Mommyitis

Just a little update from us...all I seem to tell you about lately is what we're NOT doing ;-) I've gotten to spend a lot of time with friends lately, which has been so wonderful! I kind of fell off the map after I became a mommy, but now I'm starting to live back into some of the other roles that define me, including "friend." I had lunch last Sunday with three of my best girlfriends. We have five little boys between us...not a girl in sight! We wouldn't have it any other way, though!

Micah is such a joy right now! He's porking up on solids and rolling all over the place. He has not figured out how to roll from front to back yet, so he is constantly getting stuck and wanting to be rescued. He's very interested in what's happening around him. Jamie can't even talk to me while I'm nursing anymore because Micah will try to get into the conversation. He loves to stroll outside, and he loves to be carried around in the Baby Bjorn. I never thought I'd be into baby wearing, but it's a great way to keep him happy and close and also get things done around the house.

Micah is nursing six times a day, and three of those meals include solids. One of those is an attempted bottle. He will take anywhere from 1-3 ounces from the bottle. I know this isn't enough for a single feeding, so I did some online research and found that he's "reverse cycling." This means he's eating just enough to get by and then waiting for the next nursing to make up for it. Smart baby. We are sticking with it, though. I've also introduced a sippy cup, but right now we're just letting him play with it to figure out how it works.

Micah has come down with a case of Mommyitis. He makes it known that Mommy is his favorite, no matter whose feelings it hurts ;-) He hasn't done too well in the church nursery the last several weeks. We will keep at it though. This consistency thing is so hard. It really would be easier in the short run to just do what makes him happy. But I have an end goal in mind...

Not Me Monday

I did not have a two hour lunch with my girlfriends yesterday. I was not looking forward to this for weeks, and it was not the most I've gotten out without my baby since he was born.

I do not threaten several times a day to quit my job. Micah always naps when I want him to, so I have plenty of time to keep up the house, care for him and work.

My husband does not go around the house singing "Pants on the Ground." I do not think this is hysterical.

I do not check on Micah multiple times a night. I do not put my finger under his nose to make sure he is breathing. I do not sometimes wish we co-slept.

I do not have a sink full of assorted bottles rejected by my son. He does not demand the boob and will take milk however it is served. I do not fear that this will never, ever change.

I am not super excited that Dr. Cameron is returning to House at the end of the season. I did not learn this information from a House spoiler site. I do not have the time to read such things.

When Micah cries, he is not calmed when Jamie pretends to use him as a periscope. I do not quit whatever I'm doing to come witness this each and every time.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. I dig this gal. Granted, she's into "Not Me...Ever!" things like co-sleeping and breastfeeding for 5,976 years - but she's also into Jesus, and I like reading the daily musings of her family of six.

I do not sometimes put my baby down for naps simply because I need a break. I know how important sleep is to a growing infant, so I only put him down for naps when I know he really needs them.

I did not get jealous recently when friends were talking about going on a week long vacation sans children. After all, I can "vacate" for up to two hours at a time, and that's pretty awesome.

I did not zone out when my husband was talking about an upcoming race and then say "yes" after he asked me a question. I know exactly what he asked and what I said "yes" to.

I did not pretend to not hear my baby chatting on the monitor this morning. I did not hope that my husband would get him this time.

I did not go to the gym recently and then stop by Burger King for a cheeseburger on the way home.

I did not start talking to my husband about a second child. We agreed to wait three years, and I'm fully committed to that and would never change my mind. He also did not look at me and say, "You're crazy." Or something like that.

Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

Somebody alert Sarah Palin! There's a rogue child hanging out near our house, and it's really kinda creepy. The town of Winterville is in the process of expanding the park behind our neighborhood, and one of the additions is a walking trail. I'm super excited about this - Micah and I have already been strolling there twice this week. Well, today the whole family went, and we were followed by this rogue child carrying two pieces of rebar and a pellet gun. Every now and then, he would start shooting that gun. I was about to freak out! Jamie had just asked me, "Do you feel safe walking on this trail alone?" And I had said, "Oh, yes, very safe." We tried to lose this child, but to no avail. He stayed right with us for two loops around the trail. My eye was on that pellet gun the whole time. If he so much as waved it in Micah's direction, I was taking him down. Craziness. When we started to head back home, the child actually looked disappointed. This is the point where I want to launch into my "people need to control their children" lecture, but I'll refrain.

So I learned a valuable lesson last night: If I drink caffeine at dinner, the whole family will be awake most of the night. Now that Micah's stomach has recovered from last week, he has been sleeping 11+ hours at night. That is, until last night when he decided that 3am would be a good time to start his day. Jamie and I took turns trying to re-settle him to no avail. I knew it was my fault, so I felt bad...but not so bad that I didn't ask Jamie to take the 5:30-7am shift so that I could get a little sleep. We're all walking around like zombies today.

