this whole "single mother" thing is harder than it looks

And extremely exhausting. Especially when you're working and trying to pack at the same time. I'm so sleepy.

Abby's been trying to be good this week. She really is a good baby. It's just that sometimes, Mommy's need a break, even if it's just for a few minutes. She gets heavy after awhile! Jimmy's going to be home tomorrow and I know she's going to be excited to see him. You should see the grin she gets when he talks to her on the phone. She gets so very very excited!

Charles said today that he's going to miss her. He hasn't been around baby giggles and smiles in a long time and I think he really has fun playing with her at work. I think he really is going to miss her. I bet SarahBelle will. That dog loves Abby. And Abby thinks it's really funny when SarahBelle licks her feet.

We had her four month well baby check up yesterday. The doctor says she's perfect. 13 pounds 2 ounces, 24 and a half inches long, head circumference of 16 and a quarter. She's in the 50th percentile of everything, so she's growing nicely. The nurses couldn't get over how cute she was and Dr. Isales said she is one of the smiliest babies he's ever seen, which I think it cool. Everyone seems to be so excited by her smiles, you know? It's very cute. She grins a lot. It's great.

But right now? Pack some more and then sleep as I have to work early tomorrow and it's going to be a long day. Love you all.

still in key west, where it's too damn hot

June 19, 2009

Lil Miss got her first immunization shots yesterday. Oh good lord let me tell you that was NOT fun.

She was good, she really was. Don't get me wrong: She was not at all shy about letting Mommy know, in absolutely no uncertain terms, that "That fucking hurt!". Right after the needle went into her leg, she looked up at me for about two seconds in absolute shock, then screwed up her face and started screaming. She cried until the nurse was done.

However, she didn't kick. She let me hold her in place and let the nurse do what the nurse had to do without too much trouble. As soon as the shots were over, I stood up (to let her know it was over) and she got a little bit quieter. As soon as we got outside the building, and she was sure it was over, she stopped crying and just snuggled really close and sniffled. I held her and rocked her and cuddled with her in the parking lot for about twenty minutes before putting in her carseat to leave.

I gave her Tylenol like her doctor suggested and she never ran a fever. She was a little fussy yesterday afternoon, but I think that was more because she was in the car a lot yesterday (we took Daddy to the hospital in Marathon before her shots appointment, drove back to Key West for her appointment, back to Marathon to pick up Daddy, back to home to drop Daddy off, back into town to drop off his prescription and get him some OTC sleeping medicine then back home -- LOTS of time in the car) than from the shots. In general, she was so good.

June 20, 2009

It was a bit of a sad day. I had been hoping to be on the road to Orlando first thing this morning, but Jimmy's still sick. That wasn't happening. He kept saying this week that Lil Miss and I should go without him but I didn't want to leave him sick, especially on Father's Day weekend. I asked him if he was saying that because he WANTED us to go, if us not being here would make him feel better, but he said no, he wanted us here.

So we stayed.

Lil Miss misses him, I think. She hasn't really seen him much this week and he hasn't played with her. Every time she *does* see him (when he walks through to get something to drink or something) she grins at him and does the thing where she kicks her feet and reaches towards him, like she does when I go to get her up from her naps. It's a very cute thing to see and it makes me very happy. I'm sure it would make him happy if he noticed it, but Daddy is very sick.

Watching WALL-E tonight before bed.

Lil Miss got to "talk" to her Aunt Anjie today. She called to talk to me about an interview I have next week and Lil Miss was talking a little bit while we were on the phone. I tried putting the phone to her ear so Anj could talk to her (she did) and she could talk to Anj (she didn't). She apparently haven't picked up on the fact that we WANT her to make noise when we put the phone to her ear. Her family wants to hear her talk! Her Grandma Lynn wanted to talk to her this morning, but she was napping when Momma called and I was talking to her.

I'm sad we didn't get to go to Orlando, but Momma's coming down here next weekend, after her conference is over. So Lil Miss and I will get to see her, which is nice. And, hopefully, we'll all three be going to Georgia in the end of July, for the open house at Andy's new church, once they're settled into the parsonage.

