2 months

Emma was 2 months old yesterday, but of course I'm a slacker and didn't take a picture until today.  And of course the place I thought to grab my camera was at the pediatrician's office at her 2 month well baby.  Paul thought I was a crazy person.  Well, he always thinks I'm a crazy person so I don't know why he was surprised. 

Emma LOVES the paper on the examining tables.  She moves around and smiles the entire time she's on it.

Our little lady has gone from being underweight and in the 50th percentile for everything (pediatrician's words, not mine) to weighing 11lbs 3oz and is now in the 82nd percentile for weight.  She is 22.5 inches long and in the 76th percentile for length and her head is in the 64th percentile.

The doctor was impressed with how well Emma holds her head up and says that she is holding herself up on her tummy like a 4 month old...I knew she'd be advanced!  She even handled her vaccinations like a champ.

Last night she had boogies and I am official boogie catcher (well, technically the syringe bulb is the boogie catcher, but I am the official handler as Paul won't do it).  Emma was pitching a fit and had quite the snot mess going on (some of which ended up on Paul's uniform) so he grabs a tissue, holds it up to her nose, and told her to blow and don't you know our little genius did!  She even blew with enough force to get the snot out and onto the tissue. 

She also has started laughing.  She's only done it a few tentative times, but it is so adorable and funny to hear.  Perhaps because mommy stays home and talks to and laughs at her all day long like a lunatic.

The cloth diapering is going really well.  I really like using them and think the giant bubble butt they give Emma is adorable.  She often looks like a snail when she's lying on her tummy because her diaper sticks up so far.  I was worried she wouldn't be able to fit in her clothes, but we haven't had any issues because of the diapers in that area. 

Breastfeeding is going okay.  I've met with 2 lactation consultants (I'm like a LC groupie) and have weaned off using the nipple shield.  Now I just have to retrain Emma to latch correctly.  It's getting better as I no longer feel like I'm going to pass out from pain when she initially latches on.  I called my ob per the LC and got some all purpose nipple ointment from a compounding shop and it is awesome!  I highly recommend it if you breastfeed and have nipples that feel like they are on fire.  The apno puts that fire right out!

Saturday we have our first plane ride as we are headed down south for a week.  Luckily we are blessed with amazing house/pet sitters so no worries there.  They rock (even if Andy refuses to believe Neil Patrick Harris is gay).  Then Emma and I will leave daddy at home to head to NJ to see my grammy and spend a few more days with my mom who then will follow me back up to Boston. 

The train we are on has shifted into high gear as we have hit the less than 70 days point until Paul leaves for his deployment.  Roughly only 2 months left to get a LOT of stuff done around our house and our wills/paperwork done and that isn't even taking into account the several weeks Paul will be gone for pre-deployment training and TDY for work.  Yikes!  For sure keep us in your prayers please!

Stinky will be waking up soon to eat so I guess I better run.  Tell your friends how funny I am and to follow my blog!   

Adventures in Breastfeeding

Head on over to All Things Diva and check out my latest article!

A perfect Easter present

If this doesn't make you believe in the glory and awesomeness of God then nothing will.  Many prayers have been answered.  There can be no better Easter news for this little boy.

Blog Envy

There is a blog I follow where I weirdly look forward to every new post.  I say weirdly because I don't know this woman, I forget how I even came across her blog, and all she posts about is her life and God.  I guess my love for reality tv shows also crosses over into the written word. 

But her blog gives me a major case of blog envy.  First, she has over 10, 000 followers.  I can't even get over 30 (when I first started following her blog she only had 900 something.  Where are all her followers coming from???  Seriously feel free to share my blog with all your friends.  I'm a whore for followers). 

Secondly, she always looks nice in all her pictures.  My hubby actually laughed out loud to the point he had tears in his eyes the other day over the outfit I left the house in.  Not only left the house, but went out to lunch in (pink fleece lined crocs, pinker slipper socks...I don't want to scare you with anymore).  You would think someone would send a picture of me in to What Not to Wear, but I'm still waiting.  Let's not even talk about my hair as compared to hers.  The words "hot mess" come to mind when describing my hair.  If I use a hair brush it's a good day. 

Thirdly, her very young children wear the cutest monogrammed outfits, dresses, etc.  Paul has already commented that my bad taste in clothes has manifested itself in our child and that he is just going to send a pic of Emma in one of my outfits to What Not to Wear and he has no doubt they'll choose me based on that alone.  Sad. 

How does she have time to dress herself up, dress her children up, fix her hair and makeup, blog every day, and plan fancy church bible study group lunches?  For sure I feel like I've gotten it a little more together since Emma is over a month old now, but it still takes me 4 hours to feed her and get out of the house.  Seriously by the time I feed her and finish getting ready to go it's time to feed her again (hence our nursing at Babies R Us today).   

I have a serious case of blog envy (so tell all your friends to follow my blog because I'm funny dang it!). 

Oh well...I still have a pretty awesome life and amazing family and that makes me happy. 

The Military Family

People not in the military (okay, I get that technically I'm not in the military, but my hubby is and when your spouse is in the military then you are in the military) always ask me how hard is it to move every few years, to make friends, to be away from your family.  I guess for some people it probably is hard.  I mean yes, it is hard to be away from your family and to always be saying goodbye to people you've grown to love every few years, but I think if you focus on all that you're missing as a military family then you're missing out on all you are receiving. 

When I first got to Valdosta I HATED it.  There wasn't even an Olive Garden (private joke for my Valdosta peeps).  It seemed hard to fit into a place where people can trace their family's back for generations and everyone knows everyone.  It seemed like we were always running into some girl Paul dated (good thing I'm hot and always look my best and have a smoking body).  I missed the close group of friends I had in Sarasota and felt homesick.  But then I met Emily and from Emily I met Anne-Marie and Brittney and an entire wonderful group of women and my life totally changed.  Suddenly I was crying as it was time to leave Valdosta...the place I initially hated. 

Then we got to Boston.  A whole different world from the south.  It was hard to meet people to do anything social with because everyone lives so far apart.  No more calling up someone at the last minute to go out to dinner because everyone in Valdosta lives 5 minutes from downtown.  Going out in the greater Boston area requires major planning because with distance comes traffic and it takes forever to get anywhere.  People, as a whole, are more focused on their own personal lives up here rather than on community (or at least it seems like that to me). 

So, while in Valdosta none of our friends were in the military, suddenly I had to look to the military for friendships and what an amazing group of friends we've found in the Air Force.  I had my friends Jessica and Alison over for lunch today.  Jessica and I have been hanging out for over a year, but Alison and I had only met once.  She's a new  mom, too, and wouldn't you know it is getting ready to PCS to DC with her hubby.  Dang it because lunch was so fun!  I think the 3 of us spent 30 minutes talking about our love of reality tv shows and our BFF Bethany F. 

It got me thinking though...our time as a group (for the group we hang out with) is almost up.  We all have been here 2 years and as soon as next summer we all could be going our separate ways.  Hopefully some of us will end up at the same base again because this group has truly become our family up here.  They come over for holidays, for cookouts, for game nights and are the people I rely on when Paul is out of town or when we need help moving furniture.  They are the people I would trust Emma with or to housesit or petsit. 

Being in the military can be hard, but it can also be incredibly enriching and rewarding.  It's all a matter of perspective.  For us, we've truly been blessed in Boston and for that I am grateful.

All Things Diva

I am so excited!  I just wrote my first article for All Things Diva.  Make sure you head over and check it out!  

Mothering and P90X

In my 20's I never wanted to be a mother.  I didn't want anything growing inside me, I didn't think I could be selfless enough or patient enough.  I had this vision of my life of traveling and being the cool aunt to all my friend's kids.  And then...and then...

And then I had my beautiful baby Emma and I wondered what took me so long! 

My heart leaps with joy every time I look at her and when she smiles at me or at Paul it's like God himself has smiled at us!  And now all I want to be is a mother.  If Paul would let me I'd have a house full of children by adoption.  Lately I've been reading a lot of adoption related blogs like Faith Not Fear and No Greater Joy Mom.  And I can't wait until Paul retires and we settle down in one location so we can adopt (if I can wait that long)!

