Day 87: Hoppy Easter

I love holidays! I love them even more now that I have my own family to share them with and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I have a daughter who loves me and needs me, but is so independent and has her own amazing little personality. I have a husband who loves me and would do anything for his family.

This holiday particularly hit home with me. Maybe it's because we were surrounded by our friends and family all weekend. But I think it is because Samantha is a little bit older than she was at Christmas (my all time favorite holiday) and we were really able to have fun with her this weekend. There was the Easter Party, we did a Harlem Shake video (video to come!), Desiree turned 3 and we enjoyed 3 meals with our family!

The best part though, was watching Samantha show off her new found skills to everyone! She was crawling everywhere, teaching Cookie Grama (93 years young) how to use her walker, babbling up a storm and completely showing off her new found skills to anyone who would watch.

I just love this girl and can't wait to watch her become the amazing woman I know she will be! Happy Easter Samantha, Mommy loves you SO much!

Day 82: Best of Friends

OK, this sleep training thing has gone amazing! Samantha has slept through the entire night 2 nights in a row; without the 11pm feed! I am feeling so much better, sleeping so much more and feel like a completely different mommy! Now, I'm just trying to perfect her daily schedule with meals vs nursing (this kid eats like a horse) and I think we'll be ready for a real life outside of the house!

This morning I made the first attempt at that life outside of the house, since momstown had a fun Barbie Music & Movement event happening. After, actually getting sleep the last 2 nights, I felt brave enough to invite my 3 year old niece along too. Everyone thought I was crazy for trying to take care of both a 9 month old and 3 year old and I was starting to think the same thing! But surprisingly, everything went amazing! She helped me get Samantha ready for the event, give her breakfast and even change her bum. I was so impressed that Desiree used her listening ears all day and even helped to play with Samantha when I had to take a few pictures or help make the punch (complete with adult supervision, of course).

Watching Samantha and Desiree laugh and play together was really refreshing and really makes me think that we could have a second child and I would be OK. That being said, I'm not about to jump on the baby wagon for at least a few more years. But today gave me the hope that Samantha will help with baby #2 in the same way Desiree did today and the courage that I can be a great mother to 2 children! What a great family we have and what an amazing family we will be when Samantha has a younger sibling!

My favorite moment today, with the exception of all the girls playing with the life size barbie box, happened at the very end of the event. While I was helping to clean up, the two of them sat on the floor together and played. Samantha was holding onto Desiree's balloon while Desiree was making funny noises and faces. Samantha was laughing and giggling and bouncing away while she did it! Unfortunately, I didn't catch the best parts on video and the balloon took off to the ceiling (which I did catch by the way in one big leap), but watching the two of them together is just SO cute! They will certainly be best of friends when Samantha is old enough and big enough for them to play together.

 

Day 79: Sleeping Beauty

I have to say, I was one proud mama today! It all started last week, when we started a new bedtime routine. If you've been following 99 Days of Laughter, you will know all about the frustrations and difficulties we've been having trying to not only sleep longer than 3 hours, but to sleep through the night.

After venting my frustrations out to my friend, she kindly offered me some advice on what she was doing with her baby girl, who is not only a few months younger than Samantha but sleeping through the night! It seems like even though my girl had been getting a good 2 hour nap in the mornings, she was still over-tired. I know how I feel when I'm over-tired, it's almost impossible to sleep, I can only imagine it being even harder for Samantha.

That first night, was SO hard! We moved bedtime up by a full hour and she woke up only a few hours later...I did not go in until 11pm to nurse her. Now, I have to say, I am really not an advocate for the "cry it out" method. I have always been the type to go running to her the moment she starts to cry. So, thankfully, Josh was there to literally hold my hand as I listened to her whine and whimper for 15 minutes and cry for 5 more. Then a miracle happened...she was quiet! She was quiet for another 45 minutes until I went in to nurse her at 11pm.

But, the hardest part happened at some time around 1 in the morning. She woke up! I knew, that if Samantha was anything like her mommy, we were going to have to do this cold turkey. So, being that it had been less than 2 hours after being fed, I knew her waking was becoming more of a habit than a necessity. So, I curled up into a ball on the basement couch I hugged the baby monitor and listened to her whine and whimper for about 30 minutes...then cry and cry and cry for about 15 minutes more.

It was absolutely gut-wrenching hearing her cry and knowing that in less than 30 seconds she could be in my arms being comforted by her mommy! But then it was QUIET! I am quickly realizing that although crying is hard, sleeplessness is much harder! She did not wake again again until 7:15 in the morning!

Now, it has been almost a week of this new sleep routine. Luckily, Samantha hasn't been sick and we've been pretty much house bound with no where to go. This has made it possible for her to take naps in her crib at the same times and I'm sure that has helped to get the routine straightened out.

