I have a frame with a border that reads, "Nap Like You Mean It." I think this picture sums that up just about right!Sunday, March 02, 2008
Napsters
I have a frame with a border that reads, "Nap Like You Mean It." I think this picture sums that up just about right!
Musings & Quotes
A few deep thoughts I've been pondering:
If Superman shoots fire from his eyes, what happens when he sneezes? Or even worse, gets diarrhea?
Why do babies enjoy pooping? Or is this something we've lost as adults, and we're all supposed to be laughing as we empty our bowels? If "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" does a belly full of laughter make the doody go down?
Why is snow called "falling weather?" Is there such a thing as "rising weather?" Or is that what's meant when folks say "Lord willing and the creeks don't rise?"
Why do the batteries in smoke alarms only run out in the middle of the night, causing the detectors to beep incessantly?
We spent last Easter in New York city with dear friends from Northern Ireland, and they taught us these fun phrases: "Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you," "Shift your arse" (move over) and "a lick and a promise" (what does this mean? It sounds like something you'd use if you're going to hit someone!) The teenagers were playing cards and one said offhandedly to the other, in the same way we'd say something like "blow it out your ear," the phrase, "You'll fail at life!" Wow that is harsh-we love it! When an Irish friend visited us in Waynesboro he taught us, "Build a bridge and get over it!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Before Conor was born I wasn't working, so my favorite quote was in Italian: "Il dolce far niente," which translates "the sweetness of doing nothing."
My mother, who is in her 60's tried to tell me that my then 11 year old nephew recieved for Christmas a gameboy, but instead called it a "playboy."
Aaron has recently accepted a new position as a postal inspector (more on this later) and he loved being a police officer, but I can't resist including this quote on policing I stumbled on: "Police work is hours of boredom interupted by moments of unbelievable horror."
I told Aaron's brother, Peter, that in the past, I had occasionally abused caffeine. As a medical professional I was surprised when he replied, "I don't call it abuse, I call it 'what I need to live!' "
If Superman shoots fire from his eyes, what happens when he sneezes? Or even worse, gets diarrhea?
Why do babies enjoy pooping? Or is this something we've lost as adults, and we're all supposed to be laughing as we empty our bowels? If "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" does a belly full of laughter make the doody go down?
Why is snow called "falling weather?" Is there such a thing as "rising weather?" Or is that what's meant when folks say "Lord willing and the creeks don't rise?"
Why do the batteries in smoke alarms only run out in the middle of the night, causing the detectors to beep incessantly?
We spent last Easter in New York city with dear friends from Northern Ireland, and they taught us these fun phrases: "Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you," "Shift your arse" (move over) and "a lick and a promise" (what does this mean? It sounds like something you'd use if you're going to hit someone!) The teenagers were playing cards and one said offhandedly to the other, in the same way we'd say something like "blow it out your ear," the phrase, "You'll fail at life!" Wow that is harsh-we love it! When an Irish friend visited us in Waynesboro he taught us, "Build a bridge and get over it!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Before Conor was born I wasn't working, so my favorite quote was in Italian: "Il dolce far niente," which translates "the sweetness of doing nothing."
My mother, who is in her 60's tried to tell me that my then 11 year old nephew recieved for Christmas a gameboy, but instead called it a "playboy."
Aaron has recently accepted a new position as a postal inspector (more on this later) and he loved being a police officer, but I can't resist including this quote on policing I stumbled on: "Police work is hours of boredom interupted by moments of unbelievable horror."
I told Aaron's brother, Peter, that in the past, I had occasionally abused caffeine. As a medical professional I was surprised when he replied, "I don't call it abuse, I call it 'what I need to live!' "
In the News
Well I've gotten behind again, so I'll try to catch you up on the milestones and silliness as well as Hill family news. Let's begin with wacky news articles:
"Apparent Piece of Human Scalp Has Police Searching:" Found by a puppy and turned into police, officers in Washington state were going door to door trying to determine what might have happened to the owner.
"Police Allege Motorist Strapped Beer in Seat Belt, but not Toddler:" from Florida, a driver was arrested after running a red light for strapping a 24 pack of beer in a seat belt but had a 16 month old girl sitting in a person's lap in the back seat.
