Breastfeeding issues

In case you were wondering:
The ultrasound therapy was very painful. Basically a metal wand with a flattened tip was used to push the bottom of my breast around to loosen things up.

The physical therapist said my clogged duct was "profound" and the size of the hardened area (literally, a quarter of my breast) is only something she sees on occasion.

It did not work immediately, but when Cole and I got home from school that afternoon he burst the milk blister by nursing.

And I breathed a sigh of relief.

As a result of this clogged duct and maybe because of the stress it caused me, I've been having supply issues while pumping, so much so that I've had to dip into my frozen supply to supplement.

I am learning a lesson from all of this and am going to listen to my midwife, who told me last week I must massage the boob before pumping or nursing, especially when it's engorged. I am also taking lecithin, which is supposed to help the milk be less stringy so that my ducts don't easily clog up. She also told me to wear a nipple shield, but when I tried that Cole HATED it.
And it made breastfeeding a miserable experience for me as well.

The fun of being a mother.

Sent from my iPhone

A happy 8 months

It's really hard to believe how quickly time goes by. And I'm sure I've uttered those words before, so I'm sorry if I repeat myself. But it's so true! I can still remember May 27 like it was yesterday. Truly. And now Cole is 8 months old today. Exactly 35 weeks ago on this day (a Thursday) I gave birth to him.

At 245 days old, or 8 months, he's "talking"--- a lot.
His words: Mama, meme, DaDa, Da, Hada, his version of Cat. I'll have to record it sometime. It sounds like he's screeching, but really there's the K sound then the AT sound. Everything is "Da" or "HaDa." In addition now to waking up in the middle of the night crawling or standing, he's also talking. He ends up calling my boob "Da" or "Ha Da" as he's leaning in to nurse. It's pretty funny.

He's also getting less afraid of not seeing me in the same room as him and more interested in exploring. When he wants to get somewhere fast, he crawls. He now crawls away from me and after the cats. Speaking of the cats ... they are now both afraid of him and have mastered the art of darting. Their pleasure strolls around the house are no more with Crawling Cole around.

About a month after Cole was born Keith realized I was taking all of my pictures of Cole with my iPhone, so he bought the Canon Rebel XS. He also taught me how to use Lightroom, a program he uses for his photography. I became more adept at downloading photos and making collections, etc, etc. So now, because we take most of our pictures with the Rebel (minus the week or so I went on strike because I didn't like getting scolded for not formatting the memory card), there are a ton of pictures in Lightroom. Literally. And even though it may seem like it, I don't post that many pictures - compared to the amount of pictures we have stored in our computer. So with that being said, I decided to do the rest of this post in pictures. A photo essay of Cole's daily life.  I wish I could show you what day care looks like, but I doubt they have time to snap photos of Cole's day for me (but- wouldn't it be nice if they did?)

Cole is very oral. He likes to put EVERYTHING into his mouth. He barely looks at an object before it's headed to his mouth. This wouldn't be a big deal if he didn't also drop EVERYTHING he puts into his mouth, requiring us, of course, to pick it up and wash it off. Sometimes, though, I follow the five-second rule. Don't tell anyone though.

This is Cole's perch. It's an ottoman we purchased from Target after I was off strict bed rest. It has really come in handy, especially after we retired the coffee table with a thousand sharp corners. He stands at this ottoman every day and we regularly pile blocks on it.

If babies could actually pose, then this caption would read: Cole posing in front of his beloved ottoman.  However, I think Keith just got really lucky. Either that or he's a damn good photographer. Probably the latter.

Yes, folks the television is tethered to the hutch. Of course, this is the first object I witnessed him attempting to climb. Keith took this photo and the one below.

This is Cole's path. He goes from the ottoman (far right hand corner) to the activity cube then to the television, then to the table next to the television and then to the exer-saucer. He moves using a combination of skills: crawling and reaching -as pictured here. Also, he gets a lot of help from us. I sometimes "walk" him from one object to the next.

