One Year Old...and walking!!!

Whew!  What a weekend!  We had tons of fun this weekend and pictures to prove it!

Delaney celebrated her actual birthday on Thursday the 30th.  My Mom made some homemade baked ziti with her special "Grammie Bo" sauce and we all chowed down on that in the evening.  Delaney can't seem to ever get enough of the baked ziti.  She really enjoyed her special mess cake that I made for her.  She didn't quite know what to make of it at first but when Brady (our 87 lb dog) came over and licked her fingers clean, it was pretty clear she wasn't happy with that!

On Saturday we celebrated Delaney's BFF, Ella's 1st birthday.  That was a blast and Delaney decided to WALK the entire time!  Yes, WALK!!  She has been taking steps for about 3 weeks now, but she just took off yesterday.  And, then of course, all day today as well.  When she wants to get somewhere quickly, she crawls.  I am sure the crawling will be a thing of the past in just a week or so when she decides running is a much better alternative.

We had such a wonderful celebration today with our friends and family.  Delaney actually stayed in her party dress right up until cake time.  I think all of the other kiddos around took her mind off the fact that she was in a dress.  My girl is SO NOT a girly-girl (thank goodness!).  Anyone who is reading this knows having a girly-girl would have been my worst nightmare come true.  I suppose she still has time but she is off to a great start.

So how do I feel about being a Mom to a one year old?  Overwhelmed with so many emotions!  So happy that she is growing into a little person and can do so many fun things.  Sad that my baby seems to be officially gone.  Surprised that literally overnight she is a toddler.  It definitely tugs at my heartstrings, however, I am honestly so proud of Dan and myself on our first year of parenting.  We see eye to eye on many things and our parenting style is so similar.  HUGE plus!!!

Punky is our everything and I can't even remember what life was like before she came into the picture.  She adds so much pizazz to daily life as well as so much noise, sass, mess, and giggles!!!


Happiest of birthdays my little Punky!  I love you higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.

Almost to the big ONE!

In 13 days ( but who's counting? ), my little Punky will be an entire year old!  It's utterly amazing to me.  Before I drench the computer keyboard in my tears, I will stop myself.  I will blog more then and reflect on the most amazing year of my life.

Lately, Delaney thinks she is by far the funniest person EVER!  I know I've said this before, but now that she is using words, cute faces, signs, and other forms of communication (like picking her nose, smearing yogurt in her hair, and attempting to undress herself when she has a dirty diaper) she definitely thinks she is some super funny Miss Thang.

She has figured out how to escape out of the play room.  You see, there is this small gap in the gate that she found out if she steps through it just so she can be free to wreck havoc on the rest of our house.  Needless to say we ordered a new gate.  If we didn't I would also be having other people's children running amuck on our abode as well.

The tupperware cabinet is still her favorite.  She can have it emptied completely in mere seconds.  Then she moves onto the bottom drawer in the kitchen where I keep the aprons, rolling pins, and trivets.  Yep, all over the floor.  Now, she moves onto the pantry.  Guess what?  Yep, all over the place.

Poor Brady - the door to the laundry room (where we keep his bowls) is locked more often than unlocked these days. We have found so much kibble in Punky's mouth that I don't understand how she possibly even stuffs that much in there.  I don't get grossed out by much, but this for some reason really grosses me out!  The brown drool that comes out of her mouth is what gets me every time.  Onto the bathroom - she loves lifting the toilet seat and unrolling the toilet paper.  GREAT!  The talking potty that she is in there for herself is apparently not entertainment enough.

All of the above completely cracks her up.  As well as when she is going to feed me a piece of her food and then quickly takes it away with a devilish grin on her face.  She wants me to say "sike out" and then tickle her.  Of course then it becomes the game for the rest of meal time.

And who could forget that she has now realized that she can splash water all over herself, Mommy, and the bathroom floor while taking a bath.  When I am washing her hair, she nearly throws a fit when water gets on her face, but when she does it from the crazy splashing episode, all is good.  Hmmm?

But, at the end of the day, I am laughing right along with her because she IS so funny and I am so blessed to have such a free spirited little chica on my hands.  AND she has finally decided to call me MOMMY instead of dada, doggy, daddy, baby, or whatever else rolls off her tongue.

11 months old already?!?

I can't even believe it.  My goodness.  In a month from now, we will be celebrating the most incredible day of our lives - the day you were born.  Daddy and I were talking about it the other day and reminiscing about how surreal it all was.  Bringing new life into the world.  Unbelievable!!!!

You never cease to amaze me, little one.  You are taking so nicely to our newest little addition - another little baby that we watch daily.  You shower her with hugs and kisses and even pat her bum bum if she starts to fuss.  I am so incredibly proud of you!

Last night, you took 3 steps and then took one step two other times.  You surely are on your way to moving and grooving.  If I think you have kept me busy up until this point, I believe I may have to start going to bed much earlier just in order to keep up with you.

Have got to cut this one short since our daycare day is about to begin.  I love you more than you will ever know and look forward to what the next month is going to bring us.

Things are coming together.....

