November 4, 2014 by Stephanie

Crocheted Baby Dinosaur Hat

The first year of a baby’s life you kind of have to go all out for all the holidays. Since Halloween was George’s first holiday, of course that meant we had to do some special costumes.

Because he is only 2 months old, I figured this would be perfect since we would not be embarking on the trick or treating part. Partially naked babies are ok then.

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I felt that this would be a good opportunity to mark some things off my bucket list by crocheting something and having this be George’s 9 week photo shoot. Win win.

I found a pattern on Ravelry. Here is the link.

I just used yarn I had left over from other projects, but I think it is the basic yarn you can get at Walmart. It does not take very much yarn at all, so don’t go and buy a whole skein unless you like the colors for other projects.

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The hat and cape are really easy to do. If I remember correctly it took me maybe an hour to do.

The pattern did rounded scales, but I could not figure out the “magic circle.” Seriously, it was a whole night of me grumbling through YouTube videos trying to get it. So I finally gave up and did triangles instead, which took me about 30 minutes to make all of them. I did two different sizes of triangles, but you can’t really tell from the pictures so I think you could do all the same size or all different. You could also do a lot more than I did and have them closer together. I spaced mine out pretty far. It’s one of those things that is whatever strikes your fancy.

The other note about this pattern is to be aware of the sizing. It says newborn, but George is 2 months old and it is a little of a roomy fit. Granted he weighs about the same as some bigger newborns, but still. Since this is my second go at making a successful hat, I didn’t want to deviate from the pattern to attempt to make it smaller. So be aware if you are making it for a little one in your life.

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This was also the week that George actually started liking to lay on his tummy, so that worked out nicely for the photos. I thought it was going to be a whole day ordeal trying to get these shots seeing how tummy time went for him in the past. It ended up only taking me about a half hour, which is a huge deal in terms of baby pictures. Successful Halloween!

What were you for Halloween? Did you make your own costume?

November 2, 2014 by Stephanie

Missouri, Here We Come!

It is hard to believe that this day has finally come. Right now George and I are making our way back to Missouri for good.

Like forever good.

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Tom and I have been talking about this day for years. We have been dreaming about the day that both of us would have a job that we are passionate about and be in a place close to our families.

Today, we are one step closer to making all this happen.

In a week, I will be starting a new job as a Student Success Advisor for a small college in Missouri. If I were to write my dream position, this one would be pretty darn close. I will be working with retention efforts and advising/coaching students with their academic needs. I have opportunities to work on an individual level and a campus level. And after the year I have had professionally, I could not be more excited to get my hands dirty full time.

There are a lot of implications of going back to work full time. The past week has kind of been a whirlwind trying to get everything in place and wrap my head around what is happening. But all in all, I am thrilled to feel needed professionally. It has definitely been good for my soul to get a yes after 2+ years searching.

I know all of the other details will come together because I truly believe that this is our time to have the life we have always wanted.

So George and I are becoming Missourians today. Tom and the dogs are going to stay in KY for just a little longer. Tom is working on joining us soon. We are hoping that we will only be apart for a month, but Army and paperwork always makes things interesting. Please keep us in your thoughts that this will happen as smoothly as possible.

I will be sure to write more about the move, the transition into the job, long distance once again with Tom, and also my thoughts on leaving George for more than an hour at a time. (I have shed a lot of ugly tears over this one the past week…Any advice working moms?)

I may not write soon or often; forgive me a lot of stuff is changing! But I will reflect at some time I am sure.

For now I am going to bask in the enjoyment of going home today. For there is no place like home.

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Missouri it is so good to see you! You have never looked so good!

(Maybe because it is fall adds to that factor…)

October 30, 2014 by Stephanie

My Husband Is NOT My Best Friend

I know a lot of people claim that their spouse is their best friend.

I am not one of those people.

Yes, Tom is the love of my life. Yes, he is the one person who knows me the best. Yes, he is my favorite person to be with. Yes, I love seeing him every day.

But he is not my best friend.

That spot in my life is reserved for someone outside of my marriage.

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Here are just 3 reasons why I believe you need to have a best friend who is not your spouse/partner.

