musings of Mother Hood

Tooting My Own Horn

I'm getting old. Well, my blog is anyway. 5 years, people. Happy Blogiversary to me! Yep. This week marks five whole years of this wonderful nonsense.

All of it's there, but I don't really recommend you go back and read any of those early posts as the literary merit is, well, arguable. And the pictures are blah. And the (at times) surly attitude leaves something to  be desired. But, you know, I wouldn't trade it. I wouldn't trade my "humble beginnings" on Xanga or my somewhat bitter bartender/waitress/college student persona or my random, random rambling.

I have loved this little blog. I have nurtured it and grown it from its original purpose as a landing place for all of my immature rantings and grainy cellphone pictures to a medium that I rely on to share my family - and myself - with all of you.

I've learned to write fewer things like this and more things like this. You've been with me through times like this and even this. And I dare say I've grown. In the last five years I've grown from The Single Gal to a Wife and Mama. And the more I read back through some of my (sometimes painfully embarrassing) old posts, the more I learn about myself, both who I am and who I want to be.

In honor of the occasion, I'm doing some refreshing of the ole blog. You might notice some design changes over the next few weeks. Don't be alarmed. Just doing a little makeover. And don't forget to check out things like the (gajillions of) photo albums along the right hand side over there and the links page for some of my personal favorite blogs.

Happy Blogiversary! Here's to the next 5 years!

12 whole weeks!

Everyone survived our first week of the new routine -- Mom going back to work, Colt going to daycare, and all the dropping-off, picking-up, bag-packing, goodbye-kiss-blowing, and tear-drying that comes with it. We are still getting used to things - especially the mornings - but we are getting there. Surely we'll be used to this routine in time to start a new one!

This weekend was a good one! We loaded up and traveled south to Arkadelphia to see Granny and Pop, and see the Razorbacks play in Little Rock. We hadn't seen Granny and Pop since Colt was just a few weeks old and it was great to visit with them. And they bravely volunteered to keep the munchkin for the day while Jeff and I met up with friends in Little Rock for some tailgating.

Colt insisted on remaining neutral for the game -- though he's a Razorback at heart. The Hogs managed to pull it out at the end - thank goodness  - and somehow we are 2-0 for the season.   

Colt had a lot of fun Saturday visiting with Granny and Pop and got to meet some of his cousins -- John, Elizabeth and Will.

 

Colt is SO close to rolling over -- in fact we couldn't keep our eyes off him last night because he was getting so close and we didn't want to miss it. Any day now! His latest trick is trying to eat his hands off (photo below), but he's also started grasping things in his hands and is a lot more active when we play. We joke about him doing his morning calisthenics -- after a breakfast bottle and a diaper change he is ready to go! -- kicking, scooting, waving his arms, and cooing! He's been "talking" a lot more the last few days. Unofficial weigh-in last night was about 13.5 pounds with clothes on -- we still like to eat!

Still no teeth -- but they're probably not far off. If only he could hold a teething ring... 

Yep, it's September already.

Wow. I can hardly believe Labor Day has come and gone and we're almost a week into September. And that Colt is 11 weeks old!

This week we ventured back into the 'real world' with my return to work and Colt's first day of daycare. I am only working part-time this week as we all try to adjust to our new schedule. I start back full-time next week.

 

 

This is how he looked when I had to wake him up to get in the car. So sweet!

And I couldn't help but take a million pictures of him before we left the house --

I couldn't decide if I'd rather he cried all day because he missed me or smiled all day because he was having a good time. That's a lot of smiles that someone else would get to enjoy! But Ms. Barbara said he had a good day-- ate well, napped well and was a sweet baby all day. Dropping him off was not so bad -- he slept through the whole thing, thank goodness! But I missed him terribly all day and couldn't wait to get there to pick him up yesterday afternoon. I will eventually get used to having to leave my smiling bundle with someone else for the day... hopefully!

