The Hunzikers

For Sale

2012-01-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

Our house has been up for sale for about a week and a half. If you haven't heard the word, we are building a house in a town about 45 miles from where we are living currently. It's really bittersweet. We really feel we are supposed to move (I have never felt so strongly about anything in my life), but we are really sad to leave the town, people, and home we have grown to love. Although I am anxious for our house to sell and so excited about the new home we are building, I am so sad to leave the memories of our first home behind. Jeff and I had so much fun fixing the house up just how we wanted it...the painting, ceilings, garden, bathrooms, etc. I remember the "taking down the wallpaper nightmare" like it was yesterday. I remember feeling the rush to get the new bathroom done before we had a new little one to bathe in the tub. I remember Jeff scraping ceilings for hours while I picked out paint colors and painted three bedrooms while on winter break. I remember planting, harvesting, and bottling three years of vegetables--our garden was definitely the best the first year. Most of all, I remember bringing my little Heidi to this home.

I am sad to leave our town. I love all the parks and I love that I can walk to a lot of them. I have so many memories of walking with Jeff before Heidi came and millions more after she came along. I will miss having the running trail right next to my house and I have many, many memories of running in the early morning on that trail...skunks, rabbits, deer, kamakaze birds and all. I will miss walking to the grocery store. I will miss the school district...they have been SO good to me.

Most of all we will miss all the friends we have made. We have so many wonderful friends from church and work. I worry about starting all over again.

I'm so glad we moved here. I will miss it--but, I still hope our house sells and that another family can make some happy memories in this house. I hope they will love this house and town as much as we have. I keep reminding myself there are new memories to be made in a new place. The unknown is scary, but we just have to trust what we feel and we definitely feel we are supposed to go so fingers and toes crossed that our home will sell.

Unseasonably Warm

2012-01-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I'm not the only who has noticed that this winter hasn't really felt like winter at all. The temperature was in the 50s the other day so I took Heidi to the park.

Heidi wasn't nearly as mobile as she is now when it was still summer so I had so much fun watching her discover the park. She loved crossing the bridge and playing with the "y's"...that's what she calls every letter although if you ask her what x,y,h,t,or o are she will point to the right one every time.

She enjoyed the slides the most. She kept pointing and shouting, "WHEEE!" Then she would climb the stairs to get to the top, or just try to climb up the slide. She couldn't get enough.

Of course she had a blast with the woodchips. Our little girl loves to make a good pile of pretty much anything and everything so she had fun putting as many woodchips as she could gather in her hands and then dump them in her near little pile. If there were any that weren't quite in her pile she would quickly brush them off the step.

She also managed to see a herd of deer while collecting woodchips. She pointed and started chasing them saying, "D! D!"

Loving that slide.

The only part of the park she didn't like was when I told her we had to go.

Hooray for unseasonably warm winter days!

Happy New Year

2012-01-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I better catch up. So far 2012 has been very busy. Here are some highlights:

*We went down to Utah for the new year. We had so much fun spending time with Jeff's parents and as always, were so grateful they let us stay with them and especially for watching the little one while we ran a million errands.
*I went to the doctor and they are running some tests to see if they can figure out why we can't seem to get baby #2.

*We went up to Ogden to meet with the architect that is designing our new home. Our preliminary plans are done and we are just waiting on the bank and the builder to decide when we are going to build. We are hoping to get going this spring, but it all depends on if we can sell our home. So if you know anyone looking for a cute home here in GR, send them our way!
*All four of Heidi's canine teeth have broken through and we are anxiously awaiting them to come all the way down. Her top molars are 50% in, her bottom ones are complete and we really just can't wait until it's all over so we can have a little break before the two year molars make their debut.

*Heidi's favorite time of day is still morning and afternoon when the school buses drive past. She loves saying "kids!" when she sees the kids walk by. She was so happy when Christmas break was over so she could stand on the table and watch the buses again.
*I had the stomach flu last week, Jeff got it about 3 days later, and we are crossing our fingers, toes, legs, and arms that it steers clear of Heidi.
*I have been crazy busy at school getting progress reports ready and busy at church with different programs and other secretarial duties.
*Heidi managed to break my replacement phone today. I was a little embarrassed to go back in the store a couple of months after I got the new one from the last time my phone broke (although last time it wasn't her fault). Now I am using Jeff's old phone and lost all my contacts again. Definitely going with a different phone when we get a new contract.
*Jeff and I have been trying to get used to seeing each other only a few hours a week again...ugh.
*Heidi continues to be the worst climber ever. We knew she was going to be a climber from the time she started moving around, but now that she has figured out how to get on the chairs, there is no limit to what she'll try to climb. We aren't really sure how to fix this and I think at this point we are hoping it will lose it's appeal sooner rather than later!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

Heidi woke up screaming bloody murder at 3:15 am on Christmas morning. Although I would like to think she was just so excited for Christmas, we discovered she was getting some more teeth...ugh. Can we please be done already?? Needless to say, she was not the happiest Christmas girl, but we had a lot of fun nonetheless!

Her Grandma and Grandpa Hunziker gave her a princess chair and she could not be more thrilled. She now sits in the chair most of the day while pointing at what toy she wants me to bring her next. It's hilarious!

Heidi opened her chair first and then sat in her chair to open the rest. It was so fun this year because she was more aware of what was happening.

She kept tearing a little piece, taking the paper to the trash, and then returning to her chair to open a little more. It took quite awhile. We opened two presents before we attempted the hour long church service.

We thought she could make it an hour, but she really was not having a great day. I had to take her out and then Jeff took her out again and then we finally just left before the closing hymn.

We gave Heidi the Little People farm, a train, a leap frog discovery house and a couple of books. She was thrilled to have a few new toys to play with and I thought it was just perfect...not too much, not too little.

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with Jeff's cousin and his family. After some Advil Heidi took a decent afternoon nap and by the time we got to his cousin's house Heidi was happy as a clam and had a blast with their kids.

We had a great Christmas and can't wait to celebrate again next year!

December Fun

2011-12-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

I decided I better post tonight because tomorrow should probably have a post all of its own! We have been in heaven this last week. I didn't have to work this week and Jeff only had to work two days. If only we had this much time as a family all the time! I don't work next week and Jeff only has to work two days again so we are just hoping next week passes slower than this week!

Anyway, we took Heidi back to see Santa. Just as we suspected, she hated him. We couldn't even get a picture of her alone with him because she was shaking so badly and grabbing onto me for dear life.

We were lucky to finally get some snow a few days ago. I was worried we weren't going to have a white Christmas. Heidi loves being outside even in the cold. She stands by the garage door and says, "brrr". If she even hears the word 'outside' or 'cold' she says, "brrrr" repeatedly. It is so cute. We took her outside to play in the snow for a little bit and she enjoyed getting a little fresh air. We need to get some more snow so we can get some sledding in.

Heidi's little snowman...or as she says, "man man".

We have also been enjoying the Christmas lights this year. We have been taking Heidi out to look at them every night that Jeff is home. If we try to give her a bath before we go she stands by the garage door and starts crying. It is so funny. The whole time we are out she says, "WOW! Ligh! Cool! Man Man (snowman)! Oh oh oh (ho ho ho)!" I'm not sure what we are going to do when all the lights are gone. We will have one sad little girl. I cannot even believe how much more fun the holidays are with little ones. We feel so blessed to have our little Heidi and can't wait to see her joy tomorrow morning!

Merry Christmas!

Fun Visitors

2011-12-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend my brother Mark and his wife Rachel came for a visit. We had a great time! They just moved back to Utah and haven't had time come up here yet so we were thrilled when they decided to come for a few days. Heidi really started to warm up to them and she loves the tea set they brought her. They certainly spoiled her with lots of extra love and attention while they were here.

Rachel also got some great pictures of Heidi. We were so glad she brought her camera and snapped some pictures to help us remember our little one.

Thanks for coming to visit, Mark and Rachel! Come again soon!

Recent Happenings

2011-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

Heidi learned to get on the kitchen chairs. Luckily she really doesn't do it as long as I keep the chairs tucked in even though she knows how to pull them out. I'm sure that won't last long.

Heidi loved learning how to make Christmas cookies...she especially loved the cookie cutters.

We tried to go see Santa, but he was at lunch. We will try again soon when it's not lunchtime. We can't wait to snap a picture of her screaming her head off.n

We babysat Jeff's cousin's cute kids and they loved to doting on Heidi--and of course she loved the attention.

Heidi's hair must now be tamed at all times because it is wild and out of control.

We can't wait for Christmas to get here so we can finally have some time together as a family!

Little Things

2011-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

For your enjoyment, and in the hopes of us remembering what this little girl is like as she grows, here are some more little things our little monkey has been up to lately.

She is obsessed with her belly button, or as she says, "button". We have been wondering whether teaching her this was a great idea because she is actually more interested in finding our "buttons"...which means she is often caught trying to lift our shirts in public.

She is absolutely, completely, head over heels in love with the game of hide and seek. She prefers to be the one hiding and he favorite spot is behind mom and dad's "nigh nigh". Although it is her go-to hiding place 98% of the time, she finds it wildly hilarious when we find her--especially when we pretend we're trying to be quiet. She has also discovered the joy of hiding behind the curtains and I can't help but laugh my pants off every time I walk into our room and see the curtains moving like crazy.

We have almost successfully mastered jumping. When she actually gets air though, she usually lands on her bum only to get up and jump again.

She has finally decided that going downstairs is just as fun, if not more fun, than going up. She could do it for the longest time, but just refused to because she's a tad bit lazy and preferred to be carried. Now that she figured out how to make it more of a sliding game, she's all in. Please excuse her immodesty.

What a helpful little girl she has become lately. She loves to help put clothes in and out of the dryer and she loves to help cook. Her favorite thing is the spice cabinet. I have a child proof lock on it, but since she has so much fun taking out the spices, stacking them on the floor, and then re-organizing them, I have a hard time keeping it closed.

Heidi enjoys weighing herself every morning as I get ready. It looks like at 15.5 months she weighs close to 18 pounds.

She loves to lay on her belly and kick her legs while reading a book or eating snacks. Definitely one of my very, very favorite things to see.

Heidi loves to have her toenails painted multiple times a day. She then likes to take her socks and shoes off and say, "pretty" over and over. My toenails must also remain painted so she can point to mine and say "pretty". We are still working on convincing Jeff that he also needs his toenails painted.

Most people are either convinced she looks exactly like Jeff or exactly like me so I have decided she must be a pretty good mix although Jeff seems to think she looks like my dad. Hmmm.

Heidi is still about as clingy as them come but for some reason she has decided that when we're at the store or at church she needs to get down and wander. Thankfully she never really wanders too far and once she sees what's happening at the other side of the room, she makes her way quickly back to mom or dad for a story or a treat. Nursery is probably not going to go over so well. Let's hope she proves me wrong.

Have I ever mentioned how much we are having watching this little girl turn from a baby into a little kid?

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

2011-12-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we put up the tree and decorations. Last year I was excited to have Heidi with us for Christmas, but this year I am over the top excited about having her around to celebrate.

I seriously cannot get a picture of her without her cheesy grin unless I catch her off guard...and then she usually has a weird look on her face. I couldn't believe she didn't pull the hat off as soon as it went on.

Thankfully, while Heidi absolutely adores the tree and is amazed by it every morning (as soon as we turn on the lights she points excitedly and whispers, "wow" repeatedly), she has no interest in playing with the ornaments or presents, or really being near the tree alone in general. She's actually a little scared of it I think.

Now if only I could get a picture of her in the hat and by the tree--or even just by the tree by herself.

A rare picture without a cheeser, but looking far more serious than she is. She was amazed by the light up snowman and entertained herself for quite sometime. I am shocked that she hasn't pulling at all the Christmas decorations, but she just points and looks at them. She likes to point at the Santa and say, "ho, ho, ho". She picked up on that one fast. I have a feeling he won't seem quite so jolly when we take a trip to the mall to meet Santa in person. If you know Heidi, you know that's going to go over really well!

I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate our Savior's birth this time of year and of course, all the fun traditions that go along with the season!

Turkey Time

2011-11-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Boy oh boy do we love Thanksgiving! We didn't think we were going to be able to make it this year because of Jeff's work schedule, but lucky for us his schedule changed last minute and we were able to travel to Utah and spend the holiday with his family.

We just love Thanksgiving because usually both of his sisters and their kids come to Jeff's parents house so we get to see everyone. We were extra excited this year since Heidi was just that much older and could get to know her cousins.

They were so patient and sweet to Heidi. She is a little attached to her parents, so we were so grateful that they kept trying to play with her! This is her with her darling cousin Kourtney.

We played games, ate the most delicious food, and apparently some of us are trying to sleep...or maybe that football play was disappointing? We'll never know for sure.

This is Heidi with all of her adorable cousins...notice who is throwing a fit. She woke up way too early from a nap and like I said...she's a little attached to her parents.

We were able to be there for the blessing of the newest little bundle of joy. What a gem this little guy is.

Of course Heidi spent lots of time with grandma's old cell phones. Her cousin Kyler kept playing the ringtones for her and she would dance away.

We had such a wonderful time and we are already counting down the days until we can get together again next year.

Thank you grandpa and grandma for letting us come, stuff ourselves silly, and make special memories!

Just like Mommy

2011-11-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

Already playing dress up with mommy's shoes. It appears she is going to be a shoe girl by the way she carries my shoes and hers all around the house all day long. Plus, she wants her shoes on anytime she notices she doesn't have any on.

Are you loving her cheeser face as much as we do?

Song Bird

2011-11-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

The other day I came home to Heidi having a dance party with her dad...so cute. Heidi LOVES music, and she especially loves to "sing". At church for example she perks right up when she hears the music and starts her own little song. At home she likes to push the button to turn the radio on and then she immediately starts singing...even if it's a commercial. If she gets crabby all we have to do is say, "Heidi, do you want to push the button and dance?" Then she takes off into the kitchen. She mostly likes to play this game with her dad, but she will settle for mom if she has to. She is nothing but laughs and giggles as we dance around the kitchen. Every time I told her to look at me she gave me a giant cheeser--definitely her new favorite face.

I really can't believe how much fun Heidi has become. Her personality is hilarious. She runs around the house trying to find us saying "tickle, tickle" while wiggling her little fingers. Lately she has also been putting her hands on her head anytime she says, "uh oh". She loves to play with pillows and she especially likes it when her dad turns her into a "pillow sandwich". She also loves to lift up your shirt to find your belly button and then of course tickle it. We are so lucky we get to laugh with this little ham every day!

Time for a Post

2011-11-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

In spite of molars, daylight savings time, and very little sleep, we are still managing to get a few cheesers out of this little munchkin. For some reason everything hit at the same time in our house...Heidi decided she wanted to start taking only one nap, the clocks changed, and her top molars decided to give her grief. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of all those lucky moms and dads out there who have kids that just pop teeth without any symptoms. Some of Heidi's teeth weren't too bad, but her top two and her molars have been almost unbearable.

Heidi has recently re-discovered her bumbo seat, but now it is much more of a play toy. She loves to climb in and out, but this picture is by far my favorite. She wanted to give "Dare Dare" loves, but she just couldn't bring herself to get out of her new favorite seat.

No matter how tired we are around here, I keep reminding myself that this won't last forever and that one day I will be wishing I still had her tiny little body toddling around needing me to comfort her. Of course we are hoping these blasted molars will make their big debut soon, but in the meantime I guess we'll just take the extra cuddles and consider ourselves blessed to have a healthy little girl who never seems to run out of cheesers for her mom and dad!

Trick-or-Treat

2011-10-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

Jeff is working graves for Halloween (lame, lame, triple lame), so we took Heidi early to all the businesses that were giving out candy. Heidi has a major, major sweet tooth and while we were chatting with someone we knew, she somehow managed to take this candy from her bag and bite into it...foil and all.

Thank goodness I was able to get the foil out. So funny.

I definitely did not go all out for a costume. When I bought Heidi's birthday outfit, I bought it with the intention of using the tutu for Halloween. I was going to get a tiara but since Heidi doesn't keep things like hats on her head, I figured it was a waste. I'm glad I didn't because she wasn't even having the tutu, but once she started getting the sweets, her mood improved.

In other, not Halloween news, Heidi is a total complete girly girl. From the way she holds her hands to how picky she is about wearing the shoes or boots she wants, she is all girl. She is more than willing to let me put the bow in and is almost to the point where she will keep it in for more than two hours. Now to get her to sit still so I can work on trying some new things with all those luscious locks!

We love this girl!

Just because it's so funny...this is how Heidi's hair looked after a nap.

"Hmmm...what can I get into?"

Carving the "Pun-tin"

2011-10-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

We finally had an hour where we were all together in the house and could carve Heidi's pumpkin...and yes, it was really only an hour. I had to rush to a YW meeting

right afterwards.

