Mommy = Barbie
I am so flattered. Arwen has on three different occasions pointed to a picture of Barbie and said Mommy.
She did it one day last week when we were at Kohl's. I was looking at Hallmark ornaments and there was a box of wrapping paper sitting at her eye level. She kept pointing and saying Mommy Mommy Mommy. Not trying to get my attention, but matter of fact like. As we left I asked what she was looking at and she said Mommy again. I looked and it was Barbie wrapping paper.
Then she did it at Michaels when we were standing in line. There were stickers of Dora (who she knows) and Barbie at the counter. She pointed to the blonde Babrie and said Mommy and the brunette Babrie and said doll.
Yesterday she said it again, so I starting to feel a little flattered that my daughter thinks I am Barbie. One day she'll know the truth....for now I'll let her believe in Santa Claus too.
Stephanie
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
'Mommy Poopy'
Thursday, November 10, 2005
"Mommy Poopy"
I have been trying to get Arwen to nap now for about 30 minutes. We did our usual routine. We read three books, drank some milk and sang two songs.
I laid her down and she just played. I could hear her saying things like Mommy over and over and apple and flower and Bunny, but I just left her alone.
After 30 minutes, I went in to check on her and as I walked in she said "Mommy Poopy"
Sure enough, she had a poopy diaper. And now after a change and two more songs, she is sleeping.
I think that's the first time she's said poopy!
So cute
Stephanie
"Mommy Poopy"
I have been trying to get Arwen to nap now for about 30 minutes. We did our usual routine. We read three books, drank some milk and sang two songs.
I laid her down and she just played. I could hear her saying things like Mommy over and over and apple and flower and Bunny, but I just left her alone.
After 30 minutes, I went in to check on her and as I walked in she said "Mommy Poopy"
Sure enough, she had a poopy diaper. And now after a change and two more songs, she is sleeping.
I think that's the first time she's said poopy!
So cute
Stephanie
Wednesday, November 9, 2005
ABCs
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Arwen now knows the entire alphabet! She started learning in back in August and now I am so proud to say she knows the whole thing. It's become a game now to draw letters on the magna doodle and have her say what letter it is. I have to say Dubba (W) is my favorite letter to hear her repeat.
It's amazing every day there is something brand new.
Proud mom signing off...
Arwen now knows the entire alphabet! She started learning in back in August and now I am so proud to say she knows the whole thing. It's become a game now to draw letters on the magna doodle and have her say what letter it is. I have to say Dubba (W) is my favorite letter to hear her repeat.
It's amazing every day there is something brand new.
Proud mom signing off...
Tuesday, November 8, 2005
I didn't plan to ruin your day...
You are sick. You have a little cold. You're not feeling well and you are rather clingy, but I had no idea that it would be me that would ultimately be the demise of your whole day. All I wanted to do was check my email and let you play for 15 minutes before I put you down for a nap. You said, no! So I held you in my lap at the computer and we listened to James Blunt's You're Beautiful and of course one round of Victor Vito . You grabbed a roll of smarties I had sitting on the desk. Hey, it is just after Halloween and I have candy laying around. When our songs were over, and you had rubbed your eyes for the 10 time in 30 seconds, I said let's get your milk and go read a book.
But I knew I had to get the Smarties out of your tiny little hand first. So I tried. I told you that I would open it and we could share a smartie. I took it out of your hand.
You screamed.
I opened it and bit one in half. You screamed more.
I put the other half in your open screaming mouth.
You never noticed it was there. You're hysterical by now.
I give up, what to do? We go to you room and I try to read you books.
You screamed more. I put you on the floor.
Silence. I think you are starting to taste the candy in your mouth. You took a walk to your closet, looked at your crib, said Bunny and then came back to me and lifted your little arms up.
We can read and nap now, the world has not ended just yet.
Mommy
But I knew I had to get the Smarties out of your tiny little hand first. So I tried. I told you that I would open it and we could share a smartie. I took it out of your hand.
