15 Weeks

I'm sad that The Blogger interface isn't great on the iPad. I would blog a lot more if it worked well, I swear.

Quick list of developments:

- Started grabbing ahold of your face and trying to eat it when you're close
- Started to consolidate sleep. Even when at home with me, taking one or two quick naps in the morning and a longer afternoon sleep, then maybe one more quick nap.
- The day he turned 15 weeks, he came down with his first cold. He now has no voice, which is adorable and pathetic at the same time. That day was also his first day at the sitter.
- Still rolling to his sides at will from his back. Doesn't seem to have an interest in rolling all the way over.

Meal Plan 8/12/12 - 8/18/12

After having a discussion with the Hubby a few nights ago, he took it upon himself to make our list of meals this week. Would I have preferred to do it with the ad? Sure, but I ended up finding some Managers Special meat anyway. Plus, how could I say something after he took the initiative and did it?

Sunday: Sloppy Joes and tater tots--I'm on my own for dinner with the kids tonight, so I wanted something super easy. This is also left over from last week, so the buns and meat needed to be used.

Monday: Broiled Tilapia and rice--Another leftover from last week. The package of fish from last week needs to be used and I picked up another on Manager's Special today. I can't say I'm a fish lover, but I don't want Baby Girl to not like fish just because I don't, plus there are health benefits to eating fish that I don't want to miss out on.

Tuesday: Cayenne Chicken--I got some chicken on Manager's Special (a rarity), so this will need to be used early in the week.

Wednesday: Tortilla Soup--I'll use some shredded chicken that was cooked during a batch cooking session before Baby Boy was born, so this will be an easy dinner.

Thursday: Tacos--And now, for the Mexican trifecta...  This taco meat was also made during a batch cooking session before Baby Boy was born. It's a good thing I'm okay with Mexican without cheese. I add avocado to make up for the creamy sour cream that I'm missing.

Friday: Pancake Bites--This sounds like a great Friday night dinner. I love breakfast for dinner (brinner) and usually The Hubby does a chunk of the cooking that night.

Saturday: Steak Salad--Something we've had before. Just basically veggies and steak sautéed and thrown over some lettuce.

Three Year Old Stats

Today we had Baby Girl's three year checkup with the pediatrician and she did really well. They weighed her, got her height, took her blood pressure, then did a general check-over. And she was deemed perfect :)

Stats:

Height: 37.25 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 35.6 pounds (75th percentile)

He doesn't have any areas of concern and mentioned her going to the dentist (she'll go with us to our next cleaning for her first). It was generally pretty uneventful. She got her sticker and wanted to check out the fishies.

On our way out I asked if we could check Baby Boy's weight. With clothes on he was 15 pounds 7 ounces. Wow. Baby girl was 15 lbs 15 oz at 6 months old. Geez.

14 Weeks

I'm actually really glad I waited a day to write this, because now I have new stuff to write about!

In the last week we've noticed Baby Boy being markedly more interested in being upright and just generally being less of a blob.  He can sit with something in his hands (so he's leaning forward) for about 5 seconds sometimes and he seems to love that little bit of independence.  He can also roll onto his sides if he wants.  And just this week he's started really getting his head up high when he's on his tummy.  He's pushing up with his hands some, but it's still mostly from arching his back.

The biggest thing is that today he rolled from tummy to back three times.  It only happened when I left his right arm sort of under him so he didn't have to figure out what to do with it when he rolled, but it was pretty cool.  It also really startled him and he sort of bonked his head on the floor (he was on his play mat on the rug, so it wasn't like it hurt him), but I cheered him and I think he understood that it was a good thing.

This week Baby Boy has really ramped up the drool.  Baby Girl never needed to wear a bib all day, but we may be moving in that direction with Baby Boy.  It just runs out of his mouth all over everything and everyone.  We even have moments of wondering if he's teething because he's cramming so much into his mouth and sometimes even getting fussy.  We know logically that he isn't, but it's worse than we ever remember Baby Girl being.

