Well, it's been a few days since my last post.  We're still hanging in there.  Wendy, George and Mason were at the Klebba house yesterday and today.  It was kinda strange to be alone (with Otto) in my house again.  It's been a WHILE since that's happened.  It was nice.  

Work is slow as I transition back to the grind, so it was nice to relax and take it easy.  Did I nap?  No, of course not.  I should have.  Today Mom came over and she killed herself helping with my yard.  She did most of the work . . . weeding the patch of dirt in the alley, picking up poop in the back yard, cutting & edging the grass, cutting back dead shrubs, pulling up some other dead shrubs, digging out the poppies and irises we dislike, etc.  We tied it all up on a tarp.  Tonight I hope the boys will take it away!  It's a LOT of yard trash.

My baby drama of the week is all about production of breast milk.  When GV isn't here I am not making enough milk to replace what he's eating.  Sooooo . . . I am going to have to start the slow transition to supplementing with some formula.  I fought it another day.  So today GV got the good stuff.  We'll probably see how the next few days go and then kick in the formula tomorrow or Saturday.

I am going to try the "regular" kind again first.  Maybe he's outgrown his allergy??  I've been having some dairy in my diet and he seems to be better.  Maybe he can handle regular formula (PLEASE) now as well.  So, he's taking 6 oz bottles, 5 times a day.  We'll start with one or two feedings and mix in 2 oz of formula with 4 oz of breast milk and slowly slowly slowly transition him over to formula.  

Good times!!

XOX

Mom

Well, it was back to the real world for me today.  Another day of firsts.  Today was my first day of real exercise since having George.  Otto is really making out on this deal.  I took Otto with me on my 25 min walk/jog this morning.  Now Wendy has taken him with her out for a walk with the boys.  I bet that's a scene - Wendy and the three little guys cruisin the streets.  Mason is in the Ergo baby carrier and GV is strollin in his Snap-N-Go.  Awesome!!  It's going to be 70 degrees here today.  What a good life we have!

Alright . . . I just did the math.  Today Wendy managed:

• 5 bottles given
• 10 diapers changed
• 22 ounces of milk fed
• 55 minutes of tummy time
• 575 minutes of nap time 

So, a busy day indeed!  It was a good one.  I think Gwen had a more difficult day than Wendy.  I was very lucky to be able to be here with GV all day and watch how he did.  He napped better today than he has in some time.  Wendy (rightfully so) decided to start immediately with naps in their cribs.  If they nap in strange places we'll start something that we may not enjoy in a few months or years.

We moved the Pack-N-Play upstairs for Mason to sleep in.  It's in the guest room right now.  I went to Target tonight and got a cheap changing table to go in the main floor.  It's not gorgeous (I said it was cheap), but the height is better than the Pack-N-Play and it's not as big.  It will only hold a baby up to 25 pounds, so I guess we won't have it forever anyway.  GV is growing to fast.  ;)

The day went by fast.  I think other than some usual late afternoon fussiness from Master George, we couldn't have asked for a better day.  Time for that last feeding of the day around here and then back to dreamland!

XOX

Mom

More coming later on our fabulous first day with Wendy.  For now, enjoy this pic of her juggling both boys.  Mason was hungry and George was fussy.  Wendy wrangled them both at once.  What was I doing? . . . watching . . . and taking this picture:

Mason's first day of Wendy-care.  It looks like he's enjoying himself.

Wendy Starts Today!

Here are the Klebbas showing her the Mason ropes:

Tomorrow is the big day!!  It's finally back to work and on to a new start in our lives.  Wendy and the Klebbas will all be here around 7:30 am tomorrow.  I'm fortunate that I will be here all day and able to answer questions, help Wendy find stuff, etc.  I know it will be a difficult transition for all three gals (Gwen, Wendy and me), but I know we'll all be great.

Truthfully, I am VERY excited about it.  In fact, I feel a little guilty that I don't feel more upset.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to get back to work, to earn my salary again, to think about work stuff, to exercise again without carrying GV along, to run errands and start dinner when work is done but Wendy is still here.  It will definitely have some serious advantages.

I am THRILLED that we got GV on a solid schedule before this big change occurred.  So, it'll be up at 6:30 for his feeding, then he'll be up for a little while when Wendy arrives.  Soon after though it's back to bed for an am nap.  He'll eat at 6:30 am, 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, 6:30 pm and then it's down to bed after that feeding.  We'll wake him at 10:30 pm for the last feeding and then off to dreamland again.  It'll start over at 6:30 am.

