One week down

I made it through my first week back to school. I can tell you I love it. I am enjoying myself so much. For the first two hours we work on learning the material like bones, muscles, and other bookwork. Then we get an hour lunch. We eat and chat during lunch. I love my classmates. They are all so friendly. Then the last two hours we are in the massage classroom. There we practice massage on each other. I really enjoy that part. Today we practiced hand massage. We are slowly working our way to learn how to do a full body massage. I can tell you it feels very good. You know, being massaged, while lying in a dark room, half undressed, under a sheet, with low music playing in the background. I can’t wait till our class has more practice. Those massages are bound to get really good.

A Permanent Shut Down

My computer died - sniff, sniff. Yes, I did cry. All my pictures were on that computer. I had some of them backed up, but not all of them. Cullen said that I can recover that stuff. Maybe the computer can be fixed, but the way it looks from here I don’t think so. Of course it had to die the second day of class too. Figures doesn’t it.
On a good note, I love my school. It is wonderful. Everyone is so friendly. The subject matter is interesting. The hands on time is fun. It is just all around great. At this point there are a few down sides. First my computer died. Two I haven’t been able to read because I don’t have the player to read my books. I should get that tomorrow. Third I don’t know many bones or muscles in the body and I have got to learn them. I know everything will work out in a short time though. Everyone is willing to work with me.
I have learned a few things about massage, but not a whole lot. I know how to set up the table and am beginning to learn how to give a hand massage. I tell you it is fun stuff. I love doing it and I love it when other people work on me too. It is the best of both worlds. You have to know how it feels to make it feel good for others.
I have school tomorrow too and am dead tired so I will head to bed now. Oh and I am using another computer with my screen reader installed on it.

Alarm is set

Well class starts tomorrow. I am very excited. Cullen will have one on one time with Gregory. He really has not had much one on one time since Gregory was born, because I was always there. I think he will really enjoy the special time. He said he is looking forward to the time alone with Gregory too. I will also enjoy my special time in school away from my two guys. You know once I start working Cullen will be able to take off more Sundays and we will have more family time. I don’t feel like we get enough of that. I am also glad I am going to massage school because it will give me a career, which I want to have. After I finished college I did not know what I wanted to do. Now I do and I think this will be good for not only myself but for our family. I sometimes felt isolated being home all the time. My moms club and spending time outdoors helped. I guess my problem is that I need something to do for me. Caring for my son gave me tons to do, but I guess what I want is something to call my own apart from my family. That is just mine. This will be my career. Everyone needs something to call their own and this is mine.

A chick magnet

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory flirts with all the ladies and he has to look good while doing it.

I have the power!

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Now, old people, you must watch Elmo!
HA HA HA

Gregory doesn't even watch Elmo.
Why is he making us all watch? HELP!!!!

My backpack is packed

I am ready for school. My backpack is packed with everything I need for the first day.

My school supplies:
A set of twin size flannel sheets with a pillow case
Two bath towels
Pens
Colored pencils
Highlighters
3-ring binder
Paper
Dividers
3-ring plastic paper protective sheets
Zip up holder for my pens and colored pencils
Clip board with a movable plastic line (it helps blind people write strait and not write over what they have already written)
Tape recorder
Tapes
Batteries

It seems strange to have bed sheets and towels on the list of school supplies.
I am so excited!
And yes class doesn’t start till Tuesday, but if you know me, you know that I am the opposite of a procrastinator. For me everything has to have been done yesterday, or I worry. That is one reason I have trouble sleeping at night, because you can’t do everything yesterday.

