Dark Cloud Day #1

So I have a very serious disorder that plagues me, dealt with it my entire life. It's called "Dark Cloud-itis”. I have days that make other people say, "There’s no way all that happened to you in one day!" Oh yeah, I'm that person. If you don't have someone in your life that has "Dark Cloud-itis"...get one...they will make you feel amazingly good about your life.

I, on the regular, share my Dark Cloud stories with my coworkers. They usually laugh hysterically; say "no way", "Oh my God, there's more..." in response. Last story session they said I should start a whole blog designated to just Dark Cloud Days to help others feel better about what's going wrong in THEIR lives. So I will start sharing them on here with you. So let's discuss today, shall we?

Wake up with Mason. We have breakfast. I start some laundry. We play. He goes down for a nappy. Scrub the bathroom floor pretty. I take a shower. This is a wonderful day in Mommy-land when chores and a shower get done during nap time. I think to myself, "wow, what a great day." Then the clouds roll in...

My mom shows up. Ready to cook a turkey? I say, "Nope, I told Mike that Mason and I would visit him at his work at the Mall." She says, "Well how are we gonna get the turkey cooked?" I dunno Mom. She recommends that we leave it to cook on low while we go to visit Mike. Skiiiirrtttt....hold up. My Major in college was Fire Safety...do you really think I'd be OK with that? Well, do it later. We gotta get on the road cuz the Mall is in Ohio and It’s already 2:30 PM.

I'm getting dressed and picking out clothes for Mason when Mom says, "Wear something nice. I want to get pictures at the Mall with the big tree." I said sure, why don't we go ahead and have Mason see Santa for the first time and get a picture. Great! Everyone is happy, wearing festive red, off we go...

On the way to the highway Mom says, I would like a big unsweet iced tea. Can you stop at McD's drive thru and get me one. Sure... Oh wait, we pull in and I remember that I am driving the ghetto Jetta today and my window doesn't roll down. You wait here with Mason Mom and I'll run in real fast. So I'm exiting McD's and I see Mom in the back seat. Mason is now screaming and hungry since it took so long to pick out clothes and get on the road...so now he wants to eat. I give him the second half of the bottle he had before we left. All is good... On the road to the Mall...

But not quite yet cuz Mom needs to stop at Sam's Club to get a pumpkin pie and won't have time to get one later. FYI Mom has no car cuz she left her's in Shelbyville. Long story... I drop her off out front and circle around the lot. Well Mason is not happy again and yelling and crying. So I park and get in the back seat to entertain him while I wait. Meanwhile, Mike calls with the "Where the heck are you phone call?" Awesome, right... I explain what is going on. He states he gets off soon, blah blah, what’s taking so long, he’ll be off by the time we get there and I respond with "We are in nice clothes, I got Mason out, Mom wants pictures, this was the plan...with or without you we are going to the F'n TriCounty Mall." He laughs and simply says...see ya soon honey.

Well, Since Mom thought I'd pick her up at the front of Sam's it takes her a bit before she realizes I haven't driven by so she calls me. "Where are you?" I parked next to a bright yellow car. She finally finds us and on the road we go.

Only I drove down the wrong road and got on the highway going the opposite way I needed to. No biggie, I'll turn around at the next exit. As I'm driving my driver's side window slips down. This happens when only a little wooden wedge crammed into the slot is holding your window in the upright position. So I decide I'll just stop at the gas station to pull up the window and re-stick the wooden thingy back in so Mason won't get cold and then we are totally on our way...

I pull into the Travel Lodge and park. Hop out, get the wooden wedge out, pull the window up, stick the wooden wedge back in, and success. Fast like lightening! I hop back in and....and...nothing. That's right, the car will not turnover. Crap! Must be the battery I think. Mom asks a lady at the pump if she will jump us and in true holiday spirit she says, "I don't help Honkies". No lie. She really said that to my Mom. LOL So Mom, a lil shocked, goes inside and secures help from a nice young gentleman to jump our car. Yea!!!

