Dixie Gator Gal: 12

7.31.2012

Livin Life

We've been having lots of fun around here! Teething has us all over the place. Don't let the smile fool you, he is in his crabby PJs for a reason!

Each day I fall more and more in love. Being a mom is so much fun and I feel so so happy I get to stay home with him-it's awesome.

I'm also trying to educate myself on my new field. I read a few parenting books a week. I'll have to do a post on the one's I like. Although their is nothing like on the job training.

Cute little nugget

Adult conversation is limited to Junior League activities for the time being, because although i try to talk about different subjects, my husband and I just come back to saying how amazing we think our baby is, and I forget to call anyone I know until well after normal people are asleep. Which reminds me, I need to call some people tomorrow.

One of the guys

Just one of the guys!

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7.25.2012

Summer Tomatoes

While in Oxford for my family reunion a few weeks ago I has a delightful chilled cucumber soup and tomato sandwich on sourdough bread for lunch at the Honey Bee Bakery. http://thehoneybeebakery.com

I forgot how good sourdough bread is in Mississippi, I remember having it at my grandmothers house growing up.

While I was pregnant and super sick last summer, the only thing I could manage to eat was a tomato sandwich with Dukes on some form of white bread.

With temps in the 100's here in Virginia, I am in the mood for my mater sandwiches again, but will be making my own sourdough bread. I didn't find my grandmothers recipe in my box, let the Internet search begin.

Not sure how mayo or white bread 'fits' in my diet

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

7.19.2012

Teething Troubles

As soon as I hit post on my 5 Month Blog toting I had the happiest baby, teething whoas hit us like a ton of bricks.
James had started to drool, get fussy and actually refused to nurse last Friday. I chalked it up to not being too excited about starting solids, and after talking to a nurse at our Peds office, held off on giving him any cereals and purées for a few days.
I was super excited to show off my happy baby on Sunday when we went to visit Lacey and Michael in Baltimore. He was so drooly and crabby, I was sad they didn't get to see my fun giggly little boy.
I got an inkling he actually does did like eating when he practically jumped out of my lap trying to get to my lump crab Mac and Cheese (it was so good I don't blame him).

Why this sudden fussiness? Then it dawned on me teething (ok it dawned on my babysitter, who told me he was probably teething). Each day he has gotten worse and worse for my little guy. And today he fussed and wined all day.
At play group, which he usually loves, he screamed and cried the whole time. It broke my heart. He stopped just as we were leaving, of course.

We stopped on the way home and bought every teething accessory I could find. I'm hoping for a happier baby and happier baby heading into the weekend.
James says pretty soon I'm going to chomp you like this alligator.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

7.17.2012

5 Months

Oh James, how fast you are growing up! I’m amazed everyday as you learn new skills and I see your bright personality develop.

You are so full of life so full of smiles, just a bucket full of sunshine everyday.

You are 27 inches tall (87^th percentile) and weigh 16 pounds 2 ounces (47^th percentile)!

You sleep from 6:30 to 7:30 and take at least three naps a day they vary in length and mostly depend on if the door bell is rung while you are asleep.

You LOVE sleeping with your monkey (and daddy).

Your favorite toy is still a burp cloth-ha!

You nurse 4-5 times a day and have a bottle before bed. Sometimes you drink four ounces at night and sometimes eight. It’s hard for me to pour milk down the drain as I feel am barely able to keep up with you!

The bumper has gone back in your crib because you squirm and roll all over. It amazes me how much you “travel” in your crib. You would wake up every night with both your feet stuck between different slats, so we added your bumper and keep a close watch over you. So far your face has not come near it and your feet no longer get stuck at night.

We spend a lot of time reading, singing, dancing, playing and flying everyday. One of your favorite songs is one I made up about how much you like to sing and dance all day and FLY all night.

Your favorite “real” song is Mahna Manha by the Muppets. You love it so much, and just like all babies do, you imitate the sounds you hear. So now there are far fewer baby ooohs and ahhs, just different forms of growling...all day everyday.

