tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56430757444813251582024-03-14T00:34:26.917-07:00I'll Love You Forever...Everything from maternity to new motherhood. Hopes and heartache. From jumping for joy to praying for sleep. Simply my experiences as a new mom.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-2400938874733688142015-06-06T19:29:00.000-07:002015-06-06T19:29:25.593-07:00Sick BabyUgh today was a ridiculously long and totally draining day. I feel like I got absolutely NOTHING accomplished.<br />
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See... my baby girl was sick. "Bery Sick" if you ask her. And I knew last night that she was probably getting sick. That's another crappy part in an already crappy day.<br />
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Last night Emma kept fighting sleep. She would get to her normal "I'm about to pass out" phase where she takes the comforter and pulls it ALL-THE-WAY-UP to her chin. Usually it's about 5-7 minutes after this that she is good to go. But last night, after maybe 4 minutes, she would be restless again, trying her darnedest to get comfy. And she just couldn't. She woke up so many times during the night it might be safe to say that NONE of us slept.<br />
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Checked on her around 3:30am and noticed she sounded a little stuffy.<br />
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<br />Woke up to a baby with a runny nose, slight wet cough, and kinda puffy-red eyes. I knew from the start that we were in for a long long day.<br />
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From the start she was off. She only ate maybe half of her pancake this morning. And Emma NEVER turns down a pancake! Then she would only let me sit in one seat in the living room while she played in the playroom because she could see me better in that chair. It was also the chair closest to the playroom. Every half hour or so she would come up to me and say "Mommy, you need hold me. I Bery Sick." She'd crawl up in my lap and cuddle for a few minutes. Then off to the playroom for another half hour. This repeated until about 2:30pm.<br />
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She refused to eat anything for lunch. Then I tried a bath so she'd go down for a nap. Nope. I mean, she liked the bath, but wanted nothing to do with a nap. It went on like that until around 4:30pm when I noticed that both she and her daddy were napping in the living room: Daddy on the couch and Emma on the floor beside him. It would have been cute if I hadn't been thinking about how it was very likely we would not be going to bed at a decent time tonight. DOH!<br />
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She slept until a little after 6. Daddy came home from hanging out with his daddy for a bit and I was FINALLY able to get out of my pajamas! Haha I had changed from one set of jammies to a different set, but hadn't been able to make it to actual clothes until almost 6:30pm.<br />
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Luckily my mom and stepdad brought over the fixins for ribs, potatoes, and biscuits for dinner. I put out a salad and some watermelon and we were good to go.<br />
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Now it's almost 9:30 and she's watching her new favorite movie. Well, she was about half an hour ago. She's asleep now. I just hope this little bug works its way through her quickly. Mommy has had a long day and needs a good night's sleep!<br />
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Night everyone! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-63385607937517435832015-06-04T16:30:00.000-07:002015-06-04T16:30:17.344-07:00My baby is a big girlIt's official No longer can I try and deny it.We are well on our way to having an "official toddler." Emma will be two in less than a month. I feel like I haven't had a "baby-baby" in such a long time though. She has been this big girl for a while now.<br />
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Emma gets into everything. Seriously. Especially those things we explicitly tell her NOT to get into. Those are her favorite. Of course. haha<br />
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At one point I tried to jot down every new word Emma said. I WANTED to be one of those moms who could tell you exactly what words were learned at 14 months, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years... But the fact of the matter is Emma learned way too many words way too fast. She knew how to put sentences together, form complete and complex thoughts, making actual decisions from so early on that it was impossible to keep up with her. Granted, the decisions she made weren't overly ridiculous, but still. I let her decide what she wanted to wear---within reason...aka I presented options I felt were appropriate and let her choose. Sometimes I would pick out 2 outfits for her and she would end up mixing the shirt and pants but hey, she liked it so I didn't fight her.<br />
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She chooses her own sippy cups when she is thirsty. When we moved, I made sure there was a bottom cabinet allocated to her plates, bowls and cups. So when she tells me "Mommy I firsty." I tell her to grab a cup. She goes right to her cabinet, squats down, thinks about which one she wants, and then brings it to me. That's amazing for a not-yet-two-year-old.<br />
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This kid. She's a nut though, I tell ya. She loves to sing and dance. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and is now branching out to watch Octonauts, Sophia the First, and Doc McStuffins without a fuss. She still isn't overly fond of Jake & the Neverland Pirates, but that's fine too. She has a personality with definitive likes and dislikes.<br />
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She also knows what her "schedule" is. She knows Mondays are "Mamaw's days." Tuesday and Thursdays she knows she's goin to "Nonna's." And every Wednesday she wakes up and asks if her "An Sheh-yee" is coming over. I didn't know kids her age could pick up on that. Like pick up on what day of the week it is.<br />
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She knows how to count to 13. Sometimes she skips 5, 6, 7, 8--as in she will go "one, two, free, foe, nine, ten, eyeven, telve, tirteen..."; but if you ask her "What comes after 4?" She will tell you "5." And so on. She is learning her colors. She knows bue, geen, and wed (blue, green, & red). Usually. Those are about a 75% chance of her getting it right. Sometimes she knows yeh-yo (yellow), ohwange (orange), puhpull (purple). She doesn't understand white or black yet.<br />
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She gets the concept of names too. You ask her "What's your name?" And she says tells you. You ask her "How old are you gonna be?" She says "I gonna be TWO!" and holds up both of her pointer fingers! Now that's funny! I've even asked her what my name is. She says "Peeka" because my last name sounds like that. Or sometimes she says her dad's last name, then stops, acts like she's thinking about it, smiles (smirks really), and says "Nooooo. Is PEEKA!" Smartalec! <br />
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She's also a bit of an athlete. She can hit a ball off a tee to about 20 feet away. She can toss with serious accuracy. She manages to hit her target 99% of the time!! She loves footballs and basketballs and softballs... She loves to come up behind you and go "Momma-Kesh!" (MommaCatch) Then chuck a football right at the dead center of your chest!<br />
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But she's also such a girly-girl. She wants to wear dresses all the time. Seriously, I have to force her to wear shorts and pants. She wants her skirts and dresses. So weird for me because I used to have to be forced to wear dresses! But this kid loves 'em. I have said for a while now that she will be the girl on the softball field in full hair and make-up! haha<br />
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I can't believe she's going to be two next month. Exactly 4 weeks from today, actually. And it will be her Golden birthday. 2 on the 2nd.<br />
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I love being her mommy. I love watching her with her Daddy. I love snuggling with her and singing and dancing with her. I love when I drop her off with her Mamaw/Papaw or Nonna/Poppa, or when her An Sheh-yee or An Kiki come visit her and seeing her play with them. It hurts sometimes that she is so okay with me leaving or when she loses it because I have to take her home, not gonna lie. But then I remember she knows she's loved from everyone. Every single person who has ever met her has liked her. Genuinely liked her. She says "HI!" to the people in stores and their faces always light up and they almost always say hi back.<br />
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I got lucky. I know it. I was smart enough to wait for the perfect guy for me, so I would have this perfect person to help grow and raise and mold and shape and teach... I get to be her mommy every day. And every day is a blessing.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-53261084048073483082015-06-04T15:45:00.000-07:002015-06-04T15:45:34.270-07:00SO MUCH... has happened! I can't even believe it.<br />
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But before I delve into all of that, let me apologize for not keeping up with this blog better. I'm trying but we always have so much going on. And I have learned that being present in those moments are what truly matter most. So, that being said, while I will still try very hard to stay up to date on this, I will also be making sure that I don't let moments bypass me as I think of my next blog.<br />
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Okay, now back to the awesomeness that is MY LIFE! haha<br />
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First big thing: We moved! Yep. My boyfriend and I bought a house together. I have never owned my own home. I lived with my parents until college. Rented until I moved back in with my mom. Then I lived with Matt. So this was a massive step for us. To have this HUGE house with this HUGE meaning behind it.... We're in this together, you know? I mean, we've had so many good moments, so many memories at our old home, but this was a fresh start. Emma will be two soon and we wanted a bigger place to raise her. Our old home had a "past" to it that this home doesn't. This is just me and Emma and Emma's dad. <br />
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The house is gorgeous too. We fell in love with it right away. Even put an offer in on it. It was rejected at first because the bank accepted someoneelse's offer. So we looked at other places, contemplated those places, considered making offers on those places. But we kept this place in the memory bank. We would keep looking at it on the computer, pulling it up and revisiting the "shoulda, coulda, woulda's" of this place. After a few weeks, we noticed it was still listed as "open" so we put another offer in. And we got it!! We got the news right before we went on our family vacation in Disney. While there they needed more "stuff," so we scrambled then to make arrangements to get the bank the documents they needed.<br />
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Fast forward to April 24th. We closed on our dream home on that day. My boyfriend and I celebrated with a lunch date at Maggiano's--just the two of us. We picked out the colors together. We picked out the detail-stuff together....all of it.<br />
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We had our grandfather paint most of the house and take care of most of the cosmetic issues, but I will say my stepdad and I painted my room and Emma's room. I even painted most of the ceilings throughout the whole house! I ended up having to change a few room-colors after we started, but I am so happy with how the house looks. The whole family is in love with it! Emma can't get enough of it. She loves this place. Has called it her house since the start. <br />
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First floor:<br />
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<li>The first floor has a formal dining room and formal living room right in front. We call the FDR the "Beauty & the Beast Room" because of the color and the chandelier we bought. tee hee hee.</li>
<li>We made the FLR Emma's playroom. She has so so many toys that we needed an entire room to house them! </li>
<li>Then there's the open kitchen and family room with a fire place. I love the fire place.. and the wall of bay windows in the family room. We still have some work to do in the kitchen, but it's all little things. Like painting the cabinets and putting an island in. </li>
<li>Then there's the laundry room right off the kitchen--leads to the garage. Have plans for a few changes for that room, but nothing that is a "has to be done right away" type thing. Nope. I love the mint color I chose for that room!! </li>
<li>The powder room on this floor is coral and I do mean CORAL! It's so bright and lovely. Honestly. I see that room and it makes me smile, it's so cheery!</li>
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The Second Floor:<br />
<ul>
<li>The upstairs has the bedrooms. Guest room, Emma's bathroom, office, Emma's room, then the master bed and bath. </li>
<li>Emma's room is pink and violet and ADORABLE! We have Mickey and Minnie decals on the wall and I think it's the most fun room for a toddler I've seen. Her bathroom is the same pink. </li>
<li>The master bedroom is grey and blue. Simple and soothing. I even have a reading nook in my room. :) It's so much fun. And the bathroom. It's HUGE! And the colors are peach and coral. And I think that might be another favorite room-color-choice combo. </li>
<li>Right now the office and the guest room are "neutral." I don't know how I want them to look, so I'm keeping them sort of bland for now. No point in doing something I don't love just to have to redo it later.</li>
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The basement is massive and finished. It has a storage room with built-in shelves. That room was one of two reasons I fell in love with this house.<br />
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The backyard. Oh geez. I love our backyard. Small patio but big enough for our table and chairs plus some set-up chairs where the family can all circle up and chat-chit. And Emma's swingset. This kid loves her swingset. It was the second thing that made me love the house. Emma is really into slides right now, so this was perfect for her. This may actually be the reason she loved the house from the start. haha Our yard isn't "massive" or anything but there are 4 houses side by side with open yards and each has the swingset. So all the kids can play together and just run from one yard to the next. I love it.<br />
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Since I have made this post incredibly long (much more so than I had intended), I'm going to wrap it up and end it now... With some pictures of the house as it is now! Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma's Pink-chic bathroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mint laundry room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bedroom with my reading nook! :)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-86410558656449704922015-02-19T06:43:00.000-08:002015-02-19T06:45:29.273-08:00Inspired by a silly videoSometimes the simplest things inspire greatness.<br />
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Okay, that may be a tad hyperbolic. But still.<br />
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This morning I was scrolling around on social media, looking at things other people were sharing, laughing at cute photos, kept scrolling past the dumb ones... when I saw something really "interesting." It was a video titled <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Why Mom's get NOTHING DONE!</i></span> Well of course I had to watch that!! Here's the link. Please let me know if you can't open it for some reason) <span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=729236410527185&fref=nf" target="_blank">Why Mom's get NOTHING DONE!</a> </span></span></div>
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Okay. Now that you've watched let me ask you... HOW TRUE IS THAT?!? Seriously. The whole time I was watching it, I was like: "Yep." </div>
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"Uh-huh." </div>
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"Oh that ALWAYS happens."</div>
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"WHAT? Them too?"</div>
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Then I realized this is EVERY mom's daily existence. We are always being judged by how our homes look. Or feel like we are being judged. We try so hard to keep the place clean, but the toddler or child/children (or grown ups who act like children! haha) find a way to undo every thing you just did. Right after you just did it!</div>
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Welp, I saw that video at 6:15am. I was out of bed and determined to have a clean house, even if just until Emma woke up. In 90 minutes, I had laundry going, dishwasher unloaded and reloaded, living room completely picked up and tidied, kitchen tidied, trash out, bathrooms cleaned, Emma's room picked up, rest of the day's TO DO LIST written out. AND I was able to sit down and enjoy my clean home for a bit. </div>
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**Insert mental picture of me doing the happy dance!***</div>
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Granted, there are a few dished soaking in the sink. My bed's not totally made. and I still have laundry to fold and put away. BUT I am so happy with how my home looks right now! I could have someone walk in and I wouldn't be embarrassed.</div>
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People always tell me I'm too hard on myself about the house. Everyone who walks in says it looks great, especially with a toddler ruling the roost. But I just feel like it looks dirty. And I hate that. My guy is constantly telling me if it's not 100% cleaned up, people understand. Everyone knows I work full time. Everyone knows I have a toddler who loves to play and "clean up" and "organize." They get that for a while, until Emma goes to school, the house will probably have a toy in every room and the laundry may not be caught up. </div>
