Sunday, February 28, 2010

Near catastrophe

Lately, G has not been enjoying his Fisher Price Rainforest playmat. However, there is one "toy" (a mini stuffed monkey) that I can still use to entertain him. Said monkey's name is MoMo. MoMo has been misplaced a few times already, but I found him without too much searching. Today we almost lost MoMo for good.
This weekend we went 3 hours east to my hometown to visit family. On the way back, G slept for most of the ride, but we did have to stop to feed him. MoMo was hanging on the handle of the infant carrier by his tail, as he usually does. Hubby took out the seat and we went inside. About 30 minutes later, on the way back to the car, I noticed a big redneck truck with a few big hitches on the front. I notice a small orange stuffed animal with big eyes stuffed in the hitch...it looked just like MoMo! I showed hubby and he insisted that it wasn't...but it was! My mom went over and snatched it and we got in the car and left.
I can't even imagine what we'd have done if we lost him...whew!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Confession #14: I'm already stressing out about G becoming a teenager

I know this seems silly because we haven't even celebrated his 1st birthday yet, but being a high school teacher I am constantly hearing about things that go on. If you have kids, trust me...there is a LOT going on that you would never dream of. I went to high school in the mid-late 90s. Yes, people were having sex. Yes, people were drinking and using drugs...but the feeling I get is that it's way more rampant now. I don't think you would believe the things that I could tell you that I hear from students and I would never post them on here because if I did I could get fired...but if I found out that my son was doing those things I would #1 be very sad and #2 I would probably send him to one of those boot camps.

I think as a society we need to make a lot of changes. First of all, kids need their parents. Teens don't need all this freedom...they need family time. You might be a single parent and if so, I have tons of respect for you. My mother-in-law raised 3 boys alone and I have no idea how she survived...but guess what. She wasn't out dating all these men and leaving her boys to do whatever. She was working to put food on the table and doing the best she could. I have a student who is having serious issues right now and a lot of it is exaccerbated (SAT word!) by the fact that his/her mom has had several failed marriaged and is constantly off galavanting with some guy.
Second of all, we have got to take this trash off the TV and radio. Have you listened to the lyrics of these songs??? I remember in high school the worst song I'd ever heard was "Put it in your mouth" and now that's basically EVERY song on the radio! Then we turn on the TV and everything is so sexual. I can't lie...I enjoy watching "The Bachelor" but geez...going to the fantasy suite about 2 weeks after you met someone? Most sit-coms are centered around everyone jumping in and out of bed with each other. It just gets worse and worse. Rather than taking the time to talk to our kids and LISTEN to our kids, we'd rather let the TV or computer entertain them.
Third, kids need to have strict supervision when using the internet. It's SO EASY for them to access porn...and once they see it they easily get addicted. Then you have Facebook, Myspace and AIM where kids can write whatever and put pictures of whatever.
I also don't think kids need phones with unlimited texting...unless they have a plan where the parents can see all of their texts.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, we (parents, teachers, society) need to be stressing SELF-RESPECT. If kids had respect for themselves, they wouldn't be doing the things they're doing. Again, we don't talk and listen...we just assume that they're going to have sex so we get them birth control. Abstinence doesn't have to be about just avoiding pregnancy and STDS...it should be a way to strengthen and improve your character. It's about not giving yourself away to anyone and everyone who wants it. And it's about developing meaningful relationships with other people that don't have to be all about sex.
A few years ago, I had a guest speaker come talk to my 9th grade health classes. She talked about sex and abstinence in a way that every young person should hear. Unfortunately, she moved to Arizona, so I can't bring her in any more. Sometimes I want to quit my job and speak like she did...but I doubt I could afford to.
Please parents, talk to your kids...don't let them learn everything from other kids. And they need YOU.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Confession #13: Sometimes I feel like a single parent

It's really hard for me to put this out there, but here it goes...

