I am definitely a mom!

Things are not about me anymore....I am asking for a new diaper bag for mothers day. Maybe I can ask for Easter!! Mine are all too small for all the stuff I carry right now. I do over pack just incase we need something. I do not like feeling unprepared. Now that she is playing with toys I need even MORE room. I have found a few I like but none of the stores close to me sale them for me to check them out in person. I don't really want to get one without seeing how big it actually is. There is a store in Richmond that sales one I kind of like. They give a discount if I find the same thing online for cheaper plus they gave me a coupon.

Easter Basket

Today I finally ordered Annabelles Easter basket. It is the pink one with polka dots, her name is going to be in green! Pink was the only color of liner left when I ordered earlier today. I checked back a few mins later and they were completely sold out of all of them! We had looked at them a few weeks ago and forgot about it. I guess I just got lucky. I am trying to think of things to put in it for her. Probably just candy for me and her daddy and maybe a Baby Einstein video or two.

15 weeks!

Anniebelle is 15 weeks now. With each day she changes so much...I now call her lil Jason or Jason's twin because she is in the stage where she looks just like him. My mother gave mom a big picture of her when she was about three months old and Annabelle looks very similar to her. It is so strange how she can look so much like so many different people yet still be herself. She is rolling from her side to her back now. I am very surprised that she hasn't started rolling completely over yet, she did it a few times when she was tiny. Must have been accidental or something though because she didn't keep it up. Jason believes she will be an early walker. Somedays we put her on her stomach and just expect her to start crawling. It is so funny to watch her raise herself up.

In the past week she has been able to hold objects in her hands. On the way to Manchester last weekend she would pick up the burp cloth and hold it with both hands, one on each side of it. She also passes things from one hand to the other. Last night Jason was giving her a teething ring (she isn't teething but likes to chew on them) and she would put it in one hand and then the other. It is so amazing to watch.

Annabelle is still being breastfed. I feed her before and after work and pump while I am working. She has started taking cereal in at least one bottle a day now. The cereal does not fill her up anymore than the milk does. She is a pig! I can't wait to start giving her baby food. It makes me sad to think though that she is already big enough for baby food.

Annabelle is still one of the best babies I have ever seen. She loves to smile and laugh and talk to us. She talks more to her daddy than she does anyone else. She gets so happy sometimes that she shreiks. I love it! Jason has said she's spoiled us by being such a good baby.

14 Weeks old!!

Yesterday Annabelle turned 14 weeks old. Yeah, I know its not a big deal about how many weeks old they are but I like keeping up with it. Time has flown by, I am back at work and although I do not like being away from her I have gotten a little bit used to it. This week has not been nearly as hard on me as last week was thank God. I have a great babysitter that I am very thankful for!

She is finally starting to lay in the bed by herself and sleep, she gets angry when her daddy wakes her up in the mornings. This morning she was really mad at him plus she had some gas which made her even madder.

She has been eating cereal a couple days a week for the past week. It doesn't really seem to make her any fuller than when she just had the milk. She sleeps so well at night that sometimes I wake up at the usual time she would wake up. She is a precious little thing. She notices everything now and will raise her head up if your holding her in your lap and look at you while you talk. She still LOOOVES basketball and we watch it all the time. Veronica stayed with us Wednesday night and she got to watch us play tennis. She liked it for awhile and then got tired and wanted to go home. We all had a bad Wednesday evening, but things seem to be getting better. We are going home tonight but our plans have changed a little.

Daddy now calls baby, Anniebelles or Annie. She loves her daddy and so do I! I think she is going to be a cat person like her momma. She likes to watch Scottie & Pootie play. She doesn't really care to watch Kate but I think thats because Kate doesn't pay her any attention and the cats do. Katie Bones has decided she likes sleeping outside at night now, Jason doesn't like it. My nose has started tingling today, I hope that doesn't mean what I'm afraid it means. No one needs that right now. It would be fun though to watch Jason take complete care of Annabelle except for the feeding :) lol

She has started eating 14 ounces while she is at the baby sitters. That is two more than I can pump during the day so I have started having to pump in the evenings. I was very proud of myself that I was pumping 10 ounces a day, and Jason told me that when I was able to get to 12 she would be at 14. Sure enough thats what happened. The day I got 12 was the day she went to 14 LOL. She is such a stinker already lol

Pictures!!

Today we had our first set of family pictures at Portrait Innovations. They turned out really good. I was surprised actually at how good they were. We only had a few shots of the three of us. They were mostly of the main man Annabelle. I will add some when I upload them to the computer. I'm feeling a little lazy right now and haven't done so yet.

Daddy just asked if we could take Annabelle to see the Jonas Bros at Rupp...he is so silly!

My baby is 13 weeks old

It is so unbelievable! I can not believe that she is already 3 months old...I had to go back to work this week--horrible horrible times. Mom is keeping little one today, they didn't have school in Clay Co. so she is spending some time with her. I can't believe that at this time a year ago Annabelle was so tiny you could barely see her and I didn't even know it yet! She is such a miracle. I can not even describe how happy and wonderful she has made my already great life.

We go for pictures tomorrow and I am very very excited. I bought her a cute onesie today with her initial on it. It will look so nice on her pretty little skin!

This past week she has started to grab at stuff including Pootie's hair. She loves to play on her Baby Einstein playmat and swing her arms and legs at the stuff hanging down.

Getting slightly better

and by slightly I mean SLIGHTLY. I have not cried as much today as the previous two days. I still am very sad that I have to leave my baby. If only those women back in the 50's working for women's rights knew what they were doing to me!!!!!!!!!!!! (I am partially serious)

She is three months old today. It is so hard to believe but she has been a part of me for the past 12 months.

