New Weightloss Plan

We were up again last night from around 2:00-3:15. I guess Ollie's just not getting enough food throughout the day because as soon as we break down and give him a bottle he goes back to sleep. I don't want to start a bad habit, but how can I not feed my "starving" child?

Today I was off work, but Speck and I had a doctor's appointment. Of course lack of sleep led to extreme morning sickness and nausea. Thankfully, Grandma agreed to tag along to the doctor to watch Ollie with the added bonus of getting to hear the heartbeat. Even better, she stopped at Sonic on her way to my house and brought me a gigantic drink, which was the only thing I was able to keep down all day.

The appointment went well. I lost another 6 1/2 pounds, bringing me up to 8 total. We all got to hear the heartbeat, so of course Grandma and I teared up. Ollie seemed completely unaffected and was more interested in watching the doctor than caring about his little sibling. Do you think he's in denial?

After the doctor Grandma and I stopped at Kroger to get some food for Ollie. I'm hoping that more solids will help fill him up so he sleeps all night again. My plan was to prep food this evening for the next couple of days, but the exhaustion of the day and nausea kept me from being able to play chef. Tomorrow is another day.

Lack of sleep and morning sickness is wearing on me, so I hope Ollie sleeps all night. Tomorrow I have a long day at work, so off to bed early.

Worshiping the Porcelain God

No pictures today...you can thank me later.

Since we've been heathens for weeks, Ollie and I were determined to go to church this morning. We arranged with Grandma to go to 9:30 instead of 8:00 mass. Even though Speck had caused me to hug the toilet at home, I figured I could get through an hour now that I'd pretty much purged the evils. I was mistaken.

We arrived at St. Mary's and headed to our normal pew. Ollie was smiling and cooing as Grandma held him. Speck seemed to be behaving, so all was well. That is until the end of the first reading when Ollie started getting restless and crabby. Realizing he was probably hungry, I decided to head to the cry room to feed him a bottle. I planned to rejoin Grandma before communion. When will I learn?

My first hurdle was the lack of space in the cry room, which forced us to improvise in the vestibule. This was actually a happy occurrence, because I find the cry room to be nearly uninhabitable, however there are times when it is a necessity. It was also interesting to watch all the 5-10 year old children go in and out of the restroom. The best part was I never heard the toilet flush once. That was about to change.

All was going well and just as Ollie was finishing up he paused to burp. As I was patting his back and comforting him, up came 7 of the 8 ounces that he consumed. It went everywhere! All over my clothes, my arm, Ollie, and the floor. I quickly mopped up the mess from the floor, but as I stood up I got a strong whiff of the souring formula. This enraged Speck, causing what little amount of fluid left in my stomach to rush up my throat.

Luckily, there were no bratty kids playing in the bathroom and I was able to barge in just in time to reach the toilet. What a sight?!? With Ollie tucked under my arm like a football and souring formula dripping from my clothes, I expelled the last amounts of fluids left in my body. Meanwhile, the line of bored kiddies began forming just outside the door and they began knock, knock, knocking to hurry me along. In between gags, I weakly announced, "Occupied," as Ollie continued to cry.

Finally, I was able to rinse the juices from my arm and wipe them from my clothes, change Ollie's outfit, and open the door to a growing mob of youngsters. The worst part, was I was forced to continue wearing smelly clothes that continued to anger Speck.

Ollie and I decided to step outside to get some fresh air. We were greeted by a very nice gentleman and his two young boys that were apparently not behaving. Ollie and I sat on the bench trying to collect our composure, while watching the brothers pick at each other. This amused me somewhat, but when the father asked if the boys were ready to join church again and behave, the older one replied yes, but the little brother bluntly said, "NO." I loved his honesty, but at the same time I was having flash forwards to my life in about 2 years.

Meanwhile, Ollie was still fussing. I decided that I should just head to the car and wait for Grandma to join us, hoping she would sneak out at communion. Ollie was so crabby I strapped him in his car seat and drove around the parking lot. Finally he was content! As long as I was driving that is. As we cruised the lot, I noticed my new friends hanging at their minivan. I really hope the minivan is not in my future.

