Living Carefree

The past couple few days have been gorgeous.  It's raining today of course.  But Monday was a spectacular sunny day.  We took an extra long walk and I started to think about how carefree my life truly is.  I mean what do I have to be worried about?  Making friends?  That's nothing!  Plus I have wonderful friends who are just a phone call or a short car ride away.  So really I have nothing to worry about!  I'm not trying to brag I'm just saying that sometimes it takes something as simple as a pretty fall day to remind me just how lucky I am.

I don't think I've mentioned too much about my involvement with my college sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII).  I was involved with the alumnae advisory committee in Baltimore at Towson university and now at VCU.  Basically we help oversee that the current chapter doesn't get themselves into too much trouble!  Anyway, I was on campus Sunday night and was hit with a sense of nostalgia.  Talk about living care free!  Aaah, those were the days.  I'd like to think that I still look young enough to pass for a college student.  But the baby in the stroller kind of hinders that!

42 Weeks!

I love that I was able to capture Kolton sticking his tongue out in this weeks' pic.  He's been all about it lately.  So at 42 Weeks we are still waiting for him to crawl.  I will admit that I am getting very anxious about it.  Kids his age are pulling themselves up on things, nearly walking and yet our little guy seems no where near that.  I know, I know, all babies develop at their own pace but this seems kind of crazy.  Whats even crazier still is I've asked countless moms what they did or how their children did it and they all say the same thing "the kid just did it on their own".

I need to interject that as I'm writing this post I'm suffering stay at home mom embarrassment.  The guy is here to winterize the sprinkler system.  I knew he was coming but I didn't get around to changing out of my pj's, brushing my hair, or even getting a bra on!  Granted his work is all outside but I had to answer the door this way.  Ooops!

Part of the reason why I haven't gotten around to taking care of myself yet, besides checking emails and doing this of course =), is that Kolton has already taken a 7oz bottle, ate breakfast (oatmeal & bananas), and pooped twice!  He is a really poopy kid!  Every morning is a little like this.  A lot happens then he'll nap around 10.  Around noon he may be ready for 4oz of formula.  I say may because he doesn't always take it.  By noon its been 5 hours since he's had a bottle and 4 since he's had anything.  It just always surprises me that he still feels full from the morning.

Well I better go pull myself together a little...is going to be a beautiful day here in Richmond and I hope to spend a little bit of it outside while we still can =)

Bliss

Today was bliss.  My bliss is doing nothing all day but playing and snuggling my little guy.  We didn't go to the gym or a mom meet up; I didn't feel the need to clean or get anything else done even though there was tons I could have been doing; we hardly left the house actually.  I loved every minute of it and found myself wishing Kolton didn't have to go to bed at 7:30.

Why is the world we live in so crazy?  Why do we have to be confronted with things like child sex abuse scandals and kidnappings?  Why do kids get serious illnesses?  Why do accidents happen and bad things happen to good people?  Ugh!  Why do we ever leave the house?  Sorry to get all serious and gloom and doom =)  Sometimes I just wonder how anybody ever makes it through unscathed.

I'll admit that at least once a week I still get a little down about having to move.  I miss Baltimore!  I miss Minneapolis!  But, one look into the big brown eyes of my beautiful baby boy and I'm thankful and happy!

Bait

The other day Kolton, Sophie, and I were out for our morning walk when a stray dog came up to us.  It was about the size of a German Shepard.  My first reaction was to yell at the dog but then I'd be the crazy lady yelling in the street.  So against my better judgement I let the stray come up to us.  He followed as I started walking again.  Within minutes I saw a man walking  towards me with an empty collar and leash.  He told me that the stray had been seen in the neighborhood for a while now and recently killed his cat.  The dog had obviously been trained at one point because he was responding to commands to sit but wouldn't sit still long enough for the man to put the collar on him.  The guy even had doggie treats and still couldn't get collar around his neck.  So we continued on and the guy headed home.  Well the stray was obviously very interested in my dear little Sophie.  Then the man asked if I wouldn't mind walking Sophie to his fenced back yard so that we could trap the stray and call animal control.  Basically using Sophie as bait.  It seemed logical enough so I did it. Yes, I am that stupid!!!!!

