The Hiccup Laugh

This post is going to be short and sweet. 

Today as I was feeding E dinner I developed a mild case of the hiccups. E started cracking up laughing. He thought it was the funniest thing ever. 

Video of E laughing at my hiccups

I love how kids find humor in the most simplest things. It's a pleasant reminder of how important the little things are. Life can get so crazy and out of control sometimes, having a child definitely brings you back down to Earth so many times.  E makes me slow down in life. I take in every small thing he does as if in slow motion. I want to inhale the moment and let it linger. And still, it feels like time is going by WAY too fast! 

Sign language

First off, let me start with saying my Dad is a NUT. E is in love with the Baby Channel. We don't have that channel at our house, so it's E's little treat for when he goes to Nonnie and Poppy's (or as my Dad spells it Papi). I try to tell him we're not of Spanish decent, but he's obsessed with baseball and wants his name spelled after a baseball player, David Ortiz- aka Big Papi. As stated above, he's a nut. Back to my story...there is a sign language show that comes on the Baby Channel about every couple of hours and it runs for about five minutes and just repeats one sign language word over and over. Somewhere along the way my dad and I started repeating all the words we have learned every time the show comes on; i.e. socks, boy, baby, eye, in, blanket, etc. Now our game has become even more complex. If we aren't both there when the sign language show comes on, we video it and emial it to each other. And not only do we email it, we even go as far as to talk like the lady saying the word. It's quite entertaining. I get excited when I see I have an email from him. I know it will be my daily sign language lesson. Who said the Baby Channel was just for babies?! 

Here's a few of our email videos :) Hope you learn something.

This is the sign for "boy."

FedEx=FedUp

FedEx really knows how to ruin a girl's day. I ordered a HUGE 8x10 rug from Lowes for our living room. Our living room has ceramic tile floors, so if I got a super duper big rug to replace our teeny tiny 5x7 woven rug E could actually play on the floor without me worrying about his every move. I have been so excited about getting this rug in. So excited, that I ordered a storage ottoman from JcPenny's to act as a coffee table. It's a beautiful light green color and it's covered in fabric so I don't have to worry about E pulling up on it. And the best part, the whole inside is storage. I've been patiently awaiting the arrival of these two products. (I love getting stuff in the mail/delivered to my house.) For the last few days our weather has been jacked up. It's sunny one minute and the next minute it is monsoon raining. Well today was pretty predictable, it was cloudy. Therefore, it was more than likely going to rain. And sure enough at about 3:30 p.m. a torrential downpour hit B-town. A hard rain. I was not home to actually witness the flood, but from the water on the ground and from what Chris (who was at his mom's house) said, it was pretty dang fierce. I beat Chris home because he was busy waiting on E to finish his nap at his Mom's. Low a behold what do I find when I get home?! THE rug. I was so happy! That is until I realized half the rug was sticking out from under our front door awning and laying in a heaping pile of water. What the heck FedEx man?! There was plenty of room to stand the rug up long ways and prevent it from getting wet. Optimistic me thought, well maybe the plastic wrap it was in protected it. I cut off the wrap and inspected the top....dry. Start rolling that bad boy out only to realize that the whole bottom part of the rolled up rug was sopping wet. Wet as in leaving puddles on my floor wet. It took me FIVE towels to get the rug to an acceptable dry point. I was furious. What idiot FedEx man/woman leaves a rug uncovered from nature when it is just about guaranteed to rain? Leave the sticky note on my door. I will gladly go pick up my rug from FedEx headquarters. Needless to say I spent about an hour on the phone with some foreign man from overseas who I could not understand half of what he said. My patience was lost when he asked me "Well is the rug ruined?" What do you mean is it ruined? I did not order a half rained on rug. I ordered a brand new, never been rained on rug. It might not technically be "ruined." But it's not what/how I ordered it. And it could have all been prevented if not for the idiot y'all have working for you. So yes FedEx, it is your fault my product was not delivered appropriately. And I will be expecting a refund, or a new rug. Either will do. 