From Valentine's Day: "Dear Abby, My 94 year old mother, who lives in a nursing home, has had so much fun making valentines for all her grandkids-ages 17 to 46. She sent a picture taken of herself in a bubble bath and wrote, 'I hope your day is as happy as I am here in this picture. Proverbs 15:15, "For the despondent every day brings troubles; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast!' Happy Valentine's Day!' " (this one disturbs me on several levels, but I suspect if I make it to 94 I will probably being doing similar kinds of things, so if you're still around, and get something in the mail from me, do not open it!)
I found some oldies but goodies from when I used to read "The Irish Times" online:
"Prostitutes Doing Double Shifts to Cope with World Cup Demand."
"Polish Leader Pulls Out of Top Level Meeting in Germany because German Newspaper Compares him to a Potato."
"Chavez calls Bush 'more dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade.' "
Also in the news recently, Forbes ranked Charlottesville, VA #17 in the top 25 smartest cities in the country-yeehaw! And research is being done to create biodiesel fuel from the algae that grows on sewage- now that's clever environmentalism!
"Apparent Piece of Human Scalp Has Police Searching:" Found by a puppy and turned into police, officers in Washington state were going door to door trying to determine what might have happened to the owner.
"Police Allege Motorist Strapped Beer in Seat Belt, but not Toddler:" from Florida, a driver was arrested after running a red light for strapping a 24 pack of beer in a seat belt but had a 16 month old girl sitting in a person's lap in the back seat.
From Valentine's Day: "Dear Abby, My 94 year old mother, who lives in a nursing home, has had so much fun making valentines for all her grandkids-ages 17 to 46. She sent a picture taken of herself in a bubble bath and wrote, 'I hope your day is as happy as I am here in this picture. Proverbs 15:15, "For the despondent every day brings troubles; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast!' Happy Valentine's Day!' " (this one disturbs me on several levels, but I suspect if I make it to 94 I will probably being doing similar kinds of things, so if you're still around, and get something in the mail from me, do not open it!)
I found some oldies but goodies from when I used to read "The Irish Times" online:
"Prostitutes Doing Double Shifts to Cope with World Cup Demand."
"Polish Leader Pulls Out of Top Level Meeting in Germany because German Newspaper Compares him to a Potato."
"Chavez calls Bush 'more dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade.' "
Also in the news recently, Forbes ranked Charlottesville, VA #17 in the top 25 smartest cities in the country-yeehaw! And research is being done to create biodiesel fuel from the algae that grows on sewage- now that's clever environmentalism!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
You knew it had to be done!
We'll be showing this one when he goes to prom, of course there are more that are not as Austin Powers cleverly disguised as this one is!
Boobs!
Wow, time sure flies when you're sleep deprived...but we really can't complain. Conor was sleeping 11 pm to 8 am by two months and is now going from 10 pm to 9 am. It is actually true that babies reach a point where you can just keep putting them to bed earlier and they'll just sleep more and more. And when he's awake, he's often quite content to sit in my lap and watch the box with lights (tv)!
The headlines have been especially wacky recently: "A Swedish bomb squad called out to disarm a suspicious package on Wednesday did not find a ticking bomb. But they did find a vibrating sex toy." And legislation here in VA: "Drive in Virginia with outsized rubber replica testicles dangling from your trailer hitch and face a fine...male genitalia swaying from a car distracts other drivers."
They tell you when breastfeeding to alternate which breast you begin and end with. My mom visited again after Christmas. When I was nursing one afternoon she noticed the rectangularly shaped burp cloth I had thrown over my shoulder kept falling off. A few hours later that same evening, as I was nursing again (au natural, i.e. topless), Mom came in, looked at my revised setup of pillows, towels, different burp cloth etc. and commented, "Well that IS a good sized one that hangs down just right." I was mortified and turned beet red, sputtering, "Mom, you don't get to comment on my breasts!" She laughed so hard she nearly peed her pants and finally exclaimed, "I was talking about the burp cloth!"
More new mom mistakes: today I backed the Mini out of the garage and forgot I'd removed the stroller from the back of the truck and laid it behind the Mini. Thankfully there was melting snow on the driveway, so the stroller just slid down and out of the way before I could drive over it. They shouldn't let sleep deprived people drive!
