There's so much going on, I'm not sure where to start.
I'm in the process of trying to simplify my life, clearing out the clutter, making things more efficient. Why, you ask? Because I'm gearing up for November, which is NaNoWriMo.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. As you may or may not know, I'm not just a mommy-blogger, I'm also an aspiring novelist. And this November I'm going to attempt to write an entire novel in 30 short days. I know, I know, that's crazy. But I'm nothing if not crazy so, of course, I signed up.
I've got to complete at least 50,000 words between November 1st and November 30th. That sounds really daunting, and it is. But the good thing is that content and structure and even plot don't matter. The only thing that matters is getting the novel written so you end up with a rough (very rough) first draft of your novel. This rough (very rough) draft will then be a jumping off point for you to begin the long (very long) editing process.
So in order for me to be able to accomplish this feat, I must have a clear mind. And in order for me to have a clear mind, I must have a clear house - or, at the very least, a clear pathway to the bathroom.
But I digress.
Ahem ...
This clearing out means completely changing my surroundings - everything from the shower curtain in the bathroom to the sheets on the bed. The old throw rugs are getting tossed, as are the drapes in the living room. Out goes the old bed frame, and in comes the handwritten wall decal as a headboard. I even change the scent in my plug-in oil warmers.
Clearing everything out gives me a chance to periodically re-order my life. It's like a reset button or, (wait for it ...), a fresh piece of paper upon which I can write my prose.
(Don't you just love when you come full-circle like that?)
Aside from all the reorganizing and decluttering, there's lots of baby stuff going on. (This is a mom-blog you know.)
Baby boy is getting so big and hitting all kinds of milestones. He's crawling all over the place and even pulling himself up onto furniture already. I thought I had another 4 or 5 months before this stuff started happening! He's only 5 months old! We just had our first family photo shoot, and it was wonderful to be able to capture what a rambunctious little boy he is.
As for his appetite, solids are now on the menu. His faves at the moment are sweet potatoes, pears and applesauce. He's not a big fan of peas and squash just yet, but we're going to try again soon.
Other than that, my main concern is keeping him occupied and engaged. I'm constantly getting him new books and toys so he won't get bored. His favorite toy hands-down is his stuffed lion from his daddy's alma mater. He absolutely loves it. He also loves playing with his basketball and the pully-frog thing that hangs from his bouncy.
Hitting all these milestones is hard work so it's not hard to believe that we literally have to wake him up in the morning. He's so happy, and he sleeps so soundly and peacefully that I know we've got to be doing something right.
Now that's something to write about.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
ICLW
Hi there!
I'm so glad you decided to stop by and check out my blog. In a nutshell, I'm a thirty-something wife and mommy. I struggled with infertility and fibroids for several years before conceiving my beautiful baby boy,and documented the latter part of that journey in my blog, Ova-EZ. Now that I'm a baby mama, I'm writing about all things mommy here in the 'hood.
Please feel free to go back and read through the posts on my old blog. I'm doing the mommy thing now but I never want to forget the road that brought me to this point, or the lessons I learned along the way. Hopefully something I've written may help someone else feel a little less alone.
That said, I should let you know that this blog is only a pit-stop on the way to my final bloggy homestead. I'll be moving into my "dream-blog" sometime in October. Until then I will continue to post here so please check back for updates on "moving day", and the very special "housewarming" I have planned. (I'm so excited about this and can't wait to share it with you!!! squee!)
So, go on, take a walk around the 'hood, and please, please, please leave a comment so I can drop by your blog, too.
Happy ICLW!!!
I'm so glad you decided to stop by and check out my blog. In a nutshell, I'm a thirty-something wife and mommy. I struggled with infertility and fibroids for several years before conceiving my beautiful baby boy,and documented the latter part of that journey in my blog, Ova-EZ. Now that I'm a baby mama, I'm writing about all things mommy here in the 'hood.
Please feel free to go back and read through the posts on my old blog. I'm doing the mommy thing now but I never want to forget the road that brought me to this point, or the lessons I learned along the way. Hopefully something I've written may help someone else feel a little less alone.
