Roly Poly...

So two of the past three nights Abby has woken up in the middle of the night screaming. Because her normal waking routine includes the lecture series she presents to the animals on her mobile, this of course, scares me half to death and I leap out of bed and go tearing into her room to see what's going on. Well, the screaming has been caused by the same thing both times. She's rolled over onto her belly. While I understand that this is one of those "milestones" that we are supposed to get so excited about, it is really screwing up our sleeping and we would prefer that she perform this amazing feat during waking hours. In my zombie state in the middle of the night, its not so cute, but eventually, it does become a little funny. By the sound of it, you would think someone was beating her but in reality, all she has to do is roll herself back over. I know she is capable of rolling from her tummy to her back because she starting doing that when she was just 16 days old! She's not fooling me into thinking that she's stuck but apparently, she is fooling herself. I really think the screaming is a result of her ridiculous startle reflex and she just freaks out when she wakes up to realize she is in an unusual position. Either way, I hereby request that she stop...IMMEDIATELY!!!

On another note, I did want to blog about the moms group that I joined last week. It is called Preston Hollow Early Childhood PTA or PHECPTA (although on paper the abbreviated version isn't really so abbreviated). It is a group of moms in our neighborhood with kids under 5 and they have monthly meetings and do lots of activities with the kids. I went to my first meeting last Monday night and I really enjoyed it. While I know that most of my discussions at this time concern Abby, it is nice to know there are others out there whose lives revolve around their kids as well and it is nice to be able to go to these meetings and talk about those issues without other people seeming annoyed that you won't shut up about your kid. Everyone was very nice and I hope to make some new friends out of the group and be able to get good ideas from the other moms (plus, they have spa nights and we all know I don't pass up a spa opportunity very often)...

Slacker City, but I do have an excuse...

It might not be a very good one, but I at least have one - ALLERGIES!!! Not just mine, but Abby's as well. We have both been sniffling, sneezing, coughing and whatever other symptoms the Nyquil commercials spell out since Friday. To make matters worse, JB went camping on Saturday so Abby and I were left sulking in our allergy-filled state for 24 hours by ourselves. It wasn't too much fun and I didn't get much rest since the little one wasn't feeling well so we are just now both recovering. Hence, the reason for my slacking off on the blog.



So to recap, we are still not sleeping well as Abby has reverted back to old bad habits by waking up at 5:30 or so and not going to bed any earlier, JB went camping with Nick at Eagle Mountain Lake and yesterday, I was slammed at work. Ran out of time today, so I will have to elaborate tomorrow!!! Sorry Folks!

RETREAT! RETREAT!

We are somehow moving backwards in the Abby sleeping department and I think it is making me so exhausted that I can't even think straight!

Exhibit A - Sleep patterns since Friday -

Friday - 10:30 -6:45, late bottle
Saturday - 9:30 - 6:30, No late bottle
Sunday - 10-6, No late bottle
Monday - 9-3:45, No late bottle
Tuesday - 9-3:15, No late bottle
Wednesday - 9-5, Late bottle

What is going on here? I had an 8 hours sleeper 90% of the time for the past two months!!! Where is that kid? I was hoping on Tuesday that her Monday night issue was related to her vaccines but that doesn't appear to be the case. She might have some allergies this week but that is nothing unusual. Don't think she is sick. She is napping fairly well like usual so I have no comprehension of why she is not sleeping a full night anymore. Anyone have any ideas?

If this doesn't stop soon, I will be back in the BS (read: Britney Spears pre-conservatorship)state of mind. It doesn't help that I am slammed at work either...

On hiatus...

Well, I was on hiatus yesterday as I took Abby to the doctor for her 4 month checkup and then headed to the dermatologist myself so I have been a little behind on posting these past few days so this will be a long one.

Weekend - We had a very relaxed weekend and it was fantastic. Friday night we cooked dinner and watched 2012. Saturday we ran a few errands and then JB and I went on a date to the Stars game (in a shocking turn of events, they actually won). Saturday night we had dinner with my family. On Sunday, we were very lazy and didn't do much at all. These are usually my favorite kind of weekends!