After I spent all my energy cleaning a soaking wet rug, I decided E should be allowed to enjoy the rug. I blocked off the wet spots. Once I put him down on the rug with all of his toys he took off! He loved it. He is sooooo close to crawling. He army crawls very efficiently, he just has to work on straightening his left elbow out. And I have a feeling once he does we're not going to be able to keep up with him. I'm just thankful FedEx didn't ruin E's first impression of the new rug.

How my rug is supposed to look.

My half drenched rug. Hanging out in a pool of water. 

My pile of wet towels. 

Little man loving every minute of it :)

Rergression

About three weeks ago E got sick. While he was sick we would hold him and rock him to sleep. The first night I pretty much held him ALL night, because poor baby couldn't breath lying down. He didn't feel good, he was snotty, he couldn't breath. He was a pitiful sight. We were doing anything and everything to try to prevent more production of snot. Skip to three weeks later, we have a completely healthy, well baby and we're still having to do the same thing. He has completely forgotten how to put himself to sleep. He wakes up in the middle of the night (sometimes multiple times) crying and wanting to be picked up. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE rocking my sweet boy to sleep, but the middle of the night stuff is beginning to be too much. E is relying 100% on us to put him to sleep. Used to we could put him in his bed and he'd put himself to sleep. Not anymore. Tonight I met my breaking point. I rocked my angel to sleep and a couple of minutes after putting him in his bed he started screaming. He wasn't hurting. He just wanted me. I decided it was time to re-sleep train. Possibly the thing I have hated most with having a new baby. Pure torture for both parties, baby and parents. When I sleep trained E three months ago I used a combination of methods. I did to an extent let him cry it out, but after about five minutes of crying I would go back in and give him his paci. Tonight I used the same method.  After twenty minutes little boy was out. It was just so much harder this go round with him being older. I felt like I was neglecting him. I feel like now, being seven months old, he's so much more aware of things. Hopefully by in the morning he will have forgotten about all of it. I hated every minute of it. I had to busy myself with making grape salad just to not break and run in and pick him up. I realized, as a parent, there are going to be some things that I'm not going to enjoy doing, but that I know are the best for my child. Being a parent isn't always flowers and rainbows. I know it's not healthy for E to be up at all hours of the night. I know it's not healthy for him to not be able to put himself to sleep. I know it's not healthy for him to think he can only sleep when somebody is holding him. I just have to keep telling myself that over and over and over and over.....Hopefully each day will get better. We come so far, only to take a step back. The story of raising a child :)

On a more positive note, I am loving making E's baby food. He likes it as well. I've made broccoli (he doesn't like), green beans, peaches, cantaloupe, apples, bananas, avocados, and pears. For the most part it isn't time consuming. E hates the blender. It's a little loud. So E usually goes outside when it cranks up. Hopefully my inner granola crunching, tree hugging hippie stays. 

SuperMommy

When I was in the hospital after having E, I had the WORST nurse EVER. I didn't have her for just one day, I had her for four miserable, lingering days. I remember what she looks like, I remember her name. Cynthia. She made my post baby experience miserable. I will never forget the words she spoke to me "You can't be a Super Mom." Who was she? I just had a baby, I had a c-section and was in horrible pain (partly due to me rejecting pain medicine because I was still trying to nurse and didn't want my baby getting any extra medicine that he didn't have to), my hormones were at an all time peak, my boobs hurt like all get out, and I had no clue what the heck I was doing. Nurses who care for women post having a baby should be the nicest, caring, most patient people on the planet. Those qualities should be a requirement. No if, ands, or buts. Cynthia had none of those qualities. Patience she lacked. Understanding she lacked. Care she lacked. Every day she came in my room and stood at a dry erase board and lectured me as to what she expected of me that day. I dreaded her coming in my room. But one thing I will never forget is her words...."You can't be a Super Mom." 