It's hot down here. Hot and humid. I feel bad for Lil Miss -- she has GOT to be miserable. I try to keep her room nice and cool for her -- her Daddy likes the cold too, so we're pretty used to it. She's doing really well sleeping in her own room.

She's such a good little baby. Mommy is spoiled.

My liyyle munchikin, being grumpy for some reason.

our little one is a drool monster

June 17, 2009

It was a bit of a better day than yesterday, though still a long one.

Lil Miss slept all night last night in her room, in the pack and play. Because Jimmy is sick and I wanted him to sleep when he could and because I wanted her to sleep as well, I put her in the nursery so they wouldn't wake / keep each other up. I slept on the couch so I wouldn't wake either one taking care of the other.

She slept very well and seemed perfectly happy. So that's a good sign.

I didn't work today. Lil Miss and I spent the day together like usual. We had to go down and pick up WIC checks and, while we were there, the nutritionist weighed her for me. She was twelve pounds and four ounces. She was, however, wearing a dress and had a bit of a wet diaper, I think. So I'm guessing she's right at twelve pounds. My worries that she's not getting enough to eat? Apparently completely unfounded. She's doing just fine. That makes me happy.

My little drool monster -- she was very drooly today.

Other than that? We hung out around the house a lot. We went to the grocery on the way home to get Jimmy more Gatorade. We did laundry. We packed Lil Miss' stuff (other than the things I use on a daily basis and therefore cannot pack beforehand) for this weekend. I'm still hoping we can go, though I'm not sure anymore. Jimmy isn't throwing up much anymore and he's sleeping now. Usually, that means it's almost over. We'll see. I'm not going to let him go unless I'm sure he's better.

After she went to bed? I watched NCIS and did some cleaning. It's been a rather uneventful day.

Oh -- I did get a call setting up another interview for a full time job down here. So, another possibility for something to come through. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

And now? Dinner (.........I forgot to eat today) and then bed.

yeah...................i'm back

June 1, 2009

So, yeah. Mommy's been sick all week. My body does this thing when I've been pushing it very hard and it's tired where it makes me sick so I'll just stop and get some rest. Well, that's not exactly possible -- I can't not go to work and a I definitely can't just stop taking care of Lil Miss, so you know, I don't get to stop. So instead of being sick for a day like usual (if I could just sleep for like a day), I've been sick for a week. Sorry for not keeping up.

June 2, 2009

I'm feeling much better now, thanks. Though it looks like I'm probably going to have to start carrying my glasses around again -- since I stare at computers all day at work, I've started getting headaches again. Hopefully my eyes haven't gotten any worse and the glasses will help instead of making the headaches even worse.

June 3, 2009

Lil Miss has been so good all week. I don't know if she recognized that Mommy was sick or if she didn't feel good herself, but she's been taking long naps and putting herself to bed early (except for tonight). She's still getting up at four or four thirty in the morning, but most of the week, she's been rather content to sit in her little chair and bounce as long as she thinks Mommy is paying attention to her. We went to work a few days and I've done some work here too. But mainly, I've taken care of Lil Miss and gone to sleep when she did at night after cleaning the kitchen and such (cause I just can't sleep during the day). She's been going to bed early all week except today. She had a major grumpy most of the afternoon. Didn't go to sleep until almost nine thirty and I hadn't eaten anything all day.

June 4, 2009

Jimmy hasn't been feeling great either. Not the stomach thing, just waking up feeling horrible and so calling in to work. Then he sleeps a little more and when he wakes up, he feels better. I think he's so stressed out just thinking about going into work (cause he hates it there sometimes) that he is seriously making himself sick to avoid it. Anjie did it when she was little. I think I did too.

June 5, 2009

I keep telling him he needs to find a new job. I'm hoping he'll listen to me this time. Miss Sherry called tonight to say they don't need him tomorrow and he says he's going job hunting. Let's hope so and keep our fingers crossed for him on it.

Yep -- she's started "superman"ing!

