20 Questions

On Nevaeh's 3rd birthday last year, I asked her 20 questions about her "favorite" this and that. I had read about the idea somewhere, but the details of that escape me... I asked her the same questions this year and plan to do this every year on her birthday. See below for her responses from last year and this year...

2010 - 3 years old

1. Favorite color - orange


2. Favorite food - mac & cheese


3. Favorite animal - monkey


4. Favorite sport - soccer


5. Best friend - Gracie


6. Favorite activity - riding bike


7. Favorite tv show - Caillou


8. Favorite book - Dora


9. Favorite movie - Sesame Street


10. Favorite ice cream flavor - strawberry


11. Favorite article of clothing - dress


12. Favorite toy - ball & bat


13. Favorite restaurant - Paradise Bakery


14. # of kids someday - "just one baby"


15. Future occupation - builder


16. What bothers you the most? Big puppies


17. What does Mom like to do for fun? Look at little puppies


18. What does Mom do at work? Work


19. Favorite thing to do with Mom - jump up and down


20. Favorite thing to do with Gramma & Grampa - go to the beach

2011 - 4 years old

1. Favorite color - pink


2. Favorite food - mac & cheese


3. Favorite animal - giraffe


4. Favorite sport - soccer


5. Best friend - Gracie


6. Favorite activity - making art projects


7. Favorite tv show - Berenstain Bears


8. Favorite book - Curious George


9. Favorite movie - Princess and the Frog


10. Favorite ice cream flavor - strawberry


11. Favorite article of clothing - dress


12. Favorite toy - jewelry


13. Favorite restaurant - Red Robin


14. # of kids someday - "um, like 14"


15. Future occupation - soccer player


16. What bothers you the most? Puppies


17. What does Mom like to do for fun? Hike


18. What does Mom do at work? Work


19. Favorite thing to do with Mom - Drive to school


20. Favorite thing to do with Gramma & Grampa - go to the park

Fudd who?

Last week Nevaeh and I went to Fuddruckers so I could get my free birthday burger. I ordered a kids' meal for Nevaeh and the "treat" at the end was a cookie. She picked out the M&M cookie but I didn't let her have it that night since I didn't need a sugar high to deal with an hour before bed. Well, today I realized that the cookie is still sitting on the counter so I told Nevaeh she could have it after she ate lunch. She said, "Oooohhhhh, did the lady give that to me at Fudge Crackers?"

Travel Much?

Nevaeh officially has more Delta SkyMiles than I do.

(Because I recently cashed in 40,000 of mine for my "free" ticket to MN!)

Ear Infection!

Well........ After exactly 11 months of no ear infections, Nevaeh was back at the doctor's office today and we found out that both ears are infected. Her surgery on St. Patty's Day last year resulted in many months of healthiness in our house, even after one ear tube fell out of place after about six or seven months. But this morning as we drove our usual morning route past the hospital and her ENT's office, she said, "There's my ear doctor -- Mama, I need to get my ears checked. I go to doctor." That wasn't the first time I've heard that from her so I brushed it off, even as she held her hand to her left ear. Besides, I had been talking to her recently about needing to go back to the ENT in another month or so for her 1-year surgery check-up so I assumed she was replaying this conversation in her head. But sure enough, two hours into my morning meetings and the daycare lady texted to say that Nevaeh had been complaining of ear pain in her left ear.

$63.22 later (sadly, that's after insurance, thanks to the higher copays this year!) and she's resting comfortably in bed -- hopefully for the night!

Sometimes it's better not to respond...

"I'm not a sassy mouth... YOU'RE a sassy mouth!"

Maybe accounting isn't in the genes...

"Mama! I see two balloons. One.....two......three! See? Two balloons!"

Sleepy sleepy

I meant to post these stories last week but of course time slipped away from me. After a night in her own bed, Nevaeh came into my room one morning and our conversation went like this:

Nevaeh: Good morning, Mama!
Me: Morning sweetheart....did you have sweet dreams?
Nevaeh: Yeah. I had sleep dreams.

Then she noticed her baby doll laying on the floor at the foot of my bed:

Nevaeh: Mama! My baby doll slept with YOU last night?!
Me: No, she was in the way, so I kicked her out of bed!
Nevaeh: You kicked her? You kicked my baby?!?
Me: That's not what I said.

As I sit here typing, Nevaeh has the back of my shirt lifted and she's inspecting the mole on my lower back. Just out of her mouth:

"Mama. Let me get the scissors...I fix your mole."

Eeks!

Midnight Wanderings

I meant to post this yesterday but time slipped away from me. But after three successful nights of staying in her bed, Nevaeh was back to her 4-month habit of wandering in the night. During one such trip the other night, I told her to go back to her room and dragged myself out of bed to follow her back down the hall. Since I am now able to walk through the house with my eyes closed, I didn’t bother opening them as I started the trek. Nevaeh must not have opened hers either because pretty soon, I heard a thumping crash along with the sound of shoes from our “shoe hallway” being scattered about. And then…in the darkness… I heard a timid voice say, “I’m ok, Mama.”