Right now I'm laying in bed with the cat while my husband is sleeping on the couch downstairs. We haven't spoken in a few hours. If you asked me why, I couldn't really give you a good explanation. Here are the events leading up to him sleeping on the couch:
G was a little fussy this afternoon. I came home to pick him up and then took him back to school with me because we had a basketball playoff game. He fussed before we fed him, but then he was good. Hubby surprised us by showing up. G fussed at first but I think he didn't recognize daddy because he was clean shaven (he usually has a goatee and partial beard). Then he was good for the rest of the game. At the very end of the game I had to get the water coolers and when I came back, G was crying VERY loudly. Hubby stormed out of the gym. He gets "embarrassed" when G is loud. Whatever. I picked G up and he calmed down. He fussed a little as I put him in the car, but was quiet the whole way home. Hubby stayed downstairs slamming cabinet doors and acting immaturely until he realized no one was paying him any attention. I got G ready for bed and fed him with my mom.
That's it.
I've avoided blogging about this for so long.
And for right now I'm going to refrain from rehashing so many things because I've been praying and I have seen lots of improvement on hubby's part. But in this moment I'm reliving all the negativity.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Confession #12: I want an Extreme Makeover!

Way before "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" there was a regular "Extreme Makeover" show. They took regular people, flew them to Beverly Hills, and had plastic surgeons redo whatever they wanted. I loved the show so much that when I was in college I drove all the way to Atlanta for a casting call. You wouldn't believe how many people were there! I filled out the application and then they called groups of about 10 people to the back, lined us up, and asked each of us what we wanted done. I said a nose job and breast implants. I actually was told to come back for an interview that afternoon. (I broke my nose in 6th grade from a car accident. When I tell people that, they always say "I didn't notice until you told me." WHATEVER...obviously it's pretty bad if they let me progress.) I didn't get a call back after the interview. Of course part of me is sad...I could've gotten my nose fixed for FREE! But as far as the boob job, I'm kind of glad I didn't get it back then. But now there are several more things I would like done.
If they ever bring that show back, here's the list of what I'll request:
Nose job
Breast implants
Tummy tuck
Laser hair removal
Liposuction of hips and inner thighs
Porcelin veneers

Wow...I sound like Heidi Montag. I think it's funny that she went from wanting to be a mom so badly to getting 10 procedures done...I wish her luck in keeping that body if she ever does get pregnant!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Confession #11: I'm addicted to coupon and freebie sites

I think when you create a new email address just for junk mail to be sent to and then you purposely sign up for junk mail, you might have a problem. *blushing*
I have recently discovered that there are lots of blogs dedicated to finding great deals, free samples, and coupons...and I have to admit that I check them frequently. Some day in the near future, I am *hopefully* going to have a mailbox full of free shampoo, mineral makeup, whitening strips, laundry detergent, and other random things that I can't even recall right now. When they do begin arriving, I'll be sure to brag all about it ;) Check out my blog list to see some of my favorites.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

What I miss most...

from my life before G:
10. My pre-baby body...not that it was all that great, but it wasn't all saggy and stretch-mark-y like it is now
9. Spending money on whatever...now we spend a ton on formula!
8. Snuggling up on the couch for hours at a time with hubby and watching movies
7. Sleep...although the night sleep situation has been *knock on wood* awesome lately
6. Being able to fix a meal without worrying that G is going to have a breakdown and having to abandon it
5. Road trips...need I say more?

WOW...I thought this was going to be an easy post, but I actually am having a hard time thinking of 5 more things. I just love my little boy so much...I miss him so much when I'm away from him! Maybe a better topic for today is the Top 10 Things I Love the Most about G (so far):
10. The way he holds the bottle while I'm feeding him
9. When he gives me an unexpected smile
8. How cute he is in every outfit I put on him
7. When he holds my finger
6. How determined he is to belly scoot
5. Snuggle time
4. Watching him lay on his activity mat
3. How soft his hair is
2. His coos
1. The thought of all the fun things to come in the future!

