Hey all! I just wanted to tell you about the wonderful day Zaylee and I have had. Being a new mom is such a rollercoaster - one day you feel like your world is going to come crashing down (see previous post ^_^), and a few days later you feel like you're on cloud nine. Well, this morning, Zaylee and I went to MOPS (stands for Mothers Of Preschoolers). I didn't actually attend the meeting - I'm a "moppet" which means I get to babysit all the babies whose moms come to MOPS. Since Zaylee is coming with me, I stay with her in the "Carousel Cuties" room which is devoted to babies who are still unable to crawl or walk. This is only the second time she's come with me, and I'm always a little nervous about how she'll do while we're there (and that we'll get there on time!). The moppets are supposed to get there at 8:30 am, so that means Zaylee and I have to leave by 8:00 am. I've learned to give us about 2 hours from the time we need to leave to get ready. So my wonderful day began at 6:00 am. Zaylee went the whole night without having to be fed, although she did wake up a few times crying. But I can't complain - I still got around 7 hours of sleep total. She woke up at 6:00 ready to eat. I fed her, bathed her, and had her down for a morning nap by 7:00. I got ready in plenty of time, fixed my breakfast to eat on the way, and loaded the car. We were out of the driveway by 8:02 am! While at MOPS, Zaylee ate again at 9:00, played in a swing for about 45 minutes, and then slept the rest of the meeting (til 11:00!). That freed my hands to take care of the other babies in the nursery. I got to feed and hold 3-month-old twins, a boy and a girl, and the little girl feel asleep while I rocked her. So sweet! I enjoy being in the nursery so much now that I know how to care for the little babies. I used to be so nervous around infants, now I can't get enough of them! ^_^ Zaylee and I left MOPS around 11:15 and we were off to Wal-mart. She slept all the way there and the whole time I was shopping. When it was time for her to eat again, we took a break in the fitting room (note to nursing moms - I've found this is the BEST place to feed your baby when you're out running errands. WAY more comfortable than in a bathroom stall!). She was happy the rest of the time in Wal-mart. We left there, I grabbed a chicken sandwich at the Wendy's drive-through and we were on to the next stop - the grocery store on base. We got back to base and this time, instead of bringing Zaylee in the stroller, I put her in a little baby carrier. These are great when you have a lot of shopping to do because it frees up all the space in your cart and you don't have to worry about your baby touching stuff and being exposed to a lot of germs in such a public area. Plus, it's a totally cute way to "wear" your baby. ^_^ She slept the entire time I did the grocery shopping! Once I got home, I had A LOT of stuff to bring in - stuff from MOPS, groceries, all of Zaylee's stuff, and trash from eating twice in my car. I brought Zaylee in first and kept her in her car seat. She was awake, so I hoped she wouldn't cry while I emptied out the car. And, since it's a wonderful day, she didn't! She was quiet the whole time I put away groceries. Once that was done, she was ready for ANOTHER nap, so I laid her down in her playpen and she went to sleep without a fuss.
Last night, I was really tired and was thinking that today was going to be exhausting. But, it was actually energizing because everything went so well. It's days like today that make me feel like a good mom. ^_^ And every mom needs those days!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Holy Mole-y
Well, this past week has been insane. I'm just about to lose what little brain capacity I have left. Used to, I could easily put 13 things on my to do list every day, and get them all done with time to spare. Now, I'm lucky to get out of my pajamas by 2 in the afternoon. I hate to be a downer, but I guess that's what makes blogs more personal - sharing the thorns with the roses. So today is one of those "thorny" days. I have been hoping beyond hope for the past two weeks that Zaylee would FINALLY sleep through the night and I could catch up on some much needed rest. Yet, every night, I am sorely disappointed as I drag myself out of bed at 12:30, 2:00, 4:00, 4:15, and 4:30 am. See, Zaylee has developed a very strong fondness for her pacifier at night. If only her ability to keep the paci in her mouth was as strong as her desire for it. The first four times listed above are just to calm her cries and return her paci to its place in her cute little mouth. The fifth is mom tired of getting up every 15 minutes, and "alright, I get the picture - you're hungry... feed, if you must." And after a good 10 minutes, Zaylee is back in a deep sleep only to awake again to eat at 6:15!!! Yes, I love my baby. Yes, I'm so happy she is growing and eating well. But, 6:15??!! Come on, you just finished eating an hour and a half ago!