Finally, Grandma appeared! After communion she rushed out to find us, but didn't see us in the cry room or vestibule, so she assumed we were outside. Father's homily discussed old ladies complaining about babies making noise in church, so Grandma assumed I heard pieces of it and was afraid to rejoin her in the pew. Little did she know, I had not heard a single word of it.

The rest of the day I spent trying to take it easy. Grandma took Ollie home after church and I took a two hour nap. It almost seems as if God was telling me to sleep in next Sunday...I just might take him up on that.

Spreading Sunshine

Once again, we were up around 2:00. When will these teeth stop tormenting our family?!?!?

Even though we had a lack of sleep, we still managed to get up and go for a walk before heading to Grammie's to help send off the Marketti clan. The walk must have given Ollie even more energy than me because he was super-excited to see everybody and watch them pack their car.

It was sad to see the family leave, but we sent them off with some goodies from the garden to hold them over until their Thanksgiving visit. Ollie and I hung with Grammie since she always gets sad after her family leaves. Little does Ollie know, but he has a full-time job of spreading the sunshine. Soon Daddy got home and joined us in Grammie's garage. We ate some leftovers for lunch and then headed home to kick back.

Sending the family off took so much energy that Ollie slept for 2 hours. When he finally woke up, we headed to Aunt Sissy's with a pizza. The weather was so nice, we planned to kick it in her back yard. When we arrived, Grammie and Poppy were there and even though they said they were just leaving, they managed to hang out for quite a while. I can't imagine why they decided to stay...wink, wink.


Ollie loved watching Aunt Sissy's cats play around the yard. I don't know what it is about cats, but he smiles and laughs whenever he sees one, and that includes pictures. He doesn't even pay attention to dogs, but cats cause him to lose control.

We hung around until around 7:30, but knew we would be pushing bedtime with we stayed any longer. Once we got home, Ollie ate his prunes, cereal, and most of his bottle before falling sound asleep. I guess it's a tough job spreading sunshine.

Good Food, Bad Mood

Once again, we were up around 2:30 last night dealing with teeth and hunger. It is really becoming a struggle for me to get up for work with such a lack of sleep. The worst part is once I wake up in the middle of the night, the heartburn kicks in and I'm unable to go back to sleep. Then when the alarm goes off the next morning my stomach is queasy and I get the shakes from a lack of sleep. I just keep reminding myself that, "This too shall pass," but I'm not sure how long I can hold on to that cliche.

When I got home from work, Daddy and Ollie were waiting to greet me. Ollie had spent the day at Grammie's and apparently Aunt Vicky spent most of the day loving on her great nephew. Daddy was trying to get the little guy to take a nap, but he just wasn't in the mood. In just a few short hours this would prove to be a mistake.

When we arrived at Grammie's, Mikey was hard at work in the kitchen preparing pulled pork, garlic mashed potatoes, and cole slaw. The house smelled delicious, so much so that even Speck was digging the idea of eating.

As we all chowed down on pre-dinner snacks, Ollie did not want to be left out. He really liked the guacamole, but soon enough that wasn't enough and he demanded real food. Aunt Sissy volunteered to do the honors, but she could barely go fast enough to satisfy the little piggy.

Soon enough, the lack of sleep and teething problems kicked in, and Ollie stopped eating and started fussing. Both Daddy and I worked to soothe the little guy, but nothing did the trick, not even Cheerios or Love Me Tender. After 30 minutes of working with him, Daddy was finally able to get Ollie to calm down and take a short snooze.

The catnap was just enough to get him back on track and before we knew it, he was flirting with Christina and cozying up on the papazon. Ollie's always trying to steal his cousin's girlfriends, but hey, at least he as good taste.



Finally, Mikey announced dinner was ready. Ollie sat between Daddy and me and enjoyed all of the yummies, but soon became agitated and cranky when we were'nt feeding him fast enough. This was our cue to finish up and head home because the last thing Ollie needed was too many garlic mashed potatoes. We would have loved to stay and enjoy the company, but sometimes having a baby means putting his needs before our wants.

Tomorrow should be a relaxing day. Daddy has to work for a few hours in the morning, but then we have not official plans for the rest of the day. Hopefully we'll all sleep all night tonight.

