dangit
happy monday, though the steelers lost last night – such is life… i’m bummed, but clearly the better team won and this year’s football season is officially over… i wasn’t that impressed with the commercials either or the half-time show, but watched it anyway and enjoyed eric’s chili that he made with beef from the farm… overall, it was a nice way to end our very busy weekend… 
progress on the bathroom is going well and it’s almost done, minus a few touch-ups here and there… eric installed the toilet and sink on saturday, and then we did the mirror, shelf, towel holder, toilet paper holder, and light fixture yesterday… we also loaded a TON of boxes and hanging clothes into the POD, as well as stuff from the basement closet (mostly my artwork and supplies from HS and college) and laundry room… my mom came over to help watch deck and was a huge help, plus he was in a much better mood and she was able to just enjoy being with him (and vice versa i’m sure)… he had fallen back asleep after his morning nurse, so eric and i were able to get an additional 2-hours which felt amazing… he slept til 5:00 on both days, but was back to 4:00 this morning… close but no cigar…
projects for this week: finish the bathroom, declutter/clean the garage, have garage door repaired, declutter the picnic patio and storage shed, trim tree that was damaged during the snowstorm, clean-up back yard, reorganize the pantry, and start staging the house… my friend wants to have it listed by this weekend, so we’ll see how everything goes this week…
anyhoo, hope you had a nice weekend…
no turning back
holy end of january – how did that happen?!?! time is just flying by, now that i’m back to work, and today is the first day that i actually feel normal (not exhausted)… deck slept from 11:00-5:30 and even though he still has a bit of a cold, he’s been a trouper and doing really well… my cold got pretty bad last week and on thursday (the same day as the big snow), i chose to stay home and rest… the daycare was open so eric dropped him off and i had every intention of staying in bed all day but by noon, they called and said there was no power so we had to pick him up… the day went fine, but i felt pretty crappy and know there will many other times where this will will happen so i may as well get used to it… by yesterday, i was feeling better and today i’m only stuffed-up so i’m hoping that’s it… nothing like having the whole family down and out… 
thursday was also the day when our POD was delivered – nothing like a smack of reality showing up in our driveway… it’s amazing how big it is and how quickly it’s filling-up – we spent the better part of saturday (my mom helped watch deck) moving out furniture, boxes, and bins… yesterday, eric started on the bathroom floor and i packed-up a closet and some other random stuff, cleaned the bathroom, and did laundry… it’s tough trying to do things around deck’s schedule esp. since his naps are shorter at home than at daycare, but we’re doing the best we can… eric hopes to get the floor done this week, then we can paint and move ahead with installing the new toilet, sink, and light fixture…
still no progress on exercise or WW, but it’s coming!
happy monday…
below zero
what a great way to start the week – pittsburgh is going to the superbowl! yay! so very excited! i was sorry that we couldn’t watch the game at eric’s parents, but we wanted to hit the road in order to beat traffic and be home in time… deck did an amazing job, as always, though we had to stop twice on the way up to feed and only once on the way back… i feel bad that he’s stuck in the car seat for so long, but make sure we get some stretches-in and make sure he’s not wearing too many layers… unfortunately, last night was rough though since he missed a nap and was very hungry.. he also cried and cried when we put him down to sleep, but after about 5 minutes – all was quiet and he had fallen asleep… i just wish he would do that during the night (i blame myself for getting up instead of letting him cry) because he was up at 4:00, 5:00, and 5:30… he IS a joy in the mornings though and has a good time with eric while getting dressed and having breakfast…
we had a good visit with eric’s family – his mom seems to be doing well and his dad was in better spirits (maybe turning 80 is the key!)… the family had dinner on saturday night so we were able to see everyone and hangout for a while, which is always good… it was rather cold though – minus 6 on friday night and in the single digits for most of the weekend… deck also had a chance to meet his 6-year old cousins, rigel and austin, though they were more interested in their video game, puzzles, and legos… besides hanging out – eric and i also went to lowe’s and bought pretty much everything we need for the downstairs bathroom redo (for under $500), so that’s the next big project in the weakland household… my mom is going to come down this weekend to help pack and watch deck – the more we clear-out and get things in order, the sooner we can list the house, and start putting in offers on ones we like… and even though we found a house that we absolutely LOVE – we have stopped checking to see if it’s still listed because it would break our hearts if it was…
anyhoo, that’s it for me… hope you have a great monday…
2011
just add it to the list
