Kellybeans!

Wishing you the happiest of holidays!

p.s.  Don’t be alarmed if your gifts show up a little late.  This year’s preparations have exhausted Santa, and he’s taking a little time to recharge his batteries:

Merry Christmas!

Yo, peeps.  Looking for someone new to read?

My little sis Kasey has a WordPress blog! 

Go check her out and say hello!

p.s. She’s just as bratty and irreverent as me.  Maybe worse, sometimes.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

I’ve been so.damn.sick the past few days, which is no picnic when you’re taking care of a little boy who now requires constant supervision thanks to all the crawling and pulling up to stand.

But I got a nice little treat when I checked my email… it seems that my submission to Parents.com was the first story the editors selected to post on Parental Discretion Advised (written by new mama Frema/Bree).  Parents.com had requested guest writers to fill in during her first couple weeks of motherhood.  And I got picked!  This totally makes up for all those times when I was picked last for a team in gym class. 

My submission dealt with the challenges of breastfeeding.  Check it out here!

At Aiden’s last doctor’s appointment, I was told he was 28.5 inches long.  Now, I think we might need to rephrase that to 28.5 inches TALL, because the child is pulling himself up to stand whenever he gets the chance.  The evidence:

Exhibit A. Pulling up on his bouncy seat.

Exhibit B and C.  Pulling up on a stool… and finally, success!

Exhibit D.  In his crib.  Gotta lower the mattress again!

Exhibit E.  Look that the biceps he’s developing!

I think we’re in even more trouble now!  You think crawling is tough to handle as a parent?  Try keeping your monkey of a child from climbing on everything, especially the stuff that can topple right over on top of him.  This mom stuff is hard work, but so much fun!

Can you believe this? Britney’s little sister is pregnant!  Yikes.  At 16 years old.

This family is really having some trouble, isn’t it?  And at the same time as Momma Spears was getting ready to publish a book on parenting.  Oops.

I feel sort of sorry for Jamie-Lynn.  She always seemed like the one kid in that family who was responsible and kept her nose clean.  She’s in for a real life change now… it’s gonna be so hard to be a mom at such a young age.

I love many, many things about being a mother.  Being up all night removing snot from Aiden’s nose with the bulb syringe, which he despises, is not one of them. 

Hello, Aiden!  I have come to suck out your brain!

No, Mama won’t help you… she’s going to pin you down and assist me! 

Bwahahah!

But despite the lack of sleep I got last night tending to my sick little boy (poor baby) I saw something this morning that makes me want to do this all over again.

Congratulations are in order…. go visit!

SINUS.

As in, sinus infection.  I woke up today with tons of pain in my face and upper jaw, along with the sniffles and congestion I’ve been dealing with for a few days.  My trusty friend Google says I have a maxillary sinus infection.  And I’m seeing a doctor this afternoon who had better agree with Google.  I shall kick him in the nuts if he refuses to give me medication.

Self-diagnosis.  Along with a little premature hatred for a doctor who hasn’t even denied me my meds (yet). Ain’t it grand?  I’m definitely sick.  And bitchy.  The end.

 [Updated to add:  The doctor gave me medicine.  His nuts are fine, for now!  Bwah haha! (translation: evil laugh) ]

Today Aiden screamed for at least an hour.  That’s apparently what happens when you refuse to nap all day long and then throw a tantrum at a friend’s holiday party.  Yep.  We were “those parents.”  The ones with the screaming, crying child that will.not.shut.up.  I think we were even more shocked because this child is usually sooo laid back that we didn’t even know how to handle this outburst of anger and crankiness.

He wouldn’t even stop screaming when we got in the car… it took forever to calm him down.  We’d had plans to drive about an hour away to a family party, but that was canned in light of Cranky McTantrumPants.

That temper?  I say he gets it from Daddy.  No, that’s not one of Mama’s traits at all.

Dear Aiden:

A few days ago you turned six months old.  Just writing that makes me shake my head a little.  Could it really have been half a year since you entered this world and let out a big old yell announcing your arrival?  Amazing.  And you, little man, are amazing.  What you’ve done to our life is amazing, too.

I can’t imagine life without you, now.  My days are filled with snuggles, smiles, and squeals.  I love to bury my nose in your soft neck and breathe in your sweet baby smell.  Your butt’s another story… solid foods are doing a number on your diapers!  But you’re eating so well, and trying so many tasty things.  It’s fun to share my favorite foods with you!

My favorite moments with you are when you cling to me and wrap your arms around my neck.  You give the best hugs, and they make me smile.  You take in the whole world with those beautiful blue eyes and are so curious about everything around you.  What a wonderful gift you are… I hope I never stop appreciating it.

Aiden, you’re quite the little bruiser.  You now weigh more than 20 pounds and you’re nearly 29 inches long.  I had to install your new big-boy carseat the other day, because you are growing so fast.  You’re on the move, too.  You can army crawl really fast, moving across the room in just a few minutes.  I really have to keep my eye on you now! :) 

Sometimes you look at me, and the complete trust and love that I see there makes my throat tighten.  In that moment, I realize that I am your world, and you are mine.  So many people ask if I regret leaving my job to be home with you… if I miss my career… and in those moments, your eyes locked with mine, I can say without hesitation that I don’t miss it in the slightest.  But, oh, what I would miss if I weren’t here with you… all the exciting “firsts” but also the mundane little things that I’d rather me be doing for you, as opposed to somebody else.

You are joy, sunshine, happiness, and cheer.  All rolled up into one sturdy and sweet-smelling package.  A little boy who has already grown so much, yet has so much further to go.  Please don’t grow up too fast, little one.  I am savoring every moment I get with you at this fantastic time in your babyhood.

 I love you, always.

 Mama

For some reason all of my old posts are showing as bold and italicized… what’s up with that?

Weird.

UPDATE:  Thanks for your suggestions!  It’s fixed!