Let's Play a game!

Hiya friends!  For all those workin' hard for a living peeps, YAY it's almost time for a long weekend!  I love having Mondays off when I work- almost every year I've used up vacation by taking off most Mondays in December.  Something psychologically satisfying about skipping the day, I guess.  Of course, every day is sort of the same for me right now, so I'm just happy on your behalf.  Anyone doing anything fun this weekend?  We have a picnic to go to Saturday (hopefully little man is up for it....so glad it's right down the road!) And then working on some fun Sunday plans.  We shall see. 
Of COURSE I want to talk about the little guy.  Well, maybe not so little.  Last night started boxing up some of his newborn clothes (some even unworn!) and it gave me a major case of the sads.  I am adoring him more and more very day as he grows into a little person, but it's kinda  sad knowing that he will never fit into his little monster onesie.  Or the turtle overalls.  Awww, shuckers.  I bet that's why people have more than one turd, isn't it?  (No, that is NOT an announcement.  Yikes).
Anyways, as my little man gets bigger and bigger, we work on strengthening that mind and body at the same time-especially when I am home and can devote 20 hours a day to him (hey, even momma's need sleep).  When I was pregnant with the lil guy, we got a gift for one of those  "laugh and learn" puppies that are so popular right now.  It was super cute...until one morning at 6:30 when Greg was going upstairs to brush his teeth and he heard a voice coming from the empty nursery..."Let's Play a Game!".  Freaky.  And while I'm not sure he's recovered, the puppy is almost ready to come play.  Until then, we play our own fun games like....

1.  Puppet Play - We have finger puppets that I use to help Rob track things with his eyes.  I make up little stories and talk in funny voices with the different animals and he does a great job following where they go!  The zebra is his fave - we call him Marty after the Zebra from Madagascar!
2.  Tummy time - Pretty self explanatory.  At least once a day, he spends time on his tummy to develop his neck muscles.  He actually really likes it and has been able to lift his head with control since about week 3- now we even scootch on the mat.  He'll probably be running 5ks next week-stay tuned.

3.  Reading stories - Not sure if this is a game, but I read to Rob almost every night.  So far he really likes most of his stories (Mommy may have shed a tear when she read "The Night You Were Born").  One caveat - We have discarded the Runaway Bunny.  That book just screams "mommy issues".  For real.
4.  Rattle Play- We have a penguin rattle that we play with every day to help him discern sound.  He does a great job turning his head to where the penguin is!
5.  Back mat - It's not quite "play" yet, but we have an activity mat we picked up at a garage sale for 2 bucks that is pretty cool.  He lays on it and we talk about the different animals and colors.  The cat seems to like it a decent amount, too :-P
6.  Adventure Time! - We either do this inside when it's raining, or go for a walk in the yard or neighborhood.  I point out all of the cool things to see and Rob just drinks it in-he loves being in motion!

7.  Singing/Signing - Sometimes the former turns into a dance party- we listen to music all the time.  Some of it's nursery rhymes (he likes Head, shoulders best!) and some of it's Flo Rida and Guns N Roses (hey, diversity!).  We also are teaching him sign language - we are up to 8 basic signs so far- Mommy, Daddy, Hungry, Diaper, Kitty, More, Milk and I love you.  We introduce a new one each week- Greg read that babies pick up on sign language well, so it's worth a shot!

What games did you or do you play with your baby?  Always looking for new material!

Half Serious, or Maybe Not

Hey hey!  Thanks for all your support from my crazy post partum triathlon antics.  I'm so glad no one pulled mommy judgement on me...you guys are awesome :-)  Like I've said before, the running/biking/swimming all serve to give me the much needed Mommy sanity time I get.  So while I'm not overdoing it ( usually about an hour 5 times a week or so), it's been my saving grace in newborn world.  So what's next?  Aww c'mon, you know I need a goal. 
No Ironmans.  I promise.  At least for 2013 :-P  Nah, I decided to get back to something I haven't done in awhile-straight running.  I signed up for the Rochester Half Marathon, which is September 22.  I've been following a 10 week training plan, which calls for 3 runs a week - the FIRST plan.  I used it back in 2011 when I trained for National Marathon in DC (took 32 minutes off my marathon time). It's based off of of 3 specific workouts a week- a long run, a tempo run, and an interval run.  The intervals range from 400 to 1600, the tempo runs 4-8 miles, and the long runs from 6-12 miles.  All runs are done at a specific pace that are supposed to lead you to the desired goal time for your race. (You can find out more at Runnersworld.com).

