Beautiful moments of Mommyness

I know for most stay at home moms, every day is full of beautiful little moments of perfectly behaved children doing adorable things and never making a mess or whining about anything... right? Ok, maybe not everyday. But today my baby girl has been especially adorable and loving and all the things that make my heart especially full. So, today, I will record all those things for one of the days (if they ever happen ;) ) when she isn't being especially heart filling.

Baby girl using me as a bed, arms spread wide

Yes, I almost cried. Lucy's hand resting on my baby bump.

I think she loves me too! She actually sat on the

couch and let me snuggle her for about 5 minutes...

that's a record!

Happy Weekend everyone! 

Lucille's 1st Birthday Celebration!

   I had been planning Lucy's birthday party for months and, after a good cry the night before her birthday, was so ready to celebrate her big day with her. Lucy's actual birthday was Thursday but her party was not until Saturday so I got to have a day with her before sharing her with the rest of our family and friends.
   Lucy and I started her birthday with breakfast at Dunkin Donuts where she had a sprinkled vanilla frosted donut. She liked to flip the donut over so she tasted the frosting on her tongue, but not before picking off all of the sprinkles.

Isn't she beautiful?

  Lucy and I then headed to Annapolis to pick up some last minute things for her party at the Amish Market and Barnes and Noble. She loves to shop with me so she didn't mind being out at all. Later in the day we went for a long walk since she loves to be outside so much.

 

  

   Daddy had a special surprise for Lucy when he got home from work... NEW SHOES! Of course she wanted to put them on immediately and I cannot wait for the warm weather when she can wear them all the time.

 After one of Lucy's favorite meals, turkey quinoa meatloaf with asparagus and sweet potatoes, Jameson and I were so excited to give her our birthday present. Much to our delight she loves it!

 

   Saturday was the big party day and we are so blessed to be surrounded by so much of our family and close friends who were eager to celebrate with us! The weather was beautiful and Lucy behaved like the angel she is all day. Lucy got lots of beautiful clothes, fun new toys, SHOES!, a purse, and a doll which completely overwhelmed her that it really was all for her. After singing Happy Birthday to her, everyone snacked on candy, desserts, and cupcakes while Lucy enjoyed her cake and cupcakes. At the end of the day, it was truly a pleasure to host our baby's 1st birthday party at our home with so much love and attention focused on Lucy. Thank you everyone who came and made it so special for her!

The high chair that all of my sisters and I used as babies, updated in yellow for my babies

Favorite picture of the day!

20 Weeks... Already!

Wow this pregnancy is flying by! I can not believe I am halfway through pregnancy #2. I am so eager to meet our little person but am also wanting to slow things down to be able to enjoy every little (big) pregnant thing. I had so much more time with Lucy to think about being pregnant and notice every little change and milestone and this time that has not been the case.
  We had our anatomy ultrasound last week at our last appointment with Dr. Moormon. Everything checked out perfectly and it seems our little sugarbaby is right on track with growth and development. The baby's position made it very difficult to get a good luck at the face or much else but we were able to see the brain, lips, feet, and the heart beating beautifully. And we did NOT find out the gender. Not only because we want a surprise but the doctor said the position made it difficult to see anyway. The baby was in a breach position but that is nothing to worry about until much later in pregnancy.
   Yesterday I had my first appointment with Bay Area Midwives. I have decided to switch completely over for prenatal care since I am more confident in knowing who will be delivering the baby and having them see us for months before. I am really excited to have this new experience with midwives and a birth center even though I had an awesome experience the first time with a doctor and hospital.
   This baby is super active. Some days I feel like baby doesn't sleep at all and just likes to kick and flip around while it still has room. It used to take a good dose of sugar to get baby going but now it just seems like anything sets it off.
   My belly is also much different this time around. Not just is it bigger earlier but with Lucy it seemed so perfectly round and this baby has me all offset. Last weekend I think we felt a little hiney pushed out against my belly so I guess it likes to curl up on one side or the other. I can not seem to get enough to eat but am trying my best to feed baby as healthy as I can. Unfortunately, my sweet tooth is raging so I try to balance a little sugar with the fruits and veggies.
   After our ultrasound appointment we had some time to waste so we stopped by an adorable childrens boutique in Chestertown called Pride and Joy. They have unique clothes and gifts you don't find at Babies 'R' Us or Target which is a huge plus in my book. This visit did not fail and soon after we walked in we found the most perfect REVERSIBLE! coming home outfit we could have imagined! One way blue, flip it inside out pink. Look at those pockets :)

So go ahead... Pink or Blue?
Let us know your guess!

Lucille's 12 Months

WOW! My baby is 1 year old! After a good cry session rocking her to sleep the night before her birthday, I think my tears have finally dried and I can look forward to everything toddler Lucy will bring our way.
   Lucy is not walking independently but she is getting anywhere and everywhere she wants to be. She uses her push walker to pull up and cruise around the house, the yard. She is standing to play with toys unsupported but when we coax her to walk to us she drops to her bottom and shimmies over. She has been crawling more and I have a feeling by next month's post we will have some more progress with walking.