Then last night, as we were preparing for our overnight guests who are arriving today, we had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: Guess who’s coming to visit us tomorrow?!
Nevaeh: Um…..Gramma & Grampa?!
Me: Yes! And Barb & Diane!
Nevaeh: Ooooohhhhhh….Are they comin’ to see my new shoes?

To Blog or not to Blog...

So I’ve had several requests lately for me to update my blog more frequently. Apparently people are not satisfied with Nevaeh stories just once a year. Understandable. Let it be known that I am aware of the issue and hope to rectify it in a manner suitable to everyone. Or most everyone. (I think there are only three people who read my blog – me being one of them – but hopefully three is enough to motivate me to reestablish some sort of regular blogging.) I won’t promise that it’ll be often. That way, all three of us will be pleasantly surprised if it is. But I can pretty much guarantee that there’ll be some sort of comedy in a good portion of the stories.

Onto the story from this morning…

Nevaeh came into my room around 6:40 am, said, "Good morning, Mama!”, then climbed into my bed. I had been hitting snooze for an hour and seven minutes, so I was still trying to wake up. Since Nevaeh was rather alert and I didn’t think she’d be falling asleep while I showered, I thought I would turn on the tv and find something to watch. (Normally she doesn’t get very many tv privileges at home but we’re coming off a 4-month stretch of her wandering the halls at night (sometimes several times per night), and since this was the third night in a row that she had stayed in her room for 10 hours straight, I thought she deserved a little reward.) When I turned the tv on, it was so bright in my dark bedroom that we both jerked our heads the other way. She threw her hands over her eyes and said, "Mama, it's too bright! I need my sunglassies!"

101 in 1001

After finding a list on someone else's blog of 101 things to do in 1001 days, I decided to start a list of my own.

The Mission: Complete 101 pre-set tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).



Start date: January 1, 2010

End date: September 28, 2012

Key:
Not started
In process
Completed

1) Travel to Vancouver to visit Maite.
2) Try sushi. Completed July 26, 2010 @ Benihana - spicy tuna.
3) Get a tattoo.
4) Write a children’s book.
5) Travel to Germany to visit Rachel – April 2011.
6) Read through the Bible - completed in 90 days April 2011.
7) Hike North Mountain…with Nevaeh - completed 3/27/11.
8) Drink half my body weight (in oz) in water every day for 30 days straight. Completed April 26-May 26, 2010.
9) Go on a walk at least 3x per week for 4 weeks straight. (4/4) - Completed April/May 2011.
10) Visit an amusement park...with Nevaeh.
11) Attend a MN Twins spring training game in Florida.
12) Lose 5 lbs and maintain the weight for one month (starting weight=146).
13) Cook at least 3x per week for 4 weeks straight. (0/4)
14) Try 26 new restaurants. Cannot include restaurants while traveling unless it's a chain restaurant also available in Phoenix but not yet tried there. (#1-La Piazza Al Forno, #2-Grimaldi's Pizzeria, #3-Sardella's, #4-Mama's Pizza, #5-Five Guys Burgers & Fries, #6-BLT Steak, #7-Smash Burger, #8-The Chuckbox, #9-Margaritaville, #10-America's Taco Shop, #11-Fuego Tacos, #12-Don & Charlie's, #13-Pie Zano's)
15) Read 26 books per year for 3 years.
16) Visit 3 MLB ballparks not previously visited.
17) Take a weekend trip somewhere by myself (Las Vegas - March 19-21, 2011).
18) Try 26 new recipes. (#1-Easy Chicken Bake, #2-Chili Cornbread Sloppy Freds, #3-Mexican Soup, #4-MJB's Lasagna, #5-Chicken Pasta Salad, #6-Ultimate Creamy Beef Stroganoff, #7-Veggie Pizza, #8-Pork w/ homemade BBQ glaze)
19) Finish years 1, 2, and 3 in Nevaeh's memory book.
20) Finish trying everything on the Paradise Bakery menu.
21) Stop drinking soda for one month.
22) Go to NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
23) Go on a cruise.
24) Visit the Grand Canyon again - went to the South Rim May 1, 2011.
25) Learn how to use iTunes.
26) Create a will.
27) Start preschool curriculum with Nevaeh (Started Kumon workbooks August 2010).
28) Visit Verve church. (Visited 8.10.10 while in Vegas on vacation but was only able to serve for a couple hours and not attend service. Attended service 3.20.11.)
29) Get professional teeth whitening done.
30) For insurance purposes, create a 3-ring binder that documents household valuables and bring to safe deposit box.
31) Back up pics on cd's.
32) Join the list of bone marrow donors.
33) Figure out a way to preserve ultrasound pics.
34) Set aside 6 months of savings in a separate account.
35) Step foot in all 50 states (can't count layovers in airports). (40/50-Remaining:Alaska, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Vermont)
36) See another Cirque du Soleil show.
37) Visit all spring training ballparks in AZ. (Remaining: Maryvale, Phoenix Municipal (have been there but not for a game), Salt River)
38) Host a kid-free game night.
39) Take Nevaeh to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. Completed May 6, 2011.
40) Complete a 5K.
41) Research adoption in Minnesota.
42) Start a travel bucket list (African safari, Iceland, Australia/New Zealand, Fiji, Alaskan cruise, Egyptian Pyramids, Argentina, Norway/Sweden/Finland, train travel through Europe).
43) Learn basic/conversational Spanish or French.
44) Create a scrapbook of favorite snapshots (in 8x10 format), dating back to July 2005 when I got my first digital camera.
45) Learn basic CPR.
46) Find a passive income producing opportunity.
47) Choose a country and study its customs, cuisines, art, history, politics, etc.
48) Re-organize boxes in closet. Completed May 2010.
49) Go on another missions trip.
50) Go camping.
51) Update current blog with links to favorite websites. Completed 1/15/10.
52) Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
53) Donate blood. Completed 3.2.11.
54) Send a card/letter to Grampa/Papa Winston 1x per month.
55) Make at least one new friend. Completed April 2010 - Ryan T.
56) Go to a movie by myself.
57) Make something artsy/craftsy.
58) Volunteer at the library warehouse.
59) See a movie at the drive-in theater. Completed 2/27/10-Valentine's Day & When In Rome.
60) Send Valentine's Day cards.
61) Bake a loaf of bread from scratch.
62) Take a cooking class.
63) Find a small group at church. Completed April 2010.
64) Get involved at church (started volunteering at the Resources table in April 2011).
65) Cook a turkey.
66) Take care of a friend's child for the weekend. Completed March 13/14, 2010.
67) Make a mix cd for someone.
68) Wash someone's car for them.
69) Buy produce from a community farm.
70) Buy a new pair of running shoes. Completed June 2010.
71) Make ice cream from scratch.
72) Attend or host a Tastefully Simple party.
73) Host another Pampered Chef party. Completed March 19, 2010.
74) Visit a winery or brewery that I haven't been to before.
75) Buy a lottery ticket.
76) Bake a treat and bring to work to share.
77) Complete a 1000 piece puzzle.
78) Get picture taken in photo booth.
79) Convince someone else to start a list. Completed 1/3/2010 – June Chambers.
80) Send 25 just-for-fun postcards. (0/25)
81) Master a song on Dance Dance Revolution.
82) Sell unwanted DVD’s. Completed May 2011 - gave them away.
83) Read the "To Read" folder's emails in my Yahoo account.
84) Learn how to use a bbq grill.
85) Take Nevaeh on a breakfast picnic.
86) Take a photography class.
87) Complete another inline marathon, either full or half.
88) Set up an online bank account.
89) Sort digital pics on hard drive by year. Completed January 2011.
90) Send in part for crib recall. Completed March 2010.
91) Create a 5-yr plan.
92) Set up Skype account and new webcam. Completed 1/2/2010.
93) Get caught up on Toyota maintenance spreadsheet.
94) Avoid grocery shopping for a month, unless buying milk, bread, produce, or nearly free items. Completed January 2010.
95) Rotate all digital pics on hard drive.
96) Purchase a life insurance policy for Nevaeh.
97) Determine when Nevaeh needs a new car seat and research options. Completed August 2011 - bought a new booster seat.
98) Create a list of Nevaeh's Christmas ornaments so she knows which ones are hers when she moves out. Completed 3/23/2010.
99) Make a life verse plaque for Nevaeh's bedroom wall - Jeremiah 29:11.
100) Send a care package to someone.
101) Make a new list!

