This Week in Mommyhood

She’s saying “Get me out of here, Mom!”..a new thing that I could do without :)

My new amazing plan? To try and note my observations in mommyhood each week and jot some down on a (semi) regular basis. Any of you new mommy friends may appreciate these tidbits (though your baby could be totally different and most likely will be!) and those experienced ones may get a good kick out of walking down memory lane. I present to you:

-Babies DO suffer from allergies! I heard it straight from a doctor’s mouth (well, Julie did and then told me). It’s so obvious and when you read that babies don’t get allergies til after 12 months it makes you so PO’ed ‘cause why else is my little one draining buckets from her nose and rubbing her eyes when she’s not tired?! Gotta love my Little Noses…and I didn’t know you were supposed to only suction 3-4 times a day for noses?? I read that when she was little and suffering from her 1st runny nose (a terrible time for a new mommy!). I totally ignored it and suctioned like crazy to keep my little girl happy and eating well. She survived. Phew! Now we’re good for 3-4 a day since she knows how to breath better when the guck is around. She’s so smart :)

-Not all diapers are created equal for boys and girls (this is NOT a new observation but I felt like I should pass on the word). Why the companies don’t just get together and make ones specific for each gender and just give it up, I don’t know. My choice? Pampers 100%. Best for boys?? Huggies! Also, Babies R Us brand? Not cool at all for girls but I’ve heard boys do great with them. B explodes almost daily at Carmen’s when she’s using them. Thank goodness she’s almost made it through this box. Never again. Target is supposed to be great for boys, too. Girls generic?? I’ve heard Sams brand is a lot like Pampers…we’ll see…stickin’ with Pampers for now. New mommies?? The swaddlers are THE BEST!!! I love me that little yellow line that turns green when its soiled :). You’ll love it too! They’re also so darn soft. You don’t want to put any of those other crinkly ones on your little angel’s tush while they’re still so fragile to you!

-B used to LOVE our outside walks around the neighborhood before bath time. Boo…she’s starting to turn on me. She’s cool with the walk if I take her out of the stroller (not letting that plan last long), but if not she only lasts for about 25 minutes. Better than nothing, but not ideal. We’re thinking about adding toys to the thing to keep her entertained?? Ideas??

I’d better stop for now before this blog gets out of control. More to come in the future! There’s so many things to observe. I love it!

Denton Arts and Jazz Weekend!

 

What a wonderful weekend we were gifted, eh? We got some nice rain for the flowers and yard on Friday night (and I got some good rest as Jonathan had a late night gig both Friday and Saturday) and then awesome weather on both Saturday and Sunday. Thank goodness because we were so excited about going to the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival. Though it seems so many other events are always planned for this last weekend in April (we had to miss a birthday party and another outdoor festival I would love to attend – Munster Germanfest), we wouldn’t miss this one for anything. Again, thank goodness the weather worked out! Our original plan was to get a sitter for Friday so I could see Jonathan’s MS Jazz Band play at 6pm and then we could stay to see Chic Corea (so cool), but when the weather wasn’t working out and I was not feeling well (allergies…boo!) we canned it. We woke up early and arrived in D-town by 10:30am to get things started. Here are some of my favorite pics from Saturday:

B chillin’ on our picnic blanket (we always bring a cooler with beverages and snacks but make sure to buy stuff, too, so the festival can stay free!) with Jason and Paul….fellow trombones of course…we had just finished watching Jason conduct his UNT “U-Tubes” Jazz Trombone group. So cool!

She was so sleepy but didn’t want to be anywhere but in Mommy’s arms. I was okay with that :). I think she just wanted to soak up as much sun as possible and enjoy the outdoors.

Check out her Salty Dog onesie! Of course, the festival was the perfect place to unveil this tie-dye masterpiece. We can’t wait to go back to Hilton Head summer of next year to introduce her to our favorite t-shirt shop!

Again, she was so tired but didn’t want to miss a bit. No fussiness at all! Here she is with Daddy getting ready to watch Mandy sing with Musical Theater of Denton for their “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” preview. We’re going to go see the show next month!

