An introduction

Well, I know I've dropped offline again, but I guess that's what happens when you're the mother of two kids.  Before I get to the good stuff: I still want to write...desperately at times, but that hasn't been an option much lately, and I don't foresee it becoming any easier in the near future.  Like I wrote a year ago, writing is a passion for me, and hopefully I'll be able to come back to it soon.

Now, on to the good stuff.  ;)

Introducing: Miller!

Miller David was born on December 2, 2012 at 7:41 p.m.  He arrived 6 days late, which drove me crazy every minute that I wasn't going into labor.  We made one "false alarm" trip to the hospital during the week, and I cried a LOT because I was just so ready to be done being pregnant.

FINALLY, I was induced the morning on December 2.  My OB broke my water, but did not immediately begin pitocin.  She hoped that my labor would begin naturally since I was already 3 cm dilated.  She broke my water around 9 am, and contractions began getting more intense around 11:00, but they were never that bad.  I kept standing, walking around, swaying, anything to keep the contractions coming, because if I sat down or stopped moving, the contractions spaced out and became less intense.

Around 3:00 pm, the nurses changed shifts, and I was hoping they would check my progress, but they didn't.  I was beginning to get frustrated because I felt like nothing was really happening.  I was ready for some pitocin to move things along, but the nurse didn't mention it, and I hadn't seen my OB since she broke my water 6 hours earlier.

When the nurse came to check on us around 4:45, my frustration boiled over.  I was crying because I was just sick of all of it, and I told her that I wanted them to start the pitocin.  She told me that it was no problem, and she would check with the doctor and get it started as soon as possible.  Apparently, they had been waiting for me to ask for it the whole day.  This temporarily frustrated me more...

I just wanted to see this face

Also, they STILL hadn't checked my progress.  I will never know if I had made any progress, but I feel like my body must not understand how to go into labor on its own.  The pitocin (and craziness) began around 5:30, and contractions immediately became really strong, and really close together.  M called his mom, who was taking care of Evie, to tell her what was going on.  I laid in the bed crying while I listened to him talk to Evie, I was just so frustrated, and in pain, and I missed her so much.  And worst of all, since they STILL hadn't checked my cervix, I thought that I might be in labor for 5 - 6 more hours.

Around 6:30, I asked for the epidural.   It took about 20 - 30 minutes for the anesthesiologist to arrive and do the procedure.  My contractions were right on top of one another, and I was IN PAIN.  It was definitely more intense than when I got the epidural with Evie.  (I was about 5 - 6 cm when I got that epidural.)  I was shaking and I just felt out of control.

The anesthesiologist seemed to take forever.  He missed and had to place the catheter a 2nd time.  It was finally "in place" around 7:10 pm.  They FINALLY checked my cervix.  I was 10 cm!!  The nurse asked if I wanted to relax for a little while before I started pushing, but I said no.  I don't think the epidural was placed well at all.  I could still feel pretty much everything, but it wasn't quite as strong.  I just wanted to get the baby out!!!!!

The nurse ran into the hallway yelling for the doctor to get in there and wash her hands.  I think that the nurse thought the baby was about to fall out of me...ha ha ha!!  I began pushing and it took longer than I thought it would for my second baby.  I had heard so many stories about how it only took two pushes the second time, or two contractions.  I only pushed for 45 minutes with Evie, so I thought that that would be me too.

Evie meeting Miller for the first time

 The epidural was doing NOTHING for me at this point (at least I was sure I could feel everything).  It took about 20 minutes and 10 -12 contractions for Miller to get here.  I was yelling at M to stop touching me.  I even told the doctor to stop touching me at one point, only to find out that it was the baby crowning.  Yup, I was "that girl."  In hindsight, it's kind of funny. :)

At 7:41 pm, Miller made his appearance.  He weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 21.5 inches long.  He was healthy from the beginning, which was different from Evie.  She only weighed 5 lbs. 15 oz. and she spent her 1st night in the NICU because she wasn't breathing very well and had a lot of fluid in her lungs.   I couldn't believe how big Miller was...2 1/2 lbs. bigger than Evie!! 

