Wow...I cannot begin to tell you how awesome our cruise was! Even when the weather was bad (3 days!) we still relaxed, worked out, and had grown up time (wink, wink). Like I've said before, we dated for 6 years before we got married and then it took us 6 more years to get pregnant. That's a lot of alone time. Having a baby has been a huge adjustment and it has changed our relationship a lot. To tell the truth, we cried a lot on this trip...and talked about G all the time...but we were stuck on a ship and in foreign countries, so we were forced to focus on US.
G has changed sinec we've been gone. He makes new funny faces, has new eating habits, and stands up with help. He still won't crawl, but loves to pull up from a sitting position. Of course now he's also getting frustrated because he can't walk. And he's teething.
Now I have only 2 days until I start part of my job...and on the 18th I'll be back full time teaching. It'll definitely be back to reality.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Freaking out!
quick update about last post: The person I emailed actually emailed me back a few hours after I posted. I won't even flatter myself that maybe she reads this blog...she apologized for taking so long and I know she works, so I'm sure she's been really busy. Her blog is super successful. Anyways, I'm sad to say that she actually doesn't live in the same city as me. We both live in big cities, so all of the places she mentioned we have too. I'm bummed, but I'll get over. I still love reading her blog!
So what am I freaking out about? Well tomorrow my hubby and I are leaving to go on a cruise.
For 8 days.
Yikes!
Don't get me wrong...I am soooooo excited because we love to travel and we're going to places we've never been to before. The great thing about cruises is that you really don't have any choice but to relax. You don't have to be anywhere that you don't want to be. Too lazy to go to dinner? Order room service (24 hours a day!). Don't want to see a show? Stay in your room and watch a movie (hopefully not "Alvin and the Chipmunks" on repeat like our last cruise LOL). Swim when you want. Have sex when you want. And the thing I'm looking forward to: WORK OUT when you want! You have people cook for you and clean for you. I'm giddy.
But I'm also freaking out...because unlike our last cruise, this time we have a precious 7 (almost 8) month old who is going through so many changes. What if something happens? What if we miss his first word? Or first tooth? Or him standing alone? (He's already standing with very little help).
I've got to calm myself down. It's going to be okay. Everyone tells me this is the best thing for us.
And it's too late to turn back now.
So what am I freaking out about? Well tomorrow my hubby and I are leaving to go on a cruise.
For 8 days.
Yikes!
Don't get me wrong...I am soooooo excited because we love to travel and we're going to places we've never been to before. The great thing about cruises is that you really don't have any choice but to relax. You don't have to be anywhere that you don't want to be. Too lazy to go to dinner? Order room service (24 hours a day!). Don't want to see a show? Stay in your room and watch a movie (hopefully not "Alvin and the Chipmunks" on repeat like our last cruise LOL). Swim when you want. Have sex when you want. And the thing I'm looking forward to: WORK OUT when you want! You have people cook for you and clean for you. I'm giddy.
But I'm also freaking out...because unlike our last cruise, this time we have a precious 7 (almost 8) month old who is going through so many changes. What if something happens? What if we miss his first word? Or first tooth? Or him standing alone? (He's already standing with very little help).
I've got to calm myself down. It's going to be okay. Everyone tells me this is the best thing for us.
And it's too late to turn back now.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Shot down
I am in desperate need of mommy friends. And G is in need of baby friends. So, after much sitting around feeling sorry for myself that I have neither of the 2, I took matters into my own hands.
First, I emailed a mommy blogger whose blog I really like. I've mentioned her on here before. I was pretty sure that she lives in the same general vicinity as me...and her son is only a month older than G. She seemed to have the same sense of humor as me. And in many of the pictures she posts, I see the exact same baby things that G has. So I emailed her. I asked her about her true opinion about Nutrisystem (which she has used to lose a good amount of weight) and I asked her if she knew of any good mommy groups in this area.
I don't know...maybe I sounded like a weirdo. Maybe she has too many mommy friends already. Whatever it was, it's been a week and I haven't gotten a response.
The other thing I did was joined a mommy webgroup for my area. I've posted replies to several people's "introductions"...I posted an introduction of myself...and I joined a few groups. I haven't made it to any meet ups (there's only been one for my area so far anyways), but so far this isn't looking too promising either.
So, how do you meet mommy friends?
First, I emailed a mommy blogger whose blog I really like. I've mentioned her on here before. I was pretty sure that she lives in the same general vicinity as me...and her son is only a month older than G. She seemed to have the same sense of humor as me. And in many of the pictures she posts, I see the exact same baby things that G has. So I emailed her. I asked her about her true opinion about Nutrisystem (which she has used to lose a good amount of weight) and I asked her if she knew of any good mommy groups in this area.
I don't know...maybe I sounded like a weirdo. Maybe she has too many mommy friends already. Whatever it was, it's been a week and I haven't gotten a response.
The other thing I did was joined a mommy webgroup for my area. I've posted replies to several people's "introductions"...I posted an introduction of myself...and I joined a few groups. I haven't made it to any meet ups (there's only been one for my area so far anyways), but so far this isn't looking too promising either.
So, how do you meet mommy friends?
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Peekaboo!
