Went a little nuts with the photography last night. Bella was in a great mood after dinner and she was wearing this adorable onesie my friend Mara got for her... so I had to take some pictures. I mean, really, how could you not???
The Cousins
Here are the results of that crazy photo shoot. The first is my favorite. The second is my Mom's fave. You can definitely see the personalities of these kids in these photos! The eldest girl and the girl in the pink dress are my sister's kids. The rest, excluding that adorable baby, are my brother's kids. Yes, he has 5. No, I won't be taking a page out of his book. Bella has much to look forward to in the years to come. Many playmates.
Well, I'm off to the lake for a few days. No wi-fi. Just me, the 'rents, one of those nieces, and my Bella. Oh, and curriculum calendars and lesson plans... ;oP
Passages of Time
Twelve years ago this month, I was in New Jersey holding my first niece, the baby I anticipated for so long, my sister's first child, my god-daughter. I spent a long 6 weeks with my sister, brother-in-law, and this new little wonder, getting to know her, bonding with her, and learning about what it takes to really care for a baby. I was in on it all... feedings, bathing, diaper changes, nap times... you name it, I did it. I was the live-in nanny. The world went on around me during that summer before I started college. I noticed nothing. Only the gorgeous new baby who was part of my life. I knew I wouldn't get to spend this kind of time with her again, so I made every moment count.
So, here we are twelve years later, and that baby is the oldest of my parents' eight grandchildren. I was right. I never again did have long periods of time to spend with that little girl. But the summer I spent with her was well worth it. We bonded. She's my girl. That's why I loved having her meet my little girl. The other baby I waited for. The other baby I anticpated, my first child, my daughter, my Bella. Here's my "first" baby with my first baby. Both my girls, both so special to me:
I gave Z a lot of crap this weekend about the fact that there are tons of pictures of his parents with our child. Tons of pictures of him with our child. And none of me with my child. So, he snapped away. I liked this one best.
It happened after our "cousins" photo shoot... we got all of the kids together: M&M's five, L&G's two, and our little one for a picture for Grammy. The chaos and comedy ensued. I captured it all on video... for posterity. All in all, the kiddos did a great job of obliging their most annoying parents, "Smile! Smile for the camera! Eddie, if you don't smile, so help me! Sit up straight! Smile! Look here! Look at Uncle M! Eddie... I swear..." Z and I had a good laugh! As soon as I get a hold of a copy, I'll post it for the world to see.
So, here we are twelve years later, and that baby is the oldest of my parents' eight grandchildren. I was right. I never again did have long periods of time to spend with that little girl. But the summer I spent with her was well worth it. We bonded. She's my girl. That's why I loved having her meet my little girl. The other baby I waited for. The other baby I anticpated, my first child, my daughter, my Bella. Here's my "first" baby with my first baby. Both my girls, both so special to me:
I gave Z a lot of crap this weekend about the fact that there are tons of pictures of his parents with our child. Tons of pictures of him with our child. And none of me with my child. So, he snapped away. I liked this one best.
It happened after our "cousins" photo shoot... we got all of the kids together: M&M's five, L&G's two, and our little one for a picture for Grammy. The chaos and comedy ensued. I captured it all on video... for posterity. All in all, the kiddos did a great job of obliging their most annoying parents, "Smile! Smile for the camera! Eddie, if you don't smile, so help me! Sit up straight! Smile! Look here! Look at Uncle M! Eddie... I swear..." Z and I had a good laugh! As soon as I get a hold of a copy, I'll post it for the world to see.Bathing Beauty
I've been away from home and the computer this week... spending lots of time at the "Compound" with my family... all of them. Ugh. As if having a baby wasn't exhausting enough! Anyway... thought I'd share these snaps of my bathing beauty.Transitions
The past few days have brought about some change for me and my little girl. It seems that she's been in transition -- growing and changing. Since she can't tell me what's on her mind, I just have to go with it. We've finally made the transition from some formula supplements to NO formula supplements. Mommy is now supplying all her food! This is a HUGE accomplishment for both of us.
