He's a morning person and I'm not

Reed is such a morning person. He's so happy first thing in the morning, when he smiles it looks as tho he can barely contain himself. How can anyone resist this face? In the dim light his eyes sparkle. This would be my favorite part of the day except that I'm usually slightly grumbly and trying to figure out how to scheme my way back into bed. It isn't long before his charms successfully melt my heart and by the time I'm fully awake he's giggling and so am I.

Week by week it gets easier to make him laugh. He's ticklish in his ribs and loves when I use a deep raspy voice. I can say pretty much anything in this voice and it pleases him.

Mondays and Wednesdays are my busiest days now. In addition to being workdays they have now become college days as well. I drop Reed off at school in the morning and pick him up after work so we can spend a couple hours together before Mike gets home and I leave for college. Its so hard to leave them! It doesn't matter how many times I give a goodbye kiss, or tell them to "have fun" and "I'll be back soon." I just watch Reed sitting on Mike's arm with his hand around Mike's neck and his little eyes following me as I gather my coat and books. I wonder, as I often do throughout any day, what little thoughts are going through his head.

Every day, I wish I could explain things to him. I wish I could tell him that when he pinches the back of my arm while he's eating, it causes me pain. I wish I could tell him where we are going when we get in the car and what we'll see when we get there. I wish I could explain to him that its bed time and we want him to put himself to sleep in his crib at night. That we still love him, we are not abandoning him and we do not wish to scare him. If only I could just convey that he can trust me and there is a reason that I do the things that I do. That its all for him. All of it.

I love him completely, through and through and to my core. When his bottom lip starts to quiver and he begins to cry I my heart sinks. When he grins at me, his tiny finger clenched between his gums as he chews on it, my heart grows wings.

He changes so quickly. He discovers new abilities weekly and becomes more aware of his body. He's been checking out his feet lately. A common one for babies his age right now. He's not overly obsessed with them but he thinks they're pretty cool. Standing is his favorite thing and I just love looking at his tiny body as he strains to keep his balance. He's progressively becoming more comfortable on his tummy. We show him a toy and put it out of reach hoping that he'll try to figure out a way to get to it. At first I thought he was just sleepy when he'd lay his head down on one cheek, but then his butt would come up in the air as he tucked his knees under him and we were able to see that he was trying to get some leverage! Unfortunately, once he tries to launch, his toes shoot behind him... and he goes nowhere.

He's very strong and we can't make him do anything he doesn't want to do. Its difficult to bend his knees or his hips because he will use everything in him to resist us!

His babbling is adorable. I think his favorite time to babble is in church of course. We were in class and the leader of the discussion asks a rhetorical question with the expectation of meeting silence. It was the type of question that no one would oppose, but Reed took the opportunity to tell everyone how he felt. For a moment the leader thought someone was really disagreeing!

This delighted everyone in the room. Reed continued! I placed my hand over his mouth and did the embarrassed mom apology look to the people looking at us. I was met with grins and chuckles as well as understanding nods from the other parents. Some were whispering, "he's fine! Nobody minds!"

Reed is still figuring out this church thing, we haven't quite established a perfect eat/nap/listen routine that fits with the schedule yet. The fist time we went, he'd fallen asleep on the way there and woke up to the sound of a roomful of voices singing all together. The look on his face was priceless! He'd never heard so many people sing at the same time! Usually it's just his mom- but this was quite simply amazing!

We haven't yet used the church nursery, but I'm sure we'll try it out soon. They have a great area for the babies to play and sing with the nursery leader. I promise you a picture if we take him this weekend.

Here is a video I just took of him after waking up from his nap in his pack n play.

First Swim Lesson and First Solid Meal!

