winter storm weekend

We were snowed in for four days. Luckily, by Saturday, the Outback could make it out. And my friend Missy agreed to watch Britton so we didn't have to drag her out with all the crazy don't-usually-drive-on-ice drivers. We went to Babies 'R Us and got formula and food, and some toys and teething rings. We also got a pack-and-play. One of the coolest things we got is a musical walker which turns into a fun activity board for Britton while she sits. She can use it as a push-walker when she gets to that point. But she enjoys the lights and music, and I sat her in the Bumbo in front of it and she went to town.



We also got her a photo book to take to daycare. She is in love with Sadie, craning her neck to follow Sadie's every move. And she is starting to exhibit some separation anxiety (not with daycare, mostly because her gums hurt and she wants us all the time), so I thought it would be helpful during the day.




And to give Britton new perspective, we perched her in her high chair. She liked it (until I later gave her that orange crab toy and she subsequently gave the hub a fat lip and herself a smack in head by swinging it).

roll me over in the clover

I've been singing that song incessantly to Britton, and it worked. If you don't know the words to that song, it goes like this: "Roll me over, in the clover, roll me over, roll me over, in the clover..." Yeah, complicated I know. But Britton enjoys it and on Thursday, January 28th, she did. I didn't see it but I discovered it on the video monitor. She had gone down for a nap and I checked on her. She was on her stomach. Now, when I put her down it was on her back. So, unless a magical elf rolled her over when I wasn't looking (we haven't ruled that out, by the way), she rolled over! The hub saw her do it two more times that night, but I kept missing it. I grabbed the video camera and begged her to do it again, but I ended up with two minutes of footage of her flat on her back. Oh well.

wedding day

Today my sister Jessica is getting married. She, along with some family members, are on a cruise in the Bahamas, where they are not dealing with the snow we all are experiencing. For those under feet of ice and snow (Tidewater area included!), here is what the Bahamas look like:



Yeah, I know. Ahhhhhhh....... Starting my new job, I wasn't able to take time off yet. Which turned out to be okay, since our airport was shut down by the ice storm, and even if I had planned on going, I wouldn't have made it out of Oklahoma City.

But I do so wish I could be there, to help Jessica get ready, to be giggly together, to stand by my sister's side as she embarks on this new journey. A wedding is always a joyous occasion, and I love weddings, especially when I love the people getting married. There is so much excitement, so much hope, so much love that even the worst cynic has to take a breather. Weddings, like births, are a beginning.

So this afternoon Jessica will be Mrs. Drinks. Congrats to Jessica and Tim, and I can't wait to see the pictures and hear how everything went!

after the storm

We made it through the storm, though with more snow than previously thought. I don't have an official measurement, but it falls under the category of enough to look pretty and too much to melt soon. So, we're once again thankful for the Outback and its all-wheel drive. Our work has closed until Monday, so we are enjoying a four-day weekend, as much as it can be enjoyed with a teething baby! She's fine until nightfall, then sleep is getting dicey. Luckily the hub and I alternate nights, so at least one of us is getting a full night of sleep each night. Here are photos of the aftermath of our winter storm...

winnie

Britton has a snuggly/lovey/blankie we call "Winnie" because we're so creative like that. She loves this thing. It is essentially a Winnie the Pooh head sewn onto a little blanket. She gnaws on it constantly (thanks teething!), and starts every morning with it. The daycare even gives it to her to snuggle with during naps. When I dropped Britton off at daycare on Wednesday morning, Ms. E suggested we get a second Winnie so that we didn't have to cart it back and forth. I responded that I don't think Britton has ever been taken anywhere that we didn't bring Winnie, so we'd still be bringing it back and forth.

But it got me thinking. What if, God forbid, we should lose Winnie? Or Sadie goes crazy and rips the thing's head off? Or Britton drops it in a store and I don't notice? So, I decided to check Target for another. Wouldn't you know it, Target has discontinued its Classic Pooh collection which means no more Winnie. Perhaps there's one in the bottom of a clearance bin at a Super Target in Des Moines, but there isn't one in the greater Oklahoma City/Edmond metropolitan area. So I hunted on the internet, and found one on Amazon, offered by Target. I didn't even have to go ghetto and get one "used" (by the way, how gross is that?! You know some kid has slobbered all over it, but momma needs drinking money so she's hocking her kid's toy on Amazon for $8 and overpriced shipping). It is the exact same one, except for one tiny change. This new one has a curly fuzzy Pooh head while Britton's has a smooth Pooh head. I'm hoping she'll just think I washed it. So now our bases are covered, just in case. And I'm quickly learning that a lot of the stuff you buy for babies is "just in case."

