Thursday, February 26, 2009

The smile!




I got it :)

My boy is a growin'

2 weeks.

3 weeks.


I missed 4 weeks?
5 weeks.
6 weeks.








Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sickness.

I had written an entire blog last night around 1am, and then my computer froze, so here is the condensed version. Monday all day I felt kind of queasy and like I was getting a cold. Clint also felt like he was getting a cold. Owen had been super fussy most of Monday. By Monday night, I was so exhausted and feeling sick-ish that I had another one of my weepy breakdowns. Clint took over Owen duty so I could take a nap. I slept for about an hour, and woke up to help Clint. As soon as I put Owen down on his changing table, I knew I was going to be sick. Thus began the puke-fest. It was horrible. Thank God Clint was there to take care of him. I was useless and a mess. Clint stayed home on Tuesday because we were both up all night Monday. Coincidentally, there was a Twilight Zone marathon on, which is so ironic that Clint would stay home on the very day there is a marathon of his favorite TV show!
We are both still getting colds.
Owen on the other hand, after being up most of Monday night, behaved like an angel during the day on Tuesday, and smiled so many times. I need someone else to take a picture of him while I make him smile. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen.
AND, last night, I put him down around 7:30, and we were so tired that we decided to go to bed at 8:15, and the first time I woke up to Owen crying was at 12:15!!!!! He slept for almost 5 hours!! He hasn't done that since he was a week old!
When we were at the cousins house, we put him in their swing, which he seemed to love, so I am buying the same one. AND, it plugs in!!! No messing with batteries.

Lost is on tonight!! This season has been totally awesome!!!!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Oscar Wild

So, anyone who knows me personally knows how much of a movie fanatic I am. I just finished watching the 81st annual Academy Awards, and I am totally impressed. The past few years, I think they have been so bland that I considered not even watching this year. But, wow, what a show! Initial thoughts:
I loved the ensemble presentation of major awards. AND, the way they presented the scenes for the best picture, with clips from other films, that was AWESOME.
Kate Winslet is such a fantastic actress and I'm so glad she finally won.
I guess I really need to see Slumdog Millionaire.
Sean Penn's acceptance speech was really moving. I loved the part about the great shame felt by the future grandchildren of haters.
Heath Ledger, single tear.
I really, really loved The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It is such a STORY, a spectacle, if you know what I mean. I can't wait to buy it when it comes out on DVD. If you have seen the movie, and know the story, you know the ending. Every time, even in little clips like the one at the Oscars, where Cate Blanchett bends down and kisses little toddler Benjamin, I start to BALL. I loved it.
I love Ben Kingsley's voice. I have sincerely loved it since he did a voice over for A.I., Artificial Intelligence. I think if he could narrate my life, or maybe read me bedtime stories, I would be a much calmer person.
Every year when they do the salute to people who have died in the past year, I always look for the people I really liked, like Paul Newman this year. I was especially looking out for Heath Ledger's clip, and it must have been the first friggin one, because I picked Owen up right at the beginning, and I somehow missed it? What movie was his clip from?
All in all, LOVED this year's show.
I don't have much time, because the bebe is waking up I think... But other things from the weekend:
Mary Beth is coming to visit!!! Yea!
We went to visit my brother in law and family. Owen got to spend some time with his cousins for the first time. Also, my youngest nephew is almost five months old. He has so much personality and is so expressive, I can't believe Owen will be where he is in just 3 and a half months. WOW.
Here are all the boys.



And me with Owen and his cousin, Justus.

-We found out Owen likes being in the car, as long as its moving. I sat in the car with him while Clint went into Walmart for 15 minutes and Owen screamed the entire time. He screamed so much he made himself sweat. He screamed so much he made me sweat. That was his first major "tantrum."
-Stopping the flow of breastmilk altogether is tricky, tricky business.
-I ordered a ring sling in the most beautiful fabric!!! I can't wait till it gets here! Partially because I really like the sling, and partially because Owen wakes up when I put him down after falling asleep on me. If I could carry him around and still get stuff done, my life would be a lot easier for the last 3 weeks of my leave.
I'm going to go get Owen out of his bassinett for the 3rd time

Friday, February 20, 2009

Is it really only 11pm?

Today was an extremely hard day. It just seemed like Owen was awake all day. That might not sound like a problem, but it's not like I can let him go play by himself for an hour. I thought he was going to take a nice long nap this morning, because it also seemed like he was awake all night... BUT, he only slept for about 45 minutes. He seemed like he screamed all day, which really is not like him. I think because I am starting to wean him off breast milk altogether (we have been doing half breast milk, half formula), he's more gassy and is having a harder time with #2. The past two days he's been really fussy.