Okay, so this isn't so much a post about Punky, but more a post about what has been going on in the lives of us crazy Strader's down here in Florida.  I touched on it a little bit in the last post, but allow me to elaborate a bit:

Dan is extremely busy and doing so well in his Law School endeavors.  He is clerking at a local law firm for the summer and he loves it there.  We are hoping and praying it leads to a potential job once he graduates.  It's a very family-type of atmosphere over there and it's only a 15 minute commute.  Dan has maintained amazing grades throughout his first year and continues to receive various acknowledgements.  He made Law Review- which is HUGE!  He is on the Dean's List for both semesters and remains in the top 5 in his class (out of 274).  Go, Dan, go!!!!!!  Hopefully he doesn't read this post as his head hardly fits through the door the way it is. :)

Things with the in-home daycare are moving along so nicely and rather quickly, actually.  I had to take a break from all of the paperwork to write this blog.  There are so many loopholes that I must make sure are attended to.  I am hoping to have it up and running by end of September or beginning of October.  Rest assured I will be having a HUGE Grand-Opening Party.  Website and name coming your way once I am officially licensed.  I can't advertise until then, so please spread the word for me.  I have already met with various people and I have a feeling a waiting list may be in order soon.

In other news, Punky is being her Punky self.  Talking lots, doing cuter things everyday and just soaking up the world around her.

We are all very excited to have a nice, mellow week up in NJ next week.  We most definitely need a little break from the day to day stuff.

Until next time.....

You're 10 Months old, Punky!!!!!

I always mean to write more blog posts, but alas, I never seem to find the time.  Hmmm,  I wonder why? :) I actually started this post 5 days ago and am hopefully finishing it up before dinner.  And, yes we do usually eat dinner around 8:30PM.

The time sure is flying by and every day it seems there is something new added to your daily doings.  You are simply amazing!  You are calling Brady by name but not me.  What is wrong with this picture?  I guess I can understand since he does lick you from head to toe and share his bone with you.  You have even stepped up to using your sign for "Daddy" as well as calling him "Dada".   "Mama" just slips out but you never use it when looking at me or anything.  :(  One day I know you will be saying "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy...." and I'm going to want to change my name, right?

Your new game is to see how long you can let go of whatever you are holding onto at that moment.  You get really proud of yourself when you succeed with a big, huge smile on your face.

You also REALLY love throwing yourself backwards.  I'm just thankful I have always been there to catch you as you have done this.  Please don't do this, Punky when someone isn't there.  Remember gravity is not forgiving and neither are the tile floors we have all over our house.

"Hi Baby" is your new phrase.  "Hi baby" this, "Hi baby" that.  Very cute.  You are so into babbling that I can't help but just giggle.  I really wonder what you are saying.  You could go on and on for minutes on end.  You talk to your animals, flip through books, and sometimes I believe you are even telling me off!

The sweetness that exudes from you amazes me.  You are just such a happy and bright little spirit.  You make everyone's day.  But watch out when something makes you angry, or more likely frustrated.  You literally tug at your shirt in what we call your "Incredible Hulk Moment".  You make this ungodly noise, very deep throated, and act like you can rip apart your clothes.

Delaney, you are my angel sent from heaven and I love spending my time with you. When I am not with you, I want to be.  I never want a break from you!  You and I fit together like a puzzle and that's the way I like it.  We have our own inside games that Daddy doesn't even know about.  It's great being a Mommy.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when pulling my hair out seems like a  great option, but I don't think I would make such a hot bald chick so I just use the famous saying "This too shall pass".

On another note, things around the Strader household are VERY busy.  Dan is clerking at a local law firm and also glued to the books on the weekends.  We make the most of the time we get to hang with him since it is few and far between.  We knew Law School was going to be a huge sacrifice so we are rolling with the punches.

I am in the process of getting our home licensed to start my own in-home daycare.  This is something I have always wanted to do once I became a Mommy.  It is a very long and tedious process, but truth be told, if I was sending Delaney somewhere, I would want to know that where she was being sent was put through all of the background screenings that we are.  Once I am licensed, I can actually start advertising.  I plan on throwing a huge Grand Opening Party.  I am putting in tons of hours getting things off the ground as well as attempting to educate my little sponge of a Punkster, be a good wife, keep the house clean, and all the errands that go along with the typical stay-at-home Mom duties.  To say I am spread a little thin these days is an understatement.  I know it will all pay off in the end.

Today I am very thankful for my family, my friends, especially my girlfriends, and my crazy life!

Happy Nine Month Birthday!

Wow, baby girl.  I can't believe you've been out in the world for nine whole months!  My goodness the time sure does fly....especially when you're having fun.  And fun we are having!!  You, my dear, are one chipper little chicken.  You are always smiling and laughing from the pit of your belly.  It surely is music to our ears.

You are one of the most active little munchkins I have ever met.  Thank goodness you sleep so well at night.  That means I get a good sleep as well.  Add some morning coffee to the mix and I am (almost) ready to keep up with you all day long.  By time I lie you down in your crib at night, I am about ready to crash as well.  Nothing like spending my days interacting with you, though - and I mean NOTHING!  Apparently it is paying off since your pediatrician informed me yesterday that you are well above where your peers are at this age.  Woo Hoo!  You go, little sponge!

