Keeping up with the Joneses

14 Weeks: Spring Break!

The second week of April was our spring break.  That first week of work, I mostly thought, "You just need to make it ONE week, and then you can be with your baby again."

Unfortunately, the break went by entirely too fast!

Monday, we woke up at my parents house, and prepared to leave.  We met Mom and Gina in Winchester for lunch before going back to Louisville.

Tuesday, I did lots of errands.  I went to the grocery and to Staples.  (An annoying sidenote: My long-term sub had emailed me that the printer in my room was out of toner the week before I returned to work.  I told her to tell my department chair. When I returned, there was still no ink, so Tim went to Staples and had to order some for me.  It came in a few days later, but was the wrong toner.  Finally, Amos and I had to go to try to get the stinkin' toner.  Three weeks later, I can finally print again!)

Wednesday, Tim and I went to his work to check on some shelves that were supposed to be installed over the break.  Nothing had been done much to Tim's chagrin.  While we were on that side of town, we walked around the Summit.  It was a bit chilly, so Amos wore his cute chick hat that Ashley crocheted for him.  The look on his face says, "Aren't I so dapper in my cute hat?"

Tim was able to purchase some UK NCAA Championship gear.  He got a t-shirt and the hat.

I found this hat to be incredibly dorky, but apparently it is the hat to get!  After meadering around the Summit, we got lunch at Drake's.  Before heading home, we chatted over coffee.  It was nice to spend time together.  Wednesday night, Amos and I spent time together so that Tim could get school work done.

Thursday, Amos and I visited the Holts.  Abbi's friend, Ariana, is expecting a baby, so Marta and I accompanied them to Mama's Hip to advise Ariana on things she might want to register for.  Just a few months ago, I was the clueless girl who desperately needed advice on baby stuff, so I was happy to help.  We then spent a couple of hours chatting and catching up.
When I got home, I planted some flowers.  Then, we decided to go to the mexican restaurant near our house for dinner.  As we were driving there, my grandma called.  They had gotten in from Florida on Tuesday, and we had just missed seeing them.  Over dinner, Tim and I decided to make a quick trip to Kiddville to see Grandma and Grandaddy.  After dinner, Tim ran to his school to check on the library while I packed us up.  We got to my parents a couple of hours later.  Unfortunately, in our haste, I forgot diapers!  Fortunately, Dad was able to find some at the store (the little gas station near my parent's home). 

Amos was up bright and early Friday morning to send Grammy and Pa-Paul off to work.  Then, we went to see Grandma and Grandaddy.  They were both very happy to finally meet our boy.

On our way out of Winchester, we met Mom and Gina for lunch at Gaunce's.  Growing up, we would occasionally get sandwiches at Gaunce's, which was a grocery store with a deli counter.  Well, Gaunce's has grown up!  It is now kind of like a local Panera.  We very much enjoyed all the delicious food that we ate there.

After lunch, we went to visit Tim's brother, Tony, and his family.  We only had about an hour before we needed to get back to Louisville, but it was a fun little visit.



Prior to deciding to make a quick trip to visit my grandparents, we had already made plans with our community group to meet and have dinner together.  We arrived in Louisville with about 5 minutes to run in the house and change Amos.  Then, we left for the Durecs' Casa.  Here is adorable Kendra playing with Amos...she also really liked his Sophie Giraffe!

I totally related to this moment (and thought it was adorable watching Daddy solve the problem).  Kendra didn't like any burnt parts on her hot dog, so Mike was helping her get them all off.  I was so like this when I was little!
We enjoyed our time with our CG, but Amos was absolutely worn out.  So, we had to leave a bit early.  Once we got home, I quickly washed him up and changed him.  He was out the moment I laid him down!

Saturday, Amos slept until 9:30 am! He was exhausted!  Tim and I busily tried to get our house back in order and prepare for the impending return to school.  We also had to put more of Amos's clothes away.  He outgrew all of his 3 month outfits.  We were sad that he didn't get to wear this penguin sleeper longer:
That evening, we went to Sunergos Coffee because our friend Justin was competing in a Latte Art competition.
(I think I caught Amos mid-sneeze!)  Tim got to chat with his friend Wes, and I also saw my friend Nathan.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the competition, though, because Amos needed to get to bed.  Look how tired his is in this picture:
He was once again asleep the moment that I put him down.

The next morning, we went to church.  After church, we attended the Baby Dedication class in preparation for the following Sunday.  Amos was looking especially handsome.
We spent the rest of the day getting stuff ready for Amos's first day with Ms. Jackie. 

Amos's First Easter Sunday

Our spring break kicked off with Easter Sunday.  After church, we received a quick visit from the Shepherds.  While we were waiting for the Shepherds to arrive, I baked brownies to take to my Aunt Wanda's house while Tim took pictures of Amos in his (first) Easter outfit.  Notice the frog hat that my friend Ashley made for him!

Although it was much too short, it was super fun to hang out with the entire Shepherd family.  Justin and Shelley have the cutest kids.  Lewis is in kindergarten, and he is already talking about quadrilaterals and vertices!  He loved playing with the shapes on our refrigerator.

Owen was a great helper.  He assisted Tim in packing the car for our trip to Winchester.
Tim also taught him about a strange new animal: a duck dog!

And Miss Phoebe was just adorable! I can't believe she'll be one this month!
Justin and Shelley also brought us some Heine Brothers Coffee...Yum!

