Xander gets cereal for the first time...

and maybe the last for awhile. I'm not sure who was wearing more of the cereal me or him! He'd been super cranky all day and when it was time to go to bed he just wouldn't settle so we figured what the heck we'll try some cereal- obviously he wasn't too interested. I think he was much more interested in chewing on the spoon than in the cereal itself but at least he didn't give me the same horrible expression he did when I offered him butternut squash. I think we will stick with mommy milk for awhile longer. As it turned out the next day I developed mastitis so I am guessing the reason he was fussy was b/c my milk tasted different. It is amazing to me how quickly mastitis can hit you. I was fine all day tues, went to my neighbors house tues night and was fine until I'd been there a couple of hours and then I started to get a headache and feel achy. But even when I went home I only had a temp of 99, but then I started to feel really, really cold and started having shivers and feeling really cr*ppy! By 11 my temp was up to 102 and I called the doctor and by the time poor Frank had to drive to Keene to pick up a Rx for antibiotics and got home again it was up to 103. Needless to say I felt like I had been run over by a train. I haven't had a fever today thank goodness but the round the clock motrin that I have been taking miht explain part of that! I still feel icky- if I stand up for too long I get all woozy and my breast hurts like crazy! Somehow it seems cosmically unfair that the best cure for mastitis is to nurse frequently but that it also hurts like crazy! oh well....

I also included a pic of Xander in his newest mommy creation- I love this diaper (so cute) however it wicks like crazy so I will have to do some tweaking with my sewing! I think I can make it so the next one doesn't wick- that's my plan anyway. I just got some adorable new knits so I am going to make a bunch of serged fitteds with my new serger- thank you mom! I also love the fact that he is just having a rocking good time.

Enjoying life on the farm!

So today I got up to go to work and looked out my front window to enjoy the view (and check the weather) when I noticed that our sheep were not in their paddock but roaming the front yard willy nilly. So obviously that was a situation that needed rectifiying... so I trapse outside in my bathrobe and crocs (b/c why bother getting dressed when I am just going to be chasing sheep) and proceed to chase down the sheep rather unsucessfully. I swear one of them was laughing at me as she bounded away! Apparently I am not as speedy as the sheep. In the end I just left the barn door open and they made their way into their pen (luckily it was before I left for work).

Oh how I love Halloween!

I just have to say that I think Halloween is my favorite holiday. It is such a fun excuse to dress up and get crazy and when you have an adorable little man to dress up too - what more could you ask for! We had a very fun halloween party at the house this year complete with a pinata, arts & crafts, a ton of food, apple bobbing(which mostly seemed like an excuse for the kids to get wet!), and decorate your own cupcakes (a big hit thanks to the awesome homemade chocolate frosting by Melissa- thanks Melissa!). Xander had multiple halloween costumes (along with multiple halloween outfits which I was sad to retire but now we have Thanksgiving outfits...he he he). So here he is as a lion, a corn on the cob (my personal fav) and of course wearing his baby scrubs. The baby scrubs are a little obscured by the bib so we will have to wear those again so he can be appropriately photographed for mommy's locker at work!

Whitney gets into the Halloween Spirit!

I carved this pumpkin for a pumkin carving contest at the hospital. It was entered into the Job Related category. I unfortunely did not win a prize! Oh well... We had fun at work one night last week carving pumkins on our dinner break for the Keene Pumkin Festival which turned in a dismal 22,000 jack o lanterns. Xander, Val, and I had fun when we went on Saturday though. The church ladies from Marlborough make a mean Pumpkin Whoopee Pie and I don't even like Whoopee Pies. After we got home we had to make a little emergency trip to the Seacoast b/c my brother James had a heart attack on Sat afternoon. I am happy to report after a couple days in the ICU and little surgery he is doing 100% better and is at home. He'll be back at work by next week it looks like. I am amazed sometimes at the healing power of modern medicine! He just wanted an excuse to see us I guess and we had fun with Riley and Connor- although it truly shocks me that the Friendly's Kids menu has a dinner option that included mozarella sticks and feench fries and that's it! I realize that dining out at Friendly's isn't going to be amazingly healthy but cheese sticks and fries- seriously!

I weeble and I wobble...

So Xander has been working very hard at sitting up and he is doing a really amazing job. He can sit up by himself now for short periods of time. He does better when he discovers his feet and therefore has something extra to hold onto. Typically he is able to stay upright for a few minutes and then he just sort of falls over. So cute! We've been practicin on nice soft surfaces like the bed so that when he does tip over he won't crack his head open! In the picture below he finally gets straightened out with a helping hand from mom...and then gives the camera his hey what's going on look!

We've also been working on tummy time with varying sucess. He would much rather be sitting or standing than lying down in any postion. I have found that the best time to get him on his belly is first thing in the morning. I get him up, strip off all his clothes and diaper and let him air out, and put him on a piddle pad on his belly. Then he doesn't seem to mind it as much. My son the exhibitionist! Here he is in a good mood on his belly -picture worthy b/c it happens so rarely. The second picture I just love b/c he is working so hard to push himself up, plus the drool is so classic. He has rolled over a few times but it seems more of an accident than on purpose. He is an expert at rolling onto his side but he just can't seem to make it the rest of the way over- whether he is on his back or belly.

He has also fallen in love with the jumperoo. He wasn't liking the swing as much recently. I think it was too passive for him. He didn't mind the one at home b/c it played music but the one he had at the babysitters wasn't cutting it anymore so we tried out the jumperoo and i think we have created a monster. I am already sick of that stupid song but he jumps and gets it to play music and it sends him into hysterics every single time. I absolutely love to hear him laugh though, it is just the best sound, so i'll put up with the stupid song. now I am going to have to find a second jumperoo so he can have one at the babysitters too. I found a couple of used ones on craigslist for cheap so I'll have to find one close by.

This pic was taken by Connor this weekend in a fit of boredom, while he was shoe shopping with Frank and I. We took Connor with us to go buy new tennis shoes from Robert at Olympia Sports. Unfortunelty b/c neither Frank nor I have bought new shoes for years it took us over an hour for us to each find a pair of shoes that fit and that we liked. Poor Robert! He was great though and we each found shoes and the minute we got home I took great pleasure in throwing away Frank's old pair!

I just love how Xander will be all cute and adorable and smiling and the second the red eye flashes the eye open big and wide and the mouth goes all slack! Still you have to love those big blue eyes of his! We are expanding his collection of fruit inspired hats- he has a pumpkin hat and now an apple hat! This pic I took right as I was leaving for work tonight (sun). It's my third night in a row and I am tired... but I have the next 2 days off so that is something to look forward to. This coming weekend is the Keene Pumpkin Festival and Soccer Jamboree for Frank's soccer team. He has been coaching soccer though the Winchester rec center. My frined Val is coming to visit- she just moved to MA from GA- so we'll hit Frank's first game and then head to Keene for the Festival. I have never been during the day before-only in the evening so I am looking forward to dressing Xander up and watching the children's parade and exploring the craft fair sans Frank! Maybe I'll get some good Christmas present ideas.

Big boy pjs...

Here is Xander so cute in his big boy pjs. He's getting too long for all his gowns. Please note the giant nighttime diaper spreading his legs wide... and the fact that he has moved out of the bassinett into the cradle. Mind you he is still sleeping in our room but that is really mostly my choice b/c I am too darn lazy to get up in the middle of the night and haul my tushie up stairs to feed him! Letting him sleep in our room is more for convienance, that is my convienance, sake.