Two month checkup

Parker's two month birthday came and went Saturday. We had to get up bright and early for Lily's scrimmage, but Lily and I celebrated by taking him to Dunkin Donuts and letting Lily pick out a donut. At least, that's what she decided.

Other than that, not a whole lot is new- we're waist deep in school, tee ball, Shane's softball games, and trying to have fun! We've been to the lake twice, we visited a new church, we've been going out to eat, and Mom even bought some new clothes. Oh, and we're about to redo the bathroom. I can't wait to see how it looks.

Today, I took Parker to his two month checkup. Forgive me for this boring post, I just want to make sure I get all his stats and what not so I remember them in the future. Pregnancy brain has now turned into mommy brain, and I forget pretty much everything in the world. Good thing I can't leave my boobs at home; otherwise, Parker might not eat!

Parker was 12 pounds, 5 ounces, putting him in the 70%, and he was 23 inches long, also in the 70%. He got three shots! It was extremely sad. But he seems ok. He's just chilling in his swing right now. We'll go back again in November for three more shots.

Parker smiles, talks, and even laughs. He is the sweetest thing ever, and he really is alot less fussy than he used to be. He usually goes to sleep around 9 pm, and wakes up at 4 or 430 to eat. Then, he'll go back to sleep til about 7, so we have seriously come a super long way. Life is good!

My Favorite Baby Items

...or Parker's for that matter. Here are some must haves we couldn't live without during these last seven weeks:

1. The Wubbanub

I ordered the Wubbanub from Amazon.com, and it cost me about $12 with shipping. Parker had a really hard time holding a regular Soothi paci in his mouth, and the Wubbie sits right on his chest, making it easier for him. Plus, it falls on the floor alot less and it's harder to lose. Most of P's pictures are of him and that Wub, and everytime we go somewhere, people ask about it. I would recommend for all newborns! Get one BEFORE baby comes. My pedi says pacis lower the risk of SIDS.

2. The Swaddle Me Blanket

I got this from my sweet friend Farah. I had registered for it on a whim at Babies R Us, but I never knew how much I would actually need it. At first, Parker had a hard time staying asleep unless he was on my chest. Lily was never one for swaddling, and she ended up sleeping on her tummy. I really didn't want to get back in that habit, since they say back is best. One night, I tried the swaddle blanket, and he took right to it. I just never can get those receiving blankets as tight as I can get this blanket. Now he naps in it and sleeps in it at night. Not that he's the BEST sleeper, but it helps. Problem is, I only have one. I need more! So register for a few!

3. The Sleep Sheep

Ah, the godsend from my bestie Katherine. She brought this little gem to the hospital when we had Parker. He cannot sleep without it. He loves the sounds of the ocean, the whales, the rain, etc. It can also velcro onto your crib, stroller, carseat, etc., and it has a timer. I love, love, love this sheep! Katherine used to work at The Baby's Room, which is where she probably got it from, but I bet they are at lots of other places.

4. Fisher Price Take-Along Swing

This swing takes 4 C batteries, but it's well worth it. It calms Parker all the time. He loves to sleep in it-although, his days are numbered as he is getting SO big. I had a swing with Lily, and she hated it, so it really depends on the baby. We started him in it right away though. And it's small enough to fold up and take with us when we go to my mom's or anywhere else. And the pattern is so darn cute! I got it at my shower, and it's from Target. I also have the matching bouncy seat.

5. Stroller Mosquito Netting

We are outside all the time, and we JUST got this from BRU. We actually got the car seat sized one, and it fits over our whole stroller. So now, I don't stress about him getting bit. The mosquitos here are insane this year, so he is safe when we visit Shane's parents, (they live outside practically!) when we go on walks, or grill out.

6. The Medela Pump InStyle Breastpump

A little freedom! I've actually gotten lazy and haven't been pumping as much, but I get on pumping kicks where I'll pump every hour and build up a supply to store. It was great to have extra pumped milk when we went to the Braves game sans Parker. This baby is top of the line and really efficient. I have the actual pump on loan from a dear friend, but I bought/was given all my own parts. They have all of them at Target and BRU, but I had to order the tubing from Medela (for some reason, they don't carry the tubing in stores). Luckily, they sent them to me for free--great company!

