New School for Mommy and and New Friend for Jackson--Tuesday, June 14

Today was the big move to my future elementary school.  I've had my car overflowing for a week now.  Jesse packed his vehicle and met me at school.  My sister, Christina, and her two children were waiting to help unpack.  I was pleasantly surprised to see four of my Irwin colleagues there helping the media specialist move in. They offered to help me as well so I was blessed to have six other adults and two kids help care for Jackson and unload two extremely full cars.  We all passed around Jackson while finding a new home for all of my belongings.  The shear amount of stuff was overwhelming, but thankfully one of my sister's many talents is sorting and organizing.  While us girls were at work, Jesse and my nephew went to buy hanging file folders and pick up pizza for lunch.

My goals today were to get things sorted, organize all of my files, and take inventory on what other supplies I might need to purchase.  For the past three years I have only used manila folders in my filing cabinet.  This was ridiculous because every time I took a file out all of the other files collapse and curve down.  It's impossible to keep them in order.  I finally broke down and bought a hundred hanging file folders and my sister generously labeled and transferred every single file I have.  Christina also organized all of my supplies and put them neatly in a very spacious closet.

Best news of the day was I met my 5th grade teammate across the hall.  I have such a great first impression of him.  He's a foot taller than me and has such a big heart.  When he saw Jackson he just held out his hands to grab him and instantly cuddled with him.  I don't generally like strangers touching my child, but he seems so genuine.

After giving Jesse two bottles I immediately came home and pumped two bottles of milk.  It was then off to Elizabeth's to bring her family dinner and meet her sweet baby.  We stayed for about an hour.  Baby Connor is beautiful.  Both Connor and Jackson were crying at one point and then they were both hungry.  I thought, "Oh my God, how do people deal with twins?" 

Once we got home we ate dinner and listened to blues music.  Jesse and I both love to make up random songs and lyrics.  This is Jesse's latest original:

Well I got the baby blues.  Cause I drink nothing but milk all day. (2x)
When my mommy walks out the door she takes my milk away.

On that note, I think it's time to feed Jackson and get ready for bed!

2 Month Check and Maggiano's--Monday, June 13

Today was our long awaited two month checkup at the doctor's office.  (Jackson technically should have had this appointment last week.)  Here are his 2 month stats:

Weight-12 lb, 15 oz (57th %)

Height-25 in (97th %)

Head-15.75 in (47th %)

I told the doctor I was concerned about Jackson's diaper rash.  He inspected it and confirmed it's an allergic reaction to something with the diapers.  I told the doctor that we would do a vinegar rinse.  His face totally changed and he said, "Oh no, that would burn!"  He assumed I was going to wash Jackson in vinegar, but I was definitely talking about rinsing the diapers in vinegar.  I literally laughed out loud at the misunderstanding.  Why would I wash my child in vinegar??  He suggested applying 0.5% hydrocortisone cream for the diaper rash once or twice to see if it cleared up.  The doctor also recommended less frequent baths, cooler water, Dove soap, and Eucerin lotion for the eczema. 

I had been dreading the 2 month vaccines for the past week.  Jackson received the rotavirus vaccine (by mouth), Hep B, Polio, DTP, Hib, and PCV13 (all by injection).  I honestly didn't know what most of those vaccines or diseases were, but I at least read the "What You Need to Know" paper afterwards.  Some mothers are so passionate about delayed vaccinations and alternative schedules, but shots are not an issue I'm going to fight over.  I'm going to trust the recommendations by professionals.  Jackson loved the oral vaccine and smiled nonstop.  He even giggled at the nurse.  However, the second I held his arms down and the nurse restrained his legs, things got ugly!  He honestly only cried for a minute, then sucked his pacifier and fell asleep.  But it was the heart wrenching, scary cry where he turns purple from crying so hard and then becomes silent with his mouth still wide open.  After I fed Jackson once home he projectile vomited frightening amounts of milk twice.  He's been fussy ever since.

Today was my final day at Irwin.  We had one last lunch to honor all the retirees.  Classrooms had to be cleaned out.  I learned how to teach in this school building, in my classroom.  I've grown tremendously over the past three years and I will always think of my experiences here affectionately.

