And now I'm hungry

We had such a fabulous time with Connie this past weekend. It's so great to see that she hasn't changed a bit. She still looks exactly the same, too We had margaritas, went boutique shopping, had dinner, and visits with Madeline. Hopefully, we'll see her again very soon!

I have no idea what's on agenda for the remainder of the week....besides that Madeline is going through Operation Tantrum Terrors. Today was awful. I might have cried. She had a tantrum about everything. But, she had a low fever yesterday, one of her molars is finally cutting, and she's had a bit of a cold. Granted, she could have just had a bad day. Unfortunately, I am not sipping on a glass of wine right now as I type. She did have a great time in her class as usual. Perhaps tomorrow will be much better.

I'm going through a cooking rut right now. I cook 6 days per week, which I enjoy. I try my best to cook a healthy meal, but I have to keep prep time, cook time, and on the table within 20-30 minutes. On days when Tommy's in the office, I cook easy meals like pasta, crockpot meals, or baked chicken breasts and steamed veggies. It's difficult cooking with a toddler...that's for sure. Thankfully, Tommy is home most days and he watches Madeline while I cook. With that being said, I'm getting sick of my rotation. I'm open to any suggestions. I'm really not a fan of convenience foods. We will have a frozen pizza (Freschetta Brick Oven which is so yummy) once a month and I'll make boxed mac and cheese every now and then....but that's about it. However, if there is a delicious convenience meal that is also healthy, I'm all ears. Don't get me wrong...it doesn't have to be 100% healthy, but it needs to meet the food groups.

Anyway, like a I said, I haven't a clue what we are up to the rest of the week. Maybe the park tomorrow.

Fall Fun

We've had a lot of fun the past few days. Madeline went to a pumpkin patch with Gammy and Poppy, has been visited by Uncle Bran, and Gammy and Poppy are on vacation (a stay-cation) all week. At the end of the week, a very close family friend is coming to visit from Texas, so we are super exited.

Tommy has also decided to quit smoking (yay), however the past week has been "Tyrant Tommy Week." I laugh, but I know he's been miserable, extremely cranky, and frustrated. Today was better. It'll be a week tomorrow cigarette free. I'm proud of him, despite the toddler like temper tantrums. They should really send smokers to rehab for quitting. Or, perhaps, put them in a hotel for 2 weeks.

Madeline's doing better. We've had a few tantrums here and there, but she's in a better mood. The one nap is starting to get easier and we're getting into the groove of a new routine. The only thing that I hate about the one nap is that we actually have less time during the day to run errands, go to the park, outings, because of traffic around here. We'll manage, but it's still irritating. Her molars still haven't broken through, so I don't know what's up with them. They're so close!

We have Mommy and Me tomorrow and my parents both get to go, so that's exciting. It's fun getting to see them everyday this week. We do see them every Saturday/Sunday, too, which is wonderful. Gammy got to babysit Madeline this morning while I went to a dentist appointment. I can't wait until they are retired, but they're still very young and have a bit before that.

Connie (family friend visiting) arrives on Thursday. I know on Saturday we are going to go to a Pumpkin Fest on the downtown square. Hopefully, we'll have enough time. We are going to attempt morning...we'll see how that goes. I'm sure shopping, eating, and margaritas will also be on the agenda as well. I can't wait to see her...it's been years.

Here are a few photos from the past couple of days:

So I Cried

The past two weeks or so since I updated have been busier than presumed. I'm not exactly sure why..but I prefer to be busy, so that's a plus. Since the last update we tried an amazing Italian restaurant with my parents and I've also turned my Mom onto my favorite sushi spot. We went again the other night with my parents for sushi. And when I say "night," I mean 5pm. We also went to one of my favorite luncheon spots with Ray and Sandra last Thursday.

Tommy was on vacation all last week, so we had a lot of family time. He was able to finally go to Madeline's class and we ended up dropping her to one nap. She could have waited a few more weeks before we dropped her, but since she was taking awhile to fall asleep at night, we decided to go ahead and do it. So, it's been a big adjustment the past week. She's doing okay, and I'm doing okay...just trying to get used to the new schedule, and figuring everything out. It'll probably take a few weeks for everything to flow normally again.