7. Moby Wrap

I love this cozy wrap. I know I'm going to use it even more once the heat subsides. It's so safe, and you and your baby totally get to bond. There's such a closeness with wearing your baby in your Moby. And there are a million ways you can wear it too. It's great to soothe your baby, and it makes breastfeeding in public so easy. http://www.mobywrap.com


And how ADORABLE does my little man look today?? (excuse all the laundry in the background!)

Lack of a Creative Title!

I've been wondering what to blog about all day, and I sort of decided to just do an overview/update of what we've been up to. It's not all that interesting, but it still will serve as a point of reference for me at some point, I'm sure.

Lily is in her second full week of kindergarten, and last week was ROUGH. First off, I've been super lazy this summer (well, super lazy about getting dressed and functioning as members of society. We usually eat cereal around eleven and wear pjs til one), so getting up and at 'em at 7 was tough! We tried being ready for the bus at 7 am, but when school is only three minutes away and starts at 8, it was much nicer to drive her. We're both a little more rested, and I'm not frantically pushing her out the door.

In Kindergarten, you get a color every day-Blue is the best, green is a warning, yellow is time out, and red is...very bad, apparently. They even have little colored clips by their names in the classroom. Well, Lily got THREE greens last week-for talking and playing with her crayons! She told me she was bored. Her teacher said she was lining up all the crayons along her desk by size and color, which only furthers my theory that she has OCD like her mother. I've been extremely discouraged, going from the notion that she is too smart for Kindergarten to she feels neglected since Parker has been born to worrying about ADD and everywhere in between. I still have no answers, but she has gotten two blues this week, and we're proud of her. Sigh...nothing like feeling like a crappy parent the first week of school. She finally got homework this week, so maybe now that she has stuff to do, she'll be less bored and stay out of trouble.

Lily also started fall ball practices in this insane heat, so to add to our super busy day, we also have to suffer in the evenings at the ball park. I can't wait for the season to start, but it has GOT to cool down some. She has improved so so much, and I think she's going to be just as athletic as her father! We have a good 5/6 team this year, with about 6 of the kids from spring ball. Lily is going to blow them out of the water this spring, I can just tell.

Parker is doing good. He actually smiles and coos all the time now. He is less fussy than those insanely difficult early days. But he is SUCH a high maintaince baby. He needs the Wubbanub, the swing, the swaddle blanket, the sound machine, the fan...and then he MAY fall asleep. But-when we go shopping, it's immediately lights out. He'll sleep four hours while we're out-it's crazy. I never stress at the grocery store, Sam's, Walmart, the MALL, you name it. He's a little shopping fiend. Probably because I keep buying him outfits. Baby boy outfits are so insanely cute! And the same goes for going out to eat about 80% of the time. I think I only had to nurse him once, and of course, we were right next to a crowded table of teenage boys.

Parker is such a handsome boy, I must say. His smiles literally melt my heart, and I'm not one for baby talk, but he brings out the goo goo, gaa gaa in me. He is such a chubby baby, and I spend plenty of time staring at his lovely, though often crying face. I can't tell who he's going to look like, but it seems like a pretty good mix of Shane and Lily right now.

Oh, Shane and I ? I almost forgot! We're good, thanks! Shane works alot, and fall ball is about to start up for him at work. Oh, and he just sold his truck and bought a Mustang that he's getting a bunch of work done to. I don't ask where these ideas come from... Sigh.

I've been working out all the time, and I'm off to a good start, getting ready to take it to the next level. I'm sort of addicted-I do it right after I take Lily to school and it's like I'm antsy to get started once 730 am hits. Which is awesome, but I'm still eating alot due to nursing. Hopefully it's balancing out. I looked at both the kids closets today, as well as Shane's stuff, and I realized I am definietly deserving some new fall clothes. While everyone else has tons of jeans, I have a measly two pairs. Gap, here I come!

Well, sorry for the boring post...til next time, here are some pics! This first picture cracks me up- Lily at the annual Buck o Rama!!

Extra Baggage

Monday marked six weeks since I had Parker. I probably could have started exercizing sooner, but I actually waited til the six weeks came. Of course that was about the only thing I actually listened to the doctor on. I drove earlier, did other things earlier. Etc.

I gained about 55 pounds being preggo with Parker. I pretty much sat on my butt and ate for nine months straight. I still haven't met a candy bar I didn't like. Except for maybe Mounds. I'm so out of shape that it's sick!

