Leaving On A Jet Plane...

All three of us had the crud last week.  I'm happy to report we are well (for the most part).  Elise is still finishing up a round of antibiotics.

We are leaving tomorrow for our trip down to East Texas for my cousin's wedding.  I have our BAG packed.  I have managed to pack all of Elise's, Jason's, and my stuff into one suitcase. 

I overhauled my diaper bag.  Removed the unacceptable bottles of lotion, etc. that aren't allowed and added some extra ammo for our flight.  If anyone is planning on flying with a small child, I would encourage you to follow this link for some ideas on keeping your little one happy while you're airborne.

I'll be returning next week with updates on Elise's first trip on an airplane, our trip, and photos.

Until then, here's some pictures of my big girl (who turned 11 months old on Sunday - which I'm still trying to come to terms with).

Quick Update

Elise woke up with a crusty nose this morning.  She's been sneezing all day (just like her momma & daddy) and coughing, runny nose, and grabbing her ear.  Allergies have been flaring up all over around here!

Jason's been under the weather this week, but I think his has been allergies and sinus problems.  He hasn't been kissing on Elise just in case he had something contagious.  He says he doesn't want to kiss me either because he doesn't want me to get sick and give it to Elise.... He could have just stopped with 'because he doesn't want me to sick.'

With today being Friday, we decided it would be a good idea to have Dr. Walsh check her out before the weekend.  I ran her downtown to the doctor's office.  She has an ear infection in one ear.  We got a prescription filled and she's had her first dose.  Now she's down for her nap.

Tomorrow, Jason, Lori, and I are doing the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure.  Elise loves to be pushed in her stroller, and it's not cold here so hopefully she will enjoy the fresh air tomorrow.  Obviously, we aren't doing the competitive run since I'm highly allergic to exercise.  We are doing the 5k fun run/walk which might send me into cardiac arrest.  Good thing I'm married to an EMT!

I got all of Elise's birthday invitations mailed out.  Obviously she doesn't have many friends since she's not in school or daycare, so mostly just family and a couple of close family friends.  I ordered some party supplies online from this awesome website.  We are doing a butterfly theme, so I got plates, napkins, table cloth, banner, and a centerpiece.  Things are coming together!  Because I have a mild case of OCD and like to be over-prepared for everything, I have made a list of the last few things to get besides ordering the cake plus my parents are helping with the food.  I don't want to be frantically trying to get things together at the last minute.  Then I would just be stressed out instead of enjoying myself.  I'm sure I'll be boo-hooing half the time because I'll be heart broken and in denial that my baby is 365 days old.


Next week, Elise will be taking her first trip on a plane.  We are heading down to East Texas for my cousin's wedding.  Obviously, I'll have my diaper bag packed with everything but the kitchen sink in order to assure a happy baby during the flight (I hope).  I just have to be careful and not use up all of my ammunition at once.  If she gets cantankerous I'll just pass her back to her Nana and Grandpa who are on the same flight as us!

Another challenge will be trying to pack Elise's, Jason's, and my stuff all into 1 bag.  It costs $25 per bag each way to check it, so I refuse to take more than one bag.  Wish me luck!  My husband is an over-packer!

Rear vs Forward Facing Carseat

I want to urge everyone to watch this video.  I think it's informative, but I don't want anyone to feel like they are making a wrong decision if they disagree.  There are many methods when it comes to caring for a child, but I just want to share this message with as many people as I can.  I feel strongly about the information given and plan to keep Elise rear-facing in her car seat as long as possible.

Elise & Riley

An Inevitable Catastrophe

Well, it finally happened.

It was just another evening of getting Elise fed and ready for bed.  First up, Green beans & pears for dinner.  She ate all that and was still hungry.  So, she washed those down with some blueberries and yogurt.

Then came bath time.  I started the water, let it run while I whisked her off to her room to strip her down, and plopped her down in the tub with all her toys.  I usually let her play in the bathtub for 5-10 minutes before I start to wash her.  I was just sitting on the toilet watching her play when she did it.

She took a HUGE shadoobie in the bath tub.  And it wasn't of the solid form.  Meaning it couldn't just be scooped up and dumped in the toilet.  Oh nooooo, not my girl.  She's a "Go Big or Go Home" kinda gal, so she made sure that her bath water would turn greenish/brown and be filled with endless amounts of poop particles. 

