I'm going to attempt to do a quick catch-up blog entry while I attempt to download three months' worth of baby pictures onto our Share site. I should be sleeping. I'm sleepy.
Regardless, since I'm completely alone... the baby has been asleep (in her room) for a couple of hours now and Husband finally stopped pretending to be watching TV (when he is obviously sleeping) and took his self to bed. So.... that leaves little ole' me all alone. I'm rarely alone these days-- that has been the biggest adjustment for me into parenthood-- the only time I'm really by myself is in the shower--if someone is home to keep an eye on the baby, otherwise she is hanging out in her bouncer seat on the bathroom floor while I try to hurry up and wash my hair.
Anyway... a lot has been going on lately.
1. We Christened the Little One the weekend before my last week of school back in June. I felt like I sort of slapped the ceremony together, which was not my intent, but time just got away with me. Looking back on it, we just have just done the ceremony during regular church services-- it would have been less of a pain in my side-- but we thought Husband's parents were going to be out of town that Sunday morning. Miscommunication on my part, I guess. In the end, it was a sweet ceremony and it turned out much smoother than I had imagined.
2. The baby is in her room now! Not long after I got out of school we had a little impromptu "pajama party" and the only person in our house that slept through the night was the baby. She just wouldn't stay down in the pack-n-play sleeper and after the fourth time trying to get her to sleep, I just put her in the bed with us. The next night she went in her crib, upstairs, in her beautiful nursery. We watch her on the video monitor. We have a movement monitor that we have yet to use-- I'm hoping this weekend we will be able to get the board installed.
3. We don't Cry-it-Out in this family-- another blog entry for another time... when I'm not so sleepy maybe?
4. I have a cardiologist now. On Michael Jackson's death date, I had a SVT attack-- or in other words, my heart was beating 240 beats per minute and would not stop. It had never happened before and I hope it never happens again but apparently I have an extra electrical pathway inside my heart that decided to work that day. I got to ride in the rescue squad all the way to the ER and once at the ER I stayed there the entire day. NOT FUN.
5. My Granny died... I really don't have a lot to say about the subject for now. But please know she had been sick for sometime. She was 92 years old and had lived a purpose filled life, a life that touched a number of people in our little part of the world. I am proud to be her granddaughter and I am thankful she got to meet my daughter. We will tell Little One the stories of my Granny, of Pup-Pup, of homemade mini-ghosts and Tom n' Sally...
6. I joined Pinterest and I can see how it can sort of ruin lives. I have became one of those people that sometimes starts sentences "I saw this cool idea on Pinterest...." or "On Pinterest..."
Finally, a little Little One Update:
Little One is officially 8 months old and she is doing great. No teeth yet... but according to the chart I repined on Pinterest we are well within the time frame for teeth to be sprouting. I'm preparing myself, since we are still breastfeeding and all.
We have outgrown the Puj bathtub and now officially use "Howard the Duck" the inflatable yellow duck that fits into the bathtub. She is fascinated with the drain. Sophie La Giraffe (the bath time edition) is a great distraction and makes bath time so much easier.
As you already know we have our bedroom back! I am so excited to be able to watch TV in bed again!
Little One is pulling up and trying to crawl. She loves to stand and wants to take steps when you hold her hands. I think crawling will happen, I'm holding out hope, but she doesn't seem to enjoy it... Being such a love-chunk of a baby, it is hard to figure out the baby belly with the chubby baby legs at the same time. We will get there, I'm certain.
Recently I have put her in our kiddie pool in her big float and she loves it! We can't wait for the beach in a few weeks!
So there... that sort of wraps things up pretty nicely for now. It is late and the pictures I started uploading are loaded... ( I still have like 250 to go... but that will be tomorrow and the next day and so forth)
Be good y'all!
Friday, July 19, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The Picture...
As I stood, bare foot, on the sand hovering over a half naked, wriggling 6 month old I could feel the color drain from my face. "She's going to blind herself," I kept thinking as I watched fat little fingers, covered in salty sand, form fists and go for her perfect little face. Baby Girl loves to rub her eyes when she's tired and boy was she tired.