So, what have you been up to lately?  Let's see.... you LOVE to sing, imitate noises, are starting to say words (but only on your terms and most definitely not when prompted) - you yelled out "YEE HAW" at the doctor's office yesterday and I'm not really sure where that came from, you are big into music (go figure :-)), you really enjoy pulling yourself up on everything (including the dog), and you only will eat table food.  Heaven forbid I ever try to give you pureed food - it will end up all over the both of us.  At least you know what you want.  And have I mentioned that you are entirely too funny for words?  You know it, too and love making people laugh!

Happy nine month birthday my precious angel.  I love you as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean.  You are my little love bug.  All my love, your Mama Bear! xxoo

WOW!!!! She's big!!!

Really, people?????

So, yes - our Punky is a little Chunky.  I'm OK with that.  Aren't babies supposed to have rolls around their thighs...ok, and big fat bellies....ok, and arms that look as though they could take you down in an arm wrestling match?  Well, my beautiful, perfect, edible little daughter does and I love every single inch of her.

I am told by pediatricians - my father-in-law included that I need not worry.  When she starts walking, she will start slimming down.  I don't feed her too much, or at least I don't think I do.  She eats very healthy.  She just is weighing in at a whopping 23 lbs last time I checked.

This rant is about the general public and why in the world they have the need to say things out loud.  Us Mama Bears are very protective of our little cubs and we will stop at nothing to claw you with our paws as we throw daggers at you with our eyes.  So, beware people!!!!!

The other day, I took Punky to the mall for a couple of things and to just get out and get some relief from the Florida heat.  We walked into a store, and granted Punky doesn't have a ton of hair yet, but........ when the first comment out of the European sales lady's mouth was "How old is HE?" I wanted to bitch slap her!  I have a rule - I NEVER say anything that would include a child's gender unless they are appropriately marked as one or the other.  A pink hairbow or a shirt stating "cute boy", but even then you really can't tell.  Perhaps the Mom is having an identity crisis through her child and is dressing them as the opposite sex.  Anyway, back to the European - I stated "SHE is 8 months old" to which she replied "WOW!!!!!!  She's HUGE!!!!!"  I literally bit my tongue and turned around and walked out.  What I really wanted to scream was "Go back to your own country lady!"

No, I'm not racist in ANY form, even though this blog post makes me sound it.  I was just so irritated....and defensive.

It reminds me of when I was pregnant and every person, or so it seemed had an opinion of what I was having, how far along I was, etc, etc.  Which is why I went practically nowhere in my last month of pregnancy.  You could of rolled me down the street.  And if I happened to walk into a sharp object, I probably would have popped!

The moral of the story - don't pass your opinions.  Hush up peeps.  My beautiful baby girl is just that - beautiful in every single way.

Happy First Father's Day

I would just like to take the opportunity to tell all of you what an amazing, incredible, loving father Dan is. Yeah, I know it sounds very cliche, however, I never imagined he would be so hands on with her.  He is always wanting to play with her, sing to her, love on her, etc.  I think it's fantastic that we have a day to celebrate all of the Dads out there.  It's got to be very difficult to juggle Law School, all of the work that comes with it, and family life.  And Dan exceeds all of my expectations on a daily basis.

I mentioned in my previous post that our beautiful 7 year old niece, Bianca is spending the summer with us.  It was great to have her here for Father's Day and be able to celebrate with us.  We started the day off by cooking a huge breakfast followed by a wonderful day at the beach and then having a great dinner with all of our family in Florida.  My Dad was in for a very short visit as well so it was a big family gathering.  If only the Strader's were here, too.  Maybe next year.

I've included just a couple of pics from Father's Day.  Delaney is appropriately wearing "Daddy's Little Girl" Tshirt.  To get her to sit still for pictures is like wrestling an alligator so most of the shots I get are when she is tethered in her highchair or just on the move.

Tomorrow Dan and I celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary.  I can't believe it!!!!  It's been an amazing four years.  I love you more than I can ever adequately put into words, Daniel.  You are my everything!  Thanks for being wonderful YOU!!!!!

So many new things!

When "they" tell you that it all goes too quickly, I am finding out that is most definitely the truth!  We were up in New Jersey for a few days for Beth's HS Graduation and came back to Florida with a whole bunch of new tricks.....as well as a summer visitor.  My beautiful 7 year old niece, Bianca will be staying with us for the summer.  Her and Delaney are still getting used to each other and are trying their hardest to adapt to sharing me.

Delaney is now popping her third tooth and handling it like a champ!

She is also pulling herself up on everything she possibly can, including her crib. This made the plane trip pretty interesting.  She does NOT like to be contained.  As I was speaking to Dan's parents over the weekend, I am coming to realize that Delaney is even more like her father.   Dave said when Dan was a baby if he was "here", he wanted to be "there" and vice versa.  Sounds very familiar!!   Oh boy!  My hands are going to be full and my days quite busy.  However, I thrive on busy so it's all good!!

We are into making animal noises these days.  She's got the growling like a bear down pat - thanks to her BFF, Ella Bella Bearski.  She quacks like a duck at random moments.  You know, whenever the mood hits her.  She is working on barking like a dog and meowing like a cat.  All very cute!

