Time together as a family

Cullen turned 27 today.
His presents were a dinner at Outback Steakhouse and new tires for the car. Oh and the chocolates that have alcohol inside them.
On top of all that loveliness he has had this week off.

So what have we been doing?

Monday – You know that great doctor visit I wrote about.

Tuesday – We went to D.C. and visited the air and space museum. It was so cold. We took the metro into D.C. and walked to go see the American History museum, but it is still closed. So, we decided to just head to the air and space. We nearly froze getting there. By the time we got there we had decided two things. Number one, Gregory needed a winter coat. He had outgrown the one from last year. Number two, Gregory was going to wake up. We were not about to walk through the whole museum with him sleeping. If he was going to sleep the whole time there were other museums that we would have rather gone too. So, I did the wake up thing. I took off his coat (still asleep). Daddy tried next “look at the airplanes Gregory”. All of the sudden Gregory snapped awake. He was very excited about all the airplanes and rockets.
For lunch we brought some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, granola bars, and peanut butter cups. There was also a McDonalds. I was craving some fries actually not fries I was craving salt. I usually wipe all salt off of any fries I eat. I added so much to the fries I couldn’t understand it. I guess that is what the baby wanted.
Before we left we went back and ate a bit more food. Cullen and Gregory both got ice cream. I didn’t want any. Gregory ended up turning into a walking melted ice cream by the time he was finished. We were all happy and tired at the end of the trip. Gregory fell asleep in the car ride home and slept for the rest of the night.

Wednesday – We went down to Charlottesville to see Cullen’s friends. I also went to a baby talk thing with free samples and the possibility of winning door prizes. I didn’t but it was still nice to go to it gave me a good reminder of the infant stage.
They said “sleep when the baby sleeps”. I thought how does that work when you have a 3 ½ year old. All I can say is I think Gregory will get to watch a bit more TV than he does now. I don’t think he will mind though considering he gets very little TV time now. The TV is like a treat for him.

Thursday – You know Cullen’s birthday. I can say that Gregory slept the whole time we were at Outback. He didn’t wake up till the end of dinner when I was trying to get his coat back on him. I tried to wake him up so he could eat. Well, when he is sleeping he is sleeping and you could have a marching band in his room and he still wouldn’t wake up. The meal was very peaceful and easy eating for Cullen and I. It was almost like we were on a date. Considering Gregory was basically not there. I just had him laying on the bench next to me.

Friday – That is tomorrow’s post.

Smiles

beat beat beat

Today I heard the heartbeat for the first time. They had seen it on ultrasound before, but being blind I couldn’t. So hearing it was more exciting for me. I wasn’t sure if we would hear it today, because I am only 11 weeks along. I guess my baby has a strong heart.

The last ultra sound they said the beat was 136 and today it was 140. I just wanted to write it down in case I wanted to remember later.

Smiles!!!

Another first for Gregory

Hot chocolate with marshmallows
He loved it.
He drank it all and then took a spoon to finish all the marshmallows

A good morning

102608 Gregory
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

This morning we got up and went to Mass. Gregory was well behaved. At the end of the service was announcements and a high-schooler went up to make an announcement about youth stuff. After he was done speaking everyone clapped for him. Gregory noticed this and decided to clap too. At the time he had a book in his hand and decided he couldn’t clap properly so he quickly handed the book to me and clapped very loudly. After everyone was done clapping Gregory turned to me and said “I clapped”. It was a cute moment.
After the service there was a pancake breakfast. We decided to go and it was very nice. Gregory ate all his pancakes and sausage and then he wanted more. I swear my kid can eat (when he wants to that is). He had dropped a few pieces of his pancake on the floor. So, being my helpful child he took his napkin and picked up the dropped pieces and put them in the trash. A few people stopped to comment on this. I think they were impressed. I always figured if you make the mess you should clean it up. Teaching this to Gregory has taken a while, but it works and he cleans up after himself. Of course I have to ask him to, but he listens (the majority of the time).
We then stopped at the store to pick up some stuff and then Cullen headed to work.
Gregory is now sleeping on the couch. It is a pretty day and as soon as he wakes up we will eat a snack and then head out to the playground.

Smiles!

(in this picture he is playing with his remote control car. The remote is attached by a wire to the car. He is quite happy.)

