Sippy Cups, Toothbrushes, and Small Talk about Organics

Noah has been using a sippy cup since he was 6 months old.  I didn't want my son to be attached to a bottle like the many children I see at two and three still holding a bottle.  Thus, I started him early on a transitional sippy cup.  I used this cup (Gerber NUK brand).  The nipple is shaped like a sippy cup, but it still has the soft nipple feel of a bottle, which allowed us to start him on a sippy cup at the age of 6 months.  Well, Noah is now 13 months old and I want him to transition to a different  cup, which so far has gone really well!

This is the sippy cup we started him on:

Now, my mother was teaching an American Red Cross baby-sitting course and I stopped by for a visit.  While stopping by I noticed a whole bunch of sippy cups on the counter and started looking at the numerous different kinds that there are.  In the store this is difficult because they do not have a sample cup shelf where you can open and feel the tops as I was able to do in this particular situation.  Thus, while I was  being a touch-a-holic to the cups, I realized that Gerber has another sippy cup with a soft spout, but it is not a nipple and it is not anything like a bottle.  So, this will still allow Noah's teeth and gums to have a semi-soft spout to use for drinking.  I got the cups yesterday and so far he has used them perfectly!  Now, he still goes to sleep with milk every night, so I am in the process of trying to wean him out of that habit, so for now I will keep using the NUK for the bed.  But, overall I am very pleased with Noah's easy switch to a normal sippy cup!  He has done really well.  I also got him some regular children's cups so that he can have sips out of them too.  He likes to have them empty and pretend there is a drink in there!  He chomps his mouth and smiles as if the "drink" tastes good!  Below is a picture of the sippy cup he is now using and a picture of the regular kid cup that he gets to use on occasion also:

And of course, if you didn't notice...there is a monkey theme to his cups!  I also bought him a monkey bowl, flat plate, and divided plate.  So, now we can start with toddler-hood!  He is still eating 90% jarred organic baby food that is pre-made, but when I went to the grocery store today I bought organic foods with intentions of sharing with Noah.  I recently have started him on some meats, he has had chicken and meatloaf, which he enjoyed both.  I am trying to turn my kitchen in to an organic kitchen and make everything as healthy as possible.  If you are a mom and do not have time to exercise, the only thing you can do is eat right.  Tonight I made Organic burgers with organic sesame seed, organic bread crumbs, organic beef, organic american cheese and organic paprika; it was a wonderful combination!  You can really taste the difference with organic foods and it makes you feel so much healthier!  Anyway, I plan to start cooking and letting Noah try a little bit of organic table food here and there along with his jarred baby food.

The last new thing of the day...would be....brushing his teeth.  Until now I have used a little finger brush for Noah's gums and teeth, now he has his own little tooth brush that is made for babies 4-24 months old and swallow-able toothpaste with no fluoride.  So, when brushing Noah's teeth today his mouth kept opening to allow me to brush and he would chomp down with the new item :)  I sang the ABC's over and over until his little baby mouth was clean!  Yippee Noah is growing up...but I am sad because I am not ready for him to grow up!

Blowing Kisses

Okay, so we are hitting a new stage for Noah!  We were talking on the webcam with Nana B and she asked Noah to blow her a kiss.  He had never done this before, so I was showing him how and Nana B was doing it also...and then....NOAH BLEW HIS FIRST KISS!  I was ecstatic, thrilled, and proud!  I have now gotten Noah to blow a kiss a couple of times since!  Though the most adorable part is he makes the "muah" sound!  Gosh this is adorable!  I will try and get a picture or a video of him doing it!

Noah has a Girlfriend

Alright everyone, this relationship is developing...not sure how it will turn out! Noah has had a couple of play dates with my friends daughter, Olivia. She is four months older than Noah and shares her birthday with me, August 29! The first time we got the two of them together they kissed, on the lips, without us even doing anything! It happened all on its own, it is funny how little boys and girls are. Now, the other day we got them together again at a birthday party...well this is where we got to see both sides of a relationship...good...and bad! They kissed a second time, adorable...but the majority of the time was little Olivia telling Noah that she owned the toys in the room and if she wanted to play with them she was going to! Poor Noah cried numerous times at the party because she would either pull on his shirt when he was walking away or she would scream until she got hold of the toy! Thus, a typical relationship at the age of one, a little bickering and a little love!