That said, I should let you know that this blog is only a pit-stop on the way to my final bloggy homestead. I'll be moving into my "dream-blog" sometime in October. Until then I will continue to post here so please check back for updates on "moving day", and the very special "housewarming" I have planned. (I'm so excited about this and can't wait to share it with you!!! squee!)
So, go on, take a walk around the 'hood, and please, please, please leave a comment so I can drop by your blog, too.
Happy ICLW!!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Dream "House"
In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been posting regularly. But it's not because I have nothing to say.
I mean, I could tell you all about lil man's latest feats - how he's gearing up to be a first-round draft pick for the Lakers come 2027; how he's mastered the art of the baby spoon - on his first try, no less; or even how we discovered he has a penchant for lion-taming.
But I'm trying to save all that for when I reach my final destination.
Oh wait, let's back up a bit.
whirr-r-r-r (sorry, the tape's rewinding)
I'm just passing through mommy 'hood. This blog is sort of a pied-à-terre, a place for me to lay my head while my dream house is being built.
My new and final blog-home will be finished sometime in October, (April @ April Showers Blog Design is hard at work building it as we speak), so for now I'm busy shopping (for topics) and (post-) designing, and trying to save all the juicy, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping posts for when I finally move in.
I'm not ready to unveil the name of the bloggy knoll where I'm going to end up, but I will say that, from atop its bloggy peak, you'll get a much better view of my experience as a wife, an entrepreneur, and most importantly, lil man's mommy.
I will continue to post here for the time being so please check back for updates on "moving day", and the very special "housewarming" I have planned. (I'm very excited about this and can't wait to share it with you!!! squee!)
I hope you'll stick around and join me for the ride.
It's going to be a doozy.
xoxo
MAK
"Dream House"
I mean, I could tell you all about lil man's latest feats - how he's gearing up to be a first-round draft pick for the Lakers come 2027; how he's mastered the art of the baby spoon - on his first try, no less; or even how we discovered he has a penchant for lion-taming.
But I'm trying to save all that for when I reach my final destination.
Oh wait, let's back up a bit.
whirr-r-r-r (sorry, the tape's rewinding)
I'm just passing through mommy 'hood. This blog is sort of a pied-à-terre, a place for me to lay my head while my dream house is being built.
My new and final blog-home will be finished sometime in October, (April @ April Showers Blog Design is hard at work building it as we speak), so for now I'm busy shopping (for topics) and (post-) designing, and trying to save all the juicy, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping posts for when I finally move in.
I'm not ready to unveil the name of the bloggy knoll where I'm going to end up, but I will say that, from atop its bloggy peak, you'll get a much better view of my experience as a wife, an entrepreneur, and most importantly, lil man's mommy.
I will continue to post here for the time being so please check back for updates on "moving day", and the very special "housewarming" I have planned. (I'm very excited about this and can't wait to share it with you!!! squee!)
I hope you'll stick around and join me for the ride.
It's going to be a doozy.
xoxo
MAK
"Dream House"
Friday, August 6, 2010
Teething Troubleshoot
I had to take baby boy in to the ER early Wednesday morning. UGH!! So scary! He had a fever of 100.5 but he felt like he was on fire. By the time we got to the ER his fever had hit 102. I heard that and was so thankful we'd brought him in when we did.
They gave him some tylenol and then had us wait to have him checked out by the doc. We got there at 5:30 a.m. and didn't leave till after 10:00 a.m. The wait stunk but they were thorough, even taking a urine sample from my little one.
They couldn't pinpoint any one thing. His eyes and ears were fine, and he didn't have any congestion, but the doctor said that it was probably a little virus. I personally think he's teething. He's been chewing on anything he can get his hands on and the drool, well, let's just say he goes through several t-shirts a day and leave it at that.
The good thing is that his fever has broken and he's doing much better now. He is still a bit cranky because of the teething though so I'm opening up the floor to your suggestions.
What remedies have you used to get your little one through these 'teething times'?
They gave him some tylenol and then had us wait to have him checked out by the doc. We got there at 5:30 a.m. and didn't leave till after 10:00 a.m. The wait stunk but they were thorough, even taking a urine sample from my little one.