Now it is time to rest

102508 Gregory sleeping
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Today was rainy. That meant no playground. This fact is frustrating. Gregory and I are both happier when we get out to the playground. He gets to run around and well I like the fresh air. Oh well today turned out well anyway.
Even though he didn’t get his normal dose of playground he still fell asleep just fine. He didn’t want to go to sleep, but he did anyway. That is why his pillow is in such a weird place. And my baby sleeps.

This morning we went to a teacher supply store near our house. On Saturdays they have free crafts for kids. Gregory made a wind sock. He painted a piece of paper. He added streamers to the bottom. Then Daddy stapled the sides to each other. Gregory picked a pink pipe cleaner for the hanger. We have it hanging up in the living room. Gregory seemed to have fun. We also played play dough and colored today. Mommy needing a little break put the Lion King on for Gregory too.

A yummy moment today was when I melted some chocolate chips in the microwave and as soon as it was melted I dipped my banana in it. Yummy! Gregory also enjoyed this treat.

I am feeling a bit lonely, but I had expected that. Going to work five days a week to not at all is a big change. It is worth it though. I really have noticed a big difference in the way Gregory has been acting. His body is getting back to normal too and his nose hasn’t been running. The whole nose thing must have been allergies and some major ones too. A runny nose for a full year is a bit too much. I do think once he heads back out into the world either to school or to daycare again we will have the nose issue again. I will probably just avoid that mess and keep him home till he goes to public school. I will let that issue rest till then. He is three so it only gives me a couple of years and that fact is unbelievable. Time does fly and I am sure it will continue doing the same. Actually I think it will start moving faster once this little one is born. Two kids are bound to keep me much busier.

Morning sickness AND a show that I can’t believe was on PBS

I missed the class tonight and all because I couldn’t stop throwing up. Morning sickness this week has been so bad. I have been sick every day. Today was a bit worse and I just couldn’t make it to the class. That is sixty bucks down the drain. Oh well there is nothing I can do about it.
I feel awful.
I am happy about this baby and am just praying that morning sickness will ease up in a week or so and not carry on through the whole pregnancy like it did with Gregory.

PBS has a kids show called Arthur. I was on the couch today when the show came on. It was the bleep episode. I haven’t laughed that hard in so long. If I hadn’t seen it on actual TV I would have thought that it was only made to be funny for the internet, but it was on PBS today. I think the shock of seeing it on PBS made it even more funny.
It was to teach kids about cussing although I don’t think I want Gregory learning from this video.
I think the video made cussing seem cooler than it actually is.
(Well, and with mommy and daddy laughing through the whole show it didn’t help much either).
Gregory is still too young to understand exactly what was happening, but he did learn the sound bleep makes mommy and daddy laugh.
Oops.

Sometimes mommy is just not nice

A few nights ago I told Gregory not to turn on his light. He turned it on anyway. So I went over and unplugged his lamp. It was going to be off even though he wasn’t going to listen.

Last night while I was in class
At home:

Daddy and Gregory walk into Gregory’s room.
Daddy: “Just a minute I need to turn on the light”.
Gregory: “Mommy’s mean”.
Daddy: “Why is Mommy mean?”.
Gregory: “Mommy broke my light”.

Things are going to work out just fine

You know what is frustrating?
Trying to balance the checking account and being off by ten cents.
Then searching and searching and not being able to find it.

Other than ten cents my day went pretty well

We had the morning with Cullen.
He made lunch. I felt like I was going to lose my breakfast so I stayed on the couch while he cooked.
Lunch was good. After we ate he had to head to work.

Gregory and I then went to the playground.
Getting him there was one thing. Getting him home is another. Gregory never wants to leave.

Once we got back Gregory helped fix dinner. He is quite a helper.
In the middle of dinner Gregory said “Mommy I tired. I go to bed.”
Then he got up and went to his room and lay down.
I went in and got him in his pajamas. He decided that he was not actually that tired and got back up and played with his toys.

I actually thought he was going to go to sleep. Last night he fell asleep at 6:30 pm.
The night before that he fell asleep before dinner.
The thing is he has been sleeping clear through the night. This change worried me a bit, because it is so unlike him. I feel a little better because I got him to sleep at 9 pm tonight.
Maybe the extra sleep is a sign of a growth spurt, who knows.

Before Gregory went to bed he helped me make chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
After Gregory went to bed I was doing the dishes and couldn’t find the spatula to wash.
I took a look in the drawer and Gregory had put it away. He was trying to help clean up. Unfortunately he didn’t wash it first.

