Back in an instant

Tonight I was the chosen one to read Della’s bedtime stories, so we had the obligatory rocking session afterward before she got into bed. She had a really full day today, with 2 trips to the park, more outside play at home, and barely an hour nap when she’s usually out for a solid 2 or more. Plus there was a little “in trouble” episode between lunch and her nap, so that added some stress in there.

Long way to say I knew she was very sleepy. Unfortunately she didn’t get to bed as early as I had wanted her to, but maybe she’ll sleep in a little in the morning to make up for it.

As she was settling into her positions while rocking, it happened. She rolled onto her back in my left arm with her right hand on her cheek, and she put her left hand up on my left shoulder. Exactly like she did years ago when I wrote this post.

I was immediately transported back in time to that night. It was even warm then just as it was tonight, because I was wearing a tank top in both episodes. Thinking back it seemed like eons ago, because she still took a bedtime bottle, and little Lana was not even a thought. I watched her face tonight as my mind undertook its time travel, and I was just struck by how utterly amazing children are.

When they’re born it’s impossible to envision who they’re going to be, how they’re going to grow, what path their lives will take, and you become 100% enveloped in their survival. Then one day you get caught at just the right moment and that very first day of their life seems so incredibly far away. And you wonder how in the world did we get here so fast?

That’s why I was so grateful for that one little moment tonight. It was like I was sitting there with both Dellas at exactly the same time – the baby one who inspired me to write that post and the big girl one who is with us now. So beautifully the same and different.

She’s getting so big, it’s unbelievable. At the park today I was astonished at how much she’s grown just since the last time we were there last fall. I glanced over at her at one point and she had scampered all the way up the curved jungle gym bars that used to be way too dangerous for her to tackle alone. I still worry that her foot will slip through and that precious little face will be smashed, but I just stood back and let her go with some words of encouragement. Once she knew she could, she just kept climbing and climbing and climbing.

Della Jolee. She astounds me constantly with her mind – she’s so smart, and her memory is like a steel trap. Granted she only has 2.5 years of crap in there compared to my almost 34, but she remembers things to which I would never even give half a thought. We’ll be reading a book and all of a sudden she has to turn back a few pages or turn back to the cover or title page. And just as I’m about to ask what she’s doing, she’ll say, “see, match”, and she’s totally right. The page we were reading will have the same picture that’s shown on the page to which she turned. I would never in a million years put little things like that together. She pays so much attention.

Now that Lana’s here, I find myself constantly trying to remember what Della was like at each of these baby stages. What she looked like, what she did, how she acted, and for some reason it’s so hard to remember. It wasn’t even that long ago, but I’m just so used to the girl she is today that picturing her in her own baby stages is embarrassingly difficult.

She’s become a fan of saying “I get so big” lately, and she’s so very right. My big girl. 33 months old tomorrow. But still my baby girl in an instant. I don’t think that will ever change.

D

 

 

Summer lovin’

I am beyond thrilled that the weather is finally starting to turn. Huge emphasis on the finally. I swear this winter seemed to never end, no matter what date the calendar read. Having a newborn during those miserable winter months wasn’t the most fun either, but that’s not the point of this post…

This summer is going to be so much fun. Ryan’s place of employment allows them the full calendar year after a baby is born to take parental leave, so he has saved his and will be taking a good portion of June and July off. We get a summer vacation as a family this year! I can’t wait. First up will be a nice long road trip out to Colorado to visit my sisters and meet our brand new nephew, who should be making his appearance sometime in the next couple weeks!! (Marissa, if you’re reading, did you just poop your pants at that thought? 😉 )

But I think I will coin this the summer of music. We have more concerts lined up so far than I think we’ve had in any other season. Check this out:

  • Kenny Chesney & Eric Church at Miller Park in May
  • Tedeschi Trucks Band at Red Rocks in June
  • Violent Femmes & The Avett Brothers at Summerfest in June
  • Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Summerfest in June
  • Rush at Summerfest in July
  • The Eagles at Summerfest in July
  • Paul McCartney at Miller Park in July

Come on! That is one hell of a lineup! This is going to be awesome.

And on a completely different note, I bought a new face lotion that I am loving. Despite containing a broad spectrum SPF 30, it’s super light and not greasy at all. This is something I definitely appreciate with oily skin. I just started using it so I’m not sure how truly effective its claim to reduce dark spots is (i really hope that works, though), but everything else about it is great. It smells really good too, which is a major criterion for me with any product ever since my sense of smell went haywire when I was pregnant with Della.