Your Third Month

Annabelle,
Today you, our beautiful baby girl, turns three months old. I am so sorry that I had to leave you and go back to work. I know that you do not mind it though because you are always smiling and happy and I always get good reports when I call to check on you. I know that it is harder on me than it is on you, but I want you to know that I miss you so much. Mommy feels so bad that I have to leave you each morning. I feel so wonderful when I get to pick you up. I am so grateful that I got to spend the past three months doing nothing but caring for you and loving you. It was the best three months of mommys life. You are such a special and wonderful little girl. We had good times going to see daddy at lunch and going to visit in Manchester. I am glad that you got to spend as much time as you did in Manchester. You won't remember it but you loved every second of it.

Mommy & daddy are so blessed to have you as our child. There is nothing in the world we would not do for you. Daddy has even turned into a pro at changing diapers. Before you were born he said he would make mommy change all the diapers. Mommy and daddy love to sing to you and dance with you. Daddy usually sings to you when you are getting changed. Recently daddy has done a very good job of getting you ready for bed after your bath. He dries you off, puts a new diaper on, rubs lotion on you and then dresses you before he hands you off to me to feed. When daddy puts lotion on your back you look like you are getting ready to crawl away. It makes us laugh at how strong you are and how small you look in only a diaper. You look like such a big girl when you have your clothes on. The weather has been very nice for the past few days so we have gotten to spend a lot of time outside. This past weekend granny and grandpa came to visit and we stayed down in the yard. You looked so cute in your jacket and hood. You always look cute though. We could not haved ask for a more perfect baby. We have even went for a walk in your stroller and you fell right to sleep. We had to go much slower than daddy and Kate did because Kate doesn't like to walk while on her leash, she just wants to run!

You still do not drink formula except on rare occassions. Mommy hopes to be able to feed you for a year. For the past few weeks you have been mesmerized by your little feet. You just sit and look at them and sometimes try to grab them. Mommy can tell how amazed you are by the look on your face when you realize that it is you that is making your toes move. Last week at grannys you tried to put your foot in your mouth LOL. You are such a laid back baby, mommy sat you up in your crib, you fell over and didn't even cry. We aren't sure how much you weigh this month, but it is over 13 lbs. We don't know your length either but daddy says you "are a tall drink of water." Sometimes daddy calls you Anniebelle or I call you Anniebellie. We are just so glad you here, we love you so much.

The second day...

is not much better than the first. In fact I believe it was harder this morning than yesterday morning. I miss so many things, and I really have to make myself not dwell on it. I just wish things were different. I feel that I made so many wrong decisions in my life and if only I had known how much I loved having a child and wanted to be home with her that I would not have went to graduate school and gotten those loans. Of course mom told me that I had not made any wrong decisions but I just wish things were different. I wish that Jason and I worked in the same town we lived in. Jason thinks it is as easy as me transferring to Fayette Co. but I do not want to work there. It is very hectic. I really do not like living in Lexington anyway. Sure it is close to everything but I have no one there. I don't mean to sound as though I am some pitiful person, I am very thankful for everything that I have and I know that at anytime anything could happen and we could have nothing. I am grateful because I know there are people who have lost everything. I wish a lot of things that will never happen but I have a great husband who loves me and that I love and a wonderful baby who brings joy to everyones lives.

Today....

was pretty bad. I don't really know if it was worse than I expected or better than I expected. I just know that it was bad! My day is almost over and I will soon be on my way to get my little one. I have missed her so much today. I know she is being taken care of well so I am very thankful for that. I have only called about 4 times today to check on her and gotten good reports each time. She was crying once when I called, but she had just woke up and we know how cranky she is when she wakes up lol. I have been pumping today and have been unable to get much in the four times I have pumped as I normally do at one time. That is a little disappointing for me. I will have to get some out of the freezer tonight so she will have enough for tomorrow. I will pump once more before I leave work and hopefully I will get a lot more out. I miss being able to nurse my baby during the day. I expect she will want to nurse a lot when we get home this evening. Jason will be lucky if he even gets to hold her. She slept on the way to the babysitters this morning and will probably sleep on the way home. I am very grateful that she loves to sleep in the car. It kind of seems like a nightmare that she is away from me today. I have to do this every day for the rest of her life, it is so depressing. She has children to play with when she is older and that isn't something she would have with me. I had planned on letting mom keep her next weekend but I don't think that is going to happen now.

One of the worst days ever..

Today I dropped my baby off at the babysitter's house. Leaving her is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I know it is harder on me than it is on her. She was smiling when I left. I will probably cry off and on all day long. I knew it would be very hard but I had not cried all weekend, but I did have horrible migraines, so I thought it would be just a little easier than I expected. Turns out I was wrong, I miss her already (of course) and I only dropped her off an hour ago. Maybe when I get through today things will be better. I had to wake her up before I left so that she wouldn't wake up in a weird place without her momma. I want to be able to stay home with her and take care of her myself but at the same time I want to make sure that we are able to afford to do things and have enough money to give her a great life. I don't want to struggle to get by. If I stayed home that is what we would be doing.

12 Weeks!

and some days....in three days she will be 3 months. She has grown so much, it is amazing to watch her. When she smiles and laughs it melts my heart and when she cries it breaks it a little. Luckily for us she doesn't cry very much!!! She is obsessed with her toes, they just amaze her. I have to go back to work tomorrow, my heart really will break.