Merry Christmas

We'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to our family and friends near and far. Iain, Callum and I are thankful for each other, our health and all of the wonderful people in our lives. I hope that you experience peace and happiness this Christmas. The past four weeks have been rush, rush, rush and more rush for us. And I'm still not done. I'm definitely going to have to shop earlier for Callum next year since all of his presents are still unwrapped. Some of Iain's as well. My baking was finally done at 9 p.m. last night. This is something I really enjoy so I don't mind. I still have some things to do, but I'm going to take today and tomorrow slowly to enjoy the first Christmas I get to spend with my baby boy. He's almost 8 months old and is starting to get into everything. With some help, he can pull himself to his feet and enjoys standing next to the coffee table and the couch. Still no teeth but a very enthusiastic eater. Safe travels to those of you who will be on the road or in the sky in the next couple of days. Merry Christmas!

My Faves at Christmas

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

• Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags... much neater
• Real tree or Artificial? Artificial this year... real when Callum notices
• When do you put up the tree? As soon as Thanksgiving ends
• When do you take the tree down? Usually right after New Year's Day, possibly later this year
• Do you like eggnog? Sometimes... Iain likes egg nog ice cream!
• Favorite gift received as a child? Pink and purple bike
• Hardest person to buy for? Daycare employees
• Easiest person to buy for? Iain- everything he wants is on his Amazon wishlist
• Do you have a nativity scene? Yup but need a manger
• Mail or email Christmas cards? Definitely mail
• Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Not sure really
• Favorite Christmas Movie? Scrooge, Love Actually
• When do you start shopping for Christmas? Mid-November
• Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yup *blush*
• Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Goodies
• Lights on the tree? White
• Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night and Rudolph
• Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home
• Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
• When do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? Christmas morning
• Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Too many crazy people shopping
• Favorite ornament theme or color? I've decided that I like snowpeople (saying men is a bit sexist)
• Favorite food? Pimento Cheese!
• What do you want for Christmas this year? To spend time with Iain and Callum

Survived

All three of the Burnetts survived my trip to Pittsburgh. I slummed it at the Marriott and Iain and Callum suffered through three nights without Mommy. Iain had no complaints and Callum was definitely in one piece when I got back. The house was clean and the laundry started. What an awesome husband and father! I was also amazed at just how cute Callum looked when I got back. I am, again, totally biased but it is really funny just how adorable a baby looks after you've been away from him for a few days. He was all smiles when I got home on Friday. Iain and I managed to get a lot done this weekend with decorating and preparing for Christmas. This is such a fun time of year to spend with those that you love. Callum's update is that he is now 7 months, no teeth, and really really ready to crawl but very good at scooting around on his bottom. He is an enthusiastic eater and has a very fun baby chuckle. We, I mean Iain, even installed our first baby proofing item of the household- a gate at the bottom of the stairs. It looks and is working wonderfully. Now we only need to empty out about 6 dozen drawers and cupboards to hide away all the fun things that Callum could get into and do damage with. That'll only take us 3 months--guess we'd better start working on it.

Guilty Pleasures

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends while eating their favorite foods. I know we did. Boy am I stuffed. Yes-still stuffed from the weekend! The food and company were amazing. Callum did pretty well granted the quantity of time he spent in the car to get to Pappy and Grandma's and then with all of the visiting done. I am proud of his patience (and ability to sleep while in a moving vehicle). I posted a few weeks ago about simple pleasures- cleaning, coupons, relaxing with Callum and Iain. Now I have to post about guilty pleasures. I would define this as something you do that causes joy although some guilt follows the action. Well some of my personal guilty pleasures include spreadable pimento cheese from the Butcher Shop in Chambersburg (I swear they put drugs in it because I can't stop eating it once I stop). Hence we only buy it as a Christmas Eve treat. Only 23 days until pimento cheese. Another food guilty pleasure for me is chocolate. Although I have some restraint with chocolate, it is one of those things that some days I just need and I usually feel semi-bad after eating it. The same with the pimento cheese...23 days...23 days... I also follow a few television shows that could definitely be categorized as guilty pleasures--Mama's Family (cheesy '80's humor), 90210 (the old version people) and The Girls Next Door (I don't understand how people live this way, but I am fascinated with these clueless women). All of these TV shows result in some degree of guilt after viewing. A final guilty pleasure I will mention is the fact that I am leaving Iain and Callum. Not for good, of course! I am going to a training this week in the Pittsburgh area, thus I will be spending three sleep filled nights at the Marriott. The first sleep filled nights I have had since April 29th (more than 7 consecutive hours anyway). I definitely feel bad leaving Iain and Callum, but I am starting to feel like a vampire craving blood (mommy craving sleep). Anyway, the training will be extremely beneficial for my career and some time away may be good for my well being. Iain has been incredibly supportive of this endeavor and I truly appreciate his understanding of my need for professional development. He might not feel this way by Friday evening but at least by then I will be back, well rested. Maybe Callum will sleep through the night for Daddy? I'm not counting on it. If he does however, the night feeding is done when I get back!

Update

Over the past two weeks, Iain and I have been working, caring for Callum and generally trying to keep our heads above water. Things have been hectic. Last Saturday, we were fortunate enough to make some extra money working at standardized testing which occurs periodically at the university. Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd generously babysat for Callum and had a fun time with him. Callum did a great job away from Mommy and Daddy for several hours. He has been experiencing some stranger/separation anxiety over the past couple of weeks but did very well with Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd. Obviously they aren't strangers to him! The separation anxiety is a new thing. He still does really well at daycare, but he gets stressed out when either Iain or I leave the room. It makes things difficult when trying to get stuff done around the house. Even this past weekend, he's been getting upset when one of us isn't holding him. I don't know where this behavior came from, but boy are my arms tired. He's not that little anymore! On another note, some new and cute behaviors are his ability to shake his head "no" at us and also lunge forward/scoot his butt around his space. He manages to do quite well scooting but gets mad when he is on his tummy but can't get very far. I am afraid that he will be crawling before we both know it. Yikes! We are definitely not ready for that. Iain and Callum spent last Saturday night alone while I traveled out of town for the night to attend my high school reunion. It wasn't the official reunion because no one from our class actually bothered to plan one. However, several of my girlfriends and I rented a condo at Nemacolin Woodlands and spent the evening catching up. It was fantastic to see everyone and to hear about the past ten years. I am amazed that so much time has passed, but then again, when I look at Callum, I can see just how quickly time flies. The Burnetts are looking forward to the upcoming week because of a short three days at work/daycare and then some time away for Turkey Day. Safe and happy travels to all of you who will be making any trips for Thursday.

Insanity

Yes, life has been insane the past couple of weeks hence the lack of posts. Each day is relatively the same but something is always happening. I'll give an update on last weekend sometime this weekend. However, I thought I would post quickly since Callum had his six month check up this morning. He weighed in at 17 lbs 2 oz. and 27 & 1/2 inches long. Whoa! That means he has gained approximately 10 lbs and 6 & 1/2 inches since birth. Thank God he didn't come out that way! Iain and I have a weekend coming up of absolutely nothing which is awesome. We run, run, run all week. Run to daycare, run to work, run home. Cook dinner, wash bottles, pack lunches, eat dinner, give Callum his bath and bottle and put him to bed. On a good night, we watch some TV and then go to sleep. Every single day. The routine is exhausting by Friday. Not that much changes on Saturday and Sunday but we cut out the daycare, work and home running. Anyway, we plan to put up our feet and Callum's too and hopefully chill a little bit. I'll post some new pics when I can. I managed to get the child smiling on camera.