You have really begun to enjoy tummy time, can pass toys back and forth between your hands, and are still getting used to your exercauser.

Our days are filled with smiles, laughs and giggles. Everyone tells me you are the happiest baby they've ever met. I hope what they see in you is the reflection of the pure joy and delight your daddy and I have for you. I hope you will always be happy and full of light. You make every moment I spend with you so special. I miss you when you take naps and sleep at night (but am also happy to have time to load the dishwasher and pick up after our adventures throughout the day, nap time is a good thing)!

This month had lots of firsts:

First non-scheduled trip to Dr Kelly. You are discovering all the noises you can make with your body, and one happened to be a very scary breathing noise. I couldnt decide if you were having trouble breathing or just having fun screaching, best to leave it up to the professionals. Diagnosis: Strider, which I also had as a child.

First time swimming

First time seeing the ocean

First time on a boat

First flight

Meeting your uncle Murphey.

First bee sting – that was NO FUN for all of us.

First Family Reunion

We now refer to you as Coo, check on Coo- "oh there he is, he is sooo cute, I can’t stand it!"

We love you!

7.12.2012

We earned those wings

Flying for the first time with a baby makes any new mom nervous. I had read books, blogs and consulted the email archives of my mommy group to prepare James and I for our flight. While daddy is in and out of airports all over the world every week, we didn't have his expert assistance this go around.

First I knew to be prepared for the unexpected, flights get delayed, dirty diapers happen, I had back up, I was ready, but I was still hoping for the best.

As confident of a person I am, and firm believer and supporter of breast feeding, I had never done it in public prior to this trip. My car and the mothers lounge at Norstroms have been my semi-public go to's. Even with my hootie hider, feeding him while sitting next to someone I don't know in an airport is not, nor will it ever be my favorite activity-ha!

Since I was flying an airline that is not frequented by our family in order to have a direct flight, I had no status to help me out with lounges and comfy first class seats. I also booked baby in lap tickets and had hopes for an extra seat on the plane for him and his car seat.

On our way out of DC, I arrived to the gate early and was able to ask if there was an available seat for him, as luck would have it, our row had the only open seats on the plane.

He conked out the moment the flight lifted off the ground and woke when the pilot asked the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for landing--hello getting caught up on my google reader!

I couldn't of asked for a better first flight experience.

We weren't so lucky on our return. When I went to check my bags the curbside attendant couldn't find my reservation, after pulling it up on my phone I saw it was set for Tuesday, how could this be?

I had spent so long booking this flight, trying to get a good price and the perfect times. In order to get on one of the flights that day it was going to cost me $300. I didn't know what to do, so loaded my bags and baby back in my parents car and called my husband a continent away.

He thought the situation was outrageous and couldn't believe they wouldn't let me fly standby. A few minutes later he called to remind me, I didn't book the flight a booking agent did because you can't book a baby in lap ticket on the internet with delta.

A few U turns later I was back at the ticket counter and had a hot little ticket for the next flight in my hand. I semi ran through the Memphis airport, because I felt like I was behind the 8 ball, of course the gate agent wasn't even at the gate yet.

I was able to get a seat for James, score! Then the pilot came out to the gate (never a good sign). We were delayed, delayed again and delayed again. Our flight took off after we should have landed in DC-uggghhh.

Just when I thought having to nurse my little guy at the airport and on the plane was bad, then IT happened, the icing to my burnt cake- the blow out diaper to end all blow out diapers. I had mentioned to my parents that morning it would be my luck that he would need changed on the plane. And boy did he, while the fasten seatbelt sign was on. I have gone weeks not using that many wipes. It was everywhere, I'm glad for our change of cloths in the diaper bag, and will be giving the car seat upholstery a scrubbing as well.

Probably not the worst flying with a baby story, but I do think we earned our first set of wings!