Stay at home moms deserve a medal!

Well, Patrick and I survived my first official week home with no school or work prospects. It was a lot more challenging than I ever thought.  I still don't understand how these super moms get anything done! I love my little man so much but he sure does make it tough to get a resume together...Maybe it's his way of ensuring that I'll stay home with him forever :)

In order to keep us both out of trouble (and each other's hair) I tried to get out of the house as much as possible.  On Tuesday I was feeling adventurous enough to take him to the library.  Pman is so obsessed with books that I figured he would love it.  Boy was I right! He was so excited he couldn't even read a book. He just kept pulling books off one shelf and moving them to another. I'm sure the librarian loved us.  I tried to get him to sit and look at ONE book but it wasn't happening.  He had lots of fun though and we'll definitely be making it a regular trip.

We also spent A LOT of time outside.  The only way I can keep the house clean for 5 minutes is to get him out of it.  We blew bubbles, drew with chalk and tried to make it to the little play area in our neighborhood.  We never made it there because there are rocks along the sidewalk and he loves to stop and collect them.  And throw them. At cars...I did my best to teach him to only throw them past the fence into the green belt but the man has a mind of his own.  He had fun either way and he cried every time it was time to go inside.

He's such a goof! I don't know what this look is all about. Definitely trouble...

Like I said, stay at home moms deserve a medal. And a gold star. And a million dollars. And a massage. It takes a special kind of person to commit 100% of their time to their little one, and many that do this do not get enough credit.  I'm glad I have this time with Patrick and I know I should appreciate it more than I do.  Unfortunately, I think I'll be happier when I can spend part of my day missing him...Yes, I feel very guilty for feeling this way but I know a lot of moms do whether they admit or not. 

Great end to a loooong week!

Man, this week has been trying to say the least! We haven't had nights this rough with Pman since he was a newborn. I'll say it again. Molars. Are. EVIL.  The poor guy cut 2 big ol' chompers this week and his lower gums are still swollen as can be.  Fortunately, he's been sleeping better the last couple nights, so Tim and I are less likely to throw ourselves out a window.

I also spent the this week busting my butt to finish my LAST college course.  I graduated in December but I still had that stupid foreign language requirement to fulfill so I enrolled in a 3 week intensive ASL course. It's been a killer amount of work (which wasn't made any easier by the lack of sleep) but I nailed it in the end. Now I am officially a college graduate.  It feels amazing to be done!

To end the week, we spent the day celebrating one of the most awesome chicks on the planet.  I met Jessica Jami working at the OG over 8 years ago and we've been besties ever since. We spent the morning wine tasting in Lodi (yum!!!) and came back to our house for an awesome dinner and the NFC championship game.  It was a bummer to see the Niner's lose, but it was a great party with yummy food and amazing company. I made chocolate dipped cupcakes and cheesecake pops. Tim made tri-tip sandwiches and super bomb garlic shrimp (so I heard, I don't eat shrimp.)  It was one of the best birthday celebrations our group has had in my opinion. And that's saying something cause our crew knows how to get down for b-days :)

This pic is actually a couple years old but we were stupid and didn't take any today :(

Here's hoping today was the kick off to a better week than last...  

Molars are an evil monster!

A little background info....

We have been extremely lucky in regards to teething for the last 15 months.  Patrick got his first tooth at 6 months old and we didn't even know it! We went to the Dr for a check up and she asked if he had any teeth yet.  My reply was "Nope, and we have had no signs of any coming in any time soon." She put her finger in his mouth to check only to find the sharp ridges already cut through.  Shows how much I know... I was even breastfeeding at the time and didn't notice! Man, I'm such a genius. My little man cut that tooth and the next 7 with no issues.

We saw no more teeth for several months.  Then, a couple weeks ago I was investigating and found his first molar had already cut! This one appeared with no symptoms or complaints just like the last 8. I was thrilled that I got to escape all the horrors I'd heard and read about regarding teething. Oh, how naive I am.

Then, completely un-provoked, one of my favorite people in the world cursed us. My awesome sister in-law, Laura, has a great blog http://laurakristi.blogspot.com/. In recent post, she discussed the unpleasant teething experience she has had with my sweet baby niece.  She blamed me for setting unreasonable expectations that she too may escape the teething monster.  She had no such luck and poor Kaiya has had a rough time. I felt awful that the genetic connection between cousins didn't carry her through without pain. 

