Growing on Up!

I can't believe my little sweetie is getting so big and doing so many new things!  She just started crawling a week ago and within days of learning that she began pulling herself up on everything! Anything she can grab onto she uses to pull herself up to standing... including a little girl at church! ha ha ha.  That's another thing I've noticed lately.  She loves other little kids, a little too much!  She get very rough and pulls on them and grabs their faces.  Violet is not shy!  It's pretty funny to see.

So with all the new moving around she's bound to get some bumps and bruises.  So far she has only wacked her head and chin on the coffee table.  She likes to only hold on with one hand and balance on her own so sometimes that means a nice bonk on the side of her head.  A couple of times I have seen her let go completely and stand there balancing by herself ! Crazy!  Now I am starting to miss when she just laid there like a bump on a log!  I have to watch her every move, its a lot of work!

She pretty much loves to make messes all day long.  And it's not just scattering her gazillion toys around.  She loves to pull all the wipes out of the container, pull all the kleenex out of the box, take the folded clothes out of a laundry basket and pull all the books off a shelf.  You can literally twist your ankle walking through our living room.  She also just started taking baths without the baby bath.  She LOVES it.  She crawls around and plays with her bath toys.  When it's time to get out she tries to crawl away from me.  She would sit in there all day if she could.

She has become quite the hugger, kisser (ok, maybe slobberer), and cuddler as well.  I love when she hugs, it's probably my favorite.  She says mama and dada constantly and just started saying mama when she cries in her crib at night.  Smart cookie, way to make mommy feel bad.  She loves to drink out of her sippy cup and pretty much eats anything you give her.  Not a picky eater in the least.  I don't think she has ever not liked something, including dog food (yes she ate some) and a dog bone.  Funny kid. 

helping with the laundry

eating the dryer ball

her fav... she stands here looking at the dogs for like 30 minutes at a time (don't look at my dirty door)

playing with Max

makin' yet another mess

her first scone (a mini one from starbucks)

pulling out all the cookbooks (a piece of furniture I am redoing)

trying to crawl in there

I made some cake pops and let her have at it..

she LOVED it.. duh.. have u seen this chubby girl?

Daddy's Big Race

Justin ran in the Run Rocklin this past weekend and did an awesome job! He ran the 12k in about an hour, it was his first time doing a race and he did so amazing! Violet and I went to watch him take off and finish the race.  It was beyond freezing so we hung out in the car during the race.  I was pushing Violet in the stroller trying to get to the finish line in time and Justin comes running up behind me and grabs Violets stroller and got to run with her through the finish line, it was too cute!  We are so very proud of him!

before the race! how much do i love this pic...

sooo cold, notice her rudolph nose?

holdin' dads banana for him

somehow got it open and went to town!

her head got a little sun burned at the race so I slathered it with lotion when we got home.. see  the fluff? it made it stick up all over, too cute. (also notice her standing? she can now pull herself up onto things, including her crib)

Giveaway from Violet Alice

I am doing a giveaway of the super duper cute Anthropologie Inspired Finn Necklace over at http://madeitonmonday.blogspot.com !  Check it out! Jill from MadeitonMonday has a really fun blog with lots of cool craft ideas.  It's my first giveaway and I am excited to start doing these types of things, its a great way to get people to know about your shop!  So if you want this adorable necklace head on over to her blog and check it out!

Crawling Madness!

Well if you haven't seen the video I posted on facebook yesterday, Miss V is crawling!! She has been so close lately I knew it would be any day.  My mom came over so I could run to the post office and when I came back she had crawled! Without me! The little stinker!  But once she had a taste, she was ready for more! She also stands up on her legs like a monkey walks and is trying to walk that way too.  It's pretty cute to see.  Guess its time to buy a baby gate for the stairs and make sure everything is picked up and safe.  Eeeek! Now I have my hands full for sure!

The road to crazy crawling:

Here I am practicing.

Most the time I scoot backwards and end up under the couch. 

 

 

Quick break to read the weeklies

Baby Yoga- Downward Dog

Monkeying around, getting those legs strong!

Come on! Crawl or walk like a monkey over to Mimi!

 And here she goes...

Mom and Mimi were so excited they didn't notice her crawl on over to her snacks and dump the whole container out. Smart cookie.

