A few words from the front lines:

All has been well here as of late. No major traumas or news worthy events to really blog about - which, if you consider it, can be a good thing. There's something to say about the valleys and plateaus in life - they are predictable and at times, calming. I don't like things to stagnate too long, but a few days of anticlimactic life aren't so bad.

I did forget to mention, that when I came back from my parents last (after he had slept through the night for the first time), The Husband and I decided to move Xave into his crib. So far, he has been doing well sleeping apart from me, although when he gets me up at the 7am-8am mark, I'll usually bring him in our bedroom and set him back down in the co-sleeper to grab an hour or two extra of sleep (this is because at this time, he's less inclined to go straight to sleep, and a hand to pop his pacifier back in his mouth is necessary). This move has gone well for all of us. At first it was difficult because I was so used to hearing baby snores in my ear, but I have gotten used to it now. The Husband, however, still jumps up every now and again to peek into the nursery and make sure the baby is okay.

I put away Xave's 0-3 month clothing away two days ago. When getting out his 3-6 month things, I found that probably 50% of the things people bought for us are warm weather outfits - t-shirts, shorts, etc... that unfortunately he's just probably not going to wear. On the bright side of things, he has plenty of zip sleepers now that I bought ahead of time since I now know how much I love them - he practically lives in them day to day.

In regards to picture taking, Xave is fascinated in my camera - and this is not necessarily a good thing. The Husband and I have tried a million times to photograph his smile, and 99% of pictures are of Xave staring blankly into the camera lens...

Case in point:

...however, the 1% of photographs we have of his smile melt my heart~

AWOL.

I haven't died - really. I don't know why I've been so absent from blogging lately - no real reason I suppose. I'm going to try to backtrack and get everyone up to speed, although I'm pretty sure I'm going to leave out some important milestones one way or another...

I am not going to the Rec Center anymore - it turns out I don't really have a membership there since I'm only enrolled in online classes...which stinks. The pescetarianism is still going well and strong though.

October 22nd: Xave slept through the night for the first time - from midnight to 8:30am to be exact. When this occurred, it about scared the living daylights out of me - I thought he had smothered. Since then, he sleeps shifts at night going anywhere from 5 hours to 8 hours, usually falling asleep anywhere between 11 to 12. To be honest, I didn't realize how much I missed a solid 8 hours of sleep until I got it.

October 26th: We went down to visit my husband's grandmother, and she found out we were Catholic. We knew this would happen eventually. Prayers would be greatly appreciated that she may be comforted right now - from her religious perspective, this is very traumatic for her, and she is very upset and hurt.

October 28th: Such a fat little man...

October 31st: My parents took Xave to spend the night with them at their house so The Husband and I could go out for Halloween. Initially it was very hard for me, but I knew he was in good hands and if anything were to happen my mother would call. We both missed him terribly though, and were more than happy to see him the next day.

October 31st: Je suis une citrouille en français.

November 3rd: Today, Xave went back to the doctor for his 2 month appointment. He is 13lbs and 6oz, and 23.5 inches long. That puts him at the 97th percentile in weight, and 75th percentile in length. He checked out just fine - got a clean bill of health, and our Doctor believes him to be about 6 weeks ahead in regards to muscle development and control. He got a slew of vaccines today as well, and due to my insurance, they were all separate ones instead of the nice combo one...so the poor guy had to endure 5 shots instead of two. He didn't take them too badly - he cried out and his face turned tomato red, but after it was all done, he had a few little cries, and then was just quietly sad for a while. So far this evening he hasn't been particularly crabby, but I figure he'll be sore when he wakes up again (which is probably going to be soon).

I keep trying to tell him there are a lot worse things in life - like taxes - but he doesn't seem to get that right now.

November 2nd: Looking at his mobile and holding a toy. He doesn't register he's holding the toy yet, but his grasp is pretty good.

November 3rd: He's able to hold this position for about 30 to 45 seconds now before his neck tires. He'll rest, but then be able to push himself back up to the same angle!

November 3rd: My two favorite boys.

Dedicated baby towels just cause more laundry, and other things I've learned in 2 months time.

Xavier Thomas is two months old...TODAY. Wow. My little boy is two months old?! Really?! I'm dreading when he's two YEARS old - but then again, just sitting here thinking about it, instead of taking in my baby boy (while he's a baby), is just going to make the time fly by faster...

He has such bright social smiles now and - as I'm sure with every mother - it makes my heart melt. I still haven't snagged a picture of one yet - partially the result of my camera battery having not been charged (it is now!) - but the other part is I'm so enamored by it, it doesn't even cross my mind!

Lately, Xave has been sleeping even longer at night - about 5 to 5 1/2 stretches! I guess that should be expected?

Today, was an early day (by choice, actually)!

After two months exactly (more on this later), I finally managed to get my (huge) butt to the gym. I left our house around 7:30am, then did 20 minutes of eliptical, 10 minutes of rowing, and then another 20 of the step type machine that makes it look like you're doing high kicks...I'm not sure what it's called - I just know it'll kill the back of your thighs! I got back home around 10ish, and Xave was just fine - didn't even need fed by The Husband (he was fed at 6am, so he went four hours no problem).

