15 months and "stuff"

My knees feel so much better tonight after my workout. I didn't feel like dying at all! Normally I end my workouts feeling like knives are stabbing me in the knees, and I can barely walk or move. But tonight was so much different and I felt so much stronger!

Woo!

Adalyn's asleep in her big girl bed right now. I wonder how long it will last. This is only the second time that I've attempted to have her sleep alone. Last time, I laid awake for an hour and a half missing her and wondering about her. I woke up to a "thud" and then a cry around midnight.. so we'll see if she sleeps well tonight!! I sure will miss sleeping next to her, though :)

Speaking of our big kid, we bought her this little baby carrier set at Target tonight. Ridiculously cute. Can't believe our kid is big enough to be wearing her little baby doll, whom we have lovingly named Andy...

She had her 15-month checkup today and got her Chicken Pox vaccine. I didn't want her to have it. I asked if we could deny it, and my doctor said that VA public schools now require two sets of the Chicken Pox vaccine... ? I'm 99.9% sure that we can "get out of" having her vaccinated with a "religious/ethical" paper and that would be that. But I wasn't sure and just had her get it.

Anyway, she was 30.25" tall, 20.9lbs, and she has a 90th% head circumference. Average height, skinny minnie, and a big head. That's my gal!

And boy did she cry from the second she saw the nurse until the second the doctor said bye bye. She hasn't cried that hard since... a LONG time. I couldn't even hear the doctor talk! The doctor reassured me that kids around 15-months learn that the doctor's office is a scary place, and it's typical. But ack. She really screamed at him. Poor kiddo! ....and poor doctor :)



Edit: She lasted 30 minutes before waking up.

Toy's on Ad's (er.. my..) wishlist!

You know what? One of my (our entire family's) favorite things to do is to take a trip to Target or Toys R Us. We go at least twice a week, and it's literally fun for the whole family. Ad has now discovered that she's "big enough" to get out of the cart and walk around on her own. Lucky for us, she's a pretty good listener and will follow us and not run around like crazy! But she will find toys she "wants" and will carry them around :) Pretty cute.

But oohhh those toys. They are SO fun and adorable! I have my own little wish list going.. because, hey, I'm going to be playing with these toys too! .. Right? Hehe!

1. Legos. We don't own any. Crazy, I know! They have all sorts now, though. I have my eye on this girly bunny set. I think she'd love it! I know I would :)



2. Animator's Edition Bell Doll: Oh my gosh, could she get any cuter? Disney has an entire collection of these dolls out now. Mark and I really love Belle, Tiana, and Cinderella. Their eyes and hair are so sweet.





3. Baby Stella Moses Bakset: Get out of here. Could this be any cuter?? Baby Stella is by far Adalyn's favorite baby doll. It's simply, soft, and sweet. She would love, love, LOVE to be able to put baby to sleep in this little basket! (Actually, add the entire Baby Stella accessories line to my wish list.. It's all sooo well made!)


4. Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair: These things are so cute. Adalyn needs her own little chair. She loves to sit on the couch, and I just know she'd think she was really "big stuff" if she had a kiddo-sized chair for her reading center! I've been eying this one... and I think it's simply adorable:



It isn't very girly, but I've never been a huge fan of ultra girly things. I think the brown fuzzy one is much cuter than a hot pink hard one!

5. Little People Happy Home: We already own the barn and nativity set, so this would be great. A toddler-sized doll house... love it!




Do all mamas love toys as much as me? Too fun!

her nap evolution

When Adalyn was a teeny little newborn, she wasn't such a good napper. But she slept great as long as she was in Mama's arms.





Not much housework was done during the day, and I spent a lot of time holding and snuggling her.

Well, as she grew, things didn't really change. I would swaddle her tight, play white noise, and pat her to sleep. And then hold her for her entire nap. It was a tad crazy. She would be sound asleep... until I laid her down. And then she would wake up and cry. Every time! Mark was deployed, so I was on my own - and I did everything I could to get her to sleep! We tried..

the sleep giraffe
Miracle Blanket
Aden + Anais blankets
the Magic Sleep Suit

...we tried it all.











I would even sometimes just wear her for her entire nap. So for the first 6 months of her life, naptime was a struggle. She was never a sleepyhead newborn - she's been wide-eyed and ready to go since her birth day. But that's my girl!

You could set her by the clock. Exactly (and I do mean exactly) 30 minutes after she went to sleep, she would wake up (shifting into her lighter sleep cycle). Every time! So my solution? Nurse her super fast when she woke up to extend her naptime. She would fall back asleep nursing and continue sleeping for another 45 minutes.

And that was our life.

Until 6 months old.



But then! She suddenly decided that naps were fun! And would sleep for longer stretches. All on her own. IN A CRIB! I was jumping for joy at this naptime breakthrough. But you know, I still had to swaddle her, sing her to sleep, and then lay her down exactly 8 minutes after her eyes shut. It was an art - me getting her to sleep so well.