Holding baby brother

Over a month in, things are going pretty well.  The first week was rough.  I had a spinal headache from my {failed} epidural, and I spent an afternoon in the ER because of that.  Evie has been adjusting better since that first week too. I think I'm having a harder time than she is.  I feel like I just can't give her enough...or Miller for that matter, but that's a topic for a different post...

Hopefully I will be able to write more frequently.  I have so many things to write about, but time is the issue.  I began this post on December 31, if that gives you any idea of what I mean.  ;)  

In his Christmas jammies

To say that motherhood is bliss wouldn't be totally accurate at this point.  I am still getting to know Miller, and Evie and I are working on what the "new normal" means for us.  I can say that Miller has completed our family.  It's impossible to remember what life was like before he was born, and seeing M sitting on the couch holding Miller and reading a book to Evie melts my heart.

This is our family. 

Happy Birthday Evie! - A letter for your 2nd birthday

Dear Evie, mi hijita,

It's hard for me to believe that a year ago, you couldn't walk, you didn't talk much, your hair looked so short, you were still such a baby in so many ways.

Evie with my mom on her first birthday

Now, you are a toddler to the core.  You don't just walk, you run, you climb, you do somersaults while watching Olympic gymnastics...  And boy, do you talk.  You've inherited that trait from both of your parents, although we'll both blame the other if asked.

One of my favorite pics from the past year...telling the world what she thinks

You've even become a little world traveler.  I'm so proud of how you adapted to a different way of life, and a new language.  You made me so proud, and I hope that my travel bug wears off on you a little bit.  I'm going to need someone to go with me on my world adventures, and your dad has never been interested. 

Chasing some pigeons in a plaza in Barcelona

With me, overlooking Barcelona from El Parque Guell

The past year has been easier than the first in some ways, and more difficult in others.  Asserting your independence is part of growing up, and, as your mom, I am going to struggle with that at times.  But I wouldn't trade a single temper tantrum for the ability to have a conversation with you, or to hold your hand walking into the grocery store.

"Talking" on the phone.  Around Halloween last year

You amaze me every day.  I think that I couldn't love you more, but then you imitate how your dad puts on deodorant, or how I talk on the phone, and I melt all over again.  Each moment is something new and exciting and I am honored and thrilled to share it all with you.

Evie at her 2nd birthday party.
She picked put the Brewer cake...I was pushing for a big 2 with zoo animals.

The next year is going to bring some big changes.  You'll be a big sister soon, and I'm going to need your help every step of the way.  I worry all the time about how you'll handle this, but you never cease to surprise me.  I know you'll charge into the role, like you do with everything else, and you'll be fine.  ;)

I love you completely, and that will NEVER change.  

Love,
Mama

Toddle Along Tuesday: Favorite Firsts

There are so many things that I looked forward to when I was pregnant with Evie.  I remember dreaming about what it would be like to hold her, and to see her for the first time.  Every milestone it amazing to me because, as Evie's parents, M and I are the only ones who will truly be there for it all. 

Some of the things that I looked forward to most were:

First laughs. 

Evie around 4 months old.

Evie has the greatest laugh.  (I know I'm totally biased.)  It's a crazy belly laugh that is so genuine and contagious.  She laughed for the first time around 4 months old.  I went back to work around that time, but I was so glad that I was still there to witness her first giggles.

Consistently sleeping through the night.

After one of the first times she slept through the night

Evie did not sleep through the night until she was 6 months old.  She did it one night, and then she didn't do it again until she was 9 months old.  Then she didn't do it again until she was 11 months old.   After that she was pretty consistent, and she still is.  Getting more than 3 - 4 hours of a sleep in a row at that time seemed like the most amazing thing that could ever happen!! 

Crawling for the first time.

Evie was a late crawler; she was almost a year old before she finally figured it out.  I think I looked forward to this so much because I felt so much pressure about it.  I wanted to say to everyone, "See, I knew she could do it!!" She walked around 13 months, and now she just runs everywhere.  Some days I miss immobility.  ;)

The best things about firsts is that there are still so many to come.  Now, I daydream about seeing Evie become a big sister, her first day of kindergarten, going to her first school dance, and even her graduation.  I can't wait to see the person that she turns out to be. 


