The Boy Wonder Turns TWO!!

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2008 in Review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?Became the mother of two children.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't really make any. I was pregnant so I couldn't really use lose weight as a resolution.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, my neighbor, Jen had a baby girl, Anna, as did my friend Stephanie, who had Brynlee.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

The only person that I knew personally that died was Mrs. Allen.

5. What countries did you visit?

No over-seas travel for me this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

A flat stomach. Okay, I'll even settle for a semi-flat stomach.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 14, the day my not-so-little-anymore man-child was born.


April 10, the day I left my 20's forever and joined the "adults" in the 30's.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Having and nursing my son.



9. What was your biggest failure?

My personal blog and LazyMom

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I will forever remember The Great Plague of 2008. It wiped out my entire family for 3 straight weeks.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

New Living Room furniture!!!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My dad! He retired after 30 years! Congratulations to him!!!!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Politicians!!!!

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bills, bills, and more bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The ease of delivery with Jackson and the simplicity of nursing him for the past 7 months. AND!!!! How quickly I fit into my skinny jeans after having a baby!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Found, Travis Cotrell (actually the whole cd)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:


a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner
c) richer or poorer? The same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Blogging

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Mindless surfing of the internet

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At home, which is where I hope we spend the holiday next year.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Absolutely!!!  How could I not?!?!


22. What was your favorite TV program?

Heroes, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No.

24. What was the best book you read?

Just one???

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Agustana, Amos Lee

26. What did you want and get?

A perfectly healthy, beautiful baby and new living room furniture

27. What did you want and not get?

Pre-baby skinny

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Juno (not sure if it came out this year, but I saw it this year)  The Music Man and I watched it the night Jackson was born.  We cuddled together on my hospital bed with the tiny, squishy, bundle of pure bliss slept in our arms.  It was by far the BEST night of 2008 and certainly the BEST movie to watch while laying in a hospital after giving birth.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 30.  I wanted to go to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival, but it would have been too much walking/waddling for my 9 month pregnant body.  So instead we went to Lancaster.  It was great.  I shopped for the kids (of course! what else does a mom shop for on her birthday?!) We had dinner at the Red Lobster.  A F150 truck fell off a tow truck and smashed my van.  Happy Birthday to me!

  
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

One more day of preschool each week.  Working on that for 2009.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Same, pregnant or not.

32. What kept you sane?

Jesus, my husband, and my mom.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Will Smith.  He's my best friend, you know.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The terrifying bias of the media regarding the November elections.  They voted in our new president.

35. Who did you miss?

My brother and his family

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Jackson Warner Ball

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

"Look cute" when you go out in public.  Your family will thank you, even the little ones.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I'm Over by Travis Cottrell

"I lived so long in darkness.

 Fighting all I believe.

 I've questioned everything you are.

 But faithful as the morning star you never leave.

Oh, I'm over living life in fear and doubt. 

Oh, I'm over. I won't resist the One I can't live without.

I'm over.

I don't know why you chose me,

Knowing I would be weak.

Just as I am torn apart,

You run to me with open arms and hold me.

Oh, I'm over living life in fear and doubt. 

Oh, I'm over. I won't resist the One I can't live without.

And I know You love me even when it's hard to see.

I'll follow and chose to say I'm over.

You never said it would be easy,

But you promised that you'd stay.

You give me rest.

You will be here with me.

You'll never walk away.

I'm over.

Fighting.

Doubting.

Losing.

Drowning.

Running.

Fearing.

Oh, I'm over living life in fear and doubt. 

Oh, I'm over. I won't resist the One I can't live without.

And I know You love me even when it's hard to see.

I'll follow and chose to say I'm over.

39.  2008 in one word.

Jackson

40. Hope for 2009.

To enjoy each day as it comes.  To live life to its very fullest.  To please my husband.  To embrace the pure bliss that is being a mother.  To be a better person.

The UP Side to Nursing

I decided to write a post extolling the virtues of nursing to balance out this post.  As the boy and I keep working at it we're getting the hang of it.  Two weeks ago when I posted the down side of nursing I wouldn't have been able to nurse Jackson in the dressing room of The Limited in 20 minutes without a single pillow like I did this afternoon.

So here is the UP side of nursing:

• I don't have to worry about if  I have enough bottles and formula when I leave the house.
• Formula is crazy expensive!

:::

Sorry, but that's all I can come up with at this point in time.  

• My butt's still numb from sitting on it 20 hours a day.  
• Boobs are still HUUUUUGE!  
• Still getting clogged milk ducts.  
• Still have to dress with the boobs in mind.  
• Hugs must still be loose.
  
• Still have to wear a bra ALL. THE. TIME.
• Husband still can't go near them.
• STILL feeding the boy EVERY 2 hours ALL. DAY. LONG.

I think I could handle it all better if my chunky little monkey would just smile at me for any reason other than gas.

:::

Oh, but it does feel good to have him in my arms.  

And he smells so good.

And he makes the best sounds.

And he cuddles right up into my neck.

And he stops crying the instant he's in my arms.

And he has these big gorgeous blue eyes.

And he's so soft.

And he has seventeen rolls in his thighs.

And he holds my hand while he eats.

