Christmas Cookies again

I was feeling very Grinch-like this year and almost didn't bake my neighbors cookies for Christmas.  But finally I decided to stop whining, and just do something nice for other people.  This year's platter included chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread men, magical coconut bars, Santa whiskers, and cheesecake brownies.

Babies are smart

Guppy is a clever little man.  He is always watching his big brother and sister, and he learns so much from them.  Last week I got out the camera to take his picture, and he actually stopped to smile for me.  I thought it was a fluke, but he has done it several times since then.  Yes, my 16 month old will pose for pictures!  And the results are always delightful and adorable...

Christmas

Our trip to Kentucky is quickly approaching, and I am all kinds of worried about EVERYTHING.  I begged John to stay in a hotel, and now I am so stressed about staying in a hotel.  What was I thinking?  I am worried that noisy people will wake up the baby.  I am worried that Porgie and Izzy will wake up the baby.  I am worried that the baby won't sleep in his Pack n' Play.  I am worried that the baby will cry excessively when I put him to bed and in the middle of the night.  I am even worried that we will get bedbugs.  Do you know how much is sucks to be me?  I am the queen of worrying.  It is exhausting.

I am also currently annoyed by our families.  Until yesterday, everything was up in the air and we had no idea where/when any of the holiday events were going to take place.  After much complaining, my cousin finally declared that she was going to do a gift exchange on Christmas Eve.  John's sister (who lives like 45 minutes away from our hotel - UGH) is hosting the party for his family.  She hasn't given us specifics yet, but I know that she will have the party on Christmas eve.  This sucks because we'll be running around like chickens with our heads cut off on Christmas eve, and then we'll have absolutely nothing to do on Christmas day. 

I don't know if you remember, but I canned my own strawberry jam to give as Christmas gifts to the adults.  TOTAL FLOP.  I opened a jar last week to make sure it tasted good, and it is waaaaaaaay too runny.  But I already invested too much time and effort into the project, so everyone is getting runny jam! 

Christmas is kicking my ass.

One-year-olds are fun

I love my one-year-old.  He is so funny and busy and cute.  I wish I could freeze time and keep him this way for a little while longer.  I could just eat him up!

Legend of Zelda Birthday Party

Last weekend we hosted Izzy's 5th birthday party.  We had a Legend of Zelda theme, which ended up being a super fun party idea.  Since there wasn't any Zelda party supplies at the store, we made our own decorations and birthday banner...

I went online and bought these adorable cupcakes toppers from Etsy...

In the video game, Link's life is represented by how many hearts he has left.  We were in luck, because the dollar store had heart shaped balloons...

When the kids arrived, we decorated our own shields.  Very fun...

Next, we went on a rupee hunt (rupees are little jewels that are the currency in the game).  I found little wooden treasure chests at the craft store for $1.  I also found the fake jewels there too...

 

 After finding all the jewels, the kids used their rupees to purchase swords...

Next the kids went on a scavenger hunt to rescue Princess Zelda.  I hung these clues all over our house and yard.  The kids had a blast finding them...

As a reward, Zelda lead the children to a treasure chest pinata (I didn't get any pictures of the kids breaking open the pinata at the actual party)...

After all of that activity, we came inside for pizza and cake...

And finally, the birthday boy got to open his presents...

The party was super fun.  Izzy loved all of the activities, which was my goal.  I still can't believe my little guy is FIVE! 

FIVE!

My little guy is five today!  He is such an amazing kid.  So strong and smart and helpful.  We are lucky to have him.  Happy birthday Izzy!

Hi!

