How fast a year flies by...

It is so crazy to think that my daughter is almost a year old.  So many memories, new experiences, and awesome moments that will be in my mind for the rest of my life.  One year ago today, I went to work on my due date just waiting for something to happen.....four days later my daughter arrived as beautiful and as wonderful as she is now. 

I hate to say that she's been such an easy baby but she totally is!  She's very "go with the flow" and pleasant that it makes me want to stop there.  I've always said that I'm going to have more than one kid, but a year into being a mom, I'm just not ready for baby #2.  Ask me again in a few years.

To celebrate Kendall's 1st birthday here is a year in review......



In the hospital with her friend GiGi.

Finding her hands - Charlie is looking out for his sister.

CHEESE!

While waiting for her eartag surgery - 6 months old

Hanging out in my crib before heading out for a fun day at the Great Lakes Science Center for Mommy's birthday. 

I love Puffs! 

Sitting up like a biggie girl!

Figuring out that she can climb over things to get to things she wants.

Helping Mommy with the dishes.

Cutie girl!

Almost ONE!

Happy Birthday to my pumpkin, my peanut, my beautiful baby girl.  Mommy loves you more than you'll ever know!

Who needs it?

You find out that you are having a baby and you start to think about all the "things" that you need for a nursery.  One of the first things that we thought about was bedding and room color.  It took FOREVER to decide what bedding we wanted.  I was dead set on pink and brown polka dots and couldn't find anything that I really loved (or that David loved for that matter) so after a few weeks of finding nothing, we changed directions. 

Finally we drifted toward this pattern:

placed it on the baby registry and painted the room yellow.  Only one problem though......this bedding wasn't carried through Babies R Us in store, only online.  It was however carried at Baby Depot which I hoped friends and family would look there.

When my showers came and went and it got closer and closer to having a baby, I finally decided that there was no point in having all this "bedding" - it was just for show.  Kendall wouldn't care what her bedding or room looked like until she gets a say in what goes in her room (in a few years probably) so we got a plain color bumper and used the crib sheets that would go best with the yellow color in her room.  We found a great stick on tree for her wall and were given a wonderful piece of art to hang on the wall with Kendall's name.  The room is very plain but who cares....you don't need all the bells and whistles - your baby is only going to care about who is taking care of her and not about what her room looks like.  Save the heavy decorating for when they get older!

 

Here is what Kendall's room looks like now:                      

Here is the artwork that is up on the wall:

Babies and Amusement Parks

My husband and I went to Cedar Point on Sunday and boy was it HOT!

As we walked around the park (sometimes searching for air conditioning, other times searching for a drinking fountain so we don't have to spend $3.50 for a bottle of water), I couldn't help but notice the enormous amount of families that had little babies with them. 

Obviously, David and I did not take Kendall.  My personal feeling is that an amusement park is no place for a child who cannot ride the rides or even understand and enjoy why they are there.  Now I understand that most of these families had more than one child old enough to ride, however, why couldn't you just arrange for a babysitter for the youngest??  The whole situation just baffles me - the adults can't enjoy the park since one of them has to constantly be with the children whether they are riding a ride or not....plus on top of that, the temp was about 90 degrees and the poor babies had to be roasting hot in their strollers.  These places are expensive and I'm the type of person who wants their monies worth if I'm spending that much and standing with a little one while the rest of the family rides just isn't my idea of a "fun time".....just saying.

Will I take Kendall to an amusement park in the future? - yes....when she is old enough to ride and enjoy herself. 

Will I take Kendall's future siblings? - yes....when they are old enough as well.  If they are not, then they stay with a sitter - it's that simple.


Other things that baffle me about amusement parks:
~The woman in the string bikini that is two sizes too small on a body that shouldn't be wearing a bikini....
~The 8-9 month along pregnant lady who was crazy enough to be there - first, you can't ride any rides - second, you've got to be miserable and wanting to be in air conditioning ASAP!
~The older folks who can no longer ride many of the rides due to health issues, etc. 
~Anyone in a wheelchair who looks like they cannot ride any rides.

Please someone tell me why you would spend the money to go if you can't enjoy yourself?!?!?!?

Single Mom Week

Since it's taken me almost a week to post a blog, obviously something is up.....right?

Well there is - it's called "single mom week"!

My husband is off a band camp 2 hours away and it's just peanut and me all week long (well - till tomorrow around 4pm that is).

