CrunchyConMom's Xanga

Happy Halloween!

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:33:01 GMT

Bush Gardens

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:22:08 GMT

We went to Bush Gardens in Virginia last weekend on Friday and Saturday. It was a lot of fun and the weather was great!

Riding the tram from the parking lot to the park.

Gerry strapped to Mama - looking out for a little while!

Watching a movie together at the hotel -- too cute!

Picture with a Clydesdale... it is their last year at Bush Gardens...

The past month

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:34:20 GMT

So the past month has been a busy, happy one for our family. Most importantly, Mike is officially fully employed! We are so proud of him and happy for all of us! It was a huge relief as he has spent many months applying and going to interviews. The place that he interned at and has continued to work for, for over a year now, finally offered him a full salaried with benefits position! The awesome thing is that the same week he had another very good offer so he even had a choice! It wasn't an easy decision because they were both good offers but he decided to stay where he was.

We got a new vehicle (Honda Pilot) for mommy and the kids to drive around in while daddy is off making money. So that should open up some options for us which I am very happy about!

Marisol, Gerry, and I also went up to NY to visit with family and friends for a week which was tons of fun! Gerry is getting bigger every day -- this Friday he will be 3 months old! He is a happy little guy - his smiles melt your heart (well mine anyways!) and a good eater and sleeper so far (keep your fingers crossed for us!)
Here are some of my favorite recent pictures:

Gerry's first photo shoot, pretty cute!

Aunt Laura and Gerry getting in some "face time".

Nonna Gigi and Gerard soaking up each other's company

Getting some Grandpa BG love...

Big sis and little bro...

Nap time with Grandma!

Can I get any happier??

A visit to Aunt Carolyn's house and her many dolls (and doll houses, and jewelry)

Do we see a resemblance? (nice face Grandpa!)

A visit to a local Alpaca farm... Gerry did what he does best -- slept through it!

Lots of friendly Alpacas!

Marisol's first movie at the theatre! Aunt Stacie met us there... and Marisol made it through (and enjoyed!) a double feature - the 3-D presentation of Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

Back at home and carving our pumpkin...

4 weeks!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:08:32 GMT

So it has been 4 weeks today since Marisol last nursed... After the first week things got much easier. She still "gave me the business" almost every day for about 3 weeks but almost no crying. It was more like negotiations! She would tell me that I was making a mistake and that I need to give her milky... that I was making her sick... etc. etc. But she never really pushed it or tried to "get it" herself. And she went to sleep every night with stories, singing, or rocking... After 2 weeks we went to visit my family in NY and my mom was able to read her to sleep several days. And for quite a few days now she has hardly said anything about it!

It made me a little sad when she said things like "He (Gerry) took milky from me" or "I don't want a baby anymore!" or "I don't love you/him anymore!" but for the most part we have been moving forward quite happily and are doing very well with this new phase of our relationship. Lucky for both of us we love each other very much and have a very strong foundation to our relationship -- due in large part to the 3+ years of nursing! I wouldn't take back a minute... it is hard to believe that I am on year #4 of nursing a child! What a wonderful thing that our bodies can do!

Tough times in the life of a Mommy

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:19:22 GMT

So, I tried it. For two months I have tandem nursed little Gerry and big sister Marisol. I was absolutely FINE with this idea all through pregnancy. I read about it and felt prepared. Marisol and I had a GREAT nursing relationship, so I didn't expect that to change.

Towards the end of pregnancy I was starting to get a little irritated with nursing. Lucky for me, Marisol started consistently sleeping through the night about 6 months ago and she really only nursed to sleep and in the morning usually. So it was totally "do-able".

After the little man was born my feelings about Marisol nursing really changed. I told the midwife that she (Marisol) could sense my ambivalence... but the feeling was really stronger than that, I just was downplaying it. I physically found it annoying and it was hard to keep still. Recently our night time nursing was more like a wrestling match as we both struggled to get comfortable. There were quite a few tears these past two months.

This past weekend Marisol went for over 48 hours without nursing for the first time. She often doesn't ask for it in the morning, and has been falling asleep without it here and there for months now. On Monday she wanted it but it didn't last long. I asked her to stop. She rolled over and cried and cried. I cried too. When Mike peeked in I told him that I was done. So far we haven't again but it has been so HARD. I feel so bad, like it is the first time I am really letting her down. I keep reminding myself how it felt, and also how I wasn't really being "nice" to her while she was nursing. That is helping me stick to it but I still have doubts.

She has cried at night but it doesn't last too long and she goes to sleep quickly because she is exhausted. The hardest is the "I don't like you!" and "I don't want to cuddle with you!" and the pushing me away... maybe even more heartbreaking is when she does come back her face crumpled and lip out... This morning she was relentless, telling me that I am giving her ouchies, that I am making her a little bit sick, that we should NOT stop having "milky". Here is a word for word of one monologue:
"so, I need to have milky sometimes... I keep getting ouchies on my tongue, I keep getting sick a little, I keep getting sad, press play" (The movie we were watching wa paused)
It makes me think that she is not quite ready... also makes me appreciate how she fights for what she wants/needs.