Oh my aching fingers.  The weird peely skin on my right hand has gone from bad to worse over the last few weeks.  Four of my fingers are currently cracked and bleeding.  They are so sensitive.  I can barely type.  It is painful.
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I finally went back to the dentist to have my crappy looking crown redone.  I tried to live with it, but I just hated the color and shape of that tooth.  It was driving me INSANE.  They removed the crown, which was very time consuming.  I was there for almost 2 hours!  I currently have a temporary crown, which looks even worse than the original.  Fun times.
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I talked my husband into renting a hotel room when we go back to KY for Christmas.  The thought of our family of five staying with anyone, gave me a panic attack.  There just isn't room in anyone's house to comfortably accommodate 5 house-guests. And the hotel has a pool, which the kids are going to LOVE.  I am really looking forward to it!
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The city is repaving our street, which is basically the most annoying thing EVER.  They are so darn noisy with their big trucks and loud tools.  Not to mention that I can't park in my own driveway.  If we want to leave the house at some point during the day, I have to park around the block.  I am constantly worried that someone is going to a) break into my van, or b) side swipe my van on the narrow ass little street I am forced to park on. 
__________

We are having Izzy's 5th birthday party this weekend.  He is having a Legend of Zelda party, which was surprisingly hard to plan for.  Apparently no other 5 year old in the world loves Link the way my son does.  But despite the lack of resources on the web, I think I have developed some pretty cute party games.  I can't wait to see how everything goes!
__________

I am done Christmas shopping for the kids, but I haven't even started on buying gifts for family members.  Ugh.  I have a pretty good idea of what I want to buy everyone, but finding the time to get to all these stores is overwhelming.  I am thinking about just ordering everything on Amazon and calling it done. 

My little ducks

Porgie - 1 year 6 months

Izzy - 11 months

 

Guppy - 1 year 2 months

I've really gotten my money's worth out of this ducky costume!  

Trick or treating - FINALLY

Due to the hurricane Sandy clean-up effort, our town postponed trick-or-treating until Friday.  When the big day finally rolled around, I learned that the governor had declared that trick-or-treating would take place on Monday.  I checked our town's website, and sure enough, they had decided to go with the governor's recommendation.  Porgie and Izzy were devastated. 

Although it was frustrating to have the holiday pushed back two times, the good news is that over the weekend I bought 2 Tranformers costumes for 50% off at Target.  AWESOME!  I love a good deal.

Today we finally got a chance to go trick-or-treating.  The kids were so excited.

Growing up is hard to do

I just realized that I forgot to tell you guys about my amazing little Guppy.  He is walking.  For the longest time, he was such a docile little baby.  His hobbies included sitting on my lap, while giving lots of hugs and kisses.  It was wonderful.  All the other babies his age were walking around, getting hurt every two seconds, and crying a lot.  I was happy that my baby was so good and quiet and cuddly.  But now?  Holy crap, the child never stops walking and falling and crying.  He is a toddler, and there is no stopping him now. 

He thinks he is 5 years old, and doesn't understand why I am always trying to confine him to a stroller in public places.  He screams bloody murder whenever I strap him into his carseat.  He tries to stomp his feet whenever I tell him 'NO!'. 

Little stinkpot.  Good thing he is so darn cute...

In which I complain, but try to be grateful

Just to ease your minds, we all made it through the hurricane.  We live almost an hour from the ocean, and for that I am VERY thankful.  In our area, there was lots of rain and strong winds, but we didn't even lose our electricity.  We are lucky people.

Life has been busy over here.  We were thinking about selling our house.  Now, I am not so sure.  We had a realtor come over and tell us how much he thinks our house is worth in the current market.  He basically wants us to give our house away.  The number he suggested was so low that I almost kicked him out of my house on the spot.  By the time the guy left, I hated him.  Of course, it isn't his fault that the market sucks.  But I wanted him out of my house anyways.

The whole thing makes me feel hopeless.  We are going to be stuck in this tiny house forever.

But then I remember that I have three healthy children and a roof over my head.  I need to be thankful for all that I have, without whining constantly about wanting more.  If we can't move, we'll just have to make the most of what we have.  Now I just need to stop looking at houses on the internet, because it is depressing me.

How have you been?

Seriously?

Dermatologists are lame.  I waited over a month to see the doctor.  This morning was the big day.  I arrived at the appointment 10 minutes early, because I knew I would have to fill out new patient paperwork.  Then, I sat in the waiting room for nearly 45 minutes.   And then, I sat in the exam room waiting for the doctor for another 15 minutes.  After all of this waiting, do you know what he told me?  USE LOTION.  Seriously fuckface?  I have been using lotion everyday for the past four months.  You can't think of any other solution?  Basically, the doctor doesn't know why my hands are peeling excessively, so he just wants me to put more lotion on it.  What a waste of time and money.  Lesson learned: Dermatologists suck ass.