NOW, the evil monster has been released upon our innocent household! The last 3 nights have been unpleasant to say the least.  My poor baby has been up for hours whining and crying.  We can see his poor gums are swollen and red. He's extra drooly and his hands are constantly in his mouth.  I feel so bad for him and there is very little we can do.  All I can hope is that this one cuts soon and the remaining teeth are a little kinder to my sweet boy! I'm telling him he can thank Aunt Laura for this one :)

Shots are no fun

What does Patrick get for turning 15 months old? Just a couple needle sticks...

Let me start the discussion of this controversial issue by saying that I am PRO vaccination. I understand that, for society as a whole, the benefits outweigh the risks. I understand that without consistent vaccinations among the majority of the population, some very terrible illnesses would make their way back into circulation. I understand that some studies regarding the side effects of vaccinations have been widely discredited. I get it, I really do.


All that being said, vaccinations scare the crap out of me.  Being the information whore that I am, I refuse to put anything into my child's body that I have not fully researched and understand the benefits and risks. If you've read about what is in those little syringes, I'm sure you agree with me. It's more than a little frightening! Live viruses? Formaldehyde? Mercury? You want to inject those into my sweet innocent baby? It may be beneficial to society as a whole but it's hard to put the benefit of society over the safety of your individual baby. Yes, there are of course benefits to your baby too but couldn't I just lock him in the house for the next 25 years and protect him that way?

Because of the information I've found, we have opted to follow an alternative vaccination schedule that is fully supported by our physician.  We have taken into consideration recent outbreaks of illnesses (like whooping cough) and designed our schedule accordingly. I feel much more comfortable only exposing Patrick to 1 or 2 vaccines at a time in order to limit the hit to his immune system and to better monitor for reactions. If anyone is interested in seeing our schedule, I'd be happy to provide it.

So, today Patrick had 2 shots.  He unfortunately has to go back the next 3 months in a row. That's the down side of the alternative schedule. Lots more visits to the Dr. But, he handled the sticks like a champ. Of course he cried but he was better in no time. I love my strong little man!

Just a couple minutes after his 2 shots he is back to his happy self.

Time does fly

In honor of Patrick turning 15 months today, I thought I'd make a list of what makes my little man so awesome...

 

He hugs back. He wraps his arms around my neck and squeezes so tight that I know he's telling me how much he loves me without saying a word.


He dances. Shakes his booty, flaps his arms and twirls in circles.  There is such obvious joy on his face when he is getting down!


He blows kisses.  Really? Is there anything sweeter than a tiny hand throwing you a kiss on your way out the door. Makes my whole day better.


He has awesome hair. Nuf said...

He runs when you chase him.  Not only does he run, but he runs so fast that his legs can't keep up and he falls flat on his face. He then jumps up and keeps running...


He laughs.  Yes, babies laugh but it's different than the toddler laugh. P-man has a full on belly laugh. It's deep and loud and he sometimes can't catch his breath because he's laughing so hard.  Listen to that for 2 seconds and try to be in a bad mood.


He thinks being naked is great.   He's developing quite the appreciation of his um, entire anatomy...He would never wear pants if he was given the option which he is not. He can't be trusted.


He loves to read. I watched today with a swelling heart as my husband lovingly read the same book to my son for the 15th time in a row. I hope my child loves words and reading as much as his parents do.

He knows what he wants. For better or worse, he has opinions. These feelings make him who he is and I wouldn't change his personality for anything.

 

There are a million things to appreciate about Patrick Finn. He's spectacular! I marvel at his awesomeness and every day I'm surprised and impressed by him.  He's changed me in every way a person can change for the better. I've enjoyed the last 15 months more than I could have ever imagined...

You gotta feed the kid!

If you are a parent, you understand. From the day your child is born, you are completely consumed by their dietary intake (and output, but more on that later.) Your whole day is spent looking at the clock in order to calculate how long it's been since baby ate last, how long until he will want/need to eat again.  You endlessly worry that he's getting enough to eat, too much to eat, the wrong thing to eat.  Should you breast feed, formula feed? Avent, Tommy Tippee, Born-Free, no bottle? Infamil, Similac, soy, organic??? These decisions will bring enough panic inducing anxiety to bring any super mom to tears... and the nut house.  Dad will stress too, but mom is much more likely to lose sleep over the fact that baby only ate 21 ounces today and the book says he should be eating 22.