Well, Nevaeh and I have one day left to enjoy the beautiful weather in Minnesota. We have been having a blast over the past 10 or 11 days! We flew into MSP on Wednesday the 6th and after a rocky first night (Nevaeh was over-tired as she only slept 30 minutes on the flight), Nevaeh has been sleeping 11.5-13 hours every night. She did great on the plane ride, one of the easiest so far for me.

Nevaeh had her first eye appointment on Thursday the 7th - my eye doctor in Plymouth happens to be a pediatric eye doctor and when I was pregnant, he mentioned that babies should have their first checkup between 6 and 12 months. And besides, the eye appointments are free for babies under a year, so why not? He said everything looks perfect with Nevaeh's eyes -- if anything, she is not as farsighted as he would like, which could mean that she will end up nearsighted in the future. Nothing to worry about. With my vision as bad as it is, I would expect her to have some issues.

On Friday the 8th, I had a get-together at Southgate in Cloquet for my 10-year high school reunion. It was great to see some faces I hadn't seen in years, and also to catch up with those I haven't talked to in a few months. There was supposed to be a picnic on Saturday at Jay Cooke but pretty much no one showed up. Matt, Callie, their boys, Nevaeh and I were the only ones who brought food. In fact, we were 45 minutes late but the first to arrive at Oldenburg Point. The sign on the picnic shelter said it was reserved for the Class of 88's 20-year reunion from 11 am to 4 pm.... Hmmmm, either that was a typo that should've said Class of 98's 10-year reunion, or the class of '88 also had a crappy turn-out. So anywho, Matt's family and Nevaeh and I hung around for 3 hours and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was really disappointing not to have a better turnout - especially since the organizers of the event didn't show up either - because the weather could not have been more perfect, but I figure it's their loss. And it would've been nice to have a catered event because the last thing I wanted to do after flying in from Arizona was to hit up Wal-Mart and the grocery store for picnic food and supplies.

