My Girl

I'm sure I'm not the only parent that feels this way, but I just think my girl is super awesome. 
Watching her grow and learn is amazing and entertaining, most of the time.  Then there are the scary times when you see your child fall off the bed and watch her neck bend in a way that you're sure would cause serious injury and you flip out and pray she's not paralyzed - and she's totally fine, but you're still freaking out, and she's trying to catch her breath because it scared her to death. 

My girl is learning to walk - she's cruising - and is a really fast crawler.  She's so smart, too, figuring things out on her own.  And some of the stuff she comes home with from school is so funny; like, making the "duck face/lips" when she wants something. 

I miss her when she's at school and when she spends the night at a grandparent's house.  One on one time is the best!  My favorite is when we get to take naps together.  It's a rare treat, but snuggling with her is the ultimate mother/child bond for me. 

As she grows up, I won't be a bit surprised if she's sassy, but I'm confident she'll still be sweet to those she really cares about. 

Last night, she slept over at her grandmother's.  When I woke up this morning, I thought I heard her in her room.  Obviously, that wasn't it.  Really, it was either imagined or my nose whistling, but I noticed how anxious I felt thinking she needed me.  That's just part of motherhood - constantly worrying about your offspring, whether it's something simple, like wondering if she's awake, or something scary, like seeing her fall off the bed....and everything in between.   

My husband and I are trying hard to be patient with each other as we journey together on the rollercoaster of parenthood.  We're also trying to spend more one-on-one time with each other as a couple.  Without realizing it, we had gone for 5 MONTHS without a single date night!!!  We love our family dates, too, but staying connected as a couple is super important for us as a family unit. 

So, that's where we are with life at the moment.  March is looking to be busy.   It's been awhile since I've blogged.  Hopefully, the creative sparks I've been having lately continue and get bigger.  Until next time!

Stereotyping?

Originally written October 1, 2014

So many men think my daughter's a girl. Why just men and why in general? She looks like a girl to me.

 

I thought wearing a headband might help, but even then, an older man kept asking if she was a boy.

 

Since it's always men who make this faux pas, I wonder if society is still expecting a man's world.  That makes me think of Mad Men and chauvinistic males. 

 

Side note: Today I learned that women are not allowed to be Navy SEALs because of certain organs.  Discriminatory?  Or safety precaution?

 

Point being, why are girls always thought to wear bows, pink, and ruffles?  Did you know that in the history of baby colors, boys used to wear pink?  The trend moved from that to all babies wearing white, and to today's thinking boys are in blue and girls are in pink. 

 

I'm definitely NOT a gender neutral extreme parent, and I do love cute girly outfits for my babe, but I also don't feel that just because I don't put a bow on her head every day that it should be assumed she's a boy.  My sister-in-law has the same problem but even more so with my niece.  She puts a headband on her all the time and she still gets questioned for being a boy!  It's crazy.  Why do men expect babies to be boys?  Women never get it wrong in grocery stores, doctor's office waiting rooms, the library, etc.  Every single woman seems to automatically know my daughter's a girl. 

 

Anyone have a good explanation?  Does your son ever get mistaken for a girl?  What do you do when that happens? 

Venting

Between my daughter and myself, I don't even have a full day of sick leave from work.  To make up the time I needed for sinusitis last week, I've had to work both Friday and Saturday last weekend and this weekend.  On top of that, dealing with the general public (many of whom seem completely helpless) is draining no matter what.  I'm still easily tired, and my daughter's cough and chest rattle are stressing me out. Thankfully, my husband is taking her to the doctor on Monday morning to see if there's anything we can do besides her nebulizer or inhaler.  Maybe she has RSV, we have no idea.  Just hearing her cough and seeing her look so tired makes me sad that there's nothing we know to do to make her better.  

In other news, you may have seen on Facebook that there was some major drama involving alcohol last weekend.  Everything/one is on the right track now, thank God!  But here's my stance on things: once you get married, there are going to be things that you may have enjoyed while you were single that can no longer be indulged.  Once you have a kid and you intend on being a responsible parent, you can't party till all hours of the night and come home drunk and unable to remember anything.  Or maybe that's fine with your spouse, but it doesn't fly in my house.  Anyway, like I said, we're recovering and it seems as though everything will be fine.  The situation is making us stronger and better as a couple. 