I don't even know if anyone noticed that I hadn't blogged in almost a month...but I'm back. I took a semi-break from the internet...mostly because I just haven't had the time to get on here. I have a blog on another network that I've had for 5 years...but it's like a ghost town on there. Any guesses why? Yea...because of Facebook. I'm not going to lie...I have a FB...and I actually LOVE my FB. It's super easy to use, especially on a Blackberry. I post pix almost daily. I update my status whenever I think of something whitty or if I'm doing something exciting which you might be surprised to know is usually several times a day ;) But there is one thing I don't like about FB.
ALL OF MY FRIENDS (and "friends") and a lot of my family members have FB too!
I love how easy it is to keep up with everyone...and see pix of what they're up to...but the down side is that I can't blog on there. I don't want them knowing my every thought and secret. I don't want to hear their replies to everything I say.
So in case you're wondering what I've been up to...here's a quick summary:
ALL OF MY FRIENDS (and "friends") and a lot of my family members have FB too!
I love how easy it is to keep up with everyone...and see pix of what they're up to...but the down side is that I can't blog on there. I don't want them knowing my every thought and secret. I don't want to hear their replies to everything I say.
So in case you're wondering what I've been up to...here's a quick summary:
- School ended on June 10. Basically our school bribed kids to come because our attendance was so bad in the fall. We literally gave out raffle tickets and had drawings for gift cards and ipods. I heard our attendance was still really low though.
- My grandmother's burial was June 19. We packed up a Dodge Journey and hubby, G, my mom, dad, and I all went to NY. (Well, we actually dropped my dad off in Vermont to see his family, but that's a blog in itself.) It was a great time, but very short. We were there from June 15-20.
- On the way home we stopped in Hoboken, NJ to visit Carlo's Bakery from TLC's "Cake Boss". One word: amazing! Such a fun little pit stop...but I will never take I-95 to or from NY again. It has been years...and it's so much worse than I remember!
- Ever since we got home from our trip I've been non-stop mommy. I'm having so much fun spending time with G, but it is DRAINING! Whoever thinks that being a SAHM is just an easy job for women who don't want to work needs to think again.
- We had a yard sale and tried to get rid of a lot of stuff G has outgrown. We made almost $200 but I ended up consigning and ebaying the rest of the stuff. If I have time tomorrow I will have a post about consigning...you must read this if you are a new mommy!
- I have joined a local mommies group and I'm hoping to meet some soon!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
1/2 birthday
I absolutely cannot believe that G is 6 months old today! Where has the time gone? Before I know it he'll be blowing out his first candle and *hopefully* digging into his first cake. I say hopefully because I hate it when the parents have to show the child what to do. I want him to just dive in with both hands and get it all over his face trying to get it into his mouth. That would make me smile :)
So at 6 months, here is what G can do:
Who has ideas of things to entertain kids at this age? I'm running out of things quickly!
So at 6 months, here is what G can do:
- sleep through the night (I said can...it doesn't mean he always does though)
- smile, laugh, and make random noises
- put everything he gets ahold of in his mouth
- eat stage 1 fruits and veggies
- roll from tummy to back
- give hugs
- sit from a laying position with help (he gets stronger every day!)
- pull plastic rings off the pole
- jump in johnny jump up and sit/stand in the exersaucer
- pay attention to several books before getting bored
Who has ideas of things to entertain kids at this age? I'm running out of things quickly!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Things I never thought I'd do (until I became a mommy)
I realized that I've been skimping on the confessions lately...and as I was catching up on blogs from Foxy Pink Cheetah (access her blog here) I saw that she mentioned me in her blog awards:
Diez: Confessions of a first time mom. Another refreshing blog. Blogs honestly about being a mom for the first time and everything that goes along with it.
It made me feel SO GOOD. In one of her other entries she says: "For some of you long-time readers, you know that I make fun of "mommy-blogs." Only the ones that suck, though. Here's the thing: if you're being true to yourself and your personality and you blog about your kid, awesome!"
So it made me feel even better that she'd mentioned me. I guess one of the reasons that I don't update this blog every day is that I don't want to brag about my son all the time. (Well, okay, I do...what mom doesn't...but I know people don't want to read about that ;) Lately life has been pretty uneventful. I get up at 6 (after pushing snooze for 30 minutes), work until 3 or 4, and come home to entertain G...which is becoming more difficult because he can't do a whole lot on his own...like sit. There's not much you can do if you can't sit on your own! We read a few books, play with some toys, bounce in the exersaucer, and watch Nick Jr. Yikes...yes, my son is 6 months old and watches TV! I always said that I didn't want him watching TV at a young age, but I can't help it...sometimes it's the only thing that will keep him entertained. In my defense, I usually watch it with him and I sing along or repeat the words (like on Dora or Diego).
Here are some other things I never thought I'd do:
Diez: Confessions of a first time mom. Another refreshing blog. Blogs honestly about being a mom for the first time and everything that goes along with it.
So it made me feel even better that she'd mentioned me. I guess one of the reasons that I don't update this blog every day is that I don't want to brag about my son all the time. (Well, okay, I do...what mom doesn't...but I know people don't want to read about that ;) Lately life has been pretty uneventful. I get up at 6 (after pushing snooze for 30 minutes), work until 3 or 4, and come home to entertain G...which is becoming more difficult because he can't do a whole lot on his own...like sit. There's not much you can do if you can't sit on your own! We read a few books, play with some toys, bounce in the exersaucer, and watch Nick Jr. Yikes...yes, my son is 6 months old and watches TV! I always said that I didn't want him watching TV at a young age, but I can't help it...sometimes it's the only thing that will keep him entertained. In my defense, I usually watch it with him and I sing along or repeat the words (like on Dora or Diego).
