Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and whatever else you believe in

So, I am really annoyed by the whole "If you don't say Merry Christmas, you are a terrorist," and other sentiments similar to that being thrown around on Facebook. Not everyone in the darn world is a Christian. On the other hand, I also acknowledge and realize that this holiday exists because Jesus was born today. So, I am also annoyed at the people who get offended if somebody wishes them a Merry Christmas. Why can't people just accept whatever wish they are given with a smile and respond with whatever sentiment you'd like?


So, we didn't put up a tree or stocking this year. We didn't even do huge presents for each other. We have one big thing each one of us got. Jeff's getting another tattoo and I got this ring. The 3 colors of gold represent Jeff, me and Oli. I realized we forgot all about Smokey, so the little diamonds represent him :-).







I wasn't going to do anything special for Christmas dinner, considering the lack of sleep and Oli refusing to take naps during the day. But, in the end, the spirit moved me and I cooked; though on a much smaller scale than last year. Some of the recipes from last night that are keepers were:

• Baby carrots & brussel sprouts in a brown sugar and pepper glaze
• Sweet pork chops

I also had an oven roasted potato recipe that I used but we didn't like them that much. I'll probably go back to cooking them on the stove top.

We tried to get a family photo but Oliver wasn't having any of that. Even the fact that he had his own place setting didn't calm hm down. Jeff fed him and he finally settled down a little.

This morning, we opened our gifts. We had a limit on our spending - only stocking stuffers. Jeff got a balaclava that he really wanted and then this shirt that is perfect for him. And, he knows me too well - he got me scratch off lottery tickets and woohoo, I am a whole $3 richer.

We are just thankful to have a very healthy Oliver home with us this Christmas. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Here's hoping you and yours had a wonderful holiday or Christmas as well.

First day alone with Oli and what a day it was!

See that tuckered out little bubbi? That's what happens after a busy busy day. Today was our first day alone at home; no grandparents around and daddy was at work. So, what did we do all day?

Our day started with a doctor's appointment for me. I was worried about taking Oli with me. We got there 10 minutes before my 8:45 appointment. I didn't get seen till 9:50. I wouldn't have blamed Oli for having a meltdown, but he was good. He drank some milk, napped a bit, just sat around with his paci. As soon as the doctor walked in, Oliver lost it LOL I guess he wanted to let her know his displeasure at being made to wait.

We then had a brunch at my work, where Oli was pretty much passed around the whole hour and a half I was there. He was on his best behavior; he drank some milk, napped a bit and everyone exclaimed what a good baby he was.

We came home and he started getting really fussy. So, I strapped him into my Ergo and we went for a walk with Smokey first and then we walked over to Rite Aid to pick up a prescription and some chocolates that were on sale (what? they were on SALE). He slept through the whole thing and as soon as we got home and I tried to put him down, he woke up. So, we played some, fed him some more, did some tummy time. Then, he ate some more and now I thought he'd be passed out for a bit but no, he woke up as I started typing this paragraph. Hopefully, he'll let me warm up dinner before demanding entertainment. But, I won't complain. It was a very busy day and he was such a good little baby through it all.

Let's see if we can add a Metro ride to his activities tomorrow and meet daddy for lunch in Arlington. We'll have to see how the morning proceeds. Wish us luck!

1 month, making friends and a conundrum

It's been 4 weeks since Oliver was born and we had his 1 month check up. He's doing great, his weight and length gain has been good. He's so much more active. One one hand, it's amazing and hilarious to watch his expressions, his arm lifts, his cycling legs; on the other hand, it makes changing, feeding, calming him down so much more challenging. But, I'll take that challenge just to watch his personality developing.

He's also making friends. Smokey has been fascinated with Oli since we brought him home. Whereas, at the beginning, Smokey wanted to be near Oli the whole time, sniffing his hands, feet, head ... now he's backed off a little. But, as soon as Oli cries, Smokey rushes over. And, if he's in a different room with the door closed, he goes to the door and whines. I think these 2 are going to be life long friends. Kind of like Lassie and Timmie.

Now, on to my conundrum. Because Oli was in the NICU for 9 days after his birth, he was bottle fed. I got to pump and take the milk to him but that also meant he never got to breastfeed. We tried after we got home; I even had a lactation consultant come to the house and give me tips. And, I failed. I still pump and he drinks anywhere from 23-27 ounces. Some days I have to supplement with 2 - 4 ounces of formula. I know, in the end, the fact that he gained weight and is doing good should be my validation. But, there's a primal part of me that feels like a failure for not being able to breastfeed. Intellectually, I don't have a problem with anything I am doing - bottle feeding, supplementing with formula - but there's someplace deep inside me where it hurts to know that my baby cannot breastfeed from me.

Where did half my November go?

I bring you a middle of the night pooping after feeding smile photo:

I wake up, feed Oliver, change him and pump. Jeff leaves for work. My mom takes him to feed him somedays, I have some tea and breakfast. Every other day, I might take a shower. I might run out for some errands after I pump and leave milk in a bottle for the grandparents to feed him if he gets fussy. I have lunch. I check some of the things on my Google reader. I change Oli, feed him, play with him and pump. We might get some tummy time in and some photos done. He goes back to sleep, we eat lunch. If I am lucky, we all take a 45 minute nap. Then it's tea time. My mom starts cooking/thinking about dinner. Jeff heads home from work. Oli wakes up and has some more milk. If he isn't too fussy, he might stay up and play with us. Right now, playing involves rotating his head to follow our voices or look up at the lights. He might be sleeping through our dinner; if not, we take turns holding him while the others eat. It's some TV time for us, mostly Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and 1 or 2 sitcoms. Then, it's bedtime. Feed and change Oli and pump through the night as demanded.

Repeat.

That's where half of my November has gone.