I'm now one of THOSE mothers.....

I really enjoyed the freedom I had when Parker was an infant. He could nap whenever we were in the car and I could simply throw in some jars of baby food and the formula container and some bottles filled with water when we wanted to go out for the day.



Those were the easy days. I didn't realize just how easy I had it when Parker was an infant.



I wore my "I'm not a slave to a schedule" button like a badge of honor. I proudly stated that we were a free flowing kinda family....just did as we pleased without a ton of structure around us. We thrived on that...we enjoyed it.



We did...all of us did....until.....



......the surgery.......



Since "the surgery" a lot of things changed for us, as I've already mentioned in another post. Additionally, Parker has decided that he's a real creature of habit. He thrives on his schedule and if we get thrown off then we're really in for it.



In a way, I like knowing that I need to be back home by a certain time because we need to get him down for his nap. But on the other hand, it's hard if I want to be flexible or if we run behind from an appointment. Luckily he'll usually flex with me about 30-45 min but that's about it.



Now I'm one of THOSE moms. One of the Moms that I always wondered about. It's interesting to see how the other half lives. :-)

My kid is unbelievable!

Okay...so in the past I've not made any secret about our troubles getting Parker to take more solid foods and even table food. It made getting a root canal seem like fun. It made going to the GYN seem like a picnic. It made 10 months of pregnancy and a c-section seem like a walk in the park!!! You get my drift.

Anyway....my son has now decided that he'll eat just about anything. Of course he has to be in the mood for it, but he'll eat almost anything I put in front of him. Yogurt and string cheese are our go-to snacks. But he's now decided that he loves Cinnamon Graham Crackers I give him those as a treat at the end of his meal. He loves the Gerber Graduates raviolis as they are the perfect size to pick up. This weekend I made a recipe from Weelicious.com called Cilantr "Os" . I thought they tasted really good and Parker gets them tomorrow in his lunch. We'll see how they go over.

Shooter and I went and tried out this new mexican restaurant that I've read about on several Atlanta food blogs and have been dying to try. It's Taco Rancho and it's on the grounds of the State Farmers Market in Forest Park. It's AMAZING!! Well, I should say that the Camarones taco I got was delicious...Parker's Vegetale taco was delish...and the guacamole was ip smacking good eats. My Carne Asada wasn't all that good, to be honest, the meat was overcooked and dry and so tough I couldn't even share any with P. I also got the corn on the cob which was mighty tasty. All in all, we will be going back. If no other reason than Parker LOVED the guacamole.

I first put a snall spoonful down on his placemat. He gave it a suspicious nudging with his pudgy little finger and then licked the foreign stuff on it. After smacking his lips and giving the approving, "Nom Nom Nom", he reached out and grabbed the small pile of guac and crammed it in his mouth...much like he's demonstrating above. He then started reaching for the bowl in front of me. So, like any good sacrificing Mom, I gave him pretty much the entire bowl. It was too much fun watching him snarf it down, to be honest! I ended up mixing in the contents of his vegetale taco with the guac to get some more veggies in him - he never flinched at the addition, just kept snarfing if down like we hadn't fed him in weeks and he didn't know when he'd see another meal. I think the waitresses were giving us the stink eye....

Oh....and the kid has figured out what the cake was all about that he decided not to touch at his birthday parties. Here he is at his Aunt Paige's party this weekend...again, snarfing down food....I SWEAR, we feed this kid!!! I promise!!!

I'm really enjoying watching him discover new tastes and things he enjoys. He gave some fried okra a real tentative taste...but didn't really eat any. He loves cantaloupe and plums and pluots. Oh...and cauliflower and cheese...watch out if you want to try to keep any of that to yourself!!!

It's amazing-wee awesome!

I had a friend send me a link to a blog/website that was chock full of great ideas for feeding your babies and toddlers. I really didn't give it much thought other than, "Wow, wouldn't it be nice to be a stay-at-home Mom with all the time to devote to trying all these ideas and all the funds necessary to buy all these ingredients and be gorgeous and a former model".

I was looking for some recipes for toddlers and came across the same website again and when I looked at it through new "eyes" I really liked what I saw!

