Caught in the rain.

Yesterday Adelaide felt rain for the first time. Kevin was walking her around the yard and was way up in the front near the street talking to a neighbor when rain came suddenly. I was in the house and ran out to the porch to look for them, and saw Kevin taking his time carrying Adelaide back to the house.


In true new-mom fashion, I called out for him to hurry because I was worried she'd freak out with the sensation of rain falling on her, or that she'd catch a cold.


Of course she was fine. Just chillin' in her dad's arms. She must have felt safe, because she didn't flinch at all.


I can't wait for the days of raincoats and galoshes and jumping in puddles!

Eastering.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter. We didn't do anything fancy, just hung out with some family for a few hours in the afternoon/evening. We hadn't seen Kevin's family in a little while so it was nice to catch up. I'm sure Adelaide looked huge to them after not seeing her for a while!

Ooh! And I made Adelaide a sort-of Easter outfit! I'm incredibly excited about it because I haven't made many clothes for her (in fact, just one other dress that she doesn't fit into yet), and they look so freakin' adorable on her. You know that saying "the clothes make the man"? Well, this baby makes these clothes!

[Here's Adelaide sporting her new outfit: pants and hairband made by me. The adorable ruffly top is from Babies R Us.]

[The pants, made from scratch. I just used a pair that she fits into now and traced them onto the blue fabric, leaving room for seam allowances. It's not a stretchy fabric though, and I didn't make the waist quite big enough so it was a PAIN to pull up over her bulky cloth diaper! She probably won't wear the pants again, but I'm saving them anyway!]

[And a closeup of the bunny face. I hand-stitched it onto the pants. Two french knots for the eyes and a little "x" for the nose. So cute! I recycled a stained white tee for the bunny.]

[I LOVE this picture of me and Adelaide. She is so beautiful to me!]

[And here is Papa Brown with Adelaide. He was such a proud grandpa. She did really good with him and so helped me relax a little bit and not have to hold her the entire time.]

[She grabs everything, and here she is checking out the wind chimes that hang down from the willow tree.]

[Here is my nephew, Adelaide's cousin. He was the only easter egg hunt participant, but he had a blast anyway. Maybe next year Adelaide can try to hunt some eggs!]

[So happy that he found the big blue egg with extra treats in it!]

[Kevin and the little man drumming. Little man LOVES his Uncle Kevin because he's so goofy! Kevin made the big pow-wow drum as a gift for his dad, and headed up the djembe that he's playing for his brother who's off at college.]

[Adelaide fell asleep on Papa. It's amazing how babies can sleep so crooked and be so comfortable. Kind of like cats, huh?]

So that was our Easter, minus the screaming baby the hour-long drive home. Although she absolutely loves being around people, she gets overstimulated and we pay for it later. It was nice, though, to see family and show off our precious girl. And like I said, she did so good with Papa (at least until she came back inside and saw me, then she remembered that she wanted me to hold and she started crying!)!

Adelaide [4 months]

Dear Adelaide,

You are now four months old. Can you please stop growing? My mama-mind is in disbelief with the fact that you have been here a whole four months already. I looked back at some pictures your dad had on his phone the other day and gawked at your teeny tiny newborn self, when you were so small! I already miss those days (and sleepless nights) and wish I knew then to enjoy them a little more, but they are kind of a blur. Thank goodness for pictures and videos!


This week you had your 4-month appointment at the doctor's. This was a big day because you got your first vaccinations. We're giving you your shots on a delayed schedule, and we're spreading them out. This time you got your first two shots, and you were a champ! Two nurses came in and did them both at the same time: one in each thigh. You cried for maybe 2 seconds, then you stopped and smiled at one of the nurses! And then you only got fussy because we had been there for a while and you were getting bored. It made me feel so good that you didn't cry too much, because if I had the choice we would have delayed the vaccines until you were much, much older. But since I have to go back to work, we are required to give you the vaccines now.


You are 14 pounds 15 ounces (just shy of 15 pounds!) which puts you in the 79% for weight. You are 25 inches tall (over 2 feet!) which means you are in the 78% for height. Everyone loves your rolls on your arms and legs and I've even heard that Gigi and Papa Savoie (your great-grandparents) count them when they see pictures of you!


This has been an exciting month for you as far as development goes. It's so exciting for me as your mama to see you grow and learn how to do things and be a person. This month you rolled from your tummy to your back, but I think that was just a coincidence. I think I laid you down on your tummy in just the right way so that it was super easy for you to roll over. You haven't done it since.

But you have taken to rolling from your back to over to your tummy. You only do it when you're naked though! I think it's much harder for you to figure out how to kick your legs over and roll when you're wearing your bulky cloth diapers. But you'll figure it out soon, I just know it. Every night after your bath we give you a little bit of nakey-time, and you love it. You're vocal and active, and you roll, roll, roll!