I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow, but I can't keep looking like the way I am. I can manage to squeeze into my size 6 jeans and dress pants now, but I'm far from wearing my 4's (and let's not even talk about my 2's).

I'm hoping with exercise and pescetarianism it'll be achievable...my size 2 that is.

In regards to the title, I have learned a lot more about babies in the past two months.

• Dedicated baby towels do nothing but cause more laundry - and when you're already doing three times the laundry than before, anything to reduce that expenditure is welcome.
  
  
• Always have an extra pacifier. Hide them in your car, in every room, and have one per purse. I neglect to mention diaper bags here, because it's a given that there should be at least two spare already in it.
  
  
• Take in your baby, but once every few days, look at pictures from a few weeks before - it's astounding the changes you don't notice because you don't look away.
  
  
• Q-tips grab boogers from tiny noses very well - just be careful.
  
  
• Zippers. Not buttons. Not snaps. Zippers. In the middle of the night, it's infinitely easier - especially if you have to change (both getting on and getting off) outfits. [I was recommended gowns, but they didn't work out too well with me - Xave's diaper always slid down and made a mess since there was no crotch to hold it up at night when he shifts.]

I'm sure there will be more of these type lessons to learn...trial and error. Trial and error.

Life alone is almost over!

Today is the last day of The Husband's second conference. The third is later this month, but I'll ACTUALLY GET TO GO TO THIS ONE. The locale could be better, but I'm sure we'll make the most of it.

Did I mention I might go to Hawaii in March? The Husband and I might go to Hawaii in March...and the majority of it will be on the University's dime. Hawaii will probably be the closest I get to Asia for a LONG time...(Nevermind the botched trip to Korea that was going to happen last year...)

Lately, the weather has gotten cooler, which has it's pros and cons. On the positive, there's no more humidity, but on the negative, leaving the house with Xave takes approximately 30% longer. No more does throwing on a onesie work - nope, we have to have at least a full body sleeper, and should those all be dirty...well, that means shirt, pants, jacket, and socks that never stay on, plus an extra blanket in case it gets cold, and if the jacket doesn't have a hood, well, he'd better have a hat. Of course, this doesn't happen all at once - this happens over the course of an hour after trying to leave the house umpteen times and realizing "IF I DON'T BRING THIS MY BABY WILL TURN INTO AN ICE SCULPTURE."

My mom bought that outfit for Xave while perusing The Gap with me when I was pregnant. Too cute, right?! I don't think you can see it, but the pants match the pattern on his hoodie and inside of the hood as well.

To backtrack a bit, this week has been really interesting with just Xave and I. And by interesting, I mean exceedingly lonely. I'm looking forward to having The Husband around again, instead of seeing fleeting glimpses of him in the early morning.

It'll also be nice to take a shower.

Tomorrow, we're to have lunch with his boss (who, I also do some work for), and then we're going to go to Julio's for dinner. It's been a tough week on both of us - we deserve it.

My one prevailing thought at the moment, is I could kill for a cream soda. However, bundling up Xave as well as traversing outside with my oily hair is not really something I'm going to put myself through. Tomorrow.

Conferences.

Last week I spent a few days with my parents (as I discussed earlier, The Husband running a conference in the southern part of the state). While I did miss The Husband as well as being that that particular conference, I think it was good for everyone. My parents and grandmother got spent a lot of time with Xave, I relaxed and did pretty much nothing (except fix dinner one night which honestly felt more like a luxury than a chore), and even though The Husband and I missed each other - sometimes it's good to have a few days apart. You know, distance only makes the heart grow fonder...or whatever that saying is.


Upon coming back to my own home, Xave was rather cranky. I'm chalking it up to being a mix of being overly coddled, a change in atmosphere, gas pains, and a growth spurt. In that he was being a fuss bucket, I tried a trick I remember reading in one of the billion books, blog articles, and magazines I read in preparation: lay a hot water bottle beside him. It makes sense, right? It's warm and it's squishy - just like my D sized breasts. It works great though, and Xave relaxes no problem.

The past few days, Xave and I have been on our own. The Husband is working another conference that takes up his time from 7 in the morning to about...2 or 3 in the evening. It hasn't been so bad though, as yesterday my parents came over and spent the day with me, which was (as always) wonderful.


I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the minute; my house is in shambles, I've got pepperoni rolls to wrap for Louisiana legislators, and let's not even talk about homework I have to do right now. I have always had respect for single mothers, but only now do I realize how tough it might be...after all, I'm not trying to work a job outside of home.

There's so much more to talk about...and yet, I'm finding I need to prioritize a little better...perhaps later.

Humidity.

I took this right when we got home today...he sleeps so soundly when we're out. :)

I have always hated humidity. HATED. My feelings have not changed. Allow me to elaborate.