They couldn't pinpoint any one thing. His eyes and ears were fine, and he didn't have any congestion, but the doctor said that it was probably a little virus. I personally think he's teething. He's been chewing on anything he can get his hands on and the drool, well, let's just say he goes through several t-shirts a day and leave it at that.
The good thing is that his fever has broken and he's doing much better now. He is still a bit cranky because of the teething though so I'm opening up the floor to your suggestions.
What remedies have you used to get your little one through these 'teething times'?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Baby Stats
Baby Boy had his 4-month shots on Tuesday and, as usual, I almost had a breakdown.
I can't bear to him cry if he's hungry, let alone if he's getting stuck all over the place with needles.
UGH!!
I'm cringing now even thinking about it. He cried a bit more than last time which only added to my angst. He was a trooper though, and one 4 oz.-bottle later he was good to go.
Anyway, it's over and done with, and we don't have to go back for another two months.
Haaal-le-lu-jah! (yes, I'm singing.)
The only good part about these doctor visits is finding out how Baby Boy is doing and growing.
Here are his current stats:
Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz.
Length: 26 1/2 inches
Dr. P. checked him out and said he's super healthy and strong. She also said he's in the 92nd percentile and is on his way to being very tall, just like his Daddy.
That made Daddy very proud.
(insert sniffle here; wipe tear from eye)
In other proud papa news, Baby Boy, his daddy will tell you, is now rolling over and sleeping on his tummy. He's been rolling over during play time for a while now but the sleepy-time rollovers were a bit of a shock and a little unnerving, (for me at least). That's because he hasn't been sleeping through the night for the last few weeks. So seeing him facedown, not moving or fussing was a bit scary.
It may not seem unusual for a baby not to sleep through the night, but this kid's had the sleep-thing down since 4 weeks old. Turns out he's just too big for his bassinet.
His bassinet is pretty big but we knew the day would come when we'd have to retire it and get something bigger. We can't yet put him in his crib because it's too big for our loft. (We're looking for a house but that's another post entirely.)
In the meantime, he's been stretching his arms in his sleep, hitting the top and sides of the bassinet, and waking himself up. Needless to say, we needed to make other sleeping arrangements fast.
Enter the Pack-n-Play.
Baby Boy has now been sleeping comfortably and through the night since Monday.
And the Angels sing.
I can't bear to him cry if he's hungry, let alone if he's getting stuck all over the place with needles.
UGH!!
I'm cringing now even thinking about it. He cried a bit more than last time which only added to my angst. He was a trooper though, and one 4 oz.-bottle later he was good to go.
Anyway, it's over and done with, and we don't have to go back for another two months.
Haaal-le-lu-jah! (yes, I'm singing.)
The only good part about these doctor visits is finding out how Baby Boy is doing and growing.
Here are his current stats:
Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz.
Length: 26 1/2 inches
Dr. P. checked him out and said he's super healthy and strong. She also said he's in the 92nd percentile and is on his way to being very tall, just like his Daddy.
That made Daddy very proud.
(insert sniffle here; wipe tear from eye)
In other proud papa news, Baby Boy, his daddy will tell you, is now rolling over and sleeping on his tummy. He's been rolling over during play time for a while now but the sleepy-time rollovers were a bit of a shock and a little unnerving, (for me at least). That's because he hasn't been sleeping through the night for the last few weeks. So seeing him facedown, not moving or fussing was a bit scary.
It may not seem unusual for a baby not to sleep through the night, but this kid's had the sleep-thing down since 4 weeks old. Turns out he's just too big for his bassinet.
His bassinet is pretty big but we knew the day would come when we'd have to retire it and get something bigger. We can't yet put him in his crib because it's too big for our loft. (We're looking for a house but that's another post entirely.)
In the meantime, he's been stretching his arms in his sleep, hitting the top and sides of the bassinet, and waking himself up. Needless to say, we needed to make other sleeping arrangements fast.
Enter the Pack-n-Play.
Baby Boy has now been sleeping comfortably and through the night since Monday.
And the Angels sing.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
4 Months Old
Dear Baby Boy,
You're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you reward me with some new sound or trick or look or move.
