Mama drama

Mama drama...part 11: Today I had a pregnancy victory and a pregnancy fail. The victory, this morning I managed NOT to throw up. This is a big victory. I'm almost 6-months along yet still suffer morning sickness on a daily basis. But today God gave me grace and I didn't throw up for the first time in MONTHS. But by the afternoon I was grumbling about my other pregnancy symptoms. In a rush to get chores done I managed to put away an entire dishwasher FULL of dirty dishes into my cupboards. After filling another load and reaching to fill the soap I realized my mistake. When I went back to the cupboards it was obvious which dishes were dirty. A blue cup with brown coffee streaks down the side. Plates with food still stuck on them. A peanut butter covered knife. How did my brain let my body put away all those dishes without noticing?! Pregnancy that's why. 

E, I, J

Adeline is at the age where she gets one vitamin each day. It's a chewy, sugary, yummy treat that she LOVES. When it's time for her vitamin she gets very serious and holds up both pointer fingers and says "ooooonnnneeee" in a deep voice. Letting us know, that she knows, she can in fact only have ONE vitamin. (She would probably eat the whole jar if she could.)

The other day she forgot that she had her vitamin in the morning and after her nap she announced that she needed her vitamin. Dancing around she held up her pointer fingers and said "ooooonnneeee" in her usual deep voice. But when that didn't work she then proceeded to whine and whine. Followed by "one, two, four, six MOMMA, one, two, four, six DADA" Oh the drama. She then belts out "...E...I...J...MOMMA...E...I...J....MOMMA" How do you not giggle at this?!

Parenting tips

Parenting tips: How to easily trim your toddler's nails. I don't know about your kids but Adeline does not like having her nails trimmed. When she was a baby I would just cut them when I rocked her to sleep. But since she is putting herself to sleep more and more I'm loosing opportunities.

So I came up with this with a little help from Jason Scott.

Jason visited Addie last summer and during his visit he entertained her with this jovial, "Boom" {in a loud BOOOOOM voice and with great a facial expression to go along}

Bringing us to this summer a couple weeks ago, I was desperate to trim her overgrown, needs to be taken care of now toenails. And in an attempt of making the process fun, I said "Boom!" after each nail I cut. Well now she LOVES it.

It makes the process easy for both of us and when she sees the clippers she says, "Boom mama, boom."

Thanks Jason.

Mama Drama

Mama drama...part 10: Potty training gone wrong. This afternoon when I thought it was about time for Adeline's usual bowel movement {and after some audible signals from the little one} we headed for the bathroom. After no results in her potty I got distracted by the forgotten swim bag in the bathtub. As I was busy hanging swim suits and hats Addie slipped out of the bathroom. I then forgot she didn't have a diaper on...you see we've been wearing so many dresses and jumpers in this heat and they cover her little behind. About 15 minuets later JD remarked from the other room, "Addie's feet are wet, I think she just peed in the house." So on the hunt we went looking for wet spots in the house. Although I already knew where we would find it...her new favorite place in the house, my night stand. I have a two-level night stand and the lower level is the perfect height for her to climb up, sit and look at my photos, touch lamp and books. And indeed there we found were she had peed. How lovely Addie.

New experiences

Today was a big day for Adeline Grace. She experienced so many new things, good and bad. It began with wearing a life jacket for the first time at swimming lessons. She did not like it. She is a petite girl and the jacket looked enormous on her. But after floating and kicking around in the jacket, she went down the slide into the pool for the first time. She even enjoyed it when going underwater at the end!

Her afternoon went sour when she knocked her forehead {worst visible injury yet} on the corner of the ottoman resulting in bruising and scraping. Said injury was the result of her running around the living room, naked, in pure excitment after playing in her deck pool -- this girl loves the water.

Our evening was capped with an exciting experience.As I was rocking my sweet child before bed she said to me, "go potty?" then "Addie go poop." I thought it was just a ploy to get out of going to bed. But after three more "Addie go pottys." We went into the bathroom. {Sidenote, we've had a potty chair in the bathroom for a while as a stool and we've talked about potty training but nothing has ever came of it} I take her diaper off and sit her on her bright green potty chair. She sits. She jabbers about the potty and the toilet paper. Sits some more. Then she stands up and relieves herself!! We were both surprised by the wet puddle infront of her. And I was so proud of her. Missed the target but was on the right path.

Mama drama and melting my heart

Mama drama...part 9: The beginning of my day and the end of my day was completely opposite. It started with mama drama. We woke up at 6:30 am, all three of us, for our garage sale. By 6:50 I needed to be out the door to hang signs and be at the garage sale to set up. After a breakfast of a giant plate of scrambled eggs for everyone, we are walking out the door and Adeline has a diaper blow out. Really?! Now, when you haven't had one in months? We get that cleaned up, signs hung around the corner and head to our friend Sarah's for our multi-family yard sale. While setting up, Addie proceeds to cry, whine and exhort her temper for the next half hour. She didn't want anything to do with JD, toys or snacks. Oh child, I love you but I can't always hold you. I'm thankful my friends and Sarah's neighbors were patient with not only my toddler but with my short patience. Sarah's mom came to my rescue - she watched Addie while getting her grandson Caderyn ready AND she made a big pot of delicious coffee!
My morning was full of drama but the day -- and Addie's temper -- got better and better. The garage sale went over great, we purged a lot of our belongings and earned a nice wad of cash. The Baby Bin Walk also happened today, more to come on that :)

And the last short story for the day is when Adeline melted my heart. After her bath we were snuggling in the rocking chair talking about bedtime and how much I love her. After a pause she whispered, dada. What else do you love I asked? She says, mama. And? Papa. What else do you love Addie? Showers she replies. And with that I laid her in the crib and she soothed herself to sleep without a fuss or a cry.

Mama Drama

Mama drama...part 8: Total and complete meltdown.
Really that's all there is to say. However the details must be gushed.
There Cathy and I are standing in Target. Not even five steps inside the store and Adeline begins what will become her worst temper tantrum ever to date. It starts with "no" to everything.
"Would you like to ride in the cart?" - no
"Would you like grandma to hold you?" - no
"Would you like momma to hold you?" - no
"Would you like to push the cart?" - no
We distract her with a bright red umbrella and move along into the store. After picking up a few things in the baby department she starts to cry again. Big crocodile tears are streaming down her precious cheeks. I talk to her in a quiet soothing tone, I hold her close, I even try a stern voice and lecture her about good behavior and being a big girl.
She throws herself on the floor and full meltdown mode, screaming and crying. I am out of options and beginning to feel her emotional distress....
"The look on your face was of total dismay," my mom-in-law later told me.
Somehow, while on my knees in the paper product aisle, I calmed Addie down. We were able to make it out of the store with only a few more whimpers.
Sadly our shopping trip was cut short, no more perusing the fun things in Target and forget the other tings on the list. This toddler was ready to go home. And home we went. With Addie falling asleep in her car seat.
I am so grateful Cathy was with me, somehow it made the situation less embarrassing. I know some of you other parents out there can relate -- meltdowns in public are awkward.
I'm sure there will be another in my future. But now I'm ready and I know it's okay to abandon the rest of my shopping list and take my sweet kiddo home.

Mamma drama

Mama drama...part 7: After a long morning of errands, a meeting and our Friday play group all I wanted was an easy-button lunch for Adeline and I. We're in luck I thought, remembering the leftover pizza that my mom had ordered the night before. We get in the house, unload groceries, the babe and her stuff. I quickly throw some pizza and bread sticks in the microwave. After setting the table, I returned to the kitchen to get our water glasses. I turn around to then see my lovely daughter holding the luke-warm marinara sauce -- all down her front -- and a long trail of sauce from the dinning room table to the kitchen. Seriously, when did she grow tall enough to reach things off the table??! (I'm in serious denial about my baby growing up if you haven't noticed in the last few posts.) So my easy-button lunch quickly turned into Addie watching me scrub the carpet on my hands and knees while she merrily ate her lunch. p.s. When we someday buy our own home, we are SO getting hardwood floors in the dinning room.

Purple sock

Over the last week or so Adeline's speech has improved greatly. She amazes us everyday and it's not uncommon for JD and I to look at each other and say, "did she really just say that?"
Between her audible thank you's, or "key" and "door" in the same combination and "kitty" with the T sound and all. The big one today was -- purple sock. Seriously?! My little baby daughter who I must have just given birth to, can say purple sock.

Goodbye Mr. Bunny

Yesterday JD had to be the grown-up and do something I could never do.
Warning....sad story.

It all started when we got home from our long weekend in Wyoming. After unpacking the car Adeline and I were playing in the yard and JD was watering the flowers. In disapointment we discovered our neighborhood bunny injured, scared and hiding in our backyard. He usually prefers the rock wall in the front yard or the big lilac bush in the back. He was hurt pretty bad. {JD called animal control...just to double check there weren't any new wild-bunny rescue networks that we weren't aware of} After no luck there we decied to leave Mr. Bunny for the night and check on him in the morning. A couple hours later, after putting Addie to bed I was editing photos in the back room and heard the most horrible screaching. Mr. Bunny was crying out in pain I told JD! He went outside to investigate and found a stray cat had cornered the injured bunny under our truck and was attacking it. JD came inside and we pondered whether to let nature take its course...but the sound of the poor animal and the thought of having to clean up after the cat...JD decided to put Mr. Bunny out of his misery.

Shovel in hand, JD rose up to the night's challenge.

Goodby Mr. Bunny, you'll be missed.

Mama drama

Mama drama...part 6: All of a sudden Adeline has been getting hurt a lot more. She must have a new sense of confidence and curiosity -- or just those moments of sheer toddler craziness. It started with Addie falling off the bed one morning last week, dad left for work and the little one and I were snuggling. She must have been closer to the edge than I thought and in a blink she had rolled right off the bed. It was the sound of her body hitting the floor and wall that shocked me so much but she only cried for literally 30 seconds and then proceeded to snuggle up and sleep for another half hour. Then last Wednesday I came home from running errands to find Addie with a big scrape on her chin. I asked JD what happened and he said, "I didn't even know she was hurt. She fell outside but only cried for a second and then she got up and kept playing." Another happened about a week ago when I was organizing my kitchen cabinets. And like a good little helper Addie was helping move the lids, bowls, pans, tupperware, etc. Then she dropped a big metal lid on the tip of her toes. Ouch. Again, she only fussed for a short time and kept playing. Her black and blue toe made me so worried but I guess she is growing up faster than I giver her credit for.

One year wonderful ~ A reflection

One year ago I left the newspaper business to be a full-time mother. I up and left my career that I had worked and studied to build since starting Journalism school 10 years ago. Yet this last year has been the best year of my life.

I don't regret one single moment of leaving full-time work. Sure I miss the life of a newspaperwoman and my fun coworkers...I miss going to neat assignments, meeting famous people, getting on the sidelines, using sweet camera equipment and seeing my name in print every day. But I don't miss the stress or the long hours.

Not being attached to the paper full time allowed me to travel, one of my favorite things. In the last year we took trips to: Salt Lake City, Laramie, Choteau, Billings, Indiana, Flathead Lake, Cooke City, Dubois, Great Falls, Cody, Powell, Bozeman, Seeley Lake, Butte, Anaconda, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Lake Alva, Arlee, Hauser, Holter and Canyon Ferry Lakes and of course Missoula and Greybull more than I can remember. What freedom. It was a joy to take Adeline all those places without having to miss work!

This time with Adeline has also allowed me the opportunity to build my photography business. Sure I only work a couple hours a week and there's usually a toddler jabbering away in the background while I'm on business calls but I have sweet personalized business cards :)

With my new business I have been able to enjoy a handful of fun freelance assignments while being a stay-at-home-mom. In the last year I've had the pleasure of photographing political events, college basketball, parades, feature stories, a poster campaign, weddings, numerous portraits and advertisements, and even a state basketball tournament.

I've also had more time for my husband and for myself. I feel like a more centered woman. Without the sporadic hours of the newspaper I have more time for my friends and family, time for daily bible study, time to decorate, time to volunteer, time for exercise, time to read, time for just me. I am now home when JD gets home from work, I get to cook him homemade dinners from scratch and I have the time to keep up on the housework (although JD helps out more than I expect.)

As I reflect on this last year I am so grateful to have taken the leap and had the faith to slim down to a single-income family in a rough economy. Yes money has been tight and we've ate our share of ramen when JD was between jobs, however I wouldn't trade being home with Adeline as she developed in her first year of life. Our family and friends have been very supportive both in good friendship and financially when times have been tough. And above all God has provided for us and taken care of us.