Tonight . . . still lots left to do . . . move & finish laundry, empty dishwasher, clean out closet, file paperwork in basement, and SLEEP!!  

Wendy - we'll see you in the morning!!

XOX

Mom

Last night George slept over at Judi's.  I went to Kristine's house for girls night while Jeff and Matt stayed at our house and watched the Cavs win came three.  It was a fun night.

This morning I picked Judi and George up and the three of us went to the local elementary school's annual baby sale.  I focused on the immediate clothing needs, although it MIGHT have been smart to look at a few sizes up.  Oh well, instead I got a TON of great buys in the 3 - 6 month size.  Clothes were all $2 per item.  I got some heavy stuff for our summer camping trips.  I got a 50 SPF swim outfit - full body kinda thing - so we can hit the pool this summer.  The bottles we use that are normally $10 EACH.  I got 4 for $1.  NICE!!  A few things we got still had the original tags on them.  

Afterwards we came home for a feeding and then Judi and I headed out while my three boys stayed here and entertained one another.  Mom and I headed to the craft store where we picked out fabric so Mom could make us some thick baby blankets - quilted almost.  We LOVE the blanket Aunt Sue made George that we got at our Ohio baby shower.  Mom is going to try (and will succeed I'm sure) to replicate that.  We even saw the same fabric, so I think we got the right stuff and she'll have great luck!  We also got some fabric to try to make our own burp cloths and a nursing pillow cover.  She's gonna be one busy gal.

Now George and I are at home together while Jeff's at Lowe's looking at small gas grills.  George is catching up on some zzzzs in the swing.  I think I'll go hit the sofa and catch a few zzzs myself while I can.

Tonight I think we're headed next door for a few drinks and to hang out for a little while.  Not sure yet what's for dinner.  I thought we were doing Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, but I am not sure anymore.  Waiting for Jeff to get back so we can decide.

XOX

Mom

Otto standing guard over play time.

We talked to the doc tonight.  George's jaundice level was 1.9 this morning.  No more tests for us!!  WoooHooo!!

Here's a little snippet of a modified tummy time from today!  He'd been awake for a while now, so he's starting to drift off.  I just thought you guys would want to see the little man in action, instead of just a picture.  Enjoy!

Look at my super cutie.  I am LOVING these new shoes.  He's sooooo stylish.  

Today poor George went BACK to the pediatrician's office for another jaundice test.  He looks REALLY white, so I am sure it'll be fine.  We're waiting to hear the results.  He weighed in today at 13 pounds and 3.5 ounces.  Oh yeah!!  He's doing great.

Last night I heard him crying at 5 am, but it soon ended and we slept until 6:30.  He's doing GREAT sleeping through the night!

XOX

Mom

We're on a roll!!  I hate to jinx the situation, but we had another sleeping through the night!!  We put him down after the 7 pm feeding.  Then we woke him at 11 and gave him a 6 oz bottle of breast milk.  Then it was off to bed for all of us.  I read with the monitor on to make sure he went to sleep and then I turned it off and went to sleep myself.  I woke up at 6:30 am.  Nothing!  He's a little pro!  I tuned on the monitor and heard him mumbling in there, but not crying.  I went in and got him up.

We're now once again trying the nap in the crib.  I don't know if it'll work.  I changed his diaper, lotioned him up (part of our bedtime routine) and put him in his nighttime sack.  I turned on the fan and his white noise and left the room.  He mumbled for a bit and let out a few cries.  Then it got quiet.  I just heard a few more cries.  We'll see if it works.

Tonight we've got dinner plans that will cut into the 7 pm feeding, so he'll need to sleep in his car seat to stay on schedule.  Not sure if that will work out too well, but it'll be good to give it a try and know what he's capable of.

XOX

Mom

Soooo . . . Last night went pretty good.  We fed George at 7 pm and then put him to bed.  He cried for an hour!  It wasn't too loud or too crazy, but it was still horrible to hear.  Poor little guy.  By 8 pm he was done and all was quiet up there.  It's nice that we've started this approach cause it gives Jeff and me some alone time and some time to do other things around the house.