Xave and I went downtown again today, and there is a significant difference between walking downtown 8 months pregnant, and not pregnant with a large jogging stroller. For one, although walking up hills was not enjoyable with an enormous belly, it was not nearly the trial of pushing a 30 lb stroller up a hill after your calf muscles are not nearly what they were 10 months prior. Add in some heavy humidity, breasts that feel like they might smother your own face (let alone your child's), and hills that feel like if they were any steeper they would have mountain goat rentals for transportation and it can be a pretty trying experience. Opening doors is also quite a feat I have yet to master - I'm thinking the skill of opening a door while simultaneously wheeling a stroller into said door will take a bit of practice to master. However, it should be noted that a gigantic belly does not have space to put the wine you purchased nor a cup holder or your double latte with a splash of orgeat syrup. So, there are some trade offs to be considered.

This past Sunday, when I went downtown to go to Mass, I carried Xave in a front carrier. This went well, except for the fact that the term "Bun in the Oven" infers that you are the oven, and the baby is the bun. I beg to differ. The amount of body heat this little guy puts out is enough to cook an Italian style pizza in less than 3 minutes. Every since we got home, he's been clamoring for me to hold him (and I oblige), even though we're both sweaty messes...It makes me recall back when I was a kid, always wanting to get on my mother's lap, and my mother going "No, it's too hot!" I used to think "It's not that hot. I want to be held." and now I think that children simply have no concept of body heat transfer...not that a 6 week old baby would anyway...but...well, you get the point.

Regardless of the humidity, our downtown trip went well (as usual). He slept the entire time, and I bought some things I wanted - mainly more flannel fabric for my Grandmother to make me more receiving blankets. She made me probably 4 or 5 for my shower, and they are the best thing ever. All of the store bought receiving blankets are too small, and when we try to swaddle him in them, he kicks out of them almost immediately. With hers, we can wrap him up so tightly, he just tuckers himself out to sleep when he fights (hah!). I am so lucky to have a Grandmother who can sew...

The fabric I picked out. Super cute, right?!

There have been a considerable lack of blog posts lately...things have been rather tumultuous here. The Husband is swamped with getting ready for the conference this weekend, I have tons of homework and work work, our lawnmower, washer, and The Husband's cell phone all died within a week, among other things... Blogging and photography have taken secondary priority (obviously?).

The Husband took this the 19th, he was laughing about how we were matching.

One Month, Sore Throats, and Quality Conversation with The Husband

One Month
Yesterday night, at 11:42pm, Xave had been out in the world for an entire month. During that period of 31 days, he has expanded in waistline, strengthened many a muscle, and dirtied plenty of diapers. He can focus on my face now, is definitely aware of when he is near my chest (although thankfully he isn't coordinated enough to pull down my shirt!), and loves to fall asleep in anyones arms (and wake up when he is put down - just ask my mother).

I never knew time could zoom by so quickly.

For his monthly-anniversary-of-being-born (monthday? birthmonth? whatever...) my parents got us a big fleece sack sleeper coat thing...with two holes, one in the front, and one in the back. If anyone knows what these are for (checking dirty diapers? air vent? coin purse?) let me know. We also went out to lunch, and then they watched (and bathed) the baby while The Husband and I went to the store.

I took this photo today - I managed to grab some pictures of his big yawn!

Sore Throats
In my last post, I mentioned that The Husband was sick. Inevitably (well, maybe due to giving him too many hug), I am sick as well now. So far, it's just a wicked sore throat (and therefore a lost voice), but I'm sure the congestion will settle in soon. Xave sounds a little bit congested, but I wouldn't even quite say he's sick yet...we'll see. I'm a little bit bummed, just because I was going to go into the office today, and obviously that's not going to happen now. I'm also hoping I'll be better by Friday, since my mom has the day off and was going to come spend it with us. (Oh, and I was wrong in my last post - it's not this week I'm spending the weekend with my parents, it's the week after.) The Husband already went and bought me copious amounts of Sprite, and is now en route to grab me some McDonald's cheeseburgers...I don't know what it is about being sick, but I LOVE McDonald's cheeseburgers when I am.

Quality Conversation with The Husband
Yesterday, when we were at the store, we bought some prosciutto, fontina cheese, and melba toasts, along with a bottle of Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo 2007 Reserve Merlot. (Cool story about this wine - last time we went to Julio's, Pam gave us a bottle of this to take with us as a congratulations present for having the baby. We have had Casillero del Diablo before, and were not impressed as we are not typically fans of Chilean wines. However, the 2007 Reserve Merlot is FANTASTIC. It's now one of our favorite wines.) We put it out on a plate, listened to some classical, and just sat and talked...and talked...and talked. I think it was one of the best conversations we've had in quite some time - we talked about the Catholic Church, about our lives spiritually, about communicating with each other, decisions we had made, decisions we are going to make eventually, among other things. I have told my mother many times, that I wished being a wife was as natural being a mother, to which she responds that I need to carve out some time for just The Husband and I.

Okay Mom, you were right.

A rather dull day.

Today, as the title reads, was a rather dull day.

The Husband is down with a head cold, so he feels pretty miserable. I also managed to (once again) procrastinate finishing my paper for my advertising class - good thing it isn't due until Sunday, right?)! I don't think I could tell you what I accomplished today if I tried...how awful is that for time management?

