Ready, Set, ...

GO!

Its official. My little dude is crawling. He took his first "crawl" on Monday, the day before his 8th month birthday. We have officially entered a new stage of parenthood. Not only has he entered the pro crawling circuit this week, he now spends all of his time looking for something to pull himself up on to stand. This includes the coffee table, the TV cabinet, his toy basket, any available leg and even the cat. As everyone knows, this leads to a lot of falling. Good thing we have wood floors instead of tile - its easier on the head.
Long gone are the days of googling over our little infant. Now we are hyper vigilant, baby proofing, boo boo kissing, remote hiding, top shelf placing, quick reflexing, cat saving parents.

Favorites from October

October is gone, but I have a few great pictures to remember...

*Sixth month pic

*Dressed up as a lion for Halloween

Update

Seems like I have no time to write these days. There has been a lot going on around here though so I'll steal from Lauren and make a bulleted post :)

• Pete had surgery on his thumb today. He could be home from work healing from 1 week to 3 months! There are a lot of variables. We'll see what happens.
• Mason has 4 teeth. Two on top. Two on bottom. He loves to eat! He now patiently waits with his mouth wide open for each bite of baby food. Yay!
• Still making home made baby food and pumping at work. In the eating area we are doing really well. Yay again!
• Mason is moving like crazy! Using a combination of rolling and scooting (mostly backwards) he is getting around some. He isn't on all fours, but he practices some so I'm thinking that he might start moving that way soon.
• He can move from sitting to all fours and vice versa.
• First semester of school is over! I made it through the first nine weeks of being away from by little dude. He loves his babysitter and so do we :)
• Mason started his hungry cry the other day while he was playing with a book on the floor. I sat down with him and asked him what the matter was. He looked at me and cried and waved his hand back and forth bending his wrist. I said something to him and he did it again. I think he was trying to sign! Pete thought I was crazy until Pete was holding him the next day trying to rock him to sleep. Mason was a little fussy. Pete called me in and said that he thought he wanted milk. Mason looked up at me and did the hand thing again. Pete couldn't believe it. Either we are just over reacting to some impatient hand movements or this kid is actually learning some sign language! I've done it with him since birth so its definitely possible!
• Mason is going along for the wagon ride for Halloween. He will be dressed as a lion and hanging out with his little buddies but just riding. He's too little for the door to door stuff. I'll be sure to post some pics.

That's all for now.

Monday Blahs

Its Monday night and I'm baking a cake. At Pete's request, not mine. But trust me... I didn't hesitate. For some reason since I gave birth I love eating sweets. I always have liked desserts and such but only when I was in the right mood. Not all the time - there were definite times I passed. But lately, its like I'll take any excuse to eat cookies, candy, cake, ice cream... you name it. I didn't even eat that much sugary stuff when I was pregnant. I tried to eat very healthy. I don't know what happened. I'm working on that though.


On a more pleasant note, I've lost 5 lbs. I think its weird considering my guilty pleasures mentioned above. I don't know how it happened. It just happened. I'm going to try to keep that trend going though. I could stand to firm up a little more. I'm definitely back to pre-baby weight now which makes me pretty happy. Although my body is different now. I don't feel as toned as I used to feel. I think I just need to exercise more, or... at all. Oops, more secrets revealed. Well, I do exercise actually. I walk a lot at work. AND a friend comes over 2x/week to walk in the evenings. We tend to do more chatting than actual exercise, but at least its an attempt. Maybe those are the reasons for the weight loss. Sounds like a logical explanation, right?



