Movin' On Up!

We've moved!  Come check out all the Binky goodness at www.pacifierinmypocket.com!  Don't forget to update your Google readers, bookmarks, etc.  We'll see you there!  Go now!

Photo Friday & What Did You Get Right?

From looking at my pictures, you'd think we spend all our time at the park.  I wish!  This is one of my favorite shots from our spontaneous playground visit this week.

I'm not exactly sure what is it about this one...maybe the funky lighting...maybe that it seems to really capture Bink's personality (always busy being in other people's business).  For whatever reason, this shot of two of the boys I love most in life makes me smile. 

I promise next week I'll go for a non park shot! It's just so hard when the weather is this pretty!

Two weeks ago I started asking What Did You Get Right?  I love hearing your answers and it helps me to have to stop and thinking of what I got right each week.  Especially this week with all the silly mistakes at once.

This week I took a little time for myself.  I always feel guilty if I'm off work sending Bink to daycare.  I feel like I already miss so much time with him being at work that I'm not there, I should be soaking up the time with Bink.  And I should.  But sometimes its nice to remember what life was like pre-Bink.  You know...eat a meal with two hands, waste time on the internet, try on clothes without dancing a stroller in circles to keep the baby happy, pee without someone sitting on my lap.  I almost felt like me again, not "just" a mommy.

Hosted by Cecily

Comedy of Errors, Part Two

You'll be happy to hear that the rest of my Tuesday was MUCH better than the expected, given the ridiculous start to the day.  I did spend about four hours total in Panera getting all the photos off my phone (and eating soup!).  I was slightly annoyed at spending so much time doing that, but then I got caught up looking at all the great pictures of Bink I've taken over the past nine and half months.  I also managed to max out a "Mobile Uploads" folder on Facebook.  Impressive.

If you'd like to see the pictures that ate my morning they are here and here.  (And you might as well become a fan of Pacifier In My Pocket while you're on Facebook anyway!)

Luckily, after all that preemptive work, the speaker on my phone magically began to work again.  Apparently it just needed to dry out from all the drool before it was functional again.

Before picking up Bink from daycare I was determined to accomplish one thing off of my to-do list for the day.  I managed to pop into Goodwill (yup, I'm cool like that) and pick up a pair of Liz Claiborne jeans, a grey cardigan, and a board book of Good Night, Moon for $12.  So at least now I won't smell like fish oil.  Blech.

Since its one of the first few nice days we've had in the Mid-Atlantic this year, I decided to take Bink on a walk before heading home.  We parking along a great bike and walking trail that runs for miles and miles around here.  Bink and I strolled along listening to country music from my iPod for a while and just enjoying being outside.

On the way home, I got what was actually my best idea of the day.  I called Hubby and told him to blow off grocery shopping for dinner.  Instead we picked up the kids and took them to the playground for a while.  K was happy to get to run around a bit and climb on things, even though she's a little too big for this particular playground.  We took turns pushing Bink on the swings and let him crawl back and forth though a tunnel  I picked up a pizza on the way home for dinner.

I felt guilty for not actually cooking dinner.  Not that I often do the cooking, but I'd offered this time.  But, sometimes you need to just throw some pizza on the table and spend that time doing something more important...like playing at the park.

Comedy of Errors

Uh, it's only 10 a.m. and I should probably just start today over.  Here's a little back story... I'm off of work this week for Spring Break (one of the advantages of working at a University).  I decided to spend most of the week with Bink, instead of sending him to daycare, but to also spend a half-day or two child-free.

Yesterday I kept Bink with me so we could go to his 9 month check up.  Today was supposed to be at least partially baby-free so that I could accomplish a long list of important things.  Like blogging.  And uploading home videos to YouTube.  And buying new jeans (since my favorite pair lost a battle to a fish oil vitamin last week...they still smell like a wharf).  

Last night I realized there was some breast milk in the refrigerator.  My mommy brain thought, oh, better freeze that.  It won't keep until next week when Bink goes back to daycare.  Next week?  Hey there, Brain.  How about tomorrow?  Now, thawing out milk isn't a big deal, but once its been thawed it needs to be used within 24 hours.  I try no to thaw it out unless I know we'll use it.  That meant I'd need to pump in the morning.