Heidi enjoyed the whole ooey, gooey experience.

But let's be honest...she enjoyed the newspaper covering the floor far more.

The finished product certainly isn't a masterpiece, but we didn't have much time. The important thing was giving it a heart nose, because as it turns out, hearts are Heidi's favorite shape. She points them out wherever we go.

Heidi loves her "pun-tin" even more now that it has a face.

Family Pictures

2011-10-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

For the longest time I have been trying to set an appointment to get some family pictures. The lady I was going to use never had days that would work for us and when there finally was one, she got sick. Since the weather is supposed to get nasty next week, I sent a text to my friend saying, "Get your family ready for some pictures at Scott's Bottom. We'll take yours and you take ours." Luckily she was game so we went down and got some pictures. I'm excited to see the ones on their camera because they have a professional one, but here are a few sneak peaks on our camera. I was happy with how they turned out!

A Day at the "Pun-tin" Patch

2011-10-18T15:47:00.001-07:00

Heidi went and picked a pumpkin out with her dad at the grocery store while I was at work one day. Little did we know she would become obsessed with pumpkins and the word, "pin-tin". When we go for walks, she points at any house with a pumpkin on the porch and excitedly screams her new word. She has now found a new love for her "Biscuit's Halloween" book.

Since we finally had a day where we were both off, we decided we should take her to the little pumpkin patch. Oh my goodness...this girl ran around like crazy pointing excitedly shouting, "pun-tin, pun-tin!!" It was just too cute. The pumpkins sadly were very overpriced so we walked out with two very, very tiny ones that she could carry around the house. Another good dollar spent at our house.

Lately...

2011-10-14T18:00:00.001-07:00

...she runs as fast as she can to escape when I say, "bathtime" and runs squealing out of the bathroom when she's stripped to the diaper....she brings me my shoes or Jeff his hat when she wants to go outside.

...she hides behind her favorite chair, but more importantly she hides things she doesn't like behind her favorite chair.

... she is still obsessed with books and brings them to you wherever you are saying, "bwoo" in the sweetest voice so you just can't turn her down. Then she forces herself into your lap to be read to. If she is ignored the first time, she will force the book into your hands. It is very obvious which ones are her favorites and she can select any book you tell her. "Go get the moon book" and she will run to her room and grab "On the Night you were born". "Go get the ladybug book" and she will run to her room and grab "The Grouchy Ladybug", etc.

...she patiently endures her dad bundling her up in this funny snowsuit when it's cold so she can go help him outside. Thankfully it's been a little warmer these days, because when I saw this picture and saw what was happening and how she was dressed while I was away at work I nearly peed my pants. Can you say Christmas Story?

...she loves to hide, play peek-a-boo, and try to stand up in her little tunnel. (No, she is not nakie, she has a diaper on. She just happened to be hiding in there when she tried to escape from the bath).

...she has discovered that splashing in the tub and "swimming" are actually pretty fun and that getting out of the tub isn't all it's cracked up to be--it only took 13 1/2 months to get to this point.

...she understands nearly everything you say. She especially loves it if you ask her where your ears are. She likes to take her hand and turn your head to the side and grab your ear while laughing any time you ask, "where are mom's/dad's ears?"

...she talks up a storm. Most of the words she says come from all the books we read. Some of her favorites include, "moon, dada, duda (duck), bus, dar (car), dare dare (care bear), AR AR! (her word for dog), eye, bub (bubbles), nigh nigh, boo (boots), uh oh, bu (ladybug), bwoa (book), hi (always accompanied with a wave), wugga (worm), and plenty more that I can't remember right now.

...she rearranges everything. She loves to take things and pile them neatly in a new place and then clap for herself.

...she sticks her feet in your face and laughs hysterically when you say, "Heidi, do your feet stink?" (My personal favorite thing she has been doing lately).

This tiny little thing is full of personality and we love watching her transform from a baby to a toddler.

The Best Dollar I Ever Spent

2011-10-02T12:04:00.001-07:00

Sometimes at the grocery store there are carts with great deals in the entrance. I never really look at these carts because I am usually on a mission to get what I need. One day a few weeks ago Jeff and I were walking in and a cart full of bubbles caught my eye. The huge bottle of bubbles was only $1 so I thought, why not? I've seen much smaller bottles going for far more than $1.

Jeff thought I was crazy, but I just had a feeling Heidi would love bubbles so much that she would need a lifetime supply. I figured we would at the very least get a dollars worth of fun.

I had no idea just how much Heidi would love bubbles. We keep them in the garage and every time we go out, all we hear is "BUB! BUB! BUB!! BBBUUUUUUUUBBBBBBB!!" What can I say, the girl loves her bubbles.

Heidi has even been known to stand at the door to the garage shouting for one of two things: 1. da da and 2. bub bub.

She loves to carry the bubble blower around the yard and then bring it to you when she's ready for more. She loves to pop the bubbles that don't pop when they hit the grass. But mostly it's a convenient excuse to be outside. I am really not sure what we are going to do at our house when winter hits because this girl is definitely into the great outdoors.

If you want Heidi to be your friend, just act like you're going outside and she will jump for you. All Jeff has to do is put on his hat and she is convinced he will be the gateway to the outdoors, and of course, her bub bubs.

I had to throw this picture in because is it just me, or does she have the cutest hair ever? I cannot get over how much she has. It seems so unusual to have so much at 1 since it is so light. Now if only she would keep her grabby hands off the bows and ponies!

Also, if you look closely (especially at the first picture) you can still see a slight reaction to the peanut butter from the day before. UGH!

No Peanuts, please

2011-10-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently you should not give this little one peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, or anything peanut.

When Heidi had her one-year well child I asked about peanuts. No allergies in the family so the doctor said it was a go. I was still nervous and researched it a bit wondering why they recommended later. A lot of people think if you give it later, the are less likely to develop the allergy. Recent research suggests otherwise-no correlation, just better if they do have the allergy because they can communicate symptoms better.

So anyway, you may or may not know that Heidi is the pickiest eater on the planet...just like her daddy. Everything comes shooting right out as soon as it goes in. Finding anything she will even try is a huge undertaking. Long story short, I was eating a pb and j sandwich as I was rushing to get to the parade. Heidi was begging. I gave her a taste. She seemed to like it but I noticed she had two little red splotches under her lower lip. I wondered about allergies since I am ultra paranoid because of all the kids I have seen with the allergy at school. Then today she was again refusing to eat ANYTHING. The only thing she ate today was a few spoonfuls of yogurt in the morning. So I tried the pb and j again. Bad idea. This time her whole face was getting splotchy and she was rubbing her eyes like crazy. Within a few seconds I thought her eyes were going to seal shut they were so puffy and bloodshot. Jeff was sleeping and I was in serious panic mode. I called the pediatrician on-call and they told me to give her 1 tsp. of benedryl (thank goodness I had some from when she was having reactions to sunscreen...I never gave her any, but on a whim I picked some up just in case because she has seemed to sensitive to quite a few things). I gave her a bath and washed her hands and face really well. Then it was time for her nap and I panicked the entire time she was sleeping. Bless you video monitor...best investment EVER. She was still a little red looking when she woke up, but was acting fine and her eyes looked better. We went to her little buddy's birthday party and she looked back to herself by the time the party was over. I am still a bit on the paranoid side and have a feeling I won't be sleeping well tonight...especially since J is working.

So, that's it. Now I just need to figure out where to go from here. The pediatrician said the blood test isn't a great idea until they are a little older. She said to rub a little pb on her arm in a few days and see what happens. Supposedly the reactions get worse with each exposure so that makes sense as to why the second time she ate a bite of the sandwich was so much worse than the first. I am scared about where to go from here, how bad the allergy actually is, how I will figure out what she can and can't eat, etc. At the same time, I am grateful the reaction wasn't worse. We have no idea how serious the allergy really is, and of course are hoping for a very mild allergy that she will grow out of before school. In the meantime, if you're around my little Heidi Bug...please don't give her anything with peanuts!

Homecoming Parade

2011-09-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Remember a few years ago when I posted about walking in the homecoming parade with my third graders? Well, this is really lame, but they don't have the elementary school kids do that anymore. Like I said, lame. Luckily they still do the parade. I wasn't working today and Jeff was sleeping since he is on graves for the week so I took Heidi to her first parade. I am happy to say that she LOVED it. She will love it even more next year when she can collect the candy. I wanted to take her to the parade in July but it was during nap time. I was so happy this one was in between naps. Her favorite part was most definitely the marching band.

This picture obviously has nothing to do with the post...I was rushing out the door and forgot the camera, but it is the most recent pic I have.

Hopefully by the time she is school they will realize that the elementary school kids should join the parade again because I have a pretty strong feeling Heidi is wants to be part of the excitement!

The Letter Lady

2011-09-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

One night I was cleaning up dinner and Jeff was giving Heidikins a bath. She was playing with her new birthday bath toys from her cousins and I kept hearing Jeff laughing and saying, "Oh look, you're the letter lady." So I went in to see what was so funny. Jeff had her letters stuck all over her body. This doesn't even come close to justice because by the time I got the camera, half of them had fallen off. I don't know why, but the whole thing was so, and I mean SO funny to me.

As you can see, Heidi very rarely actually sits in the tub. Most of bath time is spent with her standing at the edge while she one by one takes out each and every toy and chucks it over the edge. This is always followed by, "uh oh". If you're ever at our house, you'll probably hear, "uh oh" a million times followed by, "Heidi, that wasn't an 'uh oh', that was an 'on purpose.'"

Heidi is so smart she can spell her first and last name. Okay, so maybe mom has just as much fun with her toys as she does. Is it weird that I already dream about the day I can have her spell words and I already tell her the letter and sound every time she holds a letter up?

Oh and by the way, have I mentioned how much we love, love, love our little Letter Lady?

Best Dad. Ever.

2011-09-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure who has more fun when dad's around...Heidi or dad. One thing I know for sure is that she loves her two days of only dad a week! Heidi is all squeals and giggles when it comes to dad..she laughs so hard she can't even control herself. And let's face it, dad is completely, 100% wrapped around her finger.

For some reason, any and all games are more fun with dad around. I could play the same game and I don't get the same giggles. Heidi also says, "da da" NON STOP. When he's at work she stands at the garage door in the kitchen, put both hands on it, and says, "da da, da da". It is just too much. She also calls me "da da" and herself "da da" when she sees pictures, but there is no question she knows exactly who her "da da" is.

I can't say that I blame her, Jeff really is an amazing father. No matter how tired he is, he never turns down a story or a game. When he gets home off of graveyard he doesn't go to sleep until it is time for her nap so he can play with her for an hour or two. Then he wakes up early enough to play with her another hour or two before he goes back to work. When I have to work and he is just getting off of graves, he doesn't like me to get a babysitter because he would rather spend the day with her, even if it means that he is completely exhausted. Talk about dedication! One day Jeff will have a regular day schedule and I won't be working anymore, but I hope she always loves and appreciates him for the amazing father he is!

When You're the Best of Friends

2011-09-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

Meet Mr. Care Bear, or Mrs. Care Bear...we're not sure which. What we do know, is that he/she is Heidi's BFF. While he/she is quite a bit larger than Heidi, Heidi has been known to carry her pal around. When she sees this bear, she is all squeals and giggles. The Care Bear cannot be in her room unless hidden in the closet if it is time to sleep. If you even mention the words, "Care Bear" Heidi starts looking around squealing. The Care Bear must also be in the chair with us during story time. Who doesn't like a good story?

Heidi loves to sit on her friend, point to (or rather poke out) his eye, and gives it all sorts of loves. No matter what Heidi does to her bear, it always has the same grin and it never takes her toys away. Maybe that's why she loves it so much.

When we went to California, my best friend from high school gave it to her when we got together for a visit. I wasn't sure if it would even fit in the car for the drive home and to be honest, I thought, "seriously?" But I have to say that I will be forever grateful to Auntie N-dogg for making this little girl so incredibly happy! Thanks Auntie N-Dogg--we love you!

Not My Proudest Moment

2011-09-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

You see how Heidi is talking on her phone while operating her vehical? Apparently she learned that from her mama. Yes, it's true-- I have been known to talk on my phone from time to time while driving. I never, ever text, but sometimes the best time to make a quick call is when I am running errands.

Yesterday I was on my way to my early morning faculty meeting. It was one of those mornings...I got in the car without my lunch, ran back to grab it only to realize I also forgot my phone that Heidi had thrown behind the bed. I had forgotten it the day before and Jeff wouldn't answer from an "unknown" number so I thought I better grab it. So I crawl under the bed and grab it to find I have a missed call from my friend. I thought, "Why would she be calling me before school? Did something change with the meeting?" Since I am only there two days a week, I thought maybe I needed to know something before the meeting. I called her back as I headed the four blocks to school...running late, didn't walk as usual. As I am pulling into the parking lot, I see a cop behind me with the lights on. Crap. Yep, I got a ticket for talking on the phone while driving. First ticket ever. I should have just walked because I was late for the meeting anyway since I was stuck in the parking lot and of course, every single person saw me getting my ticket when they pulled in. Like I said, not my proudest moment. Then to top it off, I found out that apparently I will be in the paper yet again. Can you believe they post all the tickets in the paper by name and what the violation was?? Oh hooray. I just love attention. I guess I better start teaching Heidi not to talk on the phone while driving her little vehical now!

Funny Little Girl

2011-09-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted yesterday, but Heidi has been doing the funniest thing lately and I just happened to get some pictures of her this morning so I thought I would share...mostly so I don't forget.

Have you read the book, "The Grouchy Ladybug?" Well, it's one of Heidi's favs. Mostly I think because there are all the tiny little pages to flip. Anyway, whenever it gets to the skunk, I plug my nose and say, "pee-ew". Heidi thinks her mother is so funny and repeatedly turns to the skunk page. She now comes up to me and plugs my nose so I will make the sound and then starts laughing her head off. She has also carried this over to her dad. Jeff was confused at first until I told him what to do. One of the days he was watching her this week while I was at work I came home to him asking me why I taught her that because she was doing it to him ALL day long. So if you see Heidi and she grabs your nose, you know what to do!

The Bridge

2011-09-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I cannot believe I get to be this funny little girl's mom. She makes me laugh every single day. Spending time with her never gets old and she always keeps things interesting! Around 5-6 months I thought she was a blast, but the older she gets the more and more fun she becomes. When she was a newborn it was SO hard and the thought of having another newborn someday makes me a little more than nervous.

This is Heidi's favorite bridge move. She started doing it when she was learning to walk. Whenever she would fall down, she would just put herself in a bridge. Now she just does it for fun. She likes to play peek-a-boo this way and she especially likes to pull toys underneath the "bridge" to play with. It is quite entertaining for all of us!

Back to School for Mommy

2011-09-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

I officially started last week with three days of meetings, but this week I actually started my new job! The kids came back Monday, but I worked Tuesday and Wednesday. I am seriously so lucky. I met with the principal and the other Title I teacher and they decided it would be best for me to work two full days a week. But get this, I get to actually pick which two days each week I work. Of course I am trying to make it the same two as much as possible, but I since I can choose, I can work around Jeff's schedule. This means we only have to find a place for Heidi about once a month, twice on a bad month. I feel so incredibly spoiled. For September we worked it out so that we don't need a babysitter at all. It looks like October might be the same, but we might have to get a babysitter once. It makes me feel so much less guilty knowing that Heidi is spending quality time with her dad and she gets to be in her own surroundings with her own bed and schedule! Jeff is such a good dad and so involved so I don't even have to leave any instructions at all. He just knows when to put her down, what to feed her and how much, what she likes to play, and how to calm her down. Not to mention, he gets SO excited for his special daddy/daughter days. It is so nice! The only problem is that Jeff and I don't get to see each other much since on the days he's home, I work. That stinks, but I only work 9-3:30 so we still have a little time. It's so lovely not having to be to work until 9 because we have time to run in the morning and play without feeling rushed. Since the weather is nice, Jeff and Heidi have even been walking mommy to school!

So far, I LOVE the job! I love being back at the school I was at with people I love and doing something I absolutely adore. When I am there, I long to be back in the classroom full time. But then when I call Jeff on my break and hear Heidi saying, "hi, hi, hi, hi, hi..." (you get the point) I go crazy thinking about how long until I get to go home and kiss those cheeks. I hate feeling torn between two things I love, but I am so lucky to have both right now. I definitely don't think I would be happy working full time and being gone all day, every single day, but twice a week is perfect. I am excited to work in a different capacity than I am used to because I am already learning all sorts of new things. It will be so fun to work with all the grades and work and learn from all the teachers in the building. It's a one-year only position so I need to soak up as much as I can in the short time I am there!

