Banned from DayCare

Alright, so I'm not officially banned, per se.  But, you can decide for yourself.

When I first signed Lucy up for DayCare I had a hard time.  And, yes, again, I am typing a word in my own preference, DayCare, as opposed to Day Care.  I think of it as a noun, and not an adjective and verb; so, I put the words together...I'm odd; I know.  You and spell check will just have to look on with red squiggles of disagreement.

Anyway, back to my story: I had a hard time leaving Lucy at DayCare. It just plain made me sad.  I've discussed it before, here and here. I hate leaving her for so many hours a day and I feel like I am missing out on so much of her life. :(

However, the one big plus was that I got to drop in and visit her!  I would go down for at least half an hour at lunch. And, sometimes I would swing by on my way back from the restroom (since she is in my building at work). It was wonderful!  I would sit and hold her or watch her play. DayCare didn't mind if I stopped in every once in a while.

I remember the first conversation I had with them about stopping in to see her.  When I asked they said:

"You are welcome to come by. But, when she starts standing at the door crying when you leave, you can't visit anymore."

Well, that seemed, fair enough. I had watched parents drop off their bawling, kicking, children at DayCare several times. It was understandable that the DayCare women didn't want to deal with that all the time. They were the ones who had to deal with the fit, noise, and nose blowing.

I just never imagined Lucy would be that way. She loved the other children. she loved the DayCare women. She goes there everyday; it's routine. She would surely understand that we stopped by for lunch and that it wasn't yet time to go home.

Nope. I was wrong. I had apparently refused to accept that this developmental stage was unavoidable and completely disregarded everything that I had studied in college (my major was psychology).

Lucy was slowly showing signs that she was moving into this stage. She wanted to be held more. She was getting more weepy and scared of people that she wasn't around all the time.  She had even started whining 'Momma' or 'Dada' when she was upset. Why didn't I see this coming?

Heath and I were walking on eggshells. We knew that she was in a "delicate" state. So, we started skipping Mondays.  We thought that we'd let her get back into routine a little and then go visit her later in the week. That seemed to work for about a month and a half.

Then, I went to see her the other day. (This is where you can add the dramatic 'Bomp, Bomp, Booooomp' of the timpani.)

Lucy did alright at first. She wanted me to pick her up, and I did. Then we played on the floor. When it was time to leave and as soon as I took one step toward the door,…she flipped! I mean head down, grimace, silent gasp, huge tears, and then the ‘growly’ wail. I immediately snatched her back up and begged her to stop. I knew what it meant.

Sometimes when she was upset, I could give her to the Director and Lucy would stop crying. The Director was one of Lucy’s favorite people. This time, when I handed her off, Lucy had accepted the fact that I was, in fact, leaving; but, she didn't have to be happy about it. Before I even said “Bye”, Lucy was blowing me teary kisses and waving, all while whimpering. I continued to beg her to stop. “It’s okay. Please don’t cry, hunny.”

That is when the Director said it. “You know what we have always said; when they start crying when you leave, you can’t come visit any more.”

I just shook my head up and down and then closed the door. I got about halfway up the first flight of stairs when I heard a very familiar outburst. It was Lucy. :{ I then called Heath to tell him about it.

“Do you think that means that I’m banned?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you really think that they would ever just come out and say that I can’t come back?”

“Probably not. But, it probably means that we shouldn’t visit any more.”

That was not what I wanted to hear. However, I knew he was right. And, I totally understand what DayCare is getting at. And, as Heath pointed out, we don’t want to do that to Lucy either. It’s sad.

So, I am being my dramatic self and saying that I’m banned. My glory days of visiting are over…What will I do with myself at lunch now?! :(


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A Ring to Match

For my birthday, or for basically any holiday (yes - I consider my birthday a holiday, haha), my mom goes way over the top with gifts. Many times they linger in for days following the event.

"Oh, here is something else that I forgot to give you the other night." 

"Mom, you didn't have to do that. You got me enough."

"I knew you would like it and I've had it for a while."

Trust me, this is the conversation more often than not. She asked me over for dinner the other night and when I got there she gave me a bag of blueberry bagels, a loaf of low-cal wheat bread, a loaf of honey wheat bread, and a loaf of Texas toast. When I asked what it was all about she just said, "I thought you would like the wheat bread and it's low-cal, and you said Lucy liked Texas toast."

She's right I guess. I did say that Lucy liked Texas toast. Touche'. But, I didn't mean for her to go out and get Lucy some. (I am excited about it though! :))

Anyway, my birthday was about a week ago and like most times, gifts seem to linger in. This time, she gave me a ring.

It says, "My daughter" on one side of the heart and "My joy" on the other side. It is to match my 'Push Prize' necklace. :) Isn't it adorable?!

My mom said that it could represent her relationship with me, or it could represent my relationship with Lucy.  Either way, I love it. I am a sucker for sentimental items/gifts.  I told my mom that I would someday pass the ring down to Lucy. :)  And, now I have something else to wear always.

The ring came with this little message too.

I thought this was so neat and fun, and special, that I decided to google the brand online. This is the site that I came up with: http://www.myobsession.com/home.html. There are so many cute ideas on this site for Inspirational Jewelry. I recommend taking a look around. You can get some great gift ideas.

Also, Mother's Day really isn't that far off.  You could do some early shopping.

I am fairly positive that my mom did not buy this ring online; so, if anyone does business with this site, please let me know. I can add an update about your experiences with them, for other prospective customers.