I wanted to cry, but crying wouldn't have changed anything. I was the genius who had decided to put the baby lotion on the baby before her pictures... never thinking about how beach sand and lotion are deadly combinations. Damned baby eczema. Damned sea salt and sand.
My friend, my dear, sweet and patient friend, who also happens to be our baby photographer, quickly stepped in and helped me remove the sand from the baby's hands, face and eye area. If I'm a crazed, guilt-ridden, idiot... well, she's the complete opposite. Calmly she dabbed wet wipes at my child's face. "It's just sand," she kept telling me as I tried to keep myself from loosing it.
At that very moment I was deciding, in my head, on whether or not I should tell Husband what was going on... the blinding of our child when we returned to the beach house. Even though he is not always the most observant of husband's (he never can tell when I get my hair cut) surely he would notice that our baby girl no longer was sighted. He would not be pleased.... No, he would not be pleased.
And just as my dear friend had removed the sand from my child's face, Husband was coming over the dunes to see what we were up to with the pictures. I was relieved to see him, regardless of whether or not the child was truly blinded. He needed to be there for the baby's first contact with the ocean--sentimentality aside, I needed an extra pair of hands as most of my belongings were now scattered up and down Ocean Isle Beach.
The pictures were completed soon after. My friend is fast, quick... skilled-- a true artist.
She posted a "peek" picture from that day on her Facebook page and I must say I'm blown away at how beautiful the image turned out to be. You'd never know that mere moments before Baby Girl was covered in sand and her poor, perpetually-guilt-ridden mother was helplessly dying inside.
If you look closely at the picture you can see the sea dripping of her chubby little feet... her first contact with the ocean and it is beautifully documented-- how special is that?
Thank goodness for artistic, sane and calm friends who aren't afraid of a little sand....
I wanted to cry, but crying wouldn't have changed anything. I was the genius who had decided to put the baby lotion on the baby before her pictures... never thinking about how beach sand and lotion are deadly combinations. Damned baby eczema. Damned sea salt and sand.
My friend, my dear, sweet and patient friend, who also happens to be our baby photographer, quickly stepped in and helped me remove the sand from the baby's hands, face and eye area. If I'm a crazed, guilt-ridden, idiot... well, she's the complete opposite. Calmly she dabbed wet wipes at my child's face. "It's just sand," she kept telling me as I tried to keep myself from loosing it.
At that very moment I was deciding, in my head, on whether or not I should tell Husband what was going on... the blinding of our child when we returned to the beach house. Even though he is not always the most observant of husband's (he never can tell when I get my hair cut) surely he would notice that our baby girl no longer was sighted. He would not be pleased.... No, he would not be pleased.
And just as my dear friend had removed the sand from my child's face, Husband was coming over the dunes to see what we were up to with the pictures. I was relieved to see him, regardless of whether or not the child was truly blinded. He needed to be there for the baby's first contact with the ocean--sentimentality aside, I needed an extra pair of hands as most of my belongings were now scattered up and down Ocean Isle Beach.
The pictures were completed soon after. My friend is fast, quick... skilled-- a true artist.
She posted a "peek" picture from that day on her Facebook page
If you look closely at the picture you can see the sea dripping of her chubby little feet... her first contact with the ocean and it is beautifully documented-- how special is that?
Thank goodness for artistic, sane and calm friends who aren't afraid of a little sand....
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Paul Reiser, Oreo's and Mother's Day...
At church, we had a Mother's Day Celebration and a lady in our church asked me to speak. The following is what I had to say on being a new mom...
When Ms. Mary Kay asked me to speak about being a new parent, specifically a new mother, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say.
My first thought was to compare parenthood to what I imagine living in a frat house would be like... There are bottles strewn about the house on a pretty regular basis, the laundry is mountainous, overflowing the hampers daily. We sleep pretty much wherever we land and vomit is a real possibility at any given time.
My second thought was to talk about how parenthood, for me at least, has been rather instinctual. I can attest that becoming a mother has brought up some pretty primal urges in me that on recent occasion has given me great pause and stirred up some emotional reactions that I was not prepared to feel at all. Just the other day, at a family reunion of all places, I had to seriously fight the urge to claw a little girl’s eyes out because she was getting a little too 'handsy' with Elizabeth, either that or hide Elizabeth under a bush... At the end of the day I’m not much better than those ill old ‘Mama’ cats we had growing up after they had had a litter of kittens.
