how i spent my summer vacation

Some people may have had an assignment like this one when they were in school:

Teacher: Ok, class. Because I can't think of anything else to do to fill up the time of the first week of school, I'd like you to write an essay about how you spent your summer vacation.

Some essays perhaps sounded something like this:

"This summer was so fun. I played with my friends every day. We went to the park, went swimming, and walked to the gas station for ice cold drinks. I went camping with my family and got a few sunburns. Etc..."

I admit that I've never personally had my students write such an essay because, well, it's kind of cliche and lame (just FYI, 'lame' is my new favorite word'). However, if I were given the chance now as a student of mommyhood, this is what my essay would say:

How I spent my Summer Vacation

This summer has been unlike any others I've ever experienced. No sitting outside for hours in my swimming suit, reading my latest treasure. No sleeping in until 9 or 10, basking in the cool breeze flowing through the bedroom from a too-loud fan. No midnight runs to 7-11 for Slurpee's, Snickers, and Watermelon Laffy Taffy. And no visits to the drive-in movie theater for a double feature, making-out under the stars, and greasy drive-in cuisine. Nope, this summer is way different.
This summer, I spent a good percent of my time worrying/stressing/confused about a certain newborn little boy. Said little boy keeps me up at night, not with crying or late night feedings, but with my mind racing on how to halt a nasty case of diaper rash and 2 week lasting bouts of diarrhea. Said little boy requires naps every other hour, on the dot, or all hell breaks loose. Said little boy loves cuddling and rocking and swaying and bouncing and not anything out of mommy's arms. Said little boy is a stickler when it comes to taking day-time naps.
On the other hand, though, I spent this summer falling head-over-heels in love with a certain newborn little boy whose smile melts my heart and often brings a lump in my throat. Said little boy laughs and crunches up his nose when he's happy and consequentally makes me not worry about laundry, dishes, vacuuming, or cooking. Said little boy is my right-hand man and goes pretty much every where with me. Said little boy has shown me that there's more to life than suntanning, swimming, Slurpee's, Snickers, and drive-in movies.
So, while this summer vacation has been so vastly different than those in the past, it has also been so amazingly better because of a certain newborn little boy. I can hardly remember what life was like without him (though I know it involved way fewer diapers and way less midnight wake-up calls...) and I'm more than pleased that his special arrival has significanly changed all aspects of my life.

And, unlike some students who bluff their way through assignments like this, this essay comes from the deepest part of my heart. And I'd for sure get an A+. Because if I didn't, it'd be lame.


(pictures are on hiatus because I left my camera at the parent's Hubert's. Hopefully I'll be picking it up tomorrow...)

just to complicate things a little more...

Erich and I went to the physical therapist yesterday to start therapy for his torticollis. Of course, I should have scheduled the appointment for earlier in the morning and not at 4:30 because somewhere around 5pm, little man gets FUSSY!!! Needless to say, he did a lot of screaming into the poor therapist's ear and not a lot of stretching.

Basically, a run-down of what we're doing to help his torticollis:
1. The right side of his neck (muscles) are tight and need to be stretched. This is because when I was in the womb, he had no room to stretch his neck and has a literal kink in his neck because of it. There is nothing we could have done to prevent this from happening, rather it already happened before he was born. That made feel a little better, knowing that I hadn't purposefully messed him up.
2. He favors looking over his right shoulder because to look over his left shoulder is hard since the right muscles are so tight. To help compensate for this, he is supposed to always be put in a position where the fun and exciting things (mom, dad, toys, sound, color, etc.) are over his left shoulder so he's more likely to look. For example, he now has to lay in the crib with his right side facing the wall and left side facing the room. Also, I have to switch him from lying with his right side to me when I'm changing him on the changing table; now it's hard for me to change him quickly because it's backwards for me when his left side is facing me.
3. Ideally, he's to spend no more than 1 hour in any sort of 'device' during the day wherein his head is on a hard surface, ie. swing, carseat, vibrating seat, floor. Instead, I'm to increase his "tummy time," so that he gets both practice lifting his head and strengthening his muscles AND to get his head off the hard surface so it won't continue to go flat on one side. The whole car seat part his hard because somedays when I run errands he's in the seat for a few hours. The therapist suggested I carry him or put him in a sling or other carrying device.
4. There are 3 stretches I must do with him every day, 3 sessions each day, 3 to 5 times for 30 seconds. Add a painful (or, rather annoying) stretch in the mix of an already fussy and upset boy and you guessed it, total chaos. The therapist showed me the stretches and then gave me some papers with them outlined in detail, along with really awful pictures with babies who look terribly deformed (as in, the artist should rethink his renduring of a torticollis baby). Today was day 1 of said stretches....Erich screamed and bawled through the first session (and I did a little too), fussed through the second session, and only made it through one stretch in the third session before I became upset and frustrated at his wailing. So, we cuddled instead (but I did face his head over his left shoulder, which gave him a little stretch).
5. I'll take him back in 2 weeks to reevaluate his progress. The pressure of this is almost worse than not practicing piano for an entire week before lessons and then practicing for one hour before lessons. (I admit to doing this); it's totally obvious when you don't practice. Not that I won't do the stretches, but what if I'm doing them wrong? What if, since he screams so much during them and tenses his body, the stretching is inadequate? I've made little notes of encouragement to myself (along with a note that says "L" for left and "R" for right, that I tape on his respective shoulders...I may be 27, but sometimes I get the two confused, especially when it's backwards to me) and have kind of figured out the best times to do the stretches...right after he eats but before I put him down for a nap.

