Weekend Wedding Adventures....with an infant!

Okay me start out by saying, the wedding was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever attended! I was so fortunate to be able to be apart of such a special day for my dearest friends.

That being said, it was crazy! Let's start from the morning of the rehearsal dinner. So, as you had read previously, my Bub had his 2 month shots the day before. Well, the next day (rehearsal dinner day) he woke up with a fever. Yup, I took my first rectal temperature, that was an adventure of it's own! That being said, it took my husband and I 6 hours to pack for one over-night! That is just absurd! I felt like I was walking through mud the entire day, I just couldn't get out of my own way. For example, I fell down the stairs. Oh I didn't just trip a little. I slipped, buckled my leg under me and slid down the entire flight! After I caught my breath, all I thought was I better not have a massive bruise for this wedding! Thankfully the only thing that was bruised was my pride.

Now fast-forwarding to the hotel and rehearsal dinner. Once we arrived at the Inn, we went to check in to our room. Well funny thing, when my husband opened the door with baby and wife in tow, he slowly started backing back into the hallway. Next thing I know an older gentlemen was at to the door, pants unzipped, and dress pants in hand. Clearly the room was not vacant and they double booked the room! Well that was rather awkward, so back down to the lobby we went to get a new, empty room. The Inn was really gracious about it and even upgraded up to an ocean view! Too bad the fog was as thick as pea soup.

After unpacking and quickly changing, we rushed down to the rehearsal. Well, we were a little late and actually missed it! So we rushed right to dinner. Here is where the baby adventure began. He started to fuss so my husband took him (he was in the car seat clicked into the stroller) for a walk. As he did that I hit the open bar. Ha! After two glasses of wine I realized that my two men were not back yet. Dinner was about to be served and I didn't want them to miss it. I quickly went out and checked the lobby and hallways. I didn't find them. I ran, literally, to the room (since I wasn't smart enough to just call the room from the front desk), didn't find them there either. As I was about to give up, I found them ambling around the lobby. As I was explaining that dinner was about to be served, I heard a lot of laughter out of the dining room. CRAP! We've missed the toast by the grooms father! I quickly go to the door to realize it was locked. As I'm pulling on it like a fool, the bartender, Steve, walked me around the other door. I snuck in then opened the locked door so my Hub and Bub could make a quiet entrance. Well it didn't stay quiet for long. Bub was in the room all of about ten seconds when he started to squirm then cry....right at the end of the toast! Mortified, my husband said he would go for another walk. I figured he had learned his lesson and would stick around the lobby until I came and got him. NOPE! He vanished. After the speech I went on the search again. Now he can't go far since the sky had opened up and was raining sideways outside, but some how he disappeared! This time I got a little smarter. I asked bartender Steve if he had seen him. He said no but would keep and eye out. Then I ran to the room, again, no one there. Oh he also had the room key and my cell phone on him, so I couldn't get in the room (so I just knocked) or call his cell. At this point I gave up. My lobster was getting cold. I headed back and stopped off at the bar for an update and to get another drink. My hub can make his way back when he's ready, I was eating!

Well Apparently I was wrong. He wasn't going to make his way back. He never returned. Bartender Steve even sent out the wedding planner to find him, to no avail. I couldn't keep searching for him, so I finished my dinner, thinking about saving him some but realized I was famished, had another drink and chatted with the bride and groom. Once dinner was cleared I decided to go back to the room to change into some flip-flops, stopping by the front desk to get a spare key on the way.

When I reached the room, I found Hub and Bub casually laying on the bed watching tv! Seriously?! Giving him a chance to explain, I found out that Bub broke out into hysterics in the lobby and needed to go back to the room. He then loaded his diaper and was hungry. I listened intently then told them they needed to get up and head back downstairs. Dinner was over  and people were socializing so it didn't matter if Bub was fussy. So we dressed him in his lobster onesie and headed down. Stopping at the bar, again, to tell Steve I had found them and grab another drink.