Five Days of What I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom-- Day 5

Day 5- Pure Joy

I saved this post for the last day since it was most important to me.  Pure joy.  What does that mean to you?  For me it is simply one word.  Violet.  She has shown me the true meaning of happiness.  Never in my life have I experienced the joy I now feel.  Every hard part of being a mom, even the days you think you can't possibly handle the responsibility and lack of sleep, are all worth it.  100%.  I would go through 9 more months of no sleep all for this perfect little girl.  I would suffer through another 10 months of pregnancy to be blessed with her wonderful spirit.  She is literally the light of my life.  She completes my soul. 

I look at her in awe, how did we create this amazing little sweetheart? It is such a miracle.  I can't imagine my life without her.  I spend every waking minute with her and cherish it more than I can explain.  I miss her when I leave even if it's just a short trip to the grocery store.  I text Justin every 20 minutes practically if I leave.  It actually feels wierd to be away from her.  When I come home and see her it's like Christmas morning times 10. 

I have so many hopes and dreams for her, I hope that we will always remain close and good friends.  I hope to be a good mother.  Once again you can read all the books you want and take advice from others but only you can figure out how to be the best mother for your children.  It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it.  Actually, I think it' the most important job in the world.  Which is why we should get a large salary.  He he, I kid. 

To sum this post up I just want to reiterate that my new little family makes me so happy and fulfilled.  Children are the greatest gift ever and I feel so blessed that I am able to have them.  Since I was a little girl I have had a strong feeling that my purpose in life was to be a mother.  I never had high hopes of a huge career or fame, all I wanted was precious children and to devote my life to them.  Now that I have Violet I am confident I was right.  This is my true calling and I hope to be blessed with more sweet babies.  I love you Violet!

Five Days of What I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom-- Day 4

Day 4- Sleep, or should I say NO SLEEP

Besides breast feeding, dealing with sleep issues has been the hardest thing for me.  My one concern, the one thing holding me back from getting pregnant again is the lack of sleep.  Two babies that don't sleep might kill me.  All babies are different when it comes to sleep habits.  It would be a whole heck of lots easier if they were all the same.  Then we could figure out the one thing that works to get sweet baby to sleep more than 15 minutes at a time.  At the rate Violet is going now I won't be sleeping until she can pop an ambien.  Can babies have Nyquil?  Just kidding. 

When your baby doesn't sleep it feels like every other baby in the world sleeps perfectly.  It seems everyone you meet or talk to is singing praises about their kid sleeping through the night since he was 3 days old (ok that might have been an exaggeration).  They tell me what works for them and I think to myself "I have tried all of that".  The truth of the matter is your baby is gonna sleep when your baby is ready to sleep.  You can try everything you want  but sometimes nothing seems to work.  It is the most frustrating thing ever.  I read sooo many books on it too, and they all teach you different things.  I tried them all. Nada.

I should of known Violet would be an anti-sleeper since day one.  They tell you that newborns sleep and sleep and pretty much that's all they do.  Violet didn't even sleep that first night in the hospital.  She cried most of the night.  Those first few weeks at home she didn't sleep that much either.  It was a nightmare.  My hormones were crazy, I was a new mom and had no idea what I was doing and I hadn't slept in days.  I found myself thinking "Was I really ready to do this? Should I have waited?"  I felt so bad for thinking like that, I mean she was already here, I couldn't return her.  I became a little more sane after a few months and Violet even started sleeping through the night around 2 months old.  I remember bragging about it when people would ask if she was up all night.  No sir, my baby is perfect and sleeps from 7 to 8 am.  Not a peep comes from her.  Boy oh boy was I fooled.

She continued to sleep well till about 4 months.  We moved her to the crib because she was starting to seem cramped.  We had a few good nights and then she started the never ending bad sleep nights.  And up until a week ago, the terribleness has been going strong.  Some nights it was every hour, some nights maybe only 5 times.  Always a minimum of 3 times though.  The only easy thing about it is that I just nurse her for a few minutes and put her back down.  Its not a long process at each wake up.  As you may have realized, since Violet won't take a bottle, I have to be the one who gets up with her.  Yup you heard that right, I have gotten up every time since she has been born.  EVERY time.  I should win a Awesome Wife Award or something.  I'm sure Justin would get up with her, its just not realistic at this point.  (As soon as she is weaned he is getting up with her for the next 20 years).

