We all know that I'm not a napper, I've complained about my lack of skill in this area before. However, I occasionally have a success. This morning it was the most wonderful success I could have imagined. I'd say the set up started last night, the babe woke up for some reason at 3am and decided to eat and be WIDE AWAKE. I think he's still getting used to a sleep sack instead of a swaddler. He had worked himself up against the side of the crib so his little head was against the wood. No bueno.
I spent almost an hour with him and then threw myself back into bed, but he still woke up earlier than I'd like him to get up (7:30 is our goal). Needless to say, I was freakin tired by the time his first nap rolled around, especially since I'd gone to bed late the night before (editing is piling up in mountains!).
We were up in my room for some reason, and I laid him down on the bed. He started rubbing his eyes and making general signs of sleepiness so I got him a pacifier, removed my pillow from the bed, and pulled the covers half-way up on us. My pregnancy pillow is still on my side of the bed so I knew he wouldn't roll off that way, and I was blocking the other direction, so I thought we'd just see how this played out. He laid there for a minute and turned to look at me. I made sleepy faces and started closing my eyes. He has taken to rubbing and holding my arm when I change his diaper lately, and he started rubbing his hand along my arm at this point. Quickly his little eyes started to close.
I laid next to him trying to keep my eyes open for about 10-15 minutes because I was nervous about this new endeavour, but I soon gave in to sleep. I slept VERY lightly (again, nerves), and I woke up a couple times, but when I actually cracked my eyes we'd been laying there together for an hour and twenty minutes! My little boy usually only naps 30 minutes at a time, and I don't normally do it at all so this was great!
And the special part of it was the sweet look on his face. He kept his arm stretched out on me, and he never turned his face away from mine. We were cuddled up together, and all was right with the world. I felt such an overwhelming joy for something so simple yet so beautiful. Sleeping with my son is a privilege I could never have imagined before he arrived. And I thank God for him :)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Journey for a Pizza
We (i.e., I) wanted a pizza tonight. It's hard to find meatless things to eat all day Friday during Lent (especially with my ravenous appetite lately), and it's been a week since I've shopped so the house is not exactly fully stocked right now. I decided a cheese pizza is what I needed! I set out to order a pizza online from Papa John's that I could go pick up. Even though the map tells me there are 3 Papa John's within 5 miles, NONE of them will consent to deliver in our neighborhood. Smurftastic.
I ordered from the one I always go to and headed out to pick it up, knowing I needed to be home fairly soon if I was going to eat any of this pizza before the baby woke up. I get there, they don't have my order.
Me: But I got an email confirmation saying it would be ready!
Them: Are you sure it's from this store?
Me: Yes!
Them: Are you sure you didn't order from the Pflugerville store?
Me: Yes!
Them: We don't have it.
Me: I can see that.
Them: Let me call them and make sure they don't have it. (Calls) They have it, let me give you directions.
Me: Fine.
Drive waaaaaaaay into Pflugerville, pass downtown, get to the Papa John's that I didn't know existed. Look up at the cross-section and realize that although it has taken me almost 30 minutes to get here, my ride home might be a bit shorter. The street sign I'm reading is the same street that runs right near my house. I pick up my pizza and head down that road. Yep, home in just a few minutes. With time to eat the pizza before the kid woke up. It is SO dangerous that there is a pizza place that close that I didn't know about. And I didn't have to travel on any major highways! No traffic! WOW. Ok, must forget this pizza place exists or I'll gain 20 lbs.
Don't ask me why I even needed this pizza, I made that lovely homemade pizza earlier this week! Sheesh.
And because every post is better with a picture, here's a few random things I never posted that are from March 18th. He looks really flippin bored, but I think he was just tired. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
I would also like to mention that I've been incorporating the "Father Abraham" song into our sing-song daily activities. He thinks this is HILARIOUS. I suppose it's more about all the hand movements than anything, but it's cute :) You have to watch out though, that song will totally get stuck in your head. 'Father Abraham...had many sons. Many sons had Faaaaaather Abraham. I am one of them...and so are you...so let's all praise the Lord, RIGHT ARM! Father Abraham...' See, there i go.
