This past week, Elsie had been steadily building up to it--sleeping through the night. We were going 5-6 hours at a stretch. Last night, she slept for 8 hours. Yes, eight. I, however, did not get that much sleep. :(
Yesterday, Eli went to Mobile to hang out with his BFF and go watch some USA football (that's the University of South Alabama, not the United States of America). He told me he would leave after the game and drive back to Auburn since we had to work the nursery this morning.
While he was away, Elsie and I hung out with some friends from church, and we stayed out until around 9. I didn't check my phone until I got in the car to come home and I had a text message from Eli that he was leaving Mobile--time stamped around 7 p.m. I did the mental math and thought, he'll be home around 10:30. So, I put Elsie to bed and was determined to wait up for him.
Small problem. My phone was dying, and I can't find my charger. I knew that I had one at school, but didn't want to get Elsie out of bed to go retrieve it. I tried to send Eli a text message to tell him this, but with the Auburn University football game going on, I couldn't get through on the network or send a text message. So, I turned my phone off to preserve what little juice I had left. At 11 p.m., when Eli wasn't home yet, I turned the phone on to check messages and/or send a text, but it immediately died. I wasn't too worried, though. He may have stopped to rest.
At midnight, Eli came in, and in the back of my mind I knew that I hadn't heard the Subaru pull up. Well, turns out that around 10, Eli stopped in Tuskegee (only 30 minutes from home) to stretch and regroup since he was getting tired and when he got back in the car, it wouldn't start. At all. So he tried to call me but it went immediately to voice mail. And then he started calling people who he thought might be either at the Auburn game or watching it. He found a friend from church who was willing to come rescue him at 11:00 at night. He came home and had two words for me:
LAND LINE
After church today we went to O'Reilly Auto Parts and bought a new battery (replacing the one that originally came with the car FIVE YEARS AGO), hoping that's the problem. We drove out to Tuskegee, replaced the battery and it worked. We came home and napped.
Tomorrow, however, we're taking the Saturn back to the repair place to have the brakes checked. They've been squealing, even when they are not actively being pressed. It's a safety issue. Then, when that's fixed, we have to have the Subaru taken in for a possible electrical issue since the A/C went out, and then the battery.
When it rains, it pours. Murphy's law and all that. We are just so blessed to have people around in our community (church and otherwise) who are willing to help us out.
Here's to a good week, regardless.
Cheers.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
4 Month Checkup
Elsie turned 4 months on Labor Day, so we had to schedule her 4-month appointment for a little later. Namely, today. I took the entire day off of work to take her to the doctor this morning. Then I took her to J and spent the rest of the day catching up on various and sundry things. I did think about my students while I was away. This is a first for me.
Anyway, Elsie is in the 90th percentile range in her height and weight. She was 25.25 inches long and 15 lbs. 6 oz. She is just a few ounces shy of doubling her birth weight. In almost 5 months. I KNOW! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a result of strictly breastfeeding.
I meant to ask the pediatrician about starting her on solid foods, but I promptly forgot. When I told her that Elsie is still only nursing, she didn't say anything or ask any probing questions or give any advice. I'm sure when we go back for her 6-month checkup we'll have more to discuss. In the meantime, I've read that we should wait until baby is ready, when she shows interest in the food that her parents are eating. That's not now. And, in the event that I do have questions, I'll just call our pediatrician at home. Or ask you guys. :)
And I promise I'm not bragging, really, but either Elsie is slowing down in her milk consumption during the day, or I'm producing too much. This becomes a problem on the weekends when I'm feeding her and she doesn't eat all that much, so I feel a fullness all weekend. It's weird. But, my frozen supply of milk has mushroomed in the last couple of weeks.
Now for some honest thoughts:
1. I have weird dreams about any number of things. However, I have never had a dream about Elsie. I had dreams about a baby before she was born, but not since. I think this is very strange.
2. I knew that I was going to breastfeed Elsie--free food--but I still thought it was weird. Well, guess what? It is. If I think about it too much I get a little weirded out (pumping does not help this in any way). So, I don't think about it too much. And then I can thoroughly enjoy the time I spend with Elsie, just the two of us.
