Time for a Glass of Wine

It's almost 8 p.m.

Jon is on his way home.

The baby is sleeping.

Dinner is almost ready...just need to drop the orichiette and grill the shrimp. We're having orichiette pasta tossed with roasted grape tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, capers and fresh mozerella topped with grilled shrimp. Jealous?

I ran and lifted today.

I just poured a glass of wine.

Life is SO good.

This is the Life!

Ok...I'm not kidding. I DON'T MISS WORK AT ALL!!!!!!

Right now, whilst little sweet Kate naps (going on an hour now) I am sitting on our deck, enjoying the summer breeze. I've got the grocery shopping done and it's all put away and organized. I'm practically the only one in the neighborhood as most are at work (haha) or at the shore. It's a great great day!

Jon and I had a nice late dinner last night on the deck and I was in bed at 10. I got up with him at 6:45 this morning...pumped so that he could feed her and then I stayed in bed while the two of them had their time. Then Kate and I went to the store for the food for the week.

I could get used to this.

I do have to work today. At noon, our sitter is coming and I'm headed to the city for computer training at channel 3. I'm doing the weather for them this Sunday...so bring on the part-time work. Another thing on the agenda today...filing for unemployment. Awesome.

We had a great time with Jon's mom this weekend...stay tuned for pictures. Kate and Grandma are now the best of friends. It was a joy to see them finally get to spend some quality time together!

Life is good.

Have a FANTASTIC Monday!

The End.

That's it...today's the day...the end. It's the official end of The CW Philly Wake-Up News...the show I've done since we moved here in 2005.

The following list is not meant to sound negative, but I was thinking about what I'd miss about this job, and the only thing I could honestly come up with was the steady paycheck. There is a long list, however, of things I won't miss...so here they are in no particular order:

-getting up at 12:30 a.m.
-putting on make-up and doing hair in a public bathroom
-dealing with divas
-being on the air every stinkin' 5 minutes for four excruciating hours
-repeating myself
-being tired all the time
-my alarm clock
-eating dinner at 3 p.m.
-not getting to see Jon during the week
-Sunday afternoon crunch to get everything done before a 5 p.m. dinner
-my weather computers
-not having a live radar
-not having a live warning system
-broadcasting out of a closet
-not getting to see Kate first thing every morning
-being able to go outside and enjoy early mornings

I'm sure there are more things...but this is what I could come up with.

I couldn't be more excited about this new chapter in my life. I never really thought about being a stay-at-home mom until we had Kate. Now, it's all I want. The fact that I get to still do weather occasionally is a perfect situation for me. It's awesome.

So, for those of you who read this and watched the show, it's been an interesting ride to say the least. Know that come Monday morning, I'll be enjoying every moment of the morning with Jon and Kate (no, not the idiots on the reality show...).

No Joke.

Kate slept from 6:15 last night...until 7 this morning!!!!

Jon texted me and said he didn't know if he should be happy that he got to sleep last night, or miffed because she didn't sleep like this Monday night. Poor guy. It's ok...he's now off until Monday...a VERY well deserved break. His mom is coming tonight and we can't WAIT for her to see Kate. It'll be such fun.

As for me...I got to sleep in until 1 a.m.! It felt good, but I'm still REALLY excited to actually sleep until 6 a.m. on a regular basis. Ahhhhhh just two more days (after today)!

Oh, and a note for my dear and faithful readers. Monday obviously begins a new chapter in my life...and so I will be blogging still, but it may take some time for me to get into a blogging schedule, so forgive me if my posts are a bit erratic at first.

Have a great Wednesday!

Murphy's Law

Poor Jon.

He has a MAJOR presentation for work today. A new tie, clean suit...presentation. He is presenting his portion of the capital budget to the ABC big-wigs and he's been preparing for this for months.

Together we decided that last night would be my last middle-of-the-night feed for Kate. Though she really doesn't need the feed anymore, we've continued it through last night so that we could avoid the chance of her waking up hungry in the middle of the night and mommy isn't there. It was especially important for last night because of Jon's big day today. He is off the rest of the week, so if she wakes up hungry, there will be a bottle for her and he won't have to go to work tired. Does that make sense?

ANYWAY...I purposely didn't change her diaper before the feed last night because she usually cries when I do so I didn't want Jon to wake up. She was such an angel during her feed. She didn't even wake. It was a true dream feed. She snuggled close and nursed well, and I put her back to bed without her making a peep.

Until apparently 2:30.

