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.

............................it's been a LONG week and a half

And I've been exhausted and I'm very very sorry I haven't been updated. There will be lots and lots of pictures posted this evening when I get home but, at the moment, I am at work so do not have the ability to upload pictures.

Momma came into town on June 27th. It was so great to have her in town for awhile. She hasn't been in Key West since right after Lil Miss was born, so she hasn't seen her, in person, in three months. She's gotten much bigger, and I swear she grew an inch in the time that Momma was here visiting. She is sprouting like weed! She's at least thirteen pounds now. She's definitely going to be more than double her birth weight by six months!

We went to Orlando late last week so that Jimmy could interview for jobs. He looked at places in Orlando and also interviewed with a company on Ponce Inlet, near Daytona Beach. He was offered a job there the next day and took it. So we're moving to Daytona Beach! He and Momma are actually there right now (they drove up last night), finding an apartment and getting things settled. Then he's going to work up there for two weeks and I'm going to finish things up down here with Charles. He's coming back down the last weekend in July and we'll be moving up then. It's going to be a long two weeks without him here, but it will be good because both of us can work and get as much cash as possible for the move. Charles is calling around to see if anyone he knows or anyone else knows is working in Daytona Beach or the surrounding area and looking for help. Hopefully we'll be able to find me something quickly. Even if it doesn't pay as much as Charles is paying me, it would hopefully be full or mostly full time and, also, living expenses in Daytona are about HALF of what they are here.

Crazy, I know.

Mommy was happy to be in Orlando because you know what they have in Orlando? Targets and Walmarts. And I have some gift cards from when Miss Abby was born that I wanted to use to get her some 0-3 month clothes because she is finally growing out of her newborn stuff (I think she finally got too long for most of it this last week). I have lots of newborn stuff and lots of over 6 month stuff but now until 6 month stuff is a little less full. So I got a few things for her to fill in the gap. They also have outlets (including an OshKosh outlet!) in Orlando, but we did NOT go. It's good to know it's there, though, for when we need stuff down the line.

So Miss Abby had two firsts last week -- her first experience with Disney and her first experience with fireworks. We didn't go to a Disney park (Abby's a bit young for that, and they're a bit expensive to pretty much just go walk around in) but Momma wanted me to see the marketplace part of Downtown Disney, so last Saturday we went down there are walked around for awhile. Abby was fascinated by all the people and the stuff. Momma got her a stuffed Stitch that's almost as big as she is. She's still very attached to Raffe, but she does like her Stitch -- she hugged on him and chewed on him the entire time we were at Marketplace. Momma also brought me a stuffed Figment from Epcot, that I will most likely share with Abby. It's very cute and makes Mommy a VERY happy girl. I got Momma a stuffed Squirt to go with her stuffed Crush (from Finding Nemo) so she can remember to relax when she needs to.

I also found the "Team Mickey" store, which is dangerous. I do so love some of the stuff in there! And even though we're in Daytona, we're still going to be close enough to go to Disney pretty easily (it might be an hour and a half drive, and that's WITH hitting Disney traffic and going all the way to Ponce Inlet -- Port Orange (where we will most likely actually be living) is about twenty minutes or so closer). My goal is to be able to afford season passes to Disney and a few treats each year from there once Abby is old enough to really get it and have fun.

The fireworks were, of course, Saturday night. The hotel we were staying at was right by Celebration (it was called Seralago -- if any of you are going to Orlando, it's a great hotel, very comfortable and safe and perfectly nice, great for families and rather cheap. Good spot to remember), so we decided to go watch their fireworks. Traffic was, of course, horrible, so we pulled off into an office building parking lot and decided to watch from there. There were a number of other groups doing the same thing and, to be honest, it was perfect. We were able to avoid most of the traffic leaving and, while we couldn't see the really low fireworks perfectly, we could still see the fireworks just fine and were far enough away that the smoke and noise weren't too bad. I was worried about the loud noise frightening Abby, but she was perfectly happy and liked watching the pretty lights. She actually fell asleep towards the end though (considering that they started more than thirty minutes past her usual bedtime and by the time they were ending, it was almost an hour after she usually goes to bed). The noise didn't even seem to phase her!

Lil Miss travelled pretty well. She didn't necessarily LIKE being in her carseat all day for two days and a bit the rest of the time, but she dealt with it. And she was perfectly fine in the hotel (we took her pack and play, so at least that was familiar). She actually let Momma be the one to wake up with her most of the time she was here, so Mommy could get some sleep (though I still generally heard her wake up and would go talk to her). Momma swore up and down that she wanted to get up with her. I think she just wanted as much grandbaby time as she could get her hands on. It was cute. Abby likes her Grandma, though she definitely knows who I am. It's nice to see her face light up when she sees me, and Momma said that in the mornings, when she was up, she would watch the door waiting for me to come in. Very cute.

So it's been a very long week and a half, but it's good. It's going to be okay and things are going to get better. I just know they are.

And I'll try very hard to be god about this again! Love you all!

*nom, nom, nom*

June 14, 2009

Don't you just love her little apple cheeks? I think they're precious!