We hook up the cars and I tell him how appreciative we are. Mason starts getting cranky again. That half of a bottle wasn't enough. So I am sitting in the drivers seat trying to crank up my car with the right hand and shaking/mixing a bottle with my left hand. How redneck am I at this point. Oh my goodness... I am at a Travel Lodge with my ghetto Jetta, jumping my battery, and making my baby a bottle at the same time. Wow! Mason is happy with the bottle, but the car still isn't turning over. I call Mike...

He tells me to do some kind of Hokey Pokey with the car. Get out, close all doors, put the key that unlocks the doors in the lock, turn to the right till the little red light comes on by the lock, turn it back, then turn it to the right two more times until the red light blinks, get back in and start it. SERIOUSLY! NEVER HAVE I EVER! Do I need to stick my tounge out, hold my breath, and close my left eye too?!? Sure enough, I follow Mike's directions and it starts. Something to do with a VW security system. No idea. Well as that little red light was blinking I noticed that the rear driver's side window that has never worked, rolls down. Hmmmm....that's odd. I push the up button. I hear the motor for the window but nothing happens. I call Mike back...

Car is running but now the window in the back won't roll up. He says, "You got Channel Locks in the car?". Well, I don't even know what a Channel Lock is SOOOO I'm gonna go with a big NO here. No Channel Locks but there is another very nice young gentleman willing to help get the window up and wedge it up with tire patches. That's right the ghetto Jetta just got more ghetto kids. But what the hell, we are on the road. Finally....

I'm trucking down the interstate with the Jetta running like a champ and all windows up feeling pretty OK now. Running incredible behind but hey it's gonna happen. I've never been there so I have GPS going. I see my next exit will be 275. Awesome, I know where that is. So I see the 275 and take it. Rock on! Well, apparently it meant 275 WAY, WAY further down the interstate NOT where I exited. I should have listened for the little talking GPS lady instead of jumping ahead with the next step. I now realize I have made the world's largest U-Turn and entered the interstate only a few exits up from where I started. Great when you're running behind. Awesome!

So I follow the GPS rigidly now. I look at the clock and realize we are hitting the Mason melt-down hour. The hour when cute adorable little MaeBae turns into Monster Mae ready for bath and bedtime. Oh yeah these pictures with Santa are gonna Rock!

We arrive at the Mall. Things are nice. Relieved to finally be at our destination. We see Mikey. I feel better. Let's locate Mr. Santa-man. Read the sign by the big green chair and it says "Santa will be back at 6:30pm". Of course, we get there and Santa is on break. Mason is getting SOOOO cranky. We wheel him around the Mall trying to keep him happy. He's doing pretty good so far. We get in the Santa line and he is eating his little puffs and all smiles for his Daddy. I think, Yeah it'll be fine.

It's our turn. We put him on Santa's lap and we get one picture taken with a confused look on his face and then....water works. That's right folks. He got one good look at that Santa and started balling his little eyes out. I even tried to sit with him. Nothing helped. At least we have one picture where he's not red faced, screaming, with tears running down his little face.

We are leaving and Mike knowing I've been put through the ringer today offers to take Mason home in his car. I'm a mess, scatter brained, nerves fried...I just said, go for it. Mom and I get in the Jetta and it starts, all the windows stay up...off we go. We are on the road headed home and this crazy Mini-Van driver pulls up next to us with a suburban looking lady in the passenger seat doing some sort of frantic hand gestures at us. She looks like she's signing to us. Making a folding motion and then pointing to the back of my car over and over. They pull in front of us and put their blinker on to get over. I think ummm there is either something really wrong with my car or these people are trying to kill us. Please don't let it be a flat tire. Mom and I discuss that their appearance didn't look too threatening so we will get over on the shoulder behind them. But one wrong move and I will ram them with my car.

Mom gets out as I am in position for running crazy people over. Mom has a dialogue with the lady, goes to the back of the car, and returns with MY WALLET. That's right. In my scattered state I left my wallet on the bumper of my car. And thankfully I had some sliver of good luck in that it stayed there for these crazy but super nice Mini-Vaners to flag us down on the shoulder of the interstate for us to retrieve it. Wow. What a night.