If you want to visit the schools webpage it is:
http://www.studymassage.com/

Chocolate Life

As a treat Cullen bought some chocolate milk for me. I love chocolate, but you probably already guessed that by the name of my blog. Well, you know how tired a person can be in the morning. I got up and took Gregory down stairs for breakfast. I gave him some Life cereal to eat and I poured some in a bowl for myself. Then I got the milk out of the fridge and poured it on my cereal. I did not remember about the chocolate milk and so that is what ended up on my cereal. Remember I am blind, so I will use that as my excuse. Well, I can officially say if they ever come out with a chocolate flavored Life cereal I will not buy it. It did not taste good. So after eating a few bites I drank the milk and poured regular milk on my cereal. It did not help the taste much, but it was edible. I love chocolate, but there are several things that I will not eat that are chocolate.

No Thanks:
Chocolate covered bugs or anything that reminds me of a bug
Chocolate yogurt
Chocolate Life cereal

There are probably a couple more versions of chocolate that I won’t eat, but I can’t think of them now.

Going Bald

The other day Cullen was washing his hair and he called me into the bathroom.

Cullen: I think I am losing my hair.
Me: Really
Cullen: Do you think it is the hair gel? Maybe I can’t use this hair gel anymore.
Me: I don’t know, but your brother has a bald spot. Maybe that is happening to you.
Cullen: Uh. Wait. It is black hair. How did I get all this dog hair on me?
Me: You were lying on the floor and I need to vacuum. Feel better?
Cullen: yeah.

Play Time

Today I took Gregory to a playgroup. He had a lot of fun. He always enjoys other kids and other kid’s toys. I am glad to be able to take him. The house the playgroup was at has the air vents taped down, so her son won’t pull them up. Well, nothing stops Gregory. He pulled it up and pulled it up again. Finally a big toy was put over it. Gregory is a strong little baby.

Talking about strong he can put his hands on the top of my nightstand and pull himself up off the floor to see what is on the top of my nightstand. So I guess he is doing pull-ups at the young age of 11 months.

Blind photography

I have had people asking me how I take pictures if I am blind. Well, I am not completely blind I have all my peripheral vision; that is the side vision. I have no central vision in my left eye and I have a teeny tiny spot of central vision in my right eye. To make it more confusing for you, everything I can see I see perfectly and everything I can not see I just can’t see. So it is like now you see it now you don’t. Also I have good and bad vision days. Central vision is the part of vision that you can tell detail with and since I have very little central vision, I have a hard time knowing what I am seeing. So sometimes I just point and click. Other days my good vision days I look at the screen on my digital camera and look for a blur that appears to be a baby then, click. Sometimes the pictures may not be the best but I still have a picture. I am very proud of myself because most of the pictures that I have on my blog I took myself. Most of the time before I put a picture up I have my husband go through all my pictures and tell me what pictures are the best. So I guess I am a blind photographer.
Oh and I have a normal computer. My computer just has software called JAWS on it. JAWS is a screen reader that verbally tells me what is on my computer screen. It is wonderful! I am so glad that we have the technology today that will allow me as a blind person to surf the internet.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

I am going back to school, only this time I am going to massage school. Wow! I still can’t believe I am going. I start next Tuesday. Next Tuesday is soon. Wow! Can you believe it? I can’t. I am so excited! Can you tell? I have wanted to do this for seven years. I wanted to go to massage school before I went to college. I am glad I went to college first though. The classes are Monday through Thursday from 9am – 2:30pm, for 28 weeks. I will then be ready to take the test to get certified. Oh and one cool thing is that as a student I will practice on other students and that means I will get massages! Oh my, I am excited. Well I am going to go and spread the word.

11 Months Old

Gregory is 11 months old today. It is so hard to believe. He is just growing and changing so quickly. At night when I nurse him I remember how little he was in the beginning and how hard I had to work to get him latched on properly. Now I can just sit there and he will do the latching for me. Things have changed so much. Gregory knows what he can do and gets mad if you try to prevent him from doing it.