When he's not knocking blocks off the ottoman, Cole's other obsession is pulling Keith's PDN magazines off the bookshelf. Interesting fact: this bookshelf (located in our dining room) was in Keith's room when he was a baby. It was once filled with diapers and clothes and Keith's mom had little curtains over each shelf. 

This was a small victory for Cole. When he first started to pull himself up to a stand he thought big and tried immediately to pull himself up onto the couch. That's what led us to nickname him Crash, because he bruised himself a few times trying to do it. Here he is screaming his version of "Cat" at Clem. Keith also took this one and the one below.

Cole looking cute at his second favorite perch: the end table by the small sofa. I've now piled little board books on there so he can pull them off.

Cole clutching a carrot on one of our snow days. I let him teethe on it and taste it, and he had lots of fun doing it.

Cole sucking his avocado covered fingers. The battle over the spoon continues and sometimes I just give up and spoon the food out onto his tray and let him eat it with his fingers.  It's really messy this way, but much more avocado went into his mouth this way than it would have if I had continued to try to feed him myself.

The parting shot. Total cuteness.

Guess who took this one? Yep - not me!

Coolness!

For the first time in 5 years I was able to close all of my dresser drawers, thanks to the book, Clutter's Last Stand.

Milk blisters- fun times

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been getting clogged ducts and milk blisters more and more since that first one in the late fall. They were coming every other week and now they're striking every single week. I was so fed up with the last one (over our weekend away) that I called the LC at the birth center. She said they can do ultrasound therapy for recurrent clogged ducts. Yay. Sounds like fun.
So after a depressing pumping session today, wherein, instead of pumping 6 ounces, I was only able to pump 3 ounces, I realized I had yet ANOTHER clogged duct. I knew it was time to call in some reinforcements in "The Battle for the Boob." (I don't want to say I'm battling with the boob, because that would not be good to be battling with my own body part. So I will say, I am battling with whatever is causing the clogged duct for control of the boob.)

What does a clogged duct feel like you ask? Well internally, when it's touched, it feels like a bruise. Externally, it feels like the entire underside of my boob is completely hardened, and my breast looks warped and wrinkly. Now, what will surely follow is the milk blister from hell, wherein a white blister appears on my nipple and every time Cole nurses on it, it will feel like he's latching on for the first time. Ouch doesn't cut it. And then if I'm lucky enough his Hoove- like sucking will open the blister and then consequently, the duct. If I'm not so lucky, either Keith or I might have to edge off the blister with our fingernails. Can you say Oweeee! And if THAT doesn't work I can sterilize a needle and puncture a hole in it. Oh the joy. This is why I called immediately for the ultrasound therapy. If this can possibly fix the clogged duct and prevent future clogged ducts I'd be more than happy. I'd be forever in the debt of the physical therapy people at Northern Dutchess Health Annex.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. for the ultrasound therapy. I have to bring Cole. This means I have to take a half a day off. Not thrilled about this considering I'm trying (trying being the key word) to conserve my sick days in case Cole comes down with some crazy virus that requires he be out of day care for a while. (By crazy virus, I am actually thinking of the Coxsackie Virus, which has reared its ugly head twice in the infant room of Cole's day care.) The other reason I'm not thrilled about this is because the last time I called in sick, two students in my first period class stacked all of the textbooks onto a desk in the center of the room and kicked the pile over, toppling all of the books and making it sound to the teachers next door as if they were throwing furniture. Needless to say, the substitute was totally oblivious and did not tell me about it; I had to find out from the other students. Fortunately, cleverness on my part helped me to nab the guilty and write them up. They have been forewarned, so let's hope they behave themselves tomorrow.