The One Year Old

2011-08-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the last 12 posts, Heidi turned ONE!! We are shocked and amazed at all the things she has learned in just one short year. We took her to get her one-year shots and got her stats. I know this is a shocker, but she appears to be on the small side.

Height: 28 inches--25%
Weight: 16 pounds, 3 oz--Not on the charts

Heidi loves to be held, so I am so not complaining about her petite size! She is a pretty funny little girl and shows us more and more of her personality everyday.

*One thing Heidi loves is her tongue. She loves to stick it out while trying to talk to see what funny sounds she can make.
*Will no longer keep any bow, headband, or ponytail in her hair for long. She is obsessed with pulling anything and everything out of her hair. This is unfortunate because she looks much cuter when her luscious locks are tamed a bit.
*If you are eating ANYTHING, she will pull your face next to hers and try to pry open your mouth to take whatever you have. She thinks this is really, really funny.
*Heidi is a bit obsessed with books. I have told her from the day she was born that she would probably rather be a teacher like her mom and not an engineer like her dad. Truthfully I will be happy with whatever she decides to choose for her career, but deep down I hope her dream is to be a teacher. I have a basket of books next to the rocking chair and multiple times a day we sit in the chair and after we finish a book, Heidi will squirm off of my lap, pick a new one, hand it to me, and climb back up. This activity can literally last for 20 min. or more. She loves books and just can't seem to get enough. I'm not complaining.
*When Jeff says something funny and starts laughing, Heidi also likes to start "laughing". She will do it with me if she's in the mood, but when her daddy laughs, she just can't control herself.

*Starting to be a bit more of a picky eater. Actually, sometimes I just can't get her to eat hardly anything. She would rather eat two bites of something and then two more bites in about 20 min. and so on. It's pretty awesome. But she does like to steal whatever we are eating. Don't try to put it on her tray to eat though. Why? Well, first of all, she is rarely in her chair. That's right, Houdini has done it again. She has mastered getting out of her highchair. I'm telling you, no strap is too tight. Also, she doesn't seem to think the food is the same unless she is in your lap and you are feeding her from your plate.
*She is a giant tease. She loves to tease and she loves to be teased.
*Determined, ambitious, stubborn? Yes, I would say all three of these words describe Heidikins perfectly. This girl knows exactly what she wants and will not give up until she has it figured out. She figures out how to use her body quite easily and is very creative in finding ways to get up to what she wants.
*Don't let her size fool you. A big personality came with this girl. She is also what I like to call scrappy. I'm kind of worried about her being a bully. Remember how three sentences or so ago I mentioned that she would stop at nothing to get what she wants? Well, one day we were hanging out with my friend and her little boy who is twice her size and 6 weeks younger. Heidi wanted to get onto the counter. So she simply grabbed her friend's hair and stood on his lap to make herself a bit taller. She was also riding him like a bull a few seconds later. Like I said, scrappy.
*Chatterbox, chatterbox, chatterbox! Oftentimes a loud chatterbox. She is constantly babbling and repeatedly says, "hi" to anyone and everyone who will listen. If she thinks you're not listening, she will continue to repeat herself until you return the "hi".
*Says, "hi", "uh oh", "no", "nigh nigh", "dada", and "mama"...although the last two are debatable because she doesn't say them consistently. She makes her owl "who" ALL the time and says, "oh" and points to everything.

*Addicted to the binky...but only at night and naps. She won't even take the thing during the day if you try, which is great, but I'm not sure how to get rid of it during sleep. She seriously has 7 in her crib and she crawls wherever they are to find them. When you lay her down to take a nap or go to bed, she opens her mouth and waits for her special friend to arrive. When you take her out of her crib, she quickly takes it out and throws it in the crib.
*Has such a good arm! Seriously. She does not throw like a girl and has unbelievable aim. I'm sure it's just luck, but she sure gets lucky a lot.
*Walks all over the place, but it is hard for her to walk outside because she will not keep shoes on her feet and the ground is too hot. What usually happens is this: We take her for a walk in her stroller, she somehow manages to get out. If Jeff and I are together, one of us holds her. She wiggles like a crazy person trying to get out of your arms. We hurry home. It's pretty sweet. The weird thing is she never even tries to get out of the stroller when we go for our run in the morning. Thank heavens for that.
*She has 8 teeth and it looks like 2-4 more are on their way. Let's hope they get here fast.
*Sleeps from about 7-6. Sometimes 6:30-6. Sometimes 7-5:30. We never get her before 6, but sometimes I think she gets up and plays around with her binkys because there are times she has thrown them from her crib all the way to the door. I told you, good arm. Still takes two naps a day, one at 9am and the other around 1pm.

We love our little one-year-old and all the funny things she
does. We are so grateful to have her cute
personality in our home!
We are so lucky to have you, Heidi Bug!!!!

Birthday Bash

2011-08-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

We decided to make Heidi's first birthday a fun, memorable day. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We were so blessed to have wonderful family and friends come and celebrate her special day. We went with a ladybug theme. She was a little crabby at first (she seems to be doing some more teething) but once she got to the presents and cupcake she was very happy. By the time we got home I think the sugar kicked in and she was very, very hyper. It was so funny! We have AMAZING parks here so we decided to do it at the park so there would be things for all the kids to do. Plus, it sure made clean up easy! Here are some highlights from the day.

The invites. They took forever, but turned out super cute!

The cupcakes...the toppers took forever, but turned out super cute!
(Are you sensing a common theme?)

Her darling outfit. I ordered it from Etsy and it was so cute.

What you can't see is her name...it's hard to get a picture of a 1-year old.

The presents...spoiled, spoiled, spoiled!

Eating the cupcake...she was in love at first bite.

We had lots of people, great food, and lots of fun!

Heidi is one loved little girl!

One.

2011-08-20T13:56:00.001-07:00

One year ago yesterday, this little girl entered the world.

And oh how we love this sweet little girl.

The first year has just flown by. Our hearts are still overflowing with love for our little Heidi and we are so excited to see what the next year will bring.

Coming soon: The Party

Thirty Big Ones

2011-08-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

I don't really have to be 30 if I don't feel 30, right? Okay, so maybe I do feel 30 (especially after having Heidi--what is up with that?), but do I have be 30 if I don't look 30? I mean, some people think I don't look old enough to have a driver's license. Either way, the day has come and it has been a lovely day, but for some reason it is hitting harder than I thought. I am fully aware that 30 is still "young", but I guess I just thought I would be in my 20s forever. I know it's just a number, but it just seems like time is going by way, way, way too fast. I'm afraid if I blink I'll be turning 40 and Heidi will be almost 11, and that just can't happen because I have told her repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up. I figure if I tell her enough, she will listen. Actually, I think it's her first birthday next week that is freaking me out even more.

I have learned a lot in the last decade and have absolutely nothing to regret or be sad about. I have an incredible husband who treats me far better than I deserve and I have a funny, funny little girl who has completely stolen my heart. I can't put my finger on why 30 seems old. Maybe it just bothers me that I am 30 and only have one little baby?? I thought for sure I would have two by now and I want to be able to have time to have a family without feeling rushed. I don't think of other people in their thirties as old, it just seems old on me. Oh well, what can do? Life is going much too fast, but I sure have a lot to be grateful for. For your enjoyment, here is a picture of me some 26 years ago.

Raspberry Picker

2011-08-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

So when we got back from camping Jeff was sleeping because he was on nights. Heidi woke up from her nap and I had a million and twelve things to do. One of them being picking the raspberries. She loves to be outside and I have taken her with me to do this job before. Anyway, she was a little crabby and wasn't crazy about fending for herself on the grass, but I had to get them picked. So she fussed awhile and kept trying to be helpful by dumping my bucket over repeatedly. Then I got distracted because my friend called. So there I was picking and yapping listening to Heidi whine. Then she got quiet and seemed to have found some fun pulling at the grass...or so I thought. In the time I had turned my back to her for approximately 4.5 seconds, she had successfully gotten INTO the raspberry bush and was happily stuffing her face. She was less than thrilled when I pulled her away from her delicious treat. Don't worry, she also had pieces of grass stuck to her face. When I told my friend what was going on she said, "get the camera!" So, I did. Luckily Jeff woke up just in time to help hold her still for a picture. As you can tell, she was not happy about this whole thing. I might be picking the raspberries during nap time from now on!

First Camping Adventure

2011-08-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

Last week we took Heidi camping for the first time. We went to one of our very favorite camping/four-wheeling places--Manti! Bruno and Peggy were so nice to let us share their new trailer! It was so much nicer to set the pack and play up in there, rather than in a tent. Taking an almost one-year old was hard at times just because she is so picky about her sleep conditions, but she really did quite well. She loves to be outside so that helped.
The older she gets the more fun she will have. She liked taking little rides on the four wheeler and she liked the dune buggy okay. She didn't love the wind her face. The best part was that she got to spend time with her grandparents and really started warming up to them! Thank you Peggy and Bruno for a great week!

Seven Years

2011-07-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

Seven years ago, Jeff and I tied the knot! Well, actually our anniversary is tomorrow, July 31, but unfortunately I won't have time to post. I really have a hard time remembering what life was like before Jeff. When I look back at some of these pictures, it is clear it has been awhile! After all these years, Jefferson is still cracking me up. Just tonight he tried to convince me to put an eggplant that we didn't want on someone's doorstep. Don't worry, it didn't happen, but the thought of J ding dong ditching with an eggplant was enough to give me a good, long, laugh.

I made it through Jeff's chemical engineering degree at the U...we all know that was hard because it should have been the Y.

Jeff survived seven years of parent-teacher conferences, late night projects, early morning staff meetings, and endless elementary school teacher stories.

Somehow we managed to survive a hot, humid internship in Texas. We really have some great memories, but it only took one cockroach for me to decide that was probably not going to be our "forever home".

We have been fortunate enough to go on a few fun, memorable vacations and many, many hiking and camping adventures.

It took us a few years to start our family, but we have never been happier than we are now. We wanted Heidi to come to us much sooner than she did, but looking back, I think she came at the absolute perfect time. I wouldn't change a thing.

I love you J-diddy! Thank you for being an amazing husband and father! I can't wait to see what the next seven years will bring!

Walking?

2011-07-28T20:12:00.001-07:00

Every single day I keep thinking Heidi is going to be walking all over the place. She has been balancing and walking 2 or 3 steps at a time for long time. Well, starting Sunday she started really going for it and it was so funny. She would take off in a full run for about 5 or 6 steps and face plant and then start laughing. It was definitely more than the usual few steps and not nearly as cautious. Well, yesterday she walked across her entire bedroom. Now today I can hardly get her to go three steps! Everybody keeps asking if she's walking yet, but I just can't consider what she's done walking...at least not consistently. BUT...the inevitable is definately going to happen. I am excited for her to enjoy the world of walking, but I am so sad at the realization that she is growing up way, way, way too fast. She is at the absolute best stage right now and I just want to hit the pause button. I put a whole bunch of clothes that she outgrew away and it was more emotional than I thought. We waited so long for this little lady to join our family and I hate feeling like it is just flying by. Sometimes I can't believe my heart is capable of loving this much. I cannot imagine how we ever lived a life without her. Stop growing Heids!

Eleven Months

2011-07-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

Heidi turned 11-months on the 19th. Where did my little baby go? I cannot believe how much and how fast she has changed. What I really can't believe is that she will be a one-year old in a month. With everyday that passes we get to see and more and more of Heidi's personality and we are loving what we see. She is such a tease.

*She is sporting 7 teeth and appears to be working on at least one more.
*Will eat pretty much anything as long as it is the baby food jar consistency. Appears to be picky about texture. Unless of course she is eating off your plate, then she likes anything. If you take something off your plate and put it on her tray, well then, she doesn't want it.
*Absolutely loves to be chased around. If she even thinks you're getting on your hands and knees to crawl after she starts squealing like a crazy person. She laughs her pants off when you catch her.
*Books hold her attention the longest. We go to the library often so she always has new books to flip through. She loves turning pages.
*Shakes her right leg like crazy whenever she is excited or mad.
*Babbles all the time and often says "mama" and "dada", but the only word I think she actually know what she is saying is when she says, "hi". I am pretty sure she says, "ball" too, but it isn't as consistent as "hi".
*Understanding a ton of words! She looks up at the ceiling when you say, "fan", looks around for the ball, seems to understand "drink" and she definitely knows her name. I'm pretty sure she understands, "no", but she often chooses to ignore that one.
*Has a very, very high pitched squeal and chooses to uses at the most inappropriate times.
*Does pretty well at church for the first two hours. Usually we are in the hall for the third hour.
*She is still such an early bird!! The later she goes to bed, the earlier she is up. She generally still sleeps from 7pm-6am, but she tries to get up earlier sometimes. Those are not my favorite days because no matter what I do, she will not go back to sleep and then her naps are all thrown off, and then she is usually in bed by 6:15pm. Not kidding. I'm debating whether or not to move her bedtime to 6:30 because she still sleeps the same amount, but it just seems so early to go to bed...especially in the summer. Can't wait until the time change...that is going to go over well in our house!
*Loves our morning run. She usually squeals and babbles the whole time. If you tip the stroller back while you're going to reaches her arms up, shakes her right leg, and starts squealing.
*Starting to look a whole lot chubbier.
*Stands on her own and has taken one or two steps at a time.
*She seems to be kind of a scaredy cat. When she gets scared she starts shaking and has a death grip on your collar.
*Has an absolute fit if she thinks someone is going to take her from her mother or father. Once we are out of sight, she eventually calms down. We are hoping to fix that this year.
*Starting to throw tantrums if she thinks you're not going to do what she wants.
*Loves bouncing to music.
*Flails her arms back and forth like she's directing music.
*Does not like anything to be organized...she will quickly empty any basket, drawer, bookshelf, etc.
*Loves watching other kids.
*Loves to be outside.
*Gives big kisses, but so far mommy is the only recipient. It is the cutest, sweetest thing ever.
*Loves to be held and walked around. If she's tired or mad, she likes you to carry her around and she likes to have her cheek on your cheek.
*Doesn't really love to play alone. She wants someone to be sitting with her and then she is fine.
*Has a really, really hard time going to sleep if there is someone over, if there is a lot of noise, or if something is different than normal.

We just love, love, love this little girl! We love watching her funny expressions and hearing all her new sounds, and watching her grow and change before our eyes. We are so grateful to have a happy, healthy, cuddly little girl and cannot imagine life without her!

Changes

2011-07-18T14:09:00.001-07:00

To the three of you who read my blog: get excited. There will be a post today and another in the very near future because this little lady is turning 11 months old tomorrow.

This picture has nothing to do with the post, but how can a post not have a picture of Heidi? She absolutely loves these little notebooks. She will sit and turn the pages for quite a long time...nice distraction at church.

Anyway, the real reason I am blogging is, as always, to update our "family journal". Next year will be different for our little family. I was given the opportunity to go back to work next year. I applied for a part-time job at the school I taught at last year and was lucky enough to land it without even an interview. It is part-time working in Title I with math. The best part is that it is even less than half time. It is 1/3 time, certified teacher. I am not thrilled about leaving my little "baby" (though clearly she is not much of a baby anymore), but due to the circumstances, it won't be for too many days, or for too long. I don't know all the details yet. The reason I even considered this job was because Jeff and I really feel strongly that we need to pay off our land as soon as we can and this will help make a dent in it. Plus, it will help me keep up my license. The biggest reason of course is that since Jeff is doing shiftwork right now, and since it is only 1/3 time I only need to find a place for Heidi 4-8 times per month and only for 3-4 hours. Oh, and did I mention, it is a ONE-YEAR ONLY position?! How awesome is that? I mean, maybe at the end of the year I will wish it was for another year, but let's be honest, one school year is nothing.

I am thrilled to be in an elementary school again and especially working with math, but I am very, very nervous about leaving my little pal. Oh how I wish I had family here. I know she will have a really hard time at first, but in the long run I think it will be good for her because she is very, very attached to her mama and daddy. So the real question is, does anyone know someone that would like to make some money watching a darling, funny little gal 4-8 times/month, for 3-4 hours?? She loves to give hugs and kisses and she would even sleep for a chunk of that time! Come on...look at that face...but seriously, if you know anyone, give me a shout!

Chatterbox

2011-07-11T05:56:00.001-07:00

This little girl has become such a chatterbox lately. I really think she thinks she is having a full conversation. She is starting to make the funniest little consonant blends and she usually raises her eyebrows repeatedly while chattering.
The absolute funniest thing she has started doing is talking Chinese. I know, she is totally gifted. No, but seriously. She does the funniest thing that I am not sure how to explain. I have tried to get it on video to no avail. She started doing it at church and the lady next to me was busting a gut. She starts talking while rolling her tongue all around and of course raising her eyebrows. It sounds so funny. You'll just have take my word for it.
As I have mentioned before, Heidi loves books. The best part is that she is SO careful with them. She will take chapter books off the shelf and just carefully turn the pages. It often looks like she is trying to read them. So far I haven't had to worry about her ripping pages (now magazines are a different story...those pages just start flying out left and right). She especially loves to look through daddy's maps. He has been trying to plan a backpacking trip and she is loving the big map books. It is so funny to watch her carefully turn the pages while babbling up a storm.

