Eight is great a bit late

Dear Brady,
Can you believe you are now EIGHT months old? The past month we have been so busy--YOU have been so busy but there were so many times I just stopped in that moment, cuddled you and kissed you to pieces. Life is good.

Believe it or not but one of your favorite things to do is go shopping with mom. Being the nosey little person you are, you stare at everything and everyone. You smile and flirt your way around the whole store, and grab at tags and anything you can get those chubby little fingers on! Sometimes, you just lean back and take it all in.

Another favorite thing? Animals. The cat has learned she better run fast because you love to grab that bushy tail! You have met big and small dogs but they do not bother you one bit, even if their enormous tongues lick your face, you crack up!

You are pretty good at self-feeding. We really haven't found much you DON'T like. Seriously. Sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, you name it, you love it!

As you see, you take your food very seriously. By the way, when you are 1o, you can't say you don't like Broccoli because I have proof!

You are pretty much into EVERYTHING. Paper, cords, and flip flops might rank up there close to mommy. I don't know how many times I vacuum and sweep the floors but you manage to find the tiniest little things. You love to shake a piece of paper, or a toy and bounce up and down.

You do this half crawl, half scoot, stand up sit down, stand up kind of thing and you NEVER stop. You would start crawling and then flop down on your belly and scoot the rest of the way. Mommy just figured out that your crawl JUST fine on the carpet, and it's so much easier to do without your shorts getting in the way (you have spent a lot of time in onsies at home!) The positions you get into make me wonder if you were a Yoga master in your previous life. You have so much energy even on days you don't sleep very well! Can you please give me your secret? Momma is tired chasing after you!

You manage to stand up on anything you can. You love to pull yourself up on mommy's legs and bounce! I have also found your cracking up at yourself. I wish you'd let mommy in on what is so funny!
(look at how tired you are! )

You just learned to do this when we say, "How big are you?" (SO BIG!) It is hard not to smile when you do it. You get this look on your face and are clearly so proud of yourself! You almost have a clap down too!

You are a talker! Da-Da, Ba-Ba, Na-Na, A-ma, and a thousand other things come out of those sweet little lips. You get this intent look on your face, like you are trying so hard to tell me or the lady at Target everything.

This week, you got your FIRST tooth!! I can thank those teeth for your sleep strike (and yourpoor eyes are all red and puffy!) You also don't want mommy to leave you. Mommy gives you some extra snuggles and life is good again!

My favorite part of my day is cuddling with you before you go to bed. Sometimes I hold you a little longer because I want more snuggles. You lay in my arms, nuzzle your face into me and place your hand on my chest and I just can't let you go! Seriously though? The little belly that hangs out? Gets me every time!!

I can't believe in four short months, you will be a whole year old. You are just growing so fast! Mommy loves watching you grow, and loves each new thing you do.

You are really turning into a little man, and your personality comes out more each day. You are so determined and full of life. You are full of smiles and giggles, even when you are not feeling your best. I look at you and see curiosity, excitement but most of all love and trust. Sometimes the love I feel for you sends me to tears but looking at you gives me so much joy, pride, and elation. When you lift those little arms but to me, mommy has to scoop you up and kiss those chubby cheeks (which sends you to giggles) while you still let me!

I can thank for you giving me so much and you teach ME something new everyday. I love you to pieces, boo-boo!!

Me+hernia+teething baby= pure CHAOS

Looks as if I am having surgery for that hernia. and SOON! Tuesday to be precise. Yes, less than a freaking week away (which is bad since I do have a child but good in the sense I can't over think the procedure and freak myself out) The surgeon was great and explained how the way he does the surgery makes it less likely to return and getting pregnant again (in the future) should not be an issue. He also confirmed it's an incisional hernia.

Basically, he takes a piece of mesh to cover the hole in the wall of the stomach, and staples it. Then, he sews six stitches to surrounding muscles so that if i cough, or sneeze and pop a staple, it is not going to cause the mesh to move. This is good and bad.

Good: He said that the first 2-3 weeks, i can lift up to 9 pounds. After that if it doesn't hurt to lift Brady then i should be ok to do so. I just hope I recover fast! It is all done laproscopically so that means faster recovery hopefully! Most of the people who have had a hernia repair said that they felt better after the first week, and almost new after the 2nd!

Bad: He wants me to take at least 2 weeks off work. Saving time for my next in the sometime near future baby=FAIL. Plus, this is the BUSIEST time of the year. I might be working from my bedside if I can!

