Role Models?

Definition: a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others.

Uh Oh. I might be in trouble.

As a mother, I recognize the intense need for me to be on my best behavior at all times...especially when the tiny person is nearby. I have also learned that she can...and will...copy things that I do. "monkey see, monkey do", right?

Well, sometimes you just have to say screw the rules. My day was yesterday.

There comes a time when ice cream is required for lunch and cookie dough is required for dinner. The day comes that internet time, facebook, and playing with the new Kindle is way more appealing than squeaky toys and bouncy balls.

Let me start off by saying...God bless the stay-at-home moms! That role is NOT something I am cut out for. I have realized this and moved on from the guilt that came along with it. Why is it that women are so ashamed about wanting/needing time away from their kids? I personally don't know one single woman who is 100% happy being at home with her kids all day, every day. Disclaimer: this does not include the uber-rich ladies who can "lunch" and shop while their kids are at Mother's Day out. I'm pretty sure we could all get used to that!

I'm talking about the normal gals out there whose outings include Wal-mart and checking the mail. The ladies who are praying for nap time to come soon so they can shower. The ones who realize that it's 2 p.m. and they haven't eaten anything and are surviving on the 3 cups of coffee from that morning.

Am I alone, here? I think not.

So, since it's November and we are all listing the things we are thankful for...here's mine:

1. My husband. I can always count on him to notice when I need a break. He stays current on all his daddy skills so I can feel good about being away for an extended period of time...hours, not days, people!

2. My kid. She's the best diet a woman could ask for. She's got a built in sensor that immediately goes off when I sit down to eat. I bet she cuts my calorie intake in half...not to mention the fact that I never stop moving.

3. My job. It saves my sanity. I get to help families and talk to other people whose vocabulary consists of more than "cup" and "dog" and "ball".

So, those are the top 3. I have more, but in an effort to keep this at a readable level we'll stop there.

I will end with this...I love being a mom. I know it's a blessing and I know that not everyone gets a chance to take it on. My daughter means everything to me and I hope to expand the family even more one day. However, love for your child doesn't change the fact that poopy diapers and Nick Jr. get old. Love doesn't change the need for a mother to just be a woman every now and then. And it certainly doesn't change my desire to eat ice cream for lunch in front of my kid. She will be fine...she's a girl and will understand...in, oh let's say...31 years.

Sincerely,
The Honest Mom

Welcome to the REAL Parenting world!

Oh My! It's been a while since the last blog post and a lot has happened since then! Let me first say thank you to all who sent thoughts and prayers our way. We are doing great and we're back on the up-swing. Enough about that...

So, the strangest thing happened the other day...apparently my baby turned ONE year old! I could have swore it had only been a few months since I experienced that wonderful thing called labor (enter sarcasm here). And just a little while since the feeling of complete cluelessness came over Sam and I. Well, the latter hasn't really changed! It seems once we learn how to deal with Olivia's new milestones or challenges...she changes things up on us! Little stinker! Anyway, I guess the calendar doesn't lie. It really has been ONE WHOLE YEAR since that 8 lb 4 oz baby came into this world!

Here's what I've learned about various things this past year starting from the beginning of it all:

1. Epidurals are magical until they wear off. Know your Anesthesiologist and call for him 1 hour before you really think you need it. You may consider getting his name and address so you can send him a card when he saves the day with Epidural #2 just in the nick of time. :)

2. Newborn babies are smarter than they look. They know where their food source is located even with that oily crap in their eyes...and they know how to get it out within minutes of taking their first breath.

3. Good Lactation Consultants are angels sent from heaven.

4. Poop comes in many different forms. Sometimes it even flies across the room. All you soon-to-be new moms remember the 10 minute rule. "Leave diaper in place at least 10 minutes after first sounds of pooping". Trust me on this one.

5. Sleep deprivation is pretty easy to get used to.

6. Awakening from the first 5-6 hour stretch of straight sleep = immediate panic, feelings of doom, and standing with your face inches away from your baby to make sure she's still breathing...followed up by that proud moment of knowing your baby is sleeping through the night.

