Another busy weekend...

It was another whirlwind weekend of running all over the place and seeing lots of people.  Poor Cruz was in and out of his car seat so much he didn't know what was going on.  He'd fall asleep in the car, wake up in a new environment just long enough to get used to his surroundings, and then back in the car for another round of sleeping, waking, and pooping.  Are we bad parents for choosing to be fast at Target instead of taking the time to change his diaper?  He was sleeping so peacefully and I hated to unbuckle him for the twenty minutes we would be there.  He didn't mind, but I'm pretty sure the young women in the wrapping paper aisle had another thing to say...

Speaking of Target, the highlight of my weekend:

Okay, maybe not the 'highlight,' but for a woman like me, cleaning becomes even more appealing when I have a new product to play with.  Our durable, hand-me-down vacuum cleaner has been smelling like burnt rubber for weeks now and it was time to replace it.  Target had an excellent deal on a two-pack of Orecks, so I now have a new vacuum, as well as a hand held 'sidekick' with a shoulder strap and six attachment hoses.  Let's just say I'm now motivated to vacuum corners of the house that haven't been touched for three years!

We saw so many people this weekend, I can hardly keep track.  Friday night, after dinner with my boys at Pablo's, I watched some pretty talented kiddos perform 'You Can't Take It With You,' at the NU Spring Play.  Saturday morning, Cruz had some Grandma-time in Allison while I attended a baby shower for Andrea.  And Saturday night, Cruz had some Grandma and Grandpa time with Beau's parents while Beau and I attended our first Frozen Pepper Party.

About fifteen years ago, eight men sought out to host the biggest party in Iowa.  Now, the eight 'original' peppers, along with 17 'Friends of the Peppers', host a party in Waterloo each year, deemed the biggest party in Iowa.  It's a secret society of sorts and Beau and I were asked to be on the guest list by Andy, a guy from his networking group.  With a band, free beer, and all the Townhouse Tenderloins you could eat, this was definitely the place to be Saturday night!  And it's crazy when you put that many people in the same room, how many people you end up knowing one way or another!  We danced, mingled, and met some pretty cool people last night and just about stayed up until midnight.  :Just About:

Sunday was filled with lots of Cruz time and the beginning of a new hobby (or obsession).  Stay tuned for that one.  Bacon and eggs and some laundry, pizza at the OP with Mark and Janet and Jillian and Rob, a run to Target, and a clean kitchen.  A much-needed cool down after a crazy weekend.  One week to go before a much-welcomed Spring Break week.  Awww...it's coming.  

I'll close the page of this first weekend in March with some pictures of our growing boy.  He's hilarious and fills our days with so many laughs, I truly have no idea how we stayed occupied before him.  His personality reminds me so much of his dad, and lately, he's morphing into his mama's boy more and more.  He's a good mix, I think.  

But above all, he's just Cruz.      

Your dad...

What would we do without this guy?  I don't know how many times I have had this thought since you've been born.  And watching the two of you get to know each other over the past few weeks, it's easy to see that you are beginning to feel the same way I do. 

I think your blue eyes already light up a bit when you hear his voice as he comes through the door after a day at work.  You love when he marches around the house with you, singing silly songs to you about farting on your grandpa's head or your smelly umbilical cord.  Right now, you just stare really intently at his face, but I can already hear the giggles that will someday fill the air of our little abode.

I always knew Beau would be a great father, but I never imagined he would become an even better husband after becoming a father.  He's always been such a support to me, especially when I get a little "worked up," as he likes to call it, over the daily stresses and worries that I sometimes let get in the way of contentment.  Beau keeps me grounded.  He loves hard and gives me daily reminders that life doesn't always have to be taken so seriously.  This piece of advice has definitely been taken to heart since becoming a mom.  Whether we're crowded around the kitchen sink during bath time, or laying on the floor attempting to make you smile, I've learned there is nothing more important in the world than that time we have together.  The dirty bathroom, load of laundry, and Target run can all wait. 

During my pregnancy, I loved watching Beau prepare for you in his own little ways.  The pride and hard work he put into the baby furniture, the late nights he spent grappling for words on his baby-inspired blog, and the trips he took to Hampton to show his Gramma J a picture or share news from our latest doctor's appointment, were all signs showing just how important you were to him.  And now, a baby boy later, Beau has seamlessly transitioned into the dad role.  He comes home for lunch and makes your grandma and I grilled cheese and tomato soup.  He misses you when he's gone, cutting out of networking meetings early in order to rock you to sleep.  He calms you when you're fussy, and embraces diaper changes more than any dad I know.  His tender heart, sense of humor, and soothing spirit are the perfect combination for making these first weeks at home so special and memorable.   

I can't imagine anyone else in the world I would want to walk this new journey with.  And now, as I spend my days with my husband's little mini-me, I have daily reminders of how incredibly blessed I am to have these boys in my life. 
      