Babywearing Chapter 27: The return of the Beco Butterfly II

Recently, in my effort to de-clutter, I've been revisiting baby carriers that we haven't used since Cole was a newbie. First, I tried the Wrapsody Bali Breeze wrap. I finally came to the conclusion that Keith realized long ago - this wrap is too damn long and I need to either return it or sell it. I contacted the company and they were of no help whatsoever, offering to give me a 5% discount on a purchase of a $55 used wrap. No effing thank you. I spent $70 on a new wrap that I barely use, do you really think I'm going to spend $55 on a USED wrap?! You are out of your mind. They also suggested shortening the wrap myself and sewing it. Yeah, like I have the time to do THAT. I'll be selling that wrap on eBay, thank you very much.

But back to the reason for this post - the Beco Butterfly II. Cole had a love/hate relationship with this carrier when we used it during the first few months of his life. We went on hikes with it, I wore him in it around the house, we used it at Beth and John's wedding. He slept in it, but always complained and fussed until he fell asleep. But those were the days when he was tiny and couldn't see out of it (note - the Beco Butterfly II is NOT a front facing carrier, which is why I stopped using it.) But now that Cole is bigger and can sit in it facing me while looking around at the world, he's much happier in it. And in some ways, it's more comfortable than the Gemini and lighter (the Gemini is bulkier because the baby can sit in it front facing). So we've been using the Butterfly with much success for the past week-and-a-half. And I'm thankful for the de-cluttering book for reminding me of the things I keep but rarely use.

Cole's First Trip to Lake Placid

We didn't do much in Lake Placid, but I guess that's the point of a weekend getaway, right? We did learn a few things.
1. Cole does not fall asleep well in hotel rooms.
2. Hotel cribs are not for sleeping in.
3. Cole likes to kiss mirrors
4. The Peekaru vest is nice if you're spending all of your time outside, but if you're going in and out of stores, not so much.
5. Cole likes fires - well at least fires in fireplaces and/or wood stoves.
6. It doesn't matter where we are - if it's after 6 p.m. Cole is going to get cranky.
7. Driving in the car can still put Cole to sleep (this is both a blessing and a curse).
8. It pays to tell the hotel people you have a baby - they put us in the corner room where we (hopefully) only woke up our neighbors adjacent to us when Cole had a screaming fit the second night there.
9. Lake Placid is cold.
10. The Adirondacks in winter is beautiful (although we kinda knew that already).

Here are the photos...

Keith and Cole on the balcony of our hotel room. Cole is wearing a knit cap made by Fern's sister, Olympia. This has been our go-to hat since late fall, since it fits so well.

Cole loving himself against the mirrored closet door,

About to give himself a little kiss.

Cole and I on the main drag in Lake Placid. Cole is in the Beco Gemini covered by the Peekaru.

An artist's rendering of the icicles on the balcony (a.k.a.) Keith's perspective of the icicles.

From Keith -- One of the trails on Whiteface Mountain

This is mainly what Cole did in the crib. He slept in it for all of 15 minutes.

Downtown Lake Placid

Cole and I in the window of the bagel shop on the morning we left.

The great bath debacle

I'll make this short and sweet. Because of his newly refined motor skills we realized we needed to retire the infant bathtub we've been using for the past 7 months. So I bought a bath seat, thinking that would do the trick. Unfortunately, I bought it online and wasn't able to read the fine print. Basically, because we have a non slip surface on the bottom of our tub, I'd have to use their cheap adhesives and stick 4 rather large disks permanently onto the bottom of the tub. Not happening! Using the actual tub was also out of the question since the last few times we tried that, Cole got very upset at being in the tub without any protection around or under him. I think the tub seems too big to him and, as a result, is a scary place. So we settled for the alternative. While we were getting diapers at Toys r Us Saturday, we bought an inflatable tub, shown above. It was a hit with Cole. Thanks to Mommy A. for the idea!

What Sleep Deprivation Does to You

I am so tired lately that I've been doing several things I don't normally do.

I've been leaving expensive reusable containers (two for coffee and one for water) around my school. Unfortunately, even though we have a lost and found, the custodians do not believe in putting anything in it. Instead, as the head custodian informed me, "They chuck it."

