Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.

This is a very exciting holiday season for me. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I get to share it with Alex this year! Yay! Even Mr. Scrooge (Evan) has been in the spirit this year, allowing us to get a REAL tree. That's a first for us. In years past I have had to put up a sad little table tree that Evan sneered at until I took it down. But, this year we went as a family and picked out a tree, brought it home and decorated it. We put up the superyard (a baby gate on steroids) around the tree to keep tiny hands from pulling on ornaments or knocking the tree over, but he still loves to crawl over and poke at the ornaments thru the gate. It's pretty cute. Pictures will follow when our laptop is up and running again.

No NBA Star here

Well, I have some surprising news! You guys are going to be shocked to learn that Alex is SHORT! Now, I know you are asking yourselves, "how could that be with the genetic pool he had to draw from"? We were shocked too, but we have to face the reality of the situation. My dreams of raising an NBA star have been dashed.

O.K. enough kidding. We all knew Alex would never be tall. He'll be lucky to hit 5' 5. He had his 9 month check up yesterday. He is 26 inches long, and 18.12 pounds. He is in the 35th percentile for weight and only the 5th percentile for height. Doctor says it's to be expected since both Evan and I are short. Eveything else was great! He's right on track with mobility and verbal skills. They even did some kind of vision test that measures his eyes and screens for early signs of vision problems. He passed that with flying colors too!

While not an official milestone, I have noticed a sudden increase in the development of naughtiness. He is in to absolutely everything! If he notices the baby gate is down, he makes a bee-line to the kitchen. If he notices me coming for him, he kicks in the turbo to get there before I reach him. NAUGHTY!

But, as his naughtiness develops further, so does his cuteness. He now "drives" just about anything across the floor by pushing it while he crawls. He even makes a motor noise while he does it! So precious.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So Cute It's Scary

I took Alex to a pumpkin patch yesterday and took some pictures. He discovered hay and actually really liked it. I figured he would hate it since he hates to be put down in grass, but he didn't seem to mind at all. Go figure.... Anyway, we went with my Mommy Group so I am including a group picture of all of the kids that were there. Alex was a little young for most (OK all) of the activities, but I had fun subjecting him to various things in the spirit of cute pictures. The pumpkin patch was at a church and I'm hoping that they do it every year. It will be a fun tradition to do with Alex. They had storytime with a story about how to hug a pumpkin (like a baseball if you were wondering) and a sing-a-long, and a few games and such. Plus they had every shape and size of pumpkin you could hope for. It was a lot of fun!!

As for milestones reached since the last blog, Alex is a full on crawler! He can go anywhere he desires and is lightening quick. He's also pulling up on anything and everything as well as cruising. Any toy that he can stand up and hold on to, like his activity table, he now pushes across the floor and walks while holding on to it. He'll be walking by Thanksgiving I'm sure!

10 years ago I was.......

I was tagged by Charles and Erin, so here it is:

5 THINGS I WAS DOING 10 YEARS AGO ( age 21)

1. Drinking
2. Drinking
3. Sulking
4. Drinking
5. Working at Gambro Healthcare ( and drinking)

5 THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST TODAY ( Day is almost over so......)

1. Give Alex a bath
2 Give Alex a bottle
3. Read Alex a book
4. Put Alex to bed
5. Have a glass of wine & a snack (thanks to the next question)

5 SNACK I LOVE

1. Twix
2. popsicles
3. cheescake
4. banana pudding
5. Honey Dijon potato chips
( Damnit now I'm hungry)

5 THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE

1. Pay off my student loans and pay cash for the remainder of law school
2. Travel
3. Set up a trust fund for Alex
4. Invest (well, I'd wait a few years for Obama [after he's elected next month woooot!] to fix the economy before I would invest)
5. Buy a really nice house and hire someone to clean it for me. Oh and someone to cook too!

5 PLACES I'VE LIVED

1. Evansville, In.
2. Tallahassee, Fl.
3. Tampa, Fl.
4. Edgewater, Fl.
5. Sanford, Fl.

5 JOBS I'VE HAD

1. Wal-Mart
2. Gambro Healthcare
3. One Price Clothing
4. Bealls
5. Mommy

I TAG:

1. ANGIE
2. JAMIE
3. ANYONE ELSE WHO READS THIS AND FEEL LIKE ANSWERING

Creepy Crawly

Alex is crawling!! Ok so it looks more like flailing than crawling, but it gets him where he wants to go. A few more days and he'll have it down. Also new this week, he can get himself into a sitting position from pretty much any position. That's good news becuase I don't have to sit him back up every time he falls over. He does it himself now!

