monthly – Muddling Momma

Tag: monthly

05
Dec
2014

November 2014

Dearest Baby Boy Who is No Longer a Baby –
You are seriously no longer a baby. I mean, you will always be MY baby, but you are clearly a toddler. A running, climbing, vocal, sponge of a toddler and I am loving every minute of it!

Kid, you blow my mind almost every day by popping out with a new word, dance or skill. The other night we were cleaning up from dinner and Daddy-O said ‘say all done’. You looked up and said ‘all done’. While Daddy-O and I stared at each other in disbelief, you acted like it it was no big deal and you’ve been saying it since the delivery room.

Daddy and I were also talking the other night that you are so purposeful now. When you walk somewhere, it is for a reason. We might not know it, but you sure do. You are ‘helping’ around the house by putting your shoes in the basket and carrying the broom around.

You are also very purposeful when you are unhappy. We are working on gentle hands because when you get worked up you tend to slap, but when we say no and hold your hand you immediately burst into hysterical tears. I am thinking it is because you are frustrated and also because you did something that made us upset. You are learning though, just like we are.

Here are some highlights from your November:

{Snuggle Bug} You are our snuggle bug! You stride right on up and settle into our laps and lean back. You also have managed to climb on the couch to sit with us and usually cover us up with blankets. What I love most about this is it’s on your terms. I always joke about stealing kisses from you, but it is the best feeling in the world when YOU chose to snuggle. And damn if you aren’t the best snuggler.

{Words} Your vocabulary is quickly growing and I can’t even keep up with my list! Applesauce (app-o-saw), airplane (air-pain), up, baby (bay-BE), Wubba (bubba), bellybutton (bell-butt), Curious George (or-g), bye bye (buh-bye), Oh Toodles (oh toooooo)

{Thanksgiving} This year’s Thanksgiving was vastly different. You aren’t a baby, remember? You and your cousin Mollie were such troopers with all the activity. Grandma’s carrots were your favorite. You got lots of time with Mollie and even hugged each other!

{Christmas Tree} We were so excited to put up the tree this year because you were going to love it – and we were right! We put it up while you were napping and the minute you saw it you started pointing like ‘look! A tree’! We ‘decorated’ it together and you were very interested in the ornaments. We are letting you take them off the tree and play with them (since they aren’t breakable at your level) and thankfully the newness has worn off. Grandma came over to babysit one day and it was the first thing you led her to.

{Interests} Your interests are changing every day, but you are still a lover of books. Not so much being read to, but reading yourself. We’ve gotten in the habit of putting a book in the crib with you and that buys us a little more time between when you wake up and when you want to get up. Also Curious George, anything stick like (brooms, windshield scrappers, etc), chewy fruit snacks, and doing choreography to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, BINGO and Itsy Bitsy Spider.
The next few months are going to be really busy with the holidays and moving – but just having you around makes it more fun.

I’ll eat you up I love you so!
xoxo,
Momma

07
Aug
2014

Mikey: July 2014

categories: Dear Mike

Mike –

For once kiddo, we had a pretty tame month. July was all about readjusting and settling into a new routine. Momma started a new job with predictable hours and no weekends and it is really working for our family.

{Schedule} In the mornings you wake up around 6:15 – it takes you a little while, but you sit up, look around, grab your WubbaNub and eventually stand up and walk the perimeter of your crib. If I go in and get you before you are ready, it is does not make for a pleasant morning, so I usually take my time. We walk back to Momma and Daddy’s bed and you snuggle with me while having a bottle and watching Disney Junior. We spend the next hour getting dressed, picking up, having our morning brushies and heading out the door.

In the evenings, Daddy gets to pick you up from Miss Gita’s house and play with you until I get home about an hour or so later. We have dinner, FaceTime with Bubbe, Grandma and Grandpa, have a bath and play. Our nighttime routine is my favorite. We go into your room around 7:15, you have some milk and snuggle while we read a book. Then each of us says what we are thankful for, who we want to pray for and what we hope for tomorrow. Then it’s night time brushies and bed time. You are usually asleep within 15 minutes.

{Eating} You are becoming quite an eater! You really like broccoli and ham and you never turn down yogurt. It seems though you are interested in whatever Momma and Daddy are eating and sometimes we share with you.

{Walking} You finally decided walking was going to be your main mode of transportation. It is so much fun watching you wobble around with, what seems like, so much purpose. You seem to know exactly where you are going and why. Aunt Rachel described it perfectly – you look like a baby giraffe who is taking his first steps. Very stiff legged.

