Where Did The Weekend Go?

I honestly can not remember what I did Friday.
Saturday, we went to a football game that Aldo had to work for the middle school. Luke started off ok, but as soon as the cheerleaders started yelling, he cried. I thought it was kind of funny he thought the girls were scary. Keep thinking that son, I won't have to ever worry. Suddenly rain struck and ruined our beautiful, hopeful afternoon of doing nothing outside. So we celebrated Abuelita's birthday at Applebee's.
On Sunday, all of our extra time was spent on the couch watching Iron Chef. We are officially done watching past episodes of Bravo tv shows and the Food Network. Now all we have to do is wait for Friday. Directv is going to be installed!!!

Yesterday Aldo stayed home sick so our small family spent the day together. Luke and I had an appointment in the morning... He is now 14.9 pounds and 25 inches long. It's crazy that he was once in newborn diapers and now he's in size three! And surprisingly, the diapers aren't gradual changes; they are complete steps up. Afterward, we went to the grocery store and took two hours! I'm pretty sure it's Aldo's fault. If I go by myself, I'm in and out... but with him.... we could be there forever. And I always end up getting more junk I don't need... like cookies and cheez-its.
Today Aldo went back to work so Luke and I had a playful morning together. Last night Aldo said that Luke rolled over for him and my mom. Luke wouldn't do anything for me this morning. Stinker. But I did catch him pull on his pig's leg, which starts the music, although he didn't know he did it. My baby's just growing up!! I can't wait til he can crawl and talk, and try new foods. Mommyhood is so exciting.

He loves it when I kiss his stinky feet.

Sunshiny Days - Love to Slum It

Today I spent the morning with my Granddad, getting his papers in order.
And then I was very busy at the library, actually working on different projects!

I am looking forward to spending this entire weekend with my hubby and son!
I miss them both so much! Hopefully it doesn't rain.

Reflux? Are you serious?

For the past two weeks Luke has had this nasty cough. At first I thought it might be the air conditioning. So we tried to keep him covered at night with blankets, but he just kicked them off. So we put him in pants. But he was still coughing. And it progressed worse. Now he sounds like the babies on the Pertussis commercials and has a runny nose. Before I thought it might also be allergies, but I didn't think babies developed allergies this young. Poor baby has a cold.
On Sunday, it was the worst I have ever heard. The kind of cough that makes you cringe... a baby shouldn't be in this much pain. I made an appointment with the doctor. Yesterday he tells me it's reflux. Are you serious? He can tell because Luke is eating double the amount he usually eats at night. And even though he's not coughing up anything, it can still be reflux. He tells me to lower his formula intake.
So I come home and fed poor Luke less. And he actually does really well with it. Last night, he slept all the way through. I actually had to wake him up this morning to go to Abuelita's. (His diaper was like a weight!) However, everyone was questioning doctor's diagnosis. And when Luke had some green boogies, I agreed too. I think Luke is sick. This is awful. I'm pretty sure he got it from Aldo too. Or vice versa. Aldo blames his sucking on the binkies (why he was sucking on them I don't know).

Other than Luke, this past week has been really busy. Again. It's like I never have any down time. I've been manically cleaning the house, getting ready for today. The dogs brought fleas into the house a while back, and when you find one, you end up with a hundred. So today I planned to bomb. I also took the dogs to the vet for their check-up and for flea pills. We're going to get those pesky things!
During my time away from the house, I stayed over at Granddad's. I don't know what got into me, but I really felt like cleaning. So I went to his office and organized two of his desks. There are papers everywhere! I hope he doesn't get mad that I moved some things. But I think from now on, or at least for the next month or two, I'm going to help Granddad on Thursday mornings. He needs help so I'm going to help him get his finances straight and his rentals in order. Phew! Wish me luck.

Toys & Happiness

Friday Luke and I went to a consignment sale with my aunt. Found some really cool stuff there, but we brought home a bouncer on wheels. Luke loves it!

Saturday was our busy day of getting stuff done. Somehow we are still without internet at the house, so we went to Best Buy to return our useless merchandise (it's the fact that we live out in the country). While we were there, Aldo went off to look at the movies. I knew it was a bad idea from the very beginning. But I let him go. Well, while I was looking for him a DirecTV salesman pulled me aside, and so now we have satellite tv starting October 1st. Just great. It's ok as we were looking into it before, but I didn't think we'd have tv this soon. So long savings. Then we ate at Panera. Ooh I love their paninis. Luke, surprisingly, was the best baby I could ever hope for. He slept quite a bit of the time, and when he woke up was just content sitting on my lap.
In the afternoon we went to a friend's church to hear John Bevere preach. (Right now we're taking his course on authority called "Undercover".) He has such a heart for God and you can tell that in his messages; and they are not the typical thing to hear either. They will mess you up! So I think sometime in the near future, we're going to go through "The Bait of Satan" in small group and "Extraordinary" with my mom and sister. I'm just too excited.