I've been allowing my Queens accent to come out. This has been happening more and more, but started, without my realizing it, a few months ago.  It began one day when I was talking to the students about a chapter in a book. One of my students raised his hand and said, "You just said 'chaptah' Mrs. Ferris." And I said, "No, I didn't." And he said, "Yes, you did." The rest of the class agreed with vigorous shaking of their heads.  This was of course done in tongue and cheek. I have a very good repoire with this class, so we can joke about things like this. Lately when I record Cole on my iPhone and play it back to myself or to other people, I cringe at the sound of my voice. It sounds as if I never left Queens - not annunciating my "r's" or saying "caul" instead of "call." You're probably wondering at this point, what the hell is so wrong with a Queens accent? Well, I'll tell you. A long, long time ago, when I was a cub reporter starting out Up Here in the pretty Hudson Valley, if you were from "The City" you were considered an outsider. This was silly because, really, lots of people who live up here, were at one point, from The City. But they believed that, since they had been Up Here for many years, they were from Up Here and that anyone who came here from The City was not.

As a result of this lovely accent, when I interviewed people, especially old-timers, they wouldn't confide in me as they would other reporters who knew the area well and/or were from around here. Once I got the lay of the land down, I started to work on my accent. By the time I got to grad school in 2006, people would be surprised when I told them where I was from. That, to me, was an accomplishment. Eventually, my "new" accent came naturally to me and barely required any effort.

That was until I looked a night with just a few hours of sleep in the face and then went to work an hour away the next morning.  Now, I realize that my new accent was not a new accent at all, just a facade. The real me is coming out. And it don't sound pretty, folks.

Some neat links you might like

I'm sorry I've been out of touch. We just imported photos from Lake Placid and are currently in the process of picking out which ones to post. Plus, I have a running list of topics I want to write about and, needless to say, I don't know where to begin! Plus today we had a studio day, so there's even MORE photos to sort through. (Note: if you're on facebook you've already seen two of the cutest ones). You can check Keith's blog within the next few days and you'll find his favorite pics.

Back to the original reason for this post. I was nursing Cole and thinking of this awesome hidden page that Keith and I set up when we first got engaged - back when we had tons of free time on our hands! Anyway, the reason why I was thinking of this page was because our 9th anniversary of our first date is coming up in February and I was thinking back to the story and I remembered that I already wrote the story on this super cool hidden page on Keith's site. So drumroll please...keithferrisphoto.com/keithandbianca

Now, if you liked the two poems that I posted the other day, I actually have some more poetry that I posted on another super-cool hidden page on Keith's website. But mind you, this is from 2004 and the picture of me is kind of creepy in a gothic sort of way. You'll see what I mean...
keithferrisphoto.com/bianca

His new shoes

Keith took this photo last night of Cole's new Robeez soft sole shoes (made by Stride Rite). I bought them last week just before we went to Lake Placid from this kids store in Poughkeepsie called Quackles. Allison had recommended them to me as a first shoe. She said they helped Juni when crawling and cruising, especially on the hard slippery floor. Last night after his bath, but after he had already gone to bed, I didn't want to forget to put them back in his room, so I put them by his door as a reminder. And then Keith captured it much better than I could ever have.

Poetry Share

I taught list poetry the week before last and wrote these two poems in front of my first and second period class. They LOVED it. I'm telling you, the best part about my job is doing stuff like this. I get to write poetry in front of an admiring audience. Who can ask for a better gig?

"On bed rest"
On bed rest I watched two entire seasons of Grey's Anatomy and the Gilmore Girls.
On bed rest I watched every episode of every baby program on TLC.
On bed rest I watched the neighborhood kids do strange things with wheelchairs.
On bed rest I watched the neighborhood cats have stand-offs on my lawn.
On bed rest I watched winter come and go.
On bed rest I watched my baby kick books off my belly.
On bed rest I laid there for months and watched the world go by.
Off bed rest. I'm glad it's over.


"My first Christmas"

For my first Christmas
I surprised Grandma at work
I crawled around Grandpa Bill's living room
I sat in front of his giant tree.