You screamed.
I opened it and bit one in half. You screamed more.
I put the other half in your open screaming mouth.
You never noticed it was there. You're hysterical by now.
I give up, what to do? We go to you room and I try to read you books.
You screamed more. I put you on the floor.
Silence. I think you are starting to taste the candy in your mouth. You took a walk to your closet, looked at your crib, said Bunny and then came back to me and lifted your little arms up.
We can read and nap now, the world has not ended just yet.
Mommy
Monday, November 7, 2005
I am NOT Daddy!
I will never be as strong as Daddy, I will never be as tall as Daddy, and I (hope) I will never have whiskers like Daddy.
Every night before bed this past week when Jeff was home, he and Arwen would lay on the floor and play. All he had to do was rub his face on her neck and she would bellow the best belly laugh I've ever heard. It was so fun to watch and hear.
Jeff left yesterday for another airplane after being home for 10 days, so I'm back to life. I laid on the floor before bedtime and tried to tickle Arwen. I got a giggle and she got the hiccups, but I don't think I am as exciting as Daddy is.
I just don't have the Daddy stuff.
Stephanie
Every night before bed this past week when Jeff was home, he and Arwen would lay on the floor and play. All he had to do was rub his face on her neck and she would bellow the best belly laugh I've ever heard. It was so fun to watch and hear.
Jeff left yesterday for another airplane after being home for 10 days, so I'm back to life. I laid on the floor before bedtime and tried to tickle Arwen. I got a giggle and she got the hiccups, but I don't think I am as exciting as Daddy is.
I just don't have the Daddy stuff.
Stephanie
Saturday, November 5, 2005
Lessons from a parent
Lessons from a parent are priceless, so I will begin with a lesson in baby illness. Since BC is down for a while and Arwen is moaning in her crib somewhere between I am sleepy and I'm about to cry because Mommy's voice is so beautiful, I'd love another song, I am in limbo at the computer as is usual this time of night.
She picked up a cold from a friend's kids. I can't blame the kids and I can't blame the friend because she helped me when I needed it most. She took Arwen while I was in surgery on Wednesday and she told me "The boys have snotty noses" My response was something like "Oh, I need your help more than I am worried about a little cold being passed around" My mind was saying something like, Hey, she's 15 months old....That's almost 16 months....she's invincible. A little cold can't touch her! So here we are with Tylenol and Simply Stuffy and Little Colds medicine on every flat surface in the house. There may even be an empty in her crib because she likes to play doctor and distribute cold medicine to her bunnies. You should see them on Simply Stuffy. They go wild. Arwen on the other hand just moans until she's moans herself right to sleep.
Tonight's lesson has little or nothing to do with medicine, but more to do with food versus the care of your child. I had surgery on Wednesday and I wanted a big (Very well done) steak, a little salad and a nice salty baked potato. After surgery, all I could have was soup. So we waited until tonight to fill my desire of red meat. Arwen took a good morning nap and a nice long afternoon nap. So I thought, let's go out to eat a big fat steak. (all though I usually get the little skinny ones, especially since I like them well done. There doesn't ever seem to be much meat once you sear it all away)So we put Arwen's new fleece on her which is way too big because she doesn't like to eat like we do. We put her new little furry hat on her head, she does have a cold afterall, didn't your mother tell you to wear a hat or you'll catch a cold. Why didn't our mothers know better? Anyway, in honor of grandmothers everywhere, we put a hat on her head. And she kept it on until we took it off at the restaurant. There's a surprise around every corner with her.We waited our 10 minutes, but my watch argued that it was closer to 30 minutes.
