Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sick baby
Vaughn is sick for the first time in his life. He's had a runny nose before from teething. This time we know he's actually sick because Dave and I both have colds. Vaughn's new nemesis is the booger-sucker (aka: aspirator). The mornings have not been so pleasant with him. As the day progresses so does his mood - particularly after 4:00. Tonight, I was trying to get some unpacking done so Vaughn decided to entertain himself with tissues. He HATES when I wipe his nose or mouth and yet, tissues are what he had a blast with for over an hour! I was surprised he never put them in his mouth. Instead, he just tore them into teeny tiny pieces in the middle of his new room. I got unpacking done without a fussy baby...success!
*my camera died before I could get a picture of the tissue remnants.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Journey to the...
Pre-Vaughn, when I would go to the grocery store, I thought it was a process. I had to make my excel list first (yes, my whole life is an excel spreadsheet...what would I do without it?) that included all the products I had to buy for two weeks of recipes. Then I would pick up my purse, put the keys into the ignition, drive to the store, get all my items within 45 minutes (I'm telling you the spreadsheet of what aisle each item is in is helpful) then hop back into the car, come home, and put everything away.
Post-Vaughn, grocery shopping is a journey. The days of just putting my list together and hopping in the car are long gone! Firstly, the whole list is a process in itself as if I do it while Vaughn is awake, it takes forever with multiple interruptions. Then, once we are ready to head out, I need to check that I have all our vitals - diapers, wipes, sippy cup, snacks, toys, extra set of clothes, shopping cart cover, my water, my phone, and the most important item, the baby! I strap everything onto my shoulder with Vaughn on my hip and proceed to load everything into the car.
Once we arrive at the store, I have to be strategic about where I park. I like to park close to the doors because of the hot temperatures, but I also look for a spot near a cart return station. I used to get annoyed with people who would leave carts all over the parking lot or gravel, but with it being so hot and having a sweaty baby in tow, I totally have become one of "those people" unless I park right next to a return station. If there are no spots available near one, I then look for a straggler cart I can stick Vaughn in right away so I don't have to walk up to the doors with even more stuff in my arms. The only problem I sometimes have with this plan is how hot the carts are. This is where the shopping cart cover (thanks to Loralie) comes in handy besides protecting Vaughn from all the nasty food, slobber, hand and poop germs (yes, they have proven that there can be POOP on the shopping carts).
THEN, I park and get Vaughn out right away. I don't think I've mentioned this before but it's H-O-T here in Arizona. After I get him out of the car, I put the ice pack into his car seat so it's nice and cool for our return. I then grab my purse and water and check that I have everything including any coupons. I skillfully put the cover on the cart one-handed, plop the baby into the seat, buckle him in, and quickly head into the air-conditioned store.
The shopping part is still fairly quick since Vaughn just sits there staring at all people and items we pass. He's quite good in the cart. I guess it's because he can't say, "I want that" yet. The one thing that makes the trip a little longer is the baby section is in the far back corner of the store. I also have a problem with looking at baby toys and clothes. I said looking, not buying :). There is a certain amount of time I have before Vaughn is ready to leave. In record time, I finish my shopping then head towards the check out line.
Oh, and if I have to go to the bathroom, that just complicates the whole situation. Unfortunately, I have a bladder of an old lady and when I have to go, I have to GO! Just ask Dave! I will spare you the mundane details of figuring where to put Vaughn while I go and while I wash and dry my hands, but let's just say it's adds an additional five to ten minutes.
After we are all done, it's time to race and load all of my purchases into the car. This is something I don't feel I have mastered yet. I don't like to put Vaughn in the car because he will melt, but I also don't like leaving him out in the cart while I turn on the car or put the groceries in the back seat. Lately, I've just pushed the cart very close to the car, so I can lean in through the passenger seat and turn the car (Read: AIR CONDITIONING) on. He's still left hanging out in the parking lot, but it seems to work okay. Once all the groceries are in the car, in goes Vaughn. He doesn't like the whole getting strapped into the car seat part so I have to sing a special song I made up...
Tune: The Hokie Pokie
Put your right arm in,
Put your left arm in,
Snap the buckle together
And shake it to make sure it's good
Do the car seat Pokie and
Give a little shout...
That's what it's all about!
Surprisingly, it helps a lot. Often he gets distracted by my singing, grabs a toy and calms down. Now, for the rest of the ride it's hit or miss. He's doing better in the car as he'll actually play or sleep, but sometimes he just likes to cry.
The last part of our journey brings us home. I get Vaughn and all of our goodies out then try to distract Vaughn with the exersaucer or Johnny Jump Up so I can put everything away before Rocco eats it.