Our first week home. I had to nurse him like a football because of my incision. It required 14 pillows and a pit crew to get us both comfortable.  It took about 20 minutes to get set up. Then he would nurse for 5 minutes and fall asleep. Rinse and repeat...

Around 4-6 months baby is generally starting solid foods. (not all babies are ready at this point but most are) This is great fun for a variety of reasons. I loved making my own baby food and he seemed to enjoy pretty much everything I made. I fell in love with wholesomebabyfood.com and spent the next few months happily steaming, baking and pureeing away.

Fast forward to 15 months old.  My child won't eat anything. Unless it's mine. (see previous post :) I've spend countless hours and dollars trying every possible recipe and trick I can find.  I scour the Internet. I bake. I steam. I grill. I even fry. Nothing works. Yesterday I made sweet potato fries. They were delicious! I coated raw, organic sweet potatoes with evoo and some rosemary. Baked until they were crispy on the outside. Yum, right? Patrick threw them directly on the floor...

He doesn't like veggies, or meat, or tofu, or fish, or beans or rice. He likes cheese....and fruit. That's about it. It wouldn't be a big deal but ever since he became mobile (around 6 months) he has dropped in weight percentile, confirming my fears that I am, in fact, a completely incompetent parent and the hospital made a huge mistake in sending Patrick home with me :) Maybe I'm overstating a little, but that's exactly how it feels when your child doesn't eat.  It's personal. It feels like they may die of malnutrition at any moment if he doesn't eat a particular meal. I wonder when/if you ever stop worrying about your child's diet...

I have a social butterfly

Before Patrick came along, Tim and I spent hours talking about what we hoped our child would be like. We hope our son would get all the best qualities his parents have. Please Lord, let him get Tim's coordination. Otherwise, there will be no sports in his future! We hoped he would get communication skills from me. Tim is an amazing friend and partner but he's not exactly a big talker :) Yesterday I got positive confirmation that our mission has been successful.

I'm very grateful that Patrick is a confident child. He never cries when we leave him. He doesn't panic when I'm out of his sight. He seems to understand that his parents will always be there for him if and when he needs us. For this I'm grateful. BUT I do wish he had a little more comprehension of stranger danger.

Yesterday, Patrick and I went to Panera for some soup. (I'm more than a little obsessed with their chicken and wild rice) Patrick sat in his high chair and greeted every person there. Hi! Hi! Hi! He was a huge hit and the whole restaurant was commenting how adorable he is. Well, yeah... As we were leaving I put him down to grab a drink. He was right next to me when a man walked by. Patrick gave him an enthusiastic Hi! and the guy stopped to chat with him. Patrick immediately lifts his arms for this complete stranger to pick him up! Now I'm sure this guy was very nice but he was looking a little creepy. Construction worker with dirt and paint all over his clothes, tattoos on his neck, ponytail longer than mine and yellow stains on his crazy looking mustache from years of smoking. Not exactly someone you want holding your baby...

Fortunately, this guy did not take Patrick up on his invite to hold him.  He smiled very nicely, patted him on the head and told me 'It doesn't get any cuter than that', I agree! I just really hope that no one ever tries to kidnap my child. Is it still kidnapping if the child invites himself to go with the criminals???

Why bother?

New parents mostly understand the big things that will change after having a child. It's another story to understand the little things. Like cleaning house... 

Please understand, I love a clean house. I think there are few greater pleasures in life than getting into a comfy bed with crisp, clean sheets. The way freshly vacuumed carpet feels under bare feet is mind blowing. When I walk into my house after I've dusted and cleaned all the floors, the smell of clean instantly puts me in a better mood. I'm a freak. Yes. I'm also a bit of a germaphobe so I do keep things clean.


All that being said, I hate cleaning...a lot. And 'cleaning' while P-man is around is even more trying. I use 'cleaning,' because it has a whole new meaning with a toddler attached at the heels. Cleaning with Patrick around is tedious, illogical and just plain idiotic! The term two steps forward one step back, is an understatement. Really, it's not cleaning. It's picking up toys off the floor and putting them on any available surface just long enough to clean the floor underneath. I have approximately 45 seconds after picking up an item to clean underneath before said item will return to it's proper place in the middle of the living room or be replaced by another (undoubtedly larger) item.


