The Weekend

It was a pretty good weekend for the most part. AJ slept well Friday night while we watched Terminator Salvation with our friend, the Matt Attack. (haha) We couldn't really take the movie very seriously though because Christian Bale always sounds like he needs a lozenge or a drink of water or something. But it was fun making goofy comments throughout the movie.

Saturday... what did we do Saturday...? OH! I went with my girl friend to view some potential locations for her wedding while S-Factor hung out with AJ. Apparently, A-Train was awake all but 30 minutes while I was gone. That worked out though because she again slept like a champ while S went out with his other Matt friend, and Matt Attack and I played a shoot 'em up game (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 <3). My favorite part was the level where we had to sneak around and get past the bad guys without being discovered. We were literally whispering while playing. ha!

Sunday was a good day, for sure. S, AJ, and I went to watch sorting practice at the rodeo arena on our street. AJ was looking at all of the cows and horses with a completely enthralled expression. It was pretty funny. We hung out there for about an hour and a half and then headed home to get a few things done before we went to see

AVATAR on IMAX 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (My friend babysat A-Train lol)

OMG this movie is so good. SO GOOD! And in 3D, it was mind-blowing. I seriously think it might be my new number two movie. (Nothing can bump The Princess Bride out of first place, sorry)

It's like Fern Gully meets Dances With Wolves, but on crack and acid and ecstasy. The CGI was incredible, the story was good, and even the acting was great. Sigourney Weaver was awesome as always, and I'm liking the new guy who also happened to play the robot-who-doesn't-know-he's-a-robot in Terminator Salvation. (We liked him in Terminator, just not Bale)

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

-t

Mean Mommy!

AJ got her first 2 shots today. We decided to delay them slightly. I just feel that newborns and 1 month olds are too teeny (not that AJ was ever "teeny") for their bodies to handle the vaccines well. So, at 15 lbs 5 ounces, our chunkmonk got her first pokes. She was lying there minding her own business suckin' on her binky when all of a sudden she got stabbed! She couldn't believe it! She looked right at me and wailed! I had a bottle ready (had already fed her once before so didn't have enough breastmilk available), so I scooped her up, sat in the rocker they have available and popped the bottle in her mouth.

All was well in her world again. She's a tough cookie. By the time we got to daycare, she was ready to chill under the cube thing, hand on her knee.

Next month she'll get one more, and then the cocktail at 6 months, rather than at 4 months.

So let's hope the shots she got today doesn't make her sick!

I don't even know where to begin

I wasn't around much this past weekend/week. My grandfather passed this weekend, and I flew out to attend the services on Monday. The upside is that there was much more smiling and laughing than crying at the services. That shows that it was more of a celebration of Emory "Bill"'s life than a mourning of his death. He would appreciate that I believe.

AJ did well at home alone with her Daddy these last few days. I was worried it would be too crazy for S-Factor, but just like everything else, he handled it like a champ. I don't think I could have been so cool and collected feeding 2 horses, 2 dogs who have to be kept separate, a 4 month old, and myself.

I missed her a lot, but I will admit that getting 8 straight hours of sleep was a glorious thing. She slept for 9 1/2 hours last night, though, and since I was so tired and went to bed at 8pm, I got 8 1/2 hours. WOO!

She is such a good baby, and a good sleeper. I am terrified of even thinking about having another child because I just know the next one will be a holy terror. No one gets this lucky twice!

I plan to upload the videos we've taken over the last month or so, and I'll post the link either here or on Facebook. I'll keep you posted!

-t

I know, I know

I have been lax in updating. It was a busy holiday. So it's been almost a week since the last update... where to begin.

AJ's ear infection is hopefully better. Especially considering her dingbat mother left her antibiotics out on the counter overnight (it has to be refrigerated). She had been taking that round for a week, though, so she should be all healed up. We'll know tomorrow or Tuesday once she has her follow up appointment. She's having a fussy night tonight, and I think it's going to be a long one. I don't know what's going on. Pray that she doesn't need one of those ear tubes.

