Accidents Happen.

I haven't mentioned, but Ava and I were in a car accident a week and a half ago. We were heading down a busy road, and a woman made an illegal left-hand turn into oncoming traffic and I was, well, oncoming. I did everything in my power to stop, but there was a moment of complete clarity where I knew, without a doubt, there was absolutely no way I could prevent my car from crashing full-on into hers. It was truly terrible.

Neither of us are hurt, thank God, but don't even get me started on the fallout from the accident. The woman, who says she has a "witness" that can attest to her lies about having been stopped in my lane (um, what would that even matter - she was still sitting in oncoming traffic illegally!!!!!!) despite having only been on the scene for a matter of minutes before having to leave while I waited three hours for the police who never showed (!!!!!!!), so basically the whole matter of getting my car fixed is still on hold while they debate whether or not I was partially responsible. SUCH NONSENSE. Ugh.

Worse than that, however, has been the resulting effect on my driving. Trust me, I've always been careful with Ava in the car, but now I'm hyper vigilant about everything going on around me on the road. So much so, in fact, that I've started to have minor panic attacks in the car sometimes. If a car gets anywhere near too close to me, I'm basically seeing my own death in my head. Anytime a car is in the turn lane and could potentially attempt to turn in front of my car, I'm sweating and breathless praying that they don't. I haven't seen anyone about it, mainly because I know this type of thing can be common after accidents and ours is being particularly dragged out due to the lying b$%&@ woman who was involved in my accident, but still - it's starting to really bum me out!

Any suggestions/experience with this type of thing?

Happy Hallowean!

Nope. Not a typo. Also? I know Halloween was a few days ago, but I just could NOT come up with a relative title for this post, so that's the best I could do. Deal with it.

Anyhow, this is the post where - rather than revealing Ava's fifth Halloween costume - I ask for advice from any extended breastfeeders out there. That's right. We may not have had a heart to heart about it in recent months, but I am still breastfeeding Ava.

I know that most people may think that's a bit odd. In fact, I definitely fell into the aforementioned category prior to having a child. But between Ava's love of nursing and the comfort it gives her, and her milk protein intolerance, it's been the best choice for us. I could go on and on justifying why I'm still nursing my 22 month old, but - long story short - it's been what has worked best for our family. The end.

Now, though, I'm feeling like that ship has sailed. More and more I'm wanting to start the weaning process - and more and more she's pushing back on my attempts. I try to put her off when she wants milk and I feel like she doesn't really need it (aka bedtime/naptime), and she collapses into pitiful cries of, "Mama milk, peeeeaaase! Pease?" Then she starts signing please. Ok, Ok, Ava. I get it.

So - I need advice. Any weaning tips for a toddler. Also, anything to make it easier on mom? As much as it'll be nice to have my body entirely to myself for the first time in 2.5 years, I will admit to feeling sad about this time being over. Also, I definitely don't want to do it abruptly and have it mess with her feelings of security and comfort - I'm a real weirdo about my child not feeling abandoned or rejected at any cost.

Thanks, guys!

Babysitter Anxiety.

I know I've mentioned it a time or two, but David and I have yet to go on a date since Ava was born. Not even joking, people. Pathetic, eh? While most people have family nearby, we do not, and we'd prefer to leave her with family initially, or at least David would.

Anyhow, the time has come for us to venture out on our own. One of David's best friends from as far back as elementary school is getting married this weekend, and he's a part of the wedding party, so not only will we be attending the wedding Saturday night, but we'll be out for the rehearsal dinner Friday night, and - lo and behold - no babies :(

Enter David's parents.

They're great folks. They are. But...whereas my family is on the young side, his runs the opposite spectrum, with both of them being 60-ish. Ava is a raging ball of energy. A bundle of uncontainable excitement. You get the idea. How on Earth are they going to handle my strong-willed, perpetually moving toddler?

His dad is absent-minded. You can tell him to close the baby gate 100 times, and there'll still be a need for 101. And also, A sleeps in our bed. How are they - the boobless, don't-smell-like-mommy-and-daddy grandparents going to get her to sleep?! Gah! I'm dreading this.

