I know I know... my entire last post was also around baby sleep. But I have an almost 5 month old, sleep is my current obsession!
So the dreaded sleep regression has passed. Sam and I have also re-worked his 'schedule' since his old one (a nap in between every feeding) was seeming like it wasn't working as well. He now takes a 2 hour nap twice a day. He's been napping (tightly swaddled) in his swing. And sleeping (tightly swaddled) in his crib. This was all working great (and maybe 4 days out of 7 is still working great). I was putting him down in his swing drowsy, leaving him for a few minutes, then going in and rocking him the rest of the way to sleep. I was afraid this was messing up any chance of him falling asleep on his own, but on the contrary, it taught him HOW to go to sleep on his own. So he would be given a kiss, and placed all swaddled up into his swing. Within a few minutes he would be asleep and I would go get him 2 hours later. At night he wasn't quite nursing all the way to sleep anymore, he would wake up as I re swaddled him, but would go quietly into his crib and fall asleep on his own. Awesome right? Why change?
He's getting too big for his velcro swaddle blanket. Not too big as in he doesn't fit (I just bought a bigger size). But too big as in too old. He can roll from back to belly now, and although he doesn't even TRY to roll when he's swaddled, I'm still nervous that he'll manage to flip over and not have his hands to help get his face out of the mattress. He's also a lot stronger, so when he moves through sleep cycles and wiggles, he manages to wriggle those little arms up and out of the blanket, and in the process, wakes himself up. He ends up very grumpy that he is now awake and his arms are waving around. So a lot of nights I'm up and down a couple times to re wrap him. Very frustrating. So I know it's time to sleep 'like a big boy' with those arms out and free.
I tried 2 nights of leaving one arm out. Why I chose to do this during the week, and not the weekend when I can have James' help at night, is beyond me. The first night wasn't horrible. He woke up twice just needing me to pop in his binky and hold his arm down for a moment. He then woke up to eat, and went back down til morning. Not horrible. Not ideal, but not horrible. The next night? Absolute disaster. He woke up and it after an hour, or was it 2? It's blurry... we'll just say, after a LONG time of shushing him from outside his crib, rocking him to sleep only to have him wake up and cry the second I laid him down, walking around and around and around the nursery, he finally fell asleep after nursing for a few minutes (clearly wasn't hungry, but used nursing to settle enough to sleep) slept for maybe 2 or 3 hours, and woke again. This time I just gave up and reswaddled him after he ate.
Was this the worst night we could have possibly had? No. Really, he has spoiled us so much his first 4.5 months of life, that getting up any more than 1 time feels like a 'bad' night. Should I complain? No. No I really shouldn't. But after this night I did do a little re-evaluation of my plan for swaddle free sleeping. In doing research, I found that most people recommend starting with naps to wean off the swaddle. Hmmm and here I was still wrapping him up tight and depositing him in his swing. A bit of nighttime sleep sabotage I think. So I came up with a new plan. First, get him to nap in his crib. Second, get him to nap without being swaddled. LAST, get him to sleep at night without the swaddle. With this excellent plan in place, and feeling excited that a better sleep plan was in our future, I promptly forgot all about it, found a tighter way to swaddle, and enjoyed the weekend. My logic? I needed a few days to regroup and get myself good and rested before starting this journey. It worked, Sam slept pretty good in the new, tighter swaddle. When he did have a couple issues, I had James to help. So I was able to get in some good rest.
Now here we are. Monday morning! Sam slept great last night. In bed at 8:30, woke at 4:15to nurse, put him in his crib slightly awake around 4:45, didn't hear from him again til 7:30. So we are both rested and ready to start this!
Nap #1: 0930. Swaddled tightly, laid in crib awake with intentions of going in and rocking the rest of the way to sleep, as was done to help him fall asleep in his swing. Not needed! Feel asleep on his own! Currently 1036 and still sleeping! *knock on wood*
My goal is 4 days in a row of good naps in his crib. Then 4 days in a row of good naps without a swaddle for naps. Then we're on to nighttime.
Oh! I hear him... gotta go help him stay asleep!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Growing Boy = Tired Mama!
Today is October 1st. In less than a week Sam will be 4 months old. Whaaaat?! This is ridiculous... where the heck did summer go? Where the heck did my tiny baby go? He's trying really hard to sit up on his own, rolling from his tummy to his back, scooting around on his tummy, standing up and playing in his exersaucer, 'talking' up a storm, giggling, reaching for things, and I think soon we'll be seeing at least 2 little teeth poke on through!! He's growing so fast!
