Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve

My dear little one,

It's Christmas Eve, and you have just loved the holidays! We have had so much fun building snowmen and baking together, spending time with Daddy and your sister Brooke, who came to visit us for 2 weeks. I've been busy starting up a business, but we've found lots of time to play together as well.

I have to say I have really enjoyed this time with you. You are so much fun! You love to play and be silly, my kind of girl. You're so sweet and loving, and you have this innate sense of family. It's really amazing. You have been immediately drawn to you sister and your aunt, which is very cute and heartwarming.

You've been learning so fast lately. I can't get over how many words you can say now. Hundreds. You're such a little explorer, always up for an adventure and busy all of the time. I have always loved this time of year, but it's been so much better being able to experience it with you. 

I can't wait to see your face tomorrow morning, and make pancakes for Daddy with you when he gets off work! You are so special Olivia. I'm the luckiest mama!

All my love,

Mama (aka: Mum)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

18 months

Olivia turned 18 months old this past week, and just like in the past she woke up that morning able to do things she hadn't done before. She now has over 100 words that she copies/mimics! This has been the biggest and most noted change.

She has also been nursing way less and eating way more. She sits SO well in her high chair now, and doesn't throw all her food overboard. In fact, the past two nights she has sat in her chair and continued eating well after J and I have finished, and even asked for more food.

She's been taking these epic naps in the afternoon, and then sleeping for a good 5 hour stretch at night. Which is AWESOME. Though today she got no nap and went to bed at 6:30... so we'll see.

We had the first real snowfall last night, and Olivia just loved it. J was bringing snow inside for her and she was feeding it to the dog. She just kept signing and saying, "mo mope!" (more please, in toddler speak). It was so cute!

Having J off work three days in a row has really made Olivia so happy. She's become a little daddy's girl the past couple weeks. We went up to my parents house for two nights last week, and Olivia just had the best time with Grammy. J and I even got out on a date! I don't think she even noticed we were gone, she had so much fun.

I think we're nearly done with teething, she's got 3 more teeth to go. THANKFULLY.

I'm finally starting my business I've been thinking about for some time now. I'm hoping this will allow me to continue to stay home with Olivia and provide some additional income for us to sock away. More to come on that! 

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Teething and Climbing and the iPhone, oh my!

First things first, my little update. Olivia is saying all kinds of stuff now! She'll be 18 months on the 1st (born on the 31st, but there isn't one in November) so I'd say that's right on track. The one I'm most excited about? "Please!"

We did some measuring last night too, Olivia is about 22lbs 5oz and 32inches. She is running and climbing on EVERYTHING. ALL THE TIME. It's exhausting... she gets up on things that you wouldn't think she could. The TV stand, the bar stools, the dining room table... she has no fear. Of course, in her full-on toddler glory, she absolutely hates being taken down from something, regardless of how fear-inducing it is. So there's that.

Teeth are nearly all in. I think there is one more molar and three more canines to go! I'm hopeful for life after teething, I really am.

I'm curious about how kids in Olivia's generation will grow up. She is fully capable of operating my iPhone. She unlocks it, flips through the pages to where her apps are, chooses an app, presses play, and then happily plays. Seems rather complex to me for 18 months. She has a sign language app which she is actually learning signs from, so I'm totally for embracing technology.

So we've had a busy month. Thanksgiving was nice, it's been cold AND hunting season, so we haven't spent much time outside. Despite being a veteran, I am still not a fan of hearing gunshots in my backyard. Especially since I assume most hunters are average or below with regard to aim and ability to properly use a gun... I just don't like it. We have been trying to make it to playgroup as much as possible, though!

We're preparing for Christmas, I've gotten so much shopping done already and it's not even December! I'm so organized this year! After the first of the year, we have a lot of tentative plans. A more structured bedtime (I know, I know... I'm sure I'll be blogging about that...), continue with some gentle mama & baby led weaning (she's already doing this on her own a bit), and I am going to start a little work at home business. I've got the logistics worked out, but will wait until January to set up shop. We've got some other things potentially going on, but I'm not going to post yet until after the new year!

Hope everyone is enjoying the season! I just love the holidays!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Playgroup!

We have one! So much fun. We've only been twice, because Olivia got sick... but this has been an incredible relief for me. I have friends in Maine with kids, but for the most part they live over an hour away (except one who moved back recently and is about 25 minutes away). This may not seem like a big deal if you do not have a child who HATED the car for the first 11 months of life. Now at 17 months, she does okay for the most part.

