William is 6 months old

our dear son is 6 months old today and I can hardly believe it! the time has flown by! here is my monthly tribute to him:

Dear William:

6 months ago you changed the dynamic of our family forever, and at this moment as you are nursing while I type this to you all I can reflect on is the incredible joy you bring to all of us! your sister is madly in love with you she loves to make you laugh and smile, sometimes she plays a little rough, but only because she doesnt know better at this point! You take it like a man though you just let her torment you, I guess she's really just preparing you for the women of your future (lol).... This month you have started "crawling" you don't crawl in the conventional since, but you get up on all fours rock back and forth, hop like a bunny, roll, scoot, army crawl you name it. You sit a bit unsupported but not for long periods of time and I am sure that will come soon! when on all fours you like to push up onto your feet as well! no teeth yet and to an extent I am quite thankful for that! You ate some peas today for lunch and loved them!!!! but really were intent on just wanting to nurse so of course I gave in! at any rate the past 6 months of my life have flown by! I can't believe your already 1/2 a yr old! happy 6 month birthday to you!

small miracles

thank goodness for my small miracle (aka William)...We (Nathalie, William and I ) Went up to Morro bay to visit my friend Kersti, her daughter Hayli and their newest addition "baby Emma" (as Nathalie refers to her). My original plan was to drive home today (thursday) but last night around 5:30 while William was nursing Nathalie was a little whiney and asking for Daddy so I said what the heck I'll drive home tonight. So when William finished nursing I started to load up the car and saying our "good byes" by the time we got on the road it was 6:30, its (according to mapquest a 5 hour and 45 minute drive) the drive up took 7 hours due to traffic, and having to stop to nurse William, so I figured we'd make it home by one or so.....Folks I got home at 11:30, william slept the entire way, no peep at all!!!! Although Nathalie only slept about an hour b/c she was so excited to see daddy she was so good I couldn't believe it! I am currently exhausted but so happy to be home, and to get to sleep in a real bed (after an airmatress for 5 days)....hope all you are doing well

bye bye binky

Nathalie has loved her binky dearly....around the time I discovered I was pregnant with William we started to limit the use to naptime and bedtime, or when she was hurt severly upset etc.....I told myself I would never force her to give it up as many toddlers her age need things such as this for comfort, especially with a new baby coming. When William came along she increasingly would use it more and more and I was ok with that. When I returned to work at the end of July Sam and My schedule became opposite of one another and with him being away on Friday and Saturday nights (working) I have allowed Nathalie to come and sleep with William and I to her this is the ultimate treat, when daddy gets home he moves her to her bed and such is our weekly routine. I have found that when I am the one in charge of the bedtime routine I often become frustrated in the SEARCH OF THE BINKY. Friday night was one of these nights so I looked at Nathalie and I said "Lets just go lay down in Mama's bed" she said "ok.blankie. where's binkie" I said well hunny your binky took a vacation. she said "ok" and we made it through night one without the binky. she asked for it a couple of times during the day yesterday and I said "they are all gone now" she never cried she never asked again.... Last night she slept without it again and today even took a nap without it! So this my friends is Nathalie's farewell to the binky!

Mama is on the computer finally

Life runs away from me. the seconds, the minutes, the hours, the days, the weeks, the months, the years! Originally when I started our family blog I commited myself to at least one post a week and I was blowing that out of the water! and then recently I have become busier as my innocent newborn has become an exploriative infant who will a) attack the keyboard while in my lap or b) scoot backwards across whichever room he is left alone in! So now my computer time has become extremely limited to the 5 minutes I have alone to myself while both kids sleep simutanously one time a week! No I'm not even half way joking, I wish I was! sort of anyways, I love every moment with them I do! Today we went to playgroup and it was fantastic, it was suppose to be a craft day but the mom who was going to host was sick so we ended up at a park, which Nathalie loved. and i loved. i loved this park because it was completely surronded by fences with one way in and one way out! it was amazing to be able to let Nathalie run wherever she wanted exploring and plyaing with her friends. trying to get her to leave 2 hours later wasn't an easy task, but I know in time it will get easier. I hope. ok well friends I'm outta time as William is beginning to stir! ttyl~E

Fall

This weeks theme at www.mamasaysom.com is Fall, and although this picture of Nathalie is from Last Fall, I found it so appropriate for the theme that I had to post it !

