Ho Hum

So when you upload the pictures you've taken for the week and they total 47.... 46 of those being of your baby, and one of the spit up running down your back and puddling on your pants, you know you're a mother.

We actually did do a few fun things last week, but for some reason I only think to grab my camera when Collin is smiling. The slightly manic one taken below was right after we spent two and a half hours in the sun at UB north campus last Saturday. Trav helped put on a social for the YSSA. Sadly, I don't even know what that stands for, but it's the new club that recognizes the Mormon religion on campus. I got a mad sunburn favoring one side of my body and I think Collin must have gotten a bit dilusional from all the fresh air :) It was a busy day filled with a baby shower in the morning, the social in the afternoon, grocery shopping, and then a drive out to Genesse College to see a fashion show. We have some friends that manage the Buckle store at the mall and they invited us since some of their clothes were being modeled. To make a long story short, we rush to get ready, rush to pick up the Shaws, rush to grab dinner, rush to get to the college (getting lost first, of course) and by the time we get there, we are 15 min. late and Collin is screaming to be fed. I nurse him in the hall and make it to the fashion show to see the last ten or so minutes. Sigh.

So I went to Target yesterday to look for some shorts for Collin to wear over his onsies since the weather is getting so warm. I bought these denim shorts in "newborn" size. You don't get any smaller than that without going to "preemie" size and I didn't see any of those. I was all excited to go home and put them on him. They didn't fit. Even a little.

I just thought this face was hilarious. Like he's getting ready to fight ya for making fun of him in his oversized pants. Haha.

His latest talents include getting his hands to his mouth then trying to insert his whole fist. He sucks and slobbers as long as he can. I think I've got a future thumb sucker on my hands! He will also lay on this monkey thing I bought that has an arch above him with dangling toys and try to bat at them. It's amazing how simple things like that keep him busy.

Well I have these pics thanks to Rach's blog! Last Friday we went on a picnic and enjoyed the B E Utiful weather! I think I look kinda silly in this pic, like I'm struttin a pose. I was just leaning close to Collin so we fit in the picture.

Here's Rach... posin' with the picnic basket :)

Hooray for Spring! I have been trying to get outside with Collin everyday. I've attempted to go jogging but I don't have a jogging stroller and the front two wheels wig out when I get on rough ground. It violently shakes the whole stroller and Collin's eyes get as big as saucers and his lips purse together. Last time, it kept doing that, so I tried jogging with the stroller on two wheels. I'm sure the neighbors were puzzled.

Oh What a Week!

Well this week was full of surprises- good and bad. On Monday I got a call from one of my best friends from AZ (currently living in Pittsburg where her husband is in dental school) saying she was planning a last minute trip to Buffalo! Hooray! She drove in Tuesday evening with her two kids and stayed until Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday we visited the American side of Niagra Falls...

Collin's first visit to the Falls. (Mom forgot the stroller, so Trav got to lug him around for a couple of hours- oops!)

Then we HAD to take Jess to eat some wings at Duffs. We thought Collin might like a taste of a wing, guess not. KIDDING!! Such a cute family pic, I know. It's the sleepy eye, pitching a fit, sleep deprived combo :)

Well then Thursday brought bad news. Trav's dad had a heart attack early in the morning and so Trav caught a 2:15pm flight home. After I dropped him off at the airport, I had my own little heart attack wondering how I was supposed to wrangle my cute little ball of fiestiness all by myself! Luckily, word spread pretty quick and I had so many friends call to invite me to dinner, offer to help, and express their concern for Trav's dad and our situation. Thank you SO MUCH! Thursday night, the Shaw's brought over a pizza and Rach kept me company on my first night alone. On Friday we had a "play date" at Melissa's house, full of crazy kids and yummy food. Here's a pic of Kandis holding my little guy when she suddenly discovered something wasn't quite right.... His little newborn diaper had slipped off his tiny behind and before I knew it he was "plumin' it!" He has a miniscule tush, just like his dad :)

Then Friday night, Tiff and Creed were kind enough to invite me to dinner. We attempted to make sushi and it turned out delicious! It had been too long since I'd had a Las Vegas Roll!

