Separation Anxiety

Stellza Pie,

Im 18 minutes into a workout when my phone rings "Hi, it's us at the Y, your kid won't quit crying". I run down the stairs and not to my surprise you are blubbery and swollen eyed and your perk up the second I reach my arms for you. 

I have a love/hate relationship with this phase you are going through. I love it because you always want your Momma and let's be honest, it makes me a little giddy that you love me so much. I hate it because I don't want you to be upset everytime we leave you at church or the gym or anywhere else for that matter. 

So tell me. How many snacks do I have to pack to keep you happy for a little run at the gym? 

Besides the separation anxiety, you are one funny kid. You make snort noises when you are excited about something. You scream the entire time I'm cooking because "FOR THE LOVE I want food NOW", you get this one from your Daddy, only it's a little more strange that he screams until dinner is ready too. Just kidding Dad.

Once you started walking you decided you should just run. This has resulted in a few more bumps and bruises than I prefer but hey, if it gets you from A to B. 

You are very hot tempered. Little things make you mad and I'm learning to let them make you mad. You can't always get what you want, unless you are cuddling your Daddy. I'm pretty sure he would buy you 5 ponies if you asked nicely. 

You much prefer "people food" as we call it. You are huge fan of Papa Kenny's meatloaf. 

Clapping for potatoes!

Loving all her "buuuhhhkks" 

Looking at new construction with mommy and Daddy. Poor kid, you'll probably grow up and make this a sick hobby like we have.

Love you lots Bunny!

Momma

My 10 1/2 Month Sixteen Year Old

Bunny,

You are 10 1/2 months old and I'm already tired of explaining your age in month form. Besides, you think your 16 anyway. Everything you pick up in electronic form goes straight to your ear and you proceed by saying "Hi Dad", because after all your Daddy loves to talk to you through our remote control and Xbox controller. It's so scary how fast you have picked some things up.

I am currently planning your very first birthday. Wow. That doesn't seem possible. You still only have 2 teeth. You are WALKING. What? That's just insane. We are also experiencing very real stranger danger. You bury your head and scream anytime someone talks to you that you don't know. It's sad, it's frustrating, and it makes me appreciate it and need a glass of wine all at the same time.

We've learned to deal with separation anxiety by keeping you busy doing the things you love the most. This includes lots of books, which you call "buuuuuhhh", being outside, and more than one bath time a day. Sometimes a bath is the only way I'm able to consume breakfast and coffee, well mostly just coffee, let's not lie, eating is easier these days if it comes in liquid form. 

You are so happy most of the time and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. 

Happy early birthday present to you.."my first trampoline"

Shopping with Momma! 

Wagon rides with Daddy

Swinging with Grammy

Dinner with Nana and Papa

Crazy hair every morning--sorry kid you can blame Mom for that one.

Love,

Momma

You lately!

Bunny,

Let me just tell you bout you! You are crawling all over, pulling up on anything I don't want you to, sticking anything in your mouth, and laughing the whole way. You're so much fun. Hard but fun. I don't mean hard in a bad way, I just mean that there are days that I have to eat my food in the closet so you don't try to take it from me. Oh and I have to hide my soap because you think that's food also. Oh and the only place your Dad and I like to dine with you is home, unless they make a zoo/restaurant option then we might be open to trying that. I think you would blend right in with your loud screeching and squirmy legs. 

In all seriousness, I was holding you today and I sniffed your sweet hair, playing with your soft fingers and thinking how fast 8 months of your life has went  and then you tried to bite me and the moment was over. Oh that's my Stelly. 

You are so wild and full of life. Your personality seriously shines. I can't wait to see what you'll amaze us with next. 

8 Months of Life 

Love,

Momma

Organized Chaos

I guess the more I blog, the more it becomes less about my letters to our sweet Stella and more about our experiences together. After all, she is here now and doing very "experience like" things such as; trying to eat her own diapers, crawling like she is a gangster, and making Momma get a FAKE Christmas tree so she won't be covered in sap. I can already tell that she is about to ROCK our world with this whole "being mobile" thing.

I'm not one of those Moms that feels the need to rush her child's development. Maybe it's the lazy in me that likes the fact that the baby can't crawl to random foreign objects and immediately stick them in her mouth. Or perhaps it's just the fact that I'm a first time Mom and I hate to see my baby become a toddler and then a child...and then a teenager...and then an adult. Holy Moly now I need a glass of wine. Anyway, back to the subject. I guess I just feel like the sooner she crawls, the sooner she walks, the sooner she can talk, the sooner she can talk back, the sooner we are mother and daughter who can't agree on anything. Then I will definitely miss those times when I cuddled her as I gave her a bottle and she would play with my hair.

Being a Mom has definitely made my life more chaotic and less organized. I currently have a large wall in my living room with 15 splotches of different colored paint because I ATTEMPTED to patch the holes a few weeks ago and haven't gotten around to painting it back.