Simple Pleasures

The more busy and tired I become, the more I come to appreciate life's simple pleasures. Obviously these are different for everyone, but I was thinking today about mine. First and foremost, Iain and Callum light up my life. They both hold the number one spot in my heart for very different and important reasons. My love for them grows more and more each day. Another pleasure I've mentioned before is the time I have on the weekend to make our house a home. Little by little, Iain and I do small things to add to our "show place". Earlier today, I was able to tidy up and clean the kitchen floor which now looks fabulous. Cleaning is definitely not something that Iain views as a simple pleasure. In general, I don't really think that most men do. I'm not trying to show gender bias but other than Danny Tanner from the 90's show, "Full House", I don't know many men that get enjoyment out of cleaning. I also wouldn't say that most women actually enjoy cleaning. However, I think the pleasure I get from cleaning comes from the result of our home when I am finished. I've had several wonderful role models who have always kept immaculate homes that I aim to emulate. The autumn we are having also provides me with a gorgeous view out of almost every window in our house. Leaves are everywhere having fallen in just about every shade of brown, yellow, red and orange that you can imagine. I get simple pleasure out of knowing that Iain will take care of disposal of these leaves when he cuts the grass, thus saving me from having to worry about it. One of Iain's favorite things to tease me about is my love for coupons. Why pay full price when you can get a dollar off? I look forward to the Sunday paper so that I can find and clip tiny slips of paper that will save us money. With the cost of groceries and baby supplies slightly astronomical or at least feeling that way, I enjoy finding ways to save us money. My final simple pleasure is looking forward to the holidays. I am a firm believer in three separate holidays after Halloween ends- Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. I realize that there are other traditions celebrated by others in the U.S. and around the world, but these are the three recognized in our household. I greatly anticipate the holiday season. I think that this year will be one of the most special ones yet. The addition of Callum is a major contributor to my excitement. The three of us are really looking forward to spending time with both the Sloan and Burnett families. We are so fortunate to have Iain's parents, Edna and Andrew, making the trip across the pond to visit with Callum and us. This year will be about family, friends and being thankful for everything that we have because we are blessed beyond words. On another note, after the end of a long week and frankly a long six months of campaign jargon from both sides (D & R parties), I am pleased with the election results. I know that not everyone is. However, I can truly say that I now have hope for my immediate and extended families as well as for my son's future. I also have hope for the future of the United States both home and abroad. It has been a long eight years. My dream is that across the nation we can get past our differences and unite for the common good of the country. Enjoy the simple pleasures in your life right now, whatever they may be... coupons, autumn leaves or cleaning the kitchen floor.

VOTE

Today is an important day which will change the lives of all of us in the U.S. Please get out and vote. No matter your political beliefs, your vote is so crucial. Pennsylvania is still considered a swing state so every ballot counts. One thing I checked out was Senator Obama's tax plan for the middle class (http://taxcut.barackobama.com/). I was surprised by the tax savings Iain and I would receive if this plan is put into effect ($1800 for a year). Whoa. I know we could really use that money right now. Things seem to get tighter and tighter each month. Now we are by no means struggling to get by and I do not want to make it sound like we are going through anything comparable to those who have no health insurance, have lost or are losing a home, or consistently juggle bills in order to put food on the table. I just pray that whomever gets into office will keep the ordinary people of the U.S. in mind when making decisions and that he will also remember our tarnished image abroad. From my travels in the past 8 years, I have heard terrible comments about the United States. After getting past the shock of these remarks and reading more about our foreign policies, I've come to realize that although the comments are harsh, in some ways they are very true. I pray that our country moves forward in a positive direction no matter who our leader is. I pray for four years of growth and prosperity from our government for my son, nieces, nephews, little cousins and children of close friends. They are our future and we need change for them.

Where has the time gone???

Well folks Callum is 6 months old today. I can hardly believe. The last time I looked he was 5 months, but I just got my latest Baby Center bulletin that officially announced his 6 month 1 week status. I will admit that he gets easier and easier each week. He has a fun little personality which is complemented by a growing curiosity for everything around him. When I turned the ceiling fan on this afternoon, he watched it for at least 3 minutes. Who would have guessed this was such a neat toy? Some info on 6 month old Callum: Likes-- Mommy, Daddy, Henry the Cat, mixed grain cereal, peas, his elephant & new stacking toys, Miss Terri at Trinity Daycare, playing in his exersaucer, making loud squealing noises and taking short car rides. Dislikes-- napping (better at this but still not his favorite thing), strangers, being awake after 7 p.m., long car rides and pureed meats (turkey and beef were a disaster this weekend!). Nicknames-- Peanut, Little Bug. Concerning his parents, Iain and I have really come a long way in the past 6 months. Before Callum arrived, I had read just about everything on babies that I thought applied to preparing for the arrival of a baby. Iain also did a lot of research on being a dad and generally what to expect from a newborn. We went to a childbirth class, talked to others with children and ensured that we had every item that we could possibly need in Callum's first 2 months of life. Yet none of this prepared us for parenthood. And I can't say that I would have enthusiastically gotten pregnant if I would have known that I would still be getting up at night with a 6 month old baby. I've also come to realize that we are most likely completely unprepared for the next six months and heck the next 18 years. I keep reading about meltdowns and how to handle them. I don't think that meltdowns are something I am ready to deal with. I remember seeing a few from my nieces and nephew. Meltdowns are downright ugly. Fortunately, I think we have at least another 6-9 months until one arises- at least a purposeful one anyway. I digress. Iain and I have come this far and I've enjoyed the journey. I look forward to continuing it with him and Callum. Let's hope the next 6 months are as good as the first 6. Despite the hard work, the rewards have been worth it. I love my little guy so much sometimes I feel like my head could burst (now that would be a really ugly sight, wouldn't it?). Happy November!

Sarah Palin @ Ship Uni

As mentioned on my last post, Iain had the opportunity to hear Sarah Palin speak at the University this past week. He waited in line with thousands, yes, thousands of others to get into the field house to listen to her speech. Over 10,000 tickets were handed out, but only about 4,500 people got in to see her live. Iain was one of the lucky (?) ones. Overall, he enjoyed listening to her and said that she was definitely a motivational speaker to those who share the GOP views. He also mentioned that her accent was incredibly strong and at times, he could not understand her. A friend of mine whose husband is a university police officer worked with the Secret Service to escort Governor Palin from the field house to the Performing Arts Center to greet those who had been watching her on big screen TV's. He noted that she was tiny (5'2 at most) and that he also had a hard time understanding her in their brief conversation. One cute thing to mention was that she pulled on a "Ship Happens" t-shirt over her suit before going into the Performing Arts Center (I work at Shippensburg University). I thought that this was a clever thing to do. From what I understand, those who support the Republican ticket truly enjoyed hearing her speak. The College Republicans were all fired up! But then again, the College Democrats were as well. Anyway, it was a memorable event for Iain, but he has told me that if he gains voting rights (after eventually becoming a citizen), he will most likely register as a Democrat or possibly an Independent. We have a few more years for that, but perhaps, he will be able to vote in the next election. Could it be Obama vs. Palin in 2012? Maybe this is just the latest CNN rumor... until next time!

Quick Update!

Just a quick one since I am at work (bad I know but I didn't take a full lunch hour). Iain is currently freezing his butt off waiting in line to see Sarah Palin. She is on campus for a Road to Victory Rally. Apparently 7000 tickets were given out and when I walked him over to the University Field House, the mile to get into the venue was at least a mile long. I'm not a huge fan so I opted to spend the evening with my favorite 6 month old, but I am excited for Iain to see such a large political figure in person. Hopefully he gets in before her 5:15 speech. Unfortunately, it is 35 degrees outside with a brutal wind so I fear that my hubby will be a Popsicle until he makes it inside the doors. For those of you who are also not fans, go to this website for a laugh: http://www.palinaspresident.us/. Please do not go there if you are a McCain/Palin supporter because I don't want to offend you. The important thing is- go vote! Your voice is important.

