Monday, November 29, 2010

Mommy Monday

Who knew our child was laid back and can go with the flow?! Yes, Aidan. The same baby that I described in my very first post as a lover of predictability. He has never been easy going and definitely preferred to stick to his daily routine... until now.

There are so many things he did, or didn't do, this weekend that pleasantly surprised me so I won't list all of them, but will share the biggies with ya. :)


~Pleasant Surprise One~
On Thanksgiving, he was an angel. We had some friends over for dinner and two of the guests are a couple that have a daughter. Although Aidan has spent plenty of time around her, he was less than fond of her. Anytime they were around each other, Aidan would cry and cry. No idea why, but it was definitely stressful and sad for me. This time Aidan was fine and even seemed to enjoy her company. I was ecstatic, to say the least! Also, he was fine with all of the 'strangers'. He let anyone hold him or get close to him and was totally friendly with all of our guests. I was so proud of him! 
Before you start thinking that I am 'That Mom' who thinks their child is perfect, I will confess that Aidan had a terrible morning on Thursday. He cried worse than ever before and fought his morning nap for over an hour. But this post is all about the positive so were gonna overlook that part. : p

~Pleasant Surprise Two~
We took a mini-vaca to Orlando Friday through Sunday and as excited as I was for the trip, I was also pretty anxious about how Aidan would fare with being out of his element. Well, all that anxiousness was unnecessary because Aidan was a superstar! He napped in the stroller while we shopped at Downtown Disney; he napped in church with a loud, boisterous, and echoing choir singing off and on throughout mass; AND he was fine with only getting a couple of cat naps each day. He didn't freak out about sleeping in an unfamiliar hotel room. I was in awe of him every second of every day this past weekend... I was so happy, but also feeling a little guilty about how much I underestimated him. Have I mentioned that I need to work on being more optimistic?!


Now, I know for some of you these are all things that your children do everyday and have done for weeks, months, or years, but Aidan hasn't and I never thought he would. It gave me confidence that maybe I have done a thing or two correctly in my career as his Mama and that I haven't completely screwed him up. I have new hope that he did get some of his dad's go-with-the-flow attitude which would be a true Godsend!
 To all the other mama's with less than easy going children that are worried about venturing out of the comfort zone, just try it.... you might just be pleasantly surprised when you discover that your child is more laid back than you think. Good Luck! 


Every post needs at least one pic, right?! Here's a couple from our Orlando trip...

He may be laid back now, but he's still our Tigger... bouncing all over the place and can't sit still for long!


We HAD to document his stroller nap!






Monday, November 22, 2010

Mommy Monday

I have a fever... 

Belly Fever that is! A slight variation of Baby Fever, this Belly Fever I have is making me want to be pregnant again. Someday, when I have recovered from the sleep deprivation I have endured since having Aidan I am certain I will have Baby Fever, but for now it's just Belly Fever. 

Because this fever could be highly contagious, I'll list my symptoms so you all know what to look out for:

  • I am very interested in all things pregnancy. My love of A Baby Story has been reignited and I watch it anytime it's on tv, even if I have already seen the episode. I love talking to my pregnant friends and family members about their pregnancies and always want to hear every.little.detail. I stalk follow any and every pregnant ladys' blog I can find and check them daily for updates. 
  • Pregnant women are all around me lately. Everywhere I go, I see pregnant women. This might just be a coincidence; however, since I love to people watch I think I still would have noticed them before I came down with The Fever. Is this a sign?! 
  • I SO miss rubbing my pregnant belly. My (no longer) pregnant friend (Congrats Katie!) was recently at my house hanging out and she kept rubbing her cute, little belly. While mine was not little, it reminded me of how much I loved rubbing my cute, big belly! 
  • I have been taking trips down memory lane more and more often, by looking at my maternity pics. Every time I look at them, I think... "Hmm, I wasn't as big as a house I thought. Maybe, just maybe, I was even a cute, pregnant lady." <---- Something I definitely did not think once I hit the third trimester. I was so, so happy to get my waistline back after Aidan, but now, I think I'd be ok with having a half-moon shaped belly.
  • Finally, the most important symptom... I REALLY miss feeling the baby's little love taps. :) I miss the first oh.so.subtle flutters. I miss the hard, startling jabs that almost knock the wind out of you. I miss the slow, rolling waves of movement that come towards the end when there's just barely enough room for those limbs to move. I miss this awe-inspiring part the most! I could watch my belly move for h-o-u-r-s and h-o-u-r-s when I was pregnant.
    Jan. 2009 (a little over 8 months along)