We finally pull up at my Mother's apartment. I am so ready to end this day. I am very thankful to make it back in one piece. Then my mother looks at me and says, "What about cooking the Turkey?". Ha, ha I'm done people. Gotta Love Life! GOOOOOD NIGHT!!! 

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Mason Eating Like A Big Boy

I cannot believe Mason is 9 months now! Where has the time gone? I am so excited for him to have his first Christmas and before you know it in Feb. it will be his first birthday. Wow!

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Eating some Sweet Potato and He says "Num" :)

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Mason's 1st Video Blog

I've been posting pictures of Mason but they don't really capture of his cute little expressions and his goo's. I have family and friends all over the country and I know they will appreciate seeing him in action. So here ya go...Mason in Motion. :)

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Mason - 4 Months

My little Monkey isn't so little anymore. Ha, ha

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My Life Mind Movie - May 2010

So excited!! I made my own Mind Movie (mindmoives.com) using images from the web and windows movie maker. Mind Movies are like digital vision boards. “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Now if I can just figure out how to get this on my BlackBerry to watch whenever I need it....

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So tired

So I'm up... I got up around 4:30am. This is the first time in a long time Mason hasn't had a good night of sleep. He was fighting going down to bed. Ate last around 11pm, just a couple ounces. Now He's up at 4:30am. I'm not sure if he's just being overly stimulated with all the extra family time and getting home later in the evening is messing him up and throwing off his schedule. Or he's not feeling well. Or teething. I dunno. But the feeling of not knowing what he needs pretty much sucks. :(

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Alright, so unlike most of my friends I have NOT seen all the Sex and The City TV episodes. In college, I did sit in for a couple of hours while my friends held a marathon. I feel like I picked up quite a bit from that. I did go see the first Sex and The City movie, but it was mostly to go out with the girls. I have to admit I am kind of excited to see Sex and The City II.

See normally I cannot relate to anything going on in these shows. It's either serial dating or having babies or high end clothes and shoes that I could never afford in a million years. That part just makes me jealous. BUT....this movie I can relate. My life is finally at a crossroads with their storylines. I am married...I have a baby....and this movie seems to be about how to juggle everything in your life and still keep your friendships and self-identity. Ah-ha a Sex and The City production that finally speaks to me.

So, I am super excited to see it. Now if I can just juggle my life enough to plan a girls night. Ha, ha. :)

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Such a Slacker

Sorry everyone. I know that I abandoned my blog since around Easter. It's not that nothing has been happening. It's exactly the opposite. So much has been going on I just haven't found the time. Now that things are calming down for the moment, I'll try to get you caught back up...

Most current news, Mason's little cousin Tucker is due to arrive this Wed. His Momma is going in for a scheduled C-Section. We can't wait to see his little face!

I just found out that my father will be coming into town very soon to meet Mason and spend my birthday with me. This is such a nice surprise. He's not one to travel so this is a Very big deal.

I think Mason has started teething. Or he is starting to start teething. I'm not sure. I think I see them coming in and he seems to be bothered. He keeps nawing on his hand and he is drooling all over the place. Thinking of getting one of those Teething Bling necklaces http://www.smartmomjewelry.com/.

I experienced my first Mother's Day. It was very special. There was a cookout of Mike's grandmothers. This is also the first time I have been able to spend mother's day with my Mom in a very long time.

I am making a career change. I start my new job June 1st. I am very excited about this new opportunity. It has alot of very positive things to add to my life. I can't wait to get started.

Mason started daycare. He only has to go a few days a week. I was sad but then pictures like this make you worry a little less.

Mason was baptized at Mary Queeen of Heaven. His Godparents are wonderful people. We are glad to have them in his life. Mike's Boston grandparents were in town for the event. My friend Beth helped me out alot and with that help we had a great little cookout/reception. It turned out to be a great Sunday! Thank the Lord!

I know there is alot more but you'll figure it out. :)

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Easter Update...

Well I told you I would post pictures of Mason in his totally adorable Easter outfit so here it is. Nana Vicki did so good picking it out. I love the colors and sail boat. Reminds me of Carolina.

