Keeping up with the Joneses

Amos is Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' at 20 Weeks

Amos had quite the week this week.  Our babysitter moved over the weekend, so we took him to her new home starting on Monday.  Ms. Jackie reported that he wasn't his normal, overly happy self on Monday.  I assumed it was due to the new surroundings, but Ms. Jackie thought his belly was hurting.  I guess she was right because he had not had a BM all weekend, and then he was all smiles later that evening after a particularly smelly diaper change.

(Amos is also so happy to have the Bumbo back. We accidentally left it at my parents' house the previous weekend.  So, Pa-Paul mailed it back to him.  We didn't realize how much we were using it until we didn't have it!)

Tuesday was a pretty huge day for Amos.  It was Election Day, so Amos and I walked the couple of blocks to vote at the middle school by our house.  All the ladies were pretty smitten.  One lady in particular seemed really happy that I had Amos in the Ergo.  She pointed at a man around my age, and she asked me if I would mind talking to him about my carrier since he was expecting his first child.  So, I ended up getting into a conversation with him and most of the volunteers about carriers and wraps and how much I love them.  Then, she asked me what kind of diaper Amos was wearing.   (She correctly guessed that he was in a cloth diaper...I guess the carrier gave me away?)  I ended up showing them Amos's cloth diaper (he was wearing a BumGenius 4.0 with snaps at the time), and they were pretty impressed.  One lady said she had always been afraid of the pins, and the original lady who had asked for me to talk to them, said to the man expecting a baby, "See!  I told you!  Thereare so many options now!"  She then wanted me to share with them where they could get these items.  I told them about Mama's Hip, Amazing Green Planet, and even Babyology before wishing the man luck and heading home.

Once home, I put Amos down for his nap.  Well, he was having none of it.  He was playing and talking in his crib...and then he ROLLED!  I couldn't believe it.  He has been rolling from side to side for many weeks...at least since March...but we had never seen him completely roll over all by himself.  In fact, I was kind of surprised that he hadn't rolled since he had shown such early signs of rolling.  Then, it was all quiet on the rolling front.  (This could be because when I started working, I didn't have as much time to play with him as I previously had.  I was "rolling" him regularly during the day just to play when I was still on maternity leave.)  Even though I saw him on the video monitor, I thought it might be a fluke.  Then, he did it again!  Here's the video that I got of the second time that I saw him roll.  Please excuse my annoying voice...and that fact that's it'a a bit too long.

  

On a TMI note, that same day, I started to notice that it was hurting to nurse on one side.  It turns out that I had developed a milk bleb.  My hypochondriacal self immediately started to worry that I would get mastitis and then have to stop breastfeeding.  The next day, I called Babyology for advice.  Long story short (and one that involved sterilizing a needle), I am fine now.  It was just a stressful and painful couple of days.

When I picked Amos up on Wednesday, Ms. Jackie told me that Amos didn't take his afternoon nap...he was too busy playing.  So, he was waaay tired that evening.  Unfortunately, I was home alone because Tim had to go to his school's graduation.  It was a rough night since I was in pain as well.

Amos didn't take an afternoon nap on Thursday either.  Jackie said he just wanted to talk and play.  And he seemed super happy despite not napping.

Despite the fact that Amos was not napping with Ms. Jackie in the afternoon, he was still going down for an hour around 4:15 pm with me.  Well, on Friday, he fell asleep in the car on the way home.  When we got to the house, he stayed asleep!  So, I laid him in our bed.  A couple of minutes later, he was up.  Soo, essentially he got like a 20 minute cat nap all afternoon.  Needless to say, he was extra ready to go to bed that night.  He was out by 6 pm!

Tim and I then spent time discussing teaching.  We even watched American Teacher.  One of the teachers in the documentary was pregnant and then a new mom...I totally identified with her.  (Pumping and teaching is INSANE!)  I also thought that the movie correctly encapsulated how hard a good teacher works.  While I don't think it will resonate with people who don't value teachers nor will it change their minds, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a glimpse into a teacher's life.

Today, Amos was a rolling fool.  Getting him to nap was almost impossible because as soon as I laid him in his crib, he would just start rolling like this:

 

I finally noticed that he was only rolling to the left.  So, I positioned him a little bit closer to the left side where he didn't have enough room to roll.  That finally enabled him "to take a rest" as I call napping when I talk to Amos.

Tomorrow we plan to visit Tim's parents in Calhoun.  We've been wanting to go for some time, but school has made it difficult for Tim to get away.  It's also 3 hours away, which is a long time for Amos to be in his car seat...especially if we don't spend the night.  Please pray for safe travels! 

