Jeffrey's Big Day

I figured it was time to talk about Jeffrey's actual first birthday. Jony took the day off of work so that we could have loads of family time. Of course, being the Friday before Thanksgiving, his work was having their annual potluck Thanksgiving lunch. So, we went to that. Jeffrey enjoyed some good food and lots of fun playing ball with Jony's coworkers and their children. I didn't make it last year (obviously), so it was fun to go. It was surreal for Jony to remember going with his hospital bracelets on last year just twelve hours after becoming a father (note: I told him to go and get himself some good food. Remember the ridiculousness that was the swine flu? Well, we could only have two people in the room anyways, so he might as well have gone there instead of the hallway). After such an exciting lunch that occurred exactly during normal napping hours, an exhausted birthday boy took an almost three hour nap. We took the well rested Tiny to the Downtown Aquarium. He LOVED it. He loves fish and the white tiger they have there was a plus. It was the perfect place to take him. I loved seeing him staring into the tanks signing "fish" over and over again. We picked up some Chic-Fil-A on the way home, being his favorite meal and all, and went back home to eat and have a cupcake. The chunker ate his entire nugget meal, fruit cup, AND a good portion of his cupcake. We got him all dressed for bed and let him play himself out instead of doing the normal bedtime routine so that we could get a picture of him on his birth minute awake instead of asleep. Amazingly, he decided to come give me a hug at that moment. So perfect. A stroll in the wagon closed out the day.

It was a great birthday.

Gobble Gobble!

We had a great Thanksgiving today! Jeffrey woke up super early and thus napped super early, but it worked out perfectly with leaving to get to our destination on time. He loved hanging out and hamming it up with all of Jony's family and REALLY loved eating. The turkey had zero chance. It was demolished. It was so fun playing with him and seeing him have so much fun. Such a difference from last year when I had to sit down super slow to avoid discomfort and a newborn just sleeping away the entire time! We got home and continued our amazing day by putting up the Christmas Tree! Since we're going out of town tomorrow, we decided to just do it tonight. Today has shown that Jeffrey is definitely like his mama in loving the holidays!

And for fun, Thanksgiving 2009:

Wordless Wednesday

Three More Days!!

In three days, we will empty the attic, clear out some of our living room furniture, clean up a bit, and then DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS! I get so excited. Christmas is, by far, my favorite time of year. Everyone is so happy and carefree during the holiday season, and I love it. People smile at you when you walk by them- even at the MALL! The Christmas Spirit is an amazing thing. I wish it carried through the whole year. But, since it doesn't, I enjoy it to the fullest while it's here. I respect the turkey, so the Friday after Thanksgiving is when we bust out the Christmas decorations, holiday songs, and hot cocoa (yes, even if we have the AC on). Another reason we decorate "early" is so that we can take our family picture in front of our decorated, beautiful tree. For the past two years of our married lives, that has been our tradition to use for our Christmas cards. We've always used Shutterfly for this since they have so many cute styles, it's easy to use, and they're reliable. (Actually, we use Shutterfly for everything- photo books, calendars, prints, etc.) We even included Jeffrey's birth announcement in our photo card last year! The same will be done this year. Usually, our family pic is the front, but I think we're going to change it up a bit this year and make Jeffrey the focus. Since it doesn't cost anymore to have another photo on this inside cover, that's where we'll put the family one.

Check out the cute new styles they have this year: Shutterfly Holiday Cards
We're leaning towards this one...

12 Month Appointment

If asked today how Jeffrey feels about being one, he would say "It sucks." Today was not a great day for my little guy.

Overall, his well-baby exam went very well. He's developing ahead of track (well into the 18 month milestones, besides verbal) and is healthy and happy (and ear infection free!). Everything is perfect. He's developing, size-wise, into the little boy that we expected him to be. Long and lean. He's in the 10th percentile for weight, the 59th for height, and the 26th for head circumference. He's all over the place.

