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1 month

Happy one-month, Kinley (just a few days late)!

This is gonna be a quick post since both kiddos should be waking up soon.  But that's ok because truth be told, one-month-old babies don't do a lot that warrants reporting.

The moment Kinley was born, we noticed how much she looked like her big sister, and the similarities don't stop there.  Like Savannah, Kinley is a pretty laid back kid...only fussy if she's hungry or gassy (which is often).  She eats like a horse...already taking 4 oz every 3 hours.  I'm not sure how we're going to afford to keep feeding her at this rate. She'd gained more than 2 1/2 lbs weighing in at an even 9 lbs on the day she turned 1 month.  Not surprising given her food intake.  She's a great sleeper at night, usually making it at least 4-5 hours...occasionally 6...before waking up to eat.  And she LOVES to be swaddled (thank you Jesus!).  Even during the day, it's the only way she'll sleep for any length of time without fidgeting herself awake. 

One of the only real differences I've noticed between her and Savannah is that she hates the newborn boppy pillow, swing, and bouncy seat...all of which were huge hits with big sister.  But that's ok...there are lots of arms around that like to hold her. :-)

But, alas, I hear squawking in the other room...that would be Miss Piggy hollering for some grub.

All about Savannah

Little sister is receiving so much blog hype, it seems appropriate to even the score a bit.  So this post is all Savannah!

This past weekend, she and I flew to Amarillo to see Gamma and Grrdad and go to Aunt Brandi's baby shower.  We did lots of fun things like go see Great Grandma and Grandpa Short in Canyon and shop for fabric for a new big girl quilt that Gamma is gonna make.  Perhaps the most enchanting discovery Savannah made while at her g'parents' house was the M&M dispenser.

It didn't take long for her to figure out how to turn the knob to get more to come out, then she'd hold the little door open and stand there eating them one by one.  Her Daddy and I both love M&Ms, so she comes by this talent honestly. 

She was really sad when I had to take her away from them at the airport.  I mean...really sad.  But she did exceptionally well on both flights, despite the one home being smack-dab in the middle of her naptime.  And I learned there's only one effective way to entertain a tired 21-month-old on an airplane....with an iPhone camera.

She loves to see herself on the screen when the camera mode is turned around for self-portraits.

And a funny face or two is always a must!

The child is pretty addicted to technology.  Need to teach your kid shapes, numbers, letters, etc.?  There's an app for that.  No, really.  There is.  That's how Savannah learned all of her shapes. 

You have to be careful when you let your kid play with your phone semi-unsupervised though...or else you end up with a bunch of pictures like this in an album...

And that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Lately, I've noticed a trend of photographing Savannah when she eats.  Maybe it's because several weeks ago I was beside myself because she seemed to eat next to nothing for the better part of a whole week.  It's a refreshing change of pace for her to ask for food and actually consume it too.  Her absolute favorite, regardless of the time of day, is strawberries.  Or as she calls them, "wah-beh-wees".



S'more bites



Being shy and hiding behind her crustless pop tart

 Maybe she's about to grow...that's my only assumption...because last night (well, between getting home from school around 2:30 and going to bed at 7:30) she ate at least a whole cup of strawberries, 3 or 4 s'more bites, an entire can of sliced pears, a whole grilled cheese sandwich, some cheesy ritz bits crackers, and a fair portion of my chicken and dumplings...not to mention the empty cup she kept bringing to me and asking for more to drink.  I don't know how her little body held it all!

She never ceases to amaze me with her learning at this stage either.  She picks everything up so fast.  It's crazy!  I wish I had been keeping better track of what she's learned and when.  But, I haven't, so let this be a general record stating the kid is a genius! ;-)  Just kidding.  She is pretty darn smart in my opinion though. 

She'll go to the dentist for the first time next week (Lord have mercy on us), and her second birthday is just around the corner.  I can't believe it.  Where has the time gone?!?!  I'm so grateful that I've gotten to stay home with my little snuggle bug!!

Counting down

So I'm 32 weeks today.  Maybe counting down to d-day is a tad premature at this point, but hey, a girl needs something to focus on, right?  I'm guessing I've got more like 6 weeks to go rather than 8 anyway.  Does that make it better?  I say yes!

I had an appointment to check on baby girl yesterday and everything is great.  I measured a little more than 32cm, my weight gain is on track (hallelujah!), and her heartbeat sounded perfect.  It was the first visit to my doctor's office in ages where I got in and out really quickly.  And was I ever thankful.  There's nothing quite as irritating as wasting spending the majority of your "me" time sitting in a doctor's waiting room.  (I go to the dr on days when Savannah is at MDO...FYI.)  Other than that, I start bi-monthly visits for the next month, then weekly after that!  Little still-has-yet-to-be-named will be here before we know it!  Momma is ready!!!!!

I hope Savannah is ready. Earlier today she helped me put together the little sleeper my parents got us. I turned my back for one second, and this is what I found when I turned back around...

Little stinker.  She got pretty mad when I took it into the master bedroom to live until baby gets here.  I have a feeling if I let her "play" in/with it until then...she won't have a very good reaction when little sister takes it over.  It does look like a pretty nifty tv-watchin' chair though.

Seasons

I'm a firm believer that life has seasons just the same as nature.  It can't always be a pleasant spring day.  That's not a reasonable expectation.  Besides, every season comes with its own unique set of joys and challenges.  Even the unassuming spring.  Parenthood, being a path I've chosen in life, is no exception to this rule.  Savannah is on the brink of turning two...just a short 3 months away...and despite nature's season of spring being right around the corner, I feel like I'm walking blindly through a trecherous winter forest when it comes to being a mom.

I have no clue what I'm doing.

I've said this before, but looking back, I'm not sure I really meant it.  Maybe it was just something I was saying because I thought it was the right thing to say...that admitting I had a fair amount of confidence about what to do would in some way jinx the easy-breezy mom season I was experiencing at the time.  In the grand scheme of things, I think Savannah has been a very easy child to raise.  She started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks, has rarely been sick, has a smile that could replace the sun itself, and (for the most part) is laid back and very go-with-the-flow.  She learns things quickly and is a great listener when I instruct her about her behavior. 

Lately, though, she has entered this new phase...I suppose it's the terrible-twos, but hey, what do I really know.  Cory and I are baffled by it.  We follow our gut instincts when we have to make decisions about how to handle what she's doing, but we have no idea if we're doing the right thing.  Lately, the biggest challenge has been her sleep pattern.  She's always gone to bed around 7 or 7:30, and 99% of the time, she goes down without incident.  This part hasn't changed.  What has is that she's now waking up in complete hysterics around 9 or 10 every night.  Every.night.  It's not the type of crying that I hear and think, "Oh, she's just being a brat and wants attention."  It's the type of crying that rips my heart out because she sounds so utterly distraught.  When we go get her and bring her out to the living room with us, she doesn't calm down easily...which affirms to me that she wasn't just seeking attention...but once she does calm down, she thinks it's playtime.  We put her back to bed and start the cycle all over.

Until today, this has been a purely nighttime habit.  But, as I write this, she's standing in her crib...screaming...refusing to take a nap.  She should be waking up by this time, but instead, she has yet to go to sleep.  Or even lay down for that matter.  I question myself constantly.  Is there something really wrong with her that requires my attention?  Is this a matter of willpower and I just have to outlast her to teach her who's boss?  What if has an ear infection {or any other impossible-to-really-know-without-going-to-the-pediatrician type of ailment}?  Am I damaging her in any way by the parenting choices I'm making?  What can I do to end the madness? 

I honestly feel like I'm just flying by the seat of my pants now, and I haven't really truly felt like that over the past 20+ months since she joined our family.  Or if I did, I don't recall it.  When she was smaller, despite how fragile she seemed, there were only a handful of possibilities to explain a given "struggle", and by simple process of elimination, it was relatively easy to solve the problem.  But she's so complex now.  She understands far more than she's capable of communicating.  The list of possible concerns seems endless, but she can't tell me what's wrong and I don't have very many tricks to figure it out on my own. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not all terrible.  She can still be happy and playful, but those times are fewer and farther between than what we've ever experienced before.  I'm trying not to wish this time away...I know I'd regret that somewhere down the road...but I don't know how to cope with this season.  I'm not alone am I?

Can I bleach my brain?

Seems like a weird question, right?  But after the nightmare I had last night, I have never more sincerely wanted to clean my mind out and erase all traces of the memories associated with the terrible scenario that played out in it overnight. 

The beginning is fuzzy.  There are just glimpses of images that would be difficult to describe and probably wouldn't add any significance to the story if I went to the trouble of writing them.  So I'll leave it at I was somewhere with some people at some time.  It was reminiscent of White Deer in some ways.  The only really identifiable person with me was Savannah, but trust me, I'd have preferred for her not to have been there.  See, the entire dream nightmare involved me searching for her because she had been kidnapped or was otherwise missing in some fashion.  I remember calling the police to report her missing after we'd searched everywhere we knew to search.  They followed obscure leads here and there, but to no avail.  The most vivid details involve me being on the phone with authorities at one point describing something suspicious I'd seen that might help the investigation.  A strange man kept passing by pretending not to be listening to what I was saying, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was interested in what I was relaying to the police so that he could, and I'm speculating here (in the dream), make his next move...as if he was involved in my daughter's disappearance.

Jump ahead a little bit now, as whatever followed that scene got fuzzy again.  I very clearly remember being in a house and that it was getting late in the day.  The sun was going down and we'd yet to find Savannah.  I couldn't just sit idly by anymore waiting for her to turn up on her own, so I decided to go looking for her.  I didn't have a plan, I just walked out the door and started screaming her name.  A person, presumably a neighbor, was walking by and looked at me like I had completely lost my mind.  I didn't like the looks of him, but quickly lost focus of that vibe when, out of the corner of my eye, my daughter came stumbling out of a bushy area looking totally exhausted and disoriented...wearing her famed devil horns.  I ran over and practically tackled her to the ground in an embrace I wasn't likely to end on my own. 

But that's when I woke up.  Not just the regular kind of up out of a bad dream.  I'm talking I bolted upright and tears were streaming down my face.  I couldn't catch my breath which sent me into a coughing fit, and I immediately reached for my phone to call Cory.  It was the only course of action I could think of at the time. 

This was the most awful and realistic dream I think I've ever had.  It shook me to the core because the emotions I woke up with were what I imagine to be as close to the real thing as possible.  Thankfully I can only imagine since clearly my daughter has never been missing.  Talking to Cory helped settle me down and surprisingly I was able to doze back off for a short time before Savannah got up for the day.  When I went to get her, she was extra snuggly with me...maybe she sensed what I was feeling...and I was happy to oblige.  Let's hope that was an isolated dream incident.  I don't think I could handle the stress of waking up like that very often.

Lifting the world's weight

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I had been experiencing some emotions, not fun ones at that, and almost had a meltdown toward the end of last week.  Well, meltdown might be too strong, but I was a little teary-eyed and found it difficult to really put what I was feeling into words.  I managed to do it eventually, though, while Cory and I were out and about after my baby check-up appointment this past Friday.  Basically it boiled down to the fact that reality was sinking in that we'd soon have a newborn to add to our lives.  But a little bit of background information might help lay the foundation for why I was, for lack of better terms, freaking out on the inside.

A few weeks ago, things had been particularly hectic and tiring.  Cory had been sickly.  Things at his work were stressful and frustrating.  I'm sure I had one struggle or another with Savannah (as all mothers of toddlers do from time to time, be it major or minor).  I entered my third trimester of this pregnancy, which is a fancy way of saying I'm flat worn out all the time.  And our communication, mine and Cory's, was just...off.  You know what I mean, we were regularly misunderstanding each other, taking things personally that weren't meant to be offensive in any way, getting annoyed by each other's quirks, etc.  Things were just "off". 

At one point, Cory initiated a conversation about it all in an effort to figure out why we were in such a funk and correct any correctable behaviors or patterns.  Admittedly, it wasn't the most productive conversation we've ever had, by no fault of our own individually.  I'm sure I took away from it a number of things that weren't intended, one of which left me asking myself "How am I supposed to be everything to everyone?  I'm only one person."  So from there, when thoughts of a new baby were mixed in, I more or less felt like I had the weight of not just the world, but the entire universe sitting on my shoulders.

That weight had taken its toll on me, and by the time I had 50 grams of glucose coursing through my veins...which is enough to make a crazy person insane...I wasn't capable of hiding my fears anymore.  As coherently and simply as possible, I explained to Cory that I was worried about successfully being able to do all the things I do now AND take care of a new baby.  Looking back on it, it's easy to still hear what was coming out of my mouth.  It was a lot of phrases that started with "I".  But what I was saying and what I was really feeling and thinking didn't exactly match up.  "I already have so many responsibilities..."  "I have to be the perfect wife am a wife."  "I have to be the perfect mom am a mom to Savannah."  "I am about to have to be the perfect mom be a mom to another child."  "I have to keep a perfect house take care of the house." You get the picture.

Almsot instantly though, Cory settled my worries with one simple explanation.  "We're gonna get through it.  We're gonna adjust.  We've got each other.  We'll work together."  We, as opposed to me.  What a novel concept, right?  He reminded me that a little flexibility would be necessary....which was his gentle way of saying that the house doesn't always have to be spick-and-span, that getting some rest might have to take precedence over washing dishes or sweeping the floor, and that spending some quality time together wasn't contingent on having all of the chores marked off the to-do list.  As much as I hate to say it, I know that will be a struggle for me.  There are some things that don't bother me a whole lot...unfolded laundry and some other random stuff.  But there's plenty that irks me to no end...muddy dog paws on the tile, dishes in the sink, carpet in need of vacuuming...this is a much longer list.  You'd think the mother of a toddler would get used to be more accepting of messes, but that day hasn't come for me yet.  Maybe it'll take this second child to push me over the threshold.  We'll see.  I'm not holding my breath, but I am vowing to work on it.

Family outing to the Dallas Zoo

Ok, let me preface this post with a couple of facts. 

1. The Dallas Zoo is awful compared to the Fort Worth Zoo.  Truly, it is.

2. We only went because I got adult passes for a dollar each with a Google Daily Deals offer.

Now, I can continue.  We'd been planning to take our cheap little trip this past Friday after my appointment, but sadly the weather didn't cooperate, so we went yesterday (Sunday) instead.  Savannah had a good time for the most part, but the animals were totally docile so she wasn't too excited about hanging out at one exhibit for any length of time.  Her favorites were the reptiles. 

This fella here, can't remember what he is, was particularly friendly.  The two of them, yes, the lizard and Savannah, would run back and forth along the length of his enclosure, stopping at the ends so he could try to climb up the glass.  Maybe he was trying to escape.  I can't be sure.  It looked like they were dancing together.  She got a kick out of it.

A big icky snake smiling for the camera.  He could likely swallow my kid whole.  He was gigantic!

Posing quickly in front of the flamingos.  Momma's looking a bit weary after hiking around for so long.  Hauling 20ish extra pounds around can do that to a person.

"What's that?"  Such a curious little squirt.

She was totally pooped and zonked out after about 3 minutes in the car. 

It really wasn't that memorable of an outing, but Cory and I agreed it was just nice to get out of the house and do something different.  We look forward to going back (...to the zoo in general, not this particular zoo, of course...) when the weather is a little warmer and the animals are {hopefully} more playful.  By that time, we'll be a family of four!  Daddy will be pulling Savvy in the wagon and Momma will have little sister tethered to her with the Moby wrap.  Can't wait!!

Baby Baker #2 update

Well, I’m a little over 29 weeks along (wow!), and we had an appointment Friday for a sonogram. This pregnancy has been so different from the last in a number of ways, one of which is how many sonograms I’ve not had. Seems like I had one at almost every appointment with Savannah. Never for anything other than “just to take a look” as penance for not seeing the doctor in a reasonable amount of time. But this was only my third for baby sister. The last was at 16 weeks when the sonographer typed “I’m probably a baby sister” on one of the images she printed out for me. Since then I’ve had nightmares wondered if she was right or wrong about the gender. Not that I wouldn’t be happy with either, but part of me is stoked about having two girls. Sisters. :-)


So, anyway, back to this last appointment. As suspected, she is still a she. There was no question about that. And everything else they check at this point looked great. Here’s a profile view and a shot of her little foot. Looks like she’s got Mommy’s feet. That’s a good thing.

Her approximate weight is just under 3 lbs............but somehow I've managed to gain 23.  I think it's safe to say I'm doing better in the weight-gain department now than I did with Savvy.  I'd have to gain 20 lbs in the next 9 weeks to match my achievement from last time.  Let's hope that doesn't happen.  Let's do hope I passed my glucose tolerance test, though.  I should hear about those results sometime this week. 

In general, I’m getting more and more anxious for the next 10ish weeks to pass so we can meet her. February has been a busy birthing month in my circle. I think so far there have been 5 new babies and another one is in the process of joining the world right now. I’m also ready to settle on a name, but that’s proving to be a more difficult process this go-round. Hopefully we’ll have one picked before the eleventh hour.

There have been some other different emotions and feelings that I didn't experience in the time leading up to Savannah's birth (probably cause I had no clue what to expect) that were really sitting heavily until the other day when I was finally able to verbalize them in a conversation with Cory.  He gave me a pretty awesome pep talk though, so for the time being, I'm feeling much more confident.  I plan on covering that in a different post when I've got a little more time.  For now, however, a bubble bath and back rub are calling my name!

Valentine's Day happenings

Since I haven't blogged in a while, I thought yesterday's events were worthy of a post. Cory and I aren't really that big on Valentine's Day, but still, we like to do a little something special to celebrate.  I'm definitely not into flowers so I was not sad at all when I wasn't among the Facebook peeps posting pictures of their pretty bouquets. But there were plenty of other things to be happy about, that's for sure. 

First of all, Cory left work early (at the cost of having to stay a little later every other day this week to make up for it) so that we could hit Texas Roadhouse before it got too crazy.  Besides the fact that my steak was absolutely delicious ... not to mention the rolls and honey cinnamon butter ... it was nice to have a break from cooking dinner.  :-)  Here's our special little dinner companion wearing the new headband Daddy got her:

Hopefully the devil horns she normally dons will be forgotten for this more tasteful option.

Before we went to dinner, we exchanged some special things.  I made Savannah a little basket of goodies complete with some of the things Gamma (my mom) sent her:

I got Cory several things, but didn't take a picture.  Mostly cause it wasn't pink and pretty like Savannah's. :-)

I was pretty stoked that Cory surprised me with these:

I've heard nothing but praise about them from other people who've got a pair so I have no doubt I'll be motivated to get back in shape after the baby's born (in a short 11 weeks or less)! 

And rewinding back a couple of days, I've got to share this adorable pic of my Valentine from Monday:

She was dressed up for her party at school.  Precious, no?!  I can't believe how big she's getting.

So back to the actual day of Valentine, after the kiddo went to bed, Cory and I splurged on some brownie pops I made while watching The Biggest Loser.  Ironic, I know.  But it was a Valentine's Day to remember...lots of giggles and special memories with our girl who's about to be a big sister.  I'm doing my best to cherish the time I have left with just her before she's launched into a world of sharing Mommy and Daddy with a sibling.  That said, we're very anxious and excited to meet our other sweet girl.  Won't be much longer!!

20 weeks down, 20(ish) to go!!

I cannot believe I'm already halfway...or likely more than halfway...through this pregnancy!  I say "more than halfway" because my doctor already predicts I won't go 40 weeks.  I'm cool with that.

I missed the post from the last doctor's visit before Thanksgiving, which is kinda sad cause it was a big one. I had a sonogram to determine gender and found out we're having another beautiful little girl!  I'm stoked to say the least.  Cory is...well...going through the ordinary stages of grief.

Denial - "The whole baby is the size of an avocado...how can they possibly tell there's not a tinker down there???"
Anger - "But I did everything the Internet said to make sure it would be a boy, gosh darn it!!!"
Bargaining - "Maybe someone else will be having a boy who really wants a girl and we can just trade."
Depression - "I'll never have anyone to play catch with or teach how to arm fart."
And finally, Acceptance - "I guess another girl isn't so bad...as long as she's fun like Savannah is." 

I'm already starting to envision what it'll be like in a few years when they're both bigger.  They'll share a room with bunk beds, we'll have salon parties and fix each others' hair and nails, and they'll be the best of friends (some of the time anyway).  It's gonna be so fun!

Yesterday I had a regular appointment, my first without a sonogram, and everything checked out perfectly.  I was measuring exactly 20cm and her little heartbeat was strong and content-sounding.  We (my doc and I) discussed the results from my bloodwork for the quad screening I'd done the time before, and I'm happy to report that all of those numbers were great.  And that was all she wrote for the 20wk appointment.  I'll have another sonogram at 28ish weeks where they'll check all of "her" anatomy and Dr. Daum promised that he'd do his best to try and locate a penis for Cory's sake. ;-) 

While I'm updating, I don't want to leave our first little miss out.  She had her 18-month well check last week and her doctor was very pleased with her growth and development.  She's right in the middle of the pack on weight and height (24 lbs, and...I can't even remember how tall).  Her vocabulary grows every day it seems and she's just getting too smart for her own good.  She's also really starting to get that little defiant toddler 'tude.  As I write this, she's in her room pitching the slightest of fits because she doesn't want to take a nap. Little stinker.  Guess it's all just part of being a parent though.  I've been learning those lessons in abundance here lately, but will keep the details possibly for a different post.

Again, one of these days I'll remember and find the time to take a belly pic to post with all these pesky words.  I mean, who likes books without pictures, right?

I'm back!

Hi folks.  I know, I know.  I haven't posted since MAY.  I didn't even write about Savannah's first birthday or my high school reunion or anything that's happened since MAY.  But I'm turning over a new blogging leaf, I hope.  I really want to try and write about this pregnancy like I did the first time around.  For one, I've really enjoyed going back through those posts and seeing what things are the same or different now.  I've forgotten a lot of things too, so it's nice to have the refresher.  And........I really don't want this baby to live with an excessive amount of second-child inequality.  Wish me luck with that.  I've already almost completely stopped taking pictures of Savannah.  There may be no hope for #2.  But alas, I shall try!

So, I had a check-up today.  From the beginning, we've had trouble nailing down a due date.  Based on my LMP, I'm due May 2, 2012.  Based on the 7wk (give or take) sono - which was done because the initial sono indicated that I wasn't as far along as my LMP indicated, meaning I ovulated late - I'm due May 6, 2012.  That would make me roughly 11 1/2wks.  Today's sono showed that baby had caught up a little with the LMP due date prediction making me more like an even 12wks.  So my doctor decided to more or less split the difference and say I'm due May 4.  One way or another, somewhere around the first week of May (or earlier, fingers crossed) we'll have a new little stinker under our roof.

Things today looked good on the sono.  The nuchal fold measured well within the normal range which is good.  At my next appointment, I'll have the Quad Screen which will further assess the probability of genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities.  The heart rate was nice and strong - a little faster than last time - at 169bpm.  The placenta was low and touching, but not covering, the cervix (marginal placenta previa).  The sonographer said this is fairly common in early pregnancy and we'll keep an eye on it.  She tried really hard to see if she could identify the gender, but baby wasn't really cooperating.  Luckily though, we'll confirm it at my next appoitment on November 17!  YAY! 

Other than that, there's not much to report.  I haven't gained any weight despite this oversized spare tire I'm hauling around under my shirts.  I'm not surprised though.  I haven't really been sick like I was with Savannah, but I have absolutely no appetite.  If I didn't have feeding Savannah as a reminder to feed myself, I'm not sure I'd ever think to eat.  But that will probably change in a couple of weeks when I reach the second trimester.  I hope so anyway. 

Maybe someday soon I'll get around to taking a belly shot, but for now, I'll just leave you with this precious pic of Big Sister swinging at the park (2 months ago). :-)

Do you see what I see?

My guess is probably not. 

For instance here, you'll see my beautiful baby girl on the day she turned 11 months old.


May 2, 2011

But I see something more along these lines (at least when I'm not wearing glasses or contacts).

It's the best representation I could make, but in reality, I wouldn't even be able to tell that she has eyes or a mouth.  Crazy, right?!  Well, it's all going to change tomorrow after I have LASIK.  Goodbye blindness, hello 20/20 (or better) vision!!  I can't wait!!

In other news, I had a FABULOUS first Mother's Day.  I got a Kindle which is great, but that was only the beginning.  Cory got up with Savannah and cooked me breakfast and then unveiled the shirts he'd crafted for all of us.  Here are mine and Savannah's shirts...

Cory made himself a jersey to wear during his soccer game that afternoon, but unfortunately it was white...and the team we played was wearing white...so he had to stick with the traditional jersey.  But kudos for the effort and creativity!  I look forward to pulling this shirt out of a box of keepsakes someday and reliving the sweet memories of my first Mother's Day with Savannah.  It couldn't have been any better!

Who knew?!?!

I never thought I'd manage 2 blog posts right here on the last day of the month.  But sure enough!

I wanted to give you an update after my last post about my to-do list.  I've actually gotten to cross a few things off!!  Here's an abbreviated list with some of the items I've completed:

1. Put pen to paper and make an actual to-do list
2. Blog about it
3. Cross fingers that Savannah sleeps long enough to let you blog about it
4. Uncross fingers...it makes typing hard
5. Wash bottles
6. Clean up the kitchen from dinner last night (I know, eww, gross)
7. Sweep the tile (which is half of my whole house)
8. Mop
9. Vacuum
10. Dust
11. .........

YAY ME!!!

Last-ditch effort

I didn't want to let the month of April expire without even a single post.  Yes, I'm aware that I missed blogging about Savannah's 10th month, but I'm sure none of you even noticed.  I did take her picture with the big pink bear, and I have been taking notes of things for her baby book, but I just never had time to sit down and type it out.  That's kinda the subject of this blog ... time.

Do ya ever have that good ol' fashioned feeling that there just aren't enough hours in the day?  That's been my life since I started my business last month.  Oh, it's not that I'm swamped with clients booking sessions or anything right off the bat (although I haven't been disappointed in the response I've gotten either).  I just feel like things keep getting added to my to-do list, and yet, nothing ever seems to get marked off no matter how busy I keep myself.

Here's my to-do list at the moment (updated 5/1/11 @ 2:19pm):

1. Put pen to paper and make an actual to-do list
2. Blog about it
3. Cross fingers that Savannah sleeps long enough to let you blog about it
4. Uncross fingers...it makes typing hard
5. Wash bottles
6. Clean up the kitchen from dinner last night (I know, eww, gross)
7. Sweep the tile (which is half of my whole house)
8. Mop
9. Vacuum
10. Dust
    Seriously, my house is a wreck.  I didn't feel that "clean house" sufficed.
11. Clean master bathroom
12. Install Savannah's big-girl carseat
13. Refresh the laundry that's been in the dryer for 2 days
14. Fold and put away said laundry
15. Refresh the laundry that's been in a laundry basket in the closet for the better part of a week
16. Fold and put away that laundry
17. Apply for the 0% interest CareCredit card that we'll use to pay for my LASIK.
18. Do a happy dance that I can apply for credit in my own name again since I'm self-employed now and not technically unemployed  Half-serious aside: I think it's crazy that "stay-at-home mom" doesn't count as an occupation to credit companies or provide evidence of financial means.  I mean, geesh, how do they think we have the ability to stay home and not work in the first place.
19. Scan images of the subject release forms from yesterday's photo session
20. Start editing pictures
21. Finish editing pictures
    Yes, it's two different items cause I never get to do it all in one sitting.
22. Post preview on Facebook
23. Post a blog about the session
    Follow Still Reality Portraits if you don't already!
24. Create disk to send to clients
25. Design and print a label for the disk
26. Fill out copyright release form
27. Package and ship pictures to clients
28. Make my own back-up and close out clients' file
29. Make changes to website to help it hit on Google (BIG undertaking, so I'll leave out the gory details)
30. Make blog button for my readers to add to their sidebar
31. Design and send "refer a friend" cards to my clients
32. Finish designing Savannah's birthday invitations
33. Order invitations
34. Shop for birthday party
35. Order smash cake
36. Finish scrapbooking her first year
37. Make birthday party tutu and shirt
38. Make 1-year portrait tutu (to match with Abigail) :)
39. Fight back tears over the length of this to-do list
40. Stop writing to-do list

Ok, I'm leaving it at that.  Believe me, there's more, but I've overwhelmed myself and feel it's better to stop while I'm, well, not exactly ahead, but not completely buried either.  And this list doesn't even include other things I have to do eat, sleep, and be like a wife/mom ... let alone anything I might want to do like read for book club or heaven forbid sit down and relax (or catch up on reading my friends' blogs).

Hopefully though, I'll be able to knock some of this stuff out more quickly than I imagine in my head.  Send good thoughts of high productivity my way, please!!  And now that I've wasted a fair amount of time on this blog that could have been spent elsewhere, I'll bid you adieu.

Nine months

Man, I'm getting later and later with these monthly updates.  Maybe it's because this adorable little giggle bug is keeping me so insanely busy!