I'm so excited to have the opportunity to co-host this week's Toddle Along Tuesday with Missie from Growing up Geeky!! 





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This week's Toddle Along Tuesday topic is favorite firsts! What milestone was the most precious for you? Sitting up, talking, walking, maybe a 1st birthday party, or something else? Feel free to gush and/or reminisce. There are no rules here, except that you link up a relevant post (old or new) rather than your whole blog.

Stuff my kid says

Evie is talking more and more lately.  As a language teacher, it amazes me to watch how she learns each new word and the order in which she learns them, what is important for her to communicate and how she expresses herself.  She can tell me what she wants and what she doesn't want (not that she gets her way, but she can tell me nonetheless!).  With all of the new communication, her little personality is exploding.

"Listen up! I've got important things to say!!"

Some of my favorite things that Evie has said:

• "Ava, Kloe, fun!" In response to M asking how her day was.  (Ava and Kloe are two other little girls at daycare.)
• Yes and No...sometimes indiscriminately.  When we went to the doctor's office last week, she said yes when the doctor asked if she had chocolate ice cream for breakfast.  Then she said yes when he asked if she had cereal for breakfast.  She also said yes when he asked if she had yogurt for breakfast.  (Only the yogurt was actually true, lol!)
• Eye, ear, nose, and toes. - She can be a little violent with this one.  She jabbed me in the eye the other day trying to show me that she knew where my eye was.  
• Cow, sheep, cat, dog, horse, duck...  She loves to point them out in books or on TV.  However, she thinks they all say, "moo."  I guess we'll have to keep working on that.
• Last weekend she pointed at my sister's LARGE pregnant belly (she's due the 24th) and said, "ball."  My sister was less than impressed, but I thought it was pretty funny.  :)

I can't wait to see how she does in Spain.  I speak Spanish with her when it's just the two of us at home.  She usually understands me, but she hasn't said many words in Spanish.  Just "pato" (duck) and "hija" (daughter...which I always call her). 

Seeing her learn to talk in the most exciting thing I've ever experienced!

Family photos

Evie is officially 19 months old today, and we haven't ever done family photos of the three of us.  I'm not really into the staged, posed, everyone has their hand awkwardly placed on someone's shoulder type of pictures, so Sears (or any of the other ones like it) has never crossed my mind for family pictures, or for pictures of Evie either.

I'm lucky to have a coworker who does photography on the side who does amazing work.  She took Evie's one month pics, six month pics, one year pics, and our family pictures today.  She always makes everything look so natural.  I love how they turned out!!

She took quite a few of Evie by herself too.  When did my baby girl get so big?!?!?!?!?!

P.S.  I am looking for anyone who is interested in a sponsor swap!!  Send me an email at makes_perfect_sense@yahoo.com

Sick Baby = Sad Mama

Over the weekend we had a few "firsts" at our house.  Unfortunately, they weren't the good kind of firsts. 

Saturday night, Evie vomited for the first time.  I mean like real puke, not spit up or drool with some leftover food in it.   Real, grown-up barf.  She doesn't have the flu, but she's had a cough for about a week now.  She actually coughed so hard that she threw up.  It was about an hour after she went to bed that I heard her coughing.  Sometimes she sleeps through it, but this time she started crying.  I could smell it as soon as I walked into the room.  (Eeeeeewwwwww!!!!) 

M and I have a deal that he takes care of all vomit situations (baby or dog), so he cleaned up her bedding while I gave her a bath.  She even had it in her hair.  (Double eeeeeewwwww!!!!)  After everything was cleaned up, I called the nurse on-call line to see if there was anything we could give her or do for her.  We gave her a little honey and stood in the bathroom with the hot water running so that she could breathe in the steam.  It actually worked pretty well and she slept the rest of the night. 