Some pictures of Britton with her can't-live-without-it Winnie...

the ice storm cometh

Well, we're braving another winter storm, though this one is more ice than snow. The hub and I went out Tuesday and Wednesday nights to stock up on supplies, just in case we were left without electricity for a long stretch of time. For some perspective, the major storm of 2007 left some people without power for weeks. This morning our daycare made the decision to close, which left me at home with Britton while the hub went to work. Our work decided to close at 10:30 a.m., and not re-open until Monday, thus saving me vacation days I don't yet have. We bunkered down, made chicken pot pie, and napped all afternoon. This evening the hub took my new Outback out to test it on the icy roads - it handled as if the ice wasn't even there.

Ice, ice everywhere...



I'm predicting that by tomorrow afternoon, the cabin fever will start hitting us all...

where's my car? oh, it's out back

As you know, my Camry was recalled because the accelerator has a nasty little habit of sticking and sending people's vehicles out of control. I couldn't very well wait around for them to authorize repairs, and I couldn't trust my Camry any longer. Even if it was repaired, I would still wonder how safe it really was. So we decided that even though I was upside-down on the Camry (they are priced $4000 cheaper now than when I bought it), it was a debt we were willing to pay for our safety. I went out to Subaru Saturday morning and test-drove the Outback and the Forrester. I loved the Outback and was happy to see they had one in black. I've always wanted a black car, even if it will look dirty every day from here on out. By the way, if you run into me around town, just for the fun of it, remind me how much it takes to keep a black car clean. It's never gets old! Anywho...

The hub checked out a 4Runner for me Friday night and I test-drove it Saturday afternoon. Loved the 4Runner, not so loving the attitude problem on the salespeople. I got the "tough sell" because I wanted to think about it. Because I wanted to spend a little bit of time contemplating spending a large sum of money on something I would be paying on for 72 months. Let's just say I wasn't the one being unreasonable. But I'm so excited I got the Outback because it's fun and sporty and rides well and looks great.




And, because 12 hours of car shopping wasn't enough, the hub and I hit the mall today. At Babies 'R Us, I got this toy for Britton. Its name is "Kerry the Fairy" and she has red hair! It was meant to be...


We found this cute onesie at Baby Gap and loved it...


And because the hub can't get enough of skulls (damn you Blackbeard special on Discovery channel!) or baby socks, he cleaned Baby Gap out of both...

total recall

Ugh. This week we've been affected by TWO recalls, one more easily solvable than the other. First, our Graco travel system stroller was recalled. This is an easy fix - we'll simply buy a new stroller. Britton will outgrow her carseat soon enough, and at that time we'll have to buy her a new carseat anyways. We had planned on buying a lightweight stroller at the same time, so we'll stick with that.

On the other hand, my car was recalled. I have a 2009 Camry, which I have been rocking without the front floor mat since I heard the devastating telephone call from a Camry driver where the floor mat stuck the accelerator and he and his family sped out of control. The entire family died upon impact, and with tears in my eyes I ran to the garage to get that blasted floor mat out of my car. But it turns out the floor mat isn't responsible for the accelerators sticking. And now Toyota has recalled cars and has no plan on fixing them. I called Toyota last night and asked them what I'm supposed to do. I was told this: (1) your car is safe to drive, (2) if the accelerator sticks, put the car in neutral and steer away from traffic, and (3) we'll send out letters in a month detailing the repairs we'll authorize.

Meaning I now own a car I have no intention of ever driving again.

Because the big question still lingers - why issue a recall with no plan in place on how to fix the problem, and then tell people their cars are safe to drive? Wouldn't Toyota have just waited until the recall info was complete before announcing the news? If my car is so safe and this defect is so rare, why the instructions on how to override your stuck accelerator?

The hub and I are driving to work together this morning. I can't in good conscience put Britton in a car I know to be unsafe. And tomorrow we will go car shopping. I'm so mad. I wanted to own this car for many years, actually have a car I had paid off and could enjoy without the monthly car payment. And I thought my Camry was a dependable decision.