After our short visit, we headed towards Winchester where my Aunt Wanda was hosting the Easter festivities.  Amos and Layla immediately said hello between feedings and diaper changes once we arrived.
We all chatted until Mom and Dad arrived.  Then, my parents held the babies while everyone started to eat!
Just as it was time to eat, Amos says, "What about me?  I'm hungry, too, Mama!"
My sister had bought Amos an easter outfit with a bunny on it.  So, after eating and a clothing change, we went outside.  Amos wasn't in time for the Easter egg hunt, but he did participate in the photo shoot.  (He was kind of grumpy for Amos because it turns out he was having some tummy issues.)
Pa-Paul always makes our boy happy.
My sister also wanted to do a little photo shoot with the babies.
Miss Layla was a bit tuckered out.  She fell asleep during the shoot! It was so adorable!
With very full bellies and happy hearts, we left the extended family and went to my parents.  So, we didn't actually get Amos an Easter basket this year, but Grammy and Aunt Gina sure made up for it!
My "adopted" brother also spent some time with "Famous Amos" as Ernie calls our boy.
All in all, it was a wonderful day. 

He is risen!

13 Weeks: The Return to Work

Monday was my first day back to work.  Since I ended up staying home Friday, and my mom had been in New Orleans for half a week and then at a conference in Louisville another half of a week, Tim stayed home on Monday with Amos to give her more time at her own home.

I was such a mess that morning.  I didn’t know what to do first.  I felt like I fumbled around with the intention of feeding Amos right before I headed out the door.  And Amos was so stinkin’ cute.  It wasn’t time for him to be up, but for some reason, not only was he up, he was all smiles and coos.  It’s as if he were saying, “Mama, do you really want to leave this adorable face?”  And the answer, of course, was:  No, Amos. No, I did not one little bit.  Several colleagues had expressed to me that they couldn’t wait to get back to work, that they needed adult interaction and just a break from the grueling tasks of tending to a little one.  Not one ounce of my being felt like that.  (Truly, I even enjoy changing his dirty diapers!  Of course, he is at his cutest during diaper changes!)  Don’t get me wrong.  I love to teach.  But I love Amos so much, and I absolutely adore being his mama.  I feel so blessed with every second I get to have with him. 

While the night before I continually fought back tears thinking of leaving him, I never cried that day.  (My assistant principal told me later in the week that it looked like I wanted to cry.  And she was right!)  Once at work, things were kind of nerve-racking.  I didn’t have my keys, and for some reason, the office didn’t have spare keys for my room.  I had arrived with plenty of time to get everything done, but the clock kept ticking away as I waited for someone to get me into my room.  Then, I was inundated by people “debriefing” me on all the disasters that had happened since I had left.  Apparently, security was regularly called to my classroom.  I finally had to tell my assistant principal, “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to pump before school starts.”

I have been practicing pumping at home.  However, it was so much harder and more awkward at work.  I sat at my desk, looking around at all the things that needed to be done in my room, but I was helpless to do anything but wait.  It was a struggle for me, but I said to myself, “Glenda, calm down.  You’re doing this for Amos, and it’s worth it.” 

My long-term sub, Holly, was waiting for me in the hallway when I finished.  I had talked with her the previous evening about how I was most nervous about pumping at school, and she kind of kept the kids away from the door for me.  Holly is a certified elementary school teacher, but she did a wonderful job with my chemistry classes.  Thankfully, she also cleaned up my room a bit on Friday so that I didn’t come back to a complete mess.  She stayed with me all day to help with the transition and so that she could finish grading.

My first long-term sub had given Holly my classroom keys, so when I saw Holly, I asked her if she had my keys.  She told me that she put them in the top drawer of my desk.  When she opened that drawer, they were missing along with some money.  Holly scoured my room looking for them while I finished getting ready for class.  Unfortunately, she never found them.  (Update: They did mysteriously reappear later in the week!)

During that first day, I let the kids tell me about what had happened since I had been gone.  In all my classes, we had good conversation, and they provided me with some excellent feedback.  Then, I shared with them and showed them pictures of Amos before giving them a preassessment to see what they had learned. 

There were a couple of kids that I had repeatedly gotten bad reports about.  So, before class started, I spoke with both of them privately to curtail any further problems.  They seemed receptive to what I had to say, and I had zero problems with them the entire week.

The hardest thing about the first day was definitely figuring out the whole pumping at work thing.  During my lunch, by the time I finished pumping I had 5 minutes to go to the restroom and eat.  I ended up eating an apple while literally running to the restroom.  I was disappointed that I didn’t even get to say hello to my colleagues who were eating lunch next door.

The most awkward thing that happened that first day is that I was forced to pump in front of Holly.  I had a cover, but I never could have imagined pumping in front of a perfect stranger a few weeks ago!

As soon as school got out, a really sweet student named Conor came by to welcome me back.  We chatted, and then I jetted for the door. 

I am one of those people who is able to compartmentalize and “get business” done.  All day long, I had focused on work and getting things done as quickly and efficiently as possible.  But as soon as the final bell rang, my heart was at home.  I might have even driven 80 mph on the way home to get to Amos sooner!

I arrived home to a happy boy and smothered him in kisses.  Amos had also gone on a mini hunger strike, so he eagerly nursed once I got home.  (I had thawed tons of milk, out of fear that Amos would get hungry.  I think he ate half of it, and I ended up having to throw out the rest!)  Tim did a wonderful job all day with Amos, but I do think we were all exhausted.  We ended up taking a family nap.

My mom and Emma arrived soon after.  Emma was on spring break, so she came along to help Grammy care for Amos while I went to work.

Tuesday, I started reviewing with my classes what they should have learned during my 12 Week absence.  Although I love to teach, somehow I forgot how much I love to teach and how good I am at it.  And I really don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I am good at it.  Teaching is like performing five acts a day.  It takes a lot of preparation and work, but in the moment, it can feel so wonderful.  The kids listened and interacted with me the entire week with rapt attention.  It was so gratifying to look out at the classroom and see them greedily absorbing information.  Bless their hearts; it was as if they have been information starved the past 12 weeks!  They also gave me lots of positive feedback like, “You make this so easy!” or “You just explained in 10 minutes what we couldn’t understand before after 3 weeks!” or “We were talking at lunch, and since you got back, everything makes so much sense!”

