P.S. Lots of catching up on blog posts/milestones/thoughts to come...beware:)
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Home With My Princess
Well...I finally did it! I FINALLY listened to what I felt God molding my heart to do for quite some time....I decided to stay at home with my boo boo and cut back from work. I never thought I would want to quit working, but it's amazing how my heart changed after this little angel came in to my life. I no longer am finding my identity in how much income I can make or determining my success based off how many clients I can juggle at one time. I've realized that while working obviously isn't bad at all, it just wasn't what our family needed the most for this window of time in our lives. I will still work some nights and weekends, but overall, my attention can finally be where I felt God was wanting it...right at Vance Rd. Norah with probably be sick of arts-and-crafts, made-up dances, and failed baking projects, but I'm still hoping she'll be as happy with me at home as my heart is already. Here's to our new journey together!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
11 Months!
11 Months Old??? HOW???
Wow! Everyone told me to enjoy every minute because time with babies just FLIES by, but what they didn't tell me was that it flies by at jet-type, super-sonic speed! Maybe it's because you're so busy learning, doing, cleaning, wiping, and feeding. Or maybe it's just because you're having so much stinkin' fun that it breezes by like the weekends. Either way, I all of a sudden wish there was just a pause button in life. If there were, I would push it...now! This is SUCH a fun stage with my sweet angel. I feel like she honestly just likes me by the random slobbery kisses that I get quite often or the way she laughs so hard at me/with me non-stop. She's very independent and will easily play by herself, but not too independent that mommy's begging her to come and play. Here's what's happened in this past month:
Wow! Everyone told me to enjoy every minute because time with babies just FLIES by, but what they didn't tell me was that it flies by at jet-type, super-sonic speed! Maybe it's because you're so busy learning, doing, cleaning, wiping, and feeding. Or maybe it's just because you're having so much stinkin' fun that it breezes by like the weekends. Either way, I all of a sudden wish there was just a pause button in life. If there were, I would push it...now! This is SUCH a fun stage with my sweet angel. I feel like she honestly just likes me by the random slobbery kisses that I get quite often or the way she laughs so hard at me/with me non-stop. She's very independent and will easily play by herself, but not too independent that mommy's begging her to come and play. Here's what's happened in this past month:
- Walking has begun! Not on her own just yet, but if pushing her favorite cart, you better get out of the way!
- Today she actually moved my hand off her bottle; apparently she now wants to hold it herself
- Signing "more please" and "all done" are now perfected...time to move on to bigger and better things
- Sharing! They joy Norah has on her face when she's trying her best to get you to take (and EAT!) the half-chewed apple she's pulled from her mouth is priceless. I can tell it brings her such joy to be able to share something with me. Every morning the first thing she does when I go in to get her from her crib is to hand me her monkey (her monkey blanket to clarify:) She literally will not let me pick her up unless I first receive my token of love! Ahhh, no wonder I never want to leave in the mornings! If only we were all so giving??? Anyways, let's move on...
- Foods-After I recently spent half a Sunday pureeing all of her veggies for the next month, Norah decided that she no longer will eat pureed food. It's a thing of having to feed herself, so only solids will do. Can I interest you in any liquid peas or sweet potatoes?
- Favorite word? "ut-oh!" Non-stop!
As we draw close to Thanksgiving, I am so thankful that the times of sleepless nights and unexplained crying hours flew by, but would be ever so grateful if now time would just stand still.
"Happy 11-Month Birthday to my littlest friend! You bring me more joy than I thought my heart was made for!" - Mommy
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Copy Cat
My Little Shadow
Wow! The coolest, simplest thing happened today! I was on the phone with mom, working out my legs, and having play-time with Norah (I used to think this was the definition of multi-tasking, but now feel like I could have easily been folding laundry at the same time..what was I thinking???)..anywho...so as I was holding on to the side of my lingerie chest doing my back-leg-kicks with my stretchy-leg-kicking band, I see Norah crawl over to the bureau and pull her little self up. No big deal right? She has been pulling up for a while now. BUT THEN! She begins kicking her little leg back mimicking me just perfectly. Ok, so maybe it seems as though I've completely over-hyped this situation (me? no way:) but to me, this was majorly monumental. I know she's comprehending the Copy Cat Concept by repeating sounds that I make and dancing on-que, but I realized that she truly watches mommy, even when I don't intend for her to. Immediately, reality sank in that for the next 18 + years, I will be this sweet little princess's closest example for much more that how to tone her thighs. Right then and there I prayed that I would not let her or God down, but to try my very best to be an example for her to become the girl, friend, daughter, sister, future wife, and one day mother herself that I dream and am confident she will be.