Christmas was great. We opened gifts around 9 am, once Aunt J made it in. AJ made out like a bandit getting pretty dresses, books, and toys. Her favorite was the shiny white bow from one of the gifts Great Aunt DeeDee sent! She held onto that bow for a good hour after we were done opening gifts. S-Factor bought me a new art desk, which will probably be taking the place of the Christmas tree once we take it down. The bay window has the best light in the house, so it's the spot that will suit it the best. Plus, it will be nice to stare out at the trees and pasture while I'm sketching. I got S two Craftsman tool chests for his shop, which he loves. He set them up last night in the garage and put all of his tools in them. It's good to see him enjoy his gift so much. We also bought DVDs for each other: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince for me and Public Enemies for him. Other nice gifts were exchanged, and then we ate cinnamon rolls and hung out.

We had friends over for dinner, and I cooked ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green bean casserole. I had never baked a ham, nor cooked turkey (crockpot), nor made green bean casserole. Everything came out delicious and there was a TON of food. AJ behaved quite well throughout the day, with very few fussy moments.

After dinner, we all played Wii (Super Mario Bros. is a blast!) and Apples to Apples, drank a little bit of wine, and had a good ole time.

Pics soon, but right now, I've got to tend to a crying infant.

The Adventures of Smooshy Face

A-Train is feeling a lot better. Although, she didn't get to sleep until around 10pm Friday night because she slept literally the entire day at daycare on Friday. She only woke to eat and get changed then she konked out again. Could be worse, could have been a work night.

So the latest development in the world of AJ is that she is weaning herself. If the sun is up, she wants a bottle. She doesn't care what's IN the bottle, she just doesn't want to eat from Mommy. Not sure what the reason is behind it, and I've already gone through the frustration and sadness that breastfeeding is going the way of the buffalo for us, but we'll be ok. She's just a big girl now and wants to do it herself! She tries to hold the bottle every time. She had a good hold on it yesterday, and I wasn't helping her hold it. She couldn't figure out the whole tip it back to drink thing, but she had a death grip on that Ventaire.

She's out of the swaddle cloth at night now too. She sleeps perfectly fine in PJs and usually with no pacifier. I'll be happy when she doesn't need that stupid binky anymore, that's for sure. But all of the other stuff is a little harder to accept.

That's parenthood, though, I'm sure. Making all of your plans and then watching them fly right out the window.

Oh how the heart can ache.

Poor little AJ has what we suspect to be another ear infection (or the same one that did not go away completely). I will know more after S-Factor gets back from taking her in to the pediatrician.

Last night was rough, not just because we got little sleep, but because it is so hard to see her tiny little tears streaming down her chubby little cheeks. When she looks up at us with her tear-filled eyes pleading for relief, my heart breaks into a billion little pieces. But then, as I took over the baby-comforting shift, and she lay there with her head on my arm, she looked up at me and gave me a tiny smile, and for a little while my heart was stitched up again. She is so sweet.

We took shifts so that we each would get a few guaranteed hours of sleep, rather than both having to be woken up when she cried. He took the early shift, and I took over in the wee morning hours. I laid down on my left side, and placed her little head on my arm. She curled into me, resting on her hands in that picturesque sleeping pose, and dozed for a while.

Even she was exhausted this morning, as she fell asleep quickly in her bouncy seat. Usually she is too excited in her bouncy seat to do anything but chatter and smile at the butterflies.

~

In other news, tonight is movie night and I'm hoping Best Buy has Elf so that we can watch it, along with The Hangover, while we eat pizza. I think I deserve a chocolate lava crunch cake since this week has been so hectic!

Everyone ready for Christmas??


~
UPDATE:

Ear is still infected, Got stronger antibiotics, If fever is not gone in three days we take her back, Take her back in 7-10 days regardless, The morning lady (at daycare) says her kid gets ear infections often without the fever.

12/15

I finished that horse commission I mentioned. I hope the client (teehee) likes it. S-Factor took care of A-Train last night while I finished it up, which helped a LOT. She was up every couple of hours again last night. Not sure what's going on with her, but hopefully it's just gas or something. Maybe she's teething early? I don't know how to check other than feeling her gums, and everyone knows that's not the easiest thing to do with a squirmy infant.

She wore her "I spit black and gold" bib to daycare today. Geaux Saints!

I think she is genuinely enjoying daycare. She smiles when she sees her teachers, and watches all the other babies play. I miss her during the day, but it feels good to know she is getting a lot of attention and learning stuff all day.

Almost time to go home for the day! I should start thinking about what to cook for dinner... Cornbread chicken pot pie maybe...