Wow, it's been a while since I blogged.
The little monster turned 3 months old on April 24th and on that day, he decided he wanted to roll over. He'd been trying for a while but had only managed to swing his butt back and forth. He has since learned that rolling from back to belly puts him on his belly and he hates tummy time. He hasn't rolled since but I know that he can do it since he did it all day that day.
Secondly, Cookies. Yes cookies. I will be posting my recipe for the best.cookies.ever. Well, in my opinion anyways. Peanut butter and chocolate are the perfect marriage and I will always love anything that combines the two of them.
Breastfeeding and stomach bugs leading to dehydration are not a pair that I want to put together again. It left the little monster's weight gain stagnant for 2 weeks due to it. At least he's meeting milestones and getting something in him since his diapers are wet and his poops are explosive. I plan to dedicate a blog post all to this roller coaster we're going through since it really is a mess to explain.
See you tomorrow!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Little Terror Moment: 3
He learned to grab things.
4 days ago to be exact.
Time to start making sure my hair is in a bun.
4 days ago to be exact.
Time to start making sure my hair is in a bun.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Tips for Traveling with an Infant
If you thought just going to the grocery store was a big ordeal, traveling with an Infant on long car rides is definitely a circus. But it gets easier and learning what works and doesn't in general and for your family makes traveling much more enjoyable
It was easy to travel with the monster when he was 3 weeks old up to visit my mom because he pretty much slept and didn't take long to fill his little tummy so we could get back on the road quicker. Now that he's 11 weeks old and doesn't nap and hates his car seat, traveling is a lot more time consuming and harder. Since I am up at my mom's right now, I've learned what doesn't work so that on our trip down, I can implement what works and try and find new things that work.
1. Add 2 hrs to your driving time. This is to account for all the stops you'll be making because if you match the stops for yourself up with the stops for your child, they go quicker, but you still have to take extra time at each one. On this most recent trip, when we stopped, Brian would go in, use the facilities and/or get his food while I fed the monster and when both Brian and the Monster were done, Brian would take over with the monster and I'd run in and take care of my things.
2. Plan your departure time 2 hrs before you actually plan to leave the house. Without the baby, Brian and I would leave at around 11am, with the baby, we planned to leave at 9 and we ended up not leaving til 11. In some sense, it gave us a sense of urgency because we thought "we have to leave now" or "soon" so we were able to kick it into high gear. Plus, if you leave before the "expected" departure time, you have more time on your travels for stops or get to your destination sooner.
3. Always line up your stops with the baby's. As mentioned in the first tip, if you have to use the bathroom but the baby will probably eat in twenty minutes, can you possibly wait the 20 minutes to use the bathroom? You kill two birds with one stone and spend more time on the road.
4. Travel at night for long trips. Since babies typically have a long chunk of sleep at night, you have an extra hour or two on the road. Traveling at night also means little to no traffic and you have a whole day at your destinations instead of just the afternoon/evening. If you're driving with your significant other, you can always take turns sleeping while the other drives. This doesn't work for Brian and I, however, since he has a standard and I can't drive standard, but it is what my mom and step dad do when they travel to see us or other family.
5. Babies don't like to be in their car seat for long periods just like we don't like to be sitting in a car for long periods, so make sure that when you stop for extended periods (like to eat), that you take the baby out of their car seat and let them stretch out as well.
It was easy to travel with the monster when he was 3 weeks old up to visit my mom because he pretty much slept and didn't take long to fill his little tummy so we could get back on the road quicker. Now that he's 11 weeks old and doesn't nap and hates his car seat, traveling is a lot more time consuming and harder. Since I am up at my mom's right now, I've learned what doesn't work so that on our trip down, I can implement what works and try and find new things that work.
1. Add 2 hrs to your driving time. This is to account for all the stops you'll be making because if you match the stops for yourself up with the stops for your child, they go quicker, but you still have to take extra time at each one. On this most recent trip, when we stopped, Brian would go in, use the facilities and/or get his food while I fed the monster and when both Brian and the Monster were done, Brian would take over with the monster and I'd run in and take care of my things.