Here are some other things I never thought I'd do:
- let my house get cluttered with all kinds of toys
- spend lots of time looking for a certain plush toy from a certain show on Nick Jr.
- say "Swiper, no swiping"
- talk to every parent that I see with a baby that looks remotely close to G in age
- ride in the backseat with G if hubby is driving
- give up buying clothes for myself so I can buy an outfit for G
- let G ride in the infant carrier without being strapped in (I really can't believe I've done this...and I've only done it twice...but when you've had a fussy fussy day and your baby finally goes to sleep, you avoid what might wake him/her up!)
- give up watching shows that used to be favorites
Sunday, May 23, 2010
My son has stage fright
So far we haven't been able to capture any of G's tricks on video. It's like the minute that camera is on, he forgets what he's supposed to do. Today my mom called and left me a message telling me that G rolled over from tummy to back. (I missed it! So sad!) Hubby and I tried to get him to do it again, but after 6 minutes of just watching/videotaping him fussing on his tummy, we gave up. Hopefully we'll have better luck tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Scare of the day
I was standing in my kitchen tonight and thought I smelled gas. My mom mentioned that she thought she smelled it earlier in the day (thanks for mentioning it) so I called the gas company. The last time I did that was back in college when we lived in a townhouse in the ghetto we fondly called "Little Mexico". The firetrucks came a blazin' within 5 minutes. This time, the guy told me to leave the house but stay visible and he'd send a technician out. It took almost an hour for them to get there! I wouldn't have been so upset if I didn't have G out there with me. He'd been yawning for the past 3 hours, so I knew he'd want to go to bed soon. Plus he tends to get cranky from teething around 7 or 8, so I was worried...but he actually surprised us and did really well. Our neighbors across the street who we'd never met before invited us over to sit on their porch chairs and then even invited us inside when I mentioned that G smelled stinky. They happened to have a spare diaper for when their grandson comes over.
Everything ended up being ok and I'm thankful for nice neighbors.
Everything ended up being ok and I'm thankful for nice neighbors.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Serious matters
OMG
Yesterday my husband informed me that there are only 66 days until our cruise.
WHAAAAAAT???
Yea...it seems like just yesterday he'd booked it and we had 120 days...and I kept thinking "Oh, I have plenty of time to lose weight and look HOT."
Um yea...so I am embarrassed to admit that I have dropped the ball and I am so not beach ready. Well, I haven't completely dropped the ball...I have exercised 5 days out of the week (with my PE classes)...and I did South Beach for a little while...but I like carbs and I know the human body NEEDS carbs for energy. And along the way I've had a few too many glasses of sweet tea and some bad food choices here and there and long story short, I am only down about 10 pounds...and 8 of those were during a week when I had a 24 hour stomach virus.
So, as Ming Ming (from my oh so favorite Nick Jr. show "Wonderpets") would say:
THIS IS SERIOUS!
I am going to force myself to keep a food and activity journal.
I am going to work out EVERY DAY.
I am going to eat right.
I am going to drink 64 ounces of water a day.
And I am going to plaster pix of my current self and former best-shape-of-my-life self all over our house.
The scale may not lie, but the camera tells the whole truth.
Yesterday my husband informed me that there are only 66 days until our cruise.
WHAAAAAAT???
Yea...it seems like just yesterday he'd booked it and we had 120 days...and I kept thinking "Oh, I have plenty of time to lose weight and look HOT."
Um yea...so I am embarrassed to admit that I have dropped the ball and I am so not beach ready. Well, I haven't completely dropped the ball...I have exercised 5 days out of the week (with my PE classes)...and I did South Beach for a little while...but I like carbs and I know the human body NEEDS carbs for energy. And along the way I've had a few too many glasses of sweet tea and some bad food choices here and there and long story short, I am only down about 10 pounds...and 8 of those were during a week when I had a 24 hour stomach virus.
So, as Ming Ming (from my oh so favorite Nick Jr. show "Wonderpets") would say:
THIS IS SERIOUS!
I am going to force myself to keep a food and activity journal.
I am going to work out EVERY DAY.
I am going to eat right.
I am going to drink 64 ounces of water a day.
And I am going to plaster pix of my current self and former best-shape-of-my-life self all over our house.
The scale may not lie, but the camera tells the whole truth.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Traveling with a baby: Part II
Subtitle: The airline industry is jacked up
So I mentioned in my previous blog that we didn't fly back home. We ended up renting an SUV for $500 and drove it one way back to Charlotte. It's ridiculous why we had to do that...
When we got tickets for mom, G, and me we were planning on coming back on Saturday so I'd have a day to recouperate before going back to work. We thought that if grandma took a turn for the worst and mom needed to stay and take care of her that we'd just reschedule mom's ticket for a later date and G and I would still come back as planned. Our tickets were almost $1000 for 3 round trip and my aunt made sure to get the $18 insurance on each ticket thinking that would make it no problem to change the flights.