Anyway, so at 11 pm we went back in there and woke GV up to feed him his last bottle of the night.  He was sound asleep so I felt bad waking him up, but he easily got up and ate a full 6+ ounces.  Then it was back into his crib.  I was worried that he would start crying again, but nope.  He went right to sleep.

We've started sleeping without the monitor on.  If he cried loud enough, we would hear him down our tiny upstairs hallway.  Besides, if our plan is NOT to go in there, then what good is it to hear him crying?  It would just upset me and keep us up - for no reason.  I did leave the monitor on and read for a little while (about how to have healthy sleep habits), but then I shut the monitor off and went to sleep.

At 6:30 am I woke up and Jeff and I compared stories - neither of us had heard him all night!  WoooHoooo!!   GO GEORGE!!  Soon thereafter we heard him in there mumbling, but he wasn't fussing.  At 7 am I went to get him up and start our day.  He had shimmied his way to the bottom corner of the crib.  That was pretty funny.  But he was awake and happy in there.  THAT'S what I want to see - awake and happy in the crib!  I got him up and we headed downstairs.  He didn't cry or fuss while I got ready to feed him . . . TV remote, phone, a glass of water, etc.  It's a process.  ;)

YEAH GEORGE!!  I am soooo proud of you!!

XOX

Mom

Out front on the sidewalk, Mae and Ellee say bye to George. 

I know this hat is hysterical!  Our friend Erin made it and I love it!  It's still slightly too big for the little guy, but we gotta get some use out of it while we can.  It's gonna be 75 degrees but it was a little chilly when we headed out for a walk.  I bundled him up just to be safe.

GV went 8 hrs: 11 pm - 7 am. He's eating now and wasn't even fussing while I changed him and got ready. More to come later.

After his 10 am feeding he slept straight through to the next feeding. I guess after all that crying this morning he'd worked up some sleepiness. He had his 2 pm feeding at our neighbor's house and then we all stayed there for dinner. We brought GV home at 7 pm to feed him and put him down. Before we even closed the door to his room he'd started crying. Poor guy. He cried for about an hour and finally quieted down around 8 pm.

It's after 9:30 now. I'm glad he's still quiet. We're headed back in there at 11 pm for the final feeding and then hoping for another solid night of sleep. I don't know. It's been such a rocky day. We'll see how he does.

XOX
Mom

Well, the morning nap didn't go too well.  He slept for maybe 30 minutes and cried the rest of the time . . . LOUDLY!  Hmmm . . . after he ate he was too tired to play, so I put him down to try to nap again.  We'll see.  Here is one cute pic from our few minutes of playtime.

Poor GV.  Everything is changing for him this week.  We're trying to get him ready for my return to work next Monday.  Yeah, only SEVEN DAYS to go!  Anyway, normally I let him nap down here with me - in a bouncy seat or swing.  Well, I've been reading that's not great sleep AND I think everyone will be happier in the long run if he naps in his crib.  So, it's morning nap time right now and guess where GV is??  Yup - in his crib.  He's mumbling & fussing a little, but sounds like he's doing fine up there.

To make matters worse, I also took out the sleeper thing he normally sleeps on in there.  So now it's just GV and the crib sheet (plus a little pad/towel thing under his head for any spit up issues he may have).  

Sooooo . . . welcome to reality George.  Your dreamy days are just beginning!  ;)

XOX

Mom

Yeah! I'm so happy I slept through the night!!

My little man did soooo good!!  Jeff and I woke him at 11 pm and he ate a 5 oz bottle.  Then it was RIGHT back to bed for him.  Last night I decided I'd get him up at 6 am so I could feed him and then run a quick errand before Jeff left for work.  George slept until 5:45 am!!  So he only had to cry it out for 15 minutes before I was planning to go in there anyway!  He slept 7 hours straight!!  GO GEORGE!! 

A cute pic of my guy and me from Friday night . . . 

Alright - it's going to be a BIG night here.  We're making some changes.  I am scared.  George ate at 7 pm and then we put him to bed.  We will wake him up around 11 pm and change and feed him once more.  Then, the monitor is getting shut off and we're all heading to bed.  We were advised by a very wise friend and mother of three that George is old enough and big enough to sleep through the night.  Last night he proved that to me as well.  So, tonight he can cry all he likes, but we're NOT going to go soothe or feed him.  :(  Ugh!!  They say it may be a rough few nights.  But it will "soon" be all over and we'll be SOOOO happy and proud.  UGH UGH UGH!!!  Will I be able to stand it???  Can I let my baby cry???  Check back tomorrow to see how I manage.

