Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Milo's busy weekend

The three-day weekend was quite busy for little Milo. Saturday, we went to a friend's barbecue, where Milo was popular with the ladies (especially the grandma-type ladies). The S.O. and I got a bit of a break while everyone else held Milo. Milo slept extra long that night. I didn't, though, because I'm so used to him waking more often that I was awake checking on him.

Sunday included shopping and a trip to the library.

Then Monday we took Milo to Fort Logan National Cemetery to visit his paternal grandfather's grave site.

I know Milo won't remember this weekend but I think it's important for us to start make family memories now. Sure, it's easier to stay at home and watch movies or to go places separately so we don't have to haul Milo and all his stuff, but it's a lot more fun to do these things together.

On a more serious note, I also think it's important for Milo to visit his grandfather's grave and to understand (someday) what all those headstones mean to our country.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Heads up!

When you're almost six weeks old, just about everyday results in reaching a milestone. Milo has been supporting his own head for longer and longer periods of time. And it's just too cute.
Next, he'll be trying to control what we watch on TV.
Milk mouth
I remind myself to cherish each of these moments because before I know it, he'll be sitting up, walking, starting school, driving. Time will fly.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Future fan

One of Milo's aunts works for the University of Illinois -- which is my alma mater, by the way -- and sent him some Illini-themed gifts. Among them was a cute picture frame that says, "Born to be an Illinois Fan!"

Because the S.O. and I have a weird sense of humor, and because the sports teams at Illinois have had a tendency to choke in crucial situations (at least when I was a student there), we put this picture in the frame.

Because if he's a true fan, he will have to get used to the tears.

OK. OK. The Illini have made it to the Final Four in basketball and have had bowl wins in football. but come on, it's still funny.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Family outing

This afternoon, the whole family went for a walk. The S.O. and I packed Milo into his Baby Bjorn, strapped Ripley into her harness, put on our walking shoes and took a hike around the block.

True, it wasn't much of an outing, but it's one of my first small steps toward getting back in shape. I see the doctor next week and I expect her to release me to exercise. Still, I don't think I'll be ready for Boot Camp or boxing for a while.

We really need to get a tripod so we can get photos of these family moments! Because we don't and we didn't, here's a picture of Milo in his superhero cape.*
*Actually a picture of what it looks like when you swaddle your baby while you're half asleep.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Milo rocks!

make avatar
Milo rocks out in his gDiaper on the blanket Auntie Melinda made.

(The jury is still out on whether we love or hate the gDiapers. I'll try to post a review when we decide.)

Friday, May 20, 2011

Who's the momma?

During a recent thunderstorm, everybody wanted to be close to Momma.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Oops

Looks like we read the wrong parenting guides.

Today's "F Minus"

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

They grow up so quickly

We took Milo for his four-week check up yesterday. He's gained nearly 2 pounds and grown an inch since his two-week appointment. The S.O. points out that if Milo continues this growth trend, he'll be 5 feet tall by the time he's 10 months old. I said I didn't think it worked that way.

Still, it does seem like a lot of growth for such a little guy. Then again, he has been eating about every two hours pretty consistently. It's a good thing he's so damn cute, otherwise I might be annoyed by the constant interruptions to my sleep.

But how could I be annoyed at this?

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Baby's first boo boo

The S.O. and I haven't quite got the hang of trimming Milo's nails. Usually, we keep his hands covered with baby mittens. But this morning, during his outfit/diaper change, his hands were free and he managed to scratch himself pretty good.
I'll admit to a Mommy freak-out when I saw a bead of blood just below his eye. I'm sure the more experienced parents out there will tell me this is nothing. I know it's minor, but it's still scary.

Monday, May 16, 2011

One month old

Dear Milo,

Wow! Has this been a crazy month or what? You went from being in Mommy's tummy to becoming an actual person at the center of our little universe. You took your sweet time joining us in the world (although the doctor said that might actually be due to the shape of Mommy's pelvis), and I have spent the past four weeks recovering from your arrival.

Milo, just a few minutes old

Your daddy and I have done a lot of adjusting, getting used to just having you around and figuring out your ever-changing feeding schedule. We've done loads and loads of laundry, as you overflow with bodily functions. We're learning how to get around with a baby -- boy, do you need a lot of stuff just to run to the store! And we're learning to go back to sleep despite all the little grunts and gurgles you make as you drift off.

I'm not going to say it's been an easy month. There have been a lot of ups and downs, including a few Mommy meltdowns. You can be quite the demanding little fellow when you're hungry and you really don't care what else is going on or how long it's been since you last ate. And I can be quite the weepy Mommy when I'm sore and sleep deprived.

Milo at four weeks

There have been plenty of tears of frustration, but when I look at you sleeping or having tummy time or even when you're trying to squirm away from us as we change your diaper, I am amazed by how much laughter you bring to our lives.

Thoughts of the aches and pains of pregnancy and childbirth, the late night feedings, the extra money spent on diapers and laundry fly out the window when make your funny faces, when you coo as I nurse you and as you drift off to sleep as I hold you.


I've said it before -- and I will say it many times in the months and years to come -- I love you. I love you more than I ever thought possible. The morning sickness, the weight gain, the months of getting kicked in the ribs, heck, even the back labor are all totally worth it when I look at your sweet little face. You've stolen my heart little man.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. Today is Daddy's birthday, so be extra nice to him. OK?