On to something not related to babies:
Eli was offered a job working for the USDA here in Auburn. It would be a raise, but not by much. So, even after two interviews with them, and after much prayer and consideration, he turned them down. He will continue in his current position until next year sometime. This wouldn't really have been a possibility except that the state judicial system is under a hiring freeze. The judge really wants Eli to stay because he wouldn't be able to hire to replace him (that, and Eli's irreplacable). That worked out well because Eli really wants to stay. There's still more to learn in this job with the benefit of not becoming a government drone. National Guard, however, is still on the table for discussion.
Well, I think that's the news for today in our neck of the woods.
Cheers.
Anyway, Elsie is in the 90th percentile range in her height and weight. She was 25.25 inches long and 15 lbs. 6 oz. She is just a few ounces shy of doubling her birth weight. In almost 5 months. I KNOW! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a result of strictly breastfeeding.
I meant to ask the pediatrician about starting her on solid foods, but I promptly forgot. When I told her that Elsie is still only nursing, she didn't say anything or ask any probing questions or give any advice. I'm sure when we go back for her 6-month checkup we'll have more to discuss. In the meantime, I've read that we should wait until baby is ready, when she shows interest in the food that her parents are eating. That's not now. And, in the event that I do have questions, I'll just call our pediatrician at home. Or ask you guys. :)
And I promise I'm not bragging, really, but either Elsie is slowing down in her milk consumption during the day, or I'm producing too much. This becomes a problem on the weekends when I'm feeding her and she doesn't eat all that much, so I feel a fullness all weekend. It's weird. But, my frozen supply of milk has mushroomed in the last couple of weeks.
Now for some honest thoughts:
1. I have weird dreams about any number of things. However, I have never had a dream about Elsie. I had dreams about a baby before she was born, but not since. I think this is very strange.
2. I knew that I was going to breastfeed Elsie--free food--but I still thought it was weird. Well, guess what? It is. If I think about it too much I get a little weirded out (pumping does not help this in any way). So, I don't think about it too much. And then I can thoroughly enjoy the time I spend with Elsie, just the two of us.
On to something not related to babies:
Eli was offered a job working for the USDA here in Auburn. It would be a raise, but not by much. So, even after two interviews with them, and after much prayer and consideration, he turned them down. He will continue in his current position until next year sometime. This wouldn't really have been a possibility except that the state judicial system is under a hiring freeze. The judge really wants Eli to stay because he wouldn't be able to hire to replace him (that, and Eli's irreplacable). That worked out well because Eli really wants to stay. There's still more to learn in this job with the benefit of not becoming a government drone. National Guard, however, is still on the table for discussion.
Well, I think that's the news for today in our neck of the woods.
Cheers.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Roll Tide and all that
We just got back from a weekend in B'ham/Tuscaloosa. We drove Friday after work up to Eli's bro and sis-in-law's house to meet up with the rest of the Beavers. We stayed the night and then drove early on Saturday morning to T-town for the game. I decided the night before that if it was wet or raining that I wasn't going to take Elsie to the game. Social endeavors are really more important to me than college football, so I made plans to take Elsie around and introduce her to my teacher friends. This worked out well so that brother could have my ticket.
Elsie was totally cute in her Bama onesie with her cow print BabyLegs and her Bama converse (with lime green laces). Really, she was a Bama baby with a little bit of Rock N Roll. So cute.
Elsie was totally cute in her Bama onesie with her cow print BabyLegs and her Bama converse (with lime green laces). Really, she was a Bama baby with a little bit of Rock N Roll. So cute.
This photo was taken of us by KF while we were visiting around after the game.
I took the other Mrs. Beaver (not my mother-in-law) with me as we went around visiting and she got to (re)meet my crazy friends. We went to homes and to sports bars. I had a good time. Elsie did, too. After the game we met up with the Beavers for a picnic in the pouring rain and then to El Rincon II for drinks with my old running buddy/Eli's law school friend (where I got to perform my first emergency booger-ectomoy on Elsie). A few more stops and we were back in B'ham, ready for bed. All-in-all, Elsie was in and out of the car seat NINE TIMES!