I ordered from the one I always go to and headed out to pick it up, knowing I needed to be home fairly soon if I was going to eat any of this pizza before the baby woke up. I get there, they don't have my order.
Me: But I got an email confirmation saying it would be ready!
Them: Are you sure it's from this store?
Me: Yes!
Them: Are you sure you didn't order from the Pflugerville store?
Me: Yes!
Them: We don't have it.
Me: I can see that.
Them: Let me call them and make sure they don't have it. (Calls) They have it, let me give you directions.
Me: Fine.
Drive waaaaaaaay into Pflugerville, pass downtown, get to the Papa John's that I didn't know existed. Look up at the cross-section and realize that although it has taken me almost 30 minutes to get here, my ride home might be a bit shorter. The street sign I'm reading is the same street that runs right near my house. I pick up my pizza and head down that road. Yep, home in just a few minutes. With time to eat the pizza before the kid woke up. It is SO dangerous that there is a pizza place that close that I didn't know about. And I didn't have to travel on any major highways! No traffic! WOW. Ok, must forget this pizza place exists or I'll gain 20 lbs.
Don't ask me why I even needed this pizza, I made that lovely homemade pizza earlier this week! Sheesh.
And because every post is better with a picture, here's a few random things I never posted that are from March 18th. He looks really flippin bored, but I think he was just tired. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
I would also like to mention that I've been incorporating the "Father Abraham" song into our sing-song daily activities. He thinks this is HILARIOUS. I suppose it's more about all the hand movements than anything, but it's cute :) You have to watch out though, that song will totally get stuck in your head. 'Father Abraham...had many sons. Many sons had Faaaaaather Abraham. I am one of them...and so are you...so let's all praise the Lord, RIGHT ARM! Father Abraham...' See, there i go.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
14 weeks
Cool: My baby boy is 14 weeks today! Not cool: The thunderstorm that came through and turned off the power as I was writing this blog post. BOOOOO!!!
The storm woke up the kid and really cut into precious time I needed to edit. Dang storm. Luckily it waited until I was finished cooking dinner because that honey bbq chicken pizza I threw together was DELICIOUS.
Oh man I'm sleepy. The babe woke up 40 minutes early this morning, but somehow that small amount of time has managed to throw my entire day out of whack. And the gloomy, raininess isn't helping either. I'd already be in bed right now if our schedule hadn't been so thrown off by...wait for it...yep, the dang storm.
Anywho, I got to test out my new memory cards today. Just as I suspected, I don't need speeds like that. They're twice as fast as my old cards, but it was the 5-year warranty that was most appealing. I didn't really care, Anthony picked these out for the most part. I just needed some more space. I used the first card to take a couple of videos of the little bug. Unfortunately I have a free account with Vimeo, and the cute video I took was too large of a file to upload, BUMMER. I had captured a much shorter video with the TV going in the background that's not nearly as good (but is small enough for the free account upload), but WHATEVER.
The wee lad is teething. He's really good at pulling himself up now. If he's reclining back then we just put a little tension in our arms, and he'll pull his whole body up to a sitting position. When he does this, he instantly latches onto my fingers to num on them. He has quite a grip!
And here's what my little nummer looked like today.
And I'd just like to say WHAT THE HECK to the Redbull Flugtag commercial that says, "I can go for miles in my airplane..." It gets stuck in my head every time I hear it! Every time I get it out, there it is again!
One of my goals for tomorrow is to pick out a replacement toy for the death-trap baby sling that was recalled. It requires some label printing and cutting up of said baby sling. This will take some effort that I don't really feel ready to give right now. GOOD NIGHT.
Oh, and enjoy this short version of what I really wanted to show you...