Mandy and Michael getting snuggles from Bridget before we leave :)

 

Since Jonathan had to go out to McKinney to run an errand at the Subaru dealership, we HAD to stop by and see the McCauleys! We ended up having a delightful little picnic of burgers in their backyard and the girls loved it. Seriously, B loves few things more than the outdoors (I can think of one….Penny, of course). Here they are, smiles and all! Love them….

Notice B is wearing her back-up tie-dye outfit I brought for the day? Did I also point out that Jonathan is wearing tie-dye, too? I opted out this year...maybe next year...hehehehe

This last one is the best! They look so stinkin’ cute, I swear. Love me some playdates!

Whee….free!

 

I’ve been wanting to get a grocery cart cover for a while since its something we never received off our registry. Main problem? I’m cheap. Second problem? I tend to have a hard time making a decision when faced with too many options. I often find myself impossible to satisfy because I always think there’s a better option somewhere else. Thank goodness a former teacher from my school offered me her old cover and its way cuter than the ones I saw at the baby stores. And its free!!! Bridget loves the little matching pillow that came with it (and the free toy that was attached and Becky just said we could keep) some she can lounge in the cart while I’m shopping.

 

She’s the cutest!

Take a look...its in a book!

Our first trip to Barnes and Noble with Bridget! Why has it been so long since we've gone, you ask? Well, we simply forgot how fun it is. I can't wait for summertime when we can start going to storytime (well, at least "try" storytime). We tried B in the stroller and she was into it for a bit but the whole "stranger anxiety" phase (see earlier blog about seeing friends) reared its ugly head here, too. I locked eyes with her, smiled and proceeded to ask a question of the B&N cashier and after about 1 minute....ALARM!!!!!!....as soon as I went down to her to shhh a little, she was fine. Ugh. Happened again about 20 minutes later when a little girl tried to come talk to her. Ah, growing babies. Love every minute?? Why, yes I do!

Why do pics do this sometimes?

Why, why, why?? Annoying...time to go investigate the website Meredith sent...long overdue...

Love seein' friends!

Though the end of the school year is so busy already, I've been trying to find time to hang out with my mommy friends to help me escape my "funk" that has been lingering of late. In the last week or so, we've been lucky enough to see Jill, Julie, Juli and Lydia...meaning...we got to play with Alexandra, Abby, Sofia, and Oliver! Yay! Friend time was important before my little bundle arrived, but man do I realize how important it is now. Its so much easier to just be home and not have to worry about packing a diaper bag and blah, blah, blah...but staying is (semi, at least) regular contact with my lovelies is healthy for my heart and I need to keep it at its fittest in order to keep up with all the love I give (and get from!) Bridget. I'm like the Grinch...in the "heart kept growing and growing" sense, not the "one speck of food he left in the house was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse" sense :)


Such a fun Pi Phi playdate with Lydia/Oliver and Julie/Abby...Lydia brought both of my favorites: her DELICIOUS cookies and broccoli salad (that I devoured at least 1/2)



Happy hour at Nico's Cocina with another Juli friend and her gorgeous daughter Sofia. Sofia is entering the tantrum stage, so when she first screamed she must have scared B because B freaked. Then Sofia freaked. Then B freaked. I'm sure they loved us at the restaurant, but hey...when Mommy needs a margarita, not much can stop her!




Abby and B doing what they do best :)




Getting great giggles from Jill! It was on this visit that I officially decided B was entering the "stranger anxiety" phase...not my favorite phase thus far...maybe more unpleasant than our teething experience to this point :( but thankfully she warms up after a few minutes!



Mandy's not a mommy yet (maybe in a year or so???!!! we hope!) but I'm so glad we finally got to go visit her in Denton...and go to my favorite Denton spot: Sweetwater! Plus, can Bridget's face be any more hilarious in this picture?! One of my new favorites of her :)

Praying...thinking...hoping...whatever you do helps!

I am very saddened by the news that a dear friend is in very poor healthy of late. Precious Sandra recently entered the hospital due to erratic behavior (I'd explain, but it takes too long) and the doctors found a "mass" in her brain that needed further exploration to determine both the cause and the way to move forward. I wish I had all the news but I won't know a lot more until Thursday night when I meet with my lovely lady friends again. What I know now is that, though she hasn't officially mentioned her "cancer" (she is a breast cancer survivor), she will enter both radiation and chemotherapy as soon as possible.