After the exam, though, came the shots. We got three of them today. Total suck. He wasn't a fan while they were occurring (obviously), but he calmed down pretty quickly afterwards. He could have moved on from that ordeal if he didn't have to go and get tested for anemia. Yup, poor tot had to go have his blood taken. Since he's a big boy now, they first tried going through his arm since that would be faster to get the blood out. After trying for what seemed like forever, they decided to give up on that route and just do the finger prick. Poor baby cried so hard during that ordeal. I know that sucks since I just went through that two nights ago. He reacted better to the finger prick, although he was upset, but it just takes so darn long. I'm fairly positive that the gauze bandage was more annoying to him afterwards, though. It was supposed to stay on for about 15 minutes, so I let him walk through the hospital towards our car to distract him. I managed to keep it on him 10 minutes before it was yanked off. Thankfully, the bleeding had stopped. I should mention that his band-aids from his shots stayed on no more than five minutes. The first one was off before we left the exam room. Not a fan, it seems.

So, we're now home waiting to see if we have any reactions from the shots (said it would be about 24-48 hours AND 7-10 days. Lame). Not such a great thing when I'm feeling under the weather, too. Daddy may have to deal with a mommy AND baby with fevers.

How I Spent Last Night...

9pm: arrive home from birthday dinner for Jeffrey and my dad, and Tiny goes to sleep. Easy peasy. No fuss.
11pm: In bed, passed out
2:30am: wake up to extreme chills and notice that my left boob hurts.
3am: Chill are getting worse. I'm a bit freaked out. I wake up Jony, who is also a bit freaked out by the fact that I'm practically convulsing constantly do the extreme chills. He takes my temperature: 99', so not super high.
3:10am: Chills are getting even worse. Jony wakes up Jeffrey to come and see if him clearing the clog will help. Thankfully, I can nurse lying down because Jony still had to help since I was shaking so bad.
3:20am: Jeffrey is passed out and put back in bed. We bust out the pump to see if that will help some more.
3:25am: With a pump on my left boob and a trashcan in my right hand, I proceed to throw up numerous times. With that, Jony makes the call to call the OB. We're off to the ER. My MIL comes over to the house in case Jeffrey wakes up (he doesn't. Of course, he sleeps through the night when we can't)
4am: arrive at Triage and officially confuse all the nurses when I let them know my 'baby' is 1. Not very common for a breast infection. Get settled into my room, get temperature taken (still 99), pee in a cup, get all blood removed from my body, and an IV of fluids set up. I start to feel better pretty quickly after I get the IV.
4:30am: They come to collect MORE blood for bacterial cultures or something like that.
6:30am: The doctor returns to tell me that the urine results haven't been returned, but that she's confident that I have mastitis (duh). I get a prescription and get to go home. Finally. I've gotten a bit of rest at the hospital since the chills have stopped, but I wasn't very comfortable there. My fever officially hit: 101'
7am: Arrive home at the same time as my mom, who has come to relieve my MIL and watch Jeffrey (who just woke up) so that we can sleep. I nurse him and hit the bed after popping an Advil.

The rest of today I've been just being lazy. I'm still feeling pretty weak, and my boob is still pretty tender. Jeffrey's doing a great job of nursing it out, though. I have to say that I did NOT expect to have to deal with anything like this after breastfeeding for a year already.

12 Months Old! (aka One Year!)

It has come. I have a one year old little boy. From a squishy little newborn just one year ago, I now have an independent, determined, headstrong and confident toddler. He's learning new things every single day and is constantly amazing me at all of the things he can do. If he decides he's going to figure something out, get ready. Because he will. Sometimes he'll ask for some assistance, but most of the time he's on his own. He seems to have inherited some of his personality traits from his mama (or mom, according to Jeffrey. He's very proper, it seems). He's super fun, hilarious, and a joy to be around. He is always making everyone around him smile, and he knows how to play a crowd. All in all, he's the best little one year old I could hope for.

12 Month Stats:

• about 21lbs and 30 inches (approximately- appointment is on Monday)
• wearing clothes ranging from 9 month to 18 month.
• Sleep is overall pretty good right now, although he's been waking up once the last few nights. Darn the growth spurts. He's even slept ALL the way through the night a few times (9-8am!!!). He's for sure down to just one good nap.
• He's still a great eater, and it's obvious that nursing is now the supplement instead of vice versa. He ranges from only eating a few bites to downing an adult size meal at times. Meat is still the favorite, then fruit, then veggies (however, peas are ranked above most fruits)
• beginning to show an interest in silverware and bowls
• can drink from a cup (sometimes)
• 4 teeth
• running around, walking in circles, and walking backwards (only a bit, though)
• can now sign: please, ball (and does so ALL the time), monkey, fish, elephant and much more. 
• actual speaking seems to be starting up, although there are no more real words besides "uh-oh"
• can do all the shapes on his sorting toy, but we have to show him which hole it is sometimes
• can climb on and off his riding toys
• is beginning to be able to show you where his nose is; he loves to flirt with himself in the mirror
• is now pointing! This skill has really improved his interest in reading and being able to identify items as well as what has sparked his signs

