Thursday, March 31, 2011

MIA

I've been MIA this week due to the absolute worst stomach bug I've ever had.  I've always been the Mom/Wife that's still up taking care of the house and everyone else even when I'm sick...but this thing did.me.in.  The only thing we can figure out is that Peyton gave it to everyone (yes, everyone).  Peyton had 3 huge diaper blow-outs between early Tuesday morning and Tuesday afternoon, but I assumed it was teething related since she was drooling so bad.  She had no fever, was in a super mood, never acted like she was sick. 
My Mom called me around lunch on Tuesday and said she wasn't feeling well and had just thrown up so I should come get Peyton.  I left work to get her and was in their house for literally 5 mins.  We had a great day together, then around 2am Wednesday morning I woke up just not feeling "right".  I started throwing up around 2:15am and didn't stop until 3pm.  When I say "didn't stop", that's exactly what I mean.  I ended up on the bathroom floor until about 7am.  By 7am I was able to go about 45 mins between vomiting spells, so I moved to the bed.  I finally stopped throwing up around 3pm, but then the 103 degree fever hit and I STILL couldn't sleep.  I was too weak to walk and tried twice but passed out both times, it was really scary by that point.  Soooo by 8pm my fever finally broke and I was able to get some sleep, thank goodness!
The hardest part was not being able to be with Peyton, that absolutely killed me.  Edwin took care of her until he got sick on Wednesday, then my Mom took her until Wednesday evening.  Since she wasn't 100% yet, we called Edwin's parents for back up because we literally couldn't take care of her on our own.  They came over and kept her for the 1 1/2 hrs before bedtime and stayed the night just in case.  Edwin woke up feeling good this morning so he kept her until she woke from her first nap and then sent her over to my Mom's for this afternoon so he could rest a little.  I was SO happy when he could finally bring her in to see me this morning, gosh I missed her.  It was so hard listening to her beat on the bedroom door and cry "Mama, Mama" yesterday and not be able to do a thing about it.  It made me want to cry. 
So that's my past 48 hrs.  I look awful (like seriously awful), but am feeling a little better.  I'm even going to attempt a shower in a little while and had my first bite of solid food in 2 days just a few mins ago...baby steps! 

Monday, March 28, 2011

Uh Uh!

Peyton has started shaking her head "No" lately.  It's probably not something we should have encouraged quite so much, but it's so darn cute.  Sometimes she says "Uh Uh" when she shakes her head.  Here's a little taste!


Friday, March 25, 2011

Pretty Boring...and That's OK!

I really don't have too much to talk about this week.  My boys are officially out of the NCAA tourney, which I'm super bummed about.  I went to our church's 1st Women's Ministry meeting last night, it was a lot of fun.  We did a "meet and greet" and played some games...just got to know each other better.  It was really nice to get out of the house without the baby and hang out with some other women.  I rarely do anything without Peyton by my side because of Edwin's schedule.  I'm really happy to be back from my church hiatus (due to napping issues) and involved again.  It's so important to me that the whole family go together.  I was raised going to church every Sunday.  I participated in pretty much everything our church did...youth, bible school, choir, kept the nursery, variety shows, plays, etc...  My church family was an extension of my real family and I loved being there.  I really want Peyton to feel the same way when she gets older. 

I've been planning my munchkin's birthday party a lot this week.  I'm turning in to a blubbering idiot every time I think about her turning 1.  It seems so unreal.  I can't grasp the concept that in 5 1/2 weeks I'll have a 1 year old and in 6 weeks she'll have her very first birthday party.  I've been getting things together for the party for a month or 2 now so I wouldn't be so rushed as the deadline drew closer.  We're doing a Minnie Mouse theme with hot pink and zebra striped Minnie decor.  Thankfully my Mom is really in to "Stamp it Up" and she can create some amazing stuff.  She's making all the invitations for me and Etsy.com has been my best friend over the past few weeks!  I wanted to have a really small party, but just our family alone is a crowd.  So since it should be pretty warm (fingers crossed) by the beginning of May we're planning on an outdoor party (and garage) to better accomodate the large group we may have. That's all I'm going to say about the party for now because I'm tearing up just thinking about it!