Abby Checkup - Excellent report for Abs! She is 15 lbs, 10 oz and 27 inches long putting her in the 90th percentile in weight (although she is still very skinny) and off the charts in height. Dr. Burns was very happy with her social interaction and her smiling and she said Abby has "unbelievable muscle tone". She also said it was time to lower her mattress in her crib because she was likely to launch herself out of it pretty soon. Of course, we also had to do vaccinations which are never fun. There's nothing like being forced to hold your child down while some stranger puts a needle in her leg - TWICE!! Abby was a trooper and only cried right when the needles went in and then was calm the rest of the time. The only problem is that these vaccines cause Abby to not sleep well the next night so I got to see her at 3:45 this morning. I am hoping this is temporary because I am absolutely exhausted today!

Speaking of Needles - I had my own needle experience yesterday and I have to say that I would have taken Abby's shots ten times over rather than gone through this one time. Went to the dermatologist and I had a suspicious spot under my eye. So they needed to biopsy the spot just to be sure there was nothing to worry about. Biopsy = big needle. I am usually not too bad when it comes to needles but its a whole different ballgame when the needle is coming at your eye and you are supposed to keep your eye open. It was not pleasant to say the least!

The rest of the day - The rest of the day yesterday was pretty quiet and although I enjoyed being at home with Abby, I am not so sure I could be at home full time. I had my errands done by 11am and then went home and watched DVR for most of the afternoon. Not very productive. I also have a feeling that staying home more would exponentially increase the size of my butt!!

Don't Worry, Be Happy...

So in light of Abby's recent milestones concerning her bottle and her booty scooting, I've been thinking about other milestones. I think like many new moms, I worry when I see that other kids her age are doing more things than she is. This morning (when I was up at 5 am for absolutely no reason), I was thinking about her current state. Most of the books say that 4 month olds should be giggling quite a lot. While Abby definitely giggles (sometimes even howls when being entertained by her new BFF Betsy), she doesn't do it very often. Does that mean I have an unhappy baby on my hands? She smiles lots and lots but it usually takes her Daddy's tummy "raspberries" to make her really get going and sometimes, even that doesn't work. Every single book, website and blog about babies tells you that all babies are different and will hit milestones at a different pace. But is happiness really a milestone? I don't think it is, so I now I am concerned that Abby is unhappy. Not sure how to fix it either.

Please don't do that...

So I have (somewhat) come to terms with the fact that Abby is growing up very quickly, however, 2 milestones within a 24 hour period is almost too much for me to take. Last night she kept wiggling on JB so he put her down on the floor on her playmat and she started scooting! Moved about 10 inches but also managed almost turn herself in a complete circle. She tried to push up a couple of times but wasn't too successful. As sad as that was, this morning was worse...

I fixed Abby a bottle while she was still in her crib and went in there to feed her in the big chair in her room. We sat down and I started feeding her as usual. Then she actually took the bottle away from me and started feeding herself. She's attempted this many times before but never been able to hold it on her own and actually get the milk out. Not this time. She pulled it out when she didn't want it and put it back when she wanted it. Ugh...So depressing.

Monday, Monday...

Oh how I hate you! Let me count the ways (plus an extra one today in light of "springing forward"). The good news is that we had a great weekend to counteract the Monday blues.

The Bralley clan (Ben, Shannon and Betsy) came in for a couple of nights and we had a great time. It is always fun to hang out with them because we are all kind of kindred spirits and we always have a good time even if we just hang out at the house. I think this time was even more special since Besty and Abby got to interact a little more. We have a great video from Saturday when Betsy was playing peek a boo with Abby and Abby was laughing her butt off. It was hilarious! Shannon and I think the girls will be great friends when they get a little older so we can't wait to watch them grow up together. I hope to post the video (if Shannon can teach me how) and some pics tonight.