This week Conor's been learning to take naps at regular intervals in his crib instead of any and everywhere else whenever he felt like it (he's gotten too alert and easily distracted for this now) so I put him in the nursery and turned the space heater on, thinking he'd probably only sleep 45 minutes but hoping he'd sleep an hour and a half. Two hours later I called Aaron a little alarmed at how long he was sleeping. I finally couldn't stand it any longer after 3 hours, so I went up to check him and when I opened the door I was greeted by a tropical surprise-the room was 79 degrees (about 20 degrees celsius)! I thought for sure the poor child would be completely dehydrated, but he actually was sleeping very deeply!
This week he also accomplished grabbing both hanging rings on his travel swing and gripping them for dear life while he was swinging. But that's not all, he also used them to pull on while he passed man sized gas and had a giant blowout in his diaper! His face turned red-I so badly wished someone else had been here to see it!
Did you know, that baby's breath (at least my breastfed baby's), like the flower of the same name, smells sweet? Why then do my baby's armpits smell like cheese? Why, when I kiss him, does he open his mouth really wide-is he French? And why when I try to get sock lint off his feet does he curl his monkey toes in a vice like grip? The child also spits up, lets it begin to drool out of his mouth, then at the last minute, sucks it back up!
One morning I laid him down on my bed next to a pillow I sleep with my arms around, so I was not surprised when he turned to it and began stroking it because I figured it probably smelled like me (and to be brutally honest, probably smelled like his favorite parts of me if you get my drift!) I was not, however, expecting him to close his eyes and attempt to nurse from the pillow! Here I thought he loved me, and it turns out any old breast scented pillow will do!
The headlines have been especially wacky recently: "A Swedish bomb squad called out to disarm a suspicious package on Wednesday did not find a ticking bomb. But they did find a vibrating sex toy." And legislation here in VA: "Drive in Virginia with outsized rubber replica testicles dangling from your trailer hitch and face a fine...male genitalia swaying from a car distracts other drivers."
They tell you when breastfeeding to alternate which breast you begin and end with. My mom visited again after Christmas. When I was nursing one afternoon she noticed the rectangularly shaped burp cloth I had thrown over my shoulder kept falling off. A few hours later that same evening, as I was nursing again (au natural, i.e. topless), Mom came in, looked at my revised setup of pillows, towels, different burp cloth etc. and commented, "Well that IS a good sized one that hangs down just right." I was mortified and turned beet red, sputtering, "Mom, you don't get to comment on my breasts!" She laughed so hard she nearly peed her pants and finally exclaimed, "I was talking about the burp cloth!"
More new mom mistakes: today I backed the Mini out of the garage and forgot I'd removed the stroller from the back of the truck and laid it behind the Mini. Thankfully there was melting snow on the driveway, so the stroller just slid down and out of the way before I could drive over it. They shouldn't let sleep deprived people drive!
This week Conor's been learning to take naps at regular intervals in his crib instead of any and everywhere else whenever he felt like it (he's gotten too alert and easily distracted for this now) so I put him in the nursery and turned the space heater on, thinking he'd probably only sleep 45 minutes but hoping he'd sleep an hour and a half. Two hours later I called Aaron a little alarmed at how long he was sleeping. I finally couldn't stand it any longer after 3 hours, so I went up to check him and when I opened the door I was greeted by a tropical surprise-the room was 79 degrees (about 20 degrees celsius)! I thought for sure the poor child would be completely dehydrated, but he actually was sleeping very deeply!
This week he also accomplished grabbing both hanging rings on his travel swing and gripping them for dear life while he was swinging. But that's not all, he also used them to pull on while he passed man sized gas and had a giant blowout in his diaper! His face turned red-I so badly wished someone else had been here to see it!
Did you know, that baby's breath (at least my breastfed baby's), like the flower of the same name, smells sweet? Why then do my baby's armpits smell like cheese? Why, when I kiss him, does he open his mouth really wide-is he French? And why when I try to get sock lint off his feet does he curl his monkey toes in a vice like grip? The child also spits up, lets it begin to drool out of his mouth, then at the last minute, sucks it back up!
