Why a few minutes in Photoshop is a Dangerous Thing

After seeing Kathy's recent blog post...





I just couldn't resist it.



It only took a few minutes in Photoshop, yes, minutes I should have been sleeping. But nonetheless. I was up anways and the picture just insisted that this be done to it:




Crazy babies.

The Mommy Substitute

Tonight, I have a class at the Diocese, and so Michael is going to be putting Baby Michael to sleep by himself tonight. I'm going to feed him at the class, but in case Michael wakes up before I get home and wants a second feeding, I left Michael Sr with a bottle for him to feed him.

In order to make sure everything goes smoothly, Michael practiced last night, and it went well! This was not our very first time bottle feeding, but it was the first time that it was a substitute for a full meal. The other times have been just supplements, and then I will feed him the rest myself.

I think it was WAY cute to see father and son together. Little Michael, I think, was a little confused as to why Daddy was feeding him and Mommy was over on the other chair..definitely a mix up from the normal routine. But, with just a little fussing, Michael got a full tummy and went off back to sleep.

Which means, that Mommy is officially "replaceable" :) My one corner on the market is now up for grabs to anyone that can heat and hold a bottle. It's nice to know that if I need to be somewhere and it just isn't conducive to bring the baby, he'll be taken care of in my absence.

Yet, it did cause me to reflect on the fact, that after a rough month getting adjusted to nursing, I actually really enjoy it, and when Michael was feeding him, I found myself feeling like I was missing out a little on something that I normally do. I was looking forward to the next time he was going to eat so I could feed him again. Even if that next time was at 3 am :)

But this really does open up a whole new world of freedom for me! Now we can have someone watch the baby which extends over the time it takes between feedings. Now I can say "the bottle's in the fridge when he gets hungry" and that buys me 2 additional hours of away-time, whether that time be for a class, or errands, or even a special night out with the mister.

We'll see what horizons this new world opens up!

I like this picture

Michael's sisters came by for a little visit the other day, and I caught a few snapshots of them playing with Baby Michael.

This one stood out in a particular way to me.


Something about it really strikes me....it's "dynamic" or something. Maybe because everyone is looking at someone and seems happy about it. I don't know.

Anyways, it was a great visit and they were even so kind as to watch Michael while I ran to the office to get some work done! Thanks!

The rest of the pictures from that visit are on Flickr.

Random Thoughts...The Hungry Hunter

Driving into San Diego from the north on I-15, I always pass this restaurant:

As a steaklover, I like the idea of a steakhouse just as much as the next gal. But something always strikes me as odd in the name of the restaurant.

Do you see it too?

Here's a hint at what I find so amusing: What type of animal does steak come from?

...and how...may I ask does a person hunt a cow? I mean...hunting....there implies some thrill, some challenge...some prowess and perserverance. When I think of hunting, I think of camoflauge so one can sneak up on its prey....catching it off guard, and, even with a rifle, having to face some sort of difficult in getting a shot off, and you only get one chance because if you shoot and miss, that thing will go running and you'll never catch it.

But a cow? Hunting a cow?

Well, that just seems silly to me. But you know, after doing some research I've actually discovered it to be a dangerous sport...even life threatening!

So, I guess I stand corrected. It is possible to hunt a cow. So next time you enjoy a burger, a nice piece of steak or even some ribs, say a little "Thank you" to the brave hunters who got it to your plate!

What happens if we don't swaddle

Last night after the Bible Study, it was a little later than Michael's normal bedtime....not to mention he went on a veritable "Nap Strike" yesterday and didn't take any nap in the morning. He was exhausted!

So I took him out of his car seat and fed him a little and he fell into a very deep sleep. Not wanting to wake him and anxious to experiment and see if he still really needs to be swaddled, we just laid him down without swaddling.

We tiptoed out of the room, thinking it would only last about 5 minutes. It actually lasted about 15! And at that point, we saw the above picture.

Poor kid! He needs his swaddle!

Big Bed, Little Boy

Michael is now using his crib for naps instead of his bassinet...and he looks so little in it!

I was just thinking, while seeing him in his bassinet how big he is getting, but now seeing him in his crib, he looks like a little newborn again!

We are still keeping him in his bassinet at night for us to keep an eye/ear on him while he sleeps, but in order to ease the eventually permenant transition to his crib, I'm starting off with naps during the day. So far (meaning 15 minutes into the attempt :) ) so good!

The transition had a few very cute moments...first, just putting him in the bed and seeing how little he looked.

Second, when he immediately woke up and starting looking around the room, and then kicking his feet and feeling the whole bed bounce. He really really enjoyed that, i think.

Third, when after deciding to put his mobile on his crib to help him feel more at home, I came into the room with his little Dodger mobile, and got a HUGE smile from him, as if to say "Yeah!!! My friends are coming too!!!"

After our second attempt, Michael stayed asleep right after I put him down, so it seems like there is hope that he might actually sleep as long in the crib as he does in the bassinet (which is typically 20-40 minutes max)....but maybe, with a nice comfy mattress, there is hope he'll stay asleep a little longer.

This transition does have me keen on one thing: making that room into more than just a storage room, at least for the part of it that he can see from his crib...he was looking around so much, I don't want him to think we are demoting him from our bedroom to the garage!

So I'll be putting up some pictures and moving some boxes out of view of the crib and trying to make it look a little more comfy for him.

***UPDATE****

Michael slept for an hour and fifteen minutes!!! The longest daytime nap in a crib ever!!! When he woke up, he seemed so cheerful! Yay!!

Michael likes to read

I've always heard it's important to start reading early. So after rummaging through some baby things, I found a book designed specifically for infants, and I thought I would give it a try.

I thought, "He's just a baby! How is going to know what is going on with a book. He just barely learned that he has hands for crying out loud!"

But, as I read the book to him, I stood amazed, surprised and corrected. Michael likes this book!

As soon as I began reading it to him, his attention was fixated on the pages. They are super colorful with characters with big faces that must be appealing to his little brain.

The more I read the pages, the more noises he made, over and over and over again, "talking" to the book. In fact, I've noticed that he has a favorite page: the police dog page. He always reacts the loudest to that page. It's amazing!

Next, we tried sitting up and reading the book to him, and our amazement was even greater still. Michael, for the first time reached out to touch something in front of him.

Michael has been doing well getting his hands to his mouth, and if you put a toy next to him within his grasp, he will eventually clutch on to it, but this is the first time, with this crazy little book, that Michael will fix his attention on something in front of him and put his hand to it. It's no accident...see for yourself!

So it's official. Michael is like his Daddy. He loves to read! And you know, after we were done reading, the first thing I did was get online and order more of these Lamaze books.

Goooood Books!