The second day, I also got much better at pumping and multitasking.  At lunch time, I learned to get everything out and at arm’s reach, so that I can pump and eat.  I felt so proud of myself when I had 5 minutes to go to the restroom AND say hello to my colleagues.  Time was still very tight, but at least I got to eat!  Tuesday afternoon, we had a faculty meeting.  I was itching to get home, but I couldn’t get out of the meeting.  My principal did welcome me back in front of the rest of the faculty and he said, “We’re very, very glad to have you back.”

When I got home Tuesday, Amos again seemed very happy.
Mom and Emma did a wonderful job.  Mom even made pork chops, scalloped potatoes, and green beans for dinner before taking Emma out to the movies to see “Mirror Mirror.”  I was, once again, totally exhausted.  (I also forgot how totally draining it is to perform “five acts” a day!)  I bathed Amos, put him in bed, and worked on school stuff before also going to bed.

By Wednesday, colleagues had started dropping by my classroom to essentially thank me for coming back.  Apparently, in my absence, my classes had been so disruptive that it made it difficult for them to teach at moments!  Several commented that the difference in the kids was remarkable.  They said they were amazed at how good my classes were being and even how much more orderly the hallway was!  I know we’re in a honeymoon period, but I’ll take it.

Wednesday afternoon, Tammy, Josh, and Larissa stopped by.

Emma immediately took up with Josh.  They had a great time together.  I helped Larissa a bit with homework.  Once again, though, I was super tired.  I attempted a nap while everyone was there, but I just couldn’t do it.  I very much wished that I had more energy to enjoy everyone more.

Thursday was an interesting day.  A colleague walked in on me while I was pumping.  Then, when I called Mom to check on Amos, she told me that there was something in my basement.  Apparently, Emma woke up and saw something scurrying across the floor!  Emma said it was a mole, but Mom was convinced that it was a rat!  She called pest control, but they said they could come out until the following Wednesday.  When I got home, Em and Mom had avoided the basement the entire day…they were pretty freaked out. 

Here's what I saw when I got home. (Mom said she was rewarding Amos for being such a good boy!  Looks like she's also rewarding herself for being such a good Grammy, doesn't it?)
I was putting on my Moby to take Amos for a walk when I heard screams to “Come see!” 

I went to the steps, and sure enough, there was a baby mole bumbling about.  Pour thing was awkward and aimless.  I easily caught it under a trash can.  When Tim got home, he fished it out and put it in our trash can, which was at the curb ready for the Friday morning pick up.  (We are trying not to imagine that it got crushed by the trash compactor the next day.  We hope that it found another home.)

  
Afterwards, Emma, Amos, and I went on a walk.  Then, I drove Mom, Emma, and Amos to the J.C. Penney’s outlet to look around.  Before going home, we picked up some hot, fresh Krispy Kreme donuts.  (Tim and I are still hoping to find a local donut shop that we like, but the Krispy Kreme is right by our house.)

Friday, we had to say goodbye to Mom and Emma.  They really did an awesome job all week long.  I so appreciated being able to ease into working by having the peace of mind to know that Amos was being well-cared for by family.  It was also super nice not having to drive anywhere to drop off Amos.  Mom also cooked, washed dishes, did laundry, and tidied up, which made my life way easier.  I told her it would be nice to have her every day!  Tim and I agreed that our time with Mom and Emma went by much too quickly and was way too short!

Friday evening, we met Derek and Abbi for dinner at Little India Café.  We hadn’t seen them in quite some time, so it was nice to chat and catch up a bit.

 
When we got home, Tim and I were even able to watch a movie together! 

Saturday, we woke up late.  I brought Amos into our bed at 6 am, expecting him to fully wake up by 7 am, but he slept contentedly until 8:30 am!  We did a few house chores, went on a walk, and I watched a movie.  It was nice to have a lazy day.  Amos seemed to sleep most of the day and then he still went to bed a little after 8 pm!  He must have been tuckered out from his long week away from Mama!

Three Month Photo Shoot

My friend Katy took a few pictures of Amos two weekends ago for his 3 Month Birthday.  Here they are:
He's so adorable...I just can't stand it!!

Amos is 12 Weeks Old!

(Well, technically, he's not 3 months old until Tuesday, but still...)

This week was my last week off before becoming a Working Out of the Home (WOH) Mama. 

Monday, I learned that I needed to stay home an extra day so that my second full-time sub could get long-term sub pay.  (They really had to twist my arm...Ha!)  Then, Amos and I went to Target, Oxmoor Mall, and Kohl's to get some things in preparation for going back to work and going to Daycare.  I'm starting to learn the nursing friendly places, so going out went really smoothly.  When I got home, I was able to chat a bit with my friend Heather.  (Thanks for calling, Heif! It was great to hear from you!)  I also received a call from my first long term sub, which was helpful as I started planning for my first week back.  Then, Timmers got home early and we grilled out for dinner. 

Tuesday, I went to Babyology for some nursing essentials.  While there, I saw an 8 Week Old, and I couldn't believe how big my boy was in comparison.  The last time I had seen the ladies there was when Amos was 6 Weeks Old, and they also commented on what a big boy he is now!
 Then, I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for some wedding gifts.  Tim got home early so that I could go to the dentist.  That time away was the longest I had been away from Amos!  That evening, I went to my friend Katy's house while Tim went with Mike to help Katy's sister who is moving.  It was beautiful outside, and Katy's girls were adorable, but I totally forgot to take pictures.  Here's one of Bee (and Stella) before bed.
Wednesday, we met Marta and her son Jonathan at the Louisville Nature Center for a walk and a chat.  It was another beautiful day.