It's not anxiety about her, really. If it was during the day, she'd be fine. She's a happy little one. It's the fact that we're leaving her for the first time AND it'll be at night, and we'll be gone for six plus hours each time...ugh.

Any tips? Reassurance?

AND...on a completely unrelated note, can I wear this dress to the wedding, or is black tacky?

I've Created a Monster!

An anal-retentive, neurotic monster that is.

So....you guys probably know that I'm a wee bit crazy. I like things clean and neat and organized and that's just how things have to be for me. Call it OCD, call it running a nice, efficient household, whatevs. Potato, potahto... I honestly have no problem fessing up to my neuroses about things being kept in their place, and it works in our household's favor. If you ever drop by unexpectedly, rest assured my house will be in order.

Where it's becoming a problem is with Ava. She's turning into....me.

In the morning, when I strip off my pj's and put on a more socially acceptable version of pj's to wear until my shower (yoga pants and a tank top), Ava gathers up the clothes on the bathroom floor before I can even get to them. At first I thought she was just being adorable and wanting to play with mommy's stuff, but now it's starting to seem more like the fact that clothes are on the floor is causing her actual emotional discomfort.

Aw, sweetie. I can so relate.

The thing is, I don't want Ava to be all crazy neurotic like me, at least not at this age. She is supposed to be enjoying making messes. And sometimes, like when she empties the toybox in her room, she seems to be fine with it. But if I take the Mega Blox and dump them on the floor, she seems hellbent on cleaning them up quickly. Hilarious to watch? Yep - a wee bit. But I've been making a concerted effort to let the house go a bit and not be so tidy just to prevent her from turning into a child worried about messes and not able to have fun.

Don't get me wrong - she can make a mess with her food and loves to be outside getting dirty, which I love (the latter, not the former!). I just really don't want her to stress. Tips? Anyone else's child doing this sort of thing?

Party Favors.

Literally. I have a first birthday party to throw Saturday, and I'm asking for favors from you lovely readers :) (Ba-dum-cha!)

OK, bad jokes aside, help!

Saturday is Ava's birthday party. Now that we're through the craziness of the holidays and into the new year, we're going to do it up right and celebrate with friends and our makeshift family, as well as my FIL. I'm planning to steal the lovely, crafty Tiffany's idea for cake balls to serve/decorate with and maybe put in party favor bags, but what on Earth else can I give as party favors? Help! Are these even standard, need-to-have things? There will be perhaps 6-7 kids at the party, ranging in age from nearly 1-nearly 8. Eek!

Also, what are cute owl decorations? I have a tablecloth, centerpiece, balloons, streamers, a personalized banner, the works! But what else could I do that could stand out?

Lastly, anyone know where on Earth I can take balloons to be filled up? Should I rely on the kids playing and adults just hanging out talking, or do I need organized activities? Holy moly, I've been procrastinating!!

Taking all suggestions! I can throw a mean kegger, but I'm apparently an amateur in the world of children's birthday parties!

New Hairdo?

Alright, ladies. Mama needs a change, and before I dissect my life on a larger scale, I'm hoping a new 'do may help me feel more...refreshed. Is this something a lot of new moms go through??? Anyways, lately A has been pulling our pieces of my hair, particularly those pesky little baby hairs around my face, and so I just feel...ick. Like I can't even rock a ponytail without baby hairs frizzing out and I'm just SO over it. So let's vote, shall we? I'll post pics of haircuts I like, and you tell me a.) if it's actually cute or if my breakdown is getting in the way of my judgment, and b.) if you think I can pull it off. Sounds fun, right? Also slightly scary and risky, but no pain, no gain or something like that :)

Here goes:

Yes, I'm aware the first two are the same, just different angles, but I really think I like the cut a lot. I like a lot of definition, particularly when my main complaint right now is that my hair is BORING.





Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

Calling All Breastfeeding Mamas!

Alright, ladies. I have a favor to ask.

Whether you're able to just spread the word via twitter, your blog, word of mouth - whatever - or if you're willing and able to make even a small donation, there is a baby in Minnesota who needs our help.

