Worst Mom Award

Today started off with a bang. Alivia woke up early (6:40) and I thought I'll let her fuss and see if she goes back to sleep...15 min later no such luck. So I go in to get her and I can tell that if I give her a bottle she'll go back to sleep for a bit. Well I reach to get her and she lifts her head at the same time and I jammed my fingernail into her head! Poor Baby!!! Of course she starts to scream and cry and I feel terrible and I quickly pick her up and realize she's soaked and that's why she's awake and now I'm soaked too and I feel even worse. So I change her (still crying) and take her into my room and she only drinks about 1 oz and is completely awake. Nothing like a jarring head shot to wake you up in the morning. Tuesday is not going so well.

Oh..and I haven't showered in quite a while. I think I'll go do that now. At least I'll be clean and tired instead of dirty and tired.

Nursing

Well I am almost officially done nursing. Yesterday I didn't nurse at all and things were going really well but this morning I woke up at 6:23 cause Livi was crying and I had to relieve some of the pressure. But I only nursed till it stopped hurting. So I guess we'll keep trying. She seems to do fine without it. And she loves her bottle so I don't feel like she's missing anything. The only one missing anything is me.

I am so thankful that I was able to nurse. It was really hard the first few weeks but so worth it in the end. There is just something about that time. Yes I had the slowest eater on the planet (40 min each time) and yes it was every 3 hours but each time I would get to just sit with her and enjoy looking at her for a whole 40 min at a time. When in my life is that going to happen with her again. When she's 15 she's not going to sit with me and talk for 40 min every 3 hrs. Or when she's 18 or when she's 25. This is the only time in our whole lives where we will have that time together. So I'm thankful. Extremely thankful.

Survival

We survived our first big night out without Alivia. It was pretty fun actually. I missed her dearly but I only called home once (and made James call home once). My mom came here (yes she lives 3 hours away...she's the greatesst) to watch Livi. I just knew it would take having my mom here for me to really feel comfortable leaving her for a whole evening. My mom even put her to bed for us.

James and I were discussing how even now there are times when you just want your mom. When I'm sick or when things are scary, frustrating or just plain hard I still want my mom. There is something about a mom that just makes everything better. I'm so excited that I will get to share in that. I'm excited to be the person Livi wants to turn to when she really needs someone to comfort her. I just pray that we can be as close as my mom and I are. That would be a blessing.

Valentine's Day

I used to hate Valentine's day. All the sappy, mushy, lovely-dovey stuff. Mainly cause I didn't have someone to share it with. But every since I met James Valentine's day has become a great day. Our very first Valentine's day we went to his brother's house (which was being totally redone at the time and no one lived in) and had a candle lit dessert. Our first year married we went to an awsome B and B and got snowed in...so fun! Our second year he suprised me with dinner from one of my favorite restaraunts and diamond earings. Our third year we had just moved into our house on February first so we celebrated at home. And this year he sent me roses, got cute cards for me (and Alivia), got me a CD that I've been wanting for a long time and took Liv and I to dinner so I wouldnt' have to cook.

I am so blessed to be married to such a caring, sweet, hard-working, amazing man. He has taken such good care of me and seeing him with Alivia just makes me love him more. He is such a good dad.

So thanks Babe for being my best bud, my baby-daddy (haha) and the love of my life. I am so glad we get to spend the rest of our lives together. There is no one else I can think of that I would want to be a parent with. Thanks for letting me be the crazy loon that you call your wife. I love you.

Snow-y Day

So the snow storm actually hit. We were laughing about it yesterday because everytime the weathermen predict snow they are wrong. But for one the rumored snow came. We had some good friends over last night for wine and cheese (cause we're fancy...) and while there were here the snow started and didn't stop till this morning at 9. Church was even cancelled. So we had a wonderful lounging day at home with just the three of us. Livi got her first real view of snow and made a decision...she hates snow. Okay so it might have been the snow hat and snow suit that made it impossible for her to move. But we voted it was the snow. What she does love though is spending a whole day with mommy AND daddy. I love being home bound if James is here too. And snow is really pretty (before everyone starts driving on it and plowing it). All in all a great start to our week. Hope your week is looking good too.


oh yea...Is anyone else obsessed with the Olympics? I am decidedly not a huge sports fan. I will watch football (especially if its the Steelers...or Pitt) but other than that I would rather take a nap or even clean. But the Olympics start and I'm glued to it. I would watch it all day and night if it wouldn't affect my family. Good thing it only come every few years.