sorry, it’s been a very busy week both here and at home, and the list of things to do before we put the house on the market, keeps growing and growing… we’ve decided to redo the bathroom downstairs since it’s pretty ugly and my feeling is – anything to improve it, without spending a lot, is worth it in the end… so for around $400 – we’re going to redo the floor, toilet, cabinet, sink, and light… the pink tile (can you say ’50s) will stay, but a fresh coat of white paint and some TLC should do the trick… eric is going to attempt to do most of it on his own, but our neighbor is also available and very capable since he’s the one that replaced the cracked sink in our bathroom upstairs during that redo… each night when we got home, we’ve attempted to do something – i took it upon myself to paint the hallway and all that’s left is the trim which should be be done on sunday… next up will be to clean-up some closets and the pantry, and then it’s downstairs to pack books, dvds, and office stuff… we are crazy, i know, but it’s sort of fun and exciting at the same time…
coming back to work has been a good thing though i’m still adjusting to pumping 2x/day… last week, eric forgot to pack the bottles so i had to express via the old-fashioned way (by hand) and today, there was only 1 bottle so i had to do one at a time… i’m down to feeding him 3x/day and while he’s at daycare, he gets formula… it seems to be working out well so far, and he’s definitely filling-out and growing… i can’t wait for him to start wearing new clothes – he’s been in size newborn and 0-3 months forever…
deck has also been going to sleep better – he used to really fuss for a while and then we’d have to go in, give him a pacifier, and put him on his side (that’s what i used to do when he was sleeping with us)… now, he talks and plays for a while and then goes to sleep! as wonderful as that is, he still gets up at least once for a wet diaper and this morning – it was once at 4:00 and then again at 5:00… i think i’m used to only getting 5 hours of sleep, but would KILL for at least 6 or 7… some days, i’m just dragging…
this weekend, we are heading to pittsburgh – eric’s dad is turning 80 so we’re going to celebrate, plus his mom is home recuperating from surgery last month and we haven’t seen them in a while… i realize we are losing valuable “house” time, but family is more important… let’s just hope the weather cooperates – might be cold and snowy…
still no progress on WW or going to the gym… one of these days…
have a great weekend and GO STEELERS!
happy friday
2011
deckard @ 3 months
today is deck’s 3-month birthday and since eric is off today as well, he was able to help me with our photo session… as you can see, deck is sporting his pittsburgh steelers outfit in honor of them being in the playoffs… it was too big for the longest time, but now since he’s growing like a weed (thanks to formula at daycare), it fits him perfectly… check out more photos here…
we had a busy weekend doing stuff around the house… we also looked at two houses today and have decided to STOP looking until we get our house ready and on the market… this saddens me because i fell in love with the dutch colonial from today and can totally see us raising a family there… i don’t think we’re brave enough to put in a contract before we know how things will go here, so i have to put it out of my mind… so frustrating!
i went back to the doctor today for a follow-up on my thyroid check – my T3 levels are a tad low so he’s putting me on a new med and we’ll see how things are looking in 2 months… he asked me how i felt and if i was tired and i said, “um yea, i have a 3-month old at home” and he just laughed… i would haven no idea if it was the baby or my meds at this point…
deck has been waking-up again during the night – i’ve been nursing him when he won’t settle but have read that this isn’t the bed habit to start… i can’t stand it when he cries and crieds (like tonight) and am hoping it’s just temporary… if not – any suggestions from you experienced moms? also, he usually goes to bed around 11:00 – is this too late for a 3-month old? ugh, sometimes i feel like i have no idea what i’m doing…
well, it’s back to work tomorrow so i should get off here… it’s sleeting outside so tomorrow’s commute will be interesting…
happy monday
2011
just when i got the house the way i wanted
it’s been a busy weekend, here at the weakland household, and i’m proud to say the xmas decorations have been taken down, boxed-up, and put back in the garage… i am, however, sad to see deck’s tree gone, but i did keep some multi-colored lights on his shelf and that will make me happy for the time being… i think he’s gotten used to the darker room – eric says he probably doesn’t even notice, but i tend to disagree… and sleeping in the crib continues to go pretty well – though he was exhausted and i had to rock him to sleep – he didn’t fuss until almost 6:30 this morning…
our meeting with daycare on friday night went well – this was the first time deck got to meet all the women (3) and for us to talk to the owner about what he’ll need on a daily basis… i’m going to do a separate diaper bag for just daycare as well as provide them with bulk diapers and wipes since she said that’s what most parents do… he’ll also need formula, a change of clothes (or 2), a blanet, and anything that will make him feel more at home… i said tuesday is going to be incredibly hard for me and she said all moms go thru the same thing – he will be fine and they will take very good care of him… they are actually excited since he will be the smallest member of the group with the next being 7 mos and then 18 mos… i will be glad for him to make friends and be more social, it’s just going to kill me to have to say goodbye every morning… I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT I GO BACK TO WORK IN 2 DAYS!!!