This morning started off pretty smoothly.  Hubby took baby duty last night so I'd had a mostly full night of sleep.  Bink got back in bed with me around 6:30 a.m., nursed, snuggled, and watched the Today Show until he was ready for a little morning nap.

We got back up, got dressed, and went downstairs so I could start pumping.  At this point I have had no Diet Coke, no coffee, no breakfast, no nothing.  I brilliantly decide to let Bink play on the floor while I pump since he hates being couped up in his exersaucer now.  I rationalize this by thinking we have baby proofed pretty well and there is nothing out that he couldn't play with.

I sit down to pump, hook everything up, and then start a constant loop of "No, no, Bink" and "Bink, put that down, want this?"  The problem with pumping is that it takes a while for your milk to let down.  And once it does, you really shouldn't detach and stop to chase after 9 month old babies.  Any stopping in the process slows down the milk, thereby delaying my diet coke, coffee, breakfast, and getting Bink's butt to daycare so I can have 10 minutes of peace.

Bink headed straight for my basket of books and magazines, grabbing firmly onto a paperback that my Mom lent me.  In order to save the paperback's life, I leapt up (still attached to the pump) and snagged it from Bink.  I offered him my cell phone instead.  He happily went to chewing and slobbering on that for a few minutes.  That is until he found my new issue of Working Mother magazine.  I justified letting him rip a few pages out of it...until he started to eat the paper.  I pretty sure he actually swallowed a small bite or two before I got the subscription card out of his mouth.  

Noticing the tower fan across the room, he took off crawling for it and tried to pull himself up.  The fan wobbled back and forth precariously for a minute before he gave up.  In order to lure him back closer to me I offered him...my shoe.  Don't judge me.  I was out of toys, paper products, and expensive electronics to bribe him with.

Amazingly, Bink had no interest in my flip-flop and promptly took off for the side table.  He snagged a pile of important paperwork from the contractor who is going to fix the snow-pocolypse damage to the house.  Knowing I'd been beat, I unplugged the pump bag (though I was still attached to the pump parts) and ran across the room.  I balanced the pump parts on my boobs with one arm and scooped Bink up with the other.  

You can imagine how well that went.  While I did salvage the paperwork from Binky's grubby paws, that is about all I managed.  In the process of setting Bink back down, I dumped breast milk all over myself...the pump bag...and my only clean pair of jeans.

At that point, I gave up.  I put Bink in his high chair with some puffs.  I put the pump bag on the kitchen counter to deal with later.  I wipe myself off, made Bink's bottle with what milk was left, and fed him a bowl of cereal.  

I dropped Bink off at daycare and started off in search of breakfast and, more importantly, caffeine.  I called Hubby for his "package delivery confirmation" (we always call after dropping Bink at daycare) and started chatting away at him.  Instead of responding to my witty recounting of the milk debacle, he says "Honey?  Honey?  Are you there?  I can't hear you!"

I hang up and call him back.  I can hear him.  He can't hear me.  I repeat this process a few more times (I'm not easily deterred by failure) before giving up, slapping some mascara on in the Panera Bread parking lot, and going to get my breakfast.

Iced coffee and bagel with peanut butter in hand I hunker down in a comfy chair for some free wi-fi.  I google "LG Dare speaker problems" and try to figure out a solution.  The first option is to remove the battery and let it sit for a few minutes.  When I take the back of the phone off, the inside is COVERED with baby slobber.  No wonder the speaker won't work, I'm amazing the phone is still turning on!

I dried the area off with my sleeve (resourceful, aren't I?) and let the battery sit for a few minutes before trying to call Hubby a few more times.  Still no luck.  Now I'm still sitting in Panera an hour and half later texting all my pictures and video to my facebook page since I'm pretty sure the Verizon store is going to want to restore the factory defaults on my phone.  

I woke up this morning thinking I was going to have a relaxing day to myself.  Ah, the best laid plans...

Review--Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon

Boon's tagline is "Innovations for Modern Parents" and they do seem to have some adorable and innovative baby products (like their grass theme drying rack).

