Family time with the Steelers

I am blogging from my extremely comfortable chair watching the game with my hubby and my son.  I guess if I am blogging I am only half watching.  Here is how my husband and son were posed right after the Steelers won their challenge in the first minute.

iPad with football app open

Exersaucer surrounded by toys

Then a short playtime when Daddy couldn't resist the cuteness

Then the forgotten iPad with the Nom-Nom of rice cereal snack

They are back to just sitting together watching.

Johnny had a photo session about an hour ago for his 4 month pictures with his dumbo.  With about a half an hour of video taken.  3 1/2 minutes of which i posted on YouTube.  The story of the two dumbos is I really liked one dumbo when I was in Disney with my mom and sister at 13 weeks pregnant.  BUUUUUT Bethany really liked another dumbo.  After arguing over which was the better dumbo I bought the dumbo I liked, with the blanket around it.  Bethany was not satisfied, and bought the more authentic dumbo with the hat, collar and feather.  I think in her crazed dumbo moment she muttered something about how her nephew was going to have a REAL dumbo if she had to do it herself.  Okay, maybe it wasn't a crazed mumble but more of a hysterical laughing statement she made to the cashier at Disney, but it had me laughing. I hate to admit it, but I love the dumbo Bethany picked.  My dumbo is fun because he is a baby.

Anyway, I guess all mothers don't really realize exactly how much their son has grown until they have something to compare it to.  WOW he is growing. At his doctor appointment Thursday he was 15 lbs 10 oz and 24 3/4 inches long.  He sailed through his boosters and only cried for a second before Daddy scooped him up.  He hugged onto Daddy for one last protest, then shot the nurses dirty looks.  It was adorable. 

He rolls A LOT.  Every room in our house has a blanket on the floor for putting Johnny in a safe place to roll around.  He is really enjoying toys and has his favorites - some monkeys on a rattle/teether, some keys, his under the sea mat with "friends" hanging down to him.  He LOVES that exersaucer.  Lets him be a big independent boy and standing (which he loves).  He loves mirrors and will "kiss" the mirror by running his tongue all over it.  He stomps on the counter and squeals with delight.  Bathtime is an especially wonderful treat.  There is one change in he now has baby fat and little dimples and rolls.  Its adorable, but in the past 3 days with the drool and spit-up he has developed a rash under his chin from it not being dry.  Constant bib changes and powder will fix it according to the doctor. He LOVES splashing and kicking his duckies.  Although he delivered a swift kick to his singing ducky and he no longer sings or flashes lights.  As far as singing toys go, he LOVED that duck.  He still plays with it, but it doesn't hold his attention the way it did before. RIP Ducky.

Ducky  12-25-10 to 1-9-11.  RIP.  You were loved.

 Speaking of Christmas, did I ever post a picture of Johnny with his stocking?  It turned out adorable. 

 AAAAAAnnnddddd...Here is Erin and Aubrielle.  Erin is the office manager at Benchmark Investments and Insurance for my Mom, Dad, and Matt.  So that makes her family.  Aubrielle is only 9 days younger than Johnny. 

Hey Goodlookin!

Well, it is now the 4th quarter and 1 min 33 left in the game, Steelers just scored, so I had to put my computer down...again!  I know who SHOULD win, but I'm not saying anything.  But since the game started, we managed to cook and eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes, feed Johnny again, have bathtime for Johnny, feed him one more snack, put him to bed complete with book, lullaby, and prayers.  And now here I am finishing my post.

I REALLY need to pack for this move.  We are closing in one month exactly.  We have a bunch of boxes packed, but it seems so insurmountable at this point.  We'll get there.

YouTube, Subscription emails

As you may have noticed Erica and I both have a YouTube account that we can upload to straight from our phones.

A handy tip for anyone who ever goes to YouTube or follows people on YouTube.

You can get notified by email when a user uploads a public video.

If you have a gmail account, your gmail is your YouTube Login, otherwise you may have to create a Login to do this.

