Mother's Day Weekend

This year was my very first Mother's Day as a mom! I can't tell you how incredibly special I felt waking up that morning knowing I was part of the "mom's club," and baby girl must have known what was up because she even slept in!

Mother's Day weekend was spent in Seal Beach at my mom's house. It was snowing at our house when we left, and I was honestly anxious to escape to the beach because even the marine layer and 67 degree weather upon arrival felt like summer compared to our cool mountain weather as of late. And who doesn't want to see exposed baby skin? Rolls for days.

Our weekend consisted of shopping, frozen yogurt, eating at all our favorite spots on Main St., tons of beach walks, going out for drinks, and spending an evening at my favorite restaurant with our best friends while my mom babysat Bendelle-- Happy Mother's Day to me!

Mother's Day I was so happy because Aaron took the dogs on an early walk and let me sleep in while he made breakfast with Noelle for everyone. I also got so many sweet calls and texts from people wishing me happy mother's day, which made me feel so loved and special. After breakfast my mom, sister, Aaron and I (and Bendelle of course) decided to take all four of our dogs to dog beach! We left earlier than we usually go and got great parking and had a blast. It honestly fills my heart with joy when I see our pups gallivanting along the water, chasing each other and playing with other dogs, simply having the time of their lives.

And Belles was thoroughly entertained the whole time! 
Aaron was so sweet and got me a thoughtful card and beautiful gold necklace with Bendelle's birthstones for MD. It's such unique and beautiful piece, just like my precious girl ;)

We strolled down Main St. and relaxed most of the afternoon before going out for drinks in the evening. I am noticing as she gets older, her patience is dwindling away at the dinner table. We struggled a little bit with her which only made me even more thankful that my mom watched her the previous night when we went out!

The past week and a half I have been feeling under the weather--some days are worse than others (headaches and sore throats), but I am honestly so glad we spent the weekend at the beach. With my mamma, as a mom on Mother's Day, what better way could it have been spent?

A little bit of advice

Two things I am loving right now: spring weather & this age and stage with Bendelle. She is so animated and silly, I can barely handle it. I remember thinking how big of a milestone 6 months would be, and it has truly surpassed our expectations. She is so talkative and lively, always wanting to put her hands in something. But she is also being so good about taking her two daily naps, it just makes me so happy! We are still working on getting her to not wake up so many times during the night, and I think the answer is to just give her a big meal (cereal or veggies) on top of her milk righhhht before she goes to sleep.

She does this new thing where she sticks out her tongue and blows bubbles, which is hilarious, except for when she does it after I feed her food she doesn't like #carrotseverywhere. And she has always loved her baths, but now that she has started splashing the water with her little hands and feet, she never wants to get out! (So much like her mama ;) )

On Monday Aaron and I watched our step-niece for a few hours and it was fun to get a glimpse at what it would be like to have two kids. I know they will be closer in age (my niece is almost 6) so that most likely means fighting all the time, but I'm still excited to have another kid  . . . one day!

Speaking of, a handful of people we know right now are pregnant! I get so excited when other people are expecting, especially now since I have Bendelle, I feel like more little ladies get to be part of the same exciting, crazy world I've been living in for the past (almost) 7 months. And if I can give you ladies any advice before baby comes, here it is: 

Enjoy being pregnant. Especially with your first, because there is something very peaceful when you are sitting in your quiet house one night after a long day and you feel her kick, and it is just you and her, your first baby. I have a feeling that by the time you have your second, pregnancy will be twice as exhausting because you'll be chasing around and being a parent to baby #1. So enjoy this pregnancy, the calm before the storm. Treat yourself to little things that may just seem like little things now, but may take a bit more work to enjoy once baby makes her debut--date nights, a pregnancy massage, a mani/pedi, SLEEPING IN, a long walk on the beach, or a marathon of your favorite TV show--whatever you can think of! I'm not saying you will never be able to enjoy these things again, but trust me, it becomes a lot harder to have some good quality "me" time once baby comes. And I don't think any mama has ever regretted the time and money they spent on making the nursery the one of their dreams. Have fun with it! This is your little creative space, and trust me, you will spend a lot of time changing her diapers, playing with her, putting her down for naps, feeding her, and getting her dressed in this space, so make it one YOU will enjoy! And mamas! Learn to love your growing body and appreciate the miracle of being able to have this tiny seed grow to be as big as a watermelon right inside your tummy! I think most will agree--there is definitely something beautiful about a pregnant woman. There are a bagillion other things I would love to say, but nap times are only so long . . .   