Thursday, Tim was home from work because he wasn't feeling well.  He could barely talk, so teaching would have been pretty futile.  In order to practice for Monday when he is staying home with Amos, he did two feedings in a row.  It broke my heart to hear Amos cry.  It was this pitiful, "What is going on?  Mom, please feed me!" kind of squall.  I had to leave the room, and after a while, he was fine.  Tim was also able to watch Amos while I picked up my repaired computer (Yah!) and the bra I ordered from Babyology.  In the afternoon, I took Amos on a walk in the Moby.  He has now grown out of the newborn hold.  He really seems to enjoy this new hold because he can see more.  He was awake the entire time, looking around with wide eyes!
Amos is also enjoying his Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy.  (Notice his onesie...Tim said that when we received it, he just knew Amos would NOT be born in 2011.)
In related playtime fun, Amos rolled last Saturday for me on his own!  And then he rolled this Saturday several times for Tim.  We are having to be more careful with him on his changing table now that he's rolling!  He has also started to scoot all over his crib during the night.

Later that afternoon, we were delighted to see that our neighbor paid to have his rotted tree cut down.

 

Tim also got them to grind up the remaining stump from when our tree fell during a storm this past year.

While the men were cutting down the tree, I realized that a free steak dinner at John E's from the hospital was due to expire on Amos's 3 Month Birtday this coming Tuesday.  The coupon wasn't valid on the weekend, so we decided to grab dinner there.

 
Tim and I were at least 20 years younger than anyone else there, but the steak was maybe the best steak I've eaten recently.

They had these kind of hokey musicians (I told Tim that I felt like we were in an SNL sketch) that Amos kept trying to see...they were also pretty obnoxiously loud!
I think they were initally nervous about Amos being there, but he was so well-behaved that by the end of dinner everyone was talking about what a good boy he is.

Mom had been in town all week for a conference, but had been unable to see Amos until Friday.  They had a fun time together.



Saturday, was a pretty big day for the Commonwealth.  UK was playing UofL in the Final Four.  I woke up early to go grocery shopping for food to bring to the Minors where we planned to watch the game.  I intentionally tried to be gone during Amos's feeding time, and I was a WRECK!  I kept worrying if he was okay.  I'm going to be in trouble tomorrow when I have to leave him all day!

We watched the game with Cards and UK fans, which was lots of fun.  (And the food was delicious!)
Notice how captivated Amos is by the TV...he stayed that way until I moved him!

The boys also played nicely despite rooting for opposing teams.
Raechel and I spent a good chunk of the time being Mamas...I guess that's just the way it goes now!


Thanks, Minors, for hosting!
Amos was up well past his bedtime, but it was fun!

A Few Videos

I have taken videos here or there, but uploading them takes a while, so I've been slow to post them.

I have also found that I am generally too slow to video.  Here he is at 8 Weeks.  He was being super chatty, but by the time I started videoing, he was almost finished.

 

At 9 Weeks, he was chatting up a storm with Daddy after meeting Jackie, his soon-to-be babysitter.  Again, I was a bit too late, but you can see glimpses.

 

While we were eating breakfast with Roberta and Bill when Amos was 9 Weeks Old, Amos started hitting the toys about his bouncy seat.  Tim and I were so excited!  We didn't think to video him until a few days later.

Before this, Amos didn't care for his bouncy seat.  Now, he seems eager to practice this new skill! 

Daddy's Musical at 11 Weeks!

One of the reasons that I went out of town for several days was because Tim was finishing up the final preparations for his musical, and I knew that he was going to be very busy taking care of things. 

So, Amos and I stayed around Kiddville a bit longer than usual.  On Monday, we visited my cousin Melissa and her husband Jim.  The girls were with Ramona, and Layla was taking a long nap during our visit.  Amos managed to pee on Melissa's carpet and spit up on her!  He did, however, give Jim a few smiles.

Later that night, Grammy gave Amos a bath in the big tub, which may be why he slept super long that evening.
That evening, we said goodbye to the Atkinson Clan.

Tuesday morning, we said goodbye to Grammy and Pa-Paul.  Amos was cracking up at my mom...I tried to catch it, but was barely too slow.
Then, we made our way to Shelbyville to see my dear friend Erin and her beautiful Caroline.  While Erin was taking a call from her boss, I fed and changed Amos.  He so enjoys diaper changes!
We chatted away while Caroline had lunch.

When we got home, Amos seemed so happy...I think he missed the baby in the mirror.
He also missed his daddy.  Tim got home just in time for community group, and Amos seemed content in Daddy's arms all night.
We were also delighted that the Minors joined us for the evening.
Wednesday was a crazy day.  Amos and I went to school to see if our technology teacher could fix my computer.  He couldn't.  So, while he was calling and emailing to determine where I needed it to take it, I went downstairs to meet my SECOND long-term sub. 

I need to stop here and say: It was ONE MILLION degrees inside the school.  I was wearing Amos, and I worried that he was overheating. 

The new sub is actually an elementary school teacher.  Apparently, when they called her to see if she wanted to do a long-term sub job, she said, "I'd love to as long as it's not chemistry."  (!)  Though she doesn't know the content, my department chair said she was trying, and when I spoke to her, she did seem with it.  At the same time, I was appalled at my classroom.  My bulletin board was torn up, a shelf was broken, my cordless phone was pulled off the wall, and there were some textbooks with "WHORE" written in permanent marker on the front.  Aagh!  Also, according to the new sub, NO GRADES had been entered since the beginning of the semester.  I generally update grades every day!  And no one had shown her how to enter grades, which I did in less than 5 minutes.  So frustrating!

After meeting with her, I then had to run my computer to Van Hoose to be repaired.  I'm likely going to lose  ALL of my stuff.  *Gulp.*  (Good thing I'm too sleep deprived to really process that.)  On a positive note, I had to bring Amos in with me and that is the nicest people in there have ever been to me.  The receptionist was bubbly sweet...it turns out that she was a substitute.  I almost said, "Of course you're a substitue...you're way too nice!" but decided against being snarky.