Well, my grandma ended up passing away on Wednesday night. (7 hours after they let her go home from the hospital.) The funeral was scheduled for Saturday morning and there was no way we could make our flight. On Friday when I went to pick up Robert from the airport my aunt called and said Expedia was telling her it would be almost $1000 to change the flights. I tried to talk to a ticket guy in the airport and he told me it would actually be $3000. I didn't have a whole lot of time to figure this out because the viewing was in a few hours...so I decided to just rent a car and drive since it would be cheaper.
*I think it's SO RIDICULOUS that we had to do this. I still haven't written letters to Expedia or United, but you better believe I'm going to.
Thank goodness the guy at Alamo rentals was nice and gave me a free upgrade to a Tahoe. That thing was super nice.
Crazy us decided to leave at 5pm on Saturday and drive through the night so hopefully G would sleep. I must say...except for one meltdown at dinner time he did really well. However, we were so tired that we had to stop several times for potty, caffeine, and stretch breaks...plus a 2 hour nap in a hotel parking lot. It took us almost 24 hours to get home!
I thank God for letting me survive those trips...and guess what...in June we're driving BACK to NY for the burial and a family reunion! Yikes!
So I mentioned in my previous blog that we didn't fly back home. We ended up renting an SUV for $500 and drove it one way back to Charlotte. It's ridiculous why we had to do that...
When we got tickets for mom, G, and me we were planning on coming back on Saturday so I'd have a day to recouperate before going back to work. We thought that if grandma took a turn for the worst and mom needed to stay and take care of her that we'd just reschedule mom's ticket for a later date and G and I would still come back as planned. Our tickets were almost $1000 for 3 round trip and my aunt made sure to get the $18 insurance on each ticket thinking that would make it no problem to change the flights.
Well, my grandma ended up passing away on Wednesday night. (7 hours after they let her go home from the hospital.) The funeral was scheduled for Saturday morning and there was no way we could make our flight. On Friday when I went to pick up Robert from the airport my aunt called and said Expedia was telling her it would be almost $1000 to change the flights. I tried to talk to a ticket guy in the airport and he told me it would actually be $3000. I didn't have a whole lot of time to figure this out because the viewing was in a few hours...so I decided to just rent a car and drive since it would be cheaper.
*I think it's SO RIDICULOUS that we had to do this. I still haven't written letters to Expedia or United, but you better believe I'm going to.
Thank goodness the guy at Alamo rentals was nice and gave me a free upgrade to a Tahoe. That thing was super nice.
Crazy us decided to leave at 5pm on Saturday and drive through the night so hopefully G would sleep. I must say...except for one meltdown at dinner time he did really well. However, we were so tired that we had to stop several times for potty, caffeine, and stretch breaks...plus a 2 hour nap in a hotel parking lot. It took us almost 24 hours to get home!
I thank God for letting me survive those trips...and guess what...in June we're driving BACK to NY for the burial and a family reunion! Yikes!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Traveling with a baby: Part I
I used to be one of those people at the airport who shuttered when I saw kids waiting to board a plane. I wasn't sympathetic at all...in fact, I probably uttered some snide remarks loud enough for the parents to hear me. Wow...if I knew then...
In my last blog I mentioned that my grandma was really sick and that my mom (G's caretaker) was going to go to NY asap to help take care of her. Well in a sudden turn of events, we got a phone call the next Monday saying we needed to get up there pronto. Yes, we as in mom, G, and me. They weren't sure if we would even make it in time.
So, plane tickets were booked, bags were packed, and within 12 hours we were headed to the airport.
YIKES
Am I the only one who feels the need to pack everything and the kitchen sink when I take G out of the house? Now that I'm a mom I go by the Boy Scouts' motto: Be prepared...for everything. That's not easy when the airline industry decides that they need to charge per checked bag.
I managed to fit 5 days of clothes for G and me, baby food, diapers, bibs, and burp clothes in one suitcase ($25). For carry ons I had his diaper bag and a toy bag. Plus we toted his travel system and pack-and-play (which thankfully United didn't charge us for).
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6am. We left the house at 4:30. G was peacefully asleep. We managed to get checked in and to security by 5:30. This is where it got fun.
I want to reiterate that G was peacefully asleep. In his carrier which was in the stroller. I was the next in line to put my stuff on the xray belt and the old man says "You have to take him out of the seat and put the stroller and carrier on the belt". WTF? I hate to pull the old do I look like a terrorist card, but geez. I'm all for safety, but isn't there a better way? Doesn't everyone know NOT TO WAKE A SLEEPING BABY? I think I would be a much better sport about this whole thing if I'd known ahead of time. There are tons of reminders about the 3-1-1 rule (3 oz. of liquid per container and they must fit in a 1 quart ziploc bag)...but nothing about taking your baby out of the seat. And to top it all off, I had a 4 oz. tube of Baby Aveeno sunscreen that I forgot to take out of the diaper bag and I was okay with having to throw it out...but they let me keep it! So apparently I could smuggle something destructive in my baby stroller, but not in a tube.
So anyways, I removed G from the seat and of course he woke up. Then I had to get all my crap resituated. We made it to the gate at 5:55. When I stepped through the plane entrance I saw that we were on the tiniest plane ever. 4 seats per row divided by an aisle and I could definitely see the back row. If someone crapped in the bathroom the whole plane would smell it...and if G had a meltdown the whole plane would hear it! As I struggled with my 20 baby in the car seat I looked at my fellow passengers, smiled, and said "I think I might be the person everyone hates on this flight."