Favorite Email Forward

I absolutely hate email forwards with the exception of ones that allow me to tell you my favorite color, movie, vacation, etc. and those that are extraordinarily funny. See below: Excerpts from a Dog's Diary...... 8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing! 9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing! 9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing! 10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing! 12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing! 1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing! 3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing! 5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing! 7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing! 8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing! 11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary... Day 983 of my captivity...My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards. There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now................ (Do they really love us??? I am starting to wonder) LOL

E-Bay

I know that all of you are dying to keep up with my E-Bay progress. To date, my, I mean, Callum's Jumperoo has been mailed via USPS. We should receive it in 2-9 days. He will be bouncing away very soon! Also, I have promised Iain to limit my E-Bay interactions in the future. It is definitely addicting and being the semi-competitive person that I am, it isn't always a good thing to be bidding for desired items (must win, must win). He is right about the Jumperoo- we could have had a brand new one already. My need to win will be controlled in the future. Callum is currently enduring his third cold since starting daycare. I never knew so much snot could come from a being so tiny. He's done well with his sleeping this week and I think his second daily dose of cereal could be playing a role. I don't think I'll know what to do the first time he sleeps from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. I am starting to think it's never going to happen. Iain, bless him, handled the feeding last night, but I feel like I am more tired when I get extra sleep. This makes no sense, but I think that months of sleep deprivation causes you to crave more sleep when you get more than normal or if you get consecutive hours of sleep verses chopped up hours. Who knows... but they are right- having a baby changes everything... for the better. :-)

October Update

So far October has been a fun and enjoyable month. As posted before, we attended the Apple Harvest Festival for a fun day out with family. Last weekend, we traveled to Uniontown to visit Pappy Al, Grandma Deenie and cousin Gianna as well as to see my brother, Matt, sister-in-law Jennifer and nephew Jacob. We also had the pleasure of meeting my youngest nephew Elijah Joseph (Eli). Callum and Eli had about as much fun as two babies aged 5 and 7 months can have together. They smiled at one another, held hands a couple of times and had all of us in stitches watching them interact. I know that they will be great buddies and probably be lots of trouble together this time next year! Callum also had his second bath in Grandma's kitchen sink and took it much better than the first one. It was a very enjoyable weekend and we hope to see everyone again very soon. The trip from North Carolina to Pennsylvania is pretty long for Matt, Jen, Jacob and Eli but we hope that they come back up again in the near future! Well I've recently been introduced to EBay. I've never been on the site before, but my staff assistant, Danielle, suggested that I check it out as a possibility for cheap baby gear. I've been eyeing a Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo for the past month. They are kinda expensive-- $80 or so at Target and Babies R Us-- and I had been trying to find a discounted one at Amazon.com or on consignment somewhere. No luck. Amazon has the cheapest ones at $64.99 (we have two day pre-paid Prime shipping so there is no cost for this). Anyway, during my lunch break Thursday, I managed to find two Jumperoos on Ebay in the $30 price range. Man was I drooling over those. Now I almost won the first Jumperoo due to my super suave bidding skills, but got shut down at the last minute by soupfatherwife with his bid of $50. As Iain kindly pointed out, with my $49 bid and the $16 postage, I would have been paying the same cost for a used toy compared to a new Jumperoo as available on Amazon. (Boo to him- at least I didn't win.) Well, I kept my eyes open and the second Jumperoo was listed at $35 and with my superb bidding skills, I managed to hold off Ebay users t***r and 2***g (names hidden for privacy) and win the Jumperoo for my little guy! This time I managed to save us $5. Iain was not impressed. The important thing is that the Jumperoo is paid for and in true Sloan fashion, I can say that I won on EBay! On a final note for this update, Callum attended his first Halloween party last night and had fun for about 20 minutes. He was about the cutest penguin on the planet in my (biased) opinion. However, all the noise, lights, and people at the party drove him into his normal hysteric state that occurs if he is around strangers or out of the house after 6:30 p.m. We exited the party quickly after his howls scared most of the other children there. Iain and I are confident that he will become more braver with time and hopefully enjoy many Halloweens with us.

Apple Harvest

Our latest adventure was going to the National Apple Harvest Festival which takes place in Adams County, PA about 30 minutes from Shippensburg. As you can see from Callum's smile, we all had a good time. We spent the afternoon with Aunt Karen, Uncle Tedd and cousins Ben, Mindy and A.J. as the pictures show. Callum did well with the day out although he did show off his lungs for Uncle Tedd and Aunt Karen on the way home (too many hours between bottles leads to an angry and hungry baby). Overall, Iain and I continue to enjoy Callum. He changes from week to week so dramatically that it is is just amazing to watch him. His latest and greatest thing is laughing. He has an adorable baby chuckle that I just live for. Now we are regularly trying to do anything and everything to make him laugh, which means that we are making fools of ourselves all the time. Callum's also finally noticed the cats. We let him pet Henry yesterday which Callum enjoyed but Henry did not. I think Henry lost some fur in the process- sorry Henry! I also think that all three cats are going to lose weight once Callum starts moving. A good thing for Shuster- not so much for Ivy. She is skinny enough.

Still Sick

Callum and I are still fighting our colds. I think that we are both better, but it is going on two weeks since we first came down with them. I know I am feeling better and I think that he is also feeling better, but we made a trip to the pediatrician to double check Callum's health. Our doctor today was Dr. Hanigan who was very nice and helpful. She said that Callum is doing alright and that he is just getting over a cold. Unless a fever arises, she has no doubts that he is going to feel better very soon. Callum was quite a pleasant chap today and he even slept for almost 12 hours last night with only one feeding. I was so proud of him! Hopefully this can continue. His favorite sleeping position is face down, tush in the air. Iain and I have no idea how this is comfortable but he will sleep for hours this way. I'll try and post a pic soon, but I am blogging from work at the moment. If you need a good laugh- go to my sister in law's blog via the Sloan chronicles to hear about her run in with the squirrel. I didn't think I would ever stop laughing. Thank god everyone is safe now. On another note- Welcome October! This is definitely my favorite month due to the changing leaves and Halloween. Callum will be a penguin this year. We can't justify trick or treating since we would obviously be eating the candy, but we just HAVE to dress him up. Stay tuned for some cute photos!

Permanent Residency

I am happy and proud to share the news that my hubby, Iain M. Burnett, originally of Kinross Scotland has officially gained Permanent Residency of the United States of America. We applied for what is referred to as "Temporary" Permanent Residency after we wed but had to re-apply two years later to demonstrate that we were still madly in love. Obviously, our application should have been a shoe-in but it took the Department of Homeland Security almost one year to make a decision. However, I am overjoyed to say that Iain received his notice on Saturday that his green card is in the mail. The next step for Iain will be citizenship, in which we will probably have to pay more fees and he will have to take a citizenship test. To pass it, he will probably learn more about U.S. history than most children today learn in schools thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act. Ooo- sorry to throw politics into this blog. Anyway- congrats to my fabulous husband who is here to stay!!!

Colds

Callum and I both have colds. It seems whatever he comes down with, either Iain and I get. Well it is my turn this time. Although everyone tells me that it is good that Callum gets exposed to this stuff now as opposed to when he starts kindergarten, it doesn't make it much fun. At least when he is in kindergarten, I could give him cold medicine. I can't do anything for him other than rub Baby Vicks on his chest and wipe his ever running nose. Between his nose and his drooly mouth, the child needs a bib 24/7. And poor Iain has had the pleasure of listening to me snore the past two nights. I am so stuffy that I really can't breathe and this is obviously effecting my ability to sleep soundly. I normally don't snore (I was a teeth grinder before getting pregnant) but Iain's gotten an earful of it over the past two nights. Hopefully Callum and I will be better tomorrow so that we can enjoy the weekend. On a positive note, Callum did sleep long enough last Sunday afternoon for me to be able to clean the kitchen floor (yeah!) and read a magazine. Oh the simple pleasures in life.