But that's neither here nor there, since this group tends to meet within a half hour radius of us. In fact, when we move we will be even closer. No longer will I feel stuck because we are limited by a car-hating baby! (Dramatic? Maybe a bit. Still, I'm happy)

Olivia had lots of fun today and then totally zonked out on the couch when we got home. Awesome.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

17 Months

It's funny, it seems like Olivia has hit developmental stuff at an exact age. I won't say milestones; what I mean is that she seems to show a big difference month to month in the things she does, and I always notice in the first couple days of the month. Since she was born on the 31st, it just always seems like it goes along with her age.

She recently turned 17 months, and the change has been words! She seemed to just wake up one day and begin repeating everything we say. She's probably doubled her word count in the past week. I am always so amazed watching her develop. She still definitely has some issues with being frustrated at her inability to communicate, but it also seems like she understands so much more. We've been struggling to get her to stay in her high chair for a meal, and the past couple days I've been able to reason with her so that she stays in long enough for us to eat.

Either that, or the sleep deprivation just makes it SEEM as though I'm reasoning with her!

So all four molars have poked through, and now I see some little craters where the canines will come in next. I'll probably sleep when Olivia goes to college. This morning, Josh made it sound like getting 4 hours of sleep in a row was a luxury that I am able to partake in often (it's not, and last night was no exception) and that because he works nights, he gets less sleep. Umm... let's just let that one go, shall we? He was clearly overtired and had no idea what he was saying.

All else is going well. We're house-hunting! Yay! More updates to come!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Wordless... Thursday

Okay so molars can still suck it. I don't have time to post much and am exhausted, but here are some pics of the cutest pirate ever!





Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Molars & Slutty Costumes

Can suck it. Totally suck it. We've had three molars come through in the past week. Additionally, I've had very little sleep. I can imagine how awful this must be for Olivia, and now I can't even give her teething tablets due to the recent recall.

Did I mention teething also seems to make children sick? It does. It's awful. I'm sick too, though I didn't get it as badly as Olivia did. Thankfully she seems to be getting all these teeth out of the way at once. Someone please tell me there is sleep on the other side of this. Also, please disregard my post about a schedule... while we are still basically on the same schedule, this new one involves many wakings throughout the night and generally a puking toddler thrown in for kicks. Oy.

Still, we plan on running the 5K next weekend. I'm feeling nervous about it, because I've been sick and not sleeping, I haven't been running. Perhaps my uber-small pirate costume will give me the strength to push through. Yes, we finally decided to all be pirates for this Halloween road race. Olivia has an adorable costume, Josh's is super cool, mine leaves my butt cheeks hanging out. It's meant to be a dress, but it literally does not cover my ass. Despite my 15 lb weight loss (woohoo!! Below my prepregnany weight!!) I definitely do not want to walk or run anywhere with my ass showing. I bought running tights today and will alter the "dress" to make it a shirt. By alter I mean, actually do nothing and just wear it as a shirt.

 Pictures to come, once I've completed the race. Actually, perhaps I'll take pictures before, I don't want to show off how exhausted I am after running 3.2 measly miles.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Great Day

We had an AWESOME day today.

It was one of those days where I was able to take a step back and look at what a little kid Olivia is now. We traveled to NH to see my mom, and Olivia just had the greatest time with Grammy. It's so awesome to see her have fun like that. We shopped, we had lunch, we visited. Olivia showed off all her sounds she makes, and was calling me "mum" all day. 

We also got to see my cousin Matt and his wife Becky, and their little girl Lacy. It was way past nap time when we met with them, so the kids didn't get to play as much as I'd hoped, but still nice. 

I finally found us a playgroup. I plan on scheduling a playdate or joining the group for a walk next week. This will be really good for both of us, I think.

Oh and the molar is THROUGH! I have seen it! Hallelujah!

Lastly, before I forget, I've lost 12 pounds! Hallelujah! I am a believer, that's for sure. Bought new pants today, back in the single digits!

I guess this is sort of an abbreviated post, we've been busy and I wanted to get all these little things down.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

A Schedule.

We have one! A pretty good one, actually, for the past few days. In bed around 8:45-9pm, sleeping ALMOST through the night (rolling into her own bed after 1-2 five minute wake ups), then waking up at 7:52am. Same time to the minute.

I am like a brand new girl. Seriously. It's nice.

Potty stuff is about the same, the only change has been the increased nudity in our house. Diapers do not stay on, which has led to me running through the house carrying a peeing toddler to the potty. Sometimes it works, sometimes we don't make it. Rarely, I get peed on. It's okay. Par for the course. I've honestly never laughed as much as I do in my daily life these days. 