Goals Met

I met a lot of personal goals yesterday, so I'm taking a moment to be pretty proud of myself.

1. I didn't cry yesterday. I got close, but I held strong.
2. I officially breastfed my baby for his entire first year.
3. Jeffrey never had any formula.
4. Aunt Flo is still MIA.
5. I was able to stay at home with him his entire first year.
6. I survived a year with a baby who thinks sleep is lame.
7. More importantly, my marriage survived the first year with a baby who thinks sleep is lame.

I'll be posting the official "12 month" post in the next day or so. Forgive me while I postpone it ;)

One Years Old

I cannot believe it. My little baby is officially a toddler. A one year old. A little boy. So crazy. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I was in the hospital getting ready to pop the little guy out, but it's also as though he's been in my life forever. How did I know what love was before him? How did I even live without him? He is my everything and has taught me so much about love, life, and myself in this past year. Way more than I have taught him.

I can still remember that amazing feeling as he came out and was placed on my chest- the raw emotions that just take over and consume you in a moment that you will never come close to experiencing again (at least with that child). Every day, that consuming love just grows deeper. There is no question that there will ever be as amazing a birthday as his actual birth day, but I am committed to making sure he realizes just how important it is to his father and me. Just how special he is to us. Jony has today off work, and we're making it a family day to do all of the things that Jeffrey loves. It is incredible to just watch this perfect little boy walk all around, interact, learn, explore, communicate, and play in front of me. What a difference a year makes! A year that I would do nothing different and will forever remember as the most challenging and rewarding year of my life.

Thank you, Jeffrey, for being such an amazing teacher and son. I am so blessed to have you in my life. Happy Birthday, Tiny! I am SO looking forward to all the fun and challenges this next year holds.

Wordless Wednesday: Birthday Edition

The Party

Jeffrey's birthday was a success! Everything was dry from the morning rain, and the weather was beautiful (could have been a little warmer, but it is November). We had a great turnout; it's so amazing to see our friends and family come together to celebrate this little peanut. It really means a lot to me. Jeffrey had a blast with all of his friends- playing with the balls, running around, riding/pushing the wagon, etc. I don't think he could have had a better time. I managed to go through the entire day without getting too stressed out and was able to really enjoy myself as well. Everything went off without a hitch, and I even walked away excited to prepare for the next birthday party (but hopefully time doesn't go THAT fast!). He got some awesome gifts and has been having a field day since we got home and all of today with his new loot.

Without further ado, here are the pictures from Jeffrey's big day...

All is calm...

Hopefully, it stays that way!!

It started off a little shaky today- raining and super cold (for Houston, ha!). Not ideal for a park birthday party. The good part of that is that it kept Jeffrey sleeping 45 minutes later than usual (after sleeping through the night for the THIRD NIGHT IN A ROW). It is now sunny, dry and beautiful outside! Phew. Jeffrey is actually napping at a fantastic time in regards to when his party starts, and everything is loaded up in the car ready to go. All I have left to do is frost the cupcakes and pack them and the oreo balls up for transport. In approximately one hour, we'll be off to the park to decorate and prepare! Then- party time!!

I'm so excited and cannot wait to celebrate this amazing year with my little man! Expect pictures of the grand affair!

10 hours

That is how long Jeffrey slept last night. Straight through. No wakings. Awesome.

7:30 is not nearly as awful when you've been able to sleep through the night. I feel rested and SO proud of him. I had told Jony the other day that I was anxious to see how his sleeping would do once he recovered from his ear infection since he's been doing so well, and I think he showed me which direction he would be taking! This is the longest stretch we have EVER gotten, and I'm really, really hoping that it continues.

Yay sleep!

