Bradley Reunion

We had our birthing class reunion today.  We did the Bradley Method of birthing - basically one of the many classes that help those who want to labor and deliver without medication/epidural/intervention.

Only one of us did not birth in a hospital - instead choosing at home in a tub, which I was so impressed that she did this for her first baby.  But most all of us managed to go without epidurals (and those who did had extremely long labors 20+ hours). 

Anyway, all the babies were gorgeous;  all boys except for 1 girl; all born between June 1-August 9.  It was fun to see them "not" interact with each other (too young) even when we layed them on the activity mats. But they were all so alike, now Matt and I feel good that Wes is growing normal (which parent doesn't worry about this?) And it was just great to talk to everyone again without the stress of impending birth on our minds.  You could tell we were all much more relaxed (despite having infants!).   I hope that we can all stay in touch.

First trip downtown

Today was Wes's first trip into the city. My mom and I took him downtown to visit Matt and his co-workers.  He was really well-behaved because I've been trying out a new feeding schedule where I feed him every 2 hours instead of waiting for him to start crying. Yes, it took me 3 months to figure this out.  Plus, people don't freak him out yet so he didn't mind all the strange faces.

I've uploaded some of the photos from the day to the October photos link on the sidebar.

And while we're at it, here's Wes with me at work (when I went to visit, but before I officially resigned).

3 months old!

Bears vs Redskins

Busy weekend!

We went to Madison, WI for our good friends' housewarming party.  Thir new house is so nice - beautiful 1927 2 story with beautiful woodwork. I was swooning because I always wanted an old home (and 1975 is bad old, not good old).  Wes was really good, he even slept a little; and there was a 1-1/2 year old there and I am not looking forward to chasing after a mobile kid! I better enjoy these days while they last!

On Sunday, Matt and I went to our first Bears game together (my first Bears game ever). Our tickets we bought for the season are awesome -- 3rd row, couldn't be better! The game was a lot of fun and I realize I actually like watching live football rather than TV. Unfortunately, the Bears lost, and the fans are not sympathetic. Bears fans are curmudgeons; they'll show up to the game but if the Bears don't perform, they won't cheer (no matter how much beer they drank -- unlike Cub fans).   When the jumbo trons say "Let's hear noise!" they just ignore it and I thought that was hilarious.  At one point, one of the refs yelled out "2 minute warning!" and behind us we hear "You suck!" It was great.

All the season tix holders around us are a hoot; you can tell they've been coming to these games forever. I'm glad Matt can enjoy this for at least 1 season ... and maybe we can get lucky and get them again another year when Wes gets older.

Tummy time

Tummy time -- the requisite time spent on the tummy since we're required to put babies to sleep on their back-- is going really well after a rough patch (of 10 weeks). The trick? Have the TV on.
Now I wish this TV obsession means he'll be a famous director when he gets older, but I'm not that "pie in the sky" kind of person. But whatever works to keep his head up and the tears at bay, is fine with me -- for now.
Wait until he finds out we're canceling cable?!

Officially a SAHM, frugal diva

Monday marked my first week as a SAHM (Stay-at-home-Mom).

I told myself that it wouldn't feel any different than the last 12 weeks I've been home, but it did. I went grocery shopping with the baby yesterday, and driving around in our SUV I felt like I needed to have mom jeans on and a bumper sticker saying "My kid's an honor roll student at [fill in name here] Junior High." Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The week also marked our official start of living "frugally." Since October (and our decision to go to 1 income), we've made some changes in the way we spend. For example, we...

• make our coffee every morning (no more Starbucks or fancy $4 lattes every day, although I did give us a budget for coffee/weekends. We can't be entirely miserly). Monthly saving: $60
• make our lunches every day (no more $10 lunches when make sandwiches for $10 for the week.) Monthly saving: $160
• No more careless spending. Just in general, we're watching those extras that we buy but don't need. Monthly saving: $50

So far so good, but there's always more.  KT left me a comment with some great advice on where to save money.  (Unfortunately, I do a lot of those already because I tend not to be a wasteful person -- like wrapping presents with used bags. In fact, I had more than 1 friend give me a gift in alternative wrapping saying, "I knew you'd appreciate this!")

But here are our other cost savings measures Matt and I have just agreed to:

• No more cable. (This was a suggestion from KT). We barely watch anything other than some sitcoms. I don't watch TV during the day and at night, who has time? We're lucky to get in 1 DVR'd sitcom in.  (MY SUGGESTION). Monthly saving: $75
• Lose our 2nd car. We can't fit the baby in it anyway, so it's a waste of gas and insurance and maintenance. It's paid off so it doesn't cost us alot, but it's money that can go somewhere else. (MATT'S SUGGESTION) Monthly saving: $60

 In all, this will save us about $4500 a year... which we will be spending on the baby's formula!