For my first Christmas
I opened my first gifts
I stood in my very own gift bag
I got cranky and made my parents go home

For my first Christmas
I went to my mommy's stomping grounds
I visited and met new cousins and aunts
I pounded Cousin Lauren's computer keyboard

For my first Christmas
I came face to face with Papa Joe's dog
I refused to take a nap
I saw my first grease fire

For my first Christmas
I gave my parents the best present I could think of:
For our first Christmas
I slept through the night.

Collector's confession

So I'm reading this awesomely funny and informative book called Clutter's Last Stand. I borrowed it from the library after we baby-proofed our living room and am reading it during pumping sessions at school. As I mentioned in that post, we got rid of a lot of junk we had sitting around the house. The sad part is there is a lot more junk stashed around the house as well as in storage bins in our garage. Although we've been good in the (recent) past with parting with some of our junk, we still have a long way to go. Fortunately, that feeling of liberation at getting rid of something that I knew I would never use, is a huge motivator for me to continue us on the path of De-junking the rest of the house, which is why I borrowed the book. I thought it would be helpful to determine what really is junk and how to part with it.
How many of you store junk or stuff you never use but are keeping because you think you might need it someday?
The following is a list of junk we realized we had been saving for years....
Stacks of Christmas cards from previous years
Stacks of birthday cards from the past three birthdays.
The cards people gave to us for our wedding
Countless vases
Batteries
Rocks
Shells
Candles
Candle holders
Cat food bowls
A box of incandescent Light bulbs

We were actually saving every rock and shell from every beach we had gone to together during our 9 years of being a couple. When we realized that many of the rocks could be a choking hazard I put them, along with the shells, into a small plastic storage bin and stowed it away in the pantry we had just cleaned out.  And what are you supposed to do when you replace most of the light bulbs in your house with fluorescent light bulbs? That's right, store the old incandescent light bulbs in a shoe box in your pantry.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. I know I've been keeping notebooks since I was 15, and although I've only re-read a few, I might want to someday, so I keep them- all 30 of them in a trunk in our garage. Those and every newspaper clip I've ever published is also in a box somewhere if it's not in a binder because I might use it as a teaching example. And of course I feel the need to keep proof that I worked in print journalism. Which reminds me- I know I also kept a small stack of my old business cards somewhere in there as well.....
Sent from my iPhone

Random

It is amazing how the tables have turned with the cats and their love/hate/scared relationship with Cole. As I've written before, Clem was in love with Cole when we first came home with him, but Kiwi was extremely jealous. Now, Clem is deathly afraid of him, running at the first sound of the aforementioned screeching. Earlier today I saw half of her face by the archway with one orange eye watching Cole and I, but the other eye was hidden behind the wall. As soon as she saw Cole make a move, all I could see was a swatch of black fur and then she was gone. It was pretty funny. Now, Kiwi is the one who allows herself to be petted, squeezed, and munched on. All within reason of course. If it gets to be too much, she moves on. We've also noticed that Cole loves to play with Kiwi and Clem's toy, this ball inside a plastic circle contraption (I'm really good at naming things, as you can tell).  I'll post a pic below.

So today was a snow day for both Keith and I, and we have yet to go outside! We've both been working in shifts, me either grading or blogging, and Keith revamping his website. Check it out and let  me know what you think. He'd love the feedback. Cole has been pretty tired and cranky today, so I've put him down twice this afternoon for a nap. He does not nap well at day care for whatever reason, so I try to make sure he naps well when he's home with us. Speaking of day care, I picked him up yesterday and Cole's teacher asked me about him saying "Mama" and of course I was thrilled to hear that he was continuing to say it at day care. She said that around 4 p.m., when I usually pick him up, he got cranky, started to say "Mama" and kept watching the door! I thought this was so sweet, but I also felt bad because I didn't pick him up until 5 p.m. since I stayed after school to get some work done. He also says "Baba", which the teacher thinks is because the other 7 month old is also saying "Baba" so he's picked it up from her.

