Sitting still - an exercise in futility

This week V ventured back to school.  I, however, didn't fair as well, and was sick most of the week.  I can't remember the last time I was this sick.  I thought I was on the mend from the previous week, but then on Sunday night, I got the chills so bad, I thought we had teleported to the North Pole.  And then two hours later, my body produced so much water sweat, E had to evacuate the bed.  He had to migrate to V's room to sleep on the daybed so that I could sleep on the dry patch that was left on his side.

For a while there, I thought I caught some wild jungle monkey disease that was passed on to me from my child which she in turn caught from school, but in retrospect, I think it was a combination of 9 months of being completely run down, still nursing, and the worst allergy season in years.  My sinuses are less than thrilled. Another post about snot and being sick - so riveting.  Sadly however, that seems to be a recurring theme around here. 

We tried to take some 9 month pictures of V with her bear, but she's a woman on the move and will not stay still for anything.  So, the below is our attempt to take her growth progress pics.  Hard to tell as her sole purpose during this shoot was to climb off the chair.  We did sneak a couple of semi good shots in, but the girl's running circles around us already. 

Hi Mommy!  Try and take my picture!

I think I want to go to the edge here.

Um.. okay - now I'll hide behind Mr. Bear.

Fine - thumb in the mouth.

Um - I think I want to go to the edge again.

You want me to do what???  Don't worry Mr. Bear. I won't leave you.

No!  I want off this chair!

Maybe if I try it this way..  Sorry Mr. B.  It's every man for himself around these here parts.

Kamikaze!

Okay okay Mommy!  Get your shot. But I'm not sitting up straight.

And enough of that.

Oh Mommy.. You'll never learn.. 

A year and 9 months

Today is our 1 year wedding anniversary (no need to do the math...).  I'm not a woman without a past or skeletons in my closet, but I will say this.  This has been one of the most trying years of my life - bar none.  However, through it all, I've truly never been more at peace in my heart and happier in my relationship.  I love you honey!  More than I ever could say!  Thank you for giving me you!  You make me the happiest I've ever been even through everything we're going through and you've given me the best little girl I could have ever asked for.  You are my everything.  XOXOXO

This week was hard.  V got sick on Sunday and was sick all week long.  She went to school for a total of 4 hours and in the process, got me sick, so towards the end of the week, we were both pretty miserable.  Thank God for my mom who came and helped me 4 times out of the week, including Saturday during the day and night.  Now, V seems to be getting much better and me, although I still am pretty congested, am getting better right behind her.  This too shall pass.

So, on to more exciting things.  Today, we went to Uncle N's and Aunt E's for V's 9 month photo shoot!  The pics turned out so good!  I'm going to try to edit some of my faves this week and post, but here are a handful from the raw footage. 

Sugars for Daddy!

A true Russian face!  Can't escape your genes!

The necklace V's wearing is an amber teething necklace.  She's 9 months old and still no teeth, but MONTHS and MONTHS of teething.  So, a friend of mine had one of these for her daughter and she swears by it, and I figured that it's worth a try.  If nothing else, it looks pretty. 

Again?!?!?!

Um... ok... (The)Croup..  I know it's been hard on you since we broke up.  I know you've spent many restless nights tossing and turning, thinking up ways to get back into my life, but this? This is not good.  This is borderline psychotic, crazy stalker ex-boyfriend, and we both know you're better than that.  So, let's part ways peacefully and I won't ruin your rep with the other ladies. 

Miss V is sick.. again.  This is the third time she's been croupy and it's heart-wrenching. She was a total trooper though this weekend through Easter and my mom's and grandpa's birthday party at our house.  She was a little cranky, but did well overall. 

Friday during lunch, V and I went to go visit my good friend T and her family.  Her daugher A is 4 and loved playing with V.  She was so curious about her and wanted to show her all her toys and was asking all sorts of questions about her.   Here are some pics of the girls together.

Friday night, E, his dad and his dad's fiance grilled stakes and painted Easter eggs.  We tried the fancy shmancy paints that you put in a bag and roll the eggs around in, and the finished product wasn't as good as the old-fashioned dipping in water way.  Here's the result.  Note the bruised egg repaired with duct tape.  It suffered a broken shell in the beautifying process and needed a little something extra to make it feel special. 

Mine are the pretty sparkly ones....

Then Saturday we went to V's friend D's 1st birthday party and then later in the evening had my family over for a double birthday celebration.  Both birthday parties were tons o' fun.  The girls (D & V) were so stinkin' cute playing with each other.  They've known each other since they were 3 1/2 months and 6 weeks old, respectively and are the best of buddies.

What's that??

Then Sunday, V got dolled up in her Sunday best and we went to Church for and then to Aunt E's and Uncle N's for Easter.  This is where things started to go down hill for V and (the)croup, but she hung in there until after we got home, at which time she puked all over herself and the changing table.  She was so so tired and wanted to sleep so bad, but just kept coughing and choking and finally just threw up.  (On a serious note, it's so hard to watch your child choking to throw up the phlegm that (the)croup has so graciously left inside her throat.  It scares her and it scares mommy even more.  We're not fans!)

Miss sick eyes.

Happy Easter everybody!

I have more pics from Easter, but they're in Mimi's camera, so I must patiently wait until she sends them to me.

So now, V's asleep, but if I was a bettin' woman, I would say the odds are against her sleeping through the night in her room.  We shall see. 

Here are some pics of V from Saturday night.  We're going to have another professional photo shoot with Uncle N next weekend and V and I both can't wait!

I'm talking! (Sorta..)

V has yet another cold.  Actually I can't remember the last time she hasn't had a runny nose or was just 100% not sniffling, coughing, etc etc etc.  I wouldn't say she's sick, but her nose is a lot more congested the past several days than usual.  This makes sleeping a difficult task.  Although she's a good sleeper, one has a hard time sleeping well when they can't breathe through their nose.  And herein have lied the problems this weekend.  Last night was the worst.  She woke up around midnight and did not want to go back to bed.. until after 3 AM!  Yes - we've regressed back to the infant days over the weekend where we have no schedule and wake up at random times throughout the night to cry and feed.  BUT - in the midst of this chaos, while she was laying in our bed* terrorizing daddy (she thought it was playtime.  I guess I could see where she thought 3 am was a good time to party.. I once used to have that mentality, but that was a lifetime ago and I digress) she said her first word.  Her very first real word.  She's babbling dada, baba, etc for a while now, but as she was pounding on E to play with her, she took a break and very meticulously and slowly, in the sweetest little girl voice, said "Da da."  Needless to say, my heart melted and I got a bit choked up.  And today, through the day, she keeps saying and it and saying.  And it's not the dada of the babble before.  It's definitely the Dada meaning daddy.   She's so proud of her communicative achievement and so are we!

Here are some pics from this week.  I bought her a little bathing suit with a tutu for pics and we tried it on for Papa (Grandpa) when he was over this week.  She's pulling up so much better this week and is standing with one handed support.  I think she'll be walking within two months. We shall see.

*The only time she gets to be in our bed is when she's sick. 

My little ballerina.  I love how she's pointing her little toes!

I love this pic of my Dad and her!  Love how she's watching him and he's showing her all the fun things outside the window.  Oh the things you'll learn little one.

And now, here's V showing off her pulling up skills.

Umm - let's see - now push up.

Maybe if I try with my teeth. Works for Mattie.

Time to ham it up for the camera.  What's that Papa? A cell phone camera??

Paying close attention to Papa.  He's very wise.

Now, back by popular demand (consisting of myself), here's a pic of my other girl - Miss Mattie!  V's off wrecking havoc in the background while Mattie and I pose for the camera. 

And last but not least, my two girls together.  Miss M is looking very regal annoyed because we've been in her chair and are intruding on her happy place time.

- Mattie tells the funniest jokes! 

 - It aint' that funny kid.

Changing table fun

V is SO ticklish!  The below is pretty dark, but you can still hear her Dr. Evil laugh.  "I shall call him mini-me."

V laughing at Daddy's tickles

Great snow storm of 2010 - Part deux

It's March 21, the first day of spring, and we got 2.5 inches of snow last night!  Say what?!  That's right - two and a half inches, on the first official day of spring.  To document this momentous event, V took some pictures in the snow. 

Happy Spring!

I'm a boy - Psych!

V's lack of hair makes her look like a boy.  Add Daddy's hat, I have to do a double take.

Exhibits.

Wuz up!

Ah Shucks Daddy!  That's funny!

Peek a boo.

These next two pics I love because a) it looks like she's flirting with the camera and b) b/c she's looking like a little person rather than a little baby.  These pics look so "adult" to me and seem like they have glimpses of what she is going to look like as a young lady.   I love this little girl of mine.  And although she may resemble a boy for the time being, she's all girl.  So dainty, feminine, so little girl.