What a Happy Baby

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com I took this photograph when Noah was walking towards me. He absolutely loves walking and when he feels really proud of himself he giggles! It is so precious and adorable!

Love is Essential

A baby deserves to know how much you love them every millisecond of the day!  I choose to show Noah that I love him by kissing and squeezing him as much as I can multiple times!  A baby is so precious and needs to know how much his or her parents love them!

Two Items Noah has Passion for: Balls and Wheels

Noah seems to have an obsession or passion truly with the these two items:  balls and wheels.  Two of which can become highly problematic in the following situations (which by the way are absolutely adorable):

First we will discuss the ball situation...Noah has always loved balls, any size, any color, any kind -- as long as it is round, bounces, and makes noise when he pats on it.  Well, as of recent, Noah has enjoyed using different items as his personal homemade basketball hoop.  He absolutely just loves to "slam dunk" his ball into his homemade hoop.  First time this occurred Noah was in his Safety First bath seat:

This allows him to sit in the big bath tub and play safely...or so you would think right???  Well, Noah took a literal dive out of it!  He used a shimmy motion and managed to swoop his body over that front ledge and face first into the water.  He was not upset when he came back up, but rather went straight for the little yellow ball in the tub, stood up, and shot it directly into the safety seat.  Then he continued to do it over and over again!  It is amazing what babies will do to strategically figure out what they want!  Now, you may think my story is told...but I am not done yet!
A moment ago I mentioned that Noah likes to use different items as his homemade basketball hoops...well, the next item I would like to share with you is...the toilet!  Yes, as gross as it may seem, it is a new adventure for a baby!  So, a different day, Noah started to walk down the hallway with his little yellow ball, and it just so happened that the toilet seat, at the end of the hallway, happened to be up.  Little curious Noah walked straight up to it and took his slam dunk shot right into the toilet bowl...then tried to dig the ball out as I was explaining to him that a potty is not a play toy!  Steven and I just looked at each other and laughed; it truly is funny to watch your child do silly things!

Now...we must talk about the wheels also!  Noah has always been obsessed with them, he just knows that they move things and spin round and round, so of course they are just the most fascinating invention!  Well, now that Noah has started walking, he doesn't enjoy sitting in the grocery cart anymore.  He tends to lean over the front watching the wheels and reaching for them.  So, one day, Steven and I let him out of the cart, and then quickly realized that all Noah wanted was to push the cart himself by walking it through the store, while watching the wheels go round and round.  I am sure that he felt so strong pushing something ten times his size!  It truly is adorable letting him push the cart, but it does slow down the shopping process!

Go Bananas, Go Go Bananas

Noah seems to love to eat a banana and finish it off with the peel.  Don't you worry, it is okay to eat!  Just as long as they are washed.  Now, if he wasn't an organic baby, I would never give it to him.  Think of all of those chemicals on the peel, awful!  But, since it is organic and washed, it is a very good source of calcium!  I would never do it myself, but Noah LOVES it!

The Doctor's Office

For all of you parents out there, I am sure that you know the consequences of taking your child to get shots.  It is a tough thing to watch and even harder to hold them down for it.  As you already know, Noah's shots got cancelled the other day and he wound up having an appointment yesterday.

The doctor gave the official go ahead to leave behind the formula and start the milk.  We now have organic whole milk for Noah!  He is growing up so quickly.  Also, the doctor recommended to create "white noise" in Noah's room to help him take naps.  Although, Noah does sleep a substantial amount in the evening, it is still good for a child to sleep for a little during the day also.  We talked about the schedule for making up Noah's missed shots and have agreed to follow the normal schedule and increments until he is fully caught up...which may take a while, but it will get done.  Better late then never!

I was in shock when the nurse weighed Noah, he is 25.6 lbs!!!!  Last time we went he was only 22 lbs and his length was 29 (the same as last time).  So, I obviously started worrying about it, so that was my first question to the doctor, "Is his weight okay, because he gained quite a few pounds in two months?"  The doctor assured me that Noah was following his percentiles perfectly and he is doing great (75th and 80th percentiles).  When the doctor was feeling Noah's stomach I asked, "Is it normal for a baby to look like they are pregnant?"  He laughed at me and told me that Noah's stomach is just fine and that he is just a big boy.

