Signs that you could be a bad mom...

They are out there everywhere. And, if you don't see the signs...then other people will tell you what the signs are. Or, if they don't tell you what the signs are, then they might just subtlly imply what all the dangers lurking in the world for your child could possibly be. That you aren't aware of. And, by missing those signs, well, you probably already ARE a bad mom. Well, I don't mind. I already know. Really, I do. The pictures below are obviously a huge sign. Do I always pay attention? Nope...sometimes I am blind to it all. Because Finnley is having fun. And, I don't want to take away the fun!!! Taking away the fun...now, that WOULD make me a bad mom. So, could I be a bad mom just for letting her play with suffocatingly viscious plastic diaper bags? Maybe. Does Finnley think I am a bad mom? Nope...not at all. She thinks I am awesome! Love that girl!






(And, just in case you are feeling comment-snarky or worried or intrusive or...well, whatever...and are wanting to add your two cents...DON'T, BECAUSE...NO, I DO NOT LET HER PLAY WITH PLASTIC BAGS UNSUPERVISED! Hell, she hasn't even had a sip of outrageously polluted, contaminated, and disease-ridden water from a garden hose yet. All is good. Just trust me on this one!)

Cinderella, Prince Charming, and The Peanut

All dressed up...and actually some place to go!


Cinderella, Prince Charming, and Peanut took a couple of pics before leaving (sans Peanut) for "the ball".


Murphy's Law? Peanut spit up on my dress thirty seconds after I picked her in an attempt to show the babysitter how we manage our bedtime routine. Figures, right? Nothing a little water couldn't handle, though. Such is the life of a "glam-mom"!

Mommy-Lady

Yep, this post is all about me. Mommy-lady. Why? Because sometimes, as I have discovered, you have to take time out for just you. Even if it is to remind yourself that there is a "you" and not just a "we" or an "us". Don't get me wrong, I love all of the roles that I play...but each of us are all a bit narcissitic at times, aren't we? So, today is my turn. It is my day!

What about me? Well, I have figured out that if I want time to do things...I need to make it. And to make that time, I have started getting up earlier in the mornings. If I do this, before Peanut awakes, I can carve out a space where I can work out (Wii Fit or a run with the dog), wash bottles, play on the computer, eat a bowl of cereal, hang out with the dog, talk to my husband, take an uninterrupted shower...whatever. Now, I can't usually do ALL of these things...but I can do at least some of these things, certainly. I enjoy this little blip of time just for me. This time where I am not running around like a crazy person just trying to entertain a wee one and a dog. It is my "aaaahhhh" time.

In the evenings I have my "me time" by imbibing in a glass or two of red wine. Now, am I alone when I do this? No. Does that really matter? No. Just having that wine lets me unwind and feel like I can still do the things I used to do. I am not an entirely different person these days. I am just a different version of the old me. I am a mommy version. I am beginning to figure out what that is and what that means. I think I kind of like this new me. Then again, I have always been a pretty big fan of myself, so that is no surprise!

Tonight I am carving out more space, but the space is not just for me. It is for "we". The couple "we". My lovely is taking me out for a night on the town. We have a babysitter (thanks, Cate!), and we will be leaving the Peanut for a few hours while we attend the black tie preview for the Philly Auto Show. So, not only will we be out and about...we will also be dressed up. Like real people. Like real fancy people. Cinderella and her Prince Charming will be attending the ball, folks.

We will be sure to come home before our carriage turns into a pumpkin, though. Mostly because even though we are still a "me" and a "we"..."we" are also now an "us"...and therefore need to get back to that little one who will hopefully be sound asleep in her crib when "we" return.

So, enough about me. And we. Time to return to us. My time is up. Peanut needs me. Because I am mommy-lady, afterall.

I'm a Little Cupcake

I'm a little cupcake
short and sweet



here is my frosting
here are my feet (just work with me here...)



when you get hungry, you can hear me tweet
just pick me up and eat, eat, eat

So, cupcakes don't have feet. And, they probably don't tweet. Probably. But, whatever! Finnley doesn't seem to care. And, she IS a little cupcake. Just look at her! Couldn't you just eat her up?

Rub-a-dub-Dub!

"Rubber ducky, you're the one...who makes bath time lots of fun..."

My Sweet Big Little Baby Girl

Finnley LOVES, LOVES, LOVES standing up on a pillow on the couch and holding onto the big back cushions. She is such an active little girl, and this activity allows her to "stand", be free, bounce, dance, and look out the window at the big world outside. She does this every day. It never seems to get old. So, I will oblige my little Peanut. Whatever she wants is hers! (well, except for a pony...we just don't have the space for a pony)


Finnley has graduated up to 2nd Foods...you know...from those grandiose 1st Foods. There really isn't a difference in texture or consistency, but there are a heck of a lot more flavors / choices available. She has decided that Gerber Yogurt Blends are AWESOME! The mouth just keeps opening in anticipation before I can even get the next bite ready. Wow! So, I decided to start adding some of the yogurt to her formula...and you know what? She is eating better! She is eating more! Our tiny babe could use that, so we are all in for the moment. Gerber baby yogurt, we love you!


Our little evil visitor seems to be here to stay...that lurking tooth broke through the surface of the gum, and it is now trying to become a full-blown member of Peanut's mouth. Daddy thinks it is sort of creepy. Daddy also thinks it is too soon for his little baby girl to be getting a tooth. Not much to be done about it, though!


One week away from being six months old. So hard to believe. So hard to believe. Wait, did I already say that? Well, it is...so hard to believe.

note from the editor: as of today, Monday, January 25th...our big little baby girl now has TWO bottom teeth sticking through the gum. Yes, TWO!!! Oh my!!!

Single Mom

I can now say that I do not know how single moms do it...except for the fact that they probably have no choice. I am lucky that I am not a single mom. I know this much to be true. It was hard enough "playing" single mom for the week. Matt was off to a national training conference, so Finn, Boo, and I were left to fend for ourselves.

WE SURVIVED!!!

Barely.

Ok, that isn't true. We survived just fine, really. But...we can say this much...NOT being a single mom is way better than the alternative. Getting a break every once in awhile is awesome. Having adult (well, whatever it is that we have) conversation with a spouse is fantastic. Having another person to witness the absolute terror of teething...priceless.

So, I think all of us are happy that "daddy" is coming home tonight.

WELCOME HOME HONEY / DADDY!!! WE MISSED YOU!!!

Can't ya tell???

So, a picture tells a thousand words. Yup! So, these pictures should easily tell you what the pediatrician told me today....

FINNLEY IS TEETHING!!!

She has one little tooth trying to break through her gums on the bottom of her mouth. That would explain the crankiness. And the fussiness. And the gnawing on EVERYTHING! And the jamming things so far into her mouth to chew on them that she actually pukes. And...well, the list goes on.

My baby is getting a tooth! Awwwwww!

McPouty Pants

I can pout if I want to!!!

This is what happens when "someone" doesn't sleep for 5 or 6 hours straight, which pretty much happens EVERY day at our house. This babe is just NOT a napper!!! Two or three cat naps of 15 minutes each. That is about what we have come to expect. I don't know how she does it!!!!

Fun with Food!

I try to explain to people (other moms at Gymboree, other moms I know in general, the pediatrician, etc.) that Finnley is a fussy eater. It isn't that she doesn't like food or her bottles, she just isn't that hungry or just isn't that into the whole process. She would rather spend the first part of her morning playing versus eating, even though she hasn't eaten in twelve hours. That is just her. She is a stinker, but she is so darn cute. So, for a "day in the life" of feeding Finnley, please check out her latest video. Can't help but love that girl!

My Daughter, The Genius!

Everyone thinks their child is a genius. Why wouldn't they want to think that? Well, mine really and truly is. Honest! Why would I make this shit up?

How can I prove it?

