Loud

All I am going to say is the fire alarm in the hallway, on the other side of our living room

wall went off today.

I have a 2 month old and a cat

and I was by myself.

Apparently, I'm the only one in the building that got something out of fire drills as a kid:

GET OUT OF THE BUILDING WHEN THE FIRE ALARM GOES OFF!!

(I'm so obsessed with this little boy.)

60 in December

I live in New England, not exactly Buffalo, NY or Fargo, but New England is known for having winter. I will never forget seeing our winter from a southerner's perspective. Claragrace's friend MaryKay came up for Spring Break our first year at Gordon. She was awed at how fast we all walked around campus. We had a few explanations: You're warmer when you move faster, plus you get to somewhere inside with heat faster. She had a hard time getting used to keeping up with us. That's why people think that New Enlganders are harsh and cold, we're just that COLD! It's too cold to dillydally outside when the windchill brings the already freezing temperature to a plummet. We are remarkably friendly if you come into our homes.


Keep that in mind when I tell you all this fact: It is December 10th and it is currently 60degrees outside. Now, yes, it is the middle of the day currently, but this one will throw you: I was up at 3:50AM with Joseph and put on the TV and put on the Weather Channel (I heard we were supposed to get a storm this week). It was 60degrees at 3:50AM as well!! I opened a window! When I got up at about 8:45am, I checked the weather again, thinking, "Well, it was 4am...I must have misunderstood." Nope. I was right. I opened the back slider and the rest of the windows. I've been in a tank top all night and all day. Very comfortably.


This is CRAZY. I want to get a Christmas Tree. I like snow and hats and scarves and warm coats and polar fleece. I love winter. Why do you think I was CRAZY enough to want to get married on New Year's Eve. I even wanted to go to the BEACH to take wedding pictures..we didn't in the end, but I wanted to!!


Ok...I feel better now. Not about the lack of winter or snow, but I've vented and you all know that venting does wonders for me.


Here's a pic of Joseph today. He's so big! We decided last night to try putting him in his crib when he (occasionally) sleeps during the day to see if he would be content there. We've had one and a half successful nap so far. If this works, I think we're going to move his crib in our room. Yes, we are that pathetic, we can't stand to have our little boy in the next room yet. I know he's big, but he's just 8 weeks old today!

ADD girl

The following is not really one cohesive thought. My brain was on vacation yesterday and now I feel how I did when at Gordon..beware, ADD girl!

I have not written for a while...My hands have not been my own. We had a couple of weeks of extreme velcro-baby syndrome. There was a period of time with no sleep during the days, then Mommy surrendered. The only way Joseph would sleep was while being held...usually on my lap. I think I went though a season and a half of Gilmore Girls. One time of my hours long sitting on the couch, fearful of moving and waking Joseph, watched as the house phone rang, then my cell phone. Hours later, it happened again.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and it's December. We had all the windows open two days ago. Jon said "Global warming..."

Yesterday, I had a very good day with Joseph. I was actually able to put him down for periods of time, hours even. He slept in his crib for the first time. He is currently next to me on the couch, perched on the "bubble" sleeping.

"Stone yo-yos appeared in Greece in 1000BC." Now, don't you feel that your world is complete knowing that. I have the "Traditional Holiday Music" channel on TV right now and that was at the top. Most of those little clips are related to Christmas, somehow...but Yo-Yos???

HAHA...Joseph just snorted in his sleep!!!

Ok, enough of my rambling. Here are some newer pics. Yes, my "little" boy is getting big and he's also loosing his dark hair.

Oh yeah...and I cut almost 10 inches off of my hair on Thanksgiving!

Today I became my husband

This afternoon, I decided to try something new.....







And Joseph and I went.....

Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.

Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.

Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.

Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.

Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.Repeat.

And then.....

This was around 2:45pm....it is now 7:20pm....He should be waking soon, but I'm seriously considering putting him back in this configuration for overnight sleeping. My son hates the bassinet. If we don't figure something else out soon, Mommy and Daddy either need to get a bigger bed or some serious Chiropractic adjustments.

This one is just cute! My beautiful boy!

P.S. Jon paces.

Back to life...

Ahhh...

We had a crazy weekend. Wonderful, but crazy. In our little apartment, we managed to have 5 adults and 4 children ranging from less than 1 month to 4 years old. Plus Oreo. We did it! It was wonderful to have everyone here, get to sit around and just talk and enjoy each others company. Watch our nieces run around and sing and dance. I love that "the elder Chechile children" are so close, and the two of us that married into this group have melded into to part of the group. To the point that I tend not to call my sister in law, "in law" just "sister" and Jon's sister in law is "my sister in law". No more separation necessary.

