Amelia - Five

Dear Amelia,

It's hard to believe you are five. A whole hand. Because of your late August birthday, you won't go to kindergarten until next year. I am sure you could be ready this year - you write your name, Mommy, Daddy, and Bella without help. You can write almost all of your letters unassisted and are starting to make connections between letters and sounds. You continue to make amazing artwork for us, and coloring or drawing are some of your favorite things to do. You also love playing with Barbies and princess dolls.

I think the thing that has amazed me so much about you this year is your determination. When you want to learn something, you work and practice until you get it. We didn't do gymnastics this summer and yet your cartwheels have gotten a lot better because you do them constantly. One night a month or so ago you asked me how to snap your fingers. You watched me do it, tried, and then asked me to do it one more time while you watched intently. You were snapping your fingers within 24 hours. You've done amazingly well in swim lessons (you can now swim short distances unassisted). I hope that determination serves you well throughout life.

While you are still shy around people you don't know, you are so fearless in other ways. You climb everything and you've mastered the monkey bars. Unfortunately that led to a fall off your new swing set a couple of weeks ago - the result was a fractured elbow. You picked a bright yellow cast and didn't want anyone to sign it. Fortunately you're getting the cast off the day before your birthday party - a Tangled theme this year.

You can certainly be stubborn, but you are also still so sweet and loving. You love to give hugs and snuggle, and you love all of your cousins and are wonderful with Ian. He loves playing with you! All in all you are a very good natured kid, and you make us smile and laugh daily.

Today is a perfect sunny day, cool enough to have the doors and windows open - just like the day you were born. Happy 5th birthday, sweetheart. Here's to another great year!

Love always,
Mommy

FOUR

(Posted about a month belatedly. I'm sorry!)

Dear Amelia,

I didn't expect to be so emotional about your fourth birthday, but I've spent a week fighting back tears as I put together a slideshow of pictures from the past year and get ready for your carousel themed birthday party. This summer has turned you into a big kid. I feel like you get taller every day - your legs are getting longer and skinnier, your face is getting thinner, your hair is getting longer. I am reminded every day that before long you'll be going off to kindergarten, and these little kid days will be behind us. I'm not ready, kiddo.

You moved up to the Firefly room at school and your favorite thing to do these days is color and draw. I feel like you rarely play with toys these days - you just want to color and draw and write. You are constantly asking me how to spell words and I'm amazed when you know how to write the letters with little help from me. The other day you wrote quite a bit of the alphabet all by yourself. I may be biased but I think you are one smart little cookie.

You insist on wearing dresses every day and love girly things. You're still obsessed with Frozen and dressing up in princess dresses. Mommy is a little sad that your Ellie elephant you slept with for the past few years is no longer a necessity for bedtime, and you've been rotating through other stuffed animal friends instead.

You are still our little love bug. You love giving kisses and hugs and snuggling. In the mornings you often come into our room and tap me on the arm before asking if you can snuggle before we get up for the day. Yes. The answer will always be yes.

Of course you still have your stubborn moments - you like to get your way and you are an expert negotiator. ("Just one more?" "Just a few more minutes?") You throw some doozy fits every now and then but overall you're just an awesome kid. Your language is so clear and precise and you are inquisitive and silly.

You recently started ballet instead of gymnastics and when I snuck a peek in the room you were twirling all over the place. I hope you are always so happy and carefree.

Happy 4th birthday, princess! We love you so much!

Love always,
Mommy

Dear Amelia - 3.5 Years

Dear Amelia,

This past weekend we celebrated your cousin's fourth birthday. That means in less than six months YOU are going to be four. I'm having trouble believing that can be true. Four isn't a baby anymore. Four is definitely a big girl. 

You are absolutely, without a doubt the light of our lives, sweet pea. You are making up for all of those rough months at the beginning of your life by being the most amazing toddler/preschooler. While you are certainly stubborn and ornery at times, you are really very well-behaved most of the time. I've had many people comment about how "good" you are. The tantrums I hear about from other kids your age are few and far between, though you get frustrated by the word "no," of course. You want to be independent, putting on your coat by yourself and wanting to help make lunch and dinner (which you also call lunch). Speaking of which, you're still a great eater - you'll happily eat fish, steak, broccoli, and salad with "cranch," though macaroni and cheese is still your favorite.

You are definitely a girly girl. You love princess dress-up (Frozen!) and twirly dresses and pink/sparkly things. You've also inherited your daddy's artistic abilities. You love to color and draw and are great at it. I'm impressed! You can spell your name and are working on writing it. You love singing, being silly and being tickled. And we are thrilled that you still love hugs and kisses and snuggles, which you initiate all the time.

Right around when you turned three you finally started sleeping really well, all the time. You're now in your toddler bed and are quite happy there. You even let Mommy snuggle in with you and your Ellie elephant for a little bit at bedtime and it's one of my favorite moments every day. 

There are times when I still can hardly believe you're mine, because I'm just in awe of what a wonderful, beautiful little person you are becoming. I love you so much, Amelia Bedelia.

Love always,

Mommy

Happy 3rd Birthday to You!