Enjoy! I know, I will!

Note: Thank you to all who subscribed to my posts! It was exciting to see some new readers, or readers I didn't realize actually read my blog! haha.  This is the first post, post subscription. I hope it works; if it doesn't for you, by later this afternoon, please let me know. I can take a look at the settings again.

Lucy Note: She has taken four unaccompanied steps; but, we have had to coerce them out of her. She just doesn't want to do it herself yet. We are still working with her. I will let you know how it goes. :)

Email Subscription!

I was recently given a link to Feed Burner, hosted by Google (who also hosts my email and blog). It offers the opportunity for my readers to email subscribe to my posts!

I know I only have a handful of followers. However, my stats, comments, and Facebook 'Likes' indicate that many more people read my blog. And, you may be wondering what the perks are of "Following"' my blog, besides making my day! To be honest, if you don't have a Google or Blogger Account, there aren't many (but, I love it anyway!!). :) 

Also, if you are linking to my blog from Facebook, you may not always see the newest posts on the newsfeed. So, here is your chance to stay connected or up-to-date! (If you want to, that is...)

Subscribing couldn't be more simple! I just did it and it worked great! The only annoyance is one of those squiggly word boxes...sorry! Those are tough sometimes!

All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the page, to the Subscribe Via Email section, enter your email, and click 'Subscribe'. 

Google will then walk you through the entire process. Any email account will work: hotmail, yahoo, msn, etc.

And, as you know, Google is a safe and trusted Internet source.  The only person who will be able to see your email address is me. If at any time you change your mind and want removed from the emailing list, you can take yourself off immediately.

I would enjoy having subscribers and I hope you like the 'instant' updates too.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise, you can email ilovelucyjean(at)gmail(dot)com.

Paranoia, Paranoia...

...every body's comin' to get me.

As I have previously confessed to my blog readers, I am a paranoid person. The worst. Annoyingly paranoid sometimes.  To boot, my cup often remains half empty. (I'm working on it though! We'll call it somewhat of a New Year's Resolution.)

Any-who, instead of channeling all of my paranoia toward Lucy, I've moved to illnesses. I've never been a hypochondriac; it is the whole idea of, 'it couldn't happen to me.'  Well, lately, I have had these eerie feelings like, "You know what? It could happen to me!" Perhaps now that I am moving out of my young adulthood, into actual adulthood, I am losing my "invincibility."

I had told you about the lump/bump on my breast. And, I strongly encouraged everyone to get questionable things check out.  Well, I didn't exactly listen to my own recommendation...

I have had a weird mole on the back of my leg, more specifically a place that touches the tanning bed. Yes - I tan in a tanning bed occasionally (I know; I know). It has bothered me for years.  Semi-recently, I read another blog about a young mother who had a mole on the back of her leg, put it off, and when she finally went in, she had stage 4 lymphoma.  Yikes!

The mole never seemed to fit into a conversation with my doctor or I would forget about it at during the appointment.  As more time went by it started to really bother me. I would be feeling sick and I would start to blame the mole.  Or, I would be achy and I would blame the mole.  Everything that was wrong with me was somehow related to that thing!  (This may sound somewhat familiar. I used to think everything I felt meant that I was pregnant.)

I had the flu and it passed. I had a sinus infection, gave it to the entire family, and it has almost passed too.  Then, the bumps. I was itching my hand one night watching TV, looked down and I had red bumps all over my thumb.  They itched and then began to hurt and even sting a little. I let it go for a week and a half, and three fingers, before giving in and going to the doctor. Don't fret; they weren't gross or I would have gone sooner.

Ends up, I have a form of Eczema. Joy!  Since when did I become such a medical case?  Good news is: it isn't contagious, isn't a big deal, and it will come and go.  Also, it should stay on my hands and not really move to other areas of my body.

And, I finally had the mole looked at!  It doesn't need to come off right away; but, my doctor wants to remove it next month, just in case.  Whew. That will be nice!

My level of paranoia has gone down; but now, something new happened...

Today, I was sitting on the floor, holding Lucy, and along came a little boy.  He calls Lucy his girlfriend, although she is a year and a half younger. It's cute. He will even come up to her and give her kisses on the cheek sometimes.

Anyway, today, he was super affectionate. He bent over, gave her a kiss, very close to her mouth. This time, he kept his eyes open, unlike before (haha). He then stood back up, smiled at me, put his finger in his nose, pulled out a booger, ate it, and ran away.

"Hmmmm......gross"...that was about the reaction I had. I don't know what to think. How am I supposed to feel about this one?  Technically my paranoia should be off the charts. Why isn't it? He ate his own booger less than 2 feet away from me. 

I guess I figure with DayCare this type of thing happens all the time.  Plus, the little boy is clean, he just apparently eats his own boogers...

I should be freaking out right?  Or not? Should I worry about Lucy getting sick and germy?

Heath laughed when I told him. I don't think he's too concerned. 

What do you think? Is my paranoia radar broken today?

What's in a name?

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

Now, I must say right away that I love Shakespeare. And, I love Romeo & Juliet.  And, yes, my lust for Leonardo DiCaprio only reinforces the situation.

I am a sucker for a 'smooth talker.' 

My husband on the other hand is not so favorable of the author. He complains that ol'Billy Shakes is too wordy and a whole lot of complicated. Perhaps it is the little princess in me that imagines a fairy tale where 'it is the East, and I am the sun.'  Either way, I love it.