What Gregory likes to do:

Nurse
Crawl
Walk
Go for walks in his stroller
Swim (the water has to be warm though)
Talk (dada, mama, na, and other baby words that daddy and mommy can only understand)
Eat (pretty much everything)
Play peek-a-boo
Knock down blocks that Mommy sets up
Push his trucks around
Walk with and ride on his dump truck (it is like a bike with six wheels)
Read his books
Help Mommy fold clothes by pulling them all out of the basket
Push his stroller
Climb up and over anything (Mommy, Daddy, Writer, toys, etc.)
Hang upside down
Give hugs and kisses
And after all that when he is tired he likes to cuddle

I am not tired mommy!

081806 Gregory.JPG
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory would not go down for a nap today. I think his tooth coming in had a lot to do with it. Well he acted hungry so we fed him and he passed out, before we could get him out of his chair. Daddy moved him to his bed and he is still soundly sleeping. Hopefully this nap will do him wonders. He needs the sleep.

Tooth Number Eight

Today I found tooth number eight popping through it is on the bottom right. So now Gregory has four teeth on the top and four on the bottom. Wow what a mouth full! He also has been cranky and has not wanted to go down for a nap. So Mama has a cranky baby to deal with. Oh well, at least Daddy is watching him for a couple minutes while I let the world know about Gregory’s teeth. Now I know everyone is so excited that Gregory has one more tooth. Well, as Gregory’s mommy I can’t help but be excited about each little detail.

It is a kid bite kid world

Well Gregory got his first bite today, he cried, poor child. What can you do? Biting is what kids do when they are so young. They do not know any better. He was checked over and no red marks, which is good. He will survive. Maybe this will teach him that biting hurts and he should not bite Mommy and Daddy. Oh and the biter will remain nameless, because this was the biters first offence against Gregory and the biter is under the age of 18 months.

Surprise Mommy!

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory is playing peek-a-boo by going to one side of the tunnel and then surprising Mommy and Daddy when he comes back. Oh and when he comes back to our side he makes sure we know he is back with a shriek of excitement.

Going under the tunnel again

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory crawled back and fourth under this tunnel. It was so funny he would crawl to the other side turn around and come back then turn around and go back. What a great idea Gregory don’t make Mommy run after you. He had a blast playing on the soft toys. This is a cool mall play area for children. I wish they had one of these in Manassas.

A Walking Boy!

Today, or should I say yesterday, well you know what I mean Tuesday, we went down to Charlottesville. It was a nice trip. We went to see my friend Billy and his wife Laura. It was very nice to see them again. Billy was in my wedding. Cullen took some pictures but he did not get many because the camera battery died. So we only got two pictures of Gregory playing. There is a play area in the mall in Charlottesville. Gregory had a blast playing there. There is a slide area that is made of soft stuff and under the slide area Gregory could crawl to the other side. He kept going back and fourth. I am glad he enjoyed himself. After the mall we went to the downtown mall and grabbed some dinner. It was an Italian restaurant, but I can not remember the name. After that we headed to see Cullen’s friend Shane. I changed Gregory into his pajamas, nursed him, and then we headed for home. It was a very nice trip.
Oh yeah, I also went to a MOMS Club meeting today. Gregory was kissing Julia again. She was born the same day as Gregory. So at least Gregory likes girls his own age.

It is also hard to determine when to say Gregory is walking, but I think I will officially say Gregory is walking. He has got the balance and he walks to things he wants. He still enjoys crawling, and crawls to things when he is sitting on the ground, but if he is standing up and wants something that is not on the ground he will just walk to it. I guess I would not want to stand up just to sit down to get something that is on the floor either. So, even though Gregory still crawls a bunch he is walking a bunch too. So I officially announce his walking!

Now I am going to bed! SMILES

An old dog can teach a baby new tricks

Well Gregory is learning a few tricks from Writer, my guide dog. Gregory pants very well and knows how to snort. He will get excited and breathe really fast out of his nose. It sounds so funny. He is so silly. Oh and today I caught Gregory carrying a book in his mouth while he was walking. What will Writer teach Gregory next? He may have been carrying it in his mouth because he wanted his hands free to help him walk, but either way it is funny to see a baby carrying a book in their mouth. Good job Writer!