Let's talk a little about baby growth spurts. When a baby has a growth spurt, they want to eat constantly (for a breastfed baby, this helps in upping the mama's milk supply to fulfill the bigger baby's new nutritional needs) Babies tend to have growth spurts at 3 & 6 weeks, and 3 & 6 months. Sam's 3 & 6 week growth spurts were kinda rough, but not too bad. They only lasted a day or 2 and I just cancelled any and all plans we had and nursed constantly. So I said, "Bring it on 3 month growth spurt! I know how to handle these things" HA! This thing didn't last a day or 2, this thing didn't only consist of nursing 24/7, followed by a few days with an incredibly sleepy baby. OH NO, this growth spurt was brand new territory!! Perhaps it would have been a bit easier to handle if it weren't for a little something called the "4 Month Sleep Regression"...
What is the "4 Month Sleep Regression" you ask? Well, it's when babies start sleeping more 'adult-like' as in going through all the same sleep cycles that we do. The difference is, babies (well most of them anyway) have trouble transitioning from one sleep cycle to the next. Whereas an adult would hardly recognize the transition as they flip over, fix the covers, or smooth a pillow, a baby suddenly finds themselves awake when all they really want to do is sleep.
I like to think I was pretty well educated on pregnancy, child birth, newborn babyhood, and babyhood in general, even before I found out I was pregnant with Sam. When I did find out I was pregnant, I like to think I became even more educated, and besides for a few first time mom nerves, I felt pretty confident that I knew basically what to expect. And, so far, I was right. I'm not saying it was any easier since I knew what was going on, but it was helpful to have an idea ahead of time about what was to come.
Enter 4 month sleep regression....
I had NEVER heard of this thing before! So when my perfectly behaved little baby suddenly stopped wanting to take his (normally very structured, and led by him, not me) naps, at first I just chalked it up to him being older and more alert. I just made sure he got SOME sleep during the day, but still felt okay about it, as he was still sleeping great at night. Better and better each night in fact! He was always in his crib, fast asleep at 9, and was steadily increasing the amount of time he would sleep before waking up to eat. Then he would always go back to sleep after eating, and sleep until 7 or 8 in the morning. One night, a glorious thing happened. Sam was asleep at 9. James and I went to sleep between 10 and 11... and then were woken by Sam talking through the monitor at.... dun dun dun... 7 am!!!!! It was amazing! I didn't rememeber the last time I had had a full night's sleep! Certainly not when I was pregnant! This behavior kept up! I was full of energy! I was ridiculously productive! Everything was wonderful! Then James went to Florida for a week for some training. One night Sam was up to eat at 5, then back to sleep. No biggie, not a full night, but pretty darn close! The next night, ate at 4. Okay why are we going backwards? Next night, up at 3 and had a little trouble going back to sleep after eating. The next night, up at 2:30, lots of trouble going back to sleep. Next night, up at 2, 5, and 6:30. Ummm, what the heck? We proceeded in this pattern for a while, then James came back and we had a night or two of only waking once, around 4. Then back to up twice. Then up at 1:30, 3, 5, 5:45, 6:30... these nights were coupled with days of a cranky cranky boy fighting sleep like it was his job. I visited my old friend google, and this is when I discovered this lovely '4 Month Sleep Regression' Maybe I felt better knowing it had a name? I don't know, I was too tired!!
I got the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution" on my Nook. I am very opposed to the "Crying It Out Method" I fully understand taking a break from your crying baby because you might be getting frustrated, but I do not believe in leaving your baby to cry in his or her bed until he or she basically passes out from sheer exhaustion. Does it work for some people? Sure. Just doesn't work for our family.
So anyway... "The No Cry Sleep Solution". It sounded like a good plan. I would need to start with keeping a sleep log. Then use the tools in the book to tailor make a plan for us. My plan was to start with naps, I knew if I could get him to get enough sleep during the day, he would sleep better at night. I read the book in one day, planning to begin the next day. And what happened the next day you might ask?
Sam slept.
Here I was with a notebook and a plan, and the little stinker takes a 2 hour nap, plus 3 45 minute naps. That night he goes down at 9, wakes at 3:30, eats, back down by 4, and up for the day at 7. Did he know I just spent some time figuring out a plan and thought, "Meh... I'll just do it myself. Thanks anyway Mom." or was it just coincidence? Did I care either way? NOPE!
Now we're on the right track, we still have some nights where he's up more than once, but usually he just needs to be re-swaddled (yes... my 4 month old refuses to sleep without being swaddled... I'm just rolling with it, he'll sleep in freedom eventually) Once a night he does need to eat, but any other time he gets up, he goes back down pretty easily. Naps are hit or miss day to day, but lately there have more hit than miss days as I play around with a nap routine. Hopefully as this growth spurt (both physically and developmentally) slows down a bit, we'll settle back into a day to day routine. Probably just in time for the 6 month growth spurt ;) At least this time I'll know a little more what to expect!!