We thew a bridal shower for Rick and Shelby on Saturday, and that went well...and then Leia and Zach came over for a visit on Sunday..which was a blast. We also have family coming in town soon which is very exciting, and my Dad is on vacation next week, too, so it'll be nice to see him everyday. With that being said, the next couple of months will most likely be busy. We also decided to do Thanksgiving at our house this year with Tommy's family plus mine. It's too hard to try to go to two places without being rushed and keeping Madeline on her schedule...and not really fair to either party. So, we are excited to be hosting Thanksgiving at our house and hope to keep the tradition for awhile.

This week has had ups and downs. Madeline turned 14 months on Monday. She started making a few new sounds this week. Since I updated last, she's started twirling while dancing (And, no, I didn't teach her), walking backwards, efficiently kicking a ball, bouncing a ball, and bouncing on a trampoline (in her class). She also moved up to the next level in class on Tuesday. This class is for 14mo-24mo, so now she's the wee one in class, but once her other friends start walking better in her old class, they'll move up. At the end of her new class, they have the parents sit back and watch all the kids play in the middle of the room. Madeline was particularly clingy in this class..I'm sure due to all the new faces and realizing that everyone is walking/running/talking. Anyway, at the end of class while I had to sit back, I thought Madeline would want me considering she was so clingy. But, nope, she was fine...didn't even look for me. Played well with the other kids and was having a great time. And so I started crying (quietly). My sweet baby is growing up so fast and she's becoming more and more independent. I think I tried yawning about 30 times so it was not evident that I was having a moment. Don't get me wrong...I don't hover over her in class, but for safety reasons I have to stay within a few feet. But, this was bittersweet watching her. Hopefully during the next class I won't be crying.

Today was a very hard day. It was a screaming, meltdown festival in our house. I'm not too sure why...maybe just a bad day or her molars bothering her. She cried all day long with the exception of going to Target. I had no plans to go to Target today, but I had to get out of the house. I asked her if she wanted to go, and she pointed at her shoes, grabbed them, sat down for me to put them on, then bolted to the garage door, clapping in anticipation...so she was pretty excited for the errand.  I'm hoping tomorrow will be back to normal. With the exception of this morning, she's been sleeping until 8am. I'm not sure if it's due to the new nap adjustment, molars, or just a fluke. Only time will tell. She still slept in about 20 minutes later than usual this morning, but definitely not 8am. I'm not complaining. If she continues to sleep later and later, I will be one exited Mama!

Lil' Owl

Please turn on the music!

Upstairs, please!

"I'm like a bird."

I know I'm fabulous.

I'm not too sure what's in store the rest of the week. Tomorrow, we might have to run another errand, then go to the park on Friday. Saturday, we are trying to attempt a pumpkin patch. I'll probably bake something and I know we'll see my parents this weekend. I'm sure it'll be a great end of the week.

All The Things

The past few days have been pretty uneventful. We've done the usual. Madeline is doing well..some days have been great where others have been a bit rough. She's testing and teething. I know this is all very normal for toddlerhood and we are trying to handle it appropriately. There's no discipline at this age since she doesn't understand the "rules" just yet and that's part of testing. She's just trying to figure out the limits. It's kinda funny and cute, though. We say no, and try to distract. As far as future discipline goes, there will be absolutely no spanking or swatting. We'll try time outs, toys taken away...the usual. But, consistency is key. However, I will never spank. Ever. And, I know when you're a parent you should never say never, but this is something I am extremely firm on. So, it will not happen.

Anyway, we've begun talking about preschool since the waitlists are a year plus here. Early next year I'll start interviewing a few places and see what seems like a best fit for Madeline. She'll start between 2.5 or 3 years old, probably 2 half days per week, then onto PreK at 4.

We went to Gammy and Poppy's on Sunday, and they came over for a visit on Saturday. Madeline loves playing outside on their patio...and also picking Gammy's lovely flowers. We've spent a few days outside and running our typical errands. Tomorrow we have class again, so I'll know it will be a fun day for her.