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Nearly Wordless Weekend

The "kids" and me
Ripley might be a wee bit jealous of Milo.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Enter and win!

Want to win a KitchenAid mixer? This Friday the 13th could be your lucky day!

Click on the right hand corner of the Her Channel media bar (the dark bar at the very top of my page). That link will direct you to a quick survey page. After you fill out the survey, you will be automatically entered to win!

The winners will be chosen at random and the lucky names will be announced on May 18th.

And don't forget to check out some of the videos Her Channel has to offer -- from health advice like losing the baby weight to parenting tips and more.

UPDATE: This contest is now closed.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Food Tidings

Did I tell you about this site? My awesome friend Heather set up a schedule -- with the help of some other awesome friends -- to bring me and the S.O. meals three days a week.

Way back when -- before Milo was born -- I reposted a list of ways to assist new parents. Because I refused to give my underpants size, friends decided to help out by bringing food. And it has been awesome. Most days, there has been more than enough for at least a couple meals. And everything has been so tasty, leftovers are great.

Not only does having food brought in save us the trouble of cooking, it saves us from having to decide what to fix or pick up for dinner. I had no idea how exhausting decision making could be (not as exhausting as breastfeeding, but close).

I am so grateful to all my friends who have (or will) pitch in to take care of the S.O. and me so we can concentrate on taking care of Milo. I highly recommend this site and this idea for any new parent (or anyone who is convalescing).

Take a hike

The S.O. is pretty excited about the Baby Bjorn. Milo? Not so much.
We'll all have to wait a few days before we get out anyway. Springtime in Colorado means for every warm sunny day, we get a cold gloomy one.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

The past couple of Mother's Days have been pretty hard for me. My own mother died in 2008, just a few months after I had a miscarriage. So Mother's Days served as a reminder that not only was I not a mother, I didn't have a mother. (Not to throw a pity party here because plenty of people have similar losses.)

This year will be my first Mother's Day as a mommy. And even though I've only been a mommy for about three weeks, I appreciate my own mother now more than ever.
My mom and dad with their first son
Mom taught me so many things, among them:
  • Make sure your son knows that no matter how big he gets, you can still beat his bottom.
  • You can make all kinds of arts and crafts with egg cartons and dish soap bottles.
  • Mealtime is family time.
  • Inner strength is greater than (but also equal to) physical beauty.
  • Love your children unconditionally.
  • Support your kids' clubs and causes, including (but not limited to) Scouts, bake sales and concerts and sporting events of every kind.
  • The best memories are made at the simplest times -- around a game board, making Christmas treats together, staying for the next showing of a movie so you can watch it one more time.
Me with my son
I can only hope to be as good a mother as my mom was. And I can only hope Milo loves me half as much as my brothers and I loved -- and still love -- our mom.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Boy bonding

Mommy takes a break and let's Daddy and Milo bond.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

"Expert" advice

I recently finished listening to "Bossypants" by Tina Fey. I highly recommend it. She reads it herself. Which just adds to the experience, in my humble opinion. (It's also available in print.)

The entire book is laugh-out-loud funny, but I got special enjoyment out of the chapters about motherhood. She considers herself an expert because she has one child and has been on TV. (More credentials than others.)

My favorite piece of advice is "sleep when your baby sleeps." She admits everyone gives this advice to new mothers. She suggests taking it a step further with things like scream when your baby screams and take Benedryl when your baby takes Benedryl and poop in the tub when your baby poops in the tub.

The only downside to listening to this book while feeding Milo was that my raucous laughter often scared him and distracted him from the task at hand.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Squeamish Mommy

This morning, I unwrapped Milo's swaddling blanket to discover his cord stump had fallen off sometime since his last diaper change. It was laying quite peacefully along the top edge of his diaper. Am I horrible because it gave me the heebie jeebies? Seriously, I couldn't bring myself to pick it up and dispose of it. The S.O. reached over and plucked it off Milo and unceremoniously set. it. on. his. nightstand.

I know it's a part of my baby (a part of me, as well, if I really think about it) but it was icky. And of course, now I worry that I don't love my baby enough if I find that little thing so icky I didn't want to touch it.

How could I not love this little man?
I don't really think I don't love Milo enough. I think I'm just a little too squeamish and need to work on getting over that. There are going to be plenty of opportunities for me to have to deal with icky things -- and the S.O. won't always be there to put it someplace inappropriate.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Growing like a (baby) weed

Showing off his guns - Bang! Pow!
Milo visited the doctor this morning for his two-week checkup. Everything looks pretty good, and he has grown. Apparently, I'm doing something right when it comes to breastfeeding. (Thank goodness! I'd hate to think I was this exhausted for no reason.)

His weight at birth was 7 pounds, 4.5 ounces. He lost 10 percent of that before we were discharged, so I was happy to see his weight was 7 pounds, 10.5 ounces this morning. That puts him in the 46th percentile for weight.

When he was born, Milo was 20 inches long. This morning they measured his "height" at 21.5 inches. That puts him in the 96th percentile for height. I'd like to think that means my boy will be tall and slim (unlike his mommy).

Of course, I will love him no matter what. It's just nice to know he is growing and thriving.