We were seated, got Arwen's nifty booster/high chair set up and gave her goldfish to eat while we waited. Jeff, thinking ahead, brought the DVD player to keep her entertained. It's a trick that we learned from other parents. You want to sit in a restaurant and enjoy a meal, the atmosphere, wall art, company, whatever, bring something for your kids to do. This is really why Baby Einstein was created. Sure Julie may not have known that when she created it, sure she says it's a tool to help parents interact with their children and help them learn, but we all known it's really so we can get stuff done while they learn by watching things flutter across a 7 inch screen. Me, not thinking ahead, hadn't charged the DVD player since I last used it on an airplane....hhmmmm, back in July. So we break out the childrens menu and the 3 crayons they supply. Arwen must be very hungry because she keeps trying to eat them, but I tell her no and she shakes her head no. Eat goldfish instead.
Ah, the waiter. I put Arwen's order in first so it will come when it's ready and not when my meat has been butterfly and seared to it's death. Grilled cheese and mashed potatoes for the little one, please. She seems pleased at Mommy's choice until it actually arrives. The mashed potatoes are really potato flavored garlic. What kid likes that? She won't touch the grilled cheese because it has Kraft American cheese product on it and not real cheese. Plus it came with pickles on top that she just didn't know what to think of.Now is the moment for tears. I take her out of the chair, hold her while I eat my salad. Jeff takes her from me holds her while he eats his salad. He is successful at giving her little pieces of bread, but nothing else. When our meal comes, my well done steak is pink through and through, Arwen is fussing and not eating anything. I asked the waiter for the mac and cheese from the children's menu. Probably should have gone that route anyway. Sure, no problem, be right out, he says. I wonder if mac and cheese being the savior of most days will help to entice her back into her chair so Jeff and I can eat. Jeff eats while I hold her and make her angry by offering her some of my baked potato. The mac and cheese arrives. Now I know that kids of many ages eat from this childrens menu, but I also know that though Kraft cheese product is not good on bread, it is good in a powder on top if macaroni noodles with a little milk...especially if you are one the eats from a children's menu. And we're not at The Olive Garden. They bring out a huge bowl...one Arwen could have bathed in...of penne pasta with melted cheese. What kid likes that?Not Arwen.
But this is not just she doesn't like what's offered on the menu. This is that pesky little cold. When was the last time you let some one drag you out on a Saturday night to a busy restaurant and tried to force feed you when all you really wanted to do want stay home, cuddle on the couch with your bunny and a blanket and go to bed early. I've had nights like that substituting a good book or movie for bunny, and I just say no to those people that try to drag me out.So the guilt started hitting me. I told Jeff, "We can't eat. She's hot, runny nose, doesn't feel well and doesn't want to eat. We shouldn't have come, We have to go home now." I don't think I gave him a second to respond before I was up getting her coat on. Jeff is a wonderful man and a wonderful husband. He knows when to put me in my place and when to quietly pack up, ask for to go boxes and pay the bill. Arwen was crying, so I took her out to the car. Jeff got the food, and even a bonus order of coconut shrimp from someone else's plate....gross, and paid the bill, brought the highchair, diaper bag and DVD player all out to the car. He's a great husband. So why did some asshole have to ruin his evening more by saying some stupid comment to him about pissing the wife off so much the she left? I wanted to go back and kick him in the teeth. I whisked our child out of their to keep from upsetting her and the other patrons more, my husband was left with the food, the bill, the stuff...you parents know about the stuff, and asshole at the next table. Jeff helped more that I did. I took the easy road and jerkoff had to ruin it Jeff who was the cavalier left standing.
Anyway, lesson learned. You spend you entire day peeing when it's convenient for your children. Eating when they will allow you, waking when they do, showering when they're sleeping, basically living your life around them and their schedule. When they are sick, this applies even more. Now is not the time to think of yourself and what you would like to have, but it's time instead to sit on the couch with them and their bunny and blanket and repeat everything you see on a Baby Einstein video in effort to get one more learning session in before bedtime. And it's Ok to skip dinner when they don't feel well. Trying to force feed them will only make it worse. Once she wouldn't eat a cookie, I knew there would be no food in her tummy tonight. And I guess that's better than cleaning up puke in the middle of the night because she ate when she didn't want to.
