THAT baby

What a weekend. We had a baseball tournament and between Saturday and Sunday we spent about 18 hours at the fields in Perkiomen, 12 of those hours being on Sunday. We ended up with a 4th place medal...we should have came out better than that, but by the time the last game was over I think they were so exhausted they didn't care what place they were in.

They are a great group of kids and as parents, we usually have fun at these tournys too. It's just an all around good time.
I was AMAZED at how well Madeline did too! She officially the best baby ever after this weekend...she didn't make a peep the entire time we were there. Unbelievable, really.

One of Ant's best friends had their baby this morning, so we went to the hospital to see them. He was absolutely adorable and WOW, she looked great. I wish I could have looked/felt like that after labor...I know, it's so much different having a c-section then natural. But, I found myself wondering if I could still try for natural the 3rd time around or if it's a scheduled section after you have already had 2? Then I wondered, am I crazy? I have the perfect baby on my hands here (& so was Josh)....would I really want to take that chance of having the 3rd be THAT baby? You all know THAT baby, the one you hear in the store, restaurant or even in your family or neighbor, the one that cries inconsolably at the most public of places...every one knows THAT baby. And when you have 3, chances are you get one....it's some sort of baby law or something. I'll take this next year or so to figure out my stand on another....even though the only thing that gets me through packing up the clothes that are too small and all these milestones is when I tell myself I will get to experience it again.

Well, tomorrow is the day! The day we start our diet. I'm pretty sure I'm going to rock it...it's basically a vegetarian fast for the first 9 days. So, I'm pretty sure it will not affect my milk supply, but if it does then I will have to be done. It seems very healthy to be called a "fast" though. Fruits and veggies. Up to 2 cups of brown rice. A little yogurt. And I will get my protein I need with beans and egg whites. I'm pretty excited to make my own hummus too! But, I'll talk more about this in tomorrow's post. I decided to finish the couple of beers in the fridge tonight, since the "fast" restricts alcohol and now I'm pretty tired! Zzzzzzz.

Happy 4 Months, Madeline!

I feel like I was just writing about 3 months yesterday, but here we are, another month has gone by and you have become even more amazing.

Every event or outing that we attend, people say what a great baby you are, followed by a comment about your hair. Yep, you are losing some hair in the back, but other than that it just keeps growing up and up. It has to fall soon, I just know it. I think it is adorable though....it's Madeline.

You are a pro roller now and you were rolling every chance you got and making yourself mad when you wound up on your tummy. Well, these last couple days you have decided you like to stay on your side and watch what's going on like that. Of course, like every thing you do, it is adorable.

Back to what a great baby you are. You have sat through weekends filled with double-header baseball games, school meetings, Md drives, award ceremonies, a funeral viewing and taken on daily errands without making a peep. You sleep up to 12 hours each night...there are some mornings I wake you up. I love when I hear you on the monitor in the morning....I know when I hear you grunting that you are up. When I walk in, you give me the biggest smile in the world. It truly warms my heart and makes me a morning person.
Instead of crying you tend to yell at us...that may not be so cute later.
You are such a patient baby.

You are very easily occupied. You would much rather look and play with my hand then a toy.

Since you sleep so well at night, nap time is not a concern of mine. So, I usually cuddle you during nap time....and sometimes nap with you. I love this time.

Your 4 month appointment is in 4 days, so then we will know your height, weight and how you do with your shots. :(


We love you (as Daddy would say) little loopsie.
Happy 4 Months, Madeline!

I would wish...

There are days where I get nothing done. I would much rather play with my baby all day long....housework will always be there, her being a baby will not. She will grow up so fast...right before our eyes. She is already doing so many things. Well, actually she's really been battling with herself this week. The rolling, oh the rolling, it makes her so mad when she rolls over. She cannot stand being on her belly, but every time we roll her onto her back, she rolls to her belly and gets mad all over again. And if that doesn't make her mad enough, she has started taking her Nuk out. Oh, the look on her face when she's happily sucking away and BAM! that mean hand comes along and snatches it out of her mouth! She's so funny to watch, so yeah, I pretty much get nothing done. If she's not doing something cute, she falls asleep in an odd spot where I have to sit and supervise the nap.....

Well, we have decided to start a real diet next week. It came highly recommended by my Sister-in-law and if you need advice on losing weight, she is the one to ask. I refer to her as the Weight Loss Guru! It's called the Fat Smash Diet. It's all about "smashing" bad habits and such. There are phases, including a cleansing/fasting phase, which I am going to have to modify from my husband considering I'm still a milk maker nursing. But, we shall see! You better believe I will be letting you all know about it!

If I could have one wish, I would wish that I could be one of those chubby girls that just got up in the morning, threw on some clothes and felt comfortable with what I was in. Noooo, that's not me. I change 10 times at least. I put things on and notice rolls, pudge and cleavage coming out of every where. I see other women in my [ahem] weight position and I envy how they just go out of the house in anything. Maybe I will try it! So, next time you see me out and I'm looking a mess, just know I'm taking a new approach. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Sad news

Well, sad news last night. My Great Aunt Betty passed away....only 69 years old. I remember her as such a fun person, always being able to make my Mom and Aunts laugh until they ran to the bathroom. Even at the last couple events, she was so comical.....even when she knew she was sick and none of us knew. When I was little, I was so intrigued by her fashionable clothes, hair and make-up...as I still was at my wedding. She still looked as beautiful as can be that day....

I'm not used to death. Actually, the last death that I dealt with was my Mom-mom and that was 21 years ago! So, this is not a territory I am comfortable with.....I don't like to talk about it. I don't like when people tell me they are getting old and want to talk about what to do after they pass [Me-mom, Be-pop...they always do that to me]. I know I should know these things, but it hurts my heart to think about it. Alright, that's enough of that. I'm going to just bottle that up for right now and mentally prepare myself for the services....which I also have no clue about, considering 21 years ago I was sheltered from all of the details. I mainly remember the sadness and trying to figure out my belief on death.

Where is my mind?

What a weekend.
Thursday: Joshua's birthday. He wanted to go to Hooter's....errrm, for the wings...no really, he loves their wings. So, we had mozzarella sticks, wings and curly fries. Well, let's just say after that fried food bonanza (none of us are used to), we were feeling it that night and the next day!

Friday: My Mom invited me, or should I say Madeline, to a Winnie the Pooh play about a month ago that the program that she works for was going to. I'm kind of Anti-Winnie the Pooh, so I wasn't thrilled, but I agreed to go. Well, it was better than I thought. It was their spin on the original A.A. Milne books, so it wasn't the new, annoying characters...it was the original characters and their costumes were designed from this.....

Anyway, to be in Columbia, Md, I had to leave a little after 7am to be there for the 10am show. And you never know what kind of tractor or horse and buggy traffic you are going to hit coming down the back roads that I do, let alone the horrible 95 rush hour traffic. But, all went well and I made it on time.
M met my Mom's friends and the awesome thing was that they all felt like they knew us from the daily pictures and stories that my Mom tells. My Mom actually makes my FB pic of the day her screen saver of the day. I get that a lot, though. People feel as if they know us from our pictures. Over lunch my Mom asked if that bothered me. Heck no, it doesn't bother me....why would it? It actually makes me smile that people get enjoyment out of our pictures. Interesting FB quote someone had last week that I keep in my daily thoughts now..... If you like it, I love it. It is quite interesting that some may assume I am putting my whole life on here. No way. A funny story or two? Yes. My whole life? Hell to the no. I haven't even scratched the surface and it's quite offensive that some may think my life could be this boring!
We also stopped by to see my Me-mom and Be-pop. There was a card game going on with Me-mom's friends. I love them...when they're around it's like having 4 extra Me-moms.haha. I wish I would have taken a picture or 2 with all of them and M!

Saturday and Sunday: Consisted of 4 baseball games!! Saturday was hot and sunny, then Sunday was cold and cloudy. No wonder my system is a little messed up today. Here's our weekend summed up by pictures....

Today: We went to story time at the library. M loves story time because of all the singing and the kids. She's so alert and ready to watch what the librarian is going to do next...[so alert or nosey?..either way, she loves it]. The "shaky eggs" song happens to be her favorite. It's funny because I already knew all of these librarian songs and things because we used to have them come into the classrooms once a month. When we first came in, the librarian looked distraught. Then she whispered to a couple of us that there was a bat laying belly up, moving his legs on the window sill. In an effort not to send a room full of women into a panic, we suggested she put a box over it, then deal with it after story time. When she put the box over it, it started to squeak and she had to tell the rest of the women....who acted like typical women. I felt bad for the bat, obviously dying if he was laying on his back, then a box was thrown over him, he was probably scared. But, it stopped after we started singing...I suggested that he liked story time too. No bueno... that made the women think about it again. Oops. So, afterward, she did not want any help removing the bat to the outside....I'm sure because it would have been a liability? That or she thought it would accidentally get loose in the library! haha.
After that, I went to Acme to get these fish fillets (yuck!) for Anthony. That's all I got. 4 fish fillets. I was so fast (which I never am in any store), I knew what I wanted, went through the self check-out, threw my receipt in the trash on the way out in an effort to keep my new bag trash free and I was back in the van and on my way home, all while talking to the baby the entire time, in a matter of minutes. I got home and went to get M and the bag out of the back. No bag. Really? So, I had to call Acme and make sure they would let me come get my fish with no receipt. THIS made a song pop into my head...Where is my mind? by the Pixies. Yeah, so, another example that I'm one of those Moms....I talk to my baby the entire time I'm in the store then forget to complete the steps of shopping....like bringing home what I paid for.

