Lunch with the Grandparents

Well, lunch with Joey's grandparents. We usually see them at noon Mass, which is generally the perfect time for lunch afterwards. We went back to their house for lunch and watched Discovery Channel's pre-Shark Week programming (which I believe is stuff from last year). Joey was awake (most of the time) and pretty happy. He is all smiles lately, even though we thought he might have been teething earlier this week. While he may not have been cutting teeth (a couple days of fussiness and still no pearly whites peeking through his gums), he may have felt the tooth buds shifting and that could be the reason for his discomfort. Today he was his happy self and showed little discomfort, which makes me happy.


Joey loves "flying". That and being tummy-to-tummy with people (or snuggling) are his favorite way of achieving "tummy time". I bought a mat specifically for tummy time, but so far he's not a fan. He'll probably like it more when he's got more coordination and is more interested in toys. Currently he likes faces and ceiling fans best. :)

On My Way to Being Crunchy Granola...

I made my own nursing pads. Yup, I'm THAT mom. I went almost two weeks without needing any at all, though I did wear them at night just in case, then I needed them again out of nowhere. I had already started the process of making them so it was just motivation to finish. I had bought a box of cloth ones so I already knew that I liked them, but the box only had 3 pairs in it, not anywhere near the number I'd need for as often as we're doing laundry (which is not every day unless Joey makes a big mess of his clothes). I had been given a box of disposables, which lasted me about a month, then I bought a new box. I was determined not to buy anymore and thus, I made my own. I didn't actually spend any of my money at all. I had a gift card and used only $5 of it to buy flannel receiving blankets (a 5 pack!) because we have some but not enough for this project. I used a fleece blanket we already had (we've got several of those in addition to other blankets) and I found a website with instructions on how to make your own. Voila. I even had enough flannel to add an additional layer to the striped ones to make them more absorbent for night time.

So yeah, breastfeeding, on our way to cloth diapering, co-sleeping, and now homemade nursing pads, I'm well on my way to being pretty crunchy granola hippie mom ;)

Why am I awake?

Joey didn't exactly wake up hungry. I was awake because I'm always in some sort of not-quite-awake-not-quite-asleep mode between 2am and 5am (when he typically wakes me up to eat) and I heard what I thought to be a massive diaper in the making. I quickly got up and took the baby to the living room to lay him on the plastic mat to keep what I feared was a blowout as contained as possible. Turns out I was over-reacting. When it comes to poo, I'm ok over-reacting, I'd rather do that than ignore it. There was a diaper that needed to be changed, but not what I feared. I changed him, he ate for a solid 15 minutes or so, and then was sound asleep again. All this in about a half an hour.

That was 2 hours ago. Why am I still awake?

I tried to go back to sleep, I curled up in my comfy bed with my comfy pillows but sleep did not come. My eyelids weren't even heavy--or I would have stayed in bed for sure. So I got up and did what any digitally connected insomniac would do: Facebook. And surf the web. My sister-in-law compares checking Facebook to opening up the fridge to see what's in there, and she's right. But I check anyway. Again and again. My surfing led me to purchase some sunglasses for Joey, I justify the purchase because 1) they were on sale so it was like getting free shipping and 2) he's still too little for hats and the sunglasses we bought him don't stay on when he's in his car seat. These sunglasses will also (supposedly) last him until he's 2, so they may become a diaper bag staple.

That leads me to here. Not sleepy, but knowing that I should sleep because when Joey wakes up again between 5-8am, I'm going to be wishing I had slept when he did. Although if he wakes up at 5, that's only 10 minutes away, but considering how much he ate, I'm thinking it'll be closer to 7ish that he wakes up again. I think he only woke up this last time because I was changing his diaper, he probably would have stayed asleep, but I didn't need more reasons to do laundry (or small loads at least, I feel guilty doing small loads, I feel like I need to save it all up, which is silly because huge loads don't necessarily get everything as clean as they can be). I think I'll turn on the TV and get some knitting done and just plan on taking a nap later (although Joey does do 2-3 hour naps in the mornings, I could sleep during one of those maybe). At this point, I got around 4 hours of sleep and apparently have adapted pretty well to functioning with only that much. I've usually fairly awake and functional when Joey wakes up now. Although, that could be because he only wakes up once in the middle of the night and then gets up again after the sun is up, which means I get a decent amount of sleep total.