In other news...

Paul has decided it would be hilarious if I did P90X and blogged about it so we are on a search for a used P90X (email me or comment if you have one you'd sell us cheap or let us borrow).  I've heard scary stories about P90X and considering the other day I was out of breath from walking across the street from the Airmen and Family Readiness Center to the Officer's Club for dinner P90X may well kill me.  You'd think I was pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks instead of a 10lb baby when I push Emma in her stroller I struggle so much.  What happened from the days in college when I ran 2 miles a day and swam on my breaks when I lifeguarded?????  I weigh at least 50lbs more now than I did then.  Sigh....at least I can say that I am reasonably healthy (Thank God) and have many blessings in my life. 

So, new adventures are always around the corner.  I guess my love of donuts and wine will only continue to catch up with me if I don't start to work out.  Yeah, Giselle and Angelina lost weight with breastfeeding and yoga (really????  really???) so we will add yoga into our repertoire when we return from vacation and I expect to be super slim in 3 months just like them.  Cause you know that is so realistic and all. 

Let me just recap what I've eaten today for you...half a Boston cream muffin and half a pumpkin muffing (both of which had icing on top---God love the Gingerbread Construction Company), an unsweet tea and a greek salad, a pepsi, some water, the other half of the pumpkin muffin, and now I'm about to have some leftover chips and queso from Chili's.  I figure if I eat salads for lunch then at least I am getting some vegetables since I apparently only eat them otherwise if Paul makes me at dinner.  I am a terrible eater.  Maybe that is why Emma has gas all the time.  lol  Do you see why I'm fat????

Sharing prayers

In the hopes that perhaps this will reach the right family I am posting a link for a special child that desperately needs a forever family.  Please read Vanya's story and pass it along.  Fundraising is being done to help with adoption costs. 

Catching up

Finally have a few free minutes to catch up on my blog reading although I can see my stinky beginning to wake up (Paul & I call our baby Stinky...she's gonna love that when she gets older) so my few minutes are shriveling as we speak...well as I type rather.  My girl is hungry when she wakes up and loves to eat.  It's amazing to me how her body functions as its own little alarm clock (eyes open now) and every 2 hours during the day she is ready for some boobie juice.  Her first word may in fact be boobie because we say it all the time.  I'm going to try and finish this quickly before she realizes she is hungry. 

Our plan is to adopt more children some day, most likely when Paul retires from the military and we settle down in one space.  I see us with a sibling group of 3, but who knows what the Lord has in store for us.  As such though I am always interested in hearing other people's stories of adoptions and I came across this link No Greater Joy Mom through another blog on adoption I was reading.  I encourage you to read their story and struggle of adopting a child with Downs Syndrome from another country and to pass along their need for prayers.   They are an amazing testament to what a family will go through in order to provide a loving home for a child that needs one and we can all learn something from the challenges they are dealing with. 

Okay, Stinky has that look.  I'd best go get the girls ready. 

Hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful spring day.  So nice to have fresh air in the house!

Feeling good

I am not sure if I am just getting used to surviving on little to no sleep or if my exhaustion has just morphed into psychosis either way I am feeling pretty good during the day.  I was hopeful that we had turned a corner as our sweet baby girl slept 6 hours the other night, but last night she was fussy and wanted to snuggle with mama and mama did not get much sleep.  We are trying to move into getting Em onto the start of a sleep schedule and perhaps this week we will start to make some changes in our night time routine.  Perhaps it's not that my body has gotten used to being exhausted or psychosis, but perhaps I've just surrendered and accepted that I'll be tired for the next 18 years. 

Em's other fave thing is to be WIDE AWAKE after her early morning feeding...whether that occurs at 5am or 6am...after she eats it is playtime!  Mommy no likey.  I can usually get her to lay back down for an hour and then she's awake and wanting to start her daytime feedings so my solution is to side nurse her so I can snooze while she snacks.  Of course she ends up snoozing, too, and this appals my mom.  She is sure I am going to roll over and smother Em.  I've thought about this, too, but don't sleep deep enough or physically put myself in a position to roll over.  Seems like a lot of women side nurse when they are tired so am trusting God to watch over us and keep us safe. 

Just had the best, although too short, visit with our friend Anne-Marie.  She is an amazing woman and an amazing friend and we had some of the best conversations about God and relationships and friendships that I've had in a long time.  Both of us realize how blessed we are in the friendships we made in Valdosta and how friendships like those don't come along very often.  Em loved AM and took to her like a fish to water. 

We went today and took family portraits.  My fears that Em would scream cry the whole time was for nought as she did really well and we got some very cute pictures.  Am so excited to get them back and hang pics of Em up in our house. 

Hope everyone is having as good of a weekend as we are!

Things You Don't Want to See at Chili's

Paul & I decided to do a family portrait before he deploys.  We had an appointment to go yesterday, but the desire to sleep a little longer and the snow had us canceling our appointment.  Oh, plus we had no clue what we were going to wear (although Emma has the cutest outfit ever). 

So today had us heading to Target to find shirts to wear for our pictures.  On the way we decided to stop for lunch at Chili's.  It was like we had found a Chili's in bizarro world.  First off when 4 people stop by your table to apologize for the wait and promise to be right back to get your drink order it becomes a little redundant.  Just bring me my dang ice tea already.

Secondly the family sitting at the booth behind me had children.  One of the children had a portable DVD player...which she played at an ear splitting volume.  Are you kidding me?  When did children lose the ability to sit quietly in a restaurant and have a family meal?  I'm not saying Paul & I will never give into the temptation of allowing our children to have something to occupy their attention in a restaurant, but at the same time I think video games and portable DVD players in restaurants are just ways for parents to take the easy way out instead of teaching their children how to behave in public.  For sure we were taught from a young age on how to behave in a restaurant and while that may have included coloring or a quiet toy it did not include portable electronics.  Plus if you are going to allow your child to use portable electronics in public then at least be considerate enough to have them use ear phones.  I do not need to eat my meal while listening to the antics of Buzz Lightyear or whatever new movie Disney Fairy Barbie is in. 

Y'all would be proud of me though.  Instead of turning around to yell at ask the family to turn down the movie I just turned around 4 times to glare at them and then said quietly to Paul, "I can't believe they don't have headphones for that DVD player."  Luckily they finished their meals and left before our food came.

As we sat there listening to Buzz cheer on Woodie I noticed 3 women at a table catty corner to use receive their food.  Then I noticed one of the ladies unscrew the lid to the pepper and USE HER FINGERS to get out a pinch of pepper and sprinkle it over her salad.  WTF!!!!!!  Rest assured I did tell our waiter who had a very appropriate appalled reaction (although I did wonder if he actually went and removed the pepper from their table after they left).  As I picked up the salt & pepper at our own table I wondered how many grubby fingers had touched it and then of course how many gross asses who didn't wash their hands touched things on the table.  Gag.  Of course then Paul told me this delightful fact about how the trays at the mall were actually found to be dirtier than public toilets.  Yum.

Before we headed to Target we decided to feed Emma in the car in the Chili's parking lot.  Being a terrible breastfeeder we had brought along a bottle of breastmilk for her.  As we sat while she ate we noticed a car with 2 guys pull up and park across several parking spots near a white mini van.  They got out of their vehicle and 2 guys got out of the van and they all shook hands.  The van guys handed a black box to the other guys.  They examined whatever was in the box and then the car guys handed money to the van guys.  Then they all got in their vehicles and drove away.  Hmmmm....

Probably the biggest thing you didn't want to see at Chili's today was me.  When Paul realized what I was wearing he laughed to the point of tears.  Stacy and Clinton would call me the poster child for bad fashion.  I realized on the way to Chili's that it is time to stop wearing my maternity pants since I weigh 5lbs less than my pre-pregnancy weight (having a baby is the best diet ever).  Of course I only realized this because I, in fact, had maternity pants on.  Granted I would wear maternity pants for the rest of my life if I could.  These things are beyond comfortable and I love not having to worry about my zipper being undone. 

