What a year!!!

   Dear Isaac!
   What a year it has been! Exactly one year ago last Sunday I was eating a loaf of bread in the Philly airport wondering what was with this crazy stomach ache....and exactly one year ago today I was puking my guts up with worst morning sickness ever! I slept through New Year's day COMPLETELY! Amazing how different a year can end from the way it began! Now I would be excited to get a half hour nap!
   So much has changed it is hard to believe that only one year has gone by! Within 1 year i have spanned more clothing sizes than I could have ever imagined! It feels like a lifetime ago before thoughts of Sir Isaac consumed my head! What did I used to think about? What was important then? How did it feel not to be tired all the time? I can barely remember!! Did I really used to get dressed before leaving the house?
    2009 has been a year I will never forget! Daddy and I grew closer than we could have ever imagined. Pregnancy was an amazing experience I will never forget! Birth was the scariest, most thrilling, most emotional moment of my life! Sir Isaac has been nothing short of a miracle in our lives, albeit the loudest, crankiest, sleepless little monster ever, you are still our favorite little miracle!

    The end of the year has brought so many new fond memories for the 3 of us! Isaac bravely survived his first flight! Everyone was right, I was way more nervous than I needed to be! It added a whole extra 3 minutes to our airport time!
    Our first family trip to NEPA has been a blast thus far! Isaac's introduction to the whole clan was amazing to see! Nona loves singing to him and covers him daily in enough holy oil we can fry our little piggy up like bacon! Krissy has become so maternal, Nono has decided he is too old to change diapers and Noni just loves have the whole house full again (although I am not so sure why!)  Packing for the little monster was a complete waste time. Noni's "few things" was more like a whole new wardrobe! I should have known better! Daddy and I are getting a little to used to all these extra helping hands and our new found free time! Uncle ronnie better be willing and able when we get back to Vegas!
    Christmas with Sir I was so much fun! I know he is way too young to know what is going on....but it was still so much fun dressing him up like a little elf! Johnnie JUmperoo has become our new best friend! It is so fun to watch him jump and play for such a length a time without freaking out! Gramma Berta flew in for the holiday and we all had a great time...although I wish Noni and Nono cooked a little more...ha! I can only foresee the following holiday times to be more special with each passing year!

    Little man donned his first tuxedo for his Christening on the 27th. He was so cute!! All in his white silk suit! What a stud! Aunt Gina and Uncle Ronnie were the proud godparents. Isaac did so well..until the picture portion. Then he had a meltdown in classic Isaac style! The reception after was a lot of fun too. The whole family got to meet and see him - and surprisingly Mommy let everyone hold him too! But if one more person said "this baby doesn't cry at all" I was going to flip!! If only we had the party at 2 am!!
    Sleeping has become a major issue these days.  Luckily everyone is here to witness it so I don't feel like it is just me overreacting to the baby crying all the time. We are now on the sleep pattern of: sleep 1 hour, wake up and cry 2 hours. If it sounds fun  you are oh so right! All night....cry cry cry. I called the doctor for some advice but all i got was "take him to an urgent care". HA. Karma is having a blast with that one!
   Finally tonite we will wrap up one helluva year! I cannot imagine topping the excitement of '09! Maybe Krissy will give I a cousin..hahahahahahaha...just kidding my dear! I look forward to watching how much our baby Sir I will grow in the next year and all the great experiences Daddy and I will have with our new family! I wish all the best to my friends and family in the new year - and hopefully we will see more of you in '10! '10???? How weird??? We are so old! - and to my dear old friend Rich, congrats with your twins! You will be amazed at how much your life has been completely changed in such an instant! It is an amazing journey we can only experience to describe!
     Merry CHristmas and Happy New year to all!

On our way to NEPA!!

It is almost time! Seems like just yesterday I bought the tickets! 6 weeks have passed and in a few short hours we will be sitting high in the sky on our way to Noni's house in NEPA for the holidays! I cannot wait! I think Sir I knew something was up too...He has been Baby Hell Boy all week! This time tomorrow Daddy and I will sitting fireside with some hot toddies pretending we dont hear him crying for Noni!!! Doesn't that sound great???? I can just hear Noni now trying to sooth the bedtime beast!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! How sweet it will be!!! I can almost taste the Frangelico in my cocoa now!

But lets be honest....until we are comfortable - and I mean COMFORTABLY sitting at 30,000 feet I will be a nervous wreck about Little Baby Dynomite exploding on the plane! I may start the drinking early!!! Ha! After weighing all the pros and cons, hmm's and ha's, we have decided NOT to bring the carseat on the plane. I hope it is the right decision! We will know tomorrow morning for sure if we are buying a new one to fly back with! :)  Little man hates the seat though..so why lug it thru the airport if he is only going to sit on my lap? I know it will be easier for when he DOES fall asleep...but I'm sure those 20 minutes are not worth the hassle!

