good drinks will do that to you!  To be fair, I did have a margarita after work and blame that for my sheer exhaustion.  ;)

1. Trader Joe's is looking to come to Texas!  For a long time now I've seen people on blogger and FB gushing about this place.  While they have their eyes set to open a branch in my town, I've also read conflicting reports that we are not in their "two year plan."  C'mon already!

2.  First graders and the funny things they do.  One of my little friends decided to steal one of my books and then had the audacity to write her name in crayon on the page where it says, "This Book Belongs To _____."  But wait, it just gets better.  I guess she took it home with her because the next morning in the gym when I had morning duty, she excitedly takes it out of her backpack and asks me if I can read it to the class later.  She quickly informs me that her book is also ripped (it has a torn corner on the first page), but that she did that to the book when she was in Pre-K.  I later ask her about it when she is wondering when I'm going to read it, all the while giving her my stern look and telling her that, "This is your chance to tell me the truth."  This is how the conversation went...

Me: This book looks exactly like mine and my book is missing.
D: (looks away)
Me: So, does this book belong to me or you?
(...crickets chirping... it seems like 5 minutes have passed ...)
D: (in a VERY quiet voice and she is NEVER quiet) The one that starts like 'yarn.'

Ha!  She couldn't come out and say "you."  The one that starts like 'yarn.'  Just the fact that she had the nerve to steal my book and then thought she could get away with it right in front of my face!  Too awesome for words.

3.  Craigslist.  Oh, the CL.  This past week I scored not only the toy I was looking for, but the lady then just gave me two other toys with it - all for $15!  Holla!  All three would have cost me over $100 on amazon.  They took a bit of cleaning, but it was well worth it.  Also, just because I think it's funny who you can run into - the lady I bought the toys from is a certain mom of multiples here in town that has her own show on a cable network that features her family's life.  Thanks for the great deal!

Cha-ching! That's the sound of money staying in my bank account ... or R's wallet.

4.  Mother's Day.  I'm still loving my beautiful flowers from last weekend AND a perk of taking your baby to daycare is that he brings home cute art projects.  :)

I was also greeted to a dozen MORE roses and chocolates on Monday because that is the day they celebrate Día de las Madres in México.  ¡Viva México!  The sweet boy that gave them to me then excitedly turned to his classmates and told them that he was going to get a card from me.  I always write thank you cards to my students after they give me something, so he was really looking forward to his.  Too funny!

5.  These new razor blades.  A few months ago R went to the store, and I asked him to pick up a few items for me, such as moisturizer and razor blades.  I showed him which ones I wanted and when he came back, this is what he brought:

My first thought was, "What are these?!?"  Definitely not something I would have purchased.  BUT, since I like to give credit when credit is due, I actually really like them.  Not what I was expecting, but they work really well.  I thought it was a gimmick, but they do still shave nicely and you don't have to buy shaving cream anymore.  I think I might just use these from now on!  :)

6.  Our new bath tub.  While I'm on the topic of shaving,  I might as well show you our new tub.  I love taking baths.  Like serious love.  When we had the upstairs remodeled, R picked out this two person tub with my affinity for baths in mind and he put a tv on the wall.  I've never heard of people watching tv while bathing, but if you don't hear from me, you'll probably find me in the bath tub catching up on my shows.

7.  My new Target shoes.  I love me some Target and I'm loving my new shoes that I recently got for $18!  I didn't even have to break them in and they coordinate with so many things in my closet.  I'm trying to branch out and get shoes other than brown and black.  I can wear them all day at work without having my feet hurt and they don't make my feet sweaty.

8.  She did it!  My little sis graduated from nursing school!  I am so proud of her.  :)

Group shot of the siblings, plus one honorary bro-in-law

9.  Summer vacay is just around the corner ... 14 more days until freedom!

Eight Months

I have always said that the 8-12 months age range is my favorite, and thus far G has not disappointed me.  He is SO fun right now!

This has been a busy month in our household because the boy can move!  It was hilarious to watch the transformation - as R describes it: from army crawl, to wounded soldier (army crawl with one leg limp - "Save yourself!  Leave me behind!"), to finally on all fours like a "normal" boy.