{Wubba} The attachment to your WubbaNub is interesting. You used a Wubba when you first brought you home, but you weren’t that excited after about a month. Suddenly you found one in a basket and you have one near you at all times. I wouldn’t say you are addicted, we take it away and you are no worse for wear, but you certainly love carrying them around. Sometimes you have one in your mouth and one in each fist. You like to try to shove the extra Wubbas in your ears, eyes or even your mouth. You think it’s hilarious when we pop it out of your mouth and pop it in our mouth.

Bubbe came and visited and you enjoyed hosting her. Grandma stopped by too after her conference and you convinced her to join you in the pool. We also went to the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum again and you loved toddling around the airplanes. And let’s not forget Atlantis Waterpark!

Well love bug, it’s been a quiet month and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hopefully August will bring more opportunities to play in the pool!

I’ll eat you up I love you so,

Momma xoxo

14
Jun
2014

Mike: June

categories: Dear Mike

Mikey –

I say this every month, but this month I mean it – you’ve grown up almost overnight! Someone asked me if it was harder now that you are more mobile or if it was more fun. I think it’s a little bit of both. It’s harder because you LOVE exploring and discovering new things, which means more opportunities to get into trouble. It’s fun for Daddy and me because we love when you discover new things. You look up at us with this stunned look on your face like, ‘did you know if you press this button down the toilet FLUSHES?!‘. It’s such a moment of pride when you try over and over to do something then finally get it, like getting in and out of your car that Pop-Pop got for you. Now you are a pro. Here’s your month:

{High Five, Waves and the Like} One reason I love you in daycare is you come home and randomly show us things you’ve learned. Daddy and I just look at each other to figure out who taught you what and we quickly realized your friends did! Recently you’ve been giving high fives and clapping your hands. You are starting to get really good at clapping at the right times – not like waving. We say bye bye and you wave about ten minutes later. We’ll work on that.

{Walking} OH BOY! You are now a walker! Over the course of the month you’ve become more steady on your feet. We started the month out with you taking a few cautious steps between stationary things, but the more you practiced, the more confident you have become. We giggle sometimes because you look like an extra on a zombie movie – stiff legs and wobbly hips. It’s funny how quickly walking is the norm for you.

{Food and Drink} You are totally off formula and have developed a love of milk like your Daddy! You are still using a bottle a few times a day, but you also like your sippy cups for water and juice. We aren’t in a hurry to get rid of those bottles, you will give it up in no time I am sure. You are also feeding yourself mostly and picking off Momma and Daddy’s plates trying new things. You still love avocados, but now add spiral pasta, peas, strawberries, blueberries and Goldfish. You also really like the pouches of applesauce.

{Birthday Celebrations} How can we forget your first birthday parties! There are so many people who love you we had to have THREE parties! One was at daycare, one was at Grandma and Grandpa’s and one was at our local playground. You were curious about the each one, but loved the attention. You were certainly a trooper around all those people.

{Pool} Now that the weather is consistently warm, we’ve been hanging out at the pool a little more often. You have no problem getting right into your float and sloshing around the water – no matter how cold it is!

{Hand, Foot and Mouth} Oh goodness. The dreaded HF&M made its way around our house. You had a pretty mild case of it, but your Dad and me – we are still picking at scabs. I hope this is the one and only time you have to deal with that nonsense.

{Routines} Now that Momma is working again, you are adapting to a sort of new routine like a pro – not much has changed for you. Once you get up in the morning you get in bed with Momma to have a bottle, watch the news and snuggle. Then Daddy gets you from daycare, you guys hang out, have dinner and get a bath. When Momma gets home it is some more hanging out and our bedtime routine. If I said I didn’t come into your room and get you up to rock and snuggle some more, I would be lying.

I can’t wait to see what the next month brings for you my sweet boy. There is nothing I love more than seeing you discover new things.

I’ll eat you up I love you so,

Momma xoxo

06
Nov
2013

Mike: Month 5

categories: Dear Mike

Dear Michael A –

I know I say this every month, but wow! You had quite a busy month! You are growing at the speed of light, your last appointment clocked you at 17lbs, 6oz. You have rolled over a handful of times, but aren’t very interested in doing it regularly. I think it’s because you are more interested in getting some place quickly and rolling isn’t cutting it. You are doing well with trying to sit up – you ‘tripod’ and love it.

I call you my ‘Whatever Baby’, which describes you perfectly right now. Oh, we are going for a walk? Whatever. Oh, we are going to sit here and work? Whatever. Time for a bath? Whatever. I love your go-with-the-flow attitude and how adaptive you are. I hope it stays that way!