Also, the coolest development in my book, is Delaney is clapping almost non-stop.  She is always throwing a little party for herself.  Hey, you are your best cheerleader, right?  Everything she does, she thinks, is clap worthy.  Rock on little Mama.  Clap away.

We had a wonderful trip to NJ visiting with family and couldn't be more proud of Beth.  She got into GWU and will be leaving in August.  What an honor!  She is an amazing young lady who Delaney just loves!!

We made a pit stop in PA to visit my side of the family and that was superb as well.  Delaney is great in the car so that makes it all that much better.

Until next time....
Thanks for reading. :-)

You're tactile, are ya?

I'm not one of these Moms that are all about the parenting books.  Not to say I haven't read nearly every single one under the sun....but, I haven't found any one of them even slightly helpful in raising my little punky, sassy gal.  Until now!  I just recently read (and couldn't put down) "Child Sense: From Birth to Age 5, how to use the 5 senses".

This book asks you to take a little quiz to classify the way your child learns the world around them.  It then asks you to take a quiz about yourself and how you learn your world.  It then goes into depth about how the two of you (yourself and your child) can basically co-exist without you getting frustrated that your child would rather, say, for example,  eat their food with their fingers as opposed to a spoon.

Long story short, I have discovered that my little Punky is a tactile learner.  OH!  Now it all makes sense.  This is why she literally has to scratch at everything she sees!  Literally - EVERYTHING!  And, this is why she likes to touch your face while she drinks her bottle.  Also, why she would much rather feed herself chunks of canteloupe  than be spoon fed applesauce.

I have also learned that our little energizer bunny will be like this forever.  Supposedly "tactile learners" have boundless amounts of energy and can not stop jumping around, climbing on everything, and are over the top with emotions.  Really?  You don't say?  Hmmm.  Didn't see that one coming.

Here are the criteria that helped decide she is, in fact, tactile:
* needs to be held almost constantly and cries when put down (rewind to the first 5 months of her life)
* is particular about whose arms she goes into (no way!  she lets everyone hold her, right?)
* wants to somehow touch everything in her path - including putting those things in her mouth
* she can't just LOOK at things, she must FEEL them
* is VERY active while awake (you must have this all wrong)

Those are just a few things!  Please note my sarcasm in parenthesis.  It's funny how much I've actually learned by reading this book.  So, thank you Priscilla J. Dunstan!!!!!

Little Fishy

So, on Sunday, we decided to head to the beach bright and early before it got to the point of......well, the point where you just honestly can't even think of being outside with a child without fearing they will melt into a puddle of nothingness.

Off we headed to Point of Rocks beach with:
* a huge blanket
* a jogging stroller
* an inner tube of sorts
* three beach towels
* a cooler full of water
* a beach bag filled with toys, cheerios, diapers, a change of clothes for the baby, and loads of sunblock
* and an umbrella

(and to think Dan wanted to haul some beach chairs as well.)  I keep trying to gently remind him (since this was going to be his first time accompanying Delaney and I to the beach) that our beach days of lounging in chairs and reading books are a thing of the past.  He did listen to me on this one and did NOT bring the chairs.  Good man!

We got our entire site set up and then Dan blew up the inner tube.  Off we headed into the Gulf.  No tar balls or oil secretions just yet!!!!!  Dan carried Delaney out while I followed behind with said inner tube.  Once we got beyond the waves, we put her in the little baby holder and.....she LOVED every single second of it!  She was laughing and shrieking so hard.  We ended up playing in the water for over an hour. We couldn't get over how amazing she was and how much she adored it.  Needless to say, it was a successful beach day for the whole Strader Clan!  We can't wait to do it again.

8 months old!

WOWZER!!!!!  The past eight months have absolutely flown by.  I honestly can't believe Delaney is eight months old today.  As of recently, she is into "sharing".  She will give me a toy, give Brady his bone, share her food...and can I just say how much it melts my heart?  She is just so stinkin sweet and cute and totally lovable.  Yes, even when she's "crabby" - as some people call her (hmmm, hmmm, The Godfather).  I like to say that she isn't crabby, she is just Delaney.  She knows what she wants and if she doesn't get what she is looking for, she simply tells you... in her own, high pitched way!

Every day she is reminding more and more of Dan.  How?  Well, first off - she thinks that she is the funniest thing to have EVER graced the Earth.  Second, she MUST be the center of attention, and if you aren't paying attention to her, she will somehow, someway, get your attention by all means necessary.  Third, she studies people HARD!  She won't just let anyone into her little circle of life.  It takes her a long time to feel comfortable around people.  She most definitely has her favorites.

We had her very first photo shoot a couple of weeks ago.  I wanted to do it when she was first born but between the sleep deprivation and constant crying (sometimes from her, sometimes from me) we postponed it.  I have attached a couple of my favorites.

She is so incredibly strong (and strong willed) and is wanting to pull herself up on everything she possibly can.  She has succeeded once that I know of.  Now, she can get up to her knees and then scares herself.  I am not rushing this one!  You take your time, little lady.  I love the age she is now and she is just full of giggles and fun!  Happy 8 month birthday my beautiful angel.  Mommy loves you more than you will EVER know!

SWAGGER WAGON

Eating dog bones and what not!

