Thursday, September 30, 2010

A Small Waterfall in our House

I got home a little early yesterday from work because of a meeting I had.  We had to put a bowl (I don't mean a small bowl, we used the biggest bowl we could find) by our couch in the morning because we had a slight leak in our ceiling...by slight I mean just a drop or 2 every now and then.  If you've never seen our house, it's a really retro-looking house that was built in 1950 with an almost completely flat roof and no attic space between the roof and ceiling.  We've had a small leak here and there before and we (by "we" I mean Edwin) have to spread this sealant stuff on the roof sometimes.  So I walk in and looked in the living room and thought "wow, there's a shadow that's making the bowl look like it's completely full".  Upon further inspection I realized the bowl WAS completely full and spilling over....on to our wonderful suede couch!!!  We HAD an "L" shaped sectional couch and over 50% of it was completely soaked through with water!  Our slight leak had turned into a small waterfall!   NOT what I wanted to come home to!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Our Weekend

This weekend was so great.  It wasn't super exciting, but it was just what I needed to help me feel better during this nasty cold I have!

I left work early on Friday because I was so congested I literally couldn't function.  After a few doses of Mucinex spray (the best stuff on earth!) I could breathe again...well for a few hours.  I rested and laid around the house until about 4:30pm, when we went to pick up Peyton from Nonnie's.  I usually get her at 5:15pm on my way in from work, but I couldn't stand knowing she was so close and wasn't home with me!  Edwin did all of the house work and cooking Friday night...which only consisted of chicken noodle soup for me...while I got Peyton down for bed.  I was in bed by 9pm that night!

Saturday was going to be a jam packed day, so it's a good thing I got my rest on Friday.  Peyton woke at 6am and Edwin got up with her and let me sleep.  Whenever I get to "sleep in" my internal alarm clock always goes off right at 7:45am because Peyton always goes down for her 1st nap at 8am (when she wakes at 6am).  So I got up and cuddled with my girl and got her to sleep.  Then we got ourselves ready for my 10 year reunion picnic. 

*Now I was by no means "Susie High School" and really couldn't have cared less about my class reunion, but there were a lot of babies and Mommies I did want to see and I knew they would be at the picnic.*
I was a little nervous about the picnic because it was from 11am - 1pm...super, Peyton's nap time!  We got out there and my little social butterfly was all eyes!  She didn't know what to look at first...slides, kids, adults, swings...where to begin?!  She did great and smiled at everyone that talked to her.  She loved seeing the other babies and even dozed off in my arms for about 20 mins.  Around 12:45pm she started getting fussy (along with every other baby out there) so we headed home and got her down for a nap.  When she woke we made a WalMart run and she was ready to go down for ANOTHER nap!  I guess the day wore her out because she went down at 4:15pm and didn't wake until 5:50pm, after some "encouragement" from us. 
While she was napping, her boyfriend Owen came over to spend a few hours with us so his parents could go out on for his Mommy's birthday!  We all need date nights and they don't have any family around, so we were thrilled we could help out!  After waking Peyton up (she was NOT happy about this), she came in the living room to find her Mommy holding another baby (she was definitely NOT happy about this either)!  So we had to trade off for a little while until she figured out exactly what was going on.  Then we all went for a nice stroll.  Peyton spent the entire walk trying to grab Owen's face, arms, legs, anything!  We came back and let the 2 play together, and they were hilarious (see below for pics).  We got some hilarious video of Owen in Peyton's doorway jumper too!  Peyton went to bed around 7:15pm and Owen finally dozed off a little before 8pm.  We all had a great time!
When I woke up Sunday (after my amazing husband let me sleep again) I felt awful all over again.  I guess I wore myself out on Saturday and the pressure system outside wasn't helping things.  I had an awful headache, congestion, fever...just miserable.  Luckily we had zero plans for the day so it was spent playing, watching cartoons, and just being lazy.  We got some great video of Peyton in her doorway jumper, she must have overheard us laughing at Owen and didn't want to be upstaged.  She has finally really figured out how to jump in it and let me tell you, that. kid. can. jump!  I was a little worried because she had a fever all day, but it must have just been teething related because she acted like she felt fine (unlike her Mommy).  Once again I was in bed by 9pm and with the rain coming down it took me about 30 seconds to fall asleep! 

Now we begin the work week (again).  Hopefully it will go by fast.  I'm excited about taking Peyton to the Harvest Festival next weekend.  It's looking like PERFECT weather to be outside!  Now for some weekend pics...

