wow.

So, today was just meandering along. Not great, but not terrible. Lily Ruth woke up with a fever. Well, let me back up - she got her 1 year vaccinations yesterday, and she was fussy and had a low-grade (but high for her) fever all last night and this morning. She was also so congested that she couldn't nurse until I suctioned her tiny nose. We were taking it slow, but managed to get out of the house around 11 for coffee and a quick trip to the grocery store.

Coffee was good. Lily Ruth loves our neighborhood Starbucks :-)


You can't tell from that picture, but she dribbled coffee down her top... oh, did I mention that she really likes coffee? She does, and I'm up for Mother of the Year. I gave her the first sip to 'prove' to her that she wouldn't like it. Total backfire. At least I drink half-caff... that helps, right? :-P

Since we seemed to be on a roll, I decided to go ahead and go to the store. Once there, my darling one insisted that she needed to walk. A first for her as she tends to act overwhelmed and shy when we're in any place that busy. The walking was going o.k. until we got to the rice aisle. She overbalanced while holding a large bag of rice for Mama, and sat down hard. This was apparently the last straw for her. I had no idea that we were millimeters from a meltdown, so I was taken by surprise when she used her very loudest cry and deployed her fattest tears. I scooped her up, and thought that I had calmed her down. We made it one aisle over, and she began hitting and scratching my face. I pulled back, and before I could even reach for her arms or tell her 'no', she went into full-on meltdown mode - screams, tears, red face, clawing, hitting, spitting, snot, the whole nine yards. It was stunning. A truly magnificent effort. I finally calmed her down with a sotto-voice rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and we hot-footed it to the checkout line.

Once we were home, I dropped the groceries in the kitchen, and made a beeline for the bedroom. It was obviously nap time. Before we could crawl into bed, I needed to potty. I set Lily on the floor of the bathroom and went about my business. She was ticked, and started to employ her favorite face banging technique - *whack*, 'did that hurt enough to cry? no?', *whack*, 'how about that one?'. Since the pediatrician (and others) said not to stop her from doing this - in fact, I'm to ignore her - I did just that. I let her have at it until I was ready to leave the bathroom. I scooped her up, grabbed a clean diaper and went back to the bedroom to change her and lay down.

She was ticked about the diaper change, so there was lots of squirming. This kept me from noticing the blood right away. It wasn't until she had gotten blood all over her face, hands and the duvet cover that I saw it. She had finally gotten up the nerve to bang her face hard enough to make her mouth bleed. It was gross. I knew what was happening almost immediately, but I had no idea what to do! She didn't want me to rinse or wipe or sponge or dab, and by then she was 'spitting mad', so blood was FLYING EVERYWHERE. Ya'll, I did not expect to rinse coffee and blood out of my one-year-old's clothing today.

I finally just got into the bathtub with her. Initially, that just pissed her off even more, but after some in-tub nursing, and some quality time with the drain stopper, she felt better. It was back into bed for us...


Now she's napping (on the boob) and I'm blogging. I really need to pee again (stupid coffee), but I'm not about to risk waking Sleeping Dragon to make that happen.

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart, guys.

*edit - IT HAPPENED AGAIN! After her nap, I tried to dress her. She twisted away and accidentally whacked her face again!!! Holy Bloody Day, Batman! It was just as dramatic as the first time. This time I called my grandfather (the retired gum surgeon). He came over and checked her mouth. He says that she'll be fine - just sore. She tore her frenum (the piece that connects your upper lip to your gums), and her mouth is swollen. She's currently camped out on my lap with a never-ending supply of juice cubes to keep the swelling to a minimum.

*sigh* I'm knackered. I need my own staff... and a martini...

One Down...

... with many more to come! :-)

Happy Birthday, my Tiny Lady!

I've been telling you bits and pieces of your birth story for a few days, and each time that I do, you look at me very solemnly, and 'ask' me very serious questions about each part. You are killing me with cute over here! I keep tearing up about how amazing it was when you arrived.


Then I think about how the moments of sheer awe just keep on coming! You get bigger and more agile and more able every day.


This year has FLOWN by.