Sorry this is short but, even though I'm feeling much better, I'm still extremely exhausted, so I'm going to go clean the kitchen from dinner and then, know what? Sleep. Lots of it. Cause I'll be getting up in just about six hours.

she's practically perfect in every way

May 27, 2009

But, of course, we already knew that!

We had her two month check up early this afternoon. Her doctor says she's doing really good -- he says she's "perfect" -- and that she's a little ahead of where he would expect her to be in some developmental things. Jimmy swears she's a genius, but I think he's biased, but her doctor confirmed that she's a little ahead of herself and I'm sure she's going to be a very very smart little girl.

She was in the 25th percentile in everything at her two week appointment (7 lbs 4 oz, 19 inches and I forgot head circumference). She's now 11 lbs 2 oz (no clothes and a dry diaper -- so real weight) and 22 inches long with a head circumference of 15 and a third inches. She's in the 50th percentile for her age. So she's growing fast and proportionally. He says he would not be surprised if she's more than double her birth weight at six months (which is what is average). I am no longer worried that she's not getting enough food.

He said whatever it is we're doing seems to be working and to just keep doing it. She goes back for another well check up in two months.

Trying to eat her burp cloth -- that child LOVES to eat. She's NOT like her Mommy in that department.

Today was not a shots appointment because shots are done by the Health Department at the Community Health Center. They won't be for another couple of weeks because I didn't realize I had to go to a different place (my fault completely) and they're really busy. If they get a cancellation sooner, they'll call me, but that's not usual. But her doctor said she'll be alright and to just be sure to make her appointment for her next shots while I'm there anyway. I'm not looking forward to that day. Her doctor suggested giving her some baby tylenol about a half hour before her appointment to help with keeping any fever and symptoms down, but also said I could wait until after and see if any symptoms show up.

I'm not looking forward to the needles OR the thought of my poor little munchikin being sick. I don't like that. Jimmy's already said that he doesn't want to go to that appointment cause he knows he won't be able to handle it if she starts crying. So Mommy gets to be the bad guy.

But I'd expected and prepared myself for that anyway.

Sleeping in her bouncer -- she loves that thing! If you put her in it if she's at all tired, she's out old within just a few minutes.

Other than the doctor's appointment it was a rather uneventful day, as Lil Miss had another sleepy day, so she cat napped a lot. I'm pretty sure that's because she was awake last night from four am until about eight thirty this morning. We walked, she played in her bouncy chair while Mommy tried to cat nap on the bean bag chair next to her and we watched Mike and Mike in the Morning. She's a good little baby, she just apparently likes to be awake early in the morning (which means Mommy is going to bed very soon). And we got all the way through another bath with absolutely no tears. I think she's finally gotten completely used to it!

I have the best baby ever and I love her to pieces.

On another note -- send some good thoughts down this way for the next few weeks. The attorney I work for is retiring this summer, so I'm job hunting for something full time. There's a few possibilities right now and, if those don't work out, I'll just keep looking. But I could use some good thoughts. The job market here isn't great and I really want something with a steadier paycheck than waiting tables.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

mocking birds to rover -- didn't need any of them today

May 25, 2009

TOLD you I'd get you pictures from yesterday. (c:

Today wasn't bad. She was a sleepy baby today -- slept most of the afternoon when we were at work and actually slept for awhile this morning as well. She was awake from about five am until eight thirty, but then slept from then until about ten thirty. She fell asleep on the bus down to work at noon and slept for a good part of the afternoon.

And when she was awake, she was perfectly happy chewing on her hand and slobbering all over her Moo Cow while sitting in her car seat and letting Mommy work.

May 26, 2009

Yes, she is hiding behind her Moo Cow in the above picture. She does that alot -- plays peek-a-boo without knowing what peek-a-boo is. She'll pull her burp cloth over her face or pull her bib up or duck behind her Moo Cow or her Pooh Bear blanket. It's very very cute. I haven't been able to manage to get a video of it yet, but believe me -- I'm trying!!

(Check out of the video on the right that's all her in the blue dress -- the second one down. The first sound she makes is one of her adorable coos. I love that sound!)

She's finally longer than her big brother!