I'm beginning to wonder what I'm going to do with all of the baby stuff Xavier isn't going to be able to use here in about 5 months or so. His swing, carseat, and co-sleeper are all done for in less than half a year from now! I need to look into how much one of those storage garage things cost, but it seems like every time I think to call around and price them, it's after business hours. I definitely do NOT want to sell this stuff off or get rid of it - it'll be too useful for when Faustina/Joseph arrives. Then again, I'm worried that extra storage space is going to be pricey...

Speaking of Faustina/Joseph, after the baptism last Sunday, the Godparents came over to our house. Bekah (the Godmother) and I were discussing the spacing of our children, and the fact that - if we would like to stick to the plan of having our children two years apart - we need to be pregnant again about this time next year (maybe a month or two later). While my pregnancy wasn't particularly difficult, I did not revel in being pregnant as I am aware some women do. However, they do say by the time you're ready to have another child, you forget all the negative things. Which, when I think about it, there really weren't many...PUPPP was awful, and feeling fat and awkward wasn't fun either, but I wasn't sick and didn't have any major complications. My delivery was a breeze (thank you Ms. Epidural!). My baby sleeps pretty well, except for one off night where I drank too much caffeine. So, really, except for the year of complete sobriety and general awkward feeling of being the size of a house, nothing was that bad. I guess we'll see what I'm doing a year from now, right? :)

Next week, I am going to spend a few days at my parents house. The Husband has to work a conference, and I will not be able to go with him (obviously). I am going to miss him terribly, and I'm also a little sad that I can't go - I've went and worked at this conference for the past 4 years (and it's bi-yearly), and this will be the first I am unable to go to. It's not that it's particularly fun (well going out in the evenings is) it's just something we've always done together. I am looking forward to spending time with my family though - they all adore Xave, and it's enjoyable for me to see them enjoy him.

I asked him (Xavier) tonight if he realized how much he was loved, not only by us, but by our entire family. Then, I proposed to him that I would just sit around and get fat and sleep, and we'd see how much I'd be adored.

I'm going to try to force myself to bed now - after all, since The Husband is sick, that makes me on permanent baby duty. It's really not so bad...because of how much I love him*.

Xave in his co-sleeper. It makes life SO much easier.

*People told me this kind of stuff ALL THE TIME - that you don't care about sacrifices and inconveniences your children put you through...it's definitely something you have to experience, because I didn't believe them one bit, until now.

Out and About

I went out for the first time in quite a while last night. The Husband and I decided it was time (well, the books told us, and we're following along with it) to introduce the bottle to Xave, and thus, seemed only natural that I should go out and have a beer while this occurred.

So, I called up a friend, we met downtown, I drank a Lambic (Frambois - tasty stuff, I highly recommend it!), and we chatted about many a thing...relationships and video games mostly. I will admit that while it felt good to get out of the house, it was almost odd. There's a part of me that doesn't quite enjoy it like I used to. For one, I'm missing my normal drinking partner (that would be The Husband), and two, I get the nagging feeling in the back of my head that I'm neglecting my family (even though I know I'm not). I think it'll just take time to get used to.

The Husband reported that Xave took the bottle just fine (after he figured it out) and that all was well while I was away (only 2 hours).

Today, I've managed to get a bit of homework done (I'm blogging to take a break), and everything seems to be going smoothly. I did snap some photos of Xave to share though.


Oh, and yesterday, I actually cooked something...like, really cooked. I made haemul pajeon (해물파전) and they were delicious. No photos though...one step at a time I say.

A few more firsts...

Yesterday, was my first rough morning. I wasn't paying attention to my caffeine consumption, and that's what I'm going to blame it on.

To begin with, Xave and I didn't go to bed until 2am - other than that there was nothing out of the ordinary, as he had slept off and on throughout the day and evening. Then, he was up at 5am (again, totally normal) - however, he wouldn't go back to bed. I stayed up with him until about 7am, when I had thought he had finally worn himself out. I laid him down in the co-sleeper and thought "Oh, The Husband is going to work today, I'd better grab a shower now while he's home and Xavier is asleep." So, I hopped in real quick, and when I got out, I noticed The Husband was now in the living room with a crying baby in his swing. I felt terrible, since I had thought he had went to bed and I knew The Husband had to get up in the morning, where I was just going to be at home. Insert major guilt trip as a wife here.

The Husband felt that I was a little frustrated, and he shooed me off to bed, and watched the baby (cry in his swing). I got about an extra half hour of sleep here. We then determined that Xavier was hungry again, so he brought him in to me, and by this time, The Husband was awake and decided he would just go to work now. After this 8am feeding, Xavier calmed down a bit, and I got another hour's worth of rest (total: 4.5 hours worth of sleep).

When Xavier woke up again, I decided I was going to pump while I fed him. This was the first attempt at feeding my baby and pumping simultaneously...alone. It did not go well. I had been using the Medela bags you can pump straight into, but they don't stand well on their own (at all). Thus, with a kicking baby on one side, and a floppy bag on the other, I was covered in milk by the end of it.

