Christmas 2009 Photos

The Johnson Family:

The Phillips Grandchildren

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, we did at the Phillips house. Carson was so cute on is 1st Christmas and I have many pics I want to share, I will post them soon. Cory is doing much better, he was very lucky. He will have another check up this week after finishing antibiotics and hopefully is in the clear; the bite did not get as bad as what I have seen on the internet - Thank God. And thank you to everyone who prayed for him, our prayers were answered. Happy New Year everybody!

Positive Outlook

We saw a specialist this morning and as of today, there is no action to be taken for the bite area. The Dr. said the absess didn't feel very big and the tissue felt normal. This is a very good news, however brown recluse bites usually take a week to show the actual damage, the bite is likely to get worse based on what I have read. He is not out of the woods yet, so please continue to pray.

Update on Cory

We were able to see a Doctor today who put him on stronger antibiotics (the antibiotic that Bibb Medical prescribed wasn't strong enough to help his allergic reaction), she also took some blood for testing, put him on steroids and examined the bite. She said the absess wasn't very big yet, she got us an apt tomorrow morning with a specialist to do an ultrasound on the bite area to see just how bad the necrosis is (which could also be ocurring under the skin, not just on top), and from there determine if the bite site needs to be lanced/cut and drained. I was taking comfort in the fact the the bite wasn't changing very much during the first 48 hours, but it has gotten worse since this morning. She did confirm that what bit him was a brown recluse (we still have it in a bag) and that it was a female - and female bites are worse than male bites. Please continue to pray for him, there will be a painful, long healing process if the necrosis gets really bad and it takes a while to know what the damage will be.

I hate that this is happening to him, he is such a sweet, selfless person and doesn't deserve this, why do bad things happen to such good people? I wish it was me.

We were talking earlier today that we wished we could be sick for Carson when he was sick, and I said maybe this is Cory being sick for Carson. We believe that the spider came from a pack n play that we used at his parents' house. It had been sitting in his brother's garage, not sure how long. When we opened the bag to set up the pack n play, we did kill one regular spider and checked the pack n play for others. We think the recluse was still in the bag and came out later, or we didn't see him when we got the pack n play out. However, this spider was in the same room as Carson for about 30 min or an hour. The spider came from the bed onto Cory. I had been changing Carson's diapers on that bed all night, and we sometimes put Carson in the bed with us, what if we had laid him down near or on top of that spider....that bite would have been fatal for a baby. So we are so thankful that it was not Carson who was bitten, it is so scary to think that it could have been Carson.

Prayers needed

Please pray for my little family, we can't seem to catch a break. I was in such high spirits getting excited for Christmas last week when I last posted. Since then, Carson got sick again - another ear infection and had to go back on breathing treatments via nebulizer. He is much better. However after that hurdle, we went to AL to celebrate Christmas with our families and Cory was bitten by a brown recluse spider at his parents' house. He is currently having an allergic reaction which is very dangerous. I had my mom call her family Dr. to see if there was anything we could do for him, unfortunately, he just has to wait for his body to push through and we have to hope that his skin won't be greatly affected where he was bitten. He feels terrible as if he has the flu and has a rash all over like a sunburn. It is really hard for me to watch Carson be sick twice in 3 weeks, and now Cory too. I wish I could be sick for them.

_________________________________________________


Update:

We have returned from the ER. Cory was not getting better (fever, chills, all over body rash and pain) so I called and asked what to do. They actually suggested we bring him in to get him started on antibiotics to prevent infection. Because of where the bite is located, there can be severe complications and life altering effects. They suggested we see a neurologist within 48 hours and to continue to monitor the bite, if we see signs of necrosis (black and blue spots, or blistering) we are to seek immediate attention. Please pray that he will be ok, this is very serious and we are both very scared.

Random

We have been very busy this past week, getting shopping done and getting over our colds. Carson has his 4 month check up today, and I have a TON of questions for the ped. The most important is FOOD. Carson was eating every 4-5 hours, 6 oz. Now he wants to eat every 3 hours again (7 oz, w/ cereal added in) - growth spurt I guess. We have been practicing spoon feeding some banana flavored cereal and he is getter a little better at it. But I noticed a slight rash that looked like excema in a few places, so I am thinking maybe a little allergy, I read that some foods have allergens that can cause slight excema. This baby is ever-changing, everytime we figure him out, he changes.

I ordered Christmas cards today that will feature this picture, he did so good smiling for me. Between being so busy and sick, we didn't get a photo with Santa, and we haven't had any pro pics made, so I just took some myself and it will have to do for this year. But my New Years' resolution for 2010 is to have professional family photos taken.



Speaking of Santa photos, I was so dissapointed when I saw the lines in every place we went, I just couldn't put my family through that. So my new plan for Santa pics is to order Cory a Santa suit and have him dress up every year by the tree with our kids. I even thought maybe Becca and Zach could bring Zoe Jane and their future children over when "Santa" came to visit Carson. We will see. I think this would be a fun tradition (Becca - I forgot to mention this over the phone but let me know what you think, this way we won't have to deal with the awful lines!).
I am looking at yet another busy week. Carson's Dr. Apt is today, I have a work party Thursday night - then I come home to make cookies for the Daycare Teachers, then we pack, and Friday after work we are off to Alabama for the weekend to do the family Christmas tour.
Hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season!