The website is called Weelicious and it's got a ton of really great recipes for not only your toddler/baby but also the entire family.

You must check it out - I know I'm inspired to expand Parker's culinary horizons.

What a weekend...what a month!

Wow...what a weekend...and what a month!!!!

It never ceases to amaze me how much my little man is changing. I reflected on that this morning on my way into work. It has been 3 weeks since Parker's surgery to put tubes in his ears. In that three weeks we've had the following changes happen in our house:

1) P's begun speaking new words and carrying on conversations (where only he knows what's being said, mind you). It's amazing all the new sounds he's coming up with.

2) His balance has improved exponentially and he's now walking without the "frankenstein" pose. Oh...and here's a video from only a week and a half ago...where he had a full on grasp of the "frankenstein" pose. Now he's walking in what I like to call the "Charlie Chaplin" stage. Hands down and feet pointed out and kinda shuffling along. :-)

3) He's started eating table food. This may not sound like anything major to you folks....but to a Mom who's not made a grocery trip without buying baby food in over 8 months...we're ecstatic!! We were at a trip with my company this weekend and Parker ate nothing but table food all weekend and was awesome! He would eat eggs and cheese and grits and waffles for breakfast and then has squash, pork loin, and potatoes for lunch and have mac n cheese and chicken fingers for dinner. Yesterday he even had mexican for lunch! Some chicken, pork, black beans, rice and masa from my tamales! He's such a champ!! Bonus for Mom and Dad - it feels like we've had a raise!!! :-)

4) He's now taking a sippy cup!! This is momentous for us! We tried for many weeks before his surgery to get him to take a sippy...I tried so many different kinds that I was about to throw my hands up in discouragement. Then I was finally able to get him to take a bottle like sippy that is a trainer for kids 4M old! Argh! Well, last week I bought a Born Free sippy similar to what another kiddo in his daycare class has. Of course Mom forgot the valves at home so we couldn't try them this weekend, but I gave it to him last night and he went to drinking like he'd been using that cup for months. All I can say is H-A-L-L-E-L-U-J-A-H!!!!!!

5) He's now completely off of formula and taking whole milk. Another bonus for Mom and Dad - a double raise now that he's off of formula and baby food!!! Yippee!!!!!!

6) He decided this weekend that he likes juice and water. Thank God!!! After many attempts to get him to drink something other than milk, he just decided that he'd drink some water. Then the next time we presented him with juice, he just drank it without protest. I'm beginning to think my kiddo was swapped out for another in the middle of the night. :-)

7) He's now going down to bed all by himself. It only took us a few nights after our 12-month checkup to get this down. It's a HUGE difference for Mom and Dad. We now have about two hours to ourselves to get some work done and watch TV before bedtime. AND he's sleeping all the way until it's time to go to school in the morning. It's awesome!!!

I just look at all that he's doing now and it makes me so proud....but also kinda sad. My baby boy is growing up on me and the days are flying by. We're not sure yet if we're going to have a second....so I cherish each and every day like we may not have another. I look at Parker with such awe and wonderment. He's such an amazing gift that God gave us. Honestly...I don't remember much about what my days were like before he came along. I do remember they were less hectic...and I got to sleep past 7:30am on weekends.....and it didn't matter if I had popcorn for dinner....but somehow those things seem so insignificant. :-)

Well, I thought it was a good idea....

I took one of the most hysterical pictures of Parker last week. He is hitting this independent streak where he wants to feed himself and tries grabbing the spoon and makes a huge mess. So, when we were done, well mostly done, with the jar of baby food, I gave it to him to play with. He ended up with it all over his face and in his hair - everywhere. I just had to laugh because he was so stinking cute...oh....and left him looking like that so I could snap some pics. Because that what mommy bloggers do. :-)

I then got to work and put it on my computer as my wallpaper. I thought that was a good idea....until I realized that I saw that cute mug over and over all day and it only made me sad because I missed him so darn much. The booger....why does he have to be so cute?

Anyway....Day 1 down. Not so bad. Usually the first couple of days are the hardest....but we'll get through this!