Happy November

Today is November.  Today is Election Day.  Today is Cruz's three-week birthday.  The October that I anticipated more than any other month in my life has come and gone and now, as quickly as I can turn the calendar to the eleventh month of the year, I begin to think of all that is Holidays.  I'm already thinking about sausage and cranberry stuffing, the first snowfall, and sugar cookies.  Thinking about how I might finagle a 5:00 am Black Friday shopping spree with a baby this year.  Thinking about It's a Wonderful Life, a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows, and a new roll of wrapping paper.  This year, I am blessed to be home with my baby during the upcoming Holiday season and I look forward to lugging that Chicco stroller in and out of mall parking lots, bundling up a growing baby in his sweet little snowsuits, and spending lots of time under the Christmas tree.  I can't wait to hang an extra stocking on the staircase, read Cruz his first Christmas stories, and dance with him to my favorite Christmas music.  And because I'm still getting used to these new shoes of motherhood, I'm hoping this Holiday season can be about the simple things, about soaking in the sweet little moments with a sweet little baby.

But before I get too ahead of myself, let's not forget about November.

I love November for so many reasons.  For Daylight Savings time, curling up under the covers and relishing in the extra hour of sleep that goes along with it.  For movie nights, popcorn nights, sappy Lifetime movies, and thick blankets.  For fall cleaning, tall boots, and new wool scarfs.  For turkey, sweet potato casserole, and Grandma's cranberry jello.  For Christmas lists, Christmas lights, and Christmas shopping. 

I love November for so many reasons.

Especially this one.

It's unbelievable that Cruz is three weeks old, but it's even more unbelievable how quickly Beau and I have melded into our new life as parents.  It's by far the most significant transition and change of our lives; however, you don't have a lot of time to 'practice' before the real thing.  We have so much to learn, but pride ourselves in how far we've come in just three weeks.  Little by little, we're figuring things out.

Things I've Realized Thus Far About Becoming a New Momma...

1.  Parenthood can either drive a husband and wife apart, or bring them closer together.  Beau and I have leaned on one another more in the last three weeks than we have in our last three years of marriage.  A supportive attitude, frequent hugs, and lots of laughter are essential on the new road of parenthood.

2.  Time out of the house takes on a whole new meaning after becoming a mom.  A week after Cruz was born, I went to Target by myself for a total of 20 minutes.  I felt like a fish out of water.  I needed breast pads, eyeliner, and baby hangers, and couldn't get out of there fast enough.  I think I called Beau four different times in the 20 minutes I was gone.  Tonight was my first true 'time away,' from Cruz.  I voted and got my hair did.  To all expectant moms out there...make your first 'time away,' a trip to get pampered.  A pedicure, a hair highlight, or an eyebrow wax.  There's a reason my hospital gives every new mom a gift certificate to the spa.  It makes you feel a little more human, a little more you, and a little less milk machine. 

3.  Motherhood has introduced me to emotions I've never felt, nor knew existed.  For the first time since being home with Cruz, I am eating lunch, by myself, with no one else here to hold Cruz.  I'm eating a plate of leftover spaghetti, staring at my peanut who is happily swinging in his lambie cadillac swing.  Instead of holding and rocking him for an hour after feeding him today, I decided to put him in his swing, do my hair, and eat.  Cruz is perfectly content and looking rather adorable staring into the little mirror directly above his head; however, his mom is feeling guilty for not holding and snuggling with him.  Package feelings of guilt, overwhelming joy, frustration, helplessness, exhaustion, and can't-catch-your-breath happiness with a hormonal, new breast-feeding mom, and you are sure to be on one wild ride.  

4.  Accomplishments take on a whole new form after having a baby.  I used to be doing something every minute of every day.  Going from one place to the next, running errand after errand, and deep cleaning every crack and crevice of our house on a weekly basis.  Now, accomplishments come in the form of whether I can get a shower done by noon, a load of laundry done a day, and figure out something to eat every night.  Accomplishments come in the form of stretches of four or five hours of sleep in a row, a successful tummy time, and a freshly bathed baby.  My to-do list has changed drastically, but little by little, I'm enjoying doing less.

5.  There is nothing in the world more relaxing than rocking a sleeping baby. 

6.  I can't imagine what my parents did when they were up with their babies in the middle of the night.  DVR has saved me from long, sleepless nights and utterly bad daytime TV.

7.  Before Cruz, I went to the bathroom 20 times a day, and ate whenever I felt like it.  After Cruz, I rarely make the time to do either.  I still crave McDonald's milkshakes though.

8.  Never wake a sleeping baby.  Never wake a sleeping baby.  Never wake a sleeping baby.

9.  I may not get as much done during the day; however, I find myself moving a lot faster.  For example, I have Cruz in the routine of taking a pretty good morning nap.  He's consistent, yet, his nap times vary from about an hour to three hours.  Yes, I could sleep during this time; however, find me a new mom that actually follows this rule.  So, I'm in a constant ambush to outbeat the clock.  I shower, throw on makeup, blow dry my hair, shove in something close to breakfast, write a few thank you cards, clean my breast pump, take out the trash, empty the dishwasher, check my email, pay a couple of bills, make the bed, and wander through the house with a clothes basket, loading up burp cloths, dish towels, and baby blankets, all while keeping one ear open for signs of a hungry baby boy.  I'm waiting for the day when his routine changes and I have to shower with a baby on the bathroom floor...

10.  As difficult as it may be to drag myself out of bed for the 3 o'clock feeding, remember that it is peaceful hanging out in the dark with my little man.  When he's 18 and I'm lying in bed wondering where he is at 3 o'clock in the morning someday, I have a feeling it will be anything but peaceful!