9 things I've learned in my 1st year of parenting

It's been quite a while since my last post.  Since then, I've been to NYC, Michael has been to Mexico, and  E's 1st birthday has passed.

With her 1st birthday being in the books, I thought I might take a moment to reflect on the things that I've learned as a first time parent.  There are obviously TONS of things,  some more important than others, so I'll just give a quick rundown of things I am amazed by: 

1) how long I can go without a shower/washing my hair, and yet not care.  Suddenly, making sure that Edie is taken care of, groceries are bought, dinner is made, dishes are done, etc. just seems to take up more time. That being said...

2) how comfortable a pair of yoga pants can be...this is truly the mom uniform for me.  Don't be confused...I did NOT just come from the gym.  I came from home. Where I also did not shower. 

3) how strong I am.  Seriously, have you tried carrying a baby (15lbs), a diaper bag (10+lbs), groceries (?), and a diet coke?  Up stairs?  It's amazing.  It really is some sort of super-human strength that automatically comes with being a mom.  Hopefully, it also tones my arms a bit.

4) how many toys have crept into the house.  Seriously!?? Where did all this stuff come from!?? 

5) how slightly crazy I can get over certain things.  Example:  her birthday party. I honestly don't think I ended up being as crazy as I thought I would be.  But, I did have my husband build a lemonade stand.  Butttttt, the fondant "1" on top of her cake did fall down (....could have been my fault) before all the guests arrived, and I didn't freak out.  Also, the party was outside & right after the smash cake, it came a small monsoon.  I also didn't freak out about that.  Sooo...gimme some credit on that.  

6) how not crazy I am about certain things. She put a ladybug in her mouth.  And chewed it with her 2 teeth.....ok, get bug out of mouth before she swallows it. And if you can't...then, as my dad would say, "it's protein!"  (I have always gotten bugs out of her mouth.  Please don't think I really let her eat them). Her room is a disaster. Does it get under my skin? Yes.  But, at the same time, she is a kid and she is having fun throwing her stuffed animals across the room. 

7) how different kids are.  Edie has barely any hair, 2 teeth, isn't walking.  But another kid her age might have 10 teeth, braiding her hair, and running in a marathon.  (Ok, not quite).  Edie is still wearing some size 6 month cloths.  She is in the 5th percentile for weight, 50th for height.  She is just little.  But, I guess I never really realized that "babies" were all so different.  What may work for one child may not work for another.  And that is OK! Just keep an open mind that just bc your kid did/said/grew/etc.  doesn't mean that mine will do the same.  

8) how excited she gets when she makes a new discovery/learns something. It's like her eyes just light up!  She even claps for herself.  We should always make sure our children know that we are proud of their accomplishments, even if it is saying  "moo!" when being asked what a cow says.  

9) how I can love a tiny little 17lb girl so stinking much.  People said before i had her, "ohh, you'll never know how much you can love someone til you have a child". And that is so so so true.  It's a completely different feeling. When she doesn't feel good & she just wants to be held.  Or when she gets in trouble (mean daddy!) and wants mommy to hold her.  I go in her room in the morning when she wakes up (btw, it's 9am and she is still asleep), and she just grins ear to ear when she sees me saying "Mama! Mama!"  Best.  Feeling.  Ever.  

Edie eats her first popcorn:

Crazy?

 I'm confessing that I might be a crazy mom.  I've started not PLANNING but just considering her 1st birthday.  

If you think about it, invitations will have to be sent out 3-4 weeks before...which means they have to be ordered a few weeks before that.  Before they are ordered, I have to think about who is invited (think we will just do family)...and to pick out the invites, I have to know the "theme"....See the spiral I'm in? 

I've come up with 2 themes I like.  

1) Summertime.

This would include watermelon, strawberries, lemonade. She would wear a smocked watermelon or strawberry dress, likely. 

2) jungle animals.

She really likes giraffes (read: her mother really likes giraffes).  Seriously, it's like every toy she has is jungle animals. And she LOVES Sophie, that stinking French giraffe.  I've already commissioned a crocheted giraffe from the internet for her birthday ( it's going to be stinking adorable ).  And this would be the smocked dress:  sorry a little fuzzy.  It has a lion, elephant, turtle, and giraffe.  

Is this crazy mom mode??? I don't know! But, I feel like it might be.  

Beauty & the Beast

Before you read too much into this post, I'm just going to say that the "Beauty" is me. :) 

 I hate cliches, but when people tell you that time flies when you have a child, they are not joking.  I always thought those women were crazy when they said that....but I totally get it now.  I just started getting "the hang" of this and Edie is already 6 months old! 

