On a Roll...

I thought last week when Sofia rolled over for the first time that it was just a fluke, because she hadn't done it since. However, today, lo and behold she did it again. Four times to be exact. I was able to document it on video (so now this day will live on forever.) It was pretty exciting. I cheer her on everytime, which I think freaks her out a little bit.

So, I've been talking to a prospective babysitter through e-mail for the past few weeks. I'm really scared to meet her. Not that I don't think she'll be nice or anything, but because trusting someone with my baby is scary. I don't know why, but I think it'll be easier to leave her with a daycare (if that day ever comes) than with just one person. Plus, it's always scary to let someone into your home, especially a complete stranger. Unfortunately, this is the age we live in and since the government won't help families find affordable child care, than I have to do it on my own. Ahhh, if only I was rich enough to not have to work, or better yet, I work and Ryan could stay home.

Enough about that (although I did warn that I would complain about the babysitter issue until I could find one.)

I got to work at the Children's Desk today. It was interesting. I almost think it's more scary working there than the reference desk where I normally work. However, I did find a book list containing books for babies that I want to get. I really want to start reading to Sofia as soon as possible. Plus, she's getting to the point where she is starting to pay attention for longer periods of time, so I think she'll like to look at more books. Plus, the winter storytimes will be starting at the library in January, and I figure she's close enough to the six month age limit (plus the ladies at the library always want to see her.) I just hope she loves books as much as I do.

Babsitter Blues Part 2

I swear, I am the worst person at searching for babysitters. I find numbers to call, or I have people I e-mail, and then I never call them back. What is wrong with me, seriously? Actually, I know the answer. I'm too afraid to find someone because I'm afraid to leave my daughter with a stranger. I'm sure that's a pretty common feeling. It's so hard to know who to trust. I've tried craigslist mainly, and I usually find a couple of viable candidates but I never follow through. So, what could be just a week or two of stress turns into weeks and weeks of stress. But how do you know who you can trust? (Plus, although it's hard to believe, I have a real fear of calling people I don't know on the phone.)

So, onward I look, and in the meantime I'll just complain about it to everyone (sorry everyone!)

I think Sofia is readjusting to life back at home. That'll only last for a few days because then we're off to Grandma Rose!! I could tell she was a little off today because she had a major poo for Ryan. I'm getting really good at training her to do that for him. Twice in two days, and daddy got to change them both!! I guess I would be pretty grumpy if I was clogged up.

What a Long, Strange Trip

What a long past few days this has been. Sofia has been a trooper. She barely cried, smiled at everyone, let everyone hold her, basically perfect! I asked my mom if I was that good when I was a baby. No, I cried alot.

Well, we'll be leaving Cincinnati in a few hours. I don't want to leave, but I am looking forward to going home and just relaxing. I've barely looked at my Christmas gifts because I was so busy taking care of Sofia. I finally have new work clothes. I've been wearing the same clothes for the past two years and they're looking pretty ratty. Someone please tell me why clothes manufactures make pants so long. Just because I'm a size 10 doesn't mean I'm 5'10". I guess I could get them hemmed, but I'm too lazy and poor. I'm going to get some new pants with my Target gift card I got. That is, unless I see a nicer wood coffee table. Ryan and I have wanted one for a while. Plus, the glass one we currently own won't be so safe once Sofia starts crawling and walking. I can just picture the damage the corners could do!

Okay, back to work tomorrow and back to our normal routines for a few days. Then next weekend off to Grandma Rose's house.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! What a busy past two days, but Sofia has survived so far. Yesterday we did Christmas Eve with the Whyte's, which is always crazy. About 40 people of so stuck in one house! At least I got a glimpse of what Sofia will be doing the next few years since practically every age group was represented. She got to sit on Santa's lap, and then everyone elses. Her little third cousins all wanted to hold her. (I told you it was a big family.) Sofia didn't cry at all. She just drooled, talked to everyone. She especially liked cousin Benji. Then, after getting home two hours past her bedtime, she went to bed soon followed by everyone else.