Well, Finnley did roll over for the first time at 3 months of age. Way ahead of schedule! She has been "standing" with assistance and putting her full body weight on her legs / feet for some time now. The doctor was more than impressed! She "talks" all the time. She is working on skills for crawling, and she does move some...and she isn't even six months old yet. Oh, and there was that whole thing with her being able to "localize" her ear pain so I knew that she might have an ear infection. The nurse even said that most babies can't do that until they are 8 months or older. She is already at the top of her "class" at Gymboree, too. The teachers say so! Or they imply it. Something like that, anyway.

And how else do I know?

Well, only a baby genius like my daughter would choose a blanket as their favorite toy. And only a baby genius would also try to eat that favorite toy. (All. The. Time!) And only a baby genius would also amazingly come up with the magnificent "pull that favorite blanket over your head and face and leave it there" game. And, only a baby genius would also then fall asleep with that favorite blanket over their head and face during that ever fun and favorite game.

So, am I right, or am I right? GENUIS!

That baby of mine is BRILLIANT, folks! I won't be convinced otherwise. Thankyouverymuch!

Finnley, mommy couldn't be more proud, nor could she love you more! Hugs and kisses to you always!

(note: this picture was taken after mommy so kindly removed the blanket from the all important air passageways, you know...so that said genius baby wouldn't suffocate while napping)

"Talking"

She may be little. She may not eat much. She might not have a lot of hair. But...that girl sure can talk! She really has a lot of important things to say. I am not sure what those things are, but I am sure that they ARE important!

Finnley and the Exersaucer

One of her favorite activities. She loves to "talk" and hang out in here every day!

It had to happen at some point...and other ramblings

I suppose it had to happen at some point. She couldn't be "healthy" forever, you know...minus the reflux issues that she has already had since she was a week old. Finnley is sick. (INSERT BIG SAD SIGH HERE!) How did I know? Well, she has had a "cold" for about two weeks now. She hasn't even realized it, so I thought nothing. I wasn't going to be one of those overreactive first time moms who calls the pediatrician every time the baby sneezes. And, so I wasn't. And it was fine. Until yesterday when MY baby...the sweet smiley independent playing baby turned fussy. REALLY FUSSY. I was convinced she was teething because she was gnawing on everything. And has been. For awhile now. So, I rubbed baby Orajel on her gums. She feel asleep after crying / screaming for about three hours. And then the mailman delivered the mail, and the dog barked, and the baby woke up. And. Started. Screaming. AGAIN! So, I gave her baby Tylenol. Thank the heavens, holy Lord Jesus, and everything in between...she slept! For two hours. Which she never does! And then last night she woke up crying at 11pm. She has slept consistenly through the night for at least a month and a half now. So...not like my little Peanut. Not like her at all. I caressed her. I changed her diaper. I cuddled her a bit. I put her back down and turned on her sound machine. She fell asleep.

And this morning she was FUSSY. Not horrible, but just not herself. And? She started tugging on her left ear. A lot. So, I took her temp thinking...huh...maybe this isn't teething. Temp was 99. So, this non-overreacting first time mom called the pedi's office, and they brought us in. And? Peanut has an EAR INFECTION! Yikes! My poor little baby! Let the antibiotics begin. And, I have been warned that the meds can cause horrible diarrhea. So, now I wait for my happy baby to return as I also wait for the antibiotic induced bombs to explode in the diaper below. I will take that tradeoff, but I am not sure how Peanut will feel about it.

Other ramblings:
Finnley is rolling over all the time now. From her back to her belly. Good girl! She is smiling and giggling and squealing. So fun! She is pulling her legs up underneath herself in an attempt to move forward. Crawling here we come...soon...God help us! She is obviously gifted because the nurse told us today that most babies cannot localize pain (tug on an ear when it hurts, for example) generally until they are about eight months old. Genius. My baby is a GENIUS! Finn is now 5 months old, and she weighs a whopping 12 lbs 15.3 oz. Fun-sized! She is such a joy that I cannot even explain it...she does something new every day. It is amazing. I love that little girl. A lot. And so does her dad. A lot. And so does the dog. Not a lot. But, he does think it is cool that she is eating solid foods and he can lick off the leftovers from her face. She ain't half bad! Oh yeah...we started solid foods. We don't eat a ton. But, we do have rice cereal twice a day along with a fruit or vegetable. So far we have tried: bananas, sweet potatoes, pears, squash, applesauce, green beans, peaches, and carrots...tomorrow is sweet peas, and then we start all over again. What have we learned? Green beans are gross. Carrots are yummy (blah), but they also STAIN EVERYTHING.