Lesson learned.
Stephanie
She picked up a cold from a friend's kids. I can't blame the kids and I can't blame the friend because she helped me when I needed it most. She took Arwen while I was in surgery on Wednesday and she told me "The boys have snotty noses" My response was something like "Oh, I need your help more than I am worried about a little cold being passed around" My mind was saying something like, Hey, she's 15 months old....That's almost 16 months....she's invincible. A little cold can't touch her! So here we are with Tylenol and Simply Stuffy and Little Colds medicine on every flat surface in the house. There may even be an empty in her crib because she likes to play doctor and distribute cold medicine to her bunnies. You should see them on Simply Stuffy. They go wild. Arwen on the other hand just moans until she's moans herself right to sleep.
Tonight's lesson has little or nothing to do with medicine, but more to do with food versus the care of your child. I had surgery on Wednesday and I wanted a big (Very well done) steak, a little salad and a nice salty baked potato. After surgery, all I could have was soup. So we waited until tonight to fill my desire of red meat. Arwen took a good morning nap and a nice long afternoon nap. So I thought, let's go out to eat a big fat steak. (all though I usually get the little skinny ones, especially since I like them well done. There doesn't ever seem to be much meat once you sear it all away)So we put Arwen's new fleece on her which is way too big because she doesn't like to eat like we do. We put her new little furry hat on her head, she does have a cold afterall, didn't your mother tell you to wear a hat or you'll catch a cold. Why didn't our mothers know better? Anyway, in honor of grandmothers everywhere, we put a hat on her head. And she kept it on until we took it off at the restaurant. There's a surprise around every corner with her.We waited our 10 minutes, but my watch argued that it was closer to 30 minutes.
We were seated, got Arwen's nifty booster/high chair set up and gave her goldfish to eat while we waited. Jeff, thinking ahead, brought the DVD player to keep her entertained. It's a trick that we learned from other parents. You want to sit in a restaurant and enjoy a meal, the atmosphere, wall art, company, whatever, bring something for your kids to do. This is really why Baby Einstein was created. Sure Julie may not have known that when she created it, sure she says it's a tool to help parents interact with their children and help them learn, but we all known it's really so we can get stuff done while they learn by watching things flutter across a 7 inch screen. Me, not thinking ahead, hadn't charged the DVD player since I last used it on an airplane....hhmmmm, back in July. So we break out the childrens menu and the 3 crayons they supply. Arwen must be very hungry because she keeps trying to eat them, but I tell her no and she shakes her head no. Eat goldfish instead.
Ah, the waiter. I put Arwen's order in first so it will come when it's ready and not when my meat has been butterfly and seared to it's death. Grilled cheese and mashed potatoes for the little one, please. She seems pleased at Mommy's choice until it actually arrives. The mashed potatoes are really potato flavored garlic. What kid likes that? She won't touch the grilled cheese because it has Kraft American cheese product on it and not real cheese. Plus it came with pickles on top that she just didn't know what to think of.Now is the moment for tears. I take her out of the chair, hold her while I eat my salad. Jeff takes her from me holds her while he eats his salad. He is successful at giving her little pieces of bread, but nothing else. When our meal comes, my well done steak is pink through and through, Arwen is fussing and not eating anything. I asked the waiter for the mac and cheese from the children's menu. Probably should have gone that route anyway. Sure, no problem, be right out, he says. I wonder if mac and cheese being the savior of most days will help to entice her back into her chair so Jeff and I can eat. Jeff eats while I hold her and make her angry by offering her some of my baked potato. The mac and cheese arrives. Now I know that kids of many ages eat from this childrens menu, but I also know that though Kraft cheese product is not good on bread, it is good in a powder on top if macaroni noodles with a little milk...especially if you are one the eats from a children's menu. And we're not at The Olive Garden. They bring out a huge bowl...one Arwen could have bathed in...of penne pasta with melted cheese. What kid likes that?Not Arwen.