I knew being a mom was going to be hard. I knew there'd be challenges. I love being a mom and I love Erich to death but I gotta say, it's way harder than I ever thought (and way harder than anyone ever told me it would be, but I don't think you really know what'll be like until your living it). It breaks my heart when he cries and cries, when I have to bend his head in a position I know is uncomfortable. I know it will all be worth it in the long run and I'm so grateful I have good insurance that allows me to take of things like this (and a job where I can be home with him). It's hard to see your kids upset or suffering, especially when you don't know exactly how to comfort them or make it all better. I've been overwhelmed with this the last few days and keep reflecting on my expereiences as a mom so far. The smiles, half-laughs, and coos totally make up for the screams, wails, and poopy diapers.

Today I traveled to the Sandy Target because the ride to our Target isn't long enough for little man to fall asleep (yeah, he fell asleep in the carseat and was in the carseat for at least an hour...oops). I had some coupons for some baby items and needed to find an alternative diaper rash cream because Erich's bottom is all sorts of rash-y (I bought Buttpaste, per a recommendation from one of my sister-in-law's friends..love it so far!). As we walked out to the car, I figured I would stop by my grandma's house since I was in the neighborhood and I knew that Cassidy and Cash were there. We got there and Hilary was just picking up the kids because Cash had his 4 month appointment. I think grandma sensed my stress and offered to watch Erich so I could go do something. I left him there for about an hour and headed to the library to read and enjoy some quiet. It was beyond lovely. I know she doesn't read this, but THANKS GRANDMA!!! It was a big help today!!!

timpanogos cave

My brother, Zach and his family invited me to hike Mt. Timpanogos Cave with them on Saturday. Even though the weather was kind of crummy, it was still a fun time.

Baby Erich had a pretty sweet ride for the hike. He lounged, ate, and slept in a front carrier. In addition to his 12 lb frame, I also carried a backpack with other stuff in it. Needless to say, I was weighed down and was out of breath a few times.
Baby Cash and Baby Erich are hidden by hats and blankets. Hilary and I did pretty good, considering we both recently had babies!!
My and Zach. He had is high-tech hiking equipment, along with a HUGE umbrella that we ended up needing for a bit right after this picture was taken.
Baby Cash on one of our many pit stops, just enjoying the adventure!
Cute Cassidy hanging out on the trail. She's a pretty good little hiker!


THE CAVE PICTURES: I could explain them all, but I'll spare you the details. Most of the pictures just don't do it justice because inside is just super spectacular.
One thing I will say, however, is that am a relative of Wayne Hansen (Hanson? Dad??) who was one of the two men who discovered part of Timpanogos Cave, which currently bears the name "Hansen/on Cave." Zach and I felt pretty special to brag about this fact to the tour guide (ok, so we didn't really brag and we really don't know the whole story, but this guy Wayne really did discover the cave and really is related..I think he was my dad's uncle).
All these hangy-down things (stalagtites/mites??) were pretty sweet. These in the above picture are what they affectionaly have called 'soda straws,' and a pretty cool. My taller traveling companions (Hilary, Zach) each hit their heads on the hangy-down things, to which I laughed and had myself a good inside chuckle.It took about an hour to walk through the whole thing. It was pretty fascinating, much more so than I remember it being as a kid. I'm glad that little man slept the whole time inside and did a pretty good job the whole hiking trip.
Thanks Zach and Hilary for inviting me and taking me along for the ride!!

happy father's day! & it's a good thing you get better with age...