Also I mentioned that I was making a cheesecake. I was nervous about how it would turn out, because like I've said before my MIL (Mother-In-Law) is Martha Stewart - only better cuz she doesn't have a criminal record. I've made pretty good ones prior to this but they've always cracked on me. I am super happy to report this one was my best ever. And everyone loved it! I posted a picture of it on FB and I even have requests for me to make one for other people. Pretty neat-o! ) Here's of picture of that too. Enjoy!

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1 Month Has Flown By...

Just as I'm getting used to this new schedule and lifestyle...I must start preparing to return to work. It's gonna be hard to leave the lil man during the day. We started looking at child care options. I'm off Saturday and Sunday and Mike is usually off two days during the week. So we only need 3 days a week. I think we've found a place. It's a little more money than we were expecting. It's gonna be $135 per week for watching him 3 days a week. Does that sound right?
We are hopeful that we can find someone we know on a more personal level eventually. A childhood friend of Mike's mentioned she might stay home with her baby and would watch Mason. Man that would be perfect!

Easter is tomorrow. Right now I'm waiting for Mom to come over. She's gonna watch Mason so I can go to the store. I've taken him grocery shopping before, but today I'm shopping off recipes and will need a lil bit more concentration. I'm in charge of the green beans, deviled eggs, and cheesecake. Mom got May-May a new outfit for Easter. He's gonna be sooo freakin cute. I'll take a picture and post it. We are going to church and then going to Mike's parent's for dinner and family game night. I think we'll be playing Guesstures. It's soo much fun!

Mason is now 10 pounds. Wow! He can focus on us. He smiles. Today he started holding on to his plastic keys and shaking them. I can't believe how fast he's grown. Or how fast our lives have changed since he arrived. Becoming a parent really is an experience that no one can explain to you. There's no way to prepare. But as hard as it is, it really is amazing. I love being a Mommy! We are so blessed!

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Recall Alert: 1.2 Million Graco High Chairs Recalled

Recall Alert: 1.2 Million Graco High Chairs Recalled

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Who Schedules Sleep? We do...

Mason is doing great. The spitting up and fussies are so much better. However, I am still not getting as much sleep as I need. They always tell you, "sleep when the baby sleeps". Take daytime naps to get the sleep in. Well, I'm not a robot that can turn sleep on and off in the matter of minutes and I have never been a napper. I suck at getting sleep during the daytime. Besides I'll be going to work soon and then there won't be daytime opportunities so what do I do then?

Well, Mike and I are trying something new. We did it for the first time last night. We sat on the couch while watching American Idol with his work schedule and we made ourselves sleep schedules. He works retail so sometimes he opens and sometimes he closes. So we made two sleeping scenarios, one for each.

Mike closes at work today so he didn't have to leave for work until after 9am. Last night I went to bed at 11pm after watching Castle. Mike stayed up until around 1am with Mason, fed him and then went to bed also. The first time Mason woke up wanting to eat was my shift. This was around 5am. I changed his diaper, fed him, and down to bed I went. Mike then woke up for work and took the next two feedings. When he was leaving I woke up for the day.

It worked SOOOO well. This works so much better than passing conversations of I'll get the next one. Knowing what my responsibility was and trusting him to do his part I was able to sleep more sound. We haven't tried our scenario for when he has the opening shift at work, but I'll keep you posted.

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Mason Likes to Boom Boom Pow...

Babies can dance! A new thing that Mason and I are doing everyday is dancing. I leave the radio on in the nursery and after every diaper change I hold Mason in my arms and we dance. I noticed that he loves "beats". He loves, loves, loves the Black Eyed Peas. His favorite song is Boom Boom Pow (video above). He smiles and moves his arms and really looks like he's having fun. When he's cranky it chills him out. I wondered if he was really enjoying this or if Momma was just really enjoying it. Well, I read an article about it and it turns out that babies are born to dance.

The article says "Babies may be born to dance. They respond more to the rhythm and tempo of music than they do to ordinary speech, according to a study of 120 infants younger than 2."

His liking of "beats" was also explained. They pick up more on the beat than anything else, even better than speech.