Turtle Power!

Now, I'll be real here.  We're not after a PR.  This is gonna be a slow turtle race.  I'm just out to have fun.  I've been doing my long runs at a comfortable place, and doing tempo and speedwork at a pace that seems challenging.  I know I won't pull any miraculous speedy Usain Bolt times, but I am so looking forward to heading out on a fall day and having fun!
So how's my training going?  So far, so good.  With some creativity!  Last week was 3x1600, 4 mile tempo run, and a 10 mile long run.  I did my repeats on the treadmill, getting off every 5 minutes to calm my screaming kiddo.  So we did 6 x 5 minute repeats instead of mile repeats.  Next week instead of 800's, Ill do mile repeats.  My cousin watched kiddo one afternoon so I could do my 4 mile run outside.  And I did my long run yesterday-but it was a rough day for the fam (no kiddo naps), so in order to preserve Greg's sanity, who offered to take afternoon shift - I did the run on the treadmill.  How do you stay sane for that run?  A good movie, and playing with the speed and incline settings...I decided not to stay at the same speed or incline for any more than a quarter of a mile.  And it worked!
I'll keep you posted as the weeks go on, but I honestly think this mommy needed a "Rae goal" that had nothing to do with kiddo.  And even though I don't have the luxury to train devil may care for a long distance race, I can rip off 15-20 mile weeks and still realistically finish 13.1. Score.

Do you have any fall races or other fall goals lined up?  I'm working on strategy and flexibility...we'll see how it goes :-)

 

White Lie of Omission : Sodus 2013

Ok.  It's time.  I owe you guys an apology.  I haven't been completely honest with you, and it's time to fix that.  Let's not call it a lie, ok?  Let's call it a small fib by omission.  Read on.

You see, in my post pregnancy recaps, I've played it real.  I've had some struggles with being a new mommy, in terms of kiddo eating and sleeping.  Everyone's got stumbling blocks, right?  I'm okay with it.  We're learning, day by day.  And about the only things keeping me sane are my husband, who is an awesome daddy and partner, and my "Rae time", which is the one sacred hour I get a day to do what I want.

A sane person would nap.  Since when am I sane?

As I've alluded to, I have been extremely lucky and blessed physically during this pregnancy and post partum.  I was able to run up until the week before I delivered, I biked two days before I delivered, and swam the day I went into labor.  I've also been lucky since kiddo was born - I started biking again 5 days after delivering (I know, I know) and was swimming and running two weeks pp.

So I got a little crazy.  Remember how I told you about Greg's and my first triathlon back in 2005?  Sodus.  It's a nice little sprint tri about 45 minutes from home, and we've done it every year since '05.  First triathlon.  First triathlon as a Glaser.  Sprint PR.  Every year, good or bad, I've crossed the finish line.  Sometimes with Greg, sometimes well ahead, sometimes well behind.  The tri was set for August 11.  And I knew I would be cheering Greg on from the sidelines.

But a few weeks after giving birth, I started to get ideas.  Crazy ones.  And I biked.  And swam, and slowly started running (with depends.  Nah, just kidding.).  But...could I do this?  I talked to the grandparents.  They agreed to help out, even though I know they all thought I was losing my mind.

So I did it.  5 weeks post partum, I did a sprint tri.  And here's my race report.

 

Pre Race: Hah, whats routine?  I was up at 1am to feed, and again at 3:30.  I topped off little one at 6am as Greg got all our stuff together, grabbed some peanut butter toast and coffee, packed the diaper bag, stroller and little dude, and we were off.  When we got to the race site, Greg stayed with the kiddo in the car while I grabbed my number and set up my transition.  Then we swapped.  Little dude was AWESOME and napped for the full hour before the race, and the grandparents showed up to round out our cheering section.  Rob, of course, had the best outfit-an official onesie!  I had some milk pumped and ready to go, so he didn't have to miss his 9am feeding.  With a big smile and ready to play, Greg and I headed out to the water.