Dear Amelia,

Happy third birthday, sweet pea! You just keep growing and growing, smarter and more fun and more beautiful with each day and month. There's a quote I've been seeing that sums up your personality pretty well: "And though she be but little, she is fierce." You are so sweet and loving - you happily give "BIG hugs" and kisses, but you are stubborn and know what you want, when you want it, little girl! I hope you'll continue to channel that passion and drive into your life in positive ways as you get older. Despite all of that, you are still pretty well-mannered and happy. Sleep is still an issue for us but we're working on that, right? We tried moving you to a big girl bed by taking the front off your crib, but you cried and begged us to put it back on after two days, so back it went. We're happy to let you stay little as long as we can!

You still love reading books, playing dress up and pretend (you love princesses, Frozen, and using your toy stethoscope as a lasso when you're a cowgirl). Gymnastics is still going well, even though it's hard for you to wait your turn sometimes. We've finally gotten the hang of potty training (I know you'll be thrilled to read this later in life). You've moved up to the 3-year-old Honeybee room at school and I know I'm biased but you are so darn smart - sometimes too smart for your own good! You speak so clearly and carry on conversations, but you also love to be silly and love to be tickled. You're great at coloring inside the lines already (I think you got that artistic talent from Daddy) and you love to sing. I feel like you surprise me with a new song every day.

At your three year check up yesterday you were 34 lbs (75th percentile) and 37.5 inches tall (50th percentile). A reflection of your love of eating! You aren't too picky - you'll eat chicken, pork ("fork" as you say), salmon, broccoli, and green beans, but your favorite is still macaroni and cheese.

We had your Teddy Bear Picnic party which actually happened on your birthday this year, and you had a lot of fun with our friends and family. We are so proud of you, baby. You are such a joy, and while you're shy and hesitant around new people, once you warm up to them they can't help but love you! And your daddy and I love you so much.

Love always,
Mommy

20 Questions with Amelia, Age 3

1. What is your favorite color? Blue

2. What is your favorite toy? Books

3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples

4. What is your favorite TV show? Doc McStuffins

5. What is your favorite outfit? Watermelon dress

6. What is your favorite game? Phones (playing games on Mommy's phone)

7. What is your favorite animal? Koala

8. What is your favorite song? ABCs

9. What is your favorite book? Llama Llama

10. Who is your best friend? Zoey

11. If you had $100 what would you buy? Milk

12. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play ball

13. What is your favorite drink? Water

14. Where is your favorite place to go? The store

15. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Elephant

16. What is your favorite snack? Bunny Grahams

17. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? A cereal bar

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Macaroni and cheese

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Cupcakes and cake

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? BIG!

On the night you were born...

Dear Amelia,

Yes, I know I just wrote you a letter a few days ago. But this week the hospital where you were born is being demolished. You were born in August, just months before our new hospital opened in November. Seeing the pictures and videos of the place where you were brought into this world being torn down is making me a little emotional. I know, silly Mom - it's just a building. But that building is where my life began - literally, and my life as your mommy.

I wanted to tell you about the time we spent there. Before you were born, Daddy and I went to CPR and childbirth classes at the hospital. I knew my way around the labor and delivery area because your cousins Bella and Zoey were born there not long before you were. During one of our childbirth classes, a huge summer storm hit and we heard them announce a "Code Black" over the PA system. Scary stuff! We were evacuated into the waiting room of labor and delivery to wait for the storm to pass.

The next time we would set foot in that hospital was the night you were born. Mommy had been in labor at home all day, and finally around 10pm we headed to the hospital. Because it was after hours, we knew we had to register in the emergency room. I remember sitting with Daddy as the woman took all of our information, and having to pause when a contraction hit. Your Grammy and Grandpa met us there, and we went up to labor and delivery shortly after. I was first put into a triage room so they could decide if you were really on your way. I was nervous, but we found out we would be staying that night to welcome you into the world.

We were set up in our room, and I'll spare you the details until you want to know them, but four hours after we left our house, you arrived. At the time there were no separate delivery rooms so we stayed put the whole time. Because we had arrived so late in the evening, we spent two nights there instead of one. The nurses took great care of us, and that room became a safe home for the few days we were there. When it was time to leave, I was scared of being on our own. But off we went, back out into the "real world," to begin our life as a family.

So yes, it may just be a building, but it was a building full of memories for me and for so many people we know and love. It makes me sad to think that I won't be able to drive by the hospital one day and show you where you were born, but I wanted to share these memories with you so you could have the most important part of that building for yourself.

Love always,
Mommy

Letter to Amelia - 2 1/2 Years

Dear Amelia,

I feel like I say this every time I write one of these letters, but I can't believe how much you have grown. You're on your way to 3, and that is so hard to believe. You're still my baby! But you are definitely becoming a little girl. You are such a bundle of sunshine and energy. Every day with you is an adventure, and I love the conversations we have now. You are always making Daddy and I laugh. You love to sing and I was so proud of you at your Christmas program and your performance this past week at daycare. You sang the songs (mostly) and weren't afraid of an audience. Not surprising since you are always entertaining us. We're still going to gymnastics on Saturday mornings and you've mastered the forward roll and walking on the beam. You've walked on the lowest one by yourself and were pretty successful. It's been a long, very cold winter and I know we both can't wait until you can play outside again.