;)

Half a year, my dear

I know I have been kind of (majorly) slacking in the blogging department, but keeping up with this little stinker has been a workout!

I can't believe our little Belle is 6 months old already! I remember this time last year being pregnant and not even being able to imagine what it would be like to have a baby. Now, I can barely remember what life was like before her!

We have been having beautiful spring weather over here (until today, since it is suppose to rain all week), so we've been spending a ton of time outdoors. I love being outside together with the whole family, because the pups especially love little adventures ;)

Bennet got "stuck" in the water at the lake.

Six months is definitely my favorite age so far. Her personality has definitely blossomed and she is more fun (and more work!) now than ever. She is a little roly poly-no joke, she can make it across the room faster than you can wash your hands. And she is so very talkative-if only I knew what she was saying! She makes the funniest little noises, my favorite is when she sticks out her tongue and blows, making a little tooting sound (the best way I can describe it right now).

She has begun her journey into the food world, delving into different veggies and fruits. Her favorites so far have been green beans (my little health nut!) and pumpkin, which is also great for her. She hates zucchini and anything too sweet. Now that she has begun to taste all these different flavors, she also hates her rice cereal.

As soon as she turned 6 months she was magically tall enough to walk in the car walker. Up until then (literally a couple days before her half birthday), we were putting a pillow underneath her feet because she wasn't tall enough to stand in it by herself. Now she is moving all over the place (until she crashes into a wall or something).

She also got her first teeth when she turned six months! Her two front bottom teeth started to poke out and we were so excited to see them. It was right before Easter when it happened and all I could think about was how much she looked like a little bunny ;)

She loves being in new places and being around people. She enjoys playing with her stuffed animals and toys which is so entertaining for us, and only makes me want to buy her every cute little toy on the planet. When I read to her she tries to grab the drawings on the pages, she is just so interactive with everything. But this babe gets bored reaaaally quickly, so I am constantly running around to different little stations around the house trying to keep her stimulated. Thank God for nap time, even when they are only 25 minutes.  :)

Life lately

Everything has been going great up here in the mountains and life with baby has been soooo much smoother since we have been putting Bendelle in her own crib to sleep. Why didn't we do this sooner??

I think she overall sleeps better since she has been going to her crib (in her own room!) for naps and bedtime. Of course she still wakes up several times in the night, but I can honestly say that we are all sleeping better! There were a million reasons why I put it off but at the end of the day I am exponentially happier that she sleeps in her own room. We put so much time and thought into her beautiful little nursery so it seemed like kind of a waste to only play and change diapers in there.

And since we decided to bite the bullet with the crib thing, I also decided it was time to try to stick with a little schedule. I read that babies find comfort in routines, and I think it helps keep me a little sane too :)

Overall, our days (without dad) look something like this:

Wake up anywhere between 8:30-9:30. Bendelle has been pretty good about letting me sleep in, which I am very thankful for. I put her in her swing and put on some cartoons (Sophia the 1st or Doc McStuffin, about the only two I can really tolerate) while I let the dogs outside, feed them, pump, eat breakfast, and try to clean up the kitchen and around the house a little. Depending on her mood and how ambitious I feel, I will move her to her little car walker as I try to finish things up. When she starts to get fussy I know it's because she's hungry, so I'll feed her.

Aaron gets home anywhere from 10-12, so we'll all hang out together while he eats breakfast, I drink tea or coffee, and watch a little TV before he has to go to sleep.

Bendelle goes down for her first nap anywhere between 11:30 and 12:30, depending on how tired she is. Usually she starts to rub her eyes or get a little cranky, and so usually that's my cue to take her upstairs to her room and change her, put on her sleepsack, close the blinds, put on her sound sheep, and feed her as she gets sleepy. I slip her into her crib and turn on the monitor, and usually she sleeps anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour . . . but closer to 30 minutes.