Alright, this is getting really long winded and needs to wrap up! So that night since he still had a fever and he slept with me. Oh how I loved my snuggles all night! Then the next day, I got ready with the bridal party and Hub & Bub stayed in the room relaxing, ordering room service, and snuggling. I was jealous of the snuggle time they were getting. Once 3pm hit, my mother showed up and took over baby-watching and my Hub got ready for the wedding. Boy, didn't he look swell! The night ended around 10pm and my Bub had slept the entire time. Then we headed back to the room, packed up, got in my Jeep and went home. We would have stayed another night but my husband, being a lobsterman, had to be home to fish the next morning.

There were a lot more details, but I won't bore you. I will end by saying, traveling with a child isn't that hard. I just would not recommend doing it right after they get their shots. But this means that any travel in the future will be a piece of cake!

Hub & Bub ordering room service!

Shotty Behavior

      For any mother out there you know the 2 month wellness/check-up appointment is horrid, and for any soon to be mother or human being at all, stay tuned and you'll see why! Let me start of by saying that my Bub is generally a very happy baby. He only cries when he's overly tired, hungry, or has a crappy diaper (which is more often than not the case). That being said, I have heard horror stories of the 2 month check-up. They get stripped down to their diaper, weighed, poked and prodded, and then the dreaded vaccinations. Okay, let's stop right here for a moment. Some of you may be against vaccinations. Well I am not, and I am not lending this space for debates about either side. Okay, let's move on :) So yes, he had to get one oral medication and 3, yes 3 shots! My heart broke just thinking of it.
      So today I knew I needed reinforcement for this appointment. Since my husband was lobstering, I called my mother (Grandma) and she jumped at the chance to come. We leave for the appointment early since I needed to finalize some gifts for my dear friends wedding I am in this weekend (I'll blog about that adventure this weekend....can't wait!!). On the way to the store I swear Bub knew this was no ordinary errand day, something was up. His whines turned into cries, so I dropped my mother off to do my dirty work at the store, then he started to scream. So what can a mother do but circle the strip-mall 47 times trying to lull him back to sleep. I swear people outside thought I was casing the joint since I made so many passes in my black Jeep with my black sunglasses and serious face on.
      Once the goods were purchased, Grandma hopped back into the Jeep and off we went. Unfortunately, the doctors office was a mere 500ft down the road. As we reach the medical office driveway I fly right by thinking he will fall fast asleep if I drive for a few more minutes at a faster speed. Yeah, in my dreams! So, we make it to the doctors and surprisingly he is calm. Why is he always calm when we reach our destination?  Oh, because he is amazing! We all know the drill from here; check-in at the front desk, wait, get called in. Thankfully there was no wait. The anticipation was killing me! So we go in.
      Now for those of you who don't know, when you go in for your Bub's appointment they make you get them down to their diapers, measure them, take them down the hall to weigh them, then they have to wait, undressed mind you, for the doctor. Well everything was like clockwork today. Got measured (25'' - 96%) and got weighed (12lbs11oz - 68%). Yup PERFECT! Then the doctor came right in. Oh, and if you find a doctor you truly love, hold on to them! I have a pediatrician that is amazing *sigh*.
      Ok so fast forward to the end. The nurse comes in (the Doc doesn't do the shots) with a tray, yes a tray of syringes! I just about died. Okay breath. So I laid my Bub down, now dressed in the cute little blue crab romper (shown down in another thread), and held the top half of his body. The first vaccination was oral. He did okay. But if looks could kill, Bub would have killed that nurse seven times over! Then came the shots in his chubby little thighs. So this was how she prepared me, "you will hear a scream from him you've never heard before" oh comforting lady! She picked up the syringe and I tensed looking at him. As she inserted it in, his eyes grew and he looked at me as if I had betrayed him then broke out into hysterics. I died right there, but then she did it two more times! When she was done I snatched him up so fast and smothered him (not literally, that would not be safe) on my chest. He calmed down and I gave him as much momma milk as he could handle. During this time I had tears streaming down my face, gasping for air. Then I look over at Grandma and she is the mirror image of me. Again, I died.
       Funny thing is, Bub was okay two minutes after, but I was a wreck. I felt as if I had sent him off to get tortured! So let's, again, fast forward to now. He has now had his dose of Children's Tylenol - which let me say was worse than giving him the shots! - and he is curled up on Daddy's chest sleeping it off.
       So for the sake of ending this story that has scarred me for life, everyone was right; it's worse on the mother than child. But no worries, I get to do it all over again in August!