Last Saturday was a big day for our tiny man-baby. As we packed his swim bag and headed for the gym at Chesapeake, he had no idea what fun was ahead! We’ve been waiting for what seems like forever to take him to the pool. The sign says, Babies must wear fitted swim diapers, to which we respond- swim diaper -it is, but fitted- it is not! We bought his washable “speedo” type swim diaper and it’s very snug around his waist but the leg holes are gaping. So I bought some Huggies little swimmers. Those also turned out to be slightly too big. So, Mike dressed him in both and on top of that his little brown and orange trunks with his brown and orange rash guard. I had just finished up swimming a very slow and laborious 250 when I looked up; it was quite an adorable sight to watch them return from the family dressing room. Mike slowly descended the plastic stairs while Reed just hung out on his daddy’s arm.

Sometimes Reed is just so laid back that it’s amusing. We had the pool to ourselves to ogle over our baby’s first experience, which was nice. We didn’t have to worry about being self conscious in our praise of how well Reed floats and the silly faces and sounds we make to entice a smile. He looked around at all the water with this expression, ‘that’s a lot of water!” After a little while he started to smile as we bounced him up and down or swirled him around in circles. We passed him back and forth and he enjoyed going from Daddy to Mommy and back again. The whole experience was wonderful and memorable. And later when we were home and I was uploading pictures to the computer, we looked each other in the eyes, knowingly, because this is our life now as parents. To introduce brand new things to our baby is to see them through his eyes and to almost experience them ourselves for the first time again.

Chesapeake starts water babies classes at six months. We are hoping that by then, Reed will be ahead of the curve with his weekly visits to the pool!

That evening we also introduced Reed to his first solid dinner. One tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with some very nutritious breast milk served up on a spoon! We set him up in the Bumbo with the tray and Mike fed him the first bite while I manned the camera. He was a rockstar! Huffing and puffing through his nose, doing “the bull”, he leaned in towards the spoon and devoured the cereal like he was worried we were going to change our minds. His tiny fists clasped under his chin, he looked like he was begging! He ate almost angrily and finished pretty quickly and needed a bottle afterwards. Mike and I both enjoyed it and look forward to sharing dinner time with him every night now. There is also some bad news. That night Reed did not sleep well, he was restless and fitful. He woke up almost every hour. The previous week he had slept 9 hours one day and 10 the next. Of course when you tell people you’re going to start solids, the obvious response is “he’s going to sleep so well!” No such luck. He was already sleeping well so the cereal, what, had the opposite effect? Two nights of this and in the mean time we discovered he had developed a cold. Poor little dude has a stubborn runny nose and a juicy cough that makes me wish I could get in there and clean out the mucus in his chest.

Monday was MLK day and Reed and I both and the day off, so we went to the Chesapeake fitness center for the workout class I used to frequent before I started working at the bank! Its always fun to show him off and I brought his travel bed for him to play in and entertain himself while I got my sweat on. He did really well for about 45 minutes and the last 15 I held him while we did abs. It was no problem. April was there in class and she got a nice tight squeezy hug from Reed afterward. I of course think that I’m just as strong as I was a year ago so I try to hop back into workouts that my body forgot how to do. But, I found all those tiny muscles that I call “the meats” tucked into and around my ribs. I found muscles all down my back and shoulders twisting around my spine. I was sore head to toe, heck, its Thursday and I’m still sore!

We had bagels with Melissa and Ty since they were off for MLK day as well and I invited April and Hannah to join sine April was running errands in the area. It was wonderful of them to come by, I always love seeing Hannah, and I always love my friends to meet each other, too. After bagels Reed and I went to see Lensey, who tortured me. She calls it physical therapy. She also called it soft tissue massage, but I assure you there was nothing “soft” about it. I’ll admit, I’m feeling so much better thanks to Lensey. She’s an angel! I’m happy that I can finally move around without that annoying pain.

Finally, we stopped off at Alison’s house to see her nursery and bring the gift for Essick since I missed her shower last month. Her cute nursery is done in a “sailing” theme complete with his initials over the crib. Not the traditional ESW, but the nautical alphabet! Pretty cool. It was great to catch up. Alison and I haven’t spent time together like that since probably last spring. I guess, it was our trip to Ardmore for the Xterra that the guys did.