Again the article quoted "Our research suggests that it is the beat rather than other features of the music, such as the melody, that produces the response in infants," said Marcel Zentner, researcher and University of York psychologist in England, according to LiveScience. "We also found that the better the children were able to synchronize their movements with the music, the more they smiled."

I love to dance, not well...for fun. I love music as well. So I would play tunes for Mason while I was pregnant. I would put my blackberry on my belly. I even noticed that the spa relaxing tune I love, he loves. I would play it for him because I read that they would recognize a song if you played it alot while you were pregnant. Now I can play it and I can tell he is listening and he gets really clam.

I think this whole baby connection with music is pretty neat. Just wanted to share. I think everyone should dance with their baby. It will really lift up your spirits. Great bonding time! :)

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/03/16/2010-03-16_babies_are_born_to_move_to_the_beat_research_shows.html#ixzz0iS6jA86f

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Mason In The News

Mason Made the Newspaper in my Hometown!
Here's a link to his birth announcement...
The Examiner - Independence, MO - The Examiner

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3 Weeks and 3 Days

So Mason is now 3 weeks and 3 days. I cannot believe how much his looks have changed. I love his chubby lil cheeks. He is doing so much better with the fussies and spit-ups. Thank you so much for your advice. Changes I have made this past week have been life altering.

I bought more bottles so I can make batches and have them ready to rock in the fridge. So much easier!

Mason is a bit of a guzzler and he was getting too much too fast. So I changed the bottle nipples to preemie flow. He doesn't get choked up at all anymore. That was such a great change. He feels better and I know I do seeing him eating without getting all choked up. I also picked up a new mixer thing for mixing the formula. It mixes without shaking, suppose to put less air into the formula. He still spits-up from time to time but a normal amount instead of the exorcist spit-ups of before.

Another change we made was putting gas drops in his bottles. Wow, you guys were 100% right, these things are amazing! He does get fussy with gas still but the length of time and how often has definitely decreased by leaps and bounds. In those times I must say Jewel is my hero. Seriously, he LOVES his swing (thanks Eric and Steph) and his Jewel Lullaby CD (thank you Maria). I highly recommend it. :)

We are starting to get a schedule down. We have tummy-time and coffee after his first morning feeding. This lets him know that we are officially UP for the day. He knows the swing is fun and he does that during the day. The weather has unfortunately put a damper on our daily walk we were taking. I hear next weeks forecast calls for less rain...something I am really looking forward to. When daddy gets home we hang out with him and get ready for bedtime. He knows that dim lights and listening to Coldplay equals night time. When he gets all swaddled up in his bassinet he's out. I'm sure he doesn't really "know" all that stuff but we are going to stick with it. I think schedules are good for everyone and it's really more for me than him right now.

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Newsflash: CPSC warns against potential dangers of baby slings

Newsflash: CPSC warns against potential dangers of baby slings

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Baby Training Camp 101

It is very clear that our lil Monkey has us enrolled in his private class of Baby Training Camp 101. Whoooo.... I'm tellin' ya, we are exhausted. However, I have to say that I am amazed at how well we are doing. Just when I think I'm going break down and get worried that I can't be all he needs...I get a second, third, or a tenth wind even and off we go. It's like a job that you won't allow yourself to suck at cuz the cutest most precious little guy is depending on you to figure it out. I'm finding simple ways to get it back together. Today a Facebook friend mentioned she was going to listen to some 311 today. I thought to myself, man I love that "Amber" song. So I looked it up on our Verizon Rhapsody and let the tunes melt the stress away. I listened as I sipped my coffee and coached myself. I was mentally telling myself, you are strong and already doing more than you ever thought you could. You can do more. You got this! ...And bam, I'm in a much better headspace and ready to tackle this day - good or bad, calm or fussy...I can do this! So thanks to my friend's FB status, a good song, and some strong coffee I'm back on track for today. Trying to be the best Mommy I can be...I've got work to do so I can graduate to Baby Training Camp 102 but with the wonderful support I'm getting from all of you Mommies out there I know I can do it. Keep the advice coming! You guys are life savers!