This news breaks my heart because Sandra is one of the most beautiful beings on the planet and was truly a light in my life as soon as I was blessed for her to enter it. I think maybe she is so much like all of my favorite things about my own mother (who I am so much alike)...Who knows why some people just "click" with you more than some others, but Sandra was certainly someone that I "clicked" with right away. She was a welcoming presence to me when I was invited to join a Pokeno group by some of my favorite friends from school (I'm pretty exclusive when it comes to work friends, and these two are very special to me...you know who you are!) and a few months after my first Pokeno date I joined her in the Komen Walk at Northpark Mall and we really bonded our friendship. It's time like these that always make me question faith, but its in these moments that faith is most important. That's just what it is...faith...please use yours to pray for my lovely friend and the difficult journey she has ahead of her. For her, its not a new path for she has conquered it once already, which makes it all the more scary for the rest of us. I look forward to a hug from her on Thursday :).

Here's a pic of some of my Pokeno peeps on our Granbury weekend last year. Sandra is on the far right. Such a special light in my life :)

Creepy Crawly

Well, my little one is in a hurry to grow up. It's the honest truth. She slept through the night early, weaned herself from breastfeeding early, started teething early, rolled over early, and now she's just about figured out crawling. Boo hoo hoo for Mommy, that's all I have to say. I'm really going to need to get used to the fact that she is going to grow up before my eyes or I'm going to be depressed all the time about it!!! Its just a daily reminder of why its so important to cherish every moment (or in my case, take a picture of every moment) and live each day to its fullest. Yes, its bittersweet, but of all the things I have control over in my life, time is just not one of them...dammit...:)

The Whites, Darks, Delicates, and Adamos

Snuggle Soft Noodle!


Since we still use my grandmother's washer and dryer (ya'll, these things are VERY close to looking cool again for being antique-y...that's how old they are) and they are both small and temperamental, we take our king-size comforter and white quilt to the laundromat to clean them periodically. This weekend, B and I dropped off Jonathan at the laundromat as we went on to Wal-Mart to score some more super cute (and cheap) flower pots that they had on sale. I already bought 2 and I had to go back and get 2 more before they were all gone! But I digress...

When we went back to get "Daddy" and helped him finish up the folding. Its always interesting to go to this place because they one we usually end up at is straight out of Mexico. All the signs are in Spanish. Everyone is super friendly and there are smiling kids running around everywhere! A new coin laundry opened right around the bend from our place and we tried going there but it was PACKED with other people washing their king-size stuff so we can back to the old standard. Of course they had plenty of large wash machines open for us :). Ahh....

Better late than never!

-sits up for as long as she wants
-favorite phrase: "blah blah da da"
-squeals/squeaks/gasps/screams when she sees Penny in the am...after school...after bath...after bottle...etc, etc, etc
-wears mostly 9 month clothes if an inseam is involved (dresses can still be 6 or even 3-6 so you know mommy is loving that!)
-two fully erupted bottom, front teeth (they hurt!)
-loves filling and emptying water cups during bath time
-recognizes her favorite songs that mommy sings (pop, goes the weasel is still her favorite!)
-LOVES tv and no matter what we try to do, she looks for it (even when its off!)
-eats all fruits and veggies (avocado, applesauce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and prunes are favorites)
-can move herself in a full 360 circle on the floor (her way of crawling so far)
-sits up fully in her stroller
-no longer fits well in the baby bjorn...tear...
-was baptized :)

I could go on and on. Love her so much!!!!

New adventures!

I can't believe how many new things Bridget is doing each day. When she was only weeks old or a few months old, I thought she grew fast...man, I did not know what was coming. It makes me so proud to watch her embrace a new ability (and I think it makes her proud, too!) but it also makes me tear up a little. I want my little one to stay little forever!!! Certainly obvious why people keep having more babies, that's for sure. I'm already ready for another one! :) Don't get any ideas...none coming soon..

She's now 7 months going on 15, I'll tell you! Rolling wasn't enough. She's ready to crawl. Not only does she drool buckets and has for 4 months, she has two big (and sharp!) teeth on the bottom row and it working on her top two already. So sad! She sits perfectly and loves the height. She's ready to stand!

Slow down already, girl. Please!!!

