Let's be Honest Here....

Let me just start by apologizing to all of the parents out there who I have unjustly judged over the years. Even though you may have not been aware, chances are, if I have ever cared for your kids, no matter how great a job you were doing, I found some aspect of your parenting/lifestyle/decision making to judge you on because you weren't doing it "the way I would do it." But now I get it....and by "it" I mean there is not always a right or wrong answer on how to handle particular parenting issues, and that no text book, child development expert, or degree program can really prepare you for being in the throws of full blown "parenthood." Sure parenting books are a nice guide, but if my TomTom GPS system has taught me anything, it's that "guides" are not always right and sometimes you just have to use your instincts, or at least whatever gets you and your offspring happily and successfully through the day (or if not happily, then at least alive).  That being said, let this entry be a testament to my new found empathy for all of the hard working parents out there just trying to make it work, and who don't always follow "the rules..." yet somehow their kids still turn out alright.

Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom:

* When I pick out my pajamas at night I always think to myself, "What would I not mind the UPS guy seeing me in," knowing in my mind there is a good chance I will still be wearing those same pajamas at 5 o' clock in the evening the next day.

* I quit nursing at 6 weeks. Back in the day, if a parent were to tell me this, I would think..."Well the American Academy of Pediatrics says you are to continue nursing for at least 6 month..." But do you know what I say now? I say "Shmamerican Shmacademy of Shmediatrics..." Let me just be frank here....My child, God love him, sucked at nursing (pardon the pun). Not to mention, around week 2 we started noticing him getting extremely fussy after meals...leading us to believe that it could have something to do with stomach sensitivity issues. After switching exclusively to sensitive tummy formula we started to see a big difference in his over all demeanor. Perhaps it was simply a coincidence and he just "grew out of his fussiness" after a few weeks, but we have been bottle feeding ever since and I don't regret it at all. Plus, it's nice not having to get naked from the waste up every two hours...

* On a related note...I heat up my bottles in the microwave rather than letting them slowly warm up in a bowl of warm water. Now before you go reporting me to child protective services, let me just say, when you have a baby who wakes up from a nap and consistently insists on being fed within minutes of being lifted form the crib (and by "insists" I mean screams), I do not have time to wait the 3-5 minutes or more that it takes to heat a bottle up the "right way." I have found that if I pop the bottle in the microwave for no more than 25 seconds and then shake it up really good, it is the perfect temperature and does not in fact burn my babies throat. So there.

* While I was still nursing I was told by various nurses/doctors/lactation consultants at the hospital where I gave birth that it is not recommended to give a baby a pacifier before 6 weeks of age because it can cause "nipple confusion" (yes, that's a real term) meaning your child may forget how to feed properly. But in the loosely translated words of our pediatrician, "If you are going to be an axe murderer in the morning because your baby can't sleep without something to suck on, then by all means give him the freakin' pacifier." Done.

* I post way too many pictures and videos of Baby Bo on Facebook. I am fully aware that my posts are probably "hidden" on a majority of my FB friend's newsfeeds by now, (that is if I was not defriended completely) but I just can't help it. He is so stinkin' cute sometimes and I just can't help but want to share the love....even when it is not willingly received. But rest assured people, if you are not a parent already, one day you will understand...If you're not a chronic Facebook baby picture poster, you will be the couple in your group of friends who can't stop talking about the exciting fact that your baby now holds his hands at mid line and whose digestive system is finally maturing enough to regulate his bowel movements to roughly one a day.

*As much as I love my baby and being able to stay at home during the day with him, being alone in a house all day with a 2 month old takes a toll. I literally go hours upon hours without uttering even a single phrase that would make sense to a grown-up human being. From about 6 a.m. until Mr. Bo returns home in the evening my speech is pretty much limited to various arbitrary consonant/vowel combinations, usually spoken in a sing-songy voice,  all in an effort to keep a smile on my sweet boy's face. Needless to say by the end of  the day I need a break. Nothing a stiff drink and an episode of "Portlandia" can't fix.

* While I have begun working on putting  Baby Bo down in his crib and letting him fall asleep on his own (which he has become a pro at, by the way) I often still hold him while he sleeps. If there is one piece of parenting advice that I believe is consistent across the board, it's that they grow up way too fast, sometimes without you even realizing it. I know that someday Baby Bo will be reluctant to just let me hold on to him and snuggle with him whenever I want (he is already beginning to struggle staying confortable and asleep in my arms, *tear*) so I want to soak up every last ounce of his sweet newborn-ness while I still can.

This Week in Entertainment

Even though we are the proud parents of a 10 (yes 10!) week old now, Mr. Bo and I do still manage to find the time for some quality cinematic entertainment now and then. A few weeks ago my mom came over to hang out with Baby Bo so we could go to dinner and a movie. After a more than satisfying meal of mexican food (complete with avocado margaritas...YUM), and eating our weight in chips and salsa, we finally got to see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." As is usually the case, it was not as good as the books, but was every bit as good as the original Swedish version. Mr. Bo left the theater a little bit confused, however I imagine if I had not read the books first I might have been confused too...a few too many characters and story lines to follow. Highly recommended movie, but even higher recommended books.