So, my dear Delaney is learning new things on a daily basis - like eating Brady's bones for fun.  She sees him chomping on them so I guess she figured why not?  He shares them so nicely with her and the other day she just put it in her mouth and kept rubbing it on her teeth.  I guess it makes a good teether for a baby, too.  Needless to say everything goes in the mouth!  I even bought myself some "Mommy Bling" which is a necklace specially made for little ones to yank on and put in their mouth.

She LOVES playing with her voice lately.  It seems to be her new favorite toy and it just cracks us up.  The loud shrieks can be heard throughout the house, store, or wherever we happen to be at the time.  And, it's all very happy noises!  The plane ride to NJ in a few weeks should be pretty interesting!

Since Dan has been out of school, him and Delaney have been having some great quality time together and they are just loving it.  He refers to her as "Little Roo".  They just love singing together.  Dan has informed me that he doesn't know how I do it day in and day out.  He has told me that it is indeed a very difficult job.  I asked him if he ever wondered why I didn't get certain errands done or things around the house and he begrudgingly admitted "YES", but then quickly backed it up with "Now I get it".  Yes, taking care of a baby is an extremely hands on job and now that she is so mobile, you can't turn your back for a second.  She enjoys playing with everything she isn't supposed to, especially the plugs!  But, watching her soak up the world around her is a priceless experience.  Apparently she pulled herself up for the first time today.  I think I was about to vomit when Dan told me.  I'm not ready for this!!!!  I realize that I need to embrace this and allow her to grow up, but come on!  Why so quickly?

Delaney and Brady are the best of friends.  See the picture.  He comes over to her all the time and just licks her feet (his favorite past time) and calmly walks away if she happens to tug on his fur too hard.  He has never even remotely showed any interest in being mean to her in any way.  This was honestly one of our biggest fears after bringing Delaney into our world.  We weren't sure exactly how he would react and his reaction couldn't be better.  I actually feel as though he is calmer since she is around!

On another note ~ we just made arrangements for my beautiful 7 year old niece, Bianca to once again spend the bulk of the summer with us.  I can't even begin to explain to you how excited I am!  I know her and Delaney will enjoy the time together and I get to hang with my niece who I miss more than words can adequately describe.  Tons of fun memories to be made!

Until next time my friends....(thanks for reading)

Time...please stand still!

I've come to realize so many things about my little gal.  Especially in the past few days, it seems like she is doing something new every minute.  So, I've compiled a little list about you and your little spit-fire personality that I just adore.

* you don't like to sit still.  You always want to go, go, go - in some form or another.  I highly doubt that you will wait until the one year mark to start walking.  If you had the courage right now, you would definitely be letting go of my hands.   However, take your time little grasshopper.  Mama wants to stop time the way it is.  I am in no rush!!!!!

* you would so much rather be outside than inside.  So, your Daddy just hung a swing from our oak tree in the front for you and I carry your jumparoo out to the lanai so you can jump up and down in it outside.  I've even attached pretty colored ribbons to the fan on the lanai that you seem to be obsessed with.  I would much rather be outside as well, so it works for me!

* you don't like being away from me.  When you aren't with me, you aren't sad or angry, you are just indifferent.  Don't worry, honey - when I'm not with you, I feel as though a piece of me is missing.

* you LOVE music and to be sung to.  When Daddy plays the guitar for you, you melt and will even "sing" along with him.

* you are throttling full steam ahead with communicating.  You are now able to do the signs for 'more', 'milk', and 'please'.  Who knows what today will bring - maybe 'thank you'.

* nobody can put a smile on your face like your cousin Danny.  I am beginning to think he might be right in saying that "Delaney loves Danny more than anyone in the whole world."

* when you smile (which is ALL the time), you smile with your whole body.  You seriously light up a room.  And, your laugh is extremely contagious.

* you now give High-5's which just rocks your Daddy's world.

* you love to play Pat-A-Cake and watch and listen to me sing any song that involves using my hands - the itsy bitsy spider, the abc song (in sign language), and twinkle twinkle little star.

* you are growing entirely too quickly for my liking.  I calculated the other day that I will take your bottle away at 12 months, which means I only have 4.5 more months to hold you while you drink your bottle!  :*(  Plus, your Daddy lowered your crib last night and that was a HUGE big girl move.  Talk about my heart being in my throat when I saw that!!!!!

* This one goes hand in hand with the above statement...I understand it is my job as your Mother to enhance your learning and stimulate your brain so that is what I do.  Now that you are crawling, I know that I am supposed to be engaging your large motor development by helping you strengthen your legs.  It's just that every time you "stand up" (with my help) it tugs at my heart strings a little bit.  I also know I can't keep you a baby forever, but rest assured little one, you will forever and ever be MY baby!

So, my sweet little princess, in closing I would like to say that at 7.5 months of age, you are doing so much and watching you do these new things every day makes me one very proud Mama.  When every single parent I have ever met told me that time goes by way too quickly, they were not joking!  In the blink of an eye you have become this interactive, babbling little puddle of sweetness that I can't help but kiss and love on over and over and over again!  My heart grows a little more each day.  I love you as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean Punky!!!!!

BeachMama: A year ago today.....

BeachMama: A year ago today.....

