Teddy's birthday party!

Teddy's party was a rousing success!  We only had family in attendance but that was still 16 people!  I didn't fully realize the amount of work involved for the party, however.  The food alone was too much!  We had veggie trays, fruit plates and cheese and crackers, not to mention hot dogs and chicken on the grill and accompanying sides.  The theme was Winnie the Pooh and we'd made a few decorations, including a Mr. Sanders sign, a 100 Aker Wood sign and honeycomb snack mix in a "honey pot."

Dorian and Tim were lifesavers with the tables and chairs.  Dorian even brought balloons (which I had seriously not even thought of) and table decorations.  Everything looked awesome! Laurie made the Pooh cake which looked super cute and tasted great.

Teddy was free outside on the driveway for the first time (with 16 people watching his every move).  I was nervous about him walking around on the concrete but he did great!  He called out, "BALL!" at all the balloons and tried to grab them.  We didn't want his razor nails to pop them and give him a heart attack though!  He played with Uncle Chris in the yard and waved sticks around (very fun stuff for a one year old).

He cared not at all about the presents, though I thought he'd at least enjoy tearing the paper!  (He's since played with everything).  The cake smashing was hilarious.  He didn't really know what to do with it at first and acted like he didn't like the icing on his hands.  He eventually got into it however and the event culminated in a birthday bath.

I know he won't remember this at all, but I will have pictures forever and I know he had a good time!

Happy Birthday Teddy! (and some updates)

I haven't written very much about this pregnancy, probably partly because I'm busy with Teddy and partly because this blog seemed so much about him anyway.  Since I don't plan to start another blog when Oliver is born, I'd better get to making it about him too.  We also have a big milestone for the bear, which I'll get to.

So far the pregnancy has pretty much mirrored Teddy's.  I still have gestational diabetes and I still have random and violent vomiting/nausea episodes.  The only difference is that I've not had to go to the hospital.  I still feel just as bad, but it's a lot more difficult to just up and go to the ER with a baby.  I have it set up through my OB that I can go get fluids and IV Zofran if I need it at an urgent care, so that's always there.  So far though I've just toughed it out.  I should say, we've toughed it out because it's rough on everyone.  If Ed is off he has to take care of Teddy and me, and if he's not Teddy goes to grandma's.  There have been no weird shingles or anything like that, though I do have an abscess on my abdomen that came from an infected boil.  That's fun.  Don't think I can blame that on pregnancy though.

Oliver moves and kicks just as heartily as Teddy ever did.  He's very active.  I had an ultrasound yesterday and they said he weighs around 3 lbs and everything looks good.  We're 29 weeks so only 11 more to go!

Teddy is one year old today!  I can't believe it's been a year already!  It's really flown by.  He's such a good baby overall.  Of course he has his moments, where his temper emerges, but for the most part he is pretty delightful.  He's been walking for about a month and he's getting better.  He's taken a few tumbles and knocks to the head, but who hasn't?

He's been talking a little too.  He says, "Bah" for bottle and "Bao" for ball.  He uses "tiggy tiggy" as cat or dog (possibly any animal).  He also says "baby" which is perhaps his clearest word.

We're having a family birthday party on Saturday.  He (or I, really) likes Winnie the Pooh, so that's the theme.  I figure he won't remember it, but I'll always have pictures to look back on. (If I can find my camera!)

let's just have lettuce sandwiches

This is just a humorous story that happened the other night.  Eddie calls from work and asks if I wanted tomato sandwiches for dinner.  I reply that I don't like tomato sandwiches, but if you throw some bacon on there, I'm game.  So even though Ed goes right by Food Lion on his way home, I said I would go get the bacon because Teddy was cranky and we needed something to do.  So we head to the Lion and get bread, lettuce, cereal, some random other things and head back home.  It's then I realize I've forgotten the stinking bacon.  So mad!  So I decide that, as it's already 6:20 and Ed will be home soon, I will just wait and then he can stay with Teddy while I run back to the store.  So we wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Finally by 6:50 Ed calls, FROM WORK because his cell phone is at home.  I'm like, "You are NOT just leaving work!!" and he says, "Yeah, well.  I forgot the tomatoes and I had to go back."  I'm fuming because it's just a comedy of errors and I say, "Well you might as well go by Food Lion and get the bacon too, because I forgot it."

breastfeeding may not be for me

I support breastfeeding.  I support breastfeeding mothers.  I support breastfeeding mothers in Target, in Starbucks or out in their car because they like more privacy.  I tried breastfeeding my first child and it didn't go well.  It may have been better if I'd stuck it out, but after nearly a month, neither of us were getting it and it was better for my sanity to switch to formula.  It hurt and I hated, abhorred even, pumping.  I felt like a cow at a milking machine.  Poor cows.