Step 1: Sign into YouTube

Step 2: Go to an account

http://www.youtube.com/user/MathewDW

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRxDr

Step 3: Hit the subscribe button

Step 4:

A. Select the arrows next to the subscribed button

B. Select the "Also email me for each new upload" checkbox

C. Select the "Update" Button

And that is how you get an email automatically sent to you from a YouTube Subscription.

-Matt

Recent Accomplishments

Our baby boy is growing up so fast!  It is unbelievable how quickly he seems to be advancing.

Rasberries - he has been blowing raspberries since there was 20 minutes left in 2010.  He has since blown a raspberry for anyone who will stick their tongue out at him.  Blow him a kiss, and you'll get a raspberry too.  Usually with a lot of drool and a huge smile.

Rolling - he has been rolling from tummy to back for months.  Probably a little under 2 months by now.  It's not always graceful, but he has been hating tummy time and flipping himself over.  He loves the reaction he gets.
Now, back to front, has done it a few times.  But today he REALLY got the hang of it.  He has been flipping all around on the floor back-to-front back over again, he hasn't accomplished a full 360 degree roll so he hasn't left the blanket.  He only rolls in the direction from whence he came.  That won't last long.

There is the first successful rolling video on Matt's youtube channel (recorded today)- See his handle at the bottom, but this won't let me upload it for some reason.

Standing - He has always loved standing on laps and being held in a generally standing position.  His new favorite is to stand beside the coffee table and hang on without you holding him.  He bangs on the table with gusto!  He can last a while before the wobbles get the best of him, so Matt or I are never far behind. 

Scooting - he is a successful scooter on his back.  He digs his heels into the floor, looks up, and pushes his feet, and he ends up a few inches away from where he began. If we don't pay REAL close attention, he will scoot the length of a room on the floor.  I found him about 2 weeks ago (when this was a new trick) after I laid him on his back on his play mat, threw some dishes in the sink, looked up and didn't see him on his play mat.  I saw him ramming his head into the couch as he was trying to continue to scoot, but had concurred maximum distance he could possibly go before being thwarted by the couch.  That time it was probably 3-4 feet, but he has since gone the length of the 8 foot carpet in the living room. 

Toys - he sees what he wants, grabs it, and puts it in his mouth.  Repeat scenario, over and over and over.  He is very active with his toys and even has favorites.  On his playmat there is a ball, a rattle seahorse, and a mirrored octopus.  The octopus is his absolute favorite and he will scoot to it.   There is a set of monkeys on a banana rattle he absolutely goes GAGA over whenever he sees them.  We can entertain him through an entire sermon in church with the monkey friends.

As far as keeping up with videos go, we each have a youtube channel.
Mine is "TheRxDr"
Matt's is "MathewDW" note the one T. 

Naked baby? Pile of clothes? About that...