I'm hoping this means that I'll be used to sleep deprivation by the time Confirmation Retreat rolls around at the end of September. Last year I was pregnant (but didn't know it until the day after we got back from retreat) and exhausted so I ended up getting the most sleep on retreat that I think I've gotten since my own retreat back in '01. Yes, it's the 10th Anniversary of my own Confirmation Retreat. I'd feel old, but I'm too busy enjoying the fact that I've now got a decade worth of retreats under my belt ;)

Anyways, time to see what's on at 0500 and get some knitting done un-interrupted. Peace.

People may not go in the restrooms...

Borders is going out of business. That's not news, it's old news. Cheryl and I were in Columbia visiting an awesome baby consignment shop (that carries cloth diapers my new--and expensive--obsession) because they were having a moving sale. We had to wait for Comcast to send a guy out to our house because our internet has been intermittent over the last several days. It started last week just once, but then the last couple of days it's been up and down like a roller coaster. So today the guy stopped by, said it's an outside thing, and someone would be by to fix it and no, we didn't have to be home when they came. That's code for, "we have no idea when they'll be out" and I knew it, but I also knew that I couldn't fix it myself so we have to wait.

Cheryl and I drove out to Columbia to visit the consignment shop. It was easy to see why they are moving, they were about busting at the seams in this location! There wasn't much to pick from in the boy section for clothes and I didn't see any toys that jumped out at me, so that just left the cloth diapers. There's a brand of hybrids (can be used as cloth or disposable depending on the inserts that I'm interested in trying and this store is a place that sells them in store, and I haven't found any other place to buy them besides online. I picked out a dark blue diaper to try with Joey. I like this brand more than Gdiapers (we have 3 that we've been using off and on) already for several reasons 1) they're one size, which means when Joey gets bigger we use different snaps, not spend more money 2) they're about $1 cheaper, not much but I'll take it and 3) they come with an insert, Gdiapers' all come separate.

After what turned out to be a short trip to the shop, we stopped at Borders to check out the liquidation sale. Neither of us found anything we liked enough to stand in the crazy long lines (store closing + weekend = unfavorable worker-to-customer ratio) so that trip was a bust, except for the sign. I needed to change Joey so we headed for the bathrooms and found them closed, so I changed him on the floor because at 100+ degrees (it's not cooling down until Tuesday apparently, yuck), I'm not changing him in the car. We then headed home, because when you're hanging with friends trying to beat the heat, it doesn't matter where you are, as long as you're air conditioned ;)

Love Marshalls

Baby clothes and a lunch bag with included tupperware? Oh yeah, Marshalls rocks.

Demos, Naps, and Takeout

We managed to get out of the house today! Dan's karate school had a demo team performance at the mall today. I was happy for the change of scenery and Joey was actually awake and appeared to be watching as the students performed. I think he was more watching the black, white, and red blurs that were the students' uniforms, but he was definitely watching something.

My mom came over after work, which is just down the street from our house, and she brought take out! Initially I had planned to make dinner when Dan got home, but I never turn down food I don't have to make ;) Mom stayed for a little while after dinner for some cuddle-time with Joey then she had to go run some errands. Dan ended up coming home not long after that because they had plenty of instructors so he came home early. When Mom came over, I planned on still making dinner when Dan got home because it would have been plenty of time and I would have been hungry again. However, with Dan getting home early, I was still full from my dinner and he made something up just for himself. I'll make stir fry tomorrow either for lunch or dinner.

Last Day

Today was Jackie and Jimmy's last day in Maryland. They'll leave early tomorrow morning. Joey and I went over right before Dan left for karate and stayed until after dinner. Jimmy is still curious about Joey, but more jealous than anything else, if Joey is in the bouncy chair then Jimmy wants to be in the bouncy chair. He's especially funny in the bouncy chair because he'll get in it on his knees and bounce that way.

Jimmy dislikes sitting still long enough to have his diaper and outfit changed. He's perfectly happy half-naked and half-dressed ;) What a cutie!

More Cousins

Friday and Saturday I had to work. It was boring, as usual, and I missed Joey. We snuggled a lot when I got home both days :) Today we went over to hang out with Jackie and Jimmy since they're leaving Tuesday.

The boys managed to sit long enough for a couple of pictures together with LaoLao, adorable!