New Angel

Another angel has entered the world... Baby Ty arrive yesterday 9/22 at 8:42 p.m. - 7 lbs 9.2 oz and 21 inches long. Congratulations to Shaun and Lori! What a cutie. Check him out at: http://thesmithfamilybabyblog.blogspot.com/ We are so excited for them. Another playmate for Callum.

The Home Stretch!

For all of you who check this blog, be sure to say a prayer for our friends, Lori and Shaun, who are awaiting the arrival of baby Ty. Ty has been issued his eviction notice because he's way overdue! Our thoughts and prayers are with Lori and Shaun for Ty's upcoming arrival and first days and weeks in this world. We cannot wait to meet him and pray for an easy delivery and fast recovery for Lori. Since the weather is cooling off at night, we've begun putting Callum into sleepers with feet which are about the cutest things ever. I'll try to get a picture tonight before we lay him down. He's been my little trooper with sleep. We have no problem laying him down and having him head off to dreamland. No tears or fuss. He knows that after his bottle it is his job to close his eyes and snooze. The cry it out method is temporarily painful but so worth it in the long run. Now if we could only cut at that 2 a.m. feeding... I actually kind of enjoy it (sometimes). It is definitely a bonding time for us- just Cal and I alone in the dark.

Clean House

I was reflecting this weekend on my time so far as a Mom. Something that is very important to me is to have a clean house. This might sound kind of basic but I've found that now that I am back at work and caring for Callum (along with Iain)-- we have very little time to clean the house. Granted our house is really not messy because I hate clutter. Most miscellaneous stuff has been shoved into a closet. But really our house isn't exactly clean. I can't remember the last time I mopped the kitchen (eww!). Iain and I just don't have the time unless we want to kill ourselves 24/7 to get this kind of stuff done. Before the weekend begins, we attempt to grocery shop, wash laundry and care for the cats so that we can spend some time together and enjoy our son. However, this sometimes drives me crazy because I like things clean. For any of you "Friends" fans, Iain's nickname for me pre-Callum was Monica because of her crazy borderline OCD cleaning habits. I still have the urge to vacuum, mop and dust but not the energy or drive to follow through with these tasks. Yesterday, I did come across a quote in Redbook magazine that stuck with me. I don't remember the exact phrase and the magazine is at home, but it was something to the effect of "Forget about the mess your house is. Your child is only young once. Once you are an empty nester, your house will once again be clean and tidy, but you will miss your child". This really made me think. Now I realize that I have a long time before Callum moves out - I know I moved back home for a year at the age of 23- but it still makes me want to enjoy him to fullest because one day he will move out and I will finally have the time to clean. I'm trying to let the mess go.

New Stats

Callum had his four month check up on Thursday and he did extremely well despite his second round of immunizations. He now weighs in at 14 lbs. 7 oz. and is 26 inches long. Dr. Kauffman gave him an excellent bill of health. He also advised us on the process of adding foods into his diet. We had previously fed him cereal but was given some guidance on solid foods in general. I would also tell you that since adding the cereal, his sleep has improved. He really isn't taking much but I guess it is enough for his peanut sized tummy to fill up a bit more. Our newest adventure was going to Sears Portrait Studio for some professional pics of Callum. He let the photographer take a number of super cute shots. Callum was very smiley in all the pics and we had trouble deciding which ones to buy. Fortunately, we kept our senses and didn't go buck wild buying too many of them. Of course, they know how to sucker you into that! We held strong and kept with our budget. I can't wait for them to arrive!

Month 4

Callum has moved into his fourth month rather successfully. First of all, he's been weaned from the swaddler. This came as a big surprise to me because I thought that it would take forever. One night, he wiggled out of it and slept 6 hours with his arms free. The next night, we swaddled his body but left his arms out. He was fine and slept pretty well. We now keep mittens on his hands because he loves to scratch his face but he is swaddle free. Callum has also adjusted to his crib. Although the Pack 'N Play served its purpose for three months, he seems much more comfortable in the crib. He also manages to maneuver all over the place. Now that he is free, Callum prefers to sleep on his side or tummy than his back. This concerned us at first. The first time Iain saw him on his tummy, he rushed in and flipped Callum over. Callum was not happy with his daddy's attentive action. Basically because he can roll over, he is safe to sleep whenever he manages to wiggle himself. (Trust me, I called the pediatrician and I think that the nurse thought I was insane for asking this). Callum is also eating cereal. Not much, but he has had it on about 4 occasions. The most successful one was yesterday at Pappy and Grandma's house. Callum ate almost 1 whole tablespoon mixed with formula. I think that the highchair he was in helped. We'll be getting one of those soon. His final accomplishment is getting his feet into his mouth. This just amazes me that a child can be so bendy but I guess everyone does it. The good thing about Callum's progress is that he is hitting every milestone that he should be for his age group. He is also very smiley. He knows Mommy and Daddy and has been "strange" with people he doesn't know as well. Fortunately he still loves everyone at daycare so mornings are not a problem. Callum was very loved this weekend between his grandparents, Aunt Paula and Uncle Jeremy and his female cousins. He had 4 beautiful little girls ewwing and ahhing over him which he seemed to enjoy! Smart boy! Overall we are pleased with his accomplishments and hope that we will be able to add "sleep through the night" to the top of this list. :-) Until next time- keep checking back!

Priceless

Iain decided to join a local over 30 soccer team. Registration and his first games were today. Although we traveled to Uniontown for a visit, we left early to make the 1 o'clock check in. In total, his first day on the field cost us about $147 excluding the cost of joining the team. The reason for this was because his soccer gear (cleats, shin guards and socks) were $67. Not bad really. The additional expense was the $80 we will be shelling out for the speeding ticket I got just outside of Cumberland, MD. Apparently the speed limit is 55 mph until you are at least 20 miles outside of the city. I was clocked at 71 mph thinking that I was well within the 65 mph zone. WRONG. So as I said, in trying to get back to make the registration plus the soccer gear, we spent about $147. Not terrible some might say. Too bad Iain pulled his hamstring in the first 5 minutes of play and wasn't able to continue. He spent the afternoon on the couch with an ice pack. I'll be watching the speed limit a bit closer next time. Twelve years of driving and my first ticket- how fun!

Labor Day Weekend

Autumn is my favorite time of year so the long Labor Day weekend is always welcomed. As you can see, I've updated the blog to reflect fall hues. Iain, Callum and I have a variety of things planned this weekend and after an exhausting first week of the semester, I know I am ready for some down time. If you are traveling this weekend, have a safe trip! I'm hoping to add some new pictures and possibly some video of Callum. Our little guy keeps learning more and more new tricks- blowing raspberries at us is the newest talent. Nothing like being spit at by your son. Ha ha- it is cute though. But isn't everything he does?

Birthday Weekend

As mentioned before, Iain's birthday was Friday so I had asked Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd if they would be willing to watch our lovely Callum for the evening. They kindly agreed and came over around 6 p.m. that night. Iain and I decided to spend our free evening viewing Iain's movie choice- The Mummy 4- at the Regal Cinema's in Hagerstown. Right before the movie, we grabbed a bite of pizza. Now Callum had had a nap earlier in the day but despite our attempts before going out, I couldn't get him to close his eyes. After we left, Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd couldn't get him to close his mouth. Apparently Callum cried the rest of the evening right up until he finally fell asleep. I knew he was a bit fussy at night but we'd never had him behave like that before! Anyway, we really appreciate Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd's patience with our little guy. I don't know if I would have been so good! Our newest adventure with Callum is to get him to sleep in his crib. We've had the Pack N' Play in both our bedroom and now his room for him to sleep in. He definitely getting too long for it and we want to transition him into his crib. Callum managed to sleep there last night but he had to be swaddled (yes, we are still using the swaddler). I think that weaning him off of this is going to be one of the hardest things of all. He just can't seem to relax with his arms free. I'm hoping that he won't be 5 years old and still sleeping with it. I did order the next size up meant for babies 15-22 lbs. but it was as big as a parachute. I sent it back. We keep saying that we're going to let him sleep without it but then he cries and cries ,and I'm tired so back into the swaddler he goes. We'll figure out something eventually I guess. On another note, he is rolling, rolling, rolling. Every time I place him on the floor on his back, he flips onto his tummy. It's very cute and he keeps getting better and better. I think that we will need to start baby proofing the house. Watch out cats! Callum will be on the loose soon!

