Four and a half month update. Baby and Mommy

ok.  So I completely failed at getting this out at 4 months, so it's a 4 month and 2 week update.

Baby:
D is doing so well!  He's growing and happy (most of the time), sleeping through the night, fighting naps, eating well, and generally being adorable (when he's not driving me crazy from overtired screaming!).

Milestones he's met:

• Rolling.  For a long time (3 weeks is a long time now!) he was rolling back to tummy, but only back to tummy.  Now he rolls tummy to back too... baby on the move. Time to babyproof!  
• Reaching for toys.  He does this more when someone is holding a toy out to him, but he'll pick things up off the floor now too. He just started reaching for things today.  Like purposefully reaching for my hair to pull... Seriously considering cutting it off except... he is so cute when I tickle him with my hair!
• 'talking' - he coos at us regularly now.  Tells us stories and spreads the love... it's the BEST.THING.EVER.  See? 
• 'singing' - I'm pretty sure this is what he's trying to do... with a singer for a mommy, how could he not?  :)  I don't have any videos of it, but he'll find a pitch and sort of hum it and then hum notes around it. He is now Humming when he eats - like mommy does!  It's one of my more annoying endearing habits!
• Supported sitting - if you help, he will sit! Such a big boy
• Supported Standing - he's been doing this for a while.  
• Supported 'dancing' - he has two moves that rock - the 'cowboy stomp' and the 'surfer'.  no vids yet, but definitely adorable
• Laughing - it still takes a lot to get a giggle out of him, but he does laugh and giggle as well as smile now and it's amazing.  
• Chewing/Teething - the dreaded teething has begun and we have days of screaming for no apparent reason.  mommy-no-like.
• Playing by himself.  Sort of.  he'll play by himself sometimes which is great because it lets me do things like update this blog!

His Size:

at Birth:                When we took him home:    4 months:

20" long               20" long                              26" long  

6lbs, 14oz           6lbs, 4oz                             15lbs

Postpartum Mind:

honestly, nothing crazy different here other than I'm way more emotional than I used to be.  I have a feeling this'll hang around though... Mrs. I-never-cry now bawls at movies and commercials and sentimental moments... no reason at all.  

Postpartum Body:

Body is nowhere near what it was, but getting closer to fitting in my pre-pregnancy clothes.

Pre-pregnancy  Measurements:           End of Pregnancy:                       4 months Post-partum:

Bust: 32.5"                                         Bust: 35"                                     Bust: 35.5"

Waist: 25"                                          Waist: 40"                                   Waist: 28.5"

Hips: 36.5"                                         Hips: 38"                                     Hips: 37"

                               

awful picture, I know.

I haven't been working out as much as I'd like, but hope to get there soon.  Life with a new baby and a kitchen in re-model is a life in upheaval.  

be back soon with more things relating to life and a fun 'announcement'

~Errant Soprano 

State of the Nation

OK.  Not really.  However, I have had some thoughts on my mind based on some recent experiences and felt a need to do a brain dump/rant/challenge.

I'm starting to realize now, as a mommy, that we have become, as a whole, an abrasive society.  Twice in the last week I've had people obviously cursing me out from the relative safety of their cars over a percieved indiscretion while driving.  One of them was a valid frustration, but still no reason to react as she obviously did (I was in the middle of a large driveway rather than off to the right as I should have been. she still had room to get in the driveway as long as she wasn't speeding - which she was).  The other was completely ridiculous and an overreaction (I was going the speed limit on a one way road where the cops are known to hang around and stopped at a stop sign before I went right.  abiding by the traffic laws is apparently a no-no to her).
source

Anyway

What it got me to thinking about was that we can be just awful when we feel secure and safe like other people can't see or touch us.  However, people are intuitive and if you can see what they're doing, you feel the emotional ramifications of their behavior.

So, why do we perpetuate this behavior?  What makes us feel like it's ok?  I'm not going to lie, I've been that person, yelling from inside the safety of my car at some transgression made by another driver.  My question is, why did I do it?  It didn't change their behavior.  They didn't miraculously start driving any better and more often than not they retaliated, perpetuating the behavior.

 source (I just google imaged 'frustrated')

Before I was a mother, I was really judgmental and since then I've learned that every family is different, just like every person is different and every child is different.  What works here doesn't work there, and you have no idea what a stranger is going through or dealing with that day, that month, that year.  LIFE CHANGING REALIZATION.

 source

So my challenge for myself for ... forever, but more realistically, the next month, is to focus on being a better person to strangers.  Particularly when driving.  So, say I'm running late for something.  It's not anyone's fault but mine, so I will focus on honestly recognizing what the repercussions will be if I'm late (usually they really aren't that bad) and take the consequences as they arise without taking out my frustrations with myself on others.

SO.

BREATHE         . source

here we go!

What do you think of the current trend to treat strangers badly when you are in the safety of your car?  Are you guilty as I am?  How does it make you feel when you're the one getting yelled at?  How does the retaliation make you feel?

~Errant Soprano