The many names of Ryker

Nug
Nug Bug
Nuggy
Bug-a-doo
Bug
Buggity
Mama’s angel
Angel baby
da baby

Oh, my beautiful angel baby, I hope all the names your daddy and I call you don’t give you an identity crisis Every once in awhile we do call you Ryker; more and more the older you get. It is hard not to see you and squeak “bug-a-doo” though because it makes you so happy

Here are some pics of my Nug I know it was a bad thing to do, but I wanted to see if Nug would like ice cream. Duh, of course he does. He absolutely coveted my ice cream cone and licked it like a little lizard. We won’t be doing that again though. He will never eat peas if he understands the glory that is ice cream. Today he ate about half a squished banana and tonight we will try veggies.

We have also discovered that Nug LOVES the kitty. He can’t look at her without smiling. Love of animals runs in the family, so it doesn’t surprise me that he is so infatuated.

God, Ryker is getting so handsome. I can see the little boy in him and he is getting more and more gorgeous, just like his daddy.

BBQ Chicken Biscuit Pizza with Garlic, Onion, and Cilantro

Man, I hope this tastes good.  With all the chopping of stinky items I just did my mouth deserves a meal as yummy smelling as my fingers.  It only really took 20 minutes to prepare, so if this tastes good then I will be very happy to have a quick meal that I can make again, and add to my recipe book.

Tomis and Nug are on the way home.  I can’t wait to cuddle my boys.  I have about six bottles to wash before they get here, but the blog was on the computer when I got home so I figured I should pop a post on here.

Anyway, I had an all day meeting today.  I love meetings.  It is a nice break from routine.  Sometimes they are stressful as your mental energy has to really push the boundaries as you dare to be different among peers, but having the opportunity to hear strong leadership and taking home ideas for your own success is nice.  That, and typically the days are shorter

Anyway, here are some pics from a few days ago where I was trying to make cookies with Nug on my chest.  Nug grabbed the butter box from me and started chewing on it… bless his little heart  And, here is the pic of the dinner I just cooked.  It smells amazing!!

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and endless skies, my love
To the dark and empty skies

The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hands
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command, my love
That was there at my command

The first time I ever lay with you
And felt you heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the world
And would last till the and of time, my love
It would last till the end of time
The first time ever I saw your face
Your face, your face

I love my baby..

Link to pretty song Leona Lewis singing, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

My baby and I have a pact…

I have to tell everyone why I love my child so much today… he is the devil, but only for daddy We have a pact. He reserves his poop for daddy and the babysitter, and just giggles and laughs for me. It is AMAZING! For four hours he has been laughing and talking to me, rolling on the floor and doing funny things. He let me have both breakfast and lunch… including enjoying a cup of coffee. He fussed four times… twice for poop (okay, so he broke the pact today, but usually he is on my team) and twice for being hungry. We have been dancing and singing, and playing hot dog baby (I encase him in his changing cloth so he looks like a hot dog). Now, he is sucking away at his bottle in front of the fireplace. I did the lazy mom thing where I prop up his bottle with blankets so I don’t have to hold it, and I am able to type the blog! I think this feed will turn into his afternoon nap, so that when daddy gets home he can change and relax a bit before we make him do the moose dance.

So Tomis and I are doing good. I am actually really proud of us. I don’t think it had occurred to us that we have been through quite a bit together, but man, we have taken a licking these past two years. We had some neighbors over for dinner the other night, and they mentioned something that made Tomis and I both reflect a bit. We met them in August, soon after Nug was born. We immediately took a liking to them and LOVE having them over for dinners, or just chatting in front of the garage. Anyway, the last time they were over they mentioned they had been talking about us, and how since they met us they have seen some of our turbulence. Emergency c-section, Tomis’ employment changes and struggles, Guinness dying of cancer, my emergency room stay and subsequent diagnosis… all this followed a year where we found out I was pregnant during Tomis’s unemployment, a job change for me, a job change for Tomis, and moving into a new home. All the high-stress markers in life we covered in a matter of a year and a half. Because each knock was closely followed by another, I don’t think that Tomis and I even realized we were riding a roller coaster. It was interesting to hear from someone else that they were there for us if we needed some reprieve when we were unaware of the fact that we probably are truly in need of it. It didn’t make me feel stressed or overwhelmed to hear it though. It actually made me proud. Tomis and I are united and strong. We look forward to the future, and we love each other and our baby. Yes, we have accumulated wrinkles and eye bags, but I see them as badges of honor. We never threw a pity party, and the whole time we were being kicked around we thought ourselves lucky and were grateful.

Anyway, I know what everyone is waiting for…. here are the Nug pics from today

Silly hat #2

Kisses and cuddles

FEET!!! I love FEET!

nom nom nom

Yes?

Lazy mama…

What parents do when they have a day off and a babysitter?

Sleep. And eat. Clean a little, maybe.

