clean floors, dirty paws

I don't know about you, but I have the hardest time determining what clothing is appropriate for Caches.  It seems like he would be cold all the time and I should dress him warm but apparently you shouldn't dress baby too warm because they can overheat.  His hands are pretty much freezing no matter what temperature it is outside so that is no help in determining his comfort level.  And just as a side, he likes to rub said freezing hands all over my warm back while nursing causing my body to jump and contort like I have ants in my pants.  Someday kid, you will get an ice cube down your shirt and I will laugh. Well, I HATE being too hot and only kind of dislike being too cold so I tend to dress Caches on the lighter side.  You know, because I'm sure he feels exactly the same as I do about temperature.  I get a few dirty looks from moms who bundle their babies in 3 fuzzy blankets, a hat and a snow suit, but last time I checked we lived in central California, not Minnesota. 

Only a short time ago I shared Abner's near death experience with anaphylaxis and guess what, he is STILL TRYING TO KILL HIMSELF!!! Last Tuesday we were all sitting quietly on the couch when all of a sudden Abner jumped up and started walking around as if he were drunk, or having a seizure, or both.  He paced back and forth looking as though he was going to vomit, his sad little face contoured in pain.  I, of course, panic and think the IS in fact dying until I realize that it is more than likely his back. Sure enough, after the original freak out, he started exhibiting classic symptoms of back pain.  We called our awesome vet who puts HIMSELF on call every night and he told us to give him a muscle relaxer and a pain pill and come in early the next morning.  Of course all this is happening while the baby is screaming and won't sleep.  So I spent the night in the bedroom with Caches, worrying about Abner all night while Ryan camped out in the front room with the dogs prob

You know how sometimes you say something so witty that it surprises even you?  Yeah, I used to too.  That is until the baby ate my brain.  Fortunately Ryan still has half of his brain left and during Thanksgiving  dinner he pulled out a real gem.   We were all gathered around the table, enjoying our meal and laughing (Scratch that, THEY were all enjoying their meals.  I was eating left over sweet potato chili and polenta from three nights ago, but I pout and complain digress)  when someone, and I don't even remember who, commented that I had lost all my baby weight.  I thanked them for the complement but because I can't just take a complement and keep my mouth shut, I had to add that I still have about seven pounds to lose and that maybe, just maybe my skirt was cutting off the circulation to my legs.  Without missing a beat, my lovely husband chimes in, "It's OK babe, baby weight doesn't count, it's like highway miles." Really!?  Highway miles!?

Each day I try to set aside some time to reflect and give thanks.  Some days my attitude is pretty negative and remembering how fortunate I am helps put things in perspective.  Sure, there are days that I don't get around to it, and even days when I plain don't feel like doing it, but this time of year it seems almost impossible to forget.  The holiday season is in full swing and my favorite holiday of all, Thanksgiving, is today. I love the time spent with family; the laughs, the food, the memories, and that there is little consumerism tied to this holiday.  Sure there is a lot of food advertisements and a few turkey decorations, but nothing like the bombardment of Christmas.  Today is about giving thanks, not gifts.  Being grateful for what you have, not what you want. and boy, do I have A LOT to be thankful for. This year I have been blessed not only with a gorgeous baby boy, but with an entirely new outlook on life.  Looking into Caches' sparkling eyes, so full of w

I love lists.  Let me reiterate that, I LOVE LISTS.  I make lists for everything; The market, my day, shopping, household chores, you name it, I list it.  I think part of the reason I love to make lists is so that I can cross things off.  There is noting quite as satisfyingly as crossing things off of a list.  And when you get to cross off the LAST ITEM, pure bliss.  I even add things like "brush teeth" to my lists just for the satisfaction of crossing them off.  Or maybe it is because I can't even remember my own name these days, but I digress. Pre-baby, my lists were ambitious and usually complete by the days end.  They looked a little something like this.  Walk dogs, laundry, iron, vacuum, steam mop, market, make dinner, work out, call so and so, email so and so, blog.  Now my lists look like this.  Walk dogs, brush teeth, keep the baby from crying all day.  Today my list looks like this.  1) Drink coffee 2) Resist selling the baby at Wal Mart. Seriously, that is

Caches has become rather chatty lately It is so fun to listen to him discovering his voice  Sounds kinda like this...

If you have read my blog or seen my hagged face lately, you know that the past few months have been a bit rough.  When I found out I was pregnant I in no way thought it was going to be easy.  I knew I was in for a life changing experience.  I expected to miss out on activities, loose sleep and rearrange everything about my daily life, but I NEVER, even in my wildest dreams expected to have Rosemary's Baby! I swear if his head spins and he spews peas I'M OUT OF HERE! As of late, things have calmed down around here, at least during the day, but for a while there were a few pockets of time each day when Caches would SCREAM like someone was pulling off his toenails one by one for hours straight.  NO breaks, NO chance of soothing him, just screaming!!  And though your heart breaks a little bit every time you hear your baby cry, there is a part of me that became a bit hardened to sound.  You just can't listen to something so awful, so often and not start to tune it out.  It i

Like watching the rain When you have a baby  you realize how jaded you yourself have become Everything old is new again  And watching him mesmerized by the rain  makes me remember how beautiful it is

It is a rarity that I leave the house without my side kick but when I do, I FREAKING LOVE IT.  And I don't even feel guilty saying that.  Me, the guilt queen, NO GUILT.  It is like heaven in the car with no screaming and music, not white noise on the radio.  Then, when I get to my destination I have not one, but two whole hands and almost 25% of a brain to accomplish my errands. So you can imagine my delight when a few weeks ago I got to go the market ALONE.  I gathered my shopping bags and was out of the house so fast I don't even remember leaving.  Once at the market I filled my cart and headed to check out in record time.  Ahh, I am good...so nice...wait, NO where is my wallet?  Please don't tell me...I was doing so good...Shit, that 25% of a brain really let me down this time. Yeah, since eliminating my purse for a diaper bag that I don't bring with me when I'm sans baby I tend to forget that minor detail.  I'm kinda like that friend that everyone has on