Swim (800 meters) 17:12 (included a short run to transition).  It's important to know that I had no intention of racing this race.  My goal was 1:40, about 20 minutes off my PR on this course.  I haven't swam with any structure in 7 months, and I've been taking my runs and bikes super easy.  I've had no workouts over an hour since before I get pregnant.  So this was a day of fun and listening to my body.  With that said, the swim was great.  A bit choppy, a bit congested, but I took it easy and enjoyed life.  When I got out of the water, it was one of my slower swims, but one of my better ones...I was just so happy to be out there!  With a smile on my face, I headed out to bike the 13 miles.

Bike (13 miles):  42:06 (18.6 mph):  THE BIKE!  Usually it's my least favorite (I am a big chicken).  Must be something about giving birth that teaches you to push through pain and to breathe, but the hills felt great, the wind in my face felt great, and my legs were ready to go!  I got out of breath a bit more easily (I have not biked outside since last fall, and no hills on the trainer since month 4 of pregnancy).  I'll say it again.  I was just so damn happy to be out there that I loved every second.  And it showed.  I rolled into T2 only 2 minutes off my best time on this course (it's hilly).

Run:  3.2 miles: 28:13 (9:08 mile)  As I rolled out of T2, I waved to my little man and headed out for the run! This is usually my favorite part, but I knew I would have to take it super easy, as I haven't done a brick yet this season.  So I took it out to have fun (are we sensing a theme here?)  I walked both big hills, took water at the aid station, and smiled the whole way.  My legs gave protest a bit, but I reveled in the "Rae" time, and enjoyed not playing mommy for the race!  As I rounded the last turn, about a quarter of a mile to the finish, a guy came up behind me and said "lets blow this thing in", so we raced to the finish.  He just edged me out, but since he had a Kona visor on, I considered it legit.  The race announcer (friends of ours) announced my name and that I just had a baby 5 weeks earlier.  All the people at the finish line looked at me like I had two heads, but I didn't care, I was so happy!! 

Post Race:  I grabbed my little man, thanked the grandparents, and we waited for Daddy to finish (the guys start 5 minutes after the girls).  We socialized with our fellow triathletes, and introduced our little athlete all around!  My official time was 1:31:24, which is 10 minutes off my PR for this course, but I easily had the best Sodus race ever.  And here's the best part- I managed to snag 3rd place in my age group (out of 10) and finished in the top 20% of the women!  Woot woot!

Even though it probably wasn't the smartest idea in the world, I am so happy I did it.  I never stressed my body, and I got the green light from my OB to resume all physical activity (she probably didn't have a tri in mind, but hey, since when do I listen to reason?).  I'm not saying this is the right thing for every brand new mom to do, but I think my activity level during the pregnancy made it possible, along with an easy delivery and return to activity as soon as possible.  Since exercise is my stress relief, I've really needed it since our kiddo has been born.  And I hope to set a positive example for him for the rest of his life by doing it.  Oh yeah, and I also had to show off  my new MIM's status (Moms in Motion)-Greg gave me a jersey and membership for a "push present", which was so perfect.  This mom is in motion!

So what's next?  Well, you guys know I need something for my sanity.  Rochester Half Marathon, on deck!  Time goals?  Nope.  I'm following a super lax training plan (more to come).  I believe this is whats keeping me from going over the edge with my sleepless hungry monster- when daddy spells mommy, she goes for a run.  My sanity and pre pregnancy pants thank you :-)

So there ya go. I promise I won't keep stuff like that from you guys anymore.  Thanks for reading along with my crazy adventure!  Have you ever done anything slightly crazy to keep your sanity?

