Second Month Favorites

Another month down, a new list of favorites!  

1. the Britax B-Agile Travel System.  The more Natalie grows, the more we go out and do things.  This travel system is AMAZING.  It is so easy to use and it really helps me to feel confident taking Natalie out and doing things by myself.  The car seat clicks into the base and you hear it click giving you the comfort of knowing that it really is in place.  It is so easy to put into the base and remove.  Then comes the stroller. It really is so simple.  You can set it up and take it down so easily and again the car seat just clicks into place and you're ready to go.  Once Natalie grows out of her infant car seat, the stroller is ready for the next chapter of her life.  I am absolutely obsessed.

2. the blooming bath flower.  When we brought Natalie home she was so small.  Ok, she was so small to us but in reality, she was quite a large baby.  The blooming flower made bath time so easy.  We just put it in the sink, put her in the flower and then give her a bath.  The flower is soft but cushioned so she is safe and secure and I am not worried about her bumping her head on the hard sink. At the end of the bath, we ring it out and hang it up to dry. It really is that simple. Natalie loves bath time and the comfort and security provided by the blooming bath really helps us to enjoy bath time too.

3. the Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor. When we first got the monitor, Brandon and I played with it for hours.  It has two-way communication which allows you to talk to your crying baby... or talk to your husband who is putting things together in the nursery. The picture quality on this thing is top notch. It has really made the (very slow) transition of Natalie sleeping in her own room much easier for Brandon and me. I love love love this monitor.

4. Burp Cloths.  These are not just any burp cloths.  These things are amazing. A co-worker of mine, Jessica, gifted them to me at my shower and I have in turn gifted them to two more people.  Jessica's mom makes them and Jessica and her sister have tried to convince her to sell them on Etsy and if she ever does, her shop will definitely become one of my favorites.  Jessica gave Brandon and me six burp cloths at my baby shower and I have already told Jessica that I want six more.  They are seriously the best.  I have them in every room in the house and each diaper bag and in my car, just in case.  Jessica's son, Noah, is almost three and she still uses hers when he has a cold which is truly a testament to how well these things hold up.  Another co-worker of mine just had baby #2 and said the gift she most looked forward to was these burp cloths.  I have tried others, but nothing compares to these.

5. the Boppy.  Now that Natalie is starting to sit up, the Boppy is definitely coming in handy.  We can prop her up in the Boppy and she can really practice sitting on her own.  Natalie is really starting to develop great head control and the Boppy allows us to work with her. It is also really great for tummy time.  We can lay her on her belly with her chest on the Boppy and she will prop herself up.  She is already so strong.  It's so impressive.  I also like to lay her on her back snuggled into the Boppy so that we can work on her reaching and grabbing.  She is learning so quickly and I feel like every day she is doing more.  I am one proud mama.

Blood is thicker than water...

I was reading an article this morning at work that couldn't feel more relevant to things that are going on with me personally and things that are going on for some people around me.  My older sister keeps talking about people misusing the phrase "blood is thicker than water" and today I finally looked it up and learned the origin of the phrase and it's true meaning.  I always thought it was literally like "family is closer than friends/other people" but as it turns out - that's not what the phrase was intended to mean at all.  The phrase originally went something like "a bond or covenant I’ve made with someone I’ve shed or shared blood with (sometimes literally) is stronger than one I have with someone I’ve shared the womb with."  Basically saying, sometimes the bond you share with your friends, the family you make for yourself, is a bond deeper than the one you share with your real family.  That could not be more true.

This past weekend, Jemayne and Laura brought their daughter, Jada, over to meet Natalie.  It was easily one of my favorite visits to date and thinking about it makes me a little bit weepy.  The thing is, I remember the night Jada was born.  I remember going to visit Laura when Jada was just weeks old and bringing her blankets, toys and clothes for Miss Jada Bean. I remember seeing Jada at three months old when Mayne and Brandon graduated from Lycoming. I remember Jada dancing at our wedding and being the little life of the party.  And now to see Jada holding my little girl is so surreal.  In my opinion those two little girls are like cousins and I can only imagine the trouble they are going to get into together... or the trouble that Jada will probably get Natalie out of!

Mayne, Brandon & Jada (3 months) at Lyco Graduation '09

Mayne & Jada (2.5 years old)

Jada (5) and Natalie (2.5 months)

the boys and their girls :)

how are we old enough to have a picture like this?!

