Sunday, April 18, 2010
Random Thoughts
Lately I've been feeling like I need to do something with my life other than being a mom. I love staying home with my daughter, but I feel so isolated. I've been missing my pre-child life. Don't get me wrong, I love Charla to pieces but I've been feeling trapped. There are a few things I wish I had done differently. I should have waited to get married. Perhaps I should have even waited to have a baby. I miss going out on weekends, random car trips and sleeping in. I miss my body before having a baby. Now I just feel old and out of touch with the world and I'm only 26!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Fun In the Sun!
Today was another beautiful day. Our spring so far this year has been absolutely wonderful. It's been great being able to get outside with Charla basically every day. This morning was a little breezy but she still got out to play in her sandbox. Later on the breeze stopped and we got outside again. Hubby hung her swing up and we finally managed to convince her to try it out. We started out by having her push her stuffed moose and telling her how much fun Moosey was having!
We had a play date last Saturday with someone I knew from high school and her family. They have a son 5 months younger than Charla. It was so adorable watching them give each other hugs and kisses. We walked to a nearby park and flew a kite. Charla got a huge kick out of that and is still talking about it! Then the kids played in our backyard while we grilled out. At first Charla wasn't too sure about having to share her sandbox and balls, but she got over that pretty quick. The next morning when we went outside all she talked about was how good of a sharer she was with her friend. Hubby and I are going to look into some part time daycare so she will get more opportunities to socialize. I take her to a playgroup, but I think some time away from mommy will do her a bit of good too.
Tomorrow I get to take 2 cats and our dog to the vet. They are all due shots, especially the dog who will get boarded in June when we go on vacation. One of our cats also needs to have her teeth looked at. She's always had bad teeth, but now one is red and swollen. Not sure if she's going to need antibiotics or have it pulled. Financially we can't afford that right now. I know, I know, if you own pets you have to be able to take care of them. However, we weren't planning on having my husband laid off for almost 2 years now, so money is pretty tight. Hopefully a round of antibiotics will do the trick and the tooth will fall out on its own.
We had a play date last Saturday with someone I knew from high school and her family. They have a son 5 months younger than Charla. It was so adorable watching them give each other hugs and kisses. We walked to a nearby park and flew a kite. Charla got a huge kick out of that and is still talking about it! Then the kids played in our backyard while we grilled out. At first Charla wasn't too sure about having to share her sandbox and balls, but she got over that pretty quick. The next morning when we went outside all she talked about was how good of a sharer she was with her friend. Hubby and I are going to look into some part time daycare so she will get more opportunities to socialize. I take her to a playgroup, but I think some time away from mommy will do her a bit of good too.
Tomorrow I get to take 2 cats and our dog to the vet. They are all due shots, especially the dog who will get boarded in June when we go on vacation. One of our cats also needs to have her teeth looked at. She's always had bad teeth, but now one is red and swollen. Not sure if she's going to need antibiotics or have it pulled. Financially we can't afford that right now. I know, I know, if you own pets you have to be able to take care of them. However, we weren't planning on having my husband laid off for almost 2 years now, so money is pretty tight. Hopefully a round of antibiotics will do the trick and the tooth will fall out on its own.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Keep on Going
My husband and I continue trying for a second baby. This was only the 4th month of trying so I really can't complain and who knows, maybe it worked this time! We were sort of on the fence about trying this month because my due date will be Christmas Eve. So of course this will be the month I get pregnant just because that's how fate works.
My big concern was how to deal with separating a birthday from a major family holiday without causing issues for either of my children. I was worried that Charla would be mad that her little brother or sister would be getting more gifts than her. I was worried that the second child would feel like attention was taken away from his/her birthday. I was worried about possibly having to spend next Christmas in the hospital. I don't have everything figured out, but I think a lot of my fears have been put to rest.
If this is the way life goes, I now realize I have options regarding the way I want to deal with things. When my proverbial second child is old enough to want a birthday party, I can have it during June as a half birthday party. Charla's jealousy's will have to be dealt with by honesty, this is the way life is, she gets gifts on her birthday as well. And spending one holiday in the hospital won't be the end of the world. I sort of think a baby brother or sister is the best Christmas present I could give to Charla.
So we continue trying, crossing our fingers that one of these months will be our month to celebrate.
My big concern was how to deal with separating a birthday from a major family holiday without causing issues for either of my children. I was worried that Charla would be mad that her little brother or sister would be getting more gifts than her. I was worried that the second child would feel like attention was taken away from his/her birthday. I was worried about possibly having to spend next Christmas in the hospital. I don't have everything figured out, but I think a lot of my fears have been put to rest.
If this is the way life goes, I now realize I have options regarding the way I want to deal with things. When my proverbial second child is old enough to want a birthday party, I can have it during June as a half birthday party. Charla's jealousy's will have to be dealt with by honesty, this is the way life is, she gets gifts on her birthday as well. And spending one holiday in the hospital won't be the end of the world. I sort of think a baby brother or sister is the best Christmas present I could give to Charla.