That evening, I bathed Amos by myself!  Unfortunately, it didn't help him sleep well because he was up every two hours.  In addition, Tim didn't get home until after 9:30 pm because it was the last rehearsal.  So, it was a LONG day.

Here is Amos in the kitchen with me while I was making dinner.

Thursday was the first performance of Tim's musical.  Bill dropped Roberta off at my house while he and his employee David went ahead to Tim's school to set up video equipment.  Roberta enjoyed some time with her grandson.  As for Amos, he had a blow-out while Grandma Berta was holding him!  (Thankfully, it didn't get on the only outfit she brought!)  Here they are playing after a quick wardrobe change:
Once at the play, we were delighted that Raechel and Gavin were able to come.  It was also incredibly thoughtful that the Ventures were able to make it, though they had to leave early since their adorable 1-year-old son Otto had trouble staying still that long.   Amos and I were so proud and impressed with what Daddy was able to write!  We didn't get home until almost 10 pm, though.  Amos was exhausted!
Friday morning, Amos and I took a quick (and very wet!) trip to Seneca High School in order to pick up a computer that my friend Raechel was letting me borrow while mine is being repaired.  My friend Ashley called me as soon as I got home.  She was trying to make it to Tim's 9 am school performance, but was very lost.  So, I directed her to Tim's school.  Afterwards, Ashley came by to meet Amos.
(I'm not sure what Amos's expression means!)  We had such a good time chatting and catching up.  I especially enjoyed our lunch at Little India Cafe.  Here Ashley is sampling my favorite Indian dish (Butter Chicken or Chicken Makhani) as well as Tim's (Tandoori Chicken).
Ashley also very sweetly brought us two adorable hats that she had crocheted, two sleepers, and some placemats along with dinner.  Isn't she wonderful? 

Tim got home not long after Ashley left.  Amos was pretty happy to see his daddy!
The rainy, gloomy afternoon yielded a beautiful Friday evening, so we decided to strap Amos into the Ergo and go for a walk.
We took some photos along our walk.  Spring is so beautiful!  I wish we could have snapped these photos a few days sooners...many of the blooms are now gone.  Nonetheless, it was still lovely.


This is my favorite tree in our neighborhood during spring.  We were about two days too late photographing it.  Nonetheless, it is still beautiful. It was literally raining blossoms.
Saturday, Raechel, Gavin, Amos, and I took to the Summit so that I could find school clothes.  While I'm (mostly) fitting into my pants now, I desperately needed some new shirts.  We found TONS of great deals at Banana Republic and The Loft before heading to Zoe's Kitchen for lunch.
Here's what Amos did while we ate:
Meanwhile, Gavin and I spent some time together while his mommy went to the restroom.
What I really love about having a friend like Raechel is that we are both going through the same things right now.  She is totally willing to spend hours talking to me about Amos's pooping and eating patterns.  We can also help each other out.  While in Banana Republic's dressing room, we both had to feed our boys.  Raechel forgot to get out a burp cloth, so there was a moment when she was trying to catch Gavin's massive amount of spit up in her hand while I scrambled in her diaper bag for the burp cloth!  And we both ended up sitting in her van feeding our sons later.  These situations are awkward and sometimes stressful, but it's a lot easier when someone else is experiencing the same thing!

 
Once we got to Raechel's home, I changed Amos before heading home.  Raechel snapped a few photos of us.
When we got home, Tim had the entire yard cleaned up!  It looked awesome.  I am so thankful for his hard work because those weeds were stressing me out!

Sunday, as we were walking into church, we were delighted to see Aunt Jean for the first time since Gabe and Elizabeth's wedding!  We kept missing each other.  She was smitten by Amos.

Tim's final performance of "A Knock at the Door" was Sunday afternoon.  This musical has been "the other woman" in our relationship for about a year.  At the same time, I think writing this musical was a cathartic experience that helped him work through some anxiety about becoming a new parent.  Tim drew from his life as inspiration for much of the script.  Even though it has been tough for us both as Tim wrote and directed this musical from scratch, it was a rewarding experience.  I couldn't be prouder of my husband.

The musical was truly enjoyable and absolutely deserving of the standing ovation that it received!  It really meant a lot to us that so many friends came out to see it! 

I really wanted to stay behind and spend more time chatting with Dan, Cat, the Moores, Katy, Laura and Paul, Laurel, and Tim's dad and Debra, but I had already made plans to have Amos's 3 Month Pictures taken.  Unfortunately, the end of the play corresponded with feeding time.  I decided to try to make it to the Durec's house where Katy was shooting him.  That turned out to be a bad idea.  Amos screamed the whole way there.  His shrieks caused me to get distracted and take a wrong turn, which added 10 minutes on to an already miserable ride.  Oh well.  The photo shoot went well...pics are coming!

 

Off to Grammy's for the 10th Week

I've gotten behind on my blogging because my computer is broken!  I'm trying not to think about how much stuff I am probably going to lose.  (Yes, I know that I should back up everything, but who has time?!?)

Amos and I kicked off his 10th week with a baby dance class that our friends Raechel and Gavin invited us to attend.

Monday evening, my sister-in-law Tammy spent the night with us before catching a flight back to her home in Michigan.  We decided to eat dinner at Simply Thai (mmm...Massaman Curry!).  And I had my "worst mom moment of the week."  I was hurrying to get Amos feed and diapered so that we could get there and back before his bedtime.  Tim and I were both doing things to get him in the car on this particularly chilly evening.  Once in the car, Amos immediately started screaming.  He continued this much longer and louder than what we normally hear.  Well, I had just watched this clip about the 5 words all babies say.  He was definitely making the sound for discomfort, but I just thought it was because he doesn't particularly car for his carrier.  Tammy was in the back trying to shush him, but he only got louder.  Finally, it dawned on me.  Tammy was wearing a sweater, Tim was wearing a bomber jacket, I was wearing a jacket, and we had walked out of the house with Amos only in a t-shirt onesie...and NO blanket.  The poor little guy was cold.  I took off my jacket and put it over him, and he was immediately pacified.  Poor little guy! I felt awful!  I usually have a spare blanket in the car, but I brought it inside that very warm afternoon.