Zeus is finally used to her I think. She's "petted" him a few times and will lay on the floor with him right beside her, and he seems fine with it. There are moments I think he might be a tiny bit jealous, simply because when Mommy's holding the baby, she can't be loving on the kitty, but we make sure he get plenty of loving when we're both home or when she's asleep. He hasn't really tried to bother her yet. So I think he's decided she can stay.

He does love to lay on her leaf when she's not using it though.

Oh! I forgot something yesterday! We had a REALLY big first -- we managed to get all the way through a bath (from getting undressed to bath to washing the hair to getting out to being dried off and then dressed again) without any tears! She even got water on her face and didn't cry!

I was really proud of her.

Two month check up is early tomorrow afternoon (though her shots aren't for a couple of weeks -- long story), so I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Contemplating on how difficult it is to be a baby.

she's a porker!

May 20, 2009

She sleeps in some of the funniest positions.

So yeah, was a pretty normal day today. It was a friend of Daddy's birthday, so some of them were going our jet skiing. So Lil Miss and I went down to work early this morning, since we were trying to get a bill out today at work. Lil Miss had a minor melt down this morning -- nothing bad, but she was fussy, so I was holding her and had to go tell Charles a client was on the phone. She flailed a little bit as I was turning to leave his office and go back to my desk and she hit her head on the door frame. Not hard, but enough to cause a little melt down.

I felt horrible.

After that, she didn't really want to be put down, but she didn't really necessarily have to be cradled and there was some typing I had to do. So what did I do? I sat her up in my lap, lowered my chair a little and typed with her there in my lap. She was happy and I could work. Charles came out and saw if and just laughed. He said he wished he had a camera because it was one of the cuter things he'd seen.

I almost wish I had a picture of it too!

Our daughter is a porker -- she tries to eat everything!!! (including, here, her Pooh Bear blanket)

So Lil Miss and I had an appointment with the WIC nutritionist this morning to get her formula checks switched over to soy. No big deal, she just seems to be doing much better on the soy formula and the nutritionist has to see you to switch anything. She weighed me (116) and then, because I was curious and asked, weighed Lil Miss.

Lil Miss, on her eight week birthday, is 11 lbs 1 oz and 22 inches long. She's gained almost 4 pounds and 3 inches. No wonder my arms get tired after carrying and bouncing her all day! She's getting big!

The nutritionist said she's growing very well and seems to be doing just fine. She has her actual two month check up with her doctor next Wednesday and then her first immunization shots (NOT looking forward to that!) next Thursday. I'll let y'all know what the doctor says, obviously.

With my little one, out early tonight.

It apparently must have been a long day for Lil Miss because she actually put herself to sleep about an hour or so early tonight. She just slept in my arms that last hour, because she was too cute, sweet and cuddly to put down. Look at that picture -- could YOU have put her down?

Didn't think so.

I can't wait for all of y'all that haven't met her to meet her, and for those of you who have to see her again. She's getting her own little personality. She smiles and almost laughs. She wants to crawl SO bad. Everyone says she's just the cutest, sweetest little baby.

I think I might have to agree.

at least it's over now

Momma -- do you remember that book Where the Heart Is? With Novalee, who hated sevens and though they were bad luck? Well, today, I felt like I was channeling her. It is Lil Miss's seven week birthday and we had a difficult day.

It was a long LONG day.

I think Lil Miss is a little sick -- I think she had an upset tummy most of the day. (If you don't want to hear about Lil Miss's bodily things, go to the next paragraph). She had a very messy diaper this morning, after having one last night (less than twelve hours). And it seemed that every time she ate a bottle, she would get a small messy diaper. And she was extremely fussy and clingy all day and seemed a bit more gassy than usual. So I think she had an upset tummy.

Which, of course, means that Mommy had a long day. We went to work this morning / early afternoon cause Charles is in trial this week. Lil Miss went cause Daddy didn't get much sleep and also wanted to be able to go down and talk to some people about possible part time jobs. So Lil Miss went to work with me today and was very very fussy. So we had a very rough day.

