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!