Let's talk

My skin continues to cause me heartache.  My fingers, although no longer actively peeling, just refuse to heal.  They look horrible and wrinkly and dry.  My face is also a mess.  I still have the tiny bumps on my nose.  Unfortunately, they are now on my forehead too.  And I still have almost two weeks until my dermatologist appointment.  UGH!
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My baby boy is sooooo close to walking.  He can stand independently for several seconds.  He'll occasionally let go of the furniture and take two or three steps forward.  He has mastered his old-man-walker and can round corners with ease.  It is so bittersweet.  I am so proud, but also a little sad.  I want him to grow and develop, but at the same time I want him to always be my chubby, cuddly baby.  This mama gig is tough
__________

We decided not to enroll the kids in dance class again.  Instead, we enrolled Porgie and Izzy in a roller skating class.  They love it!  I highly recommend it as a stress free extra-curricular activity.
__________

My grandma finally came home from the physical rehabilitation center last Tuesday.  The staff recommended that she stay for a few more weeks, but granny was admit that she was ready to go home.  Unfortunately, she had a terrible first night home (she was in a lot of pain).  She was also having some trouble going up and down the stairs in my cousin's house.  So (I still can't believe I am typing this), my grandmother actually asked to be returned to the rehab center.  I was very proud of her for actually admitting that she needs more help.  Granny is back at the rehab center and doing well.  We are hoping that she will be well enough to come home by the end of October.
__________

I had three dental crowns placed yesterday.  I have become kind of obsessed with one of them.  The color seems off and the the shape isn't right either.  How did I not noticed that while I was at the dentist's office?  I am going back on the 11th, but I am not sure there is much the dentist can do.  He already cemented it to the implant.  I think I just need to stop staring at it in the mirror.  No-one else has noticed the goofy tooth.  I even tried to get the kids to pick out the funny looking tooth, but they just made me feel worse by pointing out other flaws in my natural teeth. 
__________

The baby continues to suck at napping.  We've had a few days where has slept for almost 3 hours, but then he goes right back to the 30 minute nap.  Frustrating.
__________

I just can't believe it is October already.  INSANITY.  Christmas is in 2 months.  TWO MONTHS.  I haven't done any shopping for the kids yet.  What about you? 

My stinkpot

Guppy.  What am I going to do with that little stinker?  He is always mixing things up in the sleep department.

In the past month, Guppy has transitioned from 2 naps per day to 1 nap per day.  Prior to this transition, he was taking 2 ninety minute naps.  But then he started refusing the second nap, and he was getting super cranky by the end of the day.  After a few weeks of trying desperately to get him to take his afternoon nap, I gave up.  I decided to start putting him down for 1 nap around noon instead.

At first, everything was wonderful.  He went straight to sleep, and most days he was out for about 2 hours.  But then he started waking up after a mere hour.  And now he is taking 1 thirty minute nap per day.  I just can't figure it out.  He wakes up at exactly the 30 minute mark and will not go back to sleep - trust me.  I have tried ignoring him.  He will literally scream his head off for an entire hour.  But when I finally get him out of bed, he is happy as a clam.  He'll play the rest of the day with nary a peep.  He actually seems well-rested, which is just bizarre. 

This 30 minute nap business isn't new to us.  From the time Guppy was 2 months old until he was about 6 months old, he would only sleep for 30 minutes per nap.  It was exhausting.  And during that time, he always seemed well-rested and happy.  I am not sure if it is just some weird developmental stage or what, but I desperately wish that he would give his mama a little break. 

Look who is trying to walk...

Guppy has taken a sudden interest in his push walkers lately.  He is getting better everyday.  Is it horrible to admit that I don't want him to learn to walk yet?  I love him little and snugly and in my arms.

Skin woes

I seem to be having some weird skin problems lately.  Everyday, I wake up to a new or worsening problems.  I have tried to get an appointment with a dermatologist, but I can't get in until mid-October, which is very frustrating.  Fucking dermatologists.