One morning I laid him down on my bed next to a pillow I sleep with my arms around, so I was not surprised when he turned to it and began stroking it because I figured it probably smelled like me (and to be brutally honest, probably smelled like his favorite parts of me if you get my drift!) I was not, however, expecting him to close his eyes and attempt to nurse from the pillow! Here I thought he loved me, and it turns out any old breast scented pillow will do!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Random updates
While there are times I think I gave birth to a chimp, other times I know Conor's truly Aaron's son, like when he laughs in his sleep, or the way he really enjoys nudity. And the way he refuses to keep a blanket on unless it only covers one leg and he can kick the other leg out. He also enjoys peeing on the changing table or into a new diaper as soon as I put it on him. He is currently working on sticking both fists in his mouth in an attempt to suck his thumb. I like to think I've taught him to say the word, "Oh." I've posted that mesmerizing video footage above. And if that doesn't do it for you, I'll have to post a clip of me clogging while pregnant! While we've tried to introduce stimulating toys, Conor's favorite things are still a shiny balloon and ceiling fans. And his big head is growing so fast that he keeps outgrowing his hats!
I always thought babies were supposed to smell like baby powder, but for some reason my son smells like urine, like in a public restroom or a bar. A few endearing experiences I've had include fat lips, black eyes, and neck scratches he's given me while he's nursing. He usually also ends up with a fistful of my hair too.
I have not sold my Mini Cooper yet, although chances are still good that it will need to go sooner or later. We ended up buying a Toyota Rav 4 to haul Conor and all his stuff. The license plate is BA B BLU which is supposed to read "Baby Blue," although we still get a lot of folks asking, "what's 'bahbah blue?'" And for those of you who keep calling my phone before 11 am and leaving messages-I'm still sleeping late!
We just figured out that Aaron's initials are "Ah...," mine are "Sh!" and Conor's are "Chill." All quite fitting.
I'll finish with this. Last week I woke up to a high pitch whining noise which I thought might be the baby. After I checked on him I returned to bed. A short while later, I heard it again, and thought it must be Haley crying outside our bedroom door (so of course I took her back downstairs to her dog bed and covered her with a blanket.) At this point I'm wide awake. I went back to bed to try to begin the process of going back to sleep again only to discover that the noise was a kind of snory nose whistle coming from Aaron! I was so peeved I thumped his chest and told him to roll over and quit blowing his nose whistle!
I always thought babies were supposed to smell like baby powder, but for some reason my son smells like urine, like in a public restroom or a bar. A few endearing experiences I've had include fat lips, black eyes, and neck scratches he's given me while he's nursing. He usually also ends up with a fistful of my hair too.
I have not sold my Mini Cooper yet, although chances are still good that it will need to go sooner or later. We ended up buying a Toyota Rav 4 to haul Conor and all his stuff. The license plate is BA B BLU which is supposed to read "Baby Blue," although we still get a lot of folks asking, "what's 'bahbah blue?'" And for those of you who keep calling my phone before 11 am and leaving messages-I'm still sleeping late!
We just figured out that Aaron's initials are "Ah...," mine are "Sh!" and Conor's are "Chill." All quite fitting.
I'll finish with this. Last week I woke up to a high pitch whining noise which I thought might be the baby. After I checked on him I returned to bed. A short while later, I heard it again, and thought it must be Haley crying outside our bedroom door (so of course I took her back downstairs to her dog bed and covered her with a blanket.) At this point I'm wide awake. I went back to bed to try to begin the process of going back to sleep again only to discover that the noise was a kind of snory nose whistle coming from Aaron! I was so peeved I thumped his chest and told him to roll over and quit blowing his nose whistle!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Headlines
I like to collect funny headlines and quirky news bits, as in the following:
"Two men were arrested at Dublin airport after an incident in which a passenger stood up and urinated at the rear of an aircraft as it was about to take off."
"Woman accused of groping mall Santa."
"Waynesboro man gets second DUI on lawnmower."
And finally a story from Connecticut, where a teacher who was working late and thought the school was empty, was terrified into calling the police and barricading herself into her classroom when teenage custodians played the song "Welcome to the Jungle" over the PA system. Six troopers and three dogs arrived and cuffed the teens for 15 minutes until it was straightened out.