Of course they say your kids will make a liar out of you and thank God G did. He was so good! Of course in DC we didn't even get a gate...I had to carry him down the stairs onto the tarmac and then back up the stairs for our next flight (on another tiny plane and he was fabulous for that flight too!)
It wasn't horrible, but I don't want to fly with him again any time soon. Stay tuned for more of this story...we took a different form of transportation home!
In my last blog I mentioned that my grandma was really sick and that my mom (G's caretaker) was going to go to NY asap to help take care of her. Well in a sudden turn of events, we got a phone call the next Monday saying we needed to get up there pronto. Yes, we as in mom, G, and me. They weren't sure if we would even make it in time.
So, plane tickets were booked, bags were packed, and within 12 hours we were headed to the airport.
YIKES
Am I the only one who feels the need to pack everything and the kitchen sink when I take G out of the house? Now that I'm a mom I go by the Boy Scouts' motto: Be prepared...for everything. That's not easy when the airline industry decides that they need to charge per checked bag.
I managed to fit 5 days of clothes for G and me, baby food, diapers, bibs, and burp clothes in one suitcase ($25). For carry ons I had his diaper bag and a toy bag. Plus we toted his travel system and pack-and-play (which thankfully United didn't charge us for).
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6am. We left the house at 4:30. G was peacefully asleep. We managed to get checked in and to security by 5:30. This is where it got fun.
I want to reiterate that G was peacefully asleep. In his carrier which was in the stroller. I was the next in line to put my stuff on the xray belt and the old man says "You have to take him out of the seat and put the stroller and carrier on the belt". WTF? I hate to pull the old do I look like a terrorist card, but geez. I'm all for safety, but isn't there a better way? Doesn't everyone know NOT TO WAKE A SLEEPING BABY? I think I would be a much better sport about this whole thing if I'd known ahead of time. There are tons of reminders about the 3-1-1 rule (3 oz. of liquid per container and they must fit in a 1 quart ziploc bag)...but nothing about taking your baby out of the seat. And to top it all off, I had a 4 oz. tube of Baby Aveeno sunscreen that I forgot to take out of the diaper bag and I was okay with having to throw it out...but they let me keep it! So apparently I could smuggle something destructive in my baby stroller, but not in a tube.
So anyways, I removed G from the seat and of course he woke up. Then I had to get all my crap resituated. We made it to the gate at 5:55. When I stepped through the plane entrance I saw that we were on the tiniest plane ever. 4 seats per row divided by an aisle and I could definitely see the back row. If someone crapped in the bathroom the whole plane would smell it...and if G had a meltdown the whole plane would hear it! As I struggled with my 20 baby in the car seat I looked at my fellow passengers, smiled, and said "I think I might be the person everyone hates on this flight."
Of course they say your kids will make a liar out of you and thank God G did. He was so good! Of course in DC we didn't even get a gate...I had to carry him down the stairs onto the tarmac and then back up the stairs for our next flight (on another tiny plane and he was fabulous for that flight too!)
It wasn't horrible, but I don't want to fly with him again any time soon. Stay tuned for more of this story...we took a different form of transportation home!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Huge predicament
My grandmother is really sick with cancer. She lives in NY. My mom is one of four daughters...2 live near my grandma, one lives in Cali and my mom lives in NC. For my whole life we've only gone to NY every 2 years to visit relatives, so obviously I don't feel super close to my extended family.
My aunts have requested that my mom (who has been a nurse for 30 years) come to NY to help take care of my grandma since she probably won't be around very much longer. Obviously I want my mom to spend time with her mom. There's just one problem...
My mom is G's caretaker while we're at work.
Yea...this is complicated. My mom has her own apartment (the lease is up June 12) but she stays with us during the week because she doesn't have a driver's license. So, in case you haven't figured it out...here's our list of things to do ASAP:
I'm also upset because we tried to go to NY during Christmas break (which would have been crazy since G was only a month old...but we had 2 weeks off to go) and spring break (which was last week), but my aunts said it wasn't a good time. Now hubby and I absolutely cannot go until June 16...and if we don't make it in time I'm going to be devastated.
Prayers would be much appreciated.
My aunts have requested that my mom (who has been a nurse for 30 years) come to NY to help take care of my grandma since she probably won't be around very much longer. Obviously I want my mom to spend time with her mom. There's just one problem...
My mom is G's caretaker while we're at work.
Yea...this is complicated. My mom has her own apartment (the lease is up June 12) but she stays with us during the week because she doesn't have a driver's license. So, in case you haven't figured it out...here's our list of things to do ASAP:
- find a day care for G (I am dreading this...and I don't know if I'll be able to find one who will take him for only 7 weeks...hubby and I are both teachers and that's how long we have left in school).
- box up and move all of mom's stuff to storage (I am also dreading this...she has a lot of crap!)
- get mom to the airport
I'm also upset because we tried to go to NY during Christmas break (which would have been crazy since G was only a month old...but we had 2 weeks off to go) and spring break (which was last week), but my aunts said it wasn't a good time. Now hubby and I absolutely cannot go until June 16...and if we don't make it in time I'm going to be devastated.
