I'm just gonna say it

I miss my job.

Remember when Lindsay Lohan got reamed out by her producer for acting like a total ass on set? And he wrote a very stern and scary letter to her?  And it was leaked and everyone in the world read it and it was in US Magazine and TMZ and E! and everywhere else?

Click here if you have forgotten.

Well.  The author of said letter, the producer of the film during which she was pulling shenanigans... was my old boss.  I have never come clean about my work life on this blog, but since I left to become a SAHM, I figure what the heck.  Right? 

I was his assistant.  It was the craziest, hardest, most wonderful job I have ever had.  (Save motherhood, of course.) 

I finally took the little guy to see both him and my former coworkers.  I met my replacement, saw my old office, saw the people I spent those long hours and late nights with.

I really did not expect to feel this way, but... I miss it.  I miss them.  I miss being downtown, the traffic, that stupid parking garage, my beautiful private office, the doorman, my boss, my coworkers. 

What the heck?!?! 

Oh don't you run around thinking that I want to go back to work right now, because I don't.  I love staying home and taking care of my sweet boy.  I do not get bored, ever--especially since I have a baby that stays awake all day.  I truly enjoy my life right now and I believe that this is where I am supposed to be.  With, I might add, the full support of aforementioned former boss.

But I can definitely say that I was totally not expecting to feel this way.  It's like a chapter of my life that closed maybe just a little too early.  And it's sort of sitting in the background, quietly waiting to be reopened when I'm ready.

I do know this... when the time comes to go back to work, I know who I will call first.

Sidenote:  Daniel Craig is starring in the next movie.  A smart person would have stuck around for that.  Clearly I am not a smart person.  Although, Luke  > Daniel Craig.  Technically.

Luke and his BFF

So the ever adorable 5-month-old Nash came to visit today.  And, of course, he brought a gift for Luke.  What a sweetheart! 

Luke is now the proud new owner of a Chan Pie Gnon teething toy.  It squeaks.  It's precious.  It has a head shaped like a nipple.  What's not to love??

Chan Pie Nom Nom Nom

Luke and Nash even had a little quality time together.  Luke sat in his swing while Nash sat in the jumper and the two talked for 30 minutes.  I'm pretty sure Nash grabbed Luke's foot at one point and possibly chomped on it. 

Luke didn't mind.

Ladykillers

A chance to win a Dyson?

Don't mind if I do!

Check out Baby Rabies. I know, I know... late notice. The contest ends today. But you still have a few hours, so get over there and enter!

P.S.:  Juno is blowing her coat right now and the dog hair was so bad yesterday that I decided  to go straight to the source.  Yep, I vacuumed her with the wand.  I'm thinking she was not a fan of this method... poor dog.

Get $10 off your diapers.com order!

USE CODE: ADVENTURE

Let me start by saying that I LOVE LOVE LOVE diapers.com.  Let me count the ways...

1.  Free overnight shipping.  If your order is $49 or more (which you can hit just by getting diapers and wipes) then you automatically get your crap the next day for free.  For serious.

2.  The lowest prices.  If you find it for less on a competitors web site, call them.  They'll match it.  Including sale prices!

3.  There is WAY more than just diapers!  They have all things baby, and then some.  Toys, formula, bath stuff, eating stuff.  Etc etc.  You get the point.

4.  Sooo user friendly.  Seriously, the web site is so easy to use.  You can only find out by venturing over there yourself.

5.  The coupons.  Oh, the coupons.  Sign up for their emails -- they will not bombard you with worthless crap.  Every few weeks you'll get an email with a code for a few bucks off diapers, or 15% off toys, stuff like that.  Over Thanksgiving, they emailed a code for 40% off all toys.  Realllly wishing I had taken advantage of that.  Lesson learned. 

6.  Did I mention FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING?!  Okay you have no idea how much I love this feature.  Sometimes you get low on diapers or wipes and you just don't want to pack the baby up and go to Target.  In the freezing cold.  When you are both sick.  And it's December.  Get the drift?  Hugely convenient.

So click on over to my BFF diapers.com and use the code ADVENTURE to get $10 off your next order of $49 or more, courtesy of yours truly.  Merry Christmas!

Did I have to drive 100 miles for this?

Maybe not.  But the bottom line is that I had my sights set on the below pictured Christmas pajamas, and it was the ONLY way to get my mitts on them.

See, I spent hours on the internet looking for the perfect pair of PJ's for the bunny to sport on Christmas morning.  Then, I saw them, like a mirage.  Bright and shiny and perfect and striped--on www.hannaandersson.com--and they were so very loudly calling out to me.  Yes!  At last!  The perfect pair of pajamas for my little elf to don on Christmas morning!  Oh the photo ops THE PHOTO OPS!

Then those nasty, mocking orange letters slapped me in the face:  We're sorry, this item is sold out.

Noooooooo!  You're SORRY?!  Are you really?  Are you going to tell my 3 month old baby that he is not going to wear the perfect pajamas on Christmas morning and that his day is RUINED??

Not acceptable.  I scoured the internet for a suitable replacement for The Pajamas (which had by now been placed on a pedestal and frankly, no other jammies ever really stood a chance).  I even bid on a set on ebay (and lost -- what the heck?).  In the end I decided, screw it.  This is my FIRST Christmas with my FIRST baby and if I want to dress him up like a perfect little prince then BY GEORGE I'M GONNA DO IT!

