I'm on Etsy!

I finally got my act together and got my Esty store set up. So I now have a blog, a webstite, a facebook group and an Etsy store. I don't know if all this will translate into making money, but I can hope right? I'm still trying to figure out this Etsy thing though. I think I just need to spend more time surfing the site.

So needless to say, we've been busy this week. I've made a blog, website, facebook group, and Etsy store, joined a mommy group and gone to a playdate already. Today we have another meetup to attend. We're going to the farmer's market! Hopefully we can get some nice fruits there so mommy can keep up her energy. Apparently I haven't been eating very well because I've been very dizzy, weak and nauseous for quite a while. I'm hoping some better eating habits and some exercise will help with that.

Matthew is doing great. I can't believe he'll be 3 months on Sunday! He likes to play and is rolling from his back to his front. He still isn't fond of tummy time, but he's getting better. He stopped sleeping through the night and started waking up more than just the once. Though today he slept from 10 until 5:30, so maybe he was just going through a growth spurt? I can't wait to take his 3 month photo on Sunday. We'll probably do our family portrait for the Christmas card then too! I already measured and weighed him, though I'm sure the weight won't be accurate because I guestimated his weight on my own scale. Oh well, close enough right?

Cards, Websites and Blogs

Well I've been convinced. I'm setting up an online store to sell my vast supply of photo cards I've been making "just for fun". It's been a hard slog, but I think we're nearly set up. I have most of my wares uploaded to my website and am slowly working on my blog. Soon, I'll have an Etsy store to sell my products and from there, who knows what will happen.

So between feeding my hungry monster and playing with him, I take his nap times to play around on my website and blog, and soon, my facebook page too. So much for "sleep when the baby sleeps".

So stay tuned for website updates, visit often and tell your friends.

http://cupofteaphotocards.webs.com/

http://cupofteaphotocards.wordpress.com/

2 Month Check Up

M had his 2 month check up yesterday. He did fantastic! He weighs 13 lbs 8 oz and is 24 3/4 inches long. He's such a big boy! He's getting better neck control and he's cooing and gooing and gahing at me. Sooooo cute. He also got his shots yesterday. That wasn't so fun. I think that was the highest and loudest I've ever heard him scream. But once I picked him up and held him, he calmed right down.

He's also getting in a pretty good routine now. I can predict when he wants to sleep and when he wants to eat and when it's time to play. It's nice because it means breaks for me! He's a good baby. He sleeps a lot and he loves to play. Sure he has fussy times, but overall, he's a doll. He has even slept through the night a few times. Last night it was 11:30-7!!! The night before was 10:30-7:30! What a good boy. I love my little boy. Look how cute he is. Here he is at 2 months!

Matthew's new "fussy hour"

Something is up with my baby boy. The last few days, he's been "fussy" after about 2 pm. Nothing seemed to help. Nursing didn't help, rocking, swaying, singing, patting, burping, rubbing didn't help. A car ride only helped for a while, and so did a stroller ride. He was just fussy, fussy fussy. It was heartbreaking to see my baby boy crying so hard that his face turned red, he started coughing and he overheated, which made him more upset. This went on for hours, only interupted briefly when we tried a new thing, like his swing. We finally decided to head out to Shoppers for some Gripe water. Maybe that is his problem? So we bought the Gripe water and came back as soon as we could. The Gripe water seemed to help and finally, we had a calm, quiet, happy baby. Ahhh...sweet relief: time for bed. Ok, not quite. As soon as I took Matthew up to his room, he woke up and was unhappy again. Back downstairs we went and I finished watching the movie with a baby in my arms. At midnight, Matthew was "asleep", so I took him upstairs. It took another 45 minutes of rocking and swaying to convince him to lay down in his crib, but I finally got to sleep at 1 am. I'm hoping his new "fussy hour" is just a tummy upset problem and that the Gripe water will help prevent the overtired, upset, fussy crying jaunt that never seems to end. We shall see.

Listen to Matthews Favourites

Holy Big Boy Batman!

We had two appointments today. TWO! The first was to the Lactation consultant. First we weighed him. Drumroll please ... 10 pounds 5 ounces! WHAAAAA? He's HUGE! Of course, he wasn't all that small to begin with. The appointment from there went well. He's latching fine now and I'm still struggling with oversupply and forceful letdown, but he's coping. They're not worried about him getting too much foremilk since he's gaining just fine. The prescription is the same: hand express before each feed, two feeds on each side during the day, but alternate sides at night so I don't get too engorged and uncomfortable. I didn't make another appointment, but will call if I have issues again. Here's my latest picture of my big boy!

Our second appointment was a mommy appointment. I had been referred from the hospital to the Maternal Mental Health Clinic because of my history and weepiness in the hospital. We talked a lot about my history and concerns and the psychologist agreed that I did have post-partum blues, but they seemed to have resolved now. Matthew was hot and sweaty and not very happy. He was also hungry. The second appointment really screwed up our feeding schedule, so by the end of the appointment he was really really hungry. I tried to feed him in a private room, but it was very difficult without a pillow or anything. 30 minutes of feeding, crying, changing, feeding, crying later, I decided it was best just to get home ASAP. Too bad mommy decided it was a brilliant idea to save $20 and 15 minutes of frustration and park at the mall and walk to the hospital ... in 37 C heat! BAD MOMMY! We were miserable, but walking in the stroller seemed to calm Matthew down, despite the heat.

Mr. Man is a bit upset by all the day's activities, the heat and the screwed up feedings. We're hoping a nap will do him wonders. Daddy is trying to put him down right now, so we'll see how that goes. On an unrelated note, Daddy is sad today because his beloved Germany soccer team lost. Very sad, but we didn't really expect them to get this far. Maybe they will win the consolation prize next week!

Opa's Cottage!

We took Matthew for his first visit to Opa's Cottage over the long weekend. We went up on Thursday all by ourselves and set him up in his playpen in the living room. It worked out well and I nursed Matthew in the living room. The rest of the weekend took some adjustment. It's tricky business when you don't have ALL your equipment with you. Matthew was good for the most part, but I just need to figure out how to participate in cottage activities with him. My sister in law had a brilliant idea. We put Matthew in his Snugli and I carried him around with an umbrella! That way he stays in the shade and I get to hang out a bit.

Since R was with me all weekend, he was able to take Matthew downstairs at 7 am so I could sleep for an extra hour or two. This is how I found them on Sunday!

We're heading up to the cottage again this weekend, a little older and a little wiser. (I can't believe my 29th birthday is on Thursday! And my Mr. Man will be 1 month old!). We hope to put together the old crib and then move the playpen downstairs again for afternoon naps and changes. It should be fun! Matthew's big cousins can't wait to see him again and watch the "big show" of the diaper change. Oh how fun everything is when you are 6!