Anyway, we had a delightful dinner at Simply Thai.  (Notice poor little Amos is covered in my jacket!)

Tuesday morning, Tammy said goodbye to Amos.
Then, Amos and I went to Jackie's house to see her in action during daycare hours.  We spent a pleasant couple of hours there and then headed home.  Once home, we went on a walk to enjoy the beautiful blooms of spring.
Wednesday, was a crazy busy day.  I finally made it to the grocery store.  Then, Tim and I both got our hair cut before heading to church for a member meeting followed by community group leader training.  Here's a picture of the new do.  (My sister called it mom hair...I guess she's right. It is SO much easier!)

 
Thursday, Amos and I visited my friend Katy and her two daughters.  Then, we prepared to our trip to Kiddville and watched some basketball.

Friday morning, we woke up to ducks in our front yard!  By the time I got my camera, they had waddled to the sidewalk.

After the duck excitement, I packed up my CR-V and we headed to Kiddville.  My sister was there waiting to let us in to my parent's house.  She also shared this new toy with Amos.

Her mother-in-law had bought it for Lucas.  When Gina told Lucas he was too big for it, he immediately proved her wrong! Ha! (Notice Emma doing her favorite thing at Grammy's!)
Not long after this, Lucas also climbed into the pack-n-play.  He's our little adorable Dennis the Menace!
I can't wait to see Amos following his big cousin everywhere!  Later that evening, Amos enjoyed some basketball while dinner was being prepared.
Saturday morning, Amos, Pa-Paul, and I were up early.  Pa-Paul gave Amos a bottle while I enjoyed some coffee.
Then, the three of us went suit shopping for my dad.  We didn't have much luck in Mt. Sterling, so we hopped on the interstate and met my mom at Pebbles to look for suits.  Amos needed to be feed, so I went into a tiny dressing room to feed and diaper him.  It was pretty stuffy in there, but at least it wasn't a restroom!  Then, we ate lunch at Brady's.  The meatloaf sandwich and pretzel salad turned out to be a really lousy idea for me because once we got home, I was quite sick!

Fortunately, I recovered in time to help Miss Olivia celebrate her 10th birthday!
(How can she be TEN!  Time flies!)
  It was a bowling party.
Amos had a little trouble figuring out the game.
He seemed much more content to be held by his family.


Everyone seemed to have fun...especially these two:
I also really enjoyed seeing our beautiful little Layla:
Sunday morning, I tried to start doing some school work when I learned that my computer would not turn on!  Boo!

Then, Amos and I accompanied Mom, Gina, and Em to their booth in Peddler's Mall so that they could put in new items to sell.  (I had to feed Amos in the Jeep beforehand...oh the joys of having a son who eats every two hours!)  Afterwards, we got dessert at Applebee's. 

Later that evening, I tried my IT person's recommendations to fix my computer in vain while chatting with my friend Michelle.

Prior to visiting, I worried a bit about how well Amos would sleep. It turned out that he napped and slept like a champ.  He really seemed to dig the pack-n-play.

The 9th Week...MUCH better!

This week, Amos turned 9 weeks old!  Time is just flying way too quickly.

Sunday I woke up feeling sick, likely due to allergies, and absolutely exhausted since I didn't get more than 2 hours of sleep at one time during the night because I stayed up late with friends during Amos's long sleep stretch.  (I found myself wondering how my friend Michelle used to do it all the time when I lived in Gurnee...and I also found myself thinking that I need to apologize to her for keeping her up late chatting when she should have been snoozing!  Sorry, M!)

Monday, I was still feeling sick.  Plus, I was super distressed over child care.  My sister-in-law Tammy came in from Michigan.  While she was spending time with Amos, I tried to pursue various child care rabbit holes.  I called the girl who was the initial backup and then she told me to call another girl (who never called me back).  Then, my friend Marta gave me another name.  I was able to make an appointment with this girl, who is named Elizabeth, for the following day.

On Tuesday morning, as I was on my way to interview Elizabeth, another friend from church called.  She left a super excited message on my phone about her friend, Jackie, who runs a daycare in her home.  She said that when she learned that I was looking for childcare, this was the first person that came to mind, but she knew that she didn't have any openings.  Well, as it turns out, she will having an opening in April!  As I drove to Elizabeth's, I was encouraged to get this message because if we went with Elizabeth, it would add 45 minutes onto our regular commute.  

Once I got back to the house, I left a message for Jackie.  Then, as I was dealing with an Amos blow-out, she called me back.  I made an appointment to interview her the following evening.  Then, as I was changing Amos, I began to feel extremely dizzy.  As I was walking down the hall and down the stairs to put his clothes in the wash, I began experiencing some pretty serious vertigo to the point that I almost fell off the stairs.  I got really nervous that I might pass out, and I also knew that Tim wouldn't be getting home until close to 7 pm.  So, I called my mom to see what I should do about the vertigo.  I also wanted someone to know that I was feeling that bad just in case.  Her colleague suggested that I might be dehydrated, which sounded pretty likely since I had been so busy.  I started to drink lots of water, and it did seem to help.  Nonetheless, Dad called to check on me ever couple of hours throughout the rest of the day to be sure I was okay.

By the time Tim got home, I was feeling much better, so we decided to go to our church group.  Amos did really well at group.  He was cute and smiley at first and then he slept at the end.