The videos in this post were shot today. I apologize for the poor quality, but I was using the digital camera and not the video recorder. I also apologize for my performance...but a mom has to do what a mom has to do to get a good video. The Peanut performed even with an ear infection. She is such a trouper. Did I mention that I love that little girl? A lot? Oh, ok...

Finnley eating Solid Food

Merry Merry

SnowDog 2009

Batman and Daddy playing snow-frisbee in a local field...Batman LOVED every second of it!!!

LET IT SNOW...

let it snow....let it snow!

Totals are in! We received somewhere between 20 and 22 inches of snow. What??? It is unbelievable. The Philly area hasn't had a storm like this in 100 years. And, this is a record snowfall for the month of December. We love it! Well, I love it. Matt is out shoveling and trying to un-bury us...so he might not love it as I do. And the dog? Well, he loves it...mostly. The only thing he doesn't love is that the snow is so high that it causes pooping problems. He can't squat because the snow is already touching his behind. Poor boy! Daddy is going to clear him an area in the yard to take care of business. Nice daddy!


The one highlight for my lovely? He was able to borrow from one of his dealers a pickup truck with a plow on the front. That helped to keep the driveway clear! And the neighbor's driveway clear. And the old lady down the street's driveway clear. And...well, you get the idea.

Some pictures are included to help you understand what we were in for here...enjoy!




For ALL of the snow photos, click on the following links: Snowstorm December 09 and Snowdog 09

Reading

Reading magazines used to be one of my favorite things to do on a wintry day...or on a not so wintry day. I just liked to relax on the couch with one, just like I like to relax with a latte' on a regular basis.

Reading magazines has certainly become much more interesting since Finnley's arrival. I no longer have the "free time" to lounge like I used to, and even if I do find a free minute to peruse a new periodical...well, you can see how it all works out for me.

Finnley has become a real fan of magazines, though...even at her young age!

Newsworthy

What is newsworthy in our lives these days? Well, not a ton...but enough! Finnley has started to giggle more often when NOT being tickled. This is huge. She giggles when you play a clapping game with her, and when you fly her up in the air, and when you eat her feet...lots of things. You never know when you might get her going. She has also started eating solid foods! Not a lot at a time...but it is a start. So far we have tried rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, and sweet potatoes. Her favorite so far? Sweet potatoes...must be daddy's daughter! Lord knows mommy HATES those things! Blah! But, the baby version sort of smells like pumpkin pie...so I don't mind serving them up so much. We have gotten rid of the incline wedge and Guardian Sleeper in Finn's crib. She now sleeps bundled up in her Sleep Sack, and that is it. And? Each night she manages to somehow spin herself in a half circle so she winds up facing the opposite direction in the morning...how? Not sure. She has her secrets, I guess. Lastly, Peanut is practicing sitting up like a big girl...all by herself! She has the "tripod" down. Mommy sits close by to catch her when she weebles, wobbles, and then falls down...but she can last up to a minute or longer sometimes! Such a strong wee one! I am sure that there will be a lot more to update in the near future...and forever as we watch her grow and develop. Each new step is such fun and is such a joy!

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...

but my babe is soooo delightful!

Four Months and counting...

Finnley hit the big four month mark on December 1st! We just had her four month checkup at the ped's office yesterday, and all went well. Finnley weighed in at a whopping (work with us here) 11 lbs and 13 oz. She is steadily gaining at least a pound a month, and that is all good in the medical world. She meets the 10th percentile for weight for her age. She also came in at 24 and 1/4 inches long! Wow! That puts her in the 50th percentile for length for her age. So, still long and lean...tiny but mighty! We will take it!