I didn't know 4 months would affect me like this but you're doing things I didn't know a 4 month old could do.
For example, I had no idea a 4-month-old baby could have the wherewithal to actually pee on someone and laugh about it.
But you did.
I had no clue that a 4-month-old baby could literally have a conversation with me every day after "school". A true "give-n-take" where you tell me how your day went and I tell you just how much I missed you.
But you do.
Nor could I comprehend even for a second that a 4-month-old baby could be so enthralled by a tv show, that he would reach up, unhook one of the toys hanging from his playmat because it was blocking his view, and go right back to watching the show without missing a beat.
But, um, yeah, you did that, too.
I didn't know playing airplane would make you giggle so much, how tickling you would be one of your favorite pastimes, or how simply looking at your daddy would make you smile.
I thought I would hold you and change you and feed you sometimes. That I'd lay you down in your bassinet and watch you sleep, oohing and aahing at how peaceful you looked. I thought I'd revel in your brand new baby smell and spend my days wondering how I ever lived without you.
Well, that's exactly what I do.
But I also want to pick you up even if I've just put you down. I want to keep you awake as long as possible just so I can look into your eyes. I giggle and play and make funny faces, all in an effort to amuse you. And I'm happy to say, I am now fluent in baby-talk.
I want to do everything for you. I want to make sure you always have a full tummy and fresh laundry. I can't wait to give you sippycups full of milk and juice, and bake cookies and cupcakes for you to take to school. I want to wear a long flowy cape and put an "S" on my chest, so I can call myself SuperMom and keep your world safe.
I want to do all of these things because you're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you amaze me.
You're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you reward me with some new sound or trick or look or move.
I didn't know 4 months would affect me like this but you're doing things I didn't know a 4 month old could do.
For example, I had no idea a 4-month-old baby could have the wherewithal to actually pee on someone and laugh about it.
But you did.
I had no clue that a 4-month-old baby could literally have a conversation with me every day after "school". A true "give-n-take" where you tell me how your day went and I tell you just how much I missed you.
But you do.
Nor could I comprehend even for a second that a 4-month-old baby could be so enthralled by a tv show, that he would reach up, unhook one of the toys hanging from his playmat because it was blocking his view, and go right back to watching the show without missing a beat.
But, um, yeah, you did that, too.
I didn't know playing airplane would make you giggle so much, how tickling you would be one of your favorite pastimes, or how simply looking at your daddy would make you smile.
I thought I would hold you and change you and feed you sometimes. That I'd lay you down in your bassinet and watch you sleep, oohing and aahing at how peaceful you looked. I thought I'd revel in your brand new baby smell and spend my days wondering how I ever lived without you.
Well, that's exactly what I do.
But I also want to pick you up even if I've just put you down. I want to keep you awake as long as possible just so I can look into your eyes. I giggle and play and make funny faces, all in an effort to amuse you. And I'm happy to say, I am now fluent in baby-talk.
I want to do everything for you. I want to make sure you always have a full tummy and fresh laundry. I can't wait to give you sippycups full of milk and juice, and bake cookies and cupcakes for you to take to school. I want to wear a long flowy cape and put an "S" on my chest, so I can call myself SuperMom and keep your world safe.
I want to do all of these things because you're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you amaze me.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Weekly Recap
I know it's been a while since I've posted. I've just been caught up in the business of being a mommy, I guess. But there have been a couple of noteworthy occurrences so let's recap:
Baby's Bouncy:
I bought the baby a new bouncy. Well, that's my word for it anyway. It's really more of a stationary walker-type contraption that he can sit in and bounce. His feet touch the floor, and when he's able to do so, he'll be able to turn 360 degrees in his seat. There are toys all over the tray and overhead for him to play with, and it plays music every time he touches one of the toys. He loves it! He still prefers his fisherprice playmat, but I think that's mostly because he's got a bit more growing to do before his feet are completely flat on the floor. I prefer the bouncy because it keeps him sitting up instead of on his back all the time. He can see more of what's going on around him and I like that. Watch for my review of this product coming soon to my review page.