Rebecca left on Monday night and my mom came up yesterday. We went out and went shopping for most of the day, busy, but fun again. It's always great to see her and have her around. I'm excited because we get to see her again on Sunday. We are FINALLY (we've been trying for over a year) getting together with my cousins and brother, etc. for a big family afternoon/dinner. I can't wait. At the same time, I'm looking forward to today and tomorrow where I am not planning on going anywhere. I need some time at home, get things back in order, rest, keep going on projects that seem to take FOREVER to do. For example, Thank you notes. I think I've been writing Thank you notes for 6 months and they always seem to take SOO long in relation to when I actually receive something I'm grateful for. I feel ridiculous for it taking so long and it honestly is no reflection of how I feel. I don't know why or how it happens exactly. I'm trying to work on it though. I've gotten almost all of them written this am that were on my list to do. I have 3 e-mails and one phone call (maybe..) then they'll be done!

...Back to reality...

Victory

It is 9:10am. I have eaten, had sipps of coffee, been able to talk with my husband and hug him sans Joseph, and I think I might be able to get my contacts in...before Joseph wakes up! A little after 11pm last night, Jon got a call from one of is best friends who's mom is making it one day at a time. He went out in the living room to talk with him and I was feeding Joseph (for I think the 3rd time in an hour) in the bedroom. I tried to put him down, but it didn't work. He needed to sleep. I went out and gave him to Jon and went back to bed. (I found out this morning that Joseph did the same thing to Jon for about 30 min as he's been doing to me for the past few days...upset and we can't figure out why). He rocked with him while he talked, then brought him to bed and laid Joseph on his chest the way he likes for a while. Then put him in the bassinette. He didn't wake up until a little before 5am! I actually came out to the rocking chair and watched the news for 30 min. while feeding him. Then, I put him back in the bassinette and climed back under the covers and Jon woke me up a little after 8am...and Joseph's still sleeping!! Jon and I concluded that as much as I want the sleep, it was better when I was able to eat something and still have Jon here to take Joseph if need be.

So, I'm fed, starting to get caffinated and I feel rested, because I got to sleep for almost 6 straight hours. Yeah!

We're having company this weekend. We have a crazy weekend..Here's the schedule

Sat am: Go to CBD Warehouse Sale

Sat pm: Nate, Liz, Alicia, Abby and Anna come from VT to spend the night

Sat??: Rebecca is trying to get a flight to come up for the weekend too

Sat pm: Potluck at the Church...we're going to bring extra brownies, cuse our clan alone might double the attendees

Sat pm: So, Nate and Liz will be on the air matteress in the nusery, with Anna in the crib and Abby in the pack and play..we have to move a few things out of the room first. Rebecca will go on the couch and Alicia will go either in the living room or our room on the mattress of the papizan chair. I will hopefully not be changing diapers in the dark on our bed...we'll see...

Sun am: Get up and out the door for church. I'm hoping Becca does get to come up so Jon can go to work and do his thing alone and she can drive me and Joseph when we're all ready.

Sun pm: Visit till about 2, which isn't much time after church. Then, Jon has to go to an Ordiation Council for someone...somewhere...I will stay home with whomever is left and if it's just Joseph and I....pray we sleep!

It's a good thing I absolutly LOVE and LIKE having all of these people around. It'll be exhausting, but I can't wait to see everyone.

wish you were here too...

Defeated

Yesterday this was how I felt. Regarding everything. Joseph slept pretty well during the night, but that can only be so restful for Mommy. He woke up (yet again) just as Daddy was going off to work (it's amazing how he know...or just one weird coincidence). We've come to about 9am. It was after 10:30am before I was able to get myself a bowl of cereal, which I scarfed down in order to attend to my sons needs, again. This continued until about noon at which point, I heated up some leftovers and got to check my e-mail...not sure if I'd be getting 5 minutes or 5 hours. I posted a question to my sister-in-law with 3 children on her facebook, "Does it get any easier?" About 10 minutes later, she called me, offering advice and support. Not long after I hung up the phone, it started again. I tried everything, holding, not holding, walking, rocking, in his chair, in the car seat, in the crib, sitting up, laying down, face up, face down. You name it, I tried it! I couldn't figure out what he wanted. Usually it's a short list, eat, diaper, gas, sleep. One of them is usually the answer. Yesterday, for hours on end, well..I still have no idea what it was. All this time I'm thinking about how I have several phone calls to make. Joseph needs to get another ultrasound in a couple of weeks. I need to go to the docs for a check up in a couple of weeks. We all need to go to the Chiro. Jon and I have been needing to order contacts forever...



Here is my greatest vent regarding silly contacts..

