Virus Over, Teething Still On

DJ, my mom, and I went to visit Jessie and Marion today.  I was so happy to see DJ feeling better.  We left just before his morning nap and headed home around the time of his second nap.  This worked out beautifully and he slept most of the time in the car.  We had such a nice visit with them and I believe DJ enjoyed himself and his new surroundings as well.  He got to ride his Uncle's rocking horse and even got to play a few notes on the piano.  Marion, (Pop) enjoyed playing with DJ and was so nice to even buy him some yummy treats which DJ gladly gobbled up.

Unfortunately DJ is still not nursing which makes me feel a little sad.  I really wanted him to continue to breastfeed until he was at least one year of age.  I am pumping so he is receiving the milk but he definitley prefers it in a bottle over a sippy cup.  He'll of course take it in a sippy cup but only a little at a time.  I want to keep trying to breastfeed and am concerned that if I give him the bottle too often he will start to prefer it over "the real deal."  I give him one bottle a day to make sure he's at least getting 7-8 oz at once and then offer the sippy cup throughout the day.  It's kind of hectic honestly.  I don't love pumping or washing bottles or offering milk every 30 minutes to an hour but we're still managing.  I guess it could be worse right?  I just hope he gets over this strike soon!

So This Is What Teething Is

I took Mr. Sweetness (as he's commonly referred to when he's sick) to the pediatrician today after his fever spiked.  For some reason the last few times he has had a fever it's been on a Friday.  I swear the health insurance gods have it out for me.  Any other day during the week and I'd wait it out another day but on Friday, I'm taking him in.  I of course was told that it was viral, due to teething most likely but at least we ruled out the dreaded ear infection.  I have to hand it to my pediatrician's office...we were in and out in 45 minutes.  Those kinds of miracles just don't happen to me.  When I walked outside it was dark and I witnessed a huge bolt of lightening in the distance but it was not raining.  Again, a miracle.  I was kind of expecting to get zapped with an enormous amount of electricity at some point since two things happened in my favor but fortunately I'm here typing away.

I had given him some Tylenol earlier so I started Motrin around 10 tonight.  I'm hoping it will last the 6 hours that it claims to...we shall see.  Last night was pretty tough so I'm hoping he gets some adequate sleep.  Okay.  So am I.

Poor Baby

DJ woke up this morning with a low grade fever and has been running one on and off all day.  I've been giving him Tylenol every 4 hours and called the doctor to rule out any ear infection.  It's very obvious that he doesn't feel well but his appetite continues to thrive so I guess that's a plus.  He fell asleep while I rocked him but woke both times I tried to place him in the crib so I just let him nap on me.  The nurse that I spoke to on the phone believes it's teething and told me to monitor it for a few days.  The odd thing is that he refuses to nurse although he will take milk from a bottle.  Maybe it's easier from a bottle?  It's been 18 hours since he nursed last...I think that's the longest he's ever gone.  I do hope he starts back soon.

Mango Madness

In the last few years I have discovered the delicious fruit known as the mango.  It's sweet.  It's juicy.  It's soft.  It literally melts in your mouth.  Really.  It's just about perfect.  Why didn't I know about this wonderful food earlier?  I was seriously deprived.

Mangoes were on sale last week so I picked up four...two of which that were ready to be cut up and two that had a bit longer to sit.  I cut up the first two as soon as I got home and froze them in a ziplock bag.  I have an excellent recipe for Mango Margaritas (thanks Mom) that I wanted these to be ready for.  Nothing beats the hot summers in Georgia better than a frozen Mango Margarita!

Today I cut up the remaining two mangoes and stuck them in the fridge for quick snacks.  Not only are mangoes tasty but they provide a great source of health benefits to one's diet.  One mango is roughly 135 calories, most of which is contributed from the natural sugar, totaling about 30 grams.  They are excellent sources of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and folic acid making it a super food for pregnant women.  Of course, they surely can be enjoyed by all!

Look who else enjoys mangoes...

Friday Free Concert!

Today DJ and I headed to the free concert in Lawrenceville. He had a great time...so many things to look at. There was face painting, spray-painting of hair, a moon walk, and some live music. So far I love this age! He is simply entertained by watching anything and everything.

We sat on our blanket and enjoyed the music while we ate our lunch. DJ danced (wiggled) while I laughed...I find it amazing how human instinct just makes you want to move when you hear a catchy tune.

He also made some friends with a set of twins who were very nice and wanted to share their watermelon and celery. Why can't we all be just as giving as a pair of 18-month-olds?

Swag Bucks

I am currently a fan of Swag Bucks. For people like me Swag Bucks is an easy way to accumulate points that can be used towards rewards in the future. The more you search the more chances you'll have to earn Swag Bucks. It's just so easy and if you're going to search the internet anyway you might as well get something from it, right? Check it out:

!