These molars are driving both me and Madeline nuts. This morning she was so cranky, kept putting her fingers in her mouth, and nothing made her happy until the onset of Advil. Then she was absolutely fine. I try to wait an hour or so to make sure she's just not cranky. Because let's face it, not everyone wakes up on the right side of the bed everyday, and she's a moody toddler. But, low and behold, 30 minutes after Advil...I had my sweet little baby back ready to play.

She's a lot of fun these days. She absolutely loves to play dress up with her clothes. It's so funny. She'll pick something out to put on, then I'll get her dressed and if I try to finally take it off....she's gets mad. Going to the mailbox just might be the highlight of the day. Now she's starting to have preferences of playing upstairs vs. downstairs..so it's usually up and down all day long. Great exercise, really. She absolutely loves to play outdoors if the weather is appropriate.

She loathes the stroller right now if I'm out shopping. I don't blame her. She sees all the things and wants to play with them. She's still okay in the shopping cart as long as she has something to fiddle with. Today it was deli meat. And, she's really good at restaurants as long as it's quick and less than an hour.

Here's a few recent photos over the past few days

Chillin' at Nordstrom

Big Girl Chair

Look, Mom!

Misery

Okay, I'm totally exaggerating here. But I am miserable. Why? I've decided to cut out the 3 pieces of cake, pie, brownies, and/or cookies per day. Why? Because I'm becoming a sugar addict. Seriously, it's out of control. And when I say a "piece," I'm talking about a gigantic piece of pie or a Costco sized cupcake. For real. And not just 1x per day....a few. Yeah, I flew off the handle. I could careless about weightloss. I feel sluggish and gross. Plus, I only crave sugar. I'm on day 2.5. I say 2.5 because I stuffed my face Sunday afternoon with a rather slice of Chess Pie. Anyway, I'm crabby. I'll let myself indulge in a small dessert Friday night. Then, I can have a normal sized treat 2x per week like a sane person. Okay, end rant.

Madeline and I have been pretty busy the past two days. Here's an example of what each day is like for us. Granted, it changes...and Tuesdays are a bit different because of the time her class falls.

6:30am   I wake up, get myself mildly dressed, clean up a bit, get Madeline's breakfast ready to go

7am        Get Madeline out of crib, change clothes/diaper... play for a few minutes

7:10am   Breakfast Time, unload the dishwasher while Madeline eats and scarf down breakfast quickly
hiding so she doesn't want to eat mine.

7:30-9:15am   Playtime. aka...either chase Madeline around the house or carry her around

9:15-9:30am Snack Time

9:30-11am  Nap #1 of the day. I get myself dressed for real, do laundry, clean floors, prep Madeline's lunch etc. I'll usually get around 20 minutes of actual downtime.

10:45am     Get Madeline up (I have to wake her on Mommy and Me days to get her to class on time)

10:45-11:05 Lunch for both of us

11:15-Noon  Mommy and Me

Noon-12:45pm Head over to TJMaxx (next door)

1pm: Playtime at Home

1:30pm: Snack Time

1:45pm-3:30pm: Naptime (It's typically 2:15-3:30pm, but she was a cranky pants today :) Prep Dinner and relax a bit

3:30pm Snack Time and Play Time

4:15pm: I take a bath while she throws her blocks in the tub with me and laughs hysterically.

We play until Tommy gets off work or is on his way home. He works from home on Tuesdays.

5pm I cook dinner while Tommy plays with Madeline

5:30-6pm Dinner Time

6pm I clean the house, kitchen, feed Sophie, laundry, get Madeline ready for bed, and anything I forgot to do. Tommy plays with Madeline upstairs

6:20pm Family Playtime

6:35-7pm Bedtime routine including brushing teeth, bath, pjs, books...you get the picture

7pm-8:30 RELAXATION TIME

8:30pm I go to bed, however, I don't fall asleep until around midnight

We have a busy week of errands this week. I always try to do those in between naps since traffic can get backed up during rush hour. And, I try my best to give Madeline playtime in between. too.

Her molars are just about to pop through. I feel bad for her....it looks very painful. I'm giving Advil when needed and Hyland's Teething Tabs. So, during the day, she's been pretty cranky this week.

She's also starting saying "mail." She loves to check the mail and play with my catalogs and junk mail. And she's into holes. Like ear canals, nostrils, anything. And licking. She's been a big licker this week. She's always a big kisser...which is so sweet.