5 months old

Dear Son

Today you are 5 months old, and I can hardly believe it. In the blink of an eye the past 5 months have passed us by! You are getting to be so big, already 18 pounds! The interactions between you and your big sister please me and bring a smile to my face on a daily basis! You scoot all over the place and roll like crazy! You have learned to blow rasberries with your tounge and love to hear yourself squeal! Its amazing to me that you are already trying to do things like sit up and crawl and in the same moment it frightens me tremendously, am I really ready to be the mother to 2 mobile children? um I think not! Ha! You are a bundle of joy! The other day I was calling you Liam because when Nathalie says your name it comes out (weeeammm) so i thought (as I did before your birth as well) that Liam was a great nickname,! Your dad took one look at me and said yes that is a nice nickname, but his name is William (well I stand corrected, yet he can call you chunky mc chunkerston and thats ok? lol) ! Honestly you are a William it suits you so well, and I am so use to calling you William that no nickname fits in my eyes! You are your own person and as your Dad and I have discussed many times, we will call you whatever you want to be called! I love you dear son and I cannot believe 5 months has already passed us by!

yesterday

I turned 27. it happened so fast, in the blink of an eye really. I just graduated High School yesterday (what my 10 yr reunion is coming up?)

We went to Sea World to celebrate, it was an awesome day. the first day we've gotten to spend together as a family since my return to work excpet for Labor day. Nathalie had such a good time, it was so neat to watch her and her extreme amazement of all the animals. She sat for 25 minutes and watched the dolphin show, and all of you that KNOW Nathalie KNOW how amazing that is! William was a happy guy all day. I am so glad we went, it was a great way to celebrate my bday, Sam, the kids, my sister and me!

Poor little William has been having terrible bouts of constipation, he'll go 10 to 12 days w/ out pooping all the while having terrible (I mean enough for me to think its Sam and not William hee hee) gas. and then when he goes its sooo much. He still has been spitting up terrible amounts and some days are worse than others so I have eliminated Dairy from my diet, to see if that will make any difference, I hope it does!

Well it is that time of the evening for me to go get ready for work :(

i'm going out.alone.nokids..nohubby...first time in over a year and I am utterly giddy!!!! I am going to the toby keith concert tonight with my sister and our friend carolyn...and im not driving oh but i do have to work at 9am ha.

beauty is.....

Beauty is
Looking into my children's eyes
and seeing unconditonal love.
a smile
a laugh
the giddiness of a 2 year old

Beauty is
the sound of my dh's heart beating
next to me in bed.
a soundly sleeping infant inbetween us
and the moon shining in the window.

Beauty is
the blessing of a family
a roof over our head
food on our plates
and peace in our hearts.


this weeks theme at www.mamasaysom.com is beauty is and this is what it brought out in me! hop on over to see what so many other wonderful people had to contribute to this weeks theme!!!!

Halloween and my sad day today!

well Halloween is just around the corner and I am as excited as all get out I LOVE HALLOWEEN its my favorite I just simply love it. My dh who I love dearly normally could careless about what my kids wear when especially at halloween normally (for the past 2 yrs) i pick up a costume and say oh look what Nathalie is gonna be this year! well the other day the following conversation occured in my household....

S: what is William gonna be for halloween?
me: well I don't know I honestly hadn't thought about it!
S: Well, I saw a really cute Lion costume the other day, and I really want to have him be a lion
me: okay

So then in my brain I kept thinking what am I going to have Nathalie be and at Walmart the other day I saw a dorothy costume! and the following conversation occured between my 2 yr old and I

me: Look Nat a DOROTHY costume do you want to be DOROTHY for Halloween?
(mind you my daughter has no idea who dorothy is)
Nat: Yeah momma me dorothy red shoes too redshoes
me okay

so I bought the dorothy costume , but have yet to get red shoes but will........


Now re: today....DH had to give william 3 ounces of formula and I have been crying about it all day....he finished all our bm that was frozen and I have been pumping my heart out.....I will continue to nurse him as much as possible and pump to keep up the supply while im working but it breaks my heart I'm sad.....but life will go on!

will's stats

william is 17 pounds and 26" woo hoo my big boy...and i must say I LOVE< LOVE, LOVE OUR NEW PEDIATRICIAN!!!!