So we continue trying, crossing our fingers that one of these months will be our month to celebrate.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Second Easter
Our second Easter as a family has been great so far. When Charla woke up she found her Easter basket sitting on the kitchen table. The Easter bunny had brought her a stuffed rabbit, a chocolate rabbit, M&M's and some mini Kit Kats. She was thrilled!
For breakfast I made homemade pancakes, fresh strawberries and, of course, hard boiled eggs. We had dyed the eggs yesterday but I'm not sure if she remembered that they were the same ones or not. She didn't really care, she kept asking for chocolate! She loved the fresh strawberries though, I was sort of surprised because last summer she didn't care for them much.
After she's done napping, we're heading over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for Easter dinner where I'm sure she'll be spoiled rotten. My mom has already told me some of the things she bought Charla and you would think it was Christmas all over again! What I love about my parent's though is that, even though they do buy her a lot of things, nothing is over the top and it's not always toys. My mom made her up a little Easter basket of crackers and some candy, got her a Dora The Explorer sand pail and a princess beach towel for this summer.
I had found a cute Easter dress a month ago that will double as a birthday dress. That's the nice thing about this holiday being so close to her birthday. I can't believe she's going to turn 2 next month. Where does the time go?!
For breakfast I made homemade pancakes, fresh strawberries and, of course, hard boiled eggs. We had dyed the eggs yesterday but I'm not sure if she remembered that they were the same ones or not. She didn't really care, she kept asking for chocolate! She loved the fresh strawberries though, I was sort of surprised because last summer she didn't care for them much.
After she's done napping, we're heading over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for Easter dinner where I'm sure she'll be spoiled rotten. My mom has already told me some of the things she bought Charla and you would think it was Christmas all over again! What I love about my parent's though is that, even though they do buy her a lot of things, nothing is over the top and it's not always toys. My mom made her up a little Easter basket of crackers and some candy, got her a Dora The Explorer sand pail and a princess beach towel for this summer.
I had found a cute Easter dress a month ago that will double as a birthday dress. That's the nice thing about this holiday being so close to her birthday. I can't believe she's going to turn 2 next month. Where does the time go?!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Torture With Footwear
The last few days have been beautiful. Above seasonal temps, sun and lots of outdoor fun. I've been taking Charla to the park, going for walks and playing in the sandbox. Last summer her favorite thing was swinging, this year though she's not enjoying it much. On our first trip to a park she saw the swings and wanted to go in. So I put her in and started pushing her, thinking she was going to have a blast with it the same as last year. However, as soon as the swing started going, she freaked out. She shook, gasped, tried to catch her breath; poor girl was terrified. My husband was going to build her a swing set for her birthday, but I think we're going to go with a tricycle instead for now!
We also had a surprise about the fact that she no longer liked sandals. I put them on her for the first time on Thursday and she screamed. Did not want them on her feet, refused to walk with them on, so I put her shoes on her instead. On Friday I gave it another try. She let me put them on her feet but then wanted them off right away. I persisted though and tried to encourage her to stand up and walk. Finally, after about 15 minutes, she stood up and took a few steps. I let her walk around the house a bit to get used to them before taking her outside. As she was crossing the kitchen towards the backdoor, walking like those were her first steps, she turned to me, gave me a shaky smile and said, "no crying". I was so proud of her for doing something she was unsure of doing and gave her a big hug.
I know her personality tends more towards caution. I've come to expect her to need a few minutes to get used to the idea of something new and perhaps even shed a few tears before she gets the courage to go ahead. However, each and every time she tries, I feel a strong surge of pride. That's my baby girl, overcoming her fears and learning something new!
We also had a surprise about the fact that she no longer liked sandals. I put them on her for the first time on Thursday and she screamed. Did not want them on her feet, refused to walk with them on, so I put her shoes on her instead. On Friday I gave it another try. She let me put them on her feet but then wanted them off right away. I persisted though and tried to encourage her to stand up and walk. Finally, after about 15 minutes, she stood up and took a few steps. I let her walk around the house a bit to get used to them before taking her outside. As she was crossing the kitchen towards the backdoor, walking like those were her first steps, she turned to me, gave me a shaky smile and said, "no crying". I was so proud of her for doing something she was unsure of doing and gave her a big hug.
I know her personality tends more towards caution. I've come to expect her to need a few minutes to get used to the idea of something new and perhaps even shed a few tears before she gets the courage to go ahead. However, each and every time she tries, I feel a strong surge of pride. That's my baby girl, overcoming her fears and learning something new!
Monday, March 15, 2010
No Sleep Zone
Over the last month there have been more and more days that Charla will talk to herself for 1 hour instead of fall asleep. I always get her up after about 1 hour because I figure if she hasn't fallen asleep yet, she probably won't. Usually, if she skips a nap one day, the next day she'll take a nice 1.5-2hr nap. However, after taking a nice nap, the following morning she's awake earlier than normal. I've always left bedtime at a consistent 8pm. I think she's normally asleep by about 8:15pm.
