When Jon's Away...

I hate it when Jon leaves on trips. Luckily it hasn't happened very often and then usually not for very long. However, I still hate it. I was particularly dreading this last trip as it would be the first time I was totally alone with Seth. Yes, it was just 3 days, but 3 days with a newborn can be exhausting.

To help time go by faster I made sure we had at least one thing to look forward to every day Jon was gone. On Tuesday we went to the hospital (to weigh Seth--not for an injury) and then shopping at Target. Wednesday was crazy busy: I planned on taking Seth to the playgroup at church, but he fell asleep and I wasn't waking him. Once he was up and fed, we went to Sommer's to drop off the maternity clothes I'd borrowed--and ended up staying for 5 hours or something ridiculous like that. Then we went to the library, then to Dawn's for dinner. I was secretly hoping that I would wear the kid out and get him to sleep well that night, but no such luck.

Thursday, however, was the real adventure. Before I give you the full story, please be so kind as to participate in this short quiz:

Q). What city has the second highest murder rate in the entire United States?
A). Baltimore, Maryland

Q). What were Megan, Seth & Sommer doing last Thursday night from 10 to 11 pm?
A). Wandering the streets of Baltimore by ourselves
Here's how it happened:Sommer's hubby acquired tickets to a Baltimore Raven's NFL game while I was at her house visiting. Sadly, he had a church meeting he couldn't get out of so Sommer invited me instead (the real irony being that Jon was the one who was supposed to be at that meeting, but he was obviously unable to attend).

I was excited, as I've never been to a pro football game before. Then I started getting nervous that Seth wouldn't cooperate--a totally unfounded fear as this kid is never unhappy. Eventually I just loaded up the diaper bag with necessities for all possible situations (including an extra blanket to cover his ears with if it got too loud) and headed to Sommer's.

After a delicious pizza dinner, Sommer & I headed down to Baltimore. We only got slightly lost once, thanks to the stupidity of East Coast exit/entrance ramps (oh, how I miss the efficiency of the freeways out West). As we were really late to the game--thanks to our children--we managed to find free parking at a church near the stadium. Well, sort of near. It would have been a lot closer if we'd actually walked directly toward the stadium instead of somehow circling around it and coming in from the other side...

We showed up just in time for the 4th quarter. I figured Seth would knock himself out--noise usually lulls him to sleep. Instead, he spent the entire time staring over Sommer's shoulder at the flashing lights of the billboard screens. Yes, I know. Over-stimulating my child, blah, blah, blah... But he was really good. And he took a bottle (and by "took" I mean chugged it down like I was never going to feed him again).

Let me just say this: Ravens football has nothing on BYU football. This is possibly because I have a vested interest in BYU games, but I've always enjoyed college sports more than pro sports. In case you care, the Ravens lost 9-10.

Now the fun part. Since we managed to enter the stadium in such a roundabout way, we figured we'd just go out the opposite entrance, thus putting us closer to our car. We were feeling pretty sure of ourselves for about 10 minutes. That's when all the other people leaving the game had cleared out and we found ourselves on a dark, shady sidestreet with people eyeing us and cars full of guys yelling out their windows. At that point Sommer starting panicking and I started smiling at everyone we walked past, figuring they were less likely to rob/murder us if we looked like we knew what we were doing.

Luckily for us, Ben was home from his meeting at that point and acted as our GPS. Let's just say we were TOTALLY lost. Here's the map of our journey (stolen from Sommer's blog):
View Larger Map

'A' is the stadium
'E' is our car
'B' is where we were when Sommer called Ben.
We're awesome

I got home just in time to feed Seth at midnight, put him to bed, and then be half asleep when Jon got home around 1:30 am. And no, Seth still didn't sleep longer than his 4.5 hour max. He also came down with a cold that weekend, which made me feel like a horrible mother.

To thank Ben for saving our lives (and because it was Sommer's birthday) I pulled out the cake decorating skills and went to work.

Videos (and a picture) for Grandma

Here we have Seth helping us by carrying the grocery list:Here's tummy time Round 1:

Round 2:

And the Grand Finale Bassinet Dance (which is usually much more dramatic--I think the camera confused him):

Blessing Day

Sunday, August 17th was Seth's official blessing day. Wendy, Jocelyn, Seth, my slacker sisters and I showed up just for sacrament meeting. Everyone else was righteous and went for all three hours.

Knowing that today, if any, would be the day Seth first blew out his diaper, I didn't dress him in his outfit until we got to church. And, of course, we were running a little late. I was frantically trying to get him dressed in the mother's room when the meeting started. Seth was less than thrilled about his outfit, but he settled down fairly quickly. That is, until he decided he needed to eat. Of course. Luckily I had brought a bottle for him.

This, of course, would be the Sunday with hardly any announcements/callings, so Seth was NOT done eating when it was time to go up. We deftly exchanged the bottle for the pacifier, and up they went.

