2 Months Old: Work, Shots and Trivia, Oh My!

Snoozing at the Office

Yesterday Cristian was 2 months old! My, how time flies! We started the day at my office. C does not really care where he is, he can sleep anywhere and through anything (one of the many things about C that I am really thankful for).

Daddy was quite entertaining!

After being at the office in the morning it was time for his 2 month visit to the doctor. The boy weighed in a 12lbs, 13 oz and was in the 75% for his weight. He was 24 inches long, putting him in the 90%. He is growing right on track and is very healthy (words to our ears). The down side was he had to have 3 shots and that made me so upset that I cried more than he did! Cristian cried for maybe 30 seconds, but it took a lot longer for Mommy to calm down. It was a good thing Daddy was there to keep the peace!

No Cameras, please!

...and since it was Wednesday and Cristian was in such a happy mood following a long nap after the shots, we went to trivia, but he was a little camera shy at this point. There was also some cuddling with Tia that occurred once we got home. Very cute photo opportunity!

Cuddle time!

All in all, he had a pretty decent 2 month birthday!

Going to Work with Mom!

I started working a month after Cristian was born. I would work half day at home and then half day in the office. That has worked nicely for me because I realized that a half day is the most I can be away from the little one before I start to miss him like crazy. The solution? Bring him with me sometimes!

Playing on the desk!

Sleeping on the Desk!

It has worked out nicely to have him close to me as I work. He is such a trooper--he will just babble and talk to me as I work and as long as I keep up my end of the conversation we get along great!! :)

Love this little guy to pieces!

One Month Old

The first month flew by with unbelievable speed. I could not believe that it had already been a month. We spent his first month birthday in South Florida visiting Grandma and meeting Grandpa for the very first time. It was a very nice trip--Grandma even kept Cristian 2 nights and Mommy and Daddy were able to sleep. It was glorious!

Happy One Month Birthday, Sweet Boy!

He's here!

Less than a hour old

As most of you very well know, Cristian Ray Petrescu made his debut into the world on April 27, 2012. He weighed a VERY healthy 8 lbs, 12 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long. It is nearly two months since that day and I am just now able to contemplate posting on the blog. That should be some indication of the adjustment that this has been for me. I thought I knew, but I really had no idea what kind of adjustment it would be. However, I have to say that it has been an amazing experience and it is now hard to think of a time when Cristian was not part of my world, because from here on he will ALWAYS be my world.

Here are some pictures from the last 8 weeks:

Two Days Old

With Daddy!

Wearing Cousin Lucas's Onsie

Playtime!

BBQ Time!

Loves the car seat!

Who? Me?

Sleep Time

So Sleepy

Muscle Man!

Closer and Closer

The time is drawing close to my due date. I find that I am extremely impatient, yet at the same time, enjoying the remaining time of just Vlad and I. I try to do a bit of reflection on some things (some would argue that this always bodes negative) and one of them is the time that Vlad and I have had together as a couple. I am very sad to see it ending--not that we will lose that, but we will transition into a new kind of normal. It is my goal to remember that we were a couple first before we made this decision to become parents.

Which leads to my next bit of reflection--this huge dark void of what happens after baby is here. There are the common concerns: how do I do this, how do I do that, can I take care of a baby, will I make mistakes, etc. Those are natural and easily overcome within the first couple of months as you find your groove with baby and adapt to the "new normal". My thoughts center on the question that has continued to plague me: How do you raise a "good" child?

One thing that I enjoy while out is to observe people and their interactions. In the case of parents and their children, it is an interesting range of behaviors. From my view point, families have become child-centric with everything revolving around the wants and desires of their children. Notice that I say "wants" rather than "needs". There is a difference in not providing the things your child needs, rather than catering to their every "want". There is a sense of entitlement that I do not understand and should that desire not be fulfilled a tantrum ensues that makes my eye twitch.