I'm going to end by sharing a few things that I want to remember.  Since Amos has been teeny tiny, he has sort of waved him arm in the air while nursing.  Tim and I laugh, and Tim, mimicking Amos, will say, "Giddy Up, Mama!"  Well, in the last little bit, I have noticed that Amos has started thumping his leg while nursing.  This is especially true when I go into him room at night when he's asking for food.  (I say ask for food because he doesn't generally cry...it's more of a vocalization.  I'll try to listen closer to describe it better.)  The thumping reminds me of a dog wagging its tail...it's like he's soo happy to be getting fed!

Our bedtime routine is also a pretty fun time.  I start getting ready for a bath when I notice that Amos is getting tired (he'll rub his eyes, make this one particular "tired" whimper, or yawn) by taking off his clothes while singing a parody of John Fogerty's "Centerfield."  Generally, it goes like this:

"Put me to bed.  I'm ready to sleep...ooh oh.  Put me in bed.  I need to snooze. Please Mom..." or "Give me a bath.  I need to get clean" and so on.  Amos smiles, and I think Tim is pretty entertained by whatever lyrics I come up with that night. 

Then, as I rinse Amos for the last time, I sing a parody to Europe's "It's the Final Countdown" called "It's the final rinse down!"  (This also cues Tim to come in and pick Amos up from the bath for me so that I can wrap him in a towel.)  We both say, "Naked baby!" in this goofy voice.  Then, I take him down the hall to his room.  I start to talk softer and lotion him while singing a song (to the tune of "Rock a Bye Baby," I think) that I have sung since he was born.  It goes:

"Amos Clive, Amos Clive, we're so happy you're here.  Amos Clive, Amos Clive, we're so happy you're alive.  Mama loves you, Daddy loves, Pa-Paul loves you too."  (I switch out the names to include Grammy, Grandma Berta, Grandaddy Jones, Aunt Gina, Aunt Tammy, etc.)  He gets this huge smile on his face when I start singing the Amos Clive song.  I take my time singing to him and getting him in his night clothes.  Then, I nurse him, and put him in bed while he's still awake but drowsy.  I give him his "lovey," a blue dog blanket like thing, and he holds it (sometimes he shakes it around) while drifting to sleep.

It's also super fun to go to Amos in the morning or to pick him up at the babysitter's.  He always gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees us.  Often, a giggle accompanies that smile.  Lots of parents have told us that we are in a sweet spot for parenting right now.  Well, I agree.  Amos is so fun to be around at this stage.  I can't wait for all the fun we will have this summer!

19 Weeks: The End is Near!

This week marked my last full week with students!  Yay!  And Amos turned 19 Weeks old!

(Last week, I tried to make a concerted effort to take more pics during the week, but this week I returned to my old ways of only snapping shots on the weekend.  Oh well.) 

After being out of town last weekend, the beginning of the week was a struggle to catch up with school work, house work, etc.  Still, we decided to try to take Amos to our Community Group Tuesday night.  Group meets from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.  Katy said I could lay Amos down, but we ultimately decided to take our happy but exhausted boy home by 7:15 pm.  (I think I'll try to lay him down there in the summer when I don't have to wake up for the day at 5:30 am.  Right now, I'm too nervous about how many times I have to wake up during the night before going to work.)  Mr. Amos was out the moment I laid him down.

Thursday, our babysitter closed on her old and new homes.  So, Tim took a personal day to stay home and watch Amos.  He had planned to do a couple of errands outside of the home, but when I got home, he was still in his PJ's!  Babies are hard work, and the hubster gave Amos excellent care!  Since I didn't have to pick Amos up from the sitter, we enjoyed our extra 45 minutes  by taking a walk while my tired husband took a little nap (before going out on those delayed errands).  Having that extra 45 minutes was so nice, in fact, that it has me thinking...maybe we should put our house on the market and move closer to Ms. Jackie?

Saturday, I made plans to hang out with Raechel so that Tim could get some things for school done in a quiet house.  Amos and Gavin didn't get to play as much as we hoped due to sleeping and eating schedules being off, but we were able to get this picture before grabbing lunch at Jersey Mike's Subs.
Raechel and I chatted about future children and future career goals.  The previous night, I had told Tim that I wanted to get my doctorate.  Raechel also mentioned that she was going to an informational meeting about getting her doctorate from UofL.  It was fun to do my Masters with Michelle, so why not my doctorate with Raechel?  We'll see, though.  It's hard to imagine juggling everything I'm juggling now AND enrolling in a Ph.D program.  Still, I could take it slow, I guess.

I had planned to go to the grocery after seeing Raechel, but Amos seemed like he needed to go home and nap.  Initially, he was napping pretty well.  And then, I hear this:

 

Uh oh...busted!
Amos fought me for all his naps Saturday, which may be why we had a particularly busy night.  I think he was overtired.  So, Sunday morning, I told Tim I would love him forever if he got up with Amos at 6 am so I could sleep in an hour.  My wonderful hubby immediately got up to watch our boy while I got the best hour of sleep.  Then, we tag teamed it, and I got up with Amos while Tim took a little snooze.  Amos seemed all, "What? You're tired!?  Life is too fun and exciting to sleep!"