I started this blog to help keep me sane. I've continued blogging to help me keep track of this time. I plan to keep blogging in the hope that this record will bring you joy through it's moments of silliness, and some insight into me down the road when you need it :-P

I love you, Lily Ruth. What's next, Baby Girl?

Finger Painting!!!!

Oh BOY was this fun!

I made a batch of finger paint base using the recipe that I found here. The recipe is very easy:


Finger Paints
Materials Needed:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 cups boiling water
Food Coloring

Instructions:
Mix the 2 cups of flour with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the 2 1/2 cups of cold water; stir until smooth. Gradually add this mixture to the 2 cups of boiling water. Boil until the mixture becomes smooth and thick. Add the food coloring until you get the desired color.


So I divided it into tiny dishes and started adding food coloring.


It just kept getting better and better...


Then I taped giant pieces of freezer paper to the floor and invited other babies over to play...

There's the beautiful Lola who stayed so clean that she only required a wet wipe or two:


The ever-gracious hostess Lily Ruth who cried really hard the whole time:


And the handsome Henry who chose a 'whole body' approach. There are funnier pics, but his mama would kill me if I put 'em up here...


We really only 'painted' for less than 5 minutes. It was big fun, and the 'paint' came right off the floor, the bathtub, and out of the towels and clothes. The cleanup was so easy that I am truly looking forward to trying it again! Check out the masterpieces!


Lola:


Lily Ruth:


Henry:

aww, MAN!

Here's what was going through my head at 10:30 last night... (to the tune of Foreigner's 'Hot Blooded')

It's Mastitis, check it and see
My stupid fever's one-oh-two point three
C'mon Baby, can't you nurse more than that?
It's Mastitis, Mastitis

Yep. I've got it AGAIN. My last bout with this horrid bacterial infection was last September - before I started blogging. For those who have never had the pleasure, Mastitis is an infection of the breast caused by clogged milk ducts. The infected portion of the breast becomes bright red, hot, hard and PAINFUL. Then, you feel like you got hit by a truck. Joints ache, head hurts, patience runs woefully thin, and the afore-referenced fever sets in.

Last night was particularly miserable as Daddy was out of town on business. Lily is cutting a molar, so she's clingy, whiny and mean-spirited (lots of hitting, spitting, scratching and screaming). The two of us had dinner with my parents and grandparents, and I felt crummy but not miserable. It wasn't until after I got home and got into bed with Angry Lily that my fever spiked. Good times.

As you may have deduced, I survived. My fever broke around midnight. We slept in until TEN O'CLOCK! We made it out of the house for lunch, but I ate too close to my antibiotic dose, so I feel really crappy again. Pity party over here, ya'll :-P

Happy Father's Day!

To my main squeeze:


It was love at first sight


for both of you


and it just keeps getting better!


So, this was last year on Father's Day... wait, it was Daddy's birthday not Father's Day... whatever, it was for Daddy:


Well, this is this year, and it really is Father's Day. We prefer jewelry to clothing this year :-P


but it doesn't matter what she wears - Lily Ruth loves her Daddy NO MATTER WHAT!!!!

Frustrated Zombie Mom

Motherhood is HARD, ya'll. Babies are a lot of work, and the manual is not included... or at least MINE wasn't. If you got and extra copy, please send it to me.

So, how do you know if you're 'doing' it right'? How do you know when to ask for help? I have a beautiful, healthy, spirited daughter who is about to be 1. She has decided that every. single. time that she doesn't get her way, it's time for a full-blown scream fest. I can't even tell you how many meltdowns she had yesterday. All caused by things like diaper changes, nose wiping, not allowing her to have the remote control... Where did this come from? How do I stop it? I've been setting her down and ignoring her, but she drags herself over to me, flings herself on top of me (still wailing), then calms down immediately once she is on my lap and sucking her thumb. I'm pretty sure that counts as a 'win' in her mind. Am I supposed to peel her off of me and walk away again?

I have no idea. I don't even know where to start looking for help. How do you know what parenting books to read? How do you know which ones are full of shit? I guess what I'm saying here, is that I'm too freaked out and worn out to blog. It hasn't all been bad. Every single day has it's moments of pure joy. Lily is incredible to watch as she discovers something new. She is hilarious to be around when she pulls out a silly mood. She seems to be magnetic. People of all ages are simply drawn to her.

Stuff is still happening. Life continues. I'm not in a funk again, I'm just running on reserve power. Once I charge up my batteries, I'll have plenty to say.

I made another felt purse. This one is tiny - soooo cute! Oh, and I photographed the process so that I can post a tutorial. Maybe.

I made finger paints and invited other babies over to participate. I photographed that as well, but not so much for the tutorial possibilities as for the hilarity that ensued.

We're still here, World! We'll rejoin the mele soon enough :-)

Today's Random Tidbits - 6

Well, here I sit. Hubby and baby both asleep. This would be the perfect time to nap, but nooooooooooo. Mama's brain won't slow down long enough to allow for some extra (much needed) sleep. Yay.

My friends June and Anthony just moved back to Texas! To make that even better, they are renting a house that is less than a mile from us. I am thrilled to have them back in hugging range, and even more excited that their daughter is Lily Ruth's age. We've already had a Diva Meltdown Showdown. It was awe-inspiring to see two girls on the cusp of toddlerhood go from pointedly ignoring each other to full-on, flat-out screaming, crying (huge, fat crocodile tears) and reaching for their respective fathers in less time than it takes to blink - and there was no discernible trigger. It just HAPPENED. The mamas thought it was funny. The dads were stunned. I am on the edge of my seat for their next meeting. How will they top that?

I am (slowly) making good on my resolution to work on the house. I dream that someday we will inhabit a dwelling that looks like adults with good taste reside therein. NO MORE FLAT-PACK BOOKSHELVES. No more cast-off hand-me-downs. Used furniture is acceptable (and appreciated), but it MUST add to the decor, not detract, and it cannot be visibly damaged (I'm looking at YOU, dog chewed coffee table!). *le sigh*

Oh, I forgot to tell you that the plane ride home from Denver was the exact opposite of the trip there. It was horrible. I'll spare you the details, as they are not that interesting. There was screaming, arched-back-fit throwing, and my head hurt the entire time. Lame.

My weekly Farmer's Market visit yielded some delicious options for this week. I have carrots, black-eyed peas, peaches, tiny tomatoes (in various colors), squash blossoms, green beans, field corn and squash. Thrilling!

I am officially fixated on a recipe that I made from my Yummy Baby cookbook. It is a Spinach, Peas and Ricotta Fritters recipe. I've only made them once, but I went out the next day and got the ingredients to make them again. As soon as I can remember to write down the weight to volume measurement conversions, I'll post it. They're so light and yummy!

I have a LOT of crafting that I want to do, but Lily Ruth is teething, and all she wants is me, so that's on hold. I love the bag that I made for Lily (she liked it, too!). I feel like making more of them. Perhaps I'll refine my technique, turn 'em out by the dozen, and they'll become all chic and popular... OR, I'll make a few for friends in my usual slapdash style then move on to the next project leaving my purse empire to crumble into dust. That sounds much more likely.

Today's Random Tidbits - 5

We had a really great visit in Colorado. My sister-in-law and her family are WONDERFUL, and it had been waaaaaaay too long since we had spent any time with them. That being said, I am not traveling with an infant again unless there is a payoff for me in the form of an awesome activity or a beach. Traveling with Lily Ruth right now is like doing the exact same thing I do every other day, but without use any of my stuff, her stuff or our 'routine' (such as it is). We are both still so tired that it's sad.


I'm very glad that we went. Daddy got a chance to unwind, and it truly was his turn to do so. I'm just glad to be home... and I'm putting my foot down about future trips. No more random traveling. Beach, specific Mama fun, or NO GO. :-)

I am almost sorry that I taught Lily Ruth how to climb stairs. Now she wants to climb EVERYTHING, and her legs are just about long enough for her to be successful :-0

We no longer measure Lily's walking progress in number of steps taken. Now we measure distance! That girl is going strong!

Get ready, Rachel's World - there's about to be some rearranging / organizing / upgrading! Time to make good on my resolution to make this house more functional and fun to be in.

