Thursday, June 28, 2012

Journal Day #10

November 20, 2010

The whole world knows now!!  Papa out pictures up online and so many people saw.  they are excited for you too!  All of our family know too!  I hope and pray everything turns out okay.  I love you so much.

Journal Day #9

Nov. 29, 2010

Hey baby!  I told my parents tonight!  We gave them onesies that say 'I <3 Grandma//Grandpa.'  So cute!!  We hugged/teared up.  They are so excited to meet you!  Your uncles were too and it was a great family time.  Brian told Kristen and the other guys at the shop.  Words gettin' out!  Love you.




Journal Day #8

I haven't done one of these in a while!!

November 28, 2010
Short and sweet- just like you!!  I was really moody today--poor dad. :(  I am really tired and I have been working ALL day on a project for college.  I go back to work tomorrow and have to get everything done.  My book says your heart is beating and I LOVE that! I can't wait to hear it on an ultrasound.  My sweet little baby-Good night!!  I love you!


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Baby Beach Bag


and other essentials....

Sorry I have been MIA!  I have been AT THE BEACH!!  My most favorite place in the world!!!  I thought that while Brody was napping, my hair was air drying, watching the last 30 minutes of Blind Side, and my toes were drying from a fresh coat of paint I would enlighten you on what are some lifesavers when it comes to beach and babies....



 First up in my bag:

Sunscreen.  Duh! 
There are many different brands.  I use Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50 but another more natural option for my crunchy mamas is California Babies.  I have heard great things about this product. :)  I prefer lotion over spray for his age.  While spray is faster, the mist makes me wonder if he is inhaling bad stuff.....typical over reactor...  Lather up!!



A cute hat! 
There are a few different kinds---a baseball cap, a sailor style hat, and then a hat that looks like a ball cap but has a flap that covers the sides of the face and back of the neck.  Needless to say, Brody has all three.  :)



A rashguard. 
This is just extra protection.  Also, it is so difficult to put sunscreen on a very mobile baby so the less lotion, the better.



Extra diapers and outfit.
This way when baby is done swimming, I can pull out a fresh, dry diaper and beach outfit so we can continue to play.



A quilt or a very large blanket.
I found this quilt at Wal-Mart for $20.  It is Queen size!!  A big blanket is awesome for your baby that likes to crawl around.  It gives him some moving room while staying out of the sand.


Toys!
This should be a given but when your babes is done swimming but not ready for a nap, you can throw some toys on your quilt or in your goCrib (see below) and it will give you a few long minutes of catching some rays. 



Water and a snack.
Don't forget that it's hot outside and just like you get thirsty, so does your baby.  I always have a sippy cup available and a snack such as a banana and graham crackers.



And this can't fit in a beach bag, but it does shrink down into a backpack:  The goCrib.  Seriously worth the hefty price tag.  It comes in a backpack, inflates in mere minutes, and it weighs less than 10 pounds.  So, we blew it up on the first day and Brian was able to just pick up the inflated crib, carry it back to the house and then carry it back to the beach the next day-all while carrying his beach chair on his back and Brody in one arm.  Also, since this is on the beach it gives you time to relax.  I put toys in there and he is confined and safe for a solid hour.  He even took a 2 hour nap in it.  Precious time for mama to put her feet in the water, lay back and relax.

The standard goCrib
The additional shade you can purchase to protect from rays when you don't have an umbrella or tent.
 Now what kind of spokeswoman would I be if I didn't show you these products in action? :)  And a cute baby to boot! 



Rash guard and baseball cap
Sailor hat and post swim outfit---it was a little chilly on this trip

Flappy hat :)  


















Sleeping Babe in goCrib- Exhibit A

Sleeping Babe- Exhibit B
playing with his toys


put it all together now!

HAPPY BEACHING!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Life Changes

This past week marked Brody's 10 month and the closing of a chapter in my life.  I am sure by now that you know how desperately I have wanted to stay home with my son.  You also know my financial woes and sadness for leaving the sweet children and connections to the school.  Well....I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.  Once it was mentioned, a light bulb went off and Brian and I agreed quickly that this might just be the answer to our prayers.  Are you ready? <insert drumroll>

I am going to be a substitute teacher!  Not what you were thinking?  Well listen to this--by being a sub. I can choose the days that I work.  By knowing lots of teachers at my school and having great 'hook-ups,' I will be able to plan ahead most of my sub. jobs.  This can then be coordinated with the babysitter ahead of time.  I could also say, "Hey--Keep Mondays open for spur of the moment jobs.  Assume that I am working but I will call you if I'm not."  Mondays and Fridays are very high traffic days for subs.  I could work about 2-3 days a week or a solid 2 weeks and then have two weeks off with Brody.  I will get paid a decent amount, enough to cover insurance plus some, and if I find that we need more money then I can work more.  All of the repeat substitutes I have talked to said that they could get a sub. job every day of the week if they wanted to, twice over sometimes. This will also help me keep connections to my friends, students, and administrators so that when I do decide to come back as a full-time teacher, it will be much easier and I will have lots of references.  I am really excited about the changes and the ability to hang out with my son!  Dream come true!!!

