Boy to the World

So being a parent really is a busy job...

2011-09-29T16:00:00.002-05:00

I know I've dropped off. Like seriously dropped off. I wish I had some grand excuse other than I have just been lazy. Lazy and busy, really. Lots has changed since my last entry. We've cruised by the infant stage unscathed (depending on who you ask) and have officially found ourselves in the midst of toddlerhood. Life has changed, my friends, and I'm kind of feeling like I've been tossed into the ocean when I've clearly been used to hanging out in the baby pool. Corbin officially turns 2 on Thursday the 6th of October. As in a week from today. I'm not really sure how that happened, but here we are. If you ask me, I think someone has swapped out my sweet newborn with this running, talking, completely crazy little ball of fire. Time has gone that fast. I guess when I was pregnant with him, I never imagined that he would be a toddler. Somehow, he would always be that sweet little infant, cooing up at me, or sleeping sweetly in my arms. Now, he's got spunk, and personality, and preferences! He can tell me all kinds of funny things, at least I think they're funny - I have a hard time deciphering what he says sometimes. It's just amazing, though, how quickly they become little boys. It's cliche, yes, I know. But, it has happened.

A new form of torture, or a typical day in my house...

2010-09-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

So our 3 year old Yorkie, Miles, needed to go to the vet on Monday. Normally, I take such events in stride, but little did I know what was in store for me...

We arrived for our appointment and were promptly given a room. Miles was clueless as to what was in store for him, and Corbin was still absorbed in figuring out what was going on and why we were here. Then it all came to a screeching halt...literally! A sweet vet technician opened the door, and I placed Miles up on the examinating table. He suddenly knew exactly where he was and didn't like it one bit. Just at the moment when Miles began trying to climb up on my shoulder, Corbin discovered that his voice made a lovely echo in the small room. Apparently the pitch of Corbin's voice was precisely the one that would cause Miles to dig his claws into my neck. Nice.

And to make matters wires, Corbin had decided that 28 minutes is the exact limit of his threshold of patience. We hadn't even seen the vet by then. Excellent. So, he began crying - loudly. And if that wasn't quite enough, vomits. On his only shirt. And it's everywhere. Perfect. This is a kid who has only spit up about 10 times since birth. Of course it would be today, wouldn't it?! As I frantically open the various cabinets searching for a paper towel to mop up Corbin's shirt, Miles attempts suicide by jumping off the counter. I grab his harness before he hits the ground.

Crisis averted and Corbin cleaned, we wait patiently for the vet. When he does arrive, we spend a few minutes discussing Miles and his latest expenses, I mean health concerns. At this point, I notice Corbin getting restless, so I try to distract him with the various toys and books in my bag. No dice. What he does find is my phone, which he eagerly chews and proceeds to drop on the floor with a plunk. So much for the phone.

One hour, and two miserable creatures later we load the car and head home. I spend nap time trying to get my phone to work. Miles spends it giving me looks of indignation. But, in the end, we all survived. Even my phone.

Scott can take the dog to the vet next time.

It's deja vu all over again!

2010-09-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

Today has been interesting, to say the least. I must say "no" like 438 times per day! Here's just a snippet of what has transpired so far:

Corbin climbs into the drawer under the oven.

Me: Corbin - no no! Let's go over here. (drags him to the toy basket)

Corbin wanders right back and sits in the drawer again. Looks at me and smirks.

Me: Corbin! Out! Let's go! (drags him back to toy basket)

Corbin goes right back. This time he watches me carefully as he slides the drawer out and plops himself inside. Feeling triumphant, he avoids eye contact with me.

Me: Corbin! No! Get out! Let's go! (back to the toy basket)

Corbin returns to the drawer about 15 seconds later. Sits in it and smiles at me. I hide my face in my hands and laugh. Then, repeat the entire process again - 5 more times to be exact.

The Great Escape...

2010-08-30T15:46:00.000-05:00

We have entered a new chapter in the adventures of a curious toddler! Corbin has learned how the doggie door works. A couple of weeks ago, it was cute, endearing even. Our brilliant boy genius could push his toys and other miscellaneous household items outside of that neat little swinging door. Fast forward to the present day, where I caught a glimpse of his behind as he shimmied outside to the wide, wide world. He has learned how to escape. Now what?!

The perpetual Easter Egg hunt...

2010-08-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Life has certainly takena turn for the more interesting, i have to admit. After
Corbin starting walking, it seems like I have rediscovered the world in a new set of eyes. Mainly in a baby-proofing, eagle eye, how can I keep him from getting into everything sort of way. Needless to say, my house is looking less and less like my house and more like the Fisher Price section of Toys R Us. But I digress...