On Saturday I braved the grocery store and the mall. Of course I drove all the way there and parked when I realized I'd forgotten the darn stroller again!! So my arms got a work out. In the afternoon Collin and I went outside to soak up some rays, but didn't last too long as the wind was determined to blow us away. Saturday night brought games and laughing at the Goodes. Always a good time.

Then on Sunday I decided to take him to church, just for sacrament meeting. I wouldn't call it a success. I spent most of the time in the hall trying to pacify him. At least I got to take the sacrament! Then in the afternoon I listened to him cry while I tried to make food to exchange for food group that night. Poor guy has the hardest time taking naps during the day. I'll admit I was feeling pretty strung out when this happened....

I had just finished cooking the chicken and slicing it on the cutting board, when I went to make one last cut and pushed a little too hard. I didn't realized the board was half way off the counter and in a split second, most of the chicken fell to the ground. Curse words. Luckily, a drawer was open and it caught a good portion of the chicken. Don't worry, my drawers are lined and clean!! But if anyone in food group wants to throw out my casserole, I understand! I wouldn't normally have used it but my poor baby was blue in the face from crying, and I was about to join him. Sunday night, the Gardners invited me over for a Korean dinner (my dad would've loved it). I told Trav, next time we are running low on food, he should just go out of town and I'll be set :) Monday was uneventful, since it rained all day and we stayed indoors. Trav's flight got in at 10pm and thus ended my five days of single parenthood. It will be nice to forget about the Mace I have ready to use in the night stand and to sleep with the lights off in the house. I will say that extreme fatigue probably helped me to not be so alert to house creaks and noises. But I'll just pretend I'm getting braver. My mom told me to use her trick- sleep with a Book of Mormon on your chest with your arms crossed over it. :) My poor mom spent MANY a night alone in a bad neighborhood, while my dad was out of town. I almost tried it, but when I reached down for the book, I realized it was downstairs and I was not about to go down and retrieve it. For those who are wondering, Trav's dad is improving with each day. He's still in intensive care, but his chest tube is out and things are looking better. We have been so blessed, I'm so grateful for so many wonderful friends who looked after me while Trav was gone. ThAnK YoU!

One Month Old!

Here's my sweetie pie! I can't believe it's already been a month. But I guess that's how I'll feel at every milestone he reaches until.... well, forever! I love the tongue he's got going on in this pic.

Such a sweet smile. We like to think he's responding to us with his smiles, but who knows. To be honest, he smiles more at his dad. Don't know what that's all about. I think when he sees me he just wants nummies.

Here he is all stretched out on the table for his one month check up today. The serenity only lasted about two seconds until the doctor got that cold stethoscope on his chest! (By the way, I LOVE Kenmore Pediatrics! Thank you to everyone that suggested it! Even after I pulled out my big ol' list of questions, the doctor was so nice!) So here are his stats: he gained almost a pound since his last visit and is now up to 8lbs 4oz which is 25th percentile. He still measured 21 inches (she said it's hard to be accurate on length) and that is 50th percentile. And now for the head...ready for this...90th percentile!! We've got our own little bobble head. :) Guess you gotta give me props for birthing it, right?! :)

So, kind of random, but I remember my pediatrician's office having a big fish tank just like this! Must be somethin' about kids and fish, I don't know.

Ok, so here's the run down on what Collin's been up to this month!
He had his first bath at about two and half weeks. It took that long for his cord to fall off. He didn't like it at first, but once we got his arms under the water and a warm washcloth on his tummy, he loved it. This kid does NOT like to be cold in the slightest. I think that's why he hates getting his diaper changed so much. We have to keep the space heater on him when changing it.

I think he's a bit indignant that we're taking pictures of him bathing. It's ok kid, we made sure you were modest! :)

"Peace, dudes"

This was his first time out to dinner. I kept him bundled up and covered so no one would touch him. Am I a paranoid mother?

So sleeping rituals have been interesting. He sleeps pretty good at night, going a four hour stretch, then three hours, then two. If Trav doesn't have to go to an early class then he'll take him around 7 or 8 and give me an hour to sleep in. He doesn't love to nap during the day though. Well, I take that back, he'll nap tons if I'm holding him, but he won't go down for a nap on his own. Sigh. Thus, I have learned to do many things one handed. That, or I just don't get much done. More of the latter goes on until Trav gets home and takes him so I can clean, exercise, etc. How do single parents do it??!!

