I don't have anything new and exciting to talk about but here's a link to a pic of my totally fantastic famous friends. They made the Houston.Press magazine this month!
WHOOP - for those of you in Houston, the pic is actually in the magazine too, not just online. Maybe I can use their notoriety to get me some free shit somewhere...
Mr. Miles is still sleeping through the night! I just can't brag about him enough. I know other babies his age that still aren't doing it so I know how blessed we truly are!
Friday was my day off (9/80 schedules for the summer) so I spent a lot of time hanging out with my little man since my big man still had to work. It was nice to be able to feed him instead of that blasted machine! Our friends L&R were coming over for dinner to celebrate her birthday. I spent Friday afternoon making her birthday cake below. (Also shown is the bday cake I made for Jason last weekend) We had lasagna and a really good salad. It was inspired by a salad I had here on Thursday night. It was FAN-TAB-U-LOUS. It was spinach leaves, pecans, cranberries, feta cheese, a couple of fried shrimp (left these out for dinner) and a raspberry vinegarette (homemade an herb vinegarette with dinner with thyme from the garden!). Everything was extra yummy!
Saturday we ran errands - BabiesRUs and the wine store - HA! What a combo! I needed to get a couple things for a girl that had a baby at work and I REALLY wanted/needed/had to have this little gym for Mr. Miles. His little legs have been going 90 to nothing lately and I feel like we don't have any good toys for his legs. I mean I have a jumperoo (2 actually) but he's still too short/doesn't have total head control yet for them. Plus I had a 15% off coupon that was going to expire this week....so you know...I HAD to use it. Needless to say, Daddy wasn't happy when he saw the price tag "just for a baby toy." But I had researched them and this was the one I was getting NO.MATTER.WHAT. It was the only one that had a music/lights kick pad and can grow with him and "taught" so many developemental milestones (read the website for info). After remembering about the coupon and reading all the good info on it, he finally caved. My research/begging/pleading padi off though when we got home and put the little guy on it for the first time. It has several settings - one for continuous music and another for music initiated by kicks. Daddy thought we should put it on continuous because "he's too little" but Mommy knew otherwise. It only took about 1 minute for Miles to catch on - when I kick, there is music and lights! SO CUTE! Also, in case you interested in getting your own cutie pie one of these, it doesn't play the same annoying repetitive tune every.single.time. It goes through several and they are nice little diddys (is that a word and if so, is that how you spell it?). Finally Daddy had to tell Mommy what a good choice this was and that Miles really loves it. HA! Mommy DOES know best!
The wine store visit was to purchase more corks, sleeves, and grape concentrate for our next batch. We bottled our Chilean Merlot this weekend. It's been percolating/brewing/aging since November. The last bottle didn't have enough to make an entire bottle, so we got to have a glass and let me tell you, it was awesome - if I do say so myself. :) The next batch is a strawberry white merlot. Should be ready in about 5 weeks - perfect summer wine to chill with by the pool...er...we don't have a pool, so maybe the neighbor's pool?
Speaking of pools, Dean was craving to be outside even though it was 117 in the shade this weekend. He was also pouting because we didn't have a pool and the neighbors didn't invite us over. So he busted out the kiddie pool we have and we all got in our suits and sat in it! I do have to say we looked a little hillbilly, but it was cool and refreshing.
Miles apparently had/is still having a growth spurt. I know in our classes they said they usually have one at 3, 6, 9 weeks and 3, 6, 9 months. But since he was born almost a week early, I guess you could say he is 9 weeks now - even though he's really 10. He was eating and sleeping a lot more this weekend than he usually does. He didn't want hardly any activity time on Sunday after his feedings - just right back to sleep. We can definitely tell he is growing!
This morning when I woke up at 4 BLASTED 30 he was stirring in his crib so I decided to feed him instead of the machine. I hoped afterwards he would go back to sleep so Daddy could catch a few more z's and he did so that was good. It felt so good to get to feed and hold him before going to work. Last week all I got to do was give him a goodbye kiss on the head. Today we got to cuddle!
