Responses, Confessions and NOT Again...

I wanted to take a moment to answer a few of the questions asked.

Some had questions regarding my mother's skin cream. Well, it's more like a regimen. I, personally, don't have this much discipline.

This plus monthly micro dermabrasion and every quarter some Botox and Restylane. Add to that an enormous amount of antioxidants and vitamins.

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Moving Alberto to his own room in his own bed was a decision based on dealing with the reality that he no longer fit in his pack-n-play and not so much in my desire to cut the emotional chord.

I was surprised at how easily he transitioned into his own bed since no other transition has been smooth for us. The only thing I can think of is that he was "ready" and we did it on his terms and not on some preconceived notion that he had to be doing something by a certain age. Honestly, before he came home, I wanted to check the list off of achievements. Now, it's different. If he's not ready, we wait. If he doesn't fit in something (the duck bathtub), we work on it. If there is no rush, why worry?

Moving him to his room was easier than I thought. I really was preparing myself for a few months on the move. I contemplated many scenarios. I finally just bought some cool Thomas the Tank sheets and along with his airplane sheets, made his bed "friendly". He loves sleeping there. I am amazed at how well we are both resting!

I gave away my baby monitor since I hadn't used it and didn't think I needed it. When I moved him over to his room, I thought of going and getting another one but truthfully, he is right across the hall from me. I hear EVERYTHING. Well, that is everything except for the night that he got out of bed and came to get me. I thought he wanted me. I was wrong. He wanted milk.

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Confessions

I always thought of myself as a play it by the rules kind of girl. I like order and predictability. That sounds boring and can be at times. But there is comfort in knowing what to expect. When I became a mom, I was really shocked to learn that all my preconceived ideas of motherhood were going to be challenged. Life was no longer going to be about me and what I wanted to do and more importantly at the SPEED in which I did things.

The task of going to the bathroom, those first few months, were a challenge as I learned to "go" with a child strapped to me in an Ergo Baby. Let's not mention that a trip to the grocery store required the "do I really want to go or do I HAVE to go" to the market? Because if it was an "I want", I had to rethink it because that was just a lot of work. And well everything just takes so much longer.

It takes longer to get ready in the morning because I usually have my child standing between me and the counter as I am trying to brush my teeth wanting to be carried. Picking up seems futile because as soon as I put things away, I turn around and toys are everywhere. The laundry has exponentially grown magically. I simply was not aware that we had this much clothing.

But more than that, I never realize how "attached" I would become to my little man! When he moved to his room, in his own bed, I was proud of him. I was relieved as well that I was not going to be sleeping on the floor or trying to come up with creative ways of making him feel safe in his room. At the same time, I missed having that little head pop up at the foot of my bed every morning (always earlier than I'd like) calling out for me. I missed hearing him snore. I missed hearing his occasional whimper. My bedroom became big and quiet.

The sleep has been marvelous! I have needed sleep for over a year now. With the lack of sleep, I became aware at how much I needed sleep. When I finally started getting some good quality sleep, I then marveled at how well my body received the rest.

Last week was our first night of our new sleeping arrangement. And the first part of the week was wonderful. Well, in that we both slept and I was proud of him. And then on Friday night, he woke up and got me for his milk. That was so cute and yet.... So, I slept at the foot of his bed for a while. I reasoned that he needed me there to fall back asleep. The next night, he woke up because he had a bloody nose. I slept at the foot of the bed again because of course, he needed me close by. And then the following night, he fell out of the bed (he managed to do acrobatics to the bottom corner of the bed that is the only part of the bed without a rail), I definitely needed to sleep at the foot of the bed that night.

I knew in my gut he needed me to sleep there. I convinced myself that he went back to sleep in a matter of seconds because I was there. I think I just needed to justify my needing to sleep close to him. It's kind of funny, instead of the child coming and crawling into the parents bed...the mom was crawling into the child's bed.

We are doing better this week. Although he did throw up tonight so, he's in my bed while his bedding is washing and now going in the dryer. I am sure it will be much too late for him to back to his bed and maybe he should just stay the night with me....

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Not Again...

Alberto called out for me on Tuesday morning. His big smile greeted me along with those beautiful big brown eyes that at that moment were a shade of PINK and looked teary. All I could think was, "oh crap! Here we go again."

It made no sense to me that he could once again have pink-eye. After all, how common would it be to get pink eye 3 times in 3 months. I refused to accept the pink-eye diagnosis; not that anyone had diagnosed him with it. So off to daycare he went.

Keep in mind that his "pink eye" has never been severe. It's just looked a little irritated and maybe like he is about to cry but not weepy, oozing, or swollen. He just looks a little puffy, pink and maybe glassy.

I was convinced it had to be allergies as that is what made sense. So I did give him some allergy medicine, and put in the drops.

We got the call. So, he spent the day with my mom. We went to the pediatrician's office yesterday -- his eyes were already better. And today we went to the pediatric opthamologist.

I'm glad I went to the pediatric opthamologist because she was very nice and took the time to check Alberto's eyes completely and his vision. He has extremely healthy eyes and perfect vision. Her assessment: "I am completely underwhelmed with his eyes right now." His eyes were clear at this point, no pinkness, nothing. Diagnosis: it might have been viral; more than likely associated with allergies; and could also be his nose backing up (he did have a runny nose each time) and that causing the irritation. But at this moment in time, he does not have PINK EYE!!!!!