You started daycare this month 2 days a week with Miss Gita, who lives down the street. Momma and Daddy were a little nervous leaving you, but you seem to LOVE it! And it is obvious you love her and the 5 other kids there. She has confirmed what we already know – you are smiley, happy and deeply interested in the world around you. Something else I hope that stays with you!

Food, glorious food! You have started semi-solid foods and are just now, 3 weeks in, getting the hang out of it. Before you were pushing it out and not very happy with the delayed gratification. Now you are devouring everything from peas to peaches to butternut squash. You seem very happy to be sitting in your highchair at the table when Momma and Daddy are eating and discussing our days. We want to make that the norm for you – a sit down dinner.

You were pretty sick this month kiddo. You were coughing, sneezing and generally pissed off at the world. After a trip to the doctor, we found out you had Respiratory Syncytial Virus, which was not the end of the world, but still made us feel terrible for you. You spent a lot of time reading books with Momma in a steamy shower and finding snuggles. You still have a bit of a cough, but nothing as mean as what you had before. It was no surprise you smiled through the sniffles.

Remember how you hated the bath? Well we turned a corner! Now you and Daddy get in the bubble bath together and have the best time. Momma sometimes sits on the edge and plays with squirt toys that you find to be the funniest thing EVER.

You had your first playdate with 2 little girls from church. Vin who is about 3 months and Sarah who is 10 weeks. You were the oldest for the first time! You were very interested in watching them. I am sure you will be seeing more of them since they go to our church.

You are still very interested in music, much to our excitement! You have also discovered the iPad and enjoy the books Daddy reads to you at night. Momma’s favorites are the Llama Llama books and you laugh when I laugh.

For your first Halloween, you were a cow, and Charlie was a rodeo bull (or something). You didn’t have much interest in the holiday, but it was fun dressing you up and knocking on our neighbor’s door. We saved your Snickers for when you get older. Ha!

Well my love, you are in your crib stirring since it’s almost time to get up. This has been an amazing month and you make each day a true adventure. I am stealing snuggles and kisses when I can. Next month is going to be a little more crazy, but I know my Whatever Baby can handle it.

If I loved you anymore, my heart would explode in a glittery mess,

Momma xo

08
Aug
2013

Mikey – 2 Months

categories: Dear Mike

Dear Mikey Bug –

We are laying in bed together and I am listening to your sweet coos and giggles, not really sure who, or what, you are ‘talking to’, but I am pretty sure it’s the wall sconce above our bed. I can’t believe a few minutes ago you were screaming bloody murder about nothing, or perhaps everything. We walked, we ate, we burped, we sang, we danced, we walked some more. Then suddenly, it was over. Your ‘witching hour’ episodes seem to be far and few between thankfully, but it leaves us all exhausted. And through it all, you are 2 months today!

We went to visit Miss. Vivienne, who was born a few weeks ago to some friends from church. We took them some dinner and had a quick visit. I marveled over how tiny she was and remembered you were once that small! Granted it wasn’t for long – you now seem HUGE. We had you 2 month check up today and you are a whooping 13lbs 2oz and almost 24 inches long. I don’t remember the size of your head, but you are in the 98th percentile for that. Such a big boy already!

You’ve had a busy month little guy:

You smiled for the first time! It is up for debate as to when it actually was, but your Daddy and I act a fool trying to get that smile from you and as the month’s gone on, you are giving them up more freely. When you get REALLY excites, who whole body smiles. Your eyes disappear (like Momma and Grandma), your arms bounce around and your knees go to your chest. It’s like every single thing you laugh at is the funniest thing EVER. Especially when we sing in different voices or tap your nose. It’s beyond satisfying to know you are showing us you’re happy. I can tell you are going to have an amazing sense of humor.

You met your Pop-Pop! And man, was he smitten with you. He cuddled you and talked to you and offered you sage advice, as a Pop-Pop should. Now we Skype with him once a week and he is 100% focused on you and how your week is going. Most the time your week is going well

You had a few overnight trips already and are proving to be a stellar traveler. You visited Grandma and Grandpa a few times, then stayed at Bubbe and Aunt Phyllis’ house for Bubbe’s 60th birthday. You were the star of the show, and I think the birthday girl seemed just fine with that.

We’ve been dipping you in a fish shaped baby pool on the balcony and you’ve seemed to enjoy it, probably because we fill it with warm bath water. We are desperately trying to make you a water baby! One weekend we decided to put you in Grandma and Grandpa’s pool expecting you to scream, like most babies do, and you made a funny face, but warmed up to it pretty quickly. We even put you in a baby float and you liked kicking your feet! You were beyond adorable in your little swim suit and navy blue Gilligan hat.