Speaking of the little cuddler, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. I added the last 2 weekly pics of him and Mr. Monkey over there--------------->
Smiles for Miles!
Spit bubbles are the new thing
Mom, Miles, Desiree, Bryson. Bryson is 10 days older than Miles. I can't figure out their relation, but Bryson to me is my great-great nephew!!! HA!
The Artalls during a nature trail walk
***Hopefully you made it this far. I really didn't mean for this post to be quite so lengthy, but we had a long weekend and I needed to share!
Anyone else who uses blogger having posting issues? I typed the previous post yesterday and set it to post today at 9:15 AM. Was wondering why I didn't have any comments on my hilarious post (ha) and went to check it out. It had a status of "scheduled" so I checked to make for sure I didn't change the date to next month or something and no, it was today. I had to click the Post button again to make it actually go. Anyone else or is this my new "enahncement?"
P.S. Lovin' the new siggy flashy thingys. Thanks Brandi - I got them where you got them.
So that FEEDJIT thingy over on the right shows the location of people coming to my bloggy. It also shows how you got here i.e. a web search or direct link or whatever. I just browsed the past 48 hours worth of logs. Most of you come to me directly - probably a bookmark/favorite or from your reader. However some of you find me by searching for things.
Such as...
which leads me to that whole going private thing I talked about the other day. The people I was concerned about reading me don't give 2 shits about what's going on in my life...(OBVIOUSLY or they would have answered my inquiry as to if they are reading me or not )well maybe they do give 2 shits, but not enough to read about it without me offering up the information directly. You know because I am not posting about THEM therefore they don't want to read about ME.
WHAT.EVER.
So now I will feel free to rant and rave about whoever whenever I feel like it. I don't right now because I vented to some friends and got what prompted that private speech off my chest already. But believe you me, I have enough drama in my life that I know there will be something real juicy coming soon!
P.S. My people search for mostly "normal" things to find me. Check out some of the crazy things people search for and find Nikki! She is loads of laughs - caution - her favorite word begins with F...
Not too much time to type here...can you guess why? Cuz it's almost PUMPING TIME! (And do NOT feel free to insert loud cow noises here - AHEM AJ'S MOM!!!)
I fed Mr. Miles last night at 9 and he fell asleep on my chest shortly after. I was waiting for Daddy to get home before actually putting him in the bed so he could at least see him for a minute. Dean had a trumpet.gig last night in Galve.ston and didn't get home until almost 10:45. About 10:15 I called to get his status and he was still too far away. We finally went to bed. I should have done what I was telling myself to do and that was go to bed as soon as Miles fell asleep at 9:30. 4:30AM was too much today. I have taught myself to not use the snooze button because I can do it so easily in my sleep that I don't even realize I do it and end up doing it 7 times in a row! So this morning I just turned it off....and slept for 15 more minutes. Remember I said I get up at the last possible minute? I needed those extra minutes. So no leg shaving for me today. I had to race to the pump! And eat breakfast in the car. Lovely.
And to the nursing comments yesterday....I have a nursing smock but it must be made out of 5000% polyester because it is hot as hell. One time I put my head under it with Miles and couldn't breathe myself so I quit using it. I didn't want him sweating under there. And I don't think I could swing nursing in a grocery store. That is too weird for me - walking around with it hanging out??? Sitting in a crowd was my max I think.
Thanks for the Hooter.Hider offer Nikki. My address is coming at you shortly. I gotta try it out, plus the name is hilarious! I can't wait for someone to ask - what is that? HOOTER.HIDER!! HAHAHAHA!