While he was trying to listen to Noah's heart, of course our little baby boy was squirming around and trying to get away.  He acted as if someone was trying to kill him with the little metal piece.  His face was CLASSIC fear.  It was so cute and so sad at the same time.  Anyway, the doctor wound up distracting him with the little light that looks in your ear, eyes, and mouth.  Thus, once he got a good listen, he informed Steven and I that Noah has a very slight murmur.  I asked him what that meant and he told me not to worry because it is very normal for babies to have.  He says that usually it will go away, but it is just something he needs to keep an ear out for every time he comes to the doctor.  The doctor explained that it in your heart the blood flows in all one direction and when it makes a sound it is a murmur.

The following is what the dictionary states:

Also called heart murmur. Medicine/Medical. a. an abnormal sound heard on listening to the heart, usually through a stethoscope, produced by the blood passing through deformed cardiac valves. b. in some persons a similar sound heard when blood passes through normal valves.

 Okay, so the doctor says we should not worry terribly about it because it is normal.  Steven had one while he was a baby also and it went away.

Anyway, then it came time for shots...Noah remembered the doctor's office.  The first sign that he gave me was as soon as we walked in the room he started screaming.  The second sign, was every time a nurse came in he would also start screaming.  So, do not think your baby doesn't remember, because they do!  The nurse asked me if I wanted to do the shots in one leg or two, we decided one because it would be easiest for holding him down and keeping him still.  After the shots were in of course it was awful.  Noah was scared out of his mind and in so much pain, but we had to wait for the band-aid to be put on before one of us picked him up.

After the shots were over and we were on the verge of checking out, the nurse informs us that Noah needed blood-work too.  Nowadays they check babies for lead and blood count, so we had to wait a while for the technicians to come and take some of Noah's blood.  He was calm for a while playing on the floor, but as soon as he heard that knock, he scrambled to us and started crying.  It is terrible having to hold down a child for these things, it is just the worst, and then seeing them cry and in so much fear, terrible!  So, after we got out of the office Noah stopped crying, he was happy to begin his trip back home.  Two minutes after the car was on the road, he was passed out happily in his car-seat, making little peeps in his dreams.

Only two more months until the next visit...we shall see what happens!

Noah Climbing on the Couch

Noah climbed up onto the couch and then all the way to the top rim!  He is such an adventurous child!

Some Clarification for those Who are Concerned

I put up emotions that I feel and very often feel.  I know that some are normal and some may not need to be said to the general population of the internet, but the point of my blog is to write the experiences as I have them with no sugar coating.  My book will be the same way, I do not portray people in a good light just so that people can like them and same with putting them in a bad light (I do not do it for people to dislike them).  The point of my memoir is to write it how it happened and I do know that people may become offended while reading, but this is how we become individuals.  We experience things and we learn from them, Steven and I are both learning and considering we were forced into living with each other while having a child (it is what we thought was best) has been very difficult in our circumstances.  Steven and I barely knew each other before I got pregnant and that is how it is, so our relationship has complications, just as every relationship does, and I do not plan to sugar coat my situation to the world.  I do understand that Steven has feelings and that he may or may not become offended by things I say, but we do love each other and at the root of the hardest time that is what comes into play.  

So Far, So Good

Well, today is perhaps the best day of the past week...or I guess I should state the best day beginning this week!  
I got up and called Social Services to make sure it was okay to still turn in my interum paperwork and it still be accepted...YES was the answer!  So, that was off my back!  I went back to bed and made a statement of wearing sweatpants to school so that there was no need to get up early.  Then we got out of class early (always nice) and now I am at home with my baby Noah.


Steven has run out to do my errands, of which I had planned to do myself, but he offered!  What a sweet man I have here!  Last night he brought me a mushroom and pepperoni pizza along with some cheesy bread sticks!  I am so thrilled that it is only 1pm and my all the rest of my day requires is to read 20 pages for my homework and play with my son!  I am so excited.  This is probably the best day I have had in a while.  No stress about cleaning for people coming over, no stress about not having time for  homework, no stress about any of that!  It is completely amazing!  Noah is watching Ice Age III Return of the Dinosaurs (his favorite), he seems to lose his hearing when this movie is on.  


Well, I am going to relax for now and I suppose I will make another post in a couple of hours! 