Then she woke, not sure why...and Jon was up with her for the rest of the night.

Soooo, he now has to present his budget on very little sleep (which we tried SO hard to avoid) and attend a dinner tonight. Poor baby. If only this budget presentation would have been next week...

5 To Go

That's it...just 5 shows to go.

5 more times of getting up at an INSANELY early hour (actually 4 more now).
5 more times of doing a FOUR HOUR show where I'm on every 5 freekin' minutes.
5 more times of broadcasting from a closet with college-like lighting and cameras.

Just 5 more times.

I....can't.....wait!

Busy Day!

Yesterday was quite a busy day! First, after Kate napped for almost TWO HOURS we went to the grocery store. She rode in the cart like a big girl in one of the shopping cart covers that Jon's mom made for her. These covers are AMAZING! They have giant pockets and even a safety belt and fit over the carts perfectly. My mother-in-law is very talented and as you can see, Kate LOVED her seat!

Naturally, I had a lot to do yesterday because of returning from vacation...laundry, putting away groceries, the normal organizing and preparing for the next work day, etc. For some reason, Kate decided that she didn't want to play by herself...AT ALL! Perhaps she was used to having lots of attention while we were in Michigan? It's not like I was ignoring her AT ALL, but she is usually happy playing on the floor with her toys for bits of time. Not yesterday. In fact, she didn't even like being in her bouncy jumper that she loves so much. Every time I set her down to either empty the dishwasher or fold a load of laundry, she was fine for about two minutes, then she'd start to cry. I had her right next to me too. In fact when I was folding the laundry, I put her in her laundry basket with her favorite toy and she seemed happy right at my feet. But then she pooped and when I laughed, she started to cry. Odd.

Hopefully this is a brief transitional phase that will be over today. Her sleeping is still great, but this is yet another challenge. We hate to see her cry...it just breaks our hearts.

Nap Time

Well, now that Kate has mastered her morning nap, I had time to download pictures. Enjoy!

Rock Star Baby

Really, she is.

Kate was AMAZING on our trip to Michigan. I was a bit nervous for many reasons...the flights....sleeping in not one but TWO strange places...keeping the schedule, etc....and EVERYTHING was PERFECT! No joke!

Her first flight was great! She nursed/slept the entire flight, and had it not been for the creepy businessman next to me asking inappropriate questions, it would've been a really nice flight. We got to my parents where she had her solid food and then two hours later went to bed. She slept the WHOLE NIGHT! We...were...shocked!

Friday morning, we loaded her up with all of her stuff and went to my sister's house in Grand Rapids for Emily's 7th birthday party and for my sister's 40th. We had a busy, but great time, and again...despite being overstimulated by lots of kids and a dog, Kate slept the entire night through in the pack-n-play with me sleeping in the same room too.

We went back to Ann Arbor on Saturday after watching Erin's soccer game in the morning and Kate did so well in the car...until about a half hour out of Ann Arbor. Nobody really wanted to stop for me to nurse her (neither did I), so I unhooked and hung myself over her while she stayed safely strapped in her car seat and nursed her! Truthfully, I got the idea from someone at Gymboree and it worked GREAT. All she needed was a snack to get her through to the next feed, so I was only doing this for about 5 minutes. We were cracking up in the car!

The rest of the trip was just great and Kate did amazing on the flight back. She fell into a DEEP sleep and I even had to wake her as the plane was landing to nurse her on the way down. The cool thing is that I was telling the Northwest agent at the ticket counter about the creepy businessman from the flight down, and so she gave me the bulkhead and blocked the seat next to me, so Kate and I had our own row on the way back! Awesome! I will post pictures of the visit later today when I have some time to upload.

The best news: I have SEVEN more shows 'til I'm a stay at home mommy. I can't WAIT!

Leaving On A Jet Plane...

Kate and I are embarking on quite an adventure this morning...we are flying for the first time! We are headed to Michigan for my sister's 40th birthday (old fart).

I slept last night....yes...I slept....from 9:15 'til just after 5 this morning. It was AMAZING!!!! I'm now enjoying morning TV...yes ENJOYING, some computer time and finishing packing. Jon wants to do the baby routine this morning because he will miss her so much over the next few days...so I've pumped a fresh bottle for him to give to her this morning.

You should see all of the stuff we have...and....I am carrying her through the airport in the baby bjorn. I didn't want to deal with a stroller as there is one for us to use in Michigan. We'll see how it goes. I'll try to update from MI.

