Q&A Answer # 2, 3, &4

What has been your most memorable mom experience so far?? :
This is a hard question. It's SO MEMORABLE when he first smiled, rolled over, laughed, got a tooth, ate solid food, etc. I guess the best would be the first ime he said mama. I know he doesn't associate "mama" with me, but it still broke my heart and made my heart whole all at the same time.


Have you gone back on anything you said you'd never do as a mom? Like, "I'll never let him cry it out for even 5 minutes"???
By all means, YES! I swore I'd never bed share. And we did for 3 months. I swore we'd never let him cry for more than 2-3 minutes, and even though we didn't for the first few months we have since then and he falls to sleep now on his own. And he is happy playing on his own. He's goign through a small bout of seperation anxiety since he's close to 6 months but nothing 2-3 minutes of FUSSING (not crying) can cure. Very rarely does he actually cry for us before we are there. I swore I wouldn't dominate conversation with things about my pregnancy, baby, etc. And I so do. But only with people who ASK for it. It's a hard habit to break! I'm just so proud!


How do you like being a working mother? What is the most amazing change you've noticed in yourself since having Aidan?
I like being a working mother as could be expected. I'm clinically depressed. I cry at work all the time the first time I feel the least bit stressed. I am MEANT to be at home with my baby. But due to finances for the tim being I'm stuck at work. It is HARD and i HATE IT but I do it because I have no choice. As this poiint in our lives the best thing I can do is work so he has a home, and toys, and clothes, and food, etc.

And the most amazing change has been my EMOTIONS. I cry over everything! I ooh and ahh over other babies and pregnancies where as before it was like "oh, okay, cool". It's WEIRD how far of a range my emotions have now.

McFatty Monday, Week 2 + Mother's Day + Lake!

I'm still at 207. I don't want to talk about it. I didn't exercise once. And I ate my weight in carbs. I'm surprised I didn't gain. So I'd rather stay the same than gain. :)

Mother's Day was nice. Aidan cut his second tooth (oh hey, yeah, he cut his first tooth on May 3rd!!) on Mother's Day. And was fevery and clingy and screamy all day long. But oh mah gosh my baybee has 2 teefies! :D

Saturday we went to Carney Island. Aidan had fun, I guess. He liked staring at the moss hanging from the trees. :) We took a few pictures.

Me and my precious peanut. He SMILED for the picture! Melts my heart.
Angry face. Like "Daddy I dont WANT PICTURES"
ALWAYS ALWAYS EATING THE HAND. But he DID pop a tooth the next day, so I guess it's allowed.

This is Carney Island. AKA Little Lake Weir. Big Lake Weir is right behind where we were standing.

Check out Aidan in his swim trunks! Huge on his but TOTALLY ADORABLE. And apparently tiring, too. This was before we even left the house.

Q&A Answer #1

So a while back I asked for some of my readers to ask my some questions. I got a few, here's the answer to one of them (I'll get to the others this week, I promise!)

Nicci from Changing The Universe asked this:

OOO!! I have a good one. You went back to work very quickly after having Aidan (wasn't it like 4 weeks or something?) and you are the breadwinner while Mike is a SAHD.

How has that affected you as far as being a mom? Are you still expected to do the things that all working moms are expected to do (working PLUS cooking and cleaning, etc)? What made you decide to go back to work so soon and to have Mike be the one who stayed home?

In other words, can you talk about how the typical gender roles have been reversed in your house :)

Yes, I went back to work 2 weeks post partum. When I found out I was pregnant on March 24th, 2009 I was employed full time, working 55 hours a week. Mike was also employed full time working 40 hours a week. Things were looking good, I thought i would be able to stay home a tleast 6 weeks, despite only getting 2 weeks paid vacation time. My thoughts were shattered a mere 3 days after getting those 2 lines on that pregnancy test.

Mike was laid off. Which was strange seeing as the company had just finished a series of jobs for the county and seemed to be doing fine financially. It was only the owner, office manager (Hi Christine!), Shawn (Mike's brother) and Mike working there at the time. So needless to say I didn't cut down my hours AT ALL despite being pregnant, I had to work as much as possible to help pay the bills since Mike's unemployment obviously didn't 100% make up his lost salary.

I still thought I'd be able to afford to stay home those 6 weeks, but not any more than that. That thought was shattered when I was admitted to the hospital for a week due to gestational diabetes. This didn't kill our savings completely, but I wasn't bringing home any income that week and the biggest condition of me getting out of the hospital was that I would be on partial bedrest. It was either I work a maximum of 4 hours a day and spend the rest of the day in bed, or I remain in the hospital on bedrest until I delivered. Which was over a month away. Obviously I took the choice to be out in the world, even if it meant a drastic cut in pay and hours being worked.

After I had Aidan I was home for those 2 weeks. I had a chance to bond with him a bit, and we worked hard to get his nights and days switched so that when I was back to work I wasn't up all night. I took care of him primarily those first 2 weeks, but if I asked Mike to help he was right there and didn't hesitate. He was up with me at nights, making bottles, and changing diapers right along with me.

