"A Mom is a Mama to one, and a Mother to all." -Unknown
While Keegan has been around for nearly 12 weeks now, today was perhaps the first time I truly felt like a mom. And it had nothing to do with Keegan.
Today I went to St.Michael's Cathedral for the church's monthly community lunch service. I've talked about this event many times before, and was excited to get back into it for the first time since having Keegan. We had everything ready to go today and opened the doors early to get folks out of the cold and wind.
My table remained empty for several minutes until I turned around and saw a single occupant- single until I saw who he was holding. He was a single father sitting there with his four month old daughter. A daughter who had on a diaper and a TANK TOP! She had a small blanket wrapped around her, but that was all- when I brushed up against her, I could feel her cold toes. Her mom soon joined them and I couldn't keep myself from striking up a conversation with them. We talked about our babies and everything baby oriented. With my heart ready to break inside as they told me about staying at the shelter and not having anymore than 5 diapers back in their "corner", I knew they were at my table for a reason. I walked out of the dining room and called Drew. He could tell where I was going with my plan, and he was readily on board. He put Keegan in the car and headed my way. When he pulled up to the church, he had a pack of diapers, a pack of wipes, a container of formula, two receiving blankets, and an unused layette set with pack of socks to match. I was able to walk in and give all of this to the little family at my table. And because I believe in "teaching them to fish," I told them about the Baby Steps program that the cathedral has- which is a non-profit education and incentive program for limited-income parents and families to promote healthy pregnancies and babies and families. Visit their website at www.babystepsidaho.org
Feeling so blessed that Drew and I have so many wonderful things to offer Keegan, I feel compelled to pass along some generousity...
With this amazing Baby Steps ministry as my inspiration, I'm asking you all for help. I want to be able to take diapers and wipes with me every month to this church luncheon. If you can help me with donations of either of there items, I will make sure that anyone who shows up in need of these baby essentials will get what they need. If you can't get me diapers or wipes, I am happy to take your money and buy them on your behalf. To my mommy friends: if your baby has diapers they have grown out of, let me know and I will come pick up the remaining pack. If you have diaper coupons you're not using, I'll take those too!! I will also ask the Baby Steps Directoress if she can help me with donations, or if there's a way I can better advertise her program. I know we can truly make a difference in the lives of these children and their parents and I know you won't let me down. Make your donations before the last Saturday of each month and I'll do the rest.
Now, go hug your baby- we are all truly blessed to have them!!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Rollin, Rollin, Rollin....
There's a lot I still have to learn about this whole "Mom" thing. I've figured out what Keegan's different cries mean, that he's either smiling cause he's falling asleep or becuase he's messing his pants, and when he talks, I can tell what kind of mood he's in. But when it comes to growth development, I still have a few things to recognize and learn.
For example.....
Yesterday, (May 19th) I put Keegan on his tummy on the bed to give him some "tummy time". He's getting better at holding his head up, but he still kinda leans to one side. Well, he started to lean so much that he rolled over onto his back. Drew was standing near and got soooo excited. I shrugged it off and decided that he only did it cause he was leaning so much. So I put him back on his tummy, his head started leaning and he rolled over again. He got lucky. So I did it one more time, and sure as shootin', he did it a third time. So, I guess myson just rolled over for the first, and second, and third times! And I didn't even get excited- silly mama!
One of my girlfriends who had her baby a month or so before me said today that her son is getting his first tooth. I can't even imagine that we're on the same track. I promise to recognize his teeth and not shrug them off as well. My little man is becoming not so little.
For example.....
Yesterday, (May 19th) I put Keegan on his tummy on the bed to give him some "tummy time". He's getting better at holding his head up, but he still kinda leans to one side. Well, he started to lean so much that he rolled over onto his back. Drew was standing near and got soooo excited. I shrugged it off and decided that he only did it cause he was leaning so much. So I put him back on his tummy, his head started leaning and he rolled over again. He got lucky. So I did it one more time, and sure as shootin', he did it a third time. So, I guess myson just rolled over for the first, and second, and third times! And I didn't even get excited- silly mama!
One of my girlfriends who had her baby a month or so before me said today that her son is getting his first tooth. I can't even imagine that we're on the same track. I promise to recognize his teeth and not shrug them off as well. My little man is becoming not so little.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Back to the Grindstone
Drew recently decided that he wanted to start running with me. I've been trying to get him to work out with me for the longest time, but he never seemed completely interested. I would tell him I needed him to be healthy so that he could be around for me and our kids, and now that our kids have started to arrive, I think he's realizing how much fun they are and has figured out for himself that he wants to stick around! I'm very proud of him.
So he decided he wanted to do the "Couch to 5K" training program. It's a nine week program that has you walk/jog/run in intervals, increasing your time of running each week until you can run the time/distance needed in order to complete a 5K (3.1 miles). I thought this would be a great way for him to get started and for me to get back into the swing of running too.
