The Third Prayer

-1-

On Saturday, Frank and his awesome friend Jim got all the framing done for our new wall downstairs!  I honestly did not expect them to get that much work done but they worked really hard and surprised the heck out of me.  I had goosebumps when I saw the wall.  Once I saw the wall I started realizing my dream of an office/playroom were close to coming true.  I had trouble sleeping that night because I was dreaming about the room.  Seriously, I’m a total dork but this is so super exciting to me.  If we are able to move all Mary Rene’s toys, our computer and my laptop downstairs we will have so much more room upstairs.  Enough room to where I can make this small house work for us again.

-2-

Regarding Monday’s post on “A Mother’s Rule” I planned on starting my rules Tuesday morning.  I had my alarm clock set for 6 a.m. but I woke up at 5:38 a.m.  Of course I decided to sneak in those extra 22 minutes of sleep so I put my alarm clock (cell phone) in my hand so I would quickly hear it ring and it wouldn’t wake up Mary Rene.  I guess my plan worked because I must have turned it off and rolled back over because I didn’t wake up until I heard Frank walking around the house getting ready for work at 7:20 a.m.  I wasn’t going to get discouraged and planned on starting over Wednesday however…

-3-

Tuesday afternoon I was sitting on the ground playing with Mary Rene.  I started tossing her in the air and then I would roll back on the ground and give her kisses.  Then I would sit up really quick, toss her in the air and roll back down and give her kisses.  By the third time I was so dizzy that I couldn’t see straight.  I put Mary Rene down and let her play with her toys and I waited for it to pass.  But after five minutes it didn’t pass and I was getting really scared.  Then I started to feel incredibly sick and had to throw up.  I picked Mary Rene up and placed her in her crib and ran to the bathroom.  I threw up a few times and thought it had passed but when I stood up I was still really dizzy.  Mary Rene was starting to fuss so I crawled into her room and sat on the ground playing peek-a-boo with her through the crib.  She was starting to laugh but I could tell I wasn’t getting better.  I called my mother-in-law but she wasn’t home.  I called my parents and my mom said she would come over.  I knew it would take her 15 minutes to get there so I called my neighbors over and they were there within minutes.  They picked up Mary Rene for me and I went and threw up a few more times.  Mary Rene did not like to see her mommy upset so she was getting really upset and crying really hard.  I tried taking her but then I would have to threw up again.  Finally my mom got there and changed Mary Rene’s diaper and I nursed her to sleep.  While she was nursing I had to puke in a bucket.  Once she was asleep we both went and took a two hour nap.  When I woke up I still felt bad and my mom had to go to work so my mother-in-law came over.  She stayed the rest of the evening to take care of Mary Rene so I could lay on the couch.   The next morning she was over at 7:45 a.m. (when Frank leaves for work) to take care of Mary Rene again so I could feel better.  After eating breakfast and taking a shower I felt a million times better.  Mary Rene and I took another two hour nap and I woke up feeling like my old self. 

-4-

I never get sick.  The last time I was sick was…I can’t even remember.  I never get sick.  Which led four people to ask if I was pregnant.  I really think I just got the 24 hour flu or something.  I will admit that I am still a little light headed but it is nothing compared to Tuesday.  I scheduled an appointment to see a doctor next week.  Maybe my iron is low or something.

-5-

My boss was in town yesterday and I had my 6 month review.  It went really well and she made the point to say, “Trena works harder than anyone else and she is only part-time.”  I’ll have to remember that when they ask me to come back full-time in three months.

-6-

Mary Rene, my mom and my awesome friend Nicole C. are heading down to Piedmont, Missouri for the weekend.  Frank is at the lake and Nicole’s husband has guard duty.  So we decided to get away ourselves.  The weather is supposed to be amazing this weekend so Clearwater Lake should be a lot of fun.

-7-

I’m going to be 30 in eight days.  I still have no idea what we are going to do.  I know we are going to Confession in the morning but after that…Maybe we’ll go to the zoo.  Maybe we’ll do dinner at our local Mexican restaurant.  Everyone is making it out to be a really big deal so I feel like I need to do something important, but what?