Jackie and me hanging out with the kids :)

Trial Work Day

I was gone for about 5 hours to get ready to go back for full shifts on Friday and Saturday this week. Joey did much better this time around than he did the last time I was gone this long. He didn't eat quite so much, although Dan said that he did want to comfort suck, and he actually slept. I managed to pump twice while I was gone and got almost as much as Joey ate (I was off by about an ounce) so I was right on in the spacing of my pumping sessions and for how long they were. Joey definitely wanted to snuggle and nurse when I got home and I didn't object! He even let me put him down in the swing for a little while--after a couple of hours of non-stop snuggling first. As soon as Joey heard my voice, he started crying while Dan was holding him and didn't stop until he was in my arms. He was perfectly happy being held by Daddy until he realized that Mommy was finally home. No rooting, no signs of hunger that normally precede the crying, just instant cries that stop once I have him. He started rooting while I had him, so we nursed and he smiled and stared at me and at Daddy like, "Ha! Now I have Mommy!" It's so nice to be loved ;)

Joey is sleeping now, on our bed. He and I went down in an attempt to nap around 8, but he only slept on and off until 9 which is when he stayed asleep. I was awake on and off when he was, but I didn't get to stay asleep at 9 because that was when Dan came home. It's now nearly 11 and Joey is still sleeping. I'm hoping he's not down for the night because, even though he slept 11-6 last night, him going to bed early means he gets up early. Despite me turning the big light on, going through mail (which I'll be talking about tomorrow hopefully), and talking with Dan, Joey is out like a light. This kid really is a champion sleeper!

Le Leche League

Today, Jackie and I planned on going to my local Le Leche League chapter's meeting on baby-wearing. I went over to my parents' early to hang out with Jackie and Jimmy before we headed over. Jimmy played for a bit before eventually going down for a much needed nap (he was pretty tired, poor guy) and then my parents got home from work. Before we knew it, I looked at the clock and the meeting had started a half-hour ago! Thankfully the meeting space is literally a few minutes away and Jackie and I headed out sans Jimmy (still sleeping, plus he's eating solids so my mom offered to watch him if he woke up).

The meeting was really interesting because there were a couple of baby-wearing pros there demonstrating and helping members with various kinds of carriers and answering questions. There are a couple babies in the group who are close in age to Joey, so I really want to make an effort to go more often so we can make friends with people his age (and with moms who have similar interests ;) ). This was a much bigger group than when I was there before. My last meeting was me and another mom (it was a day time meeting) and the meeting before that was while I was still pregnant and Jackie came with me then too (even that meeting only had a few other moms/babies there). Everyone there is really nice and it's great to get out of the house and meet other parents and have conversations that don't take place in a high pitched voice.

Mostly I just watched as the pros helped other moms with their carriers, but Jackie had some questions about one of hers and was able to get some hands-on practice (using a doll), so that was cool. All in all, it was a fun meeting and I really hope that I can get going to them more regularly even if only to socialize.

Joey's been smiling a TON lately and it really melts my heart to see that toothless grin. OMG it's the best thing in the world, makes all the poopy diapers and late night feedings totally worth it.

Joey's Baptism

Parents and God Parents

Today was Joey's baptism and we're so excited to finally welcome him into our church family! First we headed off to noon Mass, where Joey was actually awake for most of it, then back to our house for some last minute party-prep before heading to the church for the ceremony. We got to have our own, private baptism to celebrate with friends and family, as well as have one of our favorite priests celebrating the rite for us! He also concelebrated our wedding, so it was extra special to also have him celebrate our first baby's baptism.

Our wonderful family and friends

The ceremony was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Joey slept the entire time, even when the cold water got poured on his head! He stirred a bit, but didn't actually wake up--which everyone found impressive. The family baptism gown did fit, although we couldn't button all the buttons on the back, but it didn't matter because nobody could see them anyway. The gown is gorgeous and I'm very glad that Joey fit into it.

Mid-Ceremony

We had a super-fun post-baptism party at my parents' house, a pool party. A post-baptism pool party is pretty hilarious when you consider the symbolism ;) I had to stop calling it a "baptism pool party" because people were thinking the two things were combined, which would have been pretty funny too. My dad made my favorite dish in the entire world: bulgogi. It was such a huge hit that there weren't any leftovers. That's saying something because he's pretty sure that was the biggest batch he'd ever made! It was really good too, it was a combination of pre-made bulgogi marinade and his recipe, maybe even his best batch yet. The pool water felt awesome and the company was the best anyone could ask for: the family and close friends who have been praying for us and supporting us throughout the pregnancy and even our marriage. I know we can count on their love and prayers for years (and babies) to come :)

Getting Baptized!