After completing our first week's worth of running, Drew and I sat down and started talking about the experience so far. He remains determined to keep on the program, despite the pain in his ankles and calves. He's such a trooper. I decided that if I was gonna put so much effort into re-training myself to run, I needed to retrain myself to eat better too. It's no secret that I took advantage of the whole "eating for two" scenario. I certainly didn't go crazy, but I indulges more than I needed to. While I was going through my Weight Watcher books to determine what points level I would be at, Drew started looking over my shoulder and started asking questions about how it really all worked. By the end of the conversation, he wanted to do the plan too!! He immediately started going through the kitchen cupboards trying to figure out what we would have for lunch and how many points it would be. He got kind of excited. So, we're doing this together- running and eating right. I'm excited to have a live in partner/ supporter.
And in declaring that we're doing this together, we're sharing our progress. And our progress begins with a starting point. We'll keep you posted as we progress, going through the nine weeks of the running program, and then after that until we reach our goals. Weight wise, our goal will be 10% of our current weight, mine specifically being to reach my pre pregnancy weight of 172 pounds. So, we both hope to lose 25 pounds, to begin with. Then we'll see where we're at. Wish us luck, but i know that with Drew by my side, it will all come easy!!!
So he decided he wanted to do the "Couch to 5K" training program. It's a nine week program that has you walk/jog/run in intervals, increasing your time of running each week until you can run the time/distance needed in order to complete a 5K (3.1 miles). I thought this would be a great way for him to get started and for me to get back into the swing of running too.
After completing our first week's worth of running, Drew and I sat down and started talking about the experience so far. He remains determined to keep on the program, despite the pain in his ankles and calves. He's such a trooper. I decided that if I was gonna put so much effort into re-training myself to run, I needed to retrain myself to eat better too. It's no secret that I took advantage of the whole "eating for two" scenario. I certainly didn't go crazy, but I indulges more than I needed to. While I was going through my Weight Watcher books to determine what points level I would be at, Drew started looking over my shoulder and started asking questions about how it really all worked. By the end of the conversation, he wanted to do the plan too!! He immediately started going through the kitchen cupboards trying to figure out what we would have for lunch and how many points it would be. He got kind of excited. So, we're doing this together- running and eating right. I'm excited to have a live in partner/ supporter.
And in declaring that we're doing this together, we're sharing our progress. And our progress begins with a starting point. We'll keep you posted as we progress, going through the nine weeks of the running program, and then after that until we reach our goals. Weight wise, our goal will be 10% of our current weight, mine specifically being to reach my pre pregnancy weight of 172 pounds. So, we both hope to lose 25 pounds, to begin with. Then we'll see where we're at. Wish us luck, but i know that with Drew by my side, it will all come easy!!!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
My Bronco Boy
This week at work we had a staff BBQ to end National Nursing Home Week and our theme was a BSU Tailgating party. So I of course decked myself out in all my blue and orange and decided that it was time for Keegan to bust out his blue and orange track suit. I had won a little squishy football during a game at work, so a photo shoot was born.
Thanks to 'Uncle' Mark and 'Aunt' Mary Kroll for the outfit and to 'Aunt' Britt for the bronco blankie, Keegan and I had a great time getting some cute pictures. I must admit, he looks pretty good in those colors!! I wanted to get a picture with Keegan while we were both in our duds, but he got sick before we could get together- I'm sure we'll have a few more chances :)
Drew and I were getting ready to run some errands this last week when I turned around and saw this beautiful sight- both my boys ready to go in their matching brown hoodie sweatshirts. Drew has even cleared off one of the hooks on the coat rack to hang Keegan's little sweaters. It's pretty cute!!
Thanks to 'Uncle' Mark and 'Aunt' Mary Kroll for the outfit and to 'Aunt' Britt for the bronco blankie, Keegan and I had a great time getting some cute pictures. I must admit, he looks pretty good in those colors!! I wanted to get a picture with Keegan while we were both in our duds, but he got sick before we could get together- I'm sure we'll have a few more chances :)
Drew and I were getting ready to run some errands this last week when I turned around and saw this beautiful sight- both my boys ready to go in their matching brown hoodie sweatshirts. Drew has even cleared off one of the hooks on the coat rack to hang Keegan's little sweaters. It's pretty cute!!
Wicked-ly Awesome!!
I went and saw this amazing show last night thanks to the Broadway in Boise program and I had a great time. This most acclaimed musical has received several Tony awards and has sold out thousand of times across the globe. The 16 shows in Boise all sold out in a matter of hours. I was lukcy enough to get three tickets from a girlfriend who had a family obligation come about after she purchased her seats.Wicked is the story of what happened in Oz before Dorothy ever dropped in. Elphaba and Galinda (later pronounced just Glinda) are the star Witches of the show whose friendship surpasses many a trial and a bit of monkey business in order to save the animals of Oz, who are being forced to give up their human language and return to the sounds of wild.