We got up this morning, went with the Beaver sibs to Hardee's for breakfast, and then came home in time to get to church for the congregational meeting where Eli was voted in as a deacon for the class of 2012. And we've been chilling this afternoon. I have lesson plans and papers to grade, sub plans to prepare for Wednesday when I take Elsie for her 4-month checkup, and other school-related activities before morning.
It's going to be a long night. :)
Cheers.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sniffle, sniffle
Elsie may be sick for the first time. I'm not sure.
While she was eating in the night, I realized that she was having a hard time because she couldn't breathe out of her nose--snorting a bit, and having to let go and relatch with very swallow. This morning, her nose was stuffed up with snot, and there was a really big green booger in her right nostril that was playing peek-a-boo every time she tried to breathe.
I checked her temperature this morning and she wasn't running one, so I took her on over to J's. J reported a dry cough, lots of sneezing, and not eating well. I brought her home, and when we got inside, she had a runny nose. I took her temperature and she still didn't have a fever. I called the after hours nurse at the pediatrician anyway, and she said not to worry unless Elsie's temperature got above 100.5 degrees, or if she started wheezing, or if she started getting cranky and losing her appetite.
So, maybe she just has allergies like her mama?
And thank you for reassuring me about the hair loss. It's still really weird, but I'm glad I'm not alone. Haha.
Cheers.
While she was eating in the night, I realized that she was having a hard time because she couldn't breathe out of her nose--snorting a bit, and having to let go and relatch with very swallow. This morning, her nose was stuffed up with snot, and there was a really big green booger in her right nostril that was playing peek-a-boo every time she tried to breathe.
I checked her temperature this morning and she wasn't running one, so I took her on over to J's. J reported a dry cough, lots of sneezing, and not eating well. I brought her home, and when we got inside, she had a runny nose. I took her temperature and she still didn't have a fever. I called the after hours nurse at the pediatrician anyway, and she said not to worry unless Elsie's temperature got above 100.5 degrees, or if she started wheezing, or if she started getting cranky and losing her appetite.
So, maybe she just has allergies like her mama?
And thank you for reassuring me about the hair loss. It's still really weird, but I'm glad I'm not alone. Haha.
Cheers.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Is it hunting season yet?
Honestly, I'll take hunting season over football season any day. At least as a hunting season widow I get the house to myself. :) I'm ready for football to be over. (I know, I know. It just started.) I don't care about football. Now, I will watch select teams--Baylor, Alabama, Auburn--when they're on, but I still only 15% care about it. In reality, I'm reading a book, occasionally looking up to check the score, even when I'm at the game.
Football has been on the TV a lot at my house. I really never knew that my lovely (and I'm not being sarcastic) husband liked football this much because we only ever had a couple of channels on which to watch it. I found out last season when we first got cable, but somehow managed to forget...until last weekend. If it was on TV, it was on our TV. I honestly have not turned the TV on in about 6 weeks. Admittedly, I have checked up on my assets in Cuba, as I do every night (Mafia Wars on FB), and spend a little bit of time Robbing an Electronics Store to find some computer set-ups and untraceable cell phones while trying to take over New York. I have done these things. Yes. But I still feel like the football watching is more out of hand than my looting and icing will ever be. Ah, well.
On a completely different topic, my hair is falling out. I'm a little bit concerned about this because it is worse than it ever was. Handfuls fall out in the shower, handfuls come out when I comb my wet or dry hair, and handfuls are found all over my pillow and sheets. It reminds me of this movie I watched when I was little, called The Peanut Butter Solution. In the movie, the boy loses all his hair. I remember something about his cat falling asleep on his head and he wakes up to find that he is bald. So he tries this magic potion to grow his hair back (the secret ingredient is, you guessed it, peanut butter), but he uses too much and his hair just won't stop growing and growing and growing. I think it was especially remarkable because he was a redhead. Maybe my hair will grow back in red. I'm not bald, but with the hair I'm losing, I feel like I will be one day soon.