I finally got her to pass out about an hour ago. Then I went to take a bath before coming on here and then going to sleep.

Sorry I don't have any pictures from today. I only have one taken, and it wasn't very good. I spent most of the afternoon / evening walking and bouncing on the sidewalk outside because she seemed to like being outside. We walked up to the corner store -- walking and bouncing -- and back and forth outside. She would calm down and then we would come back inside and within ten minutes, she'd be screaming again and back outside to the walking and bouncing we'd go.

Mommy's arms hurt and Mommy's tired.

If she does this again tomorrow, I'm calling her doctor.

could it be a birthmark?

May 2, 2009

I know, I know, I missed a day. I'm sorry! It's been a very long weekend.

Daddy called about noon yesterday to tell me he needed me to start a bath running because he was sick. )c: So Jimmy's been sick all weekend and Lil Miss was wide awake and fussy last night, so I just didn't get a chance to post. By the time she went to sleep, I was so exhausted, I just crashed.

So I spent yesterday during the day taking care of Jimmy, Lil Miss and finishing all the unpacking and getting the house all set up. Everything has a place and it's probably as "done" as it's going to be with a baby in the house. (c: Zeus is still investigating (I think he thinks that Lil Miss' room is actually his, though that's not surprising, considering that she doesn't really sleep in there yet) and I think he's decided that this house is acceptable. Jimmy and I love it and Lil Miss, well, she doesn't know what's going on. As long as she's fed and loved, she's happy.

May 3, 2009

So yeah, Mommy didn't sleep much last night. Between Lil Miss waking up to be fed and Jimmy getting up through the night, I don't think I got more than twenty minutes of straight sleep all night. I finally gave up trying to sleep this morning about 9:30 and Lil Miss and I got ready to go to work and then, of course, went to work. Because she was so fussy Friday, I had things I needed to get done before tomorrow morning. But she was pretty good this afternoon and let me get everything done (she mainly watched Mommy work and cuddled with Moo Cow. Yes, she is trying to eat his ear in that picture above).

Lil Miss is a rather talkative baby. I wouldn't call her a fussy baby, because most days she doesn't really cry that much unless I'm not making her bottle quick enough or she's telling me she's wet or pooping, but she does grumble and "talk" a lot. She grumbles in her sleep a good bit -- I think when she's dreaming but, of course, I don't know for sure. It's pretty cute though.

She also does this thing when I'm holding her that I call "petting". Quite often when being held, she'll end up in with one are behind me. And usually, when she's eating or being cuddled, she'll pull that arm to me so her hand is at my lower back and then she'll "pet" me. It's very cute and sweet and, though I'm sure she doesn't do it on purpose, I love it. She also tends to hold my hand or finger when she's eating and, when we're riding home on the bus, she tends to hold my hand the whole way (usually while sleeping -- the bus has a tendency to knock her out cold very quickly).

Sleeping at the office today.

So, do me a favor and look very very close at her forehead -- do you see that "V" right above the bridge of her nose? Because I can't seem to *not* notice it. It's not there all the time -- mainly when she is or has just been being fussy, when she's mad or (I'm assuming on this one) when she's sick.

Mommy has one just like it. Momma said it was how she could tell if I was really sick because it wasn't always visible -- only when I was angry, stressed, or sick. Are birthmarks hereditary? So I know that doesn't make any sense and they can't possibly, but seriously -- that looks just like my birthmark.

When will we know whether or not it's going to stay? Is it possible that there is something in my genes that I could pass on that would make it more likely that she would get a birthmark? I don't want her to have to deal with it all her life, so I'm hoping it doesn't stay -- but when will I know? Momma -- when did you realize mine was going to be permanent? Was it obvious when I was a baby?

already getting older...

April 26, 2009

Lil Miss is a month old. Well, actually, she was a month old yesterday, but, being sick, I forgot to mention that in last night's post. Sorry about that! I can't believe she's already a month old. It's a little crazy. She's growing too -- I mean seriously. Check out the daily picture, from up there, and compare it to this one right here, taken the night she came home from the hospital -- March 27, 2009.