There are loads of things that Tomis and I could do with our tiny little piece of freedom. We could go catch happy hour, shop, hike, go wine tasting… ENDLESS possibilities. What are we doing? We just woke up from a nap on the floor in front of the fireplace and ate hot dogs on the carpet in our living room. Neither of us have said too much because we are both just too tired. I have a feeling that our full tummies will dictate another nap. After the nap? Perhaps some of the Goulash or Chorizo Potato bake I made. Maybe a shower… maybe. I am sure there is laundry to be folded somewhere. I do want to make cookies at some point. I have a four day week and I want to treat my staff… they have been amazing and I am proud of them.

I finally got some of Nug’s pics in an album. God, time flies. I can’t believe how much he has grown. To see the innocent little premie that came to the world 6 months ago, skinny and tiny, to the chubby little giggler we have now, makes me want to relish every single moment. In just a week he outgrows his clothes. It is hard for us not to have him with us today, but if we don’t catch up on sleep somewhere we will lose any trace of sanity we have loosely in place now.

So here are pics of me gluing and cutting Nug’s first year baby album, with very little help from Nug. The Baby Bjorn became critical to the project’s completion, as Nug was able to watch colored paper and pictures of himself get thrown about the kitchen island. Eventually the work became too much work, and my little assistant knocked out. It was too cute to hear tiny snores coming from my front and then see his chubby little face squished and drooling. My child is amazing

Alright… time for nap #2. PUSA!!!!

Sloppy Genghis Baby

It has been really cold lately. In fact, the forecast calls for rain and snow this weekend. This poses a few extra steps in the morning rituals to get our little bundle ready. Dorky hats and double outfits with footies to be exact. I think my mom got this hat for Ryker; it makes him look like Genghis Khan.

His eyes are starting to turn Green, by the way

So earlier in the week I decided to see if Ryker would love avocado as much as me. I blended it up in the baby bullet, added a pinch of salt, and served it up to the baby. I am not sure how much made it in his tummy verses got smeared all over his face, but he seemed intrigued by the green goo.

Aaaaannnnnnd, in case anyone is looking for baby gift ideas, this singing dog is magical. Ryker laughs and plays!

Sorry for the short post. The baby got sick, Tomis got sick, and now I think it is my turn. I do have the next two days off though, so there should be plenty of pics and cute things to see from our funny, foot-muncher of a baby.

Neurologist Visit

I had two appointments today; the first to check my blood (I am still A-okay) and the second to review my Cat-scan and MRI/MRA once more with an expert. Good news is there is no bad news Nothing has changed. We are still on the same course of action. I will be on blood thinners for the three months they planned, and then after that back into the godawful MRI tube to have my arteries checked once more. If they see that my arteries have “widened” then I am on the mend! If they haven’t, then I was probably born with strange arteries and just never had an issue with them before. Either way, the worst case scenario would be they would put a stint in my artery to make sure I have adequate blood flow. Far more likely, I will just be on aspirin for the rest of my life, and I will have to live the healthy lifestyle that everyone should be living anyway– low fat and low cholesterol, low stress, and diabetes watch. I had already anticipated living that lifestyle based off my PCOS, so as far as I am concerned, nothing has changed.

I took the day off early and clocked some vacation hours. I put in a good three hours at work, but it really didn’t make sense to plan work, doctor, work, doctor, work, home. I had no idea what kind of madness they would do at the neurologist and thought it wise to just sip some wine at home before Tomis and Nug got here. Speaking of Nug, he has a bit of a cold. Snot running down his chin, poor thing. During the day it is a messy non-issue, but at night the congestion makes it hard for him to breath while he sleeps and he screams out of frustration every hour.

What I should do is nap before my boys get home, but I have baby food to make and bottles to wash. There is also cat puke where Nug plays, so I think the nap will have to wait for Saturday. I understand more and more everyday why moms are so sacred. If the job is done right it is all-consuming. So keeping with the mom topic, and segwaying into our new years resolution, here is the result of five hours in the kitchen on Sunday!

Rotisserie chicken, chopped spam, smoked hickory, and mayo on a french roll with peppered avocado and cheddar cheese. Tomis’s lunch for a week.

Healthy pasta salad, also for lunch.

Banana muffins for snacks

Baked macaroni with cheddar and colby jack cheese, sundried tomatoes, artichoke, rotisserie chicken, mushroom, and onion. Dinner for a week. WONDERFUL!

And daddy bullying the baby out of his toy

New years resolution progress

I am very happy to say that Tomis and I are sticking to our resolution.  Tomis used a free pass for a traveling work lunch, but other than that, no coffee or food that didn’t come from my kitchen. Delish sandwiches, pasta salad, leftover spaghetti,  fruit, and leftover banana chocolate chip pancakes everyday this week…. YUM. This week, stir fry with rice or yakisoba and sandwiches on french bread ($1.79 at Fred Meyers!) I will bake some banana muffins as well to go with morning coffee or an afternoon snack… we have about 5 bananas turning speckled and brown and need to be turned into something fabulous! Lot’s of time in the kitchen for me today, but as we all know I LOVE LOVE my kitchen. Anyway, I anticipate emptier credit cards (zero interest, but still) and a savings account for Nug with at least $2000 by the end of 2012.