Here is a breakdown of what I had yesterday:

Day 1
Breakfast:
2 veggie quiche cups (egg substitiute, red pepper, spinach, onion)
decaf coffee with fat free cream and splenda
diet v-8 fusion
Snack:
laughing cow light wedge
3 celery sticks

string cheese
Lunch:
salad with 3 grilled chicken tenders and balsamic vinegar
Snack:
jell-o sugar free pudding cup
Dinner:
Hmm...didn't really feel like dinner so I had 2 pieces of string cheese and a small bowl of All Bran Flakes

As the pastor at our church says.....you just gotta keep taking the next step, and then the next step, and then the next step......

The moments you cherish

Yesterday, when I got home from work, Shooter decided that he didn't want to mess up the kitchen and that we were going out to dinner. P had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from daycare so that worked out just fine - he napped on the way home and then to the restaurant and rejuvenated when we arrived.

We had a great dinner....P having his evening meal and snacking on some crackers, cookies and french fries. I so enjoy that time together.

When we got home, Shooter and I both realized that we HAD NO MORE FORMULA MIX!!!!! Which is enough to strike paralyzing fear in the hearts of the most manly of men. So Shooter ran out to get some more formula and I had some precious alone time with my lil man.

He loves to play chase. He'll crawl a few feet away from you and then roll onto his butt and look at you, grin, then turn and crawl a bit more. He'll keep doing that until you come chasing after him saying, "Ima gonna git youuu!". He keeps cackling and then starts crawling like a man on a mission - his lil but just wiggling back and forth - sticking out his leg in his modified crab crawl. I catch him in my bedroom and we play with our mirror and then the door (the kid has this incomprehensible fascination with doors) and then I go sit at the foot of the bed on the floor with my knees up just watching him.

I'm fascinated by how much he can do now. How tall he has grown. What he notices. How he learns. After a bit...he crawls over to me....crawls up between my knees and leans his head over on me.

Can I tell you that I died a thousand deaths right then and there??????

I pulled the lil guy up to give him a big hug and he puts his arms on my shoulders and rests his cheek on my shoulder.

Does life get much better than that? I think not.

He then wanted down and play some more and then would crawl back over and we'd snuggle a little more. He was getting tired and each time would linger on my shoulder a little longer. By then Shooter had gotten back home and it was time to get him in bed. Shooter's time with P is the snuggle time right before we put him in bed. P seems to do better when Shooter puts him to bed than when I do it.

Oh....and the kid went from hysterical to silent in 90 seconds. Amazing!

This motherhood gig is hard. Every day I feel like I make choices and decisions that are HUGE. I feel like everything has the potential to either benefit or hurt P. I know that's not really the case....but I have a heavier sense of responsibility now.

All in all, it's been a wonderful, crazy, tearful, joyous, funny, messy ride and I can't wait to enjoy many many more years of it!

Well...I stand corrected....

Well, ladies and gentlemen....I stand corrected.

In my last post I mentioned that my son was a vomiter. And he was. Up until the day or two after I wrote that post.

**rolls eyes**

At P's one year check-up the pediatrician told me that I had to start putting him down before he was fully asleep so that he could learn to put himself down. Yes, I'd been putting off doing that because I KNEW my kid. I KNEW what he'd do. I KNEW he'd throw up everywhere and well, I just didn't want to deal with it. Also, he's in this very clingy phase and just wants to hug on me and put his head on my shoulder....and....well, crap, I KNOW!! I know what I had to do....

So that night, we tried it....but he went to sleep on Shooter and we had no drama. He woke up, however at 2am and would not go back down. At 5am I laid him in his crib and walked out of his room...I was done...this kid was going to get the hang of this one way or another....

He cried....hysterically cried....sobbed....gagged.....but didn't vomit.

He cried...hysterically.....for over 45 minutes before the sobs got farther apart and he began to lose steam.

Ya know...I didn't think it was physically possible for a kid to cry so long....I am exhausted after 10 minutes of crying...anyway, I digress...

Night #2 - the crying went on for about 20-25 minutes...and I made Shooter be the bad guy and go put P down. After 10 min Shooter went back in to make sure he had his paci and try to settle him down...that just made things worse! Finally about 15 min later he crashed.