Here's a pic of my precious girl when she was eating playing with sidewalk chalk the other day!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Stroller Comparison

 I stumbled upon this first picture when I was looking back through the hundreds of pictures on my phone.  This was back right before Halloween (obviously) when I was trying Peyton out in an umbrella stroller at Babies R Us.  I was picking one out to put on our Christmas list.  She was 5 months old here.....

And HERE she is 2 weeks ago at the park.  She's 10 1/2 months in this picture.  It's so crazy how unbelievably fast they change!

I'm holding on as tight as possible, but it doesn't seem to keep her from growing up.  I think I'm going to be a blubbering idiot for the next few weeks leading up to her 1st birthday!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Weekend Recap

We had a nice and pretty uneventful weekend this past weekend.  The hubby unfortunately had to work, but it will just make this coming week and weekend that much sweeter. 


Saturday morning Peyton and I did our usual shopping and out to breakfast routine (we do that every weekend Edwin works).  She played and finally went down around 11:30am* at which point Edwin and I sat outside for the entire 2 hours she was asleep.  It was wonderful to sit out and enjoy the 80 degree weather, I even got some sun and awesome tank top lines. 


*We seem to be having some nap time adjustments going on these days.  She's going down later and later and fighting that 2nd nap more and more.  I feel like it's just too early for 1 nap a day, so for now I fight for a 2nd nap.  Some days we get one, some days we don't.  Granted she's also going to bed a little later and sleeping a little later since daylight savings time.  We'll see what happens. 


Right as she woke up I got ready and went to a friends house for her La Boutique for Kids party.  I had been to another one of these parties when I was preggers, and they're so nice.  I got a few cute things for Peyton for this summer, then headed back home. 


Sunday Peyton and I made it to church for yet another week, we're on a streak!  I was proud of myself for getting up and getting us both ready and out the door for church on my own.  We missed church for several months after she was born due to napping issues.  She just wasn't at the point where she could last in the nursery without a melt down due to being exhausted.  But over the past few weeks, she suddenly can hang!  It's been so nice to be back at church and involved again.  I was nervous about the nursery, but she's done great every week.  She seems to slowly be getting better with her separation anxiety.  They say it usually peaks at 12-18 months, but I think we just had it earlier!  She gets a little upset and clingy when I drop her off (I send Edwin to drop her off when he doesn't work), but as I was leaving she saw a toy she wanted and I could hear her just babbling away.  The workers have said she's been great every week, except she did try to escape this past Sunday...leave it up to my wild one!


We watched a super cute video at church, and I just have to share it.  Check it out!
The Marshmallow Experiment


Sunday evening we went for a nice long walk with my friend Meghan and her son (Peyton's boyfriend).  We ended up walking way longer than we had planned so it was 8pm by the time we got home.  Peyton couldn't get to her crib fast enough, she skipped right over any type of bedtime routine and didn't move the entire night. 


It was a nice, peaceful, and calm weekend....I'm ready for another one!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Strolling

Could this weather be any more perfect...I think not!!!!  This is my favorite kind of weather...nice breeze...75-80 degrees...sunny...light until 8pm...I LOVE it!  This weather also makes it harder when the hubby has to work though.  The winter isn't so bad because everyone is inside and it gets dark early.  But once spring/summer hits and everyone is outside cooking out, walking, enjoying the weather...it gets a little more difficult to be without him.  BUT I'm not writing to whine.


Peyton has FINALLY cut 2 of those 4 teeth she's been working on.  This makes a grand total of 6 pearly whites!  She had about 2 weeks of total misery a while back, I'm assuming that was when the teeth were moving the most (like I have any idea).  But the past 2 weeks they haven't seemed to bother her much at all.  Edwin just happened to catch a glimpse of them when she was laughing this morning.  Crazy how there's so much build up and then they just pop through in a matter of hours...at least that's how it seems to go with us.  The bottom ones "should" be very close behind, I can see them right under the gums. 