I LOVE YOU GEORGE!!  We're doing this for you as much as us!!

XOX

MOM

Oh what a night!!  Jeff and I put in some effort at 4 am, but George went over nine hours between feedings!!  Here's how it went down . . . 

We went to dinner at a friend's house.  He ate at our house before we went there, at 5 pm.  I thought I could stretch him to 10 pm for his last feeding.  As we were just leaving our friend's house to come home, GV was getting really fussy.  I realized it was almost 9 pm, four hours after his last feeding, so technically he was due to eat again.  We got him in the car seat and drove home.  These friends live in our neighborhood, so we were home within a few minutes.  He was quiet in the car and I thought we still had a chance of holding him off until 10 pm.

George wasn't gonna have it.  When we got inside he started crying again and we knew it was his HUNGRY cry.  It was only 9 pm, but we decided to take him upstairs, feed him, and put him to bed.  He desperately ate.  Clearly it was the right call - he needed to eat.  Before 10 pm he was asleep in his crib.  

Jeff and I stayed up for a little while, reading, watching TV, etc.  At 11 pm, I was in bed.  I have no idea what time Jeff came to bed cause I was zonked asleep.  ;)  Around 3:15 am we heard GV making his first peeps.  It was our intention . . . in an effort to try to get him sleeping through the night . . . to let GV cry for 30 - 45 mins.  We read that he just might be waking up out of habit at this point and that he SHOULD be able to sleep through the night - for about nine hours or so.  Well, this was the first time we had attempted this.  It's REALLY hard listening to your kid cry like that.  

Around 3:45 we could tell he was really working himself up.  We knew if we let it go too far he would be inconsolable.  Soooooo . . . I went into his room and gave him a pacifier.  We don't use pacifiers at bedtime - only at naptime - so this was a tough call.  BUT, we knew it would soothe him.  So, I popped in the paci and rubbed his chest.  I didn't get him up though.  He happily took the paci, but I could see the next steps coming.  I rubbed his chest firm at first and then softer and softer.  I used my whole hand, then lightened up, then went to fingertips, then just one finger, and then nothing and quietly backed out of the room.  He was quiet for a little while and then the paci came out.   Repeat.  Paci in, rubbing chest, back out of room, paci out, crying, paci in, rubbing chest, leave room, paci out, repeat, repeat.  It was "working" though.  He was content as long as the paci was in there.

George lets you know when he's hungry and this wasn't hunger.  The paci was doing the trick (if he'd only leave it in).  When he's hungry the paci will NOT do and he'll make that clear.  After several repeats of the paci cycle, Jeff put the paci in at 4:45 am and we said that we'd feed him at 5 am if it fell out again.  In between all these sessions Jeff and I were dozing off ourselves.  It wasn't sound sleep, but it was something.  We were taking turns getting the paci back into place.  Well, after that 4:45 insertion, we were both dozing again.  We heard GV cry and I rolled over to look at the monitor on my bedside table and WOA!!  The clock read 6:15 am!!  SCORE!!

  

So, GV ate at 9 am and then again at 6:30 am.  Yes, that's 9.5 hours ladies and gentlemen!!  I am one happy momma this morning.  Jeff went back to bed and GV and I stayed up and smooched.  He's already exhausted and now in his swing napping again.  

Oh what a night!!

What about the rest of the weekend you ask??  I haven't posted since Wed, so what have we been up to??

Wednesday was fairly uneventful.  Sarah and I went to Kristine's Wednesday night for wine and snacks while we discussed Tanna Rae's 30th birthday plans.  TR is the last of our gang to turn 30.  She reminded us of her youth when the rest of us got older by getting a t-shirt made that said "Twentysomething."  So, we needed to figure out a fun way to welcome her into her 30s.  We needed new t-shirts to replace her old one.  We came up with our plan.

Thursday George and I spent the day with Mom.  We went to a Weight Watchers meeting . . . I am now trying to shed the PRE-baby weight.  I've been back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but want to get lower and lower, so we're working on that,  After WW we ran some errands.  I picked up TR's birthday present.  We dropped off some stuff at the hospital.  It was a busy morning.  We picked up lunch at Whole Foods and went back to Mom's place.  