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AND IT'S OKAY!</div>
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But I just remember my Grammy and Pappy always telling us "A place for everything and everything in its place." I remember having to clean my room before I went anywhere. I remember doing chores to help out. I remember "Never leave a room empty-handed. Something can always be taken to the room you are heading to... to help clean up." And "If you don't make a mess, you don't ever really have to clean." So I am always doing that. If I leave the living room, I take the stray toy and put it near the stairs to take to Emma's room when I'm next heading upstairs. When I leave the kitchen, I take the coat hanging on the chair and hang it in the closet. These were and are always things I never thought about but just did.</div>
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Okay. Now that the "heavy" stuff is lain out, time for some fun Emma stories. So. Emma actually loves to help with the laundry. She will walk downstairs with me, go into the laundry room, and say "I help." Then I hand her the clothes from the washer to put in the dryer. Or I hand her the dirty clothes and let her put them in the washer. She loves it!!</div>
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The dishwasher is still a struggle. She is always wanting to unload the dirty dishes as I put them in. It never fails!</div>
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Aside from housework and chores (haha), Emma is getting so big in everything. She is clearly over half my height now. She talks and communicates almost anything she needs to. Now she can walk up to me and say "Mommy, I happy. You happy?" And even if I was beyond frustrated/irritated/annoyed/stressed/tired before that, suddenly I am SOOO happy. She tells my mom's dogs "Hush dog-dog" when they start barking. She loves the scented wax bars I sell. When I get new ones in, she comes up and says "I's mells, mommy." And she will smell every one of them. She even indicates which ones she likes and which ones she doesn't. </div>
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Every day is a new adventure. A new struggle met with new resolutions. A new dawn met with new beginnings. I know tomorrow--oh, who am I kidding, probably in the next 30 minutes--my house will be destroyed and I will want to shun from the world because of it. (Hyperbole again). But for now, I am calm, in a clean house, with a sleeping baby.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Life is Good!</b></i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-58795470147338332482015-02-06T09:46:00.001-08:002015-02-06T09:46:35.351-08:00So many Birthdays!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">It's almost here! The weekend!! </span></b></div>
<br />
I know. They take forever to get here, but they always come, each week, so it shouldn't be such a surprise. But that's not the big deal. The big deal is this weekend is EXTREE-Special. This weekend all of my nieces and nephew (and a "cousin") will all be one year old! Holy Moly!!<br />
<br />
That's right! I have the best luck in that my daughter--who is already 19 months old!-- has 4 cousins who are no more than 7 months younger than her! My twin niece and nephew turned one at the end of December and it was fun going to Wisconsin to celebrate with them. They are these adorable roly pollies who have seriously the biggest, happiest, and overal BEST smiles...EVER! I swear. My only nephew (to this point) is a tank of a boy but the biggest sweetheart ever. He loves to laugh and you love to hear him laugh. And when his grandparents get around him, he lights up and wants to play. I think he's going to be that football player you just inherently like because he's genuinely friendly. Sporty and Friendly. The best combo!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eotr9OVYI64/VNThuX1sl6I/AAAAAAAAD1s/iykKO-DL99w/s1600/monty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eotr9OVYI64/VNThuX1sl6I/AAAAAAAAD1s/iykKO-DL99w/s1600/monty.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My nephew Monty. Told you his smile was perfect!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
His twin sister, my "oldest" niece, well she's like him and she's not. She is friendly but not one of those "I'm going to love everyone RIGHT AWAY!" types. No, she's more of a "let me study you and figure out how good a friends we are going to be" type. What I like to call "Southern." lol She's not mean or anything remotely like that, but she won't be fake either. She is kind and courteous if she doesn't know you but so tight and loving if she does. Kinda like me and her mom. My stepsister and I are A LOT alike and to see her daughter be like her is amazing. Anyways, my niece is incredible. She is definitely a care-giver. Even at their birthday party back in December, it seemed like she would randomly look around for her brother, make sure he was okay and having fun. When they were having their smash cakes, she wanted to share hers with him. Quietly perfect, that's my niece!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QGcNK0w7Jsg/VNTifgVPblI/AAAAAAAAD10/Se5Tqvq28MA/s1600/Melie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QGcNK0w7Jsg/VNTifgVPblI/AAAAAAAAD10/Se5Tqvq28MA/s1600/Melie.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My oldest niece Amelia... aka "Melie"</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eExuTemFU0k/VNTjMmE8-YI/AAAAAAAAD18/Y-4755e3fao/s1600/twins2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eExuTemFU0k/VNTjMmE8-YI/AAAAAAAAD18/Y-4755e3fao/s1600/twins2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eExuTemFU0k/VNTjMmE8-YI/AAAAAAAAD18/Y-4755e3fao/s1600/twins2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melie sharing her cake with Monty</td></tr>
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We had a little break before the next "round," you know. Next up was my guy's cousin's little girl. She turned 1 earlier this week. Ellie is sort of like Monty and sort of like Melie. She LOVES to laugh and she LOVES her cousins. She isn't too sure about new people though. Ellie is sort of like Emma's little sister right now, which is great! They live really close to us so Emma gets to see Ellie AT LEAST once or twice a week, if not more. They fight like sisters: when Ellie has a toy, of course that's the one Emma wants to play with. If Emma has something Ellie knows is "hers" (aka, if she wants it), then she will "tell" Emma in no uncertain terms. It's adorable!! I love that Emma gets to be a big sister to her cousin, yet still get to enjoy being Mommy & Daddy's "only." Ellie is talking a little more each day and trying her darndest to walk. She is soo close! A favorite new memory is from her birthday dinner, when Ellie and Emma both asked to watch their beloved "Mimi" (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). They were pointing things out on the TV, characters and such, and singing the songs together. It was such a beautiful moment.<br />
**Side note: I also think it's fitting both girls have "classical" and "Austen-ian" names! Eleanor and Emma are both strong, independent, loving characters from my favorite author. Just seems kismet to me! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw0Bm8Z5skk/VNTk_45aUYI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/SMc7RkptsW8/s1600/Ellie%2BSmash%2Bcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw0Bm8Z5skk/VNTk_45aUYI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/SMc7RkptsW8/s1600/Ellie%2BSmash%2Bcake.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and her Smash Cake photo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-66YW8awdcdg/VNTlAMNpceI/AAAAAAAAD2U/GmiN5LQVgsU/s1600/Ellie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-66YW8awdcdg/VNTlAMNpceI/AAAAAAAAD2U/GmiN5LQVgsU/s1600/Ellie.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Almost) Always the happy, smiley girl! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My "youngest" niece" turns 1 this weekend. Vivi is just a pure joy. She is so smart and athletic. I mean, what other baby do you know--at 9/10 months--could figure out that if she kind of rocks her upper body back and forth on a swing, the swing will start to move?? That's insane! But that's Vivi. She is so sweet. Her hugs are amazing... maybe because she is so deliberate about who she gives them to. Seeing her with her mommy and daddy is like candy for the eyes. This little girl captures your heart quietly. And I don't think I have ever heard her cry, seen a pic of her crying, or heard tales of her crying. Really and truly a happy and easy going baby girl.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB45aUFARbg/VNTwG9K2VTI/AAAAAAAAD2o/YTZTlfzR6TU/s1600/vivi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB45aUFARbg/VNTwG9K2VTI/AAAAAAAAD2o/YTZTlfzR6TU/s1600/vivi.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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If I had to use Jane Austen's characters to describe my littl'uns, I guess it would be as follows:<br />
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<ul>
<li><i><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Monty: </b></span></i>Well he is like Mr. Bingley. Funny and fun to be around. Everyone loves him. No one can find a bad thing to say about him. He makes and keeps friends because he is a genuine and true guy. He will lead the pack because he wants to experience everything fresh and new, and not because of some need to be first. His enjoyment of things comes from their simple pleasure and not from what he can gain. (Little philosophical for a toddler. LOL)</li>
<li><i><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Amelia: </span></b></i>She reminds me so much of Jane Bennett. Which is weirdly perfect in that Mr. Bingely ends up with Jane Bennett. But anyways. Jane is always thinking well of others, looking out for her family. Quietly observant of what is going on around her. She is the rock of the family. She doesn't judge as quickly as Elizabeth, so people like her and want to be around her. She finds the good in people and doesn't throw herself into the spotlight (*cough, cough* Lydia!), </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #351c75;"><i>Ellie:</i> </span></b>I see Margaret Dashwood with her. Yeah, yeah, she's like 12 in the book but whatever. Margaret is neither completely fanciful nor completely family-focused. Margaret craves adventure; she wants to be able to do the things her older siblings can do. She doesn't care about the material things, more the experiences she can have. She is probably the most well-balanced of Jane Austen's characters, but then again, she is only 12! haha</li>
<li><i><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Vivi:</span></b> </i>I just keep thinking of Fanny Price. Yeah, she's shy and timid, but I wouldn't describe Fanny as "shrinking from notice." Nor would I say that about Vivi. They are quiet and determined. I once heard Fanny described more of "Horton" from "Horton Hatches an Egg": She sits there, unwavering and faithful. "Steadfastly virtuous" is another way to look at it. I think that is more appropriate for my littlest niece. She is never going to be a "Marianne" (flighty, quick to fall in love, carefree to a fault...) but she doesn't seem to need to be. She already seems like she is aware of who she is and accepting of it. Far better than some of us adults sometimes!</li>
</ul>
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For my family reading this: How'd I do? Did I get close, you think? And for those of you who don't know each baby (maybe that's not the right word anymore?? EEK--TODDLER), did I paint a picture of their personality clearly? </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-62167074713058469702015-01-31T13:16:00.000-08:002015-01-31T13:16:19.220-08:00Somebody's Daughter... Somebody's MotherThe other day I watched my daughter sleep. It was early in the morning and I still had a little bit before I had to start getting ready for work, so I just brushed my fingers through her hair and watched her sleep. It was amazing. And somewhere in that time, I had a "moment": I was looking at someone's future mommy. Someday my little girl will look down at her baby and be filled with the same love I was at that moment.<br />
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The same love I have every day.<br />
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The same look and love that my mom had when she held me as a baby. And her mother to her, and her mother to her... It's probably been the same for every mother of a daughter for as far back as... well since the first daughter was born.<br />
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I haven't had a son, so I don't know what that feels like, but MAN! was that a powerful moment for me. <br />
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<b>*** </b><br />
Mommies of little girls have this "whole 'nother thing" going on. We are mothers of mothers. We are the givers of life to those who will give life. We hold our daughters and love them with everything we have. But we know that someday someone will love them too and make them mommies. Someday--not today, but someday--we will be outranked by their son or daughter.<br />
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That makes me happy more than it makes me sad.<br />
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It makes me a little sad to know I will not always be her favorite person, or her most important person. I mean, yeah, I knew from the second I found out I was having a girl I was in for the biggest rollercoaster ride EVER! I knew she would "hate" me in her teenage years when I "just wouldn't understand," when I "just don't get it." Because yeah, I've never been there! haha I have dreaded those days since I heard "it's a girl," even knowing they are so far off in the future but will be here in the blink of an eye. So it's not like I ever expected to be her favorite person for her whole entire life or anything like that. But I gotta admit, it's different thinking all together to think about how there will be these other people who will love your child as-much-as-you-in-a-completely-different-way type thing.<br />
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<b>Lawd I don't even know if this is making sense at this point!! </b></div>
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I'm a religious woman--not a church-goer but still religious--and I remember from my Sunday School days the scripture which says (paraphrased): "And one day he will leave his father and mother, and she will leave her father and mother, and they will join as one family." It's as it should be. And as it will be. And that makes me so very happy.<br />
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Eventually I know Emma will find someone to love her with every fiber in themselves. I know because that's how I feel about her daddy. From the second I saw him, I knew he was the end and beginning for me. No lie; from the very first second. I had to wait for our time to be the right time and at varying points over those years I was scared I might be wrong; but I wasn't. I have found the one and only person I am supposed to be with forever. I can't believe how lucky I am. But then again, I can. Because I know it wasn't luck for me and it won't be luck for Emma. She will find her Prince Charming, her Beast, her soul mate/other half/true love. She will find this person and build a life separate from us. She will become someone's mommy. And she will THEN, and maybe only then, know exactly how much I love her.<br />
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I love my mom but I don't think I ever "got" how much she loved me until I held Emma in my arms that very first time. And maybe even then I didn't really get it because each day I wake up I think how much more and differently I love my daughter.<br />
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I'm not special. Not really. I'm the same in the most basic ways possible as every mother before me. I love my child. I love her more than I love myself. I work to make her proud, to provide for her. I want to be the best for my child. That's it. Every single true mother is the same at the core. "Egg donors"--those people who give birth but aren't mothers, not really...well that's different. -----Staying positive now...<br />
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This was a very long, almost babbling post that may very well embarrass my daughter one day. But that's okay! Because that moment was such a heavy moment for me. "I am looking at someone's mommy." That's heavy!! But still, it was the best moment of that day. To know with every bit of certainty that my daughter will be loved by her child. Maybe this is a tad (sarcastic much?) presumptuous, but that's just how I felt, how I feel.<br />
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I thanked God right then and there for giving me my daughter, and for the future children she can have.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #741b47;">**Side note: Before I get a whole bunch of responses about how she may not want children, how she may love someone who won't/can't give her children, how she may not be able to have children; I hear you. I hear the pain of those who can't conceive and those who struggle with their relationships being "different," etc. I'm not suggesting Emma <b>MUST </b>have children for me to love her or whatever. I'm simply sharing a moment I had with my daughter. And for that moment, my thoughts were as above. My mind felt cleared and empty and whole--maybe? I don't know what it was. I just wanted to share this moment with my friends and family as it was such a profound moment for me. I apologize here and now if I hurt or offend anyone, as that is NEVER my intention. Please take this post for what it is, at face value. Thank you.</span></i></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-657582004187138482015-01-22T12:38:00.002-08:002015-01-22T12:38:56.304-08:00New Adventures!I tried to get this post together this past weekend, but didn't want to try and do it on my phone. That's a headache and just not worth it! So here we go, all new things with my little 'un!<br />