So we continued this for the next 7 months of her life. I swaddled her tight - she loved it - and sung & patted her to sleep. I was beginning to think that my child would forever be swaddled. That I would be singing my 5 year old to sleep. And then my sister gave me the idea of a Montessori bed. Would it work!? Could it?!

IT DID!



We placed a full-sized mattress on the floor, complete with fun Disney Princess bedding, and I couldn't even believe it myself.. she absolutely loved it. She would even run to her bed, plop down on her princess pillow, and wave night night to Cinderella and Aurora.


My baby girl. The baby girl that I swaddled for the entire first year of her life. The baby girl that would upset and frustrate me to no end because of her sleep issues. The baby girl that I always had to lay down when she was in a deep sleep.. that baby girl is now asleep in her big girl bed. And she now takes two 1-hour to 1.5 hour naps every day. I couldn't be more proud. I knew the day would come when I no longer needed to rock and sing to her. At one point I thought it might be when she was in high school :) But it happened. She's becoming more independent by the day. I do kind of miss singing our special songs and looking into her eyes as she fell asleep. But I'm so happy for her that she's come this far.




Nigh' Nigh', Little Toot!

30DS Update and more.

So I just completed Day 10 of the 30 Day Shred. I'm proud of myself, but...

my knees hurt
my back/shoulders hurt
my thighs hurt
& I'm tired

Ok. My whole body hurts. But that's good, right!? The best part is - Since beginning Level 2 (Oh how I despise Level 2!), my stomach feels tight all day long. It's a great, great feeling. It means this Shredding business is actually working.

But I've only lost 1.5 pounds. So, so discouraging! But I'm holding onto the hope of the bigger picture - muscle gained, a more toned body, and inches lost. I know the scale doesn't always show progress. But gosh darnit, I really wanted to lose 10 pounds in these 30 Days.

I took before & after photos.. of me in my underwear.. so you all will never see those pictures :) But I can already tell a difference between day 5 & 10 in my body! It's giving me the push and the encouragement that I need. And let me be honest here: 20 more days of this? CRIPES. I feel like it will be the death of me!! This has been the longest 10 days ever - even longer than in BMT-time. Sigh. But I'm determined to finish this. And finish strong. And I will!

~~~

Yesterday we drove to Virginia Beach to explore their ultra-fun mall and play in their Disney Store. That is THE most fun store, and Adalyn had a *blast*.. She just about leaped out of her stroller when we got into the store, so we let her out, and she ran around the store like she was on a mission!

::squeak, squeak, squeak:: went her shoes! (She wears WeeSqueaks) She got the attention of every single person in there, and it was hilarious. She found the monster pile of Disney stuffed animals and flipped out when she spotted Daisey and Goofy! This makes me super excited to take her to Disney World next year or in 2013! The girl l.o.v.e.s. Mickey. Who knew that a BABY could love Disney so much!? Well, she does!

~~~

Second birthday party planning is in the works. Possible themes:

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Pirate girl party
Princess party
Hungry Caterpillar party

Who knows. She doesn't have too many interests at this point, but we do have 9 months :) I may be a little obsessed with looking at birthday ideas on Pinterest... I would LOVE to do a Tangled party, because I LOVE that movie! I even saw a huge fake hair piece at Disney. HA! How hilarious would Adalyn be in that?!?! My nephews would think that was *hilarious* :)

Hm. Yep, that's all for now!

edit: I just found these two party ideas...

Mr. Potato Head Party: http://www.thebirthdayblog.net/search/label/Mr.%20Potato%20Head%20Party

Ice Cream Party: http://www.thebirthdayblog.net/search/label/Ice%20Cream%20Party

CUTENESS!

an afternoon in the life of a 15-month old!

(So here's what's up! Adalyn turned 15-months old today - it's true! I toted our awful little Canon camera around and photographed our afternoon from 12pm-3pm.. here's what went down...)

My Afternoon
a poem by Adalyn
(pictures, video, and typing & translation by Mama)

I wake up from my nap
in my big girl bed!
I crawl out on my own,
but I'm still a sleepyhead.




I play in the fridge
while Mama makes my lunch
Ravioli, fruit & Goldfish
I love them all a bunch!



I can use a fork
now that I'm 15 months, you know!
Piper watches me as I eat,
and I watch Agent Oso!







After cooking in my kitchen
we head upstairs to play!
I sit in my Ikea chair
& I'll refuse to smile all day :)







I pull the books off the shelf,
it's my favorite thing to do!
I "read" them all by myself
and show Mama the pictures too!





Here are some of my favorite books!
I just LOVE to lift the flaps!
Mama always reads to me
right before my naps.



It's mid-afternoon, time to nurse!
I love to cuddle so much!
I curl up in my mommy's arms,
Boy, I love my mama's touch.







15 months! I'm getting so big!
Just check out all my hair!
It's kind of a little mullet, I know,
But there's a curl here and there!







A ride on the train, a play in the tent
Afternoons are so much fun!
Cooking another meal for my mom,
Cause a chef's work is never done.







