Mommy Duty Calls

Sorry for the lack of Mid Week confessions. I've got a sick croopie baby to take care of. I promise I will return next week. Its a bit crazy the rest of this week as we get one baby on the mend and then pack up for a weekend seminar. Eliza will be spending her first weekend away from us as she will be with grandparents who are in the neighborhood from the conference.


I'll write more later...promise!

Out Little Eating Thief

And she ate the whole piece! She crawled around with it in hand and my rug shows the proof. Although it made for a happy baby that slept through the night. Otherwise, she has enjoyed a 3am snack at mommies expense of sleep.

The place where I reveal that I am not *GASP* perfect at being a wife or mother each week

I've already started my daughters smile on the wrong foot. All it took was a slip in the tub from her pulling up for me. I should have sat her back down, but instead enjoyed that she was becoming very good at this. Then her little wet palm slipped, forcing her head to nail the fiberglass tub rail and new teeth to catch it. Low and behold, a chipped tooth lay in my sight. I feel horrible. I feel like this reflects badly on my part. I feel like I just lost my cute baby's smile. As much as I hate it, I can't stop looking at it, wondering and thinking if its not too noticeable. Sigh..... Mother of the Year nomination right here!


I hate that I can't seem to close the 100 points gap in Words with Friends on Facebook between my husband and I.


After growing up in the same place and same bedroom for 24 years, since moving 4 times, I seem to struggle with finding a new "home". Where can I be happy again despite being on the opposite coast? I still to this day have weird crazy dreams where the setting is my street.


Despite the desire, I don't know if I'll ever get into the habit of meal planning for the week. Sure, I've seen lots of cute menu boards on Pintrest that would be the crown jewel to any kitchen. Yet, this fly by the seat of our pants is the norm around here.

Oh How I Miss thee

This is a picture I took of my engagement ring not too long after Mr. G proposed to me while on a dinner cruise on the Willamette River. A proposal that first happened across a table for two. A proposal that was requested a second time, done right by getting down on one knee before I even gave an answer. For being someone who didn't wear much jewelry except for earnings, to wear a ring in the first place took some getting use to. As time crept closer to our wedding day, a ring rut developed and I didn't think much about it....until I banged it against something and cringed to see the damage in the metal.


The stones chosen had an important message to it. Two sinners by the blood of Christ made pure into one. In my haste to become engaged, I didn't care if the stones were real or not. I was tired of waiting and had my final selection of a husband made up in my mind. Later on, I wondered if they would ever be replaced with the real thing.


Before my pregnancy I had lost a bit of weight due to a side effect of some medication. This caused my fingers to shrink. Then in my first trimester, while on my way to work, I lost it somewhere from the front door to the back side door at work when I arrived.


Its been a year and a half since that day and from time to time, keep holding out hope that I'll miraculously find it. But chances are, it was lost in the parking lost at work where some passer by found it and took it to one of those "Cash for Gold" places.


We've looked at possible replacement rings, but never with the rubies, never in our price range, never enough money to make it a reality again on my finger. 


Yes....its only a material possession. A silly tradition introduced by a well know ring company. A marriage is not built upon expensive metal and rare gem stones. But my true love saved what he could and gave it to me. Then fast forward to a month later and my husbands wedding band which was passed down to him from his father's grandfather was stolen out of the Walmart lost and found. He had taken it off to clean his grease monkey hands in the break room.


Anyone else lost a very special ring?

Month to Month Calendar

This was put together as a fun little play with type to mark how old Eliza was in each month. This of course works for any April baby. It was fun trying to figure out how each month would be represented. Feel free to make your own with this idea :)

9 Month Studio Shoot

After the Christmas trip that allowed me to purchase a new back drop, I put it to use right away to test it out with our little girl. Borrowed the little wooden chair from a mommy in my MOPS group. Scarf was from Big Lots for $5. Doll came as a cmas gift from grandparents. One thing is for certain, Eliza was a much harder model compared to only 3 months ago. What a difference being able to crawl makes! I'm just glad we were able to keep her attention long enough to stay on this chair with no arms. No raccoon eyes allowed for baby girl. Now I wonder what fun 12 month pictures will produce.

9 Months!

Yup, that's right. This morning when I went to take Eliza back to get ready for this picture, I said, "Let's get ready for the 6 month picture!" I think this must have been a Freudian slip. I miss the little 6 month baby I once had in my arms. Yet, its exciting to see the new things she can do now compared to only 3 months ago.

New

No mashed solid food, table food and feeding self

Finishing an entire banana on her own

Full blown crawling

Standing with one hand or recently, independently for several seconds while on the bed

Cruising along the furniture

Growling

Wandering all over the house and crawls faster away when we ask her to come back to us

1st Thanksgiving and Christmas

Hating diaper changes

6 teeth. 2 on the bottom and 4 up top

Clapping

Seriously knows her name and not just because of our voices

Seems to moan mama when upset and looking for me

  

Lets see what's been floating around in my consciousness shall we!

Almost thought we made another baby. Thinking it was a possibility, I didn't care in the heat of the moment. Yet I was told otherwise the other day. Breast feeding really screws with your cycle.