This week also brought Colt's first Razorback Game Day! And as usual, Mama couldn't control herself with the camera...

Colt seemed to enjoy sitting with Dad this weekend and watching all the football. And the Hogs got a win! - which is always good. Maybe they'll go on a streak like they did after we got married -- starting the day we got married, the Razorbacks won 9 in a row!

Colt is still sleeping well -- almost every night this week was 7 hours.  Last night was another 8 hour stretch, despite the Gustav-inspired storm outside and the party next door! I think it's safe to say he is officially sleeping through the night!

I know no one was too terribly impressed with last week's videos (Nicholas...) -- but Colt has learned a new "trick"! I haven't been able to catch it on video yet, but he has taken to digging his heels into the floor (while on his back) and scooting across the floor inchworm style. If I leave the room for a few minutes while he's on his playmat -- I can come back to him being almost entirely on the carpet! We've been trying to convince him that if he could learn to do that while on his belly -- we'd really be getting somewhere! The best part is that this new trick is wearing a nice little bald spot on the back of his beautiful head of hair...

No teeth yet - but he's still having some teething pain here and there. Mostly he's been drooling everywhere and gnawing on our fingers -- still eating ok and hasn't had trouble sleeping, so it's not too bad yet. There have only been a few times when he's been fussy enough about his g ums that we've had to hold him down and get him to swallow some baby Tylenol. I'm not sure who they're kidding with that stuff - making it grape or cherry flavored -- MILK flavored medicine would be a MUCH better idea!

Happy September everyone!

10 weeks!

In honor of this double-digit occasion, I thought I'd try out a video post. Let me know what you think.

Videos will continue to get more exciting as Colt learns new "tricks" -- for now he's getting pretty good at grinning and laughing!

We are still recovering from our trip south last week, and gearing up for our big week starting next Tuesday. I go back to work and Colt goes to daycare. bum bum BUM - the real world! I have already begun mentally preparing myself for that day, while at the same time trying not to think about it...

 

I know this sounds crazy, but the Tooth Fairy made a stop at our house this week. That's right - Colt is teething. Before all of you Moms out there call me crazy - know that I have already called our Pediatrician to be sure I'm not losing it (after I did my "research" online of course) and she told me that he is indeed showing signs of teething. He likely won't get a tooth for another month or more -- but is teething nonetheless.

Colt's neck and arm muscles are getting really strong and he's holding his head up pretty impressively. Above is a photo of his newest toy/gadget for Tummy Time. He can spin himself around on this thing -- and is really learning to love it. Tummy Time is much more enjoyable these days -- and more so as he gets stronger.

Another video of the happiest baby on the block--

WEEKEND UPDATE

As promised --

First and foremost, at the risk of jinxing us, I would like to announce that I got 7 (consecutive!) hours of sleep last night for the first time since June 18! That's right friends - Colt slept through the night. He actually slept 8 hours - but Jeff and I woke up an hour before he did this morning and didn't quite know what to do with ourselves! I know better than to think he will sleep that well every night from now on - but one night is a start!

In other exciting news -- I wore my pre-pregnancy jeans to dinner tonight!

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On to the important stuff - pictures! I gave you a sneak peak of our trip in my usual Wednesday update, but there are more fun photos here and in the "Colt" photo album.

Well - 5 days and some 1300 miles later - we are home. Colt did well in the car, sleeping a lot of the way, but 8 hours at a time is about his limit. Considering the longest he'd been in the car before this week may have been an hour - he was a trooper.

We saw this great double rainbow as we arrived in San Antonio on Tuesday - and that rain kept things relatively cool the whole time we were there. We couldn't have asked for better weather - in August!

Wednesday was Grandpa's birthday - Happy 60th! We went out for supper to Rio Mambo and had cake and ice cream at home.

Colt not only wore his "MY GRANDPA RULES!" t-shirt for the occasion, but also pulled out his cowboy hat -- since we were in Texas and all.