So long Camry. I thought I knew you. I thought we looked out for each other. I thought if I ever got hurt in you, it would be another car's fault. I was wrong.

too fast

In a couple of weeks we will be celebrating Britton's six month birthday. Huh? When did this happen? I've started feeling a little nostalgic in the wake of this impending milestone, and here's my heart on my sleeve, as it were. And pass the Kleenex.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

head case

We noticed today that Britton's true hair is growing in and getting long. Not long enough to really do anything with, but since I was bald until well after my first birthday, I am glad she inherited the hub's thick baby hair. So what did I do? I stuck a barrette in it! Then for our family walk, I put on Aunt Jessica's cherry hat, since it fits to perfection. Even though it will be in the 60s this week, she's wearing that hat every day to daycare.

it's like a Cracker Barrel country veggie plate special around here

One night, while feeding Britton her oatmeal cereal, something changed. It wasn't distinct, no fireworks or shift in the Earth's gravitational pull. No, but it was palpable nonetheless. Britton likes eating food. And she's good at it too! Swallowing? No problem. Opening her mouth for the food? Amateurs. Making "mmmmm" sounds? Like it's her job. She did so well with the cereal that we're adding new veggies every night. First it was sweet potatoes, then squash, then peas, then carrots, then green beans. I kept waiting for her to hate one, or at least give me that baby "did you just put lemon juice in my mouth?!" look so popular on "America's Funniest Home Videos." Nope. She loves them all, readily eating as much as there is available.

The hub got her this awesome Dr. Suess bib, as well as 500 cheapy white ones so that we weren't washing the only 3 bibs every day. When I don't feed her fast enough (sometimes the stretch of time between getting the spoon out of her mouth, then loaded with more food and back up to her mouth is waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too long for her), the bib goes into her mouth. Baby food gets all over the bib, Britton's clothes, the Bumbo seat, but that's what a washing machine and paper towels are for.

I haven't started her on fruit yet because I didn't want her getting a taste of the sweet stuff and then refusing veggies. But I don't think that's going to be a problem. I must admit, I am quite proud of my little girl. I was such a picky eater growing up. Yes, my favorite restaurant as a child was Ponderosa. Let's all shudder in horror together. But I did love seafood, which just goes to show you that kids will eat what is given to them. Chances are if your kid's favorite foods are french fries and chicken nuggets, you've been hitting up the Mickey D's too much (which is at all). So, I want Britton to enjoy food, and willingly try new foods. And it looks like we're on our way...

Bon Appetit!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

more firsts

Sweet little lamb hat to cover those blasted ears...


Well, we were greeted this week by Britton's first ear infection. Actually, that should be plural, since both ears are infected. She's been snotty since the middle of last week, but that's to be expected since she started daycare. I had the hub take her to the doctor just to make sure her ears were ok. She never ran a fever, lost her appetite, or had trouble sleeping, but I knew with my shoddy ear health history that Britton was looking at early ear infections. The doctor did say he'd never seen such a happy baby with ear infections, so that warmed my heart. And she's now 17 pounds, 3 ounces, up 2 pounds from her 4 month appointment. She has her 6 month appointment on February 4th, where we'll re-evaluate her ears and get those dreaded shots.

Also with the firsts - first peas! Britton now likes her oatmeal cereal. She couldn't get enough of it tonight. So I figured I'd throw caution to the wind and try my hand at veggies. She was a little apprehensive at first, but hunger took over and she gobbled them up.

cold cold cold

So, last night we knew a storm we heading towards us, not with snow, but with frozen drizzle and fierce winds. Oh, and wind chills so low they cancelled all public schools for the next two days. And what did the wind decide to do? The 60 mph wind played double-dutch with the electrical lines, causing us to lose power. Remember the line, "Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain"? You'd think these lines would be underground, but no.

So our friend Missy and her little girl came over while the hub went out for gas for the generator. You see, Grandma and Grandpa brought us a generator when they came to visit over Christmas, knowing the infamous Oklahoma ice storms could knock out our power. What they didn't know was that we would need to use it so quickly! They also got us emergency flashlights, which came in handy when the lights started flickering, then gave up altogether. The hub dragged the generator out back where I'm sure our neighbors thought either: (A) "Are they mowing their lawn?" or (B) "I'm going over there to steal that generator." Possibly option (C): "Maybe they hooked up the tv to the generator and I can watch the end of the Thunder game." But we didn't. We hooked up the space heater and fridge. I slept on the floor in Britton's room, certain that if it got too cold in there I wouldn't know it. Sadie was snuggling with me, but once the hub made it to our bed she bolted for greener pastures. And Missy and Peyton snuggled up in the guest room with our heavy down comforter that I hope was warm enough.

And wouldn't you know it, come 4:00 a.m. we had electricity again! So here's Britton this morning before daycare, bundled up in the coat Grandma and Grandpa got her for Christmas, with no idea it was a balmy 14 degrees outside...

it's off to work i went

So, I made it through two days of work, and more importantly, two days of daycare. Work is good, even though we're just getting trained this week so I don't really have a full understanding of what I'll be doing. The people I work with are friendly, and I fit in there. Daycare on the other hand...

Britton on her first day (so sleepy)...


Me on Britton's first day (well, not really me)...


Fun and cheerful and ADD-inducing...