Toss in some bureaucratic drama with a project I'm working on with the city, the inability to grab something to eat when I wanted to, plus my college class to deal with and that was my morning.

Yesterday had some other firsts as well though. Xavier had his first tear - I wish I would have had my camera. It was so sad seeing that little drop of emotion resting on his cheek, and yet kind of sweet~ Xave is also starting to notice (and follow) the mobile on his swing (we have this one). He's also starting to grab at objects he wants.

He didn't like being in the bassinet because it was too bland, so I got the idea to put a (high contrast) bib up for him to look it. He did manage to grab it down once, but I didn't have my camera out yet...

Watching him develop and grow is amazing...I don't think anyone can appreciate it until they experience it firsthand.

From the 7th, I just didn't get to upload it until now. He falls asleep on me all the time after he eats (by the way, that's a tank top I'm wearing).

Last night went fine, and Xave slept like he normally does. Today I have a mountain of homework to climb (ugh...) and work to do as well...The house managed to get straightened yesterday, so at least that's out of the way.

I'm going to introduce a bottle to Xavier soon - I want to try to go to work one day next week...I'm almost a little apprehensive about it because I'm worried 1) he'll end up rejecting me, or 2) my milk supply will dry up. I'm not at all worried about him not taking the bottle - I really don't even care that much. I've found that I really love nursing - even though it can be a pain in the butt sometimes (especially at 3am) and I don't want bottle feeding to interfere with that. The likelihood of those things happening are slim...but still... I'm also still trying to figure out how I'm going to manage being away from the house longer than two hours...both emotionally, and the fact that these guys swell up pretty fast and get considerably uncomfortable without a baby to munch on them... hm.............................

A(n un)productive day!

Today, was simultaneously productive, and not.

The Husband and I went out and had brunch, went to Best Buy, managed to purchase an Asus Eee PC N270, and I picked up a copy Windows XP 64x a co-worker made for me and left on my cubicle desk.

So, we went home, I finally got to hook up The Beast (as I've nicknamed it...the thing is huge, noisy, and hot) and The Husband set up his new netbook. Kind of funny now that I think of it...he worked on a wee little guy, and I had a big boy I was working on. The Husband's also been trying to work out the bugs on his beast of a laptop for work (it's a dual core, 3gig job...and also weighs a ton) - turns out one of the cores is failing. Let's not even begin to talk about the computer count in the house now...I think it's hovering around 5.

By the way, it has been such a long time since I worked on a PC that had NOTHING on it, I forgot how long it takes to set them up. I also forgot how much nicer it is to not have a bunch of preloaded crap on it too.

Xave continues to grow...I can't believe in less than a week now he'll be a month old. What's with that?! He's getting so fat...haha... It's funny, I notice his weight gain, but more than that, I've noticed how much shorter his hair is in comparison to his face...and it's not that he's gotten a haircut, it's that his head is just bigger!! Oh, I'm torn between wanting him to be able to hold his head up on his own, and him wanting to be as little as he was when we first took him home...

From yesterday night:


This morning:

Look at those chubby cheeks!!!!

Baptism Day!

The Baptism went beautifully. Words cannot describe how blessed I feel right now, not only due to the event, but also because of the wonderful support of my friends and family - whether they were there in person, or in spirit. I am going to brag a bit, I love the outfit we bought him. He looks like a little Pope!

It began with the procession in which the Sign of the Cross was traced on his forehead by Fr. A, and then we walked to each pew and the parishioners (spiritual Aunts and Uncles, if you will) did the same. It was such a wonderful communion.

Today's Gospel matched beautifully. If I may share:

Mark 7:31-37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The bold emphasis (which I added), is one of the parts of a Catholic Baptism, called the Ephphatha.

The priest takes a little spittle and touches the ears and nostrils of the candidate with it. For health reasons, the use of spittle may be omitted. This rite comes from Mark 7:33-35, when Jesus healed the deaf-mute:

Priest: Ephpheta, that is to say, Be opened, for an odour of sweetness. Be thou, devil, begone; for the judgement of God shall draw near.

Xave was very quiet during the whole ceremony. I can't tell you how many times Fr. A remarked that he was an amazingly quiet baby (and how blessed we are to have said quiet baby)!

We are also blessed to have wonderful Godparents for Xavier. You might recognize the Godmother, as she was the one whom I took pictures for her baby's Baptism just a month ago! The Godfather is in his first year of Seminary to study to become a Priest - please keep him in your prayers! They both wrote beautiful letters to Xavier.

From the Godmother

Dear Xavier,

Welcome to the family of the Catholic Church, a family that will give you the love, support, and courage you need on your earthy journey to Heaven. As your Godmother, I'm here to help you and your parents in any way as part of that journey. Remember to stay strong in your faith and always diligent in your prayers to lead you on the path to Heaven. Know that you are in my prayers.