In other news we are officially 18 weeks old today... We had our 4 month Dr. visit and completed our shot records (for now).  I always feel like an idiot when the Dr asks me how is it going? I tell him the baby cries A LOT and he looks at me like "are you expecting him to bark"Because then i just think maybe i am a horrible mother who cant hack the crying? But really this kid can wail like no other! And he is damn good with the will power too! He will scream his bloody head off and then smile and coo the second you get in his face! 18 weeks old and the kid can already play me like a fiddle! He preys on weakness - I am sure that is a Nardell trait....Anywhoo...the Dr  then reassures me that Isaac is  right on track and probably just "going through a phase"....and to myself I think "an 18 week phase?" But I suck it up...really? what's one more night of mommy crying the shower afterall?

So we shall see how he does in NEPA...he was an ANGEL at GRamma Berta's house....and if he cant find enough to keep himself stimulated at Noni's then we are in trouble!

I will be sure to keep you all updated on the success of our trip! Thanks so much for all your tips - for some reason Dr's are HIGHLY against the benadryl suggestion so we are just going to stick a bobba in his mouth and hope for the best! If they ground us in Ohio and make us vacate the plane I will be sure to send our Season's Greetings from Cleveland! (God I hope not!)

Here we come East Coast!!!! I hope to see you all soon!

10 day countdown!!

10 more days until we board the plane and head East for the winter...we are like the snowbirds that got it backwards!
I cannot wait to land!! All the preparation for the trip makes me nervous! (of course!) Will he cry the whole way? (Probably!) Will Security be a pain in the ass? (most likely) Will people be coughing and sneezing all over him? ( I will kill them!) Is he allowed a carry on bag? Ugh!

All these questions and more! But I know once we land it will be well worthSir I will get to see his Noni again (yeah!!) and finally meet his Nono and Nona as well as Aunt Krissy, Zizi, and Uncle Mark and everyone else!! I figured I wont even pack a bag for him because all I hear is that "no one bought him (really) anything...." Yeah rite!!...knowing my family that means he will have more things there than here!
Mommy and Daddy cannot wait for our Vegas break either! A few weeks in snow and winter weather will be a refreshing break for both of us! Not to mention the constant influx of babysitters...(Bratty!!)
THere is nothing like being home for the holidays! And no one does Christmas better than Noni! She "doesn't shop", "doesn't decorate", and "doesn't cook/bake much" like no one's business!! But Mommy's whole goal for the holiday vacation is to hit the gym!!! There is nothing more fun than having a 4 month old and trying to "SQUEEZE" into my maternity clothes! Danko's here I come!!!

Christmas will have an added bonus this year as Gramma Berta will be spending I's first Christmas with us in NEPA!  Hopefully the onslaught of the entire family at once won't send her running back to the high desert in a hurry! So everyone better be on their  best...okay, better...behavior!
Also We are trying to get Sir's Baptism set up for the 27th.  It is  just as hard to work with Ronnie's schedule as it is Baby Jesus's! Hopefully most of you will be in town! But there are not any definite plans as of yet!
Well stay tuned for more CHristmas countdown and holiday extravaganza for the most wonderful time of the year! And remember, as I hope to teach Baby I,  it's not about the gifts under the tree but the people around it! Happy Holidays!!

A lot to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving Sir Isaac! This is definitely a year we have A LOT to be thankful for! Not only do Daddy and I have the good fortune of being blessed with wonderful families and friends...but this year we have a whole new addition to our lists of "Blessings" Who knew a screaming little baby boy could be such a Blessing in disguise! OK..we knew!
     We are spending our first Turkey day in Elko this year with Gramma 'Berta and Grampa Pat! SO far Isaac has made liars out of us! He has been a complete angel so far! barely a crying peep out of his little mouth! I cant believe it! Maybe we took the wrong baby! Although it was surely our hellish baby angel in the car on our 8 hour trek out here!...But whatever works! Im pretty sure he just is bored of us and is stoked to have new faces doting over him....Thank heavens for Grandparents! As well as baby-less getaways  to the gym (ugh, i am so sore!) and the store.

    That is all for now - just a big Happy THanksgiving to all of our family and friends. We can wait to see the rest of you over CHristmas! More faces and more babysitters! The list of Thankfuls keeps growing!

THe First 100 days!

                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              Dear Isaac,
     You are 100 days old today! I cannot believe it! My little monster is officially 3 months old! So now is when the fun starts right??? Well apparently you didnt get the memo that you are not supposed to cry so much anymore...we will just blame that on your inability to read just yet!
      The past 100 days have been such a whirlwind of emotions....I cannot imagine anything in the world causing such a roller coaster of emotions than motherhood! Your smiles & giggles give me the highest highs and your screams and cries give me the lowest lows (so you can stop the crying at any moment now please!) I have never been so proud and so terrified all in one! I cannot believe I have not driven your Daddy crazy yet!! No preparation in the world can get you ready for a journey like this!
    Everyday is something new! I love peeking over your bed each morning to see you smiling face!  I cannot wait for all the fun times we will have together - you, me & daddy! I look forward to the new things you do everyday and watching you grow! You are definitely a 12lb handful for sure! But for all of my gripes, I wouldnt have it any other way! You are the one the angels picked out for me and Daddy and we are so thankful to have you in our lives!
    I love you more than anything LIttle Sir! And I look forward to each and everyday new and exciting moment with you! Happy  100 days! May there be MANY MANY MANY more!!!
     Love, Mommy

Road Trippin!