I already knew a nice long walk was in our future as soon as I saw the weather forecast.  I'm so excited to get back to our evening walks like we did all last summer and fall.  Peyton LOVES to be outside, I could probably walk for hours and she'd love every second.  We didn't walk for hours, but we did walk for about 1 hour and got a good 3 miles in.  Thankfully Nonnie walked with us so we didn't have to go alone.  I need an adult walking companion when Edwin can't go with me.  Peyton spent the entire walk pointing at every single thing, saying "kitty kitty" every time she saw a cat, and "woof woof" every time she saw a dog.  She loves to turn around, flash me a heart melting grin, and wave (and wave and wave and wave) every now and then before going back to her pointing and babbling.  When we got back to the car she sat in the stroller with a look on her face that said "ummm why exactly are we stopping Mommy".  She crashed hard about 10 mins after we walked in the door...after all, riding in stroller is hard work! 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

73 Days...and Counting!

We have 73 days until our vacation in Ocracoke.
(there will be a lot of these posts over the next 73 days by the way)


We can't wait for a week full of relaxation, beaching it, eating good food, and spending time with good friends.  This will be our friends first time going to Ocracoke, and I'm so excited for them to experience it.


If you've never been to Ocracoke Island, I really encourage you to experience it at least once.  People either absolutely love it or completely hate it. 
Afterall, it wasn't ranked the "#5 Best Beach in the World" AND "Best Beach in the US" for nothing! 
 Edwin took me for the first time back when we were dating, and needless to say I fell in love with it.  We spent our honeymoon there and go back just about every year.  


It's a very small fishing village, there are no fast food joints, no Wings or Bert's Surf Shops, no putt putt, no boardwalk...nothing like that.  You go to Ocracoke Island to RELAX and enjoy the simplicity.  There are lots of stores but they're all unique and different, lots of hand crafted stuff.  The restaurants are all wonderful, and I love that most of them are partially outdoors.  There's no "real" grocery store, but there are 2 grocery market type stores.  You'll pay an arm and a leg for most things, so we always hit up Sam's or BJ's before any trip!


You pretty much walk or bike everywhere, with the exception of a few places.  You have drive out on the beach, so if you don't have a 4wd vehicle you can forget about it.  But all of these things are what make it so special.  It's untouched by commercialism and I love that.   The people that live on Ocracoke don't care about fancy cars, name brand clothes, or making the big bucks.  You're secluded from the rest of the world, the only way off the island is by ferry or plane.


So I'll anxiously patiently continue my countdown for the next 72 days!


Monday, March 14, 2011

Tag You're It!

Becky over at House of Sykes tagged me in a 20 questions thing, so here goes!

Rule #1: The tagged person must write their answers on their blog and replace any question they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
Rule #2: Tag 4 people to do this quiz. The tag-ee must state who tagged them.

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?
They're most definitely members of our family.  But I would be lying if I said they were as high in the chain as they were before Peyton came along.  They're still my 1st babies though and I love them to pieces.

2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?
See #3!!

3. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Pay off every loan and bill we have.  Probably build our dream house  (although we love where we are now).  We'd quit our jobs, go on lots of family vacations, most definitely build a place on Ocracoke Island.  Put money away for Peyton's future.  Give a chunk to our church and our families for everything they have done for us.  Who knows what else!


4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
SHOPPING!  I love it, I'm addicted, it makes me happy, end of story.


5. What is your bedtime routine?
I go ahead and take a shower and put my pj's on after I put Peyton down.  I usually head back to the bedroom around 9:30ish, brush my teeth, get in the bed and watch TV for a while. 


6. What activities did you do in High School? If you could go back, would you do the same stuff or something different?
I was in Chorus and Key Club (aka the club you join to get out of class), those were the only school related things I did after getting injured my freshman year and having to stop dance, cheer leading, and gymnastics.  I was super involved in my church and was part of pretty much everything that went on there.  I partied and hung out on the weekends, that's about it.  I'm not sure what I'd do if I could go back, I have no desire to go back to high school. 


7. What kind of books do you read?
Read, that's funny.  I'm horrible when it comes to reading, I just don't ever do it.  I usually pick a few books to read during the summer so I have beach/pool/lake reading and those are usually some type of sci-fy, thriller, mystery books.  Other than that I did read all of the Twilight books :)


8. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Way too close to 40 yrs old with a 10 year old...oh wow that's crazy.  Maybe with another kid, I haven't made that decision yet.  I assume we'll be living in the same house since we have no desire to move.  I hope to be possibly working part time and if not I just hope to have a job that I'm still enjoying and be financially stable. 