Yesterday she was lethargic all day.  Last night we took her temperature and it was 102.4.  This is the first time she's ever had a fever.  M stayed home with her today and she was feeling much better by tonight.  I'm going to send her to daycare tomorrow with strict instructions to call me if she seems even a little out of sorts. 

This is the first time that she's been sick this winter, other than a little cough back in December.  I forgot how much it sucks.  I hope she gets over it soon. 

Any tips to help her sleep with the cough????  PLEASE share...I'm willing to try anything to make her feel better!!!!

17 months (and 5 days)

Because Evie's 17 month-iversary was on Christmas Eve, I'm just getting around to posting this now.  17 months doesn't feel like much of a milestone with 18 months being right around the corner and all, but she has changed so much since 16 months.

Christmas 2010 at my parent's house

The biggest change has been in language ability.  We've had a language explosion at our house!!  She is repeating so many words now (M and I have really had to clean up our language...well we're trying at least), and she understand so much of what we are saying.  As a language teacher, it's amazing for me to watch language acquisition as it happens from birth, but I'm a dork like that.  ;)

At 17 months:

• Evie has added many new words including cow, good (when you ask her how she's doing), no way, yes, banana (sounds like bah-nah), car, bath, and there are so many more!  She's going to be a jabbering fool just like her mom any day now. 
• Tantrums are becoming a bit of an issue.  I feel like we are handling them pretty well mostly by ignoring/distracting her.  They haven't lasted very long.  We still haven't had a major blow up in public.  ::fingers crossed::
• Evie can find her tummy if you ask her, but she points to her eye/ear/head when you ask her where her nose is.  I always laugh when she does this, so I'm probably encouraging her.  I'm sure she'll figure it out eventually.  
• Evie has her second Christmas, but this one was much more fun.  She did a pretty good job of opening presents and she handled the crazy schedule and extra people really well.  We are going to M's family Christmas this weekend, so hopefully that goes as well as my family's did last weekend.

Hanging out with Grandpa!

• She has been sleeping very well at night for the past few weeks.  A cold threw us off right after Thanksgiving, but I'm hoping that we've gotten past that.
• She understands so much of what we say.  It amazes me!!!  She even walked to her room on her own earlier today when I asked if she was ready for her nap.  Of course, she fell asleep in my arms and woke up screaming as soon as she hit the mattress, but I was impressed that she went to her room like that!  (Focus on the positives, right!?!?!!?!?!)
• Evie's favorite game is "scaring" people.  She covers her face, then quickly uncovers it and says "Boo!"  I scream like she scared me to death and we laugh and laugh.  She really like playing that game with her aunts, uncles and grandparents at Christmas.  

Christmas 2011 at my aunt and uncle's house

Wordless Wednesday - First Time Sledding

I know I just posted last week about the lack of snow in Wisconsin, but some did arrive in time to make it a white Christmas at my parent's house up north.  Actually, it made it just in time to make the roads a nightmare for the drive up there.  Luckily, we all made it in one piece!! 

We woke up Christmas Eve morning to a winter wonderland.  My sister gave Evie a sled for Christmas.  She let her have it a little early so that we could try it out.  Evie loved it, obviously.  ;)

My parent's house (where this video is from) is on a hill that my sisters and I used to sled down all the time when we were kids.  We even used to play "Cool Runnings" and pretend we were the Jamaican bobsled team like in the movie with John Candy.  M, my sisters and their husbands, and my parents were all outside to watch Evie sled for the first time.  It brought back some great memories.  I can't wait for more Christmases like this one. 

P.S.  Sorry the video is sideways.  I'm sure you get the idea! :)

16 Months

I can't believe that it's been a year since this:

This is one of my favorite pictures of her of all time.  My dad took care of her so that I could go shopping early on Black Friday last year when she was 4 months old.  Evie was a bit of a crab for him...but he did manage to get this picture.  LOVE it!

But now, Evie is 16 months old!  Crazy how time flies!!!