Play Time with Owen!


At Mommy's Reunion Picnic


Thursday, September 23, 2010

Peas for P

Miss P had peas last night and she LOVED them.  As usual, she started with that funny "what the heck is this stuff" face but after a few spoonfuls she ended up eating the entire container!  She has also been having some water in a "big girl cup" at dinner.  She still prefers to gum the spout, but she has figured out she gets some liquid if she sucks on it.  She's not too sure about this water stuff, but she keeps taking sips after every few spoonfuls.  I think it makes her feel like a big girl!


I think she liked them :)



Definitely time for a bath!

Friday, September 17, 2010

No Fun

For the past 2 days I've been confined to the bed and/or couch and I'm sick of being sick!  Wednesday afternoon while I was in a training for work, I started feeling achy and I knew I had a fever.  It got progressively worse as the afternoon went on, and by the time I had Peyton down I felt like death!  Achy to the point that my eyeballs hurt, hot, cold, sweating, and nauseous.  Let me tell you, being a sick Mom is way harder than just being sick.  Not only because you still have this other person that needs you 24/7, but because I haven't been able to give her any kisses or play with her like I want to. 

I'm extremely lucky to have a husband that is willing to step in as soon as I need him.  For the past 2 days he has cooked dinner, helped me with Peyton, taken over bedtime duties, and did his best with the late night feedings so I could get as much sleep as possible.  Unfortunately Peyton is used to me doing those and she didn't adjust too well to Daddy doing it, so I ended up having to get up and get her back to sleep.  But I appreciated the effort! 

She's going through this phase where she eats between 2am and 4am (like usual), but instead of going right back to sleep she thinks it's play time!  So for the past week it has been taking us about 45 mins to get her back to sleep and THEN she's been waking up around 5:30am or 5:45am, what is that about?!  She rolls herself onto her back and is like "ok it's time to play"!  Lately I feel like I'm up flipping her back to her belly more than I'm sleeping!  I just have to remind myself that it's a phase and this too shall pass! 

So today is my 2nd full day of being home, which is driving me crazy!  I had a fever this morning, even though I was feeling better, so I decided it was best for me to stay home and rest.  "Rest" is the hard part for me, when I'm home I get so wrapped up in trying clean and do house work that I end up feeling worse!  But I'm determined to lay on the couch and not do too much so I can feel better for the weekend and spend some quality time with my little munchkin :)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

What They Don't Tell You...

I was talking to a friend today about all of the things no one tells you about pregnancy and delivery.  Sooo since I have a whole new batch of friends that are expecting, I thought it would be fun to share a few things that no one bothered telling me (I'll refrain from the graphic ones)....

Pregnancy
  • HEARTBURN...lots of it
  • Discharge...lots of it.  Invest in a lot of pads and/or panty liners
  • You have the nose of a bloodhound...seriously you can smell things all the way across the house, I've never experienced anything like it!
  • By the last trimester your cankles, feet, and hands balloon up to at least 3 times their original size by the end of the day.
  • Peeing all the time is an understatement...you WILL get up every hour (at least) to pee during the night.
  • Yes it's amazing to feel your baby move around, but sometimes. it. HURTS!
  • You'll have a runny nose for the entire 9 months.
  • Morning sickness doesn't just occur in the morning. It's more like any time of the day sickness.  
  • You really do forget everything...Mommy brain is not a myth.
  • Your baby may decide to camp out on your sciatic nerve, no fun. 
  • EVERYONE will have something to say about your body and will want to touch you, apparently it's no longer yours once you're pregnant.
  • The last 4 weeks take F-O-R-E-V-E-R
  • Some days walking is super painful because you have so much pressure...no wonder we waddle
  • You get a funny dark line down your tummy
  • You might pee on yourself a little near the end if you sneeze or laugh too hard
  • You're hot...and I don't mean sexy (although I do think pregnancy is beautiful).  I mean wearing tank tops in the winter kind of hot.

Labor/Delivery
  • Hemorrhoids, yup
  • Once you have decided you're in labor and you call the doctor's office, you have to go to the DOCTOR'S office first not the hospital (personal experience)
  • Contractions HURT...BAD
  • It's not easy to walk, talk, and sign forms during contractions
  • There's a lot of bleeding...for several days
  • You lose the sensation to pee for a while, which was really weird
  • You basically wear a diaper made of a puppy pad for the first few days

There are many more things I could add, but I don't want to be too graphic for the sensitive readers (my husband couldn't believe I included the words "discharge" and "panty liners").

