Me Too!

I received a call at 6:30am this morning that my SIL's babysitter was in the hospital last night and she needed someone to care for my little niece.....YEAH! I was so excited that JJ and I got to play today with his cousin.

Then the terror set in: I still had to get to work at 3pm. Would I be able to get dressed, eat breakfast, Pee with TWO babies?

I jumped in the shower, got dressed and put make up on while I had just one baby (JUST one....HA!). My niece arrived with big smiles ready to play. JJ smiled and laughed at the craziness yet to come.

My SIL then goes thru the instructions for my niece which include: feed her cereal (WHAT? OMG!), go ahead and just strip her down because the cereal goes everywhere," I just set her on my knee and feed her" she says (Again, WHAT?).....

Well, after all the instructions of bottles and diapers and naptime etc...she left for work and I stared at the two babies in my house.....trying to look brave so that they would not see my panic!

We settled into the bouncy seat and swing in my kitchen and I "put my big girl panties on" and started to mix rice cereal....I did however leave the little one in her bouncy seat with a bib on (no naked knee sitting in my house today, thank you very much). I start to feed her (she is really funny and LOVES her cereal, tries to grab the spoon but really just spits all the cereal out on herself) then JJ starts to fuss, so I pretend to give him a bite (the last time I did this he GAGGED in a big way so I figured the pretend bite would satisfy him) and go back to feeding my little niece. Then JJ starts to scream (me too, me too)....so I give him a real bite and he LOVES it. So now I had to mix him up his own bowl of cereal and feed one blue spoon bite and then one pink spoon bite.....it was so cute. My niece spit most of hers on her bib but really enjoyed it very much. JJ made faces like I was feeding him something rotten but cried for more. I didn't even use a bib because he just ate it up (and I am not so good with remembering bibs). I think we were both surprised!



I can't wait to try cereal again tonight with Daddy!

Now both babies are sleeping (after a very dramatic crying spell). Each cuddled up in their own bed. And I got to eat a bowl of cereal myself!

what a day! and it's only 11am.

Next will be "tummy time".....

What I know for Sure:


NOTHING and I mean NOTHING can prepare you for the complete change of life that mommyhood brings. It's like being dropped off, and I mean without time to plan the trip or pack your bags....just dropped off in a foreign country. No language skills, place to sleep, etc.

I am too sleep deprived to do math, give directions, think of a word, place or time of something we have done in the past, or operate big machinery...possibly ever again

The diaper bag must be repacked every day

Every piece of clothing has drool on it

I am more fun, exciting and beautiful to a four month old boy than I had ever imagined I could be......

I am still not sure it's an even trade for the pregnancy, labor, delivery, no sleep, no life, no money, did I mention NO SLEEP, change of life he has brought on...but it's been very interesting.

I have super-sonic mommy hearing....I can hear him breathe from across the room

I desperately need a pedicure (among other things)

Swaying, rocking, bouncing for HOURS every day doesn't burn enough calories to loose the rest of the baby weight

I'm FUNNY.....wanna see:

Bluebonnets as promised.....



Martha and Ellie, Daddy, Mommy and Baby



My boy enjoying the Texas Sprintime

Happy Easter!

We took all the babies to our neighborhood Egg Hunt on Sat and then for photos in the Texas Bluebonnets (still waiting for those to be downloaded)




Then Church and out to breakfast on Sunday.....more church photos coming soon....here is the baby in his Sunday Best.....wait til you see his Cousin, she was wearing a pink bonnet, it was adorable

Baby Playing and Teething:



A video of the baby for your viewing pleasure....

Also, today my friend is having Round Two of Chemo, her name is Alissa, please pray for her that she tolerates the Chemo well and that it blasts away her tumors. THANK YOU!

Aunite Jen takes the BEST photos and Oprah is amazing!

Auntie Jen and Cousin Maddie came over for a visit. We went shopping for "Baby's First Easter Basket" (yes, it's really all for us, babies don't eat candy) and then played and had dinner together. She takes the best photos of the kids. The babies have recently started to recognize each other, smile and even coo at each other. It's so adorable....