    If you have at least one of these symptoms, seek out a pregnant lady to befriend so that you can live vicariously through her immediately! BUT... If you're ok with developing Baby Fever, then let the Belly Fever symptoms progress on their own. ; p

    Here's a couple more belly shots of Taquito and I just for good measure. Taquito was Aidan's name in utero because we did not know his gender beforehand (by choice). :0



    Dec. 2009 (about 7 months along)



    Feb. 2009 (about a week before I had Aidan)





    This post is to Mommy Monday like a tangent line is to a circle... not exactly on the same track, but comes from the same idea. Oh yeah, you better believe that I got an 'A' in Trigonometry. : D

    Thursday, November 18, 2010

    I really wish...

    ... the auto-tune craze would stop! What is so appealing about making your voice sound like a robot? Even if it is a robot that can sort of sing well.

    Ok, I get why the 'singers' that can't actually sing are doing it. Ke$ha, I was looking at you as I typed that. But I can't understand why real singers are doing it. For example, Usher uses it in DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again.  Why Usher? We liked YOUR voice! Well, I did.

    Maybe I'm jealous because I, as I have recently been told in so many words, couldn't be made into a good singer ever... auto-tuned or not. Hehe. : p Hmm, nah I don't think that's it. I just miss good 'ol, non-altered, human voices! 

    Ok, rant over. I feel better now, thanks so much for letting me get that out.  Here's a funny video for all my fellow non-fans of Ke$ha:


    Why is she famous?!
    You might have to click in the viewing box and then click the play icon for the video to play. Ahh, my less than computer savvyness is showing... 



    Please excuse the randomness of this post... :)

    Monday, November 15, 2010

    Mommy Monday

    Happy Monday All! Today, I am starting a new weekly-featured post about my random thoughts on motherhood. Lately, I have had writer's block which has made my blog posts few and far between. I am hoping that this weekly post will keep my posting on track. Because motherhood is a 24/7 job, I'm pretty sure I'll have tons of ideas for once a week postings. Hope you all enjoy it!

    Since this is the first Mommy Monday post, I figured I would start with the 5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Motherhood:


    {UNO}
    Have an open mind. This was huge for me! I was way too concerned about all the preconceived notions I had about what kind of mom I should or wanted to be. I was so stressed about trying to keep Aidan from using a pacifier that I got super anxious anytime he wanted to suck on something. Because I was so worried that Aidan would become dependent on being held all the time, I missed out on so much cuddling time with my newborn son. I think this is part of why he is not cuddly at all nowadays. 

    {DOS}
    Get educated before baby. I was an expert at all things pregnancy and labor by the time Aidan made his debut, but hadn't done much research about some of the big parenting decisions I would be making. The most important one for me was breast feeding. I knew that I wanted to at least try to nurse Aidan and that's about as far as my knowledge of breast feeding went. Ok, I knew a little bit more than that, but I definitely didn't know how hard breast feeding can be. Even though it's natural, it doesn't always come natural to everyone. Aidan and I really had to work at getting a correct latch in the beginning and then my way-too-fast-flow and his lack of the yellow-seedy looking BMs really put a wrench  in our early nursing relationship. After hours of reading and countless tears, we got the latch down and I learned that our problems had names (overactive letdown and foremilk-hindmilk imbalance) and were pretty common. PHEW!


    {TRES}
    When it all comes down to it, you're the parent. This is sort of an extension of numero dos. Once I did start getting educated about all things parenting, I realized that ev.ery.one is an expert on how you should raise your child. While it is good to get a motherload (pun intended) of info on any subject, in the end you should go with what best fits your parenting personality and your baby's needs. Period.


    {CUATRO}
    You are not alone. Now at 9 months postpartum, I am finally realizing that I wasn't alone in pretty much every single feeling and experience I had as a new mom. I REALLY wish I would have known this during those first few weeks of Aidan's life. The majority of moms have the Baby Blues, doubt their decisions, and feel like they are drowning in all the new responsibilities that come with being a rookie in the mom game. I could go on and on on this subject, but I'll save you all the boredom and rambling that would ensue. I just hope every new mom has another mom that they can reach out to because it will definitely be comforting to hear that you are not alone when you are covered in spit-up, haven't showered in a couple of days, and crying for no reason what.so.ever for the umpteenth time.