I am a bit freaked out by the whole going under part of the surgery and am trying not to focus on that and trying to remain positive but when I got the call that it has been scheduled, I'll be honest, I had a mini breakdown. The reality hit me and it hit me hard. I know it is a common surgery, and a short recovery in the grand scheme of things but it's not going to be easy. I am spending the weekend prepping meals, cleaning, doing laundry, and of course snuggling my chunk to pieces.


He's had a rough week (me too!) We stepped into mommy separation anxiety territory and it isn't pretty. He's fine if I'm not in sight (like with the people who watch him during the day) but the moment he sees me and I leave him, he screams like he is on fire. Putting him down for naps and bed has turned into a full blown-out fight. He screams and cries real tears which he NEVER does. Talk about killing me slowly. My heart felt like it was on fire!


Then, this morning, I found a TOOTH! Ah, makes total sense. I just hope that next week will not scar him for life, ha! I know this is just a phase and it's hard to not love being the one he wants. Finding time to pee lately seems like a vacation (but not really since he is in the hallway waiting for me!)

So, next week will be interesting to say the least (we are keeping the same schedule during the day for the ppl that watch him more for him to have some consistency.) I figured that this downtime will give me a time to relax, get caught up on sleep, and get things done that I normally wouldn't have the time to do or wanted to get done since Brady was born. I barely have time to sit down for 15 minutes so this will be a HUGE change for me!

Expect a lot of blog posts! :)

Tales from the Puke-side.

I'm Amy and I have a puker. We are getting ready to enter into our EIGHT month of puke

::triple sigh::

Looks like we'll be members of the puke of the minute club for quite a while longer (let's just hope he stops before he starts dating.)

That may not mean much to you if you haven't' dealt with a baby with reflux or even one that spits up more than others. It's kind of like a prison sentence you are waiting out but way more fun and less restricting.

I am eternally grateful that puke is all that we have had to deal with as I know countless other babies and kids deal with challenging medical issues. I think about that just about daily as I am wiping up another puddle of spewed milk and leave my complaining for things like the heat, and my lack of tropical vacations.

Ok, so your baby pukes a lot. People look at me like I'm telling this trivial piece of information that doesn't really matter until they pick him up only to be covered in a pool of a white milky substance.

So, THAT is what projectile looks like, eh?

NOW you get it?

You learn to accept the fact that your house smells like old milk and your dog is trained to run to the faintest sound of a burp. (Gross but so true)

You pack blankets, oodles of burp cloths and 5 changes of clothes for a ten minute trip.

You don't even flinch when it flies out (even if it's in the middle of a burial for your great-grandmother) and catch puke faster than that guy who plays baseballs attempts to catch a flyball. No mitt required.

You learn to carry your child outward so you can aim where the puke goes.

Rugs are replaced with wipeable mats and the word 'steam cleaned' or 'stain remover' are knights in shining armor.

You steam clean your couches only to wonder what the monetary value of the puke you just sucked out. (Hey, formula is NOT cheap!)

No laundry goes untreated, and expect to wash enough for a small army.

A pukey newborn is sweet but an 8 month old? Well, that is just a not-so-hidden talent.

Puke comes in all different flavors. Milk. Green Bean. Squash. Apple. Banana.

His party trick is to see how far is can go....and can clear a room faster than the speed of light!

You invent works like puk-i-ness, pukies, puke-tastic, and pukey, and write crazy blog posts using every single one of them.

I may make light of his pukiness but we have had our days when the tears are louder than the laughter. Then he pukes again and you move on. While your couch may be stained, your bed smells like stale milk, and you get lost in the pile of laundry, you watch him smile through it all and none of it matters.

The truth about babies: Part 1 of 5000

A seven month old will eat just about anything, including coupons, keys, wallet, toes, and computer cords but then refuses to eat things that are actually edible.

Baby's who eat coupons do not scan.

Cuddling a sleepy baby never gets old!

The second your turn your back, he gets into something he shouldn't be.

The coffee table will turn into a nice accessory to your blocked off dining room as a certain seven month old like to crawl underneath it only to hit his head underneath it. Over. Over. and over again!
How do I put this one? Ok, I'll just say it....boys really start grabbing themselves at a VERY early age.

Dogs learn that food and baby's are a good combination very quick.

Real tears suck. Real tears should not be allowed.

A 7 month old baby is way smarter than you think, and learn to play grandma at a very early age.