When she wakes up I put her on her playmat in the office while I watch her and go on the computer to read articles, pay bills, do shopping, etc. She is a roller and rolls around like crazy when I put her on her back, so we constantly have to monitor tummy time.

Lately we have been venturing out on walks with the pups because the weather is so beautiful, so around this time I will start to get everyone ready as quietly as possible so we don't wake up Aaron (Darcy starts to bark and attack Bennet out of pure excitement and insanity). I put Belles in her Baby K'tan carrier and we venture out for a 30-60 minute walk, depending on the weather (the pups don't do well when it is really hot). For the most part, it's very pleasant. Bendelle loves to look around at all the trees and sometimes if she didn't take a good nap, she'll even fall asleep in the carrier. Yesterday it was so beautiful because the birds were chirping, butterflies were fluttering all around us and the water was running through the creek. The dogs are generally good but lately have started to go insane every time we go near a sewer. There is a sewer drain at the end of out driveway across the street so at the beginning and end of our walks the dogs go crazy and try to kill each other while racing over to peek inside. I swear they think there is an evil little clown squirrel waiting for them inside because once they finally get there they act very cautious.

When we get back home I usually change and feed her while the pups pass out. I eat lunch and let her play in her car for a little and then we relax and play together on the couch. We spend the afternoon reading and doing some more tummy time until it is time for her second nap between 3-3:30. Again, I do the ritual and put her sleepsack on and feed her and she'll sleep from 30-60 minutes. Every once in a while she'll sleep for 90 minutes, which is great. During this time I usually talk on the phone with my mom, sister, dad or mother in law, bake or I'll blog. 

When she wakes up we will spend a little more time outside with the pups, either in the backyard or on the balcony. Then I'll put her in her high chair and try to feed her some rice cereal. After that she's a mess so I'll take her to her room and clean her up. If it's bath day (we have to do it every other day because her skin gets too dry for baths everyday), I'll put her on a blanket in her room while I get her bath ready, then change her and she bathes for about 10-25 minutes. I dry her off, put on some lotion, and put on her pjs. Bath time is always my favorite :)

Then I put her in her bouncer, give her a toy and stick her in the bathroom with me while I take a bath or shower. We head downstairs and I prep dinner and get Aaron's lunch ready for work. I eat while she hangs out in her car and by 7:15 we are busting through the bedroom door to wake up Aaron. I make him coffee and Bendelle and I hang out with him while he gets ready for work. By 8:15 he is out the door, and I clean up a little and make some tea while she sits in her swing or bouncer.

I call my mom or sister and put them on speakerphone so Bendelle can hear their voice. Then Aaron calls and I let Belles listen to him talk as well. By the time we get off the phone it is time for bed. I give her a good feeding (biggest meal of the day) and put her to sleep between 9-9:30.

She usually wakes up every three hours or so, so I go upstairs to feed her throughout the night. But we have a routine down and usually right after I feed her she falls right to sleep. And then by 9:30 the next morning we do it all over again.  :)

St. Patty's Day

Things have been cray cray over here trying to get Bendelle to take regular naps in her crib. My mom told me some babies will sleep anywhere without a fuss, and of course other babies . . . won't. Some mamas are fine with letting their babies call the shots, and whatever works best for your family is what you should do! But for me (us), I need order in my life, and I think establishing little routines (especially for naps) will keep everyone sane and healthy in the long run--even though I might loose my sanity in the meantime. If it were her choice, I think Bendelle would skip napping altogether! I know at 5 months she can't talk, but oh my Lord this baby definitely has an opinion!

Every since she turned 5 months old she has been rolling over like crazy! I call her my little tumbleweed (I know, so endearing). She does not last a minute on her back before she starts rolling over like it's her job! I also forgot to add in the last blog post how she can literally pull herself up--baby girl has strong abs already!