Hiking

2011-07-10T12:22:00.001-07:00

Between company and girls' camp I haven't had much time to post, so pardon all the recent posts. Last week Jeff was on his long change (hooray for long change when Jeff is home for a whole week each month!) we took Heidi to the Uintas for a hike. The trails were quite soggy due to the wet season, but Heidi didn't seem to mind. She was loving the hike and loving being strapped to her best pal...aka daddy. She definitely likes the pouch better than her stroller and we like it because she hasn't figured out how to get herself free yet.

We l-o-v-e to hike so this will definitely not be her last hike of the season. The hardest part now is just scheduling these fun activities around naps. We love living near fun camping and hiking spots and Jeff can't wait to take Heidi for her first camp out. I am a little more concerned about the details of this camping trip, but it should be fun and I have no doubt Heidi will enjoy crawling around in the dirt.

"Hi"

2011-07-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks Heidi's new thing is to wave and say, "hi". It is so cute. Whenever Jeff mows the lawn she has to go stand at the front door and watch. Then they wave to each other each and every time he passes. It never gets old. This girl loves her daddy and boy does he love her. She always starts shaking her right leg when he gets close because she is so excited. Then she gets a huge grin and starts waving. It is all the cuter now that she says "hi" along with her wave. The first time she did it, I thought maybe it was a fluke, but she apparently seems to know what she saying because she has been doing it for over two weeks now.

Cousins

2011-07-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

My brother, his wife, and their three boys came to visit from Kentucky last week. My brother was only here for a day and a half, but his wife and kids stayed for almost a week and a half. Our house was definitely busier and far louder than it is used to! Thank goodness there are so many awesome parks to keep everyone entertained! Heidi enjoyed meeting her cousins and is especially fond of her cousin Jack. He was sooo sweet with her and she even let him hold her.

This is the only picture I got all week of all the cousins...yes, it was that crazy! Really we just weren't home a whole lot unless someone was taking a nap! Either way, this picture cracks me up because it is so right on. Hugh...the typical two year old who had a tantrum right before this picture was taken and wouldn't sit with the others, Tommy, the almost 8 year old who was in his own little world and would not sit up for a picture, and Jackson, the 6 year old with a heart of gold who was the perfect little helper and always wanting to be with Heidi. When they left Jack was crying because he was going to miss his "best cousin, Heidi". Seeing that tugged at my heart strings to say the least. We had a good time, but I must take my hat off to anyone and everyone with 4 + kids!

Ten Months

2011-06-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Heidi turned ten months old. The older she gets, the harder it is to get a good picture! She is at that wiggle worm, grabby pants phase. As soon as she catches a glimpse of the camera, she starts diving for it. In any event, here's the latest.

*Stands without support, but hasn't quite figured out how to get her legs to move forward. She can even get herself to the standing position from a sitting position. Once there, she tries to dive forward with her arms. She probably needs to practice walking along furniture a little more to get comfortable with the legs.
*Crawls up the stairs, but not down.
*Has had about 8 tear-free baths. HOORAY!! It only took ten months to get her to this point and I am just crossing my fingers she continues on this path!
*Most people that meet her for the first time tell me she is a whole lot smaller in person than she looks in pictures.
*Gets jealous when I talk on the phone.
*Has 6 teeth...4 on top, 2 on the bottom. She is working on two more bottom teeth currently.
*Eating is hit or miss. One day she will like something, the next day she will spit it out, pull it out of her mouth, bury her face in her high chair, you name it. She especially doesn't like food we eat ground up. She seems picky about texture.
*Has major separation anxiety and it keeps getting worse. She doesn't seem to favor me over Jeff unless she is tired. She will smile and flirt with most anyone as long as her mom or dad are the ones holding her. Nursery is going to be so fun if we don't get over this!
*Generally still sleeps 7pm-6am, with a morning nap and an afternoon nap. I wish I could get her to sleep in a little longer, but it appears she is just an early riser. If I put her to bed a little later, she just wakes up earlier. It's awesome. The nice thing is, I get a lot done in the mornings and I can get my run in before it gets too warm.
*Whenever we go anywhere, most people tell us she looks "exactly like a little doll". She must, because we have been told that by tons of strangers. When we walked into a store the other day one lady said, "Oh my gosh...for a second I thought you were holding a doll." It must be those cheeks.
*She has got the crawling thing down to an art and she is soooooo speedy. It is so funny to watch.
*If her knees are bare and she gets to tile or hard wood, she switches into the "Mowgli" walk. As long as her knees are covered, she stays in a regular crawl.
*Climber. Climbs up and onto everything including the tiniest, skinniest places. Then has a death grip with her toes. (The radiator, the tiny little part of the dishwasher when the door is open, etc.)
*Won't sleep if there is too much going on.
*Starting to get jealous when she has to share her toys.
*Pretty much she is at the really, really fun age, but really, really into anything and everything phase and we are loving it!

Happy Dad's Day

2011-06-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!!! First to Jeff...such a great dad to our little Heidi.
I thought I loved him before Heidi, but watching him with his little girl melts my heart.
I have no doubt this little gal will be a major daddy's girl!

Happy Father's Day to my dad.
I will always remember the countless walks he took with me and my doll stroller in freezing cold Michigan winters.
I'm lucky to have a dad who loves me unconditionally.
Happy Father's Day to my father-in-law, Bruno.
If it weren't for my great father-in-law, I would have never met Jeff.
Thank you for being such a great grandpa to Heidi!

Heidi Houdini

2011-06-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

This little girl is such a ham. Seriously. I was hoping she was going to have a big personality and I am pretty sure she does. That makes her a little difficult from time to time, but I would not trade this funny little girl for anything.

Heidi can get herself out of ANYTHING. No strap is too tight. While enjoying the beautiful weather, I noticed Heidi trying to get out of her stroller. "There's no way she can get out of that," I thought to myself. Boy did I think wrong. Next thing I know she is standing up looking at me with a HUGE grin on her face. The only thing I can think of to try next is super glue...kidding of course.

Heidi's new thing is climbing in and out of everything. This is her in her new diaper box. She especially likes to climb in the cupboards downstairs. It's hard to get mad because she looks so proud of herself and always has a big cheeser for you. We've locked up the dangerous stuff of course. I know it's bad, but I can't help laughing when she is naughty.

California Girl

2011-06-12T14:44:00.001-07:00

Jeff finally had some time off work so we headed to California so Heidi could meet the great-grandma she was named after. We had been dying for Heidi to meet her, but scheduling never worked out. So when Jeff had time off, we decided to just go.

First stop: Grandpa and Grandma H's in Utah. Heidi took her first dune buggy ride and LOVED it! She had quite the grin when she returned. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma H for loving our little Heidi so much!

We stayed the night in Vegas and then headed the rest of the way to California. I have to say, I was worried, but holy cow do we have a good little traveler!! I did have to sit with her most of the time in the back, but seriously, she was SO good!

We stayed with my grandma in Malibu so we could spend as much time as possible with her. We went to beach and Heidi, well, liked it about as much as she likes her bath. In other words, she hated it! It was a little cold and windy thoug h.

We also went to the Santa Barbara zoo...my all time favorite. Heidi really liked the zoo, more than I expected. If she hadn't of needed a nap I think we could have stayed all day. She loved watching the animals.

We also went with my grandma to visit my grandpa's grave. I so wish he was still alive to meet his first great granddaughter (everyone in my family has boys).

But the best time we had was spending time with family and good friends. There were many people that had never met our little one and she was quite the charmer making sure everyone thought she was just as darling and funny as we do.

The Stats Are In!

2011-06-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

Well, the stats are in. I took Heidi for her 9-month doctor visit...although she is more like 9.5 months. Just as we suspected, she is still tiny.

Height: 26 3/4 in.--17th percentile
Weight: 14 lbs. 12 oz.--Below 3rd percentile

I really, really thought she was at least 15, but I guess she's close enough. I think most of her weight is carried in those cheeks. Looks like she'll be in the rear facing car seat at 1 anyway unless by some miracle she puts on 5 pounds in 2.5 months.

The last few days she has been doing this little cheeser face. My favorite is when I get one with a crinkly nose. We are having so much fun watching her discover herself and her world.

In other news, Jeff has been nothing but a work machine and it is driving us all nuts! Looks like he'll start his actual new schedule on the 18th and we couldn't be more excited. Today is day #8 of 12-hour shift with no day off. UGH! I take my hat off to all single parents out there...it is hard work! He's hoping Heidi remembers who he is when he is actually home. He's supposed to have tomorrow off but I am not holding my breath. We are planning on celebrating with a serious vacation to CA so Heidi can meet her great grandma.

In spite of the craziness of our house lately I managed to wash a blue gel pen with a load of laundry...Heidi's clothes. To say I am mad is an understatement. The worst part was I didn't notice until after everything was dry. Some of her clothes were new summer clothes she didn't even have a chance to wear. SO MAD!!! I managed to make most of them at least wearable, but there are a few that will be "work in the yard with mom and dad" clothes. SO MAD!!!!!!! Heidi wasn't thrilled about spending the entire day "helping" try to salvage them either. Oh well. In three months she won't be able to wear any of them anyway, right?

You're So Vain

2011-05-29T15:54:00.001-07:00

Heidi, like all babies, loves to see herself in the mirror. She always gives herself a joyful smile and a wild wave whenever we pass a mirror. Her new thing lately is to put her face right on the mirror and give herself a nice, big sloppy kiss. Needless to say, every mirror in our house needs a good cleaning at least twice a day.

Heidi also loves to read...not just a little bit. There was a time when she would just grab the book, but now, she cries when the book is over. She just sits and listens and smiles at each and every page. We went to the library to get a load of new books because we were pretty tired of our board books. We got one called, "Peek-a Who" and she can't get enough. There is a page with a ghost, which is her favorite page. She starts laughing when she sees the ghost. But her second favorite page is the last page that says, "Peek-a You" and has a mirror. She pulls it right smack up to her and starts kissing herself...she must take after her dad...ha ha ha ha.

Heidi also loves it when we dance around, well she loves it when I dance around and make a fool of myself. BUT, for some reason she seriously, and I mean seriously, loves the Carly Simon song we all know and love, "You're So Vain." When I put that song on she starts grinning and bouncing. The second we start dancing around she is all giggles. She really is vain, but we think she has every reason to be!

It's a Beautiful Day...

2011-05-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish every day were just like today. Not only was it absolutely perfect weather in every way, but Jeff was also home getting off his graveyard shift. He slept a few hours in the morning and then we spent the rest of the day outside. The day was full of yard work, pruning trees, planting peppers, and of course a park. We have never been to this little jumpy park and it did not disappoint. Every time we stopped jumping on the little trampoline thing Heidi would start bouncing in our arms. It was quite funny.

We absolutely love how many parks there are in town and have been enjoying trying a new one each time the weather is nice. There are so many benefits to living in a small town...we love being able to have the park to ourselves more often than not! Could it please, please, pretty please with sugar on top be this perfect of weather for the next three months?? Please don't start the scorching hot weather any time in the near future, and please do not go back to cold either!

Nine Whole Months

2011-05-18T11:42:00.001-07:00

Seriously? Seriously? The last nine months have just flown by. Nine months felt like an eternity when this little gal was growing in my belly (which seems so weird because I really don't remember that at all...thankfully). So far 0-3 months was the hardest part and things have just gotten so much better from there. Every month I think, "this is my favorite age"...then the next month comes and then it becomes my favorite. I am amazed at how much she can do compared to just a month ago.

*Crawling all over the place...oh my. She does not look big enough to be crawling so it is all the more adorable. She mostly likes to crawl wherever we go. I can always count on having a little shadow.
*Pulls herself up onto EVERYTHING...but her favorite is mom or dad's leg. This has resulted in a few spills...ouch.
*Has both bottom teeth and has been working on FOUR top teeth...what an over achiever. She has both of her "fangs" and the front two are SO close to the surface. If only they would just poke through so she could have some peace! The top have definitely been more difficult than the bottom two.
*Generally sleeps from about 7pm-6/6:15am. Thankfully she seems to have given up the 5:30am wake up, but that could change at any moment.
*Takes two naps...not too consistent on how long they last. Sometimes 30 min., sometimes 2.5 hrs. I think her teeth have caused quite a disturbance here. Of course now that she stands up in her crib, that doesn't help either! Luckily, as long as she gets a little snooze she will be quite happy and last forever. As long as she is happy, I don't care if she's awake or asleep!

*Waves...especially to herself in the mirror.
*I don't have her 9-month check up for a couple of weeks, but I am guessing she is somewhere between 15-16lbs. Straight formula has helped plump this little one up...but she seems to hold most of it in her cheeks.
*When I tell people how old she is, the first question is generally, "Is she small for her age?" She wears mostly 6 month clothing, some 6-9 months, and can even fit in some 3-6 months.
*She loves her dad...especially when he crawls around on the floor with her. I never knew she could laugh so hard.
*Favorite toy: a magazine or pile of papers.
*Starting to like, or at least tolerate, her bath.
*Sticks her tongue out when she's concentrating.
*Separation anxiety is getting worse.
*Likes to go places to look around.
*Doesn't like to be alone. Even if you are in the same room as her, she wants you right smack next to her. This creates her perfect climbing wall.
*Loves, loves, loves to fake cough. She always gets a reaction so she will do it over and over and if you fake cough, she will start to imitate. It is too funny.

We are so smitten with this little face and can't wait to see what she does next!

Normal?

2011-05-13T12:24:00.001-07:00

So, you know how when it is your first time having a child you never know if what your child does is normal? Like how they sleep, the faces and sounds they make, their overall development, etc. Well, there has always been something I have wondered about Heidi. She was born in the summer and I would try to take her for walks all of the time and she would, well, scream. I would usually end up carrying her in one arm and pushing the stroller with the other mid-walk. I took my nephews for lots and lots of walks and I do not ever remember them doing anything other than sitting there quietly enjoying the free ride. I told myself that as Heidi got older she would love walking. She definitely tolerates it much better now, but I still wonder if she's normal. If it were up to me we would be walking 2 hours or more on these lovely days. She will last about 45 min-1 hour. She also does not sit in her stroller the "normal" way. She always tries to flip herself around or even hang off of the side. It is actually quite funny to watch. I keep telling myself that it's normal since she is at the "figure out how your body moves stage". But my question is, is it really normal for an almost 9- month old to not sit still in the stroller? Were my nephews just abnormal for sitting and enjoying the ride? Perhaps with even more time she will just sit and enjoy the ride? Who knows.

In other news Heidi is crawling around like a pro and we are simply in heaven with this beautiful weather we are taking advantage of every opportunity we can get to be outside! Any time Heidi is not asleep, we find excuses to be outside. The house has been a bit neglected the past few days and dinner has not been ready for Jeff when he gets home, but we could live with this weather from now until next May. Seriously. Do you think this is what heaven feels like? I do.

Today?

2011-05-06T14:44:00.001-07:00

What? Did you say daddy is coming home today?

HOORAY!!

Can't get enough...

2011-05-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

I realize that I post a lot...and I mean a lot, but I just can't get enough of this little face and I don't want to forget anything about this little girl as she grows! These aren't the best pictures, but J-diddy wants some updates on home while he's away. With all the wiggling, it is very hard to get a non-fuzzy picture! Anyway, we are still working on getting the crawl down to an art.

Heidi makes the funniest faces, my two favorites are the tongue out of mouth, and the other when she gets a look of sheer determination. She is most motivated to practice her moves if I dangle something she knows she shouldn't have...namely my cell phone.

We have caught her looking at us out of the corner of her eye a lot lately and it is so funny. The best part is when she realizes you see her and she breaks out in a HUGE grin. The other funny thing she has been doing lately is when we start laughing she starts slapping her leg like it's the funniest thing she has ever heard. It is too much. She has moments of pure trouble, but we just can't get enough of this little girl.

The Scoot and Dive Maneuver

2011-04-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Heidi seems to be progressing on the crawl a lot faster than we thought (and hoped)! I have to say though, we could spend hours playing with her and encouraging what she is learning. She has now gone from rocking and scooting backwards to scooting forward with her legs and then diving for whatever it is she wants. Jeff and I have had so much fun watching her figure out her little body. I can't believe how much she has improved in just one day. Jeff will be out of town and I am crossing my fingers she doesn't completely figure it out while he's away!