But then there's always my husband's work schedule.  Let me just say, if you don't already know, shift work sucks (probably anyway), but especially if you have a family.  This week we see each other briefly in the morning before our daughter and I leave for school and work (respectively), and at night, we're already asleep by the time he gets home.  Next week, he'll work overnights and while he's around to help in the evenings getting baby to bed, and in the mornings to help get her ready for school so I can get ready for work, he's so tired and there's not much time for bonding left.  The shift I think both of us prefer he work is the one that's 6a-3p.  She's easy in the morning as long as you make a bottle for breakfast the night before.  Getting her to bed, feeding myself, and trying to get anything else done before my bedtime is a lot after a whole day at work and when it's just you. 

And to end on a happy note, she's taken her first crawl - just a few short "steps" - and is trying to pull herself up.  She loves standing while holding onto her crib or playpen or leaning up against the floor mirror in our bedroom.  She'll be eleven months old on Christmas Day, so her first birthday party is already getting planned for January.  It's exciting!

Time Is Flying!

How are we already in Thanksgiving week?!   Last night we had the privilege to attend the Celebration in the Oaks Family Preview Party for free.  It was a really nice experience since it was much less crowded than a regular night. We got to ride the train and see all the lights (except in the Botanical Garden, which wasn't ready/open yet); which is really hard to do during regular Celebration in the Oaks hours because it always sells out before I get there!  She instinctively waived at Santa, and said hey....then again, we also told her to waive and all the other kids were doing it. 

Of course, the chilly fall temps have left us, so it doesn't feel super seasonal this week, but it will be nice for Thanksgiving.  We're doing our typical three dinners - my in-laws at lunch, my brother's at dinner, and my cousins' on Friday.  It's going to be exciting to see lil bit with all of her cousins, especially now that she's getting more and more mobile. She'll roll, or now she's starting to scoot to get around on her own.  I keep waiting for her to crawl because she gets in position and rocks for a few minutes, but she never takes off.  Instead, she gets into rolling position and takes off that way.  She's a trip!

She's getting tons of gifts from my husband's side of the family, and we're done shopping for her, too.  Oh, our tiny home is already bursting at the seams, but it's her first Christmas!  Her first birthday is just one month later!  Her Amazon wish list is quickly dwindling.  I'm not complaining, though.  She is very loved. 

There are lots of holiday events we're hoping to do in the next few weeks, so we'll be pleasantly busy.  I'm looking forward to seeing her open presents for the first time, playing with all of her cousins, and for the family time we'll all get.  My husband and I will even get some time to ourselves, which we really need.  Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Family Ties and Tying Up Loose Ends

In the last post, I mentioned weight being an issue for me.  I don't know that I'm losing pounds, but I've been hearing a lot of compliments about how much smaller I look lately.  We stopped eating premade frozen dinners, except for the occasional pizza, I've tried walking more (mostly at work), and I do 25 crunches once a week.  It's nice to fit into some of my old favorite clothes again, but I've also been seriously cleaning out my closet, which is mentally freeing. 

Also, one of the families I commented about in a previous post, has seemed to clean their act up a bit.  There are now two children, and the father seems much calmer with them both - even sweetly affectionate to the newborn baby.  The mom seems more attentive, and the older child seems better behaved.  Maybe the pregnancy was just that stressful on them before.  Either way, I'm glad they seem so much happier and loving toward each other. 

Our sweet bugaboo is already 8 months old!  A friend commented the other day that her time in my belly didn't seem to go as quickly as her growing up now.  It's true! Watching our sweet bebe learn and understand things is amazing and awesome!  This morning, she put her hand up to her mouth to blow me a kiss!  As she grows, I think learning about her family is very important.  I don't have living grandparents, and all of my great aunts are gone, too; that's why her middle name is my maternal grandmother's first name. I wish I'd have known her better.  Her first name is my mom's middle name, and unbeknownst to me during the baby naming process, was also my dad's mother's name; however, she's mostly named after St. Ann, but with an 'e'.  AMB finally met some cousins on my side of the family a couple of weeks ago, including a second visit with one of my uncles and his wife.  My sister-in-law and I feel that our girls need to know where they come from and develop a good support system.  Extended family is really important to both of us. 