Wednesday morning, Amos had his 2 month Check-up.  
I was so proud of my boy.  He was smiley and adorable the entire time.  I was nervous about having to take all of his clothes off, but Amos seemed to enjoy his nakey time!

The doctor kept saying how amazed she was that he was cooing, smiling, and moving as much as he is.  She said that this was pretty unusual for a 2 month old. He was quite a show off at this visit.  When it was almost time for shots, the doctor gave me sugar water to dip Amos's pacifier in when he got fussy.  Well, my little trooper drank the stuff they gave him like a champ, and he winced a bit when he got the shots, but otherwise (after a 1/2 a minute nursing), he was fine and back to his smiling ways.  The doctor couldn't believe that he didn't cry!  (Honestly, I couldn't either!)

Here are Amos's 2 Month Stats:

Weight: 11 lb. 4 oz. (25%)

Height: 22 5/8 in. (25-50%)

Head Circumference 15 1/4 In. (25-50%)

As much as he eats, I was really surprised that his weight only fell in the 25 percentile.  Nonetheless, our little dude is perfectly healthy.

My dad had called right before the appointment to let me know that he was going to be in town for work, so he came by after the appointment to spend a little time with us.

Amos has recently started to try to eat his hand even when he's not hungry, so I've started giving him a pacifier more regularly.  When Amos gets fussy, my dad say, "Give me his spark plug."

Then, I was delighted when Tim got home early to see his sister and to interview Jackie about childcare.  My niece and nephew were totally smitten with Amos. They haven't been around a lot of baby paraphenalia, so when they saw the swing, they begged for me to put Amos in it.  And then they watched him in it with as much absorption as if they were watching some captivating tv show!

I bought them ring pops...it was kind of funny to see them with their own type of pacy!

Larissa was brave enough to hold Amos...even though he was a bit fussy.

At the end of their visit, I had to feed Amos.  The kids were really curious.  Larissa asked if she could see...I was wearing a nursing cover.  So, I let her, and she seemed amazed.  Josh was also interested, but expressed the idea that it was disgusting.  As he was leaving, he hugged me while I was nursing and kind of looked. (There was really nothing to see other than Amos's head, by the way!)  And he said, "That's not as gross as I thought."  Who knows what he was imagining! Tammy later said, though, that both kids are afraid that they will spontaneously start lactating!

After Tammy and her two kids left, Tim and I made our way to Jackie's house in Middletown.  When we got there, we met her, her husband, Jason, and their two kids.  Jackie formerly taught for several years at Goldsmith Elementary, which is right next to our house.  We really loved that she has kind of a "school" area where every week they study a different color, shape, memory verse, etc.  She would be watching Amos and one other child in addition to her two.  She said she would never have more than three kids.  She also had a huge packet of information prepared for us.  As a fellow structured, Type A person, I really liked that. We stayed around an hour before leaving...and since they lived right next to Zaxby's, we got that for dinner.

Tim and I both immediately knew that Jackie was the perfect fit for us.  We were looking for a more intimate, homey Christian environment for Amos.  And Jackie seems perfect.  Plus, my friend at church gives her a super high recommendation.

On the other hand, there are two concerns.  They are currently in the process of selling their home.  They assured us, though, that they have a plan in place when (and if) they move to a new place.  They would keep up all the daycare stuff until the weekend that they move.  Then, they would pack it up and have it set up in the new house by Monday.  They do plan to move to an area closer to our work, which would be nice. 

Also, Jackie is pregnant.  She is due in August.  She plans to close a week and then the second week she would be open, but her husband Jason would stay home that week to lend an extra hand.  I'm a little worried about her having a newborn and running the daycare, but she does have two other kids, so she knows what to expect.  Hopefully, that part works out.

Related to the child care thing, I got a letter from work this week saying that due to FMLA, I get to keep my healthcare until May 31st, though I do have to pay my portion.  I thought the end of my 60 days was March 30th, starting from the day Amos was born.  Apparently, it started once my maternity leave ended.  So, it's really tempting to think about just taking the rest of the school year off.  However, now we have this daycare that we don't want to lose.  And we've already been living off of savings since Amos was born.  I also did our taxes, and we have to pay a lot.  So, I just don't think we can afford it.  In the event that something really bad happens, we would be in trouble if we use all of our savings now.
(Daddy taking a break from looking at the daycare paperwork to talk to Amos.)

Thursday was a gross, rainy day.  So, we stayed in.  I was able to dust all the base boards of my house thanks to these:

I mean, these "Slipper Genie Microfiber Cleaning Slippers" are seriously genius!  Why didn't I think of this...well, I actually did (I'm guilty of using my socks to dust), but I didn't think to patent it!

Sadly, my growing boy also has mostly outgrown is 0-3 month outfits.  So, I retired those and pulled out the 3-6 month outfits that my sister had given me.  I so hate shopping, so I'm thankful for my big sis! 

I had plans to go to my cousin Amy's gender reveal party and my other cousin Kayleigh's birthday party in Winchester.  However, Thursday evening, Tim's mom called to see if we would be home this weekend because my father-in-law agreed to bring her by to see Amos for the first time since he was born.  So, I called my parents to let them know that I would be staying home this weekend.  I was super sad to miss out on the fun back home, but I was also super excited for my mother-in-law to get some Amos time.

Friday morning was rough for us.  Amos was up every two hours, so it was tough when 6:45 am rolled around to jump up and be my happy, singing mama self for Amos.  (I follow the "fake it til you make it" line of thinking, though, so I don't think Amos knew how tuckered out his mom was.)  We played all day and took a walk in the afternoon.  While on our walk, my mom called to see if she could come see Amos.  I happily agreed.  Not long after, my friend Raechel called to say she was going to swing by to see us.  Everyone had a fun time together.  Amos and Gavin especially enjoyed hanging out.

