Sometimes They Just Make You So Proud

AJ has shown real empathy a few times now for some of her friends without me helping her. And each time I feel so proud. The first time was at little gym when the kids were putting the balls away (a favorite activity for all the kids, not sure why the same excitement doesn't happen with toys at home). AJ has put her ball away and was looking for more to put in when a younger boy dropped his and my quick little AJ swooped it up to put in the bag. Of course the little boy started to cry so AJ gave the little boy back the ball instead of putting it in the bag.

Another time was playing with our good friends next door when our little friend M, in typical toddler fashion, seemed to be wanting to play with everything AJ picked up (when we are at our house we have the reverse problem). One time it was a baby doll AJ had picked up and M started to cry so without my help AJ walked over and gave M the baby doll. It was just too cute.

Of course there are still times when thus does not happen, but I cherish when it does.

The Power of Uninterrupted Play

I have been following Janet Lansbury Elevating Childcare for a while now on Facebook. She follows an RIE approach. What I gain from reading her posts is the importance of letting kids play without any interruptions. Interruptions can come from anywhere but the biggest interruption in our house was ME! I thought I was helping her imaginative play but many times I was getting in the way of the plan she was working. This does not mean that I am no longer in the room, in fact it is quite the opposite. I am observing AJ and finding out what she is interested in and trying to make sense of. Sometimes she looks at me to confirm what she is doing, but mostly it is just her playing. AJ gets all her ideas on her own and most are things that we do or she sees mom or dad do. So cute!

In the first picture AJ is having the animals get into the tractor and go back and forth to grandma's house (the brown basket) The did this for no less than 25 minutes. The second is AJ paying the meter (can you tell we live in the city). She found a few coins and uses the door handle hole as the meter. I just love the creativity. So much better than having a toy parking meter.

It's Been Awhile

As the title says it's been a while since my last post and my how things have changed!  AJ has become quite the little miss independent.  Everything is "I do, I do" and "I know."  It is so cute.  She talks a lot and most of the time you can tell what she is trying to say.  Just recently when she was up with daddy in the morning she would point to everything and tell him what it was.  "Book, car, dog, etc." and she especially loves to do this with photos of family.  We have been working with AJ for a long time now (months) to say "help please" when she needs help instead of whining out of frustration and she is finally using the word "help."  I don't think I have ever been so excited and proud!  She also asks for her milk instead of whining, which is another big plus.  My favorite is the way she says thank you, it is almost like she is singing it with her cute little voice.

Of course with all these new developments of independence comes the tantrums (how does every toddler know to throw herself on the floor?) because yes AJ does have her opinions!  But let's focus on the positive for now.

New Tricks!

AJ has some new tricks to share with the world!  It is so fun to see her change.  The first one is her "cheese" face.

Super cute!  And then there is her spinning!

And using a fork!  (Well, sometimes)

I am so glad to have an iphone to capture all of these little moments.  Enjoy!

AJ's New Best Friend

AJ has finally found her best friend.  He is a green, soft, and cuddly monkey!!!  Thank you great Grandma.  This monkey has been sitting on her shelf by her crib for her entire life.  About a week ago while I was holding her she started pointing at him so I got him down and she hugged and played with the monkey for a little bit.  They were friends at this point but not best friends yet.  On Wednesday or Tuesday of this past week AJ got up extra early in the morning so I decided to put Monkey in with her to see if she would play and maybe if I was lucky go back to sleep.  And you are not going to believe it, but she did just that!!!   I got lucky.  Then it came time for nap and I put her in bed without Monkey.  She would not go down which is very odd for her morning nap, so after a few minutes I put Monkey in there and she fell right asleep.  From that point on Monkey is now a staple in her bed and I must say it is the cutest thing!  She hugs him, rolls around with him, and talks to him.  I am so glad I have a video monitor where I can see their relationship unfold.  Of course now that they are best friends he has to come out of the crib with her as well and recently she has wanted Monkey to join her in the bathtub!  That was very interesting.

Snuggle Bug

Alright so I think I speak for everyone when I say cuddling with a baby is one of the best things in life. When they are inafnts it is their favorite pastime as well. And then they become babies and they seem to want their independence. I can crawl now mommy so I do not need you to hold me or I would rather being running around like a crazy woman mommy. Well I am just not ok with this.

Those of you that have known me growing up know that I always had to be sitting right next to my mom. She would always remind me that there is the whole couch, yet I still chose to snuggle in. Maybe it is because I am always cold? After I got married my husband is who I snuggle up to. And then I had AJ my constant snuggle bug during her infancy. Then she found her independence and I lost my little snuggle bug. I still would shower her with affection and sneak in a few cuddles hoping one day my snuggle bug would return. Well I am excited to say my snuggle bug is returning!!!! Only glimpses, but I'll take it. :)

What a year!!!!

Wow, I cannot believe my little AJ is a year! I swear time flies by even faster the older you get. I remember growing up and thinking that the school year took forever and now I blink an eye and my little girl is one!!!! It is fun to try and look at the world like a one year old. The pure enjoyment she gets out of the littlest thing, the wonder in her eyes with each new thing, and the belly laughs! I am so glad I am able to stay at home and watch her explore her world. And yes she still reminds me (some days a little too frequently) that it is her world and I am just living in it :) Of course she must get that stubbornness from her father, right?

So now that AJ is one and I am thinking of weaning (if you would have asked me while pregnant wOuld I still be nursing after one I would have said no way, but I have a totally different view of nursing now)we are trying to look at AJ's diet and see how to make it healthier since the mommy milk might be coming to a slow end. AJ eats decently with fruits and dairy, ok with protein and grains, and a little sketchy with veggies. At her checkup we talked to the dr. and she gave us some ideas about how to "sneak" foods in, but she kept talking about how important it is to lead by example. Uh oh! I mean how many green veggies are on your plate every day? John and I do not eat too unhealthy, but we definately could lay off the carbs and increase fruits and veggies. Guess it is something to work on, I'm thinking of it as a new years resolution a little late. Wish us luck!

Wow, this is exactly how I feel...am I a feminist?

OK here is a fair warning this blog post has nothing to do with my cute little AJ I will be talking about my feelings about my birth experience so do not feel like you have to read on.  :)


Alright so the birth of a child is obviously one of the biggest and most exciting events in ones' life.  However, when I look back on the birth of AJ I don't look so fondly over it.  In fact I almost cry every time I think about it.  I do not cry because of the pain I cry because of the emotions I felt during and after my C-section.  Of course initially after having AJ I linked the feelings to my hormones (and I do think hormones played a part) but now it has been 11 months and when thinking about that day I still feel the same way in many regards.  This led me to think (only thinking right now) to a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) if we decide and our lucky enough to have another child.  And talking with a friend about this she suggested a blog for me to look at called the Feminist Breeder.  I thought to my self I am the farthest thing from a feminist.  I like men to open the door and pay the dinner tab.  Heck, I am a stay at home mom and I have no issues struggling if I made the right decision.  But it was a place to start looking into VBAC.  Well as I read her first birth experience with an emergency C-section all I could think of is this is exactly how I feel.  Here is the excerpt,


 "At 7:27, Jonas was pulled into the world, and as he started to cry, my husband and I both cried too. Hearing my son’s voice for the first time was overwhelming and beautiful, but also terrifying because I couldn’t see him. They took him to the table to be measured and weighed. I could only see the nurses standing around him. They brought him over for a second and I saw his little bottom lip curl up, the same way it still does when he’s upset. Just then, I started vomiting on myself, and I was terrified that I was going to choke on it because I was still strapped down and couldn’t turn to my side. That was the last thing I remember before waking up in recovery at around 10 pm.

After spending an hour or two in recovery, I was taken back to my room to wait for Jonas. It was after midnight when I held him for the first time. He was perfect. Absolutely beautiful.  Yet nearly 20 months later, I still cannot get over the pain of not being the first one to meet my baby; to hold my baby. For many months afterward, I’d get terribly depressed any time a woman around me was pregnant because I felt like she was about to have the opportunity to do something that I didn’t get to do, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get the chance again."

http://thefeministbreeder.com/the-cesarean-birth-story-of-my-first-son/  (the whole blog post)

Now there are definitely differences in how our births went down, but the part that hit home the most was "I still cannot get over the pain of not being the first one to meet my baby; hold my baby."  She nailed my feelings that I couldn't put into the right words on the head.  This is why I get teared up when I think of the birth of AJ.  In my case I do think the whole induction which led to the C-section was necessary, but it still doesn't make me feel better about it.  We went through a lot to get little AJ (see first couple of blog posts) and hands down still the hardest part for me are my emotions about the birth.  So yes I probably will look into a VBAC and some will think I am crazy, but if we do have another child I would at least like to explore that option and see if it is a viable option for me.  