I couldn't bare post a crying picture, so this is him sleeping after

Click, Click, Boom!

Who would have thought little clicking sounds would have such an impact on our everyday life? Well I heard that little clicking sound last night in relation to my trusty MacBook Pro. As I was on the couch blogging, with my Bub on my husbands chest  (not on mine, can you believe it!?) my beautiful pink incased, Internet surfing, typing device started to click. At first I though "hmm the must be an add running in the background," only to inspect it further and literally press my ear to the computer. The sound I was hearing was clicks, scratches, and everything a computer should NOT sound like. Panic started to rushed through my post-pregnant jellylike body. I quickly did what I probably should not have done. I hit the power button. No, I didn't shut it off correctly through the start menu blah, blah, blah. I went straight for the round little button and pressed it hard (I get that from my mom...the button smasher)! PHEW! The clicking stopped, I was in the clear. Everything in the world was right. My husband was sitting there all comfy with my Bub snoring on his chest, cracking a smile every now and then and my computer was fixed.

Okay back to blogging I thought. I turned it back on and all I got was a bright white light. Usually bright white lights mean that you're heading towards death right? Well, its true! The clicking was back and the computer was facing imminent death. I smashed the power button again and again and pushed the computer away from me. I mean seriously who knows what the clicking was. Perhaps I got a virus that turned my computer into a bomb that would self-destruct. So, that probably wouldn't happen, but I wasn't taking chances. Good thing I have an iPhone and iPad! I looked up the clicking noise online to find out that it was a hard drive failure. FAILURE?! Oh yes, say good-bye to the over 10,000 pictures I have on my computer. And I know what you're thinking, "she should have backed everything up." How many times have I heard that in the past 24 hours? But come on ain't nobody got time for that!

Okay to make a long story short, the next day I packed my Bub and mother up in my Jeep and drove 30 mintues to the Apple store just to be told I have to have an appointment. An appointment, really Apple? So we left and went to Best Buy where I was told the same thing but then they magically had someone available. He was great! Telling me what I needed to do and gave me options of them doing it for me or telling me I could possibly do it. So I decided to not have them fix it, since I am SuperMom, and I was to replace my own hard drive! Oh yea...and I'm cheap and there was no way I was to spend over $300 to have them replace my hard drive and install the operating system.

Well ladies and gents I did! I know what you're thinking pictures or it didn't happen. Well guess what all you non-believers....I have pictures!

Oh and I must say that as I was going through the mall from computer store to computer store, toting my clicking MacBook in my Coach diaper bag, my Bub was sleeping like a champ. Grandma was almost skipping with glee while pushing her little GrandBub reciting over and over "You're with your Grandma...Grandma's pushing you....Grandma loves you!" It was rather cute.

So note to those who hear clicking.... it is not a bomb, it's just you computer trying to erase every memory you have and cause you to have a minor heart attack. But the good thing is, now I get to pay BIG BUCKS to have all my crap recovered off my clicking hard drive.

My poor MacBook Pro

Let there be life!

Taking a lunch break, after the computer fiasco, at Panera Bread

Just so cute!

Another hurdle jumped!

Last night was the first night that Bub has slept through the night! Okay for those with wizard babies who slept through the night the first night home, this might not be a big deal. But to any normal mom, this is monumental! Okay so from day one to week three he has slept with me in bed. Then we transitioned to the Rock N' Play then ...don don don...THE CRIB!  That was feat number one. He did well as long we as have the mattress propped up with a beach towel under it. Yea, he got spoiled with the incline of the Rock N' Play and will not longer sleep flat on his back.

Okay I digress about the sleeping arrangements. Back to sleeping through the night! So he was like clockwork with his night feedings: up at 10pm, 130am, and 530am. Well ladies and gents, last night he ate at 10pm and didn't wake until 430am!

Well here is the kicker....my husband and I, who are now trained to get up at certain times, woke up in a panic at 2am thinking we had slept through his cries and didn't feed him. Only to look at the monitor and find him out like a light!

So, once the panic subsided, we quickly went back to sleep. Come 4am my little Bub gently woke up, and my hubby and I discussed who would feed him. Since he usually does the 130am and I do the 530am we were confused as to who's feeding it was. Yes first-world problems I know. But I made the executive decision and said it was his turn since I had to be hooked up to the boob machine.