7. I've never seen my husband so proud as when Olivia said "Dada" for the first time. Unforgettable.

8. Your child will then proceed to say "Dada" constantly even though you are nursing, changing, rocking, bathing, and staying home with her. Wonder if it's the opposite with boy babies?

9. Bathing in water your child has peed in is no big deal, really. Just keep telling yourself that urine is sterile. It helps.

10. Swim diapers DO NOT hold in large amounts of poop. When the water around you starts turning brown...it's time to get out...very nonchalantly.

11. Babies typically do not like sand. Especially with an inch thick layer of sunscreen in place. Stick to the pool until they can walk.

12. Teething sucks...plain and simple.

13. The vocabulary of a 1 year old is hard to decipher. People will hear what they want...but mostly, it sounds like German.

14. Making "suggestions" or assigning birthday gifts for people to buy was the best idea I've had all year. NO returns!

15. 1st birthday parties are for the parents and family. You may be less than impressed with your child's cake smashing abilities. Especially when that child can ruin a phone, a remote control, rip keys off the laptop, shoot poop across the room, and stay up partying all night long.

Now, the biggest lesson of all....

Realizing this child is a blessing to you and making it your priority to give them the best life possible. Knowing God gave you this responsibility and trusting yourself enough to do the job right. Always wanting better for your child than what you had. Enjoying each day as if it could be your last and making sure your child knows how much you love them and will take care of them no matter what...even at 3 a.m. NO MATTER WHAT!!

I can honestly say that I enjoy being a mother and wife more than I ever imagined I would. It's easy when you have a husband like Sam and a baby like Olivia! (please excuse the mush)

Stay tuned for more about our new life with a ONE YEAR OLD!! Aaaahhhh!

Sincerely,
A Very Blessed Lady

Ups...and Downs

We've all heard the phrase "Life is a rollercoaster", right? Well, I tend to lean towards "life is a series of rollercoasters"...some more intense than others. Regardless, it's full of ups and downs and all-arounds.

Ya know, when you step on to that ride and you're headed toward the top it seems as if things just could not possibly be better. You think to yourself..."how did I get so lucky?" or "do I really deserve all this?" For so long, it just keeps going up...up, up, up and then you get to the peak and it pauses for just a moment. Just long enough for you to realize how wonderful and glorious your life is. Then it's moving...and it's headed down, only to hit the bottom before you can even blink your eyes. Oh wait...there's another uphill! But, it goes by so fast that you don't even realize it's passed. Before you know it this particular ride has stopped, you look around, jolted and shaken, and realize how very thankful you are for the person sitting next to you holding your hand through the whole thing...and listening. Sam.

On August 21, Sam and I were blown away to find out the news of our second pregnancy. We were not expecting such news since Olivia is only 10 months old. This was such a surprise it took a while to sink in for me. I could visually see the 5 different home pregnancy tests with the blazing pink line and even the one that actually said YES+...but, for some reason it just did not seem real to me. There were a lot of unanswered questions to say the least!

Fast forward to September 2. Doctor appointment at 2:00...actually saw the doc at 3:00 but still no answers until we could see the sonographer...at 4:30.

Finally, we would know how far along we were...when the baby is due...hear the heartbeat.

However, I've been in that chair before with the awkwardness of a first trimester ultrasound and I knew very quickly that something was not right. When she didn't turn the screen for us to see our little blob with the quivering of a heartbeat...I knew. And I was right.

I had been having these horrible visions of the doctor coming to tell me that there was no baby...and that's exactly what happened. I never told anyone that. I thought it was just the shock of the whole thing. I guess my uneasiness from the beginning was some sort of guard. It's very strange...but I think I knew the moment the line turned pink that something was very wrong. With Olivia, I had a peaceful feeling about everything. I was so calm and I just knew it was all going to be just perfect. And it was.

The doctor explained to us that he did not see a baby on the ultrasound. Only a yolk sac. He told us the different reasons for this and that there was a very small chance that we were just too early and it was just too small. He sent us to Baptist for some stat labs and would call me with results. At 7:30 a.m. the following morning I got a call from the doctor and the news was not good. My blood levels were very high. High enough that we should have seen the baby on ultrasound very quickly and easily. He estimated that I was about 10 weeks along according to my HCG results. Miscarriage.