You also giggled for the first time last month (on August 8th), and you've giggled a handful of times since then. Mostly for me, but you finally giggled once for your daddy this week. It's the most precious sound! We love hearing you giggle, and I can't wait until you're laughing at everything. We goof off a lot in this family and I know you'll love watching mine and your daddy's silly antics!


You're reaching out and grabbing everything! It's awesome to see you look at something and watch your hands slowly reach out for it. And most of the time, whatever you grab goes directly into your mouth! You suck on your fingers all the time, but you haven't got a favorite (no thumb-sucking for now).

Soon you will have teeth. You've got two little tooth buds on your bottom gums. The doctor said the teeth can cut through in as soon as a couple of weeks, or it could take a couple months more. All I know is that you're gnawing on everything and drooling like crazy!

Adelaide, we love you so so so very much! Time with you keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. You are our joy every day and we cherish the time we spend with you. When your daddy and I see little girls doing cute things (like when we go out, or videos we see on the internet) we get really excited to think about what kind of girl you will be. I think you'll be our sweet nature girl since you really love being outdoors. Only time will tell!

We love you so much!
Love, your mama

Tina Fey's Prayer for her Daughter

This is extremely hilarious (found here). I bolded the parts that I especially liked or that made me laugh out loud.

***

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Adelaide's first shots.

Adelaide turns four months tomorrow (be on the lookout for that post), and today we had her four month checkup at the doctor's.

I've written before about the doctor practice we've chosen for Adelaide (and us, too, as we didn't have a family doctor). They work with a holistic approach and are very respectful of their patients' wishes. We see a really great friendly doctor (physician's assistant) who is really good with Adelaide. She smiles and smiles at him, and he takes his time with her and is very gentle.

Today she got her first shots (vaccines). Every parent has to make the decision about vaccines that works the best for their own family. Of course I have my own opinions about vaccines, but that does not make them right for everyone. And I would hope that other mothers would accept my own decisions as well.

[See Adelaide's bandaid?]

If I did not have to go back to work we would probably delay vaccines for over a year, but as it is, we have to take her to daycare and it is required in NC for her to have vaccines (unless for a medical or religious exemption, but not for a personal belief) so we had to get started. We delayed the shots until today, waiting until 4 months old, and we're only doing the ones that are required for her to attend public daycare and public school. We're also spreading them out, so as not to bombard her system with all these different vaccines at once. So today she only got 2 shots (the first doses of DTaP and Hib).

Here's what worked for us for the actual getting-the-shot moment: I held her in my lap so she felt safer. I danged a toy in front of her that she was trying to grab and play with. Two nurses came in, cleaned the shot-spots and put one sticky side of a bandaid on each leg (chubby thighs!) and got ready to do both shots at the same time, and then did it. At first Adelaide didn't cry, but before they were done, she cried for maybe 2 seconds. The nurses cleaned up and talked sweetly to Adelaide and she promptly gave them a huge smile. She did so good and made her momma proud!

She hasn't had any negative reactions so far, except for a little bruise on her right thigh at the injection site. And since she's normally fussy in the evenings anyway, it's difficult to tell if there was any added fussiness due to the shots making her feel bad. I did give her a dose of ibuprofen when we got home to help with any fever or swelling, etc.

We go back in a month to get two other shots, then two more at her 6 month checkup. Beyond that, I'm not sure. But we will definitely go slowly. Again, I wish wish wish I could stay at home with her instead of working, and this is just another reason why. But we have to do what we have to do to provide for our children, and for us it includes two working parents.

Adelaide + Daddy

I snuck these pictures through the bedroom window the other day, of Kevin and Adelaide hanging out in the front yard. Adelaide LOVES being outside, so we spend a good chunk of the day out there. I can't wait until she's a little bit older so that we can actually play, but for now we just sit outside and walk around looking at all the little bits of nature.

And she loves our cats. We have three outdoor cats and one indoor (separated due to health issues - ugh) and now that she's reaching out for EVERYTHING, that includes the cats. The three outdoor cats will get close enough for her to pet (read: grab their hairs tightly and not let go) and Skit (the black one sitting separately in this picture) will even "talk" to her. It's really cute.

I love seeing Adelaide and Kevin together, when she's willing to be with him. The quiet moments with him are few and far between, but when they happen it's really special. We're going through tough times with mommy attachment and separation, which is feeding into my mommy anxiety about going back to work and leaving her at day care for 8 hours a day, but we're working on it. Hopefully we'll be better off by August.

Anyhow, I love, love, love these pictures of my two favorite people!

In love with this girl.