I first saw the Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon at Target.  Target actually carries a few of Boon's baby feeding products (and lots of their other goodies online).  I stood in the aisle at Target a few times debating it with Hubby and the consensus was we didn't need it.  He was right, we didn't need it, but it did look like fun!

Want to know what I thought of it?  Head over to Pacifier Party, my review and giveaways blog, to find out!

Busy Ball Poppin' Fun

My mom bought Bink a Busy Ball Popper for Christmas.  For those you without one, it was described to me as baby crack.  He LOVES the thing, but hasn't quite hit the age where he knows how to work it.  Mostly he climbs on it and tries to take the balls out the eat them.

He, K, and Hubby have worked out a system though.  K chases the balls after the spray across the room (and squeals about it).  Hubby pushes the control button with his foot.  Bink steals the balls to eat them and giggles at how goofy his sister is.  Me?  I take video for posterity.

Photo Friday & What Did You Get Right?

Bink and I visit Grandma every Wednesday night.  Its actually a tradition that pre-dates him by a few years.  First we'd just go shopping each week.  It's amazing how much time we can kill in a Target with a Starbucks.  Or any Target really.  Then for a while we planned my wedding...making buttonaires, ironing "Team Groom" onto shirts for Hubby's friends, hot gluing sea shells to raffia.  Later we took up knitting, called it Stitch and Bitch, and added another friend to the mix.  And a lot more wine.

Shortly after the transition to Stitch and Bitch, I found out I was pregnant with Bink.  Out with the wine for me and in with lots and lots of hand knitted baby booties (that he never wears because they don't stay on his feet for even three short seconds). Every week I'd update whoever would listen to me about which vegetable Bink was closest to in size that week.  He's a sweet pea this week.  This week he's a banana.  That seems so big.  That's big, right? It's only blahdy-blah-blah more weeks/days/seconds until he's due.

 Amazingly, since Bink was born I've only managed to knit twice.  Once at Hubby's parents house for a few days when he was very small and content to be held by Grandma and Grandpa.  And once at work because the students wanted to knit during a club meeting.  So not so much stitching going on at Stitch and Bitch anymore, but we seem to still manage to fill the time!  Maybe with a little bitching...but mostly with laughing, wine, and video games.  We're quite good at Rock Band and Wii Resort.

This week I was able to get to Grandma's earlier than I normally do and it just happened to be one of the few nice days we've had this year so far.  Seriously, there is still some snow left from the big storm over a month ago.  Instead of just chatting we took Bink to the park.  He was thrilled to be outside and LOVED the swings.  It makes me happy just thinking of all the swings in our future this Spring.  If only it were 30 degrees warming and not raining.  Or snowing.  Or gusting at 30 mph.  One day, I'm sure of it.

Last Friday I introduced the idea of What Did You Get Right?.  I got lots of comments from you all about your triumphs for the week, so I think we should play again.  

This week I slowed down a little while I was nursing Bink.  Normally I use that time (the ONLY time he is still-ish anymore) to check email, catch up on tv, chat with Hubby and K, open junk mail, whatever I can do with one hand while seated.  On Tuesday I took Bink up to our bed to nurse him before he went to sleep and instead of trying cram in twelve other things, I just watched him for a few minutes.  I thought about what it was like with him those first few weeks when he got home from the hospital.  I stroked his hair and sung to him.  I just enjoyed his company.  When he was finished he rolled over and gave me a little content sigh.  I think he enjoyed our quiet time together too.






Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Exciting News

Over the next few weeks there be some major bloggy changes going on 'round these parts!  A few days ago Hubby purchased my domain name for me and is starting the process of building me a site there (don't bother going there, there is nothing to see yet). 

I'm a little nervous at the prospect of changing my blogging platform (blogger to wordpress) and using iWeb to design the site.  It will be great in the end, but I always hate the first few days/weeks/months of learning a new technology like that.  I always mutter to myself about how if I was just doing it the old way, I'd be done by now.

So...keep your eyes peeled for the big unveiling!  I'll let you know when there is actually something to be seen over there!

And also, here's a random picture of Bink.  Just in case you thought I forgot your daily dose.  Strange lightening, but I kind of like it.