August

Where'd it go?  I can't believe we'll be in September on Monday!  Our sweet girl is already 7 months old and trying to crawl and sit up all by herself!

 

When working on my budget sheet for August, I realized that I hadn't been to yoga at all this month!  I also found out, after a wellness visit to my GP that my LDL is high.  For the next six months, I need to be on a low-fat diet and then I'll get to fast again for another blood test.  Oh, joy. 

 

Over the course of the last two weeks, three different people asked me if I was pregnant again or when I was due.  The first time I was just shocked, although, I knew I wasn't getting any thinner.  The second time I was really upset, and the third time I used it as a motivator to start walking in the evenings.  Well, that happened twice, but then it was getting dark too early by the time we could get out of the house, and now my allergies are severely cramping my style. 

 

I weighed myself a few days ago and discovered that I have gained 4.5 lbs..  That plus the 20 lbs. I'm still carrying around post pregnancy has had me reading about gastrointestinal issues and healthy eating without dieting - basically trying to figure out not only why I'm not losing weight, but gaining.  Is it simply because I have a desk job?  The book that I've really gotten into to help is called Joyous Health.  At first, I thought it was a bunch of hippy dippy fluff, but turns out it is really cool to know how different foods affect your body.   

 

I have not yet taken the blood test for celiac disease, but according to everything I've read online and in books - even down to bowel movements - it sure sounds like that's what I have.  That would explain the weight gain and tummy issues I've been experiencing for a while, but not the LDL.  And no, I'm not one of those jump on the bandwagon types with the gluten-free fad and I've never dieted before.  I've known a girl with a gluten sensitivity and tried some of her food; it's not a diet I'm looking forward to switching to if that does turn out to be what I have.  Plus, husband's a beer brewer, so how ironic would that be?

 

We also need to figure out if there's a connection between baby girl's eczema and her food.  The last time she was getting a check up, it was suggested that we get a blood test done to see if she's allergic to anything in her formula since she keeps getting eczema flare ups.  She's a happy little sprite, though, so at least she's not really suffering.  Of course, I just found this, which says there's no connection to food.  Life, the never ending learning experience! 

 

That's what we've been up to lately.  A few friends have deemed it "survival mode" (there are books on it, though!). Hopefully, September will include more exercise, free time, and a healthier diet for a happier momma.  However, I am very thankful for our girl's and my husband's good health!

 

Baby's First Christmas

What do you give your own kid for their first Christmas outside the womb??? Grandparents and extended family will spoil her, no doubt, and our home is already bursting at the seams!  Plus, her birthday is in January!

Here are some suggestions we've gotten from friends, which we're taking into consideration: 

Savings bonds.  We've also read into 529 plans.  College, even at a public one, is going to be expensive and as the saying goes, "it's never too early to start saving".  

The rule of 4.  Give something she needs, wants, reads, and something to wear.  I've made her a list of books on Amazon (with some other things), she needs diapers, containers to put food in once she gets more into solids (which we assume she will be by Christmas), and ummm, I can't think of anything else at the moment.  By the time Christmas and her birthday get here, she'll need more clothes, but right now she's got tons and it's a point of contention between her dad and I (storing them, that is).  As for something she wants, well, she doesn't say actual words yet, so maybe closer to Christmas we'll have a clue.  She's already got a decent collection of stuffed animals and probably a blanket for each one of them.  

Somehow, when I was celebrating my first Christmas, I had lots and lots of huge boxes to unwrap (as I've seen in photos), so what in the world was I getting?  Sister-in-law and I hit up Home Goods the other day and got things started with gifts for the girls (my niece will be celebrating her first Christmas out of the womb, too!) - a musical toy, two board books, and a bath toy set for my girl - and I'm not telling what I got for my niece because I want it to be a surprise for her parents, too!

What did you get your kid(s) for their first Christmas?