Don't get me wrong I loved being pregnant, but sometimes I would think "why didn't anyone tell me about this".  So I thought I'd share the ones I could think of.  Ladies, if you can think of any others feel free to add them :)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

More Than I Could Have Asked For....

As if my Friday AND Saturday weren't amazing enough...it kept getting better.  We went to my parent's house Saturday night for an amazing dinner and HOMEMADE MILKY WAY ICE CREAM (my birthday request).  Not to mention I got some killer boots I had wanted and some shopping money just for me (I promised no baby clothes would be bought with that money)! 
THEN today my in laws came to visit and my husband made another killer meal for us and I got a gift card to do even more shopping!  I'm going to have to make myself take a day...no baby and no husband...and do some serious fall/winter shopping.
If all of that isn't exciting enough, Peyton has her first tooth poking through!  She started teething at 12 weeks, and we're finally starting to see that first tooth...gosh she's getting so big :(  I knew something was up because she was very restless in her sleep last night.  She woke up crying around 10pm which is extremely odd for her.  I gave her some Tylenol and that seemed to do the trick, but she woke up at 5am (also extremely odd for her) thinking it was time to play!  Hopefully she'll sleep better tonight now that part of it has broken through!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

My 28th Birthday!

Today was my 28th birthday, I can't believe I'm so close to 30!  So far, this has been one of my best birthdays ever.  I haven't done too much, but it's been perfect.  On Thursday my husband told me to come straight home Friday and not worry about picking up Peyton.  So on Friday I came home and he told me he was taking me on a date.  We went to Bahama Breeze (after a quick trip to see my baby girl of course) and had some Cuban Bread, Shrimp and Grits (see below), and beer!  Then he took me to the mall and told me to buy a few things for MYSELF.  Granted, I had to buy Peyton a few things but I did get my self some stuff as well. 


Today (my actual birthday) Edwin got up with Peyton and let me SLEEP IN!  I got to sleep until 7:45am...if you have kids then you know that's really sleeping in!  He had breakfast ready for me once I got Peyton down for her 8am nap and then did some major cleaning during the afternoon.  Peyton must have known it was Mommy's birthday too because she took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the morning then a 2 hour nap in the afternoon!  Once Peyton woke up we went to my parents house for a cookout and some homemade Milky Way ice cream (my special request).  It was the perfect day!  Here are a few pics from today :)

A Year Ago Today!

It's so hard to believe that 1 year ago today (my birthday) I was getting my very first peek of Ms. Peyton! She was about the size of a bean and that's the day my pregnancy was finally "real" to me. We finally got to tell everyone that we were expecting, and it was a day filled with excitement and fear! Fast forward 365 days and we're blessed with a beautiful 4 1/2 month old little girl. I can't imagine my world without her and I thank God everyday for blessing me with her!

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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Tag It's My Turn!

Ok, since Hannah tagged me in this survey I guess it's my turn to fill it out!  Enjoy!

1. What's your favorite form of exercise?
I'm not really familiar with this whole "exercise" thing!  Truthfully I used to LOVE working out when I had free access to the Rec Center at ECU, but the gym stopped once I graduated and was supposed to PAY (what's that about).  I love going for walks though and hopefully when it cools off Peyton and I can do more of that!

2. Are you an early bird or night owl?
It really depends.  I'm an early bird when I'm excited about something....going on a trip, a fun day, CHRISTMAS!  But I can still be the night owl I used to be as long as something's going on.  If I'm home on the couch, forget about it!
3. What's the greatest lesson you learned from your parents?
Hmmm, they taught me so many things...I'll have to go with accepting others for who they are and compromise.  This has helped me with many a trials in my marriage lol. 

4. Did you choose the right major in college? if no, what would you change?
That's debatable, especially since my major was recently listed as the worst paying major and my minor was the 2nd worst paying!  I'm really still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  I loved my classes and learned a lot, but I'm still deciding exactly what part of  my major I want to have a career in (make sense?).

5. What kind of driver are you? slow & cautious? calm & assertive? aggressive? road rager?
Well my husband used to refer to me as a "psychopath behind the wheel", and he's probably right.  BUT since Peyton was born I've really been working on that and I've calmed down a lot. 

Other drivers can really irritate me.  THANK YOU Hannah for using the Target shopping center as your example.  I agree with you 110%.