March 2, 2011

I probably said this last month, but really ... Savannah is all over the place.  In particular, she loves the fireplace, any and all electrical outlets (which have been baby-proofed for anyone who might be wondering), and the dogs' food bowl.  Pretty much if it's dangerous and requires Momma or Daddy to swoop in and change her course, she's there.  Keeps me on my toes, that's for sure.  Gone are the days of leaving her to play in the floor while I put laundry away or go potty.  So long good ol' days.  I'll miss ya.  But on the flip side, it is so incredibly fun to watch how she grows and learns every day.  She can breeze around the ottoman in the blink of an eye and is starting to get brave enough to let go and try to balance.  I have a feeling her first steps won't be too far in the future.

Two teeth are in the process of coming in.  We saw the first one Saturday and the second one today.  I guess technically, that should be part of next month's post, but whatever. It's cute and I'm gonna talk about it.  She hasn't gotten use to the feeling yet as evidenced by the neurotic way she sticks her tongue out now.  She looks like a kitten lapping up milk.  In out, in out, in out.  It always makes me laugh.  It's done a number on her sleep, though. Without fail, she wakes up at 4 o'clock and it's a miracle if she'll go back down until 6.  Hopefully that won't last much longer.  Momma's tired.

Cory and I took her to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens last Friday so I could shoot her 9-month portraits.  She was an absolute peach!  I couldn't be more pleased with the results.  Here are some of my favorites.

Such a pretty, pretty girl! 

Oh yea, and the crib got lowered when this happened the other day...

She is obviously so proud! 

Her well baby check on Monday went perfectly.  The doctor said she's lean and healthy weighing in at 18 lbs. 12 oz.  She's tall as far as the stats go ... 28 1/4".  She'll probalby level off though and everyone else will pass her.  After all, have you seen her Daddy and me?  She won't be breaking any world records in height that's for sure.  She's been introduced to more finger foods, but tends to be a little picky and won't warm up to things too quickly.  That's one area I hope she turns out to be nothing like me.  I want her to like more veggies than just green beans. :-)

I'll close with what might possibly be the cutest thing in the whole world ... a sweet picture of Savannah and her very best friend Abigail.  Abi's mom Kristi and I met up at the Botanic Gardens Tuesday so she could also get 9-month pictures taken. 

Precious, right?!  I know.  Don't gotta tell me twice!



Eight months

In honor of the Super Snow Bowl of 2011, Savannah donned her most festive fleece attire for this month's picture.

February 2

Since last month, this little girl is quite literally all over the place.  Her army crawl is perfected and now she's pushing up more onto her hands and knees.  I think the fireplace has some sort of secret gravitational property that only pulls babies toward it because it's the first place she heads when she's playing in the floor.  Can't leave her alone for a second or she'd surely be covered in soot.

Savannah also took her first plane ride about 2 weeks ago to go visit Gamma and Grrdad.  The flight to Amarillo was pleasant.  She entertained the sweet woman who sat next to me and didn't fuss at all.  The flight back to Dallas on the other hand, was a nightmare.  She was so tired and desparately needed a nap, but she is completely unwilling to sleep when there are new and interesting things to look at.  The exhaustion resulted in a meltdown of epic proportions midway through the flight.  To any random reader out there who may have possibly been on flight 324 that day, I am sorry you had the unfortunate luck of sharing that cabin with us.  She finally fell asleep a few minutes before our final descent.  Insert overly dramatic sigh of relief here.

On the subject of eating, she enjoys finger foods so much that she hardly has the patience for me to spoon baby food into her mouth any more.  Definitely got that I'll-do-it-myself personality trait.  Who knows where she got it from, though. *wink*  If she ever cuts some teeth, I'll be able to give her more options, but we're still waiting for that day.  And, unrelated to eating, she's really started reaching for people...me in particular.  She's a little bit of a Momma's girl right now to say the least.  I don't mind one bit! :)

Our baby girl is growing up too fast.  Believe it or not, I've already started contemplating her first birthday festivities because it will be here before we know it.  In the meantime, however, I'm enjoying watching this little person be who she is...our mostly happy and giggly but occasionally moody first-born.

Resolutions

I've never really been big on New Year's resolutions, but for whatever reason I set a few this year.  I didn't agonized over what they would be, but as 2010 was coming to a close, several things had come to mind that I thought I'd like to accomplish this year - and in doing so - perhaps create some positive habits that will carry on long after the newness of the resolution itself was gone.

1.  Lose weight.

I know, so cliche, right?  But really, I had about 7 pounds lingering that didn't exist before having Savannah...and truth be told...I wasn't in peak physical condition prior to her conception.  But considering I gain 43 pounds during pregnancy, I felt fortunate that only 7 didn't disappear on their own.  So, on my birthday actually, I started following the weight watchers plan and am proud to say that I've lost 11 pounds in 6 weeks.  (Saying that felt a little too much like a bad commercial. lol)  If I exercised I'm sure I'd be a little further along, but I figure the running around I do toting a child is workout enough.  So....so far so good with resolution #1.  I'm well on my way to my goal since I instituted it before 1-1-11.