4 Months

My baby turned 4 months old yesterday, where has the time gone?

He is feeling much better by the way (please see previous post). I am terrified to take him back to daycare. I miss the days when I was complaining about their rules, now I would give anything for that to be my biggest concern.

Anyway, here is what he is doing at 4 months:

Food/eating: Still formula (normally about 6 oz every 4-5 hrs), I'm not trying solids until he gets over the bronchilitis.

Weight: 13 lbs, I thought he was 15+, but he may have lost a bit since he hasn't been eating due to being sick.

Hair color: blonde

Eyes: blue, sometimes look green

Clothing size: 3 months or 3-6 months

Favorite toys: anything he can grab and put in his mouth, TV of course

Funny/cute things he does: oohs and ahhs for minutes at a time; covers his face when he is sleepy, and studies his hands

Milestones: Discovered his voice and is using it! He really wants to roll over but just can't quite seem to tip over while trying. He can lift his upper body like a mini push up when you place him on his belly. He follows people around the room with his eyes.

Favorite Show: still sesame street

Favorite book: any book

Sleeping: currently sleeping with us and waking up once or twice b/c he is sick. Should be really fun breaking him of this habit in the upcoming weeks.

Not Fair

It is not fair for a sweet little baby to be so sick. This is the first chance I have had to blog in a while.

After Thanksgiving Carson started to get congested. We thought is was another cold. Wrong. After he gagged and choked on his mucous a couple of times and it was all we could do to calm him down, we checked his temp (100.3) and then called the ped. Of course the ped on-call was one that I am not fond of. He told me it was just a cold to continue saline and suction, and to hold off on the tylenol to see what the fever would do. In the middle of the night the fever went up to 101.8, so I called again, and he never called me back. We got Carson to sleep so I didn't call back. Since Saturday afternoon Carson couldn't be put down b/c he felt so bad and he also has been sleeping with us.

Sunday morning I called back and this new Dr. on call told me to take him to the ER based on some breathing questions she asked me. We got to Children's and were seen right away. They diagnosed him with bronchilitus, a type of RSV. They did no chest X-ray, did no breathing treatment...just checked his breathing, checked his urine, and gave him pedialyte and tylenol. They instructed us to keep giving him fluids and continue with suction and saline. So we did.

Sunday night, we took him to the nearest ER (not childrens, which was a big mistake), b/c his fever climbed to 103.8. It took about an hour for him to be seen, then we stayed there for a total of 3 hours. They seemed a little unsure of why we brought him in, but I can't sit back and watch my baby have a fever that high, sorry, I will pay the $200 for them to tell me he is ok. They did chest X-rays to make us feel better, gave him more tylenol, checked his oxygen levels which were 99% and told us that high fever was part of this virus. So far...we had paid $250 total to be told to do what we have been doing since the beginning- tylenol, saline, and suction. UGHH.

Mom, Cory and I stayed home with him on Monday because he was so pitiful. He had to be held at all times. And it takes 2 people to get the suction done. He also was refusing his bottle so we had to feed him with the tylenol dropper to get fluids in to prevent dehydration. By this time he was also having runny diapers due to all the mucous he was swallowing, and he had no voice, his cries were whispers. So sad. He was up and down on Monday, and I thought he would be better for sure today, but still no change. His cough has gotten worse and he was still having a low-grade fever. So I made him and apt at his ped., to get gim checked out again and to see if we could get a nebulizer. And sure enough, this Dr. (whom I love) said he was wheezing and needed treatments via nebulizer. She also discovered that both ears are infected, so he is now on antibiotics for that. SO NOW I am hoping that the worst is finally behind us and that the new treatment and meds will help him.

Please pray for my little guy, no baby should have to feel this bad.

Assignment

I saw this assignment on my friend Alison’s blog and thought it might be good for me to do.

Perspective: The way you view the people, places, things, or events in your life.

Activating Activity: Quickly, list the top 10 things you are thankful for.

ME:
1) my sweet husband
2) my precious Carson
3) God
4) amazing team at work
5) a cozy home
6) having a good job
7) sweet doggies
8) the internet
9) DVR
10) The Holiday Season

Discussion: There is NO one on earth who lives a life without pain, sorrow, or some type of negative things in their lives. The above list is filled with things that it is easy to be thankful for. There are other things in our lives that we must deal with pain, sorrow, grief, personal growth, sickness, loneliness and many more! However, the way in which we deal with this problems (problem solving) and to what degree these things affect our lives, depends very much on our perspective of these things.

Activity: MARK OUT YOUR TOP TEN LIST. It is easy to be thankful for those things. Lets see how you do being thankful for things that are not so easy...List the top 5 negative things in YOUR life - right now.

ME:
1) Leaving my baby at daycare
2) the way pregnancy left my body
3) being so tired
4) worry
5) Anger

Challenge: We are going to practice changing our perspective. For each negative thing you listed above complete the following sentence...I am thankful for (the negative thing),because (give a reason.)

ME:
1) I am thankful for Leaving my baby at daycare b/c it means that I have found a daycare with caregivers that I like and trust.
2) I am thankful for the way pregnancy left my body b/c it reminds me of those 9 months that I got to have Carson with me 24/7 and that I am thankful that I was given Carson and that I get to be his mommy, some people don’t get to experience being a parent.
3) I am thankful for being so tired because I have a beautiful, sweet, healthy baby who needs to eat in the middle of the night (and I am thankful that he eats WELL now that we have his reflux pain under control) and who drops his passy a few other times at night) also and I have a good job to go to early in the mornings with a team that needs me to be prompt b/c they depend on me.
4) I am thankful for worry (I worry all the time about every little thing, but that just means I CARE)
5) I am thankful for Anger - I am able to be openly mad/upset about things that bother me, and then move on after my ranting.

Thanks Alison for giving me PERSPECTIVE.

Positive Post :)

So, when I am reading other blogs, I see my recent post and I am tired of seeing the "angry post", so........Here are a few good things:

I have the cutest little new niece that I can't wait to see again (Zoe Jane, some of her pictures favor Carson when he was that tiny, and it takes me back to that blissful time when he 1st arrived)

Carson is doing great in daycare (knock on wood), and yes it has gotten easier as time goes by.

Work is very busy, which means there is a good commission around the corner (we could really use it right now w/ the added baby expenses)

I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home today, since I am exhausted.

Finally, Thanksgiving is next week and I love it b/c that is usually the only time my family is all together, Christmas is very hard to accomplish that. I am thankful to them for being so flexible - it really relieves a lot of stress on us that we won't have to spend 2 weekends in a row on the road, they are coming to GA this year. Thanks mom, dad, Craig, Gin, and Alivia for coming over, and thanks Caroline, Scott and Andrew for hosting! Can't wait to see everyone and get a picture of the 3 grandkids for the 1st time.

Welcome Zoe Jane!

Rebecca and Zac finally have their sweet baby girl! She arrived today around lunchtime and everyone is doing well. She is so precious!

Cold

1st week of daycare and he already has a cold. I noticed some coughing yesterday, and last night the congestion started, poor thing can barely breathe. He was smiling this morning so hopefully he won't run a fever and get really sick. I am trying my best to not call, I know they are tired of me calling everyday.

Tired

Words cannot describe how tired I am. The newness of being back to work has worn off, and now I am feeling the exhaustion. My back hurts too, maybe because Carson weighs over 15lbs now! I can't believe it still.

He is doing very well in daycare. He is always very tired when he comes home, maybe its the new stimulation or the fact that he probably cries a bit more during the day since he isn't the only baby to tend to, I don't like thinking about that, but there is nothing I can do. I just hold him A LOT when I get home and spoil him there since he doesn't get to be spoiled during the day.

Here are the stupid GA State Rules I was talking about in my previous post:

-They cannot use the passy clips
-They cannot leave him in the swing or bouncy if he falls asleep
-Bottles must be dated each day (I understand having his name on it, but geeze I am not going to send an expired bottle for my baby)
-They can only put a bib on him while he eats, then it must be removed (Carson spits up a lot, so he goes through 3 outfits each day)
-They can only administer medicine at 10:30 or 2:30 (Zantac is just every 12 hours, and I don’t wake him to give it to him so it won’t be at the exact same time every day)
-Each individual diaper is labeled (the teachers do this)

I am sure all of these rules are for the safety of my child, but man I feel bad for the teachers, nothing is made easy for them. Taking care of an infant is hard enough.

Tomorrow

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow; its Carson's first day of daycare with no turning back...I can't go back and get him if they call me if he is having a bad day like last time we tried out another daycare. But hopefully this daycare will listen to me better and I will do a better job of being clear about his eating schedule.

A few people in my life have been making comments about Carson having a temper and its starting to get on my nerves, but honestly I think that is just his way of cummunicating, instead of crying, he grunts and groans and arches his back if he doesn't like the position he's in, or doesn't want the bottle taken away, etc...you know - what baby is happy all the time? NONE. All babies get upset, all babies cry, all babies pitch fits, babies can't talk, crying and grunting and groaning are ways that my baby tells me something is wrong or he's not comfortable. I am hoping that the teachers at daycare take this stuff as signs of discomfort and try to help him rather than ignore him b/c they think he has a "temper".

ELMO

I am SO in love with ELMO stuff for Carson. I didn't think I would like Sesame Street for him before he arrived (thought it was cliche') but when I had it on the TV while I was trying to get some work done, he started cooing at the TV. So I payed attention and I love that show and so does Carson, I especially love the segment on Elmo's world and Murray Had a Little Lamb (the lamb speaks Spanish, its hilarious). However, if there are any family members reading, a good Christmas gift for him would be anything having to do with Elmo.

And to think I got SO mad at the ELMO towel he is wearing in that pic, I almost threw it away! I was washing clothes for him before he was born, and I wasn't thinking and this towel got washed with most of his other clothes, and there was red fuzz on everything! Very annoying. I had pregnancy brain then....but let me tell you - mommy brain is much worse. At work the other day I went into the kitchen to get a coke out of the vending machine, instead I got cheese-its and opened the bag and ate one before I realized what I actually went in there for....wow.

Lord Have Mercy...

Baby's got her blue jeans on! (George Strait: if you don't know that song, you should be ashamed)

However, I am so excited...I put on a REGULAR (not maternity) pair of blue jeans today. It is crazy what this pregnancy did to my body, my hips are bigger and I still have a belly so its been hard to squeeze in, but I managed to this morning for casual Friday, oh how I have missed casual Friday. And maternity jeans aren't that flattering in the butt area!

Another thing that has happened thanks to Carson is bigger feet. Now you can imagine it is very expensive to restock all of your shoes, but I am trying little by little. I went to TJ Max today over lunch to see if they had any Vera Bradley stuff thanks to Becca the bad influence and sadly they didn't. :(

However, I did find some New Balances for $34, and they are SO comfy, my poor feet have blisters and in-grown toenails on almost every toe from wearing heels that are too small for the past 2 weeks.

Word of Advice to Moms to be and new Moms (and I will be doing this for my 2nd baby): TJ Max has SO much cute baby stuff, or at least the ones in GA do. I couldn't believe everything I saw: blankets, clothes, shoes, books, toys, bedding, moses basket, pack n plays, you name it!

Honest Scrap

Thank You Candace @ The Strickland Family for my very first award! So...here goes!

Here are the rules for the award:

1)You must thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it.

2) You must share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.

3) You have to present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.

4) Last, you must tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

10 Honest Things About Me

1. My favorite time of day is around 5AM – Cory brings Carson to bed with me to snuggle for a little while.
2. I LOVE accessories, you will hardly ever catch me without earrings and a cute purse.
3. I love the smell of Cory’s skin and the way he looks in blue jeans…it’s a rare treat to see him in regular clothes since he wears a uniform for work.
4. I love watching sesame street with Carson, now I want EVERYTHING Elmo for him.
5. I would be just fine if Target was the last store on earth, I could spend a fortune in there.
6. I have a secret dream of being on Dancing with the Stars.
7. I love RAP music…makes me want to go to the club and dance with my man.
8. I could fold baby laundry and wash bottles ALL DAY, I love it.
9. It would be a dream come true if I could work 8-4 and skip the rush hour traffic.
10. I want to make more of an effort to use this blog, MY BLOG as an honest outlet for me to: not only share about happy times in life, but to also vent, complain, share random thoughts, and make points about things that I think are important and not just another place to post pictures. I read other blogs that are so interesting b/c they tell it like it is, so…from now on - if you don’t like it, don’t read it!

You've been awarded!

Alison @ Living for Him
Caroline @ The Garner Family

Kate @ Adventures of a New mom

Nikki @ The Davis Household
Holly @ Crazy Cordes Moments

Crystal @ The Rasco Bunch

Alison @ Happy Staple Remover

3 months

Now that I am back at work, I have been blog reading more. I love reading about Addison's growth (The Strickland Family blog) and I got to thinking...I need to document more about Carson.

He turned 3 months old yesterday! I think he is finally getting on a routine, just in time for daycare.

-He seems to want his 1st bottle of the day around 8 or 8:30, which helps me know what time to get him to daycare (don't want him starving on the way and was worried about this). From then on he eats every 4 hours unless his nap runs over. Question for moms - do you wake your babies from naps to feed them, I never have..but was wondering if it helps keep them on a schedule or if it makes them mad??????

-He goes to bed around 8 or 9; wakes for a feeding at 2:30. I put him in bed with me around 5, then he sleeps until 7:30 or so. He talks to me while I put my make-up on and watches Clifford. Then I go to work and Nana or Grandmother keep him, daycare starts next Monday.

-At 9AM he watches Sesame Street and laughs at it..so cute, not sure why some people are Nazis about babies watching TV...uhmmm HELLO its good COLORFUL stimulation and is not hurting them.

-He LOVES to stand up on my lap, so we broke out the cute jumperoo, and he likes it, its so funny watching him bounce a bit-he doesn't quite know what to think, he is still a little young for it but we still do it since he likes to stand so much.

-We have been putting some cereal in his bottles to help with his reflux, and we still give him prune juice at 1 feeding to keep him from getting backed up.

-He kicks his covers off, and is too old to be swaddled so we are big fans of the sleep sacks now.

-He doesn't really enjoy his baths, but there isn't much we can do in that area except DO IT FAST.