Baby M was born just mere weeks ago to a mommy and daddy who love him and wanted him very much. His parents tried for years and years to get pregnant, and sadly, Baby M’s mama had many miscarriages and lost a baby in the middle of her pregnancy last year, too. Finally, at the end of August, she gave birth to a perfect, healthy little boy just a couple weeks ago. And then she passed away in her sleep just seven days later from a rare, unexplained rupture in her heart. You can find the full story here.

This mother had wanted to breastfeed her son, to provide the very best start for him in life, and his father wants desperately to carry our her wishes. Seeing as how milk banks are quite costly, here's where I ask for your help: I am assisting MckMama and a friend of the family by donating some of my excess milk, as you'll remember in a post a while back that my attempt to donate to our local milk bank had been unsuccessful due to the fact that I take Zoloft for my PPD. I am still waiting to hear back on whether or not I'll be able to donate now, but if so, I am hoping to send at least 100 ozs of breastmilk to Minnesota, as there are women who are willing to help with shipping costs.

Mamas, if you're able, know anyone who is able, are willing to spread the word, etc., please help this little one who has lost his mama, and his grieving father. Thank you, all!!!

Dentiphobia.

No, that's not the technical term.

I am an adult. I am a mom: a strong, resourceful, confident women. And yet, I am afraid of the dentist.

While it's reported that something like 50% of people experience some amount of anxiety regarding dental care, I'm really afraid. I'm talking tears, people. I've been known to break into a full on sweat, shaking profusely in the waiting room. And while I have a flair for the dramatic (you're not surprised, are you?), I'm unfortunately not exaggerating even slightly. My last dentist - since I switch constantly, put off by their lack of sensitivity - recommended valium and gas. For a cleaning.

A cleaning which I may or may not now be overdue for. Hence, the search for a.) a new, SUPER SYMPATHETIC dentist in Austin or the nearby area (will travel for sympathetic care!), and b.) any suggestions on how to get so insanely smashed on medically indicated drugs that I won't even know I'm *at* the dentist. Or other relaxation techniques. Either way.

Help!

Ladies, I Need Your Opinion!

We'll be back with our regularly scheduled posting tomorrow. In the meantime, there is an important matter I need you ALL to weigh in on.

Here's what happened:

The night before we left, we had a big family & friend gathering at the lake to BBQ so that everyone could meet Ava (and D) before we headed back to Texas. Thee were a lot of people there, some I knew, some I didn't, and my mom got to play the role of proud grandma (who could blame her?). Anyhow, my grandma and grandpa were in attendance (of course).

Now I should tell you, anything that I ever learned about being clever and scheming and plotting, I learned from my grandmother. Well, scratch that. I may have learned a bit from my mom as well, but only because she learned it from my grandma.

About 20 minutes after their arrival, my grandma approached David and said, "I wantt o walk a lap around the lake, but they won't let me go alone. Would you mind walking with me?"

Being the oblivious family member I am, and clearly out of practice with regards to my grandma's trickster ways, I chimed in, "I'll go with you!" to which I was immediately shot down.

Somehow, and I'm still not sure how knowing the determination of this woman, D got out of it. He ended up disappearing with all the men, BBQ'ing and drinking beer away from all of us ladies, and that was that. Or so I thought.

Right as we were all getting ready to make our great escape and head home for the night, my grandma sought me out, pulling me to the side and directing my attention to an baggie in her pocket.

"Do you want this?" she asked me, eyebrows raised.

Upon inspection, I realized she was showing me a rather beautiful and sparkly wedding set.

"Do you mean figuratively, like do I want to get married ever?" I stupidly replied.

"No, I mean, do you want your great-great-great-grandma's wedding set?"

Whoa. Uh, considering I was unaware of it's existence before that second, I was caught off guard. I inspected it, growing increasingly aware of not only the sentimental value attached, but it's monetary value. Aside from the fact that I'm not a big fan of gold (though, I've since been told it's making quite the successful comeback), it's gorgeous. I mean, seriously beautiful. Not only that, but if finances were a barrier to us getting engaged, this would break down that barrier. And, it was clear that she'd been saving it for me, and for the man I deemed worthy enough to marry. In short, it's the ultimate family heirloom, and a symbol of my amazing bond with my grandmother, as well as her approval of my choice in D. Um, yes I want it. I didn't know it existed three short days ago, and now it's the only thing I want. Sigh.

Anyhow, D was onto her. I wasn't before that moment, but he was, and therefore dodging her like the plague. Long story short, she came over later that night, but he was "asleep", so she did what any good grandma up to no good would do. She slipped it into his pocket when we went to say our goodbyes the next morning, giving him a brief history of the keepsake while I took a (naive) bathroom break.

So now, D has my great-great-great grandma's ring, one that was so special it was saved for me.

So my question is: Was she out of line? Was a boundary crossed? The intent was not to put pressure on him, but rather to say, "Hey dude. You rock. We think you're good enough for the granddaughter we have wayyyyyyy up on a pedestal." It's the ultimate compliment. I'm afraid, however, he took it as the ultimate hint to hurry the hell up.

BTW - I should note. He knows I know about it, and he knows I want it in a this-wasn't-my-idea-but-you-best-take-that-ring type of way!

What do YOU think?

And PS - Is gold making a comeback???

My Little Mommy Monster.

Help, friends.

Two things. First, Ava bit me so hard yesterday on not one but TWO occasions, that she drew blood. I said no very firmly and ended the feeding, but does anyone have any othe suggestions on how to deal with this? It may be getting the point across, but as we're just introducing "no" as a concept, it may take a few days or weeks before she starts to understand what that means. Seeing as how I never use that tone of voice towards her (or around her, for that matter), as of right now she just flashes me a devilish little grin. What a cutie pie monster pants.

Also, Ava has been a bit of a handful for her dad lately. And by handful, I'm being exceptionally generous. I went to a fantastically gluttonous brunch and pedicure girls day Sunday only to have him text me two hours in with "When are you going to be back???" Hmm...nothing takes away from the fun of having time off like stressing about needing to rush home. Anyhow, she was "#&$!@ hysterical" according to D, and when I got home they were awaiting my arrival in the driveway. Turns out little toot refuses to take a bottle, therefore screaming about being hungry. As soon as I got he in my arms, she turned that frown upside down, ate a nice little mama milk lunch, and fell fast asleep. Needless to say, D was not amused.

I'm not sure if the issue here is that she spends a ton of time with me and is a textbook mommy's girl, or just that she was flipping out from being hungry. Either way, the whole bottle protest thing needs to end...ASAP. Mommy needs some time off, ya know? Anyone have any tips on how to get her to begin taking a bottle again? We introduced it at two weeks, and she's never had a problem before a few weeks ago when she was sick/teething, although she's always had a clear preference for me. All tips/ideas welcome!

Happy Tuesday! Hopefully this week picks up the pace!

Getting My Mac On.

I am seriously considering biting the bullet and shelling out the cash for a Mac.

Between all the photos I take and writing/blogging I do, it seems like a more than worthwhile investment, right?

I have a Dell that sits in my office collecting dust since it's SO slow, has a battery that won't hold a charge unless plugged in, and just generally does not serve my purposes. It just feels ever so slightly gluttonous to purchase a $2000 computer in this economy.

Anyone out there with tips on buying a Mac? Any programs I absolutely need/can live without? Any great add-ons?

I've honestly never heard a single negative comment about Macs, but in case I've missed something, anyone with any words of warning or negative feedback?

Motherhood = Putting Your Foot in Your Mouth.

Hello, friends!

First things first, Ava is not better :( She's not significantly worse, considering her fever has broken at least slightly (though it's climbing again as of a couple hours ago - not even at 100 though thankfully), but her rash is getting worse. We've gone through lots of speculation in the past 24 hours, from Scarlet Fever (since she has strep symptoms and a rash, which are the two hallmarks of Scarlet Fever) to Measles/Roseola (still not sure on that one) to throwing our hands up and saying "AHHHHH!", though quietly as to not upset our sick and sensitive baby, who cries at the drop of a hat.

It's seeming less like Scarlet Fever, since the rash is more pinpoint than merging together and blotchy, but I'm posting a picture (sorry about your behind on the internet, baby girl, but at least the blog is private???) just in case anyone has any ideas. Please feel free to give any input you have - we're at a loss now and the doc wants to wait until Weds to see us again unless things get worse fever-wise or new symptoms appear.