If Lucy were called by any other name, would she be the same?

Lately, I started wondering about name meanings and if it has an impact on parents naming their children. We didn't really consider the meaning of 'Lucy' when we named her.  Nor, did we look up the meaning of her middle name, 'Jean.'  All we knew was I loved Lucille Ball, Jean was both of our mothers' middle names, and we thought it was adorable. :)

According to BabyCenter.com:
Lucy - meaning light
Jean - meaning God is gracious

I like those. I could see myself picking those for meaning as well. But, again, we didn't.  And, I sure hope mine and Heath's parents didn't pick names based on meaning!

Cori - meaning from the Hollow
Heath - meaning wasteland

Okay, so Heath's is worse than mine. But, it is obvious they just went with what sounded good.

What does your child's name mean?  Did you base your decision off of that meaning?  Will you do things differently with future children?

Bucket List

Today, I turn 25 years old. That is big one for me.  It is an age that makes me sit back and evaluate my life and experiences so far. And, it makes me think about what else I hope to do before 30.  As of now, I am just excited to move to the next check box on surveys (from 18-24 to 25-29)! I can hopefully, now, be taken more seriously!

Speaking of life and experiences...

I was asked to do a half-marathon in May, "You know, something to cross off the bucket list."

Hmmm.....my bucket list.

Whenever I thought of things I wanted to do in my lifetime, I would always think of the 'general' ones: get married, have children, celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary, etc. I am not one to want to jump out of airplanes, bungee jump, or anything daring. I am pretty boring for the most part.

Lately, however, I have caught myself saying, "that is something that I want to do." I realized that ultimately it would be on my so-called bucket list. And, then I realized something else: it is pretty therapeutic making a bucket list and crossing items off. It makes you feel accomplished and worth while. :)

So, here are some items that I have mustered up, in no particular order. Some I've crossed off already and am excited that I was able to do so.

1) Find true love & get married
2) Have children
3) Get a Bachelors Degree
4) Own a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels
5) Attend an Aerosmith concert
6) Go to Europe
7) Meet a 3rd cast member of 'Saved by the Bell'
8) Get a Masters Degree
9) Attend an Elton John concert
10) Adopt a dog in need
11) Run a half-marathon
12) Fit into my skinny jeans
13) Get a Doctorate
14) See The Red Hot Chili Peppers in concert
15) Go to Disney World, with my children
16) Go to a College Football Championship
17) Go skiiing
18) Go parasailing
19) Ride/Sleep on a train
20) Visit Jamestown, NY (Lucille Ball's Birthplace)
21) See the Statue of Liberty
22) Go whitewater rafting
23) Visit Grauman's Chinese Theater
23) See the Grand Canyon
24) Win a game show
25) Own a Mercedes Benz
26) Gamble in Las Vegas
27) Win a drawing
28) See a Broadway Show
29) Ride in a helicopter
30) Visit the Alamo (verify that there isn't a basement)
31) Go to Washington, D.C.
32) Celebrate a 50th Wedding Anniversary
33) Find a hidden treasure
34) Write a book 

Some of these show how sheltered I am! haha. What would be on your bucket list?

My Valentine

 

Happy Valentines Day to all of you lovers out there! :)  I like V-Day, if you will.  I always enjoyed making my Valentines Box, getting cute notes and candy, and picking out the perfect Lisa Frank valentine for my elementary crush, Jed.

I would read my valentines at school and then read through them again, a couple of times, at home. I took the words so literally. "Yay! Bridget thinks I'm Bee-utiful!" :)

Today, it is wonderful to still be able to take Valentines' words so literally.

Heath makes the sweetest notes.  He always calls me his Sweetheart. And, he never fails to tell me that I mean the world to him. I can't do anything, but thank him. I try to thank him everyday, for picking me to spend the rest of his life with.

So, for Valentines Day, I thought I would share a bit more about me and my forever Valentine, Heath.

• We have been together for 1 decade, this year. Wow! 10 years! It doesn't seem like that long at all.
• We started dating in high school at just 15 and 17 years old.
• Our first date was spent cruising around town. haha.
• He was my softball coach when we first started dating. In fact, I felt like he was always a little tougher on me because of it.  Talk about pressure!
• The night before he asked me to be his girlfriend, I was ready to bail; I thought he was just yanking me around.
• The first time I told Heath I loved him, we were arguing and I yelled it at him. haha.
• We were moving into a house together when he asked me to marry him.
• When he asked, he was wearing a suit and I was wearing gym shorts, a t-shirt, and was in need of a shower!
• We claim that he 'adopted' my chihuahuas.  Their names are hyphenated, with both of our last names.
• I let Heath pick out our wedding date, It's okay; he let me pick out the honeymoon.......and everything else practically! :)
• We are that corny couple who dances to slow music, on the weekend, in our living room.
• We are also those parents who have random dance breaks to Usher while cooking supper and feeding Lucy.

I thought I would leave you with some pictures of Heath and me. First, as kids - yes, we were just kids then!  I was 16 and he was 18.  Aww.......the prom. :)  And, then, 6 years later, at our wedding.

Again, Happy Valentines Day to everyone, and especially to my Hunny! :) I hope it is wonderful for you all.