Our little Peanut is meeting all of her developmental milestones, and that makes the doc and her parents quite happy. Dr. Sarah mentioned that Finnley is VERY strong...great head control, great ability to lift her head and chest off the floor, great job at bearing all of her body weight when she is "standing", etc. We were impressed already, but it was nice for her doctor to be impressed, too. You know, an unbiased opinion.

I need to mention that the worst part of the checkups are the vaccinations...no one likes to see their baby shot or to see them cry. So sad! But, Finnley was a trouper and quit crying right after her fourth and final shot when mommy picked her up and held her. Good girl!

New things:
we get to start solid foods!!!
we did this yesterday. at least three or four "bites" made it in. yay!
Finnley loves her exersaucer. Loves it!
Finnley loves her Kickin' Coaster bouncy seat thingy
we got our first non-tickle related laugh / giggle...awesome!

I am sure that I am forgetting something...but my mind is mush at the moment. Just had to take a "break" to bathe the Peanut after another "reflux moment". That is so NOT NEW! We went almost three full days without an incident...and now Peanut has gotten sick 6 times in 5 days. Oh, joy! One day we will be talking about how the reflux suddenly went away...and we very much look forward to that day!

Speaking of looking forward to things...very much looking forward to spending the First Christmas with our little babe. She won't "get it" this year, but it will still be quite special for us. She adores the lights on the Christmas tree, and that is enough for me!

Giving Thanks and What-not

It has been awhile, huh? I have been slacking! I would have loved to have posted over the Thanksgiving holiday, however, I was at my parent's house in the way far out suburbs of Chicago...and they have dial-up. Dial-up! It is like dying a slow painful death just trying to even get to a website, then like doing it all over again once you actually get a site to open up. So...a delay. But, I am here now.

So much to be thankful for this year. The obvious? My family. My beautiful, wonderful, funny, crazy, miraculous family. That including my precious baby girl who was five years in the making. That including my strong and silly husband. That including my perfect big-little cooky dog. Love. Love them all. Love them all so so much. Ahhhhh....

What is new? Finnley was baptized over the holiday. We were honored and blessed to be able to have her baptized in the church where Matt and I were married by the pastor who married us. It was special. Our dear friends Karen and Dave were able to attend the event and serve as Finnley's God parents. We couldn't be luckier to have them be Finn's other set of "parents". She is a loved little girl. It was also great to be able to have a lot of family and other friends in attendance. Thanks to all who helped us celebrate that special day.

What else is new? Our friends Jen and Troy came out from Philly to go to the Bears vs. Eagles game in Chicago with us. What a blast! So happy that they could join us and that they could also be a part of Finn's special weekend.



What else is new? Well, in the world of Finn:
she is rolling over. sometimes. seven times to be exact.
she sits up with assistance. holds that head up strong and proud.
she really does a great baby pushup during tummy time.
she has started to grab objects and pull them to her mouth / play with them.
she has giggled. not often. not consistently. but, it is the cutest damn thing!
she scoots. on her back. pushing with her feet. sometimes in a circle.
she loves to be naked.
she loves to have her diaper changed. see above.
she is still tiny, yet mighty (11.4 pounds)
she rolls from her back onto her side...and sits there. she likes her side.
she sleeps through the night. every night. GOOD GIRL!
she still has reflux. she still hates to puke. we still hate it, too. poor baby.

We are so looking forward to this Christmas. This first Christmas with our baby girl. It will be a grand time, to be certain. She and her "brother" Batman can't wait to show off their special holiday photo, too. Oh, the fun those two have!

Hope you all had a grand Thanksgiving and are enjoying your time leading up to Christmas / whatever holiday that you might celebrate. Come back for more photos throughout the holiday season....there are sure to be plenty!

Happy Birthday to our First Baby!

Happy Birthday, Batman. You are six years old today, on this Friday the 13th of November, 2009. You were our first baby, and we love you dearly. You have grown in our hearts every year that you have been with us. You have brought us such joy and so many laughs. Here is to you, buddy! You are tops!

Love - Mommy and Daddy!