It all started a few months ago (the beginning of summer, I think).  The skin on the tip of my right index finger started to peel.  The skin just seemed really super duper dry.  Of course, I couldn't stop picking at the flaky skin, and before I knew it, the tip of my finger was raw and sore. A few weeks later, the same thing happened to my thumb.  I bought an emollient cream, and started liberally applying it.  But then my hand started getting all these bumps all over it.  I guess I was having an allergic reaction to the lotion?  So, I stopped using that cream and switched over to pure lanolin.  I no longer have the little bumps, but the skin on my fingertips still feels dry and they continue to peel.  To make matters worse, the  tip of middle finger and ring finger have started to peel too.  Basically, my right hand is a total disaster.  John often tells me I have leprosy.  He is supportive like that.

Then last week I noticed that I had two very small bumps on the bridge of on my nose.  They were tiny and red.  I figured they were little pimples or something and just let it go.  But of course, it got worse.  I now have about 10 tiny little red dots in my nose.  They don't hurt or itch.  So I started using Noxema on nose every night.  After 4 days, they look exactly the same.  It is consuming me!  I stare at them in the mirror all freaking day.

In summary, I am a total mess.  I have to put a bag over my head and gloves on my hands to leave the house. 

Porgie and her baby

Porgie is a great big sister.  She loves Guppy wholeheartedly.  I can always count on her to help me with the baby, which I never expected.  When Porgie was a baby, life was hard because of the steep learning curve (we were new parents and didn't know what to expect).  When Izzy was a baby, life was still very hard because both kids were so little (Porgie was only 17 months old when we brought Izzy home).  But this time?  Life is so much easier with a baby.  Instead of adding to the chaos, Porgie makes life easier.  She can carry the baby.  She can help me feed him.  She plays with him.  She dresses him up in Halloween costumes so that he can join in on the fun too...

 

  Guppy is very lucky to have her.  And so am I

The new shoes...

When I seen these shoes, I instantly loved them.  John told me that they looked like toddler shoes and that I should keep shopping.  But I just kept coming back to them.  So I bought them.  And I have to say, I love them.  They are so colorful and fun.  I am thinking about buying another pair in a different color. 

LOOK! I wrote something!

I have turned into the most boring person ever.  Seriously.  I swear, I can never think of anything to write about on my blog.  I am completely and totally lame.  The kids were always an easy subject when they were little, but now that everyone is getting SO BIG, it is hard to decide which things to share and which things to keep private.  So instead, I just write nothing.  But tonight, I am going to try to write something for little old you!

I had the second stage of my dental implant surgery done the other week.  I still have stitches in my mouth, which are very irritating to my gums.  It hurts to eat, which is very disappointing.  I love food.  The good news is that I should have my crowns placed in a few weeks.  Super exciting!

We had this whole big trip planned to go back to Kentucky to visit family in September.  I even bought a (used) playpen for the baby to sleep in while we were there.  But everything fell through and now we aren't going.  I am a little bummed about the whole thing. 

I went everywhere last weekend looking for new sneakers.  I couldn't find anything decent looking, which is a sure sign that I am old and boring.  I ended up shopping online and found a cute pair of shoes.  They are supposed to arrive tomorrow and I am super excited, but also worried that I won't actually like them.  If I do like them, I'll post pictures for your viewing pleasure.

So there!  A whole post about me!

Watching him grow...

He is lovely and perfect and little.  I am so lucky to be his mama.  My baby boy is 1 year old. 

One year ago

This was me exactly one year ago.  I almost cried on the way home from the grocery store this morning.  Why does time go by so quickly?  Tomorrow my baby boy will be one-year-old.   How is that even possible? 

Guppy's lastest sleep update

Guppy is sleeping in his crib at night, and he is sleeping MUCH better.  A few weeks ago, we were still co-sleeping.  Yes, I was still sleeping with my 11-month-old baby!  Wow.  Time really got away from me on that one.  I was starting to worry that he would be in my bed FOREVER.  Don't get me wrong, I love cuddling with my baby all night.  I love not having to get out of bed to nurse.  I love knowing that my baby is sleeping safe and sound right next to me.  But with all that being said, I never wanted to co-sleep long term.  The reason Guppy stayed in my bed for so long, is because I just wasn't ready to admit that he was a big boy who needed his own space.  I wanted to cuddle my baby for a little bit longer.