On another random topic, I wanted to post yesterday to note the date, 9/9/9, but we had a small group gathering at the pastor's house instead of Wednesday service, and I pretty much fell asleep when we got home. I was exhausted. Then I didn't sleep well because Elsie didn't sleep well, and I was tempted a couple of times in the night to unfurl a sleeping bag on the floor of her room so that I didn't have to go back and forth. So, I was then cranky today. When working with 13-year-olds, that's not the best plan. I have a student with what is probably Aspbergers who drives me INSANE but I have been very patient. Today, not so patient. In fact, she was infuriating. I don't think I was mean, as I was able to practice some restraint in my crankiness (it wasn't her fault Elsie had a bad night), but I'm pretty sure that she got the gist because she stopped getting up out of her seat and coming to ask me things because she knew that my answer was inevitably NO, before I even heard the question. It's going to be a long year with this particular student. If anyone remembers that first year I worked in Austin with a coworker who had Aspbergers, this is going to be a lot like that. Pray for me.
Okay, I think I just heard the growl of the engine outside. Eli is home from his Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting. Elsie is alseep next to me here on the bed. Time to spend quality time with my family.
Cheers.
Football has been on the TV a lot at my house. I really never knew that my lovely (and I'm not being sarcastic) husband liked football this much because we only ever had a couple of channels on which to watch it. I found out last season when we first got cable, but somehow managed to forget...until last weekend. If it was on TV, it was on our TV. I honestly have not turned the TV on in about 6 weeks. Admittedly, I have checked up on my assets in Cuba, as I do every night (Mafia Wars on FB), and spend a little bit of time Robbing an Electronics Store to find some computer set-ups and untraceable cell phones while trying to take over New York. I have done these things. Yes. But I still feel like the football watching is more out of hand than my looting and icing will ever be. Ah, well.
On a completely different topic, my hair is falling out. I'm a little bit concerned about this because it is worse than it ever was. Handfuls fall out in the shower, handfuls come out when I comb my wet or dry hair, and handfuls are found all over my pillow and sheets. It reminds me of this movie I watched when I was little, called The Peanut Butter Solution. In the movie, the boy loses all his hair. I remember something about his cat falling asleep on his head and he wakes up to find that he is bald. So he tries this magic potion to grow his hair back (the secret ingredient is, you guessed it, peanut butter), but he uses too much and his hair just won't stop growing and growing and growing. I think it was especially remarkable because he was a redhead. Maybe my hair will grow back in red. I'm not bald, but with the hair I'm losing, I feel like I will be one day soon.
On another random topic, I wanted to post yesterday to note the date, 9/9/9, but we had a small group gathering at the pastor's house instead of Wednesday service, and I pretty much fell asleep when we got home. I was exhausted. Then I didn't sleep well because Elsie didn't sleep well, and I was tempted a couple of times in the night to unfurl a sleeping bag on the floor of her room so that I didn't have to go back and forth. So, I was then cranky today. When working with 13-year-olds, that's not the best plan. I have a student with what is probably Aspbergers who drives me INSANE but I have been very patient. Today, not so patient. In fact, she was infuriating. I don't think I was mean, as I was able to practice some restraint in my crankiness (it wasn't her fault Elsie had a bad night), but I'm pretty sure that she got the gist because she stopped getting up out of her seat and coming to ask me things because she knew that my answer was inevitably NO, before I even heard the question. It's going to be a long year with this particular student. If anyone remembers that first year I worked in Austin with a coworker who had Aspbergers, this is going to be a lot like that. Pray for me.
Okay, I think I just heard the growl of the engine outside. Eli is home from his Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting. Elsie is alseep next to me here on the bed. Time to spend quality time with my family.
Cheers.
Monday, September 7, 2009
4 Months
**UPDATE** The kitty litter is no longer in my keyboard. It migrated underneath the spacebar yesterday, and then I turned the whole computer upside down and it fell out. Thank you, Colleen, for your advice that I didn't need to use. And thank you, Bookman, for keeping me honest.