Wow! The coolest, simplest thing happened today! I was on the phone with mom, working out my legs, and having play-time with Norah (I used to think this was the definition of multi-tasking, but now feel like I could have easily been folding laundry at the same time..what was I thinking???)..anywho...so as I was holding on to the side of my lingerie chest doing my back-leg-kicks with my stretchy-leg-kicking band, I see Norah crawl over to the bureau and pull her little self up. No big deal right? She has been pulling up for a while now. BUT THEN! She begins kicking her little leg back mimicking me just perfectly. Ok, so maybe it seems as though I've completely over-hyped this situation (me? no way:) but to me, this was majorly monumental. I know she's comprehending the Copy Cat Concept by repeating sounds that I make and dancing on-que, but I realized that she truly watches mommy, even when I don't intend for her to. Immediately, reality sank in that for the next 18 + years, I will be this sweet little princess's closest example for much more that how to tone her thighs. Right then and there I prayed that I would not let her or God down, but to try my very best to be an example for her to become the girl, friend, daughter, sister, future wife, and one day mother herself that I dream and am confident she will be.
Monday, August 27, 2012
8 MONTHS
8 Months!
My goodness...how the time is flying by! How is it that I'm just now writing this post and N is almost NINE months already? Oh well, no need to fret...we've been busy playing, teaching, learning, feeding, changing, etc. etc, but mostly just falling more and more in love:) But here I sit with a warm cup of coffee and will not get up until complete!
Let's reflect....
8 months + 1 week = N crawled for the first time!
Things that make her happy: Daddy, Weezie, food of any kind, keys (anything metal or shiny), phones, shoes, riding the "horsey" aka Poppy's back, pulling herself up, the pool, tags, bunny slippers, and baths
Things that make her not so happy: her car seat, changing her diaper, waiting for food, being hot, loud noises, us going in her room before she's ready for us (loves her independent time), and mommy talking on the phone during play time
Surprisingly: Currently wears 18-24 months clothes, had her first haircut, said "da-da"
My goodness...how the time is flying by! How is it that I'm just now writing this post and N is almost NINE months already? Oh well, no need to fret...we've been busy playing, teaching, learning, feeding, changing, etc. etc, but mostly just falling more and more in love:) But here I sit with a warm cup of coffee and will not get up until complete!
Let's reflect....
8 months + 1 week = N crawled for the first time!
Things that make her happy: Daddy, Weezie, food of any kind, keys (anything metal or shiny), phones, shoes, riding the "horsey" aka Poppy's back, pulling herself up, the pool, tags, bunny slippers, and baths
Things that make her not so happy: her car seat, changing her diaper, waiting for food, being hot, loud noises, us going in her room before she's ready for us (loves her independent time), and mommy talking on the phone during play time
Surprisingly: Currently wears 18-24 months clothes, had her first haircut, said "da-da"
Overall, this is a very easy time as far as scheduling and predictability. Now that Norah is mobile, we definitely have to be more on our toes, but it's so exciting to see her explore the world around her on her own. Happy 8 month birthday Norah!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
6 Months!
Happy Half Birthday!
It's hard to believe that N is now 6 months old! This age is just SO much fun...so much interaction! We've worked really hard over the past six months to establish good habits and schedules, so now the's more time to spend really enjoying having her around. We've settled in to our little routine of naps, the foods she eats, and the perfect way to fold her diaper. We've learned the songs to sing to calm her down, her perfect sleeping temperature (yes it's true!), and that the sun will always wake her if not properly blocked out. We've discovered that she giggles non-stop when she's sleepy, that her belly doesn't like bananas and avocados, and that she's really good at feeding herself. She's learned that she can now sit up by herself and that her most prized possessions are are books and one of her plaid shoes (can't explain it!), her 3' round blow-up pool (ends up being a make-shift "bath" most days, bubbles, sweet potatoes, her toes and her high-chair. Happy half birthday sweet girl! Excited for the next six months and all that they will bring.
