A Day Off

Pick it up, drop it, pick it up, drop it, pick it up...that's about where we're at right now...it's like fetch for babies (or fetch for mommies)!!  But anyway--had a nice visit with Mom today on my "day off"--even got the chance to go down to the mall alone where I was able to do so much being unattached to anything...returned pants, tried on new glasses at two places, tried on and bought a couple of much needed bras, did a few quick walk throughs in stores where I just don't feel cool enough to shop, and finally talked with the mall marketers who try to recruit "models and actors"--yes, I talked with them on purpose...maybe Keller can pay for his own college if he plays his cards right *wink*---just had to look into it...my baby is just as cute as any of those other babies in the sale flyers...we'll see how much money you have to fork over to get involved in that madness.

Tomorrow we get to go to a birthday party that we tried going to last weekend but we were a week early apparently...which was fine because then we just came home and Trav got to go to his Saturday Jiu Jitsu which he will miss tomorrow instead.  Gotta love the whole rushing to get it all done and out of the house and then realizing you didn't need to leave the house at all.  I remember reading the 30th on the invitation, but feel like the 30th should be Memorial Weekend...I think that's where I went wrong.  But anyway.  If I was cool I would have posted something about that as a "status update" on Facebook, but alas, couldn't be bothered.  

Soccer game tomorrow.  I enjoy playing when I have a relatively decent game.  I hate playing when certain teammates give me grief for sucking.  It's either I play or else you play with no subs or with players down...and I only suck sometimes, so there!  Tomorrow I'll be a superstar!  I scored my first goal in like three years a couple of weeks ago.  That's pretty good:)

What else.  Glasses.  Had an eye appointment last Friday.  This eye appointment was an unofficial "second opinion" because the last time I went to the Dr. like a year ago, he told me I needed to get bifocals (again...I had them for a few years a while back but eventually told the Dr. that I never looked through the bottom part when I read so he said I'd be just fine without them so haven't worn them since I lived in New Haven)...anyway, I didn't like his prescription so made a new appointment with a new Dr., an official ophthalmologist who said my prescription is fine...wait...I typed this already didn't I?  I guess I don't need new glasses, I just need to eat more blueberries (for improving memory)...Sorry.  But I tried on some glasses today...think I'm going back to plastic, although I've liked my metal pair, I just think I need a little more style again...I need some kind of a pick-me-up, that's for sure...I'm feeling rather blah looking...New glasses, earrings, a haircut, updated wardrobe...that should do it...I better get started on all that!  I'm quite happy with my husband and child still, so won't be looking into changing those parts of me any time soon;)  

Not Swine Flu!!!

Fever...101, 102+, chills, headache...uh, oh...I woke up on Monday night feeling terrible, hot and cold and shivery and like Righty (boob) was going to explode...So at about 3am I pumped, which I never do in the night, took some Tylenol (yup, it was that bad!) and went back to sleep, hoping I'd feel better enough in the morning to get up to Jill's, which I did.  Luckily, Tuesday is my "late morning"--I didn't need to be there until 10, so I popped more Tylenol and was on my way, not feeling great, but feeling okay enough.  Well as the Tylenol wore off I knew I was officially "sick" so I let Jill know at work that I'd need a "sick day" on Wednesday.  Tuesday evening I came home and just laid on the floor next to Keller waiting for Trav to come home.  Lucky for me I thought it was a Jiu Jitsu night so I didn't expect him until after 7:30 so when the door opened before six I was so relieved:)  Went to bed when it was still very light out, slept like crap, hot cold shivering cold sweating...the whole shebang.  I planned to go to the Doctor the next day to confirm that it wasn't the flu (of any variety) but when Travis came home from work to relieve me on Wednesday, I decided that an hour of sleep would be more beneficial than an hour at the doctor's office, knowing he had to go back to work.  So by Wednesday evening I was feeling a little better, less of a fever, slept better, and felt okay Thursday morning.  Talked to Jill who mentioned that it could be breastfeeding related, which I had mentioned to Trav early on, but then dismissed I guess.  By Thursday afternoon it hit me again and I realized that Righty has been bothering me, feeling bruised/tender so I did a little research online and pretty much diagnosed myself as having Mastitis.  Thursday evening I packed up Keller and went to the doctor who confirmed the prognosis, gave me a prescription and sent me on my way.  Slept like crap again last night, up and out for an 8:15 eye exam (because the last eye doctor I went to said I needed bifocals again...so I just found a different doctor and he said I can just keep the same prescription...actually he said he could give me a stronger one but I'd probably get headaches...hmmmm...glad he agreed to keep the same prescrip.)  So fussy baby in Dr. office, feeling like crap, still, eyes dilated, bloody nose when we came home!  go figure!  and baby that needs to learn how to nap standing up because that's all he does now when I put him in his crib!  Ugh!  But alas, at least I don't have Swine Flu!