The storm woke up the kid and really cut into precious time I needed to edit. Dang storm. Luckily it waited until I was finished cooking dinner because that honey bbq chicken pizza I threw together was DELICIOUS.
Oh man I'm sleepy. The babe woke up 40 minutes early this morning, but somehow that small amount of time has managed to throw my entire day out of whack. And the gloomy, raininess isn't helping either. I'd already be in bed right now if our schedule hadn't been so thrown off by...wait for it...yep, the dang storm.
Anywho, I got to test out my new memory cards today. Just as I suspected, I don't need speeds like that. They're twice as fast as my old cards, but it was the 5-year warranty that was most appealing. I didn't really care, Anthony picked these out for the most part. I just needed some more space. I used the first card to take a couple of videos of the little bug. Unfortunately I have a free account with Vimeo, and the cute video I took was too large of a file to upload, BUMMER. I had captured a much shorter video with the TV going in the background that's not nearly as good (but is small enough for the free account upload), but WHATEVER.
The wee lad is teething. He's really good at pulling himself up now. If he's reclining back then we just put a little tension in our arms, and he'll pull his whole body up to a sitting position. When he does this, he instantly latches onto my fingers to num on them. He has quite a grip!
And here's what my little nummer looked like today.
And I'd just like to say WHAT THE HECK to the Redbull Flugtag commercial that says, "I can go for miles in my airplane..." It gets stuck in my head every time I hear it! Every time I get it out, there it is again!
One of my goals for tomorrow is to pick out a replacement toy for the death-trap baby sling that was recalled. It requires some label printing and cutting up of said baby sling. This will take some effort that I don't really feel ready to give right now. GOOD NIGHT.
Oh, and enjoy this short version of what I really wanted to show you...
Anthony 14 Weeks from Amanda Hagood on Vimeo.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Whoa, I almost didn't see ya there...
My parents were visiting this weekend and planning on leaving right before I had to head out to a wedding on Sunday. I love when they get to stay with me, and it's so amazing how much the squirt loves his Granny. She seems to be the only person he really remembers and is super comfortable with (besides me of course). His Granny spent lots of time holding him and Grandpa spent time making me chicken-fried steak (a rare treat!). Yum!
I wanted to have little Anthony all ready to go in his camo outfit when they arrived because I know my dad's been itching to see it on him. I got him mostly dressed and went to snap his snaps when I got cut. I looked down, and one of the snaps had a metal piece sticking out! I was so glad that I got hurt before we started playing. He's gotten really active lately, and I can just see that metal piece tearing open his soft baby skin. Darn you, faulty clothing!
My Dad fixed it, and we dressed up the little bug. Visions of mini-shotguns danced in his head... Big Anthony and I are not exactly the hunting type so I don't know how likely the babe is to be a hunter, but I'm sure my dad will try everything he can to make it happen!
Of course I included some pics of him in his first camo outfit, and I HAD to start with this one because he looks so cute and scared :)
In pretty much every picture the baby is starting somewhere off camera. Let me satisfy your curiosity and just tell you that he's watching TV. Yes, my teeny tiny child is already addicted to television! It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to play with him in the living room when the thing is on because I know it grabs his attention. One day soon he'll grow up and realize that there's never anything good on anyway.
In other news, Nature's Point is a pretty place to get married. Barrington and DJ Anthony were there. They are probably two of my favorite DJ's. Did you hear that, guys?! I said PROBABLY. (It keeps them on their toes.)
I wanted to have little Anthony all ready to go in his camo outfit when they arrived because I know my dad's been itching to see it on him. I got him mostly dressed and went to snap his snaps when I got cut. I looked down, and one of the snaps had a metal piece sticking out! I was so glad that I got hurt before we started playing. He's gotten really active lately, and I can just see that metal piece tearing open his soft baby skin. Darn you, faulty clothing!
My Dad fixed it, and we dressed up the little bug. Visions of mini-shotguns danced in his head... Big Anthony and I are not exactly the hunting type so I don't know how likely the babe is to be a hunter, but I'm sure my dad will try everything he can to make it happen!