And he lets me kiss him constantly.

And he feels so good in my arms.

And he loves me best.

And I love him.

A Miracle of Sorts

Last night the Boy-Wonder slept through the night.  I'm still in a bit of shock over the whole situation.  I mean, he'll be just five weeks old tomorrow and breastfed so I wasn't expecting him to sleep through the night for months.  (I know, I know... I'm not that naive to think that this will be a regular occurrence.  I'm just glad he did it once.  Twice would be pure bliss!)

(The Girl Child slept through the night by five weeks, but she was bottle-fed with formula.  Formula fed babies go longer between feedings.  Bless their wee little tummies.)

Anyway, he was on a feeding fest yesterday, eating about every two hours.  By the evening he was eating pretty much non stop, every hour or so.  So when I fed him at 1030, I was hoping he would sleep for at least 3, hopefully 4 hours.  I was worn out.  

It was a round 2 when I woke up to hear him grunting away.  (The Music Man has begun calling him Grunty McGrunterson because he is seriously the gruntiest little man ever.  Grunts when he sleeps.  Grunts when he eats.  Grunts when his sister bugs him.  Grunts when he needs to burp.  Grunts when he poops.  You get the idea.)

I got up, went to the bathroom, and got my pillows ready.  I leaned over the bassinet only to find him completely sound asleep.  Ugh!  That meant that I would lay down only to doze off before he woke me.  Only this time, I woke myself up a half hour later wondering why in the world is he not awake!?  I checked on him and sure enough--sound asleep.  By this time though I was ready to feed him and starting to get uncomfortable.  I got him up and brought him to bed and tried with all my might to wake him and feed him.  Yeah, he wanted no part of that.  

So I decided to just keep him in bed with me so that when he did wake up in an hour I wouldn't have to get up again.  (By this point in the night I had been up for about an hour, so I was ready to sleep.)  We settled in.  (Blah, blah, blah--I know that you're not supposed to sleep with your baby, but you know what?  I don't care--he actually sleeps when we do and you know what that means--I get to sleep!)  The next thing I know it's 6am.  The boy slept for eight hours without eating.  (OWWWWW!!!)

I was never so glad to offer my boob to the little man!  He ate and ate and pooped and ate and ate and pooped some more.  Then went right back to sleep.  It is three hours later and he is still sleeping.  

You would think that I would feel so much better for having got a semi-uninterrupted night's sleep, but I don't.  I feel the same as when he has me up for hours and hours.  Funny.  I'm going to get a shower while the gettin's good and try with all my motherly might to feed the boy non-stop again today.  Yeah, maybe we could have a double miracle tonight!

So congratulations, Boy-Wonder!  I'm so proud of you!  I'm sure your dad is pleased with your lack of grunting and pooping last night!

:::

Sorry for any typos or unsensicle sentence structure (or made up words like unsensicle).  I'm not taking the time to proof read.  A hot shower is calling my name as is a cup of freshly brewed coffee.  I thought about working out before the shower.  I did.  I thought about it for 3.5 seconds.  Then decided that I don't want to.  I'll just burn calories by nursing.  It's this lazymom's way to loose weight.

The Other Down Side of Nursing

Clogged Milk Ducts.  

Need I say more?

The Down Side of Nursing

• Your boobs explode to an incredibly enormous size. 
  
• You can't find a comfortable bra that doesn't give you a uni-boob.
  
• Your bras now cost a whopping $60 a pop!
• Your boobs suddenly tingle whenever you hear a baby, whether it is yours or not.
  
• You can't abide hugs.
  
• Your boobs drip when you put lotion on your legs after your shower.
  
• You have to wear a bra to bed.
  
• You have to wear a bra AT. ALL. TIMES.
  
• Your boobs are twice the size of your rapidly growing baby's head.
  
• Your can't wear normal shirts without thinking about how you're going to be able to "whip it out."
  
• Your butt is numb 75% of the day due to sitting on it ALL. THE. TIME.
• You watch far too much television.
• You have a babe attached to you 20 hours a day.
• You don't want anyone, especially your husband, touching them or even thinking about them.
• You are the only one who can feed the baby every 1-3 hours, day and night.

:::

I'm discovering, much to my shock, that while nursing is working for us, I really don't like doing it for all the reasons stated above and more.  I know it's the best thing for our family, but it doesn't change the fact that I really don't like it.

I'm sorry nursing nazis.  I know you all think that there is this incredible bond that occurs while you nurse and that it supposedly can't happen if you bottle-feed, but I can honestly say I feel no more bonded to my son for nursing him than I did with my bottle-fed daughter.  

I'm not going to stop.  It really is what I want to do.  I just have to get my body accustomed to it.  (I HATE these ginormous boobs!!!  That's the WORST part for me!  Hate 'em.  Hate 'em.  Hate 'em.)  

I'm also hoping that in a few weeks I will be more used to this change in my daily routine.  I'm a sucker for routine and order.  I have a routine to my days that works so well.  Nursing throws routine and order out the window.  At least it has so far.  I'm sure we'll get it all figured out, but until then, I just keep telling myself, "It's the best thing...It's the best thing...It's the best thing..."

One Week Old

Why does this one blessed act hurt so incredibly bad!?

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