Wednesday, September 26, 2012

1st Birthday Party

Wow. 

I had no idea that a kid's birthday party would have so many logistics. I really didn't. My mom made it seem so easy. Ha. I guarantee, even though she's helping when I ask her to, she's laughing while I try to navigate the ins and outs of birthday party planning. 

1st Dilemma:
     When to have it. Given that the month of December is, lets be nice and say a little hectic -- especially this year, we were floundering on trying to do her birthday earlier in the month or push it back until January. 

Solution:
    We decided that with everything going on we are pushing her party back until the first part of January. I hate not being able to have it on her birthday but it just wasn't in the cards this year. I know she won't really remember it anyway but somehow I feel like I have robbed her in a way of having it properly celebrated. :(

2nd Dilemma:
     1 party for everyone or 2 separate parties for each side of the family (1 party for my side, 1 party for his side). Upside 1 party - it's over and done with in a day. Boom, bang, thank you ma'am - turn the lights off we're going home. Downside to 1 party - there are a lot of people and we'd probably have to rent something somewhere to hold everyone (downside to winter birthdays in general in the north - the cold weather/snow kinda takes away the ability to have shindigs outside). Upside to 2 parties -- M gets to spend more one on one time with everyone and there would be the possibility of having it at a house of either us or another relative. 

Solution: 
    1 party. Schedule constraints with J make this the really only viable option unless we really spread the parties apart plus the ability to rent a building (thanks mom!) at little to no cost that will hold everyone answers that one with no looking back.

3rd Dilemma:
     Invitations. How hard can it be to have a simple invitation for the 1 year old. I don't want something cartoon-y with Elmo or Princesses on it (maybe next year we'll do a theme) or something that looks like it was designed for a wedding. I just want a simple invite announcing that you're invited to my kid's 1st birthday party - here's the date, place, and time. And yes, I want this without having to raid her college fund to pay for it. I spent most of her afternoon nap today perusing the internet looking for ideas. I would absolutely love to hand-make her invites (because then I'd assure myself I'd get what I want) but I just don't think I have the time to get however many I need done.

Solution:
    Nothing so far....

4th Dilemma:
     Guest list. Ugh. Where do you draw the line? Should you send invites to people you know won't/can't come to be polite or if nothing else to keep the family peace? Can you invite one cousin but not another? Do you invite the same basic people to the 1st birthday as you do to the shower? What about the people you invited to the shower who didn't show? If you invite to a certain family length on one side do you have to keep it the same on the other? Again, ugh.

Solution:
    Nothing so far. List is started and that's about it.

5th Dilemma:
     Food. Do you serve a meal? Meal-lite? Hor d'oeuvres? Snacks? Pizza and wings? Will people only come for the free food? What if they don't RSVP and we don't have enough? I know I'm making her cake/cupcakes (she's going to get her own 'smash' cake and there will be cupcakes for everyone to enjoy). I don't want people to think we're stingy or cheap if we do like snack trays (cheese, cracker, pepperoni, a fruit tray, a veggie tray...)...hmm..maybe I'll look into an assorted sub tray from Subway...

Solution:
    Thinking. Making lists. Thinking. Thanking myself for starting now. Adding Subway to the list.

I'm sure there are more dilemmas out there that I haven't thought of but I'm tired and it's off to bed with me. And I've thought of another one - what about favor bags? Do people still do them anymore? Do you have to do them with a 1st birthday? And what about decorations? Is it ok not to do a theme party? 

Seriously - I'm going to bed or I'll try and have this whole party planned out and drive myself insane.

Random Fact: There are 18 different animal cracker shapes.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

45 Minute Naps

Are incredibly pointless...And worthless...And should be banished forever.

M gets absolutely no rest or refreshment from them. In fact she usually wakes up irritable and cranky - and usually more so than when she was originally put down for a nap - but unable to go back to sleep for whatever reason. I swear if she could talk it would the equivalent of "Why am I awake? I don't wanna be awake!" Which makes her overtired and just down right miserable and even though a miserable M is still unbelievably adorable I prefer her happy and well rested. And if I hear one person comment about "well just let her play and put her back down in an hour or so" - I've tried it. It either doesn't work because she either gets even more irritated because she doesn't want to go to sleep (because of course you can't rationalize with a 9 month old that she'll feel better with a little snooze) or she goes to sleep and I end up having to wake her up so that she'll go to sleep at bedtime which starts the whole "I'm angry because I'm awake and still tired" cycle all over again.

Not so well rested
Miserable means clingy. But we couldn't be the cuddly kind of clingy where we sit on the couch and watch Mickey Mouse until she slowly drifts off to sleep. Nope, not today. This time we wanted to sit on the floor and play while mommy held her. Which was fine except that I couldn't take my hands off from her in any way shape or form or an overtired meltdown would begin to ensue. Have you ever tired to keep your hands on a 9 month old who wants to constantly be on the move playing with whichever today happens to catch her interest at the moment? It's not as easy as it sounds. Heck it doesn't even sound easy!
Happy and well rested (and full tummy!)


