Mama Spud

Tater Tot- 2, Small Fry- 8 months

2011-05-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

Tater Tot-
-was playing by herself while I was reorganizing baby clothes, and she kept saying, "I have to clean up this junk!" Apparently I say that a lot...
-l.o.v.e.d Tarzan, but won't admit it because The Jungle Book is way better. She has a penchant for boys lost in the wilderness and raised by animals. I suppose. Give me hunky Tarzan over scrawny Mowgli any day!
-Has started telling me, "I killed a man with THIS thumb." I believe it.
-still has not gained any weight.
-refuses to go on the potty, even if I let it trickle down her leg all weekend long.
-started hopping up and down while I was getting the movie Rikki Tikki Tavi ready. She claimed she was being a mongoose. Then she got confused and started calling it a kangaroo. There's no kangaroos in India, Nugget.
-only loves the puppy (we're fostering... No decisions yet) only when it's not whining. After a pretty harried spell involving a choking sister and spilled BBQ sauce, she told me she doesn't want to keep her because she goes "Mmm hmmm hmmm!" "oll de time!"
-can sing the alphabet song and is starting to learn letters make words.
-said "abaho"(sp?) at the dentist when the chair went up and down. Thanks Dora.

Small Fry-
-is a rolling over champ.
-prefers sitting to laying down.
-has started crawling like an army man.
-sometimes tries to pull herself up on my lap, the edge of the bathtub, or the coffee table.
-eats stage 2 foods and is starting to eat puffs and drink water from a sippy cup... Well, it's more like dumping, but close.
-wants Tater Tots toys.
-thinks the puppy is soooo funny!
-thinks Tater Tot is even funnier.
-still hates Spud.
-still sleeps in my bed :-/
-is saying "baba" when she wants to eat (either nurse or bottle) and "mama"... I think.
-currently has her toenails painted red, picked out by her sister (who chose pale pink for herself).
-is really starting to show the strawberry blonde in her hair.

Tater Tot- 2, Small Fry- 7.5 months

2011-04-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

After some much needed approval from Vanessa (http://nobloggingnamesleft.blogspot.com) -and reassurance that someone IS actually reading out there- I'm writing again. Twice in one week. Aren't you stunned.

Updates:
TT is noticeably filling out again, thanks to a concentrated effort to plump her back up again. Slipping butter on her veggies, whole milk in her smoothies, snacks available at all times, and a never ending supply of Mac n Cheese. Hey... At least she's eating something!

SF is such a solid sitter (say that 3 times fast) that I let her take a big girl bath with Tot, instead of the blue plastic baby tub (which is ...soo annoying). It's large, doesn't store well for easy access, falls over a lot, and requires two separate (exhausting) bath preparations. Finally, the day I've been waiting for has come! Not walking or saying Mama, just being able to bathe them at once. Yippee!

We also started SF on Enfamil Restful Night formula tonight. I do nurse during the day, and the evening, and all through the night, but I'm usually so tapped by bedtime that I give her a bottle of formula just to give my boobs a two hour break until the next round! We'll see how this goes. Not having one single night of complete sleep in 7.5 months is starting to affect me .

TT and I were watching the "mousie movie" (Ratatouille by Disney/Pixar) for the ...billionth time. And there's a line spoken by a chef on a new person's first day of work. It's a little odd for a G rated movie, and my tiny myna bird thought it best to repeat to me.
"Mommy? Welcome to HELL!"

Little does she know, I'm already there. Thanks baby.

Tater Tot-2, Small Fry- 7 months

2011-04-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

(I will be better about writing in my blog... I WILL be better about writing in my blog...)

Sigh...

Well, I spend a lot of time holding my sleeping baby and playing on my iPhone. I'm not proud of it, but what else am I going to do? It's why I sold my eNvy and iPod to buy an iPhone and use it *all day long*!! I'm actually thinking of getting it surgically attached to my hand but it might get in the way of changing diapers.

Where was I? Oh yes, my inability to sit at a computer desk. Thinking of surgically attaching said sleeping baby to me as well. Saves on slings. Anyways, the iPhone- love ya to pieces- is a little hard to blog on. But I'm doing it now (sans pictures because I can't upload from here - but boy do I have some doozies!) for you fine people, because I know you're just dying for an update.

3 weeks ago, we took down the side rail of Tater Tot's crib and made it a big girl bed. We also pulled her 2 bottles a day and some days she skips naps. Sigh. One little puddle jump (potty-training) away from being a big girl!

When we cut the bottles of milk out, her weight drastically fell. Noticeably. Her ribs and spine stuck out, she stopped eating anything, screamed and tantrumed all. the. damn. time. I was going to pull my hair out.

Then she woke up with a fever one morning last week. I was already planning on taking her for a weight check that week anyways, so I called for an appointment. Yup, it's just a virus, but the weight thing bothered Dr. Wonderful as well. Tot dropped from the 50% in weight, to the 25th in just 2.5 months. Yikes. She has to gain over a pound in the next 3 months or he'll start some tests on her thyroid, etc.

Small Fry, on the other hand, went to see Dr. Wonderful ( he really is wonderful. My knight in shining armor who rescued us from the evil Dr. Dumbass) for her 6 month appointment (at 6.5 months... I'm bad about that). She is in the 75% for weight at a whopping 18 lbs, and in the 97+% for height at 28 inches! In six months she's gained 11 pounds and grown 8.5 inches!

However, she wasn't rolling over on her own, either way, or sitting up. Dr. W. said to give her 3 weeks and if she had some delays, he'd have her evaluated by a program here called First Steps. Well! Small Fry would have none of that!! No sir.

By the end of the day, she was sitting. By the end of the week, rolling over both ways. This is the baby I've wished she could be. Playing, happy, eating food - sometimes sad and that's ok, but better than she used to be.

I think she was just depressed that she couldn't be a big kid.

Later kids, my thumb hurts from typing.

Tater Tot- 2, Small Fry, 6.5 months

2011-03-17T05:10:00.001-07:00

I often get approached by people in my small semi-southern town while I'm out shopping with Small Fry. She's usually in a Baby Bjorn we got as a handmedown from a friend, or one of my various slings. People are so friendly and seem to love babies here, and wearing my child seems to draw more attention to her than just leaving her in the car seat or stroller.

NOT ONCE, WHILE IN A CAR SEAT OR STROLLER, HAS AN OLDER PARENT COME UP AND SAID, "Oh I wish they had that when my kids were little."

I usually tell them, while patting my baby and keeping her away from their grimy fingers, that wearing my baby has been a lifesaver - and it's also been around for hundreds of years! Haha!

Just remember that. No experienced parent wishes they could have plopped their miserable baby in a stroller, when they could have put them in a sling instead.

;-D

Tater Tot-2, Small Fry-6.5 months

2011-03-13T06:44:00.001-07:00

Cousin-Palooza!

Cousin Hash Brown and Aunt Curly Fry have arrived in Kentucky!! Whoo!

All the girls could talk about was getting together and eating popcorn with their cousin! So sweet. It started because one time Curly Fry called and we were in bed watching a movie and eating popcorn. Hash Brown liked that idea so much, she begged her mommy to bring popcorn when she came to visit. She even made sure it was packed before they left!

Last night, we had dinner and let the girls make a mess of the living room. Then we bathed all the babies and settled in to watch The Princess and the Frog. With our robes, blankets, milk... And our popcorn, of course!

Tater Tot -2, Small Fry - 6 months

2011-03-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Oh thank god for the Johnny Jump Up.

Now, AP moms out there, you may cringe at using a toy or bouncer or something to keep your kid happy. I certainly don't ever *cough* use it to leave her alone all day while I gallivant around town or anything. But, if your kid wants to play with a toy, why deny her? She gets bored with seeing the same old Mommy every day ... and that's ok. I'd be bored with me too. Small Fry is having fun, learning how to grasp and jump, and I help her play with it. That's fun. When she cries, I take her out and hold her. That's when it's not fun anymore.

Tater Tot even gets in on the fun too - although a little too rough for my taste.

"No! Don't swing Sissy like a pinata!"

Potty Training Woes

Ok, we've been putting it off for long enough. She's been "pre-potty training" for 8 1/2 months now. It's time to get serious.

And Tater Tot let it be known that it was time to get serious. The sh*t hit the fan... well, carpet. And bed. And walls.

Spud heard her say, "Oh no, oh man, oh man!" while she was supposed to be napping. He went upstairs and she had taken her pants off, and her diaper, was flinging the diaper and the poo everywhere (thank goodness it's just little nuggets) and had peed in the bed.

Thank God I was napping through that!

Yup, time to fix it.

So we hit it hard core today. Carting the little pink potty wherever we went around the house. Easy access. Constant reminders.

And it worked. Sorta.

While we were laying in bed watching The Jungle Book (for the 15th time), getting ready for a nap, she said, "Mommy, I hafta go pee pee potty!"

Yay! I thought. Ok, let me peel myself off of Small Fry and we'll hurry to the bathroom. Then Spud came home and distracted her, she ran off to the living room, and peed on the carpet.

....almost.... All of the buttons are there, they just have to be activated.

Sigh.

Reading "The No-Cry Potty Training Solution," by Elizabeth Pantley. Also on my reading list, a book by Dr. William Sears about the High-Needs and Fussy Baby.

Tater Tot -2, Smally Fry- 5 months

2011-02-03T15:27:00.001-08:00

Which baby is which? First correct vote wins a prize! Comment below...

Tater Tot -2, Smally Fry- 5 months

2011-02-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

I really, really, REALLY wanted to wait to try rice cereal. She's 90% breastfed and I tried to do things a little better for her, digestively, this time around. Tater Tot had such a bad tummy as a baby, spitting up and month long diarrhea...ugh... It was horrible. I thought maybe if I did things differently this time around that something would change.

So instead of waiting until 6 months, we waited until 5 months (as opposed to the standard 4 months - or even less!). I don't agree with putting food in their bottles with milk (formula or breast) but I've even heard of someone putting actual jarred baby food mixed with formula in the bottle! That seems so... early! Wow!

So we're going at it slow, just for practice, not for fulfillment. It gives Small Fry something to do with us while we eat dinner and allows her to be an active member at the dinner table. Maybe next month we'll try some avocado pieces... and some might even make it to her. Maybe...

It's hard to be Small Fry. New foods, new smells, constant hugs and kisses from her big sister. Small Fry is even starting to laugh at Tot when she comes near. It's cute.

Button Sticks

Craft time. We made button sticks. Don't really know what button sticks are, but we made them. And it kept Tater Tot blissfully quiet for about 3 minutes at a time.

Gluing buttons on sticks and calling it art.

Oh no! Mommy! The gluuuuueeee!!!! It TOUCHED me!

Even Small Fry was blissfully happy on the floor, staring, watching Big Sissy in her high chair.

I try to fill our days with a little bit of fun and a little bit of order. We try to keep clean, but sometimes it doesn't always turn out. We try to keep our temper, but sometimes there's arguments. We try to do something extra every day, but sometimes it's all we can do to get dressed in the morning (afternoon).

We try.

Big Girl Days

Nevermind. I don't want to think about it...

Daddoo tried to help potty train. Once. Still no major successes. :-/
A tiny chef, making pizzas with Daddy. Now, she likes to sit on the counter and help us cook a "yummy delicious" dinner. Help... by taking sugar packets out of a bowl and putting them into a strainer. It's a big help, really.

She's two now. She's so grown up.
Now, go pick up your juice.

Tater Tot - 23.75 months, Small Fry - 4.5 months

2011-01-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Mckenna,

You are my first baby. My sweet little Tinkerbell who looks like your daddy and has a temper like your mommy. Next week you'll be two years old and I can hardly believe it. Some days, you have moments of such compassion and generosity, that I think you are much older than you actually are. Some days, you seem a lot younger too!

When I look at you now, I can see what you'll look like as a little girl, about to enter Kindergarten, with soft, wispy pigtails and an imaginative sense of style. If the light catches your cheek just right, I can see what you'll look like as a high school girl, getting ready for her first date. And, it pains me to say it, I can imagine what you'll be like when you give birth to your own little child someday.

You hold your baby when I hold your baby sister. You rock them, sing to them, and even let them nurse! But then, in your most vulnerable times, you want me to rock you and sing to you and even let you nurse. I try to stop what I am doing and let you "be my baby," if only just for a little while. I know someday, you won't want to be in my arms any more, so I try to savor every moment I can.

I know I haven't always been the best mom to you, but I am trying hard. It's very difficult to understand what you want sometimes, but I always try to help you however I can. You are so sensitive and caring and I love that about you.

My first girl. My precious girl. I'll always love you no matter what.

Now, pick up your juice!

Love,
Mama

Tot - 23.5 Months, Fry - 4 months

2011-01-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not a crazy, religious person. Ok, this is where some of you may delete my blog from your Favorites and fine, whatever. Hear me out.

When someone uses the word "Christian" to describe anything other than their own personal faith, it bothers me. Especially when someone says, "I'd love for Little Johnny to find a nice Christian girl to marry." A)Why does she have to be Christian? That's like saying you want them to marry a White person, specifically. Shouldn't we have tolerance for all religions (and races?). It's not acceptable for you to specify what race someone should love, why should you specify their religion? 2) And further more, why does it have to be one gender or the other? "I'd love for Little Johnny to find a nice Buddhist boy to marry."

Somewhere, a lady in a little hat with berries just keeled over. I'll do you one more. III) Why do they have to marry at all? Just because I picked to marry a man, doesn't mean that's right for everyone else. I like men (for the most part, except for that one time in college... we won't get into that... jk) and I like being married (for the most part, except for that one time in college) and I like going to church (for the most part, except for that one time in college) but it's not right for everyone.

I don't call myself a Christian in the sense that some people do. I'm Presbyterian. I'm K----. I'm Mama. I'm more than just one-sided, blanketed term, meant to instill that I don't do something because I'm (this) or I only do it because I'm (that).

That being said....

I think Tater Tot is having a religious upheaval.

We were painting one day, and I tied one of Spud's old white t-shirts around her. She felt herself in the long white robe and said, "Mommy, I Jonphen!" It took me a second to realize what she was saying.

"Yes baby, you're just like Jonathan (our pastor)! Here... let me find you a scarf and we'll take a picture!"

The head bowed in prayer and the clasped hands were her idea... :)

Every day she asks to go to church ("Chich"). Well, of course, why not? "Church" consists of pre-school on Wednesdays - three hours locked in a room with toys and snacks - and being in the nursery while mommy and sissy sit in the pews - one hour locked in a room with toys and snacks. Sure! Sounds fun! There are baby dolls to play with, little boys to kiss and then smack (Ugh... I. Hit. Harrison?!), and all the fingerpaint you can eat.

I think this all started when we got baptized.

I'm pretty sure a fire extinguisher was kept nearby, just in case I burst into flames...

I'm surprised how good she was for Jonathan. No tears. No halting. Went right to him and let him hold her, and she even played in the water! Every time he'd ask a question, she'd say, "Mm-hmm!"

This little hell-beast, however, knew what she was getting into and did not like it one bit! She would much prefer to spend her little pagan days sacrificing goats than have Holy Water on her. "It burns... it burns..."

We're not perfect. We're still working on our faith individually and will continue the rest of our lives on this journey. I'd say we're a mixed faith family, but that would imply that Spud is Jewish or something (he opted out of the baptizing experience... but came for moral support). He believes what he believes, privately, and that's ok with me. It took me a long time to even be able to go to a church. I had to find one that fit me and he has to find what fits him. For right now, he much prefers to work in the basement while the house is quite for an hour and a half, and I'm ok with that.

For the most part. When I'm sweaty and dripping with babies and snot and something... crunchy... God, Tater Tot, what the hell is that? Oh for Christ's sakes, you had better not be.... (That counts as a prayer, right?)

Those are the times I wish I had another set of hands to help.

Christmas Eve, cont.

2010-12-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

What a crazy beautiful mess we've made!

Christmas Eve was basically just like any other day. Fight about breakfast. Fight through playtime and craft time (which consisted of painting a little plaster sea lion for Tater Tot to give the lady in the nursery who takes care of her during church. "Wiz.") Then fight though lunch and nap time (by GOD we all need a nap!). Then we all woke up and I was disappointed to see a bright sunny afternoon, barely a nip in the air, and nary a snowflake to be seen.

Spud made dinner - Cranberry Pot Roast, yum - and then we got ready for church. Spud, of course, did not join us. He only goes to church for special events, ie. weddings, baptisms, and funerals. One of those events (the girls' baptisms) was recently so he opted to stay home while we went with a family friend, Uncle Pot.

By the way boys, thanks for getting the babies dressed, but pantyhose go UNDER the little ruffly panties but OVER the diaper! Thanks...

Just as we were leaving the house, we saw it. SNOW! I usually hate snow, but it was kind of magical. Christmas Eve, full bellies, candlelights, Christmas songs, baby Jesus.... it was a beautiful night.

When we got out of church, a nice thick layer of snow covered the earth. We drove home, confident that all of my years up north has prepared me for such a light "dusting" of snow, and then came home to find Spud had picked up the house and was waiting for us to open just one present tonight.

We opened the recordable book read by Grammy and Grampy Spud (which was not as magical of an experience as it could have been thanks to someone's temper tantrums) and then sent Tater Tot up to bed. She was one tired little girl!

We're working on the bottle thing... leave me alone...

The cookies and carrot were out for Santa and his reindeer.

The presents were under the tree. The babies were fed and sleeping. White Christmas on the tv.

A wonderful night.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T21:53:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Spudly's!
Love,
Spud, Tater Tot, Small Fry, & Mama Spud

Just in case you think we're always happy and perfect and smiling....

We want to go to bed!

23 months (Tot), 3.5 months (Fry)

2010-12-22T21:39:00.001-08:00

I'm a bad mom...

Ho ho ho!! (Who you callin' a ho??)

Ok, so I'm the worst mom in the world. We went to an 80's birthday party at the Parsnips house and we dressed up. Even Tater Tot. And Spuddy put eyeshadow and lipstick on her. My baby! In makeup! Acckk!! But she was freakin' adorable.

Reason number 2 why I'm the worst mom in the world. She split her lip. It was late and I was about to give her a bath, but she said she wanted a snack. Ok, snack, then bath, then bed. Right? Wrong. I put her on a chair behind me, went to fix her snack, then she fell off the chair and straight onto her face on the floor. I think she bit her lip with those sharp little rabbit teeth and, in reality, it wasn't that bad. But blood on the lip mixes with saliva and then - boom! Blood dripping out of the mouth! All over the place! ACK! Nothing some chocolate, Mommy kisses, and some Dora on Netflix streaming on iPhone can't fix.

Reason number 3 why I'm the worst mom in the world. Tori.

Namely, Victoria Justice on the show Victorius on Nickelodeon. She's obsessed with the songs and the shows. Oh, and iCarly.

"Mommy, Sammee? Gibbee? Tor-wi? Dance?"

Ugh. Shows for teenagers without any educational content whatsoever. I'm not so upset about Elmo because he teaches her about things like noses and the weather. What do those show teach? How to rub her belly and kiss boys. Greeeaaattt....

Reason number 4 why I'm a bad mom... Potty training.

Yeah right. We're trying. Sort of. Most of the time I say, "Just go in your pants, I can't help you right now." And then, the other night, she was trying to tell me she was having a bad poop (the extraction kind...ew...) and I was busy partying, so I said, "Go tell Daddy to change your diaper."

Poor Spud had to handle it on his own. And she DID poo on the potty... but it was under duress. I don't think it's good to have such a negative experience to help her progress. Oh poor baby...

Reason number 5 why I'm a bad mom... My insistence for the perfect picture.

Sorry Santa. Hope you get your eardrums back.

But it's not all bad.... sometimes there's some really sweet times...

Reason number one why I'm an awesome mom.... I taught my 23 month old to sew.

And that... was one of the best moments of mommyhood. I love that sweet little girl. I can't wait to see what kind of woman she will become. Hopefully, I little like me <3

Tot - 1 year, 10 months, Fry - 2.5 months

2010-11-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

Quiet Morning

The Tater Tot had a rough night last night. I know she's at the verge of potty training and really I should do more about it, but I really don't have enough hands to help her. I can't just drop what I'm doing/cleaning/changing/nursing/burping, etc., to run and help her on the potty. But she's becoming visibly upset when she pees in her diaper. And on more than one occasion, I've had to say to her, "You need to pee? Ok, pee in your diaper, Mommy's feeding Sissy and can't get up right now."
Horrible mommy. Really. Just awful.

I should just install a potty in every room of the house and just let her run around pants-less so she can just take care of it herself. She'll get it. Eventually. If not, we just bought a new rug scrubber.

Ohmygodthatthingisamazing!

And Spud is pretty amazing too for cleaning the living room/entryway. The amount of juice spills on that carpet was rid-iculous! Ugh!

Moving on...

Anyways, I'm up early, before everyone else again. I fed Small Fry at 6:30am and of course, once she's done, I'm too awake to go back to sleep because I know I'm just going to have to get up soon. So I grabbed a shower, and that was pretty drama free and not too time consuming, so I decided to *pamper* myself and put on some lotion. I rarely get a chance to lotion my (hopefully) shrinking tummy with special skin firming lotion (that must only work on the skinny people on the label), so I was feeling a little empowered.

