8 months under my belt & Merry Christmas!

8 months.  2 weeks late (again), yes, but at least I’m trying, right?  Working 5 days a week in the office has really zapped all of my blogging energy, so I do what I can when I can.   

Here’s my little man for his photo session (which was taken right around 8 months). 

 

Temperament:

Happy.  That’s the one word I would use to describe Joseph.   He’s very easy going, very adaptable to new people and new situations, always smiling and laughing, rarely does he get fussy.  He started a new daycare last week, and his teacher put on his daily report that he had the best first day ever and was smiling and laughing the whole day.  Yep, that about sums him up.  They just left out the part where he’s a ball of energy and constantly into everything. 

Feeding:
I’m still nursing, but at this point it’s mainly for comfort.  Since starting work, my supply has dwindled quite a bit.  I don’t even have to pump in the middle of the day anymore.  He prefers the bottle now.  Since I’m not ready to quit nursing just yet, I’ll continue as long as he will let me.  Call me selfish, but I’m just not ready to quit yet. 

He seems to be less fond of solids these past few weeks, and I’m not really sure why.  He honestly doesn’t seem to have a preference for anything at this point.  I’ve been mixing his vitamins and probiotics with his food, so maybe he’s on to me?

Sleeping:
Nightmare.  Total nightmare.  He’s sleeping worse now than he did as a newborn.  The major problem with this?  I have to work now.  How I’m able to function is beyond me.  It’s amazing just how sleep deprived one can be.  He typically goes to bed around 8:30ish (sometimes a bit earlier) and wakes at 12.  Again at 2.  Again at 4.  Again at 6.  Yes.  No matter what I do before bed – feed him solids, formula, nurse, make him stay up longer, make him take more naps during the day, shorter naps during the day – none of it makes any difference.  So, I’m about to start using the Ferber method on him to see if I can get the boy to learn how to self-soothe.  At this point, I know that’s the problem.  He refuses a paci most days, so my options are pretty limited. 

Milestones: 
This month has been HUGE as far as milestones go.  Here’s what he’s working on currently:

- He can sit up all on his own
- He can army crawl super fast
- He’s starting to lift his butt up in the air and his legs straight in an attempt to stand
- He’s starting to rock on his knees and hands in an attempt to crawl
- He can stand with assistance and even walks a few steps
- He can stand while holding on to something
- He’s starting to pull himself up in his pack-n-play to peer over the side

      

Here’s a video of a few of those things:
 


He’s sprouting about 6 teeth (that I’ve been able to count).  It’s crazy how quickly all of his teeth are coming in. 

Health:
He still has a nasty cough, but things seem to be getting better.  Still snotty, but I guess that’s to be expected.  It seems like kids his age are always snotty.  He had a bad diaper rash for a few days, but some extra-strength Butt Paste really helped. 

Size:
He’s wearing 9 – 12 months clothes and size 3 diapers.  Size 2 shoes.  He’s super long and has out grown most of his pants. 

Activities: 
We took the kids to see Santa this year at Bass Pro Shops.  The Santa there is so nice and believable.  Now that they have a ticket system where you make an appointment and only have to wait about 10 minutes, it’s much easier to get a good shot with the kids. 



We were also able to take some family photos this year.  I absolutely LOVE the way they turned out.  Thanks to my friend Sandra at Eau Claire Photographics for doing such a fantastic job! 



From our family to yours, may you have a blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year. 

Always Golden.

I’m going to write about my child.  I love being able to look back months/years down the road and see what she’s up to during certain periods of time.  It seems like she grows so quickly.  I look at her and she’s 1” taller and a gagillion times smarter. 

What does Anna look like now?
Crazy.  A little crazy ball of energy with SO much personality.  Messy hair, bumps and bruises, sweaty – this is what she looks like on a daily basis.  Anna, once again, decided to crash Jackson’s two month photo shoot.  Except instead of sitting quietly while I took her picture, she did her best Britney impersonation and made her mean face.  She also kicked at me for good measure – but in a loving way.  <—Is that possible?

 

Here’s a photo of my nephew Jackson at two months.  Isn’t he precious?

 
And here he is flipping all of you off.

Back to Anna. 

I’m not sure how much Anna weighs at this point, but when I stood her on my home scale, it looked to be about 27 lbs.  When I pick her up, it feels more like 270, but that’s because I’m weak and should probably start lifting weights.

