Teeth - why grow one when you can grow two!

On Thursday morning when V woke up, she was cranky and upset.  She is typically in a very good mood in the mornings (quite the morning person), so this was unusual for her.  The mystery of the Thursday morning crankiness was solved on Saturday, however, as I was feeding her some pasta and saw what I originally thought was remnants of half- chewed gummed food.  But quite the contrary.  It was TWO TEETH!  YAY!!!  She cut two teeth on Saturday morning (official first tooth teeth date is May 15, 2010).  I was so excited.  It was such a weird sensation for me b/c I was actually feeling proud for her.  I realize that this isn't something she really "accomplished" but I was such a proud mama that she finally grew some teeth.  I hope she starts growing some hair now...  I have to remember to brush them b/c that has not been part of our routine to date.  Oops.  I haven't brushed them yet. 

I tried to take a pic, but she wasn't cooperating, so here she is just rocking out her leg warmers and booty ruffles.

In other news.. We're dog sitting for a friend of mine.  Her dog is a little black Pekingese fur ball and probably the coolest little dog I've ever met.  We took her and Mattie for a walk on Saturday and as she's black in color and has to practically run the whole time while Mattie leisurely strolls, she was feeling really tuckered out and overall pooped.  So, she did the only reasonable, although somewhat degrading (in most dog circles) thing to do.  She hitched a ride with V in her stroller, specifically in the storage bin underneath V.  It was pretty dang funny and cute.  Against her wishes, I snuck a picture of her and am holding it in a secure location for a rainy day, you know, if I ever need a favor or something.   I promised her I wouldn't post, but as she can't use the keyboard and thus can't really check this here blog, I'm going to share it.  I personally think she has nothing to be ashamed of.  I told her it shows her ingenuity and resourcefulness.  Why not make life a little easier I say.  

 

What's up peeps!

Happy Mother's Day and a Girl on the Move

This Sunday was my first official mother's day.  It was a busy busy day however, as my father in law was getting married the next day and we were throwing a "rehearsal dinner" of sorts on Sunday night, I did not get to revel in the glory of being pampered on Mother's day.  I got a rain check for next weekend though.   My husband's mother sadly passed away in 2008.  My father in law moved in with us after her passing and has lived with us since.   He got to know one of my really great girlfriend's mother around the time V was born, and they got married this past Monday.  Hence why I'm late posting - quite an eventful weekend. 

So - mother's day, I did wake up early to nurse, but then went right back to sleep while E was on V duty.  When I woke up, I found the bottom card from V.

The top part is from school - it's what V came home with on Friday.  Not the greatest shot of her, but hey - a mother isn't partial.   The scribble on the bottom is V's signature.  She dictated the rest to Daddy.

As I noted earlier, V's been really walking with her walker.  It's her favorite thing to do and she bee-lines for the walker anytime she sees it.  Here's V making her walking debut for all the world Mommy to see.

I have to gush a bit. I just love this little girl of mine!  I don't care how bad of a day I'm having, seeing her and hanging out with her brightens my day and brings perspective every time.  She is truly the best thing to ever happen to me and I cannot - absolutely cannot imagine my life without her.  I love that I'm still nursing and even though it's been exhausting - both physically and mentally, and I am starting to wean, nursing is our special time together and it's irreplaceable.  She's so fun these days and shows her personality and has quite the rep at school.  She's known as an occasionally frequently strong willed, diva-like, but at all times loving little girl.  She's a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to let it be known.   I LOVE YOU V!

Us and my father in law and now mother in law.  Welcome to the family K! 

On the cusp

This week was relatively big in V's development.  She started standing by herself (no hands) in short bursts and started walking using a push along stroller.  It's so funny to see this tiny little person who is barely 17 pounds "walking" around.  (I use the term walking very loosely).

Sometimes I get so sad that I don't get to stay home with her full time.  The day care teachers didn't want to tell me she was standing by herself b/c they didn't want to ruin it for me.  So sweet of them.  I have a sneaking feeling I may actually miss her first official step, but thanks to the teachers, I'll never know about it and will get to experience it on my own at home. 

V is so funny these days.  She has a mountain of toys but the things that really strike her fancy are all the things she's not allowed to play with - remotes, cell phones, table eating, tissue boxes - your standard no no's.  Here is a pic of V left to her own accords and the resulting mess.

Wha?  It wasn't me.

9 Month Stats

I fell off the wagon.  Blogging wagon that is.  A friend of mine came over Sunday night and we got to talking and I completely forgot to post.  I really want to keep up with this blogging gig I got going here if for nothing else, to have a diary of sorts for me and V to look at one day. 

So, on to the stats.  We went to the doctor for her 9 month appointment last week.   All is well!  I was relieved to find out that there are NO SHOTS at the 9 month appointment.  I had no idea (b/c I've been slacking on reading the baby books as all they really do is overwhelm me) so it was a very pleasant and welcome surprise.  I found out about this development a day before her appointment through a weekly e-mail I get from Welcome Baby Home (a mommy website).  I was even prepared to keep her home that day as shot day sucks, but instead, she went to school before AND after her appointment.  Yippee!

Here are her stats:

Height - 27' - 49%

Weight - 16 lbs, 14.5 oz - 25%

Head Circumference - 44.8' - 52%

She looks so small to me still and now that she's crusing and pulling up all the time, I look at her and sometimes have to do a double take b/c she doesn't look like a baby that's old enough to be doing that, but she sho is (old enought that is)!

Over the weekend, she started to attempt to stand unassisted and the daycare teachers today told me she was standing by herself there as well.  So it's only a matter of time before she walks.  And still without any teeth.  She's our toothless wonder.

No pics of V to post this week.  I'm still trying to figure out photoshop for the edited 9 month photo shoot pics - it ain't easy folks, it ain't easy.  That being said - I will post a picture of our 80 pound lap dog.  She's thrilled about this.

Oh the humanity!

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!