tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65954033908878026532024-02-20T06:18:38.334-05:00Mommy MusingsLife as a first-time Mom, Wife, Preschool Teacher, and all that goes along with it!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-3922549607863714152010-05-20T18:18:00.002-04:002010-05-20T18:26:12.916-04:00Finished!!!Finally done!! I finished my last course for my Master's and I could not be more excited! It has been such a crazy semester and I never thought I'd get to this point. Now I can focus more on my little man who is getting bigger and bigger before my eyes. I can't believe that he is already almost 17 months old....I knew he would grow up but I just can't believe its been so fast! As I write this he's walking around, looking through a book and asking for more juice! I am so proud! I'll write more now that I have more time and summer is almost here....off to get juice!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-54425710043000375832010-02-14T09:28:00.005-05:002010-02-14T09:35:51.123-05:00Busy, Busy, BusySorry, its been a while since I've posted....so busy! All this school work and trying to spend some time with my little man and my hubby. I'm so excited this week is vacation from work. Hopefully I can spend my days with my baby and still get some school work done while he naps. Thank goodness I will be done with school in just a couple months! It can't come soon enough! Also, my husband got a second job which is awesome and really helps with the stress of making ends meet but....we don't get so see him as much anymore which is tough. If only the economy would turn around and people needed architects again.....but what can we do? So its been crazy and busy and all that good stuff....longer posts to come when this all settles down....After March 17th I will have much more time and then in May I'll be done!!! Can't wait! Whoever decided that teachers in Mass had to get their masters in 5 years was nuts!!!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-73061375499344322142010-01-27T17:55:00.002-05:002010-01-27T18:01:59.977-05:00Talking!So I have been a little concerned with how many words my 1 year old son can say. I know you're not supposed to compare kids and they all develop at their own rate but what can I say...he's my first and I want to make sure everything is going well. I work with preschoolers so I know relatively where they should be with speaking but for a baby....I'm not completly sure when it all starts to come together. My husband and I have been making sure we talk to him all the time and let him be part of conversations. We ask him questions and label everything around him to help him get a better idea of how language is used. He can say "dada", "mama" and "baba"....but not always accurately. I was starting to worry after seeing another baby right around his age who seemed to understand more and was able to say more words. Like I said....I know I'm not supposed to compare them but.....it's hard not to when they are so close in age. Well, today I felt so much better. He handed something to his cousin and actually said "here"! I was so excited! It's starting to click...I hope! I just can't wait to hear more and more out of my little man as he learns to express himself.Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-69238408627107435292010-01-21T19:37:00.002-05:002010-01-21T19:43:36.466-05:00New SemesterWell today was the first day of my class in my last semester before I get my masters degree. I can't believe how much work I have to do in the next few weeks. As the professor kept talking throughout the class I just got more and more overwhelmed with all the work he was assigning. This is not my only class and I was hoping that my assignments for the other class would be basically done before the ones for this class were due. I just keep telling myself...."just get through the next couple weeks and it will be smooth sailing til May." But I still find myself stressed and nervous. <br />My husband has the possibility of getting a second job (fingers, toes, etc. crossed) and was just asked to help his parents remodel a bathroom for the next couple weekends. Which is great cause we can really use the money but.....I have all this work to do and a 1 year old to take care of. With nights and weekends being my only time with my baby and trying to get my work done (without my husband around to help with the little guy) its gonna be rough. I know I'll get through it....it's just all a little overwhelming at the moment. Gotta look at the positives! I'll be done with my degree (finally), we'll have more money (hopefully), and I can breathe/sleep/eat later, lol!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-53332196654009626712010-01-19T20:26:00.002-05:002010-01-19T20:31:58.983-05:00Speaking without ThinkingWhy is it that people don't think before they speak. I know I've done it before too but at least I realize it and feel sorry if something I have said upset someone (even if it was unintentional). Today at work a few of my colleagues and I were having lunch and everyone was talking about how beneficial it is to stay home with your children when they are young. Someone we all used to work with had 2 kids in a couple years and is now home with her young children everday. They were discussing how much she must enjoy it and how great it is for her kids. They will really benefit...blah, blah, blah. Don't get me wrong, the person they are referring to is one of my closest friends and I am so glad that she has the opportunity to be with her kids. But it seemed to go right over everyone's head that I have a young child that I would love to be with but I have to work. They go on and on about how great it is and how they all stayed home and so on.....well not all of us can afford that luxury and like I don't feel guilty enough, I have to hear about it at work too! Needless to say that was just the topper to a wonderful day!