 

High  School Prom

 

Our Wedding Day

More About Me

If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?Well, as my profile suggests, they are totally members of our family. The Chihuahuas are my fur-children. :) They were an even bigger part of our lives before we had Lucy. Santa would bring them gifts, as did the Easter Bunny, and so on. Santa still brings them gifts; but, Lucy is now the center of our universe. We try to make sure we give them special time and attention when Lucy is sleeping. They are still very special and close to my heart.

If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?My wish would be to see Lucy grow up, get married, and have a family of her own. Materialistically, I would love to be able to help design a home, to be custom built. :)

What would you do with a billion dollars?Design a home to be custom built, with all the trimmings!
Buy a huge Cadillac SUV
Buy a truck for Heath
Buy a snow blower
Go to Disney World annually
Go on a European Cruise
Go on a Disney Cruise
Adopt more Chihuahuas
Start my Masters and Doctorate right now
Visit my distant family annually
Go on a clothing shopping spree for the entire family
Pay off our family’s debt/share with our families
Invest/Save
Donate


What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?Lucy, Heath sometimes (if he didn’t put me in the bad mood, haha), good food, the movie theatre, buying a new movie, holidays, the weekend, shopping for pretty much anything, new clothes, a new purse, decorating, organizing, exercising, family, sleep

What is your bedtime routine, with your kids?It changes with teething. She gets her jammies on, she gets her binkie and her sippy cup of water, and we try to read to her on most nights. On others we snuggle until she is sleepy. I always pray and occasionally sing to Lucy.

If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other?We met in high school. :) It really isn’t that interesting. Haha.

What kind of books do you read?I like mysteries. I am super juvenile and have been reading Nancy Drew Mysteries since I got the entire set for Christmas in 2009. It is a quick and fun read. I have also been reading the Pretty Little Liars Series; I am in the beginning of the third book. Otherwise, I am lame and like reading biographies about celebrities. I finished ‘Miles to Go’ about Miley Cyrus and have read the beginning of Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett’s book, ‘Sliding into Home.’

How do you see yourself in 10 years?Oh boy! Well, I hope we are even more financially secure and perhaps I will be making more money ;). I hope we will be shopping around for or moved into a new home. I am still thinking 3 children. I want to have my Masters degree and hopefully either have or am working on a doctorate. Of course I am still happily married and our family is involved in the community.

Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?Umm….no. This isn’t really even something that I had to contemplate.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?Hit snooze as many times as I can. Then when Heath pokes me and says, “You need to get into the shower.” I finally give in. I then gather my undergarments and a brush, then head for the shower.

If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?That he listened more sometimes and that he had the same sleep schedule as me (stay up late and sleep in). :)

If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?I wouldn’t. It is weird to think of a name that fits me. I like my name now too. I used to hate it because it was a boy’s name. But, now that I am older, I like the uniqueness (without the crazy spellings).

If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?I would probably choose sun; but, I sure do love rain! I just love thunderstorms!

If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?Cheeseburger, fries with ranch, and bosco sticks. I have an addiction! Or, Kraft Mac and Cheese!

What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?The journaling – I think it will be so neat for Lucy to see these blogs when she grows up. It is sort of like writing a book about your life, with really short chapters. Plus I love getting followers, ‘Likes’, and comments about the blogs. It makes me feel like people care, which is really nice. :)

Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
Salty – bring on the chips, crackers and cheese. When I was pregnant it was all sweets though (Oreos, Sour Patch Kids, and Laffy Taffy).

What items are in your purse right now?My wallet, a coupon book, Ibuprofen, Sucrets, a pen, gum, a compact, chap stick, my keys, my cell phone, my iPod Touch, a small brush, tampon case, lipstick, antibacterial, paint samples, lotion, perfume, Dramamine, and a list of daycare children for Lucy’s valentines

If you had to choose between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains where would you go?I have been to both and enjoyed the beach more, I think. I was horrible at skiing!

What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?I don’t think I watch anything that I necessarily shouldn’t. It is more that I shouldn’t watch so much TV! Right now I watch: Pretty Little Liars, Greek, American Idol, American Pickers, Hellcats, Glee, Holly’s World, Saturday Night Live, Tosh.0, and Biggest Loser.

I also watch: Secret Life of the American Teenager, Kendra, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Melissa and Joey, Storm Chasers, the Buried Life, 16 & Pregnant, and Teen Mom.

After some reflection I’ve decided that I probably shouldn’t watch 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. They are pretty horrible; they are my guilty pleasures. And, Tosh.0 is pretty offensive. Haha. Lucy is definitely banned from these shows!

My Top 20 Baby to Toddler Musts

I was thinking the other day, as I was using one of our many 'transition' products, "Wow, I couldn't do without this!" I felt compelled. I just needed to share with someone the awesomeness of the product and tell every mom that they should get one!

Now, here we are. I decided to make another list of my top 20; however, this time, it is for the transition from 'Baby' to 'Toddler'. Many items we purchased a long time ago and we have been using them for months; but, they are becoming even more useful. So, soon-to-be-moms out there: register for these too! You will need them before you know it!

Again, these are in no particular order and most are musts. Some, however, are just Lucy favorites. Enjoy!

1) Dishwasher Basket


We use this every time we put dishes in the dishwasher. It has become a permanent fixture. Unless you hand wash or boil the nipples for bottles (which we did every once in a while), it is impossible to keep them from flipping over in the dishwasher. Then they collect water and need to be washed all over again. Also, the small parts to bottles and sippy cups sometimes slip through the top shelf in the dishwasher; so, putting them inside is great! We also put Lucy's silverware in the basket!