Night #3 - attended a birthday party and the kid was so exhausted that he put up no fight and was out almost instantly.

Night #4 - The decision was made to not keep going in his room unless it sounded like he had vomited everything he'd eaten that day or fell out of the crib. Amazingly enough...he cried for less time....only 15 min!

Night #5 - I was making Shooter and I some hot dogs in the kitchen. As soon as I finished them and had dressed my dogs, Shooter went to go put P in bed. I sat down, Shooter dressed his dogs and then sat down......and then we realized.....no crying! It had to have been only 5 min and he was completely spent like a couple of nights ago!! A-MAZ-ING!! This might actually be working after all!

Night #6 - The poor kid was so tired after day care. Got him home, played with him for a bit, fed him a little dinner, got him a bath, played a little more, then bottle. He zonked out on me before i knew it! BUT - as Shooter was taking him to bed he woke up and started wailing as soon as his butt hit the bed. We had bout 15 min of sporadic bursts of crying...like he'd figure out he was alone in his room in the dark and get really mad....then pass out.....then wake up and be mad again....then pass out....rinse and repeat....

Tonight marks the one week mark and I think we've made significant progress! It's definitely nicer for me because I'm not tethered to the couch with the munchkin curled up on my chest. Now granted...I LOVE that....but every so often I'd like to surf the net, or fold laundry, or bake cupcakes.....something....anything.....

There is hope.....

Now....if we can just conquer the sippy cup.......

What do those books say?

Okay....I have FINALLY come to the place where I fully believe that my child isn't like any of the children that the authors of the parenting books based their theories from.

You see.....my son is a vomiter.

I have tried the Ferber method...or the cry it out...or the let them soothe themselves and put themselves to sleep strategy. He HATES being left alone in his crib and will cry - well, let me be more descriptive - he will scream and sob and work himself up into such a tizzy that he ends up projectile vomiting all down the front of the crib. In the process he ruins his sheets, the rail cover, the mesh bumper and the dust ruffle.

Can I tell you just how much I HATE changing the sheets on his crib? I work up more of a sweat doing that than I do when I actually work out....and I hardly remember what that's like.

I have basically determined that my son is one who has a hard time putting himself to sleep. He needs help. Maybe I created that monster....but it's where we are now. Ever since he was little he'd cry himself into vomiting so we assisted him in getting to sleep.

Now, you just have to let him go for 3-4 min and he'll be technicolor yawning all over the place. I'm not looking forward to the terrible two's....because if he can do this now....without really trying....what if he realizes that he can make himself do it and does it on purpose.

Have I mentioned that I have a SERIOUS aversion to vomit?

I'm really at a loss....I had a bit of a breakdown this morning....after we'd been fighting with him for 3 hours - he'd fall asleep in your arms - then as soon as you got up from the chair he'd wake up crying. I'm not proud of it....I'm very ashamed of it....but honestly...I'm at my wits end. We're a bit sleep deprived....he's tired....we're all a bit cranky....we're just not all that pleasant to be around honestly.

Here's to hoping that this rough patch is merely a speed bump in our road of blissful sleep....we've been doing well until the last week....but oh what a week it's been....

Dear Parker - Month 4

Dear Parker,

You have to know that Mommy has tears in her eyes as she types this. I have a hard time figuring out how you got so big so fast! This month has been one of a lot of changes for us.

During the last month Mommy went back to work. It was hard for me to imagine leaving you every day and letting someone else feed you and play with you. I cried a lot in those few days leading up to my return to the office. But, you know what? We have done okay! You love your day care and you have such a good time there. They take care of you and call me whenever they're concerned about you. I have also enjoyed being back at the office. It has helped me be a better Mom to you. One day you'll understand, I hope. It's hard to explain, but when I spend the days away from you, I cherish our time at night and on the weekends. I am more patient and easy going with you.

You learned to love the jumperoo at day care and started playing in the one we have for you at home. You laugh and play in it and just have a blast. Mommy and Daddy even video taped you in it and sent it to Grandma and Grandpa so they could see you playing. We have also discovered that you like to watch football while in your jumperoo - you watched the Tennessee vs. Alabama game with Mommy in your jumperoo.