Here's Amos enjoying his post-diaper change:

 

(Aunt Gina gave him Leap...he loves it!)

We took Sunday morning a little slow, so instead of going to the 9 am service, we attended the 11 am.  Afterwards, we went to Goose Creek Diner to check out their Sunday Brunch.  It was UH-mazing.  In addition to the normal breakfast buffet featuring homemade biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, grits, sausage, breakfast casseroles, fried chicken (?), veggies, and much more, they had made-to-order crepes, stuffed french toast, omelets, and belgian waffles.  I ate this strawberry chocolate crepe that I will likely dream about for some time.  If only we had known about this place when Amos was dedicated a couple of weeks ago!  Unfortunately, Mr. Amos Clive was also hungry.  So, I had to take him out to the car to eat.  That still didn't seem to pacify him, though.  (Oh, yeah.  The last time he had napped was at 7:30 am, and it was after 1 pm!)  So, we had to leave sooner than my gluttonous heart would have liked, though I'm sure my stuffed but not over stuffed belly was thankful for our early exit!

Amos's 18th Week and My First Official Mother's Day

Amos is trudging along his fourth month of life.  This week was another busy one.  Happily, we are now entering the final weeks of school.  This year, more than any other, I am super anxious to be finished so that I can resume being a full-time mama to my baby.

Mondays seem to be the roughest for us.  I think it's the whole having to once again get used to being apart.  It's like "tearing the band aid" all over again each week.

 

Monday night, I was super anxious because on Tuesday we were tie dying at school all day, and my department chair said we needed to expect to stay at least an hour after school to clean up.  This would mean I would be even later picking Amos up because I would have to pump.  Since he goes to bed at 6:30, I would only have an 1 1/2 hours max to spend with Amos, make dinner, and all the other evening chores. 

Tuesday, I worked really hard.  I have a really sweet sixth period, so I delegated tasks to the ones who were finished early...I was highly motivated to get out on time! 

OH YEAH!  I totally almost forgot about this.  When the bell rang to end the day, I ran to the office for a moment.  I noticed everyone looked a bit on edge.  And then I passed a counselor's office.  There was totally a NAKED man in there!!!  He looked like he was hyperventilating or something.  A former student was leaving as I was, so I asked, "Patrick, did that man having any clothes on?"  To which Patrick nonchalantly said, "I don't think so."  Later, as I was leaving school I asked the assistant principal, who was standing outside with an ambulance and fire truck, that it was a bus driver who had a heart attack.

So how was your Tuesday?

Because I hauled booty, I was able to get home close to the normal time.  And I haven't written about this.  I ordered this recently:

We don't run our dishwasher every day, but it means that I now have an extra 15 minutes when I get home every other day.  On Tuesday, I used that 15 minutes to take my boy on a walk.  He was super excited when I told him we were going outside.
Wednesday was another crazy day.  Amos had his four month appointment.  This meant that I had to drive to one part of Louisville to pick Amos up, another part of Louisville to get to the pediatrician's office, and then to another part of town to get home.  It was cuh-RAZ-y.  When I got to the doctor's, it was almost Amos's nap time.  Can you tell?
Amos did great at the doctor's.  He is such a social butterfly with all the nurses and doctors...he was smiley and happy the entire time.  His biggest smiles came during his favorite part...getting naked to be weighed!

Here are his 4 Month Stats:

Weight: 14 pounds 11 ounces (25-50%)

Height: 25 5/8 inches (75%)

Head Circumference: 16 inches (25%)

Amos even did great during the shots.  He winced a bit and his face got really red, but after a little "nu nu" he was fine.  He did fall asleep, though, the moment I put him in the car, which is pretty unusual for him.  And he stayed asleep for me to put him down when we got home.  He also seemed to have a little bit of a rougher night. 

Here is tired but happy Amos Thursday pre-nap:
Just as Amos was waking up, Tammy and her kids arrived to see him for a moment.  Amos thoroughly enjoyed his time with his cousins and aunt.

That evening, Amos only woke up twice during his entire 12 hour (6:30 pm - 6:30 am) sleeping time!  I, unfortunately, did not likewise enjoy uninterrupted sleep because I kept waking up to make sure he was okay!  Grrr!

Tim and I were really excited to see our good friend Brother Dismas on Friday.  He was in town for a few days, so we joined him, his brother's family, and Derek's brother's family for pizza at the Holts.  Here Amos and I are with Brother Dismas and his nephew Joseph.
Tim and Amos chatted with Josh, Kamaran, and Lucy about library sciences.
Derek and Brother Dismas share a few laughs.

Lucy is 8 months only, and she barely weighs more than Amos.  Look at those piercing blue eyes!

The last time we saw Joseph, he had dark hair.  Now, look at him...and those adorable little teeth!