1st rollover:
Over the holiday weekend we had a lot of places to go, people to see so we were in and out of the house quite a bit. While I was getting ready for one of these outings, I had to put the baby down on his playmat for a few minutes. Here's what happened next:
Hubby, on his way down to pull the car around ~ "Did you dress AK yet?"
Me ~ "Yes."
Hubby ~ "Ok, I'll be waiting downstairs when you're ready."
Hubby left and five minutes later I heard the baby fussing. I went to get him to put him in his car seat and saw him on his tummy on the mat. Why did hubby ask if he was dressed, I thought. He must have seen the baby when he put him on his tummy. Weird. Anyway, I packed up the baby and left to get in the car.
Me ~ "Why did you ask if the baby was dressed? Didn't you see him when you put him on his tummy?"
Hubby ~ Crickets
Me ~ "Well?"
Hubby ~ "I didn't put him on his tummy."
Me ~ Crickets
Lil man did his first rollover and we both missed it.
UGH
1st Bout of Jealousy:
During one of our holiday outings, I was holding my friend's baby on my lap. This baby is about a month older than my son. My sister-in-law was holding my boy on her lap, directly across from me. Well, AK saw me cooing and cuddling with this other baby, and he was not happy about it. Long story short, he started out with a little scowl on his face, and ended up with his bottom lip stuck out to there in the most pathetic little pout I've ever seen. When his bottom lip started to quiver, I lost it. I started crying. Really, I was sort of crying and laughing at the same time - crying because I didn't want to hurt my baby's feelings, and laughing because, well, it was so silly for me to be crying over something so ridiculous. Anyway, I gave the other baby back to his mommy and scooped mine up, and all was, once again, right with the world.
So there's my recap.
How was your week?
~ MAK
Baby's Bouncy:
I bought the baby a new bouncy. Well, that's my word for it anyway. It's really more of a stationary walker-type contraption that he can sit in and bounce. His feet touch the floor, and when he's able to do so, he'll be able to turn 360 degrees in his seat. There are toys all over the tray and overhead for him to play with, and it plays music every time he touches one of the toys. He loves it! He still prefers his fisherprice playmat, but I think that's mostly because he's got a bit more growing to do before his feet are completely flat on the floor. I prefer the bouncy because it keeps him sitting up instead of on his back all the time. He can see more of what's going on around him and I like that. Watch for my review of this product coming soon to my review page.
1st rollover:
Over the holiday weekend we had a lot of places to go, people to see so we were in and out of the house quite a bit. While I was getting ready for one of these outings, I had to put the baby down on his playmat for a few minutes. Here's what happened next:
Hubby, on his way down to pull the car around ~ "Did you dress AK yet?"
Me ~ "Yes."
Hubby ~ "Ok, I'll be waiting downstairs when you're ready."
Hubby left and five minutes later I heard the baby fussing. I went to get him to put him in his car seat and saw him on his tummy on the mat. Why did hubby ask if he was dressed, I thought. He must have seen the baby when he put him on his tummy. Weird. Anyway, I packed up the baby and left to get in the car.
Me ~ "Why did you ask if the baby was dressed? Didn't you see him when you put him on his tummy?"
Hubby ~ Crickets
Me ~ "Well?"
Hubby ~ "I didn't put him on his tummy."
Me ~ Crickets
Lil man did his first rollover and we both missed it.
UGH
1st Bout of Jealousy:
During one of our holiday outings, I was holding my friend's baby on my lap. This baby is about a month older than my son. My sister-in-law was holding my boy on her lap, directly across from me. Well, AK saw me cooing and cuddling with this other baby, and he was not happy about it. Long story short, he started out with a little scowl on his face, and ended up with his bottom lip stuck out to there in the most pathetic little pout I've ever seen. When his bottom lip started to quiver, I lost it. I started crying. Really, I was sort of crying and laughing at the same time - crying because I didn't want to hurt my baby's feelings, and laughing because, well, it was so silly for me to be crying over something so ridiculous. Anyway, I gave the other baby back to his mommy and scooped mine up, and all was, once again, right with the world.
So there's my recap.
How was your week?
~ MAK
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