He loves to crawl and climb over anything - especially people!  He prefers to climb over you instead of going around.  I suppose he knows the shortest route possible.  ;)  He recently started pulling up on things and will cruise along the couch or coffee table to get things he wants ... usually the remotes, computers, computer cords, etc.  Once he has his mind made up, forgettaboutit.  He can be very stubborn, even after hearing the word "No!" (ha!), and will still make a beeline for the cable box, receiver, etc.  Now that he is definitely mobile, trouble is his middle name!

He has two teeth on the bottom (right one came in first, followed by the left one a couple of weeks later) and we are expecting something to pop out on top any day now.  Teething has disrupted his sleep and his happy-go-lucky mood slightly, but his eating has been undeterred.  My boy can eat!  He LOVES to eat his solids and is now eating breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a mid-afternoon snack of organic puffs and yogurt melts.  If you don't feed him fast enough he will definitely let you know!  We need to start working on him more with the sippy cup.  He's not too keen on drinking out of it but does love to bang it on his tray and toss it aside.  :)

Speaking of which, the boy loves to bang!  All boy for sure!  We haven't mastered waving or clapping just yet, but he will bang on ANYTHING with reckless abandon.  

He is still very loving and cuddly, although not quite as cuddly now that he is on the move.  I absolutely love that he will still let me rock him after his last bottle before bed.  Even though I'm aware you are supposed to put your baby down while sleepy but still awake, I admit that I do sometimes just rock him to sleep and soak it all up.  They're only this young once, right?  It reminds me of the book "I'll Love You Forever" when the mama rocks her baby boy throughout different ages of his life.  Know which one I'm talking about?  If not, you must go to B&N and at least read it in the store.  If it doesn't make your mama heart skip a beat then you have a heart of stone.  ;)

We don't have official stats yet, but we are guessing his weight is around 20-21 pounds.  He is still in size 3 diapers and wears mostly 6-12 or 9 months clothes.  Some of his onesies are getting tight in length but the pants and shorts fit fine.  I busted out his 12-18 month wardrobe but haven't washed anything yet.  

Dear Lovey Love,

You are definitely my sunshine on a rainy day - my favorite thing is to hear your giggle and see your smile.  Lately you crack up if I pant like a dog or make funny faces/noises.  You also love it when I crawl after you and say, "I'm going to get you!"  You will crawl away in a fit of giggles as I chase you ... ahhh, melt. my. heart.

Your attention span for the jumper, exersaucer, and walker is waning thin because you would much rather be crawling around on the floor.  I usually only use these now when mama needs to keep you in one place to do something without worrying about you getting into any mischief.  

You don't say "mama" anymore but instead talk about "dada" like he's the bees knees.  I forgive you since you said mama first, but it wouldn't hurt to throw your favorite gal some lovin' every once in a while.  ;)

My heart is so full because of you.  I love you to the moon and back, sweet boy.  

Love, 

Mama

  

M is for Mama

I will never forget the night I saw those two pink lines appear.  So many emotions rushed over me, though admittedly it was mostly anxiety.  However, the most enduring thought was, "Holy @#%! I'm going to have a baby... I'm going to be a mom!"  This thought lasted throughout my pregnancy until he was placed in my arms on that fateful August evening.  From that day, I have experienced a whole new range of emotions, most of which are indescribable as all of you mamas know.

I've always hoped to be a mama and even though it happened sooner than expected, being G's mama is the best gift of all.  There have been tears shed (thankfully mostly on his part), memories created, money spent, lessons learned, humility bestowed, and poop changed ... LOTS of poop.  :)

My heart has grown more full in more ways than I ever though possible.  I love you, sweet boy.  Thanks for making me your mama.

Mamas come in all kinds - first time mamas, soon-to-be mamas, veteran mamas, step mamas, adopted mamas ... the list goes on and on.  Sooo, Happy Mama's Day to all of the mamas out there ... and to all of you hoping to-be-mamas, I pray that you receive your own blessing soon and join the best club of all, also known as motherhood.

A Swimming We Will Go

We recently started taking G to swim lessons every Saturday afternoon.  I know some of you (if there is actually anyone reading this) may be thinking, "Swimming for an 8 month old???"

It's a parent/child class with the purpose of acclimating your baby to the water.  So far R has been the parent in the pool ... let's just stay that mama isn't too stoked about being in a bathing suit right now, hehe.  The first class we attended, I'll be honest - G was not a big fan.  I expected him to love it since he LOVES his bath time.  I'm not sure if it was the water temp that shocked his system (he actually shuddered when he first got into the water, poor baby), the sensory overload, or the fact that he was just worn out since his Gymboree class that unfortunately is immediately beforehand.