I'm exhausted today. Little Dude hasn't been sleeping like he used to at night. He USED to go to sleep around 7 or 8 and sleep until 7 am only waking one time around midnight for a short feeding then straight back to bed. Ahhhh, the good ol' days. NOW, he goes to sleep around 6:30 or 7. But he wakes a hundred times. Okay, well, not really 100, but a few. He started slowly and I used to be able to grab him and bring him to bed with us. Feed him and he'd be out. In those transition days he might have woken up again, but gone right back to sleep. He'd end up back in his crib at some point in the night when I would wake again and realize that he was still there. A few nights ago, he woke about 4 times and wanted to eat every time. The next night was much the same. After a few nights of that, I decided to not make a habit of him eating all night long. I took him to the rocking chair instead of my bed and only fed him one time like the good ol' days. He took it well. I don't think he was hungry, he just was in the habit of eating every time he woke in the night. Its been 3 nights of rocking instead of just going to pick him up and bringing him to our bed and I'm tired. I'm not complaining too much. I try to savor the time I have with my guy while he's still little. And, a reason might be because I'm working now so he's waking up at night to make up for one on one time lost during the day. I read somewhere that that might happen. That makes it even more okay with me. Plus he's teething, he had some kind of unexplained allergic reaction lately where he broke out in hives for 3 days, and he's going through a developmental transition - learning to crawl and eating solids. My doctor said that a lot of parents have concerns about baby's changing sleep habits at this age. I didn't even ask her - she just offerred the info. Makes me feel like it MUST be pretty darn common. BUT - I'm still tired. Blah! One day I'll have an uninterrupted night and morning of sleep. It might be 18 years from now, but it will happen. So until then, here's to strong coffee in the morning. Cheers!

EWWWWW! Sweet Potatoes!

For now, Youtube.com and I are at odds. So there is no video of Mason trying out solid foods for the first time. Its hilarious and heartbreaking to watch and I thought it would be able to speak for itself, but it looks like good old fashion writing will have to do this time.
We were very excited for his first meal. There was a lot of anticipation and preparation (home made sweet potatoes). Pete and I were very excited since he has been so interested in food lately. So we sat down like we do for meals with Little Dude in his high chair. I took a bite of the baby food, Pete took a bite of the baby food. We talked about how good it tasted. Then his turn. A teeny tiny tip of the baby spoon bite of sweet potatoes for Mason. He mouths it, looks at me, then looks at Pete. "YUM-EE!" I say. Picture this... bottom lip pops out and tears. One out of each eye. What a heart breaker. He swallows it, but he doesn't like it. Awww... we feel horrible but we aren't giving up yet. Pete eats several more bites all the while singing and talking about how good it tastes. One more try for the babes. Nope, does not like the sweet potatoes. He eats it, but its obvious he is not enjoying it one little bit. Fine. Eating time is over for that day. We plan to try the next day.
Day #2 and Mason takes bites of food with a reaction that I can only describe as the same reaction someone has when they do a shot of whiskey. His chin fell to his chest and his shoulders shivered as he swallowed. Yikes!

So now its been a few weeks and I have continued to make food for him and offer him bites during dinner time on week days and every time we eat on weekends. As soon as he shows signs of non interest I put it away. He eats a bite or two sometimes more everyday. I'm not going to worry about it or let others make me worry about it. He will continue to eat more and more as time goes by. He's obviously getting plenty of nutrients. He weighed 22lbs and 13 oz at his 6 mo well baby visit! Big boy!

Eating now is fun (it stressed me out those first few days). So far I've made and he's eaten sweet potatoes, banana, avocado, pears, nectarines. He likes the pear the best so far. He's also had baby oatmeal cereal that I only bought because my mother made me feel like the reason he didn't like the food was because he needed to eat cereal first. It just made him constipated. He'll probably eat more of that too eventually since I have it. Next will be carrots and green beans. I've had fun making his food. I've looked forward to going to the Farmer's Market to pick up his next new food to prepare. This is just the beginning and I know before long this little dude will be eating us out of house and home!

Favorite Pics

Here are some of my favorite pictures from September. I've been trying to add the video of Mason's first meal, but I encountered some technical difficulties. Stay tuned. In the meantime check out my Babsy...





September 1st - Front yard photo shoot.