Speaking of funny product names...Buggy.Bagg. I ordered this one in the Stripes pattern today. I held off on getting a cart cover until I found one I really liked and that I knew fit my fav grocery store's carts. I saw one of these last week and LOVED IT! The mommy told me you could get it online only - I found some local retailers here that sell them but they are not conveniently located to me. Laziness = shipping, but I digress... Not only does it cover the super wide carts all the way - front to back and side to side - it also has a "diaper bag'ish" zippered bag on the backside to store diapers and toys in addition to toy loops and cup holders. No additional diaper bag to tote in. It works on high chairs too. And as a bonus, you can actually put it on the cart one handed while holding bouncing baby boy (or girl) in the other. There are step by step instructions with pictures on the website!
And here is the bouncing baby boy in his bumbo for the first time....(Shout out to the 'Stros behind him LOL)
So the 1st day wasn't TOO bad. I cried a little and was sad, missing him mostly. This pumping thing all day is for the B.I.R.D.S.! It seems like just when I get settled in at my desk, doing, I don't know, WORK, I have to leave again! Like I just went at 8:00 and now I go at 11:00. I can understand why women quit BF'ing so soon...as soon as the pump starts pissing you off, you pump less, which decreases your supply, which leaves no milk for baby, which turns to formula. Ah, but I digress. My goal has always been to stick it out for 6 months minimum, so that is what I am still aiming for. I CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT!
Yesterday I was longing for an actual feeding with Miles - not The Pretend Miles Machine - but when I picked him up yesterday afternoon around 5:15, the sitter said she had just fed him at 4! UGH - I had pumped at 2, so that meant I had to pump yet again at home. And good damn thing I brought it home with me. I was going to leave it at work so I didn't have to lug it back, but thought that just MAYBE I might need it if he wasn't hungry or something. Then we had dinner with a work friend at Grin.go's. 3 margaritas later (them, not me. I only had 1-1/2) Mr. Miles was hungry. It is hot as blue blazes around these southern parts lately so I really didn't want to go feed him in the truck. These boys convinced me to do it in.the.restaurant. AND I DID! WHAT??? Yes, me...Mrs. Modesty herself busted out the milk machines in the restaurant. It was a tad bit better than doing it in the restroom, right? (Icky nasty germs EVERYWHERE) And we were sitting in a booth in the bar so I was able to turn towards the wall and cover with a blanket so there wasn't anything showing. But STILL!! All I could imagine was an image that J had told me about. He said there was a lady in his bar BF'ing also - one hand on the boob and the other holding a daiquiri!!! That was me...almost. EEEK. What has becoming a mom done to me? :-) I am doing all kinds of crazy things!
I am still on our van pool and since we are on our summer 9/80 schedule, the van leaves the lot at 6:05 AM- which was hella early for me pre-baby. Now I have to feed or pump before I leave the house which means getting up earlier (I was getting up at the absolute last minute before...like I had exactly enough time to shit, shower, and shave to make it on time!). So now I am getting up at 4:30 AM - holy crap that is so early - before the sun, before the rooster even! I have gone to bed around 10:30 these past 2 nights and let me tell you sisters (and 1 brother - what up J.Y.) 6 hours of sleep ain't cuttin' it for me. Somehow I am going to have to give up my 9:00 shows/not stay out so late/not get on the internet so I can get to bed earlier...maybe like 9:30. I think 7 hours should work for me. Because right now...I need a nap.
But wait...it's time to pump again!!!
Today is Day One...9 hours without my little man, 9 hours of catching up on emails, 9 hours of thinking about what my little man is doing without me, and 9 hours of pumping in the luxury of the lactation room...well not 9 hours, but 3 times a day. I didn't have a chance to visit the room before I left so today was the first. I was expecting a recliner or sofa or something, but it's just regular office chairs with a table, a clock, and some magazines. But I guess that's better than some places. A company I previously worked for, the women had to pump in the restroom! GROSS.