But when Ms. Mary Kay asked me to speak about being a new parent the only thing I could think about was this quote by Paul Reiser that I recently stumbled across in an email... that and an Oreo Cookie.
Reiser says, “People often ask me, "What's the difference between couplehood and babyhood?" In a word? Moisture. Everything in my life is now more moist. Between your spittle, your diapers, your spit-up and drool, you got your baby food, your wipes... your leaky bottles, sweaty baby backs, and numerous other untraceable sources--all creating an ever-present moistness in my life, which heretofore was mainly dry.”
I love this quote, not only because it is true... on any given day there is some sort of baby-by-product covering me in some capacity... but I love this quote for its deeper meaning. Which brings me to the Oreo Cookie.
As we all know, an Oreo Cookie has three parts-- two dry cookies and one creamy (moist) center.
Before Elizabeth, I like to think of my life as the cookie part of the Oreo. For this metaphor to make sense, I need you to pretend with me that you’ve never had a fully intact Oreo cookie. If all you’ve ever had was the outside, dry cookies of the Oreo without the creamy center, you’d probably find the cookies to be a perfectly lovely and an adequate snack. And if you’ve never had the fully intact Oreo, then you’d probably be perfectly happy with eating just the plain cookies for the rest of your life. And that was how I felt. I was perfectly content being a plain, dry cookie... And being a plain, dry cookie was good stuff too.
But since Elizabeth has entered into our lives, I can’t imagine just going back to being just a plain, old dry cookie. Elizabeth is our creamy center and I’m just going to end the debate right now, the creamy center of the Oreo Cookie is the best part of the cookie, it’s what makes the Oreo an Oreo. It’s what’s makes it special. And after you’ve experienced the creamy center of an Oreo Cookie, you no longer think so highly of just the plain cookies anymore. In other words...my old life was great, but my new life as a parent is so much more fulfilling.
So to sum up... parenthood can be compared to a countless many things, but in the end, being a parent has added a degree of moisture that changes the components of life from ordinary to extraordinary.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Yea... I know... But I've Got a Good Excuse...
Yea... it's been a while. Currently, I'm on Spring Break and while in the past I have mocked the idea of elementary aged students needing a Spring Break, as a new mother I'm thankful for the days at home with the Little One and I will leave it alone.
The Little One, while still very much a little baby, is everyday getting bigger and bigger. At our last doctors' appointment she weighed in at 13 pounds, 4 ounces. It is truly amazing to look back at her first little pictures and see how much she has changed.
She looks less like her daddy and more like herself... and let me tell you she has a huge personality. The Little One pretty much is still calling the shots around here. But we happily fall in line, how could we not? You'd have a hard time saying no to her too... she's just too cute!
Unhappily, she has stopped sleeping through the night. Around the time that I started back to work, she flipped the script and now wakes up sometime between 2 and 4 for about 20 minutes for a quick bite to eat. In essence, it is not that big of a deal, as I was already getting up around that same time to pump. Now I just feed her... unless I get behind on my milk and then I have feed and pump. Oh well.
She is, however, going to bed a little earlier, which is nice.
My mother keeps her while I'm at work. Mama tutors at the middle school and also works with student teachers which takes her away for a couple hours each week and then my Aunt comes in and keeps her. It is a great situation and the baby is loving all the attention. And who could ask for better baby-sitters? Two retired educators with master degrees in education that love your kid like it was their own... Little One will be reading next week, I'm sure of it.
The Easter Bunny was good to us this year... too good. We've already told her not to expect this to happen again. It looks like Christmas around here.
Tonight she tried her first bit of sweet potatoes. We've decided to start making our own baby food as we garden and farm. My mom made the first batch. I had never seen a baby gag... until tonight. I think it was a shock to her senses. But she liked it because she ate the entire portion.