You still love books and currently your favorite is a search and find animal book you got for Christmas. You're starting to learn letters and can write a capital "A" with no help from us! You also love playing with Mr. Potato Head, your blocks, dress up with your "princess" skirts and jewelry, and you like to cook for us in your kitchen. You love it when the "tea" is too hot and we spit it out - so funny!

We're working on potty training - you're doing great at daycare but your stubbornness seems to take over at home. We'll get there! You're starting to realize you have choices in life and like to make your opinions known. You like to choose your clothes when we let you (you take your "sparkly boots" off/put them on yourself, and you also can take off your coat - "I do it!"). You would eat macaroni and cheese (or as you sometimes say, "noonles") for every meal if you could, but you still also love green beans, "blockly" (broccoli) and fruit, and you'll usually try whatever Daddy and I are eating. You ask us for your "violins" (vitamins). It took Mommy awhile to understand what that one meant (thanks for translating, Daddy!).

At your 2 1/2 year check up last week you were 30 pounds, 2 oz and 36.5 inches tall - in the 75th percentile. Apparently you still are not a fan of sleep because you wake Mommy up once at least three nights a week, and you don't know the meaning of sleeping in. You still nap pretty well though, and last weekend Mommy loved snuggling up with you in our bed and taking a nap together. You love giving "big hugs!" and I taught you to give Eskimo kisses before bed which you call "kissy nose."

It's so much fun to watch you learn and grow. Daddy and I are so thankful for every day with you and we love you oh so much. I am so lucky to be your mama.

Love always,
Mommy

Hooray, I'm 2 1/2!

2 Year Letter to Amelia

Dear Amelia,

All of those parents who told me, "Time flies," who I didn't believe when we were in the thick of the tough stuff in your first year, the days that seemed never ending... oh sweet girl. They were right. You - my BABY - are TWO. Or as you have been telling everyone who asks, "twos." I love you more than I could ever put into words and have so enjoyed watching you grow over the past year, from baby to toddler. I look at your pictures and can't believe how much you have changed in such a seemingly short time.

What's going on in your life right now? We spent our first summer together of mommy being off work. You started to learn how to swim (on your own terms, just like everything else in life!). You fearlessly climbed the biggest slides at the playground and slid down. You wanted to see the elephants at the zoo (just like "ell-int" you sleep with). You decided you needed a cup of water in your crib every night, which made mommy feel like you were a bit too grown up. Just before you started your new "school" when mommy went back to work, you finally stopped taking bottles. You've had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to your new school, but you're working on it. I know despite your big personality and fearless ways, you are a lot like your mama was when I was young - shy and unsure of new people and places.

You love playing with dolls - feeding them, holding them, tucking them in for "night night". Playing pretend is a big activitiy these days. You love "tiddy tats". You call cows "moos" and chips "blips." Speaking of which, you are more into "nacks" than eating meals, but you are still a great eater who loves cheese and fruit and always want a bite of anything mommy and daddy are eating. Your two year molars - the last of your baby teeth - are just barely starting to peek through, and sometimes you still wake up a time or two at night, here and there. At your two-year check up we learned you grew four inches in the past six months! You're now 29 lbs 3 oz, and 34.5 inches tall.

You love to sing "The Wheels on the Bus," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," and often do so into your microphone. You can sing your ABCs and count to 13, and we're working on colors and shapes. You love to watch "Buppies" (Bubble Guppies), play with guitars, and read books. 

It is so hard for me to capture in a few paragraphs all of the ways you light up our lives - all of the amazing new things you learn and do every single day. We love you so much, munchkinpants. Happy Twos-day!

Love,
Mommy

Dear Amelia - 18 months

Dear Amelia,

In a few days you will offically be 18 months old. One and a half. I like "18 months" better because it sounds like you are still my baby and not on your way to being a big girl. Yesterday you had your 18 month check-up, and you were just over 26 lbs (75th percentile) and just over 30 inches tall (25th percentile). Which isn't surprising because you love to eat! I can't think of many things you have tried and spit out. You like everything (and I'm sure I just jinxed that). You have two more pesky canine teeth coming through that have been messing with your sleep lately, but hopefully that will pass soon.

Every day with you is an adventure. You love to climb and run and stand on things you shouldn't (toys, chairs, people...) - it's hard to catch a picture of you these days because you rarely sit still. And you're tough. You tend to trip a lot but even if you hit your head on something you jump right back up with minimal crying. (We got your legs checked out recently since they are bowed, which causes a lot of your falls, but the doctors said you'll outgrow that.)