On Saturday night, our class had another event at Lost Isle. I think the $15 I paid for the reunion weekend was for two slices of chocolate cake because that's all I got out of it. Again, it was fun to hang out but...whatever. No further comments.

On Sunday, we celebrated Nevaeh's 1st birthday one day late with a big family birthday party at Gramma & Grampa's. We had a great turn-out and Nevaeh was showered with love and attention, not to mention some awesome clothes, toys, and books. Nevaeh's closet was starting to thin out, so I can't wait to get back to AZ and hang up all the goods!

I spent last week working in Golden Valley, while Nevaeh was acting queen of Gramma & Grampy's house. According to Gramma, she ate like a horse. Uh....how else do you expect a person to grow?

Renee drove up to Cloquet yesterday and we took Nevaeh to the Lakewalk and Canal Park area in Duluth. Again, the weather was beautiful. We watched a ship leave the harbor, walked around everywhere, had lunch at Grandma's, enjoyed ice cream at Portland Malt Shoppe (Nevaeh and I split a root beer float), then we came home and had supper from Gordy's. Mmmmmm. Nevaeh had a great day on just 1 hour of sleep in the stroller. It's no wonder she's sleeping 2 hours longer at night -- the girl hasn't been taking long naps!

Nevaeh has also made the transition from bottle to sippy cup for all beverages at all times of the day. It really wasn't bad at all. I think she was confused at first by the taste and consistency of whole milk (as opposed to formula), but she's not one to turn away food and beverage. Nevaeh's skin is also a couple shades darker with tan lines to prove it.

Well anyway, we were supposed to fly home tonight, but I switched our flight to late tomorrow night so that we could stay for my great-aunt Selma's funeral tomorrow morning. Nevaeh and I were able to see Selma last Thursday when we got to Minnesota, so I'm thankful for that and that her last days were peaceful.

For those of you in Phoenix, I'll see you soon.... for those of you in Minnesota who I was able to see over the past 11 days, it was GREAT to see you -- thanks to everyone for their hospitality and we'll hopefully see you at Christmas!

Nevaeh's First Word

I think Nevaeh is officially working on her first word. I mean, she has said "mum-mum" here and there, but I really don't think she's made the connection yet between me and "Mama." So anyway, we were looking at a book this morning (her favorite thing to do these days -- and who am I to complain about that??) and this book had pictures of toys. When we got to the two pages with balls, Nevaeh kept saying "ba" over and over again while pointing at them. And whenever I ask her to go get her big purple ball, she will trot off in search of it.

So she is my reading ballplayer...and if this is only a phase, I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Duh-duh-duh-DUCK

Today was supposed to be a lazy day for Nevaeh and me. We couldn't go to church because Nevaeh was displaying cold-like symptoms (coughing, a horrible runny/stuffy nose that made a mess all over the both of us all day long, and a low fever at times), which is a no-no for the nursery. So instead, I tried to experiment again with the one-nap (no morning nap, but rather one nap from about noon to 2:30ish) concept. It didn't go as well as the 3-hr nap last weekend. In fact, it failed miserably and I missed out on a nap myself because as soon as I was ready to lay down for a few minutes, Nevaeh was awake from hers. Boooooo. So then I was trying to play with her as best I could from the couch in a semi-conscious state. I'm sure you can imagine how well that went over with a 10-month-old.

After supper, we went for a walk to the neighborhood "lake" (I use that term loosely as it's more of a man-made pond). Tonight was probably the warmest night we've taken a walk and I'm not sure how many more I can tolerate in this heat. We didn't leave the house until about 7 but it was still plenty warm. Imagine sitting in the sauna with a hair dryer blowing on your face. That's what it felt like with the "breeze" tonight. So anywho... once we made it to the lake, we (ok, mostly me) enjoyed sitting on the grass and watching the ducks swim or toddle about on the "shore." As I pointed to the ducks tonight and tried to get Nevaeh to say "duck," she actually got out the "duh" part and kept saying it over and over while pointing at the ducks. Hey, maybe she does listen to me after all! It's only a matter of time until she's ready for Duck-Duck-GRAY DUCK.

10 months later...

Well, it's been a ridiculously long time since I've posted, but no surprise there. I wish I would post more often because Nevaeh does some hilarious things and the stories would be welcomed by all, I'm sure.

Anywho, a quick rundown of where we're at... Nevaeh turned 10 months old this past week. She's about 30 inches long and weighs just under 27 pounds. After struggling for months to find shoes that will fit her fat and wide feet, I finally brought her in yesterday to be fitted for her first pair of shoes and she measured in at a size 6 extra wide. Yep, extra wide. Not just wide. EXTRA wide. So basically, the only shoes that fit her are the $42 ones that she'll hopefully be able to wear for 2 months. 3 months if I'm lucky. Ouch on the pocketbook.

