Come On Get Down With The Sickness & Other Odds and Ends

So we have had our first round of family sickness. Chris came home not feeling so great. He had a stuffy nose and scratchy throat. Not long after that Glo-Worm started fussing and tossing his cookies every time he ate (still going on). Yesterday morning (like 3am) I woke up and my throat was scratchy. Luckily for Chris & I it is not lasting very long. I already feel a little better today. I can't wait for a real round of sickness to get us...okay yeah I can wait.

Tobin had a great first Easter. Grandma Cynthia got him an Easter basket with this duck that makes the greatest quacking noise (Glo-Worm loves it) and a movie and some sweets (mommy & daddy are helping him with those). Papa Phil got him a tiger shaped blanket, I think he will like it once it is washed. We went out to Chris' Aunt Mary's to visit with the Schneider's. Most of them hadn't seen Tobin yet, so he got loved on a lot. He didn't have his regular naps yesterday and he did really good for being over stimulted and tired. We wanted to get his picture taken with the Easter Bunny, but the smallest package was $25.00. So, we made our own Easter Pictures for your viewing pleasure:




Now here are two pictures, do you know who my kiddo looks just like?




The last three nights Tobin has been sleeping in 4-5 hour stretches! I LOVE IT! The first night I put him down at around 10p, I woke up at about 12:30a thinking he should wake up soon and went back to sleep, when he woke me up it was almost 3a. I can so get used to this. Hopefully this will go on and on...

This last week was mu first full week with Bella. This last week was also hectic, lots of doctors appointments and other errands and then getting Bella to Boonville for school. I am hoping this week is not so crazy.

I have a few more fun pictures of Tobin for you:





Now for your funny bone:





The middle picture, the first is Chris(4y) & Carrie(21m) on 8-14-1974, the second is Chris(8y) 11-1978, & the third is Chris(7m) 3-1971.

The look-a-like...Grandma Cynthia.

New Neice, Music, Time Management and the list goes on

First off: welcome to the family Kye'ana Nye Lakelyn-Marie Stott (that's her big brother Forrest holding her)



Second: Happy Birthday to Kaidyn



Third: Much to my excitement I as able to take a vinyl of children's songs from when TBN and I were little and a cassette tape from when Dubby was little and have them transferred to CD's. I have spent the last couple days getting the lyrics together for when I make copies for the family. The best was the vinyl, Barry Louis Polisar has a website that has all his lyrics and I could just copy and paste then. The album is called I Eat Kids & Other Songs for Rebellious Children. The Cassette I had transferred is call Bellybutton, by Heather Bishop. Big boos to her for making you pay to get her lyrics. Okay so the cassette wasn't a total wash on the lyrics. The cassette came with a copy of them, but was to large for me to just scan. Yes I am lazy and tried to take the easy way out, but I ended up typing them all in. Now all I have to is make CD copies for the family.

Fourth: Okay new mom's explain me this...how did you ever get anything done during the day with a new baby? I have been trying and trying and trying and...well you get the point. Just when I get something started or am right in the middle on something Tobin starts crying. He has been doing better this last week about laying down for a nap during the day (which is how I am getting this typed right now), so hopefully that will help. Any other tricks you can share?

Fifth: Woo Hoo! I get to spend the next six weeks with my fabulous niece Bella. Her daycare provider is going on maternity leave and TBN entrusted me with her daughter. This is exciting for a couple reasons: 1) Bella cracks me up and I love spending time with her 2) It let's me stay home a little longer with Tobin

Sixth: Okay so at some point I am going to have to get a job. We did our budget I really don't have to make to awful much on a weekly basis, so I looking for some part-time work. After some thought, it was decided I would need part-time of an evening so we would not have to pay for daycare. I am thinking about applying at the video store withing walking distance from our house.

Seventh (I told you the list goes on): I have decided to paint my own picture for my living room. With the completion of our basement and the rearrangement of the entertainment centers (love not having a TV in the living room), I have a blank wall. It's not a huge wall, it's a decent space between two windows, but it was covered up by the entertainment center so there was no need for art. I thought about it and have looked all over, but nothing was good enough or called to me enough or was just plain old too expensive if it did. So, for less then $20 I am going to paint my own picture. I will post a picture of the picture when it's completed.

I believe the list has been completed.

Grown Up Talk

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE staying home with my sweet boy, but I miss grown up talk. The thing is, when I get a chance for grown up talk, all I talk about is Tobin. I realize this is because I spend almost 24 hours a day with him and my world revolves around him at this time, but I miss grown up talk about things other than my kiddo.

Speaking of which, I do have something to talk about. Chris & I had a date night last night (major thanks to Wendy & Jeremy for babysitting.) The plan was to go to the movies then out to eat (my choice since it was for my birthday), it almost kinda went that way.

