You Know it's Bad When

.. a house on your street sells for exactly $100,000 less than you bought yours for 2 years ago.

Thank goodness we had a nice down payment and we didn't borrow the whole amount.

We will be living here FOREVER.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Having a baby in this day and age means an onslaught of STUFF. There are lots of books, websites and people out there who want to tell you want STUFF you need for your baby. I've read and listened to lots of them, and I'm now 3.5 months into this first time parent experience. I'm going to try and give you some reviews over the next few days of what I liked/didn't like and why. What I have figured out is that you really don't need a ton of STUFF to keep baby safe and happy. But, as all first times moms can attest to it's fun to look and shop. So here are my thoughts:

Arm's Reach Co Sleeper.
This is by far the thing we use most often. It attaches to the side of your bed so you have all the benefits of co-sleeping while you and baby still have your own space. When she was itty bitty she always slept in here, until I got less paranoid of rolling over on her. Now she sleeps in here the first half of the night until she wakes to nurse. After that she sleeps in bed with me. It's great because you don't even have to sit up to get them out of the co-sleeper. This is especially nice for those nights in the beginning when they wake up a lot to nurse. I just reached over, pulled her in next to me (laying down) let her nurse, then when she was done I'd just set her back in. You get much better sleep this way! If your into saving money, look on Craigslist for one of these, we found a almost brand new one for half the retail price. Buying used is more eco-friendly too if you feel comfortable doing that. The only annoying thing with the co-sleeper are the sheets. They are not a standard size, so you have to buy their sheets. Overall, one of my favorite things!



The Miracle Blanket (and other swaddle blankets)

We love the swaddle blankets. Swaddling works great for Allison. Most babies, but not all like to be swaddled, so I wouldn't buy a ton of these before baby was born. We are still using the swaddle at 3.5 months. She sleeps longer and more peacefully when she's swaddled, and these blankets are SO much easier than swaddling with a blanket. Allison was a big and freakishly strong baby from day one, so swaddling in a regular blanket didn't work. The Miracle blanket is the best for babies who bust out of their swaddle quickly becuase it has the arm flaps that pin her arms to her body. We've also used the SwaddleMe's (Kiddopotomus) and these work well too. Unfortunately Allison is too long for the Miracle Blanket now, so we are back to Swaddle Me's (which come in a larger size). I highly recommend a Miracle or Swaddle me for any newborn!



More to come later!

A Week of Firsts

Allison started holding herself up on her elbows.
She took her first trip to the pumpkin patch.





And we survived week one of daycare!

So long, and thanks for all the hairballs

We put Macks to sleep earlier today. He was seventeen. Caitlin got him as a Christmas present...in 3rd grade.

Three years ago, my old vet in Gaithersburg basically gave Macks six months to live. He was fourteen years old at the time and the vet noted some bad tooth and gum infections in his mouth. He was too fat and old to operate on, so there was pretty much nothing we could do. Remarkably, aside from looking snaggletoothed, he was perfectly fine for the next three years.

When we got back from our vacation in NY last week, it looked like someone had set off a hand grenade in his mouth. He'd constantly drool and bleed; we'd try cleaning him up but it would be just as bad the next day. I took him to our vet today and he was diagnosed with a bone tumor in his jaw the size of my thumb. We had figured as much, and were prepared (as prepared as you can be, anyway) to say goodbye.

The picture below is probably how I'll remember Macks. My parents and grandparents were in town visiting us in August, and Macks introduced himself to my grandmother thusly:

First Day

Well, we survived the first day of work/daycare. I picked Allison up and she immediately fell asleep in the car and is out COLD. I was hoping for some play/cuddle time, but I think she had a long day too. I made it until 2:00 without crying, at that point the novelty of adult time wore off. The lady in Starbucks asked if I was OK, and I started crying at her. She said it was just as hard when she went back to work 30 years ago with her daughter. The more things change, the more they stay the same huh?

Hello Reality

Well, Allison just fell asleep. I should be getting ready for work tomorrow. Going to work gets a lot more complicated with a baby. Tomorrow starts the alarm clocks, dashing off to daycare, coffee breaks, long commutes, coworkers, and new routines. Goodbye lazy summer days cuddling all day with my brand new baby Allison. Back to reality (I have some Eminem song running through my head). Here is my silver lining (albeit small)... I am looking forward to some adult conversations that don't involve the following topics: breastfeeding, diapers, favorite baby carriers, vaccines, sleeping patterns, and birth stories. I am looking forward to drinking my daily cup of joe with TWO hands and only having to focus on my computer screen while doing so. I'm looking forward to getting dressed and putting on makeup. My heart is breaking over having to leave behind my daughter for 11 hours a day.

In happy news, we now completely own both of our cars! Yay for be resposible and paying off loans.

Last Week of Fantasy Land

Allison,

This is our last week "together". Next week I go back to the daily grind of working.... well kind of. I've managed to be able to work three days a week, so I get the other two with you! I should feel like the luckiest mom to be able to spend quantity time with her babe AND provide for her, but I just feel terrible about leaving you. You have a wonderful daycare lady who will cuddle and love on you, but I wish with all my heart it could be me. We have been "practicing" daycare this week, because with your bottle hatred, we thought it would be a good idea. You have been doing great, and even drank 6 oz of milk this morning at your daycare practice.

We've been reading more together, your favorite book right now is The Rainbow Fish. You must like shiny objects, all the pictures have sparkly fish scales in them! You still freak out when Annabelle barks loudly, and you still love your daddy to walk you around to sleep. So, as much as things are changing now, they will still stay the same. I will still be your mommy, and you'll still be my happy, stubborn little baby. Life will go on after maternity leave ends. This too shall pass.

Love,

Mommy