Nevaeh has been walking for about a month now and loves to explore. She will find everything she's not supposed to. Recently I realized that she really only had a few toys besides all the rattles and stuffed animals. I hit up a secondhand kids store and found a number of toys that would normally retail for $10+ apiece and I only paid $5 or less for each one. But even those toys don't hold her interest for more than a minute at a time. For whatever reason, her favorite "toys" seem to be (in no particular order):

• Bathroom scale
• Phones
• Remotes
• Wires/cords
• Plastic bags
• Wet wipes
• Mirrors
• Keys
• Toilet paper
• Bottles of lotion, shampoo, water, etc
• Shoes
• Anything in the dishwasher, especially sharp items

Those are all safe to play with, right? ...

Well anywho, she's definitely active and into something new everyday, but I love her curiosity and chasing after her keeps me from being too lazy.

Time to go play and wear this munchkin out. It's Gracie's first birthday party today during Nevaeh's normal nap time, so I'm hoping to get her down for an early nap this morning instead. Sean & Clayton came over for a visit last night, so Nevaeh was up until 10:15...but still wide awake at her normal 7 am. Gotta love it! :-)

Things that change when you have a baby...

Quite some time ago, I read a list (either in one of those email forwards or perhaps on the internet somewhere) of things that change when you have a baby. Well, I just had to take my favorite ones and list them here for all y'all to giggle at or say, "Boy, is that ever true."

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. You respect your body...finally.

3. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

4. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

5. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

6. Your heart breaks much more easily.

7. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

8. You become a morning person.

9. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

10. You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have.

11. You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night.

12. You discover an inner strength you never thought you had.

13. You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one.

14. You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late.

Malachi

My nephew Malachi arrived early this morning! Check out my brother's blog at: http://johnsarahcarlson.blogspot.com/

When it rains, it pours.

I have finally found the time and energy to write about the latest fiasco in my household. And amazingly, this is not a Nevaeh-centered story.

Last week I felt the beginnings of a cold. Or what I assumed would turn into a cold. I had a sore throat and that's where it always starts with me. But it never progressed into nasal congestion, plugged ears, or a cough. Just an incredibly painful throat (second only to the "Sore Throat of 2001" when I also had mono -- that sore throat landed me on codeine for awhile). So anyway, I finally went to a Minute Clinic (www.minuteclinic.com) on Monday and was tested for strep throat. Sure enough, the rapid strep test came back positive within 3 minutes. I'm now on penicillin and the sore throat was gone within 24 hours of popping the first pill. I'm kicking myself for not having gone in sooner, especially when I was fairly convinced that it was indeed strep. But you know what, now that I'm not feeling the pain anymore, I've kind of forgotten about how awful last week really was.

And what made it worse was that Nevaeh (ok, I guess Nevaeh played a part in this story after all) was projectile vomiting last Friday night. She didn't seem to have any pain, so I think her tummy was just too full from 3 meals of solids and bottles. She started a mini coughing fit and up it all came. That was my first vomit experience with her and I know now why parents used to tell me that I'm lucky I haven't had to deal with it before. It was all over my leather chair, my clothes, her clothes, in my hair, on the kitchen floor, fridge, stove, cupboards, sink… I spent 10 minutes cleaning it all up (because who wants to deal with it after it's crusted over?) while Nevaeh laid on the bathroom floor giggling and playing with her feet, started a load of laundry, and settled back down in the chair with her to finish her bedtime bottle. I had just burped her and was ready to bring her to bed when…. Yep…. Up it all came again. Repeat aforementioned cleaning process. I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her crib because I was terrified that she was going to be sick all night. After a couple hours of coughing every 10-15 minutes (and only one more mess to clean up), she finally settled into sleep and I got about 4 hours of sleep myself. But can I just point out how incredibly tiring it is to take care of a sick baby plus your own sick self? Not fun, but I'm glad we survived this round.

Another round of infections...

Daycare called me last Friday morning and said that something was "just not right" with Nevaeh. She looked out of it, she wouldn't crack a smile, she wouldn't take a bottle (first time ever), and her temp was 101.7. So I took her to the doctor and sure enough, bad infections in BOTH ears. After an hour of Tylenol and an antibiotic in her system, she was back to her normal self, thank goodness.

Nevaeh has also started solid foods -- just rice cereal and peas for now. I guess she eats well at daycare and she used to eat well for me in the evenings, but now at suppertime, she prefers screaming and crying. She still eats all her food, but it is not without a fight. I should probably just throw in the towel for a little bit because I am obviously doing something wrong.

On a positive note, Nevaeh continues to love her jumperoo. She won't stay in it too terribly long and she seems to enjoy it more when I'm sitting next to her watching. I have seen her eyeing up the electrical outlets just slightly out of her reach, so it looks like I need to do something about that. She has been playing with her new Christmas toys lately -- the Rock-A-Stack, shape sorter, and Stack-A-Cups. She likes when I take a couple of cups and make them into a ball that she can hold, throw, and drop. No rolling over or sitting up on her own yet. She prefers being a blob, I guess. I can tell she's getting stronger and will soon be able to sit up on her own, but for now, she's bent over at the waist while playing with her toys. Last night I laid her on a blanket in the living room and ran to my bedroom to check my email. I came back not even 3 minutes later and she was off the blanket and almost under the Christmas tree. Apparently she has the "inchworm" movements down pat. It's funny to watch -- she lifts up her butt, pulls her knees forward, and then kicks out. I think this means no more unsupervised naps on Mama's bed! And she prefers standing up and trying to play with toys that way as opposed to laying on her tummy or sitting. She'll stand by herself for a couple seconds at a time or longer if she's holding onto the couch or a chair. Not real coordinated yet in that department, which is probably a good thing -- gives me a couple more months to get the apartment child-proofed!