He went on his first airplane ride last week. My mom and I took him to Indiana to see the family and he loved it! He did great on the plane and he really enjoyed meeting all of the new people. Of course when we returned he decided that sitting alone on the floor was no longer an option (not that it really was before the trip, but I could at least walk away for a few minutes). Anyway, so now he throws a fit everytime I try to make him play by himself on the floor. Hopefully he gets past this stage soon!

We have also decided not to do the modeling thing. We went to the meeting and discovered it would be too much money to invest in head shots ($700-$800) with no guarantee of a return on the ivestment. The owner of the company basically told me that work is very limited for children under 2. So, while it's flattering to have our baby scouted as a model I think we will hold off.

On a side note. I have lived through my first two weeks of law school with only minor stress. It might not be so bad afterall!

Superstar

Well as someone,(Alyssa LOL) pointed out, I have been slacking on the blog front lately. So here is an update:

Alex is quite a little man! He is already sitting up on his own, can roll from his back to belly and belly to back, is reaching for objects that are out of his reach, can hold his own bottle and jabbers all of the time. He's growing up so fast that sometimes it makes me sad :( Each month I proclaim that it's my favorite stage of his development only to find that each new month and new milestone soon becomes my new favorite. It is truly amazing to watch him grow and learn new things. The metamorphosis from a tiny helpless infant into a little "person" is the most gratifying thing I have ever witnessed. I don't know how we did it but Alex sure is one CUTE baby!

Speaking of cute babies, Alex may soon be a superstar! OK so maybe not a superstar but I have a meeting next week with a modeling agency who wants to represent him. Here's how it happened. A few weeks ago I heard about a local magazine who was holding an open casting call for kids of all ages to be featured on the cover. A local modeling agency was at the location looking for new talent. Well after meeting with the talent scouts my niece (who initially had no interest at all) and Alex received letters requesting that we come in for a meeting. They don't want any money from clients up front and I know it is a legitimate company because they do the advertisements for Bealls. So, Amy and I are going to check it out. Alex may put mommy through law school :)

There is not much else to report. Alex changes more each day so I will try to be better about updating this blog :)~ Alex sends hugs and big slobbery kisses to you all!

unemployed

Well, I gave my notice at work last Monday. My last day as a contributing member of the workforce will be August 1, 2008. I have mixed emotions. My job is a huge part of who I am, after all, I have been there 10 years (God help me) so I'm pretty sad to leave. On the other hand, I'm super excited that I will be able to sped so much time with Alex and not have him in daycare at all. I will start law school sometime in the middle of August. I haven't quite figured out how we are going to work it out since Evan sometimes doesn't get home until late in the evening and I need to be at school by 5:30. Hopefully I can find someone willing to watch the baby for just a few hours for us. On another note...Evan had two job interviews last week, one with Polo Ralph Lauren and one with Bed Bath and Beyond. I told him if he gets the job at Ralph Lauren he absolutely has to marry me so I can get the discount!! Cross your fingers for us and if you live close by, invite us to dinner once in a while cuz weze gonna be broke ass crackas!!

So many firsts!

Alex is growing up so fast! He recently tried rice cereal and LOVED it. I have been putting it in his bottle for a few weeks, but I decided he was ready to try it from a spoon. That boy is a natural eater. He did great with a spoon.

Alex also visited the zoo for the first time on Memorial Day! He was all cutified in his safari outfit. I like to dress him for the activity we are participating in. Maybe I should get a life! He was mildly interested in the zoo, but mostly he just napped in the stroller.

This past weekend Alex went swimming for the first time. He loved the water. I predict he will be a water baby.

Nothing else is really happening. It's getting closer to the beginning of school and I am nervous about submitting my resignation at work. I know it's the right decision, but it's terrifying to give up my source of income. *sigh*

Rolly Polly

Alex learned to roll over this week! He can't do it every time, but he's getting the hang of it. He can't quite figure out how to get his arm out from under him and when he does get it out of there and realizes that he's on his tummy he starts to cry because he hates to be on his tummy. He's growing up so fast, it kind of makes me sad :(

I went back to work last week and I realized how much I dislike it. I like the actual job, just not all the BS that goes with it. Oh and my boss is still an asshole! Oh well, two more months and I'm outta there. Hopefully Evan will get the promotion that he interviewed for a couple of weeks ago which will mean more money and a company car. We sure could use that kind of break right about now. So everyone cross your fingers for him.

And for all the ladies reading this..............go see Sex and the City!! It rocks!

The Sweetest Sound in the World!