A few details:

1) she has no hair.  None. Little baldy.  I have to make her wear headbands because she has been mistaken for a boy so many times.  

2) she has no teeth.  So many kids her age already have 1-2 teeth.  Poor Edie just gums everything.  She chews everything to bits.  I didn't get teeth til I was 9 months old...so maybe she's just taking after me.

3) she can sort of sit up.  Give her 30 seconds & she's fallen over :) 

4) she has started eating "food".  That's where the title of this post comes from.  You know that scene in beauty and the beast where they sit down at the table and the beast eats from the soup bowl....and Belle looks at him like he's a crazy person for how fast and...disgraceful... He eats?  That's Edie.  It's like she's never been fed before.  She is clawing at the bowl while I am holding it, as if she wants to feed herself. (That ain't happening). Food is going everywhere...and she is as happy as she can be about it.  It's disgusting and adorable all at the same time.

5). She is a tiny thing. She weighs 13 lbs, 10oz.  I hope she takes after her father and has a thin build!!!

6) I'm trying to teach her words.  She mimicks "bye bye" and tries to wave (bc I always wave when I say it).  It could just be my imagination, but I think she is at least.  Michael is upset that she isn't saying more words....according to him, she is "advanced" and should be talking in full sentences and walking around by now! 

7) she has started Crossfit. Just kidding.  She does do push-ups.  :) she lifts herself as far off the ground as she can...then falls to one side or the other...that's her way of rolling over.  

Watching her grow is the most amazing thing!  Seeing her learn new things and get excited about it is so exciting to me.

Xmas

Edie's first Xmas has come and gone!  Crazy to think in 10 days she will be 6 months old!

She really wasn't "aware" of Christmas this year, which is why I didn't want to go all out & get her 

lots of stuff.  Granted, I don't really PLAN on doing that when she is older either.  But, I didn't get her very much this year.  And I'm glad i didn't... Bc everyone else did that for me! 

This is what we gave her:

- Sophie the giraffe teether (non squeaky)

- fisher price puppy that sings, teaches ABCs, colors, etc.

- her high chair (which I was going to buy anyway...)

- her first toothbrush!

That's it.  

But then there are grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, great-aunts, great-uncles, and honorary aunts that showered her with presents!!!

The amount of presents she received is....ridiculous.  We are so thankful.  However, a baby doesn't need that many presents!  Michael was determined that all we would give her would be a box with tissue paper in it.  

So, the first year was a success!  She even wore the Christmas outfit that I wore for MY first Christmas! 

Day 1

Day 1 of being a stay-at-home mommy has officially come and gone.  We were relatively productive yesterday.  

Sadly, I woke up around 5:30am and couldn't get good back to sleep.  So, I snoozed from then until 8:30 when Edie official woke up for the day.  

We did all the normal things - new diapers, medicine, bottle...she played while I tried to start cleaning house.  

Most of you know I'm not a housekeeper.  This is not to say that my house is a disaster all the time...but just that keeping my house spotless isn't my top priority.  If it's, play in the floor with Edie or vacuum the hallway....I'm going with playtime.  I don't judge people on the cleanliness of their home, so I hope they would return that favor.  I also grew up in a spotless home...so, I think I'm still trying to boycott from that! ;) 

But! I have made it a resolution of sorts to try and keep a clean house now that I'm not working.  This happens to work in my favor, as I'm having some people over this week...so, I know it HAS to be done! I've resolved to clean 2 rooms a day.  Yesterday was Edie's room and the dining room...2 easy ones.  So, those were all picked up, clothes put away, dusted, vacuumed, mopped (dining), and  I've started trying to get my Christmas table set in the dining room.  This requires washing and pressing all of the table linens...that part hasn't been done yet.  But, overall I'd say those 2 rooms are clean.

Today, Our room & the spare bedroom.  I just cleaned our room up last week...so, this won't be too difficult.  It's the spare room I'm worried about.  You could seriously get lost in there.  It's not dirty, it's just a catch-all.  Last week, I laundered all the quilts in the house...so, the bed is clean & has new sheets.  But,  what do I do about that pile of "junk" on the dresser?? It's stuff I need to keep, but have no place for.  What do you DO with that stuff?  This room is also where I keep the majority of my craft supplies.  So, scraps of material are shoved in all drawers.  Oy vey! I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about this! 

Ok, enough of that!

I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has been so supportive about me quitting my job.  We may eat SPAM and rice every day for the foreseeable future, but I think it's important for me to be home with Edie during these first few years of her life.  I am not in any way judging those who do have to work, I'm just glad my sweet husband finally caved! :). Never underestimate the power of tears! 

Ok, it's 9:30am and Edie has FINALLY woken up.  Thank you, Lord, for a child that sleeps 11 hours a night! 

