We're baaack..

After a loong break from our still brand new blog, I've decided that I want to start it up again. I stopped because I sent the link to family and I was pretty sure nobody ever looked at it, but now I've found a few others that might, and I've found that if it's entertaining enough, even strangers might like it :) Either way, it's a good place to journal our life and reflect, so I'm doing it for me! ((But it'd be great if I had some followers so I'm not just completely wasting my energy)). Anyhoo.
First order of business, I've got to update on the family!
Alexander Michael (aka. Alex)
~is the most perfect, most wonderfully amazing baby boy any mom (or dad) could ever pray for! We love him terribly and he has brought so much joy to our lives! He is now seven months old. He was born January 9, 2009 after I thought I was going to die from the worst pain I've ever felt in my life, but I came through it and was rewarded with the most absolutely perfect gift from God. He has the most beautiful spirit. He brings joy to anyone he sees. He smiles and laughs (an exasperated giggle) nonstop! He now has his first two teeth, long straight brown hair just exactly like his daddy's, he's sitting straight up like a big boy, thinking about trying to crawl, eating solid foods (mashed up) and holding his own bottle (never thought that day would come)!!! I have so much joy and pride every time I see him do something new and I don't even miss the days of sleeping til noon, or eleven, or ten, or even eight or nine... heck I don't even remember what that is! I wake up at the buttcrack of dawn every day, but the first thing I hear is his 'talking' or giggle and it makes it perfect. He's a big boy, he now weighs 20 lbs (and 7 ounces, Jason tells me that's important too) and is starting to get taller, but he's our chunky little monkey :)
Jason
~is doing well. He's become a wonderful Daddy and Alex absolutely adores him! He's not a complete softy yet, so it's a really good thing we had a boy first since girls are more fragile, but I'm sure he'll melt if we ever do have a little girl. He tries to make Alex the tough boy, but he can't keep up the shell all the time, he loves cuddling and kissing his son. He's a very Proud Papa! In fact, I think it gives Alex a good balance... Alex fusses the least little bit and I hold him and rock him and feed him and carry him all over the house... which I've come to learn is the perfect recipe for a spoiled and cranky baby... Jason lets him sit and play on his own sometimes and knows that if there's work to be done, Alex can survive as long as he's got a full belly, a passy, a dry bum and tons of toys! This means that Alex is learning that he's okay playing on his own sometimes as long as he can see someone nearby that loves him and is watching out for him, he just doesn't need to be held all day. If it weren't for this I'd have a very spoiled baby on my hands who probably still wouldn't know how to roll over because I didn't let him try on his own. I guess this is one of the things they mean by couples completing each other.
For the first four months of Alex's life I was playing the role of the single mom. It was hard, but being a military mommy I knew there was no avoiding it. Luckily we timed it right so that he got to be here for the birth and the first two weeks, but after that, I was on my own. I did have the help of family and a very helpful friend/roommate for that whole time, thank God, otherwise I don't know if I could have done it and still kept my sanity and my job. That's right, after eight weeks of maternity leave (I stretched it as far as I could get it) I was back to working full time, which by the way I also did up until 21 hours before our little one was born. This meant I would be the only one there to wake up with him every two hours all night long, then get him and I both ready before leaving for work at 5am and pick him up from the babysitter's on my way home at 7 at night, working 48 hours a week. But, after coming through it, I feel like a really great mom and stronger for it!
In the weeks before his return home I was told by just about everyone I know (and some I don't) that the hard part was yet to come. That even though I felt like I was approaching the finish line because I would all of a sudden have my hubby there to be my loving spouse and helper that I wouldn't be on double duty anymore. Life would be the ideal american dream.. I wouldn't be the only feeder, carer, snuggler, rocker, diaper changer, and oh yeah, I didn't mention mommy to the big obnoxious (love her anyway) crazy boxer of ours did I?? But, I was expecting that life would suddenly become a piece of cake (mmm)... I would have so much time on my hands to take naps and bubble baths, and lounge with my wonderful son and wonderful husband with no care in the world. These people were right, because what I didn't know was that in the course of a couple living apart for (did I mention) a flippin YEAR, that we would be used to doing everything my own way and his own way. This meant we had to learn to live together again, which isn't as easy as it sounds when you add the new addition into the mix. I've recently discovered a book called Babyproofing Your Marriage... well I haven't read it yet, but I've looked at the website and all of its tips and suggestions for the couples that have been married and used to being together, but how they should prepare for the changes a baby will make. And this website (and I'm assuming the book) doesn't sugar-coat it. Didn't find a section there for those that were spending the year prior to baby's debut apart and how it would be compunded by this, I'm thinking they just don't want to dive into that pool which is ten times deeper and more dangerous... WARNING, You may kill eachother a little quicker over stupid things like 'How does ha possibly have enough socks to occupy the bathroom floor, the kitchen floor, the living room and the other bathroom floor all in one day... But that's just a taste.
NOTE: I am not saying that it's been unbarable, it just hasn't been easy, and I'm starting to think (ha) that maybe we've both been a little stubborn in the past... hmm.
SO, what have we done about this. We've been learning to relearn each others new habits and implement them both to reach a happy medium so that we can be the perfect mommy and daddy for baby Alex all at the same time... And neither of us has the prefix Super in front of our names either, so that's out the window. Though it was difficult at times, infuriating at times, exhausting at times... we have learned to accept eachothers' changes and differences and focus on what's really important; our son and our future together as a family. Who cares about stupid socks and spoons :) I like the motto Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (also a book :), and we have been learning to implement it in our everyday routine. Socks on the bathroom floor, who cares, ice cream spoon on the kitchen counter every morning from the midnight cravings, no biggie, work uniform in the middle of the kithcen floor every friday, because it doesn't make sense to take it upstairs if we're going to just bring it back down on laundry day, whatever:) That's right, I'm learning to be less uptight and it's working for me! ...Helps that he's been trying too. It's amazing the changes in routine and habits that a person can acquire over a years time. But, love changes and I believe that the changes are what helps it to grow bigger and stronger!! I love my life and I have the perfect husband and perfect son for me and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world!!!
Oh, and Bella's (still) Bella (she's the aforementioned obnoxious boxer of the house... that we love tons too!
Until next time, happy reading and happy blogging! This is fun, who knew I had so much to say!!

~Supermom