Helping Hands

Whew, did you miss me?  While I've been quire busy keeping a little 10 pounder alive (seriously, who ever thought that was a full time job??), I haven't had too much time to blog.  I remember when I used to blog every day...then I realized that my life is not interesting enough to merit 7 entries a week (and I seriously doubt anyones is).  So I lowered it to 3.  And sometimes I've struggled with that, especially since kiddo came on the scene.  Still, I'll do my best going forward, because I love this little outlet on the internets to share my thoughts, ideas, triumphs and struggles.  And it seems you like to read....who the heck knows why, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth :-)
So, I hope your week has been kickin along alright...it's been a whirlwind of activity at casa Glaser. 

My cousins Lisa and Michelle came in over the weekend (from Missouri and California, respectively).  My aunt passed in June and they flew in to do a memorial for her in her hometown, as

she wished to have her ashes rest with her childhood family. It was beautiful and sad, and of course afterwards you sit and wonder why all family reunions happen at weddings.  Hmm.
Anyways, it was great to see my cousins, whom I haven't spent time with since 2009, at my wedding.  Lisa came out one day to meet the baby and catch up, and we spent 6 hours just catching up....and she mercifully watched little guy so momma could get out of the house for an hour. 

Michelle came to stay with me on Sunday for 3 days, which was beyond awesome.  She was a bridesmaid in my wedding, and I have missed her so much!  While life with a 6 week old doesn't scream "let's go party", we managed to have a pretty good time catching up with family, doing a little shopping (an art form with a spirited infant), and having some good old girl time.  So nice to have someone to talk to at this point in my life :-)  And, of course, for new mommy sanity...an extra set of hands!  In the last few days, I managed to go for 3 runs....2 bubble baths...and a heavenly 3 hour nap in my own bed without a kiddo in the same room.  Whew!  (Funny how these things make my world, huh?)  Anyways, a massive thank you to my angel of a cousin for making it happen....while we now live 3000 miles apart, I know we can never go 4 years without some catch up....and here's hoping we live much closer soon!

Baby Jail....lol

And now it's back to baby and me.  We are working on some sleep training, which has its good days and bad days.  I swear, I have the only 7 week old on the planet that has FOMO (fear of missing out).  Who knew that social media bred social media babies??
How has your week been?  Any fun plans for the last "full summer" weekend before labor day?

Pitchas!

Guys.  You are amazing.  The last post I wrote came from a dark Mommy place of sleep deprivation, doctors appointments, hospital bills, sleep training children, and corporate bull-snot.  I was just not a happy girl.
But as luck would have it, my kiddo managed to sleep for an unprecedented 4 hours that night...letting Mommy get in a solid 2.5 hour stretch...the biggest amount of sleep I've had at once since the lil guy was born!  ( I think he snuck out my kindle while I was showering and read the post, to be honest).
So.  Life looks a bit better.  And even if it didn't, your comments, facebook messages, and emails but a smile on my face.  I am really the luckiest girl to have so many supporters...friends, family and complete strangers.  I love you guys!
So, since I was a bit of a whiny puss in the last post, clearly we need some baby goodness in this post, right?  Well, about 3 weeks ago, we had some professional newborn pictures taken of our little dude (my awesome cousin gave us the package as a shower gift).  We went through Rachel Gracie, who was completely wonderful with our little man and did a great job!  Below are some of my favorites....

My lil monster (baby's first onesie, too!)

Me and Mommy and Daddy!

Our perfect man

Glaser Men....awww...

Little Turtle!

So in love.

Mommy and her man

 

Pretty sure I have the most handsome kiddo ever.  Have a happy weekend!

I need a Hero

 It's been a day here.  That's all I'm gonna say on that.  We're sleep training.  And we have a cranky pants child.  So cute when he smiles...such a barracuda on the 8 times I've fed him....such a strong man when I try to swaddle him....such a holy terror when I put him down.
Love ya buddy.  But Mommy's tired.
It's just one of those days.  Like I said.  And I'm gonna be real here.  Having a kiddo is the best thing in the world.  My little man...I wouldn't trade him for anything in the entire world.
But sometimes....it sucks.
I'm not gonna go into the whole mommy martyr thing cause frankly, who needs it?  If you don't have a kid, you don't give a shit.  If you do have a kid....you'll either tell me to suck it up, that you had it worse, or what I'm doing wrong.
Or you'll be a super cool mom, give me a hug (virtual or real), and tell me you get it.  That I'm human.  And a good mom.  And you love me.
By the way...the latter option is your best bet.  And if you aren't a mommy, hugs are welcome too :-)
So what's up my you know what?
Nothing.
And everything.

No Sleep on my watch onesie...oh little man :-P

I had my 6 week check up yesterday at my OB office.  Physically, she told me I'm doing great....everything is where it needs to be, and I have the green light to go ahead and run marathons and...um...everything else.  (No dear, I have a headache.  lol).  I talked to her a bit about some of the issues that I've been having....feeding, sleeping, etc. and she gave me some thoughts and suggestions.  It was helpful, but I kinda left feeling dejected. And I still do.
 I'm not even sure why.  I have no signs for PPD, and I am thankful of that.  My little man is 100%, and I'm thankful of that.  But I feel....I dunno.  Kind of aimless.  Like I am a milk stand, baby soother, and sleepless wonder.  I can't even remember the last meal I ate that wasn't coincided with a feeding, or what 2am DOESN'T look like.
Greg and I have discussed our situation, and it seems best for our family that I use more of my FMLA than the 6 weeks.  So I'm in talks with HR at work, and we'll see when I go back.  It seems right for our family....even though our little superstar is such a strong guy and is way physically advanced....he just...hates sleep.  And loves eating...all the time.  Since they tend to grow out of that a bit, we feel its best for me to be with him until he gets a bit more structured.  One week at a time.

mommy carrier!

We are taking steps.  Sleep training.  Working with our ped on feeding regimens.  It will get better.  I have faith in that.
But I'm still tired.  And grumpy. I think I need direction. A goal.  Something that makes me Rae and not Rob's mommy.  Something to keep me sane.  I have a few idea's up my sleeve...more to come.  And something to share with you about how I've tried to be Rae.  But that's for another post, another day.
I've pretty much laid myself out here guys, I wont lie to ya.  But if you know me, you know that I've never been a rainbows and sunshine up your butt kinda person...I like to keep it real.  So here it is.  It's real.
I love my life.  But I need something a bit more right now.  And I know I'll find it....stay tuned :-)

PS - Please no judginess on this post....I'm in a fragile state of mind, and quite frankly, tired of energy vampires hounding me and/or doing the mommy judging. I love you all to bits, but I need some kid gloves...just for the next 24 hours, k?  Thanks :-)

Bumper Crop

Well, and a happy Monday to you!  I hope your weekend was good.  We had a pretty packed weekend - lots of errands and catch up on Saturday, and Rob went to his first triathlon yesterday!  Greg raced at Sodus Point, and since that was our first race 9 years ago (has it really been that long??) It was fitting for Rob to come cheer on Daddy. Go, Team Trigger!
When we got home from the race, it was admittedly after noon, but something about the day called for a nice brunch.  Ya know, since breakfast was 8 hours ago and eaten in the dead of night (oh wait, that's normal, now!).  But instead of a sweet, I went for a sweet/savory cross.  And with the amount of zucchini I've procured form the market lately, we had to incorporate it into...pancakes?
Hold onto your hat.  I promise, they taste good!


Zucchini pancakes (serves 2)

1 cup Bisquick
3 egg whites
3/4 cup skim milk
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded Zucchini


Super simple (hey, c'mon, do you really see me making gourmet at this stage?)  Combine all ingredients and stir to blend thoroughly.  Let set for 10 minutes (makes em fluffly!)  Pour 1/4 cup batter onto a sprayed skilled, flip when bubbles appear.  Makes about 10 pancakes, serves 2 for a nice light dinner alongside turkey bacon.  They don't really need a topper, but a pat of butter or even a sprinkle of sugar (if you like sweet) does nicely.

Yum.

And totally baby friendly prep.  lol.  Lovin the Bjorn!

Do you have a favorite pancake recipe?  Or is god ole fashioned good enough for you?

4 years later....

Two days late, but better late than never!! Thursday, Greg and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary...where has the time gone...and....I can't imagine life without him type of days :-)  Short n sweet here, guys.  Greg and I have a great time each year following the "traditional" anniversary gifts.

Year One = paper.  We took a trip to San Francisco (paper tickets!) and had our favorite portrait framed of the wedding.

Year 2 - cotton.  I got him a hammock, he got me a cotton bathrobe with a couples massage gift certificate inside.

Year 3 = leather.  Um....this is a PG blog. moving on....

Year 4 = Fruit and flowers.  Hmmm.  So what could we do?

Well, as always, we got creative!

My gift to Greg:  A Key Lime Pie and a certificate to race at the Flower City Half Marathon in April:

His take on flowers and fruit?  A homemade framed print with a lovely poem and cherry blossoms...and a massage certificate for the mommy (heaven!)

From the kiddo...we asked for one hour worth of napping uninterrupted so we could have mommy daddy snuggles.  We got 45 minutes.  I'll take it :-)

 

Love you kiddo!

All in all, it was a pretty awesome day.

Can't wait till 5...!!

Do you follow the traditional gifts?  Or are we old fashioned? :-)

Body After Baby: Month One

Well, since you have the skinny on my little man, we can now talk about Mommy..one month later!
First, a quick update:  Little R went to the the docs today for his one month check up...he tipped the scales at 8 pounds 5 oz, for a 2 pound, 2 ounce weight gain in 3 weeks.  Go Rob!  He went from the 9% to the 22% in weight, the 17% to the 24% in length (19 to 21.5 inches) and 11% to 24% in head circumference.  Obviously, little man is growing like a weed!  Go Rob, go!
Now, on to Mom.  I think it makes most sense to break this one out into three parts - physical, mental, and emotional.  So, how AM I?  (Which is what everyone asks.  Only do it if you want details, people.  Fine does not cut it...I'm a complex woman...we know this :-P)

Physically:  In terms of body feel, I'm feeling pretty darn good.  I'm 3 pounds above my pre-baby

weight and 10 pounds above race weight.  All of my bottoms fit, and most of the tops (hello milk machines!).  My um....birth bits are pretty much healed, although I'm not signing up for any century rides soon!  My waist is about 3 inches off from pre baby (it grew 17 inches total). 
In terms of diet, I'm eating like a horse (much like my son!)  I'm having my treats, but trying to stick with lots of produce, dairy and lean protein.  Every aversion I had pre pregnancy is gone (thank goodness!  I wonder what causes that?  Am I destined to have a banana hater??).  My meals are small and scattered, and since I am up round the clock...I eat like my son..about 10 times a day...but unlike him, small amounts.  There is no dieting or calorie counting going on...breastfeeding is taking care of that.  I'm sure I'll have to work at the last 5-10 pounds, but that's not my focus until I've weaned Rob (ideally at least 9 months).
Exercise is happening, just at a much lower intensity.  I've started lifting again, and doing core work.  We walk every day, and I've started swimming again, which feels wonderful.  I have to be very creative about fitting it in, but it does wonders for my emotional well-being...i.e. transitioning from "mommy" to Rae. 