Reflections on MN trip

I meant to write a long time ago, but I guess I got busy. Go figure.

1) Nevaeh did great on the flight up to MN. She had just learned how to put her pacifier back in her mouth and that entertained her far longer than I expected.

2) The weather wasn't bad. Yep, you heard me. In fact, over the course of 15 days, not once did I think to myself, "Brrrrrr, it's cold, I want to go home." I must give credit to my 4-year-old fluffy down jacket from Old Navy.

3) Nevaeh looked sooooooooooo cute in her purple snowsuit. I think she liked being bundled up too.

4) I got my Christmas wish granted -- a white Christmas. In fact, I was able to help Dad shovel a lot of the new stuff.

5) There were a million and three people on our list to visit. I did not make it out to everyone's. If you were one of those who were missed, my apologies. Hopefully we'll catch you on the next trip or you can always visit us in the desert.

6) I enjoyed sleeping in a couple of times and staying up late to read. I've been trying to read every night before bed since I've been home, but it's mostly been my Bible and baby-related books.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I know for a fact that I had so much more to say, but i didn't write down my thoughts when I should have, so I've forgotten them. Oh well.

Leaving on a jet plane...

Nevaeh and I leave for Minnesota on Sunday afternoon! We have been plenty busy. And I use the "we" term loosely. Nevaeh is mostly supervising, and I often have to say to her, "You stay right there." She is over her 2nd cold of the season and I hope that we can make it until January before the next one hits. With her being in daycare, chances are slim...but I remain hopeful.

Renee flies in tomorrow night and will be flying back with us on Sunday, so it'll be nice to have someone help me haul the baby gear. The return trip to Phoenix by myself should be interesting, but that's a good 2.5 weeks away, so why worry about it now?

Anywho, I guess I didn't really have much to say today, just that my evenings have been jam-packed recently. It'll all be worth it, though, to see our MN family and friends and introduce them to my mini-me!

Thanksgiving

Well, as this Thanksgiving weekend comes to an end (yes, on a Monday, because I didn't work today!), I thought I should post a blog about some things that I am thankful for. Now, this is not the grand ole list I had visions of posting, but it will have to suffice. It is getting late and my eyes want to close, so you'll get what you get.

Besides the obvious "I'm thankful for family and friends," here's what I'm thinking about these days (in no particular order, except for the first one).

I am thankful for...

• Nevaeh -- Not gonna lie, she's the cutest ever 3.5 month old. Who knew that I would burn so many calories just laughing with and at her? The other night in the bathtub, I blew into her face and her eyes widened with a look of surprise as she inhaled sharply, then she burst into giggles. So what did I do? I did it again. Pretty soon, we were both laughing at each other laughing. I love hearing her laugh; it's the most ridiculous thing ever. Sometimes I think she knows exactly what I'm saying. I'll practice my storytelling on her and she will laugh in the right spots. Just the other night, I caught her watching tv and there was a sitcom on (she was supposed to be bouncing in her jumperoo but managed to turn herself around so that she was pretending to be playing with the toys but her eyes were completely on the tv)... and she laughed exactly when the studio audience laughed. Anywho, she is 126% the light of my life and I struggle to remember what life was like before her. What did I do with all that free time??? I would not and could not trade her for anything (except 126 gabillion dollars). It's not easy being a single parent, but in just 4 months' time, God has blessed me with more than I've ever had.
• Food on the table -- OK, well... the food may not always get to the table, but it's at least in the fridge, freezer, or cupboard, and has great potential to be cooked or gathered into what some would call a meal. I think of the nights that I awake at 3 am starving and I traipse to the kitchen for some crackers or applesauce. (Yes, really...applesauce.) It's at those times that I think I'm so hungry that I could not possibly go on living if I don't eat something. There are far too many people in this world who have that feeling on a daily basis, but don't have the means to do anything about it.
• Money in my savings account -- While my teeny-bopper friends were out buying clothes and makeup 15 years ago, I was babysitting and mowing lawns like a madman, saving every penny I could find and trying to convince my parents that I needed a dollar here and there. (I really didn't NEED any money, but if you never ask, the answer's always "no," right?) Brother Joe, remember when we would go to Kenny's mini golf course in the summer and look for change in between the cement cracks under the clubhouse counter? Ahhhh, if life were only so simple still. Anywho, with all the saving I've done over the years, it allowed me to take 6 weeks of unpaid leave from work, without having to worry about a penny, even with the hospital and medical bills rolling in (I think I finally got the last bill just yesterday!).
• Books -- One might successfully prove that, instead of reading, my dad and I spend more time hunting for books at thrift stores, rearranging them on our bookshelves, or updating our book spreadsheets. But without books, we would have one less way to be nerds. Nerdy accountants, at that. I have stayed up way past my bedtime many a night, finishing up that last chapter. Or more likely in recent years, I have awakened at 4 am with the lights still on and my book laying on my chest. Nonetheless, I have been reading to Nevaeh since she was 3 days old and I hope that someday we can share a love for books.
• Traveling -- Thanks to my little peanut, I only made it to the sand dunes in Cali (I promise you that Nevaeh will never remember the bumps and the jumps because she was probably only the size of a walnut at the time), Boston, Scotland, Chicago, and MN a couple of times. In 2008, Nevaeh and I plan to make a noticeable dent in the travel budget!
• Baseball -- From April through September, I watch about 15-20 games per week. It's a tough life, but somebody's gotta help those ratings. I look forward to '08 -- spring training is practically right around the corner.... Nevaeh, get ready, baby -- your baseball wrist rattle and Twins & Cubs outfits are sparkling with new-ness!!!
• Puppies -- What can I say, puppies bring a smile to my face.
• Christmas trees -- When I lived in St. Paul back in the day, my roommate and I kept the tree up for months into the new year. I want to say it was March when we finally took it down. Last year here in Phoenix was practically no different. There's just something about watching tv at night with only the Christmas lights on, curled up in my chair with a blanket. My tree has been up for 3 weeks already and what makes it even more special this year is Nevaeh's first Christmas ornament -- a pink bootie with glitter and ribbon. I plan to buy her an ornament every year until she moves out of the house so that she has something to start her own tree with someday.
• Funny commercials -- Has anyone seen the new McDonalds commercial with the little kid carrying his boombox to the dinner table and dancing to the cha-cha slide? Holy buckets, I laugh so hard every time I see it. It's Super Bowl commercial worthy.