September 25th - 6 mo birthday. (please ignore the laundry- ha ha)

Reflecting

A month ago I posted about Little Dude turning 5 months. This month I'm going to be a little selfish and write a little down kind of more for me than anyone else. Its been six months since Little Dude's birth. Giving birth is undeniably a huge life event. I didn't realize how much I would think about it and go over and over the events of those days in my head in the months following. I guess its normal that an experience like childbirth takes so much processing. I've found that mothers really like talking about their birth experiences. Its a way to keep it alive I think. There are so many emotions and feelings attached to those hours or days and mothers want to keep the memories close. So much happens in a short amount of time during birth. Its hard to remember all that went on, but I want to. I find myself thinking about the series of events trying to remember more things, questioning what occurred in an effort to understand better.



In the long run some people might think "who cares. its over. everyone is healthy and happy now. it all worked out - don't worry about it." But, for me, it does still matter. Although I had some minor complications, I'm satisfied with the experience. It was nothing of what I could have ever imagined, but it was fine. I went into the experience wanting to do it as naturally as possible doing most of my laboring at home before arriving at the hospital. I even considered a home birth at one point. But after 7 days of constant pain, the inability to lie flat, no sleep, vomiting, diarrhea and did I mention no sleep. I wanted it to end and I was scared to be in any more pain. I needed medical reassurance that everything was fine. I loved hearing the sound of that heartbeat moniter. I was in so much pain that hearing that baby was good made me feel better. But I was mentally worn and I didn't want to try to be strong anymore. I wanted the epidural. I wanted the skin on my belly to not feel like it was going to rip from the tension of being stretched. I wanted the pain in my abdomen to go away. I wanted to be able to eat without wobbling to the bathroom. Most importantly I wanted to start taking care of my babsy on the outside. I just couldn't do it anymore from the inside.
Despite my unaswered questions and complications I'd definitely do it all over again. Not any time soon, but someday.

I still wonder all the time...

Was I in actual labor for 7 days or was something else wrong with me? The doctor didn't ever find anything wrong, but I was in terrible constant pain for 7 whole days before my water broke and it magically went away.

What would have happened if I had a different doctor that was more into C-sections? Would a different doctor talked me into one just to get it all over with? Probably. Thank goodness me and Doc were on the same page on that one.

Was the cord wrapped around baby the reason why I had so much abdominal pain in the days leading up to birth? Was there pressure pulling on the placenta because he was so tightly wrapped up in the cord causing all of my pain? Is that even possible?

Did the fever I had after my epidural was administered cause my uncontrollable shivering? And if the epidural WAS causing my fever and shaking, why didn't anyone suggest that I turn it off?

Was the epidural the reason baby wasn't screaming at birth only grunting? Maybe he just didn't FEEL like screaming. He was fine and alert; I could see it in his eyes. I wasn't worried when they brought him to the NICU. I knew he would be fine. I felt disappointed and sad- I wanted him close.

How many babies have elevated CRP levels that no one knows about because they are not tested after birth?

How come I never really worried about his health? The whole crew was there waiting for him. I don't even know who they all were - (NICU, respirtory people, ???), but about 8 or so people showed up just in time for him to come out. How did I know he was healthy? I just knew he was fine. That still is weird to me. I felt so bad for the other mothers I saw in the NICU. Crying and upset that their babies were sick. I never felt like there was anything wrong with mine, but I was standing RIGHT next to the other mothers. Why was I different?

What if I had an unsupportive partner? I am so lucky to have had Pete there cheering me on. He was then and still is the best. I wouldn't have made it through that experience as well as I did without him. I actually feel like we did it together. That might sound weird, but its true. Its his birth story as much as it is mine.

Raw Foodist?

So a friend of mine is now a raw foodist. I think that is what thay call it anyway. Its really a form of veganism where you only eat raw or living food. Under the "raw rules" (my term) that I found on a website, it also includes foods cooked at 115 degrees or lower. This temperature heats the food without changing the chemical composition.