So, my hair was pulled back into a bun, no make up, and in addition to my tan corduroy maternity pants I also had on a eggplant colored nursing bra (which barely contains the flotation devices that are now strapped to my chest), a Rollins College sweatshirt that is in need of a good washing (thanks Emma), pink fur lined crocs, and pink slipper socks.  I'd like to be able to say I got dressed in the dark, but honestly I just didn't care.  If I couldn't get on What Not To Wear in this outfit than there's no hope for me.  No hope at all.

I never thought THIS would happen

People told me it would.  I never believed them.  Paul told me he heard it, too.  I said "That's not going to happen to me."  But, alas, it has and I am too tired to feel bad about it.  What happened?  My dogs and cat have become...my dogs & cat.  They are no longer my babies.

Yesterday Beast, the chihuahua I've had for almost 11 years, got out of the gate.  And by got out I mean burrowed his way under the gate like a dang...well, some kind of animal that burrows.  I was getting ready to get in the shower when I hear Paul yell, "That damn Beast go out and is gone."  I throw on a very questionable outfit, grab the baby, throw her in the swing, and step out the front door.  Paul is walking back into our yard from our neighbors yard and we both are yelling for Beast.  Nothing.  No Beast. 

Now in the past this would've put me into hysterics.  I would've been a MESS until my baby Beast was found.  Yesterday I told Paul, "Go to your lunch.  He's got a tag on.  Someone will find him."  WTF!  Paul looked at me like I had lost my dang mind and got into his truck and took off down the street.  I figured Beast had disappeared into the conservation land behind out house and headed into the backyard to yell for him (after first checking on my real baby of course).  From the backyard I heard Paul yell "Found him."  Beast had gotten onto the access road that runs through the conservation land and Paul chased him home in his truck (Beast ran the whole way).  I thought for sure that Paul would kill him when he got a hold of him, but he just put him in the house (having a baby has mellowed Paul out). 

I always judged questioned people who get pets only to later on give them to an animal shelter.  Oh, how little did I know.  We have this cat.  We tried to give it away once and our friends actually took him which worked out great for a month until the stupid cat started peeing on all their dog beds (I figured he just thought "Well, this was a fun vacation.  I'm ready to go home now."  Foolishly we took the cat back.  Last week I hear Paul on the phone with a shelter.  Apparently I had said we could give the cat to the shelter if it was a no kill shelter and if we paid for his care until he got adopted.  Paul found a shelter like a man on a mission from God. 

This cat...he really is a sweet cat, but he's sooooo needy!  He used to get into this crawl space under our tub until Paul finally put the access panel up (so if I ever get electrocuted in the tub it's probably because the cat chewed through a wire).  Then he'd meow and scratch at the access panel.  His most recent thing is to want to be in the unfinished part of the basement.  Fine, whatever.  Except he comes in the house at night to eat and at 5 o'clock in the morning begins this awful loud screaming because he wants us to let him into the basement.  Are you friggin kidding me with this s**t cat? 

So, the other night the cat runs out the door when I let the dogs outside.  In the past I would've again been hysterical trying to get the cat back inside.  The other night...not so much.  I was in my slippers.  It wasn't that cold out.  I figured the cat would come back if he wanted and sure enough a few minutes later I opened the door and there was the cat. 

I just told Paul "Let's just move all the cats stuff into the unfinished part of the basement."  Paul said, "He can run outside then when we let the dogs out."  I said, "I don't care.  He'll come back when he wants."  Paul "Wow, you're really over the cat."  Me "There is enough crying in this household already without the cat crying to get into the basement." 

Don't get me wrong.  Our house has been like a pet paradise.  Heck ,we've driven 2 hours to take our dogs to a dog park.  They have an entire draw full of clothes and they get Christmas presents.  In the summer I set up a pool for them and buy them ice cream. To say our pets have been spoiled is an understatement.  We'd do anything for them. We just spent $1600 at the vet on Sasha and I had a cat who after a $2000 vet bill was diagnosed with kidney disease resulting in me doing home IV treatments on her for over a year (and she still ended up dying).  We are pet people.  But now we are baby people.   And baby people cannot give enough attention to 4 dogs and a cat. 

So, what I swore wouldn't happen did.  Our "babies" have become our pets. 

How did you incorporate your pet into your household with your baby?