In other news, Keith's birthday is next Tuesday, so we're taking a trip to Lake Placid this weekend so Keith can snowboard at Whiteface and so Cole can see the Adirondacks. This is our second annual trip there. We went there the same weekend last year when I was pregnant with Cole. Although the week afterwards brings back dark memories of the beginning of our fight with pre-term labor, the trip to Lake Placid was wonderful. It was beautiful there and it was, if I recall correctly, the first time Keith really felt Cole kick. I spent the rest of my pregnancy in bed with a kickboxer living inside of me. I guess all those countless hours of kicking gave him strong enough muscles to start walking early. I know he hasn't started yet, but I can see it happening soon with the way he is progressing. This is terrifying and exciting all at the same time.

 Clem stays a safe distance away. And again, she is the motivation for him to move forward on his own.

This is the one-handed stand I was telling you about. This was captured on our Canon Rebel.

A toothy grin! Keith took about 10 photos before Cole opened his mouth for a full-on smile! I guess that's how you do it, Mumsy!

And he bares the teeth again for an even better look!

Going right for the thing he's not supposed to touch. Right there with you, Randalin!

Cole plays with the cat toy.

Motivation to move

Cole is now doing one-handed standing, as many of you have seen on Facebook. The picture is on Keith's iPhone, so I'll have to send it to the blog from his phone, so those of you non-Facebook people can see. More and more every day, Cole gets better at standing and walking. He walks with help from us. He went from walking while holding both our hands to walking and holding just one of our hands. I think it's only a matter of weeks before he starts walking. He's very persistent and determined. When he wants to do something, he will do it.  Back to his motivation for moving - The Cats. When he sees them he screeches "Aaaaaaah" (and they run) then he says "KKKKKKKKK" really loudly, like he's trying to get phlegm out of the back of his throat. It's pretty funny. Keith caught this image of the two yesterday morning. It's Cole's true motivation to move - to catch the Cats! What he's thinking here: Aaaaaah! I want to pet (squeeze) you! What Kiwi is thinking: How did this thing find me?

New Year's Day with the Schaefer family

On New Year's Day we went to Carmel to visit Keith's family. Cole had a grand ole time playing with Keith's grandfather and Keith's aunt and cousin. They figured out what he liked to do (knock his new containers down and watch everyone else pick them up!). I hope I'm not inundating you with photos. I'm actually a pretty good editor - there was so much to choose from and I narrowed it down to these 7!

 Standing proud.

With Grandma Carolyn.

 In front of another pretty Christmas tree.

 With Great Grandma Joyce.

Snuggling with Daddy.

 Playing with Daddy, Great-Grandpa, Great-Aunt Ellen and Cousin Kaitlyn

This game is too much fun!

Our visit with Allishawn

We had a really nice visit with Allison, Shawn, and Juni. Cole and Juni are 5 months apart. Allison and I are only 6 months apart. Coincidence? I think not. Anyway, the two of them were cute together and I can imagine that they will have more fun playing as they get older. This first one is a sweet pic of the two playing together. Juni is so good at sharing. Cole, however, has no idea what's his and what's someone else's. 

Here Coke plays at what is soon to be his activity cube. Thanks Juni!

Juni showing off her doll.

Juni waiting on the couch for Cole to join her for a baby photo. However, the photo op was over when Cole started to cry,

A Damn good weekend

Despite the fact that cole ended the weekend with a stomach virus, this weekend was a damn good one.

First of all,  Friday was an amazing day. It was such a treat to stay home with Cole, watch the snow fall, and know that I had a whole weekend ahead of us for some time with Keith and time to myself (more on that later). The only thing that would've made Friday better was if Keith had been able to stay home as well. On Friday I discovered that Cole loves apples. Apple slices and apple sauce. That's his weakness and it was one of the few times where he's eaten something without me having to fight for control of the spoon.