Hundreds of pictures have been snapped in the past 4 months.   This is one of my favorites

NOT.  I never realized how loud my house was until I had a baby.   And of course I would have one of the most sensitive sleepers EVER!  I have no idea where he gets it from ME .  You know how a lot of babies sleep soundly in the car seat while their parents shop in Target?  Not mine.  Every creak in the floor, every knee or knuckle crack sounds like an alarm to him.  I take a deep breathe while holding him and he startles.  And don't even get me started on DOG TOENAILS ON THE HARDWOOD FLOORS. Why is it that the second the kid falls asleep Lilly and Abner feel the need to do laps.  TICK TICK TICK all the way down the hall.  Oh, is the baby sleeping?  Cool, let me flap my ears or snort really loudly before I TICK TICK TICK back down the hall!!  I swear I'm giving Lilly an ear bra and cutting OFF Abner's toenails for Christmas.  When the baby falls asleep and I morph into a ninja.  First I have to ninja creep out of the room careful not to let my ankles crack as I slip awa

I'm not sure if I ever wrote about it here, but when Abner was a baby he went into anaphylactic shock after receiving his puppy shots.  Thank goodness we were just down the street from the vet when I noticed that he didn't look quite right and ran back in where they were able to save his life.  Because of this, from now on when Abner gets shots he has to be both pre and post medicated and stay at the vet for a few hours of observation.  Can you say HIGH NEEDS... Anyway, we are extremely careful with him and had never had a problem with his allergies until a few weeks ago.  On Saturday morning, after his morning pee, I noticed that his face looked a bit swollen.  I figured he got into something and gave him a Benadryl.  A few hours later the swelling was gone and he was fine...until Sunday morning when he was covered in HIVES!! Assuming he was getting into something in the yard, Ryan and I scoured every inch trying to find what could possible be giving him a reaction.  It c

A while back, before Caches was born, I was scanning the TV guide and saw that Wheel of Fortune was on.  For some reason I hit the info button and the info stated that this was a game show based on the classic game of hangman. What??  Are you serious?? Why did this NEVER occur to me??  I love Wheel of Fortune but I had never, until this point, put two and two together that it WAS hangman!!!  I thought this was a breakthrough, that nobody else knew this.  I felt like Charlie with a golden ticket running home to share the news with my family!! "Ryan...did you know that Wheel of Fortune is based off of hangman???" He gave me the look.  The look that says I'm sorry you are so dumb babe.  I'm going to just go ahead and keep my mouth shut because my mom told me if I didn't have anything nice to say not to say anything at all. "Did you know this?  I just realized it after reading the info about the show!!" "Um, yeah.  I think you are about the on

Remember picture Friday in school when class by class you were shuffled into the gym, lined up and one by one a photographer snapped your individual photo and a class shot?  And then there was the picture "form" that you had to bring home and fill out before picture day.  Your parents had to choose how much they loved you many pictures they actually wanted to purchase of you sitting in front of some banal backdrop with a half assed smile on your face.  How many wallets should I order?  Humm...how many people do I know that want to carry around a picture of my awkward 3ed grader in their wallet?  Make that ZERO...I mean, 25...yes sweetie, I'll pass out all 25. Then, 10 years later while going through your belongings before heading off to college you find 150 wallet sized photos documenting your killer fashion sense through the 80's shoved in some drawer because guess what, nobody wants them.  I'm sure my mom, like yours, checked a few boxes to make you feel lov

When Caches is fussy sometimes he calms down when we go outside.  I think the fresh air and change of scenery kind of distract him.  I decided to bring a blanket outside and see if he'd like to lay down under the olive tree and have a chat. Of course within 30 seconds the cat was at my side chirping and rubbing for attention.  We pet her for a while and then she jumped up the tree and perched above us.  I'm not going to lie, I felt kind of weird having her hovering above my head in the tree like she was planning some sort of attack.  What if she pooped?  I know she's not a bird, but stranger things have happened. Here was our view...  Looking up... Looking down...

I am a rule follower.  The extreme kind of rule follower that even hates when other people break rules.  The kind that in fact LOVES rules! I want to know exactly what is expected of me at ALL times.  That way I have less of a chance of letting anyone down or getting in trouble.  I am terrified of getting in trouble.  Maybe it's because I am the worst liar EVER and would hate to have to make up an excuse or maybe it is because I have anxiety and will do anything to avoid confrontation. Whatever the reason, I follow rules...OK, maybe I speed just a little but that's more of a guideline.  At the supermarket if I put crackers in my basket and decide I don't want said crackers I walk my happy ass BACK TO THE CRACKER aisle and put them back where they belong!! A concept I wish others would catch onto.  I don't want to buy ice cream and realize it's all pre-melted and icky because some asshole put it in the cereal aisle when they changed their mind.   Now, I'm not t

Our first Halloween was a success.  And by success I mean his costume kind of worked, he kind of enjoyed trick or treating...all 3 houses, and we made it to bed by 7 with only a few meltdowns.   I think the Black Widow costume was fitting as he is STILL trying to kill me...I was his web.  True in so many ways...  On Sunday we carved pumpkins!  Caches was kind of interested, but not really...  Abner on the other hand was PUMPED as usual and very, very helpful  Ryan's pumpkin was a drooling cry baby...can you guess his inspiration? Some Creep! Family Fun I am already looking forward to next year when Caches will be a bit more fun and possibly enjoy the carving, dressing up, decorations, etc.  If not, at least we have the dog!