9. What’s your fear?
Anything at all happening to my child or my husband, they're my world and I couldn't take it! 

10. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?
Negative, couldn't do it. 


11. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
The first thing I do when I wake up is brush my teeth because I can't stand some morning breath!  Then I wash my face, do my hair and make up, and get dressed.

12. If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?
Oh my goodness it would definitely be his messiness.  He is THE messiest guy I've ever met, it's almost impossible to keep the house neat for longer than 30 mins.  It drives me crazy!


13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?
I'm pretty fond of my name.  I love the name Peyton (obviously), but that's why I picked it for my daughter. 


14. If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?
Sun, hello?!


15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?
I'm pretty sure there isn't 1 single thing that I could stand eating for 6 months straight without vomiting. 


16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?
I just like using it as an outlet, a way to vent about things, and a way to update people on my little family as Peyton grows and changes. 

17. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
Sweet, sweet, and more sweet please.

18. What items are in your purse right now?
Wallet. Keys. Pens. Lip gloss. Check book. Sunglasses. Cell phone. Chapstick. Ibuprofen.  Hair ties.  Floss.  Wet naps.


ADD #19.  Who's your role model?
Definitely my Mom.  She's been an amazing Mom and friend my entire life.  I pray I can be at least 1/2 the Mom to Peyton that she has been to me.

20. What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?
Pretty much every single reality show...most of the Real Housewives shows, Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, Sister Wives, Bethenny Ever After.  I'm addicted.  It's a problem.

Tagging:

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Awesome Weather = Awesome Weekend

What a busy and wonderful weekend we had!  Friday night we had plans to hang out with some good friends of ours that we haven't seen in forever!  Peyton was in a GREAT mood...until we took a step in the door.  I'm still not quite sure what happened, but the second we walked in the door she started bawling!  It lasted about 20 mins, then it's like the light turned on and she was perfectly fine...silly girl.  She had a blast with her friend Greyson, they crawled laps around the house like crazy kids!  Greyson's so sweet and he likes to crawl and act like a "baby" (he's 2) when he's with Peyton.  Of course Peyton loves that.  We're going to the beach with them for a week this summer and I definitely think Peyton and Greyson will have a blast together.  Here are a few pics from the night...


Saturday we went out to breakfast at Chick Fil A, then ran a few errands.  That evening Peyton's boyfriend Owen came over (with his parents of course).  I cooked dinner for the adults while the kids played.  Peyton went down about an hour after they got there.  I kept close to her normal bedtime Saturday night since she stayed up so late Friday night.  Then we ate dinner and hung out, it was a good night.  I didn't get any pics that night.

Sunday we ALL made it to church...finally!  With the time change Peyton ended up sleeping until 8am, so she was able to stay awake a little later and make it through the service.  She did good in the nursery...something I always stress about.  Of course it helped that our friend Meghan was working, and she knows her.  After church my in-laws came over for a few hrs and I watched Duke kick UNC's butt!!!  ALWAYS a fun time!  After Peyton woke up and had some lunch, we headed to the park for our church's 1st Sunday Funday!  We took a walk on the nature trail when we first got there and I got my work out in!  Pushing a stroller and a 20 lb child on a nature trail is an awesome work out.  Peyton got to hang out with her boyfriend Owen again, and we discovered how much she loves sand (she's going to LOVE the beach)!  She didn't care much for the swings, all she wanted to do was crawl around in the sand.  She crawled around for almost 2 hrs, stopping only for some snacks and to play with random kids she met.  The weather was beyond perfect, I can't wait for more and more days like this!


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Keeping It Real

A blogging buddy of mine did a challenge post for everyone to do a REAL blog about themselves.  She did 10 real things about herself and her life, no sugar coating no moonlight and roses.  I totally agree with her that so many people feel the need to "embellish" their lives so it sounds good to others.  The truth is, no one is perfect so get over it!  I liked her post so much, I wanted to keep the challenge going and post 10 completely real and honest things about myself!