Jesse and I went to Maggiano's, our favorite Italian restaurant, this evening.  This particular restaurant has an annual special for teachers.  For two days they take 50% off the entire check, and give you two full pasta dishes to go.  That means we were able to order spaghetti w/ meatballs and lasagna for our meals, and fettuccine alfredo and baked ziti to take home.  We chose to order these meals to bring to Elizabeth and her husband when we visit them tomorrow. 

The reason this is my favorite restaurant is we always split their dessert sampler plate.  Words cannot express the pure indulgence and goodness of their cheesecake, tiramisu, apple crostada, chocolate cake, and creme brulee!

So to review, we received two loaves of bread, full portions of four different pastas, and five desserts for $20.  Sometimes it pays to be a teacher.  Thanks, Maggiano's!

Thankfully, Jackson was great throughout the entire dinner.  Jesse gave him a bottle and he was peaceful the whole time.  He awoke at home grumpy.  After over an hour of fussing, we are ready to swaddle our sweet boy and kiss him goodnight.

Lazy Day--Sunday, June 12

The only thing I really accomplished today was going to church.  The pastor suggested wearing red to celebrate Pentecost Sunday and the Global Day of Prayer.  Jackson only has one red shirt and we try to dress him a bit nicer for church.  He's really too tall for the overalls so we had to roll up the pant legs.  Jesse and I joked that Jackson looked like a little Huckleberry Finn today.

Jackson received plenty of love at church.  He let the whole congregation know he was there, too!  After church Jesse hung the laundry outside while I fed Jackson.  We ate lunch, looked through the sales adds, surfed the web, had tummy time, etc.  Before I knew it, all the boys were settled in for a nap.

Seriously, the only productive thing we did today was laundry.  ("We" meaning Jesse!)  Apparently Aldi closes at 6 pm on Sunday so we didn't even shop for groceries.  Jackson has slept almost all day, which is so atypical.  We are watching a crazy thunderstorm and eating popcorn.  The cable is out, which means no phone, internet, or TV.  Jesse and I are running out of things to talk about!  That's our sleepy Sunday update.

BBQ--Saturday, June 11

Jesse has been wanting to smoke a Boston Butt for quite some time.  He put the 5 lb pork on the grill as soon as he woke up this morning and let it cook all day. 

My school was open for three hours today for teachers to clear out final items from their classroom.  Jackson stayed home with Jesse, so I made sure there were two bottles ready just in case he got really hungry or I took longer than expected.  I thought I had already brought most of my school items home, but I still had two entire filing cabinets to go through.  Any paperwork that includes students names and ID numbers must be shredded, so it was a pain going through everything.  I ended up with quite a good bit more in my car than I planned--so much so that Jackson can't possibly fit in my car. 

I had originally planned to go out to lunch with my teammates, but I had a funeral to attend in Gastonia.  One of my childhood friend's mother passed away earlier this week, and my heart aches for her.  She is an only child.  While I know too well the pain of losing a parent, I cannot imagine grieving alone. 

Jesse and Jackson ran errands around town.  After returning home at 4 p.m. I was able to nurse Jackson and pump. Jesse had invited his parents over for dinner and I had invited my friend Ellen and her boyfriend over for dinner.  Before we knew it we were feeding seven people.  Jesse was so proud of his pork.  He chopped it and put it in the crockpot while I was delegated the responsibility of making slaw.  This is a chore because our food processor broke and I just end up with bits of cabbage everywhere. 

Family and friends came over and we feasted on BBQ, baked beans, potatoes, slaw, and ice cream.  Jackson slept in the swing while we ate.

This was the first time since the birth of Jackson that I felt relaxed and happy to entertain and cook for people.  Of course I'm always paranoid that there's not going to be enough food and tend to over compensate.  But there was no added stress about where to feed Jackson, Jackson crying, having too many burp cloths strewn about, etc.  We are parents of a two month old baby and I have proudly accepted the facts that I breastfeed, have a fussy baby in the evenings, and our son spits up a lot.  This acceptance feels so freeing.  Now I can enjoy being a mom and spending time with friends and family without feeling conflicted.

Shortly after the in-laws left we put Jackson in his crib for the night and played Taboo and Scattergories with Ellen, Drew, and Andrew.  Though you can't tell from the picture, both games were hilariously entertaining.