God bless,

B

From the Godfather:

Dear Xavier Thomas,

My dear Godson, it's such a pleasure that you are finally here!! I was thrilled ten months ago to hear of your expected arrival, as I am thrilled on the eve of your baptism. I wish for you a life filled with a great faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. Please know that you will be in my daily thoughts and prayers and know that if there is any way I can help you, get in touch whenever. Always honor your parents and your Lord and our Lady and you will enjoy a life of fulfillment!

With prayers, I remain yours ever, with much , much love.

C

I am overwhelmed with so many emotions - but don't worry, they're all positive!

By the way, The Husband put up some extra pictures on our Catholic blog if you'd like to see them!

Let's get sick!

It's as if my body sees events coming ahead and goes "Hey, let's get sick, shall we?!" The past two days I've been dealing with a terrible stomach bug and a nasty headache...oh, and Xave's baptism is tomorrow. Great.

On the positive side of things, I think I'm over the worst of it, and am on the mend now. I'm hoping to be all better by tomorrow...but we shall see.

The Husband's parents are coming up tomorrow from the occasion, which I find exceedingly nice because 1) it's a 3.5 hour drive and 2) they aren't Catholic. For them to now share our religious views, and yet still drive 7 hours in a day really shows me how much they care about our family.

Hopefully, I'll be posting pictures tomorrow (barring they come out well) - Xave has become such a chubber~!

Oh, it's Friday!

Signs your a mother - you have no clue what day it is...

But honestly, this occurred before motherhood for me plenty of times.

Things feel busy around here, and yet they're very relaxed? We're off to get the oil changed in the car, and when I get back I need to do laundry (again!), plus the house just looks a little disheveled.

Tomorrow is the first WVU game of the season! You'd better believe The Husband and I are going to vegetate in front of our television for that.

Sunday is the Baptism. I'm so excited!!! There should be tons of pictures from that...sorry for the general lack of photos lately...things are busy (obviously).

Shopping, and the insatiable hunger for that which is Julio's.

Well, like I said before, some things never change.

Shopping, while the boys were away, went well. I managed to find three long sleeved tops (one of which was admittedly maternity) that were going to work for my purposes. However, it is still not quite long sleeved weather... Thus, when The Husband swang by to pick me up, he proposed we all go to the mall and find some more suitable duds for the still not chill weather.

So, we went home, The Husband changed the baby, I put away the groceries said Husband and baby gathered, and away we went again.

I managed to get some pretty good deals, after all, this time of year most summer things are on sale. However, the mall we were at was the same one that is close to Julio's...but we were wearing rather causal clothes...

So, rather than be smart, head home, and save money, I bought a dress (that will also work for my purposes) and The Husband bought a shirt...and off we went to Julio's.

It should be noted, that going out to eat with Xave takes longer as well. When we arrived in the parking lot, he needed changed(1), then, he ate, then he needed changed again(2), then he ate some more, then one last change(3). After he was done eating and pooping, we packed him back up into his car seat and went to have a nice dinner. Pam (the owner/waitress/I've talked about her before) was very excited to see us. Interestingly enough, other regulars, who are starting to recognize us as well, were also quite excited to see Xave.

Dinner was very good as always. I had my first whole glass of wine in almost a year (but don't worry, I bought these nifty test strips to make sure I don't make Xavier drunk...) and it was...alright. It wasn't that the wine was foul tasting, but more so that I think it'll just take a while to get used to, as well as not have some kind of crazy guilty conscience attached as well. Nine months of thinking "If I drink, I might give my baby terrible brain damage, and that's like being a horrific abusive mother!" has an affect on a person you know...

Xave slept through dinner, and by the time we finished, he started stirring a little bit. The Husband changed him, I fed him once again, he got changed again, and away we went. Dinner with Xavier really wasn't all that different...just a little bit more work tacked on to the beginning and the end.

Tomorrow, I have work to do, and a house to straighten up...hopefully I don't get as sidetracked tomorrow as I did today.

Parental Sacrifices and the Institutions that do not allow you to make them.

Our cell phone bill is very expensive, in part, because I have a data plan for my Blackberry. Now, if you know me at all, you should know that I am ridiculously addicted to said data plan - whether it's to look up reviews on a product on Amazon.com, check everyone's Facebook status, or perhaps because I saw a cluster of Tent Caterpillars and thought "Hey, I wanna Wikipedia that." (this occurred Monday actually). It's been indispensable resolving gnawing questions ("Who played in that movie?" "What year did that come out?"), checking e-mail from work and school to make sure I'm not missing any deadlines (this has saved me countless times), and nevermind how many times I've looked up things Xavier's doing to make sure he's not sick with some crazy disease (he isn't).

Now, I was at the point, when looking at this month's cell phone bill that I was ready to cut myself off. I was willing to make a Parental Sacrifice (you know, when YOU want something really, really, badly, but say instead "In lieu of having offspring, I will forgo my interests for that of my child!") so the family would save a chunk of money from paying for my tech obsessed hands.

However, our cell phone company had other plans. Unbeknown to us, apparently owning a Blackberry requires having a data plan. Additionally, if I did want to get a different phone, I would have to pay full price for the phone - not get it on some type of cheap renewal deal.