Things to note about this picture:

1. Her shirt is majorly wet with drool. This is a daily occurrence, and although I know bibs would catch the drool, I don't think they're that cute so my daughter sits in wet shirts every day.
2. She's looking at a picture of me and Kevin, and did so contentedly for quite a while.
3. The bumbo matches our kitchen, which, by the way, is the brightest room in the whole house and totally doesn't match the subdued blues and grays of the rest of the rooms. But I love its boldness and we get lots of compliments on it.
   
4. Those woodland pants are abso-freakin-lutely adorable! I love them. They are a goodwill find and are a size 6 month! Wow!
5. I'm anal about my fridge magnets. They all have to be straight and evenly spread out.
   

Flashback Friday circa 2006

I remember it was Myrtle Beach, Labor Day weekend, 2006. We camped at a KOA. I remember loud motorcycles all night long because it was bike week or something like that. I remember drumming at night and the family across the way came over and said they loved it. I remember sharing smores. I remember feeling uncomfortable with my body in that bikini (but would go back to that body in a heartbeat now!). I remember walking across a major highway to get to the beach and being scared out of my wits that I'd get run over. I remember walking along the water's edge at night, sunburned and feeling that sun-drunk that you feel from being outside all day in the heat.

Vloggin' Vednesdays - Music

Hi there! My first time participating in Vloggin' Vednesdays! And my first vlog EVER. It's a little nerve-wracking posting an actual video of myself on the blog, but I know that I enjoy seeing/hearing the people behind the blogs I read, so I figured why not? Here you go:

April, you're awesome. [another milestone!]

[These pictures have nothing to do with this post. I just want to show of my cutie pie. <3]

Well, April is just turning out to be her month of awesomeness! On April 1st, she flipped from tummy to back, though she hasn't done it since. And April 8th marked her first giggle. Ready to add another one to the list?

Today, April 12th, marks the first time she rolled from back to tummy! Hands down the toughest thing she's done yet! She was enjoying some nakey-time, gnawing on her hands and playing with her feet. (Oh yeah, she's recently found her feet and it's incredibly adorable how she automatically goes for them during a diaper change... I wonder how long until her feet find her mouth?)


Her legs flop to the side, and she lets go of her feet, and starts sucking on her hands again... Slowly but surely, her lower half is completely turned over and she just has to figure out how to get her upper half turned over as well. It's that darn arm underneath her, a big hurdle to figure out how to push past it and then once she's over it, how to get it out from underneath her.

But she figured it out, twice! And it was so cute watching that little naked body flip over. Once she got on her tummy, you could see the surprise on her face that she was flipped over. Especially because this was late in the evening and she was tired... not really up for some full-on tummy time.


*sigh* Watching the process unfold was like watching a really, really great movie. Rooting for the main character. Sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, and cheering when she finally figures it out. I can't imagine how good it's going to feel when she sits up on her own, crawls, walks, talks!

What else does April hold for us? We're not even halfway through and it's been amazing so far!

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms.

As found on Motherwear's Breastfeeding Blog. I don't know who initially wrote it, but I love it! Hurrah for breastfeeding!

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms

Would you nurse her in the park?
Would you nurse him in the dark?
Would you nurse him with a Boppy?
And when your boobs are feeling floppy?

I would nurse him in the park,
I would nurse her in the dark.
I’d nurse with or without a Boppy.
Floppy boobs will never stop me.

Can you nurse with your seat belt on?
Can you nurse from dusk till dawn?
Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull,
I will nurse her `till she’s full!

Can you nurse and make some soup?
Can you nurse and feed the group?
It makes her healthy strong and smart,
Mommy’s milk is the best start!

Would you nurse him at the game?
Would you nurse her in the rain?
In front of those who dare complain?
I would nurse him at the game.
I would nurse her in the rain.

As for those who protest lactation,
I have the perfect explanation.
Mommy’s milk is tailor made
It’s the perfect food, you need no aid.

Some may scoff and some may wriggle,
Avert their eyes or even giggle.
To those who can be cruel and rude,
Remind them breast’s the perfect food!

I would never scoff or giggle,
Roll my eyes or even wiggle!
I would not be so crass or crude,
I KNOW that this milk’s the perfect food!

We make the amount we need
The perfect temp for every feed.
There’s no compare to milk from breast-
The perfect food, above the rest.

Those sweet nursing smiles are oh so sweet,
Mommy’s milk is such a treat.
Human milk just can’t be beat.

I will nurse, in any case,
On the street or in your face.
I will not let my baby cry,
I’ll meet her needs, I’ll always try.
It’s not about what’s good for you,
It’s best for babies, through and through.

I will nurse her in my home,
I will nurse her when I roam.
Leave me be lads and ma’am.
I will nurse her, Mom I am.