When you hand your baby to someone else and they cry, you secretly love that he wants to come back to you.

When baby gets older, you'll have more time. HA! Right. I can barely find time to pee because the second I walk away, he has the cats tail in his mouth.

The term, sleeping like a baby? Doesn't exist. Babies sleep just like anyone else in this world, just in odd increments.

The worrying never stops after they come out and grow. (Especially when they don't just lay there anymore and exlpore the world!)

You may not agree with what every mom does but she is not raising your child, and you must respect that.

What works for your baby, does not indeed work for every baby. Remember that.

You can't wait for the day for your baby to sleep through the night but the moment he does you miss your nightly cuddle sessions.

Your house looks like a daycare. No matter how much you try to prevent it, it is inevitable.

A mobile baby is as scary as you think it is.

Those big eyes, and big dimply smile is the thing you look forward to each morning and everyday after work.

Baby giggles heal the soul.

Those things that other parents told your before you had kids? Each day you find another one was indeed right.

One of those things they tell you is that 'you will never know a love like your own child's.'

and that is the truest of them all.

CSN Winner!

Brady did a good job of picking a winner. He knew which one he wanted to pick and held onto it! Luckily, I grabbed it before he ate it and then we would never know who won!

Just as I shut off the video, I had to pry someones name out of his mouth!


and the winner is......



Mrs. Dirnberger! Congrats, Momma! Send me your email address so we can get your certificate to you!

Congrats, Momma! (BTW, love Michael's singing from The Office in the background!)

Last Day!

Don't forget, TODAY is the last day to enter the CSN giveaway!!!

Things that might make me gray and/or borderline insane.

1. A mobile baby.
It's true. They are into EVERYTHING. You can't turn your back for a second or they might try to eat things like the dog, your magazine, your toe, a pair of dirty flip flops or his own diaper. He loves him some toes. This kid is scooting, and half crawling around the house, and wants to get up and go-ALL.THE.TIME. You try to sit him down and he wants to stand! He is a wild man! I have already found the quickest route to the emergency room, and have stock in boo boo packs and band-aids.

2. C-section.
I have had nothing but issues once I had my c-section. You are all probably tired of hearing it but now I have another issue. A freaking HERNIA. Yep. I have one and this lady is not smiling about it. I did smile though when a man with a mouth full of gold came to my door selling magazines the same day I happened to find out I have a hernia and ruin my phone. Turns out that this lump that I found right on my c-section scar is a hernia and I need surgery. Turns out that your not supposed to lift anything over TEN pounds for SIX weeks. Turns out that really sucks when you have a 7 month old who weighs over 20 pounds. Not cool one bit. I could mope about it and maybe I will once it hits me and I talk to the surgeon but right now I just shrug my shoulders but yes, it still SUCKS.

From what I understand, the wall of my abdomen was weak from a) pregnancy, b) having a csection, and b)having a complication from my c-section, a hematoma, or also called soma (which put me at a greater risk of having one.) Because of this stupid hematoma, my body was still healing and while normally people are healing and toting around a newborn, I was toting around a giant 3-4 month old weighing 15 pounds. Add in all of the above and that equals hernia for this lady.

3.Our Busy life
Work has me so flustered, and life has been so crazy I can't seem to find a balance between work, home and everything in between. Really. I might be that lady that you see at Target and wonder why she is dressed like that and talking to herself. This is where the lottery would really come in handy. Twice since Saturday, I have left my phone on the roof of my car. Yes. Once is excusable but twice=lostyourdamnmindlady. Once I happened to drive a mile or two down the road to Target to find it was still on the roof where I left it. Then I left it last night there after I got back to the office only to find it after the giant downpour hit (yet it still works). I need a vacation but it looks like I'll be having a vacation to have a hernia fixed.

4. Baby's that want big boy foods.

With a recommendation of an awesome momma (thanks, Kristen,) I have found myself giving Brady solid solids. It is based on an idea called baby led weaning and I found it super interesting and I really liked the whole idea. I have been trying to be brave and give Brady green beans, broccoli, peaches, bananas. Well, we are so successful because this kid LOVES big boy food. He has almost mastered the pincher grasp and chews it up like he has been doing this since birth. His favorite are green beans, and fresh peaches he shares with mommy!

Now, why do I include it here? Because even though baby's can tolerate way more than we think, I am so paranoid about choking. I mean I gave him a baby Mum Mum (they are organic rice husks that dissolve like teething biscuits) and he bit it in half. My heart almost stopped. We haven't gone back to those quite yet.