So...since I had Parker, I haven't been dieting, since I'm nursing. I'm definietly not starving myself. I eat when I'm hungry, and I still have a pretty decent sized dinner. Nursing really makes you hungry!! What I have cut out is the Sprite, ice cream, brownies, cookies, cake (I did alot of baking when I was pregnant), McDonalds, etc. I've been trying to eat less junk and more healthy stuff (or, if I'm eating junk, smaller amounts of it). All this is well and good, especially because it's not like Parker needs french fries and 3 cupcakes for an afternoon snack, right?

So, when I went to the doctor last Thursday, I've lost 40 pounds of the said 55. Meaning, if I want to be back at the 130 I was at BEFORE I got pregnant, I need to lose 15 more pounds. Yikes. That seems pretty daunting. Not that I don't want to weigh less than 130, but that's a bridge I have to cross if I ever see 130 again, you know.

Monday morning, I started walking the neighborhood with a good friend. Since then, we've done it every day this week. It's been a great start, and I know we're going to start moving faster and going for longer stretches too. I'm really proud of us.

My toughest critic: Lily came home from school Tuesday and said, "Well, you don't LOOK any skinner."

Wish me luck!! I can't wait to wear my jeans again. I am so. sick. of. stretchy. skirts.

First Day of Kindergarten and One Month Doctor's Appointment

Today was a big day for the Mahaffey children!

Lily woke up bright and early to start her first day of Kindergarten. She was super fashionable and picked out her own clothes. She looked very grown up. She quickly got herself ready and even fixed her own breakfast. We packed her lunch, and I drove her to her new school. She wanted to ride the bus, but I made her give me this one mommy moment! Once we got to her room, she didn't even tell me goodbye! She was too excited. Mommy cried most of the way home! And so did Parker, but that's pretty typical.

She rode the bus home, and she didn't say too much about school. She said she ate lunch with "the blue dress girl," so hopefully she is making friends. Her teacher seems super sweet and very smart. I think Lily's going to have a great year!





After we dropped off Lily, we had to hurry and get Baby P ready for his doctor's appointment. I went in anticipating shots, but luckily, none this time. Three next month...yikes.

So drumroll please...Parker is 10 lbs., 11 oz., putting him in the 95% for weight! Can you believe it? Mommy milk certainly has made Parker a happy and hefty little baby! He was 22 inches long, which put him in the 69% for height. The doctor said he was doing great! I'm just glad he's growing and is so healthy, especially after his jaundice scare when he was first born.

Since we got home, this is what he has been doing the rest of today...so it's going to be a long night I'm sure!!

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

As the title suggests, I am super ready for things to be back to normal. I need some sort of schedule. We only had two months off from school, but I am anxious for Lily to return and start Kindergarten. She does so much better with a regimented day-school, snack, quiet time, ball practice/game, etc. I know she's going to excel in Kindergarten, and she has started to get bored this summer. Plus, due to Parker's arrival, she has been watching way too much TV. She starts ball right after Labor Day, which will be great also. We'll get in a better habit of getting up at a certain time in the morning and going to bed at a certain time at night. I feel like we read more during these times because it's never too late for a bedtime story, or she hasn't fallen asleep watching a movie. I plan to have her be IN bed at 9 pm, with a story, potty trip, and prayers finished by 9 20. She'll have to get up around 630-7 for school, depending on whether or not she rides the bus. That will be a HUGE adjustment for her!! As a bonus, I think Lily's scheduling will help Parker become more scheduled. I've been trying for a week to get him on a feeding schedule, in hopes of getting a more scheduled sleep pattern, but I keep failing and having to start over.

Monday will mark six weeks since I had Parker. And that means-yes, you've guessed it, time to start exercizing. I totally ate whatever the heck I wanted while preggo, and I've been trying to eat more healthy since I had the baby. However, Monday is the day. Perhaps, if I put it in writing, I will be more proactive. I have my sneakers and workout clothes ready, and I'm planning on working out 5 days a week to start off with. I'm so out of shape, it's not even funny. Tomorrow I find out how much I weigh, and I'll probably throw up. But-it did take me nine months to gain all this flab, and I know it's going to take more than just breastfeeding and only eating one brownie instead of three to lose the extra baggage. Please wish me luck!!

Other than that, we're really just laying low. We're so ready for fall. I'm ready for cool weather and pumpkins and cheating on my diet at Thanksgiving! Whoops...did I say that outloud?

And of course, some pictures...