But this is not just she doesn't like what's offered on the menu. This is that pesky little cold. When was the last time you let some one drag you out on a Saturday night to a busy restaurant and tried to force feed you when all you really wanted to do want stay home, cuddle on the couch with your bunny and a blanket and go to bed early. I've had nights like that substituting a good book or movie for bunny, and I just say no to those people that try to drag me out.So the guilt started hitting me. I told Jeff, "We can't eat. She's hot, runny nose, doesn't feel well and doesn't want to eat. We shouldn't have come, We have to go home now." I don't think I gave him a second to respond before I was up getting her coat on. Jeff is a wonderful man and a wonderful husband. He knows when to put me in my place and when to quietly pack up, ask for to go boxes and pay the bill. Arwen was crying, so I took her out to the car. Jeff got the food, and even a bonus order of coconut shrimp from someone else's plate....gross, and paid the bill, brought the highchair, diaper bag and DVD player all out to the car. He's a great husband. So why did some asshole have to ruin his evening more by saying some stupid comment to him about pissing the wife off so much the she left? I wanted to go back and kick him in the teeth. I whisked our child out of their to keep from upsetting her and the other patrons more, my husband was left with the food, the bill, the stuff...you parents know about the stuff, and asshole at the next table. Jeff helped more that I did. I took the easy road and jerkoff had to ruin it Jeff who was the cavalier left standing.
Anyway, lesson learned. You spend you entire day peeing when it's convenient for your children. Eating when they will allow you, waking when they do, showering when they're sleeping, basically living your life around them and their schedule. When they are sick, this applies even more. Now is not the time to think of yourself and what you would like to have, but it's time instead to sit on the couch with them and their bunny and blanket and repeat everything you see on a Baby Einstein video in effort to get one more learning session in before bedtime. And it's Ok to skip dinner when they don't feel well. Trying to force feed them will only make it worse. Once she wouldn't eat a cookie, I knew there would be no food in her tummy tonight. And I guess that's better than cleaning up puke in the middle of the night because she ate when she didn't want to.
Lesson learned.
Stephanie
Sunday, August 15, 2004
A Day in the Life...
of a stay at home mom...
My day.
Goals: 3 mile walk in the morning
3:15pm doctor's appointment in Thornton (leave at 2pm to arrive
early enough to feed Arwen before appointment)
We get out of bed at 9am after about 4 hours of sleep total between midnight
and 9am.
Feed Arwen - that takes about 30 minutes. Get dressed in walking clothes &
change her from a sleeper to a onesie.
We leave the house at 9:50am for our walk....she will be hungry again at
11am.
Return from walk at 10:45am.
She is happily sitting in her carseat attached to her stroller, so I leave
her there and make breakfast for myself - a rare occasion.
While I make breakfast, she begins the pooping session. I am
happy....singing a little song about her pooping and Mommy eating breakfast.
When I get the eggs and toast on a plate, she begins to cry. Ok, I can
eat one handed. So I pile my food, milk, and vitamins on the table in the
living room and prepare ti get her ready to eat too.
Here we go. It's now 11am (we have to leave the house in 3 hours). I
pull her out of the carseat to find her covered in POOP! Yep! Poop. And
let me tell you, it's not pretty. It's all over her onsie, on her legs, on
her hands, her arms..and you guessed it, in a little puddle in the bottom of
her carseat. And she is screaming.
So Super Mommy kicks into action. I get her cleaned up, a clean diaper,
attach her to the boob to eat and I begin to eat my now cold eggs and toast.
11:15am. I must now take apart her carseat and clean it up because we
will need it in just under 3 hours to drive to Thornton. So it begins, but
I don't know how to get the seatbelt out, so I have to call Jeff (who is in
Atlanta) and ask him. In ten minutes, I have the fabric in the washing
machine and I am rinsing out the shell in the sink. Arwen is happy in her
bouncy seat.
