Al's Baptism

Yesterday was, arguably, the most significant day in Al's life...thus far.  And I could go on and on about the love everyone showed us.  His Grandma Pridgen made his beautiful gown, his Grandma Deb & Grandfather hosted a wonderful brunch at their house, and we were shocked by the number of friends and family who showed up at 8:30 to see it all happen.

But, this picture is what gets me.  It stops me in my tracks.  I know Al's a baby, and couldn't possibly fathom the significance of being Baptized...but this face suggests otherwise.  He knows.

I love him.  With my whole heart.  And I love the commitment that we helped him make to follow Christ.  It was a beautiful day!

25 Random Facts (Part Two)

6) When Mark and I were dating I told him it didn't matter what Christian Denomination we joined.  But after visiting a few different churches, I realized that I missed the "Doxology" and "The Apostles' Creed".  I decided that if you attended Camp Sumatanga and/or Mountain TOP every summer, got a degree from Birmingham-Southern, and can sing the doxology to about 5 different tunes...you might be a Methodist.

7) I love football, but anticipating the new season gives me a little bit of anxiety.  Devoting every Saturday to football, from August - November (longer, if you're lucky), feels somewhat exhausting.

8) I'm guilty of taking my parents for granted.  A flaw that I'm working on and hoping to not pass on to Al.

9) I start the task of reading the entire Bible almost every year.  I always get stuck at "Numbers"...which I think I'm just going to skip this time around.

10) I'm still best friends with my same best friends from high school.  I've added a few others over the years, who are just as important to me.  But I love that I've retained these friendships for over 10 years.

25 Random Facts (Part One)

I recently noticed a "notes" section on my Facebook profile.  It seems as though 2009 was the year to create these "notes" with 25 random facts about yourself and then tag other people so they could read them.

First thought...this is stupid.  But after reading a few, "stupid" changed to "awesome".  I really enjoyed seeing what my friends had written about themselves 4 years ago.  And, I figured I'd enjoy some random thoughts/facts about my current self in 4 more years.  So, without further ado:

1)  I mostly remember fighting with my sister growing up.  It used to break my mom's heart, as she assumed ALL sisters were best friends (she had a brother).  I think part of the reason we fought was our inability to share.  Ironically, now my sister is one of the best "sharers" I know.

2)  I love to sing.  If I could read music, or at least carry a tune, I would be in some sort of choir.  Instead, I reserve my singing for the car and little Al.  It's become one of our special things.  I sing to him at least twice a day and usually throw in a rap somewhere too.  Don't worry, I change the words to make it "baby friendly".  Oh, you can't wait to hear this?  Here you go:

• "Eeny Meeny Miny Mo...How many babies to the crib gonna go?  I knooow you see it.  I knooow you see it."  (If only Young Joc could hear what I've done to his song).
• "I like big BOTTLES and I cannot lie..."

But, truthfully, Al's favorite song is "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston.  LOVES it!  

3)  I hate to cook.  Mark and I cook MAYBE once a week.  Don't ask what we eat the other nights...it's just embarrassing.

4)  Politically, I'm very...moderate.  I always thought this meant I was indecisive, but I don't think I am (see what I did there?).  Instead, I typically have very set opinion about things: our economy, equal rights, national defense, the environment, and even religion (because, let's face it, religion and politics are VERY intertwined).  In truth, about half of my opinions align with the Republican Party and the other half with the Democratic Party.  Voting is a nightmare.

5)  I absolutely LOVE Birmingham and Alabama in general, but sometimes I feel like I was supposed to live by the water.  Not the hot Florida beaches.  No, no.  We're talking north Atlantic, north Pacific, or the Great Lakes.  Sitting in an adirondack chair, wearing a knitted sweater, sipping coffee, watching boats.  Mark has agreed to take me to one of these places for my 30th birthday/5 year anniversary.  He has no desire to travel somewhere cold.  That's true love!

Half a year as a Mom

I had no doubts that I would love being a mother.  I grew-up babysitting, working in the church nursery, and spending my summers as a camp counselor.  And while having your own INFANT is harder than watching someone else's KIDS, being a mother has exceeded every expectation I had...so far (don't worry, I'm aware of the fact that I have yet to experience potty training, temper tantrums, sibling rivalries, and worse).

These past 3 months have been VERY different from the first 3 months...

Gone are the days of being Al's sole source of food.  I breastfed for 4 months, patted myself on the back for making it THAT long, and switched to formula.  Did I feel guilty?  Definitely.  Moms today are being defined by how long they breastfeed, and it's hard to argue with the health benefits (for both mom and baby).  But guilt is my new normal.  And I'm choosing to not let my life be defined by something so simple.  The trade-off: Al has a happier mom.  Double win: Al can now hold his own bottle.