Cabin Fever

We made it through a whole day and no big stories to report. And tomorrow I get my car back and I can go grocery shopping. There is a big huge difference between choosing not to leave the house and not have a choice. I miss my car and can't wait to have it back. Even the grocery store sounds fun. Cabin Fever!

Another Day

This week is most definitely not going as planned. After yesterdays turnpike debacle one would think that things would go up from there right?! Well apparently not. This morning James went out to his truck to leave for work and the battery was dead (he left his much loved satellite radio on all weekend...Oops) . So he took my car for the day meaning we still don't have much food in the house since today was grocery day. But we had leftovers so that worked out. Then this evening he talked to his brother Matt who has jumper cables (ours are MIA since James is in the process of moving all of his work stuff to his new shop). James went out to drive to Matt's (in my car) and my car won't start either. Luckily Matt said that he would bring the cables here. They got James' car started and figured out it was my starter (thank God this didn't happen on the turnpike yesterday) and were able to get it started and drove it to the shop that we use. So looks like tomorrow is another at home day for me.....maybe Wednesday will be uneventful. Then again maybe not.

The Turnpike Story

Today we drove home from my parents house....it took 8 hours. The trip from Indiana to Ebensburg took an hour because of snow and wind and coal trucks. So we weren't off to a good start. Livi only sleep a half hour but was pretty happy. She started to fuss a bit around the Blue Mountian exit of the turnpike and I could hear James' stomach growling so we stopped for lunch and a good stretch. We got back on the road around 12:50ish. As we neared the first tunnel there was a PennDot truck with a flashing sign that said "SLOW DOWN NOW...ACCIDENT AHEAD". So we obeyed the signs...but after the tunnel there wasn't an accident so we start to relax....then we saw the traffic. It was actually more of a parking lot. We stopped and I got in the back with Livi. About 20 min later we started to move and we thought...that wasn't too bad. Unfortunelty we only move about 10 yards were we stopped and spent the next 3 hours. I got cabin fever after about the 2 hour. James kept taking little trips up a nearby hill to see if anyone was moving. And we watched other people in there cars. Thankfully Livi enjoyed exploring the car, she took a little nap and was all in all happy to be with us. At one point we realized that my cell phone was MIA. So after some searching (including James looking under the car....in case the phone crawled out) we realized that it had slipped down into the space that the E-Brake comes out of. (I'm sure there is a technical term that I don't know). James' hand didn't fit so I reached in and was able to get it...I did leave a good bit of my hand behind. So I have battle scars and a good turnpike story. We are just so glad to be home. And I have never been so excited to see a bathroom in my life...except that on time at Joe and Kelly's but thats another story.

All in all it was a long day but we had a good time talking and laughing in the car. And we are so grateful that we weren't a few minutes ahead of the game. If the trip had gone better from Indiana to Ebensburg we very well might have been involved in the accident. Thank you Lord. Amazing how the things that are frustrating (snow, coal trucks) often are the things God uses to keep us from something much worse. I'm so glad we were all together and it wasn't just me in the car with Alivia...cabin fever would have set in much, much earlier.

So that was our Monday. Hope yours was much less eventful.

Super Bowl

Even though she slept through most of it Alivia is super excited that the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Notice that they haven't won in years and the year Livi is born they win....Coincidence?! I think not!

Congrats

I would like to say congratulations to two of my friends who had babies this week. On Feb. 1st April gave birth to Ava Corrine. I bet big brother Lane is so excited. And on Feb 2nd Heather (who was a bridesmaid in my wedding and the cutest pregnant girl ever) gave birth to Cameron Paul. I can't wait to meet them. I'm going to have to wait a while to meet Cameron (since they live 5 hours away) but I hope to meet Ava in the next few weeks. Livi has a new play mate.

Whenever people talk about babies it makes me think....hmmm I could do that again. Its just been such a joy to have Livi.

It's amazing

...the difference a week makes. Last week I was walking around in a haze brought on by lack of sleep and this week things are so normal again. Everyone has told me that when your baby is sick you can't remeber what it was like before and you can't imagine it not being the way it is now. Then suddenly its over, the baby is better and the sun shines again. (so not literally in PA cause its been a gray week!) . Now things are back to normal and I'm just so thankful. And the best part is she won't even remember being sick.