Thursday was spent napping and hanging out at home -- two of Colt's favorite things to do. This is a rare photo of Colt and Chip in close proximity. Chip was pretty down in the mouth about the munchkin that had invaded his house and was manipulating his otherwise undivided attention from Grandma and Grandpa. I don't think he was sad to see us go on Saturday.

Friday we took a trip! Mom had tickets for us to see a show at the Rockbox Theater in Fredericksburg. So we loaded up and headed out for the day. On the way to Fredericksburg - we stopped in Luckenbach!

Colt and I met this nice longhorn named "Shotgun" -- and, though I kept calling it a cow, Shotgun's handler (who we've just been referring to as "Tex") let us snap a few pictures. This photo definitely doesn't do justice to how TALL this cow was.

We went on to Fredericksburg-- walked around the shops a bit, ate at a traditional German restaurant (yum!), and saw the show at the Rockbox. What a fun day!

Saturday we packed the car to the gills and headed home.  Colt has now survived his first road trip and can cross two more states off his list.  It was such a fun trip and I'm sure everyone is still recovering-- it was good to get to see Grandpa on his birthday, roadtrip with Aunt Becky, visit with Erika, and celebrate (Chief!) Grandma's promotion! It's fun to travel - but good to be home. Dad missed us, though I'm sure he enjoyed the quiet for a few days!

I'm off to bed - cross your fingers for another full night's sleep!

9 weeks/2 months

I've noticed that as people get older - the description of their age is less and less specific. You hear about babies being 6 minutes or 3 hours old, then 2 days old, then it's weeks - until about 8 weeks, then you get to count months for a while - probably until 24 months, then it's finally years.

So Colt is 90,720 minutes OR 1512 hours OR 63 days OR 9 weeks OR 2 months old. (Yesterday...)

And he survived his 2 month checkup at the doctor on Monday. Colt weighs 11 lbs 14.5 oz and is 22.5 inches long! Our healthy little boy also was a champ through his second round of shots. He had a few in the hospital when he was born, but we weren't there to watch. So this was the first round of shots for Mom and Dad -- it was rough. But Colt was a trooper.

The rest of the checkup went great -- Colt is 2 for 2 with gold stars from the doctor! He's holding his head up well, is starting to grasp things in his hands, and is clearly growing well! We were pleased with another A+ for the munchkin.

Colt spent most of Monday afternoon in an InfantTylenol-induced stupor after the shots ordeal. While I spent the rest of the day getting us ready for... Baby's First Roadtrip!

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Yesterday was Grandpa Martin's 60th Birthday -- and in true Ed Martin fashion, he insisted that no fuss be made of his birthday. We tried to get him to plan a trip or a party -- and he wasn't having it. So we all got together and decided to bring the party to HIM! Becky, Colt and I loaded up and left Fayetteville early Tuesday morning, Erika drove in from Savannah, and Mom (who was scheduled to be working at Ft. Hood all week) drove in from a few hours north -- and we all rendezvoused just north of San Antonio and convoyed to the house to surprise him.

It's not every day you sit down to quietly watch some Olympics reruns only to hear the doorbell ring and find your family waiting outside to surprise you! We couldn't get Laura in from Africa (we're not miracle workers!) and Jeff couldn't come because students are back on campus up in Fayetteville -- but Dad was thrilled to see us.

Of course, we know who Grandma and Grandpa were REALLY thrilled to see!

We are staying all week, so more photos to come. In return for this update being a day late (sorry...) I'll have a special Weekend Edition of the Colt Report when we get home on Sunday -- so be looking for it.

In the meantime, I stumbled upon a fun link and thought I'd share. Enjoy --

magmypic.com

Where do we stack the empties?

Yes, bottle feeding is coming along nicely. There is still the occasional wrestling match - but Colt's figured out that eating from a bottle doesn't HAVE to be torture and he's decided to comply - most of the time. It's really put him on a more reliable schedule - which is nice. And I don't think we're far from sleeping through the night -- we are SO close!