What else can I pamper myself with? Is that a forgotten pore strip at the bottom of my makeup box?

(Yes, I have a box. Don't judge.)

I have clean pores. And painted toe nails. And exquisite eyeliner. I may have gone a little overboard for cleaning day that entails me wearing sweatpants (cut-off, no less).

But no one was sucking/climbing/hitting/peeing/pooping/ (or otherwise draining the life out of me) on my body, so I felt the need for a little pampering. Tater Tot is sleeping in due to her stressful peeing in the middle of the night (Sorry Mommy couldn't get here faster because Sissy was eating and Daddy was sleeping on the couch again. No no, honey, sweetie, don't worry! We're not getting a divorce... yet. Daddy just likes to snore and didn't want to wake (anger) Mommy. )

And Spud and Small Fry are snuggling in the bed. I hope he doesn't suffocate her in his sleep. Again. He has a bad habit of that.

So it's me and the cats and my coffee. Chilling at the dining room table. Waiting for the house to wake up. And I'm ok with being up early, for once.

Tater Tot's Vocabulary - 22 Months
Big
Carrot
Mimo
Rainbow
Bridge
Up
Sissy
Belly
Toes
Nose
Eyes
Eat
Bird
Ears
Bite
Hit
Pee
Poo
Buttcrack
Butt
Nice
Hair
Shirt
Fork
Bib
Cheese
Down
Mama/Mommy
Dada/Daddy
Booster
Seat
Itsy
Juice
Lulu (Lucas)
Pants
Drink
Fix
Alexa
Shoes
Light
Apple
Paci (Sissy Paci/Baba)
Boots
Bucket
Pat
Uncle
Aunt
Treat
Blanket
Snack
Fish
Messy
Hat
Silly
Chair
Sit
Me
No
Mm-hmm
Book
Toys
Outside
Neck(lace)
Leg
Boo-boo
Armpit
Arm
Elbow
Shake
Turn
Paint
Duck
Soap
Towel
Bath
Brush (Hair/Teeth)
More
Dias (10)
Nueve (9)
Ocho (8)
Ses (6)
Cinqo (5)
Quatro (4)
Dos (2)
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Blue
Head
Diaper
Change
Horse
Poof-poof
Hands
Pyramid
Neck
Dress
Wet
Push
Pull
Sammy
Gibby
Paper
House
Church
Josh
Dede
Destiny
Book
Brooke
Scout
Battery
Race
Remote
Tights
Bug
Elmo
Abby
Oscar
Octopus
Isa
Tico
Diego
Alicia
Whoa-whoa (Dog)
Turtle
Truck
Pink
Purple
Cat
Stick
Fish
Bird
Purse
Shoes
Socks
Jacket
Office
Backpack
Map
Hot dog
Nom-noms (food)
Box

And I'm sure there's plenty more! 50% have developed over the last few weeks, I'd say.

144 words!

Small Fry's achievements:
Um... she coos. She manages to poop through an outfit at least once a day. She loves the fan and the sound of the dryer. She hates the car. Sissa's voice pierces through her soul. She smiles at Daddy. She quiets with Mommy. It's getting better... :-)

Tot - 22 Months, Fry - 12 Weeks

2010-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

I'd rather have no help than bad help.

First, watch this video of a 3 year old being patted down by TSA and violently throwing a fit in her mother's arms.

The cameraman? The father of the 3 year old girl. I bet you any money that after he was recording for 17 seconds, the wife got frustrated with him standing there, holding his cell phone in the air, and said, (through gritted teeth) "So help me, if you don't get over here and help me with this screaming child in the middle of the airport, I will take that cell phone and beat you with it!"

The point is not about TSA and the new regulations (although, yeah... it's a concern). Today's post is about actively participating in parenting. Helping, instead of standing by. Anticipating the needs of someone frazzled and worn thin. Pretending you know what the hell you're doing, even when you don't.

Unfortunately, this is a common argument in this household.

The division of work is heavy on both sides and weighs both of us down to a breaking point by the end of the day. There don't seem to be many solutions other than to cry, yell, and run when you can.

Kidding.

Hopefully soon the babies will even out a little bit and one won't need me quite so much all the time (seriously. Nursing every five minutes. No joke.)

Until then, we'll try to help each other and not let it build up so much! But if I was that mother in the video, I would have lost it right around the time that a-hole pulled out his phone instead of offering his hand.

Tot- 22 Months, Fry - 11 weeks

2010-11-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

I just tried to capitalize the number two. That's right. A 2.

My mind is completely gone. Last night I completely lost it over a post on notalwaysright.com and started laughing hysterically until I was crying. I tried to find the post again to post it, but I can't find it right now. I'll summarize. The website is about stupid customers that are "not always right."

Customer asks for help with a cougar problem to a worker at a sporting goods store.

"You should get some bear spray to help detract cougars." - Employee
"Nah, that'll just piss them off. What are those?" - Customer
"Those are machetes, sir." - Employee
"Yeah! That's what we need! Machetes! We'll fight the cougars off with machetes. Forget the bear spray, that'll just piss them off."

HAHAAAAAAA! I laughed so hard, I had tears running down my face, black streaks of mascara on my cheeks, a jiggling baby in my arms, and a completely confused husband. I've lost it. I remember being at this point with Tater Tot. We were sleep deprived nutballs around this time and got really REALLY goofy.

Ok...haha... whew... sigh... breathe, ok. Back to what I was really going to write about. Our day. Life with two under two.

4:45am Wake up with Fry. Nurse. Fall asleep together.

6:45am Wake up with Fry. Nurse. Gently pat her back to sleep with Spud.

7:20am Mommy time! Make coffee, take a bath.

7:40am Wake Spud and he gets ready for work. Do makeup, get dressed.

8:00am Wake Fry and change diaper, outfit.

8:15am Wake Tot. Change, speak to Elmo, get dressed, play, threaten with bodily harm unless she comes with me downstairs for breakfast.

9:00am Sesame Street for Tot in highchair with breakfast. Mama and Fry nurse again.

9:45am AIS. Ass In Seat. Everybody's ass has to be in a seat in the car by this time.

10am Storytime with friends! Sing dance. Holy crap do NOT get lost in the library again! They will not feed you if I leave you here over night.

11am Leave storytime. Are you kidding me? Get in your seat. Mommy is very upset with you. Diaper changes.

11:05am Arrive home with a screaming infant and a running toddler. Nurse. Dora. Goldfish crackers. Peace.

11:06am Juice spills.

11:07am DO NOT HIT SISSY!

12pm Lunch! Sometimes, while still feeding Small Fry. That's a talent.

12:30pm Clean up lunch. Cuddle on couch. Pick up-PICK UP YOUR JUICE! Make a bottle and set it on the stairs, ready for naptime. Clean up toys. Put away. Clean up toys again.

1pm NAPTIME! All is right with the world. Change diapers and put babies to bed. Load dishwasher. Finish laundry. Cuddle up with baby and rest.

1:30pm Nurse. Nurse. Nurse some more. Computer time. Paperwork. All in bed with baby.

2:30pm Cant. Keep. My. Eyes. Open......zzzzzz

4:00pm Fry and I wake up and nurse. Sometime between now and when Daddy comes home, Tot wakes up and starts babbling in her crib. Sometimes she asks for Josh. Or talks to Elmo.

4:30pm Spud officially off work. He gets Tot while Fry and I finish nursing. Change diapers. Up. Awake. Snacks. Juice.

5:00pm Dinner preparations. Either Spud or Mama make dinner - most often Spud.

6:00pm Dinner. PICK UP YOUR JUICE!

6:10pm Time out chair. Crying ensues. Sissy gets upset and needs to nurse again.

6:45pm Clean up. Cuddle time. Play time. Put away laundry. Load dishwasher.

7:30pm BATHTIME! (Paint? Duck? Yes Tot, you can paint the rubber duckie with watercolors while we bathe you. Sure) Daddy's in charge of bath time. I love it. I go get a bottle ready, pick out pj's, assemble her bed (because Spud forgets and leaves a mess after naptime), and cleans the upstairs.

7:45pm Nighttime diaper. Lotion. Vicks. Brush hair. Pajamas. Brush teeth. Medicine. Storybook. Hugs and kisses for Mommy, Daddy, and Sissy.

8pm Lights out for Tot. Bathtime for Fry. Mommy/baby warm bath together.

8:30pm Pjs for the little pee pee.

9pm Nurse.

11pm Nurse. Drift off to sleep.

12am I finally get to sleep. Maybe.

Tot - 21 Months, Fry - 8 Weeks

2010-10-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. God.

I am finally taking some time to rest. What a nightmare the past couple weeks have been. Everything was fine until Small Fry was just shy of 4 weeks old. I've stopped and started a blog post about this many times but finally deleted it and started over.

At 27 days old, Small Fry was admitted to the hospital with a fever. We later learned it was viral meningitis. Bacterial is the scary one, not viral. But still scary with a newborn! Four days in the hospital, four days of bills, four days of rectal temperatures every 4 hours, feedings, burpings, Tylenol, antibiotics, swelling, IV's, hospital food, inadequate breastfeeding, pumping, nurses, interruptions, crying, screaming, pinpricks on the heels, heparin, and... a spinal tap.

(I try not to use foul language but...)

Holy fucking crap, they gave my child a mother fucking spinal tap in the emergency room.

And they didn't test it for viral meningitis. They let it go for days and her temperature went up, and down, higher and higher, until it finally peaked at 102.5 on the day the doctor wanted to send her home.

First of all, her pediatrician was an idiot.

Notice I said "was."

He swore at me, told me that it was my fault we were in all this "shit," and that it would be my fault if she got MRSA. Also, he said that the on call nurse might as well have been a janitor with a telephone and a piece of paper.

We changed doctors.

Anyways, all that is in the past now and Small Fry is going on 8 weeks old now! She's a crying mess, eats all the time, and will only sleep with me... but God, I love her little face.

Tater Tot... my bubby. My baby. My first little girl. My little spitfire. The first real love of my life..... Is driving me absolutely crazy. I cannot believe how bad that little ankle-biter is. I could seriously crush her little....

ARRGHHH!!!

No, really, I love her. I do.

She's adjusting to big sisterhood. I get it. But... g**damnit TT - we are not. effing. watching. Boots.

Boots is a monkey. I hate him everyday.

I'm still working on some issues...

20.5 months, 4 weeks

2010-10-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

(These are pictures from Delaney's hospital stay in a recovered draft I found on Blogger-Land. I'm not going to add captions, but you can figure it out that Jeff has a glove on his head yourself...)

20 months, 3 weeks

2010-09-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

(This is a recovered draft that I found in Blogger-Land. It's not finished, but enjoy!)

Small Fry's due date was Thursday. September 23rd. I can't imagine not having her in my life, and I certainly cannot imagine having to wait 3 more weeks for her to come into the world. This seems like the slowest 3 weeks ever - couldn't fathom still being pregnant with her!

People ask me if I thought the doctor's messed up my due date and I honestly don't think so. The month before I found out I was pregnant, I took a pregnancy test. December 16th. It was negative. The next day, I got my period. On December 22nd, I had minor surgery for a cyst on my ovary. They did a blood test this time to make sure I wasn't pregnant before they cut into me. It came back negative, I went through with the surgery, my fertility was restored and I conceived sometime after New Years Day. January 20th, we found out we were expecting again, 5 weeks into the pregnancy.

My doctor was pretty sure that I wasn't going to get pregnant with the cyst on my ovary and with the other tests, I'm positive I wasn't. But at 37 weeks, I delivered at healthy 7lb, 5oz baby girl who, I believe, would have grown to 9lbs+ if she had stayed in until 40 weeks! No thank you!

I'm glad I delivered when I did. I'm glad she was healthy. I'm glad our bags were packed and Tater Tot was staying with our good (flexible) friends who took her in for just 3 hours at first, then over night, then one night more! I'm grateful my doctor broke my water in the bed instead of it happening while I was at work or in the car. I carried around a dark towel and wore dark pants, just in case.

19.5 months, 37 weeks

2010-09-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

The Road to Baby!

Mama Spud It's a good thing I did the bills today and some shopping. DON'T freak out - but we're going to the hospital soon to check on these contractions every 2-3 minutes. This may not happen tonight...

August 30 at 9:01pm via Facebook for iPhone

At 5:30pm on Monday night, I hurriedly finished my dinner and headed to work with a full tummy and a bottle of antacids. I wasn't really in the mood to work but it was a short, 3 hour shift, and I thought I could handle it. I started my shift at 6pm, cleaned up my counter a bit, talked to some friends, and helped a few customers.

Then I got a contraction.

No big deal, right? It happens. Braxton Hicks, probably.

As I'm talking to the head of loss prevention (a familiar face in the Fine Jewelry department, for obvious reasons of course) I have 4 more contractions and he doesn't notice. At one point, I stop talking and lean my head against the wall. They're not painful, but definitely uncomfortable. I go to the bathroom and try to walk around a little bit, but they keep coming every 3 minutes. I tell my co-worker, who tells my manager, who tells the security guy and soon a small crowd of people are around my counter watching and timing my contractions. Every 3 minutes. Every 2 1/2. Then, every 2 minutes.

After an hour, I am sent home by my manager and another co-worker follows me home. Even though it's only a ten minute drive, I think everyone is convinced I'm going to pop this baby out in seconds. If they only knew how long it really takes!

I try to relax and bathe at home until, after 5 hours, we finally go to the hospital. By the time we get there, they've been continuous for 6 hours. I am hooked up to a monitor for an hour and then sent home with the reassurance that I would be back soon, in more active labor, ready to have this baby.

Mama Spud Leaving the hospital after only an hour. She's coming soon, but not soon enough. Being sent home to "rest" between contractions... Argh...

Tuesday at 2:09am via Facebook for iPhone

We arrive back home at 3am. I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow, thinking to myself, "I'll wake up if the contractions get too strong."

Mama Spud ‎8am. No baby. At home. Surprisingly I slept a little. We'll see what today brings... Thank you for your thoughts and prayers guys!

Tuesday at 8:04am via Facebook for iPhone

Wake up, get the Tot ready, diaper, backpack, breakfast, pack a lunch, pack a change of clothes, where's the baby doll?, find the baby doll, shoes on, shoes off, shoes on NOW!, carseat wrestle, "I am only one Mommy!" (And I am too tired for this shit!)

Mama Spud ‎12pm. Feeling crappy. Contractions are uncomfortable - to say the least. Tater Tot is at preschool allowing me some quiet time. Sleepy but uncomfortable...

Tuesday at 12:03pm via Facebook for iPhone

Pick up Tater Tot from pre-school and try to nap again while she takes her afternoon nap. Feeling some contractions, but nothing regular. Getting frustrated because I thought I'd be in active labor already, if not already having a baby.

Mama Spud ‎9:30pm - Nothing. Nada. Just painful contractions without rhyme or reason, overall irritability, and the feeling that I'm about to drop a watermelon any minute now. Doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon.

Go to bed, tired and irritated. Cranky and contracting (slowly) all night long. Hoping to get things going, I drop Tot off at pre-school and go straight to the mall to walk for two hours. I make sure to stay hydrated so I won't be told I'm contracting because of dehydration. When I pick up Tater Tot from pre-school, I take her straight to our friends (the Parsnips) house and lay her down for a nap. I pick up Spud and we head to the town across the river for my 3:30pm doctor's appointment.

It's good news! All that contracting is finally paying off!

Mama Spud ‎37 week checkup. 4:30pm. 3cm. Contractions 2-5 minutes apart. Going downstairs for observation. Might be tonight - might not

Wednesday at 4:41pm via Facebook for iPhone

It is tonight.

I am admitted to triage and they monitor me for an hour. My contractions are progressing and I'm already 3cm dilated. The wonderfully kooky Nurse Heather has me walk for 15 minutes around the Women's Hospital - up and down hallways, in and out of lobbies - until it's time to be checked again. The nurse says she thinks I'm still 3cm. My doctor comes down from her office upstairs and checks me again. Close to 4 cm.

Three cervical checks in two hours aren't very fun.... It's going to get worse.

Mama Spud ‎6:45pm My water broke. 7:00pm moved to my LDRP room.

Wednesday at 7:12pm via Facebook for iPhone

That's it kids! We're having a baby tonight! Now, to be honest, my doctor broke my water. Yes, it was an augmented labor, but it was an augmentation that I was willing to do. I was 4cm and ready to get this birth underway. I'm 37 weeks - 3 weeks from my "estimated" due date, but after a week of contractions and being miserable, I'm ready. They hook me up to an IV and hydrate me for a little bit until I move to my Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Post-Partum Room. I have a great nurse named Melissa who takes all of my fears and requests into consideration and tries her hardest to make this a better birth than last time.

She unhooks me from the IV (and I'm never hooked up to it again, thank God! The Hep lock is still in, though) and we walk. And walk. And walk.

Mama Spud ‎9pm. Bouncing on the birth ball. Blogging through labor!! Whoo hoo! Thanks for the love guys!

Wednesday at 9:01pm

Mama Spud

Wednesday at 9:03pm

Calling my mom to keep her updated. She's dying in North Carolina, wishing she could be with me. I think it's great that I'm blogging and Facebooking and talking on the phone all through labor until the transition period.

Mama Spud
10:15pm Just walked a few laps around the hospital. Contractions getting stronger and longer. Resting in my room to recharge for a second. UPDATE: JEFF FOUND THE GOLDEN GIRLS ON TV!!!!

Wednesday at 10:20pm via Facebook for iPhone

We're still joking, laughing, walking, bouncing, leaning and swaying. Somewhere during this time, I reach 6 cm - thank God!

Mama Spud
‎12:30am. Just got out of the shower. Feeling a little better and refreshed. Come on baby! September 2nd is a good date... :-) 9.5 hours already.

Yesterday at 12:31am via Facebook for iPhone

Ok, it's serious now. The shower helped a lot but it's starting to get harder to walk or talk during contractions. I refresh my makeup, which is a staple for me during my births - don't judge.

I stop typing. I'm still checking my Facebook via my iPod, but not responding to much. I'm feeling the need to go to the bathroom, but I'm nowhere near ready to push. I try to explain that to the nurses, that I would just rather go in the toilet than on the table in front of everyone!

1am - 8cm. Ok, it's transition. I stop walking because I'm not steady on my feet anymore. I stop bouncing on the ball because I lose my balance during contractions. I sit straight up in bed, cross legged, like a beautiful birthing Buddha. I rest my head back against the perpendicular head of the bed between contractions and actually manage to doze for just a few minutes.

2am- I ask the nurse to check me again because I think I'm close. Still 8cm, but stretchy. I start focusing on a sprinkler on the ceiling, the doctor and nurse joke that many women pick the same particular spot to focus on. I don't scream. I barely speak. I vocalize through soft moans and intonations. At one point, I look at the doctor and say, "That's it. No more kids. No more kids."

Later, Jeff told me that he thought I said, "No more kidding." That's when the doctor's face changed and we all started getting more serious. I wondered why she didn't laugh at my joke. The pain is getting more intense.

2:35am - 9cm. We still haven't decided on a name.

2:40am - I ask if the window is still closed for pain medicine or an epidural. Jeff, dutifully, reminds me that I'm not as in pain as I was when I sprained my knee. Then, I was crying so hard that when I called Jeff, he could barely understand my words. I can do this. I don't need it.

2:50am - I feel the urge to push. The room goes silent. The nurse watches my reaction to the urge. It ceases and I rest for a moment and then - it's go time. I have to push. Now.

The doctor checks me and I'm 10cm. She (stupidly) tells me to stop pushing and I say, "Yeah right!" There's no way I'm stopping this train now. The room has been in preparations around me and I haven't noticed. During this birth, though, I have my contacts in the whole time so I'm more aware of my surroundings. And, I'm not drugged out of my mind.

4 pushes and she's out.2:58am. I tear slightly. The doctor waits to clamp the cord until it stops pulsing. I take a picture of my daughter's cord being cut by her daddy. I put her to my chest and then the doctor says, "Ok, one more push."

"Oh! I forgot about that part!"

Skin to skin. I kiss that little cream cheese face that looks just like Tater Tot and say, "Hi Delaney." Spud says, "See? You knew what you wanted to name her all along.

Mama Spud
Welcome Delaney Caroline! 7lb,5oz 19.5 in 2:58am ct 9/2/10

Yesterday at 4:18am via Facebook for iPhone

19 months, 36 weeks

2010-08-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

1 month to go!!

36 Weeks

Oh, and I'm already 1cm dilated. And have been having contractions off and on for the past two days.

I've been nesting, also... Yet another sign labor is coming soon, right?! How cute is this little attic room for baby? Complete with owl accents as a tribute to the poor owl that met his maker the night we went to the hospital for early labor. Ha!

More later... I'm having a contraction and don't feel like blogging any more... sighhhhh

1.5 years, 8 months

2010-08-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

34 Week Ultrasound
Growth Restriction Check

Big feet...