Life is funny!
"Two men were arrested at Dublin airport after an incident in which a passenger stood up and urinated at the rear of an aircraft as it was about to take off."
"Woman accused of groping mall Santa."
"Waynesboro man gets second DUI on lawnmower."
And finally a story from Connecticut, where a teacher who was working late and thought the school was empty, was terrified into calling the police and barricading herself into her classroom when teenage custodians played the song "Welcome to the Jungle" over the PA system. Six troopers and three dogs arrived and cuffed the teens for 15 minutes until it was straightened out.
Life is funny!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas Day!
Well I think the look on Conor's face when he's sitting on Aaron's lap sums it all up. He received (from his mom) a onesie that reads, "Poop is my business. Business is good." You may recognize some of the gifts from baby showers and such in the picture I call "Loot;" I figured I could re-wrap them and give them to the boy again for Christmas and he wouldn't know the difference (Sh! Don't tell him!) It is this creative thriftiness that enables me to stay at home and work for no pay but endless benefits!
Photo outakes
As promised, here are a few of the photos that were just not quite right for this year's Christmas photo...
Thursday, December 20, 2007
And the winner is...
It took 90 photos to get this one we chose for Christmas cards-Aaron nearly killed me! We tried to get ourselves and Haley in the shot with a timer and funny hats and it was just too much! Stay tuned for outakes of the photos that almost made it and ones that might get us in trouble with Social Services for trying to dress up and pose a child this young!
Friday, December 14, 2007
What makes it all worth it...
While none of the books I've read list this as a significant milestone, I am convinced it is. Today, my son laughed and smiled at his own farts for 10 minutes. He is indeed, becoming a man.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Christmas Song
These are the lyrics to my favorite Christmas song:
Montgomery Gentry - Merry Christmas From The Family lyrics
Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk
At our Christmas party
We were drinkin' champagne punch
And homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him
Til he sang Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins
From his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kaye
Who talks all about AA
Chain smokin' while the stereo plays
Noel, Noel, The first Noel
Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Mix Margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quik-Pak store
We need some ice and an extension cord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rite
A box of pampers , some Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the family
Fran and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw the breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night
Oh Silent Night o' holy night
Carve the turkey turn the ballgame on
Mix Bloody Marys cause we all want one
Send somebody to the Stop 'n Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprite
A box of midol, some Salem Lights
Hallelujah everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the family
Montgomery Gentry - Merry Christmas From The Family lyrics
Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk
At our Christmas party
We were drinkin' champagne punch
And homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him
Til he sang Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins
From his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kaye
Who talks all about AA
Chain smokin' while the stereo plays
Noel, Noel, The first Noel
Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Mix Margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quik-Pak store
We need some ice and an extension cord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rite
A box of pampers , some Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the family
Fran and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw the breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night
Oh Silent Night o' holy night
Carve the turkey turn the ballgame on
Mix Bloody Marys cause we all want one
Send somebody to the Stop 'n Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprite
A box of midol, some Salem Lights
Hallelujah everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the family
Before...
One of Aaron's co-workers' wives was due a month before I was, (all in all there were five police babies born in less than 4 weeks) so here are the before and after shots. My shirt reads, "Does this baby make me look fat?"
Thursday, November 29, 2007
More tales
I suppose you expected me to post a picture of the baby dressed as a turkey for Thanksgiving? Maybe next year!
A few strange things I've noticed...Target is advertising a large, remote controlled tarantula as a toy for Christmas-what the heck? This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Carnation is making hot chocolate with added caffeine, as much as a cup of coffee-I thought cocoa was supposed to be soothing.
Three new mom mistakes I've made this week: pulled the stroller and didn't set the brake, picked up the car seat, turned around to see the stroller rolling through the parking lot, thank goodness the baby wasn't in it!. Put a new hat on Conor while he was in his car seat, drove for 15 minutes, went to get him out and saw the hat had slipped all the way down his face and was under his chin. I was sure he'd suffocated and died. Thankfully it was breathable. But my favorite was when I was trying to hold him and eat lunch at the same time. I looked down and noticed pizza crust in his hair and thought that was funny, until he looked up at me with a piece of POTATO CHIP STUCK TO HIS EYEBALL! I was sure he'd go blind because of me. How are you supposed to get that off? I sat frozen, not knowing what to do, I think he eventually blinked it out. The only thing that makes me feel any better is Aaron's obsession with cleaning the cheese (dead skin?) out of the child's armpits.