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The Shape of a Mother

My friend shared this on Facebook and I think it is great site to boost the self-image of mothers everywhere. Nobody comes out of pregnancy without some body changes. Here is a site where bold women share images of their post-baby bodies so that all mommies know they are not alone. http://theshapeofamother.com/

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1st 'Rita in 9 Months

Yesterday was a great day. Mike was off work and we tackled alot of chores and financial things we needed to work on in enough time to enjoy an afternoon stroll through the neighborhood with Mr. Mason.

Mason has some gas and colic issues and he seems to have a period in the afternoon during which there is nothing you can do to calm him. He's fussy from around 11:30am to around 5pm. He wasn't really like this at first when we were trying to breastfeed. Its a new thing with switching him to formula. We have put him on Gentlease which is supposed to be easier on his tummy. Other changes I made are preemie nipples. Since he's such a good sucker, he was getting too much too fast and getting choked up and sucking in air. They seem to have helped ALOT. I've also been trying the gas drops. I'll let you know how these changes are working out.

Anyways, back to the point. This was the first afternoon Mike has been around to experience this lovely time of day with Mason. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's hard to see them cry and not be able to fix it. So, we went for a family walk. Good news, it worked and Mike felt like a super awesome Dad for coming up with the idea. It turned out to be a great day...and night actually.

Last night our friends Curt and Lauren drove up from there little farm house (sidenote: I'm so jealous of their place. I've only seen pictures, but I totally want their home/land/pond/barn.) and brought us a home cooked meal of lasagna and cute little cupcakes with Mason's name on them. How freaking sweet are they! I feel so blessed to have such supportive friends. Times like these you really see people step-up and show you just how much they care about you. It's so heart-warming. Shout out to Curt and Lauren - We love you guys! Thank you!

After dinner, one of my BFF's Becca and her husband Chris sprung me loose from the house to have my first margarita in over 9 months. What a treat! Mike stayed home with Ma (my nickname for him...pronounced "May") and visited longer with Curt and Lauren while I snuck out for a little adult conversation and beverage. It tasted Fan-Tastic! I was cut off after drinking half of it. I didn't think drunken night time feedings and diaper changing sounded like a great idea. lol All and all, this was a great day and a great night...thanks to my wonderful hubby and big-hearted friends! :)

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1st Sleep-Over with Gran and Grandpa Lee

So I admit it...I'm exhausted. Since Mike went back to work I have no idea how much sleep I've gotten. There is no such thing as night and day. There is definitely no such thing as "night time". There is only the time between his feedings and not all of them allow for sleep. Mothers I'm not telling you anything new. You are probably laughing right now. Well, I'm a new Mommy and not ready to laugh yet. I found myself warming a bottle last night while crying into the sink. So, my mother-in-law offered to pick him up this afternoon and then keep him for a sleep-over tonight. My first reaction was, YES! PLEASE!...now I'm sorta thinking that I am not going to know what to do without him close. It's weird. I am exhausted but I don't really want him to go. Ready or not...I'm going with it. I really need the rest and it will be nice to have a little QT with my hubby. The whole reason we moved to Kentucky was to be near family. We wanted our kids to grow up with grandparents around. So here we go...Mason's first sleep-over with Gran and Grandpa Lee. I'll let you know how it goes and how Mike and I hold up without our lil' monkey around.

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He's Here!

Mason William Lee
Born February 18th, 2010

7 pounds 13 ounces

21.5 inches long

So my lil monkey Mason has finally arrived. His due date was originally Feb. 27th but he decided to come early. I was watching Shaun White's amazing halfpipe runs and maybe the excitement was just too much. My water broke and off we went to the hospital. Unfortunately I would come to find out after 19 hours of contractions a natural birth was just not going to happen. Though my water broke and the contractions came, active labor did not. So...I had a C-Section. Definitely not as scary as I thought...that whole being opened up while awake thing. Didn 't feel a thing! We are just so happy that he's here!

