FUN TIMES

She is becoming so animated...her facial expressions kill me.  Of course 90% of the time I am unable to catch them on camera or video. Maybe her new found interest is my iPhone will help with that.  While she may turn her head away when I am trying to take a picture of her or she stops doing whatever she is doing when I try to take a video, she can't take her eyes off the screen when she sees herself on it. Who needs a mirror when you can flip the image on your iPhone?

2nd BEACH TRIP

TRAVEL WITH BABY

You'd think we were going away for more than just the weekend. I guess it's par for the course traveling with a baby :)

A LITTLE CRAFTY

I have made Addison a few more headbands & a couple flowers on either alligator clips to attach to headbands or pins that can be added to anything.  I am working on a skirt & a pair of shoes...this whole domestic, crafty thing is new for me so I am hoping those projects turn out. 

Modeling 2 headbands I made & a adorable knit scarf my friend Deb made for her

TYPICAL DAY

I am happy to report that I was able to complete my errands today without any embarrassment or explosions.

I have had a lot of people ask me what a "typical" day looks like for us.  While our day to day activities vary, we definitely have a routine that works for us.  I stress the works for us part because  what works for Addison & I might not work for others. Because I have had so many parenting ideas/philosophies shoved down my throat & been criticized if I deviate away from them, I am often torn in blogging about these things because I don't want anybody to think that I feel like my parenting strategies are superior to another mothers. I am learning that parenthood is a judgment zone. There is a constant comparison between how fast children are developing, the clothes they wear, whether they are breastfed or bottle fed...you get my jist. Mom bloggers are even being attacked now for painting "unrealistic pictures of parenting".  The bottom line is that when I write I am simply writing about what is working for us. Okay, back to a typical day. I also think it's important to stress that Addison is on a self-directed routine.  What I mean by that is she takes naps when she is tired, she eats when she is hungry & plays when she wants to play.  Because I followed her lead early on we now have an established routine that just so happens to fall around the same time of day. I absolutely deviate from it when necessary but this is what a typical day looks like for us:

• 7:00-7:30: Addison wakes up.  She greets me with a GIANT smile (probably because she knows she is about to have her diaper changed & eat). We take our time upstairs, open the curtains & say hello to the day then head downstairs.
• 7:30-8:00:  I make coffee & feed Addison.  Philip usually comes down stairs around this time & he plays with Addison. If it's a day I feel like running this is usually when I head out for my run.
• 8:00-9:00/9:30ish: I put her in her walker in the kitchen by me, turn on some music & make myself breakfast. After that we play.  Some people have specific things they do during morning play time but I just do whatever keeps her attention. Sometimes we read books, have tummy time, play in her play gym, sit on the couch...whatever keeps her content.
• 9:00/9:30ish: She usually starts to rub her eyes & get restless with whatever we are doing so we head upstairs.  I turn on her noise machine & she knows it's nap time. I make sure she has on a fresh diaper, swaddle her & put her in her crib awake.  Sometimes she gets mad & cries but most times she lays on her back for a few minutes starring at her owl mobile or plays with her hungry caterpillar on the inside of her crib, then she rolls over onto her tummy & goes to sleep. I usually work out during this time.
• 10:15-10:30ish: She wakes up.  Thankfully she wakes up happy so I can take my time going up to get her.  She lays contently in her crib & I usually pick out what she is going to wear for the day.
• 10:30: She ALMOST always eats around this time. 
• 10:30-1:30: I change her diaper & we either play or this is when we head out. Sometimes she dozes off for a 15-20 minute cat nap in this time frame but not always.
• 1:30/2:00-4:00: She eats then goes down for about a 2 hour nap.  I clean, get things ready for dinner, craft, blog & sometimes just relax on the couch & read a magazine or watch some tv.
• 4:00-4:45: She usually wakes up. Plays & then eats.
• 4:45-7:00: We play some more. We eat dinner & she usually watches a little baby Einstein during this time. This is when she gets quality daddy time.  If it's a night I take a class at the gym Philip stays with her & I go to the gym.
• 7:00-7:45:  We say good night to the house (it may sound silly but we do) If it's a bath night we go into her room, shut her curtains & say goodnight moon, turn on her sound machine then she takes a long bath...SHE LOVES her bath. She usually plays in her crib while we listen to music for a little bit, she eats then goes to sleep. If it's a night she doesn't typically take a bath we close the curtains & say goodnight moon put her in her pajamas, read, she eats & goes to sleep. Sometimes she is awake when I put her in her crib but she mostly falls asleep while she is eating. 
• 7:45-11:00ish- This is when I usually blog. I straighten up the downstairs & Philip & I spend quality time together.

It works for us.  There are obviously days where things come up unexpectantly, she has a Dr.'s appointment or we are out & about past her nap time.  She is pretty good about still napping during her normal times even if we aren't at home because she is tired.  Same thing with bedtime.  The few times we have had her out past 8:00 pm she was a little fussy & then fell asleep.

I have had a lot of criticism for having Addison in a routine & been told she won't be well adjusted. I obviously feel differently about that.  I personally thrive off of routine, as most people do so why wouldn't a baby?  Like I said in the beginning, she established her routine.  Philip & I listened to her cues very early on & it has made life much easier for us.  A happy well rested baby makes a happy well rested mommy. 

WORST EVER

{note the look of guilt}

Today has been quite the day & it's only 1:00 pm...

The rain & cooler weather has had us cooped up in the house the last few days so I figured we'd run some errands today & meet a friend at Chick-fila for lunch.  Addison ate, had a diaper change, I bundled her up & we headed out.  10 minutes later we pulled up to our first stop, TJ Maxx. Addison was all smiles, giggling & jerking around her duck, Mr. McQuacken. It seemed perfect, the TJ Maxx parking lot seemed empty & I was hopeful to breeze in & return a few items & get out quickly.  While standing in line at the customer service desk I feel a light tap on my shoulder, "ma'am, there is something dripping from the cart."  I remembered grabbing the cart & there was nothing inside of it before I put Addison in. She was fine, sitting contently in her car seat smiling & cooing away. In pure horror I looked down to see a runny yellow substance dripping from the bottom of her car seat. "What in the world is that?" I thought. NOOO...surely it wasn't poop!?! I had just changed her diaper before we left & Addison can't stand a dirty diaper. She was happy, surely it wasn't poop?!  I panicked.  I keep wet ones in the diaper bag and while making my way to the restroom I gently rubbed the bottom of the car seat just beneath Addison's bottom, hoping to pull away a clean wet wipe.  NOPE! In complete embarrassment I dart out of TJ Maxx to the Volvo. I figured I would assess the damage & change her in the car. I open the door & as I go to put Addison's car seat in the car seat base I am completely horrified. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

What in the world was I going to find on the inside of her car seat? This is by far the diaper blowout of all diaper blowouts for sure. At this point I am gagging...yes an ER nurse that deals with blood, vomit, poop & all sorts of disgusting stuff was gagging at the sight of her daughter's poopy mess.  How can something so cute & dainty produce such a disgusting mess?  What do I do?! Do I strip her down & try my best to clean up the base or do I head back to the house??  I decided the best thing to do is try & clean out the base & head back to the house.  Meanwhile Addison is still sitting in her car seat with her legs lifted in the air. 

I think it goes without saying that her car seat was a complete mess & so was she.  I stripped her down, rinsed her off & took the car seat apart & threw everything in the wash.  It was a gentle reminder as to why we decided to use Pampers diapers.  Last week a friend gave me almost an entire box of size 1 Huggies & that is what she was wearing.  Poor baby. Sorry for the poop picture but explaining it wouldn't do it justice.

JUST SOME PICTURES