I just looked at her and the bath water in astonishment.  I wasn't 100% sure what to do... besides.......

"Jaassssoooooooonnnnnnnnnnn"

"what?"

"You need to come in here."

He stepped in the bathroom and laughed. 

Then said, "I guess we'll just try to break it up some more and wash it down the drain?"

Sounded good to me.  I picked Elise up out of the water (who at this point was trying to slide around on her belly and put her face in it.)  I held her so she could sit on the edge of the tub and turned the water on so Jason could spray it down the drain.  I gathered up all the toys before they came into contact with it.  It took a little longer to get down the drain than you would think... it was EVERYWHERE!  Jason sprayed the bigger stuff with the high pressure nozzle and it disintegrated into nuclear poop particles.

I put her back in the tub with some fresh water.  She was all smiles.  She must have been proud of herself.  I hope she never does that again.

10 Month Letter & Pics (a little late)

Dear Elise,

We are quickly approaching the one year mark.  It already makes me sad but happy at the same time.  I find myself looking back at the pictures of you when you were first born and those first couple of months because I don't want to forget all those little memories.

I am so proud of the sweet baby that you are.  You smile at people when we go out, but tuck your head down and bury it into my shoulder when you are feeling shy as they try to talk to you.  In my 25 years of life I have done a lot of things, but I can now confidently say that being your momma has been the most fulfilling and rewarding.  I have achieved many things, but you are my greatest achievement. 

People spend their lives trying to find their niche, looking for something they are "good" at.  Your daddy for instance, is a very good firefighter.  That's what he's put almost every ounce of his being into.  Well, I too have found what I am good at...  being your mom. 

You will keep growing up (not too fast!), and I fear the day your teenage attitude takes over the sweet baby that I grew for 9 months, labored and delivered, breastfed until my I thought I my boobs would fall off, and lost countless hours of sleep for.  But, after that time comes and goes, I hope that you will always look at me and think "yeah, that's my MOM.  She's the best!"

Love Always,

Momma

Almost Walking

When Elise's Nana bought her this toy to help her start walking, she only liked to bang her other toys on it to make noise.  Now, she's getting the hang of it but I'm afraid the poor girl needs more room!  We're going to have to get her a bigger house!

By Request

It has been brought to my attention by my mother that it "has been over a week" since I posted a video of Elise.  So, by request here is a video of her nothing out of the ordinary and not performing any tricks. Enjoy.

Obsessed, Irrational, and Completely Nuts

Remember way back when I posted about making Elise's baby food?  Well, it has consumed my life and turned me into some kind of obsessive freak.

At first I was super proud of myself and thought how awesome it is that Elise is getting homemade food without all the additives and preservatives.  Occasionally, I would feed her store-bought food if we were out, or I was in a pinch.  I really thought nothing much of it, even though I preferred for her to have the food I made.

I'm always giving her new things to try that aren't your conventional baby food items.  Blueberries, mango, avocados, and next up is eggplant.  The pediatrician was all for it.

I've been making all of her food successfully and just rocking right along until last night....

I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and my friend Alexis came along.  I ventured over to the applesauce and thought I would save myself some time and just buy some because Elise eats it like it's going out of style.  Well, I looked at a few different kinds, read all the ingredients (because I'm a freak) and came across 'high fructose corn syrup'.  I put the jar back and told Alexis "never mind, I'll just make it myself.  It has high fructose corn syrup in it."  She just looked at me and kind of chuckled.  Then it occurred to me how freaking nuts I sounded.  She told me that Elise would have it sometime and it would probably be okay in moderation.  I agree with this.

So, now this whole making of the baby food has made me some obsessive compulsive lunatic that reads the labels and ingredients on everything.  I once stood in front of the apple juice for 6 minutes trying to determine if I wanted it 'from concentrate' or 'not from concentrate.'  Before all this, I was just a normal person that went grocery shopping.

And because I want my child to have a diverse pallet, I spent 10 minutes today circling the produce section looking for plums and apricots only to not find them.  I now have to drive to the GIANT produce grocery store in Amarillo for these 2 items.  I guess there isn't anything a mom won't do for her baby!  The good news is, I found some all natural applesauce that was only made of apples!