1. You need to have someone you can go to who isn’t your partner. Sometimes it is nice to talk/vent to someone else. You get a different perspective on things. I don’t condone talking bad about your partner, but let’s be real sometimes you need to let out some steam. You need to have your person that you trust and know will keep you grounded. Plus there are some things that Tom just doesn’t get because he is a dude, and the same works for him. My lady hormones are sometimes too much, and he needs some man talk.

2. I can’t hang out with my husband all the time. That is the best way to get into a funk or drive each other crazy. Change of pace and company is nice. (I think this goes for anyone, not just those who are romantically involved.) Sometimes you need space. It is here that you can find new energy and be reminded why you love your spouse in your time away. I feel that if you spend ALL your time with one person eventually you will either get bored or just annoyed because you aren’t having any time away . I think when you don’t have that space you start to see little quirks and make them into big quirks that you aren’t fond of. So space in my opinion is good. Think about why vacations are good for your soul. It may sound bad, but every once in awhile I need a vacation. Hopefully you get what I mean.

3. It takes away the pressure to be EVERYTHING for your spouse. If I didn’t have friends, I would be solely dependent on Tom for every need. That is a lot of stress to put on a relationship. Tom and I having a best friend outside of our marriage allows us to be better partners because we know we don’t have to be everything to each other. The fact is that I don’t like everything that Tom does. My ideal Saturday morning is not one where I lug metal around to recycling yards. If I was his only friend, I would come to resent the fact that this is how we spend our Saturday mornings even if it makes him happy. Then further down the road, I would probably start to ruin his fun with my disdain for the activity. By letting Tom have someone else who likes all the four wheeling and car repairing, this means that I don’t have to dislike the time we spend together but yet Tom is filling that need. And that leaves time for me to watch college football or Dawson’s Creek with my best friend, which are things Tom does not particularly enjoy. In the end it means both of us are happy, which is what we want for each other anyway.

I understand that the definition of best friend is going to be different to everyone. So if you view your partner as your best friend, I don’t hate on that! Also please note that this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate or see the importance of focusing on quality time with your spouse/partner. (Seriously, Tom is the person I have most contact with in the world, so it would be pretty bad if I hated that time.) The moral of this post would be that there is a lot of value in having friendships outside of your marriage.

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Tom would probably not get as into the dressing up as Annette and I do…

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There have been countless costumes or silly outfits we have worn over the years.

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My best friend was here this last weekend. It was great to have some gal time with her. We have known each other for almost 10 years, and our relationship predates Tom and I’s. It is always so nice to be together because I know it will be a fun carefree time. We can be open and honest about everything and just enjoy ourselves no matter what we are doing. And no matter how long it has been since we have talked with each other or seen each other, it is like we never missed a day.

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Annette and I have been through a lot together. We have been through through breakups and budding relationships, through disappointments and triumphs, and everything in between.

We attempted to learn N’Sync dances and created interpretive dances together and road tripped to New Orleans. We have puddle jumped and ran in the snow. We have cheered on our favorite sports teams. We played our hand at being hamster parents, which was an epic fail. We worked together at Worlds of Fun and are brothers in Phi Sigma Pi together. We spent our senior year as roommates and have since traveled to see each other every year no matter the distance. I seriously could go on for pages with the memories…

Because of her, I am not only a better person, but a better spouse.

We are going to grow to be old best friends at the senior home with purple and yellow walkers.

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What do you think? Is your partner in life also your best friend? Or do you fill that role outside of that relationship?

October 29, 2014 by Stephanie

Talks with Tom #31

Tonight is Game 7 of the World Series.

And my Royals are IN IT!

Last night was a fantastic game. It was the highest shutout since the 1985 series, uh when we were in it the last time. When we do something, we do it big and in style. Nothing like making records along the way!

And it is so beautiful that it will be ending in Kansas City.

We earned this even though so many thought it wasn’t possible…eh hem Joe Buck…

Today’s conversation with the husband happened during one of the amazing games we have been able to watch this last week. Talk about good baseball!

Tom- If I owned the Giants, I would only hire big dudes. That way I can say I actually have a team of Giants. And I would pay them with giant checks too, like the giant sweepstakes checks.

LET’S GO ROYALS!

Did you see last night’s game? Will you be watching game 7?