She keeps sharing her lunch with me eager for me to try her meals. WOW, I can't tell you how good some of this stuff is! I can't even believe its all uncooked. So far I've had banana bread, lemon squares, pizza, nut balls, dried peaches, fudge, and best of all chocolate pie. She's told me about lasagna, but I haven't tried it. The great thing about it, she tells me, is that you can eat as much as you want. Its healthy foods in its natural state and its so good for you. Can you believe that she pigged out on banana bread and pizza and lost 7 lbs at the same time? I'll tell ya... I think they are on to something!

chomp chomp

TWO teeth! Yup Little Dude now has chompers. The first one made its debut on Wednesday - or at least that was the first time we noticed it. Chomper #2 popped up the very next day. Front bottom teeth, just barely above the gums. Little Dude will start solids at 6 months which is just days away. He's definitely ready!

Yikes

Okay so I put it out there that I wouldn't be devastated if Hanna came close enough for school to be cancelled, but NOW... oh my gosh...IKE is kinda making me nervous. I do NOT want a Cat 3 hurricane beating down my door. Yikes! I need to start being more careful what I wish for.

Where art thou, Hanna?

Oh Hanna, can't you just come close enough for a school closing? I don't want needless damage from your winds and rains. I want just enough for another day off from school!

Tempus Fugit

I can't even believe it! Five months ago today I had a baby. At this time on that day I was waddling up and down the long hallway in the hospital every couple of hours to feed and hang out with my Little Dude in the NICU. My feet and ankles were swollen to the size of grapefruits, my body was majorly lagging, but I didn't even notice. I watched the clock like a hawk. I eagerly sat up at the sound of my alarm anxious to get back to the NICU. I got a "talking to" from my doctor who happened to be in the hospital all that day and was paying attention to the amount of times I passed her walking down that long hall. It didn't matter to me. I rested as I could, but it wasn't me that was important anymore. After exactly 7 days of literally no sleep, vomiting, diarrhea, and 3 hospital admissions I had my little dude and I felt like after all THAT - anything was easy. Now I try to treasure every moment. The days when he is small will pass quickly I know. He's grown and changed so much already. Its simply amazing. Oh how time flies!

YAY FAY!

Okay, so for totally selfish reasons I'm completely thrilled about this storm. School has been cancelled for the second day and I get to stay home with my little dude! I know some are bummed about the cancellation because chances are good that this means we will be making these days up at some point and others are dealing with storm related issues, but, for me, I'm completely happy. I'm living in the moment. And this moment means more mommy time and THAT makes me want to clap my hands. I'm happy and I know it! AAAAALLLLRIGHT!

"Back to school, back to school..."

I did it and I survived. I've been to work for two days now and I'm still alive and so is the Little Dude. It was fine. It wasn't a horrible, traumatic moment. I walked out of the front door with the sound of his laughter. I come home and he was happy and smiley. He likes his babysitter, we love that she's agreed to watch him and she thoroughly enjoys her time with him. Win-win... win.

It felt good to be at work. I like my job very much and I felt happy to be back busying myself with classroom decorations, lesson plans and new ideas. Don't misinterpret me- I'd much rather be caring for my child myself, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy my job. I've got tons of new ideas for my classroom and I'm planning to jam pack each day with activities so the time flies by. I've already got every holiday and early release marked on my calendar.
2 days down, 194 to go!

The Countdown

My first day back to work is one week away. Next Wednesday is the day. Its like its looming out there in next week ominously. I don't ever want it to come and at the same time I want to get it over with. I know it will be fine - no big deal at all - especially after I get a few days under my belt. But I feel almost fearful of it. Its like a band aid that I need to take off. I know I have to and it will be okay, but I don't want to do it. Uh, and knowing that it will happen at 6:55 am next Wednesday - its awful. Its like there's this big countdown in my head and everyday it gets closer.
I've realized some positives about the situation lately though. First being Mason's age. He is just about to enter the stage in where he could display some separation issues, but he's not quite there yet. Now, at 4 months, he will happily go to and play with just about anyone and be perfectly happy most of the time. In a few months that may change so this is a critical time to introduce him to another adult with whom to bond. And this will allow me some time to get over my separation issues too. If he was to cry every morning when I left, I don't know what I would do. The timing is perfect.
The other thing that came to me was about his caregiver. I've been able to be around her with her grandchild many times over the last year. Something that came to me recently when watching her with him was that she will do just about anything to keep him happy. Now, with my behavioral background I know this isn't the best way to raise a child. But as a new mother leaving her baby, it makes me feel a little more confident about everything especially that she will be motivated to be sure he is feeling happy. Anyway, she's not raising him. She's just caring for him in my and Pete's absence. Being attentive to his happiness is a great quality to recognize in your infant's caregiver.