With Corbin's newfound freedom and mobility, has come the discovery of new and exciting things...like my plastic leftover containers. I keep these little treasures in one of 2 unlocked cabinets in the kitchen. Being the smart little monkey he is, has figured this out quickly. At first, it was a minor inconvenience having my various lids and containers constantly underfoot. Slowly, it has evolved to finding them scattered all over the house. Yesterday I found one under the couch. It's like an Easter egg hunt on a whole new level! I'm sure I'll look back at this and have a good laugh, and think back to putting away leftovers after I've looked under the coffee table for a lid.

It's a tooth!

2010-08-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

After waiting patiently for oh-so-long, a pearly white nub has made its way out! It has been a long hard fight, not to mention sleepless days and nights! I pray that the next teeth come quickly and painlessly!!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...

2010-07-25T19:36:00.000-05:00

As I write this post, I am keeping an ever watchful eye on my Corbin. He has come to one of the most thrilling milestones...walking. I look at him and still see my baby...that tiny creature I brought home from the hospital who was completely helpless and dependent on me for care. Now, he's becoming independent, and has this fantastic knack for getting into everything! I treasure these little baby steps he has learned, but a part of me will always see him as that newborn born into our hearts.

A tooth, a tooth...my kingdom for a tooth!

2010-05-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm waiting for a tooth, if that makes any sense at all. It seems like we're always on the cusp of sprouting a pearly little white one, but alas, to no avail. I swear Corbin has all the symptoms...the crankiness, drooling, whining, gum sensitivity, crabbiness, etc. Did I mention crankiness and crabbiness? I pray for his sake that the rest of teething goes quickly and painlessly. So far, it's been the total opposite!

Get up, Stand Up...

2010-05-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

So now Corbin is crawling all over the place, and with that new skill, he has learned how to pull himself up to a stand on whatever he can get his little hands on. My favorite place he stands up is in his crib - he looks like a prairie dog! I see those huge blue eyes looking up at me over the crib rail and I just completely melt.

With all this newfound mobility and standing ability, comes the dreaded babyproofing. I've done the plastic plug covers here and there, but that's pretty much it. I'm trying to keep the majority of my "knicknacks" in place, so that he'll learn to coexist with things. He's doing ok, but there are a few things that he's just so interested in, like electrical cords and the dog's water bowl. With curiosity comes learning, so here's to knowledge! I just hope that my house lives to tell the tale!

Crawl to me, little one!

2010-04-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

Corbin is officially crawling! I can't believe this day has come, but it has. I love watching him zoom around on the floor as if the entire world has just unlocked some profound secret. In a sense the whole world has opened up to him. He is no longer confined to his blanket, but is free to explore anything that catches his eye. These things include my coffee table, the end tables, dog toys, etc. Not only is he moving a lot more, I am too! Bending down and picking him up, over and over again. I think I should lose the last 10 pounds of this baby weight very, very soon!!

To crawl or not to crawl...

2010-04-19T12:43:00.000-05:00

Another major milestone is quickly approaching. Corbin is making strides to being fully mobile. Yes, he's about to start crawling. I'm sentimental about the whole thing - he's growing up so fast! I remember him being so sweet and tiny! Now, he's 17 pounds of wriggling, squirming, scooting little boy! He's probably about a week or two away from being a true crawler, or maybe longer if I have it my way! I can't believe that my little baby is on his way to being a little more independent. I'm so proud that he's meeting his developmental milestones, but I will always think of him as my sweet, tiny baby.

Road Trip!!

2010-03-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

We survived our first road trip! My husband Scott was in a wedding this past weekend in Austin, so we decided to pack up the house (not literally, but awfully close!) and make it a long weekend with the little one in tow. We drove to San Antonio on Thursday, spent the night, and then drove up to Austin on Friday. All in all, it was a great trip. Corbin slept quite a bit in his car seat, and did great in the hotel. We brought the pack n' play for him, so he had a nice cushy place to sleep. It was a couple of long days and nights for him, and the nap/sleep schedule got a little thrown off, but I can't complain one bit! We've traveled before, but Corbin was so little then that he just slept the majority of the time. I think as he's gets older, it's going to be more and more of a challenge. Hopefully he'll love traveling as much as we do!

Holy Sweet Potatoes!

2010-03-08T19:34:00.000-06:00

Corbin tried sweet potatoes for the first time today and LOVED them! He just kept opening his mouth for more and smiling! I never would have thought that sweet potatoes would have gone over so well, but he couldn't get enough of them.