This upcoming weekend, my girlfriends Kerri and Emily are coming to visit Miss Natalie (and I guess us too).  I am so excited for Emily to finally meet Natalie and for Kerri to see just how big she has gotten since Kerri last saw her at just three days new.  I am so excited to see the relationship that will form between Natalie and these two incredible women who have been there for me through thick and thin.  I can only imagine the 2AM phone calls these women will get when Natalie is in high school and she hates me but she needs advice that she just cannot ask her lame mom for.  I am totally realistic about my future relationship with Natalie and am thankful I have fabulous girlfriends to help me out :)

I was recently talking to a woman I know who is having a hard time with her own family.  She was telling me that she felt like her friends are more like family to her than her own blood relatives are.  She told me that her brother told her that he loved her son but couldn't care less about her son's wife. She didn't know how to handle that.  She told her son what was said and the son told his mother that the only reason he even talks to that uncle and those members of his family is because of his wife! I couldn't help but laugh at the irony.  I told her that while I have no doubt the crumbling relationships with her family members hurt her, she has surrounded herself with delightful loving friends who really care about her and that's something pretty wonderful and incredibly special.

Hearing this woman tell me about her family situation and her feelings about her friends only reinforced to me how lucky Brandon and I are to have such great friends.  Don't get me wrong, Brandon and I have both been blessed with big families (that are growing like weeds!) full of crazy, enjoyable and loveable people, but we have also created our own framily (thanks Sprint for that awesome word-mash) and for that I am incredibly grateful. Natalie will have no shortage of playmates, friends, mentors and role models and she will be forever surrounded by love and guidance and there is nothing more heartwarming and rewarding than that.

my small friend Tim

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a very ugly relationship with my younger sister, Jessica.  I have not spoken to her since June of 2012, ever since the incident, and have no plans to speak with her anytime soon.  The downside of this relationship with her is the fact that I haven't been able to have a relationship with my nephew... until now :)

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Jessica dropped my nephew off at Michelle's house because  my younger sister had been kicked out of yet another one of her friends' houses - the fourth place she had been living in the last six months - and she needed to find a new place to live.  In the past month and a half since Timmy has been living with Michelle, I have largely benefit from the fact that my younger sister is such a trainwreck.  On November 30th, I got to spend time with my nephew.  It was the first time I had seen him (besides our brief encounter the night Natalie was born) since October of 2012.  Since the 30th of November, I have either physically seen him, talked to him on the phone or facetimed with him at least once a week. It has been awesome.  Brandon has been just as excited as me to be a part of the little man's life.  On the way to Michelle's house to watch the Iron Bowl, we had to stop to pick up formula.  Brandon went a little crazy and bought Timmy two huge toy trucks, a life-size Pooh and his first baseball glove.  Like I said, finally being able to be a part of his life has been awesome.  It has also been very tough emotionally.

Uncle Brandon & Timmy playing trucks :)

Pop-Pop Duckie reading to Timmy :)

Selfie with my little friends :)

My younger sister has been a less than stellar parent and it is terribly upsetting to see how emotionally, developmentally and physically stunted my nephew is. Don't get me wrong - Timmy is an awesome little boy, but he definitely has some difficulty and it's going to be a long road to get him where he needs to be.  He needs stability and nurturing.  He needs good, solid role models.  Michelle has taken on a huge task with him and she definitely needs to be commended for it.

love that little stinker :)

such a hambone :)

Michelle & Timmy after bath-time :)

In the past month and a half, Michelle has taken him to different doctors and specialists to see where Timmy stands as a small human.  As it turns out, at just two years old, Timmy has PTSD, severe sleep deprivation and serious night terrors.  He has not measurably grown since March of 2012 and he needs to see a speech therapist.  At twenty five months old, he is developmentally between 14-18 months old and some days that's being generous.  The lack of proper stimulation, education, nutrition and nurturing have taken a toll on my little friend.  We have also recently learned that Jessica tested positive for drugs in the hospital when both Timmy and Joie were born.  Regardless of the hardships and challenges he has faced and is still facing, Timmy is the sweetest little boy and to know him is to absolutely fall in love with him.  He loves his little cousin, Natalie, he worships the ground his Uncle Brandon walks on and he makes his Aunt Tori laugh with his goofy antics. He is a challenge some days and I am really impressed with how well Michelle is handling those days.  She says his good days make the bad ones seem not so bad.

All of these factors, along with my younger sister's inability to keep a stable job and living environment, played a role in Michelle's decision to file for sole legal custody of my nephew.  A decision I stand behind 100%.  To add to the situation, after two years of telling Darrin, and everyone else, that Darrin wasn't Timmy's father, Jessica filed for child support from him in November.  Michelle recently met up with Darrin and what we found out was incredibly upsetting. Darrin has spent the last two years trying to be a part of Timmy's life only to be lied to and pushed away.  The most hurtful part of it for me is that Jessica told Darrin that I wasn't a part of Timmy's life because my husband and I are racist and we are disgusted by the child because he is mixed. [Can we please take a minute to process this? My daughter's Godfather is black. Three of my husband's best friends from college are black. Two of my best co-worker-friends are black. But we are racist... riiiiight.] Darrin wants to be a part of Timmy's life and we all agree that he should be.  The icing on the cake is that Darrin signed all of the paperwork  supporting Michelle's decision to file for custody.