Prayers would be much appreciated.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Confession #21: This blog isn't as great as I imagined it would be
There are a couple of reasons that I think this is true...
#1: I have no idea how to design a nice webpage. I look at the webpages of all the people under my favorites (which by the way, if you haven't checked out "Heir to Blair" she is my absolute fave mommy blogger) and they're so cute...and mine is so BLAH. Anyone know how to fix this problem? (besides paying someone!)
#2: I have pretty much NO time to blog. I leave for work by 6am and get home any time between 5 and 8 at night...and of course I want to spend time with G when I get home, so that leaves no time for this unless I stay up late (like I am now) and in that case I usually regret it in the morning. I may have to resort to trying to blog during my planning period, but right now I have about a million and 1 things I need to accomplish by the end of the week.
#3: I actually don't think I have that many great things to say. Okay, that's not true...but I didn't want to only have 2 reasons that this blog isn't as great as I imagined it would be.
Improvements to follow, I promise!
#1: I have no idea how to design a nice webpage. I look at the webpages of all the people under my favorites (which by the way, if you haven't checked out "Heir to Blair" she is my absolute fave mommy blogger) and they're so cute...and mine is so BLAH. Anyone know how to fix this problem? (besides paying someone!)
#2: I have pretty much NO time to blog. I leave for work by 6am and get home any time between 5 and 8 at night...and of course I want to spend time with G when I get home, so that leaves no time for this unless I stay up late (like I am now) and in that case I usually regret it in the morning. I may have to resort to trying to blog during my planning period, but right now I have about a million and 1 things I need to accomplish by the end of the week.
#3: I actually don't think I have that many great things to say. Okay, that's not true...but I didn't want to only have 2 reasons that this blog isn't as great as I imagined it would be.
Improvements to follow, I promise!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Confession #20: I don't know how to balance being a mom and a wife
First off, let me say I'm sorry that I have not been updating this daily like I originally intended. Life has been so busy...blah blah blah.
I've been thinking about this post for a while...what I would say...what I would not say...and I don't think that I have all the right words, but I will try. I honestly feel like no one will understand, but hey...I promised I'd be honest.
My husband and I prayed and prayed and prayed for a baby. We had all but given up...and then *surprise* I got the positive.
Hubby was AMAZING during my whole pregnancy. He basically waited on me hand and foot and we were so excited to be starting a family.
When G was born, it wasn't anything like I'd imagined. I was induced, tried to have him naturally, and then had an emergency C-section. Hubby got to hold him first. And I'd definitely never felt such intense pain as I did in those next few days. They say that women forget the pain...that's the only reason why they have another baby...because they've forgotten how much it hurt. I wonder how long it takes to forget, because I am so not there yet.
Anyways, in the hospital we were so caught up in the joy of being new parents. When we got home of course we had to learn how to do this parenting thing. G was very fussy...and it took a while to learn the tricks of how to calm him down. My husband couldn't deal with the crying/screaming, so I did a lot of the caretaking on my own. I didn't mind at all...I cherished every moment that I had with G.
Now that he's getting bigger, I'm trying to teach him and play with him more. For the most part, he isn't terribly fussy...until around 6 or 7 at night which of course is the time hubby gets home from tutoring. He also gets fussy sometimes 30-45 minutes before feeding time (which is a whole other post in itself). I try everything I can to calm him down which usually involves holding him and/or dancing with him. Of course hubby thinks that I need to just let him cry...he thinks that G is going to learn that if he cries he'll be held...and maybe that's true...but if hubby gets so upset when G is hysterical, why wouldn't I try to calm him?
It just seems that hubby and I are living in 2 different worlds now. My world is consumed by G as soon as I get home from work. Hubby separates himself either by doing work (which he legitimately has) or watching TV downstairs to stay away from the crying.
I just don't know what to do...I love my husband so much...but I love G so much too and right now they don't seem to be meshing.
I've been thinking about this post for a while...what I would say...what I would not say...and I don't think that I have all the right words, but I will try. I honestly feel like no one will understand, but hey...I promised I'd be honest.
My husband and I prayed and prayed and prayed for a baby. We had all but given up...and then *surprise* I got the positive.
Hubby was AMAZING during my whole pregnancy. He basically waited on me hand and foot and we were so excited to be starting a family.
When G was born, it wasn't anything like I'd imagined. I was induced, tried to have him naturally, and then had an emergency C-section. Hubby got to hold him first. And I'd definitely never felt such intense pain as I did in those next few days. They say that women forget the pain...that's the only reason why they have another baby...because they've forgotten how much it hurt. I wonder how long it takes to forget, because I am so not there yet.
Anyways, in the hospital we were so caught up in the joy of being new parents. When we got home of course we had to learn how to do this parenting thing. G was very fussy...and it took a while to learn the tricks of how to calm him down. My husband couldn't deal with the crying/screaming, so I did a lot of the caretaking on my own. I didn't mind at all...I cherished every moment that I had with G.
Now that he's getting bigger, I'm trying to teach him and play with him more. For the most part, he isn't terribly fussy...until around 6 or 7 at night which of course is the time hubby gets home from tutoring. He also gets fussy sometimes 30-45 minutes before feeding time (which is a whole other post in itself). I try everything I can to calm him down which usually involves holding him and/or dancing with him. Of course hubby thinks that I need to just let him cry...he thinks that G is going to learn that if he cries he'll be held...and maybe that's true...but if hubby gets so upset when G is hysterical, why wouldn't I try to calm him?