{1996 Take Your Daughter to Work Day @ ATT&T with my dad, Mike. Notice the super cool and trendy dusty pink polo shirt, the total 90's glasses (which I think were also dusty pink around the frames), and my oily, homely, scraggly hair. Yup. I'm a hottie. I think I was in 8th grade. And dad looks spiffy, too, with that awesome hair-do!!! (jk, love it, dad!!)}**

Now that I have your attention with that awful old school photo (that I should be TOO embarrassed to post for the blogging world to see!), lemme give a father's day shout out to my daddy-O, who is an avid reader (one of the few) of my blog. Because I'm lame and kept forgetting to put his card in the mail, he'll get this today and a card...sometime this week... if I stop being lame and remember to drop it off at the post office.

I love my dad. I think he's pretty awesome. I think (though he may correct me if I'm wrong) that I was a daddy's girl when I was little and I kinda think I still am, even though I'm older, have a baby, and he lives in Las Vegas so I don't see him much. He takes interest in my life and I appreciate that. I also appreciate all the stuff he did with me when I was little (he did my hair a few times in elementary school and boy, was it good!) and all the stuff he did with me when I was a little older (he took me to see my favorite band, Barenaked Ladies, at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas AND to Dave Matthew's Band AND to San Fransico for my 16th birthday) and all the stuff he does for me now (can you say "shoes?" anyone, anyone??).

He's hip, likes good music, has good taste in books (he, too, enjoyed one of my favorites, "In Cold Blood," written by my literary boyfriend, Truman Capote), and again, he buys me shoes! Cute ones! Often! He was there for me when I had that awful "Cadilac" spacer in my mouth pre-braces and he often turned the key on that spacer, which in return gave me a sweet gap between my two front teeth reminiscent of David Letterman. He let me drive his purple Sebring convertible around for the weekend once when I was in highschool (and later found out how I killed the battery and had to get a jump start after a school dance).

Yeah, my dad's pretty cool.

Here's another Take Your Daughter to Work Day picture, circa 1997. Here I'm donning a fashionable dress from K-Mart (which I thought was super cute!), a wierd growing-my-hair-out hair-do, complete with the same oily, homely, scragly bangs, braces (ugh!), and to top it all off...dangly earings.
Happy Father's day, daddy-o!!!


______

Happy Father's day, also, to my husband!!! He, unlike my dad, never reads the blog, but what kind of wife would I be if I didn't post a shout-out to the man who is the father of my little man?? Baby Erich got daddy a fancy framed version of this picture for Father's Day:My husband is a trooper--putting up with me! (And I'm a trooper, too, you know, for putting up with him ;)). All jokes aside, I'm really grateful for Ben. I think I'd be completely lost without him taking care of all the manly things around the house, like squishing bugs and taking out the diaper pail bags and setting mouse traps and mowing the lawn and bringing me a glass of cold water in bed and (sometimes) feeding the baby at night so I can sleep and hooking up all things electric and letting me have the car even though it's raining and he has to drive the bike and tickling my back (not quite like my college roommate, Sheena, used to do, but pretty darn close, after practice) and squishing bugs and COOKING and leaving a light on for me and not getting mad when I accidentally leave the back door WIDE FREAKING OPEN ALL DAY LONG for any random stranger to come and steal the contents of our house (it's happened twice now) and holding me when I'm upset/crying/frustrated/tired/fedup and squishing bugs.

Erich is lucky to have a daddy who loves him so very much and who can't wait to see him after work and who (sometimes) changes his diaper so mommy gets a break and who makes him smile like no one else and who holds him and holds him and holds him until he falls asleep and who watches the fish take with him and who really does love him more than he loves his dumb dog (did I say "dumb" outloud?)

Daddy's little buddy!!!