Let me begin this story by saying, I don't take Johnny anywhere with me...usually.  I go to the grocery store, the mall, Walmart, whatever when someone is watching him so I can be uninterrupted in and out without worrying whether or not he will have a meltdown.  Church, Grandparents, the office, family visits, that's where he goes.  Well today I decided to try and branch out.
We went to the office for lunch.  Then he was kinda sleepy so I decided to slip him in his carseat and go to the mall.  I took my ring to the jewelry store and he was starting to fuss a little, but I got the ring turned over for sizing, and he was calm, so we continued.  We stopped at the calendar stand and got calendars for everyone, and by this time he was nearly asleep.  So I went into the bookstore, and he was sound asleep before I even picked up the first book.  So I decide to go to JC Penny's for a nursing top. He is still sound asleep in his carseat in the stroller.  So I pick out a few tops, go into the changing room very annoyed that the handicapped one was taken and shoved him stroller and all into the smaller changing room and began to try on the tops.  On the 5th top, he wakes up.
Not just wakes up, wakes up wailing.  I am done, so I put my own top back on and I'm trying to just push the stroller a little to calm him.  INCONSOLABLE WAILS!  So I pull him out of the stroller knowing it will probably be a fight to get him back in.  There is poop EEEEEVVVVVERRRYYYWHEEERRREEE!!!  He was wearing a onsie, a bib, a pair of socks, and a pair of pants.  There was poop in his hair!  So I throw him on his blanket on the floor and change him.  I use up EVERY wipe I have cleaning his hair, back, stomach, legs, arms.  I put a clean diaper on him and put his spare onsie on and he is happy on the floor kicking.  So I start to gather up some stuff, consolidate the clothes into a reusable shopping bag I had.  Then he starts again with the wails.  Tears streaming down the face wailing.  I pick him up to console him.  He smells like poop.  I look.  Poop EVERYWHERE!
At this point I really want my own mommy, but I decided I was a big girl and could handle it.  Just then what sounded like a little old lady knocked on the changing room door and asked if everything was okay since Johnny had now been banshee screaming for a good 5 minutes.  I yell out everything is fine, and proceed to try to figure out how to clean up my baby with no wipes and no clean outfit.  The blanket I was changing him on was already poopy, so I clean him with that and put yet another clean diaper on him.  Despite the clean diaper he is still wailing.
So I proceed to try to nurse him.  In the small stall.  On a small stool.  That wasn't working and he is still screaming.  At this point there is another knock on my door and this time it was a cashier.  She asked if everything was okay.  In a very purposefully exaggerated frazzled voice I yell out "We had a poop explosion, and then another, I don't have a spare outfit and I'm out of wipes, everything is fine!"  And she laughs a little too sympathetically or sarcastically and says if there is anything she can do to help she is right outside. 
I proceed to flop down and sit on the floor holding my still screaming son perfectly naked in just a diaper.  I then figure out a comfortable way to nurse him and after a few minutes he relaxes enough to eat, and that calms him down.  10 minutes later I figure it is time to emerge from the changing room even though I am perfectly mortified at this point.  Oh well, I figure, If anyone out there has ever had a kid they understand.  I was going to leave my purchase in the dressing room, but I figured after this ordeal I DESERVED IT.  So I have gathered everything up, all poopy clothes are in the poopy bag and in the stroller, but I still have this naked kid.  So I dig around and I find my nursing cover...aka hooter hider...I wrap him up in this thin piece of fabric knowing there are more clothes in the car.  I go to just sit him in his carseat, no straps, and he starts to WAIL yet again.
FINE.  This can't go on any longer, so I'll just carry you.  Pick him up, smiles and sunshine, giggles and flirt.  Okay, now we can leave the changing room.  Walk up to the cashier with my purchase sitting on the stroller, pulling it behind me and holding a red faced and still sniveling Johnny in front.  He is still perfectly naked.  The cashier laughed, is that the little baby.  Yep.  Aren't they cute.  They sure are.  Are you okay to get to your car.  Yep.  Sorry I bothered you, but a lady came up and was concerned that there was something wrong with the baby.  No problem, he just had the biggest poop explosion possible.  Oooo...been there done that...they wait on the worst time to do it.  Yep nothing I can do but laugh at this point.  Oh you can cry later.  I don't know this is kinda funny.  Happy new year.  You too.
So I know have to walk THE WHOLE WAY across the mall to get to my car carrying my naked baby wrapped in a pathetically thin piece of material and pushing the stroller.  I get to the other side of the mall, sit him in his car seat when we are by the door.  He screams, I just put my winter coat over him (I'm okay freezing), and kinda wrap him with that and put the top over the stroller and away we go to the car.  Throw him in the car, throw the stroller in.  Climb into the backseat with the spare outfit to greet my little protester.  I look at him wrapped in my coat and nursing cover and decide, what the heck.  I unwrap him and sit him in his carseat naked and strap him in.  Call Mom, Dad, and Matt and tell them what happened as he is pathetically crying in the back seat.  Suddenly he stops.  I get him home.  I smell poop.
It's bathtime.  I get him upstairs and put him on the floor.  I pull the poop items out of the bag.  I look down.  There is poop on my jeans, my sweater, and my tank.
He is laughing and rolling around on the floor and scooting around.  Smiling and happy as can be.  I pull out all the poopy stuff, go change.  He is giggling at the ducky on the floor.  I draw the bath, throw him in, and then Matt comes home.
The final tally is - 1 pair of jeans, 1 tank, 1 sweater, 1 pair of baby socks, 1 baby blanket, 2 onsies, 1 pair of pants, 1 bib, 1 pacifier (rolled off into the poop), 1 baby coat, 1 nursing cover, 1 reusable bag, 1 car seat, 2 diapers, a dozen wipes, and 1 very smiling happy baby kicking and splashing away in the bathtub as happy as can be.  My socks were clean.
I love my little boy.