Margaret talking with Uncle Dismas.
I was a bit nervous (I know! I'm a neurotic first time mama!) about being out past Amos's bedtime, but Amos did well.  He did, however, fall asleep the moment we put him in the car.  And he pretty much stayed asleep for us to put him down for the night.

Saturday, we got ready to go to Kiddville after our little frog finished his morning jump:

Not long after we arrived, Emma had to leave for her piano guild.
Of course, our girl performed beautifully and earned a Superior!

Meanwhile, the boys played with Lucas's new Pirate Ship that Ms. Laura (his babysitter) got at a yard sale.
Amos and Pa-Paul also spent some quality time together.
Amos also took a little spin in the swing that Grammy bought him at a yard sale.
That evening, Tim and I went out for dinner at Melini Cucina's, a little Italian restaurant in Mt. Sterling while Mom watched Amos.  When Amos was dedicated, we were given "homework" to go out and discuss a few questions.  So, Tim and I spent dinner discussing some of these things.  It was nice though brief.  (We even called ahead to expedite the wait for our food.)

Amos goes to bed around 6:30 pm, and generally I feed him right before bed.  Dumb me had forgotten to bring a bottle, so I was worried that Grammy would have trouble getting him to go to sleep.  Therefore, I was anxious to get back.  However, when we walked into the house, a bit after Amos's bedtime, Mom was cleaning up in the kitchen and Amos was asleep.  She said that she had bathed him (which is great fun because Amos thoroughly enjoys the water), and then he went right to bed!  Whew!   

Early Sunday morning around 3:30 am, we did have a bit of a rough time.  At home, I nurse Amos sitting up, but at Mom's house, it's a bit more tricky because there is no comfortable place for me to sit.  So, I nursed Amos while laying down.  And his diaper leaked all over him and the bed!  He hasn't leaked urine for weeks!  In fact, I hadn't even packed another sleeper for him.  Thankfully, Mom had an extra.  At this point, though, my little booger was wide awake.  Tim couldn't find other sheets, so I had to go sleep in the twin bed in the other room.  I kept having to get up and put the pacifier in to get Amos to stop cooing and instead go to sleep.  Then, I heard "the sound."  Amos had a blow out!  I finally just gave up on sleeping.  Sooo, neither one of us rested well.  Happy 1st Mother's Day to me!

As a result of our rough morning, we laid low Sunday morning.  The boys played more
(in Grammy's room so that Amos could take a nap) while the women chatted...and Mr. Amos Clive mostly just fought sleep.  For some reason, he just would not nap.  And I knew he was tired.  I think it was just way overtired.  And it may have also been the whole being in a different environment where there is a lot to check out.  (As I write this, I also realize that in the past I mentioned his struggles with napping, but I may have neglected to mention that Amos has started to nap pretty easily.)  Finally, Uncle Jeremy came over and put my boy to sleep in moments...he's got the "touch."

Once Amos woke up from his nap, we headed to my grandparents' house.  Grandma had pulled down a glider for Amos.  He loved it!  (Granddaddy and I had to make a few adjustments so that he could touch the ground.)
Everyone had a wonderful day celebrating all the mothers.


Grandma, Mom, Gina, Aunt Wanda, Aunt Brenda, and Ramona have all been special mothers in my life.  I feel blessed to have been raised by so many wonderful mamas. 

I feel especially blessed by my own Mama.  I remember when I was a little girl, I mourned not knowing my maternal grandmother.  I remember empathetically internalizing my mom's own sorrow over losing her mom by fearing that I would lose her at a young age as well.  I would get on my hands and knees and pray for God to give me as much time with my mom as possible.  I don't know how many years we will have together.  But I am so very grateful for the ones we have shared so far.  I'm not sure how I would have made it lately without my mom.  She has been there for me every step of the way.  And I have not taken one thing for granted.  I so appreciate all that my mom has done for me this year and all of my years.  I am who I am because of her.  And as I have started the whole crazy working mama chapter of my life, I am even more in awe of all she did for us growing up...I also now "get" why she would say, "I just need to lay down for a few minutes" occasionally!  My mom is not just a mom; she's a Super Mom.  Thanks, Mama!

As for Amos, he was pretty tuckered out by all of the Mama celebrating.  He uncharacteristically slept almost the entire way home, and then continued to sleep once we brought him inside!

Amos is FOUR months old!

I have been saying for some time that Amos is four months old, but Thursday he officially became a 4 month old baby!  I can't believe it!

To kick off his fourth month, I pulled out the Johnny Jump Up that my friend Brooke gave Amos.  Here he is jumping for the first time: 

I think he liked it!
This week, Amos has started cracking up all the time.  It is so funny!  He has smiled and laughed for some time, but this week it seems like everything is just hilarious.  I already posted this on Facebook, but this is the only video that I took this week of his laughter.  (It seems like every time I pull out the camera, it distracts him from laughing at me.  I think I was able to get this because he was laughing at Tim and unaware of me.)