1.  I love being a Mommy more than words could ever describe, BUT it's the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life.  Let me start by saying that I wouldn't change a thing, but it's hard not to miss certain pre-baby things.  I miss laying around all day watching Lifetime, sleeping in, jumping up and going shopping whenever I feel like it.  I miss date nights with the hubby and spontaneously taking off for a weekend at the beach.  I miss that freedom of it just being me. 

2.  That being said, I love my daughter more than I ever thought possible.  I never knew I could love another human being as much as I love her.  People always told me "you'll understand when you have one of your own" and my God is it true.  From the second I held her in my arms I felt love that I can't even begin to describe.  I truly believe it's a feeling everyone should experience if at all possible. 

3.  It REALLY annoys me when people feel the need to talk about how "perfect" their child is.  Like there's some cookie cutter mold all babies are supposed to fit in, and if yours isn't like that then there's something wrong with you as a parent. They're babies, they're people, and they're all different just like all adults are different.   Guess what?! Babies cry, they get upset, they don't all sleep perfectly, you have to work at things with them, they have to LEARN.  I read so many websites, blogs, etc... where people are so freaking scared to say "you know what, my 4 month old wakes up 3 times during the night" or "my child is having an awful time with teething and is super fussy".  So here's Peyton in a nutshell.  My daughter is the apple of my eye but boy does she have her Mommy's attitude!  When she's happy, she's the happiest baby in the world, but when she's mad you'd better watch out!  I totally love that about her...she's an individual, she's spunky, she's all woman!  She's a handful and goes full speed pretty much all of the time.  She doesn't want to be confined or contained in any way, shape, or form.  She loves being outside, but you'd better let her crawl while she's out there!  She's in the middle of some serious separation anxiety and wants to be glued to my hip most of the time.  She's slow to warm up around new people, especially men.  She loves other baby's and kids and God help you if you have a cat or dog and she's around!  She loves going places, but gets frustrated in her car seat after a while.  She wants to turn around so she can see us and what we see (not too much longer sweetie).  She laughs, she cries, she fusses, she gives hugs and kisses, she's my world, and I'm good with that.

4.  I'm constantly paranoid that someone is going to try and take my daughter some how, some way.  I blame way too much Lifetime and being married to a Cop.  I dream about it, I think about it, it's really annoying. 

5.  I have a huge fear of a plane crashing in to our house.  I tense up when I hear an airplane that's flying low and sounds louder and louder.  I have no idea why, feel free to laugh.

6.  I'm truly blessed to live in the house we now live in.  We didn't and couldn't have done it on our own, so don't think we did.  The house was my Uncle's house and my family owns 40 acres of land out there.  Our original plan was to build out there.  We had picked out a plan within our very low price range and a builder.  But my Uncle decided to sell his house and no one wanted non-family living out there right in the middle of our land.  So we did some negotiating and worked out a price that we could afford.  We have a lower mortgage payment for 3 yrs since his business is renting out the work area behind our house.  After the 3 yrs are up, if he decides to close this part of his business, the payments will go up.  We did a LOT of scrimping and saving to afford a higher mortgage. 

7.  Sometimes I really miss college and Greenville.  I thought I wanted to live there, and sometimes I still think about it, but now that I have a family I don't believe it's the place for me.  I had more fun in the 6 yrs I lived there than I ever thought possible.  Lots of partying, lots of drinking, lots of wild times, and I loved every second.  I miss having a group of girls that I could literally call at any hour for any reason.  I miss having those friends that I could just call up and say "hey lets go out for dinner and drinks".  So much changes when you get married.  It's not a bad thing, it's just different.  I have girlfriends, but I'm not sure that I'll ever feel that bond that I had with my girls during college. 

8.  I hate being married to a cop, but I love being married to a cop.  Make sense?  Probably not.  I love being married to a cop because it's all I know and he makes me so proud.  He loves what he does and I love him for what he does.  I can't really imagine myself being married to someone with a "normal" job, it's not in the cards for me.  Drugs, guns, death, etc... is normal talk in our house.  He needs to talk about it to decompress and I'm pretty desensitized to it at this point.  I hate being married to a cop for the obvious reasons.  It's not easy living with a constant "what if" in the back of your mind...it's not easy being alone so much of the time...and it's not easy taking care of a baby by yourself most of the time.  Planning for vacations or ANYTHING is harder than you could ever imagine.  But like I said, it's all I know and I'm OK with that. 