A few strange things I've noticed...Target is advertising a large, remote controlled tarantula as a toy for Christmas-what the heck? This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Carnation is making hot chocolate with added caffeine, as much as a cup of coffee-I thought cocoa was supposed to be soothing.
Three new mom mistakes I've made this week: pulled the stroller and didn't set the brake, picked up the car seat, turned around to see the stroller rolling through the parking lot, thank goodness the baby wasn't in it!. Put a new hat on Conor while he was in his car seat, drove for 15 minutes, went to get him out and saw the hat had slipped all the way down his face and was under his chin. I was sure he'd suffocated and died. Thankfully it was breathable. But my favorite was when I was trying to hold him and eat lunch at the same time. I looked down and noticed pizza crust in his hair and thought that was funny, until he looked up at me with a piece of POTATO CHIP STUCK TO HIS EYEBALL! I was sure he'd go blind because of me. How are you supposed to get that off? I sat frozen, not knowing what to do, I think he eventually blinked it out. The only thing that makes me feel any better is Aaron's obsession with cleaning the cheese (dead skin?) out of the child's armpits.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
And still...
My "You Might Be a Redneck" calendar had the following recently: You might be a redneck if...you're familiar with Copenhagen but have never heard of Denmark." Hilarious!
Conor turned 7 weeks this past Sunday. He is so close to being able to get his thumb in his mouth. Today he stuck his entire fist in there several times. Of course, he also punches himself in the face and head several times a day with failed attempts. I've also noticed that if he's sleeping on my shoulder and he startles he's now strong enough to push off with his feet and launch himself straight away from my body to test my catching reflexes-sneaky bugger!
There's a lot they don't tell you about breastfeeding either. You have this idea that your child is going to recognize you, gaze at you adoringly, smile up at you (he is just starting to actually smile we think, although he has had man like gas from the very beginning, so it could be that!) but when my son gets near me he starts hooting, breathing heavily, and making "O" shapes with his mouth as if he might actually starve. Touching, really. I'm also not sure what to make of it when he flails, cries, screams, grunts, punches, smacks, slaps, kicks at my armpits, breasts, whatever during nursing, but it has earned him the nickname, "grabbytits." Today he tweaked my nipple so hard I screamed. How can a child with no coordination or clear vision have that kind of accuracy? Of course this same child pecks at Aaron's chest like a chicken when he is hungry as well, so maybe he's just a lucky shot. And yet, sometimes he will caress or point at the breast he is not nursing on as if to say, "You, you're next!"
Conor turned 7 weeks this past Sunday. He is so close to being able to get his thumb in his mouth. Today he stuck his entire fist in there several times. Of course, he also punches himself in the face and head several times a day with failed attempts. I've also noticed that if he's sleeping on my shoulder and he startles he's now strong enough to push off with his feet and launch himself straight away from my body to test my catching reflexes-sneaky bugger!
There's a lot they don't tell you about breastfeeding either. You have this idea that your child is going to recognize you, gaze at you adoringly, smile up at you (he is just starting to actually smile we think, although he has had man like gas from the very beginning, so it could be that!) but when my son gets near me he starts hooting, breathing heavily, and making "O" shapes with his mouth as if he might actually starve. Touching, really. I'm also not sure what to make of it when he flails, cries, screams, grunts, punches, smacks, slaps, kicks at my armpits, breasts, whatever during nursing, but it has earned him the nickname, "grabbytits." Today he tweaked my nipple so hard I screamed. How can a child with no coordination or clear vision have that kind of accuracy? Of course this same child pecks at Aaron's chest like a chicken when he is hungry as well, so maybe he's just a lucky shot. And yet, sometimes he will caress or point at the breast he is not nursing on as if to say, "You, you're next!"
What they don't tell you
So I got Aaron a plaque for being a new Dad. It reads "I love you more today than yesterday. Yesterday you really pissed me off." He decided he would buy his own new Dad gift, Call of Duty IV for x-box.