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We have had our first "parent involved with the county rec program." We signed Emma up for a class and it took me back to when I was little. I remember waking up early and getting ready for whatever sport I happened to be playing at that time. I remember my mom and dad blaring music--classics like John Fogerty and Bob Dylan--and making breakfast. I remember being so excited about getting to hang out with my friends.<br />
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Truth is I never really thought about what it took to make that happen. As a kid, you're not supposed to. You're not supposed to know that Mom and Dad actually got up an hour before you did because there was just no way they were going to get everything done otherwise. You're not supposed to know what it cost each and every season to play that sport or join that team or do that event. You're just not. I'm so glad that I didn't know those things as a kid; and I'm even more glad I'm getting to learn them now. Because that means my daughter is getting to experience new things and meet new people. She's having fun without worries. That's my job as her mom, her dad's job as her dad. We make things happen for her without her ever knowing what it takes to make them happen.<br />
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Anyways. Nostalgia over. Back to present day. As I said, we took Emma to her first class. She didn't really get it at first. Actually, out of the hour the class lasts, she didn't get it for maybe 45 minutes! lol There towards the end though, she got it. After it wrapped up, we went to her great-grandma's house to visit--maybe an hour there. Then we went home. Emma had had so much excitement that she was sleeping soundly before we pulled out of the driveway! HAHA She slept the whole way home. That alone is reason enough to keep going every week: GUARANTEED NAP TIME!<br />
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Actually, I know we'll be going back because we asked Emma the other night if she was excited about her "class." She immediately said "YES!" We asked if she wanted to do this thing or that thing from the class. And she actually understood. The things she said yes to were the things she played with most when we were there; the things she said no to were things she did maybe once and then didn't go back to. So she gets it. There were a bunch of other kids around her age, so hopefully this is the start of Emma making new friends before she even starts school! I definitely want her to be comfortable walking into new situations and meeting new people.<br />
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Other than that...not a whole lot. Getting back into a routine with the new year. New work schedule means new home schedule. Everyone is making adjustments. Not just me, my guy, and Emma...but our whole family. I love the fact my daughter stays with family. I know I'm lucky. A lot of parents don't have that luxury. And that's what it is: A luxury. My parents didn't have it. My parents lived overseas at one point and then they lived halfway across the country at another time. When we finally stopped moving, they were still no closer than 4hrs from the nearest grandparent. We saw my mom's side kind of frequently, considering--maybe something like once a month or every other month. My dad's side was like 6-7hrs so that was even less often.<br />
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Emma doesn't have that. Her family is a stone's throw away. She could see most of them every day if she wanted. The rest she could probably see every other week or maybe once a month or so. The point is my daughter is so incredibly lucky. She gets to see 2 of her grandmas ever single week. And *I* am lucky. Because my daughter is being cared for by people who love her. I don't have to find an outside sitter for her. I know a lot of people have nannies who care for and about their kids. And some parents send their kids to daycare or early preschool; and they choose the best schools with the best teachers. I'm not saying anything against moms/dads who opt for those choices. They may not have the opportunity for family to watch their babies. I'm just lucky that I do.<br />
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Parents --good parents, parents who were meant to be parents-- care more about their kids than anything else; we always look for the best options for our babies. We put their needs before our own, their wants before our own. We make our decisions based on them. I may WANT to go see a movie or get my nails done. But my daughter NEEDS me to come home and be with her especially when I've worked 40+hrs that week. I may want to stay up late but my daughter needs me to be up with her in the morning, so I'm in bed before I want to be. (Sometimes, after a gruesomely long day, I want to go to bed before her though! LOL)<br />
My days of being carefree and doing what I want because I want--well those days are over. I am a mom first. And thank goodness for that. At some point every one has to grow up. I see my daughter growing before my eyes and know she is my world. She and her daddy. They are why I work, so I can prove to my daughter that anything she wants is possible. They are why I clean as much possible, so they can be proud of their home. They are why I plan and why I strive, so we can always know how much we mean to each other and how important we all are--individually and as a family.<br />
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That is our new adventure: Taking the time to allow Emma to discover things she likes, things she doesn't. And making the time to grow as a family, a couple, a parent, and a person. This year has already been incredible and fun. I am so excited for what the rest of the year holds!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-6781384731331488472015-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:002015-01-03T06:37:15.190-08:00How Long has it been?!?Forever. Haha<br />
<br />
Emma turned 18 months yesterday. It really hit me as I had to say that to someone aloud. My daughter is 18 months old now. I'm still in shock.<br />
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She is the most amazing child I have been privied to raise. Haha. Seriously though, she is really just... well words can't describe it. I watch her become a person every day. I see her find things she loves, hates, understands, dismisses... just like the rest of us.<br />
<br />
Loves: Well this is easy. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!!!! (has to be MMCH though. We found out through trial and error no other "Mimi" shows will do.) Chocolate Milk. Pancakes. Kit Kats. Baby dolls. Shoes. Those are the immediate ones. Every day there are more things she discovers and finds that she loves. She got a set of dress up heels for Christmas and now she wants to wear them all the time. IT STARTS! lol<br />
Aside from that: she still likes throwing balls around, playing "catch." She like to do things on her own. She actually will stop eating if I try to feed her and act like she's full, but will come back when I'm not looking to finish eating as long as she can feed herself. She is starting to gravitate to her books. Sometimes I will catch her sitting on her new "Mimi" couch, reading a book while "Mimi" plays on her TV. She is amazing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry so blurry. It's from my phone and I was kind of far away.</td></tr>
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She loves to dance. Sometimes she does this move where she sticks her arm out from her face kinda and sort of prances around or spins... and it is EXACTLY like a home movie my parents have of me at 3 doing the exact same thing. Then you realize she is doing that to her daddy's heavy metal music and you realize: This child is such a perfect combo of her daddy and me. LOL<br />
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Hates: Bananas. And mashed potatoes. Seriously. She'll try almost any food. And some of it she won't love. She'll give those a few test bites, but ultimately dribble it out of her mouth. But but one of those to her lips and you will get a big ole "YUCK" from her! haha<br />
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She is starting to get potty-trained. She actually does tell us "Mama, potty." "Dada, potty." And will drag us upstairs to the bathroom so she can sit on her little potty and go. Not every time but sometimes. And she gets confused at which is which. But, again, she is only 18 months. She is so smart.<br />
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Every day, it seems like, Emma learns a new word or phrase. Just recently she started trying to perfect "Are you Ready?" to where the "R" is noticeable. Aside from that, she seriously has a huge vocabulary and understanding. She doesn't just throw out one or two words and hope you get it. She forms fully functional sentences. Yesteday I turned the faucet off in the tub because it was kind of full. She looked at me and said, "Mama, I want it oooonnnn!" I told her No. She said it again. I said no again. She said "Please?" Melted my heart. Not only because she said please, but because she gets when she is supposed to. She also says "Thank You" when you give her something. Or when she gives you something ("You're welcome hasn't quite taken hold yet! lol)<br />
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I tell ya. Watching her grow is the best feeling. Seeing her determine who she will be is scary and fun and scary and wow--all wrapped up in one bright, bubbly, amazing little blonde-haired/blue-eyed perfection. Not every trait she's developing is one I want to see stay (the demanding nature as she enters the terrible two's.. yeah that I could do without). But I know those are things she could outgrow as she gets older. Or they will be quirks she and I can fight over as gets gets older. I'm sure it will be both.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her Christmas picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After Christmas Pictures #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little Princess on Halloween</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-41673399037298588752014-07-03T04:37:00.000-07:002014-07-03T04:37:00.076-07:00On Emma's 1st Birthday, we...Wow, so yesterday was an amazing day! I still am in chock that my baby is a little girl now. Anyways, here is what our Mommy-daughter day consisted of:<br />
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First, Emma slept in! I actually had to wake her up at 8am because she just wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep! She reminded me so much of her daddy then.<br />
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When she finally did wake up, she had a bottle, played with her toys, made a big mess in the living room... and basically made me laugh and smile the entire time! I put the computer away all day. I just wanted to spend time with her. I figured if I had to, I could work while she napped, but--if she was up--the computer was closed. Very proud of that decision.<br />
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Thing is, Emma didn't really want to nap yesterday. She wanted to play even though she was super sleepy (aka: becoming very grouchy). Finally I figured, if she wasn't going to sleep, I was going to have to take her with me on my errands. We went and ran an errand for Daddy, signed Emma up for the Kid's Pass at Barns & Noble where she got a free cupcake for her birthday, went to my other favorite store and bought a few things, went to Party City for streamers and a helium tank, then went home where she went right to sleep. I started prepping the ribs I would make for dinner, cleaned up the house some, watched some TV, and watched my baby girl sleep so peacefully in the living room.<br />
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She woke up right before her daddy came home. After that we were constantly entertaining her until her Nonna, Poppa, uncle, and Mamaw came over for dinner. Ribs & grilled corn. Tasted pretty yummy if I do say so myself!<br />
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After that we played in the living room for a bit with Emma before we opened presents. She had so much fun pulling the tissue paper out of the bags and "reading" her cards like they were books. Adorable. Then we brought out her birthday cupcake with one candle lit, sang to her, and she loved it. She is such a little diva too: Loves being the center of attention! She manga'd on her cupcake!! Icing all over her hands and face. Luckily not her hair this time like happened with the smash cake in her photo shoot.<br />
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Not long after that, the long day caught up to her. She was exhausted but fighting sleep. She didn't want her "guests" to leave yet and made a big show of fussing when someone had to leave. It would be adorable if she weren't so darn loud about it! haha Then she got a last bedtime bottle and went right to sleep.<br />
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Overall, a fun-filled, family-filled, perfect day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-18066155121427296682014-07-03T04:26:00.000-07:002014-07-03T04:26:03.120-07:00One Year PicsJust pictures from Emma's One Year photo shoot!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-44148495625451934902014-07-03T04:01:00.001-07:002014-07-03T04:01:45.687-07:00It's been a year already?Seriously? Someone please tell me how this happened! My baby... Well I don't even know if I can call her that anymore. She is my LITTLE GIRL! Everything about her amazes me. Everything.<br />
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Yesterday I had to work a long day. 12 hours away from her. But it was so I could have today off with her. A whole day off with her on her first birthday. A whole day to spend with her without any work. No emails. No texts. Nothing but her and me time.<br />
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Anyways, back to yesterday. So yeah, every time I would look at the clock, I was transported back to exactly one year ago at that time. I kept remembering every thing I was doing at that exact moment one year ago. People tell me it's silly to do that because eventually I won't remember every minute. But I think the reason I was so aware of every minute last year was because I was being induced. I was counting those minutes until we would go to the hospital and I would get to meet my daughter. I told me dad it was different than when he and mom were pregnant with me: They had no clue I would be coming when I did. So they didn't notice all the things that day. But I did "know." Sort of. I knew when I would be heading to the hospital and I knew it would be a few hours after that when she could be here. So yeah, one year ago I was making memories, storing them, because every minute was important to me.<br />
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One year ago at 8am I had my last doctor visit. I went to breakfast with my mom and stepdad at Cracker Barrel. I paced the house, cleaning what little I could, waiting for my dad and Grammy to come in. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We came back to the house where I proceeded to pack and unpack and repack my suitcase probably a good 5 times! I knew I should get some sleep because the next day was going to be a rough one, but I was too excited. We checked in around 11pm. Question and answer session with the nurses. Watched my guy sleep on that crappy fold out. Watched crappy TV (because really, is there ever anything good on at 2am?) At 4:30am on 7/2/13 the doctor came in and broke my water. Epidural at 9am. At 12:25pm I told everyone I was fully dilated. They all laughed at me. I forced my guy to go get the nurse because I was THAT sure. He laughed as he brought her in. She laughed as I told her I was done. She wasn't laughing when she told the assistant nurses to go get the doctor and shoo-ing everyone out of the room. I pushed for almost 2 hours. Then, at 2:12pm, they laid my daughter on my belly. I wanted to hold her so bad, but they took her to clean her up. Her dad looked at me, then at her in the rolling bed, then at me, asking me if I'd mind if.... I told him to go meet our daughter. I don't know how much time passed before people were allowed in, but I remember the room being flooded with people who wanted to see Emma. <br />
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That was a year ago and I remember all of it. Like I am watching a home video.<br />
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And now. Now my daughter is this little person. She is getting into everything. Here is a little breakdown of the little person ruling my life:<br />
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<li>She's a running fool! She doesn't walk so much as she runs. Last night, as we were playing before bed, I had my phone plugged in to charge. I watched as she unplugged the charger (not like ripped it, but actually unplugged it)... and IMMEDIATELY RAN AWAY! Haha little stinker. She knew what she was doing and when I "ran" after her, she had gone to the bathroom and was waiting for me. She had this HUGE smile on her face when she saw me. Then she ran back to Daddy, laughing the whole way.</li>
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<ul>
<li>Her vocabulary is huge! Mama (or Mum), Dada (or Dah-DEE), Nonna, Mamaw, Timmy, Shawn, Poppa, No, Pees (Please), Tank Ew (Thank you), Toof-bah-sh (toothbrush), That's mine, I want that, Ball, Ba (bottle), Yuh You (Love You)...</li>
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<li>She loves to open the microwave when it dings that her bottle is warmed. She also loves to close the microwave door.</li>
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<li>She loves when we let her open/close the door, turn the light switches on or off, pull the shower curtain back... She loves being a big kid.</li>
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<li>She only wants to eat what we are eating. Like--what is on our plate. She doesn't want her own plate. She wants OUR plate!</li>
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<li>She loves baby dolls.</li>
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<li>Everything is a phone and every "phone" should play music. She is already Tech-savvy. She can work a phone. She mimics her Daddy with his Playstation remote. </li>
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<li>This kid loves to dance! She can keep the beat of almost anything after
just a few seconds of hearing it. She's a genius, at least in my
opinion. May have the stuff to be a Prima Ballerina or dance Hip Hop.