Yesterday, despite the daylight savings switch, I decided to keep nap time and bedtime at the same times (1pm and 8pm) because I like those times. She finally fell asleep at 2:15pm for nap and slept for 30 minutes. However, at bedtime she didn't fall asleep until about 8:40pm! She just kept talking to her blankies, "Oh, Key! Hi!" like, "Fancy meeting you here in this crib of mine"!
So, this morning she didn't wake up until 8am (LOVED that!) but she has now talked through an entire nap, for the second day in a row (can you really count a 30min snooze as a nap?)! It's almost 2pm and then I'm going to go get her up. This is craziness but I'm actually excited/relieved to be faced with the end of nap. I have always hated planning my life around her nap schedule. I've been religious about it for the last year because I know she needs her sleep but the fact that the days of counting down how much time I have before I need to get her home or hauling a pack n play to grandma's because we're going to be there during nap time are numbered, is so freeing!
I'm going to keep putting her in her crib around the same time every day for her 1 hour chat sessions. If she sleeps she sleeps if not, oh well. She's never crabby because of it and I'm thankful for that!
Yesterday, despite the daylight savings switch, I decided to keep nap time and bedtime at the same times (1pm and 8pm) because I like those times. She finally fell asleep at 2:15pm for nap and slept for 30 minutes. However, at bedtime she didn't fall asleep until about 8:40pm! She just kept talking to her blankies, "Oh, Key! Hi!" like, "Fancy meeting you here in this crib of mine"!
So, this morning she didn't wake up until 8am (LOVED that!) but she has now talked through an entire nap, for the second day in a row (can you really count a 30min snooze as a nap?)! It's almost 2pm and then I'm going to go get her up. This is craziness but I'm actually excited/relieved to be faced with the end of nap. I have always hated planning my life around her nap schedule. I've been religious about it for the last year because I know she needs her sleep but the fact that the days of counting down how much time I have before I need to get her home or hauling a pack n play to grandma's because we're going to be there during nap time are numbered, is so freeing!
I'm going to keep putting her in her crib around the same time every day for her 1 hour chat sessions. If she sleeps she sleeps if not, oh well. She's never crabby because of it and I'm thankful for that!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Spring!
The weather here has been gorgeous lately! I have been taking Charla outside as much as possible. We've been going for walks (sometimes 2-3 per day!), playing ball and she's been riding her bike around. My husband is going to be building her a swing set in the next week or 2. Last summer, swinging was her most favorite outdoor thing to do. I'm also hoping to take her to a park sometime this week.
Walks this year are so much different than they were last summer. This year she can walk all the way around the block without having to go in the stroller. Her favorite things to point out are pine cones and dog poop. She likes to talk about puddles, planes and buses as we walk. Whenever we pass by a puppy she will say, "hi puppy". When we first start out on a walk she will take the lead. Soon though she will get side tracked. She stops to explore the grass, trees, rocks and whatever else catches her eye. Most of the time I'm not in a hurry and will allow her the time she needs to explore. I love watching her take everything in!
Today, Charla turned 22 months old. When I look at her, I can still see the tiny baby I brought home from the hospital almost 2 years ago. However, now I can also see the little girl she is turning into. She is learning and doing something new every day. Her imaginative play has started to shine through and she makes me smile every time I see her giving her baby doll a kiss, putting her dollhouse dolls to bed or making her farm animals eat their hay. I am so excited to watch her grow and meet milestones. A small part of me though wants to rewind time. I want to hold her tiny body again and stroke her silky hair, breathe in her baby smell.
A few months ago I had the opportunity to hold a little baby. My sister-in-law asked me if holding him made me miss holding Charla. This question made me think because as much as I enjoyed holding him, he curled into me different than she did, he smelled different than she did and I honestly felt a bit awkward holding him. So yes, holding him did make me miss Charla because I know I will never again have the opportunity to hold her in that way. Time goes too fast sometimes.
Walks this year are so much different than they were last summer. This year she can walk all the way around the block without having to go in the stroller. Her favorite things to point out are pine cones and dog poop. She likes to talk about puddles, planes and buses as we walk. Whenever we pass by a puppy she will say, "hi puppy". When we first start out on a walk she will take the lead. Soon though she will get side tracked. She stops to explore the grass, trees, rocks and whatever else catches her eye. Most of the time I'm not in a hurry and will allow her the time she needs to explore. I love watching her take everything in!
Today, Charla turned 22 months old. When I look at her, I can still see the tiny baby I brought home from the hospital almost 2 years ago. However, now I can also see the little girl she is turning into. She is learning and doing something new every day. Her imaginative play has started to shine through and she makes me smile every time I see her giving her baby doll a kiss, putting her dollhouse dolls to bed or making her farm animals eat their hay. I am so excited to watch her grow and meet milestones. A small part of me though wants to rewind time. I want to hold her tiny body again and stroke her silky hair, breathe in her baby smell.
A few months ago I had the opportunity to hold a little baby. My sister-in-law asked me if holding him made me miss holding Charla. This question made me think because as much as I enjoyed holding him, he curled into me different than she did, he smelled different than she did and I honestly felt a bit awkward holding him. So yes, holding him did make me miss Charla because I know I will never again have the opportunity to hold her in that way. Time goes too fast sometimes.
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