The 30 Day Shred I posted about last time? Postponed until I can get Sam's napping under control. I'm actually hoping to start up again on Monday :) Hopefully anyway
It's funny to me the things I find interesting enough to blog about these days... hehe Oh how my life has changed... but I'm loving it :)
Now... some more pictures of the cutest baby in the world...
Let's talk a little about baby growth spurts. When a baby has a growth spurt, they want to eat constantly (for a breastfed baby, this helps in upping the mama's milk supply to fulfill the bigger baby's new nutritional needs) Babies tend to have growth spurts at 3 & 6 weeks, and 3 & 6 months. Sam's 3 & 6 week growth spurts were kinda rough, but not too bad. They only lasted a day or 2 and I just cancelled any and all plans we had and nursed constantly. So I said, "Bring it on 3 month growth spurt! I know how to handle these things" HA! This thing didn't last a day or 2, this thing didn't only consist of nursing 24/7, followed by a few days with an incredibly sleepy baby. OH NO, this growth spurt was brand new territory!! Perhaps it would have been a bit easier to handle if it weren't for a little something called the "4 Month Sleep Regression"...
What is the "4 Month Sleep Regression" you ask? Well, it's when babies start sleeping more 'adult-like' as in going through all the same sleep cycles that we do. The difference is, babies (well most of them anyway) have trouble transitioning from one sleep cycle to the next. Whereas an adult would hardly recognize the transition as they flip over, fix the covers, or smooth a pillow, a baby suddenly finds themselves awake when all they really want to do is sleep.
I like to think I was pretty well educated on pregnancy, child birth, newborn babyhood, and babyhood in general, even before I found out I was pregnant with Sam. When I did find out I was pregnant, I like to think I became even more educated, and besides for a few first time mom nerves, I felt pretty confident that I knew basically what to expect. And, so far, I was right. I'm not saying it was any easier since I knew what was going on, but it was helpful to have an idea ahead of time about what was to come.
Enter 4 month sleep regression....
I had NEVER heard of this thing before! So when my perfectly behaved little baby suddenly stopped wanting to take his (normally very structured, and led by him, not me) naps, at first I just chalked it up to him being older and more alert. I just made sure he got SOME sleep during the day, but still felt okay about it, as he was still sleeping great at night. Better and better each night in fact! He was always in his crib, fast asleep at 9, and was steadily increasing the amount of time he would sleep before waking up to eat. Then he would always go back to sleep after eating, and sleep until 7 or 8 in the morning. One night, a glorious thing happened. Sam was asleep at 9. James and I went to sleep between 10 and 11... and then were woken by Sam talking through the monitor at.... dun dun dun... 7 am!!!!! It was amazing! I didn't rememeber the last time I had had a full night's sleep! Certainly not when I was pregnant! This behavior kept up! I was full of energy! I was ridiculously productive! Everything was wonderful! Then James went to Florida for a week for some training. One night Sam was up to eat at 5, then back to sleep. No biggie, not a full night, but pretty darn close! The next night, ate at 4. Okay why are we going backwards? Next night, up at 3 and had a little trouble going back to sleep after eating. The next night, up at 2:30, lots of trouble going back to sleep. Next night, up at 2, 5, and 6:30. Ummm, what the heck? We proceeded in this pattern for a while, then James came back and we had a night or two of only waking once, around 4. Then back to up twice. Then up at 1:30, 3, 5, 5:45, 6:30... these nights were coupled with days of a cranky cranky boy fighting sleep like it was his job. I visited my old friend google, and this is when I discovered this lovely '4 Month Sleep Regression' Maybe I felt better knowing it had a name? I don't know, I was too tired!!
I got the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution" on my Nook. I am very opposed to the "Crying It Out Method" I fully understand taking a break from your crying baby because you might be getting frustrated, but I do not believe in leaving your baby to cry in his or her bed until he or she basically passes out from sheer exhaustion. Does it work for some people? Sure. Just doesn't work for our family.
So anyway... "The No Cry Sleep Solution". It sounded like a good plan. I would need to start with keeping a sleep log. Then use the tools in the book to tailor make a plan for us. My plan was to start with naps, I knew if I could get him to get enough sleep during the day, he would sleep better at night. I read the book in one day, planning to begin the next day. And what happened the next day you might ask?
Sam slept.
Here I was with a notebook and a plan, and the little stinker takes a 2 hour nap, plus 3 45 minute naps. That night he goes down at 9, wakes at 3:30, eats, back down by 4, and up for the day at 7. Did he know I just spent some time figuring out a plan and thought, "Meh... I'll just do it myself. Thanks anyway Mom." or was it just coincidence? Did I care either way? NOPE!