      Ho Hum! What to do when all the Halloween candy is gone and Mommy and Daddy both have the week off....Let's jump in the car and take a 15 hour drive to Colorado!! Just shy of 3 full months of life Little Man has already seen the sights of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado! 5 days, 4 states, 3 time zones and 2 exhausted parents leads to 1 amazing Family vacation!
      Isaac was such a trooper on the ride! After waking the little critter up at 2 AM and hittin the highway, we were off! All was going well until we hit that Rocky Mountain High!!! Stupid Mommy didn't even think about the altitude change affecting his ears...that is when the Rocky Mountain Meltdown began! I felt so bad! He cried and Cried and nothing seemed to help him...until he finally (hours later) fell asleep from exhaustion! Poor guy! By the time we got to Jason's Aunt Sue's house he was wiped out! And so were we!
     But the next morning he was up with a big smile on his face and a sure crowd pleaser!  We had a great time at Aunt Sue's amazing ranch in Boulder!  Isaac got his first glimpse of horses, deer, and the amazing dacschunds  Mr, Boges and Joey! While in Colorado we also did some exploring of the "most colorful state". We saw the sights of Colorado Springs, Manatou, the Garden of the Gods, Old Colorado City and Boulder city! A lot of driving for 5 days! But well worth the trip! Although Im sure we have scarred Isaac from ever wanting to get in his car seat again! Who knows maybe he will finally start sleeping in his crib! (doubt it)
     Back in Vegas we are scurrying around trying to get the house all packed up and moved out! Who knew you could accumulate so much junk in such a little bit of time! I blame my mom for that genetic default! And since when does a barely 3 month old need a bigger wardrobe than his mommy and daddy combined??  At this rate I won't have to buy him new clothes till junior high!
    Speaking of Mr. Man (which is  what I am supposed to be doing here, right??) He is growing in leaps and bounds these days! He has finally busted out of his Size 1 diapers and is barely wearing his 3 months clothes! I have tried to get him from stop growing so fast but he just won't listen to me!  He is like an out of control weed - although he is pretty damn cute! And the giggles?? Well they are just to die for...if you can get one! Daddy can...I think they plot against me when I am not around! As if I am not emotional enough!

    We are 6 days away from the magic month 3 when all the chaos falls into place and Isaac magically becomes the perfect Gerber baby! I cant wait! Only 6 more days of uncontrollable screaming and crying for no reason!! 6 more days? I can handle that! Bring on Magic #3!!! Just keep in mind if we don't see any changes come November 17, Jason and I will personally seek all of you "magic Month 3 liars" out! So beware!
   The holiday season will be filled with lots of travel time again(weather permitting of course!) First we are off to Elko for Thanksgiving with Gramma Berta and to meet Grampa Pat! Also I finally booked our plane tickets to NEPA for the holidays!(December 15th) I cannot wait to go home! Little guy will finally get to meet his Nono, Nona, Aunt Kri$$y( sorry...is that a typo?), & Uncle Mark! Noni will be so shocked at how big he is! I will be scared to death of flying with him until the second we land! More than anything I am scared he will have a freak out and they will have to land the plane in some remote midwest location and kick us off the plane for not being able to control our child! We will end up on 20/20 with Barbara Walters condemning us for being such horrible parents! How embarrassing!Ugh! I don't even have a ready-for-TV-body yet!!
     Well thats all for now! Hope to hear from you all soon and see you at the holidays!

MAC-tastrophe!

Weeee'rrreeee back!!! What a past few weeks we had!! If ever there was a time to blog!
First off, the most devastating news....my computer died. I am sure you all heard about it on your local news. It was pretty catastrophic. Lots of tears and screaming. My hard drive sang its final swan song...for the second time! For those of you who dont know what that means (Mom) it means EVERYTHING is gone....pictures, videos, music, everything, Gone. This would also be a good time to refrain from asking me if I backed it up...Enough said there.
But alas, my Lassie is back - blank slate as she may be - Im back in the wonderful world wide web!
Next up we had Sir's 2 month birthday celebration! Grammy Roberta came to visit and had a great time! She got to witness the Isaac freakouts first hand and handled him as only a loving gramma can!! Im sure little Isaac misses her already !! I know Jt and I miss all the extra help!
Speaking of Freakouts, Little Man also had his first round of shots...that was fun! Of course - I cried. When don't I cry anymore? But Daddy was there to hold my...err..our hands and make it better.

