Sick Days

If I had a normal 9-5 job, I would have called in yesterday and today. That is one of the toughest things about being a mother...taking care of a little one (as well as you can) when you are sick and feeling like you have been run over by a dump truck. Mike is home today and took the little guy out to run some errands. And I am blogging. What is my problem?

Emotions

Lucas let them all hang out while our visitors were here. His little personality is starting to show and he is a feisty one, folks. My kid? No way!? During the 4-5 hour drive to Yosemite, he screamed angrily probably because I was sitting right there and wouldn't pick him up. I tried everything to calm him, sang every song I knew, rubbed his head, held his hands, gave him toys, and he wouldn't have any of it. Dude, I can't take you out of your car seat when we are doing 75 down the highway!! Joyfully, he yelled again on the return trip. We were all in their rental minivan, which I am sure that now they regret getting so that we could all be together. Well, we learned to drive separate next time and to get our own hotel room. Our heads were ringing after the screamfest drive and I had to feed him all night to keep him quiet so that they could sleep. It's nice to be home and have normalcy once again. My kid, apparentaly, doesn't like change.

Oh and Christa's little Sam, who we dubbed Tank because he is so much bigger than Lucas, was a perfect angel. He either slept or smiled and squealed happily on the trip. Maybe he'll be different in two months when he is Lucas' age. I hope not, though, as they already have their hands full with Andrew, their active, two-and-a-half year old.

It was like Sam was Dr. Jeckyl and Lucas was Mr. Hyde.

Road to Recovery

Since Christa left on Saturday, I have been pooped. We had a wonderful, but very busy and tiring visit. Lucas was sick for part of the time and had a day or two of uncharacteristic screaming whenever I wasn't holding him. That was super draining. He also got totally out of whack sleepwise, as he was in his pack-n-play in our room while they were here. By the time that they left, he was waking up 2-5 times per night. And he had been sleeping 10+ hours straight before they came. Luckily, he got back to normal within a day or two of their leaving. Praise God for that because I was getting sick from lack of sleep. Now I just need to get into a workout routine again. I really wish that I had a more consistant running partner here.

Get Up, Stand Up

Lucas does now. It's his new favorite thing. It seems like he just mastered sitting up on his own and now he is off to something bigger and better pulling himself up on anything that he can grab. This kid is growing up so fast. We think that he will be walking by Christmas.

Breakdown

I had one yesterday. They happen every now and then. How come no one ever told me just how flippin' TOUGH this mom business is? Or maybe they did and I just shrugged it off like I did the warnings about the first year of marriage. I wish that I could enjoy it more. I am a bit of a type A basketcase which doesn't help me mellow out and just go with things. I feel better today after getting all liquored up. Just kidding, no booze, but I do feel more sane and happy.

Imprisoned

I put Lucas down for a nap a little bit ago and he didn't want to sleep. This is often the case--I don't understand why kids fight it when they are so obviously tired. Anyway, he was fussing loudly and I peeked in and saw the funniest thing. He looked like he was in jail, sitting up with his legs stuck out of the front of the crib and his hands clutching the bars, red faced and screaming. Hmmm, that doesn't sound as funny as it was. Am I mean? I went in and picked him up out of solitary confinement and hugged him telling him that it was time to go to bed. That seemed to satisfy him and my little convict is sleeping now. He'll wake up just in time for another round of his favorite, cold green bean mush in the mess hall, er high chair.

Vacation

My best friend, Christa, will be here to visit in a few days. I will be "on vacation" while she is here. Actually, we will be gone quite a bit exploring San Francisco, Napa, Gold Country and Yosemite. I am really excited, for it has been about a year since I have seen her and we both have had new babies in that time. Looking forward to meeting her little Sam and showing off Lucas. They are two months apart. Too bad they can't grow up together and be best friends, too. The house across the street is for sale. Maybe...

Green Beans For Sale

Lucas hates them. He gagged and sputtered and screamed while I tried to feed him today. I even tried to mix them in with carrots but he was NOT INTERESTED.

Trooper

Lucas was beat up yesterday. Seriously. I took him to a church sponsored Mom's group and one of the kids (a two and a half year old boy) clocked him in the head with a toy hammer as little Lucas sat innocently on my lap. My tough guy didn't even cry, though I had to fight back tears. How mean to strike a sweet little infant! Lucas didn't even take the kid's toy or anything. The mother yelled at the little brat, who proceeded to come at Lucas and hit him three more times. I felt like a fool for letting it happen so many times, but I just didn't expect it after the kid was corrected or in the first place. Today, Lucas has a reddish, black mark under his eye. A shiner? Poor baby. This is only the beginning of the fighting...Ugh, boys.

Eight Legged Killer

I am not a fan of spiders. With all there legs (and eyes), they kind of creep me out. Plus they bite and jump and make webs all over my house--inside even--gotta love it. Thank goodness for the Swiffer duster. We have a little bit of a problem with them here. In Florida, houses got roaches. Here we have spiders. I think that I would take spiders over roaches, yet I worry that one will bite Lucas in his crib (or me). I've found and exterminated several pretty big, threatening-looking ones by vacuuming them up in his room. I'm afraid to squish the big ones for fear that they will attack me. I know, I know...I'm pretty girly when it comes to bugs. I used to call Mike in tears, long distance when I was in college and discovered a roach in my apartment. "Help me kill it," I would squeal.