Perfect time for a shower....maybe she will sleep. So we take her bouncy
chair upstairs, rock her to sleep, hop into shower. Before I get out of the
shower, she is crying.
Get out of shower, soothe baby, throw on clothes, dab on a bit of
make-up so I don't look like the walking dead, and Arwen is crying again.
Run downstairs to throw carseat fabric in dryer. Back upstairs.... Turn on
hairdryer (remember this...hairdryers, vacuums, and fans create white noise
that will quiet a baby in seconds) Dry hair half way before she begins
crying again...(no amount of white noise will quiet a hungry baby.) It's
now 12:45pm and it's time for her lunch. Feed her....rushing through it.
We now have an hour to dry the carseat fabric, the seatbelts, and the shell,
put it all back together (how do you do that - note to self, may have to
call Jeff again), give her a bath...because baby wipes don't really
hygienically clean up poop, dress her, gather items for diaper bag, hit the
road.
1pm....She's eaten, but maybe not enough to make her happy for very long.
Take the bouncy seat back downstairs, put her in it and try to reassemble
the carseat. Wait...the seatbelts are still wet. Back upstairs to get
hairdryer. Arwen is crying. Pick her up, turn on hairdryer, and dry
seatbelts. Pull fabric out of dryer. Reassemble. Not too difficult, but
she is now screaming...so loudly, I am quite surprised that social services
didn't knock on my door.
Put screaming Arwen in carseat to see if it's all correct. Nope...one
belt is backwards. Try again. Hummm....how did I do the same thing twice?
Oh well, we have to move.
Bath time. Get baby bath tub from downstairs bathroom. oops, last time
I was upstairs, I remembered to get her clothes but forgot the towel and
washcloth. Go get those things. (Trip one up the stairs) Oops, where's
her body wash? Oh, yeah...in my bathroom. Trip two up the stairs. Wash
baby. This she likes...until it's time to get out....buuurrr. It's cold.
So she cries. All through drying her off, diapering and dressing.
hummmm....this new outfit is still a bit too big. Trip three back up
stairs. Get duck dress. Dress screaming baby. oops, forgot duck
socks....what trip is this again...up those stairs...with Arwen in my arms?
I will lose this extra weight in no time.
So she is too upset to leave. At 1:50pm, I sit down with a clean baby,
a clean carseat and rock her to sleep. At 2pm, she is sound asleep in her
carseat ready to go. Now I need, watch, shoes, and a diaper bag ready to
go. At 2:15pm, we are out the door.
A little late, but we did it. We pull into the doctor's parking lot at
3pm and I feed her. But she wants to play and doesn't eat very long. We
have to go inside, so change her diaper, back in the carseat, refill diaper
bag, and inside we go.
10 minute appointment....doc says I look exhausted. No kidding. He
clears me for normal activity. (If he only knew how much activity I have
been getting....should I have not made 20 trips up and down the stairs in
one morning with a 10 pound baby in my arms.) And get this he releases my
restrictions on sex....like I want to do that again. If I get an
hour.....or even 20 minutes...I am napping. Note to self, tell Jeff I need
another 6 weeks....doc's orders.
All of that worry to get to a 3:15 appointment on time...and at 3:35 we
are out the door.
On our way to Kim's house to see Kim and Kendall. And to feed since Arwen
didn't eat enough and was crying in doc's office. Drive 10 minutes. Get
there and Arwen wants to sleep for an hour!!!
now????? not when I needed her to sleep, not when she was screaming
while I was trying to get her carseat back together....not when we can sleep
at the same time. No, she wants to sleep when we are at a friends house an
hour away from home.
So, an hour later, se eats a little bit...and sleeps again. Kim holds
her while I take her carseat apart again and finally fix the belt that I
backwards. And she sleeps again. Just before 6pm, we drive home. She
eats....and I think she'll go to sleep since I haven't eaten since
breakfast, but she wants to be held...and she wants to cry.