Shawn and Sarah are engaged!

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Well Cullen’s brother Shawn is getting married to Sarah. I am very happy for them. I have always liked Shawn. When I met Sarah I liked her too. They are planning to get married next summer. Shawn called Cullen all excited at one in the morning. News like that should not be put off. It is great to see Shawn so happy.
Well, next summer another wedding. LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

This picture was taken back in April when Shawn and Sarah came up to Virginia.

Sing with me

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y and Z now I know my ABC’s next time won’t you sing with me.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y and Z hey why are you not singing?

Don’t run over the blind

Today I went out for a walk with Gregory and Writer. We walked out the door. I locked the door. Then we started out. I did not hear him, but a kid came riding his bike strait for us. I was frozen. Crap! The kid luckily decided to crash. He missed us. For goodness sake it isn’t like there were very few people around. This is a neighborhood with quite a few people. So the kid should not have been going as fast as he was. Then I asked him if he was ok and how nice he ignores me, like I was the one directing his bike. Well I gave up on seeing if he was ok. Someone else had started asking him. So I decided to just leave for my walk. I am blind and not about to try to help some kid up that won’t even answer me. Who knows he may have even been giving me some evil look or something. Well some other adult was concerned with the kid now so I just went on my way. Oh and I nearly got run over two other times on my walk. It is like there is road rage on the sidewalk. I am also not trapping myself inside all day. I guess I just have to say my prayers before going outside.

Splash Time

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory is having fun playing with his bath toys and splashing around. He enjoys his bath time especially when I fill the tub high enough for the good splashes.

Clean as ever

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

I love holding Gregory after his bath. He is clean, happy, and ready for bed. Oh and all smiles!

This and That and the Other

Well, Gregory is asleep. I need to iron Cullen’s work clothes. I need to do the dishes. I need to pick up Gregory’s toys. I also need a snack. Right now I don’t want to so I am on my computer. I will need to iron tonight or Cullen won’t have any clothes to wear tomorrow, but is that my problem, really think about it. I guess it is. I will be a sweetheart and iron his clothes tonight. I can’t help it; I will feel bad if I don’t iron his clothes for him. So, I will face the hot iron tonight.

On a different subject I have a knot in my shoulder. It hurts, and is making it painful for me to turn my head. I got a new pillow today that should give me better neck support. Hopefully that will fix my problem of getting so many knots. They are not fun (ha ha). Cullen tried for thirty minutes this morning to get the knots out and it helped some, but they are still their. I need a major massage from a professional.
Also I have had a hard time writing long posts lately because Gregory keeps waking up during my computer time, so I cut my post short. I wanted to add to what I wrote about the Baby Talk cover article. I think it is sad that as Americans we have problems accepting breastfeeding as normal and healthy. I just don’t know why so many people (according to the amount of letters that were sent to the Baby Talk magazine after the cover appeared) have such a problem with a mother breastfeeding her child. It is not like a mother is feeding her baby because she wants the world to see her breasts. She is doing it for her baby. I don’t want the world to see my breasts and all the other mothers I have met would prefer if the world did not see their breasts either. That is why mothers cover up. Other mothers including myself would not want our babies going hungry either. What is better a breastfeeding baby or a hungry crying baby? Oh and one more thing although I am blind, of what I can see of the Baby Talk cover. I think it is tastefully done and a beautiful cover. The way the baby looks at its mother is a look I love getting from Gregory. It is a look that touches my heart. It makes me feel that there is nowhere else in the world he would rather be.

Speaking of Gregory we have gone swimming the past three days, but not today. Today we went for a walk. Gregory is loving the pool. I also think it is helping him with his balance. He can stand for a longer period in the baby pool. I think that is partly because he does not want to sit in the water. The water comes up to his chin when he sits down. Gregory does not like the water that high up. He walks around in the water with his float, plays with his superman ball and blue ducky and just has a grand old time. I know he is ready to go when he won’t let go of me to play. He also loves watching the other kids and smiles and laughs when they come over to play with him. They like to play peek-a-boo with him. We will probably go swimming again tomorrow.