I am sad that I have to be away from him and was a little teary this morning, but overall I feel good about where he is. His sitter is hispanic and teaches her girls both English and Spanish, so he'll definitely benefit from that - especially since we're in Texas. Both of her daughters really like him and are into baby dolls right now so they are helping take care of him. And since he is the perfect child - only cries when wet or hungry, never fussy (knock on wood) he is a dream for anyone to watch. I can't wait to pick him up this afternoon to give him kisses!
I went to the gyno last week and told her I was still spotting since delivery and that I had a few days of bright red blood (versus old blood). During the exam, she said one of the internal tears I had seemed to have reopened and caused the bleeding. So then a few days of just spotting again and then on Friday - BOOM - back to looking like a regular period. Gone are the days of no period due to breastfeeding :0( I had to bust out my box of tampons from last JULY! BLECH. Now I have to think about diapers for the little one's bum and tampons for mine!! How lovely.
Mr. Miles started something new last week - a pouty bottom lip. We saw it for the first time when we put him in his swing and he looked up at the mobile and stuck his lip out. After buckling him in, we turned the swing and mobile on and he was all smiles! He has been so smiley lately. He makes me smile when he smiles! And he is cooing and babbling like crazy. It is too cute!
I know I am a week behind in posting a weekly pic. Haven't hooked up the camera lately. Will do soon, I promise.
How is everyone's Monday?
P.S. I forgot to say he is sleeping through the night about every 5 out of 7 nights! AWESOME! I got 7 hours of sleep last night before work. See...I told you he was the perfect baby!
Well, I must have jinxed myself...He slept 4 nights in a row through the night. Then Sunday, we were up at 5AM again. Which isn't too bad considering I will be up at that time or earlier starting next week when I go back to work :0( but for a weekend...it's a little early. He did that Monday night too, then last night he slept from 10:15 - 6:00. WHOOHOO! But man were the boobies full!
Speaking of boobies, today will be my first test at pumping most of the day like I will be at work. I just dropped Mr. Miles off at the sitter's for the first time. It's a practice run for them (the sitter and her daughters) but also to give Mom some time to get situated for work. Like I have this whole box - actually 2 - boxes of "desk stuff" that I had when I worked at the past 2 jobs. For some reason, I never took it to this job even though I have been there since February 2007. I wasn't nervous about not lasting long so I'm not quite sure why I didn't take it with me. But now I have lots of Miles pictures to set around so I definitely have to take it with me. I need to see the boy all day long so I don't miss him too much.
I have my first dentist appointment in half an hour - the first one since we started seeing the RE. Dean had his cleaning on Saturday and I told him to schedule me an appointment. The dentist said that I definitely need to come in, especially since pregancy hormones can sometimes do a number on your teeth. Never heard of that, but hey -she's the specialist.
Tomorrow Miles and I are FINALLY having lunch with work people. Crazy that its just 2 days before I will be seeing them in the office every day!
Friday Miles is going to the sitter's again :0( And that night we are actually plan-free!
Saturday is a housewarming post-Ike party at the evacuee's house, followed by a BBQ at Dean's fellow band member's house. Mean Aunt Betty, err Great Aunt Betty is babysitting for the latter party. I have to spread his time around all the relatives!
Sunday is his 1st Father's Day. We're having lunch at Grammy and Grampy's with Aunt M and Uncle D, then visiting our niece's house (niece - HA she's 40+!!) because their daughter is in town from GA with her new little boy born 2 weeks before Miles. It will be their first time to meet!
Hopefully we'll have more pictures to post soon. Too lazy to get out the camera since I'm leaving in 15 minutes now. Speaking of pics, we took his 2 month ones at JCP yesterday. He is getting TOO big TOO fast. I miss him already....