Mommy has watched your fine motor skills develop this month too. You went from just staring at the rings hanging from your carrier to seeing them and grabbing them. One week later you went from just grabbing them to being able to grab with both hands and move them toward you. One week later you were grabbing them and putting them in your mouth. This was so amazing to watch. Mommy can't believe how much you're developing and how much you can do on your own!

Speaking of putting things in your mouth, you are full on teething now and the drool is flowing! You have to wear bibs a lot of the time because of the water works. Your two little bottom teeth are slowly working their way through and you're chewing on anything you can get your hands on...including your hands! You love to grab your blankets and try to chew on those, although you are starting to learn that they aren't as good as your rings or your froggie.

You started taking some cereal in your last bottle of the day this month too. At first it really upset your belly, so we're trying again but taking it slowly - adding a little at a time until you're used to it. At our 4 month check up we'll talk to the pediatrician about adding in more cereal and when to start you on baby food. That should be fun!

You're really trying to roll over from your tummy to your back. Mommy was playing with you last weekend and you pushed off of her hand and just about rolled over. I think you'll be able to roll over in about a week or two - I can't wait!!! You really enjoy your tummy time when we put you on your Boppy pillow. I'm trying anything I can to get you to like tummy time, because you really don't like no being able to see things around you.

You really started laughing this last month. Mommy can make faces at you and you laugh! Daddy tickles your sides and you laugh! You can say something funny and you laugh! It's so cute and you usually send Mommy into fits of laughter too. You really started "talking" this month too. I call it chattering because I can't understand a word you're saying but apparently you're really telling me a story. You will "talk" to Mommy for a long time and then I'll "talk" back to you. Apparently you understand because we will have a big conversation!

This last month was Halloween! Your very first!! You dressed up like a Tootsie Roll and you were so cute. We went to your school to go to their "Trunk n Treat" but the weather turned so cold and rainy that we only got out long enough to take a few pictures of you. You also went to a pumpkin patch with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa. We had such a fun time and tried to take pictures of you propped up with some pumpkins. They didn't turn out so great but we got a lot of other good pictures to remember the trip.

This has been a month where you've grown and developed so much. Mommy is so proud of you and how much you're changing. I love going to your nursery in the mornings and seeing you grinning at me from your crib. When you reach out to grab my hand, you grab my heart and don't let go. You are my heart, Parker. You are the best thing I've done and my legacy in this world.

I love you,
Mommy

Dear Parker - Month 1

Dear Parker,

Today marks exactly one month since you were born. On one hand it feels like time has creeped by and you've been around forever. On the other hand time has flown and I feel like I can hardly catch my breath.

Our time in the hospital was like a fairy tale. All our needs were quickly taken care of and our wishes were granted. Once we arrived home, the fairy tale continued as your Grandma stayed with us for 4 weeks - as I couldn't drive due to my surgery. She helped me clean and cook and take care of you. Mostly she loved you and hugged you and fed you and couldn't get enough of you.

I will tell you that we had a very interesting first night home. You didn't feel good at all and cried most all of the night. We had no idea that there existed a magical cure and me, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa all took turns staying up with you and rocking you and trying to comfort you. The next day the doctor told us of the magical cure and we've relied on it often during your first month. Since that first night you've been a complete angel. You hardly cry and you sleep so well.

Parker, there have been so many times when I have just watched you sleep in my arms and cried until the tears wouldn't flow any longer. I find it terribly hard to put into words just how much you mean to me. My mind has a hard time fathoming just how I can love you so much in such a short period of time. From the moment I held you I would have done anything for you. You are an answered prayer and an angel sent from above - a true blessing to your father and I. You have helped me open my heart to a size I never knew possible.

You are making me a better person, Parker. I never could quite grasp the concept of "don't sweat the small stuff". Now I understand. I hope that as long as we are on this Earth together that we make each other better people.

I promise to you now, I will do everything I can to help you be a man of good character, high integrity and much compassion.

Oh....and I don't think I'll ever be able to get the songs from your swing or Pack N Play out of my head....it's a blessing and a curse....

Parker, my boy, Happy (1 month) Birthday!