This is NOT what I pictured... I mean I was committed to long-term nursing because I wanted to have a peaceful ending... because I wanted her to wean when she was ready... one thing that I have learned from becoming a parent is that things rarely go as we think or imagine they will. But it is our life and I love it... ups and downs.

A great weekend - so much to be thankful for

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:40:14 GMT

Friday September 11, 2009

Watching Mulan with DD for the first time(loved it!) — with her in one arm and the baby in the other

Getting out on a rainy day and really enjoying it!

Eating a salad outside while both of my babies slept

Spending over 2 hours at the library playing and reading

Saturday September 11, 2009

a blah, sleep deprived day (morning) turning into a MAGICAL one (even thinking about posting here is helping me keep in a positive state of mind) so… without further ado, today’s magic:

all of us catching up on sleep by taking “nap shifts”

DH making breakfast and shopping

an unexpected large check in the mail

wearing “normal” (not maternity) jeans

trip to the mall where dd played on indoor playground and we ate dinner

Sunday September 13, 2009

The cooler fresh air in the evenings and mornings now...

A BEAUTIFUL sunny, warm day

Making it to church on time with little stress -- seeing lots of other little kids, babies, and families

Going to the playground and enjoying the weather and my beautiful family

my daughter's funny facial expressions and way of saying things

my baby boy growing so big!

In love with my babies (including my hubby)...

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:18:48 GMT

More magic today! Fancy that

Both kids starting in their own beds last night (it didn’t last long!)

Cuddling with hubby while it did

Baby smiles at 1 am!

More baby smiles today! I know I sound like a broken record, but there really isn’t anything more magical… we spent almost 10 minutes today just staring into each others’ eyes and smiling

3 year old hugs and kisses… she already has the seductive look down! She tells me that she loves me about 50 times per day… Probably because I’ve been doing it to her since she was born

Learning to see “messes” as creativity, or even better just plain fun!

vaccines?

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:20:35 GMT

So, my latest reading binge has been on vaccines... Honestly at this point I don't feel good about either choice - vaccinating my little Gerry or not vaccinating. It seems so complicated and people on both sides feel so strongly. Marisol has gotten all her shots and now reading all of these articles about what is in them and if they are really effective, and the possible health issues from them... I feel sick thinking about it - like maybe it was not the right thing to do. It is funny, because I'm not worried about myself at all and any shots that I have had... but my kids, it is another story.

But if he ISN'T vaccinated and then gets sick... oh boy. Plus I'm pretty sure my husband just won't get on board with not getting them -- not to mention the rest of my family. Sometimes I wish that I could just go along with what "everyone" else does and not question things so much. But really I think it is the responsible and right thing to do, to be informed and really think about these decisions rather than just being on "autopilot".

I would appreciate any thoughts from others... anyone with experience or who really has read up on both sides of this issue...

on a roll

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:19:42 GMT

So I appear to be on a "blogging roll" for the moment. I was looking at my "other" blog... Some of you might remember, but probably not, that I started this blog as a "private" one. So I have literally not shared this with any friends or family in my "real" life (ok, maybe one or two... but not even my mom and I share everything with her!) Well, what has mostly happened is that I post to both blogs with pictures and updates and use the same entries! So it has seemed a little pointless lately... except that I like my "xanga" friends... plus I do have some personal stuff on here. And I feel more comfortable here to put some "out there" ideas. (See my next post)

I sometimes feel like I don't keep up with my writing, journaling, blogging, scrap booking etc... but I have realized that I am doing pretty darn good! Even my other blog I didn't ever go a whole month without at least one entry. And I have been journaling on and off since college. I feel like if someone wanted to "know" me they could pretty well through some of the things that I have done. I am not always very consistent but I guess that depends on what is going on in my life. I sometimes feel better thinking that I am just trying get better at living in the moment, and sometimes when I am trying to record every little detail of my life, that is too much of living in the past... I get that way after childbirth though... I don't want to forget anything! I feel so RAW the weeks after having a baby. It is like a roller coaster ride with lots of highs and lows.

Well that's about all I guess. Some random and not so deep thoughts/ramblings...

Pictures to go with the Magic!

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:51:37 GMT

The general chaos that is our home... Who doesn't have a tent and a circus in their living room?

Meeting our friends at the zoo...

Noah and Marisol had a blast together.

Noah wanted to hold the baby right away!

Butterflies!

Tinkerbell and friends now grace our bedroom wall...

Marisol placed them herself.

Bubbles in the rain

Marisol took this picture of me and Gerry... good job Marisol!
(yes, I am still in my pajama bottoms

Visiting our neighbor's "pet garden".

I love this quirky couple, and we barely know them! They encourage Marisol (and the rest of us) to visit the animals and to move them if we think they would rather be sitting somewhere else. Marisol loves to do this of course!

My friend Allison visited today... she was in DC from California to visit her sister and new nephew. She was my best friend and travel companion when we studied in Barcelona. We were inseparable. It was fun to catch up and take a trip down memory lane.

And last, but definitely not least... trying to catch those elusive baby smiles...

ahh choo!!

Almost... but his full grin is even bigger than this! Too cute... of course it melts my heart. And makes all the fussy (or as Marisol says, fuzzy) times worth it. (Marisol says that fuzzy means when you are screaming)