Ok, so Collin makes some pretty funny faces sometimes. Here's a few I've caught on camera....

He's mastered the "scowl". I wish I knew what he was thinking sometimes! Possibly, "Ok, enough with the pictures!"

I LOVE this face. When he gets mad, he stretches out his neck and lets out a wail then pouts that lip out like a champ. I seriously look forward to it. Such the drama king!

"Yes, can I help you". All milk drunk and sleepy. Poor guy has a bad case of baby acne that shows up in this picture but this is the face I sometimes get right after he's eaten. Check out that milk mustache!

"OMG! "

"Cheese!"

Blue Steel!

Ok, before you go calling Child Protective Services, let me explain! Yes, we duct tape our child. You see, he sleeps well when he's swaddled, but he's a wiggler, and can pop out of a swaddle quicker than you can say "sleep deprived!" I read in a book, that a small piece of tape can solve that problem, and it did! I guess when my mom was visiting, he was being really fussy, so Trav took him and swaddled him tight, and as he was handing him back to my mom, Collin, popped an arm up, and busted out of the swaddle, almost like he was saying "Ta Da!" Little Mister Houdini.

See, he likes it!

Down side is, you will find little pieces of tape all around our house, and sometimes there are casualties

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So, yes, the first month has been fun, exhausting, adventurous, stressful, happy, sad... you get the picture. He's such a good eater and loves his "pacer". He also loves to be held. My mom said that I was quite the snuggler as a baby. I would snuggle until I was sweaty, so I must have passed those genes on! He makes us laugh with his loud and long "toots". Always filling his diaper right after a clean one was put on. Of course. He has "fire hosed" himself in the face while I'm changing his diaper, four times. Trav finally witnessed it yesterday and couldn't even help me clean him up, he was laughing so hard. Which reminds me, while Trav was at church yesterday, I was feeding Collin, when he suddenly pulled away from me, hunched over and spewed milk out of his mouth and NOSE! I swear my heart stopped beating. It was such a scary experience for me, but when I told Trav the story, he started laughing! That is, until he realized I didn't think it was so funny. He's not insensitive, he just knows when to be truly worried, while I have heart attacks over sneezes. Not really, but you know what I mean. :)

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Easter Fun

We decided to have some friends over to enjoy Easter with us. Here are the Shaw's entertaining most of the kids in the group!

We had a yummy ham and potato dinner then decorated eggs to compete against each other in a contest. Trav's family has done this for a few years, and I was the reigning champion! You pair off and roll your egg at the other person's egg so that they collide. Only one egg will crack. Don't know why, but it's true, every time. So if your egg doesn't crack, you go on to the next round.

Trav got a good action shot of my turn. Unfortunately my luck didn't last this year, and I lost to Creed in the first round! :(

Trav beat Megan, but then lost in the next round.

Dave was the winner! He was hilarious. Before he rolled his egg in each round, he made sure that the "bomb" he drew on his egg was facing the front. I guess his strategy worked! He took home the ceramic egg "trophy" for the year.

Next game was ChUbBy BuNnY! Now, this is a game my mother always told me not to play (along with Red Rover)... why you ask? Because you will choke and die! (Dying was a common consequence my mother warned me of for many activities she didn't want us to participate in) Well, apparently she wasn't too far off. Apparently there have been two documented deaths due to playing Chubby Bunny. Luckily, we didn't add a third. Here is Trav with about 9 mallows in. Collin can't believe his father's talent!

Creed and Doug were hanging in there with about 11 marshmallows apiece, but Doug was the final winner with about 13 I think. Yes, he has a HUGE mouth! :)

Then we finished off the night with some dessert and (check out the fancy cake Rachel made).....

.... visiting. I just thought it was funny that Bron and Trav decided to pop a squat on the floor. What a fun Easter- let's do it again next year!

You Have GOT To Be Kidding Me!!

This was the look on Collin's face last night when he saw the evil white stuff!

Maybe I should be feeling sentimental that yesterday Collin saw snow for the first time, but I'm too busy being mortified! Please indulge me while I whine. Things had been going so well! We had some days when it got to 60 degrees! I thought we were in the clear- and then it came. Spring, shmring. It's still winter here in Buffalo New York! And my mom told me that my brothers are already SWIMMING back home in AZ! Woe is me and my white, tannless skin! :(

Admittedly, the grass looked kinda cool. I'm not sure how this happened... but it looked like a thousand icicles on the ground.

