And the winner is......

....head over to Caked to find out who won the Anthropologie apron!

Giveaway Time...on Caked!

Head on over to Caked for a free giveaway "sponsored" by Anthropologie....!

(I aaaalllllmost kept this little lovely for myself once it came it the mail. Almost.)

;)

Enjoy!

A Day in the Life: Saturday Morning Snuggle.

Telling secrets to her Daddy.

Caught ya!

Kick those covers.

Saturday morning snuggle.

The best kind.

:)

Well, Call DHS.

Despite waking up from a weird dream about my grandparents, I woke up feeling extremely well rested today. I stretched out leisurely across my bed (the husband had already left extra early for school), I took my time rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, and as my feet hit the floor, I wondered to myself how in the world my baby was still asleep. Normally, she wakes us up at around 7 to eat. Hmm.

As I got up out of bed, I noticed that the door to our bedroom was closed. Weird. Russell must have wanted to keep the room quiet in order to let me sleep a little longer while he got ready to go for the day. Nice guy.

When I entered the kitchen, I finally thought to glance at the clock, casually assuming it was probably no later than about 7:30. NOPE. It was 9:30! As I came to this realization, a familiar sound shook me from my sleepy state: my poor little baby quietly wailing from her crib. She had to be starving!

I raced around the house, wondering how in the world I could have just slept on through her cries for so long. And then, it hit me. I'd turned the monitor down early this morning when she had randomly cried out at about 4am. We had checked on her and returned her paci to her mouth, but she was still a bit whiney...so we'd turned the monitor waaaay down. CRAP! The combination of the low monitor, the door to our room being closed, and a fan running on low in our room had kept me sound asleep for HOURS after she'd already woken up.

Mother of the Year, right here people.

Anyway, I was quite dramatic as I slung open her bedroom door, raced to her crib, blubbering and apologizing for my terrible parenting the entire time. And, you know what? She just whipped her paci out of her mouth and beamed up at me with that gummy, toothless grin. Happy as a clam.

Nice.

(She did, however, nurse in a manner that can only be described as a barracuda at feeding time. Yowza! Sorry, baby.)

All that to say, I remember someone telling me while I was still pregnant that God makes babies strong and resilient so that they can survive their newbie parents; not the other way around as some would have us believe.

To whomever said that--you were right.

Ugh.

So, help me out here. Surely I'm not alone in the oh-crap-I'm-a-terrible-mother-with-no-apparent-motherly-instincts experience...right?

Right...???

;)

Feel the Burn.

I think I know why Richard Simmons seems to be in a perpetual good mood.

Exercise.

Well, that, or an inordinate amount of caffeine.

Or maybe the spandex is cutting off circulation to his brain.

Anyway.

I just have to say how different my days can be depending on whether or not I do a little bit of exercise. This morning, I was able to start my day with a brisk walk with a good friend, and I can now look back and see how that walk sort of jump started my day. I felt healthy, I got to see the sunshine and feel the wind on my back while visiting with my pal, and then, for the rest of the day, I just felt more energized. Not that the day didn't present challenges, but it seems like I'm just more ready to face those challenges head on and with a better attitude if I've done a little work out. Does that make sense?

Conversely, for months and months while on activity restrictions given by my doctor, I would instead begin the day with TV or browsing the Internet while I ate my breakfast. It wasn't that I was reading or watching depressing stories, nor did I have a continuous string of terrible days. It's just that those days didn't have the kick, the energy, the outlook that days started with a little workout have.

Maybe it is because I get to be in nature while chatting with friends while on a walk. Or maybe it is because I feel better about my body and my appeal after taking a ridiculously fun Zumba dance class, shimmying and sashaying while failing miserably to 'dance sexy'. Perhaps it just feels good to sweat it out again on the elliptical.

I'm not sure.

All I know is that I've had a string of lovely days that all began with a bit of exercise.

And...a little bit of caffeine.

Maybe Richard Simmons is on to something.

But...stop me if I pull out the spandex biker shorts. No good mood is worth THAT!

;)

Answers: Part II.

1.) What are your favorite books for kids?

Granted, my knowledge of children's books is currently limited, but I can not WAIT until Birdie can really get into "reading" books with me. Reading with my mom every night is one of my favorite childhood memories, and we've already made reading a part of E's bed time routine.

