PICTURES!

I did it. Posted three new sets of pictures, and before the weekend! Are you as excited as I am? Enjoy.

Life Happens

A friend just asked for the blog address and after saying that I hadn't been here in a while, I decided to check the address to make sure I gave her the correct one. May? That was so long ago that I won't insult anyone with excuses as to why. Life happens. And man has it been happening a lot around here.

First, and most importantly for most of you, months of pictures have been downloaded from the camera and will hopefully be uploaded to the website this weekend at the latest. Honest. If I actually put it on here you can hold me to it, so I have to do it. Seeing is believing.

Now, hopefully you can follow along. My last post suggests that I was happy at my now previous job. I had made the jump to "a big firm" doing transactional work. I missed doing transactional work and while I have never seen myself at a big firm, I decided to give it a shot. Well, part of the reason for the delay in posting is the depression that I found myself in during the summer. I didn't fit. For the first time in my professional life I did not get along with my boss. While I liked doing transactional work, the focus was so narrow that I felt like a word processor and not an attorney. Just wasn't my thing. So, I contacted my old firm and they were glad to take me back. I started Monday and it has been great. Doing litigation, but with people that are taking the time to show me what I need to know and who actually seem to like me. Having a mentor in this profession is critical to success. I have good ones here. And don't worry, if I complain and/or change jobs again, my wife, mother-in-law, and you depending on who you are will probably come at me with a knife so...

We are settling in to the house. It is starting to feel like ours. Lots to do, but there always will be. I took a week in between jobs with the full intention of finishing lots of projects, but we all came down with the flu and Jenny had nose surgery, so that didn't go as planned. There is time.

The little guy is almost 16 months old. Can you believe it? He is running around now. Not talking as much as Mommy would like, but he is improving. He is stubborn. Those that know both Mommy and Daddy can argue about who he gets that from. Poor kid didn't have a chance. But he is still adorable and smiles all the time. When he decides he doesn't want to go to sleep he throws his blankets out of his bed. We then go in at times and put them back in, only to be thrown out again. The other night I went in to get him, after a half hour of crying and it being clear that he wasn't going to go down. As I went into his room, he looked at me and went to the far side of his crib. I stood there and waited for him to come over so that I could pick him up. He turned his back on me. Mommy came in to him standing on one side of the crib and me on the other. Not realizing she had walked in to a stubbornness contest, she went over and picked him up. She got a big kiss from a little guy for her efforts and we still don't know who is more stubborn. Time will tell.

Thats all for now. If we haven't seen you in a while, life is starting to slow down so that hopefully that will be a possibility soon. Until the holidays take over of course...

It has been a while

So the new job is going well but has been keeping me very busy. That is my excuse (do with it what you will) for not posting in a while. Just have time for a few quick up dates. Lots of pictures have been taken and will be uploaded soon. At least that is the plan.

The bear is sick with a runny nose. Nothing worse than that. He had his first two days of day care. Loved it. Loved every minute of it. Kids to play with, things to do. But no sleep. Who would sleep in a room full of things to do when you have only slept in your bedroom or nice quiet rooms before? So it is understandable. But when sickness comes and he is already tired, very unhappy baby. Getting better though. And we know that it takes longer than 1 day for sickness to run through- so we aren't blaming the school. (Bamma is but...)

We found a house! Home inspection is today. For those who feel behind, no we weren't really looking. The original plan was next spring. But, when you find the right house for the right price, you buy it. Sure, another right house could be there next spring too, but the three of us really like this one.

Have to run. Pictures soon!!!

Stephen

FANGS!!!!!!!!!!!

In the last 14 days, that boy has sprouted a full pearl necklace in his mouth. He was up all night. Not crying mind you, but talking, laughing, yelling... basically having a slumber party for one in his crib. We kept having to get up and check on him. Either Stephen or I would get up and try to burp him, give him tylenol, orajel... anything... a bottle, rock him. Last night, during my shift, he laid on my lap and smiled at me, and tried to play with my hair by pulling it.

He finally fell asleep at about 5:30 and woke up at about 7. After breakfast he grabbed Bama's finger and started to chew on it. There she discovered two new uppers, half way out. Except these aren't the center teeth, but either the second incisors or the canines. Basically, he has fangs.