That being said...it was very bittersweet leaving the classroom Monday afternoon.  Kids gone.  Desks piled up and moved.  Barren walls.  I took one long last look, felt a little tightness in my throat and closed the door.  I'll be back.  :)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Brody's 8-9-10 Month Update

****Pictures later!  Just had to finally post!!

Oy Vey y'all!!!

Is it bad that I feel like a failure for not doing an 8 month update?  Or a 9 month?  Or a Christmas one to boot?!  Time just got away from me and I kept putting it off.  I took his 8 and 9 month pictures though (3 days late)!  Since this an update over 3 months time, there is a lot to say.  You know, because babies are amazing and grow so fast.
**9 month stats:  Length- 30" (95%ile)  Weight- 18 lbs. 4 oz. (25%ile)

I have to say that the 8th month was a little rough.  Remember his 7 month update when I said he started waking up at night, but was soothed by a pacifier and would go back to sleep?  Not anymore.  It was the first time I had to nurse him to go back to sleep.  Several times.  There were a few nights where it would be every 3 hours.  Ridiculous.  I think he may have been going through a growth spurt, because he's definitely NOT teething.  Why?

Because at 10 months, you:
-HAVE NO TEETH! NONE!  I am wondering if there are any in there!!  Yeah, you drool, you put everything in your mouth, you bite down and jerk back and forth when I put my finger in your mouth, but nope.  Check back next month.  I think you are just a baby who likes to do things in your own time.  It took you ten days extra to come out and you don't care when you reach your milestones!

-are sleeping much better now.  Like I mentioned before, it got a little awful there for a while and I thought I was going to die.  Then, you started sleeping through the night but waking up at 6:30!  You would be so tired but not go back to sleep.  Finally, you have gone back to your normal schedule and have been sleeping until 8/8:30.  Phew!!

-have gone from army crawling, to this army crawling/regular crawling weird combo. thingee where you'd look like a zombie, to now full on crawling.  Lemme tell you son-you. are. busy.  ALL THE TIME!  You just travel all around the house whether you are following me from room to room or decide to head to your bedroom for your basket of toys.  It is so cute but sometimes you scare the begeezus out of me when I turn around and you're not there anymore.  Where are you?  OH!  Splashing water in the toilet and taking stuff from the trash can and putting it in there because you....

-can pull yourself up now!  You used to just go to your knees.  Now, you pull up on everything-the pack n play, the crib, the coffee table, my leg....it's pretty cool BUT you haven't learned how to get down gracefully yet.

-love to open and close doors (not all the way).  You push it until it's almost closed then crawl over and open the door again, crawl over and push it closed then crawl and open it----getthepicture?  You also LOVE to open cabinet doors.  AHHHH!  I mostly don't mind but the one you love the most is under the sink where all the cleaning stuff is!  Knob locks please!!!  You also like to open the one with all my kitchen towels so I don't mind if you play there. :)

-reach your arms up to be held---whether we unstrap you from the car seat, you are in your crib or sitting on the floor.  You have been doing that for a while now--a couple months.

-have recently started clapping.  IT IS SOOOO CUTE!  (Sometimes) You clap when you look at the fan, when you tasted something good, when you like playing with your toys, when we laugh, when you laugh, when we clap....it is so cute to see those soft little hands come together and not even make a sound... :)

-give me kisses!!  I LOVE IT!  Sometimes you do it when I ask and sometimes you just do it out of the blue and it makes my heart melt.  I'll be holding you and in the middle of a sentence while talking to someone and you dive right in.  One time, you had your pacifier and I was saying good night and you popped that sucker out and gave me a big open mouthed kiss.  Sweet guy.

-are tending to favor me more lately.  This usually just happens when you're tired, but if I am around when you are fussy and someone else is holding you, you won't stop until I come get you.  Or if someone takes you from me.  Or I walk into a room where you were previously content as can be, you look at me and and start crying...at least I know that I comfort you.

-are eating us out of house and home.  For being such a little guy, you are a huge eater.  I mean 8-10 ounces of food.  You could eat a whole banana, a slice of canteloupe, a slice of cheese, some ground beef, a couple ounces of rice/veggie mixture that I made, etc. all after an appetizer of about 20 puffs.  Sheesh!  You eat a lot more 'adult' foods now.  I don't puree a lot of stuff and try to give you a sippy cup when I remember!!  You have eaten a variety of fruits-banana, canteloupe, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, peaches, pears, mango, apple....and veggies/grain/protein/dairy-zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, peas, green beans, broccoli, spinach, potato, sweet potato, carrot, lentils, ground turkey, deli turkey, ground beef, egg, brown rice, bread, oatmeal, tomatoes (spaghetti sauce), cheese, yogurt....you love it all.  Every single bit of it.

-can still fit in your 9 month clothing but mostly wear 12 month.  You wear a size 3 disposable and are on the second setting on your One Size BGs.