On Saturday, we all went out to lunch with Web and I had my first margarita since pre-pregnancy. I must admit, I missed those! It tasted great! Then us girls headed home for an afternoon nap and some Twilight while the boys went to Bass Pro Shop. Can't say I'm too sad I missed out on that one. Years of shopping for guns and hunting equipment with my Dad has made me avoid those places like the plague if I can help it. Saturday night we headed over to Byron and Gail's for some tenderloin. It was delicious.

On Sunday, we put the girls in their matching outfits courtesy of Shannon and her incredible sewing talents and then headed to the Arboretum for a gorgeous morning. The flowers were fantastic and I always love being out by the lake. We took lots of pictures of the girls and strolling around until lunch time. I think Betsy had the best workout of us all as she ran through the grass over and over and seemed to love it. The one time we put Abby down on a bench, she yanked a few flowers out of the ground. I'm thinking she's probably not going to be a good gardener! Last night we enjoyed dinner at Maggiano's with the Bralley's and Shannon's friend Meghan and her boyfriend.

Overall, the weekend was great and we loved having the Bralleys stay with us. The only bad part was that Abby threw 2 huge fits at home and one at Maggiano's which is very unlike her. One on Saturday and one on Sunday and then she didn't sleep well Saturday or Sunday night. Daylight Savings Time probably didn't help things. Shannon thinks that she might be teething and as much as I was hoping to avoid that for awhile, I think she might be right. She drools like a St. Bernard and tries to eat her fist or fingers constantly. I guess we will see at her appointment next week.

Happy Birthday Abby!

Today, Abby is 4 months old! I can't believe that its been 4 months since we were at the hospital and I was more out of it than Britney Spears (pre-conservatorship of course). Every time I look back at those pics it makes me happy and sad. Happy that the days of sleeping in the recliner are over but sad that my baby is growing so quickly. With her, you blink and you'll miss her grow an inch. I am very blessed to have such a precious baby and wonderful husband. Now if she will just stay little and innocent forever, that would be great. Hope that's not too much to ask.

Of course, 4 months also means more dreaded vaccinations - Yuck!

Lies, Lies, Lies yeah...

I don't know about anyone else but for me it has become very frustrating to figure out how many adults in this world are complete liars and cheats. I love my job when I get to work with good tenants and clients but sometimes, I hate my job. I usually hate my job when it relates to lawsuits because I cringe at the idea of stepping into a courtroom or facing deposition. I hate it and it terrifies me - many people who watched me go through law school already know this as I have always been very vocal about it. I thought I was choosing a profession (real estate transactional work) that wouldn't require me to EVER be in a courtroom or deal with litigation but boy was I wrong on that one. We get sued all the time and most of the time we have done absolutely nothing wrong. The sad truth is that people all around us are willing to lie and cheat to get a big payday for absolutely nothing.

The best example of this was a lawsuit against our architectural firm about 12 years ago. A guy sued us as the architect of a certain well-known shopping center for injury he received while in the parking lot of that shopping center. Know what "injury" he alleged in the suit was? He said that he walked into a lightpole and banged his head. That's right, he walked into a lightpole that was 10ft tall and claimed that we shouldn't have put the lightpole there because there was a chance someone would walk into it. Our insurance company settled with him for $25,000. $25,000 because some idiot didn't watch where he was going and ran into a pole. I see this type of crap everyday (including today) and it makes me sad that Abby has to grow up in a world like this.

OK, done ranting for now...

Not too much to report today since I have a massive headache and I feel sick to my stomach. Very tired (not sure why) and its been a busy day at the office. Last night Abby decided that she wanted to sleep, but didn't want to sleep in her bed which makes for a cranky mommy today. She would fall asleep on us or with us in our room but when it came time to go to her bed, she simply wasn't having it. Normally, she doesn't make a peep but last night it took 3 strikes before she was out. Of course she slept in a little after that so that was kinda good.

Looking forward to this weekend when Ben and Shannon come in for a visit!

