everyday life

firsts

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

Over the weekend, both boys had a couple of big firsts.  On Sunday, we went to my husband’s parents’ house.  Nana and Pop Pop live on a small lake and one of the highlights of our summer is to spend time floating on rafts and taking pontoon boat rides.  Last year, Theo was too young to get in the lake, but this year we thought he should give it a try.  Theo just loved it and we were shocked that he lasted over an hour in the water.

He didn’t fuss to get out but it was clear that he was tired so we took him up to the house to take a nap.  I wanted to check on Dexter anyway, who was hanging out inside with Nana.  He was lying on the activity gym that Theo loved so much as an infant, just looking and batting at the dangling toys.  Then, right there before my eyes, he flipped over from his back to his belly.  I could not believe it.  It’s kind of funny that I had just asked the dada not too long ago if he thought it would be as exciting for us when Dexter started doing things as it was when Theo did them.   It was.  Nana had gone into the kitchen to work on dinner.  The little sneak is only 8 weeks old and he rolled over as effortlessly as if he had been doing it for months.  Naturally, I was the only witness and he refused to do it again.  But he did it.  I swear!

I love summer!
~C~

what i signed up for

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

Title: Mother 


Pay: 
0-5 years experience: Zip 
5-10 years experience:  Zilch
10+ years experience: Nada


Shift:  Sunday – Saturday 12am-11:59pm


Benefits: 
Vacation-no
Health insurance-no
Time off/holidays-no
Retirement/401K-no
Hugs and kisses-yes
Love and laughter-yes


Job duties:
1. change diapers repeatedly throughout the day (may be in excess of 15 diapers per day during high demand; must provide diapers)
2. soothe crying infant and toddler at a moment’s notice
3. nurse infant repeatedly throughout the day at a moment’s notice
4. prepare healthy, balanced, and tasty meals and snacks for fickle 15 month old with constantly changing food preferences (this will occur simultaneously with duties 2 and 3 frequently)
5. clean food off of floor after every meal
6. spend countless hours holding infant just because he said so
7. spend countless hours wishing 15 month old would let you hold him 
8. demonstrate patience throughout multiple tantrums
9. feign excitement over reading the same book to toddler for the fortieth time each day
10. never take a break, only occasionally eat lunch, and forget about alone time with your husband
11. have superior record of removing poop, vomit, blood, and food stains from tiny clothing and be able to demonstrate said skills throughout the day (often in conjunction with duties 1-10) 

Desirable attributes:
Upper body strength for successfully holding/carrying 1-2 children at all times
Ability to thrive on 4 hours of sleep (or less in times of high demand)
Organizational skills that lend to flexibility when needed

Minimum Requirements:
Although a college degree might make candidate feel smart, it is not necessary, required, or useful in this position.  Applicant will be improvising and “flying by the seat of your pants” 99% of the time.  Candidate must be familiar with parenting websites and have quick access to the internet via mobile phone or other portable device in order to consult forums regarding various issues that may arise.  Candidate must also have unconditional love for the clients and understand that despite all of the frustrations and lack of monetary compensation, this is the best job in the whole wide world.  Testimonials from current and previous position holders available upon request.



viral

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest
Tuesday I got a text from the babysitter and she said Theo had a slight temp and was acting a little whiny and clingy. Figures, because we had family photographs scheduled for that night. She said not to cancel our plans and that he’d be all set to go at our pre-discussed time.
I got there at 3:45 and by the time I arrived, he was insisting on being held and immediately started crying when he saw me, collapsing into my arms. I pulled out all the stops on the way home, trying to get him to smile. Nothin’.  I knew by the time we got home that pictures would be cancelled. We rescheduled for Thursday. I checked his temp and it was 99.0. Nothing too concerning. By about 8pm it was over 103 and he was totally miserable. He spent the whole night lying on us, crying, and drifting in and out of restless sleep.
He finally went to bed for the night at 10 and surprisingly slept through the night.  Theo woke up with a 100.9 temp, which went away with ibuprofen and never returned. He was happy and playful and seemed like himself again. I marveled at how quickly little bodies can heal themselves.
I was almost certain that the fever was from teething. It was obvious that he had some discomfort as he was chewing on his fingers and holding his cheek. It just wasn’t adding up because every website I consulted said that teething never causes fevers that high. I also noticed that his appetite was nearly gone, which was concerning.
Thursday morning when he got up, I was rubbing his bare back and it felt bumpy.  His lower eyelids also looked red and he was really grumpy. It just wasn’t sitting right with me so I talked to a couple people and they urged me to call the doctor in case it was something contagious that might spell trouble for Dexter. Sure enough, they wanted to see him to rule out a virus.
I took him in and the doctor looked and him and listened as I explained the events of the past couple days. He said the rash was too widespread to be sun-related and took one look at his throat before confirming that he did indeed have a virus. Dang.  What about our photo session?
Aside from still not eating much, he seemed to feel fine so I warned the photographer and we decided to meet a little earlier than originally planned in hopes that everything would pan out. I’m not sure how our session went, but it went.
I’m feeling a little smart and a little stupid all at the same time. My husband wasn’t concerned and thought I was being overly paranoid. Okay, he didn’t say that but I know he was thinking it!  So anyway, I’m glad I trusted my mommy instincts when they were telling me something wasn’t right, but I feel like a moron for not having a clue that it was a virus. Heck, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a virus. How am I supposed to know what they look like? 
Now we just have to make sure that Dexter doesn’t get it. The doc said if he does get it, he’ll have to be hospitalized. I hope it’s not too late.
this is not a fun first,
~C~