Watching the Cow Jump Over the Moon

Last night was a really long night. Ollie's teeth are really giving him grief and he can't seem to get enough food. This was a tragic combination that allowed for approximately 20 minutes sleep, well actually about 4 hours. Nonetheless, I spent most of the morning recovering from last night's lack of sleep and trying to get some chores completed.

When Daddy got home from work, Ollie and I were napping. We both slept for nearly 2 hours which gave me enough energy to pack up and head to Grandma's to check out the garden and play on the farm.

As soon as we arrived, Grandma presented Ollie with an abacus. He LOVED it! This really fosters his obsession with spinning things, so we could barely pry it out of his hands when it was time to eat dinner.

Even though Daddy and I didn't mooch food off of Grandma (today anway), we still managed to get some yum-yums for Ollie. I'm sure Daddy would have eaten something, but Speck was in no mood for food.

Before we left, the cows made there way up to the fence to eat some of the corn stalks from the garden. There is no way we could have taken off without letting Ollie check out Grandma's cows. He loves watching them and especially when they come close to the fence.




Tomorrow I have to work and we're having dinner with the family, so it's off to bed early to rest up. Hopefully, we'll all sleep through the night, but I don't think anybody's holding his or her breath.

Practice, Practice, Practice

After working a long day yesterday, I was relieved to be able to take today off. Ollie seemed pleased to be able to relax this morning too, so we decided to hang at home most of the day.

We started off the morning practicing drinking milk from a sippy cup. We're just starting to transition to the cup from the bottle for a few feedings, but he's not sure what to think about it. I guess practice will make perfect.

After morning snack, we headed out for a morning walk. As usual, we came back feeling energized, even if I was still feeling nauseated. All that walking inspired Ollie to practice standing and sitting up. He'll be doing these things on his own in no time, so I'm cherishing the time that he still needs my help. After all the working out, we did several loads of laundry, brushed Betsy and Petunia, and watered the plants before getting ready for morning nap.

As the day went on, it got hotter and hotter outside, so we stayed cool hanging inside reading and playing on the floor. When Daddy got home we ate tacos for dinner and then Ollie and I headed out for Tyler's soccer practice.

Ollie LOVED watching the players run around the field and was fascinated with all the soccer balls. He kept leaning forward in his stroller as if he was really into the game. Practiced ended with just enough time for us to get home before bedtime melt down started.






As usual Ollie passed out before his head hit the mattress. I suppose I'd be drained if everything I saw was a new experience too. Tomorrow, I'm off work again. Ollie and I are planning on running errands and kicking back. Off to bed to rest up.

Stuffed Social Calendar

Today was relaxing and fun. First we got up and headed out for a morning walk. Ollie loves to check out the neighborhood before noon and I have so much more energy when I have time to get up and move in the AM.

Then, we met Anna for lunch. We headed to Mount Washington to meet her at the New York, New York Deli, but unfortunately they were closed. I was really looking forward to deli food, but we rolled with the punches and headed down Beechmont to find somewhere else to dine. We settled on First Watch, which ended up being a really good choice.

Ollie enjoyed his lunch and especially the many Cheerios he munched on while we were waiting for our food. I shared some yum-yums from my plate, but he seemed most interested in the Cheerios. The little guy had tons of patience with our gabbiness, but after an hour and half he was ready for his afternoon nap and started to get crabby. We paid our bill and headed for home.

Meeting his favorite girl for lunch really wore the little guy out because he slept the whole way home and another hour in his crib. I guess flirting wears a guy out.

Uncle Mike, Aunt Vicky, Mikey, and Christina were coming in town, so once Ollie woke up, we headed to Grammie's to greet them. They had not arrived just yet, but we hung out waiting for them. When Daddy got home, he joined the welcome wagon too. While we were waiting, we mooched dinner off of Grammie and chilled under the canopy.

When the Marketti's walked onto the deck, it took Aunt Vicky about 2 seconds to get her paws on Ollie. Poor Daddy was always Aunty Vicky's favorite, but now he comes in a distant second to the little guy. Oh well Daddy, that's the way it goes.

After visiting for a few minutes, it was time for us to head home for Ollie's bed time. Once again, he passed out quickly from all the excitement from socializing today. Tomorrow I have to work and he's staying with Grammie and the Marketti's. Something tells me he'll be smothered in Aunt Vicky's kisses all day. I hope Daddy doesn't get too jealous.