Whew! I'm exhausted just writing about this journey to the...
Grocery Store!
Post-Vaughn, grocery shopping is a journey. The days of just putting my list together and hopping in the car are long gone! Firstly, the whole list is a process in itself as if I do it while Vaughn is awake, it takes forever with multiple interruptions. Then, once we are ready to head out, I need to check that I have all our vitals - diapers, wipes, sippy cup, snacks, toys, extra set of clothes, shopping cart cover, my water, my phone, and the most important item, the baby! I strap everything onto my shoulder with Vaughn on my hip and proceed to load everything into the car.
Once we arrive at the store, I have to be strategic about where I park. I like to park close to the doors because of the hot temperatures, but I also look for a spot near a cart return station. I used to get annoyed with people who would leave carts all over the parking lot or gravel, but with it being so hot and having a sweaty baby in tow, I totally have become one of "those people" unless I park right next to a return station. If there are no spots available near one, I then look for a straggler cart I can stick Vaughn in right away so I don't have to walk up to the doors with even more stuff in my arms. The only problem I sometimes have with this plan is how hot the carts are. This is where the shopping cart cover (thanks to Loralie) comes in handy besides protecting Vaughn from all the nasty food, slobber, hand and poop germs (yes, they have proven that there can be POOP on the shopping carts).THEN, I park and get Vaughn out right away. I don't think I've mentioned this before but it's H-O-T here in Arizona. After I get him out of the car, I put the ice pack into his car seat so it's nice and cool for our return. I then grab my purse and water and check that I have everything including any coupons. I skillfully put the cover on the cart one-handed, plop the baby into the seat, buckle him in, and quickly head into the air-conditioned store.
The shopping part is still fairly quick since Vaughn just sits there staring at all people and items we pass. He's quite good in the cart. I guess it's because he can't say, "I want that" yet. The one thing that makes the trip a little longer is the baby section is in the far back corner of the store. I also have a problem with looking at baby toys and clothes. I said looking, not buying :). There is a certain amount of time I have before Vaughn is ready to leave. In record time, I finish my shopping then head towards the check out line.
After we are all done, it's time to race and load all of my purchases into the car. This is something I don't feel I have mastered yet. I don't like to put Vaughn in the car because he will melt, but I also don't like leaving him out in the cart while I turn on the car or put the groceries in the back seat. Lately, I've just pushed the cart very close to the car, so I can lean in through the passenger seat and turn the car (Read: AIR CONDITIONING) on. He's still left hanging out in the parking lot, but it seems to work okay. Once all the groceries are in the car, in goes Vaughn. He doesn't like the whole getting strapped into the car seat part so I have to sing a special song I made up...
Tune: The Hokie Pokie
Put your right arm in,
Put your left arm in,
Snap the buckle together
And shake it to make sure it's good
Do the car seat Pokie and
Give a little shout...
That's what it's all about!
Surprisingly, it helps a lot. Often he gets distracted by my singing, grabs a toy and calms down. Now, for the rest of the ride it's hit or miss. He's doing better in the car as he'll actually play or sleep, but sometimes he just likes to cry.
The last part of our journey brings us home. I get Vaughn and all of our goodies out then try to distract Vaughn with the exersaucer or Johnny Jump Up so I can put everything away before Rocco eats it.
Whew! I'm exhausted just writing about this journey to the...
Grocery Store!
Friday, June 11, 2010
*Baby Steps* 7 months old*
As Vaughn meets milestones, I type them right away so I don't forget when he does things. So today, as I reread all that he has done during the 31 days he was seven months, I am astonished...yes, I said ASTONISHED at how much he has changed and all the things he has accomplished. Vaughn now has quite the consonant vocabulary and can sit and scoot around the floor like a champ. We are both blessed to be able to spend so much time together. I cherish every time he smiles, laughs, talks, reaches for me and even every time he whimpers, cries and poops (okay, maybe not poop...this I can live without! haha).
I have a feeling eight months is going to bring on new rewards and challenges!
5/13/10: After my shower, Vaughn said his first unofficial word. He rolled over then clearly said, "uh oh". I don't think he had any meaning behind it even though he did say it again after falling over later in the day. Dave said it doesn't count but I thought I should record his unofficial first word. :)
5/14/10: We finally took Vaughn to get his first official hair cut at Snip n' Snap for Kids in Surprise. Vaughn did great sitting like a big boy in a red car. He looked so tiny with a big cape around him and his tiny head. He let the lady trim his hair with scissors and buzzer. After he was done, we went to Ride Now so he could check out the kid dirt bikes. Dave was very excited.