and ontop of going back to work and daycare – eric and i have decided to put our house on the market and find a bigger one… we drove thru some neighborhoods last weekend to get an idea of location and will be going to see one tomorrow morning… one of my close friends is an agent and she came over today to talk to us about what we need to do here in order to get it “show ready” (will probably involve getting a POD so we can clear out and simplify the rooms of any clutter)… she feels that we won’t have a problem selling because of the location and amount of work we’ve done, so that’s good news… but finding a house, in the area that we want, and in the price range we can afford may be a challenge… either way – it’s exciting and scary, but there’s no use putting it off any longer since we’ve run out of room here and it just keeps filling-up with baby stuff… there wouldn’t be room for baby #2 so…
hope everyone had a great weekend and i’ll update as soon as i can (forgive the possible delay since this week may be rather stressful for me)…
happy sunday…
2010
guess i should start shopping
been trying to post this since yesterday, but since eric is out of town until late this evening – i’ve been solo this weekend w/the baby… it’s gone pretty well considering it’s just like any other day – i just don’t get a break in the evenings which i do appreciate and miss incredibly… i love my little boy, but sometimes i just need a break from holding him, or changing his diaper, or trying to stop him crying… thankfully, he’s taking a nap right now so all is well in the weakland household (for now anyway)…
the past week has been busy – deck went to both our offices for a visit… eric’s department threw us a baby shower last friday so it was cool seeing him walk around, showing him off (like any proud father should!)… this past friday, i took deck to my office so he could meet everyone – i am SO lucky to have my own office and used it not once, but twice, to nurse… there’s been a lot of construction going on so it was cool to see the progress, as well as catch-up on what’s been going on, have some lunch, and then head back before rush hour started… considering this was deck’s first trip on metro, he did awesome!
i went back to the doctor on tuesday to have deck’s weight checked again – he is up to 8.11 and right on par for gaining at an average rate (1/2 ounce a day)… he’s still on the low-end, but doing fine and all the concerns/questions that i raised were answered… this is basically the hardest stretch because he’s not just sleeping and eating anymore – he’s more awake, but not old enough to keep himself occupied… i’m finding that we have to hold him more in the evenings because just rocking or the using the pacifier doesn’t cut it right now, and everything i’ve read said there’s nothing wrong with comforting him… so that’s what i’ll keep doing…
yesterday, i ran up to my mom’s for a while – she hadn’t seen deck since thanksgiving so i was glad that she had some grandma time w/him… we were laughing at how deck was trying to find his thumb and trying to talk at the same time – so cute!
today has been rather boring though i FINALLY finished our wedding album and placed an order for 2 books (13 months late!)… i also managed to do laundry, wrap one of eric’s presents, take out the trash and recycling, and watch some football (steelers won and skins lost)… i spoke to eric as well and he is anxious to come home and i can’t wait to see him!
since eric is taking off tomorrow, i’d like to go to the mall and get deck’s photo taken with santa… i’m HOPING that going during the week will be better than a weekend so wish me luck!
happy sunday…
back to the drawing board
friday was not a good day – we went back to the doctor for a weight check and deck had lost 2 ounces since tuesday… i literally cried in the room after the nurse weighed him and felt like a complete failure… and to make matters worse, he hadn’t pooped for 2 days either and the doctor said it was because he wasn’t getting enough nourishment…. i can’t even feed my own baby, how sad is that?!?! i really felt like he had been eating better and i was making more of an effort to watch him while he nursed, but i guess i wasn’t… ugh, this is so frustrating! so the doctor said to start back with the formula again and bump it up to 1.5-2.0 ounces for the next few days and we’ll have his weight checked again on tuesday morning… i’m terried that he’ll gain and once i go back to just nursing – he’ll lose again…
so we’re back to the nursing, pumping, and supplementing schedule – thank god eric is still home and can help me because i’d be lost w/out him… he has been such a great help with feedings and is even getting up during the night to do the formula part (what a trooper!)… deck’s latest thing is peeing on him when he’s getting fed – have no idea how it’s happening but i swear, it’s like every time… pretty funny…
the weather has been so nice here in maryland – hard to believe thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away… i took deck out in the bjorn earlier and liked it, though i had to make sure and walk slow so i wouldn’t lose my balance and fall (since more weight is in the front)… then again, maybe i’m just being paranoid…
i finally put up deck’s name/letters and some decals in the nursery today… i’ve already changed my mind about the one wall (with the dream & family words) and will put up his monthly photos instead… i think that would look nice and it will be cool to see how he changes each month, right before our eyes…
well, it’s almost time for another feeding, then we’re making pizza for dinner, and watching the steelers/patriots game… still hard to believe that around this time, 4 sundays ago, i was in labor and about to give birth to deck… damn time flies!