9.  I actually like my job now.  I was in a pretty low place for a while.  I was in a job that I was over qualified for and underpaid.  I was doing some heavy job hunting, and then one of my coworkers got another job and left.  I was offered her position and am really enjoying it.  I'm still in the LONG drawn out process with HR (the county is notoriously slow), but should have the new title and salary (woo hoo) in the next few weeks. 

10. My Mom is truly my best friend and I pray Peyton and I will have the same kind of relationship as she gets older.  We don't have as many opportunities to sit and chat these days since I'm chasing a 10 month old around constantly.  We talk in some form every single day whether it be text, email, phone, or in person. 

Ok there are some REAL things about me and my life!  I could keep going, but you're probably bored by now!  I challenge you to do the same thing on your blog!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

A Day With the Girls!

Today while the hubby was sleeping, Peyton and I had a Mommy/Daughter morning.  I was wondering how it was going to go because she pretty much woke up in a cranky mood...very unusual for her.   However, her mood seemed to completely turn around the minute she got in the car. 

We did a little shopping at Target (our favorite place for an outing).  I love going to Target right when they open on a Saturday.  It's so nice and calm, basically just some parents and little kids.  We took our time and strolled around, Peyton smiled and pointed at everyone and everything.

After shopping we went to Chick Fil A for breakfast (another favorite).  Peyton killed her chicken minis and was so excited to see the balloons they have there!  We still have her Valentine's Day balloon floating around the living room, so she loves seeing balloons.  She kept pointed at it saying "Baoo, baoo".  That's her version of "balloon" for now.  There ended up being a small "blog" reunion at Chick Fil A.  We got to see Andrea, Becky, and Paige....Peyton even got to see her friend Claire for a little while :) 

Peyton ended up falling asleep on the way home...just too much excitement for one morning.  Usually when she falls asleep for 15 or 20 mins in the car right around nap time, it's nearly impossible to get her back down for a real nap.  She played for another 30 mins once we got home, went down for her nap and ended up sleeping for 2 1/2 hrs...Mommy ended up sleeping for about 2 of those hrs!  I can't remember the last time I actually slept when she was down for a nap, and boy was it nice.  Needless to say she didn't even try to take a 2nd nap after a late 2 1/2 hr morning nap.  She got sleepy earlier since she skipped the 2nd nap, but made it until about 6:40pm before she crashed for the night. 

Tomorrow Edwin is OFF and then he and I both took Monday off from work.  We're sending Peyton to Nonnie's just like a normal work day and we're spending the.entire.day.together! Date nights don't work too well for us since he's on nights every other weekend and then on call another week, so that basically leaves 1 completely free weekend a month.  I'm so excited.  As of now we're going to do some shopping, go out to lunch, and go to a movie. 
So I've rambled enough for one night.  If you made it this far, I'm impressed. 
Just one more thing....
GO DUKE!!!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Bath Time Fun!

10 Months Old!



I can't believe my precious little girl is 10 months old today.  I REALLY can't believe in 2 months she's going to be a year old! 

There's no doctor's appointment again until she's 1 (sounds so crazy!), so I don't have any stats for you.  I'm guessing she's somewhere between 20 and 21 lbs.  Here's a little bit about my princess these days...

  • Still goes to bed at 7pm
  • Still napping around 10am and 3pm
  • She loves going to bed at night.  She has her bottle, I rock her and sing to her, we cuddle, and then when she's ready she points to her crib.  I kiss her goodnight and she nuzzles in her little corner and goes to sleep 
  • Still sleeping through the night from 7pm until between 6:30am and 7am 
  • She's working on her balance a lot by trying to stand without any support
  • She's still 100% a Mama's girl
  • We're at the height of separation anxiety these days.  If it's just the 2 of us, she's all over the house by herself but as soon as someone else is around she's stuck to me like glue
  • She has 4 teeth and is currently working on 4 more (which seems to be taking FOREVER).
  • She's much more clingy when she's cutting a tooth
  • She loves to talk, babble, squeal, make noises, etc...
  • Says "Mama", "Kitty Kitty" (which comes out more like giggy giggy), and "I love you"
  • Loves giving kisses
  • Points to her nose when you ask her where it is
  • She LOVES water and has mastered the straw cup.  She could care less about traditional sippy cups, we skipped over those and she went right to the cups with straws  
  • Loves to feed herself.  She pretty much eats whatever we eat these days 
  • She prefers veggies and fruits over meat, but I haven't actually found anything she won't eat
  • She points at everything
  • Waves "bye bye" to everyone and everything
I could keep going for days, but I think those are the highlights of the past month.  She's such a joy and I can't imagine my life without her.  It doesn't matter how exhausted or stressed out I am, the second I get home and see that adorable, toothy grin I'm right back in a good mood.  I'm so blessed that God chose me to be her Mother! 