From the time I got pregnant, I thought of myself as "Mama". Turns out, I'm "Mum". Olivia turned 16 months a couple days ago, and since then she has begun really repeating a lot of words we say. She calls to me, "Mum! Mum! Mmmmmum!" and she likes it when I say, "Olivia!" back. She goes back and forth like this all day long. I like it, "Mum!"

Having a schedule with Olivia I think has made it easier for me to be dedicated to the South Beach thing. I've lost 7.5 pounds in the first week. It's been a lot of work, I feel like I'm constantly chopping, cooking, and cleaning up. It feels awesome though. Olivia and I are already pretty active, and I want to continue that example.

Now if I could just find a playgroup for Olivia, things would be pretty near perfect.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Potty Training & Other Enlightenments

Yep, we're there. Olivia got a potty around 11/12 months and has since been rather fascinated with it. Let me say that I had zero plans or expectations to potty train at 15 months, nor have we done any EC. Since she's been so interested in it, I would put her on it before her bath just so she got the idea.

So of course she went pee for the first time for Josh.

Since then, she's been going in it every day, several times a day.  TMI WARNING: We've even had two poops! I am such a mom right now. A proud mama at that! Olivia also insists on being naked any time we are at home, which I suppose goes hand-in-hand with potty training.

As thrilling as all of this is, there really is a lot going on in our lives beside Olivia's pees and poops. I recently won a contest and got a free Intuitive reading with Jamie Roth (www.intuitiveencounters.com). I have felt as though I haven't had the time to even think about spirituality or the bigger picture since becoming a mom, though that is always in the back of my mind. My reading with Jamie has not only reignited that spark in me, but she left me with a lot of positive thoughts. I've not stopped thinking about it. There is a lot I want to post about this... but I feel like this is not the time (and may not be the place) to do so.

In addition to all of this, I'll be starting a diet on Monday. South Beach Super Charged. I'm down to my pre-baby weight (or close to it) but everything is so different. I'm actually in decent shape and have been running, but I feel uncomfortable in my skin. I guess that's the key. So we're all motivated in this house to get going on this diet. I'm aiming for 20 more pounds. So that's that. It's out there in the universe (sounds so expansive, especially considering the number of people who'll actually read this)!

Friday, September 3, 2010

heart and soul

That's what parenting has become for me, my heart and soul... I put all of myself into helping the little person develop into the greatest big person she can be.  Though it's not just about the end, but her journey to that point as well.  I think about this often and make very conscious decisions about how I parent.  I do so with all the love and compassion and patience in the world; it's a truly amazing thing.

That said, I'm going to rant for a little bit.  I was on facebook two nights ago, and a distant friend from high school posted about letting her 5 month old cry it out (CIO).  She mentioned how hard it was, but how he'd better get back on his schedule or she'd be crying.  Others posted in support of CIO, and another mother who is also a health care professional posted that her 4-5 month old had CIO for 50 minutes that night.

I did not respond.  Part of me feels it's not my place, it's their choice for their children.  However, I've read study after study recently about the harmfulness of CIO.  A 6 month old baby experiences significant distress if left to CIO for just 2 minutes.  It can lead to aggressiveness and possibly ADHD.  Even Ferber himself says CIO should not be used under 6 months of age, and suggests that it's not meant to be used on every child.  At some point I'll post more, with citations to the studies so I'm not just spouting off information.  But right now, I just need a little vent. 

If you follow my life as a mother at all, you know that I have not had the easiest sleeper in the world.  Olivia napped on me until 10-11 months.  She is 15 months old now, and within the past week has begun waking only once per night.  This is a major step for us.  I get 5-6 hours of sleep in a row, the most I've had since she was born.  I have never considered CIO as an option, nor would I utilize any other type of sleep training.  She is my baby, 24 hours a day.  I didn't sign up for daytime only parenting.  It's your responsibility as a parent, to BE a parent, whenever your child needs you. 

I'm 29 years old.  My mother would not let me cry for 50 minutes alone in my bedroom, while she sat on facebook with a glass of wine. 

Why is this okay for a little baby?  Why is it something as parents that we feel we should be doing?  At 5 months old, when Olivia cried it was because she needed something.  If it wasn't to nurse, have her diaper changed, because she was chilly... maybe it was because she just needed her mama or daddy.  That's okay!  It's okay to cuddle your children, and to make them feel safe and secure.  Flame away, if CIO is your thing that's fine... but it's not for me.  I believe there is no such thing as spoiling a baby.  In fact, when something spoils, it's because you let it sit without paying enough attention to it for too long, or because it was forgotten about.  