I WILL BE A SUPER MOM. I might not succeed every mission as a parent, but I am going to try my hardest. Life is about lessons. Live and learn. Not succeeding doesn't make me not a Super Mom, the fact that I attempted makes me a Super Mom. The fact that I cared enough to attempt. When I couldn't nurse my baby I felt like the biggest failure. I felt like I couldn't give him my all. My body wouldn't allow me. But I attempted. That's what counts. So in an attempt to be that Super Mommy, I have decided I'm going to start making E's baby food. Coming from the girl who hates to cook. This could get interesting. I've done my research and it doesn't look too difficult. Wash, cut up, steam, puree, store. Tomorrow will be the first trial run. There are a couple of reason I've decided to start making E's food:

1. No preservatives
2. More nutrients
3. Can incorporate his meals with our meals
4. And most important to me, in hopes he doesn't become a picky eater if I can introduce more flavorful foods. 

So to Cynthia, there is such thing as a Super Mom. And I am her.

Wish me luck :)

Independence Day

What a wonderful day we had! We spent time with our wonderful family. We can never get enough family time. It's so great to see how E is loved by so many people. It makes my heart leap with joy. E will always know he will have his family to rely on no matter what. 

We ate lunch at Chris's Uncle and Aunt's house. They have a gorgeous home and we were so thankful they welcomed us in with an amazing Fourth of July lunch. E got to play with his cousin Mae Martin, which was so fun watching. They are two weeks apart in age. E doesn't go to daycare, so his interaction with small kids his age is minimum. At first E paid no attention to MM, but as the afternoon went on he began to notice her more. MM would steal E's toys and he would look at her like she was crazy (the typical E look). He was a gentleman and let her keep the toys. Probably from fear that she'd come after him (MM is crawling, unlike little boy). E refused to nap, he was too enthralled with the new scenery. For having no nap, he was in quite a pleasant mood. Proud mama. 

Chris had to go to work at 3:00, so E and I headed to Nonnie and Poppy's for some steaks and baked potatoes. E finally got a good nap. Thank goodness. He was a tired boy! Our fourth ended with E going to bed at 8:30 and me cringing every time a firework went off. Of course we chose a neighborhood to live in that has a lot of kids. Fireworks + sleeping infant = ROYALLY SUCKS. I'm going to use Chris's line of thinking, "Well he sleeps during thunder storms." The power of positive thinking. Even with my positive thinking I still freak out when I see the firework sound register on E's monitor. That's a significant amount of noise if it registers on his monitor inside. I've contemplated going all white trash mama on the whole neighborhood (makeup-less, panties and a shirt on, hair disshoveled, hot mess, screaming profanities). I want to yell at the top of my lungs "CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE!!!!!" But since E seems unphased I will save the white trash mama for another date and time. Back to positive thinking....he sleeps through thunderstorms. 

E and Pops

E is mesmerized by Pops. You can already tell how much he loves Pops.

E and MM

Sweet cousins

"Hey girl, where you going?" Says immobile E.

Sharing....or Showdown?

My handsome E

My gifts from God

Two of the coolest boys I know

Aunt Jenn swinging with E

So grown up

Not digging the sunglasses

Blackmail (compliments of MM)

A day in the life of E

I decided to take some pictures of a day in the life of E. I've come to a conclusion...his day consists of play, play, and more play. With an occasional nap and meal thrown in every now and then. He's so much fun. I love getting on the floor and playing with him. He loves praise. He loves when I applaud him for doing things. For instance, he has this one toy that pops open when you push the buttons, well I've been working to try and get him to close them. He finally picked up what was going on and started closing the pop up characters. I'd clap and say "YAY!!" He ate it up. Now every time he attempts to close it he looks at me waiting for me to clap and sing his praise. Such a silly boy. 

Can you tell he's teething? EVERYTHING goes straight to the mouth. He really wants my iPhone, but I haven't given in to him yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Lives up to his lazy boy label. He had enough of sitting up.

Little boy loves being outside. I have a feeling I'm going to have many muddy boots trampling through my house. 

E's Nonnie just got him this walker and he loves it already. We open the window and he'll stare outside. His feet almost reach...I have a feeling once they do he's going to be booking it. 

E has just learned to jump in his play saucer. And boy does he go to town in it. 

And this is E's second favorite thing to do...see that empty bowl. I can't wait until he starts eating "real" food.