So after the feeding and pumping we put him back to sleep and did not hear a peep out of him until 830 this morning!

Ahh its the small things in life. I am so well rested and full of energy, but all he wants to do is sleep on me. So sitting is what I will do.

The reason for all the madness....

Being a wife and mother is crazy and trying but it is worth every tear and every second of lost sleep to see this...

They are my world. Sometimes I can't distinguish between Reece's and my husbands farts and burps, since Reece blows 'em big! But at the end of the day they are ridiculously cute together and make me laugh so hard sometimes I pee myself ....or do I pee myself because I have lost some sort of bladder control due to pregnancy? Depends are looking better an better every day!

Sleeping Bub

As I write I have my precious baby boy on my chest sleeping. You may think "why is he laying on her chest?" "Why isn't she up doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, or catching up on sleep?" Well I will tell you why....I have created a monster! My baby boy Reece aka "Bub" will only nap for extended periods of time on me. Perhaps its the "unshowered musk" I wear on a daily basis or the fact that I sometimes leak milk on his face, but either way if I want an hour of uninterrupted time, on the chest he goes. It does have its advantages though. First being that when my lovely husband comes home from lobstering and the house is a mess and dinner is being delivered by Dominos, I can tell him that the baby needed to sleep. And what does that mean? I sit and be lazy and let the poor droopy-eyed infant take advantage of my floppy-galaopy boobs as his personal pillow.


That being said, I look around at the house. Yup, it's a mess. I have cat-hair tumbleweeds floating aimlessly across the kitchen floor, last nights dinner dishes that could be mistaken for petri dishes, and tonights dinner that hasn't even been thought of. So this leads me to Pinterest. I can sit and scroll through that site for HOURS! It has all the best organizing tricks, yummy recipes, and amazing fashion. I immerse myself in it while Bub snores on my chest, just to realize that I can't cook those recipes. I am a horrid cook! If water could burn, I would burn it. So what's for dinner? The aforementioned Dominos! Oh those parmesan bread-bites just make my mouth tingle with joy. Which reminds me, I haven't eaten lunch. But that's right, I can't get up if I want my little sleeper to actually sleep!


Oh the dilemmas of being a mom. A sleeping baby is clearly more important then eating.

First-time mom and blogger!

Reece Michael
April 20, 2013

As I sit here hooked up to my Medela breast pump for the umpteenth time, trying to get the pacifier to stay in my son's mouth as he religiously spits it out after two sucks then looks at me like I was the one who made it fall out, and rocking him with my foot in his beloved Rock N' Play, I decided that I was crazy enough to add one more thing into my life: blogging. I must be crazy right?. How would a first-time mom find time to write a blog post in between changing diapers, being hooked up to the boob machine like a cow, rocking, playing, and feeding my lovely little son. Oh and lets not forget to mention that I am a wife as well. So on top of taking care of my 9 week old son I must clean, prepare dinner, do laundry (okay my husband does that!), run errands, and hopefully find time to pee. Man those diapers are looking really handy at the moment, perhaps those who wear Depends have the right idea!

But, no I am not crazy, at least I do not think. I did pass my post-partum "crazy survey" with flying colors...okay not flying bright colors, but floating pastel colors. With a background and B.A. in English I have an overwhelming urge to write. Perhaps thats why my texting bill is so big? Nah, that's due to the fact that I don't get much human interaction besides with a 9 week old baby who only grunts back when I talk to him.

I'm not going to preach about rear-facing carseats, back sleeping vs. tummy sleeping, or circumcision vs not. No, I'm going to talk about all the other things that really matter! How I manage to cook dinner with a screaming infant, when I don't even really know how to cook. How in the middle of the night I am so tired that I accidentally put the dirty diaper back on my child instead of a clean one. Those are the things that matter. All the other stuff....that's what the April 2013 board on BabyCenter.com is for ;)

So if you're a first-time mom, stay at home mom, at work and stuck in the back room pumping, or thinking of becoming a mom...please follow with me on my journey and laugh, love, and cry with and at me!

My son Reece and wonderful husband Sean