I've also been working on getting Baby Boy to nap in his crib.  We've had moments where he has done it, but it didn't last more than a half hour or so and we hadn't been consistent about it.  Yesterday he took two (or three?) naps in his crib for 45 minutes apiece.  I also put him down for his first nap this morning in there.  When he woke up he was obviously still tired, but wouldn't go back to sleep.  I let him nap on me for his later morning nap, but when time for his afternoon nap, I thought I'd put him in his crib.  I had to fight him to get him to sleep because he was overtired from having shorter naps this morning.  I swayed with him on his side with the binky in his mouth.  When he was obviously drowsy, I laid him down, then had to shh/pat him for about 5 minutes, again on his side with the binky in his mouth.  I also gave him a lovey--an elephant that is silky on one side and soft on the other.  Since he usually wakes at 45 minutes, I went upstairs after about 40 minutes, prepared to get him back to sleep.  He stirred a couple of times and I patted him a teeny bit.  I'm not sure if he would've gotten himself back to sleep or not, but I'm glad I was up there.  I came back down after he'd been asleep for a little over an hour (I didn't have a clock up there or I would've come down earlier) and he's still sleeping and has been for 1 hour 40 minutes.  This is all in an effort to get him to nap well for the sitter in a crib.

I will make a separate post about my impending return to work full time next Monday.  To say I'm dreading it is an understatement.  I held him earlier today and just sobbed at him--I'm really going to miss him.

I am the girl with the lame ringtone

Stepping away from mommy blogging for a moment (GASP!), I want to talk about technology and its role in my life.

You see, I WORK in technology.  I train people to use computers.  I create technological solutions for work problems.  I help develop computer systems.

But in my real life, technology just isn't all that important to me.  Do I love to have new toys?  Of course.  But it isn't a priority for me financially.  We have an iPad that we received as a gift.  We also have a nice TV that we received as a gift as well (from the same loving in-laws--I love their decision to just do one big gift for Christmas!).  Our laptop, however, is on its last legs and badly needs either overhauled or replaced, but we haven't made it a priority to do so yet.

This brings me to our cell phones.  My husband has an iPhone and I LUV it.  But he wouldn't have it if 1) he hadn't gotten birthday money from his parents to pay for about half of it and 2) work wasn't paying for the service.  It's actually a nice thing--instead of having to carry both a work-owned cell phone and a personal phone, he can have work pay entirely for the data and voice packages for his cell phone and just take work calls there (unless, of course, I hide his phone...not that I would ever do that).  So this means that when we're out and about together we do have access to the internet, maps, and email.  I can't find a way to justify spending the money on a fancy phone and data package for myself to be able to use when I'm not with him.

I have a green phone that was an upgrade from my last phone because it has an optional QWERTY keyboard.  Fancy, huh?  I pay $5 each month for 200 texts.  I pay extra if I receive any picture or video messages.  I pay if I access the internet.  My ringtones are the dorky ones that came with the phone. And I'm saving money and not terribly inconvenienced, so I don't really care.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to hoist this boombox onto my shoulder and take a walk. Why spend the money on a fancy new MP3 player when this 8-track player works just fine?

Three Months Old

Bubba (yep, this is what we're calling you right now),

When I found out we were having a boy, I wasn't excited.  I was actually downright disappointed at times.  I wanted another girl.  I wanted a girl to dress up, whose hair I could do, who would be sweet and loving and snuggly.  But I wasn't having a girl--I was having you.  I had a lot of apprehension from the moment we found out you were a boy until the day you were born.  And then when you were born, none of it mattered anymore; I was in love.  And that love hasn't wavered and I haven't had one moment of wishing you were a girl from the moment I met you.  You are so incredibly sweet, happy, laid-back, AND snuggly.  Is it possible that you'll become more independent than your sister and resist hugs and cuddles from Mommy?  Sure, and I dread that day.  But for now, I cannot imagine having any other baby.  I spend my days home with you (I'm only back to work part time right now) laughing and smiling.  The only time you cry is when you're tired or hungry, both of which can be fixed pretty easily.  You are the happiest baby I've ever seen and you have the best laugh.  You giggle at your big sister, even when she's being a little rough--I think you actually like it.  This morning, for instance, she was lifting your legs up to your chest while you were propped up in a sitting position on the couch.  Sounds uncomfortable for an adult!  She then pulled your legs down and would pull you from sitting to laying on the couch.  You thought it was the best thing ever.  I love watching the two of you together and love the gleam you get in your eyes when she's near.

I cannot wait to see what sort of man you grow into.  If you grow up to be exactly like your daddy I'll be a happy mommy.  I hope we can make that happen.  I want you to retain your laid-back, happy ways, to always go with the flow.  I want you to respect others.  I want you to understand work ethic and work hard to get the things you want in life.  I want you to have a silly streak.  I want you to understand that men don't have to hide their emotions.  There are so many things I want to teach you, my little man.

For now, though, I just want to hold you, talk to you, nibble on your chubby cheeks and thighs, and see that beautiful smile.

Love,
Mommy