Too Big Too Fast

Wow, where have the last 11 1/2 weeks gone??? It seems like just yesterday the nurse was showing me how to push, telling me I wasn't going to have the baby through my face so to stop pushing with it. Now our lil guy is getting so big! Instead of needing to be held all the time, he likes his "independent" time. He loves to talk, look around, kick at things and walk on daddy's stomach. He'll entertain himself for quite awhile these days. Every nap he's taken today has been in his big boy crib because he's starting to roll and I don't want him rolling off our bed. Tonight is going to be his first night in his big boy crib, not in our room! (I think I'll have a harder time with that than he will!!!) When he spit up today I went to put him in a fresh onesie, only to discover that most of his 0-3 month ones are getting too small. I had to do a load of laundry to wash his 3-6 month clothes. Today we went for a walk and not only could he face forward in his all terrain stroller, but he enjoyed looking around. He watched the dogs and looked at the trees blowing. When someone familiar is talking he is able to turn toward their voice most of the time. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by! Before we know it he'll be walking and talking in more than just babble. Our lil guy is growing up before our eyes!

coffee club

when i was a boy my dad ran a lil store
lil coffee shop right on the reservoir
where old men woke up early to go have a cup
my eyes would get big as diamonds as id listen up
as mr norman caught those crappie out in ol plummers slough
he knew today would be a good one according to the moon
mr bob grew the biggest tomatoes of em all
as he sat there smoking those old pall malls
mr james and my grandpa would visit yesterday
talk about how it was back in the good old days
i wish i could go back and listen one more time
to all those stories of those heroes of mine

id walk across the street for the morning hunt
they would say hurry up boy that old sun is coming up
they would hang around until i made it back
just to see what i had in my bag
they were just as proud as my grandpa and my dad
when id pull out the sack and show em what i had
yeah they all watched me grow up
in the old coffee club

well time got faster and took them away
but they live in my thoughts each and every day
i can still hear their stories from long ago
and i miss them more than they will ever know
lord, id give anything to go fishing with mr norman again
or eat an old tomatoe than mr bob would bring in
i wish i was back in the booth with grandpa and mr james
and talk about all those yesterdays
yeah there aint nothing like getting to grow up
in the old coffee club

Ode to Being a Mom

He was asleep so she dressed with care
Mess on me?? He wouldn't dare
How wrong she was as she could see
The minute he decided to pee on me

His bath done, her clothes wet
She made sure his needs were met
Then changed the jeans she had on
Oops, the nice shirt is now gone
Due to spit up down the front
One outfit a day is her only want

Outside to get the watering done
There was a sound of a "machine gun"
What was that? Yellow goo
Down her shirt was her son's poo

Now onto outfit number three
Will it be covered in spit up, poo or pee???
I really love having a baby
But won't he stop messing on me????

Giddy Up Lil Cowboy

As soon as Rob gets home every night he takes Preston for some father/son bonding. Usually the time consists of Preston on Rob's lap, "discussing" the day's events. But, since Preston is OBSESSED with horses, Rob decided to take him out to feed Cheyenne last night for their time together. Although Preston wasn't too sure of a real horse up close and personal at first, he warmed to the idea quickly. Cheyenne was really good, very mellow, while they checked each other out. I think before long the father/son bonding time will be diffrent and he will be saddled up on his own pony, going for a ride with his daddy.

Puberty Yet??

Preston is forming quite the personality. In the morning, after his naps and right when Rob gets home from work Preston is all smiles. He "talks" and smiles for awhile. The rest of the day is up in the air. This morning I ran a few errands. Preston did great during the first and last store, looking around and winning cashiers' hearts. However, he decided he did not want to be at Walmart and let everyone know he was not happy. I don't have a problem with him crying, but it's the high pitched girly scream that is like nails on a chalkboard to me! He was screaming for everyone to enjoy while shopping. Of course I had two women ask if I'm a first time mom (I still don't know why people feel the need to ask that because I don't see what difference it makes). As soon as I paid for everything and left the store he stopped crying immediately. He was calm until we got home. When I turned off the car the high pitched screaming began again. That scream used to mean his stomach hurt. Now it seems he does it just because he's not happy. God should've designed it so that baby boys should go through voice puberty within the first month of life. That way when they scream it doesn't sound like an animal dying but more of a "manly cry"! I'd still meet his needs but it would be much more pleasant to the ears in the process.