She’s a tall, sturdy little girl – rough and tumble.  She likes to run and play and act crazy, spin in circles, dance to music, sing, yell, eat eat (that’s how she says she wants to eat, she always says it twice), feed Cosmo the dog.   She’s already in 2T, sometimes 3T clothes and 6, almost 7 shoes.  Her feet were newborn size for nearly a year, then BAM, boat feet central (just like mom).  That’s OK, it gives her more leverage when she dances.

She’s having a word explosion now.  She can pretty much repeat whatever we say, so now we have to be more aware of the words we use.  Then again, we’re perfect angels with a flawless vocabulary, so of course she’ll only learn appropriate words like love, light and charity. 

The cutest words she says are as follows:

Corn
Onion

Dr. Pepper

Cosmo (maaamo)

Cat
Car (caaaaah)
What that? (except it totally doesn’t sound like this, but we can tell from the inflection and the fact that she puts both hands out in a way that we know what she’s asking)
Shoe
Catch (cak tc)
Keys
Oh no (but it sounds like meow meow)
Eat eat
Cheese
Please (peas)

Thank you (da doot)

Juice (booce)
Milk (meeel)

Laptop (yes, I am serious)
Phone
Paw Paw

Lea Lea (her favorite auntie)
Jackson (babakso)

These are the words I can think of off the top of my head.  There are more, but I’ve forgotten them because that’s what good mothers do.  We forget important things like this.  At this point, she can mimic most of the words we say, and there are many words that she says that only I can understand.  She and I have a language.  I speak baby. 

Her favorite activities are dancing, poking me in the butt, watching Golden Girls, riding in cars, wearing jewelry, stealing all of my purses and wearing them all at one time, playing with her cousin Jackson, spending time with her grandparents, hitting (I mean, petting) Cosmo the dog and Harley and Chloe the cats, trying to hack all things technical – cell phones, laptops, television, DVRs.  She can touch something and completely change all of the settings in 1.5 seconds.  You get your phone back, and everything is in Chinese.  It takes 2 years to fix the damage she’s done.  Hopefully she can use this talent for good instead of evil one day.

As I mentioned above, my child loves watching Golden Girls aka GIRRRRLS.  Whenever she’s angry or upset, I say, “Want to watch Girls?  She immediately shouts, “GIRRRLSSS!”  Then she will watch about 2 or 3 episodes with me.  I promise you I’m not making this up.  She’s way too cool for Yo Gabba Gabba.  She’s traded Foofa for Rose Nylund and Brobee for Sophia.  I can’t say that I mind.  It’s far less annoying to chant the Golden Girls theme in your head all day long vs. some of the ridiculously mind numbing music of YGG (although I do admit to loving the song I Like Sandwiches and I Love Balloons).

Here’s an old skool video of Anna watching Golden Girls.  So, her obsession has been long lasting.  I’m guessing she probably became addicted in utero since I watched the show daily.

So, this is my child.  A funny, sweet, crazy, bundle of energy who loves to laugh, run, jump, play and be around people.  We are truly so blessed to have such a precious child in our lives, and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be her mother.  I am looking forward to watching her grow and learn and be everything she will ever want to be.

I love you, Anna. 

Hugs.

I’ve always been a bleeding heart.  Sad stories can gut punch me so severely that I have a hard time coping for days.  Ever since I had my child, stories about children with terminal illnesses or children who suffer abuse at the hands of their parents and/or friends/family have really struck a chord with me.  Don’t get me wrong, I always hurt for these children before I had Anna, but having my own child has taken this to a whole new level for me.  I often avoid reading sad stories now because I know they will affect me greatly, sometimes to the point of sobbing and feeling physically ill.

Each time I read or hear about something sad, my first response is to go pick up my child and hug her.  This usually results in a major side-eye from her, and I’m sure if she could talk in full sentences, she would say, “What the heck, mom?  Get away from me!”  It doesn’t matter, though, I want to take the time to let her know how loved she is and how important she is to me, and that I will do everything within my power to make sure she has a wonderful life.

So, when I read stories like the one I'm about to share with you, I spend an extra amount of time with my child. Like last night, for example. After reading about Layla Grace, I went into Anna's room where she was asleep, picked her up from her crib and rocked her in the chair.  Of course she woke up within a minute and then wanted to play like a wild child, but I didn’t regret it for one second.  For those few hours she was awake, I was able to show her how much I love her, and I was able to spend more precious time with my child who is growing at rapid rates right now. 

I think back to the times when I get frustrated when Anna  spills milk dots on the floor I just steam mopped or drops sticky pancakes off of her high chair tray.  I think back to the times where I just want to sleep for 10 more minutes or lay down for a nap – JUST A 30 MINUTE NAP.  I think back to the times where I want to just take off on a whim and go to exotic locations like Graceland.  I think about all of the moments of frustration I’ve had with all of the above and want to slap myself for ever feeling this way.  Sometimes you need a good dose of perspective to slap you back into reality and make you grateful for the many blessings you have in life. 