Basking next to his accomplishments

Happy (and clean) baby

Blog Post Anemia

Our blogs have been far between as we have been all over the place and just trying to get settled in as new parents...2 months later.
We are finalizing things with the house.  We aren't moving until February 15th!  Even then, we want to paint before moving stuff into the house.  The inspections went well, just waiting on the appraisal (I'm not worried).
Matt has been busy with work.  He has been buying new computers for the office as well as a side project of helping with buying new computers for my Mom and Dad's house.  Good thing his background is information technologies so he can help out in this finance world he's in.
I have been to work a few times.  I have really been enjoying it, as odd as it sounds.  I have to go back eventually full time, so I wanted to ease into it.  Johnny has been doing well at home with Matt, eating well from the bottle, but by the time 5 PM rolls around, hes ready for the REAL nursing experience.

We also went to Pittsburgh for the first time.  Johnny was a real trooper all the way out and back.  He only woke up once each way, and went right back to sleep within 15 minutes of putting him back in his car seat.  We were stopped for almost an hour though with the eating and allowing him to kick and stretch on the car seats.  We stayed with Johnny's godparents Tess & Jesse Carter.  We had a blast!  Between the humans and weiner dogs, Pickle and Pepper, we were feeling very welcomed.
We went to our favorite restaurant, Istanbul Grill, and were stuffed by Coskun, our favorite cook EVER.
We saw Rachel's new condo, very nice.  It's amazing how we all are growing up after pharmacy school.  We also introduced the Carters to the Ryans when we went over to hang out with them and eat at Cici's Pizza.  It was so much fun and the kids were wonderful at the restaurant. 
We also made our first trip to First Trinity where Johnny got to hang with all of our good friends from the past 7 years in Pittsburgh.  Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to our friend Tamara since her going away party was the same day as we were there.
I promise, I took pictures of everything, but I have NO idea where the camera cord is.  I hardly used my iPhone for pictures, which is instant gratification for uploading pictures, I used the REAL camera.  We will fix that soon....after I talk to Matt about it.

House update

Well, the inspection went well.  No surprises.  The only things they found were some old electric wiring, a hole in the exhaust of the boiler, and 3 incorrectly ground outlets.  All of which the seller is fixing, so we are cleared. 
We are waiting for the appraisal.  
I took more pictures, but only 3 would upload.  All the rooms are empty anyway, but here is the view when you walk in the front door and the view out the back door.  Most of my other pictures are directed towards the color of the carpet and walls, especially in Johnny's room where the carpet is a greenish-tealish with an interesting wallpaper boarder which HAS to go.  The same boarder is in the master bathroom, and I'm okay with it in the bathroom, but it doesn't say little boy for Johnny. 

Back to work

Mommy went back to work on Tuesday!  Not full time, just a very part time basis until December.  It went well on the home front.  Johnny ate really well from the bottle, he was charming for Daddy, and Daddy really enjoyed the one on one time.  The only problem was he didn't nap, not until Mommy got home for some REAL eating for Johnny.  Then he fell asleep within the first 5 minutes. 
I had some real separation anxiety in the first hour, but after realizing Johnny wasn't falling apart without me, work went very smoothly after that.  I enjoyed carrying my phone around the hospital to show off pictures of my now 7 week old son.
And the comment I heard the most was a variation of "wow, you got skinny."  Quick weight loss program.  I should advertise on late night tv.  "Want to loose 30 pounds without the hassle of diet or exercise?  This new revolutionary product 'pushoutdakid' has been proven to help you loose 30 pounds in just 1-2 weeks!  *side effects include a small child to love forever and ever.  Some pushing may be required which some would consider exercise*"  I wonder how many people would buy it.