Our Family :)

Swim Time

The cousins hung out for a little bit again today. We headed over to my parents' after Dan got back from karate. By the time we got there, Sarah, Jackie, and Jimmy had already been in the pool for a couple of hours! They hung out with us for a little bit before it was time for Jimmy's nap and Sarah and Jackie headed to the mall to pick up last minute accessories for the baptism tomorrow. Joey was not terribly interested in the pool, he was not a fan of the cold water (it wasn't really "cold", it was just colder than the bath water he's used to). He wanted to nurse and after he did, he fell asleep and didn't wake up until we got out of the pool. That's right, he fell asleep while we were holding him in the pool. Such a silly boy.

We also picked up his baptism gown from my grandmother. It's over 100 years old and Joey will be the 5th generation to use it! It was hand made in the early 1900's for my great-grandmother and was sent over from Ireland (it was sewn by her aunt I think). Mom and I were looking at it before we left and found small holes and places where it's coming apart. We're not sure, but it's entirely possible that Joey may be the last baby baptized in it, it's not like the seamstress intended it to be used 4 generations later. It's still really pretty and I'm proud that we can use the gown I was baptized in, in addition to my mom, her mom, and her mom. What a legacy, it's so cool.

It used to have a woolen cape but my grandmother says that moths probably ate it up years and years ago. It does also have a tiny little cap, but that hasn't been used for decades because the babies after my first uncle all had heads that were too big.

Closer look at the lace detail on the bottom.

We're actually looking at the back of the gown, it has tiny buttons to close it up. I'm almost scared to attempt to put Joey in it, I'm afraid he'll squirm and rip something! When my mom brought the gown out, I promised Joey that it was the girliest thing we'd ever put him in and we'd never do it again ;)

Meeting of The Cousins

Joey and Jimmy finally met each other today! Sarah, Jackie, the boys, and I all went to Denny's for breakfast (and ended up eating lunch food) to introduce the cousins and celebrate their trip to MD. Jackie and Jimmy are here for Joey's baptism and for a summer visit while Andy's on deployment. Joey is pretty much oblivious to stuff at this point and Jimmy was curious about this other baby but would lose interest quickly.


More health insurance paperwork came in the mail today! We had health insurance through my job at school. With the school closing, insurance lasted through the end of June. COBRA ended up being more expensive than our mortgage payment so that was out of the question. Knowing this, I began a search for coverage that we could afford temporarily. Mostly so Joey can continue his regular checkups, also in case of emergency for me and Dan, but mostly for Joey. Joey was thankfully approved for Medicaid through the state. We don't have to worry about paying for Joey's regular checkups and we don't have to postpone them until the insurance cards come. I started the application process with the state back at the beginning of June (or even the end of May, I can't remember, it was a while) and they're just now getting everything to us, which is just in time considering Joey's two-month checkup is next week. I had been worried that we might not get the insurance cards in time but then paperwork came in the mail with Joey's Medicaid number and that's all we need until the cards come. We can even still keep our pediatrician through this state insurance, which is awesome because we like him and I did not really want to switch.

Road Trippin' It

Megan's in town! Well, that actually depends on your definition of "in town". For us it meant on this coast ;) We drove 3-ish hours up to south-western PA to pick Megan up. We drove around the area a bit before heading back due to crummy weather (stuff we had planned to do was outside). We did drive over to Jumonville which is a Christian summer camp that Megan and her family have been a part of for years. Because Megan's got the hookups (and we had a baby with us) we were allowed to drive up the big hill to see the cross instead of hiking up like everyone else. The cross was impressive as was the view:


Joey, as usual, nursed and slept through all the activity...

Needless to say, I really, really love my ring sling :)

We dropped Megan off at her aunt's house in Frederick so we did get a few extra hours with her. One of these days we will muster up the money to fly out and visit her in Seattle.

Smiles!

We finally managed to keep Joey smiling long enough to grab a couple of pictures. I love his silly, toothless grin :)

I love this picture. Joey can sort of mimic tongue movements and will follow along if you can hold his attention.