An Update

Hi there.

Sorry it's been so long since the last post. Things around here have been crazy. I'm trying to get some work done for my old company and I had a dentist appt. last Thursday. You know. Things like that.

I'm just going to update you all on some things that I have left hanging. If I forgot anything, just shoot me an email and let me know.

I'm gonna pump YOU up:
Baybee Katie has been nice enough to take predictable 3-4 hour naps every day. Usually, I just wait for her to fall asleep in her swing and then I am free to excercise to my hearts content. I was riding the stationary/spin bike and I even started running on the treadmill again. Boy, am I out of shape. My legs were killing me after running for 20 minutes at a 13 minute mile pace. Damn. To kick up the intensity, we went out and bought me a new workout tool. But, sorry folks, I am going to leave that for another entry. To date, and it has been about 4 weeks, I've only dropped, like, 2 or 3 pounds. How weak.

I hate 'dem meeses to pieces:
Mr. Terminix came back to check the traps that they had set around the crawl space. They caught ONE lone mouse. It must have been the one wreaking havoc in our kitchen. Poor little dude. Oh well. He said that there was no evidence of rats down there. He also said that since they caught a mouse there probably were no rats. Rats kill mice. Hmmph. Good riddance.

Echo, Echo...:
The doc called last week with the 'results' of Katie's echocardiogram. She started off by saying, "She must have moved around a lot, huh?" Um. No. She slept through most of it. Annnnnywayyyyys. The doc said that the experts did not find any significant heart defects. They didn't really see anything. The sound is most likely coming from a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart and should close up as she gets older. Same diagnosis as huzbend when he was small. Go figure.

K.T.:
Katie is a crayzee baybee. She is full of smiles nowadays. She loves to play shy too. She'll smile at you and then turn away as if she is saying to herself, "Awwww. Shucks." She coos, laughs, giggles, and squeals with delight. She has also taken to talking to everything in sight whether it be to Mommy, Daddy, The Musical Bugs, Bubba Betty, Dolly (aka WideAss Wendy - huzbends name for her), Cheeky Monkey (& Chicken Leg), Giggle Puppy, GunShot Monkey, GlowBug, Bruce the Lion, or just the wall. Maybe one day I should introduce you to all her friends. They are quite the motley crew.

'To Binky':
We've been using the binky to great success. Besides the binky, she has gained control of her unruly hands and can now insert them into her mouth at will. Still can't find her thumb though. I use the binky only when she either A)seems to want to suck on something for comfort and is getting frustrated with her hands or B)is about ready to fall asleep. She can actually let the binky fall out of her mouth without waking herself up. Hooray.

Cradle Crap:
Is now officially gonzo. Yep. Since she started with the flakes, moms have been telling me the following, "Rub some kind of oil onto her scalp. It can be baby oil, veggie oil, olive oil - just some kinda oil. This will soften up the scales and then you should be able to use a soft bristle comb to get them off." I tried this technique to no avail. The scales/flakes would not come off. I figured out what my issue was. I wasn't leaving the oil on long enough to soften them. Duh. So, yesterday, I dumped half a bottle of baby oil on her scalp and let it sit on there during bath time. Afterwards, I got a comb and was able to scrape all the scales off. Problem is that with the scales came half of her hair. She is now almost bald. But, at least the scales are gone. Her acne is gone too. She is one cute lookin' baby, if I do say so myself.

Breast milk vs. Formula:
Katie and I have gotten rather good at the breastfeeding thing. We only use formula once a day now and that is at night. I find that I need to catch a boob-break. I'd say that it took us between 6 and 8 weeks to get into the swing of things. Let me tell you, those 6 to 8 weeks were sheer hell. I'm not gonna sugar coat it. It was NOT fun and it was a lot of hard work. It was even very painfull at times. But, we worked through it and I'd say things are going okay. It does sometimes seem that I just can't keep up with her demand though. I'm still pumping at night (when she gets her formula), so we can use that to supplement her during the day if I find that I just don't have enough. There are times when I find myself thinking that breastfeeding is a chore that I have to do. There are other times that I relish the special time with Katie. It's a mixed bag. It seems to coincide with what Katie's mood is at the time. If she is really fussy and just doesn't seem happily satisfied at the end, I feel kinda gipped. There are other times when she is very content and even smiles and tries to talk while feeding. She'll look up at me with her big blue eyes as if to say, "Gee Mommy. You make a great cow. Thanks for the milk."

Happy, Happy, Happy Halllloweeeen:
I did get Trick-or-Treaters. I also got rid of all my candy. Yay! Most of the kids that came to the door were older kids. I guess the youngsters go to the local church function. Bummer. That means all the houses near me were dark, 'cause they are all church goers. I also got word from Auntie Onion Dip that peanut butter cups ARE the #1 selling candy for Halloween (as well as Reeses Pieces). I knew it.

White & Nerdy:
I still am. So, quit askin'.