Just coming to her new home -- March 27, 2009

So yeah -- she's definitely grown some and she's definitely getting bigger. I have no clue HOW big, as we don't have a scale in the house (Mommy has some.......issues with things like weight, so it's best if I just don't know what I weigh and don't have the temptation to look at a scale), so I can't weigh her. I need to go get her weight or something, I dunno. Maybe I'll just wait til her two month check up and her vaccinations (oh Lordy am I NOT looking forward to that!) cause I know they'll weigh her then. But I kinda want to know before that!

Oh well. I'll figure something out.

Being a cute little attachment cuddle bug -- like she was most of the day.

Now, Mommy had plans for today. I was going to move as much stuff as possible (while, of course, keeping an eye on the draft and who Miami and Philly were taking) so that tomorrow, when everything had been switched over and turned on, we could maybe get the last of the big stuff (there's really only four or five things I can't move on my own) when Jimmy got home from work and maybe we could sleep in the new apartment tomorrow night. I would love that.

However, Lil Miss had her own ideas about what to do today. And they involved being held.

Constantly.

All day long.

And letting Mommy know -- in no uncertain terms -- that it was NOT acceptable if she was put down.

So, this created a bit of a problem, as I couldn't exactly hold her and move stuff at the same time. I ended up putting her in the sling and moving the lighter stuff and things I could carry with her right there. Then, late in the afternoon, she finally crashed and I was able to move some stuff while carrying the baby monitor. Didn't get as much as I wanted done, but I got some done. And I'm about to go move even more in a few minutes.

Oh yeah, just before I took that picture up there at the top? Lil Miss was trying to eat Moo cow again. She was asleep, but had grabbed ahold of him at some point (his arm) and was gnawing on it or gumming on it. I took it away (don't want her to choke / suffocate or anything like that) and put it up in the corner, but that little girl -- she loves to eat.

She's a little porker (isn't it obvious?) and she loves her bottle. She's so funny when she eats -- there are times you would think we starve her or something the way she goes after that bottle and tries to grab at it and such. We'll have to get video of her eating at some point or something. It's kinda funny and she makes some of the cutest little noises (not just when she's eating, also just in general, but also especially when she's eating). But she's a cutie and a good one.

I think we might just keep her.

cuteness overload!!!

Lil Miss is sleeping right now, so I'll post her daily picture a little later. I want some of her pictures to be awake! (c:

We had a long morning. We had an appointment at the WIC office to get recertified and it took a long time. But, as expected, the nutritionist declared that Lil Miss is perfectly healthy and "thriving". That makes me happy. I worry sometimes because there are days that it seems she just cannot get enough food. I worry about her. But everyone promises me she's okay. Guess I should trust the professionals, huh? Yeah, I thought so.

Well, because the appointment took so long, I decided to go into the office to do filing and subpoenas and such tomorrow instead of today. Charles is fine with it. Besides, when I called Rae to tell her not to expect me, she said Chip had some people coming in this afternoon anyway, so it's a good thing. She's a good baby, but sometimes she is, well, a baby and she just needs to cry. It happens.

So when we got home today, there were two boxes from our mailman. And let me tell you -- CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!! One was a box of some of the clothes we had ordered from Target with a giftcard sent to us. They aren't "brand new baby" clothes, but they're the size between "newborn" and "3 months". We don't have much of that size and that's where Lil Miss is about to be. They're very cute clothes -- some onsies and sleepers, but also a couple of cute little outfits and a dress. My little one is a well dressed little girl. Also, there was a box from one of the ladies in the church I grew up in. It was very sweet of her -- a couple of sleepers, some bibs (including an "I love Mommy" bib that I love -- and let me tell you, Lil Miss is a MESSY eater, so bibs are GOOD things) and a book and a toy. All very cute.

So I'm going through and putting away all the baby clothes we've gotten in the past few weeks (thank you Grandma Lynn and Grandma Barbara (we need to figure out what your names are going to be so we can start differentiating!)) and I swear I'm going to go into sugar shock soon from the cuteness overload! (c:

I love baby clothes. Too bad they grow out of them so quickly!