Our company just left at 10:30 and Jesse and I are ready to crash.  I pumped once more tonight, totalling 15 ounces of milk pumped for the day.  I now have over 100 ounces (20+ storage bags) of milk in the freezer, in addition to 5-10 ounces in the fridge at any given moment. 

Now it is officially time to sleep!

Last Day of School--Friday, June 10

Jackson either slept or cried all morning and afternoon.  You could tell he wasn't feeling well by looking at his eyes.  I try to take a picture of him everyday, but the only cute one I could get was of his feet while he was napping.

Today was not only the last day of the school year, but the last day of our school's existence.  We have a wonderful tradition of sending off the fifth graders.  All staff and K-4 students line the halls with handmade signs and cheer as the fifth graders parade through the halls while We Are Family plays over the intercom.  After dismissal the entire staff lines up along the bus parking lot and blows bubbles and waves goodbye to the students.  There was not a dry eye at school.

Another favorite tradition immediately following the last day of school is going to a downtown bar and having a celebratory shot.  (Jesse went out with his colleagues after his school day ended at noon.  He then met me at school to get Jackson so I could go out with my colleagues.)  We didn't take shots because I'm nursing, Lucy's on antibiotics, and Stacy was leaving early and didn't want to drink liquor and drive right away.  We each drank a beer and toasted to the end of an era. 

5th Grade Graduation-Thursday, June 9

Today was the long awaited 5th grade graduation ceremony.  Jesse took the day off of work to attend the ceremony, take care of Jackson so I could be on stage, and help me pack up my classroom.  I am so thankful he was able to do this because today simply could not have happened without his help.  We were showered, dressed, and out the door at 8:45 a.m. 

My kids happily welcomed me back as always.  My classroom is my second home.  Truth be told, I've spent more hours in my classroom than in my house on many, many days.  I appreciated my substitute requesting that I give out the awards to my class.  Because our school is closing this year and students and staff are all going their separate ways, this graduation was particularly meaningful.  After receiving their certificates, the 5th grade classes sang Hold My Hand while a slide show of their photos played. 

Our students' parents are loud and proud!  They screamed and carried on after every single name was read.  Jesse said Jackson looked so pissed off, constantly being startled by the audience just after nodding his head off to sleep.  Jackson took the bottle well and finally fell asleep towards the end of the ceremony.  I was so mad Jesse didn't take a single picture, despite me giving him the camera and requesting photos.

After the ceremony we did a meet and greet on the lawn with students and parents, then it was back to my classroom.  Jesse and I drove separately so that we could fill both our cars with my school supplies.  I need to have my classroom completely cleared out in the next two days, so I wanted to take advantage of being able to use my students as manual labor.  (They love helping!)    I still need to go back on Saturday to go through my files, but we got most of the bulk.  Here is four years worth of accumulation:



The inside of my car was completely packed as well.

 At nearly 1 p.m., we were hungry, thirsty, and tired from being around over a hundred people and loading the car in 99 degree heat.  Jackson peed, sweat, and spit up through his outfit.  Luckily we had a backup onesie.  My boobs were so engorged I was leaking through my dress.  As soon as we got home I was able to change, drink a couple glasses of water, feed Jackson, pump 7 ounces, and heat up lunch.  Though Jackson generally nurses 10-15 minutes on one side only, he has been nursing on both sides the past couple of days.  His backup outfit was The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  On the back it says, "but he was still hungry".  So true!

The best news of the day: our prayers from yesterday were finally answered.  Seventy-two hours after being admitted to the hospital, Elizabeth had her baby!  I'll spare the details since it's not my story to tell, but I am so impressed with her dedication to a vaginal delivery and I could not be more excited to meet her baby tomorrow.

Labyrinth--Wednesday, June 8

I have a headache and am not in a blogging mood.  Jackson has been spitting up all day and is currently fighting sleep and screaming.  I don't want to exercise, so I will either go to bed sweaty and exhausted or feeling guilty.   I so badly want to eat all of the Klondike bars that are in the freezer.

Most of our day was spent in the hospital waiting room awaiting the birth of Elizabeth's baby.  Unfortunately, this still did not happen.  My sister, mutual friend, and I passed time by walking around the hospital campus, browsing gift shop items, and even stumbling upon a labyrinth.  I absolutely love labyrinths and have walked one every year for over a decade.  I'm not sure our prayers were answered today, but everything works on God's timeline, not ours.