I'm not really trying to cut anyone down for their parenting, that's not really my thing either.  I'm just trying to understand, and maybe get some ideas on how to suggest to others that there is another way besides CIO.  Perhaps they just don't know?  It's instinctual to me, to run to my daughter when she needs me.  I lay her down last night when she went to sleep, and began watching a movie with my husband.  After about an hour, she woke up and I heard her cry.  I went to the room immediately, and she was in her bed trying to climb onto our bed, patting around the pillows.  She was looking for us.  After 30 seconds of crying, she was looking for her mom and dad to be there.  And we always are.  We always come for her.  What happens after 50 minutes (or even just 10 or 15) of crying, looking for mom and dad, and they never come?  Baby just eventually gives up and goes to sleep.  It breaks my heart to think about. 

I hadn't really intended to get so into this topic.  As I said, it's not my thing to bad-mouth another person's parenting choice.  But I've been thinking about this for several days now, I guess I just had to get it off my chest.  Rant over.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Watermelon & Cat Chasing

I'm good at these.

This week I couldn't choose just a couple pictures, so indulge me.





Sunday, August 15, 2010

Elusive and Mysterious Toddler Sleep Schedules

Last night we had friends over for a birthday dinner.  They have a two month old who could not be more different from Olivia at that age in terms of sleep.  Their baby literally went to sleep on his own.  Just, fell asleep.  He squawked a couple times, which evidently is a fussy evening for him.  I know.  Strange but true!  Trust me, I am not categorizing babies into easy versus difficult, as kids change constantly.  However, Olivia went through some rough sleep periods, where Josh and I would discuss whether or not she had colic.  I do not believe she did.  I do believe she was (and still is) a bit sensitive and needs some extra attention.  She has always needed to be rocked to sleep, and now nursed to sleep.  We have never, ever cried it out.  She has cried in my arms, I think at times it's how she deals with the stress of a day.  But CIO has never been an option.  I think of it this way: I'm 29 years old.  If I went to my mom today crying, it would break my heart if she put me in a bedroom by myself and waited until I was done, even if I was crying so hard I threw up.  Why would I do this to my baby?  (Off soapbox)

And no, my 14 month old does not sleep through the night. 

Lately she has been awake at 3am every morning.  I am completely and totally perplexed by this.  Often I am able to get her back to sleep, but it can take over an hour.  Other times we have to get up out of bed and come into the living room, which can take over two hours.  I grasp at straws for a reason for this.  Molars?  Developmental milestone?  Habit?  Who knows?  For the record - this is the MOST elusive and mysterious part.  I have no idea why this happens with such rigid regularity.

We've also recently transitioned from two naps to one.  Some days there is a glorious 2.5 hour nap.  Yesterday there was a sucky 45 minute nap.  I guess we're still working out the kinks. 

For some reason there is some guilt attached to thinking your kid is more needy than others.  I haven't yet figured out why this is.  I suppose the whole point of my post is that I've thought about this a lot recently, often bleary-eyed over a cup of coffee, and my conclusion is that there probably is no point in trying to figure out why we're having a toddler party in the middle of the night again.  Despite the sleep difficulties we have had I enjoy every single moment with my girl.  In addition to being sensitive (she is her mother's daughter, after all), she is incredibly bright, fun, and happy.  She'll grow up with all this determination and an adventurous spirit.  She has no fear, albeit she is a bit shy (just like her mama, again).  She makes me proud every day.  And I'm pretty sure she'll eventually sleep through the night.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

June was great, July has been amazing!

So.  Today I'm writing less about Olivia's current activities, which include (but are not limited to): climbing on top of and into anything she can (surprising us with this every day!); pointing out many of her body parts and ours; sleeping in her own bed for naps and half the night (yay!); picking flowers; and giving hugs and kisses all the time!

Today I'm writing more about how we've managed to set Olivia up for a pretty good future these past few months, and it's perhaps one of the best feelings I've had!  It's funny, we scrimped and pinched pennies for the past year while Josh was in school and we were waiting on the VA to make some decisions on both of our claims.  It turns out, all those decisions were made favorably, and nearly all at once!  The short version is we put a substantial savings away for a down payment on a house, put a big chunk into Olivia's college fund, paid of nearly all of both of our student loans, and purchased another (new to us!) car.  While I think over the past couple of years, I feel like any hardships we dealt with have been sort of balanced out.  I am thankful that it took the VA so damn long to figure our stuff out!  If we'd been getting monthly payments the whole time, rather than a lump sum at the end, we would likely not have saved as much. 