Let the cleaning commence! 

Time

Where does time go?  Before I was a parent, you always hear parents say things like, "oh! They grow up so fast! Before you know it he will be 5 years old!"  And that always seemed a little odd to me.  But, I totally get it.  Edie has grown like a weed these last couple of months.  She's doing all kinds of new things!  It's so amazing!

So, first things first.  Edie is 100% out of her Pavlik Harness now.  She is so happy kicking her legs and not having to have that stinking thing on!  We go back to Dr. K the 2nd week in December. She will get X-rays which hopefully will show good bone growth, and then we will be "all clear."  If not, we are looking at having to have more braces on her legs when she is a bit older.  Pray for good results!

Halloween has come and gone.  She was the cutest Cinderella ever.  I did go a bit overboard, but it was for my own amusement.  Who sees a 3 month old in a wig?  It was hilarious. 

I went back to work the beginning of October.  It was the most dreaded day I can remember.  Not that I don't like my job, because I do, but because I had to leave Edie.  So very sad.  She always has the biggest smile on her face when I go to pick her up!  But,  I have put in my resignation at work. My last day will be December 3rd.  And from then on, I will be a stay-at-home mommy!  I know it will be difficult to transition from 2 incomes down to 1, but I have to think being home is what is best for Edie.  The Lord will provide!  

If you are looking for a new job and are skilled in SQL and/or have banking/CU experience... Let me know! :) 

Edie had her 4 month checkup on Tuesday! 4 whole months!!!! She was 11lbs, 10oz and 25 1/4 inches long!  She is growing so fast!  The Dr said he usually let's formula babies start "food" at 4 months, but Edie is still small....he said most babies weigh 13 lbs by 4 months.  Who knew I would have a small child!?!  But, she is healthy!  So, we will probably start rice cereal in December or January.  Again, she's going to start eating FOOD...craziness.

A few weeks ago, she was playing on some blankets on the floor...and rolled over. Just like that.  Boom.  Of course I missed the actual roll...but, I took pics of her anyway.  She has only rolled over that 1 time, but she tries so hard to do it all the time.  You can see her frustration!  She will get it down soon...

She is also teething.  Who knew a human could drool THAT MUCH!?!? She goes through multiple bibs a day.  She chews on EVERYThING!  Her new favorite is Sophie the Giraffe.  The French really know how to make a toy...I fear she will eat Sophie to bits.  So,  we are trying all kinds of teethers to see what she likes best.  My child will have TEETH soon.  What in the world!?

So, she's so sweet and growing so much! It's hard to believe I carried her around for nearly 9 months...and now she's rolling and almost has teeth!  God is good!

My post wouldn't be complete without a shoutout to my dearest friend, Haleybug! Colorodo sure is a long way away.  You should just move back home!  Happy birthday!!!!

Niblet News

First off, I'm sick.  That's right.  I go back to work for 3 whole days and already have to take a day off due to nausea, headache, and a slight fever.  I really wanted to vomit yesterday....and tried.... But, I never could.  I haven't eaten anything in nearly 24 hours.  I'm trying to keep fluids in me.  

I'd like to publicly denounce everyone who works with me.  You people are riddled with germs!!! 

Ok, enough of that.  I have exciting news! 

Edie had her orthopedic appointment last week.  She cried through the whole ultrasound, which she has never done before!  But, they were able to get everything they needed.

In Dr. killians office, he immediately told us  that she looked so much better. We are now in a step down time frame with her brace!! 

This past week, she has been be out of her brace for four hours per day. Today, she starts being out of the brace for eight hours a day. And the two weeks following that she only has to wear it when she sleeps at night. So she will be completely out of the brace by Halloween! I'm excited about that as I'm planning on her being Cinderella for Halloween! Ha ha! (If anyone has a stuffed Gus Gus or Jacques... PLEASE let me borrow it!)

We will go back to see Dr. Killian on December 11. She does not have to have any more ultrasounds. However she will have to start having x-rays.

The main concern at this point is that the bone forms into the joint correctly.  So they will be looking for, I believe he said, calcium deposits on her bones to make sure that they're strong and growing the right way.  If they are, that's wonderful news and she should not have to have any additional treatment.

However if the bone is not growing the right way, there is a chance that she would have to have braces on her legs around the time that she begins to walk. Obviously this is not something that makes me very happy.  But if it is something that we have to do, it isn't the end of the world. All we want is for her to be able to walk correctly.

So, that's my exciting news!  Starting today, out of the brace for 8 hours a day! Yippee!  

Also, thanks to everyone for your kind words about my previous posts.  Happy Wednesday!