 

Tim and I both had Friday off thanks to the Kentucky Derby.  Tim made me breakfast, and we spent a leisurely morning as a little family.  We also decided to have our first post Amos date.  After eating lunch at Zaxby's (Amos ate lunch in the car!), we dropped Amos off at Ms. Jackie's house at noon.  We then had to race across town because we were going to see The Avengers, which started at 12:15 pm.  The Avengers is what Tim and I call a "movie theater" movie because it is best viewed on the big screen.  While I missed my baby, it was wonderful to spend some time with my hubby. 

Saturday, Tim and I went on a few errands around town (including lunch at Red Robin...YUM!)  We couldn't believe how dead it was everywhere!  I guess everyone else was busy enjoying every second of the Derby.  It was kind of nice not having to fight traffic.  After running errands, I made a "Derby Pie," and we readied ourselves to view the Derby with the Durecs.  The Balls, Katy's parents, and Katy's sister along with kids also attended.

The girls were very cute in their Derby hats.
Katy, our wonderful hostess, with her Derby hat and Mint Julep.  Sadly, I was unable to sample Mike's Mint Julep because I didn't want Amos to also have a taste!

We enjoyed our time with the Durecs.  Amos was out an past his bedtime, so he looked pretty tired the last hour.  Nonetheless, he was a trooper and patiently waited for Mama and Daddy to get him to bed.  (Unfortunately, his later bedtime did NOT result in a later wake up time.  And we were up every two hours during the night!  Boo!)

I forgot to mention in last week's post that last Saturday we had a terrible hail storm.  On Sunday, I saw a few dings, but it didn't seem like enough to worry about.  Well, when we got home from the Durecs, I took a closer look at both of our cars.  And there are more than just a few dings.  Sooo, it looks like both of our cars are probably going to be in the shop soon.  Double boo!!!

Let me try to end this on a happy note.  When I first met Tim, I remember that he was absolutely all I could think or talk about.  God taught me a lot about love through this new relationship and refined me as a Christian woman.  Similarly, I have once again fallen head over heels in love.  I know that I am totally biased, but I feel so blessed to have such a happy, healthy, adorable baby boy.  Tim and I feel like we hit the baby jackpot. 

I am so thankful for my baby, my husband, my family, and my friends.

16 Weeks: A Play Date with Gavin

My friend Raechel had to teach review sessions at her school for the Biology End of Course Exams, so Tim and I watched Gavin for her.

Gavin arrived asleep, and Amos was taking his morning nap.  So, Tim ran a couple of errands while I waited for both boys to wake up.  Gavin woke up at 10 am all smiles.
He pretty much smiled and cooed until 10:30 am when he asked to eat.  Once he finished eating, Amos woke up asking to eat.  Even though I knew Amos was hungry, I tried to get a picture of both boys together.

Tim and I got them to smile, but I couldn't capture it fast enough.  We started to try to make sounds to get them to laugh.  Instead, we got this:

After feeding Amos, we did tummy time.

 

Then, both boys played on their backs a bit.
 
They chilled in the crib for a moment.  Here Amos seems to check out Gavin:

 

(Gavin's Mama is calling in the background to check on her boy.)

For a moment in this video it seemed like they were going to hold hands.

 

I finally got my baby dressed and we went for a walk.
The boys were both tuckered out from the walk, and they both fell asleep.  Raechel arrived shortly after to a happy Gavin.  Both boys were very well-behaved.  Still, I don't know how my friends with multiples do it every day!

I can't believe that my super Amos will officially be 4 months next week!

A Day in Our Work-Week Life

We made it through the second week with a babysitter.  I'm not sure if this will be interesting or pathetic, but I can pretty precisely tell you what I did every minute of last week...because it was the same every day. 

Here is my typical week day:

5:45 am -- My alarm clock is set for this time.  So far, it has only gone off 1 time since I have returned to work.  Generally, I am already up.  I wash my face and then eat breakfast.  Then, I put the ice pack for my milk into its case and take my cart of school supplies and pumping equipment to my car.  I then put on my make up.

6:10 am -- I wake up Tim by turning on our bedroom light.  I then finish getting ready.

6:15 am -- I feed Amos.  I love and loathe these 10 minutes.  Usually, he holds onto my hand with his soft fingers and I savor his sweet baby scent.  I loathe this time only because I know I'm getting ready to have to leave him.

6:25 am -- I put on my school clothes and Tell Tim goodbye.

6:30 am -- I pull out of the drive way.

6:45 am -- I arrive at school and check in for the day.

6:50 am -- I duck into the restroom while I still can.

6:52 am -- I hurridly prepare for the day.  I write the agenda on the board and get out any supplies that I need.

7:15 am -- I start pumping.  During this time, I check my school email.  I also look at the documents that I need for class that day and/or try to do long-range planning.  To encourage my milk supply, I might also quickly look at pictures of Amos.