So all in all, I'm basically... going crazy about this whole thing. I was going to write doing okay in that last sentence, but I changed my mind. I mean, I feel good about it for many reasons, but I just have this "supermom" instinct (Pete's words) to care for him myself. To put it in perspective for myself, I guess if this is my only real worry in life I'm doing pretty darn good.

Rock a Bye Baby

Is there anything better than a baby sleeping soundly in your arms? It doesn't matter what is happening or how I'm feeling - when that baby falls asleep with his head in the crook of my arm snuggled up close to my body, all I feel is peace. I hope that no matter how much time goes by I never forget what that feels like. Its awesome - plain and simple.

All Smiles

I just realized that all the pictures I've posted do not represent my little guy accurately. He is seriously almost ALWAYS smiling. None of the pictures show his little grin so I decided to add some smiley pictures of him. Enjoy.

Work Schmerk

Ahhhhh.... the sound of silence. Pete is out playing cards. Little Dude is sleeping. I'm appreciating my alone time. Life is good. I do have some worries though. School starts soon - very soon. I will have to leave my little one and go back to work. There is no other way to describe it except to say that it totally sucks. I love my job, but it just doesn't feel right to leave Mason with someone else. I feel like he's my responsibility and I should be caring for him. Its just not possible for me to stay home. I've accepted it, but I still am not thrilled about it. I am lucky enough to have someone come to my home to take care of him. My work is only 1 mile away so I can run home if need be. He's taking a bottle like a champ these days so that is not a worry for me anymore. I just know that it will be kinda hard for him at first and that makes me feel horrible. He doesn't go to sleep well for other people. He likes to nurse or have Pete rock him. My mom has stayed with him a few times, but other than that we have not left him. One of us is almost always with him. Mason is a good baby, but he gets cranky when he's tired and he wants his mommy or daddy. And he will cry... and cry - just ask my mom. I know that I am very lucky to have been able to spend 4 1/2 months with him. A lot of mommies have to go back to work a lot sooner than that! I know it will be fine. I know that it will be good for him to develop relationships with others. I know he will be safe and well cared for. It just sucks and I'm dreading it. I'll keep you posted, but for now, that's where I am on that.

Babies belong with their Mommies....

and Daddies. Work schmerk.

Chunky Monkey

Okay, I'll admit it - there have been times when it has gotten to me when people say over and over AND OVER how big Mason is. He's big, I know, you don't have to say it a gazillion times. Thanks. I know, I know... it shouldn't bother me. He's a happy, healthy, chubby cutie pie and that is all that is important. But it still has gotten under my skin at times - I don't know why. I'm writing about it, however, because I don't think it will ever bother me even in the least any more. I met a woman yesterday that has twins that were born premature. They are now 3 months and they are very small still. She mentioned that it bothers her when she goes places and EVERYONE says "WOW, they are SO small!" I told her how I have the opposite dilemma. She said that she'd rather have it my way. She made me think. And think. I've actually been thinking about it since I saw her and I've come to the conclusion that I agree with her. People must make her feel like she's not doing something right (she is doing everything right by the way). When a person (or a baby) is viewed as too skinny it is assumed that there is a problem. When a person (or baby) is big he or she is just viewed as big. I don't think anyone looks at my baby and thinks there is something wrong with him. People are just surprised at how big he is for his age. They comment on his chunky legs then he smiles at them which makes me feel proud and makes them feel special. It must be very difficult to see someone looking at your babies and notice the wonder in their eyes. The questioning look that implies you are doing something wrong followed by those stupid words "so small". A look that must devastate a new mom who is providing excellent care for her two tiny angels. So next time you take a peek behind a stroller shade to glimpse some one's baby, remember your words mean a lot to a new mom. Choose them carefully. Oh yeah and I don't think I'll ever get that wave of annoyance over a random remark about size. I think it will just remind me how lucky I am.