Letter to Afghanistan

I know I said I was going to finish the cleaning today. It didn't happen. Instead I waited for a ride to a consignment sale that never came. I wrote a letter to our friends in Afghanistan. They're stationed there for six more months... and I'm always wondering what it is they are doing, but it's confidential. Ooooh. And so in the next few days I will send them a package of dried fruits, packets of drink mixes, and extra underwear. Go me!


 Since I wasn't able to be with Luke today because he was at Abuelita's again... this is what I received from Aldo via text message.

Luke is calm and peaceful...

Then THEY come...

Oh the horror!

Cranking Up the Cleaning

I was without Luke all day. He visited Abuelita's.. and I hear had quite a time. Cousin Noah, age 1, stole Luke's bottle. After Aldo questioned Abuelita about it, she said it didn't matter if it was formula or not. And then later Luke was playing in his playpen, minding his own business. I guess just staring at stuff or eating his blankets. And Alex, age 3, went into the room with him. Since all was peaceful Abuelita left the room. Seconds later she hears a scream. Alex. I don't know why, but Alex screamed and it scared Luke and so he started crying. Geez... cousins are so mean!

Anyway, while he was gone, I spent the morning relaxing a little. After, I cranked up the cleaning by folding loads of laundry. And as I was doing so, packed many bags to go to Goodwill. I had no idea I had so many clothes. And most of them don't fit right any more because of the pregnancy. ...Mama's got a tummy. Tomorrow I'll probably finish up the entire house! I'm so excited. Then all I ever have to do is keep up on the dishes and do laundry on Fridays or something.

And tonight... Luke gets a bath. Both of my boys visited me at work, and Luke smelled like McDonald's. We don't even eat McDonald's.

No Nap Tuesday

Luke did NOT want to lay down today. At all! He woke up around eight o'clock, a little bit later than normal I admit, but for no reason would he take a nap. And it was so sad because he kept rubbing at his eyes like he was tired. From 1:30pm to 3:00pm he cried in his crib. I had to keep repeating to myself.. "You're not a bad mother. You're not a bad mother," while I sat in the other room eating leftovers.

There is one thing I'd like to point out though. No matter if it's a good day or a bad day,  I can always say this: I have never seen such unconditional love in person than from my son. I can read him all the stories in the world and it wouldn't matter. I could call him the dorkiest nicknames in the world and it wouldn't matter. I could accidentally pinch his finger in the fingernail clippers and it wouldn't matter. He loves me.
(I am referring to... today I read Goodnight Moon and The Berenstein Bears: God Loves You! trying to get him sleepy. It didn't work. My mother calls him "Buster Brown". If you Google that... you will find the freakiest looking kid and dog. Mom thinks they're cute. And last, yes, I pinched him. It broke my heart to know that I hurt him. But he got over it. With his little finger puffed up. It reminds me of the time my mom zipped my neck up in my winter coat. Twice.)

He makes the funniest faces.

Hanging with Mommy. Luke, thank you for being so photogenic in this one...

And now I shall leave you with this precious gift.

Movies & Movement

It was a busy weekend. I planned on finishing the cleaning. One thing always lead to another, and I admit, I didn't get a thing done. Our little family spent a nice afternoon walking around the outdoor mall though. I wish my schedule were a little different sometimes - that way I could spend more time together as a family, instead of waiting for the weekend.


Luke is definitely growing and learning - leaps and bounds!!! This past weekend I was playing with him on the floor, in our little blanketed area, and was shaking this dog (which he never plays with) in front of his face. All of his other toys have disappeared... probably at the cousin's house... and so I was stuck with the noisy dog. And he reached for it!! He started pushing around the foot. I know.. it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it really is! Before it was just blankets and his outfits, but now I'm starting to see what he really likes.
An even bigger deal.. is that today I put him on his belly like I always do, and he was looking at his Moo Cow and Nay Horse. And the poor baby couldn't reach them because he hasn't figured out his arms yet. But he started scooting towards them. He was determined! I watched him kick his legs in the air and sometimes accidentally push the floor with his feet; and even though his belly was dragging against the floor, he was inching along towards those animals! Just like a little military man. It was so cute.
To add to his list of changes, Luke has also been eating more!! I have no idea where it goes. He used to eat around 5 oz. and now he ranges from 6-8 oz. I think it's because he is so energetic. He just burns it off. Because he's still as scrawny as ever.
Last, today I found out from my aunt, who has been watching him for a few hours while I am at work, that she puts him in a jumper. No wonder he has good neck control. It won't be long before he's crawling and getting into everything. I know for sure he is one of those that puts it all in his mouth. :)

As for me, I have been watching my collection of Audrey Hepburn movies. I think she is the most gorgeous woman. Her and Sandra Bullock. Luke doesn't much like those movies, so this morning we read and watched VeggieTales. I don't want him being one of those children obsessed with Elmo or Barney. I thought Dora and Diego might be okay. But after watching it with my nephews, I thought better of it. VeggieTales I think I can handle. Chicken enchiladas tonight! I can't wait to see my husband! It's going to be a good night.

