A Grumpy Version of Me

So this week I've had a hard time getting on a schedule and as a result I've decided to start voicing my opinion more and explore different versions of myself... mommy keeps asking who I am and where her baby went, I'm not sure what she's talking about! It's still me, just a more vocal, headstrong, feisty version of me!!

On Sunday we went to hang out with my BFFs Jeremy and Jacob for the Superbowl. I took a little nap while we were there, but I was so excited to be around my friends and there was so much going on I stayed awake until almost 10:30pm. That probably wasn't a good idea, in hindsight, but the Superbowl only comes around once a year so I had to celebrate :)

I'm ready for the Superbowl mommy

Unfortunately, Monday morning came around at exactly the same time as it usually does and I was not as rested as I usually am, so therapy was a nightmare.... a screaming, kicking, longest hour of my life nightmare. I tried to catch up on my sleep, and did a little, but Tuesday started much the same way as Monday and therapy was a worse version of Monday's hour... WAY WAY WORSE!! Mommy said she's never seen me so worked up and upset before, all I had to do was look at my therapists and the tears and fits started :( I wasn't in the mood to do anything and no one was going to make me, I made sure of that. The rest of Tuesday didn't go too well either, in fact when daddy came home to hang out with me that night while mommy taught her class, I refused to let him put me down and threw the biggest fits HE'S ever seen me throw when he tried to play with me or sit me down... sorry daddy!!

The scene mommy came home to

Yesterday was the tip of the iceberg... I'm finally getting into a good routine and schedule in the mornings, but unlike every other day of the week, I have therapy at 8:30am instead of 9:30am. I usually take my first nap at 8:30am, so you can imagine the mood I was in without my first morning nap yesterday... I finally fell asleep after lunch on the way to the plastic surgeon (who was looking at my gnarly leg scar) but that was only a 30 minute nap, not nearly long enough, and boy did I let mommy know it!! I didn't want to be in that stuffy old office with another new doctor, I just wanted to sleep.... SO.... I gave mommy a run for her money! I was hoping if I cried loud enough, arched my back far enough, threw my arms wildly and kicked hard enough, she would give up and we could go home. She didn't :( We had to sit through an appointment with that clown of a doctor for 30 minutes answering silly unrelated questions only to find out we should just keep putting lotion on my leg. Mommy was not very happy with him, or me and my attitude, and we both left frustrated and exhausted. 

Today I've tried to be a teeny tiny bit better for her, although daddy accidentally woke me up at 6am and I couldn't go back to sleep (I usually don't get up until 7:15am).... that didn't sit well with mommy. My morning nap schedule was, of course, off already and I wasn't happy unless she was holding me... needless to say it was a long morning for both of us.

I do have a few good things to report :) First I got my weighted puppy dog on Monday!!! He's super cute and super soft and he feels very good to sleep with! We named him Jack-Jack and he goes everywhere with me!

Who is this??

Wanna hang out with me?

Yeah I like him mommy

What should we name him?

Jack-Jack! Love it, do you like it?

I think he likes it mommy!!

I am officially, FINALLY, figuring out how to put things in my mouth. I've always been able to get my fingers and thumb into my mouth, but now I've figured out how to get a SPOON in there!!!!! I also have this super fun ball with lots of holes in it that I play with on the floor.... it's a little harder to get into my mouth, but if I get it close enough I can use my tongue to feel in between the holes :)

Ok, I can do this

YAY!!! I got it

Yum Yum

Ummm, mommy why did you put these all the way over there?

Ahhhh, that's better!

See my holey ball?

If I could just get a little closer

My tongue fits RIGHT in those holes 

This is a little easier

My puppy and I are having a staring contest!

Ummm, this yucky brush is NOT my spoon mommy

You can't trick me!!!

Mommy and I had a date night on Monday when daddy went to speak to students at his old college....

Mmmmm.... let's have MILK for dinner mommy

Yeah mommy, it's yummy!

See, I told you you'd like it! No I don't mind sharing :)

Mommy says Jack-Jack and I are good dates!!!

We did manage to get to the park for a few minutes yesterday before my doctor's appointment.... I sure do like the big boy swing...

Ok I did give away a big morning smile

An attempt at a nap.... my hands are yummy even in sleep!

I'm a big kid now

I like looking around

I'm ready to swing

Look how BIG I am

Mommy made me swing with her on the big girl swing... I like my swing better!