Little One is a great eater. It (eating) probably is her favorite thing in the whole world. It shows on her too-- even her rolls have rolls. But as Dr. Langdon says, "it is the only time in your life when being chunky is cute." And let me tell you, it is so cute.
As for work, going back has been super easy. But knowing that the babe is well looked after and that I'm still her primary source of food, it gives me peace of mind... and truly I do better when I'm at work. I thrive on a schedule.
And as for a schedule, I'm breaking mine by sitting up and giving a baby update. It is way past my bedtime and I'm sure that in a very short while, my baby will be crying for a quick feed.
Hopefully, while I'm out on break, I'll have time to write and post later... otherwise, I'm not sure when I'll have time to write again. Summer break is just around the corner though!
Be good...
The Little One, while still very much a little baby, is everyday getting bigger and bigger. At our last doctors' appointment she weighed in at 13 pounds, 4 ounces. It is truly amazing to look back at her first little pictures and see how much she has changed.
She looks less like her daddy and more like herself... and let me tell you she has a huge personality. The Little One pretty much is still calling the shots around here. But we happily fall in line, how could we not? You'd have a hard time saying no to her too... she's just too cute!
Unhappily, she has stopped sleeping through the night. Around the time that I started back to work, she flipped the script and now wakes up sometime between 2 and 4 for about 20 minutes for a quick bite to eat. In essence, it is not that big of a deal, as I was already getting up around that same time to pump. Now I just feed her... unless I get behind on my milk and then I have feed and pump. Oh well.
She is, however, going to bed a little earlier, which is nice.
My mother keeps her while I'm at work. Mama tutors at the middle school and also works with student teachers which takes her away for a couple hours each week and then my Aunt comes in and keeps her. It is a great situation and the baby is loving all the attention. And who could ask for better baby-sitters? Two retired educators with master degrees in education that love your kid like it was their own... Little One will be reading next week, I'm sure of it.
The Easter Bunny was good to us this year... too good. We've already told her not to expect this to happen again. It looks like Christmas around here.
Tonight she tried her first bit of sweet potatoes. We've decided to start making our own baby food as we garden and farm. My mom made the first batch. I had never seen a baby gag... until tonight. I think it was a shock to her senses. But she liked it because she ate the entire portion.
Little One is a great eater. It (eating) probably is her favorite thing in the whole world. It shows on her too-- even her rolls have rolls. But as Dr. Langdon says, "it is the only time in your life when being chunky is cute." And let me tell you, it is so cute.
As for work, going back has been super easy. But knowing that the babe is well looked after and that I'm still her primary source of food, it gives me peace of mind... and truly I do better when I'm at work. I thrive on a schedule.
And as for a schedule, I'm breaking mine by sitting up and giving a baby update. It is way past my bedtime and I'm sure that in a very short while, my baby will be crying for a quick feed.
Hopefully, while I'm out on break, I'll have time to write and post later... otherwise, I'm not sure when I'll have time to write again. Summer break is just around the corner though!
Be good...
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Two Months and Counting...
Tuesday was the 2 month check up for Baby. Can you believe that we are already at two months? Earlier in the week I sat her down for our monthly home photo shoot. She hates it towards the end and basically just cries. But this time I managed to get 105 shots as opposed to month 1 where I think I got 20 before she melted down.
But just to fill you in Baby Girl is growing like a weed, weighing in at a healthy 9 pounds, 13 ounces. I can't help but beam with pride that I've been able to provide the soul nutrition for that darling girl. The doctor was pleased with her development and felt that everything was going on track... No, she isn't in the 99th percentile for height, weight, or head size. But considering that I'm a smaller than average person and Husband isn't a giant, it is to be expected. Regardless, she is doing great.
What wasn't great. Shots. And lots of them. Baby Girl had to endure one oral vaccination which wasn't so bad... the rest were traditional old shots, which were just as violent as ever. One in each leg. DTAP and Prevnar.... hopefully keeping her safe from things like Polio and Whooping Cough. I brought along Aunt Jenny to for moral support as Husband had a tobacco meeting to attend.