5/20/10: Vaughn ate Cheerios for the first time today and loved them. As soon as I put them on his high chair tray, he was quite interested. He was concentrating very hard to grab one at a time then strategically put it in his mouth. Since they are still pretty crunchy, Dave bought him a bunch of puffs which he loves even more. Click here to see a video.
5/22/10: At Christine's birthday party, Vaughn attempted to army crawl. I was sitting on a couch while he was on the floor laying on his stomach. I was smacking my flip flop against my foot, which Vaughn found intriguing because he was triyng to get to it. He dug his toes in the carpet, reached out with his elbows and attempted to pull himself closer to my foot.
5/28/10:
He's a crawling machine! Vaughn has really figured out the army crawl and scoots himself across the floor to get to an object of interest. He is now nonstop; constantly trying to move. Here's a video of him crawling to get a lion.
This week, he really started to constantly say, "da da da da da". Often he just says it twice. Dave is quite excited. We're not counting as his first word still as there's no meaning to what he's saying yet. He just likes the sound "d".
5/31/10: Dance Off! Daddy vs. Vaughn. I think Vaughn won!
6/2/10: I think Vaughn tried signing back to me today. Every time I change his clothes or diaper I do the "change" sign which is making both hands into fist and hitting the right fist on to the left and vice versa (it's hard to explain). Both times I put Vaughn on the changing table, he tried banging his fists together. Even if he wasn't signing, it was cute!
6/3/10:
Vaughn's new thing is making a fart-like noise with his mouth. Again, another thing hard to explain. Whatever it's called that he's doing, he spits a lot! He thinks it's really funny when he does it and laughs really hard when I do it back to him. Melts my heart!
I took Vaughn to Lifetime Fitness's childcare for the first time today. I rejoined the gym since we are not doing Stroller Strides this summer. We might rejoin in Surprise for the Fall as I have found that I'm really missing it. For now, the gym it is! He did okay. I got called down to change his diaper then when I went back to class, he cried until I came to get him ten minutes later. As soon as I held him in my arms, he was fine. I'm hoping he does better at not being with me all the time.
6/6/10:
Vaughn got up on his hands and knees then didn't know what to do. He has been getting up on his hands and knees for a split second but tonight it actually looked like he was going to crawl. Instead, he rocked a few times, fell onto his stomach and scooted across the floor. I was about to grab the video camera, but it wasn't needed.
I'm not sure of the exact date, but lately, I have noticed Vaughn shaking rattles and toys that make noise rather than putting them straight to his mouth. It's fun to watch him swing his toys up and down. He just needs to be careful not to whack himself in the head!
6/8/10:
We went to Aunt Nay Nay's today to visit with her and her mom. Vaughn had a blast scooting along the floor, playing, and laughing up a storm. Stephanie was sitting on the floor with Vaughn when he scooted/crawled over to her, grabbed on to her propped up knees and after a little struggle, pulled himself up to standing! This is the first time he's truly attempted to stand on his own. I usually help him pull up on the coffee table or couch. Maybe we should lower his crib now just in case he figures out how to do it when we're not in the room.
Today, he has learned how to click his tongue on the roof of his mouth...6/11/10 update: He is CONSTANTLY making this noise especially in the car. He cracks himself up doing it, which in turn, cracks me up!
I have a feeling eight months is going to bring on new rewards and challenges!
5/13/10: After my shower, Vaughn said his first unofficial word. He rolled over then clearly said, "uh oh". I don't think he had any meaning behind it even though he did say it again after falling over later in the day. Dave said it doesn't count but I thought I should record his unofficial first word. :)
5/20/10: Vaughn ate Cheerios for the first time today and loved them. As soon as I put them on his high chair tray, he was quite interested. He was concentrating very hard to grab one at a time then strategically put it in his mouth. Since they are still pretty crunchy, Dave bought him a bunch of puffs which he loves even more. Click here to see a video.
5/22/10: At Christine's birthday party, Vaughn attempted to army crawl. I was sitting on a couch while he was on the floor laying on his stomach. I was smacking my flip flop against my foot, which Vaughn found intriguing because he was triyng to get to it. He dug his toes in the carpet, reached out with his elbows and attempted to pull himself closer to my foot.
He's a crawling machine! Vaughn has really figured out the army crawl and scoots himself across the floor to get to an object of interest. He is now nonstop; constantly trying to move. Here's a video of him crawling to get a lion.
This week, he really started to constantly say, "da da da da da". Often he just says it twice. Dave is quite excited. We're not counting as his first word still as there's no meaning to what he's saying yet. He just likes the sound "d".
5/31/10: Dance Off! Daddy vs. Vaughn. I think Vaughn won!