So, that all fell through. I'll still have my Blackberry, my data plan, and my ludicrous cell phone bill to pay each month. *sigh*

Today, I have work to do and homework to finish, but first I am going to go shopping and look for more shirts that I can shove down so that Xave can access food. I've determined that wrap style shirts work best, as I have a few shirts made for breastfeeding, but I'm not quite talented enough (nor is Xave neat enough) for them to be useful quite yet...he makes a mess out of us both. At least, when I just shove down my shirt, I can clean up all the excess with a burp cloth, and I have covers so we're not showing all the goods off to random strangers. It's just too hard right now to shove the baby UNDER my shirt. While I hunt for normal shirts to double as breastfeeding tops, The Husband and Xave are going to run around and have their first Boy's Day Out.

Then when I come home, I have work to do...ugh...

Wait, why wasn't I doing that now?

Oh yeah, because I'm a huge procrastinator.

Some things never change.

Déjà vu!

Yesterday, The Husband and I (with Xave in tow) made the trek to pick up our lovely little girl, Princess (our dog).

Due to the exuberant price of kenneling in our town, we take her almost an hour away to where my parents used to kennel their dog. However, this isn't nearly as trying as one may seem, since getting to get to said kennel requires going through my hometown, which means we usually stop by my parents (barring a small excess of time).

I was concerned, since when we would be traveling back home, the entire family would be in our tiny Toyota Corolla (you see, when the dog was dropped off, The Husband just took her, for the pick up, we decided it would be a whole family affair).

Thus, we planned it out accordingly:

1. Drive to my parents.
2. Feed Xave, and leave him with said parents.
3. The Husband and I continue our quest to retrieve our dog.
4. After successful retrieval, dog sits in back of car.
5. Stop at parents again, eat dinner, visit my grandmother down the road.
6. Pack up. Arrangements change. Dog sits in passenger seat whilst Xave and I sit in the back.
7. Attempt to not get carsick on trip back home.
   

It worked out fine...and I did manage to not throw up all over my beautiful baby boy on our return home. It's also not that I don't trust our dog in the backseat with the baby - she's actually adjusted very well - but I'm worried that she might get excited and accidentally step on Xave (she's a 40lb Lab mix).

It should also be noted that I happened to be wearing the same outfit I wore down to The Husband's family's just last Friday - nothing of note, just a black shirt and some white capris. I have determined that said WHITE capris have, in babyvision, a large, red, bold, bullseye on them, as he managed to poop on me, once again. Why only when I ware these WHITE pants?! Luckily, my waist is now the same size as my mother's, and I managed to steal her favorite pair of shorts...this was also a mini triumph for me, since it was the first pair of zip up and button pants I've worn...well, in quite some time...regardless that they were 3 sizes larger than what I own at home.

I keep wondering, how long will it be until I don't have to wear maternity pants anymore? I remember noticing a friend of ours who has a 4 month old baby...and she still had maternity pants on...How long does it take for all this excess skin to snap back?!

Also of note, yesterday early afternoon (before all of what I mentioned above occurred), we met with Fr. Andrew about Xavier's baptism (this Sunday!). We (I, The Husband, Fr. Andrew, and the whole parish I think) are so excited!! His baptismal garment is TOO CUTE.

Travel time...recalculated.

When you travel with a baby, not only should you expect to haul a lot more with you, but you should also keep in mind that your time spent traveling to your desired destination will take approximately 25% longer (to account for the number of times you stop to check diapers, do feedings, and just to make sure his head isn't flopped over and is suffocating to death out of sheer paranoia).

Our trip to Hamlin went well though. It really wasn't that bad traveling with him - he slept the whole way down and the whole way back. While we were there (for 4 hours), Xave managed to go through about 12 diapers, 5 outfits, half a case of wipes, spit up on my shirt, and pooped on my white pants. On our way back, I couldn't get out of the car, since said poop was right in my crotch area - it look like I peed myself. How is it that even after I read a million suggestions that all mothers should have an extra set of clothes on them, I still neglect to do this? (To be honest, there still isn't an extra set of clothes in the car...I need to fix that.)

Xave still continues to sleeps well, but I'm noticing he's starting to get a little clingy. He'll fall asleep after a feeding, and when I try to lay him down in his bed, he'll wake and cry, only to be soothed again when I pick him up. I can't help it though - whenever he cries I immediately want to go hold him and soothe him. I kind of like it honestly, but since I am still enrolled in course work here at WVU, I'm attempting now to give him a pacifier when he does this, which most of the time he'll take. Writing my paper just wasn't working out when he had to be held constantly.

Breastfeeding is still going smoothly also, with the exception (and I never would have thought this) that Xavier is becoming a messier eater as he gets older. At one week, he'd be content to just feed until he was done, I (or The Husband) would give him a good burp, and we'd be good to go. Now, it's more like feed for five minutes, OOH WHAT'S THAT?! (usually my hair), then back to OMG WHERE DID MY FOOD GO?! I'M HUNGRY! (Keep in mind, that when he's gazing at my hair, or the far off light, both of us get messy.)