AND, lastly...another Father's Day shout-out to my other dad!!! Thank you SO MUCH for all you do for me and my family. We love you and are so glad to have you in our lives!!!

converse

Our friend, Angel, made Erich some Converse hightops, just like the ones Ben wears. I think they are super cute!

the zoo

Grandma and Grandpa Hubert bought a grandparents pass to the Hoggle Zoo this year. Erich and I tagged along for a trip with grandma, aunt Linda & her kids, and Erich's cousins Chloe and Caydi. We had a good time, especially because it was perfect weather!!!
Erich did pretty good and it was especially good for me to get out of the house!! We'll probably go again soon!!

rubber ducky

The media specialist (or librarian) at my school gave me this cute rubber ducky outfit at the school shower. I totally forgot about it, but found it again when I went through Erich's clothes last week and fell in love all over again.
It's a personal favorite thing of mine to get in comfy clothes (ie, pajamas) on Sunday's after church, but instead of putting little man back in pj's I put him in the cute pants and onesie. The three of us enjoyed a LOOOONNNGGG nap (seriously, almost 3 hours) and then I put him in his swing before bathtime to get a picture in his cute duds.
He's been full of smiles the last few days and talks a ton, it's too cute. I can't believe he's 10 weeks old today!!!

ye old scottish festival

Yesterday we braved the strange June weather to go to the Scottish Festival at Thanksgiving Point. We went last year for the first time and LOVED it so much, we decided to make it a tradition.
This year, my mom went with us and we stayed for just a few hours and took in all things Scottish. I ate a traditional shepherd's pie, Ben dined on haggis (yuck! times twelve!!). We bought little man a wee little kilt and had about a million people comment on how cute he looked. Ben really wanted him to wear it to church today, but since I'm the one who dressed him (& Ben didn't go to church), I didn't comply with this wish. The kilt will actually fit Erich for a few years because it has Velcro...that is the only reason why I consented to actually spending money on it.
We watched the closing ceremony wherein the bag pipe bands all played. It was too cool.
Luckily, we got there right when the rain storm was passing and we enjoyed decent weather the rest of the time.
It was nice to have Ben off of work for a Saturday and to be able to actually go out and do something.

wherein i feel loads better

Had a really swell day OUT of the house. Attended the Scottish festival with B, E, mom. Bought little E a skirt...well, a kilt, if I'm being honest. He looks so darn cute. Will post pics tomorrow. Currently typing with one hand whilst holding my baby and am too tired to write much more.

Thanks to my commenters for the kind words of encouragement!

wherein i'm totally honest

I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Normally not one to air my dirty laundry (per se) on my blog, it's just gotta come out and about now is a good time.

I feel guilty because:

1. Breastfeeding didn't work for me because my milk never really came in AND it's hard reading SO MUCH about breastfeeding being the best. I get it, I know. I feel bad enough that apparently my son is going to get sicker and loose out on nutrients, etc., etc., etc., but cut a new, tired momma some slack--I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN, OK??

2. Sometimes I smile when I see Erich crying because his lips curl together to make the "w" sound as in "WAHHHHH." It's sometimes the cutest thing and sometimes I just hold him and watch him wail because I love seeing that little "w" forming.

3. All the sleeping books I've been perusing on getting my baby to sleep say it's a no-no to let them sleep in the swing for naps. But, you know what, he sleeps in there much longer for naps than in his crib!! And about sleeping....I'm feeling guilty because Erich wakes up one time in the night to eat--around 3am--and I complain but some babies at this age STILL wake up several times a night. He does sleep in his crib at night, though. And another thing about sleeping, I'm feeling guilty because I tried to get him to fall to sleep on his own last night (rather than rocking him or swaying him or holding him till he dozed) and I let him cry for 10 minutes without success. I know, I'm a horrible mom. I know it'll eventually have to happen that he falls asleep on his own, but the WAHHHHH at that point isn't so cute!

4. Again, BREASTFEEDING!!! AHHHH!!!! I see women doing it now ALL over and I see those cute nursing covers and I see it over and over it the books I read, "Breast is best....you bottle feeders are GOING TO BABY HELL because you don't breastfeed," (not really) and OHMYGOSH, why couldn't I have gotten it to work for me?!?!?!?!

I'm frustrated because:

1. I love my husband dearly but sometimes I wish Ben could/would do MORE to help out. Sometimes I'll let the baby cry a little longer than normal just to see if Ben will do anything...pick him up, ANYTHING. But nope. He's content to keep watching TV. Or go water the plants. Or eat. True, he works full time AND has school.....

2. BREASTFEEDING!!!! Even though I took heart in Ben's aunt Linda's advice ("A happy mom is better than a frustrated or stressed mom, " which she told me after about two weeks of unsuccessful and frustrating breastfeeding) I am having a hard time LETTING THIS ONE GO!!!