Lastly we had dinner with Allissa and Jackson, no Keith and Cassie this time. The Monday night tradition was put away for now since I’m starting back to school Monday and Wednesday nights. I guess we have to pick a different night! We have been meeting together Monday nights for almost two years now I think… is that right? Wow, amazing. So, yes it will just have to move! We can’t give up now, we have built a very strong foundation with these meals! It was a full day but Reed was a full fledged trooper and nothing less. Our MLK day started by dropping Mike off at home and we didn’t step a foot into the house until past 8:30 that night. I love that he allows me to still have the life I need.

So I must wrap this up because I have to start on my complaint letter to the office of admissions at Rose State College. Ciao!

no pajamas! must roll instead!

Hats

Daughter. Employee. Friend. Mother. Sister. Student. Wife.

It’s important to recognize the different hats we wear, but how do we maintain a balance? They can’t all be equal and they must be prioritized. Sometimes I feel like I’m neglecting my duties in one area or another. As I’ve moved through life my different titles have been ranked and re-ranked. Last year, most importantly I was “wife”, naturally. Now above all I’m “mother.” You may think that’s a new one that was just recently added but, au contraire; it has been there a long time. If you know me, then you know I’m always preparing and planning. I’ve had my “mother” hat tucked away in the back of the metaphorical closet. I’ve just been dying to get it out, dust if off and wear it! (I have to say, it fits nicely!) Now I realize I have to make an extra special effort not to neglect my family, my friends and my husband. It’s an intricate weave that I must master.

Reed had his 4 month appointment today. He’s exactly 4 and a half months old. I don’t know what it is about the doctor’s office but he’s always in such a great mood. Completely happy, smiling, laughing and kicking the table. I’m beginning to think I need a roll of that paper that he can lay on at home because he seems to love the noise it makes as he kicks and squirms on it. Everything is on the up and up. He’s growing normally; still in the 75^th percentile for height and 50^th for weight. He’s laughing, babbling, and rolling over, which makes the clogged tear duct our only battle. It’s messy and irritates the skin around his eyes which looks painful and is not attractive at all. All we can do is try to keep it cleaned up, give it a little massage and the warm compress. I have run across another tid-bit that seems to be helping… it also makes me feel like I have a bit of a super power. I’m a healer. I read that the antibacterial properties in breastmilk can help many ailments. Reed doesn’t seem to mind and it sure is a lot more convenient than standing at the sink with a warm cloth waiting for the water to warm up all the time. Especially when we are out and about!

Dr. Garrison also talked to me about starting Reed on rice cereal. I’ve been looking forward to the discussion- we started giving Reed a spoon, so he can work on his hand eye coordination and I bought him a bowl with a suction bottom and then sat and tapped my finger tips together waiting very patiently. Since Reed is showing interest in our food and lately he seems to be less satisfied with just milk, the doctor said, “go right ahead” its up to us. Well originally, I was very set on breastfeeding exclusively and waiting until he was 6 months old. There are many benefits, however- my supply has gone down and maybe that’s all a sign pointing towards the fact that Reed just needs something more substantial. He’s a growing boy after all! I’m excited to blog about his first gourmet single grain dish.

The shots are always the scariest part, aren’t they? I think the anticipation is worse than the actual shot. It was the same drill as his shots two months ago. I leaned over him on the table with my thumb in his mouth and spoke to him softly as his eyes twinkled up at me. I clipped my thumbnail down real short this time to avoid stabbing him. I just wish I could explain what was coming because I know he gets more mad about the surprise of it than the pain. Two minutes flat and I had him smiling! I couldn’t be more proud. I don’t know why but it just makes my heart swell to think my little boy is just so tough! Here is a specific example of a trait he got from Mike. This ability to move on so quickly, to not dwell on things. He can just get mad and then get over it. I, on the other hand, have to stay mad once I’m set off. I do not have the ability to turn off the emotion once the switch is flipped. It’s a fault, I admit, and sometimes it’s really inconvenient. Mike can say something like, “it was a misunderstanding. There’s no reason to be mad about it anymore.” Oh how I wish I could just say, “you’re right. I’m all better now!” Just another example of why I want Reed to grow up to be just like his daddy. There’s a reason I married the man, I think he’s just about perfect! Why wouldn’t I want my son to be just like him?

