Go See It!

If were a fan of Sex and the City, you HAVE to go see the movie. Loved it! When it was over, I told Nicole that I could have watched it all night long. I wish it had never ended. So much fun to see a movie that you really just enjoy and don't really have to think too much about.



Strangely enough, though, it made me think about my life. Oh, sure, I was totally jealous of the size, shape and money of the girls on the big screen. They sure do have style-some of it way to out there for me, but so fun anyway. But in watching the various relationships and how they played out, it made me think about my own. I love my husband and don't tell him nearly enough. Of course we have our "things" that get on each other's nerves-(I actually listed about 3 things under this category, then erased them. You never know who reads these things!!!). But more times than not, I love my life with Nigel.



I like to make wishes on silly things. Mostly when the clock reads the same number all the way across like 3:33. Or when it is 4 consecutive numbers- 12:34. I don't really know why. Just always have done it. So I've always wished for the same thing every time, until that wish came true and then I moved on. I've done this for 3 wishes and now and they have all come true. First-"I wish I would find the man I am going to marry." Done. Second "I wish Nigel and I would get married." Done. Third, much further down the road, "I wish we would have a baby." Done. So what do you wish for when you have everything you wish for? Now I've moved on to wishing for silly and materialistic things. I mean, why not? "I wish we would win the lottery and never have to work again." It's worth a shot!



So go see Sex and the City and enjoy a night out with the girls. It will make you relax and take your mind off things, but maybe make you think a little, too. LOVE THOSE GIRLS!

Bubble Gum for Dinner

Kingston had cereal and sweet potatoes for dinner but the way he was eating it, it sure did look like he was chewing bubble gum! He smacked and smacked and chomped and chomped! He was so cute. I swear I'm not giving him anything chunky yet. We think he has maybe watched us eat and is trying to immitate our mouth movements. We are hoping that he hasn't learned the smacking lips from us, too!

The boy does love some sweet potatoes!

My First Rant. Grrrrrr.

I don't usually have a whole lot to rant about. I pretty much take things as they come and let most things roll right off. Can't do it this time.

Why do people open their mouths and say really stupid things? About their friends?

Nigel is in Wilmington on work. He is hanging out with a lot of friends, old and new. Our friend Martin had become almost totally deaf in the last year or so. They are having a benefit at Red Dogs tonight to raise money for him to have surgery on his ears in an attempt to help him hear at least a little better. So Nigel ran into a friend who proceded to tell him that one of Nigel's best high school buddies told him that no one really understands why Nigel named his son what he did. Huh?

Here are my issues with this comment. First, why did Jamie (oops, did I say his name?) tell the Goat (oops again, but at least it's a nickname) that he didn't understand? Do we have to have an explanation for what we named our son? Do we not have the right to name him anything we want to? And, p.s., we do have a reason-a few of them in fact, thank you very much. Second, why did the Goat think he needed to tell Nigel what Jamie said? I mean, if Jamie doesn't like Kingston's name, does Nigel really need to know that? Some things are just better left unsaid. Finally, don't people realize that if you ever thought you knew what feeling defensive was like, try having a baby? I will defend my child until I die. I don't want to hear anyone say anything negative about him. Especially when he is but 5 months old. So give the kid a break. WE liked the name so WE named him Kingston.

"KINGSTON" is a name found in name books. KING is my maiden name. My dad's name is WinSTON. Nigel has been to the Jamaican town of KINGSTON on a surf trip with my brother.

Does anyone else want to ask why we named our precious little boy Kingston? Does it really matter? I know not everyone likes the name, but is there a name on this planet that everyone likes? I didn't think so.

Some people need to keep their mouths shut.

Family Fun Day!