7:25 am -- I run any last minute errands.

7:30 am -- I let the kids who are waiting at my door come in.  I set up my projector and get out my students' journals.  (My lower level kids keep their books and journals in the room.  I learned quickly that this was the only way to ensure they had supplies every day.  I also have to keep pencils for them, though I insist that they give me collateral for one to ensure I get it back for the next day.)

7:40 am -- First period begins.  This is my toughest period of the day.  I feel like I'm herding cats most of the period.  (Oh, and my collaborating teacher generally shows up 5-10 minutes late.  Yep. She gets paid more than me.)

8:40 am -- The bell rings to end first period.  I quickly put my class back in order and get out supplies for the next period as kids start showing up.

8:45 am -- Second period begins.  This class is half special needs students and half regular students.  (As a substitute for my collaborating teacher recently noted, it seems like my first period is all special needs!)  These kids tend to be a bit more teachable with the exception of one or two.

9:40 am -- The bell rings to end second period.  I have more to prep during this five minutes because my chemistry kids are arriving.  So, I put away the materials from the first two periods and get out new materials.

9:45 am -- Third period begins.  Prior to my maternity leave, this was my most trying chemistry class.  However, lots of kids jumped ship during my absence.  So, I have really been enjoying teaching these guys.

10:40 am -- The bell rings to end third period.  I herd my stragglers out and shut my door.  I take out my lunch and open anything that could require two hands. 

10:45 am -- I pump and eat lunch.

10:55 am -- I put away my milk and pump supplies as well as my lunch.

11:00 am -- I run to the restroom.

11:02 am -- I say hello to my science colleagues. 

11:05 am -- The bell for fourth period rings, so I open my door.  (We are supposed to stand in the hallway during each class change.  Lately, this is the first time in my day I can do this.)

11:10 am -- Fourth period begins.  This group caused both of my subs lots of problems in my absence.  Both before and after my maternity leave, they have been wonderful.  Until homeroom.

12:05 pm -- Homeroom begins with my same fourth period.  Because they do struggle to not "act a fool" during this time, I generally try to continue to teach during this time or do something to preoccupy them a bit.

12:20 pm -- The bell rings to end homeroom.  Fifth period is my planning, so I begin by checking my school email where no less than 30 emails are waiting for me.  I often don't have time to respond to them because it is more important for me to get any work that physically needs to be done at school completed during this time.  So, I work on getting items printed, lab materials gathered, papers graded, etc.  I also work on my weekly IEP (for my special needs students) progress reports, weekly and long-range lesson planning.

1:00 pm -- I run to the restroom and refill my water bottle.  I'm parched, but I try not to drink too much because getting to the restroom is such a challenge.

1:05 pm -- I commence pumping.  I also respond to those emails or do other things that I can do with one hand.

1:15 pm -- I put my milk and pumping items away.  And I set my computer back up to the projector.

1:20 pm -- The bell rings for sixth period.  I greet my students.

1:25 pm -- Sixth period begins.  While this group is not my strongest academically, they are my sweetest group.  Sixth period is a rough time to have chemistry, but they almost always have a wonderful attitude.  It's a great way to end my work day.

2:20 pm -- The bell rings to end the day!  My mind immediately goes to Amos.  I rush to put everything away and pack up for the day.  Kids often come by, and I quickly exchange hellos with them and/or answer questions.

2:35 pm -- I sprint across campus towards my car with my cart full of materials in tow.

2:45 pm -- I wait to leave the parking lot.  Teenagers are really bad drivers, by the way.

2:50 pm -- I begin my race to get Amos. 

3:05 pm -- I'm at Jackie's!!!! I see my boy!!!  He is all smiles!!!!  Jackie debriefs me on Amos's eating, napping, pooping, and overall demeanor.

3:15 pm -- I take my precious cargo home. 

3:30 pm -- I pull into my driveway.  I make a few trips to get Amos, his stuff, and my stuff into the house.  I then might have to quickly empty my bladder.

3:35 pm -- I talk to Amos while changing out of my work clothes.  I also quickly put the bottles and pump parts into soapy water.

3:40 pm -- I feed Amos.

3:50 pm -- Amos and I play and talk while he is facing me.

4:00 pm -- I change Amos's diaper.  We then do tummy time, and I read to him.

4:20 pm -- I take Amos into the kitchen, and put him in the Bumbo or lay him on the Boppy because I have to wash all the bottles and pump parts so that they can dry for me to put them away later in the evening.  I talk to Amos about what I'm doing and whatever else comes to mind.

4:40 pm -- Amos and I take a nap.  This is the only way that I have figured out for both of us to get rest and still be with each other.  I might have frowned on this myself a few months ago, but I kind of love napping with my sweet baby. 

5:40 pm -- We're awake!  In general, Amos doesn't seem super rested when he wakes up.  He's not grumpy...he just still looks tired. 