Mom watched George while I ran a few more errands in the afternoon.  I got my hair cut by someone new.  I am very sad about this, but I just cannot justify the cost of my usual haircut.  She's a friend, so that's why I am sad.  Instead I went to a recommended person at Fantastic Sam's and paid $14.95.  It's a great cut.  I also went to get TR's t-shirts made.  SOOOOO funny!!  Thursday night Jeff and I stayed in and made an EASY dinner (frozen something).

Friday was BUSY too!!  The weather here was turning rainy and slushy and sometimes snowy.  I had a lot to do, but Mom was doing it all for me . . . without me even asking.  She picked up Jeff's dry cleaning.  She went to the grocery for me.  She picked up TR's t-shirts.  She let me fashion show for her and helped me decide what to wear Fri night.  It is SOOOOO nice having her in town!!  So, wait, I didn't do much at all on Friday then.  Mom did it all!!  ;)  

Jeff got home early and then he took George to Judi's house.  George spent the night there so Jeff and I could celebrate TR's birthday in style.   Jeff went to the t-shirt place to ask for a credit back because they misspelled something on one of the shirts.  They offered to re-do the shirt (I didn't know that was an option), so he waited while they did that.  Then he got some cash and came home.  

Friday night was a surprise to TR.  Fifteen people (friends and family) went to dinner and a jazz club to celebrate her 30th birthday.  Her husband ordered up a stretch limo to take the eight neighborhood friends downtown.  We all got in the limo around the corner and were already inside when she got in.  It was a total surprise.  He planned a great night for her and we all had an amazing time.  Jeff and I shared a taxi home with another couple and got into bed shortly after midnight - earlier than we expected.

Saturday we got to sleep in until about 9 am.  THANKS MOM!!  Then we picked up George around 10:30.  We watched some NBA playoff games, snoozed on the sofa, and then got ready for dinner with friends last night.  Jeff and I made chicken enchiladas.  YUMMY!!  Our friends had chips and salsa, margaritas, and then they fried up some churros and made Mexican hot chocolate for dessert.  It was  GREAT night.

Top that all off with George going 9.5 hours.  WooooHooooo!!  We'll see if we can have a repeat tonight!!

XOX

Mom

I love that pic of George from last night.  Too cute.  Last night wasn't as wonderful, but still not too shabby.  He slept from 11 pm - 4 am.  That's still five hours.  I'll take it.  

Today is gonna be a lazy day.  We've got no where to go.  Mom is running one errand for me - yeah mom.  Otherwise we're just gonna lounge around the house today.  I'll be doing some laundry in between George's feedings.  My neighbor (and a super mom) is coming over this afternoon to give George a mani.   He needs a nail trim.  She's amazing at it and I'm a scaredy-cat!  I wonder if I'll ever learn to do it myself.  Maybe when his fingers are longer and he's not so jerky with his arms.  

Back to my laundry and lounging!

XOX

Mom  

George is napping on the sofa before bedtime.

WoooHoooo!! We had a great night.  We decided to try SIX OUNCES with George.  Jeff gave him a bottle at 10:45 pm last night.  At 4:45 am, I heard him just starting to squeak.  SIX HOURS!!  Way to go George!!

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday morning.  I hope everyone had a great Easter.  We were expecting a lazy day, but ended up being fairly busy - by choice.  Jeff, Judi, and I went to the H Mart (Asian market) mid-day.  It was packed!  We wanted to look for a seafood dinner.  We were hoping for live blue crabs, but they didn't have any.  We got some sashimi grade tuna and salmon and decided to make some sushi for dinner instead.  We also picked up some veggies and some shrimp (heads still on) and Jeff made tempura as well.  We had a GREAT feast for dinner with TONS of leftovers.  Sushi anyone? 

After dinner I was exhausted.   We stayed out too late the night before and I didn't get to nap at all.  I wanted to go to bed after George's 7 pm feeding.  I knew he'd need to eat around 11, but I was pooped.  I went upstairs and got ready for bed around 8:30.  George was falling asleep (for a last little cat nap of the day) around 9 pm, so Jeff tried to put him in his crib.  That didn't work out so well.  I think George was missing his bedtime routine - lotion, massage, change, bottle, kisses, bed.  So, he started to fuss.  We brought him into our bed on the boppy pillow next to me.  He didn't want to nap anymore.  He fussed every few minutes and I didn't get to really rest.  :(  I fed him at 11:30 pm, did the routine and put him down.  