A Spring Clean and a Spring Cleanse...

The Spring Clean -
Sorry for the delay in the latest post. It's been a crazy few days. On Friday, I was slammed trying to get a lease that I have been working on for 2+ months out for execution and I was so beat by the time I got home, I didn't have a chance to post.

Then there was Saturday. Saturday was horrible and great at the same time. Now that March has arrived in full force and the frigid temperatures have left the building (for the most part), that can only mean one thing - time for Spring cleaning. Plus, we finally got new furniture for the front room so we really wanted the house to be clean. Marili came over about 10am to help us do a really thorough cleaning in the house. Of course, I felt so guilty that she was there on a Saturday (we paid her very well though) that I helped her as much as I could so she could get home as soon as possible. Bad idea...

You know how people claim they are allergic to cleaning? That is actually true in my case. I am allergic to bleach so cleaning the bathrooms and the window sills with bleach was probably not the smartest thing I have ever done. I sneezed and sniffled for hours but plowed through. I even cleaned the oven although I did not come out unscathed. When Marili kept telling me not to touch the oven cleaner, I tried my best to follow her instructions, but I apparently got a little on my elbow. Tried to wash it off when I noticed it but that didn't work and I ended up with a lovely burn on my skin. Yes, I get that it has to be potent to work well, but does it really have to be so toxic that simply touching it burns a few layers off your skin? After all this trauma, I've decided that serious cleaning and I might need to part ways for a while.

Marili left about 2:30 and JB went off to his tennis lesson around the same time. So it was just me and Abby. That usually means only one thing on the weekends - Nap Time!! We slept in our room for about an hour until JB got home and it was great. Napping with Abby is so nice. Even though I can't roll over or change positions out of fear that I will launch her into the hallway, it's just so peaceful (unless she snores in my ear which has been known to happen a time or two). After JB got home, we all got ready for our night out.

The Spring Cleanse -
This night out was very different than our usual nights out. We left Abby at Byron and Gail's overnight and headed to dinner at the Old Warsaw and a stay at Hotel Zaza in Uptown. While it was hard to leave her for 18 hours, I will be the first to admit that I really needed this break. As I have said before, being a mom is fantastic, but I kinda think a little time for yourself makes you an even better mom when it is all said and done. I got to take a long shower, enjoy a nice dinner, stay up a little late and sleep in until 9:30. Then Sunday morning (after we called to check on Abby and I realized I was only 4 hours away from getting to hold my baby), I had breakfast in bed, took a 45 minute jacuzzi bath and then had a hour long massage. The massage was fantasic. I always feel so rejuvenated since they "release all the toxins". For me, it doesn't get much better than this as far a relaxation goes and JB knows it. I am a very lucky girl to have such a sweet husband who drags me out of the house and treats me to something like this!!!

After our massage, we headed to Byron and Gail's to pick Abby up. They happily reported that she slept all night in her Pack N Play and woke up happy as a clam at 6:15 like she usually does. We are so lucky to have all 4 grandparents close by and willing to hang out with Abs when we need a night out.

After that, it was off to the grocery store, then home for homemade pizza and the Oscars. This morning rolled around and it was back to reality, although it felt like a better reality after a little spring clean and a little spring cleanse...

The Sock Monster...

In the olden days (read: life before Abby) the phrase "Sock Monster" meant that little creature that lives in my dryer and eats one sock per load to ensure that I cannot pair up every sock I have washed in that particular load and have to throw away the lone sock that remains. That's what "Sock Monster" used to mean to me. Now, "Sock Monster" means my little Abby!

While I chalked up her initial disdain for socks to typical baby behavior and an inability to get her socks big enough for those boats she calls feet, I have decided that she might actually have a severe sock phobia. I don't know what socks ever did to her, but they clearly caused severe enough damage for her to never want to wear them again. Before, she would allow me to put them on and then try to be sneaky and get them off as fast a possible under her blanket hoping I wouldn't notice. But yesterday, she crossed the line. After I put her in her nightgown, I reached over and grabbed the biggest pair of socks she had. That was when all hell broke loose!!! The mere sight of socks made my smiley baby start screaming. I persisted. I not only got them on her feet, I also unfolded them an made them into knee-highs thinking there was no way she was going to get those all the way off during the night. Wrong again.