At 16 months:

• Evie's new words are "no" and "book."  "No" is not exactly a great development, but it's kind of nice when she's not using it to try to scold me.  She will tell me "no" to more food when she's done eating, etc.  That's kind of cool to be able to communicate with her more.
• Walking is so totally last month...now she's picking up speed.  Running is where it's at these days.
• She has mastered blowing kisses in the past few weeks.  This is something M has been trying to get her to do for a while now.  I'm not sure that she completely understands what she's doing, but it's still pretty cute.
• Evie went trick-or-treating for the first time.  We didn't actually ask for any candy.  We just stopped by a few neighbor's houses.  Evie loved walking around with all of the other kids.
• Evie ate her 1st Thanksgiving dinner.  She loved the turkey and the dinner rolls!!  She didn't care for the mashed potatoes or stuffing, but she did like the brownie I shared with her for dessert.  :) 
• She has started throwing more and more tantrums...not a good milestone, but it's all part of asserting her independence.  For the most part, I can distract her or ignore her so that she quits.  We haven't had any serious meltdowns in public yet, but I'm sure our time is coming.  
• Evie is working on animal noises and finding her nose, ears, etc.  Hopefully I can post about some of those milestones next month!!

Playing with the dog last week.

 Each month, she keeps growing and growing, and I am more fascinated with this little person that she is becoming.

It's Over

I'm officially done breastfeeding.  Last night was my last time nursing Evie for the foreseeable future.  I might nurse to relieve pressure in the next week or so....if there is any pressure.  I went from Wednesday through Sunday without nursing, and my boobs barely even felt full last night.

Evie is ready.  I'm ready.  I'm looking forward to having my body back to myself, but it's kind of strange to think that I'm done.  I never thought that breastfeeding would become such a huge part of my life.  Everyone's experience is different, but breastfeeding became part of my identity for the past 16 months.  Especially in the beginning, my life was completely centered around feeding Evie: perfecting our latch, keeping up my milk supply, pumping, cutting out dairy, nighttime feedings, etc, etc, etc.


I don't really feel sad about it right now.  I did a few months ago, when I felt like we were being forced to quit, but now I know we are ending on our terms.  Now, I just feel grateful that we were able to successfully breastfeed for so long.

Even when it was difficult, I wouldn't change a thing.

15 months

Evie is 15 months old today.  It's crazy to think that at this time last year I was dreading the end of my maternity leave, and just beginning to feel like I had any sort of clue what I was doing as a mother.

Evie, 3 months old

Now, I still feel like I am just beginning to figure out this motherhood thing, but with a walking, talking (a little) toddler.  What a crazy ride this mom thing is!!

At 15 months:

• Evie has several words, including most recently, "baby."  She is the youngest at her daycare and many of the other kids say "Hi baby" to her all of the time.  She has started saying "Hi baby" to everyone, including me and M!  So cute!!
• Evie has said her first word in Spanish too.  She says "pato" to all of the rubber ducks in the bathtub with her. 
• She is walking all. the. time.  It took her a little while, but I think she's finally decided that walking is more efficient than crawling.  Every time she walks across the room, I can't help but smile.
• She loves fruit, spaghetti, tacos, cheese, my pal Scout, spending time with other kids, making loud banging noises with items found on the floor, dancing, "driving" her toy car, playing with the dog, hugging mommy, daddy, other kids at daycare, and pretty much anyone who will let her, and reading books.
• She hates being put in the carseat, being put in the stroller, being told "no," having the remote control or a cell phone taken away from her, being picked up/being set down (depending on the circumstances), grocery shopping, and anything garlicky.

"Helping" daddy fold the laundry last week.

Playing outside a couple of weeks ago.

It's so crazy to see how much Evie changes and how quickly it all happens.  I can't imagine what she'll be like a year from now!

Wordless Wednesday - Back to School (and Evie walking!)

I know I'm a week late, but better late than never!  :)

On our way out the door on the first day!

Oh, and a video of Evie walking...a little. 

She has attempted walking several times over the past few days, but it usually ends with a face plant.  Last night she fell flat on her back, which was actually kind of scary.  I know it takes time, but I hope she gets better at it soon so I don't have to worry about her as much!!

Holy Crap, I have a toddler!!

