Modern %#*&@# Technology

So we have fell victim to modern technology with our new baby. When buying a monitor this time, we actually researched and ended up getting one that detects movements. Now, when I first read this, I read it as "alerts you when baby moves". And I was like, "Come on! I don't need to be alerted every time she MOVES!" But then Josh corrected me and told me that it monitors babies movement and alerts me when she doesn't move for 20 seconds. Sounds good right? I debated between this and video monitor and decided that I'd rather be alerted if she stops breathing than look at her while she sleeps.

We moved Lyla out of our room last week and got the monitor all set up. Of course, we had to have some test runs. We figured we would test it out by taking the baby out of her bed and if it goes off then were happy. So we did, and sure enough, all kinds of alarms started going off every where. NOTE: if you are going to fall victim to modern technology, make sure you are smart enough to work it. Josh and I scrambled back and forth between monitors, the receiver, pushing buttons like crazy, just to turn the thing off. We finally get it off and rather than being content, I decide we should test it again... NOW, mind you, I barely even USED a monitor with Carson... Anyway, again we layed her down and again we picked her up and again alerts went off every where that we could not control. "Ok. I think it works" I said.

That night I went to bed assured that if my baby stopped breathing I would be alerted... ALL OVER THE HOUSE! So I slept. And around 2am, Lyla woke up. I went to get her, got her out of her bed, began to change her diaper, when all those &*#@* alarms started going off again!!! My thoughts as I scrambled around trying to shut the thing off were something like this: "She's not MOVING b/c she's with ME! Can't this *&$#@!$ monitor figure that out??? Isn't there a $#@&*# WEIGHT sensor too!"

After I succeeded in waking up the house I fed her and put her down and went back to sleep. Only to be awaken by that #*@&# monitor. I picked it up and hit it against my bed before I realized "Oh &(#@^$ that means she's not breathing" (by the way, this monitor makes me cuss in my mind a lot). SO, I finally clued in to what was going on and rushed to her room. It was dark, so I couldn't really tell if she was breathing, so of course to be safe I shake her awake. Yep. If she wasn't breathing, she after that! I just hope we have no shaken baby issues to deal with.

Unsettled and AWAKE I went back to bed wondering if she was breathing or not, but decided it didn't matter b/c that thing was going to wake me up!

We slept peacefully for several nights after, then last night I was woken up by the *&^$# alarm again. But this time I was prepared, I jumped out of bed SO FAST, throwing the monitor at Josh to turn off, ran to her room, but this time DID have enough sense to just look and touch first, and she was sleeping like a baby. With my heart beating out of my chest, I then realized that I may had just ripped my stitches out of my incision b/c my tummy when I shot up and ran, which had already been sore from not following Dr's orders. I curled over and fell back on the bed about the time Josh came it. "She's breathing" I told him. "That %^#&@* monitor just made me rip my #*#$& stitches" I THOUGHT (yes, just THOUGHT). "I'll turn the sensitivity up on the thing" Josh said. "WHAT?? The *#%@*# sensitivity was DOWN???" I THOUGHT. "Good idea," I SAID and returned to bed.

NOTE: If it hadn't been for that #%$*@# monitor, I would have only been up once between 9:30pm and 7am...

Lyla I Love...

Lyla I love...
that you snuggle up in our neck to get comfy
that you look so much like your brother that I call you Carson on accident
the way you hold your sweet hands together up to your face
that you suck on your finger when you are hungry
that you peck on my cheek if you're real hungry
that you smile sweetly in your sleep
that you make your brother so happy
the way you cuddle on your daddy's chest
that your name fits you so well
that you have the tiniest feet I've ever seen
that you have brought us so much happiness...


I have been trying to memorize so many things about you this past month. The way you smell, the way your soft hair feels on my face, the way your little body fits on my chest, the way you hold my finger while you sleep, the way your little lips feel on my cheek, the way you need me to hold you so you can sleep comfortably, the way you squeak in your sleep, all because I know now how fast it will pass. Soon enough you will have real hair, not fit on my chest, feed yourself and only be cozy in a bed to sleep. You won't need me because you will be strong and independent. I pray that is how you grow to be.