6/2/10: I think Vaughn tried signing back to me today. Every time I change his clothes or diaper I do the "change" sign which is making both hands into fist and hitting the right fist on to the left and vice versa (it's hard to explain). Both times I put Vaughn on the changing table, he tried banging his fists together. Even if he wasn't signing, it was cute!
6/3/10:
Vaughn's new thing is making a fart-like noise with his mouth. Again, another thing hard to explain. Whatever it's called that he's doing, he spits a lot! He thinks it's really funny when he does it and laughs really hard when I do it back to him. Melts my heart!
I took Vaughn to Lifetime Fitness's childcare for the first time today. I rejoined the gym since we are not doing Stroller Strides this summer. We might rejoin in Surprise for the Fall as I have found that I'm really missing it. For now, the gym it is! He did okay. I got called down to change his diaper then when I went back to class, he cried until I came to get him ten minutes later. As soon as I held him in my arms, he was fine. I'm hoping he does better at not being with me all the time.
6/6/10:
Vaughn got up on his hands and knees then didn't know what to do. He has been getting up on his hands and knees for a split second but tonight it actually looked like he was going to crawl. Instead, he rocked a few times, fell onto his stomach and scooted across the floor. I was about to grab the video camera, but it wasn't needed.
I'm not sure of the exact date, but lately, I have noticed Vaughn shaking rattles and toys that make noise rather than putting them straight to his mouth. It's fun to watch him swing his toys up and down. He just needs to be careful not to whack himself in the head!
6/8/10:
We went to Aunt Nay Nay's today to visit with her and her mom. Vaughn had a blast scooting along the floor, playing, and laughing up a storm. Stephanie was sitting on the floor with Vaughn when he scooted/crawled over to her, grabbed on to her propped up knees and after a little struggle, pulled himself up to standing! This is the first time he's truly attempted to stand on his own. I usually help him pull up on the coffee table or couch. Maybe we should lower his crib now just in case he figures out how to do it when we're not in the room.
Today, he has learned how to click his tongue on the roof of his mouth...6/11/10 update: He is CONSTANTLY making this noise especially in the car. He cracks himself up doing it, which in turn, cracks me up!
Baby in a Barrel
*Side Note: I weighed him this morning to find that he weighs 17 lbs. 7.5 oz.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
and the saga continues...
I don't even know why I'm blogging about this. I'm publicly admitting how crazy and forgetful I am. It's been almost eight months. Can I really still blame it on mommy brain. If not, I am anyways!
It was a new day so I decided we would try the gym thing again. I cleaned out my purse and diaper bag consolidating everything into one bag. Vaughn and I were going to go visit with Stephanie's mom who is in town from PA at Stephanie's house so I packed a separate bag with my gym clothes, shoes and water bottle. We were ready to go! It was a new day!
I got dressed at Steph's house to find that I FORGOT my sports bra. No big deal as I just wore both of my tank tops for support (I really don't know what I'm supporting but it makes me feel better, I guess). We were finally ready to leave for the gym after our great visit with Steph's mom and Steph. I made Vaughn's appointment for 5:00 even though my class started at the same time. I didn't want Vaughn to be in the child care center longer than he needed to be. My plan was to get him in there by 4:45pm then sprint up the steps to find a spot.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I grabbed my purse to pull out my lifetime member card so I didn't have to fumble with my purse when I got to the entrance. But...there was NO CARD. Where in the world did I put my card? Ahhh! I lost it. I was going nuts. I knew it wasn't in my purse because I cleaned it out earlier. I looked through every slot in my wallet. The clock was staring me down as the numbers ticked away.
I was going to just pack up and leave but remembered about the infant reservation I made. If you don't show, they give you a strike and after a few, you no longer can bring your child. I totally agreed with this rule until this moment when I LOST my card and had a sleeping baby in the backseat. I spoke out loud, "Adriane, man up! You can use your license, it'll be fine. Even though it's almost time for class, you are going to work out and go to a class by yourself for the first time. You are going to be a big girl. Vaughn is going to be a big boy and do well."
After checking in (everything was fine with my license), I took Vaughn back to the childcare center. I even had a bottle all ready just in case he started to cry. He was totally fine when I dropped him off. I grabbed my water bottle and ran upstairs to Studio 1.
OH MY! The class was PACKED as I knew it would be. There really were no spots but I was DETERMINED to work out in that class. There were no weights either but that wasn't stopping me. I created my own little spot in the very back of the room. The lady in front of me seemed a little annoyed but I actually think it was all in my head because she was so nice all through class; her friend let me borrow her weights and she commented on Vaughn's beautiful eyes when she saw us later in the childcare center.