We were starving when we left the house to take Tobin to Wendy & Jeremy's, so we stopped at Hardee's and got simple cheeseburgers to hold us over until after the movie. We went and saw Watchmen...LOVED IT...not a kid movie at all, not even sure I would let teenagers see it. This movie was 3 hours long, by the time the movie was over we had to come back by the house so I could pump. Then we noticed the cheeseburgers were still holding us over...hmmmmm...to eat or not to eat. After some thought we decided we needed to eat a little something or we (meaning me) would be awake at some crazy hour of the morning wasting away to nothingness. Now, the problem is its late (after 9p...yes this is late for me now), places are closing and we aren't super hungry so making a decision on were to eat is nearly impossible. We end up at Wendy's (the restaurant not the babysitting friend) for dinner. Okay, not the sit down grown up talk dinner I was really looking for, but we went inside not the drive thru.

I can't believe how much I missed my little man in the 4 short hours we were gone. I was so glad to get him. Here are a few new pictures. It is amazing how quickly he is changing. Chris' sister, Carrie just had a little girl and she is about the same size as Tobin was when he was born, my kid looks ginormous next to her. I can't believe he is getting so big already.

Chris is already teaching Tobin how to bribe me:

First Official New Mom Freak OUT

Okay so the other night, I am awakened about 11p by the rain. Not just any rain, fierce rain with wind that suspiciously sounded like a freight train to me. I keep looking out the window (without my glasses which kinda adds a little more surreal, scary quality to what I am seeing) and the trees are just a blowing. The rain is pounding the windows, I have never been much for storms anyhoo, but this one freaked me out. I firmly believe it was the sound of that wind.

We received a video monitor for Tobin's room, looking over to see how he is doing, I realize now might be a good time to put on those glasses. Tobin is fabulous, sleeping like a log. For some reason this isn't good enough for me. I went and checked on him two times (by the way you couldn't hear the rain or wind in his room). Sitting in our room struggling with the thought of whether or not I should to the basement, the storm subsided.

Let's see, 2 1/2 months about time for the new mom freak out.

I have one more bit of Happiness to add to my last post:

Tobin rooting on my cheek and then sucking on my chin.

A Little Piece of Happiness

Happiness: Chris started a new schedule today, 7a-4p. This couldn't be more perfect with summer coming.

Happiness: Spending last Saturday with my family, even with a trip to the emergency room.

Happiness: This picture of my little man


And this picture of my nieces & nephew


Happiness: Watching Tobin try to figure out how to eat & suck his thumb at the same time

Happiness: Watching Chris & Tobin play together

Feed, Burp, Hope for Sleep...

...this has become my existence. Not complaining...OK maybe a little bit. Being at home 24/7 with a newborn is hard work.

Feeding, burping, changing diapers, trying to figure out what a crying baby wants after you have done all of the above...then starting all over again.

Tobin and I are trying to make more outings, but it never fails...we get somewhere and he is hungry even if I just fed him 10 minutes before. The idea of being able to eat a meal is gone. I get food ready and he is awake and wanting my attention.

I love those times when Tobin just wants to be held. He makes the cutest little noises. When he gets hungry he will rub his face against my chest and snort like a pig. When he yawns, he makes a little noise when he catches he breath.

We have started tummy time, which he hates and cries the whole time. I put my face close to his and talk to him and have toys to try to distract him. No avail, tears the whole time. From what I understand this is pretty normal.

Parenting and being a stay at home mom is a full time job.

2 Days In A Row

I have managed to get on the computer.

We are without power again. Our power went out at about 1am this morning...hopefully it doesn't take a week to come back. Tobin and I are spending the day at Chris' work. They have a room set up with a TV and computers for their employees and that is where we are hanging out.

Tobin is wide awake...which is happening more and more. This means longer sleeping times at night....WOO HOO! He is recognizes my voice and is starting to follow things with his eyes. We are getting some actual smiles...adorable!!!!!

And Baby Makes Three

Thank you for giving me a little leeway on my posting. I meant to be back here sooner, but Tobin has distracted me a bit.

Being a mom is by far cooler then being pregnant. I know it was mentioned in another post that being pregnant was by far the coolest thing ever, being a mom beats it hands down. I love to hold him, change him, just be in the same room with him. I love that Chris can't seem to change a diaper without Tobin peeing on himself. I love that he is pretty relaxed kid. He lets us know when he wants something or doesn't like something, but over all he likes to hang out.

Tobin and I are getting the hang of the whole nursing thing. Major thanks to the Lactation Department at Deaconess. They are fabulous. They called the first few days we were home to check up on us, and they have a store at the Women's Hospital that you can go in and they will watch and make sure you are nursing correctly. They will also check your baby's weight. Tobin is a cluster feeder. This does wear a momma out, so far there is no rhyme or reason to his feeding pattern and the doctors tell me I am just to feed him on demand right now (demand being the key word). I am hoping that soon we can start getting on a more regular schedule.

Chris and I both decided a long time ago that we are not letting the baby in the bed with us. Not only is this dangerous, but we are both very restless sleepers and no telling what would happen. For the last few weeks Tobin has been sleeping in a bassinet and is really good with it. There have been a few nights where he has wanted nothing to do with it and will only sleep on me, which means no sleep for the momma. Next I want to start putting him down when he is almost asleep and then let him soothe himself to sleep. Up to now we have been holding him until he falls asleep. We can't seem to help ourselves, we just love holding that sweet little boy as much as we can.

As promised here are more pictures for you: