Halloween Preview

Today I will be carting around an adorable little girl who resembles this today:

Actual pictures to follow tonight!

Flashback Friday

My dad sent me this picture a few days ago. Me posing down the beach!

Why I Love Being Married

Skip: {rummaging through the side table that contains all our DVD and CD cases} I'm looking for all our X Box games. I want to play a new one and I can't find it.

Me: Ummm, is it the one sitting on the X Box labeled games??

Skip :You're awesome

Pause in the Chaos

Yesterday at lunchtime I was running around my house like crazy. I was feeding Little M mac and cheese and vegetables, which required me to run back and forth between the kitchen and family room where she was eating. I also had to let the puppies in and out, make sure they got treats and water and weren't attacking each other. I was trying to tidy up the kitchen and family room since my friend J was coming over in a little while. I was attempting to watch the Fox Pre-Game Show to make sure none of my fantasy players were taken out last minute. All the while I was trying to keep everyone in the house quiet because Skip was sleeping after working a sixteen hour shift.

And then for a moment I stopped, a smile spread across my face and I thought, "I just love this. I love being a wife. I love being a mom."

I am very blessed in my life right now!

*Mom Tip*

*Put ice in a mesh food feeder {I think that's what they're called} and give to your child when they are teething. It is an absolute LIFESAVER and also keeps their hands from getting too cold, unlike regular teethers you put in the freezer.*

Please Read and Donate if you Can

Lola over at 'Not All Who Wander Are Lost' posted a very important story on her blog today. She says 'I'm trying to raise $2500 for the education of SSG Jackson's four children that were left behind when he was killed in action by an improvised explosive device in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006." She is asking each of us to donate some money, no matter how small or large a donation, to help out this family. I know that there are countless children and families who are left behind when a serviceman or woman is killed in combat, and they all need help. But this is one we can help. I know these are tough economic times for everyone, but if you can help please go to this website and donate. Thanks!

Birthday Recap

As I said, the celebrating for this birthday was definitely different than past years since I have Little M now. It was fabulous though, and there is no greater present than her smiling face! Skip let me sleep in that day until 10:00 am {!!!!!} and I was awoken by him and Meredith and a tray of breakfast. There was a buttered bagel, cookies, and a Diet Coke...three of my most favorite foods! I got two beautiful cards and TICKETS TO THIS WEEKEND'S GIANT'S GAME!! So not only do I get to go see my Giants {for the last time in this stadium, tear} but it will also be a date night out with the husband! I think it will be the longest we will be out together sans baby! Anyways, we then went out to lunch with my parents to Friendlys...yumm! {no more fancy Italian restaurants for my birthday...only kid-friendly places for this girl!}

After lunch we decided to go have some family fun at the park. Skip, Little M, Mr. B and I headed out to a park about 5 minutes from our house. We went for a long walk around the lake and then took M to the playground. She always *loves* going on the swings and we decided to try her on the slide as well. That she was not a fan of, but I'm sure she'll grow to love it one day!

Once we got home we had a pizza dinner {I always have pizza on my birthday!} we got ready for my party that night. I had a few friends over to watch some Monday Night Football. It was very low-key but tons of fun!

So I might not have been out partying till the early morning hours but this simpler post-baby birthday was the best I've ever had:)

Here are just a couple of pics from my party...I was too busy having fun to take more!

Me and my favorite girls!

Best husband ever!

Pumpkin Picking

On one of Skip's days off last week we took Little M up to a local farm to pick out her very first pumpkin. It was a perfectly sunny, cool, crisp, October day. She LOVED the whole experience, and Skip and I thoroughly enjoyed taking her. We weren't sure how she would handle the hay ride, so we'll save that for next year. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Attempting to take some pictures in the wooden cutouts

Definitely made for bigger kids

Buzz Off

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I will post all about my fabulous birthday tomorrow once I upload my pictures. But for today I will tell you about the first of one of many scary Mommy Moments. It involved this little cutie

and this evil evil creature.

Skip and I took Little M to Buy Buy Baby to pick up a few {or many} things today. On our way home we opened the windows in the car because after a week of freezing rain it was finally warm and sunny. As we were getting off the highway, about 5 minutes or so from home, Little M started screaming. I looked back and saw her grabbing at her little hand. Thankfully we pulled up to a red light and I hopped in the back with her. I was just getting situated when I noticed A BEE SITTING ON MY DAUGHTER'S T-SHIRT!!!!! I stayed calm {okay, there was a little bit of freaking out} and told Skip to open the window. I tried to flick the bee off of Little M and out the window. Of course all I managed to do was flick it so pitifully that it just fell next to her. Now it was trapped between her and her car seat!!! I yelled to Skip to pull over and he did immediately. Then I pulled Little M out of her car seat and Skip killed the evil evil bee.

We strapped Little M back into the car seat and I stayed in the back to comfort her. Once the whole thing was over, Little M was back to her happy self. Her little pinkie swelled up and got all red. Thankfully that was the only reaction she had, and after a little ice and a few hours her pinkie was back to normal.

I know that over her life there will be many more stings, bites, scrapes, and bruises, and it just breaks my heart. Are you sure I can't just put her in a bubble until she's at least 18??

Time To Do Some Celebrating!

Today is a *very* important day in our little household. It is my 27th BIRTHDAY!!! I love my birthday...I mean LOVE it! I partied for a week every year in college. My celebrations may be a little more toned down now that I'm a Mommy, but I still plan on enjoying this day to the fullest {even though I'm not really excited about being 27, and officially being considered in my 'late twenties'. Can I go back to being 23?? Pretty please??} I will post tomorrow all about our birthday celebrations today. Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Flashback Friday

May 2005

Me and Skip at my college graduation. I haven't been back there in over FOUR years. I cannot WAIT to go back to my Alumni Weekend in only three weeks!!!

Third Post Today...But an Important One

October 15th is the day set aside to remember all who have lost a child through miscarriage or infant death. My heart goes out to each and every person who suffers, today and every day.

Before and After - Dining Room

Here are some before and afters of our dining room. I only have one before picture for some reason, but took a whole bunch of afters. It is a dark brown color...it looks like milk chocolate spread all over the walls...yummy! I also made the valances above the windows. They are an even darker brown silky material. Enjoy!

Before

After

{Skip's Wall of Accomplishments...he's one ambitious boy!}

Before and After - Half Bath

Our half-bath downstairs is located off of the kitchen. After living in a tiny one-bedroom condo for three years whose only bathroom could only be accessed by walking through the master bedroom, this tiny little room is a heaven sent! I painted it a deep orangey color, same as our upstairs bathroom. I am still working on the window treatments for this bathroom, so I'll update whenever I get those done. For now, here are the pictures!

Before

After

Wordless Wednesday

Nothing cuter than a Little M with her very first pumpkin!

Kreativ Blogger

I am very excited to announce that I have received my third blogging award! A HUGE thank you to Jess over at Waiting on Baby Paramore for this fabulous award:

Head over and check out her blog right now! It is so honest and open...it is one of my very favorites to read!

Okay, now down to business....Here are the rules:

1-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2-Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4-Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.

5-Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7-Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated.

Here are the seven things you may not know about me:

1. Diet Coke is practically my drug of choice. I could drink it all day every day! {I don't though Mom...don't worry!}

2. I am allergic to alcohol. As soon as I drink it I throw up immediately. This was Skip's favorite thing about me when he was in Iraq, haha.

3. I really want our next child to be another girl. {Dear future baby..please don't be mad at me if you are a boy...you know I will love you to bits!}

4. I hate, hate, HATE getting gas in my car. I really feel like it's a waste of my time. I should start looking into an electric car.

5. I have been coloring my hair continuously since I was 15. I took a 1 year break when I was pregnant and hated it...but it was worth it for my Little M!

6. I still shop in the juniors department because most of the pants in the women's sections are too big

7. It took me waaaay too long to come up with this list of 7 things!

Here are the seven fabulous ladies I'm nominating!

