Video of Miss A Milestones & More (Almost 10 Months!)

My daughter will be ten months old in four days! How crazy is that! Her first birthday is coming up so fast I can hardly believe it. I decided to make a video that sheds some light on some of her accomplishments these past couple months. People aren't joking when they say babies grow up so fast! Here is my living proof!

FYI: I am experimenting with iMovie  '11 so please bare with me on my lack of video editing skills. I'd love to spend much more time figuring out the iMovie program because it promises awesome home-video-making potential. However, with a fast crawler rummaging throughout our home, I don't have enough spare concentration to learn quite yet!

Miss A's Nine Month Check Up!

I don't know what took me so long but I finally brought my camera to the doctor's office for Miss A's nine month check up. This check up was particularly good because she wasn't going to get any shots! Thank God!

Miss A is currently 31" (which not only means she is off the charts for height, but her car seat is no longer suitable/legal!) She weighs 20lbs. She is one healthy baby girl and I am one proud mommy!

I LOVE THE CHILDREN'S CHECK UP ROOMS! This time she had a lovely blue hippo! :)

Working Mom Likes Work (Is that wrong?)

[Hello! I am currently on a coffee high right now and my precious daughter is napping. Double Score! I want to spend some time thinking about... something important.]

I constantly have people asking me if I'd prefer to stay at home with my baby instead of work. The truth is that I enjoy working. I enjoy time spent outside of the house.

It's not that I don't like spending time with my baby because I definitely do. I am just not one to stay cooped up inside each and everyday. I have always kept a very busy schedule. During high school and college, I participated in several activities at once... piano lessons, sports, meditation club, work, internships, class, etc. I am just used to multitasking (or at least I was). Having a baby was some type of enlightening experience for me. My only task is to care for and love my baby. Nothing more. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that babies cause you to be cooped up in the house all day long, despite what it feels like. Babies can be taken anywhere you go--- out to eat, to the park, zoo, grocery store, etc. But they do require feedings and naps every couple hours. They do require entertaining, time, work, and energy.

People like to guilt trip me. They ask, "Don't you miss spending all day with your baby?" I respond bluntly, "Nope. I like the break. I also love my work and all the people I get to see." I have given up on explaining myself because it is pointless. Sometimes I just respond with a simple "No." I like to cause drama I guess. It doesn't really matter what I say though because I always end up feeling guilty for the rest of the day.

The two loves of my life <3

This is a really dumb topic when you hear my work schedule. I work part time. I only work 35 hours a week for one to two months at a time. Out of the whole year, I work maybe four months. In Miss A's life thus far, I have worked three out of her nine months of existence. I am very lucky to have so much time with her. I know this but when people hint at the fact that I'd rather work than be a stay at home mom, I feel insulted. I feel like I am a bad mother when really I am not. Working allows me to spend more quality time with Miss A rather than just being home with her all day. If I am with her all day, everyday I grow restless and the time spent with her isn't as exciting as the time I have with her after I get out of work. When I come home from work, I am very excited to see her and I smother her in hugs and kisses. I tell her how much I've genuinely missed her and then we get time to laugh and play. The weekends are more enjoyable because I get two whole days to be with her. Working makes me not take the time we have together for granted. Also, when I am at work she is never with a random babysitter. She is always with either her daddy or grandma. Working gives Miss A more quality time with other members of the family.

Granted, I am not working my "career" full time job yet, I know things will change. Maybe I won't like longer work hours and I'll feel like I don't get enough time with Miss A later. But for now... my time commitments balance out.

I don't like people making me feel bad about myself. Duh. And I don't like people telling me how to live my life. I have a million dollars in student loans to pay off. And I also have my own life to live as well as provide a good path to success for my daughter. I just want people to respect the way I choose to live my life. If it bothers you, get over it and live your own life please (and thank you).

It's funny because the people who complain have children and work themselves. Go figure.

ARE YOU A WORKING MOM? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BALANCING FAMILY & WORK TIME?

The Worst Change Since Pregnancy: Strong Gag Reflex

Besides the normal pregnancy/motherhood changes that I will mention only to send my complaints out into the world... (pause)

I still have stretch marks.
I still lactate. (I stopped breastfeeding almost five months ago.)
I am permanently sleep deprived. 
My brain no longer cooperates like it used to. Read here for a failed attempt at explaining myself.
Due to toy overload & my 9 month old's undeveloped cleaning abilities, I cannot keep my house clean.
 
(resume) ... I ALSO have the worst gag reflex ever now! This is the real reason for my post. I NEED to complain about this because I just do not understand it. It is so bad that I constantly presume to think I am pregnant with a second child! And with all the chaos of sorting out my life with my first baby, that thought is not a happy-naked-baby-floating-on-clouds-with-bunnies thought. It is downright terrifying.

My symptoms consist of the normal gagging at the sight or smell of unpleasant things like curdling baby formula left in a bottle for three weeks or dog poop squished between your toes. But also the thought of unpleasant things...