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-76836217439024328052010-01-15T18:56:00.003-05:002010-01-17T12:09:51.748-05:00A Book?So lately I have been revisiting my idea/desire to write a book. I have thought that writing a children's book would be a lot of fun and exciting. I have a background in Early Childhood Education and currently teach in a preschool. Based on these facts I figured it would be a fun and easy endevour. While I deeply want to write an exciting, funny, well written book, I keep getting stuck on what to write about. I used to have all these ideas and such an imagination but it seems like I just can't figure out or remember what I had envisioned before. On one hand I wonder if I'm just trying too hard but on the other I wonder if it's just not something I'm meant to do. It has been something I have dreamed of doing for a long time so it would be really sad if it never happened. Can I really have writer's block before I've even begun? Any ideas on what topics are lacking when you go to look for books for your children? I had once thought I would develop a character (an elephant of course....I love elephants) and create a series around him/her....but every time I think about what the first book should be about I question as to whether or not that's even a good idea....am I crazy to keep pursuing this? I mean, I work full-time, I am currently in my last semester to finish my master's degree, and I have a one year old and a husband who I want to spend time with as well.....Am I spreading myself too thin?Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-23506334925805794002010-01-10T14:42:00.002-05:002010-01-10T15:18:34.337-05:00Back to RealityWell after our whirlwind of a holiday season and a wonderful week in beautiful Punta Cana we're back home and back to our normal schedule....kinda. Before we left we had Cam's 1st birthday. The past year has gone by so quickly I can't even believe hes 1. When he was born he had some trouble at first with digestion and reflux. We finally found a formula he could tolerate and got him on Zantac for the reflux. After that he was like a different baby. He was happy and social and wonderful. While I was thrilled to have found the right combination of formula and meds to help him...it was very expensive. He ended up on Alimentum which is like double the cost of all the other formulas out there. My pediatrician told me we would probably be able to transition him back to something else in a few months once his system matured a little....ya right. Here we are a year later and no matter how many different kinds we tried or how long we waited, there was no transistion back. I was also told that I could get a prescription for the formula (which would have been a lifesaver due to the cost) but my insurance wounldn't cover it cause the doctor said he wasn't really allergic to the other formuals...it was just an intolerance. Well intolerant still means he can't have the other kinds so what was the big deal? <br />I knew at a year we would switch to milk and couldn't wait to stop buying the formula. I am glad there was something out there to help him and let him be his happy self but after a year....I was glad to not need it. I didn't want to risk switching to milk and giving up bottles while on vacation, in another country, and when we had fly. I did give the whole milk a try once before we left though, and guess what...back to digestive issues...of course! I was afraid this might be the case, but we were leaving in a couple days, I was bringing bottles and formula with us, so I decided not to think about it until we got home...we had his 1 year check up two days after we got back anyway and I could ask the doctor all about it then.<br />While the vacation was amazing, Cam got a little off schedule as far as sleeping was concerned. We were in a hotel room across from the airport the night before we were leaving cause our flight was so early the next morning. Well, Cam couldn't really fall asleep that night and was up til like midnight. Then we had to get up around 2-230 am to get to the airport for our flight. By the time we got on the plane he was exhausted. He slept the whole time...it was great. We had a stop over in NY and I had to wake him up to get off the plane. We got him some food and I just hoped the little nap on the first flight wasn't enough to keep him awake for the next part as it was a longer flight. As you can imagine I was completely calm and happy all day long...ya right!<br />I had nothing to worry about though, because he slept through the whole next flight too! My little guy is a great traveler! I was so psyched! But, he had slept basically all day....what would the night bring? Well he did a pretty good job considering the previous day but was up in the middle of the night. The hotel provided a crib which was nice but not really what he was used to. The mattress was a little on the thin side and he was right next to our bed and could see us if he was awake. Being that I was still basically in a coma from the previous day's activities, I brought him into our king size, gorgeous, extremely comfortable bed for the rest of the night. He slept very well then! (Honestly, that is the first time he has been in bed with us. From the day we came home from the hospital he has spent every night in his own room in his crib.) I should have known he would expect it from now on. During the day he would nap in the crib and at night he would start there but inevitably he would end up in our bed. Coming home was going to be ugly.