Lily Ruth Flies the Friendly Skies

Well, we did it. I looked like it wouldn't happen, but we got packed, got to the airport, waited out a flight delay, and finally flew to Denver. All with only a few minor melt-downs from an exhausted 11 month old. She was a true trooper. In fact, all of the melting down occurred in the airport when she was bored and tired but it was too bright and noisy for her to switch off and relax.

I think that I did more melting down than the baby did. I managed to NOT pack even one single thing until after 3:30. Um, we had to leave for the airport at 4:30. It was ridiculous. Don & I ran around the house like the Keystone Cops hollering helpful things like 'did you pack my toothbrush? Then where IS it?' at each other. We discovered that we had never requested a copy of Lily Ruth's birth certificate. We remembered to bring underwear. We talked ourselves into leaving our bathing suits (bad idea) and taking the stroller (great idea). My grandparents waited patiently in their car to perform shuttle service duties. We ran out of there (only 15 minutes behind schedule) leaving a HUGE mess and confused pets.

Lily Ruth was pretty excited. This level of activity usually signals Big Fun...


The airport was new and exciting. Big, bright, loud and full of strangers. There was lots of big girl walking and loud vocalizing. Eventually, we went in search of one of those bins they use to check the size limit for carry-on luggage...


In the interest of full disclosure, this picture was staged as a response to my friend June who sent me a similar picture earlier that same day of her 1 year old daughter in the same pose. It probably wouldn't have occurred to me to do that on my own. Especially since we had to hunt down the bin - most of them were located on the actual jetway for the gate and were therefore unavailable to us :-( but it is trés adorable, non?

Then came the actual plane ride. Lily was charmed by the view of men working hard on the runway. She waved and smiled. She tired of looking out the window before we took off, and was sitting in Daddy's lap checking out the new toys that Mama had cleverly procured. When the plane left the ground and the pressure started changing, she grew a bit nervous, and reached for me. We agreed that nursing was in order. I was less than thrilled that the off-set seating made our session visible to more folks than I would like, but they all ignored us, and we carried on. She nursed through the first couple of times that my ears popped, then asked to go back to Daddy. She played with new toys again and nursed a tiny bit more when she grew concerned about another pressure change. Then there was light snacking on Cheese Nips (thanks Southwest, and Daddy for sharing:-/) a tiny, almost unnoticed tantrum, serious nursing, and a 45 minute nap!


Check it out - airplane cocktail, crashed out infant, and Alice in Wonderland on dvd. Not too shabby...

Our traveling champ woke up right as we began our descent. She checked out the view for a minute then stood on the floor in between our seats and visited with any nearby passenger who would make eye contact with her. Then she started saying 'tickaticka' and tried to reach between the seats to tickle the passengers there. She obviously felt that they were not paying enough attention to her. Luckily, they found her adorable. They even commended her on her traveling skills, and played 'peep-eye' with her until it was time to de-plane. She found them enchanting.

So, YAY! We made it!

Crafting Catch-up

*** Warning: If you do not give a fig about anything that I might have made, you should just skip this post :-P

I've actually had the time to make some stuff recently! Of course, taking the time to make things meant that I didn't have the time to tell you about it, so I'm going to cram it all together here.

Lily Ruth and I made cards for grandmothers for Mother's Day. Well, I made cards. She (unwillingly) contributed footprints...


I made a tiny tutu using Samster Mommy's 10 minute tutu tutorial (ha-ha 'tutu tutorial'). Maybe someday I'll make something from another blog, but I doubt it. Her stuff is easy and fun. Anywho, I measured from Lily's waist to her knee (the length of her femur) so that she can still crawl in it without 'tripping'...


Here is my Muse - I barely got a picture in before she crumpled in true diva style and wailed. Nothing like a good 'crying in a tutu' moment...


Here she is in her pj's and her tutu. Daddy insists that she asked to wear it. That makes Mama's heart smile...


I totally winged it and made Lily Ruth a felt purse that holds tiny books and toys for our trip. It came out a bit rough looking, but still very cute and highly functional. I think she'll love it...




The flower was hand-made by someone else, but I hand stitched it onto the bag myself :-P The bag itself was ridiculouly easy-peasy and came together in one afternoon, so maybe I'll post a tutorial on how I did it... you know... for posterity...

Have you made anything recently that I should know about?