Alright, it should probably be bedtime for me. Back to the grind tomorrow!

Daycare Update

As it turns out, Nevaeh is doing great at daycare! The ladies say that Nevaeh loves to watch the big kids play and she's getting used to napping in the sometimes (or perhaps always) noisy and chaotic atmosphere. But I'm not gonna lie, during her first day of daycare, I was all set to quit my job and open my own daycare so that Nevaeh could be with me. I have absolutely nothing against the ladies at daycare...I would just prefer that Nevaeh spend more time with me, that's all. But having gotten used to her being there, I now look forward to my lunch breaks so that I can run errands without hauling around an infant who thinks that I use the car seat as some type of torturing device.

Nevaeh also picked up her first cold, probably from one of the kids at daycare. She never got a fever, just some congestion and a slight cough. After spending last Friday listening to her wake up about 7 times in the night to cough, I had the brilliant idea of running the humidifier in her room. Since then, no nighttime coughs have been heard. I also give her tylenol at night since I think her ear might still be bothering her.

My challenge now is to get her to back up. Yes, that's right, "back up" in terms of reversing. She will scoot her way forward from one end of the crib to the other and when I hear her start fussing around 6:30 am, I will go in her room and find her stuck in a corner. Not stuck in the slats of the crib or anything, but stuck because she can't move any further forward. I can just see it now. She is going to be the child who falls asleep with her head on the pillow and blankets snuggled around her. Yet she will wake up either on the floor or with her head at the foot of the bed... her blankets in disarray... and perhaps even her pajamas piled in a heap somewhere in her room.

Carpool Spots

There are some carpool parking spots at work. They're considerably closer to the door than the spaces I usually end up in. I'm trying to figure out how to get myself a closer spot. The "being pregnant" thing only scored me a medical parking permit for a few months -- and then I delivered 2 weeks early, so I kind of got jipped there. But as far as a carpool parking spot goes, the odds are probably against me. I live just 6 miles from work, I know of no one I could pick up, I have a daughter to drop off and pick up from daycare on a daily basis, and I'm notorious for wearing out the snooze buttons on alarm clocks. I'll keep working on it, though.

I'm baaaaaa-aaaack!

Well, yesterday was my first day back to work. People seemed surprised to see me, as they thought I was back early. I immediately thought I had done the math wrong and hoped I had another week of leave. But nope, it was indeed time to return. For once, being right kind of sucked. Anyway, it almost felt like my first day of school, except this time, I knew where to find my desk.

Gramma & Grampa were in town taking care of Nevaeh for 2 days. The little lass starts daycare tomorrow. Hopefully she won't catch too many (or any) illnesses and bugs this winter. Ha, tough to type "winter" when we're still in the 90's and my air conditioning is running down here!

Yesterday when I got home from work, I was so excited to see Nevaeh. We sat outside on the balcony and enjoyed the sunset. She took a nap in my arms and when she woke up, she found her thumb! It was so cute! Initially, I decided I was going to fight her when she stuck her hands/fingers in her mouth, but it's probably not worth it. Pick your battles, right? I think I'll wait until she's older to deal with it. Anyway, Gramma gave her a bath and a bottle, then she was off to bed. I followed just 20 minutes later!

Nevaeh has also started reaching for some objects. She can grab onto her Baby Einstein links and she likes her Bright Starts rattle, even though she isn't yet able to hold it. And although she's still a little small for her jumperoo, I put a phone book underneath her feet and she is able to bounce somewhat.