Additionally, Josh has been hired on at his work as a charge nurse, a big step for just graduating!  We are all happy and proud.  We are giving our daughter a good life.  She is happy, and her future is bright.  The best thing a parent can do.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Another week!

How has it been a week since my last post?!  The days just fly by lately.  I know it's supposed to be wordless wednesday, but I gotta get these things out when I'm motivated and have the time, at the same time!

Olivia is busy as ever, cutting a molar.  Sleep has been much improved (last night aside) with just one or two quick wake-ups to nurse!  So proud of my little bug, she is becoming so independent.  She uses a fork now, with a little help stabbing at various things she wants to eat.  Last week she had Thai Green Curry, Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini, sushi (not the raw fish kind, a California Roll) and a couple hot peppers from the garden (which aren't so hot, but still... look intimidating and purple).  She surprises me with her little palate, I don't think I ate curry until college!  And sushi, probably after that! 

She literally runs everywhere... hard to believe that she's only 13.5 months.  She understands so much, short tasks (bring me the ball, where is your book, etc) and many different objects.   She just seems so smart to me.

I feel proud to be raising her, putting so much thought into how my actions now will affect her whole life.  I often feel sad when I see people who parent as an afterthought, or a chore.  You are helping this little person become something in the world, so what if it takes a little of your time at night?  So what if she wants to read the same book over and over, or needs snuggles because her teeth hurt... it's certainly my belief that if we respect our children from day one, they will respect us as they grow.  Not just say they know what respect is, but really and truly understand it.  I suppose there is a lot behind this post, but that's for another day perhaps. 

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Carnival of Nursing in Public


Welcome to the July 2010 Carnival of Nursing in Public


This post was written for inclusion in the Carnival of Nursing in Public hosted by Dionna and Paige at NursingFreedom.org. All week, July 5-9, we will be featuring articles and posts about nursing in public ("NIP"). See the bottom of this post for more information.


***



Making Nursing in Public Normal – Thanks to My Mom

                Olivia was five days old the first time I ventured from the house with her.  My husband was back to work, so my Mom was visiting with me during this time.   We drove to Target.  Read: Olivia screaming in the back and me completely freaking out.  We pulled in and I grabbed her out, trying to calm her, fumbling with her baby carrier and feeling just awful for (gasp) leaving the house!
                As we walk toward the doors, Olivia is still crying.  I am tense, upset, and at a loss.  “Why don’t we just sit on this bench and you can nurse her” my Mom says.  Really?  In public?  Really?  “Lots of women do it, you can’t even tell most of the time”.
                So I do.  It’s a bit awkward, breastfeeding for the first time in public, because breastfeeding is still so new to me.  But we do it, Olivia calms down and I wonder why this didn’t just occur to me.  I mean, I guess I’ve seen women breastfeed in public before, hadn’t I?  I could remember once when I was pregnant seeing a woman breastfeed at the mall.  Other than that, nothing stood out. 
                The benefits of breastfeeding seem countless to me.  They’ve been recounted many times, and frankly it’s not the point.  Even if there were NO difference between breast milk and formula (I know, hear me out!) a woman should still not feel uncomfortable to breastfeed in public!  It is not considered odd to see a baby take a bottle, so why does it seem foreign to see a mother breastfeed in public. 
                In the months since, I have nursed Olivia when she was hungry.  The winters in Maine didn’t give us much opportunity to breastfeed outside, but I’ve nursed wherever whenever.  I always give a smile and a nod when I see another woman NIP, which is surprisingly seldom.  No wonder, I suppose, since people (I have a hard time with “celebrity”) Kim Kardashian and Adrienne Curry have recently posted their thoughts on how “gross” it is to see a mother breastfeeding in public.  I am quite sure that less people have seen my boobs when I’ve nursed in public than theirs!  Again, however, this is not my point.  We need to SEE other mamas nursing their babes in public, we don’t need anything special, we just need NORMAL.  I’ve heard women say, “Sure, breastfeed in public, but show some modesty and use a blanket”.  Isn’t that nearly as bad, suggesting using a boob what it’s designed for is shameful and a baby should be covered while nursing?  I am quite sure no one has actually “seen” my boobs when I’ve nursed in public, just noticed the idea of my boobs because there was a baby at my chest!
                My daughter is 13 months old now, and doesn’t need to breastfeed as much.  But I still do, proudly.  I am thankful for the encouragement my mother gave me a little over a year ago.  A little gentle encouragement makes a world of difference, especially in those fragile first days.  I think of this often and the message it sent to me.   One I would like to give to my daughter.  One that I hope reaches others as a result of things like the Carnival of Nursing in Public.  Keep nursing those babies, mamas, it’s a beautiful, NORMAL thing.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

seriously... who can blog regularly with a one year old?

