Snips and Snails and Puppydog Tails

Wow – time is just flying by. Sam is a big, healthy, 4 month old now! Continue Reading »

Since yesterday’s post was a little bit of a downer, I thought I might amuse you today with an account of my attempt to get back in some sort of pre-pregnancy shape. Anyone who has children (small or otherwise) knows that it’s hard to carve out enough time for yourself to shower and have a good poop, let alone work exercise into your already busy day. But, I’m trying. And I have a very supportive husband who is willing to help out with Sam and the big boys so that I can go run. The problem, of course, is that I often have absolutely no energy to do any kind of exercise. Oh, and I also live in Texas…and it’s summer…and I’ve lost count of how many 100+ degree days we’ve had so far. Continue Reading »

I’ve been working on this post for a long time: mulling it over in my mind, trying to decide whether to be pithy and clever in it, or just brutally honest…I’ve really had a hard time putting it together because, well, the subject is hard. I’ve been back at work now for nearly a month, which just floors me. And you know what? I hate it. (I decided on brutally honest, by the way.) Going back to work has been so much harder than I ever thought it would be. I knew it wouldn’t be easy – I remember tearing up just shopping daycares. Now, Sam’s at a good daycare that’s just about a mile and half from the house. (We did debate a downtown daycare center, but ultimately I decided I didn’t want Sam having to make my commute every day.)  However, no matter how good the daycare, no matter how loving and sweet the teachers, no matter how cute the other babies there are, it’s still someone else taking care of my son for the majority of the day. Someone else getting his smiles, his coos and his cuddles, even his cries and screams for 9 1/2 or 10 hours each day. Continue Reading »

Sam is a pacifier baby. Some babies are naturally not paci-babies, and that’s fantastic. I don’t want to get into the debate of pacifier vs. non-pacifier. What works for your tot probably won’t work for anyone else’s, and if you are one of those lucky parents whose child is never inconsolable, well, two things: 1) count yourself lucky, and 2) don’t ever speak to me because I’ll know that you are lying–no child is never inconsolable. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, Sam is a pacifier baby. Continue Reading »

Okay, so this post is a tad late, but as of  July 20, we officially have a “double-digiter” in the house! Jacob turned 10. Now, being a summer baby myself, I understand the joy and pain of summer birthdays. Mid-summer birthdays can be a bummer because your friends are often out of town on their own summer vacations, and you  never get to celebrate in school, with Mom or Dad bringing the class cupcakes (okay, so eventually one does outgrow that wish) or hearing your name on the morning announcements (if schools even still do that anymore). Continue Reading »

No, I haven’t discovered a new love for reptiles, much to my boys’ chagrin. I do, however, love fish that my boys are so excited about catching that they come RUNNING from behind my parents’ house saying, “Dad! Dad! Come Quick! Bubba caught a FISH!” I also love turtles with papier mache shells who crawl slowly across stage, and Komodo dragons who slither on stage on skateboards strapped to tummies. Continue Reading »

Today I experienced the sisterhood of Mommies–the way two women who have never seen each other in their lives can almost immediately bond over kiddos, no matter how brief the encounter. Continue Reading »

I can’t believe it’s already been three months since Sam’s arrival. My, how time flies. So much has happened in the last 13 weeks, it’s unreal. So much has changed even just since Sam’s 2-month marker! A couple of significant things, though: Sam can roll from tummy to back now (which means he also tolerates tummy time a little more, since he can practice that rolling), he’s sleeping through the night pretty well, and he has discovered his hands and feet! Continue Reading »

Thursday night Caleb, Sam and I were heading to Chick-fil-a for a much needed pick-me-up after a tough t-ball game (think, mercy-rule-enacted-after-about-40-minutes tough). It was pretty quiet in the back seat. I knew Sam was sleeping, but Caleb was just being quiet – he was pretty bummed about the game. The radio was on with Beyonce belting out “if you like it then you should’a put a ring on it”, and suddenly, from the back seat, I hear (very quietly), “All the single ladies, All the single ladies.” By the end of the song we were both singing along and C was a much happier camper!

I can’t believe it’s been 2 months already. The time is just flying by, and Sam is growing and changing so much every day. It just amazes me. He’s smiling and cooing a lot, and trying to laugh. He’s generally sleeping 6 hours at night, which is really nice! He has rolled from tummy to back once, which was totally exciting, but I think it was just a fluke. He’s not a big fan of floor tummy time (he loves the bumbo seat and being held upright so he can look around and see everything) and spends more time fussing and scrubbing around on the blanket than playing. Still, we try to make sure he gets some good tummy time on the floor each day. Continue Reading »