Of Course

Just over 2 weeks left in the show and my computer went totally FUBAR this morning. Sorry no long post today...too busy trying to keep graphics on the air.

After this...8 more shows for me.

YAY!!!

I Need To Figure Out

How to take a picture of Kate while she is sleeping on her tummy with her butt in the air without the camera flash and sounds waking her. It's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Senior-itus

The last time I had senior-itus was when I went back to school a few years ago to finish my certification in meteorology. The last semester was the hardest...not academically, but mentally. I got through it....and I'll get through this.

Normally on Sundays it's full-tilt-boogie all day to get ready for the coming week. I usually let Jon sleep in (since he takes care of sweet Kate during the week in the mornings) and I get up with her. We spend our morning together, and then when I put her down for her morning nap, I go to the grocery store...then come home, make breakfast and continue most of my day in the kitchen getting stuff ready for the week.

But yesterday...I woke up with the BIGGEST case of senior-itus. I know that in a couple of weeks, Sundays won't be hellish work before work days anymore. Sundays will be relaxing days for all three of us. Jon won't be rushing around to do all of the family laundry on Sundays...I'll do that during the week. We'll actually be able to maybe go to the zoo or run errands....like normal people do on Sundays....and the best part? I won't have to go to bed at 7!!! So yesterday, I really had no motivation to do my Sunday stuff around the house. It was almost as if I was in denial that I had to work this week....almost as if the show was already over. Maybe it's because I just--can't---wait to be free of this schedule!

Don't get me wrong...I will miss the steady paycheck, but the steady family time will be....priceless.

Is It Really That Simple?

Kate slept last night...and therefore, so did I.

Here's how it happened:
See, we have a sitter on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and she tries to follow the napping and eating schedule that we have set for Kate. Since Kate hasn't been sleeping well in her crib lately, we knew naps with the sitter would be tough. Well, she has three kids of her own who are now teens so she does know a thing or two about babies. When I got home, Kate was soundly napping and I asked her how she did it. She said Kate was on HER BELLY!

Could it really be that simple? Place your kid on her belly and she'll sleep? Now that we're past the dangerous SIDS peak age, and she can move her head and prop herself up, it's safe for her to sleep like that.

So, then WHY DIDN'T I TRY THIS EARLIER IN THE WEEK?

I'm not sure, but perhaps exhaustion prevented me from thinking of every option...you think?

Anyway, last night I did the bedtime routine as usual. When it was time to place her in her crib I said a silent prayer that tummy sleeping would work, and then gently lowered her into her crib onto her tummy. As usual, she woke up and started to cry as SOON as I put her in. She was up on her elbows looking up at the back of her room and crying. Because she couldn't see me, I stayed in the front of her room and watched her for the six or so minutes it took for her to calm herself down and lay her head down. I left the room, and called Jon to tell him the news and then went back to our room and waited about 1/2 hour. I went to check on her to make sure she was ok, and then I went to sleep and woke up to my alarm!

Jon said he checked on her quite a few times through the evening and she was very peaceful with just a few little cries. Of course, I'm at work now, so who knows how she did the rest of the night....but at least we feel we may be onto something!

Is it really just that simple?

Congratulate Me

I got laid off today!

I want congratulations please. This was the answer to my prayers.

Our show was cancelled effective June 26th and all involved with the show will be without a job thereafter.

Since you're reading this blog, you know I've struggled with this schedule for quite some time. I am happy and relieved that it will finally be over.

Financially, will our lives be as easy? No. But we're fortunate enough that Jon has a great job, so we'll make it.

I will be staying on as a back-up meteorologist for our CBS station which truly gives me everything I want. I will be able to stay at home for the foreseeable future with our precious Kate and work occasionally on the air.

It's the best case scenario for me, and I couldn't be more happy.

So, tonight...raise a glass and toast the fact that in three short weeks, I WILL BE GETTING SOME SLEEP!!!!!

Another One Bites The Dust

Another night's sleep that is....

Last night, as SOON as I put a happily sleeping Kate into her crib, she started to wail again. I let her go and crawled into bed. At 8:30, she was still going. I had to go to her. I couldn't stand it any longer.

Jon came home to find me curled up in a ball and sobbing and Kate just calming down on our bed. I wailed like a baby. In fact, I cried so hard, I think I damaged something in my larynx. My voice went out after the first hour of the show. They wanted to send me home because it sounds just awful, but my backup lives an hour from here (two in traffic) so she'd get here just as the show would end. I will re-assess for tomorrow. No voice=no work.