And this is the view from our front door this morning. Sigh. Aren't you glad you didn't visit this week mom?! :)

My MoM

HaPPy BiRtHdaY MoM!

So I am an unworthy daughter because my mom's birthday was actually yesterday, and I am posting a day late- but yesterday was one of those days that I was lucky to shower, so here we are! My mom turned 35 this year (I know-she had me young!) :D No, actually she turned 46 and I know she doesn't care that I shared that because she's one of those women who doesn't care that she's getting older! Novel, huh? I love that about her.

Above is her senior picture- totally not fair that she looks so pretty! I want to bury my senior pic. And that's natural blonde hair! I guess I'm more of a product of my dad. Below is one of my favorite family pictures...check out the length on those dresses! :)

This was taken at Christmas time during my baby shower. I think my mom is so beautiful.This past week was so much fun because she came to stay with me and help out with Collin! What a blessing! Below is a picture of them meeting for the first time :)

He loved being with his grandma! She sang him songs, on-key.... he doesn't get that from me! She made sure he got "sun time", even if it was just through the window. We had a few sunny days though and ventured out on a couple of walks. On which, she kept a keen eye out for vicious dogs. :) I also had my mace with me, just in case. She made yummy dinners, bought groceries, cleaned the house all day on Saturday and showered Collin with love and kisses. She even watched "Ellen" (the naughty lesbian show) with me :) and thought it was funny! With six other siblings, I've never gotten to have my mom all to myself for so long! We talked to my hearts content! Sunday was a hard day for me when she left. I'm so grateful for her coming out here and spending time with us. It was the best!

I feel bad for posting this pic, because she didn't want me to, but I really don't think it looks bad and I wanted everyone to see her cleaning "Cinderella" style. That's what we call it anyway. :) There aren't many things that feel better than having a spotless kitchen floor! So nice!

Interesting Facts/ Things I Love About My Mom

1. She plays the violin! In fact, she played all through school and according to my grandma, had a natural talent for it. Once she had kids, she didn't keep playing (darn those kids! :), but has a goal to play again in an orchestra someday!

2. She has an open mind and is constantly learning. Over the past several years she has become increasingly more interested in naturopathy (sp?) I have had my limbs yanked around by a myropractor and my feet cleansed and rubbed by a foot reflexologist because of her :) And she most recently is investigating "energy cleansing". While I give her a hard time about it, I think it's good that she is constantly trying to learn and do things naturally instead of always relying on antibiodics, etc. I am a bit more skeptical, but she is teaching me :) Her book shelves are filled with titles like "Eat Right For Your Blood Type", "Take Off Your Glasses and See!", and "Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui!".

3. She loves food! I think this is great, although I know she might not. I was the beneficiary of this personality trait in many ways. I remember walking around Fiesta Mall as a kid and always getting a yummy pretzel and cheese. My mom reminded us that she dunked graham crackers in milk for after school snacks, while we frequently devoured DQ Blizzards. We always had "name brand" food in the fridge and cupboards. My Granddad used to like to come over and munch on Cheetos, because Grandmother wouldn't buy them for him :) I may have the Taco Bell menu memorized, but the younger kids have more sophisticated tastes- Craig knows his favorites at Cheesecake Factory :) Since she went grocery shopping for me, we had fun stuff like acai drinks, mangos, grapes, Juicy Juice boxes, and Rice Dream. (Maybe grapes don't sound exciting, but I never buy them cuz their so darn expensive!) Much to my dad's dismay, Trader Joe's was built near their home, and the pantry hasn't been the same since :) Isn't food great?