<br />We got home at midnight on Sunday the 3rd. Cam once again was amazing all day and basically slept at least 3/4 of the way home. My husband and I both had to go to work the next day and my mom would be coming over to stay with the baby. Back to normal. He was so tired the first few days that he had no trouble sleeping in his own bed and going all night but I just knew it was coming. Sure enough, Wednesday night he was up for almost 2 hrs screaming in the middle of the night. Thursday night he was up for only about an hour and a half screaming. There was no way this was the week for me to take the bottles away!<br />We have just about gotten him back on schedule so this weekend we did away with the bottles. I had tried whole milk again with the same results so I figured we needed some soy milk. I got some on Friday and Saturday morning he had some with breakfast and did not get a bottle. He did pretty well....little extra fussy but overall he did a great job yesterday. I just gave him a snack in between meals instead of a bottle and he was pretty content. I can't imagine going through this with a baby who doesn't like to eat. Cam is a good eater so I can just give him a snack and he'll be ok. He didn't even seem to notice the lack of bottles. He did a good job with the milk and even better today. I was nervous at first because he didn't seem to care for the taste but today was better. Just took some getting used to. <br />Hopefully everything continues this way. I'm just wondering how it will be when he sees someone else with a bottle. He's with his younger cousin twice a week who is still using bottles. I guess we just have to wait and see!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-6005112389350068252009-12-14T20:07:00.002-05:002009-12-14T20:16:50.594-05:00HolidaysWell, its been a while since I've written. Who knew how much one little person could change your whole holiday season. Thanksgiving was kinda crazy but good. I had my family here which is stressfull enough but to top it off I wasn't sure we were going to be able to have any turkey! I got up to put the turkey in, the baby was actually still sleeping so I thought....hey, maybe I can get this done and go back and lay down for a little while.....nope! I have the world's smallest oven and while I had checked to make sure the turkey would fit length and widthwise...I had not thought that it could be too tall. I got the turkey in the roasting pan and put it in the oven trying not to burn myself (which I have done in the past) only to hear a sizzle as the turkey touched the top of the oven. I yelled for my husband to get up and I was tryin to get the bird back out but it was so heavy and I was about to cry. Well my husband was able to find another rack to put it on and it just barely fit. Surprisingly despite fire alarms going off most of the morning and trying to get everything ready with an 11 month old.....things came out really well. The turkey was great and Cam really enjoyed eating all the yummy food! Now comes the jam packed time of year though. Cam was born the day after Christmas and we're leaving for the Dominican the day after that.....crazy!!! I can't believe its already next week. We do Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas Day with my in-laws, then people are coming over our house for Cam's <em>first</em> birthday (still can't belive it) and then we're going on vacation.....On one hand I can't wait to just be there and relax but I'm also looking forward to seeing Cam experience his first Christmas and birthday! I'll let you know how it goes!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-7159606368425754412009-11-24T16:44:00.002-05:002009-11-24T19:41:52.662-05:00Oh The Joys of Clothes!So its been about 11 months since my son was born. I had weighed a little more than I wanted before I got pregnant but not an outrageous amount and who doesn't right? Anyway, being pregnant and bigger than I have ever been in my life gave me a new appreciation for my pre-pregnancy body. I couldn't wait to wear pants with zippers again and tie my own shoes, which is sad I know. <br />It actually didn't take as long as I thought before I was losing weight and pretty much back to my old size. I had bought a couple pairs of pants right after and they were getting bigger and bigger. I was thrilled and took out my pre-pregnancy clothes happily. I even saw pictures of myself pre-pregnancy and thought how skinny I looked (which is not something I would have thought before). What no one told me was that my old clothes might not fit right either.<br />So now basically I have no clothes to wear. My new clothes are way too big but my old clothes are big in some places but too small in others. I have no idea what's going on. I can't just go down a size because that would be too small or at least really inappropriate for work. My stomach is still not completely flat (go figure) but everything else looks to be about the same as before. So what's going on? Why can I not find anything that fits? Why doesn't anyone tell you this before you have a baby? To top it all off, we're going on vacation to the Dominican in a few weeks and I have to put this new body into a <strong><em>bathingsuit</em></strong>...a word I wasn't really comfortable with before the baby. Everyone always says the typical comments..."you look great!" and "wow, you lost all the weight!". I appreciate the comments but I still feel uncomfortable. I have no idea what to wear, where to shop, or if the weight will keep shifting and I'll be going through this all again in a couple months (which one friend told me will definitely happen).