3. I need to get out of the house more. I'm feeling cooped up and lazy!! I need actual face-to-face contact with some girlfriends. This is one thing Ben doesn't understand I don't think because again, he's content to come home from work and WATCH TV ALL NIGHT!!! I'm SO SICK OF tv!!!! I worked up courage to take Erich on a walk yesterday but the whole time kept looking behind me in case, in some fluke accident, another dog came up and bit my leg!!!

Ok...enough said. I feel a little better.

2 months

This is Erich today at the pediatrician's office. He was all smiles and full of stories while we waited to see Dr. N. The smiles didn't last forever, though, since shortly after this picture was taken, he got 3 shots! Boy, did he SCREAM!!!

His 2 month stats:
--Weight: 11lbs, 2 oz. (33%)
--Height: 23.23 inches (58%)
--Head: 15.6 in (35%)

I had a concern about his head because he usually will only lay on his left side and it's getting a little flat spot. So I asked her, she checked it out, and said it looked like torticollis, which basically means his neck muscle is tight so it's hard to turn his head any other way. She showed me a stretch I can do with him and then wants me to take him to a physical therapist for a couple of visits. She says that his head is still ok and will probably be fine with a few physical therapy visits, but that if he did end up needing a helmet to correct the problem, insurance usually only pays for it if the patient had already seen the physical therapist. I'm going to call tomorrow to get him set up.

Otherwise, Dr. N said he looks perfect. She was happy to hear how well he sleeps at night (only gets up one time around 2 or 3), and that he's already rolling over. He was so sweet (before shots!) and showed off his new smile and was full of coos for the doctor.

He slept most of the afternoon after we got home, but when we went to the grocery store when dad got home, he was smily and talking.

new shoes

My dad works for Zappos.com, the HUGE online shoe store (and more!). I'm lucky enough to benefit from his job and received a fun pair of Sanuk shoes from him for my birthday. The picture shows my WHITE legs wearing the cute kicks. I wore them today on my travels about town and oh, my, they are SO comfy!! I almost feel like I'm walking barefoot.

Thanks, daddy-o!!!

tony's

I was born on Sunday, June 6th 1982. My dad tells the story (or maybe my mom tells the story) (or maybe I made up the story in my head) that he was anxious/excited to watch the Tony's even though I had just been born.

The Tony's have always fallen on or around my birthday, and I watch every year, so when my dad Tweeted me yesterday to remind me that they were on, I sat on the bed with Erich to watch. He was surprisingly entertained (though these days he's entertained by anything that is moving with bright colors).
Mommy and Erich watchin' the Tony's!!

See how he's totally engaged in...something.......it was the AMAZING Shrek number!!!

red, much??

I like the color red, apparently:

My RED Zune, my RED cell phone, my RED digital reader

june 6th, 2009

This was an important day for two reasons. It was little Erich's blessing day and my 27th birthday.

We decided to keep the blessing small with just our parents and grandparents. Ben did a lovely job, even though he was really nervous and anxious. He commented to me after that he almost passed out during the blessing. I'm proud of him, though, and am happy with how it turned out.

My awesome mother-in-law made Erich's blessing outfit. I LOVE how it turned out. Grandma Susan bought his booties and socks. I think he looked absolutely precious!!Grandpa Erich & Little Erich

Daddy, Erich, and Grandpa Erich


Four Generations: Opa Hubert, Ben, little Erich, & Grandpa Erich (do you se how they all look alike??)
Opa Hubert, Ben, little Erich, Grandpa Erich, & Grandpa Witt

Grandma Witt, Grandma Hubert, little Erich, me, Grandma Susan, Grandma Ella, and Oma Hubert
My little man. He was so calm the whole time. Grandpa Witt told me that during the blessing he was staring up at everyone's faces and when everyone said "Amen," Erich cooed a little "Amen" himself.
Opa Hubert always plays "Happy Birthday" on the harmonica on everyone's birthday. He brought it out and played for me and then after the blessing, he played for Erich. Erich loved it!


Then it was off to my mom's house for a BBQ. She went all out--as usual--and even made my favorite pasta salad. We had yummy "Nothing Bundt Cake" chocolate cake and I received lots of wonderful gifts!! Thanks, everyone!

erich's smiles

Erich's getting better at smiling. I took all of these pictures this morning when he was in a fun mood. I managed to capture his many smiles. I'm in love!!