The rolling over is getting pretty hilarious. I mean, he rolled over at about 3 months, but he just did it to show he could and then he pretty much put it behind him and only occasionally pulled it out of his box of tricks. The past couple days he’s become obsessive about it. He can’t be on his back anymore but once on his tummy he grunts and squirms. The most untimely of rolls is during a diaper change. He just pulls his knees up like a little pill bug, or as we used to call them a “rolly poly” and suddenly he’s on his tummy. I’m pretty disgusted by our living room rug and busting out the old carpet shampooer has skyrocketed on the list of priorities!

Poor Reed is a tummy sleeper and at home we almost never put him down on his back anymore. His sleep is important and although we would love to try and get him to sleep comfortably on his back, it’s just not worth the trouble! However, at school they’re not allowed to lay them down on their tummies. So Reed was just starting to get used to that at school and finally getting some longer naps on his back right before Christmas break. Then he was out for 2 and a half weeks and home with Mike while I was at work. When he got back to school last week- they had to start all over! I feel pretty guilty about it but they said if they lay him down on his back and he rolls to his tummy to sleep then they can leave him. Someday! Right now, when he’s rolling he’s too amped up. It’s not really a ‘winding down’ activity. I really love his child care facility tho. The mother’s day out we use is great and I really trust his teachers. His two regular teachers are both named Katie, and are so sweet to him. I do not envy them, I enjoy my days home alone with Reed on Tuesdays and Thursdays but to have 7 babies in one room? No thanks!

I love that he’s developing social skills this early. Working part time is the perfect combination, because I don’t feel like they’re raising my baby but I’m not overwhelmed staying home with him every day either. And I still get my adult time and the other personal things that my job fulfills. Plus, Reed gets to experience being around others his age and can be independent of his mommy. I’m really starting to like Kacie, the girl who left her number in his bag. It worries me that I like her so much, Reed really digs her and she’s in love with him. She can’t know about this blog after the rant I made a while back about how much she wanted to charge me to watch him! PS- I still haven’t asked her to watch him. We’ve used our wonderful friends to watch him for free, and then we thank them with a small token of appreciation.

I’m about to break out my student hat again Spring semester starts next Wednesday. *sigh* I’ve got to keep chipping away at it and I don’t want to use Reed as an excuse. So if you’re wondering where I am on Monday and Wednesday nights- I’ll be at school, getting my education on.

A look at 2010 & a glimpse into the future!

2010 was a really great year. The road of our lives took some radical turns and we are now headed down a completely new path. At the beginning of the year we announced our pregnancy, which started the flow of shopping, decorating, baby showers and thank you notes! Our first baby shower was in May in Indianapolis, the next one in June here in OKC. For the fourth of July we flew into SLC, had a big party and saw some friends before making our way to Green River, Wyoming to have a shower with my family. Lastly was my shower at work. I started at the bank last January and I knew I was pregnant when I interviewed. Of course I didn’t tell them that when I interviewed. I waited until I was about 14 weeks along and I felt like I just couldn’t hide the bump anymore. When I told my boss he said he just thought the “BOK Diet” had finally gotten to me. I think one of my most prominent features was my slender build and having people think that I was getting fat just didn’t sit well with me! I took a picture at 15 weeks and I was so excited to see my little bump pushing out of my t-shirt. It was the funniest to look back on because the further along I got the less pregnant I looked in that 15 week picture. Even now, 4 months post partum, my belly is bigger than it was at 15 weeks.

I’m posting the 15 week picture as well as the 40 week picture. This was the day I went into labor, although Reed wasn’t born until the next night at 9pm. In this picture I had just finished a 6 mile bike ride on my cruiser after waking up feeling quite crampy!