We got up at 4:00 am for a feeding and then at 8:00 am for a feeding and to start our day.  I was so tired, and enjoyed my first few hours of sleep so much, even the 4 am feeding wasn't so bad.  I need to find a way to stretch that out his evenings some more.  Not sure how to get him to sleep through the night . . . or if he even should at this point.  I have exactly two weeks to go until "back to work," so I would love to get him through the night by then.  Good luck, huh??  ;)

XOX

Mom

HAPPY EASTER!

Feels like long time, no post!  Hellooooo everyone.  It's Easter Sunday and it's going to be a lazy day around here.  I just got home from picking up George from JuJu's house.  He spent the night with her last night and did wonderfully!!  I'm so glad.  I want him to be especially easy on Jeff and JuJu so they'll want to keep watching him!  OK - so the weekend.

Friday night we picked up take-n-bake pizzas and went to the neighbor's house.  The WHOLE gang was there.  We had fun.  Saturday morning we took some cute pictures of George with all his bunnies.  We got some gorgeous flowers and a blue bunny from Grandma and Papa.  Then we headed to the neighbor's annual Easter Egg Hunt.   It was BIGGER this year.  There were a TON more kids and we had to go to the end of our block (instead of across the street) to get to the bigger park for our hunt.  We got ahead of the masses and got George one little egg.  Jeff and I took some cute pictures of all of our Saturday morning fun.  Look at the April 2009 pictures to check these out.  

Saturday afternoon Jeff and I made a very tasty lunch at home - fresh kielbasa - and just took it easy for a few hours.  Around 4 pm we headed to Judi's with George and Otto for the evening.  We made an AMAZING dinner . . . racks of lamb with a honey mustard glaze, patty pan squash, peas and pearl onions, and tomato tart.  It was divine.  Judi splurged on all the groceries.  We brought a NICE bottle of red wine and an appetizer tray of meats and cheeses.  

After dinner we gave George a bath.  I LOVE him right out of the bath.  He is so sweet and his peach fuzz hair is soft and fuzzy.  I could nibble him up!  Soon after bath time, Jeff and I headed home.  We actually went over to Paul & Sarah's for a few drinks and some cards (rummy).  We had a good time and got home around 1 am.  I wonder about those kid-free nights.  Should I be out playing or home sleeping??  It's a toss up.

Last night at JuJu's house George only woke up at midnight and 6 am.  Not too shabby little man!!  Maybe we're getting closer and closer to sleeping through the night.  I would like that VERY much.  

Today we have nothing planned and that's very exciting.  It's about time to go feed George again, so I am off to make some coffee before he's ready for me.  

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!

XOX

Mom

Mason comes over to play:

The best thing Jeff and I can give George is a solid marriage.  So, once a week Jeff and I have date night.  Judi graciously watches George, usually on Thursday nights, so Jeff and I can keep our relationship strong.  We usually go out, but sometimes we like to stay in too.  Tonight we had a picnic at home!  I picked up quite the spread today . . . meats, cheeses, raw oysters, olives, bread, etc.  We opened a NICE bottle of champagne.  It was a great date.  Here's a pic of our picnic spread:

Jeff's watching one show on TV as I quickly type this and then we're off to pick up George at Judi's place.  

Gwen and Mason came over for a few hours today.  I shot a great little 1 min video of their time together.  The camera is in George's diaper bag, but look for me to post that later tonight!

XOX

Mom

George got his first ballcap today.

SMILING TO SHARE!!!  Check out George's video:

George's first shoes!

Doctor's Report

Weight: 12 pounds 6.5 ounces = 70%

Height: 22.5 = 30%

Head Circ: 15.5 = 40%

Jaundice Level = 5.3 (down over 4 points)

Dr. Noah says he's growing great.  He got all his suggested vaccines.  We've never seen him turn so red or scream so loud, but it quickly ended and GV went to sleep.  We talked to the doc about eczema, cradle cap, sleeping, feeding schedules, etc.  George does have a mild case of eczema and we got a little prescription ointment to help with that.  Otherwise, Dr. Noah thinks all is well and George is perfect!  We think so too! 

I WILL capture him smiling for you all.  In the meantime, here's a picture of a grin form this morning.