So I nuke the chili I slow cooked all day Monday and eat standing at the
counter with her in one arm and the hairdryer on to soothe her.
Now it's almost 3am...I should be sleeping, but she just ate and needs to
be rocked back to sleep....I am waiting for her swing to do that.
Oh....and the chili, by the way. It was very good - I make good chili.
But after cooking it for 8 hours yesterday, I realized last night that I
didn't put any spices in it. After I ate my first bowl, I was on the phone
with Jeff and I told him it was good, but not as spicy as usual. But I was
happy about that because I didn't want anything too spicy that might upset
Arwen's tummy. While on the phone, I open the pantry to see all of my
spices, chili powder, etc...sitting right in from of me, unopened!
So basically, my chili was meat, beans, rotel and spicy V8.
Don't let anyone tell you being a mother is easy.
I hope to see you soon, but I want to be sane when I do. Tomorrow is a
break day. I plan on taking a walk and nothing else. Thursday is zoo day.
So maybe next week.
Stephanie
My day.
Goals: 3 mile walk in the morning
3:15pm doctor's appointment in Thornton (leave at 2pm to arrive
early enough to feed Arwen before appointment)
We get out of bed at 9am after about 4 hours of sleep total between midnight
and 9am.
Feed Arwen - that takes about 30 minutes. Get dressed in walking clothes &
change her from a sleeper to a onesie.
We leave the house at 9:50am for our walk....she will be hungry again at
11am.
Return from walk at 10:45am.
She is happily sitting in her carseat attached to her stroller, so I leave
her there and make breakfast for myself - a rare occasion.
While I make breakfast, she begins the pooping session. I am
happy....singing a little song about her pooping and Mommy eating breakfast.
When I get the eggs and toast on a plate, she begins to cry. Ok, I can
eat one handed. So I pile my food, milk, and vitamins on the table in the
living room and prepare ti get her ready to eat too.
Here we go. It's now 11am (we have to leave the house in 3 hours). I
pull her out of the carseat to find her covered in POOP! Yep! Poop. And
let me tell you, it's not pretty. It's all over her onsie, on her legs, on
her hands, her arms..and you guessed it, in a little puddle in the bottom of
her carseat. And she is screaming.
So Super Mommy kicks into action. I get her cleaned up, a clean diaper,
attach her to the boob to eat and I begin to eat my now cold eggs and toast.
11:15am. I must now take apart her carseat and clean it up because we
will need it in just under 3 hours to drive to Thornton. So it begins, but
I don't know how to get the seatbelt out, so I have to call Jeff (who is in
Atlanta) and ask him. In ten minutes, I have the fabric in the washing
machine and I am rinsing out the shell in the sink. Arwen is happy in her
bouncy seat.
Perfect time for a shower....maybe she will sleep. So we take her bouncy
chair upstairs, rock her to sleep, hop into shower. Before I get out of the
shower, she is crying.
Get out of shower, soothe baby, throw on clothes, dab on a bit of
make-up so I don't look like the walking dead, and Arwen is crying again.
Run downstairs to throw carseat fabric in dryer. Back upstairs.... Turn on
hairdryer (remember this...hairdryers, vacuums, and fans create white noise
that will quiet a baby in seconds) Dry hair half way before she begins
crying again...(no amount of white noise will quiet a hungry baby.) It's
now 12:45pm and it's time for her lunch. Feed her....rushing through it.
We now have an hour to dry the carseat fabric, the seatbelts, and the shell,
put it all back together (how do you do that - note to self, may have to
call Jeff again), give her a bath...because baby wipes don't really
hygienically clean up poop, dress her, gather items for diaper bag, hit the
road.
1pm....She's eaten, but maybe not enough to make her happy for very long.
