Giving Thanks

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow I have decided to write about what I am most thankful for in my life. Anyone that knows me probably already knows the answer to this but I’m going to write it anyway. I am so very thankful for my beautiful baby girl who brings great joy and happiness into my life every single minute. I am thankful for Jason for being the great person and good father that he is. He works hard (but not as hard as he would want people to believe :) to provide a roof over our heads among other things. I am especially grateful for our relationship that is genuine and full of love. I am thankful that I understand that life is not about what you have or do but appreciate the fact that I could if I really wanted. For me life is about spending time with my family and enjoying every second that I have with them as tomorrow is not a promise and anyone can be gone in an instant.

I have great parents who I think may be even better grandparents a great mom who is a wonderful grandmother. My mom is a great person, and I hope that I become more like her. I am thankful for my dad who works hard and would do anything for us; Annabelle has him wrapped tighter around her finger than she has Jason. My mom has taught me a lot of things and have made me who I am. I am thankful for my sister who I have always loved dearly even if I didn’t like her. She is a wonderful aunt and I can’t imagine her being to treat Annabelle any better than she already does. I hope that I am as good of an aunt to her children as she is to mine. I am also thankful for her future husband who treats Annabelle just like his own and treats my sister well. I am especially thankful for the fact my family shares common interests and genuinely enjoys each other’s company. I am thankful for my grandparents who think that Annabelle is the most precious thing and have such concern for her. I am thankful for my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am thankful that I got to spend 25 years of my life with my great-grandmother. She was one of a kind and ahead of her time. She had high expectations for us all and I hope that I met most of them.
I’m thankful that Annabelle has her daddy’s fun loving and laid back personality. They both have to be the life of the party and in most instances they are. Annabelle has been stealing daddy’s spotlight but he doesn’t seem to mind (too much). I am thankful for our cats and our dog that taught us responsibility and helped prepare us, as corny as it sounds, for being parents.
I am thankful for my job, that although it isn’t the most wonderful or glamorous job in the world it is a job. It pays my bills and allows me to be home to spend time with my family.

I feel very blessed on a daily basis that I have the life that I do. I know that it isn’t fancy but it is very exciting. I never know what the day is going to hold, especially since my child is a wildcat!

49 Weeks!

My big girl is getting so tall and thinning out; she looks like such a little girl now instead of a baby.  Her temper is showing itself more and more.  If she gets mad and try to hand her something to soothe her she just throws it.  It is so funny to think about but I try and not laugh at her when it happens.  That is only fueling the fire since she is at the stage of throwing things anyway.  She loves to drop things over the side of the bed or the couch and making mommy or daddy pick it up.  Last night Kate was barking and Annabelle yelled at her in her sleep!  It was so weird and funny at the same time.  It seems we have a lot of those moments at our house, where things are strange but we laugh our heads off about it at the same time.  It is almost time for Thanksgiving, I am ready for it.  I don't feel like I've had anything good to eat in about two weeks.  I was sick all weekend, just didn't really have an appetite and running a fever.  The last part of last week we made very bad choices for dinner.  One choice was some chinese, when we got it home it smelled just like cat litter and tasted awful.  Needless to say I only had about 2 pieces of that and we threw the rest away.  I am looking forward to seeing all of my family more than the food though.  I had living as far away as I do, it just seems like such a rush everytime we go home to see everyone.  I miss my little cousins and I wish that Annabelle was closer so that they could play more often. She really gets excited when she sees them.  We are only a couple weeks away from her party.  Her invitations look wonderful and I am very proud of the job Jason did on them.  I hope that she gets to play a lot at her party and has a good time.  I hope that we don't get stressed out and can have a good time as well.  Looking forward to all of our family and friends being able to be there and celebrate with us.

Sesame Street

I was never a big fan of Sesame Street, not sure why, it just didn't appeal to me.  Since it is the fortieth anniversary there have been a lot of things online about it.  A blog that I follow recently posted some youtube videos of breast feeding that have appeared on Sesame Street.  They are just so sweet, it almost makes me cry.  I don't know if it is just the fact that I'm a mother or the fact that I'm a breast feeding mother.  These videos just make me smile, I think part of the emotion is knowing that mine and Annabelle's special time together is going to come to a close in the near future.  I am going to miss that time probably more than I've ever missed anything.  I'm not being overly dramatic, the bond that we have is just something that I can not explain. I am very blessed that I have been able to have such a wonderful experience with my little girl.  I am just so thankful for her. 