October 26, 2014 by Stephanie

George-2 Months

“Oh hey I am 2 Months Old.”

Weight: At his appointment last week he was 8 lbs 13 oz. At our home scale today he is right over 9lbs. He is also 22 and a half inches long compared to the 20 when he was born.

Health: We did see the doctor for his acid reflux because he was just miserable. We now have medicine that seems to be helping with the comfort a little. He still spits up a lot of what he eats, but it hardly comes out the nose anymore. He does have terrible gas so that may be some of his discomfort still. Seriously he farts like a grown man, like his father in fact. We have his 2 month check up this week so hopefully he gets a good grade. We also have his cardiology appointment this week to make sure the holes in his heart have closed up. Hopefully it is a just a routine check-up from being born early. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers on that one!

Diet: He is doing much better with breastfeeding. I have a post completely about our breastfeeding experience, but I can’t seem to hit the publish button…

Clothes: He is still rocking newborn clothes. He is filling them out much better now. I am kind of glad that we have been able to put a lot of good use to this size. A lot of people said that he would grow so fast out of them, but we have had the opposite experience. He can fit lengthwise into 0-3 month clothes, but he doesn’t fit them width wise. It looks like he should have shoulder pads in there. I have been putting him in his Royals gear despite them being a little roomy for all this World Series goodness. Also not sure who makes baby clothes because real buttons should NOT be on newborn clothes. I also prefer the snaps on the butt to zippers.

Sleeping: He is doing sooo much better with sleeping. I think there are a couple reasons for this. 1) We have a pretty solid routine now, so he knows what to expect. We were still trying to figure out all of his feeding woes that first month. 2) We have this reflux medicine that helps calm his stomach juices a bit which allows him to sleep longer. 3) We don’t put him in the crib anymore. We have an inclined bassinet, and the doctor said this is the best way for him to sleep until he gets over this acid reflux. As much as I would love for him to be adjusted to his crib, I would much rather for all of us to get sleep. Even when I try to put him down in it for a brief moment during the day so I can go to the bathroom, he will barf all over that crib. We’ll revisit the crib again in another couple weeks.

Likes: He loves the stoller and car rides. He is pretty fond of his pacy. (Not sure how they always go missing. Seriously, we have 6 or 7 of them, but they always seem to be MIA when we need them.) He also loves when we dance around during music time. His favorite songs right now are “Wheels on the Bus,” “Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” “Down by the Bay,” and “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” He also loves when Tom sings to him; so do I. He loves laying on our chests. He will fall right asleep most of the time this way if he is fussy. I think he also uses this to his advantage and knows what he is doing. He just started loving his kick and play. He stomps the heck out of those keys.

Dislikes: He still hates being naked and diaper changes. He doesn’t like when I walk the dogs and leave him out of the fun. He also does not like tummy time unless it is on our chests. (My dislike is that he has started grasping which means he unintentionally scratches. Scratches and breastfeeding are not a good combo…)

Milestones: He is sleeping through the night!! He started smiling at us the last week. Melt my heart. He holds his head up for brief periods of time. He can’t turn over when he is flat, but he can flip himself from his stomach to his back when he is on his boppy. He is starting to grab things (mostly my hair and tshirts). He has been grabbing his pacy and attempting to put it in his mouth. Most of the time, he misses, but he has thrown it into his mouth a few times. He also found his toes during this photo shoot.

Quirks: He belches like me and farts like his dad. Nice to know he got our best traits. He has a lot of new gurgles, grunts, and squeals that are fun to decipher. He still has great facial expressions.

We parents are: doing great! I have been feeling stronger and much more normal this month. I just love being his mom. Postpartum hair loss is real. I am constantly shedding fistfuls of hair. It is slightly disturbing how quickly it comes out. Tom thinks that George hates him though. He feels that George cries a lot more with him than he does with me. I keep trying to tell him that a lot of it has to do with the fact that he is with George during his most difficult time of the day. And babies cry…it’s a thing.

The dogs are: kind of leaving the baby alone. They will hang out in the nursery with us, but they don’t really come near him much anymore. The novelty has worn off I guess. Crosby has learned how to play George’s kick and play piano, which is super funny to watch. Grace will sometimes give George the stink eye when he is crying.