We have officially made our triumphant return to Wilson Park - where we walked MANY a lap when I was pregnant. We are doing our best to stay out of the heat - but Colt really doesn't mind the carrier so we've started making regular trips to the park for a few laps. He usually falls asleep by the second lap.

We joke about Colt having "been" to the park so many times with us - and back then it seemed like forever until we'd get to take him along. I got to thinking about all of the places that he has "been" before (under his former stage name of Bump, of course.) Razorback basketball games, tailgating for football, a George Strait concert, West Point, the Dallas Aquarium, a Spurs basketball game, Ross Perot's jet! He's well traveled already - and doesn't even know it!

8 weeks - wow. It's been a good week. Colt is awake and alert much more during the day - which is fun - and we've continued taking him with us to go eat or to see friends. We are hoping all of the in-and-out-of-the-car and the various noises at home/the park/Wal-Mart/restaurants will make him a sound sleeper. We'll see!

As you can see from the photos - Colt hasn't been missing any meals... He's got the cutest little chubby arms and legs -- and the belly! We go to the doctor on Monday for our 2-month check-up and weigh-in. Stay tuned.

(As always - more photos in the albums.)

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Whose kid is that??

What's so funny?!

Smiling! Laughing, really. I think God knew what he was doing when he decided when babies would smile. It just so happens to be about the time they start crying real tears. While I am learning to handle the tears -- the smiles are making up for it!

7 weeks! This week has been a big one - and I mean BIG. Last Wednesday, after my update, we got a scale so we could keep up with the chubby little guy. He weighed 10 lbs 9ozs!  That's over 4 pounds in 6 weeks!

We go to the doctor in a few weeks for an official weigh-in, but I weighed him again this morning and he tipped the scales at just over 11 pounds!

Jeff was the unfortunate victim of our first diaper "failure" this week -- and has been a little gun-shy ever since. Thankfully it's only happened the one time so far -- though I'm sure my time is coming...

This week brought Colt's first bottle, which didn't seem to slow the weight gain at all - thank goodness. The first few were a little traumatic - for both Colt and Dad - but they are getting a little easier with every attempt.

Dad is especially proud of one of the gifts we received from a coworker of mine -- and at the rate he's growing, this kid will be playing for the Hogs in no time!

I talked with my boss this week about my going back to work -- which only makes me realize how fast time is flying. I have so enjoyed being home with Colt this summer and can't believe how much he's changed in just the few weeks he's been here. Never before had I noticed all the babies and kids that are everywhere I go -- though Jeff pointed out that I really never ran errands at the "Mom" time of day before -- and I find myself getting excited about a time when he's old enough to do fun things like go to the zoo or give me a hug or track mud in the house. I'm trying hard not to "wish away" his babyhood -- he'll never be 7 weeks old again -- and every time he falls asleep on my chest I think, "someday he'll be too big for this" and it makes me smile and enjoy every minute of every day with him.

Happy 7 weeks, Little Man.

6 weeks old!

Right after Colt was born, Nancy told me that 6 weeks was the magical time in a new Mom's life that things seem to settle into a routine and she's no longer the completely-clueless-crazy-person-with-the-new-baby --- rather she's starting to feel "normal" and a little more in control of things. I've really felt that the last few days. I was just thinking yesterday how it's starting to be no big deal to throw all our stuff in the car and go run errands during the day. If it weren't so God awful hot, we'd probably do more outside -- but just about the time the weather starts getting nicer, Colt will be a little older and more willing to hang out outside with us. I'm looking forward to that. But when Nancy told me that 6 weeks ago (and even a week ago!) I thought she was crazy and that I would never feel like I knew what I was doing. Not that I have it all figured out -- ha! -- but I'm starting to feel more confident and much more calm about taking care of him.