Guppy demanded that I kick him out of my bed.  Seriously.  The kid was waking up every night between 2am-4am, and he was staying awake for HOURS.  He would pull my hair, scoot across the bed, try to pull up on the bed-rail, etc.  Basically, he did everything except sleep.  I was growing more and more angry about the situation, so I decided to make some changes.  At the time, he was also sleeping in his swing for all naps.  Since I was going to fix night-time sleep, I figured I might as well do nap-time too.

John took a week of vacation at the end of July, so I decided to take the plunge while he was home.   I figured I could use the support, since I am pretty bad about backsliding on the sleep front (as you know).  I know it is hard for all sleep training parents, but I just can't listen to my baby cry for very long.  But I was determined to make it work this time, because I was worried about Guppy's safety in my bed.  He was being way too active at night, while I was asleep or half-asleep.

I decided to use the Ferber method of going in to console Guppy in timed increments.  After deciding on my plan of action, I put him into his crib awake for his naps and bedtime.  He cried (as expected), but not excessively.  Most days, he cried for about 15 minutes at a each nap.  On a really bad day, it was about 30 minutes.  Nights seemed to go easier.  He was babbling to himself instead of screaming.  I got lucky internet.  VERY LUCKY.  The whole thing was pretty easy, and I forgot to even mention it on the blog (until someone emailed to ask about the sleep situation).

But it is not all roses over here.  Guppy still wakes once or twice per night.  He usually wakes to nurse around midnight and then again around 5am.  It is not perfect, but it is sooooo much better than it was before.  He was literally waking every 2-3 hours all night long.  So, I am happy with the progress we have made.  But what makes me happiest is knowing that Guppy is well-rested.

If he hasn't stopped nursing at night in a few months, I'll probably use the Ferber method at night too.  But for now, I am happy and excited about all of the sleep we have been getting!

I love buying tables and chairs

The minivan has been repaired and all is right in our world again.  Being able to leave the house is FUN!

In other news, we broke down and bought new patio furniture.  What is up with me and furniture lately?  I just can't seem help myself!  Like our former kitchen table, our patio set only had four chairs.  Because John is a fiscally responsible person, he wanted to wait until next year to purchase new patio furniture.  But everything is on clearance right now, so it was hard for me to resist all the good deals. I convinced him to go look at a few sets, just to get an idea of what we wanted and the price range we wanted to stay in.  Almost immediately we found a very nice set, at a very nice price (50% off!), so we brought it home.  Isn't it lovely?

It is almost too fancy!  It looks like very nice dinning room furniture. I am not loving the bright green umbrella though.  We looked, but we couldn't find anything to match the chairs.  Oh well.  I still think it looks fabulous.

Minivan woes

It never fails.  Every time I talk about how well our debt reducing plans are going, some big financial thing pops up and screws us over.  Yesterday we were supposed to go swimming at a friend's house.  I got the kids all dressed up in swim gear, and we headed out to the van.  It was dead.  Like completely and totally dead.  When I turned the key, nothing happened.  No sounds, no electronics.  Fortunately, our friend was able to come over and pick us up, so the day wasn't a total bust.

John got home from work and tried to fix the problem.  And miraculously, he got the van started again!  But something is still very wrong.  The electronics are all screwed up and nothing is working on my dashboard - no speedometer, no gas gauge, no turn signals.  UGH!

We were scheduled to make a BIG payment on our home equity loan today, but that has been postponed.  We will be needing that extra money to fix the stupid van.  Sometimes it feels like we'll never get ahead.

Debt update

John and I continue to do an amazing job of not carrying a balance on our credit cards.  I do occasionally make purchases online with my credit card, but we always pay the bill in full.  As a result, we usually have money left over in our checking account at the end of the month, which was unheard of 5 years again. 