To the park...

I have had a very busy end of the week/weekend with lots of friends and fun... on Thursday my friend Marcus couldn't come over because it was rainy and cold, so mommy and I played inside and snuggled all day...

Ready for therapy

Hey look at me sitting on my own, am I handsome or what?

I have had a really hard time falling asleep lately :( I don't like my binky anymore so that can't help me go to sleep... and even though mommy has a dozen soft doll blankets for me to snuggle with, I don't really like anything touching my cheeks (all related to my hypersensitive throat issues) so that doesn't help me go to sleep either. I used to love sleeping on my side, but ever since I figured out how to roll onto my back that doesn't help me anymore... then it helped if mommy snuggled me sitting up against her shoulder, but even that hasn't helped me calm down lately :( Mommy's very frustrated trying to help me sleep but nothing is working. So on Thursday I decided I just wasn't going to sleep at all.... 

Awake after therapy

Awake after lunch

Still awake on the swing

Going strong all afternoon

Playing with mommy and my silly monkey

Mommy ended up ordering me a hand made stuffed puppy that weighs a pound in the hopes that feeling weighted down will help me calm down... unfortunately it has to actually BE made so it won't get here until next week. In the meantime mommy couldn't wait, so she busted open my taggie bear blanket and filled it with rice... now it feels just like the "frog" they used to lay on me in the NICU...

So far it hasn't helped much in the actual getting to sleep process, however once I am asleep mommy lays it on top of me and it feels so good I end up sleeping longer than I EVER have (remember I'm normally a cat-napper, 20-30 minutes tops.... now I max out at 1 1/2 - 2 hour naps, wahoo that's a record)... and I'm in such a better mood when I do wake up! :) 

My friend Marcus did end up coming to see me on Friday and we had so much fun together along with his super funny older brother Michael...

Mommy and I snuggling before Marcus came over, it was COLD here

That Michael is SO funny!!!

After Marcus left, mommy decided we needed to get out of the house for a little while and enjoy some sunshine so she took me to the neighborhood park. They have a nice long sidewalk trail and a play set with swings so we started with a comfy cruise around the park before hitting up the playground.

Dressed and ready for my first park experience!!

Trying out the big boy swing

Oooooohhhhh... this is kind of fun!

I LIKE swinging

Hi mommy, wanna swing too?

As long as I lean forward this is fun!

Ummmm, mommy what is this??

I don't like it, pick me back up

I really liked the park! Mommy and I swung on the big girl swings too and we even took the spiral slide down together! :) We ended up going back to the park yesterday afternoon to try it again.... unfortunately the stroller cruise got the best of me and when mommy went to pick me to up to go on the swings, this is what she found:

Look I had a full belly and the vibration along with the warm sun just put me to sleep!!

Last night mommy and daddy and I went to walk around an outdoor mall just down the street... they had a nice dinner and then we went to one of mommy and daddy's favorite stores, Barnes & Noble. Mommy told me that place smells better than anywhere in the world, books books books. I think she has a problem :) She and daddy did buy me some fun board books though...

The monkey one has fun things to feel inside, the elephant one has mirrors on EVERY page (my favorite) and the good night one calls me different good night names on every page!! I told them they did a good job picking them out :)

Today daddy had to go to work (darn golf tournament) so mommy and I went to church with our friend Ms. Julia.... mommy says I clean up pretty well, what do you think?

Handsome like daddy

Mommy and I are ready to go!

After church mommy got pretty excited while we were playing (she gets happy over the silliest things sometimes) because I put a spoon in my mouth all by myself.... she gave me a toy drum and a yellow stick yesterday to play with and I managed to get it close enough to my mouth to lick and taste (not much flavor I gotta say)... then today I grabbed hold of my red spoon while hanging out in my high chair and surprised even myself when I managed to get the end of it all the way in my mouth :)

Hmmm, where does this go

Come on, get in there

Aha! I did it

Umm, mommy why did you move the spoons all the way over there, I can't reach them with my left hand!!

That's BETTER!

Now daddy's on his way home and we're going to go over to my BFF's house (Jeremy and Jacob) to watch the Superbowl :) Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!!!

On a special note: One of my NICU friends, Ms. Izzy, had a heart and lung transplant last week and is doing AMAZING!!! She is such a SuperGirl and one of my true heroes!!! Please say an extra prayer for her and her family that she stays strong and keeps fighting to come home soon :)