What is a Temper Tantrum?

If it consists of kicking, screaming, and throwing one's arms and head onto the floor, then Jareth had his first temper tantrum last night. I was already having a hard time going to sleep last night and found myself watching Romeo and Julet on TCM at 11:30 in the living room while Jon and Jareth laid fast asleep (or so I thought) in their beds. Then I heard my little man flopping around restlessly followed by a faint cry. I went back to see what I could do. (Perhaps a missing paci was the cause or a wet diaper.) As soon as Jareth saw me his little cry erupted into a scream. I found the paci and changed his diaper and covered him up and rubbed his head. The screaming didn't stop. Then he proceeded to arch his back and hit his bed with his tiny little fists, spitting out his paci. I picked him up, still crying, and sat in the glider. I tried rocking, singing, and even reading a book. He wouldn't stop. And it wasn't just crying I mean he was SCREAMING! I thought maybe his tummy hurt so I rubbed it and gave him some mylicon....He started kicking me and arching his back as if he didn't want to be held so I put him in the floor. While on his back he started kicking the floor and then he sat up and threw his head onto the carpet and banged on the floor! WHAT IN THE WORLD??? This is not my sweet child!! This is some other kid!!! I picked him back up. At this point Jon got up and came in the room. He took Jareth from me and in an effort to calm him started walking him up and down the hall. Nope. It didn't help. More screaming. So Jon brought him back to me and went back to bed. I gave up and put Jareth in his crib, still kicking and screaming, and kissed him goodnight. Then I went to the guest room. I laid on the bed for a while hoping he would "cry it out." That lasted about 2o minutes. Finally I decided it was time to get up. I went and got Jareth, turned on the lights, sat him in the living room floor (still crying and trying to catch his breath), and dumped out a tote of toys. He stopped crying and stared at the toys. Sweet relief for my ears! His Lambchop puppet "read" him a book and we rolled the soccer ball back and forth. Then I laid in the floor and he crawled back and forth over me. He was happy as could be. After about an hour he started rubbing his eyes and crawled into my lap. I got up and took him to bed. He began to whimper... I told Jon that I was NOT getting up again! The last time I remember looking at the clock it was about 3:30am. I'm really hoping this was a one time thing. But I doubt it. Next time I may go straight to playing.

A Day in the Life of a SAHM

I am so blessed to be a stay at home mom. Don't get me wrong, being a single income household is pretty tough at times. We have had to scale back on what we now call "luxuries." DVR, high priced hair cuts and coloring, going out for drinks at the drop of a hat, shopping on a whim, and a few other things have taken a back seat to diapers, wipes, formula, and pediatrician co-pays. But I look at other women with their nice highlights, manicured fingers, and designer bags and think to myself, "they don't know what they are missing." Staying home with Jareth is the best job I have ever had. Here is what my average day looks like.

Jareth gets up with a big smile and an excited "pick me up" wave of his arms

After a diaper, outfit change, and a bottle I feed Jareth some fruit/yogurt/cereal

I put on some music, put in a load of laundry, straighten up the kitchen, and if needed clean the bathroom, dust, or change the sheets

Then I eat breakfast while Jareth plays in the floor

I get in the floor too.

Another diaper change, a snack of cheerios or arrowroot cookies, and some juice in a sippy cup

I vacuum, fold and put away clothes, and make my bed while Jareth plays in his excersaucer

We run any errands that need to be ran and come home for lunch with daddy

After lunch is naptime

While Jareth sleeps I work out and work on Thirty-One

After nap its another diaper change, another bottle, and more play time with me on the floor in his room

After a walk to the mailbox and sitting on our little porch for a few minutes, we go inside to start on dinner

While I cook Jareth crawls around the livingroom and plays with his "upstairs" toys

Then daddy comes home and scoops Jareth up in his arms and they have daddy-son time

Jareth eats, we eat, daddy helps with the dishes, and we all get in the floor to play

The TV comes on, the computer is pulled out, and we "veg"

Around 8:30 its Jareth's bedtime

Then it is mommy-daddy time

Sure beats working in an office or some retail job!

Dada is in the Dog House

A week ago Jon set Jareth down in the livingroom and went to get a drink from the kitchen. He neglected to put the babygate up so Jareth decided to follow him.However instead of following him into the kitchen, he decided to check out the stairs. I heard a thump, thump, cry!!! Little man was laying on his back on the tile of our foyer. We both raced down to him and I picked him up. We took him to our bed, stripped off all of his clothing, and looked over every inch of his body. After a few minutes he went back to playing. We didn't think he had been hurt but kept him up for a while before bed worried about a head injury. He slept alright and he slept with us but he was a little fussy in the middle of the night. The next morning he woke up happy and we started our feeding routine. Afterward I put him in his exersaucer to play and he stayed there for about 30 minutes. Then I put him in the floor and that's when it happened. He tried to crawl and bless his heart he face planted. He couldn't put any weight on his left arm. I tried to get him to play pat a cake and he tried but couldn't. One phone call to his pediatrition, one trip to Children's Hospital ER, and one trip to an orthodic surgen later he has a bright orange, and thankfully water proof, cast. It really hasn't slowed him down. He can crawl with it, play pat a cake, eat, hold a bottle, and anything else he wants to do. Right now he is bangin a drum. (The cast makes lots of noise!) As for daddy being in the dog house, he feels awful and I try not to give him a hard time about it.

Pour Some Sugar On Me Baby!

My little man gives the best kisses!!! He has finally figured out how to kiss back. Well, he has his own ways of doing it. I can say "Can I have a kiss?" And he leans in, open mouthed of course, and gives me a wet one right on the lips. It's precious, just precious. And sometimes I don't even have to ask for one. He just leans in on his own. He makes me want like 4 more just like him. Children are fantastic. I highly recommend them. : )