To me the best part of leaving the paper is that I get to be at home with my daughter, every day. And we don't have to pay someone else to watch her. The schedule of a toddler is truly awesome, we go to the library for storytime, eat delicious healthy food, we sometimes stay in our jammies till lunch, we go to church playgroup and mothers groups, we go for long walks in our neighborhood, go swimming, hiking or to the park to play, and we take naps in the middle of the afternoon together. It's a blessing to be Adeline's full-time caregiver and it's been a joy to have been a positive teacher for her, a positive mother and the best playmate she could hope for.

Maybe someday I will return to a daily newspaper career. But for now I'm quite content with my "work days" full of finger painting, goldfish, books, diapers, snuggling and a boss who is the most beautiful, caring baby girl in the whole world ~ our daughter Adeline Grace.

A rant about Facebook

I caved.

I finally joined the world of Facebook.

With pressure from many, many friends and family (that means you Louisa and Stephanie!) I opened an account.

Before joining I checked out my friends' accounts and heard people talk about Facebook but once I logged on it was shocking.

It seemed as though I already existed on Facebook -- without my knowledge. There were already photographs of me, of JD and of Addie! Once joining I had 15 friend requests immediately. Were these people all online at that moment in time? How did they know where I was? How did they know I joined?

And what really shocked me about Facebook. And I mean really shocked me. In the first 24-hours I received 68 emails from Facebook. 68. Do they really think I have time to read 68 emails?!

Granted, most of them contained mundane information but sometimes it told me a friend of my friend who I've never heard of or met talked about this other person I knew who tagged me in their gallery. Seriously, what? Who has time for this?

I am tempted to just quit it all.

Forget my wall posts and accepting friend requests from people I haven't seen in 15 years or that friend's brother's girlfriend you met while at a wedding in Utah.

But I can't quit, because I now feel the need to represent myself, JD and Addie in the way I want on Facebook. Corny I know, but really. Posting the photos I want and sharing the stories I want.

When it comes down to it -- it really amazes me how interconnected everyone seems to be on Facebook. And that's what I do like about it.

After the controlled chaos calms down of being new to Facebook and I figure out how to organize my photos, I'm sure I will enjoy the convenient ability to stay in touch with so many friends and family -- and connect with old friends.

Bring on the wall posts.

p.s. not to worry...this doesn't mean I'm abandoning this blog...there will be many more photos and stories of Addie to come!

Eye checkup & Melting my heart, part 2

Earlier this week I took Adeline to get a vision test. [Helena Vision Center offers no cost eye and vision assessment to babies through the Infant See program] While in the waiting room Adeline became restless sitting in my lap and wanted to explore the office, look at the glasses and just generally interact with everyone. The receptionist then pointed out there was a toy chest and pulled out a small stuffed whale for Addie. When I handed Addie the whale she tilted her head and gave the whale a big kiss right on its nose. A collective "oooohh" could be heard in the room. How cute is she?!
The vision test was entertaining and its nice knowing her eyes are healthy -- I highly recommend this program to anyone with an infant.

Melting my heart

Today when Addie and I sat down for lunch something truly wonderful happened. As I pulled my chair next to her at the table she started making "lovey" faces at me (turning her ear to her shoulder and smiling) So I replied "Oh I love you too Addie," which she responded by blowing me a kiss!
This was the first time Addie has blown a kiss without someone initiating it. Plus she used it in context while we were speaking and showing each other love. Oh how wonderful.
And...the credit goes to Grandma and Grandpa Hornstein. When we were in Missoula a couple weeks ago they practiced blowing kisses quite a bit.

Mama drama

Mama drama...part 5: It's almost dinner time. Addie is in her high chair watching me put the final touches on our meal. Then all at once it seems everything gets crazy...all four burners are going on the stove then a pot boils over, then the bread timer rings, Addie gets frantic and she starts yelling, Ziggy runs into the kitchen followed by Zihua who pukes on the rug, meanwhile Addie drops her toy near the cat puke so I toss the toy into the dirty dishes pile on the counter only to watch as it lands in a frying pan of grease leftover from the morning's bacon. Oh my what a mess it was!