Hello Friend & Cub's 6 Month Appointment

This weekend, I developed the tell-tale headache.

Yesterday, I started feeling a little icky.

Dun . . .Dun. . . Dun

This morning, my fear was confirmed.

Aunt flow had returned after a 16-month vacation. Now? Really? Ugh. Hello old friend.

Oh well. It had to happen sooner or later (I was just hoping for later). I was hoping these hormones wouldn't make me even more emotional than usual for Graby's 6 month appointment. Turns out, they just made me less patient.

We (Cub & I) arrived at his 1:45 appointment at 1:30. He slept really well last night but didn't nap very well this morning. He woke up from his most recent nap at 11:45 (his threshold is usually 2 hours, 2.5 if we push it). As with his last appointment, I thought oh great, super tired and now we're going to stick him with needles (4 this time!).

Buttin arrived about five minutes after cub & me. We waited, and waited and waited and saw about five other kids go in AND come back out. Finally (it just feels like forever because I know cub is tired, even though he's being a happy, happy baby), we went in around 2:00. Ugh (see, hormones making me much less patient).

The nurse weighed him - 17.5 lbs (50th percentile) and measured him 25.5 inches (20th percentile) -- apparently, he's shrunk an inch in two months. At this point, I don't have a lot of confidence in THIS nurse. Are you sure you're trained to give vaccinations? I'm not sure if you know how to measure. AND, if you do know how to measure - - what does that say about your co-workers? (see, not so nice Stephanie was coming out.) She says, "yup, it says 26.5 last time - maybe they did it wrong."

Oh well, no one seems concerned about our son having a reverse growth disease -- so I let this one go.

The we waited and waited and waited.

I eventually go out in the hall looking for Dr. Sharpie. Buttin isn't mortified, he thinks we've waited too long. I tell Dr. Sharpie that cub is at his meltdown threshold (even though he was being super smiley and giggly) and that if she was running behind, we could just come back another time. She said she'd be right with us. She was there a couple minutes later. I don't think she was annoyed with me, but I honestly didn't care -- we had been there over 45 minutes at that point.

Dr. Sharpie talks . . .blah, blah don't let him eat paint . . . blah, blah start baby-proofing your house . . .blah, blah, blah he has to get a flu shot booster in one month (gee wiz, really?) .. blah, blah, blah, blah. All the while, I'm thinking let's get to the shots so I can get this poor child home!

Buttin and I decided we were going to get our flu shots today too, so after the doctor left - the nurse started to get all the vaccines ready (why she can't do that while we're talking to the doctor, I'll never know).

I went to pay for our flu shots and make his appointment for next month and his 9 month appointment (January - holy crap!). Apparently, the nurse had to make the vaccines from rare Mediterranean oysters and she had to row there in a duck floaty. Sheesh! (Did I mention I'm not feeling very patient?)

It was almost 3:00(yup, 1.5 hours after our arrival time and 1.25 hours after cub's nap threshold) when the nurse finally came back in the room.

The nice, sweet (she actually is, even if she can't measure and is slower than molasses) nurse did our shots first.

Next, it was cub's turn. First his liquid stuff (bleh, I'm sure he'd prefer sweet potato or cupcake) and then four shots, two in each little chubby thigh. Buttin distracted cub with a baseball cap and the first two shots were finished before he even squirmed. By the time the fourth one was finished and the band-aids were on, he started sniffling. He cried for about 5 seconds and produced about two tears (which is two too many as far as I'm concerned). I brought him a new vibrating toy to distract him and as soon as Buttin held it up, it was in cub's mouth. He was such a little champ.

He fell asleep in his car seat before we even got out of the parking lot.

Here's a cute picture of our adorable shrinking baby:

Not A Lot Today

Not a bunch to report on today. Graby's school had a holiday so he was at work with us for a half day and then he and I hung out at home this afternoon. Just a very busy day.

Yesterday, Buttin helped Cub get extra messy by smearing food on his cheeks. Today I fed Cub without Buttin. I thought, I bet I can feed cub Cub with little bites and keep him from getting too messy.

I thought wrong.

Tomorrow afternoon is Cub's 6-month check-up. I'd be lying if I wrote I'm not anxious about his shots (eeek).

Running Sweet Potato

This morning I ran 6 miles! That's the longest I've run since Graby was born. I wasn't super speedy, but it felt so good.

This afternoon we tried Graby's second food -- SWEET POTATO!

I took a ton of pictures and here are some of my favorites:

Sitting In His Chair

I converted one of my favorite baby shower gifts (The Nap Nanny) into a chair (mostly by putting blankets under it) for Cub.

It's the perfect place to read a book on a Saturday morning.

Baby Free Friday - Bad Dreams

Bad dreams are bad.

I had a very vivid, bad dream this week -- so bad (and vivid) -- I couldn't go back to sleep. I was THAT shaken. I won't go into all the details, but it involved my only recurring nightmare -- falling in an elevator.

I don't know where this recurring dream came from (thankfully there aren't a lot of falling elevator stories in the news) and it seems rather irrational, but I still have it once every couple of months.

To get my mind off bad dreams, I drew this picture of a cupcake monster. Because cupcakes are scary good.

Dear Cash - 6 Months

Dear baby Cash,

I remember (just barely) before you were born talking with other parents about their children. They would say all the normal cliched things that you hear parents say about love and children -- like -- I never knew I could love someone so much or I don't remember life before children.

All those cliches (although all very true) are just words and aren't a drop in a bottomless bucket compared to how your father and I feel about you. I already get a little sniffly thinking about you growing up, so instead of a sappy post -- I wrote you a silly little poem.

Graby, you're better than Christmas snow,
and I love you more than cookie dough.
I'd run to you no matter how far,
but if it was too humid I'd take my car.
Today you're only six months old,
but in the blink of an eye you'll be to big to hold.
I'll always love you Graby, no doubt about that
even if you snore like you're old and fat.

You've done so many things this month and each day there was something new. You've started eating (kind of) solid food, you're rolling like crazy (it's now easier to change your diaper on the bed instead of the changing table) and you laugh all the time (you're even starting to initiate the laughing fits that you and I have).

Spending time with you is so much fun and your father and I enjoy every minute. I'm not sure if we'll be able to say that when you're 16, so I'm taking as much as I can right now.

Please be sweet to your dad and me and please don't grow up to quickly.

Love you so much,
Mom

Here is a picture of you and your dad on the day you were born.


Here is a picture of you and your dad on the day you turned 6 months old and destroyed a cupcake.

The Great Cupcake Massacre

Today is Graby's half-birthday.

(Quick aside: I'm still working on a couple other 6 - month posts, including his letter.)

It also happens to be a Wednesday, so I met with my mama's group and brought cupcakes to celebrate the milestone.

There were a couple of cupcakes left so in my infinite wisdom I decided to give Cub a cupcake (after his avocado dinner) and see what would happen.

The following is a photo story, I do not think narration is necessary.

The Great Cupcake Massacre














I think there was more cupcake in his diaper (including a couple sprinkles) than in his stomach. It took about 15 minutes for complete cupcake annihilation. I actually had some problems taking pictures (if you can believe it) because I was laughing so hard at Cub's focus and determination.