-1-

Back in April, my mom and I were at the fabric store and they had a free pattern to make a toy chest.  I bought the material and was ready to make it…but I had so many other projects to complete.  Over the weekend I finally got to it and here it is

I put all Mary Rene’s stuffed animals in it.  She loves her All-Star bear and when she is sitting in her crib she will pull on the rails and stand up (all by herself!) and start tugging on the bear.

Ya know, she had to have a toy chest in front of the crib that she doesn’t sleep in. 

-2-

I moved my sewing machine downstairs last weekend and since then I haven’t sewed.  Walking down the stairs is too time consuming and I haven’t found time to walk down there.  Sure I go down there every morning to give Sophie food and water, sure I go down there to wash the clothes, but to sit and sew?  Oh that sounds like such a chore.

-3-

I planned way too many activities this week for Mary Rene and myself and it really disrupted her nap schedule.  She didn’t want to nap because there were so many fun things happening but it was really starting to make her cranky.  You would think that if a baby missed a nap then they would fall right asleep at night.  Well that such isn’t the case.  Missing a nap means that they are even more restless and trying to get them down for the night is a task.  On top of that, she wakes up more in the middle of the night which means I am up more.

Moral:  Make sure your baby gets her naps.

-4-

Mary Rene had her first swim lesson this week.  We are doing the classes with my friend Katie and her daughter, Elaine.

Frank is really proud of himself for snapping the camera right when my facial expression let him know that the water was cold.

Mary Rene didn’t get a nap that day so she was really cranky and wanted no part of the swim lessons.  She just wanted to hold on tight to me the whole class.  Or maybe she was cold too.

-5-

I am really starting to get bored at work.  My project is nearly complete and I have no idea when my next project starts.  Yesterday I didn’t have one single email to respond to which means I made no money.  When I went in the office this week I barely had any work so most of my days were spent cleaning my co-workers’ desks (yes I really did this,) pumping and goofying off.  I really wanted to leave and go home but that meant I wouldn’t be clocking in any hours.  Work really gets in the way of life.

-6-

Since I haven’t shared a video in awhile…here is one of my mom and Mary Rene playing.

-7-

Mary Rene loves dogs.  She walks over to play with Sophie’s paws a few times everyday.  Every morning and night we stop by to pet the neighbor’s dog.  At my parent’s house she loves to crawl/scoot/slither towards my parent’s dog, Buster, the cats and my brother’s dog, Honey.  (My parents babysit Honey a lot.)  The only problem is those dogs always run away from her.  Two weeks ago my brother got another dog, Charlie, and he is just a puppy.  Over the weekend we got to introduce Mary Rene and Charlie and here is how it went.

Recently I received a comment from reader Stef and below is an excerpt of it:

…I’m a working mom with a 9mth old baby, I’d rather spent time looking after my baby then being away from her. How do you find the time to write, sew, run and look after Mary Rene? And you’re doing great in all!

Oh where do I begin.  First, thank you for the comment and I am very flattered.  Here’s my secret:  I am apparently doing a good job of deceiving you because I fail horribly at most things I do.  I have so many things going on in my life that I can’t concentrate on one given thing 100%.  Therefore, I fail a bit at everything.  But here is a glimpse into my day:

• Updating my blog.  I have three options: (A) get up and write before Mary Rene wakes up, (B) write after Mary Rene is in bed or (C) write during Mary Rene’s naps.  I usually get up early and write.  I seldom write during her naps because I usually have to respond to work emails since I work from home part-time.  My blog is important to me because it is a diary of my life as a new mother.  I make time to update it.  Even if that means I get up early or stay up late.  
• Sew.  Up until last week my sewing machine was in the front room next to Mary Rene’s mat where she plays.  I think it is very important for her to play independently for a portion of the day.  (It builds character!)  That means, she plays alone while I get stuff done.  Sometimes I sit on my laptop and work or sometimes I clean.  When I am caught up on work emails and not in the mood to clean I will do a little sewing.  Don’t be fooled though-this independent play only last for about 45 minutes.  In all honestly I usually only get about 20 minutes of sewing in a day.  And that was when my sewing machine was upstairs.  Over the weekend I moved it downstairs and I haven’t sewed since.  I do have a playpen next to my sewing area but for some reason I can’t find the time to walk down the steps!
• Run.  I don’t.  I might get a run in here or a run in there but I really don’t anymore.  I set my alarm clock every morning to go off at 6:20 a.m. so I’ll go for a run.  But 9 times out of 10 I hit snooze and go back to bed.  I really need to get back into running though.  I feel grossly out of shape.
• Look after Mary Rene.  Yesterday Mary Rene crawled/scooted/slithered towards a big piece of lint from Sophie’s cover and put it in her mouth.  So I fail here too.