Mentally:  This is the hard one...why I won't just say that I'm doing great when someone asks me!  Rob is an awesome baby, and I love him dearly.  I've gotten the hang of his schedule, changing diapers, giving baths, taking him out, and trying to get in a shower and doing the dishes.  But it's hard. (duh)  I knew that going in, but this baby seems to be the insomniac times a million.  He only sleeps about 10 hours a day on a good day, and 99% of that sleep is done either in someones arms, or my chest.   Not ideal, and it's not getting better.  Our pediatrician still says that sleep training shouldn't happen for a few months, but we are working on trying to get him in his swing, or our co-sleeper at least.  It's a slow go, but we keep trying. I've talked to mommy friends about soothing techniques and read plenty of books, but its an uphill battle right now, and I'm so tired I'm not really sure what end is up anymore.  But I keep reminding myself that there are some really awesome parts of having a newborn and to enjoy those!
Another draining aspect is Rob's feeding schedule.  Kid is a damn horse.  He nurses pretty much every two hours, sometimes 3 hours.  When he goes 3 hours without food, he will actively nurse for 45 minutes.  Yikes.  Just for fun, I tallied up the time I spend bf'ing every day, and it's anywhere from 6-7 hours.  Yikes. I love bonding with my son, but I am a freaking milk machine.  Obviously something is working though, as he is gaining really well! 
Emotionally:  This one goes hand in hand with the two above.  Greg and I are surviving.  That's a kind way to put it.  I feel awesome as a mommy, but would also cry of happiness and kiss the ground Rob (crawls) on  if I got 4 hours of sleep one night in my own bed.  Greg has been awesome with kiddo, and gives me some mommy alone time each night, which does worlds for me...I will either go for a walk, go to the store, or take a bath.  Heaven.  I never really realized how important those little things are!  In turn, I try to take care of the house during my day breaks and I always take the night shift for feeding and comforting, as Greg is back at work.  And we always try to have a sense of humor about life...which works about 98% of the time :-)
I think our biggest issue is that we don't have much help close by with kiddo, but I know it will get easier as he gets older.  I also know of a few babysitting volunteers that I might take up on their offers for a night out for mom and dad soon! 

In other words, one day at a time.  I go back to my doc next week for my 6 week check up, and will figure out what to do about a return to work date, which depends on quite a few factors.  Thankfully, my boss is supportive and flexible, which I wouldn't trade for a million dollars!

On another note, today is Greg's and my 4th anniversary....we're prepping a very low key celebration tonight.  The "traditional gift" for this year is fruit and flowers.....stay tuned for that interpretation!! 

What did you do for year 4?

Month One: Rob's edition

Hey hey!  This topic deserves a two parter.  Of course, BABY goes first, cause that's just how parenthood is and should be, am I right?
Oh right.  Happy Monday and all that.  Hope your week ahead is filled with rainbows and sunshine (which the latter SHOULD be in NY-it's supposed to be gorgeous!)
Now, onto my kiddo.  Cause all mommy's like to brag about how super special their kid is, right?  Well, whatever.  My special snowflake is the smartest, cutest kiddo ever.  For real.  (all nod while we humor Rae, please).
But the important thing is...my peanut is ONE MONTH old today!  And we need to celebrate this milestone, right?  With cake and ice cream?  Fine, twist my arm.  He'll get it through my milk, so I consider it a public service.  And now that I'm done being a silly goose (yes, I spend my day talking to a baby, forgive me) let's look at Ro-bear's first month!  (and since I have mommy sleep deprived brain, I am not ashamed to admit I stole this format.  Thanks Allee!)

Rob's First Month

Humorous kid I got here...

Has it really been one month, little buddy?  I can't believe that at this time last month, Mommy was trying to decide whether or not to call the doc...then hearing that it was go time...and 5 hours later, there you were!  It feels like you are still such a new little guy, but at the same time I just can't remember life without you.  And I don't want to. I love you to bits!  Let's see what you've been up to in your first month on earth....

Likes:
You love, love, love your hands.  You wave them around, stretch out with them, such on them, and gesture rudely at us with them (yeah, I have the baby that flips us the bird).
Your zebra puppet.  You love Marty.  When we play puppets, you track him the best, although you like your hippo, too.
Mommy.  You are a total momma's boy, and love to snuggle up with me and take a nap, watch TV, walk around in your bjorn, or just take in the sites and listen to my silly talk.  I kinda like you too, little dude :-).
Arm wrestling with Daddy.  You beat him every time.  I think he's in big trouble....
Dancing!  You love when we throw a dance party.  Mommy still isn't sure about some of the
questionable lyrics to the songs we sing, though....
Dislikes:
Clothes.  You prefer au natural, if you will.  We aren't listening, little man.  You need clothes!
Bath time.  We were sorta hoping that a real bath would help, but nope.  You don't like getting clean.  This could be a problem!

Best place to sleep...on mom!