On a separate note..,The weather in Las Vegas is finally BEAUTIFUL!! Now is definitely the time to be here! The cool fall breeze is long overdue!
  Milestones for month 2 have been right on schedule! LIttle Man is learning about his hands and how yummy they can be! ugh! And finally he is starting to smile and coo - which is the most amazing thing to see! He has the cutest smile! It amazes me how quickly he goes from smile to meltdown....but when its the other way around, meltdown to giggle, it almost makes the crying bearable!

As if we didnt have enough going on - We are packing up shop again and moving out of our house. Mommy's short temper got her in "trouble" with the landlord and I demanded to be let out of the lease. We figured they would let us out of few months early - but they said now or never...needless to say you can probably guess which option we picked if we are packing! Not that we have any place particular to go - Just wait until Uncle Ronnie has a live in ticking time bomb with stinky diapers! Hopefully it wont be for too long....
Lastly Mommy finally headed back to the gym. UGH! what torture that is! I honestly can say that I absolutely HATE to workout - no matter how i much i do it! But after a month of a broken back I could never imagine how hard it was to go back! Pregnancy was probably the best shape I have ever been in in my entire life and after 2 months off I can barely touch my toes. The back thing really did me in...But I am hoping Day 1 is the hardest and its all down hill from here! Tony I miss you!!! ;)
  We are less than 3 weeks away from the "Magic Month 3" when supposedly everything "falls into place" - I won't hold my breath! But who knows - maybe Sir will shock us all!
Well that's about it for now - my foot is going numb from rocking the stroller as I type - of course little man still sleeps in the stroller! - which by the way, the dr said is completely fine as long as he sleeps. I just wanted to let everyone now we are still alive and well. I miss you guys all so much. Stay tuned for my next post when I tackle my holiday travel dilemas and swine flu vaccinations! I have my Kleenex ready!!!

8 and Counting...

8 weeks old!! Can you believe it?? I survived! He survived! And amazingly Daddy survived me! Much to my disbelief, it seems I have a new baby in the house!!! We started the Similac Alimentum last week (aptly coined "liquid gold") and literally in hours I have a new baby! My little Alimentum angel! It is amazing what a difference we saw in just one feeding! I wish I could call my pediatrician and shake him silly for telling me Isaac's doesn't need it, but i doubt they favor doctor abuse in the office! Don't get me wrong, he still freaks out all the time and cries for no reason (or what I say is no reason) but at least now he will have 20 to 30 minute stretches of alone time! It is amazing! Well worth the (insane) price!!
Little man is still sleeping in his stroller every night. I finally gave up on the bassinet and took it out of the room. The important thing is that he is sleeping - which means I AM SLEEPING!! Yeah stroller!!
Sir Isaac also had his visit from his cousins and Aunt Gina this week! We had a great time and it was so nice to pawn his screaming head off on someone else! I just hope he didnt scare Bratty off as my lifetime free babysitter!! Not like she has a choice anyway!
Gramma Berta comes to visit this week too! I am sure she will be surprised at how big he has gotten in the few weeks since her last visit! Plus its another mini break for me!! Oh yeah for visitors!!
Unfortunately Mr. Man also got his first taste of life as a member of Red Sox nation. Elimination hurt us both! Alas, his first taste of Sox heartbreak. I am sure there are many more years of that to come. Maybe next year!

Jason and I have also decided now is not the time to venture out into public with little man. I have been crazy about hand washing too! The news has been scaring the bejesus out of me with all the kids dying of the flu! I dont even want to take him to the Dr for his shots! All those little sick rugrats running around wiping their snotnose faces all over the chairs and such...ugh! Maybe ill just give him his shots at home! ha! I hesitate to even buy plane tickets home for the holidays without knowing how bad the flu season will actually get! But i think I may just INSANE if I dont get home for Christmas! I will drive if we have too! Plus we can take Zorro too!! I am sure everyone would love that, except evil Jumper!!!
Well off to get the dogs out of their new doggy daycare - the car! How embarrassing! I put the dogs in the car all morning because they drive me crazy! But they love it!
They dont know they are not moving! The neighbors hate it, but hell with them right!!
As long as they are happy is all I care about!

7th week stretch....