2. Plan your departure time 2 hrs before you actually plan to leave the house. Without the baby, Brian and I would leave at around 11am, with the baby, we planned to leave at 9 and we ended up not leaving til 11. In some sense, it gave us a sense of urgency because we thought "we have to leave now" or "soon" so we were able to kick it into high gear. Plus, if you leave before the "expected" departure time, you have more time on your travels for stops or get to your destination sooner.
3. Always line up your stops with the baby's. As mentioned in the first tip, if you have to use the bathroom but the baby will probably eat in twenty minutes, can you possibly wait the 20 minutes to use the bathroom? You kill two birds with one stone and spend more time on the road.
4. Travel at night for long trips. Since babies typically have a long chunk of sleep at night, you have an extra hour or two on the road. Traveling at night also means little to no traffic and you have a whole day at your destinations instead of just the afternoon/evening. If you're driving with your significant other, you can always take turns sleeping while the other drives. This doesn't work for Brian and I, however, since he has a standard and I can't drive standard, but it is what my mom and step dad do when they travel to see us or other family.
5. Babies don't like to be in their car seat for long periods just like we don't like to be sitting in a car for long periods, so make sure that when you stop for extended periods (like to eat), that you take the baby out of their car seat and let them stretch out as well.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Unobtainable Dreams
I had another Idea for a blog today but after talking to my sister tonight, I thought of something better to write about.
It all started with me sitting on my couch, after nursing the monster and putting him to bed, I opened up the laptop and got on Facebook. I live in a college town where downtown is right across the bridge; meaning that I can hear all of the clubs and bars' music through my closed and sealed windows. It's a Saturday night so all the people my age are out. Hell, even leaving work tonight my assistant manager (who's in his mid 20s) mentioned that his friends were dragging him out to the bar.
Since you don't know my sister, a little background might be needed. My sister isn't the most social person and often during high school she was hardly invited to anything and then after graduation, she has only really left the house to go to the store with our mom since she lives at home. Like me, she took a year off from high school before continuing her education. However, unlike her, I got out of the house frequently enough to keep myself sane. If I had gone to college after high school I would have never met Brian, which means that there wouldn't be a monster. And thus, I'd be downtown right now instead of writing this.
I am happy with my life the way it is. I don't need parties or clubs to make me content. However, when my sister popped on Facebook, I messaged her "I am home, on a Saturday night, surfing the internet. Sounds like someone I know." Our conversation drifted from there as we were talking about people on Youtube and she mentioned a hairstyle that she saw someone do on youtube that interested her. Hair is not her thing. Video games are her thing. She mentioned that she could see herself in that hairstyle as a rock star on stage, jamming out .
The next question took me by surprise. She asked me if I had any unobtainable dreams, just like her rock star dream. My answer was no.
She continued to probe me and ask questions like what I day dreamed about between work, and school and such. My answer was that I didn't have time. And in all reality, I am more thinking about my son and what bills need to be paid, how much of my next paycheck will I have leftover, if any at all and when will I have some time with Brian. And that's even if I have time to think.
All of my dreams are obtainable. I have a list of 5 things that I want to accomplish before I turn 25. And as I am 20 at the moment, I have already completed one and two are in the making.
(Note: these have no particular order)
1. Get a degree/Graduate College (in the process)
2. Get married. (Soon)
3. Have a child. (Done)
4. Buy a house.
5. Obtain a career in the field of my degree.
And that has always ever been what I want in life. I never thought to think of wild dreams of jobs that I'll never have, be rich or famous. Maybe I'm boring, but I love getting excited over cloth diapers in the mail or having some money left over each month to go out to eat with Brian and the little Monster. I think that I was always meant to be a mom, to have a family and raise kids.
Two years ago, I couldn't pinpoint exactly where I wanted to be in life. I knew I wanted a family, but I also wanted to enjoy the college life. Now that I'm not experiencing the typically "college life", I don't feel as though I'm missing out on anything. Two years ago, clubs were my thing. But not today. Today and tomorrow and every day of the rest of my life is about my son and future children, my significant other and being happy with what I have in life.
The town is quieting down now as the clubs are shutting down and bars are on their last call. I really should be heading to bed. I'm waiting for Brian to get home from work where I'll wake up to his smile in the morning and the little monster screaming. And I'll be happy. Sleep deprived, but happy.
