Year 2

N and I celebrated our two year anniversary yesterday. We boogied over to Savannah to have dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House (which was OK). It was our first time eating at Ruth's Chris and while the dining experience was pleasurable, the food was only so-so and I would not return. While there celebrating we met another couple who decided to celebrate their 36th anniversary, they called our two years baby years. They were great to talk to and gave us good sound advice on how to keep going for another 34 years (minus the four children of course). Their biggest suggestion of course was communication and always considering how your actions affect your spouse and your family unit. They still seemed so excited to be in each others company even though they have spent over three decades together. I love seeing obviously happy couples, it makes my cold heart melt.

Last year for our anniversary, we spent the day in the NICU with Natty and then had a quick bite at Outback just to say we "celebrated" but our celebration was not in good spirits. I was depressed and wanted my baby to be home and healthy not hooked up to machines and sick. It felt great this year for my prayer to be true. I was able to go out and enjoy a few hours with N while Natty stayed with her Aunty T and apparently munched on chicken, bread and a nutragrain bar AND drank out of a straw. She is learning so quickly and surprises me every day.

Stuffing last year at MUSC

Yesterday was also Natalia's Name Day which we celebrate as something special just for her especially since it fell on our anniversary (dumb luck) and with her being a preemie I like to do special little things for her. Last summer I worked with an intern from Poland who started shortly after Natty was born and her name was Natalia as well. She explained the importance of Name Days in her native Poland and I thought it would be something neat to do especially for Natty being in hospital at the time. I have continued the tradition this year and purchased her first doll, Lucy.  I found Lucy on Pottery Barn Kids and fell in love with her instantly. She is just the perfect size (fits in the palm of my hand) and small enough for Natty to handle on her own. She did not like Lucy yesterday when I presented her but this morning she did play with her, she figured out that Lucy's leg fit in her mouth and is a perfect chew toy for the 4 teeth she has coming in on top.

First Birthday

Stuffing turned one on June 16th and had her first cupcake, she was in heaven!

She had a small party at daycare, then dinner at Outback and her birthday party the following Sunday. Fun times

Some pictures from Nassau, The Bahamas

Mostly of Stuffing

Girls just wanna have fun

I love nail polish, manicures, pedicures, facials, hair, make up and well all things girly. This of course had taken a back seat to all things mommy through neglect on my part. First it was the stress of the NICU, then being home with a premature infant as well as being a first time parent and guilt I felt over my daughter's start in life.

It's not something that every preemie parent goes through but it is something that I went through and still am dealing with today. Looking through pictures of myself on Facebook and even just through the house I realized how much I'd flat out given up on. My hair was a mess, tangles, knots, split ends on top of my spilt ends, breakage etc. My face was abysmal, my feet look like I make a profession of walking in powder. I really am not perturbed by my weight just yet so i'll give that a miss.

My husband has never said a word except when I wear a bun but he despises buns on general principle. My mother on the other hand made it her life's mission to inquire what was wrong, why was I not doing XYZ anymore. She never failed to mention that I used to take such good care of myself and now I did the bare minimum (brush my teeth and use deoderent). I now realize she wasn't being malicious she was being honest. I did take care of and pampered myself rotten. My outward appearance was a reflection of how much I loved myself. If my husband wanted to make my day just bring home a bottle of new nail polish and my eyes would glaze over. Now I can't even be bothered.

Have my priorities shifted? Absolutely. Does that mean I can't continue my girly pampering? Absolutely not! I just have to take the time out to remember to focus on me. My beauty rituals were never long but they aided in my relaxation down time. It's time to love me again, one nail at a time.

Currently Reading

Head Over Heels by Jill Mansell

"Welcome to being a Mommy"

I had plans to head to Atlanta for the long holiday weekend but on Friday daycare called my husband to let him know that Stuffing had diarrhea and needed to be picked up right away. So there went out weekend of cooking out, the Aquarium and the park. I was in no way comfortable taking a 5 hour drive with her in the back seat and diarrhea. So we've been home all weekend so she can recuperate. Of course I call my BFF bka my mummy and her sage words were "Well kids, welcome to being a mommy, you do what's best for your baby and nothing less. I'm so proud of the woman and mother you're becoming"

I love mummy a thousand times over, but my reasons for not going were no where near so altruistic. The thought of having to scrub her and the car seat down with a couple bottles of Deer Park water was not appealing. So I'll try for another trip later in the summer. I really do want to eventually make it to the Aquarium because I've never been and I hear rave reviews.