Doctor Office Mix-ups

Today I got up early to go to class, Noah had a nurse's appointment for his next round of immunizations...well, of course, there is always some sort of complication when one is trying to get stuff done.  So, my fiance takes Noah to the doctors office and once they are called back they ask him, "Do you know what shots he is getting?"  Well, actually the answer there would be "no."  Noah has been behind on his immunizations and now we are getting him all caught up...well here is where the complication came in:  Noah is now 12 months old, which leads to the matter of different immunizations being more of a priority than others.  So, the nurse says to Steven that he should come back later in the week to speak with the Doctor about which immunizations he should get next rather than staying in a particular order.  Which is completely fine, but the idea of waking Noah up to get to the appointment, dragging him around like a doll...just doesn't fit into my correlation of moral standards.


Anyway, enough said...Noah has a doctor's appointment on Wednesday now to discuss his shot schedule and such.  Wish us better luck for that appointment!

Poem by Dorothy Law Nolte

I came across this poem, and I feel it is appropriate to post!  This goes great with my judgment post.  


If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.
If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with sharing,
he learns about generosity.
If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind.

With what is your child living?

- Dorothy Law Nolte

Judgement

Okay, I have gotten some feedback on the blog and so far so good.  I hope everyone understands that this is for one a release of tension for me and also it is to keep reminders of things I need or want to include in my memoir. The frustrations of daily tribulations occur, whether people want to voice them or not...I am choosing to voice them.  It is important to portray life the way it actually is rather than avoid the truth and pretend that life is perfect, and in a way, life is perfect because we learn from things on a continuous basis; whether that is death, mistakes, or love.  It all happens for a reason, whether that reason is some sort of higher being...I am unsure, nothing is definite.  I believe in science and in a higher being, but there is no need to judge someone's personal beliefs.  You live your life the way you want to and others can live their lives the way they want to.


Life is full of desire, want, and need; but sometimes we cannot have any of those things.  When I met Steven, I had a desire to be loved and wanted to feel loved, but my need (I have realized after the fact) was to work on myself as an individual.


One of my readers told me how she felt while pregnant in her twenties and she said, "The fact that we waited until after high school and were more mature, even if getting pregnant wasn't the plan.  I had people give me dirty looks when I was pregnant, I guess I looked younger than what I was, but they disrespect you.  Then there are the older people who ask questions and are sincerely friendly to you.  It was all just quite difficult to take in."  It is important to look at things like this because sometimes we do not realize that our looks and stares effect other individuals.


I remember walking around in stores, and to this day I still get this:  Say, I am walking around and Noah is a little bit cranky and then some woman says, "I think it is time for somebody's nap!" yelling, but not only yelling, she looked at me with this stern disappointment.  As if I was a young mother not knowing how to take care of a child.  It was so frustrating and not to be narcissistic, but I know for a fact that I am a far better Mother than a lot of people are. I know that I am the best Mother for my child and other people do not need to tell me how to raise my son.  There was another time, recently, I was in a store (and Noah is very shy with people he doesn't know) and this older man comes walking towards us from literally across the store.  Noah throws his head sideways trying to get away from the man getting closer to him and the man says, "Aww, looks like someone is tired."  The fact was, Noah wasn't tired, he was scared to death that some strange man was in his face.  When a baby sees a stranger and they are in someone's arms they burrow their head into them, when a baby is in a shopping cart, they try to do the same things, but people perceive that as 'a baby needs a nap.'


Now, there have been instances where I cast my judgment upon young mothers.  I was in Wal-Mart when Noah was about seven months old.  There was a very young couple (probably still in high school) and they had a baby boy (who was too young to hold his head up).  They had their baby sitting directly in the metal cart where older children usually sit (they were not using a baby seat).  The poor little baby's head was banging on the metal while he was slouched backward in the seat.  I felt awful for the baby, I couldn't imagine myself ever doing that to a child.  So, there, I allow judgment to take place on my behalf too, but I do not vocalize my frustrations, and I didn't look at them with hostility.


To judge and leave it behind is one matter.  To judge and vocalize it in the immediate stance to a stranger is an  abomination.


I will probably touch base on this more later, but for now, I must go to school and work on homework.

My Fearless Endeavor

Consequently after having sexual relations with no intended protection, one may wind up "expecting" when not expected!  Now, you may realize my unsubstantial amount of worry during the process of making my child, but in fact I did get pregnant.  These things happen more and more whether the human society would like to admit it or not.  I am normal or maybe that would just be a statistic because I really do not feel subjective to the norms.