Hopefully I won't have to seek therapy.

This Is Not A Joke

This is probably going to give you the biggest laugh of your adult life.  If you know me.

I have put in an application to be a ....

wait for it, wait for it.....................




Substitute Teacher.

Yes, to those of you who are laughing right now, I realize this goes against everything I have ever said.  For all of those years I insisted...

1) I don't like children
2) I'm not having any kids
3) I have no desire to be a teacher

Well, I still don't really like children, but I can tolerate them a lot more than I used to.  There are actually a few that I do like (I use the words 'few' and 'like' loosely).  Obviously reason number two is null and void since I have Elise now.  And as far as number three, well I still have no desire to be a "real" full-time teacher, but I think it would be fun to fill in as one a couple days a week.  I naively say, this of course, because I really have no idea what to expect.

I told my friend, Jarrett yesterday that I had applied for the job and his reaction was just as I would expect.

"Bahahahaha..... I can just see you yelling at a bunch of kids!!!"

Really, it can't be that bad.  I have an enormous amount of patience compared to what I used to (Jason can vouch for that), and of course there will be the trouble makers but surely nothing I can't handle.  Besides, I only applied to substitute up to the 5th grade I think.  I decided I couldn't deal with the high schoolers, and we'll see how it goes before I agree to any junior high kids.  Of course, I haven't been interviewed yet, but they have checked my references.  Hopefully, all 5 of the references didn't laugh hysterically and say...


"What?!  Stephanie hates kids!  Am I being punk'd?  Where's Ashton?!"

It could happen.


My babysitter can only watch Elise on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  So, I will only plan on being available those days.  I figured that a few days a week would be a good opportunity for Elise to get some interaction with other kids, and for me to get a little extra cash.

Also, my mother-in-law can finally quit asking me and Jason if I've ever thought about teaching, if the schools offer child care to teachers, and saying "it's too bad Stephanie didn't get her teaching certificate."  Now, maybe her world can start rotating again because I will have at least applied to do something related to being a teacher.  That is, until she starts getting the idea again that I need to do it full time like she and Jason's sister did.

I swear, every time she says "have you ever thought about teaching?" I always want to respond with...

"Uh, yeah I have.  And I've thought about how I would never want to willingly involve myself in that suckfest!"

Anyway, I'm not knocking the teachers out there.  I've had some great teachers in my day and some not so great ones.  I think it definitely takes a very special person to be a teacher.  I think it would be a good opportunity for me to learn how to relate to the kids, as well as share my knowledge with them.  (Was that a a good answer to an interview question?)

I mean, half the time, I think I'm on the same level as them.  I always want to watch Mary Poppins when it comes on The Family Channel, I dig Miley Cyrus, and had a mild case of Beiber Fever.  I had a lot of fun when I was in elementary school, so I could make it fun for the kids and they would like me.  As long as I don't have to deal with any barfing or pooped pants.

So who knows, maybe in the next few weeks, I'll have everyone start addressing me as Mrs. J or Ms. Stephanie.

Fashionista

What have I become?

I took Elise to the mall yesterday.  We went to the shoe department in Dillards and then promptly to The Children's Place.  They had some $5.99 sales going on, so I took her in to see if there was anything she needed.  I saw a couple of shirts that had potential, but didn't want to make any quick decisions until we went to Gymboree.

I sped past The Buckle (my former must-go-in-store) because that's a thing of the past now, and straight into Gymboree.  More sales.  Unfortunately, I couldn't hardly think because the air conditioner was broken and I had a headache.  Plus, this old lady was in there trying to buy coordinating outfits for a 4 year old and a baby.  She was blocking the entire section I needed to get in.  She was just standing there in this glazed eye stupor until the little girl that worked there came to see if she needed any help.  Meanwhile, I'm sweating my ass off, my head is throbbing, and Elise is grabbing anything in her reach off the racks.

I had a couple of things I was considering buying, but then remembered I had some Gymboree Bucks coming in my UPS box that should have been here already.  So, I had the worker hold the stuff I wanted to buy because I certainly wasn't going to spend money when I could use the Gymboree Bucks.