We are 7 weeks into mommyhood and - as promised, things seem to be getting a little easier - or maybe just a bit more predictable. It is amazing what a difference a week makes in his development! I am already crying at his "baby"pictures and wondering how he got so big so fast!!! For all of my complaining I still want him to stay my baby boy!!! Before I know it my perfect little angel ( and every other man in the world) will be checking out a 15 year old Hannah Montana rocking a stripper pole! (BTW am I the only one who finds the Cyrus clan slightly disturbing? Thank God I had a boy!!)
Finally I am starting to pick up on the cues of his cries - Hungry? Dirty? Tired? They are all starting to have different cries. His formula issues still exist, I finally broke down and bought the Alimentum last nite. I hope this works for him, its compeltely hypo-allergenic so he cant complain about anything!! Although it smells like dog food and my other boys are a bit jealous!! He still needs to figure out his pooping schedule - once every 2 or 3 days isn't working out for us. By day 3 he is all cramped up and cranky, not so fun for any of us! The little bugger is no dummy either - he completely knows the difference between me rocking the stroller in the house and actually going out for a walk. He is definitely going to be an outdoorsy kid - once again Jason's kid for sure!!
Isaac has stared to become more alert these days. His eyes are starting to track mine and the sound of my voice. He has discovered his fingers are yummy too! Now this could be completely coincidental ( I hope!) but i think my little man has already fallen victim to Barney! I put PBS on when he is in his bouncy chair and he miraculously becomes perfectly content when the big purple dinosaur starts bopping around! I swear PBS brainwashes kids! As you can see he is just as serious about his Red Sox!
As for Mommy I am still as discombobulated as ever! My thoughts range from "did that person wash their hands?" to "oh yeah!! maybe i can sneak in a shower today!" It is true you become so consumed with your new bundle of joy you can't possibly remember what you thought of non baby related! I actually tried to make coffee the other morning without adding any water OR grounds to the pot! And forget about little things like personal appearance! I hardly remember what my hair looks like outside of a ponytail! But it is all worth it when he smiles - even if it a poopy face smile!
Miraculously Little man has been sleeping a little better at night! I have given up hope of him sleeping in his crib! He sleeps in the stroller - I am not embarrassed to admit it! I think of it as a crib on wheels! I think he likes the "cave" feel of being all snug in his carseat! But as I learned in a hurry - "go with whatever works!" so Sroller it is!

I am finding Mommy life has also made me look at the world a little differently. It makes you realize that EVERYONE is someone's daughter and son. Everyone was once the center of someone's universe and rocked to sleep each night. It also makes me appreciate my mom so much more!! I can't believe she did this 5 times!!! (yes dad, there are 5 of us... :)) It's unfortunate it takes so long to realize how amazing your parents are - or how much they have gone through to get you where you are. I almost (almost!) feel bad for being such a spoiled brat when I was little! Little Isaac won't ever know all the sleepless nights, tears, or struggles Jsson and I had, or how our world suddenly began to revolve around him the second he came into the world until he has kids of his own. After gladly being peed on, pooped on, and (my favorite) thrown up on daily, I can't wait to remind him of all the havoc he has wreaked and say I told you so!!

Fall is in the Air

Las Vegas is well known for being the 24 hour city, the (other) city that never sleeps. These days Sir Isaac is taking that a bit too far! It seems he has his days and nights a little mixed up lately. My little Stewie is on an "all or nothing" plan when it comes to sleep. Either he sleeps ALL day and awake all night or he cries ALL day and sleeps (a bit) at night. I have yet to decide which is the lesser of the two evils! A late night drive at 11PM to try to put him to sleep turned up useless. I spent midnite to 5:30 thinking of ways to maintain my sanity during his 5 hour freak out and came up with nothing. Finally I took a long hot shower and cried my eyes out! Had I known the sound of the shower would put him to sleep I would not have put it off so long!
The past week has definitely had some breaking points for both Jason and I. It seems nothing will soothe him. I have read that babies his age typically cry 2 to 3 hours a day and Sleep 16 to 18 hours a day. Once again Little Man has it backwards. Lucky us. I even think Zorro has had his fill of the nonstop screaming. Normally nothing can get his lazy butt off the couch, but one yelp out the little monster's mouth sends him off to quieter pastures! The dogs give us the look of "when are you going to put that thing outside already".

Speaking of outside, the weather here has taken a dramatic turn for the better. Finally we have temps in the 60s and 70s. These are the days when it is (almost) worth living in Vegas! On the flip side, Mommy threw her back out. Literally the back pain is worse than labor - only now i have to carry the baby AND a car seat rather than just waddle around with him in my belly! I blame the car seat for this whole fiasco anyway! They are such torture devices for both baby and mommy! What did parents do before carseats? Whatever it was it had to be OK since most of us are still here!!

Oh MY!!! while typing this I just experienced my first victory in letting him cry it out!!! Albeit a well fed and clean diapered Isaac is laying 6 inches from me wailing away, I decided to let him have his little fit without pulling me in, and it FINALLY worked!! He is finally asleep!! Sweet victory!! UGH!!!!!!!!! My Cell Phone ringing had a sneak attack ambush and the crying is back on!! The gods have foiled me again! I can not wait for teething!! Bring it on!!!

6 Weeks and Still Standing....Barely!!

Hi all!