Giggles + bathing suits.

The little has been giggling! Well, not a lot. Actually, only 3 times. The first two times she giggled was April 8th (last Friday). She got up at an awfully early 5:30, and after changing her diaper I took her back into the bed to play a bit and try to wake Kevin up. I was making this elephanty noise with my mouth into her neck over and over and out popped a giggle! And then another one! It was so precious and lovely and I melted and almost cried.

It's safe to say that I've been trying like crazy to get her to giggle again. I can tell when she's working up to one, but only just yesterday has she giggled again. She was on the changing table and I was counting. Every number I would start far away and get really close to her face. It was all smiles and squeals, and finally a giggle. :) I love it! It's so perfect and sweet!

And speaking of love, I love these bathing suits by Anthropologie! I think they're great for new moms that still have a pudgy belly. I don't spend much time in bathing suits anyhow, but these are so wonderful that I would have to find a local pool to lounge at. Don't count on seeing me in one of these, though. The price of practically everything at Anthropologie is way too much for my tastes, but I can window-shop, right?

This is my favorite:
I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Mine's been full of sweet smiles and giggles (oh wait, did I mention that already?)!

DIY felt board + tutorial.

A few weeks ago my friend Hannah and her little one came to visit. Little Penelope is just about three and half years old, and I wanted to make something for her as a belated birthday/Christmas gift.

I decided on making a felt board as, 1) It's pretty easy to make. 2) It's inexpensive to make. 3) It's easy to change up the shapes/felt pieces as interests change.

It was so easy to make that I made one for Adelaide as well and just stuck it in her closet until she's old enough to play with it. Although, I'm thinking of cutting out some big white shapes to contrast on the black background and see what she does with it. Maybe.

So, anyhow, here's what you need:

• Frame from thrift store - I got this frame at Goodwill for a whole $2.00
• A sheet of felt large enough for the frame - I got a yard or so of black felt from my local fabric store (they also had lots of other colors; It might be fun to have a blue sky/green grass board!)
• Lots of colors of felt - you can just use the cheapy acrylic felt for this if you want (I did)
• Glue gun
• Scissors
• Paint and paintbrush
• Newspaper for protecting your work surface
• A piece of cardboard to fit in the frame - My frame had a piece of cardboard in it (as the picture) but you could just cut a box, or maybe even just use a piece of posterboard.

1. Disassemble your frame and lay onto the newspaper.


2. Paint your frame whatever color you choose. I used some turquoise I had on hand because I knew that would pop against the black felt I was using for the board. (I didn't do this, but after it dries, you might want to spray a clear coat on it to bump up the shine and durability.) Think about what color the main felt is, what color your child likes, and paint the frame to correspond.


3. Take your cardboard, and make sure it is cut to size. You want it to fit in your frame, but not too snugly as you'll be wrapping the cardboard with felt. Cut a piece of felt from your large sheet about an inch bigger than the cardboard on all sides. (For example, if your cardboard is 24"x 18", then cut the felt 26"x 20".) Use your glue gun to secure it to the cardboard. (How many times can I write the word cardboard???)

4. My frame came with these thin piece of cardboard (there's that word again!), so I glued that on the back to hide all those words. This is optional, as the back won't really matter when being played with. Nobody will see it.

5. I placed my felt-covered cardboard into the painted frame, layered the thin, extra, totally optional piece of cardboard on top, and then used the little staples that were in the frame to hold it all together.


7. Tada! Flip it over and you have a wonderful felt board that looks spiffy ready to go. Cut out a ton of shapes in all kinds of colors from the stack of smaller felt sheets that you have. Letters, numbers, shapes, and if you're extra ambitious, even animal silhouettes or people! Give to your little one and go crazy!


This is not the best picture, but it was a quick shot before giving the gift to the little one. I had a TON of shapes cut out and used some of them to make a little cityscape for her. I also, as you can see, cut out the letters of her name.


I don't know who loved it more, Penelope or her mama. Penelope had a fun time creating a couple pictures, but I think she had way more fun sweeping her hand over the board to knock off all the shapes. Either way, she had fun and that was the point.

I think the creating of the board plus cutting out all the shapes took maybe an hour and a half? But that hour and a half was spread out over many, many days and naptimes. :)

I didn't cut out any shapes for Adelaide yet, but I definitely will as she gets older. Felt boards have been used in schools for ages, because they are a fun sensory learning tool. Kids love the way you can change it up so quickly, and they love that the felt sticks to the felt without glue. I don't have one for my elementary art room, but I am envisioning a new center to my room!

Anyhow, hope this tutorial is easy enough to follow! I would love to know what you think, and if you make one, please share!

(By the way, I used the word cardboard 10 times!)


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