Ugh.

Nope, haven't fallen off the face of the planet...just trying to juggle school, Reid, pumping, attempts to nap/sleep (for all of us!), grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning...I could go on and on. I have a billion things I need to be doing right now, but I just need to vent! Writing on the blog is therapeudic at times. I'm not sure how many times I've cried in the past week. It could be anything--leaving Reid, lack of sleep (he quit sleeping through the night as soon as I went back to work, and now he never naps at the sitter's either), being bone tired, first week of school blues (you forget how you'd "trained" the previous group of kindergarteners until a new crop comes in!!)...you get the point. So no pictures on this post...I haven't had time to take any :(

The week started off fast and furious. Our school schedule begins nearly an hour before last year's schedule...which would be fine, but now I'm getting Reid AND me ready for school/sitter in the mornings. I now have to get up by 5:30, but Reid's been waking up so much that I'm basically up at 4:30 or 5 anyway. It's been virtually impossible to get the pumping/feeding/changing/packing all done plus take care of myself. Thank the Lord for my wonderful mom, who was here Sunday evening through Thursday morning last week to help. I seriously don't know what I'd have done w/o her. Jason has been wonderful, too. He isn't here much during the day since he works so far away now, but he's done absolutely everything he can, and brought me beautiful flowers on Monday, too. I'm soooo sick of all those people out there who say/think, "Oh, kindergarten--how fun! You just get to play with them all day!" No, folks, lemme clear it up for you... By the end of the year, they can sit still more than 2 minutes, I can somehow juggle the questions, testing, and drama of all 20 kids all day long, they must be reading on a level 6 book and adding/subtracting...I could go on and on, but the losers that actually think teaching kindergarten is easy won't bother reading this anyway. Let's just put it this way: I worked from 7am until 6pm just about every day this week, was there most of last Sunday, and still bring things home to do. I don't get 10 minutes to myself during the day (unless I'm pumping, which is not fun anyhow), I didn't get a lunch break, and my planning period is spent madly writing notes home to every single child's parent. I know it will get better...it has to. But I didn't think it'd be quite this bad. God wants me here, so I am here.

After the crazy week, all we wanted to do was relax. I found out I'm not making nearly enough milk all of a sudden (stress can do that, I hear), thus one of the reasons Reid wakes up a ton at night again. So we decided to begin supplementing with a little formula at night to see if it helps him sleep. No big deal, right? WRONG. We tried a meager two ounces on Friday evening around 7pm. He was still hungry, so I let him have some milk, too. (I hear lots of people mix milk and formula at the beginning to get babies used to the new flavor anyway) We went about our normal evening routine--bath, book, bed. He was really tired after not napping, so went right down. I went in to pick him up for his dream feed at 10pm, and noticed something wet. Then he proceeded to projectile vomit all over me, the crib, the bassinet, and himself. Lovely. I burst into tears b/c I didn't know if it was a virus I brought home from school (I did have a puker this week), the formula, or what. Plus I was dead tired myself and had a ton to clean up. Then there's the old "feed him, or don't feed him" since he puked. I opted for the don't. And sure enough, he puked four more times. The after hours nurse finally called us back and seemed to think it was probably the formula, but recommended a visit to the peds office in the morning (love that our pediatrician has sick child hours on Saturday!). Reid finally slept (in his clean bassinet placed in the middle of our bed b/c I was too scared he'd puke some more and choke and we wouldn't know), we cleaned everything up, and finally drifted off to sleep ourselves. Saturday, the doctor basically said it could be anything...viral, adjustment to the formula, stress, just an upset tummy, blah blah blah. So basically, our guess was as good as his, but at least we got a clean bill of health on our little guy and found out that he weighs 12lbs, 4oz. So I haven't been starving him too much even though my milk has majorly dwindled this week due to stress (so basically, I pump twice as long, but get half as much, causing even more stress b/c I'm now not making enough for him to eat). The doctor laughed a bit as he suggested to get more rest (ha!), try not to stress (haha!), and drink plently of water (yep, already doing that and eating healthily even though I'm never hungry). I can also take fenegreek, some kind of herb that is supposed to help with milk production. We got some immediately, so hopefully that will help. He also suggested waiting until today and trying just one ounce of formula to see if Reid tolerates it. So he got one ounce at 11:30 and we're waiting anxiously to see... The poor little guy has been really gassy today, so really fussy (and he, Jason and I just seriously need peace after this past week!!) so napping has been a joke. I'm keeping my fingers crossed right now b/c I just put him down (again!!) oh, and there he goes crying again. Got up for the third time just this paragraph...

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer this week--please keep us all in your prayers! We really needed a restful weekend after last week, but it's turned out to be anything but that. Above all, despite all this, we are so fortunate to have little Reid and are thankful he's a growing little guy. He's certainly not been an easy baby (does that mean he's likely to be a good kid--just getting it all out now? lol) but we love him dearly and are thankful for every single day. Jason and I both have jobs so we can provide for him, and we're thankful for that as well. Now if we can just find a little sanity in our lives... Guess all we can do for now is pray things get easier, and we certainly know things could be much, much, much worse. Sleep deprivation just blows it all out of proportion ;)

Okay, so I'm on the laptop today and it must be blogger that's messed up...I again can't see my pics--it's all in html code or something. So hopefully they're here...