Class went well except for my anxiety. I kept staring at both sets of doors waiting for a staff member to summons me to get Vaughn, but no one ever came in.
After class, I went into the locker room to wash my hands before picking Vaughn up when I heard my name over the loud speaker. I went right in to get my probably screaming baby boy. As I turned the corner, I could hear him crying so hard. I found him in a swing where the girls were trying to calm him down. They said he did okay. He would cry for a little bit then be fine. They tried giving him his bottle but he wanted nothing to do with it or them. I scooped Vaughn up (once again) as his screaming turned into little sniffles. I thanked the girls then headed out.
When we got out to the car, Vaughn was still upset; just not crying. I turned on the car so the AC could start pumping cool air (it was 105 degrees even at 6:00 at night). Then, I held Vaughn close to my heart so he could feel my love. He returned the love with a few sniffles.
In all, I guess today wasn't as bad as yesterday, but I still forgot stuff, ended up having to rush and still can't find my member card. And it just breaks my heart to hear and see Vaughn so upset. As with everything else, this all will take time to get better..my craziness, my forgetfulness, my rushing-ness (I know, not a word, but work with me) and Vaughn's strangeness.
It was a new day so I decided we would try the gym thing again. I cleaned out my purse and diaper bag consolidating everything into one bag. Vaughn and I were going to go visit with Stephanie's mom who is in town from PA at Stephanie's house so I packed a separate bag with my gym clothes, shoes and water bottle. We were ready to go! It was a new day!
I got dressed at Steph's house to find that I FORGOT my sports bra. No big deal as I just wore both of my tank tops for support (I really don't know what I'm supporting but it makes me feel better, I guess). We were finally ready to leave for the gym after our great visit with Steph's mom and Steph. I made Vaughn's appointment for 5:00 even though my class started at the same time. I didn't want Vaughn to be in the child care center longer than he needed to be. My plan was to get him in there by 4:45pm then sprint up the steps to find a spot.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I grabbed my purse to pull out my lifetime member card so I didn't have to fumble with my purse when I got to the entrance. But...there was NO CARD. Where in the world did I put my card? Ahhh! I lost it. I was going nuts. I knew it wasn't in my purse because I cleaned it out earlier. I looked through every slot in my wallet. The clock was staring me down as the numbers ticked away.
I was going to just pack up and leave but remembered about the infant reservation I made. If you don't show, they give you a strike and after a few, you no longer can bring your child. I totally agreed with this rule until this moment when I LOST my card and had a sleeping baby in the backseat. I spoke out loud, "Adriane, man up! You can use your license, it'll be fine. Even though it's almost time for class, you are going to work out and go to a class by yourself for the first time. You are going to be a big girl. Vaughn is going to be a big boy and do well."
After checking in (everything was fine with my license), I took Vaughn back to the childcare center. I even had a bottle all ready just in case he started to cry. He was totally fine when I dropped him off. I grabbed my water bottle and ran upstairs to Studio 1.
OH MY! The class was PACKED as I knew it would be. There really were no spots but I was DETERMINED to work out in that class. There were no weights either but that wasn't stopping me. I created my own little spot in the very back of the room. The lady in front of me seemed a little annoyed but I actually think it was all in my head because she was so nice all through class; her friend let me borrow her weights and she commented on Vaughn's beautiful eyes when she saw us later in the childcare center.
Class went well except for my anxiety. I kept staring at both sets of doors waiting for a staff member to summons me to get Vaughn, but no one ever came in.After class, I went into the locker room to wash my hands before picking Vaughn up when I heard my name over the loud speaker. I went right in to get my probably screaming baby boy. As I turned the corner, I could hear him crying so hard. I found him in a swing where the girls were trying to calm him down. They said he did okay. He would cry for a little bit then be fine. They tried giving him his bottle but he wanted nothing to do with it or them. I scooped Vaughn up (once again) as his screaming turned into little sniffles. I thanked the girls then headed out.
When we got out to the car, Vaughn was still upset; just not crying. I turned on the car so the AC could start pumping cool air (it was 105 degrees even at 6:00 at night). Then, I held Vaughn close to my heart so he could feel my love. He returned the love with a few sniffles.
In all, I guess today wasn't as bad as yesterday, but I still forgot stuff, ended up having to rush and still can't find my member card. And it just breaks my heart to hear and see Vaughn so upset. As with everything else, this all will take time to get better..my craziness, my forgetfulness, my rushing-ness (I know, not a word, but work with me) and Vaughn's strangeness.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Mommy Brain
I had major mommy brain today. When I say mommy brain, I don't just mean that I forget stuff, but I also take FOREVER to do anything and always have so much STUFF! I really thought I would adjust to this whole having another person to tote along a lot sooner. I need to figure this out before I go crazy!