The end result would be the same...but there were two different paths we could take. Let nature take it's course and drag out for weeks and weeks...or opt for the outpatient procedure. I opted for the latter. That was on September 3...the worst day of my life.

So, to say the least, things have been pretty tough around the Ault home lately. We both are thanking God everyday for Olivia. She has made this somewhat easier and we cannot imagine going through this without her here to help us. Her smile, laugh, funny faces, chunky thighs, crazy bed head, snotty nose, and her "mama's" and "dada's" are just what we needed. At the moment, I am doing fine physically. I'm struggling emotionally, but that is to be expected.

Some of you are probably wondering why I would share something so personal. Well, a lot of people knew of our pregnancy...and a lot of people know I'm not pregnant anymore. I wanted to bring everyone up to speed with minimal discussion.

So many of you have already offered to help in any way you can. I would encourage you to just say an extra prayer for me and ask God to help me through this. For now, my focus is to stay positive and to be hopeful for the next time...should we be so blessed.

In the meantime...I'll be looking forward to the next pause at the peak.

Sincerely,
Christie

The Mommy Badge

Once again, I have earned another beloved "mommy badge". I've been wearing the "I've Been Pooped On" for a while now. This one is the all too lovely..."Crusty Snot on the Shoulder Badge". It's the one that you don't really notice until someone points it out to you. Like your husband, who blatantly asks "What is THAT on your shirt?" and you reply with a very casual "Oh, it's snot" and continue to go about your business (without changing shirts). The poor husband is left standing there wondering where his sexy wife went. Well, the answer to that is: She is on vacation until the offspring is no longer requiring frequent suctioning, Benadryl every 4 hours, and vapor baths every night. Just be glad I brushed my teeth today, okay.

So, obviously Olivia is suffering from a horrible cold that has left her miserable at times. Mostly at night when all is calm in the house. This last week has flashed me back to the newborn days of sleep deprivation and the feeling of complete cluelessness. I thought I was beginning to become a pro-mom and I felt like I had some knowledge to this whole parenting thing. It's amazing how one little snotty kid can change that in a flash!!

Another thing that never ceases to amaze me is the fact that I AM A NURSE. Which to me has always meant that I had an upper-hand at managing these health crises. The problem is...at work, we have many different options for sucking snot out of a kids nose...aka Respiratory Therapists bearing long tubes connected to a canister on the wall which catches all the loveliness. At home, I have the bulb sucker that was sent home with me from the hospital after delivery.

I now know the reason I see parents just letting their kids have snot running down their face. It is NOT worth the fight to try using this very simple piece of equipment.

So, if you see me at Wal-mart today and Olivia is looking rather DKish (Dirty Kid-ish) then put yourself in my shoes. And thank you for pointing out that crust on my shoulder or even better...thank you for staring at my shirt and not saying anything. That is very sweet of you.

One more question...Would it be weird if I sent my kid to the church nursery wearing a mask? Yeah, you're right...not the cool thing to do for sure. I guess it's the price we will pay to get a little more Jesus in our lives.

Sincerely,
The Proud-Wearer-of-Bodily-Fluids-Mom

Mobility is not a mom's best friend

Well, Olivia is mobile. She is crawling. I am tired.

Here's my definition of mobility coming from a mother's perspective:

Mobility means EXHAUSTION...plain and simple. This new milestone that my daughter has achieved is moving us into a whole new level of parenting...and she's not even very good at it yet. The days of sitting back watching her play are OVER.

As proud as I am to know that my child is healthy and happy and able to crawl around...I miss the old days sometimes. The days where I could place a pallet down on the floor and she would stay on it. The days that I could walk out of the room for a moment and come back to find her sitting sweetly in the spot I left her...not under the coffee table or pushing buttons on the TV.