Really.  I often feel I should be updating this more, but c'est la vie. 

A one year old is a busy, busy creature!  Olivia is currently into everything, loves books, dancing, and being outside.  She is her mama's daughter!  While listening to Pandora the other day, she got way into some Horrorpops song, while earlier could have cared less about Laurie Berkner.  Admittedly, I was a bit proud.

Recent new stuff:  she says "dog" and "bug" now, with a few others (mama, dada, an attempt at gordon, water, etc); tries to repeat whatever we say... for better or worse; running, she is full on running; giving the best hugs and kisses around; and being much more outgoing!  It's like she turned one and suddenly she was a toddler.  No one told me this happened overnight.

Josh recently passed the state nursing exams, and is officially working as a nurse!  We are beyond proud.  He is at work today, his first official day.  After taking a couple weeks between school ending and passing the boards/new job beginning, we have been busy.  (Perhaps another reason my blog has been neglected!)  While we miss him and I love having him around, our schedule gets a little out of whack.  I'm currently trying to figure out Olivia's nap schedule, the past couple days have been nap from 10am-noon, then 4pm-5pm (have to wake her up for dinner) then struggle with bedtime.  Today we played all morning and then walked from 10am-11:30, ate lunch and she promptly fell asleep.  I figure as long as she stays down for about 2 hours we'll be good for the day.

Pictures to be uploaded soon, I am taking this opportunity to do another quick workout!  I'm down to my pre-pregnancy weight, but am not yet satisfied with everything.  

Sunday, June 6, 2010

need to update

But tonight is not the night for it!  Last night was pure teething hell.  Olivia has had a bit of a cough, the best we can figure it's due to molars coming in and causing excessive drooling.  Anyway, nursed her to sleep as usual at 8pm.  She started coughing in her sleep and wound up throwing up a bit.  Woke up, of course, and I cleaned her up.  Went to nurse her back to sleep and she bites me!

Ok.  Play for a bit?  Change diaper?  Read a book?  She keeps making the sign for "nursies", then goes to latch on and bites me again.  This goes on for hours.

Oh and Josh is at work, so I'm going it alone.

After many exasperated hours, I get her to sleep by walking her around the living room until she is so exhausted she falls asleep in my arms.  She then is able to nurse twice that night in bed with no issue. But it was 10:45 when we finally got into bed.  I don't know what happened, but I felt like I didn't have any other tools in my toolbox to get her to go to sleep.  And that sucked.

Today, I began realizing the sign for nursies can also mean she is hungry for food, and doesn't want to nurse at all.  So, she only nursed a few times today, and wound up taking one two-hour long nap (as opposed to two one hour naps). 

She's in bed now, it's 7pm.  I am unsure of what the night will hold... and I am not getting too excited!  I will update very soon with birthday pics and stories, because my little girl is ONE!  (Don't get me started, I need to save my energy should Olivia wake up for a wee hours party tonight)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

pre-birthday update!

I can hardly believe it's been 1 year.  On the 31st... I was so sure I'd have a little junebug and then on the last day of May I went into labor!!  I've been thinking about cakes and decorations for her birthday, although it will be pretty small.  I desperately want to meet some other moms/families in this area, we don't really know anyone! 

Anyhow, we are back to teething like mad over here. Olivia has cut another tooth (#6) and is working on 2 more. It's odd the way they've come in though, she has her two bottom and two top teeth, the top left, and the right next to that the top left canine. So right now her teeth are totally lopsided! Weird, but I can feel the top right and right canine under the skin, so presumably we'll see those soon.

This morning Olivia and I were reading a book with animals in it, and a picture of a cow came up so I moo-ed. Now she has been moo-ing all morning! She also thinks "baa" is a laugh, so she laughs at the sheep picture. It's been cracking me up. She loves books, and all throughout the day she will go grab a book, hand it to me (or Josh), climb into our lap and then turn around and sit down. She is just so cute and funny, despite the fussy teething we have had a really fun week!