-He holds his head up very well despite the lack of tummy time (I always forgot to do that and only thought about it after he ate, and he hated it anyway)

-He has had cradle cap for about a month now, and a lady at work shared with me to massage his hair with the baby brush while washing it and it will help...we'll see.

-He has been on Zantac for a month now and it has helped him SO much, thank goodness for internet so nervous moms can research. Last time I went to the ped., the Dr. we saw asked "what do you need me for, you've got it figured out"

-He is wearing 3 month clothes and has been since he was about 2 months. The 3-6 mo. are still a little long, poor thing he is destined to be short.

-He is SO happy in the mornings, he giggles and flirts and coos, it is SO nice to see him SO happy.

-He has learned how to blow bubbles, not sure if its on purpose.

I have a big list of items to purchase in the near future (I get SO excited to shop for baby stuff - I love it...can't wait to find out what Becca's baby is so I can shop for that one!)
1. High chair, gonna get one of those space saver ones, our house is small.
2. Bumbo seat
3. Some plush toys
4. Baby cereal, baby food, Dec. 2nd (4 mo. check up) Dr. will discuss feeding solids with me.
5. Kickin piano (pad that makes noise and lights up when baby kicks it), man does that baby kick!
6. Umbrella stroller, for shopping and walking, etc...I have a small car and can't take that big one if I want to use my trunk for something else.
7. Since both of our families live in AL, I need to get a large duffle bag for him, we had SO many small bags on his first trip for his stuff, SO annoying and I am not doing that again.

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone is enjoying Halloween. Mom, Cory and I had so much fun dressing Carson up and taking pictures. I waited until the last minute to get our pumpkin and Kroger was out of them, so we stopped at a small interior store that I had never been to before since they had a few left. Now they were picked over, but I am kinda glad because I got some different looking pumpkins that I normally wouldn't have picked and they made my backdrop beautiful! There are many more pics on my facebook page FYI.

Work

Well I made it through my first week back at work. And I must say, it wasn't that bad at all. I miss Carson, but I know this is where I am suppose to be. And I might add, it is so nice to be getting paid again. One bad thing- I forgot how there is always food around at work and it is SO tempting. The boss had an afternoon pizza craving yesterday, they brought in chic- fil e' this morning........ughhh. I gave into the pizza yesterday and did not allow myself to eat dinner, and I was good this morning and ate my oatmeal instead of a yummy biscuit.

I am a proud coffee drinker now, and I don't remember why it tasted so bad in the past. I guess I like it now b/c I need it!

This week wasn't so tough on me b/c my mom has been keeping Carson this week, and I am very comfortable with her keeping him b/c she does things the way I ask and she knows him better than anyone else (besides Cory and me of course). I think she has seen Carson at least every 2 weeks since he was born. I wish she and my dad would move over here. Hint, hint.

I am very excited for Halloween! I can't wait to see Carson in his costume, I hope the weather permits us to take some pictures outside tomorrow, the leaves in our yard are so pretty!

Worst day of my life

So I took Carson to daycare for 1/2 a day today to let him and the staff get acquainted, I will be doing this once more this week and 2 or 3 times next week, so that he can get use to the people and the surroundings.

I knew he would do this.............

He woke for the day around 8:30 and was due to eat around 9. I waited until he seemed a little fussy to feed him b/c sometimes he doesn't eat on schedule, he may go 4.5 or even 5 hours between feedings sometimes. And I hate when he only takes a few sips and throws everything out of wack and I have no idea when he wants to eat again. SO OF COURSE he would start this morning (the 1st day of daycare) off like that. He wasn't interested in eating, so I went ahead and took him to daycare and told the teacher that she would just have to wait until he lets her know that he wants to eat, but SHE wanted me to give her a time. I said maybe 11 since he only had a few sips, but just wait and see. They called me around 11:30 asking if there was any "trick" to get him to eat. So I reiterated that some days you just have to wait until he lets you know. All I could picture was him screaming and arching his back, and them trying to force feed him. I told them if he is content with swinging and having his pacifier, to let him be. He will let you know when he is hungry. I told them that he probably needs to poop, and on "poop days" (he doesn't go everyday) he doesn't have much of an appetite. THANK GOD they have swings there b/c I think that is the only thing that will sooth him on days like this (besides me). I forgot to count how many babies were in there, it seemed like a lot. So I called around some other daycares out of curiousity, and the one that only had 5 babies is way to expensive for our budget. I might as well stay home with him, which is not an option.

What made me feel a little better is that my boss is very understanding and I am certain I could work from home some of the time. But when I came home to get some work done, OF COURSE today of all days, my internet card malfunctioned. So I have spent hours on the phone with AT&T. This is so stressful.

While I was on the phone with AT&T my dog vomited on the carpet so I am going to clean that up now, and then try to get some work done, I don't see how I am going to focus. I hate this day.

______________

Update:

I went back to get him, since they tried to feed him again and he wouldn't eat. So he stayed from about 10-2. So, he has snacked all day and won't take a full bottle for a while. I counted the babies in there and there were 8 - from what I could tell, it was so chaotic. They have there hands full, I feel so stupid writing an instruction sheet (which I forgot to take) on how to soothe and feed Carson as if they would have time to read it, let alone actually pick him up and give him some attention. I hate this.