Chores Galore

Even though we had planned to go to church this morning, we were once again heathens and stayed home. It is so hard for me to get moving when I'm not feeling well and to top things off Ollie woke up around 2:00 and Speck was not in the mood to go back to sleep once we were awake. Something about waking up in the middle of the night really causes the heartburn to flare up.

Daddy had plans, so Ollie and I were on our own for the afternoon. Since we spent yesterday at the tractor show, I really needed to get some cleaning done. We called Grandma to see if she wanted to join us at the grocery store, and she ended up coming over early to help me with Ollie and finish cleaning.

I hadn't had a chance to put the sheets back on his bed, so nap time ended up taking place on the floor. Ollie didn't seem to mind one bit since he and Grandma were playing there anyway and all he had to do was roll over and pass out.

Finally, we were finished and ready to head to Kroger. Ollie was in desperate need of prunes so we spent quite a bit of time in the baby food aisle. Grandma made sure to make car sounds to entertain the little guy while going up and down the aisles, but she wasn't quite as energetic as Daddy.

Ollie was once again exhausted after a long day of chores and fun and passed out by 8:15. The little scamp is now rolling over onto his belly while he's sleeping which makes me a little nervous, but I guess I can't really control his every move. This is just the beginning of a life time of control issues.


Tomorrow I'm off work, but I'm sure Ollie and I will stay busy.

Terrific Tractors II

This morning was great! Daddy got up with Ollie, so I was able to skip the prunes n' puke routine. I got up anyway to snap some pics, but I didn't have to smell the prunes, which always seems to set Speck off. Best of all, I went back to bed and slept until 8:00!

Daddy went to an auction in Cynthiana, so Ollie and I had the house to ourselves. We planned on heading to Falmouth around 10:00 to hang with Grandma and Grandpa, but as usual, things didn't go as planned. Ollie's morning nap lasted almost 2 1/2 hours. I guess last night wore him out and he was trying to play catch up. It seems like he must not have been paying attention to me when I told him we were going back to see the tractors (and Grandma and Grandpa), because I'm certain he would not have slept so long.

When he finally woke up at 10:30, I strapped on his books and we rushed out the door so we wouldn't miss the 12:00 tractor parade. Today, there were a lot more tractors and even more activity. I knew this would make it difficult to feed him again, but it was time for lunch. Grandma was up to the challenge, but she struggled to keep him focused on the green beans because he was distracted by the John Deere green tractors.



After lunch, Daddy arrived from the auction, disappointed that everything sold out of his price range. I felt bad for him, but can't say I was disappointed he didn't spend money.

Daddy made it just in time to participate in the barrel roll, so we all headed to the track to watch. He's won this contest several times in the past (and has the trophies to prove it), so I think he was bummed that this was just for fun and not being timed. He was definitely the fastest, but his only reward was bragging rights.


Barrel rolling made us all hungry, so we headed back to camp for a snack. Grandpa and Ollie shared a cookie. The sugar gave Ollie super-strength and he was able to stand with only a little help from Grandpa.


Around 5:00, we packed up and headed for home. Ollie was so tired, he didn't even suggest we stay longer.

Terrific Tractors

Yesterday I worked 10 hours, so this morning we were moving slowly. Thankfully, Ollie slept until 7:20, almost as if he knew Speck and I needed the rest. Once my nausea settled down, Ollie and I spent the morning cuddling, reading, and playing on the floor. Around 10:00, we headed out for a long walk. Our morning exercise time is what I miss the most on the days that I work, because I don't have the stamina for distance by evening.

We had some errands to run in the afternoon, so after morning nap and lunch we were off. Once we got home, we had just enough time to get prepped and ready to head to the Falmouth Tractor Show when Daddy got home.

When we arrived in Falmouth, Grandpa was unloading his tractors. Even though there were not too many exhibitors there yet, Ollie's head didn't stop checking out what equipment was there. It was time for Ollie to eat dinner, but Grandma struggled getting him to focus enough on the spoon and not all the activity. Finally, Grandma was able to get him to eat most of his dinner, and then Daddy took Ollie for a ride around the fairgrounds.

Ollie felt he was ready to get to work on a tractor his own size after following Daddy's advice about how to operate.


