Happy Halloween

Here are a few photos of our "Little Monster." More to come...including photos of the Amazing Bellarina in the physical manifestation of her imaginary pigsuit.

Dewberry Farms

We tagged along with the Penas on their annual "Pumpkinpalooza" to Dewberry Farms on Sunday. Mick and I were so happy just to be outdoors and away from our house that we didn't even mind leaving before we were able to pick a pumpkin. Although I was still shell-shocked from my experience the day before, Cash did very well - he slept most of the way there and back (almost three hours round-trip) and put up with us taking him in and out of the stroller for photo ops. We left early so as not to push our luck.

The calm before the storm

I started this blog totally excited about a parenting praise report and then was interrupted by the most difficult day of motherhood I've had by far.

First the good news. We've been trying to get Cash to sleep in his bassenet for a while now, but to no avail. He seems to prefer sleeping next to me (co-sleeping opponents: please keep your opinions to yourself :) ) However, last night we used the "miracle blanket," swaddled Cash tight, and voila, he fell asleep for five whole hours in the bassenet and then went back in after each time I fed him. Now mind you, I was too anxious thinking he would wake up at any minute that I did not sleep a wink of those initial five hours, but I loved that we were making progress in that department.

Now the bad news. Mick had set up a "daddy-date" with some of our fellow-new-father friends to go to a movie today. I looked forward to visiting with my friend Rebekah and her two-week-old daughter while our guys hung out. Cash however spent literally the entire two-and-a-half hour visit either non-stop nursing or frantically crying when I tried to burp him or change sides. Not fun; rather painful actually. This was totally ruining my I'm-such-a-successful-parent-that-my-child-never-has-a-meltdown-and-I-would-totally-know-what-to-do-if-he-did-anyway fantasy that I was trying to live in. Then, when I finally decided to excuse myself before I completely fell apart, my car wouldn't start! I had to call Mick home to rescue me. Needless to say, I didn't make it out of our friends drive way before being reduced to a sobbing mess.

I guess this is just the first of many good, bad and ugly experiences to come. If the half-done hair and fact that I always have spit-up somewhere on me didn't convince me, this certainly showed that motherhood is very humbling.

P.S. When we got home from the meltdown, Daddy was able to put Cash to sleep within ten minutes and now he has been asleep (alone, in his bassenet!) for hours. Go figure!

Cash and Aunt Ray-Ray

So super cute...I had to share it!

First Smiles!

So Cash has started to socially smile now. Yesterday, Mick and I each got one, which was a real treat! Forgive my cheesy-ness in the video. I now have a habit of pluralizing random words like "what." A girl will do almost anything to make her little guy happy...even if it is singing a song about "stinking poo-poos" while changing his diaper.

One Month Old!

I can't believe our boy is one month old already! Time really is flying by. Cash is an eating machine, weighing in at over 10 lbs now.