 

As you can see above, Lucy has discovered the magic of chocolate and now points to the cabinet every time we go in the kitchen. But, luckily, we haven't found a food she won't eat. Miso soup and grapes are her current favorites but she tried and loved pineapple and grilled cheese this month too. We tried introducing milk but Lucy really doesn't seem to be interested. We are going to try heating it up and adding some flavoring to see if that seems more appealing.

       At the last post, Lucy had some tooth buds popping up but now she has a total of 8 teeth! Four top and four bottom. She has more buds coming in beside the new teeth but for now she doesn't seem to be bothered by them.

      Lucy's vocabulary grows by the day. She is a very clear communicator and now says "I want that" and "All done" as well as duck, hello, hi, bye, shoes, nana (banana), up and down, and she calls every dog she sees Ozat, her version of Otis.

    I love watching how loving she is towards all children, most adults, dogs, and baby dolls. She loves to give hugs and kisses and has recently started reaching for strangers to hold her when we are out. They all seem to be the squishy grandma type so I really don't blame her.

     Lucy has a new obsession... SHOES! We went and had her measured earlier this month so she could get used to wearing shoes. I had never put shoes on her before since, well, she was an infant and wasn't walking. She had been showing an interest in our shoes or any shoes she saw when we were out shopping. She likes to shimmy around the house with Jameson or my shoes in each hand. Ever since we got her two pair of her own, though, she will NOT leave the house without them. Every diaper change she wants to hold her shoes. Anytime she sees them laying around they become the toy she plays with. When I take them away at night or to eat she lets me know she is not happy to be separated. After the walking shoes she found a pair of church shoes with a flower on the strap that have become her favorite. Daddy got Lucy a pair of white ruffle shoes for her birthday which she had us put on her immediately. Aunt Marley got her a pair of paisley baby Tom's for her birthday which will fit in a couple of weeks and I am sure are going to be a top pick.

   Lucy's sleeping continues to be sporadic and she has started waking up at least once every night. She still doesn't like naps but has started to appreciate bed time more and more. I still get to rock her for a few minutes every night and when I lay her down she doesn't protest at all. Daddy has found a good way to calm her down too with a light back rub, one of the few times she will sit still.

   Jameson and I are having more and more fun with her the older Lucy gets. We love to go out to eat together and are so excited for the warm weather to get back out to Tuckahoe to walk the trails. Lucy is a joy to be around and we are so blessed that everyone we know feels the same way. We are never short on offers to babysit her but Jameson and I don't like giving her up to anyone. We are so excited to see her become a big sister and know that she will be a huge help to us and a little mother to her baby brother or sister. The other day I was holding her while she napped and she moved down from my shoulder and finished her nap with her head rested against my belly. I am so lucky.

Lucille's Birth Story

I should have done this in the days after Lucy was born. So much has been lost in the last year about that night. I still ask Jameson questions about what went on during those 6 hours in the hospital because I have learned time really does make you forget. It's probably how people can have more than one baby ;) I like to think that maybe one day Lucy will want to know about how she came into the world so, for her, I write it now.

 Momma had been on maternity leave for one week already and was spending a lot of time with our family and getting things ready at our house for your arrival. The day by day waiting was exciting and excruciating at the same time. The Saturday before, Daddy and I went shopping to pass some time and see if there were any last minute things we could pick up for you. We found the mirror that hangs in your nursery and while we were there I got very dizzy and lightheaded and started seeing stars. I told Daddy I needed to go sit down so we headed to the truck and after some water and a snack I felt much better. Monday morning I was vacuuming the house and started getting the same feeling again. Since I was home alone I called Aunt Allison who came over with Henry and at the direction of the doctor headed to the hospital to get checked out and have you monitored. Daddy met us there and after listening to your heartbeat for awhile we were allowed to leave. Little did we know that we would be back later that night.
  After we left, Daddy and I decided to try every old wives tale we have ever heard or read to try to get you to come out. When we got home we took Otis for a long walk then walked all the way into town and back. Then Daddy rubbed my feet while I massaged my thumbs, it was all worth a shot! Then we decided to try some spicy food so we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings in Annapolis. Something must have worked because while we were sitting there I started having bad back aches and stomach cramps. These felt a lot different than the practice contractions I had been having for weeks. After we left, we headed to Whole Foods to pick up a pineapple and walk some more. On the way home the contractions continued regularly as I tried other things I had read about. I'll leave the specifics out. When we got home we decided to really see if we could get things going so we took Otis for another long walk. During the walk I had to stop a few times because the pains were getting stronger. We got home and Daddy chopped up the pineapple while I got in the tub to relax. For some reason, I really didn't want to go to the hospital so I wouldn't tell Daddy every time I had a contraction since they were only about 5-7 minutes apart at this point but the pain was still manageable. We decided to try to go to sleep but after Daddy heard me breathing through contractions he told me we needed to go.
  We got to the hospital around 12:30am and after monitoring me for a few minutes and checking to see how dilated I was, they admitted us to stay. I did a lot of walking to make things go faster and as things got stronger and further along I spent a lot of time rocking side to side, moving you down. Aunt Allison showed up with a sock full of warm rice that felt like heaven on my back. We guessed you were face up since the pain was in my back and your two aunts and I and Jonah and Henry were all face up. I spent some time in the shower, still rocking back and forth, and tried to get in the bed to relax but things felt so much worse when I sat or laid down. I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom but as I got up my water broke and I knew I was in for the long haul. For me, the next few hours have been erased from memory but Daddy says there was a lot of walking, rocking back and forth, and spending time in the shower. I don't remember milestones like how far I was dilating or any other specifics. I remember being in the shower and feeling the need to push. Daddy told the nurse who said it was time to get in bed and get ready to meet our baby girl. Daddy and Aunt Allison were by my side encouraging me and I was ready to get this whole process over with. I only pushed for twenty minutes then remember looking down and seeing you for the first time. Dr. Moormon delivered you, face up!,  at 6:08 in the morning. They laid you on my chest and tears started pouring as I looked at your perfect little face and realized you were here and everything was ok. I got you to stop crying and you quickly found your hand and started sucking away. You were perfect in every way.