Your crib.  And pretty much anywhere but Mommy's chest at night.  You love snuggles, and hate to sleep alone.  This is a work in progress, my man.  I love snuggle time, but sometimes....I have to eat.  Or get stuff done around the house.  Or, you know, shower and sleep.  Little things :-P
Sleep:
See above.  We are working on it...we have good days and bad days, but as far as nights go, you are a snuggle man and will not sleep alone.  We've tried swaddling....you escape every time.  You flip over already-what the heck, dude??  The crib is a big no no.  Pack and play is okay during the day sometimes, and the swing, the same.  But you don't sleep anywhere NEAR what an infant is supposed to...you want to be a part of the action!  (I fear for your toddler years, for real). 
Eating:
Little man.  You have not met a right or left boob you don't adore.  Anytime.  As long as they are Mommy's of course!  You dream of boob.  And you eat like a real man!  We feed pretty much every two hours.  Mommy has gotten good at eating, reading, doing work, and watching crap TV during your feedings, which is good, because you easily nosh about 8 hours a day.  I can't wait to see how much weight you've gained in the last 3 weeks....you're getting all kinds of baby chub, which we love!!
Milestones/Firsts:
Aside from the obvious (eating, sleeping, pooping) cause EVERYTHING is a first this month....let's talk about some of your favorites!)
Picnic- July 14.  We went to Grandpa's birthday picnic and you had a blast.  You stole the hearts of the family and everyone passed you around like a potato...you snuggled up to everyone and basked in the attention!

All the ladies love Rob!

First Smile- July 22.  This would be the first non gas smile!  We were playing with our rattles and you smiled at Mister Penguin several times....with no diaper sound effects, so we are going with it!
Neighborhood Stroller Stroll - July 19.  You LOVE exploring the neighborhood in your stroller.  We walk along and I tell you about everything in the neighborhood, and we plot our playtime in the future.  All the neighbors think you are the cutest little man, and of course you perform for your adoring fans like the little ham you are!
Non Sponge Bath - August 3.  Sadly, you still hate the bath.  Maybe the shark towel is too scary.  But we'll keep working on it!
Photo Shoot- July 29.  You did a great job on your newborn shoot, guy!  We just got in the pictures and you are such a little photogenic baby.  We can't wait to share the pictures of our handsome dude!
Laugh - August 2.  You smiled and giggled at Mommy, who was playing kickboxing with you.  You love it when we play around on Mommy's lap, my little Billy Blanks!
Best Moment of the Month:
I know this is a sappy mommy thing, but nothing can beat the first ten minutes of your life buddy. 

They told me I had a beautiful son (you!) and then they put you in my arms and I fell forever in love with you, little dude.  You are so perfect and I can't believe I am lucky enough to be your mommy!

Looking Forward to:
More playtime with my little man!  You are starting to get into some play, and you are a champ at tummy time, but we can't wait to introduce toy interaction and better dance parties.  Hey, you're still a new guy.  We have plenty of time!
Solo sleeping.  We know you can do it, little one :-)  This one is a double edged sword though.   While I will appreciate sleeping on my side and without you cutting off my breathing, I'm sure gonna miss my snuggly passed out man on my chest!


Woah, what a first month, kiddo!  Can't wait to see what comes in month 2! 
And up next....Mommy's one month post baby review/update :-)

Worth It.

4 weeks in.

About 300 diapers changed.

...about the same amount of feedings (I am super caught up on trash TV and well read...if you want to email me, I will certainly respond ASAP!)

2 pounds gained -Baby (go buddy!)

5 pounds to go to PP weight (Mommy) Yay!

About....14 hours sleep. Total.

 Nah, just kidding.  Probably closer to about 3 or 4 hours a night

 (I believe I have wasted 4 hours a day for years....who needs a full 8??)

A picture a day....sometimes 10.  Or 12. (Hey-at least they're digital!)

Tummy time.

Skin to skin time.

Puppet shows.

Rattle Play.

Arm Wrestling (he beats Daddy.  Every time).

I'm tired.

And my body hurts.

And I have no clue how to sleep in my bed anymore.

And....

I'm 100% in love.

And I have no desire to know what it's like to sleep until 10am.

Or not know when the sun rises.

Or an angry cry versus an "I'm hungry" cry.

Or to smell anything more exotic than baby shampoo and...baby.

I love you little man!!