To make matters worse, the temperature changes here in Mississippi have gifted me with a wonderful week-long cold, which I can't seem to kick due to exhaustion. It's hard enough to sleep when you have to get up 5 times in the night, let alone when every time its time to go back to sleep, you can't breathe through your nose and your throat is sore.
Well, atleast today the cold seems to be on its way out. I am SO glad it's Friday and Robbie will be home for a couple days with me and Zaylee. He's been working LONG days these last few weeks and even two weekends on top of that! That's probably another reason I'm so worn out. It's hard to do Wal-mart runs, hair appointments, doctor appointments, etc. with a little one in tow and no one to accompany you and help keep her happy. The value of having family around is so great - a luxury that I certainly wish I had on days like those. Thankfully, we do have some neighbors who are like family to us and have been willing to pitch in when they could.
Well anyway, you're probably wondering about the title of today's post. I had a doctor appointment today to ask about a couple moles on my skin that have started to look a little weird. I'm sure it's not a big deal, but with all the horror stories I hear about skin cancer these days, I thought it would be best to be proactive. I went in today and the doctor took a look. She's only a family practice doc, so I didn't have any tests done today, but she gave me a referral for a dermatologist because of a spot on my nose. Not a good place to have an irregular mole. I'm nervous about having it looked at/removed. There were also two other places on my back that she thought should be tested.
So, ... great. I've always been a very healthy person, avoiding the doctor whenever possible. I don't like taking medicine, I don't like being sick, I definitely don't like stitches. And here I've finally recovered, for the most part, from having a baby and all the wonderful medicines, doctor visits, etc. associated with that, and I get to go to a new doctor and have chunks of skin taken off my back. Not fun. My hope is that when I go in to the dermatologist, he just tells me that I'm worried for nothing and can go home unscathed. We'll see.
It's definitely harder to take care of yourself when you're a new mom, but I think it's really important even if in my mind I think everyone else's needs should come before mine. If you get spread so thin that you can't attend to your family's needs, then you're not of any use to anyone. You're just a grouchy, sick, and tired person that the other people (and pets) in your household have to tolerate being around. That's sort of the position I've been in this week. I just pray that I can get ahead again and get back in the game in the next few days. Amazingly, writing about all this has already made me feel a little better. ^_^ Thanks for listening!
To make matters worse, the temperature changes here in Mississippi have gifted me with a wonderful week-long cold, which I can't seem to kick due to exhaustion. It's hard enough to sleep when you have to get up 5 times in the night, let alone when every time its time to go back to sleep, you can't breathe through your nose and your throat is sore.
Well, atleast today the cold seems to be on its way out. I am SO glad it's Friday and Robbie will be home for a couple days with me and Zaylee. He's been working LONG days these last few weeks and even two weekends on top of that! That's probably another reason I'm so worn out. It's hard to do Wal-mart runs, hair appointments, doctor appointments, etc. with a little one in tow and no one to accompany you and help keep her happy. The value of having family around is so great - a luxury that I certainly wish I had on days like those. Thankfully, we do have some neighbors who are like family to us and have been willing to pitch in when they could.
Well anyway, you're probably wondering about the title of today's post. I had a doctor appointment today to ask about a couple moles on my skin that have started to look a little weird. I'm sure it's not a big deal, but with all the horror stories I hear about skin cancer these days, I thought it would be best to be proactive. I went in today and the doctor took a look. She's only a family practice doc, so I didn't have any tests done today, but she gave me a referral for a dermatologist because of a spot on my nose. Not a good place to have an irregular mole. I'm nervous about having it looked at/removed. There were also two other places on my back that she thought should be tested.
So, ... great. I've always been a very healthy person, avoiding the doctor whenever possible. I don't like taking medicine, I don't like being sick, I definitely don't like stitches. And here I've finally recovered, for the most part, from having a baby and all the wonderful medicines, doctor visits, etc. associated with that, and I get to go to a new doctor and have chunks of skin taken off my back. Not fun. My hope is that when I go in to the dermatologist, he just tells me that I'm worried for nothing and can go home unscathed. We'll see.
