Hallelujah

I considered not writing this post because I don't want to jinx it, but the past few nights Natalie has been sleeping very well, even with her nasty cough and runny nose. She slept about eight hours straight last night. I went to sleep about three hours after she did so I got close to five straight hours of sleep! Due to her cold she's been a lot more needy during the day and a lot more difficult to get to bed. Matt thinks her using all her energy to fight going to sleep has to do with her getting a long nights rest. I really hope he's wrong and I'm optimistic that we're on the road to peaceful nights at last.

Happy Mama, indifferent Baby on a little nature walk.

"Brat" Bans

No one likes a screaming kid or crying baby in public, even the most understanding of parents. Fortunately for me Natalie is so amazed with her surroundings while out and about that really no matter how tired she is she stays pretty content. I usually like to leave her with a sitter when I go out to eat or grocery shopping anyway, simply because it is that much easier when she's at home. Not every parent has the option of leaving their child with someone while they have a nice lunch out or run errands though and kids will throw fits from time to time. You can't control it. I've always been understanding of this, even before the thought of becoming a mother ever crossed my mind. Not everyone is so accepting though and there are many "no kids allowed" policies springing up at restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, airlines and even grocery stores around the country.

It's no secret that the traditional notion of getting married and popping out babies is becoming less desired for a lot of people. I'll admit that I didn't always want kids. That didn't last long and I realized how important having a family was to me. I don't have a problem with anyone who chooses not to become a parent. I do have a problem with the snotty attitude of childless people though.

Every time I see a little kid having a meltdown in public I turn my head the other way. I know it's like a siren when you hear a child screaming, you have to look in that direction, but I have seen so many people stare, whisper and give dirty looks to the parent whose child is misbehaving. It's downright rude. Do you think it's helpful to do this? Do you think the parent will say something that will miraculously stop the temper tantrum because you, holier than thou you, gave them a death stare? People need to travel with their kids. They need to go to the store and other places while their children accompanies them. Is it really that hard for you to ignore a baby needing to be fed or a whining child?

I am not saying children should be allowed to run wild and misbehave. It is the parents responsibility to teach their child how to act. Kids are kids though. The younger they are the even harder it is to console them when they're upset. And yes, they might freak out in the middle of an aisle because you told them they wouldn't buy that new toy. Is your life really that much harder because you had to walk by that?

None of us were magically cast into perfect, well mannered adults. We all started off as annoying, antsy, impatient little beings who got on someone's last nerve. It really disturbs me how intolerant the world is becoming of children. This is how our species goes on. What ever happened to children being the "future" and not a nuisance to society?

Four Month Check Up

Even though Natalie will be five months next week, today we had her four month check up due to scheduling necessity. She is looking good, though she developed a cold a few days ago. This is frustrating because she just got over all the congestion and snotty nose she had since six weeks old. She is 14 lbs 12 oz's (49th percentile), 25 inches (83rd percentile) and her head circumference is 16 inches around (76th percentile).

She's still in size two diapers, though I think we'll move up to three's once we finish this pack. I asked the doctor about giving her rice cereal but she said the new recommendation is now six months instead of four to six month. She said they literally just decided this a month ago since they found babies don't really absorb nutrients from the cereal before six months.

She also got some more series of vaccinations, which was painful for her and me. I know it's for her own good but it's still hard to go through. She's still napping now though, and I hope she's in a better mood when she wakes up.

On a different note, I've been having some trouble blogging lately. Every time I start a post I don't really know where to go with it. I feel like there are a lot of opinion posts I want to do but I'm always worried someone will get pissed off and send me hate mail. (Maybe not that extreme, but it may offend someone and I don't want that.) I feel like my personality and beliefs get so filtered through here. I wanted this to be a place to vent and be myself.

Obviously if someone doesn't like what I say then they don't have to read it but you never know who comes across your little virtual corner of the Internet. I have no idea who see's this now and what they might think. I have no idea why I care so much, I definitely wasn't like this before being a mother. Crazy how much that precious little face has changed me!

My Beloved

I apologize ahead of time for my house being so messy and me looking sloppy in most these clips. Not that the main focus will be of that. Make sure your speakers are on and you can use the full screen mode by clicking the little square in the bottom right corner, though that makes the quality pretty grainy. 

Sleep like a Baby

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. - Leo J. Burke

 One of the most popular questions people ask me as a new mother is how Natalie is sleeping at night, or more so, how I am sleeping at night. I don't usually know how to respond to that. At four months she is still waking up three or four times a night, which has not changed since she was a newborn. I was hopeful at two or three months she would be sleeping through the night, or at least waking up less often, since this is common for a lot of babies at that age. I know that may have to do with the parenting method of letting them "cry it out" but I just can't do that. She isn't even really conscious when I feed her at night. She never cries, she just starts to grunt and move around a lot so I pop a bottle in her mouth and she settles down. I've tried giving her just a pacifier so I don't have to sit there for half an hour to an hour feeding her but that doesn't suffice for long. I have thought about just ignoring it and seeing if she calms down on her own but I worry that she will cry and then stay awake for hours if I do. This theory held somewhat true two nights ago while I was sleeping and Matt was in our living room hanging out. Around two o'clock Natalie woke up but I slept through it (this happens on rare occasions). Matt came up to check on her and gave her a bottle. She scarfed that down but did not go back to sleep for at least two hours.

It would be so nice if I got even five hours of uninterrupted sleep, but she really is worth it and in all honesty the lack of sleep has not had as much of an effect on me as I thought it would. I don't drag throughout the day or feel like I need a nap. I usually have a decent amount of energy and get by just fine.