Now we're on the right track, we still have some nights where he's up more than once, but usually he just needs to be re-swaddled (yes... my 4 month old refuses to sleep without being swaddled... I'm just rolling with it, he'll sleep in freedom eventually) Once a night he does need to eat, but any other time he gets up, he goes back down pretty easily. Naps are hit or miss day to day, but lately there have more hit than miss days as I play around with a nap routine. Hopefully as this growth spurt (both physically and developmentally) slows down a bit, we'll settle back into a day to day routine. Probably just in time for the 6 month growth spurt ;) At least this time I'll know a little more what to expect!!
The 30 Day Shred I posted about last time? Postponed until I can get Sam's napping under control. I'm actually hoping to start up again on Monday :) Hopefully anyway
It's funny to me the things I find interesting enough to blog about these days... hehe Oh how my life has changed... but I'm loving it :)
Now... some more pictures of the cutest baby in the world...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
30 Day Shred!
So now that we're home from visiting family, it's time for me to crack down on toning myself back up. Back when I was pregnant I bought Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and this past Tuesday I opened it up and got started! I'm hoping to blog my way through it. I will have to take a few days off when we go camping for Labor Day, but what's a couple of days? ;)
Day 1: Holy moly. Who knew a 20 minute workout would be that difficult? I really felt how out of shape I've gotten! I made it through even though, I'm not going to lie, I was getting pretty pissed at little Miss Jillian Michaels by the end! While doing lunges with bicep curls she says, "You might think, 'Can't I just do bicep curls?' NO YOU CANNOT!" I guess if you need someone to whip your butt into shape... she's your girl!
Day 2: Knowing what to expect... did that make it easier or harder? Hmmm... how about both? It was nice knowing what was coming, and knowing how close I was to the end... but it also kinda sucked as I got tired and remembered what was to come. Felt a bit sore from day 1, but nothing unmanageable.
Day 3: Woke up unable to fully straighten my arms. No joke! So sore! I remember starting a ballet season... day 3 is ALWAYS the worst! So, knowing that, I'm hoping to start feeling better from here on out. I didn't get to do the entire workout today though, Sam had other plans. Today he seemed to feel his long morning nap was not necessary. He is currently taking that long nap now... (which, by the way, makes me nervous because I don't usually like him to take long naps in the afternoon/evening in case it screws up his nighttime sleep. But the poor little guy was so sleepy... so why torture him?) I got at least half the workout completed though, so better than nothing. I can already feel a difference in my stomach! Which is, of course, the area I was most interested in toning up. Feeling a difference on day 3 is very encouraging to me! :)
Well I hear my little man starting to wake up, so I'm going to feed him while watching The Weather Channel (Looks like Hurricane Irene is coming straight for us! *gulp* I hate storms!)
*Week 1*
Day 1: Holy moly. Who knew a 20 minute workout would be that difficult? I really felt how out of shape I've gotten! I made it through even though, I'm not going to lie, I was getting pretty pissed at little Miss Jillian Michaels by the end! While doing lunges with bicep curls she says, "You might think, 'Can't I just do bicep curls?' NO YOU CANNOT!" I guess if you need someone to whip your butt into shape... she's your girl!
Day 2: Knowing what to expect... did that make it easier or harder? Hmmm... how about both? It was nice knowing what was coming, and knowing how close I was to the end... but it also kinda sucked as I got tired and remembered what was to come. Felt a bit sore from day 1, but nothing unmanageable.
Day 3: Woke up unable to fully straighten my arms. No joke! So sore! I remember starting a ballet season... day 3 is ALWAYS the worst! So, knowing that, I'm hoping to start feeling better from here on out. I didn't get to do the entire workout today though, Sam had other plans. Today he seemed to feel his long morning nap was not necessary. He is currently taking that long nap now... (which, by the way, makes me nervous because I don't usually like him to take long naps in the afternoon/evening in case it screws up his nighttime sleep. But the poor little guy was so sleepy... so why torture him?) I got at least half the workout completed though, so better than nothing. I can already feel a difference in my stomach! Which is, of course, the area I was most interested in toning up. Feeling a difference on day 3 is very encouraging to me! :)
Well I hear my little man starting to wake up, so I'm going to feed him while watching The Weather Channel (Looks like Hurricane Irene is coming straight for us! *gulp* I hate storms!)
*Week 1*
Thursday, August 18, 2011
So Many People to Meet!