Take the bouncy seat back downstairs, put her in it and try to reassemble
the carseat. Wait...the seatbelts are still wet. Back upstairs to get
hairdryer. Arwen is crying. Pick her up, turn on hairdryer, and dry
seatbelts. Pull fabric out of dryer. Reassemble. Not too difficult, but
she is now screaming...so loudly, I am quite surprised that social services
didn't knock on my door.
Put screaming Arwen in carseat to see if it's all correct. Nope...one
belt is backwards. Try again. Hummm....how did I do the same thing twice?
Oh well, we have to move.
Bath time. Get baby bath tub from downstairs bathroom. oops, last time
I was upstairs, I remembered to get her clothes but forgot the towel and
washcloth. Go get those things. (Trip one up the stairs) Oops, where's
her body wash? Oh, yeah...in my bathroom. Trip two up the stairs. Wash
baby. This she likes...until it's time to get out....buuurrr. It's cold.
So she cries. All through drying her off, diapering and dressing.
hummmm....this new outfit is still a bit too big. Trip three back up
stairs. Get duck dress. Dress screaming baby. oops, forgot duck
socks....what trip is this again...up those stairs...with Arwen in my arms?
I will lose this extra weight in no time.
So she is too upset to leave. At 1:50pm, I sit down with a clean baby,
a clean carseat and rock her to sleep. At 2pm, she is sound asleep in her
carseat ready to go. Now I need, watch, shoes, and a diaper bag ready to
go. At 2:15pm, we are out the door.
A little late, but we did it. We pull into the doctor's parking lot at
3pm and I feed her. But she wants to play and doesn't eat very long. We
have to go inside, so change her diaper, back in the carseat, refill diaper
bag, and inside we go.
10 minute appointment....doc says I look exhausted. No kidding. He
clears me for normal activity. (If he only knew how much activity I have
been getting....should I have not made 20 trips up and down the stairs in
one morning with a 10 pound baby in my arms.) And get this he releases my
restrictions on sex....like I want to do that again. If I get an
hour.....or even 20 minutes...I am napping. Note to self, tell Jeff I need
another 6 weeks....doc's orders.
All of that worry to get to a 3:15 appointment on time...and at 3:35 we
are out the door.
On our way to Kim's house to see Kim and Kendall. And to feed since Arwen
didn't eat enough and was crying in doc's office. Drive 10 minutes. Get
there and Arwen wants to sleep for an hour!!!
now????? not when I needed her to sleep, not when she was screaming
while I was trying to get her carseat back together....not when we can sleep
at the same time. No, she wants to sleep when we are at a friends house an
hour away from home.
So, an hour later, se eats a little bit...and sleeps again. Kim holds
her while I take her carseat apart again and finally fix the belt that I
backwards. And she sleeps again. Just before 6pm, we drive home. She
eats....and I think she'll go to sleep since I haven't eaten since
breakfast, but she wants to be held...and she wants to cry.
So I nuke the chili I slow cooked all day Monday and eat standing at the
counter with her in one arm and the hairdryer on to soothe her.
Now it's almost 3am...I should be sleeping, but she just ate and needs to
be rocked back to sleep....I am waiting for her swing to do that.
Oh....and the chili, by the way. It was very good - I make good chili.
But after cooking it for 8 hours yesterday, I realized last night that I
didn't put any spices in it. After I ate my first bowl, I was on the phone
with Jeff and I told him it was good, but not as spicy as usual. But I was
happy about that because I didn't want anything too spicy that might upset
Arwen's tummy. While on the phone, I open the pantry to see all of my
spices, chili powder, etc...sitting right in from of me, unopened!
So basically, my chili was meat, beans, rotel and spicy V8.
Don't let anyone tell you being a mother is easy.
I hope to see you soon, but I want to be sane when I do. Tomorrow is a
break day. I plan on taking a walk and nothing else. Thursday is zoo day.
So maybe next week.
Stephanie
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