Tomorrow and Thursday I have a class in Maryland. Cullen has both days off to watch Gregory and relax. Luckily I have a ride up so he only has to drive me to my friend’s house. I just wish I could be home with him.
Good news is that he may have his vacation next week. Cullen needs a break.

So now I really don’t have much to do. Which is weird. The staying home thing is going to work out well. I don’t have to be going crazy every minute I am home, because I actually have time to do things. Another happy note is that Gregory has been acting happier and has been listening better.

So, smiles!

While I have been gone

The past two weeks
-
- The TV died
- Cullen and I went to a football Game
- I got sick


The dead TV is now fixed. A repair guy came today. The bulb went out. Cullen thought it was more than that, but it wasn’t so now it is working. So we had no TV for two weeks.
We only have one TV in our home. This is strange for the area we live in. Most people have a TV in every room of their home, but we only have one. It was a bit frustrating not to be able to watch it for that long, but in actuality we don’t watch much anyway.

On Sunday the 12th Cullen and I caught the metro into FedEx field and saw Washington VS. ST. Louis. It was an awesome experience even though the Redskins lost.
There were some fireworks and the cheering was great. Occasionally I caught a player in my vision spot.
Another thing is that I can hardly sit through a game at home, but being in the stands the game went quickly. I had a barbecue sandwich and a lemonade. Cullen got a lemonade too, finished off my sandwich and grabbed a beer. It was fun.

That night I wasn’t feeling quite right. The next day I got a fever and couldn’t keep any food down. I couldn’t even get out of bed. Cullen cared for me that whole day.

Other than that not much happened.

Smiles!

SAHM again

Well my last day at work was yesterday. What a relief!
The main manager asked me to come in again so they can get me a cake. Um, no. I gave them two weeks notice so my work knew I was leaving. If they had really wanted to do something for me they could have done it before I left instead of asking me to come back. I think that idea is a bit nuts. Oh that is ok. I did enjoy working there and I will miss my break buddies. The commute was just too much. On top of that I have been worried about Gregory. He needs some special care. His nose isn’t running as much, but there are other things. He has also had some diarrhea off and on for the past two weeks. It would go and then come back. I have done all of the right things but I think there is something I am missing. I also want to get him in a preschool curriculum. I will be starting one with him in November. I will just have some school time at home.
The hours that Cullen works and the hours that I worked, brought us home late. Sometimes Gregory wouldn’t get picked up till 9:30 pm. Those days He would be at home till noon and then go to the baby sitter, but still the lack of a schedule was wearing at him and he had started getting more cranky than normal. Also because of the crazy hours Gregory would be up till 11 pm almost every night and this just was not doing well for him.
So I am happy I will be able to take care of my son the way I think is best for him.
Cullen and I were rarely seeing each other, either. Cullen only would get two early days each week and the rest he would get home around midnight. So that part was hard too.
And the house was turning into a disaster.
Although on Friday night I got home from work and found out that Cullen had cleaned the whole place and he did a pretty good job about it too. I was so thankful!

I still can’t believe I don’t have to go back on Tuesday. It seems weird. I did enjoy working and maybe I will find something that works better for my family. After all I am a massage therapist. There are so many possibilities. I do enjoy massage.
So my plan now is to focus on getting this family taken care of. I do want to take some classes for continuing education, but that won’t be till next year. I have two little classes next week that I had planned a month ago.
Everything is still weighing on my chest. Ah I don’t know. This change may be harder than I would have thought. I do know what matters most though and that is my husband and son and my unborn little one.

Changes

I put my two week notice in at work. Yes, I am quitting. There have been booking changes that have left my schedule freer than is acceptable. My paychecks have been nearly cut in half. With child care and all the other bills it just doesn’t work anymore. Plus I am at work longer and for less money, which makes that change unwelcome. So, in two weeks I will again be a stay at home mom.
This decision has not come easily. I have been sick the past two weeks. I know I got sick because I have just been too exhausted. The day I was crying at the bus stop I knew I needed to do something. So now finances will be tighter, but I know it is the right decision.
I am also happy to know I will get to spend more time with both Gregory and Cullen. You see Cullen has to work many evenings. So, there were days when we only saw each other at 6 am for a few minutes. I feel as if we are becoming a family again.
Well I am still very tired so I shall go get some sleep.
(see you in two weeks)