Two Firsts

Yesterday while at my sister's, Keller managed to outwit me in the napping department (yeah, I know, what's new??)  Anyway....the system has been that he takes his morning nap in Chase's big boy crib that has the mattress all the way down and no bumper and the afternoon nap in Cali's high up newborn mattress.  Well yesterday he was crying and crying in checked on him I found that his big chunk-a-monk leg was sticking out of Chase's crib slats and the other leg was awkwardly stretched out across the crib----poor little guy was stuck.  So after getting the I'm sorry hug and cuddle, he was UP so he hung out with us downstairs.  By afternoon naptime he was exhausted.  So into Cali's crib he went--I even stuck him in the sleep positioner in hopes of him being immobile, knowing he's getting ready to pull himself up and all.  Well I watched in the doorway as he managed to get himself out of the positioner and onto his belly...fine.  I went downstairs and could hear his general complaining over the monitor.  Then it was a little quiet, but I'm not convinced he's sleeping.  I go up to check on him and there is his head...he's SITTING up!   He's never gotten himself up to sitting by himself before...go figure he learns it at naptime when he's supposed to be lying down.  So I hug him and put him back down, go downstairs and AGAIN...sitting up!  Third times a charm, right??  Well the next time I go up to check on him, he's not sitting up, he's STANDING up holding on to the crib side and bouncing happily with a big toothless grin!  How freakin' adorable.  Needless to say, he was removed from the crib and brought downstairs.  I tried him in the swing to sleep but he thought he was at the park and wanted to try to make the swing go faster.  I strapped him in the bouncy and watched him try to squiggle up and out...So again, no nap...he hung out with me and Cali while Chase slept.  Trav and I were anticipating this so last weekend we lowered his crib already.  What a big, goofy little boy!!

7 Months!!

                                             Keller feeds himself.
                                              Keller tries to feed Spot.
The classic shot.

My two favorite smiles!!

This has been quite an eventful past month for us.  I can't believe Mr. Keller is on the upswing now to 1 year...how time flies.  It's crazy because at every moment and stage and phase so far, when I hold my little boy, it's like I want him to stay just that sweet and little forever, but he grows and learns a little every day and I continue to fall in love with the new him day after day.  I love how interactive he is now, how much he smiles and how curious he is...who knew how fascinating wires could be and who knew how bitter dandelion stems could be.  Yes, I confess to having tasted one yesterday after pulling one away from Keller's mouth as we played with all the dandelions Chase was picking for us...Keller is definitely in the Everything In The Mouth phase and Trav and I wonder why it is that this is such an integral part of exploration.  I find myself wondering what he is tasting as he puts item after item into his mouth...I learned one thing this week though---dandelion stem=bitter (gross, if I were a baby, I wouldn't put one in my mouth again)!

Keller has been getting much better about reaching for things as he sits on the floor and after a couple of weeks of head-thunks, he has learned to extend one leg outward and put one hand down as he is reaching from a sitting postition---good boy.  He officially pulled himself up to standing entirely on his own the other day on Chase's train table--so excited was he when he saw the whole new world of trains and tracks within his reach!  He is now an "active sleeper" in his regular baby sleeping bag (as opposed to the swaddle bag).  He rolls and scoots around and often sleeps on his belly.  This morning, Trav made the new rule that says no more stuffed animal in the crib (yeah, we were breaking that rule, too, so he would have someone to talk to/play with when he woke up) but apparently he managed to wedge himself in the corner of the crib and fall back asleep face down on Spot.  Sorry Spot, no more crib for you--for now at least!

And as for eating big boy food goes, he's well on his way.  He loves his rice cereal which he eats solo as the doctor says it's good for him to develop a taste for straight up grains.  Avocados came next since Trav and I just happened to be eating one ourselves.  They were good the first night but the next night gave us a quick scare as he ate and ate and then totally gagged and threw-up all of his eats.  Same happened with sweet peas...we'll have to try again in a couple of weeks I guess.  He loved his carrots (which made his poo AND his hiney orange) and applesauce--yum!  I guess we'll do sweet potatoes next since Trav and I made a bunch the other day.  Fun fun!

    Wait a minute...This isn't that sweet yummy carrot stuff or even that cereal I was expecting...

I'm not sure about this...It was on the spoon and I know the spoon was supposed to go into my mouth and all...

(The next day) Gross! You did it to me again!!  It's that nasty green stuff!  I don't like it one bit!!

That stuff CAN'T be edible...

Don't worry, we didn't photograph the total gag and puke...

And one more cute food-related thing...Keller has become the master of ripping his bib off.  Most of the time it is when he is just about done eating anyway so I thought it might be his way of saying he's done, but tonight at dinner, even after he had taken his bib off and Trav was going to feed him more, he started pulling at his shirt as if it was the bib and tried tearing his shirt off.  So I went from thinking my boy was such a genius for the bib-cue "I'm done" to thinking he's just a baby who doesn't really know what the heck is really going on!