So for those of you keeping count: Lower arch consists of center incisor about 1/3 out, second center incisor with just a jagged edge out, upper arch: 2 teeth of unknown type about 1/3 out, over night.

My baby boy has fangs.... :'(

Another Tooth!

So yesterday afternoon, my beautiful bear was smiling at me, and I noticed right next to the jagged white pearl about 1/3 on the way out was a white line just perceptable under the gum. Tooth Two is rearing its ugly head.

Oh he hates the tooth breaking through. It hurts him so much. He woke up crying at 8:30, and again at 10:30 and again at 11:30 last night. Stephen got the 8:30 and 11:30 (which he was ravenously hungry for a bottle). I got the 10:30. I cradled him in my arms. He fought his Tylenol, and Orajel, but calmed down on the Orajel immediately and leaned against my chest, sighed, and fell asleep in my arms as I rocked him. I didn't want to put him down. I could have sat there forever. He looked so sweet and comfy nuzzled in my arms.

Toothiness Update

So my sweetie's tooth is about 1/3 out now. Last night at about 9:30 he woke from a sound sleep with an inconsolable cry. No matter how much comforting he got, he wouldn't stop. When Alex cries, a for real cry, you know it is bad for him, because honestly, when he fake cries or cries for attention you can just walk away and he stops.

Poor guy, he didn't want a bottle. He is very good at violently pushing his bottle away if he doesn't want it. I swear to God, he almost threw it at me. Alex gave me the baby version of the big F-U!

He was just so inconsolable. Stephen got a half dose of Tylenol down him. He just didn't want anyone to touch his mouth. Yet 10 minutes later he was still crying and screaming. You could tell it was from pain. Alex didn't even want comfort, but he didn't want to be left alone either. It hurt so much he didn't know what he wanted.

So I put Orajel on my finger and managed to get just his bottom gums. Then he really screamed since I touched what was hurting. About 5 minutes later, he calmed down to a whimper. Stephen handed him off to me, otherwise, I would have just paced in the baby's room until Alex fell asleep. I rocked him and cuddled him.

When I went to put him down again, he cried, but I knew I had to leave him. About 10 minutes later he was asleep, and slept until 6:45.

You just feel so bad when it hurts so much they don't know what they want or what to do.

TOOTH

So you can feel in his bottom dental arch a little jagged edge! He cut his first tooth. You can't see it, but you can feel it.

Yay! He cut his first pearl.

Jenny

Christening Update

Ever since The Rev. Father Paul Bossi touched our child, his sweet persona has been replaced by a crabby, demanding, curmudgeonly, frustrated child, bossy even. Um... where is my local exorcist? That icky priest put the devil in my child, I kid you not. I need an exorcist.

Congrats to the newly engaged!

Congrats to the very lucky girl who snagged jamestownlawyer. He is no longer on the market ladies! Jamestown, my condolences! ;) Seriously, I am very happy for the both of you.

Christening

So, yesterday we had Alex baptized. It was loohveleeeeeeeee. (Lana, I hope I have expressed my sarcasm correctly.)

Actually it was very nice- but for the priest. We went to Blessed Sacrament Church on Delaware, where we sing in the choir, and Stephen and I brought him into the choir/robe room to bedeck him in his finery. (Oh, for those of you interested, www.smockedtreasures.com I will be sending a picture to the artist, yes the seamstress/designer is truly an artist, when I have a nice one of Alex in his finery. She may even put the picture on her website, my handsome guy is so worthy of such a position!)

Of course, the choir members wanted to take a peek at the wee babe, who isn't so wee. ( 7 months, 27+ inches, and 20+ pounds, about 75th percentile--clearly takes after mommy in the size department, me suffering from some serious gigantism.)


He was so cute in his little sailor outfit. Anyways, he was so tired that during Mass, Stephen took him back into the choir room, and there Alex fell asleep on his shoulder. It was probably the highlight of Stephen's day. There is nothing quite as sweet and serene, and no moment is so filled with contentment, as when an innocent child, especially your own, falls asleep on your arms, head on your shoulder. The world is, but for a single blessed moment, perfect. You know that they know no evil and nothing but love. Would that all children have that in their lives!