...big hands...

...big head

....and she's still a girl!

Guess what? There's no growth restriction. Yay! I have a theory about why I kept measuring small each week. Usually I have my appointments in the afternoon, after two meals, lots of fluids, and a bit of swelling. But the past two appointments were in the early morning, after a light breakfast and my belly hadn't had a chance to get big again. Plus, they make you lay flat on your back so all your guts and fat melt to the sides, making you not as big as if you were upright.

6 weeks until I'm a mommy of two under two...

Small Fry:
5 lbs, 4 oz
appox. 17 inches long
Practicing breathing (and hiccuping!)
She has hair (visible on the ultrasound). Hope it's blond!

81 Weeks, 34 Weeks

2010-08-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've stopped and started this post about 4 times now! Not that it's controversial or troubling for me to write, I'm just too dang tired. Sunday night, I fell asleep at 9pm still in my work clothes, with my jewelry and hair and makeup still on, clutching my iPod while the TV and lights were blaring.

That. Tired.

It's hot here. Hotter than my where my parents live in North Carolina. No ocean breeze to cool you. At least we have air conditioning. Oh, thank God for AC. We don't pay for our electricity thanks to my husbands job, and our house is so old, that I feel the need (as a fat, pregnant, beast) to crank the AC. Some nights, down as low as 66 degrees.

Is that bad?

I know the hippies want us to use air sparingly and yah yah yah.... But I'm a FAT, PREGNANT BEAST WITH A LARGE, OVERHEATED HOUSE! With lots of cracks for the blazing winds to peek through and big windows for the blazing sun to shine through. No thanks.

On another note, Friday was our 5th wedding anniversary! Altogether, we've been a couple for 9 years in September, and have known each other for a total of 13 years. And for once, there were no tears on our anniversary, with only very minimal fighting. (Ha! You think I'm kidding. Every. Damn. Year.)

The night before, Spud and Tater Tot picked me up from work. It was late at night and Tot was already in her pajamas, bathed and ready for bed as soon as we came home. Spud said he wanted to give me my gift tonight, so I dashed into the bedroom to fill out my card for him and put his gift in a bag. Tot followed me to our room and was impatiently pounding on the door, waiting to give me my gifts, until Spud taught her to knock gently until I came out.

When I finally finished and opened the door, she got so excited, handed me my card, and said loudly, "Niiiicce! Hahaa!" She had given both of us a card that said, "Mom and Dad, I wanted to give you and exotic vacation with the sand in your toes and a drink in your hand.... But this was all I could afford on my budget." A tiny drink umbrella was taped to the inside and Tot's "signature" was all over the inside. Cute! She then handed me her present and I was surprised to see a Willow Tree figurine!

Quietly
Quietly encircled by love I've learned, as a mother, sister, daughter, wife, that the communication of touch can be very healing, not only for the receiver but for the giver. Quietly is meant to be a very calming piece, especially for a mom. A lot of people think this piece is a mother with two boys, but I see it as either. (Actually, my models were two little girls with short hair!) - Susan Lordi

That makes #12 in my collection! Wow!

And Jeff's "gift" to me was a new set of wedding rings that I picked out and bought myself. Because, sometimes, that's just what you have to do! My original wedding ring is great and has served it's purpose, but it's an uncomfortable size 4.5 and was just a cheap, sterling silver band that is hard to match with any other ring. My original engagement ring was a beautiful 1.5 cttw solitaire with 3 accent stones on either side. It was also 2 sizes too big and dipped in white gold, making it unable to be sized. Eventually, the white gold wore off and left patches of yellow gold, copper lining, and white gold. Not pretty. I've been wearing another ring with just a few diamond chips in it, some of which have fallen out over the years. Not pretty either.

So I got new ones! A pretty antique-style, diamond cluster engagement ring and a small band with diamonds along the top. They're not fancy or horribly expensive, but special to me and now comfortable for me to wear. Also, not embarrassing for me either. I always hide my hands at work when women come in and buy giant diamond rings from me - something I would never be able to afford.

And Spud... oh Spud. His anniversary gift was a damn steal! A certain department store (that I don't work for) happens to give out cash vouchers when you spend so much in the store. So, I turned around and used the cash vouchers from my rings to get Spud....

A Keurig mini coffee maker with 10 free coffee pods.

He's in love all over again. Not with me. The coffee maker.

And since I didn't know we were doing "gifts" from Tater Tot like he did, a few days later I got him some more coffee pods and a little reusable plastic filter so you can put in your own coffee.

I hate to brag about these things, but it's about time that we had a nice anniversary with decent gifts. Each year we're horribly broke, stretched thin, working hard and we can hardly afford gifts for each other, much less cards. Sometimes he forgets. Sometimes he doesn't show initiative. This year - he was on point. Good job Spuddy.

Friday night we got a sitter and went to a local Italian restaurant called Niko's for dinner. I had Chicken Picata (lemon chicken with capers that I subtly pushed to the side, and pasta) and he had the Chicken Mare (anyone know how to make the accent over the 'e'? Anyways, it was chicken and giant shrimp with pasta and sauce). Ooh, don't forget the crab dip for the appetizer. I really have to start watching my seafood/mercury intake again.

Then, to top off a child-less evening, we went to the movies and saw..... a kid's movie.

Oh well. Toy Stoy 3 (not in 3-D, I hate wearing those glasses on top of my glasses!). It was available and short and got us home in time for the sitter. Not to mention, surprisingly good!

And, of course, it has Spud's favorite characters....

18.5 months, 33 weeks

2010-08-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

I've been featured as a guest poster at Well Rounded Birth Prep, written by a lovely childbirth educator, doula-in-training, and mom of 4, Sarah.

Yes, I just copied and pasted my birth story with Tater Tot, but it's available again on her blog. Please check it out along with the rest of her posts.

Thanks again Sarah!

18.5 months, 33 weeks

2010-08-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Guess what?

My lovely husband received two $100 vouchers from his grad school for a computer. He found the clearance aisle at Wal-Mart and picked me up a small, cute, ~purple~ Netbook for $50!! Wah-hoo!!

So now, I can update my blog a lot easier. For months, I've been using my iPod to check blogs and check my Facebook, but it's really not good for typing. Don't get me wrong - I love the iPod - but I've been wanting to blog consistently and it's a bit of an inconvenience to borrow Jeff's big ol'e computer, make sure he's not using it for work... blah blah blah.

This is tiny and cute and fits on my bedside table and it just waiting for me to blog every night....

....well....

I'll do my best.

Updates on the girls:

Small Fry - ~19inches, ~4.5 lbs, Size of a honeydew melon
50 days to go!!

Tater Tot - List of Baby Signs & Words
-Hat (Het)
-Father (Dada)
-Milk (Baba)
-Hug
-Ball (Baww)
-Dog (Whoa Whoa)
-Kitten (Kitteh/ Ket)
-Eat
-More (Moraw)
-Drink (Juice/Sippy)
-Cookie
-Diaper (Dia-doo)
-Change
-Dirty
-Wash
-Brush
-Pat (Uncle Pat and "to pat")

Words without signs
-Um-nums - Food, Snacks
-Nose
-Mama
-Ears
-Cheese
-Dowa - Dora
-Daydo - Diego
-SpaBub - Spongebob
-Boos - Boots
-Daadoo - Swiper
-Maaa- Map
-BahPah - Back pack
-Poop
-(b)Light - Lightswitch
-Niiiice - Nice

That's all I can think of now, but I'm sure I'll think of more! She understands more words than this and follows some commands (sometimes).

We're working on her pronunciation... :)

84.5 Weeks, 32.5 Weeks

2010-08-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Mama, Tater Tot, & Small Fry
Go to North Carolina

(31.5 Weeks)

(Waiting in the airport for her very first plane ride. Checking Mama's text messages.)

(Just a few more minutes until we board! Still relatively calm and unbruised...)

(We finally made it to North Carolina! She's ready to hit the beach!)

(My little beach baby loved the sun, the sand, and the surf. I think, if I let her stay all day, she would love it. Just like her mama.)

(Grammy and Tot share a moment among the dunes on the beach.)

(Grampy and Grammy walk along the beach with a salty, sandy, happy baby.)

(Tot leaning over to touch a horseshoe crab at the NC Aquarium.)

Grampy's (Uncle Jicama's) 60th birthday party
L-R Mama Spud, Second Cousin Russet, Great Uncle Yukon, Second Cousin Cassava (holding Tater Tot), Grampy (holding Second Cousin Finn), Cousin Caribe, Grammy, Cousin-in-law Idaho, and Aunt Yammy

Once again, I hope you all appreciate the hard work that goes into a caption like that.

We returned a week later and I had my 32 week check-up the next morning in the city across the river. Once again, my belly is two weeks smaller than it should be. At 32 weeks, I'm 30 cm, so at my next appointment (34 weeks) we're going to do an ultrasound just to make sure Small Fry's growth is on track. Maybe I just make small-ish baby potatoes... (shrug)... who knows. But I'm tellin' ya one thing - I'm not inducing so my doctor can go get plastic surgery!!!

18 months, 31 weeks

2010-08-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

(We learned a new skill)

Tot and Mommy got on a plane and went to visit Grammy and Grampy in North Carolina! It was scary and fun and a new experience and the most exhausting thing I've ever done in my entire life.

(On the first flight from Louisville to Charlotte, only partly sweaty)

I'll write more about our trip in the next posting. The week before, I had my 30 week check-up for Small Fry. Turns out, she's measuring at 28 cm for 30 weeks, about 2 weeks too small. The doctor isn't too worried yet, but I'm afraid we're going to have an "alleged" growth restriction problem like we did with Tater Tot. Another office visit (32 weeks) the day after we come back from North Carolina.

Small Fry:

16 inches
3.3 lbs
Size of 4 navel oranges

Tater Tot:
Her first plane ride!
Invents the word "Whoa-whoa's" which stands for "Woof woof's" or "Doggies"

17.5 months, 29 weeks

2010-08-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

(Spud painting Tater Tot's toes red and blue for 4th of July)

He's such a good daddy. He paints his little girl's toes and clips her nails.
He combs her hair. He gives her a bath every night. He dresses her in clothes that may not exactly match.
He special orders decals for her $8 play kitchen that I bought from a yard sale. He arranges her play food according to freezer items, cans, and refrigerated foods even though she doesn't really care when she pulls them all out again.
He endures endless hours of Spongebob, although he secretly enjoys them. He uploads Baby Einstein videos for my iPod, "just in case" of a meltdown.
He watches her while he's supposed to be working during my prenatal visits so I don't have to struggle with her for hours in a waiting room.

He's a good daddy.
Love you Spudly.

Small Fry:
15 inches long
2.5 lbs
Size of a butternut squash

Tater Tot:
25 lbs

17 months, 6 months

2010-06-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

27 Weeks!

Third Trimester, Baby!

Updates:
Tater Tot weighs 25 pounds!
She can "sing" Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star (in baby talk).
18 month dresses are a little shorter than they used to be. She can follow commands... just doesn't want to.

Small Fry weighs between 1.95 to 2.5 lbs.
She is between 13 - 16 in long!
She's about as big as a head of cauliflower (Spud hates those comparisons).
At this point, if born premature, she'd have a pretty good chance of survival because her lungs are almost developed!

*************************************************************************************

Trip to the Zoo

March 17, 2009 (2 months old)
Comparing tiny baby feet next to hippo tracks

June 6, 2010 (17 months old)
Comparing big toddler feet with hippo tracks

My what a difference 15 months make! We had a great time hanging out with the Parsnip family (what? parsnips are tubers... keep up with the game!) at the zoo in the next town over. They have a little girl a few months older than Tater Tot. They're baby BFF - even though the poor kid has to endure Tot's bone crushing hugs....

1 year & 4 months, 23 weeks

2010-05-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

It's summertime in Kentucky! Time to get in the the baby pool, slip your shoes off, eat strawberries by the handful, and drink margaritas (oh wait... 4 more months).

Small Fry is getting big! And kicking up a storm! Spud even got to feel a few kicks and bumps finally.

This week's complaint: The heat makes my ring finger swell!
This week's development: Her pancreas is developing!
Baby's size: 1 lb, 11 inches (spaghetti squash).

Mama's hungry... time for some Cheezits.

16 months, 22 weeks

2010-05-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've had two follow up appointments with the doctor since the midnight hospital adventure (which ended in the poor demise of one large bird of prey). So far everything looks good and on track and this little blip on Small Fry's radar is not something to really worry about right now.

No worries.

Moving on. Tater Tot has really become a big girl lately. She puts herself down for a nap now and doesn't want me to hold her or rock her with a bottle. She'd much rather relax on a Boppy pillow in her crib, drinking milk until she falls asleep.

That's two big no-no's in all the parenting books, right?!?! Ahh!! How did she decide that she wants to tempt choking, rotting teeth, and suffocation by feeding herself a bottle in bed?

But you know what? It works. Hot damn, all I have to do is turn on her white noise machine, play her musical seahorse, then lay her down in with a bottle and walk away. No jumping up, no crying, no endless story books, or even crazy alligator rolls. Sometimes she lays there and fights sleep for a little bit, but she did that even when I rocked her and cuddled her and sang to her.

I love my Tater Tot, but that crap was exhausting!

So, should I risk potential health and dental hazards for a few minutes of sanity during my day? She's old enough to know not to bury her face in a pillow and suffocate. She's big enough to move her nose and mouth away when she can't breathe. I still listen to her on the monitor (although turned down fairly low) and can hear her scream or choke. Which she doesn't. And maybe I'll start brushing her teeth after she wakes up from naps so I can stop worrying about the tooth thing. We already try to brush before bedtime and when she wakes up.... notice I said... TRY.

In other news...
My dad bought a house! He's signing the papers today and my mom is moving down to the beach this weekend. Without going into too much detail, they've been separated for 11 years but have never actually divorced. Recently, they've started to become friends again and then my dad asked my mom to live with him (several states away). The best part of this whole thing is that my parents' back yard is right across from my aunt and uncle's back yard! My grandmother also lives with them and various cousins, babies, and spouses are over there all the time, so when we go visit - we'll see everyone!! The only part of my family left up North is my sister, Curly Fry, and her family. The rest of the Spudly's, however, still live up North which is a 8-10 hour drive.... 14 to the beach.

I think we need to start investing in some airline tickets...

Congrats Grammy & Grampy!

15.5 months, 20.5 weeks

2010-05-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day weekend

The end of April and the beginning of May are always a busy time in our household. And forget about the whole month of August. In the world of the college life staff, there are definite crazy busy times and long periods of (somewhat) relaxation. Instead of just two days off for Christmas, my husband luckily has a month of "light-duty" and a full week completely off of work. Spring break. Fall break. Summer vacation! All periods of "down-time."'

But there are two periods of time at the beginning and end of the school year that require "all hands on deck."

Move in. And move out.

Move out usually falls the first weekend in May, just after finals week, and then there's the rush of ....shudder.... commencement.

It's always hot. It requires a tie. It's early morning set-up and a late night the night before. It wears my husband out!

So it's a good thing that we had a minor medical crisis, Mother's Day, some babysitting snafus, and a dead owl.

Friday
We just found out that we're having a girl on Wednesday. After a half hour ultrasound, hour in the waiting room, and at least another half hour with the doctor, two visits to car dealerships, and dinner at Red Robin, the longest day out had finally come to a close. I made sure to tell the doctor that I was having some cramping and a few random contractions, but she wasn't really worried and told me to prop up my feet and drink lots of water.

On Friday, at 1:30pm, the contractions started. Tater Tot and I were outside playing so I decided to go inside, switch the laundry to the dryer, and prop my feet up while Tot watched a Blue's Clues tape. I drank my water. I tried to relax.

Then the doorbell rang. And the laundry needed switched again. And the dishwasher needed to be loaded before dinner. And then it was time to wrestle the baby alligator for a diaper change and nap.

The contractions continued. Small. Uneven. Sporadic. And only half-way through my pregnancy...

Get ready for work, eat dinner, work a lousy shift for four hours with more contractions and lower back pains. I called the doctor's answering service and waited almost 2 HOURS for the doctor to call me back. When the on-call doctor finally did, of course I was closing my register and couldn't answer. I called him on my way home and he told me to come into the hospital 45 minutes away. It was already 10:15pm.

I call my loving Spud and tell him that my suspicions earlier were right and the doctor wanting me to come into the hospital. Had he found someone to babysit, like I asked earlier?

"What?! I have to be up at 7am for graduation!"

I lost it. That's it buddy! I've been having contractions for 9 hours with a severely premature fetus and something is wrong! We have to go to the hospital!

After a long car ride, tests, blood drawn, ultrasounds, and monitoring, they decided nothing was wrong and no contractions were being picked up. I wasn't dilated so the baby was not coming tonight and nothing else was wrong. We picked up some cheeseburgers and headed home at 2am.

Then we hit an owl.

Punchdrunk and exhausted, we hit a owl that swooped out of the night sky and he exploded all over the highway. He was so big, I thought it was a small deer (and am still slightly convinced it was a deer). We finally get to bed at 3am and poor Spud had to wake up early the next morning for graduation.

The next day was a bit of a mess and I didn't rest like I was supposed to, and surely felt it that night. More contractions. Take an anti-contraction pill and try to rest until the next day when I had to go to work. The next day just so happened to be Mother's Day.

We had accepted that it was Mother's Day and I wasn't going to be able to do all of the things that we wanted to do because of work, but that was ok. We would celebrate the next day and it would still be special, no matter what day it was.

I ended up coming home sick after two hours at work because the anti-contraction pills were lowering my blood pressure and making me feel like I was going to faint. Instead of resting and being pampered on Mother's Day, I woke up early with the Tot, took care of her most of the day, put her to bed, and felt like hell.

No presents today. Or the next day. No card or special dinner either. No real mention of the day at all from my family.

It was a bad weekend, to say the least. On Monday, I broke down and got really upset because Spud said he didn't have time to work on my present so he was just going to ruin the surprise and tell me what it was anyways. I told him that I didn't want him to "buy" something but he could "make" or "do" something for me - or for our family. We could "go" somewhere, but he didn't have to spend a lot of money on something I didn't need.

He finally made a really cute growth chart for me with Tot at 30 inches and places for pictures of her at 3 feet, 3.5 feet, etc. and a picture of both of us at the top that said 'Mommy & Me.' It was pink and green and fit in Tater Tot's room perfectly - and promptly fell off the wall the next day.

It has yet to be put back up. I appreciate the effort though. :-/

Small Fry has calmed down and is being a much better girl. Turns out, I had an infection that made her unhappy and caused contractions. An anti-biotic and another round of fetal monitoring later, we determined this little girl is just a feisty baby who needs to get a spanking once she's born!

67 Weeks, 20 Weeks

2010-05-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

It's a girl!!

Meet Baby Girl - Small Fry, 20 Weeks

Meanwhile, in Toddler Land...

Tater Tot, 15 months, sitting in a plastic tub

We're entering a fun stage of toddler-dom.

The tantrum.

It's fun. It's annoying. It's frequent. While getting my ultrasound for Small Fry, Tot started throwing a fit because she couldn't be on the table with me. One small hand full of sticky ultrasound gel later, I'm holding onto her with one hand and trying to keep us both on the small table with the other.

But we're so delighted to have another girl! Of course my frugality kicks in (we don't have to buy anything!) but other than that, I'm just excited to have two little girls. Girls that I can dress in matching outfits, teach each other things, and pull each others hair.... oh my.

What have I gotten into?!?

Stats on the kids:

Tot
Weight- 22 lbs
Length- 32 in
New Skill- Dancing
Embarrassments-Tantrums

(Tater Tot - 18.5 weeks)

(Small Fry - 20 weeks)
Fry
Weight - 12 oz (Coke can)
Length - 7in (Banana)
New Skills - Swallowing
Embarrassment- Throwing up at work

1 year & 3 months, 19 weeks

2010-04-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

I usually don't do political posts, but a thought occurred to me while I was trying to fall asleep one night.

America is like a restaurant.

There's a great neighborhood restaurant that you love with lots of different types of food that changes often and you always enjoy it. Yes, there's some scandals and health code violations, but other than that - you keep coming back.

Then they change the menu.

Not much. There's still a few of the same dishes, but the overall format has changed to a buffet style. You can stay and eat, or you can go to any of the other hundreds of restaurants available.

Oh, and the prices have changed. Not much, but there was a bit of a problem with some people walking out without paying, so they had to make some adjustments. Don't worry though - loyal customers will get a coupon to offset the raise in prices.

Are you still staying? You don't have to. You also don't have to complain quite so loudly because there are many other options. But the owners have changed and now we have to accept the changes and embrace them - or change ourselves.

In other news.... Tater Tot can:
walk
dance
run
sign "More" consistently
sign "Cracker" less consistently
put her arms above her head for "On Top of Spaghetti"
play with her friend Lilly
swing
do circus tricks with Daddy
point to her belly consistently
point to her nose, eyes, and ears a little less consistently
be my best friend.<3

15 months, 18 weeks

2010-04-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

All right. It's been a month. Time to get back on board. Once a week until the baby comes. I ...... promise??