2) Toy Box

I had a toy box growing up. So, this is a pretty 'usual' thing in our family. In fact, after I used mine, we gave it to our cousins. Then after they got older, they gave it back to Lucy! :) The box will go in her big-girl bedroom for all of her random, small toys. It is a great storage place and it hides all of the clutter. Plus, the top is a great place for all of her stuffed animals to sit. :)

3) Outdoor Swing

Lucy used this swing at daycare from the time she could hold her head up, and somewhat sit up on her own. She loved it. In fact, she would sit and swing for a good 20 minutes or so. We hadn't purchased one yet, since winter was coming. But, Lucy just got one for her birthday from Grandma (thanks!). This spring will be filled with swinging. I love the type of latch too; it is near impossible to fall out of. And, it comes in blue and red too.

4) Stacking Cups

Santa Claus got Lucy these for Christmas. It is a Lucy favorite and not a must. However, they are great for learning and development. Lucy and Heath play with these almost every night. They stack them and Lucy knocks them over. They yell into them, put them on each other's heads, and even put them on the dogs. The are so simple and cheap; but, they are one toy she plays with the most.

5) Snack Dispensers

Where would we be without these?! For car rides, they are a must! With dogs who like to steal snacks, they are a must! For babies on the go, they are a must! For babies who get antsy in high chairs, they are a must! Whew! Okay, get my point? They are so helpful!

We use these so often that I wish I had more than just two. We put Gerber Puffs, Crunchies, Yogurt Bites, and even Cheerios in these containers all the time. When you tip it upside down, nothing falls out. Plus, Lucy caught on right away. She didn't struggle with getting snacks out at all. She carries the container around during snack time, whether that be at the house in the living room, in her car seat, or in a shopping cart. She can snack anywhere and not make a huge mess. And, I don't have to do a thing!

6) Sippy Cups

We weaned Lucy off of her bottles pretty early. Almost as soon as she could hold one on her own, we started to integrate sippy cups. We did it because bottles slowly drip and caused a big mess when Lucy would throw hers down. Sippy cups, or more specifically these cups, don't leak. You have to suck or pinch the nipple for it to leak. We can put her to bed with a cup of water and it is no problem at all. She just throws it down when she is done and it there isn't a big wet stain the next morning. These are what we use; they are made by Munchkin.

7) Sun Blockers

These are something you need with an infant too, not just a toddler. However, it seems like we travel a lot more now-a-days. Lucy is finally 'travel-friendly'. Haha. We got this set for both backseat windows in our SUV. They work really well and don't block the view completely. There are only two complaints that I have. 1) The heat warning dot turned white once and never went back. Not a big deal though. 2) The bottom suction cups are either amazing (you can't get them off the window) or they are horrible (you can't get them to stick). I think it has to do with the temperature of the window. In the cold, not so helpful!

8) Popcorn Puffs (Cheesy Optional)

When Lucy first started eating semi-solid food, I remembered popcorn puffs. I used to love them as a child because they literally would disintegrate in your mouth. Since they are only $2 at the store, what an affordable snack?! Although they aren't as nutritional at Gerber products, Lucy loves them. We used the plain ones as an occasional snack when she was little and now that she is older, we have integrated the cheese ones. She really loves those! Warning: the child may become addicted. ;)

9) Music Play Table

As soon as Lucy could pull herself up, she played with one of these at daycare. She would play until her little legs got tired. Grandma Jeannie got her one for Christmas (thanks!) and now she plays at our house all the time. She dances to the music, moves all the little gadgets and I have even caught her trying to repeat the colors and sounds. It is great for development.

10) Outlet Plugs

Of all the baby-proofing items out there, this one is the most needed in our house. Lucy thinks plug-ins are so neat. And, our house was built fairly recently; so, we have a ton of outlets. In addition, I have found that these help put my mind at ease for other things too. We usually fold our blankets and put them behind our love seat. Sometimes they topple over and I find them pushed up against one of our outlets. I always get freaked out about it possibly starting a fire. So, I covered the outlets with these! I feel so much better now! :) Irrational? Eh, what's the price of peace of mind?

11) Crib Music Box

Lucy has two music boxes (thanks Mimi!). One is very similar to the one above. It is more of a fun item for Lucy to play with until she falls asleep. The other has 'cry recognition'. It's amazing! We turn it on at night and it plays a lullaby for 15 minutes and then fades out. It even has a light that shines on the ceiling. Then, if Lucy starts crying, it recognizes the pitch and starts playing again for 15 minutes. Sometimes we don't even have to get up with her, the box will comfort her back to sleep! It sucks a lot of batteries; but, it is worth it! Warning: high-pitched chihuahua barking sometimes sets it off too. :{

12) Fleece Jacket

Heath and I have read that you are not supposed to put your baby in their car seat with a big winter jacket on. It claimed that the car seat isn't being as effective. So, we try not to do this with Lucy. It's tough with Midwest winters! So, we usually bundle her in stocking caps and blankets. With her carrying car seat, it wasn't a problem lugging her back and forth. Now, with her big girl car seat, we can't do that anymore. So, we use one of these little jackets in addition to the blankets (thanks Mimi!).

13) Formula/Snack Dispensers

We used something very similar to this when Lucy a newborn. We used them for formula. You could measure out the formula into these and just throw them in the diaper bag. I highly recommend them for that use! It beats trying to lug around a big container or buy those expensive packets.