She has also been working on sleeping through the night. For the past two nights, she has slept through for 7 hours, awakened for a feeding, then returned to sleep for another 2.5-3 hours. Needless to say, I am LOVING this! This transition, though, was not without its kinks. She decided not to nap for a few days. She had some serious crankiness and screaming fits... but today, blessed day, has been a good one. Good eating, good naps, a lot less cranky. Hallelujah! Knock on wood, we'll continue in this manner for a while. Happy babies mean happy mommies.
Not much else going on around here. More family in town visiting, but fortunately NOT staying with me. Getting the helmet hair cut tomorrow (after about 2 months -- can I get a little "Amen?"). Starting to think about putting a calendar together for my long-term sub.
And a shout out to my scrappin/stampin girls. Thanks for all the goodies! We are so lucky to have you in our lives!!! Kisses!
She has also been working on sleeping through the night. For the past two nights, she has slept through for 7 hours, awakened for a feeding, then returned to sleep for another 2.5-3 hours. Needless to say, I am LOVING this! This transition, though, was not without its kinks. She decided not to nap for a few days. She had some serious crankiness and screaming fits... but today, blessed day, has been a good one. Good eating, good naps, a lot less cranky. Hallelujah! Knock on wood, we'll continue in this manner for a while. Happy babies mean happy mommies.
Not much else going on around here. More family in town visiting, but fortunately NOT staying with me. Getting the helmet hair cut tomorrow (after about 2 months -- can I get a little "Amen?"). Starting to think about putting a calendar together for my long-term sub.
And a shout out to my scrappin/stampin girls. Thanks for all the goodies! We are so lucky to have you in our lives!!! Kisses!
Reasons #546,214 and 546,215 why I love my husband
He LOVES our nieces and nephews. This is typical!
Just a regular ole Friday night at our house. =o)Daddy's Girl
Z has been completely exhauted at work this week. It might be the heat and humidity. It might be the pain in the butt job he just finished. Either way, he comes home sleepy as hell. This lends itself to some cuddle time with Bella. Love this picture of the two of them snuggling the other night.
This is our pal, Taylor. Z met Taylor 12 years ago when he arrived in Atlanta. Taylor and I both hit decade marks this August... he'll be 20, I'll be 30. Needless to say, we watched him grow up. He was super excited when our Bella arrived. So glad he was finally able to meet her today. He promised to tell her all his secrets on how to eat chocolate and get it all over Daddy's car and, later, how to sneak out without getting caught. Yes, we have only the BEST role models for our little one!
This is our pal, Taylor. Z met Taylor 12 years ago when he arrived in Atlanta. Taylor and I both hit decade marks this August... he'll be 20, I'll be 30. Needless to say, we watched him grow up. He was super excited when our Bella arrived. So glad he was finally able to meet her today. He promised to tell her all his secrets on how to eat chocolate and get it all over Daddy's car and, later, how to sneak out without getting caught. Yes, we have only the BEST role models for our little one!
Sixth grade much?
Some things just never change...
Except me... Did I really scream until I cried over these jokers? Oh my!
Except me... Did I really scream until I cried over these jokers? Oh my!
A Short, but GREAT visit
Bella got to spend some time with her aunts this weekend.
Marching with Aunt M in the Dyke March.
Marching with Aunt M in the Dyke March.
Cuddling with Aunt K
Hangin' out with her aunts...
Demons, Dykes, and Fireworks
Several things to comment upon here today.
]he first: my husband's need to "play" with our child. Before our little girl arrived, the furkids got to endure the torture. It seems that Bella is now the unlucky (?) recipient of Z's need to "play." Here, butterscotch chips are used to create the horned look of a demon. OY!
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Second, I have no pictures yet, but aside from being 4th of July weekend, it is also Pride Weekend here in the ATL. Bella's two favorite aunts are in town, and she recieved a phone call last night inviting her to participate in her first Dyke March. Needless to say, she accepted the invitation and asked her Dad and I to join her. Can't wait!