So, to recap. Unless I can stop this kid from grabbing wires, eating toes, and eating real food and starts walking so that I can handle surgery a bit easier than this momma is going to be buying stock in Nice and Easy.

and maybe a straight jacket.

CSN Giveaway!!!

I am super excited to announce a giveaway! CSN stores is offering one of you lovely readers a gift certificate to one of their stores. There are over 200 different stores so make sure to check them out!

They have everything from track lighting (for a nice glow for that nursery) to espresso machines (to help you deal with a baby who likes to party at night) to baby furniture (so you can have a place to put that sleepy baby!)

This would be perfect for Brady's room!

I'm pretty much in LOVE with this espresso machine. Yes. Love at first sight. This is something I think every little kid needs!
I think this little table and chair set is precious!

but this is something I practically might drool over and over.....

Kids, or dogs, I think everyone can find something!

GIVEAWAY!

For you lucky readers, I have a $60 gift certificate to giveaway! Just tell me what you would buy and you are entered!

For an extra entry, blog about the giveaway and post the link in the comments!

You have until June 14th to enter and Brady will help me pick a winner on June 15th!

The magic number

Since we brought Brady home everyone told me that the next stage would be the magic age. 3 months was when he'd sleep. Then, 6 months was the golden age.

I waited patiently for six months. Well, six months came and went. No magic number. Just a growing little boy. I got so darn sick of hearing people tell me he would sleep when he was ready or I was spoiling him by getting up with him and to let him cry it out. Trust me, I tried everything and I was not about to let my child cry so hard he couldn't catch his breath.

I look back at the blur and fusses of the first three months and then when he hit month four, life got a bit easier. He was a different, happy baby. Then, five and six months hit and he continued to be the happy, full of sunshine baby during the day, while at night the horns came out! I expected things to get better but when it didn't happen, I decided it never would.

Oh well, I'll sleep when he's 30. Hopefully, he still doesn't want to be fed at 4 am!

Around month five, we hit the dreaded damned reflux peak. Boy, did it peak! I suddenly felt like I had a newborn again. We would have numerous wake-ups and 1-3 hour middle of the night wake periods. I was exhausted and tapped out-physically and emotionally. Lack of sleep really can do crazy things to you, and you do crazy things like forget meetings and where you put the dog.

Then, seven months hit.

Ladies and gentlemen (are there any men out there?) I think seven is our LUCKY number. I don't want to jinx it but really this is the first solid stretch of consistency we have EVER had. We have had 7, 8, 9 hour stretches! Part of it is because he is getting older, part of it is because he is so busy during the day (ahem...mobile) and part of it is because we have a concoction of reflux meds that are making his tummy better (thankyouverymuch prevacid and mylanta!) Then, it might be because of a little thing called consistancy. I don't' care what the reasons are. I just care that it happened.

I might still be getting up once a night with him and we might still have not so good nights but we have come a long way. He was the conductor on that crazy train of inconsistency.

Part of me has a bit of sleep anxiety and can't seem to go back to sleep after we get up at 4 am. Part of me is just tired all the time. Part of me wonders if I'll ever sleep soundly again, expecting that cry in the middle of the night or to check on him throughout the night.

Looking back, part of me is a bit stronger and I am fully inducted into this thing called motherhood.

I'm not so new at this anymore. Just a little more well rested.

Random it is!

I just realized in this chaos of a week that I have not posted much but it is hard when you have a 7 month old that is ALL over the place. Scooting, pulling up, and just a busy bee.



I saw this hat and I think we need it. I mean how cute is that? perfect!





Speaking of the alphabet, I am kind of revamping his room right now. He outgrew the changing table and are bringing in a dresser this weekend. I even organized his closet, and I just love organization. Pictures to come soon!

The tie shirt was an etsy purchase....I need to stay away! I had originally planned on having someone local make one but then I saw this and fell in love! Stitches By Rachel. It was perfect!!! You have to see the vests she makes. They are too cute for words!

This past weekend, we damaged our checking account and finally bought convertible car seats. The kid outgrew the infant seat! We also bought this when we were there, and I can thank it for saving my child's noggin.

By the way, it is huge. I love it too because puke just wipes right up! :) and wild bouncy baby's just literally bounce on it! :)

Oh, and I'm probably going to jinx myself but GUESS who slept nine hours last night? Woot!

Stay tuned, I have a few giveaways coming up! double woot!