We're not sure yet! haha</li>
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<li>She likes to "tidy up." She puts her toys in containers...whether or not they are the containers we would put them in doesn't really matter. The other day I found her "stacker" toy sticking up out of the recycling can we have! We find our cell phones in random places. We still can't find the TV remote and it's been missing for almost a month now!</li>
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<li>She's not a huge fan of the pool yet. She has to be held the entire time. Won't go in the sitting-floaty thing we got her. And she HATES when her daddy and uncle rough-house in the pool. </li>
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I'll post again with her "One Year Pics." And some fun stories from her birthday-day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-61760586293556839072014-06-06T09:28:00.002-07:002014-06-06T09:31:20.313-07:00We have a walkerYes, I am way way late on posting this. I kept meaning to post the video to YouTube so that I could then put it on here... but I kept forgetting. So here it is:<br />
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Emma had been taking some small steps for a while. Like "Step Step Fall." Then she got up to "Step Step Step Fall." We were all excited when we got up to "Step Step Step Step....Step Fall." HAHAH<br />
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But then the magical day of May 23rd happened. She was playing in the kitchen. Just standing and playing with my dish towels. Suddenly I looked and she was walking. And still walking. And then walking some more! She walked from our kitchen to the living room without stopping!! I consider that to be the day she really started walking. Because that is the day our lives really changed. Now we have to be on uber-alert because she is on the MOVE!<br />
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So here you go. Here is some fun video of the day Emma became an official and bona fide walker!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-43867800518125471202014-05-15T04:37:00.000-07:002014-05-15T04:37:44.857-07:00My Mother's Day!I'm just a few days late with this. Pretty good if you ask me!<br />
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Anyways, Mother's Day started off in the most memorable of ways. The night before I just could NOT get Emma to go to sleep. We went down around 10 and at 10:30 Emma was up screaming. I changed her diaper and tried everything I could think of. Nothing worked. After 2 hours (yes TWO HOURS!) of trying to get her to sleep to no avail, we finally figure out a new "technique" to get her to sleep. She slept great the rest of the night; Daddy & I--not so much! haha<br />
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It seemed like just minutes later her daddy was waking me up saying he had to go meet his dad so I needed to get up with the baby. I was scared it was already like 8am because we had a full day ahead of us and I needed every minute to get ready for the day. I hopped up and that's when I realized something was "off." He had this huge grin on his face and was leading me to the kitchen. There, sitting on our counter, was a huge stack of pancakes and my iced tea just the way I like it!!!<br />
<b> **Side Story: Every Sunday I have tried to make pancakes for us as a family and it never happens. Either her daddy has to help someone out, or we don't have syrup...SOMETHING! </b><br />
But this time, this time I got to have my Sunday pancakes!! And they were delicious! Everything was perfect. I even had a dozen yellow roses and a B&N gift card. My "daughter" already knows me so well!! haha<br />
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After that I had to get Emma ready for her busy day. Diaper bag packed. Car loaded up. Emma dressed up. Me dressed up. Extra "nice clothes" for both of us for when Emma decided she no longer liked what we were wearing (aka: spilled something on herself or me, spit up on me, wiped guk on me, etc). Mother's Day bags ready for Mamaw (my mom) & Nonna (her dad's mom). Then we made our rounds! haha<br />
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We had brunch at a really nice place... a golf course. The food was really good. I ate way too much sausage gravy & biscuits and bacon! Emma even enjoyed he eggs, biscuits & gravy, hashbrowns... my girl can EAT! After brunch we went to hang out with Nonna and her family for a while. <br />
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Towards the end of the night we went to Mamaw's for dinner. We were celebrating my mom's birthday that night too. It was a lot of fun! Emma entertained everyone. We had rotisserie chicken my stepdad made, salad I made, and my sister's "famous" ranch potatoes. It got really late on us pretty fast though. Not sure if that was due to the lack of sleep or if Emma just was wore out from her busy day! Either way, we were home and asleep by 9pm! haha<br />
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I must say. Mother's Day was as perfect as it could have been. I had the best wake up. Got to enjoy both of my families. And I got to share my Emma with people who love her. There's nothing a mother could ask for than to see her baby receive so much love. That might have been the best gift of all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-68005206441413361012014-05-04T17:30:00.004-07:002014-05-05T04:01:21.760-07:00Catching UpI know it's been awhile. The thing is, it's getting harder and harder to find the energy to up-date this blog as often. Not just because I am constantly chasing after my toddling 10 month old (YIKES!). No, mostly it's because one of my biggest reasons for keep this blog was so my Pappy could stay up-to-date on Emma. He and my Grammy lived so far away and couldn't get out here much, so I thought having this blog would allow them to keep up with her fun stories and new activities. Now that he's gone, a huge gust of wind has blown my sail right over, toppling me, making me struggle to even view this blog. When I open up my internet, I have 5 "home pages" automatically pop up. This is one of them. Each time is a reminder Pappy isn't here for me to share my stories with anymore. I'd have the whole post mentally prepped out in my mind of what I'm going to write, open the internet, see that tab at the top, and stop. I couldn't force myself to actually click on it to start the post.<br />
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Today, when I feel the worst I have felt in as long as I can remember (fever, migraine, sore throat, dizzy, whole body feels like it is shutting down), today is the day I decide to actually bring everyone up to date! haha So here are some fun new moments with Emma.<br />
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<li>She is talking, like a lot! I can never remember what I've already said so here is a list of her vocabulary to date: Mama (more often than not I get called "Mum" though!), Dada, no, uh-oh, again, more, mamaw & nonna, baba, num-num. </li>
<li>She knows who people are. She knows I am "Mum," her daddy is "dada," my mom is "mamaw" and her daddy's mom is "nonna." On Easter, her daddy came into her room to get her from her crib. She was playing happily in her crib when she looked up at him and said "OH! Hi Da!" She puts actual sentences together!!</li>
<li>When I ask if she is hungry she will smack her lips together or start chanting "Num num. Num num." She also knows when the microwave goes off, it more than likely is her bottle and she starts flapping her arms and shrieking. </li>
<li>She is a speed demon crawler. She can get anywhere now and wants to get there quickly!</li>
<li>She climbs the stairs. Remind me to thank whomever taught her to do that. Sheesh!</li>
<li>She is trying to walk. The most she has taken is two consecutive steps. Then she freezes because we are all excited and holding our breath. She gets nervous, plops down, laughs, and then starts crawling to wherever it was she wanted to go. The only bad thing about this whole "trying to walk" thing is she is constantly falling down and bumping her butt on things. She is a little daredevil though and doesn't seem to care. Sometimes she cries, but only because she thinks we will pick her up.</li>
<li>She throws the ball to where she wants it to go. She picks it up, aims, and throws. Like to a person. Today for example, she aimed right for me and hit me 4 out of 5 times. (The time she missed was because we were all laughing so hard, she started laughing and when she went to throw it her other hand hit it.) I think it was John Cusak in the movie <u>Martian Child</u> where he said "The Professional Baseball players just have to hit 3 out of 10. And if they do just a little better, just a tiny bit better, than they are superstars." Well, I guess my girl is a SUPERSTAR!!! </li>
<li>She is such a girly girl. She loves her doll. See, before Christmas, her Nonna and I were at my favorite store and walking down the toy aisle. Emma has NEVER before (and never since) actively reached for a toy I hadn't put in front of her. But that day she saw this little dolly and she was freaking out. So of course we got it for her. She has gotten a few other dolls since then, but she always wants this doll. She goes looking for it in her toy bins in the living room. </li>
<li>She also loves stuffed animals. She has a little seahorse that stays in her crib overnight. The other morning, I got her out of her crib and she was clutching her seahorse. I changed her diaper and then went to take her downstairs to play. She still had the seahorse! She gets in these "moods" kind of where she wants a specific toy and that's it.</li>
<li>Sophia the First. That is her favorite thing right now. I can't believe it since she is only 10 months old, but this girl has chosen Princess Sophia as her favorite thing right now. She has a little doll, some jammies, all kinds of things. I even went ahead and bought her a Princess Sophia Halloween basket. It's really a little Easter basket, but it was on sale for $3 in the after-Easter clearance. </li>
<li>She hides things now. We have to be super careful about what we put down and where because she will "clean up" for us. She has hidden her daddy's cell phone in her bouncy ball dino game. She has also hidden his PS4 remotes in there! Then there are our TV and other remotes. She plays with those and then "puts them away" but she doesn't put them away where they are easy to find!! She is a lot like me in that she likes to "clean up." </li>
<li>We recently got a shelving system with plastic tubs for her toys. Now she is able to see almost all her toys and decide for herself what she wants to play with. We also have the rubber floor puzzle pieces as a playmat in the living room. So now she will go, grab a toy, and take it back to the mat to play with it! I have taught her well!!!</li>
<li>She shakes her head No. </li>
<li>She waves hi and bye on command. Her doctor told me she is actually really advanced in that regard. They told me usually babies wave just because they have learned how. They don't normally understand "bye bye" and wave on command until almost 15 months.</li>
<li>She dances!! When she learned to stand on her own, she also learned she could dance!! She kind of looks like a mix between Elvis and a bird! She pulls her shoulders back, cocks her elbows, pulls her arms back and bounces. Sometimes she puts one arm above her head and bounces. Sometimes she squats a little, sticks one leg in front of her, and bounces that way. </li>
<li>She loves the Talking Tomcat app. Every time I click on it, she smiles really big and starts laughing. She is such a whiz with the phone in general!</li>
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Okay, that is it for now. Maybe I'll get back into this sooner rather than later. But it really is hard. It's hard to know these stories aren't going to be read by so many people who loved us and waited so long to meet Emma. People who wanted her as much as I did. I'll get better. I know it. It's just a LOT harder than I thought it would be.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-2383407366425690642014-03-31T09:32:00.000-07:002014-03-31T09:32:21.634-07:00Emma's 9 Month Pics<br />
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Emma's 9 Month/ Easter/ Spring pictures. She was such a good girl. Such a BIG girl!! It was such a hassle dealing with the company we went through, but at least we have some cute pictures to take away with us. I think that has more to do with my adorable daughter than the skill level of the photographer, but oh well!! </div>
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<br />
Her vocabulary is getting so big!! She now says: "Mama", "Dada", "num-num", "Ba" (bottle), "Uh-oh", "Moh" (more), and "Whoa!" Her favorite right now is "Whoa!" She says it when she pulls herself up, when she gets her toy, when she plops on her butt after standing on her own for a while.<br />
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Not only does she *say* Mama and Dada, but I think she honestly knows what they mean. For instance, every morning I hear "Mama. Mama." coming from her monitor. That's because I am usually the one to go get her from her crib. But when she wants to play it's "Dada. Dada" because he gets to play with her more. Last night she was "walking" (holding onto the couch as she went back and forth) between me and her daddy. When she got to him, she'd say "Dada" and he would pick her up and play. Then she'd try to crawl over him, he'd set her down, she'd walk over to me, and say "Mama" until I picked her up. So I think she gets it.<br />
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In case you missed it: Yes. Emma is trying to walk now! She easily lifts herself up by pulling herself using couches or tables. Then she holds onto them and walks around. Or she will hold our hands and walk that way. I am in awe every time I see her do this. Mainly because the "most recent" reference I have is when we went to her dad's great-granny's birthday back in January. There was a one year old there who was just starting to do these things. So it seems like Emma is a whole 3 months ahead of schedule!!!<br />
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I can't believe how big my baby is getting. She is such a little girl. She loves girly-princess things. She likes to dance and "sing." She loves Luke Bryan & Elvis, too!! <br />
