Halloween Baby Bash

Today Jack attended his first official Halloween bash. Costume and all, Jack and I arrived at Amanda and 15 month old Cole's house for the fun. Jack was one of the youngest guests in attendance. However, that did not stop him from enjoying himself. He was memorized by the mobility of the toddlers and their flashy costumes. We saw Allison and Dorothy aka Ansley, a bumble bee, two lions, a "T" Bird greaser, Elvis, a pumpkin, and a 5o's girl. The party started with some spooky snacks...monster cheese bread, creepy black nachos, orange cupcakes, and juice boxes. Unfortunately for Jack, all he got was a bottle. But, Mommy tried the gruesome goodies...yum! (Maybe next year Jack) That was followed by an attempt to capture a picture of all of the costumed babes. All the Mommies lined their little ones on the couch...that lasted, oh let's say...15 seconds. Babies fell over, stood up, layed on one another, cried, ripped their costume off, etc. I never could quite get a picture of all of the babies. Jack did actually sit still, only because he had no choice. One...he isn't mobile yet and two...a lion was laying against him, slightly weighing him down. Again, that didn't stop Jack from enjoying himself. He sat very content and soaked in all of the happenings. (He was probably planning his moves for next year!) The picture session was followed by play and lots of it. The guests traveled up to Cole's playroom for what they really came for...toys! Jack was in awe again...toys from wall to wall...if only he could craw!. However he plopped down in the middle of plastic balls, flashing lights, twisting tubes, and a talking Elmo. He was in heaven. He smiled, oohed, and giggled. I think he would have been willing to move in if Cole wouldn't have minded an instant little brother. But, Mommy knows best and it was nap time. So, my little sailor and I said our goodbyes and headed home for our afternoon nap. When I got home, I went straight to our "basement workman" and strongly suggested that Jack's playroom and the adjacent rooms be finished by the end of the week... especially now that Jack and I know what we have been missing out on!

Daddy Duty

This weekend is "Daddy Duty". Mommy is getting in the car Friday morning and heading to the beach to hang out with girls...no babies, no daddies, no dogs...just girls! Oh, my goodness, what am I going to do with myself? The first thing on my list is...sleep in! Yes, I am going to wake up when I want to, not when I need to. Now, every Saturday morning Clay let's me sleep in and he wakes up with Jack. The only problem is I really don't get to sleep in, it's more like "lay in". Don't get me wrong, I cherish my Saturdays and I appreciate Clay's gesture. But, it's not really sleeping. I lay in bed and Clay and Jack come in the bedroom, they ask questions, they get clothes, they brush teeth, they play on the floor, etc. So although I don't have to physically get out of bed it's not technically sleeping in. That's why my priority this weekend is to sleep past 7am. The next thing I am going to do is eat out...eat out without a highchair, without a diaper bag, and without scarfing down my meal in time to entertain Jack. I might actually get to taste my food and breathe in between bites...yum! The third thing I am going to do is spend my days talking to adults...not a baby and not a dog. My days are filled with one sided conversations. The upside to that are both Jack and Cosby agree with everything I say...makes life pretty simple. The downside is often the conversation goes no where. So this weekend, I am going to talk and relish in the sound of the voices that respond to me. And the last thing on my weekend to do list is to do nothing....no diapers, no laundry, no errands, no cooking...just plain ol' nothing! What will I do with myself? I can't even remember what it is like to be lazy or was I ever even lazy? Who knows, but I am going to be this weekend. Now, Daddy on the other hand has a completely different kind of weekend ahead of him. There will be no time for laziness, i.e football games, channel surfing, couch lounging..you get my drift. His job will be 24/7! He graciously volunteered to stay at home for a boys weekend while Mommy was away at her girls weekend. I know he will do a fabulous job. He loves Jack and Jack loves him. Unfortunately, when Clay volunteered Jack was feeling great. Things have changed, as of today's doctor's visit, Jack has a 2nd ear infection and bronchitis. So not only does Daddy have to remember feedings, naps, and diaper changes, but also when to give meds and breathing treatments. I have full faith that he and Jack will survive the weekend and maybe even do a little bonding in the mean time...I just hope our house can survive a boys weekend!