Here's the pic:


On a side note, baby girl isn't sleeping so well. Actually, let me take that back. She's sleeping just fine IN OUR ARMS. The thing about that, though, is that mama needs to sleep, too, and I can't with her in my arms. Last night she did a lot better, but seeing as how we've put her down twice already tonight and both times ended up holding her afterwards to soothe her back to sleep, it looks like another long night is in the works.

Saturday night, in an act of desperation, I took up reading this article. I have been vehemently opposed to co-sleeping for...ever, but I'm starting to be a bit tempted, both by my lack of sleep, and just the text of the article itself (plus, motherhood is always about personal growth, and isn't it time I became a little less blindly judgmental?? I think so too). I'm just very, very concerned about safety. Won't she overheat? Will we squish her? Will she succumb to SIDS? I'm just SO nervous. I'm less nervous about "spoiling" her, since I don't feel like letting her sleep in our bed is setting a precedent that will last a lifetime, though the thought has crossed my mind. Earlier, though, exhausted and desperate for her to get some decent rest to try to help her get well, I nursed her lying down on the couch after she woke up from a 45-minute nap. The next thing I knew, I woke up an hour and a half later, with baby girl sound asleep!

Anyone with co-sleeping experience, good or bad? Concerns? Benefits? Am I entering dangerous territory with regards to ever re-claiming my bed? I've yet to allow it, but I'm oh so tempted, especially with a sick baby. Surprisingly enough, D is totally, 100% for it. What the what?!? That totally caught me off guard, but I'm glad to know he's fine with whatever I choose.

Alright, off to try to rest. Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far!

Buttons & Other Changes!

Helllllllllo! I'm sure you've noticed a few changes. I like to change things up from time to time, so rather than the stupid decisions I used to make after a few drinks, now I tweek my baby blog. Is that considered evolving???

If you scroll down right past my followers (whom I love and adore - thank you all!!!), you'll notice something new and, quite frankly, awesome! I have Toni over at Hemp & High Heels to thank for making me a button of my very own! Suh-weeeeeeeeet! I LOVE it!

For those of you who also use blogger as your blog interface, can you please tell me if there is a better way to display my button than creating a picture box/gadget on the side? Is there another way to input or is that how you formatted yours? I'm kind of an amateur with regards to these things sometimes!

Again, a HUGE thank you to Toni! Go visit her amazing blog ASAP - she has some absolutely fantastic suggestions on living sustainably and healthfully, as well as creating some pretty lovely projects around the house! If that's not enough, her positivity and kind spirit is contagious!

Questions!

A couple quick questions...

I know I've asked this before, but anyone with any advice/input/experience with IUD's?? I have an appointment Weds for one of my twice-yearly annuals (one of the bigger bummers of having had early stage cervical cancer), and despite Ava being 4.5 months old, still haven't chosen a post-baby birth control method. IUD seems like a good choice, but since I technically haven't birthed a baby, I'm worried about pain, permanence etc. Any input is welcome!

Also, for those mommies feeding babies solids - do you breastfeed/give a bottle before or after? How often do you do solids - just at breakfast or at night as well? Did you start out with rice cereal or a wheat/whole grain cereal? Just curious for when our time comes!

Thanks as always, ladies!

Tummy Time!

First off, Ava tested negative for whooping cough! Thank you, God!

That brings us to the conflict we've been having around the house this past weekend. As it turns out, Ava wants to roll nonstop, but only from her back to tummy. And with me being an extremely nervous mommy when it comes to SIDS, I do NOT want Ava on her tummy EVER when I'm not watching her like a hawk - ie. the middle of the night. Which, naturally, is when she chooses to roll over and over and over...you know, instead of sleeping. Needless to say, mommy is very tired today. Any suggestions on how to discourage rolling at night? I had a wedge for her once upon a time, but discarded it when she managed to scoot down far enough to bury her face in the side. It was doing more harm than good at that point!