It's definitely harder to take care of yourself when you're a new mom, but I think it's really important even if in my mind I think everyone else's needs should come before mine. If you get spread so thin that you can't attend to your family's needs, then you're not of any use to anyone. You're just a grouchy, sick, and tired person that the other people (and pets) in your household have to tolerate being around. That's sort of the position I've been in this week. I just pray that I can get ahead again and get back in the game in the next few days. Amazingly, writing about all this has already made me feel a little better. ^_^ Thanks for listening!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Oh where does the time go??
I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! To all my followers out there, I'm so sorry. There's just something about having a baby that makes time speed up faster than ever before. Zaylee is now 8 weeks old and will reach the 2-month mark this Friday. She has changed so much! In the last month, she has graced us with her adorable smile, learned to suck her fingers (although she still very much prefers her "paci"), supports her own head when she's sitting up, and even speaks a little "goo" to us every once in a while. Though these may seem like small things, to a first-time mom, they bring so much joy and pride. She really is a good baby - and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mommy. ^_^ The days are ticking away before Thanksgiving, and Robbie and I are SO excited to bring her home to Indiana to meet the family for the first time. From what I can tell from her experiences in the nursery at church, she is really good with new people and seems really alert compared to other babies her age. She's staying awake longer after she eats and she likes to play, but she is still taking nice long (sometimes 2-hr) naps during the day, which keeps mom very happy, too. ^_^ Robbie and I have settled into a pretty normal routine, but there is always room for improvement (like sleeping through the night, for example!!). Here are some more photos...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Help! I have 5 children!
Today is one of those days where I need more time, more hands, more patience, and a lot less problems! I feel like I need a clone of myself just to keep up. It seems like our sweet little baby can never get enough food in her little tummy, so I am feeding her ALL the time. Breastfeeding definitely limits your mobility, making it more difficult to keep up with the rest of the chaos that goes on while Zaylee's eating. This morning, Zaylee was very fussy and overall unsatisfied. I finished dressing her after her bath and laid her in her crib. I come into the kitchen and notice Honey (our mischievous cat) on the counter (which she KNOWS is off-limits!). I grabbed the water spray bottle and scare her down. Then I notice that her collar is off. Where is her collar? It's in Peyton's mouth. Apparently, our dog either ripped it off Honey, or she figured out how to get it off and generously offered it to Peyton to destroy (which he did, I'm sure to Honey's delight). I go to get the laundry out of the dryer (thankfully, Zaylee is still quiet at this point) and start pulling out clothes. All of a sudden, Bebe (our simple-minded cat) is peeing on her pet bed!!! I pick her up and throw her in the litter box as quick as possible, leave the clothes dryer open, and grab the pet bed and throw it outside (YUCK!!). I come back to finish getting out the clothes, and Honey is inside the dryer laying on my clean laundry! Peyton wants outside, Zaylee starts fussing, and my hair is turning gray. I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm raising 5 children instead of just one. Oh, and who's the fifth child, you ask? My husband, of course! ^_^
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Waverly Mansion and the Monday Fiasco
This past weekend, Robbie, Zaylee, and I took a trip to the Waverly Mansion, which is only about 10 minutes away from base on the way to West Point, MS. We've been in Columbus for over a year now, and had never gone to see it - so we decided it would be nice to get out of the house and have our first all-day outing with Zaylee.
The mansion was built in the 1850's by Colonel Young. Though it didn't seem like much when we first drove up to it, the history and treasures within the house were amazing! Colonel Young had a family of 10 children, 7 of which were married in the "chapel room" of the house. There are fire places, beautiful antiques, and gorgeous architecture in every room. And the tour guide, an older lady named Melanie who lives in the house with her 82-year-old father, was magnificent! She led us through on a personal tour and told us so many stories. And after the tour, we were able to walk the gardens that surround the mansion. All in all, it was a great site to see and a great lesson in history.
It was a great day. Zaylee did wonderful in her little sling. She was quiet most of the day and only fussed a little when it was time to eat. After we finished at Waverly, we headed over to the West Point Wal-mart (the first time I've been in a Wal-mart in over a month!) to pick up a few things, and then went out to eat at Harvey's. I would say the day went just about as perfect as it could have. ^_^ Here are some pics!