Meet Carly

This is Carly. She is Jack's new nanny. Now, before you start questioning why a "stay at home Mom" would need a nanny...please, let me explain. There are days when this Mom needs simple things, like...dog food at Petsmart, an onion for dinner at Publix, a prescription filled at CVS, and a quick oil change. Now add Jack to the picture and these simple errands become very complicated. I have to get him in and out of the car seat and then decide how he should travel...a buggy, the stroller, the Baby Bjorn? Afterwards pack up his mode of transportation and load it into the car. Oh, and don't forget the nap. As soon as I accomplish 2 things on my list to do, guess who starts rubbing his eyes and yawning. So, we head back home, take our afternoon nap, and upon awakening venture out into rush hour traffic to complete our list of what was suppose to be "simple chores". Then there are days when this Mom needs more complicated things, like...a haircut, a teeth cleaning, and an occasional Doctors appointment. That's when things get really tricky. I try to schedule in between Jack's naps, but somehow EVERYONE is on a 2 hour lunch break at that time. So, I try to be flexible with Jack's schedule and tell him that he is going to skip a nap or rest in the car...ha! He really gets me back then. His eye rubbing and yawning turns into a moan, then a whine, and then an overtired angry scream. So appointments with Jack just aren't possible. Now every once in a while, Clay is available to adjust his work schedule to cater to my "errand needs". However it is never guaranteed! Therefore I'm basically out of options...no family anywhere nearby, no volunteering neighbor, and no last minute babysitter to call. The only solution was a nanny...a part time nanny. Actually, a "just one day a week" nanny. Have you ever looked for one of those?....not easy! I started by asking around. Word of mouth is a great way to find services. The first problem in the suburbs is...if someone has a nanny, they don't want to give them up or even share them. The second problem is...there are a lot of Mom's already on the nanny hunt themselves. (I never realized what a hot commodity I was in college, had I known I would have raised my wage!) After 3 weeks of searching, I got a lead. It was website that local nanny's post their services on, kind of like an online classifieds. I was little skeptical at first, but a lot of Moms I talked to had used this resource. Each nanny has a background check, references, and a profile....jackpot! After 3 more weeks of emails, phone conversations, and reference checks, I found the perfect match for our family. Carly is 26, full of energy, and her references were GLOWING. Plus, she was willing to work only one day a week. Her college major was music and her singing voice can calm Jack in even the fussiest of moods. She has been with us for 2 Wednesdays now and I am loving it. She comes right in the middle of the week so I can finish errands from the past weekend or run errands for the upcoming weekend. It is just what I needed to get a little "stay at home mom" break and it is just what Jack needed to get a little "stay at home mom" break!

Must Love Florida State

Grammy and Grandpa came to visit this weekend. Florida State also had a football game this weekend. The Cibula's are definitely Florida State fans...Grammy graduated from Florida State, as did Clay and his brother, Matt. So, whether Jack and I liked it or not, we were going to be watching the FSU game. This was Jack's first real game day with the family, the first of many to come, I'm sure. He woke up from his afternoon nap just in time for kick off...(Clay thought he did that on purpose). He dressed in his Florida State gear, compliments of Grammy and Grandpa. Then he filled his tummy, in true Cibula fashion, and settled in on the couch for the big game. Jack got to witness first hand what it means to be a true fan. Grandpa tried to teach Jack the FSU chant. There was name calling, occasionally the player's actual name, but mostly not. And we didn't leave the house, much less the living room, for at least 3 hours. Jack was a trooper though. He loved to hear the excitement in Daddy's voice and he starred intently when Daddy's voice turned to disappointment. He even looked slightly puzzled at times. Jack lounged in Grandpa's arms for over an hour before switching to someone else's arms for another view of the game. That is a "staying in the same place" record for Jack! (I must note: Grandpa's hair normally does not look like this, it's what 4 hours of football and occasional catnaps will do to you). However, Jack didn't mind. He just sat very content and soaked in the drama of the game and it's fans. Daddy explained to Jack that one day he will be playing sports, such as football. And Grammy and I jokingly asked, "what if he wants to dance, sing or even paint"?. You know, he might actually have other talents or interests. And without hesitation, Daddy's answer was a firm and confident, "no". So, for Jack's sake, I hope he likes sports. I really hope he likes football. And he MUST love Florida State.