So I have been told that I have an awesome baby...not that I didn't already know this! But compared to other babies his age, he is doing extremely well. Since Day 1, we haven't been woken up every 2 hours (or even every 5) at night. We always had to wake him up to eat. The peditrician said the other day, now that he has gained enough weight that we don't even have to do that anymore and if he gets hungry, he can wake us up - at least until he is about 4 months old.... But for the past 4 nights, he has slept 8-9 hours straight through the night!! We were so excited about this! Especially me, since I haven't been able to do this in about the past 5 months due to my killer heartburn while pregnant, and then getting up to feed him. I have heard this is a miracle at his age and every night it has happened, I have crossed my fingers that it will happen the next night and so far it has. I hope I just didn't jinx myself for tonight though!!!
Can you believe Mr. Miles is 2 months old already! I need to take him to Penney's for his 2 month pics! He has quite the 2nd month...
On another note.... I have been thinking of going private on this blog. I have a lot of stuff I would like to get off my chest from time to time, but don't want to hurt anyone's feelings who may or may not be reading me. When I first started this blog, it was to keep everyone up to date on our infertility journey. I sent an email out to everyone I knew IRL - well at least those friends and family who didn't mind reading out my eggies and ovulation cycles - but now I'm not sure who remains. I know I have several "followers" who subscribe to my blog, but most of those internets are bloggy friends, who I wouldn't be speaking of during said rants or bitch sessions I need to be having....Without having to send out an email to all of the IRL people asking if you are still reading...which would in turn only make them want to START reading if they aren't currently...could you leave me a comment if you are still reading and I know you in real life? Also, for those internets who would be interested in continuing to read me if I do go private, could you leave me a comment as well?
Also, if any of you are private yourselves, can you still participate in Mel's ICLW? Or does requiring a password prohibit people from coming to you?
And finally...those always precious pics....
I couldn't wait for him to be able to wear this!
Miles' older girlfriend....by 1 day.
Please ignore the ginormous milk machines oozing out of this bathing suit...
Father's Day Astros Game
Daddy and Grampy
Taking a nap with Great Grandma
So sweet...
Miles - 7 weeks, Andrew - 17 months, Coy - 17 weeks
So hopefully when I go back to work, I'll be a better blogger....for some reason that sounds opposite what it should be right? Shouldn't I be blogging more now since I'm not spending time at work? But I am in front of a computer all day at work so I guess I have more opportunity to post something rather than now when I have to take time away from baby Miles to do it...
I only have a little while to type before it's time to eat again and I'm too lazy to get the camera and cord so the pics will have to wait til tomorrow - and for Wordless Wednesday no less! So today, you get the words...
Good night Internets!
My baby boy had his 2 month checkup today. Technically he isn't 2 months old yet, but almost - 7 weeks tomorrow. He got shots for Hepatitis.B, po.lio, pneu.mococcal.disease, dip.htheria, tet.anus, pert.ussis, rota.virus, and Hi.b. Miles cried so hard and loud it made Mommy cry!
Dr. W said he is doing great and growing right on target. He says we can let him sleep through the night if we want and if Miles is okay with it. Before he's 4 months old, we still have to feed him if he wakes up to eat, but other than that, he can sleep the night away. WHOOHOO! I already think he will do that without an issue since he's been sleeping 4-5 hours already and that's with us waking him. He's only woke up at night on his own like 3 times since he came home!
I also had a question about him spitting up - out of his nose?! He hardly ever spits up, but sometimes when he does it comes out of his nose and is just disturbing to me. It looks gross and like it may hurt because its thicker than regular snot. Dr. W said that sometimes it is just so forceful that it comes out the nose instead of the mouth - no problem though - totally normal. Mr. Miles is smiling so much more at us now. It is too cute! He responds to tickling of his feet and when we make awesome adult sounds like "coochie coochie coo!"
And now on to the statistics!
* Height: 22.25 inches - 50th percentile
* Weight: 9 lbs 15.5 inches - 25-50th percentile
*Head: 15 inches - 25th percentile
This is the little booger with his first even bandaids.
And after the shots...he was/is out like a light.
Just a few pictures to humor you...