It's a tough situation to be a witness to.  Jessica thinks being a good parent is posting pictures of her children on facebook and saying publicly that she loves them. Michelle has been more of a parent to Timmy in a month than Jessica has in a very long time.  After giving birth to Natalie and really becoming a parent myself, the situation makes me even more upset.  Knowing all the ridiculous over the top things I want to provide for Natalie and do for Natalie on top of giving her the things that she needs and knowing that Timmy was never given some of his most basic needs makes me so angry.  Maybe it's just my opinion, but I think giving birth to a child absolutely makes you a mother, but giving that same child your time, love, guidance and the stability that he/she needs makes you a mom, or in Michelle's case an absolutely incredible, totally devoted aunt.

Here's to hoping that the courts agree with me and that they award Michelle custody of my small friend Tim, because I really love getting to watch him grow up.

Two Months!

Seriously - how is my little girl already two months old?!  Sometimes I feel like the last two months have flown by, other times it feels like she should be talking by now.  It's crazy to think to think I have been back at work, even though just part-time at first, for almost three weeks and am officially back full time now.

Yesterday was my last day of leave before I came back full time to work and it was a rough one.  Natalie had her two month check-up and her first round of shots.  Unexpectedly, the shots itself weren't so bad.  My little champ was so good!  She yelped a little when the shots were administered, but other than that, she was completely unfazed by the whole thing.  The doctor said I should begin worrying about the teenage years :) The rough part of the day came in the afternoon when she got a little gassy.  I have never seen my little girl in such discomfort.  Once she got the toots out, she was back to smiling and jabbering away.

I thought the transition to work would be very difficult, but knowing that Brandon was home with Nattie those first couple weeks made it so much easier.  I loved knowing that they were bonding and having daddy/daughter days.  They are forming such a special bond already and it makes me so incredibly happy :)  Back to my back-to-work experience, like I mentioned, deep down I thought maybe I would be sad and miss her all day.  The first day back was so busy, I didn't even really have time to miss her. In fact, on my way home I felt bad that I didn't miss her. I was so happy to be back at work and to be around my co-workers/friends that I felt almost selfish for enjoying that time away from her.  But like I said, it didn't hurt that Brandon was home AND he sent me pictures of Natalie all day, so I didn't really need to miss her - besides, I knew the peanut was having a wonderful time with her father.  I am sure if I had dropped her off with strangers in the morning I would have missed her but knowing she was home with Brandon and the puppies gave me a sense of security and calm.  Now we just need to see how things go now that Brandon and I are both back to work!  I am hoping I will keep the same calm!

As far as milestones go, Natalie has started to smile more and more which is so rewarding.  When I get her up from a nap or when I get home from work, she seems genuinely happy to see me.  There is no better feeling than seeing her face light up when she sees me.  It is so rewarding.  She makes such goofy faces and noises these days, too.  She has really found her voice. She is constantly cooing or grunting or generating noises in another way.  It kills me. She tries so hard to talk already so I know when she finally does start talking, she will be quite the chatterbox.

love this little outfit from Brandon's cousin Derek and his wife, Nicole :)

Natalie on her toy chest from her Nanny and Farge :)

Nattie and I on one of our last lazy days of maternity leave

We have also had a major victory in the last month - a very exciting victory, in fact - Natalie slept through the night on Christmas day :)  It was the best gift she could have given me.  Honestly, she is such a good sleeper so we really cannot complain in that department.  She does seem to prefer catnaps during the day though, but even still, I would prefer that over catnaps during the night!  We have also started to make the transition to her sleeping in her own room.  It was a tough decision, but she is such a loud sleeper that we knew it had to be done and so far she is handling the transition really well and, surprisingly, so are we.

We are a little bummed that the weather has foiled our plans of Natalie meeting more of Brandon's side of the family, but we keep making efforts and are hoping eventually something will pan out sooner rather than later.  We're hoping she will meet Bella before her second birthday and baby Kyle before his first. (I know baby Kyle hasn't been born yet, but you get my drift.) On the flip side though, she has been getting to meet more and more of the family that Brandon and I have made for ourselves - our close friends.  She got to spend more time with the Syes which is something I always enjoy.  And she has basically become a regular where Brandon and I work and is quite the little celebrity at both places.  She has such a great disposition and is such a sweet baby and everyone absolutely eats her up.

It is crazy to see how much she has grown and changed in just the last month. And it will be interesting to see how much more she grows and learns in the next month and also how much more Brandon and I will grow and learn with her in the next month.  Brandon's mom has come down to stay with us so that I can go back to work for real and so Brandon and I can put off putting Natalie into daycare for a little while longer.  While I know my mother-in-law is going to do a wonderful job, I am still anxious about the idea of Natalie being with someone who isn't Brandon or me all day. I am not anxious for Natalie's sake, she is such a good baby that anyone would love taking care of her and will have so much fun with her.  I am anxious for how well I am going to handle it! Here's to hoping I am a champ like my little babe.