I used to wonder why people would put their kids in a play pen or a gated area. I thought it was weird and mean. I now know why and am contemplating on investing in one of these contraptions for the sake of a semi-clean house and a child with minimal injuries. I've gotten so comfortable with my parenting habits and now I am being forced to change them thanks to the mobile baby.

Here's what I miss most of the pre-crawling days:

1. Sitting
2. Bathroom breaks
3. Eating
4. Completing tasks
5. My clean house

Here's what I've exchanged those things for:

1. Squatting, crawling, kneeling, bending, holding.
2. An impressive bladder capacity
3. Meals of mixed nuts and Zone bars
4. Laundry that's clean, but not put up.
5. Dust bunnies and dirty dishes

I have also finally become aware of how new mother's are sometimes so much skinnier than they were pre-baby. Basically, it's a constant state of calorie burn and the inability to complete a meal. I guess this will be my new weight loss plan. I'll let you know how it works.

Again, even though I may seem to be complaining about certain things...I am very thankful and blessed to have such a child to complain about. There are many parents that would be happy to be exhausted because of chasing around a baby. I am aware of this...thanks to my job. It has taught me to cherish the moments of exhaustion and replace the frustration with thankfulness.

I love you Olivia Kate...now please take a nap so I can shower.

Sincerely,
The Soon-to-be-Skinny Mom

A vist from a very special lady

Most of us have a certain person in our family that has always brought joy to our lives. A kind of person that no matter what they do...they make you smile and always seem to have happiness all around. A person that so many of our greatest memories of our childhood are revolved around.

That person for me is my Aunt Dazie (aka "Boo").

Aunt Dazie is my grandmother's sister-in-law. She was married to my Uncle Jim and lived in Marion, AR right outside of West Memphis. After my mom and I moved away from Memphis, we would often go back to visit my Grandmother and stop to see them on the way.

I remember their house so vividly...but mostly the screened in porch. They lived on a lake and had a dock where we could fish. There were lots of ducks and it seemed like Aunt Dazie always had a loaf of bread just for me to use to feed the ducks. It was white bread and I remember rolling a little piece into a ball and eating it myself. I LOVED that and looked forward to it every trip. I remember them having a big refrigerator outside that Uncle Jim kept grubs worms in for fishing. I'm pretty sure I caught my first fish off that dock.

If we didn't make it to their house, we would always be sure to stop by the liquor store they ran in West Memphis, right off I-40. I think my fondest memory of Uncle Jim is from these stops. He ALWAYS gave me a pack of plain M&M's every time. I remember walking around that store looking at all the bottles of wine and all the "weird" drinks in the cooler. Sometimes, they would have a customer or two stop in while we were there. I bet those people were wondering what in the world that skinny little blonde was doing in a liquor store! I was clueless and thought nothing of it!

My Aunt Dazie is 86 years old and sharp as a tack! I'm pretty sure that she is better with the computer than I am. I mean she has a facebook account if that tells you anything! She is always laughing, telling stories, and making people smile. She has an identical twin sister, Mazie (aka "Tiny"), who she lives with in Alabama.

Aunt Dazie is so special to a lot of people. All of the family just adores her. I hope that when I'm 86 someone is telling stories like this about me. I have a lot of work to do.

Sincerely,
Christie

Blonde and proud of it!!

We all know the phrase "Blondes have more fun". Well, I don't know if that's really true, but there are definitely some advantages to being a blonde...a natural one that is.

For instance, I have a built in excuse to say and do stupid crap. See conversation below:

Sam: Honey, did you run the dishwasher?

Me: Yep

Sam: So, you DID run it?

me: YES, I DID RUN IT! why?

Sam: (standing in front of the dishwasher getting a closer look at the dishes that were FAR from clean) Um, well....

Me: (walking over to the filthy dishes, but wet dishwasher...confused) Hmmm.

Sam: So, did you put soap in it?

Me: Yes, I guess it just didn't come out or something. (opened the door to the soap holder) See! I told you I did!! It must be broke or something!!

Sam: (long pause) Wow (another long pause) Honey, you have to OPEN it and take the plastic off before you put it in there.

Me: Oh.

Sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself. This was one of those times.

