The Men in My Life

Ryan's first college football game, SMU Mustangs vs. Stephen F. Austin

I try, I really do

I try to stay connected. Try to update my facebook once in awhile. Twitter sometimes too. BUT, my phone is no longer cooperating with Facebook very well, so I've given up on that. And when I got the bright idea to get on Twitter just now, it said it was over capacity, "too many tweets." OMG. What is this world coming to? Too many tweets. I think that says it all. So I give up for now. Besides this little unnecessary blog post rant.

This week has been a bit of a beating. Morgan was sent home with a fever on Monday morning, so my work week started out with taking sick leave to go pick up the patient. That wasn't bad at all, she was just plain sick and tired and passed out for the afternoon. Poor thing has had a sinus thing for a couple weeks, and she went to the doctor for the second time in those two weeks. We got some antibiotics this time so let's hope she gets better. This also happens to be soccer camp week, which she has been looking forward to for awhile. Mark took her to register that day and she ran around a little bit. I stayed home the next night, feeling under the weather as well (I got to visit the dr. too, yippee). She was feeling better and had lots of fun that evening. Last night I got to attend and she was tired again. Unfortunate but who can blame her. The camp coach also gave Mark the option to put Morgan in with the 5-yr-old group since only two other kids had signed up for her age group. So, being the youngest and having the shortest attention span, the games and drills were a little harder for her to grasp. Last night the most activity I saw her perform was her energetic attempt to pants/tackle the coach, a sarcastic, no-nonsense British man who had the parents entertained for much of the evening. The other part of the evening she spent in her new Dora chair that we brought, that her mother happened to steal and set up right next to her chair. Uuuh, no fair (I say in a whiney voice). Last night also marked the first evening when both of Morgans mommies had the opportunity to be in attendance. I being one of those felt a tad awkward, but let's be honest--who gives a shit? Not her, at least outwardly, besides the pouty frown on her face. She doesn't acknowledge Mark's presence, so neither one of us was shocked when she neglected to glance my way. So I'll say that I'll just get used to having this 3rd parent around and forget about it, because we've got a lot of years to go. And Morgan will be the last one to suffer, if I have anything to do with it. What's important is that they get to spend time together. The rest of this will be up to bio mom, up to Morgan; the most important thing will be for me to be impartial and supportive, which I've managed okay thus far I think.

The weekend is almost here. I think I'll make it.

Government Computers Suck the Fun Out of Daily Life

and other rambling thoughts I have throughout the day at my 40-hour-a-week, cute-baby-less job. I can't put photos on my blog. Heck, I don't even know if it will alow me to upload to blogger anymore, but I guess we'll see in a minute. I also can't pull up facebook, so I'm left to stalk my 'friends' through the tiny screen of my google phone. YES, the horror! I Knoooow. No You tube, no photo uploading. I guess they want us to have some kind of internet security or something like that. blah blah blah.

Anyway, I thought I'd give an update of the kiddos since the time is flying by and I haven't had a moment to put any. thing. at. all. on the blog since I've been back to hell--I mean work. Ryan is growing like a weed. I swear he grows from the time I drop him off at daycare in the morning til I have picked him up again. It makes me sad of course, like I'm missing a lot of fun things. But he doesn't mind it, and his demeanor hasn't changed, he's still happy for the most part, and still sleeping through the night. A couple weeks ago he pushed himself on his side. Yes, a regular olympian this one. But has since only done it a couple times. I guess he's saving his energy. He seems to be very strong, when you hold him he likes to either be sat up or helped to stand; loves to look around at the world and check things out. He is just a very good baby, I can't say it enough. All of my worries to date were for nothing I suppose, and knock on wood. Ryan still likes his swing, and laying under his jungle mat. He's now able to grab onto the hanging things AND his feet, so I suppose it's getting more fun for him by the day. He still smiles a lot, still loves his big sister, still talks loudly and happily when he's woken up in the morning, and still is a good cuddler. I love seeing each little milestone he has. I just love everything about him.

And on to our little Morgan. She's growing fast and getting ever so tall. Mark had to take her to the doctor yesterday for a sinus infection and she weighed the same as she had a few months back, but is definitely taller. Her little porous brain is also getting smarter by the day. She is a chatterbox and loves to sing, in her room, in the car, and everywhere else. She recently developed an obsession for Scooby Doo cartoons, the classic ones, so we had to go buy her some dvds to avoid having to listen to the same two episodes that were on On demand, and *cough* get off our butts to restart it every time an episode would end. She's really getting into books these days, and "markering" as she calls it. Mark and I took her out this week to get some gear for her first soccer camp which will be starting next week. She got the shoes and the shin guards, the tall socks, hair ribbons, adidas shorts..the whole shibang. She really loves dressing up in the outfit so far and I'm really hoping she likes the sport just as much. She still likes to love on her little brother, and I think is doing better about not being the baby anymore. She went through a short phase where she wanted a bottle, but it seems to have passed, and she is more proud than ever of being a big sister. She is just a beautiful little shining light, and I love her so.