Call me old-fashioned (go ahead and do it!) but I have a distinct memory of having expectations of what my behavior was to be when we were out in public. Should we deviate from that because things did not go my way, there were consequences that were carried out in the form of a spanking. Let me clarify, that I can probably county on two hands the number of times I was spanked as a child. I got the point! Was I denied the things I wanted? Absolutely not, but I also knew that making a a scene about it WAS NOT the way to go about it.

Then there is the way the children address adults. I'm sorry, but when is it acceptable to roll your eyes or use the term "whatever"? Yeah, that's right, its not. Had I done that to my father, or mother for that matter, I would not have made it to adulthood with all my teeth in place.

In any case, whatever the case for families, I have my own wishes for the development of my son who will grow up to be a man.

Dear Baby,

Keep the following in mind as your navigate life:

• Always treat people with respect. Period. No questions. Everyone has a role to play and you never know when the roles will be reversed.
• Anything worth having is worth working for. Nothing feels as great as knowing that you worked to gain something you really want.
• Do not worry about what other children do (especially in school). This is a lesson that is only learned in retrospect, but you will learn that the "cool" kid really didn't have all the answers to life...or love.
•  An education is important. Boy, is it important. Again, something you learn in retrospect. 
• Sometimes I will be able to protect you, but sometimes you will have to find out on your own. Just know that you will have to live with the choices that you make.
• Some things happen that can't be explained, but your reaction to them can be explained. Look forward, never back.
• You will make mistakes. Accept it now. Mistakes are the building blocks to where you want to go.
• Possibilities are endless but you have to create your path through the possibilities to determine the direction you want to take in life. 

 It is our job as parents to make sure you have the necessary foundation to be able to make these decisions and have confidence in your ability to make them and feel good about them. I promise to do my best to make that happen. Just remember that we loved you before we even knew you and will love you more once you are here.

Love,

Your Mom

37 Week Appointment

Today was my growth ultrasound and weekly appointment. I was so excited for the ultrasound, thinking I would get to see my little man. Boy, was I shocked to learn that you really can't see much any longer. I was able to clearly distinguish his head, which is in the right position. That's right, he is head down and getting into position.

Other than that I was unable to make out anything. The sonographer was able to point out the things she was measuring such as his femur, his tummy, etc. She also searched around until she found his boy parts to ensure that YES, we ARE still having a little boy. :) Could I tell they were boy parts? Heck no, but I am counting on her to know what she is talking about.

We were also told that baby boy is approximately 6lb 13oz and is likely to gain another pound before he makes his grand entrance into the world. That would be about right considering I was 7lb 6oz and and Vlad was about 7 lb 7oz if my math was right (stupid metric system!). I am glad that he is on track. I was really worried they would tell me I am having a 10 pound baby. I don't think I could have recovered from the shock of trying to deliver THAT. :)

I guess this little guy really does have his gaurdian angels looking out for him. Thank you Mica and Mom!

Always Bringing Me Joy!

So today I have to admit is one of those days where I am just not "in love" with being pregnant. Starting on Friday I started to become really uncomfortable and walking was even unpleasant. I spent a lot of time on the couch watching movies and napping. I did manage to sweep, mop, do laundry, and clean out the car for the hubby (he will say that it was for me because I will be taking over his car post-baby)--but that was about as far as I got. It just wasn't my most productive weekend. Today, Monday, is even worse. I feel queasy and generally achy...and still with the discomfort previously mentioned.

So rather than dwell on the fact that I want to go and hibernate for the next two weeks until Baby is here, I was thinking of the things that make me smile. Aside from Vlad, Scoob and Tia rank #2. I look forward to seeing them every day when I get home because I know they will be happy to see me. They always are. So, I started looking through my phone and all the pictures I have of them. Here are some of the best:

How could I not love this face?

Best Traveler Ever! 

Car or a pile of clothes, he cares not

 

This is her "I'm scared" face

This WAS my pregnancy pillow

Nothing better than a back scratch!

This says it all--wherever you are, Scoob is there