We needed a family wagon and spent 6 months researching cars. Talk about something getting really really old! After much deliberation over which direction to go we finally decided on a Cayenne (pre owned). It was almost embarrassing to tell people we bought a Porshe. However, I'm used to saying it now. We spend two years as a single car family - carpooling and riding our bikes. We saved up enough cash for the new car even tho it seems like Mike has a habit of going over every established budget. *grin* If we say lets stay under $x he's surely going to find something that he absolutely loves that is just a teensy weensy bit over it! Oh well, it's more of a guideline anyway. Its a cool car- drives really smooth, has a lot of neat features and even tho it's been a bit of a pain in the ass- I love driving it around. There aren't many out there so it sort of makes me feel special! On the other hand, I would prefer to keep it in the garage just a bit more. The fuel economy is about half of that of the civic and gas costs twice as much... double, scratch that, triple whammy. Maybe quadruple. The civic is still $1.39 a gallon to fill with natural gas. Love it!

Another favorite about 2010 was the time I’ve spent with my wonderful friend Melissa. Ty was born in February and Mel and I started having breakfast together every week when Ty was just 10 days old. We continued like a tradition and only very seldom did we miss. Once Mel went back to work after 16 weeks of maternity leave, we moved breakfast to Saturdays, so it was the occasional weekend traveling that interfered. I watched Ty grow before my very eyes as Mel watched my belly grow every week. We picked right back up after Reed was born and we are still watching our boys grow up! I’ve learned a lot from her since Ty is 6 months older and now she’s on her 2^nd, a baby girl due at the end of April. Here is a pic of Mel at the bagel shop when Ty was just over a week old.

Speaking of friends, 2010 introduced me to the wonderful Kelly Gospodarek! We met on her first day at the pool while we were both hugely pregnant. Sophie was born August 3^rd, 25 days before Reed. Swimming was a very important part of my life while pregnant so I was at the pool 3 to 4 times a week. Running was out of the question because it was so uncomfortable but I was still biking in the mornings up until the middle of July when I discovered that I couldn’t comfortably reach my handlebars anymore! So I switched from my road bike to my cruiser and working out on the elliptical. I worked out almost every day of my pregnancy and fully credit my enjoyable pregnancy to it. I hardly had any swelling (that I noticed), I slept great every night, I didn’t have heart burn or any digestive issues and I skipped the morning sickness crap! Okay, I have to thank my mom for great genes and my chiropractor for the restful nights. So, Kelly and I swam together and our husbands turned out to have a lot in common as well so we all get to be great friends! Although Adam has been keeping a watchful eye on Reed whenever he’s around Sophie. I don’t blame him- he’s the father of an adorable girl, but I think he’s suspicious mighty early!

I love that some of my friends have had their babies so close to mine because we are the same and yet so different. I’ve watched as we all make individual decisions and they reflect our different personalities. There is no single correct way to raise a child. If there was, I’m sure they would come with a manual. Mel had Ty in February the day before Nicki had Aiden. Amanda had Piper in June and like I mentioned, Kelly had Sophie in August. 2011 is going to be a major baby year. I have 10, yes 10 friends having babies in 2011. Don't worry guys, I have a list in my blackberry to keep track of all the due dates and chosen names (when available) so I don't forget anyone!

Mike and I have always said that when we had children we would do our best to bring them into our lives and never stop doing the things we love. Reed has adapted very well and started attending his daddy’s races when he was 4 weeks old. Even when cross season started we just bundled him up and off we went! Cyclists are excellent baby makers. Go to any bike race and I promise you that you won’t only see a bunch of children running around the place but you’ll also spot a pregnant wife or two. The kids are running through the park and kicking up the leaves while Reed sits not-so-patiently in my arms waiting for the day he whirl about in reckless abandon.

