Seven weeks, 5 days

The first of many toys I'll be putting together for him until he moves out of the house and marries his own woman.

Bored already, eh?

We made it seven weeks and five days without too much trouble. I knew I should have waited before posting my last entry yesterday. His last nap was from 2:15-4:45 and it was pretty much one long continuous feeding with a few 30 minute breaks here and there. At 8 o'clock the wailing was getting to both of us and his poor tummy was as tight as a drum. My chat ladies had all talked up gas drops. Surely that couldn't be the problem, could it? In a desperate attempt for some silence and a chance to eat, I went to get my purse and headed to "the walmart". Somehow I thought the car ride would help settle him down so Kevin got him situated (still screaming) in the car seat and out the door we went. I digress - Triever, at this point, is still heavily medicated from his surgery and goes outside with us and walks straight to the car with us. While I open the front door to unlock the back he climbs into the front seat and lays down. (Monkey boy still screaming). Kevin gets JT into the car seat base, I'm telling Triever to get out and he turns around and lays on the other seat. Kevin opens the other door so we can shoo him out of either one and Triever must have decided enough was enough because he plopped himself down on the floor board. So at this point we have two exhausted adult people, an exhausted and loopy retriever, and an exhausted and screaming kid all ready for someone to save us. So the first 6 miles are great, he settles down and I have a chance to hear myself think again. As soon as the speed limit changed to 35 he started up again. All the way to the parking lot of the store. I took a deep breath when I parked and prayed that I would have 7 minutes, 10 would be great, of good baby time so I could get in and out without all the old ladies in town ooh'ing over my bad job of keeping the noise down while they picked out their tea and arthritic cream. Once again, prayers are answered and he was quiet the second I swung that car seat out from the backseat. Centrifuge rides are great. At least to my irritated kid. So all through "the walmart" I swung the car seat. I didn't care too much at this point to worry about what was in front, beside or behind me. (P.S. I think I saw Luis' sister there? She looked at me like she should know me?) I couldn't find the stupid gas drops and was close to asking the lady next to me where I should look for it. She had a girl of about 4 or 5 in her cart so I figured she's been down this road before. But I was afraid I would start crying if I started to talk. Finally got the drops and headed to the checkout. There the crying started again and true to form an old lady came over and started shushing him while I paid for the goods. And true to my own form, I stood there and smiled at her while inside I was wishing I had 100 sharp pencils to poke in her eye. I wished the poor 16 year old check out boy a good night and swung ourselves out the door. I had a total of 4 minutes of silence during the 20 minute ride home. I walked in the door and said, "Next time I try to take him with me on a car ride to silence him and I have to go to a store I need you to say to me, 'Baby, that's crazy talk. Leave him here with me so you don't go nutso on the drive', okay?" Kevin was changing him and putting on his little footie jammies and I ripped open the drops. I dispensed the stuff in his cheek while he laid there and he took it with no problem. He even licked his lips, excited, I'm sure, over the new taste. We took him back to the living room so we could eat and I nursed him from 9:10-10:00. The tummy bloat went away as we laid there and once in his swing he was as content as a fetus in the womb. On top of all the gas drama, our poor Monkey has a cold. His breathing noises have caused me to start calling him Mr. Snuffleupagus. Looking at the pictures you wouldn't know it. This kid is having more fun than a gassy, stuffy nosed, sneezing kid ought to. But this morning he's right as rain. And my favorite part is that he's been content out here for this entire time, allowing me to get coffee made, some pictures of him taken, and this post written. I love you Monkey Boy. And I'm sorry I didn't get the gas drops for you earlier.