Cinco De Mayo and Other Celebrations

Note: I started writing this post on 5/5 but I was embarrassingly lame and fell asleep midway through. Hence why I am not publishing until 5/6. What can I say? Mommy is exhausted. The college days of pulling all-nighters escape me. I feel old. But without further ado...

I'm celebrating Cinco de Mayo the "mommy way" tonight. Indulging in a strawberry daiquiri wine cooler and watching Bridget Jones' Diary on cable while the little man snoozes away in his crib and the hubby works. All alone. Some people may consider this mundane - I admit its no kegger - but to me, it is quite sensational. The 3.5% alcohol by volume isn't nearly enough for one to become inebriated but it does allow a breastfeeding mommy to feel like an autonomous adult without much guilt.

It's nights like tonight when I catch a glimpse of my former single, childless self. It's almost like seeing a childhood friend you've long grown apart from. She doesn't recognize me so I admire her from afar, thinking of the days I used to idolize her. And while I still have much love for her, I look around at my life now - toys scattered on the floor, laundry overflowing - and how I wouldn't trade in a thing.
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As if I need another reason to celebrate...

The past two nights have been a raving success in the sleep deprivation department with 5+ hour stretches. Last night, I put Nate down around 8pm. He woke at 2am and 6am. At 6am, I brought him back to bed with me where he slept until 730am. It was pure bliss. I didn't know what to do with myself.

I just hope I don't become spoiled should this be a new trend. A girl could get used to this thing called sleep.
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Nate had his 9-month appointment last week. He was 19 lbs, 13 oz and 28.5 inches long. I could have sworn he weighed more. Or perhaps my biceps are just reaching the peak of their strength, as my arms are giving out much faster than in days past. I was shocked he had dropped percentiles (now approximately 35th for weight and 50th for height) when he's always been in the upper 60-80th range. The pediatrician assured me that this decline in growth rate is common around this time and it is expected once they become so active. I asked her about his limited vocabulary and she seemed unconcerned. She said we would revisit the topic at 12 months but in the meantime, to continue storytime every night.

She examined his mouth, complete with now *eight* teeth. She asked if I had been brushing or wiping his teeth after meals, which I admittedly had not been doing. I was embarrased that I had no idea I should. She advised that I should at least wipe his teeth with a clean cloth after milk feeds, as those are common culprits for cavities. So, we went to the grocery store and picked up a baby toothbrush and some flouride-free, baby-safe toothpaste. I expected hysterics at the first introduction but the brush piqued his interest. He seemed to enjoy the taste of the gel. He even let out some chuckles as I glided over his gums.

After a clean bill of health, he got his long-awaited 6-month vaccinations. He did cry with each jab in his pudgy thigh but my tough little guy stuck it out and was back to smiling before we left the office. We will go back in a month or so to get the 9-month shots that will bring us up to date. ________________________________________________

Today, as I was cleaning up the living room, Nate was crawling on the floor and playing with some toys. I glanced down and noticed a dark spot on his skull. Initially, I thought it was a spot of dried blood but didn't recall him tumbling or bumping his noggin earlier. Being a blondie, it would be hard to miss something like that. Upon further inspection, I noticed it was not blood or dirt. It was a tick.

After a minor freak out, I conquered the eek factor and grabbed a credit card from my purse. I slid it along his hairline and the tick crawled onto the card. Whew, I exclaimed. It hadn't embedded itself yet. I ran the card into the bathroom and drowned it in the sink.

Crisis averted.