Cat Situation In Our House

This is truly the cat situation in our house.

Shuster is the gray cat and Henry would be the black and white one. Can't we all just get along?

Happy Birthday!

I just want to post a HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to my fabulous husband, Iain. Today Iain turns the big 3-1! I am so lucky to have such an amazing partner and friend. Iain is an wonderful father, caregiver and all around great guy. Happy Birthday Baby!

Update

The Burnetts continue to plug along with our lives. Things are going well although I will admit I am tired today. Callum is doing better with his sleep but is still up at least once but normally twice between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. I've thought about trying to put him to bed later but honestly, his internal clock reads that bath time is at 7 and his bottle is at 7:30. When we deviate from this schedule, he gets really fussy. Hopefully he will eventually end up sleeping from 8 p.m to 6 or 7 a.m. but this will obviously come on his timeline- not ours. Each day he gets cuter. He has found his hands and also his feet. Pretty soon I think they will be in his mouth. Callum definitely knows Mommy and Daddy and responds accordingly- BIG SMILES. He is also starting to laugh. It tends to start as a shrill squeal. Callum has rolled over several times at home. He's not consistent with it because he actually did it for the first time almost a month ago. I figured it was a freak accident. It happened twice all at once and then he didn't do it again until last week. He can go both tummy to back and back to tummy, but it is random- only occurring occasionally. I imagine as he gets stronger it will happen more and more. Work for both Iain and I has been going fine. The calm before the storm is occurring in my office- new student move in is Thursday. The university goes from having about 500 people at one time to about 8000 people which is insane. To all of you Shippensburg locals- watch out for traffic on Thursday and avoid King St. if you want to get anywhere on time.

First Week

The Burnetts have survived their first week with Mommy at work and Callum at daycare. Although it has been hard to get into a routine, we're plugging along. I would note that unfortunately it only took four days for Callum to come down with the sniffles. Yes, this must be a new world record. Iain also has come down with whatever Callum has. Thank goodness for saline nose drops (Callum) and DayQuill (Iain). Callum has adjusted very well to having to rush out the door in the morning. He wasn't too excited today but I guess this is how we all feel on Monday. It doesn't help when Mommy sleeps through the alarm and throws us all off schedule as we rush around trying to make it out the door in 15 minutes flat. I guess now Callum and I are just working for the weekend! On another note, some very special people, Shaun and Lori Smith, are counting down the days until their little one enters the world. Baby Ty Gregory is scheduled to join us on September 14. He may or may not know he is supposed to come on that day. :-) Please keep Shaun, Lori and Ty in your thoughts and prayers in the next couple of weeks. We are so excited for them and cannot wait for Callum to have a new playmate.

We Survived!

Yes, folks I wanted you to know that both Callum and I survived his first day at daycare and my first day at work. Iain was definitely the brave one in this situation. I was told that Callum was fine all day and only cried when he was put down, as he does at home, and he even took three naps! I was so pleased. Now he could have eaten a bit more but that will come with time. Now work for me was stressful and I still feel overwhelmed. How could I not be after returning to 483 new emails, a huge stack of paperwork and 35 graduate assistant applications to review? Fortunately I had an excellent replacement and plenty of help and welcome upon arrival. I even got some beautiful flowers from my amazing husband. I should manage to get it together before the semester starts.

Off to Work I Go

My maternity leave ends in just a few short hours and I am definitely feeling sad. My head tells me that it is the right thing to do, but I just don't feel ready. I do feel fortunate to have been home for 13 weeks but man have they passed quickly. If Callum was sleeping through the night, I might be a bit more prepared but he just isn't there yet. I'm not sure how I am going to handle working and getting up throughout the night--although Iain will be doing this more frequently than he has had to while I was at home exclusively. On a lighter note, our cats provided some humor this morning. Iain got up and fed Callum at 4 a.m. and put him back to bed. At 7:15 a.m., I woke up to Henry scratching at our bedroom door. When I let him in, he proceeded to sit on me, meow and basically annoy the heck out of both of us. Shuster came in shortly after to help Henry out with waking us up. Iain told me that they had food because he put extra out when he made up Callum's bottle a few hours earlier. Well I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I finally went downstairs to see that Iain had given the cats some leftover "diet" cat food from when Shuster had been having stomach problems. He and Henry wouldn't eat it! Can you believe these picky cats??? Are they spoiled or what? When I put more regular food out, they munched away happily and left us alone. Too bad Callum woke up 10 minutes later. The rest of the day has been good though. I hope that your Sunday has gone well and think about the three of us tomorrow when we start this transition. I guess I could always close my door and sleep in my office if I had to... J/K :-)

Rough Night

Callum and I had a rough night last night. For some reason, he resorted back to waking up almost every 2 hours to eat. He hasn't done this in weeks. Callum was asleep at 8 p.m. to awaken at 11:40, 1:30, 3:15 and then 6. He normally only wakes up at 1:30 and then 5 or 5:30 for a 30 minute feed. Then he takes a third nap from 6:30-9ish which equates to almost 11 hours of sleep from 8 p.m. until 9 a.m. with two feedings. He was not having it last night. I think it might have been the Jalapeno Pringles I ate- boy that was a mistake! I noticed he had some gas, but I won't be making that mistake again. We haven't had a night like this since I had baked beans with dinner two weeks ago. The next day/night was equally awful for both him and us. When I took a breastfeeding class before Callum was born, I was told repeatedly how great breastfeeding is and how you can eat anything you want because you're burning 500 calories a day. This is SO not true. There are quite a few things I have to avoid other than baked beans and Pringles. Unfortunately I've found that it is trial and error and I usually find out what doesn't work when Callum is miserable with gas and we are miserable from his lack of sleep. I enjoy breastfeeding and am glad to be doing it, but there are some downsides to it. On another note, we are still swaddling Callum because he won't fall asleep with his arms hanging out. I've tried to have him go without the swaddler but he struggles to fall asleep because he jerks his arms and that wakes him up. I bought a new swaddler late last week and am anxiously awaiting its arrival from BabyCenter.com. I decided to buy one a size up because Callum keeps breaking free of the small swaddler although he still fits the weight limit for it. Just too strong I guess. I think that his He-Man like strength has also affected his sleep because each time I checked him last night he was out of the swaddler. But he can't fall asleep without it so I'm not sure what to do? On a positive note, he has started to grab things like toys and bring them to his mouth. This might not seem like a big thing but for 3 months he has just laid there. Now he recognizes things, grabs them and puts them to his mouth. It is very cute. He'd better start doing more cute things if he is going to be keeping me up all night, especially once I am back at work. The best part about last night was when he woke up at 3:15, I fed him and then decided to change his diaper. I normally only change him when he wakes at 5 to keep the feeding as boring and quick as possible. Also thanks to Pampers, he is dry. Currently Callum recognizes Iain and I and gives us huge smiles when he is feeling happy. So it is now 3:45 a.m. (after the feeding) and I am trying to change him quickly, and I get this HUGE gummy baby grin which tells me that he is oh so happy that I am there. It makes it hard to stay upset with the little guy when he does that. Oh well- at least I managed to fall back asleep from 6-7.

