A hit with the ladies

There are only about a million things I should be doing right now, but also a million things that I want to blog about! So, I’m going to give myself a few minutes here while Reed is sleeping in his play pen. I’ve already washed and ironed the sheets in the guest bedroom and picked up a little around the house and then tried to write a little in Reed’s baby book – so I’m pretty sure he’s going to be waking up here pretty soon! Although, this blog didn't get posted until Sunday (written on Thursday). The computer decided not to recognize the aircard. No aircard, no internet. I’ve spent enough time trying to make it work and I’m done.

I need to prepare for our evening out tonight. It’s actually a pretty busy day- we’re going to Kelly’s house to hang out with her and Sophie this afternoon before we head over to Chesapeake at 5 so we can get pictures with Santa. Then we have to run home to meet Courtney and Daniel because they’re watching our baby bear tonight while we go out to dinner with the JW group and Mike’s Chesapeake coworkers. Tomorrow my mom is coming! She’s dying to see Reed again and I don’t know if the daily pictures and videos that I send to her phone are helping or hindering!

One thing I wanted to record was in late November we served dinner at the Boys and Girls Club for the United Way. Mike is on the Executive Committee for the Emerging Leaders (and in the Social Committee as well) and we try to be active in volunteering. We did the same dinner last year and had a lot of fun- and it felt good. This year it felt almost as good, just my back hurt from standing there with Reed in the baby bjorn while I dished out the slices of turkey and scoops of stuffing! Mike and I stood side by side in our aprons with Reed tucked under my chin. It was funny the comments people made as they came through the line. They wouldn’t notice him at first and then when they looked up they were just stunned and they’d say, “Wow! I didn’t even see that baby there! He’s so cute!” Well, yes. Yes he is. Last weekend we went shopping at Ross and stuffed 5 stockings for the homeless teens. That was a lot of fun. I guess its easier to shop for people you don’t know! Speaking of which, I’m not done with my Christmas shopping yet. I suppose I don’t need to get anything more for Mike, and I’m probably done with my mom and sister, but besides that I really need to get on the ball!

I keep running out of time at work- somehow six hours, three days a week just isn’t enough time to get my job done! It kind of stresses me out, but the biggest problem is that I’m such a freakin airhead that even when I do get something done I mess it up and have to re-do it, or I just forget things completely. For example, one of my coworkers had emergency appendectomy surgery two weeks ago and my boss asked me to send her flowers. Suddenly it hit me that I forgot to do it, so I frantically log in yesterday and straightaway order the flowers online to be delivered same day! Guess who comes strolling in about 30 minutes later? I confessed to her and begged forgiveness!

Every day I get home and the first thing I need to do is get out of my work pants. I’m starting to wear some other slacks besides my maternity pants so they’re not quite as comfortable. Actually Carrie, a coworker, let me borrow a few pairs that she had lying around from before she lost a bunch of weight. Anyway, the tops I wear to work are usually pretty comfortable because I have to pump while I’m there. So, by the time Mike gets home I’m usually dressed in my pajama bottoms and dress shirt. Mike had coined the new term, “business on top, bedtime on bottom.” That’s me! It cracks me right up!

I know I previously claimed that Reed had his first laugh and I was afraid this was going to happen, but I have to now say that it was more of a “pre-laugh”. Here is the latest story: Monday night I was cooking dinner and Mike was playing with Reed on the living room floor when Reed suddenly started laughing! He kept doing the little squeaky inhale and then actually had the hahaha coming out! I dropped what I was doing, grabbed my phone and went flying into the living room just in time to catch the very end of it on video. I decided that I need a shortcut button on my phone to the video because I just didn’t get there fast enough to catch the actual chuckle. I have invested many hours trying to make him laugh ever since. I just can’t find his funny bone! I get some tiny encouraging noises here and there, but I need to hear that magical sound again! This is the best idea I’ve come up with, you know how laughing is contagious? Well, I went on youtube and searched for “laughing baby” and played a couple videos so he could hear them laughing. I hoped it would work like a charm but he actually looked a little creeped out by it. His forehead wrinkled in a tiny frown and he froze completely motionless. I did my best.

Last Friday I dropped Reed off at school and one of the girls, Kacie, is always just so excited to see him that it really makes it easier to leave him there. She takes him into her arms and kisses his face while telling him how much she missed him. At this point, he doesn’t really care, sorry to say. Even when I pick him up in the afternoons I don’t get any kind of recognition. I’ve stopped expecting his eyes to light up at the sound of my voice, he just doesn’t show emotion yet. I know she’s dying for him to respond to her, too. Its actually kind of funny because it’s like he’s playing hard to get. So, later that evening I was telling Mike about how much I like Kacie and we talked about getting her contact info and possibly asking her to babysit sometimes. Then I start unpacking his bag and I find a note in there from Kacie! I say, “what a coincidence!” Now, I didn’t really think I’d be finding girls’ phone numbers in his bag this early but Mike reminded me that he is a Franklin so I just had to accept it. Her note is all about how she’s so in love with Reed and would be happy to watch him anytime we need, blah blah blah. So I send her a little text and tell her that I found her note and I was glad that she left her number because I wanted to ask for it anyway. We get down to where I ask how much she charges and she responds with “10 an hour.” Okay, I know its been a long time since I’ve baby sat but, back when I was watching kids we didn’t make anywhere near minimum wage. I don’t know when this happened or how, but seriously? Turns out after complaining to all my friends on facebook, that’s pretty much the going rate.

I told her I’d keep her number but what I didn’t tell her is that we have plenty of people who love him and us, and wouldn’t rob us blind just for fun. Right now Reed is the most adorable thing ever and it doesn’t put people out to spend time with him. In a couple years (or months!) it might be a different story and then I know I’ll have to pay people to put up with him, but for now she can stick it. In fact, we have friends banging down our door to get on the list to baby sit. Pshhh. 10 an hour. Who does she think she is? Supper Nanny? Despite my rant, I still like her and I’m still glad that my little guy is so lovable.