Sam and I have been in Pennsylvania a week now, and we'll still be here until Monday. We've been so busy! Sam met his Uncle Andrew and Uncle Billy (Uncle Tommy was there the day he was born) he got to see his Nana and Grandpa again. Grandmama and Grandpa came over one day, and so did Mommy's godfather. He met Mommy's best friend, Analyn, he went to dinner with all of Mommy's Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. He met Mommy's Nanny and Poppop. He went to a wedding to meet all of Mommy's ballet friends, and he went to Maryland to visit Grandmama's work and Mommy's old roommate Sarah and her little baby Rachel. Busy busy busy! We still have more visits and a family reunion planned for the last few days. This mama is exhausted!! Sam has been sleeping great in the pack-n-play at night, and napping wonderfully in the swing during the day, I just haven't been sleeping so great. I'm obviously having an awesome time seeing friends and family, but OH BOY do I miss my husband! It seems extra weird to be away from him this time for some reason. I know he's missing us too, but in a few more days our little family will be together again :)
Can I just brag a bit about how incredibly good my little boy is?? I mean really! On the plane: Nursed during take-off, slept like a rock, nursed a bit more during the landing, perfect little angel at the airport. Driving to Nicole's wedding: Needed to stop only once to feed him on the drive up, not a peep out of him all the hours at the wedding. He just smiled and looked around and flirted with all of my friends. Angel baby! He wakes up once a night to eat, nurses very efficiently, and goes right back to sleep til 7 when he's ready to start the day. I never forced a schedule on him, but the little man made his own schedule and sticks to it like crazy! Makes my life so much easier. He rarely cries. He'll fuss if he's hungry and I'm taking to long to start feeding him, or if he's ready for a nap and has gotten a little overtired. He did cry in the car on the way home from Maryland yesterday, but only for about 5 minutes before conking out. Then another minute or so just as I was pulling in the driveway. When I got him out of his seat he was all smiles :) He's 10 weeks now. About 12 1/2 pounds and 24 inches long. I can't belive in a couple weeks he'll be 3 months!!!!!!!! Where did the time go??
Oh an example of how good my baby is... I put him in the swing a little while ago and he fell asleep. The swing is behind the couch I'm sitting on, I just peeked over to check on him, and he has woken up from his nap, but is just looking around and snuggling his little stuffed elephant that he loves. Such a cutie boy :) I'm going to end this with a few pictures from the wedding and then go give him his 2nd breakfast :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
YAY!
It's an exciting morning here! Yesterday afternoon we finally found a pacifier that Sam will take. We had considered not bothering with one, but he is so incredibly soothed by sucking on anything and everything. So finally FINALLY we found one that he'll take (MAM) and he loves it! The plan right now is to just use it for naps, or when he's super fussy in the car (which ends up being a nap anyway) WELL normally after Sam's first morning feeding, we play a little in bed, then he will play by himself in his crib while I eat breakfast til he gets fussy, and then I rock him until he's asleep for his first nap of the day. At night he goes right to sleep, but during the day he tends to fight his naptime. Today I gave him the pacifier, wrapped him in a blanket and rocked him for a few minutes. He was drowsy, but not asleep. I laid him in the pack n play and his little eyes popped open, but he wasn't fussy. So I left him there, and went to sit on the couch. Just a few minutes later I went to peek at him, and he was fast asleep! All by himself! I'm so proud of him! And it's so much better than him fussing and squirming while I hold him until he finally succumbs to a nap. YAY! That was a good 40 minutes ago and I'm hearing him move around now, I'm going to go get my little champion sleeper and feed him :) It's a good morning! :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Birthday!
Today is my 24th birthday! Eeeek! I can't belive I'm 24... I mean, aren't I still a teenager? I apparently still look one lol. That's nothing to complain about though :)Here's what I've done so far on my birthday: Nursed Sam quite a few times, changed quite a few diapers, pumped and froze some milk, been both peed on and spit up on, watched Teen Mom that I recorded last night, and ate a turkey sandwich with a banana and peanut butter on the side. Woo! The exciting life of a mommy! It's been a good birthday though :) I've been enjoying reading all of the birthday wishes on my Facebook wall, some have even made me all teary eyed. I miss all my family and friends from home so much! In 3 weeks Sam and I will be making the long drive up north to spend some time with my parents, and hopefully we'll be spending at least one day in Annapolis with friends! :)
I've been thinking today of all my past birthdays. I actually haven't spent a birthday at home since my 15th! I remember all my birthdays... it's always been such a huge deal for me. Going backwards:
23- James and I spent the day before my birthday in Wilmington, NC. Toured the USS North Carolina and had an awesome dinner at a Tapas place. The actual day of my birthday James made me dinner when he got home from work and I made cupcakes.
22- Babysat in the evening and then went out in downtown Annapolis with Margaret. Nobody else was able to go out that night so the two of us went alone. We had a good time ;) The next week everybody else could go out so we went downtown to celebrate both mine and Scali's birthdays. We wore matching wristbands and took pictures pretending to be tourists. (We're cool like that) A guy at Federal House tried to hit on me. "I'm a pro-golfer" he slurred at me. I said, "Cool. My boyfriend is a Marine" and he went away. lol
21- Well... margaritas. 'Nough said...