Okay, I'm getting drowsy and I'm tired. I'm not done entirely with this post, but I'll just have to update another time. I'm pooped.  Oh, and I'm too lazy to edit the photos above. You get the idea :)

Holy...

Well, it only took me 9 months to update again, but here I am! Since I know I have so many things to update and say, I think I'm going to keep this as short as possible and keep to the basics.

First, and most importantly, Madeline is now 13 months old and doing very well. She was a whopping 18lbs at her 12 month check up and 32 inches tall. She's still very small on the weight side, but 90th percentile for height...which we have no idea where that has come from. She started sitting unsupported at 6 months, crawling around 7.5 months, cruising by 8 months, and this girl was eager to already start walking at 9.5 months. Needless to say, she's been early with all of her milestones. She is on the go all the time. Now she's starting to run and also learning how to kick. Surprisingly, she outgrew her milk intolerance and the transition to whole milk was easy peasy. She also doesn't have any food allergies that we are aware of. She's tried everything from nuts to shrimp! She eats what we eat, and we stopped giving her baby food around 11 months.

I cannot put into words how blessed we are to have such an amazing baby girl. The past year definitely had its' ups and downs, but all for the best. We are so lucky. I am so proud to be her Mommy.

She's starting to talk more and more. "Mama" and "ball" are her first real words. She started saying "Dada," but got bored with that and moved on. Tommy practices "Dada" with her endlessly, but she refuses. I think it's pretty funny, however, he is ready for her to start asking for him. All day long she's pointing at objects and saying "mom" and wants me to tell her what they are. She has also mastered the wave, high five, "uh oh," and "I don't know." She also shakes her head no for both yes and no...which is adorable. Oh, and I taught her "shew-wee" or aka the stinky gesture the other day, so she's been having fun with that one.

Sleep is mostly okay the majority of the time. We ended up sleep training at 8 months, and as hard as it was to do, it was well worth it. We're dealing with molars cutting in right now, so this week naps and night sleep have been somewhat a challenge some days. She has 8 teeth so far. She's still on 2 naps per day, and I don't think she'll be ready to transition to 1 nap per day for at least another month or so.

The Mommy Cling also starting about 2 months ago. Some days I spend carrying her around the majority of the day. She loves Tommy, but right now she's all about me. She'll even cry hysterically when Tommy takes her, but once she doesn't see me and starts playing with Tommy she's fine. Tommy is eagerly awaiting the Daddy Cling stage. It really does make him sad that it's all about me, but he'll have his time. Besides, when M's a teenager, she probably won't talk to me for 5 years. Ha.

We are on the go all day long. She keeps me fit and active. We go shopping, to Mommy and Me class, and to the park every week, and try to see friends and family when possible. We try to get out of the house everyday...even if it's just a trip to Target. She LOVES her Mommy and Me class. We started it around 10 months, and she's been long it ever since. It's pricey, but it's good for her, so we'll continue it as long as we can. We also try to do playdates, but those are complicated to do these days working around nap schedules. Oh, and music. My goodness this child is obsessed with music. We play music and dance all day long. And when I say "we" I mean the both of us. She loves to dance. I wonder where she got that from?

I absolutely love being a stay at home Mom. Though, it has it's challenges. Sometimes, I think my 60 hour per work weeks were a piece of cake compared to being a SAHM, but I'm certainly not complaining. I know I'm lucky to be able to stay home, and it's what we want as a family. I laugh at myself when I thought I'd be able to have time to "work from home part time." Sure, I could, but I wouldn't be going to bed until after Midnight. I guess I'd assume I'd have a ton of downtime, when that's certainly not the case at all, quite the opposite. But, it's fun. I love it. Again, not complaining.

I posted last year that we'd be going to Florida for our good friend's wedding (we were both asked to be in the wedding), however, we aren't going to be able to make it, and that's okay. They totally understand. However, we are throwing them a coed bridal shower next month, so that will be fun.

Speaking of travelling. We are going to attempt our first "family vacation" next Summer. We'd love to take Madeline to the beach. We had gracious offers this year, but there was too much going on. So, sometime next year we are going to try to go to Destin. We are also going to try to make a trip down to Texas to visit family, however, that trip is a little more difficult to plan. But, nonetheless, we will try our best, but no promises just yet.