This morning I was the first one up. Of course I had to wake everyone else up and tell them that Santa had come!! This Christmas also had a new experience for me, breastfeeding while opening presents. I have never had to do that. I didn't mind so much (although I think it makes Chelsea a little uncomfortable, but then again, who wants to see their sister's boob?) Sofia got the ocean's wonder for her crib, some really cute clothes, a crazy singing train, and a set of my Little ponies. I think I'm more excited about those!! Her Uncle Logan insisted she have those.

All in all it was very nice Christmas. Everyone was so happy to see her. She was good at Aunt Connie's today. I must say, I think all of her little Christmas outfits were the best. Oh, thank heaven for little girls!

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas as well. Now I'll just have to lose the 5 lbs. I've gained over the past few days.

Check out my new rocker!

Christmas, Here We Come!

Even though I'm 25, I still get butterflies in my stomach everytime Christmas draws near. I was so excited to leave work today I could hardly stand it! (And I did leave once, to visit Sofia because I had an extra hour for lunch.) This year is especially important because it is Sofia's first Christmas! The only sad part is that my mom will soon be moving to Phoenix, so this will be our last big hurrah for a while.

I can't wait to see what she gets because I'm the one who gets to open the presents!!

Well, I'm too excited to write anymore. I'm sure I'll spend all day tomorrow packing and baking. I'm trying out a brownie recipe involving a peppermint icing. MMmmmm. Can't wait.

(As you can see, my brain is no longer available because this post is all over the place.)

Christmas Shopping

Thank goodness Christmas comes but once a year. I tell myself every year that I'm going to start my shopping early, but it never happens. Besides, even when I try, I end up buying even more than I want because I feel I must. Oh well, tis the season for giving!

I don't know what's been up with Sofia the past few days. I think her schedule may be off a bit because she is being the biggest fusspot in the world. We went to visit my friend Beth yesterday for lunch. Everything was going well for the first hour or so, but then when Sofia started to get tired, she would not go to sleep at all. I guess it was too exciting. Beth has a dog and a cat and a real Christmas tree (and a very clean apartment!). I guess it was just too much and she was afraid she would miss something. I thought it was just that, but then she did the same thing today. No matter how hard I tried, the child would not take an afternoon nap. I think I've lost my magic mommy touch, and now daddy is gaining it. However, he has gotten exploding poo two days in a row, so I really can't complain too much.

Bah, humbug!

Babysitter Blues

Nothing beats the holiday blues quite like babysitter blues. When I went back to wok part time a couple of months ago, I had the hardest time trying to find a babysitter that would be willing to work Friday one week and Saturday the next. It's really, really hard. Luckily I have great friends and family who were willing to help out for a few weeks before I found someone. Finally, I did find Ashley, and I really like her. Unfortunately, it looks like her work schedule at school isn't going to work with mine, so now I'm looking for someone new. What a stressful time. I love working at the library, but I have the rotating weekends. It makes it really hard on working moms. It wouldn't be so bad if Ryan didn't have to work weekends as well, but that's the restaurant business for ya. Oh well, maybe I'll have luck. Otherwise, I'll just be complaining on this thing for the next few weeks.

Other than that, major milestone moment!! Sofia rolled over from her tummy to her back for the first time on Tuesday! It was kind of out of nowhere, because I had her on her stomach practicing tummy time when I looked down and noticed she had gotten both shoulders over and all that was left was her left leg. After a couple of kicks, there it went, and there she went. It was pretty cool. I was always afraid I would miss these things because she would be with the babysitter or something like that. I just can't get over how fast she's growing! Pretty soon she'll be sitting on her own and after that crawling. (I have to stop myself from getting too far ahead.)

I'm hoping the next couple of weeks go well. Poor Sofia will be doing a lot of traveling. First to Grandma Colleen and then Grandpa and Grandma Whyte for Christmas. Then New Year's we go to Grandma Rose's. I'm just hoping she'll be able to sleep in the pack n play and that her schedule won't get too off course! Wish me luck!

Until next time...

Pumping in the Morning, Pumping in the Evening

I love going to work, but one of the most depressing parts is sitting in the bathroom pumping. Those fifteen minutes I spend in there are horrible. I sit on a chair, stare at the white wall, and listen to the sweet sounds of "whir, whir whir." Honestly, it could be worse. I could be doing it in a public bathroom.