So far, here's what we like:

She tries to grab all of the brightly colored birds.

Again with the birds. I know, I know. It's become her nickname, and I can't help myself.

This is the touch-and-feel version of this classic book, and we've read this to E since she was teeny. It amazes me to watch as she remembers where to reach on the page to 'feel Daddy's scratchy face,' or to 'put her finger through Mummy's ring,' or (obviously) to 'pat the bunny.' She remembers things. Like she's growing up or something. UGH. Make time stop, please!!!

She also loves to touch the farm things in this book. And Mommy loves the calm colors of Dwell Studio. It's a win-win.

2.) What is something you did not expect that you've encountered in parenting? Have some things been harder and others been easier?

Unexpected things:

--I didn't expect how quickly she would change. I mean, riiiiight when we sort of get one phase or development figured out, she's on to something else. We've gone through tough spots with nursing, sleeping, playing, pooping, rolling, and now teething. I think it is all falling under the ever-broadening umbrella of "normal," but it is still maddening to feel confident that you've got it all under control only to have everything changed up on you the next day!! ;)

--Super cliche, but I really did not realize just how much my heart was capable of loving another being. The love I have for my husband is a choice that I made and choose daily to show through actions, words, etc. But this love I have for my child, my flesh, my little baby is so different. She is my heart living outside of my body, and I ache to make the world perfect for her.

Okay. Going to stop writing about that. Making me cry. The good kind of cry.

;)

Harder-than-I-expected things:

--The 45 Minute Intruder--When she pops awake MAD right at 45 minutes, she hasn't gotten all of her nap out. This is getting better, but WOW. So hard to listen to her cry, but she had to work it out on her own.

--Finding the new 'normal'--Without a regular 'job' with set hours and such, it is sometimes hard to feel settled and 'in the groove' staying home with Baby. I try and get out at least once a day, but I do like to be home for her to take most of her naps in her own bed. Some days are busy, some days are restful...it is the not-always-knowing-what-to-expect that can be a little unsettling. Maybe for some, this is an awesome aspect about staying home. For me, I like a plan. I'm Type A. I'll admit it. I'll say it again, having a plan is like being wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket. I feel secure with a plan in place, so I'm still working on rolling with the punches of motherhood.

--Losing the baby weight--After a tough delivery, two repair surgeries, (a 2 week long pity party that I threw for myself with a menu consisting strictly of Chex Puppy Chow...), and a five-month activity restriction period, I was finally FINALLY cleared to start actively trying to lose the weight about a month ago. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but it was a goal of mine that I'd like to get a move on....walks, Zumba and the elliptical, here I come! I'm coming to realize that, since I do want more kids someday, my body really isn't all my own for a few more years anyway...a small price to pay. I'll just keep buying 'jeggings' so I can suck-and-tuck the excess poundage until my old jeans fit again... ;)

--Sharing--Mainly during the first couple of months, it was very VERY hard for me to share my baby, even with my husband. In the back of my nervous and exhausted new-mom-brain, I believed that I was the ONLY person on the planet capable of caring for E in the way she needed. Looking back, it was SUCH a good thing that I had to return to work for about 6 weeks, forcing me to leave her in the care of my husband, my mother-in-law, my sisters-in-law, my mom, and a few of my friends. During this time, I had to let go and trust in others (that were TOTALLY capable, by the way). Loosened me up and opened the door for bonding between E and her family. So important.

Easier-than-expected things:

--Breastfeeding (overall)--I know that every single mom/baby combo is different, but for us, it turned out to be much easier than I had anticipated. I was not (and am still not) of the opinion that breastfeeding is the ONLY good way to provide nutrition to your baby (heck, I was formula-fed and I'm [relatively] normal...), but breastfeeding is free, it is all-natural, and it is, in my opinion, more convenient. While still pregnant, I made a promise to myself that I would not give up breastfeeding for three weeks after she was born, and then I would make the call on whether to continue or not. Let me just tell you that there have been some really rough patches during the early weeks. It is hard to learn and apply all of the concepts of latching, positioning, let-down, milk supply, pumping, when to feed, how much to feed, etc. It has not always been "easy." But the majority of the time, breastfeeding has been satisfying and enjoyable. I truly believe that taking a breastfeeding class (with the support of my good-sport of a husband...!) made a big difference. Also, having close girlfriends who supported me and patiently answered my endless questions helped so very much. All that to say, I am pleasantly surprised to say that the breastfeeding part of motherhood turned out easier (in a sense) than I had predicted.

--Getting out of the house: This task is not "easy" by any means either, but it is easier than I'd thought possible. Before baby, I thought I'd never see the inside of Target again, left alone at home, mold slowly growing over my bored and exhausted body while sitting on my couch listening to screams and wails, wondering how long I could stretch out eating cans of beans and Ramen noodles since I couldn't make it to the store....etc.

You get the picture.

THANKFULLY, it is not that bad. ;) Not even close! Making a successful escape entails planning, flexibility with her routine, and a good attitude. (Patient and flexible family and friends are priceless, too....!) I try to get out of the house at least once a day to see friends, run errands, grab a drink at Sonic, go on a walk, travel to see family, peruse the aisles of Target (this happens almost daily...geesh), or get ye ole lady-stache threaded at the mall. (TMI? Facial hair happens, people.) Anyway, there are some days that getting out just does not happen, and we are both still in our jammies when the husband gets home.

And that's okay, too. :)

PS: New post on Caked...

...it's a jungle out there...!

;)

A Day in the Life: Getting to Know You.

Milly is slowly warming up to her new baby friend...quite slowly, but surely.

(Thank you to all who stopped by Caked, my new cake blog! I'll let you know when there's something new to see...plus a little fun giveaway coming soon! Appreciate the support!)

Announcing--The Cake Blog!

Lovely readers,

I cordially invite you to stop by and visit my (very) new cake blog!

Click here: Caked.

While I am quite nervous to really put myself and my cake/cookie decorating out there, I have been encouraged by numerous friends and family to really give this little side business a go! For now, I have just posted a few of the cakes I've done in the past, but I'd like to use this blog as an opportunity to share the new projects I get to work on. I've got quite a few cakes lined up over the next few months, and I can't wait to share them with you! When there's a new post, I'll let you know, and I plan to host a few yummy give-aways on the cake blog in the near future, so please check back in soon!

Thanks for looking and for the support. Bloggy friends are some of the best. :)

Love,

Erin

A Day in the Life: Bath Time with Daddy.

Nothing sweeter than listening as your husband sings to your baby during bath time.

Well, I guess there's nothing sweeter than the singing AND the fact that Daddy does bath time...

...and Mommy just gets to relax and enjoy the view.

Love bath time.

:)

Think About These Things.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

Phillippians 4:8

I had a dream the other night. Granted, it was a Nyquil-induced dream, but it was worth mentioning, nonetheless. I dreamt that my dad was still alive, and we were taking Baby E over to his home for a visit. He plopped her on the bed and handed her a fly-swatter to play with. In the dream, I was biting my tongue to not correct him for giving her such a gross play thing. I watched his face as he watched her play. I saw love. I saw devotion. I saw amazement.

A single tear rolled down his cheek.

At the end of the dream, my dad pulled me to the side and gave me a side hug. He said, "I'm going to get better. I will. For her."

And the dream ended.

Have you ever had one of those dreams where it seemed so realistic that you have to pause for a few minutes upon waking just to check and see if those things in your dream really took place? That's what I had to do...not to mention, I was kind of hung over from the Nyquil. ;) I sat on the edge of my bed, slowly realizing that, no, my dad will never see my sweet baby. He will never get to watch her play. He is not with us, and that was his choice.

But.

I was so very grateful for that dream. Let me explain.

Over the past few months, I have really clung to the above verse. I believe Paul was trying to teach the Phillippians to TRAIN their minds to think on things that were pure and lovely and praiseworthy, etc. It seems that our human minds more easily wander over to negative, hurtful, painful memories or thoughts, and, in order to break that habit, we must TRAIN our minds to think on the good, the excellent, the happy.

I've been trying to practice this spiritual discipline when it comes to memories of my Dad. Certainly his death brings about horrible images and sad memories, and even a lot of his life was not made up of lovely actions or words. However, he is the only Dad I have, and I have been working on training my mind. Whenever something reminds me of his death or a painful memory from our past crops up, I immediately try to snap my mind over to something happy from my memories with him. Joking around in our sarcastic way; our family trip to Europe where, in a game of "Truth," he tearfully told the group that the person he most admired and respected in the world was me; him accidentally stepping on my veil at my wedding after giving me away; funny email forwards I still have in my inbox; how he grilled the best hamburgers in the world; Saturday mornings at Panera Bread; the time he finally let me walk to elementary school on my own, only to find out he followed behind me in the car the entire way; his ridiculous red flannel shirts he insisted on wearing year-round; hearing him tell me he loved me and was proud of me over and over and over.

These are the things I will think on. What good is it to dwell on the hard, the sad, the hurtful when none of that changes anything?

No, I will think on the good, the happy, the peaceful.

I think that's why this dream meant so much to me. I'll never actually see him with my children, but, in the dream, it was like getting to see how he would have acted, would have felt, would have spoken. Does that make sense? Maybe not, but it was so touching to me that I had to write it down.

So that I'll remember to think on this dream, too.

6 Months: A Letter.

My Birdie Girl,

(2 months)

(3 months)

(4 months)

(5 months)

(6 months)

You are half of a year old! When did this happen!?! You are such a joy to us, and I hope you will someday love to look back at your first year letters to see how much you grew and changed in so little time. Here's to six months of lovin!! :)

Growth:

You weigh 19 pounds (95th percentile) and are 28 inches long (off the percentile charts...long baby!). You are wearing size three diapers. Most of your clothes have to be 12 month size, although you can still wear 3 month clothes if it is just around your little waist. Your strawberry is still the same size, although it is turning greyish purple on top. You like to get up on your knees and rock using your head like a tripod, so you've developed a few scabs on your little strawberry. You have your first sickness (ear infection in your right ear), and it is so sad to see you pull on your little ear. Your nose and eyes are runny, and you are just pretty puny overall. Poor girl.

Eating:

You still eat about every three hours during the day, and you have one dream feeding at night. Your eating routine is roughly 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm with a dream feeding at 11pm. You nurse both sides for about 5 minutes per side. When you finish eating, I'll stand you up on my knees to wait for your burp. You always crane your head around to the door of your room to see if Daddy is going to come in for you.

We are still working on the baby cereals, and you are getting the hang of it! It is about time to try out some actual baby food, so we'll see how that goes in a few weeks.

One of the best parts of my day: your 11pm dream feeding. I love going in after you are sound asleep, waiting in the glider for Daddy to hand you to me, and snuggling up for one last little moment together for the night. You have no idea you are doing anything at all, and you sleep right on through. Dad will stay with us in the dark room while you have a little midnight snack, and we love watching you get comfortable when we lay you back into your crib. I don't want this feeding to end. Our late night snuggles are so special to me.

Sleeping:

For naps, you have almost gotten over the 45-Minute Intruder, and you'll take about 4 naps a day still. Naps are not your strong suit, but now you'll nap anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Maybe when you take less naps a day, they will get longer? When I put you down for your first nap of the day, you are still so subdued and quiet that you'll just rest your little head on my chest and fall right to sleep with a big sigh. I absolutely LOVE this. You used to sleep on me all the time, and now that you are big girl, you sleep in your crib...but I sure do love rocking you for a few minutes after you fall asleep on me for this one nap of the day!

At night, you go to bed around 7pm and you sleep till about 7am without waking up. You were waking at 5am, but we'd just plug you up with your paci so you'd learn that we don't get up that early in this house! ;) It seems to have worked. When it is bedtime, you like to lay in your crib and talk to yourself for about 30 minutes. It is so sweet to hear your little 'conversations' with yourself or sometimes with your hand. ;) Once you've said your piece, you fall asleep peacefully. So sweet.

Play:

Here are some of your funny and quirky little developments over the last month--

-You know your name! You'll whip your head around if I say your name.

-Still have a low belly laugh, but sometimes you'll squeal with delight in a high pitch.

-You started panting like a puppy when you are worried or impatient.

-You love listening to us 'click'--you'll smile SO big at this. We think Aunt Rachel got you started on the clicking thing.

-Sometimes you'll gurgle your spit in your throat for minutes on end. I think you like that sound.

-The reaching has begun! You'll lean and reach towards objects or people that you want.

-One of my favorites: You are still amazed when you bring your hands in front of your face. They're like old friends to you! You'll just stare in amazement as you open and close your fist or move your wrist and hand. So sweet.