Needless to say, we are on night 6 and she is pretty much on a schedule now and able to put herself to sleep! Woo Hoo! We are both SO much happier and laughing SO much more together! Now if only I could train myself to fall asleep at a decent hour!

So, if anyone's interested our routine goes something like this:

7:00am - Daddy goes in bright and cheery to wake our Sleeping Beauty and change her diaper. Then I nurse her while he gets ready for work and we head downstairs to play and say goodbye
8:30am-9:30am - Time to go down for a nap (time depends on how she slept, generally closer to 9:30)
10:45am - Time to get up Sleepy Head. I try not to let her sleep past this time or it seems to reflect afternoon nap
1:00pm - Quiet time. I put Samantha in her crib with the lights off. She will either sleep or babble away to the rocking chair for an hour.
3:30pm-4:30pm - If she didn't sleep by 2pm, she will generally nap around this time until I wake her up at 5:30pm
7:00pm- Bedtime! Quiet time, story time, bottle and bed. She usually will play and babble for 30 min, but is usually asleep by 8pm on her own.
11:00pm - Goodnight nurse before I go to sleep!

***Please keep in mind, I am not a sleep consultant and that all babies are different. Also, growth spurts, milestones, illness, travel, etc can all throw off your babies sleep patterns.***

Day 78: Guardian Angel

Hard to believe that 99 days is only a few weeks away! These past few months have been such an adventure with Samantha. She has grown so much, learned so much and experienced so much.

We have been working on a new sleep routine for her, because frankly, I want to get more than 3 hours of sleep at a time, and by golly...it seems to be working! I'll blog about it in a few more days, once all the kinks are ironed out. But I must say, we are both much happier now that we are more rested. Now, I just have to train myself how to fall asleep at a decent hour. I'm so used to going to bed after midnight, that if my head hits the pillow any sooner, my brain is like a hamster in a wheel! Round and round and round and round.

One of the things that crossed my mind while my hamster was spinning last night, was that Samantha is turning 9 months old today! I couldn't help but go back and go through ALL of her thousands of pictures. I really want to make a scrap book for her, but really have no idea how to choose my favorite photos for it. So, I came to a compromise with myself and made a few collages of my favorite moments that I can print out and use.

These brought back a flood of emotion, especially the ones from when she was first born. I remember telling myself, I have to take pictures and videos of EVERYTHING! I don't want to forget a single thing, and yet I already don't remember how she could have ever been so tiny that I could hold her with a single arm without it falling asleep; how she could have had such tiny fingers that they would disappear when Daddy would hold her hand; or how she smelled of pure innocence.

As I held and nursed her last night, I couldn't help but cry and pray that she have a life full of opportunity and amazing memories. And I found myself staring out at the moon praying, praying to who I think her guardian angel is, Grampa Aberle, to keep her safe when I cannot and guide her when she won't listen.

I started to notice a presence when she was only a month or so old. She would stare and smile over my left shoulder. Sure, she would stare and smile at me too, but I just knew he was the one making funny faces at her as I tried to change her bum.

Then I started to notice, just recently, that whenever she awoke from her naps she would always be in the same corner of her crib, facing the rocking chair, babbling away. Surely, they are singing "Picture a Cowboy" together. Certainly not a baby friendly song, but all of our favorite by far!

Now, maybe I'm wrong or maybe I'm only seeing what I want to believe. But in my heart I know that she will be safe and taken care of whenever I can't be there. And as tears stream from my eyes as I remember how much fun I had with Grampa and I know that she's sharing a different type of fun with him and bonding with him in a way that I never could.

I miss you and love you so much Grampa, and it warms my heart to know that you will protect Samantha now and forever. But on a lighter note, stop dropping your falsies out of your mouth and let her take a nap.

~ William "Bill" Aberle ~

November 20, 1928 - October 22, 2005

Day 74: Braggy Mom

I am SO proud of my little girl! Maybe one of us had a touch of Irish luck today, but Samantha was a nonstop bundle of adventure and joy!

First, she not only soothed herself back to sleep last night but slept for almost 12 hours only waking once to nurse! Now, this is a bit of a longer story, so I'll save that for tomorrow's post. But fingers crossed that the Irish luck stays through the night!

Secondly, while Daddy was letting Mommy have her Sunday sleep in, he came bounding into the bedroom to exclaim that Samantha had stood on her own for almost 5 seconds! Such a proud Daddy moment! It's funny watching her do this because she really doesn't like letting go with both hands in case she falls. But every so often she'll become so entranced by an object she's holding that she'll just have to grab it using both hands. Low and behold, standing on her own and she doesn't even realize it. Silly monkey!