First Easter

2011-04-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter. Holidays are so much more fun now. We hid some eggs in the backyard and Heidi had a great time "finding" them. Really, it was her dad that had the best time. He had a blast lifting her up in all of the trees. It was very cute.

Then of course, she had a scream checking out her Easter basket in the morning. She happily emptied each and every thing from the basket so her dad could put them back in and she could start over. It was quite entertaining to watch.

After she had enough of her basket, we got all ready for church so we could celebrate the real reason for Easter. Most of the time we have lived here I have been with the Young Women. This was my last Sunday teaching. I am now working with the stake young women and I am excited about it, but I will definitely miss being with the ward girls each week. We have such awesome girls and I am so lucky I have been with them for so long!

Jeff's cousin is moving up here (whoo hoo) so since his cute family isn't here yet, he is coming for Easter dinner as well as one of my friends from the ward. It has been a very fun and memorable day!

Eight Months

2011-04-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

We sure love this bright eyed little girl and are loving watching her grow and change every day, although we all know it goes way too fast.
*She has both bottom teeth and her top gums are swollen.
*Trying to crawl, but probably has a little ways to go. Get up on all fours and rocks. She goes backwards...can't figure out the arms yet. Usually gets herself into quite a pickle.
*Rolling, rolling, rolling all over. Whatever way you set her down, she flips over immediately. Funniest on the diaper pad. Keeps us on our toes! *She thinks peek-a-boo is the best game in the world.
*Likes to be flipped upside down.
*Favorite toys are her hairbrush and a good set of measuring spoons.
*Not a fan of the bath. What kid doesn't like the bath?
*Still an early to bed/early to rise kind of gal. She has been getting up earlier than usual, but won't go back to bed...not cool! Lately she sleeps from about 7-5:30. I keep trying to change it to 8-6:30, but she isn't interested in staying up a minute past 7. I think the neighbor starting his truck at 5:30 is actually the culprit, but what can you do? *Gives mommy and daddy loads of smiles, but in public she is too busy scoping out what is going on and has to be in the mood to give a stranger a smile. Maybe she's shy??
*Favorite sounds are: rarara, bababbaba, mamamommamom, dadadadad, fffffffff, hoo *Tries to shake everything to see if it rattles...your hand, your hair, her pacifier, basically anything and everything that enters her little hands. I have tried to show her how to bang toys (I'm not sure why), but she has zero interest. She only likes shaking.
*Loves the piano and music.
*Doesn't seem to have any stranger anxiety yet, but if I am in the room, she thinks she needs me to hold her. If I sit next to her she tries to immediately climb up me.
*When she was first born in the hospital, she looked exactly like me but w/ hair. By the time we brought her home, she was the spitting image of Jeff for a long time. Now I think she just looks like Heidi. I don't think she necessarily looks more like me or Jeff.

She goes in for a 9-month check-up so we'll see her stats then,but my guess is she still in a very low percentile for everything--although those cheeks must weigh a pound each! Don't you just want to squeeze 'em?

Tilling the Garden w/ Dad

2011-04-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

Heidi loves noises made by machines...vacuums, dryers, treadmills, blow dryers, mixers, drills...you name it. So we thought she would probably like the rototiller too. We were right. She watched her papa intently and broke out in a huge grin when he stopped to smile at her. We were thrilled to have a day where we could spend some time outside. We even got to go for a run outside. It was lovely. Tilling the garden and planting the onions only made us more excited for the changing seasons...although we know winter will probably come back again sometime before June. I just hope we have a better and longer growing season this year. Heids in finally feeling better now. For the last couple of days she has been fighting a fever and very runny nose, which made for one tired, cranky babe. It's so nice to have our happy little girl back and thank heavens the worst of it only lasted about two days.

Just Because

2011-04-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

During the week I email pictures to Jeff at work so that he can enjoy seeing the little girl that has completely stolen his heart. This was one of the pictures I sent him today, along with this letter:

Dear Daddy,
Please hurry home. You should see what mom is doing to me. She tried to make me eat something new at a time I wasn't use to. To tell you the truth, it wasn't that bad, but I wish you were there to watch me eat it. It had a weird color. Now mom is threatening to put a bib on me because she is sure I am going to spit purple/brown all over my outfit. Which leads me to another thing...why does she always want to dress me up? Doesn't she know I am happiest when I wear nothing at all? Besides, what's the point if she is just going to cover the outfit with a bib? She knows I will find a way to miss the bib completely when I spit up and it will just end up on my outfit anyway. Before the whole outfit fiasco, she put me in the big person tub. Apparently she doesn't realize that I am not a big person and that I do NOT like that place. All I do is scream when I go in. Besides that, I am supposed to take my bath at nighttime and it is not nighttime. You really should put a stop to this. This wind is also driving me and mommy nuts. I love you, daddy, and I wish you were here. Mommy and I are both happier when you're around.

Love, Heidi

Hangin' with the Boys

2011-04-02T12:55:00.001-07:00

Last year, all three third grade teachers were expecting. What an exciting year it was in third grade...especially for the students! They couldn't stop talking about how "ALL the third grade teachers are going to have a baby!" We were also, of course, the running joke of the school..."Don't sit on the third grade chairs," "Steer clear of the third grade hall," "Don't drink thie same water the third grade teachers are drinking," etc. Since we are all three such great friends, it was so fun to go through pregnancy together! We were all about two months apart from each other too. Heidi has had play dates with each of these two good looking fellows separately, but for some reason, we have never been able to correspond naps and feeding with all three. It finally happened and how fun it was! It was so fun to see the size comparisons and personality comparisons...and it was a blast to get back together and gab, gab, gab for the moms! Heidi was the second of the three born, but is the smallest of the three...we're not surprised. Heidi was definitely the comforter. Whenever one of the other two would cry she would get a very concerned look on her face. If she was near the sad babe, she was rubbing their back immediately. It was so cute. What a cute trio and how fun it will be for them (and us) to watch them grow together!

Oh my hair!

2011-04-01T06:58:00.001-07:00

Somebody slept well last night!

Grandpa and Grandma Come to Town!

2011-03-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend was fun! Jeff's parents made the trip up to visit. We always love to have visitors...it can get pretty lonely here sometimes! Especially since Heidi joined our family, we love having visitors so she can get to know her family. Heidi was spoiled with lots of extra love and attention and we were spoiled with good company! The weather was beautiful Saturday so we were able to get out and take a walk and give Heidi a cat nap since she didn't want to sleep when her grandparents were here. I guess she just couldn't handle not seeing them every second! Of course grandma and grandpa brought her a darling dress to wear to church. Who doesn't love to spoiling this face?

Reflections of Motherhood

2011-03-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my good friend today about how my blog has become very boring for readers outside my family. It has turned from a blog about Jeff and I to a blog about the little girl that has turned our lives into a whole new adventure. The point of my blog is to journal our lives so that our family, especially our kids, can look back and see what they were doing and what they looked like growing up. But, I also want them to know what their mommy and daddy were like and what they went through. So in an attempt to blog about something other than what our little girl is up to, I thought maybe I would take some time to reflect on the ups and downs in the adventures of motherhood! These will probably come out as random thoughts, but my brain isn't quite as organized as it once was!

*I had no idea how hard the first few weeks would be...especially with labor and c-section to recover from. I wish I had just taken all the pain meds prescribed from the beginning instead of trying to be tough. I am SO grateful I had my mom and dad here because if they had only stayed a couple of days, I would have been more of a wreck than I was. I am hopeful that with a planned c-section next time recovery will be slightly easier. I remember sobbing because I was in so much pain physically and sobbing emotionally because I felt so guilty that I had such a hard time just holding my baby. Plus, all the hormone changes don't help!

*I had no idea how difficult it would be emotionally those first few weeks. I know this sounds bad, but I remember when Heidi was going through such a rough time and school was starting and my parents were gone and Jeff was back at work, I would look at Heidi and feel this overwhelming sense of, "this is forever." I felt like I needed help so bad, but didn't know how to ask. It was so weird...especially when school started. I would be sitting rocking Heidi in her room watching the school buses drive past and the crossing guard escort the kids across the street and I kept thinking, "Who am I? I'm not a teacher, I don't feel like a mom and don't know how to be a mom. What am I doing?" It was the strangest, most emotional feeling I have ever felt...it's hard to explain. I just felt lost.

*I remember feeling happy that people wanted to meet Heidi. I was excited to see people, but also stressed. Trying to figure out nursing was hard and having people there complicated it. Plus, I didn't like when she cried in front of people...I still don't. It makes me feel like I am annoying someone.

*Nursing...so hard, but so glad I didn't give up. I was able to give her all breastmilk until about 4 months and little by little she has had to have more formula. I am so proud of myself for making it as long as I have. I hope the next one is easier.

*I learned to stop reading. Stop reading parenting books, blogs, internet sites, etc. etc. They only make me feel inadequate and stressed out. It helped much more to talk to friends about what they did with their kids, etc. All kids are seriously so different and I hate how a lot of the books blanket statement children. They might work for people who have kids that fit that particular model, but all kids do not learn and grow the same! Whenever I would try something and it didn't work, I just felt like it was my fault and I was a failure. Especially those annoying books that tell you it's the parent not the child that is the reason your kids doesn't sleep well, eat well, etc.

*Is it just me or does being a mom make you even more insecure? I have never felt so judged! I know I do it to myself and I am trying to be better but I can't help but compare! "Why can't I get my one child's hair to look cute, when she can get all 4 of hers perfect?" "Why can't I lose the baby weight as fast as so and so?" "Why doesn't my child eat and sleep as good as that child?" and it goes on and on and on! There are so many more things to beat yourself up about!

*I never knew that waking up at 5 or 6 would be so exciting. So exciting that she slept through the night, and so exciting to kiss those cheeks.

*I never knew how much I would love this tiny little thing that requires so much time.

*I never knew how scary it would be when your child got sick.

*I thought crying would be hard, but that really hasn't been hard to be patient with.

*I knew I would have a hard time with having very little sleep, but the only time it was really bad was when she woke up every 30 minutes. Now, every now and then I have to go in, or she will have a bad night where she is up a lot, but it isn't every single night so I don't mind at all. I like feeling that I can comfort her when she is upset, no matter what time it is.

*I am still amazed that my love for her continues to grow. Just when I think my heart is going to explode from loving so much, I love her more.

*I never knew how much I could love a giggle.

*I never thought I would spend so much time thinking about poop...consistency, color, and all that other nastiness.

*I pretty much knew having a baby would be so hard, but for some reason I didn't realize how much it would change the relationship Jeff and I had. At first, it took adjusting, but with time it has become so much easier and I didn't know I could love him more than I already did.

*I felt so isolated at first. I had a cranky baby so I didn't feel I could go anywhere in public because she might explode. Then I felt I couldn't go out because she was sleeping, or needed to nurse, etc. etc. I'm so glad that is getting easier.

*I never knew what a sense of accomplishment and relief I would have after teaching Heidi to nap in her crib. I felt so guilty for so long, but she seriously was not ready until she was about 6 and a half months old...believe me, I tried many, many, many, many, many times!

*I have learned that time goes way too quickly. Even in the beginning when it was so hard, I miss. I LOVE the stage she is at now, but I hate that she is growing so fast.

*I never used to be a germ freak until now.

*My house is not as clean as I thought it would be and dinner isn't ready for Jeff as soon as he gets home every day, and I am not running as far as I had hoped I would be by now, and I still hate the way I look and the way my body looks and the way my hair is falling out, but I'm working on getting better. We can't all be perfect in one day (or at least that's what I tell myself).

*I never knew how much I could dislike winter. I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE! Anytime it is even sort of nice we walk and walk and walk and walk and then nothing gets done in the house, but thankfully Jeff doesn't seem to care that much.

*Sometimes I panic that I am turning 30 and only have one kid. I don't really know why, except that I would like to space my kids but may not be able to space them as far as I would like. Not that I want 10 kids, but you know.

So there you have it. Random thoughts from a new mom. There is nothing I want more than to be a good mom and wife and sometimes I feel that I am failing miserably but maybe if I just get a little better every day I will sort of rock at it before they leave the house...or at least be better than I am today!

Seven Months

2011-03-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Was it really seven months ago that we met this cute little girl? It seems like longer and shorter all at the same time. We can't really remember what life was like without her. We are so incredibly blessed and are loving, loving, loving this stage! Is it bad that I don't really want her to be mobile yet? Well, I don't. It will be just one more sign that she is getting older, not to mention all the child proofing I am not prepared for. Here is some of the latest from Miss Heidi.

*Starting to sit on her own, but for short periods of time. She always falls to the side because she likes the game called, "I want to throw my toys to the side and then try to get them."
*Very ticklish and loves to be tickled.
*The happiest, most content child in the world as long as she is home and has her normal schedule. Take her somewhere else and, well, it's not pretty.
*Climber. She tries to climb up you the second you pick her up.
*Gets SO excited when you come to rescue her from her crib. She kicks her legs like a crazy person and squeals like crazy.
*Sleeps from about 7-6 most nights. Sometimes she wakes up and needs help finding the binky, but most of the time she gets herself.
*Napping in the crib much better. Takes a shorter nap in the morning (35 min.-1hr) and a longer nap in the afternoon (1.5-2 hrs). Hooray! This is all dependent on the last time she ate though.
*Not a great eater. Seriously. Sometimes I feel that I am forcing her to eat. She would prefer to eat an ounce or two and then play. That is what interferes with naps sometimes. :)
*Lasts a long time being distracted when tired or hungry. I am amazed at how long she can go without sleep or food and still be happy. Then she will all of the sudden hit a breaking point.
*Loves to be out and about.
*Likes sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, apples, and so far she can tolerate a few bites of beans.
*Shakes EVERYTHING to see if it will rattle.
*Rolls to her tummy all the time. Rolls to her back when she feels like it.
*Makes the cutest faces and expressions. Raises her eyebrows all the time. We love the look of sheer joy she gets the second she realizes someone is looking at her.
*Likes music and squeals or coos when music starts playing.
*Still has unruly hair. It's hard to find a way to make it look normal. Still sporting a huge bald spot in the back. It is a lot lighter than when she was first born, but it's not as light as the pictures make it look.
*The sound she usually repeats is "ba ba ba", but she has been experimenting with all sorts of sounds.
*Likes to put her fingers in her mouth and blow. Gets really excited if it makes a whistling type sound.
*Squeals with delight if you let her stand on the counter.

I'm sure I am missing a lot because she does something new and changes everyday. Sometimes I still miss working, but I am SO, SO, SO blessed not to have to miss one little squeal. Blessed, blessed, blessed. Seriously.

Little Motorboat

2011-03-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Heidi has been so funny lately. She laughs and squeals the second she sees your hand coming near her because she is sure you are going to tickle her. In addition, she is having fun making all sorts of new sounds. Her new favorite is the one we loving refer to as "the motorboat". When I put her down for a nap she lays there and makes the noise a good 5 minutes before drifting off to sleep. Maybe she only likes napping 30 min. because she is just too excited to make her new noise.

Anyway, besides nap time, she adores this noise the second food enters her mouth. This makes for very messy, but very funny mealtimes. Apparently sweet potatoes taste as good flying out of your mouth as going in. Oh how we love this girl!

Math Seminar

2011-03-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I got a call from the school district asking if I would be interested in teaching a math seminar. I LOVE the math program (Everyday Math) and I love teaching, so I thought, why not? I'm glad I accepted because I had a blast. I had a great time prepping for it (I kept telling Jeff, "I get to use my brain again!), setting up for it, and teaching it. It was perfect because they set it up for a Saturday so Jeff was home to watch the munchkin. I think it gave Jeff a little more appreciation for my job as mommy too. It was funny because when I got home that evening, I thought about my day and I thought about what Jeff's day was probably like and I thought, "yep, I definitely had an easier day!" It really was a blast and I felt flattered that the asked me to teach it. I hope they will call for things like this in the future! It was perfect since it was just a one day thing and I am excited to get a little paycheck too, whoo hoo!

New Job

2011-03-09T07:14:00.001-08:00

This post really has nothing to do with Heidi, but what's a post without this cute face? As long as we're talking about Heidi, I have to say, we are loving the 6 month phase and she can stay this age as long as she wants!

I have loved staying home, but have been kicking around the idea of going back at least part-time if a job opened...until lately. It seems she does something new every hour and I cannot imagine missing one grin. She is growing up way too fast and I don't want to regret missing a thing...even if I do miss working. There will always be time to work and if I am blessed enough to stay home I should take full advantage of it.

One part of working I have missed though is my paycheck...especially lately. Having a baby definitely costs money and I know she will just cost more the older she gets. I have been having to use more formula lately and well, it just adds up. Oh how I wish I had more milk!

