Overdue

Wow - sorry for the overdue posting here - I'm going to have to make it short, since Ellie's on her way up from a nap. 

I realized it's been almost a month since I last posted!  Crazy. Quick synopsis of the big things that have come and gone:

• Trip to Germany and Austria (basically the reason I went missing on the blog for a month). Lots of funny stories from this trip that deserve their own post.
• Baby play dates that get so much better each week!  Because the 'play' date actually involves 'playing.'
• Dave has been shooting a LOT. So there's lots of post production that I need to get on - thus, my time normally spent blogging went toward my 'other job'. Which I enjoy just as much, albeit keeping me away from my fun social avenues. :(
• Switching rooms around in the house so that Ellie now has almost an entire room to be safe and play in.  I'm sure the commitment to the kid is much to Annie's chagrin, but it's nice that I can be in the kitchen and keep an eye on her destruction.
• David has been super Dad.  He took on watching Ellie all day yesterday from awakening to nearly  sleeping - he was exhausted when I got home and said, "I don't know how you do it every day." (HUGE GRIN HERE)
• She's started sleeping through the night!
• Nana visited and saved Mama on a few occasions.
• Oh yea, and we're pregnant!

All of these items deserve their own post, so I'll have to get on that!

Glad to be back!

xoxo

The Best of Friends (and Cousins)

My 10-month-old genius

Funny how a stranger in the grocery store can make me feel like a good Mom...

Had the baby out of the carseat and over my shoulder as we're shopping for groceries yesterday.  We spot a cart with 2 small kids in it and she starts talking to them in her babble language.  Their cute, preppy mom comes back to the cart and the conversation goes like this:

Mom: "Look kids, a baby." (this is everyone's first comment...always cracks me up) "How old? Around 10 months?"
Me: (genuine chuckle), "Oh, she's my big girl, but she's almost 10 weeks"
Mom: (look of shock) "Really?! But she's holding her head like an older kid and she's watching me move around directly.  She's got great tracking. Are you sure she's only 10 weeks?"
Me: (um...I'm pretty sure), "Yep."
Mom: "Go you! That's really impressive! Seriously, go you!"
Me: "Thanks!"

Leave it to a stranger to make my kid sound like a goliath, but leave me feeling like she's a genius. :) Took it as a compliment and felt great!

Taking Off With My Baby!

Trip: Grocery Store

Ellie was asleep in the carseat in the main part of the cart, my purse in the upper part, with a few things of produce in the top part as well. I stepped away to grab some chicken and a man starts to push my cart. He maybe moved it 3 feet, and I'd already leapt in front of him putting both hands on the cart.  The poor older guy was in a state of shock!  He had no idea he's started pushing the wrong cart - I laughed and acknowledged my overreaction with humor referencing the baby.  The poor guy just kept apologizing.

I got a glimpse into how mom's are able to lift cars when their kids are in danger.

Lesson: no need to lift weights.

Sickness & Blessings

Not sure why Mother-in-Laws get such a bad rap. I must've lucked out. And my daughter seems to know it too. She decided to let me get sick only once her Nana was here to take care of her full-time.

Around 2am last night, I was burping Ellie after a feeding and had this horrible sensation in my stomach. I'd already drank all of the water on the nightstand, so I carefully woke Dave and phrased the following, "I'm sorry to wake you, but I really appreciate you going to get tums for me." Figuring it was some lingering pregnancy heartburn, he slumbered down the hall to the office to look for the tums. Then something hit hard, and I was barely able to put Ellie down on the bed, sprint toward the bathroom, motioning toward our room past David and grunting her name. I tried to make it to the toilet, but those extra 2 feet, just weren't close enough, the shower curtain was also a victim. This went on for a few hours back & forth from the bed to the bathroom.

I came to the realization that I must be a Mom, since I didn't want David to check on me and leave the baby (for some neurotic reason). He did exactly what I wanted him to do - and what peace of mind. The next morning, he also explained to his Mum that I wasn't feeling well and talk about a reprieve! She was a Godsend! She did all the full-time mothering, except for nursing, then she'd let me go right back to sleep. It was so helpful. I cannot imagine what I'd have done without her here this week. Truly - cannot imagine it. God love the Mother-in-Law.

Story of Stranger Pacifiers

Here's the story of a stange bird as told by my sister, Annie:

Back when my niece was more of an infant, her parents took her to a Church function.  As most people love babies, but good Christian folk in particular, a man wanted to hold my niece.  Annie and Dan said, "Sure."  The man took her and off he went to chat with other people.  After quite a while, Annie went looking for the man and found him around a corner, saying, "oh, here she is. Everything was fine, the pacifier fell out of her mouth, but don't worry, I cleaned it by putting it in my mouth before putting it back in hers."

Lesson: Don't assume that strangers have common sense.