Sincerely,
Blondie

Top 5 things I love about Wisconsin

5. Highs of 73 in June
4. Briq's ice cream
3. Point Brewery Beer
2. Cheese Curds
1. Family

Let's start with #5...Yes, that is correct...HIGHS of 73!!! I think it was God's way of rewarding us for a 14 hour drive. We left our house in Little Rock, AR at midnight and arrived to the glorious weather the following day at 3:00 p.m.

#4 is a place down the road from my in-laws that serves up some delicious ice cream treats. They are famous for their 1 lb ice cream cone. I have actually seen this 1 lb delight in person a few years back when my ice cream loving father-in-law took it on. I look forward to my next trip to Briq's, but I'm SO VERY thankful that I do not have a place like this down the road from my house.

#3...doesn't really need an explanation. If you know me, you know I like beer. There's a town in WI called Stephens Point and that is where this brewery is. The last time we went (pre-Olivia) we did the tour with the "free 15 minute taste all you can taste" at the end. It's quite amazing how much beer you can actually drink when you know you have a time limit! This year Sam, Eric, Olivia, and myself took a field trip to the gift shop and dropped a whopping $70 on beer paraphernalia. Everything from T-shirts to chapstick. In Wisconsin, it's completely normal to take your child to places like this. No one even blinked an eye when we rolled in with an 8 month old.

#2...oh...my...goodness. Cheese curds. I have to admit...I was reluctant at first when my brother and sister-in-law introduced me to these magnificent little things. I mean...cheese "curd" just sounds weird. Thankfully, I am a brave eater and popped one in my mouth without any hesitation. That was about 3 years ago and I'm still a sucker for a fresh curd. Too much time had passed since I heard the squeak on my teeth..which is the major indicator of super fresh curds. Eric said the look on my face when I took a sample of the curds in Mullins Cheese Store was priceless. It was a moment of mouth heaven.

#1...sweet, sweet Libby. Our one and only reason for hopping in the car. Libby is our niece and it was our first time to see her in person. She is 8 weeks old now and oh, so cute. Sam and I are so thankful that Olivia will have a cousin so close in age. It was so neat to see Olivia checking the baby out. I found myself trying to remember back when Olivia was that age. I kept asking Sam..."do you remember?". It's unfortunate how quickly memories fade and I kind of struggled to remember her little ways at 8 weeks old. It really makes me thankful that I am a camera-crazy mom and I have captured so many little moments of her life so far. I think it's probably time for me to do a little reminiscing during the next nap.

Overall, we had a wonderful trip! We could definitely do without a 14 hour car ride and will split it up over 2 days next time. Olivia did well and only had 1 semi-meltdown on the way up and one on the way back. My most awesome husband drove his girls safely to our destinations and we are very thankful. Poor guy slept 14 hours and still woke up tired this morning.

So, if you ever find yourself in the wonderful state of Wisconsin...you have at least 4 things to enjoy!

Sincerely,
Aunt Christie

Motherhood Milestone

There are things that I never appreciated until I entered the adventures of Motherhood. There are things I never knew existed, things I never knew were possible, and things I never thought I'd do as a mother.

Some of my discoveries have been joyous and filled with laughter and love.

For example, the first smile...at 3 weeks while I was attempting to master the "must-have" Moby wrap. This contraption is basically a 5 foot long piece of jersey fabric that cost me 40 bucks. After wrapping, tying, and squirming around in this thing I shoved my little 3 week old baby into it...went to the bathroom to see how we looked and laughed out loud at myself. Olivia looked up at me and smiled.

An INTENTIONAL smile. Not one that resulted in a toot.

Joyous.

Watching her grow into a little girl with the perfect mixture of her momma and daddy. Seeing things from a different perspective and enjoying life in a way I never thought possible. Relaxing a little. Understanding what life is all about and wondering why it took me so long to get here. These things are at the top of the list on what I think being a mom is all about.

Now, with every list there is a top...and a bottom. While all things have their special place in the heart of a mom...cleaning poop out of the adorable inflatable duck tub is not one of them. Cleaning poop out of the duck tub with your bare hands certainly does not rise to the top of my list of favorite things to do. Why would it, right?