Time to play catch up...

So there was Easter. It was horrible/awesome. We left Wednesday night on the 31st and drove through the night to Pennsylvania, arriving at 5am at Spud's mother's house.

Gramma Spud trying to eat some piggies.Grampa Spud playing with Legos (Spud's second favorite toy - the first, of course, being Mr. Potato Head)

Then it was bath time and time to drive to Grammy's house (2 hours away).

We spent Thursday night at my mother's, then Friday visiting friends and eating at some of our favorite Pittsburgh places. Primanti Brother's sandwiches on Thursday with my mother in law, Sheetz MTO's on the trip to my mother's, Eat n' Park with my parents, and Elephant & Castle with friends. The only thing we missed was Quaker Steak n' Lube - but that's for next time!!

Saturday we had a photo shoot with my parents (my dad drove up from North Carolina for Easter), my sister and my niece, Hash Brown. So happy to have (almost) the whole family together - Uncle Home Fry had to work.

Cousin Hash Brown, Aunt Curly Fry, Grammy, Grampy, Mama, Tater Tot, Spud

Easter Sunday was spent at Spud's grandparents house, Bud and Hash. Once again, we got another family photo - except for one missing great-uncle.Mama, Gramma Spud, Grampa Spud, Great-Grandma Bud, Second Cousin Yam, Great-Grandpa Hash, Second Cousin Wedge, Second Cousin Tuber, Great-Uncle Murphy, Spud, Tater Tot, Great-Aunt Chip

I hope you appreciate how much serious creativity that caption required.

We left Sunday night and got back to Kentucky at 6am Monday morning. It was a very long trip and I was very happy to be home... until we had to leave for a doctor's appointment. Had to check on the Small Fry!

Baby Small Fry - 16 weeks

Sucking (his) or HER thumb!

14 months, 14 weeks

2010-03-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Baby #2 at 9 weeks
(Sorry I'm slow at taking cell phone pictures, sending them to my email, downloading them on my computer and then uploading them onto here. Whew!)

And not to be outdone...

1 year, 7 weeks and 13 weeks

2010-03-16T20:30:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome to Migraine City! We're located in the curvacious Pregnant County, which is also home to Mood Swing Town, Heartburnville, and the rocky bluffs of the Acne Mountains. Visitors to the area with children can expect a sense of Deja vu or be completely surprised with each and every visit!

Optional tubal ligation upon departure.

58 weeks and 10.5 weeks

2010-03-01T21:16:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite mommy-blogs is written by Stacey Anymommy (www.anymommyoutthere.com) (who doesn't know I exist) wrote a post last year about improperly securing your child in their carseat and the risks. I've been reading her blog from the beginning and have gotten up to March 2008 already.

The following post had a link from the Washington Post about forgetting a child in a locked, hot car. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701549.html?hpid=topnews
Do not read this if you are overly sensitive like me. I cried several times, including at work, thinking about these poor babies dying by themselves in a boiling hot car. I am so disturbed by this, I promised myself that I will always check my backseat for my babies. I won't get a car with tinted windows hiding my view as I exit the front seat. And, somehow, someday, I will try to do something to prevent others from having to suffer through this.

I an so disturbed and haunted by these stories. My prayers are with these babies...

13 months and 10 weeks

2010-02-27T22:10:00.001-08:00

What used to be a weekly update has dwindled from twice a month to barely once every month or two. My apologies. Work has taken over my evenings leaving me very little time with my family, and during the day I'm so busy picking up sippy-cups and scrubbing cat vomit out of the carpet, that blogging is the last thing on my mind.

Sleep, sleep, and more sleep!

'So, Karen,' you may ask, 'What's up with the title of the blog? Is Tater Tot 13 months plus 10 weeks? That would make her 15 1/2 months and you bad at math!'

As you may have noticed, nearly all of my posts have Tot's gestational or birth age in weeks, months, or years. Yes, she is still 13 months (or one year, one month. Or 57 weeks.) But there's a special surprise coming!

Baby Small Fry, due in September!

I tried to wait as long as I could, but I'm not very good at secrets! So here you go!

And, good news- I found a midwife in the area! We're meeting with her next week to see if she's my best option, and I feel so positive about this birthing experience! I can't wait. The hospital has changed. The nurses are more lax. There are doulas available. And I can finally use that birthing ball!

But there's time for all that... 30 weeks or so...

52 Weeks

2010-01-25T20:34:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Tater Tot!

2009 in Review

2010-01-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

January:
I missed the ball drop in both Eastern and Central time because, first, I was sleeping and then I was in the bathroom. Pregnant moms are exhausted and have to pee - a lot!

The next three weeks went quietly while I stayed at home, cleaned, nested, organized, washed, scrubbed, and re-organized again. I had my baby shower in Kentucky (I had two). Then, on the 19th, I found out that I would be going to the hospital to induce labor on my birthday, January 20th. I had Tater Tot on January 21st and the roller coaster began!

My mom came into town that day and my best friend and her husband came into town a week later, just days after Kentucky was hit by a major ice storm and declared a state of emergency. Thankfully, we didn't lose power or heat, and had some usage of our phones and internet.

February:
My best friend, her husband, and my mom drove back to Pennsylvania and then we had a week of being a family of three all to ourselves. We cuddled all day in bed, took lots of naps, and just stared at our lovely little Tot. Then, at 3 weeks, she stayed with her first babysitter while we went to dinner for Valentine's Day. All Spud and I could talk about was our baby!

My dad drove up from North Carolina and stayed a few days. Then Spud's mom flew in from Pennsylvania for a week. Although it was challenging to have so many visitors spread out over a few weeks, it was nice for everyone to spend time with Tater Tot.

March:
Days and weeks pass, sleepless nights and endless bottles. The six week healing period has ended, but everything still seems the same. We're so tired and delirious that we hardly make any sense.

Spud's best friend comes for a visit and we take the Tot on her first trip to the zoo. At nine weeks, we venture to a friend's house for dinner and wine and I soon find that the months without an alcohol tolerance have made me quite silly!

April:
We take Tater to see the Easter bunny. It does not go well at first, but the picture turned out pretty well actually. The rest of the month went by rather quietly, actually. I think by this time we had resigned to having a co-sleeping baby that liked to cuddle with us all the time.

We went over to Spud's boss's house for Easter dinner. I prepared for days for an event that was only one evening! Extra bottles, blankets, her white noise machine, a nightlight... everything was in that diaper bag! I was hoping that she would nap a lot while we were all eating and that it wouldn't be much of a problem.... Not exactly as planned. A little screaming here and there, but otherwise a cute little button.

Easter night was the first night she slept through the night. It would be weeks before she would do that again. Months until she did it regularly. At the end of the month, we have our childbirth class reunion. Only one other family from our class came, and combined with the other classes, there were less than 10 families. Disappointing, but nice to see all of the other babies!

May:
Tater Tot and I make a car trip to Pennsylvania to take care of my mom. What should have been a 9 hour trip was turned into 12+ hours due to some odd circumstances. We drove through the night and she slept through most of it. But on the way back, we weren't able to leave at night like I'd planned, so we had to drive through the day which was much, much more difficult. I swore then and there that I was not driving long distances without Spud again!!

During our stay, a lovely friend of mine took some pictures of me and my Tot. She's a brilliant photographer and I wish I lived closer to her, had billions of dollars, and would just pay her to follow me around and shoot beautiful images of me and my child. Of course, she has her own babies to raise :)

The night before we leave PA, Tater Tot sleeps from 10:30pm to 9am. It is the start of something magical....

June:
Spud's grandparent's come to visit for a week. It was so nice to have them here to talk and help out and explore the area. While here, Spud and Pap painted our living room and butler's pantry "Honey Yellow" and finish touching up the kitchen that Spud painted before they got here "Panera Green." Gug and I make, buy, and hang new curtains in the kitchen and living room. And while they are here, our dishwasher breaks! Thank goodness an appliance repairman has come to visit!

We also visit Mammoth Caves in Cave City, KY and Lincoln's Boyhood Home near Santa Claus, IN. Have you ever heard a 4 month old scream at the top of her lungs inside the world's largest cave?....... I have.

Tater Tot also starts eating rice cereal.

July:
We take a family vacation to North Carolina to visit my grandmother, father, aunt, uncle, two cousins, two spouses, and four great grandchildren. Tot is the 7th great-grandchild of 7 grandchildren to my Granny French Fry, matriarch of our little clan. From 84 to 5 months, we had 4 generations and 15 people in one house over the Fourth of July weekend.

The trip was wonderful, but so exhausting. The car ride was long and very stressful on Tater Tot but she held up pretty well. I was so glad she got to meet all of her grandparents and great-grandparents throughout the first 6 months of her life.

August:
Spud and I celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary. We've been together for 8 years and have known each other for another 4 before that, making our total 12 years, altogether.

My mom and her best friend decide to take a road trip (a la Thelma and Louise -complete with sunglasses and headscarves) and come visit us for a week. They babysit while we go out to a movie for the first time in years. (I'm not exaggerating.)

Tot has begun eating solid foods in earnest with breakfast, lunch and dinner coming in some sort of disgusting mashed form. Thelma and Louise depart with much mayhem but it was good to see my mom again. Since I last saw her in May, she lost a lot of weight. Skinny and sick, but lookin' good!

School starts again for Spud and he is teaching an undergraduate art class on top of his staff duties. This encourages him to start the process of going back to school, earning another Master's degree, and becoming an Art Professor in a few years.

September:
Tater Tot begins to crawl, an army crawl at first, then a regular hands-and-knees crawl. She also begins to pull herself up on furniture to stand. This all happens between 7 and 8 months, which I am thrilled about and begin to think that I am raising a tiny baby genius.

Her separation anxiety, however, is worsening and making it almost impossible for us to let anyone else babysit or even hold her for just a moment. After an unfortunate incident with an inexperienced babysitter, we resign ourselves to living our lives with baby in tow. However, after Tot's trips to the chiropractor (Dr. Wonderful!) we are now sleeping soundly for many weeks in a row. It's beautiful. We've regained our strength, our sanity, and our love life!

October:
The Month of Poop. From October 1st to the 31st, Tater Tot has diarrhea every. day. Upwards of 6-8 times a day. For 31 days. Her sleeping schedule is completely ruined, as are many outfits and sheets. Doctor doesn't think anything's wrong, Allergist confirms no allergies, and Chiropractor is stunned. We're stressed, on our last legs, and up to our ears in poop. And as soon as I finally beg the doctor to do a test on her, it clears itself up.

Thanks for making me look like a liar (or a Munchausen's patient!) Tater Tot!!

I also vow to make Tot's first Halloween costume. Of course, she is Tinkerbell, complete with wings and a wand. That she uses to hit me. We bought pumpkins at an orchard. We walked through a corn maze. We carved the pumpkins and roasted the seeds. We went trick or treating at the mall (sort of). And then, in our candy-induced diabetic-comas, we laughed and played as a family in the crisp, fall air.

November:
Tater Tot takes her first steps at 10 months! She is a holy terror now, getting into everything and really starting to act like a real little kid. I am constantly amazed at how much she grows and changes every day. After learning Mama and Dada before Halloween, she has now learned to say 'Hi,' 'Duck,' 'Mine,' and 'Kitten.' Although, I have to admit, they come out more like, 'Ha,' 'Dut,' 'Maa!' and (whispered) ' 'itta.'

December:
This month is full of crazy work schedules for the holiday season, the students leaving for the semester, teething, and surgery with a little bit of Christmas thrown in at the end. It's like a stew of polar opposites all coming together to make one delicious, albeit odd-tasting, dish.

Tater Tot grows two teeth at once on her 11 month mark. She also begins walking in earnest now, moving from one end of our long house to another in a matter of seconds!

I had a follow-up ultrasound to check on a small cyst on my ovary (a common problem of mine) and found out that it had doubled in size in a month. They rush to to the procedure before the holiday and the year's end (damn insurance) leaving me with just a day to recover before Christmas Eve. But we pulled it off! Presents were wrapped under the tree we picked out and trimmed ourselves. Stockings were hung on the mantel with care, until a passing toddler strolled by and knocked them off the shelf almost giving herself a concussion.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner's were beautifully prepared by my lovely kitchen elf, Spud, and then we took a drive around town to do a family tradition known as "Oohing and Ahhing," in my family. Looking at lights on all the houses and going, "Ooh... Ahhh..."

I went back to work the day after Christmas and then on New Year's Eve we celebrated Spud's 28th birthday when the ball dropped. Luckily, I was awake to see 2010 - and not in the bathroom!

One Year!

2010-01-19T19:44:00.001-08:00

We made it! Just barely. One year ago today, I was (mumbles....) 168 pounds, eating my early birthday dinner at Panera Bread, cleaning the new preemie outfits I bought that night and packing for the hospital. On the 20th, I went into the hospital on my birthday and watched footage of President and Mrs. Obama dancing at the inaugural balls. And, on Thursday the 21st, it will have been one year since I gave birth to my precious little Tater Tot.

Mommy loves you so much. You are so very precious to me - the best thing that's ever happened to me!

46 Weeks

2009-12-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

Just in case you don't get my Christmas card this year....

Silent Night...
Holy Night...

Happy Holidays!
Spud, Mama Spud, Tater Tot
Lily & Luci

(Little Nugget Card Co. Spudsboro, KY)

Thanksgiving

2009-12-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, from one messy little Tater Tot!

What a great day! I made my grandmother's (famous) Jello Salad, and while no one else seems to like it, it's one of my favorite foods ever. I can eat it for days and days after holidays and it never gets old. Thank goodness we make a large pan of it!

Granny French Fry's Jello Salad

2 packages of strawberry, lime, or cranberry Jello (not sugar free)
1 package of lemon Jello
1 8oz package of cream cheese (cubed)
1 small package of walnuts or pecans
1 small flat can of crushed pineapple

Combine 3 pkgs of Jello with 3 cups of boiling water and 2 cups of cold water in a large bowl. Stir and put in refrigerator to thicken for 30 minutes. Mixture should still be liquid.

While thickening, combine cubed cream cheese, pineapple, and crushed nuts in another bowl. Add Jello mixture to this and mix with a hand blender for 2 minutes (until frothy). Pour into 9x13 Pyrex pan and refrigerate overnight. Makes 12 4x4 squares.

Looks like puke, but is delicious!!!

43.5 Weeks

2009-12-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

It's time for the annual Owensboro Christmas parade! It was slowing getting colder, but we had a lot of fun watching the lights and sirens go by. She was so good!

Making friends! This little girl looks like her cousin, Hash Brown, and is even the same age! Too bad Tater Tot kept wanting to eat her Cheerios....

Time to go home! She loves sitting on her daddy's shoulders.

42 Weeks

2009-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

And, we're mobile. Walking (a few steps), standing, climbing, stretching.... The fun begins.

41 weeks

2009-11-08T19:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween, my little Tinkerbell!

In a costume made and assembled by Mama Spud! I'm so proud of myself to be able to make by baby's first Halloween costume. I may not be able to make all of them in the upcoming years, but at least I was able to make her very FIRST one.

9 months

2009-10-23T22:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! We went to Reid's Orchard to pick our pumpkins (one big, for mom and dad, one small for Tater Tot!) and had so much fun! I love this tradition and hope to be able to continue it year after year. It's so much fun doing all the "family things" I've wanted to do with a family for so long. Now - we can! She might not be able to remember it, but she'll have lots of wonderful pictures to look at later and know how much her parents cared about her.

Playing in the corn box, it's like a sandbox, but with corn.Walking through the corn maze.
Crawling through the tunnel.

Our happy little Spudly family.

37 Weeks

2009-10-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Trying out a little self-feeding with a biter biscuit. Thank goodness all she was wearing was a diaper and a bib. Everything got hosed off - the tray, the high chair, .... the baby. She was an hot mess!

35 Weeks

2009-09-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

8 Months

2009-09-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

So Michelle Duggar is pregnant with her 19th child. Some people may not know the Duggar family, but they are a conservative Baptist family from Arkansas who home-school their children and believe in the Quiverfull movement - have as many babies as God will give you.

Her youngest, Jordyn-Grace, was born a mere month before my Tater Tot. As you can read from the title, Tot is only 8 months, making the youngest Duggar 9 months old. Michelle's due date for #19 is March 18th, 2010, making her (as of publish date) 14 weeks along. Jordyn is roughly 37 weeks old, making her merely 23 weeks (or 5 months old) at the time of conception. Sorry... I think about those kinds of things.

And I also think of how exhausting that is going to be for Mama Duggar. Having a 15 month old toddler running around with a new baby! By her newest baby's birthday, she will have 5 children under the age of 5 (not to mention the other 14 kids too!)

Her granddaughter is due to be born October 18th, 2009. Mckynzie Renee, as she will be called, will be 5 months older than her aunt and 10 months younger than Aunt Jordyn.

Not here to judge... just to inform. Not really any of my business... but I just feel tired THINKING about this woman's life!

When I was 7 months pregnant with the Tater Tot, I went home to visit my family and take care of my mom. I got to visit with my 8 month old niece, Hash Brown, and was so exhausted after just one evening babysitting with her. I love her to Reese's Pieces, but being that pregnant and hauling around a kid who can't walk yet was really tiresome. I couldn't even hold her on my lap - my belly was too big!

Eventually, Spud and I want to try for another child again. I think I want to be pregnant again so I can fix my "mistakes" with the last pregnancy. They weren't actual mistakes, but errors in judgment. I allowed my doctor to scare me into an induction when he just wanted to get a nose job and get me delivered on his schedule. I ignored my instincts when I thought I had an infection and let the doctors and nurses talk me out of getting a test. I chose to stay in the hospital, while I could have labored at home. I gave up too easily on breast-feeding, when I should have not let my fears get to me. I caved and asked for pain relief, which made it harder for me to stay awake while pushing because they gave it to me too late in labor. The list goes on. The things I didn't know will (hopefully) be changed the next time around....

....IF there's a next time around.

Oh, by the way, Tater Tot is:
eating tiny chunks of food, like carrots and cheese.
standing up and holding on the edges of furniture.
getting bumps on her head from too many falls.
sleeping 12 hours a night.
eating 24 ounces+ in a day.
discovering rain and the sounds it makes outside.

34 Weeks

2009-09-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

All I heard was a giant (SPLAT!) on my shoulder.

Morning ruined.

32 Weeks

2009-09-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

My plan was to lose all 38 pounds of pregnancy weight that I gained in the 9 months after I gave birth. Technically 40 weeks, but since I only went to 38.5 weeks - should I push up my deadline? I have 6.5 to 8 weeks to lose 8 pounds. I'm only 4 pounds away from the weight I was when I took the pregnancy test, but 8 pounds away from my normal weight. My 15 pound plateau was broken a few weeks ago and I'm ALMOST there.... but it seems we've hit another plateau. I should start walking again but... I'm just too tired.

On the upside, I think I'm getting sick so hopefully that will knock a couple pounds off! Haha!

Tater Tot is doing really well, seeing the chiropractor once a week, trying to stand up, and laughing like a two- year-old! I love her and I love her cuddles.

31 Weeks

2009-08-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Normally, this blog is all about the Tot. But today, I made something really tasty in my kitchen, and I thought I'd share. After all, it's a mommy-blog, right? Mommies cook.... sometimes.

White Trash Pizzas (updated version)

When I was in college, I was super-poor and only made just enough money each week to buy $30 worth of groceries for two weeks. So I improvised. Of course, there were the staples like Ramen and grilled cheese sandwiches, but every once in a while I'd crave pizza (like any other normal, red-blooded American college student). Even though there was a pizza shop below my apartment, (and a brewery across the street - it was heaven, believe me) sometimes all my money went for beer instead of food and... well... here we are. White Trash Pizzas. The cheap version is to make toast, spread some marinara sauce on, a few slices of cheese (preferably mozzarella, but these were hard times, folks), and a few seasonings. Voila! Pizza.

Here's a version involving a few more (but still cheap) ingredients.

5 pack of plain or egg bagels (or French bread, English muffins, etc.)
2 cups of marinara or pizza sauce
15 Roma tomatoes, sliced length wise
30 slices of mozzarella cheese (or one 8 oz bar)
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
5 slices of turkey bacon, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tbsp of butter
Garlic
Rosemary
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Separate and lightly toast 5 bagels, or 10 bagel halves.

Place butter in a small microwaveable dish and sprinkle in garlic and rosemary. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until thoroughly melted. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the cut side of bagels with mixture.

Place on medium size cookie sheet prepped with cooking spray.

Microwave bacon on a plate covered in 4 sheets of paper towels (two under bacon, two above) for 2-3 minutes until done but not crispy. Once cooked, cut or rip into four sections.

Using a spoon, spread sauce onto each bagel half. Lay 3 pieces of cheese onto each mini pizza. Top with 3 Roma tomato halves, and two small sections of bacon.

Sprinkle garlic, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese as desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted and slightly golden.

There ya go mommies! "But Mama Spud," you may say, "You're an idiot. I've been making bagel pizzas forever."