20-Meg and Mark came to visit the day before and the day of we went out to breakfast. After they left Andrew and Shawn came to visit and we went to the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the bookstore/coffee shop where I worked
19- My roommate Sarah made me an awesome butterfinger cake. I spent the entire day at ballet (this was the summer intensive before my first apprentice year) my family came to visit the weekend after and we got ice cream downtown
18- I was at CPYB's summer intensive in Carlisle. My roommate and hallmates threw me a surprise party and my family came to visit the weekend after.
17- I was in DC for a summer intensive. My friends decorated the door to my room with birthday signs and we went out to dinner. Family came to visit.
16- In DC this year too. It was another girl's 16th birthday the same week so we did a lot of things! Friends and hallmates threw a double surprise party one night. A huge group of us went out to dinner another night. On the actual day we had ballet so we went out for smoothies on our lunch break and somebody brought in a little mini cake. Family came to visit
15- My last bday at home! I had a luau themed party
14- The first big sleepover I was allowed to have since my 9th birthday fiasco. Analyn and I decorated the family room with tons of Christmas lights and we had a lot of fun :)
13- Had a fancy tea party-type lunch and a pool party
12- Ballet friends over for a pool party
11- Pool party
10- Took 3 friends with me to an amusement park
9- Had a camping themed sleepover. My dad took us on a walk in the dark with flashlights. We were sleeping out in a tent in our yard. I remember there being a lot of talk about Jonathan Taylor Thomas. We all loved him. One girl fell asleep and we were convinced she was dying and so we tried carrying her in the house sometime in the wee hours of the morning... she was not happy when she woke up, and my parents were not happy to hear us traipsing in that early. We were all still awake when my dad got up to feed the horses at 6. After this party... I was told no more sleepovers for my birthday. By the time I was 14, after much begging and pleading, I 'proved' myself enough to be allowed to have another. lol
I can't remember specifics about birthdays before that. I know one year I had a carnival themed birthday which was AWESOME. Other than that it was pretty much having friends over, pony rides, hay rides (the perks of growing up on a horse farm), rainbow sherbert punch, and pin the tail on the donkey.
Plans for this year? I did all the houswork and errands yesterday so that today I can just lounge about in my pjs and cuddle and play with Sam. When James comes home we're going to order out so neither of us has to cook or clean up. Then I'm hopefully going to convince him to go and get me some Cold Stone for dessert. Oh how my birthdays have changed :)
OH! I'd like to include a recipe in this birthday post. I made this Chunky Tomato and Avocado Salad for dinner last night, and just ate leftovers for lunch. It's VERY good! More like a salsa than a salad, but a very light and refreshing side dish either way. Awesome for summer!
Chunky Tomato and Avocado Salad
1 avocado peeled, pitted, and cubed
3 plum tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion chopped
1 Tbls. fresh chopped cilantro
3-4 Tbls. lemon juice (I used 4 and it was a bit too lemon-y. So unless you like 'lemon-y' I'd reccommend 3)
Mix gently and let sit in the refridgerator overnight. If you aren't able to let it sit overnight at least let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours.
Soooo good on a hot summer day :) We had it last night with salmon and baked potatoes, yum!
I'd include a picture... but it's already gone ;) hehe
Now I'm going to go take advantage of the last bit of Sam's long nap and read :) Happy Birthday to me!
I've been thinking today of all my past birthdays. I actually haven't spent a birthday at home since my 15th! I remember all my birthdays... it's always been such a huge deal for me. Going backwards:
23- James and I spent the day before my birthday in Wilmington, NC. Toured the USS North Carolina and had an awesome dinner at a Tapas place. The actual day of my birthday James made me dinner when he got home from work and I made cupcakes.
22- Babysat in the evening and then went out in downtown Annapolis with Margaret. Nobody else was able to go out that night so the two of us went alone. We had a good time ;) The next week everybody else could go out so we went downtown to celebrate both mine and Scali's birthdays. We wore matching wristbands and took pictures pretending to be tourists. (We're cool like that) A guy at Federal House tried to hit on me. "I'm a pro-golfer" he slurred at me. I said, "Cool. My boyfriend is a Marine" and he went away. lol
21- Well... margaritas. 'Nough said...
20-Meg and Mark came to visit the day before and the day of we went out to breakfast. After they left Andrew and Shawn came to visit and we went to the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the bookstore/coffee shop where I worked
19- My roommate Sarah made me an awesome butterfinger cake. I spent the entire day at ballet (this was the summer intensive before my first apprentice year) my family came to visit the weekend after and we got ice cream downtown
18- I was at CPYB's summer intensive in Carlisle. My roommate and hallmates threw me a surprise party and my family came to visit the weekend after.