Anyway, a few months ago we were out and Heidi fell asleep in her carseat. We knew she would wake up if we went home so on a whim we took a drive to the town west of us. (This, of course, was before gas prices were where they are now...ugh.) We were driving around and saw some lots for sale. Both Jeff and I had this overwhelming feeling that we needed to move out there...it was really weird, because we had never even talked about it. (This town is the same distance from Jeff's work but about an hour closer to UT). We stewed about it for a long time, but couldn't shake the feeling we should buy the land and that we would figure out where to cut expenses so we could get it paid off quickly. Everything fell into place and we had our half acre by January. Then I caught wind of some part-time teaching jobs that might be opening and I thought maybe that was what I should look into, but never really felt super about it.

Long story short...Jeff was just offered a job in his company that is three pay grades higher. It's a supervisor position that he would have to take at some point in order to move up in his career. If they assigned him to it, his salary would stay the same, but he would only have to do it for one year. If he applied and got it, he would get a pay raise, but be stuck in it until an engineering position opened again...which could be anywhere from 1 year to 10 years.

Anywho, he decided to just apply and see what happened. He got the job and the more we think about it, the more excited we are. The position is shift work, which is why we hesitated even having him apply, but the more we thought about it, the more we realized this is the perfect time for shift work. Jeff, being the engineer minded person he is, calculated it out and realized he will have 40 extra hours with a Heidi a month. Right now, he only sees her 1-2 hours before she goes to bed and on the weekends. This way, he will work longer days, but be home A LOT more. He will actually only be at work 14 out of every 28 days.

The hard part will be when he has to work graves, but everyone we talked to said your body adjusts and he won't work graves all the time. He will also be working two weekends a month, which leaves me to do church by myself twice a month. That will be hard. My friend that I taught with last year has a little boy who is about Heidi's age and her fiancee does it and they love it because they hardly have to take their little boy to the babysitter and he gets so much time with him. The pay raise should help us pay the land off faster and I won't have to go back to work. PLUS, since Jeff will be home during the day quite often, I will be able to sub and keep myself involved in the schools. I am excited for that.

There will definitely be downfalls to his schedule, but if he can get this experience out of the way before Heidi is in school, it will work to our benefit. I just hope it doesn't last more than 5 years or it will be when she is in school and then it will be way hard because then she really won't see him much. We definitely feel that we have been blessed and I am so excited Jeff will have more time with Heidi--that is definitely what we are most excited for. As it is, when he gets home he refuses to put her down. He takes advantage of every second he has with her and I couldn't be more grateful that he pays so much attention to her. It makes me love him all the more!

6 Month Shots and Stats

2011-03-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

The one thing I don't like about the new pediatrician I am going to now is that I have to drive to Rock Springs. Not such a big deal unless you wake up to yet another snow storm. SO ANNOYING! Not to mention poor little Heids has yet another nasty cold. She was up all night trying to breathe. I feel so badly for her. She was trying so hard to put herself to sleep and kept trying to breathe out of her mouth. She did pretty well considering how stuffed up she is. When will cold season end? I am so over it this year! In spite of not sleeping as well as she usually does, she was little miss happy pants, which made me feel even worse about making her get shots! She was all smiles and squeals while she waiting patiently for the doctor. Then the needles came out. She didn't cry as bad or for as long as I thought, but it breaks my heart every time.

Anywho, the little miss is growing nicely, though still a little tiny thing!

Height: 25 in. between 10th and 25th percentile (so about the 17th?)
Weight: 13.1 lbs. below 5th percentile

For one day this week we were able to go out walking and boy did we take advantage of it! We went to my friend's house, then we walked over to the school to pick up some stuff I needed for a class I am teaching next week. It was heaven. Can't it please just get warm so I can get this cute girl out of the house?

Just like mama

2011-02-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

I LOVE grapefruit and apparently so does this little lady. She wasn't happy with me when I took it to eat myself.

Six Months

2011-02-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

This little gal turned half a year old on Saturday. We still cannot believe we have had this little girl six whole months! She is growing and changing everyday. I still think she looks a lot more like Jeff than me, but she is starting to get her own Heidi look and we seriously could not love her more. I will be taking her into the doctor for her 6 month checkup either this week or next and I am anxious to see her stats. She seems to be putting on weight like crazy now so I am guessing somewhere between 12 and 13 pounds.

*Her favorite sound is still "Chubaca"
*Still not a night owl. Sleeps in her crib from about 7-5:30. Then she eats and sleeps another 1-2 hours.
*Kicks, kicks, kicks her legs like a crazy person...quite a handy tool when fighting sleep.
*Not a napper. She will usually only nap for about 30 min. If she is in the swing I can sometimes get her to stretch it a little longer or fall back asleep after the 30 minute wake up, but not if she is anywhere else.
*Becoming more mobile. Rolls from her back to tummy ALL the time...it's the tummy to back she can't seem to master. Sometimes she gets stuck on her tummy in the middle of the night and needs me to go in and flip her over.
*Squeals at increasingly higher octaves everyday.
*Everything goes into the mouth.
*We have all sorts of nicknames for her. Some make sense...some, well, who knows? A few she has been known to be called are: Heids, Heidi Spidey Pumpkin Piedy, cutie bug, magnet hands, kicky pants, grabby pants.
*Likes to grab faces and collars. Grabs our face and pulls it right smack next to hers.
*She nurses in the morning, but gets a mix of formula and pumped milk during the day.
*Her poor hair looks a little more sparse and a little thinner every day. We are dying for the new hair to arrive! I used to be able to get it to curl when it was wet, but not anymore.
*Clasps her hands and holds them in front of her face while twisting them. So funny. She stares and concentrates on her moving hands.
*Always grabs objects with her feet.
*Raises her eyebrows--so funny.
*Getting closer to sitting on her own. Will do okay for a couple of seconds before toppling over.
*Always the happiest when it is just mom and dad around in her own house. Doesn't tend to show her best self to others!
*Prefers oatmeal over rice cereal. Eats it before bed. We tried squash, but it didn't go over so well. So funny. We are going to attempt again in a couple of weeks.

Overall, we are just enjoying watching our little girl grow! Every day we love her more and seriously can't imagine how we ever got along without her!

Happy Heart Day!

2011-02-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

Instead of watching 20 hyper eight year-olds open their Valentine cards with glee, I will be watching one sweet baby girl sporting her Valentine pjs. I'm pretty sure she has already won our hearts.

I am so looking forward to the day I am helping her fill out her Valentine cards and watching her excitement, but for now, we are more than content just to watch her roll and spin around, play with her toes and clasp her hands, and of course, squeal and giggle with delight. We could not be more in love with our little valentine!

Happy Birthday, Daddy

2011-02-06T07:32:00.001-08:00

Dear Daddy,

Happy Birthday! I love you so much! You are the best dad in the world. Here are just a few reasons why I love you.
*You get so excited to come home and see me.
*You are disappointed if I am asleep when you get home.
*When you put me in my crib, you slept on my floor because you were worried about me being all alone.
*You always tell me how cute I am.
*When I get fussy you walk around and sing funny chinese sounding songs.
*You call me your little Chubaca since I make those sounds perfectly.
*When mom tries to give me some time on the floor to play by myself, you always "rescue" me.
*Snuggling me is your favorite thing to do.
*You can give me blessings and you read me scriptures every night.
*You are so excited to show me off.
*You aren't afraid to change poopy diapers.
*You get just as excited as mom to try out my new clothes.
*You give the best baths.
*You read me stories.
*You are always worried about me.
*You like being there when I have to get my shots.
*You are concerned about my thinning hair and love to brush what little I have left.

I can't wait to take a ride on your four wheeler and go camping with our family. Someday soon I will be anxiously looking out the window for you to come home from work. You take such good care of me and mommy. I am pretty sure I already have you wrapped around my little finger, but it looks like I will most definitely be a daddy's girl. I hope you have the best birthday ever.

Love, Heidi

An Eventful Day

2011-02-02T18:53:00.001-08:00

My mother-in-law convinced me to post about today and after giving it some thought, I decided it would be fun to read about later.

So...here we go. It has been cold, cold, cold around here lately. Last night -16. Brrrr. It is times like these that I am so grateful to have a wood burning stove...there is seriously nothing like that kind of heat. At first Jeff would start the fire before he left for work, but then I was getting annoyed because it was way too hot to run (our treadmill is downstairs). I felt like I was running in the dead heat of summer. So we came up with a new plan. He would bring in wood and I would light it when I was done running. That was working great, but then I started having a hard time getting the fire going. New plan. Jeff would now build the fire, bring in the wood, and then all I would have to do is light it. Now this was really perfect...until this morning.

Heidi and I went downstairs and I had a great run...probably felt the best I have since she came into our lives. I was feeling great. I fed her, we played a little while, and then I realized I hadn't started the fire. I figured I would go ahead and do that so it would be nice and warm after my shower. I did what I always do...I lit the newspaper, opened the air intake, and held the door open a little bit until it got going. But today was different...instead of lighting, massive amounts of smoke started pouring out the door. I closed it a little more in hopes of stopping this, but it just got worse and started pouring out the back of the fireplace. Crap. I quickly called Jeff about 8 times, but he wasn't in his office. Now the fire alarms were going off because there was soooo much smoke. I quickly took Heidi upstairs and went back down to try to figure out what to do but the smoke was so thick, I couldn't breathe and now it was quickly creeping up the stairs and into the kitchen. I was sure I had started the whole house on fire. So, I did the only thing I could think of...I called 911.

I was glad I had someone to talk to while I waited for someone to come figure out what to do, but some of the things she asked me made me wonder what kind of an idiot she thought I was. Here is my favorite part of the conversation.

Her: You need to leave the house.
Me: I am getting my keys right now.
Her: Is there anyone else in the house?
Me: Yes, my baby.
Her: Are you out of the house now?
Me: Yes, I am in my car.
Her: Where is the baby?

Really? I felt like saying, "Oh, the baby? Well, she was taking a nap and I didn't want to disturb her." Honestly.

Anywho, so before long the first policeman arrives. He tells me that he will take the car out and park in the street running to get it warm. In the meantime he tells me to go and get in his police car where it is warm. So there I am with little bundled up Heidi in the back seat of the cop car crying thinking about how my house is probably ruined. (Heidi, by the way, thought it was great. She was talking and squealing the entire time.) Then, just to make sure everyone knows I'm having a bad day, 4 more cops arrive, 2 or 3 fire engines, and an ambulance. They then put cones out on the street to prevent traffic and that is when all the neighbors begin to emerge. Oh hooray. Now everyone can see me sitting in the back of the cop car crying and I'm sure they had all sorts of scenarios worked up in their head. I hate, hate, hate to be the center of attention and well, this was just perfect.

Anyway...so while I am sitting there thinking and wondering what was ruined and how bad the damage is, the officer asks if I have been able to get in touch with Jeff. I told him that he must be in a meeting or something and he promptly calls the police dept. and has someone find Jeff. I found out later that two security guards came and pulled him out of a meeting of about 20 people...perfect. Now Jeff is the center of attention--which, he hates being even more than I do!

Anyway, after a little while the fire chief comes over and tells me great news...no fire, just smoke. What happened was that because it has been sooo cold, the fireplace pipe was too cold and the smoke was drafting backwards in the house. So the firefighters spent about an hour or so getting the smoke out of the house and making it safe so we could go back inside. I felt like a total idiot, but looking back, I'm not sure I would have done much different other than have Jeff light the fire. Jeff told me that even if I had closed the air intake, it would have been really smokey and would have still had smoke coming out the back, which would have still been bad enough that I wouldn't have known what to do and the house would still have filled with lots of smoke. Surprisingly, I haven't had to clean too much up except for where the firemen walked and touched the walls with their sooty hands. No damage. Phew. What a day. So while I am grateful to have a warm wood burning stove, I am also grateful to have a husband who will be lighting it from here on out!

Projects, Pacifiers, and the UPS man

2011-01-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

My friend Stephanie and I made these calendars and I am so excited about them! I have the perfect place to hang it. I have been wanting a calendar for a long time and couldn't decide what I wanted to do. We went to a craft fair and saw something, but then when we looked online we found we liked better, but it was too much money. My friend's mom knew a lady who could do the vinyl and metal cheaper so we finally decided to do it! I just need to hammer in a few nails and have Jeff hang it. It was fun making them because my friend has a darling little boy who is 8 weeks older than Heidi. It was fun to put them next to each other and see them look at each other. We're pretty sure they will get married someday. :)

This isn't the most stellar picture of Heidi, but I had to post about how funny she has been lately. She loves her binky. I try to only let her have it if she's crying or sleeping, but the little sneak always seems to find it if it is anywhere near her. For about a month or so she would see you holding it and then grab your hand and bring it to her mouth. It was so funny. Now she just takes matters into her own hands. I'm not sure why it startles me to see the pacifier in her mouth when I haven't put it there, but it makes me do a double take every time. She is also learning how to pull the thing that makes noise on her bouncer seat. Whenever I hear a little monkey noise or music from the other room, I know she was successful. It's fun to see her learn new things, but it is also a constant reminder that she is getting bigger.

My next bit is quite humorous to me. When I explained the situation to Jeff I was laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face. I realize it's probably not that funny, but maybe I'm just a little tired and loopy. Anywho, so when I first brought Heidi home she was a delight. Then week 3 hit and I wondered when her parents were coming to pick her up. We went outside a lot to pace. At that time, we were in the process of re-financing our house to a lower interest rate so the UPS man came with documents on a pretty regular basis. The first time he came, I happened to be outside with Heidi tossing a diaper. He seemed all smiley and of course thought Heidi was the cutest baby he had ever seen. Well, two days later he arrived again and I was out on the driveway pacing. This time he gave me kind of a funny look and it was then that I realized he probably thought I was this stay at home mom who just sits around ordering stuff off the internet and waiting for it to arrive. Two days later, lo and behold, this happened again. I was feeling a bit embarrassed. Then on another day I was taking Heidi for a walk and seemed to be walking everywhere the UPS truck was driving...I really think he thought I was following him.

So anyway, yesterday I was anxiously awaiting the fedex truck. We FINALLY ordered new phones (I no longer have to walk around the house plugging my phone in wherever I go). I had also ordered some diapers and things from diapers.com, but wasn't expecting them until Thurs. Finally I hear the doorbell ring and it's the fedex lady. Whoo hoo! As I am standing at the door signing my life away I notice a big, brown truck pulling up to my house and parking right behind the fedex. At which point the fedex lady says, "Oh my, it looks like you are getting another package". Sure enough. The UPS man had come at the same time so now he really, really thinks all I do is order stuff and wait for it to come all day long. As he came on the porch and was standing next to the fedex lady with his package, it was all I could do not to bust out laughing. As they left, I noticed them standing on my driveway talking to each other for a good 3 minutes. Perhaps they were discussing the lonely housewife with the shopping addiction. Oh my.

Five Months

2011-01-19T06:43:00.001-08:00

In spite of the fact that I am constantly whispering in Heidi's ear to stop growing up, it seems to continue happening. We think she is getting huge and are enjoying all her new little rolls, but when we see her next to other babies her age we realize she is still pretty tiny! When I took her in for her teary eye and congestion she was 11lb. 1 oz. She is probably going to be one of those kids that looks too little to be walking or crawling. All the teeny kids I know seem to have big, funny personalities to make up for their size, so we are hoping that is the case for our little munchkin.

*As long as Heidi is not tired, she is the happiest, most pleasant little girl.
*We think she might be on the shy side. When she is home with just us, she coos, squeals, and laughs constantly. If someone is over or we go somewhere she hardly makes a peep. We aren't sure if it's because she is shy, or because she is still so observant and is trying to take everything in.
*When you lay her on the floor, she usually spins around and around.
*Rolls over, but mostly from back to stomach and it's always when you least expect it.
*She doesn't really seem to like it if someone she isn't used to is at her house or in her space. It takes her a little bit to warm up to the idea of it not just being mom or dad. We wish she would show her best self to other people too!
*She likes to sit on the counter in her bumbo while I cook and watch and squeal at everything I do.
*Stares at you from across the room waiting for you to catch her eye then when you do, she breaks out in a huge grin and crinkles her nose.
*Her toes are her new favorite toy...and I thought keeping socks on was hard before!
*Her hair is getting very light and is thinning like crazy. She has a huge bald spot in the back...she really needs to learn how to sleep laying still!
*When she gets excited she kicks her legs and flails her arms like crazy.
*Her laugh is the cutest sound in the whole world and due to the fact that she is so ticklish, we have figured out how to hear it all the time. She likes squeal really loud right after she laughs.
*Still a big time cuddle bug. While sometimes it can be hard, I wouldn't want her any other way. She has to be snuggled when she wakes up from any nap and even when she is playing on the floor she likes to be picked up and hugged from time to time and then she is ready to play some more. She likes to grab our face and pull it right next to hers and rest her head on our cheek.
*Gets scared easily. She is very jumpy...just like her mom. If she doesn't know someone else in the room and then hears them or sees them she jumps.
*Likes to be read to.
*Likes music and laughs if you make her dance.
*Early to bed/early to rise. In bed by 7 or 7:30. She usually falls asleep while I put lotion on her and get her ready for bed--no matter how much sleep she has had during the day. She has been waking up around 3 and will usually take the pacifier until about 4:30 and then again until about 5 or 5:30. Then she eats and cuddles and goes back to sleep for another 30 min. to an hour. Sometimes she takes two short naps and one long nap and other times she takes 3 or 4 short naps a day. We need to start moving her to her crib, but mommy and daddy have more separation anxiety than she does!

