Poop Happens

Now that Charlie is eating food, his poop has changed. As a matter of fact, poop grows and changes just like the baby grows and changes.

Breastmilk poop is runny and seedy and a cross between green and yellow.

Formula poop is a little heavier, not so seedy, and is a cross between green and brown.

Food poop is heavy and thick and the color or whatever was eaten. Like, poop after carrots is orange.

I guess I've become somewhat of a poop professional since bringing the baby home. I've been up close and personal with poop, and poop and I just keep getting closer.

Like the quality time that poop and I had this weekend...

Yesterday and today I had incidents of spilling balls of poo while changing baby's diaper. As I move the dirty diaper from under the baby, balls of poo rolled out of the diaper and onto the floor and changing pad. I had to pick these marbles of digested food up with my hands and then wash whatever was touched.

This morning I tried to bathe baby in his tub. When I set him on the little chair in the tub, I noticed he had pooped in the tub. IN THE TUB!!!

The fun never ends.

Shopaholic

I can pinpoint the exact moment when I became a fan of shopping... Not necessarily a fan of fashion... Just shopping.

When I was 13, my mom let me rent Clueless from Blockbusters, and I watched it 11 times before having to return it. I was addicted to Cher's and Dionne's lifestyles. I wanted to be them. I wanted their closets.

Whenever I went shopping with my parents, I'd ask for pleated skirts and knee socks from Express, and that's exactly what I got. They would take me to Lord & Taylor and buy me cashmere cardigan sweaters and button-down shirts. We would go to the Macy's downtown, and I'd pick out bell-bottomed jeans and dresses. I'd get high on getting new clothes on sale. When I got home, I'd tally all the original prices and compare them to the sales prices then hang every in neatly in my closet.

I haven't changed much now that I'm an adult. I am a bargain shopper, and I refuse to buy anything regular priced. Although I no longer shop at Express, I am thoroughly addicted to Ann Taylor and The Loft. As a matter of fact, I can't (literally) resist their big sales on sale items... Like the one this weekend where there is an extra 50% or 40% off sale items. I bought like 5 outfits for the low. And then The Gap had the same sale, so I had to buy from them too!

What's so crazy is that I live arms distance from three Lofts, two Ann Taylors, and two Gaps. I remember last spring, I went to all three Loft stores in a day just to take full advantage of the sale.

To keep myself from pissing my money away in clothes, I'm going to try and establish the policy of saving the same amount I spend on clothes for charlie's college fund. That policy will go into effect August first.

Coolest Kid at Camp

I went to pick up Charlie from daycare, and when I walked into the place, I could hear babies screaming and crying. I listened closely to hear the cry of my baby, but I could not.

I walked into the room and scanned but didn't see my kid. Babies cried loudly. The teacher told me that all the babies like to eat at 3, so that was why they were crying. They had an extra pair of hands in the room to help warm the bottles and feed the babies.

The teacher informed me that my kid was sitting in the swing by the window. I turned and saw him.

Swinging...

Toes spread wide (as he normally does)...

Holding his pacifier...

Chilling...

Looking at me...

Smiling...

I smiled back, danced over to him, and got him out the swing. He calmly looked down at the crying babies and smiled.
My baby is so cool.

Lizard in the House

Scene: I am in the kitchen finishing dinner. Zack is on the sofa in the livingroom holding the baby. Our kitchen and livingroom are one big room separated by a short wall. The loveseat is by the back window and not too far from the back door. The stairs are located directly in front of the back door. I keep a pair of sneakers and flip flops at the bottom of the stairs.


I look toward the back door (about seven feet from the sofa) and see something long and gray scamper across the floor. I freak out. This is how it went.

Me: (climbing onto kitchen counter) Zack!!! Zack!!! Something just ran toward the loveseat!!!
Zack: (slowly reacting) what?
Me: Something just ran across the floor toward the loveseat!!!
Zack: (turning toward loveseat without urgency) What are you talking about?
Me: (fully on countertop now) Zack... Something... Just... Ran... toward... the window and loveseat!!! Like a lizard.
Zack: (still looking at loveseat) A lizard?
Me: Zack! Put the baby in the pack n' play, and go to the freaking loveseat! There is a lizard in the house!
Zack: (Getting up slowly and looking at the floor)
Me: Put the baby in the pack n' play now, and get the lizard!
Zack: (puts baby in pack n' play and goes in the kitchen to get the broom). Steph, where's the broom?!
Me: (death stare on back door and loveseat) where it always is! by the fridge!
Zack: (goes to back door with broom) I'll sweep him out the door.
Me: No! You won't!!! We have a baby in the house! You better kill him!
*The lizard, all 9 inches of him, runs towards the back door.
Zack: (screams and attempts to jump on lizard)
*There was a bunch of broom banging, jumping up and down, and stomping.
Me: (still on counter) Did you get it?!?!?!
Zack: I think so.
Me: Well, you need to be sure! Do you see it?! Where is it?
Zack: (Broom in hand) Its on your shoe. I definitely hurt him because there is blood on your shoe. I don't know if he's gonna die though.
Me: (unconcerned about the shoe and still on the counter)
Zack: I'm gonna sweep him out the door. (sweeps shoe and lizard out the door)
Me: (climbing down off the counter) Check and see if there are any more in the house! I swear I saw one go behind the loveseat!
Zack: I got him.
Me: Did you hear me?! I saw one go behind the loveseat... unless that was the same one... but there might be two! (climbing back onto counter)
Zack: (Searching the living room floor) Steph, I don't see anything else.
Me: (climbing off the counter again) Ok. I just don't want to look down at Charlie playing on the floor and see him playing with a lizard.
Zack: Charlie would probably try to put it in his mouth like he does everything else!



Ever since this incident, I have been paranoid that every little sound and movement is a lizard. I was sweeping the bottom of the pantry and out came something that I swore was a broken off lizard tail. I nearly broke my neck trying to run back onto the counter. It was just a little leaf thing from outside though.

Morning Nap

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Charlie wakes up, plays, has a bottle, plays again, then passes out like this.

I spend a few minutes of this time kissing his legs and feet. It's one of my favorite things ever!

Btw, I posted this through email! I'm freaking excited that I can post pics without getting on the computer! Life will never be the same.

3am Snack Routine

Wait for baby to fuss...
Prepare bottle, get back in bed, watch baby on monitor...
Wait for baby to (slightly) cry...
Get baby from crib, place first pacifier in corner of crib...
Sit on bed with baby, give him a 4oz bottle, cover his feet with sheet...
Wait for him to finish (he never really wakes up)...
Set bottle on nightstand, give him second pacifier, lay him on bed...
Get diaper, change him, put diaper in the Genie...
Scoop baby up, hold him for a few seconds...
Place him back in crib with second pacifier, cover him with blanket...
Get first pacifier and place it in cup on nightstand...
Take bottle to bathroom, rinse it out, set it next to 12am bottle...
Go back to bed, window shop on the Internet or play Words w/ Friends...
Fall asleep.

(this takes 10-15 minutes and happens at midnight, 3am, and 5:30am. At 5:30, we'll wake up and watch the Disney channel.)