Maybe This Week Will Be Better Than The Last...

Last week was an emotional roller coaster for me. It started with Micah's 4 month doctor's appointment. We became overly concerned about his weight and decided to supplement with some formula, and the iron in the formula completed wrecked his stomach. He didn't want to eat much of anything for several days, and I was about to lose my mind. Nothing to me is more stressful than when my baby refuses to eat...Then, we found out that a friend of the family had delivered a stillborn baby at full term. We had jokingly referred to baby Caroline as Micah's girlfriend. Her family was so excited about her birth - they had even kept up their Christmas tree until her arrival because Santa had left her some presents. I was in a funk for days over that. They still need prayer as they try to rebuild their lives, so please remember the Bucks.

This week has started much better! Micah is on the mend, I celebrated by 30th birthday yesterday, and today I'm using some of my Christmas money to pay for help with housework :-) As I get older, the "gift" I really want is more quality time with my husband and son. Quality = not worrying about all the things still left on my to-do list. So, paying a friend to come clean my house is more exciting to me than a fancy piece of jewelry. Everyone asks how 30 feels. As Micah wipes his nose across my face while I type this, I feel very, very blessed. I have the family I always wanted, but I am a lot more aware of the fact that time is passing. Of course I always knew that, but something about 30 has reminded me that I'm not going to live forever.

So, in honor of not living forever, I did come up with a New Year's goal (yes, only one) that I hope will give my life more "eternal impact." This was a challenge set forth by our pastor last weekend.

I want to invest more in my relationships, specifically with my girlfriends.

Since Micah's birth, I've been really lax about that. I have some awesome women in my life, and I want those relationships to grow deeper and more authentic in 2010. I know this requires one main thing - TIME - so part of my goal is making the time to invest in these relationships.

4 Month Checkup

Micah is going to stop smiling at pretty girls in the pediatrician's office. They turn around 5 minutes later and give him a shot! Micah had his 4 month checkup yesterday. Developmentally, he's doing great, hitting all his milestones. His height is something like a 7-month old, 27.75 inches and in the 99th percentile. His weight, on the other hand, is of some concern to us. He hasn't hit 13 pounds yet and is only in the 13th percentile. The doctor did not seem concerned, but she did ask that we come back in a month for another weight check. The funny thing is this baby is about to eat us out of house and home! We're back to six liquid feedings a day (had gone to five but quickly realized he needed more) plus three solid feedings. He can easily put away two servings of baby food at dinner and a little less at breakfast and lunch. And he sleeps all night. I'm stumped! I really want to keep nursing, so I hope he'll gain enough weight that we don't have to offer formula supplements.

UPDATE: After spending much of the day in tears over the thought that I've been starving my child, we have decided to add some formula into Micah's diet. The pediatrician did not think it was necessary yet, but Jamie and I were very concerned about the difference between Micah's height and weight. It didn't seem normal to us for a child to grow 3+ inches in two months but only gain two pounds.

We've also decided to change pediatricians. This is something I've been thinking about for several months, but I wanted to give our current practice a fair chance. We've now seen all the doctors there and continue to be underwhelmed, so we are switching to another office in town much closer to our home. I'm very relieved on all fronts. I had planned to nurse Micah for a year, but obviously he's not getting the fat content that he needs, and so we need to do what will keep him healthy. Living and learning...

Best Year Ever

Christmas Day, 2009

"2009 was the most awesome year ever, and I hope we don't repeat it in 2010!" - Jamie

That's my husband's way of saying that he is perfectly happy right now with our ONE child ;-) I've already forgotten some of the details of those early days home with Micah, and that makes me panic a little. He recently figured out that he can splash in the bathtub. This week he started chuckling. I want to freeze these moments. 2009 was the best year of my life.

I've looked forward to being a wife and mom my whole life, so this year I can say that all my dreams came true. I always pictured myself with a daughter, but I praise God daily for the privilege of raising this precious little boy. I wouldn't take any little girl in the world for him!

Not that motherhood is easy. At least once a week, I come to the end of myself and have to rely on God's grace and strength to get me through. Last night, Micah cried out five times for his passy, and today he didn't feel like napping. He screamed most of Christmas Eve, but three nights later he was a perfect angel for Jamie's family. I desperately want to figure this child out, but I also know he's not a math problem that always comes out the same. Every day is different, and it rocks my world in so many wonderful, exhausting, thrilling, delightful, frustrating, loving ways.

Praying for another year with my family and watching our little boy grow up!