Next, we had a very successful swim class today. She was kicking and splashing and not a single tear...even when she dunked under the water and gobbled down some water! After our swim, there was no fussing and she passed out in the car on the way home. Such a busy day she had.

Lucky us, there is even more to tell! After her "nap" and dinner, poor Samantha got her first bloody nose. (insert sad-teary-eyed-mommy-face here). As she was attempting to climb Daddy's leg, her face met his shin and splat...first bloody nose. But, my little trooper teared up and then a few minutes later was back to laughing and smiling!

Finally, not to be a braggy mom or anything but after a few months of doing the "milk" sign with Samantha, she did it back and then reached out for me! And not just once, but three times! And when we clapped and cheered...she clapped too and now that is her favorite thing to do! Clap, clap, clap...smile! 

I know I've said it before, but my baby girl is growing up waaaaay to fast. It's almost like every day she accomplishes a new milestone. You can see the eagerness and hunger in her eyes to learn and do more...more...more! I can only hope that she always has that eagerness and drive to learn more and step outside her comfort zone to grow and learn and laugh along the way!

Day 71: Experimental Chaos!

I've been running out of ways to try and keep Samantha amused and stimulated through this long and cold winter we've been having. Being stuck in the house has certainly had it's trying days, but today we had SO much fun!

As one of the event coordinator's at momstown KW, it's my job to keep our members and their babies amused and laughing. This certainly has its benefits for Samantha, because Momma Laur gets to try all the fun stuff on her first! Now, this certainly also has it's trials (cough cough, damn hand print crafts), but watching her explore and discover trumps a mess anytime! And a mess it was today. Today was sensory day!

First thing Samantha did was literally dive into the bubbly water. Her pants were drenched, her sweater was soaked and being the amazing mother I am, had no change of clothes with us! Now add colored pasta to a wet baby...I think the pictures say it all, but it was a sticky disaster!

So now I have a baby with soping wet clothes, blue and red pasta stuck to her fingers and cheeks, so what does this mother of the year do...well take her sweater and pants off and put her in front of a bin of Cheerios.

I have never seen Samantha eat the way she ate those Cheerios! When I give her her puffed rice treats, I give them to her one at a time so she can learn her pincer grasp. Well, this time with the entire bin in front of her she was eating devouring Cheerios by the handful! There was Cheerios everywhere! Stuck to her arms, hands, legs even on her bum!

Honestly though, she was so excited to discover all these textures and tastes that I had to share these simple and easy sensory bins that anyone can do for little to no money at all! Have fun and let the experimental chaos begin!

Day 69: One Night at a Time

It is Day 69 and as I sit here typing this out, I am beyond tired, beyond frustrated and beyond answers.
This past week has been another blur of sleepless nights and a fussy crying baby.

I honestly have no idea what is going on with Samantha, but I am running out of sanity pills. Even now, she is screaming at the top of her lungs as Daddy tries to soothe her. And just when you think she has been quiet for long enough that she must be asleep; That moment when you're terrified to move a fraction of a inch, unflex a muscle or scratch an itch; She starts all over again and you're back to square one.

I've heard of this 8 month sleep regression, so I'm trying to not create any bad sleep habits, but come on kid...you don't want to be held. You don't want to be nursed. You don't want to be rocked. You don't want to be swayed. WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I have to keep reminding myself, that she is not even 9 months old yet. She's still so tiny and fragile. I'm sure all she wants is to snuggle back to sleep, but she's just as tired as we are and doesn't know how to communicate that without crying.

Dare I say teething is the culprit? I've only been saying that for the past 68+ days and still there is absolutely no sign of any teeth. Not even a white cap or a bump. Who knows, maybe, if we're lucky, we'll wake up tomorrow morning and there it will be. But for now, I'm going to try and take it one night at a time and hope for the best.

...Guess I should go rescue Daddy now...

Day 62: My Picasso

Last night was not a good night in the least. Samantha has decided that not only does she not need an afternoon nap anymore, but that she also doesn't need to sleep at night. So, needless to say after very few hours of sleep, Samantha and I were not going anywhere today. So, we stayed in and played and crafted.

After Samantha awoke from a rather difficult morning nap, I decided to try something new with her. I had seen this craft on Pinterest awhile ago and had been waiting for the perfect time to try it out. Simply tape letters onto a canvas using painters tape and let your baby finger paint over top! Once dried, peel off the tape and your word is revealed! Genius and so cute! I really wanted to do "Samantha", but 8 letters and a curvy S proved to be too much for this momma to handle. Especially  while Samantha crawled around my legs and insisted on helping me.