Will post some pics of the little ones soon.
Back to work...

One happy Mama looking back

I have to say that the last 3 months of maternity leave have been one of the greatest blessings of my life, and a time I will never forget. Our Ryan was born, and I got to spend a million seconds basking in the glow of his infant deliciousness, bonding with him like many mothers never get a chance to do. I learned all of his sounds, his expressions, his needs. This has been both the most challenging and rewarding of all of my life experiences to date, and it is just the beginning. This has also been a period where all of my assumptions turned into realities pretty quickly. I’m not exactly sure what I expected, I mean I knew caring for a newborn and changing the dynamic of our family would be a challenge, but it’s hard to prepare for such a change. I was told I’d spend the first couple weeks with the baby living life almost as a zombie, and by golly that advice was probably the truest I received. If not for my mom being here I’m not sure if we would have made it out of those first 2 weeks alive. But we made it, and he becomes even more of a joy to have around as the days fly by. Ryan completes this family, ‘nuff said.

What I can never say enough about is how easy he was to bring into this world. I had a planned, elective c-section--one of those things that no one, family or friend, could quite understand upon hearing. The stigma! The horror! You want to have what? There were risks, but these days not many, and I was very happy in the end with my decision. I have a pretty little purple scar on my lower abdomen where he emerged, and even the skimpiest of bikinis I might ever choose to wear will never reveal it. I am a self-proclaimed control freak, and childbirth was high on my list of events I wanted to control, as much as possible! Not to mention that a high percentage of women go through hours of not-so-fun labor with the same result, so I wasn’t about to take chances with that. My doctor confessed at one of my last check-ups that she completely understood my decision and that she might even choose the same route, if in my shoes. I tell you what, in my last days of hormone mania, I wanted to squeeze her for saying that, kiss her feet; it was music to my ears. She also commented on my state of being pelvically challenged. Thank you and amen.

My pregnancy went smoothly for the most part, aside from a few scares in the early beginning. Up until the very end, when I was moaning and groaning with aches, and almost every move was a challenge, I enjoyed it. I really did. And after he was finally here, I missed it, missed being that close to him, missed the miracle of it all. Of course now I have him to enjoy, but there will always be a little part of me that misses that time. Mark was the best husband through the whole process; he marveled at how the baby grew, talked to my belly every day, and was constantly reminding me of how beautiful he thought the pregnancy made me. In fact, his voice was one of the first the baby heard after he was born, and everyone around could tell that Ryan knew it was his daddy. He is still comforted to this day by his dad’s voice. Mark is definitely the number one reason I had such a happy pregnancy and kept a positive image about what was going on with my midsection. He was ever reminding me of how special and miraculous it was. I’ll never forget when we found out we were expecting—it happened to be just a couple weeks after our honeymoon. A story I’m sure Ryan will love to hear about that when he gets a little older.

Next installment: Ryan’s birth story

 

 

I somewhat successfully pried Morgan away from Sesame Street this morning long enough for her to take a few photos with her little brother. Looking at these I see proof that they both are growing so fast! Morgan is really stretching out these days and is one of tallest in her daycare class. Ryan is growing of course too, and has maintained his ravenous appetite. Just this week his personality is really coming out, he gets more vocal by the day and he just loves to smile. He also loves to fuss, but mostly for the reasons of being wet or hungry so we can handle that. In other news, Morgan is now able to color inside the lines! I know we should encourage her to do the opposite at times;) but it's nice to see her dexterity is developing. She is also loving books these days, and I think she is going to pick up reading very easily. Last night I read her a few books, and then she read me one, making up the story to match the pictures as she went along. Really made me smile.

Well, off to get a few things done. Mark called it an early day and is on his way home.

Happy Friday, everyone!

The Grunty One

 

Ryan has to be the gruntiest, loudest baby. From cooing and sighing as he drinks his bottles, to grunting at us because no, he doesn't want to burp, just give him the bottle back already. When he's in a good mood and awake in his swing, or laying on his jungle mat, he talks and talks in his up and down cooing style. He even makes noise in his sleep most of the time, as he snores softly or sighs breathing in and out. I'm woken up in the night to grunting and groaning and grumbling. "I'm kicking off my blanket, mommy, I'm being as loud as I can be, will you get the hint already??" he seems to say. I can usually hold him off with a binkie for a little while but lately he means business. The reward for getting woken up from a peaceful sleep...smiles! I change his diaper and he grins. I put him under my covers by his daddy while I get his bottle and he gives a sweet half-smile, his eyes lighting up. And then when he finally gets to eat, he sighs--loudly--with each gulp. He is somethin else, that is for sure.

The Shirt Says It All

I had fun making Ryan light up today. Don't you just wanna eat his face? Okay...maybe that's just me.