And It Keeps Getting Better

A few of my favorite blogs have been talking about the best advice they could give to newlyweds.  It got me thinking about the best advice about marriage that I had been given.

During our first year of marriage there were some forces outside of our control that added immense amounts of stress to our relationship.  Those of you with blended families will likely understand immediately what I'm talking about.  Those of you who are not should know that step-families are challenging even in the best circumstances and when everyone has all their oars in the water.  (At some point I will do a post on step-families in general so you understand where I'm coming from with this.)

I tried for months to bite my tongue on an issue that I felt like I needed to let Hubby handle on his own.  I didn't want to nag him.  I didn't want to fight.  But I also didn't want to be angry and resentful and that was the road I was heading down.

I went to my mom for advice..and maybe to bitch and complain and be told that I was right.  My mother has raised four children.  She's survived the step-family dynamics.  And she and my step-dad have been married for almost 20 years.

There are a few things you should know about my mom.  She's no nonsense.  She doesn't put up with pity parties.  And she will not tell you that you're right just to make you feel better.  She also has the kind of marriage that try to model my own after.

She and my step-dad got married in the height of their children's obnoxious years.  Their newlywed stage coincided with teens, tweens, and overall brattiness on behalf of me and my brothers.  I'm sure we didn't make it easy for them.  Blending two families is never easy.  Except they made it look that way.

They made it look like everything was easy.  And I don't mean that in a bad way.  I mean that it was apparent then, and it still is now, that they love each immensely, they love all of us children immensely, and that they could weather anything because of that.

Looking back now through the lens of my own step-family experience, I'm sure it wasn't easy.  I'm sure there were lots of things in my self-centered youth that I missed and took for granted and just generally had no clue about.  But more than anything, what I remember about that time is how obvious it was that they were in love.

As simple as that sounds, you don't always see that in parents (your own, your friends, strangers on the street).  It was so obvious that we used to tease them and I was complain about how "gross" it was that they held hands when we went to the mall.  Because there is nothing more embarrassing to a teenager than having to admit you have parents at all...let alone parents who would dare to hold hands.  IN PUBLIC!

The reason I'm telling you all this is so that you understand why I would put so much faith in my mother's advice (outside of her being my mother and all).

So I went to visit her and complained.  Poor me.  Hubby won't do it my way.  Hubby won't do EVERYTHING my way.  If it were me, I would do it this way.  Why didn't he just KNOW to do it this way?

And she may have (gently) pointed out that I had never mentioned any of this to Hubby.  I'd just expected him to know how I would do it and do it that way.  Wasn't that what it mean to be married?  You just knew what the other person wanted.  Right?  Right?  Oh.  I see. 

Not only did I have to be willing to tell Hubby what I was thinking, I had to be OK with disagreements.  I had this idea in my head that couples who were right for each other never fought.  Now I know that couldn't have been further from the truth.  Couples who really care about each other and their relationship don't just disagree from time to time, sometimes they flat out argue or fight.  Sometimes they do it in a mature way.  Sometimes they do it in, ahem, less mature ways (like storming out the house and going to Target to hide).

Couples who really care, care enough enough to disagree with each other.  They care enough to speak up when something isn't right.  They care enough not to let things slide that will eat away at them later.  They care enough to fight because sometimes fighting is the harder thing to do.  They care enough about the marriage to constantly strive to make it stronger and to not just take the easy way out.

I went back to Hubby later and told him what I really thought.  And we argued about it.  And eventually we reached a solution that worked for us.  Was it comfortable and easy?  No.  I'd have rather just come home pretended everything was fine and watched a movie.  Was it the right thing to do for our marriage?  Absolutely.

We were able to take a situation that could make or break a young marriage and use it to make our relationship stronger.  And we really are a better team for it.

I try to remember that advice when the big things creep up.  I'm not talking about the pile of clothes on the floor instead of in the hamper.  Oh wait, those are mine.  I'm talking about the BIG stuff.  The stuff that eventually defines a marriage.  The stuff that you know you won't sleep that night if you don't do the right way.  Those are the things not to short change your marriage with by at least trying to talk it out.

Do I get it right every time?  Not even close.  But I keep trying... because I want to have the kind of marriage where my children complain about how gross and in love their parents are too.