Monday, February 15, 2010

The formula mystery

I'm not really sure what made me choose Similac as my brand of choice when I knew breastfeeding wasn't going to work out. Maybe it was the free gifts that they provided during each trimester of my pregnancy. Just kidding...I did read the information that was included and it seemed like the Advanced EarlyShield was a great choice. It says it's the closest to breast milk.
When we realized G had colic, my husband wanted to switch to Enfamil because they have one called Fussease which supposedly helps with fussiness and gas. We went through one can and didn't see a difference, so we went back to Similac AES. Our pediatrician later told us that it can take up to 2 weeks for a baby's digestive system to get used to a new formula.
We stayed with Similac AES for a while and then my husband decided he wanted to try soy. We got Parent's Choice soy (which was half the price of name brands!), but G seemed to get worse...so we went back.
After that switch, it seemed like his poops were different. They were harder and he spit up A LOT more. (The doctor says that babies spit up more between 2 and 6 months of age). Hubby did some more research and found out about Similac Alimentum which is marketed as a "hypoallergenic" formula for food allergies and colic. Of course, wouldn't you know it...it's flippin expensive! We started out with a bottle of the pre-mixed stuff...what a pain! It has to be refrigerated! Then we found the powder at Babies R Us...it's $26 for a 16 ounce can compared to $21 for a 23 ounce can of AES. It annoys me that it's not part of the deals because it's a small can. (Right now you get a $5 gift card from BRU when you buy two 23 ounce cans of Similac).
At first I thought the Alimentum was great. His poops were back to normal and he seemed to burp easier...but it doesn't seem to help the spit up. Sometimes he doesn't spit up at all, but other times he spits up A LOT.
I don't know if we'll ever find the perfect formula for him.With all the choices out there, it'll drive a new mom crazy. I'm ready for real baby food!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Shake, rattle, and roll!

My son is at the age where he's a lot more alert and seems to want to see everything he can, but he's not quite big enough for an exersaucer. He's just now able to start gripping one of the rattles we got him, but it doesn't interest him all that much. Infantino makes an awesome product for babies who want to make some noise but can't hold heavy objects...they're wrist rattles! We have 2 sets...a pig and a cow and a chicken and cow. G loves it when I let him grab my fingers and then shake really fast. I say "shake your bacon" and "make a milkshake" or "shake your steak"...no vegetarians in this family! When I went to the website I saw there's a set with a monkey and an elephant...I'll be looking for those next. I think he'll be able to wear these for a few more months.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Confession #10: I've never seen "Back to the Future"

My favorite moments with G are when he's snuggled up with me and it feels like we're the only 2 people in the world. I look at him in awe that I helped create someone so precious and beautiful. This afternoon, despite the thoughts of him not wanting to go to sleep tonight, we took a nice almost 3 hour nap together. It started in the rocking chair, but then I moved to my bed with him. He was so nice and warm and the cat even joined us.
I know one day I will look back on these days and really miss them...but I have to confess that I'm ready for him to be able to do stuff. I feel like all I do is feed, burp, and change him with a little bit of trying to entertain him. He is much more alert now, but it's like I'm just trying to keep him content. He'll lay on his play mat, watch his mobile, or have "tummy time"...but not much else. I want to be able to play and read books, go to the zoo or the park...and have play dates. It snowed last night and I just longed to go out and make snow angels and have a snowball fight.
Robert and I have always loved to travel and be active...and we can't wait to have adventures with our little man. Does anyone have a time machine? Preferably one that will let me come back and visit these snuggly times whenever I want to.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Helpful hint: Perfect your swaddle

If you have a baby with colic, I highly recommend that you get the book "Happiest Baby on the Block" ASAP. If you're like I was, you're desperate enough to do anything to get the crying/screaming to stop. Someone mentioned the book to me and I happened to see it at Target. My husband didn't want me to get it. It's like he didn't think that anyone could possibly know what we were going through or how to help. Actually I take that back...he took a lot of advice from his co-workers, but didn't want to see what a doctor with lots of experience had to say about it. (Our pediatrician had never read the book and she didn't have a whole lot of good advice). But I digress...
I read the book (a very easy read) and I swear it changed my life. No, your child's colic won't be magically cured...but you will be able to handle it so much better. If you'll use his steps, it will work! I'm not going to tell you what all of the S's are, but I have to say that the swaddle is so important. My son's "shh" of choice is the hair dryer. If he's screaming from colic (meaning I've already fed and changed him and tried several things to entertain him and he's still upset) I take him in the nursery, turn on that hair dryer and he snaps right out of it. Sometimes I have to run that hair dryer on and off for an hour.
I have found that the way that I get him to sleep the longest is when he's swaddled nice and tight.
**One big hint is if you are swaddling a larger baby like mine, regular receiving blankets are too small. I went to Wal-mart's fabric section (which is available at very few Wal-marts now) and bought a yard of flannel material. It's plenty big enough to wrap him up like a cute little burrito**
My little man slept ALL night last night...and he was swaddled!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Brand I Love: Chicco