Sleep???

I honestly can't remember the last time I had a full night's sleep. It was sometime before my pregnancy which was over a year and a half ago. I never was that uncomfortable during pregnancy...I'm not saying it didn't have its moments but I was never miserable. However, I just never slept that well. I'm sure the many trips to the bathroom had something to do with that.

I am very certain that pregnancy is not just about growing a baby inside of your "not yet stretched out" middle section. It's a preparation of what's to come when the baby is actually here. Really. You can't sleep well for whatever reason...well, at least you have time to get used to always being exhausted without actually having the responsibility of a baby. Once the baby is here you're already used to functioning without adequate sleep. Consider yourself lucky to be so prepared....you're husband didn't get the luxury of sleep deprived preparation. Nor did he get to take pleasure in that "icky" feeling we all know too well that occurred in the first trimester.

Then of course the no drinking alcohol rule. This was pretty easy because you're not doing it for yourself. I'm not speaking for everyone here but when you go 40 weeks or more without something, you tend to crave it less. The exception for me? Sushi and feta cheese...I was happy to have those items staring at me on my plate. But in all honesty, do I really care to have that beer? No, not really, but pass the Greek salad!!

Then there's the lack of motivation to do anything. It's Saturday night and all you want to do is eat dinner and climb into bed. Maybe get out once for some cookies. Okay twice for some ice cream but who's counting at this point? You're husband doesn't always understand why you don't feel like going to see that band and driving everyone home. At the end of the day there

just parts of your body that can't do it anymore. Again, it's preparation. When the baby is here you just can't do those things. Not for a while at least. You just get used to being homebound or doing things that are nearby with a baby. You get used to being home on a Saturday night. You get used to watching your husband fall asleep on the couch at 9:30. As parents, it just happens.

So here I am August 5th. DJ will be one next month and he's still not "sleeping through the night." He normally goes to sleep around 8-8:30. I probably shouldn't but I go back in around 11:00 and nurse him one more time. He wakes up a few times to be comforted back to sleep...last night it was around 12:30 and 4:30. I have started following the Ferber Method somewhat. I go in about 5-10 minutes after he starts crying and give him his blanket (which I usually find on the floor next to the crib in the morning) and turn the music back on. He winds up pretty loud, quite possibly because he's mad that I am not picking him up but within 5 minutes he's usually back to sleep. He seems to be adjusting somewhat to this new routine but I was hoping he'd be sleeping better by now. He's very stubborn when it comes to sleep so I guess I should be happy with the progress we have made. I do wonder if he'll ever sleep that six hour stretch that I've only heard about. Like I mentioned before, thank goodness for the preparation, right?

And then it was August...

Well it appears I haven't been so great at blogging. I can read several blogs a day but when it comes to my own I sure have slacked! Okay, I'll try to do better. Let's see...it's August 4, 2010. Where has the time gone? DJ will be 1 year old next month! It's hard to believe he was still in my belly this time last year.

A few things have happened since my last blog. I went back to work in mid-December. It was extremely hard but fortunately Omie made the transition easier. She watched DJ until the beginning of the year. We then started him in daycare...okay that had to be one of the most difficult things I've done as a parent so far. Although I did visit the daycare a couple of times beforehand I was not too pleased about dropping him off with a stranger. I did however go visit during my lunch break and thankfully Omie picked him up everyday around 2:30.

Let me just say I have developed a huge amount of respect for the working parents out there who have to choose daycare for their kids. This is a typical work and daycare day: Get up and get ready, nurse David James, change him and put on clothes, fill the cooler with milk, bottles, and nipples, make sure there is a change of clothes for the day (VERY necessary,) go to work (thankfully David took DJ to daycare every day,) leave at 12:00 and head to the daycare, nurse DJ, change his diaper, drive back to the job, work, leave work and head to Omie's house, chat with Omie, load David James in the car along with bag full of daycare items, drive home, unload DJ and bag, hand him off to David, put pumped milk in refrigerator, wash and sterilize bottles and nipples, get coffee ready for the next day, nurse David James, fix something for dinner, inhale food, bathe DJ and get him ready for bed, nurse him one last time and place him ever so gently without making a sound in his crib. Tip toe out of the room. Shower. Collapse into bed. Wake up multiple times to the sound of a screaming baby.

So three months of this was all I could handle. Again, major respect for the working parents. I quit my job the middle of March and am very pleased with my decision. It has been wonderful so far and I'm enjoying every day. I have joined a Mom's group and participate in activities at least weekly if not more. I have met some really nice ladies and I think it's been fun for DJ to interact with some other babies his age.