Once I was back to work I still got up with Aidan at night. I handled him primarily when I got home from work, and all throughout the night. Mike slept through the nights (except a few trying nights I had him get up to help) so he could be wide awake and in a good mood to stay with Aidan during the days. The system worked. I was able to sleep enough thanks to bedsharing to be functional at work, and I had extra bonding time with Aidan at 3am when I was feeding him ;)

During the first month or so our house was a wreck. Mike was adjusting to life with a baby during the days, and I was working. In the evenings it was all Aidan all the time for me, since I had been gone all day.

After that first month or so we settled into a comfortable routine. By 6 weeks or so Aidan was basically sleeping through the night and with the less frequent feeding I was able to get some housework done in the evenings. And on the weekends while he napped we both tag teamed the house & got it cleaned up.

These days our routine hasn't changed much. He takes long naps on the weekends freeing us up to clean and take our time (within reason). And Mike picks up during the days, making it easier. Mike is also working almost full time now. He works at his old job in the foam shop as a machine operator tuesdays and thursdays, 8+ hours each day. And he works at his old job land surveying monday, wednesday, and friday as needed. Those 3 days aren't full days, sometimes only 2-3 hours, sometimes more. But either way he's working more so it helps with our income as a family. Mike's mother watches Aidan while he's working.

So now our family dynamic is more back to "normal", whatever that means. I still wish I was able to stay at home. I have plenty of days where the mommy guilt kicks in full time because I didn't get a full 6-12 weeks to bond, I am not home with him all day, etc. But because of that he is bonded with his father like CRAZY, and he adores his grandmother, too. He's sharing his love with 2 other worthy people and that makes me happy. Despite all the mommy guilt I feel I know I'd rather feel guilty for working a job I have to work to put food on the table and a roof over our heads than stay at home and not be able to provide him with the things he needs to grow and thrive.

99 Things

I copied this from some other blogs I follow..I've done everything in bold below. Now you can copy this on to your own blog & bold the things you’ve done! Just a little something fun!




1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyworld

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightening storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Been to Westminster Abbey

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tattoo

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

McFatty Monday: Week 1

So once, far back in time, I joined the McFatty Monday campaign started by Blair @ http://theheirtoblair.com/. Then I quit. Because I am the essence of teh lazy.

Ladies! I'm back on the wagon. I gained up to 207lbs. Which is a lot seeing as I was 185lbs 6 weeks postpartum. WHAT?!! You'd think I was breastfeeding the way I can chow down on some foods. Insanity, let me tell you.

I don't have a plan, per se. Which might be a problem. I'd like to keep it to 1500 calories a day. And at least 100 minutes of exercise per week. Unfortunately it's already desperately hot here in Florida, so outside exercise will be limited. But I do have malls to walk in, and a stationary bike. And 5lb dumbells for weight training. And 30 Day Shred. :)

Starting Weight Prepregnancy: 195
Highest Pregnancy Weight: 230
2 Weeks Postpartum: 190
6 Weeks Postpartum: 185
Current: 207
Height: 5'7"

Adventures In Sitting Up

Hi Mom! You want me to sit up? Umm.. I want to play with my foot & eat my hand.

I'm pretty sure I told you I didn't want to sit up.

FINE. I sit up, but I refuse to smile about it.

Blank stare.

Oooooh. I can play with my foot AND try to pick the flowers off the couch while I sit up.

5 Month Old Letter

Dear Aidan,

I can't believe I'm sitting here typing up a 5 month letter to you. When you came into our lives I was unable to think of the future. It was simply day to day, sometimes minute to minute. Trying to get by, learning each other and meeting demands. Now it seems all I can think of is the future. You crawling, walking, first words, etc. I still think all the time "is this my baby? I get to keep him forever?" so I guess in a way I still am unable to think of the future. It's amazing how much you've changed, and how much you've grown.

You now command my attention when I get home from work. Since I'm gone all day when I come home you are ALL MOMMY ALL THE TIME and god forbid I set you down to go to the bathroom, you WAIL until I come hold you. Instead of annoying me, it just endears me to you more. You truely need me in the evenings, for snuggles and loves and laughs. And that, my dear boy, makes me so proud to be your mommy.

You're rolling both ways, tripod sitting for maybe 20 seconds at a time, eating solid foods 2 times a day (1/2 a jar at lunch, a full jar at dinner), still eating about 30 oz of formula a day. Still on the Zantac 2 times a day, and the reflux shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, which makes me sad because I just want you to be able to eat your bottles without spitting up profusely afterwards.

My dear boy, you're waking up now so I'm going to go. Just know your mommy loves you more than words and even though I try to write you a letter each month nothing compares to how many kisses and snuggles I give you each day. Love you bunches.

Love always,
Mommy