This is my second single mom week this summer - I don't know how single mom's do it - I love my daughter but damn.....I need a break!  Combine that with the fact that my "stay at home mom" status is three weeks away from being over....and with vacation coming up next weekend - my butt is "sweatin the oldies" at my un-airconditioned school getting a Kindergarten classroom set up.  Oh - did I mention that I taught 4th grade last year......good thing I taught K for a year several years ago and I kind of know what the heck is going on with 5 and 6 years olds.....

Highlights of Single Mom Week?  None....I miss my husband and Kendall misses Daddy.

Kudos to you Single Mom's out there - you are my hero!

What the heck do I do with an award???

Thanks Lindsay at http://www.lifeas5.com/ and frackentay at http://duelynoted.blogspot.com/ for the Blog on Fire award! 

I guess now I'm supposed to write 7 things about me and pass the award onto 10 other bloggers.  So here we go........

1.  Since I just started getting into this "crazy business" of blogging - I don't know if I can even give it out to 10 people especially since 3 people that I'd give it to were already awarded with it.....grrr!  =o)  Maybe I'll pass it on at a later date.....or to the first 10 people who comment on this post - yeah I like that idea better!

2.  I am a habitual stomach sleeper.  It killed me when I could no longer sleep on my stomach during my pregnancy.  I'm still spending some time on my side and back but eventually end up on my tummy.  Now my daughter has figured out how comfortable it is and flips herself over in the middle of the night in her crib.  It's incredibly cute!

3.  I am super self-critical.  Everything has to be perfect (especially at work).....I'm starting to hate that about me.....

4.  I'm a sucker for (what other people would call lame) reality tv shows.  I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, Toddlers and Tiaras, Bridezillas, Dance Moms, etc.  It's really bad.  Our DVR is packed full of them - not as much now since it is summer but will definately be when school is back in session.  My husband even commented the other night when he saw Dance Moms was taping....."really?!?!" was all that had to come out of his mouth.

5.  I worked at a Chick-fil-A for 12 years and I could still totally eat there everyday multiple times if I needed to. 

6.  I have a severe addiction to Cherry Coke - another reason why CFA is at the top of my list of places to eat....

7.  I hate to exercise but I know I should - one of these days I'll get with it....

Too many washcloths???

My friend Amy said one time, "I've never seen someone with so many washcloths on her baby registry."  That person, of course, was me.  Being a new expectant mommy, I wasn't sure what to register for or even how many of something to register for.  Now Babies R Us is pretty good at leading you in the right direction but sometimes you just see something you like, and then another thing, and another, and another.....it just snowballs. 

So here is me with probably 5 or 6 different sets of washcloths on my registry.  Did I have any idea that I'd get 99% of them....no.  Did I have any idea that I would actually need (or use) them....nope.  Now when Kendall was still only getting bottles, I didn't need the washcloths at all and considered getting rid of several of them.  But now that she is eating more and more food, it's amazing how quickly I go through washcloths!!!  They have definately come in handy.  I have a specific set of washcloths (thick ones) that are used only for baths - and then I have the thinner ones that are specifically for wiping her month, hands, arms, feet, etc.  where ever food tends to fly during each meal.

So I fondly remember Amy laughing at me because of the enormous amount of washcloths I registered for and received at my baby showers - but I guess the joke might be on her since I'm using them quite often now!

And so - there you have it..........Mommy Tip #2:  Washcloths are a necessity - don't let anyone tell you that you have too many!

"You're getting fat"

Last year before I really started to show during my pregnancy, my students (as well as other students) said nothing but, I think, started to wonder why I had started to gain some weight.  Now.....I didn't gain massive amounts of weight (31 lbs total) during my pregnancy but it was becoming quite clear that my belly was expanding.

One day I was walking into the cafeteria with my students and strolled past a table of 4th graders (I was teaching 5th grade at the time).  One of the students, who was known to tell it like it is in a blunt sort of way, looked at me and said, "Mrs. Gleason, why are you getting fat!  You should stay skinny!"  Definately a "caught off guard" moment, I turned to her - my two healthy hashbrowns in hand - and replied, "Because I'm eating this!" and continued heading towards the teacher's lounge.  I didn't want to out myself on the first mention from a student. 

Lord knows that the later conversations with the girls in my class are funny enough that I'll save it for another blog post.....

This is what I looked like when I was told I was getting fat - and the reason why we began the weekly belly pics!