Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A Faithful Friend

Matthew's always been a good sleeper. Even the first night we brought him home he slept from 11 until 2:30 and then after eating went back out until 5. He quickly started to only wake up once around 4 and then around 4 months old began sleeping all the way through. He's always been a wiggler too. He never wakes up where we laid him down at. It's always funny to peek at him on the monitor and see where he is. One thing, however, is certain. No matter where or how he's sleeping, he always has his faithful friend close by.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Just When I Thought It Was Safe: The Spit-Up Diaries

The first time Matthew threw up was when he was 4 days old. We had just gotten home from the hospital and my cousins had been there to help us settle. Matt and Sarah's fiance, Wayne, had gone to go pick up some dinner for all of us and I settled into the rocking chair to feed Matthew a bottle. I was so happy that for the first time since his little life began he ate all two ounces of the bottle he was given. My glee was short lived as every drop of the two ounces came up even as Sarah, Mary and myself were cheering the victory of a small boy and a full belly. It went everywhere and seemed to come out of every orifice on his face. I was so shocked I think I almost dropped him.

We cleaned him (and me) up and changed him, and I'll admit we were kind of excited to be able to put new clothes on him, our own little dress up baby, and life went on.

A few weeks later it happened again. He didn't do it too much. Typically it was because Matt and I weren't paying attention to how much he was taking in without burping him (and okay once because I was being nosey at Babies R Us and was listening to a conversation next to me instead of watching what I was doing.) But for the most part we were pretty lucky and dodged the reflux bullet.

Today I was driving home from Target and was thinking of those days and how we haven't had to deal with it in a long time and how nice that was. Damn my mind for the thought even entering my head.

When we got home I put him in the high chair and fed him his peach yogurt and then broke up some cheese crackers for him and went to unpack the bags. I hear a noise and turn around just in time to see a waterfall of peach yogurt mixed with whatever else sits in the stomach coming out of his mouth. He looked as suprised as I did at what was going on. I stood in front of him helpless for a few seconds watching it all unfold. To be fair what could I have done? Keeping him in the chair was catching all of the contents atleast. When he was done I cleaned up what I could and took him out and carried him by holding onto his left leg and right arm to get him upstairs. He thought it was hilarious being carried this way and laughed all the way up the stairs. Fun times.

He's fine, I don't know what happened. Just one of those things that happen with babies. Hmmm...I better quit while I'm ahead and not think about how long it's been since we've had an explosive poopie diaper.

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Yesterday was Matt's birthday and Matthew and I had a lot of fun planning our day to make it special for him.

MJ painted a picture for him
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And we bought some Sesame Street party hats, because what's a party without party hats.
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MJ got him a couple presents to open too.
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After dinner we sung happy birthday and daddy blew out his candles with MJ's help.
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Happy Birthday Daddy!!
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tiny Dancer

Matthew's gained a new skill. Swaying to music. It is so cute and just makes me all giddy to watch him do it. Anytime he hears any music at all he rocks back and forth. I just love that he feels the music and just has to move.

There are, however, times when I don't swoon over his new found talent. Bedtime. Saturday night he was having a rough time sleeping. We were in a hotel room and he just couldn't settle down. So I got up and sat in the desk chair that luckily swiveled and rocked and started singing our songs. A little bit of skidamarinkydinkydink and you are my sunshine and usually he's resting his head on your shoulder. Not this night. This night he was a dancing fool! Giggling and swaying and mommy was trying her hardest to stay serious with him. But it was so cute.

He did it again tonight. And I couldn't help but think that even though I'm no Celine Dion he still feels the music in his mommy's songs.

I love this kid.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

So He May Not Ever Be A Runway Model...

But I love him just the same.

Today we bought what Matt hopes is our last bit of summer clothes for the little guy and I decided to try and dress him in them to see what they look like. Matthew, however, had no interest in trying on clothes for mommy. He was a squirmy wormy, but mommy perservered.

Although he certainly let it be known how he felt.

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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Three Years in the Making...

Today is my first real, official Mother's Day. Of course I've been pregnant the past two years and my husband, being the wonderful man he is, treated me to breakfast and gifts even then. But this one I had a real live kid to share the day with.

We woke up at 8, actually before said kid, and decided to try and get dressed so we could just leave when he woke up. He woke up about two seconds later.

We drove through three towns to find a place to eat. Our normal spots had lines out to the parking lot. Eventually we just decided to stop at the next diner we found and finally eat.

After breakfast we went to buy flowers for the garden, go to the grocery store to get ingredients to make dinner and then, finally, home. I spent my afternoon with my hands in the dirt. Bringing my garden back to life and putting some color back onto my porch. I love the spring and the promise of life that it brings.