-Pre-crawling developments: You are curling your knees under and rocking back and forth, and sometimes you'll move forward with your knees, but your arms aren't quite in sync yet...you usually end up face-planting instead of moving forward! Even though you can't crawl towards the things you want yet, you have figured out how to wiggle, writhe and roll to get where you want to go.

-When you get annoyed or frustrated, you kick your right leg over and over.

-You've started to try to clap--when you're excited and smiling, you slap your hands to your chest at the same time over and over. You end up looking like an ape, but what a cute ape you are!

-We are pretty sure there's a little bottom tooth trying to poke through. You're drooling like crazy, gnawing on anything you can get your hands on, and your gums are red right there on the bottom. We'll see!

-You love to touch our faces when you are happy to see us. You'll beam at me and hold my cheeks in your little hands for minutes on end. PRECIOUS.

-You are still sleeping on your back, arched, chin up in the air like a letter "C". Don't know how this is comfortable, but that's how we'll find you half of the time. The other half, you sleep with your legs and arms tucked in and your butt in the air.

-Now you are very interested in the dogs; you will leeaaan over when being held to get a better look at them as they pass by. Milly lets you pet her, but Mabel could still care less.

-You are really starting to remember certain books ("Pat the Bunny") and where to touch and feel on certain pages.

-During bath time with Daddy, you hold your breath when he pours water on you to rinse, and you like to hold little bath toys and splash them into the water.

Baby, you are such a little joy. We are told by so many friends and family that you are a very peaceful and content little baby, and they are right! You have your fussy moments, to be sure. But overall, you are just so pleasant to be with. You are my tiny buddy, and I love our days together. We pray for you every day, sweet girl, and we feel so blessed that God gave us the gift of YOU!

I'll love you forever and like you for always,

Mommy

A Tutu for You?

I took ballet for 12 years. Loved it. Learned so much about self-confidence, performance, getting over anxiety, making friends, and having fun through being involved in dance.

My husband and I will never push our kids into an extra-curricular activity that they don't want to do...

...but....I sure hope she likes to dance.

I mean, really.

If you can rock a tutu this well, it'd be a shame not to!

;)

(Working on answering the rest of your questions, but, for now...have a great holiday weekend!)

Answers: Part I.

Thanks for the questions! So as not to overwhelm the blog-o-sphere with an uber-long post, I shall break up the questions a bit. Here ya go!

1.) Are you finding that you get dressed properly every day since becoming a mother? Make up, hair, jewellery .... shoes?

You know, it depends on the day. ;) I really do make an effort to at least get dressed for the day, meaning jeans, cute top, some jewelry, hair at least fixed. Baby E usually wakes up around 7 and takes her first nap of the day at around 8:30 (rough life...), so I buzz around and get myself ready for the day during her nap. Some days, I get a shower thrown in there. Other days...I apply extra deodorant. ;) I'm a girly-girl at heart, and I love to look put together. However, I've also learned to pare down the 'getting ready' routine so that I can actually finish. A little mascara and concealer can go a long way towards making me feel look well-rested. ;)

2.) What is your favorite part of the day now that you are a SAHM? What is that one time or activity that always make you think "Yes! I am so glad I get to be here for this!"?

Good question. There are a few high points to my day that I really try and soak up. First, whenever I go in to get Baby E after a nap, I creep in slowly while she's still sleepy and quietly playing, and I'll peek over the edge of the crib while saying, "Excuuuuuuse meeeeeeee?" in my most clowny, goofy voice. She BEAMS up at me every single time as if is the first time she's seen me all day. Other honorable mentions: rocking her (almost) asleep in the mornings when she isn't too wiggly yet; watching her from a distance while she plays contentedly by herself for a bit (so proud of her); basically just being lucky enough to see all the smiles, quirks, developments and even the tears. Very blessed to get to be home with her.

3.) Do you still watch The Young and the Restless everyday?

Sadly...yes. Listen people, this is my little guilty pleasure. Some smoke, some eat entire cans of icing in one sitting, and I...well, I like to catch up on my favorite friends in Genoa City on an almost daily basis. I'll usually skim through an episode on the DVR while E naps and I eat my lunch. A welcome (and mind-numbingly addictive) 30-minute respite in my day. ;)

And you?

Mine.

All mine.

:)

(Busily answering your questions--some of those were thinkers! Answers will be up soon. But, for now, I'll leave you with those two lovelies.)