I am accustomed to living my life in a way that from I see the majority of society doesn't do.
Although there are a percentage of statistics stating I am inferior to the populations domestic living.  I rationalize about my life on a daily basis, recognizing that I am a student mother.  Now, here is something to ponder about:  I took a creative writing course last semester, in which I started the journey on my memoir.  Okay, so in my memoir, page 21, as of now I say,


"After what seemed like an hour, they called my name.  I looked at Steven and he encouraged me to step up so that they knew I was present.  We walked back, and he held my hand.  I was shaking.  I am so scared.  I don’t like it when people judge me and these stupid people just think I am some teen mom, but actually I am a college student!  I am a competent adult not a teenager with the knowledge of an inchworm.  I can handle this situation.  Why does everyone have to think that I am some incompetent miscreant?"


Now, remember that I stated I began this journey in my creative writing course.  So, I would write and then bring it to class for people to review, critique, and give suggestions...and this girl in my class says, "I do not really see a difference between a teen mom and a college mom.  They are both in school, so it is the same situation."  Well, my dear little friend, it is not the same thing!  I will defend that statement until I die!  I didn't have a baby while I was in my teenage years, I didn't have a baby while I was in high school.  I graduated high school and I had my baby when I was twenty years old.  There is a substantial difference between the two, I am an adult, a teen mom is still a child herself.  Does any one out there agree with me on this?


Yes, I will admit, I am a young mother, but I am not by any means a teenage mother. 
Anyway, the idea of my memoir is to get across the point that people can have a child and still live their life.  It is not an easy endeavor, but I was confident in my choice to have my child and I am the happiest I have ever been.  My pride and joy lays in the core of motherhood, my child.
My fearless endeavor can be attributed to two ideas:  my choice of pro-life AND my choice to write this memoir.

Remember, this memoir is not to be a pretty portrayal of having a child in college.  It is to show the struggles that I have encountered and learned how to push through.  Which means, I am not portraying people in the best or worst lights favorably.  I am simply telling the truth, what lies between the core of what people don't get to see on the outside.  Parenthood is not easy, there are rough days (like my previous post about yesterday) and nice days (like today).

Good Day

This morning has started off well!  My fiance and I ended our evening on good terms last night...and so far today is going pretty well.  We are all awake and functioning properly today, thank goodness.  I thought I was going to lose my mind yesterday due to it!  Noah is tugging on my leg trying to see what I am doing, as he does every time I am sitting  at the computer.  He is so curious, just as any baby is I suppose.  Also, playing with the blinds and curtains seems to be a favorite for him.  He enjoys hiding behind the curtain and me tickling him through it; he just giggles so much!  


Digital Scrapbooking Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com
You just have to love the moments you have with your children.  Not that it is some sort of requirement, but it is just so natural.  The love bond between a child and their mother is absolutely fascinating.  I know that it is said that a person who says, "I couldn't imagine loving another child as much as I love my first," but I am saying that right now.  Of course I am not planning another child right now, but just looking down the road...I am not sure...part of me would like to have another child, but Noah has been my savior and companion.  There were so many things in my past that were going wrong and now all I have to do is look at him and I feel amazing.  I feel important and valuable; every single action and decision I make is influential to my son.  I guess part of me had always imagined that I would eventually reach this love in my life because of the dream I had always had as a child, it was continuous and lovely.  And it all started with a doll.  This is the dream that I have been promising to tell you about...but I am going to make you keep waiting!  Possibly later in the day I will tell you!

Wow! Are you kidding me?

I know from all this reading you probably think I hate my fiance, but I don't.  I love him very very much, whether some people believe that or not.  Just this past week has been a tough one and I am sure you will see the ups and downs as I go about this blog in the future.  


Okay, so, back to the title.  Today sure has been one rough day, other than when it was just Noah and I playing in our living room.  Right now Bryan (my future brother-in-law) and Steven (my fiance) are out getting some sort of fast food, because when I asked them numerous hours ago if they wanted me to cook something, they said "no."  As I sit here, I think about what has happened between when Steven came home from work and left just now to get food...


He came home with a bag in his hands, diapers...a small package of size 4.  Well, yes, we did need diapers...but I had wanted to go to Wal-mart to get them for a particular reason.  Small packages are a waste of money because you always get more for what you pay with the bigger package, IGA doesn't sell that.  Along with the fact that Noah is seemingly needing a size 5 diaper.  With his waist the diaper is not doing its job, so we must up the size.  Well, if you remember in a previous post...I stated that I tried to get him up numerous times between my getting home from school for the purpose of getting diapers, but he had neglected to get out of the bed.  