It all started with me sitting on my couch, after nursing the monster and putting him to bed, I opened up the laptop and got on Facebook. I live in a college town where downtown is right across the bridge; meaning that I can hear all of the clubs and bars' music through my closed and sealed windows. It's a Saturday night so all the people my age are out. Hell, even leaving work tonight my assistant manager (who's in his mid 20s) mentioned that his friends were dragging him out to the bar.
Since you don't know my sister, a little background might be needed. My sister isn't the most social person and often during high school she was hardly invited to anything and then after graduation, she has only really left the house to go to the store with our mom since she lives at home. Like me, she took a year off from high school before continuing her education. However, unlike her, I got out of the house frequently enough to keep myself sane. If I had gone to college after high school I would have never met Brian, which means that there wouldn't be a monster. And thus, I'd be downtown right now instead of writing this.
I am happy with my life the way it is. I don't need parties or clubs to make me content. However, when my sister popped on Facebook, I messaged her "I am home, on a Saturday night, surfing the internet. Sounds like someone I know." Our conversation drifted from there as we were talking about people on Youtube and she mentioned a hairstyle that she saw someone do on youtube that interested her. Hair is not her thing. Video games are her thing. She mentioned that she could see herself in that hairstyle as a rock star on stage, jamming out .
The next question took me by surprise. She asked me if I had any unobtainable dreams, just like her rock star dream. My answer was no.
She continued to probe me and ask questions like what I day dreamed about between work, and school and such. My answer was that I didn't have time. And in all reality, I am more thinking about my son and what bills need to be paid, how much of my next paycheck will I have leftover, if any at all and when will I have some time with Brian. And that's even if I have time to think.
All of my dreams are obtainable. I have a list of 5 things that I want to accomplish before I turn 25. And as I am 20 at the moment, I have already completed one and two are in the making.
(Note: these have no particular order)
1. Get a degree/Graduate College (in the process)
2. Get married. (Soon)
3. Have a child. (Done)
4. Buy a house.
5. Obtain a career in the field of my degree.
And that has always ever been what I want in life. I never thought to think of wild dreams of jobs that I'll never have, be rich or famous. Maybe I'm boring, but I love getting excited over cloth diapers in the mail or having some money left over each month to go out to eat with Brian and the little Monster. I think that I was always meant to be a mom, to have a family and raise kids.
Two years ago, I couldn't pinpoint exactly where I wanted to be in life. I knew I wanted a family, but I also wanted to enjoy the college life. Now that I'm not experiencing the typically "college life", I don't feel as though I'm missing out on anything. Two years ago, clubs were my thing. But not today. Today and tomorrow and every day of the rest of my life is about my son and future children, my significant other and being happy with what I have in life.
The town is quieting down now as the clubs are shutting down and bars are on their last call. I really should be heading to bed. I'm waiting for Brian to get home from work where I'll wake up to his smile in the morning and the little monster screaming. And I'll be happy. Sleep deprived, but happy.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
A Little Terror Moment: 2
I have found the secret to calming, or at least distracting the monster when he's cranky or crying while I go in search of a diaper or a wipe or am in the process of trying to feed him.
I buzz my lips, much like you would if you were giving someone a raspberry, except you can't give the monster a raspberry or else he'll scream his head off. Which is counter-productive of what you're original goal was; calming him down.
It hasn't quite worked with Brian yet. The monster seems to not like it when his daddy does it. I wish it did though, because he gets the cranky monster while I'm at work.
I buzz my lips, much like you would if you were giving someone a raspberry, except you can't give the monster a raspberry or else he'll scream his head off. Which is counter-productive of what you're original goal was; calming him down.
It hasn't quite worked with Brian yet. The monster seems to not like it when his daddy does it. I wish it did though, because he gets the cranky monster while I'm at work.
Monday, March 25, 2013
A Little Terror Moment
Moment 1:
This morning the little terror decided to be cranky, but loves to use my stomach and bent legs as a chair and stare at me. He decided he didn't want his hands and a pacifier was needed. But then he couldn't make up his mind.