Struggling

I am struggling today with the fact that I am back to work one week from now. I look at Callum and cannot believe how big he has gotten in just 12 weeks. I wish I could have done more to enjoy those first two months but to be honest with you, I am just glad that we survived them. Iain and I are going to make a visit to our day care tomorrow to introduce Callum to the staff and finalize everything. I am confident that this day care will be a great place for Callum to spend his days while Mommy and Daddy are at work. I also do not think that I was meant to be a stay at home mom. I truly respect anyone who could commit themselves to this undervalued and underpaid job. But, for myself personally, I like my job. I like going to work and when thinking about everything I need to do before the semester starts, I get excited to return. On the flip side of this, I know that I could and possibly will miss a lot of firsts in Callum's life. His first time rolling over, his first steps, maybe even his first word. This makes me sad. But I know deep down that returning to work was inevitable and happens in just one week. I hope that this helps me cherish the time he and I spend together since it will be considerably less each day.

Playdate

Callum and I were joined by cousins Mindy and A.J. (Andrew James) for a play date yesterday. The boys had fun kicking, drooling, eating and sleeping while Mindy and I caught up on life. It was a fun day and I hope we can do it again sometime soon! The countdown is officially on for my return to work. Eleven days until I return to the "real" world. Well let me say this- my job is CAKE compared to caring for Callum although things at home are getting easier and a lot more fun. I am fortunate enough to have been able to stay home with him on paid leave for the past 13 weeks. Now it is time to return and pick up where I left off, but who knows where that is 13 weeks later! I'm thankful to have had a wonderful replacement handing matters in my absence (Thanks Em!). I am, however, dreading the first day that I have to leave Callum in the care of others. We've been able to find a good daycare which I am hoping will work out. Otherwise the Pack N' Play might be temporarily in my office. I am sure that everything will be just fine. Working (outside of the home) moms have been doing it for years and so can I.

Over the River and Through the Woods

This past weekend Iain and I decided to travel to Pappy Al and Grandma Sloan's house for a weekend visit. This was Callum's first long car ride and first time sleeping somewhere other than home. Callum has some way to go with getting used to the car. On the ride in on Friday, he fell asleep for the first 30 minutes, was awake and pleasant for the next 30 minutes and then screamed/cried for the next 45 minutes. Callum finally fell asleep for almost the remainder of the trip but the descent from Farmington into Uniontown was filled with screams. In fairness to Callum, he had had only two short naps and was probably overtired before the trip even began. I had been hoping he would sleep in the car for the entire trip. Once finally there, our visit was very nice and we got to spend quality time with Pappy Al, Grandma and niece/cousin Gianna. Iain and I managed to get some extra sleep and eat delicious food during our visit. Callum also enjoyed himself and he did quite well sleeping in a new place. The trip back was a repeat of the trip in. Callum managed to sleep a little and to cry a lot. He just couldn't seem to stay comfy in his seat and it kept waking him up. I don't think the fact that he can't completely hold his head up helped much. We also ran into some torrential rain and backed up traffic so it took us 45 minutes longer than normal to get home. I do think that this sort of thing just takes practice so we will have to persevere and keep on visiting! For any of you that we did not manage to see while we were in, we do plan on making another trip in either August or September and hope to see you then.

Two Month Check Up

Callum had his 2 month check up yesterday. It wasn't a great experience but this was partly due to the fact that he hadn't had a proper nap before we went. I also get annoyed when you go to the doctor's office and are admitted into your exam room on time, but then wait to see the doctor for 25 minutes. When it is just me- fine. However, when I am holding my fussy, tired son, it really grates on my nerves. Anyway, Callum was prescribed to be in perfect health, weighing in at 11 pounds even and 22 & 1/2 inches long. He also had his first series of immunizations and I can tell you, I have never seen a baby turn magenta before. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain from three tiny jabs but he definitely let the nurse know that he was not happy with her! But on a positive note, he and I both survived and he'll have no more of those for another two months. Hopefully we'll squeeze a nap in before the next appointment so that he is a little happier going into the situation. We're taking our first road trip this weekend and it will be Callum's first time sleeping away from home (with us of course). We'll keep you posted on this adventure. I have a feeling that we will all end up tired but what else is new? :-)

Staying Asleep

Things are progressing with Callum's sleep but it isn't going exactly as planned. He is falling asleep much easier - on his own without assistance after being laid down. His crying is usually minimal- 5-10 minutes tops. However, he's not staying asleep as long as I'd like him to. The past two nights he has gone to sleep by 8 p.m. to wake up at 12:30 a.m. for a feeding and then again at 3:45 a.m. for second feeding. He is then awake from 3:45 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. when he falls asleep for his first nap of the day. Although this might sound good compared to him waking up every two hours as he did when he was a newborn, this is certainly no way for me to get a decent night's rest. Especially because I am normally wide awake after his 12:30 a.m. feeding and up until about 2 a.m. We are going to try some variations to his nighttime routine tonight to see if we can get him sleeping a bit longer before his first feeding. I realize that it seems as if I am complaining, and I am, but this is really tough! I do get maybe 7-8 hours of sleep each night but when it is broken up over a span of several hours, I definitely do not feel rested! I can see why sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Sorry to scare my friends who are planning to have children or those who are expecting. I would advise that you read up on the following subjects in advance because you likely won't have time to do so once the blessed event occurs:

• Caring for yourself postpartum
• First six weeks of caring for a newborn including bathing, nail clipping and diapers
• Breastfeeding (if you plan to do so)
• Getting an infant to sleep

Also, for those of you thinking, where is Iain?, please note that he is currently working full time outside of the house so I handle Callum at night. Iain greets me first thing at 5 or 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings so that I can return to bed for a couple of straight hours of shut eye. I could not still be sane or typing this blog without him. He is a terrific dad. Single parents are a whole new type of saint in my book. Finally, a book on sleep I recommend is called: Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: Revised Addition by Dr. Richard Ferber (Amazon $10.85). You may have heard of the "Ferber" method and possibly have an opinion on it, but nonetheless, his book is excellent. He explains so many different concepts associated with helping your child sleep that it is worth reading if you plan on having kids and want them to sleep at some point during childhood. He also tackles subjects like nightmares, sleep apnea and bed wetting. Until next time, get some shut eye for me!

Who Needs Sleep?

This refrain is dedicated to all parents out there from the Barenaked Ladies song "Who Needs Sleep?"

• Who needs sleep?
• Well you're never gonna get it.
• Who needs sleep?
• Tell me what's that for.
• Who needs sleep?
• Be happy with what you're getting.
• There's a guy who's been awake since the Second World War.

I haven't slept more than 6 hours in a row in over three months now. During the last month of pregnancy I was awake every night at least twice for the bathroom. I am looking forward to getting a full night's sleep (8 hours maybe) sometime in the next year. I'll have to discuss this with Callum when he wakes up from his nap. Until next time... pray for me and all of those other new parents!

Making Sleeping Progress

We have been making some progress with Callum's sleep. He's definitely going to sleep easier for both naps and at nighttime. Although, he still cries when put in his Pack N Play, more so at naps than bed, he isn't getting as upset about being placed down to go to sleep. The crying has gone from an hour (brutal!) to 15 minutes. Last night at bed, he didn't cry at all and fell asleep in about 5 minutes! We check on him frequently to make sure that he is alright when he is crying and overall I am handling the whole thing a bit better than in the beginning. It is terrible to listen to your baby cry but his sleep and well being is the most important thing. He is now getting several hours of uninterrupted sleep during the day AND at night. The past two nights, he slept a total of 8 hours- five of those consecutively- which means that Mom is also getting 8 hours of sleep. We will keep persevering through this challenge.