A year ago today.....

.... we found out we were being blessed with a little GIRL!  My heart skipped a beat when the ultrasound technician showed your stuff to me.  Do you know what Daddy's response was? "Well, now I can go get that gun!"  Mommy still says NO GUNS!!!!!

Since I found out I was going to be the Mother to a Daughter my life has changed ten fold.  Since I have always been much more of a tom-boy rather than a girlie-girl, so many thoughts were running through my head!

*What if she wants to play with Barbies?  How do I tell her that they are degrading to women and is what is wrong with the main stream society that we live in?  No, honey - you don't need to be a toothpick with big boobs, and the latest fashion trends.  Dolls I'm good with - Barbies not so much.  This is a fear I will hold onto until I know she is out of the Barbie playing age.

*What if all she wants to wear are frilly little dresses and big bows in her hair and her entire closet is filled with the color I like the least - PINK???   I was hoping for a cargo pocket wearing, tank top, sneaker kind of chick.  Well, this thought has changed.  The more I look around at the girly clothes, the more I love them.  Yes, you heard it here first.  Punky has some great pink and very girly clothes that I just absolutely love dressing her in.

*What if she cries every time she gets hurt like girls normally do?  UGH!  I want to raise a tough cookie who isn't super fragile and can wrestle with the best of them.  Well, so far I have gotten my wish on this one.  She fledges full force this girl!  There is no stopping her, unless she is tired and happens to catch her knee on a block or something.  Then, the wailing starts.  But nothing Mommy cuddles can't fix.

So many what if's.  And guess what?  It doesn't matter one little bit, because Delaney Grace is here in all her glory and she is absolutely perfect in every single way.  I am extremely proud, lucky, blessed...to be her Mommy and I wouldn't change it for a million dollars.  She is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love her more than I can ever adequately express with words.

Some pictures of when she was brand new.  She has gotten so big!

Happy Mother's Day

Today is my first Mother's Day and what a great day it has been!  Dan let me sleep in this morning and then when it was time for him to start heading up to St. Pete to study for his last 2 finals of the year, he brought Delaney in to wake me up.  She laid on my belly and just gave me that big Delaney smile.  What more could I ask for?

I had a beach day planned for about 3 weeks now with Delaney, my sister Lori and Danny, and my Mom. Delaney always loves loves loves the beach so I figured this is a great way to celebrate this wonderful day. Well, Punky had different ideas.  Pretty much as soon as we got there, she was just inconsolable.  When she gets to a certain point, there is no calming her down.  You must vacate the premises NOW!!!!!  Well, me being the go-getter that I am, I decided to try and show her the water -  waaaaah  waaaaah  waaaaaah!  Ok, how about we go for a walk in the stroller?  waaaaah waaaaah waaaaah! Ok, I will hold you (this always works) - but not today.  She wanted to be in the air conditioning and NOT at the beach.  For all of my Northerners reading this, it is the time of year down here when it is unbearably hot at times.  The humidity is up there and if you aren't in the AC or in some body of water, you are sweating bullets.  Today was one of those days - 70% humidity and Punky wasn't having it.

So, home we go.  She slept the whole way home and was a happy little camper once we got inside the house.  This is all just part of parenting and you need to roll with it.  A little disheartening to me because I just wanted to do something really special for my first Mother's Day that included my wonderful Mother and Sister.  Plus, I am a clipboard girl.  I like things to be on my clipboard and for them to stay there.  Guess I will have to start using pencil on that clipboard now that I am a Mommy.

When I was giving her her afternoon bottle before I laid her down for her nap, she was just staring so sweetly at me and "talking" to me.  She literally brought tears to my eyes.  I am so lucky to be her Mommy and I couldn't ask for a more perfect baby.  She definitely has personality and let's you know when something is not right in her world.  That's what makes her Punky!!!!  I wouldn't trade all the screaming in for anything in this world.  She is my angel sent to me from the heavens and I adore everything about her.

A very happy Mother's Day to all the Mamas out there.  Being a Mom is the most amazing gift in the world... no matter how trying it is at times.

Oh boy!

Well, let's just say it's been a busy couple of days.  Now that Delaney is fully on the move (when she allows me to put her down - more on that in the next paragraph) I have come to realize that my baby proofing skills need some sharpening.  I thought I did a really good job covering up all of those outlets, wrapping the lamp cords around the table legs, keeping things out of reach, etc.  Of course not!  What does she go right for?  All of the dangerous things, naturally.  The full length mirror that I have propped against the wall - will have to screw that in later, the plugs that have some slack, which in turn, leads to those items being pulled down, the computer chair that eventually rolls over her tiny little fingers.....you get the idea.  I can't wait for Dan to be done with his finals (next Wednesday) because I was given very strict orders NOT to screw the safety latches into our beautiful kitchen cabinets.  He knows me too well.  I do like to prove that I can do anything a man can do and sometimes even better!!!!!!  Better get crackin on ordering the other baby proofing essentials and gates.  I think I may need to take out a loan.  Have you seen the prices of these things lately?  However, I would rather have a foam guard around our brick fireplace than stitches in my princess' head.  I do think I will forego the toilet latches that Dan thinks we need. :-)

OK, as promised - for the past 6 weeks, Delaney has been great about being put down and actually has enjoyed her floor time discovering new things and learning to crawl.  As you know, the first 5 months of her precious little life, she refused to be put down.  I mean, I could put her down if I felt like listening to her howl.  And, boy can that girl go.  She won't stop until I pick her up again.  I thought maybe, just maybe, she would be able to cry herself to sleep.  Ha ha ha!!!  Well, since she had her viral infection, she is now back to being my velcro baby.  You would think this newfound method of getting around would be super exciting to her and she could just follow me around the house, but NOOOOOO!