I'm thinking about making some of his baby food, both for cost and quality assurance purposes. And, simply to see if I can do it. I have done a little research and although the process seems a little daunting and overwhelming, I think it's doable. Ask me again in 6 months and see if I still sing the same song! :)

Mastering the spoon...

2010-02-28T10:12:00.000-06:00

So we're up to eating solids now, if you can count cereal as a solid. Personally, I like to think of it as more of a pasty, sticky mess. Part of the solid foods milestone is learning how to master the spoon. I wonder how much of it actually ends up in his mouth instead of his clothes, hair, face, my clothes, my hair, the carpet, toys...But at least oatmeal doesn't stain. I think we're in trouble once we move on to carrots, beets, and mangoes. How ridiculous would it look to feed him wearing a raincoat?

We're going outside our bubble...

2010-02-24T15:09:00.000-06:00

Things are going amazingly well for us now. Corbin is sleeping through the night about 4-5 nights a week, which has been tremendously refreshing! Our latest adventure has been joining a playgroup. Initially, I was hesitant to join a group, not because of Corbin or germs, but more because I am so shy. It's really hard to join a group of strangers and try to form friendships, but I figure that Corbin deserves to make friends and get introduced to new experiences no matter how hard it is for his momma. I think I am learning to come out of my shell a lot more because of him. He is making me into a better person.

Sleeping through the night...HA!

2010-02-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

That used to be the question EVERYONE would ask me after Corbin was born. I would smile and say, "almost," or "he's getting there." Well, now he's 4 months old and we're still "getting there." I have stopped smiling about this. I am trying to think positively and hope that we'll get to that sleep breakthrough soon. Like tonight. (day 1) No, maybe it'll be tonight. (day 13) It just has to be tonight. (day 27) Well, last night was the worst night we've had in a long time. I think we're moving backwards instead of forwards. I hear all of these stories from people who just brag about how their kids slept 12 hours straight. Seriously?! Corbin wakes up now every 4 - 4.5 hours and he's STARVING. Last night it was 1.5 - 2.5 hours and he was starving. Now he's napping and he's an angel. If only he was this great at sleeping at 3 in the morning. I'll just keep hope alive that we're making strides towards a full night of sleep. Maybe it'll be tonight.

My aching head...

2010-02-02T17:05:00.000-06:00

Just dealt with a screaming almost-4 month old for 2 hours. I have no idea what the deal is! I feel like my sweet little happy baby has turned into a screaming, ill-tempered little monster overnight! He finally fell asleep long enough for me to check my email and sit down. I'm so tired that I can't even think right now. I always heard about "these days" from experienced mothers, mothers who smile knowingly when you swear that you'll never "be that mom" who'll let those days get to her. Well folks, I was wrong. Pass the Motrin! I think mom needs a nap more than baby does!

I heard that for the first 3 months you're in survival mode...

2010-01-29T11:26:00.000-06:00

...and I 100% agree. I mean, things haven't been all that bad, but as I look around my house, I notice that I have let many things slide. Like dusting. And mopping. And, well, I'll just leave it at that. I don't know if I haven't really noticed the grime, or if I was just in such an exhausted haze that I just didn't care. I'm chalking it up for option 2. So, I got up and got started on some cleaning. One hour later, you'd never know that I was even there. Hmm. Talk about depressing. Honestly, my house isn't THAT bad. But it's slowly becoming choked with baby toys, and our dining room is turning into our junk room. The bathrooms need to be scrubbed with bleach and the pantry should be cleaned out. I think there's a bag of chips in there from before my due date! I need to watch one of those "clean house" shows to get motivated enough to throw everything out. Sigh. Well, there's always tomorrow. Corbin is still 3 months old until next Sunday. I figure once he's 4 months old, the excuses are offically gone! :)

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin;

2010-01-26T13:38:00.000-06:00

So we have now begun the journey towards full mobililty. Corbin is now rolling - mainly from his back to his stomach. It's really funny to see him rock himself back and forth and then swing those legs over until he makes it all the way over. The look on his face is priceless - kind of a cross between accomplishment and disbelief. What's even funnier is that he really doesn't like being on his stomach, yet when I help him roll back onto his back, it isn't 5 seconds later until he rolls himself right back onto his tummy. That's just the funny little guy I have!

Corbin at 3 months

2010-01-19T16:28:00.001-06:00

3 month miracle...

2010-01-19T16:05:00.000-06:00

I'm going to begin this blog with a huge apology. I have not updated since, well, since I couldn't see my toes! Life has completely slipped away from me, but I'm not going to give up on this little project. Needless to say, I will do my best to keep this blog updated and alive!!