Baby News...

He actually laughed this morning, it was so funny, b/c I would laugh at him, then he would laugh at me, and so on. That is the sweetest little sound. He is always so happy on the changing table, don't know why. He also coos and sorta laughs at TV, Sesame Street to be exact.

As far as other milestones, etc... go, I think he is doing pretty good:

• he is sleeping around 4-6 hours at a time at night which is the definition of "sleeping through the night" for a baby his age
  
• eats up to 6 oz some feedings
  
• turning from his back to his side
  
• sticking his hands and other items in his mouth
  
• started a little bit of drooling
• He has a very strong grasp, he pulls my hair and scratches me, I don't mind though

Precious!

No other words need to be said!

Weight Loss and daycare

I am getting into a better routine with exercise, I walked 3 times last week, once this week and today I tried a workout DVD that I bought. Its the Biggest loser cardio workout, it was pretty tough mainly b/c I haven't done anything like that since college. My only criticism is that the music is boring and you can barely hear it. Hoping to add a yoga and a kickboxing DVD to the collection. I get bored easily to I have to mix it up in order to stick with exercising for good.

My goal for now is to do some type of workout 3 times each week. As for diet: yeah right! With a baby in the house, I eat whatever I can whenever I can. For example today I had chocolate milk around 12pm, then a frozen burrito around 2pm. Some days babies just need more attention and you don't have time for yourself. I am down to 5 pounds within pre-preggo weight, but my belly is still really loose....if there is anyone out there who gained A LOT of weight (I am talking 40+ lbs) and can tell me when the skin tightens back up, or does it? God I hope it does b/c I can now fit into some of my jeans, but the flabby belly looks so terrible hanging over, I just can't be comfortable wearing them.

I watched a few episodes of Baby Story today and it made me so sad, b/c my maternity leave is coming to an end and I won't get to see my baby as much. I hope the first few weeks fly by.

I also don't know how I am going to make all of this work when I start working again. I don't want to hear that the chores can wait; when you have a baby in daycare, bottles MUST be washed and diaper bag MUST be packed, baby HAS to have a bath, we both MUST have clean work clothes, so no...some things can not wait. I have a feeling my inner nag will come out soon.

I began the prep for daycare yesterday. I am gonna take him twice a week over the next couple of weeks to get him use to it. I bought a box of diapers and wipes and put his name on them. I also had to label his bottles (Mable's Labels...awesome). It is so bittersweet....this working mom thing. I would love to stay home forever with Carson. But at the same time, I have found out just how valuable I am at work which helps make me want to go back. I want to be successful and contribute to the family income, I want fabulous clothes and shoes, I want to travel, go out for expensive dinners and not worry about it, keep adding to my wishlist at ShaneCo., ............but it makes me sick to my stomach having someone else take care of my baby all day, seeing his milestones before I do and telling me about them. I just try to focus on the positive outlook, we will be so much more financially comfortable w/ my income, Carson will learn to self soothe, to share with others, make many more friends, and people with SO much more experience with babies than I have will enhance his development...or at least I hope that is the case, we will see.

Update and baby items

Carson is doing much better, we have been giving him the zantac for a few days now and yesterday he seemed to have a bad feeding when we gave him his apple/prune juice, so when the nurse called today to check in on him I asked her if the juice would make it flare up and she said it was possible, so we discontinued the juice and he had a great day! I have been taking so many pictures lately b/c I haven't been stressed about him being in pain and b/c he is in such a great mood all the time. He barely cried at all today...I just hate that he had the reflux for so long and I didn't know what is was and that something was actually wrong...I just thought he was fussy and needed to burp a lot.

So a word to any moms to be: if your baby is arching his back, and crying during feedings and doesn't seem content after a burp, can't make up his mind if he wants the bottle or not...its reflux and there is a simple remedy for it. BTW this is not just formula babies, breastfed babies can have this problem as well. I always feel so guilty because I wasn't able to BF for very long and thought that the bottle charade, the gas, bm consistency issues, and the reflux were all my fault, but the more I read and the more I talk to other moms I realize that BF babies have their share of issues as well. I always thought that breastfed babies lived in a perfect world....but I have learned that with all babies, EVERYTHING is trial and error and all babies get gas, tummy aches, and spit up, etc...