"Are these on sale?"

"I'm not sure, but I think so."

"Can you hold these until tomorrow?"

"Sure"

"When are you getting the new lines in?"

"Tuesday"

This is were I had to question what I just said.  I was worried about when Gymboree was getting their new lines in, because heaven forbid my child wear last season's clothes????  I don't even ask the people at Express or The Buckle when they are getting in new lines FOR ME!

So, here I sit today waiting and waiting on the UPS dude to bring me my box with my Gymboree Bucks so that I can go get those Lilac Leggings and maybe that coat if they still have it.

I mean, Elise (and I) hardly ever go anywhere, but by God she will be wearing this season's Gymboree sweaters and pants!

And I will still be wearing sweaters and sweat shirts from 3 years ago.  Maybe you're only as fashionable as your child.

Bandana Babee

I was just waiting for her to say, in her most serious, sweetest voice...

"Yo, Mom-mee!  Hows about you put me the stroller and we go cut some doughnuts and pop some wheelies?!"

If At First You Don't Succeed...

Remember when I told you about the antics Jason and I play on each other?  The one about throwing cold water on top of each other while the other is showering?  Well, if you can't, sorry because I can't find the post to link you back to it so you're on your own.

Well, one of my favorite blogs to follow, The Pioneer Woman, gave me a new idea for playing a trick on my husband.  It involves this...

I realize this snake looks very fake.  I picked it up at Wal-Mart yesterday.  I figured with the proper placement it could really scare the daylights out of my poor unsuspecting hubby.  He hates snakes with a fiery passion of undying flames.

So, I left the snake in the truck and waited for Jason to go out back and start up the grill.  Then, I swiftly brought it inside and went to work on my master plan.

I would strategically place the snake in the shower so that Jason would turn on the water, piddle around a bit while it warms up, and then hop on in.  He would then become so scared when he saw the snake that he would hop around, fall, scream, grab the shower curtain, have a heart attack, and everything would come toppling down on top of him.  All while I laugh uncontrollably and pee my pants from the hysteria.

It could really scare a person if they just saw it out of the corner of their eye while standing under the water.

So, I waited all night for him to go take a shower... all the while, laughing on the inside at my ingenuity.  Then, the time came.  He announced he was going to the shower and I almost couldn't control myself any longer.  As soon as he walked off I grabbed the camera and got it ready to go because I was most definitely not going to miss an opportunity to catch Jason screaming like a little girl.

I held my breath to keep from laughing and stood outside the bathroom door...

(The video is very dark, but I was only hoping to get an audio.  Just wait for the end of it)



My plan FAILED!  He wasn't scared at all.  The only person that got scared was me after that bathroom door flew open and I took off running.  He told me to sleep with one eye open because he would get me back.  So, I contemplated putting the snake in one of his drawers to try to scare him again, but decided against it.  Now I have that fake rubber snake hiding in my lingerie drawer...  that is until he reads this.  There is no way I'm letting him use my own trick against me!

I Am SuperMOM

It has occurred to me why God chose women to be moms.

The moment Elise was born, I inherited these extra super powers.  I didn't know that at the time, though.  I didn't know that when I was in the hospital alone with her while Jason went home for a while... I was just kind of like "now what?"

But over the last 10 months it has become much more evident to me that I am awesome.  I rock.  The end.

You know the cat-like reflexes that moms have?  The ability to save the sippy cup from being thrown across the kitchen floor?  The numerous fall preventions and saves?  The super fast maneuver of the paci into the mouth of a sleeping baby starting to stir?  I don't think my husband has any experience with those things.

Since having Elise I have become overly prepared for any situation we may encounter while away from home.  I have my diaper bag packed with everything but the kitchen sink.  I may need back surgery in the future from carrying it on one shoulder and a baby on the opposite hip, thus contorting my spine into that of a Scoliosis patient, buuuuuut.... a spare outfit?  No problem.  A bib and spoon? Got it.  Q-Tips and those cloths that have soap in them and you just add water?  I have plenty.  Tylenol and Desitin? Yep.  You get the point.