Now, that Lucy is older we can use if for small snacks. They aren't really as good as the snack dispensers, like above; however, it would be nice to send with her when she is getting babysat. Not everyone has Cheerios in the house. :)

14) Faucet Cover

This has saved a lot of bumps on the head! Granted, we aren't as careful because we know the faucet is covered; but, it helps nonetheless. He is great! Lucy likes him, he covers all the sharp parts of the faucet, and she can't pull on the shower knob!

15) Cardboard Books

Right now Lucy destroys any book that isn't cardboard. She is in a tearing stage. :( Sad day for my magazines. She loves to look at books and jabber. We joke that she is imitating us reading them to her. Her favorite is 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. It has smaller pages; so, she can turn them easily. And, the colors are vibrant too!

16) Cabinet Locks

Another baby-proofing item that we got were these, or something similar. There are so many locks out there and we have found that we had to get different ones for different kinds of knobs. Our kitchen and bathroom cabinets have handles and the corner cabinet and TV stand have knobs. So, be careful buying and it will be worth it!

17) Bumbo Tray

I never really recommended the Bumbo before; sorry about that. I do though. It is a nice addition. However, you really can't have the Bumbo without the tray! Even at one year old, we put Lucy in here for snack time. It is a nice change from the high chair. Plus, she likes being on the floor, next to her toys and the chihuahuas.

18) Boogie Wipes

One splurge that is worth it! Okay, they aren't that expensive; but, they are worth the money! These wipes are very soft, softer than diaper wipes. They also have saline in them to help their little noses. And, they smell good. Lucy would cry when we would use tissues or damp cloths. She actually allows these. They also fit nicely in the diaper bag.

19) Bath Bucket

This is it! The item that was so awesome that I had to recommend it. I know, I know. Anyone who has been down the baby aisle at Walmart has seen these. But, if you are like me, your first thought was that it probably didn't work that well. Wrong! It does! It is amazing. I really don't know how people get all the soap out without one of these. I've become spoiled. Lucy has even learned to tilt her head back for me.

20) Baby Gate, Extreme

We broke down and bought one. We had been blocking our stairs for a long time now and finally broke down this last weekend. Lucy cannot and will not stay off of the stairs. A regular baby gate isn't cutting it either; they just aren't long enough and don't work well with open staircases. We need one that doesn't mount to the wall (I don't want to drill holes!) and that has a gate. Plus, I think our chihuahuas just may be able to slip through too. Haha.

Online portions of this gate were around stairs, a fire place, and a entertainment center. It is great for 'cornering' items in.

Those are my recommendations for the 6 month to 18 month range. I will be sure to share any other wonder-products that I find along the way. Any mothers out there want to add any items or comments?

Happy Birthday Lucy!

A year ago, today, at 1:12 pm, I welcomed my little, beautiful girl into the world. I can hardly say that I really 'welcomed' her. I think the first thing I said to her, or rather at her, was, 'Oh my god!' But, nonetheless, that was when I saw her sweet face for the first time. My heart melted...

It all started about 36 hours before, in the early, early morning hours of February 6, 2010. I woke up from the recliner to make another trip to the restroom. I felt a little odd. It didn't feel like Braxton-Hicks at all. It stung a little. It was a sharp pain...kind of like (forgive me) painful gas; but, this was deep in my pelvis. It was kind of like a menstrual pain or cramp (the triple 'P' for those of you close to me... ;D). I decided to bust out my pregnancy app. on my iPod and time the pains. Yep, about every 9 or 10 minutes I would have them. So, I woke Heath up at around 1:30 am and told him that I thought I just might be having contractions. What did I know, though? I hadn't ever felt a contraction before!

We had learned from our Birthing Classes, 'What to Expect when Expecting,' and BabyCenter.com that first time mothers can be in labor for hours. And, they should go about a pretty usual routine until the contractions are closer. So, I went back to sleep. It surprisingly wasn't that hard to do.

I woke up again at about 7 am. They were getting more prominent - not that they hurt more, I was just able to feel it better. I again woke Heath up and he started to time them. It was about every 7 to 8 minutes. I was just still not convinced that I was having contractions. I waited about an hour and called my mom.

"What do contractions feel like? This is a sharp pain. I don't know what I was expecting; but, they are sharper than what I imagined."

"Yeah, they are. You are probably right; they are contractions," she said calmly.

I decided to prepare then. I got around, ate cereal (Kix to be exact), took a shower, the usual. I even had plenty of pain-free time to fix my hair. The hospital was surprised when I came in with makeup on and my hair done. But anyway, it wasn't too long after noon that my mom and sister came over to hang out with me.

I spent the entire day laying around, walking our stairs, timing contractions, bouncing on our exercise ball, getting my back rubbed, and being anxious. Would she ever come?!

Finally at 9 pm that night, when my contractions were still more than 5 minutes apart, we called and asked if we could come in. The hospital warned me that I may have to come back home; but, that was alright. We knew we wouldn't be able to sleep anyway and I didn't want to have to rush to the hospital. So, we headed out. It even started to snow flurry on us on the way there.

About 10 minutes out from the hospital, my contractions started to move from semi-uncomfortable to painful.

After arriving, checking in, changing, and walking a ton of stairs, I was still only about 2 cm dilated; but, they allowed me to stay. Yay! :) That stair walking had done it though. By midnight I was having very painful contractions.