We played a lot in the living room and his nursery. He had some good naps and I showed him what falling snow feels like on your face. Since he was not too keen on the white stuff falling in his eyes we walked around the backyard under an umbrella. Back in the house I realized how much my son is trying to learn how to walk. Several times he tried to get from one object to another ( while standing ) without my help. When he realized he needed my help he'd reachfor my hand. When I offered both hands he'd sometimes only take one or if he took both, release one so he could move more on his own. It was wonderful to watch this self initiated practice take place.

As our day drew to a close I became very tired. So when his nap ended prematurely I brougt him into bed with me and we slept until Keith got home. Luckily for Keith we have some amazing neighbors, one of whom already plowed our driveway! It meant Keith got to spend quality time with Cole while I made dinner.

On Saturday, after Keith got back from snowboarding and after Cole and I enjoyed a visit from above mentioned neighbors, grandma Carolyn came over and Keith and I headed out for our date! We ate the most delicious meal at 36 Main, a restaurant and wine bar in new Paltz and then had a nightcap at northern spy, where we sawJohn Leguizamo and his family (he lives around here).

Then on Sunday I finally had an afternoon to myself. First I went to yoga at MAMA and then to Panera for lunch and b&n for desert and grading. I looked at a few interesting books, one of which I might get on audio (House Rules by Jodi Picoult) while I sat in the cafe.

About an hour after I got home I noticed Cole was warmer than usual and discovered that he was indeed running a slight fever. We don't do the rectal thermometer around here and have to rely on the armpit readings where you add a degree. By 10:30 that night he puked all over Keith and was feeling so crappy from the fever that we kept him in the bed with us. In fact, we harkened back to the olden days when Keith used to put Cole on his chest and "neck nurse" him, as Dr. Sears would say. He slept on Keith like that for most of the night. He's doing better now and probably got hit by a 24- hour bug. By last night he was in good spirits. It helped that both Keith and I stayed home to take care of him (having so little sleep the night before). 

Here's Cole with his apple slice.

Cole after his apple sauce- lovin' life!

The picture Keith sent to me while I was at B & N.

Cole dining, literally, on Kiwi.

Looking forward

Yesterday we had a snow day.  It was the most fun I've had in a while. I'll write about it more tomorrow when I can include some pictures that are on my phone. Tonight though, Keith and I are going on our first date in a long time. Grandma Carolyn is coming over very soon. So I need to finish doing some grading and get ready. We're going to head to New Paltz for dinner. We are both really excited. And since today Keith went snowboarding, tomorrow I'm going to head to Barnes and Noble for a few hours, get some grading done and just chill out with a book and a cup of tea. I may even blog from there. Who knows? But it'll give me some much needed me-time. So I am looking forward to that as well. Too-ta-loo!

Naptime

This sheet is a hand-me-down from our neighbor, whose son is now 5. This sheet is so soft and bright, it looks exquisite with the white crib. This is Cole after Daddy put him to sleep.

His first word

Tonight, while he was in the walker and I was cutting up apple slices for him, he said Mama! Twice! True, he once said Dada back in October, but this is more special - because he said Mama! I love him. More than words can say. But Mama is good enough for me.

Structured randomness

I am thankful for the following things:

• That I still have hope that maybe just maybe he'll sleep for four or five hours straight tonight. What would my life be without hope?!
• A toothy smile- how cute!
• His little voice trying out words that sound so much like "momma"
• The teachers at day care who love my son so much they let him sleep in their arms.
• A cold glass of water
• A warm glass of red wine with my husband
• Leftover pumpkin stew for lunch- yum!
• Ciabatta bread.
• Dental insurance
• When students enjoy or connect to a Langston Hughes poem.
• Watching my son crawl in the hallway before work.
• Holding my son before heading off to work- there's nothing worse than leaving and not saying good-bye, but sometimes it has to be done.
• Watching Cole trying to grab the slippery slice of avocado and, when he finally gets hold of it, seeing him bring it to his mouth and take a bite.