You love books, and your favorite is "Sam Sheep Can't Sleep." We have been known to read it five times a day. You don't necessarily talk as much as some other kids your age that we know, but you are getting there. You reguarly say "Nain!" for thank you. You also love "teeees!" (cheese - saying it and eating it). Last weekend when you crashed in bed with Daddy and me, you woke me up by saying, "Mah-mee! Mah-mee!" for the first time ever! I was so happy. (Before, Daddy and I were both "Da".) You also said "ball" and "block" in context this weekend. You can point out your toes, ears, nose, mouth, and eyes - the only one you say is "eyes", but you can find them when we ask. You say "two" when we're counting, and sometimes "six." You say, "feess!" for fish, and some of your other words include keys, go, tree, and light. Even though you don't say them every day, you know what they mean.

Your favorite phrase right now is, "Oh no!" with a very concerned, dramatic look on your face. And my dear, you are nothing if not dramatic! Your facial expressions are so over the top. You are always making us laugh.

Cheese face

Excited Valentine's face - OMG, a card!

 

Kiddo, it's really hard to sum up how amazing your are. It's so much fun to watch you learn and explore. You are ornery and keep us on our toes, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Saying hi to a baby goat

We love you so much, munchkin pants. I can't believe you're on your way to two years old. Slow down!

Love always,
Mommy!

26

Yesterday an unimaginable tragedy occurred miles and miles from where I live, but never before had an act of senseless violence struck so close to home. I learned about Newtown, Connecticut and the 26 innocent lives taken there while I was at work, and I spent the better part of the afternoon and evening crying or with tears in my eyes. All I wanted was to hold my baby and never, ever let her go. I wonder all too often what kind of world I have brought my daughter into. But in our house, on a night of heartache, we did not watch the sad news unfold. Instead, we made the most of the life we have been blessed with.

Amelia and I had our first tea party. She's just starting to learn how to pretend, and would hold the cup up to my mouth while I made exaggerated slurping noises. She laughed hysterically and her giggles filled a piece of my heart that had broken yesterday.

 

At bath time I showed her the Ernie "Rubber Ducky" video on YouTube for the first time while she played with her ducky. She thought that was pretty great too.

 

And after her bath, we snuggled downstairs and watched "Elf" until she fell asleep in my arms. I carried her upstairs for bed, and I rocked her for awhile even though she was already asleep. It took a lot of effort to lay her down in her crib and close the door.

 

I always thank God for allowing me to be Amelia's mommy and ask him to watch over her, but last night I was beyond grateful. The tears continued today, hitting me as I drove or when I looked at my sweet girl's face. I pray for peace and healing in Newtown in the days, weeks, months and years to come. I pray that we can all be reminded that there is still good in the world, and that we will strive to share that goodness in the lives of all we encounter.

 

"And you ask me what I want this year/and I try to make this kind and clear/just the chance that maybe we'll find better days/'Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings/or designer love and empty things/just that chance that maybe we'll find better days..." -Goo Goo Dolls, "Better Days"

Fall Back

So I promised to be a better blogger, huh? And uh, it's been...well, not quite a month since my last post, so I guess that's an improvement. I would love to come up with some creative and/or witty and/or entertaining posts, but all I've got is my life which isn't all that exciting these days. So let's see, what's new with us? Other than Daylight Savings Time making me want to curl up in a ball every night by 7:00 pm...

Halloween
Miss Amelia was Little Red Riding Hood. This was a last minute costume as I intended for her to be Max from Where the Wild Things Are since she and Max both love to "make mischief" and it was one of my favorite books as a kid. However, I was a mommy fail and didn't order the pjs I wanted to use for the costume before they ran out of her size, so Little Red it was (seeing as that was one of the few costumes left in her size at the Halloween store two days before Halloween). I managed to find a goofy wolf hat while I was there, so we were a lovely pair.

It was freezing the night of Halloween, so Little Red and I hit a few houses for trick or treat with her cousin, and then came back home to hand out candy. She loved saying "hi" to everyone before it got too cold and she had to go inside.

Work
My new job is still going well. It's nice to be off earlier to be home with Amelia at night, and I am looking forward to our holiday breaks. And working with high school students is always interesting/amusing/crazy. However, through some miscommunication and some idiocy on my part, it turns out I am actually netting a lot less than my old job instead of more. And let me tell you, we weren't exactly raking in the money to start with. It's tough to be a 31-year-old college graduate and still barely scraping by. This is definitely causing some stress, and leading me to consider whether I can find a part time job after the summer instead that will allow us to save on one of our biggest monthly expenses - child care - while still having benefits. This is also factoring into the fact that while I had toyed with the idea of TFAS next year, I don't know that it will happen. Maybe I should start playing the lottery...

Other Stuff
I decided to host Thanksgiving at our house this year and also elminate another Thanksgiving stop. It's part of my goal to start focusing on OUR family rather than everyone else at the holidays. It may not always work out perfectly, but my hope is that we will spend less time in the car, less time disrupting naps, etc. and just focus on celebrating.

As for Amelia...oh, this girl. She has quite the personality! She is so funny (loves to "dance") and sweet (loves to give kisses). She also has a major stubborn streak and throws some serious fits. She is in perpetual motion and like a ninja when getting into things she shouldn't. But watching her grow is just so amazing. This past weekend she started repeating things when I said them, including "eat" and "cheese." Which I got her to say so I could take this ridiculously adorable picture.