I thought, "Great! He will be fresh for the baptism, after the Mass." Ah, what an idealistic fool am I! But what new thing am I telling you, lofty reader, you all knew I was always a fool?!

After Mass, we put the gown on his sailor suit, and went out to the baptismal font, and began the baptism. Alex was so cute. He sat on his Daddy's lap, with his attention raptly focused on the priest who was clearly fluent in Italian Hand-Language (like mommy of course!). Well 48 minutes later the baptism was over. Wow, you say, that was a lot of babies being baptised wasn't it? Uh, no. It was one, ours.

Father Paul Bossi of Blessed Sacrament not only took the pains, and when I say pains, I mean pains on my part, to explain every aspect of the baptism, but worse, he seemed to homilize on every aspect. (If homilize isn't a word, I just invented a neologism, people! Neologism-- look it up, people!)

So the fresh and happy baby, proceeded to get less fresh and happy. At one point he was getting fussy, of course. Alex, as fussy, is very different than most fussy babies, he just starts babbling really loud! And then yells and shouts his babbles-- and starts jumping up and down in your arms. So I stand up with him and start dancing, to help him calm down. Bossi seemed a bit pissed about this. But, hey I was none too happy about the 48 minute baptism. Plus, I am not a big fan of Bossi; his name says it all.

Maybe Stephen will post all about Bossi, and his misogynistic ways, picayune and petty self made rules that he doesn't stick to, and the problem of the godfather.

Ah, one of the funny parts in the baptism homilies was when he said that something came from Latin, and did anyone here remember their Latin or had even taken Latin. Of course, everyone laughed. I just innocently said, "nope, don't think anyone knows their Latin." Family laughed a bit more. Bossi, being the conceited idiot he is, thought they were laughing at his funny about how no one but the privileged like him know Latin anymore. Fool!

After the baptism, we, starving, scooted back to Rabin Terrace, for a lovely luncheon, made by Wegman's. Got to tell you people, there is a beauty in being able to organize the party on the Wednesday and Thursday before the baptism. Of course, this non-Martha position, had Sally all nervous. But hey, I am no Martha; I am an attorney.

Kudos to Wegmans! The food was the bomb, and Double Kudos to Butterwoods desserts. (www.butterwooddesserts.com) We had the most fabulous White Chocolate Satin cake, with a beautiful Celtic cross on it.

To my friends, who did not receive invitations, we decided to keep it small and simple (KISS), but we missed you.

BAER RESULTS

Hello All...

The doc didn't call me so I finally called the doc. The BAER test turned out to be normal, which is what I expected, but at least we have a baseline for future tests should they become necessary. We will really have to keep an eye on Alex's development.

We only have to worry about cancer, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and depression on my side. But that hearing thing? Totally over the top of worrisome! ;)

A New Job

So I figure it is about time for me to post. After that first one, Jenny has been posting like crazy and I haven't added at all. Not a complaint mind you, I should be posting more, we don't want her posting less.

The important news of the day- I accepted a position at a new firm yesterday afternoon. For those of you who don't know, I left the bank in October and was working at a small firm doing construction law litigation. While everyone there was nice, I have realized that I am not a litigator. I can do it, I just don't want to. The new place was looking for someone with 2-5 years experience to work in their real estate/finance group, pretty much just want I want to be doing. So Monday I will be giving notice one more time, but this will be the last time for a while and hopefully ever.

We celebrated last night by having take out from EB Greens. For those of you who don't know, EB Greens is where we had our rehearsal dinner. Nice restaurant that has wonderful filet. And yes, we called them for take out. Not something that is done everyday, but they were more than happy to accommodate. Jenny explained that we had a 6 month old at home, no baby sitter, and yet needed a celebratory dinner. Food was excellent, and sometimes it is nice to be home eating too. And of course no celebration dinner is complete if Alex isn't there watching us eat it with those eyes that say- hey- where's mine! How times have changed.

Going to try to post new pictures at some point this weekend.

Job update....