Lets see...what has Steven done since we started the day this morning...
1) he continued to sleep when I asked him to get Noah when I was getting ready for school
2) a miracle happened and he stayed up with Noah from 9 AM til 12:30 PM, fed him breakfast and everything!!!!!!!
3) sleep again
4) neglected to awaken when needed to (for diapers and other errands)
5) go to work from 4 PM - 8 PM
6) come home from work just to curse, play games, and make snarky comments
7) left to go get food


Lets see...what has Christine done since we started the day this morning...
1) get up at 7 AM to take a shower
2) take care of Noah until Steven would get up
3) go to school at 9 AM
4) work on my homework until class begins
5) class from 10:15 AM - 12: 15 PM
6) meeting with professor
7) come home and play around on the computer
8) get Noah from his nap, feed Noah, play with Noah
9) feed Noah again for dinner
10) play on the computer some more.... (current moment)


Seems like the majority of what I did was productive work, rather than sleeping, but who knows maybe I am just being a brute.  


Anyway, I have a very large headache right now because of the stress this is causing me at the current moment.  I was supposed to go out for a friend's going away party, but chose not to due to my stress level at home.  Although that seems counter-productive considering if I had gone out maybe the stress would have gone away.


Waiting for them to get home from getting food...don't worry I will not forget to tell you about the dream...just not yet!

One of My Favorites

Who knew eating was so much fun...obviously baby Noah must have!  He just put his whole face into this smile!

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Christmas Memories

Digital Scrapbooking Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Back on Schedule = Happiness

Ah, it is wonderful when the most meaningful person in the world laughs with you.  Noah has been in such a great mood today.  For the past week and a half he has been super off schedule and sleeping all the way through the day (as I said before about Daddy letting him sleep), but it is looking like tonight he is going to go to bed on time!  I AM SO HAPPY!  


Today Noah has eaten a banana (breakfast), apples and blueberries (lunch), and Turkey with veggies (dinner).  Don't freak out, it was all pureed...but wait, not everyone would freak out at that.  Strangely enough people start feeding their children ridiculous things at young ages.  I once saw a picture of a child who was six months old, holding a french toast stick!  I mean seriously, what are people thinking when they feed their children these things?  Babies are special and deserve the best treatment, especially with their insides.  A baby cannot digest that sort of thing, let alone chew it up when they are they young.  Now yes, Noah is just over one year, so it is assumable he could eat those things, but for 98% of the time he has pureed food.  


Anyway, I believe I am babbling.  So, the point of this post is to tell you how amazing I felt today playing with Noah.  As long as he eats three meals and takes his naps he is an extreme version of happy for a baby.  Today was lovely, he watched one of his Baby Einstein DVD's with me and then he would look at me, giggle, and start to try and get away.  He absolutely loves to be chased and tickled...with the exception that he does not enjoy being tickled too much.  So, I would chase and tickle him and he just LAUGHED and GIGGLED and LAUGHED and GIGGLED.  He looked me straight in the eye when he was laughing which just absolutely made me melt.  It makes me feel so good that I can do that for someone, and not just someone, but my own child.  


I always had this fear that my child  would despise me and never laugh with me, but gosh I never knew I would end up with a child that loved me more than anything in the entire universe.  Granted Noah is not a grown child that can tell me his true feelings, but from what he shows, he adores me just as much as I adore him.  I cannot imagine loving anything as much as I love my son.  He is the most precious baby boy that anyone could ever imagine or dream of having.  Speaking of dreams...I will tell you of one....but wait for next time!

Or not...

Okay, he might have listened earlier in the day, but now we are down to about five diapers and I would like to go to the store.  Steven has to work at 5 PM and our boss (we work at Papa John's) wants him to come in earlier.  Steven is a manager and I am a driver.  Anyway, that is completely beside the point.  When I came home my future brother-in-law (Bryan) was awake playing video games and Steven was asleep.  I was notified that Noah had just gone down for a nap when I had gotten home, which is great news because that means that he is getting back on schedule.  I have been home for approximately 2 hours now and Steven has been sleeping, Noah is watching cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks adventure, and Bryan is watching with him.  I am sitting here blogging to vent about the fact that we are nearly out of diapers and it is 3:15 PM...not much time to run to the store before Steven has to work.  