CHEESE!
Note the hair clip to pin back her flowing locks. It stayed in for about 5 minutes.

So there you go. Nothing terribly earth-shattering happening for us. If you'd like some more regularly updated munchkin pics, you can follow me on Instagram: sem513. I don't post a ton, but I try to update every now and then when Miss A is doing something especially cute.

Next up - Christmas! Maybe I'll even post again before then.

Y'all still around?

I am such a terrible blogger these days. I don't know if anyone even still reads when I do post, but I thought I would give a quick update!

Miss Amelia is doing great. She is so much fun these days. She runs everywhere and is into everything. This is a pic from when she unrolled half a roll of toilet paper into the family room the other night.

Who me? I didn't do it.

She says "hi" and "bye" and waves to everyone and everything. She says Daddy pretty regularly but Mama only comes after prompting from me. She will say Dora and ducky when she feels like it, and out of nowhere the other day I said "thank you" when she handed me something and I got a sweet little "tain oooh!" back :-) She sleeps through the night for the most part now (it only took a year!). And she eats like a champ. The child will eat anything. One night she demolished five chicken nuggets, some squash, cheese cubes, and peaches! She is also starting to throw some Grade A tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants. Oy. But otherwise she is a pretty happy kiddo and I love her to bits.

Here are some obligatory pumpkin patch pics from last weekend.

Her shirt said, "Cutest pumpkin in the patch." I have to agree.

As far as other life stuff, I started a new job a couple of weeks ago. I am now an admin assistant at a vocational/technical high school. It was a good move for me for several reasons: I get paid more, it is closer to home (I use HALF the gas I used to) and perhaps most importantly, I get school breaks off. Which means I get Christmas and spring break and six weeks in the summer!!! I am already planning fun things for next summer with the munchkin like swim lessons and maybe potty training ;-)

If you're still checking in with me, thank you! If there's anything you want to hear more about, please let me know, and I will try to post more regularly soon!

Bright as the sun...

The theme for Amelia's party was based on the phrase from her invitations: "Bright as the sun, Amelia Grace is turning 1!" We had a wonderful day filled with friends and family and sunshine (hot sunshine!)

But I was inspired by a recent vacation post from my friend Lacey over at Life of Lacey - who wants to hear all of the fun details about the awesome party I threw? Wouldn't you rather hear about the things that DIDN'T go as planned? Of course you would.

1. The Slideshow
I was determined to create an awesome video full of clips and pictures from Amelia's first year of life. I spent countless hours compiling, editing and arranging the slideshow...only to realize the day before that I had no way to show it. You see, we don't have a laptop, nor a DVD burner, or actually a DVD player. We hardly ever watch movies at home, so all we have is a Playstation 2.

So the morning of the party, I was frantically trying to figure out a way to display the fruits of my labor (pun intended). As it turned out, we do have a DVD burner (who knew?!) so my kind brother-in-law brought me a couple of blank DVDs to burn the slideshow. While doing so, I noticed a blank spot on the saved movie. Thought I fixed it. Nope. Oh well. Burned the DVD. What's that? Burned DVDs won't play in our Playstation? Sweet.

I drove like a bat out of you-know-where to BIL and SIL's house a few blocks away to try out their DVD player. Score! It worked. So I rushed back home with the DVD player only to find out we didn't have the necessary cables to hook it up. Eventually MIL brought the cable and the day was saved.

The slideshow in all of its glory (which I can't get to embed at the moment. See! My problems continue). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJKBfHgXJd0

2. The Monthly Pictures
I also had grand ideas to display Amelia's monthly pictures on the doors to our family room. I found cute little wooden sunshine frames (ok, really I think they were flowers) on clearance at Walmart before I had this project in mind, then decided they would be perfect. Except I only had 10 of them. So I went back and scavenged around the bins where I'd found them, and alas, there were no more. So I had to make do with other flowers. All of which I spray painted and printed numbers for.

THEN I had to figure out how to attach them to the doors. I ended up using craft wire, but it took far longer than I anticipated. The end result:

 

And the big picture

 

 

3. The Food

I made rainbow fruit skewers, buffalo chicken taquitos, and pizza roll ups (among other things), all inspired by Pinterest. Due to a recent outbreak of diseased melons, I had to substitute mandarin oranges for the cantaloupe. The pizza thingies charred on the bottoms (thanks to my awesome mom for cutting that part off, they were still delicious!). And ultimately we ran out of food, but everyone got to go through for at least one plate! (There were plenty of cupcakes though. I had about two dozen more behind the scenes.)

 

4. The Nap

Or the lack thereof. Not that she is ever a stellar napper, but apparently Miss Amelia was so excited for her birthday that she took one whopping 15 minute nap in the late morning. Luckily no major meltdowns!

 

5. The Cake

The cake was wonderful and adorable. But the cake eater, who clearly must not take after her mother, wanted nothing to do with it. Smash cake? No siree. Poke cake maybe. But she did happily feed pieces of it to Mommy. Oh, and I forgot to buy ice cream. Now there's a phrase you won't hear me utter often!