Well.... too bad. It's delicious. Try the tomatoes and bacon. Try the seasonings. Don't buy the pre-packaged Bagel Bites with the scarily-symmetrical pepperoni. Mine are made with love. :-P
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Also, I took Tater Tot to the chiropractor again today. We're going next Monday again too. They're so very sweet and easy to get along with. It really irritates me when doctors offices get so demanding about payment. They want you to come to the office every week or so, and some expect payment as soon as you walk through the door. The office we are going to is very relaxed about it. They understand that they are asking you to visit a lot and they don't want you to suffer just because you can't afford it. I probably could have afforded it today, but I wanted to make sure all of my bills went through first, just in case.

Or if the house blows up tomorrow. You know, just in case.

Meanwhile, in baby land:

*She sits up for 4-5 minutes on her own.
*She crawls/creeps from my bathroom, through my bedroom, across the hall, into the kitchen, through the butler's pantry, around the dining room, and into the hallway again.
*She plays with Tupperware while I clean up the kitchen.
*She eats Banana Puffs (Wal-Mart version is cheaper - sorry Gerber, even though you give me coupons)
*She pretends to eat a puff and even says, "Yummy yum," but then sticks it to the front of her shirt.
*Chicken and Broccoli is not her fave. Nor mine.
*Apple Yo Baby yogurt IS a fave, though. It tastes like apple pie and heaven. I know. Trust me.
*She says "Hi" to Dr. Chiro, but doesn't like to be oppressed and be forced to lay on her back.

7 Months

2009-08-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

We had an eventful day today. Woke up only once through the night and we all got up at 7:45am this morning. Back on schedule! By 10:30am, Tot was ready for a nap. When I came in to check on her...
... She was happily playing in her crib. So we tried a bottle again and then fell asleep for a long time. I came in to get her after a nice long 2 hour nap, and saw this....
....The Tot was just barely awake, but using the bumper as a pillow, sucking her thumb, and pressing her little face up against the railing. Then, we decided to crawl around on the floor a little bit....

... And play with Mommy a little more....

... Then we went to the chiropractor. I was really impressed and, if we can afford it, I would like to have her go as many times as needed. The chiropractor is a lovely young woman who is specially trained for pregnant women and babies. She offers better eating habits and sleeping patterns once her spine has been aligned. Also, help with her "crooked crack", digestion, fussiness, constipation, diarrhea, and a host of other ailments. I'm so excited! So far... so good.

30 Weeks

2009-08-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm taking the Tater Tot to the chiropractor's office on Friday. I just want to see if there's something in there that just isn't right.... or if I'm crazy. Probably the latter. But that damn crooked butt-crack bothers me because there's a history of scoliosis and corrective shoes on BOTH sides of the family.

Will let you know how that goes. One of the chiropractor's specializes in pregnant women and infants. Whoo-hoo! (Must remember to bring article from this month's Parent's magazine....)

Just like her mommy... blogging again...

29.5 Weeks

2009-08-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Carefully, place thick pillows around the edge of my bed and slid my arm out from under my sleeping babe. I tiptoed out of the room, decided this would make a cute picture, and went to find my camera. Even though I held down the flash, it still made a clicking sound and woke up Tater Tot just a little. Quickly, I ducked down under the footboard and waited until she fell back asleep. If I let her see me, it would be all over.

And then I snuck out to the computer to work on my blog. It's been a while, I know. My laptop died sometime in May. I've been using Spud's laptop, but the wireless internet has been spotty lately. So then I use the office PC that's plugged into the wall, but Jeff needs that sometimes too. Plus, vacations, two sets of out-of-town weeklong guests, RA training, move-in (Spud works for a college campus) and a baby that doesn't nap as long as she used to --- all add up to less and less time to sit and actually type.

I think I need to gripe for a moment though, before I leave to go check on the Tot. Last week, while my mom was visiting, a student came to the door of my house/Spud's office. The sign said CLOSED and the sign with the hours was clearly posted in the front window and on the glass door. It was lunchtime and Spud was not here. The student knocked and I called out from the living room, "We're closed!"

He knocked again.

I got up from the couch with my mom, the baby, and my mom's friend and went over to the door. I opened it slightly and said, "We're closed." I went to shut the door, and he said, "Is Spud here?"

"No," I said, pointing to the sign, "We're closed."

"Can I ask--" he started.

"No! We're closed. See? He's not here!" I went to shut the door again and as he turned off the stoop he said, under his breath, "B*tch..."

At that point, I was livid. How dare you come to my house and call me that with my family and child in the next room?! I got all "trailer-trashy" and re-opened the door, yelling, "What did you just say to me?"

As he was walking away, he said again, "I called you a b*tch."

"It's not my fault you can't read! It's closed!" So incredibly angry!

Apparently, his coach was made aware of the situation and supposedly the student is going to apologize to me and Spud. I saw him yesterday several times, and he made no effort to do so. It's sad that he has no manners and wouldn't even consider apologizing to me, if his coach had not given him the option of a bus ticket or an apology.

What was more upsetting to me is that I fear that someone will take it to the next level next time. What's next? A rock through the window, landing next to the Tater Tot? A drunk person fighting in my home at 2am with my sleeping daughter in the next room? A gunshot?

I'd rethink this student's admission, Admissions Department. Apparently, he failed the reading portion of the SAT's.

Raising a child on a college campus will be interesting....

29 Weeks

2009-08-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

We've got a crawler here, folks.

Well, ok. Maybe not "officially" crawling.... creeping if you will. But she's doing it! She's mobile!

Nothing is safe.

6 months, 1 week

2009-07-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

She blows raspberries.
She rolls all over the place.
She pulls my hair while eating.
She sings like a pterodactyl.
She calls "Mam am mam" when she wants me.
She can sit up - for a little bit.
She's eating stage 2 foods.
She loves apples.
She hates peas.
She really wants my yogurt.
She pulls herself into a standing position, with my help.
She can balance on Spud's hand.
She's teething.
She can wear 6 months clothes, and still fit in newborn pants.
She can sit in her high chair.
She tries to sit in the shopping cart.
She will sleep through the night every once in a while.
She'll have a dance party in her crib more often.
She's the love of my life.

6 months

2009-07-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have a six month old. Where has the time gone??

By the way, that leaves me only 3 more months to lose the rest of the baby weight. I managed to get over the Plus 15 plateau and am now Plus 11! Hooray! Just a few more to go... I have a theory. It takes 9 months for you to put on the baby weight - the bulk of which comes on in the last trimester. Then, as soon as you have the baby, the bulk comes off and all of the "maternal fat" is left. That's the hardest and most people just stop after the initial amount is lost because they get frustrated and just give up. By God - I will see the 130's again!

But... mommies are meant to be a little squishier, in order to give better hugs.

In the meantime, I have many many ideas for starting my own little baby "crap" line and selling it on the inter-webs. There's a whole sub-culture out there that love to give and receive handmade baby junk. And if my price is $1 less than the others out there... the easier it will be to sell!

Uh oh... nap time is over....

26 Weeks

2009-07-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

A Day in the Life

5am - Baby wakes up for early morning feeding. Crawls into bed with us and sleeps a little longer. 5oz bottle. Diaper change.

7:30am - Dad wakes up and gets ready for work. Baby starts hitting me in the face to wake me up.

7:45am -Dad goes to work.

8am - Mom and Baby get up and put a bottle on the warmer while we change her diaper, get her dressed, open the blinds, turn off night lights, and make the bed.

8:15am- 5oz bottle. Bowl of cereal for Mom.

9am - Mom gets a bath while Baby plays in bouncy chair placed next to bathtub. After bath, she is moved (chair and all) into the bedroom to watch Dora the Explorer (etc.) while I get dressed, do my makeup, etc.

9:45am - Clean up kitchen, take out trash, load dishwasher, start laundry (if needed), or make bottles for the day (if needed). There's usually a poopy diaper in here somewhere!

10 am - Nap for Baby.

11am - Wake up from nap. 5oz bottle. Reflux medicine. Diaper change.

11:30am - Playtime on the floor for Mom, Baby, and cats.

12pm - Lunch! Dad may or may not join us during his lunch break. Baby has two spoonfuls of baby food, sometimes mixed with a little rice cereal, while she sits in bouncy chair (no high chair yet!)

12:30pm - Clean up from lunch while Baby plays on floor or in bouncy chair.

1pm - Nap for Baby (and sometimes Mom).

2pm - Wake up from nap. 5oz bottle. Diaper change.

3:00pm - Playtime on the floor of nursery while I put away clothes, finish laundry, re-organize her clothes, or get the room ready for her bath if I have to work that evening.

3:30 - Read books or look at Baby Einstein flashcards while we cuddle in a chair.

4pm - Nap for Baby.

4:45pm - Dad gets off of work (even though he works mostly from our home). Mom and Dad cuddle until Baby wakes up.If Mom works, gets ready and does hair.

5:30pm - Wake up from nap. 5 oz bottle. Diaper change.

(5:45pm - Mom leaves for work on only 1-3 nights a week).

6pm - Dad cooks dinner while Mom either assists or takes care of Baby.

6:30pm - Eat a family dinner with Baby in bouncy chair. Two-three huge spoonfuls of baby food in a small bowl, sometimes mixed with rice cereal.

7pm - Mom cleans up kitchen, makes bottles (if needed), loads and runs dishwasher, irons Dad's clothes for work the next day (if needed) and has "Mommy time" while Dad plays with Baby.

7:30pm - The "Cranky Hour." Not quite time for bed, too late for a nap. Try to keep her occupied with walks or trips outside to sit on the porch swing.

8:00pm - Bath-time! Mom and Dad both get Baby settled in the bathtub, run the water, and get the rubber duckies. Mom usually bathes Baby while Dad checks his email, but calls for him when it's time to get out.

8:15pm - DAD! Baby is dried off, lotioned, and pajama'd by Dad (who is also the expert swaddler) while Mom warms a bottle, gives her some reflux medicine, and gets the room ready for bed.

8:30pm - 5oz bottle.

(9:15-10:15pm - Mom comes home from work if it's a working day).

12am-2am - If Baby wakes up, it's around now. Sometimes she falls asleep by herself, other times she crawls in bed with us and sleeps until morning. Diaper changes and 5oz bottles if needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The "Mommy" Purse
Through the week I have my "Mommy Purse." It's one part diaper bag, one part purse, and partly covered in spit up. I condense my wallet to a small-size ID holder, with room for just my ID and Debit Card. There's diapers and wipes, of course, but I also have a formula divider that my sister gave me. It's a small, round, plastic container that has three divisions so you can dole out just enough formula that you need (i.e. 3 scoops = 6oz bottle). Just bring a bottle filled with the water you need, shake, and go! No refrigeration!

Oh, and my coupon wallet. Yeah... I'm THAT mom.

On the weekend, though, it's all about my red leather purse. Room for my cell-phone, gum, and HUGE wallet. I take it back and forth to work, complete with my name badge in the front left pocket.

But on Monday morning...... back to the "Mommy" Bag.

25 Weeks

2009-07-12T14:57:00.001-07:00

(This is a recovered draft I found recently. It's not finished, but enjoy the pictures!)

The Spuds Go to the Beach!

Not too much time to write right now (I can see this is going to be a growing theme) but here's some pictures... Enjoy!

22 Weeks

2009-06-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

I found this article on a Natural Mothering website and, of course, saying that the breast is best. I believe that whole-heartedly. But, I just do not believe that it is right for everyone. If I choose to feed my child in a different way, please do not give me a guilt-trip and say that I am depriving my child of brain cells, glowing skin, and pleasant smelling poop.

Read on and tell me what you think!

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding

I also found this which is... hilarious! And so true. All about the crazy, disgustingly real things that happen in pregnancy and how EVERYONE has to tell you about them!

http://www.babble.com/TMI-The-new-honesty-around-parenting-has-made-me-scared-to-have-kids/index.aspx

5 months

2009-06-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've been able to write because I have been really busy lately! This little girl is really active now and doesn't nap as much as she used to, so there's not as much downtime as there used to be. Spud is really busy working on updating the residence halls, buying and loading and unloading furniture, and working his butt off (literally - I think he lost about 10 pounds sweating it all off!)

Tater tot's great-grandparents came for a week to visit from Pennsylvania. We only got to see them for a few hours when I came back home, so it was nice to have them visit and help out around here. We painted the kitchen, living room, butler's pantry, made and hung new curtains, went to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, and Lincoln's Boyhood Home in Indiana. Mammoth Cave (pictured here) is beautiful, immense, and has the ability to magnify a screaming infant's cries 20 times and reverberate off of the walls.... That was fun! It was a little cool in there and I think the darkness freaked her out too. She was in a front-carrier with Spud, but I think she really wanted her mommy. I finally put her in my sling and gave her a bottle and she managed to settle down a little bit! Craziness!

Speaking of the tot, her crying jags have started to lessen a little bit. She still may have them, but they're not as bad as before and we're starting to be able to interpret her cries and help her settle down more.

We went swimming yesterday! Well, kinda. I blew up the orange Dino baby pool for Tater Tot, threw some plastic balls in there, and we sat under a tent in the backyard while Spud worked outside. She liked it.... for a little bit. But I think the water was too cold (even though it was 95 degrees outside) and she'd get a little too chilled. So, out she'd go, onto the beach blanket on the grass, to warm up and play, then I'd try to set her in the pool again to cool down.

It was really hot. In fact, it's been really hot here. I like summer and wanted to move south so we'd be warmer all year round, but with the ice storm, tornadoes, and heat waves, the only thing that moving south has done for us, has made us learn to survive natural disasters!

One thing that is rather nice, though, is the small rose garden we have in the backyard, started by the nuns that used to live here. Spud's also been working on planting vegetables alongside the house -he already has some beans that are growing!

I took a series of pictures with the baby next to the roses. Unfortunately, the early growing season expired, the roses died, and now we have lilies. Nice, bright, orange summer lilies. Pink roses for spring, yellow lilies for summer. Mums for autumn?

In a little over a week, we are going to North Carolina on vacation! My grandmother, aunt, uncle, various cousins/spouses/babies, and my dad live down there by the beach. That will be exciting! My grandmother, Granny au Gratin, is in her 80's and her birthday is on January 23rd - three days away from mine, and two days away from Tater Tot's. When I was younger, we were "birthday buddies" and she gave me one of her garnet rings. (Garnet is January's birthstone) It will be really nice to see four generations of my family together, just like when Jeff's grandparents were here and we saw the oldest and youngest generations of his family together.

So, we'll be leaving before the 4th of July, traveling across the Appalachian Mountains, going through Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and then back into NC again on the east coast - right by the beach! We'll be back by the beginning of the next week. Already, I'm planning by buying bathing suits, beach towels, sunscreen... the list will go on and on....

Away we go!

18 Weeks

2009-05-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Spud, Tater Tot, and I went to the pediatrician's office yesterday. She weighs a whoppin' 13lb, 6oz (I thought she was over 14... but that's ok) and 25 inches long! Tot's 4 months old now, so she got another Dtap shot and was checked over from stem to stern... poor little thing!

I really don't know what else to write about! Every day is pretty much the same, and then I go to work on the weekends and Jeff gets to spend some quality time with her. Although, when I came home from work on Saturday, she took one look at me and started crying inconsolably! Bath, bottle, bed.... then Spud and I went out on a "double-date" of sorts while the baby slept at home with a sitter (aka. One of my Macy's co-workers that I called in last-minute!) Actually, that whole weekend I really didn't get too much quality time with her because I would come home either just before or just after her bed-time and leave in the late morning. I felt kind of disconnected... but it could be worse. I could be working full-time and never get to see her at all.

I know people may think that I don't pull my weight or that Spud supports me, and he does, but that is the life that we chose. It's not for you to judge. I supported him through college and grad school... paying rent, buying things for our house, taking care of him and his mountains of laundry... now it's time for me to connect with my little one and be a mommy for a little while. I don't see a need in getting a job where I would just have to hand over my paycheck to my babysitter! What's the point? Use that time to let my baby bond with me - not a babysitter!

I pull my weight plenty. I take care of a huge house. I load the dishwasher everyday. I do upwards of 4 loads of laundry every 3 days. I take out the trash, feed the animals, clean up after the animals, shovel poop all day long (ours and theirs).... it's a rough job! Yes, there's down time. But there's also really hectic/crazy/stressful baby craziness time. I'm so glad that I have someone else to lean on... I don't know how single mothers do it!

Anyways... not gloating about the (joys) of being a partially-stay at home mom... but if we're able to afford it (roughly) for right now, then why not?

There's also some crazy family issues that are going on right now. I don't even know where to begin but I hope it works out.... for Tater Tot's sake. Nobody ever said new mom's were perfect!

Four Months

2009-05-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be Tater Tot's One-Third Birthday (haha - how's THAT fraction for ya?!). She's getting so big and I can't wait to see what kind of child she is going to become.

We go to the doctor next week for another round of immunizations, weighing, measuring, and to start talking about eating rice cereal and other mushy/disgusting baby concoctions. I'm toying with the idea of making our own baby food once we're at that level, so we'll have to see how that goes. Although, I may give in and buy a few "treats"...

Unofficially, I'd say she's around 14 pounds and is about 24 inches long! She's either getting a tooth soon or thinks that her hands are really tasty! I'm still having trouble getting her to increase her feedings, but they're starting to get on more of a regular schedule.

Last night, though, she skipped her bedtime feeding completely and the woke up 7 hours later wanting a bottle. She'd gone from 6:30pm to 4:15 am without any food! And slept from 9pm (albeit, with some crying in my arms until she fell asleep) until 4:15am. That was manageable, though, and I fed her and let her crawl into bed with me to sleep until 9:15am. You'd think she'd be starving, but she just barely finishes 4 ounces (5 if I'm lucky.... most times 3.5) and then pushes the bottle away like she's sick of it! She's a funny little thing... but not starving, that's for sure! Growing... growing... growing....

Meanwhile, Mckenna has her first boyfriend at the tender age of 4 months. Bekk (to the right) is a younger man - by three weeks! His mom and I were best friends in high school and we even nicknamed ourselves "The Tuff Girls." Hope was Tuff Girl #1, Ruth was Tuff Girl #2, and I was Tuff Girl #3. Hope and I both married men named Jeff and had babies within weeks of each other (Tuff Babies #1 & #3). Look at them holding hands! How cute! She started to cry when I put her down, but I think he was trying to calm her down so she'd take a good picture. Hope joked that we were going to show this picture at their wedding someday!!!

(Meanwhile, I'm freaking out because I just realized my baby is going to get married and have HER own babies someday! AHHH!!! And I'm gonna get gray hairs and have to pay for a lavish wedding!!! Oh no!! :-P )

Upcoming: Preparing the house for my grandparent's-in-law's arrival in June. Trying to clean just so when they come, they don't feel obligated to clean it for me! Ha! Also on the agenda... buy a highchair. Nothing plastic and "cheap" looking... something that will look nice with our furniture, of course! We'll see what we can find that's affordable too!!

16 Weeks

2009-05-12T08:24:00.001-07:00

Tater Tot and I took a week long trip to visit people in Pennsylvania while Spud worked on graduation. We stopped by our friend Katie's house and she took some gorgeous pictures of us! We also received two huge trash bags full of hand-me-downs from her cousin Hash Brown. I thought I had enough clothes before! Whew!!!

Updates:
She's smiling.
She's a supported sitter.
She can pull herself into a sitting and standing position with little help from me.
She can balance in the palm of Spud's hand.
She's sucking on her hands for comfort instead of a pacifier, which will be harder to wean her from later.
She's 3 1/2 months old.
She follows me with her eyes.
She squeals with delight when I enter the room.
She still has colic and tummy problems... but she's getting better.
She falls asleep easier.
She gives hugs.
She drools.

Trip Home to PA

2009-05-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

It all started when I forgot my toothbrush....

SUNDAY
I packed everything, washed everything, and cleaned everything so that I would be all ready to leave Kentucky in the evening. Jeff watched the baby while I took a nice long nap (thanks to some Tylenol PM and blackout shades) and when I woke up, we bathed her, fed her and put her to bed in her car seat. Travel-wise, the easiest part of the trip was going from Owensboro to Columbus. It took us 5 hours, without stopping, and she stayed asleep the whole time.

MONDAY
We arrived in Columbus around 2:30am and met Emily, who was going to help me feed Mckenna while we ate a VERY early breakfast at a diner, and then follow me back to Pittsburgh. After a few unsuccessful tries, we finally found an all-night Waffle House that wasn't too scary looking, ate, peed, fed the baby, then got on the road again. Except, I got on the East-bound road, and Emily went West! We eventually met up at the next exit, and away we were. A few more stops (MCKENNA'S CRANKY MOMENT #1), some rain, and head-lights that blended into all the other head-lights behind me put us a little behind but the baby and I finally arrived in Butler at 7:15am. Whew!

We cleaned up, ate a morning bottle, and then visited Grammy in the hospital for a little while. Then we went back to my mom's apartment to attempt to nap, but I was so pumped up on enough caffeine to kill a small horse and just stared at the ceiling. After unpacking and showering, we went back to the hospital to pick up my mom from her treatment but it took a while because Mondays require more tests. (MCKENNA'S CRANKY MOMENT #2).