I am still trying to get Daddy to write about how he remembers that night. Maybe one day you can convince him. I feel so lucky that I was able to labor and deliver the way I had hoped for. I so often hear that things don't go as planned but Daddy and I could not have been happier with our experience and how you joined the world. You have been a joy from the beginning and from that night our world has never been so beautiful.

Learning to Let Go

   Lucy has decided to stop nursing. The last time she nursed was Friday night before bed. No more morning sessions, no night sessions since then. It was completely on her own time. I had been fine with letting her nurse both in the morning and before bed because I knew it wouldn't be much longer. I had planned on nursing for a year since I was pregnant with her and am having bittersweet feelings now that the time has come.
  Lucy really started losing interest in nursing when I found out I was pregnant. I don't know if it was changes with me or her starting to love food but she moved from 5-6 times a day to 2 or 3. I didn't mind at that time because it was painful for me when she did nurse but I never refused her. I had read about the "Don't Offer, Don't Refuse" plan for weaning and it seemed to make a lot of sense. Leave it up to her. For the past month and a half she was really only nursing for comfort anyway. She would never last more than 5 minutes before falling asleep or losing interest and wanting to be rocked to sleep. I think when I thought about weaning I felt like I was losing some of my priority in her life. She has shown me that is not the case at all. She still wants only me past eight o'clock. She still wants her Mama to rock her to sleep and sing to her before she falls asleep. And she still knows that I will comfort her whenever she needs me.
   A part of me wishes I had known that Friday night was the last time. We had a very rocky start with nursing but I never, ever had any thoughts of giving up. Lots of tears, lots of pain, but in the end lots of one on one time with my baby that no one else got to have and I can never get back. I loved every minute I had with her in this aspect of our relationship. Being able to comfort her like no one else, getting a quiet moment with her when we were out with family or friends, seeing her grow and be so healthy and knowing I was doing the absolute best thing possible for her.
   I guess I have reached my goal. Lucy will be 1 one week from today and could not be any healthier. I didn't have to push her to stop nursing. I never refused her that form of comfort she found from me. She is the most confident, assertive baby girl that we could hope for. She was ready, now it's Mama's turn to start letting go in this small way.

Happy Weekend!

  IT'S FRIDAY!!! Even better, it's one of Jameson's off Fridays so this weekend is even more special than usual, especially with as much as he has been working lately. One of the best parts of the weekend is getting to fix and eat breakfast (and lunch and dinner and snacks :) ) as a family. I decided to share one of our favorite breakfast recipes because in our opinion it really is the best homemade waffle recipe ever. Yes, you do need a waffle iron for this but if you don't already have one... invest, immediately. My love for homemade waffles started with my mom's 1970s belgian waffle iron that used to sit in that never used cabinet above the refrigerator. It didn't take me long to find that gadget and start pulling the chair over to get it down most weekends. Back then I just used box mix because I hadn't yet been enlightened. Now I have my own waffle iron and hopefully Lucy will take this tradition over one day and make me breakfast in bed! Not holding my breath... Anyway, back to the recipe. Don't let the sour milk scare you, it makes the waffle!

THE HUNTER HOMEmade Waffle Recipe

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sour milk (2 cups milk + 2 tablespoons lemon juice)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil or butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

oh, and love :)

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

2. After letting the milk and lemon juice sit for a few minutes, combine with beaten eggs, oil and vanilla.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients.

4. Stir to combine but do not over stir. Lumps are good!

5. Pour in the waffle iron and let cook.

6. ENJOY!

A few notes...

* If you don't have lemon juice you can replace with white vinegar. This kind of weirds me out but it's what my sister uses for sour milk all the time.

* Again, lumps in the batter are good. Don't over mix.

* For an added treat, mix your syrup and butter together on the stove before adding to your cooked waffle. It seems so simple but makes a delicious waffle even better.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend as much as we do. And I hope you love the waffles... let me know when you make them!