Yesterday I heard the sweetest sound a mother can hear. My baby's first laugh! I was changing his diaper and he was doing his usual routine with the smiles and coos, then just as I tickled his little belly he laughed out loud!! I have been anticipating that moment for weeks. For some reason I have been more excited to hear him laugh than to see him roll over. I was so happy I called Evan and my mom to tell them.

The sweetest sound was shortly followed by a not so sweet sound coming from my little guy. He must have had a little stomach bug because from about 2:00 pm yesterday he projectile vomited about every 30 minutes. He didn't have a fever and he didn't have any other symptoms so when I called the Dr. they said just to give him pedialite to prevent dehydration. I figured he would be up all not puking, but once I put him to bed he was fine. He woke for his nighttime feeding and has been fine ever since. No more puke. But, needless to say I had a lot of laundry to do today. Alex and I went through quite a few outfits yesterday.

Fist of Fury!

Alex discovered recently that he has hands. He spends a lot of time just staring at them in amazement. We like to refer to it as the fist of fury because he clenches his fist and throws it out in front of him and holds it there as if to say: "you wanna piece of me?" It's really very cute. He has also started to grab the hangy things from his activity center and bring them to his mouth. At first he just made attempts to bat at them, but now he can successfully grab a hold of one object and bring it to him.

Sadly, I enrolled him daycare yesterday afternoon :( *sigh* I have to return to work on the 19th. However, my boss has agreed to let me work from home 3 days a week. That means that I will only take him to daycare on Mondays and Fridays. I would rather not have to do it at all, but it's temporary. I did tell the lady who watches the infants that if he rolls over or giggles for the first time while he's there, not to tell me. I asked her to let me think I saw it for the first time. She laughed and said most parents tell her the same thing.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers who are reading this.Tomorrow is my first Mother's Day!! I'm super excited!!

Financial Aid

So after spending the last few hours trying to understand the financial aid process and filling out the bijillion forms required by the lenders and the government, I have decided that anyone who makes it through the process should automatically be granted a degree! I'm sooo glad that Beall's paid for my Bachelor degree so I didn't have to endure this process during my undergrad years. It's pretty scary putting myself in the amount of debt that law school will create. Tuition alone is 20 thousand a year! Plus I am taking out additional loans to supplement our income so I can quit my job and stay home with Alex during the day. I suppose you can't put a price on being able to raise your own kid though. It might be a financial hardship for a while but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. I just hope I can score a cushy job once I have JD behind my name. THEN it will all be worthwhile :)

Short and Fat

I took Alex to the Doctor yesterday for his two month checkup and apparently he's short and fat!!
He weighs 13 pounds and is 22 and a half inches long. Therefore, he is in the 75th percentile for weight and the 30th percentile for height. Anyway, the Doctor came in and asked how much I feed him and I said 4-6 ounces every 2 hours and his eyes about popped out of his head. He laughed and said that I was way overfeeding him. Apparently I feed him too much which makes his belly distended and he gets fussy. The only thing he knows to do when his belly hurts is to eat so he starts giving me the hunger signs and I feed him more, which makes his belly hurt more and makes him want to eat more.........I think you can see where this is going. It seems that most of the problems we have with him stem from overfeeding. *shrug* who knew.

He also got FIVE shots :( It made me want to cry right along with him. My poor baby looks like a pin cushion. He has been sore and cranky all day. I don't blame him one bit. Shots in the leg muscles hurt and he doesn't even have the benefit of understanding why he's in pain like we do. Anyway, I'm off to give him and bath and put him to bed. Hopefully he'll feel better in the morning.

God bless the inventor of the swaddle blanket

Alex is finally starting to sleep for longer then 2 hours at at time!! We never really swaddled him after he was about a week old because I thought he hated having his arms confined. I have read many articles and books about how to get your infant to sleep better and the number one recommendation is to swaddle the baby. Yet I snubbed the advice thinking MY baby was different and wouldn't tolerate the baby straight jacket technique. Well, I read a book that explained that one the many benefits of swaddling, besides replicating the womb is that it keeps babies from waking themselves up when they startle. I started to think about how often I see Alex startle when he is asleep in his bouncy seat or his swing and decided I would give swaddling one more try. I used to laugh at the people who would buy a "special" swaddling blanket asking myself what kind of moron can't figure out how to swaddle using a regular blanket, but I realized that the swaddle blankets have Velcro to prevent babies from wiggling out. GENIUS!! I now own two swaddle blankets and they have been a life saver. Alex goes to sleep about 10 pm and sleep until 8 am, waking only once during the night to eat. As a result he is a much happier baby during the day and mommy is less like a zombie and more like a human. So, I say thank God for the person who decided to put Velcro on a blanket. My only regret is that I didn't think of it myself. I could be rich.