Once we got to the yard I quickly realized that I was putting myself, my baby, and my fur baby in potential danger.  What the hell was I thinking?!?!  The man had to run around the yard to close the other gate.  So while he did that I anxiously watched as the stray cornered my little girl at my feet.  Um, this dog had just killed a cat and Sophie is not that much bigger than a feline!  I yelled for the man and he came around to help.  Now the dog wasn't showing real signs of aggression but I think that's besides the point.  I breathed a sigh a relief and walked away quickly.  That stay was back at my feet in 10 seconds flat.  He had jumped the fence!!!  So Sophie was used as bait yet again to get close enough to put the collar on.  My heart was pounding all the way home.  What is it about the suburbs that makes me so suspicious of people?  I should have just walked home and called animal control.  But of course I didn't have my cell phone on me.  Don't you just hate it when life finds a way to teach you lesson?  Thankfully nothing bad happened and hopefully the dog was microchipped or something and will be returned to its owners.  But I will carry my cell phone on my walks from now on!

Oyster Festival

OMG, what a fun weekend!  You can't get more pituresuqe than the above photo.  That was the scene at our friend's river house on the Rappahannock.  We hung out around a fire for a while on Friday night before the swirling winds forced us inside.  Saturday was beautiful, sunny and cool yet still warm in the sun.  The Urbana Oyster festival was so much fun.  We basically made it as far as the wine tasting area and parked it for a few hours =)  But we also sampled fried, steamed, and raw oysters as well as a multitude of other fried yumminess.  Kolton was pleasant as usual and took in all of the sights and sounds with curious wonder.  Special thanks to Amy for being the group photographer!  We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and gracious hosts.

I loved those sunglasses which unfortunately Kolton broke later in the day.  Best $10 I ever spent!

Chilaxin in his ride

Due to daylight savings time Kolton went down just after 6pm tonight.  I'm also feeling a little cold coming on.  Tomorrow morning might be very interesting. It wouldn't be unheard of for him to sleep in until around 6:30.  Oh please, please, please!  I may be turning in shortly myself.  It's 7:45!

41 Weeks!

You know how when you're on vacation and the week just seems to fly by?  Honestly thats how I feel almost every week!  Whats crazy is that I don't accomplish much.  Just days filled with hanging out with my little guy making sure all of his basic needs are met.  I love it!  I wonder how much things will change once I have to chase after him?

Of course he repaid me for all of my bragging in the last post by having a couple rough nights this week.  Nothing big but he does this thing where he cries but isn't really awake.  I'm a little confused on how to handle it.  If I pick him up to soothe him he will wake up but rubbing his back doesn't seem to work either.  Is he dreaming or feeling teething pain?  I think the last time he went through a stretch like this he was teething but then I also recently read something about a 10 month sleep regression.  So who knows what I'm in for?  But he slept well last night except for the fact that he got up at 6 this morning.  Daylight savings should be fun =)

We've got another fun filled weekend planned!  Heading to Deltaville, VA to attend an Oyster festival with friends from Baltimore.  So excited!

9 Month Check Up

Kolton had his 9 month check up today.  He did great!  He only cried for a minute after getting his shots and was quite the happy little guy during the entire appointment.  I want to be modest but sometimes I have to be a proud mama bear.  The nurse kept saying "Is he always this good? Seriously, this is not normal!"  

He is 19 pounds and 29 inches.  She did comment that he has more teeth than a typical 9 month old...8 in front and the molars are coming in as well. Speaking of teething; whats the correlation with teething and pooping anyway?  Kolton pood 4 times today!  But I digress...

He did so good at the Dr. that I thought he deserved a new toy.  I couldn't resist the classic ring stack em toy.  I was surprised at the delight he took in playing with it for the first time.  Love that kid!