 

 

 

But all in all Amelia's day really was a wonderful success. I was one exhausted mama, but I was so happy to create a special day for my wonderful girl! I can't believe she is already 1!

 

Playing with her cousin

 

 

 Not impressed with the cake

Opening presents with Mommy

 



 

10 Month Letter to Amelia

Dear Amelia:

The past couple of months have been even more amazing than the few before them, if that is even possible. You are developing such a little personality. You laugh at peek-a-boo games. You are very strong-willed and determined, and you have started throwing fits when you don't get what you want. I am afraid this may be a preview of your teenage years. You continue to wake up once a night and never sleep past 7:00am, no matter when you go to bed. Your naps still last 30 minutes, like clockwork. You certainly did not inherit your sleep habits from your mama.

You wave and clap, and you LOVE to eat. Feeding yourself pieces of fruits, vegetables, cheese, bread, rice, you name it - you seem to love it all! You also like to fake cough to get us to laugh and return the sound.

You took your very first vacation and dipped your toes in the ocean for the first time. The car ride to South Carolina wasn't fun for any of us, so you and Mommy flew home - your first airplane ride! And to add to your firsts, you also got your first tooth while we were on vacation.

We upgraded you to your "big girl" car seat when we got back. You seem to love anything that is the shape of a star - a water toy and the topper to your stacker toy. You love water - the pool, the ocean, the tub, and you love to "splish splash" with your hands.

You crawl faster than any baby I have ever seen when you are on a mission (like chasing the cat or following Daddy to the kitchen), and just last week you took one eensy weensy little step! Mommy and Daddy both saw it, and I'm sure we're in trouble when you figure out how to take a few more. (And so is the cat!)

We've started planning your birthday party, and I can't believe it's been almost a year since you came into our lives. I love you so much, sweet girl. And your daddy does too. Happy double digits!

Love,
Mommy

The Luckiest

It's been forever since I've blogged, and I hate to come out of the gate with something that is kind of a downer, but it's something I've been wanted to share. I work in a college disability services office where we provide services to a wide range of students - learning disabilities, Asperger's, psychological issues, and physical disabilities, including students who are deaf or blind.

One of the first students I met when I began working in my office over two years ago was a girl named Samantha (Sam). Sam had a degenerative condition that was slowly stealing her ability to see, hear, or speak clearly, and at the time I met her she was in a motorized wheelchair and assisted by a service dog. She was a sweet, smart, funny girl whom everyone bent over backward to help. About a year after met her, Sam withdrew from the university to go home and pursue writing children's books about service animals. The truth was, her health was declining and her family wasn't sure how much longer she had.

Recently we learned Sam was at home, being cared for by hospice. One of her friends at the university decided to set up a scholarship in her honor, and at our office's scholarship reception a couple of weeks ago, Sam's dad came to help present the scholarship to this year's recipient. He choked up as he shared how grateful he was for the support they had received from our office, and told us Sam was still holding her own, resting peacefully for most of every day. I later went up to him to tell him how often people inquire about her, how loved she was, and recounted a story to make him laugh about a day when her service dog was tangled in her wheels, and we heard a very clear, "HELP!" from our hallway as she yelled to us. As I told him the story from where I was seated, I realized looking up at him that Sam had his eyes. And my heart broke for their family.

I went home that night and I rocked Amelia before bed, and as she squirmed around and pulled my hair, I couldn't help but wonder if Sam's family ever had those moments. And I felt so terrifically blessed. The future is always a great unknown, but in that moment my heart was so full of gratitude and love for my precious girl that I can't put it into words.

There are amazing women I encounter every day who have lost a child, or who have tried for years to get pregnant - and are still trying. There are amazing families who are blessed with children, only to have their lives changed forever by illness. But rather than drowning in self pity, they are often the strongest, most amazing people I have had the privilege of knowing.

"They left me with your shadow, saying things like Life is not fair & I believed them for a long time. But today, I remembered the way you laughed & the heat of your hand in mine & I knew that life is more fair than we can ever imagine if we are there to live it." ~storypeople.com

*To read the story of a wonderful mom and daughter currently fighting a battle for a 4-year-old's ability to speak, check out this blog post at Uncommon Sense.*

8 Month Letter to Amelia

My little munchkin,

The past month or so has brought new challenges and milestones. You were sick - really sick - for the first time, with RSV. You were coughing and having trouble breathing and it was hard to know we couldn't do much to help you. This meant you were back in your Rock 'n Play for a couple of weeks to help you sleep and breathe better. You'd decided you didn't care much for sleeping all night before that anyway and had us up a couple of times each night. But after a few weeks we realized you wanted more to eat during the day and you are sleeping well now.

You LOVE to eat. Now you seem to view your bottles mostly as playthings and rarely finish them during the day. I'm sure it's because you'd rather have "big girl" food. The only thing you've hated so far has been avocado, but that's ok because Mommy is more than happy to eat your share.