I obviously got upset and am still upset with Steven about the fact that he still has not gotten up.  I thought some sort of miracle was happening when things were going so well this morning, but now it is just back to normal.  I do everything while he sleeps.  Frustration is seeping into every inch of my body and I do not know how to go about changing it because you cannot change people.  I asked him kindly numerous times to get up so that we could go to the store, but no (we only have one car and I do not want to leave Noah with his Uncle alone).  


Wish me luck with my next attempt to wake Steven! 

My Fiance Listened

It is so dreadful when you have to wake up at 7 AM to get your homework done, when three other people in your home are sleeping.  My future brother-in-law lay on the couch, snoring, with his legs kicking the TV stand as he scurries in his sleep.  My future husband, with that awful sleep odor that he has, laying in our bed out cold.  Lastly, my son, laying in a room that smells of urine from his fully urinated diaper, wiped out as if he had spent the day before at the beach.

Me...

Showering, doing homework, and stressing because I can't find my shoes...only to find out they were in the baby's room!

I love all of those boys, especially the littlest, but it sure does reach down into your nerves just to enought to get to you.  Gratefully...Noah woke up!  Yay!  So, of course, I need to wake up Daddy so that I can leave for school.  While Noah lays on his back banging his feet on the flat side of the crib (making so much noise) in order to get attention, Daddy, after being asked kindly to get up numerous times, is still laying in bed.  I on the other hand, have to go get Noah, change his diaper and walk him in to his father so that maybe if I plop him onto Steven he will get up.

Steven (my fiance) keeps telling me that he wants to start getting up early so that he can get his day going rather than wasting it...so I am morally right to ask him to wake up when the baby gets up.  On a usual basis, he would just give Noah some milk so that he would stay calmly in his crib until he fell back asleep.  Luckily, I caught him in the act and told him not to make a bottle and to let Noah play because him forcing Noah to sleep until I get home from school was not acceptable.

Yay!  HE LISTENED!  I spent from 9:00 AM til the current moment at my college and Noah is still awake and playing.  Surprisingly he hasn't even gone down for a nap.  I am proud of Steven right now because he has actually done what is supposedly, "the right thing to do."

Frustrations with School, Baby, and Sleep

As you might have noticed already, I am a mom in college.  My son, Noah, is a year and 3 weeks old.  He has grown up quite quickly.  I am coming to an end of my college career...at least for now.  I will be graduating in the spring with my BA in English and unfortunately, not with honors.  I really thought that I was going to get honors, but yesterday when I calculated my GPA I found out that I am not quite close enough to pull it off before May 16th.  


Anyway, right now I am in what they call "interterm," which is a term between two terms :)  other schools may call this "winter session."  I am taking a philosophy course on morals and ethics, quite interesting in fact.  When it comes to the reading though, that is another story!  The readings are the type where you have to have your complete concentration on it and absolutely nothing else...which becomes problematic in my situation considering my son consumes my attention the majority of the time.  I have to wait until the little one gets into bed to get any homework done...but here is my problem:  Noah is off his schedule right now for some reason.  He used to wake up every morning around eight or nine o'clock, but lately he hasn't been waking up until after I get home from class.  Which sometimes is around noon and others not until two, so the problem creates him wanting to stay up later considering he slept in later.  So, when I get home from school and see my lovely fiance still asleep in bed and Noah still asleep when I get home, it creates an array of frustration. 


I either have to go bed when Noah goes to bed and wake up early to do my homework or I have to stay up late and still wake up early.  I mean, not as early as if I had not done my homework, but I still have to drive to the school to print out my work, considering my printer's cord is no longer functioning and I do not have the time or money to fix it.  So, I have been choosing both methods to get my work done based on my exhaustion, but I am starting to realize that either way creates the same amount of exhaustion.


Considering I get decent grades and I try to manage my time wisely, I feel as if I do a pretty good job...but when it comes to taking care of myself there is some sort of constraint there.  I try to keep looking good, but I am a Mom and have not had any time to lose the 40 lbs I gained throughout the pregnancy.  Granted that some of that weight was probably unnecessary because I ate so much with the excuse of expecting.  Being tired is something that I am unsure whether I can help or not though, you tell me, is it something you can prevent?