Can you believe Sir Isaac is 6 weeks old already!! Even more unbelievable is that Mommy is still alive!!! I must say this has been the most eventful, emotional, whirlwind of a roller coaster ride jason and I have ever been on!I wouldn't trade it for anything! Although little Stewie has not taken any mercy on us - ever! I swear sometimes I am Lois and he is secretly plotting to kill me! :)
I think Isaac's gets his knack for whining from his Mommy! He is definitely a "hands on" baby - as in he needs to be held - ALL THE TIME! Now before all the zealots chime in with the "overholding" theories, let me just say, I, by no means, want to be holding him this much. HOnestly I think anything attached to me for such lengths of time should be considered a tumor but, I have tried letting him "cry it out". He wants no part of that! Crying it out sessions have last up to an hour - usually ending in him coughing, puking, or neighbors asking if all is OK! Not to mention Mommy's and Daddy's fried nerves! He maybe sleeps 6 hours a day (yes, TOTAL) and I know babies are supposed to cry - but his crying seems extreme to me! He never cries himself to sleep, - he just cries mommy to the liquor cabinet!!
I was definitely a better Mom before I had Isaac! I know "this too shall pass" and "it wont be like this for long". The past 6 weeks - the past 11 months - have flown by and I realize in no time little man will be driving - but in the mean time I am open to all suggestions before I pull my hair out! We are using the Gripe water, Mylicon, colic bottles, you name it! Right now the only thing that calms him down is human touch. So we oblige him - Little Stewie has us wrapped around his finger already!
Next week Aunt Gina and cousins Max and Emily come to meet him! I can't wait to see them and pawn off demon baby on them! Ha!! It is also Max's big 1-0 Bday! Once again I am reminded how time flies! My bratty is going to be 15! Yikes! I should just shut up and quit complaining now!
Other milestones of the past few weeks include Isaac's first trip to Church, which included the loudest room-shaking burp during the "bow our heads and pray" moment of silence! I could only laugh - as did everyone around us!
Our first venture to the Cheesecake Factory. Mommy and Daddy were going thru our favorite restaurant withdrawls! Amazingly we survived without a hitch! Thank goodness for strong mojitos!
This week we will also say goodbye to the bassinet! Just like most of his clothes, Isaac has outgrown the bassinet and is ready for the big boy crib - of course he hates to sleep in there too! the car seat has been the preferred place of rest for the past weeks! Overholding, over indulging, sleeping in the bed/carseat/bouncer - I have officially been reduced to the "whatever works" mode - I will gladly pay for his therapy later tonight I just want to sleep!!
Finally, on a separate note, I would like to say Rest in peace to one of my and my family's dearest friends Dororthy Hizny. I have known Dorothy my entire life and know she will be sadly missed by all of her family and friends. Personally I will forever remember Dorothy as the only women who could brush my hair when I was little because she had the scariest "get your ass over here or I will give you something to cry about" eyes a kid will ever see! i will think of you ever time I walk down the cereal aisle or I see a cherry topped pineapple square or rice pudding! Rest in peace Dorothy we will miss you and love you forever!

Too Close for Comfort?

Lately I have been taking everyone's advice and little by little, SIr Isaac and I have been venturing out into the "real world" rather than being cooped up in the house all day. I am amazed how involved it has become to do simple errands! A 5 minute errand of dropping off the laundry has become a half hour event with car seats, slings, parking, etc.! No more quicky jaunts to the store either! I can't wait until the weather cools down a bit and the poor guy doesn't sweat his little butt off in the car seat!
As You all know, Little Man has had some fussiness/gas issues due to his formula (ugh! I am such a Bad mom!). I started using Gripe water for some hopefull relief. THe first day I tried it he was an angel - coincidence or not - I was sold! Unfortunately I paid for it the next day when the little fussy monster returned!! But we are sticking with it for now.
I have heard great things (mainly online reviews) about Colic Calm Gripe Water. We searched for it in retail stores, but apparently you can only buy it online - which does me no good when I am holding a screaming baby! Who wants to wait for the 3 day shipping? I suppose i could have overnighted it (because you know that is what they are hoping desparate parents will do!) but the 4 oz bottle goes for $30 and overnighting was an extra $20!! $50 for 4oz! For that price it better prevent him from crying until he goes to college!!
I have found the one trick that really helps him calm down is driving around town with the windows down. He really likes the wind in the car. Unfortuantley I do not have that many places in town I want to go - so we end up driving around aimlessly or browsing at the grocery store for hours on end...but if it keeps him calm I will gladly do it!
Of course being out and about doesn't exactly keep us both happy. As Sir Isaac is all cozy sleeping like a king in the grocery store - I am often left with the onslaught of fellow customers who can't help but take a peek at him. (because he is obviously the cutest baby they have EVER seen!) Taking a peek I do not mind! It's the people who think that taking a peek means that they can touch him that drives me crazy! And that doesn't just go for strangers either! Call me crazy but I really have a hard time when most people want to touch him! Is that so wrong?
I have no problem telling people they can look but not touch - but its hard when it is friends who want to hold him or get a little too close! I do not want to be rude (most of the time), but I don't want their germs either. I have no qualms with telling people to wash their hands first, especially smokers, coughers, kids, hell I even make Jason and Ronnie scrub down after work! All the hype over the swine flu does not help either.
Don't get me wrong, I have never been a germ-a-phobe, but how can you not be when it comes to something so delicate as a newborn's immune system! Why put him at risk? Can you be too careful? Is there really such a thing? Hell, I don't even like people touching Zorro! I am sure if the swine flu were not an issue I would not have so many fears of taking him out or letting other people oogle at him, but it is also my job to keep him safe. I just do not know where the line is between keeping him safe and being obnoxious. I guess for now I will continue to carry my hand sanitizer everywhere and politely tell people Mommy is a little OCD about NOT TOUCHING the baby....what do I care if they think I am weird! It could be worse - I could NOT know I am weird!! :)

Bye Bye Baby!