    {CINCO}
    Savor every moment. I missed out on so many good moments because I was so worried that I wasn't doing this or that right. New Moms: If you baby is fed, rested, and happy you are doing everything just right! It doesn't matter if there's breast milk or formula in that belly. It doesn't matter if they are sleeping in a crib or next to you in bed. All that really matter is that they are getting loads and loads your TLC. :)


    A picture of 2 month old Aidan... just because. I mean, everyone wants to see pictures of babies, right? : p




    Disclaimer: I am SO not an expert on motherhood. These are just the things that would have made the first few months of MY motherhood journey go more smoothly. I would love it if fellow moms added more to the list...

    Wednesday, November 10, 2010

    You Still There?

    Did you think I deserted my four friends that read this blog? : p Don't worry, I didn't. It's just been a busy week.

    Grammy (Aric's mom) visited us from CO most of last week. It was a fun and busy visit. She had not seen Aidan since July, so they had a lot of catching up to do. We went on a few outings, some lunches, and she definitely showered Aidan (and his parents) with lots of gifts, food, and love! Thank you for everything, Grammy!

    Unfortunately, last Wednesday evening Aidan got sick. : ( At first it was just a fever and nothing else... not even a little fussiness. On Thursday, Aidan felt way too warm for mom's comfort. Sure enough, when we took his temp it was 104.2! Whoa! I promptly called his doctor for an appointment.

    The wait seemed like it was for.ev.er long at the doc's office, but once Aidan was finally examined nothing turned up. Doctor's orders were to keep an eye on him and call if the temp went above 107 or he looked/acted more sick. My poor little guy was pretty tired and just feeling crummy so we just napped and cuddled on and off for the next couple of days. Aidan NEVER likes to cuddle, so this was one of the few positive side effects of him being under the weather... I was eating it up!

    Finally, on Sunday morning he woke up with no fever. I thought it was a little strange that he had a high fever, with no other symptoms, that came and went so suddenly, but I didn't worry too much because the doctor wasn't concerned. Well... fast forward to Sunday afternoon... Aidan broke out in a rash. That's when I knew what it was. Roseola! How did I know? I have a degree in Google Search, duh! The doctor thought that it might be Roseola and I had heard about it from a friend on Babycenter.com (aka Facebook for Mom's that Love Drama and Occasional Advice).

    What is Roseola? It's a strain of herpes. Eww, I know. Apparently, it is pretty common and children usually get it sometime between 3 months and 4 years. Luckily, once they get it they have a lifelong immunity to it. Since I am not a doctor and Aric is only a student doctor, if you want more info on Roseola click here.

    Aidan handled the fever very well for how high it got. However, after the fever broke, he got extra fussy (and still kind of is). I can't wait for him to be completely back to his old, smiling self! I was also pleasantly surprised by how well I handled it all. I was fairly certain that if his temperature was ever anywhere above 102 I would have been dialing 911 while speeding driving to nearest ER! Over dramatic and anxious, much? Luckily, I remained calm and collected the whole time which I really think helped Aidan stay calm and relaxed. I guess Aidan is not the only one growing up. I am growing into a more confident and much less anxious mama than I was 8 months ago. I can only hope and pray for this trend to continue.



    Sorry for rambling. This felt more like a diary entry than a blog post for me. I hope I didn't put everyone to sleep. If you read this whole thing, bless and thank you! :)

    Tuesday, November 2, 2010

    Our Little Frog Prince

    
    HAPPY late Halloween!!!


    
    Plastic Pumpkins.. yum! ; p


    It has been a little hectic since Halloween so I am just getting around to posting this... my apologies. As you can see, Aidan was a little frog for his first Halloween! He was just too cute in this (borrowed with much thanks to Story) costume! We did not officially go trick-or-treating because he is too little for candy, but we did celebrate.


    
    Too cute and a little funny as well!
    

    On Friday night, Aidan and I joined our friends for a trunk-or-treat at their church. This was a cool idea and all the trunks and costumes were quite festive. It was a little too late in the evening for Aidan though, so he didn't like as much as his mom.


    
    What are you making me wear now, Mom?!
    

    On Sunday, we visited a few friends that lived close by to 'trick-or-treat' and show off Aidan's costume. He didn't enjoy it very much at first, but by the second house he was having lots of fun. I think he enjoyed being in the limelight a bit.

    All in all, it was a pretty mellow Halloween, but we did get a little bit of candy and some super delish spice cupcakes (thanks, Rach). Also, a magical thing did happen at  the end of the night... When I kissed that little frog goodnight, he turned into a little prince! : D


    Little Prince :)



    NOTE: I made a rookie mom mistake forgot to check the battery on my camera so all these pictures are from my iPhone... good thing the quality is still pretty good.