 So how do I get it all done?  I don’t.  I just make it appear that way. 

As for pictures of the shopping cart cover that you asked in your other comment…

Again, don’t be fooled.  A good sewer could have done this in a couple days.  It took me a month.

-1-

Last Friday night, Jasmine, my little sister (Big Brother Big Sister) and I hung out.  Mary Rene and her are the best of pals now.

-2-

On Saturday we went to Pierre Marquette State Park in Grafton, Illinois.  We drove around the park while Mary Rene slept in her car seat.  We were pretty high up and there were places you could stop to overlook the Mississippi River.  It was breathtaking-even from the view of our car.  Once she woke up we walked a bit and then stopped for a glass of wine.  I talked Frank into joining the wine club! 

I have a hiliarious video of him being a wine snob but he won’t let me show it.  But it cracks me up so much because it is completely him-being a goofball to make his wife laugh.  It was so nice to go out together as a family and laugh like old buddies.  I’m one lucky girl.

-3-

I FINALLY finished making the shopping cart cover for Mary Rene.  The elastic works great and it fits around all the sides of the cart so her beautiful clean hands won’t touch that grimy cart. 

I added pink ribbon so I can attach toys for her to play with while I shop. 

Now on to my next project…

-4-

Since Frank’s cousin was so amazingly generous and gave us all her baby girl’s clothes we don’t have to buy much of anything for the summer.  So instead of sewing Mary Rene clothes I will be making her a bunch of hats to go with the outfits.

It is hard to tell from the picture but the white material is actually eyelet pattern.  And the pink material with flowers (far right) is swimwear material.  I am going to make her a floppy hat and a swimsuit out of that!

-5-

Work really gets in the way of life.  Do you agree?  There are so many things I want to do with Mary Rene but I can’t because of work.  And I only work two days a week!

-6-

Frank’s buddy Dennis is getting married this weekend and Frank is a groomsmen.  I must admit, my husband looks amazing in a tux.  Oh he takes my breath away.

-7-

My dad is super amazing and very handy and has been coming over to fix the tile in our bathroom.  Thank you daddy!  We really appreciate all your help.  Yesterday he got the last three pieces glued into place and they look perfect!  I just wish I could convince him to redo the entire bathroom for us!  It is so disgusting and getting moldier and moldier by the day.  I really wish I could talk him into fixing the bathroom.  I’m not really sure if I can talk him into it but I really wish I could.  (are you reading this dad?)

-1-

This past Saturday, Frank, Mary Rene and I went to a little petting zoo with our Parents as Teachers program.  Mary Rene was too young to do most of the activities so we only stayed for about 10 minutes.  But there were baby chicks and our PAT educator was holding one and let Mary Rene pet it.  Mary Rene was very focused as she stared at the chick and started touching it.  Of course you know that babies don’t know how to be gentle and pet yet.  So she grabbed the chick and wouldn’t let go.  I was so scared she was going to kill it.

-2-

Monday I was down in the City of St. Louis applying for a building permit and on the way home I had to drive by Planned Parenthood.  I noticed there was an area fenced off with a sign that said “DO NOT STAND ON GRASS.”  You can tell they just laid fresh grass over the entire front area.  This area happened to be the same place where the 40 Days For Life protesters stood.  So it was a good feeling to know that we not only saved 9 babies in the St. Louis area but we killed their grass along the way.  I went back to the office and was telling my co-worker Tabitha about it.  But she clearly pointed out that it was a shame they care more about their new grass then babies.