A Look At The Past

I was just thinking...

The world has changed so much since I was younger. Especially with technology. Now all the kids are going around with cell phones.. iphones.. whatever those are. I remember when there weren't cell phones. I couldn't call my mom unless I was at home. And the phone at home was attached to the wall and had a cord. That was after the rotary phones... which I barely remember having. But seriously... is everything going to change to where I'm the old person that isn't up to date with the times??? Will I be the one asking my son to do everything for me? Is he going to think I'm old fashioned when I continue using a cell phone?? Wow. It's crazy to think about.
That was all. Nothing much has been happening.

I cleaned all day, trying to get those boxes out of the middle of our living room! There's a Christmas tree in our kitchen because of the lack of space. I also pulled out all of the toys from Luke's closet that were previously there. Maecy's Polly Pockets and such. I didn't think Luke would want to play with those. And I got our laundry under control. Overall it was a successful morning I think. Tonight I'm looking forward to tortellini. :) Husband, you are a wonderful cook!

Speaking of food... I can't wait until Luke starts on the cereal and then the baby food. I requested a book on how to make your own. I'm interested in what he's going to like and what he won't. Is he going to like peaches? I craved those like crazy when I was pregnant.

Birthday Weekend

I shall be positive today and write about the great weekend I spent with my family. (Yes, that is a little sarcastic as I didn't get to go to the zoo like I wanted.)

Friday, Luke and I spent all day with my mom. She was making curtains for her camper while we put all of the pictures I have taken in order and in albums. Mom and Maecy left for the weekend, so Aldo and I had a relaxing time in the house, eating Italian take-out and watching movies. Saturday, Aldo encouraged me to pick something to do, so we went to the Irish Fest, but by the time we got there most everything was over. (Also, I think you're supposed to drink when you go to Irish Fest, as there's not much else to do besides...)

Sunday, we went to church and spent time at his parents' house. Monday we were supposed to go to the zoo. They have a new polar bear that I was excited about. I absolutely love the zoo, no matter how much walking, how hot, or which one.Well, that didn't happen. Instead we kind of ran a lot of errands... checked out internet services, took out a van load of trash, bought some groceries, etc. And spent almost the entire night at a friend's house. Luke was wide awake... watching their little one-year old boy. And the one-year old kept coming over to "be nice" to the baby... It was really cute.

So today, I was hooking up the internet and we still have no signal. Why did we choose to live on a farm? I'm starting to miss our apartment...
I'm ready to go home and cuddle up with my hubby and Booger and maybe watch some Kung Fu Panda (as that's the one movie Luke kind of watches and falls asleep to).
So long birthday! Here's to another year.

He's turning into such a slobber monster. And likes sucking on his fist as much as a bottle! 

Not really into the chupie any more.

Flying around calms him down too...

Not The Greatest Cook In The World

Today has been very busy. Because every day I get off work at 8:15pm and Aldo is already at home, he cooks the meals and has them prepared by the time I get there. And they are excellent! So I thought, I really want to do something special for him. I'm going to make a roast. I don't remember the last time I made a roast... I think all I did was turn the crock pot on. All in all, it was a complicated process. I googled a crock pot recipe. Then there were the questions Do I add water or use gravy? Do I slice the meat or leave it whole? How long do I cook it for if I cook on high instead of low? Oops, this is 4 pounds, not 2. We'll see how it fares. Besides that, I finally bought a changing pad for the changing table and put together the station. Yay! No more changing diapers in bed! And I put a new shower head on because the old one wouldn't stay up on it's own. It was just a lot of random stuff.

Luke wasn't with me all day. I definitely noticed. :( Today is the second day that he's slept all through the night. AND last night, he laughed for the first time! He was doing his "Ajua" fists in the air and I shouted it out, and it just cracked him up. It was so cute; I'm so happy our little family was together for it. I've been kind of going crazy buying toys for him. I don't really know why. I just wish he would play with something besides his frog blanket. So I found some squeaky animals that my sister plays with more than anybody, a dog that buzzes on the floor, and a pig that plays music. I liked the pig best because the music is the JAM and it can hang on Luke's car seat so he can play with it in the car. Well, Aldo and my sister both said that it was a girl's toy. I was so upset. It is not a girl's toy. Even if it is on the pinkish side. It's a pig!!! They're supposed to be pink. I'm keeping it. It's cool. Luke is going to love it.

Last, I just wanted to say what my favorite part about being a mother is. It's the moment after Luke is done eating. He lays his head on my shoulder and falls gently back to sleep. But no, I can't let him go back to sleep because he has to burp. So I pat on his back and he squirms in my arms. He'll let out a few and just konks out! His cheeks are so soft and I can feel his little body heat and even his breathing against my side. And I love him so much in that moment! I go in to kiss his head. And sometimes I can smell the milk on his neck. He smells like baby. And that's wonderful.