Mega Moose

Recently, Mason has started trying to put everything in his mouth. Its very cute for us to watch him because its one of the few things he can do on his own. Our fingers, washcloths, any toy he can get a grasp on goes straight for his mouth. A normal baby activity I know, but it still sparks chuckles from Pete and I regularly. The other day while we were playing with him while he was sitting in his high chair I gave him Mega Moose. Mega Moose is a stuffed moose that my niece brought him in the hospital the day he was born. It was especially thoughtful because Pete is from Maine. Since Mason ended up with an extended stay in the NICU (5 days) we left the stuffed moose in his plastic crib for him. One of the few times we ventured away from the hospital for a meal, the nurse called to tell us that Mason was still hungry (I was breastfeeding). We rushed right back. He was very upset and the nurse had seemed to try everything to soothe him. There was a small tape player playing some classical music, she held and rocked him, she had tightened his swaddle AND she placed the moose right next to him. I think she thought the stuffed moose may have smelled like usand might help him calm down. We thought it was so cute! And we were thankful that she had tried so many different things. We took pictures of the mosse watching over him. So, the other day when we pulled out the moose, who we named Mega Moose during the photo session at the hospital, he went right after it. It was so funny. He wrapped both arms right around it and it seemed as though he wanted to stuff the entire doll into his mouth! Check it out -

And Mason with Mega Moose watching over him in the NICU when he was just days old. Check out the difference. I can't believe that was only 4 months ago!

Beach Bums

Friday Pete and I took Mason to the beach. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I brought Mason to Jaycee Park several weeks ago and I referred to the trip as his first beach trip. But since Jaycee Park is actually a spot on the river, Friday was his first "real" beach experience. What a fabulous day it was too. I LOVE the beach. I always have. I used to refer to it as my part time job. You know - working on my tan. I would actually say that I was going to my part time job when I was really going to the beach. Its a wonder I don't have skin cancer. I used to go almost every day. So anyway, Friday I timed it so that it would be Little Dude's nap time when we got there. We set up camp with my huge umbrella, a sheet and a couple of chairs. Mason soon fell asleep. He slept for almost three hours so Pete and I got to lounge around, soak up some FL warmth, and enjoy the peace of the blue sky and roaring surf. Here's a picture of my little guy sleeping under the umbrella with the water in the background.

"sling"cessful

We did it! We figured out how to successfully use the ring sling. I tried a few times and it never felt right. One time he actually fell out. I caught him of course as he slid out of the bottom. With some help from Michelle, I realized that it was way too loose and all I needed to do was tightened it up! Now I've worn the sling a few times and I really like it. I used to use a structured carrier to wear him, but now that we've mastered the sling it will definitely be my carrier of choice. I always felt like the BabyBjorn and the Snugli kind of pinched his legs. He never complained, but it just never looked all that comfortable when I checked us out in the mirror. Anyway, success feels great!

Roly Poly

Today Pete put Mason on the floor for some tummy time and he rolled over for the first time! We were so proud. He pushed himself up like a pushup and - FLOP, over he rolled. We both saw it and were so excited I think we scared Mason because we both yelled and clapped. It was awesome.

Tomorrow, tomorrow...I love ya tomorrow!