After dropping Mom off at her apartment to sleep, MK and I went up to Slippery Rock to visit with Deanna and Baby Ellie. How cute to see those two theatre babies together! (MCKENNA'S CRANKY MOMENT #3) She also got to be held by Reba, until we had to fly out of there to meet my in-laws for a very early dinner (I'm still on central time, mind you).

Oh, and I haven't slept.

Dinner with in-laws at Snack-n'-Pack. (MCKENNA'S CRANKY HOUR #4) She really needed to nap but just didn't want to close her eyes with all the people and noises and lights around her! Oh my.... Then back to Grammy's for a nap, bath, bottle, then bed! Whew! I've been up for more than 36 hours!!!!!

TUESDAY
Take Mom to hospital bright and early, then go back to bed! I think we're both still exhausted! Pick Mom up and then drive over to visit the girls that I used to babysit (who are now 8 &12!). Back to Grammy's for dinner and a visit from Aunt Julie and Baby Cousin Ava.

WEDNESDAY
Hospital. Shower then run errands to Wal-mart, Verizon store ($42 for a battery?!?!), then breakfast at my beloved Sheetz. Oh how I've missed you.....

Then a short jaunt up to Slippery Rock to visit with Sonya, Anna, & Monique at Airport Orbit, a travel-extraordinaire company that I used to work for (and live above). They just ate her up! Back to the hospital to pick up Mom, and I see Vanessa and two of her 3 kids, Victor and Naomi, about to get on the elevator! We stand and talk for a while and Victor says, "Excuse me, I have something very important to tell you...." How polite! (You'll find out the important thing later....)

Take Grammy home, then it's a much needed nap time for all. In the evening we drive out to my sister Julie's house and visit with Ava, Mark, and Julie. Two huge trash bags full of baby clothes, and a sack full of Rice Cereal later, (plus another Sheetz run) we're back home and ready for bed!

THURSDAY
Hospital. Back to bed. Hospital again. Then Mom gets her hair finally cut and colored by the mother of the girls I used to babysit (Follow that? I just saw them all on Tuesday). It was so long and so gray and thinning and in dire need of some help. What a pick-me-up, what a nice boost for my mom! It's colored and highlighted and cut and styled and so refreshing!! It took us a while because Mom was so exhausted, but it finally got done!

After that, we rested and took a bath, and went over to Hope's house so Mckenna could meet her new boyfriend, Baby Bekk. We took pictures of them laying on a couch, "holding hands," and "in love." We're going to show them at their wedding, 20 years from now!!

On to dinner at Chili's with Becca and Emily, while the baby ate and fell asleep in her car seat. At least it was nice and dark and quiet in there!

FRIDAY
Mom's last treatment at the hospital! She graduated! Yay!!!!!

After we dropped her off, we went to Katie's house and met Baby Nicco. We drink coffee, eat doughnuts from Stanley's, talk Mommy-stuff, and take some pictures that I can't wait to see! I think Nicco fell in love too.... when it rains it pours, little girl!

Then we do laundry at the laundro-mat and pick up Grammy at the hospital for her last treatment! So exciting! I run and pick up some prescriptions for her, while the baby tries to eat lunch but ends up screaming through it instead. It takes a while to get on the road to Jeff's grand-parents house, and when we finally do, I realize that my mom's cell phone has been left behind in my car.

Turn around. Back to Butler.

Once we get to Gug and Pap's, we eat dinner and I try to nap but I can hear her screaming in the other room from too much stimulation. FREAK OUT!!!! Then I realize that I don't have the right cell phone charger... I have my mom's. My phone dies and I haven't napped, so I just decide to get up, help calm Mckenna down, and leave their house in the very early morning after her middle-of-the-night bottle.

For the first time in her life, she sleeps nine hours! Needless to say, we didn't end up leaving until around 9:30. Then we stop in Somerset to buy a car charger, make a few other pit-stops, and by 11:00 it's time for her to eat and we're going past my in-laws house. After two other failed attempts to get them to see her again, at least we get a few more minutes to spend with them while she's changed and fed.

Actually leaving Pittsburgh at noon. After that, it's a crazy blur. All I know is that around 7 we were past Louisville when I got pulled over for doing 60 in a 55. It was an obvious speed trap (from 70 to 55 in an instant?!? Come on!) but as soon as the cop saw the SCREAMING HUNGRY BABY in the back seat, he let me go. I told him I was looking for a place to pull over with her, which I was, and was in a hurry to feed her, which I was. I had a feeling he would have just warned me anyways, but I gave the baby extra kisses for being such a good girl and saving Mommy hundreds of dollars!

Finally arrive home at 9pm CT and I can't wait to get home, eat, relax, unpack, and clean bottles (sick huh?). It was a whirl-wind trip that sounds busier than it actually was, but I was glad I was able to spend time with my mom, meet all of my friends babies, eat some good food, and try to schedule in short visits where I can.

There are two very hard things about being a new mom. One is trying to appease everybody and make sure they all get their chance to visit. God forbid someone spends 20 minutes more with the baby! It's so frustrating and I tried so hard... but I can only do what I can do. The second thing is listening to other people tell you how to raise your baby. I am the expert in my daughter, that's the end of it. I know when she needs to nap, needs to be held, wants to look around, needs to eat and is still hungry. It's very frustrating too to have to listen to people say, "Let her scream, it's ok." No, it's not!!! AHHHHHH!!!! But we'll get through this.... someday!!!

( I need to inject that my in-laws are otherwise know as Gramma Dede and Grampa Bill, Cookie and Bill, Coleen and William. Is that specific enough? But to me... in my narrative... they're my in-laws)

13 Weeks

2009-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've given up living on 1000 calories and eating salads until I'm green in the face. I opted for the maxi-dress and I'm giving up on pants entirely.

Meanwhile, Tater Tot is 12lb, 10oz and 23 inches long! She just got two more shots in her chubby little thighs on Friday. We're trying to space out some of her shots in case she has a bad reaction to them. I don't think that little tiny babies need all that stuff in their system when they're so little!

And, she's been babbling a lot lately. We talk. Momma-to-baby.

I'm so in love. <3

12 Weeks

2009-04-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Holy crap she slept through the night! Twice!

There is light at the end of the tunnel, my friends....

Oh, and if anyone knows anyone who is having a baby and asks what they should buy in preparation, say, "Batteries." All shapes, all sizes.... you will need them all. Do NOT (I repeat, DO NOT) buy bibs, washclothes, teddy bears, onesies, socks, baby shampoo, or hairbrushes/combs yourself. You will get a ton of that stuff at baby showers or from random passerby coming to gawk at the baby. And the hospital gives you some stuff too.

10 Weeks

2009-03-31T20:17:00.001-07:00

9 Weeks

2009-03-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

How does a ten pound baby take up an entire double bed?

As I write this, I'm precariously perched on the edge of my bed, while my precious little baby (only 22 inches long!) lays sideways in the middle of the bed... napping. And there's no good way to move her. Every scenario I can think of (transferring her gently, moving her with a blanket underneath, etc.) always ends up in a disastrous hour long burst of crying and snotty noses and tears and wailing and kicking and...

Well, it's just not worth it, my friends. So the Tater Tot is completely zonked out - sleeping on MY good pillow! - unmovable, un-TOUCHable, and frankly I resent her laziness. It's five o'clock, for Pete's sake! It's time for Mama Spud to be making dinner (or, at least, be watching Spudly make dinner...) and I have things to do! But no, my little Tot, I have to watch you while you're sleeping in my dangerous double bed of death, because every good book says not to let you sleep around all those pillows, blankets, and soft matteresses.

What can I do? Tell her not to fall asleep after an exhausting day of finding her hand and making poopies? Should I try to move her and make the long, bouncy, jarring walk down the hall to her own crib where she's sure to wake up and then be cranky because she's sleepy but doesn't want to sleep??

And, I'm going to break down and admit something that most people are afraid to admit. We're co-sleepers. Yes, I have the potatoes to admit it. We're co-sleepers. The family bed, sleep-sharing, whatever you may call it, when we're tired of going back and forth to her crib at night, we plop her down between us in bed and cling to the edges for dear life all so we can get a solid 5 hours of sleep.

I don't know how she has this control over us. She's not every a foot wide, but somehow I manage to fall off the bed every night and Spud wakes up with a crick in his neck every morning because he's contorted himself into some cheerleader-alphabet postion so he won't roll over her in the night. I may be making more of a deal out of this than it really is (I mean, come on, my shoulder will pop back in place.... eventually) but you may be wondering why we even bother.

"She needs to learn how to stay in her crib at night." "Let her cry for 5 minutes the first night, then ten, and by the end of the week she'll sleep by herself." "She'll own you if you let her sleep with you." I heard it all. And even believed some of it at first. And felt horrible guilt when I started co-sleeping in the hospital and the nurses thought I'd kill her in my sleep. To be honest, you know what you're doing when she's with you. She knows how to cry and move her head and if she DIDN'T, then she'd either have SIDS with you or in her crib, alone, where it could be hours before anyone found her.

We bother to do this, because we love to cuddle with her. She's a tiny little ball of fury, sometimes, but other times she becomes a little lovebug that I just can't let go of. And sometimes she starts off the night in her own crib. Then she comes into ours when she needs fed and we both fall asleep to the light of a Tinkerbell nightlight so aptly placed in our grown-up bedroom. Then, after the second feeding, she may go back to her own crib again until I'm done with my shower. To be more accurate, I'd call us "50% co-sleepers."

What is the fraction for 1/3 of my bed, 50% of the time?

Whatever it is, it's love.
<3

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted. She screamed from 8:45pm to 1:15am last night, except for about a half hour's break in the bathtub. I really think it's colic.... zzzzzz

Unkie Pickers is coming from Ohio for a visit! When I told Mckenna that, she smiled really big and laughed (silently). Yay!!!

One Year - Hash Brown

2009-03-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Tater Tot's cousin Hash Brown turned one year old yesterday! I was there for her birth and it's one of the best memories of my life.

I woke up on the morning of the 6th in a bad mood. I hopped in the shower, took the dog out and headed out to work the breakfast/lunch shift at the dining hall for the college Spud worked for. It was cold, miserable, and all I could think about was this student who kept stealing from the dining hall and would give me dirty looks while she did it.

About an hour after I got to work, my phone rang. I couldn't reach for it fast enough but I recognized my mother's ringtone and knew what was going on. My sister (Curly Fry) was having her baby today! I took my phone into the hallway and called my mother (Grammy Spud) back. Curly Fry's water had broken and they were on the way to the hospital! I ran back into the kitchen and exclaimed to my newly appointed bosses, "My sister's water just broke!"

"Well, what are you still doing here?! Go!" I started for the door.

"Wait! Will you be back in time for lunch?"

At the time, we lived in Cleveland and the rest of my family lived near Pittsburgh. It was a two hour plus drive (one-way) and she still had to go through the labor process. I said no, I don't think I'm coming back for lunch, dinner, late dinner, or even for breakfast the next morning!

I hightailed it out of there, ran home, packed a bag of things that didn't even match, and drove home to Pittsburgh. It was the longest two hours of my life. I called everyone I knew. Had updates from my mom about how Curly Fry was doing, prayed, and drove faster. Turns out, I could have taken my time, had a bit to eat, done my hair, and watched a movie!

When I got to the hospital, my mom proclaimed, "She's one and a wiggle!" meaning, just over one centimeter dilated. We'd pause every few minutes and hold her hand while she writhed in pain from the contractions. 'I'm not going to be like that,' I thought. 'She needs to breathe and relax.'

The nurses started her on Pitocin (the evil EVIL drug) and the contractions got worse. At three cm, she begged for an epidural. After 12pm, life got a little better for Curly Fry. She still had heartburn and was starving for something other than ice chips, but at least she was calmer and not in pain. She couldn't move her legs, but she was calmer.

Around 4:30 or 5:00pm, the nurses and doctors kept coming in and checking her a lot. They were worried about Hash Brown's heartrate. They tried inserting an internal monitor into the baby's scalp, putting Mama on oxygen, and turning her on her side to get the baby's heartrate to stablize. It would dip after every contraction - which is normal, but not to such extremes as they were seeing.

Just before 6:00pm, the doctor said, "That's it - we're doing a c-section!" Crying, Curly Fry signed papers, had her epidural amped up so she was numb from the neck down, and was wheeled away to be prepped for an emergency c-section.

Her fiance, Home Fry, changed into his scrubs and everyone in his family hugged and kissed him and wished him luck. They went into the waiting room but I stayed behind until everyone was out of the delivery room. I gave him a big hug and said, "I love you, you know that right? You're my brother in law, no matter what. And you're about to be Hash Brown's daddy. You be good to Curly Fry, ok? I mean it! You talk to her and hold her hand and comfort her. And if you hurt her, I'll hurt you, ok? You got it?" I gave his neck a little squeeze.

"Ow! Ok, I know! Man...!" he said.

"Ok. Now go take care of her!"

At 6:01pm, March 6, 2008 Ava Marie was born weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces and just 19 inches long. She had black curly hair that was wispy like feathers, but thick and full enough to give her mother heartburn. While Curly Fry was in the recovery room, we watched as she was given her first bath, wrapped in warm blankets, and dressed in a tiny t-shirt and cap. It wasn't until after 8pm that my sister could finally see her baby, but when they wheeled her up to the window, it was such a beautiful sight. Her hand flew to her mouth and she started to cry and I got a great picture of our mother comforting her, while they both looked at the baby.

We stayed at the hospital until 11pm and then Grammy Spud and I went for cheeseburgers because we were starving. The weather was pretty mild and then the next day we went to visit again. As I left to go home to Cleveland, I looked outside and saw giant snowflakes falling faster and faster. Where had this come from?? It took me over four hours to drive home (usually a two hour drive) and by the time I got home, there was nearly a foot on the ground. The next day, the snow was up to my hip, which made travels back and forth to the hospital a little difficult for Home Fry and Grammy Spud.

Mom and baby were released on Sunday and spent the first night at home, just the three of them, as a new family. And now, just one scant year later, Hash Brown is healthy, happy and has three teeth! She walks a few steps and then starts to lunge forward when she gets scared of her own independence. She can say, 'Mommy, Daddy, Baby,' and one time we thought she said 'Button.' She has beautiful brown eyes and a mischevious grin that makes your heart melt. All of her dark curly hair is piled on top of her head, leaving just short, tiny ringlets underneath.

She's my beautiful niece, Tater Tot's cousin, Grammy's first grandchild, number 5 of the great grandchildren on my dad's side, and holds all of our hearts in her tight little fist.

Happy Birthday Ava! We love you!

Six Weeks, continued

2009-03-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Spud has officially cracked.

Last night he giggled like a school girl out of exhaustion. I don't know what he's so exhausted about, I'm the one with the baby all day and night! But it helped to boost my self-confidence about my budding stand-up career (yeah right) because everything I said, he laughed like I've never heard before! At one point, he was trying to suppress his laughter so much that he was shaking, rocking the bed and about to wake up the sleeping Tot.

He rolled off of the bed and lay on the floor, tears in his eyes, shaking with laughter. And I'm not even sure what it was about! But every time he'd think it was under control, he'd start up again!

This went on for about an hour....

.................................................................................................................

6 week checkup

Well, it was disappointing, to say the least.

I made sure to read all the articles about what to expect at your six week post-partum visit. I expected an internal exam and for Dr. Blah Blah to make sure all my organs were back to normal after being shoved out of place for nine months. And I thought he would at least ask me how I was handling being a new mother and if I was experiencing any baby blues (I am, but it's manageable, really). I also thought he would say it was safe to get back to some normal things (exercising, sex, etc.) and let me know how my stitches were healing. I thought he might explain some of the thigns that happened during the birth, like how he forced me to have medical interventions and treated me like a slab of meat on a conveyor belt!

Nothing.

Actually, I'm wrong. I got a lot of explanations about how he pays $60,000-100,000 a year in malpractice insurance so he's wary of people who want to walk the halls during labor because they might want to do drugs during labor. That's another rant about the drug companies later...

But I didn't get a go-ahead from him about anything. I didn't get a reassuring pat on the back as I sat in the exam room and cried about mourning my delivery. He said, "This is going to sound cold, but you have a healthy baby in the end."

He smirked at me too.

That mo-fo smirked at me when I told him I was bottle-feeding. I had just finished crying and telling him how he didn't respect my wishes to do everything natural. And apparently, the fact that I was bottle-feeding and therefore "un-natural" amused him, so he smirked. I lied and made it seem like breast-feeding didn't work out for me and Mckenna, which is true in some sense. I just didn't give it the best try that I could have.

He replied, "See? Where would you be without modern bottles (and formula)? Your baby would starve!" in his country-bumpkin-doctor-twang.

I replied, "Well, no, that's why they had wet-nurses back in the day!" and put my feet in the stirrups.

As I left the office, I made sure there wasn't anything else he needed to tell me (like.. uh... have a nice life??) There wasn't. Just to go to the front desk and get your bill straightened out. So I went to the desk, flopped my chart onto it, and asked for a copy of my records because, "I need to be moving on. Away. From my doctor. Now."
.................................................................................................................

Meanwhile, yes, my baby is healthy. The tot has chubby chipmunk cheeks and is starting to smile when I sing, "Good Mornin'" from Singing in the Rain to her every morning. She doesn't sleep through the night, or anything, but I wouldn't expect her to do that yet. She still needs a lot of food and I'm ok with that.

It's the getting back to sleep part that I'm starting to have troubles with.... More on sleep training later....

The First 6 Weeks

2009-03-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

I've officially cracked.

I started to scoop some peanut butter cookie dough ice cream and thought that it looked like a carton of yellowish-brown baby poop.

I routinely walk into a room and forget why I was going in there. I have to say to myself, "What am I here for? What am I doing? Why am I here?" I *usually* remember.

I threw away a crisp, new $20 bill. I found it. It was in with the junk mail that was in my hand with the bill.

I've forgotten to buy toothpaste at least three times. I go to Wal-Mart with all intentions of buying it and walk out with $30 worth of stuff - except the toothpaste.

The first couple weeks, I would scoop the powdered formula into the container of water to make up a pre-made batch ahead of time and lose count halfway through. It wasn't like I had a lot of scoops to count... just 6. Somewhere around 4 I'd start to forget where I was. Now I make up a larger batch in the morning when I'm well rested (sort of) and I don't have to do it several times a day.

Along the same lines, I have trouble adding. Especially fractions. I've started just estimating about how many ounces she's eaten in a day.

I was standing in the grocery store with a screaming baby, looking at my watch, and desperately trying to remember her last feeding. For the life of me, I could only remember feeding her around 2pm, although it was now going on 9pm. I knew she ate sometime in between there, I just wasn't sure when.

One day after said trip to grocery store, I completely forgot that we went and said, "Hey, we never did go grocery shopping! Why don't we go now?"

I think my baby's breath smells like Cheez-its.

My sentences change in the middle. For example, "Karen is inciting a 'mommy-hub-bub' about starting with Dora the Explorer."

Hopefully, I regain my mind soon... Isn't 6 weeks supposed to be the magical time when the baby starts sleeping through the night and your body goes back the way it was and you can have sex again and feel great???

End of February

2009-02-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

My baby:
- was 6 lbs, 4 ounces and now weighs 9 pounds!
- growls when you pick her up.
- mews like a kitten when she needs to burp.
- makes Daddy gag with her diapers.
- is getting used to the bathtub.
- cries when you rub lotion on her.
- almost slept through one night.
- failed miserably the next night.
- smiles when we sing.

5 Weeks (Over 1 Month)

2009-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

Overheard at the Spudly household:

Mommy: "Having a baby is like having a pet shark. You take care of the shark. You feed the shark. You may even love your pet shark. But you live in constant fear of the shark because one loud noise, one quick movement, or one false move and the shark will rip your arm off.

"Having a newborn baby is just like that.

"You speak a little too loudly around the baby and then you spend the next two hours dressing a gaping wound from being bitten by the shark. Two hours of crying and screaming and hair pulling (mine, not hers) and changing the diaper and changing it again because maybe that wasn't right and feeding and pleading and rocking and begging and crying (mine, not hers).

"It's best to tread lightly around your little pet shark."

Daddy: (singing) "Baaaa-by shark, doo doo, doo da dooo doooo..."
.................................................................................................................

Thoughts on bottle-feeding:

Now, this may be a controversial subject but I'm going to go for it. I am strictly bottle-feeding my little Tater Tot. I weighed my options and decided that this would be best for both me and the tot.

I am disgusted how people will try to guilt you into breast-feeding your baby by saying that she'll become a mentally retarded axe-murderer with hay fever. Half of having a smart and healthy baby is to love and take care of her and the other half to have a happy and healthy mommy. I truly believed that it just wasn't the right choice for me to breast-feed and that if I did, I would just be miserable. I'd grow to regret my decision and to resent my baby and her constant feeding.