I'm not really sure what made me want to choose Chicco (did you know it's pronounced Key-co?) for my travel system, but I did. One time at Target I saw a lady with it and I asked her how she liked it and she told me that she originally had a different one but hated it. She got this one and loved it and all her friends switched over. That sealed the deal for me. We got the gray and green color combo. Let me tell you...I LOVE IT! The main reason is that it's so easy to use. I have a funny story about the first time I decided to use it.
I'd been cooped up in the house for several weeks and just had to get out. I decided to head to the local Mills mall with G. I'd never used the stroller before and had no idea how to fold it up, so I went to their website where I found a great video of how to fold it up. It was so easy! I packed it in the trunk, loaded up G and went on my way. When I got to the mall, I unfolded it and tried to put the carrier in it. It wouldn't fit! I tried several times, but it was really cold outside so I went ahead and pushed the stroller with one hand and carried him in the other. As soon as I got inside, I tried again, but to no avail. Finally I saw a woman headed towards me with a stroller...a Graco...but I didn't care...I immediately called to her. "M'am...do you think you can help me?" It took her about 10 seconds to find the little lever you have to push to put down the backrest that would be up if he were bigger. Voila...the carrier slipped right into place! I felt like such an idiot.
When he outgrows this carrier, I will be buying a different convertible car seat...more about that later...but for now I love my Chicco!
**BTW, Buy Buy Baby has a bigger selection of colors than Babies R Us!**

Does anyone have experience with any of their other products?

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Confession #9: My son's name is already a pain

I've wanted to remain as anonymous as possible with this blog, but the information I am about to reveal will make it obvious to anyone who knows me who I am. Nevertheless, I promised to make this an honest blog and this is what is on my mind to write about today.

My husband and I met the summer after high school at my first job ever at Toys R Us. We went on a double date (he was with my best friend and I was with a guy that I would rather forget about) and ended up having great conversation and flirtation the whole time. I left for college soon (about 2 hours from my hometown), but I wrote him a letter and he wrote back immediately. The rest is history.

Needless to say, Toys R Us has a special place in our hearts. Ever since I can remember, we've said that if we had a boy we'd name him Geoffrey after the giraffe that is the mascot of Toys R Us. And although when I was younger I'd always envisioned myself having a little girl to dress up and play dolls with, I've also had the feeling that it was destiny to have a boy. It feels good to know that there is a special meaning behind our son's name. My husband's middle name is the same, only spelled the traditional way (Jeffrey if you haven't figured it out).

Most people have a nice reaction when I tell them why we named him the way we did. "Awww...that's so sweet!" The male students at my school have had a different reaction. "That's so gay." "You named him after a giraffe?" "That's not how your pronounce that...look at geography...his name is G-off-ree."

Although I ignore them (after all, they're teenagers...what do they know...they wanted me to name him Onyx!), I have to admit that it is a pain to have a name spelled differently than usual. I actually LOVE the spelling, but every time I have to tell a stranger his name, I automatically follow it with "G-E-O..." Seriously...every time. And then I feel compelled to tell them why it's spelled that way. "He's named after the giraffe at Toys R Us because that's where my husband and I met."

Quick funny story:
The day after I gave birth I was laying in the bed and the lady who types up the birth certificate called me to find out his name.
"Geoffrey...G-E-O..."
"What?"
"G-E-O-F-F-R-E-Y"
"What's the father's middle name?" (of course after asking for his first name)
"Jeffrey...J-E..."
"What?"
"J-E-F-F-R-E-Y"
I'm sure she thought I was C-R-A-Z-Y.

Monday, February 8, 2010

It's official: I'm committed to Pampers

**I want to take a second to say hi to my new followers. For any moms who read this and are not members of Mom Bloggers Club, you should check it out! So far I've had lots of nice women stop by!**

I know I mentioned the Pampers Gifts to Grow program which I really love, but it was time to switch G to size 2s (at 9 weeks old...yikes!) and I had 2 packs of Huggies that were gifts and I thought I'd give them a try. Something about them just got on my nerves. Maybe it was Mickey and Minnie on the front (don't get me wrong...I love Disney, but they look like generic versions of the characters), or the texture (oh those Swaddlers are so soft!), or the absence of the wonderful strip that turns blue when the diaper has pee pee in it. Whatever it was, I was thankful that it was a rather small pack of diapers. I will never stray from my Pampers again. (The other pack of Huggies will probably be regifted...just like a pack of Parent's Choice wipes that I couldn't bear to use after suffering through several already ;)

So, if anyone from P&G happens to read this and you need a new spokesperson, feel free to send me all the diapers you want. My son is adorable, I promise!