The swim class is only 30 minutes and most of the time is devoted to different stations that you rotate around to with your baby.  He cried at the station where you pour water on your baby's head with a watering can.  I knew that reaction was coming since he does NOT like water in his eyes.  At the end of the class he was searching for me with the most pitiful face and lost it.  We pulled him out of the pool five minutes before class was supposed to end and called it a day.

He has gone twice since then and has been great both times!  He is slowly adjusting and although he is not laughing and splashing around, he is tolerating it just fine.  We really want him to become a good swimmer from an early age and with the rate that he is growing, swim team is just around the corner!

First swim lesson - he did smile for me :)

Crappy phone pic but he looked so cute on the lilly pad

Poop

As a parent, you deal with a lot of poop.  A LOT.  I know my days of butt wiping are far from over and I am okay with that.  Some days, though, I am SO over poop.

The more experience you have as a parent (or just with kids in general), the less phased you get about kids and their bodily functions.  This was an actual scenario from this evening:

(Looking down) What is that on my jeans?
Hmmm... (Checking G's diaper)
Yep, it's poop.
(Now looking at my shirt) Ugh, what's that?
(Now smelling shirt) Also poop.

Trying to change G's diaper these days is like trying to wrestle a baby alligator.  He does not want to stay on his back and almost always immediately tries to flip over to his tummy.  I have tried using the changing pad strap, distracting him with toys, and keeping him between my legs in a "leg lock."  It's an adventure to say the least.

Most days are manageable, and then, well, there are days like this...

Please note the oozing bum and please try not to notice my crazy hair...

He somehow managed to poop out of his diaper and JUST get it on his foot (not down the leg, not in the seat, not on his clothes!).  Then he was happily playing as if nothing even happened.  Awesome.

Warning: Mom Nerd Alert

I am finding myself to be a mom nerd these days, but the best part is, I don't even care!

The evidence:

• I always love this time of year in Texas when the bluebonnets and other wildflowers start to bloom alongside the highway.  This year though?  Über excited to take pictures of G sitting in them.

• Our good friends had their baby boy yesterday at the same hospital where G was born.  We went to visit them tonight and I felt a wave of nostalgia rush over me as we walked the same halls I waddled around as a post-prego. (*side note: As a first time prego, I wasn't expecting to STILL be waddling after the delivery - obviously for other reasons.)  There are already new things at the hospital - a digital picture photo center and different linens on the beds.  Was it really just eight months ago?

• It is almost midnight and I am still awake making baby food and perusing etsy.  What can I say?  I'm a multi-tasker.  I recently ran across this awesome blog that has homemade baby food recipes.  I found it after I googled "spinach, mango, and pear baby food purée." G LOVES the Happy Baby pouch version but I was curious to see if I could find a good enough recipe and make it myself.  He hasn't tried mine yet, so the verdict has not been reached as to whether he will be just as happy.  While making his food is obviously more laborious than opening a jar, I like putting in the effort and trying new recipes.  R would probably appreciate it if I used this gusto to try new recipes for adult meals as well, I am sure.  :)  

A perk to making G's food is I can make several things and have them last me for a while.  G has almost gone through my first round of food, so there are slim pickings in the freezer.  Last week we went to Whole Foods, aka the ultimate food mecca, and left after spending $90 on not that much.  I use all organic fruits and veggies in his food and unfortunately cannot find everything I am looking for at my local grocery store.  I think I'm going to try Sprouts next time and compare prices.

This past weekend I was all pumped to make round two of baby food and had the ultimate baby food making fail.  The $6 container of raspberries that I had just purchased already had mold.  Obviously those went in the trash.  I then decided that instead of making a pear raspberry compote, that I would go for a mango pear combination.  I am still learning when a mango is properly ripe because as it turns out, I started peeling one that was not ready to be eaten.  That went into the trash as well.

Plan C was to throw some apple in with the pear and add just a dash of cinnamon.   A dash ended up being a huge dollop, so that batch went down the sink.  Fail.  Flustered and out of produce, I gave up.  Tonight has been much more successful.  I made a carrot, apple, and ginger purée AND a blueberry, mango, and pear purée.  I'm curious what my little foodie's taste buds think.

And now that it is after midnight and I just wrote an entire essay on baby food making, I am going to take my mom nerd crown off and head to bed.  :)

Happy Thursday!