Gratuitous Baby in Bath Shot

Because I just can't help myself.

First bath:


Most recent bath (in the new tub that his Grandma and Oma bought him):

He seems to think it's amusing to arch his back in the new tub and wiggle his butt around. Squirming wet babies are SLIPPERY!

Dreams

Last Saturday, we went to go visit Mom and Oma. Both of them got to hold George and marvel at the adorableness of a little baby, and the first boy born in his generation (on another note, found out my cousin who is pregnant with twins is expecting a boy and a girl). As he lay sleeping in my mother's arms, she wondered aloud what babies dream of.

They haven't had much experience in the outside world, so it's not like they dream of the same things we adults do. Perhaps they dream of the comfort of Mommy and Daddy's arms, or of the womb? Maybe they dream of a life before conception, fleeting memories of life in their Creator's arms?


And do they have nightmares? More than once, George has woken up from a sound sleep screaming as if he's in pain. Sean or I rush to his bassinet and pick him up and are immediately greeted by a smile and soft gurgling when we touch his back. It's as if he is frightened but immediately calmed by the touch of his loving parents.


So what do babies dream of?

This last picture is a response to Mom's request to see one of him smiling. Darn, those smiles are hard to come by with the camera. They disappear so quickly! It's as if he knows...

So Tired, Baby Ate My Brain

As anyone who has had the joy of caring for a newborn baby knows, sleep is a luxury I just can't have. George is a bit colicky (although I hear he's not as bad as some) and won't allow anyone to set him down for a couple of hours in the evening.

Here's how my weekend went:

We get into the garage Saturday morning and notice the smell of slightly rotting meat. Apparently on Tuesday when we went grocery shopping, someone (not me) forgot a single bag of groceries in the car. The bag with 2 lbs of ground beef and 4 pork chops. On Wednesday when I went in for my 4 week postpartum checkup, I took the stroller out of the back of the car to take the baby with me into the dr.'s office and didn't notice the Walmart bag of meat. I never saw it.

So our morning begins with Sean making a mad dash for the dumpster with a Walmart bag of foul-smelling meat (at least we were blessed with very cool weather last week and the car is in the garage which stays cool). Then I send him upstairs for a bottle of Febreze which I then spray over almost every fabric surface of the car (except where we sat). We stop at a gas station and I run in to purchase two cherry scented hanging things and a bottle of Smoke-Out.

So begins our drive to visit Mom and Oma. We arrive and my mother gets to meet her grandson for the first time. All is well. We go home then leave the car overnight in the locked garage with the windows down. Phew.

This morning, I get up, feed the baby, burp the baby, then attempt a diaper change. George is having none of this and decides to pee once I get the diaper off. Good thing I laid a wet wipe over the fountain source. Then he spits up...and not just a spit up, but the curdled kind that drips into his ear and pools under his head. And it smells foul. Ahh, my weekend of rotting meat and sour milk. We're late for church. I manage to clean up most of the spit-up. He pees again, this time into the half installed new diaper.

Eventually we get out the door and I realize my housekeys are missing. Too late, I'll find them later...off to church!

Church is fairly uneventful (although when the priest blesses George at the communion rail he chose that moment to stick out his tongue. I almost fell over laughing but managed to hold it in.) and we make it home.

Then begins the search for the keys. I called Mom to find out if I lost them there. I visit the apartment office hoping some kind soul found them in the parking lot and turned them in. I begin a cleaning spree of the apartment (in between feedings that is) hoping they'll turn up. I stress myself out so bad that Sean orders me to take a relaxing bath (it helped...to relax me, not to find my keys!).

Then I have a hunch as evening approaches. I check the pockets of a coat I swear I haven't worn in a couple of weeks (the last time I remembered using the keys was Thursday afternoon). There they are. I grudgingly admitted my brain lapse to Sean hoping he won't laugh. Too late.

I had planned on vacuuming and washing the car today...oh well. Maybe next weekend?

Georgie Porgie

Yay! I finally got the USB cable from Sean so I could upload baby pictures from the camera to show the world.

George

Here is my little precious :D

Lent (some rambling thoughts)

Didn't get a chance to return our palms to St. Alban's to be burnt for Ash Wednesday due to the pregnancy...neither did we get a chance to go to an Ash Wednesday service at either St. Alban's or the REC parish we've been attending during the pregnancy because George is still a bit too young to be exposed to crowds since it's cold and flu season.

I'm a bit disappointed that Lent has begun like this for our family, but know that I need to accept that things have changed with the arrival of the adorable little pooper currently sitting in his swing and dozing off.

At least I've been able to make a Lenten rule for myself. I actually gave this one a lot of thought compared to previous years. First of all, I can't exactly fast since I'm nursing. Must have plenty of nutrition for us both, so there's no way I can cut out a meal. So I began thinking of what I gave up during my pregnancy...alcohol? Well, I can't drink a whole lot while nursing anyway and I haven't had a drop to drink in over 9 months so it's not like giving it up would be a hardship. I already gave up caffeine during the pregnancy...wait.

I have limited my caffeine intake greatly (and have weaned myself from the caffeine addiction in the process) in the last few months...but I'm still guzzling Diet Dr. Peppers like there's no tomorrow. What if I cut out sodas during Lent? It's healthier for me and the baby, and because the price of corn is going up (which shouldn't affect diet drinks but does anyway :P ) we save money on not buying a 12 pack of Diet Dr. Pepper a week. That's about $3 a week saved.

That's money that can be added to the collection plate on Sunday every week.

Now I don't feel quite so bad about the rocky start to Lent this year...

Having a Baby Changes Everything

And I don't mean what you think I mean. Obviously there's the change in sleep schedule for Sean and me, and being completely responsible for a tiny creature completely dependent on me, but what I want to describe here is something more.

My heart now does something funny when I hear my son make any noise. I am delighted when he makes eye contact with me. I never quite realized how this precious little human being could completely change me, and I doubt I can put it into words, but I'll try.

George has strengthened my relationship with Sean. I'm not sure exactly how, but he has brought us closer together. Perhaps it is the knowledge that this little guy is the loving result of marital unity. In addition to this facet of our relationship we have discovered, we have also found out some interesting things about each other not previously known, such as....Sean is an excellent cook!

I like to bake (my chocolate chip cookies are the bestest, according to my toughest critics ^_^ ), but I'm not the world's best cook. Sure, I can throw together a pre-made frozen dinner or whip up a meatloaf, but it's just not enjoyable for me. Not only has Sean discovered he likes to cook, but he's very good at it! We've been eating real meals for the first time in years thanks to his mad cooking skillz.

I've discovered that I'm not so bad at this mothering thing. I have never been very confidant in my child-care abilities around other people's children, and have a tendency to pass the kid off to someone else after a few moments. Sean has always handled children much better than I have, so I was surprised to discover I hate putting my son down. I feel slightly guilty when I'm not holding him 24/7. I may not like it when he cries during diaper changes, but I have an overwhelming love for this beautiful baby boy. I can't fathom how some parents can intentionally hurt their children, especially now when I have one of my own.

I have also discovered that I have less anger (although I do get a bit frustrated with those screaming diaper changes...but am discovering ways to lessen the angst...such as a binkie and VERY soft wipes) now that I'm someone's mommy. Aside from the "Baby Blues" I've been dealing with, I'm finding myself with more patience. I'm also learning to release control of certain aspects of my life and have found it oddly relaxing. Other people have been cleaning my kitchen and folding my laundry and doing it a bit differently than me...but I am amazed that I don't mind any more. Guess I am getting my priorities straightened out now....

Yes, having a baby really changes everything.