 -3-

Something I haven’t mentioned on here yet but will eventually is that Frank & I started clipping coupons.  I’ve been saving a lot of money (again I will talk about this in another post.)  But this week has been coupon crazy week at K-Mart.  Coupons under .75 are tripled and anything under $4 is doubled, automatically.  I’ve stocked up on so many items for the house and plan on going for another trip to K-Mart this weekend.  But my favorite deal was on diapers.  I had five coupons for the Little Swimmer diapers so I went and bought five bags.  I ended up getting 60 diapers for $25.  I saved $15!!! What a deal.  The sale ends the 25th so you still have time!

-4-

I finished making my first taggie blanket.  But when I went to sew the final stitch my sewing machine broke.  My mom brought her machine over so I could finish it.  But I didn’t know how to do a reverse stitch on her machine so I had to overlap an edge. 

This one goes to Natalie who I will see tomorrow.  Don’t worry Jenn C & Michelle, I still am making your girls blankets.  But yours are purple which requires purple thread and right now I am in the middle of making a pink dress and a pink shopping cart cover.  Once I am done I will switch the thread and make your blankets.

-5-

I am so very happy that spring has finally sprung.  Amen for nice weather!

-6-

My co-worker Tabitha just bought a house and there was a Mary statue in the front yard.  Her husband is not a Mary fan so he wanted to get rid of it.  So I inherited a new, beautiful Mary statue for my front yard.  Of course I had to put my Marys together for a photo-op.

Our other Mary is in the back yard for now.  If anyone in my area doesn’t have a Mary statue and wants one let me know.

-7-

Last but not least, Mary Rene is going on her first trip to the zoo today!  I can’t wait to see her reaction to all the animals!  She loves dogs and cats so I can’t imagine what she will do when she sees a big giraffe or the penguins.  I’ll post pictures, don’t worry!

Dear Francis-

Thanks so much for allowing me to only work part-time.  I enjoyed my day at the park with Mary Rene yesterday.  And I am looking forward to more warm days in the park.  Come spring we will be at the park nearly everyday I am off so I can push her around in my jogging stroller.

I live the life.

Your loving wife,

me

-1-

The most important thing I could say in this post…Mary Rene rolled over yesterday!  She was laying on her back playing with a toy and I rolled her on her stomach.  Her arm was stuck under her and instead of trying to get her arm out like she usually does she took the other arm, propped it up and rolled over.  Nothing to it.  I started clapping and praising her and she just gave me this dumbfounded look like, “what’s the big deal mom?”  And she went back to playing with her toy.  I hurry up and called Frank, my dad at work, my mom at home and my mother-in-law.  I was so excited for my little pumpkin.  She didn’t seem to care at all and didn’t realize the amazing task she just accomplished.  Oh she is growing up right before my eyes.  Before you know it she will be running laps around the block with me.

-2-

I have not stepped a foot out of the house since Monday.  No kidding.  On Monday I went to work, picked up my baby girl, went to dinner with Frank & Mary Rene and then I closed the door.  Today I will be out three times which is a good thing because I am getting a little stir crazy in this house but then again I am already dreading leaving the house.  I’m a real baby in cold weather.  So many things I hate about cold weather but the biggest thing I hate is frozen snot.  I’m always worried that when the weather is cold I will have a frozen booger and nobody will tell me. 

-3-

At least once a day when I nurse Mary Rene I read to her from the picture Catholic Bible.  We went through the Old Testament and we are all the way to Judas Betraying Jesus.  I try to read three to four stories during that nursing session.  I know she doesn’t fully comprehend what I am saying but I know as long as I continue to do it everyday for the rest of her life (I know she won’t be nursing that whole time!) it will make more sense.  I have already started to notice that she anticipates the “sign of the cross” on her forehead.  When she wakes up in the morning, before we pray in the morning on the changing table, before I read her the Bible, after she sneezes and before she goes to bed I always give her the sign of the cross.  So I think she is already starting to understand that when I am reading to her while she nurses it is something special.  This week she has been looking at me while I nurse and read.  Usually she stares off into space but she was giving me complete attention during my Bible reading.  It was almost as if she knew it was time to be quiet and still for the Word of God.