4. She is a kid at heart. My mom can have a messy house, but she knows how to have fun! I remember many a summer spent at Sunsplash. She didn't just drop us off though, she came to splash too. We would pretend we didn't know her as she screamed her head off going down the Bonzi or other slides that weren't even scary. (We were so easily embarrassed- and she loved it!:) She would get a swinging start down a slide, then scream "I want my mommy!!!!" New Year's Eve was always was one of her favorite holidays. I mean, come on, a holiday where you're supposed to scream your head off!!! Until I was 12 we lived in a neighborhood with mostly old people, but that didn't stop her from piling us in the car at midnight and driving up and down the streets, honking the horn, banging pots and pans, and screaming until we had nothin' left in us. (All this while my dad snoozed on the couch:)

5. She is fun and goofy. Now let me qualify this statement!!! :) This category may be lumped into the one above, but I have SO many more examples!! :) I grew up with all my friends and cousins telling me I had the "Fun Mom or Aunt". I think I knew it, but remember- we were easily embarassed. The elementary school we went to had a drivethrough that wrapped around the playground and had lots of speed bumps. Many a day my mom would drop us off in the stylish "Old Nelly" (our old, orange suburban), while screetching over the speed bumps (you know, when you go really slow with the first two tires, then slam on the gas and make a loud screetch with the back two tires). She would know who our "crushes" were, and if they were on the playground, she would roll down the windows and call out and wave to the boys! Needless to say, we spent a lot of time screaming "No Mom!" and hitting the floor of Old Nelly. And then when we got out of the car, she never said "Bye kids, have a good day at school!". No, she would say, "Be Groovy, and don't burp your bottoms!". "Burp your bottom" means "toot". She didn't like the "f" word that describes this bodily function, so she made up her own phrase. THEN, there were the times that we would be getting on an elevator (ANY elevator) and if we were the only ones on it, she would wait until the doors started to close, then turn around, stick her bum out the doors, so that the doors boinged open again, and shake her bum and wave her hands in the air, singing "wahaaaahaaa"! We would collapse in embarrassment and pull on her and beg her to stop. She would laugh, laugh, laugh, say ok, ok, and come back in the elevator, only to do it again!! :) NEXT- Sometimes we would go get icecream cones at McDonalds and they had a really big parking lot, so after she pulled through the drivethrough, she would pretend she had lost control of the car and drive in tight circles around a light post- like 8 or 10 times. We would laugh and pile up on one side of the car until she was done and start to drive away, only to do it another 8 or 10 times on another light post! Oh my gosh, I could go on and on. I am cracking up just writing this. Last one, you would think that church was safe. Wrong. Just last summer- yes 2008- I was sitting with my family in church (Trav was moving us across the country and not there with me) and it was a rare Sunday that my dad was sitting next to my mom (not on the stand or at some high council thing) and the closing song was some random, hard one that no one knew. The congregation was trying to sing along, but it was fast and a weird tempo and even the chorister was struggling- so my parents are giving it a valiant effort and messing up- so they both start laughing and making up their own lyrics!! Only they're not even real words, it's gibberish, and they aren't singing quietly, they are projecting like they are soloists, and giggling hysterically all over each other. I seriously turned, jaw dropped, to stare at my 45 and 46 year old parents, acting like kids and loving every second of it! It was a hoot!

Now lest you think my parents are completely immature and unfit to raise children, I have to add that there never were better parents than Chris and Sharon! I may be a bit biased, but it's the truth! I shared 5 more silly, favorite things about my mom, but I have a hundred more! I could write a novel (and kind of started to!). She is so loving and 100% devoted to her family. I always knew she loved being a stay at home mom. Unfortunately, she's always put her needs last. It was just a few years ago that we took her shopping for either her birthday or Mother's day, to get her some more "stylin'" clothes because she never went shopping for herself. Most kids have a curfew and just went in to wake their parents up to let them know they were home safe. My mom couldn't sleep without knowing that we were home safe. Even if she was exhausted (always), she would be up on the couch waiting for us to get home. She was always supportive in whatever sport/dance/activity we were doing. She came to every game that I danced or cheered at, every concert I sang at, every ball game or recital. I had a small part in the 9th grade musical and she came to every performance we put on and even dragged some of my aunts along, so great was her enthusiasm. I always remember her in the stands with her "best friend", the big, black, monstrous video camera. She is the family "documenter" and always has her camcorder and camera. I'm so grateful, because now I make it a priority to always have my camera with me.

I love my mom, her fun personality, and all that she has taught me. I love that we are past the "fun" teen years and are such good friends. They say to be a good mom, you could run youself ragged, and only have happy kids to show for it at the end of the day. If this is true, I'd count my mom as successful as any mom there was. Happy 46th Birthday Mom! I love you!