For instance, today I decided to work in the garden while she was taking her morning nap.  Don't call Children & Youth on me, people.  All of the doors were locked, Brady (our dog) was in the house, and of course I had the monitor with me.    I came in to shower, and she must have smelled me because as soon as I got in the shower, she woke up screaming.  This is not the norm for her.  So, I quickly showered then ran in her room soaking wet to find out what it was.  Nothing!  Pure nothing!  She saw me and smiled.  Ok, so come in the bedroom with me, little girl so I can get dressed.  I put her down with her favorite ball that talks and sings to her, her ladybug, and her activity mat.  The howling began as if she is being bit by a pack of red ants.  Hmmmm.... what is a Mommy to do?  Everyone loves to give advice, so know in advance, I'm not looking for any.  I never listen to it anyway.  I do what my gut tells me to do and my gut always tells me to pick up my precious punkin to put out the fire!  Hey, it works and one day she won't want me to hold her.  And then it will be my turn to howl.

Just to make a liar out of myself, I am including a picture of her in her jumparoo where she is completely and utterly happy.  What you don't know is that it lasted for about 90 seconds. :)

The other pic is of her eating her first Lorna Doone shortbread cookie.  Boy, did she love that!

What a week!

I think the illness is finally behind us.  Whew!!  Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know it was ONLY a fever, ONLY an upper respiratory infection, ONLY a cough...blah! blah! blah!  But, guess what???  She's MY BABY and all of those ONLY"S do not help.  I was trying my hardest to put that Nanny hat back on while she was sick because every time I cared for a sick child (which was quite often) I never, ever, ever got hyped.  I've dealt with tongues almost being bitten off, broken arms, fevers of 104+, etc and always kept my cool.  Well, hello, when you are a Mom it is a completely different ball of wax.  I just wanted to make the fever go away and make her feel like herself again.

It gave me the opportunity to reflect on the times when my dear friend, Kelly, was sitting in the hospital with her precious daughter, Hannah.  Or when Tanya was watching her little girl go through chemo or when Shelly was watching her Liam fight for his life.  How did they do it day in and day out?  I will never have that answer.  When your child is hurting, you are hurting and the feeling is so helpless.  I am giving huge props to all of the mothers out there who are sitting by their child's bedside trying to do everything in their power to stay strong for their child.  While Delaney had this viral infection, another HLH family lost their precious boy, Matthew.  Not only that, but they lost their baby Andrew 8 months ago to this horrific disease.  It puts life into perspective for you.  Please take a moment and say a special prayer for the Akin family.

On a happier note....I am very proud to say that after 7 months of using sign language with Delaney, she has made her very first sign.  "MORE".  Can I just tell you that my eyes welled up with tears when she asked me to sing her the ABC song again?  Not crying because she loves Mommy's off tone singing, but the fact that she is communicating with me on a different level.  She was so very very proud of herself and just had a huge smile on her face.  She did it three times!!!  And, then, as I was folding her clothes yesterday, she is playing on the floor by my side and trying desperately to get a cheerio into her mouth, with great failure.  She looks down at her hands, makes the "more" sign and looks at me.  Of course, she has been doing it all day today, as well.  She gets it, too.  She knows what it means.  If she uses her sign, she gets more of what she wants.  You go, girl!  My smart little whipper snapper.

The picture had to be posted because I think she looks so very mischevious.  Makes me wonder what she is going to be like as a toddler.

Until she does something really cool again.....(which is ALL the time in my book)

Being sick is NO fun...

...for baby or for Mama! :*(

Well, baby girls fever has finally broke, however she is just NOT feeling well.  She is not her usual spunky self.  Very cranky and just plain uncomfortable.  What a helpless feeling.  She was up most of the night last night just crying and crying and crying.  She doesn't usually wake in the middle of the night and hardly EVER cries anymore.  Tell tale signs that there is in fact something that is ailing her.  Great day to just get in lots of sleep and Mama cuddles.

On another note, even with her not feeling well, she is scooting all over the place.  As Daddy calls it "lunge and scoot".  I had her in her play room this morning and next thing I know she's in the kitchen.  Having OCD comes in handy at times like these.  My floors will be even more clean than usual.  Oh how I love using my floor scrubber.  Stop laughing!!!!  It's very therapeutic to me.

Hopefully she is feeling better later tonight or Dan is sleeping with ear plugs in as he has his first final exam for the semester tomorrow morning.  Everyone wish him luck - although I know he doesn't need it.  My scholarly husband!

The pics attached are from Laney yesterday and today.  You wouldn't even know she's sick.

Happy 7 month birthday, baby girl!