On different note. I sent my seat deposit for law school today. So, there's no turning back! When August rolls around I will be a law student. A broke law student, but hey.....at least I'll be able to stay home with Alex.

Out and about

Alex and I have had a busy week so far. Monday we went to Mt. Dora with my mom and Kathy for some "girl" time. We walked around the shops and had some lunch. Alex of course demanded to be held most of the time, but that's what Granny is for :) Yesterday, we toured a day care center and it made me realize how much I don't want him raised by other people. I really don't want to go back to work and leave him with strangers :( This morning we met a bunch of other mommies for a walk-and-talk meet up. I found a group of ladies that get together weekly either at a park or some kind of nature trail and we decided to join them today. We went on about a 2.5 mile walk and met some fabulous mothers and babies! Too bad it was so stinking hot!! He was Ok for the first half of the walk until he woke up and realized that 1) he was in his stroller/car seat which he hates and 2) it was really freaking hot. So he was pissed for the second half of the walk, but we had fun anyway.

A poop hat for Oliver

Warning: The story you about to hear is not for the easily queasy!

So, I was sitting on the couch this morning feeding Alex much like any other morning when he began taking a poop. So I stopped feeding him for a few minutes so he could concentrate on the task at hand and I could figure out how I was going to con Evan into changing the diaper. Well, I began to notice Oliver at my feet licking at something on the floor. I figured he was eating crumbs from last night's dinner or just licking the floor because he's a weird dog. I really didn't pay much attention until I felt something splatter on my foot. I looked down and realized that the baby's diaper had reached maximum poop capacity and was now leaking out onto the floor.......which is what Oliver was licking up!!! Yes disgusting I know, but I warned you! So I yelled for Evan who took the baby so I could clean up the mess down the front of the couch and change my clothes because not only was it on my sock, but on my pants. I was also going to clean the floor but Oliver had taken care of that task for me by LICKING IT UP. Anyway, after the baby was clean we went to put Oliver in his crate and noticed a perfectly symmetrical blob of poop on top of his head!The baby managed to poop on the dog's head and he had been walking around with poop on his head for at least 10 minutes and we failed to notice. So needless to say Oliver took a shower with Evan this morning to remove his newly acquired poop hat. It was all quite a calamity. So lessons I learned this morning are as follows: Dog's like poop. All kinds of poop. Cat poop, baby poop, bird poop. If it's poop........dogs will eat it. Also, Karma's a bitch! As I mentioned before I was trying to get out of changing the poopy diaper and ended up covered in poop myself and cleaning poop off of upholstery which is much more challenging then changing a diaper.

April Fools Day

Well, another uneventful day at the Turpin/Paulter house. Alex and I watched some TV, enjoyed many..many bottles of formula and changed a few diapers. Alex is much more alert and responsive during the day which is really fun! When I talk to him and play with him he gives me a big gummy smile. It's neat that he recognizes me and thinks I'm worthy of a smile! He doesn't nap for very long right now, maybe 20 minutes at a time which of course means no nap for mommy either. But, I think I'm actually getting used to being sleep deprived. The highlight of my day was of course going to Walgreens by myself after Evan got home from work. It was quite enjoyable until I shelled out $85 for the prescription that should only cost $25. WTF?!! Guess I'll spend tomorrow on the phone with the insurance company attempting to sort out the problem.

Another day

Well today was not much different than the previous 27 or so days have been. I'm a little more rested. Evan was on baby duty until 4 am so I was able to get about 8 hours of sleep last night. It may have been the best sleep of my life. Mom came over for a little while today and helped a little around the house and gave us a break from the constant baby feedings (he still eats every 2 hours.) Tomorrow is Easter and we will be going to my mom's for the annual egg hunt/ peep massacre. Stay tuned to see how we kill the peeps this year. Last year we strapped them to bottle rockets. The year before we lined them up in a firing squad and shot them with the pellet gun. It's always interesting when you get all of us together. We really are not well. Hope everyone has a happy Easter!

what's this blog thing all about?

Well, Angie sent me the link to her blog so I decided to try this blogging thing myself. I recently had a baby boy named Alexander. He was born by emergency C-section after 14 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing (with no epidural because it had worn off by that time.) Yeah! Fun...right? But, in the end it turned out well. He was perfect and I love him more than I could have imagined. Now if I could just get him to sleep without being held.......life would be great. In the meantime, we'll just cuddle on the couch all night.