So Corbin is 3 months old. It's hard to believe, fathom, or even remotely come to grips with this fact! People aren't kidding when they say that the first 3 months you are in "survival mode." I would have to wholeheartedly agree with this. I was so naive (read "dumb") to think otherwise. I don't think I slept for the first few weeks, and he was a great baby!

Labor and delivery is definitely the hardest, most rewarding experience ever. I pause here, because it's also a great number of other things that only a woman with children can attest to. I won't go into details, but it's one of those experiences that I will never forget!

Corbin was 9 lbs. 6 oz., 21" at birth. We (including our obstetrician) thought he was going to be 7 1/2, maybe 8 pounds. We were all shocked. Let me tell you, there's no worse feeling than hearing your Dr. say "oh my gosh," as she delivers your baby. Fortunately, she quickly followed with "he's humungous!"

All in all, we were sent into the world with this precious newborn, and were fully expected to keep it alive. Can you say daunting? Overwhelming? I remember looking down at my little man and praying for a sign of what I was supposed to do.

Fast forward 3 months. Here we are - still alive and perfect and healthy. I still look down at Corbin and wonder - how did we do it? How are we still doing it? I think it helps to always look forward.

Week 35 update

2009-09-10T16:02:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I totally slipped. Things just got busy, and honestly, I'm super lazy these days. But...here's the latest:

I'm 35w6d pregnant today...and each day is dragging slower than the previous! At the rate I'm going, Corbin will never get here!

Last weigh in 161 pounds - SCARY!!!

Stretch marks have officially invaded around my belly button - I think little man is on the move down and is insistent on taking the rest of me with him!

Heartburn and ridiculous swelling are a chronic thing now...bleh.

The nursery is completely done, and I can't wait for Corbin to get here! Wish me luck on the next 4 weeks!!!!!

30 week Summary...

2009-08-06T17:06:00.000-05:00

I'm really going to make an effort to try to update weekly with all the mundane details of this pregnancy...even though no one will probably ever see this, I'd like to think it'll help me remember this time. So here goes...

Week in Pregnancy: 30
Weight gained to date: 25 lbs. (shudder)
Stretch Marks: Only across my butt...looks like I've been clawed!
Cravings of the week: Wendy's fries dipped into a chocolate Frosty
Belly Button: innie, but it will try to pop out, especially when I laugh!
This week I feel: really tired and my back is KILLING me
Anything of interest: had a dr. apt. this week and so far Corbin is doing amazing! We take our childbirth class on Saturday, and our nursery is 98% done!!!

Our Baby Registry at BRU!

2009-08-04T15:21:00.001-05:00

Babies"R"Us - Baby Registry

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Chocolate!!!

2009-08-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

So I've been craving chocolate something fierce since 3rd tri started. Don't know why, but hey, I'm not complaining! Well, I won't complain until I get up on that scale at the doc's office. I've never feared a scale until recently...

In other news, the nursery is just about done. I'll post pictures as we put the final touches on things. It's so surreal to see that we're making a little nest for our little guy, like it's all becoming real. I'm more excited than I thought I'd be!

Belly Laughs

2009-07-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

I have found that being pregnant has definitely made me laugh a whole lot more. Not really at anything in particular, but it's like my funny bone has heightened...kind of like my sense of smell. I happened upon this website that really got me laughing. You should check it out!

http://www.textsfromlastnight.com

On the eve of our anniversary....

2009-07-06T19:02:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is our second anniversary...it's hard to believe that it's here already! I didn't think we'd have a baby on the way already, but I don't think I'd change a thing! I'm so excited to spend a little quality time with my husband before the baby comes. Who knows what the first six months will look like for us...until then I'll keep my favorite wedding pic in my mind!

Boy to the World!

2009-06-29T14:14:00.000-05:00

As a first time mom you can say that I'm already a nervous wreck...mind you that I'm only 25 weeks pregnant! Ok, maybe nervous wreck is a little strong, but I feel like I'm walking into a party where I don't know anyone and it feels like everyone is expecting me to do something really embarassing or brilliant.

We found out on May 29 that we were having a little boy. For some reason I felt like I knew that it was a boy - don't ask me why. For someone who's never had an inkling of mother's intuition before in her life, I just knew it was a boy. I don't know if the thought delighted me, scared me, or both. I come from a family with one older brother and two younger sisters. I've never been around baby boys, much less taken care of one. I know how to be a girl - act like a girl, dress like a girl, sit like a girl, pee like a girl...but a boy?!?

Needless to say, we are thrilled. Overwhelmed and nervous, but thrilled. I know we'll do ok, and I know we'll have our mistakes. I think this little boy is going to be loved no matter if his mom knows how to pee standing up or not!