Halfway There!

We’re on the downhill! Finally, after 131 long, long days, we are now on the backside of this deployment and the end is somewhat in sight. I mean, it’s still 131 days, but that’s way better than what we have been facing. Our countdown chain is finally somewhat manageable and I might actually be able to string it downstairs instead of keeping it piled up in a garbage bag.

It’s strange to think that in that short (ish) amount of time, B and I will transition from being a two person household to a four person household, first with the arrival of NB and then the return of Daddy! I am grateful that my son is a fairly flexible person (something I think that we have cultivated since his birth – what other 3 month old flies across country twice and moves across country). I think that he will adjust to these changes with relative ease.

My parents will be staying with us for the first two weeks after NB’s arrival and I think that will be crucial to B. My father, Grampy, is the single best person in the whole world to B. Old Grampy can calm the boy in a way that I have never seen. He doesn’t tantrum with him, he just loves him. We will also have some other visitors in the first month, so that should give B some much needed extra attention while Mom is otherwise occupied. Then, Dad comes home, and although I am sure that B will have no idea who he is, I am sure that he will quickly fall into a good relationship with his father.

The only beings I am concerned about having transition problems over the next few months are 3 little kitties and 2 puppies. None of the cats were living with me when I had B, they were all in RI with J, so they have never experience a newborn. Two of the cats have grudgingly accepted the existence of B, they hang out in high locations whenever he is about. One, Nosy Rosie, has really taken to B and loves to sit with him and be petted and even lets him pick her up. Lou, one of the dogs, was with me when B was born and really did a great job with him. I remember him running between the crib and me when they baby started crying. He would constantly check in the stroller when we were out on walks, just to make sure his baby was still there. Lou, I’m not so worried about. Sully, though, may present a problem. Sully is hands down J’s dog and may miss him more than anyone else. I already know he is going to have some jealousy issues. My plan is to get out on a walk every day (weight loss!) to try and help Sully adjust.

So much to think about and plan for! But, at least we are on the downhill!

Outdoor Time

J and I aren't outdoor people. Sure we'll hike around a national park and run outside, but we aren't the type of people to just hang out outside. We would much rather be in the heat/air conditioned comfort of our own home. I realized this might not be a great habit to pass on to our child. I sat down and thought about the last time the child had spent any significant time outdoors. I really had to rack my brain. There are just so many wonderful things to do inside, we just never think to go outside.

So, I took him out on the back deck today, I felt like he needed it. The child loved it! He was crawling around like it was going out of style. He enjoyed picking up leaves and feeling the different textures of wood on the deck. I was really suprised at how much he seemed to enjoy it. I will be sure to add in some outdoor time to his day.

The other beings that really seemed to enjoy the outside time with the baby were the dogs. I mean, I know the dogs like to spend time with B. They tend to hang out in the same room with him anyway, but they were just so happy when B was out there. It was like they were introducing their own world to him. They keep coming up and checking him. I am really looking forward to when they can really play together. Well, it's time to make dinner, I think we might just eat on the back deck.

Our Two Dumb Dogs

As I have already mentioned before, I have a hairy house, 3 cats, 2 dogs...heck, even the hubs is hairy.  This leads to a giant mess all the time.  B spends most of his day covered in hair and dirt that is tracked around by our two dummies.  I have more or less gotten over it.  My child eats hair, he is constantly dirty, it's cool. 

However, at times when I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed with hair, I wonder if maybe 5 pets is 4 pets too many.  There are multiple times a day that I get really frustrated when a cat claws furniture, or the dog eats a sock, or someone (culprits are currently unknown) knocks over glasses of water on the coffee table.  Now with the added stress of the baby, the pets can seem like just too much.

But, then a wonderful thing happens.  A cat comes and sits in my lap while I watch TV alone when J is on the ship.  Or B busts into a huge smile watching the puppies (they are almost 2, but they will always be puppies to us) play together.  Or I walk into a room and find the puppies snuggled together like they used to when we first brought them home.