I think the biggest change has been more for our family – Momma went back to work last week! You probably don’t remember, since you were still growing in my belly, but I was laid off from a great job in March. It was very sad and worrisome, but it ended up being a good time for me to rest and prepare for you! The good news is I was offered a different position at the same company part time AND you can come with me as long as your needs are still pretty simple. We go to the office 2 days a week, and we work from home the rest of the week. You are so content to explore a new place and snuggle into your sling and sleep while Momma works. Sometimes it’s frustrating for me trying to meet the needs of the company and you are the same time, but I have to admit, I like being 110% focused on something, then glance down and see you peering up at me and smiling. You are such an easy going baby Mikey Bug. All my coworkers like having a cooing baby to snuggle with during the day. It’s been a tough adjustment for Momma, but we are figuring it out.

You also met a bunch of new friends, one such friend was Aunt Sara, who is not really your Aunt, but she has known Momma for the longest time. You were SO flirty, it was hilarious. You looked at her curiously and broke into a huge smile, cooed and made lovey dovey eyes. I think we are going to have a hard time when your hormones start moving!

My sweet baby, this has been a wonderful month. I can’t wait for the next month and milestones.

Love you,

Momma

05
Jul
2013

Mike: 1 Month

categories: Dear Mike

Dearest, sweetest Mikey –

I just glanced at you sleeping in your cradle and then glanced at the clock and I realized, one month ago, you were 8 minutes old. 8 minutes! I hadn’t even seen you at that point, but you were getting to know your Daddy. This month has been equal parts challenge and overwhelming joy. I’m not sure who I was before you were born, or even conceived. You are already so full of personality and I feel like you are growing and changing drastically every day. As much as I pray for time to stop, or even just slow down, I am patiently waiting for the next milestones. Here’s a recap of your first month – things we’ve learned about you and things we’ve done:

You are one gassy baby! You burp, pass gas and get the hiccups pretty often and they don’t make you happy. Daddy and I are trying different burping techniques, and one that works is putting you on your belly, on my neck pillow and patting your back between your shoulders. Gassy drops seem to help too.

In the hospital, you hated being naked or changed. Now you tolerate it and sometimes like being naked. Being changed is another story. And you STILL hate baths unless we are scrubbing your back.

Along the same lines, you have a gift for spitting up down my shirt – every. single. time. I could be wearing a turtle neck and you could have eaten 3 hours ago and still lean over and spit up. Again, you’re gifted!

You love snuggling on our chest with your head firmly planted under our chins.

You are not a morning baby, much like your Dad, Uncle and Grandma. The best part of my day is watching you (try) to wake up. You fuss a bit, stretch a bit, fall back asleep, then 10 minutes later you fuss some more, wiggle your eyebrows, open your eyes, then fall back asleep. And oh boy! You make some grumpy faces! I know from the minute you start fussing I have about 20 minutes before you wake up. Just enough time to jump into the shower.

You were born with your eyes wide open and they are pretty much that way today – so alert! You love laying on your play mat watching the flashing lights, or sitting in your vibrating chair mumbling to your ‘friends’ who are hanging in front of your face. Bright colors can keep you entertaining for hours. Like Momma!

You’ve had lots of visitors – grandma and grandpa, Bubbe, Aunt Rachel, Uncle David, cousin Mollie, Siobhan, Miranda and some other friends from church who are helping keep Momma and Dad fed. You’ve enjoyed them all and looked at each of them with a burning curiosity.

We had a rough go of it with breastfeeding, but you have chunked up quite a bit and are a great eater! Not the most patient, but you do your best Sometimes we have to pull the bottle away so you can slow down a bit and boy do you get mad! You start moving your arms and legs, and grunting like a pit bull. It’s pretty entertaining. We just imagine you saying you are starving and haven’t eaten in days.

We’ve taken a few short trips out and about – the Fair Oaks Mall to window shop once a week, PetSmart to pick up Charlie, Target with Grandma and most recently, The Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum and Babys R Us with Daddy. You usually sleep through these adventures, but I love how strangers ask how old you are and marvel at your alertness and adorableness. They are right on both points.

Well baby, time for another bottle. Happy 1 month birthday. Life has never been the same or better since you arrived. Can we try for sleeping through the night next month?

