My bug and I

Resolution

I already have my 2013 resolution and that is to become debt free - with the exception of our mortgage.  I hope by 2014 we will no longer be in debt.  I have to admit we are in debt to mostly to me - I love to shop and once I found out I was pregnant with Colin I of course had to buy every single thing I wanted for him and it has not changed much since he has been born.  I went over and beyond what he and we really needed.

But I have learned what is really important - we have each other - we have love - family and our health and that is more than anyone can ask for - we do not need so much "stuff".  Of course I will have to buy him clothes because he is growing like a weed - but I plan on going to kid to kid - which is a second hand shop for children in our area.

I really hope I can obtain his goal - we shall see.

Colin's Christmas Presents

I have to say I am so so excited for Christmas this year.  Back in 2009 - I got pregnant in November - so at Christmastime I said to John how excited I am that next year we will add another stocking to ours and then sadly I lost the baby in Jan. 2010.  So this year to add that stocking is such a blessing and I am so grateful that my little guy is here and healthy and I have alot to be thankful for this year.

So I do not think I went overboard on his presents - here is what I got him:



I also got him a couple books and puzzles - for his stocking I got him socks and puffs and sippy cups - I figured all the presents mostly are things that will help him learn and grow - if anyone asked me what to get them I told them books or clothes - I think he will have a good christmas - but as everyone keeps saying to me - this christmas is for me - not really for him because he does not know yet.

John has his own gift he is going to give him - which is a hess truck - we are going to start the collection for him.

Colin is doing well and growing and learning everyday.  He crawls so fast - he stands up on his own but has not taken any steps yet - John taught him how to throw a ball.  He is into everything and when he does not get what he wants he screams - but for the most part he is a happy baby.

He is still not sleeping well though - he never sleeps through the night - but I guess every child is different and hopefully he will grow out of it soon.

Major Props to Working Moms

I have to give ALOT of credit to moms who work outside the home.  I have been on both sides of the coin now and in my opinion and from what I have experienced it has been harder on me working then when I stayed home.  I am only part time and I am having trouble fitting it all in everyday.  I do not know how full time working moms do it - or moms with more than one kid.

Something always seems to be suffering.  I really wish we could afford for me to stay home full time - but I have to say I am really lucky being that I kinda have the best of both worlds- I get to get up and get dressed everyday and go to work and be around other adults and Colin gets time with his cousins.  Then I get to spend alot of time with him as well.

But man - is it hard to keep all the balls in the air - I guess it does not help that I am a neat freak and want everything clean and in order all of the time - I guess I should just give that up now right - LOL.

In other news - I redid our christmas card because the first one turned out horrible - but the new one came in yesterday and it turned out wonderful.  I will give you a sneak peak of of the photos we used.

My child is not one for smiling in pictures as you can tell from most of the photos I post - so to get him to smile I held the cat - he thinks the cat is so so funny for some reason.

I am really looking forward to spending the season with him - I am just so lucky to be his mom.

John is really pushing to have another - or in my infertile world - to do another treatment - we could do another FET - we do have two embryos left over - but I am just so happy with Colin and I do not think I could go through another heartbreak of a miscarriage  - that is if even works - there is just so many unknowns -  I think we will wait - I am not ready and I do not know if I will ever be.

Thanksgiving

We had a pretty good first Thanksgiving with Colin.  There was no family drama which was nice for a change and Colin was actually really well behaved.

I have to say Colin is quite a handful - he cries and whines alot and compare to his cousin who is an angel and never makes a peep - Colin looks like a demon child.  So I was really happy when he was behaving so well and playing so nice with his cousins.

Colin ate eveything in sight - he had turkey, mashed potatoes, turnups, stuffing - the works and he loved every bit of it - he said at the table in a booster seat none the less and when I looked at him I just thought wow - he is growing up so fast.

Then I had a moment after dinner where I got teary thinking of how lucky I am and how thankful I am to have what I have - I am truly blessed.

Ever since Thanksgiving though Colin has not wanted to eat baby food at all - so I think we are starting the transition to eating all big people food - or regular food - whatever you want to call it. 