Update:

Mason is now 13 days old. Mike has been such a huge help, but he had to go back to work and I am trying to make new routines being home alone. Things are going good. Mason has sort of a spitting up thing going on. We started breastfeeding and my milk never really came in so now we are doing formula. It's been kind of a rough adjustment for him. I think even though we have low flow bottles the bottle is just a little fast for him. We have to take feeding really slow with lots of burp breaks to try to prevent him for spitting up like the exorcist. Other than that he is doing wonderful! Happy little guy!

As for me, I think I'm recovering well. Last Friday, 8 days after giving birth, I did venture out with Mike and Mason to a fish fry at the church. It was nice to be around people in public again. I think a visit to the Mexican restaurant is in order soon for a little Mommy time with a friend and a very large margarita. Since I'm not breastfeeding, I can do that! LOL :) Well, that's enough for now. I'll keep ya posted on life with baby...

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37 Weeks

37 WEEKS - FULL TERM!

Today brings two beautiful words: full-term. Now, whenever baby's born, he's likely to thrive. Also thriving? Your nesting instincts, which are behind those sudden urges to bake, clean, or embroider a onesie.

MONKEY UPDATE:

Baby's now the size of a watermelon!
Monkey is now 6lbs. 110z.

Your full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. He's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!).

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Kentucky Baby Shower - Jan. 23rd, 2010

A Baby Is Brewing...

My Kentucky Baby Shower was January 23rd, 2010. It was very cute! It was a tea party and the theme was "A Baby Is Brewing...". My friends Beth and Becca, with location and food support of my mother-in-law Kathy, threw such a unique affair.

There were guests from different parts of my life as well as Mike's. It was fun to meet some of the people that watched Mike grow up and have them be involved with our baby now. My fab sorority sisters came out...they are just the best. What would I do without those girls!?! The food, of course, was top notch. Kathy made some really awesome treats. I thought It was such a nice touch to incorporate family and tying together of past generations by using family china passed down in my family as well as Mike's. I loved that! Of course, I loved it every little detail! The shower even had an element of surprise!

Some of our very good friends from Raleigh were able to travel to Kentucky and showed up at the door. I was so surprised! I think if I weren't in shock and disbelief I would have cried. It was such a well thought out and special day! I have the best friends and family! This shower will be such a memorable life event! I can't wait for the bigger "life event" to happen...

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Gatllinburg, TN

Gatlinburg Is For Lovers...
For Christmas Mike's family pulled together and got us gift cards to places in Gatlinburg, TN so we could take a pre-baby getaway. I think it's called a "baby-moon" buy mommy bloggers. We had such a relaxing weekend. We are so greatful for such a thoughtful gift. Boy did we need it...

(We forgot our digital camera and bought a disposable for the first time in years. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them "developed" and put on a CD. LOL)

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33 Weeks Pregnant!

It's been awhile since my last post. Time has just been flying by. Been real busy at work. Feels like I'm either running on all gears or crashing into the bed...nothing in between. Being high risk just got high maintenance. I now go to the hospital twice a week until delivery getting Non-Stress Tests, Growth Scans, and Dr. Apts. So I work over-time at work to cover all my time. I eat, sleep, work, and visit the hospital...that's about it folks. ha, ha So yeah, I'm tired. ;)

My friends are throwing me a baby shower in Kentucky Jan. 23rd. They are making it a tea party type affair. I can't wait.

I put together the swing the other day. Yeah, only took my an hour and a half. I almost broke it, put the wrong part in the wrong slot and almost couldn't get it out. Phewewww! That was a close one.

I've got alot still to do for getting a proper nursery together. Gotta start looking for a Pediatrician. Mike and I have our childbirth class coming up. I hope they don't show videos. I think sometimes ignorance is bliss...and I think Mike would puke. ha, ha

Getting bigger and bigger everyday it seems. I'm totally uncomfortable and wonder how much more by belly can possibly stretch. The other thing that keeps growing every week is my excitement. I keep thinking about what it will be like to meet the little guy. I can't imagine how I'll feel. Probably a million things at once. But I'm very excited for that moment to come!

MONKEY UPDATE:

Well Monkey is now 4lbs. 10oz. Moving around like crazy! The ultrasound tech said his head is down.

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake

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