Of course I included some pics of him in his first camo outfit, and I HAD to start with this one because he looks so cute and scared :)
In pretty much every picture the baby is starting somewhere off camera. Let me satisfy your curiosity and just tell you that he's watching TV. Yes, my teeny tiny child is already addicted to television! It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to play with him in the living room when the thing is on because I know it grabs his attention. One day soon he'll grow up and realize that there's never anything good on anyway.
In other news, Nature's Point is a pretty place to get married. Barrington and DJ Anthony were there. They are probably two of my favorite DJ's. Did you hear that, guys?! I said PROBABLY. (It keeps them on their toes.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
3 months! and other business
On Sunday I had my first post-baby wedding. It was out of town. The baby woke up the night before. And 3 times the night I got home...and I got home around 1 am. SUCKS. But the wedding was good, and Anthony did eat a little from the bottle so all together I'd say that's a win! I did better than I thought and only messaged (Big) Anthony once to see how the little babe was doing. I made sure to wait until the reception had started so I wouldn't be distracted if the feeding was going really rough. I guess he had some kind of turning point that day. Not that he was overly thrilled, thus the 3 night wakings when I got home because he was still hungry.
Boo on the rain today! I was supposed to do an engagement session, but that didn't happen. I was trapped inside most of the day when I really wanted to take the little bug for a stroll through the neighborhood.
Moving on! My baby boy is 3 months old today...and this is for him...
Dear Anthony,
Today you're 3 months old! Your Grandpa even called to tell you "Happy 3 Month Birth Day!", and you drooled. Which I took to mean "thank you! and please convey my jubilation and gratitude to my Grandpa". Ahem.
Right now I'm trying to get you to sit up with some assistance. For the most part you don't like it. When I try to prop you up against anything you just arch your back and wiggle down until you're laying again. When I put you in the bumbo and try to support your head you will tolerate it for about 45 seconds and then we're done.
Tummy time goes better and better all the time, which I'm excited about. Now that you put up with it pretty well I think we can get those neck muscles beefed up! You still don't like the car seat so car rides are troublesome and you let me know about it. You have been better about letting me take you for walks, which is still in the same seat...so I can only imagine that you don't like car rides because 1) you're back there by yourself or 2) because things are going by so fast while you're backwards that it makes you feel sick. I mean, to the adults out there, have you turned around in your back seat and looked out the side window?! Sheesh! I'd be grumpy too. And woozy.
You have recently discovered the beauty of the pacifier. You could have cared less for them most of your life (which was fine with us), but in the last week we brought home a new kind that you have fallen in love with. I do like the help they provide because you're going through your 3-month growth spurt right now and are NOT happy about it. Normally you drift off to sleep at nap times and they're no big deal. But the last 2-3 days you're fussy after just a few minutes of playing and really fight going to sleep. Most of the time you won't let us put you down until you're rocked with a pacifier (and when you're with mommy you like a lullaby too).
You're growing out of your clothes SO FAST. I weighed you this morning, and you're just a smidge under 13 pounds. I've been trying to make sure you get into each outfit at least once :) Today I put you in a little froggy outfit from your Great-Nanny, and it was pretty snug! I think this will be the only time out for the frog suit. But we have these froggy memories....
Boo on the rain today! I was supposed to do an engagement session, but that didn't happen. I was trapped inside most of the day when I really wanted to take the little bug for a stroll through the neighborhood.
Moving on! My baby boy is 3 months old today...and this is for him...
Dear Anthony,
Today you're 3 months old! Your Grandpa even called to tell you "Happy 3 Month Birth Day!", and you drooled. Which I took to mean "thank you! and please convey my jubilation and gratitude to my Grandpa". Ahem.
Right now I'm trying to get you to sit up with some assistance. For the most part you don't like it. When I try to prop you up against anything you just arch your back and wiggle down until you're laying again. When I put you in the bumbo and try to support your head you will tolerate it for about 45 seconds and then we're done.