Yesterday, Reid and I went to the mall to meet with the wonderful leaders and ladies of my former infertility Bible study/support group, In His Time (Ecc.). How absolutely wonderful to see all the miracle babies God has provided!! Some were adopted, some were conceived w/ medical assistance, some were conceived naturally...but all are miracles! (I think all babies are miracles, anyways, but especially this group's!) What a happy reunion!



We enjoyed a nice chat with everyone, then went to eat at the food court (I took a detour to take advantage of the nursing mothers' room...great!). It was so fun! Since we were at the mall (I hate going to the mall, especially now with a kid!), I needed a couple more nursing bras, so we hit one store and Reid was DONE. As soon as we were in the car and moving, I figured one more stop wouldn't hurt, so we made a quick stop at Mardel (Christian store/teacher supply) since I had a gift card I'd been wanting to use. (Thanks, Ian and family!!) It was funny b/c we ran into several teachers and the counselor from my school just in the short amount of time we were there. I found sooo many cute things for my classroom, but limited myself. Reid was very happy little guy and cooed and talked with me the whole time. But then, again, he was DONE all of a sudden, so we checked out and left. He was immediately asleep...possibly even a record of 10 seconds within moving! When I got us home, here's what I found:



Later that evening, we did Reid's first "faux hawk"...but the picture doesn't really do it justice. Still cute, though:



And here's our little cranky guy. He has been doing the cutest (or saddest?) little pouty lip before he cries lately, but I can't seem to quite get a pic of it. So this is the best I've been able to capture so far...



Today he has been TOTALLY cranky, so I'm hoping tomorrow's better. It's his first day at our "official" sitter's house. I'm sure he will do fine, but please pray for me!! I totally cried at inservice on Thursday because we had to bring a picture of a child who's special to us (of course, I brought Reid's pic) and list things we hope for them and things that are our biggest fears. My biggest fear is that he won't know who I am, or worse...won't care and will like the sitter more (and who could blame him? I have to leave him for 9 hrs a day!!). For some reason, God wants me back teaching this year, so I'm doing my best to have a good attitude about leaving Reid. Thank goodness for a great team, great school, and great admin! And I am relying on LOTS and LOTS of prayer ;)

2 months!

Well, I think our desktop is just about to poop out once again. I can't see the photos I'm uploading, but I think they're there... Anyhow, our little guy is officially 9 weeks old! I, unfortunately, have been back at work most of this week...thus the delay in posting. I realize I am very fortunate to have a job, a wonderful team at school, work in a wonderful school, and hopefully will have great kids/families this year (that's what I've been praying for!). On the extreme downside, it's going to kill me to be away from our little miracle guy. Just yesterday, our first official day of inservice, we had to bring a pic of a child who's special to us. Of COURSE I took a picture of Reid...and promptly boo hooed when we had to share what we'd written about our biggest fears for the child. Mine was that he won't know who I am and/or will like the sitter better than his parents. Eek. It's gonna be a really rough year!!! But on a happier note (or more serious judging by his expression, hahaha), here's our little guy at 2 months: He now holds his head up very well for a little guy! He doesn't always like tummy time so you have to capture just the right moment... (also notice the steel blue eyes...we're hoping they'll stay, but assuming he'll eventually have brown eyes like Jason and me) And he's now sometimes napping in his big boy crib. But here's what I found last week--I left his room and got to the bottom of the stairs. Little Houdini somehow managed to kick most of it off by the time I made it back up the stairs. Last Friday, we actually hooked up the video monitor (love it!!) and put the whole bassinet into the crib (the crib just still seems so big...but we did get breatheable bumpers to try it out soon minus the bassinet). He slept through the night!! Just that one night so far, but it was GREAT...10pm-7am, when I woke him up to eat. And Jason and I have had the privilege of having up to 20 minute "conversations" with our son. I tried to capture it on video, but this doesn't give you the true cuteness of it. Plus, he'd been sleeping on his pacifier (or scratched himself? I don't remember, now) right before this. And, in true boy fashion, he rips a couple of toots. Pardon moi.



And even better, I just got a (short) video of tummy time...so cute! Please excuse the horrible filming...he won't look up unless he sees me, not the camera, so then I can't exactly tell where the camera is filming.

Jason's B-day

Jason turned 31 on July 25, which was a Sunday, so I decided we'd celebrate on Saturday evening instead. That way, we'd all enjoy it more since nobody had to work the next day. I carefully planned my outing to the store for his surprise dinner...knowing it had to be something kind of quick (not a lot of time for food preparation around here these days!) and preferably tasty. Dixie approved, of course!