17- I was in DC for a summer intensive. My friends decorated the door to my room with birthday signs and we went out to dinner. Family came to visit.
16- In DC this year too. It was another girl's 16th birthday the same week so we did a lot of things! Friends and hallmates threw a double surprise party one night. A huge group of us went out to dinner another night. On the actual day we had ballet so we went out for smoothies on our lunch break and somebody brought in a little mini cake. Family came to visit
15- My last bday at home! I had a luau themed party
14- The first big sleepover I was allowed to have since my 9th birthday fiasco. Analyn and I decorated the family room with tons of Christmas lights and we had a lot of fun :)
13- Had a fancy tea party-type lunch and a pool party
12- Ballet friends over for a pool party
11- Pool party
10- Took 3 friends with me to an amusement park
9- Had a camping themed sleepover. My dad took us on a walk in the dark with flashlights. We were sleeping out in a tent in our yard. I remember there being a lot of talk about Jonathan Taylor Thomas. We all loved him. One girl fell asleep and we were convinced she was dying and so we tried carrying her in the house sometime in the wee hours of the morning... she was not happy when she woke up, and my parents were not happy to hear us traipsing in that early. We were all still awake when my dad got up to feed the horses at 6. After this party... I was told no more sleepovers for my birthday. By the time I was 14, after much begging and pleading, I 'proved' myself enough to be allowed to have another. lol
I can't remember specifics about birthdays before that. I know one year I had a carnival themed birthday which was AWESOME. Other than that it was pretty much having friends over, pony rides, hay rides (the perks of growing up on a horse farm), rainbow sherbert punch, and pin the tail on the donkey.
Plans for this year? I did all the houswork and errands yesterday so that today I can just lounge about in my pjs and cuddle and play with Sam. When James comes home we're going to order out so neither of us has to cook or clean up. Then I'm hopefully going to convince him to go and get me some Cold Stone for dessert. Oh how my birthdays have changed :)
OH! I'd like to include a recipe in this birthday post. I made this Chunky Tomato and Avocado Salad for dinner last night, and just ate leftovers for lunch. It's VERY good! More like a salsa than a salad, but a very light and refreshing side dish either way. Awesome for summer!
Chunky Tomato and Avocado Salad
1 avocado peeled, pitted, and cubed
3 plum tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion chopped
1 Tbls. fresh chopped cilantro
3-4 Tbls. lemon juice (I used 4 and it was a bit too lemon-y. So unless you like 'lemon-y' I'd reccommend 3)
Mix gently and let sit in the refridgerator overnight. If you aren't able to let it sit overnight at least let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours.
Soooo good on a hot summer day :) We had it last night with salmon and baked potatoes, yum!
I'd include a picture... but it's already gone ;) hehe
Now I'm going to go take advantage of the last bit of Sam's long nap and read :) Happy Birthday to me!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Quiet Day...
Just a quiet, uneventful Monday here. We had a busy weekend.
On Saturday we did grocery shopping (I used to like doing that during the week since it's less crowded on weekdays, but now with a newborn and 3 loooong flights of stairs up to our apartment, I go on weekends so James can help) and we went to Babys R Us to buy a small breast pump and some bottles. There's no NEED for Sam to take a bottle since I'm not going back to work anytime soon, but we wanted to try it so that I will have options. I was able to pump a good bit of milk after Sam's feeding when we got home from running errands, and for his next feeding we tried James giving him a bottle. For the first couple minutes Sam just looked confused and kept pushing the bottle out of his mouth with his tongue, but it didn't take him too long to figure it out, and he drank a whole bottle :) I had such mixed emotions while he was eating! Part of me was happy because now I don't have to feel QUITE so tied down 24/7 (not that I mind it!) It's good to know that if I ever need to be away for a little while, little man can still eat. But at the same time I felt sad. Sad because I was missing the sweet bonding time we usually get while he eats. I definitely nursed him for a few minutes after the bottle was gone. He wasn't really hungry, I think it was just comfort nursing more than anything, for both of us! I love all the time I get to spend feeding him and snuggling him close :)
On Sunday we ventured out the movie theater to see Harry Potter 7 part 2. I was SO nervous taking Sam to the theater! I wanted to see HP SO badly and was praying so hard that he would cooperate! We had already pre-ordered tickets, so we got to the theater early and I fed Sam a bit in the car while James went in and picked them up. Sam got his belly filled up and fell asleep while eating. A lot of times during the day I don't worry to much about doing this that will wake him up after he eats, I like him to have awake time after eating. Not this time! haha he unlatched and I verrrrrry carefully and quietly laid him on my chest to carry him in the theater. Once in there I transferred him to James (he sleeps better if James is holding him. I think because he can't stay quite settled knowing I'm the one with the milk! lol) he slept hard through most of the beginning but then started squirming (still mostly asleep) and trying to eat his hands. So I latched him on quick as a flash and let himself eat his way back to sleep. A few times while he was eating I looked down and saw his big eyes looking up at me, but he was quiet and happy! By the time he finished eating he was back to sleep and slept in my arms for the rest of the movie! Little angel! The movie was fantastic and I'm so glad James and I were able to enjoy it together :) I cried my eyes out through the whole movie. It was so sad! Book 7 is my favorite, and now movie 7 is too! I can't believe it's all over though! Harry Potter was such a big part of growing up and it's just crazy that it's all finished! I feel old... lol
Today James had to leave for work at 3:30 for a range and doesn't know when he'll be home, probably not until 7ish. :( I shouldn't complain though since most of the other guys have to stay out there all week, night and day. Since he's a Sgt. he has the option of driving himself to and from the range each day. Some Sgts had to stay all week, but not him. I'm lucky that I've been able to have him around to help so much with the baby! Many (most) military wives are not so lucky!