Now, on to business.
Elsie is 4 months old today. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. Let's see, this month Elsie has mastered rolling over. She found her bottom lip. She can grasp objects and can almost put the pacifier back in her mouth (she's an expert on taking it out). She's drooling a lot more, smiling a lot more. In the last week she started giggling, and if I had a camera that captured sound, I would get a video for you. She has graduated (as of today) from slow flow nipples to medium flow nipples on her bottles, and she is now officially in size 2 diapers. She's wearing size 6-9 months clothing because her torso has become so long.
She lost a lot of hair and has become mostly blond on top with a dark mullet leftover in the back. Let's consult some comparison photos. First, a photo taken by my friend Jill when Elsie was 1 day old. Notice the head full of dark hair.
I saw this picture today and almost didn't recognize her. Next, a picture I took of Elsie in her bouncy seat just a few minutes ago.
It looks like it is thinning out, and it is, sort of. There are lots of short, short blonde hairs growing in. Look where the camera flashed off her temple. Blonde. And where her hairline is in the front, blonde. The dark hairs are the long ones that haven't fallen out yet. She still has plenty of hair, it's just not dark anymore. And her ears are quite prominent, Greenawalt-style.
Now, at 4 months, Elsie can sit against the couch, supported, but is obviously anxious to do it herself. Here are some couch-sitting pictures taken earlier today.
We went to Chik-Fil-A today to get free sandwiches for wearing college gear. Elsie wore her Auburn hat (see hat above). People kept stopping to comment--on her eyes, her blue, blue eyes; on her sweet lips; on her alertness. Too cute.
Elsie is also more mobile. She's not crawling, but she's scooting around, sometimes on her face, but mostly on her back. Here's a picture of her on the floor with the Baby Einstein gym earlier.
Did you notice that the gym is facing the camera? That's right, Elsie turned 180-degrees. Did you notice that the gym is off the blanket? That's right, Elsie, after turning, kicked it off in increments. Did you notice that Elsie is hanging out between the legs?
Yes, that's right. She scooted herself between the legs and was working the green circular lever (that plays/changes music) first with her hand, and then with her foot. And she was playing with the orange ball with her hand, knee, foot. Content, for about 30 minutes. No kidding.
She's going to be moving more soon, so keeping my floors clean is becoming more and more pressing. I'm so not looking forward to it.
I know people normally get their children's portraits taken at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Stacey took pictures at 2 months, and then I didn't get any at 3 months, as that was around the start of school. And I would like to get her 4-month portrait taken, but don't have the time.
Also, Elsie is being baptized next Sunday. Some of my family is coming in from Texas, and some of Eli's family will be here, too.
Last thing, in the middle of writing this, Elsie was sitting with her daddy on the couch. I had just changed a full pee diaper and we discussed the baby's bowel movements (none in the last 24 hours). Anyway, Eli hopped up from the couch and raced to the changing table. Yep. Poo everywhere. Every. Where. Elsie was mostly perplexed, but she got her hand and knee in it while squirming to get away from her frantic daddy. And then, of course, on the one diaper change job that required 5+ wipes, he ran out after two, and I had to make a mad dash into the other room for more. And then we ended up just bathing the baby because she smelled bad. Really bad. But now she smells good. Time to put her to bed.
Cheers.
Now, on to business.
Elsie is 4 months old today. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. Let's see, this month Elsie has mastered rolling over. She found her bottom lip. She can grasp objects and can almost put the pacifier back in her mouth (she's an expert on taking it out). She's drooling a lot more, smiling a lot more. In the last week she started giggling, and if I had a camera that captured sound, I would get a video for you. She has graduated (as of today) from slow flow nipples to medium flow nipples on her bottles, and she is now officially in size 2 diapers. She's wearing size 6-9 months clothing because her torso has become so long.
She lost a lot of hair and has become mostly blond on top with a dark mullet leftover in the back. Let's consult some comparison photos. First, a photo taken by my friend Jill when Elsie was 1 day old. Notice the head full of dark hair.
