You are getting sleepy

I thought MY little one was the only one who did this!

Note: click on the photo to launch the video on cnn.com

Traveling Man (with crib issues)

Spunky Baby will never be the same.

He's mobile. Truly mobile.

Crawling forward and backward. Falling down, rolling over, sitting up, and pulling himself into a standing position. He's trying to "furniture cruise" but having a difficult time walking sideways. He's mastered forward-walking-holding-Mommy/Daddy's-hands. He's getting faster every day.

And we are tired. So tired. I know we were lucky and never experienced sleep deprivation. Now that he's so active, we never stop moving as we are literally following him around as he attempts to terrorize our house.

Nothing is safe. Baby-proofing (an ongoing process) has begun in earnest.

Sigh.

But here's my delima: Spunky Baby is having trouble going to bed now. If he's extremely tired, he fusses for a bit and falls asleep. But if he's just tired and it's time for bed, forget it. We've always put him in his crib awake so he's learned to put himself to sleep. Now that he's so active, I put him down on his back and he rolls over, sits up, pulls up on the crib bars and looks like a prisoner in jail as he yells at us "GET ME OUTTA HERE! I WANT TO MOVE AROUND!!!"

I always thought that if we got to this point that we would just "wait it out" and he would eventually fall asleep. I believed that children are "safe" in their cribs. I didn't realize the dangers...

So, try to picture this: Spunky Baby is standing on the edge of his crib mattress looking out through the bars. One foot slips under the breathable bumper and out between two bars and he falls. Now his one thigh is caught between two bars and one entire leg is outside the crib. But, because it wasn't both legs, his other leg is inside the crib (doing the splits) and his poor little face bangs the crib bars and he's squished up against the bars and immobile. So he SCREAMS and I run to help - it's actually quite a challenge to dislodge this little leg with a hysterical child flailing around. That's why I don't have a photo to show you what actually happened.

A view of the slats on his crib...with the breathable bumper. See the problem?

And it didn't happen once. Twice. No - three times in ONE DAY.

I've moved the bumper down to try to stop this problem and now, because it's lower in the front, he is stepping on it to try and push it down or, if he's lying down, he gets his leg up over it and out of the crib: stuck again.

Do any baby product companies have a product that will remedy this problem? I'll try to get some photos next time he does it - because I know he will - but when he screams I rush in to help and think about photos after the fact.

Double sigh.

He's at the stage now where he's falling asleep in funny positions. His latest was sitting up (the photo doesn't do it justice - he's sitting up, slumped over onto blankets on his lap, sound asleep. Awww....

My sleepy little boy gives in and falls asleep sitting up, slumped over.

Ode to Lemons

A fellow mommy-blogger and tweeter (twitterer?), Simbaco, contacted me last week.

TAG! I'm it! Here's the inside scoop project Lemonade Meme.

I had to do some soul searching to find just the right topic. She posed the challenge (below) and offered the perspective: "I believe sometimes the worst in life can become the best in life."

Rules:

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.

* Link back to person who tagged you.

* Write about an incident in your life you first thought was really bad, but ended up being a blessing.

* Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

* Let each person you tagged know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

(* And if you want some extra good karma - link back to her original Lemonade Meme post too.)

To preface, one of the things that this meme made me realize is just how good my life is. I have a wonderful husband who loves me more than anything in the world, an adorable, perfect little baby boy who is happy and healthy (and sleeps through the night), an extended family who would do anything for me, a wonderful home, comfortable job...all the things I would ever want or need. It was really a challenge to move beyond the daily ups and downs and find a true defining moment.

I had several personal events floating in my head, but they seem so distant. So, I am opting to write about something I am going through right now. It may not be as major as some of the other Lemonade Meme bloggers' events, but I think the message is important so I will say what's on my mind.

I have a lot of changes on the horizon. Suffice to say that I may be turning my life upside-down in the near future (and stay tuned to hear about all these wonderful new developments!). However, in looking at the bigger picture, last week my husband brought me back down to Earth.

Reality Check: None of these things matter!

Who cares where we live or work or what car we drive. Seriously? Should I care? Do you think my son cares? No one who is important in my life really cares. What matters is that my family is together and happy and healthy. That's all that matters.

And because I have them, I am whole.

Sometimes life gets in the way and overshadows what's really important. I have a smiling little boy to remind me why I am here: I'm the best Mommy in the whole wide world to him. And a loving husband kisses my cheek and wakes up beside me every day: I'm be best wife in the world to him. Sure, other women may be better moms or wives to their family, but to mine, I'm the best and that's all that matters.

So, the lemons I've been experiencing these last few months while stressing about making big decisions gave me a big, tall, cool glass of lemonade this weekend - just in time for the warmer Spring weather. I am blessed and I am grateful.

Other decisions? Well, they still are on the horizon. Maybe closer. Who knows? I need to take a step back and realize that fate has a hand in everything that happens. I offer the world my best and if it's meant to be, then it will be. Otherwise, it wasn't right and the invisible hand was guiding me away, telling me to be patient as something better will come along.

Promise?

Promise.

Now, I have to tag a few other bloggers...some are friends, some are my favorite blogs! Don't think I can keep it to six...this is too good not to share.

Chicky Chicky Baby

Three Dogs and a Baby

A Mommy Story

Mommy Needs A Cocktail

Playgroups are No Place for Children

Ladybug's Picnic

Petroville

Mommy Bits

Adventures Of Monkey Mama

A Deaf Mom Shares Her World

Mom To Two Scouts

Trendy Mommies

I will leave a comment on you site to let you know you've been tagged. Make sure to let me know when you post! If you aren't on this list and want to join the lemonade meme party, leave a comment below and just follow the rules.

Peace. Happy Earth Day everyone.

CompUSA: Customer Service 2.0

Well, they came through. Amazing what a blog post can do.

CompUSA - I hand it to you. You are doing things the RIGHT way. You listen, respond when appropriate, and make things happen. A very frustrated customer last week is now (almost) a happy customer. All I have to do is fax you a copy of my original agreement and things will be handled appropriately. Happy customer achieved! And I'll get a check for $330!

Thank you, CompUSA and Lonny, for listening.

We've been customers of TigerDirect for years and now that CompUSA and TigerDirect are together, you'll see more of us.

If only...

Last night the movie "If Only" was on when we turned on the TV, so we pressed "rewind" which brought us back to the beginning (ah, the joys of DVR) and watched it. Well, I have to say, Spunky Daddy watched it, while I juggled an octopus on my lap and caught every fifth word before finally letting him fill his belly with Cherrios and putting him to bed. However, I've become very good at this and therefore was able to take in the movie with the ease of an octo-ped handler.

I have refrained from doing a google search - I have no idea if the movie was a blockbuster or bomb, and have no idea what other people thought.

My comment - huh?

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead

I watch movies for the feel-good effect. I love comedies and avoid dramas. I like sci-fi but hate horror. "If Only" is a drama with some comedy - a great love story. I thought I was going to walk away filled with love and appreciation. Sigh....

Summary: Jennifer Love Hewitt's character Sam is a budding professional musician living in London. She is in love with this corporate-type guy Ian. Ian is constantly focusing on "me" and forgets about the biggest day of Sam's life - her graduation concert. So, they have an argument before he leaves for his big work presentation. He flubs the presentation, goes to her concert, ignores her music students, takes her out to dinner where (with prompting) he tells her he "adores" her and thinks they should "soldier on", then he informs her he isn't going to her mom's wedding next week in the US because he has work to do. She is very upset, tells him she may not come back, gets in a cab and the cab gets in an accident - she dies. bring out the tissues.

The next morning, Ian wakes up and in "Groundhog-Day" style (minus the comedy), he finds he's reliving the same day so he decides to try to either 1) change fate or 2) make today the best day ever.

The love story of that day is awesome! So awesome that I thought it would have a happy ending!!

WRONG.

(Here's the spoiler)

HE DIES! Instead of her, HE dies! But he tells her how much he loves her and appreciates her and shows her the best day of her life in the meantime. But, did I mention, HE DIES!?!?!

I dreamt about this all night after the movie was done. Umm....aren't these things suppose to have a happy ending? The guy realized the error of his ways so give him a break! Now Sam has to live with the death of her love! I understand lots of good came out of the day they spent together, and she knew how much he loved her when he died, but seriously?! How could they do this?!?!

I needed a warning.

"THIS IS NOT A WARM AND FUZZY LOVE STORY MOVIE!"

No. I was blindsided.

My husband always says to me (while we are squabbling over stupid stuff) "What if something happened and we were upset about this? Would you want this to be the last thing you remember?" No. You are right. It's not worth getting upset over so many little things. But if the moral of the story is "Do the right thing and instead of someone else dying, you will!" I may have a harder time internalizing it.

Now, I'm exaggerating. The love story did make me smile. I just wish I hadn't watched the end. I liked it better that way. Lesson or no lesson - I don't want to watch anyone die and the people that they leave behind have to carry on with the pain involved.

Another Customer Service Catastrophe: CompUSA

What is it with bad customer service lately?

Twitter complaints are up and things are getting done, so I figured since the *telephone* isn't doing me any good, I would tell you about my experience.

CompUSA sold us a television back in 2005 - one of the big-screen LCD TVs that you can't easily put in a car and move around. We are not usually ones to purchase extended warranties, but after talking to friends and the rep at the store, we realized that if even a BULB goes on this thing that it will be a several hundred dollar repair. Much more than the cost of the extended warranty. OK...sign us up! Paid, TV came home, everyone was happy.

Until this week.

I've spent HOURS on the phone with poor customer service people at "Assurance Solutions" in Atlanta, GA - the person I spoke to (Mia) wouldn't give me her name or number (WHY?!?!) to contact her directly and said that the warranty I had with CompUSA was transferred to them with the specific exclusion to NOT cover TV bulbs (A $330 repair) - that the physical CompUSA stores used to cover bulbs so yes, my original contract had bulb coverage, but now that there are no more CompUSA stores, bulbs are no longer covered.

Does this sound like breech of contract to you?

I'm furious. Going to try to get in touch with CompUSA corporate. How absurd!!! I'm going on day 4 - faced with a long, rainy weekend - with NO TV because these guys can't honor a contract I paid A LOT OF MONEY FOR back in 2003.

If anyone knows how to help move this along, please email me at sarahlaliberte@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Say Cheese...that's not what I had in mind

Spunky Baby is learning that when I hold up the shiny silver box, make faces, and beg "say cheese!" it means a really bright light is going to blind him in the immediate future and he might as well just ham it up because it's beyond his control.

WARNING: Ridiculously cute and funny images below - proceed with caution...

Here I am, cute as can be, a normal baby...

Mommy says "Say Cheese" so I start to ham it up...

This is fun - maybe I should do this all the time now?

If I pucker up and add a "grr" maybe they'll laugh...

Now I'll just look like I'm holding my breathe until she puts that camera away.

WHERE DO THEY LEARN THIS STUFF?!?!?!

It's (going to be) A GIRL (in August)

No, not my child. I'm not expecting. Sorry.

I'm going to have a new niece! We just found out - it's a girl - child #3 for my little sister. We haven't shopped for girl things in 7 years. Oh, where to start!!!

I have a few more months before being a new Auntie - again! *BIG SMILES*

Childcare: Good help is so hard to find!

I'm picky. Sometimes I can't even put my finger on why I like/don't like something, but I have an opinion. And I second guess it. all. the. time.

I admit it!

I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to certain things - it's not unusual to hear me say "please don't ask me to stop at the grocery store on the way home" and "I sure hope my car has enough gas so I don't have to fill up before my commute this morning."

Last night, my wonderful (add every good adjective you can think of here and it'll describe her) sitter called. She is moving - out of the country - and gave her notice for June 1st.

I knew this was coming - she was honest back in November when she took the gig that she would not be staying more than a few months. She even told me in January she thought it would be sometime in July. I nodded and said that I would start working on a replacement. I didn't. I was in total denial.

June is two months away. I don't want to let her go! She loves Spunky Baby (almost) as much as we do. She has watched him since he was 10 weeks old. She is at my house 50 hours a week. She comes over on snow days to watch him while I telecommute. She babysits overnight once a month when we have a date night and get home super-late. She never minds me being 15 or 30 minutes late because I had to *grumble grumble* stop at the grocery store or if traffic was bad. She's always on-time, dependable, caring, etc. - all the things I look for in a sitter. And she is affordable - a rare gem these days. Plus she lives three doors down and walks to our house! How spoiled am I? We love her and she's a part of our family. I know this has been a difficult decision for her as well. But I'm selfish. She's great and I don't want to lose her.

Now, sadly I must find someone else. Daycare? Sitter? Nanny? My house? Someone else's? Center? Other kids? Ages? Location? Cost? Licensed? I issued a plea to friends and family for assistance in finding a suitable replacement - I really would like a personal recommendation rather than resorting to Craigslist or online sites. (Here's where the picky and lazy problems arise.) I have a list of qualities I would like in the next sitter. Yep, I'm being picky. No matter what list I put together, I'm confident that "I'll know it when I see it" once again when the fit is right. I just started looking today and I'm already in a panic about finding someone.

I do believe that beyond the emotional separation, childcare is the hardest part about being a mom working outside the home.