3pm and we head upstairs
I'm tired and I need sleep!
Mama pats my butt and shushes me
then I'm off without a peep :)

~~~~

Interview With a 15-Month Old:

So. Adalyn, what are your favorite foods lately? GoGurt, pudding, mashed potatoes, and anything Mama cooks! I'll eat anything!!

Do you have any new tricks? Yep, I can now say "No," but I say it like a Canadian and not assertively. I also just learned how to stick my finger on my mouth and say, "Shh!"

What's your favorite time of day? When Daddy comes home and we all eat together and play all night!

Is there anything you hate? Why, yes. There is. Being dropped off at the church nursery, that's what!

What are your favorite hobbies?
Reading books with Mommy
Cooking in my kitchen
Watching Mickey Mouse
Dancing to music
Picking on Piper
Waking up at night
Nursing
Blowing raspberries on Mama's belly
Babies!



Ahh. My big 15-month old. Love her. Love this stage of her life. I love being able to stay with her and watch her grow as we're both learning together. She'll be a year and a half before we know it!!

fast!

Fastest post ever.

• Adalyn is currently asleep in her big girl bed. All alone! In her own room! For the first time ever! Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed that this turns out good.
  

• Took measurements of my body tonight so I know how many inches I lose at the end of the 30 Day Shred.

• Speaking of the 30DS, I just completed day 5 today! It's getting a *tad* easier. I no longer feel like I'm dying :)

• For the second time in our marital history, supper flopped tonight. Our chicken wasn't thawed out enough and I ended up burning the bottom and not cooking the inside thoroughly. We ended up with Subway instead.

• Subway? It's Adalyn's favorite restaurant. Ham & American cheese on white! With a cookie on the side! She gobbles it up and waves at everyone inside!

• Mark and I just celebrated our 3rd year anniversary. Though we didn't actually celebrate, but we were happy in our hearts :)
  

• Adalyn turns 15 months old on Friday. There will be an update!

• I got Ad a really cute Minnie Mouse headband from Etsy. It's pretty much adorable and Minnie Mouse is her favorite!

The end. See y'all soon!

Exercise, Adalyn, and Supper.

Guess what!?

I've started the 30 Day Shred! And am so excited! I'm already on day two and my entire body is in pain. After both workouts, I've kind of wanted to die a little, but I completed them! And it felt great! I plan on documenting my progress - and weight loss - over the course of this month. This is SO fun for me and I cannot wait to see my body transform! After the 30 days, I plan on buying another Jillian Michaels DVD, because I love her style!

Anyway, our little (big!) Adalyn is nearly 15 months old now. She's walking, talking, and my hilarious Little Toot. Her personality is as big as she thinks she is. Her current favorite things include:

Mickey Mouse
GoGurt
Playing with Mama's hair
Dancing
Saying "Uh oh!"
Chocolate pudding
Brushing her teeth with her banana toothbrush
Her new big girl Montessory-style bed
Playing with Piper
Her big kitchen
Her pretend salt & pepper shaker
BABY DOLLS!
Books!!!

We're still nursing - another one of her favorite things. And we still bedshare. We still cloth diaper. We still babywear. She's obviously still my little nugget, though she's also SO grown up! This is absolutely my favorite stage . Developmentally, she can now...

-Point out all of her body parts, including: head, hair, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, tongue, knees, legs, feet, toes, fingers

-Say a variety of words.. her latest ones are Piper (pronounced correctly now)!, diaper, shoe, and hat.

-Take her own pants off

-Use a spoon to feed herself

-Throws & Kicks balls

-Do basically anything we ask her (Go get your doll, Go to your kitchen, etc.)

I always used to blog my meal plans for the pay period, so I thought I would again! Here's what will be cookin' in my kitchen for the next 17 days...

Dorito Chicken Casserole

Enchilada Chicken Pasta

Smothered Chicken

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Chicken Enchilada Quesadillas

Spaghetti (2)

Hamburgers

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Pizza

Pioneer Woman Enchiladas

Tacos

BBQ Chicken

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

Potato Soup

Marinated grilled chicken

Chicken casserole

Swiss Chicken

...Can you tell that we're fans of "Mexican" food around here!? Should be a delicious two weeks!


I'm getting so excited for Valentine's Day! We've already bought Adalyn her little present - a little case of 10 Mickey Mouse board books to learn shapes and colors, etc. and a Valentine's Day Biscuit book and two little baby bottles where the milk/juice "disappears" when you feed the baby. And The Princess & the Frog DVd! I have little V-Day crafts to do and recipes planned - like Valentine pancakes - for the day! Holidays are infinitely more fun when you have a kiddo!

Right now, Ad is running around with her salt and pepper shaker, talking to herself, and watching Dada do the diapers (well, put the detergent in :)). My legs feel like they barely work and it's going to be difficult to climb up the stairs to our bedroom tonight! But I am so, sooo looking forward to tomorrow morning's workout already. I'm already addicted!!!

And let me just say: I have never, ever "stuck" with an exercise regimen before, so this is a huge deal! I'm so proud :)