I want to write more about how I feel about the Kate situation, but frankly, I'm just too exhausted.

Crying It Out

This was a first for us. We have always had the baby who ONLY cries when something is greatly wrong. Heck, she doesn't even really cry when she's hungry. After just under 7 months of easy care, Kate has started to test her boundaries with us.

We honestly couldn't figure out why lately she was waking 1/2 hour after being put to bed. She would start to cry, so one of us would comfort her thinking that either she was hungry, had teething pain or had gas. We thought something was wrong, as has been the cause of her crying up until this point.

Last night, out of PURE exhaustion (both of us), I put her to bed a half hour early. She was beside herself tired. She didn't sleep much the night before, and didn't really nap during the day (not for a lack of trying, thank you very much). She was O-U-T OUT when I put her down for the night after a blissful nursing session. I literally fell into bed and crashed myself. 30 minutes later, she started to wail. Mind you, before she went down...I gave her some Mylecon in case the increased saliva from her teething was upsetting her belly AND I rubbed baby orajel on her little gums..top AND bottom (she's getting THREE teeth right now). She had just been fed, so I knew all of my bases were covered. So, why then, was she up and wailing?

I just don't know the answer, so I decided that it was time to let her cry it out. Let me tell you, that is NOT for the faint of heart. It went on for 35 gut-wrenching, heart-breaking minutes. She cried and cried. At some times it felt like her little larynx was going to come out of her throat. I was listening intently to the monitor resisting with every fiber of my being to go to her. Finally, after a long long long time, she stopped. After hearing several gulps and deep breaths, she finally fell asleep. I checked on her about 100 times until 8, when I finally drifted off to sleep. I awoke with a start at midnight and heard nothing. She was still peacefully sleeping. The "cry it out" method worked.

Now onto the debate. Did I do the right thing? There are many opinions on this issue of letting a baby cry, and frankly, I'm not totally sure where I stand. In the past, we knew we had a baby who only cried for a reason, so we've never had to let her cry. We usually go to her, and soothe her and she's fine and goes back to sleep. Last night (and previous nights), I honestly think she was crying just to be held...which both Jon and I would gladly oblige, but at some point, we need sleep too.

Babies cry because it's their only way to communicate. There are distinct cries...there's the "I'm hungry" cry, there's the "I'm in pain" cry and last night..I believe it was the "I want attention" cry. I am more than happy to give her all of the love and attention I can possibly offer during the day, but she needs to learn that at night, she needs to sleep....alone.

Believe me...my heart broke into a million pieces while listening to her cry herself hoarse. I wanted NOTHING more than to burst through that door and take her into my arms and hold her close and rub her back. But in the end, even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, I think it may have been the right thing.

If anyone has a problem with the way I handled this, please, before you pass judgement...put yourself in my shoes. Live life on MY schedule for a few days...with a crying/no sleeping baby...do a four hour show each day where you have to be "perky" at 5 a.m....and then we'll talk.

Frustration

First let me say that I nearly choked my co-worker yesterday when she complained of being tired because she had too much sleep. I wanted to bitch slap her three ways to Sunday. I know, I know, she doesn't know what I'm going through, yadda yadda yadda, but when you're this tired, logic isn't always there.

With that said, obviously our sleep issues are continuing. In fact, Kate hasn't been the same since we returned from Boston.

She is up most of the night and is now biting me at feedings which, as you may have guessed, is as horrid as it sounds. Now some of you may ask "why are you still nursing?" And to be honest...it's complicated. For those of you who have nursed a child, you understand that it's not easy to stop, emotionally. I have nourished my child for the now seven months she's been alive and to come to the realization that I can no longer do that is a tough pill to swallow. I love the connection we have when she's nursing (and not biting). It has, however, become a frustrating experience now that she is biting. I still want to supply her with my milk, so I think a temporary solution will be for me to pump a few times a day and feed her by bottle. She can bite those all she wants. I also think that she may concentrate on eating more and therefore will be more satisfied so she'll sleep better at night. I will still nurse her in the evening before bed.

The stress of the feeding issues and the no sleeping for both of us has put us on edge and honestly, I feel like I'm on the verge of tears every moment lately. And oh yeah, factor in my INSANELY STUPID work schedule. Is this what the beginnings of a nervous breakdown feels like? I'm beginning to think so. People keep telling me that it will get better. My question...is when?