We love our little cuddle bug to pieces and cannot imagine how we ever lived our lives without her. We are so grateful to have a sweet, healthy, happy little baby and really, really want her to stop growing up!

Routine

2011-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

When I was teaching, I used to hate the days where the schedule was thrown off...assemblies, parties, fire drills, random announcements, etc. I like to have a plan and I like things to be predictable. That is why motherhood has been a little challenging...I haven't yet been able to get in a routine. Every time I would see some sort of a schedule, something would throw it off--sickness being the worst. Well, now that Heidi is feeling much better and is almost 5 months old (when did that happen?) I am starting to see a routine emerge and I am more than thrilled. The mornings seem to be more predictable than the afternoons, but hey, I'll take it.

Heidi usually goes to bed around 7:30 but she would go down at 5:30 if I let her. She is just like her mother--not a night owl. I have tried to give her a cat nap to hold her off until closer to 7:30, but she wants none of it...it's the real thing or nothing! Sooo...we do cereal around 6:45, bath, nurse, bed. Sometimes she can't even make it getting dressed and she has been known to start dosing off while she gets lotion rub down. And trust me--it doesn't matter how much she sleeps in the day, she does not like to see anything past the 8:00 hour!

Around 3 or 4am she wakes up. Her congestion is SO much better now so she makes it much longer, but that is about the time she starts getting stuffed up again. She will usually take the pacifier until 5 or 5:30.

Then, I get her up to feed her. Would she take the pacifier and hold off a little longer? Probably. The problem is, I am so excited to see her and kiss her little cheeks that I get excited to hear her stirring and she usually wakes up chattering and it is just too cute. After I feed her she HAS to have cuddle time. If she does not get this time, she is clingy and crabby. She likes to lay with me and snuggle. Sometimes she falls back asleep, sometimes she just likes to be held close. She loves Sat. and Sun. when dad is there to snuggle too. It is all of our favorite time and even though we know there are critics of this time, we don't really care because she will only be this little once and our next baby probably won't be so cuddly.

Around 6:30 she gets dressed and watches me run on the treadmill. Now that she is sleeping better, I am desperate to get the rest of this baby weight off. I was doing so well and then I was exhausted from only catching a few hours of sleep that I made excuses. No more. I need to get back into it so when the weather finally gets warmer we can try out the jogging stroller. Heidi loves this time. She uses this time to squeal at the treadmill and practice rolling over. When I finish and do push-ups and sit-ups she finds it extremely hilarious. She giggles and giggles. Then we usually play awhile and work on rolling.

Then it's shower and another feeding for the little one. She usually plays 1-2 more hours and takes a nap. Then it's chore time for me. I try to get all the big stuff done during her first nap, and yes, she still naps in the swing. I need to start getting her to nap in the crib, but until Jeff gets the monitor hooked up, it's easier for me to listen for her in the swing. Sometimes she takes a short 30 min. nap, sometimes closer to an hour and half. When she gets up we use that as our reading time and mat time until the next feeding.

After her third feeding she usually takes another nap and that's when I usually work on projects for the school or scrapbook. When she wakes up I feed her again and then we play until it's time to make dinner. Once dinner is made, we anxiously wait for dad to get home. It's still not as scheduled as I would like, but hey, it's a start. I feel so blessed to get to stay home and watch my sweet little girl...who is growing way too fast. Everyone told me how hard motherhood would be, but not many told me how much fun it can be--what a pleasant surprise.

Giraffes

2011-01-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

Is it possible for a 4.5 month old to have a favorite animal? This girl seems to love giraffes. She has one that someone gave her and she always holds it and sucks its ears. Then my friend gave her this one for Christmas and she is in heaven. This one even sings the ABCs. As soon as she sees it, she starts squealing. It is so funny.

Heidi has definitely found her "outside voice" the last few days. It is the funniest thing in the world. She squeals at the top of her lungs...it is the highest, most ear piercing sound I have ever heard-- and I thought her other squeals were loud! It is quite funny, but not so easy to have a conversation around!

I took my little monkey in to a different doctor today to see if we could figure anything out about her congestion and teary eye. Much better experience. We have tried everything for 2 months--saline drops, humidifier, vicks baby rub, elevation of the mattress, etc. This doctor is putting her on an antibiotic so we are hoping that will work. He mentioned that sometimes reflux shows itself this way (this kind of congestion) around this time. Isn't that bizarre? He suggested putting her on an acid reflux medicine if the antibiotic doesn't work, but I'm not sure I'm game for that one. If she is still really bad at 6 months, he suggested going to an ear/nose/throat doctor. I don't think we will need to do any of these things. I am hopeful the antibiotic will work. Last night Heidi slept a lot better because she didn't seem as congested so I am pretty sure that is why she isn't sleeping.

The funniest thing lately in our house has been reading scriptures. We started reading while feeding her cereal in the evening. The second Jeff starts reading she starts babbling and squealing non-stop while trying to feed herself with the spoon. We usually end up with 2 or 3 spoons out and very little food being swallowed! She talks so much it all comes spilling out! It's always quite the mess and probably the funniest time in our household. We just love this little girl!

Shots Round 2

2010-12-31T14:20:00.001-08:00

In an attempt to help Heidi sleep a little better we started giving her cereal, much to my chagrin. I really didn't want to start until closer to 6 months...but let's face it, nothing has quite worked the way I planned since I didn't want her to have any formula until at least 6 months and yet she gets some formula everyday since I am pretty sure I still don't have enough milk...especially since we took her in for her appointment and got her stats.

At 4 months Heidi is:

24 in.--25%
10 lb. 15 oz.--<3%
So, there you have it. She is still a tiny thing. I can't believe she hasn't even doubled her birth weight yet. When I asked the doctor about it, she had nothing to say other than to point out that Jeff and I are both small...okay, thanks for that. I'm glad you're getting paid the big bucks to give me absolutely no advice, ask me not one question about how much and how often she eats, etc. She is STILL sporting quite the stuffed up nose and because of it is sleeping horribly. Her nose keeps getting worse and she gets less and less sleep every night. I don't think I have slept for more than 30 min. at a time since Christmas Eve. Perhaps we will have a New Year's miracle?? Exhausted doesn't even describe how we feel around here. I really wish she hadn't gotten sick at Thanksgiving because we are now going on close 2 months of non-stop sickness. The doctor of course had absolutely nothing of use to tell me and if the roads weren't so nasty I would be tempted to bring her down to Utah. She surprisingly has still been quite happy despite the lack of sleep and with sleep or without, we love her little face to pieces!

First Christmas

2010-12-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

Heidi had a great first Christmas! Christmas is much more fun with a little one, even if she is not really aware of what is going on yet! We took her to see Santa at the mall and let me tell you, I love living in a small town. You would think on Christmas Eve there would be a line out the door. We just walked right up and got her picture because there was no one in line. It was awesome. Heidi wasn't quite sure what to think. She wouldn't look at Santa. She just had to keep her eyes on mom and dad. It was pretty cute.

We got Heidi an exersaucer for Christmas and she loves it...even if she doesn't weigh enough to get her feet to touch the ground. I can't wait until she is big enough to start bouncing and spinning around because I think she is going to go nuts. When we opened presents Heidi really wasn't phased by anything. Grandma and Grandpa Hunziker got her some music books and she loved listening to the music. She has started showing interest in books now and I am loving that, of course. I read to her every chance I get. She mostly likes farm animal books and really doesn't like the bug or dinosaur book I try to read to her. I think she is going to be a girly girl.

This is our all time favorite picture of Heidi in her exersaucer. She looks like she is a rock star jamming out. It is so funny. You can kind of see how her feet don't really touch yet too. She is so funny and is at our favorite age so far. She is so happy all day long and squeals and giggles all the time. I never thought she would be this happy and hope teething can hold off for a little while.

Heidi also gave her mom and dad a Christmas present. For the first time since she got sick, she slept through the night! (Well, 7:30-4:50). It was in her bassinet, but still, it was very nice not to have to wake up every 20-60 min. to stick in the pacifier!

Heidi has also become quite the daddy's girl lately. We are happy he is home for a few days. She always checks to make sure dad is still in the room. It is so cute. We have had such a great Christmas!

Four Months

2010-12-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

We can't get into the doctor until the 30th so we don't have stats yet, but we have noticed our little bug growing like crazy lately...a little too much if you ask me! Heidi is such a happy little thing lately and we are just loving watching her learn and grow!

*Rolls over from tummy to back--when she feels like it...was doing it a lot, but hasn't for awhile.
*Very ticklish
*Laughs all the time...best sound in the world
*Squeals and coos and chatters non-stop
*Sporting quite the bald spot in the back
*Likes to go places--mostly because she loves to look around and take everything in
*Loves sitting on the counter to watch mom cook or do projects for the school
*Still has a hard time napping for longer than 20 min. unless she is being cuddled...LOVES to be cuddled
*Used to sleep well at night but then she got sick at Thanksgiving and hasn't slept through the night since. Wakes up since she can't breathe and we tie her over with the pacifier...will she ever sleep through the night again???
*Hates the cold
*Likes to sit in her bumbo on the table while we eat
*Has to be strapped into everything now because she moves and wiggles so much
*Spins herself around on the floor

Turkey Day

2010-11-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! Thankfully, the weather wasn't as bad as predicted and we headed down to Utah to spend the holiday with Jeff's family. Heidi was such a great little traveler! I fed her right before we left and we hit the road. Heidi talked to herself happily for the first 20 min. or so and then fell right to sleep the rest of the drive.

Our first stop was to visit Jeff's grandma. Heidi had fun meeting her great grandma Magda (Magdalena).

We had a great time being spoiled with delicious food and enjoyable company. Heidi had a great time being spoiled by all of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and adoring cousins. She was such a good girl and slept great in her new playpen. She kept waking up while everyone was awake playing games, talking, etc. but she went back to sleep when I gave her the pacifier so I am not complaining. She still slept until 5 or 5:30 everyday so I was thrilled! I was a little concerned since it would be a new situation for her. She was a happy little girl and seemed to enjoy and take in all the commotion. She loves to watch everything and everybody. On Friday Jeff and I went into town to visit my old college roomie, Anita. It was sooo fun to see her! She tried to come visit at the hospital when Heidi was born, but my phone wasn't working and we missed each other. I was glad I got a chance to see her while she was still in Utah. Overall we had a fabulous break and are so grateful to have had the time to see family! We wish we all lived closer so the get togethers could happen more often!

Three Months

2010-11-19T12:13:00.001-08:00

How can my little girl be 3 months already??? She has been such a treat lately and I just want her to stop growing up! No doctor appt. this month, so no stats, but we think she is about 10 lbs., 22 inches long. But I have been wrong about her weight before so maybe she's only 9 something.

*Coos, coos, coos all the time.
*Does this really deep coo with a very serious face from time to time--hilarious
*Has laughed about 6 times and her mommy and daddy now make complete fools of themselves to try to get another one
*Can still wear newborn clothes...mostly nb pants
*Fake coughs and cries to get attention--I am not kidding. She will pretend to cough, you look at her, she looks at you out of the corner of her eye and gets a HUGE grin on her face
*Sleeps 8-5 or so most nights. Sometimes she wakes around 3 and gets the pacifier until 5.
*Doesn't want her crib yet, but won't have a choice when she starts getting too big for the bassinet.
*Naps much better. Sleeps in the bassinet in the morning, afternoons she ends up in mom's arms from time to time, but we are making progress.
*Only likes to eat if mom is feeding--she won't even let Jeff feed her the bottle...mom has to give her the bottle.
*Now gets a bottle of pumped milk before bed.
*Loves her baths
*Grabs things, but mostly burp cloths, wash cloths, my hair, her hair, and her clothes
*Blows lots of bubbles
*Loves to stand and especially likes to be held up over your face (like an airplane)
*LOVES pat-a-cake. That's where a lot of laughs came from
*Very observant...can't sleep if there is activity or people around unless really tired. When she gets really tired and wants to sleep but there is a lot happening (like church) she will cover her eyes to try to sleep
*Likes you to hold the pacifier in her mouth so she can hold your hand, even though she can keep it in just fine
*Loves to cuddle and be held (especially if mom is the one holding)
*Loves her activity mats and bouncy seat
*Loves the piano, blow dryer, and vacuum

Overall, she is just a fun, happy little girl and we couldn't love her more. Some days I watch the kids getting off the bus at the bus stop in front of my house and hear the bells at the school behind my house and I get really, really sad. Not a day goes by that I don't miss teaching, but every time I hear Heidi laugh, coo, squeal, or smile I remember why I stayed home. I wouldn't want to miss a single minute because it is going way too fast! I feel so lucky to have the option to stay home!

Blessing Day

2010-11-08T05:01:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Heidi's blessing day. Heidi had a great, special, busy day! We were blessed to have a lot of our family come from both sides. My parents, sister, and brother came from California, my grandparents came from Idaho, my brother came from Kentucky. Jeff's parents, sister & family, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Marlene and Uncle Kelly came from Utah. It was so fun to see everyone and we are so grateful our families traveled so far to help Heidi celebrate her special day.

Heidi wore my blessing dress that my grandma made for me. I was glad it fit. She looked so cute and was such a good girl even with all the commotion. When she started to be blessed she spit her pacifier out and started smiling at all the men...so funny.

11 Weeks

2010-11-05T07:34:00.001-07:00

Wild and Crazy

2010-11-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is how my child woke up from her nap...I guess that's what happens when you have loads of hair. It made me laugh. Perhaps it's because daddy didn't help with bath time last night and he does a much better job brushing the hair before bed and then it stays a little more manageable the next day. Mommy isn't so patient before bed time.

In other news, naps are still not going well, but nighttime has been pretty good.

Saturday: 8pm-5am
Sunday: 8:30pm-3:30am
Monday: 8 pm-5:45 am
Tuesday: 8 pm-5:30 am

No matter what time she wakes up, we love her more and more every day!

It's a Halloween Miracle!

2010-10-31T15:17:00.001-07:00

I realize this is a very old picture of the little one, but I am on Jeff's computer and that is all he's got and I'm too lazy to go upstairs and get the camera. So anyway my little munchkin has been such a delight lately. Last night, Heidi slept from 8pm-5am. I realize this may just a major fluke, but hey, I'll take it!

The napping was getting better, but then it got really bad again. She had a day or so where she did awesome, but then everything unravelled. No matter how tired she was, she would SCREAM until she was hoarse for 20-25 min. and never give in. She threw such tantrems in that 20 min. that she literally managed to get herself out of the swaddle, scoot to the top of the crib, get her sleeper off one shoulder, and both legs in one leg of the sleeper. She's a magician apparently. I have been letting her nap in the swing the last two days because she just doesn't seem to be getting the "cry it out" yet and I really, really tried for 4-5 days for every nap. She has been sleeping in her crib at night, so maybe I will go back to trying the naps in another couple of weeks and see what happens.

With Jonna's help, I realized I may not be producing quite enough milk for this little one. I have been pumping like crazy and trying to feed bottles so I know how much she is getting. The bottle that works like a charm is the playtex drop-in with the latex nipple. Life saver. My friend let me borrow a whole bunch of different ones and this one was the winner--same friend that let me borrow the mobile--she has been such a life saver! Realizing that she liked the latex nipple I thought maybe I should try a binky with a latex nipple. I had tried so many different shapes and sizes, but didn't think about material. Well, wa-la! She takes it!!! She only takes it when she's mad or tired, which is exactly when I want her to take it. Thanks to these two discoveries she successfully made it 3 hours at church. I guess we'll see how she does tonight...I hope it wasn't just a fluke, but even if it was, I'll be grateful for one night!

Emergency Room already?

2010-10-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

I realized a couple weeks ago that I did not have one picture of myself with Heidi. I finally made Jeff take a picture because let's face it, I did give birth to this little one! This picture was taken the first time we took Heidi to church and I am just now blogging about it.