At her last doctor's office weigh-in (at 12 wks old), she was 16 lbs even with her diaper and onesie on! She's gaining good weight, especially in her tummy and legs, haha!

Well, that's about all for today from this household. I am exhausted and need to be up bright and early to get Nevaeh to daycare.

Ear Infection

Nevaeh went to the doctor today because I noticed she had been holding her left hand to her head the last few days and letting out random screams. As it turned out, she has an ear infection in her left ear. Geez louise. So she's on medication now and hopefully it clears up soon without any long-term damage.

Gymnast

Nevaeh goes to sleep on her tummy. This morning I found her in the crib on her back, arms flying and feet kicking about. She was in the exact same spot I left her in last night, just on her back. It appears as though I have a gymnast on my hands.

PJ's

Tonight I cut the tags off of a new sleeper for Nevaeh because she has outgrown so many of them already. (Interestingly enough, she has outgrown the 0-3 month ones and this new one is size "newborn.") I noticed two pockets on the front of the sleeper. Pockets. On a baby's sleeper. Are these pockets for ... her pacifiers???

Why aren't you awake???

Last night, I put Nevaeh to bed "early" because I had the chills and a bad stomachache and was completely exhausted, to top it off. It's now just after 3 am and I'm wide awake because my internal clock tells me that Nevaeh should have had a feeding in the last 1-2 hours. But she seems to be having her longest stretch of sleep ever, which is GREAT, except...did I mention it's just after 3 am and Mom is wide awake, pacing the floor, wondering when she is going to wake up?

I'm sure I'll be completely exhausted by the time Nevaeh decides that she's hungry.

Julie's foot update

I am happy to announce that the swelling I experienced in my feet during pregnancy has now disappeared. I feel like I have been given brand new feet and ankles. Again, enjoy the before and after pictures...

Nevaeh's eye update

It is healed! Yay! My little baby once again has use of both her eyes. I've attached before and after pictures...

Weight Loss Update

So far, so good with the weight loss. I only lost 13 pounds while in the hospital, but have lost 20 more since arriving home 12 days ago. I have 17 more pounds to lose before I hit my pre-pregnancy weight. My ankles have never been skinnier and I think I have lost weight in my 2nd biggest toes. I bought some non-maternity jeans the other day and while they are a far cry from my normal size 8's, not having an elastic waistband definitely put me on Cloud 9.

To-Do Lists

Mama's To-Do List:
1) Take shower.
2) Feed baby.
3) Drink fluids.
4) Feed baby.
5) Accomplish 53 daily tasks in 1.5 hours using one hand.
6) Feed baby.

*Notice how "sleeping" did not make the to-do list as an option.

Baby's To-Do List:
1) Eat.
2) Figure out the difference between night and day.
3) Eat.
4) Figure out why I keep getting scratches on my face and why Mama makes me wear mittens sometimes.
5) Eat.
6) Work on potty training.
7) Eat.
8) Watch Twins game with Mama.
9) Cry.

Are you expecting?

Four days after giving birth to Nevaeh, I found myself in a doctor's office type setting with her. I had just hauled her car seat, diaper bag, and my purse across a parking lot in 113 degree heat. Pure exhaustion for my already tired, sore, and sleep-deprived body. When we got inside, I put her in an empty chair in the waiting area and I sank into the one next to her, letting out an audible sigh of relief.

A woman across from me says, "Oh honey, that's not easy carrying around all of that stuff in this heat, is it? Especially when you've got another one on the way..."

I looked at her, said, "I'm not pregnant," and while pointing at Nevaeh, added, "She's only 4 days old."

Her response: "Oh... well, it's still not easy, is it..."

Asking a woman when her baby is due and then finding out the woman isn't pregnant would be pretty embarrassing. But assuming that a woman is pregnant, even after seeing that the infant she is hauling around is clearly under a month of age? Wow!

Nevaeh Marie

Finally, a post about my new bundle of joy!!!


Nevaeh (nuh-VAY-uh) Marie arrived two weeks early!





Date: Thursday, August 9, 2007

Time: 10:46 am

Place: Scottsdale, AZ

Weight: 7 lbs 6.2 oz

Length: 20 inches


It was a pretty short and sweet labor with no complications. We arrived home from the hospital on Saturday the 11th. Nevaeh caught an eye infection somehow within her first week of life and has been battling that. But, after 3 medications, an antibiotic shot at the doctor's office, and TONS of prayers (thank you, everyone!!!), her eye is healing and we pray there is no long-term damage.


So far, Nevaeh loves to sleep during the day and be fussy for Mama at night. She has Daddy's ears and feet (hopefully not on her way to a size 17, though!) and Mama's stubbornness. She likes to have her hands up by her face or over her head. Nevaeh loves to cuddle and she sometimes takes naps with Mama on the couch.


I'm sure there will be plenty of Nevaeh stories in the coming months and years, so stay tuned!

Poor Pants

This morning I wore some drawstring maternity pants to work. I walked into the bathroom stall with some urgency in my steps. As I hurriedly undid the drawstring tie, I managed to create a knot. So now I'm ready to pee my pants and I can't see over and around my belly to analyze the knot. There I stood. Helpless. It was awful.