Evie took her first steps yesterday.  She has been testing her standing ability by letting go of the coffee table (or whatever she managed to pull up on) quite a bit lately, and I thought that it might happen soon.  She was holding onto the couch and I was sitting on the floor about 3 feet away from her.  She let go, and just walked to me.  It was like she'd been planning that moment for ages.  She probably only took 3 or 4 steps, but they were the first unassisted steps of her life!!

M was sitting on the couch when it happened, and I was glad that both of us were here to see it.  We kept trying to get her to do it again, and she did take a few more steps before face-planting onto the floor.  A little while later, she took a few more steps...before face-planting again.  I think this may be a recurring theme until she really gets this whole "walking" thing figured out.

It was pretty amazing to see the first of the millions of steps that she will take in her life.  Of course, I cried like a fool....  :)

Edited 10/24/11:  Evie finally figured out (in the past two weeks or so) that walking is more efficient than crawling, and she is unstoppable!!  I'm exhausted from chasing her all over, and I love every second of it!

Then and Now - Going Old School

Our first picture as an official couple - August 2001
Yes, his hair was bleach blond and I still dated him...we were in college, who knows??

Ten years ago, M and I officially became a couple. I was 19, and he had just turned 21.  I was going into my second year of college, and he was starting his third.  It was before 9/11.  It was before everyone had cell phones.  It was before facebook and blogging, and real jobs and adult responsibilities.  We were pretty innocent, and we really just wanted to have fun.  (Duh, we were 19 and 21!) 

Halloween 2001
He was a made up superhero "Duct Tape Man."  I found a cheap bumble bee costume.

When we met, I never thought that he would be the person I would spend the rest of my life with.  We were both very into partying at the time, and I didn't think I could meet "the one" at a beer-fueled college kegger.  The night we met, something just clicked.  I could just talk to him.  Before we knew it, everyone else had gone to bed, the sun was coming up, and we were still talking on a ratty couch in his basement.

On a camping trip in Door County - Summer 2003

We've certainly been through a lot in 10 years.  A year into our relationship, I left for Spain for 5 months.  The distance sucked, but it definitely made us stronger.  When I got back, I knew that I never wanted to be away from him like that again.  We've been with each other through ups and downs, but one thing that M says is that the good days have always outnumbered the bad ones.  Any rough patches have always just brought us closer together and made us a team.  

Our wedding - Fall 2005

We kind of grew up together.  I feel lucky that we still want the same things together that we did 10 years ago.  A lot changes in your 20s, and we've made it though all of those changes as a couple.  In the past two years since we decided to add to our family, we've really had to be there for each other.  The number of good days keeps growing.  

Brewer Game - Last week

We have so much to look forward to.  I can't wait to see what the next 10 years has in store!!!

You want me to do what?!?!?

When Evie was about 3 - 4 weeks old, I began to notice her gulping and gasping while I nursed her.  After breastfeeding, she would scream and cry for sometimes two to three hours until she would finally fall asleep out of exhaustion.  Being a new, first time mom, I thought that I was probably doing something wrong.  I called the lactation consultants at the hospital, I researched for answers online, and I came up with a few answers:
1. My let down was too strong/fast for her.
2. She had acid reflux.
3. Nothing was wrong, that's just how she and I worked together.  (The last answer was obviously the most troubling.) 

Then one night, I fed her and she did not stop crying for about 5 hours.  I called the nurse on call because my pediatrician's office was closed, and I tried my best to comfort her.  It seemed endless.  I made an appointment and took her in to her doctor first thing in the morning.  He diagnosed a milk protein allergy.  He said, "Cut dairy out of your diet, and I bet you'll have a happy baby again."  He also asked me to come back with poopy diapers from 4 separate days so that he could confirm the diagnosis.

At first I thought, "No big deal.  I'll cut out dairy."  Then I really thought about it.  I gave up all dairy on the spot, and Evie was a happy baby by the end of that week.  It was VERY difficult at first, but the thought of her crying and being miserable was enough to help me pass up cheese, ice cream, and every food with milk listed as an ingredient for almost 6 months. 