Case in point, this morning I  tried to clean my fridge. Of course Patrick had to help.

proceeded by...

After safely cleaning up the broken glass, he of course had to 'help' me mop the floor.

 In the end, my fridge and floors got cleaned. I would live in a pig sty for the rest of my life if it meant my little man was happy. It's easy to get frustrated and forget it's sooo worth it :)  While I do wish my house would stay clean for more than 45 seconds, I wouldn't trade for anything...

My son is a cheesy ham...

My family recently had a really fun photo shoot with Katie Rozental from PhotographyBee. After the shoot, I of course joined her Facebook page so I could see pictures from our shoot the moment they are posted. For the new year, Katie has set a 52 week picture challenge that sounds like fun so I'm gonna do my darndest to participate. I know a few people are doing a 365 day picture challenge but that was very overwhelming to me.  What happens if you forget on day 275?  The whole year is ruined!!!  I couldn't handle the stress :) Every week Katie will announce a theme for the week and we have the whole week to snap a shot that fits that theme. It's not a contest. Just fun!  This week was pretty easy...Smile!

Of course nothing with a 14 month old is ever as easy as you think its going to be. I thought if I tried to teach Patrick how to say cheese he might hold still long enough to have his pic taken. It worked, but now I get this uber cheesy grin every time he sees the camera. I love this little ham!!!

Don't mind the shiny face. He just had a bath and is covered in Aquaphor..

Love this kid...

Best Diet Ever!

Ok, so the title of this is a bit misleading...my proposal is not so much a diet but a life change :)

Recently I've been one of those people I previously hated. I magically lost 10lbs without trying! I wasn't exactly a size 2 before, but 10lbs was a lot of weight for me to lose so mysteriously. I didn't  think much of it and attributed the loss to stress from school and an epic bout of food poisoning.

Today I was eating a cookie (and by cookie I mean Kashi organic, granola filled, oat laced, carob drizzled piece of cardboard) when I had a revelation...Without even noticing I had cut the portion of everything I eat by at least 1/3 sometimes as much as 1/2. Now we all know how important portion control is to weight loss/maintenance. My suggestion to anyone looking for an easy way to cut portions? Invest in a 14 month old!  No matter where you go or what you do, this little hoover will follow the sound of every cabinett or refrigerator opening. With every rustle of every plastic wrapping, a little pitter patter will shortly follow and you will be greeted with a gaping mouthed baby bird that expects their fair share of anything you might enjoy. Heaven help you if you should try to deny this little one his rightful share.  You will likely suffer the wrath that is a full blown toddler meltdown of tears streaming, head banging, fist pounding and screaming. Oh the screaming...Isn't it easier to just give him a dang bite? Yes, yes it is. And yes, I also understand that you may be enjoying the exact same thing that you offered said hoover for lunch only 5 minutes ago and he refused to eat it by chucking it directly into your hair and/or carpet.  This is besides the point.  Anything you have is instantly more delicious and desirable than anything you may have offered. Ever.

Voila! Instant weight loss and a happy child.  This makes for one happy mama! My husband is always telling me that kids are a terrible investment but dividends are already paying with this one...

Kickin off 2012...

I've never been great at New Year's resolutions. I always have big ideas but I tend to lack when it comes to execution. This year I'm actually gonna do it!

First resolution intention, check! I have always wished I did a better job at documenting my life. I can't even count the number of journals I have started only to forget, get too busy or too lazy to continue. My hope is this blog will be simple enough for me to keep up with at least a couple times per week. It seems like I all the coolest people I know are blogging, and I'm always striving to be more cool :) Special shout out to one of my favorite people, Laura Cronin, who constantly inspires me to do more (this new project included.)

In case you're wondering, yes, this blog will primarily be about the most important person in my life. My son Patrick blows my mind everyday and without a doubt, he will be the primary source of any writing inspiration I may have. I hope you enjoy hearing about him and the rest of my family as I begin to document our life in 2012! I wish all my friends and family the best in this new year...