We had a great day as the Family Haynes! Kingston got us up at 7:15 after sleeping all night for the 15th straight night. He was smiling and happy and had wiggled sideways when I went in to get him this morning! After a breakfast of homemade waffles and bacon, Kingston, Nigel and I went to the park. Kingston went on the swings, climbed the rock steps and slid down the slide. He has a little assistance but he loved every minute! He fell asleep in the car on the two minute ride home and slept for an hour. After his nap we took a family trip to the grocery store. After doing some grocery shopping (which is so much quicker, easier and cheaper by myself) we came home and made a pizza for a late lunch. Nigel and I discussed some plans for our backyard and then got motivated to head off to Home Depot. We wished and dreamed and bought some flood lights for the back yard and some plants to replace the pots of weeds. When we came home Kingston sat in his Bumbo outside while I planted the new flowers. Nigel spread fertilizer in the backyard to get the grass going. We made some other plans for things to do down the road.

Overall we had a great family day. I can't wait to do a lot more of all of the above. This is what it's all about! I'll post pics soon.

Poor Baby

My poor little baby has a snotty nose. Can you imagine having a snotty nose and not know how to wipe it or blow it or otherwise try to relieve your congestion? And you have this annoying mom who is forever trying to wipe your face with anything she can get her hands on after you sneeze and snot comes flying out of both nostrils. She tries a napkin, a scratchy paper towel, a burp cloth, a wash cloth, her finger. None of it is good.

I can already tell that Kingston is going to be the kid that has to be chased down to have his nose blown or face wiped off. He HATES it. We already battle and he is only 5 months old! He may end up being the kid that always has stuff crusted to his face!!

So I just put Kingston to bed, and after doing work with the snot-taker-outer (or nose bulb or suction thing or whatever you want to call it) he has settled in. I have a video monitor that I use when he is sleeping and it is so cute to see him with his little mouth puckered open so that he can breathe. He is usually a nose-breather but I guess it is too stuffy. His little mouth is opened into a little "O" as he breathes.

I have always said if he's breathing, he's cute. . . Pretty much.

Happy Mothers Day!

I'm not big on holidays-for no reason other than we just don't make a big deal about them, probably partly because they can get expensive if you let them. I have always taken an uninterested approach. Until now. I was so excited about Mothers Day this year. It now has a direct meaning to me. Of course, I have always had a mother to celebrate, but now that it is a holiday to celebrate me, it is a lot more fun!!! I think I like this day better than my birthday. I am so proud to be a mother. I am so proud of my son. I can't think of anything I'd like to celebrate more. I hope Kingston never has a hard time finding a card for me on Mother's Day. I was looking for a Mothers Day card for my mom and thought-what if I needed one that just said "Happy Mother's Day" because none of the other sentiments applied. (Of course, all of the cards described MY Mom, but not everyone is so lucky.) They all said really sweet things about how your mother has always been there for you, encouraging you, caring for you, etc. I hope those cards always apply to me. They don't apply to every mother.

I had a great day today. It started off early when Kingston and I made my Mom's day by meeting her and my dad at church at 8:30. My favorite preacher from the past, Mr. Presnell, was back to preach this Sunday as a celebration of our church's 150th birthday. Now, I will admit, I don't go to church these days. I would go a lot more if Mr. Presnell was our preacher. I really love him. He speaks to me unlike any other preacher I've had since he was last here. The whole church issue is a blog for another day. . . So after church I spent some time with Mom and then headed home. When I got home, I was surprised by my Mothers Day gift. Nigel bought us 2 new bikes! He wants to buy a baby seat for Kingston but they were sold out and he wants me to pick one out that is the safest. (Anyone have any suggestions?) After that we went out to lunch at Red Drum. Nigel watched Kingston this afternoon so that I could go to Birthday Suits and spend my gift certificate that Mom had given me for Mothers Day on a bathing suit. Yeah, I tried again. It was just as painful this time as last. But, I did come away with a suit. It looks pretty good and I just kept reminding myself that it will only get better from here. I mean, I'm not going to gain any more weight this summer-if anything, I will lose it. So I am pleased with my suit and I can stop thinking about it. This evening we have just relaxed and Nigel cooked a lovely spaghetti dinner for us. Kingston went to bed early because he was exhausted and now we have the evening to ourselves.