Hoppy Easter!

How I wish my blog would load pictures easier. I get pretty annoyed when I have to constantly copy and paste the html crap. It didn't used to do that, but somewhere along the line it happened. Blah! If you know how to fix it, let me know....

Regardless, here's a summary of Bridget's 1st Easter!


Daddy was on his way out to his Easter gig at First Presby Downtown. We're so thankful each season for that phone call! Bridgey woke up to some fun Easter goodies and had a big smile, to boot! Man is she one happy baby when she starts a new day. It never gets old! I love it! We've recently started bringing Penny in to help wake her up...they both think its the cat's meow :)

Pop and Grammy take me and B to Christ the King for Easter Mass. It was madness! That place is in high demand on "the big 3"...Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, and Easter. I think Easter may be the biggest crowd of all. We love people watching and seeing all the blue hairs in their gorgeous, spring hats. So much fun!




B was ready for her morning nap and was not in the mood to sit quietly in her pew, so she and I played outside within hearing distance of the service. She LOVES being outside!!!! What a trooper she was. And hour late for her nap and no crying. Love her!


Sadly (and uncharacteristically), I stopped taking pics after this point in the day. I was so exhausted! Hosting a surprise party on Friday, cleaning and lunching with friends on Saturday and then full Easter with a fussy, fevery baby means very tired mommy. At least I have the memories in my head!

The rest of our day?

8am Pop and Grammy's
9am Christ the King
11am Bridgey nap/Mimosas on the porch with my Mom and Dad
12:30 Jonathan arrives and wakes up B
2pm O'Dwyer family (my dad's extended) party complete with golf tourney in backyard
5pm Arrive in Plano for Adamo family Easter dinner
8pm Home and put B in bed
10:30 zzzzzz

Here's a beautiful pic or two of B from her photo shoot at the Arboretum over Spring Break. She's such a baby model :)

Crossroads

Soon enough, I'm sure I'll be blogging about how I came to wave goodbye to this funk I've been in for a few months now. Don't get me wrong, my life is glorious and I'm so thrilled to have my precious angel and my loving husband. However, I just haven't felt as "happy" as I prefer recently and I think maybe its time for a change. Job? Maybe. That's one of the only things that's really within my power to change. I love my job teaching and I REALLY love the students at my school. I don't think changing campuses would do the trick but something that to happen. Weight and body image? Same answer. That's DEFINITELY going to change. I'm so pumped about my 3-Day walk for so many reasons, and personal health is near the top of that list.

These days, the world we live in has been in extreme financial troubles and we have not been immune to this. We're making it fine, but without a change I fear things aren't necessarily going to get any better. I'm just tired of swimming in the same deep end with no shallow waters in sight. Thankfully, I'm a good swimmer! But, hey...even the best get tired sometimes.

As I mentioned, I hope to blog in the next coming months about changes for the better. I remember to think about all of my numerous blessings everyday and will continue to do so as I work through this period. Ah, the woes of being a grown-up. I think I'll go peek in on my little noodle and give her a little snuggle. That always perks me up....always....

What a week......

Man, just when I thought I'd mostly come "back to normal" after giving birth the latest step slapped me in the face. Without being too upfront, I'll tell you what I mean. So, it takes a while for us mommies to get our regular cycle back, right? Understandable after what we put that region through for a good year, what with pregnancy and delivery and all. I thought I'd mostly made it back to a reliable schedule and since I'd stopped breastfeeding last month, I also got to switch to a regular birth control prescription (while breastfeeding, mommies have to take a special type of pill that's safe for baby, too). MAN! Let me just tell you...I've had 3 visits from Aunt Flo in the last 5 weeks! Seriously people, I think I need a blood transfusion or something.

I go through bouts of extreme weakness that just comes upon me with no warning. Though I'm trying to keep enough water in me, I guess I'm just not eating the right foods or something. I must need more iron! The silver lining? I haven't had to take any worry-induced pregnancy tests in the last 2 months (yes, I have taken them...I think I have a fear of getting pregnant again. I'd LOVE another little one, don't get me wrong, but there's no way we could afford one right now).

Well, battery is low on the laptop and I don't feel like pulling it in...I'll be back, people :).

Happy Easter, just in case I run out of time for more posts before then!