Yes, I was the one crying, losing it whenever I thought of her, draining my cell phone battery to watch the video camera feed from her daycare room, and calling them every couple of hours to make sure she was doing well. And you know what? She did great. They told me she was a happy and content baby, too distracted by the other babies and noises to eat much, but having fun. Talking to Jessica I know she'll eat more when her surroundings aren't so distracting anymore, and she slept better today for naps because they moved her to a crib out of the way. The hub and I switched jobs - I drop her off in the morning and he picks her up. It helps Britton because I get to do her morning routine, which she's used to, and I get time to snuggle and kiss her before leaving for work. I won't pretend it's easy. This transition is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But I've tried to stay positive because I know it will affect Britton.

So, on that note, check out this beautiful Oklahoma sunset the hub captured...

hi ho hi ho

It's off to work I go. Tomorrow is my first day of work and I haven't really thought about it much. Actually, I keep thinking about it, then remind myself to stop because I'll just over-think it and get scared and cry. Like I've said before, I'm not good with change. And tomorrow starts a huge change in my life. Other than six hours per week of Mother's Day Out and a few random errands on the weekends, I am with Britton. I know she'll be fine in daycare, that she'll adjust and have no permanent damage. But will I escape this experience so unscathed? How can I fill ten hours a day if it's not feeding, changing, playing with, snuggling, rocking to sleep, laughing with, soothing my little baby girl? Will I be distracted while rocking her at night, a to-do list running through my head of what needs to be done? No more letting Sadie sleep in until 9:30 a.m. in my bed; it's back to the bathroom for her. Will she adjust well?

Where is my crystal ball?

Because I need guarantees that everything will work out fine, that Britton will be ok no matter what, that Sadie won't shake in fear at every little sound this now-quiet house makes, that I will someday soon go to work without water-proof mascara and a heavy heart. No, I'm not going into this with the assumption that it will all come crashing down. I just need to know that what I am giving up is worth it.

five months old

Britton is five months old today! We don't go back to the doctor until February 4th, so I don't have stats yet. She is sleeping well, getting up once or twice now to eat. She has been eating so much lately that she's definitely in the throws of a growth spurt. We tried oatmeal cereal instead of rice cereal, because Britton isn't too much of a fan of the rice cereal. I tried it myself and it is kind of gross. But she likes the oatmeal better so we're sticking with it. She has a cabinet full of veggies and fruit baby food to try, but we're not pushing her too quickly. She tries to sit up any time you put her down. It looks like she's doing sit-ups! She talks up a storm now, and throws in screeches just to hear her own voice. Sometimes I can hear her on the monitor baby babbling to herself. Speaking of mouths, she's teething, biting down on everything (including fingers, mine and hers) and can sometimes get cranky from the discomfort. But she's not a fan of the cold teething rings, so chewing her toys and arm will have to suffice. I can feel a pointy thing in her upper gum, but no teeth have popped out yet. She is getting more interactive, and loves playing peek-a-boo with her daddy. She notices other babies now, and when she visited the daycare she wasn't afraid to have them hold her. Good thing! She is getting bigger every day, and now wears some clothing in 6-9 months. Unfortunately, her 3-6 month footie pajamas are getting too short, as are all her 3-6 month pants. We have to keep moving her up in sizes only because of her length! She has almost lost all of her original baby hair, replaced by beautiful soft blond, brown, and yes red hair. We still don't know what color it'll end up being.

daycare & day trips

On Thursday morning the hub and I took Britton to her daycare so that she could meet her care providers and see the place for herself. Both of the ladies, Ms. E and Ms. K, were so nice and really appreciated us bring Britton in. We went over her daily routine in agonizing detail, and discussed her likes and dislikes. Of course, being as Type A as I am, I had typed everything up and handed the papers to them for reference. After we left, the hub and I dropped Britton off with Missy, and went out to celebrate New Year's Eve with lunch at Cheever's. If you've never been there (and if you haven't ever been to OKC, then you haven't), you MUST go. For an appetizer we got Juan's Queso Chihuahua, a black bean dip that's so good you'll beg the chef for the recipe. For lunch, the hub got a burger and I got pheasant and dumplings, then we split the best carrot cake in the world. We also went to Babies 'R Us to stock up on everything Britton needs for daycare, which included buying duplicates of Tylenol, Butt Paste, saline spray, giant boxes of diapers and wipes, 17 bottles of formula, more bottles, and oatmeal cereal (since we're not getting very far with the rice cereal). Yeah, it cost about as much as daycare itself.

Then on Friday we went over to the hub's grandma's place and exchanged gifts with her. Since we got 14 inches of snow on Christmas Eve, we were unable to bring the baby over to her place for Christmas. We had a great visit.