5:41 pm -- I make dinner and then gulp it down while also trying to catch up with Tim.  I also get out my clothes and Amos's clothes for the next day.

6:30 pm -- I get Amos ready for bed.

6:45 pm -- Amos is asleep. :-(

7:00 pm -- I shower and get ready for bed.  I also do laundry and other chores.  I might return phone calls.

8:00 pm -- I check my school and home email accounts, Facebook, my blog, my Google Reader.  I try to respond where I can, with school correspondences taking precedence.  I also check in with my husband.

8:15 pm -- I do my schoolwork...or as much as I can.  I then put together the bottles and put them in Amos's carseat so that Tim doesn't forget them.  I also put all my pump parts into my cart so I don't forget them.

9:00 pm -- I feed Amos.  I kiss Tim goodnight and go to bed.  Going to bed at 9 pm and taking a nap are the two changes that I made this week that have seemed to restore my sanity.

1:00ish -- I feed Amos.

2:00 am -- I feed Amos.

3:00 am -- Amos moves about.  I give him the pacifier, and he goes back to sleep.

4:20ish am -- I feed Amos.  I put his pacifier in his mouth.

5:00ish am -- Amos wakes up if I forget the pacifier.  I may be able to reapply the pacifier.  Or I may be so tired that I just feed him.

5:15 am -- (Sometimes he doesn't wake up.  I say a little prayer that he doesn't wake up at this time.  If he does, I try to convince myself into thinking positively, "I get 30 minutes more to sleep.  That's a pretty good nap!" instead of "Oh no! I only have 30 minutes left to sleep!) The pacifier fell out.  Or he's cooing and trying to wake up. Something.

5:40 am -- I get out of bed for the day.

 

With that precision, can you believe that I left my pump parts at home on Friday!?!  I had to frantically drive back home to get them.  Thankfully, I had prepped a bit more than normal Thursday after school.  I was able to pump just in time, but I had to call a colleague while pumping to sign me in and let them know I was at school just unable to leave my room!

Amos Playing Before Bed

Here is Amos last Saturday playing before bed.  He is such a good boy even when he is really tired. 

 

We are also so blessed that he very easily goes to bed at night.  I lay him down, and he is fast asleep!  While it is true that he will ask for milk ("Nu nu," as I call it for some strange reason.), as soon as I feed him, he  goes right back to sleep.  We have not experienced the inexplicable crying in the middle of the night...yet.  (I hear that happens a lot as they get bigger!)

Amos's Baby Dedication

Last Sunday, Amos was dedicated in church.  (Thirteen babies in all were dedicated during our service!!)

Grandma, Granddaddy, Aunt Brenda, Dad, Mom, Gina, and Emma were all able to make it.

(Raechel, Andrew, and Gavin also came, but I didn't get their picture!)

The dedication occurred during Amos's normal nap time, so he was a tired boy.  He only lets me hold him cradle-style when he is really tired, and he spent most of the service that way!

During the service, we shared this picture of Amos.

And we wrote this for the occasion:

Amos Clive Jones was born January 3rd, 2012 to Tim and Glenda Jones. He is named after his great grandfather, Amos Raymond Smith, a pastor who diligently sought the Lord his entire life.  His middle name honors Tim's late cousin, who boldly followed Christ and generously loved others during his young life.  Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 that a father deals with his own children by being, “encouraging, comforting and urging [them] to live lives worthy of God.”  We pray that we will raise Amos to live a life honoring to God and become a man after the LORD's own heart. 

Afterwards, we went back to our house long enough for me to feed and change Amos.  Then, we intended to eat lunch at Cracker Barrel since it was along everyone's way home.  However, there was an hour wait.  So, we went to Kingfish next door where there was no wait.  It probably turned out for the best because we received excellent service, and it was quiet enough that we were easily able to talk to each other.

Look at Gina and Em matching:
I should have tried to get a picture of my little family earlier.  Amos is hungry here and about to eat his own lip!
Later that afternoon, I took my little man for a brisk walk.  After having an incredibly warm winter and early spring, it was super chilly!

Amos: The Next American Idol

On Saturday, I captured my 3 1/2 month baby doing a little singing.  I always grab the camera a bit too late, but here he is first thing in the morning:

 

An then again later the same day:

 

This is what Amos does when he is fighting a nap:

 

(Notice that he is talking to the baby in the mirror!)  He was out about 5 minutes later!

 

 

 

 

 

15 Weeks: Amos Goes to the Babysitter and Mama almost Goes Crazy!

This week has probably been the most emotionally and physically draining week that I have had since Amos was born. 

Monday morning was the first day that Tim would be taking Amos to the babysitter's home, Ms. Jackie.  As I drove to work, I spent time in prayer.  I prayed that Tim and Amos would safely get to Ms. Jackie's.  I prayed for Ms. Jackie to abundantly love and care for Amos.  And I prayed that Amos would be happy and healthy.  That afternoon, I couldn't leave work fast enough.  I almost sprinted across campus to my car.  To my relief, when I arrived at Jackie's house, Amos was smiling and cooing.   He seemed very content.  Jackie told me that she couldn't believe what a happy baby he was...and how strong he was for his age! 