After looking at Eliza's 6 month pictures and seeing her now, I kinda feel like she is losing her cuteness. Her face is less baby like. The little cu pie doll hair has grown more in the front that I can't see that look anymore despite trying to brush it in that style. The teeth, they keep a coming in. Of course I am told I'm being ridiculous to even think this, those feelings and fears are still there.

The feelings of wanting to be liked by other long term semi pro bloggers have been recently strong. I miss having close friends and have to make the best use of my digital connections. I have 3 followers, but with the blog hit counter, I know more than 3 read this. Sometimes comments on here really make my day and help me to keep going when I don't exactly feel inspired to write anything fantastic.

I would love to work for a day at Carlo's Bakery. You know, the one on Cake Boss from TLC. I've been trying to get and make a good vanilla cake to turn out. Already made a fabulous butter cream cream cheese frosting. What's in it you say? Fat....more fat........lots of sugar. Now if only I had a large pipping bag and one of those spinning lazy susans. No real desire to mess with fan daunt. I think frosting is wonderful to work with instead of vacuum sealing the cake. 

   

I hate the dreaded question, "What do you want for dinner?"

"I dunno.... food?"

With Eliza eating more table food, its becoming a challenge to feed solids when we seem to struggle in planning the weekly meals. A lot of the time, this results in one of us opening the pantry, scratching our heads, then asking the other what they want.


With wanting to start our daughter out on the right foot in nutrition, I want to do a better job than cheerios, banana, pasta/rice. Those are the easiest of convenience foods to give and on hand. So with the new graphic in this blog post, I will introduce baby and toddler friendly dishes for those with a more refined pallet.


Today: Cucumber and Shredded Turkey with Ranch Sauce 


Verdict: eating right away and liking it


All I've done is sliced a peeled cucumber and cubed it. Then pulling turkey breast apart from the leftover bird. With the water content of the veggie, it helps reduce the intensity of the ranch. Throw in whatever starch you want....maybe a cracker.


Check back for the next high chair sensation.

I have several little sound bites from my daughters toys and Sesame Street. They pop up at random times in my head and its driving me crazy! Especially when Elmo sings this jingle right before the show starts. Now, don't get me wrong.....I think Elmo is cute, but this little song has got to GO.


At times, breast feeding is great for the fact that its gotten me out of so many chores or requests from Mr. G. *GASP*! He has to get a remote, trash bag or whatever on his own.


I will sometimes eat the leftovers on the highchair tray. Can't be wasting food now.


Eliza will sometimes remind me of a dog begging for food. She'll crawl and pull herself up, just waiting for me to pop a morsel off my fork into her mouth.


I am notorious and terrible at getting clothes from dryer-to couch-to folded-to bedroom-to being put away. I use the "fluff" cycle more times than I should on the same load from the night before. I will have the purest intentions of doing it right away. Only I keep winning the favorites contest with Eliza and there goes my motivation and focus. Sigh..... I think all living rooms or family rooms should be built with a clothes closet for this exact issue.


Everyday I struggle with wanting to try for another baby right now. Some days I think, "Yes, only X number of months until I can wean her!" or "Then I can go back on some medication that has a side effect of helping me lose weight, score."
Then as I am putting away baby clothes which have been outgrown......
"Awe....I loved this outfit. But I would have to have another baby girl to use it." Or "I miss my OB-GYN and the office staff. I feel weird not seeing them often." To, "It's sad to find ourselves out growing the baby sections for gear and gadgets (not that we had the money to buy)."


We've been spoiled by such a calm natured, easy going, sleeping through the night, non colic, peanut baby. Is the old saying true? 

It's snot funny

Either this is just par for the course, or this runny nose/congestion is becoming too comfortable at our house with its repeat visits.

When we nurse, I hear the boogers working back and forth. Nails on a chalk board! For such a little nose, we Mr. G is obsessed with sucking them out or picking the boogers from the nose mine. Oh how I await the day when she can blow into a tissue and we can retire the aspirator.....

Being inspired to start my own, this might be a neat way to unload and free myself of those pesky things which weigh myself down when trying to be mother and wife of the year.

I can never seem to keep a system of organizing my clothes. I think if we both had our own closets and more than one dresser, things could just start to clean themselves up. While I'm at it...why not a bigger master bedroom!

Since Eliza's teeth have come in, I have yet to brush them. Heck, we aren't the greatest about our own teeth. Yet for the sake of our wallet and that we should just be doing it, I know I need to make this a habit. Oh joy....I am sure she'll love it just as much as the aspirator!

My 8 month old watches TV. There, I said it. Mommy some times needs a break while in the kitchen to get things done with out a child clinging to my pant legs.

At work I hate having to do gym all the time, but love the benefits that it brings to have less behavior issues and a quieter time for the rest of the kids. Its bitter sweet. But if I have a new game to introduce, the inner kid comes out :)

Being the fact that I wasn't the best or brightest kid in school,. I think that inner competitiveness comes out in me with my child and other peoples kids. I know I shouldn't, as all kids reach milestones on their own time table, but its HARD not to.

I don't know when my dining room table will EVER come back after I've discovered sewing :)