-are told at least once a week that 'you have such great coloring' or 'your eyes are such a beautiful shade of blue' or 'you are such a happy baby!'  no joke.  once a week.  at least.

-really are a happy guy.  Your personality is starting to shine through and it is so much fun to watch you study things to learn how they work, mimic behavior, push buttons and watch what happens.  You laugh and try to do things that make us laugh, continuing that behavior over and over if you are successful--playing peek a boo, clapping, laughing, shaking your head back and forth, sticking out your tongue....

I can't believe that you are almost ONE!  Birthday planning is in the works!  This year has gone by so quickly.  You make life sooooo fun baby!  I am so thankful for the gift of being your mother!
i love you i love you i love you
<3,
Mom

Brody's 7 Month Update

This is a mommy blog (for the most part) and we mommies need to keep it real.  With that said, this month was a little rough.  There were several nights where dude man decided that sleeping was not a priority, especially one night when he took me back to his newborn days and woke up every 2-3 hours or would wake at 1 am and not go back to sleep soundly until 4 am (poor Brian).  I think this was due to him catching a cold (directly proceeding our wonderful day at the park :( ), starting solids and having trouble, um, pushing his food through the 'chute,' and I thought he was teething but there is no solid evidence since a daggern chiclet can't be found!  Of course all of this has been made up for with his laughter and coos and smiles and just being the cutest little boy I've ever seen.  Now that that's out of the way....let's get down to business...,

At 7 months, you:
- are still a rolling machine.
- can sit up on your own for quite a long time.  It just clicked one day and you went from wobbly to straight as an arrow.
- try so hard to sit up from a lying down position.  When you are in just a diaper, I see your stomach muscles flex so hard trying to push yourself up.
- extend your arms all the way when you're on your belly and try to tuck your knees under but you just aren't there yet.
- make a lot of sweet noises.  baba, mama, and high pitched squeals.
- are eating a lot more solids, about 2 ounces twice a day.  You have tried avocado, butternut squash, banana and sweet potatoes.  You seem to like it all and are a really good eater. Except peas.  You hate peas.
-gave mommy and daddy your first kisses!!  What a special moment.  I had been trying to teach you to give kisses and when I asked, you opened your mouth wide and leaned in for a big one.  You mostly do this when there is absolutely nothing else going on.
- seem to cuddle more.  You nestle your head on my shoulder and it makes my heart melt.
- can get around pretty well in your walker (when on a smooth surface).
- are starting to get a thick patch of hair right on the top of your head.  I wonder if this is where it will start to fall out first, many years down the road.
- love a rousing game of peek-a-boo.
- have a cranky period between 5 and 7.  I think you are tired, but you fight that nap so hard and most times you win.

Here are some pictures from your 7th month:***to be added later

Brody's 6 Month Update!

It has been half a year,  HALF A YEAR, since you were born!  Holy Cannoli!  You are just a ball of pure joy and fun!  We love love love you so much and are so excited to see what the rest of your first year brings!  Your personality is starting to develop and you are just one laid back little dude man.  What have you done this month?

You:
- weigh 16 lbs. 4 oz. (25th%ile) and are 27" long (75%ile).  Long and skinny.
- still wear 3-6 month clothing but can fit into the bigger sizes.
- still wear size 2 disposable diapers and size small cloth diapers.
- had your first really bad cold.  Runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, sneezing.  But guess what?  You were a champ through it all.  Such a good baby and we only had one night where you kept us up with coughing/waking up but you're paci would always do the trick for a little while.  I did have to take you to the doctor because I was concerned about your eyes being so gunky.  ew....
- are a rolling machine.  I can lay you on the ground and within 10 seconds you're on your belly.  Or, I will walk out of the room and when I come back in you are by the front door, or under the coffee table, or playing with the cords on the entertainment center (YIKES!)  Baby proofing will be underway shortly!
- started solids!  You tried avocados first and took right to it!  You love going for the spoon.  You were definitely ready!
- have...um...discovered your...doodad.  It gets your attention the most during bath time.  It makes us laugh so hard.
- have fallen asleep in your jumper!  I never thought that would happen!
- keep getting comments like, "He is such a happy baby," from people everywhere we go.  I'd like to contribute that to good sleep, a full belly and well, happy parents. :)
- can lay on your back and scoot back with your feet for about a foot. (But only when you get really excited)
- can extend your arms completely and butterfly kick your feet when on your belly.  I think you want to get moving so badly!
- still gnaw on everything.  No teeth yet though!
- are still breast milk fed 99% of the time, with formula thrown in there when we are out or driving down the road and it's not convenient to hike up the shirt...
- have tried the sippy cup.  You mostly like to chew on it but get water out every once in a while.
- are still wobbly when trying to sit up on your own.
- are starting to get M-A-D if I take something away from you.
- are so so so sweet.  You still don't mind being held and it always calms you down if you get upset.

Well, babes.  That about sums it up.  I try to give you kisses as much as possible and I still miss you every second I'm gone.  Daddy and I are working on it!  :)  I/We Love You So Much!  Couldn't imagine life without you.