As the mom of Baby Girl, I've been wittiness to her pain cry. I know how horrible it sounds... how it makes your insides hurt because you know that she is hurting and you can't really do anything to make it better. Her hunger cry, tired cry, and regular old-notice-me-cry are far less heartbreaking. I'm not sure that Aunt Jenny was prepared... as soon as the nurse was through jabbing the needles into my poor baby's chubby little legs, Aunt Jenny sprung into action, scooping Baby Girl into her arms and methodically bouncing back and forth until she (Aunt Jenny) felt better. Baby Girl was going to need more than just bouncing.
Luckily I was meeting with the lactation consultant and we were going to feed and sometimes food is the only way to heal a hurt.
At home, Baby Girl was in some serious pain... crying anytime her legs were moved-- either by her or us. She got to experience her first dose of baby Tylenol (which by the way did help her a little). She slept from the time we got home except for diaper changes and feeds until the very next morning. Sometime around 2:00am she began to feel better and we caught her smiling in her sleep.
Relief... we survived the first big round of shots. We go back for our 4 month check in March. I think this time Husband is going to have to go with us... I know I don't want to go by myself!
But just to fill you in Baby Girl is growing like a weed, weighing in at a healthy 9 pounds, 13 ounces. I can't help but beam with pride that I've been able to provide the soul nutrition for that darling girl. The doctor was pleased with her development and felt that everything was going on track... No, she isn't in the 99th percentile for height, weight, or head size. But considering that I'm a smaller than average person and Husband isn't a giant, it is to be expected. Regardless, she is doing great.
What wasn't great. Shots. And lots of them. Baby Girl had to endure one oral vaccination which wasn't so bad... the rest were traditional old shots, which were just as violent as ever. One in each leg. DTAP and Prevnar.... hopefully keeping her safe from things like Polio and Whooping Cough. I brought along Aunt Jenny to for moral support as Husband had a tobacco meeting to attend.
As the mom of Baby Girl, I've been wittiness to her pain cry. I know how horrible it sounds... how it makes your insides hurt because you know that she is hurting and you can't really do anything to make it better. Her hunger cry, tired cry, and regular old-notice-me-cry are far less heartbreaking. I'm not sure that Aunt Jenny was prepared... as soon as the nurse was through jabbing the needles into my poor baby's chubby little legs, Aunt Jenny sprung into action, scooping Baby Girl into her arms and methodically bouncing back and forth until she (Aunt Jenny) felt better. Baby Girl was going to need more than just bouncing.
Luckily I was meeting with the lactation consultant and we were going to feed and sometimes food is the only way to heal a hurt.
Relief... we survived the first big round of shots. We go back for our 4 month check in March. I think this time Husband is going to have to go with us... I know I don't want to go by myself!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Baby Nursery...
At one time I had planned to spotlight each room in my house as I decorated it. But then the infertility thing happened and all my attention, free time and much of my disposable income was tied up in getting pregnant. Decorating rooms in my newly built house just didn't seem so important anymore. But last June, several months pregnant, we found out that we were having a little girl and suddenly I was consumed with planning the perfect nursery. Finding out that we were having a little girl was thrilling and we were both very excited. Just think about all the smocking and cute hair bows! But then I got a little concerned that I might make her room too pink and green, that it would be overly estrogen filled and that would make poor Husband, literally, the odd man out. So for much of the summer I spent my time obsessing about what kind of gender neutral shade of yellow and cream I should apply. And this obsession sort of drove Husband crazy because he assured me that he wouldn't feel left out if I went with my instincts and made the room reflect that a little girl lived there.
And so I listened.
The lighting fixture was purchased at Pottery Barn Kids. Husband installed it one afternoon with no trouble or assistance. I had debated on whether or not to change out the fixture as the original light was in good condition... since it was less than a year old. I'm glad that I did it as I think it adds a lot to the room.
I was super excited to find a crib that is considered "low-profile" since neither Husband or myself is very tall. I loved the simple lines of the crib and seeing how this would be a piece of furniture that most likely would be used again I didn't want to go overly ornate or frilly since we could have a son at some point. The bedding was one of two choices from Serena and Lily... Husband made the final decision and I loved the French and Indian motifs. Finding the bedding helped me make fabric decisions.