So for now, I will continue to try to freeze moments in my memory- even 2am moments and continue to remind myself in my exhaustion that it will end soon, too soon, restful nights also include a grown baby. Our last baby. Lyla, I love.

Um who are you???

SO, I don't really have a lot of updating to do this week. Lyla is still a baby, still eating, crying, sleeping. You know, the norm. Carson is still 2.... BUT does seem to be coming out of his "Demon Phase". He really started responding in a VERY negative way about a month before Lyla was born. He started hitting at school, not minding, pushing, crying about everything, in fact, he wouldn't even smile in the morning when I would come up to get him. It has been awful!!! But the last week or so he has shown signs of the old Carson, and today when I took him to school, he didn't need to be held or convinced to stay, he just started playing and told me bye. He didn't need me at all!!! Just how I like him to be!!! Secure and happy.

Since that is about all the updates I have I thought I'd share my "SAY WHAT???" moment of the week...

So, my MIL, Kathy, kept L while C was in school on Monday so I could run to the store in peace. When I was checking out the cashier decided to make small talk. Which is fine with me. I'm from Seminole. I'm used to having a long conversation with strangers who work everywhere. Anyway, I was buying kid products, so she asked how my mothers day was. I said, "Great! We took our kids to an Astro's game" (which is baseball...and yes, it does sound like more of a FATHERS Day, but oh well...)She asked how old my kids were and I told her, 2 and 3 weeks. She then continued to tell me that 3 weeks is to young for that and asked why I wasn't worried. I told her "I didn't know what there was to worry about... It was indoors, and she can sleep on me in my sling as good as she can sleep any where. Besides", I told her, "I don't think my 2 year old and I should have to miss out on new experiences just because I decided to have another baby." She said, "True. But that's too young".

Needless to say I left there wondering who that cashier at HEB thinks she is dishing out advice...I guess that's what got her..never mind- that's too mean to type...

Just a side note- Lyla was awake and in awe most of the game. I believe she loved it as much as a three week old can love anything...

OK. So, agree with her if you want. That is fine. But we did the same thing with Carson and he is fine. But no matter how you feel about taking a baby in public securely attached to your body, I don't feel that it is EVER a strangers job to correct someones parenting style unless asked.

This experience almost outranks the time a complete stranger started wiping the spit up off Carson's mouth...with her HANDS!!!...during flu season...

So that's the end of the weeks update...hopefully a less irritated post will come next Wednesday.

Milk anyone???

SO these days people ask me how I'm feeling and most of the time I can control myself well enough to keep from telling the truth, which is "I FEEL like a milk cow." I'm sure this is the same thing every mom feels like with a newborn, but COME ON! How can one little girl eat/drink SOOO much? It's AMAZING!

Speaking of one little girl, here's another question, how can one little girl fart SOOOO much? Now THAT is what is REALLY amazing. I mean seriously, WOW! I can't even count the number of times I've been FOR SURE she needed her diaper changed, but nope. Just gas. Pretty sure she could win ANY contest. So I guess if other things don't work out for her, she'll have that...

Other than Lyla and I producing mass amounts of what we produce, things have been pretty good around here. I have to say, I am suprised how UN-overwhelmed I am with two kids. Looks like those hours I spent awake during pregnancy worried about this were just hours of wasted sleep that I'd die to have back now.

Sleep... how I miss you... Let me clarify, UNINTERUPTED sleep. I really am getting severl hours, at LEAST 6 each night, but I just HATE waking up. Once I'm awake, I'm ok, it's just those few seconds when she starts to cry that I find myself kicking my legs on the bed like a two year old having a tempter tantrum and whining a little about the situation. This is also the time of day when I miss formula. Because at LEAST I could say to Josh, "Your turn".

Speaking of "Your turn" don't all you mom's think that breast feeding is the LEAST God coulda allowed men to do to contribute to this process??? I mean, I'll help, but couldn't they work up a little lactation to at least contribute to this non-stop eating machine? At least a couple times a day... I guess that's why man (which by man, I'm sure it was WOman) invinted the pump...