So, with his two fingers, index and middle, he slipped the edge of the pacifier between his fingers, "grabbed" it, pulled it out of his mouth, used the rest of his fingers to hold onto it and then brought it back to his mouth and with a little help from mommy, directed it into his mouth where he began to nom on it again.
This morning the little terror decided to be cranky, but loves to use my stomach and bent legs as a chair and stare at me. He decided he didn't want his hands and a pacifier was needed. But then he couldn't make up his mind.
So, with his two fingers, index and middle, he slipped the edge of the pacifier between his fingers, "grabbed" it, pulled it out of his mouth, used the rest of his fingers to hold onto it and then brought it back to his mouth and with a little help from mommy, directed it into his mouth where he began to nom on it again.
Where I Hope My Blog Goes
With Brian playing his playstation and the little terror asleep in his bed, I have finally found the time to sit down and blog again.
I hope one day to find myself on a regular blogging schedule. Maybe every other day or maybe every Monday or Friday. However, with an infant and an irregular work schedule between Brian and myself, finding a schedule in our hectic life is impossible. Or almost impossible.
I also guess that the title of this post doesn't make sense because I don't know where I want this blog to go, or what I plan to post. Maybe I'll blog whenever and then make a special post on certain days. Maybe on a Friday I'll do a recap of the weeks' adventures and anything prominent that I've learned as a first time mom. But at the same time, I learn new things every day and with baby brain, I think that writing them as I learn them to be the better way to keep track of lessons and trains of thought.
I'll eventually figure it out, things that I learn about schedules with babies that may help other new moms, how to juggle life and a baby. I think that might be this summer that I'll dedicate a lengthy post to. Of how to juggle the multiple things in life as this summer, not only will I be a full time mom but a full time student and a part time cashier at my job. I'll learn along the way the tricks that I have learned to keep sane but I think at the end of the summer as I have found a system and a rhythm to my life, that I'll take a moment to sit down and write at great length what I hoped to achieve, what I did achieve, what I hoped for and inevitably failed at and anything else that this summer brings.
I know that I hope to eventually blog the little terror's first trip that's not to grandmas house. He did that at 3 weeks old and he will do it again at 2 and a half months old. This summer a trip to Georgia is planned to visit a friend and her (will be) one year old., It will be the first time I'll meet her munchkin and it'll probably be one of the little monster's first "friends", his first play date.
I guess I have some plans in mind but in the end, I really don't know what I want to achieve with this blog or what I really plan to write. I hope that you'll follow this journey with me through parenthood.
I hope one day to find myself on a regular blogging schedule. Maybe every other day or maybe every Monday or Friday. However, with an infant and an irregular work schedule between Brian and myself, finding a schedule in our hectic life is impossible. Or almost impossible.
I also guess that the title of this post doesn't make sense because I don't know where I want this blog to go, or what I plan to post. Maybe I'll blog whenever and then make a special post on certain days. Maybe on a Friday I'll do a recap of the weeks' adventures and anything prominent that I've learned as a first time mom. But at the same time, I learn new things every day and with baby brain, I think that writing them as I learn them to be the better way to keep track of lessons and trains of thought.
I'll eventually figure it out, things that I learn about schedules with babies that may help other new moms, how to juggle life and a baby. I think that might be this summer that I'll dedicate a lengthy post to. Of how to juggle the multiple things in life as this summer, not only will I be a full time mom but a full time student and a part time cashier at my job. I'll learn along the way the tricks that I have learned to keep sane but I think at the end of the summer as I have found a system and a rhythm to my life, that I'll take a moment to sit down and write at great length what I hoped to achieve, what I did achieve, what I hoped for and inevitably failed at and anything else that this summer brings.
I know that I hope to eventually blog the little terror's first trip that's not to grandmas house. He did that at 3 weeks old and he will do it again at 2 and a half months old. This summer a trip to Georgia is planned to visit a friend and her (will be) one year old., It will be the first time I'll meet her munchkin and it'll probably be one of the little monster's first "friends", his first play date.
I guess I have some plans in mind but in the end, I really don't know what I want to achieve with this blog or what I really plan to write. I hope that you'll follow this journey with me through parenthood.
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