Wow- an update

So to start this post, I want to show you something cute, at least I think so.

"Look ma, NO hands."

Just as long as she doesn't do that while riding her bike, I think I'll be okay.

And then, something beautiful (I hope). This is me at my niece's junior year Military Ball. She is in NJROTC now in high school, the same NJROTC program I was in, and I wanted to be a part of a special night for her by going while visiting in Florida. And so I did. The handsome man beside me is Retired Lt Colonel Nardo, a man I am proud to look up to. He has such a sweet soul, and even though I have known him almost 10 years now (EEK, did I say that??) this is the first picture I have ever gotten with him. But now he will be someone I can point to and talk about graciously to my grandkids (grandkids, what? I JUST had a baby!).

I know it has been a while since I wrote. A long while actually, but I am going to try to get back into it. The thing is though, once I returned from Florida, I started summer school. Which means I am taking Pre-Calculus and I absolutely loathe it, but have somehow formed a very attached relationship with my book (aka studying). I am also continuing my accelerated classes at the University of Phoenix and taking another class at the community college. Add on top of my studies the search for a job, and potentially a new house to rent AND a seven month old and it makes for one busy Momma.
But on the flip side at least I am doing well in all of my classes, I might have a C in one of the three, but I am okay with that. And I have less than 80 days until I turn in my last assignment as an undergraduate student!!! HOW FLIPPIN' EXCITING IS THAT?!?!?! (It makes me want to jump for joy! It's only taken me five years to complete.) Which by the way, I am going to save my money from now until September and I am going to buy myself a Nook as my graduation present, sounds blissful doesn't it?

We did find that Magaroni likes swimming, if you have a well heated pool and a floating device shaped like a turtle! Because on Father's Day, Scott, Maggie and I lathered on the sunscreen and donned our swimsuits and headed to the pool. AND NO TEARS!!! It was great the 20 minutes we were in before there was thunder and the pool was closed for the rest of the day. But now we know we can go swimming with the babe. And I think we might try and make it a weekly thing (as long as I do not have drill) until September when they close the pools again (who has ever heard of closing a pool in Coastal NC in SEPTEMBER?). Thank goodness a friend of ours also has a pool that we can use as well.

And when it comes to exercising, well I haven't. I have been so tired lately and it has been so hot that it is just so hard to even get off the couch (not really, I do play with my child) that exercising seems way out of the picture. But I am back up to 170 pounds and NEED to start doing something SOON!!! So I think I will spend tomorrow hydrating, because I didn't today, and run Saturday morning. Sound like a plan? It does to me too. Anyone want to join me. ANYONE???? I may also get my husband to go to the gym with me at some point to show me how to use some weight machines, because well I do have a child care pass to use at the gym and I need to get my money's worth out of it.

But I think that is enough updating for now. And hopefully I get better at this- again. If I do, I think I might even have someone design the blog for me (and possibly switch back to wordpress, because I like how you add photos better).

poor sick baby.

"I am sorry for ever doing this to you." - my husband to Maggie

Tonight starting at about 7pm our exhausted Magaroni started getting really cranky. This is abnormal for her. Bed time is normally pretty easy. Not tonight. And so I walked. I patted. I laid her down. I walked. I patted. And repeat for almost an hour. We gave her Tylenol (Up & Up brand) thinking her teeth were bothering her. We gave her a teether. We gave her teething gel. Still we had a screaming, whimpering, runny nosed little baby on our hands.

And then we realized her little constipated tummy may be bothering her. And so we called Nurse Advice (okay Scott called). They advised us to give the little one warm apple juice (something we already tried yesterday). They did say not to dilute it. And that she could have up to 5 ounces a day. And so the warming and feeding of apple juice commenced.

And then I fed her for a second time in two hours.

And then we tried to decide what to do from her. She was still crying. She was still upset.

Then the light bulb went off. Take her temperature rectally. It could stimulate a bowel movement. As I took her temperature she started passing gas. And within 30 seconds of removing the thermometer, a little poop ball fell into her diaper.

Scott held her little legs. I massaged her tummy. I tried to help her relax. And she pooped. And she pooped. And she pooped. And now our little screaming constipated little girl is asleep in her bed.

But I can say this. You know you are a parent when you sit around your child and try to help them poop to make them feel better.
(Scott however apologized for having to take her temperature rectally. And hopes that it wouldn't scare her for life.)

BANANAS

So today I decided I wanted to feed Maggie some mashed up bananas for breakfast. While my mom was holding Maggie (and the rest of the banana) Maggie decided to dive in and eat straight from the banana. And she did great! She loves munching on the banana. And it was the cutest thing trying to see her grab the banana and eat it. (Sorry no pictures.)

Well after nomming on the actual banana, she ate some mashed banana mixed in with cereal. And she loved that too! It was so good to her that she actually got mad at me when the bowl was empty. I guess that is good because it is all she can eat (new anyway) for the next three days. Mashed banana. Yummy mashed banana.

Go Maggie.

(So currently we know she can eat green beans, banana, and apples. Because if she has had apple juice she can have applesauce too right? Apple are apples, right?)

Teething HELL

Okay, so while Maggie has been teething since JANUARY, she has now entered teething hell, inclusive of random crying fits full of "GIVE ME MY MOMMY", "I DON'T WANT TO SHUSH", and "GIVE ME A PACI THAT'S BEEN IN THE FREEZER RIGHT NOW". At least that is how I am interpreting the SCREAMING and the tears (oh the tears) and the squealing.

Last night she was up 3 times and today she napped for 45 minutes and was then up screaming for the next 2 hours. The only thing that makes her happy is eating or sleeping, but we can't even get her to do those two things as normal. HELP.

Does anyone have any suggestions? We are already using teething gel, teething tablets, Baby Tylenol (Up & Up brand of course), water filled pacifiers in the freezer, wash clothes, and chewing on Sophie. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? Please, oh please, tell me!

Firsts

So yesterday (5/7/10) Maggie ate her first vegetable, green beans. It was slightly boring. She didn't make a face. She didn't try to spit it out. She just ate the green beans just as if it were cereal. I was expected something funny. I was expecting something fun. But nope, she just ate. So I guess we at least know she is going to be a good eater. Probably a great eater, at least that is what I am hoping for.

Today she got in the swimming pool for the first time. We went through the whole ordeal. Sunscreen on 30 minutes early. Huggies Little Swimmers diaper. Cute bathing suit. Cute hat with a strap. Sunglasses. All of it. And we headed outside to the swimming pool. Scott got in the pool first and I handed Maggie into him. And she cried. Not wailed, but she definitely wasn't having it. We put her in the float we have for her. And she cried. Scott held her again. She cried some more. So swimming pool trial #1 was a FAIL.

We think the water was too cold for her at a mere 86 degrees. We are hoping the water warms up and she likes swimming more, because Scott and I both love to be in the water. And Maggie loves her baths, so we are hoping this passes and she eventually likes the swimming pool.

(Pictures of both of these to come soon.)