Oh, how time flies.

I can't believe it's been so long since I've last written.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but I've just been an extremely busy, tired, exhausted mommy taking care of her wonderful, playful son.

If some of you are wondering why I stopped blogging, there are lots of reasons. However, to keep it simple, I'll summarize briefly.

1. Depression: Yes, it happened to me. When you hardly ever, ever leave the house and all you do is take care of your baby all day, and constantly struggle to keep things the way you like to (i.e. clean your house, cook, take care of yourself and everything else in life), it's almost bound to happen. I DID try writing a couple of blogs (some are still saved in my drafts), but they were just so negative. So, I kept them to myself. 


2. Busy: No explanation needed here. I was busy with work, my son and other things to keep up with it...


3. Tired: Sort of goes with along with the "busy" excuse, but after chasing a crawling, standing, and now walking kid around all day, I was pooped by the time Klay got home from work. It even makes me exhausted thinking about it.


4. Lazy: I got a little lazy too. I didn't quite have the motivation to keep writing. And, even when I thought about updating it, I thought I'll do it a little later. I'm sure the laziness had a lot to do with the three previous "excuses".

So, WHY NOW you ask? Well, I miss it. It was fun sharing and documenting all my experiences with Brody. They are not only his first experiences of life, but mine as a mother too. Plus, when Klay tries to talk about when Brody started doing something, or when we struggled with this or that, he normally gets the timing wrong. Let's just say I have a back-up reference for all of my arguments! =)

But besides all of that, Brody is turning the be O-N-E this month. I can't believe it. It's almost been one year since I gave birth to my handsome, little boy. I honestly don't know where the time went...

So, in honor of my return to blogging, I decided to share something personal with all of you... I'm expecting again! Can you believe it?

Ok, ok. I'm JUST KIDDING. No, seriously I am. My uterus is nice and empty, just the way I like it. I'm not ready for another kid to karate chop my bladder just yet; my bladder still hates me from the last one.

But, I had to keep you interested. =)

I did gain a new niece though. My sister's newest, Swayze Jo Clark, arrived last month! She's a beauty, and big sister Presley is so proud. It felt strange sitting at the hospital, the same hospital Brody was born, waiting for her make her debut and thinking about how that was me and Brody almost a year ago.

Ok, for now, that's all I'll mention. I imagine I'll do a "What You Missed" blog pretty soon.

Hope all is well with everyone! Stay tuned...

Sending my best wishes to all the parents out there,

Cass

PS. I'm wanting to rename my blog. I just threw this title together when I started last year. I've never liked it, and I'm ready for a change. Any suggestions?

Mommy Mistake = 911

Ok, guys. I've not posted lately because I've been trying to decide whether or not I wanted to blog about my most recent major incident with Brody.

I struggled with the decision to post or not to post, because of the pure humiliation and embarrassment of what happened over two weeks ago. Plus, I needed a little time to try to begin to forgive myself.

As parents, we are all bound to make mistakes. We are only human and aren't perfect, no matter how hard we try. So before you read this, I want to express how embarrassed I am to share my story. However, I chose to write about this incident because I have some dedicated readers out there (and on my best day, I had nearly 260 views on my blog from all over the world) and I do feel an obligation---a good obligation---to write about my trials and triumphs as I explore my new life as mommy.

I started this blog so people can read, laugh and share our journeys as parents. But I also decided to start this blog, because I wanted people to really learn from my mistakes. So, here it goes...

About two weeks ago, Klay and I met my mom at Walmart to buy flowers for our garden. We are no experts on plants, so we inquired mom's help. We were about to check out when Brody got fussy; it was time for him to eat. Klay told me to just head out to the truck and feed him because we had to get home ASAP to drop of the plants before heading out to Dallas for my doctor appointment.

I complied and took Brody out to the truck. I unlocked the door, put his car seat in the truck (but not in the base) facing toward the driver's side passenger door because I was going to walk to the other side to feed him.

I'd forgotten that Klay's new truck has an autostart. So proud of myself that I remembered, I started it up to get the truck to cool down a bit faster. I grabbed my bags and sat them in the truck and shut the door.



Uh-oh, I thought and started yanking on the handle to the LOCKED door.

Ok, so I've NEVER once locked my keys in my car, and the first time I do it, my three-month-old is in the backseat.

I immediately start panicking. What do I do? My phone is in the car. I can't call Klay or anyone for help. Decision time: do I leave my child in the locked car that was running, though the keys weren't in the ignition, to go get Klay and get help or do I stay there until Klay and Mom get out to the car? Luckily, I turned around and saw Klay heading out the doors and over to the car.

I start hollering at him to hurry and get over there and then quickly tell him what happened. His immediate reaction: "I'm breaking the window."

A week before, when Klay first got his truck, he was looking at the manual and found the number for OnStar. He told me, "OnStar can unlock your car remotely, if you just call this number." I said, "Put that number in your phone cause it'll be good to have."

I told Klay to call OnStar first. The car is still running, and Brody has AC, but it's not going to last forever. As some of you probably know, autostarts eventually shut off if you don't put the key in the ignition.

Mom comes out, with a Walmart associate who's helping her carry out five trees she bought, and I run over and tell mom what happened. I ask the Walmart employee if they know if they have someone in the auto/mechanic department that has something they can jimmy the car door open with. She runs in to seek help.

Meanwhile, I'm bawling and hysterical. I can hear Brody crying and I can't get to him---THE WORST FEELING EVER.

Klay gets mad because OnStar is no help, saying something like we aren't in the system (it's not a new truck, we bought it used). THEN, the truck cuts off.



I'm saying "call someone, call someone!" Mom, then, dials 911.

Now I really have the water works going. I'm sobbing and so distraught, I start throwing up in the parking lot. Klay starts looking around for a rock to break the window to his new truck, when four managers from Walmart come outside, along with a Walmart mechanic. They immediately start working on jimmying the lock.

A few minutes later (I'm not really sure how long this took cause it seemed like forever), the fire department arrives and they give it a go. Brody is now calm and looking around like what's going on guys? He's interested in watching all the people surrounding the windows trying to get into the truck.

Finally, they are successful and unlock the truck. I'd say it took them at least 7-10 minutes to get in the truck. I told mom that the whole ordeal had to of lasted 30 or more minutes, but she seemed to think it was less, saying it just seemed longer to me.

When I got in to my baby boy, he was cool as a cucumber. Smiling at me as though he wanted to let me know he was ok and not to worry.



Klay and mom hugged and thanked everyone for all of their help and rapid response. I tried my best to pull myself together to thank everyone, but I was still a mess. Felt like I deserved and earned the title as the "Worst Mom of the Year." So, special thanks to Terrell Walmart staff, managers and employees and Terrell Fire Department. We are forever grateful!!!

I did end up making it to my doctor appointment and my blood pressure was 142/108. That should tell you what kind of state I was in.

So, here I am, telling all of you about this horrific incident. I never want anyone to have to go through that. I've been so upset with myself for allowing that to happen. I could have understood if I'd been rushing, but I wasn't. It's taken me a while to truly TRY to forgive myself. But I figured the best way to start forgiving myself is to write about it and try to prevent others from doing the same thing.

As a parent, brother, sister, grandparent or friend to any child, please learn from my mistake. Every time you buckle a child in, think of me and Brody, and ask yourself "where are my keys?" If your rushing to get somewhere, slow down, make sure they are buckled in right, and that you have the keys on you at all times. Thankfully, it wasn't crazy hot outside that morning, but summer is almost in full-swing, and it's getting hotter by the day. So, keep your keys on you!

Wishing you many more successful days as parents/grandparents and no days like this incident,

Cassidy

Worrisome Wednesday

Yesterday, was a rough one for Brody and mommy. Brody woke up earlier than normal, around 5:45 a.m. His nose was pretty stopped up and he kept snorting a lot. He apparently had a hard time breathing through his nose, so I think that's why he woke up so early.



His stuffy nose is still causing him to have a blocked tear duct, so we are still having issues with his eye. It's continuously producing a lot of white to yellowish goop and hasn't stopped since his two-month doctor visit. I've tried everything (vaporizers, baby aspirators, saline drops, vapor bath bubble stuff, antibiotic eye drops, propping him up when he sleeps), but nothing has worked. I can't get his tear duct clear this time. (The photo to the left was from a few weeks ago, right after he woke up so it was pretty matted and gross. This was when his eye was really bad, now it's not even close to that and it's mostly white and clear fluid.)

Tired of the goop and waiting for this to get better, I called the doctor yesterday and they squeezed us in that afternoon. My pediatrician prescribed me a different kind of eye drops, that she wants me to put in both eyes (even though we are only having trouble with one). She also took a swab of the goop (not sure what she's testing for). So, hopefully, these drops work and we get some results soon.

In other Brody news, he is showing symptoms of teething. He's been producing lots of little spit bubbles, crying, had several inconsolable fits and he is starting to gnaw on things--rags, fingers, etc. I've been putting some teething gel on his gums and using teething tablets here and there when he's fussy and nothing else works. But I haven't felt any teeth come up yet.



The doctor said that the teeth are moving under his gums, which will produce symptoms of teething, but he probably won't produce teeth for a while. So, I guess every new stage, brings new challenges!

All in all, yesterday was exhausting. Brody wouldn't stop crying all day and didn't go to sleep the entire day. I had to constantly hold him and when we were in the car, he cried the entire time--both to and from the doctor appointment.

Can you say headache!? I went to Starbucks twice just to try to make it through the day, and while I waited in the drive-thru line at CVS to pick up his medicine, I popped a couple of ibuprofen--it didn't help much. Then, I got home, Brody had been asleep for a 20 minutes, so I went into our office to TRY to START working. I don't even have my computer on yet, and I hear Billie and Stretch growling at each other. Well, it was more like Billie growling at Stretch.

Scared and angry that they might wake Brody, I rushed in the living room to see what all the fuss was about. I saw a hard, round blackish thing--what I thought was poop-- on my rug. My rug is one of my favorite things I have in my house, and it's a mixture of different shapes of different shades of brown and white (see picture). Of course, the "poop" was on the white part of the rug. But I noticed there was black powdery-like stuff that looked like it had rubbed onto the carpet. Huh, that's strange.

I went to pick up the "poop" with a paper towel, only to realize it was CHARCOAL. I guess Billie had brought some coal in from outside--Klay had cooked a few nights ago. This dog is seriously going to be the death of me. With black all on his beard, teeth and paws, I had to wipe him down as best I could. Luckily, my dad owns a carpet cleaning business, so I tried not to fret too much about the rug. But honestly, what else can he get into!?

Meanwhile, Brody wakes up and is ready for his next feeding. After his feeding Brody spits up three times. I started to worry that he was sick. He felt a little warm, and with me being sick this week, my mind filled with worries that he was SICK or starting to get sick. Luckily, I think it was just me thinking of all the worst things that could go wrong. He was fine the rest of the night and this morning.

He was smiling up a storm this morning, but it was at 6 a.m. again! Klay's had to get up earlier than normal the past three days, and I swear, if he doesn't start getting up the first time the alarm goes off, his wife his going to push him off the bed or do something worse. That drives me crazy!

Well, we just put Brody down for the night, so I should probably get in bed while I can.

Hoping all parents everywhere have had a better week than us!

Cassidy