* When I was feeding Miles a while ago, he pulled off after a few minutes (like he usually does - I guess he needs a break or something) the milk was still streaming out. Like a straight shot towards his face. If he turned it would have been in his eye! Reminded me of this...
* I received my G cup in the mail today. I thought about what sex.toy.packages must look like because instead of the return address saying Bigger.Bras. - you know the name of the company....it says this.... BGB: code name for Bigger.Bras?
* And speaking of said bra....here she is in all her glory. I picked this one (sorry James you may want to skip this section) because when you open the booby.flap, it has a support all the way around the boob instead of just on the bottom. HOWEVER....the picture on the website did NOT, I repeat DID NOT have all this lacy frilly PINK RIBBON all over it! Not only is there a retardo bow in the middle of the boobies, but one on each side with an extra loopy loop. BLECH. This is so not my style of bra, but I guess if it serves its purpose, it's all good, right? Oh and did I mention that it was $60? $60 for a lacy, old lady, pink ribbon nursing bra. Really?? Actually, I wanted 2, but I wasn't going to spend over $100 on a bra I didn't know I liked....so we will see. Maybe my dresser will be adorned with 2 of these beauties here shortly....
* Here's a cake I made last week for S's birthday. It's the first cake I've made since Little Man has arrived. It only took me 3 days between diaper changes and feedings. That's not entirely why....the royal.icing flowers take a day or 2 to dry before you can put them on.
* Here's a side view.
* And finally a present for Miles from Grammy and Grampy. A personalized book. It has lots of fun hands on pages...like a zipper as a gator's mouth and when you open it, you can pull out his tongue, a turtle's shell that snaps on and off to reveal his heart, ribbons to tie on a giraffe's neck... My sister's friend makes them. Mom saw one of them at Easter and ordered it right away...the delay was knowing what name to have embroidered on the front. Dad told me she actually called the girl from the hospital to tell her Miles' name. She couldn't WAIT to give it to him! Thanks Grammy!
So I am either a bad blogger or a good mommy....either one could apply, but I'll go with being a good mommy as the reason for my bloggy absence. Miles keeps me hopping!
I've missed uploading 3 weekly pics already....so here are weeks 4, 5, and 6. He is growing like a WEED! He looks like a little man!! Holding up his head for 1 or 2 minutes at a time, focusing on things, listening to our voices and sleeping 5 and 6 hours straight through the night. A few of these times was because Mom was too tired to wake up on time, but Miles didn't wake up either so I guess we both needed the sleep!
Memorial Day Camping was fun this year. I can say once you go lakehouse, you never go back. I don't think we'll be able to tent camp again! For the weekend, it was Grammy, Grampy, my aunt and uncle and us. Sister, bro-in-law, and cousin came up for the day on Saturday. A group of us went out Saturday on Dad's boat and caught 54 bass. Sunday another group caught 61 bass. So needless to say, we had a big ol' fish fry Sunday night! Miles made our pic, but he didn't go out fishing. It was way too hot for his little head so Aunt Betty stayed home to babysit. Don't worry, she didn't mind a bit. She hates fishing so she was all for it!
This was Miles' first boat ride. He pretty much missed most of it due to him napping. He was so cuddly in the lifejacket and then add the wave action and he was done! I can't wait for us to get to take him on many more boating trips!
This is my favorite pic of the weekend. The middle porch had a rocker and a swing. Anytime Grampy held Miles, this is where they went. They love each other so much and Grampy is so proud of his grandson!
I said he was growing like a weed? Well, remember when this shirt used to fit? Oh my little baby is growing up!!
Breastfeeding is still going well. My biggerbras...com bra is en route and should be here today. A G cup for crying out loud! Thursday is his 2 month (really 7 weeks) appointment. I am going to ask the doctor when we can cut out his middle of the night feeding. Its obvious he is able to sleep for longer than 4 hours at a time now and he is gaining weight so I don't think that will be an issue. Any other questions I should be asking?