Wordless Wednesday

House Envy

Jony and I have been feeling a bit down about our house lately. I have no doubt that it's because we've been watching too much DIY. We have so many projects that we want to do around our house and no time/money to do it. Such a bummer. The only room that we've really focused on in our house and gotten completely finished (including decorating) is Jeffrey's room. I'm pretty sure that makes us lame. We did a big kitchen remodel when we first moved in and are super happy with what we did, but we still have more to do. We also need to get some stuff on our walls and a new dining room table and some bar stools. We want to remodel both of our bathrooms, replace our tile, and get hardwood floors (but we're not doing that until the kids are all potty trained). The landscaping could also use some work in both the front and back. We've already got plans to do the back bathroom in the next few months so that it's all set and ready for Jeffrey during potty training and thereafter, and I'm excited about that.

Now, our house is nothing to be ashamed of, and I have to remind myself that it's pretty good for as young as we are. We've already increased the equity by our kitchen stuff and painting (you should have seen how HIDEOUS the colors were when we moved in. Gross), so we just need to putter along until we decide to sell. And hope that the housing market is ready for us in about ten or so years.

I still wish we had about 15K to do what we want with the house. Oh well. It'll happen.

M: Mommy Instinct

This is a part of my ABCs of (my) Parenting series.

There's something inside of all of us moms that tells us exactly what we need to know. We just need to trust it. Our instincts are there and know how to be a great mom! I decided to stop tuning mine out yesterday and went ahead and made an appointment to take Jeffrey to the pediatrician. He hasn't had a fever and hasn't been fussy at all. He's actually still sleeping better than he used to. The only thing that concerned me? He just kept pulling and holding onto his ears- very out of character for him. I decided that I would just go and suck up the co-pay and embarrassment if it turned out to be nothing or just teething. I needed to trust my gut, though. My gut? It was right. Poor little Jeffrey has his first illness of his life: an ear infection. It's not horrible, but it's enough to do something about. He's now on amoxycillin (which he's doing great with, thankfully), and we have some ear drops to help with pain as needed. After 10 days, he should hopefully be doing great! Just in time for his birthday party! We decided to just do the follow up at his 12 month appointment on the 22nd. I'll just keep an eye on him if things don't seem to be better after the 10 days. I have a feeling he'll do great, though. He's a trooper.

We almost made it to a year without a sick visit to the pediatrician or an illness (besides his clogged tear duct when he was a newborn)! We're very lucky to have such a healthy child, especially one that doesn't even act sick when he IS sick. It definitely taught me that I do know what I'm doing, that I know my child, and that I should always trust my mommy instinct.

I Voted.

Have you?

I have a lot of opinions. I think that comes from growing up with a father heavily involved in the local political scene and always challenging me to defend what I thought. I was taken to the polls with my parents every year, and I always looked forward to it. I can remember them having a little voting booth for kids there that I would stick that little stick in to vote on hot dog vs. hamburger or something along those lines. Old school, but it was awesome. I'd take my little ballot and go put it into the kids ballot box and be SO proud of myself. I had made a difference. I still feel that pride, and I am so thankful for the ability to express my opinions and help make a difference in our country (even when it may not seem like it does).

Get out there and do your civic duty. All I need is a jury summons, and you can call me Citizen of the Year ;)

Happy Halloween!

That was me last year. 37 weeks pregnant and pretty dang miserable. Halloween was a rough day. I was really sick and wanted to throw up and nothing I could do could help me feel better. I would just get these waves of nausea. I realized a few days later that I had dropped and the top of my belly hurt from being pulled down so much. That's also when I started to really have contractions. I'm pretty certain that's when I went into labor- yes, three weeks before he was born. I was freaking miserable those last few weeks. 

This year, though? Super fun! I wasn't just lying around on the floor with a trash can next to me. We were out and about and enjoying the Halloween activities (well, we also grocery shopped in the morning, lol). We took Jeffrey to the Halloween Carnival at The Little Gym and then trick-or-treating at our parents' house. We also did a few of the houses on my parents' street since it was so done up for the holiday. Kids EVERYWHERE. Jeffrey loved it! I'd call it a success for his first Halloween. His first Halloween also marks the last of his first holidays. Next up: his 1st birthday (holycrapit'snovember). Wow.