Last night wasn't great.  He ate at 8:30.  We tried topping him off at 11 pm, but he wasn't interested.  I knew it would be a challenging evening.  At 1:45 am he was up and hungry.  Then again at 5:45 am.  Oh well - this little grin at 6:30 made up for it all.  

George has his two month appointment at the pediatricians today.  Jeff and Judi are both tagging along to this big one.  I have a long list of questions for our doc.  George will get several immunizations, so I know he won't be too happy later today.  :(  Poor guy.  Ohhh - I just realized that I enlisted JuJu to play with George this afternoon so I could nap in peace.  Poor JuJu . . . maybe we'll just play it by ear and see how the little man is feeling.  If he's terribly upset I don't want to put her through that.  Then again - he likes his JuJu when he's upset.

Stay tuned for more later today . . . news from the doc's office.

XOX

Mom

Another attempt to catch smiling on video . . . 

It's late here, so I know the video is kinda dark, but we do catch a few grins in here.  

Last night George slept from 11 pm to 5 am . . . not too shabby!  However, it seems the more we sleep, the more tired I am the next day.  I think the change - even for the positive - throws me for a loop.  Today I actually overslept!!  I think that's the first time I've said that in nine weeks!!

George ate at 5 am and then went back to his crib for a few hours.  I came downstairs and pumped and then I went back to bed (6 am-ish).  Around 7 am I woke up as Jeff was leaving.  The plan was to get up and get in the shower.  Gwen was picking me up around 9:15.  I rolled over at 8:15!!  OH NO!!  Normally that would be plenty of time for me, but George was already crying - he needed to eat again soon I guess.  I needed to shower and pack our bags before Gwen got there.  I scrambled!  I barely finished it all, but I did manage to get it all together right at 9:15.

Gwen and I went to mommy and me yoga.  We took the kiddos and did some poses for the kids only, then we did moves with our babies.  Then George conveniently zonked out at the perfect time for mommy only yoga poses.   I took it easy . . . I don't have much yoga experience and I haven't exercised since he was born, so I knew my limits.  After yoga we went to lunch - sushi.  YUMMY!  

Now George and I are back at home.  He's resting in his pack-n-play and it's my turn to lay down on the sofa.  We don't have plans tonight and that's a good thing.  I need some R&R.

Other quick notes for today: the Kegg grandparents bought fights to come for Jeff's birthday weekend!  They need to see the little man again.  He's filling out and getting big.  I'm glad they'll get to see him again before the beach!  Mom's at the doc today getting checked out after last week's infection.  I'm waiting to hear how that's going.  And today is Sarah's birthday - Happy Birthday Sarah!!

XOX

Mom

Here's the official pic from Bass Pro today . . . 

JuJu and I tried again tonight to capture a smile from the little man.  We had some close calls, but nothing like the REAL thing.  Regardless, I am sure you'll enjoy these cute clips:

Take One:

Take Two:

George met the Easter Bunny today!

Watch our video of George meeting the Easter Bunny:

Here's another video we took today.  Cole and Ellee also got to meet the Easter Bunny.

Exhausted after an exciting morning of meeting the Easter Bunny. Look for that pic later today.

We weren't able to capture a smile on video today, but we tried.  I thought you might still enjoy a minute of footage, just to see these blue eyes.  We'll keep trying to catch it and hope to share that big smile with you soon.

George and the bear napping in the Pack-n-Play.

Well, again the snow disappointed us overnight.  We woke up to practically NOTHING - just a dusting.  We did however have a proud moment with GV last night.  He slept from 10:30 pm until 4:30 am.  That's SIX HOURS!!  Not too shabby little man!!  Jeff fed him and put him back to bed.  GV slept another 4 hours, until 8:30 am.  Now THAT I can get behind!  Tonight we've got plans, so I am going to keep him on this 8:30, 12:30, 4:30, 8:30, 12:30 schedule.  THEN, maybe tonight we'll sleep until 6:30 am in one shot.  That would be amazing.  I know I've got my hopes up and it's likely to disappoint, but I can hope!  JuJu is feeling up for watching him while we're out with the gang, but she's going to give him back to us tonight.  We want her back to 100%!  She needs to rest.

So, Jeff and George took a shower together and Jeff got the little guy all cleaned up.  Now he's swaddled tightly and down in his crib for a nap.  I'll wake him up in 90 minutes to start this all over again.  Jeff's now outside in this blizzard brushing our shedding dog.  I've got a good man - a GREAT one!!