A Burrito, A Hat and A Busted Nose

You would think I'd learn my lesson, but I'm a slow learner sometimes. So, I gave into temptation....and paid the price! I broke down and got a burrito for lunch, even though I knew it was a mistake. As soon as I swallowed the last bite I honestly regretted it. Shortly after Preston nursed he started passing gas. Not just baby gas, but manly, stink-up-the-house gas. After our afternoon nap, I figured I'd take him for a walk to get some fresh air (literally). My body heat helps when his stomach is upset so I strapped him in the Baby Bjorn and headed out. My mom had made a little denim hat for him to wear when we go for walks or when he goes fishing with one of his grandpas someday. I tried putting it on him to block the sun and he was not a fan. As soon as I took it off he stopped crying. When it went on the crying began again. (I figure it's the same as putting bows in little girls' hair) So, I used it to shield his eyes, which he still wasn't a fan of but he tolerated it. At one point he had his head back because he either wanted to see he sky or he was adjusting to get the sun out of his eyes. As I was putting my hand up to make sure I gave his head support he crashed it against my collarbone. It hurt me so I wasn't surprised that he cried a little. I knew he didn't have a busted nose but wondered how many babies get them from doing what Preston did. The smelliness subsided by the time we got home so I guess the fresh air helped. But, I don't plan to eat another burrito until I'm done nursing, no matter how hard it is to refrain!

lil cowboy

after work today, i saddled up cheyenne and went for a little ride through the neighborhood. when i got back, i hollered at jen and she came out with preston. so, she handed him to me and preston got his first ride with dad on cheyenne. he was pretty interested in the horse and from what i can tell, is going to be quite the cowboy. hes well on his way.

Sick of It!

Disclaimer: This is more of a rant that blog!

I am sitting here, holding Preston, after having a close call. The dreaded number in our house is 100.4. Every time he feels warm I rush to take his temp, fearing the dreaded number. The dreaded number wins us an automatic trip to the ER, a spinal tap and IV treatments. We almost made it to that number tonight, Preston and I crying together as I strip him down and pray that does the trick like last time. Thankfully it did.
Another fun daily routine is checking his head. The day he was supposed to get his 2 mos vaccinations I called our pediatrician in a panic (Is it bad that I already have the office's number memorized?). He had a couple bumps where the original ones started. Our pediatrician checked him out, said the virus was trying to break through but hadn't quite been successful. Because of it, though, he wanted to postpone his shots to be on the safe side.
I AM SICK OF IT!!!! I am sick of the constant worry. I am sick of Preston's stomach hurting because of his daily medicine. I am sick of always taking his temp, worrying about what the thermometer will read. I am sick of not being able to enjoy this first year, instead wishing it away so we can be out of the woods. I AM SICK OF IT!!!

Pure Craziness!

Today I witnessed craziness, pure craziness! Preston and I went to Sacramento to surprise my parents for Grandparents' Day (Thanks to both sets of grandparents who love and spoil him unconditionally!!). During the last few trips to Sacramento, I've experienced wildlife that I don't usually see....a deer grazing by the side of the road, a hawk with a rodent in its mouth. But, I wasn't thinking about that during my drive, only my time frame in getting to my parents' church on time. That being said, even if I was thinking about it, what I witnessed was still something that wouldn't have crossed my mind in a million years!!
Something caught my eye on the opposite side of the freeway. Out of nowhere a medium sized brown bear was barreling across the interstate. Because it had 4 lanes of traffic to cross to be successful in its mission, the odds were not good. He didn't beat the odds either! A SUV hit the bear, causing the bear to flip in the air and land on the shoulder of the road. It laid there, flailing its arms and legs. At first I thought it was a figment of my imagination. In fact, had Preston not been with me I would've slammed on the brakes, gotten out and taken a picture just to make sure it was all real. I think the driver of the SUV felt the same way because, as I looked in my rearview mirror, it took the SUV awhile before it slammed on its brakes. I don't know if the driver stopped or if there was damage done to the bear or SUV. All I know is when I drove back by, on my way home, there was no sign of the bear. So, I guess that means it was okay after all??!! One thing is for sure....that was one of the craziest things I've ever witnessed!

Watch Out....A BLOW OUT!