I am curious when your baby started sleeping through the night and what your sleep schedule is like now? Is there anything special you did to get your baby to sleep at night?

Peaceful sweetie

Nothing Like It

I feel like there is so much I could talk about right now, but all I want to say is how happy I am. You don't understand how lucky I feel to be a mother. I don't care how cheesy this post comes across. Nothing has ever felt more natural to me. Tending to my child, rocking her to sleep, holding her in my arms, singing her songs in my terrible voice, reading her books that she doesn't give a shit about... that's the highlight of my day. Yes, the redundancy of my daily routine might make some people nuts. I, however, so look forward to each day spent with her. She is such a good baby. She is sweet and very patient. She doesn't even cry when she is upset. She just kind of yells until I can figure it out. She has the most genteel demeanor. She has the sweetest, toothless smile and brightest expression on her face in the mornings. She gets this look on her face sometimes, a little smirk, and I swear she is admiring me back. I never thought I'd be like this but the days I do work I find myself missing her desperately. I thought a few hours away and out of the house would do me some good but all I can concentrate on is the minute I get off and can see her again. There is nothing like this bond. There is nothing like the joy of being her mommy.

Crappy quality, but here's me and the babe. Notice the terrified look on her face.

First Easter

Easter Sunday was wonderful. I invited my sisters, their children and some friends along with their kids over for an Easter egg hunt. There were nine adults and ten children and if you saw the size of my house you would be amazed that we all fit somewhat comfortably in it. I made cupcakes and appetizers which were devoured in no time. I hid 70 some eggs around the park near my house and the kids went nuts! I wish I took pictures of them while they were hunting but things were just so chaotic that I didn't think about it. I also wish I had some good photos of me and my little one but I looked terrible in every single one. I am happy I got some good shots of my best friend and her family though. She has two beautiful children and is expecting a baby boy in late July. She has such a beautiful family and I'm so happy for her!

Speaking of friends, my dinner date went surprisingly well. She showed up so that was a start. I really thought things would be awkward but it wasn't. When I first saw her I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. I almost teared up but thankfully I held back. We talked a lot and laughed and it was almost like the good ol' days. The best part though was showing off my adorable baby. I really do hope we see each other again and I'm glad I gave her another chance.

I had another great weekend. Even though Natalie obviously couldn't participate in the festivities she had a good time being passed from person to person. I really enjoyed hosting friends over and absolutely loved seeing the joy on the kid's faces. It's all about the simple pleasures in life. 

Happy babe

Pretty dress her Auntie Courtney got for her

My best friend Zalina and her husband getting some more practice before their third child arrives this year

Mommy and Daddy

Beautiful Family

My friend Gina's son

He's so sweet!

My nieces and nephew

Crappy Friends and Dignity

This weekend was everything I thought it'd be. Massages were relaxing, time with friends was so fun and my niece was such a good girl.

On a different subject, for those of you familiar with my very flaky friend, I decided to contact her a few weeks ago. I sent her a message via Facebook, stating how I wish I got an explanation to her standing me up. Long story short, she gave me a BS excuse, or no excuse whatsoever, and said she didn't know why she did what she did. We talked a little and I vented some, feeling satisfied with getting an apology and voicing my feelings. In my mind everything was over. I got my explanation and apology, and had so many other things to worry about. Then she contacted me saying she'd be in town for Easter weekend and wanted to meet up. I contemplated this and decided I have nothing to lose by making plans to meet up with her. We're not really friends now and my pride is pretty much nonexistent. So what if she stands me up again? It's not the end of the world. My plans are to meet up with her after work with Natalie tomorrow and have a late lunch/early dinner. I know it's going to be awkward. We were from two completely different worlds when we were friends and I can only imagine how much has changed in the years spent apart. Our friendship is ruined and there really is no getting it back. I don't know what I hope to accomplish by seeing her but at the very least it may make an interesting blog post.

Anyway, here are some cheerful pictures from this weekend to make you less depressed from reading this! Enjoy.

 

Beautiful Sienna 

Cousins

Four Months

Today Natalie is four months old! That sounds so much older than three months for some reason. Here's what she's been doing lately:

Teething. I'm pretty sure of this at least. There is a lump under her gums, she drools a ton, loves gumming anything she puts in her mouth and is noticeably fussier than usual. I'll give her a cold teething ring when she's upset and doesn't want anything else and that seems to calm her down. The doctor said she won't get teeth in until about 6 or 7 months though so this is going to be a long process!

Rolling over. Since she first rolled over from back to belly at 12 weeks, she wasn't very interested in doing it much. This Saturday she started rolling over like crazy though. Anytime she's on her back she wants to roll over. I definitely have to keep a very sharp eye on her (not that I neglected her before) because she'll be getting around all on her own soon. She can't make it from her belly to back quite yet, so I still have some time to enjoy a not so mobile baby.

Cooing less. It seems a little backwards but she is less interested in talking now. She is very alert, observant and interested in her surroundings, so that makes me feel better. I assume everything is okay with her mental progress but of course I'll still talk to her doctor at her next check up.

Changing eye color. Her eyes have stayed pretty much the same since birth, a blue-grey color. I know that's common in babies and they later change but it's taken so long that I was hopeful they'd remain that shade. They still look really blue in bright light but now they have big flecks of brown in them, so the transition has begun.

Getting her toes in her mouth. She loves looking at and playing with her little toesies. They're just so interesting. Last night she finally reached her goal and got them in her mouth! It was a first.

I love her so much at this stage. Even though she doesn't want to be held like a newborn anymore, she'll always be my little baby.