I am not thankful for the following things:

• Pumping in the "health" office. Hearing students puke in the nearby bathroom and worrying about the germs just skeeves me out. Soooooooo not a picture of health.
• The re-ocurring Milk blister 
• The temperamental ducts that clog frequently at the slightest provocation.
• A third tooth trying to break through when the first two are not finished growing. 
• Yet another growth spurt
• Lousy subs who can't or won't follow simple directions- since when does "must work individually" mean work in groups?

Sent from my iPhone

Daily cuteness: Sharing the new space

As Cole plays at his new activity cube, he spots the cat, and Clem realizes she might be trapped…

She manages to make a break for it with my help - distraction by camera phone - always works!

Adventures in Baby-proofing

Baby-Proofing: Clean Sweep Edition

Baby proofing last week helped us de-clutter our living and dining room. We got rid of or packed away a ton of knick knacks that take up valuable space and just collect dust. We also cleaned out our pantry, which was precious storage space actually posing as a junk closet. Imagine - a closet full of junk! (this reminds me of a woman at work who said she cleaned out a closet last week she hadn't cleaned out in 20 years. Guess what she found? Three gigantic bags full of shopping bags from brand name stores.) Keith ended up piling the CRV with junk for Salvation Army. And we breathed a sigh of relief at getting rid of junk we'll never use.

As a result of our escapades in baby-prooding we now have more room to move around and so does the baby. But guess what? Crawling is no longer his top priority. It's more of a means to an end. The end being a place where he can pull himself up to stand and -if he feels like it - to shake his legs. Then he stands there for as long as his little legs will hold him.  (When he's there for too long that's when the leg-shaking starts) Thankfully, on Babyproofing Day, Keith got a hold of a small, inexpensive, used toy chest in good condition. We put this in the living room and Cole feels comfortable standing against it. Otherwise, he had been continuously trying to stand up using the cushion of the couch, which was so not a good idea (and to thin,  he didn't believe us!) Then Allison was kind enough to give to us the coolest toy ever. I'll post an iPhone picture of Cole standing against it tomorrow. I don't know what exactly it is called, but it could be referred to as an activity cube. Cole loves it, mostly because it's sturdy enough for him to lean onto it and because he can play at the same time. Speaking of Allison, once I download pictures of Cole and Juni playing together, I will post them here. I apologize for being neglectful (if you count not writing for 5 or 6 days) of the blog as of late. The demands of motherhood and work are sometimes too much to bear, and I burn out quite easily, especially since I am so sleep deprived. Right now, I should actually be grading. But I'm too tired and too unmotivated to get the ole red pen out. So sue me.

Sidelines

Me with my two best bed rest friends

When we hired Puja, the woman who blessed Cole back in September, we agreed to make a donation to a children's charity. Being the busy (and procrastinating) Mama that I am, I finally got around to making that donation this week. When I was first thinking about a possible children't charity, I thought I should make a donation to March of Dimes because of my fight with pre-term labor. But then I realized that the organization that helped me the most during my pregnancy was Sidelines. As many of you know I was on strict bed rest for 3 months during my pregnancy. My contractions began in mid-January and didn't let up until the night of May 27, when Cole was born. I had never before been on any form of bed rest before that, so staying horizontal for 3 months and change was hard for me. More challenging was my loss of a social life and a normal pregnancy. Bed rest was scary and lonely. Sidelines hooked me up with a volunteer, a woman who had experienced pre-term labor with her children and had also been on bed rest. She was from Utah and her regular emails checking up on me and sharing bits and pieces of her life were a breath of a fresh air. It was nice to be in contact with someone who had been through what I was going through. Through the Sidelines discussion boards, I also met Mommy A. She turned out to be a fellow blogger and together - through our pregnancy blogs - we'd cheer each other on.  Because of Sidelines I was able to connect with other women who knew exactly how I felt lying in my house unable to move for fear my baby would come too early. Because of Sidelines I no longer found myself alone. So, thank you, Sidelines.