<br />Before I got pregnant I was in the process of switching from juniors to womens clothing. It wasn't something I wanted to do or was comfortable with. I was used to juniors, knew what size I was and liked the clothes better than the "stuffy old lady clothes" I felt were in the women's section. Now I know I shouldn't be in the juniors department and it's no wonder those clothes no longer fit. But....I can't seem to find women's clothes that fit right either. Don't get my wrong....I love my son, I plan to have more babies and I'm thrilled to have lost the weight....I guess I'm just having trouble adjusting to the new body.Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-59800172853143643152009-11-23T20:04:00.000-05:002009-11-23T20:11:07.495-05:00About MeMy name is Kristen but most people just call me Krissy. I went to Fitchburg State College in Mass and got my bachelor's in Early Childhood education. While there I met my husband, Erik and we have been married for almost 3 and 1/2 years. He is my best friend and the love of my life. We have been very happy together and look forward to many more years.<br /> We have a 4 year old dog named Harry. He is a black lab and quite possibly the best dog ever. He is sweet and loving and suffers from a little bit of separation anxiety. <br /> Cameron joined us last year the day after Christmas. It was not what I would call an easy or quick labor by any means but he is completely worth it! He is the best baby and I can't believe he's almost a year old. Cam just started walking and is getting to be such a big boy!<br /> I am currently a preschool teacher and really enjoy working with young children. I wish I could be home with my little guy but it just isn't feasible right now. I am back in school getting my masters in Special Education and should be done in May!!!<br /> All in all, life is pretty good and if the economy would turn itself around things would be great!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595403390887802653.post-37540372223452249502009-11-23T17:05:00.000-05:002009-11-23T20:04:46.170-05:00CamI love kids and always have. Knowing this about myself made the decision to be a teacher simple. I am an Early Childhood teacher and love what I do. But it's not really the same as having your own baby and being a mom is something I have wanted all my life.<br /> Almost 11 months ago I gave birth to a beautiful, wonderful and amazing little boy, Cameron (and I'm not biased at all, haha). Cam was born the day after Christmas and it is so hard to believe that he will soon be a year old. I know everyone says it goes by in a blink but I never really understood until now. I love every minute I get to spend with him and now that he's getting bigger he has more of his own personality and is so much fun to be around. I love to hear him laugh and giggle and watch him learn how to crawl and walk. Hearing him say "mama" was one of the most amazing things I have witnessed. All in all, life is pretty good, but there are a few changes I would make.<br /> Going back to work after having Cam was probably the toughest thing I have ever done. A job I once loved and couldn't imagine not doing suddenly seemed less important. Why take care of someone else's kid when all I wanted was to be with my own? As sad as it is, it came down to finances. My husband and I just can't afford for me not to work and I hate that it all comes back to money. But money makes the world go round and so back to work I went. <br /> All day I think about what he is doing, what I am missing and if I am doing the right thing. It is just so hard to know if I am making the right decisions. He is a happy baby and is thriving but I just feel like I'm missing it. <br /> Luckily he's with my mom while I'm at work which makes me feel a little better. I like that he gets to spend time with his grandmother and he will start seeing his cousin (who is only 3 weeks younger) a couple times a week soon. He has a great time during the day and I know he is happy. I just feel like time has already gone by so quickly and will only continue to do so. What am I missing while I'm away? Does he even realize I'm not there? Am I only thinking of myself? <br /> I went to daycare as a child and loved it. I have a great relationship with my parents and never thought anything of sending my own children to daycare. Now that the time has come though, it is much harder to do than I thought. I feel like I am always stressed about something and worried about how my decisions will affect his life. As my own mom would say, "welcome to parenthood". <br />Hopefully one day I will be able to stay at home. I'm not saying that I never want to work again. I just feel that my time would be better spent with my own baby and seeing that he grows up to be the person I know he can be. Who knew a few years ago that this would be what occupies my mind most of the time? I love being a mom and I have the best baby in the world...now if only I could spend more time with him life would be pretty perfect.Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11054720042611764036noreply@blogger.com2