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We took Spring/Easter/9 Month pics yesterday. I'll post some of those next.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-47846965572575230392014-03-21T13:56:00.000-07:002014-03-21T13:56:31.676-07:00Seriously God? Just stop nowI'm done. I can't take anymore losses. In Emma's VERY short life, she has lost so many people already. At two and a half months she lost 2 great-grandmas. My Mamaw Pearl and her Daddy's stepdad's mom. This past January she lost her great-grandpa Stan. And today she lost her great-grandpa: my Pappy.<br />
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This morning started out so good too! That's what is surreal. I mean, we woke up. I made her Daddy a full breakfast of oatmeal and eggs; normally he gets oatmeal and a protein shake because we are strapped for time. I packed his lunch. Then we got to sit and talk for about 20 minutes before he left. Right as he was about to leave, Emma woke up. I brought her down and she saw her Daddy and started flailing her arms and laughing, and had the biggest smile ever. She gave him the biggest hug and laid her head on his chest. When I went to take her so he could leave, she started bawling and clutching at him. It was the cutest sight ever.<br />
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Anyways, fast forward 45 minutes. I get a text from my dad telling me to call him ASAP. Honestly, I know when I saw "Text Message: Dad" pop up on the screen. I prayed I was wrong, but I knew. Then I called... and he could barely choke out the words. I broke down immediately. I just kept saying "But I talked to him two days ago. I talked to him two days ago!"<br />
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See, Wednesday night I was getting dinner and called my Grammy and talked to her. At the end of the call she said my Pappy wanted to talk to me. He asked when we were going to come see him. I told him with my new job I was going to have to work out the schedule with my boss and Emma's daddy was going to have to take his vacation days, but we were planning on going to see them next month--when the weather got nicer. He said that would be nice. Then he told me a few stories (he was such a story-teller) and we ended the call. I went home that night and told Emma's Daddy we needed to start thinking about taking that trip next month.<br />
<br />
Too Late.<br />
Always too late.<br />
<br />
I'm so mad. I can't help it. I'm mad at God for taking all these people away from my daughter. With all the terrible, horrible, good for nothings out there---WHY TAKE THESE PEOPLE???? These were good people. People who loved their families. People who made us laugh and smile and want to go see them again.<br />
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I'm so MAD!! I'm mad that Emma will NEVER get to make memories with these people. Am I sad for myself? Of course. I'm human and selfish. BUT. I am so sad and mad and frustrated for my daughter. She will NEVER EVER have memories with these amazing people. At least I have memories with them. Why take that chance away from her???<br />
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***<br />
If there is one good thing to be taken from this, it's: At least Emma got to spend some time with each of these people before they left us. She saw each of them once. Only once. But at least I will have the memories of each of those visits. Memories and stories to share with her as she grows.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-88933909716258070822014-03-20T09:54:00.000-07:002014-03-20T09:54:06.034-07:00"Dada," "Mama," and so much moreWhen Emma was born, everyone always said how fast time would fly and how she would be doing this or that before I knew it. At first that wasn't really the case. I mean, she rolled from belly to back pretty fast, but I honestly feel like I was able to savor all those moments with her. They were spread out pretty well. Now though, it's like we hit a new milestone everyday!<br />
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<li>She's Talking! Her first word was "Dada." Of course this was after a very long night where Mommy was up with her the entire night. haha Now she not only babbles and "gaga's" but she will throw in real words. She even said her first sentence: "Mama...numnum." Hungry? haha</li>
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<li>She has this little "trick" that she learned. At first we would put our hands over our mouths and make the "Whoo-whoo" sound like little Indians. This cracked her up. Then her Daddy showed her she could do it herself. She is so proud of herself whenever she does it. And she will just randomly start doing it and will keep on for EVER!</li>
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<li>She is crawling up a storm! She started crawling one day right after I started working. Now she is a monster ARMY crawler. She is fast and determined.</li>
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<li>She is eating "big people" food. She loves when we go to Target and get a pretzel to split. She gets a scrambled egg for breakfast. She gets a little "baby bagel" sometimes. She gets softened/cooked carrots, chicken, tortillas.... We are trying her out on everything a little at a time.</li>
<li>I mentioned that Emma is crawling. I guess I should also mention she is trying to WALK!! One day I was at home with her and we were playing around. She had received a Sit-To-Stand Walker for Christmas, so I stood her up and put her hands on it. She stood there just upright and like a big girl for a while. Then she tried to take a step and fell. (I caught her; it's ok! lol) That same night, her Daddy did the same thing. Only this time she started walking no problem!! </li>
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After that, she learned that she can pull herself up with the couch. Now she can "walk" around the couch while holding on. I kind of always figured she wouldn't be much of a crawler and go right to walking. Looks like I was right!<br />
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I think that's about it for now. I kept meaning to finish this post but there's just always something going on nowadays. With work and Emma and everything else, our days are full!! Anyways. Time to wrap this up! Have a great day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-59434268669913043772014-02-19T19:47:00.001-08:002014-02-19T19:47:27.050-08:00It's a whole new ball game!Okay, I am SEVERELY delayed in reporting on the new things going on with Emma. I wanted to make sure I finished up my little mini-series uninterrupted and that put this on hold. But here we go:<br />
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<li>Emma can crawl!! She started crawling on Wednesday, February 5th. Her Nonna was watching her and I guess they were practicing or doing tummy time or something like that. Anyways, I was pulling into their driveway when I got a text from my boyfriend. It was video of Emma crawling to a little duck. I immediately ran into their house and made Emma crawl again! haha </li>
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<li> Emma got the flu. We noticed on Monday of last week that she was a little less active than normal, but didn't think too much of it. No, that's sort of a lie. She basically refused to sleep that night without me holding her--which meant I got ZERO sleep. (Not good when you have to go to work and you are still new). So I actually took her temperature and it was fine. So the next day I took it again and nothing. I dropped her off with her Nonna and Grandpa. Later that afternoon I get a text saying she tested positive for the flu. MAN did I feel terrible. But, I did everything I was supposed to do. And she seemed fine, not fever, no throwing up, none of that. And even after she tested positive for the flu, she still didn't ACT like she had it. She was really clinging, but that was the only real indicator she didn't feel all that great.</li>
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<li>Emma is so in tuned to what is going on around her. She now looks for things when she drops them. And she remembers things. Like the doctor. Now Emma only sees her doctor when we take her for her shots--so not all that often. BUT, she had to go see her that Tuesday she got the flu. And--from what I've been told--Emma remembered the doc and did not like her! haha. They tell me she was playful with the Assistant and Tech person but when the doc walked in-BAM! Baby girl shifted and grabbed ahold of Nonna's hair and wouldn't let go. She wanted NOTHING to do with the doc!</li>
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<li>We are having some very fun moments with her. She is so smart that she puts things together now in her mind. Like her bottle. She knows that when Mommy makes her bottle, I add water to a clear container, then a powder; shake and give it to her. Thing is: Matt makes his morning protein shakes the same way! And it's vanilla flavored! So whenever Emma sees Daddy make his morning shake, she gets all piffy! haha She starts "yelling" and batting her hands on the high chair. Her eyes start to bulge out even! </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>She is "talking" up a storm now!! She just babbles away. Telling us all about her day. What she wants. What she doesn't want. You just know there's a story going on and she's trying to get it out as best she can. I simply cannot wait to hear the stories she's got to tell. As smart as she is, I can bet there will be a few doozies in our future!</li>
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I have gone back to work. It's only part-time, and it's in the city; but I really am enjoying it. 3 days a week I get to go and interact with adults who aren't family. (My sister works there, but that's only one out of 10 or so people. As opposed to the vice versa being true when I am at home! lol) Anyways, I am doing what I was doing at the other office, but I get to take on a little more responsibility too. It's nice working with a smaller office and feeling like you are appreciated. Sure, there's stress to do a good job and go above what they are expecting, but that's true of all jobs. And yes, I have 3 long days (when you factor in the drive time). But it's only 3 days a week. I get 4-day weekends with my baby and my boyfriend every week. <br />
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I think Emma will be walking in the new few weeks, but not yet. Seriously. She now puts her hands on the ground and "walks them up" until she's in an inverted V. Then she's like: "Ummm, what do I do now?" haha It's really funny. And kind of sad. Because she's JUST learned to crawl and now she wants to WALK? Already? <br />
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Okay, well that wraps up this post. Sorry it took so long. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the groove of things (or into a new groove with work and all) and can do better about posting.<br />
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G'NIGHT!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-39019427857101399492014-02-15T19:35:00.002-08:002014-02-15T19:35:55.590-08:00Staying Organized: Mommy Must HavesAlright. FINALLY wrapping up this little mini-series. I swear, when I started this, I had no clue it would take me this long to post 5 little (okay, maybe not so little) blogs about things I've learned and really wanted to share to my mommy and mommy-to-be friends. But as it wraps up, I am kinda sad to see it end. Okay, maybe only a teeny bit but still. I have a ton of things I wanted to post about that don't go with the series and which I was holding off on until I finished this. And this post is the one post I started off wanting to write but felt it needed to be saved for last.<br />
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Okay, stalling over. Now here we go. And these are basically in order of Greatness. Just so you know.<br />
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<b>Mommy Must Haves: Seriously, go buy these things NOW!</b></div>
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There were a few things I tell every new mom to put on her registry before she puts anything on there. They are what I call my "lifesavers." These are the things that made life bearable when Emma was semi-colicky, not sleeping, brand new and we were still adjusting to being parents. These are the things that will save your sanity. And that's only a slight exaggeration.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">#<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1-Rock N Play</b></span></span></h2>
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When I found out I was pregnant with Emma, every one of my mommy-friends had recommendations. But this was the one common thing. The ONE THING they ALL said I had to have. It was the first thing I put on my registry. And it really did save me many a night. And day too, honestly. We used this with Emma up until she was four and a half months probably. We had to stop when she could half-turn her body, grab the top, and almost pull herself out of it. Even then I kept it in out living room for a few more months-as a just in case for Emma and naptime.<br />
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My boyfriend's cousin just had a little girl about 2 weeks ago. She was telling me how her daughter wasn't sleeping that great. How she would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Then she said the magic words: "She hates her crib." So, of course I asked if she had one of these. She said no and I was like "WHAM! There's your problem! Get one of those and she will sleep great." Check in a week later and all is well! :) So yeah, get one of these ASAP!<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>#2-Activity "Things"</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-km9ZUhdA8yU/UwAZvIIUYbI/AAAAAAAADj0/KJ7qVpKNWKM/s1600/jumperoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-km9ZUhdA8yU/UwAZvIIUYbI/AAAAAAAADj0/KJ7qVpKNWKM/s1600/jumperoo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNZpUU8MlxA/UwAZvDXIy0I/AAAAAAAADjw/aNyjQqjIq3o/s1600/playmat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNZpUU8MlxA/UwAZvDXIy0I/AAAAAAAADjw/aNyjQqjIq3o/s1600/playmat.jpg" /></a></div>