It's amazing how Olivia felt so natural in her bathtime activities tonite. I thought I had my daughter figured out. I never even noticed the stillness in her slightly squinted eyes or the corners of her mouth turned down just a bit. I did, however, notice something that didn't belong in the duck tub when I lifted her out.

I did the only thing I could think of.

Grabbed my phone to take a picture, of course. I mean, I HAVE to show Sam what his precious little princess did for momma tonite. I'm secretly hoping he will have sympathy for me.

So, another Mommy milestone met. I can only imagine what will come next. Whatever it is...I'll have my camera phone ready and waiting...right next to my Purell hand sanitizer.

Sincerely,
The Not-Scared-to-Grab-Poop-with-her-Bare-Hands Mom

Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle...Hold Stiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllll.

What the hell has the cartoon world come to? Excuse my choice of words here, but really...who is the freak that thought up Yo, Gabba Gabba?

This person is most definitely living in an altered state of mind. I mean...let's just start with the weird grown man wearing a skin tight orange jump suit and a big orange wig. He's I guess the "leader" of all the other freaks on this show. He would do so much better being in a commercial for teeth whitener since he's got the biggest shiny grill I've seen in a while.

Moving on to the red thing that has a case of the small pox. I thought we took care of that disease a long time ago, but apparently not. That's the only way to explain all the big huge bumps all over this guy. And the one big eye? I guess they are trying to sneak some Greek mythology in there and teach our kids about good ole' Cyclops.

Oh, poor Foofa.

When I first saw this show I thought you're name was Fupa. Which is a word that can be used to describe a region of one's body. It is an actual medical term and the appropriate definition is "Fat Upper Pelvic Area". Needless to say...this word is most often used inappropriately and I was sad to see that the girl freak on this show who is already "rotund" in shape had to live her life with such a name.

Now, of course Liv loves it. It puts her into a "cartoon trance" and allows me time to fluff my hair a little. So for that...Thank you Mr. Freako Man with the weird imagination. I hope to meet you one day just to see what you look like. But, in the mean time I will enjoy having good hair on most days.

I guess the moral of the story is that Olivia hasn't learned to make fun of things. Her inherited sarcasm hasn't developed.

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is something we could all use from time to time. It's like a constant reminder that things are okay. Their innocence is remarkable and something to be treasured. I guess maybe that was the whole point in developing the freako cartoon. The creator probably hoped that someone would realize the point he was trying to make.

I did, Mr. Freako Man.

Now, if I can ask a favor of the creator of Big Red Bumpy Cyclops and Foofa. Please continue to make new episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba so I can continue to have cute hair...But, if you could come up with another equally "trance-inducing" cartoon that is tolerable for us sarcastic adults I know it would be very much appreciated.

Until then...whatever makes my child smile will continue to be my daily goal. However, I will not stop trying to sneak in a few episodes of those adorable little blue people we all remember as kids. I'm POSITIVE that cartoon was created by a completely normal and sober person.

Sincerely,
The Tolerater of Weird Cartoons and The Mom who DVR's all episodes of The Smurfs.

Playing in the dirt and eatin' Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pie aka Heaven in a pie shell.

Ya'll I'm not kidding.

I could eat this for the rest of my life and be one happy girl. So, my mom brought me a huge box of Holland Bottom Farm fresh strawberries and the recipe to the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I don't know if it's the cream cheese mixture that's spread on the bottom or the 2 cups of sugar that makes it so good. Whichever...I'll keep eating it and lying to myself that it's good for me because it has fruit in it.

Have I bragged on Sam lately? Oh, nevermind...I remember. I was just telling a funny Sam story last week about him getting pooped on by our precious offspring. So, he deserves a big pat on the back and certainly a reward for Husband of the Year! The things this man will do to keep me happy are unreal. I've been bugging him about putting a garden in for me since we built this house 2 1/2 years ago. I mean...we have an acre of land so it was meant to be.

Enter "Big Sam Ault" who is my father-in-law.