This weekend, I discovered a ton of babies nesting by our front door (luckily outside). I found and bought a spray that claimed to kill spiders and used it on them yesterday afternoon. I don't want hundreds of new spiders to infest our house. I checked on them an hour or so later and they seemed dead. Then I spied their pissed off mother lying in wait for their killer. No joke, it was a black widow the size of a silver dollar. I wonder how many of her husbands she ate to get that big. I got the spray and doused her too praying that she wouldn't jump on me. After this, I was actually afraid to go out my door for the rest of the day, though I did. I called Mike to warn him about her waiting in the doorway. I either made her madder or killed her and I didn't want to take any chances with my husband. To be sure, he squished her when he got home. I went out and checked the spider carcass and indeed it was the poisonous kind. Glad that I killed the babies, too. Eeeek!

Nuts

He's seems to be having a slight, potential reaction. It is so hard to tell...is it a drool rash? Does he have a slight case of acne? Or is he allergic to something? I decided to get off them again and see if he clears up. Well, at least I was able to finish off our peanut butter.

PB&J

I forgot how good these are. I hadn't had one for at least four months. Too bad that I couldn't have regular milk to wash it down with. Vanilla soy milk just doesn't do it for me. I'm back on soy, wheat, hopefully nuts. Life is continuing to improve. Now if I could just get enough sleep at night.

Job Offer

Today I went into my old office for a visit. The boss offered me a part time postion. I thanked her, what an honor to have an offer when I am not even in the market, but turned her down nonetheless. The only person that is going to be raising my little boy is me. I don't want to miss out on anything. I've got the most important job that there could be for me--raising a healthy, happy little son. It's the best, but most challenging career there is.

I did say that I'd be happy to do something very part time from home. She had some ideas of things that I could help her with. We'll see if anything comes of it.

Awwww Crap

Only one brownie left. I had to eat them quickly before they spoiled. You know, for the good of the baked goods.

Liberation

My life is getting better and better. I feel like I am really getting this mommy business down and then I have a hard day, but I guess that that comes with the territory. I love his age now...six months, though on Saturday he'll be seven, is really fun. The boy sits up, scoots around until his little toes have blisters, "talks" a ton...Bababababa BAH, reaches for and tries to eat EVERYTHING. He is a little boy now, not so babyish. And he is exhausting to watch and keep track of and he is not even walking.

My diet restrictions are lifting somewhat, too. We are trying anyway. I am now able to try to reintroduce everything...slowly. One new thing every 5-7 days and see how he reacts. If nothing, I can keep eating it. I am starting with soy, and then on to nuts, and eggs, berries, citrus, and dairy. So excited!! I see a light finally!

Yellow

My aunt recently told us that Lucas looked a little jaundiced and that we should get him some sun and get him into the doctor soon. I am so SICK of doctor's appointments so I waited until he had one yesterday and asked about it. "Does he look jaundiced to you?" The doctor asked what he eats. I told her...sweet potatoes, squash...she cut me off and said that he is colorful because of all of the beta carotene in his diet. Shew, I hate to see what he will look like when I start him on peas and green beans.

Thoughts on Florida

I am glad to be gone from the state that I grew up in. Not that it is really a bad place, with all it's humidity, hail, and hurricanes. It was a wonderful place to live, especially when that was all I knew. But after being gone for over a year, I still have absolutely no desire to ever live there again. It's not that I don't miss my friends and my family (Mike's) that is there. I really do. And it is not that my new area is that much better. I just want to move forward in life, not backward. I am not at all thinking of how I can get back there. To go back would be almost like we were defeated by the big bad world and needed to crawl back home to our security blanket. Though Mike's job is not entirely secure now (they are starting to lay off people), I would prefer not leave this area if he needed to get new employment. There is so much here to still see or somewhere, anywhere else. I am so over Florida. But do look forward to my Christmas visit!

Game on

So here is my new and improved running plan...run a half marathon in February and do the full a couple months later on April Fools day. That gives me about six months to prepare for the full. I think that that is an ample amount of time. At this point, I think that the goal will be just to finish the full--a worthy goal, I suppose. Check out the details on the Golden Gate Headlands marathon that I am planning to do: http://www.envirosports.com/events/displayevent.php?eventid=1549
Looks pretty sweet and includes a stretch of beach running. I'm psyched.

Freebie

Do the calories count when you eat a big wad of ooey gooey brownie crumbs/knife scrapings?

Thanks to Mike

I just wanted to publicly thank my husband for updating my blog site. This weekend, he added a photo of me in my profile and rearranged the placement of the links on the left of the page. Or bumped them above the previous posts and archives because honestly, who cares about that? I think that it is a big improvement, especially the cute pic of ME;-).

You should check out his handiwork on our family's web site--completely done by him at: http://www.thelomonacofamily.com/ . New photos of Lucas are coming soon (hopefully this week).