Sir Isaac is growing so fast! I think today will be our official LAST DAY OF NEWBORN CLOTHES! How time flies! The only reason he is still wearing the NB onesie today is because I already had it over his head before I realized it was too small! And it is such torture to change him! He absolutely hates the shirt over-the-head part of the day!
Thanks so much for all the great responses to the last post! I was so relieved to hear that I am not the only one out there with some frustrations! I am glad to hear Isaac is not the only baby to ONLY sleep in the stroller or in the laundry room! Nor am I the only one who fell into the LaLeche trap or victim to the Colic nights! Thanks for the support! I know it will pay off in the long run!
Little man surely gave me a run for the money last night! The crying would not let up! The only thing that would stop him were walks outside - and he is no dummy - my rocking the stroller in the house did not cut it! We had to go OUTSIDE - and keep moving!!! He is cute - but demanding! Then VICTORY!!!! He fell asleep in the stroller for 4 hours!!! It was a like a mini vacation! It is like a crib on wheels!! Jill and Gina suggested Colic Calm Gripe Water to ease the fussiness - I hope it works! If I can find it that is!! Anyone out there try it before?
FINALLY! The weather is starting to let up here - only in the low 90's today! Yeah!! Finally I can take the stroller out in the afternoon! We went out to run some errands yesterday and I could have fried an egg on his carseat when we got back to the car! I am ready for Fall for sure! So are the mutts! They are ready to get out of the house! Now if I can only handle 3 dogs and a baby I will be all set!
More to come! Thanks again for all the support and comments! I appreciate it!

Mommy's Vent...

A month into mommyhood and things are going.....well they are going! In the past 34 days I've come up with a list of things EVERYONE fails to tell you while you are pregnant - probably for fear of the future mom taking the closest bridge - nonetheless things I advise telling ANY teenage girl. Perhaps schools can use these pointers as a way to promote abstinence - no doubt I would have taken my vow of celebacy had i known some of these highlights of Mommy Life.

1. First off - BACK LABOR - before tiny tot is even born he is wreaking havoc! Not to mention your last night (maybe, if you are lucky) of the slacker life is going to be painful - but this whole back labor thing was news to me! A few hours into it I was pretty convinced Isaac was going to be entering the world out the back end or they were going to have to rip open by spine because he got caught in my tailbone!!! Luckily that only lasted 8 hours during which time i vowed NEVER to have sex again and as far as kids go - I would be "one and done"!(the jury is still out on that one) The delivery nurse assured me I would forget all about it once I had the baby, but as you can see 34 days later I am still holding a grudge!
2. the EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER! - No one told me that after popping out a baby I would instantly turn into a babbling crybaby! I hate it! I cry over EVERYTHING! The baby, the dogs, the TV, Dinner! anything! I am sure it drives Jason crazy!!! Everyone assures me its "just hormones" and i will "go back to normal" in time - but honestly after the past 10 months I dont remember what normal is!
3. This one is the leading contributor of #2 and is more of a peeve rather than lesson learned...The Breast Feeding Nazi's. They know they are out there - and they are ruthless. For the entire 9 months of pregnancy you are led to believe that breastfeeding is the only way your baby will survive outside of the womb. You are led to believe feeding your newborn formula is like letting them smoke cigarettes upon delivery. So naturally, as any good newbie mom would believe, breast is best. I believed the hype. I didnt want to - I thought I would try it out - and if Isaac didnt like it I would go to the formula. Well, the further you get into the 9months the more pressure people give you to nurse - and by the time the baby is born you are so emotionally and physically drained that you concede to nursing as the only option - I even felt guilty for contemplating using formula - how could I be so neglectful!!
Well I tried to breastfeed - and it was torture! Sheer agony! First the "big boob theory" was far off for me - somehow the Nardell "cyrse" bypassed me and I never got the Dolly Parton Boobs. I was repeatedly told " dont worry, your milk will come in" Where the hell was it coming from??? It NEVER came and poor isaac was starving to death in my attempt to be "the good mommy".
Secondly it hurts like hell - the nipple pain and the cramps are enough to put you over the edge. Not to mention you are not only in charge of a new life now, but you are also expected to be a full time fueling station..ugh!
So for the first week of Isaac's life I cried myself silly that I was ruining his life by not being able to breastfeed. I called every lactation expert I could find, I pumped, I ate oatmeal daily, I took hot showers until my skin pruned - no luck! My dr told me i had to start the formula and I cried like a baby at the pediatrician - I was a wreck! One week into his life and I was ruining it! Formula??? how will he survive? He will never get into a good college being formula fed! I made Jason give him his first bottle because i was convinced I was a failure as a mother. It was awful.
Then all of a sudden the formula people came out of the woodwork! As if they were hiding from the La Leche Militia! Apparently everyone was a formula baby - me, Jason, our siblings, and we all survived!
I combed the internet looking for formula fed baby information and found NOTHING - only Breastfeeding propaganda - so to you breast feeding police i say - BACK THE HELL OFF!!! New Moms have enough to worry about without feeling completely inadequate for using formula! And by the way, its REALLY nice to pawn off those late nite feedings to someone else!!
4. Finally, and possibly the most horrific, COLIC. For those of you not familiar (like I was) Colic is the devil manifesting itself thru a newborn. It's a nitemare. There is absolutely NOTHING you can do about it. The only thing you can hope for is that you do not lose your sanity. I have tried over holding him, over feeding him, under feeding, rocking, nursing, walking, bathing, bjorning him - nothing works - or shall i say nothing works for a substantial amount of time - all of these worked for a moment or two! But when it comes to a colicky baby screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night you will take A MOMENT!!! Even if all you can do is go to the bathroom for that moment! I think all teenagers should be given a colicky baby to babysit - that would be the greatest sex-ed assignment ever!
Now that I have vented my Mommy frustrations, let me say I would not change a second of it for the world! Isaac is the greatest thing to ever happen to us! He truly is a blessing. For as much as i vent, I am sure all the planning and prepping in the world will not prepare you for the first time they put your newborn in your arms or the feeling of leaving the safety of the hospital with him. Or the when you look into his smiling little face (albeit at this stage that only means he is pooping!) He is an angel, my angel and it is the scariest, happiest, most emotional experience of your life. But after the sleeping stops and they crying starts, sometimes you just need to vent!