He's not big...but that's what I call him anyway. He is the expert of all things landscaping and yard related. He can build anything and he likes to keep the women in the family happy as well. A weekend passed by and all of a sudden I have a big wooden box outside ready to be filled with dirt. Sounds easy enough, huh?

Well, you obviously do not live on CRYSTAL valley road. Ya'll...the damn crystals in our yard are outrageous. We had to till up some of the ground to even out the surface a bit. Home Depot doesn't know that the tiller we rented was throwing sparks out the back due to the massive amount of crystals it had to go through. Okay...so that's done and Sam needs his first back transplant.

Next...fill it up with top soil. Oh...this sounds for sure easy.

4 truckloads later I have a big wooden box that has been "de-crystalled" and filled up with top soil and super soil. Second back transplant needed.

Finally, planting time. That really was easy. I got to play in the dirt while Sam did other Man stuff including mowing the yard on his riding mower while drinking a beer.

After all was said and done we enjoyed a gourmet dinner of rotel cheesedip, bean burritos, and a good Mexican beer. Followed up by the last piece of heaven topped with a massive amount of cool whip. Perfect ending to a perfect day.

Sincerely,
The Manicured Gardener

Funny Sam story

So, for all of you who know me well and spend lots of time around me, you know that I love telling funny stories about my husband, Sam. Don't worry...he knows I talk about him a lot so it's okay to laugh. I'm sure he'll get me back one of these days. But, for now here's a good one...our daughter Olivia was suffering from a bit of constipation this week. I know...TMI, but a lot of my stories are so whatever. Anyway, after a couple of days of juice and pears with no "success" I gave her prunes last night...which she LOVED by the way and ate 2 whole containers of them. Again, no success (so I thought).

side note** I am a pediatric RN who is completely clueless on all things related to "normal babies". I deal with cancer kids.

For some reason, I thought it would be a great idea to give Olivia a glycerin suppository early this morning because I was afraid of the consequences of a super constipated baby. Sounds reasonable, huh? Well, what you don't know is that I left 15 minutes later for work and Olivia was here with her daddy. I actually didn't think anything of it because I figured it hadn't worked and if it did...she would be with our most awesome babysitter who is a co-worker of mine and Tracy would be okay (maybe not appreciate it very much, but okay).

Fast forward an hour and a half. I get a call at work...it's Sam...and he just says "I bet you laughed your ass off all the way to work this morning, didn't you?" Dumbfounded, I responded, "why, honey?" and then I remembered.

The bullet. uh-oh.

Yes, we finally had "success". We had success all over the jumperoo and all in our sleeper (which is now in the garage waiting for trash day).

So, Sam earned his Daddy points for the week today. I'm just wondering if Olivia was asking for her favorite parent during the whole ordeal. (refer to previous post if you don't get it)

Sincerely,
Super Dad's wife and second favorite parent to Olivia (I love you honey!)

Not my brightest moment

Note to self: putting baby to bed an hour and a half early is not a good idea. I think I've created a monster here! The other night I thought I'd "see what happens" if I put her down early. Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it means she would be waking an hour and a half earlier than normal = 4:00 a.m. Now, we have a baby that's doing drop kicks in her bassinet, blowing spit bubbles, and warming up her voice for the day...all at 4:00 a.m.

Coffee? YES PLEASE!!

What's really awesome is the fact that Olivia has started saying dadadadada! So, Sam plays this game with her asking her "who's your favorite parent, Olivia?" and then she'll say "dadadada". So, at 4:00 a.m. when our little bundle of joy wakes...I get to say "Honey, she's asking for her favorite parent to come get her!" I have a hunch that he'll start practicing "mamamamama" with her pretty soon if we don't get this fixed! :)

Have a good day ya'll!

Sincerely,
The Mom Genius

Trying Something New

Hello there!

Well, after much thought and a little encouragement, I have decided to go ahead and start up a blog. I love to write and we have lots of family and friends who enjoy reading my "updates" via email. Please, bear with me because I am pretty much clueless when it comes to all things computer. Thankfully, I have a very smart husband that I will annoy continuously until I figure all this out.

Hang in there for more to come!

-Christie