Things I have no Desire for

I've done quite a few posts in the past about my favorite things (at those moments).  I don't believe I've ever done a post on the things I don't like.  I think the reason is that it tends to bring about feelings of complaining and pessimistic.   Then I thought that it might sound better if I called it "Things I have no desire for" that way it's more about me and the things I'm just not interested in, rather than complaining. 

At least I hope that's how it is going to read...

Here we go...Things I have no desire for:

~  Sushi: Yes I have tried it.  My sister told me that I just needed to "try the good stuff."  I tried that too.  Same result.  Yuck!

~  Opera:  Not my thing...ever.

~  Fishing:  Boring.  (Although if you could promise me that as soon as I cast the line a fish would bite I think I would like it better...it's the waiting, and de-snagging my line that I just don't like).

~  Quilting:  Or really sewing of any kind.  I'm embarrassed to say that I once stapled the hem of my shorts. 

~  Running:  I have tried this too, it just hurts me too much.  My knees, hips, and ankles just can't take it.  I do however love to walk while golfing, swim, and take cycle classes.  I just can't seem to make myself enjoy running.

~  Cats:  They make me sneeze and get very red and puffy eyes.  I now give my husband a real reason not to be around cats.  He no longer has to pretend to be allergic to cats...I've got him covered :-)

~  Thongs:  (Not the ones on your feet).  TMI??? Maybe.

~  Family Guy:  I just don't see what is funny about it.  I've tried.

~  Debbie Downers:  I'm not talking about friends or family venting about a long day, I'm talking about those people who always seem to have something negative to say or complain about.  Yes, there are things I complain about...but in the end it doesn't really do any good anyway. 

Baby Advice Vs. Jacqueline

All new parents are given advice.  Sometimes the advice is asked for, sometimes it is given without asking, and sometimes we come by it through research.  Here are some of the tips we have been given, and how little Jacqueline seems to react to it.

Sleep when baby sleeps:
This would work great if Jackie and I had the same "schedule."  I am an early bird who is most productive in the morning hours.  Jackie is a night owl who loves to sleep and be calm in the mornings.  This works great for me to get things done and be productive in the AM...but when I'm ready for a nap in the afternoon, she's wide-eyed and active.

Sleep with baby close by you in a bassinet or a co-sleeper:
Nope.  Not for us.  Jackie is a noisy sleeper.  We tried this for about a week, but found that everyone sleeps better when she is across the house in her own crib.  It may take a while to get her sleepy enough to stay in the crib, but once she's out...she's out for a good 4 to 5 hours.

Swaddle baby when it is time to go to bed:
This is a great one!  Jacqueline sleeps so much better when she is wrapped tight in a blanket.  The catch is that she doesn't want to be put in it when she is awake.  She's got to be almost completely asleep in order to be content.  On a side note...whoever gave us the little Velcro swaddle blanket thingies, THANK YOU!

You get what you pay for in diapers:
Not entirely true.  At least so far.  We have used Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, and the cheap-o Target Brand.  My favorites...the Pampers, but we have had blow outs in all of the brands.  The best for our pocket book and Jackie's little booty...Luvs. 

A Diaper Genie is a must:
We don't have one, we're good.  Her diapers are fine in a regular trash can.

Get baby on a schedule:
Not there yet.  She's only 3 weeks old and I don't think she's ready to be scheduled yet.  She wants what she wants when she wants it, and this is probably the one time in her life when she'll get what she wants when she wants it.

Put baby to sleep by driving around:
We haven't needed to get in the car in the middle of the night to get her to sleep, but there have been times when she will go to sleep in the car.  However, that all depends on if she's hungry when she's in there.

I am sure as Jacqueline grows there will be more advice given...but end the end she is her own person and we may need to make up new techniques to handle everything she will throw at us!

Love

Nothing makes you love your husband more than seeing him as a father. 

Ethan had to go back to work full days this week.  It's only Tuesday and Jackie and I miss having him around.  If it is true that girls look for a husband based on the relationship with their father, I predict Jackie will find one great guy who loves her very much, wants to hold and hug her, and spoils her as much as he can! 

Getting My Groove Back

I finally feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things, or at least finding a new "swing." 

Today I managed to...
~ Eat breakfast

~ Feed Jackie (Every 2 hours)  And pump in between

~ Make the bed

~ Take the dogs out to pee...twice

~ Put two loads of laundry away (still have two to go...)

~ Did two loads of laundry...need to be put away

~ Give Jackie TWO baths...thanks to a massive spit-up by Jackie that got everywhere!

~ Eat lunch

~ Cut up a package of strawberries

~ Do the dishes and keep the kitchen clean

~ Sweep and mop the floor

~ Change Jackie's clothes three times...due to the previous mentioned spit-up incident and a blow out poop.

~ Get the chicken in a marinade and cut up the potatoes so they are ready to go in the oven

~ Enjoy some cuddle time with Jackie

All before 3:30.