A simple yet thorough investigation revealed that Hanna Andersson has a store -- and actual STORE! -- in Annapolis.  Excellent, only 50 miles away.  I phoned them and much to my amazement they actually had a pair of The Pajamas, in stock, in the correct size.  Save it for me, I beg you!  OMG Thank you!  I'll be there tonight! 

And off I went that evening.  I also picked up a fantastic little hat and mitten set to top the whole thing off.  Luke looks so scrumptious in them.  Now I will wrap them in a perfect little box with a perfect little bow for my perfect little boy.

He is going to be sooooo excited, dontcha think?

Hanna Andersson Chunky Hat & Mitten Set

Hanna Andersson Night Night Baby Sleeper In Pure Organic Cotton

Oh, Christmas.  Always makes ya a lil crazy.

Three Months Old

Three months old and I can hardly believe it. My sweet boy is growing so fast!

I'm trying to think of how many diapers I've changed, tears I've wiped away and smiles I've enjoyed since I sat there that first night home. Sat there, desperately thumbing the pages of What To Expect The First Year, trying to find the answers to so many questions. Freaked out, scared and humbled. Realizing that if I don't know how to take care of this tiny person, I really don't know anything at all.

But Luke has helped me out. When he's hungry, he chomps his hand. When he's wet, he fusses. When he wants to play, I get a giant, heart-melting smile. And sometimes he just stares at me, studying every detail about me. I'll stare right back. His gaze is so intense!

I'll admit I was nervous about being a Stay At Home Mom. I knew it would be a tough job, but I was up for the challenge. Three months later, this is more than a tough job. This is the hardest job I've ever had.

But I love every minute. How could I not? I'm here for every milestone—I'm here to guide him, to play with him, to hold him, to teach him. I could never hand him off to a stranger. I admire those who are strong enough to part with their children during the day, but I am just not one of those people.

In the past month we have had several exciting developments. First, he's laughing. (You know what that means—I'm funny!) He has officially discovered his hands, at which he stares longingly and often. He is reaching and grasping and can clutch small objects. He also started squealing just a few days ago, which I really love. We had our first (and second) overnight trip and he got to meet his Great Grandparents. And we can't forget, of course, that he is sleeping through the night... in his crib!

We are looking forward to the Holidays and many more “firsts”. This next month should be very exciting for our little family and I look forward to continuing to share it with you.

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, 
nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, 
clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, 
and the future worth living for.

Happy 3 Months, Luke!

Dear Santa

Here is my Christmas Wish List.

xoxo

Luke

 

Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders™ Soothe & Glow Seahorse™

 

Skwish Toy by Manhattan Toy

Fisher-Price Brentwood High Chair

 

Enfamil Premium Lipil Formula

 

BabyBjorn Plate and Spoon Set - Green

 

Fresh Baby Baby Food and Breast Milk Trays

Size 9 month clothes

I ruff you

Juno is SO photogenic. Since she doesn't get enough shout-outs, I thought I would make a special post just for her.  I love these... they are untouched (for now).

Guess what

Christmas came early...  we have VIP tickets to the DC Downtown Countdown featuring Third Eye Blind! I am STOKED.

VIP means we get to go to an acoustic show before the actual event and indulge in a top shelf open bar...  don't mind if I do!

Now I just have to find something fabulous to wear.  Eeeek!  It's a formal affair so I'm thinking something along these lines...

or

(pic without the jacket)

What do you think??  And do you like the blazer idea?

Ladies and Gents: He sleeps through the night!

I sleep like an Angel.

Now before you rain on my parade with the typical “don’t get used to anything” wisdom that seasoned parents just loooove to bestow on newbies, I’m going to kindly ask you to save your naysaying for someone else. Thanks.

And now back to my excitement! I waited a full week to post this just to be sure it wasn’t a one-time thing. Sure enough, Luke is now sleeping nine hour stretches. Nine magnificent hours. He has long been sleeping six hours, but when that puts him at a 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. waking time, I don’t really consider that to be Sleeping Through The Night. For obvious reasons.

Oh, and I should mention… HE IS AWAKE ALL DAY. All day. I’m lucky to get two 45 minute naps out of him. It’s so strange having him up and watching me all the time, or (gasp!) willing to PLAY. Surprisingly, he spends most of the day in quite the pleasant mood, filled with smiles and coos. Dare I say it… I think he might actually LIKE hanging out with me.

Naps are for the weak.

In other news… he’s in the crib! I finally bit the bullet and went for it after a few nights of STTN. I started by not Googling “SIDS” every other day (warning: DO NOT Google SIDS. Google is not always your friend. Google doesn’t care if you get a complex. Give Google a rest).

Per the doctor’s orders, we put him in the car seat which we have rigged to be more conducive for sleeping. We did this by placing a receiving blanket over the straps (it goes up to about shoulder height) and tucking the straps to the side in a way that they won’t bother him while he sleeps. We place the car seat in the crib, keep the ceiling fan on (on reverse this time of year) and keep a small fan in the room for white noise. I’m keeping both of our doors open for now and I also have an Angelcare monitor to tell me if he stops breathing.

And yes, I’m also using a baby monitor even though it’s completely unnecessary since he is within earshot. But it makes me feel better and that’s what counts.

So for now, HOORAY for well-rested Gen. Until teething and sleep regression, I will bask in STTN glory.