Now that I have been a mom for a little over 2 months, I have learned a few things; here are items that I can't live without:

A swing is a MUST. This thing is a lifesaver. Babies LOVE motion and when I need to get things done I just plop him in the swing and he loves it (assuming he isn't hungry and has a clean diaper). Its like a mini babysitter. Its better than the bouncer b/c of the motion. I have this little lamb swing which is good for both boys and girls, it swings both directions, has a mobile and has music and nature sounds b/c babies DO get bored. (Target and babies r us)
I think the spin and dry rack speaks for itself. There are so many things being used and washed in rotation for a baby, that everything clean just stays on this rack and it doesn't take up much space at all. (Target and babies r us)

This little bear plays 3 different songs, womb and nature sounds. It will strap to the crib, but we just take it wherever Carson goes b/c he likes noise, and I think it is so calming. I will probably send it to daycare with him, or get another one to keep there. (Target)

For Carson, these playtex drop in bottles work really well, and they are very low maintenance which I will be thankful for when I start back to work in a few weeks :(
We tried Avent, which were fine for him, but they leak terribly and are SO expensive; we tried playtex ventaire but he spits up a ton w/ those and he was ready for a faster flow nipple after 3 weeks, but they don't offer a medium flow, and he couldn't keep up w/ the fast flow. So I jumped on the playtex website and took a quiz which told me that drop ins were good for us, and it worked, and they had a medium flow nipple! (Target, Wal-mart, babies r us)

Loads of crap (in my opinion) -

• Pee-Pee TP's (shields for when baby boys pee when you remove the diaper: after you wash it, it doesn't go back to its original form, we just use a wipe)
  
• Special swaddling blankets: waste of $ (the large flannel ones are great)
• Buying brand names (we buy the off brand in almost everything - formula, drop ins for his bottles, detergent for babies, tummy drops which is the off brand for mylicon, target brand baby tylenol..its the SAME, and when we finally have to buy diapers and wipes and baby soap, that stuff will be target off brand as well, unless the diapers leak, we'll see) But I do love pampers swaddlers, they are SO soft.
  
• Baby "bath and spa"...we registered for this and received it. It has a sprayer that we thought would help and we have used it once, now we use a cup b/c its quicker but the actual tub is great. I can't wait to just throw him in the kitchen sink when he gets big enough!
  

Found a fun hobby....

I started to play with my pictures and try to give them better quality and it was really fun. Here are a few of my favorites that I edited:

How's the baby...

People ALWAYS ask you this question when you have the baby (and I do it to), kinda like when you are pregnant you are constanly asked "are you ready?" and "how are you feeling" and everyone knows the answers are "I feel like crap and of course I am ready", but it gets so old telling the same story over and over, so here is what is up with Carson recently....

I had noticed that he became increasingly fussy with feedings, it wasn't every feeding but for the past couple of weeks I knew something was going on and that he appeared uncomfortable while eating. Burping didn't help, he just wanted to be held upright in the burping position for a LONG time. He arched his back, screamed, couldn't make up his mind if he wanted his bottle or not, was spitting up, and had the hiccups like always....

So yesterday it finally made me feel so bad for him I got on babycenter and studied his symptoms which turned out to be reflux. So I got him in to see the Dr. today who confirmed what I suspected and he got a prescription for Zantac. Hopefully he can enjoy eating again soon.
However, he was in a great mood today and I got some good pictures:

Smiling

This video is from a couple of weeks ago, I know some of you have seen it already, but I have been having some internet issues so I wasn't able to post until now.

Carson is doing very well; he got his shots yesterday (heartbreaking); everything else looked good and he weighed 12 pounds 5 oz. He is still waking up twice each night to feed, but sleeps well in his crib still. My mom came for a visit this week and it has been nice to share the night shift with someone. Mom bought him some good books for infants (big and simple pictures and colors) and when he is happy and alert I like to read to him. I forget to do tummy time a lot...mostly b/c he really doesn't like being on his belly, so it doesn't cross my mind enough, but I am not worried since he is doing well holding his head up so far.

Me: major set backs in the weight loss area....w/ mom visiting we have been meeting my aunt and cousin for lunch everyday and ordering pizza and eating sweets. Also now that it is football season, that means beer and fatty foods! Appetite is back in full swing! I have been walking maybe 3 times, I have to time it right for Carson b/c of heat and mosquitos, etc... and my feet have grown so EVERY pair of shoes I own (except flip flops) hurt my feet. Lots of excuses I know but every mother out there knows that you need to make things as easy as possible when there is a baby in the picture, so these are some things that get in my way.

Sleeping in...

This was SO cute. The other morning, Carson was wide awake at 9AM and Cory and I were still pretty tired so we put him in the bed with us. It was so funny b/c he started out in the middle and kept inching torward me, if I moved over he would too. He slept so good, its so hard to keep him out of our bed. Please excuse the way I look!

We went to my friend Alison's house on Saturday and stayed a long time, Carson was so warn out that he slept from 11pm-5:30am! He made noises every few hours but never cried. I wish he would do that every night! But I am just glad he is doing good about sleeping in the nursery.

Ick

Since I have been staying home everyday on maternity leave (which I enjoy very much...I didn't think that I would like being at home everyday)I have racked up a number of favorite daytime TV shows: The Doctors, The View, Days of Our Lives, Wife Swap, Baby and Adoption Stories, Dr. Oz and Ellen.

While I don't get to watch every single one of these shows every day (obviously since I have a new baby who is not on a set schedule yet) I do enjoy them when I have the chance. I feel like I should start taking notes on the Doctors and Dr. Oz. The information they give and the questions they answer are really helpful.