Plankton is showing Maddie how to BOUNCE in the exersaucer

He is such a "little man"

Mommy's Beautiful Boy


For those who watch Oprah and for those who don't: the episode yesterday was WONDERFUL. It was all about Mommyhood and keeping it REAL. I loved it. If you are a mommy and have not yet seen it, I highly recommend watching it or reading about it here.

I plan to have a bigger post, but here are two "mommy confessions" for you:
I dropped Chocolate ice cream on my baby's head (before noon) while he was in the wrap.....and laughed.....he barely noticed.
And I have worn an outfit a whole day, slept in it and then wore it the next day.....hey, it already had drool on it, why start all over again?

What is your Mommy Confession? And what do you wish you could let go of in your life to enjoy motherhood more?

Wishin' I Was Fishin'

Plankton: Mamma!!!! I am Wishin' I was Fishin'


Me: Yes, baby we are gonna go fishin' at THE COTTAGE in just 78 days!


Plankton: Really? That is great!

FOUR MONTHS OLD!

Oh my! I can't believe our little one is four months today.

We are officially out of the "4th trimester". I appreciate this term now. It's when baby and mom are adjusting to their life with baby OUTSIDE the womb. It's truly an adjustment for both of us. So many things are talked about with "trimesters" of pregnancy. The sizes, what is developing etc. So to call these past few months another trimester makes sense.  It's a huge adjustment along with lots of numbers and statistics. The whole family changes and grows during each trimester but this 4th trimester is the hardest.  It's painful to grow that much. It's worth it but it is a painful process to outgrow your thoughts, your understanding of the world and your old life. All while gaining new skills in parenting, communication, eating and sleeping.

We have survived the change so far and on most days think we are doing so with flying colors.  The three of us are working as a team, which is amazing.  Daddy has been so patient, helpful and loving, baby keeps us laughing and puts up with our moments of parenting stupidity and mommy just hangs on for dear life.

Well, enough reflection and the much anticipated PICTURES:

Our preferred way to travel, around the house, at the store, etc etc....

His FAVORITE toy....a frog with two rings....he just lights up when it's brought out....and especially when daddy makes him sing and dance  :-)

Oh and the promised video of my baby LOVING himself on youtube:

As Promised:  More Photos and an update from our Doc visit today  

Baby is 13.8 pounds (37% percentile), Head Circ is 16.75 inches (77% percentile) and 25 inches long (63% percentile).  Doc says he is well developed, well nourished and alert, active with no apparent distress....other than teething.

May I present THE cutest family EVER!

We had so much fun today at the Portrait Studio, daddy has this week off from work so we went to take photos....baby started giggling and smiling for the camera and I said "daddy, this is going to be expensive...."  We got a great deal on our pictures....so be ready to see more soon...

Baby's First Camping Trip:

We had an AWESOME trip.  Baby did wonderful, enjoyed the weather, stroller rides, shopping, his cousin, auntie and uncle.  He just didn't sleep so good in the camper, so we came home a day early....which was fine because today we did the grocery game, visited with Ellie and had dinner with Grandma Natalie and Grandpa Ira.

Check out all the camping photos on our Cousin's blog: 

We have a doctor visit Thursday....check back for the stats  :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Welcome to our new Niece/Cousin:

Here is the boy in his "green" outfit for today....thanks to Manda and her WONDERFUL knitting skills....of course it was 80 in Dallas so he wore it for the photo and then we had to strip him down to cool him off....  :-)

Approx. 105 days and 7 hours after our birth at the local birth center, my niece was born in the very same room.  She had a water birth, and her big sister cut the cord....it was WONDERFUL and very exciting!  Here we are welcoming her:

Here is my BIG boy!  He is getting HUGE!  We know he is over 14 pounds but have yet to get an "official" weight check at the doctor.  

I am doing so much better this week, now I know why folks say just wait until 3 months....all things really do change.  We are FINALLY settling into a sleep pattern that is "predictable" (all new parents know how loosely I use this term), he is eating better (imagine that), smiling, laughing and just all around a lot  more fun.  It's not that life with baby is "easy" by any stretch of the imagination but at this point it feels more "survivable" and there are moments that it is truly FUN!  