Yesterday (St. Patty's Day) we hung out with my mom and stepdad and did a big walk from their cabin into town. With three dogs and a baby, we were quite the motley crew, and after all the stimulation she was overly exhausted and took an extra long nap. So this morning she woke up extra, extra early and I hear her whispering to herself! It was the cutest thing. So we whispered back and forth to each other but as soon as I took out my phone to start recording her, all she wanted to do was play with it :(

No green beer for me yesterday, but lots of beautiful green scenery :) Next year I am excited to make green pancakes, green milk, and just about green everything for Bendelle. I've always loved celebrating holidays and want to make her childhood as fun and magical as possible :)

Tomorrow Bendelle has to get her shots and it just breaks my heart thinking about it :( At least Aaron will be with me this time, because I seriously cannot handle it when she is in pain! Wish us luck!

PS-look at those BLUE eyes!!

My 5 month old :)

I am so head over heels for this little dumpling. She has turned our world into something different and wonderful, and I couldn't imagine our lives without her.

Yesterday Bendelle turned 5 months old, and I can't believe how fast time is flying by. On the eve of her 5 month birthday she turned over from her back to her stomach. This was a big deal because until then she had only gone from stomach to back and we had read some babies skip rolling over altogether,  and we thought she might be one of them. But little girl continues to impress us :)

We have started giving her a little bit of rice cereal (mixed with my milk) every evening a few hours before bedtime, and I am noticing that sleep has improved a little bit! It was so funny feeding her at first because she would have such a funny face when trying the cereal, but now she has gotten quite use to it. I even caught her faceplanted in her bib trying to suck the remaining of the dribbles off after I was done feeding her! This baby is definitely a foodie, I can already tell.

I love her deep belly giggles that we have gotten out of her this past month or so. They are so stinkin' cute, and we are definitely starting to see more of her personality. 

She has (what feels like) a bagillion baby entertainment devices, but more than anything she just loves to be held and cuddled. She will cry forever in the middle of the night after a feeding simply because she wants to be in bed with us, so that has still been a struggle (definitely our biggest and maybe only real struggle with her right now). I have been trying to get her to nap in her crib to get use to it, so as soon as our house is warm enough, we will have her sleeping in her own room (well, that's the plan!).

She is definitely in her Gerber stage, with pinchable cheeks and scrumptious little leg rolls. She is starting to grab everything too, especially food and drinks! And she is also very into her toys and will put just about anything in her mouth (which is how we knew she was ready to try cereal). She is comfortably wearing 6 month clothes, and loves playing with her feet and constantly tries to put them in her mouth.

Bendelle Jem, we love you to the moon & back :)

Ready for Spring!

Life has been crazy over here in Blowout Land. Sleep regression is real and so is my need for coffee. Free time is either spent cleaning or napping, so I apologize for my absence lately! If anyone has some advice for getting the little one to sleep through the night (lately she wakes up like 5-10 times a night), I will gladly take it!

We have been experiencing a last minute Winter Wonderland over here in the mountains, and even though I am excited for warm weather now more than ever before, I must say, this last snowfall felt magical!
  

I am excited for Spring more than ever because being home with Bendelle can get a little stir crazy and I love spending time outdoors. It has been too cold lately to just hang out outside with Bells and I worry about her getting sick, especially when they are constantly having to get shots. Even on Aaron's days off we love to go on walks or little hikes but it has been either raining, snowing or below freezing this past week, so we really haven't been able to spend quality time outside. We did however go up to Humber Park with the pups and let them play in the snow while keeping Bendelle cozy and warm in the car. And my mom and sister watched her for an hour while we took the dogs on a long walk after the snow storm this weekend (where a gang of coyotes kept their hungry eyes on us :o ).

What I'm looking forward to in Spring:
1. Warmer weather & wildflowers
2. Lower electric bill (and no expensive propane bill!)
3. More hikes, walks & outdoor events!
4. Exposed baby skin! Blue skies & naked thighs! Wohoo!

At the end of June we are heading to the East Coast to visit Aaron's family for a week. I am so thrilled because it has been years since we visited his hometown, and this will be the first time everyone (aside from his mom) will meet Bendelle! It is so crazy to think she will be almost 9 months old when we're out there. I can't imagine how much she will have changed by then, but I am over the moon excited for our first (big) trip together as a family of three (not so much excited about flying with a baby though!).