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Wednesday night. YUM YUM YUM. Tomis had 9 lol

Tummy time!!

In other news, Ryker has turned from a flailing bug into a rolling pin. You take your eyes off him for one second (turn around to grab a diaper) and he is on his tummy. He is starting to spend more and more time looking like a Sphinx on the floor, which is great, because there is another vantage point for entertainment. That, my lovely friends and family, is how I am able to write the blog right now. Well, a combination of tummy time, and the Baby Einstein. Nothing every works for too much more than 20 minutes, but I’ll take it!!

Tomorrow I have my appointment with the neurologist. I have no concern. I am sure everything is dandy, but I will make sure to update everyone as to what is going on. I have been taking my blood thinners regularly and seeing the coagulation people every 3-4 days to check my INR (don’t ask, I don’t know what it stands for). My INR is “therapeutic” (code word for “good”) and I have no symptoms that would cause concern. I actually think this brain thing may be the best thing to happen to me. It is like a get out of jail free card for anything stupid I may say, and just may give me an excuse to get a stroke dog if I ham it up Alright my loves, off to make grocery lists and play with a beautiful baby!

My Day off With NugBug

Nug is currently coming to the end of his mid-morning nap.  He is lightly sleeping, opening an eye every so often to make sure I am not too far away.  I have spent most of my morning getting prepared for the next time Nug wakes up…. in about 11 minutes (the child is like clockwork).  Boiling nipples, washing bottles, doing dishes, disinfecting, and then reading about sleep training for babies (woman on a mission).  I have made a command decision after reading for the past hour… there is no way I am sleep training Ryker,  I refuse to let him “cry it out”.  Letting him fuss is different.  Of course I will let him fuss… mama isn’t going to raise a Nancy’boy, but cry and cry wondering where his mama is and why she doesn’t care enough to cuddle him?! Absolutely not!

Instead, we are going to establish patterns.  Mid-morning he will have his nap, mid afternoon as well, and then loads of activity between.  Sleepy time will start at 9pm every night.  Rocking and cuddling in the dark until the little guy is lulled to sleep.  AND, he will start to sleep in his own bed… as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE to have him in bed with us, after reading for a good chunk of this morning, I want to make sure he can establish a bit of independence.  Hopefully, without mommy and daddy tossing and turning to disturb him, he will sleep longer than 3 hours at a time.

So these pics are from just now.  I have been sitting at the lap top next to Nug.  Every time he opens his eyes I put my hand on his thigh and pat him rhythmically, like a heart beat.  That calms him down enough to slip back into his nap.  The fireplace has been on since last night.  Tomis, Nug, and I all slept in the living room together. Nug has a bit of a cold, and the humidifier (right behind Nug) we have is pretty weak.  I figured if we slept on the floor Nug would be closer to the steam and get more benefit from it.  Plus, the fireplace keeps it cozy.

I know that it isn’t best practice to have soft objects around babies, but ours doesn’t like to sleep unless he is cushioned on all sides. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open at all times.

Sleeping angel

New Years Resolution: Brown Bagging and Travel Cupping it

It is funny the correlation between hard work and spending money. The harder you work, the more you make… but the more you need as well. Tomis and I NEED a vein of coffee to make it through the morning, but not the time to make a pot. After seeing that Starbucks success, and maybe even existence, may have been exclusively funded by Tomis and my need for that extra five minutes of sleep in the morning, we decided to just go ahead and wake up to Folgers in our cup. So there you have it, Resolution #1: our home will smell like lovely brewed coffee in the morning, we will buy coffee once a week tops, but we will avoid it if we can. Right in line with being busy and tired has been lunch. Working lunches are expensive… even if the working lunches are a steady diet of McDonalds. So Mr Ronald McDonald… we are going to have to do to you what we did to Starbucks. Your stock may plummet, but we have 17 years to build a college fund for a beautiful baby. Resolution #2: lunches will be made in advance and brought to work. Brown bagging and travel cupping it.

Approximate weekly savings:

$70 McDonalds/Subway week
$37.5 Starbucks
=107.5

$25 Sandwich, pasta salad, fruit for a week
$9 Coffee for a week, with flavored creamer
= $34

Weekly savings: aprrox $75
Month: $294
Year: $3900

Yea… I said it too, “WTF.”  So as soon as I hit “Publish” on this post, I am off to the grocery to get bacon, turkey and cheese for sandwiches, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and sausage for pasta salad, and some apples and bananas for a snack.  We will ring the New Year in with yumminess and $$$$.   Happy New Year to all!