Big girl carseat swag; -)

Sent from Felecia's Samsung Vibrant

Where do I begin.....

I haven't updated this blog since the holiday and I really want to post at least once a month, but sometimes that just seems impossible with all on my plate these days. In any event, Olivia has achieved so much since I last posted. She'll soon be 10 months old (1/30/11) and she's WALKING!!! Yes, my baby girl started taking independent steps on 1/21/11 at 9.5 months. She's also been using her POTTY! Yes, Olivia is using her potty! Her Ganny sits her on it and she's been successful in dropping off #1 and #2. She's talking and into everything. Olivia is climbing the stairs....well, not anymore because I have a gate at the top and bottom, but if left open she'll be up 4 stairs within a blink of an eye!

I am truly amazed at how fast she's growing and how much she's able to do independently. She can tell you if she doesn't want something by turning her head and she's sooo NOT interested in baby food. My child eats table food and/or Gerber Graduates. She has 7 teeth in (4 at the bottom and 3 at the top) with about 3 more starting to surface. My baby is also super clingy to her Mommy. She wants me in her eyesight at all times, so that means she's in the bathroom with me or wherever I am, she wants to be. I try to remember that this is just a phase and will pass. She will one day not want to be anywhere near me, and that will hurt I'm sure. So for now, I'm enjoying my little baby attachment.

I'm glad to also report that I have gotten a lot better at asking for help. It's not easy raising a little one alone, and thank God that I don't have to. Olivia's Ganny and Dad are such a tremendous help. It really does take a village to raise a child.

Winter Wonderland

Olivia's 1st Christmas was quite remarkable. I was sooo excited for "Santa" to visit my daughter. I'm sure she had no clue what the heck was going on. She would have been happy with me allowing her to pull ornaments off of our tree.....oh but no! We, the parentals, declared that all of her firsts would be spectacular! Christmas certainly to be no exception. I can honestly say I still can't see the floor and the boxes to all the toys, dolls and gadgets are stacked high along the wall so that Tuesday when the trash man arrives he might just have to pick up, dispose and return to get all of my trash. It's truly ridiculous how much stuff is packed for trash. Sorry environment :-)

One view of the bounty

Another viewMy Pooh in her My 1st Christmas pajamas

Aside from the very fact that its Olivia's 1st Christmas, we actually had a lovely blanket of snow on Christmas Day. It actually snowed on Christmas!!!! How special is that? My Mom reminded me that I had snow for my 1st Christmas as well....although I was only 2 weeks old I'm sure I was excited about it. LOL. Here's a pic of the snow from my front door.


Olivia has been in pretty good spirits considering that she has her two front teeth coming in for a grand total of 5 teeth!!!! She's not even 9 months old yet and she has 5 teeth! I feel like she's growing up soooo fast...Geez. I think her gums are bothering her more at night b/c she is not sleeping well. In fact, last night, Christmas night she woke up every two hours. I dosed her up with some pain reliever (which she didn't want to take) and then she seemed to settle and sleep a little better. Its an awful feeling knowing that your child is in pain and there isn't much you can do. It's truly a growing pain. :-(. Better days ahead b/c she will soon be eating her own chicken wings. LOL. My baby doesn't want anything to do with baby food. I mean nothing. The only bit of baby food she gets is when I put oatmeal in her bottle, otherwise she is pretty exclusive on formula. Other than a few bites or tastes of what I'm eating. Table food is her thing. It's sooo cute. She opens her mouth like a little bird when I'm eating. Oh how I love all these tender moments with my girl. In a mere 3 months, she will be a year old....heavy sigh......too fast.

Catching snowflakes

Olivia has dutifully stalked our Christmas tree all day. She finally decided to go for it. This was too cute not to capture.

Sent from Felecia's Samsung Vibrant

8 months old and such a little lady

Miss Anne (Liv's nickname for her busy bodyness) is into EVERYTHING! She's strong and fast so what a combinations. Olivia started crawling at about 7.5 months and it's been on and popping every since. Actually, she'd began pulling herself up even before then. We all were convinced that she would forgo crawling altogether and skip ahead to walking. However, she's doing a combination of the two. She can pull herself to a standing position and if she holds onto the sofa or something sturdy, she can walk along aside it, especially if she sees something that she wants.

Olivia is displaying so much personality and smarts. She's very aware and attentive after her name has been spoken. It's like she's listening to hear what you're saying about her. It's funny. She loves to show her two little tic tacs in the bottom of her mouth. She sprouted those teeth around 7 months and hasn't really teethed since. I guess she's been working on getting mobile. Ha!

Olivia is not all that impressed with baby food. She prefers her bottles most days and I was praying that she'd be consuming less formula and more food. She can have some table food now, but she's drinking about 6-8 bottles a day! Sometimes I feel like she's not eating enough, but then she makes the EXPLOSIVE packages and I know she must be getting just what she needs...LOL

With the holidays upcoming, our house is buzzing with the excitement of a 1st Christmas. We spent Thanksgiving in my hometown of B'ham, AL, but before we left I put up the tree and the Christmas decoration. I love Christmas, I just love it! This time of year is just special and all the more now that I have my baby girl. I'm going to try to to go too overboard with buying things, but I ain't making no promises ;-).

We did a little Black Friday shopping in a new Outlet in Leeds and although I'd set out to "treat" myself to a few things, as is the routine Olivia ends up with 3 bags of clothes from The Children's Place, Gymboree and Carter's....like she needs another item of clothing. I did however find her dress for Christmas pictures which we're taking this Saturday at JC Penny. I'm undecided as to whether I will take a few with her or not, or just let it be her picture on the holiday cards.....decisions, decisions.

Also, I have a birthday coming up, Dec. 9th will be my 33rd!!! No big plans, just probably a spa day and a little retail therapy. It doesn't take a whole lot for me. I'm easy like Sunday morning :)

7 months and 1st Halloween

Ladybug celebrates her 1st Halloween and being 7 months old!!!

She's crying even when she's not crying....

at least in my head. On the very rare occasions that my precious daughter isn't yelling, screaming, whining or whimpering, and is sound asleep in my bed (a post for another day) I still hear her crying in my head. Like now for instance, she's fast asleep and I'm downstairs and I could swear that she's starting to cry. So I go part the way up the stairs to validate what I think I hear and nothing.....all I hear in her ocean lullaby Cd playing.

Does that mean that I'm just wired to respond and expect her to need me even when she doesn't? I feel like I'm always on "pause" never really in a moment, just trying to anticipate her next need/desire. I can honestly admit that I'm struggling to find a balance. Being a Mommy and a woman with her own needs and desires is hard. Anytime that I take the time out to do anything for myself I feel really guilty. Like going to the nail salon, out to dinner with friends, to the hair salon....hell, even to run errands, anytime I'm not with Olivia I feel like she thinks that I've abandoned her. I literally have to talk myself into following through on standing appointments that I have b/c being away from her for 8 hrs at work is a lot. Although I call and check on her twice a day, and I know she's in good, loving, caring hands. I still feel like I should be the one caring for her.

Maybe this feeling will dissipate when she gets older, or maybe it'll get worse.....I dunno. I just know that sometimes I get overwhelmed by it all and welcome the break, guilty feeling and all. Today was one of those days when I really needed some "me time" and I was so glad G was available and willing to let me take it. Whew....who knew that sleep would be a gift and taking a long, hot shower a sweet indulgence?