 

Ohhhh - and did I mention - last night he SMILED . . . BIG . . . several times.  Maybe after his next feeding I will try to catch him again on video so we can share.  

XOX

Mom

JuJu is home!!  She's feeling a little better.  Her vitals were all improving and she was ready to get out of the hospital.  I don't blame her.  Hospitals get old quick.  I want to be in MY pajamas, in MY bed, under MY sheets, ya know?  That's how she was feeling too I think.  We left there together around 1:30 pm today.  We each ran a few errands - grocery, pharmacy, etc. and then headed to our respective homes.  I hope JuJu is resting peacefully this evening with no interruptions from (cute) doctors or little dogs.  ;) 

We went to the neighbor's house for tacos tonight.  YUMMY!!  We're back at home now about to begin our evening routine.  I don't think I mentioned . . . last night we fed George kinda late - at 11:30 pm and then he slept until 5 am!  That was just about 5 solid hours of sleep for us all!  Yippie.   Technically that's considered "sleeping through the night," but I am personally waiting for 7 or 8 solid hours.  ;)  Jeff has George duty this evening.  We'll see how he does.

Tonight we're expecting snow.  Lots of it we think.  Here's what our local NBC affiliate is predicting:

 Temperatures are expected to plummet overnight as a powerful winter storm sweeps in, bringing snowy conditions to the metro area by early Saturday morning.  The well-organized storm could bring up to a foot of snow.

We'll see what happens overnight!!  Stay tuned for more info and pics too of course!

XOX

Mom

I'm at the hospital with Judi this morning. They still don't know what's up, but her vitals are improving. She's hoping to go home today. We're still waiting to talk to a doc.

George has been napping in her lap. It's time to go feed him now.

UGH!  What a day.  It started bad I guess.  I was SUPER tired.  I stayed out/up too late with the girls last night, so I was dragging this morning.  Our house got cleaned today (YEAH!!), but I hadn't yet cleaned for the cleaners.  You know how that goes.  Anyway, so I needed to get up and moving so that I could straighten up.  Not long after I got out of the shower (George was taking his first nap of the day in his crib), Jeff called from work saying that he wanted me to sign into Yahoo Chat.  He couldn't talk on the phone, but needed to tell me something.

Well, his company had another series of layoffs and cutbacks today.  Jeff survived the cuts again - thank goodness.  His good buddy Dan did not.  ICK!  However, with good news comes some bad.  Anyone who works in the office (versus the field) who is still employed was asked to start working (and getting paid for) four day work weeks.  So, that's a 23% cut in pay.  ICK!  We can manage fine, but it is still a blow on many levels.  Jeff was smart enough to ask for a bit of a delay.  He's pretty brave when being laid off or asked to take a hit.  You wouldn't think he'd be in a position to negotiate, but somehow he always manages to do so - successfully!!  He was able to convince the management that his 4-day weeks (and pay cut) shouldn't start until the week of April 27th.  That's the week I go back to work and start getting paid again.  He's so smart!!

Jeff and I met for lunch and chatted about his situation.  While eating fish tacos, I got a text message from Mom.  She's had tummy pains all week and they weren't improving.  She finally went to the doc this morning who was VERY concerned.  They ordered a CAT scan and some blood work and then told Mom to head back to their office to review the results.  I met Mom at the CAT scan place and stayed with her all afternoon.  She didn't feel good.  They were thinking maybe appendicitis or diverticulitis.  

The tests all looked OK, which is great news, but they were still concerned because her white blood cell count was high and she had a low grade fever.  PLUS - the pain continued.  So, after some back and forth her doctor decided to admit her to the hospital so they could run a few more tests and watch her overnight.  I stayed with her through admissions and the first rounds of questioning.  Then we decided to leave so she could rest.  We're hoping they send her home tomorrow and all the tests are negative.  It's still puzzling, but who knows what's up.  Current theory is still diverticulitis, but just an early case that's not visible on the CAT scans yet.  Who knows.

Jeff picked up Mom's dog and brought her to our house for the night.  Now he's at the basketball game while George, Otto, Lily and I get a little rest ourselves.

Nighty night!

XOX

Mom

George hangin with Judi in the hospital today. Long story. Judi is fine. Look for more on this in a few hours when I get to my Mac.

George is holding my hand while he naps on the sofa.