That’s about it for today; just some random thoughts for you all. Get out and enjoy the day – it’s supposed to be in the 80s here! The girls and I are going to the park for the first time in months, and D is so excited. I just ordered a double jogging stroller that is supposed to arrive today, and I can’t wait to test it out.

 

6 month stats

Lana turned 6 months old this past Sunday. A full half year old!! Once her touchy newborn stage ended, the time has definitely started to speed up.

L6mo

We had her next well-baby checkup yesterday, complete with another round of shots, so here are the official 6 month stats:

  • Height:  27″ (90% – her height finally caught up!)
  • Weight:  15 lbs. 1.5 oz. (25-50%)
  • Head:  43 cm (50-75%)

Other than growth, not a whole lot has changed since her 5 month stats.

She still only sleeps through the night sometimes, which sucks, but what can ya do? I’ve actually contemplated moving her crib into Della’s room now before she even sleeps consistently until morning. Maybe it would help keep them both calmer through the night knowing the other is right there? Maybe not; we’ll see.

She no longer sleeps swaddled at all. I just wrap the swaddle sides around her middle to keep her a little warmer than using simply a blanket, since apparently winter is never going to end this year. We still have to use the stupid space heater in our room at night for her because it continues to get so cold.

Naps have become pretty scheduled, though. She generally takes a mid-morning nap for roughly an hour, then an afternoon nap starting somewhere between 1-2 that can last a good 2-3 hours, and then an evening nap for another 30-60 minutes. At least we can almost always count on those, even when we never know if we’ll be awakened at night or not.

L1

She’s still exclusively breastfed, eating 6-7 times a day. I tried rice cereal again the other week, and she had no interest. So then I tried baby food bananas last weekend, which she seemed to enjoy more. She still doesn’t really get the hang of the spoon at all, though, so we haven’t implemented solids on a regular basis yet. Fine by me. And the doctor said that’s fine too, whenever she’s ready.

L2

Rolled back to front 5 days after she turned 5 months old and hasn’t stopped since. I say she’s the most mobile non-crawling baby I’ve ever seen. She can roll, spin, and reach her way to nearly anything she wants. I had to put away her playmats and bring the baby jail playpen back down from the attic, because she literally ends up halfway across the room on the hardwood floor every time we put her down on the mat now. It’s not her favorite place, but maybe it’ll grow on her. If not, I guess we’ll just let her roll around on the floor, which she actually doesn’t seem to mind one bit.

As I typed that paragraph, she scooted on her back from the middle of the couch to ram her head into the arm by arching her back and planting her little feet. On the move, that’s for sure.

She absolutely loves the jumperoo. She can now spin the seat in different directions so she can see what else is on the tray. In particular, she loves looking at her reflection in the little whale shaped mirror with the bar and sliding rings above it. She will happily stay in there for long stretches of time, which is very helpful when I’m trying to get something done around the house or need to tend to Della. Unfortunately it usually bounces the poop right out of her, as it is not uncommon for her to be found sitting in a blowout by the end of her jump sessions.

L3

Still very much makes her presence known. She likes to scream for no real reason other than to ensure you don’t forget she’s lying there. It’s not crying, it’s just screaming. I guess she wants to see just which octave she can hit. We’re also starting to hear some consonant sounds in all that chatter. The other day at work one of the girls came out of the kids room carrying Lana and said they were warming up her bottle because she was getting very vocal. Yep, that’s a nice way of saying she was screaming at them to eat, ha!

Some random fun facts from her sixth month of life – she wears size 2 diapers and is pretty much out of her size 3m clothes. There are still a couple shirts and pajama onesies that fit from the 3m era, but the vast majority of her clothes are now 6m or some 6-9m. She unfortunately has her first real illness, a case of croup. I had a feeling that’s what it was when she started having a harsh, hoarse cough Sunday morning, and the doctor confirmed it yesterday. I just hope her cough and congestion clear up soon, because the poor little thing sounds awful.

She’s gotten to be so much fun. She laughs out loud when I nuzzle in to tickle her cheeks and neck. She kicks her little legs to splash all over the place when I give her a bath. She smiles as big as her head and starts panting when she sees us in the morning or when I come into their room at work. I just love it, and I simply cannot get enough of her.

L4

6mos Collage

Now just for grins, here’s a comparison shot of Della at 6 months on the left and Lana at 6 months on the right. Similar or not?