Overtired also means that a bath will not calm and relax her the way it normally does. No, it just makes her realize how tired she truly is, which in turn riles her up because all she wants to do is go to sleep, and makes her even more uncooperative when trying to get her pajamas on her. Have you ever tried putting pajamas on a wiggling octopus? Because I swear my child sprouted 6 extra limbs when I tried to dress her tonight. She was not having it. If it wasn't getting so cool out at night now, I probably would have said screw it and put her in a onesie to sleep instead of her big girl 2-piece jammies. It was just not a good night for M.

Luckily she drifted off fairly quickly once she'd had  a bottle and some daddy cuddles. A few subconscious chatters once she'd been put down and that's all that was wrote. Now just to hope that she isn't so overtired it causes her to sleep poorly or wake up at the butt crack of dawn...

So in short, go away forever and stop visiting my child - let her sleep, let her get a refreshing nap. She needs her sleep. I will not be polite and say please either because you are not welcome in my home or anywhere near my child.

Random Fact: The longest continuous sidewalk in the world is along Bay Shore Boulevard in Tampa, Florida.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Questions About Moi

So I sort of stole this post idea from a friend after reading it on her blog. I thought "Self," (yes?) "So much has changed in the last 9 months that maybe you should update people on what's in your head." (Great idea.)

  1. What was your favorite food when you were a child?
    Probably my Mom's pizza or Dad's scalloped potatoes
  2. What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?
    Secrets by OneRepublic
  3. What is one of your favorite quotes?
    May the love hidden deep inside your heart find the love waiting in your dreams. May the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays.
  4. What’s your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
    Indoors - I love to watch movies and cuddle on the couch with J
    Outdoors - probably bike ride or take M to the park.
  5. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
    Dusting. Aggravates my sinuses/allergies
  6. What is your favorite form of exercise?
    Dancing.
  7. What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?
    Well this is an open ended question...Probably my all time favorite is the week of Christmas.
  8. What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?
    Public
  9. What is your favorite body part?
    Um...honestly? My c-section scar. I know most people think that scars are ugly and seek ways to get rid of them but I think mine is beautiful. My daughter came through that scar and because of it I get to know and watch this fantastic little person grow.
  10. What sound do you love?
    M's laugh...
  11. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
    Something more exotic with a nickname. Like Caitlin (Cait) or Aurora (Rory)...
  12. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
    Once I realized I won the money? Faint probably. Once I had the money? Start a college fund for my daughter. 
  13. You have 60 minutes of free time...What do you do?
    Hmm...switch around laundry, load/unload the dishwasher/hand wash dishes/bottles, check to see if M's meals for the day are ready or need to be thawed, check to see if formula needs to be made, dust mop the living room and kitchen floors, shower or any sort of combination above...
  14. What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or tear up?
    I don't remember. I know I teared up at the Bones and CSI:NY's season finales...but I can't remember a book or movie that I've seen recently that have caused moistening of the eyes...
  15. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done/experienced?
  16. What was the last experience that made you a stronger person?
    Okay - these 2 questions go sort of hand in hand. The hardest thing I've done/experienced is infertility with miscarriages. Hard is not an appropriate term for what it was. It was mind boggling and frustrating and I hated every single moment of it. I even considered seriously giving up. I hated not having control of what was going on and the fact that I couldn't fix the problem sucked. I (along with J because this affected him too) walked away stronger not only as an individual, but as a stronger couple with a stronger marriage. If I can face that and not crumble, I can face anything. I also think the experience has made me a better parent. I look at M and she's just - wonderful. I love her giggle and her smile. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone - the struggle, the longing, the jealousy - but I do think that it's helped shape the parent I know I can be - the parent I want to be.
  17. When was the last time you had an amazing meal?
    Tonight!! I am so blessed with an amazing cook for a husband.
  18. If you could travel any where in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
    Hawaii. Hands down. 1st class. Disney Aulani hotel. :)
  19. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
    Soft serve - chocolate/vanilla twist. Hard - Probably cookie dough (depending on the maker) or waffle cone.
  20. What was the last movie you watched?
    The Hunger Games - not bad, but not the greatest movie I've ever seen either.

 Random Fact: The University of Minnesota is older than the state of Minnesota.

Monday, September 17, 2012

It's a pair of boobs!

Stop the presses.

Halt the universe.

How about build a bridge and get over it?