I saw this picture today and almost didn't recognize her. Next, a picture I took of Elsie in her bouncy seat just a few minutes ago.
It looks like it is thinning out, and it is, sort of. There are lots of short, short blonde hairs growing in. Look where the camera flashed off her temple. Blonde. And where her hairline is in the front, blonde. The dark hairs are the long ones that haven't fallen out yet. She still has plenty of hair, it's just not dark anymore. And her ears are quite prominent, Greenawalt-style.Now, at 4 months, Elsie can sit against the couch, supported, but is obviously anxious to do it herself. Here are some couch-sitting pictures taken earlier today.
We went to Chik-Fil-A today to get free sandwiches for wearing college gear. Elsie wore her Auburn hat (see hat above). People kept stopping to comment--on her eyes, her blue, blue eyes; on her sweet lips; on her alertness. Too cute.
Elsie is also more mobile. She's not crawling, but she's scooting around, sometimes on her face, but mostly on her back. Here's a picture of her on the floor with the Baby Einstein gym earlier.
Did you notice that the gym is facing the camera? That's right, Elsie turned 180-degrees. Did you notice that the gym is off the blanket? That's right, Elsie, after turning, kicked it off in increments. Did you notice that Elsie is hanging out between the legs?
Yes, that's right. She scooted herself between the legs and was working the green circular lever (that plays/changes music) first with her hand, and then with her foot. And she was playing with the orange ball with her hand, knee, foot. Content, for about 30 minutes. No kidding.
She's going to be moving more soon, so keeping my floors clean is becoming more and more pressing. I'm so not looking forward to it.
I know people normally get their children's portraits taken at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Stacey took pictures at 2 months, and then I didn't get any at 3 months, as that was around the start of school. And I would like to get her 4-month portrait taken, but don't have the time.
Also, Elsie is being baptized next Sunday. Some of my family is coming in from Texas, and some of Eli's family will be here, too.
Last thing, in the middle of writing this, Elsie was sitting with her daddy on the couch. I had just changed a full pee diaper and we discussed the baby's bowel movements (none in the last 24 hours). Anyway, Eli hopped up from the couch and raced to the changing table. Yep. Poo everywhere. Every. Where. Elsie was mostly perplexed, but she got her hand and knee in it while squirming to get away from her frantic daddy. And then, of course, on the one diaper change job that required 5+ wipes, he ran out after two, and I had to make a mad dash into the other room for more. And then we ended up just bathing the baby because she smelled bad. Really bad. But now she smells good. Time to put her to bed.
Cheers.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Bottoms Up
Just a quick note to say that Elsie found her bottom lip two days ago. Now she just hums (sort of) and sucks on her bottom lip, creating A LOT of drool (usually the lip acts as the first line of defense against soaking). It is very amusing.
She's also super cute, asleep on her side, when I go in to feed her or get her dressed in the morning. She almost slept through the night the other night. I woke up at 1 thinking she would be awake, but ended up going back to sleep until 3. By that point, I was hurting so much she had to eat, no questions. And then I pumped in the middle of the night to relieve the rest of the pressure. She was asleep and squeaked when I went in to pick her up out of her crib.
I may have more time over this holiday weekend to post pictures, etc. The in-laws are coming up on their way to the first Bama game of the season.
And there's still kitty litter stuck in the keyboard--STILL under the N key. Can't. Get. It. Out. ARG!!!
She's also super cute, asleep on her side, when I go in to feed her or get her dressed in the morning. She almost slept through the night the other night. I woke up at 1 thinking she would be awake, but ended up going back to sleep until 3. By that point, I was hurting so much she had to eat, no questions. And then I pumped in the middle of the night to relieve the rest of the pressure. She was asleep and squeaked when I went in to pick her up out of her crib.
I may have more time over this holiday weekend to post pictures, etc. The in-laws are coming up on their way to the first Bama game of the season.
And there's still kitty litter stuck in the keyboard--STILL under the N key. Can't. Get. It. Out. ARG!!!
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