Another invaluable skill?  I have the ability to hear sounds that are not usually detected by the average human ear.  I could ask Jason "huh?" three times because I have no idea what he's saying (could be from his mumbling), but I can be sitting on the couch while Jason watches football loud enough to think you are actually in the stadium.  Elise can be asleep in her room with the door closed and the baby monitor turned off, and I'll be able to hear her quiet little cries and noises when she starts to wake up.

While I knew I was pretty awesome for having these super duper talents, it didn't really occur to me until the other day while Jason and I were at Chic-fil-A.  I had nursed Elise prior to going there.  We got our food and settled her in a high chair.  As you know, she likes to cause major drama when I get ready to eat.  But, being the super mom that I am, I was able to whip her up a completely well balanced meal within minutes.  We'll say it was a "Picnic in a Purse" even though it was my diaper bag.  Before we left the house I tossed her sippy cup with juice, a banana, a little plastic cup of cereal, and some pre-packaged baby food into my bag.  Typically, I make all of Elise's food, but threw the Gerber squash into my bag just in case.  While we were eating, I was able to get her a meal made with squash (veggie), banana (fruit), and cereal (grain) with juice to go with it.  Go Momma!

The day after I was thinking to myself... it's just an instinct now to make sure I am prepared for anything before walking out the door.  I don't even think twice about it.

And God knew that men couldn't possibly have the mental capacity to think about all of those things.  My husband can't even remember to lock our back door every day.

My Current Obsession

I am in party planning mode.  That is, a 1 year old's birthday party.  Elise won't be 1 until October 26 and I realize it's only September 3.  There isn't much cause for frantic planning, but I made the small and intimate guest list last month, I have already designed the invitations and plan to order them in the next couple of weeks so I can get them mailed out by the end of this month.  I have done some online research about what kind of cake I want to get her and obviously will be hitting up the party supply store to see what kind of decorations are in order.

While I realize that Elise won't remember her first birthday party, she will have plenty of pictures to look at when she's older.  In addition to celebrating the fact that we managed to keep Elise alive and healthy for 365 days and all of the milestones she's accomplished within that time, we are also celebrating the fact that Jason and I survived our first year of parenthood and sleepless nights without killing ourselves, each other, the dogs, or any other innocent by stander.

We had initially thought about having a BBQ and having burgers and hot dogs with cake to follow.  But, then changed our mind because we weren't certain of what the weather would be doing.  Now the plan is to have some snacky, finger foods and then cake and ice cream.

If anyone has any suggestions for me I'd love to hear them!  I am not a party planner and definitely not a child's party planner!

All I Can Say Is...

It's a good thing my child sleeps in the dark.  These jammies are a tad bit over-stimulating.  On some occasions Jason asks me "what the hell is she wearing?!?!"  Since I always make her wardrobe decisions for her.  Tonight's ensemble brought that exact reaction.  These are her new jammies I ordered from the Children's Place.  They were on sale and I needed some footed sleepers in 12 mo. sizes because she's getting too long for her current sleepwear... as you saw when she proceeded to remove them from her body.  Although these jams are a little over the top, I happen to adore them.

Backyard Update

So here's the good, the bad, and the ugly on our backyard project.  Needless to say, it's better (I use the term loosely), but there are still some issues.

First of all, this is what we've got...

 

As you see there is some green stuff and some bare ground.  There is grass, but there's a lot of clover out there now that we didn't have before.  According to the landscaper dude that did the work, that's pretty standard, and the clover will eventually go away once the grass takes over.  But, here's the problem...

When we had that big rain, it washed away some of our grass in the low spots of the yard.  Leaving it looking less than desirable.  The landscaper dude said he would come back and re-spray these spots that got washed away.  Well, that hasn't happened yet.

The other evening, Jason noticed some landscapers had just finished laying down an entire yard of sod in a new housing addition.  He stopped and asked them what they planned on doing with the leftover scraps.  They told him he could have them.  So, he laid the scraps down along the house and patio where the seed had been washed away.

The best grass growth we have is under our big tree.  Now, to just get the rest of the yard in that same condition.

But there is some good news....

Our next door neighbor agreed to pay to replace our craptastic fence if Jason would do the labor and put it up.

Stay tuned for following updates.  I'll try not to be such a slacker like I have been.