I don't want to make this post too pic heavy, so I've randomly picked a few photos. Photos are challenging to get these days due to a running toddler. I have told myself I have to go try to take more photos. The birthday photos were taken by Bran and Michelle.

Birthday Girl

Very Excited Birthday Girl

13 Months

Nana, Madeline, and Myself

Outdoor Fun

Me and Tommy

Thankfully, the weather is starting to cool off a bit. We were able to go to the zoo with Ray-Ray, go to the park, and play outdoors at Gammy's and Poppy's recently. When it's nice we try to play in the backyard as much as possible, too. Next year, we are planning on getting Madeline an outdoor playhouse and cedar swing set.

I am soooooo excited for Fall and the holiday season to begin. Christmas this year is going to be so much fun. I cannot wait.

Okay, so I guess I'm done rambling for now. I am going to try my best to update twice per week. We shall see if that actually sticks. :)

Christmas and More

So I lied...I haven't been great at updating, but I have been extremely, extremely busy. Of course I'll start my post about Madeline. We are definitely going through a "stage." A stage of screaming rampages. I even took her BACK to the doctor last weekend to make sure she didn't have an ear infection...she's perfectly healthy....AGAIN. I'm sure our pediatrician thinks I'm totally OTT. But, I'd rather be safe than sorry. The screaming rampages are getting better now. They're only happening when we are trying to put her down for a nap. For about 10 days, it was ALL day long. So, perhaps this little stage is about to end?!?! And naps are lasting only 15 minutes long. We are getting much of a break!

Other than that, she's been just adorable. She's mastered tummy time, found a new octave in coos, laughing daily, grabbing more, etc. She has rolled over a few times in the past week, but I'm not going to really count them until she's doing it consistently. All the smiles and laughs just melt my heart. I've got her on a new nighttime schedule. We're attempting to go to bed at 8:30pm...which means I'm also having to go to bed early. I'm hoping she'll start going 12 hours at night instead of the 10 I've been getting. Although, I'm not sure that's going to take. But, I'll try it out!

She is still in newborn clothing, but she's outgrowing the legs! So, I'm going to have to transition her to 0-3 months even though they are huge elsewhere. Poor girl!

I think I also might attempt rice cereal this weekend. She's been wanting to eat more, and I don't think it's a growth spurt, but rather her tummy just not being satisfied by the thin Alimentum formula. I ordered a pro biotic blend, so I'm hoping she doesn't have any issues with it. I'll start giving her a bowl (not bottle, no longer recommended), at dinner. Which means, we get to set her high chair up!

We had a great Christmas with both of our families and Madeline did very well. I didn't realize how much work it really is to do Christmas Day dinner, but wow, I'm still exhausted. And, my family cooked the majority of the food. We had enough to feed around 40, instead of the 10 of us here. Madeline received tons of cute stuff!

I'm not going to do a year end review this year since, well, we didn't do much. I was pregnant, had Madeline, and that's about it. Of course, it was the most significant year or our lives. We are so blessed to have such a precious little angel.

Not much is in store for 2013. We are both in a friend's Florida wedding in October, and we are hoping to make it into a vacation. Madeline will not be in attendance, but staying with my parents. It's too much to travel with a baby...with everything you have to bring, rent, etc. Plus, additional expenses. For us, at least. Tommy and I have both agreed that we won't be taking Madeline on any trips within the next year. We have family that we'd love to see, but for the majority of them, it's easier for them to fly up here then us going down. I think some people underestimate how difficult it is to drive/fly with a non-easy going baby, too. So, it's just not even an option at this point. Gosh, it's an obstacle for me just to take her to the pediatrician or up the street to Target! I'm sure the small outings will get better in the next couple of months, though. I can't imagine a trip. So that's that, and hopefully everyone (as I'm sure they will) will be understanding and respectful.

Okay, enough blabber. Here's the photos:

Pooped with Poppy

I love my Sophie the Giraffe who we have renamed "Jo-Jo"

I no longer need a pillow!

Gammy and Poppy