As far as words, Olivia doesn't say a ton yet. She says mama, dada, baba (baby?), uh oh, and ba (referring to the dog, usually, I think she picked this up from Josh saying "bad"... nice ) The past two or three days she has started saying things that sound like words and are consistent, but I have no idea what they are? I remember reading or hearing something about early walker/late talker and vice versa, so I haven't been very concerned. I think it has to do with using a similar part of the brain for both talking and walking, so developmentally babies tend to do one or the other. And as far as walking goes - there is no crawling any more, Olivia can run now, it's crazy! She is so fast!

Instead of saying "whazzat" she now points to EVERYTHING and wants you to tell her what it is! It's hilarious, she has a book with all these different pictures of objects so she's pointing and me and Josh are like "flower. flower. flower. baby. flower. cat. cat. cat. cat. cat. cat. cup. flower. cat." (the cat seems to be her favorite)

She's also started giving hugs to everything! I can say "Can mama have a hug?" and she lays her head on my chest and puts her arms around me! GAH it's so cute! She also LOVES hugging the cats, which is hilarious and cute!

She is just so much fun, and developing her little personality.  Very determined.  (understatement).  She doesn't easily forget something she wants!  I focus very much on this being a good quality when she gets older :)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Bedtime Bliss

My girl is sleeping on her own right now, something that has been remarkably easy for us transitioning to the past few months.  I knew before she was born I'd never be a CIO mama, but it's seriously gratifying to see the results from AP lifestyle.  There's no crying and screaming before bed, there's no crying and screaming at night, there are only a handful of times when I've spent any time out of bed with her (unable to get her back to sleep) and that hasn't happened for 3 or 4 months now. 

Did a million errands today and started our garden.  Seems Olivia is quite sensitive on her feet.  I can't get shoes on her for anything, and setting her on the grass today totally weirded her out.  Not sure what to make of this...

Also, while out on errands I came across a ton of copies of Baby Wise at Marden's.  Left without finishing browsing.  Not that I think folks should necessarily seek out parenting advice from a discount store, but it always surprises me to see that book still being sold.  Next to it was Toddler Wise...I shudder to think... 

Saturday, April 17, 2010

On the go...

I haven't posted for awhile because the action just doesn't stop over here.  Since my last post, Olivia is officially walking, and even a bit of running (on purpose or not, it's still fast)! 

She waves hello, goodbye, signs for more, gives air kisses and plays peekaboo.  She runs up and gives me hugs.  This is probably the best thing in the universe.

Currently she is shoving her toys out the cat door.  Oh, wait now they are in the dog's water dish.  No time to post, but I'll put pictures up soon!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

walkies!

I've got the video camera on ready, as Olivia has started taking some steps on her own.  Before I would walk with her and let go, and she's take a few more steps into daddy's arms, but now she has begun letting go of things and walking on her own! 

So far I've only been able to record her smiling, laughing, waving, and sounding like a pterodactyl. 

Also, I've yet to figure out how to put the videos from the camera onto the computer...

I can feel another tooth coming in, number 5.  I think it's one of the pointy ones (incisor?).  I really sound like I know what I'm talking about today.  So this has made for good sleep until about 4 am, then super restless.  I can live with that.  I could do without the kicks to the bladder, but it could be worse!

We went out and bought some of our gardening supplies today.  I even splurged on nice gloves for me, as I have this image of being able to go out to the garden with Olivia this summer and play in the dirt.  This will be my first attempt at a garden, and I remain hopeful it is as relaxing and enjoyable as I imagine it to be.  In reality it will probably be less relaxing and more me chasing a dirty one year old around the yard.  Will be leaving the video camera available.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

sleeeeeeep...

It's lacking.  I've been reading that 9 months is a particularly sleepless time, with new teeth coming through, Olivia nearly walking, and the bellyaches associated with being on antibiotics, there are many potential reasons why she is so restless.  None of which really matter when you're frustrated and overtired!  She just acted so uncomfortable all night. 

In other news, my 9 month old is nearly walking.  Um.  Yikes. 

Saturday, February 27, 2010

you know you're a mommy when....

You just changed your kid's diaper in the bathtub. 




Not all these realizations are as cute as having a couple cheerios in the backseat of your car!  And all I could think while I was washing her was, "I guess this is why she didn't want to finish her breakfast..."

Apologies to anyone reading this who isn't a parent.  There is a lot of poop involved.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

almost 9 months

Whenever people ask me how old Olivia is, I've been responding with, "she's almost 9 months."  Kind of funny, instead of simply saying 8 months... I guess because I can hardly believe she's almost 9 months already!