I have 3 gym memberships because I can't find the time to cancel the ones I don't use.

I've needed to order a bank card because I lost mine about a month ago. 

My husbands shirts have been at the cleaners so long they may have auctioned them.

CHAOS.

However, my husband informed me last night that he loves this goofiness about me. Apparently I need to learn to chill out and learn to make fun of myself a little bit. I think having a baby definitely makes you a different person. I'm no longer organized, but organized chaos. Stella doesn't know the difference. As long as she is fed, played with, and has a clean diaper she is good. Now, if I can teach her that my Christmas decor is in fact not food, I'll feel like I've mastered something. 

How Momma Got New Carpet

A few weeks ago my precious, squishy, little bunny did a massive number two on our already disgusting carpet. If I would have been the caretaker at the moment, it would have been a scrubbing marathon to quietly clean it before the Dad got home. Because the Dad was the caretaker at the moment, it was the reason Mommy got new carpet and a very graphic picture of the destruction. 

You see, I've been begging the Dad for new carpet for quite some time, always a different excuse. "Our carpet is nasty." "Stella is going to cut herself on the tack strip." "I'm pretty positive we have spider eggs in our carpet." OK--so maybe I even exaggerated a little bit. But the Dad was no where near ready to purchase new carpet UNTIL his precious little bean fell face first into the not so soft carpet and burnt her face. Then he says "Get a quote." So I did and NOW I have new comfy and clean carpet.

I have a feeling our lives may be like this for awhile. I'm not the princess anymore. But whatever Stella needs, Stella gets. I'm OK with it I guess, as long as we can figure out how to make it Stellas idea that Mommy needs a new pair of shoes. :) 

By the way, that new carpet came in handy. The babe crawled a week later and I swear I heard her whisper, "Thanks for the new digs Mom".  

 

Happy Half Birthday

Dear Bunny,

You are 6 Months old today! I seriously can't believe it and I've seriously been slacking on my posts to you. I apologize to future you who may be reading this. You've just been SO much fun to play with that I haven't had time to write about you. But here goes...

At 6 Months you weigh 19 lbs and are pushing 27 inches long. You are SUPER busy. You can't  crawl yet, although you may have started by the time I finish this post. I'm serious, you're that close. You've learned that since you can't crawl to things you want, you just roll. You are constantly moving your arms like you are swimming and kicking your legs like you are running. I wish I was half as active as you are.

Here are some facts about you:

You cry hysterically whenever someone yawns near you. It scares the bejeezus out of you. We can't quite figure it out but it's quite hysterical.

You get so excited when Daddy gets home from work, you smile, giggle, and YELL.

You would rather sit and play with your toys than be held. You are VERY independent.

You roll yourself to sleep in your crib at night.

You STILL love Barney. Yuck.

You suffered your first sickness this month, a yucky ear infection. Poppie caught it by seeing you tugging at your ear. Minus taking the yucky medicine, you have taken it like a champ.

You are eating bananas, sweet potatoes, rice cereal, and butternut squash. Oh and once you ate a sucker. Mommy was hesitant on Halloween to give you any candy but then I felt sorry for you and gave you a sucker. Suckers are DEFINITELY your favorite food. Don't say I never let you do anything fun.

You are the funniest, sweetest, happiest baby your Daddy and I ever had and we are so super happy that God blessed us with you. We love you Bunny.

The Rough Life of a 6 Month Old

 

3 Month-er

Hello my Sweet Stelly Belly,

3 months have already come and gone. Who would have thunk it? Your Dad and I are at a mix of emotions about how old you are. On one hand we feel like it was just yesterday. On the other hand we feel like it has been a lifetime. I don't mean that in a bad way, we just can't picture what our lives were like before you. 

You are a really funny kid. I'm not just saying it. You're a bit of a drama queen. You cry and laugh at the same time because you can't make up your mind. You smile at me every morning when I come to get you out of bed. It's the best part of my day. I have a hard time getting your Daddy to come to bed because he rocks you to sleep at night, he says that's the best part of his day. So as you can tell, we are still smitten. We aren't going to put you back in the womb so you can quit being all cute and stuff.

This month was the best. You've grown out of most of your crankiness and you are really showing your adorable little personality. You love your hands so much that you try to stick them in your mouth all at once. This usually results in you gagging, choking, or spitting up. It's a really awesome game. You weigh 14 pounds. You are LONG. You are already too long for some of your 6 month pajamas. 

We take morning starbucks trips and I suspect you are becoming interested in this thing called espresso. Well, forget it missy. You have to stick to decaf. I kid. But you are eating cereal now. You get so excited when I stick the spoon in your mouth. Maybe one day we will get to actually feed you some meat and Daddy will have to finally quit teasing about it. 

Your smile is seriously contagious and I am so thankful to call you mine.

Some pictures from your third month of life. 

            Holding your baba

Love, 

Momma