What a great day! Now back to work tomorrow. Poo. Oh, well. At least I got to experience my new favorite holiday from the honoree's point of view! Happy Mothers Day to all of my great mommy friends. Hope you enjoyed your day as much as I did.

I'm Too Old For This. . . But it Sure Was Fun!

Last night I did the unthinkable-I went out. And by "out" I mean was in a bar after 10 p.m. I went to dinner with Nicole and Kelly, who was in town from California. I had a mojito a dinner (mmmmmmmm! My first liquor drink in well over a year!) and a beer after. Then we went to Chilli Peppers where we saw a couple of girls that have been around (quite literally!) for a while. They are pretty young-I think maybe mid-twenties, maybe younger-and both have 2 kids. Yep. 2 kids. One of them was bragging about the fact that her Man had called up to the bar and gave her $100 bar tab that she seemed pretty far into. The part she was so proud of was that her Man was at home watching her (not his) 3 year old little girl and their 2 week old son. So she was at the bar, drunk, and getting drunker, with a 2 week old baby at home. Cool. The girl she was with once dressed in baggy sweatshirts and pants until she had a baby and then decided she was a hot number and started dressing like a tramp. She was always dancing on stage at the bars and entering bikini contests and kissing other girls for show. Well, now she is fat. Now, don't get me wrong. I have no room to talk about being overweight, and I would never say anything about this girl if I hadn't known what she was like before, but it kinda cracks me up that the girl who once thought she was the hottest thing out there has become very below average. Basically, what goes around comes around! Some people get what they deserve.
So anyway. . . From Chili Peppers we went to Lucky 12. I don't think I have ever gone out at home and known absolutely NO ONE in the whole bar. Well, it happened last night. Everyone there was college aged and so silly! I was totally entertained by the really young girls shakin their money-makers on the dance floor! I couldn't stop staring at the drunk college girls and guys pretty much getting it on right in front of me. One girl definitely thought she was on So You Think You Can Dance. She really wanted to be "licked like a lollypop" or however that song goes. Hilarious! There were some really short dresses (or long shirts with shorts so short underneath that it looked like a really short dress). I loved it. I think I had a huge smile on my face the whole time-and if you know me, you know that doesn't happen much!

Basically all of this to say that I am too old to be talking junk about some silly girls but it sure does make me feel a little younger!! So I'll keep at it. Call me if you want to go out and people watch some time!!

Updates:

1. Still no bathing suit. I am waiting for a few things-a paycheck (next week), time without Kingston (could only make the process more frustrating if he is not in the shopping mood), and courage. I don't want to see what I saw last time. Ewww.



2. Kingston is napping like a champ! The last 2 days he has napped for over 2 hours at one time in the afternoon! I wish I could take credit for it but it seems he is just doing it on his own. Either way, I'll take it! He is such a good boy.



3. This morning, in addition to the boob milk that he ate, Kingston had a 6 oz. bottle before we left for work. This is the most I have ever fed him from a bottle at one time. He was sort of oozing milk out of his mouth but finished the bottle! He lasted 4 hours before he was ready to eat again-that is definitely a daytime record. AND for the last 3 days he has had sweet potatoes and rice cereal for dinner until I think he is going to pop! Wow, what a diaper I changed this morning. Let's just say he worked for most of the day in nothing but a diaper until Dad came with a change of clothes. (Oops. Mom was unprepared!) I'm sure he is gaining weight. I think I might go get him weighed at the Dr's office in a week or 2, just to check.

That's the update for now. Might have some good stuff tomorrow when Robyn (M-I-L) watches Kingston for the first time. Hmmmm. Things could get interesting.

I'm a Magician!

