Flash Me Friday: the front of your house!

This week's Flash Me Friday is the front of your house. If you want to join in on the fun---head over to Jen's blog to see what it's all about!



(I'm posting a day early because we are heading up North for the 4th...so I guess it's "flash me thursday" today!)

Ryder's 2nd PT appointment

This morning we had Ryder's second physical therapy appointment. The therapist re-measured head tilt angles, the degree he can turn his head to each side, the degree he can hold his head up when tilted to each side etc. I am happy to report that the therapist was super impressed with his progress! She said she couldn't believe how much he had improved over the last two weeks (we didn't go last week because we couldn't get in on such short notice). She said she could tell we have been doing our "homework" with him---which, if anyone knows me well, you know I was doing it ;)

She also thought he was pretty strong in his legs and arms already too when she was testing his development---she thinks he's going to be a big, strong boy! She also may have mentioned how cute he was a time or two as well...I couldn't agree more!!

A little bumbo chair time. He LOVES staring at his orange monkey!

Such chubby cheeks! Such a big bottom boo boo lip! So cute :)

Bachelorette

I'll admit it. I'm a bachelorette junkie. It's so fakey and set up, but I can't help it. I.am.addicted. And, I will also tell you all, JOE is also a lover of the cheesy reality show. At first, he pretended not to be, but it was inevitable. He saw the light. At the gym tonight, I said to Joe that I would be ready to head home in 15 minutes. He came over to me and said that we should just leave now in order to get home to watch the Bachelorette. bahahah. I love it.

I also love that I can bring Ryder to the gym. Not Lifetime (which we still pay up the wazoo for in monthly dues, but rarely go). We bring Ryder to the Snap Fitness in Waconia. We time it so he's sleeping the whole time we're there, which works out nicely. I just jump on the tred (and walk, not run people---I'm having a tough time motivating myself to do anything really physical these days!) and put Ryder next to me on the ground in his car seat. No one says anything to us when we bring him there, but even if they did complain...who cares. We know the owner! (That would be Logan Haskins, Joe's brother and Ryder's Godfather. I'm thinking he'll let it slide....).

Naked baby butts

I changed Ryder's diaper because he had a massive blowout. Then he peed all over me while I was trying to get his diaper on....so since he was empty for a brief while, I let him air out his tushy and read a book! He loved it :) (and so did mom)

I hope everyone had as wonderful of a weekend as I did. Lots of relaxing and some good family time with the three of us! What a beautiful Sunday :) Have a good week all!

Flash me Friday: your bathroom

This week's Flash Me Friday is the bathroom I use most in the house. If you want to join in on the fun---head over to Jen's blog to see what it's all about!

This is coming into our bathroom.

This is the view to the right. Those pictures on the wall are pictures of when Joe and I were little in the bathtub. You'll see the whirlpool tub that I have used ONCE. yes ONCE when I was preggo. Kinda a waste of space if you ask me. I'd rather have a bigger closet or something. Whatever.

This is a vew to the left. You'll see my crap all over the counter.

Another update on working last night: I didn't. Something got all screwed up with scheduling and me being technically still on my maternity leave. So anyways, long story short: I didnt have to work last night. Today involved trying to figure out my health insurance and what's going to happen now that MNA (our nurse's union) decided to go on strike July 6th--which is before I'm due back to work on July 8th. Poopy. I'll keep you updated on the situation.

First night away :(

My technical time to return to work from my maternity leave is not until July 8th. BUT....in order to keep my health insurance and not pay COBRA for the month of July, I had to work one day before the end of this month. I asked around and found someone to let me pick up a shift for them...and it happens to be tonight :( I'm so not looking forward to working tonight for a few reasons. First and foremost: I have to leave my baby!! It will be the longest time away from him yet for me, so that is sad. Second, I did not sleep well last night because Ryder decided to wake up and cry because he lost his paci (and realized it, normally he doesnt care) at 1:20am, 3am (I fed him at this time), 4:30am, and 6am (I fed him again here to get him back to sleep). Ahhhh, it's like he knew that I was leaving him tonight and was punishing me by not letting me get a good night's sleep (all relative in the sense of "good" of course). Obviously he has no clue, but that's just what I like to think. Lastly, I am not nervous at all for Joe in the sense that he won't be able to handle Ryder at night. Joe is AWESOME with Ryder. But I'm worried he won't wake up and hear him! :) He sleeps like a rock and sometimes doesn't wake up when Ryder does. We'll just have to crank the monitor really loud for him I guess!

I'm grateful for my mother-in-law, Amy. She's coming down this afternoon/evening so I can get a nap in hopefully before working tonight. And I am also grateful for my own mom because she's coming down tomorrow morning early so that I can sleep tomorrow during the day for a little bit after I get off work. I am a lucky girl! Also exciting: Friday night we are going to watch Joe's cousin Jake and his band play at the Maple Tavern in Maple Grove. Should be a good time!!

how do you train a baby?

A few posts back, I mentioned trying to move Ryder's last big meal before bed a little earlier every few days with the hopes of eventually eliminating the need for that feeding and hoping he would sleep longer. It is NOT working. He wakes up without fail after about 5 hours (from the start of the last feeding) no matter what time I do the last feeding before putting him down for the night. So if I start feeding him at 9pm, then he's up by 130-2am (and subsequently again at 5 or 6). If I feed him at 11pm, he's up by 330-4am, etc. I've even bumped him up to 6oz for that last feeding thinking he maybe needed more to sustain him. Nope, no difference. Then I thought, maybe it's an internal clock and he's really not hungry but waking himself up because that's what time he always eats. But after listening to him cry for what seems like eternity (and a giant waste of time when I could have already fed him and then been back to bed...) I go to feed him and he eats as though he hasn't had a meal for days. What the heck!? I get frustrated because so many people tell me that their kid slept through the night at 4 weeks...at 6 weeks...or, "for sure by 3 months he'll be sleeping through the night"...I've even had someone tell me that their baby slept through the night from day one. Yes, day one. WHATEVER. Well, he's 2 1/2 months so something drastic better happen in the next 2 weeks in order to make it to that "magical three month sleeping through the night thing" haha. I know all babies are different, but seriously. I'm going back to work shortly (well, maybe....this whole strike thing may just give me a very extended maternity leave....) and I really would like to be on a better night schedule with him. Some people say you have to "train" your baby to sleep through the night. Well my question is: how do you train a baby to stop waking up and eating at night? Please do inform me. I am open to any and all suggestions ;)