The circle was small--just my dad, Jon's dad, Daniel, Bishop Brady, and Jon. Jon gave a very sweet blessing--it made me all teary. Seth even cooperated until the end, when he apparently lost his pacifier (although my mom thinks it had more to do with his blessing mentioning marriage at that moment).

Seth snuggled with his dad for the rest of the meeting, which is always adorable. He even survived the ride home in his outfit (which was so cute--thank you Grandma/Mom!). What was even more amazing was that he survived family pictures in his outfit. It was really bright outside, so Seth looks like a celestial baby in half the pictures (either that or you can't see him against Jon's shirt).

We had a nice lunch of sandwiches, potato/pasta salad, veggies, and Dad Blood's tomatoes. Oh, Dad Blood's tomatoes. I could write a whole post just on how delicious they are...

It was so much fun to have both of our families together at our house, so it was sad to see all the Bloods leave right after lunch. It was a wonderful day, although we wish that all of our family could have been there to celebrate with us.

Just for the sake of posterity: Jon thought Seth looked like a Shakespearean man in his blessing outfit. I, however, thought he more closely resembled a drunk 19th century poet--but only when his little vest was unbuttoned.

Once again, more details on my mom's blog.

Seth Meets the Family

Since we managed to end up in a location that is nowhere near my family and only slightly near Jon's (6.5 hours), Seth hadn't met any of his relatives besides Grandma (yes, Mom, it's really weird to write that) and Aunt Bethany. Fortunately, we were able to have quite a few members of our families come out for his blessing--meaning that Seth got to meet a whole bunch of his family in a very short period of time.

I owe my dad big time for flying my mom and sisters out for the blessing. It was originally going to be too expensive for everyone to come, so Dad was going to come by himself. However, in what was possibly the best Mother's Day present ever, he bought tickets for my mom, Marah and Beth to come out (the Carnahans paid for Kenna--thank you!). So I got to have my whole family there for a few days. Thank you, Daddy!

Unfortunately, not all of Jon's family could come. Aaron and Stephen are out in the mission field, Kade & Elizabeth are in Nevada, and Mary & Scott are in North Carolina. Daniel, Wendy & Jocelyn drove the 5.5 hours from New York to be there (with Wendy in the third trimester of pregnancy), and the West Virginia bunch drove 6.5 hours after having just made a road trip from Scott & Mary's. Basically, it was just really inconvenient for everyone. Which is why we were so glad that so many were able to come (but we missed those who couldn't).

One of the things I've looked forward to ever since we found out we were expecting is seeing my dad hold his grandchild for the first time. It was just as sweet as I'd imagined. He was a little nervous at first, like he didn't know what to do with such a tiny baby, but he was a pro by the time he left. As in a "getting Seth to take a nap without a pacifier" pro. Ask me how often I've been able to do this (never).

I was surprised at how well Kenna & Marah handled Seth. Before I had him I was terrified of newborns, so I guess I expected the same thing from them. Not so--they were fabulous. And let me tell you how nice it was to have someone to pass him off too while I showered. Did I take my precious time in the shower over the weekend? Absolutely.

I LOVED watching our niece, Jocelyn, with Seth. Wendy (her mom) describes her as a nurturer, and it was so true. She loved "holding" him and cried when she had to stop. While he was napping, she sat next to him waiting to put the pacifier in his mouth should he start to cry. She also tried teaching him the ABCs--she sang the song to him twice because he didn't catch on the first time.

Since we don't really have any newborn pictures of Jonny, I was intrigued by what Jon's parents would think of Seth. Mom Blood snatched him up the second she walked in the door and proclaimed, "He looks just like Jonny!" Then Dad Blood got him and said, "He sure didn't get Jonny's nose."

Seth got lots of love from his Blood uncles and aunts. James was especially good with him and even knocked him out without the pacifier (why I can't I pull that off?). I was worried about how Seth would handle being passed from person to person, but he was fabulous. In fact, he slept better when everyone was here! I think he's bored with just me at home.

My mom has more details on her blog, if you're interested.

Since I'll forget...

...if I don't blog it, here's Seth's weight/height at 6 weeks, 3 days:

10 lbs, 15 oz. 22 inches.

That's an increase of a bit over 2 pounds and 1/2 an inch in 3.5 weeks. I also found out he's eating around 5 oz. at each feeding (most babies his age eat 3-4 oz). He's a tank.

In other news, Jon abandoned me this morning for the glorious location of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. So it's just me and Seth for 3 whole days. Just for reference, this is what our apartment looked like when Jon left me last time.And that was without a baby.

Pop Quiz

So who does this baby look like?

His mom...

or his dad?

So maybe I'm a bad mother...

...for doing this to my poor 3 week old son, but he won't remember. Right?

Aug. 4th
After two glorious weeks when my laundry was magically cleaned and folded and my kitchen was always clean, my mom and Beth had to go back to Arizona. It's a daunting prospect to think that my mom is clear across the country. What I wouldn't give to have my family just a short drive away...