I can honestly say that our pets are WONDERFUL with B.  The cats avoid him, which I get, he pulls their hair, but we he does get a hold of one, they just run away.  They don't scratch, they don't hiss, they just run away.  The puppies LOVE the baby.  They sleep in the room right by his crib.  They let him crawl all over them.  The like to just hang out in the room that he is in.  It's amazing.  Now, I am not stupid, I know that bad things can happen with pets at any minute, so we always watch B when the pets are around.  That said, I have to count myself very lucky that we have such good pets.  I know that the dogs are the way they are because of their temperment and their training, so we can take some credit, but with the cats, it's just amazing.  So, while my house is hairy and I get frustrated very often, I am grateful that we have 5 pets.

There's Nothing Like the Sound of a Nerf Gun in the Morning...

As I have mentioned before, we have 5 (count 'em 5) pets. 3 cats (2 of them VERY large) and 2 dogs (90+ pounds each). Needless to say, our house is in constant motion. Someone is always in constant motion, there is always someone who needs something, someone is always messing with someone else. Generally, all 5 of them get along. The dogs don't mess with the cats, the cats don't really mess with each other. They will chase each other, but it's just for fun. One of the cats loves the dogs to chase her. The dogs enjoy wrestling with each other. But again, all of this is generally not annoying. Everyone just kind of exists.
This is not the case from 5 to 7 am. During these hours, it is impossible to get the animals to behave. The cats gallop throughout our room. Literally, gallop. They chase each other, they jump on and off the bed, they run under the bed. All of this motion gets the dogs riled up and they start trying to get our attention. They stand right next to our bed and stare at us. As a result of this, there is no possibility of sleeping in at the Betz house. Even on the days that B likes to snooze a little later, J and I are up early. We have tried locking the cats out of our room. They proceeded to learn how to open the door and force their way in. If we put something behind the door, they just bat at the door and wake us up.
Now, I know that when you have 5 pets there are certain things that you give up. We have less money because of vet bills. We have to plan out our vacations around pet care availabilities. We can't be as spontaneous. But, we love our pets, they bring something special to our home. They make our lives fun. B loves to play with the dogs. Both J and I love to sit on the couch with a cat in our laps and watch TV. I wouldn't trade any of them. They each have a special personality and it makes life fun. I would like a moratorium on the 5 am kitty and puppy parade.
So the best method of control in the mornings is the nerf gun. J sleeps with the nerf gun right next to him in the bed. Once the kitties start their morning routine, J sits up and unloads. It is pretty hilarious to see the kitties scatter. Now lest anyone worry, no one is actually hit when fired at (J's aim isn't that good). Now, I am off to bed, hopefully, we will be able to get a little sleep past 5 am.

Babies on the move

B is officially a crawler! Hooray! I was so pleased that I was home the first time (or so I like to think) B got into motion. He's not REALLY crawling, he is moving more Army crawl style, how appropriate. It is amazing how quickly he got it down and picked up his pace. On Friday, he was just doing it every once in a while when there was something that he really wanted. Then by Saturday, he was doing it pretty much all the time and on Sunday, he wouldn't stay in one place.

This new movement was followed by a flutter of baby proofing and general mess cleaning in our house. Since I have been working so much, I have to admit that our house is not as clean as I would like it to be. There are pet hair tumbleweeds that have been allowed to exist too long. There are muddy paw prints ALL over the house. So, after I saw B stick a second hair ball in his mouth, I declared martial law and started cleaning. I cleaned from top to bottom and everywhere in between. I know that in a house with 5 pets, B is going to encounter some hair, and that's okay. But, seeing my son place a fist full of nasty pet hair was just too much. I think that we are going to arrange the house a little differently to keep the dogs out of the areas that B spends most of his time in. I also think that we are going to have to redouble our cleaning efforts.

I knew this time was coming, but I just wasn't ready! I am so excited that he is mobile, but I just didn't realize the changes that this would mean. There is no more putting him somewhere and being able to get other things done, he now commands our full attention. The one time I did turn my back, he had a power cord in his mouth in no time! Ah well, babies grow up.