I had purchased the book Wicked many years ago and then my sister got me the cd to the musical. The funny part was that I still hadn't actually read the book. So I had no idea how the songs went with the story nor what the story really was. Well let me tell 'ya, I'll be starting that book today!! It was so cool to see how the Tin Man actaully became the Tin Man, and where the COwardly Lion came from- that's right, they had to arrive in Oz somehow!!
What an amazing show. I would love to see it again sometime and relive the magic that it provides for its audiences!! So Kel, I'm sorry you missed out on this amazing experience, but I'm happy to have had it for you!!!!
"Truth is not fact nor reason, it's what everyone agrees on." -The Wizard of Oz
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Berenstain Bears
We've said from the beginning that our favorite part of our day with Keegan is getting ready for bed. I think Keegan loves bathtime the most, but I look forward to story-time! We read to him everynight, until he falls asleep (which means some nights there are more stories than others).
Just recently, Grandma Marla got Keegan his first Berenstain Bears book. It's actually a compelation of four stories in one book. Growing up I LOVED reading about Brother and Sister Bear, so I was really excited to read Keegan his first story of the Bear family. We read about cleaning the attic (or a lack thereof) and learning to tell versus teach. One of the things I noticed while reading the first story was that there was a THIRD Bear child drinking a bottle in the background. When did she appear? Apparently her name is Honey Bear and while she "only knows a few words, she is very intelligant." Good to know before we start reading all about her.
Just recently, Grandma Marla got Keegan his first Berenstain Bears book. It's actually a compelation of four stories in one book. Growing up I LOVED reading about Brother and Sister Bear, so I was really excited to read Keegan his first story of the Bear family. We read about cleaning the attic (or a lack thereof) and learning to tell versus teach. One of the things I noticed while reading the first story was that there was a THIRD Bear child drinking a bottle in the background. When did she appear? Apparently her name is Honey Bear and while she "only knows a few words, she is very intelligant." Good to know before we start reading all about her.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
A Tough Thursday
Let me start this posting by saying that everyone is OK!!! But to be honest, Thursday was the scariest day I've had as a mom so far.
I went to feed Keegan during my lunch hour on Thursday, as I've done all week. Because Drew was working from home that day, he met me at the daycare so that we could both visit with the little man for a bit. While getting ready to feed Keegan, I had Drew holding onto him. All of a sudden, Keegan let go of a pretty big bit of vomit. We cleaned him up, and wiped down Drew, and I continued to feed him. About 20 minutes after I finished feeding him, he got sick again, but this was no small bit of "being sick". I've never seen that much vomit come out of someone so small, or big for that matter. Poor little man, it came out his nose, his mouth, shot across the room and covered the floor. It FREAKED me out!! We started to change his clothes, as he had covered his, and he did it AGAIN!! At that point it was time to call the pediatrician. Our doctor was able to get us in almost immediately so we headed right over. She told us that if it continued she wanted Keegan to have an ultrasound to make sure he wasn't having issues with his stomach muscles. She told us to keep an eye on him for the next few days, but that we really couldn't do anything to stop the vomiting, just keep him comfortable. Well, within ten minutes of leaving her office, Keegan got sick again in the car. So, off to get an ultrasound we went. After an hour of waiting, we found out his scan was fine- which is great because fixing any issue would have required surgery. Relief!!
We've had more bouts of being sickover the past few days, but nothing as bad as Thursday. I felt so absolutely helpless just watching his little body get so tense and scared. I'm just grateful that it didn't seem to hurt him too badly. We're hoping that this goes away soon, as we find ourselves waiting after each feeding to see what happens. I can only hope that I am strong enough to stay by his side no matter what happens to him.
I went to feed Keegan during my lunch hour on Thursday, as I've done all week. Because Drew was working from home that day, he met me at the daycare so that we could both visit with the little man for a bit. While getting ready to feed Keegan, I had Drew holding onto him. All of a sudden, Keegan let go of a pretty big bit of vomit. We cleaned him up, and wiped down Drew, and I continued to feed him. About 20 minutes after I finished feeding him, he got sick again, but this was no small bit of "being sick". I've never seen that much vomit come out of someone so small, or big for that matter. Poor little man, it came out his nose, his mouth, shot across the room and covered the floor. It FREAKED me out!! We started to change his clothes, as he had covered his, and he did it AGAIN!! At that point it was time to call the pediatrician. Our doctor was able to get us in almost immediately so we headed right over. She told us that if it continued she wanted Keegan to have an ultrasound to make sure he wasn't having issues with his stomach muscles. She told us to keep an eye on him for the next few days, but that we really couldn't do anything to stop the vomiting, just keep him comfortable. Well, within ten minutes of leaving her office, Keegan got sick again in the car. So, off to get an ultrasound we went. After an hour of waiting, we found out his scan was fine- which is great because fixing any issue would have required surgery. Relief!!