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

My Mirena

*TMI Alert:  Stop reading now if you don't want to know*

A fellow "blogger buddy" of mine did a post about having her Mirena removed due to crazy side effects.  When I read her post, I had actually just scheduled my appointment to have mine inserted.  Sooo I thought I'd do a little post about it and see if I end up with any of her side effects over time. 

I made the decision a while back to research some new BC options.  I've been on the pill for years, but I always have bad side effects or I forget to take them.  I had Nuvaring for a while, which I loved, but there's no generic so it was $50 a month.  I had a consultation to discuss the Mirena and Paraguard.  After lots of questions, I decided on the Mirena.  They order one for you and then call you with the cost after running it on your insurance, that way you can decide if you definitely want it or not.  Well mine came back with the best price ever....$0.  Yes please! 

I went in yesterday morning to have the IUD inserted. 
(Here Comes the Detail)
You schedule the insertion for when you're on your cycle....kinda gross I know, but the doctor says it makes the insertion much easier.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but honestly not much at the OBGYN worries me anymore after pushing a baby out!  The process was quick, about like a pap, and pretty pain free.  There was a decent amount of cramping, but nothing intolerable...think strong menstrual/early labor.  That was it, just like that I had 5 yrs worth of BC built in!  It can be removed any time before then very easily if/when we decide to have another baby. 
I will tell you that my doctor said women who haven't had a vaginal delivery tend to have a harder time with an IUD, mainly the insertion.  It's more painful for them. 

So now the fun begins and I wait to see how my body reacts.  So far, so good.  I had constant cramping all day yesterday and this morning.  I took some Ibuprofen this morning, and it went away.  Some people say they can feel the IUD for a while, I haven't felt a thing.  Supposedly I will bleed (lightly) pretty much daily for the next month, then about 1/2 of the following month, then it should taper off and most people's periods disappear for the most part.  Some still have light ones, some don't...it all depends on your body.  I was at the end of my cycle already, and I've just had very very light spotting.  I planned to have this done early in the year, so everything "should" be finished by summer! 

So that's my 1st day with Mirena, anything new will be posted!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

2 More Recipes

Ok, I've been inboxing these recipes out on Facebook a lot lately so I figured it was time to go ahead and post them. 
They were both super yummy and EASY (which is my goal these days). 
Enjoy!


Velveeta Egg and Veggie Bake

What You Need

1 cup each sliced fresh mushrooms and chopped broccoli
1   ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)
5 eggs
1/3 cup  MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/3 cup milk
6 oz.  VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4 green onions, sliced
 

Make It

HEAT oven to 375°F.
COOK mushrooms and broccoli in skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 8 to 10 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
LINE 2-qt. casserole or 9-inch pie plate with crust; fold over and crimp edge. Beat eggs, dressing and milk in medium bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in cooked vegetables, VELVEETA and onions; pour into crust.
BAKE 40 min. or until center is set and top is golden brown. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

 
 
Weeknight Ravioli Bake
 

What You Need

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can  (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup water
2 pkg.  (1 lb. each) frozen cheese frozen cheese ravioli
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Italian Cheese
2 Tbsp.  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
 

Make It

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
MIX spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and water; spoon 1 cup onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish.
LAYER half the ravioli and 1 cup shredded cheese over sauce. Top with remaining ravioli and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; cover.
BAKE 30 min.; uncover. Bake 15 min. or until ravioli is tender and heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Let stand 10 min.