I have never been one of those girls that professes not to pass gas or have bowel movements. But, I've never really gotten excited about bodily functions...until now...and it's Preston's I'm excited about! He went from having 6-8 poopy diapers a day to not having any for 2 days. Because of this virus, I am paranoid about anything that seems abnormal. Luckily, our pediatrician is also a family friend and humors me when I call with concerns. Yesterday when I called him he assured me that Preston would not explode and that a BM would happen eventually. But, he also warned to watch out when it does because it'll be one for the books. Well, last night he finally had a poopy diaper and it wasn't anything out of the norm. So, I figured we were out of the woods. This morning, however, Preston was really pushing and not getting anywhere. I, being the good mommy, decided to lift my ban on burritos to help him out (Really, I just wanted an excuse for one because until Preston was born I'd eat at least two a week!). This afternoon we were getting ready to head out to the camel races. I was really excited about watching them and seeing whose lifelong dream is to become a camel racer. I was holding Preston on my lap, discussing the races with him, when he started pushing. His face turned bright red for a brief second then got a HUGE smile on his face. This was followed by a horrible smell so I knew we were in business. When I got up to change him it was all over the front of my shirt and down his leg. Now Preston has had 2 previous blow outs but this one was for the books! I had to throw away his onesie, a blanket and I don't know how many wipes it took to clean him off. I basically bathed him in wipes because I didn't want to deal with a bath. Then I did an emergency load of laundry to clean the salvageable items. The whole time he just laid there on this changing table, smiling as if he'd just accomplished a NASA mission. Being the only girl in the house, I'm sure I'll have to get used to this kind of thing...being excited about poop!!

Only So Much

I can't keep up with Preston's nap schedule because it changes every few days. This morning he got up at 6:45 to eat, was awake and smiling then just konked out. Usually when he takes a nap around 8ish he sleeps for an hour so that's what I planned on. I washed bottles and took a shower, my normal when he takes his first nap. After I got those tasks accomplished I decided to vaccuum as he still wasn't awake. Well, that was almost 2 hours ago and at this point I have done 2 loads of laundry, cleaned the upstairs windows, played fetch with the dogs, given myself a pedicure, exercised, filed bills and filled out cards to send to friends. I've also played on Facebook, checked all 3 emails and People.com. I am officially bored so I am blogging more out of boredom than anything! Don't get me wrong. I usually cherish naptime but that's after he's been awake for a few hours and I'm ready for a break. Right now I want him to be awake so we can "play", do bathtime and go to the camel races. Guess in the meantime I'll read more of my Bookclub book that I'm struggling to get through. AHHHH...never mind....the sweet sounds of Preston's cries!

What to Write??

Do I write about my memories of 9/11 eight years ago? Do I write about all my friends that are having baby boys this Summer? Do I write about the camel races that I'm so excited for today? Do I write about my favorite subject, Preston? I am consumed with so many thoughts that I think I'll table the blog for today....unless the camel races are too exciting to pass up! In the meantime I'll enjoy the sounds of Preston sleeping and the dogs wrestling all while drinking a cup of hot coffee! AHHHH.............gotta love life on a quiet Summer/Fall morning!

One of Those Days...

Are you ever convinced that someone is secretly filming you for "Candid Camera" because everything can't be that wacky in one day? Well, that sums up my day in a nutshell. It started out like any other day...Preston smiling and cooing and enjoying life. Then the real fun began when I took him to Walmart. Some carts are made for carseats, some aren't. In case you're wondering, the ones at Walmart are not made for carseats. Usually I put the entire carseat in the basket part and pile everything up around him. But since I was only planning on grabbing a couple things I figured I'd chance it. WRONG CHOICE! Preston had just fallen asleep when out of nowhere the carseat slipped. It didn't do any physical harm but it startled him big time. The poor guy started screaming at the top of his lungs. I think it's "funny" that people keep talking to you like there isn't a screaming baby right there. Once I was able to get away from the photo dept lady I tried to calm him down. I wasn't successful with calming him down so I took his carseat out of the cart. Then I walked through Walmart, carrying a carseat in one hand and pushing a cart with the other hand. Needless to say, I didn't finish my shopping. When we got home I was going to put Preston down for a nap. On the way to our room he projectile vomitted all over me, himself and the carpet. That was a first so he wanted to make it one for the books. He decided he didn't want to take a nap at that point so I put him in his bouncy chair to get a break. I had just sat down with a cup of coffee and the computer, ready to relax for a few minutes. I glanced over to see him smiling and cooing....with poop all over himself and his chair. Now let me stop here to let you in on a secret about Preston: He has a poopy diaper EVERY time we change it. Today, for whatever reason, he hadn't pooped at all. Well, he sure made up for it with this one diaper. It took 5 wipes to clean up...a record! At this point I knew enjoying a cup of hot coffee and a few minutes to myself was out of the question. So, I put Preston down for a nap. I was so wiped out that I fell asleep with him on my stomach. When we woke up a couple hours later he was fussy. He hasn't been fussy in the evening for a few days so we were doing what we could to get him calmed down. Since Rob had to help with our A/C that we are having installed, I was on my own for calming Preston down. I finally got him calmed down and was relaxing, watching the dogs play in the living room. All of a sudden Duke caught his reflection in the window and started barking. So, the circus began again......... I love being a stay-at-home but you will never hear me say it's easy. I'm still waiting for someone to pop out, saying we were on "Candid Camera", especially since the smoke detectors have started going off as I write this, but I think when it's all said and done it was just one of those wacky days!