Okay, enough about the wonderful world of pumping. I worked all day today and my little Sofia was asleep when I left. She woke up for her early morning feeding and then went back to sleep right after. Of course she doesn't do this on my days off, but I guess today she slept until almost 9 am. She has to take after me when it comes to the sleep department. I have to be one of the luckiest moms because my baby has been sleeping through the night since she was two months old. However, I still can't explain why I'm tired everyday? Maybe it's those first months catching up to me!

Anyway, I work all weekend. Unlike most people, I don't mind working Sundays at the library. Probably because it's so busy and the time goes by quickly. However, it does cut into the time I get to hang out with Ryan. Sundays are the only full day we have off together, since he works on Fridays and Saturdays. But, it gives him a chance to hang out with Sofia.

I wish I had more exciting things to say. Sofia has discovered she can make some cool sounds if she has a lot of spit in her throat. Almost a gurgling noise. That, and she's started to make small rasberries. I guess her drooling is coming in handy as a communication tool (not just a cleaning tool as she likes to use it on mommy's, and whoever else is holding her, shirts.) At least the drool doesn't smell. We once had a cat who could burn a whole through your clothes with his stinky drool!

The Grossest Thing Ever

Okay, so this will probably be a very gross post, but I can't help it, I have to tell someone. So, to begin, Sofia hasn't pooped in about two or three days. That's quite a while for her. Plus, I could tell she had been having some gas pains off and on, so Ryan and I really wanted her to poop. Well, today I had her playing on the floor and I turned her over so we could have some tummy time. All was going well until she got really quiet. She looked as though she was thinking really hard about something. Well, I smelled what she was thinking about, and then I heard the tell-tale sound. I was happy because I knew she would feel better, that is until I went to change her. If only she had waited one more hour, then daddy could have joined in the experience too. Oh, it was so, so disgusting. I never could have thought so much could come out of such a little person. Well, I won't gross you with any more details. (If you could only smell it, then you would know.) And I thought breastfed babies weren't supposed to be so smelly!

"I feel much better now!"

Santa Claus is Coming...

Wow, I'm so glad I'm done with my holiday shopping. I swear, it gets more and more frustrating each year. Luckliy, Chelsea and I were able to brainstorm together and figure out gifts for the family. Plus, I couldn't resist buying Sofia a couple of new, cute outfits. I just defended my purchases by saying that she didn't have any cute Christmas clothes besides her two Christmas dresses, plus both outfits were half off at Carters. That store is dangerous. Thank goodness I didn't go there while I was pregnant, or I would be more in debt than I already am!! But, the outfits were worth it. I bought them big so they'll last through the winter. She even got to wear one of her outfits at the Library Christmas party on Saturday. I took along my posse (Chelsea, Ryan and Sofia) and we had a good time. I didn't get a chance to stay too long because it was too close to Sofia's bed time. She was very good, considering she was passed along from person to person. We even got a chance to go out on the dance floor and shake our booties! (Well, I shook my booty and Sofia just went along for the ride.) But, after shopping all day and then the party and then seeing Santa Claus On Sunday, there were no meltdowns! Getting ready to go to the Library Christmas Party!

T.G.I.F.

Seriously, thank goodness it's Friday! Three whole days off! (I know, I know, I only work part-time, but being a mom is a full time job in itself.) I love work, I really do, but I still get excited when the weekend comes. It still feels like a weekend.

This week will be especially fun because not only is Aunt Chelsea coming (which I've mentioned in previous posts) but it's also the work Christmas party. I probably wouldn't go if I didn't have Sofia, but I can't deny people the pleasure of seeing her. So, as my civic duty to the library, I will go.

P.S. Sofia is still being an awesome baby!! Changes are going to happen soon, I can feel it.

Roll, roll, roll your baby...

Poor Sofia is trying so hard to roll over from her stomach to her back, but she just can't quite do it. She gets so frustrated, starts to cry, and then just puts her head on the floor from the sheer exhaustion of it all. She'll get it one day. For now I help her by rolling her over.