It just seems that hubby and I are living in 2 different worlds now. My world is consumed by G as soon as I get home from work. Hubby separates himself either by doing work (which he legitimately has) or watching TV downstairs to stay away from the crying.
I just don't know what to do...I love my husband so much...but I love G so much too and right now they don't seem to be meshing.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Confession #19: I've already left G for the weekend
I feel like such a bad parent, but this weekend I took 15 teenagers to a convention 2 hours away and left G with my mom. My SIL thinks I'm crazy...she was all "you need to get away from him so he can get used to other people" and "you need to put your marriage first" (hubby went as a chaperone, so we did get to stay at a hotel together). I know she's right, but I know lots of moms who waited until their child was a year old or older before they went away.
My hubby has booked a cruise this summer and G is staying here...so I guess I'd better suck it up.
When did you first leave your child overnight and what were the circumstances?
My hubby has booked a cruise this summer and G is staying here...so I guess I'd better suck it up.
When did you first leave your child overnight and what were the circumstances?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Stay strong
Wow...
I don't know if it's from starting SouthBeach or the 24 stomach flu I had where lots came out but nothing went in (except a frosty...totally not SB approved, I know) or the calories I've been blasting doing the "30 day shred" every day or what...but...
I lost 8 pounds last week! I am so freakin' excited! I'm not doing my measurements again for a few more weeks, but I do weigh myself every Monday.
I teach a Modern Fitness class 1st period and female weight lifting 3rd period, so I get 2 work outs a day. I have 8 girls in MF, and for the most part they've been doing pretty well. I told them from day one that we would be doing the 30 day shred for the whole month of March to get us ready for spring break. We're in the middle of week 3 and they are
trying
to
break
me!
They whine whine whine and beg to do "something else". I know they really want me to give in and say "ok, you can have a free day."
HECK
NO!
I am determined to do this thing and dang it...if I'm doing it, they can do it too. I keep reminding them that they are athletes (I have 4 softball players and 1 soccer player in there) and I just had a baby 3 months ago. I think they're tired of hearing that, but
I
will
not
give
in.
Geez...teaching is a lot like parenting, isn't it? :)
I don't know if it's from starting SouthBeach or the 24 stomach flu I had where lots came out but nothing went in (except a frosty...totally not SB approved, I know) or the calories I've been blasting doing the "30 day shred" every day or what...but...
I lost 8 pounds last week! I am so freakin' excited! I'm not doing my measurements again for a few more weeks, but I do weigh myself every Monday.
I teach a Modern Fitness class 1st period and female weight lifting 3rd period, so I get 2 work outs a day. I have 8 girls in MF, and for the most part they've been doing pretty well. I told them from day one that we would be doing the 30 day shred for the whole month of March to get us ready for spring break. We're in the middle of week 3 and they are
trying
to
break
me!
They whine whine whine and beg to do "something else". I know they really want me to give in and say "ok, you can have a free day."
HECK
NO!
I am determined to do this thing and dang it...if I'm doing it, they can do it too. I keep reminding them that they are athletes (I have 4 softball players and 1 soccer player in there) and I just had a baby 3 months ago. I think they're tired of hearing that, but
I
will
not
give
in.
Geez...teaching is a lot like parenting, isn't it? :)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Confession #18: I don't really look forward to weekends anymore
For many many years, weekends were when hubby and I could spend some quality time together. (Remember, we dated for 6 years before we got married and then were married for 6 before I got pregnant). We'd do whatever...walk the mall, go for a 5 mile jog, watch movies all day...or my personal fave: go out to eat at Moe's and then go to Borders, get a stack of my favorite trashy magazines and a frozen drink and read for hours.
Now that we have a 3 month old we don't get to do that anymore. Even though his fussiness has improved A LOT, weekends still seem to be bad. It's like he's saved it up all week and then it rears its ugly head. For the past few weeks he hasn't pooped at all on Friday and then Saturday he fusses a lot. (Any ideas why this might happen week after week?) Fortunately, he did poop yesterday but he's been fussy today. He's taking a nap right now (and daddy is too) but since he's already been a fussy gus, hubby doesn't want to go out in public. Not sure what we would do, but I'd be content just walking around the mall. I might go tonight while hubby and his brother are at a men's church conference.
Anyhoo...I'm hoping this all clears up soon because starting next week we have a full calendar for about the next 6 weekends!
Now that we have a 3 month old we don't get to do that anymore. Even though his fussiness has improved A LOT, weekends still seem to be bad. It's like he's saved it up all week and then it rears its ugly head. For the past few weeks he hasn't pooped at all on Friday and then Saturday he fusses a lot. (Any ideas why this might happen week after week?) Fortunately, he did poop yesterday but he's been fussy today. He's taking a nap right now (and daddy is too) but since he's already been a fussy gus, hubby doesn't want to go out in public. Not sure what we would do, but I'd be content just walking around the mall. I might go tonight while hubby and his brother are at a men's church conference.