Tummy time goes better and better all the time, which I'm excited about. Now that you put up with it pretty well I think we can get those neck muscles beefed up! You still don't like the car seat so car rides are troublesome and you let me know about it. You have been better about letting me take you for walks, which is still in the same seat...so I can only imagine that you don't like car rides because 1) you're back there by yourself or 2) because things are going by so fast while you're backwards that it makes you feel sick. I mean, to the adults out there, have you turned around in your back seat and looked out the side window?! Sheesh! I'd be grumpy too. And woozy.
You have recently discovered the beauty of the pacifier. You could have cared less for them most of your life (which was fine with us), but in the last week we brought home a new kind that you have fallen in love with. I do like the help they provide because you're going through your 3-month growth spurt right now and are NOT happy about it. Normally you drift off to sleep at nap times and they're no big deal. But the last 2-3 days you're fussy after just a few minutes of playing and really fight going to sleep. Most of the time you won't let us put you down until you're rocked with a pacifier (and when you're with mommy you like a lullaby too).
You're growing out of your clothes SO FAST. I weighed you this morning, and you're just a smidge under 13 pounds. I've been trying to make sure you get into each outfit at least once :) Today I put you in a little froggy outfit from your Great-Nanny, and it was pretty snug! I think this will be the only time out for the frog suit. But we have these froggy memories....
Froggy Tummy Time from Amanda Hagood on Vimeo.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Bottle Saga and 12 weeks
Anyone close to us (or you know, anyone on facebook) knows we're having trouble getting the little bug to take a bottle. We've tried everything, and we started working with a lactation consultant. We did everything we could on our own, still no luck. I went to her office today for the "last resort", finger-feeding. She said no baby had ever refused the finger-feeding once it got to that point.
Well I'm sure you can guess what happened. Our little boy gets to be the first baby to refuse in her 20 years of consulting. In case you don't know what finger-feeding is, they clip a container of milk up on your shoulder, and a little tube comes out of it and is taped to your finger (think of it being set up as like a milk I.V.). Then you get the baby to suck on your finger, and in turn the milk comes out from the little tube and goes into their mouth. He screamed and spluttered just like he does with the bottle.
Next we tried a syringe, then a cup. All the same result. He would cry as soon as the foreign object would touch his lip, and eventually he started crying when it would come into his eyesight. NOT GOOD. She said he had the worst oral aversions she has ever seen. Her suggestion was for him to come with me to work on Sunday since alternative feeding methods aren't working. I told her that taking a baby to a wedding, let alone an out of town wedding, was not going to happen. The long term suggestion was to see Dell Children's hospital because they have specialists that can give him a sucking test and figure out why he doesn't like objects in his mouth (besides the breast and sometimes a pacifier if he's in the mood).
Our plan for Sunday? Prayer! We don't have any other answer. My mother-in-law is coming over to help Anthony out since it will be a very rough day. Oy. And you would know that the first wedding is one where I'm going to need to be gone about 13 hours. Yikes!
I've been really busy this week so I have some random things compiled here. Starting from last Sunday right after my parents left.
Sometimes the kid falls asleep on the breast and just really KNOCKS OUT. In this instance I decided to just lay him down next to me to see if he would wake up. Result:
I love that when he lays back you almost lose track of that bottom lip!
I love his little hedgehog shirt :) I know this is from Tuesday because that's the day Leslie came over to try to help out with the feeding, and I remember commenting about how I like the hedgehogs!
What is up with those little patches on the elbows? Is he like 80 or something?!
Ok, now some of him when he turned 12 weeks on Wednesday! He was talking to me on the changing table :)
Baby out-take!
He's being stalked by a blue hippo
His first time to try a Nuk pacifier. He was pretty smitten.