Hubby has this week and next week off from work (it's a cost savings shut down at work) so we get to be a little family EVERY SINGLE DAY!  It's so much fun!  We have projects to work on and both the boys have come to work with me a couple of times....I LOVE IT!  Tomorrow hubby is going to paint the family room (it has been in various stages of "started" since before thanksgiving) while baby and I are out with friends.  Then this weekend we are going CAMPING

It will be our first camping trip since Thanksgiving and our first trip with the baby!  

more photos to come.....

3 month update:Here is the BIG BOY!  He is 14 pounds, by our bathroom scale.  I can't wait to get an "official" weight at the docs office.  Check out his "80 degree" day outfit. Yes, we had an 80 degree day yesterday.

Auntie Amelia came to visit and got to see the boy for the first time, she fell in LOVE, how could she not.  Plankton had two amazing days with two of his cousins.  He thought they were HILARIOUS, he just stared and laughed at them.  He refused to take any serious naps for fear he would miss a moment of the cousin-excitement.

Daddy's 34th birthday, last year we forgot to take photos and it was just the two of us.  This year we are a family.
And we spent the evening with our big family celebrating.  Good food and even better company.  
Cousin Ava, the "little mama".

And of course another video:  "Grandma Natalie" found this seat at Babies R Us and said "it's perfect, he must have it"......I wasn't too sure but of course the boy LOVES LOVES LOVES this new toy.  So now it is mammas favorite too  :-)  THANK YOU NATALIE!!!!

In an Octopus's Garden


Here is my adorable son.... another video, if you can stand it (click the link if the embeded video doesn't work)
and yes I do know that my desire to stare at my baby 24/7 and think EVERYTHING he does is amazing and genius doesn't extend outside of my immediate family.....but that just doesn't stop me from posting more videos :-)


This little guy is more and more like his daddy every day:

1) they both LOVE TO EAT
2) they get grumpy if they don't eat
3) they are both BOOB men
4) they talk a LOT
5) they LAUGH and LAUGH and LAUGH.....everything is HILARIOUS in our house, especially mamma
6) they love to ride in the car
7) they are both MORNING boys
8) they both love family, the more aunties, cousins etc around the happier they are


I can't wait until the little one SLEEPS as much as Daddy likes to! Then I will be in HEAVEN!

Another GOOD MORNING!, my baby wakes up just like me and daddy....ready to go!

Yesterday was my first day back to work. Plankton joined me and was fussy and screamed most of the time. We did get a bunch of stuff done that has been on my todo list for MONTHS (no, not the thank you notes/birth announcements, I am REALLY hoping for enough time this weekend). And I saw some patients....some very understanding and patient patients :-) My office was it's usually chaos, which I LOVE! GOD BLESS Auntie Martha who snuggled, fed and soothed my screaming baby.....

It wasn't a complete bust, nor a raving success and we'll try again later this week and next week. We'll get the hang of this "work" thing again soon.

OOOhhhhhhh, also GOD BLESS Dr. Margot who has kept my clinic running more smoothly than when I was there alone. She is a wonderful doctor a kind hearted soul AND she has agreed to stay on and join me....YEAH!!! Also one more GOD BLESS to Kimberly who treats my patients with warm, therapeutic touch. She is a joy to work with.

Okay, enough of that....I am off to a family appt and then KNIT CLASS!

Good Morning!

Baby slept well, mommy not so much..... but we did get to play this morning before Daddy woke up. Of course, before I grabbed the camera, baby was giggling....you don't get to see that but you can see how much more active he has become and why we say the mornings are the BEST!
About 20 minutes after playtime, baby is SLEEPING!

Date Night:

Hubby and I spent a LAUGHTER filled evening reading the "free" posts on Craig's List. It was probably the best date night we have had in a long time (okay we don't have a lot to compare it to....).

So, if you need a good laugh....or some more junk for your garage go read the free posts.....and read them with your best hillbilly accent....

Here is my favorite one:

Yeah, okay. It's weird. Tons of Mismatched Socks. (Frisco):
I must have a decades worth of lonely, mismatched socks - men's, women's, and both boy's and girl's - all sizes. It's ridiculous. I was going to throw them away but it seems like such a waste. There is a large tub full of them. Can someone use them? Sock puppets? I don't know....