Special Visitors

The past two weeks have been so nice because Iain's parents, Edna and Andrew, AKA Gran and Grandad came to visit. We had such a good time together visiting. I know Callum enjoyed his walks around the yard and neighborhood as well as his numerous bottles, baths and cuddles. Grandad also fixed about a million things around our house. Some of these things we knew needed fixing and some we didn't. Everything looks great and we can't thank him enough for all of his hard work while on his vacation! Although we don't see each other as often as we would like, we make up for our time apart when we do get together! The five of us even managed dinner out one evening and Iain & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary by going to a viewing of "Sex & the City" (Iain's choice) and out to Chili's for a late dinner. We don't quite have the stamina we did a few months ago, but Iain and I did really enjoy our date night. We hope that Gran and Grandad have a safe trip home to Scotland (en route as I type) and to see them very soon! Our newest challenge has been to try and get Callum to fall asleep on his own. Our little guy is so cuddly and just loves being fed or rocked to sleep- who can blame him? Unfortunately I have given into his desires for the past 8 weeks so now he won't go to sleep on his own. Big problem given he is no where near sleeping through the night or taking naps without falling completely asleep and then being put down. So now we are onto the "cry it out" method. For those of you without kids, basically the name says it all. Callum is laid down after eating-while sleepy-and he has to fall asleep on his own. Needless to say- he's been crying a lot. I only started using this method yesterday for his nap and boy was it hard. He cried in his bedroom and I cried in the kitchen. But he did fall asleep and even smiled at me when he woke up. Same thing happened today. We haven't tried it at night yet but this is the plan. I go back to work in approximately 4 weeks and just can't be getting up 3-4 times a night which is what I'm doing now to settle him down each time he wakes up. I did have a break because Gran Burnett was kind enough to do several midnight feedings this week but I'm on my own now. Iain's working a new job- 1st shift- so I'm helping him get onto this schedule and looking forward to the weekends when he'll get up with Callum a few times. We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Baby FAQ's

Things are going well and I thought that I would update the blog with some baby FAQ's. I've noticed that similar questions come up when we have visitors or talk with friends. I figure that these Frequently Asked Questions and Answers might inform those of you we haven't seen or spoken to about our progress so far. Q: How do you pronounce his name? A: Callum is pronounced like the "a" in Calvin. The name means Dove and its origin is Scottish. Q: How much sleep are you getting? A: Not much. :-) Callum's sleep patterns were pretty crazy at first and we were lucky to get 2-3 hours sleep in a row. Now that he's gotten a little bit older, he actually has periods of sleeping for up to 5 hours at a time which is a blessing. These usually occur at night. I would say on average that I get about 6 hours of sleep a night and Iain gets slightly more. I do have the opportunity to nap during the day which Iain does not. Q: Where does Callum sleep? A: Wherever he is comfy! He does, however, sleep in our room in our Pack N' Play at night. We will be moving him into his own room and crib in the next week or two. Q: Does he smile yet? A: For the first couple of weeks, he only smiled when he had gas. This is a scientific fact although some parents deny it. However, he has started to smile when he sees Iain or I which is really cute! We haven't managed to get it on camera yet though. Q: What does he eat? A: For the first month, he was breastfed exclusively. Now we have started to supplement with formula to help me maintain my sanity and give me a bit of freedom. Callum eats either way- not a picky fellow! It has been working well and the doctor was pleased with his weight gain. Q: How much does he weigh? A: Callum was born at 7 lbs. 10 oz. He was weighed yesterday at his one month checkup and he is 9 lbs. 4 oz. which is a healthy weight gain according to our pediatrician. Q: What do the cats think of him? A: Shuster, Henry and Ivy weren't too thrilled at first mostly because he was so darn loud! They have never been aggressive towards him but rather curious and wanting to sniff him when he was asleep. Now they don't seem to mind him unless he is yelling. Iain and I know him a bit better so this is usually kept to a minimum unless he is gassy. Q: Does he take a pacifier? A: So far, he does not unless he is riding in the car and needs comforted. I took a Binky as a baby but Iain was a finger sucker. I guess that Callum could go either way. I hope that some of these FAQ's give you some insight into our lives. We are keeping busy! Iain, Callum and I are looking forward to a long visit with Gran and Grandad Burnett who will be arriving in the U.S. this week. Callum is very excited to meet them in person. They have already met over Skype but in person meetings are much nicer. Iain and I also ventured out of the house on our own this past Sunday while Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd babysat. We had lunch out and went to Target. A hot date on a Sunday afternoon in South central PA! It was very nice to have some time to ourselves and I know Callum enjoyed Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd's company. He had a nice long nap with Uncle Tedd in the living room. A great way to spend a hot and lazy Sunday afternoon. Until next time- hope all is well and we'll keep taking pictures!

We're Alive! I Promise!

Hi there... as the title states, yes, we are all alive and healthy. Iain and I have been working hard to handle a newborn which is a lot tougher than we ever thought it would be. So far the first month has gone well but we are pretty tired. I spend a good portion of my day feeding Callum since we are breastfeeding. I'm not going to go into the details of this but it isn't easy! A newborn eats between 8-12 times a day and Callum isn't exactly the quickest eater. I know he gets that from his daddy. So I spend most of my day and some of the night feeding him while Iain does the housework, changes diapers and supports me with the feeding process. Callum has also had some "firsts"- first doctor's appointment, first bath, first trip to Target (our favorite store!), first time peeing on Mommy, Daddy and the couch as well as his first Mother's Day. All of the events have been memorable- some funnier than others. We also had the pleasure of spending a week with Pappy Al- my dad- who helped us tremendously in the first full week after Callum's discharge from the hospital. Pappy Al cooked, cleaned, mowed and held Callum so that Iain and I could rest. We loved spending the week with him and hope to do it again soon. Thank you to all of you for your emails, texts, gifts, cards and food which are greatly appreciated during this happy but overwhelming time. The first month has been great and I'm ready for Callum to give us a few smiles for our contribution to his well being. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Hope all is well and love to all!

Welcome Home

This is just a quick update to let you know that Callum is home with us. He was discharged on Wednesday and we've been enjoying his company ever since. Obviously we've been busy since this is the first time I've managed to get online. Although the first night was definitely a challenge, I am loving every minute of it. He had a doctor's appointment yesterday and is doing well. Callum is a bit jaundiced but they ran a blood test and are not concerned. We just need to keep an eye on him. I'll post some new pictures. Thanks again for all of your thoughts, prayers and assistance over the past week. Iain and I appreciate it. We hope that you are able to visit us in the near future. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. I have a whole new appreciation for the holiday.

Baby!

Just an update from mommy now that I am finally home and recovering. Callum is doing much better than he was two days ago. Although he is still on antibiotics for the pneumonia and must remain at the hospital, he is breathing on his own at a normal rate. He previously looked like he had just run a marathon with the pace of his lungs and chest. Today he was completely unhooked from the oxygen which meant that we were able to hold him. There is truly nothing like holding your son. He is just perfect and completely beautiful. Yes, I know I am completely biased and okay with it. I've posted a few pictures. Callum was born weighing 7 pounds 10 ounces at 21 inches long. He has blue eyes and soft brown hair. His face is round and his head isn't too cone shaped but Iain said that he was when he first arrived. My eyes were still shut. Despite the delivery, which wasn't bad considering the miracle we got in return, I am absolutely amazed by Callum. We cannot wait to bring him home. Leaving him at the hospital was probably the hardest thing I have ever done and getting Callum home means so much to both of us. His Scotland Teddy Bear from Gran and Grandad Burnett is keeping him company in our absence. Thank you so much for your messages, texts, prayers and well wishes. We will let you know once we get our little guy home. I am praying that it is before the weekend, but until then, we will visit him and get ready for his arrival. Lots of love to everyone.

Baby Update

Callum had another x-ray this morning and the pediatrician is happy with his progress. Mary will be discharged today and I`m told Callum may be home by Tuesday. We can`t wait to hold him. Thank-you all for the kind messages of support.