Reid was a good boy that day and slept through pretty much all of the meal, thank goodness, since lobster is not exactly a clean food to eat with all that cracking going on ;) We did later pay for him being so good...he woke up at 1am, 3am, 5am, and 7am the next day for some reason. He hadn't done that since his third or fourth week of life! Here's Jason and Reid after the big celebration:

And here's Reid later that week, in cute jammies he hadn't worn yet. I love the feet! (Should've taken a pic of his little behind, too, because it's a big monkey face!)

Reid and Daddy (notice Reid's feet all curled up...he's quickly growing to big to do that--up to 10 lbs, 13oz!!)

And beginning this week, Reid has been napping in his big boy crib! He can't roll around or really move since he's all burREIDoed up (get it? hahaha) so I've left the cute bumper in for now, but it'll be coming out when he begins scooting around. Or outgrows the bassinett...which isn't too far off with this little guy in the 75th percentile in height!

And here's our cutie's newest feat...I only got the tail end of it as he'd been doing it awhile, but still cute...

Houston Trip

The week of June 19th, I decided to brave my first road trip with Reid--all by myself since Jason had to work. The car trip part wasn't quite as bad as I'd expected...Reid did have a blowout (diaper, not car!) on the way there, so I had to find a place to stop (fyi, there is nothing for 15 miles outside of Buffalo, TX) to clean up him and the carseat, and by that time I knew we wouldn't make it there before he'd be screaming to nurse. So we took care of that in the Dairy Queen parking lot. What fun. On the way back later that week, I planned for us to stop at Buccee's. I was SO bummed that they don't have Buccee's onesies :( But I did grab a yummy sandwich to stick in the cooler for dinner later while we piddled around in hopes that Reid would take care of his business before we got back on the road (normally, he always goes as he's eating or right after). Of course, Murphy's Law ruled and he was screaming about 8 minutes after we'd gotten on the road. At least it wasn't a blowout this time!

It was great timing to see Laura and my nephews before they made their voyage back to Perth, Australia. My parents had gotten a week at their time share on Lake Conroe. Laura and I had decided that we and all three of the boys would stay out there since my aunt and uncle were coming into town (figured the grandparents and aunt/uncle would enjoy the peace and quiet at night!). It was perfect for us--a loft area with king bed and huge bathroom where Laura and the boys stayed. Downstairs was a bedroom and attached bathroom where I could store all Reid's stuff (wow, does it take a lot of stuff to travel with an infant!!) and nurse in privacy. And right off of that, there was a living room complete with beautiful balcony. After settling in, Grammy and Grumpy arrived...only to find that our a/c had apparently gone out. It was a sweaty evening--at first, we just thought the a/c was having trouble catching up from all the ins/outs through the door and patio, but it became apparent that the a/c just wasn't working once the thermostat hit 85 and it was nearly 9pm. I won't go into that drama, but that's why we look sweaty:

There was a beautiful rainbow our first night there. Here's a view from our balcony overlooking the lake:

The next day, we headed over to the pool to see our friend Mandy and her cute son, Riley. Reid and I had to chill in the shade since he's not allowed to be in direct sun or the pool for now. But I couldn't resist bringing the adorable sunglasses Mike had given him, even though they're too big for now...


And here are all four of the boys: cousins Alex and Ben, Riley, and of course Reid is on the table since he can't exactly sit yet.

Later that afternoon, Reid's Papa, Aunt Kristen, and Gamma came by for a visit:

We all got to catch up, and they all had a chance to hold the newest French.

It looked like he'd be asleep the whole time (yes, Reid actually napped pretty well that week, unlike last week!!), but he finally awoke to their delight. Playtime!

Later that night, my Uncle Lindy and Aunt Nell joined us for a barbeque dinner and some catching up. In true Uncle Lindy fashion, he taught Ben the "Who Pooted?" song. I'm so excited I got it on the camcorder, but I realized later that I didn't snap any pictures of the evening's events...except for Bubble Boy Ben! He loved the whirlpool tub, especially with bubbles!

And here's my happy guy, after bathtime. Oddly enough, he loves his baths and doesn't even mind the getting out/being cold for a second part anymore...but he hates lotion!! I still put it on him sometimes because it smells so sweet (and the lavender is supposed to help with soothing/calming before bedtime).

The next day, I ventured out to The Woodlands. Sounds easy to do, but when you only have about two hours between feedings and you're 30 minutes away, you have to plan accordingly ;) The Adams graciously spent their afternoon with me so we could all catch up and they could see Reid outside my belly this time! It was wonderful!!

And on our last day there, I decided to forego packing up and leaving early since Reid typically naps better in the afternoon (not that there is any guarantee, mind you!). The timing allowed us more time with the grandparents, cousins, and my sis. I'm so grateful the timing worked out perfectly so I could see everyone before they left this week! We went to the pool one more time (and I even got 20 minutes in the sun while Grammy watched Reid and Grumpy went to grab burgers for lunch!) and then enjoyed a family lunch before all the boys had naptime. Laura and I had a little more sister time, then it was time to head back. Aside from sitter drama in the middle of the trip (yes, I have been panicking and lost LOTS of sleep over this--if you know of an in-home sitter/nanny/home daycare in the Frisco/McKinney area, please call me!!!!), it was fantastic!