-4-

Working from home is hard stuff.  I was actually thinking the other day that it would have been much easier to be in the office.  But then I would have been away from my baby girl.  Yesterday I was up at 6 a.m. to get two hours of work in before Mary Rene woke up.  During her two naps I worked nearly the whole time.  Once while she was playing on her jungle gym I was sitting next to her working.  I was non-stop go go go yesterday.  At least when I am in the office I get up and talk to the ladies next to me or walk in the kitchen for a relaxing cup of water.  I was so exhausted last night that when I put Mary Rene to bed at 9 p.m. I fell asleep until 6 a.m.  I usually hear her stirring in the middle of the night but I didn’t hear a thing last night.  Or maybe she just had good sleep too.  But last night was the first night that Mary Rene didn’t wake up for a 2, 3, 4 or 5 a.m. feeding.  That is a huge milestone for us.  I know it might not sound like much to you guys but that extra hour of solid sleep was amazing.

-5-

I still haven’t started my period.  Is this TMI?  I know it will eventually get here but when?  Should I be carrying around a tampon or pad every where I go just in case?  I haven’t started charting again either though.  I guess I need to start doing that, like right now.

-6-

When I was in high school I was really into football.  I loved the Dallas Cowboys and actually enjoyed watching football on Sundays.  I don’t know why or where I got it from because my dad doesn’t like sports.  By the time I got to college I was completely done with my football phase.  I couldn’t even tell you how our local Rams team is doing.  I just don’t care.  But the Superbowl, oh I love the Superbowl.  All the good food and I am big on the commercials.  Since I was a Mass Communications major in college I took all the classes regarding advertising and marketing.  Every year during the Superbowl we had to watch the commercials and write a report.  The next day at class we would critique the commercials.  I loved that project.  Even though I’ve been out of college for about, what six years now I still do it.  I love to analyze those crazy commercials and try to figure out: was it worth that amount of money?

-7-

I wrote a 7th thought and then my internet crashed.  I didn’t press save so it is gone now.  And I really don’t have time to say it all over again.  So there won’t be a 7th thought today.

Our little angel is 18 weeks young today.  Could she be any cutier?  Gosh I could eat her to pieces.

Mary Rene is growing up right before my eyes.  This past week she started to take naps on her own!  I still have to rock her for a few minutes (as opposed to 20-30 minutes) but when she falls asleep I’m able to lay her down in the bassinet and she’ll stay asleep.  Her naps used to be only 20-30 minutes but now she is taking hour long naps.  As soon as I lay her down I hurry up and get on my laptop and start answering emails and getting some hours in.  It works out great.

She also started going to sleep at night alone.  I am still nursing her to sleep but once I am done I am able to move her to the co-sleeper and she will go to bed for the night.  I’ve actually been able to leave the room and she stays asleep!  No kidding.  I used to have to lay next to her for at least a good hour before I could move her to the co-sleeper. (**although last night she barely slept.  When she did sleep it was restless sleep.  So this is my third night of little sleep.  I am so exhausted.)

Sure this sounds like a glamour life but it makes me a little sad.  My baby girl is getting all independent on me.  She’s already weaning away from her momma.  It just makes me wanna cry a little.

But she still comfort nurses when I get home from work and that makes up for the independent sleeping pattern.  I could easily nurse her all night if she wanted to.  That time together is pure joy.

This is my fourth week joining Conversion Diary on Quick Takes Friday.  After reading mine head on over to her page for more.

-1-

I joined Facebook over the weekend and it is my new drug.  Forget myspace it is all facebook baby.  Gosh I hope this fades out like myspace did.  I just don’t have time for it all.  But I am having fun looking at all my friends babies!