Funny thing is, I don't really mind these bumps in the road, because I know I'm going to miss them.

I suppose though, by the time I do miss them though, I'll just have to have another baby. :p

Real baths, and instinctual motherhood tendencies, and a dash of backtracking.

So, to follow up on my previous post, Xavier had his first real bath today. This experience was considerably more pleasant than the prior sponge baths and crying extravaganza (so sorry to those of you who wanted pictures of my very unhappy baby in a tub hammock...there are none to be had)!

His first real bath!

Tomorrow we are making the (3 hour) trek down to The Husband's parent's...so, this will be the longest car ride Xavier has ever taken. I am hypothesizing it will go well - all the other car trips we've taken, he's slept most of the time (except for his first car ride home where he was not a happy baby).

Today marks Xav's 2nd week out in the world - it's going by so fast. I find it hard to believe it's been that long, and yet, being pregnant feels like it was years ago.

Look at you at 2 weeks old! Your Mama can't believe that much time has gone by!

By the way, I don't miss being pregnant. I've read a lot of blog posts and stories about how women miss their big round bellies, feeling their baby inside of them, etc... However, I'm so happy to have my range of motion back (well, at least 95% of it) and getting to hold and kiss my baby. I don't really see the appeal of being pregnant (sorry!).

Maybe the only thing I miss is the feeling that my baby is safe inside of me, or that he's completely content. When Xavier cries, it feels like my whole world comes to a screeching halt and all I want to do is make him feel better. It's hard for me, when he's in his car seat, if he starts to cry because he's hungry. I tear up and am awash with the feeling that I'm a bad mother for allowing my poor darling son to sit in the backseat starving to death. I take a deep breath, calm down, but still feel the urge to make The Husband pull over the car, so that I can run to the back and comfort him. I'm sure this feeling (of urgency) passes...but for now, it prevails.

I have decided this is all part of instinctual motherhood tendencies. After you have a baby, something hardwired in you clicks on and goes "TOP PRIORITY: PROTECT THIS AT ALL COSTS". I never considered myself a maternal being, and nor did anyone else - just ask my mother* - but as soon as I had Xavier, it all clicked on. Isn't it fascinating?!

Now, to backtrack a bit.

Yesterday, The (always wonderful and fabulous) Husband made dinner. Since I have been lacking in the area of culinary arts, he managed to pick up the slack. He made a delicious shrimp pasta sauce (fresh tomatoes from my parent's garden, roasted red pepper, onion, and broccoli) over whole wheat capellini.


He also managed to get this excellent modeling shot of Xavier.


It's hard to believe, one day, he'll be bigger than me. It's also hard to swallow that one day, he'll ask me to stop kissing all over him because it's embarrassing. I know I'll get an "I know, Mom." response after I've told him I love him more than anything for the tenth time in a day. This will all (too soon) come to pass, but I need to stop thinking about this, and revel in the fact that, right now, I can kiss and love and gush over his tiny little body as much as I want to, and there's nothing to stop me.

Xavier is fast asleep in his crib (behind me) and he furrows his brow and breathes deeply as if he's having a nightmare. I have to admit, I feel a little helpless. I don't want to wake him up, but I also don't want him to have bad dreams! (What do babies have bad dreams about anyway? I hope it's not of his mother not feeding him when he's in his car seat...)

Ah, motherhood...how I had heard tales of thee and yet never understood until now...

*My mother likes to tell the story of how when I was a little girl, for Christmas, she bought me several Barbie dolls (keep in mind that I was a bit of a tomboy - I was more interested in Paleontology and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at 6 years old than anything else). She pulled them from their packages and tried to play with me - you know, dress them up, have them talk to each other, the usual Barbie fare. However, she says that I looked at her, quite matter of factually and said, "Mommy, those aren't real." My mothers hopes and dreams of having a frou-frou little girl were dashed. I'm sorry, Mom. (I did, however, act quite motherly to a roaring Triceratops I named Rosie. Her eyes lit up red and she roared. I LOVED Rosie.)

Baths.

Bathing a baby is a tricky thing - especially when said baby is not fond of being treated like a Roman Emperor. (I wish someone bathed me all the time!)

In theory, it seems so easy! Here you have a baby, roughly the size of a sack of flour, and all you have to do is wipe it down, and then wash it's hair.

Nevermind that said baby squirms and cries, flailing it's tiny appendages as if you were about to toss it into a pot of boiling water.

Nevermind that finding an appropriate spot for it's adorable bathtub that does NOT kill your back is almost impossible.

Nevermind the travesty of bringing the baby to the sink after you have the water the perfect temperature, and then realizing that the shampoo bottle is 5 feet away.

I know these things take time to learn. I'm still learning them.

The real milestone of Xavier's umbilical cord falling off occurred after his bath this evening. Thus, tomorrow starts a new saga: tub baths!

The (fantastic) Husband is fixing dinner - he just shouted it'll be done in two minutes! Xavier is sleeping in his bassinet. Off I go to enjoy dinner, and then back to the grind of school, work, and the sometimes trying - but always rewarding - job of being a new mother.