Stephen emailed me to tell me his interview went well. I cannot tell you how glad I am. Hopefully he can sleep! I will take the cough medicine tonight to make sure I don't cough him awake.

BAER Test

HOME LIFE:
The Bear's BAER TEST:

So the Bear had his BAER test. It is essentially an EEG, where they hook up electrodes to his head and click sounds in one ear at a time, while he is sleeping and record the brain stem activity. Of course they will find no problem, but I can tell you watching your little baby on a big old hospital cart hooked up to electrodes is not my idea of a good time. I paced throughout the entire test. Made me want to cry, even though I know there is nothing wrong with him.

God, the moment they cut him out of my womb, was the moment my heart started beating outside of my chest and one day will walk around independent of me. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed by how amazing it is.

Being there made me realize how lucky we are to have him so perfect. Children's is a place where miracles happen everyday! That should be their motto: Children's: where miracles happen everyday.

He performed well, in that he had no problem getting to sleep, and staying asleep during the test. He was such a trooper. Didn't even know that it happened.

They said it would take a week to get the results, so as soon as I know, you'll know when I post!

After his test, I went to the doc and finally got drugs for my sinus infection. They gave me codeine with cough syrup, so I could sleep and Stephen could too. My coughing was keeping everyone up. I finally finished my z-pack. The green has disappeared and now I blow clear stuff... soon I hope to dry up all together.

Sally's on Vacation:
So Sally went on vacation to California, mainly to see her Aunt's, although, Michael's wedding is the excuse. It was very nice of Uncle Mel to use his frequent flier miles for tickets for her and Aunt Joan. I wonder though, how come he had enough frequent flier miles to afford two round trip tickets from Buffalo to San Fransisco, and could go to Tahiti, Hawaii, an Alaskan Cruise, and a Northeastern Cruise, but couldn't afford to come to Buffalo to attend his father's funeral?

Maybe, even though I work in an aspect of financial planning through my estates and trusts work, I don't understand finances? Can someone clear this up for me?

So, since Sally is on vacation, we found this nice young mother to watch Alex for the week. She is bringing her 10 month old daughter with her, which will be nice for Alex to learn how to share. Maybe he will learn to roll, or crawl, or do something other than be a lazy lumberjack!! :)

Our finances aren't the best, but when your babysitter pay, isn't much to you, but means the world to your babysitter, you know you are lucky! Chrissy is very nice, and she loves kids, so that is good! Her daughter Livvie is cute! She is a good mom, so I don't worry about Alex. Ok, yes, I do worry, but I worry with my own mother... so... I worry. Sue me, I am a mom!

JOB NEWS:

Cross your fingers. Stephen has his second interview today! I hope this works out for him... (and me)! He is so talented and a better attorney than I am. I am very cerebral as you all know. Stephen is very practical and pragmatic, much more client oriented than I am. Plus my practice area has become boring to me... gasp... like you are all shocked.

How do I remain fresh? Any one have any suggestions?

Just Another Ordinary Day

So, I thought I would learn to be a blogger with Stephen.

Here is Alex's update: He had some shots on the 28th. His revenge for which was to go on a bottle strike. To me, I always worry because in such a small body, with such delicate equlibrium, I worry about dehydration. Well, he is back to eating lumberjack style, and had several hard poops to show for his lack of bottle consumption.

Yes a part of my life is about how often, what color, and what texture a poop is! I don't even mind.

On Friday the 5th, we go for a BAER test at Children's Hospital. Thanks to Stephen's family history of hearing problems, we are being proactive about Alex's hearing. Right now, I can tell you it is phenominal. He reacts to even the slightest of sounds.

This test will be a bear all right. They can only do it when a child is sleeping and they don't sedate 6 month olds, so I scheduled it to coincide with a nap. Hopefully they have a warm dark room that I can put him in at 8:30 after he gets his bottle.

Coming full circle, back to the bottle... Alex has been wanting his bottle earlier and earlier each day. It used to be breakfast at 7 and a bottle at 8:30. Then the bottle shifted to 8:15, and this morning he wanted his bottle at 8:00 am. And I can tell you he pigged out on breakfast first. Wonder what that is all about.

Will post the test results when we get them. I don't anticipate a problem... just being proactive.