Hello (many echoes follow)

I know its been forever.and yes we are still alive. I missed writing a post for William's 4 month bday on Monday, but he is now 4 months, he laughs all the time and talks to all of us, especially to Nathalie, He rolls, He scoots, He has graduated out of his infant carrier and is now in a convertible carseat, my baby is growing up to fast. I missed Nathalie's 1st gymnastics class on Tuesday, but she did go to her first gymnastics class! I am a working mom! a Busy busy working mom. I cried a little when I wasn't the one taking Nathalie to her very 1st gymnastics class. and then I realized I will probably miss many of my children's 1sts. I wish I could stay at home. I hate child support (see previous post regarding step daughters). Don't get me wrong I think it is the right thing for my husband to do he is their father too, it just makes me sad sometimes to realize that I could probably stay home if there wasn't that. but could i really? aww I guess we'll never know! William has a wbc tomorrow so I'll post with his stats once I get them! I'm tired and I have to go to work in an hour; immeadiately after my husband gets home. I ordered pizza for dinner as cooking really wasn't an option tonight. I hope you all are doing well and I will be back with more another day :)

teenager

well, today is sunday and I have had the past 3 days off, only to return to work tomorrow :(.....my middle step daughter Briana (14) was in for a visit for the past two weeks (and left wed.) and my older step daughter Jocelyn (17) flies in tomorrow.....I really don't want my daughter to ever become a teenager, thats it end of story, they scare me!!! I told my mom today that when Nathalie is 12 she's going to move in with her until she's 19 my mom said and I quote "I don't think so, I already had 2 teenage girls thank you very much"....So to you all I pose this questions, anyone want an extra daughter in about 10 yrs....that scares me as well, I have been out of High school the same number of years that it is until my daughter is a "tween" ok enough of that gotta go nurse william!!!1

update :)

William 3 months old and Nathalie and The afore mentioned vaseline incident!


well its been a week since my last post....William caught Nathalie's cold, and was taken to the dr's on friday for a freakishly strange rash... He is 3.5 months now and weighs in at 16.4 pounds woo hoo my big boy.....not to much is new here just wanted to post some pictures :)....talk to you all soon

stranger

I feel like a stranger to my own blog. I have worked the past 5 days straight, and am working tonight and tomorrow night. 7 days straight. I am GRATEFUl that I have a job, that I can provide extra income to our family, and insurance to our kids, but I dearly miss my kids the days I'm at work...I despise the mess I come home to every night, but Iknow that it just means daddy had fun with the kids that day which is the most important thing anyways! 2 more nights of work, and then I'm off for 4 days wooo hooo... ON top of it all Nathalie has been sick.and.constipated. both issues which have resolved themself thank goodness. William is sneezing and coughing every now and then but nothing near as bad as his sister was....well baby wants to nurse so i must answer to his call.

my need for breakfast...and cereal

I love breakfast....I am the kind of person that needs to consume calories immeaditely upon waking up or else I become a total b**ch from low blood sugar. Lately, since returning to work, I mostly just eat cereal because its easy and convienent. Well 2 weeks ago in the Sunday paper Kellogs had there own coupon section which included several cereal coupons, which I of course cut out ( I love coupons). One of the types of cereal that the coupons were for was Special K. Growing up I always thought of speical k as "adult" cereal, and figured it wasn't that good, and then I bought it. I am in love. For those of you that haven't tried it, try it its utterly delicious. I bought the yogurt berry and Vanilla Almond....the Vanilla Almond is by far my favorite cereal ever....Wow okay I can't believe I just wrote a blog about cereal.