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Activity "Things." You might not think to get the jumperoo right away, but I say do it. If nothing else, you can utilize my <a href="http://dream2bamommy.blogspot.com/2014/02/staying-organized-double-duty.html" target="_blank">Double Duty</a> theory and use the links that come with it on the playmat you DO think to get right away for tummy time. Yeah, neither of those come with very many links, so you can double up early on. Emma was playing on her play mat all the time. But she hated tummy time, so she made herself roll from belly to back incredibly early. And she loved the jumperoo from the second we put her in it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4aWOdsTzfgg/UwAa5ixPb9I/AAAAAAAADkE/jk-ThNwAffo/s1600/links.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4aWOdsTzfgg/UwAa5ixPb9I/AAAAAAAADkE/jk-ThNwAffo/s1600/links.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Oh, and while you're at it, just go ahead and spend the $4 on the extra links. Babies love these. Even if you double-duty the ones on the play/activity things, spending 4bucks on an additional 20 is completely understandable and worth it.<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">#3-Customized Closet</span></b></span> </div>
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You may not think spending $100-$400 on something for a BABY is smart. And normally I would agree with you. But this is an investment! Your baby's clothes are going to get bigger and bulkier. Things they need when they come home from the hospital are not the things they will need at 3 months, or 6 months, or a year, or 2 years, or 5 years, or 10 years, or 18 years--and then they head off to college and you can use that closet for other things and then it really will need to be rearranged. A customized closet is an easy way to make sure you can store the things you need now in a way that will make sense for now. And later, you can change it up for maybe an additional $15 for an extra shelf or whatever. So do it, Draw out how you want it to look, go to the nearest "construction" store, and pick out what you need to make it work. And make changes as needed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">#4-Baby Carrier</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTH8rw34bxE/UwAdF3ewndI/AAAAAAAADkc/U2F5fLJDd1o/s1600/ktan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTH8rw34bxE/UwAdF3ewndI/AAAAAAAADkc/U2F5fLJDd1o/s1600/ktan.jpg" height="320" width="320" /> </a></div>
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I don't care if you are one of those "earth mothers" or an urban mama on the go. Get one of these! Moby, Ergo, Baby K'Tan. Whatever. Get one. Done.</div>
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Seriously. Go get one! Emma was a little colicky in the beginning. This was because we had her on the wrong supplemental formula which was wreaking havoc on her belly and we didn't know it at the time. But it doesn't matter that you know WHY your baby won't stop crying. Just put them in one of these and... SAVED!! You can go about your day and comfort your baby. HEAVEN!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">#5-Sleeping Arrangements</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EUKCOHBO_uM/UwAexgbL00I/AAAAAAAADko/JsAwor1tuFQ/s1600/pack+n+play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EUKCOHBO_uM/UwAexgbL00I/AAAAAAAADko/JsAwor1tuFQ/s1600/pack+n+play.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BfsJCAoYorQ/UwAexU-QXZI/AAAAAAAADkk/FyiWtU8_etw/s1600/crib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BfsJCAoYorQ/UwAexU-QXZI/AAAAAAAADkk/FyiWtU8_etw/s1600/crib.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilm3cODsREs/UwAq3j8zCyI/AAAAAAAADlc/RkYrXyEu8Xk/s1600/boppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilm3cODsREs/UwAq3j8zCyI/AAAAAAAADlc/RkYrXyEu8Xk/s1600/boppy.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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These are major decisions you have to make. I knew immediately I wanted a crib that turned into a toddler bed and then would turn into a "big girl" bed. I totally didn't want to spend that kind of money on a bed she would only be in for a little while and then spend that money again (and then some) on yet another bed later on. The one we ended up getting her turns into a Full for later on. </div>
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Next is the Pack N Play. Now, they have all these ridiculously fancy ones with hide-away spaces for storage (kinda cool), or a little removable bassinet thing, or changing station. All fun doo-hickeys. I didn't want all that. Mainly because--well, where are you going to store all those extras once the baby is too big for them? No thanks. I wanted a simple place to lay her down when she was fussy or when we were at someone's place. Emma actually slept in her PNP by our bed for the two months between her RNP and when we transitioned to the crib in her own room. By the time she was 6 months, she was at the weight limit for the top-net thing. Basically, she can't be elevated because she weighs more than 15lbs. Anyway...</div>
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Another big thing I required? A detachable mobile. We don't use the Pack N Play as much now that she is in her crib. But we DO still use the mobile. From the beginning I would take the mobile off and put it on other things for her. I put it on her jumperoo, her highchair...even the Rock N Play. It gave her something to look at and play with. Hate to be redundant, but...DOUBLE DUTY!</div>
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And then there's the Boppy. This thing is amazing. You can nurse with it. Give the baby a bottle with it. Lay the baby in it to take a nap. Use it yourself. Just make sure you get an extra slipcover for when Baby decides to spit up all over it! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">#6-Bottle Basics</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEXfX1ilmfA/UwAlx8e-w8I/AAAAAAAADk8/pK2XcDuuVYo/s1600/sterilizer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEXfX1ilmfA/UwAlx8e-w8I/AAAAAAAADk8/pK2XcDuuVYo/s1600/sterilizer.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1ov7dISDkg/UwAlzApibMI/AAAAAAAADlI/hmEsGklcWZM/s1600/bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1ov7dISDkg/UwAlzApibMI/AAAAAAAADlI/hmEsGklcWZM/s1600/bottles.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1ov7dISDkg/UwAlzApibMI/AAAAAAAADlI/hmEsGklcWZM/s1600/bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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There are so many bottle options, it is definitely daunting. But do your homework. Figure out what you need. What you want. What you are going to use them for. Etc. Bottles are just for formula, as off as that sounds. Here's what I knew. I knew the pump I got with my insurance was a Medela one. So I figured I would ask for or get the Medela bottles. I figured "Well they will for sure work with the pump I have, so I shouldn't have any issues with going from the pump to the bottle." And I was right. The attachment was made for the Medela bottles. And it's not like they were bad bottles that I got. They weren't. But there were things I didn't think about. Things I should have. See, we had about 20 bottles. Half were 5oz bottles and half were 9oz bottles. I knew we would need the small bottles at first. BUT I didn't think about the nipple size. I didn't know there were LEVELS to them. And Medela didn't put the newborn size ones on the small bottles. It seems like they should, but they didn't and we ran into issues with them. Now we have a few different kinds. And they are all good for what they are designed for. I love that Tommee Tippees are interchangeable and I can use the handles or whatnot with her Tommee Tippee sippy cups. I have Playtex VentAir which are good for those feedings right before nap or bedtime. We have the Phillips Avent for when she is getting a large feeding, maybe even with rice cereal or oatmeal cereal. And we have the fun, cutesy, design ones just because I like her to have super girly bottles sometimes. </div>
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I got a bottle sterilizer when Emma was first born. And I loved it. It made making sure her bottles were clean easy. I knew the ones in there were ready to give to Emma. BUT you can't really use them for the bigger bottles. Eh. That kinda stinks. BUT I will say this. I now can use the base to help me thaw out chicken and other frozen meats. haha Our sink doesn't have a stopper so I put the meat in there with the super hot water and BAM! Making sure I get the most out of my money! haha</div>
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I also went out and got a thing to go in the dishwasher to help me clean her bottles and stuff. It has a separator so I can differentiate somewhat. I and put her binkies in there. Straws on the side. Things like that. It makes cleaning her bottles easy again. I just break them apart and put the pieces in their "designated" areas. </div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">#7-Anything else I missed?</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iI8F1hkDgA/UwAq31p4gSI/AAAAAAAADlg/P6cxZJmAkJQ/s1600/bullett.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
A travel system. This comes with a car seat, a base, and a stroller that the car seat attaches to. There are a lot of options out there, so you just have to figure out what you want. I knew I didn't want one of those 3-wheeled ones. I like the four wheels. These things are designed to grow with the baby. I love the one we got. It is a little girly (Pink roses and the Eiffel Tower....yeah!). But our options were limited. The brand I wanted had 3 options: Pink, blue, or black. With Emma due in July, I did NOT want an all black stroller.<br />
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The Baby Bullett. I mentioned this in <a href="http://dream2bamommy.blogspot.com/2014/02/staying-organized-feeding-time.html" target="_blank">Feeding Post</a>. So I won't bore you with all its redeeming qualities. But it has a lot. And if you get the set, it comes with the spatulas, and storage containers, and info booklets, and recipes... Very good deal.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yAU4_mjgx7Y/UwAq4oKSeVI/AAAAAAAADl0/OfZiTSC-t6A/s1600/pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yAU4_mjgx7Y/UwAq4oKSeVI/AAAAAAAADl0/OfZiTSC-t6A/s1600/pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yAU4_mjgx7Y/UwAq4oKSeVI/AAAAAAAADl0/OfZiTSC-t6A/s1600/pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yAU4_mjgx7Y/UwAq4oKSeVI/AAAAAAAADl0/OfZiTSC-t6A/s1600/pillow.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpOZwiCvKDo/UwAq4rKDxKI/AAAAAAAADls/PukNVhQwh7Y/s1600/diaper+bag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_TgzmAzUpY/UwAq4giUz0I/AAAAAAAADlw/NpTRGjXeNP8/s1600/diaper+bag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
This was a life saver when I was pregnant. Towards the end I was miserable. My back hurt. My legs hurt. My neck hurt because I couldn't get it on the pillow just right. Sleeping was impossible! Then I received one of these. I couldn't believe how easy it became to get a good night's sleep. I still have mine in my closet. Just in case I have a night where I have trouble sleeping again. Or if I just want to cuddle up on the couch or in bed and watch a movie. Or if I want to put it on the side of the bed so she can't roll off when we are playing. *I put this on one edge and our two pillows on the other. Then she can roll and play to her heart's content and I don't have to hover; but actually get to relax and play with her.<br />
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So this is my list of Mommy Must Haves. And the end of my series. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope you learned something or were able to take something away from it.<br />
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Share your thoughts. I'd love to hear what ideas or suggestions you all have. Thank you!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And. Goodnight!</i></span></div>
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Part four of (maybe) five in the "Staying Organized" mini-series.<br />
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<b>Feeding Time: Making healthy easy and convenient!</b></div>
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In my "<a href="http://dream2bamommy.blogspot.com/2014/02/staying-organized-double-duty.html" target="_blank">Double Duty</a>" blog, I mentioned food briefly. The thing of it is, that section was originally going to be super long. I realized I had more to say on it than I thought and it would need it's own little post. So here are my tips for feeding time!<br />
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The thing is, when it comes time to eat with a little one, it can (and WILL) get crazy and messy. It really doesn't matter if you are making/warming a bottle, or mushing up some "solids," or actually cutting up real food pieces. You are going to feel like it takes forever! And a big part of that is because your baby knows what time it is and wants to eat NOW!<br />
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Before I move on, I just want to rant and clarify. I hate when people ask if Emma is on "solids" yet. Because no, she's not. She's on MUSH!! Seriously. There has to be a better name for this phase because, to me, solids are like chunks of chicken. Not this mush I'm giving her! BUT, in an effort to keep things simple for all other moms out there who may be reading this, I will continue to call the goop I give her "solids."<br />
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Okay, back on topic. Rant done. Now I *really* will give my tips.<br />
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<i>Prep ahead. </i>Whether it's formula or solids, feeding times can be a little easier if it's already ready.<br />
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<li>Formula: We got a glass jar from a dairy place we use. I can mix up
about 48 ounces of water and 24 scoops of formula powder. That usually
lasts about 2 days. </li>
<li>Solids: I mix 1/4 cup rice cereal or oatmeal cereal and 1 container
of baby food puree. I split this in two bowls & put one in the
fridge for later; then I just have to heat and go. </li>
<li>Homemade Prep: I also went the route of homemade baby food, which is
even more time consuming. But worth it. So when Emma was around 4
months old, I spent an entire morning just getting her future food
ready. I steamed or baked peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut
squash, and baked potatoes. Then I pureed them (separately), set them in
ice cube trays and other single-serving-size containers. Froze them.