You'd rolled over here and there but it never seemed to be your thing. You started scooting backward for probably a good month, and then suddenly just before your 8 month birthday, you were OFF. Crawling everywhere, pulling up, and making a beeline for anything you weren't supposed to have. Like the newspapers, magazines, and an envelope you've eaten. The cable box and Playstation. The fireplace. The cat. And we lowered your crib a notch after I found you standing in it when you were supposed to be taking a nap. (You're still not a fan of naps. Maybe 20-30 minutes at a stretch.)

You seem to be extremely happy with this newfound freedom, though Mommy is constantly worried about you bonking your head. And getting you dressed is now pretty similar to wrestling an octopus because you are sitting and standing and grabbing everything. You love to coo and talk and "ga ga ga". No teeth yet, but sooner or later I'm sure they will be here!

You're a lot of fun, and we can't wait to show you new things this summer! Happy 8 months, happy girl!

Love always,
Your Mommy

My little money pit

We've all heard it - kids are expensive. I used one of those useless online calculators to tell me how much my child would cost before I had her. I don't remember what it told me, but as it turns out my kiddo is more expensive than most.

The biggest expense is feeding her. She's on Similac Alimentum formula (almost twice as expensive as normal formula, in case you didn't know, and twice as smelly) because it seems she has quite the sensitive tummy. In addition, following a modified barium swallow test we had done several months ago (did I mention that somewhere? I can't remember...) it was advised that we thicken her bottles with a gel thickener. The test showed she was at risk for aspirating non-thickened liquids (sucking them into her lungs). And then there's the Prevacid that she takes twice a day because of her reflux. And the purees she eats every day.

Here's a rundown of our monthly "feed Amelia" bill:

• $28/can of formula - we need two a week. Luckily I usually have some sort of coupon or formula check, so I'm gonna call this $23/can in reality. = $184
• $65ish/case of gel thickener - we need two per month = $130
• $ .50/Gerber puree, which she eats two of a day (occasionally I have coupons for this or catch a good sale, but typically they are $ .99 per two-pack) = $30
• $25 copay for Prevacid once a month
• $4 for her prophylactic antibiotic for the UTIs

____________
$373 a month
And that's without diapers, wipes, and any other odds and ends we may need along the way.

Throw in another $100/week for the babysitter (I know, we get off cheap compared to a lot of people!), and that means my child costs about $773 a month. HOLY CRAP. Oh, and did I mention a $15 copay every time we go to the doctor or have had tests run? I can't even begin to calculate that. (Well, I could...but I'm too lazy.)

The plan has been to start weaning her off the expensive stuff and Prevacid, but so far we haven't been successful. It's worth it, of course, to keep her happy and healthy. Like this:

  

But if this continues, she'd better find a job before she hits kindergarten.

6 Month Letter to Amelia

Happy half birthday, sweet girl! I can't believe it's been half a year since you came into our lives. It seems like the time has flown by but stood still at the same time. I feel like I have known you forever, but you change and teach me something new every day.


So much has changed in the past six months. When we went to the hospital the night you were born, it was the tail end of summer. The nights had just a hint of chill to them, but it was still warm outside. We've seen you grow through fall and winter (the most mild winter we've seen in years), and now I can't wait to share spring with you. Going for walks, playing outside...I think you're going to love it :)

The past month or so has brought the biggest round of changes in your little life. You've rolled from your belly to your back (exciting even though you did it first for Grammy and wouldn't do it for us!). You started eating cereal at 4 1/2 months, and then veggies at 5 1/2 months. And you love to eat! So far you have loved sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, and apples - everything you've tried! You also do a funny flipping thing with your tongue where you turn it sideways all the time. Silly girl :)

You're on your way to sitting up by yourself and you lunge at everything in your reach, including the cat. This past Saturday you spent your first night in your big girl crib and slept all night! I was so proud of you. You're such a happy girl when you wake up - definitely not something you get from Mommy!

You love to snuggle with blankies (and worry your mama when you smoosh them up against your face). You love tickles from Daddy. You also love eating your feet, whether they're covered by socks or not. Looking in the mirror and at pictures of your cousins and friend Kendall makes you giggle. You still have a mighty temper for someone so small, and you want to be entertained all the time. Because of this we found out you LOVED riding in your baby carrier at the grocery store this month. You smiled and laughed and talked the whole time.

I'm starting to understand those moms who told me I'd miss these early days. Soon you'll be crawling and getting teeth and starting to talk... I hope you'll still let your mama snuggle you before bed, because I'm not ready to give up my munckin snuggles just yet. I love you, sweetie, and can't wait to watch you grow in the coming months.

Love,
Mom

It's my life...

*cue Bon Jovi synthesizer music per the title of this post*

My bloggy friend Emily over at The Many Thoughts of a Reader has been hosting a series of "day in the life" posts from her friends, so I was inspired to share my fascinating day with all of you. Hold on to your hats, kids. My days are thrilling (cue sarcasm font).

5:30am - My alarm goes off. My brain fires off a silent round of expletives and I hit the snooze button. Particularly if Amelia has chosen to wake me up at some ungodly hour prior to this, as was the case at 4am nearly every day this week.