Even though we have cable now (and not because my resourceful husband figured out how to get free cable through our internet connection, just in case you were wondering ;)...), we are still avid Netflix users. After watching a string of movies that were all "ok" at best; including "Our Idiot Brother," "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and "Water for Elephants," we watched "The Hangover Part 2." We were not too anxious to watch it in theaters when it came out last year because it wasn't getting good reviews, so we were surprised to find out that it was absolutely hilarious! Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that we watched it on a random weekday afternoon because Mr. Bo had a snow day off from school, but we had a great time watching it, and laughed throughout the whole thing. Not a disappointment at all.

This past weekend we watched another great movie called "Midnight In Paris." I was prepared to add this to the list of "ok" and forgettable movies, but boy was I mistaken. I didn't just like this movie...I loved this movie! So cute. Cute, cute, cute...and charming. So charming. Have I sold you on it yet? Here's a hint ladies, if you are trying to talk your man into watching this with you, just tell him it stars Owen Wilson and that it's about time travel (neither of which is a lie). If that doesn't strike his fancy you may also mention that the breathtakingly gorgeous Marion Cotillard (who has since bypassed Zooey Deschanel as my Hollywood girl crush), also has a supporting role in the film. Or if  they have Mr. Bo taste, tell him Rachel McAdams is also in it....although her performance as Owen's "witchy" (with a capitol "B" if you catch my drift) counterpart is not nearly as intriguing as Ms. Cotillard's. The one complaint I do have of the movie is that the ending was a bit abrupt and unsatisfying. Other than that, a solid A+.


Oh, and I'm super excited for THIS! Heck yes!

The Adventures of Baby Bo: 2 Months

On January 13 my sweet little Baby Bo turned 2 months! I can hardly believe how much he has changed since   he was born. He went in for his 2 month check-up this week, so we were finally able to find out how much weight he has gained. He has gone from 8 lbs 3 oz at birth to 13 lbs 8 oz, putting him in the 89th percentile. Dang! Since switching him to formula around week 6 we have been concerned that we were over feeding him since he is still wanting to eat just as often as he was when he was nursing (supposedly formula fed babies are supposed to be able to go longer in between feedings). But our pediatrician assured us that it is pretty hard to over feed an infant, and that we could actually feed him more if we felt like he needed it. We also asked him about eating/sleeping schedules since he still does not have one...the only thing he consistently does is sleep in two 3-5 hour shifts at night, waking up only to eat before falling back asleep (allowing ample sleeping time for mom and dad...thanks baby!) He again assured us that it could be months before we begin recognizing consistent eating and sleeping patterns. He actually said that it is sometimes a concern of his when babies DO have a regular schedule at 2 months. This was an incredible relief to me, since I am trying to allow Baby Bo to make his own schedule. Since I am staying home with him, and he is practically sleeping through the night anyway, I see no need to put him on a rigid schedule just for my own benefit.
On a related note, I am loving being a stay at home mom! At the end of January I will begin working part time, but will still be able to stay home most of the day with him. I love being able to watch him evolve and grow each day, and noticing something new every day. Our favorite "trick" as of late has been his sweet, sweet smiles. His first smile appeared on Christmas Eve, the day before he turned 6 weeks old. For about a week his grins were few and far between, but now we can hardly get them to stop (not that we would want to). He is even starting to giggle and "talk." I love being able to interact with him, and especially love watching Mr. Bo interact with him. The only thing that melts my heart more than seeing my sweet baby smiling up at me is seeing him smiling at his daddy.

Lunch Time With Grandma

Go Tigers!

Hanging Out With Aunt Anna at Christmas

Nap Time (I was getting over a cold, hence the red nose)

Meeting Cousin Frances 

It's a Wonderful Life

This past weekend was bittersweet for the Bo's. Saturday night/early Sunday morning Mr. Bo's grandmother passed away at the age of 93. She was a wonderful woman, and while the past few days have been spent partially in mourning, a majority of the time was spent celebrating her life. I have really loved getting to learn all sorts of new and awesome things about her, listening to family members tell of their favorite memories of her, and  hearing about all of the wonderful things she did with her life here on earth. It is such a blessing to know that she really is in a better place now.
The funeral was on Tuesday, so many of Mr. Bo's out of town family members came for the services, including his brother and sweet niece Frances, who both got to meet Baby Bo for the first time.

Sweet Cousins

How lucky I am to be a part of such a great family.

Kodak Moment?

Take one...

...

C'mon, give us a smile....

...

Maybe a change of scenery will help...

No?

This will just have to do.