Now, let's contrast Saturday at Waverly to our outing this Monday...Robbie was off Monday for Columbus Day, so we thought we would visit a pumpkin farm in Starkville to spend some time outside and pick a pumpkin for Halloween. He found the directions online, and we were off...Too bad the directions were TERRIBLE! We got so lost, we drove around for an extra hour, stopping twice to ask people for directions. Zaylee was starting to get hungry and had a dirty diaper, so when we stopped at the gas station in Starkville to ask for directions the second time, I decided to take her inside and change/feed her. Unfortunately, I assumed that Robbie had the keys, so when I took her inside, I locked the car. The keys were in the ignition! We were stranded at the Starkville gas station for another 30 minutes before roadside assistance could come and unlock our car. By this time, it was close to 4:30 pm. Robbie had his cell phone, so he called the farm that had the pumpkins to make sure they would still be open if we decided to go there after we got back in our car. The person at the farm said they're only open on Saturdays and Sundays! They weren't even open the entire day! So, the day ended and we returned home with no pumpkin.
It's been fun taking Zaylee out to new places and learning the best way to keep her happy during outings. Each time we go out, it gets easier to take her along and it's starting to feel more normal (and fun!) to have her as part of the family. There are so many adventures ahead of us!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Yay! More Pictures!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Bathtime Bust
Well, it's been almost 3 weeks since Zaylee arrived. Boy, does the time fly!! At the beginning, everyday seems to blend into the next and there never seems to be enough time for everything. But in 3 weeks time, we have fallen more in love with our little girl than we ever thought possible. We've begun to understand her various squeaks, sighs, and screams (and boy, does she have a scream!), and she's starting to understand our various attempts to satisfy them. Feeding her has transitioned from a strange, sometimes painful, struggle to an enjoyable bonding time between mommy and baby. Diaper changes are no longer the end of the world (She HATED being changed at the beginning). Toys are starting to be interesting and fun. And nights are slowly being filled with more time asleep and less time awake. (She slept for 7 hours one night!)
Bathtime, however, is another story. Today marked the momentous occasion of Zaylee's first real bath (or should I say first attempt at a real bath). What I thought would be a wonderful experience complete with lots of cute pictures turned out to be a total disaster. We got everything set up in our little bathroom, got out her new tub (with a cute "froggie" insert), opened her baby bath soap, and unfolded her little bath robe. We got her clothes off and wrapped her up in a towel and brought her to the tub. She was already a little fussy, and when we laid in her tub, she erupted...literally. She wasn't in the tub but two minutes when all her struggles and screams resulted in baby poo squirting out into the bath water. To make matters worse, I was already an emotional mess from seeing her so upset, and Robbie's mom was in the bathroom with us trying to catch the whole thing on video tape! Needless to say, once the poo arrived, bathtime attempt #1 was over. No cute pictures, no freshly bathed baby smell, no happy memories caught on video. Just a frazzled mother in tears and a baby who had to have poo water cleaned off of her. Why didn't anyone ever tell me that the first bath was not as easy as it looks in all the Johnson's commercials?
Moral of the story - don't believe everything you see on TV. Taking care of a baby takes lots of patience and lots of learning from (and laughing at) one's mistakes. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Bathtime, however, is another story. Today marked the momentous occasion of Zaylee's first real bath (or should I say first attempt at a real bath). What I thought would be a wonderful experience complete with lots of cute pictures turned out to be a total disaster. We got everything set up in our little bathroom, got out her new tub (with a cute "froggie" insert), opened her baby bath soap, and unfolded her little bath robe. We got her clothes off and wrapped her up in a towel and brought her to the tub. She was already a little fussy, and when we laid in her tub, she erupted...literally. She wasn't in the tub but two minutes when all her struggles and screams resulted in baby poo squirting out into the bath water. To make matters worse, I was already an emotional mess from seeing her so upset, and Robbie's mom was in the bathroom with us trying to catch the whole thing on video tape! Needless to say, once the poo arrived, bathtime attempt #1 was over. No cute pictures, no freshly bathed baby smell, no happy memories caught on video. Just a frazzled mother in tears and a baby who had to have poo water cleaned off of her. Why didn't anyone ever tell me that the first bath was not as easy as it looks in all the Johnson's commercials?
Moral of the story - don't believe everything you see on TV. Taking care of a baby takes lots of patience and lots of learning from (and laughing at) one's mistakes. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Monday, September 22, 2008
Photo Shoot - 1 of 1,398,394
We love taking pictures of our little Zaylee! Her sweet baby face is just so irresistable - and since it will only be here for a little while, the camera will be capturing it as much as possible. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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