For any of my non parent readers this is not meant to scare you from childbirth.  This birth experience led me to a healthy mom and healthy baby, so really I couldn't ask for anything more. It still was amazing in its own way.   It was not scary going through it...I guess it just was not as emotionally fulfilling as I had wanted it to be.  

Future Olympic Gymnast...

So AJ and I went to our trial class at the little gym today and she was amazing.  It was the birds class for 10-19 month olds and she hung in there with the best of them.  As many of you know I was a gymnast growing up, so taking her to the little gym was a big thrill for me.  I was truly amazed at my little girl.  She was not scared of anything or anyone!  We walked on the balance beam (alright she might need a little practice here) but then we went to the bars and she hung on tight with a huge grin on her face.  I was so proud.  I am not sure who was smiling more, me or AJ.  When I came home it made me think of my parents and all the times they watched my sister and I at practice or meets I am sure they felt just as proud.  Now I know this was just a class for babies, but I can still be proud and amazed at what my little one can do, right?  I never knew the joy I would feel from watching my little one have fun!

I mentioned this was our trial class and my plan was to do my trial class at a few places and then decide if I would sign up.  Well needless to say the little gym has sucked me in.  We signed up for the rest of this session and the follow one as well.  All I can say is for the price of this I better be creating an Olympic athlete.  I think this will be Adalyn's birthday and Christmas present.

AJ is Walking on Sunshine (almost)

AJ is getting so big!  She thinks she can do everything herself.  We cannot wait to see her walking soon, even though all my mama friends say just wait you will be running around all the time chasing her!  Here is AJ "walking on sunshine!"

Does this mean I'm lazy?

Let me start off by saying I was estatic when I found out I was having a little girl. Everyone knows that baby girl clothes are the cutest (although baby boy clothes are getting better). I thought oh won't it be fun to dress her up. Well adalyn has a closet full of great clothes all washed and ready to wear, and what will you find her in 80% of the time?

A white onsie. You see that is what she sleeps in under her sleep sack. She wakes up, eats, plays and 2 hours go by and it is time to nap. I figure why change her now she is just going to nap and I'll change her when she gets up. The whole process seems to repeat when she wakes up and then goes down for her last nap. When she wakes up I think the day is almost over why dirty another outfit, we're not going anywhere. So after her bath is time for a new white onsie and then off to bed.

At least she looks cute in white onsies, right?

Here she is at grandma and grandpa's house in her white onsie.

A Princess Wave

Adalyn is waving or at least I'm saying she is. Of course she will not do it on command, but as soon as she lifts her arm and wiggles her fingers I am waving and saying hi right back at her! It is the little things that makes us feel so good. I will try and get it on video and add to this post and I am pretty sure only silly mommies like me will know she is waving.

I hope I do not get sucked in...

So when AJ was about a month old I bought a Gymboree Groupon.  I looked at the fine print and saw it did not expire until October so I thought AJ might be crawling by then, so I will wait to use it.  And then because Gymboree is very pricey we will be done with it when the Groupon is over.   Well last Thursday we went to our free trial class.  AJ loved it!  And I did too!  She was the only crawler in the class of 6-9 months old and it was tunnel day.  I was not sure if she would go through, but as soon as I ran around to the other side and started calling her name she was coming to get me with a big smile on her face!!!  We went through all 3 tunnels, smiled at the other kids, and giggled like crazy.  Needless to say I cashed in my Groupon and we will be going to Gymboree for the next 4 weeks.  I am wondering when the Groupon expires will I get sucked into paying full price or can I be strong and say AJ we are done with this now?   I guess only time will tell.

I have been looking into other gym options that are not so pricey.  I found My Gym (cheaper but still pricey), YMCA (too young), and the Park District (too young).  It would not have to be an actual class could be more of an open play thing as I love to sing, crawl, and get silly with my AJ.  If anyone knows of someplace that has things for crawlers to play on please comment.

I thought only little boys played in the dirt...

So yesterday AJ and I were playing outside on a blanket in the grass. She fell into the grass a few times and "played" with the grass. I did not see her eat it, but when changing the diaper today found some grass! :). The joys of parenthood. Guess little girls like to play in the dirt as well.

Who knew being a stay at home mom could be so hard?!

So about a week ago AJ and I really got in a groove together.  She was napping well, going to sleep on her own, sleeping very well at night, and pretty much had an established routine.   I was thinking Wow this is getting a little easier I can totally do this again when we are ready for C2 to come around.  How foolish of me to think that!  Just when I thought AJ and I were on the same page she has turned everything upside down.  Napping...what's that.  Sleeping well at night...I don't think so.  Of course when Daddy comes home we are all smiles (napping attempts are over when he gets home) and he wonders why I am still in my PJs and starving.  AJ really is a happy little girl, but mama needs her sleep and time to eat   :)  Last night went better and we got one nap in the crib today, so maybe things are looking up.  AJ, I love that you can sit up but when you are tired you need to lay down.

Being a mom is most definitely the hardest thing I have ever done and no one really talks about that.  Of course I love my daughter and wouldn't change being a mom,  but there are times when it is very difficult.  I think people do need to share and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly about being a mom.  Together we can make it through things!

And on that note if you ever see a parent with a crying child, hear a crying child on an airplane, or in the hotel room next to you...just remember the parent is feeling even worse than you right now.  So please be kind and give a sympathetic smile.  Thanks!

Extreme Couponing

So I have heard of these crazy couponers before and now I get to watch them on TLC (only an episode or too because I just felt like it was the same thing).  After watching the show I thought hey maybe I should try and coupon now that I am home with AJ.  I thought about ordering the Sunday paper, went to a few how to extreme coupon websites, and then my reality set in....ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND...

Yes, I would like to save money but here is why you will not find me clipping coupons:

1.  SLEEP (the only thing I really like to do while AJ is sleeping, sometimes sleep wins over taking a shower so there is no way that couponing would win)

2.  Do I really need 500 packs of anything?

3.  This would mean I would do all the grocery shopping, no thank you (for those of you who do not know me I am the very fortunate wife of a husband who loves to cook and does the shopping too, luv you honey!)

4.  Having to go to different stores to shop the sales.  Right nowI can hardly squeeze one store in before it is nap time again it would take me at least a week to complete a grocery list

And Finally #5

5.  Sleep (I think I mentioned that before but I really like my sleep and it is hard to come by these days)

My hat goes off to those of you who do this kind of couponing, but I have decided to not watch the show and be OK with not saving the money  :)

And on that note I am now going to sleep for the rest of AJ's nap.

Our Little Sweetie Pie eating her first food

It is so much fun feeding and making her food!  I think AJ likes it too!  

The Summer Heat!!!

     So when AJ was born it was too cold to go for walks.  We waited until it was a little warmer, bundled her up, and off we went.  Then spring came and it soon became Mommy and AJ's favorite past time.  Now the middle of summer is here and the heat is taking away our walks.  Mommy can handle the heat (in fact I love it because I am always cold in the house thanks to Daddy's AC settings), but AJ cannot.  I started noticing some heat rash in the creases of her arms and legs.  Nothing major but decided that AC is the best place for AJ right now.   AJ must take after her dad when it come to temperature control.

    Any suggestions on how to beat the heat?!  I feel like it is winter all over again cooped up in the house.

Looking forward to the fall (who would of thought I would be saying that),
     Bethany

We have started "ferberizing"

Alright so a couple weeks ago AJ got a bad cold. During this time we of course cuddled her at every cough, slept with her in a chair, rocked for hours, you get the picture. And we would do it again if she got sick. Well the cold went away, but AJ would still wake up and want us every hour or twenty minutes! All 3 of us were getting to be exhausted and a little cranky. I decided to look at the Ferber method of sleep training because I need my sleep and we were going to do something at 6 months anyways. So we started "ferberizing" Sunday night. It is not cry it out but there is some crying. You get to check on the little one every few minutes and calm them down, but you do leave when they are awake. AJ is doing so well! We have not made it all night yet, but almost and with her normally after the first check in she falls asleep without crying! Good thing because listening to a crying baby is not easy. The best change I have noticed is her naps they are much longer and she wakes up happier! We were a 20-30 minute napper and now we are 1.5-2 hours. I have time to write my blog!!! I am so proud of the 3 of us for sticking with it. We already have no crying at naps and I hope the middle of the night little cry ends soon. At the rate we are going I might get to stop going to bed the same time as AJ very soon!

The Best Thing In the World

So hopefully now I have you asking what is the best thing in the world?  The answer: a sleeping baby in your arms or on your belly.  I know, I know...all you sleep training mamas are saying don't do it.  But I just love it!  We do not let AJ sleep this way at night, but I will admit to extend a nap we might hold her in the chair and in the mornings for a few extra minutes of shut eye I bring her in with me.  It is the number one most relaxing part of my day and I love that we can make her that comfortable.  I mean wouldn't you want to sleep in someone's arms with the warmth of a body and the steady beat of a heart.

What is your best thing in the world?