When I went to get her at 6:30 this morning, I found said socks neatly laid in the corner of her crib, far far away from her. She might as well have folded them too!!! She could have thrown them out of her crib or had them in disarray throught the crib, but no, not Abby - She had them both right next to each other in an organized manner. It was as if she was trying to politely give me a message like "Mommy, while I really appreciate your efforts to keep my feet warm at all times, I must admit that I hate socks and you should really stop wasting your time trying to get me to keep them on. They are coming off one way or another whether you like it or not."

I got the message...

Victory is Mine...

She slept from 10:30-6:30 and I feel like a million bucks! Didn't do anything different - gave her last bottle including rice cereal at 9 or so and then we all cuddled in our bed until JB put her down about 10:30. Not a peep from the time he laid her down until I heard her talking to the animals on her mobile after JB's alarm went off at 6:30. I presume her friendship with the aformentioned animals is new because they have only recently begun these conversations. Before now, I think she may have been creeped out by them occaisionally circling over her head like a bunch of buzzards while she slept. As evidenced by their 15 minute discussion this morning, I believe she has accepted them as her new friends.

Last night, we had our second consecutive night of waking up at 4am. On Monday morning, I was convinced that the early wake up call was my fault for not waking Abby up for her last bottle at 10pm after she went to sleep around 8pm. This morning, I know it wasn't the lack of bottle that caused the problem because last night, I did get her up at 9 to have that last one and she still got up at 4am. We did our typical attempt to sleep in the recliner routine which worked until she grew so much. Now she just wiggles the entire time because she is so long, she can't get comfortable. Abby wiggles = mommy's dark circles under her eyes. While certainly not the end of the world, it wasn't a pleasant experience and it is definitely one I am hoping to avoid tonight.

While I trust God's decision making capabilites, did He take a break when He was designing lifetime sleeping habits for us girls? Menopausal women have insomnia while new moms are exhausted. Shouldn't He have just switched those two?

Something tells me I'm into Something Good...

Like I said, that's when things changed. I went back to work and got a break from the 24/7 baby routine. Abby was a much happier baby those last couple of weeks I was home and at around 9 weeks, she started sleeping between 5-7 hours a night. My brilliant plan to only work part time my first month back was not so brilliant. I ended up working overtime most of the time because I was so busy. Of course, working did make me appreciate the time I had with her so much more. It also forced us to get into a routine at night and in the mornings.

While we still have our ups and downs, we have things a little more under control. She sleeps through the night most of the time and seems to be a happy camper more often than not. Not much more you can ask for in a 3 month old. Our current issues, however, are getting nap time straightened out and figuring out a way to be able to put her down at night when we need to cook or do stuff around the house. She shows flashes of brilliance (not that I am biased or anything). For example, yesterday, we played her an Abby Cadabby video on JB's iphone about using words and Abby (the one sans the purple hair) watched the first run through very intently and then when Abby (purple haired version) said it was time to do the interactive part, our Abby tried to sing with her. It was so cute!!! Of course about 5 minutes after that, she tried to eat her own toes so maybe she's not exactly Einstein at this point.

She's growing like a weed and that double-edged sword is a big part of my reason for starting this blog. I love my sleep now but also I miss those night of cuddling with my (relatively) tiny baby all night (even if sleeping in that recliner may have destroyed my back permanently). She amazes me everyday with something new and I think I finally understand why being a mom is so great. It is by far the hardest thing I have ever done but its also the best.

Now that everyone is up to date with my life and how I got to where I am, I will start my regular blog about juggling Abby, JB and the stressful occupation I have chosen (I am sure time for myself will come back into the mix - eventually). That's my life these days - Deals & Diapers!