One new experience no one mentioned was doing laundry at 4 am. I mean, hey, we're up anyway, and most everything's got urine or vomit on it (and that's just from me!)
When my mom was here the first week after Conor was born, she asked us if we were going to give him a "diddy bop." We weren't sure if this was some old fashioned way to describe breastfeeding, but it turns out she meant a pacifier. After calling it that for awhile, we're now referring to it as "P. Diddy."
If we sign cards Suellen, Aaron and Conor our initials will spell, "Sac." That's funny. More fitting however, is adding Haley, or Hill, so that we get "CASH."
They don't mention it in the books for new parents. but the same hormone that causes you to go to bed at 11 pm must be the one that causes you to start religiously watching "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy."
Aaron and I've decided that I'm suffering from "postpardum aggression since I'm tired, irritable, and cranky. Although, really, I was like that prepardum too. And if we're really honest, I was like that pre-pregnancy too!
One new experience no one mentioned was doing laundry at 4 am. I mean, hey, we're up anyway, and most everything's got urine or vomit on it (and that's just from me!)
When my mom was here the first week after Conor was born, she asked us if we were going to give him a "diddy bop." We weren't sure if this was some old fashioned way to describe breastfeeding, but it turns out she meant a pacifier. After calling it that for awhile, we're now referring to it as "P. Diddy."
If we sign cards Suellen, Aaron and Conor our initials will spell, "Sac." That's funny. More fitting however, is adding Haley, or Hill, so that we get "CASH."
They don't mention it in the books for new parents. but the same hormone that causes you to go to bed at 11 pm must be the one that causes you to start religiously watching "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy."
Aaron and I've decided that I'm suffering from "postpardum aggression since I'm tired, irritable, and cranky. Although, really, I was like that prepardum too. And if we're really honest, I was like that pre-pregnancy too!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Parental Musings
When they say "Don't cry over spilt milk" I don't think they mean breastmilk, because it's a lot of work to get that out. Aaron managed to tip one of the bottles over not once, but twice, at 2 in the morning recently and we nearly came to blows! I'll add this and X-box to the list of things that will end up in our divorce papers...hahahahahahahahahaha!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Autumn in the Blue Ridge
To celebrate Conor turing 4 weeks old we drove to Raven's Roost on the Blue Ridge Parkway where we had one of our first dates 12 years ago and got engaged 10 years ago. The foliage is just beautiful this time of year, anyone fancy a visit to the mountains?
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Strange Dreams
So I'm not sure if it's sleep deprivation or being new parents, but Aaron and I both have been having strange dreams, Aaron wakes up thinking I am holding the baby in the bed for some reason and I woke up trying to breast feed one of my pillows! Dios Mios!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Haley-arse over tits.
For those of you considering getting a dog, let me just say there is nothing like being welcomed home from a long day by warm, butt flavored kisses!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Two Ghouls
Is it me or does Dad look tired? I should take this opportunity to mention that Aaron has been Superdad, changing honestly all but maybe 3 diapers, jumping up when Conor cries in the middle of the night, fingerfeeding, swaddling, making meals, doing laundry, seeding the yard, doing all the heavy lifting and driving, getting us to doctors' check ups and so on. He is an expert burper and has been taking such wonderful care of both of us that I'm sure he is getting less sleep than either the baby or myself. We'd fall apart without him! He's still home from his shoulder surgery which is healing well, but slowly. What a guy! He brings home the bacon and fries it up in the pan!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
I've been dressing the dog up for years, so of course it only makes sense that this is the natural progression...
Sleeps like a baby
Why do folks say "I slept like a baby?" Do they mean they only sleep 2 hours at a time and wake up screaming because they're hungry and they pooped their pants?
The neat nursery before the baby arrived!
I know, I know, we've taken forever to add to this and there are so many fun stories to tell, pictures to share, so hopefully we'll get it together now that we've got such a cute baby to photograph!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Long Time No Bloggy
Well I've got a lot of catching up to do for nearly the last year, and rest assured there are plenty of photos and wacky stories for you to gobble up. But for now, I'd like to start with some of the goofy pictures we took of ourselves during our year abroad that didn't make it into the first round of photo posts.
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