Our baby has arrived

At 2.42am on the 2nd of May, Mary gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. We have decided to call him Callum Albert William Burnett. "Callum" is a popular Scottish name; "Albert", as many of you know, is Callum`s grandfather`s first name and; William was my grandad who recently passed away and for whom I can thank for so many wonderful memories. Callum`s journey into the world was a difficult one. A day (make that several) that I`m sure I will never forget. I had left work on Wednesday night and in bed by 1.30am on Thursday. Mary rolled over to give a good-night kiss and her water broke. Approximately, 25 hrs later little Callum was born. This was a very long and difficult delivery and I cannot understate nor ever fully comprehend what Mary went through - she was so brave and demonstrated such incredible inner strength. She is now recovering well and I hope that she will be back home by Sunday. Callum will not be home for at least a week. He was breathing very heavily and we were told he a had pneumonia in one of his lungs. I have thought about him all day and it was heartbreaking seeing him attached to all those tubes. He is being well taken care of at the hospital nursery and after a call tonight his O2 level has been reduced from 44 to 39%. He has been a little fussy but is improving. I thank our families and our friends for holding us in their thoughts and prayers.

Nothing new

Well we don't have anything new to report. The midwife I saw today said that the baby is fine, my blood pressure is fine and my weight gain is fine. She didn't check me out because I haven't had any contractions and I'm not overdue. This is fine by me really- no unnecessary poking. I feel like the baby will come this week but who knows? Two more days of work left and one week until my due date...

Plugging along

Just an update on our progress so far... we are still waiting but keeping ourselves busy. Although I am resting as much as possible to keep my swelling to a minimum, I've managed to find time to do some cooking/freezing of food, packing last minute hospital necessities, spending time with the cats and scrap booking. Iain has done a phenomenal job around the house and in the backyard over the past two weeks. I am very lucky to have a husband who has done so much to make my pregnancy such a breeze, especially during the home stretch. At the moment, Iain is trying to maneuver our car seat into the backseat of our two door Honda Accord. We were warned that a two door car might not be the best choice if we ever had a family but of course we didn't follow that wise advice! So far, I am feeling fine although definitely sore from carrying the baby around. I think I've had a few minor contractions over the past couple of days- false ones- nothing to get excited about. My next doctor's appointment is tomorrow and I'll be checked for any dilation. I'll post sometime tomorrow or Tuesday to let you know how it goes.

The Waiting Game

I enter week 38 as of tomorrow which means that the baby could really make his arrival at any time. My doctor's appointment today went well. My blood pressure is much better and I've actually lost 2 pounds since the previous week. I guess the afternoon bed rest is working. I feel about the same- swollen and awkward- but my hair and toenails look fabulous thanks to a haircut and pedicure on Saturday. Iain's officially become my chauffeur driving me everywhere other than work. I've been reflecting upon the past nine months and the waiting game that pregnancy is. Once you finally decide that you are ready (or so you think) to start a family, you have to wait to try and conceive. This takes longer for some than others, which can extend the waiting period. Once you've attempted this, you wait to be able to take a pregnancy test. If this is positive, then you wait to see a doctor to confirm your test. Many people then wait to tell others about the pregnancy and suffer through sometimes 12 weeks or more before alerting family and friends. After 12 weeks has past, you wait for your first ultrasound to make sure that the baby is okay and possibly what its sex is. After the ultrasound is done around 20 weeks, as a pregnant woman, you start waiting to show your baby bump so that everyone understands that you are in the magical pregnancy club. Then you wait to get through your long list of To-Do's around the house, and if you're anything like us, you wait for paychecks to come in to help with the cost of your nesting. Once you are finally showing your baby bump, you wait for the baby's arrival. Despite how cute you've looked over the earlier six months, these last three months involve more weight gain than probably anticipated, swollen everything and a strange waddle type of walk. In the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, you begin to anxiously wait and wonder what exactly you got yourself into concerning the whole labor and delivery piece of the baby puzzle. You also start getting questions from lots of people- those you know and those you don't- about how much longer until the baby arrives. It is nice to receive this attention because you really have been through a lot during these long months (me as a pregnant lady and Iain dealing with a pregnant lady). Anyway, the wait for Iain and I is hopefully going to be ending in the next two weeks. We will continue to keep you posted as things progress or possibly don't progress. I assume that the waiting game ends on the baby's birthday but then a new "W" word takes over. This word is worry and I believe that it stays around indefinitely. Despite the wait, I would admit that the past nine months have gone fast and I can't believe we are almost there! This is a word of "warning" to our pregnant friends. My last official working day will be next Wednesday and I'm not sure how I will amuse myself if this day rolls around and baby is not here. Any suggestions?

Due Date

My due date is May 6 and my OBGYN doesn't let pregnant woman go past 41 weeks without inducing labor- thank God. So I've set up a poll to see who might guess the arrival of Baby Burnett. You can also post your guess under "comments" if you're inclined to do so. I am hoping that he doesn't arrive before April 22 which is a week from today. *Fingers crossed* I'm packing my bag tonight just in case.

SWOLLEN

Okay folks- ankles, feet, legs and fingers don't get much bigger than mine right now. I am swollen beyond belief. I realize that most first time mom experience some edema but mine is about over the top right now. I had a doctor's appointment today and my mid-wife told me that she was impressively concerned with my swelling and most recent weight gain. I was pretty upset with the number on the scale because I have been SO GOOD with what I have been eating over the past two weeks (with the exception of wings on Saturday night!). She reassured me that the weight gain has nothing to do with weight but water. My blood pressure has also gone up which is not a good sign. Anyway, she has rewarded this pregnancy woe with half days at work for the coming week. My blood pressure will be checked again on Thursday and if it is still high, she might extend my half days or possibly full days off into next week. She did say that the baby is fine both by measurement and weight. His heart is exactly the way it should be and he is considered full term because I am now 37 weeks. This means that he could arrive tomorrow and be just fine. This turn of events definitely wasn't in the plans but fortunately I have a lot of sick leave I can use and most major projects finished for the semester. I know my replacement at work won't be thrilled with the news- sorry Emilee!- but there's not much I can do. I spent the afternoon reading about pre-eclampsia as well as catching up on some quality day time TV- Baby Story and Oprah. I'll keep you posted as the week progresses.

Family Shower

Hi everyone! I know it has been a few weeks but we have been busy and I haven't managed to make it onto the computer to post an update. Very recently a baby shower was hosted in the honor of Baby Burnett. Iain and I were extremely lucky to have family and friends from near and far travel to Shippensburg to celebrate the imminent arrival of our little boy. We had a wonderful time visiting with everyone, playing games, eating and opening gifts. Iain and I received so many great things which will be used both now and in the future. Our little guy doesn't know how fortunate he is to be loved this much before his grand entrance. We'd like to thank everyone who made this possible for us and hope that we are able to continue to have you in our lives. It was such a fun weekend!

Happy Easter!

Hi everyone and happy Easter! I hope that you had a blessed holiday and enjoyed the company of family and friends. Iain and I had a delicious meal with my aunt, uncle, and several cousins of all ages. We're rather spoiled when we go to Aunt Karen and Uncle Tedd's house. There is always great food and company. Things here have been fine over the past couple of weeks. We are in the middle of month 8 and I have posted a recent belly pic. You might notice that I've included my face this time. I'm not going to be showing any more photos which are too close to my tummy because it currently looks like one of our cats has dragged his/her claws down it. However, I feel fine and Baby Burnett is very active. Earlier I was holding my little cousin A.J. and Baby Burnett started kicking like crazy. I think he might have been a little jealous! I know that these two will become fantastic friends as they grow up. In two weeks, I'll have to start seeing the doctor every week. This truly puts us into the home stretch. A little scary but exciting too. I'm just about done being pregnant. :-)