So the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathed topless. Who. Cares? Seriously? Sunbathing topless in Europe is as common as changing your underwear anywhere should be. The photographer who climbed onto the roof of a neighboring building to get the pictures of this private moment should 1) be ashamed of him/herself and 2) prosecuted. Why are magazines making such a big deal of this? Sure she's a 'Princess' but she's human and just because she has a royal title doesn't mean she should stop doing the things that she likes to do. Heck, Europe has topless beaches! Another pair of boobs, regardless of who they belong to, shouldn't be newsworthy!!


Ugh. Stories like this just rub me the wrong way. I feel horrible for her, especially with the fact that she was at a private home with the implication of privacy and people are blaming her. What about the perv that climbed onto another building, probably used a freaking long lens to invade her private moment? Did the country learn nothing from the death of Princess Diana? When are they going to start putting rules/laws for the paparazzi and enforce the consequences if they break the them? Maybe if a few of these less scrupulous photographers had to face some fines or jail time they might think twice about taking private photos.

Anyway, that's my two cents on the situation. I don't want to turn this into a soapbox rant but it's one of those things where I needed to say something. 


Random Fact: Even though Utah is landlocked, it is illegal to hunt whales.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

And three months later...

My poor blog. I promise I haven't forgotten about you. Things have just been busy. July just jumped past us and August flew by in a sunny, warm blur but before I knew it September was here.

M is growing like a weed and learning things twice as fast. She says momma or mom quite clearly now though if you ask her about dada (or dad) she just smiles and wrinkles her nose. She mastered crawling at the end of August after army crawling for about a month. That lasted all of 2 days before she realized she could crawl to something (couch, chair, table) and pull herself up on. She's starting to cruise along the furniture and her coordination gets better every single day. 


 She has (almost) 4 teeth now. Her first was on the bottom right incisor (tooth P), and then the incisor to the left (tooth O), and we checked yesterday and her top two incisors (E and F) are breaking through. She doesn't like to show them off though but they are sharp! 

This picture to the left is a little in home photo shoot we did for her aunt (who also gave us the outfit she's wearing - coincidence? I think not...LOL). She's getting to be such a little camera ham - I wonder if that's because I'm always taking pictures of her. I don't want to miss a minute and she's too cute to not have pictures taken.

The picture to the right is a 4 generation picture that was taken at our most recent family reunion. It's (from left to right) my grandma (M's great-grandma), my mom, M, and me. When I was about M's age, there was a similar (my great grandma, grandma, mom, me) picture taken. It's nice to have this sort of tradition. Maybe when M is older (30 would be a good number - LOL) we'll do one with her child. I think I'm going to get a copy of that picture made and put in frames for Christmas gifts. 

My little turkey posing for another picture but her expression is just too priceless. She wrinkles her little nose and sometimes, when she laughs she snorts. It's hilarious. I can't believe how time has flown.I keep asking myself where the little baby I gave birth to went and when she became My little Miss Independent. Her little personality is coming out in spades and she makes me laugh every single day. J will never fully grasp the gift he has given me by being the sole breadwinner in the house. I will never ever be able to say thank you enough nor will I be able to find a gift appropriate enough. I couldn't image having to leave her with someone and possibly miss a minute of her growing up. 


She makes me rethink everything I thought I knew and understood, she makes me reconsider my stance on everything I thought I stood firm on. Like I used to loathe pink - and I mean loathe. I couldn't stand the sight of it and forget about catching me wearing it. If I loved the top and the only color choice was pink - forget it - it was staying where it was. Granted this is probably because up until I was about 12 everything was pink. My walls, my carpet, my bedding...I believe at some point I even asked my mom if I could have pink hair. (ps. Thank you mom for saying no) While it'll never be my favorite color, I'm now learning to appreciate it's beauty. I like the way M looks while wearing it and the shirt she's wearing on the left is actually a favorite.

This is our newest "mom" face. I swear this kid cracks me up with the expressions that she gives and she pulls them out of nowhere. It's almost as if she realizes that I'm having a mom moment of doubt like am I feeding her enough? Am I feeding her too much? How could someone have let me have a kid? Sometimes I wonder if I really have a grip on this whole parenting thing or if I'm just off my rocker and winging it the whole time. I want her to grow up well. I want her to make a positive impact on those around her. Then this look comes out and it's like - you're doing fine. Why are second guessing yourself? Good? Ok. Now go get me some puffs.

 
 Those eyes! Genes are a wonderful thing aren't they? It's amazing how two dark haired (J has black hair and I have auburn), dark eyed (J's are brown and my alternate between a green and hazel) can have a blonde haired (trust me it's there) blue eyed baby girl.
Last picture (and nearing the end of the post I think) is my newest favorite picture of all.

Time is just flying way too fast. She's going to be sprinting before winter (possibly before Fall if she has her way.) and my baby won't be a baby much longer. While I'm saddened by this, I'm also excited. I can't wait to see what the future brings and what she's going to do with her new found 'freedom'. 

Random Fact: There is a city named Unalaska in Alaska.