About a year ago, my mom came to visit us for a few days. She brought Hailey, her big black beautiful Newfoundland dog...aka. bear. Mom and I went out and Jon stayed at home to study. Hailey was facing away from Jon, laying down, content and quiet. Later that day, we realized that she was eating my glasses. The frame was a tangled mess, and the lenses, well...we never saw them again. She has a thing for plastic. Having the horrid vision that I do, I had to get them replaced and quick. My gracious Mom paid for a new pair of glasses and I paid for the exam, including a contact exam. I explained the situation to the owner of the eye place, told her my old contacts were still fine, my prescription changed just slightly, but I had 8 or 9 months of my old contacts left. I told her I wanted to use them up before getting new ones. She said she completely understood. So, 8 or 9 months later, I called to get my new prescription. I got so frustrated with the office. I called to get the trials, first the lady thought I needed to see the doctor again, then no I didn't, just pick up the lenses. Then we started moving, changing jobs, having Joseph, etc, etc. We just never got around to getting the new ones ordered. Guess what has happened now? We can't order new contacts online because our prescriptions have expired. Jon got new glasses..same prescription a couple of years ago, and started wearing his glasses again. He goes through phases of wearing one or the other. So, now, we have to both find a new doc, get examined again, and get new prescriptions so we can get new contacts. And, I'm not sure if our insurance covers the exams at all or not. Hopefully so, cuse we really don't need another medical bill.



But, Joseph is sleeping at the moment. Glass half full, right? Silver lining? It's gray outside, kinda silver. :)

Thank you for listening.

Hours that become days that become weeks that become months

This morning...not sure if it was at 4 something am or 7 or 9, all of which I was quite drowsy at....I looked down at my son and thought, "Wow! In a week and a half, you're going to be a month old". I can't believe our small chunks of time together, one feeding to the next, one nap to the next (hopefully) have added up to so many hours, so many days, to the point that before we know it, he will be a month old.

You know how when you're younger and you started dating someone, and you clocked it by weeks and months..we had month anniversaries. Which, is contradictory in itself. The whole "anni" part of the word. I'll have to ask my Greek scholar what the root of "month" is to coin a new word "monthversaries". Jon and I realized it once we got married that we stopped counting. Jon told someone once, "Once you get married, you're shooting for decades, not months."

This weekend was very busy, and I hope to share more on it later, but for now, this perfect little boy requires my other typing hand

3rd day's gotta be the charm

You have no idea how precious this moment is, until you've been holding this wonderful little person basically non stop since 9 am and now it's 4:30pm. This is the first time he's been down and not cried to be held after about 5 min. all day. As I just told my neighbor, "There really are much worse things than my child wanting to be held and holding my child for hours on end." I just need to remind myself of that when my body feels tired, sore and numb from sitting and rocking and rocking and rocking and rocking...

CoffeeCoffeeCoffee

"I only ordered one coffee, not three."
"But you said 'Coffee, coffee, coffee'"
"I said 'CoffeeCoffeeCoffee, cuse people know I drink a lot of coffee...it's my bit..."

~Lorelai Gilmore (as best as I can remember it)

I'm working on a large cup of coffee. Yesterday was long...Joseph didn't sleep for more than about 20 minutes at a time until about 4pm, then he slept for about 2 hours. And that was the longest stretch of the day. He even slept on Jon's chest in the middle of the night, cuse he just wanted to be held. Now, he's sitting in his chair, awake, but content.

Yesterday was the first day we were in the apartment all by ourselves all day. However, Jon was 2 minutes down the road in the office most of the day. Today, he's at a conference in Worcester, about an hour away. He'd leave if I needed him to, and I'm sure I won't, but I like that typically he's just around the corner. He's such a calming presence for me. I love him just being close. When he found out that my mom called me Velcro-baby, he said "Not much has changed in the past 25 years."

Velcro-Baby

My mom described me as being "Velcro-baby". To the point that I only wanted her. No one else would do. Just to be in my mom's arms was what I wanted as a baby. I have been blessed with a part time Velcro-baby myself. While some moments, he feels so heavy and I'd like to type with two hands instead of one (which I'm getting good at), other moments, I hold him just because it feels so amazing and wonderful to hold my sweet sleeping son in my arms, I don't want to put him down. Joseph is 2 weeks and 2.5 hours old and he is having a Velcro day. So far, Daddy's arms seem to work very well too!

Today is my first day at home with my baby boy and no one else. It's been great having my mom around and Jon being home when she wasn't here, but it's good now to be on my own, how life really will be on a daily basis, taking care of myself and Joseph...and of course, Oreo (the cat).

Jon and I were talking last night about the fact that JJ's two weeks old already! I think it was still while we were in the hospital that Jon said "I feel like he's always been a part of our lives." This was the sentiment that we were discussing last night. On the one hand, we can't believe it's been two weeks already! It feels like just a few days ago that we were cleaning the house for hopefully the last time before my going into labor (which never happened). On the other hand, it feels so natural him being here and taking care of him in our daily lives.

And now...I have a sweetly sleeping baby.