It's hard to believe that N is now 6 months old! This age is just SO much fun...so much interaction! We've worked really hard over the past six months to establish good habits and schedules, so now the's more time to spend really enjoying having her around. We've settled in to our little routine of naps, the foods she eats, and the perfect way to fold her diaper. We've learned the songs to sing to calm her down, her perfect sleeping temperature (yes it's true!), and that the sun will always wake her if not properly blocked out. We've discovered that she giggles non-stop when she's sleepy, that her belly doesn't like bananas and avocados, and that she's really good at feeding herself. She's learned that she can now sit up by herself and that her most prized possessions are are books and one of her plaid shoes (can't explain it!), her 3' round blow-up pool (ends up being a make-shift "bath" most days, bubbles, sweet potatoes, her toes and her high-chair. Happy half birthday sweet girl! Excited for the next six months and all that they will bring.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Weaning
So the MD's have informed me that I need to back off the nursing a bit. Apparently, Norah is REALLY big (the size of an average 1 year old) and I, well, not so large, so it's really taking a toll on my body. I've started sensing that she was needing more than I was producing anyways, so after many days of deliberation, I have finally come to terms with this whole idea of weaning with still nursing at night. Why is this such a hard thing to wrap my brain around? It seems like only yesterday that I was in tears while nursing, praying that it would be over soon, and asking for reminders daily of why "breast is best." Maybe it's because milk is the last thing Norah truly needs from me to grow, after 37.5 weeks safe in my belly. Perhaps it's because of the way she looks up at me and plays with my hair that I'm afraid I'll miss. The fact that we realized just how expensive formula was (approx. $30 every 5 days!) makes it a bit more discouraging. Or maybe it's the guilt I feel thinking about how God blessed me with enough milk to feed a small daycare and then giving that up...who knows, but I know it's time. Maybe I could have made it to my goal of a year if she wasn't such a porker, but I'm glad she is and I'm glad I did for the past 6 months. When Josh gave her the bottle yesterday with half milk/half formula, she cried and refused it. It took me still snuggling her in my arms to convince her to chug it. I'm not going to lie, a small part of me appreciated that response! But with a few more tries, she's now used to the variety and I've started to focus on the fact that now Josh can experience the joy of feeding our sweet girl, I'm free to be out longer than two hours max, and I do get to see her sweet face while she drinks up. So maybe weaning isn't just all about getting baby off boob; maybe it's also the first steps of weaning mommy to the idea of baby growing up! Either way, it's a process.
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So the MD's have informed me that I need to back off the nursing a bit. Apparently, Norah is REALLY big (the size of an average 1 year old) and I, well, not so large, so it's really taking a toll on my body. I've started sensing that she was needing more than I was producing anyways, so after many days of deliberation, I have finally come to terms with this whole idea of weaning with still nursing at night. Why is this such a hard thing to wrap my brain around? It seems like only yesterday that I was in tears while nursing, praying that it would be over soon, and asking for reminders daily of why "breast is best." Maybe it's because milk is the last thing Norah truly needs from me to grow, after 37.5 weeks safe in my belly. Perhaps it's because of the way she looks up at me and plays with my hair that I'm afraid I'll miss. The fact that we realized just how expensive formula was (approx. $30 every 5 days!) makes it a bit more discouraging. Or maybe it's the guilt I feel thinking about how God blessed me with enough milk to feed a small daycare and then giving that up...who knows, but I know it's time. Maybe I could have made it to my goal of a year if she wasn't such a porker, but I'm glad she is and I'm glad I did for the past 6 months. When Josh gave her the bottle yesterday with half milk/half formula, she cried and refused it. It took me still snuggling her in my arms to convince her to chug it. I'm not going to lie, a small part of me appreciated that response! But with a few more tries, she's now used to the variety and I've started to focus on the fact that now Josh can experience the joy of feeding our sweet girl, I'm free to be out longer than two hours max, and I do get to see her sweet face while she drinks up. So maybe weaning isn't just all about getting baby off boob; maybe it's also the first steps of weaning mommy to the idea of baby growing up! Either way, it's a process.
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Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mothers' Day
"Men become daddy's upon birth, mommies are born upon conception"
Last year we told our families we were pregnant for Mothers' Day...I could have never imagined how different life would be by this year's holiday. It's funny, I don't sit back and think of myself as a mother, but reflecting on today, I do realize how much the experience has taught me.
Becoming a mommy has taught me true, true unconditional love, that (despite what I thought to be true) I actually can function on little or no sleep, and that motherly instincts are freakishly accurate if you'll just learn to trust them. I've learned to change a diaper in under 30 seconds flat, to be completely refreshed just from a single "Norah smile", that sitting and "playing" is more important than the load of laundry needing to be folded, and the sense of being truly needed. I finally "get" how much and how complete my mother loves me and most importantly, I've caught just a glimpse of just how much my Savior must care for me. I can't fathom the thought of sending my sweet girl to die for the sins of others. WOW!
Thank you to my grandmothers for the legacy you left, to my mother-in-law for the amazing man you raised, to my mom for the mom you are and the example you gave me, and thank you to Norah for making me feel that a beautiful piece of my life just began the day you were born. I am so honored to be your mommy!
Happy mothers day to all!
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