So he's much more consistent these days and can reliably go 2 or 3 hours between feedings -- so we've continued trying to get out of the house at least once a day. It gets a little easier every time. And this past weekend we almost got back into our normal (pre-baby) "weekend routine." 'Almost' because there was no sleeping in, but there was golf and there was homemade weekend breakfast and there was napping -- it was nice. Saturday afternoon I did a little What Not to Wear action on my closet in preparation for going back to work in September -- and laughed at how long it's been since I've worn my clothes!

Colt has almost lost all of the dark hair he was born with -- there are still a few random tufts left toward the back of his head. And he's got some pretty good peach fuzz all over where it's starting to grow back! And his eyes have lightened a little from the dark blue that they were when he was born. He has been sleeping almost 6 hours (in a row!) at night the last few days - which is WONDERFUL. And as long as I don't eat any dairy products he's in a really pleasant mood.  He's doing really great -- he goes to bed easily most nights, baths are less and less traumatic each time, he holds his head up unless he's really tired and forgets how, and he's starting to get less frustrated with his "tummy time" baby exercises.

We went to pick up Colt's pottery this week! A friend of mine owns a paint-your-own pottery studio here in Fayetteville called Different Strokes, and she wanted to do a keepsake plate for Colt -- so when he was 2 weeks old we went down and immortalized his little feet! She did a great job - I love it.

Not 2. Not 4. -- You get 3 strikes.

So, this may seem out of character – but I am absolutely obsessed with a mildly obscure reality show called “So You Think You Can Dance?”. I stumbled upon it a few years ago (yes, it has enjoyed several seasons now) and I fell in love. It’s a lot like American Idol – except with dancers. And it’s wonderful. Every week the dancers/contestants choose a style of dance out of a hat – and they spend the week learning choreography in that style – with a partner. The styles range from normal stuff like Ballroom and Hip Hop to – new to the show this season! – Two-Step and Bollywood. I love it!

So they start with 20 dancers – 10 guys and 10 girls. Each week they vote off 1 guy and 1 girl – so that there are even numbers for partnering and such. Three weeks ago was the episode that voted off the last 2 dancers to get down to the “Top 10” – which is a big deal because they tour the country after the show ends. Whatever.  Anyway, Comfort (girl) and Thayne (guy) were eliminated on that episode. Relatively uneventful. We have the Top 10. But WAIT!

The next week, during the opening dance sequence, I only counted 9 dancers! One of the girls was missing from the number. After they left the stage, the host of the show comes on and gives an update on Jessica (the missing girl). Apparently she had broken some ribs during rehearsing/performing the last few weeks and a doctor told her she couldn’t continue on the show. So! The producers of the show decide the only fair thing to do is bring back the last girl eliminated – Comfort. What?! They need an even number for partnering, but… this girl was not only already eliminated from the competition – but got beat by a girl with 2 broken ribs!

All I could think of was the 2008 Arkansas State Spelling Bee – which I had the privilege to attend in support of Clark County’s own – Elizabeth Teed. I’m not the seasoned Spelling Bee attendee that some are, but I am vaguely familiar with the process. You spell a word correctly – you stay in the bee. You spell a word incorrectly – you’re out. Very simple rules. You would think.

As the day progressed, we began to think they might be going for some sort of record for Longest Spelling Bee EVER. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a marathon day if they hadn’t kept putting people BACK IN the bee after they spelled words incorrectly. TWO different spellers had the unfortunate experience of being eliminated THREE separate times from the spelling bee. I don’t know if anyone in attendance that day was clear on the technicality of the rules that were manipulated in order for this to happen – but MY goodness!

This week, as you probably guessed, Comfort was eliminated from “So You Think You Can Dance” – again. And now things are as they should be. Is it not humbling enough to be eliminated from a given competition once? But twice? three times? Seriously.

Maybe they’ll have a new rule at the Olympics this year – the “Do Over”. It’s all the rage.