Anyway, so I had to take Heidi to the ER yesterday. I felt like one of those over-protective moms, but Jeff insisted I go and I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. After Heidi's shots she started throwing up florescent yellow and also brown that looked like it might be bloody. The pediatrician said to take her in to the ER to make sure it wasn't some gastrointestinal bleeding. So we spent the day (and yes I mean the entire day) waiting around in the waiting room to find nothing out. They told she probably had a reaction to the rotavirus since it is a live virus. Or they said it might have been the formula I gave her the day before. We are trying to teach Heidi how to take a bottle and I didn't have any pumped milk ready so we tried a little formula. She only got 2 oz. down, so I would be surprised if that was it. In the end, they told me to wait it out 24 hrs., don't give her any formula, and come back if it keeps happening and they will do an x-ray. I'm so glad I spent the day (and no doubt loads of $$$ for that). I'm pretty sure she is just fine. She hasn't had any more vomiting, her temp. is back to normal, and she seems happy and healthy. I think Jeff was more concerned than I was...what a good daddy. :)

Jeff really is the cutest dad. He just adores his little princess. He loves bath time and wants to steal her the second he gets home. It's so fun to watch. Heidi's sleeping has gotten SO much better the last two days. I was glad to know friends who I think are great moms let their kids "cry it out"....it made me feel better. We still have tears, but it is getting better. My friend also let me borrow her mobile and that really helps, especially when I first put her in. The best part is that the mobile has a remote so I don't have to go in to start it over. Now that is ingenious. We need to get better at going down at night time now. Weeks 3-8 were so hard, but I think our little girl is settling in. She is so much happier and we just love her to pieces!

Shots and Stats

2010-10-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

Even being this tired when we got home from the doctor, Heidi still will not sleep in the crib! UGH! The doctor told me today I have to let her just scream for 20-25 min. but that is a lot easier said than done. If she is really, really tired, she will lay there quiet with her eyes open and never drift off to sleep. I put her in the crib drowsy but not asleep, I pat her, I shush her, I leave her come back and pat and shush...let's face it, she just can't go to sleep by herself. I have tried music, white noise, and my friend let me borrow a mobile that I am going to try. Anyone else have this problem????? I used to be able to get her to sleep at night only in her crib or bassinet, but now she won't even do that. It's so hard to leave her in there screaming because what if she's still hungry? Or maybe she has a burp? Did anyone else let their child "cry it out" and if so, did you start this early???

Anyway, when we went to get her shots today we found out she is still small...shocking.

Height: 21 1/2 in.--7th percentile
Weight: 8 lbs. 11 oz.--3rd percentile

I was sure she was at least 9 pounds, but I guess not. When I expressed my concerns to my german doctor she said in her thick accent, "Look at her. She is beautiful. In America, she seem small. In Europe, she is beautiful, healthy baby. American babies too big." Not sure that answers my question about whether or not I should be concerned that she is getting enough to eat, but she said her height and head circumference are growing normally for what she was when she was born, but her weight is just slow in coming. (I want to supplement her with a little formula at night, but Heidi now refuses to take a bottle. She just licks it.) She said it is most likely just genetics. Clearly from Jeff...she'll be grateful I suppose when she is older if she stays skinny.

Two Months

2010-10-19T07:07:00.001-07:00

Time is flying by! I think Heidi was embarrassed when I mentioned she was a bit of a cranky pants because for the last 5 days or so, she has been quite delightful! Now I probably jinxed it, but I sure hope not.

I am taking Heidi in for her 2 month this week and then I will list her stats. We think she is about 9 pounds now...what a chunk...lol.

Here are some fun things we have noticed:

*Starting to bat at toys, though seemingly unintentional. It is so fun to see her reaction when she hits the rattle.
*Smiles and coos all the time. Happiest time is in the morning.
*Loves to be cuddled. She has a hard time sleeping if she's not on mom or dad's shoulder.
*Fights naps like you wouldn't believe. I think it's b/c she doesn't want to miss a minute w/ her mommy :)
*Likes walks, but only if mommy or daddy carry her--what can I say, we must be great cuddlers!
*Loves her diaper pad...what the? It is so funny. She smiles and coos like nobody's business when she's on that thing!
*She's ALWAYS moving those arms and legs, even while eating.
*Holds rattles for a short time.
*Can hold her weight on her legs. Probably easy for her since she's such a lightweight.
*Eats every 3-4 hours. Usually goes to sleep around 8 and gets up between 2 and 4 and then again around 6 or 7. Every now and then she will get up at 12:30??? Hope that stops happening.
*Hates her car seat and being in the car. I've decided she must be claustrophobic like her mama.
*Likes bath time, but hates getting out and getting in her pjs.
*When I get up to feed her at night she is so hilarious. As soon as I turn the hall light on she stops crying instantly. As soon as I look at her she gets this HUGE grin on her face. I swear she's thinking, "Ha, my little cry worked again!"
*Does surprisingly well at church until she needs her nap...dad usually ends up taking her home since mom teaches YW.
*Doesn't like to wear bows often. Probably because she loves twirling all her luscious locks and the bows are just in the way.
*Twirls hair and pulls her ear.
*Makes a funny face when she's about to cry.
*Only likes the swing if the treadmill is going.
*Likes the sound of the blow dryer.
*Sleeps w/ arms above her head--refuses to let arms be swaddled.
*When startled her arms go flying up--it's hilarious.
*Likes to be sung to. Loves "The wheels on the bus".
*Likes me to bounce her on my knee and sing Humpty Dumpty.

We just love her to pieces and are so glad she's here. I thought leaving teaching would be harder than it is. My little Heids keeps me so busy I hardly have time to think about school. She already has dad wrapped around her finger and we can't wait to see all the new little things she does every day!

Happy Birthday Grandma Hunziker!

2010-10-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday grandma! Thanks for loving me so much! I am so lucky to have you as my grandma. I can't wait to see you and play with you again!

Love, Heidi

Our little Weirdo

2010-10-12T10:44:00.001-07:00

I discovered the secret to getting Heidi to take a nap in the morning, not in my arms, and it revolves around the swing and the treadmill. I was very concerned about how I was going to start running again with a little fuss bucket, especially since she's too small to take in the jogging stroller. I had resorted to waiting until Jeff got home and then I discovered something: Heidi loves the sound of the treadmill. As long as she isn't over tired or hungry, if I put her in the swing and start running on the treadmill she is out--more so in the morning, but still. It is so funny. She will be throwing a tantrum and nothing will work. Then I put her in the swing and get the treadmill going and she is out in 42 seconds flat. The other morning I got on the treadmill in my bare feet holding her and she liked that. So we use the treadmill a lot. It's more effective than pacing around for some reason. Now that I have posted this, I have a bad feeling I have jinxed it. Cross your fingers.

Here's another funny thing about this. Last night we had a bad, bad night as soon as daddy got home. I was trying to finish dinner and Jeff was struggling. So I told him about the trick. I told him, "Put her in the swing and start running on the treadmill". Well, the screaming didn't stop. So after a few minutes I go downstairs to see what the problem is. Heidi is in the swing like I asked, but the swing is not moving. I asked him why he didn't turn the swing on and he said, "You just told me to put her in the swing and start the treadmill. It doesn't work." I didn't realize you had to actually say to turn the swing on. I couldn't stop laughing and let's face it, I needed something to laugh at by that point!

This whole discovery got me thinking. Why am I not 90 pounds by now? I mean seriously. I spend probably 90% of my day bouncing, walking, swaying, pacing, etc. and yet I still have 10 lbs. to get to pre-baby weight and 15 lbs. to get to my ideal weight. I really think I should get something out of this, don't you?

Little Miss Cranky Pants

2010-10-09T13:54:00.001-07:00

"Mellow", "Content", "Calm"... none of these words describe our little princess! At 7 1/2 weeks old we have decided we just might have ourselves a cranky baby. We have some days that are better than others, but for the most part we have a lot of fussing....unless eating or sleeping. I keep waiting for things to get better, but let's face it, every time I say, "I think she is coming out of it" or "I think she is starting to get happier", --she gets ten times worse. So I don't say that anymore.

I feel like everyone and their mother's dog describes their newborn with one of the three aforementioned words, and I'm not going to lie: a little jealous! Either way, we still love our little miss cranky pants to pieces and think she is a doll....we just try not to take her in public too often. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified to take her to church tomorrow. I know we will be the ones everyone is staring at wondering why we can't get our baby to calm down.

Here are some things we try. I'm hoping we'll look back at it one day an find it humorous.

*Swing. She lasts about 5-10 min. and then exercises her lungs.

*Bouncy seat. She lasts about 5-10 min. and then exercises her lungs.

*Floor mat w/ and w/o toys. She lasts about 10 minutes and I have to be there the entire time shaking rattles, singing, etc...and then she exercises her lungs.

*Holding. She last 1-2 min. sitting. Then it's up we go! We bounce, we walk, we bounce, we sway, we go room to room, we bounce some more, and so on. When we're up, we can last about 15 min. before exercising lungs.

* Gas drops and Gripe water. Don't seem to make much difference.

*Changing my diet. I have cut out dairy because it seems to make her have worse reflux, but she still has good reflux days and bad so I don't know if that has done anything.

*Walks. Let's put it this way--I try to stay away from houses and try to go on the trail when it's not a busy time. I walk her with the stroller and the carseat attachment, the stroller w/o carseat (she can lay down), and walk her without the stroller in my arms. She'll be calm for about 5 min. at a time, then I have to stop, take her out and console and put her back in and repeat. She usually starts a blood curdling scream at the absolute farthest place from home. I think everyone that has seen me thinks I abuse my child. Why else would she be screaming that way?! I have even had to take her out and carry her in one arm while pushing the stroller with the other.

*Swaddling. She HATES it, but mostly at night. If I put her arms in and wrap her tight, she throws a tantrum until her arms eventually come out. We think she's so skinny because she can't hold still. Even when she is sleeping she is moving all over squeaking an grunting. She sounds like a little dinosaur. When I go get her, she is usually completely sideways in the bassinet. I honestly don't even know that she ever sleeps.

*Pacifier. This lasts 10-15 min. depending on the day and I have to hold it in her mouth.

So basically, I rotate between all things all day long. When she eats, she eats for about an hour. I have been told not to feed her so long, but to be honest, sometimes having an hour where she isn't so cranky is kind of nice and makes the time go more quickly between the feedings. I have her eating about every 3 hours and she doesn't seems especially starving between feedings...just unsettled and sometimes burpy and gassy. Her nights aren't horrible, but she doesn't sleep through the night. She goes down about 8:30/9, gets up anywhere from 2:00-3:30 and then again around 6 or so. Lately she hasn't wanted to go back to sleep when she's up at 3:30 and that is torture. I would say I think things are going to get better...but I don't want to jinx myself. Oh well, in spite of it all, I am SO grateful to have a healthy baby (even if she's not so happy) and I love the days and even just the minutes in some cases when she is happy and smiley. We love her to pieces and couldn't imagine life without her!

Six Weeks

2010-09-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

My baby is growing up so fast!! I am dreading the two month appointment and shots, but I guess I have a couple more weeks.

Jeff had a weird work schedule today and was home for a little in the morning. It was nice to have daddy around so mom could get a few things done.

Heidi had a rough patch starting around 3 weeks, but I feel like she might be coming out of it...knock on wood. The hardest thing right now is just that she will not nap anywhere except in someone's arms. As much as I LOVE cuddling with my little one, I need a little time to do the basics and keep the house clean. Having Jeff home this morning was nice because since it has been 6 weeks, I wanted to start running again. If I had someone to hold her for even just 2 hours a day, it would be great. I know it will get better though. I will probably just have to run when Jeff gets home until she is more content on her own. I have tried to get her to sleep in her crib and not let her sleep in my arms, but she wakes up within ten minutes and won't settle back down. Not just the crib. I should mention, she won't sleep in the bouncy seat, swing, bassinet, stroller, you know name it! Any tips???? My biggest fear is that she will start not wanting to sleep in her crib even at night. Is that a valid fear?

Being a mom is better than I expected in most ways, but what I never anticipated was the worry. I worry about everything. Is she eating enough? Is she sleeping enough? Is she sleeping too much? Should I be training her better? etc. The nursing is getting better and I am glad I haven't given up. The hardest part is I still have migraines a lot and I can take even less medication nursing than while pregnant. Some nights I am up throwing up in pain all night and trying to feed a hungry baby. It is so hard! If they don't get better in the next month I might have to stop nursing or maybe just pump and dump on the days I need medicine.

One Month

2010-09-19T13:58:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my little Heidi is already one month old! Time is going way too fast. She has always had good focus, but it seems to be getting better. We get more smiles and I actually think she is finally growing. She may even be 7 pounds by now. I am taking her in Monday so we will see. She is still in all her newborn clothes. I have to say, that was the worst advice I ever got. I can't tell you how many people told me, "you don't need many, if any, newborn clothes. They grow right out of them in a week or so." Apparently they didn't take into account the size of our little one. 0-3mos. DROWN her!!! One day...

We have been having some rough days (and nights) lately. This face makes me sad. I think her little tummy is trying to adjust, but somedays are HORRIBLE!! Every few days she spits up a TON and seems to have really bad stomach cramps. Not my favorite days. Anyone go through this and if so, when does it end???

Love this girl

2010-09-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

Oh Happy Day

2010-09-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Today is a very good day in our household.

1. Antibiotics are gone

2. Umbilical Cord has FINALLY fallen out! So happy to not give a sponge bath tonight!!

What Happened?

2010-09-09T18:13:00.001-07:00

I am not exactly sure what happened to my last post, but it appears to be gone. I was fixing something, went to re-post it, and it came up blank. Strange.

Anyway, things are going fine around here. Heidi definitely looks more like her dad these days. Her hair seems to be getting lighter, but it isn't falling out yet. I kind of hope it doesn't fall out too badly because it could look very strange where she has so much.

When we got home from the hospital I had a call from the Utah health place saying Heidi's PKU tests came back with some abnormal results. They were concerned about some metabolic disorder and cystic fibrosis. I took her in for her 2 week where they did the second PKU and we are thrilled to learn that the results are now normal. What a huge relief!!

We are adjusting slowly, but surely. Lack of sleep is the hardest part, as I knew it would be. Nursing is slowly getting a little better. We were doing pretty well and then I had my two week check up on the incision. I found out I had a urinary tract infection, which put me on antibiotics. The antibiotics have made Heidi a very sad girl since they make her tummy hurt. That is definitely the stinky part about nursing. I finish them on Sat. and can't wait to be done. Hopefully I will have a happier baby soon!

Adjusting

2010-09-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the short and sweet version of how our little Heidi Magdalena came into the world. My original due date was August 23. I went to stay with my in-laws about a week before so that I would be in Utah if our little gal decided to make an early appearance. On the night of the 17th I wasn't sure if my water was leaking. Peggy was nice enough to take the day off on the 18th and take me to the doctor. I was nervous about the whole thing (naturally) and so my blood pressure was high. Long story short, Dr. Young thought I was far enough along and with high blood pressure they should just start inducing. So Peggy and I went to lunch and I called Jeff and told him to leave work and make his way down to Utah. Peggy and I went to American Fork hospital and checked in and they hooked me up and started the pitocin. It seemed like forever for Jeff to finally get there! It took no time to dilate from 2 cm. to 8 cm. but then I was there for a LONG time. Finally after 13 hours I was at 9.5 cm so they had me start pushing. I pushed for 2.5 exhausting hours, but Heidi was just not going to fit. Dr. Young then suggested we either try the vacuum or go in for a c-section. I decided we should try the vacuum first because I really didn't want a c-section. Well...the vacuum didn't work either so I was rushed in for an emergency c-section. Everything is a blur from there. I remember hearing her cry and I remember asking to see her, but not much else. I was so exhausted from all the medication and of course the 16 hours of labor. Two hours after surgery I finally got to see my 6 lb. 12 oz., 18 in. little girl! She was worth it all. Recovering from the labor and c-section has been a beast. It's so hard to take care of a baby when you can't hardly move and are doped up on pain killers! The next one should be easier because it will only be the c-section I have to recover from.

Welcome to the World!

2010-08-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have a very long story of how this little sweet thing came into the world, but we don't have a computer battery and will be in the hospital much longer than anticipated, but here is a sneak peak!

Heidi Magdalena Hunziker

Aug. 19, 2010

5:00AM

6 lb. 12 oz, 18 inches

Getting Closer

2010-08-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

I went to my doctor appt. Friday and was happy to find out I am 3 cm. and 80-90% effaced. If she doesn't come on her own by Friday the 20th, they are going to induce. The doctor said we could induce this coming Monday, the 16th, but I would really rather wait and see if she won't just come on her own. We'll keep posting!

Bedding

2010-08-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

Last weekend while in Utah for the doctor, we met one of my good friends, Jonna, who made my baby bedding. I was so excited to pick it up and really excited to put it on the crib. It turned out so cute! Now we just need a little one to enjoy use the bedding! Thanks again Jonna!