Pacifier

We didn't let the hospital give the baby a paci because we didn't want him getting attached to one (even though we have them at home). So now when he fusses, giving him a paci is hopeless because he won't take it (and you regret that hospital decision for a moment). He likes his hand better
So I bought a new paci, one with a different nipple similar to his bottle. He definitely sucked on it better, but he spit it out with a great big smile!

What to do with...

... All the tomatoes from your garden? Make homemade pasta sauce.
It's easy! Cut up the tomatoes (at least 5-6) and process them in a food processor. Sauté lots of garlic with lots of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the tomatoes and 2 cans of tomato paste. Stir well. Add 1 cup stock (I use fake chicken) and balsamic vinegar ( a few tablespoons). Season with salt, oregano. Let it simmer on the stove top for a while - keep tasting until you like it. Season as needed. At the end you can add basil (I didn't have any and it was still delicious- how delicious? My mom complimented me!)
Enjoy!

Bathtime

I've been meaning to post a photo of Wes getting a bath.  Matt's hand in all the photos are so strategically placed (not intentionally) to protect the innocent.

Here he is looking not too happy at getting wet, yet again, as Mommy takes photos instead of helping. But Matt really enjoys this part of parenting. He really is very hands on with Wes and that means the world to me, and will be good for the baby. So many of us grew up with very hands off dads (wasn't that what they were expected to be?), so this is a new change -- the new dad is something I like a lot!

All wrapped up in the Moby

Big decision

Today I made the final decision not to return to work.
This was a very hard decision because I enjoy working, value my financial support of my family, and frankly, have never imagined being a stay at home mom. However, a lot changes when your baby finally arrives. After I bawled home after visiting daycare, matt was super supportive of my feelings to not leave him in infant daycare. We crunched the numbers and while finances will be tight, it can be done. I'm very grateful that matt is agreeing to this, but he also agrees that this is best for our family.
In an effort though to not completely leave the workforce, I've arranged to become a contract/project employee for my company, available for projects as needed. This is better than part-time (which they couldn't give me this status), because it will give me time for both work and raising Wes, while still making some income.
So the next weeks will be me getting used to this new phase in my life (as if the baby wasn't enough of a change), and return to "frugal rosie" as I make this work!
I hope I'm making the right decision.
Sent from my iPhone

What to do with ...

...leafy greens ready to go bad? Make soup!
Sauté garlic, onion, celery (green parts too) with olive oil salt pepper... Add 4 cups stock (tour choice, I use fake chick'n bouillon) and 1 large can crushed tomatoes. Season again. Wash the greens ( salad spinner works best) and add them to the soup (you can also sauté them first too -- I did it both ways for my batch). Finally, season it with what you like. I used paprika, cayenne, and oregano. Let it simmer and you have soup for a week!
Enjoy!

2 month doctor visit

October 2 - 10 weeks

Wes had his 2 month doctor visit this morning.  Matt came with so he could meet the doctor, and I'm glad he came because Wes got 2 shots and was crying so hard.  It was nice to have both of us there for him, plus it's important for Matt to meet the doctor who could potentially be treating Wes until he's 18.

Here's his stats:
@5w5days -- Height 23-1/4" (91%); Weight 10lb 12oz (68%)

@10w1day -- Height 24-1/4" (85%); Weight 13lb 4oz (75%)



The doctor thinks he may be going through a growth spurt since his weight is gaining more than his height (he said you grow one than the other); so we'll see for next time.

Gastronomique Society

Last February for Valentine's Day, we spent it with our good friends J & A. The guys made us a beautiful dinner while me and A got manis and pedis.  It was a perfect Valentine's Day.

So the idea of men cooking dinner kept resonating with everyone and in May of this year we had another "men cook" event while the girls got manicures -- only this time it was 4 couples and the atmospohere was so fun; it had to be repeated.

From May event:

A few months and a baby later, we regrouped for a "Basque" dinner this weekend (one of the cooks sis from the Basque region) and it did not disappoint. We had tuna from Basque, octopus, cod stew, and sea bass. Delicious!

So now the guys are the official "Gastronomique Society."

Video of Wes @ 10 weeks

New clothes for new me

Tonight I bit the bullet and bought some new clothes. I thought that I would return back to my old self and fit in my pre-preg clothing, but that isn't the case. And I think that even if I do lose these last 12 lbs, I still won't fit into my old clothes like before. My body has really shifted, my belly is flabby, and my boo.bs are huge. I need some strength training pronto (easier said than done with the baby). I walk almost every day at least 2 miles with the stroller and maybe that's helped some but I had to buy jeans 2 sizes bigger than normal, and all flowy tops to hide the bulges. Oh well, I'll just take the high road and say that when I look at my baby it was worth all those burger take outs during pregnancy! (hey, I had cravings!)