Notice how "take a shower" and "squeeze in a nap" did not make this list.  I better get a little catnap in this evening, or I will be in for a VERY long night.  Shower will be first on the list tomorrow...

Trial and Error

Any other parents out there find it odd that you buy a toy, or a playpen, or really anything else that comes from a store and it comes with an owners manual or other directions on how to use it, but yet, you create a life and nothing. Nada. Zip.  Not one thing (other than advice from family and friends) that tells you exactly what you need to do to make this child "work" for you.

Yes, there are guide books that can help you, but as new parents quickly find out, no two babies are exactly the same.  What works for one may not work for another.  I now know that maternity leave is not just so that parents can feed and bond with little baby, but it's a time of trial and error and we wade through the murky waters of what works for little Jacqueline.

For those of you who forgot from middle school math and science days (or maybe elementary...) trial and error is the procedure in which you try one method to solve a problem, if it doesn't work and you "error" you just "try" something else instead.

This method was created for babies, I'm sure of it.

We try one thing.  Breastfeeding.  We get a poor latch. Error (and a very sore mommy).  So, we try a new way to get baby to latch and finally we start to see some success.  This took a few trips to the breastfeeding clinic and some very helpful nurses.

We try to take the old diaper away and then get new diaper ready.  Not fast enough.  Error, and a mess.  Try again, only this time new diaper is ready and waiting to be swept in to replace old diaper with barely a second to spare.

We try to get baby naked and ready for bath.  Error, and poo all over mommy's white tank top.  (The poo stain did not come out.)  Try again the next time...leave diaper on until right before going under the water.

We try to get baby to sleep in bassinet first night home from hospital.  Error.  Finally at 4 AM mommy decides that since we are already awake we might as well make this time useful and practice our swaddling technique.  Success.  She sleeps two hours in bassinet.  This one still seems to be working out all the kinks.  Some nights she likes the swaddle and will sleep up to four or five hours in the bassinet and some nights she won't even lay in there for 10 minutes.  Still trying to figure out exactly what she likes here...

We began the new trial and error problem solving last night.  Sleeping in the crib at night.  So far during the day she seems to be doing fine.  Things started off a little rocky.  I fed her, swaddled her, and put her in the crib.  Error = screaming for a good 15-20 minutes.  I gave in and went to check on her.  She was burning up...sweaty head and neck and just plain mad.  New plan.

No swaddle.  Still screaming.  She had used up so much energy screaming that she was now hungry again.  A lot of screaming plus a little food made for a very sleepy baby.  Once she was asleep in my arms I put her in the crib (sort of on her side, she likes to roll on her side).  SUCCESS!  She slept like that for a good 4 hours!  Only waking up to eat and go right back to sleep for another 3 hours! 

That all made for the best night sleep for mommy and daddy so far.  Not having her in our room makes a huge difference.  I'm not focused on every little sigh and coo she makes and she seemed to sleep more soundly too. 

I only hope that this pattern can continue tonight...

Jacqueline's First Sacrament

Sunday was a very special day in the life of little Jackie.  Not only was it he first Easter, but she was also welcomed into the Catholic Church by receiving her first sacrament.  Baptism.  Jacqueline was surrounded by so many of her family, I sure hope she knows how special she is and how much she is loved. 

At the baptism with Jacqueline's Godparents, Kevin and Michelle and Fr. Hoisington

I have to admit while we were going through the ceremony I had fight back tears of joyous emotion.  The life that we have before us and the potential that she has can be very overwhelming.  I hope that we are able to teach her how much better life is when she trusts God and all that He can do.  Life doesn't always go the way we want to, and I have come to realize that the week is always better when it starts with Mass on Sunday.  I hope that we can teach her just how important it all is. 

We are all granted with the gift of free will and it truly is a great thing.  I believe the meaning of free will changes for each of us as we pass through the different stages of life.  To a teenager free will meant that I had the power to chose what I wanted to do.  As an adult trying to become stronger in my faith, it changed to a gift from God and only with God's assistance will we truly be happy.  However, as parents, it shifts once again.  This time it is a little more scary.  Are Ethan and I going to do a good enough job teaching her about Christ and the Catholic Church that she will make good choices in life and learn to love as God wants us to???

I hope that through God we are able to raise a happy, healthy, and faithful little girl.  And I pray she makes the choice later in life to continue that faith.

Before and After

Before:  I felt your kicks in my belly

After:  I watch you kick daddy in the tummy while he holds you.

Before:  I enjoyed a bump up in the bra size.

After:  Up two sizes :)

Before:  We would talk to you in my belly, saying how we were so excited for you to come.

After:  We kiss your face and talk to you about how happy that you are here...and amazed that just a few days ago you were all stuffed in my tummy.

Before: I couldn't sleep well at night because my belly was so big and in the way of every comfortable way to sleep.

After:  I don't sleep because I am up with you... Worth it.

Before:  Before I counted the number times you got the hiccups a day

After:  I count your fingers and toes

Before: 













After: