Baby Steps in High Heels

Baby Talk

2012-02-18T11:53:00.002-06:00

Having been raised by a teacher, who was also raised by a teacher (who just so happened to write a grammar textbook), I’ve often thought of myself as the grammar police.

Punctuation. Eh, I’m not so good at knowing when and where to put, or not put, commas.

Proof reading. Eh, I’m much too hasty most of the time.

However, I can generally tell you the appropriate time and place to use any number of phrases. I also know the difference between there/their/they’re and your/you’re, etc.

I always swore up and down, left and right, that my child would speak correctly from the very beginning.

There would be no “Hers a good girl” or other intentionally incorrect speaking of any kind. (That stuff drives me crazy!)

Baby talk is NOT my thing.

I would be a stickler about this ... no matter what.

However ….

Now that Baby is talking ALLTHETIME, I’ve decided to make a few exceptions to the rule. And, I’m making these exceptions for no other reason than … she’s just so dang cute when she says:

“Mommy, what can MY have today?”

or

“Mommy put me mad! I not like it!”

Sure, in the long run, I’ll have to start teaching her the correct way to say these things.

But for now, I’ll just enjoy listening to her sweet, innocent little voice say things like, “Hold you, Mommy. Hold you,” when she wants to be held.

Here we go again ...

2012-01-06T09:18:00.005-06:00

Next week begins yet another travel/sales season for this busy working mom. It’s always a little difficult for me to get back into the swing of things after having been home for a few months.

I used to really look forward to the travel, but these days I tend to just feel guilty about being gone.

Baby doesn’t help matters much either. She tends to give me one of two scenarios:

1-She cries: Mommy no go bye-bye. Mommy stay home. Baby go on airplane with mommy. Let’s go mommy. We go together.

2-She says: Go ‘way, Mommy! Go ‘way! I no miss you!

It's heart-breaking either way!

But, even though I didn’t make true New Year’s Resolutions this year, a big goal I have is to make peace with this part of my life. I must work. I like to work. Baby needs to see me as somebody who is confident in my choices, not riddled with guilt.

So, I’ll cross the country – Texas-California-Texas-DC-Texas before February 1st and make about a dozen other trips before May 1st.

I have managed to get the number of nights away from home down to only about 15 for the entire season, so that’s great … even if it does mean some brutally early mornings (like 4:00 a.m. wake-up calls! Yuck!).

I’m also doing a different schedule this spring that should break up the travel a bit and not be as daunting on my amazing husband who totally holds down the fort while I’m away. How many women can go away for three days, trust that their husband will follow the regular schedule for the kids, AND come home to a clean house? Not many. I’m one of the lucky few, and I won’t take it for granted!

My mantra for the spring:
King-sized hotel bed all to myself +
Six-eight continuous hours of sleep at night =
a more rested, patient mommy for Baby and wife for Husband.

I can do this!

Do you have a resolution or mantra to help you balance it all this year?

It's official ...

2012-01-04T08:04:00.001-06:00

After weeks, even months, of planning and preparing ...

Countless hours contending with tiny pieces of big toys for a special little girL

Many dollars spent (though, not too many)

Four Christmas celebrations with our large family

Gift after gift for Baby ...

She got: a kitchenette, a castle tent, a car, books, baby dolls, and more.

It’s official: her favorite new things to play with are (drum roll, please) …

Packaged mini-snickers from Husband’s stocking!

Yep. It’s what she wakes up looking for, and they’re the first thing she finds after school.

She transfers them from bowl to bowl on her kitchen stove.

She counts them and talks about the colors of the wrappers.

She hands them out to Mommy and Daddy (then promptly takes them back).

Lesson learned.

Family Traditions

2011-12-17T10:40:00.003-06:00

I’ve learned recently that holiday traditions can be a little tricky once you’re all grown up. Which ones from your childhood do you continue , and which ones do you leave behind? It’s important for new families to create their own traditions, but we also want to carry on some of those cherished memories from our own childhood.

These are a few of my family’s Christmas traditions:

Christmas Tree. I’m insistent on this – the tree goes up NO LATER THAN the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Even if it takes a week to decorate, the tree is in our house. Lately, our tradition has been to pick one out at Lowes (LOL) … but I hope to get back to a tree farm soon.

The Elf on the Shelf. We started doing this last year. Stanley comes to visit us just after Thanksgiving. He’s very formal, and we always greet him with a hearty, “Good day, Sir. Nice to see you again. We’re so glad you had a safe trip back.”

St. Nicholas Day. We began doing this last year. St. Nick brings Christmas PJs and a book to everyone’s stocking on December 6th. Next year, this tradition will include reading the story of St. Nick.

Angel Tree. Husband and I have always selected names of children in need from the Angel Tree at church. We shop for these kids, and we do our very best to GO ALL OUT! If it’s at all possible, we purchase every single thing on those kids’ wish list so that, at least in this way, they have a very Merry Christmas. This year we started taking Baby with us to do the shopping.

Nativity Adventures. Our nice nativity set is packed away, and we’ve been using Baby’s little plastic set for the last couple of years. It’s much safer that way! The Baby Jesus stays tucked away in a drawer until Christmas, and the Wise Men are also missing until they begin their journey (around our house, making their way to see Jesus) on Christmas.

Birthday Cake for Baby Jesus. This will be the first year we do this. With Christmas on the heels of Baby’s late November birthday, she is really starting to understand the concept of a birthday. This year, completely based on her idea, we will be making cupcakes and having ice cream for His Birthday party. We will also leave Him presents.

Next year, I’m also planning to have 24 wrapped Christmas books, one for Baby to open every day in the month of December until Christmas … a cute little idea I saw on Pinterest and forgot to pin. I’ll be stocking up on books this year when they *hopefully* go on sale!

What are your family traditions?

My Christmas List

2011-12-13T08:22:00.004-06:00

I almost hate to write about the things I want for Christmas, because Husband and I actually already gave each other our gifts. Unbeknownst (love that word!) to each other, we both bought Kindle Fires for one another and exchanged them last weekend.

We don’t usually do gifts early, but I had planned to have Stanley (our Elf on the Shelf) deliver ‘books’ to Baby and Husband the first morning I was going to be away this week. I had a cute little plan, and I really didn’t want to change it just because my trip got canceled.

So, on Sunday morning, Stanley arrived back from the North Pole with a gift for both Baby and Husband – Husband got the Kindle Fire and Baby got a fake little pink iPad (side note: this thing cost $14 and I’m almost ready to pay the $600 price tag of a real iPad to get rid of it … most annoying thing ever!). In turn, Husband also gave me my Kindle Fire on Sunday.

I have to say, these things are pretty amazing. It’s taking me a little time to adjust to the android features since I’m so used to my iPhone, but I love it!

That said, who doesn’t have a long list of things you might like to have?! Here’s mine:

-A RED Electric Tea Kettle like this one!

-An iPhone Photo Printer. It’s sad, but true. Almost every photo we take of Baby is on my phone. I do my best to email them to Snapfish and order the prints, but this would be nice to have too!

-Books. The print versions. (Yes, I know I have the Kindle Fire now, but some books are meant to be held.) On my list this year: Les Miserables, The Grapes of Wrath, The Glass Castle, and Of Mice and Men

-These pretty diamond hoop earrings.

-A pair of cowboy boots like these. Though my dad might not think much of me ordering a pair from Amazon. He has his hand made out of things like alligator and ostrich. I don’t think I need to go that fancy.

-Anything Tory Burch. I’ve been eyeing the snakeskin Reva Ballerina flats for years (YEARS!), but I also really like these camel colored croc-skinned ones. Okay, okay, maybe Dad and I don’t have very different taste in shoes after all!

-Other kitchen items. Really, you can’t go wrong with kitchen items for me. Right now, I really want an immersion blender and a new regular blender. I swear I smelled burning plastic coming from mine the other day when we made breakfast smoothies.

These are just a few things that I would love to have. Of course, there are more things I could add. And, I also don’t expect to get half of these things. But it really can be fun to think about the things you’d like to have for yourself.

Especially when, if you’re like me, it feels like you’ve spent the last month shopping for everyone else in the world.

So, what’s on YOUR list this year?

Blogging into the Christmas Spirit

2011-12-13T07:55:00.005-06:00

When I initially thought I’d be out of town for work for four days the week before Christmas, I was more than a little bummed.

When that trip was cancelled due to an ear infection that prevented me from flying I thought … this is NOT what I had in mind when I wished I could be at home with my family instead.

And now that I am home, sinus/ear infection in full swing, it’s been a little hard to get into the Christmas Spirit.

Or to get much done, for that matter.

Actually, motivation to do just about anything – Christmas or otherwise – has been hard to come by.

Stanley, our poor Elf on the Shelf, sat in the same place (our kitchen table centerpiece) for the entire weekend.

I looked at him. I thought about moving him. Then I thought: I’ll do it later. Can’t get off the couch just yet.

But I didn’t move him. Not on Friday. Or Saturday. Or Sunday. Or even before Baby woke up yesterday morning.

It would be fair to say that I’ve been moping around a bit these last few days.

If it hasn’t been on my computer or available via the TV remote, it just wasn’t getting done.

Until … I took a quick look at a few of your blogs.

There are crafts and recipes and stories. There is joy and holiday cheer all around.

So, thanks everyone, for helping me get a little bit of the Christmas Spirit back …

I’m not quite sure I’m up for doing a lot just yet, but I’m definitely making plans!

On the agenda for later this week …

Holiday Cooking: mint truffles, cinnamon/sugar pretzels, chex mix, cookies, reindeer noses, and more!

Holiday Crafts: Cinnamon/Applesauce ornaments and about a half dozen cute hand/foot/finger print ideas

Holiday Decorations: We’re getting the lights up outside … Whether or not it is cold or raining!

Holiday Fun: A party, spending time with friends and family, making those recipes and projects

Blogging: I’ll do my best to blog my way through the holidays, too! You know, me – the extremely non-crafty mom who will now have to make a special trip to the store for supplies for all the things mentioned above.

Tomorrow, by which time I better be feeling better!

For today, we’ll start small. Stanley has a new set of wheels!

Sick Day

2011-12-12T10:35:00.002-06:00

I can’t believe how many of our sweet, precious babies endure ear infection after ear infection in the first few years of their lives.

These past few days have been miserable for me, and I am an adult who can fully process what’s going on (i.e., feeling like you’re trapped in a tunnel is no fun!).

I feel terrible for Baby when I think back to the first year of her life. I think she had 6-8 ear infections, maybe more, before we ultimately put tubes in her ears.

She was such a trooper too – sometimes we wouldn’t even know she was sick, because she was such a happy girl.

I, on the other hand, have not been such a model patient.

Cranky and extra cranky is more like it.

I spent the weekend trying to rest and recuperate, let the amoxicillin kick in, and pretend like I could hear what everyone around me was saying.

Who knows what I nodded ‘yes’ or ‘no’ too … hopefully I didn’t commit myself to anything too undesirable. Or let Husband squirm his way out of putting Christmas lights up outside.

Baby also decided to pick this weekend to stop napping.

(Somebody, please tell me it’s too soon for that!!! )

Up before 6 am both days, and nothing but fussing in her bed during nap time on Saturday. And on Sunday.

This mama has never been so happy to see Monday arrive. Now I can finally take a much needed sick day.

Grounded

2011-12-10T18:39:00.002-06:00

All that anxiety last week, and it turns out that I won’t even be making my business trip this week.

I’ve been grounded. By the doctor.

I thought I was battling allergies all week – how could I possibly be sick? Again?

I had some variation of a cold for literally the entire months of September and October, which finally came to an abrupt end with a steroid shot right before Halloween.

I was feeling fantastic, and I really didn’t think I could possibly get sick again.

At least not so soon.

Baby’s 2nd birthday came and went, and I silently celebrated the end of the “your child will be sick as a dog from 0-2 years while she’s in day care” phase of our lives. I was very quick to welcome the latter half of that saying: “and then she’ll never get sick again.”

Now, not even two weeks later, I’ve got yet another cold-sinus-something-or-other which has prompted the doctor to advise against my flight, which would have been Sunday night.

I got the approval from my bosses yesterday, and canceled my travel arrangements this morning. Just in time, too, because Husband and I had this conversation this afternoon as we ran a quick errand:

Me: Oh wow, my ears are popping. Ouch! That really hurts!

Husband: Well, it’s a good thing you canceled your flight, because that was only an altitude change of about 30 feet. Your ear drums would have definitely burst on a plane.

The diagnosis of an inner ear infection also explains the bouts of dizziness I had been experiencing, which, had I even survived the flight, would have made for an interesting experience – dizzy driving in the greater Los Angeles area.

So, yes, I’m definitely grounded at this point. It will make for a very busy January, with several other scheduled business trips, but that’s okay.

For now, I’ll just wait around for the amoxicillin to kick in. I wonder if a glass of wine would help it out a bit …

Does she know?

2011-12-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Husband says I’m paranoid. Or, at best, I’m just reading too much into things.

But I think she knows. I don’t know how, exactly, but I think she does.

Sure, oscillating temper tantrums and bouts of being overly clingy are a major part of toddlerhood.

As is finding new words and phrases daily.

“No, mommy, STAY!”

“Sit on bottom, mommy. DON’T MOVE!”

“Mommy, mommy … NO GO BYE-BYEEEEEEEEE!”

Of course, I am sensitive to these words. I know I am leaving for another trip soon.

I know it will be a long trip this time. Four full days and nights.

Just before Christmas.

Two time zones away, with little to no opportunities to Skype or even talk on the phone.

I know I will be gone, but I wonder …

Does she know?

Linking up with Shell at Things I Can't Say for Pour Your Heart Out (not sure why the button won't work??)

Questions

2011-12-05T12:02:00.001-06:00

Baby asks a lot of questions these days.

Some of my favorites are …

What Mommy doing?

Where we going?

Even in her sleep, she indignantly asks … Where my (insert any random object) at?!

The question of this past weekend was … what raining doing?

And, recently she asked the question that I know will soon take over our lives …

Mommy, wh … wh … Mommy, WHYYYYYYYY?!?!

I don’t think she fully understands this concept just yet. She was probably just mimicking me, but still – it’s a sure sign of what is to come!

How many Christmas Gifts do you give your kids?

2011-12-03T12:05:00.001-06:00

I’ve heard some great ideas about Christmas gifts for kids.

Only give them three gifts, because that is the number of gifts that were brought to the Baby Jesus.

Or, the 4-gift rule: one thing they need, one thing they want, one thing they’ll wear, and … oh something else. I’ll have to check Pinterest to remember!

I’m a little at a loss on how to handle Christmas gifts. I really like these ideas, especially since Christmas comes on the heels of Baby’s birthday and we’re usually swimming in toys by December 1st anyway.

However, at this age, I feel like she constantly needs new things. New clothes as she gets bigger. New cups to replace the sippy cups. New shoes, because her feet (that didn’t grow a single size for an entire year) are now growing a half size a month. New toys for developing new skills.

The thing is, I really don’t want to get in the habit of buying her these things on regular trips to the store throughout the year. I don’t want her thinking that she gets a toy every time we pop into the grocery store for milk.

So, a part of me thinks that birthday and Christmas are the perfect time to just load up on presents to last all year. We could keep some of them in a closet and pull them out as needed.

On the other hand, I don’t want to miss the meaning of Christmas all together and only focus on gifts.

What’s your philosophy? What does your family do?

Sweet Baby, you are two!

2011-11-28T08:29:00.003-06:00

Sweet Baby,

Yesterday you turned two, and I really can’t believe it. It’s true what they say: the days are long, but the years are oh-so-short. With another few blinks of an eye, you’ll be all grown up … and there are some very important things that I want to remember and that I want you to know about your two-year-old self.

You are fearless.

You take “no” as a dare to jump headfirst.

You don’t like loud noises very much (“Big Choo Choo loud!”).

But with a little reassurance, you own your fear (“Hush it, Choo Choo, hush it!!!).

You have been talking up a storm for at least six months. Your vocabulary is huge, and you speak in complete sentences. You’re even starting to pick up on context.

My favorite thing that you say right now is that you don’t just call us mama and daddy. You say, “I love you, my daddy,” or “Thank you, my mama.” So sweet!

Your favorite question is: What mama doing? What daddy doing?

You also love noticing and saying what we’re doing together: “We walking together.” Or “We eating together.”

You’re independent. Strong willed. Confident.

You are not shy, except in new places or with new people. Once you warm up, you’re happy to belt out your favorite songs at the top of your lungs. (ME AND MY BEST TEDDY BEARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!)

You’re a joker. You taunt us and sneak up to ‘scare’ us and psych us out.

You never sit still. Your feet hit the ground in the morning, and you run all day.

You’re a very busy girl.

You love animals, especially puppies and kitties. You’re not sure about real animals, in person, but in books, on TV, on shirts, and from a far distance … you looooove animals.

You love stickers. It’s our best method of bribery with you right now. 

You have amazing hearing and eyesight! You can see planes in the sky that barely glimmer against the sun. You hear the trains going by from across town. It’s amazing.

You love purses and make-up and shopping, a girly girl for your mama.

You love being outside, rain or shine, just like your daddy.

You still like your face in the wind, even on the coldest day of the year.

You’re a picky eater, but you do love: grilled cheese, pizza, egg tacos, ice cream, waffles, chex/kix/cheerios, goldfish, crackers, any dessert you can get your hands on, pureed fruit/veggie combos (we call them “squeeze” because of the containers they come in) …

As eating goes, you’re a grazer. You constantly carry your snack cup with you, much to your daddy’s chagrin.

You’re a little organizer, also like your daddy. Sometimes I think you carry your snack up with you just so you can transfer your chex from it to another container … one. at. a. time.

You love playing with your babies. You’re such a little mama – you pat their backs goodnight and kiss their ‘boo boos’ when you think they need extra loving.

You’re not much of a snuggler, unless we can sneak them in first thing in the morning.

And, you are a morning person. You wake up early, giggling, excited, and ready to play.

You love books: It’s Pajama Time, Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, I’ll See You in the Morning.

You love music. Right now, you’re taking two music classes in school, and you’d probably do more if you could!

You love to sing. Baa Baa Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Me and My Best Teddy Bear (from Barney) are your favorites. You also like: the ABCs, Old McDonald, and The Farmer in the Dell. At night we sing Amazing Grace and Like a Sunflower.

You love to dance. You throw your hand in the air. You bounce up and down. You sway. You twirl. You do it all, with or without music.

You are sweet. You give the best hugs and kisses in the entire world.

You are a spark of light, so full of joy and energy and life.

You are the most wonderful, amazing little girl. You are happy.

Thank you for showing us what life is all about and what true love really feels like.

Thank you for bringing more joy to us than we ever knew possible.

Thank you for letting us say, at every new stage: this is the best one yet!

Mostly, thank you for being ours.

Love,
Mama & Daddy

Baby Turns Two!

2011-11-22T11:26:00.002-06:00

Is anyone still reading this blog? Ha! I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer is no. Especially since I haven’t updated it in … months.

What can I say? Life happens!

Apparently being a wife, mom, sales rep, MOPS Steering member, Macaroni Kid publisher, and … blogger can be overwhelming from time to time. (okay, okay, and my new addiction to Pinterest has also taken some of my time lately.)

Something had to give.

Anyway …

Baby turns two on Sunday, and we celebrated at our local Train Museum last weekend. Here are a few pictures to catch you up on my growing girl.

If you’re still here, THANKS, and please stick around. I hope to start posting more over the holidays.

Resolution

2011-09-14T08:05:00.004-05:00

As Baby’s second birthday approaches (in November), I’ve had a bit of a revelation. My child is almost 2, which means I’ve been doing this working-traveling-mom thing for almost two years.

And, for each and every one of those 650+ days, I’ve stressed, worried, and guilted myself about being a working mom.

Is day care a detriment to my child’s development?

Will our bond be permanently stunted because I am not there each and every minute of her life?
Have I failed my child?

Have I failed my husband by leaving him with the bulk of the responsibilities on a regular basis?

What if something happens while I’m away?

What if they need me?

What if they don’t?

These questions, along with – oh about ten million more, have plagued me constantly since the day my maternity leave ended.

But, yesterday I woke up, skyped with my happy, smiling, little girl who tried to feed me bites of waffles through the computer, and I realized … she knows how much I love her.

She knows that she is the most important, cherished, beloved part of my life.

So, I resolved to stop the guilt. Stop the anxiety. Stop the stress.

I felt good about this resolution, confident even.

Two minutes later, day care called. Baby fell on her face while going outside. She has a bump on
her head and a scratched up nose.

My internal thought process in the following 4 seconds: I’m in the middle of freakin’ nowhere, three hours from home, stuck behind a semi going 40 in a 70. How the hell am I going to turn this car around and get to my child in under an hour? I’m pulling her out of day care, quitting my job, and holding her like an infant until she leaves for college, if I even let her go to college. How irresponsible are these day care workers to let her fall on her face?! What am I going to do?

Reality check: Five seconds later, they’re telling me that she’s jumping, playing, and dancing around outside and didn’t even cry. They just wanted to let me know what had happened. There is no need to come get her.

Of course, I call Husband immediately to let him know that he needs to quit his job, pick Baby up, and hold her like an infant until I can be home in three hours.

He tells me I’m crazy. Remember, she fell on her face a dozen times over the weekend and was just fine – she’s a high energy toddler who runs – never walks – everywhere, and she’ll be fine. She didn’t even cry.

Hmpf. I guess my resolution is on probation. God is definitely testing my resolve. I’m going to try it out, but honestly … guilt is my middle name. If this is going to work, I could use a day or two (or, you know, at least 5 minutes) without being tested.

It's been a while, but it feels good to link up again with Shell at Things I Can't Say for Pour Your Heart Out.

Note: I know I’ve been MIA lately. What can I say? Life gets busy sometimes. But I have been keeping up with y’all, reading your blogs, and attempting to comment … blogger has it in for me and won’t let me comment on about 80% of the blogs in my reader. Sorry!

A Mom's Silly Heart Break

2011-08-18T08:26:00.000-05:00

Usually Husband drops Baby off at day care. It’s so hard for me to leave her. You’d think I would be used to it by now … we’ve been doing this for over a year and a half.

But it hasn’t really gotten any easier for me. There is sorrow for missing out on parts of her day. There is guilt, of course. There is the crushing heart break every time her little face twists into a frown and she starts to cry for me to stay.

I thought it was bad she was younger, but it’s even more torturous now that she has words. Oh, how they cut like a knife.

It’s funny, though, because today brought on a whole new kind of heart break. And, silly though it may be, I’d be lying if I tried to say it didn’t hurt just as much to watch her stand by our door this morning, begging to go to school. Begging to leave me and go play with her friends. Begging to go (“Now, mama, now! Let’s go!”) for her music class this morning.

Oh, how it cut like a knife.

PYHO: On the Road Again

2011-08-03T08:27:00.002-05:00

It’s been a while since I truly blogged. Life has been … busy. To say the least.

The crazy part for me is that the summer is my ‘slow’ time at work. I’m supposed to have more time to spend with my family, with Baby, during these summer months.

And, to a certain extent, I have. Instead of spending nights away from home, I’ve been able to pick her up from day care early in the afternoon. We’ve run circles around the house, playing all afternoon. Oh, how we’ve played! And (of course) her favorite … we’ve been shopping!

She chants: Shopping! Shopping! Shopping!

I just can’t believe that it’s already August. I can’t believe that I leave for my annual sales meeting on Monday. This is the event that essentially kicks off my traveling season for the fall, and it will be followed by a couple of long, difficult months of being on the road again, spending several nights each week away from home and away from my family.

In the next month, I’ll cross the country twice. In the next three months, I’ll build more frequent flier miles and hotel points than most people do in several years.

And, it’s not easy. I HATE leaving. I HATE being gone. I HATE that I miss those precious moments with my ever-changing toddler. Sometimes, I notice that her hair has grown when I’ve been gone for a mere 48 hours.

Then I think about all that this job really does afford me – flexibility, salary, insurance. More than that, too, this job provides security in turbulent times. And, I really like what I do, so that also provides a certain set of perks.

I realize the benefits. I really do, and I’m not ungrateful.

But I also struggle. All. The. Time.

Husband asked me last night if I was just over-thinking the situation. (I was trying to explain to him that he would need to spend more quality time with Baby next week, because she would already be thrown off by my absence.)

Maybe I am. Kids are resilient. I know they are. But I don’t want to be the reason my child has to be resilient. I want to be her security, her sense of normalcy. Her home. And I hate the thought of being the inconsistency in her life.

I thought my traveling was hard last year, but I can already tell this year will be much more difficult. Baby has words now. She has opinions. She can tell me exactly what she thinks, and I’m just not sure what she’ll think about my coming and going so frequently.

And, the really, really selfish side of me dreads the day when she no longer clings to me. It’s not that I don’t want her to cling to Husband. It’s just that I don’t want her to not cling to me. It’s one thing if she does it by some natural choice, but I hate thinking that I might cause her to pull away simply by being absent.

So I will work extra hard these next few months. I will take 6:00 am flights on Monday morning instead of flying out Sunday evenings like most of my co-workers. I will do in three days what most others do in four (or more). I will work hard to be home, with Husband and Baby, as often as possible.

Linking up with Shell at Things I Can't Say again this week for Pour Your Heart Out Wedneday. Join us.

Sentences

2011-08-01T11:57:00.001-05:00

Baby: Mama, I see a truck!
Me: You do?
Baby: Uh huh. I see it.

Twenty months old. Speaking in sentences.

Forgive me for bragging a bit, but I’m one proud mama!

Baby talks non-stop. When she’s not talking, she’s singing. And, whether she’s talking or singing, she is always on the go.

Busy baby plus busy mama equals one very full life, but we’re having a great time!

Grown up grief

2011-07-20T22:08:00.002-05:00

Grief. Loss. Sadness. Regret.

These emotions have been a fairly consistent part of my life for over a decade. Maybe longer.

One of my step-brothers died in a car accident when I was 16. Following that, I experienced the loss of a friend or loved one every couple of months for about a year.

It was by far the most difficult time in my life, and I learned a lot about grown up emotions before I had really grown up myself.

Flash forward almost 15 years, and those emotions are right back at my doorstep with the recent loss of a very dear friend.

Grief, loss, sadness, regret. They all come tumbling down when you lose somebody that you have loved.

The thing is … the experience is so incredibly different now. I feel the impact.

But I also see and even accept life as it continues to go on around me.

I have a child now. She is too young to expose her to my sorrow or to these grown up situations. She doesn’t need to see mama cry. There is no way a one-year-old could begin to comprehend death, but she would certainly be affected by seeing me upset.

So, not only does life go on, but so do I.

That wasn’t the case all those years ago. I was able to give so much of my time to my grief.

Am I jaded because these are no longer brand new feelings? Possibly.

I think, though, that it’s more likely that I’m simply experiencing grown up grief.

It’s not that the loss is not felt just as deeply. Or that the life was not just as significant.

It’s simply that my life now, including all of my experiences – good and bad, is no longer just about me.

Even when I’m sad … breakfast must still be made. The Tickle Monster is still required to make an appearance. Barney-Elmo-Baby-Woof Woof requests still fly on a regular basis.

Even when I’m sad … it’s still my job to comfort and nurture and love Baby. To make sure that nothing in her world changes or is impacted by my own experiences. To make sure that her biggest concern of the day is that she had to eat yogurt when she really wanted ice cream.

And that’s okay. That, I think, is both how and why life goes on.

Pouring my Heart Out with Shell this week, maybe more than ever before.

Rockin' the Baby!

2011-07-18T12:35:00.005-05:00

Day One ...

Six months later...

Today ...

She's unlikely to let me hold her like this for more than 2 seconds these days (as you can see from the last photo where she's obviously trying to escape), but I'll always remember how great it feels to rock my sweet baby.

Linking up with Shell's Rockin' the Baby!

George

2011-07-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

A brother. A son. A husband. A friend.

My Friend.

At one time, my very best friend. My rock.

No time or distance will change the fact that your friendship saved my life.

Your presence truly made this world a better place.

Most people around the world today will not notice. But so very many will.

We will notice that the light around us shines a little dimmer today, and every day going forward.
But tonight we will also take notice of a brand new star in the sky. One that seems to outshine all others. And, if we listen very closely, we may just hear a hearty chuckle escape the night’s sky.

And we will know that it is you. For there is no mistaking your contagious laughter, your incredible joy.

Many wonderful things have been said and written about you in the last few hours. You were a friend, a listener, a brother, an angel. The one that resonates the most for me is this …

You were truly a gift.

Dear Lord-One day you will reveal to us your master plan, and we will share in your knowledge, your wisdom, and your understanding. Until that time, please hold us close and comfort us as our grieving hearts ask: Why?

Macaroni Kid!

2011-07-08T13:58:00.004-05:00

Have you heard about Macaroni Kid? I’m a Publisher Mom for my local Macaroni Kid newsletter, and I love it! We tell local families about all the kid happenings around town. With a calendar of events, parenting articles, and craft/recipe ideas, our goal is to arm parents with enough activities to entertain, stimulate, and exhaust their kids … without exhausting themselves.

We also just launched Macaroni Deals, which is an awesome super coupon website targeted specifically to families, kids, moms, etc. I love being a part of Macaroni Kid and Macaroni Deals … it really is so much fun!

You can check the national site to see if your area already has a newsletter. If so, sign up now. It’s such a great resource, and you’ll be so glad you to have all the relevant kid info in one spot! If your town/neighborhood doesn’t already have Macaroni Kid, ask me how you can become a local Publisher Mom. It’s really easy and a lot of fun!

Life: Prediction v. Reality

2011-06-30T08:20:00.003-05:00

Some of my oldest friends (and as J points out, that means that we’ve known each other for a long time … not that they’re old), who also happen to be bloggers, recently approached me with a fantastic idea. Let’s talk about life - love, family, and career. How did we think things might turn out? What predictions did we make in the past about our future lives? And, how have those things played out in reality?

So here is the challenge... what did you expect your life to look like? Is it anything close to what you once imagined? The best way to attack this topic is to compartmentalize into three major subsections: Love, Family, and Career.

LOVE
Prediction: I had a firm plan that I wouldn’t even consider getting married before age 30. I would first conquer the world, then think about settling down. What I did know, though, was that the person I ended up with would be as many of the following things as possible: Catholic, tall/dark/handsome, refined/educated, smart , driven, successful. He would be all of those things and still willing to let me rule the world. I would also not end up with somebody who ‘had potential’ … it would have to be someone who was already achieving their potential.

Reality: I met Husband when I was 23, almost 24. The rest, as they say, is history. The walls came tumbling down, albeit after some resistance on my part. Husband has a much more elaborate and exaggerated version of this story and how I ‘ran like a scared rabbit’ … yes, even educated men in the south use expressions like this. As it turns out, Husband actually had every single quality I ever imagined wanting. And then some.

Breaking it down: I’m not sure my predictions could have ever really been based in reality, because I don’t think it is possible to plan for something you don’t know exists. Husband, while meeting all of those superficial characteristics I mentioned, is so much more loving and supportive that I ever thought possible.

FAMILY
Prediction: I was all over the spectrum on this one, ranging from thinking I would never have children to thinking I would have or adopt a whole litter. The thing I was fairly certain of was that children wouldn’t really enter the picture until much later in life.

Reality: I turn 30 this October. I’ll have an almost-four-year old marriage and an almost-two-year-old daughter.

Break it down: Who knew?! This might be the one and only time in my life that I’ll admit to having been wrong and actually be happy about it! Pregnancy was hard, and Brian is not as into the idea of adoption as I am, so the future remains to be seen. For now, we’re good with only having one toddler rule the roost.

CAREER
Prediction: I’m not sure I ever had a specific plan of my own. Which is strange considering how much of a planner I am. Sure, there were times I thought I’d be a lawyer or a counselor or something truly noble. But, I think I just always expected to graduate from college, move to New York City (or Milan or Paris), find something interesting and important to do – anything ranging from human rights to fashion – become insanely wealthy, and never look back.

Reality: In one word – family. I was ultimately just too tied to my family to move far away. The more detailed description, of course, involves: applying to law school, not getting into the schools I wanted (probably because I didn’t put a ton of effort into my applications or the LSAT), studying for both the GRE and GMAT but never taking either ... and subsequently just needing to ‘get a job’ … which, I did. I sell textbooks. Glamorous, I know.

Breaking it down: It’s actually been a really enjoyable career path. I work for a phenomenal company that really takes care of its employees. I’ve been able to travel all over the US for work and to some more exotic destinations on incentive trips. I have more hotel and airline points that I will probably ever know what to do with, so traveling is always affordable for us. And, working in the publishing world has opened doors for me that I might never have considered otherwise ... blogging, publishing Macaroni Kid, and more.

One thing I know for sure is that I will forever be ruined for any kind of desk job or position that requires set hours or being micromanaged.

How does your reality compare to your predictions? I’d love to host a linky, but I have no idea how to do that and no time to look into it! If you post about this topic, comment below with your link!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

Baby Talk

2011-06-27T09:40:00.002-05:00

I’ve blogged recently about how talkative Baby has become. Although I try not to brag, I really am a pretty proud mama. She has an excellent vocabulary, and is adding new words and phrases daily.

That said, like most mother/child duos, I would guess that I’m the only one who can recognize about 60% of what she says. I know exactly what she’s saying, and it all makes perfect sense ... to me.

However, to others, it still just sounds a lot like gibberish.

To that end, I thought I’d interpret her latest monologue for y’all. I’m sure that some things will be lost in translation, but you’ll get the gist. It goes something like this …

“Hi! My name is Baby, and I’ll be your tour guide today as you journey through The Land of No-No-Mama-Bye-Bye-Go! I’m a super smart little girl, so you might hear me refer to this place from time to time as ‘Adios Mama!’ (because can totally pull off 'bilingual') or as ‘Be Seein’ You’ (because I can play ‘casual’ pretty well too). Whatever I call it, it all means the same thing. You want me to do something that I don’t want to do, so I’m telling you to leave. I will attempt to push you into corners or close the door in your face. I will run away from you, and make no mistake – I’m fast. I’ll even occasionally throw in a kiss or two just to throw you for a loop. You’ll think I’m sweet, and I’ll get what I want. That’s just the way I roll. I’m 19-months-old, and I’m awesome. Also … I own you.”

Anyone else been to The Land of No-No-Mama-Bye-Bye-Go? I’d love to borrow your map and/or itinerary. I wonder if Frommer’s has a book out on this place yet…

Potty mouth

2011-06-17T09:03:00.002-05:00

I always thought I’d be the one to have to watch my mouth. Especially as Baby learns more words, is mimicking and talking more, and generally becomes more aware of what is going on around her.

This, however, is not exactly the case. I’ve actually been pretty careful about my own words.

And, I’ve literally had to squelch my overflowing pride a time or two so as not to boast that my 18-month-old has an incredible vocabulary. I’m really not trying to brag (okay, maybe a little), but she does know over 100 words. She has several phrases. She chimes in on songs.

Words seem to be her forte.

The problem? Her pronunciation.

Of course, as her mom, I know exactly what she’s saying, what she means, and what she wants.

And, at times, I forget that my understanding of her words doesn’t exactly transfer to others.

Which isn’t a huge problem.

Except when you’re sitting in a public place. And your oh-so-sweet daughter sings ‘quack quack quack’ or waves out the window to the ‘truck’ … and it does not sound at all like she’s saying ‘quack’ or ‘truck’ …

No, it doesn’t sound like that at all.

Then you start to wonder how many public places you’ve visited where she exclaimed these words and you never even realized what it must sound like to those around you.

Oh my. She really doesn’t have a potty mouth. But I bet it sounds like she does to other people.

Rockin' the Bump!

2011-06-13T07:49:00.003-05:00

Husband and I were discussing my pregnancy over the weekend. He mentioned that, although he remembers me being pregnant (how could he not recall that miserable time?!) ... he actually doesn't remember much about my belly.

So, I thought I'd join Shell at Things I Can't Say for Rockin' the Bump as a little reminder!

A friend took a couple of maternity pictures for me about a month before Baby was born. At this point, I was finally feeling a little better for a few hours a day (thank you, zofran!).

This was at 37 weeks...just 2 weeks before Baby was born!

Novemer 27th - Birth Day!

I wouldn't say that I 'rocked' much of anything during pregnancy, but the one thing I actually do miss is that sweet little baby bump!

The toddler years

2011-06-08T08:49:00.002-05:00

I think we all have our fears and concerns about being mothers.

Will I be good at this?

Will I be good enough at this?

How and when and where will I know what to do? Or how to do it? Or if it is the right thing to do?

I’m sure we all have a handful (or more) of questions that linger in the back of minds.

But then something amazing happens. You baby is born and instincts kick in. You just know how to nurture that little bundle of joy. Sure there are things you have to figure out along the way – lessons you learn the hard way – but overall, the whole mothering things comes much more naturally than you ever expected.

It’s pure bliss. Only you don’t realize how blissful it is until … WAHM! The toddler years hit.

Suddenly you find yourself sitting, defeated, on the bathroom floor as your naked one-year-old runs around taunting you. She’s got your parenting book in one hand (no clue how that ended up in the bathroom!) and a dirty diaper in the other, and it’s sooo obvious that she totally owns you. She will scream bloody murder as you attempt to get her into the bathtub, then laugh maniacally as she escapes your grasp. And, instead of the shampoo, it’s this process that you rinse and repeat for the next half hour.

This is the moment when you reflect back on her infancy and yearn for those blissful days where you were actually in control. If only you had been able to appreciate a baby who not only needed you, but wanted you. If only, instead of Mozart, you had thought to send a few subliminal messages at night …. Mommy is in charge. Mommy is in control. Mommy is the boss.

Of course, you’re not really sure if you should have played those for Baby or yourself. Or both?

Monsters.

2011-05-31T10:57:00.000-05:00

Baby loves Cookie Monster. She’ll dance her little heart out to “C is for cookie” … she will literally stop in her tracks for this monster.

And, though she may not realize it, she also loves the Tickle Monster. She’s most ticklish on her neck and collarbone, but you can pretty much get her giggling with just a little tickle of her ribs or legs or knees or feet.

Those monsters are fun.

There are other monsters, however, that are not so fun.

The Sleep Deprivation Monster (AKA, Baby). Sure, she’s had a good 10 hours of sleep by the time 5:00 AM rolls around, but I have not!

The Please-Don’t-Ever-Put-Me-Down-I-Want-My-Mama-And-Only-My-Mama Monster. Also known as Baby. Sweet little girl that she is, she loves her mama sooo much. Honestly, I am kinda loving this monster. Most of the time. Except when I need to take care of a few simple tasks … like drink a hot cup of coffee. Or go to the bathroom. Or do anything that requires more than the use of my left hand, especially since I am right handed.

The I-Will-NOT-Go-To-Sleep-Not-Without-A-Fight Monster. Yes, this too is my child. We’re working on crying it out. And, by that, I mean … she’s crying. I’m crying. It’s not a pretty picture. I’m crossing my fingers though, because I don’t think she has yet caught on to the fact that self-induced puking will quickly get my attention. It’s only happened once. Yuck.

Then, my friends, there is the Green Eyed Monster.

Jealousy.

This beast recently has recently reared its ugly head inside of my child, and … wow.

It is ugly.

My sweet, loving little girl transforms into a little bit of an actual monster herself. One that hits and throws tantrums and is defiant and is generally not very nice.

The trigger? Me.

Yes, she loves her mama soooo much that she does NOT. Want. To. Share.

And she is not afraid to make her opinion known. I am her mama, and only her mama. My affections are for her and her alone. Kiss her daddy, and he gets slapped. Hug her stuffed tiger, and she starts beating on him too.

Terrible Twos: You are 6 months early.

Time Outs: You are virtually ineffective.

Parenting Books: Well, when my toddler is chasing me around the house while holding
you, I’m not sure you’re much help either.

Moms in the blogging world: Thoughts? Advice? Help?

Spirited.

2011-05-26T08:44:00.002-05:00

Somebody recently shared with me this notion: from 18 months to age 3, toddlers have a minor meltdown every 6 minutes and at least 3 major meltdowns every hour.

Let’s just say that Tantrum Tallulah, as we sometimes call Baby, has been around a lot lately.

Thus, I was inspired to order the book The Happiest Toddler on the Block. I’m only a few pages in, and I can already tell you that I will be taking to heart some very valuable nuggets of information regarding toddler behavior.

Case in point: You cannot think of toddlers as mini-big kids. You must think of them as mini-cavemen.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never read a more accurate statement in my life.

You could look at the sky on a crystal clear day and state, “The sky is blue,” and it still would be a less accurate statement than asserting that toddlers are essentially cavemen.

I’m seriously not more than 20 pages into this book, but I have also learned one other helpful bit of info regarding my toddler (who I still adamantly call Baby!).

Spirited. She is spirited.

Apparently there are three kinds of children: Easy, Shy, and Spirited.

Personally, I think Baby is actually a mix of all of these, but the majority of the time … she is spirited.

Strong willed. Very high highs. Very low lows. Easily distracted, but simultaneously unwilling to give up on something she has set her mind to achieve.

Oh, and this is my fave: never stops going. And, I mean never.

She’s up before dawn and doesn’t stop moving until she literally crashes at nap time. Immediately following a good nap, she’s on the go again until she crashes again at bed time.

In all honestly, though, I love having this term – spirited – to explain Baby’s personality. I think it’s an ideal description. She is truly full of life.

And, yes, sometimes it’s exhausting for me. Okay, okay, it is quite frequently exhausting for me, but I really couldn’t imagine it any other way. I can’t even imagine wanting it to be any other way.

I love my head-strong, opinionated, spirited little toddler. And she knows it!

[P.S. Nobody asked me to write about this book. It just happens to be what is going on in my life right now, and I thought I'd share the link in case any of you are interested.]

I miss you.

2011-05-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I haven’t always been very nice to you. There were days when I woke up cursing your name.

I’ve referred to you as hateful. Obnoxious. Just plain mean.

I’m pretty sure I’ve even threatened physical violence a time or two (or ten).

But, these days, I find myself missing you.

I find that I miss waking up next to you.

I miss being asleep until the exact moment when you wake me up.

Oh, alarm clock, how I wish that I wasn’t awake loooong, looooooooong before your chiming sounds greet the morning.

Oh, alarm clock, how I miss you.

I do still hear you. But I am usually across the house when you start singing these days.

One day, I will be back. I promise. I promise we’ll resume our love/hate relationship again. One day.

Until then, I’ll be rocking my sweet teething, growing, screaming, unhappily not-sleeping child. I won’t be there when you wake up, because I will be with her. It’s where I’m needed right now. It’s where I’m supposed to be.

But my sweet alarm clock, you know my deep, dark little secret. As much as I love snuggling my baby girl …. I do miss you too. I’m trying to negotiate some sort of an agreement (snuggles with her at night; snuggles with you in the morning), but so far she’s not buying into this plan.

Please, please don’t give up on me. I miss you.

I'm back. Maybe.

2011-05-16T08:41:00.002-05:00

Sorry to have been MIA for such an extended period of time. And without any explanation. Life happens, I suppose, and I hadn’t exactly planned to stop blogging these last few weeks. Many, many things have been going on.

Births. Babypolooza, I call it. I know 6 babies that have been born within the last couple of weeks, a couple more planned for this week, and a couple after that this summer. Lots and lots of babies!

Deaths. Close friends have lost people they love. It is truly heart breaking to watch people you care about suffer great loss and not be able to truly comfort them.

Difficulties. Among the many births, one was especially difficult. A dear friend is still recovering, as is her sweet baby, who remains in the NICU. Please pray for them. Another difficulty of a different nature – professional issues for somebody I love very much. Watching a person who has literally given decades of their life to a job only to be put through the ringer for personal reasons is tough.

And, herein lies the problem with blogging for me. These are the things I’ve wanted to write about. These are the things that I’m currently passionate about. But they’re not my stories to tell. It’s not my place to blog publicly about other people’s private lives.

So, I’ve been quiet. I do ask for your prayers. Prayers for Baby G, that he continues to recover fully. For my friends who are desperately trying to make sense of their loss. And for somebody who means the absolute world to me, who will hopefully have a resolution to this professional mess very, very soon.

If you’ve stuck with me this far, and you’re ready for something much less vague (and assuming you’re not sick to death of my writing about day care issues), read on!

I. HATE. DAY. CARE.

I wish I had more productive things to say. I wish I could be more insightful. I wish I had more to offer. But, really, I am just fed up. Such is the plight of the working mom, I suppose.

It’s ridiculous, though. I am so tired of my child coming home every single day with a new incident report, a new injury. It’s not that I don’t expect one-year-olds to tumble, fall, bite/hit each other, etc. I get it. It’s the age.

My problem is that there are entirely too many incident reports that cannot be explained. Too many instances where the teachers just don’t know what happened.

Although, I really do like a couple of the teachers, the ratio is just too high. Twelve unstable toddling children is too many for two teachers. Especially when one of them sits with her back to the kids when they’re on the play ground.

So, I’m obviously looking for new options. I’ve got a couple of places that are run by churches and that have been recommended to me by people I know and trust. I’m just hoping their hours will line up with what we need and that they have availability. I hate to transition Baby again, but I am really not sure what else to do.

Sorry to come back with nothing but complaints. I’ve got some fun stuff coming up, promise! Just needed to get this off my chest today.

Anyway, I'm back. Maybe. Assuming I don't pull Baby out of day care with no back up plan, I hope to be back to blogging and visiting all of you again soon!

A break.

2011-04-26T11:49:00.002-05:00

Whether she’ll admit it or not, every mother craves a break every once in a while.

An hour or two for herself. Sometimes a day or even a few days of peace and quiet.

A time to relax, rejuvenate, and come back to parenting energized and ready to go.

I had this great opportunity last week, as Baby spent a few days with her grandparents before our family got together to celebrate Easter.

It was bliss. I slept All. Night. Long. I slept until 8:00 a.m. It was going to be a great day.

Until.

Until I realized that I didn’t have an excuse to wear that super cute shirt with a stain on the front.

When Baby is with me, I can always say … oh she just did this after we left the house. There was no time to go home and change.

I also realized a few other ways that I benefit from having Baby attached to my hip (aside from the typical “my baby is cuteawesometheloveofmylife yadda yadda yadda” stuff).

For example, it’s perfectly normal to belt out lyrics from cartoons while your child is dancing along with you. But, it’s a little strange to do it in the presence of two adults.

Going to bed at 8 pm after playing with your kid aaaalllll day makes perfect sense. Doing it when you’ve basically just been sitting around on your keester is a little pathetic.

Staying in your pajamas until noon isn’t really a big deal if you’re just chasing your toddler around all morning. But when you actually have the use of BOTH hands and that elusive little thing called free time, there really is no excuse not to get dressed, do hair and make-up, and actually resemble a living, breathing human being.

It didn’t take long before I started to realize that the benefits of having my messy, energetic child in my daily life far outweigh any negativities (like, say, wearing eau de spit-up for the first 10 months of her life).

Then she came home.

And, inside of an hour: I had veggies spit in my face, I was peed on (diaper leakage), and I was attempting to apply make up with my left hand (I’m right handed) while holding Baby on my right side.

Ah, motherhood is bliss.

Friday: A birthday and an award!

2011-04-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

I just received an official blog award! This is something that has not ever happened before, so I’m incredibly excited!

Thanks to Living at the Whitehead Zoo! How she has time to hand out awards is beyond me … she’s the mom of a teen, a tween, and a toddler. Whew! And I thought my life was difficult with just one kid!

Anyway, apparently there are ‘rules’ for this Versatile Blogger Award, and they include:
-Thanking the person who gave you the award (but, please don’t feel obligated – It’s Easter weekend. You’re busy moms. I get it!)
-Divulge 7 things about yourself
-Award 15 bloggers with this award (also, don’t feel obligated about this part either. It’s incredibly time consuming! But, fun ... so do it if you have the time!)

Sooooo, 7 things about me …
-Today is a Baby-free day in my house. She’s with her grandparents until tomorrow.
-So, I slept until 8 am today. Bliss.
-Tomorrow is Husband’s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET HUSBAND! I LOVE YOU!!
-Today we plan to do absolutely nothing productive. We’re both off of work and without responsibility.
-As nice as a ‘day off’ is, I already miss my sweet little girl.
-In less than 2 days, I will be reunited with the love of my life: diet coke. Why I chose this year to start giving something up for Lent is beyond me. No mother should ever give up caffeine. Ever.
-I’m super excited that the photobucket issue has been resolved and I have my background back. Motherhood is still misspelled, but I’m thinking about leaving it that way!

Now, the bloggers I must award as ‘Versatile Bloggers’ …
1- Life of a New Mommy
2-2 Much Testosterone
3-Amber Page Writes
4-Day to Day
5-Holly’s House…not a perfect moms blog
6-Momma’s Pixie Dreams
7-Mommy’s Fabulous
8-Mommy Loves Stilettos
9-Mommy’s Sippy Cup
10-Single Mom in the South
11-Taming Insanity
12-The Thoughtful Parent
13-Work, Wife, Mom … Life!
14-I’m Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor
15-Life in the Pitts

I have NO idea if I did this correctly, but it was fun taking a closer look at some of my favorite blogs. I love them ALL, so this was hard to do! If you haven’t visited these blogs, take a look … they’re awesome!

Happy Friday! Happy Birthday to Husband! Happy Easter! Have a good one!

Mother of Two

2011-04-19T08:34:00.002-05:00

No, I’m not announcing a pregnancy.

I’m also lucky enough to be one of the few women who doesn’t count my husband as a second child.

We don’t have any pets either.

So how am I suddenly a mother of two?

It’s simple. My incredibly sweet, loving, adorable little girl has an alter ego.

A body-flailing, fit-throwing, screaming, pouting, not sweet or loving or adorable personality.

Sometimes we call this alter ego Tantrum Tallulah.

Sometimes I refer to it as the growth-spurt-teething-tantrum demon.

Whatever we call it … it is most definitely NOT my child.

Except that it is!

When Baby goes into that mode, I could swear that she is a completely different child.

I’ve heard of the terrible twos, but I didn’t realize they could start 8-9 months early. At least, I hope that’s what this is … I really hope it doesn’t get any worse!

Fortunately, even following a nuclear meltdown of epic proportions, it only seems to take a second or two for her to recover and return to my sweet little girl again. She can literally go from a tantrum to a snuggle in the same breath.

And, for that, I am incredibly grateful.

Poker face

2011-04-14T08:19:00.001-05:00

We used to have lofty academic goals for Baby. We dreamed that one day she might attend Harvard or Oxford, because – after all – she is the smartest baby in the world. (What parent doesn’t think that, right?)

These last few days, however, Husband and I have begun to have new career aspirations for our child. All inspired completely by her own skill set and not by our hopes and dreams.

And because of our concerted efforts to base our plans for her on her own talents, we’ve come to the realization that she is most likely to grow up to be the world’s most successful poker player. Ever.

Or a scam artist.

Ivy league education be damned. This girl is sneaky, and she has the best poker face I’ve ever seen.

At a mere 16-months-old, yesterday she sat on the floor sobbing after she took a little tumble. She was rubbing her arm like she was really hurt. The second I got to her, she started to laugh maniacally and scooted away from me.

This morning, she had Husband jumping through hoops. She would cry while still in her crib (before 6 am, mind you). As soon as he entered the room …. maniacal laughter.

Let’s be clear. We’re pretty good at deciphering her cries, a fact that she must have figured out recently. Because we’re not just catering to her ‘let me throw a tantrum or try to get attention’ cries. She’s been using her best ‘I’m hurt and I really need you’ cries for these incidents.

Oh yes, she’s a trickster. And a pretty good one at that.

At least I don’t have to worry about paying for her college tuition anymore. Even if she chooses that path, I’m sure she’ll be able to scam her way to a full scholarship all by herself.

What the heck?

2011-04-13T09:48:00.003-05:00

What's up with my blog and the lack of background design? Heck if I know ...

I'm planning to try to figure it out soon, but it will be a few days.

Hope everyone is doing well!

A biting matter.

2011-04-04T08:37:00.002-05:00

Occasionally – yes, even in Texas – we get terrible, blustering winds. Quite literally, they are the worst biting, ice cold winds.

Occasionally – even with the best of friends, but generally more with acquaintances, we make comments in passing. These comments can be hurtful (whether or not they’re meant to be). Or comments are made toward us that catch us off guard. These comments can be quite biting.

But these are not the biting occasions that are currently on my mind.

Today I’m talking about biting in the most literal sense. You know – when your 16-month-old child takes a bite out of your leg. Or your shoulder.

And then does it again.

And again.

And then laughs when you tell her ‘no’ … laughs when you tell her that biting is bad … laughs when you attempt to implement a time out or any other form of punishment.

I swear, the first time she did it, I was 100% confident that it was a teething thing. I still am. Those first few times were in the midst of a sweet nuzzle or cuddle, and I know she was cutting four teeth at a time.

HOWEVER …

However, things have changed a bit since that first time.

For one, I now think she occasionally does it just to get a rise out of me. She loves my reaction and simply laughs at it.
Over the weekend, for the first time, I’m pretty sure she actually bit me in a moment of defiance. She wanted my phone, which I did not give to her, so she crawled over and bit my leg!

The third element here is that she has been bitten at day care. I think that this is where she learned the behavior in the first place.

And I’m at a complete loss. Reprimanding a 16-month-old seems to be utterly useless.

Although time outs seem to be the most effective mode of punishment with her, I am fairly certain that she has no clue what she’s done wrong once those 60-90 seconds are up.

I know consistency is key. And that, eventually, she will get it.

But, until that time comes … how do I manage to keep myself from becoming a replacement for Sophie the Giraffe?

More importantly, how do I prevent her from doing this to others?!

Fortunately, she seems to single me out. I ask her teachers every day if she has been biting, and – so far – she has not. I sooo don’t want her to be ‘that’ kid.

I know I have some reading and research to do, but I’d love to hear from y’all. I always find real life experiences much more useful than theoretical books.

Not that I won’t be reading up, but I typically have to explore several different approaches and then mix them into some formula that best fits our family.

And usually, after spending lots of time doing that, I realize that half a dozen moms right within my reach of communication could have just told me up front what I ended up figuring out … so have at it! Any suggestions? I’m all ears!

Men.

2011-04-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

I’m excited, because we have some very dear friends coming to visit us this weekend. Their son is almost three and Baby just turned 16-months … and, because of one or the other being sick, we’ve rescheduled and rescheduled this visit soooo many times.

It looks like we are finally going to get together this weekend. It’s just been too long!

Last night, Husband was on the phone making the final arrangements with them. They were discussing what time they might arrive and other details of the weekend.

I had asked Husband to let them know about all the things we already have so they don’t have to pack everything – extra stroller, high chair, etc.

I had asked Husband to tell them to check the traffic website, because I recalled hearing about major closures this weekend (KK – are you reading this???).

I had asked Husband to discuss some things I thought would be helpful to our friends who are driving roughly three hours to see us.

But, what did they discuss instead?

Scotch.

Yes. Scotch. The various kinds that we have at our house. The kinds that they will bring with them. And, then they talked about beer and wine.

But never did I hear a mention of the pack-n-play or booster seat that we already have on hand. Never did I hear Husband mention any tidbit of info I had asked him to pass along.

Can the entire blogging world – even the entire ‘real’ world – hear my huge, deep *SIGH*???

Men.

Motherhood. Work. Guilt.

2011-03-30T09:49:00.002-05:00

You might think I’m a total hypocrite. Especially after my recent rah-rah-rah post about leaving the guilt behind to go on vacation sans Baby.

But, I think this is different.

Leaving my child in the loving and capable hands of her grandparents while I vacation with Husband is a little different than leaving her at day care while I’m gone for … work.

It’s a different when I am away for work day after day after day. Night after night. Missing out on special times with my family.

It’s different when I come home only to be gone again just a few days later.

Oh, the guilt.

Baby has been clingy and fussy. And, I’m pretty sure it’s all my fault.

Her schedule these last few weeks has been far from familiar and consistent. I’d be fussy too if I didn’t know what was going to happen in my life from day to day.

And, yes. It’s definitely my fault. (Mine and those pesky teeth she’s cutting right now.)

Between my traveling for work and some very important personal obligations, we’ve had a few extremely busy weeks.

I keep telling myself that it will only be like this for a few more weeks. That consistency for Baby’s schedule (and mine) is on the very near horizon.

But in the meantime … it’s hard.

Yes, it’s true that I’m fulfilling my professional obligations. Meeting my commitments. Providing income and insurance for my family. And I know that will set a good example in the long run.

But, it’s still a choice – albeit an incredibly difficult choice – but one that I make every single day. To go to work. To pick up and leave. To spend nights away in a hotel. To keep Baby guessing as to what will happen next.

Of course, I tell her what will happen, but at 16-months-old, her typical response is usually … “cow?” Or, sometimes it’s, “car!” (Or cup. Or more. Or other similar words that essentially mean she has no clue what the heck I’m saying).

Still, I make the decision every day. I do literally have to talk myself into going to work every day. And it’s true that there’s typically about a 50/50 chance that my decision could go either way (don’t worry, Husband, I won’t do anything drastic!).

But, so far, I have been able to talk myself into it.

Why? Because, at least for now, this is how our family functions. And, really, truly, we are blessed. My job does require me to be away, but only for a few days at a time – not months or longer like some families must deal with. My job is trying, but the difficult times are temporary, with long periods of incredible flexibility. My job does not make every day of our lives ideal, but it does allow for some pretty ideal circumstances that would not be possible if I didn’t work.

As hard as it is on me, I know that I can handle it. I think Baby is pretty resilient too. It is a temporary situation, and she’s learning that Mama will always come back.

And I am learning that motherhood is full of difficult decisions – figuring out how to weigh, measure, and balance the various circumstances of our lives to provide the best possible lifestyle for our family.

It’s not always easy, but I am grateful for the fact that the choices are mine to make. The guilt certainly prevails from time to time. Okay, more often than not. But that’s okay too … maybe it’s just there to help keep the balance.

Today, I’m linking up with Shell’s Pour Your Heart Out!

Work ...

2011-03-29T09:24:00.003-05:00

Sometimes balancing work and motherhood means blogging less.

But I hope to be blogging (and commenting) more regularly very soon.

I am really starting to miss it ... and y'all!

Honored Guest

2011-03-25T09:37:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited to be guest posting over at Momma's Pixie Dreams today!

Check out what I have to say about baby registries ... and the items I should have included on that list, had I only known then what I know now.

And, please, weigh in! What would you have registered for if you had had even a single ounce of parenting experience at the time?

Seriously, that 'comprehensive' guide they hand you in the big box baby store makes no mention of registering for dishwashing soap. Or wine.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T07:25:00.000-05:00

Vacation Recap: Guilty.

2011-03-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I admitted that I never actually planned to take that dream vacation that Husband so badly wanted. Although I consented to the trip, participated in booking all the details, and talked about what we would do when we arrived … I never actually thought I would go.

Then something crazy happened.

I went.

I boarded the plane. I didn’t ask the pilot to pull back to the gate. I didn’t hop right onto a return flight the second we landed in Jamaica. I didn’t ask to change our original return date to a day or two (or three) earlier.

And even though we never managed to get Skype to work, I was okay.

Even though we were only able to keep up with Baby via (very slow) emails, I was okay.

Even though I was sick the entire time, I was okay.

I was okay.

Actually, I was more than okay. I really and truly enjoyed this vacation. I enjoyed relaxing on a beach, sleeping through the night without a baby monitor attached to my ear, and having adult conversations with Husband. Not once did we discuss diaper contents. And, although there was a close call with a peacock (which are much scarier than they are pretty), we didn’t have any instance where food was spit into our faces or thrown onto the floor.

It was nice to reconnect with each other, and with ourselves. I spent hours in the afternoon reading, napping, and just recuperating. Husband, from the inception of this trip, had said that we were long overdue a few days off. He was able to say out loud, what it took me many months to even consider admitting to myself … that my difficult pregnancy had taken a toll, not only on my body and his sanity, but on our relationship.

And throwing a new baby and the new state of parenthood into the mix literally two seconds after I stopped feeling like death on a stick (note – hyperemisis literally disappears the moment you give birth), well … we were tired. We needed a vacation. I just couldn’t admit it. And, of course, I didn’t want to leave Baby for an entire week.

I know A LOT of moms out there in the same boat. It’s that damn crippling mama-guilt. And, I suppose we wouldn’t be good mothers without it, but I still think it’s highly unfair to have to endure this constant struggle: balancing emotions with logic … the guilt over leaving your child for more than 2 minutes with a reasonable need to recharge your own batteries.

Here’s the thing: Baby was FINE. Actually, she was more than fine. She spent the entire week at the equivalent of baby heaven/summer camp/Disney land. She spent the week being loved and spoiled by her grandparents. And she loved every single second of it. I have a feeling that she had more ice cream in those short 5 days than she’s had in her entire life.

Here’s the other thing: almost two months later, there are NO negative ramifications from us having been gone. When I think back, I realize … I would have felt just as guilty leaving her at day care every morning to go to work (guilt I feel every day anyway). So why not feel that guilt while sitting on a beach for a few days?

I did notice that her hair seemed to have grown while we were away and that she was much more confidently able to stand up when we returned. But, you know what? I’ve notice those things happen during the course of a single normal day too. She’ll look different when I pick her up in the afternoon than she did in the morning. If I was going to miss out on something, wasn’t it better to do it while spending time reconnecting with my husband than typing away on a keyboard at work?

The most important thing, though, was that Husband and I were able to recharge. Ourselves. Our marriage. Our family. Aren’t these the important keys to protecting Baby in the long run anyway?

As with my business trips, leaving is always the hardest part. Getting out the door, in the car, on the plane … always the most difficult aspect. That, and grappling with feeling so dang guilty about leaving. I’m not sure that part will ever go away.

And that’s okay. I can live with the guilt.

But I won’t let it control me.

Not all the time, anyway.

I'm linking up with Shell at Things I Can't Say today for Pour Your Heart Out Wednesday. Happy FIRST Birthday PYHO! It's been a great year ... here's to many more!

PYHO ...

2011-03-09T09:27:00.005-06:00

I know, I know … I promised you all part two of my vacation recap this week. But, after a weekend plagued by food poisoning or a stomach bug or whatever it was, I haven’t had an opportunity to get to that just yet. It’s coming, I promise!

For today, I simply have a very important, albeit unsolicited, public service announcement.

This week, a young mother in the town where I live, forgot to drop her baby off at day care. After nine hours in the car, on a day that reached almost 90 degrees, the infant died.

I read about this last night, while sitting in a hotel room many, many miles from my own child. I cannot tell you how, as a mother, this literally buckled me. It took nearly everything I had not to get in my car at 10 pm and make the 3 hour drive back home. If for nothing else, just to hear the sound of my own baby breathing in her sleep.

I’d love to offer an insightful perspective of a working/traveling mom who hears this kind of news while away from her own child. It happens to me quite a lot, actually … a school shooting, a plane crash. It all makes me want to flee right back to the comforts of my family.

But I simply cannot wrap my brain (or my heart) around this topic without literally losing it. Perhaps because it does hit too close to home. We’d all like to think that this could never happen to us. That we’d never let it happen. But, it is my opinion that that assumption in and of itself is quite possibly one of the first steps that can lead to tragedies like this.

My heart breaks for this family. For that poor baby. For anyone who has ever lost a child.

Another mom in my community shared some very helpful tips, that I thought I’d also post here.

1. Put a teddy bear in the car seat. Then when putting the child in the car seat, remove said teddy bear and put him in the front seat with you.

2. Put your briefcase, purse, cell phone, lunch or whatever in the back seat. Obviously something that you remember to take into work (or wherever) with you.

3. Ask your daycare to call you if your child doesn't show up within a short window of his or her normal arrival time.

One thing that I personally always do is immediately open the door to the back of my car when I park. This is most feasible when I pull into the garage at my house, but it works other places too.

If you have other suggestions, please share.

But, I am asking that all judgmental, hurtful, and mean spirited comments be omitted. This family, although anonymous to most of you, will already endure immeasurable pain and grief. There is no need to further tear them down with destructive comments.

Thanks. And, please, hug your babies a little more closely today. I have to wait until tomorrow before I see Baby again … I’m counting the seconds.

This time last year ...

2011-03-03T07:30:00.004-06:00

Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop asks: What were you blogging about last year at this time? What has changed?

To that, I respond: Baby, of course!

But, more specifically, I was blogging about being a new mom. About figuring things out. About learning my way as a working mom. About choosing my battles and finding my identity in this new life of motherhood.

I wrote a concession ‘speech’ to the formula we ultimately put Baby on after my attempts at nursing completely and utterly (pun intended) failed. Right now, we’re currently – finally – able to transition Baby off of formula to whole milk. Her weight issues have all but resolved themselves. Thank you, solid foods.

I blogged about poop. Yup, that’s right. I opened that subject up right on a public forum, something I never would have done in my pre-parenthood days. Today, I could probably mention diaper contents in the course of a professional conversation and not even realize it. Although I generally try not to go there at work …

And, I wrote about a conference I had to attend, the first trip (of many) that I would be required to spend nights away from home. I think I must have written a small (or maybe not so small) instruction manual for my mere 2 day absence. I also wrote my first survival post! Something I’m currently in the midst of doing again this year, but for a completely different reason (vacation, not work!)

A year in review: it would seem that life is both very similar and very different all at the same time. I think the major difference now is that I know I can do this! The motherhood thing. The working mom thing. It was all so daunting a year ago.

Of course, that could have had a little something to do with insane hormones and total sleep deprivation. But, even though I’m still learning as I go, it’s not a total guessing game anymore.

There are some things that just come naturally now. Like turning on the coffee maker while still asleep. Seamlessly slipping on a pair of flats instead of heels. And, you know … other important parenting skills, too.

-----

Incidentally, this week, I’m also celebrating my one year anniversary of publishing my Macaroni Kid newsletter! I think it’s pretty awesome that I’ve been able to successfully balance getting this thing together Every. Single. Week. for an entire year. I’ve really enjoyed doing this, and I’d love to tell you more about it if you’re interested in publishing for your own community. Just ask!

[And, I'm sorry .. .I can't get Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop button to work, so I'm just adding a live link.]

Vacay Recap: Part 1

2011-03-02T08:17:00.002-06:00

Truth be told, I wanted no part of this dream vacation.

Pristine, white beaches. Warm, turquoise waters. All inclusive resort.

I wanted nothing to do with any of it. I wasn’t ungrateful. I just didn’t want to go. I couldn’t fathom choosing to leave Baby behind for an entire week. Especially not when I have to be gone so often for work. I couldn’t wrap my head around leaving by choice rather than obligation.

But I agreed anyway.

I agreed to take the trip. I made the decision almost a year in advance of our departure date. And, I can honestly say that somewhere in the back of my mind, I never really planned to go. I lived in a state of denial all summer, fall, and most of the holiday season.

But, I had agreed to take the trip with Husband.

Why?

Because Husband really wanted to go.

He wanted to go so badly that he did the research. He made the plans. He booked the trip. And, he paid for it all.

Something that hasn’t happened in all of our relationship. In all of our travels, I am usually the one who makes the arrangements. But, this go-round, Husband needed a break. He needed that vacation.

And, when you have a husband like mine – one who does more than his fair share, who rarely complains, who you don’t actually count as an extra child – you want to do what you can to make him happy.

Husband is wonderful. He is not your average husband. He goes above and beyond on a regular basis. And he rarely asks for anything in return.

But after nine hellacious months of pregnancy and almost 15 months into Baby’s short life, Husband was tired. He wanted a break. A little getaway. Six days and five nights on a Jamaican beach.

Honestly, I was tired too. If I was honest with myself, I could have used the break, too. The last couple of years had been trying for me, as well.

But ... I. Did. Not. Want. To. Go.

Get on a plane? Fly away from my child? By choice? Nope.

Truth be told, I spent a solid nine months prior to our vacation pretending that I wasn’t even going to Jamaica. We had the plane tickets, and the resort was booked. But I would deflect the conversation anytime Husband would bring up the subject. Sometimes I would play along, but I almost always mentioned some caveat that ended with a comment like … “IF I even get on a plane.”

Flash forward to our day of departure. I’m putting one foot in front of the other. Taking baby steps, if you will. Telling myself that I don’t have to get on the plane. I just have to pack my bag. Put the bag in the car. Drive to the airport. Baby steps.

All the while, I’m an emotional wreck on the inside. Add to it an inexplicably, inconsolably screaming child.

I'm researching our cancellation policy a mere 12 hours before our scheduled flight. I am NOT going on this trip.

-----

Tune in next week to find out how and why I actually did get on the plane. How I not only left Baby, but left her while she was sick. And how … at the end of the day, at the end of the week, everything actually ended up being just fine.

Today, I’m linking up with Shell at Things I Can't Say for Pour Your Heart Out Wednesday, something I haven’t done in quite a while. It’s nice to be back!

CSN Stores Review

2011-03-01T21:37:00.001-06:00

It seems that CSN Stores have been all over the blogosphere lately, and I’m very excited to tell y’all that they have not given up on me! Although they approached me back in October, and I have procrastinated and procrastinated, they’re still on board!

In case you haven’t heard of them, you should know that they’re an amazing, comprehensive network of over 200 online stores. They offer everything from kid/baby/family-type products that are always on my mind to things like video games and TVs and LCD TV stands, which are always on Husband’s mind!

I’ll be doing a product review for CSN Stores shortly, so stay tuned!

Mama Meltdown

2011-02-24T08:49:00.000-06:00

No, I did not shed a single tear.

I didn’t.

Not in public.

At least, not on the outside.

On the inside, however, this mama was a melting down mess.

Why?

Because my “baby” is growing up.

Yes, I realize that everyone else has known this all along. I am also willing to admit to some
deliberate denial on my part. She’s my baby after all.

But this week, Baby needed some new clothes. It’s February in Texas, which means that summer is just weeks away. Baby needed some non-winter clothes to handle our 80-degree afternoon temperatures.

So, I made my way to the usual spot in my usual store. The same spot that I’ve been shopping for over a year. There were some really cute items. I found a few that I wanted to get and started searching for the right size.

Gasp.

The sizes stopped before I got to one that would be big enough.

Gasp. Again.

Okay, and maybe again and again.

I had to move over to the next section of the store. The one for … older kids.

No, I didn’t melt down in public.

At least not so anyone could see.

But on the inside, I was definitely freaking out a little.

Okay, a lot.

Fortunately, a little retail therapy helped me find some composure.

And a few cute outfits for my sweet BABY.

A letter

2011-02-21T07:36:00.001-06:00

Dear God,

Listen, you know I’m one of your biggest fans. And, I do my best not to question your ways. In fact, although I’m often curious, I absolutely have complete faith in all that you do.

But here’s the thing.

And I know I’m no expert.

But.

But, maybe … just maybe … it might be beneficial to program babies for holidays and the occasional weekend? Let them know they don't have to be up at the crack of dawn (or earlier)?

Just a thought.

I’d be grateful if you’d consider it.

Thanks!

Uh-oh.

2011-02-17T20:11:00.001-06:00

Baby’s Rule: When you accidentally drop/spill something, the appropriate response is … uh-oh. Similarly, when you intentionally drop/spill/throw something, the appropriate response is also … uh-oh.

For example, when Baby is too wobbly to walk while holding the 4 items in her hands that she insists on carrying and subsequently falls, dropping everything to the ground, she says … uh-oh.

Or, when she tosses bath toys over the side of the tub, she says … uh-oh!

Or, when she holds her (recently and defiantly removed) bib or bites of unwanted food over the side of her high chair tray, drops them to the ground, and giggles maniacally, she also says … uh-oh.

To that end, tonight this mama is subscribing to Baby’s Rule. By that I mean, every time I spill wine down my throat, I say … uh-oh.

Cheers!

Sweet, screaming baby

2011-02-14T17:28:00.001-06:00

2:21 am - Baby stirs

2:23 am – Baby launches into an all out wail

2:24 am – Husband has a bottle for her, and I’m changing her diaper

2:27 am – Baby is back down, as per our usual clockwork.

2:28 am – Baby launches into an all out wail

We repeat this cycle for roughly 90 minutes.

5:40 am – I’m up and out the door for an early flight to West Texas for work.

Thank God for strong coffee and a good husband. Or is it … a strong husband and good coffee?

Either way, I’m lucky enough to have all of these. As well as a beautiful baby girl who woke up smiling and happy. And completely oblivious to her parents’ exhaustion.

I’m thinking … maybe she was just reeeeallly excited for today. So, when she woke up in the middle of the night, she just had to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day.

But if that’s the case, I’m gonna have to get that girl a blog of her own. Enough of this trying to yell messages clear across Texas to her grandparents and other family members. Heck, it’s entirely possible that my uncle who lives in Japan might have heard her.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the real world.

Tidbits

2011-02-11T08:02:00.001-06:00

The last few weeks have been …. Well, hectic. To say the least.

And, if you’re like me, once enough time has passed, it becomes difficult to figure out just where to pick up blogging again. Right?

I could try to recap. But that runs the risk of boring y’all to tears.

I could pick up right where I am. Today. But that leaves out a lot of information.

So if you don’t mind a bit of boring, here are a few tidbits so we can all get caught up to speed …

-Baby is a walking, talking, no-no-finding, perpetual motion machine (a PMM, as dubbed by her grandparents). I still refuse to start calling her Toddler.

-I’m currently existing is a state of disbelief. In a few short weeks, Baby will be 15-months-old. WTH? Or, as my colleagues from north of the Mason Dixon line might say (completely giving me a hard time) … “WTHY” (for what the hell, y’all?). Seriously, she just turned ONE. TWELVE MONTHS. How have 3 months gone by? Already?

-Work is BUSY. Crazy, hectic, traveling all over the place (at least when the weather allows) … busy. And the prime reason for my blogging absence.

-Motherhood is STILL misspelled in my header. Don’t have a clue how to fix it and can’t get in touch with the designer (mostly my fault for lack of time). It’s kind of embarrassing. But I also kind of don’t care. Isn’t that a prime example of how chaotic motherhood can be?

-Reviews and Giveaways to come ... If CSN Stores haven’t thrown their hands up in the air, completely frustrated with my procrastination (since October!). Also, a little something from Overstock!

-Vacation Recap also to come: my insights on leaving Baby behind and why it’s both important/necessary and gut wrenchingly difficult. Pictures too!

-Publishing my Macaroni Kid newsletter is awesome! If you’re at all interested in publishing for you area, let me know. I’d love to talk to you about it more!

Hope all my blogging buddies are doing well. I have been reading, just not commenting quite as much.

For now, and probably for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m just trying to keep my head above water. Which, back here in reality, is completely different from ‘keeping my head above water’ in Jamaica. Where, you know, the sole purpose for that was to enjoy a fruity umbrella drink.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T08:05:00.002-06:00

Not funny.

2011-02-02T08:24:00.003-06:00

On Facebook, I started a 'petition' to have Mother Nature committed.

This goes waaaay beyond a practical joke or a twisted sense of humor. That lady is crazy.

Below freezing temps and rolling blackouts.

In Texas.

WTF?!?!

I'm cold, so I can't imagine how those of you north of here are handling this.

FYI, Mother Nature: this is NOT Canada.

If you'd like to sign my petition, please comment below.

Thanks, and stay warm.

Whirlwind

2011-02-01T08:11:00.002-06:00

Wow. It’s been a while. A whirlwind of a while.

Lots and lots of updates, and still no time to do it all justice.

The brief version:

Vacation plans almost derailed. Screaming baby + disgusting drainage from her ears (after 3 hours of screaming) had us checking our cancellation policies a mere 14
hours prior to our flight.

Doctor said she would be fine and that we should GO! One tough choice, but we did.

Vacation was awesome. White sands. Warm beaches. Swim-up bar in the pool.

Oh, and I was sick the WHOLE time.

You know you’re a parent when you realize that you’re grateful to have the cold/sinus bug from hell while on vacation … because at least you can be sick in peace and not have to change diapers or be a 24/7 bundle of joy and energy.

We returned to a smiling, grinning … STANDING UP ALL ON HER OWN FOR MINUTES AT A TIME little girl. We snuggled and played and had such a good time together. It was almost like we hadn’t been gone at all.

Back to work for both Husband and myself right away. A conference for me last weekend and on the road again this week.

Whirlwind, I tell you!

But, in all of those happenings, the most amazing part is that Baby is now WALKING!

As far as we know, she took her first real, intentional steps right in front of both of us. With all the craziness and traveling, it was so special that Husband and I were both there for this milestone moment.

Now we officially have a teetering, toddling ... BABY! Nope, I’m not ready to let go yet. Just. Can’t. Say. It. Maybe I’ll call her a toddler when she turns 2. Maybe.

I missed my blogging friends … I’m hoping to start making the rounds again this week and get caught up with everyone! (I'll try to get the pictures loaded to my computer this week so I can post a few.)

Leaving

2011-01-15T19:27:00.000-06:00

Leavin’ on a jet plane …

That song always comes into my head when I have a trip, even when I don’t have to fly. And, since I take a lot of trips, I find that song playing in my head quite often. It’s always bittersweet, and I almost always try to change the words (Leavin’ on a jet plan … but soon I will be back again). If I don’t change the words, I am doomed to tears. Okay, well, tears are probably guaranteed either way.

Pathetic, I know, but it’s hard to leave Baby behind. Even for Jamaica.

That’s right, the day has come … vacation. And, I’m …

Leavin’ on a jet plane.

Leaving my computer (aka, my office) behind.

Leaving my boots and coats and scarves at home.

Leaving my cell phone turned off.

Leaving laundry, dishes and diapers to others for a few days.

Leaving all alarm clocks disabled.

Leaving my child in loving and capable hands.

Even so, I’m also leaving a piece of my heart (and a bit of my sanity) with her.

Blog-cation

2011-01-06T09:08:00.001-06:00

I’m going on a blog-cation, of sorts. Between a business trip to San Diego next week and a vacation the following, I’ve got entire books of Baby Instructions to write in the coming days.

So, while I’m not ruling out blog posts all together, I’m also not very confident that I’ll get around to it very often … because, you know, I also have a full time job, which apparently requires my presence and attention from time to time.

Then there’s the parenting. And the being a wife. And lots of other things I’ll be compressing into the 5-day window in which I’ll actually be seeing my child over the next two weeks.

Yes, I’m using sarcasm as a coping mechanism.

No, I’m not ungrateful for a vacation. Just bummed to be away from Baby so much in such a short period of time (especially since my traveling season for work picks up next month).

I’m hoping to at least stave off an entire I-miss-my-child-and-she’s-probably-going-to-start-walking-any-day-now-but-probably-on-a-day-that-I’m-not-home meltdown until I’m sitting on a Jamaican beach three sheets to the wind …

Husband, if you’re reading this, I hear that the Sandals resorts offer BOTH five-star spas AND jewelry stores. Just sayin’ …

Resolutions?

2011-01-04T09:40:00.002-06:00

Resolutions seem to have invaded the blogosphere. Everyone is sharing their goals, their hopes, their dreams for the coming year. But I’ve resisted.

Why? Perhaps because there are so many things I want to do or change or experience in the coming year that it’s hard to put it all into words. The simple stuff that I know will come anyway – surviving sippy cup wars and table food battles. The more complex and emotional goals of being a better, more present/focused mother and wife.

There are hundreds of tiny goals that revolve around motherhood and life in general. How could I really condense it all into a simple New Year’s Resolution?

Truth be told, I’ve never really been one for making resolutions. I rank them right up there with ‘starting the diet/exercise regiment/etc. on Monday’ plans.

They’re good in theory, but there is rarely long term follow through. At least not in my world. I do better to make a plan, implement it in a realistic time frame in my life, and just see how it goes.

I don’t meant to be a drag, and I certainly wish everyone the best with their own resolutions. I just have a different sort of plan.

I’m going to try monthly objectives. Starting fresh every month with a new goal or objective, something to focus on and incorporate into my life ... hopefully on a long term basis.

The way I see it … if I do fail, it should at least feel less disappointing come week 4 of the month as opposed to that sinking feeling we all get in November when we realize that an entire year has gone by without success. [I write this paragraph mostly tongue in cheek, but with a bit of sincerity, too.]

The objectives will have multiple parts, a kind of ‘eat, pray, love’ approach, if you will. Or mind, body, and soul, if you prefer a less gimmicky angle. Although, I’m not sure that’s really much less gimmicky.

Objectives for January:

Eat/Body: Drink more water. It’s a simple goal, but something I’ve allowed to lose importance in my day to day life. And I’m pushing 30 here folks, so hydration is going to be key to long term skin care (aka, any chance I have to not become shriveled up and creepy looking given that I refuse to stay out of the sun). I should also probably try to take a vitamin every day, but perhaps I’ll push this one to February. One thing at a time.

Pray/Soul: I pray. A lot. But mostly for things I want/need, like the safety and happiness of my family, especially Baby. I have allowed my prayers to become repetitive, though, so my goal in this area for January is to be more present in prayer and not simply repeat the same thing day after day. And to maybe throw in a bit more gratitude instead of just being so whiny all the time.

Love/Mind: [At first, I wasn’t really sure that the Love/Mind categories really matched up well, and I considered separating them into two different goals. But, let’s face it, I’m already pushing it with 3 different objectives. Add in a fourth, and you can pretty much just stamp FAIL onto this whole shebang.]

So, Love/Mind: Here, I’m going to focus on Baby. My plan is to use my MIND to remember that her defiance and boundary pushing and other frustrating ways are all a means to learn, and grow, and develop. When she spits/throws food in my face at every single meal, she is watching my reaction and learning from it. When she continues to explore something after I’ve told her NO, I have to use my MIND and remember to still enforce the boundary but acknowledge/praise her persistence/endurance/curiosity/etc.

And, if I can channel the powers of my MIND and remember to do these things, then LOVE will flow easily and endlessly.

Right? Or am I delusional?

Who knows? It all sounds pretty on paper. I’ll let you know next month how it all plays out ….

And, if you’ve stuck with me through all of my ramblings today, [a heartfelt thanks to you!] I apologize for completely contradicting myself. As it turns out, I guess I do make resolutions after all …

The only one?

2010-12-29T10:30:00.001-06:00

[Warning: I'm talking about poop today. And some other stuff.]

Baby is my first and only child, which I suppose still allows me the title of “new” mom. As I’m trudging along in this game of life and motherhood, I do my best to learn, research, and make informed decisions about the many elements that make up Baby’s life.

However, there are some things that, for no apparent reason, I have just always assumed were normal. It never occurred to me that she might be the only one that does that (whatever that may be).

The other day, my mom commented that my daughter is the only baby she’s ever known that poops in the middle of the night. Is that true?! Is that not normal?! She almost always wakes herself up with a dirty diaper around 5 or 6 a.m.

Then, she has at least one, sometimes two, more dirty diapers by the time breakfast is over. Is she the only one?!

There are some other things too. I just always assumed that every one-ish-year-old baby fights things like getting dressed and wearing shoes. It’s a struggle. Every. Day. But maybe it’s not supposed to be like this. Is she the only one?! Or do your kids also fight tooth and nail when you try to put a pair of pants on them? Even when it’s freezing and you know they must be cold??

And the table food thing. I see tons of first birthday smash cake pictures or plates/faces full of spaghetti … but not my child. She will only eat either pureed foods that we feed to her, food that she sees come directly off of my plate, or hard/dry/crunchy things that she can pick up with her hands (like cereal). Is she the only one?! Or is this normal?

I suppose the more relevant question is really … what can I do about these things? Especially the poop!

Reflection

2010-12-28T15:01:00.002-06:00

The past year has been a year of many firsts for me. Although I became a new mother toward the end of 2009, it probably wasn’t until well into 2010 that I began to make my way out of the post-crappy-pregnancy, post-crappy-c-section, post-what-the-heck-do-I-do-now haze that was the month of December last year.

Amongst the firsts that I’ve experienced …

-I survived the crushing guilt and sadness of the ‘now I must go back to work and leave my child in the care of others’ when my maternity leave came to an end. Truth be told, this is one I continue to ‘survive’ on a pretty regular basis.

-I made peace with the fact that my body simply would not produce enough milk to nurse my child. And, in the end, I even made peace with how disgusting I thought formula was. I remember thinking that it stunk to high heaven … now I barely notice.

-When the time came, I taught Baby how to eat from a spoon! It was pretty awesome to be the one to teach her how to do something that she had never before experienced. To watch just a little bit of progress every time was really cool. Now I barely think about what a feat it was.

-That smile of hers. And those baby noises ... “Ah-gurrr” and “Geee” are still some of the most amazing sounds I have ever heard in my entire life! That, and the belly laughs. The best sounds ever!

-Diaper Blow Outs! Man, who knew this would be the easy part of parenting? Even the ones that happened while on the road!

-Spitting up. I survived. We all survived. Nine LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG months. Maybe even closer to ten months. I remember thinking that there would never be a time that we went anywhere without a burp cloth, that nobody would ever see Baby’s adorable outfits because they were always hiding behind bibs … but we made it!

-Milestones. Rolling over. Sitting up. Pulling up. Cruising along. Realizing that every time I thought she was “just about to do it” … she had other plans for me and made me wait. I’m pretty sure this was how she taught me that she was really the one in charge!

-And speaking of milestones, there were some pretty amazing ones on the emotional end of things, too. Even if I cried or was an emotional wreck … I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world! The first birthday. The first time she called me ‘mama’ (which was actually just the other day because she calls both Husband and me Dada most of the time). The first time we hung out, just the two of us, and did nothing but giggle at who knows what. The first time we looked at each other and just knew … we were meant for each other.

-Watching Baby learn new things throughout the first year of her life. It started with simple things like rolling over, eating from a spoon, etc. Now it’s putting concepts together. Learning to communicate with words or sign language. Pointing to what she wants. Her curiosity is amazing.

-Black Friday shopping. Okay, this one seems a little funny, but it’s true. My mom commented that I had changed quite a bit when I listed off all the stores I wanted to go into on BF: Gymboree, The Children’s Place, Target (for any number of baby items), etc. It wasn’t too long ago that there would have been a very different variety of stores on my list. And, I suppose that this can be applied to many other areas of life. My priorities have most definitely changed in the last year.

There are many, many more (obviously!), but these are the ones that come to mind right now. I know that 2011 will bring just as many new experiences, some good, some probably not so good (I envision trips to the ER with toddler-hood looming) … some disgusting (given that we’re still dealing with diapers). All of which, though, will make up the story of our lives.

Of course, I’d be okay of that story didn’t include any more explosive diapers.

I'd also be okay without another ear infection, doctor's visit (with the exception of well checks), or anymore peas in my hair. Just sayin' ...

Christmas

2010-12-27T13:03:00.004-06:00

It's been a week since I blogged last, and, to be honest, I'm still a bit on overload. So many things have happened over the last several days, many that would make for a great story or funny post. But it's all just too much to wrap my mind around. So, I'm just going to do a quick recap ...

-Baby's day care was closed from Wednesday last week through the weekend. It was great spending so much time with her. It was also ... exhausting! I really don't know how the SAHMs do it. I'm sure you all settle into some sort of routine, but that kid wore us out! I think we wore her out a bit too ... Husband said she wasn't her normal clingly self this morning when he dropped her off.

-Husband and I exchanged gifts on Dec. 23 in advance of the madness that would ensue in the days to come (see below). He got me an awesome Dell Inspiron mini! And shortly after opening my very own little laptop that night, I began to compose an equally awesome blog post. It was sweet, cute, clever ... and deleted. Because I apparently didn't know how to work the thing. This is round two (5 days later). I've already hit save about a dozen times.

-Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were a whirlwind of family celebrations. We had lots of fun, saw many loved ones. And we met Baby's Christmas-Eve-Meltdown head on. In the car. For two hours. Lesson learned: Holiday madness + a stuffed church at the end of the day = mass amounts of overstimulation/frantic tantrums/unhappy campers. (I think Baby was pretty unhappy too).

-Despite all of my attempts to create tradition, especially my adamantly placed foot (read: We WILL wake up at home on Christmas morning. Baby WILL wake up in her own bed and see what Santa brought her AT HER OWN HOUSE), we didn't actually open Baby's Santa gifts until the day after Christmas. It was madness, I tell you. If only we could have racked up frequent driver miles for all the criss-crossing we did throughout the state of Texas. It turned out okay, though. I know we won't be able to get away with that next year, but we'll burn/cross/turn-and-run-away-from that bridge in about 11 months or so.

-That brings us to today. Baby is 13 months-old today. Gulp. Double gulp. I don't know how this happened. I realy don't. Somewhere in the frenzied midst of sippy cup battles and table food wars, my teeny, tiny little girl that was swaddled until she was 8-months-old just grew into size-large sleep sacks. She "all of a sudden" has a vocabulary of a handful of words and about a dozen animal sounds. She, practically overnight, learned the meaning of the word "no" ... and also how to ignore that word when her mama says it. Somehow my baby has become a toddler. Gulp. Double gulp.

Fortunately, our family Christmas celebrations are not yet over. So I can simply deny this reality and bury myself in additional gift buying, cookie baking, etc.
Whether you're still celebrating or simply sitting back and enjoying memories of these last few days, I hope you had a Merry Christmas filled with lots of love and happiness.

Tis the season … for chaos.

2010-12-20T09:09:00.000-06:00

I’m twice as tired and half as organized as I used to be.

I find myself using that phrase on a regular basis these days.

I used to knock out things like thank you cards and Christmas cards in an hour flat. And early, too. Like … thank you cards were mailed out the day after an event.

Not so much anymore. I don’t know whether to blame the busy holiday season this year or just motherhood. Somehow, I have a sneaking suspicion it’s more of the latter.

I have been somewhat organized. I did address/stamp/stuff almost all of my Christmas cards two weeks ago.

Yesterday I found a stack sitting on my kitchen counter. [Note: Husband is a neat freak. Our counters are not cluttered. I don’t know how I missed this STACK of cards.]

Somehow I had sent out one half in the mail, but not the other half. Don’t ask. I have no answer. No clue as to why I’d leave a stack of perfectly addressed/stamped/stuffed cards just sitting there.

I’ve also been relatively organized when it comes to gift shopping. I’ve been putting things together since sometime in November, maybe even as early as mid-October. But it never fails that I still end up with a list of last minute gifts, wrapping supplies, etc. the week before Christmas.

I should have seen this coming when it took us a week to decorate the tree. The fact that we bought it at a local hardware store (which, sadly, has become a tradition in our family) instead of gearing up for a trip to the tree farm should have been the first clue. We did manage to half-hazardly throw up a couple of strands of lights the morning of Baby’s birthday party, but it took days before any ornaments appeared.

I made dozens of delicious oreo truffles last week that could be refrigerated and kept for Christmas. Um. Well, I think we have 6 (individual, not dozen) left. Which means …. That’s right. Another last minute item added to my To Do list this week: whip up another batch of those truffles. I’m guessing it will have to be really last minute so they actually make it to our holiday celebrations intact and not just on my hips.

Fortunately, I’ve put together a trusty spreadsheet for our family visiting schedule, so we’re golden on that front!

Is it motherhood? Is this holiday season particularly hectic? Or, is it just me?

Again, I’m guessing it’s probably the latter.

Oh well, thank goodness coffee and wine are in abundance this time of year!

Why I'm quitting charity.

2010-12-16T14:24:00.001-06:00

Every year at Christmas, I donate to various charities in honor or memory of many my family members. I try to select organizations that have special meaning to each and every one of them. Then, these donations become part of their Christmas gifts.

It’s a really nice thing to do, I think. Especially for people like parents, grandparents, etc. who really don’t need another tchotchke to put on their shelf next to the whatever-I-made-for-them-in-third-grade-art-class twenty years ago (and everything I’ve given them since).

Sooooo. Along came the charity donation idea, and it’s fantastic.

Except for one teeeeny, tiiiiny, little problem.

My once a year donation isn’t enough. They want more. The military organization mails me letters, almost on a weekly basis. (Here’s a thought: add up that postage and donate it back to yourself instead of my trashcan).

The cancer organization … well, they unleashed every single one of their regional branches on my phone number and email address. And they call. All. Year. Long.

And don’t get me started on the city-county-state law enforcement groups that may or may not be a scam and you never know if they’re secretly stealing your social security number or adding you to the blacklist of people who they’ll most definitely ticket next time they come across you on the highway. (longest sentence ever?)

It’s not that I don’t want to give more. I’d love to. But, I’m just your average person. With an average income. And I simply cannot afford to give more to every single organization that calls.

My solution? I’m quitting.

Well, maybe not entirely. But I will no longer give to multiple charities. I am attempting to select one organization that generally has a place in everyone’s heart. I will make one big donation in honor of everyone.

On that note (and in honor of this blog post with super long run-on sentences), I just need to find a Cancer-Military-Heart-Diabetes-Starving-Orphans-Plant-a-Tree-Catholic charity that will buy a goat to feed a village that will ultimately be cured of their diabetic heart cancer and be saved from the ravages of war.

Any suggestions?

[Note: There are lots of fantastic charitable organizations out there. For my personal life right now, I just need to reduce the number of them that cause my phone to ring on a nightly basis …. Juuust as Baby is falling asleep.]

Caution: Shortening may burn your house down.

2010-12-15T10:07:00.003-06:00

So, my house is still intact. I didn’t even spark a flame. But, imagine my surprise when I read that caution statement to that effect on the box of shortening this morning. I mean, if this stuff could ignite a flame, should I really be putting it in my body???

The answer … heck, yeah! The reason … “super easy” no-bake oreo truffles.

You heard me!

When I saw this recipe on Brandi’s blog a few days ago, I knew I had to try it out myself. If you couldn’t already tell, I’m not much of a baker (read: I’d never used shortening until this morning).

I rushed right out and bought all the ingredients to make these truffles. How hard could it be? There is NO BAKING INVOLVED!!! Now, that’s my kind of baking!

Problem #1 – I don’t own a food processor (much less one of those fancy mixers). I did until last week when I realized it no longer worked.

Problem #2 – My blender kinda sucks. It’s great for pureeing Baby’s food, but to grind oreos until they’re like coffee grounds … let’s just say, it was a process.

Problem #3 – My hand-held mixer is great, but I clearly don’t know how to use it. Or I don’t have the muscle to take on cream cheese. (Note to self: soften it first next time).

Once I tackled each of those obstacles, I was golden.

Until.

Until it came time for actually coating the mixture in chocolate.

Mix chocolate chips with shortening. It doesn’t sound too difficult.

But I’m the genius who decided that perhaps I should kill the heat. I have an electric oven, and I didn’t want anything to burn … especially since I had somehow miraculously managed not to set fire to my kitchen yet.

Seconds later, I was dealing with clumpy chocolate. And, apparently, reheating it doesn’t exactly provide for the same consistency.

The positive side to this whole story is that I have an entire batch of tasty, albeit ugly, truffles that I couldn’t possibly burden my dear friends and family with over the holiday season.

I guess I’m just going to have to eat them all myself!

Oh, who am I kidding … they’ll all be gone approximately 4 minutes after Husband gets home from work. He's got the sweet tooth in the family.

Happy Holidays, everyone! I know kids are out of school soon, and holiday events are occurring every day of the week at this point. So, life is busy. To that end, I’ve decided I’m not actually in a blogging rut. I’m just spending my typical blogging time doing other insane things for Christmas.

Like thinking I can pull off making truffles.

P.S. Sorry, Brandi … I didn’t mean to butcher your recipe. This was just round one, though. I’m going to try again!

A Bloggin' Rut?

2010-12-14T14:57:00.002-06:00

It's sad, but true. I think I'm in a bit of a blogging rut. I blame this busy time of year at work, the holidays, etc.

So .... since I have nothing to offer you, I thought I'l share a link with you to one of my favorite parenting blogs - The Thoughtful Parent. Right now, Amy is talking about developmentally appropriate gifts for kids.

Happy reading, shopping ... and blogging!

Traditions

2010-12-10T09:53:00.002-06:00

Last night I attended our local MOPS meeting. There were some very sweet older ladies speaking about family traditions around the Christmas holidays.

One said that you don’t know what will become a tradition when you first do it. It isn’t until several years later that you realize, oh! Okay, this is a tradition.

Another said that their tradition was traveling. That they were always on the go during the holiday season, but that they made it a point to be home on Christmas Day.

These speakers were very poignant given my recent attempts at cramming ‘new traditions’ (yes, I know, that’s an oxymoron) down Husband & Baby’s throats.

Given the expansive family we have, I feel like we’re always on the go. That we never do the same thing twice. And I’m worried that my child will grow up never having those fond ‘remember when we always did ….’ memories.

It’s really important to me to carve out some very specific traditions. I started pajamas in stockings from St. Nick this year on Dec. 6th. That one will become easy over time, but it was a vast disappointment this year considering Baby was completely oblivious to it all, and Husband was out the door for work before I had wiped the sleep out of my eyes, downed my morning coffee, and remembered to point out the new gifts.

I’m trying very hard to stay firm in my plan to ‘always wake up at home’ on Christmas morning. No matter what. No matter how far we have to drive on Christmas Eve. No matter how inconvenient it is. Even if we turn around and drive somewhere else at 7 a.m.

I want Baby to wake up in her own bed on Christmas morning.

But a few things that were said last night really spoke to me.

Calm down! Is basically what I heard. It will all fall into place. Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.

I know that there are a few things that I need to hold onto. It’s easy to get caught up in all the options. All the celebrations. All the places people want us to be (and the places we ourselves want to be).

I know I need to carve out a few things that will remain the same from year to year.

But I now also realize that some of the best traditions are likely to occur without any planning. Without my forcing them into existence.

The crackle of an old traditional record player, as one mom spoke of last night.

Pancake Man – my stepdad – on Christmas morning.

And, yes, even traveling. ALL. OVER. THE. STATE. Can become a part of our holiday tradition.

Be it stopping at the same spot for snacks, playing a game, singing a song, or even simply the road trips themselves. These traditions remain to be seen.

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

2010-12-10T09:08:00.005-06:00

Truth be told, I have already ordered Christmas cards this year. I’ve even mailed out the first wave of them to some family and friends.

[Side note: Before Baby came along, I could knock these out in an hour. Now, it’s more like a week!]

The problem is … I found another website that offers some really cute options.

Shutterfly cards are so, so cute! They have a great selection of holiday cards and I can’t help but to want to order a whole new set for this season.
I really like the Christmas photo cards like this one:

I don’t know what my deal is lately, but I’ve been a bit obsessed with the red and brown color combination, and I think these are just too cute for words!

The one that has really caught my eye, though, is this one:

I first saw it on another friend’s blog, and if I’m really honest, it was this card in particular that cemented my decision to order another round of Christmas cards this year. Even if it means that I’m the weirdo who sends out two cards. Even if it means having to address and stamp dozens more cards in this already busy holiday season. Heck, even if it means that I just have a stash of these cards in a box on my shelf forever.

It’s just such a sweet idea, and I can’t help but to want to commemorate what is basically the first year of my sweet little girl’s life. I haven’t placed my order yet, but I’ve been looking through pictures from the past year, and I just can’t believe how much she has changed in such a short time!

I’m also thinking about putting together a wall calendar. My friend noted how much fun it would be to put a picture from each month of Baby’s life in 2010 and have that to reflect back on in 2011.

Honestly, this could either be a really fantastic way to reminisce, or it could have this sentimental mama in tears on a regular basis!

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly at http://bit.ly/sfly2010.

These are a few of my favorite things!

2010-12-07T11:19:00.002-06:00

It seems everybody is talking about their favorite things this holiday season … so here are some of mine …

-La Crema Pinot Noir
-Coffee! Specifically, Autumn Harvest k-cups for the Keurig and pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks
-Anything Jasmine Vanilla from Bath & Body Works
-Salt & Vinegar potato chips
-Pedicures, massages, and other day spa fun
-Colegate Wisp disposable toothbrushes. Seriously, every mom should store up on these.
-The Gap long sleeved favorite crewneck. LOVE it! So comfy, and thanks to Cyber Monday, I got one in chocolate brown for a steal. Now just wishing I had ordered it in every color!
-SHOES! Right now, I am living in a pair of knee-high, flat soled, black boots that I bought last year. Super comfy, still cute, but practical for those times I’m carrying around Baby (i.e., every second I’m not at work).
-Books. I love to read all different genres, but I’m currently in need of a copy of The Great Gatsby, one of my all time favs. Can you believe I’ve never actually owned a copy?

And a few kid-related things that I also love …
-The Children’s Place.
-Zulily! If you don’t shop Zulily, sign up today!
-Cheerios. I eat honey nut cheerios almost daily, and I’m now loving the plain ones. It might be the only ‘real’ food that Baby is willing to pick up with her own fingers and feed to herself.
-Mabel’s Labels! They’re awesome! I put these on Baby’s bottles and dishes back in September, and they’re still showing no sign of wear and tear. It definitely makes my life easier not to have to continuously label everything that goes to day care. There are some teeny-tiny ones that fit perfectly on her pacifiers, too!
-Baby’s new Britax Marathon convertible car seat. Had I known then what I know now, we would have moved up months ago. It’s so, so easy to use. And the best part? Baby no longer screams or flails in wild tantrums when I put her in the car!

What are some of your favorite things?

*I have not been asked to endorse any of these products ... I just love them! :)

Day Care Dilemmas. Part 432.

2010-12-06T09:02:00.002-06:00

I am not oblivious to my ridiculously high set of standards. I operate under no illusions.

I clearly see and understand that there are very, very few people in this world that I would take care of my child just the way I would do choose to do so.

I understand that different people have different perspectives. Different circumstances. Different options.

I get it.

I didn’t move Baby to the new day care under any illusions that it would be a perfect fix or that all of my frustrations would immediately disappear.

I knew we would have new and/or different hurdles to contend with.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not frustrated.

Because I am.

It’s not just the small things. I am also frustrated with the bigger picture. For example, what genius decided that it would be okay for one person to be in charge of 5 kids? That’s the ratio … one person for FIVE babies.

I know there are moms out there who do this all the time. But, I'm fairly sure there are key differences between a parent caring for her own five children and a day care worker going through the motions of her job.

I by no means discount how difficult this job this must be. I can definitely understand an overlooked runny nose or other similar situations from time to time.

I’m just frustrated.

The issues I had with the other day care (i.e., basic incompetence) have been replaced with new problems.

Small things, really.

Why can’t they just put a bib on my child during meals so she’s not a disgusting mess by the end of the day?

Do they really consider ‘pork and beans’ a vegetable?

How can they let her go ALL day without drinking and not call me? (I know they tried very hard to get her to drink, but they should have called me on day 3 when she still wasn’t taking any of her bottle!)

I suppose this is nothing more than the working mother’s plight … learning where to give and take when it comes to putting your child in the care of others.

Many parents do it on a daily basis. Sometimes I wonder if they all struggle as much as I do. (Yes, I still cry some days when I get back to my car after dropping Baby off, especially now that we’ve hit the separation anxiety phase).

Or, is it just me? I know I’m a bit neurotic, a little controlling when it comes to things that are important to me. I am sure that there are some basic aspects of this whole day care dilemma that I make more difficult than necessary.

But, I can’t be the only one who feels this way, can I?

Just so we're clear

2010-12-02T09:31:00.001-06:00

Dear Sweet Baby-of-Mine,

I know it’s rough. First it was the time change. Then, we were up extra early to take you for your ear tubes procedure. Then the holidays hit. This week you started a new day care.

It’s a lot to handle in one short (er …. looooong) month.

I get it. I do. Your schedule has been thrown out the window. And stomped on.

But, none of these are reasons to wake up at 5 a.m. Or 4:30. Or even 6:00.

None of them.

Remember the glorious month of October? When you slept from 7 p.m. straight through until 7 a.m.? Remember those times?

It’s amazing how such a short stretch of peaceful nights can completely throw a mama off her game. It’s funny how quickly we adjust to sleeping through the night and how hard it is to revert back to sleep deprivation.

But, please, please, please … give your parents a break! We love you. We’re excited to see you first thing in the morning, too.

BUT. But, let’s just go ahead and define ‘first thing in the morning’ so that we’re all clear here.

The official definition of ‘first thing in the morning’ (according to our family) is NOT before the sun comes up. It is NOT before my alarm goes off. It is most especially NOT before your father’s alarm goes off (an entire hour earlier than mine).

Rather, it is more like 7:00 a.m. That’s a good time to aim for …

Or really, any time after I’ve had my morning coffee. After I’ve pried my eyes open adjusted to the fact that lights are on before the sun has even begun to peak over the horizon.

Most importantly, my dear, sweet child, ‘first thing in the morning’ should never include massive dirty diapers or anything else that requires us to turn on the bright, unnecessary overhead light (which then fully wakes you up for the rest of the morning).

Love,
Your Devoted/Exhausted Mama

Holidays. And Birthdays. And Transitions. Oh My.

2010-12-01T09:05:00.001-06:00

In addition to the Thanksgiving holidays, I also took two days off of work over the last week. So, you can imagine that I’m a little overwhelmed with all of the catching up that needs to be done … including blogging!

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s only been about a week, because soooo many things have happened.

Thanksgiving. Just your typical Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. But, Baby did get her first taste of a ‘real’ meal. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls. The whole nine yards. And she loved every bite!

We celebrated her first birthday on Saturday. I cannot believe my baby is one. For the record, I asked her if she would be mama’s baby forever. She replied with an emphatic, “Yeah.” So I’m considering that a legally binding verbal contract.

The party was a smashing success … except that Baby didn’t smash the cake. I’ve never seen a child less excited about digging her hands right into something sweet and tasty, but I suppose that’s the product of Husband’s cleanliness and my lack of a sweet tooth.

Monday was a big day for Baby. The first day at the new day care. Hallelujah! Of course, I still have some concerns. I think any mom would when leaving their child in the care of others. However, I really do like the people who work at this new place. It’s also much, much closer to home. We have actually found ourselves with lots of extra time in the morning, which lends itself to extra playing and cuddling with Baby … something that is nice for any parent, but I think especially great for working parents who don’t get to see their kiddos most of the day. I’m really enjoying this aspect of the new day care!

We also had the 12-month check up at the pediatrician on Monday. She weighed in at 18 pounds 11 ounces and was 29 ½ inches tall. Yes, we’re calling it ‘tall’ instead of ‘long’ now … my baby is growing up! Four immunizations later (which she handled like a pro), we were finally through with our week-long barrage of events, appointments, and not-on-any-kind-of-schedule activities.

Now that we’re back on track … er, well, never mind. Ever since the ear tubes, Baby has been up before 6 am every day. Actually, we are starting to get back on track. She’s woken up progressively later each day (4:35, 5:09, 5:30 and so on).

Hopefully we’ll settle back into some sort of routine. You know, just in time for the Christmas holidays to change it all up again. Of course, Baby handles all the changes pretty well. It’s her sleep deprived parents who are struggling.

Another Sappy Thanksgiving Post

2010-11-24T12:55:00.000-06:00

Because I am thankful! And I can’t think of any better time than the week of Thanksgiving and my baby girl’s birthday to talk about it ….

I am thankful for …

-My beautiful baby girl, for teaching me how to really live and love.

-My amazing husband, for being a true partner in life. And for being both incredibly wonderful and incredibly unaware of just how wonderful he is.

-Family, my beautifully, insanely complex family. And for the complication of having too many options for where to celebrate holidays and special occasions. (I had to make a spreadsheet yesterday. Really.)

-Friendship. Time, distance, jobs, babies, life … none of it could ever come between good friends.

-A great job that provides for my family in immeasurable ways.

-Coffee, shoes, and red wine. Because, well, do I really need to explain?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Her mother

2010-11-23T08:07:00.000-06:00

Last night, I snuck into her room and listened to her breathe.

I haven’t done that in quite a while.

It’s hard to believe that almost an entire year has past since she came into our lives.

On the other hand, I can barely remember what life was like before she was here.

I can only glimpse the tiniest memories of who I was before I became her mother.

Today, this is the role that defines me. First and foremost, I am her mother.

Motherhood ....

2010-11-22T13:12:00.000-06:00

As we quickly approach Baby’s First Birthday (this Saturday), I can neither promise blog posts free of sappy, sentimental, mushy-gushy, proud-mama stuff. Nor can I promise blog postings at all. Let’s face it … between Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping, and the BIG birthday party on Saturday …

Okay, okay. In all honesty, I just might be too overwhelmed with emotion to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to get it together.

So before I begin to spiral down the inevitable I-Love-My-Baby-So-So-So-So-Much-I-Can’t-Believe-She’s-Already-One-Year-Old tunnel, I thought I’d reflect on a few things that parenthood has taught me over the past year.

Although I don’t have the perspective of how much easier it is with a second child, I’m already rolling my eyes at myself as I think back. Seriously, I think new parents are their own worst enemy, and we most definitely make everything more difficult for ourselves.

Case in point: my child spit up. All. The. Time. Until well after the nine month mark. How did I handle this? Lots of bibs and burp cloths, of course. But I also prevented a lot of people from holding her. I didn’t want my child to spew all over their nice non-maternity, non-frumpy clothes. Or in their hair.

You know what I should have done? I should have let them hold her! And when she spit on one, I should have let them pass her to another. Why? Because babies are cute. And it wouldn’t have mattered what she did. They were still going to leave talking about how the cute baby cutely spit her cute breakfast all over everyone. Cute.

And then there are the germs. I think all brand new babies should be overly protected. Absolutely. And I still prefer everyone to wash their hands when they come into my house and want to hold my child. Because, well, I’m a bit of a germ-a-phobe. But I did finally realize (after a while) that my child was probably licking the floor and sharing pacifiers with other kids at daycare. So when her grandparents drive from their house to ours, it’s probably okay if she jumps right into their arms *gasp* before they have a chance to scrub in.

And I probably shouldn’t venture into the topic of schedules and meals and naps … oh my! But, I will. Honestly, before I became a parent myself, I was occasionally perturbed by the 4:30 pm dinners we’d have with our friends who had kids. Must. Keep. To. The. Schedule. Must!

Now I get it. In fact, just today I found myself scarfing down a cheeseburger for lunch at … 10:28 am. Why? Because, even on days when I do manage (to remember to eat) breakfast, throwing back a handful of your kid’s puffs before dawn just really doesn’t cut it. No matter how much coffee you gulp down.

All in all, I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that my Type A personality + my no-I -will-not-listen-to-reason-or-logic-but-you-must-deal-with-me-anyway child do not mix. And it was always going to be me who had to change.

Take, for example, punctuality. Ha. Ha Ha. Hahahahahaha.

Even when I would manage to get it all together (i.e., everyone dressed and packed up, even having remembered to brush everyone’s teeth) and get out the door –on time—even then, my beautiful girl was sure to load up a massive dirty diaper roughly 4 minutes into our drive. Why 4 minutes? Because we are still juuuust close enough to home to warrant turning around to change said diaper.

Peas in my hair. Snot on my third shirt of the day. Waking up (hours) before the sun begins to rise. Conversations (in public, sometimes even with strangers) about poop. Sleeping in short, short, short bursts of time. Keeping my glasses on all night long so I could keep one eye on the video monitor.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. And again. And again.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Recovery

2010-11-19T12:54:00.004-06:00

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Baby did great this morning. (I did too!)

It was a quick procedure, and our little girl was up and growling like a tiger at everyone before we knew it.

We took this picture in recovery ...

I only wish we had taken video of her after they gave her the initial drug cocktail ... she was a little loopy and all giggles and smiles.

And now, just a few hours later, she seems almost back to normal!

Prepared for tomorrow

2010-11-18T15:45:00.000-06:00

Baby gets tubes in her ears tomorrow.

I have instructions from the doctor:
-Arrive at 6 am for a 7 am procedure.
-No food or liquids after midnight.
-Bring a favorite blanket/toy/etc.
-Bring a bottle or cup for when she wakes up.
-Be prepared for her to be fussy when she wakes up.

I have washed the special blanket and toy.

I even purchased a special pair of pajamas. (Do you know how hard it is to find two-piece footed pajamas in any size larger than 6/9 months?! Hopefully they’ll fit!)

I have even been telling Baby all week about everything that’s going to happen. She probably doesn’t understand, but maybe she does.

As for me, I have my big girl face. It’s packed away in my purse. I’ll pull it out first thing in the morning. And I’ll put it on right over all of my mama-fear.

I know I shouldn’t be nervous. It’s just a simple procedure. It’s routine. It’s quick. Easy.

And even though I have my worries, I won’t let Baby know. Nope. All she will know is that mom and dad are right there for her. And that she is safe. And that everything will be okay. And that we love her.

Dollars for Doma

2010-11-16T07:51:00.000-06:00

Last week, in honor of Veteran’s Day, I talked about how proud I am to be an American and how great it is that we have brave men and women fighting for our rights and freedom every day.

Yesterday, I posted about Baby’s upcoming procedure to have tubes put in her ears.

This is a relatively simple procedure that tons of American kids get every year. It’s takes something like 8 minutes and they’re done. Of course, I’m a little worried, as any mother would be.

But, let’s face it … we’re lucky to have this not only be an option to clear up the trouble Baby has been having with her ears. But, we’re also lucky that insurance covers it. That’s it is a routine procedure. And that, aside from my own paranoia/mama-fear, there really is little to worry about.

We really do take these things for granted. The fact that we have access to medical care at all. There are places in this world where this is simply not the case.

You all know Julia over at Work, Wife, Mom … Life from our Working Mommy Wednesday posts. She is now raising money for a fantastic organization called Doma. Doma means home in many languages, and their purpose is the following …

[Doma] works in the lives of vulnerable children and young families through crisis prevention and early intervention. By removing obstacles to peace, comfort, joy, and stability, we guide children and families toward wholeness, where they can know a definition of home that is more complete than what they have experienced in life so far. Most of the children and families doma works with have never had a home or a mom or dad… Or the homes they know have been filled with abuse, neglect, anger, hostility, or pain. doma means home in several languages. doma strives to redefine home. (taken from their website: http://domaconnection.org).

If you’d like to support this cause –AND- have an opportunity to win some fantastic prizes, check out Julia’s Dollars for Doma. Even as little as $1 goes a long way to help these children in need.

Thanks for your support!

The goop is back

2010-11-15T12:32:00.001-06:00

Baby has been off of antibiotics for exactly 5 days. On day four, the goop came back. In her eyes. In her nose. Bleh. Which means that the ear infection is probably back, as well.

But she still wakes up smiling. She is such a sweet, happy girl!

Nevertheless, we scheduled to get tubes put in her ears for Friday morning. We had to go with the doctor I’m not too crazy about. The other one just can’t get us in until next month, and I can’t see putting Baby through yet another round of antibiotics (or maybe two by the time our appointment would be).

So, the countdown begins. I’m hopeful that this will be the resolution we’ve been looking for. Hopeful that this will be then end to the ear infections and constant antibiotics ... and the subsequent tummy aches and diaper rashes. Hopeful that we can stop feeling like we basically live at the doctor’s office.

I’m also anxious. Anxious about the anesthesia and about the procedure itself. Anxious about the fact that Baby can’t eat or drink anything from midnight until after her 8 am procedure. Um, have you ever tried to explain to an almost-one-year-old that she can’t have what she wants when she wants it? Yeah. I’m not counting on that being a walk in the park.

But I am looking forward to this being the end of the yucky and the beginning of the healthy.

On that note, I do have one small public service announcement: if your child is prone to ear infections, please, PLEASE don’t do feedings where your baby is lying flat on his/her back. I don’t do this with mine, but they do it at her day care. They lay all the kids on the floor, flat on their backs, and give them their bottles. I know this is easier, but it makes ear infections worse. I don’t know exactly why, but that’s what the doctors tell me.

Please be vigilant. Had I realized what was going on sooner, I might have prevented some of the issues Baby has endured.

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T08:48:00.002-06:00

Today, on Veteran’s Day, I am reminded of just how lucky we are to be American citizens. We have A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. men and women fighting for our rights, our freedom, and our liberties every single day.

With three siblings currently serving in the military (Army, Marines, and the Air Force) and many other friends and family members who are also currently serving or who did so in the past, this definitely hits close to home.

These individuals risk their lives to protect us. Their families live with concern on a good day, and great fear and uncertainty on the really tough days … and those tough days occur all too often.

Thank you Kasie, Colt, and Fanci – and all members of the U.S. Armed Forces - for all that you do for us.

So we can speak our minds, complain about anything we want, and go wherever we please.
So we can live in a state of relative certainty.
So we can make our own decisions for ourselves and our families.
So that we can agree, disagree, fight or give up.
So our choices are our own.
So that consequences for our negative actions are fair and just.
So that when something isn’t as we’d like for it to be, we have the opportunity to express our displeasure and seek change.
So that our basic human dignity is protected by law.

So we can sit on our couches and blog, Facebook, and email!

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, to forget that the American Way – flawed as it may seem from time to time – is not commonplace across the world.

We are lucky to live in the land of the free. We are lucky to have the opportunity to disagree with each other and/or our government without our lives being at risk.

We are lucky, but that luck doesn’t come by chance. It comes by way of great sacrifice.

Our troops sacrifice time, relationships, personal goals, and so much more. Sometimes, even their lives.

Remember our troops today. Thank them if you see. Hug those military moms and dads and spouses, especially if you know their loved ones are deployed. Send up prayers for safety, for strength. Remember them today. Remember them every day.

The Last Batch

2010-11-10T10:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I made sweet potatoes, white potatoes with chicken stock, and apples. Today I’m making peas and mango. Pureed, of course. Frozen in ice cube trays, then transferred to storage bags in the freezer.

This baby-food-making process has been such a staple in my life for the last six months. Every week or two, I’d whip up another batch of food for Baby’s meals.

But I realized yesterday that this would probably be the last batch I’d make for her.

With a mouth full of front teeth and molars coming in, she’s doing much better with eating “real” food. Add that to her obvious desire to eat what she sees us eating, and I think she’s about ready to move along to table food.

She has given me a few hints over the past couple of months. She reaches for the food I’m eating. If I sit on the floor to eat while she’s in the exersaucer, she leans waaaay over the side to see what I have on my plate. And, just this past weekend she literally licked my chin after I put a bite of food in my mouth.

Yes, I think she’s ready to move on to the next step. And, with her first birthday quickly approaching, I think some of my mama-paranoia will start to wear off. The berries, honey, milk, etc. issues will be behind us. And I’m thinking that once she gets a-hold of that birthday cake, there will be no turning back!

So, it’s a little bittersweet to realize that I’m working on her last batch of “baby” food. My little girl is growing up, and that’s exciting. But it feels like just yesterday that I was teaching her how to eat rice cereal from a spoon.

This may not sound much like I’m pouring my heart out, but it sure feels like it! So, I’m linking up with Shell’s PYHO Wednesday. Join us and read some of these amazing stories.

Nap Mat H-E-Double-L

2010-11-08T14:18:00.004-06:00

Seriously, people, I’m living in Nap Mat Hell.

Who knew there were so many options?!

Nope, I’m not just talking about pretty princess patterns versus the plain jane ones. I’m talking about different levels of thickness. And size/width/length. And whether they can roll up. And whether they have a cover blanket attached. And. And. And.

AGH!!!

Okay, let me backtrack a bit …

I know I haven’t been great on updating y’all regarding our day care situation, but the good news is that we’re moving to a new one at the end of the month!

[Pause while I squeal with delight and do a little happy dance.]

We’re really looking forward to moving to this new day care. It was our top choice OVER. A. YEAR. AGO … when we initially started looking into child care.

It’s closer to home, a convenience that is a major plus, but definitely not our deciding factor. This is a great facility, and we’ve heard that most kids go there from birth until they reach the age limit (which is 10 or 12, I think). They’re also a “learning center” and not just a day care. AND! And, their director was just named some super high honor in our town because she’s basically a saint.

Okay, so I’m obviously happy about that. [Yes, I’m doing the happy dance again.]

However – and we would have had to deal with this no matter where Baby went to “school” (because apparently this is just what they do at this age, but that’s just not the point) – we are now dealing with nap mats.

No cribs. No pack-n-plays. Just a nap mat.

Uh huh. Well, good luck to them. If they can make my never-sits-still-or-stays-in-one-spot-or-even-really-takes-a-nap child to sleep on the floor, more power to them!

My problem is finding a dang nap mat.

One with these specifications: something that can be rolled or folded, hung on a hook on the wall, and not too large.

Sound easy, right?

If you think so, then I’m guessing you never did a Google or Amazon search for nap mat.

Wow! I had no idea that this search would literally consume precious moments of my life. Moments that I will never get back.

These are the things they don’t tell you about before you become a parent. That one day you’re a witty, professional, successful businesswoman who can make smart snap decisions that affect budgets, revenue, etc. The next minute, you’re freaking out because you don’t know what bleepin’ nap mat to order for your one-year old …

Because just when you find the perfect pattern with the appropriate thickness, it ends up either being crazy expensive or too big. Or it gets bad reviews. And all the ones with good reviews are so brightly colored you’re not sure how your child will ever go to sleep on them. (Really, a glow in the dark nap mat? As if Baby isn’t already distracted enough.)

Seriously, I am overwhelmed.

These are the thoughts that are consuming my life right now, a fact that I find both intriguing and … well, pathetic.

Sigh.

What she's doing now ...

2010-11-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

[Warning: This is all about a mama gushing about her baby. Sappy and sentimental statements lie ahead.]

Over the last 11 months, I have watched as Baby learned so many new things, all the typical stuff, of course … babbling, waving, crawling, eating, etc. Those were the things I expected her to do. Those were the things I knew to look for, and I was absolutely excited every time we reached a new milestone.

There are other things, though, things that nobody prepares you for, things that cannot be predicted because they are unique to each individual personality.

My daughter growls. Yes, she growls. We ask her what the tiger says, and she growls. It’s the cutest thing. Ever. Sometimes she growls without being prompted. Just because she thinks it’s fun. And it is!

She’s a daredevil. I can tell already. She loves to fall backwards. She’ll sit on the floor and turn in a circle until her back is to me. Then she’ll just free fall. Her excitement is cute, but it scares me to death. I can’t tell you how hard it was to teach her to make sure somebody is behind her before she falls. I’m still not sure she fully comprehends the concept.

When she’s standing next to a toy or the furniture, she’ll push off so that she’s standing on her own for a second or two. Then she laughs and laughs when she falls back to catch herself (or usually I catch her). She seems to love the thrill. I think we’re going to have our hands full!

She also likes to be startled. Peek-a-boo is only fun for her when you catch her off guard. She squeals and giggles, but only if you really spook her. And she loves to get you back. She’ll give her best, “Ah-boo!” and is so delighted when your response is one of shock. I love this little interaction.

She points. She points her little finger and can tell me where my nose is … it’s hysterical to watch her reaction when she can touch her finger to my nose. She seems … proud, satisfied, accomplished.

She also points at the pantry when she wants puffs and makes the sign language motion for ceiling fan while looking up at the ceiling.

She’s independent. She can’t walk by herself yet, but she wants so badly to let go of our hands. She’s also clingy. Sometimes I think she’s permanently affixed to my right shoulder. Or, at least, I think that she thinks she should be attached.

She talks. A lot. Sometimes I think we’re really having a conversation. Sometimes I think she’s giving me legitimate answers, even though everyone else probably just thinks it sounds like she’s babbling.

There are so many amazing aspects about being a mom, but I think one of the most astounding things is just watching the way your child becomes her own person, to go from those first few moments of her life – even those first few days and weeks – where she literally couldn’t do anything for herself. Now she has her own personality. She’s communicating with tools and skills and words, not just cries.

And we’re only 11 months in!

Part of me is excited to see what is still to come. The other part of me wants to bottle this time – right now – and stay here forever.

Honest Confessions About Motherhood

2010-11-03T11:49:00.002-05:00

Julia at Work, Wife, Mom … Life has prompted us to give honest confessions about motherhood for this week’s Working Mommy Wednesday.

I think it’s also a perfect subject to link up with Shell’s Pour Your Heart Out meme. The two almost always overlap for me.

What should I confess about motherhood?

For me, motherhood is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

It’s also the single most difficult thing I’ve ever done.

Easy because it’s so incredibly natural.

Difficult because … well, you know, there are diaper blow outs, ear infections, tantrums, and figuring out how to do every single thing in life with only one hand.

Motherhood is amazing.

Watching the look of wonder on your child’s face as she discovers new things for the first time. Seeing her grow, develop, and learn. The way she begins to communicate, mimicking and responding and pointing at what she wants ... when just mere months ago she couldn’t do any of that.

And the truly amazing aspect seems to be that the amazement never ceases. One new development after another, and I’m still overwhelmed with pride and joy each and every time.

Motherhood is also painful.

Emotionally painful … the paranoia, fear, and unending worries.

Physically painful too! There is a scar on my right foot from where I dropped scalding water from the bottle sterilizer and an endless string of bruises on my shins from constantly walking into things on the way to a middle-of-the-night diaper change. And we won’t even discuss breastfeeding.

Motherhood is overwhelming, plain and simple.

For good reasons.

For not so good reasons.

It’s just overwhelming.

I confess that there are days I’d rather say in bed than get up at some before-daylight hour.

I confess that there are times when I long for a day without a shirt stained with spit up or peas or snot.

I confess that there are moments that I sneak off to the bathroom just the check my email or Facebook.

I confess that I occasionally wish I didn’t need to pack up the entire house for a quick trip to church or the store or the doctor.

But, at the end of the day, my biggest confession is that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Most of it, anyway.

Because nothing is better than snuggling with your baby in those early morning hours. Or knowing that those peas she’s spitting in my face … she knows how to eat them, because I taught her to eat from a spoon!

Nope, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

PINT: Questions

2010-11-02T09:48:00.015-05:00

[And, I really am sorry for the rant. But, man-o-man, that doctor's appointment was just shy of a nightmare. My normally happy, good natured, smiling girl literally threw a two hour tantrum. And that doctor's office had next to nothing in terms of distraction and/or entertainment ... but we survived!]

AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

Halloween = Mom Fail

2010-11-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

Despite my grandiose notions of Baby’s first Halloween being fabulous, full of visits pumpkin patches and fall festivals, adorable costumes, loads of fun, well … let’s just say that things like ear infections, allergies, and seemingly black eyes had other plans in store for our little family.

To be fair, I should acknowledge that I bought at least a half dozen Halloween onsies for this fun holiday, and I’ve been dressing Baby in them ALL month. What can I say? The “I’m batty for daddy” one was just too cute to only be worn once.

Unfortunately, that’s about all that has gone according to our haunted plan. As much as I desperately tried to visit a pumpkin patch every. single. weekend. in October … it just never seemed to work out. So, I decided to be ultra-efficient and cram every little possible Halloween activity into the last weekend of the month.

Except.

Except, when I picked Baby up from day care on Friday afternoon, her eyes were green and goopy. They told me that her eyes had been completely sealed shut after her afternoon nap. (Thanks for calling to tell me earlier in the day … but that’s a story for another time).

So, of course, we make another doctor’s appointment. For Saturday morning. We wake up on Saturday morning, and it looks like Baby has two black eyes. There are dark circles under each one, but no goop! Another morning blown at the doctor and probably our fifth co-pay (this month) later tells us, of course, that it’s just the continuation of her ongoing ear infection. Begin week seven. (We’re seeing the ENT today.)

Okay, okay, I’m thinking … all is not lost. Baby is already in a better mood. Her eyes are starting to clear up, so we’ll just push the festivities to Sunday. She’ll be in costume anyway. The super cute white Bengal tiger costume that I ordered at the last minute was due to arrive that day. Note – I did plan ahead. We also had a ladybug and a butterfly costume, but I just had to order the tiger when Baby learned to respond with a very cute growl when asked, “What does a tiger say?”

But, of course, we missed the delivery of the costume. Now, it’s scheduled to arrive today. Monday. The day after Halloween. But, you can bet she’ll be dressed in it all month. I paid more for the dang shipping than the costume itself.

Husband’s allergies pretty much kept us inside all day Sunday until we ventured out around 6 pm to check out the trick-or-treaters.

Except.

Except that we were apparently an hour early for our neighborhood. So, Baby was all dressed up. As a butterfly. With black eyes. We did our best to placate her, but she wasn’t too fond of the hat part of her costume. She was already starting to reach her limits when the first kids appeared, so she basically got to see approximately 4 ½ kids in costumes before she promptly melted down and went to bed.

Oh well, Husband and I actually had a good time, and Baby really doesn't know the difference. I just feel like I failed my child. I couldn’t manage to get it together enough to do all the things we had planned, muchless capture very many Halloween festivities in pictures. We snapped a few of her in the butterfly costume on our kitchen floor, but she’s so mobile now that most are of her back or her profile.

I have to say, though, that she made one extremely cute butterfly.

My First Birthday

2010-10-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

Today is my birthday!

It’s my first official birthday as a mom, and I think it’s fair to say that this is the first year I didn’t wake up with a list of gifts that I hoped to receive.

Sure there are things that I’d like to have and surprises that would be wonderful … what girl doesn’t have a wish list in her head?

Of course, I’m probably a little more sentimental and even a bit sappy since I’ve been away for the last few days, so it’s a good thing that Husband did come through with a nice birthday gift … Coach Outlet, here I come! And maybe a few other stores while I’m at it!

But I really did wake up this morning thinking that the absolute best birthday gift would just be time with my family, time to laze around, snuggle with Baby, have a hot cup of coffee, and enjoy the morning.

And that’s exactly what I got!

Happy Friday, everyone!

PINT: Notes to myself

2010-10-26T16:38:00.008-05:00

Mushy Monday Meltdown

2010-10-25T10:24:00.001-05:00

(Read at your own risk…)

I’m not sure what’s more crippling …having to leave a sick child behind for a business trip or having to leave a happy, giggling, energetic one.

Last week, Baby was sick, and I left. This week, she’s happy and fun-loving, and I’m leaving again.

It’s hard. I can’t believe it’s still so difficult, even though I’ve been doing it, week after week after week. I can’t believe how debilitating it is despite the logical, rational voice in my head that constantly lists all of the reasons why this is a good thing.

I never quite expected it to be such an emotional roller coaster, such a constant emotional roller coaster. I literally have to talk myself into leaving every single week. I literally have the exact same conversation with my self every single week. And it doesn’t get easier. In fact, I think it might get harder.

In my head, I know that it probably just feels like it’s getting harder because I’m tired, worn out from being on the go for the last couple of months. In my head, I know all of this traveling will be over in just a couple of weeks. The end is in sight.

The problem is … logic apparently has no influence over a mother’s heart or guilt. None whatsoever. Rational thoughts? Nope, those don’t seem to work either.

All I can think about is that I’ll be missing out on 3 (yes, 3!) Halloween outfits I bought for her to wear this week. And that we’re going to have to squeeze in a trip to the pumpkin patch some time at the last minute, because I’m not here to do it sooner. And, all I really wanted to do this week, which happens to be my birthday week, is wake up every single day and hold my baby girl … which isn’t going to happen. Because I won’t be here.

It is going to be okay. I know that everything will be just fine. It will.

But right now it is a drizzly, humid, gray Monday morning, and I just needed a minute to wallow …

More fragments this Friday ...

2010-10-22T08:47:00.002-05:00

Wow, it’s been a whirlwind of a week … well, a couple of weeks, actually. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, prayers, and kind words. It has definitely been a roller coaster of many kinds – emotional, mental, physical. We’ve been up and down and all around, happy, sad, sick, exhausted … you name it, our family has probably seen it somewhere in the last few weeks.

Since it’s Friday and I feel like I’ve only blogged about the tough stuff lately, I think I’ll take today to focus the silver linings. I’m linking up with Friday Fragments because … well, things are getting better, but I’m not sure I’ve got it all together just yet!

-Baby woke up with a rash yesterday morning. I was worried. Thought it was an allergic reaction, and a thousand thoughts ran through my mind in a split second.
Silver Lining: Nope. No allergy, just viral exanthem. As far as I can tell, it just means the infection is leaving her body, and it doesn’t cause any negative side effects.

-Work! Work! Work! I’m sooooverwhelmed (that’s a word!) with work right now. Sometimes I don’t feel like I’ll ever catch up.
Silver Lining: I closed several fairly large sales this week. Even when I’m tired and stressed, I’m still good at my job. I need to remind myself of that fact a little more often.

More silver linings ….
-This weekend. It’s my high school reunion, and we’re getting together with lots of friends – both old and new – to hang out and have fun! Baby is spending the weekend with her grandparents for some much needed rest and spoiling, and Husband and I plan to enjoy sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG!

-Shoes! So, I bought a new pair of shoes. They’re very cute. The heels are reeeally high. They’re semi-designer. And I only paid $32 for them at TJ Max. Yep. I’m wearing them this weekend.

-Wine ... plan on drinking lots of it this weekend!

-Sleep! Getting more of it. Baby seems to be on the mend, so she’s sleeping much better recently.

-Family. Husband and Baby are amazing. Just when I think it can’t get any better, we find new ways to have fun … even amidst sickness and exhaustion.

Happy Friday!

Change of plans. Again.

2010-10-21T08:47:00.001-05:00

Morning plan: Drop Baby off at day care. Work. Work. Work. Possilby with a pumpkin-flavored coffee from the new shop in town.

Change of plans: DR visit for potential allergic reaction to Baby's 3rd round of antibiotics. She's covered in a rash and has been screaming all morning.

WMW: What's in your bag?

2010-10-20T08:37:00.001-05:00

Julia at Work, Wife, Mom … Life has prompted us this week with the question …

What’s in your bag?

In attempting to answer this question [yes, I know, there should be no need to “attempt” … just list the contents, right? But …], my first thought was: which bag? Purse? Computer bag? Diaper Bag? Suitcase?

I have so many bags, and I use them all on a regular basis. Fortunately, I went back and read the prompt again, and she actually just asked us to list the “Things in your purse,” so here goes …

-Wallet
-Phone
-GPS (because I’m at a hotel, and I’d never leave it in the car overnight)
-Make up. Probably one too many lip glosses.
-Sunglasses
-Burp cloth
-4 tiny sample tubes of diaper cream the doctor prescribed for Baby (don’t worry, we filled the Rx, and it’s at home with her)
-Receipts – oh my, the receipts
-Medicine: Zyrtec, Xanax (which I’m proud to say I haven’t taken since that first business trip in August. But you never know, so I keep it with me!)
-Hand sanitizer. Lots of it.
-Mints
-Business Cards
-My Hilton Honors card. I got downgraded to Gold when I stopped traveling for a while during my pregnancy. Oh, how I miss the Diamond status.
-Pens (let’s hope I pull out the pen and not the diaper cream during my meetings today!)
-Loose change. My (designer) wallet sucks. Probably because I got it at the Outlets, but the change part does not stay closed.
-Misc: A packet of splenda, a contact case, random coupons that we didn’t use at Costco last weekend, and a paperclip

Funny, but it seems that the contents of my purse are much more telling than I would have initially thought. It’s a pretty decent glance into the contents of my life. Who would have thought? What’s in your bag? Tell us and link up!

Post It Note Tuesday!

2010-10-19T14:57:00.006-05:00

I'm going anyway ...

2010-10-15T19:08:00.000-05:00

I’m tired.

I’m emotionally spent.

I’m physically worn out.

I haven’t showered since yesterday.

My good jeans are speckled with Baby’s white antibiotic from when she spit it all out.

But, I’m going anyway. I’m going to my book club meeting tonight.

I haven’t finished the book. But I am going anyway.

Because, well … this mama needs a break. And a glass of wine. And, an opportunity to have a social life and maybe make a friend or two in this town I’ve lived in for two years.

So, I’m going anyway.

Hopefully the concoction of lotion, deodorant and hair spray will be enough to masque the spit up and yogurt that I can’t seem to fully eradicate.

Perhaps my charming and witty personality (aka the red wine I’m bringing to share) will sufficiently hide the dark circles under my eyes and the peas in my hair.

Even if it doesn’t, I’m going anyway.

Being there

2010-10-11T08:14:00.003-05:00

Another week. Another business trip postponed. Unfortunately, this time it is not due to a simple ear infection or bad weather.

As much as I love my child, I’d almost rather be away on business this week than be home for the reasons I am …

We lost my uncle, very unexpectedly, on Friday. Initial thoughts were that he had a heart attack. This was shocking to all of us, especially because he was so young. Not even 50-years-old yet.

Recent developments have indicated that it may be more complicated than we thought. My uncle, Greg, had been scuba diving and spear fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, and it’s more likely that his death was the result of something related to that … though the results won’t be in for up to eight weeks.

In reality, those details are trivial. The big impact is on our family – his wife, my aunt. And their two young children, both under the age of 10.

It’s heartbreaking. It’s terrible to think about those kids growing up without their dad.

And it’s so hard to know what to do or what to say.

For me, it’s difficult because I can’t just drop everything and be there. Before Baby came along, I would have packed up and immediately made the trip. All I want to do is be there.

However, I can’t just pick up and go now. I have to think through everything. Make logical, rational choices. Do what’s best for Baby and Husband.

My business trip is canceled, and Baby and I will be heading to Houston early tomorrow morning. We’re meeting my mom somewhere along the way, so I don’t have to make the entire trek alone with a child who does not like long car trips. Husband will follow as soon as he can get away from work.

I just hate not being there. I hate that I couldn’t go immediately. The truth is, the only thing I really know to do for them is to be there.

We’re praying constantly. It keeps hitting me over and over again. I think about my sweet cousins, who probably can’t fully grasp the finality of what’s happened. Then again, they probably get it a lot more that we realize.

If you have a moment, please say a prayer for my aunt, my cousins, and my whole family.

Thank you.

Friday Fragments!

2010-10-08T09:17:00.002-05:00

I have so many bits and pieces this week, so I’m linking up again …

-Bad Blogger: me. I’ve been sooo busy with work that most of my posts are memes (which are still a lot of fun!). I am still reading your blogs … just not commenting as much as I’d like. I tried to keep up for a while. However, after several bouts with writing looong, thoughtful comments and then either missing the word verification or some other problem … I just kind of gave up. I'm sorry! I’ll be better about everything when work slows down next month.

-Annoyed: me. For two reasons …

First, why? WHY? Why does a doctor’s appointment for my child that ultimately takes 12 minutes (from the time the pediatrician walks in and including a flu shot and scheduling a follow-up appointment) need to be a two hour experience. Why?

Second, I know the economy is tough. Perhaps it’s also taken a toll on pharmacies. However, must they fill Baby’s prescription in a bottle twice the size of the actual amount of medicine? Seriously, have you ever tried to take one of those syringes, extract exactly 3 ml of meds, and get it into your child’s mouth? Add to that, that with the first dose, the syringe barely reaches the medicine because it’s so low in the container. What am I going to do on day 10 (after 2 doses/day)? With a sick, screaming baby in one arm no less! I wonder if the pharmacy would let me bring my own container?

-Tired: me. It’s that time of year where work is really busy. The end is in sight. Just a few more weeks of traveling and being swamped with work. But, more than being physically tired, I’m just tired of having to leave Husband and Baby every week.

-Happy: me! The weather has finally turned to ‘fall’ like conditions. In Texas, that just means that the humidity has disappeared and highs are only in the 80s, but I’ll take it! It’s perfect for hanging out with Husband & Baby, taking walks, playing outside. We’re having so much fun! (when I’m home)

-Guilty: me. Yes, I’m guilty. Guilty of actually enjoying myself when I’m away for work. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t feel guilty … then I feel guilty for thinking that way! But, I’ve been working out, reading, sleeping. Plus, I’m getting a ton of work done. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t have to worry about bottles, diapers, etc. I miss my family when I’m away, but it’s also nice to have a little time to myself.

-Excited: me. For all of the fun things coming up in the next few months … fall festivals, Thanksgiving, Baby’s First Birthday, Christmas … it’s going to be so much fun to experience all of these things with our daughter for the first time. Yes, she was here last Christmas, but let's face it: we were weeks post-partumn ... she might have been here, but was I? It's going to be fun to watch her take in all of these new experiences.

-Working: me. Now.

Happy Friday, everyone!

If I could stop time

2010-10-07T13:35:00.004-05:00

Mama Kat asks, “If you could stop time for 24 hours, what would you accomplish?”

What would I accomplish? Hmmm …

-Play, play, play with Baby. All day long. If I have the time, there is no need for day care. None whatsoever. If there is any time left over, I’ll do the following …

-Enjoy my cup of coffee. While it's still hot. Maybe even two cups. While they're hot.

-Finish my book for book club. And maybe start a new one.

-Make a fabulous dinner ... that would produce delicious leftovers so I don’t have to cook again for a couple of days (wonder if I'm assuming too much: stopping time doesn't exactly guarantee other miracles, does it?)

-Get in a nice, long work out

-Order invitations for Baby’s First Birthday!

-Put all of the pictures we have of Baby from the last year into albums

-Go out and buy the other curtain I need for our dining room and put it up

-Hang out with Husband!

-Go for a walk with Husband & Baby

-Enjoy a glass of wine with Husband ... outside on our patio in this beautiful fall weather

-Snuggle, snuggle, snuggle Baby. All night long. If I have the time, there is no need for that crib!

-If there is any time left over, I will sleep. Ah, beautiful sleep.

Notice what’s not on my list … work, laundry, running errands, or cleaning anything! Nope, not in my 24 hours. I’ll squeeze those things in some other day.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-05T21:32:00.002-05:00

Missin' this sweet little face ...

PINT: More notes from the road

2010-10-05T07:48:00.008-05:00

Because when Gucci calls ...

2010-10-04T18:25:00.004-05:00

It is our duty as women to answer.

Mama Still Wears Gucci, one of my favorite bloggers, is asking for our help. This is not something she does often, so you know it's important. And, because this could happen to any one of us, please take a moment to read this family's story, then pray/donate/help in any way that you can. Thanks!

In Gucci's Words:
Oh, my Gucci babies, I've been staring at this blank screen for almost an hour trying to figure out where to start. I don't know how to fix this; I can't fix this and I don't know how to deal with something I can't fix.

I am devastated.

I hate being helpless. I hate seeing my loved ones hurting and struggling and being powerless to take the pain away. I can't fix this. I can't fix cancer. I can't heal it. But I can help with the struggles this family faces. And so can you.

I've known Renee a few years. Though I've moved out of state and we haven't seen each other in quite sometime, I just love her. She is sweet and loyal and smart and talented and strong. She is a giver, a fixer, a helper. Her heart is as beautiful as her face. She loves fiercely, she works without ceasing, and she sacrifices without complaint.

And her husband has been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. He was the sole breadwinner and is now too sick to work. We all know the state of the economy. We all know how difficult it is to find work and to complicate things for Renee, willing as she is to do whatever she must to keep her family afloat while her husband fights for his life, she homeschools her three children, one of whom is autistic. She's been a homemaker for so many years and when employers have the luxury of choice, as they do now, they are not interested in a woman who's been out of the workforce so long.

They have lost their house. They are currently living in an RV in the parking lot of the hospital where her husband is being treated. Because they have no running water, Renee and her children are going to Sassy's house, which is thankfully close by, week after week to fill buckets and jugs with fresh water. The children are growing rapidly out of their clothes, and the clothes they do have are becoming worn with use.

Right now the hospital is generously allowing them to keep their RV in the parking lot and use their electricity, but this is a temporary solution to what is rapidly becoming a permanent problem. And winter is coming. Montana winters are cruel and long.

The amazing thing about Renee is, she remains hopeful. She finds the good in the midst of this nightmare she faces. She squares her shoulders and raises her chin in the face of this overwhelming adversity even though the stress of this situation must be almost intolerable. She is holding her family together, taking care of her husband, teaching her children, and trying to make a home out of a travel trailer parked in a hospital parking lot while stretching six hundred dollars a month to feed and clothe a family of five.

She needs our help. It's time we help her shoulder some of this immense burden. Her need is great, but our power to meet her needs is greater. This blog has 511 followers as of this writing. If each one of you donates five dollars, Renee and her family will have $2,555 to give them a start toward finding more permanent housing, nutritious food, clothing for the children, and so much more. This blog averages 1500 hits a day; if each person who reads the words on this page donates just five dollars, Renee and her family will have $7,500. Imagine that! Imagine the difference a sum like that could make to this family.

Renee has done so much for all of us who know her and she's done so much even for those who don't. She's an immensely talented photographer, and she's donated her time and skills to organizations like Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, The Human Society, and Montana Mamas. She is always first in line to lend a hand where a hand is needed and now it is time we extend a hand to her.

Certainly the best thing we can do to help Renee and her family right now is to open our pocket books. But there are other ways we can help her. We can send gift cards, clothing, blankets, and other sundries.

I've set up a Paypal donation button so you can give what you can conveniently and safely online. If you are more comfortable sending a check through the mail or you'd prefer to send gift cards, email me at admin@mamastillwearsgucci.com and I will give you my address. If you come to my house and try to watch me through my windows, that will cost you fucking extra, you pervs. Apparently they let just about anyone through the gate here, so if I give you my address, you'd better not be a freak. Similarly, if you would like to send clothing for the children or other items, I will give you the specifics on sizes and such if you ask me.

Please stand with me in making whatever difference we can for my sweet friend Renee and her family. We may not be able to fix the cancer, we may not be able to fix the troubles she faces, but we can at least remove some of the seemingly insurmountable financial burden so she no longer has to worry about getting her children in clothes that fit, being able to make real meals of nutritious food for them on an actual stove, and getting them into nice warm beds with a strong roof over their heads before the snow flies.

It's time to put our money where our mouths are. We are a community. We are bonded together even though most of us have never met. One of us has stumbled, and those of us who can need to help her get back up.

Please give what you can to Renee, her husband Carl, her daughters Inger and Kelda, and her son Benjamin. They need us. Thank you.

Friday Fragments

2010-10-01T08:20:00.002-05:00

Because I’m too tired today …

-What I get for going away on business: I left a sweet, ever-so-loving baby girl. I came home to a … zombie child. No, really. Husband taught her to bury her face in his neck, shake it savagely with her mouth open and make zombie noises. At least it’s almost Halloween. And, it is kinda cute.

-Speaking of almost Halloween, hello fall weather! Thank God the high humidity and hot temperatures has finally passed. And, by fall weather, I obviously mean that today the high will only be 88 degrees. That’s Texas for you.

-Husband: It’s finally fall weather! Red wine, evening walks, pumpkin beer, sitting on the porch, being outside and not melting, fall festivals … we’re going to have so much fun!

-Also speaking of Halloween, I LOVE this time of year. Baby has two costumes and at least a half dozen shirts for this particular holiday. I’m barely resisting temptation to buy her the Thanksgiving tutus and “I’m stuffed” shirts that I’ve been seeing.

-We’re going to our first fall festival tomorrow, and I’m making my first chicken and dumplings recipe for a cook off. Um, we’ll see how it goes. The first hiccup? Husband won’t eat dumplings or any “soggy bread” type foods. I’m substituting potato gnocchi, but it’s completely experimental. I don’t even know how to transport a hot food item to a destination that’s 2 hours away. I think I probably need to buy a crock pot today …

-Enfamil: seriously? If you’re going to switch to refillable tubs, the least you could do would be to actually sell the refills for said tubs. Okay, maybe it’s the stores in my area – every single store – but it’s a little irritating.

-Fisher Price: really? Recalling 10 million items? And I was the genius who bought a FP toy right after reading about the recall yesterday. I guess we all have our moments. Luckily, I don’t think it was on the recall list.

-Wanna be a Macaroni Kid Publisher Mom? Ask me how you can write, edit, publish AND make money! It’s fun and easy!

-Mabel’s Labels: I LOVE YOU! I honestly thought it would just be neat to do one of my first reviews with you. But, you have transformed my life. No more writing and rewriting Baby’s name of every single item that goes to day care. Just slap a label on, and we’re good to go. Thanks!

-Baby: Not sure why you loved the diced apples I fed you last night, but spit them in my face this morning. You don’t like them cold? Is that it? Or you just like making your mama guess? Either way, you sure are cute lately.

-Happy Friday Fragments, y’all!