Also I am having some issues with sippy cups - I tried two kinds already and he did not like either - then I tried the straw one and he will actually drink out of that one but he cannot hold it because the drink pour right out the straw - is there any sippy cups that have straw when turned upside down do not leak??  Is there even such a thing??

I guess I got off track here - below are some photos from Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and took a moment to realize all we have to be thankful for.

Christmas Wish List

I gave John my christmas wish list last night - just +ome things I would like to have to give him an idea.

Here is what is on my list:

Black Fleece North Face Jacket

Diamond Bangle Bracelet

Ugg Slippers

VS PJ's

So what is on your Christmas Wish List

Christmas Card

Thank you for all the sleeping advice - I appreciate it - we are trying what most people said about rocking and then putting him in the crib awake but sleepy and rubbing his back until he is asleep.  Last night - he went down at 7:15 pm and woke up at 11:30 pm - I just patted his back until he went back to sleep and then he slept until 6:30 am - it is a start - I know not every night will be that easy - but we will keep working on it.

I just ordered our photo christmas card - I am so excited.  I use to dream of the day when I would have a baby to send out a photo christmas card and now it is finally here - all of the holidays are going to be so fun this year - all the things I dreamed about are happening!!

Here is the picture we used - we took a ton of pictures but this is the only one with a semi smile so we decided to use it for the christmas card.

No More Rocking

So we have major sleep issues with my little bug - it is all my fault.  I love rocking my son to sleep - it is our special time - time to cuddle and be quiet together - I love his smell and listening to him breath and how he puts is little arms around me and lays his head on my chest.  I have been rocking him to sleep since he has been born - but no more.

He use to sleep through the night and then he stopped sleeping through the night but when he woke up in the middle of the night - he would take a bottle and go right back down - but now he will not go back to sleep - I try giving him a bottle - rocking him - letting him cry - rubbing his back - but he is still up for between and hour to two hours before going back to sleep and now since I am back to work I cannot keep doing this - I need my sleep.

So I asked the pedi today at his 9 month check up and he said I have to stop rocking him to sleep - he needs to learn to fall asleep on his own because when he wakes up in the middle of the night he does not know how to fall back to sleep - so he told me to put him in his crib awake and just rub his back or pat his butt until he falls asleep and then do it less and less until I do not have to do it anymore -he said it is hard and could take up to a month.

So does anyone out there have any advice - tips - trick for me - I really really do not want him to CIO - I cannot handle it - is there any other way - any advice is appreciate.

I have to say I am going to miss rocking him to sleep.

Halloween

We had a very busy and very good Halloween.  We went around visiting everyone this year - it made for a long day - we left the house at 12 noon and did not get home until 8 pm - but I got alot of really good pictures.

In the morning we did a photo shoot at the house:

First we went to visit John's parents:

Then we visited one of my SIL:

Then we visted our friends:

Then we went to my other SIL house

Then to BIL house

Finally a stop at the neighbors:

Then home for the night:

I am so happy and blessed to share my favorite holiday with my boy.  I am thinking next year we will all dress up in a group theme.  Next year we are staying home and if anyone wants to see Colin then they can come to us - we will all dress up - treat or treat in the neighbor and then give out candy.

So how was everyone else Halloween?

Hurricane Sandy

We survived - it was scary - they thought we may have to evacuate because of the creek behind my house but the rain was not too bad and we got no flooding which usually happens with bad storms.  We did lose power for a couple of hours but it is back on now.  There is alot of down trees around but my house is good - thank goodness.

I feel so bad for all the people down at the jersey shore.  The boardwalk was basically ripped off and blown away.  Colin did well with the storm.  It did not even phase him.

I was off of work yesterday and today and I had already taken a vacation day for Halloween on Wednesday.  We are going to do alot of running around. We are going to my inlaws house - my friends house and Colin's godparents house so they can all see him in his costume and take pictures - which I will post.  Then home to give out candy and trick or treat to a couple of neighbors on my street - it is going to be a long but fun day.  Halloween is my favorite holiday and I cannot wait to share it with Colin.

John and I are not dressing up - but I have a halloween shirt and I bought John a Halloween tie to wear so at least we are festive - maybe next year we will do family costumes.  So what is everyone doing for Halloween?  What are your little ones dressing up as??

Is Anyone Still Out There??