This was one of my breastfeeding victories.  I would never have believed that I could change my diet that much, or that I would be willing to do that.  Many, many friends and family members asked me why I didn't just quit and switch to formula.  In my mind, it was always a fairly easy choice - it's what I needed to do to give my daughter what I thought was best for her.  The benefits of breastfeeding outweighed this sacrifice in every way.  I would do it all over again!

Naps...or lack thereof

 I've been having a harder and harder time getting Evie down for naps lately.  I know that this is most likely a "me" problem, not an "Evie" problem.  We did Ferber right around 6 months for nighttime sleep.  I don't think it worked the way it was supposed to.  Things kept coming up that made it impossible for us to stick to the routine, like ear infections, teething, me not wanting to let her cry anymore....  For a while, I felt like she had just been crying in her crib from the beginning of January to the middle of March.

I gave up.  In the meantime, our daycare person managed to start getting Evie to nap.  She let her cry, but never for more than 20 minutes.  It took a few weeks, but she was napping better.  She had never been a good napper before.  I will take most of the blame for that.  I didn't have a very good nap routine when I was home with her on my maternity leave.  Our first daycare provider never really got her into a routine either.  It's a really long, boring story, but in the end we left that daycare mostly because of the "nap problem."

Around Mid-June/early July, Evie finally started sleeping through the night.  We didn't do Ferber/CIO, it just sort of happened when I cut out her night time feeding.  I think she was just ready for it.  That was also when she started napping poorly.  I don't know if they are connected or not...but I really like sleeping all night after not sleeping all night for 11 months.  The naive side of me thinks that maybe she'll just start napping better when she's ready, but I know that probably not the case. 

I will admit that I still rock her to sleep before I put her down.  I feel like if I don't, it's the beginning of World War III, and the nap definitely won't happen then.  I've tried to let her cry it out, but it's never worked.  She works herself into a frenzy, and how could anyone sleep after that?  (I'm talking about 45 minutes of screaming/crying.  I had to vacuum to get myself through it.  I couldn't stand to listen to her.)  I'm really nervous about going back to school at the end of August.  I'm worried that our daycare person will have a horrible time with her, and Evie will suffer through crying most of the day while I'm gone.

Side note: I know many people would recommend a new daycare, but she does a great job overall.  She is very caring with Evie, but she takes care of three other kids as well, and Evie can't monopolize her time.  

Has anyone tried Ferber/CIO for naps?  What were your results?  Did your little one get themselves so worked up?  Any other tips??? 

Evie had her 12 month check up today and I talked to the pediatrician about it.  He gave some non-specific information, and basically said that she'll start napping better when I start "tough love,"  meaning I should let her cry.  I just don't know if I can do it.


On a high note, Evie no longer has a milk allergy!  The doctor removed the diagnosis because she eats cheese and yogurt without any problems. I also have her height and weight update.


Weight: 19 lbs. 3 oz. (a little on the small side.  She's my peanut!)

Height: 29 inches (right at the 50th percentile)

Evie's Birthday Party

Evie's birthday party was a smashing success!  Most of my family was able to be there.  My youngest sister, who lives four hours away, wasn't able to be here.  My parents and grandparents drove almost 3 hours to be here, and my sister and husband (who live nearby) were here.  M's whole family was here, including his oldest brother and his three kids.  They are currently Evie's only cousins, so I always like it when they get to hang out.

Evie received many wonderful gifts, but the standout was a laughing baby that my parents gave her.  It's incredibly annoying, but Evie is in love with it, so I'll overlook the obnoxiousness.  She ate cake, opened gifts,  played with the water table that my sister gave her, and took a long nap after everyone left.  I think it was a great first birthday!

Yay! Presents!!

Book from her aunt

Carriage with Lego people from aunt, uncle, and cousins

The beginning of the birthday cake.  She likes the icing, just like her mom!

The water table from her aunt

Family picture, taken by Evie's 5 year old cousin. 
I think it's that each of us has a completely different look on our face,
but this picture cracks me up!