We are continuing to make extra payments on our home equity loan every month.  If we continue on this path, we will have the loan paid off in the fall of 2013.  I am both excited and disappointed about the pay-off date.  On one hand, we only have a year left!  On the other hand, I wish we didn't have to pour every penny into that loan for another year.

I swing wildly between wanting to fix-up our house and wanting to sell it.  I don't particularly like our house, but I think we could make it better.  What worries me is fixing up an older home.  I fear that every time we go to fix something, we'll find another problem lurking underneath. Buying a newer house also freaks me out, because if we sell anytime soon, we'll have to take loss on our house.  This translates into not having enough money for a down payment on another house.  Ugh.

But I am getting ahead of myself with all this house talk, because we can't do anything until that damn home equity loan is paid off.  So, be expecting lots of whiny posts about my housing situation next fall.  Until then, we will be working hard at saving money and paying down our debt. 

Holy crap!

I am insane, but you already know that.  For the past 5 years, I have had aluminum foil covering my daughter's bedroom windows.  You see, I bought her curtains and blinds before she was born.  Both let lots of light into the room, which I thought made the room look lovely.  Then I gave birth to the most wakeful baby EVER.  I quickly realized that she slept much better in a dark room, so I decided to foil her windows.  The blinds were brand new and the curtains matched her nursery theme, so blocking out the light with foil seemed like the most reasonable thing to do (her room is located on the backside of the house, so the foil covered windows aren't visible from the street).

Yesterday I decided to finally take the foil off.  The kids are older and sleep great, so there was really no reason to block out all the natural light in the back of the house (but for the record, the baby's windows are still covered in foil).  After removing everything, I seen this little beauty between the screen and the window...

 

How in the hell do you remove a bee's nest from your window?  I haven't seen anything crawling on the nest, but I am still too scared to actually try to remove it.  I really wanted to thoroughly clean the windows (they are flithy!), but I guess that is going to have to wait.  Stupid bees.

The new table...

Formerly, we had a little round pub style table w/barstools that seated four.  It was a great table for our kitchen, because it fit perfectly and also matched the oak cabinets.  When Guppy was born, I knew we were going to be in the market for a new table.  We use our dining room as a playroom, so the kitchen table is where we eat all our meals.

Originally, I wanted to purchase something in a golden oak color, so it would match our kitchen.  I don't particularly like that color, but I was trying to make the room look nice.  That idea quickly went out the window, because it is incredibly hard to find decent looking oak furniture.  Everything in an oak color seemed to have a country feel to it.  And I don't really like country stuff (and neither does John).

So, we shopped and shopped and shopped with all three kids in tow.  It was a long day, but I really wanted to find something.  Finally, at the last store we stopped in, we found a beautiful little table and sideboard.  The set didn't match our kitchen, but it was so lovely that I didn't even care.

So, here is our old kitchen table and our microwave stand (blah)...
 



And this is a picture of our fancy new table.  I was adamant that I had to have benches, and I got them!  I think they look fabulous.  And the sideboard?  It is just lovely.  I have long despised my microwave stand, and was more than happy to put that bitch out on the curb.

My life

We have lots of family drama going on right now.  My grandma broke her hip again.  Ugh.  She is having her surgery on Monday.  I am very worried about her and what affect this will have on her ability to walk again.  It is all very upsetting, and I hate that I am so fucking far away.

In other news, we finally bought a kitchen table large enough to accommodate our family.  Because I didn't want to spend any money, I had been putting this task off for months.  But that wasn't fair to Guppy.  We went to a million furniture stores on Saturday, and of course, we fell in love with a dining set at the last store we stopped in.  It doesn't match the rest of the kitchen, but I don't even care.  It is lovely.

And finally, John is on vacation this week.  Like always, we aren't going anywhere.  One of these days we will have all our debt paid off and then we'll actually be able to go somewhere fun. But not this year.  Anyways, we will be swimming and visiting the local attractions. 

I seem to suck at this whole blogging thing lately, and this week will be no exception. Sorry, my dear friends.

Kids' Day

Last year we started a new tradition.  After Mother's Day and Father's Day are done, we celebrate Kids' Day on the second Saturday in July.  It is exactly what you're thinking.  We delight in our children and indulge them all day long.