DvL6mo

Natural Living Makes Pregnancy Better

I’m excited to introduce you to my very first guest poster today! Katie contacted me a few weeks ago with an idea for an article to share, and I loved it. So here’s a little intro from Katie herself and some great ideas for all you Mamas-to-be out there…

Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26

Natural Living Makes Pregnancy Better!

If there is one time when it is especially important to be at my healthiest, it’s when I was pregnant. During my pregnancy, I made it my mission to be the healthiest version of myself possible.  I wanted to ensure that my unborn baby was getting the best care she possibly could. I realized that I was going to spend the rest of my life trying to make sure my child is protected and healthy- so why not start now? For that reason, I chose to live as naturally as possible.

Make Small Changes

I found that living a natural lifestyle wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be at first. I took it slowly and started making small changes so that I didn’t overwhelm myself at such an important time in my life. My body was already going through so many changes at the start of my pregnancy that I didn’t want to overwhelm my system or myself. The first thing I did was start buying organically. I found that buying my groceries organically was an easy start. Since I already was eating a healthy diet, I decided that this was a great change in my quest for natural living.

Buying Organic

The first thing I noticed when I started buying organic groceries was that it wasn’t difficult and that the food tasted very fresh. I found myself feeling better and I definitely noticed having more energy. During my pregnancy, I ate organic fruit such as apples, watermelon, and strawberries. I also loved grilling organic vegetables.  Instead of loading my diet with fast food, I was able to keep my weight in check and enjoy healthy meals.

Skip the Aspirin

Another way I decided to live naturally was to forgo medicine. Since most medicines are forbidden during pregnancy anyway, I decided that I was going to ban all medications from my system. When I had a headache or didn’t feel my best, I skipped medication and instead, I exercised. I’ve learned that exercise is the best form of pain and stress relief! Prenatal yoga and brisk walking helped to alleviate headaches and migraines. Yoga helped me significantly when my back began to hurt later in pregnancy from the extra weight. Furthermore, exercise gave me plenty of additional energy so I never felt like I was missing out by not drinking caffeinated coffee or other unnatural beverages. I continued to drink plenty of water and it helped to keep me feeling hydrated, energized, and healthy.

Before making any changes throughout your pregnancy, make sure to consult with your doctor.  Create a pregnancy and birthing plan that fits you and discuss anything you may be unclear about.  I was fortunate enough to have a doctor who ran through everything with me including my delivery options, cord blood banking, breathing techniques and much more.  Making these small changes, and having a plan with your doctor will lead to a happy and healthy pregnancy!

 

Thank you so much, Katie! I hope you guys enjoyed reading her writing as much as I liked having her stop over. Now please go check out her blog – it’s so cute!

 

7 years

Today is my and Ryan’s 7th wedding anniversary. It was one of the best days of my life.

wed5

 it was a beautiful, cloudless, cold day

wed6

no wedding prep is complete without mimosas!

wed7

i was so excited

wed8

do what?

wed1true love – he cleaned goose poop off my wedding shoes

wed2we ate cake!

wed3so very, very much fun

wed4and we danced ourselves silly. the dance floor was never empty

Cheers to many, many more!

 

100 years

That’s how long I want to live. Longer, actually. Some people think getting that old would be terrible – your body may be failing you, you’ll probably have experienced much loss by then, life may be completely different than you used to know…

But if I’m lucky enough to live that long that will hopefully mean I’ll get to spend 70+ years with my children. God forbid one of them goes before me. I don’t think I could handle that.

One of my friends said the other day that she has always wanted to live to be 100, and it stuck with me. I do too.

Watching Della grow and learn each day is amazing. I was coloring with her in the basement tonight, 2 things which I don’t really enjoy, let alone put together. But I actually had a great time. Crouching down there on the floor with her coloring in her Strawberry Shortcake book and seeing how much fun she was having made me forget that it was not high on my list of things to do.

And Lana. Well I could just stare at my babies all day long if allowed. This one especially. Those giant blue eyes are enchanting.

My sister posted this on her Facebook page today, and I love every single word. It is so true. One hundred million percent true.

*****

“We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of “starting a family.” “We’re taking a survey,” she says half-joking. “Do you think I should have a baby?”

“It will change your life,” I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

“I know,” she says, “no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations.”

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, “What if that had been MY child?” That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.

That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of “Mom!” will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby’s sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy’s desire to go to the men’s room rather than the women’s at McDonald’s will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter’s relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.

I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.

I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter’s quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. “You’ll never regret it,” I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter’s hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Please share this with a Mom that you know or all of your girlfriends who may someday be Moms. May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.”

~Author unknown

D Li love these little goonies more than i ever imagined i could.