So I saved myself the trouble of trying to learn to nurse, infections, latching on troubles, and enduring cracked and bleeding nipples only to have to give up and feel like a failure. I went straight for the bottle and didn't look back.

I had a moment of post-partum blues one night after a particularly troublesome night and day of trying to get the tot to take enough formula and at the right times. Because I could see how much she was getting at each time, I was obsessively focusing on the amount of each bottle and I was crying in the bath tub, afraid that she was going to starve. I toyed with the idea of trying to start to supplement with breast-feeding because I still had some milk available.

But, eventually, she and I worked out what was wrong and learned to accept that sometimes she's just not as hungry as she may be some other days. Switching to a gentle formula helped too and I learned to let go a little bit. As long as she's peeing and pooping and happy and healthy and chubby - that's all that matters! She's still eating and I need to stop worrying about exactly how much down to the 1/4 ounce!

Don't let anyone tell you that bottle-feeding is so much easier. I just assumed that you stick the bottle in their mouth and it's done, but sometimes it's a long process with the same latching and sucking problems one would have if they were nursing. Feeding a baby can be frustrating, but it is important to realize that no matter how you do it - you're still providing nurishment for your child! I still have a chance to bond with her, snuggle close, and look into her eyes. And I don't feel pulled apart in every direction by being forced to nurse because I can hand Spud a bottle if I want to go have some "Mommy time" and not feel guilty about it at all!

In the end, if she is ever upset that I bottle-fed her, I'll just say that I did it to benefit her because she deserves the happiest and best mommy she can get. It's important to do what's right for you and your lifestyle, and not to let the "Breast-Feeding Nazis" influence you. I was comparing it in my head to being pro-choice. While an abortion may not be my personal choice, I'm not about to tell someone that they shouldn't have one. That's not my place because I have no idea what's best for them in their lives. And bottle-feeding is what's best for me in my life right now.

We'll see what will happen if I ever have any other Taters.....

3 Weeks (Almost)

2009-02-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Tater Tot Take a Walk
I hate walking by myself. I feel awkward and soon enough I get bored and start talking to myself. Inevitably, I'll be singing away and some guy in his huge, honkin' "I'm from the South and don't you forget it" pickup truck will pull up beside me at a street light. Then we'll have that awkward moment of, "Did you see me singing to myself? I wasn't.. wasn't doing anything.. umm... Will that light turn green already???"

But for some reason, I'm more comfortable taking a walk around town with the Tater Tot. I pack her up in the baby sling and we walk the 8 blocks down to the riverfront. I've done it a couple times now (it's 71 degrees here, in February - don't worry, she's not freezing!) and I think she enjoys it! The gentle rocking while I walk reminds her of being in my belly and she's not in a stroller, away from me, with the sun shining in her eyes and cars and fumes assaulting her. She's tucked away, close to my body, where I can hug her and pat her back if she starts to get upset. Plus, it's good for me to carry a little bit of extra weight to build some strength in my arms and back (as well as all the good exercise from walking!).

The other day, Tot and I walked down to river and passed by the court house. We recently had an ice storm and there are still a bunch of tree limbs and debris on the ground. I noticed people cleaning it up, like they're doing all around town, but then I noticed the van next to them. On the side of it was printed, "Daviess County Prison."

Oh no.

Then I read the men's t-shirts. Their MATCHING t-shirts, as well as matching pants and hats. "Daviess County Inmates." Now, I know that they're paying their debt to society and doing their time and are out on a work-release program because of good behavior and there is a strong possibility that these inmates may be in there for only tax evasion but.... I was walking very close to INMATES! AND ONE OF THEM HAD A CHAIN SAW! A chain saw! To cut up fallen branches ----- and my limbs! Granted, he couldn't get the damn thing to start up but I didn't see an officer anywhere and Joe Convict had a dangerous weapon near my baby!

So, I start talking to myself. "What do I do? Mama, it's ok, they're probably not even going to notice you. There are plenty of people driving and walking by and you're being elitist. Just let it go. Ooh, the 'Walk' sign is going - to the right. I could... no, I shouldn't. They'll know that I'm crossing because of them. Maybe I just... want to look in the window of that shop over there. Yeah, yeah, that's it."

I give Tot a reassuring pat. And sprint across the street just as the orange hand starts flashing.

I'm not taking chances any more.

Week Two & Half

2009-02-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Ideas for upcoming blogs that I think about in the shower:

- Baby products that they should make, but don't.

- The first bloody 48 hours after giving birth that will scare you more than the actual delivery.

- How to train your husband (spouse, baby's daddy, etc.) to know exactly what your baby needs, so he doesn't have to wake you up even on those nights he promises to take care of the baby ALL night for you. Not that you're bitter.

- What to buy with the random $25 gift cards that people throw at you when you have a baby (or get married).

- Foods/drinks you can eat again!

- Things that you thought were once important about childbirth that aren't any more.

......I'll get to them...someday.......

Week Two

2009-02-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

Things I never thought I would do once I had a child:

-Steady the end of a baby bottle on my chin so I could use my right hand. For Cheezits.

-Go to the bathroom and feed/hold the baby at the same time.

-Actually utter the words, "She has nothing to wear!" even with a wardrobe full of clothes.

-Get a shower, put on makeup, and not feel bad about leaving her in the crib and turning on the monitor. (Asleep, of course)

-Rely on a sea horse to lull her to sleep - the ONLY thing that works!

-Be able to hum those songs that said sea horse plays over. And over. And over. And over. Again.

-Let her sleep in our bed.

-Pull a travel bed up to the side of our bed and let her spend the night in our room while the freshly painted Tinkerbell bedroom stays empty.

She's here! Day 3 (Week 39)

2009-01-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 19th, started off with my now weekly doctor's appointment at 9:20am. Everything seemed to go fine until the doctor noticed a bulge on my right side while I was laying down. He said, "Does that baby look sideways to you?" I said no, that's just the way her feet lay and that she's usually in a "7" configuration - her feet under my ribs, her bum in the middle of my tummy, and her head straight down. He checked me to see if I was progressing and then measured my tummy. At 38 weeks, I should have been 38 cm from my pubic bone to the top of my uterus. He claimed that I was much smaller than that, even though last week I was supposedly right on track - 37 cm for 37 weeks!

The doctor said he wanted to get an ultrasound to see how big she was and it turned out she was in the 10th percentile for weight and size. They estimated her weight to be 5lb, 14oz and assumed the cause to be a problem with the placenta. Apparently, it had stopped producing nutrients for her and she stopped growing. The doctor said that the best course of action would be to have her on the outside, rather than in so she could thrive (even though she would only be a week and a half early). He quickly scheduled an induction to be started Tuesday night at 8pm. My responses were that my mother is flying in on Wednesday afternoon and that my 26th birthday was on Tuesday. He wanted to put me in the hospital right away, actually, but I had breakfast that morning and they like you to not have eaten for 8 hours before an induction.

So the rest of Monday, and through Tuesday (my birthday) was spent cleaning the house, packing my bags, doing laundry, buying preemie clothes, going for a birthday dinner, and putting finishing touches on the nursery. By 8pm on the 20th, we were ready to go to the hospital.

And then, I got a back cramp. And then a few in the front. And a few more back and front.

When they hooked me up to a monitor, once we arrived in the Labor and Delivery Unit, I was contracting around every four minutes and was one centimeter dilated. I wanted to go home and work through this on my own but that idea was shot down because the doctor and nurses really wanted this baby to be out soon. With all the problems with her growth and the placenta, we all agreed that it was best to start on Pitocin and try to get her out of me as soon as possible. Which was a shame, I thought, because my body KNEW what it had to do and was going at it's own pace to safely birth this baby. And the doctor didn't have enough confidence in my body's own ability to progress. At least they didn't need to use Cervadil or Cytotec to help prep for dilation - I was already on my way!

I talked with the nurse (Sue - wonderful lady) about my wishes for wanting to give birth as naturally as possible, to use the bath tub to help labor, to be able to sit and walk and kneel and lean as I needed to, and how I wanted to wear my own nightgown to give birth. All of my requests were denied. I also was not able to eat or drink for over 24 hours (once it was all done with) and with all of these frustrations and limitations.... I started to cry. Nothing seemed to go like how I wanted. One thing after another that I had read about, been told to request, and given advice upon was quickly been cast aside like my wishes didn't even matter. When I asked if I can try a natural method of induction, my nurse said, "Your doctor doesn't really like to do that kind of stuff." Well, he's not the one pushing a baby out of his whoo-ha!!

So after my crying spell, the nurse came back in and asked me why my chest was red and splotchy (if you know me, you know that when I'm nervous, upset, over-heated, or stressed out that my chest breaks out in hives). I said simply, "It does that sometimes," and then she noticed that I had been crying. She pulled up a chair and sat and talked with me for a long time about my birthing experience. That's when things started to change for me and I started to relax a little about everything. Sue said that what really matters is having a healthy baby and I knew that deep down inside, I think. Relaxation had to be key and then we tried to change things up a little bit so I wasn't stuck in the bed all night long. She got a rocking chair and slid it into my room so I could sit (even though I was on a MILLION monitors and wires), which was nice of her.

6am finally arrived, as did my doctor (who had been absent and sleeping peacefully all night long - unlike us!). After 10 hours on Pitocin, I was still at 1cm so he decided to sweep my membranes. Which hurts. Very much. Then, without hardly talking to me or looking at me, he asked my nurse for the amnihook to break my water. I started to object because then I would have to be confined to the bed, not even allowed to get up and go to the bathroom. He just said, "You're not going to progress on your own," and went ahead anyways. I thought that wasn't very fair because I MIGHT have been able to progress on my own if I was allowed to move and walk and bounce on my birthing ball (which was still sitting, deflated, in my tote bag).

8am - still 1 cm. The rest of this hour is a little personal, but lets just say that Jeff was a trooper and helped me out a lot. Some very embarrassing instances, and lots of crying and apologizing, but my body is just doing the things it does while giving birth! I get a new nurse named Karen who encourages me, tells me about her 7 natural births, and wants me to flip and flop from side to side and most important of all - RELAX!

9:30am - still 1cm. I start asking about my pain relief options. I absolutely don't want an epidural (in my mind, Pitocin + Epidural = C-section!) but I start asking about Staydol. They mention morophine but I rule that out because that just seems so... extreme. Right? Isn't morophine, like, for drug addicts??

9:45am - I ask if they can just get a syringe ready of Staydol for me. Just in case.

10am - These contractions are out of control. I have about 15-30 seconds of relief between each one and am not relaxing at all! It doesn't help that my bed is as hard as a rock, I keep having to pee, and my stomach feels like I've taken Saran Wrap and suctioned the baby to me. I can now feel every kick, every knee and elbow, and everytime I lay on one side and switch to another - everything "melts" down towards the bed. The lack of amniotic fluid is really an odd sensation!

Oh, by the way, I'm still 1cm after 14 hours of labor. I give in and get some Staydol. Jeff is able to take a nap (he was getting WAY too cranky and I was pretty "snappy" too) and I don't neccessarily nap, but I zone out during my contractions. I began focusing on a little icon of a TV on the side of my hospital bed. It works. We play some music and I begin to visualize the lyrics. Stevie Nicks was doing some awesome things in my drug induced haze. I also tell my nurse, who's name is Karen also, that we're both cool because we spell our names "K-A-R-E-N" and not some retarded way like, Caryn.

12pm - Whoo-hoo! 6cm! The window is also closing on whether I'd like another dose of Staydol. Thinking I had a lot more time to go until she arrives, I say, "Yes, please!"

12:30pm - I get a strong urge to push all of a sudden. I'm shaking, starting to go crazy, can't keep my eyes open because I'm on just a bit too much medicine, and these contractions are one on top of another. I yell out, "Can we turn this frickin' Pitocin off?!? I need a chance to catch my breath!" Then it feels like I have to retch. But not upwards - downwards. My body curls and tightens on it's own, like I'm going to uncontrollably vomit. It's the oddest sensation that no one really ever explained to me before. They check me again. 10cm. I've progressed 10cm in 2 and 1/2 hours!

But my lovely doctor is no where to be seen. In fact, I've actually only seen him for 5 minutes when he broke my water! Apparently, the good doctor is in the parking garage, on his way into the Labor & Delivery Ward. They tell me to "Hee hee hoo" breathe in order to stave off the uncontrollable urge to push. I guess it works, but I would rather just hurry up and do it. They strap an oxygen mask to my face and before I can protest, they say that it's not for me, it's for the baby. That's enough to make me keep it on, even though it's hot and forces my stinky breath back into my nose!

Finally, the Great Nurse Karen says, "He's here, go ahead, start pushing," and she gets into position. She's a great coach, as is Jeff who stays by my side and helps hold me (and my right leg) up. Jeff told me later that everything happened so quickly once it was showtime. The nurses wheeled in tables full of instruments, my bed was raised up to standing height, the overhead light dropped down from the ceiling and was turned onto full blast. Furniture was moved out of the way and our computer and blankets were all shoved into closets. I had no idea about any of this. And even though I wanted my glasses on, I totally forgot about them once it was time. Turns out, they weren't so important after all.

I heard someone say, "See? That Staydol did the trick! You just had to relax!" That made me feel better, even though the most recent dose was bothering me because I just couldn't keep my head clear and focused. Then the good doctor finished his cheeseburger, wiped off his mouth (I assumed), and strolled leisurely into the room. He waited, at my crotch, with his arms and palms open like Jesus, and just stared non-chalantly. Karen, the awesome-ness, started helping me out saying things like, "Get mad, Karen! Get mad at Dr. (Blah Blah)! Come on! Push! You're doing it! She's right there!" When she told me to get mad at him, it didn't take much. I just laughed (yes, laughed, in the middle of the most painful thing ever) and had a renewed strength.

My blood pressure cuff went off on my right arm at one point during a push and I yelled, "Get this frickin' thing off of me!" I waved my arm and Jeff was totally confused, thinking that I was talking about my hospital gown. Another nurse knew what I was talking about and hit the switch to shut it off. I had been concerned earlier that my blood pressure was getting too high (150/90's - eek!) and that interventions were going to have to happen. But luckily, everything turned out just fine!

The baby nurse, Thelma, was a kindly old woman, who I later found out had been there for over 40 years. She saw me in distress and looked at me and said, "You need to relax in between contractions (pushes). Just think of a beach." My eyes, she said later, had a twinkle in them when she said that and Jeff started to talk to me about our wedding just three and a half years earlier on the beach. It was enough to help me calm down and then, all of a sudden, there was her head.

It was the oddest looking thing. At first, I thought her head was really small, like a doll's. Turns out, it was just the tip of her "cone-head." A few more pushes, and then there she was. They told Jeff to get his camera ready and he took a few pictures of her getting wiped off and the cord clamped. Turns out, too, that I forgot to mention that I wanted the cord to be cut after it stopped pulsing. Guess that's not as important as I thought either.

As soon as she's out, they rip the oxygen mask off of me and I pull my hair out of the disgusting ponytail that it's in. Ever the narcissist, I fluff out my hair and await my first picture with my daughter. Then they tell Jeff to cut the cord and I rip the camera out of his hands (seconds after birth, mind you) and take a picture of him cutting the cord!

Then she's placed on my stomach, "cream cheese" and all and I kiss that little, screaming face. God, she's beautiful! Baby Nurse Thelma takes her to the warmer and she and Jeff fill out paperwork while I'm being worked on and cleaned up (which, by the way, still hurts.... a lot). He asks me, "Kathryn, right? With a 'y'?"

I answer, "Yeah, whatever! ARruughhhh!!!!"

"Honey, do you want her to have a Hepatitis B shot?"

"Oh my God, I don't care! RRaawwwrrrrr!!!"

She's wrapped up, cleaned up, and so is her mommy. They leave us alone for a little bit and I say hello to my little Mckenna Kathryn. 6 pounds, 4 ounces. 18 inches long. January 21st, 2009**. Just one day after my own birthday. What a wonderful birthday present!

More to come about the days following.....

**As a friend of my dad's mentioned, she'll never have to live one day under the Bush administration. :-D

38 Weeks

2009-01-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

All right. It's time to get in shape. Not to lose weight, of course, but to prepare my body for giving birth in two weeks (more or less). So I'm blogging, bouncing on a birthing ball, balancing the laptop on the edge of the bed, occasionally leaning forward and stretching my legs like I was back in ballet class. In fact, I haven't been in some of these positions since then (nearly 10 years ago!)

And we went for a walk today since it was sunny, mild, and probably the only day in the next couple weeks without a threat of snow flurries (I know - sorry PA people who are knee deep in snow and below 0 temperatures!) We walked 8 blocks down to the riverfront, shopped around for a few blocks, and then 8 blocks back. The last eight were getting a little rough because the sun was starting to set and the wind was picking up, faces were getting cold and legs were getting tired.

Last night I walked around Wal-Mart for an hour and a half while Spud was doing "man things" at Lowe's and felt successful in using intensive walking to get myself just a tad bit closer to giving birth soon. Oh, and of course, I worked for my last day on Thursday - on my feet for 6 hours and surveying the same department in endless laps during that time.

Speaking of work, I worked up until New Year's Eve and assumed that I was on maternity leave starting January 1st because they failed to schedule me as far as I could tell. Then I noticed one random day on the 15th, with nothing else scheduled before or after that. 'A fluke,' I thought, but I printed up a letter detailing the dates for my maternity leave, just in case they decided to randomly schedule me for any days at the end of January or in February. I found a template online of how to write a letter for maternity leave that basically stated that I am pregnant (good to have on record, for legal reasons) and that I plan to be officially unavailable for work one week before my due date and for at LEAST six weeks after the day I give birth. I left that date open because I could be two weeks late (making the Tater Tot's birthday somewhere around Valentine's Day) and then work might expect me to come back four weeks later, since I only stipulated I wanted 6 weeks from January 31st (my official due date).

If all goes well, I expect to come back sometime in mid-to-late March, if not early April. I would like to only be scheduled 1-3 nights and weekends per week, as I asked when I was first hired but somehow kept getting scheduled for mid-days and openings. Once the tot comes though, Spud will be unavailable (even though he works at home) during the days so the ONLY time I can work is in the evenings and on the weekends. I'm not going to pay someone to watch my child while Jeff is sitting in his office at the house! (Unless there's an emergency or something, of course.)

So, that's what's going on, kids! Just prepping for the Tater Tot to arrive, finishing the nursery, bouncing on my birthing ball, and getting the spare bedrooms upstairs ready for all of our guests who will be arriving soon.... stay tuned for the trek to Louisville airport and back!

This week's complaint: Her butt bones are as sharp as knives!

This week's development: She's packing on the pounds, layers of fat, getting ready for her arrival!

Baby's size: Length of a leek or the size of a watermelon.

37+4 Weeks

2009-01-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan

Your love is better than ice cream
better than anything else that I've tried
and your love is better than ice cream
everyone here know how to fight
and it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from
Your love is better than chocolate
better than anything else that I've tried
oh love is better than chocolate
everyone here knows how to cry
it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from...

37+2 Weeks

2009-01-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm officially full term! It's just a waiting game now....

This week's complaint: Her foot is lodged in my liver.

This week's development: She is ready to be born at any time!

Baby's size: Length of a Swiss Chard or the size of a diaper bag.

35 + 1 Weeks

2008-12-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. I'm gigantic.

I wonder if I'd lay on my stomach and rock back and forth, if I would look like a see-saw.

Went home to PA again for a few... hours... and saw both of our families. We got a crib handed down to us from my cousin after plans for another one fell through. But Spud put it together yesterday while I was at work and the room looks almost all done! He has big plans for making a changing table too, that turns into a desk later on. He is going to model it after one I had on my Wal-Mart registry.

We also got a lot of baby swag too! Yay for bottles and baby slings! Thank you everybody!

As of today, there's just 34 more days to go. This little tot has thoroughly lodged herself underneath my ribcage and has given me a few contractions too, but I love her already and can't wait to meet her! And those contractions (other than the ones I spoke of in the last post) were mostly happening while we were driving 10 hours home in the rain late into the middle of the night after 2 and a half days of constant Christmas cheer. I tried to keep hydrated, but you can only relax so much in a completely packed car!

She'll stay in there as long as she can - I hope! Now, we need to decide on a middle name. Any suggestions? Something short, doesn't rhyme with Emma, doesn't have too many K, R, M, or A sounds.

This week's complaint: Ridiculous swollen ankles. Hideous...

This week's development: Her liver and kidneys are fully developed now!

Baby's size: Size of a throw pillow or the weight of a honeydew melon.

33+4 Weeks

2008-12-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Well, this little tater tot is getting grounded as soon as she's born.

Thursday night I didn't sleep very well - waking up every hour or two, having weird pains, and (of course) peeing all the time. It wasn't that I was overly exhausted, or anything, but when I went into work that morning, it wasn't the funnest experience ever. While getting ready that Friday morning, I thought I was getting some weird cramps and just tried to keep an eye on it. The day before I had just been to the doctor and told him about some weird sensations south of the border and he just said it was all normal, without actually telling me how to help or prevent them.