Hello Blog World

I debated giving up blogging - because this was mainly a blog about infertility - and not that I am still not infertile but now I have my little miracle - but honestly I want to document everything.

So onto document - Colin is 9 months old now - where in the world did the time go??  I was able to stay home with him for the first 6 months of his life and for that I will ever be grateful.  I did end up going back to work - my SIL watches him and his cousin - so he gets to be with his Aunt and cousins during day which is great.

Colin is 21 pounds now and over 2 feet tall - he has said dada and baba - he crawls and climbs and is into everything.  He is now out of his infant car seat and the snap and go stroller - he no longer likes to be in his jumper he just want to be on the floor - exploring.

He still has his helmet on - he has made alot of improvement but his head was very bad so he still has a way to go - I think he will be wearing it until his first birthday.  He loves Mickey Mouse.  He is still not sleeping through the night but he is in his crib - which he have already had to lower.

He has eight teeth now and is on 3rd foods - he loves puffs and he sits in his Mickey chair like a big boy.  He still makes cooing sounds to sooth himself to sleep - which he has done since he was born.   He is in 18 month clothes because he is so long.  He is going to be an elephant for Halloween.

As for me - I am not taking very good care of myself and I have been paying for it - I have been sick for about a month - I have gained 10 pounds and I just feel like crap - I have been trying to ease back into my gluten free diet.  I am also taking vitamins again and proboitics.  John and are are okay - we do not see much of each other - he has been working 7 days a weeks - so basically it is just the baby and I most days.

I hope to continue to update more often now.  Now here is some recent pictures of my little guy.

Update

Colin got his helmet on Friday - we have been slowly increasing his hours wearing the helmet since then and it has not been going so well - he hates it - but I think he will get use to it soon - at least I hope - tonight is his first night sleeping with the helmet - so I hope it goes well - it has to be uncomfortable sleeping in a helmet.  I did order some stickers for his helmet - my favorite one is "The Longer you Stare the Cuter I Get"  John's favorite is "You should see the other guy".

As for me I started a diet - being home during the day is not good for my waistline at all - I was 138 when I gave birth to Colin and now I am 143 - which is not good - at the time of delivery I was 160 and pre pregnancy I was 128 - I would like to get back down to 128 or even 125 but dieting is hard - really hard.  I just need to take better care of myself - like making a dentist appointment for a cleaning and getting my hair cut and colors and maybe even a pedicure.  I just have to remember myself.

I am even debating going back to work part time - it would be nice to have some adult interaction again - even though I love being home with Colin and feel so blessed that I am able to do it - he does manage to fill up my days pretty easily - he is now eating a ton of baby foods and has six teeth - four on top and two on bottom - yes six teeth and he is six months old.  Crazy - he is rolling all around too - from room to room - I am now trying to get him to sit up on his own and take his own bottle.

I have to say every time I think about it I am just so very happy to be a mom - I have never taken it for granted - it is such a blessing and he is just so amazing - truly amazing - and I love watching him learn and grow and I am so proud to be his mom.

John wants to go back and do a FET sooner rather than later - I think his clock is ticking - LOL - he is 36 years old and most of his friend have children that are older - but I honestly just want to enjoy Colin - I can honestly say at this point in time I would be happy with one and done but I guess we have to see what the future holds.

Colin is going to be a elephant for Halloween - I just ordered his costume - I cannot wait to celebrate all the holidays coming up with him.

Colin needs a helmet

My boy is six months old today - time is flying - he already has four teeth - two top and two bottom.  He rolls all over the place and can sit up with some assistance.

I took him down to the Children's hospital today to meet with a plastic surgeon to see if he needs a helmet since his head is pretty flat in the back and sure enough he does.  I was told he has severe deformational plagiocephaly and will need to wear a helmet 23 hours a day 7 days a week for 4 -6 months.

Is there any helmet mamas out there - what am I to expect - is it painful for them - how long does it take for them to get use to it??

I blame the rock and play and or the vacuum used at his delivery.  I have a love/hate relationship with the rock and play - it was a great sleeper - it had a incline which was great for when he spit up - it really snuggled him and was portable and lightweight and easy to store and he slept in it great - but I believe it cause his flat head because he could not really move around and also it is horrible - I mean HORRIBLE to try and transition him from the rock and play to the crib - from sleeping on an incline all snuggled to sleeping flat and in a large space.