1. http://bcuzoflove.blogspot.com/

2. http://growthchartmoments.blogspot.com/

3. http://tryingourbest.blogspot.com/

4. http://skindeepbeautyblog.blogspot.com/

5. http://lindsaygump.blogspot.com/

6. http://runinstilettos.blogspot.com/

7. http://momspeacebites.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

*Mom Tip*

*If your children hate the confining feeling of being swaddled, try swaddling them under their armpits so their arms can be free.*

Little M just screamed everytime we tried swaddling her in the beginning. Then we swaddled her under her arms and she was completely content. Wrapping her arms down by her side was just too confining for her.

Progress

In the napping war of Little M vs. her parents, we FINALLY won a battle this afternoon!!! After 5 long days of crying through naptime {both her and I} Little M is finally sleeping her in crib right now. It took her crying through her morning nap, whisking her upstairs during lunch because she kept passing out, and another long hour of crying. Now she is quiet and sound asleep. Please let this be the turning point! A huge thank you to my mom and all my blogging friends for your advice, and for my husband keeping me strong when I wanted to give in. Love you guys!

Before and After - Kitchen

Most of my focus on this blog is about Little M. However, as much as I love being a stay-at-home mom, I also love being a stay-at-home wife! I keep myself busy with laundry, cleaning, cooking, and home-improvement type things. I LOVE decorating our house! We lived in a teeny tiny one-bedroom condo for the first three years we were married. In that time I painted the entire thing twice! {I developed a serious love of painting my homes} Then in the spring of 2008 {two weeks after we found out I was pregnant} we moved into our very first house. It was sooo exciting. I absolutely loved this house from the moment I walked into it. The best thing was that it was a flip and so there was NO paint on the walls! {only I would be excited about this, haha} I spent the entire summer of my pregnancy painting all nine rooms and one hallway....all.by.myself!!! Since I am so proud of my work, I will slowly be showing you all my before and afters. Here is the kitchen!

Before

And after!

You can't tell too well from the pictures, but the wall color is a creamy slightly yellowy color. And the curtains by the door and above the window were sewn by yours truly!

The Great Nap Mystery

I am completely and totally at my wits end with this whole napping thing. And it's all my fault. Napping was never really something I got down as a mom {Little M napping that is, I am a napping CHAMPION} Around 8 weeks Little M finally got into a bedtime routine and started sleeping through the night. From months two to four she slept from 7 pm until 7 am. The only drawback was she didn't really nap at all during the day. But it really didn't bother me because she was such a good sleeper at night.

Starting around month four or five, she started to wake up sometimes at night for a bottle, she was gassy, or just wanted a snuggle. She then also started taking some naps during the day. They were never at the same time or for the same length. And they were never in her crib. She would scream whenever we tried to have her nap in there, so she would nap in the car, stroller, our bed, or the couch downstairs. At the time I just felt it was most important for her to be sleeping.

Around seven months Little M finally started to get into a regular routine with naps. She napped at 8:30 am until about 10 am, and then between 1:30 and 2:30 pm she would fall asleep again. The morning nap was always with me in my bed since I am sooo not a morning person and really needed to go back to bed as well. The afternoon nap was either while running errands or again in bed with me. She always went down to sleep in her crib perfectly at night, so I thought napping in her crib would just come with time.

From about 4 months until only about two weeks ago, Little M would continue to wake up once or twice a night. However, that has since stopped and she is sleeping from 7 pm until between 5:30 and 6:30 am. We just go upstairs at 7 and lay her down in her crib and she is out. No rocking or singing needed. Some nights she even reaches for her crib while I am trying to read her a story or say her prayers!

Since she is finally sleeping totally through the night and on a pretty regular napping schedule I decided it was time for Little M to start napping in her crib. On Monday afternoon I popped her upstairs, changed her diaper, put on her fan and pulled down the shade, placed her in her crib, and walked out. She cried for maybe 2-3 minutes and then silence......she was sleeping! The next hour were glorious. I swept our patio outside, did some dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and even had time to read a magazine while eating a snack. I was like a whole new woman! I had visions of actually getting chores done during the day now and being able to go to bed before midnight for once! I told Skip all about it when he came home and we agreed from now on it would be crib napping or nothing.

