Vacation and Teething

We just got back from a trip to visit family in Southern California. Overall it went well, there always seems to things that go awry but it was good to show off the little one and hang out. Raffi started getting his first teeth last week. I'm sure they were coming in before I noticed. He is doing pretty well for being a teething baby. Now the frequent night wakings start to make a little more sense.

Raffi's awareness has really increased in the last couple of weeks. It is just amazing. He is going to be a little boy before we know it.

I've posted a video of Raffi in his jumper his Great Grandma got him (thanks grandma!) I couldn't figure out how to rotate it so, sorry about the sideways video.

Doctor, Doctor Help Me

Raphael turned 9 months yesterday and had his 9 month doctor visit. He is approximately 16lbs 10ozs and is 27 inches long. I think he probably weighs more, he was crying while on the scale and it couldn't get an accurate weight. But he is doing good. He also received his last RSV shot. Thank yous and praises to God, that Raffi survived his first winter without any major illness such as RSV. Yeh!

After the doctor visit, we went to Doug's office to show him off. I was a little concerned that we would have a major implosion on our hands after a docs visit, shot and a bunch of strange people staring at him, but he did really well. He was a little apprehensive at first, especially when their was over six adoring fans staring at him at one time. I held him while we walked around and said hi and in a couple stops he was smiling and playing shy cuteness to all the ladies of the office. Then we went to the grocery store and I put him in the shopping cart seat for the first time. Really it would've been easier on me if I had bjorned him, I was so thinking about him the entire time we were shopping I could barely remember what I needed to get it. But he did great and I didn't need to worry at all. So it felt like a momentous step for me. He seemed to say "whatever mom!"

I personally did not have such a great day emotionally. I have not been getting really great sleep and last night my dreams were all stressful. So today I was grouchy, worried and felt sorry for myself. Amazing how quickly I can go from amazing spiritual clarity with the cake incident to weary dreary spiritual blindness. So I ate a whole piece of German Choc Cake from the grocery store. (hhhmmm, notice a cake theme.) Along with the cake, I prayed but really just kept feeling sorry for myself on a myriad of issues; raffi's development, my health, etc.

So tonight, I'm feeling more realistic. I can't seem to remember all that I was worrying about and some scripture has spoken to my soul:

Psalm 61:1-4

Psalm 40:1-3

Oh how fun. I just learned how to do a link. Such simple things amuse me. I hope it worked.

Time Change

This Daylight Savings time stuff is crap. When I was working it was nice to drive home and it would still be daylight. I'm glad for more daylight in the evening. But the change has been a little more off putting then usual with the baby. He seems fine either way, but I'm the one that is out of wack! I'm whining I know. We'll all get used to it and then it will be summer. Weird.

It is fun to watch Raffi play. I recently got him the plastic donuts stacked on the cone toy thing. He loves to eat on them, bang them on the ground and then "ooohh" he'll get enthralled with his toes. You can practically see the wheels turning.

Let me eat cake

I am frequently anxious about many things and lately my devotionals and bible verses have been targeting that weakness. All the standard verses such as "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me" John 14:1 (NLT) have been popping up recently.

Yesterday, we went to Palo Alto's main street to do some shopping and walking around. I was hungry, no shock there, and I had been craving chocolate cake all morning. I figured better to buy one slice of cake than make a whole cake that I eat in a weekend. But as I ordered my sandwich, I decided no, no cake right now. I got my order to go, because hubbie was on a mission to leave.

We got to our car and hungering for a bite I open the container and low and behold, you guessed it, next to my sandwich is a piece of chocolate cake! I couldn't believe it. Did the guy behind the counter think i was cute, did they mess up an order? I thought, God, are you telling me something. I believe the latter. God sometimes speaks in large events, situations or like people; a pastor's sermon. But yesterday, God spoke to me through a piece of chocolate cake, letting me know that he provides all my needs and even some of my wants. He loves me and is taking care of me.

Normal Grocery Day

My height of excitement for today was a trip to the grocery store. There, 3 different people were magnetized by Raffi. I cleaned dishes and made dinner. So all in all quite successful. It is weird when I look back at my day, I didn't really talk to any adult. (not counting doug or my mom.) I could see how many days like that in a row will make one nutty. So next week, it is back to Mama-Baby Yoga and a stroller hike tomorrow. Yeh.

I feel a little whiny today and tired. Raffi is still waking up 4-5 times a night and last night he stayed up for over an hour during one stint. So I feel a little draggy tonight. Of course, instead of being in bed, I'm on the internet. Smart.

Seeing

Raffi had an eye doctor appointment today. (It has been six months since his last one.) He did pretty well through it all. Fortunately, there were no "clockwork orange" eye openers used, much to my relief. Raffi's eyes are straight, he uses both eyes equally and doesn't need glasses. The doc also said he was very handsome. So in all, it was good news. Because of his preemie status he will get his eyes checked out yearly.

As you can tell from the picture posted yesterday, Raffi is sitting up really well. He started sitting up while Grandma was here and has been getting stronger ever since. He is always on the watch for something to grab. He especially likes black and silver shining things; the keyboard, the camera, the phone, etc... I put a colorful toy just within his grasp and No, he wants shining object that is not made for him!

Happy Blah Day.

Today the refrigerator was fixed, unfortunately the part that needed replacing was only covered for a year. The just don't make things like they used to.

I felt that quiet happy confident semi-productive mom feeling today. It appears at random and strange times. I'm not necessarily a miserable wreck the other times, but tired is the word that comes to mind. I took some more pics of my boy sitting up today. I once had a shirt that said "Here comes trouble." In my case in was an underestimation.

Is your refrigerator running?

Thats good, because ours isn't. It is lightly jogging. The bottom drawers seem to be working but everything else is room temp or lightly cool. This refrig strike occurred on Saturday after we noticed the freezer wasn't frozen! Oh life. So the new ranch dressing I purchased is gone, alone with a bunch of other stuff. I was a little frustrated and angry at first. In a bit, I went to God and acknowledged that it is just food and it is just a Frig. And they are easily replaced. Hopefully, the repairman will fix it on Tuesday. And then a Grocery store run.

Prayer request: My excema has come back with a vengeance. My fingers are sore from the infected areas and I have small spots of "irritated" skin over my body. I feel discouraged after the last time it cleared up. I don't want to keep using the topical steroids, because it will become impervious and the side effects. So please pray that my body will heal and stay healed.