5:40 - After my alarm goes off again, I resign myself to dragging my butt out of bed. I pry my eyes open and put eyedrops in them because I have insanely dry eyes. *note to self - check on the cost of that Restasis Rx the eye doc wrote me a month ago. Whoops.*

5:45-6:20 - Shower, makeup, hair, etc. in an effort to make myself look presentable. Find something to wear to work (these days the only requirement is that the clothes match, and even that is a little iffy). Clothes are inevitably wrinkled from sitting in the laundry basket for a week, so I take them downstairs and throw them in the dryer. Who needs an iron?

6:30ish - Gather some snacks and lunch for myself, get out Amelia's clothes if I haven't already, get her reflux medicine and other odds and ends necessary to start the day. By now she is usually stirring. Luckily she is more of a morning person than her mommy and is typically happy when she wakes up, like the other morning when she got her feet out of her jammies.

Good morning, Mom!

6:45 - We wake up Daddy and go downstairs, change her diaper, clothes, etc. because we are used to using the Pack n Play changing table as opposed to the one in her room which serves the primary purpose of being a cat bed. That will be changing soon.

I make a mad dash around the house collecting coffee, bags for the sitter, work, etc. while Daddy hangs out with Amelia and they watch SportsCenter. Oh, and somewhere in there I pull my clothes out of the dryer and put them on.

7:00 - We're out the door. (Note that no one ate breakfast. No time!) Drop Amelia off at the sitter's, who luckily lives about one minute from our house.

7:15 - I begin my 45 min. commute to work. Blech. I drink my coffee while I drive. On Mondays my best friend and I commute at the same time so we talk on the phone and compare notes about what crazy things our children have done lately since our girls are only four days apart. (Yay for the Bluetooth hook up in my new vehicle!)

Hello there, Santa Fe!

8:00 - Arrive at work. Ok, who am I kidding. I rarely make it there at 8:00, but I am always at my desk by 8:10! Eat a granola bar for breakfast.

8:15-4:30 - Work. I do business-y type stuff at a state college. I don't love it by any means, but it's not a difficult job. I spend more time than I should online playing instead of working, but no one seems to notice or care.

I do get to interact with students on occasion which is by far my favorite part of my job as opposed to the statement mailing, invoice processing, etc. My background is in marketing, so this is not exactly my dream job. Which means I also spend part of my day hunting for jobs online.

4:40 - Headed home. I call the hubby to let him know I'm leaving and check on the munchkin, who gets picked up by Daddy because he works closer to home and usually gets off earlier than me. I often talk to my mom or a friend on the way home because the commute is uber boring and by this time I am struggling to keep my eyes open.

5:30ish - Get home if I didn't have any stops to make on the way, kisses for the munchkin and husband. He has already started dinner (remember eons ago when I told you I'm domestically challenged? Yeah, he's the cook.) and I run upstairs to change my clothes into "comfies" as we call them. Feed the cat, who is winding around my ankles incessantly meowing and begging for attention and food.

6:00 - Feed the munchkin some big girl food. This is a recent addition to our evening routine and she loves it.

Hey, give me more of those sweet potatoes!

6:30-7:00ish - Playtime with the munchkin on her mat or in the jumperoo. She needs to be entertained constantly so no activity lasts more than 5 minutes. Try to get her to roll over. Fail. She's far more interested in eating her feet.

Somewhere in there we cram dinner down our throats while we watch tv because we're "those people" who eat in front of the television - a bad habit I hope to break as Amelia gets older. I also usually slip in some Words With Friends time on my phone.

7:30 - The munchkin is reaching meltdown mode, so I put her in her jammies and feed her a bottle. (If it's bath night, that happens somewhere between dinner and now.) She gets her reflux medicine again as well as her antibiotic to keep the UTIs at bay. Sometimes we read a story, but lately all she wants to do is eat the books so that isn't going too well. We rock in the recliner until she is asleep.

8:00-8:15ish - Ideally Amelia is asleep and I carry her upstairs and put her down. If the planets align, she'll stay asleep until morning.

8:30-9:30 - Get in some tv watching with C and start gathering things for the next day. Wash bottles (I despise washing bottles. We fight over who is doing it almost every night!), do some laundry, etc. Inevitably Amelia lets out a little whine or cry somewhere in here and I stare daggars at the monitor willing her to go back to sleep. Usually it works.

9:30 - I get myself ready for bed (quietly - don't wake the baby!) while C stays downstairs watching tv.

10:00 - I'm in bed, playing some more WWF and usually have House Hunters on tv. Those people are picky!

10:30 - Lights out and my version of prayers - I silently thank God for the blessings in my life, including the biggest little blessing, my baby girl. I ask Him to watch over us, our families and friends, including my online friends who are mommies, pregnant, or trying for babies. I have to confess that I usually fall asleep in the midst of this. I've got a lot of people to pray for!

I also pray that Amelia doesn't wake up overnight... At some point my husband comes up to bed unless he falls asleep on the couch, but I am usually already asleep. 

There you have it - the jam-packed day of a working mommy!

"It's ok, so nice/Just another day in paradise/Well, there's no place that I'd rather be/Well, it's two hearts/And one dream/I wouldn't trade it for anything/And I ask the Lord every night/For just another day in paradise." ~Phil Vassar