Overnight was a blur...I mentioned it in another blog post.

After some pain meds, the epidural, my doctor breaking my water, and an ultrasound to make sure Lucy wasn't breach, it was finally time to push. This part was not at all what I expected. I pushed for an hour and a half! It was not like the movies where it is 1, 2, 3, there she is! It was like push....okay lets wait for the next contraction....hmm, so what did you miss doing while you were pregnant? We seriously had lots of conversations in between pushes. My doctor cringed at hearing how excited I was to be able to tan again. :{ But, we bonded over dyeing our hair. :)

Finally, finally, she said, "One more contraction and we will have a baby."

I regret it now; but, when I pushed, I squeezed my eyes closed, real tight. Next thing I knew, Lucy was on my chest. Note to self: keep your eyes open with your next child.

We wiped her off and cried, and cried. It took about 10 minutes before anyone checked to see if she was actually a little girl! haha. I just squeezed her and held her so tight.

Once you have a child, you will never be the same. That is the absolute truth. She has turned my world upside down. And, although parenting is hard; I wouldn't change a thing!

I can't believe how wonderful she is.

I can't believe she is mine.

I can't believe it has been a year.

Happy Birthday Lucy Jean! I love you more than words!

Push Prize

The other night was a wreck! Lucy had yet another molar coming in! It was giving her the worst time last night. We rubbed a whole lot of Orajel on it and then finally gave her some pain reliever. I sat in her room, in the glider, and held her while she slowly fell back to sleep.

She fought it the best she could; but, she finally fell asleep holding onto my necklace's pennant. She often plays with it, when awake. She has always been fascinated by the sparkle. But, that night, I realized that she was actually comforted by it. She reached for it and held on tight until she was in a deep sleep. It must be her way of knowing that it is me and that I am still there. :) :)

After this realization, I felt wonderful. And, now I will tell you why...

Back when I was pregnant, I had heard about husband's getting their wives gifts after the delivery of their child. However, I had never heard the term for such a present, "Push Prize".

Heath introduced me to the term; apparently, he had been doing his husbandly research and noticed that this was a new trend that was becoming more and more common. It is just a little something to show the wife, and new mom, that you appreciate her. :) And, it also tugs at those heart strings.

Heath surprised me in front of all of our family and friends with a little jewelry box, right after Lucy was born. I was so wrapped up in everything else the last month or so, that I forgot that the supposed 'push prize' even existed. Therefore, when he pulled out the gift, I was super surprised! It made me cry of course; with my emotions already running on high, I was a mess!

He wrote the sweetest and most uplifting card you can imagine, and inside the box was the necklace. It is almost identical to the one you see above. I instantly fell in love with it! And, I instantly put it on.

I wear it always. I wear it in the shower, to work out, everywhere! I even got a new silver chain for it this Christmas. The only time I take it off is to wear another, usually costume, necklace to go out. Then, I get home and put this one right back on.

It had always made me feel close to Lucy. Whenever I am away from her and I pray at night, I will kiss it. Whenever I take it off, I kiss it first. It always had such a special meaning for me. Now, it has even more.

The necklace, at the end of the day, is just a necklace. But, it always represented a little more than that. I feel a bond with Lucy when I wear it and now, I know she feels a bond with me when she holds it. How wonderful?!

So, to all those men out there (which I doubt many, if any, actually read this), I recommend a 'push prize'. It is a win, win, win, win situation. :)

Heath is wondering now what he could possibly get me for our next children that could mean as much! haha. :) He has some time to think about it.

Valentines Boxes

When I was in elementary school, we would always make the funnest Valentine's Day boxes. I think we usually used boxes from home, or perhaps we used Kleenex boxes; I can't remember for sure. Whatever we used, I remember it being so much fun! I liked to think I was creative back then. haha.

Well, one weekend I just happened to have two empty tissue boxes that needed thrown out. I looked at the opening and realized how perfect they were for Valentines boxes. So, I gathered Heath and Lucy, and lots of crafty supplies, and we sat down on the living room floor to make our V-day boxes. I would work on Lucy's and Heath would make ours (mine and his).

We started with the empty boxes. They were the vertical boxes, like this one.


Both boxes were designed for Christmas - one was red with reindeer on it and the other was green with ornaments. So, we chose to wrap them in paper. I wrapped mine, like a present, in red paper. Heath wrapper his in white paper.

I left the oval opening in mine; I just removed the plastic. Heath decided to go a different route and covered his top opening (defeating the whole Kleenex box purpose; but anyway...). Then he put some decor, including a 'lips' sticker.

As you can see, he went all elementary school on us and put the 'H + C' on it too. :) It made me smile. So how does he access his valentines?

Of course, he made a real mail box.

It included a black door and he tried gluing a sweetheart for the handle; but, it kept sliding off. So, I busted out the glue gun for him and it stuck.

I decided to do more of a collage style. I had a lot of these little mulberry scraps. I got them for scrap booking and hadn't really used a lot. So, I decided to overlay them, gluing them on with good'ole Elmer's.

With the red paper behind, it came out really neat. This is what it looked like when it was dry.

For the opening, I needed to make it look more 'finished'. So, although it didn't match perfectly, I decided to trim it with sweethearts.