Planting flowers was a Mother's Day tradition for my mom. It's what we did. And I am happy that I am carrying on this tradition.

This is my first Mother's Day, but also my first without my mom. It's coming up on a year since she's been gone and I think I'm just starting to process that loss. I was 8 months pregnant when she died and needed to focus on getting through the rest of my pregnancy. I decided to honor my mom by attempting to make the meal she always made me whenever we would visit. The recipe was in her head so I searched on the internet and found one that had the ingredients I knew she used. And I'm so excited to share with you all that it turned out really well! Matt and I made salmon cakes and home made french fries. They were really yummy, although not quite as yummy as my moms. But as everything in life, I did the best I could.

All in all it was a beautiful day spent with my two favorite guys.

I wish all of you mommies, mommies to be one day and mommies who hold their angels in their hearts a very happy Mother's Day!

I leave you tonight with three pictures:

One of the three reasons I'm a mommy
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My garden all ready for the spring
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And finally...salmon cakes!
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Friday, May 8, 2009

The Comfort of Mommy's Arms

Matthew's started doing a new thing this morning. First it scared me because I couldn't figure out what was wrong. He was standing at his little music table and fell down and started crying horribly. I picked him up and checked everything and didn't see anything wrong so I thought maybe he bit his tongue or something.

Five minutes later he did it again. Once again no boo-boos were to be found. This time when he did it he crawled to where I was, which was no more than three feet away. Unless he's in bed I'm never more than three feet away, even when going to the bathroom. I didn't put a lot of thought into but ten minutes ago he did it again. Okay, there isn't anything wrong. Not at all. He's just learned that if he falls mommy will pick him up and make it all better, even if there's nothing to make better. I don't mind, not one bit. But I do want him to learn quickly he doesn't need to pretend he got hurt to have some cuddle time with mommy. That comes free with the job of being my son.

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**disclaimer**
I attempted to find a more current picture of Matthew and I snuggling. Unfortunately I'm typically the one behind the camera, something I'll have to remedy. But I'm sure you don't mind looking at this picture of the itty bitty Matthew! This was from the day after we brought him home.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

And We Walked...

As we got to the March For Babies walk I felt my eyes well up with tears. There were a lot of people there walking for babies who were little fighters in the NICU and got to come home. As you know we were not so lucky, but I still could feel the greatness of gratitude coming from the families of those little babies that did survive. It took about 20 minutes before I could get myself together and stop being emotional.

It was a long walk, and not on our side was the fact the night before we had gone to a concert in Atlantic City and didn't get back to the hotel until 1:30 in the morning only to wake up at 6 to get ready to leave. On top of being tired it was in the 80's that day! Those 5 miles felt like 15 but we did it, and got the sticker to prove it.

Our team raised $1030! I was so excited to have contributed so much to such a great cause! I hope next year we can raise even more!

Matt and I would like to thank everyone who came out and walked with us and those that donated to our team.

Here are some pictures of our walk.

Matthew and the butterfly balloons we got for the twins.
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Some of our team in the green shirts
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The memory wall
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The page we did for the twins
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A picture of the three of us at the end of the walk.
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Matthew wearing his "little brother" t-shirt
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It was a great day and we can't wait for next year!

I Know It's Been A While...

I can hear the sighs of your disappointment as you check this blog waiting and waiting for something new to be here. Well, faithful readers, today is your day!

Where have I been, might you ask? Very busy. We've had a lot going on including two weekends in a row of being away. But we're home now and finally settled back into life.

Matthew, nearing ten months, has become a pro at standing up. Including the day I caught him standing up in his high chair and just yesterday at Target, despite being buckled in, he was halfway to standing up in the cart! I fear for his life, and my heart, daily. What's going to happen when he can really get walking?

The biggest change I've noticed in him lately is his ability to play and to want to be played with. He breaks out into giggles at night when Matt and I play "I'm going to get you" with him as we head up the stairs for bathtime. If you take his nose and eat it he will melt into hysterical laughter on the floor and then force his face towards you for you to do it again. It fills my heart with incredible joy to see him be so happy.

I'm trying to savor these moments, for I know that all too soon every toy in the house will be bypassed as I hear the words, "mom, I'm bored" 5 million times a day. I'll be sure to remind him of the simple joy he found in a stolen nose or in the thought that he scared mommy. I imagine he won't care when he's 10, but one day he'll have a little boy or girl himself, and he'll remember what I said as he plays a game of peek-a-boo and laughs as hard as his child does. And when he does he'll know the depths of a parent's love for a child.

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