6. Can you feel changes in the weather? stiff joints, crazy hair, changes in your skin?
If anyon else has naturally curly hair, you know humidity is NOT your friend!  My knees ache when there's a big air pressure change or it's going to rain (thanks cheerleading, gymnastics, and dance). 
7. What's your best & worst memory from high school?
Ahhh, the high school question.  First of all, let me just say that I'm not one of those girls that just LOVED high school.  It was by no means the best years of my life.  With that being said, I did have a lot of good memories and good times that I really can't narrow down to just one.

Worst memory...probably the guy I dated!
8. If you're sad, what's the one thing that can make you happier?
S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G!  Enough said!

9. What's your least favorite food?
I can't stand bananas or "pulpy" fruits.  I love the flavor of oranges and pineapples, but can't stand that pulp consistency.  I also don't like large chunks of things like tomatoes and onions cooked in my food...small chunks please. 

10. As a past wedding guest, what's the one thing that annoyed you? how did you change it at your wedding?
I'm not a fan of huge, stuffy, LONG ceremonies that seem more like they're about the money than the true meaning.  We did a smaller service outside and it was short, simple, and to the point :)
11. What movie can you quote along with the best?
Where to begin...Tommy Boy, Anchorman, Napoleon Dynamite, Kings of Comedy, Mama Mia, Moulin Rouge, Across the Universe...just to name a few ;)

12. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I look at it as a good way to vent about things and share our life.  Especially on days when my husband has to work nights and Peyton's asleep, it's how I wind down.  Whether or not anyone cares what I have to say is a different story!

13. If you could live in another decade what would it be and why?
The 60's without a doubt.  I was raised on 60's music and have always been obsessed with the Beatles! 
14. Where has the best meal of your life been and what was it?
This question is just not possible to answer!  I love food...all kinds of food...from all over the place...sorry.
15. What's your guilty pleasure tv show?
Teen Mom on MTV, I absolutely love it! 


Ok now I'm supposed to tag people, but since I only have like 5 followers and I think they've all been tagged or filled this out, I'll just leave it open to anyone!  Sorry, I don't have many friends on the "Blogging Wagon"...yet!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Labor Day Weekend

Well this past weekend was Labor Day weekend.  We decided not to make any real plans, we just wanted to be home all together for once...no lake, no beach, no guests, nothing!  We had such a great time too!

Saturday - We took Peyton on her first Crabtree excursion, which was a success.  We went to the Disney store, did some shopping, and just enjoyed watching her.  Saturday night I decided to try a new recipe, which meant Daddy did bedtime (hmmmm).  So after Peyton had her squash and her bath, I got Edwin and Peyton situated in the nursery...lights out, curtains closed, fan on, bottle ready...and prayed for the best. 

Just a brief interruption...I always do bedtime and naps, so she doesn't do as well when Edwin tries especially when she knows I'm in the house!  Not to mention she's developed some serious Mommy attachment and won't let ANYONE else hold her if I'm there.  She prefers to laugh and talk to them from my arms...ok back to the weekend.

About 15 mins after I started cooking I heard lots of screaming and crying, so I gave in and rescued Daddy and had her to sleep in 5 minutes lol.  My dinner was awesome!  I made chicken lo mein and Edwin must have loved it too because we had no left overs!  We spent the rest of the night cozied on the couch watching a movie...it was great.

Sunday - Edwin worked in the yard and Peyton and I hung out.  We went to visit some friends of ours and their newborn little girl.  It was crazy to see how much bigger Peyton is than a newborn now!  It made me tear up a little, but I definitely don't miss a whole lot about those first 2 weeks!  Then we went by Nonnie and PaPa's to drop them off something and ended up hanging out over there for a while.  We went home, I cooked my awesome chicken enchiladas, got the munchkin to sleep, and just relaxed.

Monday - Edwin finished up yard work and I hung with my BFF again.  I was enjoying every second of that long weekend with her!  We loaded up and had a Labor Day cookout at my parents house.  Peyton got to see her great Grandma too :)  I think Monday was the peak of her Mommy attachment.  She wouldn't let anyone hold her for more than a few minutes before she started tearing up and reaching for me.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it though!  But she was our entertainment as always...laughing, talking, making hilarious faces...♥ her so much!

That was pretty much our whole weekend.  It wasn't action packed or super eventful, but it was great.  We need more weekends like that! 