We're going to Orlando! We're going to Orlando! So Momma has a conference (I'm pretty sure it's a Conscious Discipline conference) in Orlando this weekend and Jimmy has talked to a few jet ski companies in both St. Petersburg and Orlando that want to meet him and talk to him. So we're driving up to Orlando early Saturday, staying with Grandma Lynn at the hotel Saturday night and Sunday, then coming back by way of the companies and St. Petersburg on Monday. I'm excited to get off the island for a weekend and excited to see Momma. And she sounds pretty excited that we're coming too. Though I'm pretty sure she mainly just wants to see Lil Miss. (c:

June 15, 2009

She loves this game -- the let's eat everything game. You would think she was teething or something the way she chews on things but I know she's not because 1) she's too young and 2) even if she wasn't too young, she's not the fussy you would equate with teething. She just really likes to chew on stuff. It's her favorite pasttime.

My happy little baby on her leaf pad and boppy. That smile is the best thing in the world!

Grandma Lynn came up with a good name for the giraffe -- Raffe. It works. So that's what we're calling it now. She's even more attached to that thing that she was in the beginning. Now, there are times she'll be fussy and I can't figure out what's wrong and then I realize that Raffe is still in the crib. As soon as I give him to her, she's quiet. Definitely her security blanket. He's going in the laundry on Wednesday because he is awfully slobbery and I want him clean before this weekend. I'm trying to make sure she's not completely out of place in the hotel, since it's going to be a completely new place. She's never slept anywhere but here since she came home from the hospital, so I just want to make sure she's comfortable and happy.

Though I'm pretty sure as long as Mommy and Daddy are there, she'll be a happy girl.

My little baby at eight thirty last night, sleepy and so close to out cold.

So I have a job interview tomorrow. Probably in the afternoon, since I'm working for Charles in the morning. Send happy thoughts.

We really really want ONE of the many possibilities to work out, that's all I'm asking. And which ever one works out, that's where we're supposed to be. That's what I've decided -- that will be our sign. Something will work out and that will be the universe telling us where we're supposed to go.

And I'll accept that.

My little baby at four thirty this morning, wide awake and wanting to play!

And Mommy couldn't sleep last night (no clue as to why) so I was tired. So now, since I've been awake since then, I'm really tired. So I go sleepy bye now.

and now back to our regularly scheduled programming!

April 27, 2009

I apologize that we missed a day yesterday. Yesterday was the day everything was getting transferred over to the new apartment -- cable, internet, all that good stuff -- and we were moving the rest of the stuff. Jimmy was working, but I took the day off so I could be here when the techs showed up and so I could move things and we could hopefully have just the big stuff remaining when Jimmy got home.

Didn't work exactly that way, but I had a lot of it. However, our internet company switched the service over, but they conveniently forgot to check their records and see if our new apartment was wired for internet and they just had it switch over instead of sending out a tech. Well, guess what?

Our new apartment wasn't wired for internet so it didn't work. I called last night to see why we still didn't have a signal and they couldn't figure it out so they sent out a tech this morning. He knew what the problem was in five minutes and was done in less than thirty. Really -- was that so hard? Why couldn't they have done that yesterday so I could have posted last night and I wouldn't have had a grumpy Daddy who couldn't play online with his boys? (c:

April 28, 2009

But all is good now. We have electric, water, cable and internet at the new apartment. All our stuff has been moved (almost all of it put away) and everything is out of the old apartment (including the kitty, who decided to get out and go MIA for about six hours yesterday. Not fun for a worried Mommy). We've cleaned the old apartment and we're going to clean it again tomorrow. We'll be out a day and a half early, since we're doing that in the morning (cause Lil Miss and I are going to work tomorrow afternoon). The new apartment is pretty much set up. Lil Miss has her own room (even if she's not sleeping in it yet) and there's plenty of room for all our stuff -- we can spread out some. And things are actually *arranged*. It's amazing -- it looks like a real home.

It's great. I love it.

"Look at me! I'm trying to stand up!" (You might not be able to tell, but she's pushing down with her feet, trying to push herself up)

Lil Miss has been as good as she can be through this whole moving process and I'm grateful for that. She was really good at work today -- she did some absolutely *adorable* cuddling with Moo Cow, but I forgot to take the camera with me, so I didn't get pictures of it, sadly. Oh well, I'm sure she'll do something just as cute tomorrow. She always does. She makes some of the cutest faces and noises. I really should try and get them on video to show her off.

I have, I think, the cutest baby in the universe.

Sitting up (almost) on her own

I think Lil Miss is doing really good developmentally. She holds her head up really well and for a long time. Her neck muscles are getting really strong. She's eating more at each feeding and she's being awake for longer and waking up for reasons other than just "I'm wet" or "I'm hungry". There are times now she really wants to play. She's trying to turn over too, though she can't exactly figure it out.

And she gives head butts. She doesn't do it on purpose and she has no *clue* what they are, but she does it anyway and I love it. Considering that Mommy head butts people (well, mainly, Daddy and Zeus) she fits right into the family that way.