GOOD LUCK



This little yellow outfit was worn by my nephew and niece. My sister gave it to me when were trying to get pregnant as a good luck charm. She said our baby would wear it. She was so confident. I put this little outfit under my pillow and slept over it every night of my pregnancy. Hoping that we would not only become pregnant and stay pregnant but that I would carry a healthy baby and one who would wear this outfit just like his cousins did.

LOOK AT MY BOY!!! He is wearing that little outfit and it is nearly too small for him. :-)

What an awesome day! It's amazing how much can change in a year. Last year I was worried about my hormones and ovaries and this year I am worried about the Flu, all germs, and keeping my beautiful baby healthy.

I miss sleeping and being able to get showered and dressed in the morning without a big circus act.....but I don't miss all the worry over infertility and the possibility that we may never have a family....we are truly blessed this day!

It's a jungle out there!

Plankton loves this baby toy at his Auntie Jen's house. He just ooohhh-ed and aaahhhh-ed over it. We had so much fun watching him enjoy it.


Plankton and I got to get out shopping yesterday and today.....it was awesome to get out. It's a lot harder to get out and about with a baby, stroller, diaper bag etc. But, I am thrilled to do that. I got to pick up a few things for ME! That was a huge treat, as well as few baby things and start shopping for my family (we exchange gifts in February in celebration of Intercalary Days, the Baha'i gift giving holiday). I also enjoyed lunch with two of Plankton's "Aunties", it was BLISS (and bumped into two others). They were patient with the feeding, baby walking, diaper changing and even said they had "fun".


We're starting to sleep a bit better, I am getting more confident about motherhood and Plankton is amazing! He is smiling and laughing.

We're even starting to make some plans for future travel......exciting!

More photos of my adorable boy!, our weekend and some answers:



(Here he is in the sweater that mommy knit for him and sitting on the counter with Grandma watching mommy cook.)

He is getting so big! We had a great but BUSY weekend. Hubby had to work which left me with lots of baby time.

Sat I enjoyed our last day with Grandma here at our house. She worked on the boat bassinet, we talked and talked and then worked on printing out some photos and designing Plankton's birth announcement at Buddy's house (my dad). Better late than never.....

I don't want Grandma to leave, she has been so helpful. I have always enjoyed my in-laws but this time has been so special. We have shared colic, dirty diapers, first smiles, giggles, battery installation, diaper shopping, etc etc. She has helped (along with my wonderful family) to make my transition to motherhood easier, more enjoyable and less scary. I know she will be back soon but I don't want her to miss a minute of what is going to be the most amazing year of our lives.

Sunday was the baptism of my little niece. Check out photos on her blog. It was beautiful and the best part.....PLANKTON SLEPT RIGHT THRU IT!!!!! Also, little Madison seemed to enjoy it herself.

Then we stayed all day with Madison and her family to party and then party again for the superbowl. It was a great day....even if Plankton refused to take a decent nap.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

1) yes, I am going to return to work, but a little later than I expected due to my broken tail bone and slow adjustment to mommyhood. I will be back to my "full schedule" by March....and a part time schedule before then. I don't know yet what we are doing for babycare. Some combination of Daddy working from home (maybe with some help from Char), Buddy cuddling him at the office and mommy reducing her hours.

2) Yes, thanks, I AM looking better. I have adjusted to an average of 3 hours of sleep as best I can. I finally know that everything is going to be okay.

3) Plankton IS big, he has nearly doubled in size :-)

4) Plankton is not his real name. It was our "belly name" for him and now it's his "blog name".

5) No he is not sleeping thu the night, he is still young, a "high needs" baby and he thinks he is going to starve if we don't feed him every 2-3 hours.....also, see #2

6) I know "it's going to get better soon".....is it soon yet?

7) Yup! He looks just like Daddy.....

8) NOPE! If it happened in the world after Dec. 2nd I know nothing about it....We didn't even watch the end of the superbowl....okay we did watch the inauguration...that was monumental.

9) why yes! he is the cutest, most handsome baby EVER!