Being Natalia's mother is great and I can roll with the sacrifices for her because I generally don't see it as a sacrifice. Any excuse to spend 3 days in bed or the sofa being bums together is actually a high lite in my life. Dropping her off at day care 5 mornings week is the bigger sacrifice. Vacations come and go.

Check out Progressive Phonics - Progressive Phonics

I want you to take a look at: Progressive Phonics - Progressive Phonics

Bookmarking because now that Stuffing is one, it's time for literacy to kick in. I am an advocate for all children being literate.

Blogging from the Bahamas

Currently Reading

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Currently Reading

Good at Games by Jill Mansell

Currently Reading

Thinking of You by Jill Mansell

Summer Loving

The Closer starts on July 11 and True Blood is back June 26 HOO RAY! they will get me through to September when Glee, Fringe, and Grey's come back

Favorite Picture of the Week

Stuffing was very determined to wake her daddy up and what better way to wake up than with kisses!

Support Systems

As a working mother, the most important lesson I’ve learned and the first piece of advice I would give to a mom to be or a new mom is to get your support system in place immediately. Start pinpointing the people in your life who will step up to the plate when you need assistance. While many offers of assistance will materialize, “Oh I will help you any time! Just call me”, these are hardly ever backed up with tangible help.

I’ve been home with Tali-baby for two days while she’s getting through this fourth episode with an ear infection and viral throat infection but needed to return to work today but knew she was not ready to be back in day care with all the germs that are floating around. I called my sister at 7am, waking her up, and asked if it was possible to drop her off, and she jumped at the chance. She loves spending the day with her favourite (and only) niece and if available has yet to turn me down. This is the kind of support you need when you’re a mom. People who are true to their word and will provide the assistance promised. This is not to say that people who don’t provide assistance are somehow lacking because not everyone is gung ho about being a baby sitter especially if they already have obligations or just don’t want to be bothered. Not everyone likes babies or children, even if they have them. Which people find impossible to understand. It’s just beneficial to use what you have and go the distance.

Passport

What every babe to a travel bug mama needs!

A Spoon Full of Sugar

Tali-baby woke up from her afternoon nap today with blue lips and the chills, to say I was panicked is the understatement of the decade. Fearless Leader had left not long before for work so I was alone and terrified. I grabbed her and drove straight to our pediatrician's office where we were seen right away. Now yesterday she only had a viral infection which was causing fevers and a nasty sore throat; today we have an ear infection in her left ear. The ear infection sprang up over night because yesterday her ears were "just fine" per our regular ped.

Now she has to take Omnicef for the ear infection as well as the Dukes for the sore throat and the children's Motrin for the fever.Not to sound like a grump but can my baby catch a f****** break seriously. She is the happiest smiliest baby and always in such good spirits and I completely understand that children get sick but she's been sick from day 1 and I'd like for her to have one month of peace. The next person to ask when we're having a second is going to be told to take a running jump.

I can't wait to take her on vacation so she can have a somewhat normal weekend of fun family time.

Sick Days

I had a completely different post for today but then Tali-baby got a fever of 101.1 and daycare called me and hubby so someone could pick her up. I got a last minute appt with her ped and took her in. My girl has another viral infection. We had to use a different pharmacy this time because our Wal-Mart no longer compounds and of course I forgot all of her insurance information because Wal-Mart already has every thing on file.

Ugh, I just want her to feel good all the time. With such a long nicu stay I hate hate hate her getting sick so much. I want to lock her in a bubble and not let her out until she's 30 but that's the PTSD talking.

Working Mommy

This is the hardest part of my day, work. I don't hate my career field by any means, it is something I'm passionate about and enjoy immensely but I love getting spit on, slapped, and smiled at much more.

She is growing so much every day and will be 11 months in a weeks time and I have zero clue where the past year has gone. My 1 lb 10 oz Super Girl is crawling, babbling, getting teeth and growing up. I am so proud to be her mummy and able to watch her grow.

Starting Fresh

I've been on a hiatus due to pregnancy complications and now that my life has been sorted out I can get back to blogging.

Candi

Bed Day

Pregnancy, work and school have taken it's toll on me today. It's my own personal bed day, where I simply stay IN BED!