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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Tucker and Mama's Day Out

I had the day off on Friday so Tucker and I took on the town...well, just a little corner of the town.

After breakfast, I laid Tucker down for a quick morning nap and of course he finally fell asleep when we pulled in to Music to Grow By! Music to Grow By is a music class for Tucker-size kids. We sat in on one of the classes so we could decide if we wanted to sign up for an 8-week session.

I was worried with no nap, Tucker would be fussy. But my worries soon passed when we went in and Tucker just looked around - all big eyed and open mouthed! I sat him on the floor and he crawled to the basket of toys. As others arrived, the kids followed suit. This was the first time Tucker had been around so many babies and he did so good! He just sat and stuck toys in his mouth while we all sat around and sang songs and played. We played with rattles, balls, bubbles and stuffed animals. But Tucker's favorite was the scarves! That kid just loves a good round of peek-a-boo!

Tucker was quite the snuggler and charmer! He would walk and crawl to the other mamas and the teacher and hug them. I was a very proud mama of my sweet boy! Oh - and I only teared up a little bit at the beginning of class so I was pretty proud of myself too!

By the end of class, he was definitely ready for a nap! So...off to the mall! While I ate lunch, Tucker just sat in his stroller - enjoying a bottle and Cheerios. He really likes to check everyone out so he stayed awake the whole time.

I had to watch how close I parked Tucker's stroller because he liked to grab hanging clothes and put them in his mouth. Sorry for the spittty clothes, ladies!

When we got home, Tucker was definitely ready for a nap and slept for 2 hours while I caught up on Oprah. A perfect day!

The best part of our day together was that I finally felt comfortable taking Tucker out in public by myself. I never once got frustrated with the stroller or panicked about getting in anyone's way. And it only took me 10 months!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Snod Node Kid

We picked up Tucker yesterday from Gram and Tink's and he had a little bit of a runny nose. When we got home, I wasn't feeling 100% either so when Tucker went to bed at 8, I followed suit. But alas, The Bachelor had me captivated so I didn't really get the rest I was hoping for.

At 8:30, Tucker still hadn't fallen asleep. He's usually really good about falling asleep the minute his sweet bald head hits the hay. I thought maybe he needed a little bit more to eat so out of bed and up the stairs I went.

Tucker didn't want anything to eat so we gave him a little Tylenol and I snuggled him up and away we rocked. I rubbed his little back and worked out a couple of burps he was holding in. After a few minutes, I looked down at him - poor baby had his head thrown back, nose stopped up, mouth open and was sleeping away.

And this is one of my most favorite things about being a mama. I love soothing my sweet baby to sleep. I love when all he needs is a little snuggling and he's in complete comfort.

Now facing a snod node kid the next morning is another story!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was Tucker's 10 month birthday and he attended his first birthday party...well, not his birthday party! The party was for his friend Blaine's 3rd birthday and it was at the Bouncy Barn in Broken Arrow.

We kinda messed up Tucker's nap schedule so he was a little tired, but not cranky - whew!

Tucker's favorite thing was the ball pit. Of course he just tried to eat all of the balls, but I was assured by the Bouncy Barn worker that they clean everything! Uhm...Tucker has tried to eat furkid Mango's foot, so I think we're a little past the whole germ thing.

The slide was a bit intimidating, but with Daddy up top and Mama down below, it wasn't too scary.



And since I'm still pretty (over)protective of what goes in Tucker's belly, we came well prepared. While the other kids chowed down on pizza and cake and ice cream, Tucker had Gerber puffs and yogurt bites and some apple sauce!

And now I get to spend the day with my two favorite Valentines! How lucky am I to have TWO fellas who want to be mine? My heart is full.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Nap Time - Mall Time?

We're off to the mall. It's 9:30 - Tucker's nap time. This is a smart move - right?

Friday, February 12, 2010

Blog Update!

Our blog started as a way to keep our friends and family updated on the planning of our upcoming Nantucket nuptials. Once we were in Nantucket, blogging was a fun way to include everyone on our little adventure.

Then blogging became a window into our journey as newlyweds in suburbia. Of course we were on life's fast track so soon our blog reflected our first pregnancy and the birth of our first born.

So now we want our blog to be something more. I've rattled around ideas in my head - what do I know that I want to share with the world? I'm really not an expert in anything. I know a little about wiener dogs, fiddles, small towns and enough about cooking to keep us fat and happy. So the question is - what do I NOT know? That would be parenthood. We've never been parents before so each day, we're treading on unknown territory. Thus our new blog begins...enjoy the journey with us!

Bang Your Pans!

So last night I was reading the lastest Parents magazine when I heard a clanging in the kitchen. My first thought was that the dogs were being jerks and Alec was taking his frustration out on our pots and pans. When the noise continued and intensified, my mind went into panic mode! Something wasn't right! Alec must be passed out on the kitchen floor and poor Tucker is frantically trying to wake him up by banging some pans!

I ran into the kitchen to find...Alec..on the floor...grinning ear to ear as Tucker pulled out each of our brand new (ok - a few months old) stainless steel pots and banged them on the floor.