Here are some of the videos -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4EUE9KBDUU  (there is also a bottle feeding version of this :) the song is just too adorable)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3DWRhfNm4c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFNwbc0X7GI

48 Weeks!

My baby is a year old in four weeks, it is one month until her birthday party.  It makes me so sad to think about, yet on the other hand very excited for the things to come in all of our lives.  Her invitations arrived yesterday, daddy had to do a little retouching to them, nothing noticable.  They are just as adorable as I imagined they were going to be, just as cute as they looked on daddys computer.  In the future though we are going to have to order a bigger size. 
Annabelle is cutting some new teeth and it seems she is having a little bit harder time with them than before.  It doesn't really make her feel that bad just makes her use the bathroom a lot and the pain doesn't allow her to sleep as well as she normally does.  She has been running a fever but we try and keep it contained with Motrin or Tylenol.  She doesn't get medicine very often because momma just doesn't wanna have to give it to her unless absolutely necessary.  Don't get me wrong, I give it to her if she seems to be in serious discomfort but I just don't give it to her to be doing so.  This momma is not much on medicine herself.  So far, knock on wood, we have went 11 months without being sick.  I attribute some of that to breast feeding and the rest to Annie's own good and strong immune system.  I rarely was sick as a child so I hope that continues with her. 
The basement is not completely cleaned, we are still working on it.  It will be done by the party though and then afterward the playroom will be down stairs so that we have to continue to keep it clean.  The entire house should be clean by the first of the month.  Annabelle (and mommy & daddy) is going to have such a fun time at her party!!!  Granny has finished her birthday outfit, I haven't seen it yet but I know that it will be adorable.  My sister says they should be sold on etsy (my favorite website).  Mom might have to look into that in the future but her problem is she wants to give everything away.  I am very lucky to have a crafty mom!

11 Months!

To my beautiful girl on her eleventh month of life,
You have such a great and shining personality, we went shopping a bit today and you talked to at least fifty different people.  If they do not give you attention you start waving at them and saying "hi!" If they gave you attention first you just smiled and didn't say anything.  Your favorite face to make is your excited face, I expect to see that a lot on your birthday and at Christmas.  Over this past month you have have bonded so much with daddy.  You have always loved him but now you are turning into a daddy's girl.  It makes me very happy to see how well you two play together and how much daddy loves you and have much you love daddy.  The past couple of mornings you have woke up and called him Papa - then started calling me momma!  You talk and you even sing - Party in the USA is one of your favorites as is any Lil Wayne song.  It is so sweet and cute to watch you dance.
You still aren't walking on your own, but you will stand by yourself so I do not believe that it isn't going to be much longer.  When we were shopping with Aunt V for her wedding dress she was walking away from us and you wanted to go with her so you just stood up and for just a second I thought that you were going to walk after her.  You enjoyed dress shopping, I think because they were so shiny and pretty.  You just wanted to touch them and go in the dressing room with Aunt V.  You are going to be the most beautiful flower girl.  Your hair is coming in pretty good now, just needs to fill in at the front (it kinda looks like dad's hairline at the moment :).
You had such a fantastic first Halloween, we went to Manchester and you wore your monkey costume.  It was so much fun.  You really enjoyed helping hand out candy and watching all of the other trick or treaters!!We are always having fun these days, you giggle and laugh all the time.  It is still rare for you to cry :)  Everyone comments on how happy and social you are.  Social is not a trait that you received from mom or dad.  We aren't antisocial or anything but we aren't the social butterflies that you are.  We are getting more and more excited for your birthday party.  The invitations are here and we are getting them ready to mail out.  Daddy did a very good job no them, they are adorable :)
You are a very smart little cookie, you know how to get daddy's debit card out of his wallet and go straight for it every time.  You are so observant that you know debit cards get swiped and so you try to swipe daddys in a slot on dadda's computer.  It makes daddy and I laugh and laugh!  You keep us entertained and we wonder sometimes what we ever did with all of our time before you got here.  We must have just been so bored, I guess we wasted a lot of time doing nothing.  We are never ever bored now thats for sure.  You keep us going all the time, I don't even know what its going to be like when you walk.  You make our lives so wonderful and great.  We love you so much!

-MOMMA

47 Weeks!

My baby is learning so many new things.  It is just incredible to watch her mind working.  She loves to shake her head no even though she doesn't really know what she is doing.  We are working on shaking it yes but so far we have only gotten to no.  Her language is still growing and she still isn't walking.  I know that I shouldn't expect her to be walking yet so I'm not really worried about it.  I know she can do it if she really wanted to, she is able to stand but the moment she realizes she isn't holding on to something she just sits down.  She is so adorable.  Her daddy has taught her to give eskimo kisses, she almost takes off the whole side of your face but that is okay.  She gives full blown hugs now that are just so sweet that it made me just about cry the first time she did it.  She will put her little fingers behind your neck and rub on you. I just love that little baby so much.  I can't wait to get her every evening and play just to see what silly things she is going to do. I wish that I have been able to stay home with her and I get sad knowing that her first year is almost over and feel that we have missed out on some things.  The older she gets the more I will miss but I am accepting the fact it will never be a reality.  It really stinks but I need to be thankful for what I have. 

Birthday Party List

*Clean the basement completely
*Clean the rest of the house
*Buy the stuff to make the cake
*Practice making the cake
*Order her a small cake for pictures
*Fix the carpet in the basement
*Buy treats for the treat bags
*Take pictures for birthday invitations
*Make birthday invitation
*Order birthday invitations
*Buy some more decorations
*Get cups, plates, silverware, etc
*Have mom bring up the tables


Oh my I know that it is a lot longer than this, I just can't think right now.  Helps me to write it down and have it one place.