-2-

Have I every mentioned that I hate going to the dentist?  It sucks.  I went about six times when I was prego to get that gum treatment done-what a nightmare.  Last week I got my teeth cleaned and this week I got three cavities filled.  Apparently I have a swallowing problem because while the dentist was drilling away I kept swallowing and he was not too happy.  He kept saying, ‘hun you need to try and stop doing that.’ So I tried but then that just made my tongue jump a lot.  So next he said, ‘hun you need to keep your tongue still.’  HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU KEEP STILL WHEN A MAN IS DRILLING IN YOUR MOUTH AND THE NOISE IS SO EXTREMELY LOUD!!! And I guess it didn’t help that when he got to the third tooth he stopped right before drilling and said to his assistant, ‘is it tooth 33 or 3?’  Silence. Silence. Silence.  All I was thinking was, ‘it is the one you numbed!  Don’t you dare touch the other one!’  Gosh I hate the dentist.

-3-

I leave work at 3:30 usually and at 3:10 on Wednesday my boss called and had an emergency project for me to work on for the Denver, Colorado market.  The project was due at noon the next day.  As soon as we hung up I dashed out the door to pick up my baby girl.  I ran her home and nursed her while I was working on my laptop.  As soon as I was done nursing I put on Baby Einstein and started working again.  Frank called and I just broke down crying because I wanted to hang out with my baby girl and I couldn’t.  He reassured me that everything was going to be okay.  That is a perfect example of my New Year’s Resolution: Stand up for myself.  I should have gently reminded my boss that I am off on Thursdays and would get as much done as I could but he would need to keep in mind my commitment to my daughter.  But I didn’t.  I keep thinking I need to prove to the company that I can work from home so they allow me to continue doing this after my 10 months.  So this morning I got up at 6 a.m. and was able to get some work done before Mary Rene woke up.  I need to find a good balance so when she is awake I am devoted to her.

-4-

My Parents as Teachers rep is coming next weekend for Mary Rene’s four month check-up.  At our last meeting she mentioned that by the time she comes next Mary Rene would be rolling over.  That’s not the case in this house!  I’ve been practicing with her and trying my darndest to get her to roll over but she doesn’t want anything to do with it.  She just likes to lay on her back and laugh at me.  And when she is on her stomach she likes to spit at the air and pick up toys and tongue them to death.  There hasn’t even been an attempt to roll over.  Is my baby a slacker?

-5-

While on the subject, guess who was born four months ago today?  My baby girl!  This picture was taken this morning right after she woke up.  Look how happy she is in the morning.  That’s my girl.  She started doing the cutest thing yesterday which is actually very helpful on my end.  When she is getting tired and I start rocking her to sleep she will ’sing’ as she sucks on her fist.  Within minutes she is fast asleep.  It usually takes much longer but the sucking and singing is soothing to her so it is helping my back!

-6-

When I woke up yesterday it was zero degrees and today it was two degrees.  Luckily I didn’t have to leave the house yesterday and the only place I am going today is out to dinner.  I felt so bad watching Frank walk out the door in this weather.  When will spring get here?  Enough of this weather already.

-7-

I removed my credit card from my wallet this week.  Not that I am a big spender or anything but I am going to try and only use my debit card.  Which means I need to know what we have before I swipe but I hope to achieve the following goals: (1) be better with managing our bank account online (2) spend money only when we have it.  Frank and I have always paid our credit cards off each month.  We have never left a balance.  But I notice that some months when I get the credit card bills I am taking money out of savings to pay the bills.  That’s not what savings is for though.  So hopefully I will be limiting my spending now and we will actually be saving again.  Since I do most of the shopping (Target, grocery store, etc.) I will really need to be on top of things to make this work.  But it is worth a try!

Dropping Mary Rene off at my mother-in-law’s house is so hard.  It has been three weeks now and it isn’t getting easier.  Does it?  The drive there just plain sucks because I know I will be saying bye to my baby girl.  And then the hand off, oh I hate the hand off, because that means it is time to leave for work.  Gosh I hate working.  But I know I have to do it.  And it is good for Mary Rene to be with someone other then me.  I really need to start playing that lottery.

There were a few women at my MOPS group that said work for them is a break.  A break from the kids.  I just don’t see it that way.  Work for me is torture.  Those hours away from her drag drag drag.  Gosh I hope this gets easier.