Love you,

Momma

29
Jun
2013

Dear Husband

categories: Baby, Marriage

Dear S –

It’s almost been a month since Mikey was born (!!!) and everyone warned me that I would see you in a different way when you are not only my husband, but my baby daddy. I knew this would be true, but I didn’t know the magnitude of new love I would have for you. It kinda reminds me of the country song that goes, ‘and I thought I loved you then‘.

You were so worried about knowing how to change diapers, make bottles and figuring out how to relax when you hold him – but when I was being rolled out of the OR and saw you holding our son I thought, ‘holy sh*t, he’s a natural!’ – and you are. While I was highly medicated in the hospital, you handled all the doctors, nurses and questions with ease. Not to mention handling Mikey like you had known him for years.

I wonder if other fathers get up in the middle of the night regardless of whose turn it is to feed, change diapers without being prompted or whisk the baby into the nursery for some calm rocking. I hope so, because it makes not only a difference to mama, but to baby as well. I am so thankful that you always keep the bottles cleaned and the house picked up.

And as I sit here writing this post, you are on the couch with our 3 week old, holding up a mirror to him and talking. How did Mikey and I get so lucky? And to think … I thought I loved you then.

10
Jun
2013

Your Birth Story

categories: Baby, Dear Mike, Pregnancy

One day, Mikey is going to ask about the day he was born and frankly, it was pretty boring compared to some other stories. But it is his story and one I am so very proud of.

Dearest Mikey –

I am sure when you ask about your birth story, you will still be achingly adorable. Here’s what happened. First of all, you were SO wanted. So much so, we had extra help and time to make sure you would arrive for us. We joked you were already an expensive baby and you weren’t even born yet!

We spent lots of time getting ready, with help from lots of people. And as your original due date got closer, and you kept getting bigger, Dr. Hashemi decided it was time to schedule a c-section, so instead of June 9th as we originally planned, you were going to come on June 5th at 9AM. No waiting for contractions, or pacing the hospital through contractions. You had a date and a time of arrival! That gave Daddy and me time to go to the movies and eat out a lot and enjoy your time together thinking about you.

The night before, we stayed home, ordered pizza and watched a pretty lame video. We made sure to get a good nights sleep since we had to be at the hospital very early and drop off Charlie to day care. Grandma was going to pick him up and later and stay with him until we got home. When we got to the hospital, we took the very long walk through labor and delivery and had to change into hospital clothes. The nurse, Karin, came in and helped us get ready and I know I was feeling very calm. 9 months to think about this moment and it was finally here! I had an IV put in and all my vitals taken. The only concern was my crazy high blood pressure, but thankfully this wasn’t going to stop your arrival, especially since I was feeling fine.

I had to go into the operating room by myself while Daddy waited outside and they put in the numbing medicine and helped me lay down. I was really happy to have some music to listen to to take my mind off the surgery. I also thought about you! It seemed like forever, but Dad and came in and held my hand while the doctors worked their magic. I felt some pulling and tugging and the doctor told Dad, ‘Okay, Dad, in 90 seconds have your camera ready!’ The next thing I heard was your HUGE cry. You didn’t even make us wait to know you were here. I am sure that hasn’t changed. Daddy got a huge grin and rushed over to the table to see you and help get you all cleaned up. The nurse held you over the curtain quickly and all I saw was a big head of hair and a red, angry face.

Once you were cleaned up and measured, which again, felt like forever, Daddy and you came to see me. The nurse put you to my face and you were so soft and squishy. I couldn’t wait to hold you, but my hand was held down by the IV. You turned your head towards me and your mouth opened and you tried to nurse my cheek! We had some pictures taken and I was being stitched up.

Everything happened very quickly after that, but we were whisked into the recovery room where I was able to hold you and you started to nurse. A few hours later we went to our hospital room where we were going to stay for awhile and where all your visitors came – Grandma and Grandpa, Bubbe and Great Aunt Phyllis, Great Aunt Cathy and Miranda. You loved being passed around and cooed over. The big discussion was who you looked like. The verdict was your face was mine, but your profile is Daddy’s. We loved having the crib between my bed and Daddy’s and watching your head and eyes follow the sounds of our voices. We had a hard time believing we created you and you were our’s!

You had a slew of amazing nurses who thought you were the cutest baby ever and loved coming in to check on us. I got very sick with a fever and blood pressure, so we stayed an extra night. You didn’t seem to mind. You did your job – sleep, eat, potty and go back to sleep. You are only 5 days old and have been home 1 full day, but you seem perfect to us.

I hope you ask about this story often because it is quickly becoming my favorite one to tell. And hopefully by the time you can talk, my hormones will be back to normal and I won’t cry every time I think about it!

With every ounce of my love,

Mom