That hot new car or beautiful house on the water – none of that matters in life.  Being late on a bill or not having enough money to buy a candy bar at the store – who cares?  When you read stories of people whose lives have been flipped upside down by a diagnosis that is too reprehensible to imagine, none of that matters.  None of it.  All that matters in life is life.  The lives of your children.  The lives of your family and friends.  Strip away everything else, and that’s what you’re left with.  Life.  That’s the important stuff.  The stuff that makes the world go ‘round.  Let this be your focus.  No matter what you’re going through, no matter how many hard times you’re dealing with, if you have your health, you’re wealthy.  If your children are healthy, you’re wealthy. 

I dedicate this post to every mom and dad out there. Please go home today and hug and kiss your child. Tell them how special they are to you and how nothing else matters as long as they are happy. This is the good stuff, folks, don’t ever forget it.

I further dedicate this post to Layla Grace and her wonderful family. I pray that God gives them strength through this and the love and support of the thousands of people who have been touched by their story. If you want to read more, please go to Layla’s website or follow this family on Twitter.  

Photo of Layla from her public Flickr account.  I claim no ownership of this image.

A dose of randomness.

So, how’ve you all been? No, really – how’ve you been? I want details. What are your plans for Halloween? Are you dressing up as a plug and outlet with your husband or something a little less, I don’t know, perverted. What about the kiddos? Are they going as a can of SPAM, a monkey? Do tell.

How have I been? Well, I’ve been great. Truthfully. It’s my favorite time of year. It’s cooler outside – well, not as disgustingly hot – the leaves are turning – well, one leaf has turned, but that’s probably b/c it was dying anyway, there are pumpkins on people’s porches, Christmas and Thanksgiving are right around the corner. What a fun time of year! My favorite time of year. I finally, ahem, decorated for fall last week. I don’t feel like posting any pictures, though, so just picture it in your head. It’s gorgeous. Martha Stewart would be jealous. Believe that, ok?

As promised, I'm posting some pictures of my dear child's first birthday party. Since I'm not a queen and my husband, last time I checked, isn't a king, we threw out the princess theme and went with monkeys instead. Why not? My child smells like a monkey. She eats like a monkey. She climbs all over the place like a monkey. What better tribute to my little monkey than a party full of monkeys? It was bananas.

Here she is playing in the foam pit. My mom was sure she’d contract MRSA or Piggy Flu from the germs in the pit. A kid is only a kid once, right? I sprayed her down with Scrubbing Bubbles Anti-bacterial foam spray when we got home. Hopefully that took care of it. (Totally kidding about the scrubbing bubbles for those people with no sense of humor.)

Here’s Anna’s BFF Kadence with her dad Luis. Look at that hair! She has more hair than me. And Don King.

Here she is chewing on my camera, which, by the way, no longer works. Coincidence? Methinks so. I will take it out of her allowance once she starts cleaning our toilets and such.

The obligatory tongue picture. Oh, and she also refuses to look at the camera now. I guess our monthly photo fail sessions ruined her for good. Notice the bruise below her right eye? She did a nice face plant a few days before her party.

Future blackmail photo.

Here’s Anna shoving Kadence further into the foam abyss. Thankfully K’s dad was there to save the day!

Dad is sweating while Anna looks on and laughs.

Anna got a huge hit out of the air blowing from the vent. I’ve never seen her laugh so hard. Dad thought it was funny, too.

Do you see the resemblance?

Time to jump on the trampoline!

Time for cake. Notice how she’s sitting in the chair like a big girl? I’m also sitting in my chair like a big girl.

I ordered a REALLY cute hat for her, but it’s not very easy tying string around a wiggly toddler’s face.

Anna was a bit unsure about her cake. That surprised me since child eats everything. Everything!

I think we enjoyed the cake more than her. I may have eaten the rest of it that night. Don’t tell her that.

Anna wanted dad to get involved, too. He was a good sport!

That’s as messy as she got. Humph.

Thanks for helping me clean up, Aunt Lea Lee. And thanks for standing there watching us, Mimi. LOLs

Us opening up the gifts. Whoa.

See what I mean?!

All in all it was a wonderful day. We got to spend quality time with family and friends and celebrate our child's first year on this earth - what more could you ask for?

Seriously, though, enough about me - how about you? Talk to me about your Halloween plans. Comments are like my virtual crack. I need a hit as things have been very slow around these parts lately, ya dig?