Here are the finished boxes. They are ready to be filled with candy and sweet nothings. :)

This was a really fun project. Lucy wasn't able to help much; she really doesn't even color yet. She just chews on the markers or crayons. So, she played with the paper and then fell asleep. Heath and I had fun though. It is always nice to do something on a winter day, besides watch TV or clean.

I was really happy that he indulged me too. What a sweet guy I have! And, what a cute v-day mail box! :)

This is one tradition that I would LOVE to continue! I recommend it for any mommies out there - and, to be honest, anyone else who wants to be creative!

Our Christmas 2010

I had a recent request by one of my readers to share some of my Christmas traditions, now that it has passed. Specifically, the reader wanted to know about Lucy's Christmas and Santa's visit. I realize that we have all moved past Christmas and it is now just a pleasant memory, as we move toward 'warmer' thoughts. :) However, I like reflection and memories...and I am not one to disappoint a reader. So, here is a little bit about our Christmas.

First, we usually kick off our Christmas celebration with Black Friday. We don't get too crazy; but, there are some pretty great deals! The Saturday following we go to pick out our Christmas tree. We have been going to the same patch for 10 years (me and my dad, before Heath came along :)). This year was so exciting, being able to take Lucy. We even took a picture as a family in front of Lucy's first Christmas tree!


You may think that a real tree could cause some issues with Lucy; however, it didn't! It was so poky that it would hurt her hands; so, she left it alone! :) Sad.....I know. It only took a couple of pokes though for her to figure it out.

The first weekend in December, we go pick up our tree and decorate. If the weather is nice, Heath will even put up our Christmas lights. We go with simple, white lights for our tree and house.

Throughout the month I wrap presents as they come in from our online orders or shopping ventures. I work on getting our cards out as soon as time permits. And, about a week from Christmas, Lucy got her letter from Santa! I am very excited for the day that Lucy can write him first. :)

On Christmas Eve, we spent the evening as a little family. It was wonderful! We got dressed and ready to go out to eat and then to church.

A Christmas tradition that my family had was to open our stockings (from mom and dad) after church on Christmas Eve. I guess it was something to hold us kids over until morning. Stocking gifts were never big; but, they were still fun. I remember getting new toothbrushes, nail polish, jewelry, candy, gel pens, etc. I cannot wait to do that for Lucy too.

This year she got a plastic snow globe, yogurt bites, a Christmas book, some hair bows, new mittens, colorful socks, an 'L' ornament, leg warmers, and more.

Heath took some pictures of our tree afterward. We sat with Christmas music on, just enjoying the moment. Christmas Eve is always a time when I try to just soak in the moment and be thankful for my many, many blessings.

These were just the gifts for other family members; Santa hadn't visited yet!

We didn't set any cookies or milk out for Santa this year. Lucy doesn't understand yet; so, we will wait until next year. However, that doesn't mean Santa didn't eat some of my homemade peanut butter and chocolate cookies that night. ;)

Heath took a snapshot of this ornament too - Lucy's first Christmas ornament.

The next morning, Lucy woke us up bright and early. I cannot wait for the days that she runs into our room. However, her standing in her crib yelling did just fine. :)

Santa had come! He left lots of gifts too (all the green ones).

Lucy and I cuddled to open them.

She loved to open them and actually liked the gift MORE than the wrapping paper! As soon as she would see the toy, she'd start playing with it. Santa was smart though and took all the toys out of the wrappers, undid all the twisty ties, etc., and put the toy back in the box. So, Lucy could start playing with it immediately.

Lucy collected so many toys that we are considering making our basement a playroom, sooner than we originally thought! I cannot even name all the things she got - a rocking horse, tennis shoes, pea coat, a see-n-say, a sled, books, stuffed animals, a horse on wheels, an emergency vehicle, cars, stacking cups, clothes, and the list goes on...

We had seven family Christmases in all! That is what we get for having divorced parents, I guess. So, she made out very well.

I know that was just a quick overview of what all we do; perhaps next year I won't be as busy in December and will be able to share more along the way. I think so! :) Christmases are going to just get better and better, the older Lucy gets.

Hope you had a great Christmas too. And, here is to 325+ days until it comes again!

Snow Day!

Today we have another snow day off of work! Heath and I are lucky enough to work at an educational institution that closes when the weather is bad. :) So, needless to say, I still get to have the thrill of a snow day! It is one of the best perks of my job!

The three of us, Heath, Lucy, and I, get to hang around the house in our pajamas all day. We eat ourselves into oblivion and catch up on DVR events. Occasionally, we even venture outside - like on our last snow day.

First, Lucy watched the snow fall all day. She loved watching the large, fluffy flakes.


Do you like her Minnie Mouse pjs?

Heath and Lucy rolled around on the floor playing for most of the day.

Since I wanted to get in a workout and didn't want to run on the treadmill, I volunteered to scoop the driveway. Yes, I know, we need a snow blower...

And yes, I know I had a very sexy outfit on. :)

After I scooped, we decided to go sledding! Well, we decided to pull Lucy around in her new sled she got from Christmas.

She really enjoyed being pulled around, but wasn't too impressed with the snow itself. She had no desire to touch it at all. Her arms, however, were a little stiff. Her jacket is so fluffy that she was a little bit like 'Randy' on 'A Christmas Story'.

We did circles until mommy got dizzy and then headed inside. It was a great, lazy day - just like today. But, today we have blizzard conditions with lots of blowing snow; so, I doubt we'll venture out. It doesn't stop Lucy from staring out the window though.

I love snow days!! :)