Miss A ate something off the floor today, gagged, and vomited it up right in front of me. I ran, while gagging, to get a cloth for her and my carpet, and then instantly had to run, teary eyed and gagging, back to the bathroom... When I regained my sense of composure, I came back and realize she gagged on a piece of old salami... that she threw on the floor many many hours earlier. Needless to say, I ran back to the bathroom. Thankfully I have only threw up a few times with these gagging episodes. Usually I just get all teary eyed and upset my stomach. 

Often, I just feel nauseous/gaggy (Can I say that?) for no reason at all. Today I literally gagged without anything unpleasant in mind or sight. I ate my healthy dinner at 4:30pm and around 7:00pm I was gagging for fun. I laid down while Miss A napped because I felt slightly nauseous (from gagging?) and it took all my effort NOT to gag while laying down in bed. What is my problem?

List of Reasons I Gag (pleasant huh?)

• Nasal Dripping in Back of Throat
• Excess Phlegm
• Spoiled Milk
• Scent of Bananas (too powerful)/ Other Strong Scents
• Changing Dirty Diapers
• Watching Amelia Eat Catfood
• Watching Anyone Eat Something Gross/ Raw Eggs
• Some Meat/ Too Much Meat/ Nasty Ground Beef/ Raw Meat/ Red Meat
• Eat Too Much/ Eat Too Little
• Brushing Tongue
• NOTHING AT ALL

Just writing this post is making my stomach queasy. I am not exaggerating either.

Now I didn't have the perfect, strong stomach before but gagging was NEVER an issue until my first trimester of pregnancy hit me full force. I wasn't the pregnant lady who threw up every morning, but I was the pregnant lady who gagged dozens of times throughout the day. SO... VOILA-- GUESS WHAT-- My strong, powerful gag reflex has decided to stick with me on my battle through life. I'm so lucky. I told my doctor about this when I saw her four months ago but I was recovering from bronchitis so she said that I would most likely get over it. She was helpful. AND WRONG! (LIKE USUAL!) Oh my bad, that's another issue.

But hey-- life is good! At least I have a cute little baby girl now... to gag at every second of the day.

:P 

Banana Time!

We have been working on solid baby foods with Miss A. She looovvesss bananas and really everything else except for Gerber's Cheesy Broccoli/Carrot Mush. It's weird because I always assume anything with cheese has got to taste better!

Miss A is a pro at the "banana eating" task now, so I thought I'd flatter her by announcing her new big girl abilities with glamor shots.  ;)

Banana Time!

I love this picture on the left. It's hilarious! "Nuummmmmmmmmmmmm Banana...."

Blahhh!

Husband got forced to work three 12 hour days in a row.
I never see him anymore.
Baby did NOT sleep well last night... woke up every hour crying.
Turns out baby is sick. Running Nose. Cough. Red Cheeks. The Whole Works.
Husband comes home at 5am again tonight.  (Started work at 5pm.)
I work tomorrow at 8am.
Grandma can't watch baby til 12:30pm tomorrow.
Can't bring baby else where because she is sick and we don't have a formal babysitter to pay. 
I'm forced to call off work for the first half of my day tomorrow. LAST NOTICE. Can't call in til morning.
[Probably contributing to the reason women are discriminated against in the workforce.]
Been only partially successful cuddly & comforting my crying baby all day and night.
Bought a pack of disposable diapers for $40 today, accidentally. [Thought they were only $20.]
Too late to return them because we broke open the box & changed baby's diaper before paying.
Feeling guilty for not using cloth diapers for an entire month.
Disposables make her poor little bum bright red from diaper rash. gDiapers are much better with that issue.
Feeling guilty for giving up baby sign language.
[I still sign bottle, diaper, clean, dirty, more, I Love You, Water, and All Done... but what's the point if no one else does.]
Barely have time to reflect on how my own life is not going in the direction I want it to.
I'm stuck, feeling hopeless, and giving up on my own life.
Praying for sick baby to sleep through the night tonight.
Praying she is all better by morning and that I'm not sick.
Unlikely. 

V-Tech Sit to Stand Pink Activity Walker

This past Christmas Miss A received this totally awesome pink activity walker made by V-Tech. She hasn't been able to use it in the standing position until recently. Before she pounded on the top piano/activity center while it was on the floor. (And I do mean pound. Anything to hear that dang cow or lion talk!) Now that Miss A is 9 months old, we let her stand by it and play with all the gadgets and buttons attached to it. Since she her legs are still pretty wobbly, I still remain close by while she plays. The toy itself is fairly stable. I've only seen her tip it forward once or twice. It has breaks on the bottom so it won't roll forward. I'll lift the breaks once she starts walking or taking a few steps by herself. The best part of this product is that it is an educational toy. It promotes learning colors, numbers, animals, and traffic safety ("Look Both Ways!" and "Go Slow!") not only in English but in Spanish as well. I am even learning some animals in Spanish-- pretty cool for the parents passionate about foreign language. (That's us!) She really loves this toy because she is able to stand and play... and that's exciting! It's something new. Sounds silly but it's huge for her. Look at all her excitement!

 

Miss A is fully entertained by the V-Tech Sit to Stand Pink Activity Walker! 

vtech

Wordless Wednesday: Result of Eating TOO Many Carrots & Sweet Potatoes!

Mommy, why did you dye my nose orange?

Result of Eating TOO Many Carrots & Sweet Potatoes!