Anyhoo...I'm hoping this all clears up soon because starting next week we have a full calendar for about the next 6 weekends!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Confession #17: I had my first "I look like a terrible parent" moment
The little man had a cough and congestion all weekend, so I took him to the pediatrician on Monday. Our appointment was at 2, but we sat in the waiting room until 2:30. It was so freakin' hot in there...and G started fussing...which quickly turned to all out screaming. I tried all my tricks...none worked. I took off his shirt in case he was too hot...didn't help. Other parents were giving me the look of pity. Finally the receptionist asked if we wanted to bring him back to a cooler room. Yes! (So basically we got put in a holding cell.)
A few minutes later, we were taken to the real examination room. He continued to scream. The doctor came in and she held him and he calmed down a little bit. When he started fussing again she said "Do you have a bottle? Why don't you feed him?" Well he'd just eaten 2 hours before that...but I made a bottle and of course he calmed right down. Thank God he weighs almost 17 pounds at 3 months or she'd think I was starving him. (read this about a couple who recently starved their baby...horrible! http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/414761_sound82817997.html )
So as if that wasn't bad enough, today I was talking to a student and she said "I heard Geoffrey didn't have a good visit at the doctor the other day." Huh??? How did she know?! Well apparently a girl in her class was in that waiting room and saw the whole scene and said "Mrs. J looked like she didn't know what to do."
Yea little girl...I hope your baby is perfect. We'll see how easy it is when you're the mom.
No...I'm not bitter.
A few minutes later, we were taken to the real examination room. He continued to scream. The doctor came in and she held him and he calmed down a little bit. When he started fussing again she said "Do you have a bottle? Why don't you feed him?" Well he'd just eaten 2 hours before that...but I made a bottle and of course he calmed right down. Thank God he weighs almost 17 pounds at 3 months or she'd think I was starving him. (read this about a couple who recently starved their baby...horrible! http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/414761_sound82817997.html )
So as if that wasn't bad enough, today I was talking to a student and she said "I heard Geoffrey didn't have a good visit at the doctor the other day." Huh??? How did she know?! Well apparently a girl in her class was in that waiting room and saw the whole scene and said "Mrs. J looked like she didn't know what to do."
Yea little girl...I hope your baby is perfect. We'll see how easy it is when you're the mom.
No...I'm not bitter.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Confession #16: I sabotage my own weight loss
I could write a novel about my weight ups and downs...but I'll spare you. All I want to admit is that I have a bad habit of not taking the time to pack a good nutritious lunch and then I end up eating candy that I have stashed in my office. I rationalize it by saying "well I worked out hard today". I got this great idea this weekend that I will do South Beach again. It worked for me about 5 years ago...not sure why I ever stopped. Anyways, I told myself that since I'm probably bloated due to PMS I'll probably gain tomorrow...and therefore I've eaten a few things that I shouldn't have. And of course I've loaded up on carbs since I'll be giving them up. But yesterday I also took my measurements and YIKES...if I want to look half way decent this summer when I go visit extended family I've got to do this...I can't keep putting it off!
Furthermore, since I've promised that this will be a very honest blog, I'm going to publish my current weight and measurements. (Encouragement would be much appreciated!)
Current weight: 222 (I was 195 pre-pregnancy and 250 when I gave birth to G)
Waist: 46
Chest: 40
Thighs: 23
Biceps: 12
Pants size: 18
Anyone out there reading who is trying to lose baby weight also???
Furthermore, since I've promised that this will be a very honest blog, I'm going to publish my current weight and measurements. (Encouragement would be much appreciated!)
Current weight: 222 (I was 195 pre-pregnancy and 250 when I gave birth to G)
Waist: 46
Chest: 40
Thighs: 23
Biceps: 12
Pants size: 18
Anyone out there reading who is trying to lose baby weight also???
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Confession #15: I think I really am just a b****
I've been teaching for 7 years...this is my 3rd at my current school. Last semester I taught freshman health all day. I've taught freshmen before, but we spent half the time in health and half in PE. Since I was pregnant in the fall, I switched kids with the PE teacher. I didn't realize that being in a classroom for 18 straight weeks with freshmen can be hell. They got on my nerves EVERY DAY. Of course I blamed it on my pregnancy hormones, but it got to a point the week before my due date that I went to my OB and said "write me out of work or I might hurt someone". Of course then I found out that I had high blood pressure which led to my induction...I blame it all on those kids.
Anyways, now that I'm back at school I'm not teaching any freshmen (yay!). For the first few weeks everything was great. I was excited to be out of the classroom and in the gym and I'm actually working out with my classes. But lately I've been slipping back into the groove of everything/one annoying me and snapping at people for crazy stuff. There is a strong possibility that it's PMS...I am on my 3rd week of pills after all. (Isn't it funny that everyone says they're PMSing while their on their periods...hello, it's called PREmenstrual syndrome LOL). I guess I'll have to follow up on this post and see if my bitchiness goes away.
Anyways, now that I'm back at school I'm not teaching any freshmen (yay!). For the first few weeks everything was great. I was excited to be out of the classroom and in the gym and I'm actually working out with my classes. But lately I've been slipping back into the groove of everything/one annoying me and snapping at people for crazy stuff. There is a strong possibility that it's PMS...I am on my 3rd week of pills after all. (Isn't it funny that everyone says they're PMSing while their on their periods...hello, it's called PREmenstrual syndrome LOL). I guess I'll have to follow up on this post and see if my bitchiness goes away.
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