Saturday, September 4, 2010

4 Months Old...

I can't believe my baby girl is 4 months old (yesterday).  It makes me tear up every time I think that I was giving birth to her this time 4 months ago.  It's gone by so fast....it has easily been the most difficult thing I have ever done, but the most wonderful and amazing at the same time. 

I just wanted to share a few things about Peyton at 4 months....
  • She LOVES her exersaucer.  She'll play in it forever.  Just put it in front of the TV and she goes from playing and talking to her toys, to watching TV, and back again
  • Her favorite shows are Special Agent Oso, Handy Manny, and Imagination Movers.  We really don't spend much time in front of the TV with her, but these are her early morning shows she watches while Mommy is getting ready for work and she's entranced when they're on.
  • She's "talking" all the time now.  She likes to try and mimic things I say (I'm working hard for Mama lol).
  • She squeals and laughs constantly.  She hasn't done a big belly laugh yet, but I feel like it's in our near future.
  • She weighs 13lbs 11oz and is a little over 24" long.  She was right around the 50th percentile in all categories, and between 50th and 75th for height.
  • She loves grabbing our faces...noses, mouths, chins.  She'll also reach up and stroke my cheek which makes me melt every time.
  • She is definitely a Mama's girl right now.  She's not as comfortable with strangers as she used to be.  She's fine with about anyone as long as Mommy is holding her, and definitely doesn't go to people as often.
  • She has started lunging and reaching for me when someone else has her and she wants Mommy (LOVE it).
  • She doesn't fuss much unless she's hungry, overtired, or if she has teething pain.  She'll throw a royal fit if she gets too exhausted and has a hard time going to sleep, but that's not too often.  
  • She's going to bed by 6:30pm and waking between 6am and 7am.  She usually wakes once to eat sometime between 2am and 4am....unless she's going through some milestone like the constant rolling that we're going through now, ugh.   
That's about all I can think of right now.  Peyton is such a blessing and a miracle.  It's not always easy being a Mom, but I wouldn't change a thing.  We love her more than we could ever describe!

She's Definitely My Child!

Today we decided to take Peyton to Crabtree Valley Mall.  We took her to Triangle Town Center last week and she LOVED it, so we thought we'd try a different mall this weekend and hit up the Disney Store.  We were looking for a Special Agent Oso stuffed animal since that's her favorite show :) 

Once again, she LOVED the mall.  She was in awe the whole time we were there (that she was awake).  They didn't have an Oso toy there, but she did pick out a small Minnie Mouse that she held on to the entire trip.  She fell asleep about 30-40 mins into the trip and slept for about an hour then she woke up and was still super happy.  She loves when I show her different outfits and toys. 

It's getting easier and easier to take her places, which is so exciting.  She was out for almost 4 hours today and didn't fuss once.  She napped while we were out and talked and laughed constantly.  She's such a happy little girl (unless she's overtired, hungry, or her teeth are bothering her...all easily fixed).  I'm so incredibly blessed to have such a beautiful and amazing little girl.  I learn something new about her (and myself) every day!

There's no denying she's my child...she loves to shop just like Mommy :) 







Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Bad Shots!

Peyton had her 4 month appointment yesterday, and you know what that means....shots!  Yes I know she won't remember them, I know it's harder on me than it is on her, I know all of that...but it doesn't make it any easier.  I absolutely hate it when she's hurting and I can't make it better.

She was her normal charming self during the entire appointment.  Chatting it up with Lisa and her med student, laughing, squealing, etc...  She weighed 13 lbs 11 ounces and was 24" and some change long.  I can't remember exactly because they forgot to give me a copy of her growth chart.  She was in the 50th percentile for weight and head circumference and between 50th and 75th percentile for height.  She started getting sleepy near the end of the almost hour long appointment and that didn't make getting stuck any easier.  But she handled the shots like a champ.  She screamed for just a minute, then whimpered and whined while we checked out, and was dead asleep before I could pull out of the parking lot.  Giving her Tylenol before he appointment definitely seemed to help.

My Mom said she was good the rest of the afternoon, just a little fussy and uncomfortable.  When we got home, we skipped eating solids and bath time.  I put her straight in her pj's, gave her some Tylenol and a bottle, and she was dead to the world by 6pm.  She didn't even want to eat when I got her up for her "dream feed" at 10pm!  She woke around 3am, ate, went straight back to sleep until 6:45am.  Poor thing was exhausted after all the stress of the doctor's appointment.  Luckily she never fussed or had a fever! 

Glad that's over....for 2 more months at least!