2.  Stick to a set budget.

Cliche again.  I can't help it though.  Cory and I are horrible with budgets.  We try and try, but always fail.  We are really bad about telling each other no when it comes to splurging on this or that.  But we have a few things we want to get paid off, so we planned and set a fairly strict CASH budget for ourselves.  It's the Dave Ramsey method, only I didn't waste money on his books, I just used my own smarts.  It's amazing how much money you can save by not indiscriminately swiping your debit card.  So far so good on this one too, and although it's early, I'm very hopeful about our success.

3.  Read one book per month (at least).

I hate admitting it, but growing up I definitely didn't have the love of reading that my mom and brother had and still have.  But back in the fall, at the suggestion of a friend from high school, I picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  A teen-read, sure, but utterly fantastic.  Now, as part of my actual resolution, I'm working on the Twilight books, which are especially thrilling because I haven't seen the films.  No, I haven't been living under a rock, I just never saw the intrigue......until now. ;-)  I finished Twilight and started New Moon yesterday.  That's why I said "at least" since I'm ahead of my quota after just 10 days.  After Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, my list is empty...suggestions anyone?

4.  ???????

There is a fourth, but putting it out there for all to know kinda takes its meaning away.  So I'll keep it to myself, but know that I am also succeeding with it, just like the others. 

There you have it.  2011 is off to a great start for the Bakers!  Wishing all the best to you as well, faithful readers.

7 months



January 2, 2011

Really?  I mean, I know I sound shocked every month when this happens, but really?!?!  Seven?  Why do I suddenly feel like Savannah is on the downhill slope of her entire childhood?  Ok, that might be a bit extreme, but I do have new emotions about her literally growing up too fast.  Maybe it's because of all the changes she's gone through over the last month.

For starters, her personality is bursting at the seams.  This girl hardly ever stops giggling!!  She can be laying in the floor, several feet from any toys, and just bust out laughing.  At herself, at the dog walking by, at anything.  It's hysterical!  She is super ticklish, and I can really get her going by enlisting "tickle fingers."  It's a whole bit we do.  You'd have to be there, but trust me, she loves it.  Cory's thing is to bounce his head against her tummy.  Omg, she goes nuts when he does this.  In fact, I think I posted a video of one such session on Facebook sometime last week.  If you missed it go check out my profile. 

And, on her 7-month birthday (Sunday), she randomly started feeding herself a bottle.  Well, I say randomly, Cory laid her in the floor and just sat it there by her to see what she'd do.  And, what did she do, you ask?  She picked it up and started eating.  Without much incident I might add.  Such a big girl!

What else, let's see......

Still no teeth, but she's been sleeping better at night for the past week or so.  Insert Momma's sigh of relief here.  Oh, and, she's just about got the army-crawling thing completely figured out.  She can manage right now, but isn't efficient.  If something is out of reach, she'll eventually get there, but it takes some effort to coordinate her movements.  Before too much longer, though, I think she'll be well-practiced and well on her way to getting into everything.  yay.  ;-)

We had a wonderful first Christmas with her, but I plan on making those details a post of their own.  So for now, I'll leave you with these pictures.  :-)


Look what I can do! [said in her best Stewart voice]

Playing peek-a-boo under the laundry basket



What started out as play time...



...ended up as Savannah-taco time.  TA DA!



Why is it so hard?

It's a simple concept, people.  The elevator has to be departed before it can be boarded. 

I was at the mall yesterday, only to go to Barnes and Noble at first, but when I discovered a diamond missing from my wedding ring, a trip to the lower level was required to talk to the folks at Zales.  So, with stroller in tow, I headed to the nearest elevator.  I was the first one there waiting on it to come up.  I pushed the button and, logically, stepped off to the side so that those coming up could exit easily.  But before it arrived, several other groups of people gathered, but not in an orderly fashion to either side of the doors.  Oh no.  Right in front of them!  Then when the doors opened and revealed the car full of people wanting off, these people looked shocked and mystified as they attempted to take steps forward into the elevator.  Really people?

Those inside slowly maneuvered their way around the rude folks who were so incredibly anxious to get on.  I was the last one on and made my way to the back.  Needless to say, the same thing happened to us when we got to the lower level.  Those who had been so pushy to get on before were now enraged at their peers who were acting in the same way and making it difficult for them to now get off.

The trip back up after visiting Zales was not unlike what I just described.  I was the last one to try and exit the elevator on the upper level and when the wall of unsupervised kids - little kids, not inconsiderate teenagers - refused to move to let me and my stroller out before pushing their way in, I looked at every unattentive parent, curtly said 'excuse me', disregarded their expressions of dismay (I'm sure they were thinking something like "What's that lady's problem?  Didn't she want to ride the elevator over and over for grins and giggles?"), and made my way out.

I mean, really, is it that difficult to understand? 

And......end rant