**If you go to this site, you can sign up for coupons and samples from Proctor and Gamble (makers of Pampers and lots of other great products!)**

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Confession #8: I'm *literally* pulling my hair out

I promised this would be a very honest blog...and I know I haven't been writing long, but I'm going to just come out with it. I have a form of OCD called trichotillomania which involves pulling my hair out. There are different types of trich...some people pull the hair on their head (not me...I inherited my mom's baby fine hair, so I'm already self-conscious enough about that...I don't have much to pull!) while others pull from the pubic area or arm pit (again...that's not me). I pull my eyebrows and eyelashes. I remember doing it when I was about 8 years old. I don't remember why I did it...but I pulled out almost all of my eyelashes and my mom noticed at dinner and flipped out. She thought they wouldn't grow back. Well, she was wrong. They did grow back...again and again and again. I have pulled on and off since then.

I hate to admit this, but it's gotten worse since I've had the baby. I guess it makes since...OCD is an anxiety disorder. I guess this means that I'm anxious about being a mother. And let's face it...there's a lot to worry about. I just want to be the best mom I can be and when you have a baby with colic you worry that it's something that you've done. After a long bout of G's screaming I sneak off to the bathroom and inspect my eyelashes and eyebrows to see which ones "need" to be pulled.

Somehow, someway I am going to get this under control.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Confession #7: I think I'd go crazy without my Blackberry!

My husband got a Blackberry way before I did...and I used to get SO annoyed that he was always looking stuff up on the internet or checking his email. Then I got one...and I have to admit that it is VERY addicting! I think now, more than ever, I am addicted to Facebook. Since I had a C-section, it was painful to get out of bed and move around a lot...so I think that's when it started. While I was stuck in the house, that was my link to the outside world. During feeding time I have mastered how to hold the bottle with one hand and the Blackberry with the other...and I look forward to catching up on all the status updates. Now that I'm at work all day I don't get to check Facebook until usually late at night because we're trying to play with G and keep him up until at least 9 or 10 so he'll sleep well (and long).
I'm really looking forward to my little man growing up...and I know that it'll be time to put the Blackberry away...but for now, it keeps me entertained.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Confession #6: I've had to eat my words a few times

I already admitted that breastfeeding didn't work for me and I definitely thought it would be easy as pie. So that's one thing that I've had to admit I failed at.
Ever since I was old enough to know what an epidural was, I've said I don't want one. It's not so much that I wanted to experience natural childbirth...it's more like I was terrified of the thought of needles in my back. So over the course of my life I've stuck by this notion...that the pain of childbirth couldn't possibly be worse than getting a shot. Of course when I got pregnant I continued to stick by my guns and I told anyone and everyone that I wasn't going to have an epidural. Some people were very supportive and told me I could do it...but most people thought I was crazy. "Demand the drugs right when you get there" was the general consensus. Well, most things about my labor were different than I'd envisioned. First off, I hadn't dilated at all by my 38 week appointment. Then I started having high blood pressure which led to me being induced. I had to have cervadil first which was very painful for me. The nurse couldn't even check me to see if it was working, so she suggested the epidural. I gave in and boy am I glad I did! The needles weren't that bad and once it kicked in...WOW...I've never experienced anything like it. I could feel people touching me, but felt no pain whatsoever! I ended up having an emergency C-section, so I am really glad I'd already had the epidural. The last thing I needed after finding out the news was to have to go through the needles at that point.
The other thing I'd been very adament about is that I didn't want to have just one child. I am and always have been an only child and I honestly hate it. I've given my parents grief about them not giving me a sibling (although it's really not their fault...my mom had health issues). But guess what...now that I've been through childbirth, I really think I can't do it again. I know they say that you forget the pain...and maybe it's just too soon...but the recovery is definitely still fresh in my mind. Adoption is looking really good.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Confession #5: I can't even take my own advice

Wow...after I just wrote a whole blog about not buying tons of clothes, guess what I did today. I bought 6 long sleeve onsies and 2 pairs of pants for my son! *blushing*
Yea...Children's Place has a $2.99 sale right now and Target has the cutest separates for $3. I couldn't resist!
Then I also proceeded to buy 4 outfits for a co-worker whose wife just had a baby. But guess what...they had a girl...and I never get to buy girl stuff. I got a variety of sizes and I'm giving a gift receipt...plus a huge box of Pampers wipes to make up for it :)