I can't remember if I wrote about when he coughed the other day and poop squirted out and skidded off the changing table and onto my arm and the floor...but everything HAD been good since then. But today I changed him, and he picked his knees up towards his chest and was struck by a little sneeze or cough (I couldn't tell) and poop squirted out again. I finished changing him and the changing pad. Next changing...he peed everywhere. He hasn't peed on the changing table since he was a little bitty thing so it was kind of surprising, but I think it's because he had fallen asleep on me so he was waking up during the change, and it might have been a little too stimulating for him when that cold wipe hit :)
In other news, I'm stoked about shooting weddings again! (Minus the whole 'my kid is gonna starve' thing.) I've been looking over my work from last year and thinking about improvements I want to make. I also have a short wish-list of gear I'd like to add to my bag. I know it will be a great year!
This will also be the year I make it to Emily's birthday party. Last year I had a wedding on her birthday, and this year I do too. And I'm sure I'll be tired after the wedding and want to go home to my baby and my bed, but I will stop by and hug the birthday girl, dang it!
Well I'm sure you can guess what happened. Our little boy gets to be the first baby to refuse in her 20 years of consulting. In case you don't know what finger-feeding is, they clip a container of milk up on your shoulder, and a little tube comes out of it and is taped to your finger (think of it being set up as like a milk I.V.). Then you get the baby to suck on your finger, and in turn the milk comes out from the little tube and goes into their mouth. He screamed and spluttered just like he does with the bottle.
Next we tried a syringe, then a cup. All the same result. He would cry as soon as the foreign object would touch his lip, and eventually he started crying when it would come into his eyesight. NOT GOOD. She said he had the worst oral aversions she has ever seen. Her suggestion was for him to come with me to work on Sunday since alternative feeding methods aren't working. I told her that taking a baby to a wedding, let alone an out of town wedding, was not going to happen. The long term suggestion was to see Dell Children's hospital because they have specialists that can give him a sucking test and figure out why he doesn't like objects in his mouth (besides the breast and sometimes a pacifier if he's in the mood).
Our plan for Sunday? Prayer! We don't have any other answer. My mother-in-law is coming over to help Anthony out since it will be a very rough day. Oy. And you would know that the first wedding is one where I'm going to need to be gone about 13 hours. Yikes!
I've been really busy this week so I have some random things compiled here. Starting from last Sunday right after my parents left.
Sometimes the kid falls asleep on the breast and just really KNOCKS OUT. In this instance I decided to just lay him down next to me to see if he would wake up. Result:
I love that when he lays back you almost lose track of that bottom lip!
I love his little hedgehog shirt :) I know this is from Tuesday because that's the day Leslie came over to try to help out with the feeding, and I remember commenting about how I like the hedgehogs!
What is up with those little patches on the elbows? Is he like 80 or something?!
Ok, now some of him when he turned 12 weeks on Wednesday! He was talking to me on the changing table :)
Baby out-take!
He's being stalked by a blue hippo
His first time to try a Nuk pacifier. He was pretty smitten.
I can't remember if I wrote about when he coughed the other day and poop squirted out and skidded off the changing table and onto my arm and the floor...but everything HAD been good since then. But today I changed him, and he picked his knees up towards his chest and was struck by a little sneeze or cough (I couldn't tell) and poop squirted out again. I finished changing him and the changing pad. Next changing...he peed everywhere. He hasn't peed on the changing table since he was a little bitty thing so it was kind of surprising, but I think it's because he had fallen asleep on me so he was waking up during the change, and it might have been a little too stimulating for him when that cold wipe hit :)
In other news, I'm stoked about shooting weddings again! (Minus the whole 'my kid is gonna starve' thing.) I've been looking over my work from last year and thinking about improvements I want to make. I also have a short wish-list of gear I'd like to add to my bag. I know it will be a great year!
This will also be the year I make it to Emily's birthday party. Last year I had a wedding on her birthday, and this year I do too. And I'm sure I'll be tired after the wedding and want to go home to my baby and my bed, but I will stop by and hug the birthday girl, dang it!
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