He's still very interested in his thumb. I watched him try to figure out how to put his thumb in his mouth for a solid 10 minutes earlier. Unfortunately, most times he either pokes his gums with his thumb nail, he wedges his thumb under his top lip, or he tries to jam his entire fist in his mouth. He tries to get it in there when he's really tired (which I think once he figures it out is going to be a God-send), but for now his coordination isn't there. He tries so hard that he ends up getting so frustrated that he's wide awake again. I try to offer him a pacifier, which he would happily take most times up until a couple days ago. Now he tries it out for a minute or two and spits it right back out. He's stuck on the thumb, now. Just like his mama.

It really seemed like I was feeding him or trying to calm him down for every minute of today. Just not like him. I keep waiting for the big long sleep that I am sure is in store for him, considering he's slept very little compared to how much he usually sleeps. But... he fell into a deep sleep on Clint earlier, and I figured we would put him in his bassinet and he would sleep until at least midnight. I put him down around 8:30 and he was up at 10:15...

Wow, I'm tired. Well, I laid him down about 10 minutes ago and he was still slightly awake, and I haven't heard any baby noises now for a good five minutes, so I'm going to take advantage and get back in bed. I love the weekend nights because Clint takes one of the middle of the night feedings. If I go to sleep now, I may, may (don't get excited) get to sleep until 4 or 5!!!

uh oh...

The other night when I was sitting at the computer, I heard this loud sucking sound coming from Owen's bassinet. I got up and turned on the light. What I saw was hilarious. Then I managed to get this picture yesterday.

He's 5 and a half weeks old. My mom said I started sucking my thumb when I was 6 weeks old. She said that's also when I started sleeping through the night, so... YEAH THUMB SUCKING. Anything to get a decent night's sleep.

He also tolerated nearly an entire bath. I always wash his hair last, and it's either that part that he hates, or the fact that it's nearly the end of bath time and his patience has worn thin. Either way, during the bath yesterday, he made a sound that I can only assume was the early beginnings of a laugh. He still doesn't smile TOO much, but there are times when his eyes look happy. He looked like he was on the verge of a smile while I was washing his arms, and he let out a little half shriek/half ahhhh. I think he's really going to enjoy bath time when he's a little bit older.

I think he has also grown an attachment to a stuffed animal. My friend Katie brought a little blue stuffed beanie baby monkey to us in the hospital when he was born. I put the monkey in the bars on his changing table, right at his head level. Whenever he is getting changed, he stares at the monkey the entire time. I make the monkey act like he is kissing Owen's nose and cheeks, and Owen smiles. Everything I have read said that babies react first to human faces and then objects. He must love the monkey.

It's 7:52 a.m., and although there are many things I could do right now, like eat breakfast... Owen just went back to sleep after what seems like 15 middle of the night feedings. So... I am going to take a nap. Breakfast and everything else can wait.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Introduction.

So, I decided to start a blog. Back in my college days, when Myspace and Facebook were in their infancy, there was LiveJournal. I was a dedicated blogger of sorts, then. I can't remember what I wrote about, but I know that putting down thoughts there was a little part of my day that I always enjoyed.


Part of me always thinks that blogging is a little... self righteous... or something along those lines. For now, I'm going to put those feelings aside.


I find myself now 26, a college graduate with a (sometimes) promising job, married to an incredible man, and the mother of a 5-week old. While in almost every way I am thrilled and happy, part of me freaks out a little every day, knowing that I am completely responsible for his well-being. I knew all of this going into it, but I totally underestimated how hard it would be. At least once a week, Clint comes home to find me completely frazzled, exhausted, weepy, etc... Although I unload my feelings on my husband, and he usually provides some sort of relief and understanding, I still feel the urge to vent. I don't think anyone who hasn't had a baby can relate.


Another of the reasons, among several, that I decided to start blogging is because my son has completely changed my life, and continues to make monumental changes every day. Because I am sleep deprived, and more than a little stressed, I don't want to risk forgetting the small miracles I witness every day. I'd like somewhere to go back and remember that today was the first day Owen smiled. He's 5 weeks old. He likes his lips and cheeks tickled. If I make enough sing-songy encouragement, he will turn his lips up for a second. I haven't managed to get a picture of it yet, but I will try.


Another thing I want to document is his whole birth experience. But, it's 1:33 a.m. I'm sure he will be up again before daylight, and for now he's quiet in his bassinet, so I am going back to bed. The long drawn-out birth experience postponed for another day. Or another midnight feeding.

This is my boy, at 3 days old.