After two hours of hanging with the tractor crowd, Ollie and I started rubbing our eyes and thinking about bedtime. Ollie got ready for bed, ate his prunes and cereal, and tried to fall asleep. Poor guy was so engrossed in the John Deere green that he refused to go to sleep. It didn't take long for the crabbies to set in, so that was our cue to head north.

Ollie passed out in the car and woke up just long enough to finish his bottle and have his diaper changed before falling sound asleep in his crib. Tomorrow we'll be sleeping in and heading back to the tractor show to hang with Grandma and Grandpa. I'm off to bed myself...tractor shows always wear me out.

Wordless Wednesday-Finger Foods

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Misbehaving Speck

This morning started out rough with Speck acting up all morning. I didn't even make it to work until about 2 hours after I had planned. If this is any indication of the havoc this baby is about to unleash on our family...LOOK OUT!

I worked until after 5:00 and finally got home around 5:15. Daddy had already gotten Ollie from Grammie's and and he was napping when I walked through the door. This was great because it gave me a chance to take a 15 minute catnap and regroup.

Grandma called to see if we were going to be home because she was really needing an Ollie fix. She arrived just in time to feed him dinner and go for our evening walk.

After the walk and hanging outside for a few minutes, it was time for a quick bath, prunes, and bed. Poor guy was rubbing his eyes the entire time he ate and passed out almost immediately, even before I finished Love Me Tender.

Tomorrow I have to work a long day to make up for going in a little late this morning. I hope Speck cooperates because I'm not sure I can swing another day like today. I don't dislike working, but it is really tough to get excited about my day when I can barely function. I just keep praying things will get better soon, but I'm not counting on it.

Holy Ham Salad, Batman

This morning started out with the normal prune 'n puke routine. After we pulled ourselves together we were off to our informal Bible study/Mom's group at Meg's house. The group took the summer off, so it was great to get together with everyone and catch up. Ollie was thrilled to get so much attention from 8 women and to hang with 2 older kids. I totally forgot to take pictures, but he spent time on floor watching Ryan and Macie play with a train and he got passed around from person to person. Thankfully, he was in a good mood nearly the entire time we were there and loved all the activity.

After leaving Meg's I had one thing on my mind and one thing only. Ham salad from Sandwich Block. Nausea has taken the enjoyment out of eating, but the one thing that I was craving was ham salad, and I decided I couldn't wait any longer to get it. When we arrived, the deli case was nearly empty. Since I had planned on purchasing at least one pound, I was really getting concerned that I had drove all that way for nothing. Miraculously, they had more in the back and I was able to stock up for lunch and dinner. My mouth was salivating the entire time I watched the clerk scoop it into the container. As soon as Ollie and I got back in the car I cracked into the bowl with a Club cracker. The only thing that would have made that taste better would have been Bayou Billy's root beer. I suppose it was ridiculous to drive 22 miles round trip for ham salad, but hey pregnant people do strange things.

I guess all the driving wore Ollie out because he fell asleep on the way home and slept for over 2 hours! This was great for me, because I took a 45 minute snooze and then had time to do laundry and straighten the house. When Ollie finally woke up, he was starving and gulped down 8 ounces of milk in less than 10 minutes. I kept thinking he was going to spit up any minute, but I guess his stomach is growing and able to handle more every day.

Next, it was time to put away laundry and Ollie was more than happy to help. After all, one is never too young to start doing chores. After slaving away, I allowed the little guy to take a short play break, but warned him that he would have to get back to work in exactly 10 minutes.

Around 3:00, Grammie stopped by with some new shoes for Ollie. My favorite hands down are the saddles. She also had some goodies Aunt Theresa sent from Athens...Ohio University gear and the cutest sock monkey ever with a smaller one already named Speck. I've already washed the OU t-shirt which will be on his body before the week is out. Go Bobcats!

Tomorrow I have to work, so Ollie will be staying with Grammie. Hopefully the day will go by fast and I'll be home with my guy in a flash.

Back on the Farm

Today Daddy and I went to Noah's to work on the renovations. Since construction sites and 9-month-olds don't mix well, Ollie spent the day with Grandma. Much to his delight, when he woke up from his morning nap, Grandma was waiting to take him to the farm.