Through His Eyes

Living with a baby is an experience to say the least. Most of the time it's fun and entertaining. Other times....not so much! Today was one of those entertaining times. It's fun to watch Preston discover new things, all the while smiling and talking. Tonight he seemed to really bond with Holly. She has been having problems getting around the past few days (Wrestling with Duke on a daily basis probably caught up with her) so she's been in the house a lot since getting a bath. Tonight while I was playing with Preston on his quilt she came over to join in on the fun. She started out a few feet away and kept creeping forward until she was literally nose to nose with him. At one point she licked his face and he got the biggest smile on his face! Then he started talking to Holly and trying to pet her. It was so cute to watch, imagining what he was thinking during the whole thing. The closer Holly got to Preston the more he'd talk and smile. After they were done bonding I, being the germ-a-phob that I am, washed off Preston's face and changed his outfit. Actually I did it because Preston seems to be allergic to Holly, but he didn't sneeze during their time together so that's good. Hopefully he outgrows his allergies so he can continue to bond with the dogs.

Knows What He Wants

Preston is starting to have quite the personality. Not only does he smile and "talk" a lot but he also has a way of letting us know if he doesn't like something. When he doesn't want his "paci" he will close his mouth tight. If by some chance we are lucky enough to get it into his mouth (It helps when he has tummy aches), he'll be sure to spit it out if he doesn't want it. He'll also push you or something away if he doesn't want it. It's quite entertaining to see him try to push away something he doesn't want. He doesn't like to be swaddled so he is quick to let out a cry EVERY time I swaddle him. Then he spends some time trying to be Houdini, getting at least one arm out. He grunts and makes faces to let us know he is not happy. Last but not least, if he is being held in a position he doesn't like he will cry to let us know we have to change the way he's sitting. It's fun to see him develop his own personality. I can't wait for many more personality changes with him!

Public Announcement

Since Preston has been born, Rob has begun to share in blogging as well. =) To decipher between what he writes and what I write (They all say "Posted by Jen"), he writes in lower case and doesn't use a lot of punctuation. He also writes in a more poetic way. I write as a teacher. Hope that helps!

are you ready for some football????????

ARE YOU READY???
Hell yes, damn right!!!
hoddy toddy gosh almighty
who in the hell are we...HEY!!!
flim flam, bim bam
OLE MISS BY DAMN!!!
well, ole miss football is finally here and preston is enjoying his favorite college football team play for the first time. ole m iss football has a long tradition in our family and it is never too early to get em started right. so, help preston and his dad as we cheer on those ole miss rebels!!!!!!!!

Everyday

Everyday Preston wins my heart in some way, shape or form. Yesterday he was being a "fussy gus" but during one of the rare times he wasn't crying he was being cute. I had given the dogs a bath and let them in the house. They were wrestling and Preston was sitting there smiling and cooing the entire time. Both dogs were being great with him but Holly was especially good. She came over and licked his foot and he let out a happy scream. Last night he didn't get much sleep but he woke up a happy guy. I had him in his chair this morning while I was in the kitchen and Holly was laying by him. He was "talking" up a storm, most likely having a private conversation with Holly.
I didn't want a repeat of yesterday so I put him down for his morning nap. I've gotten in the habit of laying with him in our bed until he falls asleep. This morning I was laying there with my eyes closed. Every time I would open my eyes he'd close his really fast (the way toddlers do when they're trying to trick you into thinking they're asleep). Then he kept grabbing at me as he was falling asleep. I guess he wanted to know that his mommy was there so it was okay to go to sleep. He is so stinkin' cute and makes me smile at some point every day.

Sweating the Small Stuff

For the past month or more I have been "sweating the small stuff" so to speak when it comes to Preston. Is he being held too much? Shouldn't he be able to lay on his activity mat for longer periods of time by himself? Why does he need to be held so much? (I wanted him to be "independent" so I could do laundry and clean the house)Then, like a ton of bricks, it hit me yesterday. HELLO!! He's a 2 month old baby. He needs to be held, to be comforted, to be soothed, to be rocked.... So, I made a resolution yesterday that I won't be trying the Cry It Out method, which wasn't working for either of us anyway. I want him to build trust in us, knowing that he can count on us to meet his needs. He's gotten himself on a pretty good schedule, taking an hour long nap from 8-9am then a long nap around 10:30-12:30. The shorter nap is when I'll shower and get some things done around the house. During his longer nap I'll nap if I feel the need or get more stuff done. And whatever doesn't get done will still be there tomorrow. Right now our son needs his mother, not a housekeeper!