Sam is taking his long nap right now and I've been getting a little housework done and just relaxing on the couch. I'm thinking later we'll go for a walk (we have a movie to return to the apartment office anyway). I don't think we'll leave the house besides that though. I need a few things from Target, but don't feel like going out really. In my opinion, Mondays are best spent at home :)
Just those ramblings for today. I'll end this post with some pictures of the cutest baby in the world :)
On Saturday we did grocery shopping (I used to like doing that during the week since it's less crowded on weekdays, but now with a newborn and 3 loooong flights of stairs up to our apartment, I go on weekends so James can help) and we went to Babys R Us to buy a small breast pump and some bottles. There's no NEED for Sam to take a bottle since I'm not going back to work anytime soon, but we wanted to try it so that I will have options. I was able to pump a good bit of milk after Sam's feeding when we got home from running errands, and for his next feeding we tried James giving him a bottle. For the first couple minutes Sam just looked confused and kept pushing the bottle out of his mouth with his tongue, but it didn't take him too long to figure it out, and he drank a whole bottle :) I had such mixed emotions while he was eating! Part of me was happy because now I don't have to feel QUITE so tied down 24/7 (not that I mind it!) It's good to know that if I ever need to be away for a little while, little man can still eat. But at the same time I felt sad. Sad because I was missing the sweet bonding time we usually get while he eats. I definitely nursed him for a few minutes after the bottle was gone. He wasn't really hungry, I think it was just comfort nursing more than anything, for both of us! I love all the time I get to spend feeding him and snuggling him close :)
On Sunday we ventured out the movie theater to see Harry Potter 7 part 2. I was SO nervous taking Sam to the theater! I wanted to see HP SO badly and was praying so hard that he would cooperate! We had already pre-ordered tickets, so we got to the theater early and I fed Sam a bit in the car while James went in and picked them up. Sam got his belly filled up and fell asleep while eating. A lot of times during the day I don't worry to much about doing this that will wake him up after he eats, I like him to have awake time after eating. Not this time! haha he unlatched and I verrrrrry carefully and quietly laid him on my chest to carry him in the theater. Once in there I transferred him to James (he sleeps better if James is holding him. I think because he can't stay quite settled knowing I'm the one with the milk! lol) he slept hard through most of the beginning but then started squirming (still mostly asleep) and trying to eat his hands. So I latched him on quick as a flash and let himself eat his way back to sleep. A few times while he was eating I looked down and saw his big eyes looking up at me, but he was quiet and happy! By the time he finished eating he was back to sleep and slept in my arms for the rest of the movie! Little angel! The movie was fantastic and I'm so glad James and I were able to enjoy it together :) I cried my eyes out through the whole movie. It was so sad! Book 7 is my favorite, and now movie 7 is too! I can't believe it's all over though! Harry Potter was such a big part of growing up and it's just crazy that it's all finished! I feel old... lol
Today James had to leave for work at 3:30 for a range and doesn't know when he'll be home, probably not until 7ish. :( I shouldn't complain though since most of the other guys have to stay out there all week, night and day. Since he's a Sgt. he has the option of driving himself to and from the range each day. Some Sgts had to stay all week, but not him. I'm lucky that I've been able to have him around to help so much with the baby! Many (most) military wives are not so lucky!
Sam is taking his long nap right now and I've been getting a little housework done and just relaxing on the couch. I'm thinking later we'll go for a walk (we have a movie to return to the apartment office anyway). I don't think we'll leave the house besides that though. I need a few things from Target, but don't feel like going out really. In my opinion, Mondays are best spent at home :)
Just those ramblings for today. I'll end this post with some pictures of the cutest baby in the world :)
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