Having a baby has given Mike and me a new appreciation and understanding for our parents lives. Sometimes I like to sit and hold Reed, looking down into his face and I imagine I am my mom, holding me and looking down into my tiny face. I think about the emotions and feelings I have for him and I know exactly how my mom felt. The picture in my mind is yellow tinged and I’ve slipped back to 1981, we are both wearing polka dot dresses and we are rocking in a big wooden rocking chair with a crisscross back. My mom was amazed just looking into my eyes and wondering what I will be when I grow up. I look at Reed and I think about the man he will become. A gentleman. Successful and driven, he’ll be the best friend anyone could ask for. Loyal and trustworthy and someday he’ll fall in love. He’ll think of a perfect way to propose to his true love and someday when he has a child of his own, he will be standing in the hospital room when his baby takes its first breath and he will know exactly how his daddy felt when he heard that first gasp. He will probably move away and I just pray that Mike and I have the means and are flexible enough to follow him around the country.

More than just a New YEAR!

This was the first year of my life (that I can remember) that I did not see midnight. Reed was in bed by 8:30 and Mike and I were in bed by 9:30 so I didn't get my "New Year's Kiss" till Saturday morning. We had flirted with the idea of going downtown for Oklahoma City's New Year's Eve celebration, "First Night", but that idea was quickly dismissed when the forecast showed a cold snap on its way and the temperature dropping below 20 degrees. I have become less reselient in my old age and I'm a bit of a weather snob. I just don't tolerate the cold, in fact I don't tolerate the heat either. I'm a pretty big whiner and I love my springs and falls. What worries me is that as a parent I'm going to have to sacrifice (probably quite often) in order for my children to enjoy the various outdoor activities year round. I saw people at the theme park near our house last summer when the highs were topping 100 degrees. I can't handle that - will my children hate me?

Because somebody had to get up with Reed in the morning, we just hit the sack at the regular time. Mike made up for it tho. Thursday I was being such a good wife, and since I was home with Reed all day I decided to throw something together in the crock pot for dinner. However, Mike surprised me with some wonderful news! He had secretly arranged a date night! He was in cohorts with Keith and Cassie who were expecting Reed as their guest that evening. Mike and I enjoyed margaritas while discussing our 2011 plans, including our trips in March to the Sedona ea in Arizona in and Indianapolis, as well as Hawaii in June. Mike will be racing the Rohto 70.3 in (on?) Kona. That would be the half distance IronMan Triathlon.

Then we hit the movie theater and saw Fighter. Ouch. I liked it but I just have a slight issue with boxing movies because of the violence, so I kept my eyes averted for about one third of it. When we returned for our little man, I was pretty excited to see him. Any time away from him makes me miss him so much and I need all the details about what happened while I was gone so I don't feel left out. I actually get feelings of excitement to hear how he acts for other people.

His laughs have become more frequent as we discover exactly where he keeps his funny bone. It's so awesome.

(here is a link to my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/conniedfranklin?feature=mhsn )

Today I write this as Reed and I hang out at home and Mike is at the pool doing his annual swim challenge. It's called the 100-100s. He swims 10,000 yards straight (that is over 6 miles!) and he has 6 people joining him this year. While he's been gone, I had a visit from my own personal physical therapist. I'm finally on the road to recovery for this groin pain that I've been suffering from for 5 months now. Lensey has been working with me and it feels so good to finally have answers. I'm doing my prescribed homework religiously! I want it fixed so I can run again! That's the only way I'm going to be able to get my body looking even remotely similar to what it was. Reed is a great workout- yes. He helps me do reps for my shoulders, biceps... but mostly he works this little muscle that runs along my left shoulder blade. Ouch!

Yesterday we took all the Christmas decor and stowed it away and then proceeded to rearrange the living room! It looks great and Mike and I both love the change! Now he wants a new chair, which I agree would be a nice touch. I support that purchase more than I do the TV for the bike garage... which has been tabled for now *whew!*

One thing I have to say for my husband, if he's going to do something, he's going to do it right! And that pretty much applies across the board!