We're all on antibiotics to get over the crud we've had the past week, so Olivia is feeling much better today.  She cut a tooth last night as well, she's seriously been a little trooper!  The unfortunate part of baby antibiotics are the side effects, which include some unpleasant and frequent diaper changes.  Poor girl!  She refuses to sit still to let me change her, so this has been a fun challenge of the day.  I have to practically hold her upside down by her feet with one hand while she wiggles and writhes around. 

I also had a revelation of motherhood earlier today when we went to the grocery store: there are officially cheerios in my backseat.

Olivia has taken several steps in the past few days, and is able to walk quite well holding onto just one hand.  I have a feeling she'll be walking in no time...

Thursday, February 18, 2010

sickies

So we've been sick around here.  No posts because there were no naps or down time to post during!  Things seem to be improving now and Olivia is down for a nap. 

Being sick doesn't seem to slow her down at all though!  She's taken a couple steps in the past few days, and luckily hubs was here to see those!  I'm in a state of disbelief as far as that's concerned.

She's also started making this funny "bloop boop boop" sounds, and making us laugh constantly.  We had to go to the VA yesterday, and she was fantastic!  Slept in the car both there and back... a nice change from a girl who hated the car since day 1! 

Short post today since my house is a little disorganized!

Friday, February 12, 2010

slow down!

This happened today:
 

Seriously kid, slow down already!  She's been standing on her own for a few days, but now she stands long enough for me to grab the camera and snap a few pictures!  
As a side note - shortly after this picture was taken that sock wound up in the dog's water dish.

She's down for her second nap now, house is clean, things are organized... is this really mama time?!

nap time

Olivia is napping on her own at the moment, again!  I should definitely be cleaning up this massive stack of papers next to me, or emptying the dishwasher, but instead I take this rare moments to myself to play around on the internet. 

Olivia has been standing on her own quite well the past few days, and runs all over the house using her walker we got for her a couple weeks ago.  Still waiting for those first few steps!  I was looking at pictures of her birth yesterday, and thinking how it seems like she's always been as interactive as she is now.  I couldn't imagine anything better than the day she was born, but being a parent just gets better.  Remind me of this when she's 13.

I've been working out like a mad-woman lately, which is fun because Olivia does it with me.  In the morning she plays while I do an actual workout for 30-45 minutes, then we take Gordon on two walks a day.  I bundle her up and put her in the Kelty, and she loves it! 

 
Yup.  Awesome.
I just had a peek at Olivia, who was stirring and looking as if she was going to wake up, then she put herself right back to sleep!  If you are having a baby or know someone who is - white noise machine.  Get one.  I can count on one hand the number of nights I've had to be up with a crying baby.  She wakes up and gets soothed right back to sleep.  

Need to go clean the house before she wakes up!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Day 256

And I'm finally settling in to do this. I've looked for the best way to document life with Olivia, because it's the day to day pieces I want to remember.

Today she is napping on her own. For a week straight, it's been naps on her own. It's funny because this seemed impossible just last month. She is growing and changing so fast (hello, cliche, but it's true)! She's an expert crawler and has been for some time, most recently she has been standing on her own and trying to take a few steps. She cruises while holding onto the furniture constantly. Are we really going to have a 9-month walker?!

She says "dada" all the time, "mama" every now and then, and "hi" and "uh-oh". She's so smart, and she's starting to actually resemble me a wee bit. She definitely got her daddy's eyes (and eyelashes, lucky girl). She also waves hello and goodbye, and gives high-fives.

I couldn't be luckier to get to stay home with her. I'm not sure how we've made this past year work, with hubs in school and me staying home, but it seems like we are more comfortable now financially than either of us were before.

Additionally, I'm glad I wrote everything else down the old-school way in her baby book up until now, so I guess from this point I will try to note funny/cute/notable things she does daily. I tried to fit that in the baby book, and it just wasn't working.

Maybe I'll add a birth story in too, I suppose I've been meaning to write it, but I've always felt at peace with the birth I had. I had a drug-free, natural birth with midwives and on May 31, 2009 at 7:58 am my girl arrived! I was in early labor for probably 24 hours (she was so late, I don't think I believed I'd ever be "not pregnant") and then went to the hospital at 3:30am on the 31st. Pushed for 22 minutes. She was 7lbs 9.5 ounces, and 19 inches long. Everything was perfect from that moment forward. Nursing was easier than I thought, we coslept from the beginning and parenting was naturally lending itself to ap.

Now she's 26 inches, almost 19lbs, and busy as can be. So far, I'm doing it right!