Now I can pull out one or two cubs as needed, leave them in the fridge
to thaw, add her cereal, mix and go. It's good to know that she is
eating REAL FOOD and not something processed all the time. I think it
will only help us to keep her on that path.</li>
<li>Other liquids: I always keep 1-2 sippy cups of water in the fridge. </li>
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<i>Invest in a food processor.</i> Yeah, I know the Baby Bullet can run upwards of $60. BUT you can use it for your food too! It is so worth it. I did the whole "making my kid's own baby food" thing. But you don't have to do all that to justify buying one of these.<br />
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Yes, I decided to pre-make a lot of Emma's baby food. But you don't have to. If you are one of those mom's who wants to get your child on the path of "we all eat the same dinner," then this is perfect for you too. Are you having carrots for dinner tonight. Just pop some (unseasoned) ones in and Voila! Baby dinner made the same time yours is cooking! As they get older and can be introduced to new things, you just plop them all in the little processor and done. I actually used mine when I was making Chicken Tortilla Soup a while back. My guy isn't a fan of beans, but I love the smell and taste of them. So I cooked some, put them in our Baby Bullet, and pureed until smooth/chunky (that almost smooth, but just not quite stage). Added it to the soup and he couldn't even tell they were in there.<br />
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<i>Go ahead and buy those travel cups, sippy cups, and other "big kid" things you don't think you'll need yet.</i> Seriously, there's nothing worse than seeing that you need something you don't have. I hate that feeling. So I registered for one or two sippy cups for Emma. I knew there would come a time when I would have to give her one, and having one on hand--at the back of the cabinet, mind you--just made me feel better. Same thing with those travel containers. I REALLY wanted those for her. They have a soft plastic top the baby can put their hands in and get those puff things or whatever. But the baby can't get too many, and if it gets dropped it's (probably) not going to make a mess. Cups, plates, "big kid silverware"... just go ahead and get one or two of each. That's all you'll need in the beginning. And feeling prepared for anything just makes you feel more calm. At least it does for me.<br />
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<i>Have a cabinet JUST for baby food-stuff.</i> It can and will take over your kitchen if you aren't prepared for it. This was something I QUICKLY came to realize as I unloaded the bottles and accessories from Emma's baby showers. Right then and there, I just moved everything around in the kitchen so she would have an entire cabinet for her stuff. It's really great to have that all together so if I have to send her Daddy in to get something, he doesn't get frustrated by not knowing if her puffs are with the snacks or cereals. They are just all together. Now, when she gets to be a little older (18 months--2 years or so), I plan on moving things around AGAIN so that she has her own cabinet where she can help set the table and learn "chores" but they are manageable and at her level. Right now though, I need that cabinet up high and all food things at arm's level.<br />
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Okay, I think that about wraps up "FOOD" for now. I have one more blog about what I think are a new mommy's Must Have's. I promise this will wrap up soon. I just started a new job and love it. But it does mean that some things are getting pushed to the weekends or wee-hours of the morning. Thank you all for being so patient!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-15767405028453448682014-02-08T08:41:00.000-08:002014-02-08T08:41:31.839-08:00Staying Organized--Double DutySorry I didn't continue on with my little "mini-series;" we've had some pretty awesome things going on around here that kept me from getting back to my computer. But here we go.<br />
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<b>Double Duty: Make sure everything you buy or get can pull it's weight; everything should do more than the one thing it was specifically bought for!</b></div>
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I have so many cases of this around our house, it's crazy! The fact of the matter is, if you only ever use something for it's intended purpose, you will never really get your money's worth out of it. Especially "baby-things."<br />
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The "baby market" isn't stupid. They know that unless they are selling diapers, wipes, or formula/food; a majority of their consumers are first time parents--or those BUYING for first time parents. And first time parents honestly believe their baby needs every little thing! I'll be honest: I wasn't immune to it. But I quickly (and luckily before Emma got here) learned I needed to make my things work FOR ME instead of me working for my things.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Changing Tables: </b></span>Now I will say this was something I was ADAMANTLY against from the beginning. I truly never understood why someone would buy a piece of FURNITURE they can't use after the baby is out of diapers. Furniture isn't cheap! So right away I knew we would be using the top of our baby's dresser as the "official" baby changing station. I got a fairly inexpensive changing pad and a cute cover which works amazing. I had some leftover shelving liner (the mesh-like stuff you put on the shelves so things stick), so I put it under the changing pad and it never moves. Emma is getting to the wiggling-fight-mommy-and-the-diaper stage, and still the changing pad stays put!<br />
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Another reason we decided to forgo the additional piece of furniture? Space. The fact of the matter is, there is only so much space in any given room. And when you have a crib, a dresser, a bookshelf, a rocking chair (a personal must), the diaper genie, and a few other things-well space becomes prime and I didn't see the need to take up space with a changing table.<br />
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<i>On the flip side? </i>I have a friend who bought a changing table for her first daughter. She used it for daughters 1, 2, & 3. But after daughter 3 was about a year old (still in diapers), she decided to use it as a bookshelf for her girls. She was lucky hers was able to be converted, and so she ultimately made it pull double duty. I just didn't see too many out there now that would look like a bookshelf and not like a changing table with books on it. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Wall Art: </b></span>Now this might seem silly. I get that. BUT. You really need to make sure the things you are putting on the wall can pull double duty too! My personal cases?<br />
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<li>We painted a tree (a gorgeous, realistic but still artsy tree) on a wall in Emma's room. Well, in one corner. How can I make this pull double duty? Here's how. See, right now the theme for her room is "Oh the Places You'll Go." Dr. Seuss did a lot with trees. When she's maybe a year old, I can start hanging pictures from the "branches" of her throughout the year. Pictures we can interchange as she gets older. Later, if she decides she wants a princess-themed room or something along those lines, we can easily make the tree into a magical, fairy inspired tree or something. So, instead of using a Seussical tree with the orange and pink and yellow leaves, her tree is more natural looking so we can convert it later.</li>
<li>Pictures. I have two types of pictures hanging in Emma's room. Both are over her dresser. The first type is a set of 4 brightly colored frames with Dr. Seuss book cover prints in them. These pictures and frames were a deliberate decision--as was their placement. I knew as Emma got older, it would be harder to keep her attention while I changed her diaper or outfit. So I put bright, colorful pictures where she would see them. And it works. Whenever she starts to get uber-wiggly, I just go "Ohhh" and look at the one by her and point. She stops what she's doing to look too. The other type is a collage picture frame. I knew I would want to have up-to-date pictures of Emma up in her room all the time so I went to my favorite store and chose one which would allow me to take up some wall space, but also allow me to mix up the images when I wanted to. Before she was born I had our maternity pics in there. Then her 1 week pics. Then her 3 month pics. Next up is her 9 month pictures in April. So this picture frame collage is already pulling its weight!</li>
<li>Curtains. These may not seem like "wall art," but I think they should be. As I mentioned earlier, Emma's room is inspired by Dr. Seuss. You would think I would go and buy the curtains and valances to match. Which--yeah, okay, I did (the valances, I mean). But I also went back to my favorite store and bought shear white tiered curtains. When I hung them up I realized I didn't need or want the ones that "matched." Now we can easily use these super girly curtains to go with any theme in the future! </li>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span>Toys: </b></span>Kids toys can be so expensive. So unless the toy can pull "double duty," don't get it. For me, there's two ways they can do that.<br />
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<li>There's the obvious way: Toys that convert. Those "sit to stand" toys--they go from being toys that lay flat on the floor when the baby is just learning to sit to becoming walking aids--are great for this. You definitely get your money's worth from them. We also have the play mat which came with "links." Since Emma doesn't use the play mat as much anymore, I took the links and attached them to her other toys. Because, let's face it, the jumperoos only come with maybe 3-4 links and that's no where near enough! Or I attach them to her high chair to give her something to play with that she can't (easily) drop on the floor.</li>
<li>Toys that add to the decor. Sometimes it's nice to have a toy that also enhances the look of the room. I alluded to this earlier in my post about <a href="http://dream2bamommy.blogspot.com/2014/01/staying-organized-diapers.html" target="_blank">diapers</a>. Emma received a stuffed dog at one of her baby showers which was signed by those who attended. I keep it on the dresser in front of the tub of diapers and what not. This keeps everyone from having to stare at those diapers, keeping the look of the room. This dog also gives me something to keep Emma occupied when the pictures on the wall don't cut it.</li>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Clothes: </b></span>I won't delve too much into this <a href="http://dream2bamommy.blogspot.com/2014/01/staying-organized-clothing.html" target="_blank">again</a>, but I will say you need to make sure your baby's clothes can pull their weight. Spend the money on the nicer clothes. Emma's grandmothers have bought her some "name brand" clothes...and they hold up a lot better than the inexpensive items. Be sure to find ways to transition clothes from season to season. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Food: </b></span>Again, not an obvious one. But you will find or have already found, that feeding a baby can be kind of a struggle. And time consuming. I never thought about it before Emma, but it takes a long time to feed a baby solids or mushy food, especially when you compare it to giving them a bottle! So here are a few tips I have about food and feeding time.<br />
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<i>Containers.</i> We have containers of all sizes. They all have lids. Very Important! Then you can use them for travel OR at home. I also kept a few of the formula containers to use for traveling. I even kept one to store some of her bagged baby food. The bags tend to get lost in the cabinet, so this really helps me know right where to go to get them.<br />
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I'll go more into food in another post, too. About when I started prepping <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-86467420470546371662014-01-26T10:56:00.000-08:002014-01-26T10:56:02.997-08:00Staying organized--DiapersLike I said before, I have learned a lot in just the short 6, almost 7, months since Emma arrived. I thought I would share some of the things I learned, and offer a place where others can let me know what they have learned. The previous post was all about baby clothes. Now we are on to:<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><i><b>Diapers: How to keep them organized, available, and stocked.</b></i></span></div>
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It seems like diapers are the bane of every parent's existence. You always seem to be fighting with them for one reason or another. Here are a few tricks I picked up that I wanted to share.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>First:</b></u></span> Have a baby changing station in every major room. You have no idea how much easier your life can be when you have everything you need close by. </div>
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Even before Emma was born, I knew this was something I wanted to do. Only then, I thought I would just have one on each floor. There was the one in her room--obviously--and one in the living room. And they weren't even the uber-fancy ones. My mom had given me some simple plastic pink tubs she had in her house and I use those. They work great! They keep everything you NEED in them without letting you go overboard, thus getting overwhelmed!</div>
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See? Simple. I have a decent sized hard-plastic container of wipes, a thing of baby powder, a bib--which doubles as a rag in a pinch, a thicker receiving blanket I use to change Emma on, a thing of diaper rash ointment (hidden under the bib I guess), and a decent amount of diapers. I think there's about twenty or so there. When Emma was first born I would have an extra outfit in there too, just in case. Not so much now that she's older, but it helped a lot in the beginning. </div>
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<li>Here's my reasoning for each item. In regards to the hard case of wipes: I think these work so much better than the flimsy ones. I got three tubs from baby showers and I just rip the other ones open and use them as refills. The tubs just keep the wipes wetter longer, they don't stick to the glue on the cover like they would with the other, and you have a solid frame to help you separate them when you only have one hand to use! Haha Seriously though, when you have one hand on the baby trying to keep a squiggler still, and the other has to get a wipe; these tubs come in handy.</li>
<li>I like having a bib on hand versus a burp cloth for a few reasons but a big one is: a bib can double as a burp cloth, but a burp cloth can't really double as a bib. </li>
<li>A thick receiving blanket for a changing pad. My reason for this was a mostly economical one. I got around 6-7 of them at Emma's showers so I already had a few extra around the house. If I were to go out and purchase a "Changing Pad," they can get expensive. And since you are going to need at least two or three (if not more so you have one available when you wash the others)... well it just made more sense to use the blankets.</li>
<li>Baby powder and diaper rash cream for obvious reasons. You don't want to open up the diaper and see an irritated bottom and NOT be ready. Just go ahead and have them in there.</li>
<li>And of course, the diapers. Every Friday night I go around to the "changing stations" to see where they stand and restock (this includes the diaper bag). I like to have a full container for the weekend since I can't be sure if we are going to be at home more or out and about. If we go out on the weekends, then I can usually go the week with these filled in the two stations we (now) have. If we stay home, then I will usually stock back up on Sunday night, just to be safe.</li>