3 months old

Dear Son;
Today you are 3 months old, and I can't believe how quickly it has flown by. I returned to work this week, and although leaving you is a very hard thing to do, I find comfort in the fact that I am only leaving you with Daddy. You are getting so big, already wearing 6 to 9 month size clothing and although I don't know your exact weight, I know its somewhere around 15 to 16 pounds (when I get on the scale, and then get on again with you, the difference is 16 pounds).....your still waking every 2 to 4 hours to nurse and I envy the sleep I got when Nathalie was an infant, but in the same moment I cherish those mid-night feedings we share. You smile all the time, and your laughter makes me giggle...Your beggining to ineract with Nathalie, smiling and laughing when she talks or sings to you and it is an amazing bond, I am so happy that I could provide both of you with a sibling.
My dear baby boy you have stolen my heart and I couldn't be happier that you are part of our lives and our family forever....Until next month, your mom

Nathalie's New shoes

Hi everyone, I've been soo busy this week, I worked m-th, so finding time to do anything has been limited, with that to my defense I wanted to tell the story of Nathalie's new shoes, and because I'm lazy, I simply cut and pasted an IM conversation I had with my friend Lauren, sorry its not more personal....(I am edeanne552, and she is Laurinic) im pretty sure you all would have figured that out lol...

So Nathalie needed new tennis shoes b/c her old ones suddenly didnt fit so I was like Forget this I am not going to spend another 30 bucks on a pair of stride rite that she'll outgrow again in a couple months....so I went to target
edeanne552 (8:20:16 AM): ...
edeanne552 (8:20:28 AM): they had an awesome selection and great prices
edeanne552 (8:20:48 AM): I had the cutest pair that were grey and pink sporty picked out and then IT HAPPENED
LauriNic (8:21:03 AM): it
LauriNic (8:21:07 AM): kid freak out?
edeanne552 (8:21:56 AM): Nathalie spotted the Elmo.velcro.Lite up shoes...the three things I said I never would buy in a kids shoe...1...a character....2 ...velcro...and 3 lights.....she looked at me and said "OH MAMA ELMO PEEEAASSE" now tell me who could say no to that?
LauriNic (8:22:24 AM): HA!!!!!!!!!!!!
LauriNic (8:22:27 AM): you are a changed woman
LauriNic (8:22:39 AM): oh that is so funny 1,2,3 knock um down
edeanne552 (8:22:46 AM): needless to say my 2 yr old is now the proud owner of velcro light up elmo shoes and I actually think htey are cute
LauriNic (8:22:50 AM): well i at least hope you got both pair
LauriNic (8:22:58 AM): as long as she loves them

work

okay, so I went back yesterday and it wasn't as bad as I expected. Of course I missed my kids terribly...I called to check in 3 times (not to excessive for being gone 9 hours right) William drank 4 expressed bottles WOW and nursed the second I walked in the door....I'm nervous about having enough milk pumped for him, I need to pump everyday at least once, plus the milk i pump while at work....although I'm hoping when I work my 2 short days (4 hours) that I can nurse right before I leave and as soon as I get home. This boy can eat, I find that today I am cherishing him nursing more than ever, the pump is not my friend, dont get me wrong I express plenty of milk when doing so but it is not the same as having my last darling baby suckling right?! I love the bond he and I share during this time, I missed it soo much yesterday, as i will miss it again tomorrow... I pumped 3 times at work ( 2 breaks and once on my lunch) when I went to pump the 3rd time (really only the 2nd time that my boss knew of, he didnt know i pumped on my lunch) my boss acutally had the NERvE to say to me "how often do you need to pump?" I took a deep breath and explainedthat I will be pumping 3 times per shift in an 9 hour day and one time (or maybe not at all?) in a 4 hour shift...Seriously as a man that has 2 small children you'd think maybe he'd be a little more understanding....he also asked me "how long do you think you'll breastfeed for?" "until my child is ready to wean" "oh" was his response and I just left it at that. I will not allow him or anyone in my workplace to influence my decision to breastfeed as I know it is the best thing in this world for my child and the bond it builds between us can not be captured in words....As I end this blog I leave you with a saddening statistic that I read earlier in this week.did you know that "Only 10 percent of mothers who work full-time are still breastfeeding their baby at 6 months, according to a 2005 CDC report."

Tomorrow :(

So, I have to go back to work....My due back date is monday the 31st....they have me scheduled monday through thursday.yes 4 days in a row....my boss just called asking if I could come in TOMORROW as in tomorrow from 9 to 6, wait, leave William for the first time for 8 hours (ok im crying now)...Sam is off tomorrow after all so what reason did I have to say no....I said let me think about it and i'll call you back...my very loving husband could find no reason why I shouldn't go in, so I am. and i am very sad. tommorrow i will re-enter the "real world" and I dont wanna!!!