Third, and finally, what would 4th of July be without fireworks?!?! We joined the Clan for a day of hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, "MY" famous macaroni and cheese, and FIREWORKS!! Bella enjoyed showing off her "All-American Girl" outfit while hanging out with her cousins. As always, the fireworks were amazing, even if she did sleep through them!
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Bella says, "Pick me! I want to see the fireworks!".jpg)
Bella's thinking about what color cotton candy she wants....jpg)
Not exactly sure what she's thinking here, but I LOVE this picture!
HOORAY!!!
Woman on the right... the woman who has made her the happiest woman in the world.
Color me happy: Visit here.
Congrats, you two!
Why, WalMart, Why?
In an effort to help feed the fam on July 4th, I headed to the Wal of Mart today to pick up some vittles. Not much, just some hot dogs and watermelon and the like. You know, Independence Day fare. It was a quick trip. It had to be... Bella was napping and I wanted to get in and out as fast a possible.
This is where I then ask, Why, WalMart, Why?!?!?! I can get thru the aisles of my friendly neighborhood store in about 20 minutes. And that's moving pretty slowly, as I don't know what's where. I don't really frequent Wally World... but today the deals were calling my name. So, shopping cart is filled with required food as well as some extras (beer for Z, shirts for me, a July 4th outfit for Bella) and we head to the checkout stand.
Could someone please explain to me why WalMart has 87,000,000 checkout lanes and only 2 are open and the cashiers at those 2 open lanes are taking their sweet-ass time? Why? Honestly? WTF?! They might roll back the prices, but I'd rather pay more and have better service than pay less and know it. Sweet Lord! So, 45 minutes later, we were out of there!
And I forgot the charcoal. Dammit. So, we hit the Kroger on the way home. Should've just gone there in the first place. Rollbacks are SO not worth it.
... end rant.
Enter my sleeping beauty. She's doing better... Longer naps today: Hooray! And, I've decided that she won't be an exclusively breastfed baby. This was a hard decision on my part, but since I don't seem to make enough milk to satisfy her all the time, and I don't want to starve her, it was the only real option. It's not horrible. Usually about 4-6 ounces of formula a day. Out of 25 total ounces, we're not doing too badly. Oh, and that doesn't count the 3 ounces she gets at night because I want to SLEEP! Sigh. The things they don't tell you about in school. Or on the net. Or at the hospital.
Sooo, here's to common sense, trusting yourself, and Similac Advance!
Sleeping
Did you know that the average 3.5 week old sleeps 17 hours a day?
Did you know that my Bella has decided that catnaps are the new black?
Did you know that this is NOT acceptable by any stretch of the imagination?
Here's to the wonders of formula, suppositories, and the angelic sleep of an infant.
Sometimes, the learning curve is steeper than you expect.
Reality Check
Well, the in-laws left yesterday. The house is a bit quieter. The animals don't know quite what to do with themselves without their doting Grandma here to entertain them. That's right. It's time for a reality check. I have to get back to doing things like folding my laundry and emptying my dishwasher. It's been a blissful 10 days of my mom-in-law doing them for me (Thanks, Mom!).
Bella fell asleep in her Daddy's arms the other night. And, well, her Daddy can't really leave well enough alone. He was laughing that she looked like she was drunk. Drunk on binky. Hence, the second picture below. Not my best Photoshop work, but you get the idea.
Bella fell asleep in her Daddy's arms the other night. And, well, her Daddy can't really leave well enough alone. He was laughing that she looked like she was drunk. Drunk on binky. Hence, the second picture below. Not my best Photoshop work, but you get the idea.
For me, it's back to reality and the list of phone calls I have to make tomorrow.
One last fun picture before I go... Kharma decided that the mat to Bella's play gym would make a suitable bed for her own use. Crazy dog.
The Summer of Isabella
Hanging out with Aunt Mandy -- I LOVE this picture!!
Daddy getting her strapped in for the ride to Grammy and Pop Pop's on Father's Day. Must be safe!!
Luna decided that Isabella needed to SHARE her Daddy's lap.
All snuggled up in a stuffed animal-blanket made by Cousin Patti in Oregon. It's embroidered with her name and birthdate, too!So, yeah, I'm taken with my child. Sue me. With my in-laws here, I'm able to be a bit more self-indulgent and take time to download and crop pictures. I'm sure this won't last, but it's fun right now, isn't it?
6 months later... doin' it Mommy style.
Soooo.... it's summer again. And six months (or so) since I've posted. Pregnancy took a hold of me, and there wasn't much time for blogging. Now that our Bella is here, I don't know if I'll have much more time, but here's hopin'!
Our little girl arrived 2 days early. Grammy and Pop Pop left the labor/delivery room to have some lunch just as I began pushing. By the time they got back, Bella had made her appearance.
2 hours later, Aunt Mandy arrived to hold her newest niece.
We spent a good 2 days in the hospital, bonding as a family, getting to know each other, and enjoying visits from aunts, cousins, and grandparents. Now that we're home and have spent almost 3 weeks together, along with some more grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, we're liking this family thing.
Now, if I could just get a little more sleep...
Oh, and there's that whole "back to work" issue. Not planning on going any time soon, mind you, but the first day of school is breathing down my neck, and I have -- get this -- no sub! Both my sure thing and my back up bailed on me. Perhaps in the next week or so I should start panicking. Or, at least get on the phone and find someone to babysit, I mean, teach my students for the first 5 weeks of the school year. I'm going to Oregon whether there's an adult in the classroom or not...
In the meantime, I need to get birth announcements sent, I want to read a few good books, and create a DVD for Bella's great grandpa.
Here she is...
Shameless pet post
Does your cat play Trivial Pursuit? Mine does...
And, who needs those big nose dog pictures, when you have your very own?
And, finally, the Luna. Grey. Shy. Not very photogenic. But cuddly as all get out!!!
Other than torturing our animals with endless pictures (I think Z may be preparing for Daddy-hood), there's not much to report around here. The all-day sickness seems to be subsiding, although I have temporary relapses from time to time. Just working on growing a healthy baby and teaching some third graders in the meantime.
And, who needs those big nose dog pictures, when you have your very own?
And, finally, the Luna. Grey. Shy. Not very photogenic. But cuddly as all get out!!!
Other than torturing our animals with endless pictures (I think Z may be preparing for Daddy-hood), there's not much to report around here. The all-day sickness seems to be subsiding, although I have temporary relapses from time to time. Just working on growing a healthy baby and teaching some third graders in the meantime.
Introducing...
My DH's blog. His amazing work, on display for the WideWideWorldofWeb to see! Hooray!
http://ccconcepts.blogspot.com
Enjoy the genius that I call a spouse.
http://ccconcepts.blogspot.com
Enjoy the genius that I call a spouse.
GPS, Scaredy Dogs, and LOTS of good food
We spent the weekend with our two favorite people, M&K in their new home... 5.5 hours away and worth every minute of the drive! Soooo good to see great friends and enjoy time together. Nice to be able to talk about secrets (no disclosure here, thankyouverymuch) and life and choices and family and movies and music and insanity. I just love these women.
Yeah. So, M gave us directions, but we also took the GPS with us. Z kept waiting for it to get frustrated instead of just saying "Recalculating." Perhaps he was waiting for the "turn here, dammit!" that never came. All in all, though, I am a fan of the GPS. And apparently the article "the." (As in, we don't have "the" cable, so we get "the" Netflix.)
Awhile back, I posted about how Kharma was afraid of Gadget, M's cat. Well, not much has changed. She was freaked out by that little black thing. Still. Damn cat. No, really, I do love him. But it cracks me up that my big dog is afraid of little 8 pound him. Insane.
We ate sooo much great food while we were visiting. They fed us like royalty. Great breakfasts and dinners. Snacks in between. Good sight-seeing and hiking, too. Cannot wait to get back there!