It's been awhile

There is not much to report.  I love being home with Colin - he is growing and learning and it is amazing.

He has two teeth - he has been teething since 3 months old and at 4 months old two teeth broke through.  He is now five months old - where does the time go.

I plan on going back to work in the beginning of January - I will start looking into daycare options in September.

My Useless Baby Items

There are some baby items that I did not use at all.  These are just the things that I did not use.

Itzbeen Baby Timer - everyone said this was a must have so I bought it and I never used it.

Diaper Pail - never used it - dirty diapers always go in the kitchen.

Bassinet - I used the rock and play and never used the bassinet - such a waste - but that is just me.

Baby Mointor - I only use the video monitor - not the sound monitor

Bouncer - Colin hated the bouncer - I got a newborn to toddler seat and he loved it because it was deeper and he can sit upright.

Boppy - I never used it - I know most moms love it though.

Additional car seat base - never used it - it is still in the box

Changing Pad - the pad that goes on the top of a dresser - I always change him on my bed upstairs or in the changer downstair - I have never changed him in his room on that pad.

Teething Sucks

My sweet little boy has turned into a horrible baby - he is so cranky and crys so much - but it is because he is teething.  It was so bad last weekend that I ended up taking him to the doctors on Monday thinking suring all this crying cannot be just teething - he has to have a ear infection or something - nope they just said his gums are inflamed - ear and chest are clear.

On top of it he has constipation - which makes him even more cranky.  The pedi just told me to give him prune juice with water - but I have only been giving it to him once a day - I think I need to increase it because it is not helping. 

My poor boy - it has been a rough few weeks for sure - I have tried everything - and I mean everything - non numbing gel - numbing gel - teething tablets - 20 different kinds of teethers - washclothes and paci in the freezer - the only thing that really takes the pain away is tylenol.  Then I felt bad like I was giving to him too much.  Then he started refusing to take the Tylenol so now I have to put it in his bottles to get it in him.

I am nervous because his Christening is next Sunday and I am worried he is just going to be so unhappy.  I hate that he is in so much pain - I wish his teeth would just break through already so he would get a bit of relief.

Also last Sunday on Mother's day my husband had to work so I was home alone all day with the baby - I was really sad - especially because it was my first mothers day - but he did make up for it today - taking me shopping - I got a new coach bag and wallet. 

Sometimes being a mom is hard -I just want to take his pain away and do all of the right things.

A Big Week For My Boy!!!

I am such a proud mama right now - C not only got his first tooth yesterday but today he rolled over for the first time!!!

Well he has been teething for awhile now - he checks would get all red and he would chew on anything he could get his hands on and he has been drooling so much so I knew he was teething - so now he has a little white peaking through on his lower gum.

Then today I had C on tummy time and for once he was actually lift his head - which is never does and then all the sudden he just rolled over - it was probably a fluke but I am still so proud.

My little man is growing up so fast.  I just had to share.

Baby Must Haves

I thought I would do a must have list of baby items - I loved when people did this when I was pregnant.  So I thought I would share things that have really helped me and that I really loved and things that were worth the money.

Little Remedies New Parents Survival Kit  

This really has everything you need to get started.

 

Fisher Price Newborn Rock N Play Sleeper 

Colin still sleeps in this ever night - it helps him because it is on an incline.

Gerber 10 Pack Cloth Diapers  

These are great for burp clothes!!!

The First Year Spin and Store Drying Rack  

Fisher Price Cradle Swing – My Little Sung-a-Bunny

 

Soothies

 

Trumpette Socks 

Homedic Soundspa

Carters Teething Bibs

Teething Bibs are must haves for babies who drool alot - Colin drools a ton and these are the only bibs that work.

I also love all of Carters clothes - including their socks, bathing suits and sleepers - but I only use zipper sleepers because they are easy to get on and off in the middle of the night.

My next post will be about the things I was not so crazy about or were a waste of money.

If anyone has any suggestions or things they would like to add or comment on please me let know - I am always looking for things that are worth my money and that the baby will love.  Hope this helps some new moms or moms to be out there.