This morning, Vaughn and I went to the gym. Last night, I looked up the classes to see which one I was going to go to by myself for the first time. This was my chance to be a big girl! Well, this morning didn't go as planned at all thanks to my mommy brain.
Vaughn slept in until 8:20am! I had gotten up around 8, pumped, and got Vaughn's bottle and breakfast ready. By the time I was done in the kitchen, Vaughn woke up and was ready for his bottle. He ate in bed with Dave while I took a shower. After I got ready, I was just piddlefarting around with Vaughn when I realized it was already after 9! I made his infant reservation at the gym for 9:30am and he still needed dressed and fed. I rushed around, not leaving the house until 9:25am. When we got to the gym, I quickly grabbed my purse, pool bag, diaper bag and Vaughn. He had pooped on the way there so I had to change him once we got to the childcare center. Finally, I took him back to the infant room and was ready to work out!
I went into the locker room to drop my stuff off when I realized I forgot my water bottle in the childcare center. At this point, there was no way I would make it up to the room to get a spot before 9:45am (and the fact that I'm a chicken and am scared to go by myself anyways...I really need to get over that!) so I just decided to go on the elliptical. As I was working out, I was nervous that I wouldn't hear if they paged me to get Vaughn. Every time someone made an announcement over the PA system, I would take my headphones off and try to listen for my name. They called for about five people and I was on the elliptical for 17 minutes when I heard it, "Attention Lifetime members, will Adriane Thompson report to the Childcare Center? Will Adriane Thompson report to the Childcare Center?"
I grabbed my stuff then went down to pick Vaughn up. When I got in there, I could hear him crying so I had to go into the locker room to get my stuff since he can't go into the ladies' locker room. As I turned the corner, I saw a girl rocking a very upset screaming baby boy, my baby boy! He conformed to my body and released a big sigh of relief as I held him in my arms. I grabbed all my stuff and headed to the family locker room so we could go swimming.
After changing into my suit, changing Vaughn into his swimmie diaper and bathing suit, I nursed him, then gathered all my stuff and headed towards the pool. Vaughn was sleepy, but we were able to have some fun in the pool. He even ate some snacks. After Vaughn kept trying to take my suit off to snuggle so he could sleep, I once again gathered up all my stuff and went back inside to get dressed so we could get home. We both got dressed in record time. I put my purse, diaper bag and pool bag onto my shoulder, held Vaughn in my other arm, then I threw our suits in the machine to get all the water out. We threw the towels in the bin and were ready to go. There was one thing I wanted to grab before heading out, my keys.
To get my keys, I had to take all my stuff, put it down and sit Vaughn on the benched. I opened my purse to find NO KEYS! UGH! I was so frustrated. I searched every pocket in my purse. I pulled everything out of the pool bag. I searched the diaper bag. I retraced everywhere I was. I asked the front desk lady, but she had no keys. I went back to the child care center and no keys. I went into both locker rooms and no keys. The childcare center even held Vaughn for me so I could research my bags. NO KEYS! I was so proud of myself for not getting upset. I didn't even feel like I was going to cry which is so unlike me when things aren't going the right way.
As my last resort, I called Dave to tell him I didn't have my keys. He was on his way to meet with a client, but calmly said he would call the client to tell him he was going to be late and was on his way to rescue me. Even though it was over 100 degrees, I didn't want to stay inside just in case someone found my keys and wanted to steal the car. Something told me to look in the diaper bag one more time so I did. There they were in the side pocket! I immediately called Dave to tell him I found the keys. I cried. Man, I was doing so well too!
Dave was amazing. He told me not to be so hard on myself, everything was fine, and that he wasn't going to be late after all. I feel like many husbands in this situation would get frustrated and upset with me. Instead, Dave was so nice to me.
Vaughn fell asleep before I could even strap him into the car seat. We came home, I fed him, and he's been sleeping ever since.
I learned a lot today...I need to figure out how to minimize all the stuff I have for me and the baby. I need to pay attention to where I put things. I need to get up earlier so I have enough time to get places on time. I hope to take today and actually change some things. We'll see how it goes!
This morning, Vaughn and I went to the gym. Last night, I looked up the classes to see which one I was going to go to by myself for the first time. This was my chance to be a big girl! Well, this morning didn't go as planned at all thanks to my mommy brain.
Vaughn slept in until 8:20am! I had gotten up around 8, pumped, and got Vaughn's bottle and breakfast ready. By the time I was done in the kitchen, Vaughn woke up and was ready for his bottle. He ate in bed with Dave while I took a shower. After I got ready, I was just piddlefarting around with Vaughn when I realized it was already after 9! I made his infant reservation at the gym for 9:30am and he still needed dressed and fed. I rushed around, not leaving the house until 9:25am. When we got to the gym, I quickly grabbed my purse, pool bag, diaper bag and Vaughn. He had pooped on the way there so I had to change him once we got to the childcare center. Finally, I took him back to the infant room and was ready to work out!
I went into the locker room to drop my stuff off when I realized I forgot my water bottle in the childcare center. At this point, there was no way I would make it up to the room to get a spot before 9:45am (and the fact that I'm a chicken and am scared to go by myself anyways...I really need to get over that!) so I just decided to go on the elliptical. As I was working out, I was nervous that I wouldn't hear if they paged me to get Vaughn. Every time someone made an announcement over the PA system, I would take my headphones off and try to listen for my name. They called for about five people and I was on the elliptical for 17 minutes when I heard it, "Attention Lifetime members, will Adriane Thompson report to the Childcare Center? Will Adriane Thompson report to the Childcare Center?"
I grabbed my stuff then went down to pick Vaughn up. When I got in there, I could hear him crying so I had to go into the locker room to get my stuff since he can't go into the ladies' locker room. As I turned the corner, I saw a girl rocking a very upset screaming baby boy, my baby boy! He conformed to my body and released a big sigh of relief as I held him in my arms. I grabbed all my stuff and headed to the family locker room so we could go swimming.
After changing into my suit, changing Vaughn into his swimmie diaper and bathing suit, I nursed him, then gathered all my stuff and headed towards the pool. Vaughn was sleepy, but we were able to have some fun in the pool. He even ate some snacks. After Vaughn kept trying to take my suit off to snuggle so he could sleep, I once again gathered up all my stuff and went back inside to get dressed so we could get home. We both got dressed in record time. I put my purse, diaper bag and pool bag onto my shoulder, held Vaughn in my other arm, then I threw our suits in the machine to get all the water out. We threw the towels in the bin and were ready to go. There was one thing I wanted to grab before heading out, my keys.
To get my keys, I had to take all my stuff, put it down and sit Vaughn on the benched. I opened my purse to find NO KEYS! UGH! I was so frustrated. I searched every pocket in my purse. I pulled everything out of the pool bag. I searched the diaper bag. I retraced everywhere I was. I asked the front desk lady, but she had no keys. I went back to the child care center and no keys. I went into both locker rooms and no keys. The childcare center even held Vaughn for me so I could research my bags. NO KEYS! I was so proud of myself for not getting upset. I didn't even feel like I was going to cry which is so unlike me when things aren't going the right way.
As my last resort, I called Dave to tell him I didn't have my keys. He was on his way to meet with a client, but calmly said he would call the client to tell him he was going to be late and was on his way to rescue me. Even though it was over 100 degrees, I didn't want to stay inside just in case someone found my keys and wanted to steal the car. Something told me to look in the diaper bag one more time so I did. There they were in the side pocket! I immediately called Dave to tell him I found the keys. I cried. Man, I was doing so well too!
Dave was amazing. He told me not to be so hard on myself, everything was fine, and that he wasn't going to be late after all. I feel like many husbands in this situation would get frustrated and upset with me. Instead, Dave was so nice to me.
Vaughn fell asleep before I could even strap him into the car seat. We came home, I fed him, and he's been sleeping ever since.
I learned a lot today...I need to figure out how to minimize all the stuff I have for me and the baby. I need to pay attention to where I put things. I need to get up earlier so I have enough time to get places on time. I hope to take today and actually change some things. We'll see how it goes!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Family FARM Day
I took Vaughn to his first family fun day. We went to Tolmachoff Farms with some friends. Dave couldn't come because he had to work (well, and he wanted to sleep in :)). Vaughn seemed to like looking at all the animals and riding in the train. He didn't smile much as I think he was a little overwhelmed with all the sights, sounds, and smells. He didn't fuss once though. Instead, he was very content hanging out in his stroller. I should also add that it was hot. Today is supposed to be above normal at 108 degrees. This is why we went early. Vaughn sure did smile as soon as we got back in the air conditioned car!!!
I can't wait to take him to the Farm's pumpkin patch in the fall.
I can't wait to take him to the Farm's pumpkin patch in the fall.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sew Fun
I learned how to use a sewing machine last night thanks to my amazing friend, Daneé. I told her a few months ago that as soon as I can afford it, I was going to enroll in some sewing classes at somewhere like Joann Fabrics. Daneé told me not to waste my money on classes because she could teach me. With a baby, there are so many things I want to make and I just have a boy; imagine the projects there will be to create if I ever have a girl. I love homemade items because of the heart put into them, but also because I can construct exactly what I want and it's a lot cheaper.
Another friend and I went over to Daneé's house last night with our fabric and projects in mind. I wanted to make two small squares for Vaughn to use as "lovies" or "silkies". He can't have a big blanket in the crib yet so a little piece of fabric would be perfect. Little did I know how much work would go into a little square. There was pinning, sewing, unpinning, spraying, ironing, turning inside out, folding, pinning, sewing, etc. Once I got the hang of not pulling the fabric through the machine, it was "sew" fun. Please don't judge; I know I'm a dork!
Since I had some extra fabric left, Daneé decided I was going to make a pair of pajama pants. There wasn't enough fabric of just one pattern so we combined the two. We totally guessed on the size knowing that the waste would be elastic. We agreed that if they were too short, we would just call them capris. After putting them on Vaughn today, they are totally high waters or capris. Hey, John Mayer wears them; not that I want Vaughn to be anything like John Mayer. Well, if he was an amazing musician, I would be fine with that...
...wait, where was I? Oh, yes! Pajama pants!
The pants are so funny looking with bright yellow and bugs on the front and bright green with fishies on the backside. (Actually, I think I put them on backwards)...but, I MADE THEM! They were so much fun to make, and I had a great time with the girls while doing it.
Now that I have the basics down, I'm ready for my next project. I guess, I need a sewing machine first since the one I have is good for small little touch ups and hems. That will be the next step then it's on to blankies and hoodie towels and shirts and hats and whatever else I find to do. Poor Vaughn!
Another friend and I went over to Daneé's house last night with our fabric and projects in mind. I wanted to make two small squares for Vaughn to use as "lovies" or "silkies". He can't have a big blanket in the crib yet so a little piece of fabric would be perfect. Little did I know how much work would go into a little square. There was pinning, sewing, unpinning, spraying, ironing, turning inside out, folding, pinning, sewing, etc. Once I got the hang of not pulling the fabric through the machine, it was "sew" fun. Please don't judge; I know I'm a dork!
Since I had some extra fabric left, Daneé decided I was going to make a pair of pajama pants. There wasn't enough fabric of just one pattern so we combined the two. We totally guessed on the size knowing that the waste would be elastic. We agreed that if they were too short, we would just call them capris. After putting them on Vaughn today, they are totally high waters or capris. Hey, John Mayer wears them; not that I want Vaughn to be anything like John Mayer. Well, if he was an amazing musician, I would be fine with that...
...wait, where was I? Oh, yes! Pajama pants!
The pants are so funny looking with bright yellow and bugs on the front and bright green with fishies on the backside. (Actually, I think I put them on backwards)...but, I MADE THEM! They were so much fun to make, and I had a great time with the girls while doing it.
Now that I have the basics down, I'm ready for my next project. I guess, I need a sewing machine first since the one I have is good for small little touch ups and hems. That will be the next step then it's on to blankies and hoodie towels and shirts and hats and whatever else I find to do. Poor Vaughn!
...wishful thinking
"Okay, you can stop now"
In a blink of an eye
Growing Pains
Not ready...
Over the past week, all of these titles have been coming and going through my mind as I think of what I'm going to title this blog. Vaughn is getting so big and old!
It just...hit me. (sobb, sobb)
As I look at him on the video monitor, he is no longer this tiny bean in a huge bed. As I hold him, he's no longer something I can easily maneuver and carry around. As I take him out of the car (still in the car seat), I can no longer carry him with one arm and not get winded. As I take a shower, I can no longer let him lay on a blanket knowing that he's not going anywhere. As I get dressed, I can no longer put him on the big, tall bed knowing that he won't come tumbling off. As I change his diaper, I can no longer do it in less than five minutes and not have to turn him onto his back over and over again.
My little baby boy is growing up...way too fast. The one thing other parents keep telling me is to cherish every minute as it goes by so fast. Up until this point, it was going fast but there wasn't a huge transformation like there has been in just these past weeks. This is so cliche as are many things I say are, but I feel like I'm going to close my eyes and reopen them to this grown boy child. Because of this, I am taking every opportunity I can to hug, love and spend time with Vaughn.
Then, if the realization that my little baby is not going to be a baby forever isn't hard enough on me, I have seen many teenagers lately which scares me so much that I will some day be a parent of a teen. I know I have time to prepare and work on setting boundaries to raise a boy of great character, but again, it's going to be here before I know it.
Maybe if I tape my eye lids to my eyebrows, I won't ever blink. Instead, my eyes will remain open causing time to stand still. Ha!
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