On another note.....as of Friday, Madeline is officially a roller. She was doing it only sometimes and it would take a while. Now she does it all the time and it has become so easy for her! Only problem is that she hates being on her belly....so she kind of gets mad every time she does it.

 

TWELVE??

Has it really been TWELVE whole years already? It makes me sad to think of how grown-up Joshua is. But, today is his birthday. Baseball and girls...those are his interests. Amazing how much things change, it used to be Thomas the Tank Engine and Elmo.
I look at him and I am proud. He has had more experiences than any pre-teen should, that's for sure. Born to a young mother, he went through all of the struggles there are to go through. It makes me sad to admit that he was not born with a father figure to look up to, that came later in his life, thanks to Anthony. But, for the first few years of life he experienced exactly what a Dad (or any man for the matter) is NOT supposed to be like....you name it, it happened. But, I don't want to make this into a depressing post, so I won't. (((I actually just called my little brother in the middle of this post to talk to him (an hour later) he talked to me and made me feel a lot better about the awful situation.))) I realize there is nothing I can do to change the past. I cannot erase the bad things people have done to Joshua, but what I can realize is how amazing he has it now. He loves Anthony. As hard as it is for a pre-teen boy to admit, he loves him dearly and tries to be just like him! I am so proud of my son and the things he has accomplished. I am proud of his intelligence. I am proud of how loving and cute he is. I am proud that he tells me everything, even when it turns my stomach to hear the grown-up things he tells me about. I am proud of how awesome he is at baseball. I am proud of how much he loves Madeline....god, he adores her....making her smile has become one of his favorite things to do. I am proud that he will not let anyone keep him down. I am proud of his strength.
I'm a bit emotional right now....years passing will do that to a Mother.

Even these picture from a few years ago, don't even look like him!!

Happy Birthday to my baby, I love you.

Obsess much?

Joshua's Confirmation went really well last night. It was LONG. Like an hour and 15 minutes longer than we expected. It was an entire Mass, plus some. WOW. And we were not allowed to take pictures during the actual Confirmation.... I guess because the Bishop was there, who knows. But, anyone who knows me, knows that made me sad. We were not able to have a party for him either. Who can come to a party on a Monday night? Especially when most of the famiyl lives in Md. Oh well, he got to choose where he went to dinner. And where did he decide? Applebees. haha. Silly Kid. Fine dining = Applebees.

Pop Tony was his Sponser.

 

Awwww...love these.

He loves his little sister.

This is his principal. We love Sister Anne. I'd like to get a bumper sticker that says that. :)

With Jade, the girly friend.

And who doesn't love a good diaper only pic?

YAY! My Mother's Day gift came today. A little late, huh? Yeah, about that. It was a little hard to find, but luckily we have a friend that works for Nordstroms and Anthony asked for her help. She called and searched every store for us. Finally they found it in Rhode Island. It's the Petunia Pickle Bottom, Japanese Tea Satchel from their It's a Small World Collection. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. So, when it came, naturally I took a picture to show my husband. One in purse mode, one in backpack mode.

And THIS is what he sends back......

Ah yes, mocking me with his co-workers. Hmpf. Well you know what else he did to me today? Shared my just woke up, morning pic with the entire [FB] world! Yep, looking a mess, lipstick still on from Confirmation the night before and every thing.

Yes, it is an adorable pic of our daughter... me, not so much. Here's me, in all my blotchy morning skin glory.haha. I do love how M's arm is around me like "Hey Mom, let's make this a silly one, stick out your tongue too!". hehe. She makes even the worst picture of me seem cute.
So, M is less than an inch away from rolling over. She is so close I consider it rolling over, it's just that one arm that is holding her back from the real deal. So, now my mission is to catch the action...by phone, camera, video or just witnessing....I sit there and watch for up to an hour at a time. Ummm.....obsess much?

She will get this far then can't get her arm out, so tips all the way onto her back again. SO close.

I will get you, Sophie.

I'll look at my hands so you don't know I'm going to get you, Sophie.

Nooooo MOM! That was all part of my game! I wanted to get Sophie myself!

Ahhhh yes, the many poses of Madeline.hehe.

I'm quite sure all the pictures saved this from being a long, boring post. :P