Pete's been gone for 5 days and tomorrow morning I am picking him up from the airport. YAYY! We are very excited. Its been a great week for both Pete and myself, but I'm ready to have him home with us again.
I don't really know how much Mason has actually thought about Pete for sure, but the other morning I know he was missing him. Mason sleeps in his own crib at night, but most days when he wakes up I feed him and then let him lie in the bed between us. He usually kicks around for a while then drifts off back to sleep. One of the things he does is punch his arms all around. He is just getting the drift of using his arms and hands for things that he wants them to do. So he will use his little fists to touch Pete's back over and over until Pete will finally turn around and talk to him. So the other day he's on the bed with a wall of pillows on the other side of him instead of Pete. He starts punching the pillows in all different spots. He had a very determined look on his face. It was so cute. He turned on his side and kept punching in all different directions. It was like he couldn't understand why he couldn't find Pete. I think the idea that Pete wasn't there did not occur to him - just that he couldn't get his tiny fists in the right spot to touch him. He worked on it for a good five minutes until he was distracted by something. It was so cool to see Mason working so hard at something as well as to realize that his little brain is developing right along. I sometimes fear that he will not develop as he should. I'm sure every parent has some sort of thought at one time or another, but I think about it often since I've made my career working with children with developmental disabilities. It would definitely not be the end of the world, I know from experience, but devastating none the less. So its always nice when Mason shows me little signs that he is making connections, problem solving, focusing, even moving his body when he tries, etc.
I can't wait to show Pete the pictures I hung of our little guy while he was gone. I got the perfect white matted frames. Found the perfect pictures, edited them into black and whites, had them blown up to size and finally hung on the walls. I just love how they look and I'm sure he will too.
Its funny... today when I was hanging the pictures I started to notice a ton of spots around the house that similar pictures would look perfect. I thought for a moment I could decorate the whole house with pictures of Mason. Jeez, its weird what motherhood can do to a person. I'm glad I caught myself because it would be super strange to have pictures of the little dude on every wall of the house!
Ahhh, I've rambled for a while so I'll wrap this up. OOOOO, I just can't wait to get to the airport tomorrow! Yay!

Why?

How come when I'm out and about and I need to feed Mason I usually look for a private place? Today at Target I sat in a bathroom stall on a dirty toilet and fed him. The other day at the outlet mall I asked the woman in the Nautica store if I could go in a dressing room (where I had to sit on the floor) while I was standing next to a nice bench. I have a hooter hider in my diaper bag. Why do I feel the need to hide my entire body instead of just my chest? From now on - forget it... I'm not hiding anymore!

Early Morning Adventures

Pete is gone for the weekend and I've decided to savor the time to myself. Little Dude woke up this morning at 6:30 and instead of bringing him to bed and letting him kick and coo so I could catch a few more half asleep moments, I decided to go to Target and get the picture frames I've been thinking about for Mason's bedroom walls. I got up and dressed; moved the laundry along from yesterday; straightened up and went out the door. It was just after 8am. Believe it or not I haven't been out of the house that early since we got out of work for the summer. Even with a 3 month old I still sleep late most days. I went to Dunkin Doughnuts for a coffee. I was really looking forward to it. Mmmm, something wonderful like hazelnut or irish creme... I decided on vanilla. Medium vanilla coffee with splenda on the side is what I ordered. I eagerly added the splenda and stirred. I took my first sip and.... PLAHHH! It tasted totally gross. I think the lady put too much vanilla in it or the vanilla was a little bad. It really didn't matter it did not taste like the coffee I'd imagined. Pete's words were ringing in my ears - "eww, your sweet flavored coffee tastes like shit". On this occasion, he was definitely right.
Target was great. I took my time walking around since Mason fell asleep. I think I was wandering around the store for about 2 hours. It felt like when I used to go shopping by myself without having to think about getting home to feed the little dude. It was nice. I found some picture frames that aren't exactly what I wanted, but will do just the same. Now I just have to decide what pictures to have printed to put in the new frames.
Here are a few I'm thinking about using:

Starting Out

I'm going to try my hand at blogging. I'm a little behind the times as I just discovered the world of blogging and I've really enjoyed reading others' blogs. I've decided to give it a go and see what happens. Pete has been making fun of my blog interest lately and often calls me little names like Bloggy McBloggerson or Blog Bloggy. Or in his best high pitched imitation of me says "Oh god! I HAVE to read my blogs! BLOGS BLOGS BLOGS!" You'd think I spent night and day on the computer. Geez! Well, throwing fear of his taunts to the wind I have created my very own blog. Hopefully my site will get better as I learn more about all the features and options.