Thanks to some inconvenient pricing practices, they were flying out of Washington Dulles instead of BWI (which is only 40 minutes from our house). Since Beth's school stopped doing their 8th grade D.C. trip, my mom thought it would be a good idea to have her see the sights while we were there. In case you're wondering, it's NEVER a good idea to take a middle schooler on a historical sight-seeing trip. Wait until they're at least 17 (but then DEMAND that the cell phone stays in the purse. Stupid texting).

I debated about whether Seth & I would go. He was really young, it was going to be warm, and I'd have to nurse in public (yikes!). But hey, he's got to be toughened up sometime. Might as well start young.

Seth did pretty well. It was hotter than I anticipated, so he was a little grumpy. Heck, I was grumpy, too. Nursing on a public park bench when it's 90+ degrees and humid is no pleasure. Beth was the grumpiest, though. But we'll forgive her because she's 13. And because I'll always have this trip to use as blackmail when she's older.

1 Month

I can't believe it's been a month already.

No way I would have made it through without Jon--thanks for everything (especially for the late-night rocking sessions so I can get some sleep). Seth and I are pretty much the luckiest people in the world to have a dad/husband like you.

(He hates tummy time, even though all he does is lay there and lick the blanket).

Dear Seth,

I apologize for eating cajun shrimp pasta last night for dinner. Yes, it was delicious, and yes, I really want to eat the leftovers sitting in our fridge right now.

HOWEVER, you have made it extremely clear that red pepper is not your friend. I knew we were in trouble when your post-nursing breath smelled just like my dinner, but I didn't think it would be THAT much trouble.

As cute as you are, I don't want to see your precious little eyes at 2:42 am. Especially not when those little eyes remain open until 5:15 am. I rocked you, swaddled you, gave you your pacifier (and then laid next to your crib for an hour so I could stick it back in your mouth every 5 minutes or so), but you were not sleeping.

I finally got you down and crawled into bed expecting at least an hour and a half of sleep. Imagine my joy when you started squawking at 6:09 am. Luckily your dad was home. He re-swaddled you, gave you your pacifier and stuck you in the swing. I would have left you in your dang crib to cry. I was crying--you might as well be, too.

And now you're next to me, asleep (sans pacifier) as you should be. And I think you're adorable again because it's a perfectly godly hour of the day.

Yes, this was probably my fault. But you should know that I'm secretly holding a grudge. Just wait until you're 17 and trying to get your 14 hours of sleep. I'll be in to visit you at 11 pm, 2 am, 3 am to 5 am straight, 6 am, and 10:30 am. Then I'll make you cook me breakfast and entertain me for an hour before I go take a nap.

Love, Mom

PS--Only two more months, right, Adrian?

Things I Don't Want to Forget

Today was my first official day as a stay-at-home mom. My mom and Beth left yesterday, and Jon went into work this morning at 6 am. (I'll blog about Mom & Beth's visit when Mom sends me the DC pictures).

Seth will be 4 weeks old on Saturday, and I can't believe it. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation, but time is going way too fast. Sometimes he doesn't even look like a newborn anymore. So before I forget, here are some things I want to remember about you, Seth:

*Your graceful ballerina arm motions, which Jon calls your "interpretive dancing."

*The way you squeal like a piglet when you nurse.

*How you're supposed to be awake for just a few minutes out of every hour, but you'd rather be awake for hours on end.

*Your fat face (see picture).

*How you faceplant into Jon's chest when you're too tired to lift your head while he burps you.

*How you have to do these dramatic stretches after you're done nursing.

*How funny you look with that big pacifier in your mouth (and how grateful I am that you'll take it so I don't have to be your pacifier).

*How you make little snoring sounds while you're sleeping.

*How you always wake up totally ticked off, like I haven't fed you in days (regardless of whether it's been just one hour or three).

*How you insist on keeping your fists by your face while you nurse. This is incredibly frustrating for both of us, as you keep trying to eat them instead of latching on. But heaven forbid I should try to move them...

*How you peed all over yourself during your second week at church (and how I forgot to bring a change of clothes, so you finished out sacrament meeting in a diaper and blanket).

*How good you smell.

*When you were just born, you would do this thing I called "the plecostomus." You would latch on, then just sit there and look up at me like "There. I latched on. Now see if you can make me eat."

*How you only like certain songs that your swing plays--Pachelbel's Canon is acceptable, "Rock-a-bye, Baby" is not.

*How when you're falling asleep, you'll keep opening your eyes up a tiny bit to make sure we're still there watching you.

*How you hardly ever cry. I can tell if you're starting to get angry because you'll do the "sniffy face" and then yelp at me.

*Your "I'm bored, pay attention to me!" squeal

I'm still counting down the weeks until he starts sleeping in longer chunks during the night, but I'm sad to see the newborn phase passing so soon. I'm so grateful I get to be home with him so I can enjoy it (and so I can nap when he does).