Tuesday, May 25, 2010
In An Aeroplane Over The Sea
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Things They Carried
I've been packing for Belgium since before we booked our flight, albeit only in my head at first. But for about two and a half weeks I've had the suitcases out--mine and Frazier's at least--and I've been packing them diligently. And making lists. Don't know where I get that from. ;)
I am pretty sure I've considered everything. Right down to the outfits we're traveling in which are laying out next to the bags. I have the big packing list, the list of things I needed to purchase before we left, the list of things to do before we leave, the list of things to do yesterday, the list of things to do today, and a list attached to each bag of things that still need to go in it. I even made a comprehensive packing list at packinglist.org and emailed it to myself. You may note the two lists taped above the bags to the left of my suitcase:Didn't help that for as long as I've been packing our bags...Frazier's been unpacking his.Here is the mountain of bags that's going to Belgium with us. Add to this mountain a stroller and a carseat. And a partridge in a pear tree.
I think we're ready. Ready or not, though, we're leaving tomorrow! Please say a little prayer for safe and happy travels!
Tot ziens!!
Repeat After Me
Frazier has babbled forever now, but just today he said Mama to me!! I'm not sure he knows that's actually me...but whatever. We'll count it as word one. :) I was just excited to hear him imitate me. Naturally, I made him say it for the camera.
They cut off abruptly because I tried to edit out myself praising him. I think I might sound crazy. ;)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Feed Me
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Lone Ranger
When we are out and about and for the most part when we are in, but other people are around, Frazier is attached to me like an appendage...a sweet and adorable, but usually sticky and wiggly and very heavy appendage.
However, during the day when it is just the two of us and we are home, he is quite the independent little fellow. He is decidedly unhappy when I leave a room (to take something to the kitchen sink or the laundry room, for instance), but often he'll leave me behind in one room and go to another and I really think he'd just as soon I didn't follow him...so he could unplug things and chew on shoes. I'm a real obstacle to him when it comes to those "fun" things. ;) *He's only allowed to be in his room (and the hallway outside it which is blocked from the rest of the house by a baby gate) alone...and that's only when I go to the bathroom. Which, by the way, I realize I do a whole lot less than I used to. I guess Mommies are like camels...storing liquids out of necessity.
Anyway, I sometimes find myself just sitting and watching him, because it often seems that he'd prefer to be left alone. Of course, he wants me within view or at least within earshot, but he doesn't demand my constant attention. Unfortunately, it's still necessary because left to his own devices he gets into things he shouldn't. Nevertheless this self-entertainment besides being intriguing to me, has made for more productive days on my part. I get a bath everyday now while he plays happily in the pack and play. I can do laundry and check my email and I've even finished a couple of sewing projects and just this afternoon I made a craft project (more on that later). All the while he walks along the window sills talking to himself or taps his turkey baster on the ottoman and the shelves and the end tables or chases a ball.
*Here there should be a really cute 1 minute video of him chasing a red ball around the kitchen...but the stupid thing wouldn't upload...so imagine it. It was cute.
I love watching him being so busy in his own little world, though sometimes it makes me a little sad to see him being so busy doing things without me.
No doubt, one day he will once again require me to be a more constant active part in his play and then I suppose the pendulum will swing the other way again, but for now I am enjoying watching him learn to play on his own...and the freedom it affords me!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Label Your Stuff
Anyway, I could go on and on about what MOPS has meant to me, and probably should sometime, but what this post is really about...is labels.
I left MOPS today feeling all warm and fuzzy about all the people who'd worked so hard to make it possible for us to get together twice a month (and for fun stuff in-between meetings, too!) especially the Moppets workers who keep the kids for every meeting. Aside from Sunday mornings, it's the only time I have a baby sitter. I'm still grateful to them, especially since I'm pretty sure my kid has cried the entire time he was there the past three months so he's not their easiest baby by far. However, today there was an incident.
When I picked Frazier up they informed me that there had been a mix-up with the baby bags. I should interject here that Frazier's bag does not have his name on it permanently anywhere, because I was trying to be practical. If I monogrammed them, they'd be useless beyond when Frazier is a baby. And I'd have to buy new ones for the next kid. However, they usually put a sticker on the bags so everyone knows whose is whose. I don't know what happened, but I do know Frazier had been given a whole jar of someone else's baby food and was wearing a diaper two sizes too small. He'd also eaten Cheerios which I don't give him. Not only that, but Frazier's expensive-special-order snacks were given to someone else.
I tried to let it roll off. I mean, obviously none of that was going to kill him, but I'm OCD enough that it affected me regardless. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it was beyond my control. Kind of like how I can't function when my nails are uneven. I tried to be flippant about it as I left and even managed to say something about how much we'd appreciated them all year. I think part of what bothered me so much was that I'd come really close to taking him a sippy cup of breast milk today, but ended up having time to nurse him before we left. If I had, they'd have given that to someone else!! Or worse, what if someone else had done the same thing, and they'd given that to Frazier! Or given him a whole bottle of formula or juice (which I don't let him have) or whole milk or something he was allergic to! That could have really made him sick. The point is, I packed his bag with stuff I wanted him to have. And if that had been this other person's baby food and Cheerios, that stuff would have been in his bag.
I think I went through all the stages of grief. I'm at acceptance now, but it took me several hours to get here. ;)
If only I had a dollar for every time I've said, "I might have overreacted..." since Frazier was born.
Here is the potential positive that has come out of this situation: I shall be henceforth known as The Queen of Labels. I blame myself for the mix-up...I should have labeled better; that's all there is to it. Believe me when I tell you I had to keep myself from leaving the church parking lot and going straight to the closest place that does monogramming and having every item in the car that belonged to Frazier emblazoned with his moniker. What I did instead, was come straight home and design and print labels in multiple sizes to be used on everything he owns. I even printed some on inkjet window decal paper which works perfect for sippy and snack cups! It can be removed and reused!
So let this be a lesson unto you:
LABEL YOUR STUFF!
Pictures From The Weekend
Happy after mother's day to our awesome moms...and moms of our moms! :) We love you!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
World's Best Mom?....I think so!
I'm writing this post in hopes that I can, in some small way, express a sense of appreciation for what I have in Randi, what a Godly mother she has become, and to commemorate her first Mother's Day with Frazier here with us. I just hope that I can maintain this appreciation on a day-to-day basis when she needs my help.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A Real Stand-Up Guy
Happy Wednesday!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Leavin' On A Jet Plane
I do know when we'll be back again...a couple weeks after we leave!