This Saturday was the BIG day.  The kids woke up to find presents and boxes of buttercreams.  Then we played some video games.  After Guppy woke up from his morning nap, we went bowling.  The kids LOVED it.  We came back for lunch and another nap.  When the baby woke up, we headed out to the local children's museum. Super awesome, of course.  Then we let the kids select a restaurant for dinner.  It was an action packed day, but so fun.

It was nice to just be in the moment with Porgie and Izzy, and let all our problems slide away.  I thought we needed Kids' Day last year when I was big and pregnant, but we needed it even more this year.  With Guppy's napping schedule, we don't go as many places as we use too.  And with my lack of sleeping, I feel like I haven't been my usual self with the kids.  Kids' day was awesome and I am so glad we decided to start this tradition.  They deserve it.

Going bonkers

I feel like I am going insane.  Seriously, I have been so flipping moody lately.  I hate feeling this way, and even more, I hate acting like a damn crazy person all the time.  I flipped out on my husband last night over dinner.  It was lovely.

I know EXACTLY where all my craziness is coming from - sleep deprivation.  Guppy has been exceptionally wakeful lately.  For the longest time, the kid refused to move.  He was a lump who liked to watch all the other babies crawl.  But suddenly he figured out how to get around.  He has mastered the art of scooting across the floor on his butt.  He can get into a sitting position when you lay him down.  He can pull-up on the furniture.  This all happened over the past two weeks, which is awesome and wonderful, but it is also super annoying because the child will not sleep.  Instead, he likes to sit up all night long (he will not lay flat anymore - EVER).  It is exhausting and I am so ready for all of these physical milestones to be old hat.

In other slightly related news, I am a fat cow who cannot stop eating.  I am not sure if it is the sleep deprivation or just stress, but I have absolutely no motivation to eat healthy or take care of myself.  All I want to do is eat sugar and sit on my ass.  And that is exactly what I do all day long.  A friend just invited us to the aquarium and I was all, "No thank you.  I have too much sitting around to do.  I think I'll get some ice cream and watch TV this afternoon.  But thanks for asking!  Maybe next time?"  I want to care.  I want to be my normal self.  But I am just not there yet.  So until I get over this hump, be expecting gratuitous talk about Ben & Jerry's.

Family time

After all the bitching and complaining I did last month, my mother actually did come to visit.  And she also brought my grandma!  They stayed for about a week, and it was a really great visit.  My granny is still pretty unsteady on her feet, which is heartbreaking to watch, but she was in good spirits during the visit.  I even managed to get her to a portrait studio and ordered some pictures of her and the kids.  I can't wait to get them back!

The one downfall to the visit was the sleeping arrangement.  We gave Grandma our bedroom because it is right next to the bathroom.  With her being so unsteady on her feet, I didn't want her sleeping in the guestroom in our basement.  So, my mom slept in the guestroom, I slept on a twin size air mattress (with Guppy) in the nursery, and John slept on the couch. 

The first three nights were okay.  It was cramped, but the baby and I managed to get a little sleep.  On the fourth night, my air mattress felt like it was losing air.  The next day I blew it up again, and hoped for the best.  I went to bed that night at 10pm and woke at 1am on the floor.  The mattress was completely flat.  I got up, refilled the mattress, and went back to sleep.  I woke up at 3am on the floor.  UGH.  Guppy and I did not sleep well that night.  Then, because I am an idiot, I decided that we could make it through another night on the floor (Have I mentioned that I am a cheap asshole?).  WORST NIGHT EVER.  Guppy woke up every hour.  Loooooong story short, I didn't sleep well.  But tonight is our first night back on the king size mattress I love dearly.  I am actually excited about going to bed!

So, in case you were wondering, no I did not fall off the face of the planet. 

My chubby man

As expected, Guppy first year is zipping by at lightening quick speed.  My teeny tiny tired newborn has transformed into a very wakeful and adventurous baby boy.  He is so cute and cuddly and perfect.  I could stare at him for hours (actually I do!).  I just love him to pieces.