happy sunday…
week/weekend are one in the same
happy weekend, everyone… the weather has finally started to change here in the DC area, and it’s rather on the chilly side today… i was out briefly this morning w/deck – had to run something up to my mom’s friend’s house so he was introduced to a bunch of people (he was sleeping and stayed in his car seat)… i was able to nurse right before we left, so he slept both ways – can’t imagine what it will be like when the trip is longer than 2 hours…
eric went to the john stewart “rally for sanity and/or fear” so i was by myself all day… guess this will be good practice for when he goes back to work in a week or so – i know he can’t stay home forever, but the mere fact that he’s here with me has made all the difference in the world… he can’t help with feedings, but has been great with everyone else and knowing i’ll have to handle everything, on my own, is terrifying… i get upset just thinking about it… i get upset after my mom leaves too, but i think i’m just over-emotional right now… i haven’t had any other bad feelings so i’m hoping they pass soon and if not, then i will talk to my doctor (have my 2-week checkup on monday)…
my mom came over on thursday which was nice – i’ve been enjoying her visits because it’s nice to see her with deck and to get advice, even if i don’t agree with everything she says… she is old-fashioned about so many things – covers, tummy sleeping, baths, etc. and doesn’t understand why they say not to do this or that, so i have to explain what the pediatrician/books say… she just rolls her eyes… she did some cleaning and laundry, then we got out for a walk since the weather was so nice… i made spaghetti for dinner and then she went home, which like i said above – made me very sad… course i get sad thinking about her not being around when deck is older too, but that’s just me…
nighttime is still a challenge – he gets rather fussy at night and then doesn’t want to settle until midnight or 1:00 am… then we’re up between 3:00-4:00 and again around 7:00-8:00, then it’s the normal feedings/sleeping during the day… i’ve been feeling pretty decent during the day and haven’t napped, but will do so when i feel the need… i guess i’m doing okay on the 5-6 hours that i’ve been getting so far…
a friend of mine stopped by for a visit earlier today – she brought homemade sauce, pasta, and a bottle of wine which was very thoughtful! it was nice having company and someone to talk too – deck was awake for a little bit, but then had lunch and went to sleep… she snapped this cute shot of us before leaving and thought i’d share…
happy saturday…
2010
last day until january 2011
this could be my final update (who knows at this point):
- current weight: 206.4
- gained so far: 35.6 pounds
- how many weeks: 38
today is my last day in the office… besides random people stopping-by to say goodbye and wish me well, it’s been pretty normal… i was able to get my last big project off to the printer AND my boss was able to tell me that i got a 9.9% raise! holy cow! during my review last week, she mentioned that HR was going to do this salary-comparison thing and apparently, it worked to my advantage… i will say some extra thank-you’s in my prayers tonight because i feel really truly blessed to have a good job (in this economy), a great boss, and awesome coworkers…
in pregnancy news, i felt pretty bad yesterday – lower back pain, tired, and sluggish… i really thought “this could be it” but of course, it wasn’t… when i got home – all i wanted to do was take a bath so while eric made quiche for dinner, that’s exactly what i did… then we watched some tv, and then i layed down on the bed and watched ‘alien’ for the 100th time… it had to have been almost 1:00 by the time i fell asleep, but not waking-up during the night helped and i’ve felt okay today… so far, so good…
weekend plans: breakfast at a friend’s house tomorrow morning and then i told eric that we should take some things to goodwill… the weather in DC sounds amazing – sunny and in the lower 70s – so i hope to enjoy the sun for a bit, or at least be outside for a while… maybe i’ll go for a walk too since they said that can help “move things along”… i haven’t exercised in a while and really should because i certainly won’t be able too after this guy is born (for a few weeks anyway)…
well, that’s all i have for right now… hope you’re having a good friday and have a fabulous weekend!
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