Happy 1 Month Birthday!!

What a difference a month makes!


It's my birthday!








Wow! 1 month already! Seems like just yesterday I was pregnant! A whole month has gone by - I thought I would have the routine down pat by now!! Geez! Motherhood is hard work!! I wonder how mom made it look so easy!
Well little man had a rough morning - it started at 2 am - thats wen he decided the only way he would stop screaming bloody murder was if i held him and paced around my bedroom - who needs the gym rite??
I thought it was too early to over-hold a baby - apparently I am wrong!
Today was Isaac's 1 month check-up - Dr. Blank said he is a healthy happy baby right on target, but i need to stop holdng him so much feeding him quicker ( like i needed the dr to tell me what i already know!)! He is 9lbs (ish, his diaper was pretty heavy!) and 23 inches long! I am not sure where he is getting this height from!!! Jason may start to wonder! NO shots this visit - lucky boy! HE gets them next month. He slept thru the whole visit - even the PKU test! Why won't he sleep for me!!! After 2 hours of waiting all the dr told me was Little man is colicky (duh) but it could be worse (lucky me). He also said dont be surprised if month 2 is worse than month 1 (even luckier me). He thinks it would be a good idea to gradually get him completely on the sensitive formula with a bigger nipple bottle - geez! first the boobs dont work now i cant even buy the rite nipples!!
I think I may leave him in the carseat all the time!!! That seems to work! too bad its still too hot take him for a walk - grrrr! hopefully in the next few weeks we will be done with the 100s and 90s and we can get some semi normal weather out here! prefect time for visitors!!
my best nono impersonation!!!

Hump Day!

Ahhhh...its hump day - Isaac must be getting antsy for the weekend - he's a little cranky as you can tell!
Although Mommy had a big day - today I finally got the courage - or maybe im just sleep deprived enough - to take all 3 dogs and the baby for a walk. Thank goodness no cats crossed our path! Luckily we all survived! Isaac shockingly fell asleep! It was a win win kind of morning!
We are off to the Dr's tomorrow for little man's 1 Month appointment, maybe he knows there are shots involved :(
Well I guess i should take advantage of this quiet time while he is fully awake in his swing and start up dinner - although i know it is short lived!!! Thank God for take-out!
He sure is cute - but sure is a handfull! Im sure the neighbors think i torture him! or let the dogs run around the house with him! When he screams the whole city knows!!!

Welcome to Isaac's Big Day!

Hi all!

Welcome to Isaac's Big day! Since everyone lives so far apart I figured this was the best way to keep everyone up to date on our little guy!

As of today, we are 2 days away from his 1 month birthday! I cant believe it!! It seems like yesterday we found out i was pregnant - yet I cant imagine a day he wasnt here! Its been a new and exciting experience everyday! It will be a pleasure to share it all with you!