Thumbs up! I think she likes her new apartment

So yeah, it's been a LONG week of little to no sleep trying to get everything moved and watch Lil Miss, but it's worth it. We have the new apartment and we love it. Oh and Mommy got to take a bath -- a real bath -- tonight. Daddy listened for the little one for awhile (she was (and still is) asleep) and Mommy got to sit in the nice hot bath I've been craving since last fall.

It was great. Definitely going to have to do that more often. I think Lil Miss is going to get her first bath in there tomorrow night after we get home from work.

All I have left to do is reorganize and put away all the clothes (we sent out a lot of laundry today -- though hopefully there will be a washer and dryer in our near future so *I* can do our laundry easily), hang the posters / prints / pictures that are going in our room, the nursery and the living room and unpack two boxes of "the leftovers" -- just little stuff that wasn't worth carrying over one by one. After that, everything will have a home in the new apartment and we'll be ready for Grandma Barbara to come visit next week. We can't wait. Daddy is ecstatic. And I know Lil Miss will be very happy.

I'm pretty excited too. (c:

Big Brother decided that Lil Miss needed to share her crib. Until we get a mat for it, he can sit there. Once we get a mat? No more.

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.

this may not be very long

April 25, 2009

And I apologize for that. But Mommy doesn't feel very well and wants to go to sleep.

We had a pretty good day. I got some stuff moved over to the new apartment (stuff we don't use every day, like everything that was in the little shed behind the apartment, my off season clothes, Christmas stuff, some of Lil Miss' stuff that we won't need for months). Daddy was on call today since the weather wasn't that great, so he helped me a lot today in taking care of Lil Miss which, considering how tired and yucky I felt all day, was really really nice.

It was also draft day, so Lil Miss got her first look at Daddy's dolphin craziness, which was pretty funny. (She also got to see Mommy get excited because one of her Bulldog's went number one over all and three went on the first day -- very cool)

We had another little crying fit today. Seems to be one a day and it seems to be just about an hour or so before she has a really messy diaper, so I thin they're related. Is there anything I can do to make it easier on her system? Any suggestions?

Other than the crying fits that I'm pretty sure are her trying to do what her body is supposed to do, she's a very good baby. We really are lucky. Daddy doesn't like to hear her crying though. I guess I've kind of gotten used to the little fits -- I know there's not much I can do, so I do what I can and just let her cry it out. But Daddy really doesn't like that and wants to fix it. It's really cute.

Okay. Mommy is sick and needs sleep, since Lil Miss is finally sleeping. So -- finish dinner and then sleep. I promise I'll do better with this tomorrow. (c:

Sitting on the couch and watching the draft with Mommy. It put her to sleep.

at least the day is almost over....

April 24, 2009

........cause it's been a LONG one.

Don't let the above picture deceive you -- she may be a cuddle bug, but when she is grumpy, she is grumpy. And some of it is my fault and I feel horrible about that too. )c:

So, like I said yesterday, we're moving. So the landlord dropped off the papers I needed for the utility companies (saying that yes, we had the right to turn on / transfer to this new apartment) early this morning. So I went down to get everything transferred.

So I went to do the water early today, cause it hadn't been turned off yet and I wanted to catch them before it was turned off because, if I could, there would be no transfer / connection fee. So we go do that and, when I leave the house, I'm planning to come back home and then go downtown and do the electric and then go to work (water company is in New Town, work and electric in Old Town), so I don't go out with extra bottles, just one full one.

So after I go to the water company and run one errand, Lil Miss is getting overwhelmed, so I figure I'll go do the electric and call Charles and tell him the munchikin is having a bad day, so I'll come in Saturday morning instead of this afternoon. I knew he would be fine with that. But then I get to the electric company and there's a hitch in getting everything transferred. It all worked out in the end, but it ended up with me having to go drop something off and get some things from work and I figured while I was there, I might as well go ahead and get the things done.

After Charles leaves, Lil Miss starts to have a fit and nothing I do really helps. Best I can figure (if you don't want to hear about the baby's bodily functions, you might want to skip this part) is that she was having a bowel movement and it hurt. Cause she seemed in pain and was crying really bad and nothing I did worked and, when it was all over, she had a messy diaper.

Is that normal? That hurting them? Is there anything I can do other than hold her and cuddle her and tell her she's okay? Is there something I should be doing differently in feeding her?

And then, after that, she got fussy again and I realized she was hungry.

That was about the point I realized I hadn't packed any extra bottles and she'd already polished off the one we had.

I took the next bus that would get me home quickest, but it was still over an hour and a half before we got home. She was not happy with Mommy and I felt so horrible. I am never leaving the house without at least two bottles again.

And she's been awake most of the evening too (she's finally asleep now). It's been a long long day.

But the water and electric are on at the new apartment. I can start moving stuff tomorrow and then everything else is switching over Monday. So we're moving completely on Tuesday. Yay more space!

One of Lil Miss' cute faces. This is the best shot of the "surprised" face I can get.

And now? This tired Mommy is going to sleep.