While we were working hard...

Ollie was playing hard with Grandma and Grandpa. Apparently, they took multiple wagon and Gator rides, worked in the garden, watched the cows, and found 3 kittens in the barn (if anybody wants a cat, I can get you one real cheap in about 5 weeks).

When we finally arrived to pick up our little darling he was sound asleep. Since Grandma's been back in school, Ollie does not get as much farm time, so I guess he wore himself out trying to squeeze in all his favorite activities.

After we left Grandma's we headed to County Market to get groceries. Since this is one of Ollie's favorite places to go, we decided to squeeze in shopping before 8:00 bedtime. Luckily, we only needed essentials, so our trip was short and we were home by 7:45.

Ollie's been passed out for about an hour and I'm planning on joining him soon. Tomorrow morning we're meeting up with some friends from St. Mary's. Hopefully, Speck will stay in line.

Oliver Tractor

Wow, what a day! Ollie went to his very first tractor show in Georgetown, Ohio today and he LOVED it!

The day started off early because we wanted to try to beat the heat. We met up with Grandma, Grandpa, and JR and we were on the road by 7:30, which gave Ollie the opportunity to sleep for the hour drive there. It was a good thing he rested up, because as soon as we arrived there was so much to see that he didn't know which way to look. Actually, we were concerned he would unscrew his head trying to see everything.

Grandma and I unpacked Ollie, while the boys unloaded the Gator from Grandpa's trailer. Ollie is always thrilled to be able to ride in the Gator, but with all the tractor activity he could not contain his excitement. Whenever he would see something that he really liked, his legs would stiffen and he'd shake his fists while grunting, "Ummmm!"

Our first order of business was to eat breakfast. Everyone got biscuits and gravy, and even Ollie got to try a few bites. Needless to say, he loved that too. After tanking up, we were ready to explore the flea market to look for some bargains. Grandma spotted a wagon, but we were able to talk her out of adding another one to her ever-growing fleet. The only thing I bought was one book for $1.00. That is until I came across the root beer wagon!

Oh, the root beer wagon! As everyone knows, beer in general is one of my favorite beverages and especially straight from the tap. As soon as I realized there was sweet nectar in those barrels, I slapped down $6.00 for a mug that entitled me to $1.00 refills for life. Yeah, you read that right, FOR LIFE! Of course I understand that my odds of running into the root beer wagon on a regular basis is slim to none, but I would have paid $6.00 for a one shot deal. So really, this was the bargain of the day, and between all 6 of us, we filled up 7 or 8 times. I guess my enthusiasm was obvious because the root beer wagon owner saw me pull the self-serve tap and said to me with a chuckle, "Looks like you know your way around a tap." Check out this website http://bayoubilly.com/and if you ever see these people at a festival or fair, call me immediately and I'll bring my mug.
After our first mug of root beer we came across Chili the longhorn bull. This 2,000 pound giant was saddled up and looking for a rider, so of course Ollie volunteered. Grandpa generously paid the price of admission and Daddy did the honors. The funniest part was Ollie seemed unimpressed, or maybe I should say unaffected by Chili's size. I suppose he's too young to know any better.

Next, it was time to get down to tractor business. We all piled in the Gator and drove up and down the rows and rows of displays. Ollie was especially fond of the blue Fords, but I couldn't pass up a picture with the biggest Oliver. Yes, I'm still adamant that my son was not named after a tractor make, but I guess I was hopped up on root beer.

After cruising the tractors and eating lunch, Ollie was ready for a nap. He was really sleepy and rubbing his eyes, but refusing to relax with all the action. We decided to remove him from the situation completely and head to the car. He passed out on the back seat with all the doors open and stayed there for nearly 90 minutes while Grandma and I kept watch.

Unfortunately, just as Ollie woke up and we were gearing up for more fun, the rain started to come down. We reluctantly decided to head home before we all got drenched and the car got stuck in the field. Even though he just woke up from his nap, Ollie slept the entire drive home.

All in all, today was a great day. I'm very happy Ollie enjoyed himself, but I'm not sure how I feel about having two tractor heads under one roof. I guess I'll adjust as long as the little guy will be open to music, museums, and books too. After all, he is his father's son.