(I just want to note that my son was dressed with pants and socks.  However, Pa-Paul and Grammy took them off at diaper change time because they thought he needed to air out.)

Mom, Dad, and Emma watched Amos while I jumped in the shower.  Then, once Tim got home, we ate dinner together at Rafferty's before they headed home.

Friday night, I had indicated to Tim after I put Amos in bed that I was craving blueberry donuts from Gurnee Donuts (where we used to live).  So, Saturday morning, he went to Krispy Kreme and got us some.  (They were no  where near as good as Gurnee Donuts' blueberry donuts, but I still enjoyed them.)  Sadly, Tim then had to meet Scott at work to do play stuff instead of playing with us.

Later that evening, Amos and Tim watched UK Basketball together.

Roberta and Bill had gone to watch our nephew David play basketball, and they ended up staying there longer than they expected.  So, Amos was asleep before they arrived that evening.  However, Roberta got up not long after Amos's 6:45 am wake up call to play with him.
Then, while I was fixing breakfast, Grandma Berta gave Amos a little snack:

Even though they lost the SEC Championship Game, Tim enjoyed getting to watch UK Basketball with his parents.  (Plus, they bought him KFC...a special treat since I don't usually buy it!)  Grandaddy enjoyed seeing our happy boy on the changing table.  Then, he and Amos had some cuddle time before they headed out.

 

I couldn't believe how long Amos stayed awake...and that he was happy and smiling the whole time!

Amos's 8th Week was Traumatic

This past week has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.  Sunday, my long-term sub called to quit.  I spent the better part of my Sunday making calls and trying to figure things out.   I felt stressed, but I also felt like there wasn't much I could do about it.  I thought this was going to be my highlight crappy event of the week.  Boy, was I wrong.

THEN, the girl that was supposed to watch Amos messaged me on Facebook to say that she had to back out.  She has a son who is about 5 weeks older than Amos.  Apparently, he is still not sleeping well, and she is having to pump for every feeding.  I was also told that she might have a bit of postpartum depression. My friend Michelle predicted all this...I should have listened!  I even brought up these potential issues in the interview.  Sigh.  I guess we were both naive.

Monday night when I received her message, I think I was mostly just shocked.  I also calmly thought, "We'll just go with the KinderCare by school."  In her message, Noelle also mentioned a mutual friend (the one who referred me to Noelle) was willing to watch Amos.  So, Tuesday I called the KinderCare and the mutual friend, Katy.  Katy is currently in the process of adopting an infant, so while I think she would do a great job, she has all of that on her plate as well as a two-year-old. When the KinderCare didn't call me back, I sort of started to freak out.  And the tears have pretty much been free flowing ever since.

When I talked to my sister on the phone, she reassured me that the KinderCare would probably call later when they had more time.  And she was right. So, I went on Wednesday to visit.  (Wednesday, by the way, was rife with bad weather.  I dodged the storms and made it there without incident.)  Once I arrived, I was just overwhelmed.  There were 10 babies and two caregivers...and it just seemed like there were a 100 babies.  There were rows of babies on bouncy seats, and another baby in the corner by herself.  It just felt so institutional and I started to fight back tears at the thought of my baby having to be there.  On the way home, I just sobbed.  And then my sister called and I sobbed some more.  I mean, it was the "UGLY CRY"...tears and snot covered my face.  Amidst my hysteria, the logical part of my brain thought that maybe I was just being an overly protective mama.  So, my mom planned to come up on Friday and take a look at the KinderCare.

Unfortunately, we had some insane weather on Friday, so Mom couldn't make it in.  Instead, Tim and I visited three daycares on his day off.  One had a waiting list and the other two had openings.  I didn't feel great about any of them.  I will say that the KinderCare looked a lot more bearable on Friday.  However, not all of the babies were there since JCPS was out and some didn't come in due to the weather.  Here is a picture that Tim took of the KinderCare:

In addition to looking at daycares, I've posted on both Care.com and SitterCity.com.  I also messaged a few girls for ideas.  Hopefully, something will come up that is not a daycare.

The worst part of all of this is that I'm squandering precious hours researching child care instead of being able to devote it to Amos.  This is the reason I wanted to figure all of this out while I was still pregnant. 

Please pray for us that we find good childcare for Amos. (Or better yet, that we get a huge windfall, allowing ME to watch him...maybe I should start to play the lottery!) 

On a happier note, I do so appreciate friends and family who have listened, helped, or tried to cheer me up.  My sister, mom, and dad have listened ad infinitum to my woes.  My friend Raechel took me to Babies R Us and then for pre-dinner ice cream Wednesday when I felt so distraught.  My friend Michelle called as soon as she found out to check on me...she went through something similar with her second, so she knows exactly what I'm going through.  And others have messaged or emailed to offer their support.  It is all so very much appreciated.

In light of this, I also didn't do as good of a job taking pictures after Monday.

Here is Amos at 8 Weeks:

(I'm so sad that those shoes don't fit him anymore.  Tim's friend sent them to us...I didn't realize how big he was getting!)

Here we are in the basement waiting out the storms.  We ended up packing up lots of things to take to the basement...our wedding album, old journals, food, etc. Thankfully, we got next to nothing other than a little hail that morning.  Unfortunately, southern Indiana and parts of Kentucky (like West Liberty) were hit prett badily.  

Amos on Monday in the kitchen helping momma make lasagna.

Mom, Dad, Gina, Emma, and Lucas came up over the weekend to see Amos.

To help Lucas with some of his energy, I walked him around the neighborhood.  (I was also practicing leaving Amos for a bit...it's so hard!)  Then, Dad and Emma joined us as we walked to a plant nursery a few blocks away.

Later that evening, the Moores and the Holts stopped by.  Unfortunately, I was knee-deep in putting Amos to bed and I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't get to enjoy their visit as much as I would have liked.  Nonetheless, it was still good to see two of my favorite couples.