Yeah well Little M has decided that's not happening. We've only been putting her in the crib in the afternoon, but not the morning. One we thought it would be better to try this slowly, and two she is starting to drop her morning nap anyway. But maybe that has contributed to our problem. Here is what we have been doing this week.

Tuesday - let Little M cry for five minutes...go upstairs and calm her down....let her cry for 5 more minutes...go up and calm her down...this repeats for an hour before I finally take her out of the crib and don't let her take a nap that afternoon. {Make for a VERY cranky baby around 6 pm, but we still managed to keep her awake till 7}

Wednesday - same rotation except we let her cry for 10 minutes at a time. Ended with me taking her out after an hour and not letting her nap that afternoon.

Thursday - same rotation except we let her cry for 15 minutes at a time. Ended with me taking her out after an hour and not letting her nap that afternoon.

Friday - Skip was around today for naptime and said he would take care of it. He let her cry for 10 minutes, went to console her, then said he was just going to let her cry it out. I lasted exactly 22 minutes of listening to her scream before I went up and got her. Even though that's what our doctor said we just can't let her cry for an hour. So now Skip is out running errands with her. I'm sure she will fall asleep in the car, but I really don't care anymore.

We've done it all....progressive crying it out....putting her down awake....putting her down sleepy....putting her down asleep....same routine as her bedtime routine...she is always full, dry, not gassy, and given medicine if her teeth are hurting. She just will.not.sleep.in.her.crib!!!!! And I really want her too. I can't get ANYTHING done around the house if she's sleeping on my bed or on the couch because she will just fall off if she wakes up and I'm not around. I can't do this anymore. Do I keep trying the progressive cry it out method {I will NOT just let her cry for an hour though} Do I just accept the fact that she won't nap in her crib and I will never have that precious time to get stuff done? Is it all my fault because I should have been doing this earlier on in her life and now it's too late??!?! Please, I need advice!!!

Help

If anyone knows how to get a 10 month old to take her naps in her crib could you fill me in...because I have no idea what I'm doing. Thanks

Wordless Wednesday

BUSTED!

When It Rains It Pours

So after 7 loooooooong months, Skip and I finally got to go out and buy some of this last week.....

....because Little M has teeth!! Early last week we rejoiced when we saw not one, but two flashes of white on her bottom gum. I will miss her gummy smile, but with all the new foods she has been eating, M really needs some chompers! We were also surprised that TWO were coming in at a time; I thought they only came in one at a time.

Well apparently Little M picked up on my anxiety over her lack of teeth, because yesterday morning I noticed a flash of white on her top gums! Four teeth have made an appearance and are working their way up. Little M is a little fussy, but really not that bad considering. Let's hope the rest of her teeth come in painlessly!

{I will try and snag some pictures of her new smile in the next few days!}

Chatterbox

My Little M has said her first word!!!! 'Dada' she today, loud and clear. And then she said it again, and again, and again! In fact she has been babbling it all day today. Every time you ask her where Daddy is now she says, 'Dada'. It is the cutest little thing ever!

I was slightly bummed that her first word wasn't Mama {especially considering I have been practicing that with her pretty much since birth, haha} but I have always heard that Dada is just easier for babies to pronounce. I think that means ladies, that we need an easier name for our babies to call us!

But today was full of surprises since Little M has decided that Dada is not enough. She also decided to start saying 'uh oh' today! The best was at my sister-in-law's baby shower today. Little M was sitting in my lap playing with one of her toys. All of a sudden, she threw the toy and exclaimed, 'Uh oh!' It was just the funniest thing. I wonder what she will say next?

Baby Love

I know I'm biased, but seriously...how cute is this face??

And this face

There is nothing I love more in this world than being her mom. Thanks for being the best baby ever Little M!