I have somehow managed to cover my unsightly stomach with semi-cute clothes (at least I think so) over the past 4.5 months. It is really quite magical. I have convinced myself that I am not exactly at the size I want to be, but I'm doing pretty good. I'm going to the gym a few times a week (not exactly regularly but I figure something is better than nothing) and I don't feel like I am eating total crap. I have dropped below my big milestone mark by at least 8 lbs. so I think I'm doing pretty good.

Until . . .

I tried to find a bathing suit. I am no longer a magician. If I were, I would poof this poofy belly away, never to be heard from again. No such luck. I went to look at suits today at Belk because I have a gift card there. I was just under the impression, having never worn a tankini until I was pregnant and even then only wore it a few times, that tankinis were made to cover your stomach so that no one would have to see the stretchmarks and saggy skin. I guess maternity suits are a little more A-line and full around the stomach area for obvious reasons. It never really even crossed my mind that non-maternity suits would be a lot more fitted in the tummy area. That is NOT what I need. Needless to say, I left Belk in a major huff. I wanted to throw myself in front of a car full of old ladies looking for a sale. (Totally kidding-I am not on suicide watch!)

I realize that there are a lot more bathing suits in the world and Belk is perhaps not the best place to look for one. I did, however, at least expect that something would give me the idea that I will be able to pull off a bathing suit this year. Not so much. These suits made me never want to wear one again in my life. But really, I guess the hunt begins now. Off to every suit store on the beach. Surely there is something I can cover this mess with. At least now I am a little better prepared for what I will see in the mirror.

And to top it all off when I got home my poor, clueless husband asked if I found anything and I grumbled and mumbled and said it was a disaster. The best thing he could suggest was, "you need to get to the gym more." And after seeing my face immediately followed with, "That was the wrong thing to say, wasn't it?"

Yep. Sure was. The only thing a man should say when a girl comes back emptyhanded from suit shopping is, "Just keep looking. You will find one you look really good in" and preferably he will offer to pay for it!

Note: Please don't comment that I look great and that it takes 9 months to gain baby weight so it should take that long to get it off and that I probably don't look as bad as I think, etc. I know all this. I am not really bummed on my body. Just the fact that I can't hide it like I want to!!!

It's Always Something. . .

It seems that there is always something you want to work on when you have a baby. Trying to get them to eat, trying to get them to sleep, trying to get them to eat rice cereal, etc. Our latest event is trying to get Kingston on at least an afternoon nap schedule. I have been selfishly avoiding this one due to the fact that it will force me to be home at a certain time in the afternoon in order to put him down. I have decided today, actually, just moments ago, that it is time to do this.

So here's the plan. I am going to try to get Kingston to take an afternoon nap somewhere between 2-3 every day. I am hoping to get more than a 30 minute nap out of him every afternoon. We will just wing the morning nap since it usually takes place in the car seat while I am working, but we will try our hardest with some crying and patience to make the afternoon nap happen. This is going to be huge for me since I like to have no time restrictions on my day (except, of course, fun stuff)!

I just put Kingston down in the crib knowing that he was NOT in the mood for a nap. I let him cry for 15 minutes then went in there and put him on his stomach and rubbed his back and he fell right asleep. Hopefully he will sleep for at least an hour but that is unlikely-no, I will think positive and say that it will definitely happen. The other kicker is that I put him down un-swaddled, which could prove to be disastrous, or it could prove that we can stop swaddling him at night. He is sleeping on his stomach, though, which may help the nap but wouldn't be how I would put him down for the night. We'll tackle the swaddle another day! One project at a time!

We are planning to go to Manteo to First Friday tonight with Nana and Grandpa and eat at Grandpa's favorite Mexican restaurant, Ortegas. First Friday is a monthly community event in Manteo where they close off downtown and have a live band and stores and restaurants stay open late. Mom and Dad go a lot in their boat and I've never been. It is a beautiful day so I am very excited about it. With a little luck we will be well-rested and ready for a big night on the town!

I'm committed to the new nap schedule. But tomorrow is Saturday and what if I want to be at the beach or somewhere else in the afternoon? Oh no. I can already see some holes in my plan. . .