Tummy time no longer results in meltdowns.  Al will officially push-up on his arms and roll from his stomach to his back...sometimes.  While this progress is months behind some babies, he's a rock-star in my book.

We sleep.  All three of us.  And I don't take one of those nights for granted, because I know a lot of moms still aren't (and I probably won't be with baby number 2).  Al goes to bed at 7:30 and Mark & I go to bed at 9:30...because you never know when you WILL be up at 3am.  Side Note: 3am always results in a little Matchbox 20 sanity song*
*And I said "baby, it's 3 am, you must be lonely"

Speaking of "sanity songs"...Al loves music.  I'm sure most babies enjoy music, but I think his joy exceeds what I would consider "typical".  He can go from full meltdown to laughing or sleeping just by hearing one of his favorite songs.  It soothes and/or energizes him.  And since I love to sing, rap, hum, or just listen to music, there is no shortage in our house.

Smiles and laughter cover a multitude of sins.  As Al's personality starts emerging, the worst tasks seem almost enjoyable.  I find myself looking forward to the next dirty diaper...because Al LOVES it.  He smiles, laughs, and kisses me* for a job well done.
*Kiss = putting my cheek against his mouth calling it a kiss...po-tato, po-tAHto

It's hard work having a baby.  I don't recommend it to everyone I know.  Really, I don't.  But it works for Mark and me.  Al completes our family (for now), and we LOVE being around this little guy!

Happy 6 months, Little Al!

3 Months In (plus a little)!

Well, we survived what some people refer to as the "4th Trimester."  What have we learned from our first 3 months as parents?

Answer: Al has spoiled us and we may never have another baby...seriously.  Mark and I realize that we deserve ZERO praise for this, and that it is simply a blessing luck (I say "luck", because what child isn't a "blessing"?).  But, Al is so chill!  He has made our transition from "irresponsible twenty-somethings" to "parents" much easier, and we are so thankful.

A little about Al:

• Tummy time = unhappy time.  Al doesn't mind being on his stomach, but don't ask him to do anything but suck on his hand while he's there.  He is SLOWLY gaining head/neck control, but I have no idea what his arms and chest can do.  It worries me a tad, especially when I read all of the "where your baby should be at 3 months" type articles.  But I know it's not something to obsess about.  He'll catch-up!

• He LOVES sucking on his thumb/fingers/hand.  The more, the better

• He'll sleep all night...if he's swaddled.  Mark and I tried to put him to sleep without the swaddle and it was a disaster.  So, we'll keep it up as long as it works.
• Already bonding with cousin James

• While he's "chill" all the time, he reserves his smiles for when he's really happy, usually when he's with his grandma or dad (I'm only a tad bitter)

Well, the posts are few and far between because I can't stand to be on the computer when I'm home from work.  Must get my hands on this little guy!

So Excited!

I have SO much I want to blog about (little Al, books I've read, a fun birthday), but right now I'm too excited about my upcoming weekend.  A weekend that will look a little like this:

So excited to celebrate one of my faves!

Working Mother

The first week back at work was a breeze for me.  (Well, starting with day two...the first day had it's necessary adjustments.)  Once I figured out how to budget my time so that I could continue breastfeeding/pumping and still get all of my work done, I was set.  People kept asking how I was doing and I TRULY didn't understand why.

For those of you judging me, let me tell you this: taking care of an infant is work.  Hard work!  For me, it was more physically and emotionally demanding than my current job.  That doesn't mean I didn't love every minute of my maternity leave; it just means that going back to work seemed - well, I'll just say it - easier.  Oh, and I forgot to add this tiny detail about my first week back: Al was with my mom and dad all week.

Ok, you caught me...that is not a tiny detail.  Week one was a breeze because Al was with two people I trust 100%.  People he knows.  Grandparents he loves.  My mom who sends me at least 3 pictures of him a day.  BREEZE.  And I actually thought, "I've got this!"

Fast forward to week two, and Al's first week at day care: significant decline in my productivity at work, tears (Al's tears), phone calls and emails to other day-cares, tears (Mark's tears), constant worry, and tears (my tears).  So this is why people kept asking if I'm ok.

I'm working on being ok.  I like my job and know I would miss it if I stayed at home...because I did.  But, then there's the guilt.  Oh, the guilt.  Was Al held today?  Did that sick baby touch him?  Does he know how much I love him when I'm able to leave him for 9ish hours?  Even the days he's with my mom are hard. Especially when I miss seeing him be this adorable:

(Thanks to technology, I don't have to miss it altogether)

This LINK helped me with the transition, and reminded me that there are other moms out there doing the same thing...often with less support.  So, I'm accepting the good of being a "working mom" with the bad.  And I know deep down, "I've got this!"