I've been trying to keep my days exciting at home, but it's hard to do. Sometimes I feel like all I do is clean, watch the baby, shower, feed the baby, watch t.v., feed the baby. I've started to find some more toys to wave in Sofia's face. So far she's grasped a rattle and shook it (highlight of my day), put a teething ring in her mouth, and tried to put a stuffed butterfly in her mouth. So far, her favorite thing to put in her mouth is her fist. (I'm just waiting for the day she starts crawling and putting everything in her mouth.) Now that she's playing longer and more interested in things, it's a lot more fun.

Tomorrow the babysitter comes because I have to work my long day at the library. I'm sure I'll try to keep myself as busy as possible so I don't have to sit and think about her all day long. It usually works pretty well and I wind up calling Ashley only once or twice during the day. It's getting a lot easier as the weeks go by.

Another Day

I'm not good at coming up with clever titles for my post, and I apologize. Anyway, I can't believe the changes in Sofia. I don't notice them at first, because they happen so gradually, but then one day it's like BOOM! she's changed. For example, today I noticed that she doesn't cry as much when I set her down. For a while, she would fuss when I set her down and not stop until I picked her back up again. Today I noticed that when I set her down, she didn't care. Finally, I'm able to get things done. It may only be 10 minutes here or 20 minutes there, but it's worth it. Another thing I noticed is that she's trying to roll over when I put her on her stomach. She does this airplane thing, with both feet stretched out behind her and her arms in the air.

Today we played dress-up, or rather I dressed up Sofia and she just had to take it! I couldn't help it. She got her Christmas dress from Great-Aunt Becky and I had to see what it looked like on her. Very cute, of course. I don't think Sofia knew what to make of the tights, though. We'll see how long those stay on. Aunt Chelsea is planning on visiting this weekend. That means I won't have to change as many diapers, because she offers to do it for me and I'm not complaining! We're thinking of trying to get pictures with Santa this weekend. I know she's too young to know what's going on, but I can't resist the urge. Only now, you have to buy a whole package of pictures if you want any at all. What happened to the days of getting a polaroid? Oh well, everyone's trying to make a buck, even Santa.

Aunt Chelsea and Sofia. (Sofia looks thrilled!!)

Mommy's sick

It's a lot harder to be sick now that there is another person around. Sofia woke up at 7:45 am this morning to eat, and all I wanted her to do was fall back asleep. No such luck. However, today was Ryan's day off, so he woke up and took care of her so mommy could sleep an extra two hours. (I never would have thought sleeping until 9:45 am would be "sleeping in.") Things always run a little differently when daddy watches Sofia. I guess because I have everything down to science since I'm with her every day. Ryan does a good job, though, so I can't complain.

Plus, I can't complain about Sofia's sleeping habits. Most babies aren't sleeping through the night at this stage, so I really lucked out with Sofia.

I'm starting to dread her getting older, especially after watching the kids at the library. It gets old telling them to "quiet down" or "stop running around." I think parents think that librarians are free babysitters. I've seen little kids (toddlers) practically walk out the front door because their parents aren't paying attention to them. I've learned a lot of parenting skills just by watching what not to do.

The Babysitter

Sofia is hanging with our babysitter today. Ashley, the babysitter, is a really nice girl. She goes to college and seems competent, and I don't get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I still can't help but feel horrible every time I have to leave Sofia with her. The thing is, I really like going to work. So, as you can see, I'm between a rock (work) and a hard place(leaving Sofia with the sitter.) I know I'm not alone and I know it has to be done, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!

So, Sofia has started rotating while sleeping in her crib at night. I'll come and check on her and find that somehow she has twisted 90 degrees. Then, when I go in to feed her at 6 am, she has rotated another 90 degrees. It's like she's a clock or something. I don't know how she does it, I've never seen her do it while awake(while I'm awake, not her.) Of course Ryan saw her do it, but she's a daddy's girl and does all sorts of fantastic things when it's just the two of them. (Like not cry after her bath and almost laugh.) When she's awake, she doesn't care too much about trying to roll over, even though now's the time when she should start. Maybe it's a subconsious desire (do babys even have subconsious desires?) to roll over, or, as I like to believe, it's just magic what she does in her crib

Sofia and Aunt Chelsea. I promise I'll put more current pictures of Sofia as soon as I can, but for now these will have to do.