I've debated whether or not to try with my next child.  Maybe it would be easier.  Maybe he'd be a natural and he and I would just get it down, right out of the gate.  Or maybe it would be too much stress on me with a new baby and a small (very small) toddler.  I take medications that may be contraindicated for breastfeeding mothers.  I NEED sleep to function, mentally.  Bottle feeding allows my husband take over some of the night feedings and allows me to sleep longer stretches.  (We had it worked out down to a science with each of us able to get 5-6 hour stretches each night by dividing up the schedule and going to bed at different times).

With formula, I know exactly how much food he is getting.  That was a huge issue for me while trying to breastfeed.  I had no idea how much he was eating - pumping did give me a little more peace of mind, but again - cow.

I have many reasons for not wanting to breastfeed.  I know breast is best for baby.  I also know that by giving formula, I'm feeding my baby, which is the most important thing.

no ten month old, you can't do that!

You’re recently mobile and the world has opened up for you.  Everything is bright and shiny and enticing.  I really can’t blame you for it and I love your curiosity about everything.  I love to watch you stand in the middle of the room, completely free of supporting objects, contemplating whether taking a step would result in forward motion or a plop to the ground.  There are just a few things, ten month old, that I need you to realize.

When you take your plastic truck and bop me on the head or knee or foot with it, it actually hurts.  It’s cute, but no, more it just hurts.  No ten month old, you can’t do that!

That ball that rolls on its own and plays cheerful music and makes animal sounds is incredibly heavy and hurling it as far as you can is not good for it or our floors.  Drop it on your foot and you’ll understand.  No ten month old you can’t do that!

Pulling on the mat on the end table is not a good idea because you’ll pull the lamp down on your head.  Trust me that hurts.  Don't ask me how I know. Same goes for the table cloth.  No ten month old, you can’t do that!

I know that kitty tails look custom designed for you to yank on them.  They look so nice swishing back and forth that the obvious thing to do is grab on and lean back like you’re a champion water skier.  However, it hurts the kitty and will likely result in a scratch or bite.  You won’t like that.  No ten month old, you can’t do that!

Stuffing as much food in your mouth at one time may seem like the easiest and fastest way to devour your food.  I know it’s delicious.  Most likely I made it.  But you’re going to choke and/or I’m going to have to dig in your mouth and pull it all out.  You won’t like it.  No ten month old, you can’t do that!

I know it looks like food, but it’s not.  It’s a leaf/grass/fuzz ball/button/stink bug, etc.   Stop putting things in your mouth.  Especially bugs.  That was disgusting.  No ten month old, you can’t do that!

I know the world is a fascinating place and you’re exploring it without a lick of sense as to what can or will harm you.  It’s my job to keep you safe, mostly from yourself.  But if you would just realize these things, it would make life a lot easier for both of us.  What’s that?  When I became your mom, there was a clause in tiny print?  It read, “Life, as you know it, will never be easy again.”  Well.  I guess I should get better at reading contracts.

**Note:  The writing of this post was interrupted numerous times in order for me to stop my ten month old from doing no less than four of the things on this list.  Most recently I rescued him from having his leg somehow wedged under the baby gate.  This post really wrote itself.

all rights for all

I am so sick of people who are against same sex marriage or homosexuality using the argument that it's a slippery slope to pedophilia, incest or bestiality.  It's not a slippery slope.  It's not even a slope!  It's on a whole other mountain altogether!  Seriously, people.  

Minnesota Vikings player, Josh Robinson used this argument on Twitter:

     "Love is love? So what will we say when the 30yr old loves YOUR 10 year old. When the dad loves HIS 6 year old?? It's different?? Yea okay!" 

This argument is so ridiculous, I can't even. I just can't.

As a society I believe we will NEVER condone such things as pedophilia, incest or bestiality.  Just because we believe in equal rights, doesn't stretch it this far.  I believe in a God of love and am disappointed in many of my friends on my newsfeed, but uplifted by so many others.  Thankfully, there are more of the latter.  

I want my kids to grow up to love all people; for them to be tolerant of all people regardless of race, sexual orientation, religious preferences, etc.  

names, names, names

Ok, I didn't appreciate how difficult naming a baby is until now.  With Teddy as soon as I found out he was a boy, I knew his name because Ed was unwavering in his desire to have a junior and call him Teddy.  I had no input and when I tried to change his mind and name the baby something original (original to him, not something like Origami Cheesecake) I was met with a strong no.  Even though I objected, it really took the pressure off because from that point on, I didn't have to think about it.

Now with boy 2 I have to actually come up with a name.  Had it been a girl, I'd have gone with Charlotte despite the newest princess (I'm not English, what do I care?).  Now, however, I have to decide on something.  The only name I have strong feelings about is Oliver.  Everything else is like, "Eh, it's alright."  The problem is, Ed doesn't like Oliver. I want to be stubborn and say, "I didn't get any naming rights for Teddy, I should be able to get the name I want for new baby."  He came up with a compromise that I am considering, which is Jackson Oliver.  I think Jack Mearns sounds really good.  The problem is I love Oliver as a first name.  (Both Jack and Oliver have also been used recently for friends' babies, but I'm getting over it...)

Other names on my short list have been Samuel, James, and Jacob.  Simon is in there too.

Ok, weigh in.