Ok so I know your dying to know why things changed for the better lately? Welp, there my new best friends.  My trusty ear plugs.  Yup, ear plugs.  Violet's room is about a foot from ours so I hear every peep she makes.  I am a light sleeper so I always wake up.  When she wimpers, it seemed easier for me to go in there and get her back to sleep so I could go back to sleep faster.  Well now I don't have to go in there.  I have been wearing my ear plugs to bed every night and its working!  I don't hear all the little wimpering and she just goes back to sleep!  It is amazing how much it's changed things.  Last night I didn't go in there until 4:30, the night before was the same and the night before she slept all night!!  If she was really upset I could still hear her even with the plugs.  And if she cries before I even go to bed I try to go in the other room so I won't hear her.  She usually stops within 5 minutes.  I am actually getting some sleep!  Now, I know every night won't be so easy but I'll take what I can get. 

So hang in there if your in the same boat as me.  Maybe even try the ear plug idea.  Lots of energy drinks during the day help as well.

Five Days of What I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom-- Day 3

Day 3- Busy Busy Busy

You are now a mom, you are fully responsible for a human being that can't do anything for themselves.  You can no longer sit on the couch all day watching Lifetime and eating popcorn.  Rats.  You can't sit in your craft room all day sewing and crafting.  No one can prepare you for how busy you become. You have no time! "There's no time, there's never any time, no time to study, I'll never get into Stanford.." (sorry, had to do it- Saved by the Bell for those of u who don't know that famous line).  

Laundry- loads and loads and loads of it.  Babies do this thing called PUTB.  Poop Up The Back.  They do it very often, sometimes 10 times a day.  That means lots of outfit changes.  I swear I always have a basket or two full of laundry needing to be done or needing to be put away.  I don't mind doing laundry, I just despise putting it away.  Laundry kinda consumes your life, or atleast my life now.  I remember dreaming of the day Violet wouldn't PUTB and now she rarely does.  But in the place of PUTB is large human size poop logs that smell like human poop. Woah, who put this adult size poop in my babies diaper? But that's another story for another day.  (You will be wishing for that cute, not as smelly newborn mashed peas looking poop).

Your Home- My house used to be clean all the time.  Picked up, tidy, neat and clean.  Not so much anymore.  It looks like a tornado came through on most days.  Toys fill the floor, laundry piles on the couch, dishes in the sink and on the counter and don't even get me started on the bathrooms.  You may as well use the porta potty down the street.  My blinds are coated in dust, my floors are dirty with shoe prints and doggie prints and is that piece of Yorkie dog poo still in the office corner?  Petrified by now?  Be ready to be ok with having a messy house.  Until you can teach your rugrat to dust and sweep for you, it ain't gettin' done.


You- Hats, buy lot of hats.  And comfy gym clothes.  Sweats in all colors.  I have so many clothes, too many actually.  And guess what? They never get worn.  I live in pajamas, sweats, track suits and gym clothes.  It is literally all I wear.  Doing your hair? Heck, I don't even get to shower nearly as often as I'd like.  On the plus side my hair is really healthy since I never blow dry or straighten it.  I just put on a hat and I'm good to go.  Makeup? What is makeup? I think my mascara dried up months ago.  I honestly feel like I don't even know how to put it on anymore.  Anyone know of a makeup for moms class?  Ha.  They would probably teach you how to rub the carrots your baby spits at you on your cheeks for some color.

Shaving your legs is a distant memory.  I get happy when I get to brush my teeth before 5 pm.  I think my husband gets happy about that too. Painting your toe nails? Haaaaaaa.  Ya right.  I still have a smidge of polish on my big toe from the pedicure my sister gave me when Violet was 2 months old.  That's right, almost 7 months ago.  I didn't even cut them for like 3 months after that. Eagleclaws.com. And it doesn't get any better the older your baby gets.  Atleast not for me.  I still have to shower when she naps or when my hubby is home.  So no nap means no shower. You wanna know whats good about the new and not so improved you?  Your baby loves you no matter what and probably actually likes the stinky baby spit up on shirt you've been wearing for a week.  She likes your frizzy hair that tickles her face when you are playing with her.  Hmm.. makes it all seem worth it, huh.  Well... it definitely is.