Thursday, February 4, 2010

Baby's Room

For the three or so weeks before Christmas, Ben was at work for like 70 hours per week. They had this deadline to meet. So I was carting the kids all around, doing Christmas stuff, and generally going out of my mind. "They'd better give Ben a Christmas bonus," thought I.

Two days before Christmas, Ben's boss gave us a certificate to the dollar theater in town. The certificate says, "A night on the town!!" You get like a thing of popcorn and two drinks, plus your dollar tickets to a movie. No sign of a bonus. I was mad. Was this our "Christmas bonus"??? "A night on the town" to a dollar movie???

Not to be a brat. At least Ben has a job. But he was putting in major hours, and he isn't paid hourly. Just salary. He was giving his all. And our family was suffering with his absence. Anywho, he actually ended up getting a Christmas bonus like a week after Christmas. It was enough to get started on another room downstairs for the baby-meister. Ben has gotten a little bit farther on the project since I snapped this photo:

He's drywalled the whole room now. We're waiting on our tax return to hire someone to tape and texture, and then to hire someone to lay carpet - two things Ben hasn't figured out how to do on his own yet.

I'm really excited to have the baby down there with us. It would be tough to sprint upstairs every time the baby cries through the night.

Though I'll have to sprint upstairs anyways, to get a bottle heated up. Yep, I am NOT BREASTFEEDING. Judge me all you like. I tried three times. I failed three times. I AM DONE. Yes, "breast is best," blah blah blah. But not when your baby is projectile vomiting your breastmilk all over the walls. Not when your baby has sucked so violently (even with a lactation consultant) that you are basically feeding her a blood-and-milk cocktail. Not when you get mastitis like seven times and you feel like you're going to die and your baby is wayyy less colicky on formula. I'm done. Done, done, done.

As far as sleeping arrangements, a few months before the baby comes, we will transfer Micah from his room/crib to the bottom bunk in Dylan's room. We'll move the crib downstairs. And hopefully buy a new bumper/sheet/skirt set. Because DANG. Ours has HAD it. Sadie will move into Micah's room and have it to herself, as an only girl (so far) should. Dylan teases her when he walks in on her changing her clothes, and it makes her really embarrassed. Time to seperate the two.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

How cool about the babies room. And how cool that you guys got a Christmas bonus. Salaries should get those. Jer isn't salary so we don't get them :(

Anyhow, YAY to the freedom a bottle and formula bring! I have done both. Goober was Breast then Formula (cause my milk dried up), Missy was formula (cause no way in he__ I was starving my baby again) and Turbo was Breast all the way... somehow it just worked better with him.

I've decided it's not just what works best for each individual women but also sometimes varies with babies (ie my kids). I'm glad you are refusing to be stressed out about it though. Having a baby is enough stress as it is.

:)

Camille said...

Good for you Kar! I've formula fed both of my kids - never EVER EVEN tried the breast thing! You wouldn't believe the CRAP that I got at the hospital with my first one - my decision NOT yours!
You will LOVE it! So nice!
Congrats on the new baby room - can't wait to see it when it's done.

Lyndsay said...

I say to each their own, enjoy that bottlefeeding!! However, to keep you from having to go upstairs during the middle of the night, could you keep some warm water in a thermos by your bed and maybe some cool water in another one and mix up to the right temperature, or is there an electric baby bottle warmer? I'm all about making things as easy as possible. I actually fill a small bottle up with hot water and keep it in a bottle cooler by my bed every night, some nights Autumn just needs a little more than I can give her!

Good luck with the room!

cecily said...

70 hours a wk is the norm for Scott... Welcome to my world. And those "big wall street bonuses" that were all over the media seemed to have missed us.

I'm totally jealous that you get a new room for your baby... we're STILL renting. Gotta love NY :)

Anonymous said...

That's so cool that you guys have room to build an extra room for the baby!! I wish we did! I'd love to have a nursery! We've never actually had a room you could call a nursery. Nope, our 3 kids will be sleeping in the same room for a long time!! Hope it doesn't kill us all!

And I totally understand about not breastfeeding! I hate how the world is so pro breastfeeding and makes women feel like they HAVE to do it. Don't even get me started on WIC!! They're horrible! I say it's your choice and don't feel bad about it!

Carrie said...

Congrats on the new room! That is so fun. I am glad that bonus came!

Emily Empey said...

FUN!! I agree i hate people that judge about breast feeding they PISS me off! haha i didn't wantto breastfeed just in spite of those self righteous assholes! Anyway but i don't really have an opinion do i-- Sorry for the language!! haha GO YOU !!! :)

Nat said...

That's fun that you could have a bonus to work on that room downstairs.

As far as bottles during the night-I just filled a few bottles with the right amount of water and kept it on a table in my baby's room. When it was time to make a bottle then I just had to dump in the formula (also kept in the baby's room during the night). My babies didn't care that it wasn't warm, but it was still room temperature.

Oh, and if you need a name of a guy for taping and texturing, I can give you the name of the guy that did the rest of our basement; he did a better texturing job than the guys that did the rest of our house!

Lynita said...

I am a breast is best person, but that is what I feel for me. I have not had the problems you have had, so preach it sista and do what you gotta do! You are an amazing mom, and nobody knows better than you do for you and your babies!
Anywho, that is great that he finally did get a bonus, cuz the dollar theatre would have been worse than nothing at all! I can't wait to see all the room changes, it will be good for Sadie to have some privacy. I wish I could give Kaitlyn her own room, all 3 kids share one room here.
Oh by the way, Ryan doesn't even get Christmas bonuses at all, we could really use em too!

idasale said...

We know how to do tape and texture and lay carpet if you are interested! And I am with you all the way on the bottle! But buy a bottle warmer!They always helped my sister in law...I haven't been able to make the purchase yet.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...