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I alluded early to the fact I started out with just two stations. After a few weeks I decided to add one more: I turned the top drawer of my nightstand into a changing station. See, Emma slept in a Rock N Play by our bed until she was four months; then she slept in a Pack N Play by our bed until she was 6 months. At the end of the day, she would get a bath and I would take her to our room to put her diaper and jammies on before giving her a bottle and laying her in her bed. And she would get up in the middle of the night sometimes and need changed (especially around the time when she was nearing the weight limit on the diapers). It made things so convenient to just have it all right there ready for me. See?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's in the nightstand version? Diapers (maybe 5 or so), a soft bag of wipes, powder, diaper rash cream, comb, and a burp cloth.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Once we moved Emma into her own room, I didn't need the drawer anymore. If I'm going to take her to our room after a bath, I just make sure I have a pile of everything she needs ready before I start her bath.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>Second:</b></u><b> </b></span>Always have the next size up. I was very lucky with my baby showers. I got tons of diapers and in different sizes too. Now, I didn't KNOW they had a size "newborn," so I didn't register for that. I started off with size one. (Makes sense right? haha) The hospital did send us home with almost 4 or 5 packs of newborn sized diapers though, which was a godsend. As Emma outgrew one size, I would just take the unopened pack to the store and exchange it for the next size up. And I always did that before she absolutely HAD to move up. See, diapers are great in that the weight limits overlap. Example: Emma is around 17lbs. Size 2 diapers go up to 18lbs; size 3 diapers start at 16lbs. So when I realized that Emma was about halfway through one pack of size 2s and at least 16lbs, I just took the other pack in and exchanged it for size 3s. Then we were ready to move up without a hassle.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>Third:</b></u></span> Don't open every pack of the size diaper your child is in right now. This relates to the point above. As long as the pack is closed, the stores will usually take them and let you do an exchange. So just open them one pack at a time. You'll know when you are almost done with a pack and can guage whether or not to move up to the next set or open that same size.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>Fourth:</b></u></span> Aside from the diapers you have in the diaper bag(s) and changing station(s), don't have them out where you can see them. It's sort of like having your spare toilet paper rolls out: We all know you have to use them, but it's just not cute. Same with diapers. We all know every baby uses diapers, but no one really wants to see them out. Because then we just think of the stink they can carry. **Shudder** That's why even my changing station tubs are out of sight. I keep the one in the living room under the coffee table; easily accessible when I need it, but we aren't constantly looking at it. The one in Emma's room is sort of blocked from sight by a lamp and a stuffed toy. (The toy also serves dual purpose of keeping Emma entertained when she doesn't want to be changed! More on that in another post.)<br />
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What I did is convert what we intended to be a bookshelf/bench into a storage station for all of Emma's diapering needs. I put cute pink fabric bins in the slots and put different "diaper things" in each bin. One is full of diapers, one holds all the wipe refills, and the other has surplus lotions, creams, powders, burp cloths, thick receiving blankets, and odorizers. Simple, clean, functional. And you don't have the eyesore that is dirty diapers.<br />
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And <span style="color: red;"><u><b>Fifth:</b></u></span> Diaper bags. You should always have at least two stocked. At all times!<br />
No. Seriously. You should.<br />
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See you never know when you might have to rush out the door or if someone was playing with the bag and pulled out this or that. You don't need to worry about having enough diapers in a crunch situation. Thus: always have two packed. For Mother's Day, my boyfriend got me the most beautiful diaper bag. It was so nice I didn't want to ruin it. So I registered for a second one that I would leave with Emma when I had to drop her off with a family member for any amount of time. And yes, I still have both. And yes, they are both always stocked. I always have at least 5-6 diapers in there, wipes, extra binkies, an extra outfit or two, a burp cloth, changing pad, bib, some soft toys, some loud toys, and a medical bag with things like a thermometer, children's tylenol, nose syringe, gas drops, some cookies, some mushy food, and medicine dropper.<br />
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Okay. So that's all I have right now for diapers. Keep on the look out for the next installment!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5643075744481325158.post-23673068924803669692014-01-25T20:09:00.001-08:002014-01-26T07:46:01.002-08:00Staying organized--ClothingYou know, it is really hard to stay organized when you have a baby! If you are like me with a slight case of OCD, it can be nerve-racking. That being said, I have learned a few things I wanted to pass on to all moms. The next few posts will be a series on how I stayed/got organized after my baby was born.<br />
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The first topic: <span style="color: blue;"><i><b> </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><i><b>BABY CLOTHES!</b></i> </span><b><span style="color: #073763;"> <i>How to ensure your baby wears every article of clothing they are given without going nuts</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>First:</b></u><b> </b></span>Don't put all the baby clothes in the closet or the dresser or wherever you are keeping them! ONLY have out the clothes in the size your baby currently wears. Yes, all the clothes are cute and you want to make sure you put your baby in each outfit, but you can become severely overwhelmed by the shear volume of articles of clothing.<br />
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This was something I learned on the fly. We started getting clothes for Emma from family and friends pretty early on. So--once her closet was put in--I sectioned everything out by size. I hung up all the jackets and one-piece outfits, put all the onesies in the dresser, and so on. I had everything up through size 12months put away in her room. Then she was born. And I felt like I was swimming in her clothes! They were all put away neatly. Everything was organized. But I was still overwhelmed. When she was about 3 weeks old I decided I had had enough. I went to my favorite store and bought two clear 20 gallon storage containers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine are clear so I can see the clothes, but has a pink lid. The handles were very important to me, so I splurged a little on the containers.</td></tr>
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Then I went through all of her clothes. I kept out anything size "Newborn" or size "0-3 months." Everything else was grouped together by size and put in the containers. I had tons!! I had to sort those into two groups because we had so many. All clothes up to 9months are in one container and the other is for everything 12months and up. (And yes, we already have a LOT of things size 2T/24months! lol)<br />
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As Emma outgrew things, I would change them out. About every 6 weeks I am going through her stuff because some things are size 3Months whereas others are size 3-6 months. (And yes, this frustrates the heck out of my OCD self because her clothing separators in her closet are "0-3months," "3-6months," "6-9months," etc. vs "newborn," "3months," "6months," "9months," etc.) As I put her stuff away, I sort it again! haha This time I sort into four groups:<br />
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<li>Clothes to give to her cousin who will be here in like 2 weeks. (YAY!)</li>
<li>Clothes to keep for the next baby (AT A LATER DATE! lol) just in case we end up having another girl.</li>
<li>Clothes to toss because they were ruined somehow--probably because we had faulty/defective diapers for a while.</li>
<li>And then clothes to use for her future quilt. These are items which, every time I look at them, I can only see my baby girl in them. I can't imagine putting them on another baby--even if I do have another daughter. These are special to Emma and I want to make a quilt for her when she's about a year old of patches from her clothes, jammies, felt "diapers" from her baby shower, and other pieces like that.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Top:</b> Items for her quilt. <b>Middle: </b>All the items she has outgrown already & we are keeping. <b>Bottom: </b>All clothes size 12months and up</td></tr>
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So yeah, this takes a fairly decent amount of time, and you have to make sure you are constantly going through everything. You can't just take a stack of onesies, tie a ribbon (or string, whatever) around them, and toss them into the container. No way! You have to make sure the things you are putting away are things your baby cannot wear anymore. You do NOT want to constantly be going through things you have put away.</div>
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For example, every six weeks I have to go through ALL of Emma's pants. This is because she seems to be a size smaller in her pants than in her onesies or her dresses. She is almost 7 months old now, but I JUST put her in her 6 months pants. So her 3 month and 3-6 month pants were still in her dresser. And you also have to take into consideration that every brand is sized different. So while most of her onesies/shirts/dresses are size 6 month and working towards 6-9 month, she does have a few onesies that are 3-6 month.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>Second:</b></u></span> Only do the baby's laundry once (max TWICE) a week. At least at first. The problem is every outfit your child was given is probably adorable. You slip that shirt over their head, poke their little hands through the arms, pull those pants up and ... AWWW!! They suddenly make that outfit "One of [your] absolute favorites!" You are going to want to see your baby in that outfit again and again and again. And if you do laundry every day or so, the likelihood of you putting your baby in a repeat is higher. The more often your baby wears the same outfit, the less likely they are to get through the mountain of newborn and 0-3 month clothes. </div>
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Speaking of laundry: just go ahead and buy the baby detergent. Seriously. Yeah, I know it's a little pricey. I know they say the "Free and Clear" stuff is just as good. But it's not. Trust me. You want their clothes to stay soft and cuddly as long as possible. The baby detergent will do that so much better than the stuff we use on our own clothes. And it just smells like... well like Baby! PLUS: If you are following the tip above, than you are only doing laundry like 4-6 times a month. And, unless you have a diaper explosion and need to treat before you wash an item, you really only need to use a small amount. I never fill the cap passed the "1" marking. Well, I do if I have her high chair cover in there, but that's another thing entirely! haha Even then I only fill to the "2." So a bottle of baby detergent can last you a really long time. They run about $16 a container. Emma is almost 7 months old. We aren't even halfway through a second container. So that comes down to, what?, $40 a year to keep your baby's clothes soft and smelling good? I think it's worth it. Plus, I figure this detergent was tested SPECIFICALLY for baby clothes use. The other stuff wasn't. So even though it says it's free and clear of those harsh chemicals and what not, is it really the safest thing to use on something that will be next to your baby's skin all day? I don't know about that. I'll stick to my baby detergent. That's just me though.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>Third:</b></u><b> </b></span>When you do get around to doing the laundry, make sure you put the freshly cleaned clothes and such UNDER the clothes already in the drawers. For those things you are hanging in the closet, put them to the RIGHT of the "section." I have Emma's hanging clothes sorted by type: jackets, shirts, dresses, all-in-one outfits, etc. Once she wears a shirt, I will hang it up and put it to the far right side of the "shirts" section.</div>
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You see, you are more likely to pull a shirt or onesie or pair of pants from the top than sort and sift through a whole bunch trying to find that one thing you remember your baby looked so cute in. So by placing things which have already been worn on the bottom, you are increasing the chance of finding an adorable shirt that will become your <b><i>new</i></b> all-time favorite. </div>
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The same is true of hanging clothes. You may not realize it, but we tend to scan clothes racks the same way we read: from left to right. You start on the left side and the first cute shirt or jacket or whatever you come to is usually the one you put on your baby. By placing the items they have already worn on the right, you are again increasing your chances of having your baby wear every item!</div>
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So come on now. Let's see the baby in another really cute outfit!</div>
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Your baby is going to have a LOT more newborn and 3
month clothes than any other size--maybe even more than the other sizes
COMBINED! Everyone wants to see the new baby in something they got
him or her, and they would rather see it sooner versus later. Who can
blame
them? They spent (probably) a lot of money on the outfit(s); they
deserve to see the baby in it/them. Avoid the pitfall that is "The 'AWWW'
Effect"!</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i><u><b>EXCEPTIONS:</b></u></i></span> </div>
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That being said, you also have to allow for "Exceptions to the Rules." As far as I can tell right now, there are three. First is the: "Christmas/ Thanksgiving/ Halloween/ New Year... Whatever" onesies and other items. Sure. Your baby <i><b>may</b></i> still fit in them. But are you <i>really</i> going to want to stroll around the mall in January with your baby wearing an orange onesie that says "My Daddy is under my spell"? No. Of course not. Halloween is over. If it's January, then Valentine's Day is approaching. So go ahead and toss the holiday themed items into the containers. Hold onto them because they are cute (you can always put them in a scrapbook or scrap-quilt if the next baby isn't on the same "schedule" as this baby), but you do not need them taking up valuable space in your nursery.</div>
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Another exception? Jackets. I think of baby jackets like I do my own: I always get them a size bigger than I do my shirts. Why? Well because if I am wearing a jacket, then I am obviously going to layer. And if my shirt is the same size as my jacket, then something is going to be too tight and I am going to be uncomfortable. So, that being said: If Emma is in size 6 month onesies and shirts, then I pull out her 9 month jackets. I will still keep her 6 month ones out, just in case, but I rarely go to those when I am picking out an outfit for her. Those are more likely to go in the diaper bag for emergencies. </div>
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The final exception pertains to those with daughters: Get as much use out of the dresses as you can! Especially the summer ones. I still have some of Emma's 3 month summer dresses in her closet. Why? Because I put a pair of pants under it and suddenly it is a shirt. If it is really cold (or the dress is sleevless) you can add a long sleeve onesie under it as well. Conversely, bring out the winter dresses a little early so you can do layering. Put a short sleeve onesie under a sweater dress that's a size bigger and the baby won't feel as constricted (i.e. the jacket effect again). Voila! You have an extra 3 months of wear available to you! Genius, huh? LOL This way, once the pickings become a little slimmer, you can reuse those cute summer dresses in the winter. </div>
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Okay. That's all I have on baby clothes for now. Hopefully these tips will work for you. Maybe you will find yourself a little less stressed by the mountain of clothes. Maybe you will actually be able to say "My baby wore every single thing they were given!" </div>
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Or maybe you just got a good chuckle out of my frazzled state!</div>
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I always believed that kids aren't born with "boy" tendencies or "girl" tendencies. I never thought that because I had a daughter I would assume Barbie dolls over GI Joes. I never thought that by having an Emma instead of an Eli that she would automatically choose pinks and daisies over blues and sail boats.<br />
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And I'm not saying that she DOES choose those things...yet. But there have been times where I realize that maybe I was wrong. Maybe there is a basis for the general assumptions placed on girls and boys.<br />
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You see, Emma is already showing SOME preferences. Some very girly preferences. Prime example: she loves the Disney show "Sophia the First." Every time it comes on she stops to watch it. She will sit through the whole thing. But if "Jake & the Neverland Pirates" comes on...eh she's over it. She'll throw a mini fit until we get her.<br />
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That's not to say she likes all the "girly" shows. She only barely tolerates "Doc McStuffins" and that's supposed to be an empowering show for girls. <br />
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I know. I know. Emma's only 6 months old. She has a lot of time to figure out what she likes and what she doesn't. I sincerely try to expose her to toys and shows that aren't simply for girls. If she ends up liking all the girly things--the dress ups and pink and **shudder** glitter--than I will let her and help her.<br />
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Of course, if she ends up liking things that are considered more "boyish," than that's fine by me too! hahaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14418564482816625879noreply@blogger.com0