I got Amos home as quickly as I could.  In the car, he was yawning and even closed his eyes...which doesn't happen very often with my little guy.  As soon as we got in the house, though, Amos was wide awake.  He started talking to me, as if he were excitedly rehashing his day.  (Unfortunately, I don't speak Amos, so I have no idea what he was saying.)  However, the moment I got out the camera to record him, he became a mute.  I still think he's adorable, though! 

Tuesday, was a super crazy day.  In class, I had to butt heads with a few kids in my first two periods when they refused to sit in their new assigned seats.  Two ended up going to ISAP and one went to the office...over a new seating arrangement!  The gist is that they have been ruling the classroom while I've been gone, and I have to reestablish who is really in charge.  (So, all of that has continued this week and is emotionally draining as I have to maintain complete composure while been verbally assaulted, etc.)  I will say that the rest of the class seems relieved that I am "taking the power back" and have even told me so. 

After school, I had a department chair meeting where I ended up having to take the reigns on compiling a common final. (I wanted to get to my baby!)  I like my department chair a lot, but I don't really think she's a strong leader.    She allowed 2 teachers to chat about who-knows-what while the rest of us were trying to work.  I found myself thinking, "If we have two extra people, I'll leave and let them take over!"  The moment the meeting was over, I was out the door. 

Lest you think I'm a total slacker, let me explain my haste.  It used to take me 10-15 minutes to get home.  Now that I have to pick up Amos, it is more like 45-50 minutes.  That means the earliest that I can possibly get home is 3:35 pm.  Amos has been going down around 7 pm.  So, I have less that four hours with my baby.  And those 4 hours aren't even able to be devoted just to playing with him.  I have to clean the bottles, cook dinner, wash clothes, bathe and get Amos ready for bed, pay bills, and do other chores during that time.  The only thing that I have figured out is that computer time has to be minimal to make everything possible.  I'm only checking Facebook and my personal email once per day for messages.  (So, I'm sorry if you've posted an awesome article or adorable picture on FB lately...I've probably missed it!)

Once home, I made the three trips from the car to the house.  (One for Amos, one for Amos's stuff, and one for my school stuff.)  I juggled Amos while washing the bottles/pump parts for the next day, changing clothes, getting his clothes and my clothes out for Wednesday, cooking dinner, and cleaning up the house.  We hosted our church community group, so everyone arrived around 6:30 pm.  To my surprise, Amos fell asleep around 6:45 pm.  I thought it was a late nap, but nope.  He was completely out of it.  Meanwhile, our CG stayed until 9:30 pm.  (Towards the end, I ran upstairs to put the bottles together and make my lunch.)   After they left, I frantically tried to get school work done so that I could get to bed. 

One of the hardest things about this week is that, in addition to running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I'm not getting sleep.  Tuesday, Amos woke up every 2 hours for food.  Well, at least when I got to bed.  During his long stretch of sleep, I was not asleep. He slept from 7 pm until 1 am, which is 6 hours, but I only got about 2 hours of sleep during that time.  (When he went to sleep, I showered, caught up with Tim, and did school work.)  Then, he woke up around 1 am, cooing and happy.  He was ready to start the day! 

Wednesday was more of the same rat race.  Amos went down for a nap at 4:40 pm.  When Tim got home, he was still napping.   While Tim was grilling the food I had prepped, I decided to wake Amos up.  I was afraid that he would try to wake up for the day at 1 am again!  When I did, Amos was a bear.  Tim and I agreed that it was the most that we had heard Amos cry for some time.  So, I diapered him, and put him back in his crib.  And he immediately went back into a deep sleep...he was a tired boy!  I once again could not mesh my sleep with his sleep, so I got little sleep that night.

By Thursday, the long days with little sleep started to catch up with me.  All day, I thought I had an eyelash in my left eye, but I guess it was just bloodshot from lack of sleep.  In addition, Tim didn't make it home until 7 pm due to some renovations going on in his library.  When he got home, I was in tears.  Nothing was wrong.  In general, school is still going amazingly well, and I love being a teacher.  Amos is wonderful, and I love being a mama.  I was just emotionally exhausted, and I needed to cry.  Tim encouraged me to go to bed and assured me that he would take care of everything.  So, I went to bed at 8:30!  Unfortunately, our neighbors were hammering something, so it took a while to actually go to sleep, but it made Friday go a lot better with a bit more sleep.

I'll write more about our weekend soon, but I need to get to bed!  (I allowed myself one hour after Amos went to sleep to blog, do school work, and get ready for bed...and the hour is up!)

I'm nervous about this next week.  Please pray for me that I can get everything done, be a good mom, and get some rest!