Some of the answers are SO simple, for example:
On Dr. Oz's show today, he asked some audience members to bring some items that are kept in their bathrooms. He then tested them for certain bacteria, and most of them came back positive for fecal bacteria! One of the reasons is the flushing of toilets. He said that the water particles can shoot 20 feet out into the air and onto your belongings! Gross! So, he said you can cut down most of that by just closing the lid before you flush - b/c THAT IS WHY ITS THERE! Duh...I never thought of that!

Another thing that he tested were womens' purses which also had fecal matter on them from setting them down on floors including public restroom floors. He showed us this nifty little hook that clamps onto a table and you can hang your purse on it. I actually have one of these somewhere (my sister gave it to me for my B'day, but I was pregnant at that time and can't remember what I did w/ it!)

I never realized how dirty the world was until I had a baby, and now I am a freak! I am CONSTANTLY washing my hands, and when I go to the store, I probably use my hand sanitizer at least 3 times while I am in there since I have to touch the baby if he starts to fuss. Not that I don't want him to grow, but I dread when he becomes mobile...crawling on floors and putting things in his mouth....ick!

Smiling

I don't get to post much these days, usually I don't have anything to really blog about since I am home everyday. But now I have something GOOD!

Lately Carson has been SMILING at us...it is so sweet!

Sleeping: He is doing better little by little....he sleeps in his nursery every night now; he sleeps really well from about 9pm - 1am give or take depending on the feeding schedule. After we feed him around 1am he will sleep about 2-3 hours at a time. Some mornings around 4 or 5, I give in from exhaustion and bring him to bed with me if he doesn't want to go to sleep. But that is a last resort, I hate him being in the bed with us, #1 its not safe and makes me nervous, #2 I feel like I can't move an inch or he will wake up.

He is growing a lot (I can tell by how heavy he is getting). But I always forget to weigh him. He goes to the pediatrician in October so we will see for sure then.

ME: I got to have a girls' night with Alison and Kelly (this was the longest amt. of time spent away from Carson, but I did ok); we went to see CHICAGO at the Fox, and it was really good. There is a new play on Broadway in NY that I would love to see called Rock of Ages, its an 80's theme. But I doubt I will be going to NY anytime soon and it will be years before that show comes to ATL. Oh well!

Also, I am so anxious to wear my wedding rings again, I don't know why but I still can't get them over my knuckles, it makes me so sad. I asked my Dr. when to throw in the towel and get them sized and he said to wait a few more weeks. Ugghhh!

I am about 10 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, I gained way too much weight and am paying for it now. I can only wear dresses and shirts that are bigger in the belly and maternity capris and gaucho pants. I tried to put on a pair of jeans that I considered big before I got pregnant and I couldn't even get the zipper started. I also put on a lot of weight in my butt and thighs, so I may be in maternity stuff for a long time b/c I really don't want to spend $ on myself right now.

Lately.....

It's been a while since I have posted, but there is not too much going on in the life of this stay-at-home mom. I have been trying to get Carson sleeping by himself, which goes well some nights, trying to figure out which bottles will work the best for him, calling the pediatrician often to get his bowel movements regular (exciting, I know...but the remedy turned out to be .5 oz of apple juice per day).

Carson has gotten to meet my work friends, and tomorrow will meet Cory's work friends as well. Aunt Becca comes to visit often which we really appreciate, b/c it gets a little lonely during the day. Thanks Becca!

Today, I registered him for daycare, but I am secretly hoping that by some miracle I could stay home with him forever, b/c the thought of leaving him w/ strangers every day is heartbreaking. *Any working moms out there please tell me how long I will be sad when I put him in daycare, I hope I get use to it fast, but for now I just dread it.

Sleeping...

Lately, I have been trying to get Carson to sleep on his own. We didn't originally plan to ever put him in the bed with us b/c of the danger of SIDS, but out of desperation one night we did. From then on, almost every time we put him down to sleep in the crib or pack n play, he would wake up every few minutes. So the last few days I have been resisting the urge to hold him so much and every time he falls asleep I put him down by himself, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but I figure the more he "practices" the more he will sleep on his own. Also Cory has to fight the urge to sleep with him in the recliner from 6-11pm every night. I know he misses him since he works, but now I asked him to put him down after his 9pm feeding. And last night I was so excited that Carson slept in the pack n play for 4 hours at a time and then 2 hours after another feeding. I hope this is actual progress and not just a fluke!

A few things...

My Dad is the best! He doesn't like our furniture (thinks its uncomfortable), so he bought us a recliner! It is our Christmas/Carson gift. :) Thank you so much Dad!

Also, Cory finished the dresser that he built for the baby and it turned out beautiful.

I haven't really posted pics of the nursery since we got the baby furniture so I included a few of those. The painting was done by my mom, she is very talented! The letters of Carson's name on the wall were done by my friend Kelly as a gift to us, they are so cute!