Now on to the good stuff. We had a productive weekend, with me finally pulling the weeds out front so Ava and I can plant flowers this coming weekend. We also picked up some small size swim diapers so that I can start putting more than just her feet in the water, as well as some infant sunblock. I had heard you shouldn't put sunblock on them prior to six months, but when I read that parents are told that in order to not give them a false sense of security while having baby out in the sun as opposed to actual health reasons, I'm gonna go ahead and lather her up. It's WAY too hot in Austin (it hit 99 last week!) for me to be covering every inch of her skin in clothing, hats, socks, etc.

I finally finished Ava's garbage pail I was painting for her room. It's been basically done for two weeks, but I needed to do some touch-up work, and I'm so glad I did. It turned out just how I wanted it to!

Here are some recent pictures of my little lovebug!

Her new garbage pail for her room:


Rolling to one side:

And the other:

My little ballerina:

Hoodlum:

What a strong girl!

Prayers, Please.

As I've mentioned before, I'm deathly allergic to the pertussis vaccination. This in and of itself isn't too big a deal, but now that I'm the parent of a newborn, it's slightly more complicated.

P, the school-aged child I watch, is in first grade, and her teacher sent out an email to parents today that was then passed on to me. TWO cases of pertussis (whooping cough) have been confirmed at her school, one of which was in her class.

Now as you may or may not know, I've been sick for going on a week and a half now. I've been coughing like crazy in spurts, and had other cold-like symptoms. P has as well, and, scarily, Ava has too. Hers have been extremely mild, and so I have assumed that they are allergy-related, but now, hearing about this outbreak, I am very concerned.

I called Ava's doctor to see what he thought, and he worked us in first thing tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'm being overly cautious and overreacting, but I plan to err on the side of caution, particularly after Dr H told us how sometimes the first stage of pertussis is much like a mild common cold, and then progresses to the coughing spells. 75% of babies under 6 months that become infected end up hospitalized, and there are even more grave statistics than that that I'm pushing out of my mind.

The good news is that if it is pertussis, God forbid, if we start treatment in the first stages, she's much more likely to recover quickly and not need hospitalization.

Parents - please, please, please vaccinate your children. Not only does it protect them, it protects other children who are unable to have vaccinations or who have parents who could potentially expose them before they're fully protected. You wouldn't turn a blind eye at another mother's child running into the street, so why not immunize to protect ALL children.

If I lost Ava, I would just die. She is my everything.

Please, if you could just keep us in your prayers that it is allergies or a mild cold or anything minor, I would be forever indebted.

Ill update tomorrow post-appointment. She may need a chest x-ray, so it may take a while. Hopefully not.
Thank you!!!

Dare to Ditch Dairy.

I've mentioned a few times in passing about Ava's tendency to poo through outfit upon outfit, but I don't think I've let on the seriousness of how bad it really is. Last Thursday, we went through four outfits. FOUR. I've had to toss plenty of good outfits in the trash, and many more have been saved only by the magic of Shout! At first I thought we were just dealing with a laundry issue, but after last Thursday's record-setting outfit-changing, I started to think it was more than that. While breastfed newborns are notorious for frequent, loose stools, three-month-olds are not. In fact, all the literature I've read keeps telling me that she should be going less frequently without it being cause for concern, and I keep thinking to myself, Any day now...

Anyhow, back to last week. While it wasn't necessarily planned (more due to my mastitis, lack of appetite, and sheer coincidence), I ended up abstaining from dairy for the better part of the weekend, and shockingly enough, no poo. Not just no watery, gross, spilling-out-the-sides poo, but none at all. In fact, she didn't poo again until Sunday! That night, though, I ate a bowl of cereal, and sure thing - Ava had loose, watery poo again the next morning. That's when I started to take notice. Again, I abstained from dairy briefly, and again, the accidents stopped. Last night I had two bowls of cereal (I just can't live without that Special K Chocolatey Delight!), and this morning, we had a poo crisis! Not only did it spill out of her diaper, but it shot out the bottom of her pants legs, and ALL OVER our carpet. Holy crap (parden the pun!).

On top of that, Ava is small. Not unusually, abnormally small, but compared to other babies her age and other babies we know who were born around the same time, she's pounds lighter, weighing in at just slightly over 13 pounds. Definitely not statistically significant, but it does lead me to wonder if her slower weight gain has been due to her frequent poo diapers?