Next subject – Cullen’s computer. It died again. Luckily Cullen’s friends in Charlottesville know how to fix computers. That has saved us a load of money. I don’t know why but his computer seems to die all the time. Well, Cullen went down to Charlottesville yesterday. He had a good time seeing his friends. I am glad to give him guy time, not to mention I hate the drive down there and Gregory does not like to stay in the car seat for that long either. Cullen came home about two or three in the morning. He should have just stayed the night. He called me at one in the morning telling me he was coming home and that I did not have to wait up for him. But you know me I worry. Cullen had gotten maybe five hours of sleep, at the most, the night before and now he was coming home. Of course I was worried. I could not go back to sleep. What a pain. I wish he had just come home instead of calling. Oh well I will possibly catch up on sleep tonight. So they are now fixing his computer.

Last Subject – Dad’s new house. My dad bought a house. I haven’t seen it yet though. We are going up on Cullen’s day off this week. The guy he was renting from was foreclosed on and did not bother to mention it. So they had to be out of that house very quickly. I can’t imagine finally getting things set and having to move. Things like that really do stink. I guess putting money into a house verses rent is better even if it is a pain in the behind to move.

Well I am off to my ironing!

What? Sit Still? How?

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory has gotten so big. He has his own seat. He likes to read his books in this chair. It is hard to keep him their long when we have the camera. He wants the camera and if you don't hurry you won't get the picture.

One happy Daddy

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

It is amazing how much Daddy loves his little boy. He is always making this little wiggle worm laugh. There is nothing but smiles for his daddy.

I love holding my son

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Originally uploaded by smileahug.

He is just so wonderful. When you hold him, he holds you back. It is love!

Busy boy taking a break

Busy boy taking a break
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

This is just a cute picture. He runs around holding on to the truck in this picture. He goes back and forth and back again. He will be running around so soon.

Breastfeeding - Nothing to be ashamed of

Well as you all know I breastfeed. This is a choice I made because I believe breastfeeding is best. Not just for nutrition but for the bond I have made with him through breastfeeding. It has come to my notice that the August 2006 cover of the magazine Baby Talk is causing controversy. I believe the arguments against this cover are a little far out, but everyone has their own opinion. My opinion is this: the more positive images in the media the better. With more positive images I believe a person is more likely to become more comfortable with breastfeeding in public. With a higher comfort level my belief is that more babies will be breastfed, which is a very good thing because breast milk is the best food for a baby. If you don’t believe me on that fact just ask a doctor.

The link to the article is pasted below. What do you think?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14065706/

Baby Talk Cover

Baby Talk Cover
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

People have been talking about the August 2006 Baby Talk cover

Taking some steps

Gregory is moving. He can now take from two to four steps on his own. He can also stand in one spot for 15 seconds if he doesn’t realize what he is doing. I took him to the pool yesterday and he was doing so well. He likes to hold on to his float and walk around the baby pool. He really loves the water. He just acts so cute. I love it! He will stand there holding on to me with one hand and bend down and splash the water with the other. What a boy. Since I taught him to splash he constantly practices it.
We haven’t been going on our walks lately because of the terrible heat. It just is not good for either of us. After walking to the pool yesterday, before I got in, I felt like I had already been swimming. I was soaked with sweat, yuck! It is just too hot. I will be so happy when this heat has cooled off a bit.
Oh and we got the stand for the TV. Now the TV is taller than me, on the stand. It is so crazy. My hubby is so happy. I think the huge TVs have to be a guy thing. The bigger the better, but with guys everything they have has to be bigger than their friends, their stereo, car, house, grill, computer, etc…
Well, I do love my hubby and my son. They both make me so happy.