We've had more bouts of being sickover the past few days, but nothing as bad as Thursday. I felt so absolutely helpless just watching his little body get so tense and scared. I'm just grateful that it didn't seem to hurt him too badly. We're hoping that this goes away soon, as we find ourselves waiting after each feeding to see what happens. I can only hope that I am strong enough to stay by his side no matter what happens to him.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
8 Week Stats
We had Keegan's eight week doctor's appointment last Friday and it went pretty well. The doctor ( who turns out lives right around the corner from us) said that Keegan looks AMAZING!! She said that he is gaining the right kind of weight and is growing wonderfully. The only non-wonderful part was that he had to get three shots- YUCK!!! But, aside from the nasty needles, he did really well and was very brave.
More than anything, he's getting BIG! Here are his stats:
Weight: 12.4 pounds (70%- up from 25%)
Height: 22 1/2 inches (30%)
Head: 39 1/2 inches (40%)
So excited to see/hear that he's doing so well!! Here are a few pics from our evening routine. And yes, the duck is there on purpose :)
More than anything, he's getting BIG! Here are his stats:
Weight: 12.4 pounds (70%- up from 25%)
Height: 22 1/2 inches (30%)
Head: 39 1/2 inches (40%)
So excited to see/hear that he's doing so well!! Here are a few pics from our evening routine. And yes, the duck is there on purpose :)
Monday, May 2, 2011
Daycare Days
Today was Keegan's first day of daycare. In getting prepared for our separation, I went into work a few hours each day last week, just to get me ready for being away from him. I must say, I think it made all the difference. Don't get me wrong, I still had a tear or two welling up this morning, but it was better then I thought it would be.
Drew and I got him ready to go and dropped him off together at Kids' Kastle. It's a small daycare about five minutes from each of our works. We can drop in any time, and I'm sure I will to begin with. The woman who manages the center is the woman in charge of Keegan's room. She only has five children to care for, three 1 year olds, and 2 babies, in her particular room. Keegan has his own crib so I brought a blanket from home for hime to have there. I'm thinking about taking a few toys and maybe a picture to take and put in his crib as well.
I decided I would take my lunch hours this week and go over and nurse Keegan. When I got there today, his teacher, Tommy, said he had had a great morning and hadn't fussed at all. He took his morning bottle and then a nap. When I got to him, he was pretty content. I got to feed him and instead of talking to him like I normally do, I just stared at him. He is so precious. After eating, I just held him for the next bit and then put hime down in his crib for a nap. After work when i picked him up, all the teachers told me how cute he was, and what a good, easy baby he had been. I just hope that we have more of those days, although I remain realisitic of what can happen.
So all in all, today was a good day. I stayed busy at work which is what I needed and I got to visit my little man. What a great way to spend my lunch. I'm so grateful we found a good place so close to work. It makes me feel better knowing that he's just down the street. Now, as the babe has been bathed and jammy-ed, it's time for this Mama to go relax and catch some Zzzzzzzz.
P.S. The colic is GONE and Keegan is able to sleep 5 hours at night. Hoping that number keeps getting larger, but just grateful that he feels better as he drifts into dreamland!!
Drew and I got him ready to go and dropped him off together at Kids' Kastle. It's a small daycare about five minutes from each of our works. We can drop in any time, and I'm sure I will to begin with. The woman who manages the center is the woman in charge of Keegan's room. She only has five children to care for, three 1 year olds, and 2 babies, in her particular room. Keegan has his own crib so I brought a blanket from home for hime to have there. I'm thinking about taking a few toys and maybe a picture to take and put in his crib as well.
I decided I would take my lunch hours this week and go over and nurse Keegan. When I got there today, his teacher, Tommy, said he had had a great morning and hadn't fussed at all. He took his morning bottle and then a nap. When I got to him, he was pretty content. I got to feed him and instead of talking to him like I normally do, I just stared at him. He is so precious. After eating, I just held him for the next bit and then put hime down in his crib for a nap. After work when i picked him up, all the teachers told me how cute he was, and what a good, easy baby he had been. I just hope that we have more of those days, although I remain realisitic of what can happen.
So all in all, today was a good day. I stayed busy at work which is what I needed and I got to visit my little man. What a great way to spend my lunch. I'm so grateful we found a good place so close to work. It makes me feel better knowing that he's just down the street. Now, as the babe has been bathed and jammy-ed, it's time for this Mama to go relax and catch some Zzzzzzzz.
P.S. The colic is GONE and Keegan is able to sleep 5 hours at night. Hoping that number keeps getting larger, but just grateful that he feels better as he drifts into dreamland!!
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