Moral of this long, drawn-out story centering on poo (ick!)? I have to give up dairy, at least until I can narrow it down and pinpoint what exactly it is that's making her sick.

This leads me now to a desperate plea for help. I am, above all, a picky eater. Soy milk makes me gag, as do the other milk alternatives. I eat meat, though in small quantities and not red meat. I like a wide array of fruits and veggies, thankfully, but am having a really difficult time coming up with things I can eat that a.)don't contain dairy, and b.)don't totally gross me out.

Help! Any and all suggestions, recipes, ideas you want to send my way - I will welcome with open arms! I am trying to use this opportunity to broaden my horizons (and taste buds), but have no clue where to start!

I'll be back tomorrow with some updates I've been meaning to post - apparently when I convinced myself that taking on a second job (my new writing gig) wouldn't be much of an additional burden since I'd be working from home, I was crazy. It's day two, and I've been feeling way overwhelmed. I'm hoping that once I no longer have to work late everyday it'll be more manageable!

We Interrupt The Previously Scheduled Programming For An Announcement!

I wanted to wait until I knew for sure before posting, but I have some very exciting news!! Baby number two? Oh, hecccccccccccck no. More like I got offered a great opportunity to be on a mom/parenting blog team for Gather, a website similar to Facebook but still up-and-coming. I am SO excited! I have always wanted to write for a living, and while this is just consulting work and would be similar to what I do now on my blog but without all the pictures, etc., it's still me being paid to write. A-ma-zing!

As a result, I'll definitely be curious to know what types of things you all would be interested in reading about. So far I'm planning some posts on breastfeeding (troubleshooting, anecdotes, etc.), sleep, and, after this weekend, traveling with baby. I'm not quite sure exactly how this is all going to work just yet - I have a conference call tomorrow morning with a woman in the corporate office in Boston - but I'll be sure to fill you all in when I know more. I'm so excited for this opportunity and hope you all will read along! A link will be provided when I launch, of course :)

Going To Grandma & Grandpa's.

It's that time again where I hope and pray someone is out there reading this and can offer me some suggestions/advice/reassurance on this issue...

First up - our first trip out of town this weekend. So far we've lucked out, and had grandparents come visit US. Baller. Now, however, it's time to repay the favor, so we'll be heading down to Houston (well, Houston-ish. Houston is really just a sneaky label for about a trillion suburbs) for the weekend to celebrate Ava's Uncle Matt's 18th birthday, as well as her grandma's upcoming birthday and a belated Easter. In case that's not enough to fit into two days away, we also are going to be visiting D's best friend from high school's new baby, Weston, who arrived four weeks early on March 12th. Welcome to the world, little buddy (and Ava's betrothed, according to D). We'll see. I'm secretly holding out for Kingston Stefani-Rossdale, but more on that another day.

Anyhow, seeing as this is our first trip away from home, and Ava's second time EVER leaving the city limits, I'm relying on all of you lovelies to tell me what on Earth I'm going to need to pack. I have a list started, but I will inevitably get halfway there and remember about thirty things I've overlooked. Here's what we have so far:

Pack N Play
Breast Pump
Diapers/Wipes
5-6 Outfits(thanks to a tendency towards explosive diapers!)
3-4 Sleepers (ditto)
Ellie (her little stuffed elephant in all her pictures)
Kitty Bear (KB henceforth..)
Stroller
Polka Dot Blankie for Tummy Time
Bottle (just in case)
Toys/Books
Travel Bouncer
The Kitchen Sink?!??
Updates:
Pacifiers
First Aid Kit (nail clippers, medicines, nasal aspirator, etc.) - great suggestion, Rene!
Bath Supplies - travel size if you have them :)
Burp Clothes
Bibs
Monitor

This list looks entirely too short - suggest away!

A's Letters!

OK, ladies. I need some help here!

Should I leave them like this?


Or paint them? If so, which color? I was originally going to do the A's light pink and the light brown for the V, but now I'm thinking single-color only if I paint them. Which color do you think? I'm leaning towards a light color, I think.


Either way, I planned to attach these appliques, one to each letter - what do you think?


D isn't too interested in this type of stuff, plus he's at work, so I need some opinions!