Now, I just had to think about the what paint to use. All of her footprint crafts have been acrylic paint, but since everything goes into Samantha's mouth, and didn't feel like a trip to the ER today, I decided to make her some safe edible baby paint. I looked at a few recipes and then sort of just created my own from what I had seen. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. The hardest part was trying to cook in the kitchen all while Samantha climbed and twirled on my jungle gym legs!

Edible Baby Paint

1 1/2 Cups Flour

2 Cups Water

Food Coloring

Favorite Flavoring

Simple mix the flour and water together over low/medium heat until mixture is thick, but still runny (about 5 minutes). Let cool and pour into small sealable containers. Add food coloring, mix really well and let your baby go crazy! Some recipes suggested adding a bit of sugar to the mixture, but I opted to add some peppermint extract instead. (Please remember when adding something new to your baby's diet, such as spices or flavoring, to slowly introduce it and to watch your baby carefully for any type of allergic reaction)

As the paint cooled, I stripped Samantha down to her onesie and got the baby wipes and paint area ready. Since we don't have a designated craft room, I taped a garbage bag to the floor to try and keep the paint off the floor, though, it hardly contained the mess that is Samantha. I think next time, I'll throw her in the bathtub with a little bit of soapy water and let her paint the sides of the tub in her birthday suit! Or even better, wait until the weather is nice and let her go wild outside in the grass. Not that the clean up wasn't easy, but that would be even easier! Just hose her down and we're good to go!

When I put the paint in front of Samantha, she didn't quite know what to think. She looked at me...looked at the paint...looked at me...looked at the paint...and then just as I thought, the first thing she did was eat a big mouthful of finger paint! 

After I showed her what to do, she had a lot of fun making a big Picasso mess! She loved the feel of the paint between her fingers and it ended up everywhere! In her mouth, in her hair, on her legs...and of course on me! 

It was a fun afternoon, and I can't wait to find my next craft or experiment to do with her. Who knows, maybe day 100 of 99 Days of Laughter will become a fun DIY craft blog...but for now I'm just hoping day 63 has a little more sleep in it! 

Day 61: How to Survive a Waterloo Winter

I am so thankful that Samantha's first winter has been a good one! Now, don't get me wrong, I am SO excited to break out the shorts and listen to Samantha laugh in the sunshine, but I really do love the beauty of winter. Sure there has been rain and slush, rain and ice, and rain and hail. But, there has also been snow! And lots of it for that matter! I cannot remember a winter that has had this much snow and I really have tried my best to enjoy every moment I can with Samantha while it's here.

So, how do you survive a Waterloo winter you ask? Well, luckily, we live in an area that is full of amazing adventures and possibilities. But, there are three things you have to remember: 1) get out 2) have fun and 3) bundle up!

First, I am lucky enough to be a part of an amazing moms group and we meet at least once a week with our babies. While the kiddies play, we talk and laugh and sit back and relax. This is great for both Samantha and I, because we both get a little stir crazy if we've been "house-locked" for a few days. Those are the days when a trip to the grocery store alone is a vacation! "Hunny! We need milk, see you in an hour...or two!"

However, Samantha and I have had quite a few adventures this winter! We've watched the boys play hockey on the ice rink in the park, went on a sleigh ride, had a blast at the Winterloo Ice Dogs Festival and even got to see the Wonders of Winter at Waterloo Park. It seemed like there was always something to do every weekend, which has certainly helped to make this winter pass by a little bit faster. I'm especially excited to bring her to the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival this year. All the sights, sounds and smells will be amazing for her to experience.

Next, you have to remember to have fun. Winter can be such a looooooong season if you're not having fun. So, grab a toboggan and go for a ride!  Take some a snow and make a snowman! Throw yourself down in it and make a snow angel! Look around you, there is so much to explore and so many fun ways to do it! Even just taking the dog out for a walk after "Snowageddon" was an adventure! Next winter will be even more fun, because Samantha will be able to play in the snow with us! 

Lastly, you have to bundle up to enjoy winter! There is nothing worse than being cold in the winter. OK, maybe being wet and cold...that would definitely be worse! So remember to put on your long johns, break out the winter boots and grab a cup of Hot Chocolate from Tim Hortons!

But, if you're having one of those days where you just don't want to fight with the kids' snowsuits, your boots and the dog. Or it's -25C without the windchill, why not bring the winter fun inside? Grab a large or small Tupperware dish or storage bin, put some snow in it and let the kids have fun! It's a great way to have in the snow and not get cold!

Remember, winter is only a few months long and the best way to not get chilled to the bone is to enjoy it as much as you can. Wether that means putting on Thomas' Snowsuit and jumping in the snow or sitting beside the fire with a cup of cocoa is up to you. And if all else fails remember...spring is only a few weeks away!