I guess boys will be boys - no matter their age!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Woes of a Weaning Mama

Tucker and I have decided it's best to start the weaning process so hopefully his transition from mama milk to moo-moo milk is a smooth one. Also, Tucker has - at times - treated me a bit like a Slush Puppy dispenser which makes me feel a little less special and little more functional. I've shed a few tears but I'm ready and excited to begin the next phase of Tucker's life.

Before Tucker was born, I really could not wrap my head around the concept of breastfeeding. But I decided to give it a whirl - not only for financial reasons but because I think of myself of a traditionalist and this is what mamas do. I bought a couple of nursing bras, some nursing pads and a pump and I was all set. Oh how little I knew then!

First there was the pain. I had heard breastfeeding could be painful, but I wasn't ready for the pinching that came with each time Tucker would latch on nor was I prepared for the clogged duct. Holy cow! Clogged ducts HURT! I quickly purchased a tube of Lansinoh ointment which soothed my raw and tender boobies. And thank goodness Alec paid attention in our breastfeeding class! He noticed I wasn't holding Tucker just right and after a few pointers, I made adjustments and I'm forever grateful that one of us didn't have pregnant brain during class!

And when my milk finally came in..hello wet t-shirt contest! There was no turning back at that point! But, not only did breastfeeding sometimes give me sore and engorged boobs, but neck pain too! When Tucker nursed, I would watch him and soon my neck was all jacked up! But soon enough as Tucker was planted to my boob, I was planted to the boob tube. TV saved me from the pain in the neck of breastfeeding!

Oh and the fun of lactating! My boobs could hear a baby a mile away and they were front and center - ready at a moment's notice! Down girls! That's not our baby!

It was near time for me to return to work, so one day, I faced this foreign contraption all working mamas must endure at some point - the breast pump! Talk about nervous! I was sure I would get some sort of electrical shock from having something plugged into the wall that was pulling liquid from my body. I only tried it for a few minutes at first but it worked and it didn't kill me! That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Indeed!

Along my breastfeeding journey, I discovered all sorts of breastfeeding friends! The Boppy - a must have for all breastfeeding moms! On July 4th, I used these fun strips that can tell if your boobs have had too much beer (they did!). I also found that when everyone recommends the big (expensive) industrial (expensive) double-pump (expensive) Medela (expensive)pumps are the way to go, they are! I burned through 2 lesser pumps before succumbing to the big mamma-jamma Medela Pump In Style double pump. Let me say that again. I burned up the motors in 2 pumps. Yes - I'm on my third pump! I also used my Macgyver skills to turn 4 simple pony tail holders into hands-free contraptions for my pump!

Not only do I have mad MacGyver skills, I'm also quite Boy Scout-ish in that I believe you should always be prepared! In preparation for our trip to New York in November, I froze several bags of milk so Tucker could still have mama's milk without the mama. I called the hotel ahead of time and asked for a mini-fridge in our room. I bought extra bags and a found little insulated cases in which to transport my precious cargo home on the plane. And I bought batteries for my pump's battery adapter.

On our last day in NYC, we checked out of the hotel, hopped on a tour bus and took a day long tour of the Big Apple! I told myself I'd pump before we got in the taxi to the airport. That didn't happen. Then I said I'd pump when we got to the airport. That didn't happen. Ok - I'll pump on the plane. I had my kick ass teddy bear nursing cover and the plane is loud - no one would know! We boarded the plane and at this point, it had been 10 hours since my last pumping - about 7 hours overdue! Then the captain came on, we were 23rd in line to take off. Are you kidding me?!?! So I told Alec that I would have to pump right then and right there! As we're sitting on the tarmac, I threw on my cover, got "them" out, locked and loaded and...no pumping. The batteries were in wrong - I'm notorious for this. But alas, I only had 2 batteries not 4. We asked the flight attendant for more batteries. She didn't have any. With tears in my eyes and milk starting to flow, I told her what I was trying to do. Sorry - no batteries. My boobs were engorged and I was sure they would explode! Then...just when I was sure I would die, she had 2 batteries from an old CD player she found! By that time, we were ready to take off, but the flight attendant, bless her heart, said I could use my electronic device! The heavens opened up...either because I was finally getting the sweet relief I desperately needed or because I was about to take down the plane with my pump.

But I persevered - through the pain, sleeplessness and inconveniences. Because it wasn't about me. It was all for Tucker. Ok - a little for me. There's something about knowing that the first few months of Tucker's life, his only nutrition came from me. And I'm sure he has been as healthy and as happy as he is because of me. I'm so proud of myself for making this sacrifice!

I'm not sure how the next couple of months will go for us. I'll probably delete LC's number from my cell phone. No, that isn't my celebrity friend from The Hills. LC is the lactation consultant at St. Johns whom I've called on several occasions!

I suppose our bedtime feeding will soon be replaced with reading a book or just snuggling close. But I'm pretty sure we're both going to miss our little mama-Tucker special time together. Hopefully potty training will be just as endearing!