I have been trying to figure out why the 7 month old mark has me so upset?!  I have come to the conclusion that a) it means she is MORE than half-way to her first birthday and b) a baby older than 6 months is that much less of a baby and that much more of a little gal doing little gal things.  It breaks my heart when I think of it but then me being the glass half full type of person, I must remind myself that there are only more exciting and notable memories and milestones to come.

Delaney has changed so much in the past month.  She now is army crawling all over the place.  She hasn't quite grasped the concept of moving her legs followed by her arms while up on all fours, but girlfriend definitely gets from point A to point B.  Very determined little munchkin she is!

The babbling is almost constant and she now "sings".  When she gets really tired in the car, she can also be found humming herself to sleep.  The entire way home from the doctor's office yesterday all she kept saying was "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama".  Melted me!!!!

As for the fever, we are doing much better today.  Hopefully just a day of chilling out and some extra extra extra cuddles will be just what the doc ordered.  Can I just tell you how terrifying it was to realize her fever was at a whopping 103.4 at one point yesterday!?!  Temped bath brought it right down to 101.6.  Woo Hoo!!!!!

Thanks for reading! :)

Fired Up!!!!!

No, not me.  My baby has her very first viral infection.  She is running a temperature and spitting up.  Poor little munchkin.  As a Mommy, I feel as though my heart is literally being ripped out.  Yeah, yeah, yeah I know - add a little more drama why don't you, Ang?  But, seriously!!!  I feel so helpless.  There is only so much you can do when your baby is sick.

Needless to say it was a very sleepless night for both of us but it's amazing the natural adrenaline your body gives off when your child needs you.  I would have been willing to hug her and rock her all night long if that's what she wanted.  She was more ticked off that her sleep had been disrupted by the evil temperature monster.  Girlfriend loves her night time sleep!

I took her to the doctor's office this morning.  They have a walk-in clinic available every day from 8-8:45 which is just fantastic for days like this.  The doc told me basically she will get worse before she gets better and it can take up to 5 days for it to run its course.

She has been handling it like the champ that she is.  When she didn't want to have anything to do with her solids this morning, I knew she wasn't feeling well.  My baby LOVES to eat!

She is napping now, thank goodness so I am off to disinfect all of the toys she has been playing with and wash all of the blankets.  A reason for me to clean?  Twist my arm, why don't you?

Until next time....

Strong Willed! (and then some)

To say Delaney is strong-willed is just an understatement.  She has been since day one.  I mean, I can't really say I am all that surprised.  Have you met her parents?  So, what excactly do I mean when I say this about her?

Well, let's start from the beginning.  In about my 7th month of pregnancy, I was having regular Braxton-Hicks contractions.  I got checked at my 38 week appointment and NOTHING!  Good thing I was having a scheduled C-Section the following week or baby girl may have made it her permanent home.

Then, when we brought her home, she wanted to have NOTHING and I mean NOTHING to do with nursing.  She wanted that bottle and that's all there was to it.  So, I switched her over to formula which just about sent me to the looney bin.  It was my only expectation  of motherhood was that I would able to nurse her.  Oh well.  You roll with the punches, right?

Come to find out as the days and nights start rolling into one in my sleep deprived state, I realize that she despises being put down.  Wants to be held ALL the time.  So, she falls asleep for a nap and I attempt to transfer her to the pack-n-play and she awakes immediately.  If I want my baby to nap, I came to the conclusion I needed to plant myself in the glider literally all day long.  Good think I am a stay at home Mom.  I caught up on all of the Interventions and So You Think You Can Dance episodes I've missed!

As she continues to grow and thrive her strong-willedness only transforms in other areas of her life.  Now, at the ripe old age of 6.5 months, if she wants something she uses this high pitched screech until she gets it, ie; my 5 year old nephew Danny paying attention to her.  If he stops for a split second, she starts screeching until he resumes entertaining her and then she is as happy as a clam.  Or, yesterday on the way home from Venice (which is a solid 20 - 25 minute drive), she wanted Mommy to be holding her so she thought screaming the entire way would get her that.  Too bad Mommy was driving.   As soon as we pulled into the garage and I opened her car door, big smile across her face and happy the rest of the evening.  Hmm!?!

Oh boy!  I could go on and on and on, but at that point no one would actually be reading anymore.  Point blank - Delaney Grace has a very strong personality and it isn't going anywhere.  And guess what?  I love every stinkin second of it.  Don't call her my little Punky for nothing.  And she is the absolute cutest thing I have ever layed my eyes on!!!!

Let's try this....again!

Well, hello world and welcome to my attempt at blogging.  The title is  called such because I have tried this numerous times in the past, all with epic fail!  I had a baby that I lovingly referred to as my "static cling" as she would NOT be put down.  And, really, who could blame her?  Wouldn't you want to be held and cuddled while receiving  head rubs all day if someone was willing and able?  Well, now I have quite the little independent 6 1/2 month old on my hands.  What a difference from only a few weeks ago!  Therefore, a tiny bit more time to attempt blogging.

In this blog, I will tell all about my gal's new doings and the wonders of switching gears from being a Nanny for all of my adult life to being Mommy!  What a huge difference and one that is the single most rewarding role I could have ever been given.