The Indian inspired storage baskets, although rather expensive, have became a favorite of mine for their practicality. The pink textured curtain panels were made by my grandmother. I think they add a lot of drama to the room. The shelving unit was a bargain buy from Target. It is one of those build-it-yourself jobs and for what it costs, if it gets destroyed in a couple of years-- oh well. It serves the purpose. At some point I hope to line the back of the unit with fabric left over from my rocker.
Since the room already had a built in desk I decided to use this space as a changing station. It will be several years before the baby can sit at a desk and do homework, so in the time being, I purchased a curtain from Land of Nod and had my mother hem it to the right length. A tension rod hold it in place. Behind the curtain is room for me to store baby items like diaper boxes and other items that I may not want to display. The built-in cabinets store wipes and diapers from our showers and also can be a place to keep burp cloths, bibs, baby towels and all sort of baby goodness.
Currently the baby sleeps in her bassinet and has yet to spend more than a few hours in her room since birth. I'm hoping that once she gets a little older that she will spend many happy nights and days in this room!
Crib: Pottery Barn Kids, Kendall Low-Profile Crib
Bedding, Storage Baskets, Changing Pad & Cover: Serena & Lily, Lola Bedding Collection, Basic Punch Cover
Glider & Ottoman: Target
Lighting Fixture: Pottery Barn Kids, Olivia Mini- Chandelier
Shelving Unit: Target
Window Panels: my Grandma
Curtain Rods: Lowes
Chest: Vibra's (Dunn, NC)
Fabric (excepting changing station): The Cloth Barn (Goldsboro, NC)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Holiday Wrap-Up...
Did you survive the holidays? I'm pleased to say that Husband, Baby and myself did, indeed, survive and to some degree actually thrived.
Merry! Merry! Christmas Morning with Santa's toys
Yes, it was hard to drag ourselves to all the different holiday functions, but spending time with loved ones is never a bad time... trying to figure out the baby logistics on the other hand can be a bit frustrating.
Christmas morning was spent in our home. This year we had breakfast at our house. My parents came with my father's prized electric griddle and between us four, we prepared breakfast, learned to use a camcorder and entertained the baby. Husband's parents and brother came to eat along with Husband's uncle and three of his boys. I think it is the beginning of a nice family tradition.
Mid-flip...
New Year's was less of a festive celebration. For the first time since I was little, I slept through the new year... I remember poor Husband waking me up as the ball was about to drop. I quickly shut my eyes and went back to sleep. Quite the role reversal as I'm the one normally waking him up.
These days I have no trouble sleeping. Used to, if I stayed at home all day-- just hanging out at the house I'd have trouble sleeping at night because I just hadn't done enough or I slept too late. Now as soon as Little One goes down, I curl up on the couch and that's all she wrote folks. I'm down for the count.
Little One is sleeping through the night and has been since she was 5 weeks old... I on the other hand am not as I get up sometime between 3 and 4 to pump... which can take sometime and then I sometimes find it hard to go back to sleep. I'm punishing myself just so I can stock-pile milk, but it gives me some piece of mind knowing that in a few days I'll be back at work.
That's the big question now... "when do you go back to work?" or "are you going back to work?" and when I reply that I soon go back to work I get the look of pity. Apparently it is going to be tough... and I can honestly say I will miss being at home with my baby, but a large part of me needs to be at work. Monetary benefits aside, I need to have something to distract me and put a little more structure in my day. Will I be sad to leave my sweet girl? Yes. But the reality of it all is that work is something I have to do-- for me and for her. Her practical daddy doesn't understand the need for pretty hair bows and shiny baby loafers... and if I work, those whimsical items will be her reality.
So that is how I'm rationalizing going back to work. I work for her... so I can contribute and set a good example. So we can continue to live in the lifestyle that I have became accustomed to and so she can get accustomed to too.
So to summerize... We thrived this holiday season. Started a new tradition. We are loving experiencing things through the Baby's eyes. The baby is sleeping through the night and if I wasn't a masochist, I'd be sleeping too. Work is looming, sooner than later but if we want pretty bows and fancy shoes, Momma's got to work!
I hope your Holiday was good too!
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