Around 11:00am - I can't take it anymore. I've already had 3 five minute breaks in the break room, laying on my side on the dirty carpet, and rubbing my aching lower back and tummy. I told my manager that I felt something was going on, something didn't feel right and that I needed to call my doctor. When I did, all the operator would let me do was leave a message for my doctor's nurse and, being half-frustrated and half in pain, I called Spud while crying and sitting on a shelf in the stock room. This, of course, scares the crap out of him and he starts making plans to get a ride to pick me up (I had our only car with me) and then drive me home. All I needed to do was give him the go ahead.

Manager lets me go home and starts getting excited that the tater tot may be coming soon (she's never been pregnant before and doesn't realize how scary it is to be this early). Skip ahead to the afternoon, laying in bed, feet propped up, and feeling contractions coming more and more and the dreaded "low, dull, back ache" on the list of pre-term labor signs. After a nap and dinner, it's still going on so I take a bath and we head out to the Labor & Delivery Department of the hospital. It's not that they hurt immensely or anything, but one of the things that they stress to us in Childbirthing Class is that if your water breaks or if you have more than 4 contractions in an hour, then you should call your doctor or go into Labor & Delivery.

They put me on the monitor and turns out I'm having contractions every two minutes. Ha! Who knew? While they were mild (the highest was a 26 out of 100), it was enough of a pattern to scare the nurses. The one who examined me went out to the nurses station and happily exclaimed, "She's thick and closed!" meaning that we weren't having this baby 7 weeks early tonight!

So Spud and I watch Will and Grace, relax and check out the room we may be in soon, while the nurses force me to drink a lot of water to rehydrate my contracting muscles. They flip and turn me from side to side trying to get a good read on the tot's heartbeat and to make me slow down these crazy contractions!

Everything ended up fine and I didn't think that I was really going to give birth just yet, but I just wanted to be checked to see if what I was feeling was actually what was going on. So now I had a "test-run" and will feel a little better prepared when it's "show-time!" I took the next day off of work ("You just lost [X amount] dollars!" Spud exclaimed) and rested in bed for the day. I still felt a couple very mild contractions, but I've been trying to drink a ton of water to help prevent them.

This week's complaint: Slightly swollen fingers and toes.

This week's development: Braxton-Hicks!

Baby's size: Size of a medicine ball or the weight of a pineapple.

32 + 5 Weeks

2008-12-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

Childbirth Class

Really, I am quite glad that I signed up for a series of child birthing classes at my hospital. The class is a bunch of Power-point presentations and videos of sad, mid-1990's, disheveled women giving birth filled with about 10 moms and dad (more than half of them under 20) and a poor teacher who can't entice them to participate. I could have learned a lot of this from pregnancy websites (and have) but it's a refresher and it's good to be able to find out the hospital's policies and ways of doing things.

When we lived in Cleveland and first got pregnant, I really wanted to give birth in a birthing pool, in a birthing center, with a midwife and doing things they way I wanted. The more I thought about some random doctor strapping me to a bed and forcing me to push and tear and then ripping my tater tot away from my arms - the more nervous I got about giving birth. As we learn more about my hospital, I am filled with mixed emotions because some services they offer are progressive and mother-friendly, and some are not.

Pro
Baby allowed to lay skin to skin for first hour
Squatting bar available
May bring your own birthing ball
Rocking chairs available for labor positioning
Showers and bathtubs available for labor
Hep-lock option, instead of IV

Con
Only 2 people in room during delivery
No food or drink - just ice chips
No pictures or video during delivery
Nurse directed pushing
No birthing tub available for delivery
No NICU available

Taken from www.motherfriendly.org:

A mother-friendly hospital, birth center, or home birth service:

Offers all birthing mothers:

Unrestricted access to the birth companions of her choice, including fathers, partners, children, family members, and friends;
Unrestricted access to continuous emotional and physical support from a skilled woman—for example, a doula,* or labor-support professional;
Access to professional midwifery care.

Provides accurate descriptive and statistical information to the public about its practices and procedures for birth care, including measures of interventions and outcomes.
Provides culturally competent care—that is, care that is sensitive and responsive to the specific beliefs, values, and customs of the mother’s ethnicity and religion.
Provides the birthing woman with the freedom to walk, move about, and assume the positions of her choice during labor and birth (unless restriction is specifically required to correct a complication), and discourages the use of the lithotomy (flat on back with legs elevated) position.
Has clearly defined policies and procedures for:

collaborating and consulting throughout the perinatal period with other maternity services, including communicating with the original caregiver when transfer from one birth site to another is necessary;
linking the mother and baby to appropriate community resources, including prenatal and post-discharge follow-up and breastfeeding support.

Does not routinely employ practices and procedures that are unsupported by scientific evidence, including but not limited to the following:

shaving;
enemas;
IVs (intravenous drip);
withholding nourishment or water;
early rupture of membranes*;
electronic fetal monitoring;

Has an induction* rate of 10% or less;†
Has an episiotomy* rate of 20% or less, with a goal of 5% or less;
Has a total cesarean rate of 10% or less in community hospitals, and 15% or less in tertiary care (high-risk) hospitals;
Has a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) rate of 60% or more with a goal of 75% or more.

Educates staff in non-drug methods of pain relief, and does not promote the use of analgesic or anesthetic drugs not specifically required to correct a complication.
Encourages all mothers and families, including those with sick or premature newborns or infants with congenital problems, to touch, hold, breastfeed, and care for their babies to the extent compatible with their conditions.
Discourages non-religious circumcision of the newborn.
Strives to achieve the WHO-UNICEF “Ten Steps of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative” to promote successful breastfeeding:

Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff;
Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy;
Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding;
Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth;
Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants;
Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk unless medically indicated;
Practice rooming in: allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day;
Encourage breastfeeding on demand;
Give no artificial teat or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants;
Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from hospitals or clinics

* Items in red are concerns that I have about my hospital's policies.

.... On a side note, Spud says that he'll slip me some crackers while I'm in labor because even HE knows how bad I get when I don't eat for long periods of time!

32 Weeks

2008-12-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

I found out today that certain departments at work have adopted members of a needy family for Christmas and we can donate items to give these children presents. Men's and shoes got the young boy, Women's got the young girl, and Accessories/Home/Kids got the baby due Dec. 21st. I work for the manager who runs all three departments and I float between all of them (on occasion) so I was extra excited to help out this needy family. They are having a baby girl only a month before me and the only words under her column were just "Baby Items - all."

As far behind as I may think I am with getting baby items for my own baby, these people really don't have much of anything and this baby is coming... soon! Yes, a baby can sleep in a laundry basket for the first couple weeks if neccessary (apparently my grandparents were so poor that my Aunt Pam slept in a dresser drawer for the first few weeks of her life). But she will still need diapers, bottles, wipes, and something warm to cover her little body.

My baby might not "need" the gym and the bouncer and all those silly little things, but I was able to either afford them or have friends and family generous enough to buy the items for her. I just feel so bad that this family may not be able to afford anything "special" for their baby. So, I am going to donate a few items as soon as my next paycheck comes in and, hopefully, this family can breathe just a little easier once their Christmas miracle arrives.

Enjoy the season, my friends, and remember what it is all about - giving to others, and not receiving.

This week's complaint: Getting out of bed is becoming more and more... amusing....

This week's development: If born now, she has a great chance of survival at 32 weeks.

Baby's size: Size of a sack of POTATOES! or the weight of a large jicama.

31+3 Weeks

2008-12-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

Day in the Life

1:31am Wake up to pee for the first time in the night. Go back to bed and try to get comfortable.

3:34am Wake up laying on back and worry that baby is not getting enough oxygen. Flip to left side.

4:45am Flip sides. Make menacing gesture to snoring Spud.

4:46am Pee.

7:00am Spud's alarm goes off. Reset until 7:45am. Why didn't you just set if for that time in the first place??

7:44am Finally start to fall into a sound sleep.

7:45am Alarm goes off for the second time.

7:46am Make menacing gesture that is most unlady-like. Pee.

8:00am-9:00am Baby Story on TLC. Get mad at elective c-sections.

9:05am Pee

9:07am Start filling bathtub with water because water pressure is so low.

9:08am Contemplate peeing again, because of the sound of running water.

9:10am-9:45am Check email, Facebook, and Myspace. Eat cereal and daily banana (prevents leg cramps). Bathe. (sidenote: all actions take place IN the bathtub, simultaneously)

10:00am Laundry sorting. 4 loads today plus working on mountains of hand me down baby clothes.

10:22am Pee

10:30-11:30am Try to upload pictures from baby shower for the 18th time. Get frustrated.

11:33am Cry.

11:34am Spud fixes problem with one button.

11:35am Continue with pictures as normal.

12:02pm Lunch!

12:15pm Start writing thank you notes from baby shower due to reminder from mother-in-law.

12:30pm Realize that.... oh wait.. gotta pee.

12:31pm Realize that packet of thank you cards only contains six cards.

12:46pm Fix makeup from crying spell earlier and head out to dollar store for more cards.

1:20pm Pee at Dollar General.

1:29pm Check out. As receipt is printed, realize there's Tinkerbell wrapping paper.

1:35pm Check out again with $3 worth of things on debit card plus Tinkerbell wrapping paper.

1:36pm Walk out door and see Tinkerbell window clings. Leave store disgusted.

1:50pm Arrive home and put dollar store treasures away.

1:53pm Switch laundry ("Didn't you hear it stop, Spud??")

1:59pm Settle down to write thank you cards.

2:00pm Pee

2:01pm Settle back down to write thank you cards.

2:20pm Finish checking Facebook.

2:30pm Decide to write blog about day. Shove unwritten thank you cards out of the way.

This week's complaint: Christmas rush at work means longer hours on feet.

This week's development: Tater tot doing full body rolls. That hurt.

Baby's size: Size of a soccer ball or the weight of four navel oranges.

30+5 Weeks

2008-11-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just back from a two week stay with my mother in Pennsylvania. Had a baby shower and took home a mountain of stuff, two garbage bags full of hand-me-downs, another full of household items my mother was giving away, a box of my grandmother's china and a box of Christmas decorations.

All in my little Saturn Ion.

Meanwhile, the tater tot is getting very big and very active as she runs out of room in there! My tummy grew a LOT in the two weeks I was gone and it surprised Spud when I returned!

This week's complaint: Stabbing muscle pain in my tummy!

This week's development: The belly is growing! People are saying to me, "Hi, how are you, when are you due?" instead of just guessing if I was pregnant.

Baby's size: Size of a thick, folded sweater or weight of a head of cabbage.

27+4 Weeks

2008-11-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was election day. My unborn daughter went along with me to vote, even though she didn't know it yet. I feel so lucky that she will be born at or around the time that a new president will be inaugurated into the White House. So lucky that she can grow up with a president the same color as her aunt and cousin and able to realize how diverse this country is.

When my sister was growing up with me, our school was 99% white and there was hardly any way for her to be able to see any local African-American or biracial role models. And now, in 2008, my niece and my child can look to the leader of our country to help provide this role (other than their mommies and daddies, of course!).

Special props to my grandmother who went to the polls in N.C. yesterday. The oldest of the Ware family (83) down to the youngest of the Ware family (unborn) were out casting their vote for Obama!

Another note; my birthday is January 20th (inauguration day). I had a dream when I was about 12 weeks along, that my baby was born on my birthday. It also depicted her as a girl (which came true) and that she had strawberry blond hair (which is a great possibility!). How amazing would that be if she was born at the same time we were getting a new president in this country? And also to be born on her mothers birthday... that would be pretty great too!

Now... a 9 hour drive to visit my family in Pennsylvania for two weeks. Wish me luck!

This week's complaint: Backaches! Auuugghh!

This week's development: Very visible kicks that make my stomach actually jump!

Baby's size: Weight of a head of cauliflower, or the length of a small sock monkey.

27+1 Weeks

2008-11-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

I babysat a young girl a couple weeks ago who was curious about my growing belly. She kept asking if the baby was kicking, how big she was, etc. until one day when we got into a conversation about what the baby will look like once she's born. The first question was simple enough, "Will she be blond?"

"Probably," I answered, "Spud and I are both blond, so she has a good chance of being blond."

"What if she comes out Canadian?" she asked, completely serious.

I laughed, "Canadian?! Well, what's the difference between Americans and Canadians? I.. I don't even know what that means!!"

She laughed too and said in that great "kid-voice", "I don't know! Ok, well what if she comes out black?"

That one really got me going and I couldn't even speak, so she filled in the rest of the story for herself.

26+4 weeks

2008-10-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Around a year ago, I was laying in a recovery room, slowly waking up out of the anesthesia. The first thing I heard the nurses say to each other was the word "oophorectomy." An oophorectomy is the removal of one or both of the ovaries.

The nurses weren't aware that I was awake yet and, in my groggy state with a dry, cracking voice, I muttered, "Oophorectomy?! Oh no! Do I have all of my bits and pieces??"

Turns out, the fibroid tumor that was giving me pain for all of those months, had grown to the size of an apple and was completely surrounding my right ovary. It encased it like a hard stone and, as a result, the whole ovary and tube had to be removed on the right side. The left side was completely clear and was left in-tact.

I spent several days in the hospital and left with a 6 inch vertical scar below my belly button. Before the surgery, I was convinced that I would not be able to have kids on my own. We were seriously thinking about adoption somewhere down the road. Now, almost exactly a year later, I'm 6 months pregnant with our first child.

And, as far as that missing ovary is concerned, I'm convinced that the baby just has a tiny bit more room to move around in there! I was conceived with one ovary, and now, so is my baby!

This week's complaint: Throwing up in my mouth because there's not enough room for food and kicks!

This week's development: More regular kicks - finally!

Baby's size: Length of an English Hothouse Cucumber, or a 1-Liter Soda Bottle

25 + 2 Weeks

2008-10-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

So so so very tired. We baby sat a 9 year old and a 7 year old for a week and a half, I worked at the store during the weekend while they were gone, then I had a day off (which wasn't really a day off!) and then back to working all weekend long again. Exhaustion. Times two. I hadn't really had a chance to get to bed early or sleep in past 8:00 - which I know is a luxury now - but I need to be able to relax a little and feel better for my little bambino.

I am looking forward to maybe going home and visiting my mom for two weeks. I want to see my sister and my niece, as well, and I know my best friend is anxious to throw me a shower. So that's exciting as well. I miss everyone from home and wish that I didn't have to go home under the circumstances, but I have been wanting to go home for a visit for a long time.

On another note, we went to a bar for the first time in about two months. Of course, I was the only pregnant lady there (and of course I only had a Sprite!) but it was fun to be able to get out of the house for a little bit. Although, I was introduced by someone as, "And that's [MamaSpud] - she's not fat, she's pregnant."

Thanks. Jerk. Let me tell them. Please.

This week's complaint: Leg cramps!

This week's development: Weird skin .... things.

Baby's size: Weight of a rutabega.

24 Weeks

2008-10-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

My standard black work pants have finally given out. That's it. They were wide leg, side zip pants that went with everything and even after I cut a notch into the opposite side and put my ever-so-wonderful Bella Band around the unzipped waist - that was it. I just can't fit into them any more. And it makes me sad because I thought that I was just gaining weight in my belly - not my ass.

Great. Preggo butt.

But then I got some hot, black, comfy, work pants with a good waist that I can expand later on (in the next three months). And now... mama's feeling so much better! Ahhhh!

Also going on.... I think she's practicing her high kicks. It feels like an electric shock above my belly button, under my ribs.

This Week's Complaint: Aching feet!

This Week's Development: Belly button has ballooned to the size of a cherry.

Baby's Size: Length of an ear of corn

22+6 Weeks

2008-10-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Was given a 20 minute lecture by a woman who looked like Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey, Nip/Tuck) about proper nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy. She came into work and talked my ear off once she noticed me adjusting my pantyhose around "The Bump."

I kind of wanted to kill either her or myself. But the fact that she looked like the crazy lady from Nip/Tuck really scared me. I was afraid she'd stuff me with cotton and stick buttons in my eyes if I didn't listen to her and play nice.

Thursday was my OB checkup. Tater tot is growing nicely and was standing on her head watching her toes. And (thank goodness) she doesn't have a thick neck. Jeff thought I was making a fat joke. Actually, I was making sure she didn't have Down's Syndrome. Her belly, however, is going to be HUGE because of us....

22+2 Weeks

2008-09-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

My tummy is finally starting to show to other people - not just to me and Spud. I got a comment the other day from a tiny little lady who spoke like Miss Swan, pointed to my belly, and said, "Yu hava da bebe?"

Cute. And kudos for me - those maternity clothes and the bella band are finally working! Whoo hoo!

The downside is... well... the scale. I know it's good for the baby and she's growing but... could she grow a little slower, please?? I'm not ready to be a whale just yet!

My next OB visit is on Thursday with an ultrasound too, so I'll be able to see just how much my little tot has grown since last month. And, also, so we can make sure she really is a "she" for sure!

This week's complaint: Only one dry hand. The other one is fine.

This week's development: Major mood swings and hunger!

Baby size: Length of a spaghetti squash.

Mama Spud

Tater Tot- 2, Small Fry- 8 months

Tater Tot- 2, Small Fry- 7.5 months

Tater Tot-2, Small Fry- 7 months

Tater Tot- 2, Small Fry, 6.5 months

Tater Tot-2, Small Fry-6.5 months

Tater Tot -2, Small Fry - 6 months

Tater Tot -2, Smally Fry- 5 months

Tater Tot -2, Smally Fry- 5 months

Tater Tot - 23.75 months, Small Fry - 4.5 months

Tot - 23.5 Months, Fry - 4 months

Christmas Eve, cont.

Christmas Eve

23 months (Tot), 3.5 months (Fry)

Tot - 1 year, 10 months, Fry - 2.5 months

Tot - 22 Months, Fry - 12 Weeks

Tot- 22 Months, Fry - 11 weeks

Tot - 21 Months, Fry - 8 Weeks

20.5 months, 4 weeks

20 months, 3 weeks

19.5 months, 37 weeks

The Road to Baby!

Mama Spud It's a good thing I did the bills today and some shopping. DON'T freak out - but we're going to the hospital soon to check on these contractions every 2-3 minutes. This may not happen tonight...

Mama Spud ‎8am. No baby. At home. Surprisingly I slept a little. We'll see what today brings... Thank you for your thoughts and prayers guys!

Mama Spud ‎12pm. Feeling crappy. Contractions are uncomfortable - to say the least. Tater Tot is at preschool allowing me some quiet time. Sleepy but uncomfortable...

Mama Spud ‎9:30pm - Nothing. Nada. Just painful contractions without rhyme or reason, overall irritability, and the feeling that I'm about to drop a watermelon any minute now. Doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon.

Mama Spud ‎37 week checkup. 4:30pm. 3cm. Contractions 2-5 minutes apart. Going downstairs for observation. Might be tonight - might not

Mama Spud ‎6:45pm My water broke. 7:00pm moved to my LDRP room.

Mama Spud ‎9pm. Bouncing on the birth ball. Blogging through labor!! Whoo hoo! Thanks for the love guys!

Mama Spud

Mama Spud 10:15pm Just walked a few laps around the hospital. Contractions getting stronger and longer. Resting in my room to recharge for a second. UPDATE: JEFF FOUND THE GOLDEN GIRLS ON TV!!!!

Mama Spud

Mama Spud ‎12:30am. Just got out of the shower. Feeling a little better and refreshed. Come on baby! September 2nd is a good date... :-) 9.5 hours already.

Mama Spud

Mama Spud Welcome Delaney Caroline! 7lb,5oz 19.5 in 2:58am ct 9/2/10

Mama Spud

19 months, 36 weeks

1.5 years, 8 months

81 Weeks, 34 Weeks

18.5 months, 33 weeks

18.5 months, 33 weeks

84.5 Weeks, 32.5 Weeks

18 months, 31 weeks

17.5 months, 29 weeks

17 months, 6 months

1 year & 4 months, 23 weeks

16 months, 22 weeks

15.5 months, 20.5 weeks

67 Weeks, 20 Weeks

1 year & 3 months, 19 weeks

15 months, 18 weeks

14 months, 14 weeks

1 year, 7 weeks and 13 weeks

58 weeks and 10.5 weeks

13 months and 10 weeks

52 Weeks

2009 in Review

One Year!

46 Weeks

Thanksgiving

43.5 Weeks

42 Weeks

41 weeks

9 months

37 Weeks

35 Weeks

8 Months

34 Weeks

32 Weeks

31 Weeks

7 Months

30 Weeks

29.5 Weeks

29 Weeks

6 months, 1 week

6 months

26 Weeks

25 Weeks

22 Weeks

5 months

Mama Spud
10:15pm Just walked a few laps around the hospital. Contractions getting stronger and longer. Resting in my room to recharge for a second. UPDATE: JEFF FOUND THE GOLDEN GIRLS ON TV!!!!

Mama Spud
‎12:30am. Just got out of the shower. Feeling a little better and refreshed. Come on baby! September 2nd is a good date... :-) 9.5 hours already.

Mama Spud
Welcome Delaney Caroline! 7lb,5oz 19.5 in 2:58am ct 9/2/10